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Pacers

In one week, we saw the 2022 NBA Draft picture begin to clarify.&nbsp;
The Orlando Magic jumped to the No. 1 pick after last Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery, with the Oklahoma City Thunder earning the No. 2 pick and the Houston Rockets selecting third. Throughout the week, draft hopefuls also went under the microscope at the NBA Draft Combine, showing their skills in front of NBA teams and media members.
Our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock was in Chicago for the Combine and NBA G League Elite Camp, and over the next month, he'll be gathering intel and updating our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> regularly.
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With the Combine in the rear-view mirror, Babcock provides his thoughts on some of the most pressing topics before the stretch run of the pre-draft process in a Q&amp;A:
What are your initial thoughts on how the NBA Draft Lottery results could affect things come June?
"Two picks towards the top stand out to me: Oklahoma City at No. 2 and Sacramento at No. 4. My big question is: Does Sam Presti take Jaden Ivey? I&rsquo;ve been saying this for a while, but the impression is that Ivey&rsquo;s actual stock among NBA circles is higher than what&rsquo;s being portrayed in most of the media and the public. I believe that he&rsquo;s No. 1 or No. 2 on more teams' boards rather than being No. 4 or No. 5 as he is on most of the media&rsquo;s mock drafts.
"The other pick is Sacramento &mdash; the early word is this pick could easily be on the move. I&rsquo;m not quite sure what to make of it just yet, but I&rsquo;ll surely be keeping a pulse."
Several prospects who participated in the first day of scrimmages opted not to return for the second day. What do you think of this move?
"Well, if the player got hurt, or if a team made a guarantee to select them, that&rsquo;s one thing. But if it&rsquo;s just to avoid the possibility of not playing well the second day, I&rsquo;m not into that at all. I think it&rsquo;s safe to say that all of the players who chose to play think they deserve a higher projected draft status. In that case, play. Show your stuff! Go out there and earn what you think you deserve. It not only sends a bad message to teams &mdash; I think it&rsquo;s a slippery slope regarding how they approach their careers too."
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Much was made of Patrick Baldwin Jr.'s underwhelming athletic testing results. Do you see this notably impacting his draft stock?
"Patrick Baldwin Jr. battled some injuries this past season. His unwillingness to play through those minor injuries and his lack of toughness has raised concerns. He also chose to not play in the 5-on-5 games at the NBA Draft Combine. So for him to have such an underwhelming vertical jump just adds another negative element to the overall evaluation. He&rsquo;s a very skilled and talented player, but I&rsquo;ll be direct here: I think he should go back to school."
Santa Clara wing Jalen Williams has been a buzzing name on social media. How has his Combine performance resonated with teams?
"Jalen Williams definitely helped himself last week. He&rsquo;s versatile, skilled, and long for a player that&rsquo;s nearly 6-foot-6. I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s overly athletic, but he&rsquo;s moved up a little bit. I think some teams liked him more than others, but his name was certainly buzzing. I think he&rsquo;s solidified himself as a solid draft pick."
Kendall Brown appears to be the biggest winner in the NBA combine testing. Are his standout numbers helping his draft stock?
"No, I don&rsquo;t think Kendall Brown&rsquo;s athletic testing helped him much, but let me explain. Coming into the season, Brown was widely regarded as a high-priority prospect, so everyone in the league saw him at some point or another. I think I can speak for all scouts on this one; we don&rsquo;t need to see any metrics to figure out that Kendall Brown is a freak athlete. So, although the numbers are impressive, it was expected."
Which other players significantly improved their draft stock with strong efforts at the combine?
"A few guys who helped themselves were Darius Days of LSU and Marcus Sasser of Houston, both of whom played their ways into the NBA Draft Combine by competing at the G League Elite Camp first.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Let the games begin! 🙌 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraftCombine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraftCombine</a> <a href="https://t.co/iVRC9VzzyE">pic.twitter.com/iVRC9VzzyE</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1527368377353678848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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"Another player who impressed me was Gonzaga&rsquo;s Andrew Nembhard."
Did any other draft hopefuls personally stand out to you that you might not have known well before the combine?
"Yes &mdash; Ryan Rollins of Toledo. He didn&rsquo;t light the world on fire by putting up huge numbers, but he really caught my eye. He&rsquo;s very shifty and quick. I think he has the potential to develop into a dynamic on-ball creator. I had the chance to meet him briefly, and Derek Murray will be interviewing him for us soon. I&rsquo;m looking forward to learning more about Ryan over the course of the next few weeks."
With a month still left before the draft, how can prospects most directly impact their pre-draft image at this point?
Players are beginning to visit teams now. On those visits, some players will play competitive 1-on-1, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3, in addition to individual drills. That is the best way to move the needle for a player. The teams will also be interviewing the players and getting to know them on a personal level.
Many players have either recently hired an agent (or plan to) as the draft process continues. As a former agent, what advice can you offer to players currently making these decisions?
"At this point, players should have already signed with an agent. This doesn&rsquo;t exactly answer your question, but one bit of advice that I&rsquo;d share with players who just recently hired agents is to stick to the plan. They signed with their agents for a reason. These prospects are in probably the most vulnerable situation they&rsquo;ve ever been in, as they don&rsquo;t know how things will unfold, where they&rsquo;ll live and play next year, or how much money they&rsquo;ll make. It&rsquo;s nerve-wracking. They need to trust their agents and let them do their jobs. They&rsquo;re experts. See the plan through &mdash; at least the imminent one."
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The NBA Draft Lottery and NBA Draft Combine have set the stage for the next month of the 2022 draft process.

2022 NBA Draft Combine Q&A: Matt Babcock on takeaways, teams to watch

The NBA Draft Combine provides many opportunities for prospects to shine, and the scrimmages are, at times, where selections are earned. With that in mind and the third scrimmage in the books, let's look into some notable prospect performances.
Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga
Andrew Nembhard put his skills on full display this afternoon, posting 26 points and 10 points with his scoring punch and facilitation skills. He understands how to command the flow of a game and rarely gets rushed as the lead guard. After averaging 11.8 points and 5.8 assists at Gonzaga, the 6-foot-5 guard from Ontario looks to cement himself as a second-round selection in next month&rsquo;s draft.&nbsp;
John Butler, Jr., Florida State
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John Butler Jr. averaged only 5.9 points in his freshman campaign at Florida State but has many intrigued with his size, length and shooting potential. He measured nearly 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-4-inch wingspan and scored 16 points in this contest. Butler has work to do physically, and it&rsquo;s unknown whether or not he&rsquo;ll stay in the 2022 NBA Draft, but he&rsquo;s making a name for himself as a next-level player.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/darius-days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Darius Days</a>, LSU
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Darius Days posted 17 points and 8 rebounds on 3-of-7 from deep. At 6-foot-7 he&rsquo;s a bit of a small-ball 4, but he has a special combination of power and bounce. He carried a decent offensive load this season, which allowed us to see his scoring ability, both inside and out. Days is also an adequate defender and a tenacious rebounder. He continues to provide versatility and fill up the box score, so Days has a great opportunity to be a second pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Dominick Barlow, Overtime Elite
By posting 19 points on 7-of-9 from the floor, Barlow continues his strong showing in Chicago. He stands nearly 6-foot-10 in shoes, has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and registered a 34-inch max vertical. Barlow shows promise as a play-finisher and shooter, and continues to develop nicely. Great potential in the forward from New Jersey.
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Derek Murray highlights key observations from the third scrimmage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.

2022 NBA Draft Combine: Takeaways from Scrimmage No. 3

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for May 18-20 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
The 2022 NBA Draft Combine is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.&nbsp;
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting drills and strength-and-agility drills from May 18-20. Coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. ET. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-field-of-44-draft-prospects-for-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 16-17 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.
Here is the complete list of expected attendees for this year's NBA Draft Combine (and check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> to see where each player is projected to go):&nbsp;
<table style="font-weight: 400;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="832">
Player (College/Club)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Marjon Beauchamp (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matthew Mayer (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Malaki Branham (Ohio State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Leonard Miller (Fort Erie Intl. Academy [Canada] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Braun (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Josh Minott (Memphis)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kendall Brown (Baylor)
</td>
<td width="442">
Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
John Butler Jr. (Florida State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Max Christie (Michigan State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
</td>
<td width="442">
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
</td>
<td width="442">
Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
JD Davison (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
</td>
<td width="442">
David Roddy (Colorado State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria [Spain] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Dereon Seabron (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jalen Duren (Memphis)
</td>
<td width="442">
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Tari Eason (LSU)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Keon Ellis (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matteo Spagnolo (Cremona [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
AJ Griffin (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
</td>
<td width="442">
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
</td>
<td width="442">
Peyton Watson (UCLA)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td width="442">
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Nikola Jovic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ismael Kamagate (Paris [France] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trevor Keels (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Mark Williams (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
</td>
<td width="442">
Trevion Williams (Purdue)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Koloko (Arizona)
</td>
<td width="442">
Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 18-20 in Chicago.

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

Gonzaga senior Andrew Nembhard announced that he is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Born in Toronto, Canada, the 6-foot-5 point guard averaged 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists during his senior season for the Bulldogs and was named first-team All-WCC.
"This is my time," Nembhard <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33778131/gonzaga-bulldogs-senior-andrew-nembhard-declare-2022-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told ESPN</a>. "It's time to let the young guys take over the program. In this draft I feel like I'm among the top. There are not many point guards in this class that can impact the game in a winning sense in the way I can. I've gotten feedback and did the things the NBA told me I needed to do to take the next step. I'm ready."
Matt Babcock, BasketballNews.com's Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, is impressed with how Nembrand improved during his collegiate career but isn't sure he will be drafted.&nbsp;
"I remember watching Andrew Nembhard at the NBA Draft Combine after his freshman season at Florida," said Babcock. "I wasn't confident at the time that he'd ever have an opportunity to get drafted. However, I'm impressed with his sticktoitiveness, as he has continued to get better. He improved his outside shooting, most specifically. Once Nembhard transferred to Gonzaga, he became their primary ball-handler and floor general. His production didn't dramatically change from his previous seasons at Florida but keep in mind Gonzaga was one of the best teams in the country. I don't think Nembhard is an absolute lock to be drafted this year, but he has undoubtedly played himself into the mix."
Nembhard is currently ranked 56th on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.

Gonzaga senior Andrew Nembhard announced that he is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.

Gonzaga's Andrew Nembhard declares for the 2022 NBA Draft

Gonzaga, once again, dominated conference competition at home in a 74-58 win over the No. 22 Gaels of Saint Mary&rsquo;s. Drew Timme led all players with 25 points on 11 of 16 shooting from the floor. Chet Holmgren posted 11 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals in another highly impactful performance. The Bulldogs have now won 66 straight at home - the longest active Division I streak.
The No. 2 Bulldogs (21-3, 10-0 WCC) are favorites to land a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament next month, behind another well-balanced roster and offensive attack. Timme leads the team in scoring with 17.4 points per game and a potential top-3 pick in the NBA Draft, Holmgren, is posting 14.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.&nbsp;
Led by senior Matthias Tass and his 12.8 points per game, the Gaels (20-6, 8-3 WCC) entered this one having won eight of their last nine contests. Alex Ducas, Logan Johnson and Tommy Kuhse round out their experienced, reliable backcourt.&nbsp;
The first half started with both teams trading buckets and Saint Mary&rsquo;s was able to take a 12-11 lead at the 11:44 mark. From then until halftime, Timme and Andrew Nembhard were nearly unstoppable, as Gonzaga took a 36-23 lead into the break. Timme led all scorers with 15. The Florida transfer, Nembhard, had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists already.
Holmgren and Julian Strawther started the second period with some quick baskets, but Tass and Ducas responded. Gonzaga would stretch the lead to 21 points, but the Gaels fought all the way to make it 66-58 by the 3:00 mark. Strawther answered with a pair of triples, however, and sealed the deal.&nbsp;
Saint Mary&rsquo;s head coach Randy Bennett commented after the game, "We battled with the No. 1 team in the country and I would've liked to see a little better offense from us, especially towards the end when they were putting the game out of reach.&rdquo;
Tommy Kuhse led the Gaels in scoring with 16 points on 6 of 9 from the floor. Tass scored 14 and Ducas ended with 12 points. Strawther scored 11 points, and the Gonzaga bench of Watson, Hickman and Sallis combined for only 6 points in 26 minutes.&nbsp;
Coming into this one, Saint Mary&rsquo;s was projected a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tournament.&nbsp;
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With Auburn&rsquo;s loss at Arkansas last week, Gonzaga is in position to move to No. 1 in the rankings.&nbsp;
UPCOMING
Gonzaga visits Pepperdine on Wednesday.&nbsp;
Saint Mary&rsquo;s hosts San Francisco on Thursday night.

Gonzaga, once again, dominated conference competition at home in a 74-58 win over the No. 22 Gaels of Saint Mary’s. Drew Timme led all players with 25 points on 11 of 16 from the floor. Chet Holmgren posts 11 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, and 2 steals in another highly impactful performance. The Bulldogs have now won 66 straight at home - the longest active D-1 streak.

Gonzaga takes care of business, beats Saint Mary’s 74-58

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-jazz-jump-up-into-top-tier-grizz-and-cavs-climb-into-the-top-8-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Phoenix Suns finally push past the Golden State Warriors to grab the top spot in the Basketball News Power Rankings for the first time this season, while the Cleveland Cavaliers climb into the top five.&nbsp;
1. Phoenix Suns (24-5) ⬆️ Last Week: 2
The Suns have posted a ridiculous 23-2 record over their last 25 games. And Phoenix welcomed back leading-scorer Devin Booker, who hadn't played in almost three weeks after injuring his hamstring in late November, in their 137-106 thrashing of the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night. The Suns have also gotten tremendous production from sharpshooter Cam Johnson this month. He's averaging 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 made triples (while shooting better than 44% from downtown) over his past nine contests.&nbsp;
2. Golden State Warriors (25-6) ⬇️ Last Week: 1
Golden State played without Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole (both are in health and safety protocols) but was still able to beat the Sacramento Kings by 15 points on Monday night, as they improved to a league-best 15-2 at home. Draymond Green led the way for the Warriors, racking up 16 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 2&nbsp; blocks and 2 steals. It was Green's 31st triple-double of his career. Remarkably, Golden State has won 30 of the 31 games in which Green has recorded a triple-double.&nbsp;
3. Brooklyn Nets (21-9) ⬆️ Last Week: 4
The Nets made headlines last week when they announced that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving would be welcomed back to Brooklyn. Although Irving remains unvaccinated, which will prevent him from playing in home games due to New York City's vaccine mandates, Kyrie will be able to practice with the team and play in road games (except for the matchups with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden and the Toronto Raptors up north). The Nets roster has been decimated by COVID-19 of late, with 10 players, in addition to several staff members, in health and safety protocols.
4. Utah Jazz (21-9) ⬇️ Last Week: 3
Not only is Rudy Gobert dominating the paint per usual (averaging 15.4 points and 15.0 rebounds this season) while also leading the league in FG% (72.3%). He's also shooting a career-high 69.3% from the free-throw stripe thanks to a revamped shooting stroke. His complete skill set was on display in Monday's victory over the Hornets, as Gobert racked up 23 points and 21 rebounds while knocking down a career-high 15 free throws on 16 attempts.&nbsp;
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-12) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
The NBA announced Sunday that a total of five games involving nine teams would be postponed in response to COVID-19 outbreaks impacting several squads. One of the postponed contests was the Cleveland-Atlanta game scheduled for Sunday night after the Cavs, who have won six in a row, announced that five players entered protocols earlier that day. According to The Associated Press, all five Cavs &mdash; Jarrett Allen, Lamar Stevens, Dylan Windler, Denzel Valentine and RJ Nembhard &mdash; tested positive for COVID-19.
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6. Milwaukee Bucks (19-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 5
The Bucks, forced to play without both Giannis Antetokounmpo (health and safety) and Khris Middleton ((left knee hyperextension), have lost two in a row. They look to get back on track Wednesday vs. the Houston Rockets, and it sounds like there is a good chance Middleton will be cleared to return to action.&nbsp;
7. Chicago Bulls (19-10) ⬇️ Last Week: 6
The Bulls took plenty of heat for signing DeMar DeRozan to a three-year, $85 million contract last offseason, but the early returns have been exceedingly positive. Not only is DeRozan averaging a team-high 26.8 points, but he's also scoring them when Chicago needs them most. DeMar is averaging a league-best 8.0 points per game in the fourth quarter of games this season. He is shooting a scorching 54.2% from the floor, 45.5% from downtown and 91.2% from the free-throw line in the final frame.&nbsp;
8. Miami Heat (18-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 9
The shorthanded Heat have won 2 of their last 3, thanks partly to a very unexpected lift from Max Strus, who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-max-strus-on-heats-nextman-up-mentality-building-confidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke to our Spencer Davies at the beginning of last week</a>. The unheralded third-year pro exploded for a career-high 32 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 8 treys in a win over the Orlando Magic on Friday. He followed that up with 24 more points and four more triples on Sunday.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (19-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Grizzlies surprisingly posted a 10-2 record in 12 games Ja Morant missed due to a sprained left knee. The star point guard returned to action Monday night and played well, tallying 16 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds in less than 30 minutes. However, after the game, Morant told reporters that some fans told him he should sit back out. He acknowledged that "the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ja-morant-hurt-by-fans-telling-him-to-sit-back-out-as-grizz-fall-to-thunder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarks from the fans actually hurt</a>," but Ja added, "I'm going to do what I normally do and bounce back and I'm very excited for this next game."
10. Philadelphia 76ers (16-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 11
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🔥Joel Embiid with a HUGE GAME in the <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sixers</a> win! 41 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST, 4 BLK, 2 STL <a href="https://t.co/r471bTMV01">pic.twitter.com/r471bTMV01</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1473141177650237441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Joel Embiid put Philadelphia on his back Monday night and carried them to a 108-103 victory over the Boston Celtics. Embiid tallied 41 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks and 2 steals. The much-needed win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Sixers.&nbsp;
11. Denver Nuggets (15-14) ⬆️ Last Week: 16
He seems to be running a distant third behind KD and Steph in the MVP race according to some fans and TV pundits, but you could make a very strong argument that Nikola Jokic is on pace to bring home another MVP award. How valuable is he to Denver's success? The Nuggets are 11-4 when Jokic scores 25 or more points this season. They are 2-6 when he scores fewer than 20 points or does not play. Over the nine games Denver has played this month, Joker is averaging 26.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and 9.2 (!!) assists a night. Yes, he's dishing out more dimes than Chris Paul or Trae Young. Crazy.&nbsp;
12. Los Angeles Clippers (16-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 10
Paul George returned to action on Monday night after missing the previous five games with a sprained right elbow. PG-13 poured in 25 points, but it wasn't enough, as the Clippers were whipped by the Spurs, 116-92. It was L.A.'s third consecutive defeat.&nbsp;
13. Los Angeles Lakers (16-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
Anthony Davis sprained his left knee on Friday, and we learned over the weekend that he'll likely miss four weeks of action. The Lakers are just one game over .500, and that's with LeBron James playing at a very high level and logging a ton of minutes. King James will have to carry the team on his back for the next month to keep L.A. afloat. We know the Lakers will be buyers at the deadline, so it'll be interesting to see if they try to make a move sooner rather than later.&nbsp;
14. Charlotte Hornets (16-17) ⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Hornets are in the midst of an exhausting six-game road trip and have lost 4 of their first 5 on this current West Coast excursion. Charlotte plays just once more this week (the final game of the trip is Thursday in Denver) before heading home to take on the Rockets next Monday.&nbsp;
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 20
The Wolves have won four in a row despite playing without Anthony Edwards, Josh Okogie, and Taurean Prince. And on Monday, Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt entered the NBA's health and safety protocols as well. Unsurprisingly, Karl-Anthony Towns has been doing the heavy lifting for Minny. Kat is averaging 26.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 triples during this four-game streak.&nbsp;
16. Washington Wizards (16-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
After scoring more than 30 points just twice over the first eight weeks of the season, Bradley Beal may finally be heating up. Over the three games the Wiz played last week, Beal averaged 31.0 points and 5.7 assists while shooting above 56% from the field and 42.9% from three-point territory.&nbsp;
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17. Boston Celtics (15-16) ⬇️ Last Week: 15
The C's have yet to win consecutive games this month, but it should be noted that they have played the league's most demanding schedule in December. Of the 12 games on Boston's calendar from Dec. 1 through Christmas Day, 10 of their 12 opponents have winning records. The Celtics take on the Cavs and Bucks later this week.&nbsp;
18. Dallas Mavericks (14-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 17
Kristaps Porzingis has been playing well of late, but exited Sunday's game with what the team called "right foot soreness." Luka Doncic is dealing with left ankle soreness and will miss his fifth straight game Tuesday vs. Minnesota.
19. Toronto Raptors (14-15) &harr;️ Last Week: 19
Fred VanVleet, Malachi Flynn, Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa all entered the league's COVID protocols on Tuesday, bringing the total number of Raptors in health and safety protocols to seven. As of Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday's game vs. the Bulls has yet to be postponed.&nbsp;
20. Atlanta Hawks (14-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 18
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Stay safe🙄🤦🏽&zwj;♂️🤷🏽&zwj;♂️😷 <a href="https://t.co/0cBfsg0CaW">pic.twitter.com/0cBfsg0CaW</a>
&mdash; Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1472601570579779592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Hawks haven't won consecutive games since late November and are just 3-6 over their last nine contests. Because Sunday's game vs. Cleveland was postponed, Atlanta will have four full days off between their last game (a loss last Friday to Denver) and their next matchup Wednesday vs. Orlando. However, the team announced over the weekend that Trae Young had entered health and safety protocols, which will likely sideline him through the Hawks' Christmas Day showdown with the Knicks at MSG. On Tuesday, Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari joined Young.
21. Indiana Pacers (13-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 21
After a very slow start to the season, it appears the Pacers are finally headed in the right direction. Indy has won 4 of the last 6 games, and the two losses during this recent stretch were to Golden State and Milwaukee. The team's success has coincided with an uptick in Caris LeVert's performance. He's averaging 21.9 points and 4.3 assists over his last seven appearances.
22. New York Knicks (13-17) &harr;️ Last Week: 22
Like many teams, the Knicks have been hit hard by COVID-19. What makes New York's recent run of back luck so frustrating for fans is that the team's young players seem to be sidelined following breakout performances. After Obi Topping scored a career-high 19 vs. the Raptors, he entered health and safety protocols the next day. Two days after Quentin Grimes poured in a franchise-record 27 points in his first career start, he was sidelined. Miles "Deuce" McBride stepped in and stepped up (15 points, 9 assists, zero turnovers) last Thursday in a win over the Rockets, and was forced into healthy protocols the following afternoon.
23. Portland Trail Blazers (13-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
The Blazers have won two in a row after snapping a disastrous seven-game losing skid late last week. They have another winnable game Tuesday when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans on the road. Dame Lillard is averaging over 30 points a night since returning from an abdominal injury on Dec. 12.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (13-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 26 
With De'Aaron Fox (health and safety protocols) sidelined, Tyrese Haliburton has been a beast for the Kings. In the three games Fox has missed, Haliburton is averaging 24.0 points, 10.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 treys while shooting 54.7% from the floor, 57.1% from downtown and 85.7% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
25. San Antonio Spurs (12-18) ⬇️ Last Week: 23
Dejounte Murray remained red-hot in Monday's win over the Clippers, tallying 24 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists and 4 steals in 31 minutes. It was his third triple-double in five games, and his sixth this season. Murray is averaging 17.0 points, 10.4 assists, 9.6 boards and 2.2 thefts of the Spurs past five contests.
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26. Oklahoma City Thunder (10-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 27
After ripping down a career-high 18 rebounds to go along with 10 assists and 8 points against the Clippers on Saturday, Josh Giddey put up 19 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds in Monday's victory over the Grizzlies. Those are remarkable numbers in back-to-back games for a 19-year-old rookie. Over OKC's last seven games, he's averaging more than seven dimes and seven boards.&nbsp;
27. Houston Rockets (10-20) ⬇️ Last Week: 25
The Rockets have come back down to earth following their shocking seven-game win streak, as they have lost 5 of their last 7. Jalen Green (left hamstring) has been sidelined since Nov. 24, but coach Stephen Silas said he is hopeful Green will return by Christmas or early next week. Kevin Porter Jr. (left thigh bruise) is reportedly targeting a return before the end of December as well.&nbsp;
28. New Orleans Pelicans (10-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 28
After an awful start to the season, in which they won just 3 of their first 19 contests, the Pels are slowly but surely making progress and have won 3 of their last 4. Jonas Valančiūnas has picked up his production of late, averaging 20.8 points (on 61.6% shooting) to go along with 11.4 boards over his past five contests.
29. Detroit Pistons (5-24) ⬆️ Last Week: 30
The Pistons snapped their 14-game losing streak by beating the Heat Sunday night in the Motor City. Saddiq Bey, who scored a team-high 26 points in the victory over Miami, finally broke out of a nasty shooting slump last week. Bey, who was shooting below 35% from the floor and below 30% from downtown over the Pistons' first 25 games this season, averaged 25.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.0 made treys while shooting 54.3% from the floor, 42.9% from behind the arc, and 94.7% from the free-throw stripe over his last three.&nbsp;
30. Orlando Magic (6-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 29
Franz Wagner, the eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft, isn't drawing much national attention, but he has been fantastic for the Magic this month. Over Orlando's last 10 games, Wagner is averaging 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per contest.

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Suns eclipse Warriors for the top spot

The first calendar month of NCAA action is drawing to a close, and there were no shortage of prospect fireworks throughout the early nonconference slate.&nbsp;
Freshmen like Jabari Smith and Kendall Brown have consistently turned heads with their play, while returning stars such as Jaden Ivey showed tremendous growth. Of course, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren also dominate the conversation, culminating with their thrilling matchup on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.
Matt Babcock was on hand for that game and many others. He and his scouting team recently updated <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>. Babcock answered a few of my questions about his board and his observations so far.
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What has Paolo Banchero done to solidify his No. 1 ranking on your Big Board?
Matt Babcock: I have seen Banchero in-person twice this season &mdash; on opening night in New York at the State Farm Champions Classic, and then just recently in Las Vegas versus Gonzaga. He was terrific in both games. The main thing for me that gives Banchero an edge over Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren is his ability to create offense on his own. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, he has a well-rounded game, but his ability to get buckets is something teams can build around. I envision Banchero being a big-time scorer in the NBA.&nbsp;
What has inspired you to move Jabari Smith up to second on your Big Board?
Matt Babcock: I recently watched Jabari Smith in Tampa, Florida when Auburn played South Florida. He didn&rsquo;t even have a great game, but he showed his talent and I was blown away. He does just about everything I&rsquo;d want from a versatile stretch four. He shoots the ball extremely well with range. He&rsquo;s teased his ability to score on three levels, and I think he has the potential to become an elite switchable defender. From an upside standpoint, Jabari Smith might have the highest ceiling of any prospect this year.
Aside from Banchero and Holmgren, who else stood out to you from the Duke vs. Gonzaga matchup?
Matt Babcock: That game was unbelievable! I feel lucky to have been in the building. From a scouting standpoint, it was almost overwhelming because between the two teams, there were so many NBA prospects. However, one player that really stood out was Wendell Moore from Duke. I&rsquo;ve watched Moore since he was in high school. He&rsquo;s gotten so much better. I initially thought he was just a tough, slashing player. In that game in Las Vegas, he showed so much more versatility than he has in the past. He actually showed some point guard skills, which surprised me. It was also very clear that he is the leader of that team. I have a lot of confidence in Moore right now. We decided to include him on our most updated Big Board as an early second-round pick.&nbsp;
Duke&rsquo;s sophomore center, Mark Williams, made a major impact in that game, too. He&rsquo;s so big and really uses his length to be a great defensive anchor and finisher around the rim. He&rsquo;s trending up in my book for sure.
I also thought Gonzaga&rsquo;s point guard, Andrew Nembhard, showed well. He isn&rsquo;t the quickest player, but he has good size and is just a solid floor general. I think he&rsquo;s improved quite a bit.
What makes Kendall Brown one of the hottest early risers in the class so far?
Matt Babcock: I&rsquo;m very high on Kendall Brown. He has positional size and is about as good of an athlete as I&rsquo;ve ever seen. He&rsquo;s already producing at a high level as a freshman for a very good Baylor team. I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s ever going to be a guy that&rsquo;s going to create a ton of offense on his own, but his elite athleticism and motor allow for him to make plays all over the court.
Which other freshmen have made significant impressions early in the season?
Matt Babcock: There are a lot of talented freshmen. Of course there are the players that we expected to be near the top of the draft, like Banchero, Smith, Holmgren, and Duren, but a few guys that have really caught my attention early on have been Moussa Diabate from Michigan, Max Christie from Michigan State, Matthew Cleveland from Florida State, and Bryce McGowens from Nebraska.
Which collegiate returners have shown significant growth from last year?
Matt Babcock: Coincidentally, the two names that come to mind first are both from the Big Ten: Jaden Ivey from Purdue and Keegan Murray from Iowa.
Ivey is a dynamic guard who is so athletic. He&rsquo;s a hawk on the ball defensively and is constantly attacking the rim with the ball in his hands. He&rsquo;s really improved as a playmaker, too. He&rsquo;s really an exciting player. Keep an eye out for his highlights.
As for Keegan Murray, he doesn&rsquo;t do one thing that blows you away, as his game is pretty simple. He&rsquo;s a stretch four who has a non-stop motor. The guy just makes things happen all game long by playing smart and hard. He&rsquo;s having an incredible season so far for the Hawkeyes. Murray is averaging over 25 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal per game. At this point, I have a hard time envisioning him slipping too far in the draft, as I think a lot of teams could use him.
I was actually planning to see both of these players in-person later this week when their teams play each other Friday night at Purdue, but I couldn&rsquo;t fit it into my schedule, unfortunately. I need to lock in a couple of dates so I can see both of them sometime soon.
Who's a player you would like to see more from before conference play gets started?
Matt Babcock: My schedule really came together nicely this season. I&rsquo;ll have seen most of the real high-priority prospects by the New Year. I&rsquo;d say the area where I feel least confident, at the moment, is with international prospects. I&rsquo;m heading out to Europe for a couple of weeks in January, though, so I will have an opportunity to see a lot of top guys then. There are also some prospects playing in Australia, whose league is just getting going right now. I likely won&rsquo;t be traveling there this season. I don&rsquo;t even know if I could go if I wanted to. But it will be nice to get some fresh film to watch and get caught up on those prospects.
What other non-NCAA prospects have made strong statements recently?
Matt Babcock: I think G League Ignite players Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp and Michael Foster are all doing a nice job. Jaden Hardy hasn&rsquo;t been playing as well as I had hoped he would, but I think it&rsquo;s just a matter of time for him to work through the kinks and become more comfortable. Also, Scoot Henderson has been incredible since he came back from an injury. He&rsquo;s not draft eligible this year, but next year, watch out &mdash; he&rsquo;s coming!&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m also planning to go to Atlanta in the next couple of weeks to see Jean Montero and the rest of the players with Overtime Elite. I worked for Overtime Elite as a scouting advisor for about six months. I helped get their scouting operations in order and their initial group of players set. So in addition to seeing Montero and the rest of the players there, I&rsquo;m looking forward to seeing all of my former co-workers and their brand new arena.

Matt Babcock explains some of the updates to his Big Board and highlights some of the top prospects he's scouted.

2022 NBA Draft: Q&A with Matt Babcock on early-season risers

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; Paolo Banchero scored 21 points to lead No. 5 Duke over No. 1 Gonzaga 84-81 on Saturday night.
Duke (7-0) handed Gonzaga (6-1) its first loss since April&rsquo;s national title game, when Baylor beat the Bulldogs.
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Paolo Banchero is going CRAZY in this first half 🔥 15 points in 11 minutes 👀👀 <a href="https://t.co/xIjZnnWcjO">pic.twitter.com/xIjZnnWcjO</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1464446945141919747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Gonzaga battled back from a nine-point deficit thanks to Julian Strawther&rsquo;s offensive prowess early in the second half, as he scored eight of the Bulldogs&rsquo; first 14 points to help them get within two. But Gonzaga suffered through a 0-for-5 span down the stretch and turned the ball over three times to allow Duke to seize the momentum and close the game on a 13-9 run.
Wendell Moore Jr. scored 20 points and Mark Williams added 17 points and 9 rebounds for the Blue Devils.
Strawther led Gonzaga with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. Drew Timme added 17 points, Chet Holmgren had 16 points and Rasir Bolton chipped in 15 for the Bulldogs.
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Chet getting his NO MATTER WHAT 😈<a href="https://twitter.com/ChetHolmgren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChetHolmgren</a> (via <a href="https://twitter.com/ScubaSteve_33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScubaSteve_33</a>) <a href="https://t.co/V6KOu4tCCn">pic.twitter.com/V6KOu4tCCn</a>
&mdash; Overtime (@overtime) <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1464462264866586624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The long-anticipated showdown involving Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski became a battle of Duke&rsquo;s relentless defensive pressure and Gonzaga&rsquo;s precise passing through lanes that the Bulldogs created on the fly.
After Gonzaga took an early 4-0 lead, Duke quickly established dominance with a 17-6 run, with Banchero and Williams putting on a show for the heavily favored Duke crowd.
The Bulldogs closed the gap to three, 19-16, but Banchero scored 13 of Duke&rsquo;s next 21 points. Holmgren, who had to sit midway in the first half due to foul trouble, returned with 1:27 left in the half and drained a soft one-handed jumper followed by a 3-pointer by Strawther.
Duke held 45-42 lead at halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Duke: The Blue Devils faithful proved it travels well, with the majority of the 20,389 fans inside T-Mobile Arena draped in Duke blue.
Gonzaga: Before Friday night, the Bulldogs trailed for a total of 3:18 in four games &mdash; against Texas, Alcorn State, Bellarmine and UCLA. Gonzaga trailed for more than 20 minutes against Duke until retaking the lead on a pair of Timme free throws at the 17-minute mark of the second half.
UP NEXT
Duke: Visits Ohio State on Tuesday.
Gonzaga: Hosts Tarleton State on Monday.

Paolo Banchero scored 21 points to lead No. 5 Duke over No. 1 Gonzaga 84-81 on Saturday night.

Banchero scores 21, No. 5 Duke holds off No. 1 Gonzaga in 84-81 win

With all due respect to the teams of the Big Ten, Gonzaga and Baylor have been the two best teams in college basketball all season. The two have combined for just one loss, and that was by Baylor soon after returning from a three-week shutdown. Of course, only one of them can win the national championship. If you were planning on placing a bet on one of the heavy favorites, should you choose Gonzaga or Baylor?
The Case for Gonzaga
The Bulldogs know how to score, averaging 92.1 points per game and finishing third nationally with over 18 assists per game. The thing that stands out about Gonzaga is that point guard Jalen Suggs is the team&rsquo;s best player and a potential top-five NBA draft pick, yet he&rsquo;s only the third-leading scorer on the team. Both Corey Kispert and Drew Timme average over 18 points per game. Meanwhile, Suggs, Joel Ayayi, and Andrew Nembhard form a terrific backcourt that can score in a variety of ways, forcing teams to match such a potent offense for 40 minutes if they hope to beat Gonzaga.
The Case Against Gonzaga
Of course, the case against Gonzaga every year is that they don&rsquo;t play a difficult schedule in the West Coast Conference. Despite non-conference wins over Kansas, West Virginia, Iowa, and Virginia, the Bulldogs haven&rsquo;t been challenged by anyone outside of BYU since January. Also, defense could be a concern against high-level competition, as Kansas, West Virginia, and Iowa all scored over 80 points against the Bulldogs early in the season. Can the Bulldogs get the stops they need against a good offensive team in a close game?
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The Case for Baylor
Much like Gonzaga, the Bears force teams to get into a track meet. Baylor averaged 84.4 points per game thanks to a deep and talented backcourt. Both Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell are skilled ball handlers who can shoot the ball, get to the basket, and create opportunities for other players, as both averaged over five assists per game this season. The Bears also shoot 41.8% from the perimeter as a team thanks to four players in their rotation who shoot better than 40% from three-point range.
The Case Against Baylor
If Baylor has a weakness, it might be size. There are only three players in their rotation who are taller than 6-foot-4. The team&rsquo;s best two frontcourt players, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Flo Thamba, don&rsquo;t provide a lot of scoring and need to stay out of foul trouble. The Bears also rely on their guards to help with rebounding. Baylor didn&rsquo;t face a lot of elite frontcourts in the Big 12 this season. But it&rsquo;s worth noting they were out-rebounded by 20 in their loss to Kansas. Could a team with size bully the Bears in the paint enough to pull off an upset?&nbsp;
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The Best Bet for the Big Dance
All things considered, Baylor is the slightly better bet to win the national championship. The fact that Mark Few has been building toward a national championship for 20 years is irrelevant. March is all about guard play, and the Bears have that in a greater abundance than Gonzaga. Plus, Baylor is battle-tested, escaping with just one loss in a conference that has six other top-25 teams. The Bears will be ready for anything the NCAA Tournament throws at them, and will be more apt to survive and advance than Gonzaga.
If you are going to be betting on the Big Dance this year make sure you check out BetQL. With BetQL you can get public betting data and expert picks for every game of the tournament. No matter how you like to bet BetQL has you covered with <a href="https://betql.co/ncaab/odds/moneyline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moneyline picks</a>, <a href="https://betql.co/ncaab/odds/totals-spread" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over-under locks</a>, and even <a href="https://betql.co/ncaab/odds/first-half-lines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first-half picks against the spread</a>. BetQL&rsquo;s college basketball model runs 10,000 simulations for each and every game to give you the data you need to win more this March.&nbsp;

With all due respect to the teams of the Big Ten, Gonzaga and Baylor have been the two best teams in college basketball all season.