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.
<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">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.
<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 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.
<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>.

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.
<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>.

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.

LeBron James will return from injury against Celtics tonight

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**... No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and rebounds to speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat and Sacramento and this was a resounding message from Thompson that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**... No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat and Sacramento and this was a resounding message from Thompson that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**... No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat and this was a resounding message from Thompson that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**... No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat and Thompson made it clear that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**... No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat, but Thompson made it clear that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**... No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f***ing retiring."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat, but Thompson made it clear that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f***ing retiring."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat, but Thompson made it clear that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f***ing retiring... This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**..."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat, but Thompson made it clear that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me. Never that. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f***ing retiring... This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**..."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat, but Thompson made it clear that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Following the Sacramento Kings' 107-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, veteran big man Tristan Thompson went off on a rant about player motivation.
"No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them... I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me. Never that. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f***ing retiring... This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MUST LISTEN FROM TRISTAN THOMPSON "No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them...I don't need no f---g coach to inspire me. Never have, never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me is the day I'm f----g retiring." <a href="https://t.co/V5PIF60Me4">pic.twitter.com/V5PIF60Me4</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1461303472205217796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
ANALYSIS: It's not surprising to see the veteran who's made a career out of hustling on defense and grabbing rebounds speak loudly about how he doesn't need extra motivation.
The Kings are just 6-9, but Thompson maintains that the team is still giving their all every night despite their disappointing results.
Luke Walton is nearing the hot seat, but Thompson made it clear that it is not on the coach to motivate the team.

Tristan Thompson sounded off, saying "This is not no freaking 'Glory Road' sh**! ... I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me."

Tristan Thompson: 'I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me'

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettSiegelNBA">Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;An

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: Brett Siegel/<a href="https://twitter.com/BrettSiegelNBA">Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1461387124578652165?s=21">Brett Siegel/Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1461387124578652165?s=21">Brett Siegel/Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby is off to a great start for the Raptors, averaging a career-

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1461387124578652165?s=21">Brett Siegel/Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby is off to a great start for the Raptors, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game.
&nbsp;

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1461387124578652165?s=21">Brett Siegel/Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby is off to a great start for the Raptors, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game.
The 7-8 Raptors will need to rely heavily on Pascal Siakam if they hope

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1461387124578652165?s=21">Brett Siegel/Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby is off to a great start for the Raptors, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game.
The 7-8 Raptors will need to rely heavily on Pascal Siakam and hope for an early recovery from on Pascal Siakam if they hope

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1461387124578652165?s=21">Brett Siegel/Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby is off to a great start for the Raptors, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game.
The 7-8 Raptors will need to rely heavily on Pascal Siakam and hope for an early recovery from Anunoby if they hope to make a playoff run in a competive East.

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1461387124578652165?s=21">Brett Siegel/Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby is off to a great start for the Raptors, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game.
The 7-8 Raptors will need to rely heavily on Pascal Siakam and hope for an early recovery from Anunoby if they hope to make a playoff run in a competive Eastern Conference.

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1461387124578652165?s=21">Brett Siegel/Hoop Analysis Network</a>
ANALYSIS: Anunoby is off to a great start for the Raptors, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game.
The 7-8 Raptors will need to rely heavily on Pascal Siakam and hope for an early recovery from Anunoby if they hope to make a playoff run in a competive Eastern Conference.
&nbsp;

OG Anunoby is dealing with a hip pointer injury and coach Nick Nurse said he could be out "a while" as a result.

OG Anunoby could be out 'a while' from hip pointer injury

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
&nbsp;

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
Stephen Silas, the coach of the Rockets

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current Stephen Silas, the coach of the Rockets

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current record-holder of the worst record in NBA history are the 7-57 2012 Stephen Silas, the coach of the Rockets

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current record-holder of the worst record in NBA history are the 7-57 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats Stephen Silas, the coach of the Rockets

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current record-holder of the worst record in NBA history are the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who finished 7-57.&nbsp; Stephen Silas, the coach of the Rockets

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current owner of the worst record in NBA history are the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who finished 7-57.&nbsp; Stephen Silas, the coach of the Rockets

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current owner of the worst record in NBA history are the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who finished 7-57.
That eam was coached by present-day Rockets coach Stephen Silas' father, Paul Silas..&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current owner of the worst record in NBA history are the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who finished 7-57.
That eam was coached by present-day Rockets coach Stephen Silas' father, Paul Silas.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current owner of the worst record in NBA history are the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who finished 7-57.
That eam was coached by present-day Rockets coach Stephen Silas' father, Paul Silas--it will be disappointing to see history repeat itself.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.

1-14 Rockets on-pace for worst record ever

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive; and great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 13 games in, and while all stars go through slumps this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him out, it is still shocking to see a bonafide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in their prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 14.7 points per game, connecting on a career best 39% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just two of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.5 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive; and great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 13 games in, and while all stars go through slumps this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him out, it is still shocking to see a bonafide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in their prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 14.7 points per game, connecting on a career best 39% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just two of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.5 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 13 games in, and while all stars go through slumps this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him out, it is still shocking to see a bonafide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in their prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 14.7 points per game, connecting on a career best 39% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just two of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.5 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 14 games in; and while All-Stars go through slumps, this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him out, it is still shocking to see a bonafide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in their prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 14.7 points per game, connecting on a career best 39% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just two of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.5 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 14 games in. And while All-Stars go through slumps, this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him back, it is still shocking to see a bonafide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in their prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 14.7 points per game, connecting on a career best 39% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just two of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.5 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 14 games in. And while All-Stars go through slumps, this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him back, it is still shocking to see a bona fide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in their prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 14.7 points per game, connecting on a career best 39% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just two of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.5 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 14 games in. And while All-Stars go through slumps, this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him back, it is still shocking to see a bona fide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in his prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 14.7 points per game, connecting on a career best 39% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just two of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.5 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 14 games in. And while All-Stars go through slumps, this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him back, it is still shocking to see a bona fide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in his prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 15.3 points per game, connecting on a career best 38% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just 2 of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.5 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
&nbsp;
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 14 games in. And while All-Stars go through slumps, this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him back, it is still shocking to see a bona fide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in his prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 15.3 points per game, connecting on a career best 38% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just 2 of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.8 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
shoutout <a href="https://twitter.com/The_ColeAnthony?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_ColeAnthony</a> 29 PTS | 11 AST | 58% FG | 4 3PM <a href="https://t.co/LBKgaUxoiJ">pic.twitter.com/LBKgaUxoiJ</a>
&mdash; Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1460595415858954244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 14 games in. And while All-Stars go through slumps, this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him back, it is still shocking to see a bona fide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in his prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 15.3 points per game, connecting on a career best 38% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just 2 of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.8 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Which player has surprised you in the first month?

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source:&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: Monumental Sports&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/mse/status/1460990150452953089?s=21">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment</a>
It is unsurprising to see the Wizards extend Sheppard

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/mse/status/1460990150452953089?s=21">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment</a>
It is unsurprising to see the Wizards extend and promote Sheppard after the great work he has done in a short period of time.
While unlikely the Wizards will contend for a championship soon, Sheppard has seemilgy&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/mse/status/1460990150452953089?s=21">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment</a>
It is unsurprising to see the Wizards extend and promote Sheppard after the great work he has done in a short period of time.
While unlikely the Wizards will contend for a championship soon, since taking over in late 2019, Sheppard has seemilgy&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/mse/status/1460990150452953089?s=21">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment</a>
It is unsurprising to see the Wizards extend and promote Sheppard after the great work he has done in a short period of time.
While unlikely the Wizards will contend for a championship soon, since taking over in late 2019, Sheppard has seemingly put a competent roster&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/mse/status/1460990150452953089?s=21">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment</a>
It is unsurprising to see the Wizards extend and promote Sheppard after the great work he has done in a short period of time.
While unlikely the Wizards will contend for a championship soon, since taking over in late 2019, Sheppard has seemingly put a competent roster around Bradley Beal while weaving through&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/mse/status/1460990150452953089?s=21">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment</a>
It is unsurprising to see the Wizards extend and promote Sheppard after the great work he has done in a short period of time.
While unlikely the Wizards will contend for a championship soon, since taking over in late 2019, Sheppard has seemingly put a competent roster around Bradley Beal while weaving through large contracts in&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/mse/status/1460990150452953089?s=21">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment</a>
It is unsurprising to see the Wizards extend and promote Sheppard after the great work he has done in a short period of time.
While unlikely the Wizards will contend for a championship soon, since taking over in late 2019, Sheppard has seemingly put a competent roster around Bradley Beal while weaving through the large deals of John Wall and Russell Westbrook.&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/mse/status/1460990150452953089?s=21">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment</a>
It is unsurprising to see the Wizards extend and promote Sheppard after the great work he has done in a short period of time.
While unlikely the Wizards will contend for a championship soon, since taking over in late 2019, Sheppard has seemingly retooled to put a competent roster around Bradley Beal while weaving through the large deals of John Wall and Russell Westbrook.&nbsp;

The Wizards announced they have promoted Tommy Sheppard to President and GM after a 10-3 start to their season.

Wizards promote, extend Tommy Sheppard

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lilliard. I'm a big fan of Lilliard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lilliard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
&nbsp;
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lilliard. I'm a big fan of Lilliard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lilliard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
JAYSON TATUM WITH THE CLUTCH BUCKET! <a href="https://t.co/p5XvU1fFm4">pic.twitter.com/p5XvU1fFm4</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1459722121547063296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lilliard. I'm a big fan of Lilliard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lilliard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lilliard. I'm a big fan of Lilliard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lilliard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
&nbsp;
Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lilliard. I'm a big fan of Lilliard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lilliard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
JAYSON TATUM WITH THE CLUTCH BUCKET! <a href="https://t.co/p5XvU1fFm4">pic.twitter.com/p5XvU1fFm4</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1459722121547063296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lilliard. I'm a big fan of Lilliard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lilliard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off their slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
JAYSON TATUM WITH THE CLUTCH BUCKET! <a href="https://t.co/p5XvU1fFm4">pic.twitter.com/p5XvU1fFm4</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1459722121547063296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lilliard. I'm a big fan of Lilliard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lilliard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
JAYSON TATUM WITH THE CLUTCH BUCKET! <a href="https://t.co/p5XvU1fFm4">pic.twitter.com/p5XvU1fFm4</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1459722121547063296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lillard. I'm a big fan of Lillard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lilliard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
JAYSON TATUM WITH THE CLUTCH BUCKET! <a href="https://t.co/p5XvU1fFm4">pic.twitter.com/p5XvU1fFm4</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1459722121547063296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lillard. I'm a big fan of Lillard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lillard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

Which player will shake off a slow start? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Which player will shake off a slow start?

Source: Shams Charania/The Athletic

&nbsp;
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1460664808961757187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>

<div class="css-1dbjc4n">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1s2bzr4">
<div id="id__8pfo52l712l" class="css-901oao r-18jsvk2 r-37j5jr r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-vrz42v r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley will miss 2-to-4 weeks with a right elbow sprain.</div>
</div>
</div>
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1460664808961757187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Mobley has been one of the top rookies in the NBA so far. He became the fastest Cavalier ever to reach 200 career points and 100 career rebounds, doing so in just 14 games. The No. 3 overall pick&nbsp;

<div class="css-1dbjc4n">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1s2bzr4">
<div id="id__8pfo52l712l" class="css-901oao r-18jsvk2 r-37j5jr r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-vrz42v r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley will miss 2-to-4 weeks with a right elbow sprain.</div>
</div>
</div>
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1460664808961757187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Mobley has been one of the top rookies in the NBA so far. He became the fastest Cavalier ever to reach 200 career points and 100 career rebounds, doing so in just 14 games. The No. 3 overall pick is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game to date.

<div class="css-1dbjc4n">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1s2bzr4">
<div id="id__8pfo52l712l" class="css-901oao r-18jsvk2 r-37j5jr r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-vrz42v r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en"></div>
</div>
</div>
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1460664808961757187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Mobley has been one of the top rookies in the NBA so far. He became the fastest Cavalier ever to reach 200 career points and 100 career rebounds, doing so in just 14 games. The No. 3 overall pick is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game to date.

<div class="css-1dbjc4n">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1s2bzr4">
<div id="id__8pfo52l712l" class="css-901oao r-18jsvk2 r-37j5jr r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-vrz42v r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley will miss 2-to-4 weeks with a right elbow sprain.</div>
</div>
</div>
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1460664808961757187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Mobley has been one of the top rookies in the NBA so far. He became the fastest Cavalier ever to reach 200 career points and 100 career rebounds, doing so in just 14 games. The No. 3 overall pick is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game to date.

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley will miss 2-to-4 weeks with a right elbow sprain.
SOURCE: Shams Charania/The Athletic
ANALYSIS: Mobley has been one of the top rookies in the NBA so far. He became the fastest Cavalier ever to reach 200 career points and 100 career rebounds, doing so in just 14 games. The No. 3 overall pick is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game to date.

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley will miss 2-to-4 weeks with a right elbow sprain.
SOURCE: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1460664808961757187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic </a>
ANALYSIS: Mobley has been one of the top rookies in the NBA so far. He became the fastest Cavalier ever to reach 200 career points and 100 career rebounds, doing so in just 14 games. The No. 3 overall pick is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game to date.

Mobley is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game to date.

Evan Mobley to miss 2-4 weeks with elbow sprain

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Source:<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1460646546723295237" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>

There's growing optimism that LeBron James could make his return to the Lakers vs. Boston on Friday (ESPN, 7:30 PM), sources tell ESPN.
Source:<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1460646546723295237" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James has missed the past two weeks with an abdominal strain. The Lakers could certainly use his help, as the team has gone&nbsp;

There's growing optimism that LeBron James could make his return to the Lakers vs. Boston on Friday (ESPN, 7:30 PM), sources tell ESPN.
Source:<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1460646546723295237" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James has missed the past two weeks with an abdominal strain. The Lakers could certainly use his help, as the team has gone 3-4 since James last played on Nov. 2.&nbsp;

There's growing optimism that LeBron James could make his return to the Lakers vs. Boston on Friday (ESPN, 7:30 PM), sources tell ESPN.
Source:<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1460646546723295237" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James has missed the past two weeks with an abdominal strain. The Lakers could certainly use his help, as the team has gone 3-4 since James last played on Nov. 2. Most recently, L.A. lost to the&nbsp;

There's growing optimism that LeBron James could make his return to the Lakers vs. Boston on Friday (ESPN, 7:30 PM), sources tell ESPN.
Source:<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1460646546723295237" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James has missed the past two weeks with an abdominal strain. The Lakers could certainly use his help, as the team has gone 3-4 since James last played on Nov. 2. Most recently, L.A. lost to the Chicago Bulls, 121-103 on Monday night.

James has not played in two weeks after suffering an abdominal strain.