https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/okc.png

Thunder

When the new league year began on July 1, NBA teams were quick to sign free agents and start negotiating extensions with some of their younger players.&nbsp;
Players who were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are signed to rookie-scale contracts, which are eligible to be extended on the first day (July 1) of the fourth and final year of their deal. This past offseason, the vast majority of players eligible for rookie-scale extensions were picked in the first round in 2020. Teams have until the day before the start of the 2023-24 regular season (which begins on October 24) to agree to an extension, or else those players will hit restricted free agency next summer.&nbsp;
Out of the 30 first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, 27 were eligible for rookie-scale extensions. In addition, the Orlando Magic&rsquo;s Chuma Okeke also became eligible for a rookie-scale extension because he signed his rookie deal in 2020, a year after he was drafted due to injury. So far this offseason, five players have signed extensions, with four of them receiving maximum contracts.&nbsp;
Those who received the max signed what&rsquo;s called a Designated Rookie Extension, which has a starting salary at 25% of the 2024-25 salary cap (projected at $37,405,750) with 8% raises over five years (for a total contract value of $216,953,350). However, via the &ldquo;Derrick Rose rule,&rdquo; if any of the players who signed one of these extensions is a member of any of the 2023-24 All-NBA teams, their starting salary will be set at 30% of the 2024-25 salary cap (projected at $44,886,900) with 8% raises over five years (for a total contract value of $260,344,020). These players include Minnesota&rsquo;s Anthony Edwards, Charlotte&rsquo;s LaMelo Ball, Indiana&rsquo;s Tyrese Haliburton and Memphis&rsquo; Desmond Bane. However, Bane&rsquo;s extension doesn&rsquo;t contain the &ldquo;Rose Rule&rdquo; language, so he can&rsquo;t receive a starting salary raise even if he earns an All-NBA nod.
There is also a new wrinkle in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that changed the rules in regards to rookie-scale extensions, allowing teams to offer all players an extension up to five years. Previously, only players who were offered maximum contracts could agree to an extension up to five years. So far, no team has given out a five-year non-max extension.
The only player who has signed a non-max rookie extension this offseason is Detroit&rsquo;s Isaiah Stewart. Stewart, the No. 16 pick in 2020, has been a starter for the rebuilding Pistons over the past few years. The tough, defensive big man agreed to a four-year, $64 million extension with $60 million guaranteed, $4 million in potential performance bonuses and a team option in the final season. Stewart&rsquo;s extension could serve as a potential benchmark for other big man extension candidates like Toronto&rsquo;s Precious Achiuwa and Atlanta&rsquo;s Onyeka Okongwu.
With 21 first-round picks (and Okeke) still awaiting a potential extension, let&rsquo;s take a look at who is most likely to receive an extension and what their deals might look like.
LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED
Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls): Williams has been a steady force for the Bulls amid the team&rsquo;s struggles to consistently play winning basketball. The former Florida State forward has improved his shooting each year of his career but has yet to really break out as a primary scoring option for Chicago. Williams is just 22 years old and still has a lot of potential, so he should command an extension similar to what Atlanta&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Andre Hunter received last summer.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $90,000,000, no options
Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks): Okongwu has been slotted as the Hawks&rsquo; center of the future for a few years now and has mostly looked the part backing up Clint Capela. Atlanta has a very crowded cap sheet, especially after extending Dejounte Murray. It is possible they could look to move Capela soon in order to free up cap space and give the starting center job to Okongwu. As mentioned above, look for Okongwu to ask for slightly above what Detroit gave Isaiah Stewart.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $72,000,000, could earn up to $80,000,000 with incentives, no options
Devin Vassell (San Antonio Spurs): The Spurs should try to lock up some of their reliable young pieces as they begin the Victor Wembanyama era. Similar to what San Antonio did with Keldon Johnson, they&rsquo;ll likely look to give Vassell a long-term value deal. They also could take advantage of the new CBA rules, keeping the former No. 11 pick under contract through 2029.
Extension Prediction: Five years, $110,000,000, no options
Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks): Green has quietly been developing very nicely with the Mavericks and could fight for a spot in the starting lineup this fall. The Australian native has shown real potential as a 3-and-D wing and could command the full mid-level exception if he reaches the open market next summer. Dallas shouldn&rsquo;t (and most likely won&rsquo;t) let that happen.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $65,000,000, no options
Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks): Quickley is coming off his best season as a pro that saw him finish as runner-up for the NBA&rsquo;s Sixth Man of the Year award. A scoring machine, the former Kentucky guard would likely start for a good chunk of NBA teams, but will likely have to be the backup as long as Jalen Brunson is in New York. The Knicks would certainly love to keep Quickley, but look for them to wait all the way up to the October 23 deadline to pay him in order to maintain trade flexibility.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $88,000,000, could earn up to $92,000,000 with incentives, no options
Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves): McDaniels is certainly viewed as a core piece by the Timberwolves&rsquo; brass as they fought hard to keep him out of the Rudy Gobert trade, sacrificing more draft capital instead. The Washington product has been a versatile, two-way player since arriving in Minnesota and is an ideal wing next to Anthony Edwards. He should be paid accordingly.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $100,000,000, no options, declining annual salary
LIKELY TO REACH RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY
James Wiseman (Detroit Pistons): Wiseman has been better on both sides of the ball since being traded to Detroit last February, but his game still needs to be developed further if the Pistons are to seriously invest in him.
Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers): Cleveland has been looking for a permanent solution at their starting small-forward position for some time now, resulting in them paying Caris LeVert and signing Max Strus. Okoro hasn&rsquo;t shown he can be the Cavs&rsquo; long-term solution.
Obi Toppin (Indiana Pacers): If Toppin had stayed in New York, there&rsquo;s no way he would have been extended. Now in Indiana, the former Naismith National Player of the Year should get a chance to start and improve his stock going into next summer.
Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards): Avdija is a pretty good young player outside of his shooting struggles. With a new regime in Washington, Avdija may be a trade candidate if new president Michael Winger doesn&rsquo;t see him as a part of the team&rsquo;s long-term plan.
Aaron Nesmith (Indiana Pacers): A starter for the Pacers last year, Nesmith may be buried on the depth chart with the additions of Toppin and rookie Jarace Walker. He hasn&rsquo;t made enough of an impact to warrant an extension.
Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic): Anthony has been a solid bench contributor for Orlando since being drafted out of North Carolina. However, the Magic backcourt is extremely crowded with the addition of rookie Anthony Black, making them unlikely to prioritize securing a deal with Anthony.
Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder): Poku is coming off a fractured leg that kept him out for the back half of last season. He needs to show that he can be a long-term piece if he wishes to stay with the Thunder.
Saddiq Bey (Atlanta Hawks): Bey is certainly talented enough to warrant an extension, fitting into the starting five seamlessly after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. However, the team may have to choose between extending Bey or Okongwu in order to manage their already-very-full salary cap sheet.&nbsp;
Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors): The Raptors have already committed to a center in Jakob Poeltl this offseason. Achiuwa hasn&rsquo;t shown enough to break through outside of his bench role to warrant an extension.
Zeke Nnaji (Denver Nuggets): Despite not being a regular member of the rotation, Nnaji has shown he is a capable backup option to Nikola Jokic when he&rsquo;s on the floor. While an extension isn&rsquo;t in the cards, the Nuggets should look to retain him.
Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics): Boston would probably love to keep Pritchard on a team-friendly deal, as he has been a reliable insurance option for them since coming into the league. The former Oregon guard will more than likely want to test the free-agency market to see if he can possibly find a path to more playing time elsewhere.
LIKELY TO NOT RECEIVE A QUALIFYING OFFER, BECOME AN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT NEXT SUMMER
Killian Hayes (Detroit Pistons): Hayes has not lived up to his top-10 pick billing and has fallen out of Pistons general manager Troy Weaver&rsquo;s long-term outlook. Detroit could extend him a qualifying offer next summer, but he likely won&rsquo;t receive much interest on the open market.
Kira Lewis Jr. (New Orleans Pelicans): Lewis has been relegated to a reserve while suffering through multiple injuries through his first three years in the NBA. The Pelicans have made it known league-wide that he is available for trade.
Chuma Okeke (Orlando Magic): Okeke has struggled with his all-around game for the better part of the last two years and is unlikely to be retained by Orlando going forward.
Malachi Flynn (Toronto Raptors): Flynn hasn&rsquo;t taken advantage of the many opportunities he&rsquo;s had to be a part of the Raptors&rsquo; rotation as the backup point guard. He may see some run this year, but the Raptors may have seen enough to move on this summer.
THE TYRESE MAXEY WILD CARD
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers): Maxey is the wild card of the rookie-extension candidates, as Sixers general manager Daryl Morey has said that the team will hold off on extending the 22-year-old shooting guard in order to maintain trade and cap flexibility going into next summer. Maxey has blossomed into a core member of the 76ers going forward and would likely receive close to, if not the full, max rookie extension. With no end in sight to the James Harden debacle, the Sixers may want to secure their young prize before their situation could turn worse.

Blake Stern takes a look at which players are most likely to receive a rookie-scale extension prior to the October 23 deadline.

Checking in on the NBA's rookie-scale extension candidates

NBA free agency has died down and the 2023-24 NBA season is nearly three months away. This is why August is known as the dog days of the NBA calendar.
However, NBA fans will be able to watch some of their favorite players in action very soon, as the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow.
From Nov. 2021 through Feb. 2023, 80 countries battled for a spot in the World Cup but only 32 national teams qualified. There are a ton of NBA players participating, as Team USA has a talented young roster and they'll be facing stars such as Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen and Rudy Gobert.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
WHEN IS IT?
World Cup games will be played Aug. 25 through Sept. 10. There have been a number of warm-up games in recent weeks, but the real action tips off tomorrow.
First Round (Group Phase): Aug. 25-30 Second Round (Group Phase): Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 Quarterfinals: Sept. 5-6 Semifinals: Sept. 8 Final: Sept. 10 Third-Place Game: Sept. 10
The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full schedule of games can be found here</a>.
WHERE IS IT?&nbsp;
For the first time ever, the FIBA Basketball World Cup will feature three host countries: the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
WHICH COUNTRIES QUALIFIED?
These are the 32 countries that will be participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup: Angola, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, United States and Venezuela.
These are the groups for the first round:
Group A:&nbsp;Angola, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Italy
Group B:&nbsp;&nbsp;South Sudan, Serbia, China, Puerto Rico
(Groups A and B will play their games at Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines)
Group C:&nbsp;Team USA, Jordan, Greece, New Zealand
Group D:&nbsp;Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, Lithuania
(Groups C and D will play their games at Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines)
Group E:&nbsp;Germany, Finland, Australia, Japan
Group F:&nbsp;Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela
(Groups E and F will play their games at Okinawa Arena in Japan)
Group G:&nbsp;Iran, Spain, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Brazil
Group H:&nbsp;Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, France
(Groups G and H will play their games at Jakarta Arena in Indonesia)
WHICH NBA PLAYERS ARE COMPETING?
There are quite a few NBA players participating in this tournament. The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-world-cup-roster-tracker-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full list can be found here</a>, but below are the national teams that feature notable NBA players:
Group A
Dominican Republic: Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Lester Quinones (Golden State Warriors)
Philippines: Jordan Clarkson&nbsp;(Utah Jazz)
Group B
China: Kyle Anderson&nbsp;(Minnesota Timberwolves)
Serbia: Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks), Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat)
Group C
Greece: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/gettyimages-1608113478-2.jpg" alt="" width="736" height="414" />
United States: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (New York Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)

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

Group D
Lithuania: Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans)
Montenegro: Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls)
Group E
Australia: Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder), Patty Mills (Atlanta Hawks), Matisse Thybulle (Portland Trail Blazers) Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks), Joe Ingles (Orlando Magic), Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans), Dante Exum (Dallas Mavericks), Jock Landale (Houston Rockets), Xavier Cooks (Washington Wizards)
Finland: Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
Germany: Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Dennis Schroder (Toronto Raptors), Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers),&nbsp;
Japan: Yuta Watanabe (Phoenix Suns)
Group F
Georgia: Goga Bitadze (Orlando Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (San Antonio Spurs)
Slovenia: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Group G
Brazil: Raul Neto (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Spain: Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies), Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)
Group H
Canada: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), R.J. Barrett (New York Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets), Lu Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves), Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks)
France: Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Evan Fournier (New York Knicks), Frank Ntilikina (Charlotte Hornets)
Latvia: Davis Bertans (Oklahoma City Thunder)
HOW TO WATCH
FIBA recently announced that all 92 World Cup games will be available across ESPN's platforms. Six games will air on ESPN2 (including Team USA's three first-round games), while the other 86 games will be available on ESPN+.
FIBA&rsquo;s official streaming service, <a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courtside 1891</a>, will also air the games live and on-demand. If you're interested in Courtside 1891, FIBA is offering our readers 20% off their World Cup bundle. Follow the instructions below if you'd like to use the 20% discount:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li><a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/choose-a-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click this link</a> and you&rsquo;ll get a prompt to register</li>
<li>You&rsquo;ll then be redirected to the choose-a-package page</li>
<li>Select the &lsquo;Max &ndash; World Cup Bundle&rsquo;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Use the discount code FIBAWCAK to get 20% off</li>
</ul>
Enjoy the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and hopefully the dog days of summer will fly by quickly!

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow. Here's everything you need to know about the tournament.

Everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

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)
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/vw2.jpg" alt="" width="711" height="400" />
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

As of Wednesday morning in late January, three games separate fifth place and 13th place in the Western Conference standings. We're more than halfway through the regular season and most of the West playoff spots are still completely wide-open.
Only one of those teams has put together a clean, inspiring month.&nbsp;
The Oklahoma City Thunder are 8-3 in 2023, and though they're tied for 10th in the conference at 23-24, they still sit just one game back of the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder join the Denver Nuggets as <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/league/fourfactors?season=2022&amp;seasontype=regseason&amp;start=01/1/2023&amp;end=01/25/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of two teams with top-five offensive and defensive ratings</a> (121.9/112.1) this month, per Cleaning the Glass, and they're up to the ninth-ranked DRTG (113.2) on the whole season.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
OKC is far removed from the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes and too good of a basketball team to throw in the towel. Meanwhile, the rest of the West has been riddled with inconsistency, as some of the projected top teams battle injuries, manage rest and, more plainly, underwhelm.
Sneaking into the Play-In Tournament might be selling the youngest team in the league short. Why can't OKC bypass the preliminary round entirely?
The franchise has its superstar. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has maintained his 30-point-per-game pace in every month this season on remarkable efficiency splits for a high-usage point guard.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Here&rsquo;s the complete list of point guards that have averaged 30+ PPG on 50% shooting for a season: - Steph Curry (unanimous MVP season) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (this season) That&rsquo;s it. <a href="https://t.co/dr1gn1H2r1">pic.twitter.com/dr1gn1H2r1</a>
&mdash; The Lead (@TheLeadSM) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheLeadSM/status/1617564856051437575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Gilgeous-Alexander has knocked down 57.9% of his two-pointers this month and is a certified Tier 1 driving threat across the Association. We know that already, though, and instead of rehashing the same points, I'd like to direct you to <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2023/01/shai-gilgeous-alexander-oklahoma-city-thunder-all-star-and-on-the-verge-of-superstardom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mat Issa's excellent breakdown of SGA's unique driving gifts over at The Analyst.</a>
And though SGA is a proven finisher and pull-up scorer, he's actually had some more help this month. According to Cleaning the Glass, 42% of his at-rim buckets have been assisted, up from his 27% rate on the whole season.
<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/8dml89" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
OKC has done a better job moving the ball around and kicking out to its centerpiece. In turn, he has made quicker decisions to catch and drive himself, which puts an all-world pressure point against a tilted defense. Josh Giddey has taken on more responsibility as a facilitator, but the help is really coming from everywhere, as shown above.
The results show in this table. Here's how often Gilgeous-Alexander has attempted shots at the rim with two dribbles or less, and his efficiency, per PBP Stats:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Season</td>
<td>FGM</td>
<td>FGA</td>
<td>FG%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Freq. (% of total FGA)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">64</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">100</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">64%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">13.99%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2019-20</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">93</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">155</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">60%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">15.33%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">21</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">37</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">56.76%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">6.56%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">55</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">79</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">69.62%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">7.52%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2022-23</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">59</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">82</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">71.95%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">9.47%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Those first two seasons, SGA was a complementary player with the Los Angeles Clippers and a second option in OKC next to Chris Paul. Then, he became one of the league's highest-usage No. 1 options. Now, in his third year with the role, Gilgeous-Alexander is having to create less with his dribble, and it's corresponding to an increase in efficiency.&nbsp;
You can even extend out to the mid-range, where he's taking 4.6% of his shots with two dribbles or less (highest of the past three years), and hitting a ridiculous 62.5% of those shots (by far a career-high). So though Gilgeous-Alexander is still doing the vast majority of his scoring work by himself, the supporting cast is starting to make life easier.&nbsp;
Giddey, as mentioned, has been a massive piece to the offensive improvement and the Thunder's overall rise. (Our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-josh-giddeys-rising-aggression" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan detailed what's working for the second-year guard</a> and I highly recommend you check out his breakdown.)
Now, let's slide over to two game-changing role-players: Isaiah Joe and Kenrich Williams.&nbsp;
I wrote last summer that OKC <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-okc-oklahoma-city-thunder-shai-gilgeous-alexander-josh-giddey-luguentz-dort-chet-holmgren-tre-mann-jalen-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">needed to improve on its league-worst 32.6% catch-and-shoot three-point clip</a>&nbsp;to really help its offense around Gilgeous-Alexander. The team is up to 15th with a very capable 37.2% hit rate so far this season. Several Thunder players have improved, including significant leaps from Giddey, Lu Dort and (when healthy) Aleksej Pokusevski.
But Joe and Williams have truly turned the tide. They lead the squad in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage and are among the 15 best off the catch in the entire league, per Second Spectrum.
Joe, after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in October, has increased his playing time in each subsequent month of the season. He's averaging 12.1 points in 21.1 minutes per game during January while canning 44.6% of his triples. I don't love playing the on/off stats game too often, but it's telling that the Thunder have been 19.9 points better than opponents per 100 possesssions with Joe on the court, per Cleaning the Glass. That ranks third among all NBA players.
The former Arkansas Razorback entered the NBA with perimeter marksmanship as his calling card, and it's unfortunate for the Sixers that they didn't see things through. Joe has very immediately become one of the best shooters in the league in his third season.&nbsp;
<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/grc7hj" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
These buckets might not look flashy, but they're invaluable to what OKC wants to accomplish. Gilgeous-Alexander will consistently draw help on his drives, and several other players like Williams and Darius Bazley can attack off the catch or leverage themselves on cuts. All Joe has to do is make the defense pay for helping by relocating and connecting. He's hitting 48.4% of his catch-and-shoot threes, good for fifth among all players with at least 75 such attempts.
Unlike Joe, Williams has not been quite the sure bet. He made 44.4% of his threes in 2020-21, but then just 33.9% in 2021-22, including 34.0% on catch-and-shoot attempts. This year, he's roared back with a 42.9% overall clip and is shooting an eye-popping 52.8% from distance in January.&nbsp;
Most of the resurgence comes via a massive bounce-back year from the corners. The 28-year-old is shooting 54.5% on corner threes after hitting just 35% last season. He's also a bigger threat than Joe to attack a closeout and make the right pass.
<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/ih2rwj" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Williams isn't some shifty advantage-creator, but he's confident in putting the ball on the floor to the point where he can compress sides of a defense. So far this month, Williams has 27 assists against just 5 turnovers, providing stability moving the ball in addition to his hot shooting.
It's fair to wonder about shooting regression for Williams, Joe and some of the other role-players on OKC's roster. But at the same time, this squad has a top-10 defense that builds on a solid 2021-22 year and gives some cushion if pieces of the offense hit a downturn.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
To reach a top-six seed, the Thunder would currently need to pass the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and at least one of the Mavericks or Clippers. That looks daunting on paper; most of those franchises are loaded with playoff experience and have proven themselves already.
The positive: According to Tankathon, Oklahoma City has the easiest remaining schedule in the NBA. The Thunder play the Houston Rockets three times and Los Angeles Lakers three times, plus the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors once each in their final 35 games. They only face one of the Tier 1 regular season squads in the Memphis Grizzlies. In addition, OKC has just three back-to-backs left and a massive six-game homestand at the end of February.&nbsp;
On top of that favorable schedule, those aforementioned foes in the playoff race have all been battling their own problems with injuries and inconsistent basketball. We don't need to wave Golden State or Phoenix or LAC through the regular season just because we know they'll be tough outs in the postseason. We also don't need to imagine what the youngest team in the NBA could be anymore.
The Thunder have a legitimate high-level defense, an arriving offense and a cast of supporters that is bolstering their superstar better than ever before &mdash; and they're still getting better.

Ethan Fuller explains why the Thunder have the pieces to bypass the NBA Play-In Tournament and make the postseason this year.

Making the Oklahoma City Thunder's case as a top-6 NBA playoff seed

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Joel EmbIid had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his fifth career triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers never trailed in beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-96 on Saturday night.
Tobias Harris hit his first seven shots and scored 23 points for Philadelphia. Harris scored 16 points in 16 minutes in the first half to help the 76ers take a 69-43 lead.
&ldquo;I realized I didn&rsquo;t miss a shot in the first half and then I came out in the second half and missed my first shot so that was done with,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;In the second half, we were a little slow and sluggish, but in the fourth quarter, I thought we had more energy and life to get stops and close out the game the way that we wanted. When you&rsquo;re up like that and have that type of cushion you can get a little relaxed.&rdquo;
With James Harden sitting out because of injury management on his right foot, Tulsa product Shake Milton got the start for Philadelphia and scored 18 points. DeAnthony Melton added 17 points. Their production, along with Harris&rsquo; hot start impressed Sixers coach Doc Rivers.
&ldquo;It was big for us. It set the tone. Especially the way we played last night, getting the cushion helped us,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;We had lost two in a row. Our team doesn&rsquo;t like that. We knew we were missing guys so I think our guys had the proper amount of fear going into this game. That&rsquo;s a good thing.&rdquo;
Josh Giddey led Oklahoma City with 20 points and nine rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
TIP-INS
76ers: P.J. Tucker and Tyrese Maxey also sat out for Philadelphia. Tucker is dealing with a left knee issue. Maxey rested on the second night of a back-to-back after returning from a fractured right foot.
Thunder: Lost to the 76ers for the sixth straight time dating to January 2019. ... With forward Alexsej Pokusevski sidelined by injury, the Thunder started rookies Jaylin Williams and Jalen Williams together for the second game in a row.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
Thunder: Host Boston on Tuesday night.

Joel EmbIid had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the 76ers never trailed in beating the Thunder 115-96 on Saturday night.

Embiid has triple-double in 76ers' road victory over Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder closed a season-high, seven-game homestand by beating the San Antonio Spurs 130-114 on Tuesday night.
Mike Muscala, pressed into extended action due to an early injury to starting forward Aleksej Pokusevski, hit 3 of 5 3-point attempts and scored 19 points. Tre Mann had 17 and rookie Jalen Williams added 15 points and nine rebounds.
The Thunder never trailed after the 1:59 mark of the first quarter, but needed a 14-3 run to open the fourth quarter to secure the win. Oklahoma City hit 13 of 24 3-point attempts (54.2%).
Devin Vassell scored 20 points for the Spurs. Keldon Johnson started despite battling low back tightness and added 19.
Official Jenna Schroeder issued two quick technical fouls and ejected San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich with 11:13 left in the second quarter, after Popovich yelled &ldquo;Do your job!&rdquo; and other things at her. Assistant coach Brett Brown led the Spurs&rsquo; bench the rest of the game.
The technical fouls came in the middle of an 11-4 run by Oklahoma City that put the Thunder ahead 51-41 and they were up 70-60 at halftime. Oklahoma City was 9 of 14 on 3-point attempts in the half and Muscala came off the bench to score 14 points.
San Antonio pulled within 95-93 by the end of the third quarter, but Oklahoma City opened the fourth quarter with its big run.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Reserve forward Doug McDermott missed the game due to right knee soreness &hellip; Reserve guard Josh Richardson, who grew up in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma, scored nine points in 26 minutes. &hellip; The Spurs are 1-6 this season in the second game of back-to-backs. They have lost six straight in such games.
Thunder: Pokusevski went down less than two minutes into the game while trying to grab an offensive rebound and began clutching his left knee. He was helped off the court and did not return &hellip; During the first quarter, Josh Giddey became the second-youngest NBA player (at 20 years and 78 days old) to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists, behind only LeBron James (19 years and 326 days old) &hellip; Oklahoma City went 4-3 during its homestand.
50K AND COUNTING
The Spurs say they&rsquo;ve sold more than 50,000 tickets for their Jan. 13 game against Golden State, which will be played in their former home venue, the Alamodome. It will be the fourth time in NBA history a crowd has exceeded 50,000. A record 62,046 fans watched in 1998 when the Chicago Bulls visited the Atlanta Hawks.
Popovich said the Alamodome &ndash; where in 1999 San Antonio won the first of its five NBA titles &ndash; &ldquo;has a special place&rdquo; in the heart of Spurs&rsquo; fans.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a once-in-a-lifetime sort of event for the fans and they have really warmed up to the idea, so it&rsquo;s pretty cool,&rdquo; he said.
&nbsp;

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points, and the Thunder closed a  seven-game homestand by beating the Spurs 130-114.

Thunder beat Spurs 130-114 to wrap up seven-game homestand

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Trey Murphy III scored 23 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame the absence of leading scorer Zion Williamson and a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-125 in overtime on Friday night.
Murphy and CJ McCollum each hit a 3-pointer in the first two minutes of overtime to stake the Pelicans to a four-point lead, and Oklahoma City never recovered.
&ldquo;This is a relentless group,&rdquo; New Orleans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t be more proud of what they&rsquo;re doing. ... Tonight was a tough back-to-back, but we just gutted it out. Sometimes you have to do that in this league.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s truly a blessing to have guys bought in to what we&rsquo;re trying to accomplish. We continue to tell them to stay ready and keep working and their opportunity will come.&rdquo;
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 44 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists for Oklahoma City, which had a three-game winning streak end.
The Thunder had a chance while trailing 128-125 when McCollum turned the ball over on an inbounds play with 8.7 seconds left, but they missed a pair of 2-point shots.
New Orleans&rsquo; Jaxson Hayes, who scored 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting, missed two free throws with 2.7 seconds left. On the second, the rebound caromed toward midcourt, where Gilgeous-Alexander corralled it. His 40-foot 3-point attempt banged off the rim as time expired.
&ldquo;I thought we did a great job of putting ourselves in position,&rdquo; Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;The first half, we were completely out of rhythm, with not a lot of energy. I thought we came out at halftime and ... hung in there and stuck with it and got on a nice run. We worked to get control of the game. I thought they just out-executed us in the fourth quarter at both ends of the floor &mdash; coaches, players, everything.&rdquo;
Naji Marshall and McCollum each scored 17 points for the Pelicans, who have followed a four-game skid with wins on back-to-back nights. Williamson also sat out Thursday&rsquo;s win over San Antonio due to health and safety protocols.
During the third quarter, Oklahoma City steadily cut what had been a 21-point second-quarter deficit and the Thunder tied the game at 80-80 on a 3-pointer by Tre Mann with 11:38 left in the game. That was part of a 12-3 run to open the fourth quarter, which put the Thunder ahead 89-83.
Oklahoma City led 105-96 after two free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander with 4:53 left, but didn&rsquo;t have a field goal during the final 2:57 of regulation, allowing New Orleans to rally. Herbert Jones&rsquo; basket with 25.4 seconds left tied the game at 112-all. Mann missed on a driving layup attempt in the final seconds.
&ldquo;We just picked up our energy and our defensive effort (in the final minutes),&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;They came out in the second half and they were playing with more force and more pace. I thought the last 4-5 minutes of (regulation), we did a better job of trying to take the ball out of (Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s) hands.&rdquo;
After going 2 of 15 from 3-point range in the first half, the Thunder finished 13 of 35 from behind the arc. New Orleans finished 13 of 37 from 3-point range.
New Orleans went 8 of 21 from 3-point range in the first half and led by as many as 21 points after trailing by six early. The Pelicans were up 64-46 at halftime.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: In addition to Williamson, New Orleans was without starter Larry Nance Jr., who missed a second straight game due to right Achilles soreness. ... McCollum, a game-time decision to play due to right calf soreness, started and played 36 minutes. ... Jones scored 15 points.
Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander, who entered the game leading the NBA in free-throw shooting at 93%, missed both ends of a two-shot opportunity in the second quarter. ... Josh Giddey had 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Aleksej Pokusevski added 17 points. ... The Thunder recalled Mann and Jaylin Williams from the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League.
&nbsp;

Trey Murphy III scored 23 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-125 in overtime.

Murphy scores 23, Pelicans beat Thunder in OT without Zion

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Josh Giddey had 12 of his 17 points in the final period, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-114 on Monday night.
Dejounte Murray finished with 24 points and Trae Young had 23 points and 10 assists for the Hawks (13-11), who have squandered six double-digit leads this season. They began the night tied for second-most in the NBA in that category.
In winning its third straight, Oklahoma City (11-13) has outscored its last three opponents 106-68 in the fourth. The Thunder trailed 88-84 entering the final period.
Giddey&rsquo;s three-point play early in the fourth made it 91-90 for the Thunder&rsquo;s first lead since late in the first. They never trailed again as Gilgeous-Alexander, the league&rsquo;s third-leading scorer, kept hitting free throws down the stretch. He scored 12 points in the fourth and finished 15 for 15 from the foul line.
Oklahoma City went on a 23-8 run over an eight-minute span until the 2:53 mark of the fourth, putting too much distance for the Hawks to overcome. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a pair of free throws to make it 111-103 with 1:04 remaining to all but finish off Atlanta.
Young threw a backward pass over his right shoulder to feed Murray for a dunk that made it 63-54 early in the third, and Oklahoma City called timeout. A.J. Griffin later followed with a 3 that put the Hawks up 66-56, and Atlanta pushed the lead to 14 before the Thunder went on a 17-6 run to close within two on a pair of free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander.
Onyeka Okongwu&rsquo;s fastbreak jam put the Hawks up 41-31 for the game&rsquo;s first double-digit lead at the 7:40 mark of the second quarter.
Young was 0 for 5 from the field before his baseline runner gave Atlanta a 56-52 lead in the final minute before halftime. The Hawks were ahead 59-54 at intermission.
Before Giddey hit a layup and free throw early in the first, the Thunder had their last lead at 23-21 on Ousmane Dieng&rsquo;s dunk late in the first. Dieng, a rookie, scored a career-high 15.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Coach Mark Daigneault said swingman Kenrich Williams, who missed the game with a right knee sprain, isn&rsquo;t expected to be sidelined for long. ... Jalen Williams started instead F Aleksej Pokusevski and had 12 points in 31 minutes minutes. ... One game after seven players scored in double figures in Saturday&rsquo;s 135-128 win at Minnesota, Oklahoma City placed six players in double figures. ... The Thunder won in Atlanta for the first time since March 2018.
Hawks: Prior to the game, longtime TV announcer Bob Rathbun briefly lost consciousness on the court and was treated for dehydration. He was listed as stable, responsive and heading to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. ... Griffin has connected on at least one 3 in nine straight games, the longest such active streak among NBA rookies.
UP NEXT
Thunder: At Memphis on Wednesday.
Hawks: At New York Knicks on Wednesday.

In winning its third straight, Oklahoma City (11-13) has outscored its last three opponents 106-68 in the fourth.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 35 as Thunder rally past Hawks

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has been an eyewitness to the unique, confusing development of Aleksej Pokusevski. On Monday night against the Boston Celtics, Daigneault reveled in the symbolism of a breakthrough performance:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Mark Daigneault quote of the year: "(Poku) had Horford tonight, which, it's a great contrast. We obviously had Horford when Poku was a rookie. If you told me that two years later Poku would be playing 37 minutes and guarding Horford ... I would've checked to do a sobriety test."
&mdash; Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) <a href="https://twitter.com/joe_mussatto/status/1592357433833553920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
Pokusevski, still just 20 years old, has entered his third NBA season with an increasing chorus of impatient critics clamoring for consistent outings. He's long been viewed as the wacky-gadget prospect on a Thunder team nowhere near contention &mdash; the ultimate wild card on a roster that might as well throw wild cards out on the floor while it loses.&nbsp;
Something feels different this year. Pokusevski has started 8 of his 12 contests (he started 12 of 61 last season) and OKC is a respectable 6-8 with additional valiant losses to the Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. He's averaging career highs in points (9.9), rebounds (5.9) and blocks per game (1.7). After ranking as arguably the league's most inefficient offensive player over the last two years, Pokusevski's 54.2% True Shooting clip is pretty solid &mdash; and a massive career-best.
It isn't just about the exciting new numbers. Pokusevski has been a notoriously rough, early-season player as he adjusted to a steep learning curve. This year, he's overextending himself less and playing with more confidence and more comfort. That showed up in Monday's 126-122 loss to Boston, where Pokusevski accumulated 16 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.
<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/2znozm" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The swats stand out as significant developments. Pokusevski's current 3.4% block rate is double his career-high and in the 87th percentile among bigs, per Cleaning the Glass (and he's barely even a big!). That second rejection on Jayson Tatum is an improbable one coming at the last possible moment before moving into goaltending territory. Few players in basketball could pull it off.&nbsp;
Oklahoma City has been using Pokusevski frequently as a drop coverage defender. It allows him to be less of a physical chaser and more intimidating with his length in space. Against Boston, he contains Jaylen Brown's drive and blocks his shot, and later shuts down a rolling Al Horford's first attempt. Pokusevski is improved at dealing with contact. I wouldn't call him "good" at it yet, and he needs to be better about some of his second efforts after an initial block &mdash; but he's exhibited demonstrable progress.
<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/7y5u86" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
From the Nov. 11 contest against Toronto &mdash; look at some of these rotations and help blocks! Pokusevski can contain Fred VanVleet's drive, then adjust and recover all the way to the three-point line to block a Scottie Barnes three-point attempt. As long as the opponent isn't using a center as an offensive hub, OKC should feel confident that Pokusevski can hold down the fort as a lengthy, mobile nuisance in drop coverage.
Get this: According to PBP Stats, Pokusevski had 17 blocks at the rim in 61 games last season. He has 14 in 12 games so far this year.
On offense, he's starting to manifest some of the fantastical visions of a mobile, 7-foot shooter, and getting more active on the glass. Below are his 7 makes on 12 attempts from Monday:
<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/nlp509" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Celtics were content to leave Pokusevski open in actions where he snuck out to the perimeter, and he made them pay twice on four attempts. Poku is up to a solid 37.5% clip on catch-and-shoot treys; he finished at 31.0% last season. He also radiated composed creativity with the ball in his hands on some other makes, and even followed up that missed floater attempt with a sweet putback dunk.&nbsp;
Approximately 40% of Pokusevski's shots are coming at the rim &mdash; again a career-high &mdash; and only 44% of those attempts have been assisted by a teammate. He's working for his own shot while still fitting into OKC's offense. Per PBP Stats, Poku had 48 putback points all last season. He's got 18 now and would surpass 48 less than halfway through this year.&nbsp;
Stability is driving the overall optimism surrounding Pokusevski's start. Yes, his track record of radical peaks and valleys mean we can't say he's arrived after just 12 games. But Pokusevski doesn't look like he's being forced into the Thunder lineup as a play-test. He's legitimately a positive two-way contributor for a pretty solid basketball team.
How many 20-year-olds can say that?

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

Pokusevski racked up 16 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three blocks against the Celtics on Monday.

Aleksej Pokusevski is putting the pieces together with the Thunder

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Smart scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and the Boston Celtics beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 126-122 on Monday night for their seventh straight win.
Boston trailed by as many as 15 in the third quarter, but it outscored Oklahoma City 37-26 in the fourth.
"Tonight was a resilient win &mdash; a tough game to win," said Jaylen Brown, who scored 26 for Boston.
Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, and Al Horford added 12 points and 11 boards. Smart also had eight assists and five rebounds.
Reserves Payton Pritchard and Derrick White led a key surge late in the third and early in the fourth as the Celtics rallied.
&ldquo;The first team was a little sluggish. We tried. We was giving it everything we got and just couldn&rsquo;t find it,&rdquo; Smart said. &ldquo;And then those two came in and gave us the jump we needed. The energy definitely shifted with those two guys coming into the game.&rdquo;
Pritchard scored 10, and White finished with 16 points &mdash; 11 in the second half &mdash; five assists and four steals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 37 points. Lu Dort scored 21, and Aleksej Pokusevski finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
All five starters scored in double figures for Oklahoma City, which couldn't hang on after a solid start.
"There were a lot of bright spots. We really put it to them. We controlled the game on the road against a great team, which is a credit to our guys," coach Mark Daigneault said.
The Thunder had just six turnovers in the first half, but seven in each of the final two quarters while falling to 2-5 on the road.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics overcame the Thunder with defense and credited the scrappy play of Pritchard and White.
"I thought especially in the second half, we didn&rsquo;t allow our lack of shot-making to affect our defensive effort," Mazzulla said. "That to me is a sign of growth for the team."
Pritchard hit a 31-foot 3-pointer with the shot clock about to expire late in the third, pulling Boston within nine. Pritchard then had a steal and a layup just before the buzzer, cutting the margin to 96-89 entering the final quarter.
Pritchard hit another 3-pointer in the opening minute of the fourth and Oklahoma City&rsquo;s 15-point lead was down to 99-94 with 11:11 left.
Smart drew an offensive foul on Gilgeous-Alexander and a two-handed dunk by Tatum tied it at 107 as fans roared in approval of Boston&rsquo;s surging momentum.
A three-point play by Dort tied it at 115 with 2:41 left, but Smart hit a 3-pointer to put Boston back up and White followed with another 3 after a miss by the Thunder at the other end.
STILL SCORING
The Thunder had scored 130-plus points in three straight games, including a 145-135 win over the Knicks in New York on Sunday. Coming just short at Boston with 122 points reminded the Thunder of their potential, Gilgeous-Alexander said.
&ldquo;When we play to our identity, we can play with anybody," he said. "We knew that going in &mdash; that we&rsquo;d give ourselves a chance to win if we played our style and way and I think we did so for a majority of the game.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Thunder: Outrebounded Boston 51-46. ... Oklahoma City was playing the second of a four-game trip with stops still to go in Washington and Memphis.
Celtics: G Malcolm Brogdon missed his third straight game with a tight right hamstring. ... F Grant Williams received a technical foul with 7:31 left in the first quarter after complaining about a no-call when he went up for an offensive rebound. ... Tatum received a technical 1:04 into the second quarter after a foul, although he appeared to be yelling at himself. ... Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak received a round of applause when he was shown sitting courtside during a stoppage in the second quarter.

Marcus Smart scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and the Boston Celtics beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 126-122.

Smart helps Celtics beat Thunder for 7th straight win

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, including a pair of free throws to put Miami up for good with 35 seconds left, and the Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Monday night.
Phoenix had three shots to win on its final possession &mdash; a missed layup by Cameron Payne, a jumper from Devin Booker that Jimmy Butler blocked, and then a 3-pointer from Booker that fell short.
Butler finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry each scored 15 for Miami, which got back to .500 at 7-7.
Booker led Phoenix with 25 points, and Duane Washington Jr. added 21. Deandre Ayton finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who shot only four free throws compared to 25 for Miami.
CELTICS 126, THUNDER 122
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Smart scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and Boston beat Oklahoma City for its seventh straight win.
Boston trailed by 15 in the third quarter but outscored Oklahoma City 37-26 in the fourth.
Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown scored 26, and Al Horford added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Smart also had eight assists and five rebounds, and reserve Payton Pritchard added 10 points, leading a key surge late in the third and early in the fourth as the Celtics rallied.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 37 points. Lu Dort scored 21 and Aleksej Pokusevski finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
HAWKS 121, BUCKS 106
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Andre Hunter scored 24 points and Trae Young had 21 points and nine assists, leading Atlanta over Milwaukee.
Clint Capela added 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Hawks won for the fifth time in seven games. Dejounte Murray also scored 19, and John Collins had 16 points and nine boards.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the previous two games and three of the past four with left knee soreness, scored 27 points in 31 minutes. The Bucks have lost three of four after a 9-0 start.
It was the third meeting between the teams in 16 days. MarJon Beauchamp had 20 points for the Bucks, who dropped to 7-1 at home.
WARRIORS 132, SPURS 95
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Back in the starting lineup for a night, Jordan Poole scored a season-best 36 points on the debut of his first bobblehead and led Golden State past San Antonio.
Poole shot 13 for 20 and knocked down five 3-pointers. He exited with 8:04 left following his 13th career game of 30 or more points.
Stephen Curry added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes. It was the second game of a back-to-back for the Warriors after they lost 122-115 at Sacramento on Sunday to fall to 0-7 on the road.
Keldon Johnson had 15 points for the injury-plagued Spurs.
RAPTORS 115, PISTONS 111
DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Dalano Banton scored 27 points and Chris Boucher added 20 as short-handed Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Detroit.
O.G. Anunoby added 19 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who played without Fred VanVleet (non-COVID-19 illness), Pascal Siakam (abdominal strain) and Gary Trent (hip).
Rookie guard Jaden Ivey scored 21 for the Pistons, who lost their fourth straight. Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points.
HORNETS 112, MAGIC 105
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; LaMelo Ball had 17 points and nine assists, and Charlotte stopped an eight-game slide by beating Orlando.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Hornets, including their entire starting lineup. Mason Plumlee had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Terry Rozier scored 17, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16.
Franz Wagner scored 23 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 20 for Orlando, but the Magic committed 22 turnovers.
Ball, who missed the Hornets&rsquo; 113-93 loss at Orlando last month because of a sprained ankle, played in only his second game of the season after missing the first 13.
CLIPPERS 122, ROCKETS 106
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Paul George scored 22 points in three quarters to lead Los Angeles past Houston.
George, who also had eight rebounds and five assists, spent the fourth quarter on the bench with the game in hand as Clippers coach Tyronn Lue didn&rsquo;t play his starters in the final period on the front end of a back-to-back.
Jalen Green scored 25 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 for the Rockets, who dropped their third in a row.
Reggie Jackson had 17 points and six assists to help the Clippers win for the third time in four games.

Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, and the Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Suns 113-112 on Monday.

Adebayo scores 30 points as Heat rally past Suns 113-112

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Jevon Carter had career highs of 36 points and 12 assists, and the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-132 in two overtimes on Wednesday night.
The Bucks were missing their top two scorers. Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out with a sore left knee and Jrue Holiday was out with a sprained right ankle. Carter filled the scoring void by making 15 of 27 field goals, including 5 of 10 3-pointers.
Brook Lopez added 24 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks for the Bucks, who were coming off their first loss of the season after winning their first nine games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points, Tre Mann had 21 and Josh Giddey added 18 points, 15 rebounds and six assists for the Thunder, who lost their fourth straight.
The Thunder led by six late in the third quarter before George Hill hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to trim Oklahoma City's edge to 87-84.
Milwaukee led 112-100 with just under five minutes remaining before the Thunder rallied. Lu Dort made an open layup off an inbounds pass under the hoop to tie the game at 119. Carter missed a fadeaway at the buzzer to force overtime.
Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s step-back 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in the first overtime gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a 126-125 lead in overtime. Dort fouled Lopez on an inbounds lob with 0.2 seconds remaining. Lopez missed the first free throw and made the second to force a second OT.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Carter entered the game averaging 5.3 points and hadn't scored more than 18 in a game this season. ... Former Thunder player Serge Ibaka scored four points. ... Lopez had four blocks in the first half.
Thunder: Milwaukee's Grayson Allen landed hard on Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s knee in the first quarter, but neither player was hurt. ... F Aleksej Pokusevski had 17 points and nine rebounds.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Thunder: Host the Toronto Raptors on Friday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>

Jevon Carter had career highs of 36 points and 12 assists, and the short-handed Bucks beat the Thunder in two overtimes.

Carter scores career-high 36, Bucks beat Thunder in 2 OTs

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; For a few moments, it seemed like the glory days for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
&ldquo;MVP! MVP!&rdquo; chants rained down for a Thunder player late in a win, like they often did during the Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook era.
This time, the chants were for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The new face of the franchise scored 13 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, and the Thunder rallied from 15 points down in the second half to beat the Orlando Magic 116-108 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.
Gilgeous-Alexander made all three of his field goals and 7 of 8 free throws in the fourth quarter. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander, the fifth-year guard who averages 31.5 points, could do even more.
&ldquo;Great poise,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s probably the thing that stands out about that stretch. I still don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s playing his best basketball for 48 at least, and I don&rsquo;t think he will (think so) either after tonight. But in the fourth quarter, for sure."
Overall, Gilgeous-Alexander made 12 of 18 field goals and 10 of 11 free throws.
&ldquo;He was tough,&rdquo; Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. &ldquo;We knew that was how crafty and tricky he can be getting to the paint. Obviously, he hit some tough shots, hit some tough 2s.&rdquo;
Aleksej Pokusevski added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, who improved to 4-3 and have a winning record for the first time since nine games into the 2020-21 season.
Wendell Carter Jr. tied a career high with 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Franz Wagner added 20 points for Orlando. Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, had 15 points and eight rebounds.
Orlando led 66-63 at halftime, then scored the first nine points of the third quarter. The Magic extended the lead to 86-71 with just under 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The Thunder chipped away, and Orlando led just 88-85 heading into the fourth.
Pokusevski made a 3-pointer to give the Thunder a 105-104 lead with just over 4 minutes to play, and he later made a layup to put Oklahoma City ahead 109-106. Lu Dort hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to put the Thunder up six and in control for good.
&ldquo;That group at the end of the third really got us back in the game and just shifted the tone in the game a little bit,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;And then the group down the stretch did a great job.&rdquo;
The Thunder scored 30 points off 25 Orlando turnovers.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t give yourself an opportunity,&rdquo; Mosley said. &ldquo;Those are lost possessions. We&rsquo;ve got to learn to take care of the basketball in crunch time and understand the possession of the basketball is the most important thing, and we&rsquo;ve got to do it by committee.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Magic: C Mo Bamba was called for a technical in the second quarter. ... Orlando was issued a technical in the fourth quarter for a second delay of game. ... Outrebounded the Thunder 49-36. ... F Bol Bol had four blocks. He entered the night ranked fourth in the league with 2.4 per game. He also had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Thunder: G Josh Giddey had 10 assists in his return from an ankle injury. ... Rookie G Jalen Williams scored six points in his first career start. ... Gilgeous-Alexander missed a free throw after making his first 34 this season. He blew past the previous Thunder record of 23 consecutive makes to start a season set by Danilo Gallinari in 2019.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points and the Thunder rallied from 15 points down to beat the Magic 116-108.

Gilgeous-Alexander's 34 help Thunder push win streak to 4

Offenses have never been more lethal than they are in this era. With primary ball-handlers becoming larger, the collective shooting range expanding and teams leaning further into the importance of spacing, it&rsquo;s becoming even more difficult to keep the ball out of the basket.
With the game expanding, screening has become even more important. A well-placed off-ball pick can free a movement shooter for a triple or a catch-and-drive. On-ball screens can make shifty ball-handlers even harder to deal with in pick-and-roll and open the door for dump-offs, lobs and fruitful catch-and-shoot opportunities.&nbsp;
Screeners come in all sizes these days, ranging from the burly centers to mismatch-causing smalls. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/changing-of-the-guard-the-future-of-screening-is-here" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I can&rsquo;t overstate how important guard-screening has become</a>, especially late in games.
This season, I want to keep tabs on who is &mdash; and isn&rsquo;t &mdash; getting the job done as screeners. Every week, I&rsquo;ll be highlighting a handful of the most powerful or shameful screen-setters in the league.
Let&rsquo;s get into it.
*All stats are through games played on October 29.*
BIG OF THE WEEK: STEVEN ADAMS
Assuming you&rsquo;re not a student of the James Harden School of Internet Consumption (JHSIC), you&rsquo;re likely aware of Ja Morant&rsquo;s MVP-level tear to begin the season.&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s once again living in the paint, making up finishing moves in midair. If that wasn&rsquo;t enough, he now has the audacity to bomb away from three with blistering efficiency (56.5% on 4.6 attempts).&nbsp;
Morant is nearly impossible to deal with in his own right; his blend of speed, ball-handling, leaping ability and body control is frankly unfair. With an oak tree like Steven Adams clearing a runway, there really isn&rsquo;t much you can do with him.
Among bigs who have set at least 75 on-ball picks, nobody has done a better job of laying down the law than Adams, connecting on 83.8% of his screens, per Second Spectrum. The Grizzlies have generated 1.04 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Morant-Adams ball screen, one of the better marks in the league among high-volume pairings.
<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/dpcen0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That value extends off the ball, with his partnership with Desmond Bane being especially fruitful (1.24 PPP). Oh, he&rsquo;s generated contact on 75% of those screens too.
<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/mretc3" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Adams may not get many buckets off his rolls, but he makes the Grizzlies better. Keep it up, big fella.
WE SEE YOU: AL HORFORD
We won't talk about the defense right now, but the Celtics have generally been fun offensively. They rank first by a decent margin in half-court offense (107.5 ORTG), according to the good folks at Cleaning The Glass.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The off-ball movement of this group has hit differently since the turn of the calendar. With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both comfortable attacking off screens, the Celtics often opt to have one &mdash; or somtimes both of them at the same time &mdash; coming off pindowns from the corner.
If you're watching a Celtic game and see that setup developing, keep an eye on the side with Al Horford on it. He gets wide and sturdy, consistently prying guys open for shots or drives.
<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/585uzx" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
SMALL OF THE WEEK: FRED VANVLEET
If the Raptors need a half-court bucket &mdash; which is pretty often, considering they rank 26th in half-court offense right now &mdash; you can expect them to turn to Pascal Siakam. And if they need want to torture defenses in the process, they'll have Fred VanVleet set a screen for Siakam.
The benefits are obvious. You generally don't want to switch your point guards onto a mid-post bully like Siakam. If you're caught trying to stay attached, you run the risk of opening a driving window for Siakam, a three-point window for VanVleet or an open shot for someone else while you try to recover.&nbsp;
<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/600tot" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
A quick stat: the Raptors are generating a blistering 1.28 PPP on trips featuring a Siakam-VanVleet ball screen. There really isn't much you can do against it.
YOU SHOULD HAVE THE FACILITIES FOR THIS, BIG MAN: ANTHONY DAVIS
There's an argument to be made that grace should be afforded here. Anthony Davis has once again been dealing with body ailments, and it isn't like there's a ton of space to roll into within the Lakers' half-court offense.
But, man, some of the whiffs or lapses in effort are pretty loud, even with that context.
<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/1v2624" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
I only went with three clips. You can find <a href="https://twitter.com/_JasonLT/status/1583529558115876864?s=20&amp;t=ymXCTvnbZWFno1opCuSZ5Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">others elsewhere</a>. He's connected on less than half of his on-ball picks (47.7%) to this point of the season. He needs help going off in this context, but he has to help himself at a certain point. Commit to getting guys downhill and see what may open up.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
WE SEE YOU, TOO: ALEKSEJ POKUSEVSKI, MYLES TURNER
Poku, brother, I beg. We understand you're a slight guy, but at least pretend to set an angle and give your guards something to work with. Getting in the pocket doesn't mean as much if the ball-handler's defender doesn't have to think about you at all.
<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/9ad96m" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Among 53 players to set at least 70 on-ball picks, Pokusevski ranks 52nd in the percentage of screens he generates contact on (41.7%). It simply won't do, especially if the Thunder actually want to sprinkle in some Poku-at-5 minutes.&nbsp;
Who's 53rd on that list, you ask? Well, that honor would belong to Myles Turner (33.8%).
I'm giving a little grace because he's has only played two games this season. I emphasize "little" here, because this is a multi-year trend with him. There's a thin line between slipping a screen to keep the defense off balance or honest, and slipping because you want the back &mdash; and leaving your ball-handler out to dry in the process.
It's only been a couple of games, but these aren't the reps you want to see to kick off the year.
<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/8hrb22" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Screen Time will be back next Saturday!

Nekias Duncan takes a look at some of the best — and worst — screeners in the early portion of the 2022-23 NBA season.

Screen Time Vol. 1: Highlighting the NBA's best and worst screeners

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; The Thunder have done it again.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Oklahoma City earned its second straight win over the Clippers, beating Los Angeles 118-110 on Thursday night.
Lu Dort scored 21 points and Aleksej Pokusevski added 15 for the Thunder, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-paul-george-610e743d4d1cffb1c4b7d3de66f33e2c">who beat the Clippers 108-94</a> on Tuesday.
It was a breakout game for Dort, who entered shooting 26% from the field for the season. He made 9 of 15 shots, while being the primary defender on Clippers All-Star Paul George.
&ldquo;For him, it&rsquo;s a good confidence blast,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &ldquo;I knew that would happen eventually. Lu works so hard, and when you work hard and you play as hard as he does, good things happen.&rdquo;
The Thunder shot 49.5% from the field.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got to be able to guard point of attack,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re just lining us up one-on-one, and guys are able to get whatever they want.&rdquo;
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard missed both games against the Thunder while managing his previously injured right knee. George played on Thursday after sitting out on Tuesday with an illness and finished with 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting.
Norman Powell led the Clippers with 21 points. Reggie Jackson scored 18 and John Wall added 17 for Los Angeles, which lost its third straight.
The Thunder scored 31 points off 20 Clippers turnovers two days after scoring 23 points off 19 Los Angeles giveaways.
&ldquo;The live turnovers are killing us,&rdquo; Lue said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to just clean that up.&rdquo;
The Thunder led 30-12 in the first quarter, but the Clippers rallied and led 60-53 at halftime behind 12 points each from Wall and Jackson.
&ldquo;You know, that&rsquo;s a really good team," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "They&rsquo;re not going to lay down. And I thought we really came out with a sense of purpose and obviously threw the first punch. And it&rsquo;s a good lesson for us that a good team is not just going to accept that.&rdquo;
Gilgeous-Alexander committed his fourth foul with 4.6 seconds left in the second quarter, and he started the second half on the bench. The Thunder rallied without him and took a 71-70 lead before he returned midway through the third quarter. The Thunder led 89-87 heading into the fourth.
Wall's driving dunk at the start of the fourth quarter tied the game at 89, but the Thunder pulled away late. Pokusevski hit a 3-pointer, then less than a minute later, Tre Mann walked into a fast break 3-pointer that gave the Thunder a 116-104 with 2:55 remaining.
Oklahoma City did not attempt a free throw until 10:22 remained in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder went 7 for 8 from the line in the final period.
Daigneault didn't like the free throw situation, but he liked the way the game turned out.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t particularly pleased with that, but we weathered it," he said. "And at the end of the day, it&rsquo;s not easy one way or the other. There&rsquo;s going to be things you have to deal with, things you have to overcome. And I just thought we played right through it tonight. It didn&rsquo;t distract us. And we just &mdash; we kept on it and obviously emerged. It was good.&rdquo;
GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER'S FREEBIES
Gilgeous-Alexander made both of his free throws on Thursday, leaving him one short of the Thunder record for consecutive made free throws to start a season.
The record holder? Not Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant. Not even George, a former Thunder star. It&rsquo;s Danilo Gallinari, who opened with 23 straight to start the 2019-20 season.
Gilgeous-Alexander has already passed the likes of Patrick Patterson (17 during the 2017-18 season) and Kevin Martin (16 during the 2012-2013 season). Corey Brewer made his first 17 after being traded to the Thunder in 2018.
TIP-INS
Clippers: F Marcus Morris sat out his second straight game for personal reasons. ... The Clippers shot 53.7%. ... Los Angeles made just 9 of 28 3-pointers.
Thunder: G Josh Giddey sat out with a sprained right ankle. ... Went 6 for 10 from 3-point range in the first quarter to take a 34-24 lead. They finished 17 for 38 on 3-pointers after going 4 for 30 in Tuesday's game.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
Thunder: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Oklahoma City earned its second straight win over the Clippers.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 24 as Thunder beat Clippers again

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Rudy Gobert had 23 points and 15 rebounds in his Minnesota debut, and the Timberwolves recovered to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-108 on Wednesday in the season opener.
D'Angelo Russell had 20 points and Jaden McDaniels added 19 points for the Timberwolves, who turned a 16-point lead into a six-point deficit during the third quarter.
Gobert stepped up with a steadying hand on a night when Karl-Anthony Towns (12 points) and Anthony Edwards (11 points) shot a combined 6 for 27 from the floor. Jaylen Nowell, who had 13 points, put the Timberwolves ahead for good with his layup with 10:47 remaining.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-shai-gilgeous-alexander-a33b37160bb7493d5ab7fd7d0d3e3735">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</a> led the Thunder with 32 points and cut the lead to 105-103 with 4:04 left, but they didn't get any closer after that.
One of the most anticipated seasons for Timberwolves fans in the star-crossed history of their team, coming off a return to the playoffs and the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-entertainment-sports-30765f1caacff7e3e99aa0674dee7ffb">blockbuster addition</a> of Gobert in a summer trade with Utah, began with the 7-foot-1 Frenchman greeting the crowd during the pregame hype.
They had to work for this win against a pesky, young and fast Thunder team that&rsquo;s playing without injured No. 2 overall draft pick Chet Holmgren.
The Timberwolves won all four matchups with the Thunder last season by an average of more than 26 points and were in complete control of the first half, until a meltdown late in the third quarter left the Thunder an opening to make a game of it and then some.
After Minnesota went ahead by a game-high 16 points, the Thunder went on a 27-5 run. Eugene Omoruyi, who did fine work defending Towns during that stretch, knocked down a shot in the paint for Oklahoma City&rsquo;s first lead with 3:01 left in the period.
Gobert single-handedly cranked the crowd energy back up by stealing a bad pass by Mike Muscala, beating him to the loose ball and flipping in a one-handed runner ahead of the buzzer to tie it at 87. Gobert dunked on Josh Giddey for a 92-89 lead to give the fans another highlight.
The Thunder had a setback in the second quarter when rookie Jalen Williams &mdash; one of three 2022 lottery selections on the roster &mdash; injured his right eye while trying to defend a dunk attempt by McDaniels in the second quarter. Williams needed assistance to leave the floor and walk to the locker room and did not return, after scoring five points in six minutes.
The biggest question surrounding the Timberwolves is how effectively Gobert and Towns can <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-sports-rudy-gobert-8326697cf6a2a137825b0885958af7c9">play together</a>, a pair of 7-footers &mdash; albeit with distinct skill sets &mdash; in this age of long-distance shooting and position-less small ball across the NBA.
Gobert put his name on the first basket of the season, a put-back of his own miss, and the twin towers provided a glimpse of how well they can play off of each other with Towns twice flipping him top-of-the-key lob passes for dunks in the first half.
HOMECOMING FOR HOLMGREN
The luster was stripped off the opener for Oklahoma City's prized rookie when he ruptured a tendon in his right foot <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-faecc6fbc3fbe571e2dffb76033a7c90">in a pro-am game</a> that ended his first season before it began. Holmgren grew up in south Minneapolis, just a few miles from Target Center, and accompanied the Thunder on the trip so he could see family and enjoy some bonding time with his teammates. The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-draft-8c087d0afbe773f3d61b24753f35b713">rehab program</a> will take priority for Holmgren over traveling with the team over the course of the season.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Kenrich Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski were surprise starters in the frontcourt. The 7-foot Pokusevski had 11 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl started the second half in place of Williams.
Timberwolves: Newcomer Kyle Anderson was the first player off the bench. He had two points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. ... Eric Paschall, who played 58 games for Utah last season and was in camp on a two-way contract, was waived before the game amid lingering left Achilles trouble.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit Denver on Saturday night. Their home opener is against Minnesota on Sunday night.
Timberwolves: Host Utah on Friday night, when Gobert takes on his former team.

Rudy Gobert had 23 points and 15 rebounds in his Minnesota debut, and the Timberwolves recovered to beat the Thunder.

Gobert thrives in Wolves debut to lead 115-108 win vs. OKC

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis scored 28 points in his return to the Lakers lineup after missing two games due to injury, and Los Angeles defeated Golden State 124-121 Sunday night in the Warriors' first game since the practice altercation between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole.
Matt Ryan made a pair of free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining to seal the win. Davis, who sat out two games with lower back tightness, shot 9 for 18 for the Lakers, who won without LeBron James, Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook in the lineup.
Davis, who scored 24 points before halftime, played the opening shift of the second half before taking a seat after 21 total minutes. Kendrick Nunn scored 21 points and Ryan added 20 on 6-for-9 shooting from outside the arc.
Poole led the Warriors with 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting, and added six assists. Green fought with Poole during practice Wednesday. Green apologized to the team a day later and general manager Bob Myers said any potential discipline would be handled internally. Meanwhile, Green was unavailable, saying he will take some time away from the team.
Stephen Curry scored 24 points and Andrew Wiggins added 15 for the Warriors. Jonathan Kuminga (12 points) started in Green&rsquo;s place, while Poole replaced Klay Thompson, who is still building up for the regular season.
In the first half, Davis performed at the level the Lakers will need him if they are to improve on last season&rsquo;s 33-49 regular-season record that left them out of the postseason. Davis shot 7 of 13 before the break, making all eight of his free throws.
The game became close in the second half, and neither team led by more than six points in the fourth quarter.
BULLS 115, RAPTORS 98
DeMar DeRozan had 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Chicago used a second-half rally to beat host Toronto.
DeRozan converted 7 of 12 shots and all seven of his free throws. Javonte Green scored 17 points and Ayo Dosunmu added 14. Nikola Vucevic finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Paschal Siakam led the Raptors with 18 points and nine rebounds. The starting Toronto backcourt of Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet carried the Raptors to a lead in the first half. Trent finished with 17 points and VanVleet had 13.
Both teams played their regular starters, except for missing Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who is recovering from a meniscus tear suffered in January.
The Raptors built a 10-point halftime lead behind Trent and VanVleet. The tandem combined for 25 points before the break, including Trent connecting on all five of his shots. Defensively, they had six steals in the half, including four by VanVleet. The Bulls had 16 turnovers in the first half.
The Bulls erased the lead in the third and pulled away in the fourth. Chicago outscored Toronto 68-41 in the second half.
TIMBERWOLVES 119, CLIPPERS 117
Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points, six assists and six rebounds in his preseason debut to lead visiting Minnesota.
Naz Reid had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, while Bryn Forbes added 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers. Anthony Edwards had 14 points.
John Wall led the Clippers with 20 points. Paul George scored 14 and Marcus Morris Sr. added 13 points.
The Clippers saw a vision of their regular rotation as Kawhi Leonard, George, Wall and Reggie Jackson all played. Meanwhile, Towns saw his first action of the preseason for the Timberwolves after missing games due to a hospitalization. Still, there was not a glimpse of the potential twin towers in Minnesota as Rudy Gobert, acquired from Utah over the summer, sat out.
The teams were tied at 115 with under two minutes to play when Austin Rivers scored on a layup and Luka Garza hit a 6-foot hook to create enough of a buffer for Minnesota to remain undefeated in its three preseason games.
PELICANS 111, SPURS 97
In San Antonio, Trey Murphy III had 27 points and eight rebounds, Zion Williamson finished with eight points, nine rebounds and five assists in 24 minutes to lead New Orleans over the Spurs.
Naji Marshall scored 15 points for the Pelicans, and Jonas Valanciunas added 14 as New Orleans continued to play with stars resting or recovering from injury. Among those not active were CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Jaxson Hayes, who suffered a left elbow injury earlier in the week.
Murphy was 10 of 15 from the field, including 7 for 10 from beyond the arc.
Devonte Graham and Willy Hernangomez each scored 11 points. Graham added six assists and Hernangomez grabbed 10 rebounds.
Doug McDermott led the Spurs with 14 points, and Josh Richardson finished with 12. Veteran Gorgui Dieng had 10 points and nine rebounds for San Antonio.
KINGS 126, TRAIL BLAZERS 94
In Sacramento, Keegan Murray, the fourth overall pick in the draft from Iowa, scored 16 points and eight players reached double figures in leading the Kings past Portland.
Terence Davis and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox scored 14 points apiece for the Kings, while Domantas Sabonis added 13 points, four assists and seven rebounds.
Jerami Grant led Portland with 17 points. Anfernee Simons scored 16 and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and nine rebounds.
Damian Lillard was held to eight points, making only two of his 10 shots, including missing all four of his 3-points attempts. He did hand out six assists.
THUNDER 144, MACCABI RA&rsquo;ANANA 97
Eugene Omoruyi scored 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting in Oklahoma City's win over visiting Maccabi Ra&rsquo;anana.
Luguentz Dort had 23 for Oklahoma City, while Ousmane Dieng, the 11th pick in last summer&rsquo;s draft, had 16 points for the Thunder. Aleksej Pokusevski and Jalen Williams, the 12th overall pick from Santa Clara, scored 15 points apiece.
Jason Suggs led Maccabi with 40 points on 15-for-26 shooting, including 5 of 9 from long distance. Terrence Jones had 15 points and Norris Cole contributed 12.
Willy Workman finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Maccabi.
Oklahoma City sat a number of key players, including Josh Giddey, Tre Mann and Darius Bazley. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, dealing with a left MCL sprain, remained unavailable.

Davis, who scored 24 points before halftime, played the opening shift of the second half before taking a seat after 21 total minutes.

Anthony Davis scores 28 in return, Lakers defeat Warriors 124-121

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Northwest Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

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:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
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>

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

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;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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.
<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/2c2b2o" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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.
<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/3bbfjq" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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;
<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/ydistk" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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.
<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/1q062v" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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.