Mean Green

Most NBA teams have a young core of some sort, but some are better than others.
Each year, teams try to add to their young nucleus through the draft. The 2023 NBA Draft just featured the most highly-anticipated prospect since LeBron James in Victor Wembanyama, plus a number of other talented rookies like Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and the Thompson twins.
Entering the 2023-24 season, which team has the best young core? Today, we'll rank the five best cores from around the league. The criteria is simple: players must be age-25 or younger to be considered.
5. Orlando Magic&nbsp;
The Magic landed young star Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick last season, pairing him with 2021 lottery pick Franz Wagner to form a nice one-two punch. Cole Anthony had high expectations entering the league, but he hasn't quite become the player that fans wanted him to be. One player who has exceeded expectations is Wendell Carter Jr. After a shaky start to his career with the Chicago Bulls, Carter has found his place on the Magic and is considered one of the better young starting centers in the NBA. He isn't the only player who turned his career around after landing in Orlando, as Markelle Fultz is playing his best basketball and has a nice redemption story of his own. Other young players who have an opportunity to make an impact going forward are Orlando's recent lottery picks Anthony Black and Jett Howard, both of whom are 19 years old. Orlando has consistently been one of the worst teams in the league for several years now and while their rebuilding roster is solid, it isn&rsquo;t quite as good or enticing as some of the other teams on our list.
Notable Players: Paolo Banchero (20), Franz Wagner (23), Wendell Carter Jr. (24), Anthony Black (19), Jett Howard (19), Markelle Fultz (25), Cole Anthony (23), Jalen Suggs (21), Jonathan Isaac (25), Caleb Houstan (20)
4. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are the only young core on this list with postseason experience, as they made the playoffs in 2021-22 and made the play-in tournament last season. Their young core is largely carried by four players: Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. Ingram has become a terrific scorer, and he's coming off a season in which he averaged career-highs in points (24.7) and assists (5.8). While Williamson has been one of the best players in the NBA when healthy, we haven&rsquo;t seen him on the court very much since he was drafted in 2019. Murphy is a terrific shooter and Jones has had a very solid start to his career as well, making a name for himself as a lockdown perimeter defender. New Orleans has a few other young players with potential including Dyson Daniels, Jordan Hawkins and Kira Lewis Jr., but they have yet to prove themselves. Ingram, Williamson, Murphy and Jones are the main reason why the Pelicans are ranked here.
Notable Players: Brandon Ingram (25), Zion Williamson (23), Trey Murphy III (23), Herb Jones (24), Dyson Daniels (20), Jordan Hawkins (21), Kira Lewis Jr. (22)
3. Houston Rockets
The Rockets have one of the more underrated young cores in the NBA, as their lack of success has prevented them from getting much recognition. Fortunately for the Rockets, their main issue has been lack of experience, and the team addressed it this offseason. They had money to spend and they brought in some veterans to help lead the team, most notably Fred VanVleet. That said, their young core is still extremely talented and got even better through this year&rsquo;s draft. The key for this Rockets team to succeed is to make sure these young players continue to develop at a high rate, which is where new head coach Ime Udoka and his staff come in. They have multiple players on their roster with All-Star potential, and it's possible they'll compete for a play-in spot by the end of the season.
Notable Players: Jalen Green (21), Jabari Smith (20), Alperen Sengun (21), Amen Thompson (20), Tari Eason (22), Kevin Porter Jr. (23), Cam Whitmore (19)
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2. San Antonio Spurs&nbsp;
The Spurs undoubtedly have one of the NBA's best young cores. No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama has made San Antonio the team to watch this season. That said, they likely won&rsquo;t be a playoff team for at least another year. While it's possible that they'll shock everyone, it will be difficult for Wembanyama to lead them to the postseason as a rookie. He will likely need at least a year to adjust to the NBA and develop before taking that next leap in his career. Wembanyama isn&rsquo;t the only young star on the Spurs, as they have already started developing fellow cornerstones Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, who have made quite an impression. Throw in Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Romeo Langford and Blake Wesley, and it's clear why the Spurs are this high. Other young players who have shown promise are Charles Bassey and Julian Champagnie, both of whom came over from the Philadelphia 76ers&rsquo; organization. These two players have displayed a ton of potential, particularly in the G League and Summer League, and they could be solid contributors for years to come.&nbsp;
Notable Players: Victor Wembanyama (19), Keldon Johnson (23), Tre Jones (23), Devin Vassell (22), Jeremy Sochan (20), Malaki Branham (20), Romeo Langford (23), Zach Collins (25), Blake Wesley (20), Julian Champagnie (22), Charles Bassey (22), Dominick Barlow (20), Sandro Mamukelashvili (24)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Spurs were a hard core to beat but, to nobody&rsquo;s surprise, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the best young core in the NBA. Not only do they have the youngest starting lineup in the league, it is filled with young stars. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as one of the best guards in the league, while Josh Giddey and Rookie-of-the-Year runner-up Jalen Williams just had a terrific season. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft, hasn't played yet but he will undoubtedly make an immediate impact and could give OKC a Rookie-of-the-Year finalist for the second year in a row. Despite how young the Thunder are, they could make a serious playoff push this season, with Shai at the steering wheel. Perhaps what's scariest about the Thunder is that they have 35 draft picks over the next seven years, including 15 first-rounders, so their already-impressive young core is still a work in progress.
Notable Players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25), Chet Holmgren (21), Josh Giddey (20), Jalen Williams (22), Cason Wallace (19), Luguentz Dort (24), Aleksej Pokusevski (21), Isaiah Joe (24), Tre Mann (22), Jaylin Williams (21), Ousmane Dieng (20), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (22), Keyontae Johnson (23)

Entering the 2023-24 season, which NBA teams have the best young core? Hunter Simpson ranks the best cores from around the league.

Ranking the NBA's top-5 young cores entering the 2023-24 season

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Some might say Stan Kroenke and his family would be pulling off the impossible by bringing a long-awaited NBA title to Denver.
Less discussed &mdash; at least these days &mdash; was their willingness, in 1999, to dive into a messy acquisition process for a largely irrelevant franchise that had been considered a relocation prospect as the 21st century approached.
All of the talk of them relocating no longer exists.
Now, the conversation is about how the Nuggets were able to reach their first NBA Finals thanks to the stubborn patience displayed by the Kroenkes, who have taken an unorthodox route toward assembling an unorthodox winner. Denver hosts the Miami Heat in Game 2 Sunday night after&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-denver-nuggets-nba-sports-755531bae7f944958c4225f8d5f54bad">winning the Finals opener</a>.
Kroenke&rsquo;s deal to purchase the Nuggets, along with the Colorado Avalanche and their home arena for $450 million, included a clause that tethered the NBA franchise to Denver for the ensuing 25 years. These days, the Nuggets are estimated by Forbes to be worth $1.93 billion.
&ldquo;One thing I know about Stan is that when he sets his mind to doing something, and when he thinks he&rsquo;s right, he&rsquo;s going to fight for that,&rdquo; said Wellington Webb, who was Denver&rsquo;s mayor in 1999 and helped broker the deal that closed a year later between Kroenke and the Nuggets.
Though Kroenke married into money &mdash; he wed Walmart heiress Ann Walton in 1974, a few years after meeting her during a ski trip to Aspen &mdash; he had already honed his business chops. His first deal: Taking a $1,500 loan at 6% interest from his dad so he could buy part of a clothing shop with his friend.
Not long after, he got into the real estate business, building shopping centers with a developer who was tight with Walmart founder Sam Walton.
Real estate and sports are, these days, almost intertwined &mdash; a reality Kroenke grasped quickly.
&ldquo;I always thought I&rsquo;d enjoy (owning a sports franchise) because the professional sports business is part business and part sports,&rdquo; Kroenke told the Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune in 2022, &ldquo;and I love both of them.&rdquo;
Kroenke&rsquo;s representatives did not return messages left by The Associated Press seeking an interview.
His first major jump into sports was his partnership with Rams owner Georgia Frontiere. In the mid-1990s, Frontiere was chafing at the inability of Los Angeles to build a new stadium, She was looking for partners to bankroll a move to St. Louis. Kroenke bought in, and when Frontiere died in 2008, he exercised his right to purchase a majority stake in the team.
The sad irony is that it was Kroenke, the Missouri native, who moved the Rams out of St. Louis and back to LA where they are the main tenant in his $5.1 billion stadium. His connection with Denver &mdash; much different.
&ldquo;One of my dreams was to be involved in a professional basketball team,&rdquo; Kroenke told The Denver Post, shortly after closing the deal for the Nuggets. &ldquo;This is a dream I&rsquo;ve had for a long time.&rdquo;
There is, in fact, a strong argument that the basketball trophy might be the most meaningful for a family that has amassed three Stanley Cup trophies with the Avalanche, a Super Bowl trophy with the Rams and is still looking for glory with Arsenal, the Premier League soccer team it has had a controlling interest in since 2011.
Kroeke&rsquo;s son, Josh, was a standout basketball player in high school and played at University of Missouri. He now runs the Nuggets.
&ldquo;I thought that you could bring a championship to Denver,&rdquo; Josh said in a recent interview on team-owned Altitude Sports Radio. &ldquo;Trying to do something that&rsquo;s never been done before, it&rsquo;s not always easy, and it&rsquo;s usually met with a lot of resistance. ... We&rsquo;re mostly excited for the city to get to experience this. But the job&rsquo;s not done.&rdquo;
The Nuggets were parked squarely in NBA purgatory when the team went on the block in 1999, having not sniffed relevancy since their mid-80s heydey, when the teams were highlighted by coach Doug Moe&rsquo;s uptempo offense. Their situation off the court wasn&rsquo;t much better. In the late &rsquo;80s, then-owner Sidney Shlenker had toyed with the idea of moving the team to Memphis.
His sale to a media conglomerate that was never truly hot on owning sports teams did nothing to tamp the idea that the Nuggets were a team that might be available to move. And teams were moving; Between 2001-08, Memphis (from Vancouver), Oklahoma City (from Seattle) and New Orleans (from Charlotte) all adopted existing franchises in a flurry of NBA reshuffling.
When Denver went on the block, the highest bidder, billionaire businessman Donald Sturm, came in with a $460 million offer, but balked at the idea that he couldn&rsquo;t move the team.
In stepped Kroenke, who had no problem with the arrangement. A side note: To close the sale, Kroenke had to outmaneuver another group fronted by none other than John Elway.
&ldquo;It was clear Sturm wasn&rsquo;t going to work out,&rdquo; Webb said. &ldquo;And my only question was, &lsquo;Is the new guy going to be supportive of the team winning?&rsquo; Because if the arena is full, not only do the owners make money, but city makes money, as well.&rdquo;
The Kroenkes have answered Webb&rsquo;s question with their willingness &mdash; increasingly rare in pro sports &mdash; to play the long game, both on the roster and on the bench.
The roster was built in workmanlike,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-nuggets-jokic-murray-malone-18329e13dfecae50834ebc06d409027c">no-drama fashion</a>,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-nikola-jokic-denver-nuggets-mvp-lebron-lakers-8e668572f9f43942175ded63e7a61832">highlighted by Nikola Jokic</a>, who entered the league as an unheralded second-round pick from Serbia. The coach, Michael Malone, was hired in 2015, and there was never much talk of making changes after disappointing finishes to their seasons in 2018, 2019 and even last year.
Today, Malone sits behind only Gregg Popovich (Spurs), Erik Spoelstra (Heat) and Steve Kerr (Warriors) &mdash; who have a combined 11 championships on their coaching resumes &mdash; in terms of longevity among the NBA&rsquo;s 30 head coaches.
&ldquo;That has a ton to do with where we are today,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t be more thankful for working for an ownership group that is not impatient and is not trying to find the next great thing, but is saying &lsquo;Hey, listen, let&rsquo;s let this grow and marinate into something special.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Despite his family&rsquo;s large role in the Denver sports scene &mdash; the Kroenke business also owns the MLS Colorado Rapids, and the National Lacrosse League&rsquo;s Colorado Mammoth, who lost the deciding game in that league&rsquo;s title series Saturday &mdash; Kroenke has still taken his fair share of criticism around town.
It&rsquo;s a byproduct of his 2004 move to bundle his teams&rsquo; TV rights and air them on company&rsquo;s new regional television network, Altitude.
In 2019, the region&rsquo;s biggest cable operator, Comcast, stopped carrying Altitude due to a disagreement over fees the cable giant was charging to carry the network. The ensuing legal battle has kept the Nuggets off the local airwaves in millions of homes for the last four seasons. The battle between billion-dollar companies has left many average Nuggets fans feeling like the only real losers in the equation.
But whatever bitterness lingers from the cable dispute has mostly been set aside over the past few months. All the playoff games have been on national TV.
Meanwhile, Kroenke stays firmly in the background. He can make it from his apartment at the top of Ball Arena through some back passageways and into his luxury suite to watch games in less than two minutes. Sometimes he brings his German Shepherd along.
&ldquo;I think that not only is he a good businessman,&rdquo; Webb said, &ldquo;but he also feels he has something special in Denver. And I think it&rsquo;s always been his goal to do right by Denver.&rdquo;

Some might say Stan Kroenke and his family would be pulling off the impossible by bringing a long-awaited NBA title to Denver.

Kroenke bought Nuggets, kept team in Denver, now hoping to deliver title

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

Spencer Davies tells the complex story of Eban Hyams, the first Indian-born international professional basketball player.

Setbacks and bouncebacks: On Eban Hyams, India's first pro ballplayer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 38 points and seven rebounds in his return from a five-game absence and the Oklahoma City Thunder led all the way while beating the Utah Jazz 129-119 on Sunday night.
Rookie Jalen Williams added a career-high 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting and Josh Giddey just missed a triple-double with 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for Oklahoma City, which beat the Jazz for the second time in three days. The Thunder also won in blowout fashion on Friday, 130-103.
Utah trailed by double digits for the final 42 minutes of Sunday&rsquo;s game. Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 18 points but missed all five of his 3-point attempts. The Jazz played without All-Star Lauri Markkanen, who sat out with what the team said was a low-back strain.
&ldquo;I just thought our guys started the game really well,&rdquo; Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;We were in our spots and making them earn everything. We made some shots early (and) they missed some, but we forced them to go to jump shots early.&rdquo;
Utah made only two of its first 17 field-goal attempts and missed its first nine 3-point shots, allowing Oklahoma City to sprint to a 28-10 lead with 2:44 left in the first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 of his points on 5-of-7 shooting during the quarter.
&ldquo;All year, we&rsquo;ve been talking about coming out fast,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I thought we did a good job of that. Obviously, with Shai coming back, we were all playing in our normal spots, too, so there was a lot more comfortable feel.&rdquo;
The Thunder led by as many as 24 points in the second quarter and was ahead 70-51 at halftime. An 11-0 run by Utah pulled the Jazz within 88-78 with 4:09 left in the third quarter, but Isaiah Joe made a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired for Oklahoma City and Gilgeous-Alexander followed with two free throws.
The Thunder led 101-84 entering the fourth quarter and Utah came no closer than the final margin.
&ldquo;I think in general, we played three quarters of pretty good basketball,&rdquo; Utah coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;We just put ourselves in a big hole to start the game.
&ldquo;It took us too long as a team to find a rhythm.&rdquo;
TIP-INS 
Jazz: In addition to being without Markkanen, Utah also was missing Collin Sexton, who has a strained left hamstring &hellip; Kris Dunn, who signed a second 10-day contract with the Jazz on Saturday, played 27 minutes and scored a career-high 17 points &hellip; Center Walker Kessler also had 17 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) and added 10 rebounds.
Thunder: As part of a celebration of local Latin American and Hispanic communities, pregame player introductions for Oklahoma City were done in Spanish by the Thunder&rsquo;s Spanish broadcaster, Eleno Ornela &hellip; Rookie Ousmane Dieng scored 12 points and was the only Oklahoma City player to score in double figures besides Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Giddey &hellip; Gilgeous-Alexander went 17 of 19 from the free-throw line, with the 19 attempts tying his career high.
SGA LIMITED
Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s left hip flexor strain &ndash; which resulted in Gilgeous-Alexander missing two games before he missed three more due to health and safety protocols &ndash; might result in reduced playing time for the star guard, as the team looks to keep him as available as possible for the rest of the season.
That could include sitting Gilgeous-Alexander for the second game of back-to-backs and changing the usual substitution patterns to reduce his overall minutes, Daigneault said. Gilgeous-Alexander entered Sunday&rsquo;s game averaging 31.0 points per game. He played 36 minutes and acknowledged after the game being a little winded at times.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Will continue a six-game road swing on Tuesday at Dallas.
Thunder: Will host Golden State on Tuesday to wrap up a six-game homestand.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 38 points and the Thunder led all the way while beating the Jazz 129-119 on Sunday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns with 38 as Thunder beat Jazz

If this month has given us any indication, the 2023 NBA Draft could be special.
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson went head-to-head in two thrilling showcases to start October, exemplifying the potential greatness that could headline this prospect group.
Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has Wembanyama atop <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his initial 2023 Big Board</a>, with Scoot Henderson at No. 2. But they're just the headliners. Amen and Ausar Thompson, twin uber-athletes, are carving up the court with Overtime Elite. Then you get to the collegiate standouts, led by Villanova's Cam Whitmore and Arkansas' Nick Smith Jr.
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New on <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a>: this season's first 2023 NBA Draft Big Board.👇 Link: <a href="https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2">https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2</a> <a href="https://t.co/d6UEUTsjip">pic.twitter.com/d6UEUTsjip</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1584921955357990912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Babcock broke down the top names to monitor as the scouting season gets rolling. He also dove into his own scouting process and the challenges that come with criss-crossing the globe to watch basketball's best young talents.&nbsp;
How much did Victor Wembanyama's dominance in Las Vegas change his reputation as a generational prospect compared to before the exhibitions?
In my role as an NBA Draft Analyst, I do my best not to go too high or too low on guys based on individual performances. But to be in Las Vegas in person, sitting courtside to see Victor Wembanyama, an 18-year-old that's 7-foot-4 and has an 8-foot wingspan do the things that he did &mdash; it was remarkable. The combination of his length, coordination, and skill level is unbelievable. I don't know if we'll ever see a prospect quite like Victor Wembanyama again. He's so incredibly unique and has about as much upside as possibly imaginable.
What do you want to see from Wembanyama over this next season before making the likely leap to the NBA?
Although this may seem obvious, I'd like to see Victor stay healthy and out on the court this season. Considering that he has such a unique body type, I think that is very important. He's such an incredible prospect, but he needs to get stronger and take care of his body to maximize his potential.
How does Scoot Henderson compare to some of the dynamic guard prospects we've seen over the past decade?
Suppose we look at the top-tier guard prospects from recent years' drafts. In that case, we'd be talking about guys like LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, Darius Garland, Trae Young &mdash; and I guess you could put Luka Doncic in that group, too, since he's essentially a big point guard.&nbsp;
Well, I'm comfortable saying I'm just as excited about Scoot Henderson as I was about all those guys at the same stage. But, of course, Scoot needs to take care of his business to get to those players' levels. However, my point is I do think he has that type of talent and potential.
What makes Amen and Ausar Thompson special, and could the twins also be franchise-altering talents?
Although the Thompson brothers are identical twins, I do see differences in their games. For example, Amen seems to have better ball skills and a feel for the game, and Ausar is wired more as a scorer. However, they're both incredible athletes with so much versatility on both sides of the ball. Outside shooting is their swing skill, and their development in that area will likely determine how much career success they'll find. It seems as if both guys are about all of the right things and are serious about their craft, which tells me they'll continue to improve. I think they're both big-time prospects and worthy of being high lottery picks.
Wembanyama, Henderson and the Thompson twins come from unconventional pathways. How does that change your scouting process?
Well, first of all, I take a compartmentalized approach to evaluating prospects regardless of whether they take an unconventional pathway or not. Each evaluation presents unique challenges, so I don't think it changes things for me too much.&nbsp;
Players taking unconventional pathways sometimes allow me more direct access to them. For example, with these players, as mentioned earlier, it's been more advantageous for me because I have unique connections to them. Victor Wembanyama's agent, Bouna N'Diaye, is a good friend, and I collaborated with him and his agency, Comsport, for years when I was an agent.&nbsp;
Scoot's mentor in Atlanta, Desmond Eastman, aka "The General," has been my guy since I played high school ball in Atlanta. The General, Scoot, and his family invited me out to their family's gym, Next Play 360, a couple of years ago to watch Scoot work out, and I got a chance to spend some time with all of them. And I've kept in touch with them since then.&nbsp;
I've also had opportunities to spend some time with the Thompson Twins. Before Overtime Elite was publicly launched, I spent about six months as an advisor for them; I assisted in setting up their scouting operations. So naturally, I'm close with all of the folks out there. A little while back, Overtime Elite invited me to come to Atlanta to speak to their players about scouting, intel, and the business of the NBA. Of course, I'm not always connected to top prospects like I am with those guys, but my background and experience in hoops does tend to serve me well regarding access, which I certainly don't take for granted.
Which other 2023 draft-eligible players do you think have a chance at putting themselves in that Tier 1 prospect conversation?
I'm not sure if any other players will be able to crack that first tier. Still, I am excited to track some college freshmen like Cam Whitmore at Villanova, Nick Smith at Arkansas, Dariq Whitehead at Duke, Dillon Mitchell at Texas, and Keyonte George at Baylor, to name a few. I could list off a handful or so more, too, as I think the freshman class this year has a bunch of talented prospects.
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We hit the Main Line for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BIGEASThoops?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BIGEASThoops</a> Preseason Freshman of the Year, <a href="https://twitter.com/NovaMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NovaMBB</a>'s Cam Whitmore! Cam was the Most Outstanding Player on <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usabasketball</a>'s FIBA U18 Americas Championship squad this past summer &amp; was the Gatorade Maryland POTY at Archbishop Spalding! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoNova?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoNova</a> <a href="https://t.co/s0JUUeqIPn">pic.twitter.com/s0JUUeqIPn</a>
&mdash; BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGEASTMBB/status/1582344744449019904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As a scout, how do you make sure you're being fairly critical of top prospects without overanalyzing their flaws?
My process for evaluating prospects is to ask questions constantly, whether by asking myself questions internally or blowing up my right-hand man, Derek Murray's phone, to ask him questions. A comprehensive evaluation or conclusion of the evaluation of a prospect before their draft ultimately comes down to the concept of the sum of all its parts.&nbsp;
Experienced scouts can gather comparable information on prospects, evaluating the players' on-court talent and gathering intel on their background, character, and personality. Generally, we all know a prospect's strengths, weaknesses, and questions that need to be raised at a certain point in the process. The most challenging part is how one weighs out all the different variables within the evaluation.&nbsp;
For example, maybe a player lacks physical strength, has character flaws, or is an inconsistent shooter. How big of a problem are specific players' "issues" compared to how much talent and upside they have, and how much could their issues limit their ability to maximize their potential? It's all about balancing out the risk versus the reward. It's certainly a juggling act, but you know what? I love it. I live for it. I wake up as a scout everyday seeking more information on prospects in hopes of figuring out the big puzzle, which is the NBA Draft.
Which top returning college players are you most excited to see make improvements in their games?
There are many returners I'm hoping will make a big jump in their development. Some players that come to mind first are Terquavion Smith from NC State, Marcus Sasser from Houston, Kris Murray from Iowa, Harrison Ingram from Stanford, Oscar Tshiebwe and Daimion Collins from Kentucky, Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton, Terrence Shannon and Coleman Hawkins from Illinois, and Caleb Love from North Carolina. 
Honestly, I could list off a bunch of guys. I love to see guys return to school and keep grinding. Having a front-row seat to watch young players' stories unfold as they chase their dreams is perhaps the best part of my job. I love it!
Beyond Wembanyama, what does this year's international prospect landscape look like?
Of course, Wembanyama is the big name this year. Some other internationally-born prospects that are playing overseas that I'm excited to track are Rayan Rupert with the New Zealand Breakers, Nikola Djurisic with Mega in Serbia, and James Nnaji and Ousmane NDiaye with Barcelona and Baskonia in Spain, respectively.
How do you set a roadmap for the early scouting season &mdash; do you prioritize geography, teams or specific players at first?
I first get my initial player rankings and priority watch list together, which helps me prepare and organize who I need to see. Secondly, I identify "must-see" games and events. For example, early this college season, I plan to attend the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis, including Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Then I plan to attend the Phil Knight Invitational and Legacy events in Portland, which include many talented teams. There are some other double-headers and unique matchups in neutral locations I have penciled in too.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
From there, I look at "low-hanging fruit" games. This would include games and events with NBA prospects that I can travel to cheaply and easily. I live in Denver, Colorado, so the drivable spots for me are mainly the University of Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force, and I drive to Wyoming here and there too. I also pencil in high-priority high school events into my schedule, like the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, City of Palms in Fort Myers, Florida. My tentative schedule is planned through March already. I still need to squeeze in a couple of trips overseas, and I will likely make some adjustments as we go, but I like to prepare ahead of time.
What are some of the challenges when it comes to planning scouting trips for a draft class that could have several special players at the top?
Having "special players" doesn't change scheduling much, or at all, honestly. However, I will say this; I generally go extremely hard in November and December to get my bases covered regarding scouting the higher-rated prospects. This is because I like to get a head start so that I can pick and choose my spots later.&nbsp;
Injuries can be a significant disruptor. It's impossible to predict who will be healthy throughout the season. Fortunately, my processes have served me well at times. For example, I went to see Vanderbilt play USC in LA a few years back for their season opener, and I'm sure glad I did because I got to see Darius Garland, who was terrific. Unfortunately, he got hurt shortly after and only played five games that entire season before becoming a high lottery pick.&nbsp;
Similarly, I watched Patrick Baldwin Jr. several times before him missing the bulk of the season with a foot injury. He only played in 11 games the entire season. Anyway, I don't underestimate seeing a top prospect while I can; you never know how things will unfold.
What under-the-radar college teams should NBA Draft enthusiasts make sure to watch?
Although they're ranked high, we don't usually see Houston and Creighton mixing it up with the blue bloods and top programs. However, I think both teams have a chance of doing big things this season.
Coach Kelvin Sampson has done a terrific job building up that program in Houston. I was a bit surprised that their stud guard, Marcus Sasser, decided to return to school after doing so well at the NBA Draft Combine, but I'm happy he did. I think he's poised for a breakout year. They have a lot of other talented players too. Most specifically, I'm excited to see five-star recruit Jarace Walker. I have had the chance to watch Walker many times at various high school events. His physical tools, toughness, and versatility are interesting.
I usually head out to Omaha, Nebraska, once or twice yearly to see Creighton games. It's an easy flight to Omaha for me coming from Denver, there is a fantastic Marriott hotel right across from Creighton's arena, and they take great care of the media, as they have always given me a seat courtside. I've seen some terrific games there in the last few years. I remember watching teams like Villanova, including Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Eric Paschall, and then a stacked Gonzaga team featuring Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke.&nbsp;
I will likely try to see Villanova play Creighton this season because they have highly touted freshman Cam Whitmore, who is projected as a lottery pick. Still, I will also focus on Creighton's prospects this year, as Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Baylor Scheierman have been generating some buzz.
Has the success of some of last year's rookies changed your scouting philosophies at all?
The biggest thing for me recently is not necessarily adjusting to how individual players have performed but just keeping the pulse on the trends and how the game continues to evolve. For example, the idea that the NBA is moving towards a positionless game is becoming more apparent each year. Subsequently, players with decent size, well-rounded skill sets, and versatility on both ends of the ball have never held so much value.&nbsp;
On the flip side, undersized guards and traditional big men are not carrying as much value across the board as they once did. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules, but it has certainly changed how I look at specific prospects.
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What is the most enjoyable part of this first month of college scouting for you?
I will be a little cliche here, but I just love getting back in the arena.&nbsp;
I'm a member of the staff for Damian Lillard's Formula Zero, a group of top high school and college prospects. One exercise we do as a group is having everyone take a turn to share one thing they have been doing well and one thing they have been struggling with or would like to improve on. It got me thinking about that recently regarding myself; I've gotten to a point in my career where I've developed to become very organized, detail-oriented, and prepared, which hasn't always been the case. Over time, I've turned these areas from my weaknesses into strengths. And I'm proud to be able to say that.&nbsp;
Alright, now my weakness. Of course, the offseason is a great opportunity to spend time with my family, which I do, and I love having that time! But the fact is, I don't have any real hobbies, and I essentially am obsessed with the game and what I do. So I get impatient and uneasy when I don't have a lot of basketball in my life &mdash; it happens every year. So naturally, when the season starts, it puts me at ease. There is so much great basketball to see in November and December, and I'm just ecstatic to get back out there and start chipping away, trying to figure out this year's NBA Draft.

Ethan Fuller previews the 2023 scouting season with BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock.

2023 NBA Draft: Previewing top prospects to watch with Matt Babcock

This marks the first time that NBA opening-night rosters have at least 120 international players in consecutive seasons

NBA features 120 international players from 40 countries, 6 continents

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; This could be the year Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reaches All-Star status.
The smooth Oklahoma City Thunder guard averaged more than 30 points per game after the All-Star break last season, then missed the final month of the season with a sore right ankle. He recovered and dominated for Canada's national team this summer.
He had a setback right before training camp &ndash; a left knee sprain that has kept him out of preseason action &mdash; but the Thunder have said they expect it to be minor.
Gilgeous-Alexander has never been an All-Star; Oklahoma City has ranked among the league's worst teams the past two years. He understands that one of the league's youngest rosters will need to come up with more wins to get him there.
&ldquo;I think it should be that way because the point of the game is to win,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It matters most that you win. That&rsquo;s what we all play the game to do, is to win games, win championships. So I think it (winning) means a lot, and I think it should mean a lot.&rdquo;
Injuries are part of the reason Gilgeous-Alexander has been overlooked &mdash; he&rsquo;s only played in 91 of the Thunder&rsquo;s 154 regular-season games the past two seasons.
Two seasons ago, he averaged 23.7 points per game. Last season, he averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists. After the All-Star break, he averaged 30.4 points on 54% shooting in 13 games and scored at least 30 points 10 times.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just going to start scraping the beginning of his prime, which is exciting to think about,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.
Gilgeous-Alexander's success has sparked rumors that he might eventually want to leave the struggling franchise. But he is focused on the Thunder and wants to make good on his long-term deal.
Oklahoma City has 15 potential first-round picks and 14 potential second-round picks through the 2029 NBA draft, meaning the franchise could add a significant amount of talent soon.
&ldquo;Honestly, I don&rsquo;t pay attention to like the NBA media stuff and what gets tweeted and what circulates around the web,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Try to stay focused with what I&rsquo;ve got going on, me getting better, the guys that are on the team.&rdquo;
NO HOLMGREN
Chet Holmgren &mdash; the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft &mdash; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-draft-8c087d0afbe773f3d61b24753f35b713">is recovering from a season-ending foot injury he suffered in a pro-am game</a> in August.
He doesn&rsquo;t regret participating.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, basketball players are going to play basketball,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just kind of like, you&rsquo;ve got to feed the love for the game. I don&rsquo;t want an injury like this to kind of take away from that.&rdquo;
ROOKIE CLASS
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s rookies still will bear watching.
Ousmane Dieng, a 6-foot-10 forward from France, averaged 8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds for the New Zealand Breakers last season. Jalen Williams, a 6-6 guard, averaged 18 points and 4.2 assists last season as a junior at Santa Clara. Jaylin Williams, a 6-10, 240-pound forward, averaged 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for Arkansas last season.
JUST JOSHING
Josh Giddey, like Gilgeous-Alexander, looks poised to be a star.
The Australian guard averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season and was named Western Conference rookie of the month four times. He also shot just 26.3% from 3-point range last season.
Daigneault said the 20-year-old should be a better shooter this season.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s worked really hard at it, and I think he&rsquo;s better, just watching him from the summer,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s gained confidence. He&rsquo;s more consistent.&rdquo;
DORT READY
Guard Lu Dort missed the first three preseason games in concussion protocol, but he had 23 points in 18 minutes against Israeli team Ra&rsquo;Anana Maccabi Ra&rsquo;Anana on Sunday.
Best known as a defensive stopper, the Canadian averaged a career-best 17.2 points per game last season before going down with a shoulder injury.
MANN UP
Tre Mann is on fire this preseason.
The second-year guard has averaged 17 points and made 13 of 22 3-pointers in the three games he's played. He made 8 of 10 3-pointers against the Adelaide (Australia) 36ers last Thursday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is hoping to achieve All-Star status, but most importantly, helping OKC rack up more wins in the process.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder look to take step forward

On Wednesday night, Bennedict Mathurin treated NBA fans to another highlight-reel performance by an inbound rookie.
The sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft dropped 27 points, shot 61% from the field and threw down this monster dunk for the Indiana Pacers in their preseason contest against the New York Knicks:
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Bennedict Mathurin is making everyone who had him Top 5 look very smart in this preseason&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/MgcKLeA05g">pic.twitter.com/MgcKLeA05g</a>
&mdash; Draft Deeper (@DraftDeeper) <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftDeeper/status/1580373117926805505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Mathurin is averaging 20.3 points in just over 22 minutes per game this preseason, ranking second in scoring among all rookies who have played multiple games. He's been a leading hype-getter over the past month, along with others like Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/is-tari-easons-preseason-play-forecasting-a-breakout-rookie-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who I wrote about on Monday</a>), Sacramento Kings swingman Keegan Murray and Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey. As always, though, there's the asterisk that comes with a stellar showing in a contest that doesn't count.&nbsp;
So how well does preseason rookie stardom forecast the first year of production? Obviously, countless variables can change the environment for a player between the preseason and regular season. But past trends are always worth a peek and offer a historical look at a portion of the NBA calendar that always gets forgotten.
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Per-game scoring has some of the highest weight in the All-Rookie race. Last year, the top five per-game scorers made up the All-Rookie First Team. In 2020-21, the first-team members included five of the top six scorers. Points shouldn't be the crux of the voting process (see Herb Jones getting snubbed from the First Team!!), but they are.
Here's a look at preseason historical rookie scoring leaders over the last 10 seasons, and how they ended up faring in Year 1. This data is courtesy of RealGM (minimum 2 preseason games played and 50 regular season games played).
(Note: Exceptions were made for Zion Williamson and Joel Embiid, who landed on All-Rookie First Team despite playing well below 50 games. They are included in applicable categories.)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 76.50130548302872%; height: 242px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">Year</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">No. of top-10 preseason scorers who were also top-10 in reg. season</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">No. of top-10 preseason scorers who made All-Rookie teams</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">No. of top-10 reg. season scorers who made All-Rookie teams</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2019-20</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">7</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2017-18</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">7</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2016-17</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">9</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2015-16</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2014-15</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">2</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">2</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2013-14</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">6</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 8.998963522219945%; height: 22px;">2012-13</td>
<td style="width: 23.9518220184301%; height: 22px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 19.021436368956508%; height: 22px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 17.556894488460735%; height: 22px;">8</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Scroll right to view full table) 
This table eschews some of the context that comes with the ups and downs of different rookie classes. For example, just four rookies averaged more than 9 points per game, and Steven Adams averaged 3.3 points and managed to land on the All-Rookie Second Team... yeesh. Cade Cunningham probably would have been a preseason top scorer if he wasn't hurt, and the same could be said for Jabari Parker's 2014-15 regular season had he not torn his ACL.
Still, the general theme appears to be that preseason bucket-getters can signal regular-season success, but it's not an automatic transition. And this makes sense &mdash; playing time is obviously different in the preseason, and roles that appear to be solid might dissolve. Jared Butler, Trey Murphy III and James Bouknight were all top-five preseason rookie scorers last year who scarcely played in the regular season (though Murphy caught on late).&nbsp;
The last 10 years of preseason scoring leaders, in reverse chronological order, are Jared Butler (18.0 PPG), Theo Maledon (15.5), Zion Williamson (23.3), Deandre Ayton (18.2), Kyle Kuzma (17.3), Troy Williams (13.2), Emmanuel Mudiay (15.0), Jabari Parker (15.1), Victor Oladipo (13.9) and Damian Lillard (16.2). Seven of those guys landed on an All-Rookie team, but only Lillard earned Rookie of the Year.&nbsp;
That being said, it's significant that Eason and Mathurin have thrived at their current level. They're both putting up over 30 points per 36 minutes, which is ridiculous given their sizeable preseason roles. Williamson is the only other qualifying rookie in the last 10 years to clear such a threshold while averaging more than 20 minutes per game. Let me go find the wide-eyed emoji.
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Playing time, ultimately, is perhaps the trickiest puzzle to solve with preseason. Eason and Mathurin should have room to play through mistakes on teams in rebuilding situations. But what about some of the less emphatic rookie standouts?
This year's 10 leading scorers are Eason (20.7 PPG), Mathurin (20.3), Murray (16.0), Ivey (13.7), Jaden Hardy (13.5), Paolo Banchero (13.3), Jalen Williams (12.8), Shaedon Sharpe (11.8), Ousmane Dieng (11.0) and Jamal Cain (10.0). I'd consider Hardy, Sharpe and Cain the toughest All-Rookie bets of the group, just because they'll have to overcome deeper rosters and show they can impact winning for playoff hopefuls.
It's a boring takeaway, but here's my final thought: Remember that it's the preseason, and the jump to games that matter gets bumpy fast. But be cautiously excited about your favorite rookie. It's healthy to enjoy fun basketball. As interesting as it is to look back at history, every young player faces their own unique set of obstacles on the pathway to success.
Meanwhile, Rockets and Pacers fans &mdash; go wild. Even if the team scores are meaningless, Tari Eason and Bennedict Mathurin sure are awesome.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Happy belated birthday to our Nekias Duncan! He dropped a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202223-nba-season-preview-pacific-division" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacific Division season preview</a> and mentioned the Golden State Warriors' we-won't-call-it-a-Death Lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green outscored opponents by 42 points in 105 playoff minutes last year. That's a group to watch out for.</li>
<li>Let's not forget how huge Jerami Grant's addition could be for the Blazers defense (via this graphic from SIS Hoops):&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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In Jerami Grant, Portland adds a versatile defensive chess piece, adept at limiting advantages on the ball and cleaning up as a help rim protector: <a href="https://t.co/un8bilBhI5">pic.twitter.com/un8bilBhI5</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1580221934603640838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Todd Whitehead has put together some neat visualizations of how players have changed roles over the course of their careers. I thought this one with Pascal Siakam was particularly interesting:</li>
</ul>
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Who might follow this career path next? Pascal Siakam was super efficient as a slashing wing a few seasons ago but then he took on a more central role in Toronto's offense and his PPP hasn't fully recovered. Perhaps this is the year. <a href="https://t.co/A4WlUBAmj5">pic.twitter.com/A4WlUBAmj5</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1580345468344623105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ethan Fuller looks at past trends to see if this year's preseason rookie stars can keep the momentum going into the regular season.

NBA Stats Notebook: Does preseason stardom translate to rookie success?

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; The injury bug usually waits until midseason to start bothering the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This time, it attacked in the offseason.
No. 2 overall draft pick Chet Holmgren was ruled out for the season after suffering a foot injury last month. Now, top returning scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss at least a few weeks with a sprained ligament in his left knee.
Those injuries got much of the attention at Oklahoma City&rsquo;s media day on Monday.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season before getting shut down with a sore right ankle. After the All-Star break, he averaged 30.4 points on 54% shooting in 13 games and scored at least 30 points 10 times.
He had recovered from the ankle injury but got hurt during a recent workout and woke up with stiffness in the knee. An MRI revealed a grade 2 MCL sprain. While he&rsquo;s expected to miss preseason action, he may be ready for the season opener.
&ldquo;I feel a lot better,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said Monday. &ldquo;Headed in the right direction for sure. In terms of a timetable, we&rsquo;ll see.&rdquo;
But Monday wasn&rsquo;t all about injured players. Forward Darius Bazley, who averaged 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last season before breaking a bone in his right knee, bulked up from 208 pounds to 220 and changed his jersey number from 7 to 55.
Guard Tre Mann, who averaged 10.4 points per game last season, came in with several new tattoos sprawled across a significantly more muscular arm.
And there are other rookies ready to take the spotlight.
Frenchman Ousmane Dieng, a 6-foot-10 forward, averaged 8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds for the New Zealand Breakers last season. Jalen Williams, a 6-6 guard, averaged 18 points and 4.2 assists last season as a junior at Santa Clara. Jaylin Williams, a 6-10, 240-pound forward, averaged 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for Arkansas last season.
They will force players such as second-year forward Aaron Wiggins to be at their best during training camp.
&ldquo;Guys are going to be really gritty, really aggressive with the mindset to kind of prove themselves,&rdquo; Wiggins said. &ldquo;Everybody has something to prove. I think it calls for a very competitive training camp. It&rsquo;ll be a fun one. It&rsquo;ll be one where we all kind of get to test one another and see where we stand and how we can fit in.&rdquo;
GIDDEY UP
Josh Giddey has high expectations after making the All-Rookie second team last season.
The Australian guard averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season and was named Western Conference rookie of the month four times. He recorded three straight triple-doubles just before going down for the season with a sore right hip.
But he knew he had work to do in the summer. The 19-year-old made just 26.3% of his 3 pointers last season.
&ldquo;I spent a lot of time obviously focusing on areas I need to get better at &mdash; shooting the ball, in the weight room a lot,&rdquo; he said.
DORT RETURNS
Guard Lu Dort signed a contract extension after increasing his scoring output from 14.0 points per game two seasons ago to 17.2 last season.
He had surgery on the torn labrum in his left shoulder in March, and he&rsquo;s ready to go this season. He said he wants to become a better decision maker when he attacks the basket.
Now heading into his fourth year, he also wants to be more of a leader.
&ldquo;I can have a bigger role, just being a little more vocal,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Just the fact that I went through some of the stuff that the young guys are going through right now, I feel like I can help them and talk to them and all that.&rdquo;
O, CANADA
Gilgeous-Alexander was a force for Canada's national team this summer, highlighted by a 32-point performance against Dominican Republic in July.
&ldquo;I got to play with some guys I grew up with, so that was a good time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And then it just kept me in a little bit more basketball shape going into the summer. Obviously games are different, the flow and stuff, so that was good, just for like reps. And then just representing my country &mdash; something that I&rsquo;ve always wanted to do.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Despite injury woes heading into the new season, the Oklahoma City Thunder believe they're headed in the right direction.

Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander injuries affect Thunder camp

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not a high-flying leaper like Ja Morant, a ball-handling wizard like Stephen Curry or a court-mapping surgeon like Luka Doncic. Instead, one of the NBA's premier driving threats is somewhere in the middle of his peers.
According to NBA tracking data provided by Second Spectrum, Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 23.9 drives per game last season. It's the highest per-game driving rate in the NBA's player tracking history dating back to 2013-14. If Gilgeous-Alexander met the minimum games played qualifier in 2020-21, he would have led the league again with a whopping 25.2 drives per game.
The 24-year-old does it with an understated blend of sharp angles, long arms, crafty contortion and aerial acrobatics, stymying defenders by creating openings where they don't seem to exist. (Our Nekias Duncan <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/taking-a-drive-with-shai-gilgeousalexander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down his unorthodox driving game</a> in further detail earlier this spring.)
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ky1sdr" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Gilgeous-Alexander is the lone member of the youth-movement Oklahoma City Thunder to truly arrive at stardom. He put up a career-high 24.5 points, 5.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game last season, and popped off after the All-Star break to the tune of 30.4 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds (with a 63.4% True Shooting clip) across 13 games. SGA dropped those numbers while shouldering some of the heaviest creation burdens in the entire league.&nbsp;
PBP Stats lists "self-created" shots as an attempt that takes two or more seconds to generate. Gilgeous-Alexander generated a stunning 90.3% of his field goal attempts via self-creation in 2021-22, just behind Trae Young (90.6%). SGA also cleared 90% in 2020-21 (91.5%), and holds 2 of the 4 seasons in NBA tracking history with a self-creation frequency over 90%.
In short, Gilgeous-Alexander is responsible for generating a ridiculous amount of offense in Oklahoma City. The Thunder had the second-worst Offensive Rating in the league last season, though they wielded a defense that looked promising at times. OKC's 43.5% Effective Field Goal percentage on "assisted" shots (taking less than two seconds to shoot) was dead last, per PBP Stats.
There's also this stat:
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The bottom-five in teammate FG% on potential assists (passes leading to a shot attempt) among 132 NBA players with at least 300 potential assists: 1. RJ Hampton - 40.7% 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 45.6% 3. Caris LeVert - 46.3% 4. Cory Joseph - 46.4% 5. Anfernee Simons - 46.7%
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1557733094232576000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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SGA has one of the lowest potential-assist conversion rates across the NBA. Theoretically, this could stem from several causes. Maybe Gilgeous-Alexander is throwing tons of bad passes, or his pass selection involves more difficult shot locations, or his teammates are poor collective shooters, or, it's simply bad luck. I lean toward the latter two given OKC's team-wide struggles.&nbsp;
At age 24, Gilgeous-Alexander is still in the growth phase of his pro career, but also notably older, more experienced and more proven than most of his teammates. The Thunder (most likely) aren't flipping the switch to "win now" quite yet, and should be content to let the young guys ride through mistakes as the draft picks continue to flow in.
But what does that mean for Gilgeous-Alexander and his development? We just saw the San Antonio Spurs trade Dejounte Murray, another talented breakout star guard leading a prospect-laden squad, to the Atlanta Hawks. Is Gilgeous-Alexander destined for a similar exit?
I don't think so. However, both the player and the team must strike a balance to foster everyone's growth.&nbsp;
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Gilgeous-Alexander is a phenomenal catch-and-shoot player, having cleared 41% on catch-and-shoot threes each year in Oklahoma City. Yet, his volume &mdash; already pretty low &mdash; dipped to under one attempt per game last season.&nbsp;
For SGA to feel some creation relief, OKC needs additional players &mdash; namely Josh Giddey and Tre Mann &mdash; to take serious steps forward.
We never got to see Giddey hit a spring stride; he missed every game after Feb. 24 due to a hip injury. Giddey landed on the All-Rookie Second Team last season, but still took the classic rookie point guard lumps.
Giddey ranked 10th among all players with 1.6 bad-pass turnovers per game (per PBP Stats), and his 17.3% overall turnover rate was third among all players who logged at least 800 minutes (per Cleaning the Glass). He also shot 44.1% on drives to the basket, the fourth-lowest among 61 players who averaged eight or more drives per game.
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The Aussie point guard relies on his court vision, size and semi-natural touch to find driving lanes and make shots. He doesn't have a quick first step, upper-body strength or contortion ability to make many off-balance shots at this stage. When Giddey doesn't get that initial blow-by, he struggles at times to create another lane for himself with a defender in front of him. That should change in due time, and, before his injury, Giddey did show some increased aggression and a willingness to play through contact.&nbsp;
Giddey also functioned well driving off the catch, where he should continue to play frequently as Gilgeous-Alexander dominates the ball. The 19-year-old's off-ball awareness lines up with his on-ball vision, and he also attacks quickly and can keep defenders from regaining their footing after a closeout.
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If SGA can use his gravity to open up these types of changes for Giddey, the latter will find easier chances for himself and, thus, pull some of the focus away from SGA. Of course, I glossed entirely over Giddey's passing as well, which will keep defenses on their toes as long as he's playing basketball.
Jackson Frank brilliantly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tre-mann-and-the-importance-of-looking-past-the-box-score" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dissected Tre Mann's game</a> towards the end of last season. His piece covers the necessary growth steps for Mann to become a consistent pull-up scorer and passer. I'll let Jackson's piece speak for itself, but here's an observation he made that applies in this context:
<blockquote>
For many scoring-inclined prospects or young guys, a hurdle that often exists is the inability to create open or comfortable looks when transitioning from their pre-NBA context to the league. Whether it&rsquo;s athletic shortcomings, atypical shooting mechanics or something else, the capacity to consistently find clean shots prevents them from burgeoning into high-level scorers.
With Mann, that&rsquo;s not a problem because he&rsquo;s routinely producing open, replicable shots for himself. He&rsquo;s not hitting a ton of them thus far, but the process is encouraging. Shot-making is a staple of developmental curves, even if it&rsquo;s usually just implied rather than stated analysis. He views offensive decision-making through a lens of distinguished creativity."
</blockquote>
Mann might be the only player like this currently on the Thunder roster &mdash; aside from maybe SGA himself. I'm excited to watch Tre's development next season.
Luguentz Dort and rookie lottery pick Jalen Williams should get in on some of the self-creation action next season, and maybe we'll see a bit from Aleksej Pokusevski, Chet Holmgren and Ousmane Dieng. However, Giddey and Mann are the primary drivers (literally and metaphorically) behind Gilgeous-Alexander and will lead the support.
Gilgeous-Alexander will still carry a sky-high usage rate though. To maximize his effectiveness as a playmaker, others need to step up and hit shots they simply did not make last season.&nbsp;
According to the NBA's tracking data, nearly 52% of SGA's passes last season went to four players: Giddey, Dort, Darius Bazley and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Bazley was the only one of the four to shoot over 37% from the field on those passes. None of them cleared 30% from beyond the arc.
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As a team, Oklahoma City converted a paltry 32.6% of its catch-and-shoot threes, by far the worst mark in the NBA. The Thunder attempted the most "wide open" threes (no defender within 6 feet) of any NBA team last season and shot the second-worst clip in the league at 35.1%. And on top of that, they were also dead last in efficiency within 5 feet from the basket (58.3%). Yuck.
Giddey and Dort quite simply must improve as off-ball shooters. For Giddey, adding a viable catch-and-shoot three-ball will only make things easier for him when he attacks a closeout; right now, defenses can relax when he's spacing the floor. Dort, meanwhile, launched 7.7 triples per game last season, but converted only 33.2% of them.
Robinson-Earl is an interesting case. Barely a stretch forward at Villanova, he took 47.0% of his shots from behind the arc as a second-round rookie. Robinson-Earl made 35.2% of his threes, which is pretty solid at this stage and a very positive launch pad for his future.
Bazley has not arrived as a consistent shot-maker since going No. 23 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. He brings value on the defensive end, but has poor shooting splits no matter the context. About 44% of Bazley's shots came at the rim (83rd percentile, per Cleaning the Glass), but he made them at just a 58% rate (20th percentile).
And now, in addition to that quartet, OKC has three new lottery picks to add to the mix. Holmgren and Williams, in particular, could help space the floor right away.&nbsp;
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Holmgren balled out at his two Summer League showcases in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. We saw a bit of him in pick-and-pop-type actions, and he seemed undeterred in freeing himself from the screen defender and setting himself quickly to shoot. Holmgren has been an elite perimeter shooter and rim-finisher since high school; expect that to translate very quickly to the NBA. Imagine defenses having to constantly monitor Holmgren's space on the court when he's also in an action with Gilgeous-Alexander.
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Williams has been billed for his versatility as a playmaking option, and he also spaced the floor well at Santa Clara. The 6-foot-6 wing made 20 of 41 catch-and-shoot looks as a junior, per InStat Scouting. He knows how to subtly shift into passing lanes and confidently rise up with consistency. Even before discussing Williams' on-ball skills, he at least has a stable floor as a relocating wing who can be another outlet for SGA, Giddey, Mann and others.
Of course, Williams and Holmgren are still only rookies, and they won't be surefire successes in just one year. This circles back to the broader challenge for OKC: How do you continue the youth movement (not using the T-word yet) with a scoring guard capable of putting up an All-Star season in 2022-23?
This is where Gilgeous-Alexander must simply trust the process. He assuredly has room to improve on the defensive end, and his pull-up efficiency dropped off last season after stellar numbers in 2020-21. SGA is talented enough to take over possessions and get his own buckets, but that isn't always in the best interest of the team's development. He'll have to be patient and continue being a supportive teammate as the others catch up.
The 2022-23 Thunder season will ultimately be a trust exercise between one star and one organization. Oklahoma City is putting the pieces around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that he needs to ultimately thrive. We'll see how much time it takes for the rotation to finally coalesce.

Ethan Fuller details how both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder can get what they want next season.

How can the Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander balance their needs?

The Orlando Magic led by 18 points with less than five minutes left in regulation of their NBA Summer League against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, well on their way to a victory.
They wound up getting that win &mdash; after some very wild events down the stretch.
Emanuel Terry&rsquo;s layup off a pass from No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero gave the Magic a 94-92 victory in sudden-death overtime, capping a frantic finish to a game that had a little bit of everything in the final moments.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a game I&rsquo;ll probably never, ever forget,&rdquo; Magic summer coach Jesse Mermuys said.
With good reason. Sacramento closed regulation on a 23-5 run, getting the last six of those points in the final 5.1 seconds on a pair of 3-pointers to force overtime.
The fun was just getting started.
Keon Ellis banked in a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left in the first 2-minute overtime, putting Sacramento up 92-89. But the Kings fouled Devin Cannady with 6.2 seconds left, and he swished all three free throws to tie it.
Ellis missed a short jumper with a second left in OT, and Cannady nearly won the game there with a 60-foot heave that bounced off the rim. That sent the teams to a second overtime, sudden death, first score wins.
Banchero was called for a foul on the first Sacramento possession and the Kings would have gone to the line to shoot free throws &mdash; but after a lengthy review, the call was overturned. Orlando got the ball, Banchero found Terry down low, and the Magic got their winner.
&ldquo;This was one of the most fun games I&rsquo;ve ever been a part of,&rdquo; Cannady said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve played in the NCAA Tournament, obviously I&rsquo;ve played in NBA games, but this was basketball at its purest.&rdquo;
Banchero scored 23 points for the Magic and had six rebounds, six assists and four steals. Admiral Schofield scored 14 points for Orlando.
Neemias Queta topped Sacramento with 23 points. Keegan Murray, the No. 4 pick, scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Queta hit the first 3-pointer in the final moments of regulation to give Sacramento a chance, and Murray made the tying one with two-tenths of a second remaining.
RAPTORS 97, 76ERS 77
Armoni Brooks made five 3-pointers and scored 25 points, Delano Banton added 21 and Toronto breezed to a victory over Philadelphia.
Christian Koloko, the Raptors&rsquo; only pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, added 12 points and seven rebounds. The No. 33 overall pick added three steals and three blocks.
Isaiah Joe buried 7 of 9 shots from 3-point range, scoring 24 points to pace the Sixers.
HEAT 88, CELTICS 78
Mychal Mulder scored 23 points to help Miami beat Boston.
Mulder made 5 of 8 shots from 3-point range for the Heat. Serbia&rsquo;s Nikola Jovic, the 27th overall selection and Miami&rsquo;s only pick in the draft, missed two free throws and his only shot attempt. He grabbed four rebounds in just under 14 minutes of action.
Matt Ryan topped Boston with 15 points, and Mfiondu Kabengele had 14. JD Davison, the Celtics&rsquo; only pick in the draft (53rd overall), finished with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists.
PISTONS 105, WIZARDS 99
Isaiah Livers scored 20 points in Detroit&rsquo;s victory over Washington.
Jalen Duren, the 13th overall pick whom the Pistons acquired in a draft-day trade with Charlotte, had 13 points and six rebounds. Jaden Ivey, the fifth overall selection, scored 11 points in a little over five minutes of action before leaving because of a sprained right ankle.
Jordan Schakel had 24 points, and Jordan Goodwin had 20 to pace Washington. Johnny Davis &mdash; the 10th overall pick &mdash; finished with six points and five rebounds.
JAZZ 72, HAWKS 66
Jared Butler had 15 points and seven assists to lead Utah past Atlanta.
Kofi Cockburn added 13 rebounds and six points for the Jazz.
Chaundee Brown Jr. scored 15 poins to lead Atlanta. Justin Tillman added 12. A.J. Griffin, the Hawks&rsquo; top pick at No. 16, did not play.
ROCKETS 90, THUNDER 88
No. 17 overall pick Tari Eason made the second of two free throws with 4.1 seconds left and Houston held off Oklahoma City.
Eason finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets. No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith had 12 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Josh Christopher had 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Jalen Williams, one of OKC&rsquo;s three first-round draft picks, topped the Thunder with 15 points. No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren had 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Ousmane Dieng &mdash; the 11th overall selection acquired in a trade with the Knicks &mdash; added 10 points and six rebounds.
CLIPPERS 94, GRIZZLIES 76
Reggie Perry had 17 points and Brandon Boston Jr. scored 15 to lead Los Angeles past Memphis.
Second-rounder Moussa Diabate, the Clippers&rsquo; only pick in the draft, had 10 points and six rebounds.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. topped Memphis with 18 points. First-round pick David Roddy had 10.
TRAIL BLAZERS 85, PELICANS 68
Trendon Watford had 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists to power Portland past New Orleans.
Second-round pick Jabari Walker finished with 12 points and five rebounds for the Trail Blazers.
Trey Murphy III had 23 points, eight rebounds and four steals for the Pelicans. No. 8 overall pick Dyson Daniels missed all five of his shots and 1 of 2 free throws. Second-rounder E.J. Liddell scored two points on 1-for-6 shooting.

“That’s a game I’ll probably never, ever forget,” Magic summer coach Jesse Mermuys said.

Top pick Banchero, Magic beat Kings 94-92 in sudden death

There haven't been many displays of two-way excellence in Summer League quite like Chet Holmgren's outing on Tuesday night. Add in the fact that it was his NBA debut, and the intrigue grows.&nbsp;
Before going further, let's get the boring caveats out of the way. The Utah Jazz Youth Contingent isn't a group of world-beaters. And of course, iT's JuSt SuMmEr LeAgUe. The games don't count yet, and Holmgren will face more talented teams over the next few days. He'll especially face tougher challenges once the regular season begins. We get it.
With that said,&nbsp;whew.
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The stat line doesn't do the performance justice, but it was still nice: 23 points (3-of-3 from two, 4-of-6 from three), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 6 blocked shots. The Oklahoma City Thunder outscored the Jazz by 26 points in Holmgren's near-24 minutes, if you care about that sort of thing.
Even with the "Summer League is for flashes" understanding, it's hard not to be impressed with what Holmgren was able to accomplish. He was a showstopper on defense, and showed enough versatility offensively as a screener, handoff hub, spacer and clear-a-side attacker to inspire confidence moving forward. There were so many flashes.
On the defensive end, Holmgren's mere presence altered things for the Jazz. The blocks were loud &mdash; and we'll get to those shortly &mdash; but more important than the blocks were the possessions like this.
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The Thunder botch a guard-guard pick-and-roll between Jared Butler and Xavier Sneed, opening up a drive for Butler. A stop-and-go gives Butler an edge against Ousmane Dieng, but the rotation from Holmgren &mdash; note that he doesn't even jump and just rotates over &mdash; forces a kick-out.
From there, the Thunder can rotate to the corner and force another swing. Josh Giddey is admittedly late to close after that swing, but the possession ends with Sneed &mdash; a guy who's made roughly 32% of his threes in his college and G-League career combined &mdash; taking a triple instead of a rim attempt from Butler.
There were multiple quiet possessions like that, where a guard would find a pocket of space and quickly realize it was a fool's errand. The rotational goodness was palpable. And when Holmgren was in drop coverage, his sense for playing the gap &mdash; not playing too high and opening up a lob, but not playing too low and giving a ball-handler easy pull-up looks &mdash; shined through.
With Holmgren being such a presence in drop coverage, his teammates had simpler jobs. A simple dig from the wing or the nail was enough to throw off a ball-handler's rhythm; Holmgren's length and poise would do the rest of the work. If there's one thing I feel comfortable projecting already, it's that the shot profile of OKC opponents will look different with Holmgren on the floor versus when he's off.
But also,&nbsp;those blocks.
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It's one thing to have insane length &mdash; Holmgren's 7-foot-6 wingspan passes the test there. It's another thing to know how to use that length well. What's tough for rookie big men is the hidden third item: Knowing when&nbsp;to use that length.&nbsp;
Six blocks in a debut is an absurd number, and he racked up those rejections in a multitude of ways &mdash; help-side, off late switches and operating in space, 1-on-1 swats against Tacko Fall. But swatting 6 shots while only committing 3 fouls is almost unheard of for a debut. He has a feel for rim-protection well beyond his years. Here are 4 of the 6 blocks:
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That is&nbsp;nonsense.
Offensively, it was fun to watch Holmgren grow more comfortable as the game went on. He's going to need the shot to pop for him early to open up the floor. It was encouraging, then, to see Holmgren fire up 6 threes in his debut against varying degrees of coverage. Also, how about the self-creation? The behind-the-back dribble into a stop-and-pop was a favorite of his on Tuesday night. Guys his size aren't supposed to be able to do this.
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The load-up is a little&nbsp;slow, but the release point is high enough to where he shouldn't be bothered a ton. The main deterrent from a volume standpoint will be himself, at least early on.&nbsp;If he's going to shoot like this, though, coverage will get tighter.&nbsp;
That would be a good thing, of course. Not only will that open the floor for his teammates, but garnering closeouts will also create driving opportunities for him. We got a few flashes of Holmgren attacking off the bounce in this one. The handle is high &mdash; a concern for when the level of competition improves &mdash; but him being comfortable enough to take already is a big deal.
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It was a great debut for Holmgren, though not a perfect one. There were still possessions where the lack of strength popped up. He was an inconsistent screener throughout the night. Physicality and ball pressure led to pair of turnovers, a few more "whoa what's happening?" instances in the half-court.
But, man, it's hard not to feel good about Holmgren after the debut. It would be irresponsible to say he's&nbsp;answered&nbsp;the pre-draft questions he received &mdash; again, it was night one of Summer League action &mdash; but it's certainly fair to say his pathway to answering those questions may be cleaner than some anticipated.

Nekias Duncan breaks down Chet Holmgren's debut for the Thunder at the Salt Lake City Classic.

Bringing the Thunder: Chet Holmgren's summer league debut was a gem

Another NBA Draft has come and gone, and the 2022 version once again lived up to the spectacle.
Fans' heads were spinning throughout the day, as news outlets and sportsbooks took opposite stances on who would be the No. 1 pick. In the end, the Orlando Magic pulled off a stunner by choosing Paolo Banchero.
The surprises didn't end there, as the Detroit Pistons used a three-team trade to snag Jalen Duren at No. 13, and the Oklahoma City Thunder added a second lottery pick to add Ousmane Dieng and Jalen Williams with back-to-back selections.
Matt Babcock is here for one last Q&amp;A to finish off the draft cycle. Here were his thoughts on the night:
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The Orlando Magic seemed to shock everyone by taking Paolo Banchero No. 1. How did they pull off such an elaborate smokescreen?
Right after the lottery, while I was at the NBA Draft Combine, I was told that the Orlando Magic felt Paolo Banchero was the safe pick for them. However, I didn't take it too seriously and didn't read into it much. Well, in hindsight, that was a mistake. I would've taken Jabari Smith, but I can't argue with the Magic selecting Banchero. The fact is that the Magic had multiple good options with the No. 1 pick. They chose to go with Paolo, and I respect it. He's a big-time prospect, and he will likely be a primary scorer for them. Hats off to Jeff Weltman and John Hammond. They didn't show their cards and didn't care what everyone else thought they should do. Well done.
Now that Orlando made the pick, how do you like Banchero's fit with the Magic?
Paolo Banchero is big, strong, explosive and skilled. There's a lot to like about him. I think he's a good fit with the Magic. I also believe he will be an outstanding and perhaps an All-Star-level player. I'm happy for the Magic and Paolo. I don't know Paolo personally, but I've watched him play many times over the last several years, making me feel like I do know him. So I'm certainly rooting for him.
What do you think of Jabari Smith's fit in Houston after he ended up No. 3?
I had Jabari Smith as the No. 1 rated prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft since November. Houston getting him at No. 3 is such a great pick, in my opinion. I do not know Rafael Stone personally, but I'm impressed &mdash; he killed it on draft night. Jabari at No. 3, Tari Eason at No. 17 and TyTy Washington at No. 29. Honestly, I don't know if the Rockets could've done any better.
The public applauded Detroit for its draft, specifically in the lottery. How impressed were you with the Pistons' selections?
I've had Jabari Smith No. 1 since November, but my favorite prospect this past season might have been Purdue's Jaden Ivey. He's athletic and dynamic, and might have more upside than anyone else in the 2022 NBA Draft. So the fact that the Pistons were able to get him at No. 5 feels like a crime. And then for them also being able to add Jalen Duren at No. 13, who's a young big with a boatload of talent and upside, too &mdash; it was just an excellent draft for them. The Pistons' fan base should be very excited!
Which teams surprised you most with the trades they made (or did not make)?
I was surprised that Memphis gave up so much to move up to No. 19 to select Jake LaRavia. I'm certainly a fan of Jake's, and his agent for that matter, Aaron Reilly &mdash; a really good guy. However, giving up multiple draft picks did feel like a lot to me.
I was also surprised by the Knicks' draft. I understand and appreciate the value of financial flexibility and draft assets. However, I expected them to add a player through the draft, whether using their pick or moving up in the draft via trade. Time will tell if Leon Rose's move was a smart one or not. Regardless, the pressure is on regarding these future draft picks.
Jaden Hardy was the last green room invitee to be selected. Did that surprise you, and do you like Dallas trading to acquire him?
This past year didn't unfold like I'm sure Jaden Hardy had hoped it would, but I think going to Dallas is an excellent opportunity for him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Mavericks rookie guard Jaden Hardy spoke with the media today and I asked him how to describe himself as a player and the thing he wants to improve on most; really good answers here <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://t.co/7nhW9NfffT">pic.twitter.com/7nhW9NfffT</a>
&mdash; Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinGraySports/status/1541870433393430529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I think he has a chance to become an outstanding player in the NBA if he continues to develop. He is a natural scorer with great range and explosiveness. So let's give him some time.
Which other players surprised you with how far they fell in the draft order?
I was surprised TyTy Washington fell to No. 29. I understand the league is going towards a more positionless game; however, I believe TyTy is the real deal. I wouldn't be surprised if he made many teams regret not selecting him. I'm also surprised Kendall Brown fell so far. There are some legitimate concerns with his lack of offensive creation abilities, but his motor and athleticism are legit.
Which players drafted in the second round do you think could earn a rotation spot in their rookie season?
I think Kennedy Chandler will carve out a role with the Memphis Grizzlies as Ja Morant's backup point guard. Also, I'm interested to see if they try to play Kennedy and Ja together. If so, that will be quite the speedy duo and potentially a nightmare to contain.
Who are you viewing as "steals of the draft" from Thursday?
I'm going to pick two: TyTy Washington and Max Christie. I think TyTy has a better opportunity of making an impact right away and proving me right quicker. However, I believe that Max Christie can become a good NBA player within a couple of years.
Is there any report or move you expected to happen during the draft that never transpired?
I was hoping the Knicks moved up to get Jaden Ivey, as rumored. That kid seems to be built for the bright lights. But luckily for the Pistons, they got him at No. 5.&nbsp;I'm looking forward to watching how he develops there. I think he's going to become an exciting player to watch!
Who do you see as the top undrafted free agents to monitor?
Jean Montero. He surprisingly went undrafted and then signed an Exhibit 10 with the Knicks. He's a talented player and was once a highly-touted prospect. I still think he has a shot.
Now that the NBA Draft is over, what's next in the process for scouts like yourself?
There's the saying, "Gone Fishing." Well, I'm going on vacation with my family and doing some fly fishing. But, not only do I have a head start on the 2023 NBA Draft, but also the 2024 and 2025 drafts. So, don't you worry, I'm on it. See you soon.
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Matt Babcock recaps the biggest surprise moves of the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Q&A with Matt Babcock on biggest draft night surprises

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

The 2022 NBA Draft is one day away, and rumors are surfacing left and right.
Which teams have been the most aggressive in trade talks? Will any notable players be on the move? Which draft picks could be dealt? BasketballNews has compiled all of the biggest rumors:
Malcolm Brogdon &ldquo;significantly likely&rdquo; to be traded
All signs point to the Indiana Pacers trading Malcolm Brogdon this week. Not only has Brogdon surfaced in trade rumors more than any other player, ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that teams like the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks are expected to pivot to Brogdon trade negotiations if they can&rsquo;t move up to No. 4 for Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey.
The Ringer&rsquo;s Kevin O&rsquo;Connor reported that the Pacers were throwing the veteran guard into every trade discussion they were having.
On <a href="https://www.espn.com/radio/play/_/id/34125407" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lowe Post,</a> ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony mentioned that the Los Angeles Lakers offered the following package for Brogdon: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker and a future first-round pick in 2027. Givony said that the Pacers immediately declined the Lakers&rsquo; offer. Lowe also threw in that he&rsquo;s heard Brogdon and Myles Turner are &ldquo;coveted&rdquo; around the league.
During ESPN&rsquo;s NBA Mock Draft Special on Tuesday night, Wojnarowski reiterated that it&rsquo;s &ldquo;significantly likely&rdquo; that Brogdon is moved before the 2022 NBA Draft begins.
Hornets shopping Gordon Hayward
The Charlotte Hornets are prioritizing salary-cap flexibility in order to re-sign Miles Bridges, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. The Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons are also worth monitoring as potential suitors for Bridges, per <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039350-latest-nba-intel-the-divide-between-kyrie-irving-and-brooklyn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer</a>.
With the Hornets prioritizing Bridges, Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s future in Charlotte is certainly in flux. Windhorst said that the Hornets are looking to find a team that's willing to take on the final two years of Hayward&rsquo;s contract. As an incentive, Charlotte is reportedly willing to throw in one of their first-round picks (No. 13 or No. 15). We'll see if any teams pounce at the opportunity to land Hayward and a lottery pick.
Fischer notes that Charlotte is also gauging the trade market on Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington and Mason Plumlee.
With the hope of shedding salary to keep Bridges alongside LaMelo Ball, the Hornets seem poised to make a big move this week.
Hawks have been aggressive
There have been a ton of Hawks-related rumors of late. On Monday night, Wojnarowski appeared on SportsCenter and said that Atlanta has been aggressive in trying to find a star to pair with Trae Young.&nbsp;
John Collins has surfaced in a number of trade rumors as well. The Hawks have had talks with the Sacramento Kings about a potential Collins deal, according to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-hawks-engaged-in-john-collins-trade-talks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>.
Versatile wing Bogdan Bogdanovic is also drawing interest from teams, per&nbsp;Windhorst. Atlanta has offers on the table for Collins and Bogdanovic.
Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Jake Fischer also shared an interesting Hawks nugget during his <a href="https://www.callin.com/episode/2022-nba-draft-preview-with-jeremy-woo-AojmeoFMXL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">live podcast</a> on Tuesday: Atlanta is trying to move up from No. 16 overall into the lottery, with their primary target being G League Ignite playmaker Dyson Daniels. Fischer said that the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7 could be a potential team to monitor as Atlanta continues to pursue Daniels.
It's possible we could see an explosive draft night from the Hawks. They are weighing multiple moves, and the front office views Young and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter as the only untouchable assets, per Woj.
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Tucker, Gordon reuniting with Harden on 76ers?&nbsp;
The Philadelphia 76ers could be a team to watch this offseason. Not only do they have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/signing-james-harden-to-a-max-contract-could-cripple-the-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an important long-term decision to make</a> on James Harden, they also have a number of players who could be viewed as available. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-pj-tucker-nba-draft-free-agency-20220621.html?utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_campaign=edit_social_share_twitter_traffic&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;int_promo=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped multiple tidbits on the Sixers&rsquo; plans</a>.
After PJ Tucker declined his player option with the Miami Heat, Philadelphia and the veteran forward have mutual interest. In order to create cap space, the Sixers are looking to deal Matisse Thybulle and the No. 23 pick in a three-team deal.&nbsp;
Pompey <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-pj-tucker-nba-draft-free-agency-20220621.html?utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_campaign=edit_social_share_twitter_traffic&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;int_promo=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that Philadelphia is trying their best to offload Tobias Harris&rsquo; large contract, but it's been tough to find any potential suitors.
Finally, there's another Houston Rocket who could potentially reunite with Harden in Philadelphia. The Sixers and Phoenix Suns have expressed interest in Eric Gordon, per Windhorst on NBA Today.
It sounds like Daryl Morey is trying to get the band back together, with Gordon and Tucker running it back with Harden in the Eastern Conference.
Knicks have been very active
As previously mentioned, the New York Knicks are showing interest in Brogdon. In addition to Wojnarowski's report, we've seen similar intel from The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania and SNY&rsquo;s Ian Begley. Outside of Brogdon, are there any other targets on the board?
Begley <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MxXPLPlNRM&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported on KnicksFanTV</a> that New York recently offered the Sacramento Kings multiple future first-round picks to move up to No. 4 for Jaden Ivey. The Knicks view Ivey in a high regard, and are willing to pay a steep price to move up seven spots in the draft.
The Knicks have also had talks with the Detroit Pistons about acquiring the No. 5 overall pick, and Cam Reddish was included in those discussions, per <a href="https://www.sny.tv/articles/knicks-pistons-touched-base-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Begley</a>.&nbsp;
It certainly seems like New York is trying to make a splash.
Hawks, Pistons are top suitors for Deandre Ayton
According to <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/33LDGb6QNc9VQor8CJVWoL?si=55021b96146147f5&amp;nd=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">O&rsquo;Connor on The Mismatch</a>, the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are the main teams to monitor as it relates to Deandre Ayton&rsquo;s upcoming restricted free agency. Ayton could still stay with Phoenix, but Detroit and Atlanta will be among the teams pursuing the 23-year-old center.
Do the Suns actually view Ayton as a max-level player? If not, perhaps the Suns will try to get creative and explore sign-and-trade packages revolving around Ayton. Detroit and Atlanta have some intriguing assets that could make a deal worth it from the Suns&rsquo; perspective (although the Pistons could also try to sign Ayton using <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/which-nba-teams-have-the-most-cap-space-entering-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their cap space</a>).
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Timberwolves inquired about Rudy Gobert, Clint Capela
During <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/33LDGb6QNc9VQor8CJVWoL?si=55021b96146147f5&amp;nd=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tuesday&rsquo;s episode of The Mismatch</a>, O'Connor also mentioned that the Minnesota Timberwolves have registered interest in Rudy Gobert and Clint Capela. This lines up with a previous report from Charania that Minnesota had inquired about Capela.
Where there&rsquo;s smoke, there&rsquo;s usually fire. So, are the Timberwolves really about to make Karl-Anthony Towns a full-time power forward? If the plan is to make a big move for a veteran center, moving one of the best shooting bigs of all-time further to the perimeter is an interesting thought.
According to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/townska01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball Reference</a>, Towns played 100% of his minutes at center last season. In fact, the only time he has played power forward throughout his NBA career was during his rookie season in 2015-16, when 2% of his minutes came at the 4.
The more you think about it, the more a Towns-Gobert frontcourt is certainly intriguing though.
John Wall expected to get bought out?
The Houston Rockets and John Wall will work toward finalizing a buyout before free agency begins, according to Fischer on his <a href="https://www.callin.com/episode/2022-nba-draft-preview-with-jeremy-woo-AojmeoFMXL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest podcast</a>.
After Wall opted in to his $47.3 million player option, there were questions about what's next for the point guard. This is the final year of Wall's contract, which could make it easier for the two sides to reach a buyout agreement.
If Wall hits the open market, could regain his form on a contender (potentially signing for the mid-level exception or less)? Wall averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists for Houston during the 2020-21 season, but he hasn't set foot on an NBA court since April of 2021.
Cavaliers open to trading No. 14 pick
According to <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-bradley-beal-bobby-portis-nicolas-batum-lakers-nets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto</a>, the Cleveland Cavaliers are open to trading back from the final slot in the lottery at No. 14 overall. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams who have already called the Cavs about the pick, per Scotto.
It's interesting that the Grizzlies and Bucks &mdash; two legitimate contenders &mdash; trying to move up 10-plus spots on Thursday night. It's unclear who these teams are targeting, but our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock currently has Ousmane Dieng projected at No. 14 overall. Rumors have been flying that Dieng has a guarantee, per Babcock, and he did receive an invite to the green room.
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Heat expressing interest in Jerami Grant
According to SNY&rsquo;s Ian Begley, the Miami Heat have checked in on the availability of Jerami Grant. The Detroit Pistons have been openly shopping Grant for a while, so perhaps a deal will finally go down this week.
Does Miami make sense as a potential trade partner for the Pistons? It's unclear what the Heat would be giving up in return for Grant, who averaged 19.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.9 threes, 1.0 block and 0.9 steals this season, while shooting 42.6% from the field, 35.8% from three-point range and 83.8% from the free-throw line.
Grizzlies attempting to move up
Reaffirming the Grizzlies&rsquo; desires of trading up on Thursday, Zach Lowe mentioned on <a href="https://www.espn.com/radio/play/_/id/34125407" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lowe Post</a> that Memphis' executives are &ldquo;calling in every direction.&rdquo;
If that&rsquo;s not a sign that the Grizzlies are expected to be very active on Thursday, I don&rsquo;t know what to tell you. Memphis has a history of being active on draft night, and it seems this year won&rsquo;t be any different.
Are the Suns willing to pay the luxury tax?
Recently, many national pundits have suggested that the Phoenix Suns are hesitant to go deep into the luxury tax. However, Suns owner Robert Sarver recently told BasketballNews that Phoenix has no qualms about paying up in order to keep this team together long-term.
&ldquo;My position for a market like us with the tax is, if you get yourself where you can compete at the highest level, then you pay it and you go for it,&rdquo; Sarver said.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying we&rsquo;re in a market that can be in it 10 years in a row," Sarver added. "But when you get to a certain level where you have a chance to compete and you&rsquo;re a top-four, top-six, top-eight team, if you&rsquo;re at the level where you have a legitimate chance to compete &mdash; get to your Conference Finals and maybe win a championship &mdash; then I think you go in the tax, you pay and you do what you gotta do."
Sarver knows that the Suns&rsquo; championship window is in the here and now. Barring a change of heart, it seems that he's willing to spend to keep this core together.
&ldquo;You just can&rsquo;t take success for grant,&rdquo; Sarver said. &ldquo;It can come and go.&rdquo;
Also, keep an eye on the Suns trying to add a pick in Thursday's draft. While they have no picks at the moment, Phoenix is making calls and trying to buy a second-round selection, according to 98.7 FM&rsquo;s John Gambadoro. Gambadoro said that the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors are teams who are open to trading their second-rounders.
Dyson Daniels rising up draft boards?
Dyson Daniels has one of the biggest risers during the NBA pre-draft process. On BasketballNews' latest mock draft, Babcock has Daniels being selected No. 8 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans.
&ldquo;After being at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, Dyson Daniels had a terrific season for the G League Ignite," Babcock said of Daniels. "The 6-foot-7 positionless Swiss army knife, Daniels excels at getting downhill and attacking the basket, relying on his athleticism and body control for finishing while occasionally employing a floater. Daniels&rsquo; outside shooting is still a work in progress, but he is a disruptive defender with quick feet and instincts. Daniels&rsquo; progression as a playmaker was also notable during the G League season. He seems to have a bright future ahead of him.&rdquo;
According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3372868/2022/06/20/indiana-pacers-nba-draft/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Bob Kravitz</a>, Daniels blew away the Indiana Pacers&rsquo; front office in his recent workout in Indianapolis.
&ldquo;I was told Dyson Daniels had one of the greatest workouts a lot of people in the Indiana organization have ever seen,&rdquo; Kravitz said on ESPN 107.5 FM on Tuesday.
With the Pacers selecting at No. 6 overall, their hope is that somehow one of Jaden Ivey or Keegan Murray slips. If not, Kravitz said the Pacers will be deciding between Daniels and Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin.
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com for all the latest NBA news and rumors during what could be a crazy offseason. Also, check out our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft page</a> for all of our in-depth draft coverage.
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On the eve of the 2022 NBA Draft, rumors are surfacing left and right. Evan Sidery compiles the latest rumblings around the NBA.

NBA Rumors Notebook: Malcolm Brogdon, John Collins, Gordon Hayward, more

With [Christian] Wood gone, the next notable Rockets player to keep an eye on in the trade market is Eric Gordon. At the trade deadline, multiple rival executives who spoke with HoopsHype said the Rockets were holding onto Gordon if the organization couldn&rsquo;t get a projected first-round draft pick near the late teens or early 20s in return. It&rsquo;s unclear if the Rockets will move away from that stance or not with the draft nearing.
SOURCE: <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/aggregate-nba-mock-draft-trade-rumors-ousmane-dieng-lottery-jalen-williams-top-20/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto of HoopsHype</a>
ANALYSIS: Many people around the NBA expected Gordon to get dealt prior to the trade deadline, but the Rockets opted to keep the 33-year-old guard.
It seemed there was a lot of interest in Gordon, but teams weren't willing to part with a first-round pick. It remains to be seen if any team will meet Houston's asking price, or if the Rockets will budge and move him for less.
Gordon finished the season averaging 13.4 points, 2.7 assists, 2.2 threes and 2.0 rebounds, while shooting 47.5% from the field, 41.2% from three and 77.8% from the free-throw line. The Rockets posted a 20-62 record, which was the worst mark in the NBA. They are focused on rebuilding and assembling young talent.

Could Eric Gordon be the next Rockets player who gets traded? Prior to the deadline, Houston's asking price was a first-round pick.

After Rockets traded Christian Wood, could Eric Gordon be next?

With the 2022 NBA Draft less than a week away, our Senior NBA Draft Analyst shares his updated his 2022 NBA Mock Draft.

2022 NBA Mock Draft: 6/17/22

The intensity is turning up as the NBA Draft looms on June 23.&nbsp;With all combines and withdrawal deadlines behind us, the final steps to draft night will take place behind closed doors &mdash; apart from rumors and reports, of course.
On Monday, we saw the first pre-draft trade of the season go down. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/denver-trades-jamychal-green-to-oklahoma-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>, Oklahoma City dealt its No. 30 overall pick and two future second-rounders to Denver in exchange for JaMychal Green and a 2027 first-round pick. That should be just the start of one of the most chaotic newsbreaking stretches in basketball.
Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babock updated our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> on Tuesday. Jabari Smith remains the No. 1 overall pick, but movement later on in the lottery highlights his projections. Babcock discused the notable changes and gave his pulse on the pre-draft chatter.
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Most mock drafts have either Jabari Smith or Chet Holmgren at No. 1 to the Orlando Magic, and you have not wavered from Smith yet. How close is the decision between these two?
I have not wavered from having Jabari Smith as the No. 1 pick. However, at this point in the process, we've shifted our approach from being scouts and making our own picks to projecting what the teams will actually do. From my understanding, most teams are operating under the impression that Jabari Smith will be the first pick, but I have heard some teams think it could be Holmgren too. So we'll see what Jeff Weltman and John Hammond decide to do soon enough.
What pick do you consider to be the first major inflection point for unpredictability in the draft?
We currently have Chet Holmgren at No. 2, but I'm not overly confident that's how it will actually unfold. For starters, will Oklahoma City even stay put at this pick? Sam Presti is known to be a wheeler and dealer. Could the Thunder take Paolo Banchero or even Jaden Ivey? I also heard Holmgren has not provided his medical information to teams (at least most of them), and did not do the NBA's heart screening. That could suggest that his agents are trying to manipulate the draft and direct Holmgren to a specific spot, which is probably the most likely scenario. I don't know which team that would be though.
Shaedon Sharpe continues to be one of the most mysterious players in this pre-draft process. How have things been going for him?
Shaedon Sharpe has become a polarizing prospect for this year's draft. However, I don't think there is any denying that he has a lot of raw talent and upside. There have been some rumblings that he could slip a bit, but even with that said, he's still likely to go mid-to-late lottery.
What has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jeremy-sochan-a-citizen-of-the-world-sets-his-course-for-the-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy Sochan</a> continuing to rise up your mock draft to No. 9?
The San Antonio Spurs have a lot of young pieces on the perimeter, but I think they need to address their frontcourt. I've heard they do have interest in Sochan. I also heard earlier today that the Spurs could be a team on the hunt to move up, with Keegan Murray being their likely target.
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Ousmane Dieng is slotted at No. 14 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Is it safe at this point to say he'll be the first international player selected?
Rumors are flying that Ousmane Dieng has a guarantee, and he did receive an invite to the green room. Could that guarantee be coming from Cleveland? Maybe.
Were you surprised by any of the players who pulled their names out, or kept their names in, at the final withdrawal deadline?
I was a little surprised by some of the international players who decided to stay in the draft, as I expected guys like Yannick Nzosa, Ibou Badji and Matteo Spagnolo to pull their names out.
Which prospects do you think possess higher upside than most anticipate?
A few guys with a lot of upside that might not be getting a ton of attention are Max Christie from Michigan State, Moussa Diabate from Michigan and Josh Minott from Memphis. I'm not sure how much these players are ready to contribute right off the bat, but I wouldn't be surprised to see any or all of them establish themselves in the league over the next couple of years or so.
Who is one player that you think teams have higher on their draft boards compared to the media and general public?
At this point in the pre-draft process, I think teams and the media are generally pretty aligned. Of course, it only takes one team to take a player higher than expected to make all of our mock drafts look questionable. It just adds to the fun of the NBA Draft though.
We've seen one pre-draft trade go down so far between the Nuggets and Thunder (Note: Dallas also traded its No. 26 pick to Houston on Wednesday night). In general, do you expect a lot of movement or relative stability this year?
Oh, of course I always expect there to be movement on draft night. It's part of the business, but has naturally became part of the event's appeal as well. I remember being a kid and freaking out anytime David Stern would walk up to the podium and say, "We have a trade." The NBA Draft is such a special part of the NBA and the basketball industry. I'm very fortunate to be involved in something that I have loved since I was a kid. And this year, I'll be in New York for the draft. See you soon!
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Matt Babcock discussed his latest NBA Draft insights with Ethan Fuller after recently updating his 2022 NBA Mock Draft.