UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added "more testing to come on Ja Morant's left knee and that'll give the Grizzlies a clearer sense of the sprain's severity. Once that's done, Memphis will know better a timetable on a return. Morant's had a monster season -- and he will be back to complete it.
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional "more testing to come on Ja Morant's left knee and that'll give the Grizzlies a clearer sense of the sprain's severity. Once that's done, Memphis will know better a timetable on a return. Morant's had a monster season -- and he will be back to complete it.
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional testing done on Morant's knee sprain to determine the severity, which will give the team a clearer se"more testing to come on Ja Morant's left knee and that'll give the Grizzlies a clearer sense of the sprain's severity. Once that's done, Memphis will know better a timetable on a return. Morant's had a monster season -- and he will be back to complete it.
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional testing done on Morant's knee sprain to determine the severity, which will give the team a clearer sense of when Morant "more testing to come on Ja Morant's left knee and that'll give the Grizzlies a clearer sense of the sprain's severity. Once that's done, Memphis will know better a timetable on a return. Morant's had a monster season -- and he will be back to complete it.
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional testing done on Morant's knee sprain to determine the severity, which will give the team a clearer sense of when Morant can be expected "more testing to come on Ja Morant's left knee and that'll give the Grizzlies a clearer sense of the sprain's severity. Once that's done, Memphis will know better a timetable on a return. Morant's had a monster season -- and he will be back to complete it.
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional testing done on Morant's knee sprain to determine the severity, which will give the team a clearer sense of when Morant can be expected back on the court. "more testing to come on Ja Morant's left knee and that'll give the Grizzlies a clearer sense of the sprain's severity. Once that's done, Memphis will know better a timetable on a return. Morant's had a monster season -- and he will be back to complete it.
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional testing done on Morant's knee sprain to determine the severity, which will give the team a clearer sense of when Morant can be expected back on the court. 
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional testing done on Morant's knee sprain to determine the severity, which will give the team a clearer sense of when Morant can be expected back on the court.
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional testing done on Morant's knee sprain to determine the severity, which will give the team a clearer sense of when Morant can be expected back on the court.&nbsp;
With 3:12 remaining in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks game, Ja Morant suffered a left leg injury and did not return.
After the play, Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Grizzlies are calling this a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464416141187637256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left knee injury</a>.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

UPDATE: Grizzlies&rsquo; Ja Morant has left knee sprain, per initial exams.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464457035261566976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Adrian Wojnarowski added that there will be additional testing done on Morant's knee sprain to determine the severity, which will give the team a clearer sense of when Morant can be expected back on the court.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
More testing to come on Ja Morant's left knee and that'll give the Grizzlies a clearer sense of the sprain's severity. Once that's done, Memphis will know better a timetable on a return. Morant's had a monster season -- and he will be back to complete it.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1464461132203188224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant exited the Grizzlies-Hawks game with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter. Morant was holding his left leg in pain and had to helped off the court by trainers and teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant seems to have suffered an ankle injury in the 1st Quarter. Will keep you updated on the latest. <a href="https://t.co/abzoW6xmKC">pic.twitter.com/abzoW6xmKC</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1464406858853232644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant is in the midst of a career season with Memphis, averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game.&nbsp;
Morant tweeted the following message after exiting the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🖤🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/d3W27UOCfQ">pic.twitter.com/d3W27UOCfQ</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1464434303249666052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Morant was seen holding his left leg in pain after the play and had to be helped off the court by trainers and teammates.

Initial imaging reveals a 'left knee sprain' for Grizz star Ja Morant

Evan Mobley is reportedly on track to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup Saturday against the Orlando Magic, per&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania.
&nbsp;

Evan Mobley is reportedly on track to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup Saturday against the Orlando Magic, per&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Just in on the return of Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley: <a href="https://t.co/DMwotVSAjy">pic.twitter.com/DMwotVSAjy</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464235003861254147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Mobley was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and has been sideling&nbsp;

Evan Mobley is reportedly on track to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup Saturday against the Orlando Magic, per&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Just in on the return of Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley: <a href="https://t.co/DMwotVSAjy">pic.twitter.com/DMwotVSAjy</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464235003861254147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Mobley was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and has been sidelined for&nbsp;

Evan Mobley is reportedly on track to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup Saturday against the Orlando Magic, per&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Just in on the return of Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley: <a href="https://t.co/DMwotVSAjy">pic.twitter.com/DMwotVSAjy</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464235003861254147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Mobley was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and has been sidelined since Nov. 15 due to a right elbow sprain. The rookie&nbsp;

Evan Mobley is reportedly on track to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup Saturday against the Orlando Magic, per&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Just in on the return of Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley: <a href="https://t.co/DMwotVSAjy">pic.twitter.com/DMwotVSAjy</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464235003861254147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Mobley was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and has been sidelined since Nov. 15 due to a right elbow sprain. The rookie has averaged 14.

Evan Mobley is reportedly on track to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup Saturday against the Orlando Magic, per&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Just in on the return of Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley: <a href="https://t.co/DMwotVSAjy">pic.twitter.com/DMwotVSAjy</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464235003861254147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Mobley was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and has been sidelined since Nov. 15 due to a right elbow sprain. The rookie has averaged 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game so far this season. His return will undoubtedly help Cleveland,&nbsp;

Evan Mobley is reportedly on track to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup Saturday against the Orlando Magic, per&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Just in on the return of Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley: <a href="https://t.co/DMwotVSAjy">pic.twitter.com/DMwotVSAjy</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464235003861254147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Mobley was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and has been sidelined since Nov. 15 due to a right elbow sprain. The rookie has averaged 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game so far this season. His return will undoubtedly help Cleveland, which has lost five straight games to drop&nbsp;

Evan Mobley is reportedly on track to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup Saturday against the Orlando Magic, per&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Just in on the return of Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley: <a href="https://t.co/DMwotVSAjy">pic.twitter.com/DMwotVSAjy</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464235003861254147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Mobley was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and has been sidelined since Nov. 15 due to a right elbow sprain. The rookie has averaged 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game so far this season. His return will undoubtedly help Cleveland, which has lost five straight games to drop to 9-10 on the season.

Mobley had been sidlined for over a week due to a right elbow sprain.

Evan Mobley expected to return Saturday vs. Magic

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes like they once did. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly call the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I wrote about this rule change before the season began, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw lots of those calls when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural shooting motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in year&rsquo;s past and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly call the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I wrote about this rule change before the season began, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw lots of those calls when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural shooting motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in year&rsquo;s past and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I wrote about this rule change before the season began, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw lots of those calls when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural shooting motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in year&rsquo;s past and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-nba-is-trying-to-eliminate-unnatural-foulbaiting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about this rule change before the season began</a>, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw lots of those calls when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural shooting motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in year&rsquo;s past and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-nba-is-trying-to-eliminate-unnatural-foulbaiting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about this rule change before the season began</a>, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw more of those calls than usual when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural shooting motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in year&rsquo;s past and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-nba-is-trying-to-eliminate-unnatural-foulbaiting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about this rule change before the season began</a>, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw more of those calls than usual when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural-shooting-motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother, and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in year&rsquo;s past and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-nba-is-trying-to-eliminate-unnatural-foulbaiting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about this rule change before the season began</a>, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw more of those calls than usual when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural-shooting-motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother, and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 4.7 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league, but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in year&rsquo;s past and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-nba-is-trying-to-eliminate-unnatural-foulbaiting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about this rule change before the season began</a>, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw more of those calls than usual when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural-shooting-motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother, and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 4.7 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league, but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in years past and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-nba-is-trying-to-eliminate-unnatural-foulbaiting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about this rule change before the season began</a>, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw more of those calls than usual when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural-shooting-motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother, and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 4.7 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league, but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in years past, and I for one am happy about it.

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-nba-is-trying-to-eliminate-unnatural-foulbaiting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about this rule change before the season began</a>, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw more of those calls than usual when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural-shooting-motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother, and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 4.7 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league, but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in years past, and I, for one, am happy about it.

What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

Roundtable: What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes?

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with&nbsp;

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 against Anthony Davis&nbsp;

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 shooting against Anthony Davis and the Lakers .

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 shooting against Anthony Davis and the Lakers last Wednesday.
&nbsp;

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 shooting against Anthony Davis and the Lakers last Wednesday.
Other nominees for Player

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 shooting against Anthony Davis and the Lakers last Wednesday.
Other nominees for Player of the Week:
West: Deandre Ayton (PHX), Jordan Poole (GSW) and Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN). East: LaMelo Ball (CHA), Jimmy Butler (MIA), Clint Capela (ATL), DeMar DeRozan (CHI), Darius Garland (CLE), James Harden (BKN), Tyrese Maxey (PHI) and Jayson Tatum (BOS).

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 shooting against Anthony Davis and the Lakers last Wednesday.
Other nominees for Player of the Week:
West: Deandre Ayton (PHX), Jordan Poole (GSW) and Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN).
East: LaMelo Ball (CHA), Jimmy Butler (MIA), Clint Capela (ATL), DeMar DeRozan (CHI), Darius Garland (CLE), James Harden (BKN), Tyrese Maxey (PHI) and Jayson Tatum (BOS).

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 shooting against Anthony Davis and the Lakers last Wednesday.
Other nominees for Player of the Week:
Western Conference: Deandre Ayton (PHX), Jordan Poole (GSW) and Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN).
Eastern Conference: LaMelo Ball (CHA), Jimmy Butler (MIA), Clint Capela (ATL), DeMar DeRozan (CHI), Darius Garland (CLE), James Harden (BKN), Tyrese Maxey (PHI) and Jayson Tatum (BOS).

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 shooting against Anthony Davis and the Lakers last Wednesday.
&nbsp;
Other nominees for Player of the Week:
Western Conference: Deandre Ayton (PHX), Jordan Poole (GSW) and Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN).
Eastern Conference: LaMelo Ball (CHA), Jimmy Butler (MIA), Clint Capela (ATL), DeMar DeRozan (CHI), Darius Garland (CLE), James Harden (BKN), Tyrese Maxey (PHI) and Jayson Tatum (BOS).

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.
Lillard brushed off a poor start to the season coming off injury and led the Blazers to a 3-0 week, averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and making all 22 free throw attempts. His best performance was in an electric 39 point, 7 assist game against the 76ers on Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⌚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a>'s all-around game lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>. 39 points (season high) 7 assists 5 threes 3 blocks <a href="https://t.co/RrpypenU2V">pic.twitter.com/RrpypenU2V</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462296521882456069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo also helped an inconsistent Bucks team find their footing with a 3-0 week, averaging 33.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He dominated with 47 points on 18-23 shooting against Anthony Davis and the Lakers last Wednesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Giannis becomes the first player with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists in less than 35 minutes since Willie Naulls in 1959! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA75?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA75</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Giannis_An34</a>: 32 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks in 30 minutes <a href="https://t.co/K208KqDMYv">pic.twitter.com/K208KqDMYv</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1462268407101931520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Other nominees for Player of the Week:
Western Conference: Deandre Ayton (PHX), Jordan Poole (GSW) and Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN).
Eastern Conference: LaMelo Ball (CHA), Jimmy Butler (MIA), Clint Capela (ATL), DeMar DeRozan (CHI), Darius Garland (CLE), James Harden (BKN), Tyrese Maxey (PHI) and Jayson Tatum (BOS).

The NBA announced that former Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named NBA Players of the Week for Nov. 15-22, each going 3-0 in their respective conferences.

Lillard, Antetokounmpo named NBA Player of the Week for Nov. 15-21

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple double last night.
SOURCE: <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1462595224740507655">Overtime</a>
Cade Cunningham has continued to find his stride in recent games, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in last night's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, albeit on 6-21 shooting (28.6%). 
After a poor shooting start, the No. 1 overall pick is averaging 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists over his last four games. However, the 4-12 Pistons have won just one of those four games and are on pace to accrue another top pick.

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple double last night.
SOURCE: <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1462595224740507655">Overtime</a>
&nbsp;

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple double last night.
SOURCE: <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1462595224740507655">Overtime</a>
ANALYSIS: Cade Cunningham has continued to find his stride in recent games, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in last night's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, albeit on 6-21 shooting (28.6%). After a poor shooting start, the No. 1 overall pick is averaging 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists over his last four games. However, the 4-12 Pistons have won just one of those four games and are on pace to accrue another top pick.

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple double last night.
SOURCE:&nbsp;
ANALYSIS: Cade Cunningham has continued to find his stride in recent games, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in last night's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, albeit on 6-21 shooting (28.6%). After a poor shooting start, the No. 1 overall pick is averaging 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists over his last four games. However, the 4-12 Pistons have won just one of those four games and are on pace to accrue another top pick.

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Detroit Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple double last night.
SOURCE:&nbsp;
ANALYSIS: Cade Cunningham has continued to find his stride in recent games, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in last night's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, albeit on 6-21 shooting (28.6%). After a poor shooting start, the No. 1 overall pick is averaging 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists over his last four games. However, the 4-12 Pistons have won just one of those four games and are on pace to accrue another top pick.

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Detroit Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple-double last night.
SOURCE: Overtime.
ANALYSIS: Cade Cunningham has continued to find his stride in recent games, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in last night's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, albeit on 6-21 shooting (28.6%). After a poor shooting start, the No. 1 overall pick is averaging 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists over his last four games. However, the 4-12 Pistons have won just one of those four games and are on pace to accrue another top pick.

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Detroit Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple-double last night.
SOURCE: <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1462595224740507655" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Overtime</a>
ANALYSIS: Cade Cunningham has continued to find his stride in recent games, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in last night's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, albeit on 6-21 shooting (28.6%). After a poor shooting start, the No. 1 overall pick is averaging 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists over his last four games. However, the 4-12 Pistons have won just one of those four games and are on pace to accrue another top pick.

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Detroit Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple-double last night.
SOURCE: <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1462595224740507655" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Overtime</a>
ANALYSIS: Cade Cunningham has continued to find his stride in recent games, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in last night's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, albeit on 6-21 shooting (28.6%).
After a poor shooting start, the No. 1 overall pick is averaging 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists over his last four games. However, the 4-12 Pistons have won just one of those four games and are on pace to accrue another top pick.

Cade Cunningham became the youngest player in Pistons history, and eighth-youngest in NBA history, to record a triple-double.

Cade Cunningham becomes youngest Piston to record triple-double

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to super-stardom. Morant has led the Grizzlies to a surprising 7-7 record through 14 games, averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.2% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant.

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to super-stardom. Morant has led the Grizzlies to a surprising 7-7 record through 14 games, averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.2% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant.

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has led the Grizzlies to a surprising 7-7 record through 14 games, averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.2% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant.

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has has averaged 25.9 points, 7.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.2% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant.

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has has averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.8% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant.

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has has averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.8% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant's leap has been extremely fun to watch.

Along the lines of what player has suprised the most, there is a curiosity surrounding who will actually take home a trophy for 
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has has averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.8% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant's leap has been extremely fun to watch.

Along the lines of what player has suprised the most, there is a curiosity surrounding who will actually take home a trophy for taking that next step from good to great.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has has averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.8% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant's leap has been extremely fun to watch.

Along the lines of which NBA player has suprised the most, there is a curiosity surrounding who will actually take home a trophy for taking that next step from good to great.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has has averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.8% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant's leap has been extremely fun to watch.

Along the lines of which NBA player <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has suprised the most</a>, there is a curiosity surrounding who will actually take home a trophy for taking that next step from good to great.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has has averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.8% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant's leap has been extremely fun to watch.

Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Who is your early favorite for Most Improved Player?

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: during his lone college season at Missouri and in his rookie year with the Nuggets.&nbsp;
The 23-year-old was recently a guest on J.J. Redick's podcast (The Old Man and the Three) where he opened up about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: during his lone college season at Missouri and in his rookie year with the Nuggets.&nbsp;
The 23-year-old was recently a guest on J.J. Redick's podcast ("The Old Man and the Three") where he opened up about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: during his lone college season at Missouri and in his rookie year with the Nuggets.&nbsp;
The 23-year-old was recently a guest on J.J. Redick's podcast ("The Old Man and the Three") where he opened up about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again during the pre-draft process.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: during his lone college season at Missouri and in his rookie year with the Nuggets.&nbsp;
The 23-year-old was recently a guest on J.J. Redick's podcast ("The Old Man and the Three") where he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up</a> about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again during the pre-draft process.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: during his lone college season at Missouri in 2017 and during his rookie year with the Nuggets.&nbsp;
The 23-year-old was recently a guest on J.J. Redick's podcast ("The Old Man and the Three") where he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up</a> about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again during the pre-draft process.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: one during his lone college season at Missouri in 2017 and during his rookie year with the Nuggets.&nbsp;
The 23-year-old was recently a guest on J.J. Redick's podcast ("The Old Man and the Three") where he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up</a> about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again during the pre-draft process.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: one during his lone college season at Missouri in 2017 and one shortly after being drafted by the Nuggets in 2018.&nbsp;
The 23-year-old was recently a guest on J.J. Redick's podcast ("The Old Man and the Three") where he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up</a> about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again during the pre-draft process.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: one during his lone college season at Missouri in 2017 and one shortly after being drafted by the Nuggets in 2018.&nbsp;
Recently, the 23-year-old was a guest on J.J. Redick's podcast ("The Old Man and the Three") where he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up</a> about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again during the pre-draft process.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: one during his lone college season at Missouri in 2017 and one shortly after being drafted by the Nuggets in 2018.&nbsp;
Recently, the 23-year-old <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up</a> about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again during the pre-draft process.&nbsp;

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue in his back that could jeopardize his season, league sources told The Denver Post.
Source: <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-nerve-injury-back-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Singer/The Denver Post</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Singer reports that back surgery is potentially on the horizon for the former 2018 lottery pick. Porter Jr. injured his back while attempting a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6.
He has already had two back surgeries in his career: one during his lone college season at Missouri in 2017 and one shortly after being drafted by the Nuggets in 2018.&nbsp;
Recently, on J.J. Redick's podcast ("The Old Man and the Three"), the 23-year-old <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up</a> about his back injuries and being told that he'd likely never play again during the pre-draft process.&nbsp;

Porter Jr. may have to undergo a third back surgery after sustaining the injury.

Michael Porter Jr.'s season in jeopardy due to potential nerve issue

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (25th) and defensively (30th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is reportedly on the hot seat due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, The Athletic reported that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a conference finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Lakers at this point are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't struggle to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense which, according to StatMuse, had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation, ever, entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (25th) and defensively (30th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is reportedly on the hot seat due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a conference finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Lakers at this point are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't struggle to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense which, according to StatMuse, had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation, ever, entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (25th) and defensively (30th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a conference finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Lakers at this point are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't struggle to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense which, according to StatMuse, had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation, ever, entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (26th) and defensively (29th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Atlanta Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a conference finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Lakers at this point are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't struggle to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense which, according to StatMuse, had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation, ever, entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (26th) and defensively (29th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Atlanta Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a Conference Finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Los Angeles Lakers, at this point, are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't struggle to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense which, according to StatMuse, had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation, ever, entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (26th) and defensively (29th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Atlanta Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a Conference Finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Los Angeles Lakers, at this point, are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't be struggling to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense which, according to StatMuse, had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation, ever, entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (26th) and defensively (29th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Atlanta Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a Conference Finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Los Angeles Lakers, at this point, are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't be struggling to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense, which, according to StatMuse, had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation, ever, entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (26th) and defensively (29th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Atlanta Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a Conference Finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Los Angeles Lakers, at this point, are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't be struggling to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense, which had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation, ever, entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (26th) and defensively (29th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Atlanta Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a Conference Finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Los Angeles Lakers, at this point, are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't be struggling to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense, which had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation ever&nbsp;entering play last Monday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (26th) and defensively (29th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Atlanta Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a Conference Finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Los Angeles Lakers, at this point, are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't be struggling to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense, which had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation ever entering play last Monday night, according to StatMuse. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks are among the most concerning teams to start the season.

NBA Roundtable: Which team are you most concerned about?

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests.&nbsp;

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests. Since being hired&nbsp;

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests. Since being hired in 2019, Walton went 68-93 with Sacramento as head coach. He has spent six full seasons leading NBA teams and has yet to compile a winning season in any of them.&nbsp;

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests. Since being hired in 2019, Walton went 68-93 with Sacramento as head coach. He has spent six full seasons leading NBA teams (also coaching with the Warriors as an interim head coach)&nbsp; and has yet to compile a winning season in any of them.&nbsp;

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests. Since being hired in 2019, Walton went 68-93 with Sacramento as head coach. He has spent six full seasons leading NBA teams as the full-time head coach (he led Golden State to a 39-4 record as an interim head coach in 2015-16, and has yet to compile a winning season in any of them.

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests. Since being hired in 2019, Walton went 68-93 with Sacramento as head coach. He has spent six full seasons leading NBA teams as the full-time head coach (he led Golden State to a 39-4 record as an interim head coach in 2015-16), and has yet to compile a winning season in any of them.

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests. Since being hired in 2019, Walton went 68-93 with Sacramento as head coach. He has spent six full seasons leading NBA teams as the full-time head coach (he led Golden State to a 39-4 record as an interim head coach in 2015-16), and has yet to compile a winning season in any of them.
Wojnarowski also reports that associate head coach Alvin Gentry&nbsp;

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462480910734012420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests. Since being hired in 2019, Walton went 68-93 with Sacramento as head coach. He has spent six full seasons leading NBA teams as the full-time head coach (he led Golden State to a 39-4 record as an interim head coach in 2015-16), and has yet to compile a winning season in any of them.
Wojnarowski also reports that associate head coach Alvin Gentry is expected to get "strong consideration" to fill in as interim head coach.

The Kings are 6-11 and 12th in the Western Conference after dropping seven of their last eight contests.

Kings fire head coach Luke Walton

Klay Thompson came through well after a week of 5-on-5 scrimmaging and has been cleared to be a full-time participant in all future Warriors&rsquo; practices, sources tell The Athletic. Thompson is trending toward a potential return the week before Christmas Day, those sources said.
Source: Shams Charania and Anthony Slater/The Athletic

Klay Thompson came through well after a week of 5-on-5 scrimmaging and has been cleared to be a full-time participant in all future Warriors&rsquo; practices, sources tell The Athletic. Thompson is trending toward a potential return the week before Christmas Day, those sources said.
Source: <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/warriors-klay-thompson-cleared-to-practice-fully-could-return-within-week-of-christmas-sources/iEKeYCOtl4px/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania and Anthony Slater/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Warriors are already one of the best teams in basketball, but Thompson's return should provide a major boost on both ends of the floor. Thompson has been out since the 2019 NBA Finals, suffering a torn ACL and Achilles injury in that span.&nbsp;

Klay Thompson came through well after a week of 5-on-5 scrimmaging and has been cleared to be a full-time participant in all future Warriors&rsquo; practices, sources tell The Athletic. Thompson is trending toward a potential return the week before Christmas Day, those sources said.
Source: <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/warriors-klay-thompson-cleared-to-practice-fully-could-return-within-week-of-christmas-sources/iEKeYCOtl4px/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania and Anthony Slater/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Warriors are already one of the best teams in basketball, but Thompson's return should provide a major boost on both ends of the floor. Thompson has been out since the 2019 NBA Finals, suffering a torn ACL and Achilles injury in that span. Golden State&nbsp;

Klay Thompson came through well after a week of 5-on-5 scrimmaging and has been cleared to be a full-time participant in all future Warriors&rsquo; practices, sources tell The Athletic. Thompson is trending toward a potential return the week before Christmas Day, those sources said.
Source: <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/warriors-klay-thompson-cleared-to-practice-fully-could-return-within-week-of-christmas-sources/iEKeYCOtl4px/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania and Anthony Slater/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Warriors are already one of the best teams in basketball, but Thompson's return should provide a major boost on both ends of the floor. Thompson has been out since the 2019 NBA Finals, suffering a torn ACL and Achilles injury in that span. Golden State has the NBA's best record to date at&nbsp;

Thompson's return should provide a major boost on both ends of the floor for the best team in the NBA.

Klay Thompson on track to return during week of Christmas

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
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Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
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Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">individuals who have exceeded expectations</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">players who are looking to shake off a slow start</a>. Today, we asked our staff:

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
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Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
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Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them mostndividuals who have exceeded expectations</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">players who are looking to shake off a slow start</a>. Today, we asked our staff:

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them most</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">players who are looking to shake off a slow start</a>. Today, we asked our staff:

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them most</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be are looking to shake off a slow start</a>. Today, we asked our staff:

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them most</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>. Today, we asked our staff:

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them most</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.&nbsp;

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.&nbsp;

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
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Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
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Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
In our latest Roundtable discussion, hile it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
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Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
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Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

One month into the 2021-21 NBA season, which team is better than its record currently indicates? We our asked our writers.

NBA Roundtable: Which team is better than its record indicates?

LeBron James will return from an abdominal strain vs the Boston Celtics tonight.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1461844078337921028?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>

LeBron James will return from an abdominal strain vs the Boston Celtics tonight.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1461844078337921028?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James had missed eight straight games until tonight.&nbsp;

LeBron James will return from an abdominal strain vs the Boston Celtics tonight.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1461844078337921028?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James had missed eight straight games until tonight.&nbsp;
The 8-8 Lakers will greatly benefit from his return to the starting lineup to get the team moving smoothly again.

LeBron James will return from an abdominal strain vs the Boston Celtics tonight.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1461844078337921028?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James had missed eight straight games until tonight.&nbsp;
The 8-8 Lakers will greatly benefit from his return to the starting lineup as the Lakers hope to find their footing as a contender.

LeBron James will return from an abdominal strain vs the Boston Celtics tonight.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1461844078337921028?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James had missed eight straight games until tonight.&nbsp;
The 8-8 Lakers will greatly benefit from his return to the starting lineup as the Lakers hope to find their footing as a title contender.

LeBron James will return from an abdominal strain vs the Boston Celtics tonight.