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Heat

After monitoring the NBA awards races all season, Nekias Duncan shares his final selections for DPOY, ROY, MIP, 6MOY and more.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award selections: DPOY, 6MOY, MIP, more

Nekias Duncan checks back in with this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through the end of February.

2022-23 NBA award front-runners Vol. 2: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

Welcome to Basketball News' 10-part mini-series, Blazing the Trail, where Mat Issa breaks down the most revolutionary players of the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout this series, we'll examine how these players changed basketball and pioneered their respective skills. 
In this first installment, Mat goes in-depth on Hall-of-Fame point guard Steve Nash and his incredible effect on the point guard position, with insight from Mike D'Antoni, Raja Bell and more. 
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When Steve Nash earned back-to-back NBA MVP awards in the mid-2000s, some circles viewed his achievements as a horrid oversight on the part of voters.
How is it possible that &mdash; in a world featuring the likes of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal &mdash; the league&rsquo;s most prestigious regular-season honor could be awarded to someone averaging less than 20 points per game? The nerds are ruining our sport!
But what if I told you the so-called "nerds" got this one right? What if Nash really was the most valuable player in the world? And what if he was a pioneer who blazed the trail for a generation of All-Star floor generals?
Let&rsquo;s find out.
What Made Nash Special
To understand Nash as a quarterback, we first need pick the brain of his offensive coordinator that season: then-Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni.&nbsp;
D'Antoni is a well-traveled basketball mind with an ideology morphed during his playing days at the University of Marshall, a brief stint in the NBA and his legendary career in Italy. At his core, he believed in efficiency, creativity and enabling players with the freedom to express themselves.
&ldquo;Basketball is an art,&rdquo; D&rsquo;Antoni told Basketball News via Zoom. &ldquo;Everybody could be Picasso if you had rules. [In basketball], there are no rules.&rdquo;
Raja Bell, a two-time All-NBA defender and Nash&rsquo;s former running mate, explained D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s philosophy in detail.
&ldquo;Taking the reins all the way off &mdash; that&rsquo;s what D&rsquo;Antoni essentially did for players, and that&rsquo;s why most people have so much success with him offensively," Bell explained to Basketball News. "[With him], there are no bad shots. Every time you toe that line, and you're open, he wants you to let it go. [With] other coaches, you miss one, they might get you out of there or talk to you about driving the ball. Mike never did that.&rdquo;
D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s greatest contribution to the game was, without question, his implementation of the spread pick-and-roll offense.&nbsp;
For those unfamiliar with the scheme, Orlando Magic assistant Dylan Murphy (better known by some as the author of the invaluable <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/the-basketball-dictionary-5c3835e9fe58">Basketball Dictionary</a>) defined the concept in layman's terms.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just the basic idea of putting guys around the three, running pick-and-roll and making [the defense] pick between protecting against the roll, protecting against the ball-handler getting to the rim or protecting the three-point line,&rdquo; Murphy said.
To visualize how the Suns utilized this pick-and-roll variation, here's an example.
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In Nash, D&rsquo;Antoni obtained the conduit who could bring his pace-and-space vision to fruition. As D&rsquo;Antoni puts it, Nash wielded four attributes that made him the ideal spread pick-and-roll conductor: great shooting, playmaking, decision-making and finishing.
D&rsquo;Antoni called Nash one of the greatest shooters ever, and like one of Steve&rsquo;s jumpers, he was right on the money. According to Cleaning the Glass, Nash placed in the 90th percentile or higher in three-point and mid-range shooting every season from 2004 to 2010. Nash's proficiency from long range made drop coverage and going under screens a moot point for defenses.
His playmaking and decision-making exist in the same rarified air. The ultimate <a href="https://www.npr.org/2006/05/16/5408616/steve-nash-basketballs-selfless-socialist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on-court Marxist</a>, Nash had every high-value delivery method in the book at his disposal. From 2000 to 2012, he placed in the 97th percentile or higher in Ben Taylor&rsquo;s Box Creation stat (a metric that estimates playmaking), leading the league in that category seven times during that span.&nbsp;
Lastly, the Canadian floor general boasted a reliable finishing profile thanks to his dexterity and footwork that were groomed by years of soccer and jump-roping. His training as a finisher made him a master of dribble penetration, something that separated him from Utah Jazz great John Stockton. Nash constantly got two feet in the paint, which allowed him to hypnotize defenses and pick them apart accordingly.
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On-Court Production
Despite facing a great deal of criticism for their offensive-orientated approach, the Suns demonstrated a championship-caliber recipe nearly a decade before The Splash Brothers hung a banner at Oracle Arena.
<a href="https://www.compare.bet/en-us/news/which-teams-are-eligible-for-an-nba-finals-run-this-season">Historically</a>, teams that make the Finals either have a great deal of balance on both ends of the court or are outlier-level elite at one end of the floor.
Under Nash, Phoenix finished top-two in the league in Offensive Rating every season from 2004 to 2010. For reference, the only other all-time primary ball-handler to accomplish this feat was Magic Johnson (1984-90), and it&rsquo;s safe to say that those offensively-slanted Los Angeles Lakers teams were indeed championship-caliber.
Individually, Nash put together the best offensive profile of any of the other MVP contenders of his time (not to mention that his team had the best record in the league that year):
2004-05 MVP Candidates: Offensive Stats (By Percentile)*
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Player
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
Scoring Volume
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
Scoring Efficiency
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
Passing
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
Playmaking
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
Spacing
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
Off. BPM
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Duncan
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
93rd
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
56th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
61st
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
64th
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
12th
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
87th
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Iverson
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
99th
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
47th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
81st
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
99th
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
64th
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
87th
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Nash
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
55th
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
97th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
100th
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
100th
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
97th
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
100th
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Nowitzki
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
96th
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
84th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
69th
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
78th
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
99th
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
98th
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
O&rsquo;Neal
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
97th
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
89th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
62nd
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
72nd
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
1st
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
95th
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Data Provided by Backpicks.com (scroll right to view full table on mobile) 
And while guards typically have a limited impact on the defensive side of the ball, Nash did enough on that end (by way of charge-drawing and off-ball intellect) to help propel the Suns to around average on defense from 2004 to 2010.
So why didn&rsquo;t the Suns make the NBA Finals?
Luck and shooting variance are two obvious, uncontrollable factors. However, Nash and D&rsquo;Antoni have both <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-nash-on-the-horry-shove-2007s-heartbreak/id1483525141?i=1000461769297" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> that they wished they doubled down more on what made them so special: zagging when others continued to zig.
&ldquo;You got all the criticism. You got all the people [criticizing you]. And you do sometimes back off when you should double down on it,&rdquo; D&rsquo;Antoni said.
&ldquo;At the time, Mike was so ahead of most of the NBA. There probably was some pressure &mdash; even within his own camp &mdash; to do things he might not have in his gut wanted to do, and given the time that&rsquo;s passed, wouldn&rsquo;t do now,&rdquo; Bell added. &ldquo;You could see that manifest itself in the way Mike coached with Houston, where he essentially said, 'F*** everything else. This is what we&rsquo;re going to do.'&rdquo;
To understand what "doubling down" essentially entails, let&rsquo;s take a look at a play from the Suns' infamous clash with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007.
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In this clip, Nash forces the legendary Tim Duncan out to the perimeter in a manner analogous to how Stephen Curry <a href="https://streamable.com/fps4dz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced Robert Williams III and Al Horford to the three-point line </a>in the 2022 Finals.&nbsp;
Unfortunately for Phoenix, instances like that were few and far between. After Duncan strummed their defense to the tune of 33 points in Game 1, the Suns scrapped their original starting lineup that featured Amar'e Stoudemire at center, and instead turned to a more conventional rotation with Kurt Thomas playing the 5. The two teams were playing chicken, and the Suns were the ones to duck first.&nbsp;
The following year, Phoenix acquired an aging Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal as a last-ditch effort to battle with Duncan. But all this countermeasure amounted to was a gentleman&rsquo;s sweep at the hands of the Spurs in the 2008 postseason.
&ldquo;The way we beat them was not gonna be to match up to their better bigs," Bell said. "It was going to be to make them match down to, in theory, our better smalls."
Rather than try to outbid the best big in the Western Conference, Phoenix should have forced San Antonio to keep pace with its superior spacing.
&ldquo;I should have made Steve shoot more," D&rsquo;Antoni reflected. "He should have shot more threes. He&rsquo;s one of the best shooters ever."
Weaving the Thread&nbsp;
The dirty little secret about our series is that basketball has existed for far too long for there to be any true pioneers in the 1990s and 2000s. Each of these trailblazers was influenced in some way or another by the players who came before them.
For Nash, that player was Isiah Thomas.
&ldquo;My hero growing up was Isiah Thomas," Nash stated on the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-nash-ep-34-all-the-smoke-full-episode-stayhome/id1483638752?i=1000473893537">All the Smoke</a> podcast in May 2020. "He had everything, but he wasn&rsquo;t jumping over people, so I was like, 'Okay, there is someone I can try and emulate.' He was quick, but other than that, he used his skill level, his creativity [and] his competitive nature. The fight in him was incredible."
Like Nash, Thomas was adept at knifing his way into the paint and making mincemeat of his adversaries once he got there (<a href="https://streamable.com/vlfunj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like this</a>).
However, Nash wasn&rsquo;t a mere copycat. He expanded on his idol&rsquo;s dribble penetration. Before him, a ball-handler's entry into the paint signified one of four outcomes: a shot, a pass, a foul or a turnover. Nash&rsquo;s odyssey to stardom birthed a new wrinkle to basketball's dark arts &mdash; the perpetual dribble probe.&nbsp;
Better known today as &ldquo;Nashing.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Just because Steve was driving to the basket, didn&rsquo;t mean that he was going to finish right there,&rdquo; D&rsquo;Antoni explained.&nbsp;
Akin to how a hockey player may continuously cycle the puck around the ice to tire out an opponent, Nash would often maintain his dribble in the paint to extend the period in which he commanded the defense's gaze, which created more opportunities for teammates to spring free.
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&ldquo;With Nash, he popularized it, where he would keep his dribble alive past the basket," Sporting News writer Steph Noh explained to Basketball News. "He would go along the baseline and circle around the lane. And by extending his dribble like that, it would extend the time where teammates could get open, [and] it would give defenses the opportunity to make a mistake and let their guard down.
"And you&rsquo;ve seen that pretty much every small point guard that isn&rsquo;t a freak has found how effective that technique is and incorporated it into their own game &mdash; across all levels."
D&rsquo;Antoni believes Nash owns original patent rights on the technique.
"I think he was the first one that started doing that," D'Antoni said.
Impact on Today&rsquo;s Game
When asked who in today&rsquo;s game most resembles the former two-time MVP, Bell immediately suggested the reigning Finals MVP, Stephen Curry.
&ldquo;Steph Curry reminds me a lot of Nash. They&rsquo;re great athletes, don&rsquo;t get me wrong. But they&rsquo;re not put-your-elbow-in-the-rim type athletes.&rdquo; Bell said. &ldquo;These are athletes that people could see themselves in.
&ldquo;They both have really great hand-eye coordination, really good pace, great handle &mdash; like, they have it on a string. Even if it doesn&rsquo;t look like the AND1 mixtape all the time, I think they use it efficiently and effectively. They both have a great ability to be in the pocket [and] under control. [Both] have great vision. They are very similar.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Along with Curry, another All-NBA guard who warrants comparison to the Phoenix legend is Trae Young. Young even <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-116-trae-young/id1525281746?i=1000562762348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly stated</a> that he picked up one of his most recognizable dribble moves &mdash; <a href="https://youtu.be/spnrMvqzjek" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his hesitation dribble</a> &mdash; from studying Nash.&nbsp;
Nash&rsquo;s legacy doesn&rsquo;t end there. Young guards like Fred VanVleet have earned All-Star nominations by following the pathway Nash carved out for them when he was dealing in the mid-2000s.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He kind of made it okay to dribble the air out the ball a little bit, keeping looking, because you knew he wasn&rsquo;t being selfish about it,&rdquo; VanVleet said in an March 2018 interview with <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/steve-nashs-basketball-legacy-can-seen-played-every-night/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SportsNet</a>.
There&rsquo;s no question that Nash&rsquo;s environmental footprint on the league is intense. And when you combine those innovative tactics with progressive coaching and elite scoring efficiency and playmaking, you get something more than just a great player.
You get an MVP, a Hall-of-Famer and, most importantly for us &mdash; you get a revolutionary.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/nash-tree.jpg" alt="" width="599" height="599" />
Tune in next week for Part 2 of Blazing the Trail, which focuses on Rashard Lewis &mdash; the pioneer of the modern-day stretch 4.

In the first installment of his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa goes in-depth on Steve Nash and his effect on the point guard position.

Blazing the Trail: Steve Nash, the magician who danced in the paint

Well, it finally happened. The New York Knicks and a top-tier free agent have agreed to terms on a contract.
Barring any shocking, last-minute changes, Jalen Brunson will be the Knicks&rsquo; starting point guard on opening night in 2022-23, as he and the team came to terms on a whopping four-year, $104 million deal.
After entering the NBA following a successful three-year career at Villanova, Brunson was drafted and signed a partially guaranteed four-year, $6.1 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks before the 2018-19 season, meaning this marks his first big payday.
Even though the agreement was just recently announced, the presumed signing has already been scrutinized ad nauseum. And since he signed with New York, it&rsquo;s been even more polarizing.
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In light of this move, let&rsquo;s step back and examine the facts: Brunson signed a big deal that will pay him a lot of money in 2022-23 and beyond. Additional details about salary have not yet been announced, but regardless of the annual breakdown, is a deal like this warranted?
That depends on how you view value.
Objectively, the Knicks probably overpaid, as least in terms of production. In total, 13 point guards were scheduled to be paid more than $26 million next season as of June 30, 2022: Stephen Curry ($48 million), Russell Westbrook ($47 million), Damian Lillard ($42.5 million), Trae Young ($37 million), Luka Doncic ($37 million), Kyrie Irving ($36.9 million), Ben Simmons ($35.4 million), Jamal Murray ($31.6 million), D&rsquo;Angelo Russell ($31.3), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($30.9 million), De&rsquo;Aaron Fox ($30.3 million), Chris Paul ($28.4 million) and Kyle Lowry ($28.3 million).
For what it&rsquo;s worth, the players just behind Brunson are Mike Conley ($22.6 million), Malcolm Brogdon ($22.6 million), Terry Rozier ($21.5 million), Fred VanVleet ($21.2 million), Spencer Dinwiddie ($20.1 million), Lonzo Ball ($19.5 million) and Eric Bledsoe ($19.3 million).
Most NBA experts can find a few guys on that list that Brunson is probably better than, including Russell, Brogdon, Rozier, Bledsoe &mdash; and probably Ball too.
Considering that each team is at a different place in its development, it&rsquo;s harder to rank starting point guards. But it&rsquo;s fair to say that there are 11 point guards across the league who the Knicks would prefer over Brunson &mdash; Curry, Doncic, Lillard, Young, Jrue Holiday, Ja Morant, Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball, VanVleet, Darius Garland and Cade Cunningham. They might also prefer Dejounte Murray, Paul, Fox and Lowry as well, depending on who you ask.
So, an objective review of production from the point-guard position reveals that Brunson might not be an elite producer, yet. Granted, defining point guards is difficult, so bear with me.
In 2021-22, Brunson was tied for the 16th-highest scoring average among point guards (16.3 points per game). He was also 23rd among the position in assists per game (4.8), 16th in total rebounds per game (3.9) and 25th in Defensive Box Plus-Minus (-0.6).
Brunson&rsquo;s production was matched or bettered by a few point guards making less than he is set to earn, including Cole Anthony (rookie deal), VanVleet ($21.2 million) and Dinwiddie ($20.1 million).
But production is also about opportunity, and Dallas used Brunson in a specific way. The fact of the matter is that Dallas already has its lead guard, and it&rsquo;s a no-brainer when choosing who should be the primary creator between Doncic and Brunson. The idea that Brunson will have more opportunities in New York should be exhilarating to Brunson and his believers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Welcome to New York, Jalen Brunson! <a href="https://t.co/lISUdlwnOH">pic.twitter.com/lISUdlwnOH</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1542684979204919301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Further, it&rsquo;s easy to overlook the idea that teams invest in players&rsquo; futures. Sure, most fan bases celebrate signing proven players. But some of the best contracts are those given to players on the verge of breaking out, and that could be precisely where Brunson is in his career.
Brunson&rsquo;s contract was created by optimists who know and love him. Leon Rose, Brunson&rsquo;s former agent, simply believes that giving Brunson the keys to the castle will make him better; the adage of &ldquo;yesterday&rsquo;s price ain&rsquo;t today&rsquo;s price&rdquo; feels eerily relevant. It certainly is for the Mavericks, as they could have signed him for significantly less just a few months ago, and it could be for the Knicks too, if Brunson outperforms this contract.
This deal was also a must-have for the Knicks because not only have they failed to land a major free agent since 2010 &mdash; at which point Amar'e Stoudamire was more of a consolation prize than a home run &mdash; but they&rsquo;ve also been desperate for a starting-caliber point guard for what feels like ever.
Don&rsquo;t believe me? Here&rsquo;s a look at the Knicks&rsquo; opening-night starting point guards for the past 13 seasons: Chris Duhon, Ray Felton, Toney Douglas, Felton (again), Pablo Prigioni, Shane Larkin, Jose Calderon, Derrick Rose, Ramon Sessions, Trey Burke, Allonzo Trier, Elfrid Payton and Kemba Walker.
So, it&rsquo;s been a rough, rough stretch.
But that&rsquo;s not all. Brunson turns 26 in August, meaning he&rsquo;s an ideal match for the Knicks' young core. RJ Barret is just 21, Julius Randle is 27, Mitchell Robinson (a candidate to re-sign in New York) is 23, Obi Toppin is 23 and Immanuel Quickley is 22.
Now, back to that list of higher-paid point guards: Only seven of the 13 point guards set to make $26 million or more next year are under 30 years old.
Knicks fans are fractured over the idea of paying Brunson, but if not him, then who?
This league has proven time and again that market size does not explicitly matter, and the idea that free agents will be intoxicated by all that is New York is a dated concept. Culture and success matter more. And if that&rsquo;s the case, and you choose to forego signing Brunson because it&rsquo;s too much money, you&rsquo;ll be stuck in a chicken-and-the-egg situation pertaining to the team&rsquo;s culture and success for even longer.
And then, there&rsquo;s the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and salary cap to consider. Both the owners and players can technically opt out of the current CBA this December. More importantly, the NBA's television deals expire after the 2024-25 season, and the league is allegedly expecting a &ldquo;huge increase&rdquo; in rights fees, according to ESPN.
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CNBC reported last March that the league will seek a new television contract in the range of $75 billion, up from $24 billion, and league revenue obviously impacts the salary cap. This is relevant because, in 2022-23, the salary cap will be $123.6 million, with the tax level coming in at $150.2 million. Forbes&rsquo; Morten Jensen reported last September that the cap could jump to as much as $171 million by 2025, assuming no cap smoothing after a new rights deal and CBA.
Brunson&rsquo;s deal works out to an average annual salary of $26 million, or 17.3% of the full 2022-23 cap. If it does, in fact, jump to $171 million in 2025-26 (and assuming the Knicks have a team salary of $171 million), Brunson would represent only 15% of the team&rsquo;s cap in the final year of his deal &mdash; and the Knicks will have his Bird rights, allowing them to exceed the cap in re-signing him.
It's worth mentioning that Brunson's deal allegedly has a player option in its final year, meaning he can opt out before 2025-26. But at the very least, an increase in the salary cap in 2025-26 would offset re-signing him to a bigger deal, assuming he deserves one. For reference, Curry accounted for 28% of the Warriors' 2021-22 salary. Not that we're comparing Brunson and Curry, but $26 million per year isn't as harmful as it used to be.&nbsp;
So, as much as it may feel arbitrary, and even irresponsible, to hand out a deal like this to a non-All-Star, I ask you this: At what point should the Knicks give out a big contract? And who would agree to come to New York?
Brunson might not be Curry or Lillard, but he&rsquo;s the best player the Knicks have enticed to join them in a long time. And he might be even better than anyone knows.
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With Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have found their new floor general. Considering the price tag, will he live up to expectations?

What does Jalen Brunson's new contract mean for the New York Knicks?

I remember it like it was 1,561 days ago &mdash; mostly because it was. I was laying on the futon pad in my dorm, procrastinating studying for my Forensic Science exam by looking through NBA highlights on YouTube (I know, some ~ casual ~ behavior on my part).
My mindless scrolling finally ceased when I stumbled upon this gem:
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A delicious 40-burger. Aaron Gordon&rsquo;s second one in as many months. I thought to myself: He&rsquo;s finally taking that leap. A star is born.&nbsp;
Alas, the three-point shooting and on-ball creation never really materialized to the level necessary to make my prediction come to fruition. And, among his desire to be elsewhere, the Orlando Magic ultimately threw in the towel on his development in 2021, opting to rebuild their roster by trading him to the Denver Nuggets for the likes of Gary Harris, RJ Hampton and a lightly protected first-round pick.&nbsp;
Just like that, it appeared the book on Gordon had been closed. But then something fascinating happened. He transformed his game entirely.
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His New Partner in Matrimony&nbsp;
In a recent episode of the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0r4Ro79PyBlk88QHyXyjXV?si=7a6546a89c7e48cf&amp;nd=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DNVR Denver Nuggets Podcast</a>, co-host <a href="https://twitter.com/MiroslavCuk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miroslav Ćuk </a>likened the new partnership between Gordon and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic to that of a married couple. And when you spend a handful of hours alone in your home office watching the two interact on the court (as I have), you have a hard time contending with that assessment.&nbsp;
Whether it resonates through hookups on 45-degree cuts to the rim, transition outlets, entry passes into a post seal or simple handoff actions, the two have achieved a level of on-court chemistry typically reserved for lifelong companions.
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This season, Gordon is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203932?dir=D&amp;sort=PTS_PAINT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">getting more assisted looks</a> and <a href="https://dunksandthrees.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more shots at the rim</a>, and is scoring at the highest efficiency of his career &mdash; in large part because of his new <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2022/03/06/nuggets-journal-aaron-gordon-seeing-the-game-differently/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">frontcourt partner.</a> With Jokic, Gordon is no longer bound by the advantage-creating ambitions the Magic had envisioned for him. He&rsquo;s now empowered to roam free as the hyper-athletic play-finisher he was always destined to be.
However, Gordon isn&rsquo;t the only one collecting benefits from this relationship. One could even argue that the symbiotic nature of their dynamic bears some resemblance to that of Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire in the mid-2000s. Now, while I will concede that Gordon isn&rsquo;t nearly the offensive talent Stoudemire was during his heyday, the formula is still the same:
Prodigious playmaker + Dynamite play-finisher = Highly-efficient offense.
The pairings&rsquo; similarities don&rsquo;t end there. From 2004-10, <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1501903698028425216?s=20&amp;t=zA1W-ku5c4z4Rhlxva7hzA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nash</a> averaged nearly 2 assists fewer per 100 possessions when Stoudemire was on the bench (per PBP Stats). In comparison, Jokic has lost <a href="http://www.pbpstats.com/on-off/nba/player?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;TeamId=1610612743&amp;PlayerId=203932">almost 2 assists per 100 possessions</a> in the 365 minutes he&rsquo;s played without Gordon this season.&nbsp;
Historical comparisons aside, the tandem also fulfills the marital trope of taking on aspects of your partner's personality. In the same way that dating someone for a long time might increase your appreciation for <a href="https://squishmallows.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">squishmallows</a> (wait, is that just me?), Gordon&rsquo;s time spent sharing the court with a passing savant has made him a worthy facilitator in his own right:
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Aaron Gordon plays 50 games with Nikola Jokic. All of a sudden he's one of the best passers at his position. <a href="https://t.co/PRysqnp5FS">pic.twitter.com/PRysqnp5FS</a>
&mdash; Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind/status/1490584645456457729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The numbers appear to back up Wind&rsquo;s observation as well. According to BBall Index&rsquo;s Playmaking Talent database, Gordon is experiencing a career year in passing creation quality, passing versatility and playmaking. He&rsquo;s still by no means the guy you want running the show, but he&rsquo;s more than equipped to connect the dots when the heavyweights start the thread.
A Defensive Swiss-Army Knife
While Gordon's strides on the offensive end have been substantial, it&rsquo;s the defensive evolution he's undergone that has been the most necessary for the Nuggets this season.&nbsp;
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Aaron Gordon Defensive Roles by year: 14-15: Perimeter Big 15-16: Perimeter Big 16-17: Chaser 17-18: Perimeter Big 18-19: Perimeter Big 19-20: Chaser 20-21: Wing Stopper 21-22: Point of Attack Per <a href="https://twitter.com/The_BBall_Index?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_BBall_Index</a>.
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1501689092693807104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Initially brought in to provide additional backline support to his more floor-bound companion, Gordon has transitioned to a new seat right at the head of the table, playing the part of the Nuggets&rsquo; go-to, point-of-attack stopper. This year, Gordon has spent a whopping 45.4% of his possessions guarding point guards and shooting guards &mdash; the largest percentage of his career by a wide margin (per BBall Index).
Most of this shift in role has been out of necessity, with frailer guards like Monte Morris, Facundo Campazzo and Bones Hyland occupying backcourt minutes; the burden of mixing it up with the best offensive engines in the league has been placed squarely at Gordon&rsquo;s feet. And man, for someone that is learning this gig on the fly, is he holding down the fort.
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I implore you all to take a brief 60 seconds of your day to marvel at the defensive clips above. Take note of all the different variations of player archetypes Gordon has been tasked to go up against. Guile-based miniature guards like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/trae-young-made-himself-the-villain-and-hes-leveled-up-accordingly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trae Young</a>, hyper-athletic slashers like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-high-can-anthony-edwards-fly-examining-the-20yearolds-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Edwards</a>, Earth-pushing forwards masquerading as ball-handlers like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/will-luka-doncic-be-able-to-sustain-current-workload-for-potentially-deep-postseason-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luka Doncic</a>. Gordon has managed to annoy all of them at different points in the season.
In fact, according to BBall Index&rsquo;s database dating to 2013, Gordon owns the highest <a href="https://www.bball-index.com/defensive-versatility/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defensive Versatility</a> score of any point-of-attack defender on record, ranking 2 points higher than the next closest player (2020-21 Ben Simmons).
This versatility was on full display in a crucial possession of a late-game overtime thriller against the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this week. Here, after stonewalling Brandon Ingram from his attempt at getting to his sweet spot, Gordon picks up CJ McCollum and lands a textbook jump-shot-altering contest:
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Gordon's <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/1323#tab-defense_rebounding">block percentages</a> are down from past seasons, but that&rsquo;s mostly because his new responsibilities on the perimeter make it difficult for him to consistently challenge shots in the interior. He&rsquo;s currently contesting one less shot within 6 feet of the rim per game than he was with Orlando from 2017-20 (per NBA.com).&nbsp;
However, when the moment calls for it, he&rsquo;s shown he&rsquo;s still capable of filling the void that he was originally intended to:
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Indeed, Gordon never blossomed into the sky-walking, scoring superstar the Magic and I imagined he would be after his 40-point eruption in 2017. But that&rsquo;s okay because he&rsquo;s still developed into a great player in his own right. He&rsquo;s Jokic&rsquo;s new favorite offensive partner in crime, a tissue-connecting passer, and the basketball equivalent of a multipurpose weapon of destruction on defense.
Simply put: Aaron Gordon is not the player the Magic wanted him to be, but he&rsquo;s the player that the Nuggets need him to be.
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Mat Issa details how Aaron Gordon has grown his game and fit in with the Nuggets since being traded from the Magic.

After Orlando exit, Aaron Gordon's been exactly what the Nuggets need

The NBA&rsquo;s trade season usually ramps up on draft night and intensifies on the first day of free agency. So far this offseason, we&rsquo;ve seen Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan traded to the Chicago Bulls, Spencer Dinwiddie dealt to the Washington Wizards and Russell Westbrook moved to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Teams are always discussing possible trades and doing their due diligence &ndash; seeing who&rsquo;s available around the league and gauging interest in their own players. Every now and then, these talks lead to a major trade that shakes up the power structure of the NBA. Other times however, for various reasons, the talks fizzle out, leaving fans to dream about what could have been.
So with that being said, let&rsquo;s examine five of the biggest trades in NBA history that almost happened.
HONORABLE MENTION
Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire to the Golden State Warriors &ndash; This one is really more of a Steph Curry trade, but Curry hadn&rsquo;t yet played a game as of the rumors, so we&rsquo;ll file it away as a Stoudemire trade. The deal would have sent Stoudemire and the 14th pick in the 2009 draft to Golden State in exchange for the rights to Curry. Had this deal happened, Curry and then-Suns general manager Steve Kerr would have found themselves working together far sooner, but it would have undone the Warriors&rsquo; dynasty. This one would have rocked the league.
Scottie Pippen to the Toronto Raptors for Tracy McGrady &ndash; The Chicago Bulls have received a lot of bad press since &ldquo;The Last Dance&rdquo; aired in 2020, and it became public knowledge that they tried to trade Pippen, and rightfully so. The less explosive of the two deals was this one, a 1997 draft-day deal that would have sent Pippen to Toronto in exchange for McGrady. According to McGrady, Michael Jordan ultimately nixed the deal. In a vacuum, this one wouldn&rsquo;t have been that bad for Chicago, but in reality it could have led to Jordan retiring or leaving Chicago sooner and, thus, leaving a championship on the table.
Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors &ndash; This one is another Curry near-trade, and it was allegedly instigated by Golden State. In 2011, the Warriors tried to package Curry and Klay Thompson in exchange for Paul. The Warriors planned to also add Tyson Chandler to create a quasi-super-team. Imagine that? Some people close to the Warriors still deny this rumor, as they should. Either Curry trade happening probably wouldn't have resulted in Golden State winning a championship, but it also probably would've pushed Kevin Durant to either remain in Oklahoma City or sign elsewhere. Who knows how far the butterfly effect reaches?
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5. Charles Barkley to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers to receive: Charles Barkley and Ron Anderson
Philadelphia 76ers to receive: James Worthy and Elden Campbell
This one is interesting because of the immediate impact it had on Barkley once it was clear it wasn&rsquo;t going through. According to Barkley in a conversation with Zach Lowe on <a href="http://www.espn.com/espnradio/podcast/archive/_/id/10528553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lowe Post</a>, Barkley responded to a call from his agent alerting him of the deal by celebrating over drinks with friends. Later that day, Barkley received another call from his agent, letting him know that the deal wasn&rsquo;t going through. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;m drunk as [expletive] and we got a game that night,&rdquo; Barkley said.
Ultimately, Barkley was dealt to the Phoenix Suns later that season. He led the Suns to the NBA Finals the following year. Comparatively, the Lakers&rsquo; roster was relatively barren by 1992, so it probably worked out better for Barkley that he wasn&rsquo;t dealt to Los Angeles. Still, it resulted in one of the weirder trade-related stories in NBA history. And just imagine Barkley in Los Angeles&hellip;
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4. Scottie Pippen to Seattle for Shawn Kemp
Seattle SuperSonics to receive: Scottie Pippen
Chicago Bulls to receive: Shawn Kemp and Ricky Pierce
The Pippen-for-McGrady rumor was in 1997. Pippen-for-Kemp was a rumored draft-day deal in 1994, shortly after Pippen refused to go back into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks &mdash; and long before Pippen, Jordan, and the Bulls reconnected for the second three-peat. It&rsquo;s a good thing that this never went through. According to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/halloffame10/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&amp;page=100812-pippen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s J.A. Adande</a>, when asked if he would have returned to the Bulls with Kemp, Jordan said, &ldquo;Probably not. I could have played with Shawn, but I wouldn't have been as comfortable as I was with Scottie."
Had this deal been approved, does Jordan return to the NBA? If he doesn&rsquo;t, is he still widely regarded as the best ever (with just three championships)? Or does he stick with baseball? Thankfully, we&rsquo;ll never know.
3. Kevin Garnett to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers to receive: Kevin Garnett
Minnesota Timberwolves to receive: Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum
This one&rsquo;s pretty straight forward. Garnett wanted out of Minnesota, and the Timberwolves subsequently began accepting bids for Garnett&rsquo;s services. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Lakers owner Jerry Buss that he&rsquo;d like to make the swap with the Lakers, but he needed Minnesota's general manager at the time, Kevin McHale, to sign off.
According to an <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2445357-kg-the-oral-history-part-2-glory-in-boston-quirky-traits-and-returning-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oral history of Garnett&rsquo;s career</a> from Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Howard Beck, Taylor &ldquo;&hellip;didn&rsquo;t know if I wanted [KG] in the West&rdquo; &ndash; so who knows how close this was to going down. On <a href="https://twitter.com/alexkennedynba/status/1305612441796120577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Posecast</a>, Ray Allen said that Garnett to Los Angeles was looking likely, and that KG was leaning toward joining the Lakers, but he ultimately changed his mind once Boston acquired Allen. Had this trade happened, the impact could have been tremendous, robbing Boston of the 2008 championship and probably gifting at least one more title to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
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2. Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers to receive: Chris Paul
New Orleans Pelicans to receive: Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic
Houston Rockets to receive: Pau Gasol
While Paul was nearly dealt to the Warriors for Curry and Thompson, this deal is higher profile because of the drama surrounding it. This deal was done. Paul was set to join Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. Instead, NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade on behalf of the Hornets because the deal didn&rsquo;t return adequate value to New Orleans, a franchise that was being run by the league due to former owner George Shinn&rsquo;s unprecedented move to sell the team to the NBA. If you weren&rsquo;t an NBA fan in 2011, you missed a hell of a situation.
Ultimately, this one may have robbed a championship from the Lakers, too. The deal would have enabled Los Angeles to keep Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum while adding Paul. The team lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round (4-1), but would the addition of Paul have given the Lakers enough firepower to overcome the Thunder (and LeBron James and the Miami Heat)? We&rsquo;ll never know.
1. Kobe Bryant to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls to receive: Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers to receive: Luol Deng, Tyus Thomas, Ben Gordon Joakim Noah
In 2007, Kobe Bryant was nearly traded to the Chicago Bulls. Why? Bryant was incredibly frustrated with the inactivity of the Lakers&rsquo; management. It escalated to the point where, according to Bryant, he and his family were looking at houses and schools in the Windy City. When some fans asked Bryant if he was staying in Los Angeles, he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/sports/basketball/29kobe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told them</a> to &ldquo;buy a Bulls uniform.&rdquo;
Back in 2018, BasketballNews.com&rsquo;s Alex Kennedy spoke with Bryant <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2018/06/12/free-agents-lebron-john-williams-oscar-shaq-chicago-bulls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on The HoopsHype Podcast</a> about how the trade would have impacted his career.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Ah, yeah, it would&rsquo;ve changed things a lot,&rdquo; Bryant said. &ldquo;I believe we still would&rsquo;ve won championships in Chicago. That&rsquo;s what I think, but I do feel like everything happens for a reason. Honestly, the biggest shock to me was that Shaq didn&rsquo;t know that [I wanted to be traded]. That was the biggest surprise to me, that he was unaware of that! I think had he known how serious I was about going someplace else, he never would&rsquo;ve demanded a trade [from the Lakers]. But when he got traded, that stopped me from going anywhere else, because there was no way that Jerry Buss was going to lose Shaq and me in the same summer. So if he had known how serious I was about leaving, I don&rsquo;t think he ever would&rsquo;ve demanded a trade.&rdquo;
Ultimately, the timing worked out in Bryant&rsquo;s favor. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, which led to Bryant working things out with management. And things worked out just fine for Bryant professionally, as he went on to win two more championships in Los Angeles and he remained with the Lakers for the rest of his career.
***
Trade rumors captivate sports fans more than anything. Most don&rsquo;t come to fruition, and that&rsquo;s fine. They captivate us, distract us and allow us to imagine ideal outcomes for our favorite teams, even if they were never really that close to happening.
Each of the deals mentioned above would have shaken up the league, leading to far different outcomes for a number of franchises.

Drew Maresca examines five blockbuster trades that almost happened, and how they would've altered NBA history.

5 blockbuster trades that almost changed NBA history

The Phoenix Suns were one of the NBA's most consistent winners during the decades on either side of the turn of the century. They made 19 playoff appearances in 22 seasons with some of the most entertaining teams and major personalities in recent basketball history.
A parching decade of postseason drought in the Valley of the Sun drained much of the fun out of this franchise &mdash; until this season, when Chris Paul arrived to guide Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and a lively supporting cast to the playoffs.
And now that Phoenix has knocked off the injury-plagued defending champions in its first playoff series victory since 2010, there's no telling how far these Suns can go.
&ldquo;These guys over here are battle-tested,&rdquo; Booker said after scoring 47 points in the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ca-state-wire-phoenix-suns-los-angeles-lakers-kobe-bryant-nba-0702c8bda717f8f2408fcd658e6633ab">Suns' clinching victory over the Lakers </a> on Thursday night. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to celebrate our first series like we won a championship. We know we have a tough opponent in Denver coming up soon.&rdquo;
Indeed, the Suns will welcome Denver to Phoenix on Monday night to begin the second round, but they'll start a new series with the knowledge they sent LeBron James to a first-round playoff series loss for the first time in his 18 NBA seasons.
The second-seeded Suns won three straight over the Lakers, whose injury problems didn't completely account for the Suns' excellent play in the final 2 1/2 games. Anthony Davis barely contributed for LA during that stretch, but Booker and Paul put on a show that would have been trouble for any opponent.
The Lakers had the NBA's best defense in the regular season, but Booker dropped 30 points in Game 5 before erupting for 22 in the first quarter of Game 6. He barely slowed his pace thereafter, hitting eight 3-pointers in an all-around floor game that finished off LA.
These Suns aren't the run-and-gun showmen of the Steve Nash/Amar'e Stoudemire era, but they've got a solid supporting cast around Booker, Ayton and Paul. They were too much for the Lakers, who are fairly deep themselves.
Coach Monty Williams was already thinking extensively about the Nuggets in the moments after the clinching victory in the coach's first career playoff series triumph. But when prompted, Williams acknowledged a level of accomplishment, even if it's fleeting for the coaches.
"You do feel a level of excitement, because winning in the NBA is really hard as it relates to one game, but to win a series, you have to enjoy that," Williams said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve moved the program to a place where we want to be, but at the same time, my mind is already moved towards the next thing we have to do, and that&rsquo;s preparing for Denver, right? That&rsquo;s just my mindset.&rdquo;
The Suns also know this journey is going well partly because they're healthy. Phoenix didn't make the 2020 postseason despite going 8-0 in the bubble, leaving the returning players with a decent offseason of rest while the club added Paul, the veteran playmaker whose all-around skills have transformed several franchises.
While the four conference finalists from the bubble have all battled major injury problems undoubtedly rooted in the short offseason, all of the Suns' most important contributors are healthy with the exception of Paul, who has a bruised right shoulder that appears to bother him more in some games than others. While the injury has largely eroded his 3-point shooting ability, Paul can still hit mid-range jumpers while orchestrating the Suns' offense.
The Nuggets were one of those four finalists, and they're without second-leading scorer Jamal Murray. When Ayton lines up against Nikola Jokic next week, he'll know he has a rising team behind him with a strong chance to advance to the Suns' first conference finals since 2010.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m grateful for what our players do every single day,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m grateful for these opportunities. I hope our fans appreciate what&rsquo;s happening, because it is a blessing to be on this journey with this team.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Suns will start a new series with the knowledge they sent LeBron James to a first-round loss for the first time in his 18 NBA seasons.

Rising Suns have high hopes after dethroning champion Lakers

Chris Paul had 18 points and nine assists, Devin Booker and Jae Crowder added 17 points apiece and the Phoenix Suns evened their first-round series with a 100-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 on Sunday.
Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 17 rebounds for the second-seeded Suns, who took advantage of Anthony Davis' absence from the second half with a groin injury to reclaim home-court advantage in the series after two straight losses.
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CP3 and Ayton SHINE as the <a href="https://twitter.com/Suns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Suns</a> even the series ☀️ Paul: 18 PTS, 9 AST, 3 STL, 44.1 FPTS Ayton: 14 PTS, 17 REB, 2 STL, 43.4 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/YS7yRPTa7D">pic.twitter.com/YS7yRPTa7D</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1399124703369961472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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LeBron James had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who fell too far behind in the third quarter while Davis was being evaluated in the locker room. Before a last-minute surge, Los Angeles struggled in the absence of starters Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who injured his knee in Game 3.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Davis scored six points on 2-for-9 shooting in the first half, then didn&rsquo;t return after halftime. The superstar big man scored 34 points in each of the Lakers&rsquo; two victories in the series, but he hyperextended his leg in Game 3 and appeared to aggravate his accumulated injury woes in the second quarter of Game 4, falling awkwardly and grabbing his leg after a layup attempt defended by Crowder.
Aside from the latest setback for Davis, who missed 30 games in the regular season, the Suns sharply improved their effort against the defending NBA champions and showed solid poise. Phoenix collectively has little experience in the postseason, but Paul excelled again on the big stage in his first playoff run with his new team.
Paul, largely a non-factor in Game 3, ignored his injured shoulder and contributed 12 points and all his assists in the second half. Phoenix dominated the third quarter and hung on for the franchise's first road playoff victory in over 11 years.
The Suns made a 32-15 run starting shortly before halftime and encompassing the whole third, during which they held the Lakers to 15 points on 3-for-16 shooting.
The Suns led by 18 with less than nine minutes to play, but James led a 19-8 run and trimmed the lead to 95-88 with 2:40 left. Phoenix hung on when Paul hung in the air to steal a pass with 1:59 to play before Crowder hit an uncontested 3-pointer in front of the Suns' bench with 1:23 left to seal it.
Booker, responding to the first postseason pressure of his six-year NBA career, also played with improved focus after getting kicked out of Game 3 in the final minute of a sub-par performance for the high-scoring guard.
Phoenix led 54-50 at halftime with 15 points from Booker. The Suns seized control shortly before the break, starting a 24-6 run that spanned halftime.
TIP-INS
Suns: After skipping practice Saturday to rest, Paul went through a pregame workout and was pronounced healthy to play. ... Mikal Bridges and Crowder hit three 3-pointers apiece to lead the team.
Lakers: Davis played despite hyperextending his left knee in Game 3. ... Caldwell-Pope's unavailability was a game-time decision after a pregame workout. ... Los Angeles hasn't won back-to-back home playoff games since 2012.
REPLACING KCP
Wesley Matthews took Caldwell-Pope&rsquo;s starting spot. Both teams missed plenty of open perimeter shots early, but Caldwell-Pope&rsquo;s absence boosted the Lakers&rsquo; 3-point game early: After hitting just nine combined 3-pointers in the first halves of the first three games, Los Angeles hit nine in the first half of Game 4 alone with two apiece from Matthews and Ben McLemore, who got playing time mostly because of Caldwell-Pope&rsquo;s absence.
The Lakers hit just four more 3-pointers in the second half, however. Matthews and McLemore didn't score again after their early burst.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Suns' last road playoff victory was in San Antonio on May 9, 2010, when Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire completed a four-game sweep of the Spurs in the second round before falling to the soon-to-be repeat champion Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Chris Paul had 18 points and nine assists, Devin Booker and Jae Crowder added 17 points apiece and the Suns evened their first-round series with a victory over the Lakers.

CP3, Suns beat Lakers 100-92, even series after Anthony Davis hurt

Chris Paul scored 28 points, Devin Booker added 21 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-101 on Wednesday night to clinch a spot in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
The Suns finally figured out a way to beat the Clippers, who won the first two games of the season series. Phoenix didn't trail the entire game but needed a fourth-quarter push to turn back a Los Angeles rally.
The Suns took an 86-80 lead into the final quarter. The Clippers pulled within 93-92 midway though the fourth but Paul scored three consecutive tough baskets to give Phoenix some space.
The 35-year-old Paul continued to play excellent basketball in his 16th NBA season, shooting 10 of 15 from the field, dishing 10 assists and generally looking like a player a decade younger. He was serenaded with "MVP! MVP!" chants from the crowd by the end of the fourth.
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A near flawless outing from CP3 helps the <a href="https://twitter.com/Suns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Suns</a> clinch a Playoff spot in the win! 😤 28 PTS (15 in 4th) 10-15 FGM 4 3PM 10 AST 3 STL 52.6 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/yvpCntGr3J">pic.twitter.com/yvpCntGr3J</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1387624183962775554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Suns improved to 44-18 while the Clippers fell to 43-21. The teams are currently ranked No. 2 and 3, respectively, in the Western Conference standings.
Paul George led the Clippers with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Marcus Morris Sr. added 16 points.
The Suns jumped out to a 39-31 lead after one quarter, making 7 of 9 shots from 3-point range. Phoenix pushed the lead to 14 points by midway through the second before settling for a 63-53 halftime advantage.
Frank Kaminsky led the Suns with 13 points before the break while Booker had 12. George scored 16 for the Clippers. The Phoenix bench outscored LA's reserves 28-8 in the first half.
CLOSE TO NORMAL
The Suns are able to have about 5,500 fans these days at Phoenix Suns Arena, slowly increasing capacity as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes.
It was a festive atmosphere for Wednesday's game that felt almost pre-pandemic, with shirtless fans with S-U-N-S dancing in the stands and huge cheers when Paul hit his crucial buckets in the fourth.
The Suns haven't been in the playoffs since 2010, when Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire made the team a huge draw in the desert.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Guard Patrick Beverley (hand fracture) and forwards Kawhi Leonard (sore right foot) and Serge Ibaka (lower back) didn't play.
Suns: Forwards Jae Crowder (right ankle sprain), Dario Saric (left ankle) and Abdel Nader (right knee) didn&rsquo;t play.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Host the Nuggets on Saturday.
Suns: Host the Jazz on Friday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Chris Paul scored 28 points, Devin Booker added 21 and the Suns beat the Clippers to clinch a spot in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

Suns beat Clippers, clinch first playoff spot in 11 years

Kyrie Irving -- perhaps now the most talked-about voice in NBA media -- broke his public silence on Monday.
The Brooklyn Nets star spoke publicly to reporters for the first time this season after an extended media holdout. In the press conference, Irving addressed his healthy return to the court, his preseason debut with Kevin Durant and tempering the expectations placed on this year's team.&nbsp;
"You can't make up experience, you can't make up time and you can't make up [what it'll take] to get us as a whole championship-collective train right away," Irving said. "We've got to continue to make progress every single day, and craft.
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<div class="p-rich_text_section">"We know the monsters that are getting together [around the league], which I'm excited for. The league's just gonna be that much more exciting. As a competitor, you wanna build your team the best, without anything mattering when it comes to putting that ball through the hoop [in] Game 1-7 of the NBA Finals. This is the beginning of the journey. Use every day to get better." Irving appeared in his first preseason action Sunday night after a shoulder injury prematurely ended his 2019-20 season in February. In just 17 minutes, the dynamic point guard scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in Brooklyn's 119-114 win over the Washington Wizards. After this performance, Irving spoke about his prolonged recovery period.</div>
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"It's not the first time I've had a lengthy injury or been out a long period of time," he said. "I've had to build myself up quite a few times in my career."
The Nets are a revamped squad, and new head coach and former MVP Steve Nash made his coaching debut last night. Irving had nothing but praise for Nash and the job he's done.
"Steve's been amazing," Irving said. "It really is a reflection of the type of person he is and the I.Q. he has for the game. He commands the respect, and it's not just coming in and being a typical rah-rah coach and getting on us. It's just giving us a comfortable space to grow, to communicate, to throw ideas out there. And you got a two-time MVP coaching you."
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And it wasn't just Nash -- Irving dished out credit to the entire Nets' coaching staff, which includes Mike D'Antoni and former All-NBA big man Amar'e Stoudemire.
"They have been able to guide us to come together as men in the locker room, and then be able to communicate with them. And then we mesh well in the locker room," Irving said. "And with Mike D'Antoni in the locker room talking about offense -- I mean, come on now, he's led the league in three-point attempts the last few years with his teams and his offensive style."
The Nets have been involved in plenty of rumors -- particularly surrounding the trade availability of superstar James Harden. Brooklyn is reportedly atop Harden's wish list of preferred destinations. Irving said he and the Nets have tried to limit the outside noise.
"There's no control that we have as players to manage what's being said in terms of rumor mills and what's being reported, so let's just leave it at that," Irving said. "James is a great player, we wish him well, and I just want him to be happy and secure in who he is as a man first. And then as a basketball player, whatever happens between those conversations is between them first."
"But with us," Irving added, "we have to focus on us. I play with so many great players in this league, and we all wanna play with one another. But now we just gotta focus on what's out here on the floor."
Irving and Durant represent one of the best duos in the NBA. After a year-long wait, they plan to show up and show out this season. Irving even tossed out a nickname for the pairing.
"It's a new show," Irving said. "It's a new beginning in terms of building and moving forward with the pieces that we have here, and that includes 7-11. So get to know us."

Kyrie Irving spoke to reporters for the first time after a controversial media absence and he covered a wide range of topics.

Kyrie Irving discusses Coach Nash, Harden rumors, more

The New York Knicks have selected Obi Toppin with the No. 8 overall pick.
ANALYSIS: After not recieving an invite to the NBA Draft Combine following his freshman season, Obi Toppin returned to Dayton for his sophomore year to put on a show from start to finish, subsequently being named the National College Player of the Year. At 6'9", Toppin is a high flyer, throwing down jaw dropping dunks reminscent of former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire. He's also a capable outside shooter as he shot a stellar 39% from three-point range. Already 22 years old, Toppin is probably the most NBA ready player in the draft and could be considered an early favorite to win Rookie of the Year.

The New York Knicks have taken Obi Toppin with the No. 8 overall pick.

2020 NBA Draft: Knicks pick Obi Toppin No. 8

Right now, all eyes are on the Brooklyn Nets.&nbsp;
Fans were already excited to watch Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this upcoming season, and now the team is getting even more attention after hiring Steve Nash as their head coach and bringing in Mike D&rsquo;Antoni, Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire, Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughn as assistants. Players are clearly intrigued by the Nets and what they&rsquo;ve built, too. One offseason after adding Durant and Irving, James Harden is reportedly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-harden-wants-out-houston-rockets-philadelphia-76ers-brooklyn-nets-wish-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trying to force his way to Brooklyn</a> as well.
When Jarrett Allen was drafted by the Nets in 2017, the organization was in a very different place. The team was still recovering from the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade, which sent three-first round picks (and an additional pick swap) to the Boston Celtics. The Nets didn&rsquo;t have a single All-Star during Allen&rsquo;s rookie campaign. Now, three years later, there&rsquo;s talk of Brooklyn forming the next super-team with Durant, Irving and Harden.
The 22-year-old had a strong finish to the 2019-20 season, averaging 13.7 points, 14 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 10 &ldquo;bubble&rdquo; games. Allen finished last year averaging career-highs in points (11.1), rebounds (9.6), assists (1.6), field goal percentage (64.9%), steals (0.6), Win Shares (8.2), Box Plus-Minus (+2.3), VORP (2.0), Rebounding Percentage (18.7%) and PER (20.7).&nbsp;
Allen spoke to BasketballNews.com about the Nets&rsquo; roster, the recent trade rumors, how Durant has looked behind the scenes, the Nash hire and much more. He also discussed his fourth annual &ldquo;Meals + Math&rdquo; Thanksgiving event. On Monday, he provided 25 kids and their families with Thanksgiving groceries. On Zoom, he walked the families through an at-home workout, a cooking demonstration and some math problems focused on budgeting (so they&rsquo;re prepared to do their Thanksgiving shopping). The families also received a sample grocery list, math packet, calculator and a $100 gift card to Key Food.
When you first joined the Nets, the team didn&rsquo;t have an All-Star that season. Now, you have Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and there are rumors of a third superstar wanting to join. What&rsquo;s it been like seeing this organization&rsquo;s transformation and how much has changed over the last three years?
Jarrett Allen: &ldquo;Man, it&rsquo;s pretty amazing how they were able to turn the franchise around like that, especially just in [these] three years. Even looking back [further], it&rsquo;s been, what, seven years for the Nets since the KG era? [In 2009-10] Going 12-70&hellip;Since then, it&rsquo;s been amazing how they&rsquo;ve turned things around and it&rsquo;s been amazing to be a part of it.&rdquo;
What is it about this organization that is appealing to players? Every organization would&rsquo;ve loved to sign Durant and Irving last summer, and now there&rsquo;s rumors of other superstars wanting to join Brooklyn. Why do you think players are attracted to the Nets?
Allen: &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s just how the team is built -- how the front office wants to build the Nets. Even looking off the court, you look at how they take care of [each player&rsquo;s] family and loved ones. And on the court, they preach grit and playing basketball the right way and playing together and going out there and giving your all every night.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s been a lot of trade rumors involving the Nets recently, as I mentioned. I know you can&rsquo;t discuss those specific rumors or the players in question, but just in general, do you pay attention to trade rumors? Some players read all of them, while others block them out entirely. What&rsquo;s your approach to trade rumors?
Allen: &ldquo;I hear about them. It&rsquo;s hard not to hear about them in this technological age with social media. But at that point, it&rsquo;s like, what can you do about it? I&rsquo;m not really focused on it. Either way, I&rsquo;m going to have to play basketball and I&rsquo;m just&hellip;like I said, it&rsquo;s in the back of my mind.&rdquo;
Have you had any conversations with the Nets about the trade rumors or your status?&nbsp;
Allen: &ldquo;No. No, I haven&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
KD didn&rsquo;t play last season and Kyrie was hurt at times too, but you guys still spent time together and developed chemistry off the court. How did bonding last season help you guys as you get ready to play together for the first time this season?
Allen: &ldquo;I think it was good. I think it got us to be used to each other off the court. I don&rsquo;t think a lot of people realize how big the connection and chemistry off the court is needed to build that stronger chemistry on the court. We all got to know each last year and this summer, we were all close -- but socially distant -- and we all got to know each other more, so we&rsquo;re all ready to play [together] this year.&rdquo;
There have been some questions about KD as he returns from his Achilles injury. You&rsquo;ve seen KD working out and seen how he looks behind the scenes. What can we expect from Durant this upcoming season?
Allen: "I&rsquo;ll just keep it short and simple: KD is back again."
What was your reaction to the Nets hiring Steve Nash as their new head coach? And not only that, but also adding Mike D&rsquo;Antoni, Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire, Jacque Vaughn and more to his staff?
Allen: &ldquo;I was like everybody: I was surprised. I didn&rsquo;t know who they were going to be hiring. I didn&rsquo;t know what was going on and was in the dark just like everybody else. And then I was like, &lsquo;Oh, Steve Nash?! That&rsquo;s actually, like, an amazing pick up!&rsquo; A lot of people -- myself included -- weren&rsquo;t thinking of him. We ended up hiring him, D&rsquo;Antoni -- who&rsquo;s another great pick up -- and a lot of people who can help move Brooklyn forward in the right direction.&rdquo;
With Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire being part of this staff, what are some things you can learn from him given his NBA experience? And what memories do you have of watching him play?
Allen: &ldquo;Some memories I have are of him and, I guess now my head coach, [Steve Nash] playing together, running the pick-and-roll. I remember him playing on the Suns and a little bit of him on the Knicks, and him just going up strong to dunk everything. Going up and being fearless to grab every rebound. I remember seeing those Suns-Lakers game, that series in particular. So far, it&rsquo;s been great working with him. He&rsquo;s just pointing out little things that I can change and telling me what mentality to have as I try to go get rebounds and just how to be on the court and how to elevate my game.&rdquo;
Coach Nash recently said, "We&rsquo;re playing for a championship." Do you feel like this team has the pieces to potentially win a championship as early as next season?
Allen: &ldquo;Absolutely. No. 7 is coming back. That&rsquo;s what I call him, No. 7, but we have KD coming back. We still have Kyrie here. And we have just a bunch of pieces around everybody that can bring this team to a whole [new level] and push for a championship.&rdquo;&nbsp;
I was so impressed with your play in the NBA bubble and you continue to get better each season. What are some individual goals that you&rsquo;ve set for yourself for this upcoming season?
Allen: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping to continue doing what I did in the bubble, keeping up that strong play, keeping my rebounds up and trying to keep my assist numbers up. I&rsquo;ll be in a position to be able to dish out the ball to my teammates, so all in all, I just want to continue that [level of] play.&rdquo;
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This is your fourth Meals + Math Thanksgiving event. How did you initially come up with this idea?&nbsp;
Allen: &ldquo;Around the time I got drafted, I was looking for ways that I could help the community that adopted me, that drafted me and took me in. It was around Thanksgiving time, so it was the first thing we thought of. We realized we had the opportunity to help some kids out, so we decided to part with Key Food and give the gift cards away.&rdquo;
Can you share the details of this event and what you&rsquo;ll be doing with the 25 kids and their families?
Allen: &ldquo;As we all know, COVID is around and that kind of transitioned us into a Zoom [event], so we&rsquo;re going to have the kids on there. We&rsquo;re going to ask them how they&rsquo;re doing, do some math problems, talk about what they can do [to stay active] inside, do some meal prep and someone is going to come on and show how to make a dessert and things like that.&rdquo;
When you were a kid, did you ever have a chance to meet any professional athletes or heroes that you looked up to?&nbsp;
Allen: &ldquo;No, the only professional athlete that I really interacted with was George Gervin, of all players (laughs). He was in San Antonio and I had the opportunity to go to one of his camps and got selected to play a couple of games down there.&rdquo;
Where did your desire to get involved in the community and make a difference come from? Was that just how you were raised?
Allen: &ldquo;It was. It came from my grandmother, who is no longer with us. She passed along what she needed to and every day we&rsquo;re thankful for that. She always had us doing food drives. Before I can even remember, I was hauling boxes into the back of a truck. We were always trying to give back to the community and always do our part. For what I&rsquo;m given, I want to give a certain percent back to the community.&rdquo;
Do you feel like it strengthens your bond with Nets fans and allows you to connect with them more too?
Allen: &ldquo;Definitely. I think it makes it more personal, with them actually see someone doing these things out in public. You always hear about these things and see it on TV, but to actually interact with a basketball player in the NBA -- someone that kids might look up to -- I think that only makes the bond stronger and they become more than fans at that point."
Do you have any other upcoming events planned or ways to help the community?
Allen: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be a cold winter; you already see if snowing up north in some places, so I&rsquo;d like to do a drive where we get coats to give to kids. I know a lot of people do it, but there are always kids that need help, so I&rsquo;d like to hop on that train and see what I can do there."

Jarrett Allen discusses how the Nets became such an attractive destination, trade rumors, Kevin Durant's health, Steve Nash's hire and more.

Nets' Jarrett Allen on trade rumors, Steve Nash hire, KD's health, more

With the 2020 NBA Draft just two weeks away, our Matt Babcock updated his mock draft and provided his thoughts on each player. Some of the risers include Kira Lewis Jr. (Alabama) and Zeke Nnaji (Arizona), while some of the fallers include Aleksej Pokusevski (Olympiacos) and Leandro Bolmaro (FC Barcelona):
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
At 6'5" and a strong 225 pounds, Anthony Edwards has perhaps the most upside in this year's draft. Edwards' raw talent was on full display at the Maui Invitational in November when he scored 33 points in one half versus Michigan State. Although he has significant room for growth in regards to his overall maturity as a player, his uncanny ability to hit tough shots from all over the court gives him the potential to be a special player.
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
Although James Wiseman is 7'1" and 240 pounds with an impressive 7'6" wingspan, he should not be considered a throwback, big-bodied center (which is somewhat of a dying breed). Instead, Wiseman is extremely athletic for a player his size. He also has an underrated skill level, and he can be a major contributor for a team right off the bat. That&rsquo;s why he is the first big man off the board.
3. Charlotte Hornets: Onyeka Okongwu, C/PF, USC
Commonly referred to as the "Big O," Onyeka Okongwu had a terrific freshman campaign for the USC Trojans, averaging 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. He's an undersized center that can serve as a defensive anchor for a team. He's also a legitimate scoring threat who's capable of displaying fancy footwork and a soft touch with both hands around the rim. He's extremely strong and explosive, which allows him to be an effective rim protector and powerful finisher. Comparisons to the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo have been drawn regularly for good reason.
4. Chicago Bulls: LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks
The youngest brother of the Ball family, LaMelo comes to the NBA with lofty expectations. At 6'7", Ball has terrific size for a point guard. He has the ball on a string and a knack to make spectacular plays. Despite concerns of immaturity, Ball's talent is undeniable -- look for him to be the first point guard taken in the 2020 NBA Draft.
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5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton
After not receiving an invite to the NBA Draft Combine following his freshman season, Obi Toppin returned to Dayton for his sophomore year and he put on a show from start to finish, subsequently being named the National College Player of the Year. At 6'9", Toppin is a high-flyer who throws down jaw-dropping dunks reminiscent of former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire. He's also a capable outside shooter, as he shot a stellar 39% from three-point range. Already 22 years old, Toppin is probably the most NBA-ready player in the draft and could be considered an early favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
6. Atlanta Hawks: Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
A product of the famed Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, Deni Avdija has already gained valuable professional experience in the Euroleague (the best league in the world outside of the NBA). At 6'9", Avdija is extremely versatile as a hybrid forward and he's also a capable ballhandler and playmaker who is deceptively athletic. In a draft with significant international talent, Avdija is certainly the cream of the crop.
7. Detroit Pistons: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
After entering his freshman season at Alabama as the second-youngest Division-I player in the country (at 17 years old), he returned for his sophomore season and did not disappoint. Perhaps the fastest player in the draft, Lewis Jr. averaged 18.5 points and 5.2 assists per game this past season for the Crimson Tide. Comparisons have been drawn to former NBA player Darren Collison.
8. New York Knicks: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn
Perhaps the best overall athlete in the entire NBA draft, Isaac Okoro steps into the NBA from Auburn with a reputation of being an exceptional defender that's capable of defending multiple positions effectively. Although he possesses a relatively simple game on the offensive end, he does have a good feel for how to play. If he is able to improve his outside shooting, watch out; Okoro could end up being a big-time player.
9. Washington Wizards: Devin Vassell, SG/SF, Florida State
Devin Vassell is a long wing that is capable of playing the shooting guard or small forward positions, effectively. On the offensive end, he reminds me of Jeremy Lamb of the Indiana Pacers. He's a capable shooter from outside, has a good mid-range game, and can finish around the rim as well.&nbsp; On the defensive end, he uses his length and instincts to be a high level defender. Overall, Vassell is a solid, well-rounded player, that does not make many mistakes. He would be easy to plug into just about any team's roster.
10. Phoenix Suns: Killian Hayes, PG/SG, Ratiopharm Ulm
After playing in France for years, Killian Hayes decided to move to Germany this last year to play for Ratiopharm Ulm - a decision that certainly paid off, as Hayes took a major step in his development, progressing as a playmaker and scorer. With good size for a point guard at 6'5", whichever team lands the left-handed Hayes should be able to pencil him in as their point guard of the future. If he's able to continue to develop his outside shooting, the future could be extremely bright for Hayes.
11. San Antonio Spurs: Patrick Williams, PF/SF, Florida State
Patrick Williams had somewhat of an up-and-down freshman year for the Florida State Seminoles, but the hybrid forward oozes talent and upside. He's a capable shooter from outside, a strong finisher at the rim and a versatile defender. Williams fits the modern style of basketball, as he's able to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions. It remains to be seen if he will be able to contribute at a high level early on in his NBA career, but if he develops properly, he could be one of the better players in this year's draft in a few years.
12. Sacramento Kings: Aaron Nesmith, SF/SG, Vanderbilt
Aaron Nesmith is likely the best shooter in this year's draft. Prior to a season-ending foot injury in January, Nesmith dazzled with his shooting performances, averaging 23 points per game while shooting 52.2% from three-point range in 14 games for the Vanderbilt Commodores. He's from the same high school as NBA All-Star Khris Middleton in Charleston, South Carolina.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/tyy_lg.jpg" alt="" width="792" height="AUTO" />
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Tyrese Haliburton, PG/SG, Iowa State
After averaging 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game for the Iowa State Cyclones this past season, Tyrese Haliburton will look to contribute right away in the NBA. At 6'5", Haliburton is capable of playing on or off the ball effectively. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and simply does not make many mistakes. Although he shoots the ball with extremely unorthodox mechanics, he knocks them down from deep at a high rate, shooting 41.9% from three-point range last year. He certainly needs to get stronger, as he is only a thin 175 pounds. But he should be a solid NBA player, at the very least.
14. Boston Celtics: Isaiah Stewart II, C/PF, Washington
At 6'9" and 250 pounds of muscle with a 7'4" wingspan, Isaiah Stewart II is a physical specimen and a brute. He would (and could) run through a brick wall, if needed. In his lone season at Washington, he averaged 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Despite being utilized purely as a low-post scorer this past season, he has shown signs of having the potential to shoot the ball well from outside - a much desired attribute in today's NBA. One example: He shot 77.4% from the free-throw line.
15. Orlando Magic: RJ Hampton, SG/PG, New Zealand Breakers
After skipping college to play for the New Zealand Breakers, R.J. Hampton enters this year's draft as one of the players with the most upside. Although not a finished product, Hampton has the burst and athleticism that's seen in many star players. If he is able to develop his point guard skills, outside shooting and overall feel for the game, he could end up being a steal for whichever team selects him.
16. Portland Trail Blazers: Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
Jay Wright's list of Villanova alumni who have had productive NBA careers continues to grow and Saddiq Bey seems to be the next in line. He's a 6'8" forward that is well-rounded, dependable and, most importantly, a high-level shooter, which was on display during his sophomore season when he scored 16.1 points per game while shooting 45.1% from three-point range. He also defended the opposing team's best player on a regular basis.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Zeke Nnaji, PF/C, Arizona
In his lone season for the Arizona Wildcats, Zeke Nnaji posted an impressive 16.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-Pac-12 and Freshman of the Year honors. At the Combine, Nnaji measured in at 6'10" without shoes and 247.8 pounds, with a 7'2" wingspan and a 38" max vertical. Nnaji <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-prospect-zeke-nnaji-arizona-wildcats-q-and-a-pac-12-basketball?fbclid=IwAR3LerQY7oOuFEQ0ZLYNmkus_sSxCYphs2l0TzJqc69ymtcZmrdWKZDpOPo">recently spoke with BasketballNews.com</a> about his game, his regimented lifestyle, why teams should pick him, his off-court interests and more.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/pad_lg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="AUTO" />
18. Dallas Mavericks: Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis
Initially, Precious Achiuwa was expected to play the majority of his minutes at power forward alongside big man James Wiseman. However, when Wiseman left the team, Achiuwa took over the big man duties and delivered. The chiseled Achiuwa averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, earning him AAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.
19.&nbsp;Brooklyn Nets: Jaden McDaniels, SF, Washington
Possessing terrific length for a wing at 6'9", Jaden McDaniels' versatility and playmaking abilities on both ends of the court are extremely intriguing. If he is able to get stronger and mature properly, he could be well-worth the risk, as his upside is nearly as high as any other player in the draft.
20. Miami Heat: Malachi Flynn, PG, San Diego State
After transferring from Washington State to San Diego State, point guard Malachi Flynn led the Aztecs to a spectacular 30-2 record. After averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game, Flynn was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, as well as Defensive Player of the Year. Flynn <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-2020-draft-malachi-flynn-san-diego-state-aztecs-matt-babcock-analysis-interview-chris-paul">recently spoke with BasketballNews.com</a> about his game, his collegiate career, his goals, the NBA players whom he&rsquo;s modeled his game after and more.
21. Philadelphia 76ers: Cole Anthony, PG/SG, North Carolina
The son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, Cole entered North Carolina for his freshman season with lofty expectations after being touted as one of the top players in his high-school class. Despite an up-and-down season, Anthony is an aggressive and dynamic scorer, which he displayed by averaging 18.5 points per game in 22 contests for the Tar Heels.&nbsp;
22. Denver Nuggets: Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland
At 6'10" with a 7'2" wingspan, Jalen "Stix" Smith does two things very well: he blocks shots and shoots the ball from outside -- certainly a unique combination, which has NBA teams intrigued. After returning to Maryland for his sophomore season, he averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 36.8% from three-point range.
23. Utah Jazz: Elijah Hughes, SF/SG, Syracuse
An unheralded recruit out of high school and a subsequent East Carolina transfer, Elijah Hughes emerged as a star player for the Syracuse Orange during his junior season. Possessing solid size for a wing and the ability to make shots from all over the court as well as put the ball on the floor, Hughes should make a smooth transition to the NBA.
24. Milwaukee Bucks: Cassius Stanley, SG/SF, Duke
After playing as a combo guard in high school, Cassius Stanley was asked by Coach K to fill a more limited role during his freshman season at Duke, utilizing his electric athleticism in transition and focusing on spreading the floor as a spot-up shooter. His combination of elite athleticism and the ability to make shots off catch-and-shoot opportunities make him an intriguing option as a role player in the NBA (at the very least). If he develops when it comes to creating off the dribble, his value could increase dramatically.
25.&nbsp;Oklahoma City Thunder: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF/C, Olympiacos
Having displayed an incredibly high skill level this past season with the junior team of Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, Aleksej Pokusevski has caused quite a stir among NBA scouts. Standing 7-feet tall and a frail 200 pounds, "Poku" is the youngest prospect in this year's draft (and younger than many high-school seniors) at just 18 years old. He is certainly a player who falls into the category of "high-risk, high-reward," which is why he's somewhat of a polarizing prospect in terms of his draft value.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/maxey2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="793" height="AUTO" />
26. Boston Celtics: Tyrese Maxey, SG/PG, Kentucky
A top-10 RSCI prospect, Tyrese Maxey was Kentucky's second-leading scorer with 14.0 points per game. At 6'3" and 200 pounds, he has a well-developed frame, although he's a bit undersized for a shooting guard. Still, he was solid at getting to the rim. He struggled from three-point range (relative to expectations) at 29 percent.
27. New York Knicks: Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
After being ranked 88th in his high-school class, Tyrell Terry surprised everyone by posting an impressive freshman campaign at Stanford and subsequently declaring for the NBA draft. Considered to be one of the best shooters in this year's draft, Terry converted 41% from three-point range this past season. His high skill level and ability to shoot the ball has generated quite a buzz among scouts; however, due to his thin frame and lack of physicality, some concerns and questions have been raised as well.
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Josh Green, SG/SF, Arizona
A top recruit coming out of high school, Green is a plus athlete and defensive stopper with good size for a wing. In his freshman year at Arizona, he averaged 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
29. Toronto Raptors: Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
Although a bit of a throwback as a big-bodied center at 6'10" and 270 pounds, Vernon Carey Jr. had an effective freshman season for the Duke Blue Devils, as he averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Some questions have been raised about his inconsistent motor. However, his talent remains intriguing.
30. Boston Celtics: Leandro Bolmaro, SG/PG, FC Barcelona
After logging legitimate Euroleague and ACB minutes this past season with FC Barcelona in Spain, the 6'7" Argentinian guard has slowly but surely moved up draft boards. Although it is unlikely that he will be coming to the NBA right away due to him extending his contract with his current club, Bolmaro could still get consideration from teams selecting in the first round.
Matt Babcock is the owner and founder of <a href="babcockhoops.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Babcock Hoops</a>, which features in-depth scouting reports, prospect interviews and more. He is also a contributor for BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/matt-babcock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out more of his 2020 NBA Draft coverage here</a>.
Also, tune in to BasketballNews.com's Virtual Watch Party on the night of the 2020 NBA Draft (Nov. 18). Our live-stream will feature top analysts, NBA players and more special guests!

With the 2020 NBA Draft just two weeks away, Matt Babcock shares his updated mock draft. Find out who's rising and who's falling!

Matt Babcock's updated 2020 NBA mock draft (11/3): Who's rising?

Mike D&rsquo;Antoni and Ime Udoka are finalizing deals to become assistant coaches under Steve Nash with the Brooklyn Nets, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1322170093921513473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>.
These are two incredible hires for Nash, who is surrounding himself with outstanding, experienced coaches since he's a first-time head coach. This gives the Nets three different coaches who were strongly considered for head-coaching gigs of their own this offseason: D'Antoni, Udoka and Jacque Vaughn (Nash's lead assistant).
This is similar to the strategy that Steve Kerr implemented when he took over as the Golden State Warriors' head coach in 2014 despite having zero coaching experience (just like Nash). Kerr surrounded himself with some of the most experienced, respected coaches in the NBA in Alvin Gentry (to run the offense) and Ron Adams (to run the defense). This took a lot off of his plate. Similarly, Nash will be able to delegate among D'Antoni, Vaughn and Udoka and focus more on managing the locker room.
D'Antoni and Nash have a terrific relationship dating back to their stint together in Phoenix (when D'Antoni coached the point guard on the Seven-Seconds-or-Less Suns). D'Antoni is widely regarded as an offensive guru and he'll be able to help Nash from an Xs-and-Os standpoint. D'Antoni was a candidate for the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers head-coaching jobs earlier this offseason.
With Nash and D'Antoni at the helm, the Nets' offense will likely be fast-paced, free-flowing and high-scoring (with a ton of three-pointers). Amar'e Stoudemire, who was also a key part of the Seven-Seconds-or-Less Suns, was hired as an assistant coach on Nash's staff too.
Recently, in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-steve-nash-brooklyn-nets-town-hall-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-playing-for-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a "Town Hall" interview</a>, Nash was asked to describe his offensive philosophy.
"The offense is still to be determined. I don&rsquo;t want to come in with a whole lot of concepts and designs,&rdquo; Nash explained. &ldquo;When I played under Mike D&rsquo;Antoni, he let it evolve. We want to play fast, space the floor and incorporate philosophical thoughts that fit our group, but we&rsquo;ve spent recent time building our defense.&rdquo;
Udoka is one of the most respected assistant coaches in the NBA and he's expected to become a head coach at some point in the near future. After working on the San Antonio Spurs' coaching staff from 2012 to 2019, he left to serve as an assistant coach on the Philadelphia 76ers under Brett Brown (who also coached in San Antonio) last season.
The 43-year-old Udoka played for Gregg Popovich on the Spurs and then thrived under him as an assistant for seven years. Udoka is also close with many players around the NBA and LaMarcus Aldridge has said that he chose to join the Spurs when he was a free agent in 2015 in large part due to Udoka's pitch.
While Udoka was in San Antonio, he worked directly with Nets GM Sean Marks (who had various roles with the Spurs from 2013 to 2016, including assistant coach, director of basketball operations and assistant GM) and Vaughn (who was an assistant coach in San Antonio from 2010-2012 and a pro scout in 2015).
Vaughn was another great hire by the Nets. He was Brooklyn's interim coach last season and the Nets considered giving him the job permanently, but they ultimately decided to go with Nash instead. Vaughn was also a head coach for the Orlando Magic from 2012 to 2015.
While Nash's lack of experience has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-steve-nash-brooklyn-nets-james-posey-head-coach-hired-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-steve-kerr-search-sean-marks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a big topic of conversation recently</a>, these assistant coaches will certainly help him as he makes the transition to the sidelines.

Steve Nash is building quite the coaching staff in Brooklyn, adding Mike D'Antoni and Ime Udoka as assistant coaches.

Nets add Mike D'Antoni, Ime Udoka to staff

Amar'e Stoudemire has agreed to a deal to join the Brooklyn Nets as an assistant coach under new head coach and former teammate Steve Nash.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1319713978579324930" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania via Twitter</a>
ANALYSIS: The six-time All-Star played with Nash on the Phoenix Suns for six seasons, making the postseason in five of those six years. Stoudemire also spent five seasons with the New York Knicks and played short stints with the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. He will reportedly focus on player development in Brooklyn.&nbsp;

The former Suns All-Star will reunite with teammate and new Nets head coach Steve Nash.