Gauchos

Today, Rolling Loud &amp; The Crew League, announce&nbsp;the premiere of The &ldquo;We Got Next&rdquo; - 3 Point Contest. &nbsp;The Crew League&nbsp;&amp; Rolling Loud partner to present is a first-of-its-kind, unscripted basketball 3 point competition series held backstage on the grounds at&nbsp;Hollywood Park&nbsp;for Rolling Loud California 2024.
Kicking off on Monday, May 6th, the &ldquo;We Got Next&rdquo; 3 pt contest&nbsp;will feature artists from Rolling Loud California&rsquo;s lineup such as, Luh Tyler, Veeze, NLE Choppa, 310babii, 2Rare, Kaliii, That Mexican OT, Jeleel!, Rob49&nbsp;and so many more,&nbsp;along with surprise special guests like AdamW, Jabari Banks, Quincy, Adam22 and so many more, as they compete for bragging rights, a $50,000 cash prize, a custom diamond bracelet designed by Eric the Jeweler &amp; a custom one of one jacket by Jeff Hamilton. &nbsp;
In typical TCL fashion, humor will be at the center of the show. With more than fifty (50+) digestible episodes in the series hosted by comedy star, Ben Da Donnn, &nbsp;music superstar SuperDuperKyle, &amp; Treasure Wilson aka Stat Baby, this competition is sure to entertain all. &nbsp;
Talent List:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/tcl-3pt_690w.png" alt="" />
Quotes:
&ldquo;We are excited to partner with Rolling Loud on such a disruptive concept! &nbsp;Most rappers think they can outshoot everyone from the 3pt line&hellip; &nbsp;Now we have a place for them to prove it&hellip; &nbsp;Excited for what's to come from our partnership&rdquo; &nbsp;- Elie Maroun (Commissioner &amp; Co-Founder of The Crew League)
<a href="https://next.frame.io/share/7842e3d2-68b6-4026-8006-6a605bceaa95/view/cc63fa52-0c07-4519-967b-58f435e66252">Check out the video here.</a>
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About Rolling Loud:
Founded by 7-time Billboard Hip-Hop Power Players Matt Zingler &amp; Tariq Cherif as a one-day Miami show, Rolling Loud has grown into a global festival phenomenon, putting on shows on both coasts and in multiple countries across four continents. Rolling Loud is the premier festival brand in hip-hop, known for its expert curation of wide-ranging lineups that reflect the state of the genre. In 2023, Rolling Loud expanded its empire even further, hosting a series of star-studded festivals in all corners of the globe, including debuts in Thailand and Germany, plus its flagship affair, Rolling Loud Miami, which offered its most diverse and wide-ranging lineup to date.
Throughout 2024, Rolling Loud commemorates "10 Years Of Rolling Loud," celebrating the festival's rise from humble origins to world dominance. Since the first Miami festival, Rolling Loud has evolved into a major force in hip-hop, providing a massive stage for rap's biggest names, giving early exposure to future superstars, including Travis Scott, Juice WRLD, and Ice Spice, and inspiring some of the most memorable moments in the genre's recent history. Now, Rolling Loud is hip-hop&rsquo;s biggest stage, with star-studded festivals on four continents and more milestones to come.
Stay tuned for announcements about Rolling&nbsp;Loud's 2024&nbsp;World Tour, including upcoming festivals in Los Angeles, Europe, and more.

The Crew League & Rolling Loud partner to present is a first-of-its-kind, unscripted basketball 3 point competition series held backstage on the grounds at Hollywood Park for Rolling Loud California 2024.

The Crew League 3PT Contest

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

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

If there is any singular number that has defined basketball in 2023, it might be 9.9 million &mdash; the viewership of Sunday's NCAA Tournament championship game between LSU and Iowa.
The figure isn't just the largest ever for a women's college game; it also flew past other audiences for some of American sports' marquee events.
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The NCAA Women's National Championship's 9.9 million viewers are more than: ▪️ Any Women's CBB game ever ▪️ Any MLS game ever ▪️ Any Stanley Cup game since 1973 ▪️ The 2023 Orange Bowl ▪️ The 2023 Sugar Bowl ▪️ 2023 Thursday Night Football ▪️ The 2021 NBA Finals ▪️ The 2020&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/X6MGXYkflQ">pic.twitter.com/X6MGXYkflQ</a>
&mdash; Front Office Sports (@FOS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOS/status/1643051889846525953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote>

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To say the game has "arrived" is disrespectful to the illustrious history of women in basketball. But Sunday was a stage unlike any other, and those who watched on TV or <a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/lsu/womens_basketball/ticket-prices-for-lsu-iowa-national-championship-jump/article_8f541656-d0d6-11ed-83a2-7fb0a63f33b8.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paid hundreds to attend</a> were awestruck by the outpouring of deserved fan support.
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I&rsquo;m completely blown away. The direction our game is going and the excitement surrounding it- I personally have never been more proud to be a part of it. ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/WjNZii3Vg1">pic.twitter.com/WjNZii3Vg1</a>
&mdash; Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) <a href="https://twitter.com/RachGall/status/1642976923193331713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2023</a></blockquote>

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A poorly-officiated contest (Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic had <a href="https://theathletic.com/4377949/2023/04/03/womens-basketball-officials-clark-reese/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some important thoughts on this</a>) and the trash-talking discourse that followed are problematic, but they won't taper our excitement for the trajectory of women's basketball. An influx of new, casual, uninformed fans are swarming into the sport, and we're ready for them because we've learned two important lessons in the last week.
One: This generation's stars are glimmering in the spotlight.
Two: The sport's core of diligent media members and passionate fans won't take any B.S.
Angel Reese surpassed a million Instagram followers after winning the national title, a result of her superstar season and her "Bayou Barbie" persona. But her name also dominated headlines because of her John Cena and ring-me gestures towards Caitlin Clark in the closing minutes of LSU's win, earning critical labels like "classless" and others that hinted at more serious racist undertones.
Reese didn't hold back in her initial response.
"I don&rsquo;t fit in the box that y&rsquo;all want me to be in. I'm too hood, I'm too ghetto, y'all told me that all year. When other people do it, y'all don't say nothing. This was for the people that look like me," Reese <a href="https://twitter.com/sportingnews/status/1642671282767507456" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
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This is different from Reese "not caring" about the critics. She does care and is aware of her own aura, which she says has been criticized since high school. Reese cares that her image as a powerful, talented, confident Black woman resonates with younger girls who can relate to her, and that for so long, that combination of traits has been met with hate.
That Reese continues to quote tweet and subtweet, and take additional interviews on ESPN days after the game, shows she's not backing down from who she wants to be.
Clark is similarly aware of her standing as a figurehead for the sport. On Tuesday, she went on ESPN's Outside the Lines and basically ended the trash-talking discussion.&nbsp;
"I don't think Angel should be criticized at all," Clark <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1643311621861949441" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "No matter which way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I'm always one that competes, and she competed. I think everyone knew there was gonna be a little trash talk the entire tournament; it's not just me and Angel."
Just as important was her full response on the importance of showing passion as an athlete:
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"Men have always had trash talk. ... You should be able to play with that emotion. ... That's how every girl should continue to play." Caitlin Clark discussed if women are held to a different standard than men on <a href="https://twitter.com/OTLonESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OTLonESPN</a>. <a href="https://t.co/JY7MWlOuVq">pic.twitter.com/JY7MWlOuVq</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1643309736572616704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Clark is arguably the biggest trending name in basketball right now and a truly generational talent who helped drive this year's record-shattering ratings. For her to jump on ESPN two days after a heartbreaking loss and be explicit with her opinions shows that she recognizes the gravity of her voice.
The Iowa sharpshooter rightfully captured the country's attention for her NCAA Tournament heroics. According to one Google search analysis from World Sports Network, Clark's name saw a 476% search increase in the last week of March Madness.
New fans were quick to label her a "best-ever" of some sort. The social media response: Familiarize yourselves with the college careers of Cheryl Miller, Sheryl Swoopes, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Maya Moore, Kelsey Plum or Sabrina Ionescu.&nbsp;
And when some <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1642649593140637706" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pretty loud voices</a>&nbsp;took aim at Reese on Sunday, the community quickly let them know it was unacceptable.
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As women's basketball has continued to rise, deserved passionate media coverage has reached the foreground.&nbsp;The Next Hoops, Winsidr,&nbsp;and Just Women's Sports&nbsp;are three of my personal go-to's, but these smaller (yet growing) independent outlets have helped legitimize and drive quality coverage. ESPN's television coverage is spectacular and&nbsp;The Athletic&nbsp;is another outlet with high-level storytelling. Arielle Chambers delivers phenomenal energy for HighlightHER, Mark Schindler does an amazing job at WNBA.com, and while I'm biased, our own Nekias Duncan's WNBA coverage is top-tier (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/south-carolina-dared-caitlin-clark-to-beat-them-and-she-did-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as was his Clark film dive!</a>).
We collectively know more about media and narrative than ever in our history. It allows these writers to make sure the sport is covered fairly and accurately at the college and pro levels, holding new, influential fans accountable.&nbsp;
The players and coaches have stories to share, personalities to gravitate towards and electric talent to entertain with. The WNBA still has so much growth potential; it logged a 20% increase in regular-season viewership on ESPN last year, and this spring's March Madness momentum can be a springboard for another leap. And with NIL-driven branding soaring at the college level, more players and teams can place themselves in front of new audiences.
Sunday felt like the quantitative peak for women's basketball in the national conversation &mdash; what's exciting is that there's so much mountain still left to climb.

Nearly 10 million people watched the national championship game, signaling that women's basketball is ready for a popularity explosion.

Women's basketball is well-equipped to shape its own narrative

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Michigan showed its support for rival Michigan State with a poignant pregame ceremony before the Wolverines took an 84-72 win on Saturday night, the first game for the Spartan men since a shooting on the their campus that killed three students and wounded five others.
A long moment of silence was broken by the Michigan band playing the Spartans&rsquo; alma mater &mdash; &ldquo;MSU Shadows&rdquo; &mdash; while Crisler Arena was dimly lit with green and white lights from LED wristbands that were given to fans. A large &ldquo;Spartan Strong&rdquo; flag was held up in the student section.
The Wolverines, and their student section, wore maize shirts with &ldquo;Michigan Basketball Stands with MSU&rdquo; across the front.
Kobe Bufkin snapped a tie with a 3-pointer after he bobbled the ball as the shot clock was winding down with two minutes left and the Wolverines (15-12, 9-7 Big Ten) scored the last 12 points to split the season series.
Dug McDaniel led the Wolverines with 18 points, Bufkin scored 17, Hunter Dickinson 14 and Joey Baker and Jett Howard had 10 each. Howard left the game with an apparent leg injury early in the second half.
Joey Hauser scored 20 points, Malik Hall 14 and Tyson Walker 11 for the Spartans (16-10, 8-7).
Earlier in the day at East Lansing, a moment of silence was held before the women&rsquo;s game against No. 8 Maryland. The victims and survivors were honored in pregame remarks.
Funerals were held earlier in the day for Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner while Arielle Anderson&rsquo;s funeral is scheduled for next week. Of the five wounded students, four remained in critical condition with one in stable condition on Saturday.
Michigan State plays at home against Indiana on Tuesday.
Michigan goes to Rutgers for a Thursday game.

Michigan showed its support for rival Michigan State with a poignant pregame ceremony before the Wolverines took an 84-72 win.

Spartans lose to Michigan in their first game since shooting

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) &mdash; UConn star Azzi Fudd was battling for rebounding position in the first half Sunday when she banged knees with Georgetown&rsquo;s Ariel Jenkins. Fudd left the game and did not return.
It was just her second game back after missing eight games with an injury to the same right knee. It also came a week after injuries forced the fifth-ranked Huskies to postpone a game with DePaul because it did not have enough healthy players available &mdash; a step that became sadly familiar during the height of the pandemic but is rarely seen otherwise.
A few days later, Arizona State was forced to forfeit games against Utah and Colorado because the Sun Devils had too many injured players.
Programs such as Vanderbilt also have lost multiple starters to the injury report. Low roster numbers because of health issues led Lewis and Clark Community College in Illinois to cancel the remainder of its season just this week.
With injuries mounting in women&rsquo;s programs, experts note there are number of factors in play, including the specialization of sports at a younger age, and longer recovery times contributing to those thin benches. Certain knee injuries are more common in female athletes then men.
Whatever the reasons, the search for solutions is always on.
At UConn, just two players have been available for every game. Coaches have burned sage in the locker room, brought holy water to practice and had Native American dancers perform healing rituals.
Former national player of the year Paige Bueckers, who missed most of 2021-22 with a knee injury, and freshman Ice Brady both suffered serious knee injuries in the preseason. Two other players are sidelined with concussions. Other players have missed time with foot and hand injuries.
&ldquo;What kind of exercises do you do in the weight room to make sure you don&rsquo;t get a concussion?&rdquo; coach Geno Auriemma said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing, you know. What do you do to make sure that your teammate doesn&rsquo;t push a kid into you, a teammate knocks you on on the ground and you hit your head or where you catch your thumb and a kid shirt and break your thumb in the first first game of the year? So some of these are just weird.&rdquo;
Some injuries, sports medicine experts say, may be linked to the way elite athletes are preparing for college.
Nicole Alexander, the head trainer for the WNBA&rsquo;s Connecticut Sun and a former trainer at Notre Dame and North Carolina, said kids are specializing in one sport earlier and playing that sport year-round.
&ldquo;So, they&rsquo;re not getting a chance to rest their bodies,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re putting the same amount of mileage on the same body parts, over and over again. So, now you get these kids who are in college, but their bodies are such that it&rsquo;s almost like they&rsquo;ve been playing professional ball for 10 years because that&rsquo;s all they&rsquo;ve been doing.
Fudd missed two months last year with a foot injury. She also suffered ACL and MCL tears while in high school.
UCLA coach Cori Close has another theory. She said she thinks the apparent rise in injuries, especially knee injuries, can be linked to the pandemic.
&ldquo;I definitely think because of COVID &mdash; the interruptions of prehab and training and periodization and off times and prevention work,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I talked to Geno about this at UConn and several other coaches. And we think it&rsquo;s a dramatic effect for how the training regimens were interrupted from COVID.&rdquo;
Dr. Andrew Cosgarea, an orthopedic surgeon and sports injury specialist at John&rsquo;s Hopkins, said there is no data yet suggesting there are more injuries this year than in previous seasons. He said schools have been doing a lot of work teaching kids how to prevent ACL and other injuries by changing, for example, the way they cut, jump and land.
Cosgarea and other experts said one factor in the lack of available players is that athletes are sitting out longer because it leads to better outcomes when they return.
Dr. Anthony Alessi, UConn&rsquo;s team neurologist, declined to talk about specific players he&rsquo;s treated, but said the time it takes to return varies with each individual, but on average is now between 10 days and two weeks.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s multi-factorial,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But, what we&rsquo;ve found is that by making the investment in time, by gradually bringing them back to their full capacity based on their symptoms, you&rsquo;ll get them at full strength to the end of the season.&rdquo;
At top-ranked South Carolina, coach Dawn Staley said she&rsquo;s not going to overrule the recommendation of her trainer just to get a player back sooner.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not going to tell me when to put the 2-3 (zone) out there or when to do a triangle and two. I don&rsquo;t interfere in his business so that our players are ready to rock and roll. I&rsquo;m going to listen,&rdquo; she said.
Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said coaches have to take some of the responsibility for not having enough healthy players to put a full team on the court.
&ldquo;Women&rsquo;s basketball has 15 scholarships,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a challenge sometimes but it&rsquo;s your responsibility as coaches to have a full roster. It&rsquo;s challenging when you have a new coach and the (transfer) portal and people leave and stuff but part of it also is keeping people healthy. That&rsquo;s a big part of the job.&rdquo;
Auriemma said coaches have already cut back on the length, number and intensity of practices on the advice of medical staff, sometimes to the detriment of play. He said he is learning to be more patient when it comes to injuries.
UConn guard Nika M&uuml;hl, who missed time last year with a concussion, said that&rsquo;s the hardest part for everyone involved.
&ldquo;We see everybody playing every day you just want to get out there already but you have to go through the protocol,&rdquo; she said.
___
AP Sports Writers Peter Iacobelli and Joe Reedy contributed to this story.

With injuries mounting in women’s programs, experts note there are number of factors in play.

‘Just weird’: Azzi Fudd among rash of injuries hitting women’s hoops

Gear up for fireworks, folks.
The fun period of the WNBA offseason is on the horizon. As of yesterday, teams are now allowed to offer qualifying offers and core designations to their own restricted and unrestricted free agents respectively. That period ends on Jan. 20, with (outside) free agents and teams being able to negotiate deals on Jan. 21.
With superstars like Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike headlining the market &mdash; and with rumors already swirling about Stewart eyeing the Big Apple &mdash; this is one of most anticipated free-agency periods in recent memory.
Below the star tier, it's worth keeping an eye on what's happening with the Dallas Wings.
Midway through <a href="https://twitter.com/Khristina/status/1548019576142585857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last season</a>, Khristina Williams of Girls Talk Sports (<a href="https://twitter.com/Khristina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">follow her!</a>) reported that Allisha Gray &mdash; an All-Star caliber wing for Dallas &mdash; would stick around through the trade deadline, but was expected to be moved during the offseason.
Well, the offseason is here, and, per Williams, that's looking more like an inevitability.
Here's her report from Wednesday night:&nbsp;
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SOURCES: Allisha Gray is expected to be traded from Dallas. Possible destinations include Washington, Chicago, Connecticut,and Atlanta. Gray is in the last year of her contract and plans to exercise free agency when her contract is up. <a href="https://twitter.com/GrlsTlkSportsTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GrlsTlkSportsTV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBAFreeAgency?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBAFreeAgency</a> <a href="https://t.co/KEp5ALIMib">https://t.co/KEp5ALIMib</a>
&mdash; Khristina Williams (@Khristina) <a href="https://twitter.com/Khristina/status/1613363135146037254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Not only do we have a follow-up on Gray, but we also have potential destinations!&nbsp;
The Connecticut Sun are fresh off a Finals appearance (and a loss to the Las Vegas Aces), but have their own tightrope to walk with an actual All-Star. Brionna Jones, a two-time All-Star and reigning Sixth Woman of the Year, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. And because of the Sun's salary crunch, they may not be able to retain her on the max deal she's worthy of without moving a piece (or two) of their core.
Aside from the Seattle Storm, there may not be a team in The W with more potential roster turnover than&nbsp; the Chicago Sky. After losing to the Sun in the Eastern Conference Finals, they're now faced with a daunting offseason. Parker is a free agent, as is All-Star guard Courtney Vandersloot, sharpshooter Allie Quigley and budding star big Azura Stevens.
The Washington Mystics are stacked with talent, headlined by Elena Delle Donne and a pair of two-way forces in Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins. Though they have pending free agents like Alysha Clark, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Elizabeth Williams, they don't run the risk of losing core talent like the Sun and Sky, which sets them up as an interesting landing spot for Gray.
And then, we have the Atlanta Dream, whose <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/theyve-got-next-an-inside-look-at-the-atlanta-dream-rebuild/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">organizational overhaul</a> has set them up for long-term success. Not only do they have talent now &mdash; reigning Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard has "star" written all over her, and versatile big Cheyenne Parker is coming off the best season of her career &mdash; they're flush with cap space.
In summation, the destination list contains three recent contenders and one team that's on the upswing and has plenty of money to spend. All four could use a shooting boost in particular.
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To that end, it's easy to see why Gray is so coveted. She was one of six players to knock down 40% of her threes while attempting at least four per game. Her ability to play-make against tilted defenses adds to her offensive value. Add in her defense &mdash; the list of players who can defend on the perimeter like or better than Gray is a short one &mdash; and you have one of the most versatile wings in the sport, smack dab in the middle of her prime.
When players like her are on the trade market, it would behoove a good team to pounce. Her contract status could complicate things a bit; she has one year left on her deal and, per Williams, she plans on testing the market next offseason. But this is the type of player you shouldn't have issue commiting to long-term.
Among the teams listed, I'd probably give the Mystics the edge here.
In light of Dallas having some questions in the frontcourt &mdash; Isabelle Harrison is an unrestricted free agent who isn't far removed from complaining about her playing time; Teaira McCowan is a restricted free agent with up-in-the-air market value due to play style &mdash; the Mystics could use Myisha Hines-Allen to headline a package. Beyond that, the Mystics have draft equity to use, including the No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft.&nbsp;
A starting five of Cloud, Atkins, Gray, Delle Donne and Rookie of the Year runner-up Shakira Austin (already a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-washington-mystics-are-winning-with-activity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">near-elite defender</a>) would challenge the Aces for the best unit in The W.
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Among the teams not listed in Williams' report, I wonder if the New York Liberty could get into the mix. They could surely use more punch in their stable of perimeter options.
It was almost comical how much better their defense looked &mdash; roughly <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/wnba?TeamId=1611661313&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=204335" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five points per 100 possessions stingier</a> &mdash; when Betnijah Laney rejoined the rotation after recovery from meniscus surgery. She was the Liberty's only wing option that could credibly defend while also drawing the attention of defenders when operating off the ball.
Regardless of who lands her, you can put Gray's name on the list of players whose acquisition could help shape this year's title picture in The W.

Nekias Duncan digs into a buzzworthy 2023 WNBA offseason that could include Wings guard Allisha Gray being on the move.

Weighing sensible landing spots for Dallas Wings' Allisha Gray

WNBA playoff basketball is finally here! With things kicking off on Wednesday night, I decided to highlight an X-factor I'll be keeping tabs on for each best-of-three first round series.
For Part II of this two-part series, let's look at the Thursday night matchups, which features the Connecticut Sun taking on the Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm battling with the Washington Mystics. If you missed Part I, featuring the Las Vegas Aces-Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky-New York Liberty matchups, you can <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-wnba-playoff-primer-las-vegas-aces-phoenix-mercury-chicago-sky-new-york-liberty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read that here</a>.&nbsp;
(For deeper thoughts on each series, listen to our playoff preview on the latest episode of&nbsp;<a href="NBA%20playoff%20basketball%20is%20finally%20here!%20With%20things%20kicking%20off%20on%20Saturday,%20I%20decided%20to%20highlight%20an%20X-factor%20I'll%20be%20keeping%20tabs%20on%20for%20each%20first-round%20series.%20Let's%20dig%20in,%20shall%20we?%20%20(For%20deeper%20thoughts%20on%20each%20series,%20listen%20to%20Part%20I%20and%20Part%20II%20of%20our%20series%20previews%20at%20The%20Dunker%20Spot.)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot.</a>)
(4) SEATTLE STORM vs. (5) WASHINGTON MYSTICS
THINGS TO KNOW
<ul>
<li>Storm won season series 2-1
<ul>
<li>June 23: Storm 85-71</li>
<li>July 30: Storm 82-77</li>
<li>July 31: Mystics 78-75</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Mystics star Elena Delle Donne played in all three matchups, and should be fully available for the postseason.</li>
<li>The Storm (22-14) finished No. 6 in offense (102.6 ORTG), No. 3 in defense (97.4 DRTG) and No. 4 in Net Rating (+5.2).</li>
<li>The Mystics (22-14) finished No. 7 in offense (101.1 ORTG), No. 1 in defense (96 DRTG) and No. 5 in Net Rating (+5.1).</li>
</ul>
KEY QUESTION: Who can create easy buckets?
It is both a treat and a disgrace that two legitimate title contenders are facing off in the first round. It's cruel that we may get, at most, three games of Delle Donne after the Mystics were so diligent about load-managing her so she'll be in peak condition for the postseason. And the thought of Sue Bird's career ending &mdash; or Breanna Stewart's career in Seattle ending, if you <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/01/21/breanna-stewart-free-agent-reportedly-met-new-york-liberty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe the New York smoke</a> &mdash; with a first-round ouster just seems unfair.
Beyond that &mdash; holy bleep, are these teams ridiculously good defensively.
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The Mystics and Storm ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defensive Rating respectively</a>. That Moreyball stat from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-wnba-playoff-primer-las-vegas-aces-phoenix-mercury-chicago-sky-new-york-liberty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aces-Mercury section</a> &mdash; the percentage of shots that come at the rim or behind the arc &mdash; can be flipped to see which teams are&nbsp;preventing&nbsp;their opponents from taking shots from fruitful areas. The Mystics (54.4% of shots) and Storm (59.0%) have <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/wnba/opponent?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;StartType=All" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed the lowest share</a> of those shots in the league.
As dominant as they are defensively, they've been equally middling on the glamour end of the floor. They're separated by roughly a point in terms of Offensive Rating, with the Storm (102.6, sixth) edging out the Mystics (101.1, seventh) this season. Quiet as kept, neither team <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/wnba/team?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;StartType=All&amp;Type=Team&amp;Table=Shooting&amp;StatType=Totals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gets to the rim that often</a>.
They've both struggled with flow in the half-court, though some of their struggles can be explained away. The Mystics haven't always had Delle Donne in the lineup; with her being the only player that consistently draws an extra defender, it's led to a lot of side-to-side passing and unsavory shot selection. As good as Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins are, teams are pretty comfortable ducking under picks against them to:
<ol>
<li>Keep them out of the paint</li>
<li>Stay out of rotation</li>
</ol>
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With the Storm, things would fall off a cliff whenever Stewart would leave the court. Ideally, this would set the stage for Jewell Loyd to lead second units. Her blend of driving and pull-ups should help weather storms (sorry), but she simply hasn't made shots at the same clip. She converted a career-worst 40.3% of her two-point shots, including a ghastly 33.7% on shots between 3 and 10 feet.
With that, I wonder how each team goes about unlocking itself in the half-court beyond, "Give it to Stewie/EDD and get out of the way."
For the Storm, that may be experimenting with more on-ball reps for Gabby Williams, who's both the worst spacer in their starting unit and a sneaky-good pick-and-roll player. They trust her with reps in early offense situations, either above the break or emptying a side and letting her zig and zag.
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Utilizing Williams on the ball could limit the help the Mystics can send. If Williams is the one setting the table, the star talent she's surrounded with could feast on catch-and-shoot or catch-and-drive opportunities against a tilted defense.
On the Mystics side, I'm intrigued by the inverted pick-and-rolls and ghost screens they've mixed in with their guards. That could be a way to get the Storm to put two on the ball, which could open up short-roll opportunities and easy drive-and-kick scenarios.
(3) CONNECTICUT SUN vs. (6) DALLAS WINGS
THINGS TO KNOW
<ul>
<li>Wings won season series 2-1&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="3">May 24: Wings 85-77&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">May 26: Sun 99-68&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">July 5: Wings 82-71</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale will miss the first round after having core muscle surgery/</li>
<li aria-level="2">The Sun (25-11) finished No. 2 in offense (105.8 ORTG), No. 2 in defense (96.3 DRTG) and No. 1 in Net Rating (+9.5).</li>
<li aria-level="2">The Wings (18-18) finished No. 4 in offense (104.6 ORTG), No. 9 in defense (104.3 DRTG) and No. 6 in Net Rating (+0.2)/</li>
</ul>
KEY QUESTION: How impactful can Teaira McCowan be?
This has felt like a popular upset pick, and I get the argument for it. The Wings&nbsp;did&nbsp;win the regular season series, though the wins came with Ogunbowale averaging 18 points and drilling crucial shots and versatile forward Satou Sabally doing a little bit of everything. Neither will be available once the series starts.
There's also the matter of the Sun, as talented as they are, also having a tendency to lose the plot in the half-court. Even amidst their overall success &mdash; I hear having the second best ORTG in basketball is a good thing &mdash; the lack of Jonquel Jones <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/clutch-traditional/?sort=FGA&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;TeamID=1611661323" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in crucial moments</a> continues to baffle me.
Ultimately, I think the Wings' chances for an upset will depend on how well McCowan can hold up.
She's been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-teaira-mccowan-shining-surging-dallas-wings-arike-ogunbowale-marina-mabrey-allisha-gray-kayla-thornton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a revelation of late</a>, holding down the fort inside with deep seals, post hooks, offensive boards and plenty of fouls drawn. She's also seen her fair share of double teams, and that's where things could get dicey.
Jones is a good defender in her own right. She won't&nbsp;need&nbsp;help in form of a double or hard dig. But she may get them, mostly because Alyssa Thomas is one of the best defenders on the planet. She's an event creator of the highest order, and an instinctual defender willing and able to take aggressive gambles. I think back to this recent possession from a Wings-Mercury game:
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If Sophie Cunningham can fluster McCowan with help like that, what kind of damage could Thomas do?
McCowan has been able to plow through opposing defenses &mdash; figuratively and literally &mdash; as the Wings have closed their season on a high note. Being game planned against in a playoff setting is different altogether. It's where the foul trouble and the less-than-sterling assist-to-turnover ratio &mdash; she had 8 assists and 14 turnovers in her last five games &mdash; come into play.
I'm a little less worried defensively, but it's worth keeping an eye on her in a drop. Courtney Williams is not gun-shy; she took by far the <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/shooting/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most mid-range jumpers</a> in The W, and I'd worry about the cascading effect of McCowan's drop turning into a late switch.
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Not that Kayla Thornton and Allisha Gray aren't good rebounders in their own right, but tasking them with battling with Connecticut's size on the glass is unfair to them. McCowan in space is also asking for an advantage to be given up, or fouls to be committed. And without Ogunbowale, she's frankly too important to log under 30 minutes a game if she can help it.

Nekias Duncan previews two series in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs, highlighting a key question heading into each.

2022 WNBA Playoff Primer Part II: Sun-Wings, Storm-Mystics

Heading into <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/traditional/?sort=PTS&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateTo=05%2F22%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this week's action</a>, Atlanta Dream rookie Rhyne Howard was leading the WNBA in scoring (20.5 points). It was an incredible feat for an incredible talent, one that we've talked about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-atlanta-dream-struck-gold-with-rhyne-howard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this space</a>.
Her jumper is pure, and she's able to get to it in a multitude of ways. To the Dream's credit, they've done a great job moving her around the chess board to stress defensess. Playing drop coverage against the Dream is practically begging for them to run a movement set for Howard.
They've run this doozy for Howard a few times this season. The decoy action may vary, but the goal for the Dream is to clear one side of the court before setting a flare screen for Howard to fill that empty space. The Los Angeles Sparks were ill-prepared for it earlier in the season.
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The options are endless. If the screen hits, Howard can flow into a jumper like she did in the clip above. If the screen navigation is a little better, she has plenty of space to attack off the bounce. She can reset and go iso. It can flow into an empty corner pick-and-roll with whoever set the initial flare screen. Heck, they can just flip the angle of the screen and have her come the other way.
On May 20, Howard came out of the gates firing. She was facing the red-hot Washington Mystics, but it didn't feel like they could keep track of her. Howard would score 15 of her 21 points in the opening frame, including a bucket off an all-too-familiar action.
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Backup big Tianna Hawkins (#21) sees it coming. Twice in the action--once while Aari McDonald (#2) is executing a handoff in the left corner, and again as Naz Hillmon (#0) is setting up the flare screen for Howard--Hawkins points toward the empty side. She knows Kennedy Burke has her work cut out for her, but she gets hung up on the screen anyway.
Howard wasn't able to shake loose like that for the rest of the game. Again, she scored 15 in the opening frame but just six points the rest of the way. After the Dream dropped 25 points in the first, they scored 19, 14 and 15 points the rest of the way.
That brings us to the Tuesday matchup, where the Dream wanted to exact revenge for their five-point loss. Where Howard wanted to make up for a quiet three-quarter stretch. The Mystics simply weren't having it, and it was evident from the opening tip.
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On the left side of the floor, you have Natasha Cloud (#9) blowing up the pindown and getting reattached to Kristy Wallace. Howard and Cheyenne Parker (#32) attempt to set screens in the middle of the floor to get the Mystics moving, but Ariel Atkins (#7) is able to navigate the muck and stay attached to Erica Wheeler (#17) as she clears the right side.
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From there, it's go time.&nbsp;
The flare for Howard is coming, but look at the prep work Alysha Clark (#22) does. She gets inside of Howard's jersey before the screen is even set:
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As Parker sets the pick, Clark is able to slow Howard up with a grab before she attempts to fly over it.
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Doing the homework early essentially blew up the first portion of the set. Howard and Parker attempt to go into a pick-and-roll with an empty side from there, but the Mystics had other plans. They sprang a trap on Howard, essentially pinning her in the right corner.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_05_28_18_00_26_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
That's good work on Howard from Clark and rookster Shakira Austin. Cloud has the Parker assignment. Atkins has Wallace. Elena Delle Donne is on the backside of the action, keeping tabs on two Dream players on the right side of the floor. In other words, there are no easy outlets here.
Howard is able to jump-pass her way out of it, but the Mystics are able to rotate behind that pass. Wallace gets the release pass and is immediately pressured. The Dream do a good job of countering with a pin-in screen on Delle Donne, but she fights over it and gets a late-clock contest on the three from Wheeler.
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Whew.
Things didn't get easier for Howard or the Dream. On the individual front, Howard would miss all nine of her field goal attemtps and end the game with [checks notes] zero points. It was easily her worst outing as a pro. Her scoring averaged dropped from a league-leading 20.5 to 17.6, a clip that ranks 10th in the league.
And without Howard getting buckets, the rest of the team faltered. The Dream scored 50 points on the evening as the Mystics racked up a 70-50 victory.
Because of that game, the Mystics now hold the WNBA's <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best defensive rating</a> at 92.3. Even before that game, the Mystics have impressed with their blend of ball pressure and activity on the backline.&nbsp;
If you want a not-so-hidden joy when watching this team, peep their activity whenever an offense tries to run a pick-and-roll from the wing. They attempt to "ICE" most of them, meaning the on-ball defender shades the ball handler toward the sideline. The fun really perks up from there, though.
Because they don't have a pure anchor in drop coverage, the pick-up points for their bigs are a little higher. And because&nbsp;all&nbsp;of their bigs--Austin, Delle Donne, Hawkins, Myisha Hines-Allen and freshly-in-the-fold Elizabeth Williams--are active with their hands, ball-handlers find themselves in trouble quickly.&nbsp;
Watching the Delle Donne-Austin frontcourt has especially been fun. There were questions about how Delle Donne would hold up defensively after her injury-riddled layoff. And it's always fair to wonder how quickly a rookie big like Austin can get acclimated to the big leagues. Both have embraced the challenge; in fact, the Mystics are allowing a defensive rating of 85 (!) when those two <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/lineups/advanced/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;GroupQuantity=2&amp;TeamID=1611661322&amp;sort=NET_RATING&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=MIN*GE*50" target="_blank" rel="noopener">share the court</a>.&nbsp;
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Getting ball pressure from Cloud and Clark--a pair of wings with All-Defensive team selections under their belts--or Rui Machida off the bench (she's fun) is one thing. Having active bigs can add another layer of mayhem. Combining that with opportunistic help defenders can make an offense feel like it's suffocating.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough is currently leading the team in steals (1.6), mostly off the strength of her off-ball prowess. Atkins (1.5 steals) isn't too far behind her, showcasing why she's also made multiple All-Defensive teams in her career.
I mentioned Burke getting burned by the flare action for Howard earlier in the piece, but she's already been a problem for offenses as a help defender.&nbsp;
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That activity has been important. The Mystics currently rank third in opponent turnover rate, with offenses coughing up 21.2 turnovers per 100 possessions. That's way up from last season (17.9), and not too far off the franchise record (21.6) set back in 2005.
(And on that note, team offenses were way worse back then; the league average opponent turnover rate in 2005 was 18.1, much higher than the 15.9 mark this season. And we're early in the year, so that number will likely fall as the season goes on.)
We know what a healthy Mystics team can do offensively. Delle Donne is one of the most versatile offensive talents in basketball history. Cloud is a dynamic slasher and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/natasha-cloud-shines-through-shooter-wnba-on-notice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confident shooter</a>. There's plenty of shot-making, shooting and driving equity on the roster.
The defense has been a pleasant surprise, though we may see regression at some point. Opponents are only shooting 31.4% from 3, and the multiple efforts needed to make their scheme work can create some openings on that front.
They may not be the&nbsp;best defense in basketball. But if they hover around 3rd or 4th, that's still much better than they were last season (104.4 defensive rating, 11th out of 12 teams). And if the defense can hang, we need to start talking about this team as a serious title contender.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down why the Washington Mystics' defense has been so successful to start the season.

How the Washington Mystics are winning with activity

The Sour Rankings are all about spotlighting disappointment, negativity and drama in the NBA. As the writer of this column, even I get a little bummed out after writing so many critical paragraphs.
So we're mixing up the agenda this week. You'll still receive the same Sour Rankings, but I'll additionally provide a positive development for each squad. Some will be obvious (LeBron James dropped 56 two nights ago), and others will hopefully surprise. For fans of these teams, the positivity should at least provide some much-needed comfort.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Milwaukee Bucks didn't stay long, now riding a four-game winning streak after picking up three statement wins against playoff competitors in the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. The New Orleans Pelicans also received some positive news on the Zion Williamson front to pair with their solid play, so they escape as well.
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10. Toronto Raptors (34-30)
The Raptors have come out from the All-Star break just 2-5, with both those wins coming versus the Brooklyn Nets. They're in somewhat of an Eastern Conference standings bubble at seventh, currently three games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and three games up on eighth place (a triple tie).
Unfortunately, Malachi Flynn is <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/raptors-malachi-flynn-out-at-least-10-days/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out at least 10 days</a> with a hamstring injury. But his post-All-Star run is worth highlighting because it was sneaky-unreal. Flynn averaged 12.5 points per game, shot 42.3% from long range and handed out 27 assists against a single turnover in six contests. Hopefully he can return from injury soon because he really appeared to be putting things together offensively.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Charlotte Hornets (32-33)
We're once again at the point of questioning a surprisingly successful Hornets defense. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-charlotte-is-buzzing-behind-a-weirdly-successful-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote a whole Stats Notebook on Charlotte's defense</a> over a month ago and the team responded by being abjectly terrible.&nbsp;
Well, now the Hornets are eighth in defensive rating since the All-Star break and one of five NBA teams with top-12 metrics on both sides of the basketball. Is this a real sign of progress or just another small-sample mirage? We'll find out pretty soon.
(Last week: 7)
8. Houston Rockets (16-48)
Jalen Green, man.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jalen Green SAUCE 🥫🔥<a href="https://t.co/ofdpU8YjRv">pic.twitter.com/ofdpU8YjRv</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1500663635160481792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

He's been leading all rookies with 18.1 points per game since Feb. 1. Green is attacking the rim with effort (79th percentile in frequency, per Cleaning the Glass) and finishing effectively (64.0% at the rim, in the 74th percentile). The highlights alone have breathed some life into Houston, which finally snapped a 12-game losing streak with Sunday night's victory over the Grizzlies.
(Last week: 6)
7. Golden State Warriors (43-21)
So Golden State is 2-8 in its last 10 games, and Andrew Wiggins has notably underwhelmed since his first All-Star appearance. Still, we're keeping things positive, and the best part of the Warriors' past month has been the rise of two lottery rookies.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-3-nba-prospects-who-are-quietly-figuring-things-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote about Jonathan Kuminga recently</a>, so I'd like to focus on Moses Moody here. He's played in 11 games for the Warriors since the start of February and knocked down an even 50.0% of his threes while averaging 17.1 minutes per contest. Regression is inevitable, but it's nice to see Moody's shot translating so far, as he moves up from the G League to a larger presence in the rotation.
(Last week: Unranked)
6. Washington Wizards (29-34)
Washington is about to hit a great stretch of its schedule despite heading out west. Just 3 of the next 8&nbsp; games are against teams over .500 (Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Warriors) and the other five matchups include the New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers (twice) and Rockets. This is a great opportunity for the Wizards to string together some wins as their closest East competitors struggle. Washington is still just two games back of a three-way tie for eighth place in the standings. With Kristaps Porzingis now healthy, it's go time for a playoff push.
(Last week: 5)
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5. Portland Trail Blazers (25-38)
After losing four straight games by 14 or more points (three of them by at least 30), Portland has entered the cliff-hanging window for its playoff hopes. But let's give Brandon Williams the name recognition he deserves.&nbsp;
The 22-year-old guard went undrafted this past season, tried out for the Westchester Knicks in the G League and promptly tore it up with the team this season. He's now earned a two-way deal with the Blazers, and is averaging 14.8 points in 21.4 minutes per game over his last four contests while making 42.9% of his threes. These types of stories never get old.
(Last week: 8)
4. Sacramento Kings (24-42)
The Kings scrounge up a couple of wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs to keep their postseason hopes barely alive. De'Aaron Fox is certainly doing his best to put any remaining ire about trading Tyrese Haliburton behind the team. Fox has put up a whopping 28.3 points per game since the start of February, and sports a 36.5% three-point clip. We've said this several times when Fox heats up, but if that jumper is even semi-legit, he becomes a wholly-different caliber of offensive player.
(Last week: 4)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (28-35)
LeBron James is just the fourth NBA player ever to score 50 or more points at over 37 years old. His 56-point outburst was historic on several fronts, and it reminded the city and the league that &mdash; when all else is failing &mdash; The King is still The King. In fact, LeBron's 29.4 points per game are the fourth-most he's had in any NBA season, and the most since the 2009-10 campaign in Cleveland. Level it out, and his per-36 scoring output of 28.8 points is the highest he's ever had.
(Last week: 1)
2. New York Knicks (26-38)
Ariel Pacheco is one of my favorite Knicks follows, so I'll let his Twitter thread do the talking after a great win over the Clippers:
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Knicks/Clippers - 6 things that stood out The Deuce, IQ, Cam, RJ, Mitch/Sims lineup held the Clippers scoreless for a 6 min stretch. Fun combo of ball pressure, timely switches, good contesting. Forced a couple of turnovers well. Multiple guys who can guard multiple positions <a href="https://t.co/6rWZ4lt0i6">pic.twitter.com/6rWZ4lt0i6</a>
&mdash; Ariel (@APachecoNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/APachecoNBA/status/1500850399464636416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I will beg for more Deuce McBride-Immanuel Quickley minutes as long as I live, but this small sample bodes well for the defense of the future. New York actually has the ninth-best defensive rating in the NBA since the All-Star break (small sample size alert), so there may be some good development happening.&nbsp;
(Last week: 2)
1. Brooklyn Nets (32-33)
So, the Nets do have the league's second-worst defense since the All-Star break and lost at full strength to the Boston Celtics in a huge Sunday matinee game to move to 3-13 since Feb. 1.
However! Let's talk about Bruce Brown.
The 25-year-old has made 50% of his three-pointers in that 16-game stretch. He's up to 37.7% on the season, which would be a major career-high clip. Brown isn't exactly a Joe Harris replacement; he takes just 1.1 threes per game and hasn't earned the full respect of the defense. But he is probably Brooklyn's best perimeter defender, and if he can be solid enough on offense, the Nets could really use someone of his style.
(Last week: 3)
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Ethan Fuller provides some positivity for each team in this week's Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Look on the bright side

NBA players understand the importance of having an adequate basketball court better than most. It&rsquo;s obviously a fundamental part of their well-being.
But basketball courts are about more than a basket. There&rsquo;s pride in best aspects of your local court, as well as in the idiosyncrasies. But certain aspects are absolutely necessary, and Luka Doncic is one player that is intimately familiar with this fact.&nbsp;
According to an <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/going-home-with-luka-doncic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with Marc Stein</a>, Doncic&rsquo;s local court in the Bežigrad district of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana &mdash; where Doncic began playing at age 7 &mdash; lacked lights, and Slovenia can &ldquo;get dark early.&rdquo;
So Doncic, now an adult, has ensured that this will no longer be a problem for hoopers at the court in Savsko naselje sports park. He was part of a recent effort to update the basketball court, which is located a short walk from the apartment in which he grew up. In partnership with 2K Sports&rsquo; philanthropy arm, 2K Foundation, Doncic refurbished the court. In addition to the sufficient lighting, it received a new paint job (Dallas Mavericks blue) and now features Doncic&rsquo;s Jordan brand logo.
Doncic was present for the court&rsquo;s unveiling, which was done on a recent Saturday afternoon featuring ribbon-cutting, 3-on-3 games, full-court scrimmages and skills challenges for kids.
&ldquo;Now the kids can play longer,&rdquo; <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/going-home-with-luka-doncic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doncic said</a>, referring to the benefit derived from the new lights.&nbsp;
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The idea of donating time and money to the improvement of local basketball courts is incredibly noble, but Doncic is far from the first NBA player to do so. Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell unveiled new basketball courts this July in Dobbs Ferry, New York, where his grandmother worked; seven-time All-Star Grant Hill also oversaw the refurbishment of basketball courts in Durham, North Carolina and Detroit, Michigan in 2019; and in 2013, 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony spearheaded the refurbishment of basketball courts in his hometown of Red Hook, Brooklyn among others.&nbsp;
After signing a $207 million extension this summer with the Mavericks, Doncic will probably update more courts in the future than just the one in Savsko naselje sports park; and if the recent philanthropy of other NBA players like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving is an indication, Doncic will probably do more than just provide basketball courts, too.

Doncic gave back to the community he grew up in by upgrading local courts in the Bežigrad district of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana.

Luka Doncic helps refurbish basketball court in hometown

The Brooklyn Nets demolished the Milwaukee Bucks 125-86 in Game 2 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. Brooklyn now heads to Milwaukee for Game 3 in what&rsquo;s been a one-sided matchup from the jump. The Bucks are favored to win tonight, but the Nets are huge favorites to move onto the next round, as they sit at (-530) to win the series at DraftKings Sportsbook.&nbsp;
Can the Bucks bounce back at home and make this interesting? Let&rsquo;s take a look at who has the edge in Game 3 and find out the <a href="https://betql.co/nba/odds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA best bets</a> for this playoff matchup.&nbsp;
Game Preview 
Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks (-3.5, 234)
The Nets haven&rsquo;t missed a beat without James Harden, who went down with a hamstring injury in the first game of this matchup. Of course, it helps when you have two other superstars on your team. Kevin Durant has come out with a vengeance, against the Bucks and during this postseason as a whole. The Slim Reaper is averaging 32.0 points, 7.3 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists and 2 blocks per game since the playoffs began. He&rsquo;s done that while shooting an insane 55% from the field and 50% from three-point land. Durant&rsquo;s teammate Kyrie Irving hasn&rsquo;t been too shabby himself. Irving is putting up 24.4 points, grabbing 6.0 boards, and dishing out 4.0 assists a game. On the other hand, the Bucks and their MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo have come out flat since this series started.
The Greek Freak is coming off of a disappointing Game 2 in which he scored just 18 points, going 2-for-7 from the free throw line and 0-for-3 from deep. If Milwaukee wants to get back into this series, it&rsquo;ll be up to Antetokounmpo to carry the load on his broad shoulders moving forward.
When it comes to tonight&rsquo;s matchup, the Bucks headd back home to Fiserv Forum, where they finished the regular season with a 26-10 record. Brooklyn went just 20-16 on the road during the year, which is something to keep an eye on. The Bucks do score 2.6 more points per game at home, and the crowd should be rocking tonight, so maybe that will help jump start this offense that&rsquo;s posted an offensive rating of just 97.0 the past two games.
One of Milwaukee&rsquo;s biggest issues so far against Brooklyn has been their stagnant offense. During the year, they relied on team ball that featured crisp passing, highlighted by Giannis running and dunking on everyone. They also got major contributions from their second star, Khris Middleton. Overall, their style led to a league-leading 120.1 points per game and they were also ranked seventh in the league in points per possession in the regular season, according to Cleaning the Glass. Unfortunately for the Bucks, Middleton has gone ice cold to start the series, and against the Nets as a whole, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/milwaukee-bucks-back-mo-avoid-disaster-vs-brooklyn-nets-nba-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">everything has been isolation and one-on-one</a>. The Bucks had just 14 assists in Game 2, which isn&rsquo;t going to get it done against this high-octane Nets team.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_16222664_lg.jpg" alt="" />
Brooklyn is suspect on defense, ranking 21st in points allowed, and 22nd in defensive rating and three-pointers allowed. If Milwaukee can slow down the tempo, get back to moving the rock and hit their three-point shots, tonight should be a different story.
On defense, the Bucks like to pack the paint, which worked well against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. Unfortunately for them, the Nets are built differently. Case in point, Brooklyn is hitting 44% of their threes this series. The team has no issues letting it fly from deep, so the Bucks might need to change their defensive strategy tonight.
Gambling wise, bettors are expecting Brooklyn to win and cover this game, with 68% of the betting tickets and handle on them.
While the BetQL team likes the Nets to take this series, this is a good situational spot for the Bucks. It&rsquo;s do or die, and the Milwaukee players should come out with some pride after that embarrassing Game 2 loss. Everyone is counting the Bucks out, which like this spot a little more likable. Khris Middleton should shoot better at home, and Jrue Holiday, who has playoff experience, should step up tonight as well. Ultimately, it will come down to the Greek Freak, whom the BetQL team envisions will score 30-plus points by the time the the final buzzer sounds.
Pick: Bucks -3.5
BetQL Model Predictions &amp; Picks 
BetQL's NBA model has run 10,000 simulations of this game to provide insight on how the game will pan out, and after all those simulations, the model leans the Nets +3.5. Currently, the point spread of this game sits at +/- 3.5 with Milwaukee as home favorites. BetQL&rsquo;s model would have placed the line at Nets +2.5, meaning there is some betting value on Brooklyn in this game at +3.5. Keep reading below to get picks from the experts at BetQL. &nbsp;&nbsp;
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Against the Spread Pick:
The model is leaning towards the Nets with a 2-star rating on the game, and projects the final score to be Milwaukee 119.5, Brooklyn 117. The BetQL team, however, is on the other side tonight, but it's always good comparing analysis to the model to reduce bias. The model does have Milwaukee winning tonight, so taking the Bucks on the moneyline might be another option. <a href="https://betql.co/nba/sharp-picks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to the expert bettors</a>, they are backing the Bucks as of now, but be sure to check back with BetQL to see the most updated odds, lines and spreads for this game before tip.
Over/Under Pick:
The over/under for this game is set to 234 points. The BetQL model recommends taking the over for this game. Milwaukee will come out fired up tonight, and both teams rank in the top-10 in points scored. Agreeing with the model for this particular bet, the BetQL team is backing BetQL&rsquo;s 2-star pick and taking the over.&nbsp;
If you want to <a href="https://betql.co/nba/odds/totals-spread" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out BetQL&rsquo;s over-under picks</a> for the rest of the NBA playoffs, make sure to check out their site for those picks.&nbsp;
Prop Bet Spotlight
The BetQL computer model has identified a 5-star prop that we like for tonight&rsquo;s matchup in Bryn Forbes over 13.5 points, rebounds, and assists. Forbes is averaging 15.5 PRA this postseason, and has quietly been one of the most consistent members of the team in the playoffs.
Pick: The BetQL team is backing the model and taking Forbes to go over his PRA mark of 13.5.
As a Basketball News reader you can get access to BetQL for 30% when you use the code BBN30, check out BetQL and win the rest of your bets for the playoffs

Here's a betting guide for Game 3 between the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.

Everything you need to know ahead of Nets-Bucks Game 3

Two days removed from the NBA Draft, we have made it to free agency! At 6 p.m. ET tonight, the moratorium period officially opens, which means negotiations can begin between players and teams.
BasketballNews.com has ranked the top free agents available by position:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-point-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Point Guards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-shooting-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shooting Guards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-small-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Small Forwards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-power-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Power Forwards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-centers-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centers</a></li>
</ul>
Stay up to date with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-2020-free-agent-agency-tracker-offseason-trades-player-movement-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's offseason tracker</a> for all player movement as well.
In this piece, we're going to rank the top-10 free agents overall.
10. Davis Bertans, Washington Wizards -- <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-free-agency-davis-bertans-agrees-to-five-year-80-million-return-washington-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Back with Wizards</a> 
STATS: 15.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.6 OREB, 1.7 APG, 0.6 BPG 
Few players boosted their stock as much as Bertans did in his first season with the Wizards. Playing nearly 30 minutes per game for the first time in his career, he took advantage. A dead-eye shooter, the Latvian sniper has one of the quickest releases in the league and he made 3.7 three-pointers per game (while shooting 42.4 percent from long range). He has no problem pulling up on the break from any spot on the floor, which is his specialty. Good luck cooling this man off when he&rsquo;s hot.
9. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sacramento Kings -- Restricted
STATS: 15.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1 SPG, 37.2% 3P 
Well, we thought Bogdanovic was headed for the Milwaukee Bucks via a sign-and-trade, but that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-free-agency-Bogdan-Bogdanovic-sacramento-kings-milwaukee-bucks-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">move is currently under investigation</a>. Reports suggest that he is entering restricted free agency as he planned before the supposed deal was struck this week. Since Bogdanovic joined the Kings three years ago, he&rsquo;s been the poster child of consistency. The Serbian guard has a quick first step and a tendency to create for his teammates. His three-point shooting is above-average as well. With Sacramento, he&rsquo;s done most of his damage with the second unit, but he always finishes games. In a dry free-agent class, a team could come with a significant offer. Luke Walton seems to like his game, though, so it&rsquo;ll be up to the Kings on whether to match a deal or not. 
8. Goran Dragic, Miami Heat -- <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-free-agency-miami-heat-goran-dragic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Back with Heat</a> 
STATS: 16.2 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.2 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 36.7% 3P
At 34 years old, Dragic is getting up there in age, but he produced exceptionally for the Heat. Unfortunately, he tore his plantar fascia in his left foot, so he wasn't able to make his usual impact in the NBA Finals. We'll see how that injury affects his status in free agency. But as a sixth man for the first time since the early part of the decade, the Slovenian vet accepted his role and thrived (and eventually regained his starting job). He establishes a strong rapport with everybody he plays with. He&rsquo;s difficult to defend as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations, either dropping the perfect pass to a rolling big, darting toward the bucket with conviction or jacking up a three to punish the defense. 
7. Danilo Gallinari, Oklahoma City Thunder -- <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-free-agency-Danilo-Gallinari-atlanta-hawks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agreed with Hawks</a> 
STATS: 18.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.1 BPG, 0.7 SPG
Perhaps the most overlooked player in the NBA, Gallo is always going to put the basketball in the bucket. As a three-level scorer, he can hurt you by penetrating the defense, getting to the free-throw line and, most noticeably, draining triples. What he lacks in lateral ability, he makes up for with his length as a defender. As somebody who&rsquo;s gone through a ton of injuries and trades in his life, Gallinari is a sure bet to stay the course and produce. Several teams tried to acquire Gallinari prior to this year's trade deadline, which was likely a preview of the interest he'll receive in free agency.
6. Gordon Hayward, Boston Celtics -- <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-free-agency-gordon-hayward-charlotte-hornets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agreed with Hornets</a> 
STATS: 17.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 0.4 BPG, 0.7 SPG 
About three years after a gruesome leg injury left him on the sidelines for his debut season with the Celtics, Hayward returned to form and is confident in what he&rsquo;s doing on the floor. He&rsquo;s no longer hesitating to drive the lane, and he can take contact and finish as strong as he did pre-injury. He was super efficient this season, shooting 50 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three and 85.5 percent from the free-throw line. And he was able to score all over the floor, with <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/haywago01.html#shooting::none" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressive shooting percentages</a> whether he was finishing at the rim, shooting mid-range jumpers or attempting three-pointers. On defense, he held his own next to some of the best young guards in the league. It's unfortunate he missed a good chunk of the postseason with an ankle injury, but he bounced back nicely for Boston when he came back. Hayward ultimately decided to opt out and test free agency, leaving nearly $35 million on the table.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_14791829-2-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
5. Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors -- Unrestricted
STATS: 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.1 OREB, 1.4 APG, 0.8 BPG 
While Ibaka&rsquo;s defensive prowess got him noticed early in his career, it's been his scoring uptick that should catch the eye of teams around the league now. He was a major cog in Toronto's playoff run, soaking up a lot of minutes in favor of Marc Gasol off the bench. The Raptors utilized his improved ability to stretch the floor and allowed him to fire up shots from distance, as he shot 38.5 percent from three this year. Additionally, he sets good screens and rolls to the basket well. 
4. Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers -- <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-free-agency-rumors-los-angeles-lakers-agree-two-year-deal-montrezl-harrell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agreed with Lakers</a> 
STATS: 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.6 OREB, 1.7 APG, 1.1 BPG 
At 6-foot-7 with a 240-pound frame, Harrell plays much bigger than his size. His nose for the ball is up there with anybody in the NBA, he knows how to find room to get into the paint and he uses his strength to his advantage. He was one half of the deadliest second-unit duo in the league with Lou Williams. Harrell won this year's Sixth Man of the Year award because of his terrific two-way contributions. Yeah, the NBA bubble didn't do him any favors -- and there were a number of factors that played into his struggles in Orlando -- but he's still at the top of the food chain among centers in this free-agent class. Harrell should still get paid handsomely.
3. Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors -- <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-free-agency-fred-vanvleet-agrees-four-year-85-million-toronto-raptors-return" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Back with Raptors</a> 
STATS: 17.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 39% 3P
Can you believe the crown jewel of the 2020 point-guard class went undrafted four years ago? VanVleet might be the smoothest operator in the league at the one. You can credit smart decision-making, aggressiveness and stellar defensive IQ as the reasons for his rise to the top. Learning from one of the best in the league, Kyle Lowry, certainly didn't hurt, but VanVleet got here on his own volition. There's no question that he&rsquo;s been a key piece for last year's champions; he's incredibly consistent and he just does his job at an extremely high level. There&rsquo;s a good chance that some team is going to break the bank for VanVleet this offseason. Long-term security is going to be the key, and, despite his public desire to re-sign, that might hurt the Raptors&rsquo; chances of retaining him.
2. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans -- Restricted
STATS: 23.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.6 BPG, 1 SPG 
Ingram adapted well to a change of scenery and found a niche with the fast-paced Pelicans, winning the Most Improved Player award. The 22-year-old quickly became the focal point of the team, notching magnificent performance after magnificent performance before ZionMania came around. He&rsquo;s put in the work to freely take looks instead of being timid to do so, improving his shot selection in the process. He effectively finds different angles to get to point-blank distance. A first-time All-Star, Ingram&rsquo;s development curve is rising quickly. It&rsquo;d be wise for New Orleans to match any offer that comes his way because we could be looking at a max-contract player.
1. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers -- Unrestricted
STATS: 26.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.3 OREB, 3.2 APG, 2.3 BPG 
Will AD stay or will he go? Well, he and LeBron James just led the Lakers to their 17th NBA championship, so you'd think staying with the Lakers would be his top option. They&rsquo;re the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-best-one-two-punches-in-NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most dangerous duo in the NBA</a> today. Davis can score from anywhere, and he's one of the nastiest finishers in the game. He&rsquo;ll take your lunch money on the defensive end too. When healthy, he&rsquo;s one of the best all-around players in the league. He declined Los Angeles&rsquo; max extension after the New Year and declined his player option recently in favor of earning a maximum contract offer this offseason. 
Head over to BasketballNews.com's offseason tracker for all of the latest player movement.
In addition, check out our ranking of the top <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-point-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-shooting-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting guards</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-small-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small forwards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-power-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power forwards</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-centers-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">centers.</a>&nbsp;Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com for in-depth coverage of the 2020 NBA offseason!

Spencer Davies ranks his best available players in the 2020 NBA free-agent class.

NBA free-agent rankings: Top 10 players available in 2020

Editors Note 11-20-20: This article has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agents-agency-players-2020-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">updated at a new link</a>
With the Los Angeles Lakers being crowned the 2019-20 NBA champions, it's officially the end of a twisting, turning season. That means it's time to look toward the offseason, a time when the league picks up steam with the NBA Draft and, afterwards, free agency, which begins on Nov. 20.
BasketballNews.com has ranked the top free agents available by position:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-point-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Point Guards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-shooting-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shooting Guards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-small-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Small Forwards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-power-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Power Forwards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-centers-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centers</a></li>
</ul>
In this piece, we're going to rank the top-10 free agents overall.
10. Goran Dragic, Miami Heat -- Unrestricted
STATS: 16.2 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.2 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 36.7% 3P
At 34 years old, Dragic is getting up there in age, but he produced exceptionally for the Heat. Unfortunately, he tore his plantar fascia in his left foot, so he wasn't able to make his usual impact in the NBA Finals. We'll see how that injury affects his status in free agency. But as a sixth man for the first time since the early part of the decade, the Slovenian vet accepted his role and thrived (and eventually regained his starting job). He establishes a strong rapport with everybody he plays with. He&rsquo;s difficult to defend as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations, either dropping the perfect pass to a rolling big, darting toward the bucket with conviction or jacking up a three to punish the defense. 
9. Danilo Gallinari, Oklahoma City Thunder -- Unrestricted
STATS: 18.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.1 BPG, 0.7 SPG
Perhaps the most overlooked player in the NBA, Gallo is always going to put the basketball in the bucket. As a three-level scorer, he can hurt you by penetrating the defense, getting to the free-throw line and, most noticeably, draining triples. What he lacks in lateral ability, he makes up for with his length as a defender. As somebody who&rsquo;s gone through a ton of injuries and trades in his life, Gallinari is a sure bet to stay the course and produce. Several teams tried to acquire Gallinari prior to this year's trade deadline, which was likely a preview of the interest he'll receive in free agency.
8. Gordon Hayward, Boston Celtics -- Player Option
STATS: 17.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 0.4 BPG, 0.7 SPG 
About three years after a gruesome leg injury left him on the sidelines for his debut season with the Celtics, Hayward returned to form and is confident in what he&rsquo;s doing on the floor. He&rsquo;s no longer hesitating to drive the lane, and he can take contact and finish as strong as he did pre-injury. He was super efficient this season, shooting 50 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three and 85.5 percent from the free-throw line. And he was able to score all over the floor, with <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/haywago01.html#shooting::none" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressive shooting percentages</a> whether he was finishing at the rim, shooting mid-range jumpers or attempting three-pointers. On defense, he held his own next to some of the best young guards in the league. It's unfortunate he missed a good chunk of the postseason with an ankle injury, but he bounced back nicely for Boston when he came back. (UPDATE: Hayward ultimately decided to opt out and test free agency, leaving nearly $35 million on the table.)
7. Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors -- Unrestricted
STATS: 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.1 OREB, 1.4 APG, 0.8 BPG 
While Ibaka&rsquo;s defensive prowess got him noticed early in his career, it's been his scoring uptick that should catch the eye of teams around the league now. He was a major cog in Toronto's playoff run, soaking up a lot of minutes in favor of Marc Gasol off the bench. The Raptors utilized his improved ability to stretch the floor and allowed him to fire up shots from distance, as he shot 38.5 percent from three this year. Additionally, he sets good screens and rolls to the basket well. 
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_14672230-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
6. DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs -- Player Option
STATS: 22.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.3 BPG, 1 SPG 
Individually, year two in San Antonio went much better for DeRozan even though the team missed the postseason. He got back to his normal self, dribbling to the nail or the baseline and letting it fly from the mid-range with great success. He took the initiative to go to the cup with a full head of steam and play-make for his teammates. His willingness to get others involved has really made him a complete offensive player. Earlier in the year, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-de-mar-de-rozan-intends-to-decline-277-m-option-if-he-cant-agree-to-extension-with-spurs-004545646.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported</a> that DeRozan plans on declining his player option to become an unrestricted free agent. (UPDATE: DeRozan decided to opt in, returning to the Spurs).
5. Mike Conley, Utah Jazz -- Early Termination Option 
STATS: 14.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.2 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 37.5% 3P
This season was Conley's first with the Jazz and while he got off to a slow start, he showed up to the NBA bubble with a vengeance. He can run a team with the best of them. He has a knack for facilitating, has a solid three-point shot and uses a unique right-handed floater when he gets into the paint. He has an early termination option that would allow him to hit free agency this summer, but considering how he and Donovan Mitchell worked in the backcourt (and how much money he's set to earn), it seems like he'll see things through. If he chooses not to exercise his ETO, he'll make $34,502,132 next season with Utah. (UPDATE: Conley decided to opt in and will return to Utah).
4. Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers -- Unrestricted
STATS: 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.6 OREB, 1.7 APG, 1.1 BPG 
At 6-foot-7 with a 240-pound frame, Harrell plays much bigger than his size. His nose for the ball is up there with anybody in the NBA, he knows how to find room to get into the paint and he uses his strength to his advantage. He was one half of the deadliest second-unit duo in the league with Lou Williams. Harrell won this year's Sixth Man of the Year award because of his terrific two-way contributions. Yeah, the NBA bubble didn't do him any favors -- and there were a number of factors that played into his struggles in Orlando -- but he's still at the top of the food chain among centers in this free-agent class. Harrell should still get paid handsomely.
3. Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors -- Unrestricted
STATS: 17.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 39% 3P
Can you believe the crown jewel of the 2020 point-guard class went undrafted four years ago? VanVleet might be the smoothest operator in the league at the one. You can credit smart decision-making, aggressiveness and stellar defensive IQ as the reasons for his rise to the top. Learning from one of the best in the league, Kyle Lowry, certainly didn't hurt, but VanVleet got here on his own volition. There's no question that he&rsquo;s been a key piece for last year's champions; he's incredibly consistent and he just does his job at an extremely high level. There&rsquo;s a good chance that some team is going to break the bank for VanVleet this offseason. Long-term security is going to be the key, and, despite his public desire to re-sign, that might hurt the Raptors&rsquo; chances of retaining him.
2. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans -- Restricted
STATS: 23.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.6 BPG, 1 SPG 
Ingram adapted well to a change of scenery and found a niche with the fast-paced Pelicans, winning the Most Improved Player award. The 22-year-old quickly became the focal point of the team, notching magnificent performance after magnificent performance before ZionMania came around. He&rsquo;s put in the work to freely take looks instead of being timid to do so, improving his shot selection in the process. He effectively finds different angles to get to point-blank distance. A first-time All-Star, Ingram&rsquo;s development curve is rising quickly. It&rsquo;d be wise for New Orleans to match any offer that comes his way because we could be looking at a max-contract player.
1. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers -- Player Option
STATS: 26.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.3 OREB, 3.2 APG, 2.3 BPG 
Will AD stay or will he go? Well, he and LeBron James just led the Lakers to their 17th NBA championship, so you'd think staying with the Lakers would be his top option. They&rsquo;re the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-best-one-two-punches-in-NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most dangerous duo in the NBA</a> today. Davis can score from anywhere, and he's one of the nastiest finishers in the game. He&rsquo;ll take your lunch money on the defensive end too. When healthy, he&rsquo;s one of the best all-around players in the league. He declined Los Angeles&rsquo; max extension after the New Year and seemed to be set on declining his player option in favor of earning a maximum contract offer this offseason. With the salary cap taking a hit due to the coronavirus, we&rsquo;ll see if that&rsquo;s still the case. Davis&rsquo; deadline to make his decision official is Oct. 14 (with the date subject to change). If he does decide to opt in, he would earn $28,751,775 next season. (UPDATE: Davis opted out.)
Check out our ranking of the top <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-point-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-shooting-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting guards</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-small-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small forwards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-power-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power forwards</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-centers-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">centers.</a>&nbsp;Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com for in-depth coverage of the 2020 NBA offseason!

Spencer Davies ranks his best available players in the upcoming 2020 NBA free-agent class.

Free-agent rankings: Top 10 players available in 2020

Nekias Duncan breaks down what the Miami Heat need to do to slow down LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the NBA Finals.

Scouting Report: How the Heat can stop the Lakers

Fourteen minutes into Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Russell Westbrook sees something &mdash; only it hasn&rsquo;t totally happened yet. Standing at the bottom left of the key, watching the Los Angeles Lakers start to work in the halfcourt, Westbrook drops his left hand from his nose and his right arm goes up, signaling like he is hailing a cab down the block.
Kyle Kuzma, drawing away, curves toward Robert Covington. Dwight Howard creeps up from behind and waits to pin against Kuzma&rsquo;s switch, but Westbrook watches him go with the barest of concern, eyes still fixed on something farther out.
Before he vaults forward, maniacally propelled, it&rsquo;s clear what he&rsquo;s fixated on: Alex Caruso, hanging way out past the arc, waiting to shift the ball. Caruso is so focused on the screens he knows are sliding, on Howard beginning to roll toward the basket and the empty passing lane that will set up Markieff Morris for a three that he never bothers to look for Westbrook, who never took his eyes off of Caruso all this time.
<a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20/status/1302062316574461952"><img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/Westbrook1.gif" alt="" width="640" height="AUTO" /></a>
Westbrook left Kuzma to the switch and his eyes on the ball were magnets, pulling him toward the pass. Plus, he was already running, arms up and out to intercept as Caruso&rsquo;s fingertips took their last graze of pebbled leather. When Caruso makes the pass, it&rsquo;s so well-marked that it may as well be infrared; Westbrook intercepts the pass and explodes into transition. By the time Morris realizes what happened, Westbrook is near half-court. For how long it takes the Lakers to recover, no one but Caruso giving chase, it&rsquo;s like Westbrook was a freak wave, unseen until it&rsquo;s rushing away with all your hope on its back.
And then there&rsquo;s the stranger thing, that for an entire possession the Lakers ignored Westbrook, appeared to forget he was out there. Westbrook quickly corrected their mistake but the crux of it, losing track of a top-20 player in steals and deflections, is indicative of a frustration the former MVP has been facing all season: set against the flashy, competitive roil of the NBA landscape, Russell Westbrook is fading.
His move to the Houston Rockets last summer, a deal that had him swapping places with Chris Paul, was one of the biggest trades in a loaded free-agency period. Partially because Paul&rsquo;s tenure with the Rockets had failed to materialize in a title and it felt (a little) like he was about to be stranded on the plains of Oklahoma, whereas Westbrook had never called anywhere but those plains, professionally speaking, home. Add in the happy reunion with his former OKC Thunder teammate James Harden, and the narrative of the trade alone sold itself.
On the technical end, at first glance, the fit made sense. There was urgency for Houston to have a win-now year after three seasons with championship aspirations under head coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni, plus the previous four-year wind-up with Kevin McHale. Westbrook&rsquo;s high-voltage style of play could be the boost the more analytical and not entirely rousing Rockets needed. Being so deep in D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s threes-or-bust system seemed beneficial to Westbrook, too, whose dipping shot percentage the year prior (29 percent from three) meant that while he would be expected to shoot, he didn&rsquo;t necessarily need to be the smoking gun. It also slashed his remaining $171.1 million salary from OKC&rsquo;s already laden books. But much like that summer&rsquo;s other big deal in the Western Conference &mdash; Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; the eye-test of it all was shortsighted.
Offensively, Westbrook was boxed-in by D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s preference to keep Harden way out of the half-court, where he was only required to shoot and wait instead of offering any help off the ball if his shots didn&rsquo;t fall. While Westbrook might be adept at grabbing his own rebounds, he&rsquo;s by no means big enough to box out for all of them or to serve as the team&rsquo;s dominant spacer. With the Thunder, he had Steven Adams, a permanent fixture under the rim and a benevolent slingshot for Westbrook to jettison himself around when rushing downhill into the paint. Houston was too small to give Westbrook the room he needed to offensively cook, even with Clint Capela to start the season, and downright minuscule when Capela was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. While Westbrook never utilized lobs with the same frequency and intuition Paul did, both play well off a traditional center or other multi-dimensional, versatile big (like Kevin Durant). Without one, Westbrook was soon stretched too thin.
But the pressure was subtle because Westbrook&rsquo;s production, on paper, stayed overwhelmingly positive. He contributed double-digit scoring all season, peppering in triple-doubles every handful of games and finishing with a better scoring average than he&rsquo;d seen since 2016. But his plus/minus had turned practically volatile under the Rockets&rsquo; incessant three-point shooting mandate, hugely undercutting his efficiency overall. In November, Westbrook posted a -46 against the Miami Heat &mdash; the same game that saw Houston shoot a dismal 14-of-48 from three-point range. The very next game he played, Westbrook posted a +40 against the Golden State Warriors, with Houston making about half of their three-pointers (21-of-45). But his biggest contributions in that game came from popping up shots while crammed in the paint (plus eight rebounds and six assists).
In many ways, it&rsquo;s an exercise in futility to trace back examples of where the Rockets showed they were perfectly content to live or die by the three, knowing it&rsquo;s a decision that cost them, once again, a shot at a championship. But in the way this style of play effectively clipped Westbrook&rsquo;s wings when it comes to his offensive versatility, there are lingering clues to how the team could turn things around.
It was D&rsquo;Antoni who held to the fixed system Houston banked it all on, D&rsquo;Antoni who wasn&rsquo;t in favor of having Harden play off ball at all, citing that it would only get in Westbrook&rsquo;s way in the paint and, somewhat cloyingly, tire Harden out. But D&rsquo;Antoni is gone now. In OKC, alongside Harden and when he was the only one of the original Durant-Harden-Serge Ibaka core left, Westbrook was a precise, intuitive pick-and-roll playmaker. His eagle-eye peripheral vision made the sideways lobs he landed Ibaka or Durant (and later Adams) look reflexive, and the sailing passes out to shooters like Harden waiting in the corner intensely casual.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/Westbrook2.gif" alt="" width="640" height="AUTO" />
His drive-and-kick velocity, or the additional gears he can still get into when coming downhill in transition, make slowing Westbrook down &mdash; like with the yoke of purely outside shooting placed on him this season &mdash; seem like the most counterintuitive, unnatural decision, especially when his momentum is so generative of offensive team energy overall. Yes, he shot a career-high 47.2 percent from the field this season, but his assists dropped to an average of 7 per game, the lowest he&rsquo;d had in six seasons.
Westbrook is a complementary player, best in a group inclusive of a true playmaker, a buffering big with some stretch he can use as a valve for his passing to deftly finish and another give-and-go shooter. Where his energy wanes &mdash; spacing out sometimes dreamily on defense, turnovers &mdash; he would benefit from a floor general with a tendency to execute without bullying.
A stat trotted out frequently in Houston&rsquo;s postseason, and when the Lakers sent them packing, is that Harden&rsquo;s usage rate sunk to 31 percent with Westbrook on the floor and 41 percent without him. But the same stat is near identical for Westbrook, because rather than show how both are made inefficient by simply being in the other&rsquo;s orbit, they give a glimpse to how the two take less dominant roles when sharing the floor. Where this causes problems is when Westbrook is putting up aimless shots or his propensity to flail away his own deflections, but if Harden were able to reengage with the complementary half-court offensive play he excelled at in OKC, shimmying slips that freed him of defenders in the paint for fadeaway shots, the two could rework the offensive options of a team that&rsquo;s stubborn approach to added versatility didn&rsquo;t streamline so much as outright sink it.
Still, the league trend of a star pairing, after the Clippers&rsquo; spectacular collapse, could be falling out of favor for building up a roster of complementary, and engaged, players. Regardless of what head coach is going to lead Houston next, the Rockets already have the potential for this on paper. The team&rsquo;s most tenacious players, P.J. Tucker and Robert Covington, convert defensive prowess to offensive mettle; Austin Rivers certainly wants to compete; and Eric Gordon is a vet who&rsquo;s widely respected and can lend tangible insight to an identity shift.
It&rsquo;s Harden who remains the outlier in all of it. For any new look to work, he&rsquo;ll need to become an engaged offensive player again, generous and willing to stop skulking back at center, where his disinterest in getting close will never signal his team to likewise lock in. Westbrook has always thrived in the throng of play, so close he can feel his team&rsquo;s pulse. To lead the Rockets, Harden will have to get in there with him.
&ldquo;Right now, I&rsquo;m just running around,&rdquo; Westbrook said after a disconnected Game 2 loss to the Lakers. &ldquo;I gotta look at film and figure out how to be effective.&rdquo;
But he&rsquo;d been effective, all season. It was in being asked to deviate from his natural compulsions as a player &mdash; his knack for pace, quick cuts, give-and-go generosity, outright manipulation of timing &mdash; that Westbrook started to fade, running without a plan and losing focus.
His salary is still an issue, due more than $85 million over the next two seasons with a $47 million player option in 2022. But with a short offseason and most teams going conservative due to the decreased salary cap, Houston should absolutely double down on their investment, realizing the potential for a total systematic rebuild without blowing anything up.
To thrive in Houston, Westbrook has to be granted the floor. Not the restrictions of shooting from where efficiency dictates, not based on what a chart says, but the whole floor and the freedom to show the flash of his game and the fluidity to warp it. He needs to be able to inject some joy, with the trust of a gutsy team behind him. With that kind of liftoff, the Rockets, and Westbrook, will be hard to ignore.

Katie Heindl breaks down Russell Westbrook's fit with the Houston Rockets and how the team can get more out of the former MVP.

How Russell Westbrook may be key to the Rockets' reinvention

Jeff Pearlman is the New York Times best-selling author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081TTYZ6B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty,"</a> which is on sale now.
When the Los Angeles Lakers selected A.C. Green out of Oregon State with the No. 23 pick of the 1985 NBA Draft, he was greeted by new teammates with the cackles and guffaws of men excited to welcome into their midst a real-life, all-American virgin.
Or, put differently, they decided to give him hell.
Within Green&rsquo;s first month with the team, the question, &ldquo;Are you really a virgin?&rdquo; was asked about 500 different times, 500 different ways. One Laker literally took bets on how long it would take for Green&rsquo;s deflowering, and a hat was passed around the bus. Nary an opportunity would pass when a player wouldn&rsquo;t try to temp ol&rsquo; A.C. with a chance to get laid.
It was funny.
It was engaging.
It was also cruel.
Fifteen years later, the Lakers once again used a late first-round pick on a devoutly religious West Coast power forward. This time it was Mark Madsen of Stanford, who came to La-La Land a couple of years removed from a Mormon mission to Spain. He was aw-shucks and golly-gee and ripe for the A.C. Green treatment.
Then, he was greeted by a man who has to be the best superstar teammate in the history of professional sports. 
First, Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal escorted the rookie on a spree.
&ldquo;He took me car shopping,&rdquo; Madsen recalled. &ldquo;He literally said to me, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m putting the down payment on whatever car you want.&rsquo; I told him I wouldn&rsquo;t let him, but he negotiated a great deal for me on a Chevy Tahoe.&rdquo; The next stop was clothing shopping at a big-and-tall store in Beverly Hills, where O&rsquo;Neal unloaded $2,500 on jeans and Italian sweaters.
Shaq began sitting next to Madsen on flights. He asked about Mormonism, about missions, about Madsen&rsquo;s goals and dreams and hopes.
Then, he got to work as Madsen&rsquo;s pimp.
His Mormon pimp.
When the Lakers flew from city to city, Shaq made certain to ask most of the flight attendants, &ldquo;Are you Mormon?&rdquo; Once, while walking through the team&rsquo;s offices, Madsen was approached by an employee who was young and single.
&ldquo;The most interesting thing happened last night,&rdquo; she told him. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sitting in a restaurant in Redondo Beach and Shaq was in there asking some of the girls if they were Mormon because if they were, he wanted to set them up with you.&rdquo;
O&rsquo;Neal, according to a former Laker guard named Mike Penberthy, was the equivalent of having &ldquo;a big brother with a huge bank account.&rdquo; When Penberthy arrived for his 2001 Laker debut wearing a suit jacket from Banana Republic, O&rsquo;Neal pulled him aside. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have any suits, do you?&rdquo; he said quietly, so as not to embarrass the rookie.
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Penberthy said.
The following morning, the center from LSU picked up the guard from Master&rsquo;s College and brought him to his personal tailor. He paid for six suits.
&ldquo;When my father died, Shaq offered to pay for the funeral,&rdquo; Penberthy said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s that type of guy.&rdquo;
Indeed.
In the course of his 19-year NBA career, O&rsquo;Neal could be egomaniacal, ornery, moody, cruel. He would do things, on occasion, that caused other players to cringe, shrug and moan. Once, in a fit of agitation, he placed a wad of used toilet paper in someone&rsquo;s shoe. Another time, engaged after a dispute, he dragged Brian Shaw across the locker room floor. Devean George, Laker forward and chronic softie, still likely has some scars from being duct taped naked to a court.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/Shaq2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="AUTO" />
But mostly, he was a man who aspired to be loved and admired, who felt the pain of others&rsquo; unhappiness and wanted to make certain your day was as good as his. When people speak of the famously combative relationship between O&rsquo;Neal and Kobe Bryant, often misunderstood is the root. It wasn&rsquo;t so much that Bryant was arrogant and self-centered. No, it was that he showed no interest in O&rsquo;Neal&rsquo;s embrace.
Shaq wanted to be Bryant&rsquo;s big brother. Bryant had two sisters, and that was enough. Shaq wanted to be Batman to Bryant&rsquo;s Robin. Bryant didn&rsquo;t care for comic books &mdash; and if anyone was going to be Batman, it was him. As simplistic as it sounds, this bruised O&rsquo;Neal&rsquo;s feelings. He was sensitive to a fault; oddly passive aggressive and gentle. When, on one occasion, he took many of the Lakers out for a fancy seafood dinner, and Bryant passed, the sting itched. When Bryant later arrived at the restaurant, book tucked beneath arm, and found his own table, it burned. No, it hurt.
Before long, O&rsquo;Neal silently anointed himself the protector of younger players &mdash; a guardian against Bryant&rsquo;s notoriously poor mistreatment of lightly regarded free agents and rookies.
Heading into 2003 training camp, the Lakers signed former Kansas center Eric Chenowith to fight for the job as O&rsquo;Neal&rsquo;s backup. He was a journeyman in the classic sense &mdash; a one-time New York Knicks second-round pick who bounced from team to team. Never sticking.
Not long after inking his contract, Chenowith received an engraved-in-marble invitation, via mail, that read: ERIC CHENOWITH&mdash;SHAQUILLE O&rsquo;NEAL CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO HIS HOME TO WELCOME NEW TEAMMATES. Upon arriving, he was embraced by O&rsquo;Neal, who guided him to the rear of his home and toward a group of Cubans rolling cigars. &ldquo;Bro,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Neal said, &ldquo;Make sure and take some home for a friend.&rdquo;
Chenowith was blown away. A few weeks later, while in camp, Bryant ordered him to fetch an ice cream. It was awkward and uncomfortable, and Chenowith felt inches tall.
Then, a whisper from behind.
&ldquo;Listen,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Neal. &ldquo;Fuck that dude. I&rsquo;ve got your back.&rdquo;
Of course he did.
Order <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081TTYZ6B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty."</a>

Shaquille O'Neal has to be the best superstar teammate in the history of professional sports, writes best-selling author Jeff Pearlman.

'He offered to pay for my dad's funeral': Why Shaq is best star teammate ever

Mike D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s next coaching job will likely wind up being with the Indiana Pacers or Philadelphia 76ers, league sources tell BasketballNews.com.
D&rsquo;Antoni, whose four-year coaching tenure with the Houston Rockets ended the day after they were eliminated from the second round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers in five games, is currently the biggest name on the coaching free-agency list with four jobs aside from Houston open: New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Indiana and Philadelphia.
Assistant coaches and former coaches are jockeying for several of the positions, but the biggest domino to fall will likely be D&rsquo;Antoni, 69, whose extensive coaching experience and speed-based small-ball system produced perennial playoff teams in Houston and Phoenix.
Indiana dismissed Nate McMillan after the Pacers were swept by the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, and Brett Brown&rsquo;s seven-year tenure in Philly ended after the Sixers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in five games in the first round.
And while the New Orleans job and the Oklahoma City job seem appealing for a variety of reasons, it appears that D&rsquo;Antoni isn't interested in those vacancies due to personality dynamics. The fact that the Eastern Conference will be less competitive than the West for the next several seasons (as has been the case in recent years) makes the Pacers and 76ers even more attractive too.
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The Pacers have been knocked out of the postseason in the first round in each of the past five seasons, getting swept three times. But their roster includes a solid nucleus of Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb.
Also, general manager Kevin Pritchard has managed the team's salary cap in such a way that Indiana&rsquo;s core will be together for at least two more years, with the Pacers having cap space (perhaps $20 million, depending on how the pandemic impacts the cap long-term) to add around that core in 2021-22.
Philadelphia is a desirable option for many reasons. D&rsquo;Antoni coached there before - he was the Sixers' associate head coach in 2015-16, post Sam Hinkie - and he is enamored with the ownership group, led by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, along with the front office, led by general manager Elton Brand.
There have been maturity issues involving Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons that have been problematic for that franchise for several seasons, but league sources said that having a new voice leading the locker room &ndash; along with a new offensive game-plan emphasizing speed and scoring that presumably would be welcomed by Simmons, Embiid and Tobias Harris &ndash; would be part of the appeal in order for Sixers ownership to go hard after D&rsquo;Antoni.
Chicago, who hired Billy Donovan on Tuesday evening, was not considered an option because of the long rebuild that the Bulls are going through. D&rsquo;Antoni's goal was to win a championship in Houston, and he wants his next team to have an immediate chance to win a title next season.
Chris Sheridan is the senior NBA columnist for BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://twitter.com/sheridanhoops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow him on Twitter</a>.

Mike D’Antoni’s next coaching job will likely wind up being with the Indiana Pacers or Philadelphia 76ers, per league sources.

Mike D’Antoni likely to coach next in Indiana or Philadelphia

Spencer Davies chats with Georgetown big man Omer Yurtseven about his unique road to the 2020 NBA Draft.

Omer Yurtseven's unique path may give him edge in NBA Draft

Nekias Duncan breaks down the Denver Nuggets' offense and what the Los Angeles Lakers must do defensively to beat them.

Scouting Report: How the Lakers can stop the Nuggets

The second round of the NBA playoffs is underway and a champion will be crowned in a month. After that happens, we'll transition into one of the most unique offseasons in NBA history. The NBA has announced that it will push back the start of free agency, but transaction season is still rapidly approaching. 
BasketballNews.com has sorted out the top-50 free agents position-by-position. We've already ranked the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-point-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-shooting-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-small-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small forwards</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-power-forwards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power forwards</a>. We'll round out the field with the best crop of centers. 
Honorable Mention: Meyers Leonard, Miami Heat -- Unrestricted
STATS: 6.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.6 OREB, 1.1 APG, 0.3 BPG
One of the more underrated big men in the game, Leonard is like a Swiss Army knife. He can set solid screens, slip inside for a rolling bucket or pop back and fire up a triple. He makes opposing centers stay attached to him on the outside, which opens up the lane for his teammates. And if they choose to ignore him, Leonard will make them pay from three at a very high clip as a spot-up shooter. This year, he shot 41.4 percent from three-point range on 2.5 attempts per game. Also, he has a knack for hand-off situations and his vision is quite impressive too. 
10. Enes Kanter, Boston Celtics -- Back with Celtics 
STATS: 8.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.8 OREB, 1 APG, 0.7 BPG
If you need an instant boost off the bench, Kanter is your guy. Still in the prime of his career, the 6-foot-10 big man makes a living off of grabbing rebounds and finishing with a soft touch at the rim. He&rsquo;s elite on the offensive glass and constantly provides extra possessions for his team. If the Celtics continue to leave him out of the rotation, the team will almost assuredly pursue a center this offseason. Despite that, Kanter exercised his $5 million player option to remain with the Celtics. 
9. Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers -- Unrestricted
STATS: 7.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.5 OREB, 0.7 APG, 1.1 BPG 
Howard has done a fantastic job of accepting a role fit for this stage of his basketball life. He&rsquo;s no longer the go-to guy down low in the post. He&rsquo;s doing the dirty work, cleaning up on the boards, blocking shots and leaping for high handoffs. He has proven that he's still super athletic. His four field goal attempts per game were by far a career-low (which he handled well), but he sported a career-best 72.9 percent field goal percentage.&nbsp;
8. Aron Baynes, Phoenix Suns -- Unrestricted
STATS: 11.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.7 OREB, 1.6 APG, 0.5 BPG 
Averaging career-highs across the board, Baynes has become a solid all-around frontcourt player. He&rsquo;s extended his range to help spread the floor (shooting 35.1 percent from three), while also using his burly frame to set hard-nosed screens and succeed as a roll man. The 6-foot-10, 260-pound Kiwi is an imposing figure and tough to match up against.
7. Derrick Favors, New Orleans Pelicans -- Unrestricted
STATS: 9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.2 OREB, 1.6 APG, 0.9 BPG 
Lost in the shuffle of Zion Williamson&rsquo;s arrival and Brandon Ingram's development is the consistency of Favors. Still only 29 years old, you know what you&rsquo;re going to get from him. The veteran big man is going to fight for every rebound on both ends of the floor and dart to the basket in the pick-and-roll. He&rsquo;s plenty reliable when he pops for a mid-range shot as well.
6. Hassan Whiteside, Portland Trail Blazers -- Unrestricted
STATS: 15.5 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 3.9 OREB, 1.2 APG, 2.9 BPG 
With Jusuf Nurkic missing the majority of the season, Whiteside took this opportunity in a contract year and ran with it. He erases attempts in the paint left and right, as evidenced by his league-leading three blocks per contest. He gobbles up boards on both ends of the floor, and, when he&rsquo;s focused, he can be a game-shifter as a double-double machine.
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5. Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers -- Unrestricted
STATS: 12 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4 OREB, 2.1 APG, 0.9 BPG 
Thompson is a consummate professional. He could've grown frustrated and made a fuss with the post-LeBron James era Cavaliers, yet he has gone about his business and racked up back-to-back seasons averaging double figures in points and rebounds. He&rsquo;s a tip-in machine, loves to guard the opponents&rsquo; best players and embraces a good challenge when presented with one.
4. Marc Gasol, Toronto Raptors -- Unrestricted
STATS: 7.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 0.7 OREB, 3.3 APG, 0.9 BPG
On the back nine of his career, Gasol is still as heady as they come. His basketball IQ makes up for his physical limitations. The 6-foot-11 Spaniard exhibits a soft touch on his three-balls (shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range this season), but also on his precision passes. On the both ends of the floor, he does a lot of things that don't register in a box score -- specifically with dribble handoffs. Defensively, he stands stout and rarely gives ground as one of Toronto&rsquo;s toughest players.&nbsp;
3. Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors -- Unrestricted
STATS: 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.1 OREB, 1.4 APG, 0.8 BPG 
While Ibaka&rsquo;s defensive prowess got him noticed early in his career, it's been his scoring uptick that has been the most impressive as of late. The Raptors have utilized his improved ability to stretch the floor and allow him to fire shots up from distance, as he's shot 38.5 percent from three this year. Additionally, he sets good screens and rolls to the basket well.
2. Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers -- Back with Cavs 
STATS: 17.7 PPG, 15.2 RPG, 4.4 OREB, 2.7 APG, 1.6 BPG 
Drummond has exercised his $28.7 million option to stay in Cleveland. He&rsquo;s a shoo-in for at least 10 points and 10 rebounds each night. His athleticism makes him one of the most difficult assignments for opposing bigs, topped off by a tight handle on the ball and an ability to push the ball up the floor in transition.
1. Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers -- Unrestricted
STATS: 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.6 OREB, 1.7 APG, 1.1 BPG 
At 6-foot-7 with a 240-pound frame, Harrell plays much bigger than his size. His nose for the ball is up there with anybody in the NBA, he knows how to find room to get into the paint and he uses his strength to his advantage. He&rsquo;s been one half of the deadliest second-unit duo in the league with Lou Williams. Harrell won this year's Sixth Man of the Year award because of his terrific two-way contributions. In a somewhat mediocre free-agent class, Harrell should be getting paid handsomely.

Spencer Davies ranks his best available centers in the upcoming 2020 NBA free-agent class.