Titans

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly targeting University of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley for their vacant head coaching job, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Woj, the back-to-back NCAA coach for the UConn Huskies has been the Lakers&rsquo; top-secret target after previous reports suggested that the franchise has been in contact with several other names in the NBA space. Former player and now-ESPN analyst JJ Redick and Charlotte Hornets&rsquo; top assistant James Borrego were among those mentioned in reports.
The Lakers have already been reported to have met with Hurley for initial meetings and their discussions are expected to ramp up in a few days, with the franchise preparing a massive, long-term contract offer to pry Hurley to the NBA.
ANALYSIS: With Hurley&rsquo;s name thrown to the Lakers&rsquo; head coaching job candidates, this could mean that Redick&rsquo;s opportunity with the Lakers could either turn out to be a smokescreen for the grander scheme of things of plans by the Lakers to hire the NCAA champion coach. Numerous reports have already been out there with Redick&rsquo;s name as the top candidate for the franchise&rsquo;s head coaching job and with this development, this shakes things up for a lot of reasons.
More notably, signing Hurley would mean the Lakers are going all-in with their pitch to make superstar LeBron James stay with the team, pending his decision in free agency. LeBron has expressly shown on social media platforms like X and Instagram his admiration for Hurley and his creative and innovative offensive schemes.
Furthermore, Hurley seems like the type of coach who LeBron might listen to and/or is good enough/brave enough to coach LeBron considering the type of player that he is on and off the floor.
Lastly, Hurley&rsquo;s possible hiring would likely affect the Lakers&rsquo; drafting process in which LeBron&rsquo;s son Bronny James could likely be drafted to the team using its 55th pick in the upcoming draft. Hurley has been known as a master in player development and could potentially help the younger James&rsquo; growth moving forward.

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly targeting University of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley for their vacant head coaching job.

Lakers targeting UConn’s Dan Hurley for head coaching job

On Monday, Nike announced that it officially cut ties with Kyrie Irving due to him sharing a link to the documentary "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America," which many have labeled antisemitic. The news comes after Nike had suspended Irving and canceled his signature sneaker line.&nbsp;
The relationship between Irving and Nike began to deteriorate prior to the recent controversy. Last July, Irving said that the Kyrie 8 sneakers were "trash" and that he had "nothing to do with the design or marketing" of the shoe, but that "Nike plans to release it without my okay."
However, Nike co-founder Phil Knight specifically mentioned Irving's scandal as the reason the company was parting ways with him.
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&ldquo;Kyrie stepped over the line, it&rsquo;s kind of that simple,&rdquo; says Nike co-founder Phil Knight. &ldquo;He just made some statements we can&rsquo;t abide by and that&rsquo;s why we ended the relationship.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/VWWAEbsIku">pic.twitter.com/VWWAEbsIku</a>
&mdash; CNBC (@CNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNBC/status/1590741070018641931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After nearly a decade-long run of success with Nike, Irving is officially a sneaker free agent.
In response to this, during Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, Irving wore the Kyrie 3s with the Raygun colorway, but employed black tape to cover the Nike Swoosh logos. Additionally, he handwrote in marker the messages "I AM FREE" and "Thank you God... I AM" and "Logo Here" on the side of his shoes.
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Kyrie Irving covered up the Swoosh on his Nike Kyrie 3 with some messages following his official split with the company. Irving is a sneaker free agent <a href="https://t.co/xyKS4qN1qd">pic.twitter.com/xyKS4qN1qd</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1600692264774287360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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(The Brooklyn Nets also won 122-116, with Irving leading all scorers with 33 points and finishing one assist shy of a double-double.)
Irving&rsquo;s agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/05/business/nike-kyrie-irving.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The New York Times</a> that the sides &ldquo;mutually decided to part ways and we just wish Nike all the best.&rdquo;
On my radio show, "The Collision: Where Sports And Politics Collide,&rdquo; my guest was Torraine Walker, the <a href="https://twitter.com/TorraineWalker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">founder of Context Media Group</a>. We examined what Nike&rsquo;s decision to break ties with Irving means in the grander scheme of things, what actually constitutes antisemitism and if an ADL-style punishment is the answer. This was a great discussion.
Etan Thomas: What was your response to Nike dropping Kyrie and his response to being free? Were you surprised they did that?
Torraine Walker: "No I wasn&rsquo;t really surprised. I know once this controversy blew up that there was going to be some type of corporate response to it. I didn&rsquo;t think it would go to this extreme, but at the same time, I can&rsquo;t really say that I&rsquo;m surprised. Whether we like it or not, sports and politics are often divisions, and anything that looks like it&rsquo;s going to affect the brand, the bottom line, is going to be dealt with harshly when you&rsquo;re dealing with corporations.
"But the one thing I think this really lays out is, it shows the difference between ownership and sponsorship. A lot of times, we get caught up in the idea that someone who is the face of a brand has some type of bargaining power to the level that they can make contractual decisions. So this 'Hebrews To Negroes' controversy was so big that Nike could not ignore it.
"The other side is this &mdash; I think this is a great opportunity for Kyrie and also other athletes to look at basically creating their own brand and basically having some ownership in the products they are endorsing and have their faces on. Now, the question is, will the public get on board with that? Let&rsquo;s be honest, Nike has such a stronghold on the market and such strong brand loyalty and brand recognition that it&rsquo;s going to be difficult for someone who is coming into the market to do that. But I&rsquo;m not surprised at all that Nike did what they did."
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Thomas: What role did the media have in really magnifying this issue and controversy?&nbsp;
Walker: "The media had the primary role in keeping this 'controversy' going as long as it did. I can see the point where the posting of the documentary may have ruffled some feathers, or it made some people feel like it was an antisemitic thing. But usually when something like this happens, if an athlete or celebrity does something that people take offense to, people get offended, the athlete releases a statement, there&rsquo;s usually a cooling off period and, then, it goes away.
"But for some reason, there was this drive in the media to make this thing bigger than it was. They took a two-day story and made it into a month story, and I still don&rsquo;t fully understand the motivation behind that. I know a lot of organizations were pushing this. And I wonder if people inside the Nike organization was pushing this as well because, if I&rsquo;m not mistaken, Kyrie&rsquo;s contract is coming up anyway.
"But I think with the media, this was just the an opportunity for them to jump on an antisemitic angle with Black people and a Black man specifically, and they can run with it. So they saw a hot story and narrative that they could really push, and that&rsquo;s why we are where we are with this situation with Nike dropping him today. So to answer your question, the media had a huge role in this."
Thomas: What do you think about Kyrie and what he did with his shoes on Tuesday night &mdash; putting the tape over the logo and writing "I Am Free." What was your reaction to that?&nbsp;
Walker: "I was in favor of it, and I&rsquo;m glad he did it that way. My question is, how long will this be sustainable? It&rsquo;s easy to create a moment, it&rsquo;s easy to get people&rsquo;s attention, but can you direct that attention into something that will then be tangible for you to really be 'free?' And what does 'freedom' look like? Freedom looks like something different to everybody. Does this mean he is free from having to hold his tongue on issues he is concerned about? Does this mean he is free to create his own sneaker line? Does this mean he is free psychologically? I would love get clarification on that. I think it was a powerful statement, especially the timing, but would love to see it turn into something tangible."
Thomas: You mentioned something before, and it's the question that I continued to ask throughout this entire process: what is considered "antisemitic?" I think right now, there is a wider and wider bucket of what is being casted as antisemitic. On my show, "The Rematch," I spoke with an actual Rabbi, Harry Rozenberg, and we talked about this. He said, "Well, I may have a different opinion than your's, and feel very strongly and emotionally about my different opinion, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean your's is antisemitic." So I&rsquo;m asking you, in your opinion, what exactly is antisemitic?
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Walker: "Well, in my opinion, being antisemitic means you are making hateful statements about Jewish people, or you are calling for their extermination &mdash; which is what a lot of white supremacists and neo-Nazis call for. I don&rsquo;t believe that having questions about Judaism or having questions or issues as a Black man in America with the relationship between Black people and Jewish people is necessarily 'antisemitic.'
"And what&rsquo;s happening now is, any questioning of anything having to do with Jewish people or the state of Israel is being seen as antisemitic, and I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s fair and it doesn&rsquo;t make for a rational conversation. It has become this thing where even if you mention it, you are labeled as antisemitic, and that shuts down any conversation. So to answer your question, my definition of antisemitism is violent hatred of any person who is Jewish. That&rsquo;s my definition of it."
Thomas: Well, I couldn&rsquo;t agree more. I had a debate with Dave Zirin, my regular co-host on The Collision, when he guested on The Rematch, and we disagreed for literally the entire interview. We just had a different view of everything that had occurred, and this is when everything first happened.
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I mentioned my debate with Harry Rozenberg and we disagreed at times &mdash; we definitely disagreed when it came to discussing Palestine and Israel &mdash; but we also agreed that everything isn&rsquo;t in the "antisemitic" bucket. I think one of the things that happens is, when you label something as "antisemitic," it&rsquo;s kind of a lazy argument because it shuts down all conversation. Once you say something is antisemitic, then there is no conversation. But I think there are different things that can and should be discussed without the label of "antisemitic."
Walker: "Absolutely, and like I said earlier, when you are an African-American, your ideas on what 'antisemitism' means and what discrimination feels like is very different than what someone else from a different demographic may be familiar with. And this is not to say that people who are Jewish have not dealt with discrimination and bigotry in Europe and America &mdash; they definitely have &mdash; but that conversation has to change a little bit when we&rsquo;re talking about Black people.
"Because, we have to be honest: Black people are still collectively at the bottom of the economic ladder in America. And our relationship with someone who may be a landlord or someone who is exploiting them, it may be coming from an attitude of pushing back against exploitation. It doesn&rsquo;t mean that it&rsquo;s antisemitic, and a lot of times that gets lost in this conversation.
"But I do think that one thing that has come out of this conversation with Kyrie and Nike and Kanye [West] and [Dave] Chappelle, to an extent, is that these conversations are beginning to happen and they have to happen in order for any meaningful, impactful dialogue to take place. You can&rsquo;t just label something as antisemitic and then shut down the conversation and punish anyone who brought it up like Nike did with Kyrie."
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Thomas: I agree 100%. And yes, Nike&rsquo;s decision to drop Kyrie in the wake of him sharing the documentary "Hebrews To Negroes" has actually made them become part of the problem we&rsquo;ve seen with the ADL. Punishment over dialogue. Labeling over discussion and understanding.&nbsp;
Van Jones also took it upon himself to apologize to the Jewish community on behalf of the entire Black community for statements made by Kanye West &mdash; even though I don&rsquo;t know who appointed him as spokesperson for the Black community. But before we finish, let me make this point clear: a lot of people are, and have been, conflating Kanye West a.k.a. Ye and Kyrie Irving, but they are two COMPLETELY separate issues. One is NOT like the other and should NEVER be lumped together in any way, shape or form.
Walker: "I definitely agree."
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Etan Thomas speaks with Torraine Walker to discuss Nike parting ways with Kyrie Irving, how he responded and what it could mean.

Nike employs ADL tactics as it officially drops Kyrie Irving

The playoffs are in full form with an ever-changing postseason landscape. Game-by-game changes in scheme and emphasis highlight the spirit of strategy and game-planning. As all eyes fall upon a subset of games, it makes sense that some of the most competitive and talent-laden exhibitions in the world are viewed as a lens for understanding.&nbsp;
Every April over the past five years, the same observation has popped up: analytics has changed the game. Their application has driven efficiency, shifted defenses and reshaped the dimensions of the court. Its impact cannot be overstated, although the way they are emphasized can sometimes be overwrought.&nbsp;
Some quick math: The league average for three-point percentage per Basketball Reference was 35.4% during the 2021-22 regular season. Accounting for that on a per-possession basis, the league average shot from distance is worth 1.06 points per possession. By comparison, the league average shot/finish at the rim (0-3 feet) was 68.1% this season, equating to 1.362 points per possession.
These statistics don't filter out transition plays and wide-open shots, but I'd posit that's also part of the point. If your weakside low-man is zoning up and gets back cut, you're giving up an absurdly efficient shot at the rim, one that your defense will do everything in its power to account for. If Steph Curry or Jordan Poole loses his man on a relocation to the slot, their defense is also doing everything to account for that and try to erase that mistake, or at least make the shot more difficult. There isn't a one-sized-fits-all approach.
Three-pointers on volume and without hesitation force the defense to close out, and the varying degrees of shooting efficacy and multitude of ways a player might be able to get their shot off further changes how the defense guards them.&nbsp;
Again though, it is less about the three-pointer here, and this is where debating about the value of two-pointers vs. three-pointers comes up short. They go hand in hand. While looking at offense from a top-down view, magnifying singular possessions and pulling data from that is useful, it makes the organic, inorganic.&nbsp;
You lose the seasoning of what makes a possession a possession. The why, the how, the confluence of events that bring you here. This is not to disparage data in the slightest, but it is so important to contextualize that data.
Let's back up a bit and consider how analytics change how the defense guards players and teams. This is the key here. I'd rather think about applied analytics as a realtor than an overpowering overlord for TNT broadcasts to get mad at. Over the last decade, we've essentially seen the league living in a good-sized house only to experience the revelation of, "Wait, we have a basement?"
Its about space! That's what it is! Its not about numbers, or metrics, or three-point rates moving on up. Hitting threes is great. Using the three as a tool to remap the floor is what really stands out. Instead of those 18-foot curls off a million screens for Rip Hamilton (art, literal freakin art btw), we have Steph Curry running off double pin-downs, elevator screens, etc. to potentially launch from 29 feet out. Again, it's about the potential, the threat.
The three-pointer is, of course, a useful and essential finishing tool, but some of the early shot clock and offense jumpers that teeter between feeling forced and making your father turn off the TV are looked at incorrectly.&nbsp;
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I don't intend to say that they can't be frustrating, but there's a reason why some staffs emphasize these looks. Think of it like a jab in boxing. Is it the knockout punch? Heck no, but you can't just run around throwing overhand rights hoping to win a title fight. There has to be a setup. There has to be some guile and craft to unlock and open what's most desired: efficient buckets.
"Efficient buckets" has an entirely different world of meanings. Applied analytics has certainly cut down on the mid-range looks, but not entirely. The best of the best live there still, and perhaps with greater efficacy now as the floor is better spread, allowing for premier operators to flourish or showcase their vision.&nbsp;
What is efficient certainly has larger trends that track league-wide for the most part, but doubtlessly, it depends on the player. Some players might have minimal verticality around the rim, so the slightest contest at the basket can relegate them to a subatomic percentage at the basket. However, they might also be one of the quickest shooters in the league, so a three is more efficient for them. Another player might have a a 43-inch vertical, crafty handle and willingness to shoot, but they may also have the ability to yam on just about anyone. So again, there are trends, but it always depends on personnel.
Looking at this through the lens of multiple possessions or actions, it's worth trying to encapsulate the entirety. As mentioned earlier, space is the key. Unlocking the floor puts more and more torsion/tension on the defense. 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 220px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Season</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Median Drives Per Game&nbsp;</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">High Drives Per Game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2013-14</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">33.4</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">42.6</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2014-15</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">35.7</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">47.4</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2015-16</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">38</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">50.7</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2016-17</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">37.9</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">49.4</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2017-18</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">41.8</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">52.9</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">44.5</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">55.1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2019-20</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">46.5</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">57.4</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">46.4</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">61.7</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 21.5334%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 38.0333%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">44.1</td>
<td style="width: 36.5666%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">61.7</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(All Data courtesy of Second Spectrum. Median is from the 15th-ranked team and High is from the first-ranked team of that season.)
This is the biggest shift due to applied analytics, and what I most want to highlight. It's easy to lose the plot of the process, and I'd argue the process is the most important part. The change of pace has certainly contributed to more overall possessions, which is worth noting.&nbsp;
The way the floor is spaced now is the story, though. It is less about three-pointers and two-pointers and more about what a well-spaced floor with remapped dimensions can allow for: driving lanes (and driving lanes galore, at that).
Timing and quickness in decision-making continue to be paramount as more and more players, regardless of role, must be capable of making reads. While <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/in-the-nba-length-matters-unedited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">size is again starting to reshape</a> the court (what I'd consider the next evolution coming), it is even moreso about having meaningful size. Every player should handle the ball to a degree. Every player should be capable of passing to a degree. No, not everyone is going to be a primary option, but if you watch some of the top prep schools in the country, and you'll note how many players are capable of doing a little bit of everything. That sounds incredibly lacking in nuance, but it's true. Bigs might not be drivers, but they can catch and go. They can make one or two dribbles and a quick decision. If they're open, they make the defense care.
The San Antonio Spurs have been revelatory in watching and understanding space capitalization. Don't get me wrong, they're not a great offensive team, but they have showcased a great deal of offensive principles the past few seasons. While they have struggled as a shooting team, they routinely play a four-wing lineup that's built upon drive after drive after drive. Often, possessions will happen with two or three closeouts attacked repeatedly and kickouts with quick relocation to restart the process. Part of the reason they've needed that is their lack of high-powered finishing and how easy it can be to wall the paint on them. But again, that's part of the point.
It's not about twos and threes and their "worth." Rather, it's about how a shot opens up the court and how it allows teams to shape the defense as an offense.&nbsp;
Offense is fluid and shifts based on personnel on either side. It's not geometry or stats; it's organic architecture, consistently in flux with both teams trying to capitalize and minimize space, time and advantages. It's awesome. It's so much more about the constant push-pull to take space or not give an inch. It's about who can make the other tie their arm behind their back first.
Basketball continues to slowly but surely evolve in real time. It's evolving even quicker when we zoom out and have a look at the game on a grander scale, and changes are certainly on the horizon as the game continues to adapt and develop.&nbsp;
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Basketball is not about three-pointers and two-pointers. It's more organic than that, focusing instead on spacing and timing.

Offensive organics: Accounting for space and time

Four years ago, after winning a third title in four seasons, Draymond Green offered the Golden State Warriors' front office some advice before the 2018 NBA Draft, which included a directive to target &ldquo;16-game players.&rdquo;
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Larry Harris said Draymond Green's given the front office a piece of advice: "There are 82-game players, then there are 16-game players." Draymond's interested in the 16-game (playoff-type) players.
&mdash; Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1009170931254624257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2018</a></blockquote>

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And although people are sparring daily with FOX Sports personality Nick Wright over his thoughts on Nikola Jokić and LeBron James among others, he <a href="https://twitter.com/getnickwright/status/1516597337698840578" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drew the Green claim</a> as a reaction to Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s epic 45-point game performance Tuesday night in a 115-105 Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
If you polled a consensus of NBA Twitter, media, players or front-office people about whether Trae Young is the best player in this series, an educated guess would suggest that those largely outside of Miami (and New York) would vote &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
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Some people very flippantly said Trae Young was *easily* the best player in the series. And, yo, I get it ... What Jimmy Butler does on *both* ends isn't flashy, doesn't make highlights, but that dude is a flat-out winner and a star, and he proved it yet again tonight.
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1516598814643310592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And that&rsquo;s understandable, right? Young is a superstar offensive talent who projects to be a perennial All-Star and an All-NBA challenger, if healthy, for much of his prime. But also in doing so, perhaps it ignores what could be brought on the other end of the floor by Butler, who is at least a candidate to make an All-Defensive Team for a sixth time in nine seasons.
(I affectionately refer to Butler as the Ed Reed of the NBA because of his elite ability at playing free safety. His running mate Bam Adebayo is Darrelle Revis, for what it&rsquo;s worth.)
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Whether you prefer an offensive-production machine who routinely offers the league&rsquo;s most tantalizing highlights, or a two-way grinder with the grit of Stone Cold Steve Austin and immense impact that often goes overlooked as a result in a world of flashier, Rey Mysterio-types, whoever you think the actual best player in the series probably doesn&rsquo;t matter.
What matters is this: It bears reminding that Butler is a 16-game player. He&rsquo;s damn good in the regular season too, but time and time again, he&rsquo;s proven it in the playoffs, and it needs to be noticed.
(Before the NBA Twitter mob comes, this is not to say Young necessarily isn&rsquo;t, especially after last year&rsquo;s postseason run. We&rsquo;re just turning our focus to Butler now for the purposes of this piece).
In Game 2, Butler finished with 45 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a pair of steals, He subtly patrolled the Heat&rsquo;s defensive secondary, manipulating Atlanta's guards to lob seemingly-out-of-range alley-oops that were detected and slapped toward a Miami teammate to initiate a break. In addition, the 32-year-old star bullied his way to the free-throw line to tilt the power in his team&rsquo;s favor.
Still, this was a different type of contest-controlling outburst than one we&rsquo;re accustomed to seeing from the Tomball, Texas native.
Nah, man. <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1516600499759374351" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This sh*t was loud</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I read no lies <a href="https://t.co/LzHVYF274D">https://t.co/LzHVYF274D</a>
&mdash; DWade (@DwyaneWade) <a href="https://twitter.com/DwyaneWade/status/1516619165573935105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Butler shot 15 of 25 from the field, 4 of 7 from three and 11 of 12 on three throws. When the team needed a bucket, Butler delivered, solving the Heat&rsquo;s late-game issues for the night &mdash; a question that's made many hesitant on pegging Miami as a true contender despite being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 45 POINTS for Jimmy Buckets 🔥 A new playoff career-high for <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmyButler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimmyButler</a> puts the <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiamiHEAT</a> up 2-0! Game 3: Friday, 7 PM ET, ESPN <a href="https://t.co/xAjzVassBk">pic.twitter.com/xAjzVassBk</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1516643329961771010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As the Hawks seemed to get hot from the floor, cutting the Heat lead to 64-62 with 8:59 to go in the third quarter, Butler drilled his third three of the game two possessions later. One minute after, he extended the lead to double figures with a lay-up following a defensive board, which prompted a Nate McMillan timeout. The Hawks would again come within single digits following 6-0 run late in the third, and Max Strus found Butler for a dunk with 1:48 to go in the period.
In the fourth, Butler produced 9 points, 2 assists and a steal, and he found Gabe Vincent (who himself had a fantastic two-way effort off the bench) for a triple with 6:12 left in the game; it was a key moment to stretch a narrowing four-point lead to seven.
As the Hawks again sliced it down again with 3:53 left, Butler came out of a timeout, penetrated the lane, drew in the defense and found an open Adebayo for a dunk &mdash; his easiest bucket of the playoffs so far. Not going away, the Hawks cut it to three, but Jimmy drove into a slam with 2:16 left to bring Miami's lead back up to five. And on the ensuing offensive possession, Butler drained a fourth three to make it 109-101 Heat with 1:36 remaining in the game, essentially the dagger.
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We know about what Butler did in the 2020 NBA Playoffs and <a href="https://youtu.be/dadoOIGSkx8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">those Finals in particular</a>. And in 2019, if it wasn&rsquo;t for his performance in the seven-game East semifinals series against the Toronto Raptors, there&rsquo;s no telling how long that Philadelphia 76ers team would&rsquo;ve lasted.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKid3520Ow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In that series</a>, Butler averaged 6.9 points per fourth quarter, totaling 12 of 24 shooting and 21 of 23 on free throws and leading the team with 8.6 minutes per fourth quarter.
Joel Embiid logged 7.8 minutes per fourth and averaged 4.0 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the field and 10 of 14 on free throws. Ben Simmons played 8.3 minutes per fourth and averaged 1.7 points on 4 of 6 shooting and 2 of 4 on free throws. (Simmons took 6 shots in 50 total fourth-quarter minutes and didn&rsquo;t play the fourth at all in Game 5). And Tobias Harris? 2.0 points through 8.1 minutes per fourth, shooting 5 of 22 in the final period overall. J.J. Redick? 2.0 points in 6.0 minutes per.
That summer, Simmons and Harris were maxed, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jimmy-butlers-threepoint-shooting-has-always-been-a-luxury-not-a-necessity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Butler landed in Miami</a>.
(And if you&rsquo;d like to hold up the 2021 playoffs to detract Butler, you can. But, you must also note that the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers had a seven-week offseason between the NBA Finals and training camp, and the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets had nine each; they all flamed out last spring for a reason.)
Tuesday night's performance capped an imperfect offensive display from Miami, who settled for too many jump shots in favor of attacking the rim with Bogdan Bogdanović, DeAndre Hunter and Kevin Huerter all being in foul trouble throughout, but every playoff game is its own experience.
As the Heat head into Atlanta with a 2-0 lead, Adebayo and Tyler Herro &mdash; who&rsquo;ve combined for 36 points through the first two games &mdash; have yet to leave their offensive imprint on the series. If you throw in Kyle Lowry in the mix, the number only grows to 55 points.
If at least one guy is able to have a breakthrough on the road, Miami will probably not need another 45-pointer from Butler, so long as the team defends to or near its capabilities.
And if that doesn't happen, one, it'd be a surprise, but two, who else is better suited to grind you to an ugly-but-effective-ass 81-77 road victory?
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Bryan Fonseca praises the playoff prowess of Heat star Jimmy Butler and his ability to elevate his game in crunch time.

Jimmy Butler is a 16-game player

During the Boston Celtics&rsquo; 125-97 walloping of the Utah Jazz on March 23, Marcus Smart attempted just one shot in the first period, yet played one of the best individual quarters I&rsquo;ve seen outside of a top-15 player this season.&nbsp;
Across his 12-minute, first-quarter stint, the 28-year-old handed out nine dimes, drilled a triple, forced two turnovers and detonated at least two more possessions defensively. Amid a game with five different All-Stars, Smart was its best player through 12 minutes. By the end of the opening frame, Boston held a 39-24 lead over the NBA&rsquo;s top offense and cruised to victory, fueled by a season-high 35 assists.
The win marked the Celtics&rsquo; 21st victory in 24 tries since Jan. 29. Despite losing two of their last three games, they&rsquo;re now 47-30 after beginning the year 25-25. A bevy of factors have powered this team&rsquo;s turnaround, one of which is Smart enjoying the best stretch of his career and it&rsquo;s been facilitated by a shift in his offensive role for the betterment of everyone.&nbsp;
Throughout these 27 games (he&rsquo;s played 25 of them), he&rsquo;s averaging 13.3 points, 6.8 assists (2.5 turnovers), 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals on 56.2% True Shooting (.436/.348/.775 split). Boston has elected to utilize him in more screening actions as the pick man and ball-handler, and entrust him with greater on-ball duties, both of which amplify Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s talents.&nbsp;
All the while, his <a href="https://streamable.com/uwr8ja" target="_blank" rel="noopener">savvy connective passing</a> continues to flourish, thanks to his instantaneous, purposeful decision-making when the ball swings his direction. He&rsquo;s a daring, frugal distributor, illuminated in part by his 2.6:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. That metric never captures the whole passing picture, but it's a useful snapshot for him.
By embracing Smart as the primary point guard that people have long stressed as the missing ingredient of Boston&rsquo;s offense, a once-stale attack sits third in offensive rating (118.9) over the past 27 games. Prior to that, the Celtics were 22nd (109.1 offensive rating), buried by poor and poor execution. Neither really hampers this team anymore; although, the ramifications of Robert Williams&rsquo; absence have yet to be fully experienced.&nbsp;
As a pick-and-roll conductor, Smart is wily and patient, though rarely timid. He excels at table-setting for big men and has formed a particularly collaborative connection with Williams. According to Synergy, he only ranks in the 22nd percentile in pick-and-roll scoring this year. Add passes into the equation, however, and he vaults to the 75th percentile.&nbsp;
Tatum&rsquo;s scoring gravity may open up more lucrative reads than Smart&rsquo;s does, but Smart is probably the team&rsquo;s most talented passer among its perimeter options. Balancing that duo&rsquo;s opportunities to commandeer ball-screens is broadening Boston&rsquo;s playmaking diversity and Smart is taking advantage of these chances.&nbsp;
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Among Smart, Tatum and Brown, Smart is the least adept play-finisher. Having Tatum (and Brown, to a lesser extent) be the catalyst for so many actions early in the year suppressed some of Smart&rsquo;s offensive value and complicated Tatum&rsquo;s job. It&rsquo;s not that Tatum cannot create for himself at a high level, it&rsquo;s that he&rsquo;s also practical as an off-ball player and Smart is adroit on the ball. Limiting those chances provides diminishing returns for both (well, all three players) offensively.&nbsp;
The Smart-Tatum pick-and-pop has been highly prosperous for the Celtics and they&rsquo;ve expanded its usage during this run. With so many teams switching on defense this season, the 6-foot-8 Tatum screening for the 6-foot-3 Smart enacts beneficial mismatches for the star wing, empowering him to easily shoot over the top or attack downhill to exploit a size advantage.&nbsp;
With Brown, his off-ball usage generally revolves around cuts from the corners or curling around a pindown from Williams. Both talented wings are displaying their off-ball chops much more commonly the last couple months and they can do so because Smart is such a trustworthy facilitator.&nbsp;
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Since Smart took on grander point-guard duties in late January/early February, Tatum is averaging 29-7-5-1 on 63.7% TS (.501/.391/.885 split) and Brown is averaging 22.5-5-3.5-1 on 57.8% TS (.491/.344/.714 split).&nbsp;
Tatum has especially thrived from Smart&rsquo;s amended usage, with 51% of his buckets coming via assists since Jan. 29, a notable leap from 43% before that, according to Cleaning The Glass. Similarly, his season-long TS% has risen from 54.5 to 57.7 over his past 26 games.&nbsp;
Whether it&rsquo;s sealing off smaller defenders inside amid early offense, flowing off flare screens into side pick-and-rolls or cutting from the perimeter, he&rsquo;s catching the ball on the move more often and encountering simpler scoring looks.
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Smart is also excellent when operating as a screener for Tatum. Boston has increasingly frequented that gambit to further unlock the superstar&rsquo;s resurgence and augment the entire offense. He&rsquo;ll create on the short roll or attack from the perimeter, and he&rsquo;s also netted a credible 37.7% of his 114 catch-and-shoot treys over this span.&nbsp;
Players who thrive off the advantages that a primary initiator fashions are crucial for any threatening offense. Smart fits that criteria because he&rsquo;s a sound decision-maker and gifted passer. When opponents toss two dudes at the ball against Tatum, Smart is a wonderful release valve who punishes the defensive tactic.&nbsp;
Even if Smart isn&rsquo;t the one punctuating a play, he can spark similar mismatches to the ones arising when Tatum screens for him. Either way, this action has been integral to Boston&rsquo;s 180 offensively.
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From ball-handler to screener to play-linker, there are simply an array of contexts Smart can be relied upon to execute favorable decisions. While it took a while for the Celtics to truly lean into that, it&rsquo;s occurred over the past two months and yielded sterling outcomes.&nbsp;
Smart is playing better than ever. Tatum moved out of his slump and resembles a dominant top-10 player again (positive shooting regression helps too). Brown&rsquo;s versatile secondary scoring is prominently on display.&nbsp;
The ball pings in Boston&rsquo;s offense to magnitudes it didn&rsquo;t throughout the first three months. Before Jan. 29, it ranked 20th in assist rate (58.5%). Since then, it&rsquo;s sixth (63.9%).&nbsp;
Ball movement isn&rsquo;t a necessity for effective offense, but the Celtics aren&rsquo;t loaded with high-level creators, so it's certainly tied to their success. Once they get the defense into scramble mode, they&rsquo;ve been dynamite at maintaining that advantage with prompt passing to produce a worthwhile shot. Smart&rsquo;s rapid, shrewd facilitating feels like it sets the tone for those sequences and this team-wide development (in fairness, Boston rosters many good passers in its rotation). 
Everyone rightfully discusses <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smart&rsquo;s defensive credentials</a> when extolling his virtues. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned an All-Defensive First Team bid</a>this season and has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/give-marcus-smart-the-damn-dpoy-award" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a viable case for Defensive Player of the Year</a>.&nbsp;
But his on-court value extends well beyond being elite on one side of the ball. As Boston has remade itself into a legitimate title contender, his offensive contributions and reshaped role are glimmering &mdash; just as he did during a masterful first quarter against the Jazz last week.&nbsp;
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Everyone rightfully praises Marcus Smart’s defense, but his offensive contributions have helped turn Boston into a legitimate contender.

Marcus Smart's playmaking is vital to Celtics' offensive resurgence

By and large, Brandon Ingram&rsquo;s steadfast approach to NBA basketball was wildly successful. Over the last two years alone, he&rsquo;d garnered an All-Star berth, a Most Improved Player of the Year trophy and a five-year, $158 million contract extension.
Expecting or asking him to change was probably futile, and for good reason. He didn&rsquo;t need to change. He was already excellent, a borderline star before the age of 25.
Despite that excellence, though, he was leaving opportunities on the table &mdash; missed passing reads, failed defensive rotations, stalled scoring chances &mdash; given his marvelous intersection of skill and physical tools.
... Until he wasn't, and started taking advantage of them. Until he drastically revolutionized himself on both ends to ignite the best season of his career.
The outcome? Leading the New Orleans Pelicans from the cellar of the Western Conference following a 3-16 start to Play-In Tournament contention at 23-35 (20-19 since that early stretch), all without superstar Zion Willamson.
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Ingram has been at the heart of it. He&rsquo;s incrementally altered various facets of his game &mdash; passing, defense and scoring tendencies &mdash; to maximize everything he provides, playing like a man with many more All-Star appearances ahead.&nbsp;
In 27 games since Dec. 3, he has an assist rate of 27.9% (96th percentile among forwards, according to Cleaning The Glass) and a turnover rate of 9.9% (59th percentile), both of which would be career-bests across an entire season. Throughout his first 17 games, those marks were 22.1% and 14.0% respectively.
Rarely do established players, even those south of 25 years old, enjoy the type of in-season leap Ingram is having. His processing, accuracy and floor vision as a passer have transformed from clear drawbacks to superlatives of his skill set. Once components that could bog down the offense, they&rsquo;re currently crucial to spearheading and amplifying many of New Orleans&rsquo; fruitful possessions.
He&rsquo;s become increasingly adept at manipulating opponents with his eyes, quicker at making necessary reads when they&rsquo;re presented, and is leveraging his 6-foot-8 frame and 7-foot-3 wingspan to frequent passing windows that most ball-handlers cannot. If an opening doesn&rsquo;t initially arise, he&rsquo;s patient and waits for something profitable to originate. The way he interacts with help defenders is radically improved.&nbsp;
Whereas passing once felt like a secondary option among his internal-creation hierarchy, it&rsquo;s now on (or close to) equal footing with his scoring. Passing has always been something he could do, but wasn&rsquo;t always on his mind to do.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s no longer the case. He&rsquo;s simply identifying opportunities with more haste and regularity, thanks in part to considering those opportunities more often.
He&rsquo;s rifling live-dribble dimes for layups, is accentuating Jaxson Hayes&rsquo; recent breakout and looks unbothered by swarms of defensive attention. There aren&rsquo;t many better wing-sized facilitators than him.
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While Ingram&rsquo;s passing rise has been percolating for months, the scoring upswing required longer to follow suit. At times, his approach appeared as though he was still fighting against old habits, determined to reach his spots on the floor without an effective blueprint to do so. The result would be possessions plagued by tunnel vision and punctuated by ill-advised jumpers.&nbsp;
But recently, he&rsquo;s translated the valuable patience, refined decision-making and accelerated processing to his individual scoring. A shift in how he&rsquo;s deployed within the Pelicans&rsquo; offense has amplified his talents, too.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s greater emphasis to carve out space for his touches and get him the ball on the move. Whether it&rsquo;s dribble handoffs, pindowns, flex screens or cross-screens, he&rsquo;s catching the ball in familiar areas on the floor with a head of steam more routinely.&nbsp;
In turn, he&rsquo;s discovering his groove as a scorer. Over the last 15 games, he&rsquo;s averaging 22.4 points on 57.2% True Shooting. Prior to that, he averaged 22.2 points on 52.9% TS this season (29 games).
When he proceeds promptly upon receiving a pass and ensures his physical tools can maintain or expand an advantage, he&rsquo;s pretty damn tough to stymie. That&rsquo;s been his signature during this stretch: quick &mdash; not hurried &mdash; decisions that spark quality looks in spots he&rsquo;s comfortable.&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s cooking, and has powered New Orleans to a 9-6 record when he plays, featuring four wins over current top-seven seeds or better.
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Although not entirely paralleled by his scoring renaissance, he&rsquo;s also streamlining some highly impressive defensive consistency, particularly off the ball. Inklings of such a development, largely based on heightened awareness in help situations, peeked through earlier this season. But they were never substantial or commonplace enough to firmly declare he was a different caliber of defender.&nbsp;
The past five weeks are proving otherwise.&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s far more attentive as a low man on the interior and is weaponizing his rangy wingspan to grander depths. His decision-making and overall performance suggest he&rsquo;s finally understanding the degree to which he can influence possessions with his rare blend of length, height and mobility. Active hands are the norm, and he&rsquo;s wreaking some serious havoc away from the ball.
Navigating screens remains a glaring weakness, and he&rsquo;s not a trustworthy on-ball stopper in most situations. Yet, he is absolutely a better defender compared to the end of last season, start of this season or even two months ago. He&rsquo;s been pretty dang good for, like, five weeks.&nbsp;
His limbs are swirling; the body is moving. He&rsquo;s establishing a new, rosier baseline of expectations for his defense each night.
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Dating back to a Jan. 11 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves (13 games), Ingram is posting block and steal rates of 1.4% (80th percentile) and 1.0% (38th percentile), according to Cleaning The Glass.&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s tallied at least one block or steal in 11 of those games over that time period, a feat he accomplished in just 17 of his first 31 games. Before this run, he was logging block and steal rates of 0.5% and 0.7% percent (25th and 8th percentiles) respectively. That&rsquo;s a pretty meaningful jump in a sample composing nearly 30% of his games this year!
Through five seasons, Ingram had not played for a team with a record above .500; thus far this campaign, that trend has continued. It&rsquo;s not to say he couldn&rsquo;t positively affect winning or he was some "empty calories" player (sidenote: I really dislike the lack of nuance and general idea in this second term).&nbsp;He wasn&rsquo;t either of those labels. Rather, he functioned as someone best equipped to amplify winning in a specific role designed to mask his flaws and spotlight his strengths.&nbsp;
The latest version of Ingram&rsquo;s game can drive winning. That&rsquo;s an arduous adjustment for anyone to complete, and an admirable one for anyone to embrace &mdash; especially a guy of his ability whose previous approach yielded considerable success.
In Monday&rsquo;s blowout win over the Toronto Raptors, Ingram was the best player on the floor, despite only scoring 10 points and taking 7 shots. Four different Pelicans matched or exceeded his field goal attempts. With 8 dimes (2 turnovers), he calmly picked apart the Raptors&rsquo; rangy, zealous defense and posed issues amid their own offensive pursuits.
He controlled and dominated the game independent of individual scoring, something he would&rsquo;ve struggled mightily to do in past years. This is a different Brandon Ingram though. Monday was emblematic of how far he&rsquo;s come and why it&rsquo;s so worthwhile.
He&rsquo;s discovered the seemingly optimal version of himself, and everyone involved is benefitting.&nbsp;
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Jackson Frank dives into how Brandon Ingram has matured his skill set and why the Pelicans have benefited from it.

Brandon Ingram is evolving and finding the optimal version of his game

It&rsquo;s been quite an unconventional season in Washington.
The summer in D.C. was drowned out by an onslaught of Bradley Beal trade rumors. Instead of discussion about Wizards president Tommy Sheppard&rsquo;s impressive offseason, questions like the ones below dominated the news cycle.
Could Beal be the missing piece for Golden State? What if Boston broke the internet to form an all-St. Louis duo with Brad and Jayson Tatum? Is this the Ben Simmons trade that&rsquo;s been sitting there underneath our noses?
Well, here we are. Seven months later, Beal is still a Wizard, and as it so happens, most of us missed the point. Washington has cobbled together a deep, impressive group of veterans, which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-kuzma-montrezl-harrell-have-wizards-adopting-dog-mentality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit the ground running with an Eastern Conference-leading 10-3 record</a> and the third-best defense in the entire league to start the season.&nbsp;
But then, the inevitable defensive regression hit like a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/miguel-sano-homers-22-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field">Miguel San&oacute; deep-ball</a>; Washington has returned to its homey lair of a <a href="https://www.cleaningtheglass.com/stats/league/summary?season=2021&amp;seasontype=regseason&amp;start=10/1/2021&amp;end=01/15/2022">bottom-10 Defensive Rating</a>, and the Wizards overall record has deteriorated in harmonious fashion, with the team going just 12-17 since Nov. 15. With Beal having a down year and the vaunted defense appearing... um, suddenly not-so-vaunted, Washington has since looked rudderless following the hot start.
That is, until Kyle Kuzma started averaging a cool 26 and 11 over the Wiz&rsquo;s last nine games.
His output has largely been a byproduct of circumstance. Seven Washington players entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols at the turn of the new year, forcing the Wizards to go the substitute-player route like most other ball clubs. This left a hefty load to shoulder for Washington&rsquo;s mainstays, and Kuzma, in particular, made quite the impression while eclipsing 39 minutes in three straight games to ring in 2022.
The plat principal of the Kuzma experience this season has been his inspiring commitment to rebounding. He&rsquo;s finally at his rightful position &mdash; the 4 &mdash; and has seen his overall rebounding average jump by a colossal 2.6 per game while inhaling a career-high <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/advanced/?sort=GP&amp;dir=-1&amp;CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*kuzma">12.8%</a> of available boards.
As Washington&rsquo;s corps dwindled, Kuzma only dug deeper into the comfy niche he&rsquo;s settled into this season.
Kuz&rsquo;s rebounding rate has bumped all the way up to 14.5% since Dec. 27, when nearly half of his teammates entered protocols. He's keyed in on opponents&rsquo; misses with the hunger of Shaggy and Scooby Doo on a Whole 30 diet, his hands fastening onto the rock like a toddler leash. (Side note, who the heck uses those things?)
From there, Kuz is more than capable of initiating the offense in the open floor after ripping down a&nbsp; board, something he&rsquo;s been quite potent at as of late. No longer sharing the floor with LeBron James &mdash; whose resume alone obviously merits sole ownership of a fastbreak offense &mdash; Kuzma&rsquo;s now been empowered to push the pace like true-blue point-forward.
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But Kuzma&rsquo;s more than just a rebounder. He&rsquo;s a full-blown supersized slasher that knifes through coverages with X-Acto Blade precision, and he&rsquo;s only carved opponents up with more voraciously as Washington has suffered its availability crisis.
Kuzma&rsquo;s average drives per game have nearly doubled from 5.9 to 12.2 since December 27, and he&rsquo;s shot a supremely impressive <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*kuzma&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=12%2F27%2F2021">63.5%</a> on those forays to the rim in that time (his accuracy on drives sat at just 45% beforehand). For context, the league leader in field goal percentage off drives is Giannis Antetokounmpo at 60.2%. So basically, Kuzma&rsquo;s been the personification of the &ldquo;He Don&rsquo;t Miss!&rdquo; meme when putting the ball on the floor in the Year 2022.
Perhaps it was out of pure necessity, but what&rsquo;s largely spearheaded Kuzma&rsquo;s torrential downpour of downhill scoring has been his aggression. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCwZqaHipqs&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">playing through contact</a>, devising the necessary counters &mdash; like the occasional <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iANdyk_EHA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eurostep</a> &mdash; to leave opponents loopy in a drunken state. <a href="https://youtu.be/LXyy_Z8Zy5g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The glass</a> is the 26-year-old&rsquo;s friend if needed, of course. And his fabled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkXmnXdURF4&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hook shot</a>, which earned him modest prominence during his rookie season, will peak through the blinds when applicable. (Rejoice, Laker fans, it&rsquo;s back!)
Most importantly, when he gets to that right hand, it&rsquo;s basically over. Kuzma&rsquo;s always been a sturdy at-rim finisher, and his <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4230#tab-shooting_accuracy">74% accuracy inside 4 feet</a> ties a career-high for the Flint native. His rim attacks have become a reliable source of renewable energy when Washington&rsquo;s bottom-tier offense trips up.
Here&rsquo;s a fun example of his decisiveness.
Washington sets up a pair of staggered screens for Beal, and Kuzma makes his move right when the help defender (Gordon Hayward) turns his head to bark out orders. Miles Bridges is left... miles behind (sorry) as Kuz stretches out for the layup.&nbsp;
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It&rsquo;s strange, but his size seems to stand out more now that he&rsquo;s a Wizard, no longer sharing the floor with a gaggle of giants in purple-and-gold threads. You really feel that Kuz is a full 6-foot-10 on his bull rushes to the rim. He's a towering thunderbolt of an athlete with G5 jets affixed to his highlight-blue sneakers.
Nothing is more emblematic of Kuzma&rsquo;s hot streak than his recent success from floater range. He&rsquo;s shot a hellacious <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4230?season=2021&amp;start=12/27/2021&amp;end=12/28/2022#tab-shooting_accuracy">55% on short-range middies</a> in his last nine games, a massive bump from the mere 36% he posted prior; it's also good for the 72nd percentile among his peers. Granted, it&rsquo;s unlikely that he&rsquo;ll maintain this level of preposterous efficiency on in-betweeners, as runners like the one below are a tricky diet to survive off of. But for now, I&rsquo;m sure he&rsquo;ll gladly take it.
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What makes all of this so impressive is that his handle &mdash; which can get a little rickety when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9t8NDEGJEE&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bothered by nearby helpers</a> &mdash; hasn&rsquo;t been especially fluid nor deceitful as of late. His vision has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmbA8HBzZl0&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moments of genius</a>, though inaccuracy can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qmZXfjyI-Y&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plague him</a>. He grades out as a fairly average passer.
Most of all, his three-pointer remains a work in progress, and he&rsquo;s actually seen his efficiency from distance fall a percentage point to 33% during the recent hot stretch. He&rsquo;s pump-faking <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CuZ0O8dJOw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defenders out their shoes</a> without the requisite long-range weaponry typically required to make the seas part and open up the rim.
Kuz made his bed as a defensive-minded grinder in Laker Land, and that calling card is still very much intact. As mentioned before, the dude&rsquo;s mobile and huge. It&rsquo;s tough as nails to score on him in isolation, where he ranks within the 75th percentile as a 1-on-1 defender.&nbsp;
Kuzma uses his body well to shield opponents away from the rim, with his 7-foot wingspan handling the rest. It&rsquo;s tough to get him in the air on pump-fakes. His body control is pretty exceptional, and here, he uses a 2-foot jump to slow down and leap with precise control while contesting Chuma Okeke.
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Recently, he&rsquo;s even had to pick up the slack and play some 5. Montrezl Harrell was one of the many players held out due to health and safety protocols, leaving the Wizards with only one available big man, Daniel Gafford. Playing Kuz in the middle allows the Wizards to switch pretty much everything, and he&rsquo;s had some super impressive reps against the likes of LaMelo Ball, Terrence Ross, Cole Anthony and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, just to name a few. Certainly a varied cast of opponents.
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Failing to mention Kuzma&rsquo;s legend inside of five minutes would be a disservice, because, well, you&rsquo;ll hear about it on nearly every single Wizards broadcast. Only a handful of people in human history have shown more exuberance about anything&nbsp;than Washington&rsquo;s play-by-play crew when discussing &ldquo;Klutch Kuz&rdquo;: Anthony Edwards when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Y2P-BQP5w&amp;ab_channel=DaHoopSpotProductions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranking fast-food french fries</a>, JAY-Z the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aayZ9ybDTBw&amp;ab_channel=MardyMoves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first time</a> he heard the &ldquo;Dirt Off Your Shoulder&rdquo; beat, and pretty much anyone who has ever done a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGJhjHw4sMM&amp;ab_channel=Whereuat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nardwuar</a> interview.
That&rsquo;s it. That&rsquo;s the list.
Having said this, it&rsquo;s easy to understand NBC Sports Washington's fascination with Kuz in crunch time. His <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/clutch-traditional/?sort=GP&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3.0 points</a> per game lead the Wiz in the clutch, and he&rsquo;s posting a <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/clutch-advanced/?sort=TS_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612764&amp;CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*kuzma">70.6% True Shooting percentage</a> when it matters most. He&rsquo;s already nailed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-cVQhyBvw0&amp;ab_channel=ChazNBA">not one</a>, but two game-winners as a Wizard, sending the Pistons' fans home with a cheery wave and a toothy smile after a cold-blooded three. Truly villainous stuff from the hometown kid, if I do say so myself.
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It&rsquo;s been quite the revenge tour for Kyle Kuzma this year. Dangled in trades for almost the entirety of last season, his former employer sent him to the nation&rsquo;s capital in the Russell Westbrook blockbuster. Shortly after, the Brooklyn Nets felt a trade exception (that will likely go unused) was more valuable than his services in the Spencer Dinwiddie sign-and-trade. In the moment, it seemed quite telling that two teams on the brink of a championship said, &ldquo;Nah, I&rsquo;m good&rdquo; to Kuz.
Now, I bet they&rsquo;d surely love a do-over.

Matt Brooks takes a deep dive into Kyle Kuzma's resurgence with the Wizards and his incredible production since Dec. 27.

Don't look now, but Kyle Kuzma is silencing the critics

The 2021-22 NBA campaign has been a Battle Royale-esque affair through the first third of the season, with seemingly 90% of the league jostling for postseason positioning. The Cleveland Cavaliers have popped, Indiana is potentially hitting reset, Memphis has been on a tear without Ja Morant (7-1) and DeMar DeRozan is making off-ball rotations on defense. Very little has been certain or expected in an inspiring start to the year.
Every game I watch, I seem to simultaneously understand more, but know less. So much is changing and evolving each game on a macro- and micro-scale. While my opinions on franchises and players continuously blossom, one thought has constantly reverberated in my mind: Greatness is fleeting.
I&rsquo;ve mostly found myself contemplating this with each passing Los Angeles Lakers game I watch. Anthony Davis is having a good year and will undoubtedly be an All-Star barring health, and all I can think about is how he&rsquo;s not AD. He is in body and person, but not in essence. Those rotations at the rim, a half-step later. His feet on the perimeter, not quite as nimble. He seems tired and fatigued, and is just moving slower in general.
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Davis is having his lowest impact season defensively since his second year in the league, per Dunks and Threes&rsquo; EPM. It&rsquo;s worth noting, as well, that the surrounding talent in Los Angeles does him no favors, but that&rsquo;s only part of the equation.
Flashback to 2019-20 season, the Orlando Bubble and an NBA title for the Lakers. Davis was getting mentioned as potentially the best player in the world. He&rsquo;d hit his stride and then some offensively, and was rivaled only by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid as bigs with the highest level of two-way impact.
A slew of injuries and an onslaught of games over the past two years have seemingly taken a toll. At the expense of sounding pessimistic, it genuinely raises concerns about whether or not Davis will hit that level again, and that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s so wild to me. AD is still one of the very best players in the world, and all the basketball world can talk about is how he&rsquo;s underperforming. It&rsquo;s not necessarily unwarranted considering the standard he&rsquo;s built for himself in his play throughout his career. The starkness in change is just hard to cast aside. He hit that very pinnacle for a few brief months and there was an immediate, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s here!&rdquo; crowning (that was deserved), but was unable to maintain that mantle.
What makes the matter more disheartening is that it&rsquo;s nobody's fault, it just *is*. There&rsquo;s a defeating resonance in the notion that Davis may never reach those heights again as a player despite his best efforts.
Injuries and time are equally damning. I never reached remotely similar heights as an athlete, and dealing with recurring injuries and their fallout was the most trying time in my life. I don&rsquo;t intend to make a comparison, but applying my own experience to those on a grander scale is startling in looking at how these scenarios play out. It&rsquo;s one thing to have everything derailed before the train even departs on your career; it&rsquo;s another to be in the throes of your everyday life as a professional.
You go from spending all of your time focused on what&rsquo;s ahead and preparing for tomorrow, to hoping you will be able to do what was once status quo at the same level after six months of rehab. That everyday grind and repetition that built you and was your daily engine screeches to a halt because the transmission is busted.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;re not prepared for it, it just happens. When you finally do get back, you&rsquo;re not really back. You&rsquo;re scrambling to regain your condition, you&rsquo;re lagging in workouts. You might start working overtime to see if you can cut down recovery time. Maybe you have a setback. And even if you do everything right, you might never move your feet with quite the same speed, or regain that quarter-second of timing that made you a Defensive Player of the Year candidate &mdash; not because you don&rsquo;t see the drive, but because your body can&rsquo;t move and react in the same way it once did.
(And for the record, Kevin Durant returning to MVP level form after his Achilles injury is an impressive abnormality that should not be expected.)
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Michael Porter Jr. signed a max contract after a career year last season. His year ended abruptly, and his future is possibly altered due to a back injury that was clearly hampering him in the nine games he played this year (the infamous missed dunk in transition). The potential of suffering a significant injury has loomed over his career as darkly as his budding potential has been bright. Porter had back surgery during his sole season at Missouri prior to the draft and missed his entire rookie year. Hopefully, with time and rehab, he can return to who he&rsquo;s blossomed into as a player.
Kemba Walker was an All-Star two seasons ago and now is fully out of the rotation in New York. Once one of the great paint-touch artists in the league, Walker&rsquo;s knees have degraded to the point where consistent dribble penetration isn&rsquo;t in the cards. His percentage of shots taken at the rim has dropped by 10% since his All-NBA campaign in 2018-19 per Cleaning the Glass.
So often it takes injuries or inopportune events unfolding to remember that athletes are human. It&rsquo;s a necessary reminder that perfection is an impossible achievement. Greatness is fleeting, and reminiscing on recent history and the evolution of timelines pushes me to admire those apex moments with greater appreciation.
As much as we desire and long for the promise of potential and growth, it&rsquo;s worth stopping to breathe in the amazing things these players are doing presently, because the context of the present could be drastically different in the intermediate future.

Mark Schindler has thoughts on how injuries and workload take a toll on stars, and why we should take time to appreciate the present.

Greatness is fleeting, so enjoy stars in their prime while you can

It&rsquo;s time for the latest installment of our daily NBA picks against the spread, including over/under power play PrizePicks props here on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>. Make sure to listen to &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; every single day as we provide you the winning edge for NBA betting.
All odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook. Player over/under prop picks are from our sponsor, Prize Picks. Without further ado, it&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Philadelphia 76ers (-0.5) vs. New York Knicks
We were able to grab this line when the Sixers were somehow still favored this morning after Joel Embiid was ruled out due to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/joel-embiid-enters-league-health-and-safety-protocols" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entering COVID-19 health and safety protocols</a>. Embiid now joins Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe here for Philadelphia, and it's our first true moment where coronavirus has impacted a team this season. With Embiid out, we hammered the Knicks as the 0.5-point pick &lsquo;em underdog instantly. Even on the second night of a back-to-back, New York holds the advantage here against the Embiid-less Sixers. Here are some over/under props we&rsquo;re rolling with tonight on PrizePicks: Julius Randle over 21.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 16.5 points, Evan Fournier over 14.5 points, Fournier over 2 threes.
Chicago Bulls (-1.5) vs. Brooklyn Nets
It&rsquo;s hard to ever bet against the Nets, especially when Kevin Durant is rolling the way he is right now. Even on the second night of a back-to-back against a very much improved Bulls team, I like hammering the underdog here in Brooklyn to cover the spread and win outright. Expect a monster outing from Durant in a high-scoring affair against the Bulls. If James Harden finds a groove &mdash; the Nets&rsquo; X-factor &mdash; he could put this one over the top for the Nets to win by multiple possessions. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m going with: Durant over 27.5 points, Zach LaVine over 25.5 points, DeMar DeRozan over 23.5 points, Harden over 8.5 assists, Harden over 2.5 threes.
Dallas Mavericks (-8.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
This one isn&rsquo;t going to be close, in my opinion. New Orleans is in a full-on tailspin right now, especially without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. It&rsquo;s unfortunate because there was high hopes for the Pelicans entering this season, but now they&rsquo;re destined for a top lottery pick once again. In Dallas, expect the Mavericks to slaughter the Pelicans thanks to Luka Doncic&rsquo;s brilliance and the return of Kristaps Porzingis. Honestly, I was surprised the spread wasn&rsquo;t higher for this game. Hammer the Mavericks on the point spread, plus the following PrizePicks over/unders: Doncic over 26.5 points, Porzingis over 15.5 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. over 15.5 points, Doncic over 8.5 assists, Doncic over 7.5 rebounds.
Memphis Grizzlies (-5.5) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
This is a matchup I waffled back-and-forth on all morning before recording the latest episode of &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; but I&rsquo;m siding with the home team here in Memphis. These two teams are evenly-matched, and it's a game I&rsquo;m looking forward to watching in tonight&rsquo;s awesome slate of NBA action. Ja Morant and Karl-Anthony Towns should have huge outings, but I trust the Grizzlies&rsquo; role players more to step up than Minnesota&rsquo;s. That&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m picking the Grizzlies to win and cover the 5.5-point spread. However, I don&rsquo;t feel like it&rsquo;s a 100% lock like I usually do. Tail me on the Grizzlies and roll with this PrizePicks power play: Morant over 24.5 points, Towns over 23.5 points, Steven Adams over 8.5 points, Adams over 8.5 rebounds, Morant over 7.5 assists.
Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat (-1.5)
Another early statement opportunity is on the horizon for Miami on the road in Denver against last season&rsquo;s MVP. I&rsquo;m riding the Heat wave right now, and who wouldn&rsquo;t? This team continues to impress at every obstacle with nearly flawless precision. Against an inconsistent Nuggets squad who fails most nights to have someone step up alongside Nikola Jokic, Miami holds the advantage. The Heat will want to make this a slow-paced, grinder of a game. If that happens, hammer the Heat with emphasis on the 1.5-point spread. That&rsquo;s how I predict the must-see matchup, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if Jokic single-handedly keeps the Nuggets in it throughout. Let&rsquo;s jump over to our PrizePicks props for Nuggets vs. Heat: Jokic over 24.5 points, Jimmy Butler over 21.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 8.5 rebounds, Butler over 5.5 assists.
Golden State Warriors (-3.5) vs. Atlanta Hawks
This Warriors team is so much fun to watch. Sure, Stephen Curry is the main reason why, but these role players, along with Jordan Poole stepping up into a No. 2 scoring role, have been a pleasant surprise. For those who wagered on the Warriors being a top-three seed in the Western Conference &mdash; kudos to you, because I didn&rsquo;t see that happening. Once Klay Thompson is officially back, it&rsquo;s going to be hard to knock the Warriors off the top tier. On the second night of a back-to-back against Trae Young and the Hawks, I&rsquo;m still going to side with Golden State to win. It&rsquo;s going to be a very entertaining game, but it&rsquo;s almost like Miami, where you have to wager on the Warriors at this point. As Golden State continues rolling, hop on the train from a betting perspective and lay the points for the home team. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s our over/under props: Curry over 28.5 points, Young over 23.5 points, John Collins over 14 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic over 2 threes.
Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns (-3)
The spread feels way too low for this game, especially with the Kings on the second night of a back-to-back. Phoenix is really finding an amazing groove right now, even as Deandre Ayton sits out once again due to a leg contusion suffered last week. Chris Paul and Devin Booker should dominate tonight in Sacramento, so I&rsquo;m easily hammering Phoenix to cover the 3-point spread as road favorites. The Suns are showcasing recently why they are still in the elite tier of the Western Conference, and the train keeps rolling here as they cover with ease. On PrizePicks, let&rsquo;s lock this power play in: Booker over 25.5 points, Richaun Holmes over 13.5 points, Paul over 9.5 assists, Holmes over 9 rebounds, Booker over 2 threes.
Los Angeles Lakers (-2) vs. Charlotte Hornets
It&rsquo;s hard to feel comfortable about this game from either perspective. Without LeBron James, the Lakers are a complete mess. Meanwhile, the Hornets can&rsquo;t stop anyone from scoring in bunches, as they rank last in the Association in defensive rating. For this matchup, we&rsquo;re going to roll with the Lakers to win and cover the 2-point spread at the Staples Center. It wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see another Lakers letdown, but they feel due for a solid win right now. Let&rsquo;s lock these Hornets-centric over/under props in on PrizePicks: Miles Bridges over 20.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 6.5 assists, Bridges over 2.5 assists, Ball over 2 threes.
Recapping our picks here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Monday&rsquo;s slate: Knicks +0.5, Nets +1.5, Mavericks -8.5, Grizzlies -5.5, Heat -1.5, Warriors -3.5, Suns -3, Lakers -2.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

Alongside our "Nothing But Bets" podcast on BasketballNews.com, our daily picks will be posted each day.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/8/21

Isaiah Stewart plays hard. <a href="https://streamable.com/ihig1a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Really hard, in fact</a>. It&rsquo;s unmistakable whenever he&rsquo;s on the floor. This is not the type of &ldquo;hard&rdquo; to which the majority of NBA players adhere. There are few around the league whose motors are constantly discernible in the fashion Stewart&rsquo;s is. He is always aiming to make his presence felt, seeking out some manner to imprint himself.
Last year, that approach was quite beneficial and earned him an All-Rookie Second Team berth. Only a handful of rookies cobbled together more impressive campaigns. The Detroit Pistons have an excellent young prospect whom they should be highly encouraged about. Long-term, there&rsquo;s a decent chance he emerges as the best center from the 2020 class, despite being the third one off the board in November (fourth, if you classify Obi Toppin as such).
In 21.4 minutes per game, Stewart averaged 7.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on 59.7% True Shooting (.553/.333/.696 split). Across 34 post-All-Star Break games, the 20-year-old gathered steam, averaging 10.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on a 60.8 TS% (.551/.345/.700 split).&nbsp;
As a rookie, Stewart was a superb defender. The Pistons were <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612765/onoffcourt-advanced/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6.1 points better defensively</a> with him on the court, and he ranked in the <a href="https://dunksandthrees.com/epm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">88th percentile in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus</a>, the latter of which was third among first-year rotation guys (apologies, Paul Reed).&nbsp;
Already, he&rsquo;s a technician in drop coverage against pick-and-rolls. He routinely positions himself in ideal spots, staying at home with his man when needed or delaying the ball-handler&rsquo;s decision-making until the point-of-attack defender recovers. With active hands, he stunts at initiators to kill their dribble and recognizes when to peel back to rollers.&nbsp;
His fluency as a pick-and-roll defender belied his first-year status and is truly impressive. At his peak, he&rsquo;s going to be one of the NBA&rsquo;s best ball-screen antagonists because he&rsquo;s proficient at baiting the offense into acting as he prefers. That is what premier defenders do.&nbsp;
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Flanked predominantly by insufficient perimeter defenders, he was also thrust into many help-side rim protection circumstances and performed admirably. According to NBA.com, as the primary defender, Stewart held players 6.4 percentage points below their average on looks within 6 feet of the hoop, which placed him 30th among 85 players to contest at least four such shots a night.&nbsp;
To juxtapose Stewart with his contemporaries, James Wiseman held players 0.4 percentage points below their average, while Onyeka Okongwu held players 1.8 percentage points below their average. This statistic is by no means teflon, but it does, in some capacity, help underline how well the former Washington center performed in year one.&nbsp;
His proclivity for unceasing activity aids him in these efforts. Although he only stands 6-foot-8, his 9-foot standing reach &mdash; a serviceable measurement &mdash; shines through around the cup and is amplified by timing and awareness.
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We received it in spurts last season, largely over the second half of the year, but I&rsquo;d also like to see Detroit further explore Stewart&rsquo;s viability as a switch big. Both Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes are good point-of-attack defenders, and Jerami Grant offers versatility as well. Mixing up the coverage to gauge the volume, style and caliber of matchup he can handle on switches is a worthwhile endeavor as the Pistons embark on another rebuilding stage with the hopes of establishing more clarity in 2021-22.
The early indicators from year one are rather emboldening, too. Mobility is a critical factor in his pick-and-roll exploits. That remains the case in examples that skew closer to one-on-one contexts. His lateral quickness is exceptional for a big man, and the swiftness with which he flips his hips to answer changes of direction is phenomenal. Assessing these gifts through a playoff lens for Detroit is a bit premature, but defensive versatility is vital in that department (see, the Bucks of Milwaukee, most recently). Stewart has laid the foundation to meet that criteria.&nbsp;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Isaiah Stewart rocks, man. <a href="https://t.co/iwMaDjmXjV">pic.twitter.com/iwMaDjmXjV</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1438554487610744838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2021</a>
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</blockquote>
A few warts persist defensively for him, though. His aggression tends to result in high foul counts. He averaged 6.2 fouls per 100 possessions last season, and he&rsquo;s prone to biting on shot fakes or sly dribble moves. This is exactly the sort of blemish that can be exhausted with development, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor as he looks to assume a grander minutes load this year.&nbsp;
Despite massive gains as a vertical athlete (more on this later), he is hindered at times. If he is not prompt in his rotation, the slow load-up period enables scorers to shoot before he&rsquo;s ready to stamp his mark. In conjunction with an adequate, yet nonetheless suboptimal, 9-foot standing reach, he&rsquo;ll find himself a step or two slow as a defensive anchor on occasion.&nbsp;
As his defensive role scales up alongside his minutes, I&rsquo;m curious to see if this becomes a more prevalent concern. Technique and timing are the lifeblood of defensive success, but physical tools carry importance, too. Stewart&rsquo;s margin of error is simply smaller than other centers with superior athletic traits.
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Essentially from the outset, Stewart distinguished himself defensively; however, the starkest development that occurred between December and May was offensively. Early in the year, he would barely glance toward the rim when the ball was in his hands; any time he had the ball outside of 3 feet from the hoop, he was searching for a release valve. By the last week of April, he was absolutely launching threes and hunting shots as if he were a premier floor-spacer. Over his final eight games, he took more than four triples six times. It reached the point where he was even eliciting hasty closeouts and countering with <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1391809821469396994?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ball skills like these</a>, which would&rsquo;ve been unheard of in December.
Peering further out, his three-point rate leaped from .034 before the All-Star Break to .221 afterward, including .400 during the aforementioned final eight games. He even experimented with some <a href="https://streamable.com/yzwyjc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">face-up scoring</a>, which is probably his most likely path to any sort of self-creation equity.&nbsp;
Cautiously interpreting post-All-Star Break runs from young dudes on lottery-bound teams is prudent, but this was a guy who glaringly changed the way he approached his role and how he viewed scoring opportunities. His numbers beyond the arc and at the charity stripe aren&rsquo;t sterling indicators &mdash; but examine other statistical hints and the chances of him becoming a legit stretch big crystallize.&nbsp;
He shot 77.4% from the line in college on more than twice his rookie sample (199 vs. 92). According to Cleaning The Glass, he converted 53 of his 104 mid-range attempts (51%) last year. Plus, that post-All-Star jump in three-point volume is meaningful and salient. Stewart only logged 20 three-pointers in 32 collegiate games, a total he matched across his final four games of 2020-21. Believe in the jumper &mdash; because he clearly does.
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The longball wasn&rsquo;t the lone example of his striking in-season development. As a screen-and-roll threat, he grew substantially. He never really found the proper cadence to match Delon Wright and Derrick Rose&rsquo;s tempos, but figured out how to succinctly transition from pick to dive by midseason, and offered his ball-handlers a reliable finishing option. The screening itself is still being refined, but he&rsquo;s also entirely willing to re-screen or flip the angle to suit initiators.&nbsp;
Once Stewart discovered the screen-and-roll dance, his improvements as a vertical athlete really announced themselves. Hayes consistently sought his play-finishing services, and Stewart exhibited a propensity for big-time slams. The difference between his explosiveness in college versus the NBA is startling. Rarely do players enjoy these evolutions.&nbsp;
Compare this:&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Isaiah Stewart just has such little vertical explosion without significant load time. He should be able to finish this over the smaller defender: <a href="https://t.co/8EU4E44RCV">pic.twitter.com/8EU4E44RCV</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1251946706154827776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
... With these clips. The strides are jarring.
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Issues are present when there isn&rsquo;t much of a runway from which to build upon and jump. Despite the table being set for the majority of his interior finishes, he only shot 64% at the rim and ranked in the 35th percentile among big men (per Cleaning The Glass). He still struggles to propel himself off the ground amid traffic; that hamstrings his ability to extend over the top and invites shot-blockers to ply their trade against him.&nbsp;
To be clear, 64% around the rim is not inherently poor. That&rsquo;s 1.28 points per shot; you want those to be the result of an offensive possession. That is excellent efficiency. Between the leaping setbacks and seemingly poor hands that cause him to fumble some passes, there are just certain hurdles for a 6-foot-8 center who doesn&rsquo;t sport moon boots as sneakers.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/gqsupv" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
This is why the jumper feels so critical for Stewart&rsquo;s offensive ceiling. He is not a particularly dynamic roller and effectively passing on the move feels well into the distance developmentally. Emerging as a legitimate pick-and-pop who periodically dives into the paint rather than vice versa is the utopian outcome of his maturation.&nbsp;
Reaching a threshold where he&rsquo;s one of the league&rsquo;s better stretch centers is quite plausible, too. How the Pistons deploy him, Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk in ball-screen actions alongside their youthful initiators this season will help illuminate what they deem as his consummate path in that regard.
Stewart&rsquo;s motor captures the attention of basketball diehards. It explains aspects of his alluring skill set, such as his masterful offensive rebounding (10.8% rate, 79th percentile, per Cleaning The Glass) and some of his defensive intrigue. Track him long enough, though, and his motor becomes merely the pilot to draw in viewership.&nbsp;
His defense is much more than effort and suggests a highly impactful peak down the road. The baseline of a complementary offensive game has been established. He&rsquo;s a notably better athlete after one season in the NBA, making significant progress in flexibility and vertical pop.
The 2020 draft is not even a year removed from history, but it&rsquo;s clear that Isaiah Stewart does not just have a motor. He plays hard &mdash; and he&rsquo;s a darn good player while doing so.

Jackson Frank analyzes how Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart developed over his rookie season on both ends of the floor.

Isaiah Stewart provides plenty of intrigue beyond his motor

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for January 15, 2021.
A 7-Foot Gentleman
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jaren Jackson Jr. has very specific ideas about what being a 7-footer means <a href="https://t.co/caGYypkK3h">pic.twitter.com/caGYypkK3h</a>
&mdash; Sabreena Merchant (@sabreenajm) <a href="https://twitter.com/sabreenajm/status/1349836332697223168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
Who said chivalry is dead?&nbsp;
Sharing is Caring
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://t.co/EMV7546ebK">https://t.co/EMV7546ebK</a> <a href="https://t.co/kyrjLTfzHD">pic.twitter.com/kyrjLTfzHD</a>
&mdash; Esfandiar | Es (@JustEsBaraheni) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustEsBaraheni/status/1349859496659722242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Just one, please. Even just to borrow. Preferably Jarrett Allen, but I&rsquo;m not picky.
Sassy Lil&rsquo; Rocket
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Shaq: "I owe you an apology. I wasn't really familiar with your game." Christian Wood: "Oh man, you're a casual." 😭😭😭 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBAonTNT</a>) <a href="https://t.co/OGiWtvhM0f">pic.twitter.com/OGiWtvhM0f</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1349917571416432644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Christian Wood&rsquo;s ascension from G-League grinder to one of the most sought-after free agents to a key piece of the Rockets' lineup, and now, to &lsquo;person who says what we&rsquo;re all thinking&rsquo; is the storyline of the season.
Signed, A Woman Who Didn&rsquo;t Ask You
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
we won&rsquo;t miss you or your receding hairline. <a href="https://t.co/Q0WbWLpt2b">https://t.co/Q0WbWLpt2b</a>
&mdash; Lexie Brown (@lexiekiah_4) <a href="https://twitter.com/lexiekiah_4/status/1349807784175542272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
Minnesota Lynx guard Lexie Brown put her own spin on the #BussItChallenge, much to the dismay of someone who couldn&rsquo;t guard a parked car, let alone Lexie herself. Lexie dunked on him and left him lying on the court. Just another day of ruining sports for men.
Noodly Basketball is the Best Basketball
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Evidently, Wiseman got Bol back for this! <a href="https://t.co/dmb3CZaYL9">https://t.co/dmb3CZaYL9</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1349937489679671296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It&rsquo;s like if two of those wacky inflatable tube man things got tangled up.&nbsp;
Old Dog, New Tricks
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
That was nasty, <a href="https://twitter.com/DeMar_DeRozan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeMar_DeRozan</a> 😳 <a href="https://t.co/CAafpfs51F">pic.twitter.com/CAafpfs51F</a>
&mdash; San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1349884060026466306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
DeMar DeRozan has always been incredible to watch. Somehow, he adds something new to his game every year. This year, it was threes, but he let everyone know he can still score in the paint too, in case y&rsquo;all forgot.
These Sweatpants are All That Fit Me Right Now
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I have been wearing the same outfit as LeBron in this pic for the past 10 months. <a href="https://t.co/Ui1Oiu61Ws">https://t.co/Ui1Oiu61Ws</a>
&mdash; Dana (@greatdane92) <a href="https://twitter.com/greatdane92/status/1349876490368909318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
This is one of two Dana entries for the day, because nothing has ever been more relatable. Does anyone else have their &ldquo;going out&rdquo; sweatpants and then a separate set of &ldquo;staying home&rdquo; sweatpants? Don&rsquo;t lie.
Let It Go, Let It Go
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"if everything was different, does this team become a dynasty?" <a href="https://t.co/8EFowhRQWH">https://t.co/8EFowhRQWH</a>
&mdash; yasmin. (@carmelohdrama) <a href="https://twitter.com/carmelohdrama/status/1349839245528203265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Stop trying to make &ldquo;this Celtics team would have been a dynasty&rdquo; happen. It&rsquo;s not going to happen.
No Dude, It&rsquo;s A Bicep
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://t.co/Ti4aBs2Rvc">https://t.co/Ti4aBs2Rvc</a> <a href="https://t.co/tBHbJbg4HO">pic.twitter.com/tBHbJbg4HO</a>
&mdash; Dana (@greatdane92) <a href="https://twitter.com/greatdane92/status/1349710159698931713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
The Gang Models for GQ.
Open for a Surprise
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Anyways... here&rsquo;s Shake Milton and his dog <a href="https://t.co/QwRGqRhhb5">pic.twitter.com/QwRGqRhhb5</a>
&mdash; 𝕄𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙🧤 (@MunchTVx) <a href="https://twitter.com/MunchTVx/status/1349909425654476800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
The Philadelphia 76ers have gone from tanking for the No. 1 pick every year to accumulating all of the most lovable young players in the league.&nbsp;
Time Flies When You&rsquo;re Swattin&rsquo; Shots
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I was 13 last time we won in Portland 😅 <a href="https://t.co/GgcSpTIP9B">https://t.co/GgcSpTIP9B</a>
&mdash; Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) <a href="https://twitter.com/Original_Turner/status/1349964569548996608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">This means the last time Indiana won in Portland was in 2004.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Myles Turner is only 24???????</li>
</ol>
Hi Dad
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
TJ McConnell's first bucket as a dad: <a href="https://t.co/eU7ns8XGKg">pic.twitter.com/eU7ns8XGKg</a>
&mdash; Tony East (@TEastNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TEastNBA/status/1349924920201981953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
T.J McConnell and his wife, Val, very very recently welcomed their first child. Congratulations to them and the entire Pacers family. Please show us the baby.
Welcome to the NBA&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jokic went at the rook Wiseman 😲 <a href="https://t.co/fgln8BJ10f">pic.twitter.com/fgln8BJ10f</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1349928102177038336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
I am a sucker for a large man carrying a small child.&nbsp;

Kelsea O'Brien scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day.

NBA Tweets of the Day: January 15, 2021

Nekias Duncan breaks down what the Boston Celtics must do defensively to beat the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals.