Bobcats

The Atlanta Hawks are soaring to new heights this season, and their resurgence is turning heads on the national NBA scene. Long being a team stuck in the middle of the pack, Atlanta now appears poised to make a run as a potential darkhorse team in the East. This transformation is powered by franchise cornerstone Trae Young, the emergence of key players like Jalen Johnson, and a roster loaded with dynamic contributors who can defend, shoot, and thrive in high-stakes moments.
<h4>The Hawks' recent performance is breaking their cycle of being &lsquo;mid&rsquo;&nbsp;</h4>
Over the past five seasons, the Atlanta Hawks have epitomized being stuck in the middle, compiling a cumulative record of 175-169, which translates to a winning percentage of approximately .509. This period includes a standout 2020-21 season where the team finished 41-31, achieving a .569 winning percentage and making a notable playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, this success was bookended by seasons of underperformance, such as the 2017-18 campaign with a dismal 24-58 record (.293 winning percentage). Atlanta has hovered around 7th-10th seed in the East, and these fluctuations underscore the team's struggle to maintain consistent success, often finding themselves hovering around the .500 mark and failing to secure a strong foothold in the Eastern Conference.
This pattern of inconsistency has kept the Hawks in the league's middle tier, preventing them from breaking through as a formidable contender. The team's inability to string together consecutive winning seasons has been a significant barrier to establishing a lasting presence in the postseason. The 2020-21 season's deep playoff run appeared to signal a turning point, but subsequent seasons did not build upon that momentum, highlighting the challenges of sustaining high-level performance in the NBA.
In the context of the franchise's history, this recent stretch reflects a broader trend of fluctuating success. The Hawks have experienced periods of competitiveness interspersed with seasons of rebuilding, contributing to an all-time record that hovers around .500.&nbsp;
However, this historical backdrop sets the stage for the current season's resurgence, as the team aims to break free from past patterns and establish itself as a consistent force in the league.
<h4>The Hawks&rsquo; turnaround: Trae Young and capable pieces behind him&nbsp;</h4>
At the heart of Atlanta&rsquo;s recent success is Trae Young, a player whose brilliance has often been overshadowed by debates about his defensive limitations or the team&rsquo;s overall performance. Yet, this season, Young&rsquo;s play is demanding the league&rsquo;s attention. Averaging over 12 assists per game, Young is on pace to join John Stockton as the only players in NBA history to average that many assists across an entire season. His ability to orchestrate the offense with precision has not only elevated his teammates but also reintroduced him as one of the league&rsquo;s most watchable entertainers.
Young&rsquo;s court vision and flair for the dramatic have become must-watch television. Whether it&rsquo;s a no-look lob to teammates or a deep three from well beyond the arc, his highlight reel is a nightly reminder of his offensive genius. Yet, it&rsquo;s not just the flashy plays; it&rsquo;s the consistency with which he&rsquo;s delivering them. His recent performances in the NBA Cup have been a showcase of his ability to command the stage on a national level, further solidifying his reputation as a star built for big moments.
The Hawks&rsquo; deep run in the NBA Cup has been a perfect platform for the team to announce itself to a wider audience. In their quarterfinal victory over the New York Knicks, Young&rsquo;s 22-point, 11-assist performance was a masterclass in controlling tempo and exploiting defensive weaknesses. Atlanta&rsquo;s ability to thrive in this high-stakes environment speaks to the growth of its roster and the leadership of its star player.
More importantly, the NBA Cup has offered Young a chance to dispel lingering doubts about him being able to lead a team. Critics have often pointed to his inconsistency or questioned his ability of being a franchise cornerstone to lead a team to sustained success. But this year, Young&rsquo;s play has been a decisive rebuttal, showcasing a level of maturity and poise that suggests he&rsquo;s ready to take the Hawks to the next level.
<h4>The Hawks&rsquo; best roster in the Trae Young era</h4>
While Trae Young remains the centerpiece, the emergence of Jalen Johnson as a secondary star has been equally critical to Atlanta&rsquo;s resurgence. Johnson&rsquo;s unique skill set as a jumbo forward who can score, playmake, and shoot has added a new dimension to the Hawks&rsquo; offense. His ability to initiate plays and create mismatches has relieved pressure on Young and diversified the team&rsquo;s attack.
Players like Johnson, who can impact the game in multiple ways, are increasingly valuable in today&rsquo;s NBA. In many ways, Johnson&rsquo;s breakout is reminiscent of the rise of other versatile forwards who have become cornerstones for championship-caliber teams. For Atlanta, his development represents a critical step toward building a roster that can compete with the league&rsquo;s elite.
Another key to the Hawks&rsquo; success has been their improved defensive identity. Dyson Daniels, acquired in the offseason, has emerged as one of the league&rsquo;s premier point-of-attack defenders. His ability to rack up deflections and disrupt opposing offenses has provided Atlanta with a defensive anchor on the perimeter.
The frontcourt rotation of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu has also been instrumental. Both players excel as rim protectors and lob threats, perfectly complementing Young&rsquo;s playmaking. Meanwhile, rookie Zaccharie Risacher, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, is beginning to find his footing, contributing as a 6&rsquo;10&rdquo; forward with shooting range and defensive versatility.
Veterans like De&rsquo;Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović round out the roster, providing stability and experience off the bench. Hunter&rsquo;s ability to guard multiple positions and Bogdanović&rsquo;s scoring touch have been invaluable in close games, giving Atlanta a level of depth that&rsquo;s been lacking in recent years.
<h4>Introducing Atlanta on the national stage</h4>
The Hawks&rsquo; resurgence isn&rsquo;t just about winning games; it&rsquo;s about reestablishing themselves as a team to be reckoned with on the national stage. For years, Atlanta&rsquo;s potential has been a tantalizing but unrealized promise. This season, that promise is finally being fulfilled. With Trae Young leading the way, the Hawks have become one of the league&rsquo;s most exciting teams to watch, blending highlight-reel offense with a gritty, competitive edge.
This season presents a pivotal opportunity for Trae Young to reshape the narrative of his career, shifting from being viewed solely as a high-scoring guard with defensive flaws to a true leader who elevates those around him. For the Hawks, it&rsquo;s a chance to prove that their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run wasn&rsquo;t a one-time fluke but the beginning of a larger, sustained success. With Young guiding a rejuvenated roster, the Hawks aim to break free from their recent history of inconsistency and establish themselves as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference, securing a more prominent position on the national NBA stage.
As the NBA Cup and the regular season progresses, the Hawks' ability to maintain their current level of play will be pivotal in determining whether they can overcome the inconsistencies of the past and solidify their status as a rising power in the league. The journey toward consistent excellence is not without challenges, but the foundation being laid this season offers a promising glimpse into a brighter future for the franchise.

The Atlanta Hawks are soaring to new heights this season, and their resurgence is turning heads on the national NBA scene.

‘Atlanta’s Flight’: Led by Trae Young, the Hawks are soaring in their new era

Team USA players came inside the Kerry Sports basketball facility one by one, each sporting their preferred and comfortable gear from the blazing heat of the Philippine weather they were not so accustomed to. They were about to hold their first practices in Manila for the FIBA World Cup 2023, the sport&rsquo;s world championship meet.
Anthony Edwards was one of the last ones to enter the gym along with fellow NBA no.1 overall pick Paolo Banchero. He had his Adidas Adilette comfort slides put on with black Team USA jogger pants and an Adidas triple-colored hoodie. Edwards was fixated on his phone, walking past whispering reporters onto the team&rsquo;s huddle at center court, clearly being the center of attraction for the young Team USA squad.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s who they call the Ant-Man.&rdquo;
Once upon a time, Edwards&rsquo; name was held in a much lower regard. The 22-year-old is considered to be one of the best and brightest young players in the league but has yet to establish himself as one of the staples and premier superstars with an iconic and deep playoff performance that cements him in that tier.
Until these playoffs.
Edwards has separated himself from the pack of young superstars leading their teams and entered the upper echelon of basketball royalty in the NBA. With the league anticipating the &lsquo;changing of the guard&rsquo; as current faces LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant eventually diminish their shining glories as the league&rsquo;s best of the best, Edwards comes in as one of the hopefuls to take the mantle when that inevitable day comes.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been saying that he (Edwards) is the face of the league but he hates it when I say it &ndash; but it&rsquo;s true. The future&rsquo;s so bright you gotta put the sunglasses on when you&rsquo;re walking around him,&rdquo; Karl-Anthony Towns said, in their post-game interview after their first-round series with the&nbsp;Phoenix Suns.
Edwards glanced briefly at Towns, who was beside him at the podium. He had that little smile on his face while bowing down his head as his teammate praised him in front of the listening reporters. He looked at Towns again, this time shaking his head in disbelief, but it had the element of confidence. There was obviously a focus on what Towns was talking about but with Edwards&rsquo; elite level-headedness through it all.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re a young superstar in the league and you have to face it,&rdquo; the statement emphasized on Edwards as he&rsquo;s trying to soak it all in.
Ever since Edwards has been adamant about not calling himself anything until he wins in the playoffs. Now that his Wolves beat the Suns to win the franchise&rsquo;s first playoff series since 2004, Edwards certainly has all the right in the world to give himself even the tiniest bit of praise.
He thought for a good three seconds, glancing at the reporter and the horizon for a moment. He was just asked if he was now able to give himself some grace in that regard when people call him that &lsquo;young superstar&rsquo; label. A small grin emerged onto his face, clearly oozing with confidence albeit a controlled one. He looked back with that smile on his face while nodding, he said:
&ldquo;Nah, not yet a man. Not yet.&rdquo;
Behind this usual brash, confident, and charismatic Edwards is a hungry side that never gets contented and satisfied until he achieves his ultimate goal: winning a championship. Maybe he&rsquo;ll have the guts to call himself one when they reach the Finals and end up going all the way. But that remains to be seen.
He&rsquo;s got the swagger, the personality, and the charisma to be marketable by the league. Edwards mentioned wanting to go kill everybody that&rsquo;s in front of him, and boy, he did.&nbsp;
Edwards swept the Suns featuring his childhood idol and favorite player of all time Kevin Durant, who he has been jawing back and forth at several times in the series. This was him going at his childhood hero, taking on the challenge and never backing down. However, the play of the series happened in Game 4 when Minnesota was trying to put the nail in the coffin for Phoenix.&nbsp;
With 2:18 left on the clock in the 4th quarter, Edwards blew by Beal and rose through the air as high as he could. Durant made the right business decision by not going up together with a rampaging bull as he should For a brief moment, he looked like the second coming of a certain Michael Jordan &ndash; yet again &ndash; after he&rsquo;s been labeled as such throughout the course of the season after each jaw-dropping spectacular play. Edwards threw down a ferocious poster slam dunk that might have literally blown the roof over the Footprint Center as the play signaled the beginning of the end for the Suns.
Durant and Edwards will play together in Team USA in August for the Paris Olympics, and these two for sure would go head to head making their practice sessions much more interesting. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s definitely a good feeling because he&rsquo;s my favorite player of all time, and I can tell him that I was the one who sent him home. It&rsquo;s gonna be a fun summer for sure,&rdquo; Edwards said.
First game of the Western Conference Finals and up against the Nuggets, Edwards scored a playoff career-high 43 points. He dissected their entire defense, scoring in all types of ways imaginable for a superstar. Edwards hit threes, blown by some of the toughest defenders in the NBA Aaron Gordon, and hit fadeaway mid-range jumpers reminiscent of Jordan. More importantly, Edwards displayed the level of maturity a superstar has to make in the playoffs &ndash; playing off of your teammates and playmaking for the entire team. He has done it so far with relative ease and that&rsquo;s why the Timberwolves have found their early success in this postseason.
He&rsquo;s doing it against supposedly their biggest challenge &ndash; the defending champions &ndash; who sent them home a year ago. &ldquo;Last year we didn&rsquo;t have Jaden (McDaniels) and Naz (Reid) against them so it was quite frustrating. Now that we have both I think we can definitely do better,&rdquo; Edwards said about their biggest thing in this rematch series vs Denver is being healthy.
Before the season started, Edwards was this up-and-coming 22-year-old star leading his nation at the World Championships for a chance at glory. Although the Americans ended up not medalling after losing to eventual world champions Germany in the semifinals and to neighboring Canada in the third-place game, Edwards was clearly the best player on the team filled with young American talent. He led Team USA in scoring, and at 22 years old, this was only the start of a big year ahead.
Edwards then was the clear-cut best player for the third-best team in the West, with Minnesota having a 56-26 record. Those 56 wins were the most since 2004 when they had 58 and went to the Western Conference Finals. They were led back then by legend Kevin Garnett but that was also their last time seeing the playoffs.&nbsp;
20 years later, Edwards is now shouldering all the burden by taking this Wolves team back to relevance, basking in all the glory he&rsquo;s worked so hard to attain. He&rsquo;s one of the bonafide young rising superstars in the league, and he intends to take them all the way.
Edwards&rsquo; huge season and ascension to superstardom could be attributed back to something you see coming even from a mile away. And it all started in that summer lengthy yet productive summer in 2023.
While most players use their summers to recuperate, have a vacation somewhere, and spend time with families and loved ones, Edwards took a privileged yet opportunistic route: play with the National Team at the FIBA World Cup. Usually, NBA superstars all express their willingness to play with the National Team at the Olympics. For no definite reason, somehow the FIBA World Cup does not seem appealing to play for the older/senior superstar guys, so it&rsquo;s usually the juniors/young guys who represent Team USA. Anthony Edwards took up that challenge and became the best player for the team and in turn, he&rsquo;s reaping the benefits of it in the playoffs.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve put in work this summer. Big shoutout to the USA team, man. They got me ready for the season.&rdquo;
That killer mentality that Edwards has is something that&rsquo;s never seen often and has been with only a select few in the history of the game, particularly Jordan and Lakers great Kobe Bryant. Behind all that bold and tough personality, however, is a side of himself that genuinely enjoys playing with his teammates.
When asked about the prospect of having his Wolves&rsquo; teammates, the first thing out of his mouth was how he was excited to meet them while playing for their respective countries (Rudy Gobert for France, Karl-Anthony Towns for Dominican Republic, Kyle Anderson for China, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker for Canada). He looked forward to playing against them, citing how much fun he would have once it happened.
Despite his clear burgeoning superstardom, however,&nbsp; Edwards still deflected every credit thrown towards him. When asked what he feels as one of the guys being billed as one of the next faces of the league, Edwards dismissed the idea faster than a Math teacher dispersing students after giving out a tough assignment due &ndash;&nbsp; immediately answering without hesitation that he does not make anything of it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just gonna keep working, man. I make nothing of it, yeah. I just hope that I keep getting better.&rdquo;
It was clear all along among all the people in the gym that fateful day: Edwards had the most aura out of them all. It was just oozing, something you can feel when you&rsquo;re around certain people. It&rsquo;s kind of intimidating, but only to a certain extent. You can just feel the energy brewing and that certain look when you come across one of the ones. The underlying factor before the season was Minnesota only having five national TV games all season long. With most of their games out of the eyes of the majority, Edwards assured one thing going into the season sternly and convincingly.
&ldquo;We just gonna try to keep playing, man. We&rsquo;re not really worried about the national TV games. As long as we win, we&rsquo;ll be on TV when we make it into the playoffs. The world will know about us.&rdquo;
As their playoff mantra suggests, the Timberwolves have been waiting for this moment since 2004. From the annals of the great Kevin Garnett&rsquo;s era to ushering this new one paved by superstar-in-the-making, young Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves have arrived.

The underlying factor before the season was Minnesota only having five national TV games all season despite having Anthony Edwards.

‘WOLVES BACK’: Anthony Edwards introduces the Timberwolves back to the world

Today, the NBA and FIBA announced 80 of the top high-school-age prospects from across Africa who will participate in the 19th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa, which will be held July 28-31 at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) in South Africa.
BWB Africa 2023 will bring together 80 boys and girls from more than 25 African countries &ndash; including 19 NBA Academy Africa and NBA Academy Women&rsquo;s Camp Africa 2022 prospects &ndash; to learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and compete alongside their peers from across the continent.&nbsp;
The campers will be coached by two-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat; U.S.; ties to Nigeria), 2022 NBA All-Star Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers; U.S.), 2022 NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors; Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic; U.S.).
Five current and former NBA head coaches will also serve as BWB Africa 2023 coaches: Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff; two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Nigeria Men&rsquo;s National Team head coach and Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown; 2018 NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey (most recently with the Detroit Pistons); Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham; and veteran NBA coach Dave Joerger (most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers).
Several former NBA and WNBA players will also serve as BWB Africa 2023 coaches, including 2015 FIBA AfroBasket champion Olumide Oyedeji (Nigeria), 2011 NBA champion Ian Mahinmi (France; ties Benin), former NBA player and Basketball Africa League Head of League Operations Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje (Cameroon), former NBA player Tacko Fall (Senegal), 2003 WNBA champion Astou Ndiaye (Senegal), two-time WNBA champion Taj McWilliams-Franklin, four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes and Mozambique basketball legend Clarisse Machanguana.&nbsp;
Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman, Team President and Alternate NBA Governor Masai Ujiri; New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin; and Portland Trail Blazers Assistant General Manager Mike Schmitz will serve as camp directors, while David Crewe and Frank Adams (Phoenix Suns) will serve as the camp&rsquo;s athletic trainers.
The players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, 5-on-5 games, and life skills and leadership development sessions.&nbsp;&nbsp;A ceremony on the final day of the camp will award the Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, the B.J. Johnson Most Improved Player Award, the Three-Point Champion and the Defensive MVP to the boys and girls who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders.
As part of the camp, NBA players and coaches will also participate in several community outreach initiatives around Johannesburg, including a hospital visit and a Her Time to Play seminar for the female campers on July 28, and a court unveiling in the Alexandra Township on Saturday, July 29.&nbsp; In addition, BWB Africa 2023 coaches will lead a development clinic for local coaches at AISJ on July 30.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Also on July 29, select&nbsp;NBA players&nbsp;will visit the NBA Store at Sandton City Mall in Johannesburg and engage with fans.
BWB Africa 2023 will be supported by Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear, and Gatorade, which will keep players and coaches hydrated throughout the camp.
BWB has reached more than 4,100 participants from 136 countries and territories since 2001, with 112 former campers advancing to the NBA or WNBA.&nbsp; The NBA and FIBA have staged 70 BWB camps in 47 cities across 32 countries on six continents.
The following is a complete list of players participating in the 19th&nbsp;BWB Africa camp (rosters subject to change):
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 447px;" width="447">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 403px;" colspan="2">
GIRLS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Name
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Country
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Ines Bellahmer
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Algeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Filomena Luis
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Guigma Sadia
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Burkina Faso
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Gisele Kipo*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Cameroon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Hannah Dibadjou
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Cameroon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Salma Khedr*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Leila El Sanadily
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Aisha Hassan
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Lucie Mounganga
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Gabon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Fatoumata Sylla
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Guinea
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Roseline Ooko
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Kenya
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Harena Randriamasimanana
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Madagascar
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Fitahiana Ratsimason
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Madagascar
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Joanie Rakotonanahary
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Madagascar
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Fatoumata Samake*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mali
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Oumou Soumare
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mali
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Aya El Kallali*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Morocco
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Albertina Matsinhe*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mozambique
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Bata Lurdes*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mozambique
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Shanaya Matusse*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mozambique
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Joy Biribebe
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Benitha Ngarambe
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Rwanda
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Jane Dusabe
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Rwanda
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Fatou Sima
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Marie Diouf
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Ndickou Matar Diop*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Tacko Sy
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Sheriffa Rahman
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Sierra Leone
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Onnetse Molokwame
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Luhle Ndaba
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Reneilwe Motebele
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Susan Peter
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Asunta Ring
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Nawasa Lazaro
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Tanzania
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Ibouanga Moussounda
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Togo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Arwa Ghorbel*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Eya Nasri
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Afef Bengoula
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Christine Namyalo
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Uganda
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Immaculate Adongpiny
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Uganda
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Participated in NBA Academy Women&rsquo;s Camp Africa 2022
&nbsp;
<table width="447">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 418.75px;" colspan="2" width="447">
BOYS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Name
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Country
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Aginaldo Neto*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Manuel Camboma*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Inacio Anatoli Da Silva
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Claudino Capangaa
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Sansao Wika
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Philippe Ntungicimpaye
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Burundi
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Arnold Eyadi Kenfack
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Cameroon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Hermann Bel Gassina
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Cameroon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Chris Naguidebe
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Central African Republic
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Tahir Doungous*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Chad
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Zie Cheikh Conde
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Tarek Khairy
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Ahmed Nedale
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Karim El Gizawi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Courage Agbekpornu
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Ghana
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Kiggundu Austin Omondi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Kenya
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Chouhaybou Keita
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Mali
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Mahamadou Konate
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Mali
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Hamza Bechchar
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Morocco
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Bolaji Oderinlo
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Sultan Baruwa
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Ibrahim Dan-Mutum
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Jonah Precious
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Ezekiel Obe*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Andre Bonazebi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Republic of Congo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Jude Fred Nkouka Silaho
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Republic of Congo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Khadim Mboup*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Assane Mandian*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Yakhya Diop*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Amar Diop*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Mouhamed Camara
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Siyanda Radebe
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Gilchrist Storm
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Khaman Maluach*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Moses Marial Mandiria
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Bol Wieu Mou Thet
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Lual Deng Lual Aguek
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Rayen Rouissi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Amen Hammi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Liberty Fusire*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Zimbabwe
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*NBA Academy Africa prospect

Bam Adebayo, Darius Garland, Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Suggs will coach 80 top high-school-age prospects from across Africa.

Adebayo, Garland, Kuminga, Suggs to coach prospects at BWB Africa 2023

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, headed to San Antonio with enormous expectations to become basketball&rsquo;s newest sensation.
The selection of the 19-year-old from France that had been a foregone conclusion for months was announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, followed by chants of &ldquo;Wemby! Wemby&rdquo; from a group of Spurs fans waving signs from the first row of seats.
Wembanyama arrives with far more height and hype than most No. 1 picks. Listed at 7-foot-4, he dominated his French league in his final season there, leading all players in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
Now he makes the move to the NBA, perhaps as the best prospect since LeBron James came out of high school in 2003. Wembanyama brings a package of skills that seem perfect for the modern NBA and too vast for one player, with the size of a center and the shooting and ballhandling ability of a guard.
&ldquo;Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver, I&rsquo;ve dreamed of it so much,&rdquo; Wembanyama said, tears in his eyes as he left the stage with his Spurs cap on and hugged his siblings. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got to cry.&rdquo;
Wembanyama was the center of attention throughout the draft process and sat in the middle of the green room &mdash; for the short time he was there, anyway. He smiled for young fans who screamed &ldquo;Victor!&rdquo; as he walked around the arena, even encouraging one to throw him a basketball that he signed and tossed back up into the stands.
The Charlotte Hornets took Alabama freshman forward Brandon Miller with the No. 2 pick.
Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite, whose bling-filled jacket stood in sharp contrast to Wembanyama&rsquo;s solid green look, was the No. 3 pick by the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was during a two-game series between teams featuring Wembanyama and Henderson last October in Las Vegas that Wembanyama solidified himself as the main man in this draft, scoring 37 and 36 points in front of scouts and some future opponents.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1672036147663613952?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">His highlights</a>, such as a follow dunk of his own missed 3-pointer, became can&rsquo;t-miss content for basketball fans during the past season.
Wembanyama is the Spurs&rsquo; third No. 1 pick and the first since Tim Duncan in 1997, which led to a stretch of five NBA championships through 2014 before they struggled in recent seasons.
He became the first international player drafted No. 1 without playing any college basketball since Andrea Bargnani in 2006.
Draft history was made with the Nos. 4 and 5 picks. Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson of Overtime Elite became the first brothers to be selected in the top 10 of the same draft, with Amen going to the Houston Rockets and Ausar following to the Detroit Pistons.
Anthony Black of Arkansas was taken sixth by Orlando, ending the run of three straight players who hadn&rsquo;t gone to college. But then it was right back to the international ranks when Indiana picked Bilal Coulibaly, Wembanyama&rsquo;s teammate with Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 whose stock soared in the postseason as the team reached the finals in the Pro A League.

Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, headed to the Spurs with huge expectations to become the NBA's next sensation.

Victor Wembanyama is No. 1 pick in NBA draft, with huge expectations

Here&rsquo;s a rarity: All five teams from one division are going to the NBA playoffs.
And they pulled that off in a year where a division champion almost didn&rsquo;t get there.
All five teams from the Pacific Division &mdash; Sacramento, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers &mdash; have made the playoffs, which start Saturday.
But Miami, the champion of the Southeast Division, almost missed out. The Heat got there Friday night by closing on a 15-1 run to beat Chicago 102-91 in the final Eastern Conference play-in game.
Had the Heat lost, it would have been the first time in NBA history that a division winner wasn&rsquo;t going to the playoffs.
On the other end of the spectrum, the whole-division-goes feat had happened only two other times since the NBA went to the six-division, five-teams-in-each format starting with the 2004-05 season.
The Central Division did it in 2006, and the Southwest Division pulled it off in 2015. It almost happened in the Northwest Division in 2018 when Denver missed the playoffs by a game. And the Atlantic Division had a chance to send all its teams this year if Toronto gotten out of the play-in tournament.
PLAY IN TO PLAY ON
The play-in tournament provided a path for Miami, Minnesota, the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta to make the playoffs.
And now, they&rsquo;ll try to go from playing in to playing on.
No team has managed that yet.
Granted, there&rsquo;s only been three previous versions of a play-in tournament, but no team has gone from the extra round in between the regular season and playoffs and gotten an actual postseason series win.
In 2020, Portland (which beat Memphis in a one-game play-in round inside the restart bubble) lost 4-1 to the top-seeded Lakers.
In 2021, the Lakers (4-2 to Phoenix), Memphis (4-1 to Utah), Boston (4-1 to Brooklyn) and Washington (4-1 to Philadelphia) were all ousted in Round 1.
And last year, Minnesota (4-2 to Memphis), New Orleans (4-2 to Phoenix), Atlanta (4-1 to Miami) and Brooklyn (4-0 to Boston) also lost their opening series after qualifying through the play-in.
2 TO 1
Golden State did something unusual last season. It finished second in the Pacific Division &mdash; and first in the NBA.
That&rsquo;s a serious break from the norm.
From 2012 through 2021, every team to make the NBA Finals did so after winning a division championship. The 2011 Dallas Mavericks had been the most recent team not to win its division but make the finals; they won the title that season.
The Warriors did it last season, also winning the title.
This season&rsquo;s division champions: Boston, Milwaukee, Miami, Denver, Sacramento and Memphis. History suggests that two of those six teams would be the wise picks for those forecasting who&rsquo;ll make the finals.
SEASON OF COMEBACKS
Playoffs might not have looked likely for a bunch of teams in the early going of the season.
Philadelphia started 0-3, Sacramento started 0-4, Brooklyn was 1-5, Golden State was 3-7, the Los Angeles Clippers opened 2-4, Minnesota was 5-8, Miami was 7-11 &mdash; and the Los Angeles Lakers were 2-10, a level of bad start that few teams have been able to overcome.
The Lakers are just the 15th team in NBA history to start 0-5 and make the postseason. And only four teams were worse than 2-10 after 12 games and still made the playoffs. Last season&rsquo;s New Orleans Pelicans started 1-11 and got there, as did the 1967-68 Chicago Bulls and 1984-85 Cleveland Cavaliers.
But the undisputed bad-start-and-made-playoffs-anyway kings are the 1996-97 Phoenix Suns. They started 0-13, wound up finishing 40-42, held a 2-1 series lead over top-seeded Seattle in the best-of-five opening round, then fell in five games.
WINS MILESTONE
Golden State teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have both appeared in 102 playoff victories.
That&rsquo;s tied for 25th-best all-time, and they could keep climbing the charts this spring.
They&rsquo;re currently two wins behind Danny Green; three behind Dwyane Wade and Dennis Johnson; five behind Bill Russell, Robert Parish and Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala; and six behind No. 18 John Havlicek.
If the Warriors win another title and Thompson and Green appear in all 16 victories, they&rsquo;d then have 118 apiece &mdash; one fewer than Michael Jordan.
The Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; LeBron James enters these playoffs as the career leader in postseason wins, with 174. Phoenix&rsquo;s Kevin Durant needs five to get to 100, and Warriors guard Stephen Curry has 93.
ON THE ROAD
Going &ldquo;on the road&rdquo; in these playoffs will be a relative term in some cases.
By driving distance, some of them are pretty close. Only 85 miles or so separates the arenas used by Golden State and Sacramento, and it&rsquo;s about 100 miles between the arenas in Philadelphia and Brooklyn.
Phoenix and the Los Angeles Clippers play 375 miles apart, while New York and Cleveland are separated by 450 miles, which is still no more than about an hour by air. The rest of the matchups are a bit longer &mdash; it&rsquo;s 850 miles or so between Minnesota and Denver, 1,100 between Boston and Atlanta, almost 1,500 between Miami and Milwaukee and just over 1,800 between Memphis and the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; home floor.
THE WAIT IS OVER
Sacramento&rsquo;s last playoff game was May 5, 2006. That was 12 Kings coaches ago.
A look at some of the other numbers:
&mdash; The Kings played 1,358 games in that span.
&mdash; They used 184 different players.
&mdash; They scored 142,294 points, with DeMarcus Cousins having the most in that span with 9,894.
&mdash; They went 515-843.
&mdash; There will have been 1,384 playoff games in the league between Sacramento&rsquo;s last playoff game and by the time the Kings and Golden State tip off in Game 1 on Saturday. All 29 other teams played at least 11 playoff games in that span; Boston has the most with 201, and the Celtics and Miami have a league-high 108 playoff wins apiece over that stretch.
INSIDE THE STANDINGS
If the 16 playoff teams had their own league this season, with only the games against one another counting, then the Boston Celtics would be feeling pretty confident right about now.
The Celtics had the best record against fellow playoff qualifiers this season, going 27-15. That just edged out Denver, which went 26-15 against playoff-bound teams during the regular season.
Boston&rsquo;s average point differential against playoff-bound teams per game is also better than any other postseason club. The Celtics outscored playoff teams, on average, by 5.6 points per game.
The rest of the records by playoff qualifiers against one another during the regular season: Milwaukee 26-16, Philadelphia 26-16, Minnesota 22-20, Memphis 21-20, New York 22-21, Miami 21-21, Phoenix 21-23, Sacramento 19-24, Golden State 19-24, Cleveland 18-23, the Los Angeles Clippers 18-24, Brooklyn 18-24, the Los Angeles Lakers 17-25, and Atlanta 16-26.
WARRIORS&rsquo; ROAD WOES
Golden State has won a road game in 27 consecutive playoff series, an NBA record and obviously a major reason why the Warriors have four of the last eight championships.
They&rsquo;ll need to rekindle that road magic.
The Warriors &mdash; who don&rsquo;t have home-court advantage in Round 1 against Sacramento, so they&rsquo;ll need at least one road win to have a chance in the series &mdash; went 3-19 against playoff teams away from home this season.
The last time any playoff team was that bad on the road during the regular season against other eventual playoff qualifiers was 2004. Denver was 2-20 entering those playoffs in road games against fellow postseason clubs that season, and Miami was 3-19.
PLAYOFF POOL
The NBA&rsquo;s postseason playoff pool is up nearly $10 million from last year. This year, the 16 playoff teams will divide up $26,969,000.
Every team is assured of at least $402,493 for making the playoffs. The payouts increase considerably as teams advance, and the teams with the best six records in each conference get more money as well.
Milwaukee has already clinched $1,860,950 from the pool &mdash; $777,777 for having the best record in the NBA and another $680,680 for having the best record in the Eastern Conference. If the Bucks win the title, their share of the pool would soar to $7,907,335.
Last year&rsquo;s pool was $17,317,334.

The NBA Playoffs tip off on Saturday, so here's everything you need to know.

What to know entering the NBA playoffs, which start Saturday

Here's the list of NCAA players who have as of April 6 filed for consideration as a candidate for the 2023 WNBA Draft

2023 WNBA Draft: Full list of prospects who have entered

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Certainly, Jim Nantz could fill an evening weaving tales of the great games and buzzer-beaters he&rsquo;s had the privilege to see, and call, over a storytelling career that made his the voice of March Madness for nearly four decades.
But when asked about his favorite moments as he prepared for the 354th and final game of that journey &mdash; Monday&rsquo;s title game &mdash; he brought up Delaware State.
The Hornets were a 16 seed when they made what is still their only NCAA appearance back in 2005. They were going against Duke in a first-round game hardly anyone remembers now. Nantz was certain he&rsquo;d see those Duke players again.
&ldquo;But those Delaware State kids, they&rsquo;re on CBS, and I envisioned that someday, they&rsquo;re going to have the VHS tape to be able to show their grandchildren and say &lsquo;I played in the NCAA Tournament,&lsquo;&rdquo; Nantz said during a courtside conversation with The Associated Press the day before the start of his last Final Four. &ldquo;This tournament is their &lsquo;forever.&rsquo; I always wanted to make sure that I do justice to their story.&rdquo;
The 63-year-old traces his own path to the announcer&rsquo;s table to when he was 9 and living in New Orleans. His dad took him to his first college basketball game.&nbsp;
Working the sideline was a bear of a coach who had a red, polka-dotted towel draped across his shoulder. About 10 years later, that coach, Guy Lewis of the Houston Cougars, would give Nantz, who played golf at the school, a job as the public-address guy for home games at Hofheinz Pavillion. A year after that, Nantz was still living in the dorms at UH when Lewis asked him to host his coach&rsquo;s show.
Nantz&rsquo;s might very well be the voice American sports fans know best. He has guided them through six Super Bowls on CBS and walked with them among the towering pines at the Masters since 1986, when Jack Nicklaus won his sixth green jacket. He&rsquo;ll continue on those assignments for the foreseeable future, but this 37th run through March Madness will be his last.
Some said it might have been perfect if his alma mater, which came into the tournament as a No. 1 seed, was playing in its hometown in the final game of Nantz&rsquo;s basketball journey. That didn&rsquo;t happen, but Nantz believes there&rsquo;s something fitting about a Final Four that came out of the blue like this, with three schools that had never been this far before, and no team seeded better than No. 4 UConn.
He has always loved the underdog tales.
&ldquo;Storytelling paradise,&rdquo; Nantz called it.
It&rsquo;s been wild, emotional and a little awkward for a man who concedes he likes to tell the stories, not be part of them.
He got a key to the city Friday. Two streets on an intersection outside the stadium were renamed &ldquo;Jim Nantz Way&rdquo; and &ldquo;Hello Friends Boulevard.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Hello Friends&rdquo; is the comfy-as-a-slipper welcome he coined about 20 years ago. It gives Nantz a moment to connect with the audience and think of his dad, who passed away in 2008 after a long bout with Alzheimer&rsquo;s. The Nantz National Alzheimer&rsquo;s Center is based in Houston.
Nantz&rsquo;s welcome-in message to the telecasts might be planned. Other things aren&rsquo;t.
His call of Saturday&rsquo;s buzzer-beating shot by San Diego State&rsquo;s Lamont Butler in the semifinals &mdash; Nantz estimates he&rsquo;s had 20-something such last-second winners over his years in the tournament &mdash; plays back like a master class in what his job should be: simple, urgent, much more about the moment than the person talking about it.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s Butler. With two seconds. He&rsquo;s gotta put it up. Aaand. He wins it! He wins it! With the jumper!&rdquo; Then, five seconds of silence, followed by, &ldquo;A San Diego State miracle!&rdquo;
Speaking of miracles, there&rsquo;s another announcer who made a name for himself by talking about one. Shortly after this interview was over and Nantz had started talking to some well-wishers, he lifted up his phone and smiled as he showed it to a few folks standing nearby: Al Michaels was calling.
Though many might consider Nantz and the 78-year-old Michaels as contemporaries, there was a sense of the unfiltered excitement Nantz felt about receiving that call. And it gave a glimpse as to why, even after all this time, he has such a strong bond with the millions of people who tune in. In some ways, he&rsquo;s just like us.
Moments earlier, Nantz had recalled hosting the Final Four studio show from the Kingdome in Seattle in 1989 when Magic Johnson popped by for a visit on the set. As Magic and Nantz, both 30 at the time, sat in the corner of the arena, watching the final seconds of the Michigan-Seton Hall title game tick down, the announcer asked Johnson if he ever stopped to soak in everything and reflect on the wonder of all he&rsquo;d been part of.
&ldquo;He nods and just says, &lsquo;All the time,&rsquo;&rdquo; Nantz said. &ldquo;And today, I think about that. I&rsquo;ve had the best seat in the house at the Super Bowl or the Masters or here for my whole career. And I&rsquo;ve never gotten over the fact that I&rsquo;m the one who&rsquo;s blessed with the chance to lend a voice to it, and to tell the story.&rdquo;

It’s been wild, emotional and a little awkward for Jim Nantz, who concedes he likes to tell the stories, not be part of them.

Jim Nantz bids a fond farewell to March Madness

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2023, including several high-profile, first-time nominees including Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade and the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women&rsquo;s Basketball Team. &nbsp; A first look at the list of eligible nominees was provided by &ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; on ESPN; the complete list of eligible candidates can be found below. &nbsp; Finalists from the North American and Women&rsquo;s committee for the Class of 2023 will be announced on February 17, at 5:30 p.m. ET in Salt Lake City, Utah, during NBA All-Star Weekend. &nbsp; The entire Class of 2023, including those selected by the direct-elect committees, will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Houston, Texas, on April 1, in a nationally televised broadcast at 11 a.m. EST.
NORTH AMERICAN NOMINATIONS &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ken Anderson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Beilein (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Bess (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Chauncey Billups (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Chambers (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Clougherty (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Cooper (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joey Crawford (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Curran (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mark Eaton (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cliff Ellis (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Finley (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pau Gasol (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leonard Hamilton (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lou Henson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ed Hightower (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; David Hixon (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mark Jackson (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marques Johnson (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Keady (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Larranaga (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Maurice Lucas (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Shawn Marion (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rollie Massimino (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Motta (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dirk Nowitzki (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jake O&rsquo;Donnell (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tony Parker (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Phelan (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gregg Popovich (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bo Ryan (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Stan Spirou (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Reggie Theus (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dwyane Wade (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Buck Williams (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Williamson (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paul Westhead (COA)
WOMEN&rsquo;S NOMINATIONS &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leta Andrews (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jennifer Azzi (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gary Blair (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Doug Bruno (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Becky Hammon (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Becky Martin (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Debbie Miller-Palmore (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kim Mulkey (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valerie Still (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marian Washington (COA) &nbsp; INTERNATIONAL DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jackie Chazalon &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mirza Delibasic &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dusan Ivkovic &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Semen Khalipski &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vladimir Kondrashin &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Eduardo Lamas &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marcos Leite &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Shimon Mirrahi &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Amaury Pasos &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Manuel Sainz &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Togo Soares &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ranko Zeravica &nbsp; WOMEN&rsquo;S VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1976 US Olympic Team (TEA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team (TEA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alline Banks Sprouse (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Edmonton Commercial Grads (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Head (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Yolanda Laney (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Nashville Business College (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lometa Odom (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Harley Redin (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hazel Walker (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valerie Walker (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dean Weese (COA)*
CONTRIBUTOR DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pete Babcock &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Baumgartner &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Henry Bibby &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marty Blake &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vic Bubas &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Doug Collins &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wayne Duke &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bill Foster &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob Gibbons &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Simon Gourdine &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tim Grgurich &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Junius Kellogg &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Johnny &ldquo;Red&rdquo; Kerr &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Konchalski &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bobby Lewis &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fred McCall &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack McCloskey &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jon McGlocklin &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Speedy Morris &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dennis Murphy &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Curly Neal &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Powers &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Will Robinson &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Shue &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Valvano &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Donnie Walsh &nbsp; VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1936 US Olympic Team (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1972 US Olympic Team (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Barnett (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Blackburn (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sid Borgia (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Brown (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Freddie Brown (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Coleman (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Eckman (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leroy Edwards (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leo Ferris (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hy Gotkin (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Travis Grant (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Hartman (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cam Henderson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Robert Hopkins (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Keinath (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Greg Kelser (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968, 1969 (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob Love (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Loyola of Chicago (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Billy Markward (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ed McCluskey (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack McKinney (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bill Melchionni (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Francis Meehan (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lucias Mitchell (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Donald &ldquo;Dudey&rdquo; Moore (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joe Mullaney (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Willie Naulls (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; North Catholic High School Junior Varsity (Philadelphia, PA) (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Don Otten (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Philadelphia SPHAS (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin Porter (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Glenn Roberts (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lennie Rosenbluth (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kenny Sailors (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fred Schaus (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sam Schulman (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paul Silas (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Van Arsdale (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Van Arsdale (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lambert Will (CONT)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Max Zaslofsky (PLA)

Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich and Dwyane Wade are among the candidates for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Basketball Hall of Fame announces candidates for Class of 2023

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Steph Curry had 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Jordan Poole pitched in 24 points off the bench and the Golden State Warriors used a 47-point first quarter to spark a 137-114 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
Klay Thompson went 5 for 8 from deep for 21 points and tied Joe Johnson (1,978) for 15th place on the NBA's career list for 3-pointers made for the Warriors, who raised their perplexing road record to 2-9. They&rsquo;ve won five of their last six games overall and eight of 11.
Draymond Green had his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 assists. Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points against his old team for the Warriors, who went 2 for 12 from 3-point range in the second quarter and still led by 20 points at the half.
Anthony Edwards scored 26 points for the Wolves, who were outrebounded 47-31 and allowed their highest opponent score of the season.
After the third quarter turned into casual outside shooting practice for both teams, the Wolves finally came to life early in the fourth quarter. A 19-4 run capped by a 3-pointer from Edwards brought them within 10 points, their closest margin since midway through the first quarter.
Curry missed his first three shots after re-entering at the 8:25 mark. After the Warriors called timeout to stem the tide he swished a 3 from the wing to push the lead to 121-108.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and Jaylen Nowell had 16 points off the bench for the Wolves, who are working through a lot of bad habits on both ends of the court &mdash; like standing around on the perimeter on offense. That trait is made more stark playing against an actively passing and cutting team like the Warriors.
The Wolves lost for the second time in two days after their five-game winning streak was stopped with a loss at Charlotte on Saturday.
The Wolves and Warriors have plenty of runway to get rolling on after their sluggish starts to the season. This game made clear the defending NBA champion Warriors are further along.
The Wolves played without Jaden McDaniels, their best perimeter defender who was sidelined by an illness, against a Warriors team that leads the league with 13 games of 30-plus assists and has long been the league king of the 3.
Wiggins started with a <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1596970716179464192">soaring left-handed slam</a> off a lob from Green, a signal just 12 seconds into the game that the Wolves were going to have their hands full. The Warriors made 17 of their first 21 shots for a 40-17 lead, built by a 28-4 run over a 4:27 stretch that Nowell finally halted with his first of consecutive 3-pointers off the bench. The 47-27 deficit after one quarter was the biggest for the Wolves this season.
The Warriors also ended a six-game losing streak in Minnesota that spanned more than 3&frac12; years. Their last win at Target Center was on March 19, 2019.
BODY CLOCK
The Timberwolves played their first of four home afternoon games this season, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr sounded wistful for his playing days when more matinees were on the schedule and the NBA on NBC theme song was the main soundtrack.
&ldquo;It makes for a more normal existence. You have dinner at a normal hour, get to bed at a normal hour, so I enjoy them,&rdquo; Kerr said.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State posted the second-highest first-quarter total in the NBA this season, according to Sportradar data. New York had 48 points in a loss to Oklahoma City on Nov. 13. ... The Warriors had a 36-22 edge in assists and have 30 or more in seven of their last eight games.
Timberwolves: Austin Rivers drew his first start of the season in McDaniels' spot. He had five points in 29 minutes. ... Backup PG Jordan McLaughlin (calf strain) was sidelined for the third straight game and backup SF Taurean Prince (shoulder subluxation) was out for the second game in a row.

Steph Curry had 25 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 137-114 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Steph Curry, Warriors cruise to 137-114 win over Timberwolves

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

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

In the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; 104-94 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals, a few themes prevailed, powering them one win shy of their fourth title in eight seasons. Broadly, the formula was an elite defense once again reminding everyone that Boston is not the lone menacing unit in the Finals, along with timely shot-making and star-powered contributions.&nbsp;
Rather than laser in on a singular storyline and highlight every play connected to it, let&rsquo;s touch on an assortment of different sequences that help summarize all of these prevailing themes.&nbsp;
1. Draymond Green&rsquo;s renewed offense
Draymond Green&rsquo;s offense has justifiably drawn prominent ire in this series. Prior to Game 5, he recorded 17 points on 26 shots and his lack of scoring prowess, particularly as a spot-up shooter, constantly bogged down the offense.&nbsp;
Yet on Monday, he scored 8 points on 6 shots, handed out 6 assists and committed only 2 turnovers. He&rsquo;d turned in some excellent defensive showings to this point, but Game 5 was easily his most well-rounded of the series.&nbsp;
His first assist of the night previewed the next couple hours. Sometimes, Green&rsquo;s dismal offensive performances are partially defined by erratic, undisciplined passing, but that wasn&rsquo;t the case in Game 5. To kick off the festivities, he lofted a perfect feed into Otto Porter Jr.&rsquo;s bread-basket for the bucket.
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Porter slipping the screen was emblematic of Golden State deciphering just enough openings in the crannies of Boston&rsquo;s fortress to complement its own imposing defense. A 107.5 offensive rating is quite poor, but this club&rsquo;s formula for a title has always been shepherded by the defense.
Al Horford hugging Stephen Curry along the baseline, removing him entirely from any chance of helping on the pass, laid the foundation for a game where the superstar&rsquo;s gravity regularly opened up chances for others. His own 7-of-22 line was unremarkable scoring-wise, though the manner in which the Celtics tethered themselves to him created space elsewhere instead.&nbsp;
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2. Andrew Wiggins, the All-Star starter
Three days after gobbling up a career-high 16 rebounds, Andrew Wiggins returned to score the second-most points of his playoff career with 26. With Curry marred in an uncharacteristic shooting slump and Boston still successfully limiting Klay Thompson&rsquo;s scoring volume, somebody had to prop up the Warriors&rsquo; attack.&nbsp;
That man was Andrew Wiggins, who repeatedly exposed the single coverage he faced, using his size and physicality to launch off the bounce.
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He particularly flourished in the final frame, when he scored 10 of his 26 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Wiggins&rsquo; handle can be robotic and leave him susceptible to stunts or digs. As the Celtics often face-guarded Curry and Thompson (look how they&rsquo;re defended in that clip), the Canadian wing enjoyed added space to operate and wield his self-creation chops. Nearly 70% of his baskets have been assisted during the playoffs, whereas that mark fell to 50% in Game 5.&nbsp;
All series, Boston's defense has appeared content funneling shots to Wiggins. He capitalized monumentally on Monday&rsquo;s pivotal stage.&nbsp;
3. Jaylen Brown and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad offensive experience
Overwhelmingly, Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s 2022 NBA Playoffs have been sensational. He&rsquo;s endured some hiccups, including Game 2 of the Finals, but they&rsquo;ve merely been hiccups and haven't become the norm. Monday was another hiccup.
He logged 18 points on 5-of-18 shooting and committed 4 turnovers. Golden State continually forced him left as a driver and pull-up scorer, which is assuredly not his preference. His handle and ball control are precarious as is, let alone when he&rsquo;s guided away from his dominant hand.
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To further eliminate the right side as a driving lane, both for Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Warriors loaded the gaps and invited middling shooters to bomb beyond the arc. Derrick White entered Game 5 drilling 50% of his triples in the Finals, yet Green helped one pass away and prevented Brown from frequenting the paint. The result is a midrange pull-up Golden State will likely accept, which occurred after Green initially walled off the middle for Brown around the screen.&nbsp;
4. Golden State making Boston get comfortable with the uncomfortable
At the point of attack, Golden State&rsquo;s most lucrative defensive approach in this series has been to apply pressure on the catch, and extend the Celtics&rsquo; offense well away from the hoop. Boston&rsquo;s scheme involves considerable side-to-side movement, with flare screens or other subtle actions designed to create small advantages that morph into sizable ones.&nbsp;
The Warriors refused to let that be commonplace in Game 5, swarming virtually everyone immediately on the catch. Hardly anything Boston achieved felt seamless. Arduous was the defining term of their experiences. On a giveaway midway through the second quarter, Golden State&rsquo;s pressure arrived at every turn.
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Gary Payton II bothered Tatum on the inbounds. White hardly has room to collect himself before Curry is fastened to his hip. Horford caught the ball with Porter draped on him. Tatum generated a bit of space, but even if Horford&rsquo;s delivery wasn't errant, Green rotated over to complicate matters.&nbsp;
The Celtics committed 18 turnovers in Game 5. Although some were unforced, many unfolded similarly to the one above, with Golden State&rsquo;s defense making every brief opening feel fleeting and spurring hurried decisions.&nbsp;
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5. Succumbing to the orbit of Stephen Curry&rsquo;s gravity
<a href="https://twitter.com/StephNoh/status/1536455023214960641?s=20&amp;t=wC1_R7ObuwiuIpGVx1veHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On the clinching possession of Game 4&rsquo;s defeat</a>, Boston twice brought two defenders to Curry. The second time, it led to a bucket that pushed the Warriors&rsquo; edge to five with roughly a minute remaining. In Game 5, the Celtics didn&rsquo;t necessarily blitz Curry each play, but their defense afforded him extra attention more often &mdash; on and off the ball.
Previously, they&rsquo;d predominantly stomached dropping and switching against him, but the coverage skewed more extreme Monday. This isn&rsquo;t to say Boston&rsquo;s defense was the culprit of its loss &mdash; the offense is the prevalent issue. Yet the game-plan clearly shifted and the burden of scoring responsibility didn&rsquo;t almost exclusively rest on Curry&rsquo;s shoulders anymore.&nbsp;
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As a response to that heightened concern, Curry countered with his finest playmaking production of the series, dishing out 8 assists to 1 turnover. Helping to ease the impact of Curry&rsquo;s cold shooting spell was Payton, who scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting to tie a playoff career-high.&nbsp;
Neither Green nor Kevon Looney can even approximate a similar finishing punch to Payton. He&rsquo;s not a roller the defense can entirely abandon and his screening induced favorable switches or opportunities for Golden State&rsquo;s offense.&nbsp;
Porter struggled defending in space, while Looney battled foul trouble all evening. So, Payton stepped up for a postseason-best 26 minutes and crafted necessary interior-scoring verve in addition to his steadfast defensive versatility.
6. Jayson Tatum and his fourth quarter struggles
Through three quarters, Tatum had 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-6 inside the arc. The last number was an absolutely welcomed sight for the 24-year-old superstar, who began Game 5 having converted a paltry 27.4% of his two-point attempts (14-of-51) in the Finals.
Twelve minutes later, he ended with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 5-of-11 inside the arc &mdash; a good, not great overall outing. The leading candidate behind the demise of a five-point, 1-of-5 shooting fourth quarter was Wiggins, whose length, mobility and physicality perturbed Tatum into plays like this.
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Golden State is closing off many drives to Tatum&rsquo;s right all series, so he aimed to take advantage of an early offense opportunity. Instead, Wiggins slid alongside him and swiped down *just* as Tatum began to gather for a finish. That swipe extinguished Tatum&rsquo;s rhythm, provoked an extra, illegal slide of the back foot and he was called for traveling.&nbsp;
7. Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and a synergistic defense
Green&rsquo;s Game 5 defensive brilliance extended beyond help on the perimeter and guiding Brown away from right-hand drives; he was sensational as an interior helper. During his 35 minutes, the Celtics&rsquo; took just six shots at the rim. When he sat for 13 minutes, they took four. Their rim frequency was 10.9% with him on the floor and 20% without him, according to NBA.com.&nbsp;
Boston could hardly score in the paint when he was involved. Shooting and passing near the hoop were chores around him.
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Tatum wiggled into the key, with Green awaiting him. Green jutted out his right arm to deter a drop-off to Robert Williams III, swiveled his left arm up and contested a challenging fadeaway jumper.&nbsp;
Wiggins and Payton gave help on the drive, which muddied Tatum&rsquo;s passing vision as he simply worked to avoid being stripped. Once Green committed to Tatum, Wiggins peeled into Williams, stuck a body on the bouncy big man and ensured any sort of lob would be incredibly challenging to execute or corral.&nbsp;
All 10 of Williams&rsquo; points came in the first half, largely due to Golden State neutralizing him as a release valve after intermission. He&rsquo;s Boston&rsquo;s lone aerial threat and best means of generating shots around the rim.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s simply scant space to function inside the arc against this harmonic Warriors defense. Those efforts grow increasingly laborious when Green and the entire unit are enforcing the rim like they did Monday.&nbsp;
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Following the Warriors' Game 5 win over the Celtics, Jackson Frank breaks down the film and examines what worked for Golden State.

Breaking down 7 plays that define the Warriors' Game 5 victory

Two numbers supersede any statistics surrounding Klay Thompson's journey to the 2022 NBA Finals.
The first is 1,086 &mdash; the total days since Thompson last appeared in a Finals game. In that time, he tore an ACL and an Achilles tendon, missed two full seasons of professional basketball, returned to the Golden State Warriors and rejoined the starting lineup on another hunt for glory.&nbsp;
The second number is 6. Barring those two lost years, and despite a daunting road to recovery, Klay will appear in his sixth consecutive NBA Finals as a healthy player. We can debate the semantics of the streak, but I'd argue that Thompson's remarkable comeback makes his return as impressive as any of the 10 players in NBA history to make six or more straight title appearances.
Put bluntly: Klay is not supposed to be here. But the 32-year-old sharpshooter has overcome the odds and is once again the core of a potential Warriors championship. But it's been essentially three long years since Thompson shot that solemn free throw before hobbling off the court in Game 6 against the Toronto Raptors. Who is 2022 Klay, how is he similar or different from past years and how can he help assert the return of a Golden State dynasty?
Well, for those who haven't kept up with his performance all season &mdash; or for Boston Celtics fans &mdash; I suggest you prepare yourselves for the same Klay we've always known on offense.
Thompson struggled out of the gate in the regular season. He shot 38.5% from three-point range, which, while impressive on its own, is remarkably a career-low. He canned just 36.7% of his catch-and-shoot threes, the first time ever that he fell under 40%. But Thompson's slump was simply a slump, compounded by his ramping up from injuries and the absence of Stephen Curry due to his own ankle injury.&nbsp;
Since the playoffs began, the veteran is back up to a 39.9% clip from beyond the arc and 43.0% on catch-and-shoot treys. He's flying around screens in classic Klay fashion. According to Synergy, approximately 21.6% of Thompson's possessions this postseason have come off screens, more than any major rotation player in the playoffs. His mark of 1.17 points per possession ranks third behind Devin Booker and Davis Bertans.
One minor, interesting note: Thompson continues to struggle shooting from the corners. He made just 36% of his regular-season attempts, per Cleaning the Glass, and has fallen further to just 29% in the playoffs. Both are career lows. Obviously, this does not mean the Celtics should start sagging off Thompson or treating him any differently than they should treat an all-time great marksman. It's just a trend worth monitoring.
Thompson will keep on trucking from long range. However, there's one other notable change happening inside the arc that I wanted to explore. This is Thompson's shot chart from the 2021-22 playoffs to date, courtesy of Cleaning the Glass:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-06-02-at-10-58-31-am_690w.png" alt="" width="345" height="327" />
Now, let's compare this to a shot chart from the 2018-19 postseason:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-06-02-at-10-59-41-am_690w.png" alt="" width="322" height="304" />
At first glance, these probably look pretty similar. It appears Thompson's threes are coming from all over this season, whereas three years ago, he largely shot from the wings. But more importantly, I'm focused on the change in frequency at the elbows. Thompson isn't shooting those nearly as much this year, and instead has an even stronger presence on the baseline. This will look more pronounced in a table (scroll right to view in full on mobile):
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Year</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Short-MR Freq. (Reg. Season)</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Short-MR Freq. (Playoffs)</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Long-MR Freq. (Reg. Season)</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Long-MR Freq. (Playoffs)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2015-16</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">15%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">14%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">18%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2016-17</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">12%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">13%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">24%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">26%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2017-18</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">12%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">11%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">31%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">30%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">15%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">17%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">27%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">19%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">24%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">20%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">12%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Thompson's frequencies of shot attempts in the short-mid-range area (which would include those baseline attempts) are the highest they've been since 2013-14. Meanwhile, we're seeing a meaningful decline in those elbow attempts and long mid-range looks. It's not a direct correlation; an astonishing 50% of Thompson's shots have been threes (and 52% in the playoffs), meaning he's stretch some of the twos out to the arc. But some have also crept in toward the basket and the baseline.
One plausible theory is that the elbow area has been soaked up by presence of Andrew Wiggins. It's probably partially true, but Wiggins has removed most of those long twos from his arsenal. Thompson has also simply been extremely comfortable attacking closeouts from the corner.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/nz4ks5" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Thompson is a strong dude. He might not seek out contact like most scoring guards, but the 32-year-old can deal with opponents in his way. In several of these clips, he's actually using a bump to create a rhythm and generate some extra space. Thompson expertly darts off of the corner. He doesn't charge downhill, but instead takes a dribble or two to probe, position a defender and rise up.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/z3mbnu" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Sometimes, though less frequently, Thompson digs into his bag of post footwork. When he finds a size mismatch, the shooting guard can quickly establish positioning and fade away. That second clip is particularly impressive given Dorian Finney-Smith's size and length.
So, we arrive at this Finals matchup against the Celtics. Obviously, Golden State will look to get Thompson firing away from long range and maximize what he can do away from the ball. However, I'll also be intrigued by what the veteran can do in these sorts of situations.
Our Nekias Duncan expects Jaylen Brown to be the primary defender on Thompson to start the series. (Please prepare yourself by reading his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-finals-scouting-report-how-the-celtics-and-warriors-matchup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scouting report</a>; it also touches on Thompson's defense that I didn't get into here.)
That's an interesting matchup in this context. Can Thompson create the necessary separation against Brown for these types of shots, and is Brown up to the task defending them? Thompson should also find extra chances to use his size as the teams mix and match their lineups. If Thompson finds Derrick White or Payton Pritchard on him, for example, I wouldn't be surprised to see him try to take advantage.
One last point to monitor: Joe Viray, writer for SB Nation's Golden State of Mind, also wrote a phenomenal <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2022/5/30/23147089/nba-finals-warriors-celtics-series-preview-deep-dive-steph-curry-jayson-tatum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">series preview.</a>&nbsp;Viray mentioned that the Celtics allowed the most long twos of any NBA team in the regular season, sacrificing that zone to keep teams out of the paint and inside the three-point line. Boston will assuredly try for a similar pattern in the Finals. Does this mean we see more of Thompson attacking and a subsequent rise in more short and long mid-range shots?
We'll find out in a few short hours.
The Klay Thompson we've always known is about to make a spectacular Finals comeback with some additional tweaks to his offensive game. I simply cannot wait to watch him back out there.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Another significant note from Nekias' <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-finals-scouting-report-how-the-celtics-and-warriors-matchup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breakdown</a>: No team switched more off-ball screens per 100 possessions than the Celtics at 15.2. That battle between Golden State's movers and Boston's defenders will be a series-defining storyline.</li>
<li>One of the most important NBA streaks stays alive. Someone who played for the New York Knicks at one point in his career has now appeared in every single NBA Finals. Thank you Luke Kornet!</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Luke Kornet keeps one of the league&rsquo;s most amazing streaks alive by advancing to the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics. A former New York Knick has now appeared in 76 straight finals 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/Zy3Rd50ozj">pic.twitter.com/Zy3Rd50ozj</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1531285872297005058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>On a completely different note, someone please wear No. 29!</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
For the 4th straight year, nobody wore #29 in the NBA this season. <a href="https://t.co/57kH9vyqC1">pic.twitter.com/57kH9vyqC1</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1530956383222435841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Klay Thompson makes a long-awaited return to the NBA Finals, where his road to injury recovery began in 2019.

NBA Stats Notebook: Klay Thompson is back, but what does that look like?

Klay Thompson savored the moment by spending a few minutes on the court after a roller coaster of emotions during the final minute.
He hit the game-winning 3-pointer &mdash; only to miss two free throws before getting back on defense to force Ja Morant to miss a layup, giving Golden State a 117-116 win. It wasn't for a championship but was nevertheless a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-stephen-curry-16816fd53866b2a3035410e7ca958d86">huge win for the Warriors</a> and more so for Thompson because of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-cleveland-cavaliers-golden-state-warriors-bfe97f2a39a2ee684e16f5a4e876ff04">injuries he's </a> dealt with the past two years.
&ldquo;Having to watch the last couple of years, just soaking everything in and internalizing the whole atmosphere and just appreciating where I&rsquo;m at,&rdquo; Thompson said.
Game 1 showed that the results of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-stephen-curry-14b992b9481c811bbf2b0594159b624e">1-on-1 scoring competition between Memphis' Morant (34) and Stephen Curry (24) of the Warriors</a> doesn't mean their team will win the game or the Western Conference semifinal series. Supporting casts are crucial at this stage of the postseason.
Thompson was just 3 of 10 from outside the arc and finished with 15 points. But Jordan Poole helped Golden State's bench outscore Memphis' reserves 47-30. Poole had playoff career highs with <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1521108501946380288?s=20&amp;t=Nk4nrsduC3oz16o2hJMtYA">31 points</a> and eight rebounds, and he also matched his playoff best of nine assists.
&ldquo;He was brilliant,&rdquo; Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had a playoff career-high 33 points in his second straight double-double. He also matched his season high with six 3-pointers.
When the fourth overall draft pick in 2018 plays like that, Grizzlies' teammate Kyle Anderson said, there's not a lot of teams that can beat them.
&ldquo;We need him on the floor,&rdquo; Anderson said of Jackson on Monday. "That's tough. We need those type of performances out of him.&rdquo;
Andrew Wiggins added 17 points for Golden State. Brandon Clarke has scored in double figures each of the first seven games coming off the bench for Memphis, and Grizzlies reserve De'Anthony Melton added 14 against the Warriors after not playing the final two games of the first round.
In the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo got more help from his Bucks&rsquo; teammates than Jayson Tatum did from the rest of the Celtics.
Antetokounmpo had a triple-double, leading the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-boston-celtics-nba-sports-5e6bf7a261b1ae3afe0b6db6848520f0">Milwaukee Bucks to a road win to open their Eastern Conference semifinal</a> with Boston. With <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-chicago-bulls-nba-sports-khris-middleton-05a2ee1cdd14be2b01dfb2fb88731408">Khris Middleton still out with an injured knee,</a> Bobby Portis came through with 15 points and 11 rebounds to go along with Jrue Holiday&rsquo;s double-double.
Tatum got little help from his teammates, with Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart going a combined 7 of 24.
&ldquo;I have all the faith in the world in JB,&rdquo; Tatum said. "No one should hang their heads. Just get ready for the next one.&rdquo;
BUCKS AT CELTICS
Milwaukee leads 1-0. Game 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.
NEED TO KNOW: The defending NBA champion Bucks started slowly but imposed their will on the Celtics in the second half of their 101-89 Game 1 win. Antetokounmpo shot 9 for 25 from the field but still posted his second career playoff triple-double (24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists). The Celtics shot a playoff-low 33% (28 of 84) with just 21 assists and a playoff-high 18 turnovers.
KEEP AN EYE ON: How the Celtics adjust to the Bucks&rsquo; pressure. Milwaukee picked Boston&rsquo;s ball handlers up full court at different times, forcing the Celtics to speed up in some shaky half-court possessions. Boston coach Ime Udoka said changing the approach is a must to free up the offensive flow: &ldquo;You want to mix it up and at times and attack out of that when they&rsquo;re pressing."
INJURY WATCH: Udoka said Smart is questionable for Game 2, dealing with a fair amount of soreness from a bruised thigh hurt in the opener. He got hit twice in the same spot and also left just before halftime with a right shoulder stinger. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a tough guy that&rsquo;s going to try to play through things,&rdquo; Udoka said. &hellip; Milwaukee guard George Hill was on the court for Monday&rsquo;s practice doing individual work, but coach Mike Budenholzer said he will remain out with the abdominal strain that kept Hill out of the Chicago series.
PRESSURE IS ON: Tatum and Brown. Boston&rsquo;s star duo combined to go 10 of 31 from the field. Tatum managed 21 points, but Brown finished with only 12, going 3 of 9 from the 3-point line with seven turnovers. The Celtics&rsquo; offense goes how they go, and another lackluster performance by the tandem would almost certainly lead to a 0-2 deficit.
WARRIORS AT GRIZZLIES
Golden State leads 1-0. Game 2, 9:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Warriors outrebounded the NBA's top rebounding team 52-47, with an NBA statistic correction giving them another rebound well after the game. They also matched the Grizzlies on the offensive glass with 16 &mdash; far above Golden State's average of 9.8 during the regular season and 8.5 in the playoffs. That helped the Warriors outscore Memphis 26-24 on second-chance points.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Draymond Green. He was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-basketball-5b217bca404e848b636e9a23c7e95627">ejected from Game 1 late in the first half</a> for swiping Brandon Clarke's face with right hand, grabbing the Grizzlies forward's jersey with his left and pulling Clarke down to the court. Green said on his podcast he thought the NBA might reduce the flagrant foul but didn't. That leaves Green two points from a one-game suspension.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m never going to change the way I play basketball,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s gotten me this far. It&rsquo;s gotten me three championships, four All-Stars, Defensive Player of the Year. I&rsquo;m not going to change now.&rdquo;
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Desmond Bane got treatment during the second half on the bench for what Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called &ldquo;general soreness." Jenkins said Bane is doing all right, just sore like most of the Grizzlies. Grizzlies center Steven Adams has not been cleared from the health and safety protocols and remains day to day. ... Thompson is probable for Golden State with right knee soreness.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Memphis. The Grizzlies already have lost home-court advantage. Dropping Game 2 means going to San Francisco with a sweep by the Warriors a much bigger possibility for one of the NBA's youngest teams playing on its biggest stage yet.
___
AP Sports Writer Kyle Hightower in Boston contributed to this report.

In a pair of Game 2s on Tuesday night, stars' teammates could prove to be critical once again for their teams.

Supporting cast key in semis matchup between Morant, Curry

Deja vu is unfolding for the Denver Nuggets this postseason. They face another season in which Nikola Jokic will likely finish as NBA MVP, but the campaign will end in disappointment because of injuries and a lack of impactful depth around him. Jokic&rsquo;s dominance speaks for itself, but as Denver has fallen into an impossible 3-0 hole to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it brings back vivid memories of last year&rsquo;s downfall to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals.
From the start of last year's series against Phoenix, everyone knew Denver was out-matched. It led to a quick sweep, one that left an embarrassing blemish on what was a historic campaign for their franchise player. Who knows how differently it would have gone had Jamal Murray not torn his ACL in that series? Still sidelined a year later, it's no surprise that Murray didn't return for the Nuggets&rsquo; postseason push. If anything, being cautious with Murray is Denver's only option when considering their roster. Still, Murray would've given the Nuggets a lethal one-two punch that would&rsquo;ve made a sizable dent in the West&rsquo;s hierarchy.
Even without Murray and Michael Porter Jr., Jokic&rsquo;s ho-hum manner on his way to pulverizing defenses all season was nothing short of fantastic. But watching the potential back-to-back MVP still put up numbers in losses against the Warriors&rsquo; updated Death Lineup (Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green) shows one player can&rsquo;t do it all. Jokic is averaging 29.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists on a 58.4 True Shooting percentage in the playoffs, but it doesn't matter without the necessary ancillary pieces.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nikola Jokic dropped a monster double-double in Game 3 for the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a>. 🃏 37 PTS, 18 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL Game 4: GSW vs. DEN, Sun. 3:30pm/et on ABC <a href="https://t.co/Kv1kVSratu">pic.twitter.com/Kv1kVSratu</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1517395121985269762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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If Murray and Porter were flanking Jokic, things might be different, but the pain of postseason failure continues to ring in the rocky mountains. We haven&rsquo;t seen the trio of Jokic, Murray and Porter share the court together since April 12, 2021. And with Porter&rsquo;s back issues becoming serious once more, who knows when the Nuggets will see their star trio blossom together and rise up the West standings?
Denver is always going to be a contender during Jokic&rsquo;s prime years, but is this series against Golden State a wake-up call that could lead to an offseason roster retooling? What could the Nuggets fetch if they decided to offload a few key role players?
As it stands, Denver is putting a lot of eggs into the basket of health for Porter and Murray, but there are a lot of intriguing angles to view their roster in the short-term and long-term. Aaron Gordon is a strong fit alongside Jokic after having put together a career-best season in 2021-22, proving last year's trade-deadline investment was the correct move. Also, rookie combo guard Bones Hyland has already forced his way into the picture thanks to his microwave scoring capabilities.
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Denver moving forward with their core of Jokic, Murray, Porter, Gordon and Hyland is fun to envision. It feels like it&rsquo;s missing one more relatively large piece to the puzzle though. The frontcourt (Jokic, Gordon, Porter) is already in place, but who makes sense as a compatible long-term backcourt partner alongside Murray?
Entering the 2022-23 campaign as an over-the-tax team, Denver will have to get lucky and creative to feel confident going toe-to-toe with the likes of Phoenix and Golden State. Murray and Porter have the equalizer potential of reuniting on-court with Jokic, but can we really view this current version of the Nuggets as true title contenders? That&rsquo;s where I pause, because the injury and depth questions surrounding this roster are legitimate.
Here&rsquo;s an early look at the Nuggets&rsquo; rotation next season, which actually seems okay on paper:
Starters: Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Second Unit: Monte Morris, Bones Hyland, JaMychal Green, Jeff Green, Zeke Nnaji
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
AARON GORDON. YOU, SIR, CAN FLY🤯 <a href="https://t.co/DJEXJLdSRT">pic.twitter.com/DJEXJLdSRT</a>
&mdash; x - Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1517327429081083904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

It&rsquo;s unfortunate to already be writing the eulogy on the Nuggets&rsquo; season led by another all-time Jokic offensive barrage, but here we are as they stare down the hole of a 3-0 deficit to the reloaded Warriors. It's fair to wonder what comes next.
Denver is stuck in a position of hoping, which is one spot you never want to be without certainty.
Murray&rsquo;s return next season should benefit the Nuggets&rsquo; standing in the West, but the domino effect of MPJ's chronic back injuries serve as an eerie cloud that hovers around the corner. Those back problems are why Porter slid to the back of the lottery, which allowed the Nuggets to swoop in at No. 14 overall and draft him as a rookie. Handing out a rookie-scale max extension to Porter, they have to hope he&rsquo;s 100% next year and reaches his max ceiling in order for this dazzling Jokic era to live up to its potential.
The narrative around the Nuggets is starting to take shape. They are a team that shines in the regular season because of their unique superstar big man but folds in the postseason when the smaller things matter most.
For the Nuggets, a unique pivot point is about to arrive this offseason. Let's see how they handle it.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Once again facing postseason failure, the Denver Nuggets must escape any future plan that forces them to bet on health.

Luck now plays a role in Denver's long-term outlook

During any rebuild, the general theme should often be structural experimentation. Provide young players a role, while empowering them to experiment within that role. Establish expectations for how they can thrive, but don&rsquo;t be overly rigid or domineering in the exact play-style or execution. Freedom, within reason, is the slogan.&nbsp;
For Oklahoma City Thunder guard Tre Mann, all of that is an apt, broad synopsis of his rookie season. He&rsquo;s started 19 of the past 20 games and all year, he&rsquo;s enjoyed a role encouraging him to entertain a whole bunch of ideas. Many aren&rsquo;t currently prosperous, but a future where they are isn&rsquo;t too difficult to identify.&nbsp;
Right now, Mann isn&rsquo;t a very good NBA player, yet much of what he&rsquo;s showcasing hints at a not-too-distant reality where he is quite good. Most rookies aren&rsquo;t good. His struggles are palatable because the kernels of intrigue continue to swell.&nbsp;
Across all 54 games, he&rsquo;s averaging 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 steals on 48.4% True Shooting (.381/.347/.771 split). In 21 starts, he&rsquo;s averaging 13.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a steal on 48% TS (.367/.346/.833 split). None of those are really numbers that scream &ldquo;he&rsquo;s currently good!&rdquo; but there&rsquo;s a whole lot of dazzling tape and underlying data to inspire optimism.&nbsp;
Dating back years, Mann&rsquo;s adroit ball-handling talents have popped off the screen. Through five months in the NBA, those handling chops have probably been his most functional skill. The entire kitchen sink of tricks is seemingly in his arsenal &mdash; hesitations, crossovers, in-and-outs, snatch-back dribbles &mdash; and he leverages all of them to forge advantages.&nbsp;
Lower-body flexibility and evasive deceleration amplify the threat of his ball-handling to keep defenders off-kilter. As the season&rsquo;s progressed, he&rsquo;s growing more decisive and self-assured in these moves &mdash; less thinking ahead of every decision and more acting on the fly as he sees fit. He&rsquo;s already authored a smattering of highlight-reel buckets, and it&rsquo;s not complicated to see him torching defenses like this for years:&nbsp;
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The ball-handling, flexibility and deceleration are all critical in his ability to compensate for lackluster burst and strength. According to Cleaning The Glass, just 19% of his shots occur at the rim (31st percentile), where he&rsquo;s shooting 49% (19th percentile). He&rsquo;s not unwilling to play through contact or embrace physicality, but his poor core strength gives rim protectors the clear edge and invites on-ball defenders to disrupt or crowd his handle.&nbsp;
Addressing that physical deficiency could be incredibly beneficial, helping him to fend off handsy assignments and emerge from the cellar of finishing and rim pressure groupings. Fortunately, dribble-drive prowess isn&rsquo;t the bedrock of Mann&rsquo;s scoring allure. His shooting profile is quite encouraging, even if immediate results don&rsquo;t highlight that.
He&rsquo;s connecting on 37% of his spot-up threes and looks reasonably adept as a <a href="https://streamable.com/xxxp4d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">movement shooter</a>, given his footwork and balance. Leaning into that catch-and-shoot volume is important. He&rsquo;s prone to bypassing stationary triples in favor of drives, but interior scoring is fairly tricky these days (41% on twos).&nbsp;
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In fact, he&rsquo;s taken more pull-up threes than catch-and-shoot threes this season, despite generally playing alongside a lead creator. Letting it fly off the catch more often would be a boon to his efficiency and Oklahoma City&rsquo;s offense.
None of this is to suggest off-the-bounce stuff is forbidden with him. Mann&rsquo;s pull-up game is rather promising. Among 14 rookies to attempt at least 100 pull-up jumpers this season, his 47.1% effective field goal percentage ranks second behind Cam Thomas (48%).&nbsp;
His step-back three is swiftly developing into a reliable, hallmark weapon and he&rsquo;s shooting 36.8% (21-of-57) on it this season. The space he generates, while maintaining balance, is absolutely menacing. His ankles can endure some serious torque.&nbsp;
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For many scoring-inclined prospects or young guys, a hurdle that often exists is the inability to create open or comfortable looks when transitioning from their pre-NBA context to the league. Whether it&rsquo;s athletic shortcomings, atypical shooting mechanics or something else, the capacity to consistently find clean shots prevents them from burgeoning into high-level scorers.&nbsp;
With Mann, that&rsquo;s not a problem because he&rsquo;s routinely producing open, replicable shots for himself. He&rsquo;s not hitting a ton of them thus far, but the process is encouraging. Shot-making is a staple of developmental curves, even if it&rsquo;s usually just implied rather than stated analysis. He views offensive decision-making through a lens of distinguished creativity.
If there&rsquo;s open space to occupy, he touts the ingenuity, handling and flexibility to inhabit it. A lot of what he sees and how he moves feels inherent as opposed to acquired.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/5qo6mq" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
A trap that can be the mystique of pull-up shooting is the absence of ancillary skills around it. If you&rsquo;re a good pull-up shooter but underwhelming in an assortment of other skills like passing and advantage creation, demanding significant usage to broadcast the impact of that shooting is much more onerous.
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Mann has the advantage creation with his slippery handle and is a much better passer than his assist rate indicates. His best passing trait is reads to the interior, but Oklahoma City&rsquo;s crop of big men are not credible play-finishers. I&rsquo;d be curious to see what his inside-out passing looks like on a team with better shooting, though that&rsquo;s also an area for improvement.&nbsp;
Yet given his dexterity, innovation as a dribbler and the manner in which he interacts with space, he might have some latent playmaking upside that would broaden the domain of his passing toolbelt. And regardless, it&rsquo;s not as though he&rsquo;s totally inept. He&rsquo;s exhibited an enticing knack to thread reads into small windows and occasionally manipulate help defenders with his eyes or body angles. The base in Year 1 is substantial.
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His ideas are also ahead of his execution. He&rsquo;ll see an opening, but not really have a path to capitalize on it. As the scope of that issue dwindles and he potentially adds core strength to better navigate physicality, he should be excellent at weaving through defenders and delivering dimes.
All of this is to say that I&rsquo;m not really worried about him being a unitasker offensively who almost exclusively derives value from pull-ups and fails to contribute elsewhere. He&rsquo;s going to manufacture paint touches and be a tenable facilitator. Offenses should be able to entrust him with sizable usage.
Don&rsquo;t let the gloom of Mann&rsquo;s numbers today cast long-term doubt or concern. The outline of a versatile, impactful secondary creator is surfacing. In due time, refinement will come and the entirety of his services will blossom. Foretelling it merely requires a look beyond the box score.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Tre Mann isn't filling the stat sheet, but a deep dive into his film inspires optimism, writes Jackson Frank.

Examining Tre Mann and the importance of looking past the box score

All is well in Warrior Land.&nbsp;
Klay Thompson&rsquo;s back from his 941-day hiatus, and he&rsquo;s rekindled his usual splashiness with an added wrinkle of <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1496510661760802825?s=20&amp;t=Qta8WZ8OI-9IaVhpLWaXgg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dribble creation</a>. Draymond Green has resurrected his podcast career and should be back on the floor shortly. Andrew Wiggins may not be an All-Star starter in impact, but he's still playing like a <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/99-2022-sub-all-stars/id1428290303?i=1000550498698" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-50 player</a>. Youngsters Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/longawaited-return-of-james-wiseman-will-fill-warriors-only-void" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Wiseman</a> (via Twitter workout videos) show just enough flashes to keep Warriors to Twitter at Bay (ha, get it).
I repeat: All is well in Warrior Land, set up to compete now and well into the future.
So what then, is this all about?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Warriors will reportedly look to lock up one of their young stars this offseason <a href="https://t.co/zOW0f8yfkX">https://t.co/zOW0f8yfkX</a>
&mdash; Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1496309488965632006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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To figure it out, I caught up with Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle &mdash; the man credited with <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Andrew-Wiggins-is-an-All-Star-but-how-much-16936511.php#photo-22091414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breaking this story</a>:
&ldquo;My understanding is that the Warriors will try to sign Poole to a contract extension this summer, which would keep him from hitting restricted free agency in summer 2023," Letourneau told BasketballNews.com. "To get a deal done, Golden State will probably have to ink him to a contract in the four-year, $80 million range."
On the surface, that seems like a gross overpay, particularly when you factor in Golden State's current salary-cap situation. Letourneau followed up on that.
&ldquo;The Warriors think he's worth it. And I don't blame them," Letourneau said. "Poole has improved more in the past two years than perhaps anyone else in the NBA, and he's only 22. I could see him becoming a CJ McCollum type. But then again, I should know better than to put a ceiling on him. He has far exceeded every projection I've had for him to this point.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Great point. And I like the McCollum comparison, but I&rsquo;d take it a step further. When I see the wirey, chaotic guard blazing across the court and soaring into the air, I get flashes of Zach Lavine &mdash; a player who cashed in a similar deal not too long ago.
In the summer of 2018, Lavine inked a four-year, $76 million dollar deal with Chicago (as a restricted free agent). Here is how he compared to Poole at the time:
Lavine 2017-18 v. Poole 2021-22 (mobile users scroll right for full table)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 11.9184%;">
Player
</td>
<td style="width: 9.07877%;">
Age
</td>
<td style="width: 11.8825%;">
% of Cap*
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8224%;">
PTS per 75**
</td>
<td style="width: 20.6943%;">
Relative TS%**
</td>
<td style="width: 17.6235%;">
FTA per 75**
</td>
<td style="width: 11.8799%;">
AST%**
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 11.9184%;">
Lavine
</td>
<td style="width: 9.07877%;">
22
</td>
<td style="width: 11.8825%;">
&asymp; 19.1%
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8224%;">
22.4
</td>
<td style="width: 20.6943%;">
-5.7
</td>
<td style="width: 17.6235%;">
6.0
</td>
<td style="width: 11.8799%;">
18.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 11.9184%;">
Poole
</td>
<td style="width: 9.07877%;">
22
</td>
<td style="width: 11.8825%;">
&asymp; 16.5%
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8224%;">
20.7
</td>
<td style="width: 20.6943%;">
+2.1
</td>
<td style="width: 17.6235%;">
4.0
</td>
<td style="width: 11.8799%;">
18.7%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Data provided by Spotrac
** Data provided by Basketball-Reference
Of course, Lavine has since progressed to All-Star status and earned himself a reputation as one of the <a href="https://megaphone.link/BNI9684843880" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 best offensive players</a> in basketball. He&rsquo;s worth every penny the Bulls paid him way back when.&nbsp;
If I was a betting man, I&rsquo;d put a reasonable amount of Prize Picks money on Poole doing the same.
Now, this is the part where someone pulls this up:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Not every young player that shows promise ends up being a future All-Star.
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1492202101803470855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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True, but Poole isn&rsquo;t like other young players.
For starters, at age-22, he&rsquo;s already adept at scoring at all three levels of the basketball court. Stepback three-pointers, balletic mid-range floaters, herky-jerky dribble moves into gallant attacks at the rim. All those things are firmly in his wheelhouse. How do I know that? He literally flashed it all in less than *checks clock* five minutes of game time.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/wcbjkc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Outside of the All-Star trio (Ja Morant, Zion Williamson and Darius Garland), the player who gets the most air time from the 2019 NBA Draft class is Tyler Herro, which is fair. He&rsquo;s made some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/miami-heat-tyler-herro-is-pulling-up-to-the-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">massive strides</a> this year. But why aren&rsquo;t people making outlandish claims about Poole like this?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Anonymous NBA scout on Tyler Herro &ldquo;He got screwed out of the All-Star Game. He should have been there. ... I would not give up Herro [in a package] for [Bradley] Beal this summer.&ldquo;<a href="https://t.co/bREQEd7jsC">https://t.co/bREQEd7jsC</a>
&mdash; NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1496255919851769856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Poole's shooting splits are just as promising:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 172px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 16.8407%;">
Player
</td>
<td style="width: 25.5007%;">
Rim %*
</td>
<td style="width: 30.3071%;">
Midrange %*
</td>
<td style="width: 27.3195%;">
Three Point %*
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 16.8407%;">
Herro
</td>
<td style="width: 25.5007%;">
59%
</td>
<td style="width: 30.3071%;">
41%
</td>
<td style="width: 27.3195%;">
38%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 16.8407%;">
Poole
</td>
<td style="width: 25.5007%;">
66%
</td>
<td style="width: 30.3071%;">
46%
</td>
<td style="width: 27.3195%;">
34%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
 * Data provided by Cleaning the Glass
Poole is converting shots at the rim and from the mid-range at a significantly higher rate than Herro. And while his three-pointer may be lagging behind, his league-leading free throw percentage (92.2%) is a strong indicator that he&rsquo;ll figure it out from beyond the arc.
Also, for my volume stans out there, Poole has maintained his True Shooting percentage from last year (58.1%), despite taking nearly four more shots per game.&nbsp;
As it stands, his passing is how you say ~ <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-most-volatile-scorers-in-basketball-right-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener">volatile</a> ~ seesawing between sublime and errant depending on the possession (hence his career-highs in assist and turnover rate). When it&rsquo;s working, though, things get freaky:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-theme="dark">
I loved Poole coming out of Michigan because of his flexibility on his dribbles, taking some crazy angles with his body before hitting Kevon with the bounce pass out of the empty side pick and roll for an open dunk <a href="https://t.co/jXRSvj7UvY">pic.twitter.com/jXRSvj7UvY</a>
&mdash; Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) <a href="https://twitter.com/klaytheist11/status/1478477992108204038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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One thing that should stand out to you about that clip (gifted to us by the venerable Charlie Cummings) is Poole&rsquo;s ability to draw two to the ball. That occurrence should trigger memories of this:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Just for you <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@matissa15</a> <a href="https://t.co/ADyfyywN9C">pic.twitter.com/ADyfyywN9C</a>
&mdash; Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) <a href="https://twitter.com/klaytheist11/status/1496897560748826673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I&rsquo;m not the first person to make that connection &mdash; <a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/jordan-pool-golden-state-warriors-analysis-videos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackson Frank</a> and <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2022/1/4/22866338/warriors-heat-jordan-poole-film-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Viray</a> have written about this &mdash; but Poole&rsquo;s gravity (second-best on the team) enables him to temporarily masquerade as the resident, baby-faced assassin within the Warriors' offensive system. This ability to temporarily operate as the team&rsquo;s lead guard and short-roll ignitor takes a massive burden off the chiseled shoulders of Curry, who has had a history of gradually breaking down during the second half of the season (see the 2016 playoffs).
Also, it&rsquo;s worth noting that very few players can be the understudy of one of 10 best offensive players ever.
One last note I want to make about Poole is regarding his character, which is normally something I try to avoid (it&rsquo;s mainly speculation unless you know the person). But when so many people sing your praises, that has to mean something. Listen to this great clip of two of the best basketball minds ever talking about his maturation as a decision-maker:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Both Steve Kerr and Steph Curry mentioned this specific Jordan Poole transition pass last night as a sign of growth. The play and the soundbites <a href="https://t.co/Gt2eFlqOJt">pic.twitter.com/Gt2eFlqOJt</a>
&mdash; Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1463937921489129484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2021</a></blockquote>

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That&rsquo;s how everyone from the championship crew talks about him. Curry, Green, Thompson, Andre Iguodala &mdash; they all love Poole's guts. Game recognizes game. They see the fierceness, the swagger, the hunger and the relentless quest for knowledge and skill.
When you combine that package of intangibles with the product you see on the court, $20 million dollars annually looks like a bargain.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Mat Issa dives into Jordan Poole's value to the Warriors and why extending him should be a no-brainer.

Why the Warriors don't need to worry about paying Jordan Poole

Nekias Duncan thoroughly grades every NBA trade from 2022 Deadline Week.

Grading every move from 2022 NBA trade deadline week

Five years ago, around this time, Brooklyn Nets fans were arguing over Yogi Ferrell and Spencer Dinwiddie with hostility.
Seriously, go back and look. You would&rsquo;ve had no idea unless you were covering the Nets, but it was a divisive time in Brooklyn&rsquo;s era. (Even if it didn&rsquo;t rise to the publicity of, say, Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s vaccination status.)
Almost to this exact date in 2017, Ferrell memorably had what is still the best game of his NBA career, dropping 32 points in a nationally-televised game between his Dallas Mavericks and Damian Lillard&rsquo;s Portland Trail Blazers while on a 10-day contract. That same day, Dinwiddie netted 13 (which tied for his second-highest output of the season), and it would be the last time he broke double figures for 10 more days.
The debate grew hilariously one-sided the following season, and Dinwiddie became a fringe All-Star candidate in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. But the reason no one saw this coming initially is because Dinwiddie came up as a pass-first, low-turnover, traditional point guard &mdash; somebody who at one time went <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/dinwisp01/gamelog/2017">five games (134 minutes)</a> without committing a turnover and took eight shot attempts per 36 minutes; that figure leapt to 13.1, 15.6, and 18.4 the next three seasons.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Dinwiddie&rsquo;s game has seen multiple iterations.
The score-first, old-school point guard from 2016-17.
The inefficient, yet ultra-timely scorer who still rarely turned the ball over as a floor general in 2017-18.
The near All-Star who became a full-fledged, scoring point as a sixth man in 2018-19.
The even-nearer All-Star combo guard who averaged around 20.0 points and 7.0 assists and got to the free-throw line at will in 2019-20.
But last year, he tore his ACL for the second time in his basketball-playing life, and is still working his way back while in Washington.
The Wizards <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/wizards-focusing-chemistry-after-bradley-beal-speech-and-players-only-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had a players&rsquo; only meeting before the regular season began</a>. Since a 10-4 start, the team's gone 13-22. Even worse, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/washington-wizards-kentavious-caldwell-pope-montrezl-harrell-separated-after-fight-at-halftime-oklahoma-city-thunder-052704731.html#:~:text=At%20halftime%20of%20their%20122,to%20The%20Athletic's%20Shams%20Charania.&amp;text=Caldwell%2DPope%20banked%20in%20a,to%20its%20second%2Dstraight%20win">tried putting on a WBC Heavyweight Title bout in the Wizards locker room</a> a few weeks ago.
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Dinwiddie, who turns 29 in April, claims that the topic of leadership <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dinwiddie-says-his-leadership-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed-by-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wasn&rsquo;t welcomed when he brought it up earlier this season</a>. (<a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2017/3/21/15009886/the-dude-is-different-dinwiddie-on-sports-social-media-and-the-8-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He's never been shy.</a>) And now, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/1/31/22910354/los-angeles-clippers-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin O&rsquo;Connor of The Ringer is reporting</a> that the Wizards don&rsquo;t even want Dinwiddie there:
<blockquote>
&ldquo;The Wizards want to move Dinwiddie because he looks like a shell of his former self and his teammates don&rsquo;t want him there. Schr&ouml;der is fine, but he leans too far toward scoring and would be an awkward fit next to Jackson.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
To be fair, this entire Wizards team looks like a shell of their 10-4 selves from this past November, but anyway...
Dinwiddie, who is averaging 13.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds on .383/.314/.807 shooting splits is in the first season of a three-year, $54 million deal signed this past summer. After earning $17.1 million this campaign, he&rsquo;ll rake in $18 million in 2022-2023; he has $10 million of $18.9 million guaranteed for the season after. And since the Wizards evidently want to trade him, let&rsquo;s help &lsquo;em out.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cavaliers receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, 2026 or 2028 first-round pick 
Wizards receive: Ricky Rubio 
This trade is quite simple on paper, and it starts with Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s $17.8 million expiring contract heading to Washington in exchange for Dinwiddie. Rubio has a torn ACL and is expected to return at some point, just not this season. It feels like someone should send the other a draft pick or two here, but you could make the case going either way.&nbsp;
For the Cavs, they&rsquo;d be sending over Rubio while inheriting Dinwiddie&rsquo;s sizable contract as a result, so they should probably ask for some draft compensation as a result &mdash; and would be right to do so. In the Wizards' case, they&rsquo;d be trading Dinwiddie for someone who may never suit up for them and may want compensation for that reality alone.
To me, Cleveland should get the draft compensation since this deal could impact how it maneuvers this summer &mdash; including Collin Sexton&rsquo;s future, which still needs addressing. The good thing is the pathway to doing that would remain, and Dinwiddie could play the Rubio role this season.
Rubio averaged 13.1 points and 6.6 assists in 28.5 minutes per contest in all but eight games off the bench, while posting .363/.339/.854 shooting splits. He was as impactful as he possibly could&rsquo;ve been given the poor shooting, if you simply watched. Dinwiddie&rsquo;s numbers, as outlined earlier, are strikingly similar, and coming off the bench for a good team might be more ideal for him than starting for an aimless one. And the reason the Wizards' pick is so far into the future is because <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-trade-deadline-2022-how-complex-stepien-rule-decides-which-teams-can-and-cant-deal-first-round-picks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Stepien Rule prevents them from moving anything sooner</a>. (It makes this more difficult.)
Boston Celtics
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17062188_lg.jpg" alt="" width="651" height="434" />
Celtics receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, 2026 or 2028 first-round pick&nbsp; 
Wizards receive: Dennis Schr&ouml;der, Josh Richardson 
As<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reshaping-the-celtics-for-a-playoff-push-part-1-the-backcourt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Justin Lewis noted last week in our Celtics two-part retooling series</a>, these dudes need an actual point guard. The version Dinwiddie seems to play now is a less-effective version of the 2018-19 combo guard he became, but again, let&rsquo;s consider the environment. The Celtics are probably looking for a bigger trade deadline splash, but if pure-point Dinwiddie were to arrive in Boston, that&rsquo;s a better fit next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown than Dennis Schr&ouml;der is.
Because Dinwiddie's deal runs longer than Richardson's or Schr&ouml;der's, you're attaching a first here, Washington, at a minimum. Maybe add a second-rounder that would come sooner.&nbsp;
A big part of why Dinwiddie&rsquo;s been less effective isn&rsquo;t only his shooting splits, but his free-throw rate is the lowest of his career at .240, and he&rsquo;s only averaging 3.9 attempts from the line per 36 minutes, the lowest figure since his rookie season in 2014-15. That free-throw rate needs to elevate in Boston, and playing next to the Jays should provide those open lanes for spaced threes and clear drives to create more of that rim pressure we haven&rsquo;t seen much of in Washington.&nbsp;
Philadelphia 76ers
76ers receive: Bradley Beal, Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertāns, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick 
Wizards receive: Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris 
This looks ugly as hell, and is probably not very likely, but it could actually work.&nbsp;
For Washington, you get rid of two unfavorable contracts; Bertāns especially. You also acquire Simmons, who is beginning his max extension (has he even gotten paid from it yet since he hasn't played?) that'll run through 2025. Beal, as we know, has a player option for next summer, but is more likely to sign an extension this summer that will take him well into his 30s. The Wizards <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/wizards-trade-deadline-notes-bradley-beal-domantas-sabonis-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly still don't want to trade Beal</a>, but what's honestly the upside in keeping him now? To be Portland East? Regarding Tobias Harris, the Wizards may (and probably should) try rerouting him under this scenario. Harris will see over $38 million next season, and over $40 million in 2023-24.&nbsp;
For Philly, it finally rids the organization of the Simmons experience, which it'll probably they need to do to have any chance of competing this year. It also gets rid of Harris, but at a price. At least, Dinwiddie gives the Sixers a real point guard option to mix in, who can even play with Tyrese Maxey and has one fully guaranteed year left. Bertāns is getting between $16 and $17 million each year through the 2024-25 season, though that's partially guaranteed. Functionally, he can be a 4 next to Embiid, which may even help given the way Embiid is passing this season. The first-round picks are the reward for taking back bad contracts, and, of course, getiting Beal.&nbsp;
I'm still not positive it's a deal either of these teams want, but sometimes, we don't know what's best for us anyhow.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca takes a look at three logical landing spots for Wizards point guard Spencer Dinwiddie.

Examining potential trade destinations for Spencer Dinwiddie

By now, the secret&rsquo;s out.
The Memphis Grizzlies are good. And Ja Morant is a true superstar.
With 11 wins in a row, Memphis has suddenly found itself as the third seed in the Western Conference, and if there&rsquo;s one team that has the capability of destroying your playoff bracket, it&rsquo;d be the Grizz.
Interestingly enough, most people have come to know those facts, because behind Morant, the Grizzlies are simply no longer capable of being ignored. Not by me, not by you, and, apparently, not by the universe of NBA fans.
Although the fan vote is now only one of three voting processes that determine the starters for the All-Star Game, the fans serve as a very interesting focus group that does a good job of revealing the perceived value of a player&rsquo;s contributions.&nbsp;
Historically, there have been players who've seen their deserved vote totals inflated due to having support from bigger markets, and this season is no exception. But the reason this is reported in the first place is because, truth be told, the fan votes usually get it right.&nbsp;
The NBA <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-steph-curry-lead-second-allstar-fan-voting-returns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released its second return of NBA All-Star votes</a> on Thursday afternoon, and currently, Steph Curry enjoys a narrow edge over LeBron James as the overall leading vote-getter, while Kevin Durant leads all Eastern Conference players. If voting ended today and the fan vote carried the day, Curry and Durant would be the All-Star Game captains.
But LeBron trails Curry by just 77,034 votes, so LeBron could catch him. Considering the fact that the winner of that race gets the honor of being captain, it&rsquo;s just the latest installment in what has become an awesome rivalry between the Chef and the King.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The other thing that jumps off the page when you review the second returns, though? It is Morant who is currently second among Western Conference guards, leading Luka Doncic by a sizable margin of about 223,000 votes. It&rsquo;s difficult to imagine Doncic making up that ground, and unless something dramatic happens, Morant appears to be headed to Cleveland as an All-Star starter.
Who had that in the office pool?
The Grizzlies star addressed the fact after Thursday night&rsquo;s win.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t even know what to say honestly,&rdquo; Morant said when apprised of the fact that he was in line to become a starter over Doncic.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m mostly in like a little emotional moment just to see how much fans I got who want to see me in the All-Star game&hellip; Thank ya&rsquo;ll, [I] love ya&rsquo;ll for rooting for me.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
12 is thankful for all star voting love 💙<a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JaMorant</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/IDN8PijA4V">pic.twitter.com/IDN8PijA4V</a>
&mdash; Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz/status/1481861132046458888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Even still, for those who don&rsquo;t actually root for Morant, his rise has been inspiring to witness.
At just 22 years old, the third-year point guard is averaging 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per contest, including 26.7 points per game during the team&rsquo;s 11-game win streak.
While some young players see the likes of Curry and LeBron and fawn, Ja comes to snatch their crowns. With him in the lineup, the Grizzlies have gone 2-1 against both the Lakers and Warriors this season, and recently defeated Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center during Memphis' current win streak. If you lump the Phoenix Suns in there, the Grizzlies have an impressive 6-3 record against those teams altogether, and that sample size is indicative of a larger truth: Memphis is a damn good basketball team. And they&rsquo;re being led by a point guard who has potential rarely seen at this level.
As a lead guard on a young team, and as a player who is still fighting to earn his notoriety in a league full of international stars, Ja has already mastered one of the most difficult things for someone at his position. He knows how to pick and choose his spots. Despite his superhuman athleticism, the one constant in his game is that he rarely forces anything on the floor, and never presses or panics. He defers and makes plays when he should and takes over when he should.
Typically, it takes a young guard time to develop those instincts. Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving and Derrick Rose all had that gift, and like Ja, they were atypical in that they were tremendously effective from Day 0. They all became All-Stars in their second year (not a coincidence), with Kyrie becoming a starter in his third and Rose becoming the league&rsquo;s youngest MVP in history in his third.
Morant&rsquo;s rise to starter, assuming it happens, would be more impressive than Irving&rsquo;s considering the fact that he plays in the Western Conference, and the fact that his team currently sits at No. 3.
And although Lillard had much more success in his third season &mdash; the Portland Trail Blazers won 51 games in 2014-15 &mdash; he also had another All-Star in LaMarcus Aldridge.
Truth be told, Rose is really the only other point guard who, at this point, is an appropriate comparison for Morant. Ja is simply taking us places rarely seen in the NBA, and the fact that he&rsquo;s doing it in the Western Conference makes it all the more remarkable.
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At a certain point, if the Grizzlies continue winning, we are going to have to start asking ourselves what it would take for Morant to start peeling off some MVP votes from the presumptive leaders.&nbsp;
As we enter play on Jan. 14, Durant and Curry &mdash; the two likely All-Star Game captains &mdash; would probably land somewhere in the top-five if MVP voting were to take place right now. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and LeBron James are all not strangers to the award, and each of them have reasons both for and against consideration.
But at a certain point, just like he has with the West All-Star scene, Ja is likely to crash that party, as well.&nbsp;
On Thursday night, he surpassed Doncic. And as he works on keeping Luka in his rearview mirror, it would probably be wise for us to consider that this is only the beginning for Ja.
Fortunately, based on what the fans told us in the second return, the secret&rsquo;s out.

Moke Hamilton details Ja Morant's incredible stretch and season to this point, and illustrates his popularity based on All-Star voting.

Secret's out: Ja Morant is forcing his way into the NBA MVP race

Less than 48 hours ago, yours truly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mulling-over-6-options-for-the-cavs-with-ricky-rubio-out-for-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> that the Cleveland Cavaliers shouldn&rsquo;t sit on their hands regarding their vacant backup point guard position following the news of Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s season-ending ACL injury. General manager Koby Altman acted swiftly, entering discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire veteran set-up man Rajon Rondo on Thursday.
On Friday morning, the Cavs and Lakers struck an agreement, landing the two-time NBA champion in exchange for Denzel Valentine, league sources confirmed to BasketballNews.com. (Editor's Note: The trade expanded on Monday morning, as the New York Knicks jumped in to acquire Valentine.) Cleveland avoided having to give up draft capital or use its JaVale McGee trade exception, which in itself is a win.
Though Altman did not go for one of the five options suggested in Wednesday&rsquo;s article, he wasted no time in addressing one of the most important voids on the team. Going forward with only Kevin Pangos and Isaac Okoro to spell Darius Garland would&rsquo;ve been risky business. Now, in Rondo, Cleveland has a sure thing behind its budding star in regards to organizing the offense.
With that said, there are two sides to every decision, and it&rsquo;ll be intriguing to see which version of Rondo we will see with the Cavs.&nbsp;
You can&rsquo;t question the man&rsquo;s basketball IQ. Despite what we&rsquo;ve seen this season with the Lakers, Rondo is one of the smartest and headiest &ldquo;old-school&rdquo; 1s in the game. The 15-year veteran has the ability to dazzle with his passes and he's been solid in open-floor situations for the majority of his days. Rondo should have a field day with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley hovering around the rim, while Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen wait for catch-and-shoot opportunities. And who knows, maybe what Garland has learned off the ball with Rubio can translate in similar fashion with Rondo handling the rock.&nbsp;
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Where this deal could backfire is if Rondo doesn&rsquo;t buy in. ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski has <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1476949220707995648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the 35-year-old is looking forward to joining the upstart Cavs and playing a bigger role; however, there have been times in the past when Rondo has joined a team and refused to buy-in &mdash; at least over the course of a full season. Since spending nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, he has had stints with seven different teams and has been traded midseason three times now.
It takes a level of trust to gain Rondo&rsquo;s trust, it seems. Luckily for the Cavs, they have a Coach of the Year candidate in J.B. Bickerstaff who is clearly quite persuasive considering the team&rsquo;s 20-15 record in the top-half of the Eastern Conference. But even if Cleveland gets Rondo to seamlessly transition into its incredible environment, there are limitations to the veteran&rsquo;s game.
Firstly, he&rsquo;s a step slower. At 35, Rondo doesn&rsquo;t quite have that same agility on either end of the floor. Defensively, he&rsquo;s made his money by gambling for steals with his lengthy arms; staying in front of guys has been more difficult. Fortunately for him, Allen and Mobley will be a safety valve, so maybe he can be more aggressive with ball pressure.
Secondly, Rondo is a streaky type of shooter. Kudos to him on evolving his game to the point where defenses have to at least pay attention to him; with that said, if I&rsquo;m a defender, I&rsquo;m not going to race to close him out with two monsters in the paint and more threatening shooters out on the perimeter.&nbsp;
The Cavs&rsquo; best-case scenario is clear-cut: Garland&rsquo;s minute load stays the same (or likely increases from the 34 he&rsquo;s getting now) and Rondo sees 15-20 minutes of action per contest. The former obviously has a lot of juice and stamina, so he should continue to run the show. The latter should play more of a backup role than Rubio, who soaked up over 28 minutes a night &mdash; both with Garland on and off the floor.&nbsp;
Rondo should slot in as more of a traditional second-unit maestro than as a faux &ldquo;sixth starter&rdquo; type; that&rsquo;s both due to his age and unfamiliarity with this group at the moment. That&rsquo;s okay though, because it will give Garland even more responsibility, which eventually would&rsquo;ve happened anyhow.
Plus, we all know what Rondo&rsquo;s reputation is at this point: It&rsquo;s all about the postseason, &ldquo;Playoff Rondo,&rdquo; a.k.a. when Rajon locks in and truly makes and breaks games. We&rsquo;re just about to break into the New Year, so that is a ways away (and isn&rsquo;t a guarantee for the Cavs &mdash; look at the East and you&rsquo;ll see that), yet experience-wise, it doesn&rsquo;t get much better than that. Particularly, for your young core to learn and get advice from.
Rondo has a knack for making a good first impression on the floor almost everywhere he goes. Can he sustain that level of play? And if things don't go exactly how he envisioned, will he remain engaged? These are the big questions. Attitude will be everything.
The most important aspect of all of this is that Cleveland acted promptly. With a little more than half of a season left to go, the Cavs are hoping that Rondo&rsquo;s impact will at least partly be a solution to the loss of Rubio.

Spencer Davies reacts to the Cleveland Cavaliers trading for Rajon Rondo and how this move will affect the team.