Pirates

The Orlando Magic have secured a major offseason acquisition, landing sharpshooting guard Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania.
In a headline-making trade amidst the NBA Finals, the Magic sent Kentavious Caldwell‑Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first‑round picks (including this year&rsquo;s No. 16), and a pick swap to Memphis for the 6-foot-5 guard.
Bane, 26, arrives in Orlando on a five-year contract extension and recently averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on 48.4% shooting (39.2% from deep). Known for his two-way impact, Bane provides the much-needed offensive spark and shooting consistency the Magic have lacked, particularly after ranking near the bottom in three-point efficiency last season.
ANALYSIS: However, the cost to acquire a player like Bane was steep. Magic General Manager Jeff Weltman traded significant draft capital &ndash; four first-rounders plus a pick exchange &ndash; alongside veteran wings Caldwell‑Pope and Anthony. Orlando views this as a calculated all‑in move, banking on Bane's elite fit alongside Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs to elevate them from a No. 7 seed into true Eastern Conference contenders.
For Memphis, the returns include veteran depth, a massive haul of draft picks &ndash; including future options and a swap &ndash; and flexibility to reset under new coach Tuomas Iisalo.&nbsp;
Bane adds perimeter shooting, playmaking, and defense, key to a deeper playoff run for the Magic. With the Celtics reeling and other teams in shakeups, Orlando aims to creep toward top-tier contention.

The Magic have secured a major offseason acquisition, landing sharpshooting guard Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies.

Magic land elite two-way guard Desmond Bane from Grizzlies in blockbuster trade

In an NBA era defined by star-chasing, supermax contracts, and eye-watering luxury tax bills, the Indiana Pacers have defied every expectation &ndash; and the associated financial precedent. This isn't just a Cinderella story &ndash; it is a testament to the franchise&rsquo;s strategic planning, belief, and organizational cohesion. The Pacers didn&rsquo;t just sneak into the NBA Finals. They earned their way there, brick by brick, all while keeping their books clean and their identity intact.
When the final buzzer sounded in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it wasn&rsquo;t just a win for Indiana &ndash; it was a triumph for every small-market franchise searching for hope. In a league that often favors the big spenders, Indiana made it through without ever crossing into luxury tax territory. It&rsquo;s a feat that&rsquo;s not just impressive &ndash; it&rsquo;s unprecedented in today&rsquo;s NBA landscape.
This Finals appearance isn&rsquo;t an overnight success. What they lacked in payroll, they made up for in vision, development, coaching, and complete buy-in from the front office, to the coaching staff, and the players themselves &ndash; making this a culmination of the belief that you can build a winner through cohesion and culture &ndash; and not just cost.
<h4>A vision realized for Indiana</h4>
The foundation of Indiana&rsquo;s Finals run traces back to February 2022. The Pacers shipped All-Star Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento and received a then-rising guard in Tyrese Haliburton.&nbsp;
At the time, the move was seen as a gamble. Few teams part ways with a current All-Star for a young guard still developing. At the time, the move was seen as a gamble. Few teams part ways with a current All-Star for a young guard still developing. Many questioned the move and a few understood the vision.
However, Indiana did. They saw a lead playmaker who could evolve into the face of their franchise. Three years later, Haliburton has done exactly that &ndash; growing into an All-NBA-caliber PG, powering the league&rsquo;s fastest-paced offense and leading the Pacers with maturity beyond his years.
Haliburton was also someone who could not only run their offense but also carry the culture. The result was a floor general with a team-first mentality and elite passing instincts, now one of the NBA's most dynamic point guards, but at the same time has one of the energetic personalities and star vibe in the league. Haliburton&rsquo;s development into a full-fledged star wasn&rsquo;t accidental. It was intentional &ndash; nurtured by head coach Rick Carlisle, empowered by the front office, and amplified by the supporting cast that embraced his leadership.
The vision was clear from the start: make Haliburton the center of everything. Build around his IQ, his unselfishness, and his drive. That clarity allowed the front office to pursue players who complemented his skill set, not cluttered it.
One of those pieces came midseason in the form of Pascal Siakam, acquired from Toronto. Siakam brought championship pedigree, defensive versatility, and a scoring punch that balanced out Indiana&rsquo;s offense. While most teams searched for flash, Indiana sought fit. Siakam wasn&rsquo;t just a name &ndash; he was a need, and he filled it perfectly with all his traits that the team needed.
Pairing Haliburton&rsquo;s creativity with Siakam&rsquo;s downhill force turned Indiana into an offensive juggernaut. They didn&rsquo;t just outscore opponents, they overwhelmed them with pace, precision, and purpose.
<h4>Finding value in &ldquo;rejects and cast-offs&rdquo;</h4>
Indiana&rsquo;s roster isn&rsquo;t built on big names &ndash; it is built on belief.&nbsp;
Obi Toppin, once a lottery pick in New York, never got the role or runway he needed. In Indiana, he found freedom. In Carlisle&rsquo;s system, his athleticism became a weapon, not an afterthought.
Aaron Nesmith was viewed as a spare part in Boston, part of the return in the Malcolm Brogdon deal. Now? He&rsquo;s a defensive stopper, reliable shooter, and starter for a Finals-bound team.
Both were labeled as afterthoughts elsewhere but in Indiana, they were seen as untapped potential, and they have been vital pieces in this run to the Finals. These weren&rsquo;t lottery tickets. These were strategic buys; low-risk, high-reward acquisitions that paid off because the Pacers provided the right ecosystem for growth.
In a system that values spacing, ball movement, and grit, players like Toppin and Nesmith flourished. Their emergence wasn&rsquo;t just a bonus &ndash; it was necessary. The Pacers&rsquo; depth became one of their biggest advantages, and it was built on players most teams had given up on.
<h4>Myles Turner: The loyal soul that stayed after being through it all</h4>
If there&rsquo;s a symbol of Indiana&rsquo;s perseverance, it&rsquo;s Myles Turner. For years, he was in every trade rumor imaginable. Yet he never asked out, never wavered, and just kept working.
Now, the longest-tenured Pacer is finally on the biggest stage. Turner&rsquo;s elite shot-blocking, stretch/spacing ability, and leadership have anchored this team in every sense.&nbsp;
Turner is the defensive anchor and emotional pillar of Indiana&rsquo;s run, and on a team full of new faces, his presence provided continuity which he has embodied from day one.
His loyalty was rewarded and his patience paid off. And in a poetic twist, he&rsquo;ll play for a title in the only uniform he&rsquo;s ever known.
<h4>The right draft picks, the right roles, and the culture setters</h4>
The Pacers didn&rsquo;t just win the draft &ndash; they won the development battle. Andrew Nembhard, taken 31st overall in 2022, has become one of the best value picks in recent years. His poise, defensive tenacity, and timely playmaking have been invaluable throughout the playoffs next to Haliburton.
Then there&rsquo;s Bennedict Mathurin &ndash; flashy, fearless, and unafraid of the moment. He&rsquo;s not a volume scorer yet, but his playoff contributions &ndash; attacking off the bench, hitting momentum-swinging shots &ndash; have added another dimension to Indiana&rsquo;s attack.
Together, they reflect the front office&rsquo;s shrewdness. Indiana didn&rsquo;t just draft talent &ndash; they drafted competitors that can be brought to war.
On the other hand, people like TJ McConnell &ndash; veterans who show up, do the work, and demand accountability &ndash; have helped shape the culture in Indiana. McConnell may not stuff the stat sheet, but he sets the tone. Every loose ball, every second-unit possession, every moment of urgency, he&rsquo;s there &ndash; diving, scrapping, leading.
In the playoffs, when the margin of error shrinks, players like McConnell make the difference. His presence alone changes games &ndash; and reflects the kind of winning culture Indiana has quietly cultivated for years and it has absolutely paid off with this Finals run.
<h4>Brilliant coaching by veteran champion coach Rick Carlisle</h4>
However, none of this happens without Rick Carlisle. Over a decade removed from his legendary 2011 title run with Dallas, Carlisle has once again proven his genius. He reinvented Indiana&rsquo;s offense around Haliburton&rsquo;s strengths, managed egos without sacrificing cohesion, and made the right adjustments at every critical postseason juncture.
His calm demeanor, sharp tactical mind, and belief in player empowerment have given this group the freedom to grow &ndash; and the structure to succeed. He wanted to build something sustainable and something real. He didn&rsquo;t just install a playbook &ndash; he constructed a belief system. One that emphasized player development, ball movement, and defensive grit.
Carlisle has masterfully blended youth with experience, adapting his game plan series after series. He&rsquo;s out-coached more expensive benches and out-thought veteran counterparts. He&rsquo;s now one of the few head coaches to lead multiple franchises to the NBA Finals, and he did it again without a superteam &ndash; but by doing it with one of the most balanced rosters in the NBA.
&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;
What makes Indiana&rsquo;s improbable NBA Finals run remarkable is the backdrop: a financial arms race across the league. Many are saddled with bloated payrolls and limited flexibility and have spent well into the luxury tax just to chase a title.
Through careful planning, smart contracts, and prudent investments, the Pacers have remained competitive without ever compromising their cap structure.
This is a reminder to the league that culture matters. That coaching still counts. That not every superstar needs to be acquired through chaos.
In many ways, Indiana has done the impossible: they&rsquo;ve built a Finals team without mortgaging their future or blowing up their balance sheet. They&rsquo;ve set a new standard &ndash;&nbsp; a proof that a franchise can win through culture, clarity, and consistency, not just cash.
The Pacers built something lasting. Something meaningful. And in doing so, they&rsquo;ve earned the respect of the basketball world. This is more than just a basketball success story. The Indiana Pacers didn&rsquo;t just get here. They earned it &ndash; methodically, intelligently, and without ever compromising who they are.
And now, the Pacers are four wins away from finishing the story on the sport&rsquo;s biggest stage.

The Pacers reached the NBA Finals without luxury tax, proving a sustainable, cap-smart approach can still build a title contender.

Sustainable Greatness: Indiana’s cap-savvy journey to the NBA Finals

The New York Knicks didn&rsquo;t just beat the Boston Celtics. They unmade them.
It was never just about winning a series. It was about proving a point. About silencing the doubt that crept in after four straight regular-season losses. About validating every roster move, every inch of grit, and every ounce of sweat poured into this season. It was about showing the basketball world &ndash; loudly and unmistakably &ndash; that this team wasn&rsquo;t just trying to contend. They were trying to conquer.
When the final buzzer sounded in Madison Square Garden and the scoreboard read 119&ndash;81, the Knicks had done just that &ndash; burying the defending champions in a Game 6 demolition and clinching their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years.
But the mission is far from over.
A blueprint forged in Celtics&rsquo; green
From the jump, New York&rsquo;s front office operated with one adversary in mind: Boston. The Celtics were the gold standard, the defending champions, and the measuring stick for anyone serious about owning the East.
Leon Rose and company tailored this roster to match up directly with Boston&rsquo;s strengths. They re-signed OG Anunoby and traded for Mikal Bridges &ndash; two of the league&rsquo;s premier wing defenders &ndash; to neutralize Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Then came the blockbuster deal to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns, who gave the Knicks a stretch big man to go toe-to-toe with Kristaps Porzingis.
Everything was calculated. Every move had Boston&rsquo;s name on it.
And yet, the regular season was a humbling reminder of how far they still had to go. The Celtics swept the Knicks 4&ndash;0, and did so with such ease that New York&rsquo;s grand design felt naive. What good was a plan if the execution failed? If Boston could anticipate every counter, every scheme, every attempt at disruption?
But that&rsquo;s the thing about belief &ndash; it doesn&rsquo;t disappear with setbacks. It adapts. It evolves. It waits for its moment.
A series that changed everything
Heading into the second round, the Knicks were underdogs by every metric. They had a seven-man rotation, an ailing Mitchell Robinson, and a superstar in Jalen Brunson carrying an enormous load. Boston had depth, pedigree, and the confidence of having dismantled them all season.
But the Knicks weren&rsquo;t interested in narratives. They were there to rewrite them.
New York stunned the Celtics by taking Games 1 and 2 in Boston &ndash; punctuated by two clutch defensive stops from Mikal Bridges. In Game 1, it was a strip of Jaylen Brown. In Game 2, it was a game-sealing closeout on Tatum. That was the turning point&mdash;when the Knicks wrestled control from the defending champs and refused to let go.
OG Anunoby was nothing short of sensational. His defense on Tatum was suffocating, but it was his offensive output that tilted the series. He punished Boston with timely threes, strong drives, and unrelenting pressure. By the end of Game 6, he had cemented himself as one of the best two-way performers of the postseason.
Karl-Anthony Towns reminded everyone why the Knicks traded for him. He provided invaluable floor spacing, softening Boston&rsquo;s paint defense and making their double-big lineups less effective. His rebounding and decision-making gave the Knicks versatility they sorely lacked in previous playoff runs.
Josh Hart, the team&rsquo;s emotional engine, played like a man possessed. He chased every loose ball, battled for every rebound, and made hustle plays that sent the Garden into a frenzy. In Game 6, he notched the franchise&rsquo;s first playoff triple-double since 1972. He was the spirit of the Knicks personified.
Mitchell Robinson, matched against the veteran Al Horford, was a force on the glass and in the paint. His size and activity made Boston work for everything. And the Towns-Robinson pairing &ndash; while unconventional &ndash;&nbsp; at times gave New York an edge in rim protection and rebounding.
Miles McBride, the fan favorite, was the exclamation point. His clutch shooting and relentless defense made the most of his minutes. The Garden roared every time he touched the ball, and in Game 6, he gave fans even more to cheer for with 10 points and relentless pressure on the perimeter.
And, of course, Jalen Brunson. The league&rsquo;s Clutch Player of the Year showed why he earned that title. Whether it was a floater in traffic, a step-back jumper, or a drive through contact, Brunson delivered in every critical moment. He averaged 26.2 points in the series and captained the Knicks with poise, toughness, and swagger.
He was, and continues to be, the heart of New York&rsquo;s renaissance.
More than just a win &ndash; it&rsquo;s a revival
The impact of this series win goes beyond the scoreboard. It reverberated through the city. New York, a basketball town starving for success, erupted in celebration. Celebrities poured out of the Garden. Streets were flooded with fans chanting &ldquo;Go New York Go New York Go!&rdquo;. Timoth&eacute;e Chalamet &ndash; yes, even the &lsquo;Lisan Al Gaib&rsquo; &ndash; joined in in support of his favorite NBA team
It lit up the NBA world. What was supposed to be Boston&rsquo;s coronation turned into a Knicks uprising. The defending champs were outclassed, outcoached, and outworked. And the league took notice.
It reaffirmed the Knicks&rsquo; vision. Every decision, every gamble &ndash; they were worth it. This wasn&rsquo;t just a team that got hot. This was a team that executed its plan to perfection when it mattered most.
&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;
However, the job is not yet done.&nbsp;
The Knicks have their work cut out for them from here on out. Two series down, two series to go. Now, it&rsquo;s on to Indiana.
The Pacers are no easy out. Led by All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton and a deep, versatile supporting cast, they&rsquo;ve steamrolled through the playoffs with pace, ball movement, and shooting.
The Knicks, meanwhile, continue to rely on a tight, seven-man rotation. They&rsquo;ll enter the series with the same urgency, the same intensity &ndash; but also with heavier legs.
It&rsquo;ll be a clash of philosophies: New York&rsquo;s top-heavy, defense-first grind versus Indiana&rsquo;s spread attack and bench firepower. But if the Celtics series proved anything, it&rsquo;s that the Knicks are more than just a system. They&rsquo;re a team that believes &ndash; fiercely and completely.
They believe in each other. They believe in the plan. And now, for the first time in decades, the entire city believes alongside them.
So no, the job&rsquo;s not done, but the Knicks are exactly where they believed they&rsquo;d be.
And they're just getting started.

The Knicks finally beat the Celtics in a dramatic 6-game series, validating their season-long mission, but the job's not finished yet.

The Knicks were built to beat the Celtics – now they’re built for more

Anthony Edwards' meteoric rise in the NBA continues relentlessly. The 23-year-old Minnesota Timberwolves superstar has added another chapter to his burgeoning playoff legacy, leading his team to a 4-1 series victory over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals. This triumph not only propels the Timberwolves to their second consecutive Western Conference Finals but also reinforces Edwards' growing reputation as the league's premier "legend killer."
The term "legend killer" may have been used in jest by fans and analysts, but it's becoming more apt with each passing series. Edwards is carving out one of the most impressive early playoff resumes in recent memory, routinely stepping up against the game's brightest stars and emerging victorious.
Slaying giants and legends is becoming a playoff tradition for Edwards
Edwards' postseason journey reads like a who's who of NBA royalty. Last year, he spearheaded the Timberwolves' stunning run through the Western Conference, eliminating a Phoenix Suns team led by future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. In the following round, they went toe-to-toe with reigning MVP Nikola Jokić and the defending champion Denver Nuggets &ndash; and prevailed.
This season has followed a similar narrative. In the first round, Edwards and the Wolves dispatched the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Edwards outdueled both LeBron James and Luka Doncic on both ends of the floor and delivering clutch baskets in high-pressure moments.
Now, in the semifinals, he's taken down a Warriors team that boasted championship pedigree and playoff-tested veterans in Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green &ndash; and would have had Stephen Curry, were it not for injury.
It's no wonder the nickname "legend killer" has started to stick. Edwards is not just winning playoff series; he's ending runs and ushering in a new era of stardom. Few players his age have compiled such an impressive list of postseason victims &ndash; and he's doing it as the unquestioned leader of a franchise that hadn&rsquo;t been to the Conference Finals in 20 years before his arrival.
Golden State&rsquo;s fortunes took a major hit just minutes into Game 1 when Stephen Curry pulled up lame, clutching his left hamstring. The team initially called it &ldquo;tightness,&rdquo; but subsequent scans revealed a strain that would sideline the two-time MVP for the remainder of the series.
Curry&rsquo;s absence was devastating. In Game 1, the Warriors managed to win despite him being out for the majority of the game, and Golden State was within striking distance. But without him, the Warriors lacked spacing, cohesion, and a consistent scoring threat. Butler, whom the Warriors acquired midseason for a late title push, averaged a decent amount of points in the series but struggled to find rhythm without Curry drawing double teams. Draymond Green&rsquo;s defensive prowess and playmaking were neutralized by Minnesota&rsquo;s size and physicality.
Minnesota, meanwhile, smothered Golden State with a vaunted defense led by Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Edwards. The Wolves&rsquo; game plan was simple yet effective: deny Butler clean looks, collapse on drives, and force role players to beat them. Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield were rather inconsistent, while Jonathan Kuminga, though promising, lacked the polish to carry the scoring load for the entire series. The Warriors ultimately lost four straight games after taking the opener.
Timberwolves' strategic mastery&nbsp;
Minnesota&rsquo;s resurgence is as much about front-office vision as it is about Edwards&rsquo; emergence. The franchise made a controversial decision last summer, trading long-time star Karl-Anthony Towns &ndash; the face of the franchise for nearly a decade &ndash; to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
Initially panned as an overreaction to last year&rsquo;s Conference Finals loss, the move has aged like fine wine. Randle brought a rugged interior presence and a scorer's mindset that perfectly complements Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s defense-first approach. In these playoffs, Randle has arguably been playing the best basketball of his life, often bullying smaller defenders in the post while spacing the floor just enough to allow Edwards room to operate.
DiVincenzo, a tenacious defender and underrated shooter, has been an x-factor despite struggling a bit in the playoffs. He has consistently hit timely threes while guarding opposing guards with a relentless motor. His chemistry with Edwards has flourished, allowing the Wolves to maintain intensity on both ends without sacrificing floor spacing.
Add in the steady leadership of Mike Conley and the rim protection of Gobert and Naz Reid off the bench and the perimeter defense by McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and you&rsquo;ve got one of the most well-balanced teams left in the playoffs.
With this series win, the Timberwolves have secured their second straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals &ndash; a feat that once seemed unimaginable for a franchise long plagued by mediocrity. They fell to Dallas in last year&rsquo;s WCF, but the lessons from that loss are clearly paying off.
This version of the Wolves is deeper, more experienced, and far more adaptable. They&rsquo;ve shown they can win gritty, defensive battles or shoot it out when the game opens up. Coach Chris Finch has masterfully balanced rotations and drawn up sets that accentuate Edwards&rsquo; strengths while keeping Randle, Gobert, and DiVincenzo involved.
The next step now is breaking through to the NBA Finals &ndash; something no Timberwolves team has ever accomplished.
Being the &lsquo;face of the league&rsquo;
As the NBA&rsquo;s long-standing icons gradually wind down their careers, the league is searching for its next torchbearer. While players like Jayson Tatum, Luka Dončić, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are all in the mix, few have made as loud a postseason statement as Anthony Edwards.
His playoff numbers &mdash; 27.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists per game &mdash; don&rsquo;t just tell the story of a rising superstar, they scream franchise cornerstone and future MVP. More importantly, Edwards has embraced the spotlight, asking for it and owning the pressure of delivering wins against the best in the world.
He&rsquo;s charismatic, fiercely competitive, and fearless. His ability to elevate his game in the postseason, rise above elite opponents, and close out games has drawn comparisons to legends of the past. And with every &ldquo;legend&rdquo; he defeats, Edwards inches closer to becoming one himself.
Anthony Edwards isn&rsquo;t just adding to his playoff resume &mdash; he&rsquo;s building a legacy. One legendary opponent at a time.
And if the &ldquo;legend killer&rdquo; keeps this up, the next generation of NBA stars might be defined by who manages to take him down.

Anthony Edwards continues his rise as the NBA’s “Legend Killer,” leading the Timberwolves past the Warriors to reach the WCF again.

Anthony Edwards adds to ‘legend killer’ legacy as Wolves eliminate Warriors in 5

It&rsquo;s no longer about the future in Oklahoma City. The Thunder are here &ndash; now. With a league-best defense that has drawn comparisons to all-time great units, an MVP-caliber season from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a supporting cast built on versatility, youth, and hunger, the 2024-25 season has shifted from promising to pressurized. For the first time in over a decade, it genuinely feels like title or bust in OKC.
The Thunder have shattered expectations, and more importantly, they&rsquo;ve shattered records. Their defense, the foundation of their rise to the top of the Western Conference, has drawn widespread acclaim for its unique blend of modern switchability and classic intensity. Through 70+ games, Oklahoma City leads the NBA in defensive rating (106.3), opponent field goal percentage (43.1%), deflections per game (18.9), and points allowed in the paint (41.2). They&rsquo;ve held opponents to under 100 points more often than not every night in a league where pace and scoring have exploded.
The core of their defensive identity lies in their guard- and wing-heavy rotations. While other teams rely on traditional centers to anchor the paint, the Thunder have gone the other way, trotting out lineups that feature interchangeable defenders from 1 through 5. Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Luguentz Dort, and Alex Caruso form a perimeter nightmare &ndash; long arms, lateral speed, and high IQs. Add versatile and switchable big man Chet Holmgren and offseason acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein who is finally healthy, and OKC just has enough size to make this strategy sustainable deep into the postseason.
This season, they became the first team in NBA history to record three separate games where they held opponents to under 80 points. They also broke the franchise record for most games with 10+ steals (38 and counting), showing how their defensive pressure creates instant offense. That&rsquo;s what separates this Thunder team from past defensive stalwarts &ndash; this isn&rsquo;t a grind-it-out, slow-it-down system. It&rsquo;s a high-speed, deflect-and-run machine that turns defense into points within seconds.
And it&rsquo;s not just the defense. The Thunder currently boast a historic net rating of +12.8, which is on pace to be the second-best in history just behind the 1996 Chicago Bulls (+13.4) and surpassing the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers (+12.3) &ndash; two of the most dominant teams in NBA history. That&rsquo;s how well-rounded and complete this squad has become on both ends of the floor.
Their dominance isn&rsquo;t just on one side of the floor either. Gilgeous-Alexander continues to elevate his game with an even more efficient scoring arsenal and a career-high in assists. He has the poise of a ten-year vet and the footwork of a ballet dancer, carving up defenses while setting the tone with his own relentless on-ball defense that averages a whole lot of steals. Around him, players like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have fully embraced their roles, combining skill with selflessness.
Holmgren&rsquo;s presence has given OKC the luxury of rim protection without sacrificing mobility. His timing and instincts allow the perimeter defenders to gamble, knowing there's a shot-blocking safety net behind them. And with the addition of Hartenstein, the Thunder finally have some physicality and depth in the frontcourt &ndash; something they sorely lacked during last year&rsquo;s playoff run.
Last season's first-round exit to the Mavericks was a learning experience. Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving exploited mismatches and punished OKC&rsquo;s lack of rebounding. But this year feels different. The team has internalized those lessons, retooled accordingly, and stormed into the postseason with purpose. They&rsquo;ve secured a top seed, a historically elite defense, and momentum. The only thing left is the ultimate validation &ndash; a championship.
And with the Western Conference as wide open as ever, the opportunity is right in front of them. Denver is still dangerous with 3-time MVP Nikola Jokić, but OKC's defensive blueprint gives them a legitimate shot. The Warriors, Lakers, and Clippers are dangerous, but OKC has the superior age and athleticism factor and can match up well with them. Minnesota is still heavily reliant on shot-making by Anthony Edwards, and Houston is just scratching the surface. It&rsquo;s not an easy road, but it&rsquo;s navigable&mdash;and for the Thunder, anything less than a Finals appearance would feel like a disappointment.
That&rsquo;s what happens when you build a monster on defense. Expectations rise. Patience fades. And this young team is growing up fast right before our eyes.
The Thunder aren&rsquo;t just knocking on the door of contention anymore&mdash;they&rsquo;ve kicked it open with a suffocating defensive identity and a fearless approach to the game. And with everything they've accomplished this season, it might not be too far-fetched to say that it&rsquo;s officially title or bust time in Oklahoma City.

The OKC Thunder are dominating the 2024-25 NBA season with a historic defense and record-breaking net rating.

Historic defense sets OKC Thunder’s championship expectations

The Oklahoma City Thunder&rsquo;s blazing 22-5 start to the season has put them atop in the NBA once again following a 1st seed finish from last year. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his MVP campaign is garnering much of the spotlight, a key piece in the Thunder&rsquo;s puzzle has been the unassuming yet impactful Isaiah Hartenstein. Acquired in the offseason to shore up the team&rsquo;s frontcourt, Hartenstein has been a revelation, proving that his addition could be the missing ingredient in the Thunder&rsquo;s Western Conference semifinals loss to the Dallas Mavericks last season and their eventual rise to claim the NBA title.
Last season, Hartenstein was a pivotal part of the New York Knicks&rsquo; run to the Eastern Conference semifinals. His chemistry with Knicks star Jalen Brunson was the highlight of their postseason push with Hartenstein&rsquo;s screening, passing, and hustle plays complementing Brunson&rsquo;s scoring and playmaking. This experience has seamlessly translated to Oklahoma City, where he&rsquo;s brought the same energy and skill set to elevate the Thunder&rsquo;s overall performance this year.
Hartenstein&rsquo;s contributions are essential to the Thunder&rsquo;s success, with several career-highs posted this season. He&rsquo;s currently averaging 12.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting an efficient 58.2% from the field in 30 minutes played per game &ndash; a career-high. Among centers logging at least 25 minutes per game, Hartenstein&rsquo;s 4.8 screen assists per contest rank in the top five league-wide, highlighting his ability to create opportunities for his teammates.
Defensively, Hartenstein has anchored the Thunder&rsquo;s interior over the past 10 games, holding opponents to just 48.3% shooting within six feet of the basket&mdash;a mark that places him among the top rim protectors in the league. His impact on the defensive end extends beyond shot-blocking; he&rsquo;s a master at positioning, consistently deterring drives and forcing opponents into tough mid-range attempts.
Rebounding has been a glaring issue for the Thunder in recent seasons. Last year, the team ranked 28th in rebounding percentage, often losing the battle on the boards in critical moments. Enter Hartenstein. With his presence in the paint, OKC has vaulted to 12th in rebounding percentage this season, a dramatic improvement that&rsquo;s directly tied to his ability to crash the glass on both ends of the floor.
Hartenstein&rsquo;s offensive rebounding has been particularly valuable. He&rsquo;s averaging 3.2 offensive boards per game, creating numerous second-chance opportunities for the Thunder&rsquo;s perimeter shooters.&nbsp;
What truly sets Hartenstein apart from traditional big men is his playmaking ability. His 3.9 assists per game rank 4th among centers, trailing only Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, and Bam Adebayo. Hartenstein&rsquo;s high-post passing has added a new dimension to the Thunder&rsquo;s offense, allowing them to exploit mismatches and keep defenses guessing. Whether it&rsquo;s a backdoor cut to Williams or a quick handoff to Gilgeous-Alexander, Hartenstein&rsquo;s decision-making has been instrumental in generating quality looks.
OKC&rsquo;s offense is also benefiting from his uncanny knack for timing and spacing. His ability to set rock-solid screens and quickly dive to the rim has made him a perfect complement to the Thunder&rsquo;s dynamic guards. The synergy between Hartenstein and Gilgeous-Alexander has been particularly noteworthy, with the duo combining for 1.14 points per pick-and-roll possession&mdash;a figure that ranks among the league&rsquo;s elite pairings.
With Chet Holmgren returning from injury, the Thunder now have the potential to field one of the league&rsquo;s most versatile frontcourts. Hartenstein&rsquo;s high basketball IQ, defensive positioning, and playmaking ability make him an ideal partner for Holmgren in two-big lineups.&nbsp;
While Holmgren&rsquo;s shot-blocking and perimeter shooting stretch the floor and protect the rim, Hartenstein&rsquo;s physicality and low-post presence can complement those skills, creating a dynamic interior duo. Additionally, in single-big lineups, the two can alternate seamlessly depending on matchups, with Holmgren&rsquo;s mobility excelling against quicker lineups and Hartenstein&rsquo;s toughness thriving against traditional big men. Together, they provide OKC with flexibility, balance, and depth in their quest for a championship.
As the Thunder continue their push for the top seed in the West, Hartenstein&rsquo;s role will only grow in significance. With marquee matchups against the league&rsquo;s best bigs looming, his defensive prowess and playmaking will be put to the test. His ability to fill gaps on both ends of the floor has given the Thunder a level of balance and consistency they&rsquo;ve lacked in previous seasons.&nbsp;
In a Western Conference brimming with elite big men, Hartenstein has quietly held his own, ensuring that the Thunder remain competitive in the paint every night despite being without Chet Holmgren as of the moment. If his performances thus far are any indication, Hartenstein is more than capable of rising to the occasion.

The OKC Thunder’s blazing 22-5 start to the season has put them atop the West again with the help of acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein.

Isaiah Hartenstein’s impact on the Thunder’s stellar start to the season

Several NBA stars have returned Monday night as they look to help their teams improve their standings in the current NBA season.
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings
Monk returned to the Kings&rsquo; lineup after missing the past 7 games due to injury. He scored 14 points on 4/12 shooting from the field, however the Kings lost to the Thunder in a 109-130 blowout.
Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics
Porzingis made his Celtics debut Monday night against the Clippers after being sidelined for five months. Porzingis has successfully returned after undergoing a foot surgery in the offseason, scoring 16 points with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. He helped the Celtics secure a blowout victory over the visiting LA Clippers team, 126-94. Porzingis looked healthy and was efficient scoring from the field, going 6/12 in his field goals.
The Celtics will now have their complete lineup that won them the 2023 NBA title, and adding Porzingis back into their lineup only solidifies their chances of going back to back.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Morant made it back to the Grizzlies&rsquo; starting lineup successfully with a scintillating 22-point, 11-assist performance in just 23 minutes in Memphis&rsquo; win over Portland. Morant was explosive in his return, throwing down a thunderous slam and dishing an eye-popping behind the back pass for a Brandon Clarke easy bucket.
Morant now looks to lead the Grizzlies out of the middle pack in the Western Conference with a healthy showing moving forward.
Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are targeting a return on Tuesday night in the Suns&rsquo; NBA Cup game against the Lakers, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania.
Durant and Beal have been out of Phoenix's lineup the last 5-6 games, as they went 1-5 in that stretch. When both were in the lineup, the Suns were a league-best 8-1.
Durant and Beal aim to provide the Suns the firepower that they lacked over the past games with defenses keying in on stopping Devin Booker only.
Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans
Murray is eyeing a return after a one-month absence on Wednesday night when the Pelicans face the Raptors. Murray intends to return and help the now West-bottom New Orleans team to compete once again atop the West. Murray fractured his hand on opening night against the Chicago Bulls.
Murray was acquired by the Pelicans in a trade for Dyson Daniels in the offseason to shore up their PG duties and have a closer as well as a playmaker around star Zion Williamson.

Several NBA stars have returned Monday night as they look to help their teams improve their standings in the current NBA season.

NBA roundup 11/26/24: NBA stars returning to help respective teams

This article is part of a two-part series preview for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs.
With the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs starting, all eyes will be on all teams competing for the championship as fans and players look on for a taste of postseason action. As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges. In this article, we take a closer look at the biggest question facing each Eastern Conference team heading into the playoffs, from injuries and roster changes to key matchups and strategic decisions.
<h3>Boston Celtics - Who&rsquo;s stopping them?</h3>
The Boston Celtics have been the best team in the regular season as evidenced by their 64-18 record. They have also been one of the most dominant regular season teams of all time, having the third-highest net rating in NBA history (11.8) which would rank just behind the 1996 and 1997 Chicago Bulls. If it were of any significance, those Bulls teams had 72-10 and 69-13 records and won it all in both years.
It&rsquo;s all written on the wall &ndash; the Celtics are in title or bust mode, which even just a conference finals appearance would probably be marked as a disappointment. Considering how dominant they have been throughout the season, a Finals appearance would be the minimum achievement.
This team is built almost as completely as they could ever be &mdash; offense, defense, bench, two stars that lift each other&rsquo;s game up, roster construction of players that complement them, and even the fans that are some of the most passionate in the league. These are things that are all you could ask for in a championship team, and with that being said &ndash; the pressure is on for Boston.
A big possible answer to that question is whether the Celtics would be the only ones who&rsquo;ll stop themselves from achieving and realizing their full potential &ndash; and there&rsquo;s only one way to find out.&nbsp;
The playoffs are a different story and looking at what we&rsquo;ve seen over the years, the Celtics have tendencies to underperform in the playoffs. With a new supporting cast featuring 2021 champ Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, a question lingers on the team: will it be different this time around?
They have had a history of flaming out in the past, and whether or not that continues this season remains to be seen. Time is the ultimate truth teller, and these Celtics hope to exercise their playoff demons when the time comes and their opportunities present themselves.
Will they be able to capitalize on a dominant regular season and take on the task at hand once and for all? They certainly hope with all the pieces they have now, they have enough to close it out and take it all the way and finish the job this time around to end the allegations against them once and for all.
<h3>New York Knicks - How far will they go without Julius Randle?</h3>
As we all know by now, health is the biggest factor in the playoffs. You always want to be complete and your best players to be healthy and ready to go when it matters most.
Unfortunately, this will not be the case for the New York Knicks this season, after losing all-star Julius Randle to a season-ending surgery to his injury.
Randle has been the Knicks&rsquo; best player for the past 3 seasons (before Brunson&rsquo;s ascension to King Knick this year). He brings that size and physicality along with that sneaky speed at the 4. On offense, Randle is a secondary creator and playmaker who can make plays for himself and his teammates. His improving three-point shot is now a weapon for teams not to sag off of him as much which could only help the Knicks in the playoffs.
Simply put, Randle is a matchup problem against traditional power forwards. Without him, the Knicks would not be able to tap on another gear that would only be possible with Randle out there on the floor.
Now, all eyes will be on Jalen Brunson as he tries to carry New York all by himself. It will be expected to see all possible defensive schemes thrown against him to try and contain the all-NBA caliber player in this season that he is.
<h3>Milwaukee Bucks - Can they hold the fort without Giannis?&nbsp;</h3>
The hits just keep on coming for the Bucks. After starting the season 30-13, they fired their head coach Adrian Griffin, and replaced him with Doc Rivers. They&rsquo;ve had their fair share of struggles with Rivers, losing to lottery teams like the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Raptors in one stretch, and they&rsquo;ve finished only a disappointing 19-20 the rest of the way to end the season.&nbsp;
Just recently, they received brutal news that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the beginning of their series against the Indiana Pacers after injuring his left calf with three games left in the regular season. The upstart and young Pacers have been 4-1 against them during the year and it will be a tough battle without one of the five best players in the world playing. Will Damian Lillard and Co. step up to the plate?
<h3>Cleveland Cavaliers - Is this the &lsquo;last hurrah&rsquo; for Donovan Mitchell as a Cavalier?</h3>
All eyes are on the Cavaliers&rsquo; playoff run this season to gain ground after a disappointing finish last year. Can they keep soon-to-be free agent Donovan Mitchell happy enough? Or will another disappointing playoff exit lead him to bolt out of town to find another opportunity to win elsewhere?&nbsp;
Much of this will be attributed to the growth of their current core to gauge their improvements from last season. Will Darius Garland have enough juice to handle the scoring load outside of Mitchell as well as holding his own defensively? Will Evan Mobley display or unlock another offensive level in his game to be able to contribute on the offensive end to complement his defensive capabilities? Will Jarett Allen beat the allegations of lights were too bright in the playoffs in his second time around and bounce back from what has been a bad series against the Knicks last year? And is Max Strus the answer for the Cavs to advance into the second round with his spacing and shooting at the wing to give space for Mitchell to attack?
With his impending free agency, Donovan Mitchell has a big decision to make during the offseason. Will he stay and extend with this Cavaliers team who gave up assets for him? The Cavaliers have made some strides from being a young team with potential to a top 4-5 team in the East when they acquired Donovan Mitchell two years ago from the Utah Jazz. Since then, Mitchell has elevated their play and in turn, they got back to their first playoffs without LeBron James on the team.
However, rumors have been swirling that Mitchell wants to achieve postseason success, whether in this team or not. Some of these reportedly said that if the Cavs do not make the Finals this season, he might find another home elsewhere to chase that goal. Throughout his career, Mitchell has been to the first round multiple times but has been in the second round just twice. He has yet to make a conference finals appearance, and this postseason with the Cavs will determine if he falls short of that goal again.
Helping Mitchell this time around are shooters that the Cavs lacked a year ago, with Max Strus, Sam Merill, and Georges Niang now in the fold for the team. Cleveland got exposed by New York in just five games last year and it was basically because of their inability to space the floor around Mitchell and point guard Darius Garland. Now with an improved Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen all having a year to work on their games for this stretch, the Cavs aim to make the conference finals &mdash; before Mitchell&rsquo;s impending big decision in free agency.
<h3>Orlando Magic - How far can their youth and inexperience take them in the playoffs?</h3>
Being the youngest playoff team in the East's playoff field, the Magic come in with no expectations at hand. This young group has overachieved for the season having the fourth-best defense despite them being the 4th youngest team in the league. Making the playoffs has already been a huge accomplishment, but winning a series would not be so bad and would be a welcome sight for the team.&nbsp;
Nobody expected them to be in the hunt for the top seeds in the East, but here they are in their first playoff experience as a group as the fifth seed. This is only year 2 and 3 for young stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and they could only get better as years progress. This is only the beginning for Orlando and they could be a difficult fixture in the East for years to come.
<h3>Indiana Pacers - How big of an impact will Pascal Siakam be in the postseason?</h3>
Right after the trade to bring Siakam to Indiana, fans and basketball analysts alike mentioned how the trade was a win for Indiana and that Siakam&rsquo;s value would be seen through in the playoffs. When the game slows down and teams are more equipped and prepared for their defenses, teams would need solid execution on their half-court offense.
This was where Siakam was supposed to come in, and now that it&rsquo;s here, will he be able to step up and lead the Pacers to a series win? The 2019 champion with the Raptors has played 41 games with Indiana this season after the trade, and he has averaged 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 55/39/70 shooting splits and he has given the Pacers a new dimension on offense. The Pacers who will go up against the Bucks for their first-round playoff series, have gone 4-1 against them &ndash; but it was all without Siakam. The question for them now is, how will they maintain the level of success they had vs the Bucks now that Siakam is in the rotation? Will Siakam end up being the ceiling-raiser for the postseason for them? Or could he end up disrupting the rhythm that the team had in the regular season vs the Bucks?
<h3>Philadelphia - Is this finally the year they advance with Nick Nurse at the helm?</h3>
The Sixers have had a lot of heartbreak over the years, from not being able to make the Conference Finals in Joel Embiid&rsquo;s career to choking multiple times in the playoffs, it's just disaster after disaster when it matters the most in the City of Brotherly Love.
However, they hope the outcome is going to come out differently this year due to one factor: Nick Nurse.
The 2019 champion coach has given the Sixers a lot to hope for with a breath of fresh air surrounding the team on offensive and defensive execution. This year, with Embiid being better than ever (being even better than last year&rsquo;s MVP campaign) and with the help of Nurse&rsquo;s diverse offensive sets, the Sixers&rsquo; title chances have increased significantly. Coach Nurse having the ability to make adjustments on the fly and push the right buttons will be a major weapon for the Sixers for their upcoming playoff run.
When healthy this year, Embiid has had one of the most dominant regular seasons in NBA history, averaging 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. The Sixers have a 31-8 record when he plays, which would equal the best win-pace mark in the league. He now has a dynamic sidekick in Tyrese Maxey who has been named an all-star this year, and general manager Daryl Morey has surrounded them with capable role players to complement their skill sets. Will Nurse be the final piece that puts all of the Sixers together?
<h3>Miami Heat - Can they rediscover their old magic against the Celtics, but this time without Jimmy Butler?</h3>
At this point, people got to understand and realize that playoff Jimmy is a real thing. The dude just turns it up when it matters the most and the lights are at their brightest, and has carried Miami every time in the postseason.
However, this year figures out to be an entirely different scenario with Butler being out with an injury. According to reports, Butler could be sidelined for multiple weeks due to an MCL sprain &mdash; devastating news for Miami ahead of their upcoming playoff matchup vs Boston.&nbsp;
The Heat have faced the Celtics three times over the past four seasons, and they have beaten them twice. All those games and series featured a lot of Butler carrying them to wins.
Without Butler though, things have changed dramatically fast. Now, the question stands: will they have enough to defeat their old nemesis (who&rsquo;s become the most dominant team in the league) sans their best player?

As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges.

2024 Eastern Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question heading into the playoffs

Portland Trail Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson has never lacked confidence.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I can really do anything, honestly &mdash; anything I put my mind to," Henderson <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scoot-henderson-aspirations-far-exceed-any-hype-we-can-give-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Basketball News' Spencer Davies</a> back when he was 17 years old. "My confidence is crazy."
He's not wrong. After becoming the youngest professional player in NBA G League history and shining with the G League Ignite, he was selected No. 3 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Now, he's setting a new goal for himself: Rookie of the Year.
While all eyes will be on San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama entering the 2023-24 NBA season, Henderson isn't backing down. Wemby may be the most hyped-up prospect since LeBron James, but Henderson believes he can win Rookie of the Year.
"My goal, obviously, is to win Rookie of the Year. And I will win Rookie of the Year," Henderson <a href="https://twitter.com/playmaker/status/1688664670477881344" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Playmaker</a>. "That's just a mindset, a manifestation that I kind of grew. Never doubted myself, making sure I'm always putting good energy in the air, making sure I'm telling myself, 'I'm gonna have a great rookie season.'
"I'm not saying I want to have a great rookie season, I'mma have a great rookie season. I'mma have a great career. I will have a great career and [I'm] making sure that's always in past tense because it happened."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://t.co/vbzvvcJDxH">pic.twitter.com/vbzvvcJDxH</a>
&mdash; James Burnes (@JamesBurnes8) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesBurnes8/status/1688714648420487168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

The Blazers will likely give Henderson the keys to their offense, and he'll every opportunity to put up big numbers in Portland. Henderson currently has the third-best odds in the Rookie-of-the-Year race across <a href="https://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/odds/rookie-of-the-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the major sportsbooks</a> (FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, PointsBet and BetMGM). Wembanyama is the favorite, while Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren has the second-best odds.
Holmgren was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but missed all of last season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot that required surgery. That means Holmgren is eligible to win the Rookie of the Year award this season (similar to when Ben Simmons won the ROY award in 2017-18 or when Blake Griffin won it in 2010-11).
But Rookie of the Year isn't the only lofty goal that Henderson has set for himself. He also said that he wants to be the GOAT and the "most influential player" for the next generation when all is said and done.
"[I want] to be the best point guard in the game, [the best] to ever play. That's my goal... When people think of Scoot Henderson, I want them to think of the best player to ever play the game," Henderson said. "But you can only do that by being the best version of yourself, so that's what I'm working on now."
Check out the full conversation with Henderson below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;I will win rookie of the year&rdquo; Portland Trailblazers' Scoot Henderson (<a href="https://twitter.com/thereal013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thereal013</a>) didn&rsquo;t take the traditional pathway to the NBA that most players do. As the youngest professional EVER in the G League he was able to not only figure himself out, but his game as well. Watch&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/HkMObZ6m4H">pic.twitter.com/HkMObZ6m4H</a>
&mdash; Playmaker (@playmaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/playmaker/status/1688664670477881344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Scoot Henderson isn't lacking confidence entering his rookie season, as he feels he can win the ROY award over Victor Wembanyama.

Blazers' Scoot Henderson sets lofty goals: 'I will win Rookie of the Year'

South Carolina senior guard Brea Beal knew she could trust Dawn Staley before she even suited up for the Gamecocks.
It wasn&rsquo;t just Staley&rsquo;s coaching accolades, which include fueling South Carolina&rsquo;s meteoric rise in women&rsquo;s basketball, that sold Beal. Beal knew that Staley &mdash; a Black woman like her &mdash; would best understand how to guide her as she navigated both life and playing basketball on a big stage.
&ldquo;People that were telling me what this community was about, I know it&rsquo;s somewhere I wanted to be,&rdquo; Beal said. &ldquo;As soon as I got here, she definitely led me down a journey so I could find out who I am.&rdquo;
Black female representation in the coaching and sports administrative ranks has existed on a minute scale &mdash; even in a sport like basketball, which along with track and field has the highest concentration of Black female college athletes. Black female players who have been coached by a Black woman told The Associated Press that it was crucial to their development.
&ldquo;There are some coaches who will just have all guys with no understanding that there are sometimes things that a young woman may need to talk to another woman about,&rdquo; said Kiki Barnes, a former basketball player and jumper at New Orleans and current Gulf Coast Athletic Conference commissioner.
While the number of women coaching women&rsquo;s sports has increased in the past decade, Black women continue to lag behind most other groups. During the 2021-22 school year, 399 Black women coached women&rsquo;s NCAA sports teams in Divisions I, II and III, compared with 3,760 white women and 5,236 white men.
In women&rsquo;s NCAA basketball, a sport made up of 30% Black athletes, Black women made up 12% of head coaches across all divisions during the 2021-22 season, according to the NCAA&rsquo;s demographics database.
Fourteen Black women led women&rsquo;s basketball teams across 65 Power Five programs this past season &mdash; up one from 2021. That&rsquo;s less than 22% of the total in a sport that was played by more Black athletes (40.7%) than any other race in Division I, according to a report with data from the 2020-21 season.
For the first time in a decade, four Black coaches advanced to the Sweet 16 of the women&rsquo;s basketball tournament, including Staley, who said she believes it&rsquo;s more popular to hire a woman at &ldquo;this stage of the game.&rdquo;
&ldquo;And it&rsquo;s not to say that I&rsquo;m going to sit here and male bash, because we have a lot of male coaches who have been in our game for decades upon decades,&rdquo; said Staley, who will lead her team into the Final Four this weekend. &ldquo;But I will say that giving women an opportunity to coach women and helping women navigate through life like they have navigated through life will allow your student-athletes a different experience than having a male coach.&rdquo;
For years Staley has been an advocate for hiring more female coaches &mdash; especially minorities &mdash; in college basketball, but WNBA player Angel McCoughtry said Black female coaches as successful as Staley are still too few and far between in the sport.
&ldquo;When I was getting recruited in high school, I don&rsquo;t remember having a Dawn Staley to look up to,&rdquo; said McCoughtry, who played at Louisville from 2005-09.
McCoughtry also named Carolyn Peck, the first African American woman to coach her team to an NCAA women&rsquo;s basketball title in 1999 with Purdue, as another example of representation in the sport.
&ldquo;So there&rsquo;s one or two every decade,&rdquo; McCoughtry said. &ldquo;Why can&rsquo;t we have 10? There&rsquo;s 10 Caucasian coaches every decade.&rdquo;
McCoughtry, a former No. 1 overall pick by the WNBA&rsquo;s Atlanta Dream, got used to being around people who didn&rsquo;t look like or understand her. She is Black. Her AAU and high school coaches were Black men. Her college coaches were white men. Marynell Meadors, a white woman, was her first coach in Atlanta.
She has fielded frustrating questions from white peers, coaches and owners &mdash; like how often she washes her hair, or whether her passionate play was because she was from Baltimore.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s just a disconnect in understanding things,&rdquo; the 36-year-old said, adding: &ldquo;We need more coaches to protect us.&rdquo;
McCoughtry has never had a Black female head coach but did have the impactful guidance of Michelle Clark-Heard, a Black woman whom Jeff Walz brought on as an assistant when he took over at Louisville in 2008.
She also leaned on Tim Eaton, a Black assistant coach who she said advocated for her in her freshman year, when then-coach Tom Collen wanted to send her back to Baltimore because she was late to one of her first practices. Similarly, McCoughtry said, she felt she had less room to make mistakes than white teammates. When she questioned a coach, she was labeled a troublemaker; when she got fired up about a play, she was told she had a bad attitude.
&ldquo;We just never had any inch to be human, like our Caucasian counterparts,&rdquo; she said, adding: &ldquo;But who understands that? Our Black coaches. Because they went through everything we went through. They have a story, too.&rdquo;
Part of the reason for the lack of Black female coaches is because of who ultimately holds the power to hire, Barnes said. That&rsquo;s often athletic directors, a level where there is an even greater lack of diversity &mdash; 224 of 350 in Division I are white men. Plus, she added, there are changing requirements for what it takes to get leadership opportunities.
&ldquo;And now the system has changed to where now you&rsquo;ve got to know search firms because now search firms are the ones that are managing and determining who gets these opportunities,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Every time we understand how to get in the room and what it takes to be prepared, it&rsquo;s like the rules change.&rdquo;
Barnes played high school basketball in her hometown of Minden, Louisiana, where she had an assistant coach who was a Black woman; Barnes still refers to her as &ldquo;Coach Smith.&rdquo;
&ldquo;For her, it wasn&rsquo;t just about basketball. It was about who I was as a young lady,&rdquo; Barnes recalled, adding, &ldquo;I would say it&rsquo;s similar with a young woman wanting to talk to a mom about womanly things. It&rsquo;s not that a man couldn&rsquo;t do it, but I wouldn&rsquo;t feel as comfortable talking to either my dad or any other man about woman things.&rdquo;
Priscilla Loomis, a 2016 Olympic high jumper who is Black, said she became a coach to provide kids that look like her the representation the sport has lacked. NCAA track and field numbers mirrored women&rsquo;s basketball numbers in 2021-22: 5% of head coaches were Black women, while 19% of women&rsquo;s NCAA track and field athletes are Black.
&ldquo;They want so badly to feel seen and to feel loved and to be given guidance,&rdquo; Loomis said. &ldquo;And so that&rsquo;s why I always say it&rsquo;s important to get women of color, men of color to the starting line, because a lot of times we&rsquo;re so many steps behind.&rdquo;
___
AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli and AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this report.

For years, Dawn Staley has been an advocate for hiring more female coaches — especially minorities — in college basketball.

Black female athletes: Having Black female coach is crucial

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Boo Buie scored 26 points, Chase Audige had 15 and Northwestern beat No. 1 Purdue 64-58 on Sunday.
Led by its experienced backcourt, Northwestern (18-7, 9-5 Big Ten) added a signature win to its bid for the school&rsquo;s second NCAA Tournament appearance. The Wildcats got their first win in 19 games against the No. 1 team in the AP poll.
Zach Edey had 24 points and eight rebounds for Purdue (23-3, 12-3), which had won 11 in a row against Northwestern. Braden Smith finished with 10 points on 1-for-7 shooting.
Edey&rsquo;s hook shot lifted Purdue to a 55-47 lead with 3:52 to go. But Northwestern closed the game with a 17-3 run.
Audige scored 10 points in the dazzling finish. He gave the Wildcats the lead for good when he made a 3-pointer after an Edey turnover.
Brooks Barnhizer had a fast-break layup and Buie made two foul shots in the final minute to help Northwestern hold on. When it was over, the raucous student section stormed the court to celebrate with the team.
Purdue shot just 28.6% (6 for 21) from the field in the second half. It also committed 13 of its 16 turnovers in the final 20 minutes.
Ethan Morton and Mason Gillis each made a 3-pointer to help Purdue open a 26-16 lead with 9:19 left in the first half. But Buie converted a driving layup in the final seconds, trimming the Boilermakers&rsquo; lead to 37-30 at the break.
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: The collapse down the stretch was a troubling development. The Boilermakers also lost to Indiana last weekend.
Northwestern: Audige stepped up after a slow start, giving the Wildcats a big boost.
UP NEXT
Purdue visits Maryland on Thursday night. The Boilermakers beat the Terrapins 58-55 on Jan. 22 at Mackey Arena.
Northwestern hosts No. 18 Indiana on Wednesday night. The Wildcats topped the Hoosiers 84-83 on Jan. 8.

The Wildcats got their first win in 19 games against the No. 1 team in the AP poll.

Buie, Audige help Northwestern beat No. 1 Purdue 64-58

We have an MVP on the move, folks!
There's been a ton of smoke surrounding the New York Liberty landing a superstar this offseason. To the surprise of many, Breanna Stewart isn't&nbsp;the player heading to the northeast.
That honor goes to Jonquel Jones.
<a href="https://twitter.com/RachGall/status/1614741260493000704?s=20&amp;t=OsIqYHBdRYlwRpzsvN8M3g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First reported</a> by Rachel Galligan of Winsidr, the Sun are trading the 2021 MVP to the Liberty as part of a three-team deal. Howard Megdal of The Next came through shortly after with the <a href="https://twitter.com/howardmegdal/status/1614753296064942082?s=20&amp;t=OsIqYHBdRYlwRpzsvN8M3g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outline for the deal</a>.
Liberty receive: Jonquel Jones (CON), Kayla Thornton (DAL)
Wings receive: Natasha Howard (NYL), rights to Crystal Dangerfield (NYL)
Sun receive: No. 6 overall pick, Rebecca Allen (NYL), Ty Harris (DAL)
And before you could quizzically ask, "Wait, that's it?" about the Jones return for Connecticut, we got the she-asked-for-this nugget from ESPN's Alexa Philippou:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Jonquel Jones is being traded to the New York Liberty, sources confirm to ESPN. The 2021 WNBA MVP with the Connecticut Sun requested the trade specifically to NY.<a href="https://twitter.com/RachGall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RachGall</a> had it first
&mdash; Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) <a href="https://twitter.com/alexaphilippou/status/1614753043949535235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

So, wow. Superstar trades are fun. Superstar trades before free agency begins are even more fun, and help set up a good deal of (potential) fireworks.
On the Sun's side, Jones' departure actually helps them retain their top free agent. Brionna Jones, two-time All-Star and reigning Sixth Woman of the Year, was set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. With Jones heading to the Liberty, the Sun plan to use the core designation on Bri Jones, giving them exclusive negotiation rights &mdash; and locking in a one-year max offer for Jones, unless her and the Sun agree to a long-term deal.
Beyond that, I like the pieces the Sun added, even if the return still falls short of Jones' status in the league.
Harris should give the Sun another steady hand at point guard, something they lacked with Jasmine Thomas missing most of last season due to injury. That placed a heavier creation burden on All-World forward Alyssa Thomas, who practically served as the de facto point guard. With Harris providing depth, the Sun should have an easier time building cohesion in the half-court.&nbsp;
For a team that didn't take many threes &mdash; the Sun ranked 11th in three-point rate (26.1% of shot attempts) but third in percentage (35.4%) &mdash; Rebecca Allen could be a godsend. She's drained 37.2% of his threes over the past three seasons, an impressive mark considering a dip in efficiency last season (31.3% on 3.3 attempts per game). She cares very little about shot contests, and has a knack for finding space off the ball. It's easy to envision her presence taking pressure off of others, particularly in the half-court.
(Are you sensing a theme here?)
The Wings being included as the third team was interesting. There have been rumblings <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-trade-rumors-news-dallas-wings-forward-allisha-gray-expected-to-be-traded-connecticut-sun-chicago-sky-washington-mystics-atlanta-dream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about their own star talent</a> (Allisha Gray) potentially being moved over the offseason. For the Wings to land an actual All-Star in Natasha Howard was a pleasant surprise.&nbsp;
Howard's a versatile talent, able to pop or roll as the ball screener, put the ball on the deck against larger opponents, and bully her way to the basket against smaller ones. Her activity on the defensive end, notably her quick hands, allows her to play in &mdash; or quarterback the back end of &mdash; more aggressive coverages. That could become important depending on who her frontcourt partner will be this season.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/rltpqu" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Former Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield is a walking (running?) paint touch that could serve as a nice replacement to Ty Harris. She was able to find life as a complementary piece to Sabrina Ionescu last season, with her ability to pressure the rim helping to unlock Ionescu as an off-ball threat. She could provide similar value playing alongside Arike Ogunbowale or Marina Mabrey whenever the other is on the bench.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/js7l1a" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Of course, the true winners of the deal are the Liberty.&nbsp;
Jones is, at worst, one of the six best players in The W. Even in a down year statistically &mdash; one that says more about the re-emergence of Alyssa Thomas, and a little bit about the inconsistent usage of Jones &mdash; Jones still earned All-WNBA and All-Defensive Second Team honors.
Players the size of Jones aren't supposed to be able to move the way she does, shoot the way she does or handle the way she does. That she can blend all of that together makes her one of the most difficult covers in the league.
On one possession, you can find Jones bullying some poor defender on the block. On another, you can find her spaced on the perimeter, one pass away from another post-up or a ball screen. A kick to her can lead to a three (that defenders have no chancd of contesting, thanks to her release point), or a catch-and-drive that most bigs in the league aren't equipped to deal with.&nbsp;
If you want to get fancy, you can run Jones off of screens. I don't mean simple cross screens to clear a side for a post-up or isolation &mdash; though you can obviously do that. You can run Jones off pindowns, off staggers, use her as the third&nbsp;screener in Spain pick-and-roll actions or anything else you can think of because of her footwork and ability to shoot off movement.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/7ljqpg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
And on other possessions, you don't even have to draw up anything. Because of her defensive prowess, she can kickstart her own offense by grabbing a board and pushing the ball in the open floor.
In short, Jones is an absolute monster.
Pairing her with Ionescu &mdash; one of the best pick-and-roll ball-handlers in the league to put it lightly &mdash; is patently unfair. Jones hasn't played with a ball-handler this dynamic; Ionescu hasn't a screening partner like this, and certainly hasn't played with a big who can clean up messes on the other end like (an engaged) Jones can.
But not only did the Liberty land Jones, but they were also able to snag Kayla Thornton from Dallas as well. The Liberty were a middling defense last season (No. 7 in defensive rating), but struggled on the perimeter. Adding Thornton, a multi-positional defender who can disrupt things on and off the ball, should help shore things up. Having Jones, Thornton and a healthy Betnijah Laney should give the Liberty a solid foundation.
There will be questions up and down the board. The Sun will need to nail the sixth overall pick if they keep it &mdash; much like they did with Jones in 2016 &mdash; to make the fan base feel better. You don't really replace an MVP, but it's hard to overstate just how much scoring gravity (and versatility) is walking out the door. Bri Jones can capture a good bit of the interior force, but shooting will still be a question mark overall.
Howard is certainly a talent upgrade, but it's worth wondering just how fluidly the offense will operate. Thornton is a lesser offensive talent, but her ability to fill gaps complemented the Ogunbowale-Mabrey backcourt. Howard will require more touches &mdash; obviously fine, but it's worth noting she isn't, say, Candace Parker as a high post passing hub. There will likely be some growing pains.
There's less to question on the Liberty front, but implementing Jones may not be an early slam dunk. Even with Ionescu shifting more off the ball in the second half of the year, she still finished in the top 10 in usage rate &mdash; and, if the tracking were available, I'd bet she ranked just as highly in touches per game. Jones wasn't always utilized as frequently as an MVP should be &mdash; something I imagine factored at least somewhat into her desire to be traded.
Still, it's hard not to be excited about &mdash; or terrified of &mdash; what the Liberty can become. Per Myles Ehrlich of Winsidr, the Liberty actually&nbsp;<a href="https://winsidr.com/2023/01/trade-report-jonquel-jones-to-liberty-in-a-three-team-deal-between-ny-connecticut-and-dallas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created&nbsp;more cap space</a> with this trade. The rumors of Stewart in New York aren't dead.
And if the Liberty are able to land Jones and Stewart in the same offseason... whew, buddy, I don't know what you do with that kind of star power.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan looks Sunday's three-team mega trade involving Jonquel Jones from all angles.

WNBA trade: Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones heads to New York Liberty

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Cam Spencer&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left gave Rutgers the lead and No. 1 Purdue failed to convert on its final two chances Monday night as the Scarlet Knights held on for a shocking 65-64 road victory.
It&rsquo;s the second straight year coach Steve Pikiell&rsquo;s team has upset top-ranked Purdue. Last year, the Scarlet Knights needed a half-court buzzer-beater on its home court to pull off the school&rsquo;s first win over a No. 1 ranked team.
This time Rutgers (10-4, 2-1 Big Ten) did it in front of Mackey Arena&rsquo;s 49th consecutive sellout crowd.
Spencer finished with 14 points while Paul Mulcahy had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
The Boilermakers (13-1, 2-1) were led by Zach Edey who overcame early foul trouble to finish with 19 points and 10 rebounds. It just wasn&rsquo;t enough to close out an incredible second-half rally from a 10-point deficit. New Mexico is now the last remaining unbeaten team in Division I.
Rutgers controlled the game most of the night, taking a 34-24 halftime lead and fending off the Boilermakers as they charged back. Purdue tied the score at 52, then finally took the lead on Brandon Newman&rsquo;s tie-breaking 3-pointer with 4:45 to play.
Mulcahy answered with the Scarlet Knights&rsquo; next 10 points, which gave Rutgers a 62-57 lead with 2:22 to play. Purdue answered with four straight to make it 62-61 and when Mulcahy missed a short jumper with 54 seconds to go, Edey grabbed the rebound, Purdue called timeout and freshman Fletcher Loyer made the go-ahead 3 with 29.8 seconds left.
But Spencer made his 3 after another timeout then watched Newman miss a 3. And after Rutgers turned it over on an inbound play with 0.4 seconds to go, the Boilermakers couldn&rsquo;t get the ball to Edey for a final shot.
BIG PICTURE
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have hit incredible heights under coach Pikiell. They&rsquo;ve beaten 14 ranked opponents, upset a No. 1 team for the first time in school history and now they&rsquo;ve done it again. Clearly, the Scarlet Knights seem bound to make a school record third straight NCAA Tournament.
Purdue: Coach Matt Painter&rsquo;s team was poised to match the best start in school history, but Rutgers&rsquo; suffocating defense got in the way again. The Boilermakers had won 34 in a row over unranked foes at home or on neutral courts. But this one was neither easy nor pretty and they fell just short.
UP NEXT
Rutgers: Returns home Thursday against Maryland.
Purdue: Faces a major road test Thursday at No. 24 Ohio State.

It’s the second straight year coach Steve Pikiell’s team has upset top-ranked Purdue.

Late three-pointer sends Rutgers past No. 1 Purdue again, 65-64

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; The flu shut down Anthony Davis. That's the only thing that has stopped him lately.
Davis was forced to leave Los Angeles' game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after the first quarter on Tuesday night and the Lakers struggled without their All-Star center in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-sports-d480266a1ca2ba969b0e7ad409a774c4">a 116-102 loss</a>.
Davis had scored 99 points in his previous two games and had been on a tear over the past 10 as the Lakers went 8-2 to erase most of a horrible start this season. He scored just one point in eight minutes before he was forced to leave.
Davis didn't attempt a shot while adding three rebounds and two assists before being forced to call it a night.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Davis' symptoms gradually got worse during the course of the day.
&ldquo;His temperature was 101 and some change," Ham said. "A-D wanted to try to play, but he felt too weak. He&rsquo;s drained and dehydrated. That&rsquo;s a huge loss, obviously, with the way he&rsquo;s been playing lately.&rdquo;
Ham said Davis is unlikely to play on Wednesday in Toronto. He also stressed Davis had not tested positive for COVID-19.
&ldquo;Because of COVID, people forget that there is a common cold and a common flu out there," Ham said. "That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re dealing with here.&rdquo;
The eight-time All-Star, who has played just 76 games over the past two seasons due to injuries, was chosen Western Conference player of the week on Monday after averaging 37.8 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.3 blocks in four games.
In his previous 10 games, the 29-year-old averaged 34.2 points and 15.4 rebounds. He also shot 63% from the floor and 86% from the free throw line.
Davis scored 55 points in Sunday night's win at Washington, adding 17 rebounds and three blocked shots. He dropped 44 points in the previous game against Milwaukee.
Without him, the Lakers lacked an inside defensive presence and Cavs center Jarrett Allen scored 24 points, 22 in the first half on 10-of-11 shooting.
LeBron James tried to pick up the slack, grabbing 17 rebounds &mdash; his most ever in a road game. Reserve Thomas Bryant replaced Davis and scored a season-high 19 points in 28 minutes but Los Angeles couldn't offset the loss of Davis.
&ldquo;That's a tall task,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;Literally and figuratively.&rdquo;

Darvin Ham said Davis is unlikely to play on Wednesday in Toronto. He also stressed Davis had not tested positive for COVID-19.

Lakers lose star Davis with flu-like symptoms, fall to Cavs

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes Chauncey Billups' dual-threat nature and impact on the next generation of point guards.

Blazing the Trail: Chauncey Billups, the basketball cheat code

Young players who enter the NBA go through an adjustment period. The competition is highly skilled and uber-athletic, and their lifestyle changes drastically. As a result, it usually takes a season (or two) for top picks to get acclimated.&nbsp;
So, when a top pick suffers a season-ending injury before their rookie campaign begins, it&rsquo;s obviously less than ideal. At best, it costs their team a year of development. At worst, it&rsquo;s an omen of things to come.
The Oklahoma City Thunder&rsquo;s prized rookie, Chet Holmgren, recently suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot while defending LeBron James on a fastbreak at The CrawsOver Pro-Am in Seattle. Holmgren doesn't have an alarming injury history, but any seven-footer who weighs less than 200 pounds is going to raise certain red flags.
While we&rsquo;ve yet to see Holmgren compete regularly against NBA players, he certainly looked like the real deal last season at Gonzaga and in this year's Summer League. He&rsquo;s fluid on the offensive end, where he can handle the ball and shoot from just about anywhere. And defensively, Holmgren is a menace. His absurd 7-foot-6 inch wingspan enables him to erase shots that are launched anywhere in his vicinity.
To summarize, Holmgren&rsquo;s injury is a real bummer for everyone involved. Sure, the Thunder will suffer &ndash; and maybe get into the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. (Wouldn&rsquo;t that be something?!) But alas, it&rsquo;s always darkest before dawn. Holmgren is not the first lottery pick to miss his entire rookie season, and there are numerous examples of these players returning to their dominant pre-injury form.
While guys like Larry Bird, Jerry Lucas and David Robinson all missed their rookie seasons for non-injury reasons, we're focusing on players who were sidelined after getting hurt. Julius Randle was also left off this list since he technically played 14 minutes prior to his season-ending injury as a rookie.
Let&rsquo;s look back at several high-end lottery picks who had to postpone their NBA debut for a full year.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Joel Embiid
Embiid is the most obvious example. His foot injury cost him his first two seasons in the NBA. He underwent surgery prior to the 2014 NBA Draft and had another surgery on that same foot the following offseason.
The Philadelphia 76ers were patient with Embiid, allowing him to miss the 2014-15 season and 2015-16 season. Once he was healthy, Embiid returned for 31 games in 2016-17, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. He also connected on 36.7% of his three-point attempts.
Now, Embiid's injury issues are mostly behind him. He played in 68 games this past season, leading the league in scoring (30.6 points) while also averaging 11.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
While he&rsquo;s suffered a few injuries in recent years, he&rsquo;s been far more durable than expected. Embiid is a five-time All-Star who has been named to four All-NBA teams and three All-Defensive teams.
Blake Griffin
Griffin&rsquo;s pre-rookie-year injury was tough to stomach because he fractured his kneecap in the final preseason game, meaning it wouldn&rsquo;t have happened had he sat out that last exhibition game.
Like Embiid, Griffin hit the ground running once he returned. He was a refreshing mix of power, skill, size and speed not seen since Shawn Kemp or Dominique Wilkins. He averaged 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in his first NBA season, winning Rookie of the Year and never looking back.
Griffin is a six-time All-Star, and he&rsquo;s been named to five All-NBA teams. He managed to revamp his game after his athleticism dwindled, making an impressive transformation.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_5023976_690w.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="439" />
Ben Simmons
Simmons was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and he entered the league with plenty of hype.&nbsp;
Simmons' career got off to a slow start thanks to a broken foot suffered before his rookie season. The nature of Simmons' injury was less concerning than that of Embiid or Griffin. However, the 76ers' fan base was still awaiting the return of Embiid from his pre-rookie-year injury, so they were understandably frustrated when another top prospect was sidelined.
Fortunately for all involved, Simmons came back with a vengeance. He averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game in his rookie season, teasing fans with his unique mix of size and speed. While he's yet to completely reach his full potential, Simmons was obviously unaffected by his foot injury. He won Rookie of the Year in 2017-18, and he's now a three-time All-Star.
Nerlens Noel
Before Embiid landed in Philadelphia, there was Noel. Noel was projected to be a top-three pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but then a collision with the basket cost him the end of his freshman season at Kentucky. Noel was ultimately drafted No. 6 overall by New Orleans, with the understanding that he'd miss a considerable amount of time. Noel was eventually dealt to Philadelphia as part of the Jrue Holiday trade, which was Sam Hinkie's first move in Philadelphia.
Noel rehabbed his torn ACL with the 76ers and missed the 2013-14 campaign. The following year, he returned and played 75 games. While Noel lacked a jump shot, he made an immediate impact, averaging 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 30.8 minutes for the 18-64 76ers.
Noel's career never reached the heights that some hoped, but that has little to do with his ACL injury. He's grown into an impactful&nbsp;backup center, capable of starting for stretches for a playoff-caliber team.&nbsp;
Michael Porter Jr.
After being ranked the top high school player in the country, Porter suffered a back injury that required spinal surgeries in 2017 and 2018. Despite only playing three games at the collegiate level, Porter was still selected No. 14 in the 2018 NBA Draft based on his high-school dominance and potential.
Porter was viewed as a risky selection for the Denver Nuggets. After all, the Los Angeles Clippers' team doctor had <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">written a report</a> projecting that Porter may never play again.
After missing the entirety of the 2018-19 season, Porter returned the following year and played 55 games. In 2020-21, he had a breakout campaign, averaging 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 threes per game.
Unfortunately, his back issues would surface again last season, as he needed another back surgery that caused him to miss all but nine games.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Greg Oden
Oden's story is the saddest of the bunch. He was projected by many to be a generational talent. He was taken No. 1 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, one pick before Kevin Durant.
After one Summer League game, his knees were already a problem. He underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee before the season began. At the time, he was the first No. 1 pick to miss his entire rookie year since David Robinson in 1987.
Oden played in only 105 games across three NBA seasons, suffering season-ending injuries in 2007-08, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13. He retired with career averages of 8.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.&nbsp;
***
Lottery picks are supposed to play. They are young and vibrant, and they represent hope for a team&rsquo;s future. While incredibly scary, season-ending injuries can be more of a bump in the road than a demolition. Holmgren seems to have a very bright future, so let&rsquo;s hope his injury is more of the former.

Chet Holmgren's season-ending injury is unfortunate, but he's far from the first lottery pick to miss the entirety of his rookie year.

Chet Holmgren isn't the first NBA lottery pick to miss rookie season

As the NBA evolves, so do the arsenals of its greatest players.
Earlier this week, I laid out that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the league is trending towards more self-created shots</a> compared to where it was nearly a decade ago. That trend could be influenced by several factors &mdash; including declining offensive rebound rates, a faster pace, more drives and more threes &mdash; but it's safe to say the burden on individual shot creators is as high as it's ever been.&nbsp;
League-wide shifts have affected some of the game's great individual shot-makers, even as their own greatness barely wavers. The NBA has tracked shots in a detailed fashion since 2013-14. In the last nine years, we've seen some all-time greats change their creation tendencies, while others have risen in correspondence to their careers.
I picked out 10 players to highlight some interesting year-over-year changes in the way they create their own looks. These numbers come from PBP Stats (unless otherwise attributed), which labels self-created shots as any attempt that a shooter took two or more seconds to generate, and "assisted shots" as attempts that took less than two seconds to generate. So when I use those terms, keep in mind what they mean here, since not every true assisted shot falls neatly into its proper category.
Here's a breakdown of each player.
CATEGORY 1: LEBRON JAMES
LeBron James is the greatest player of this generation and is a worthy case to study because of his unparalleled longevity as a scorer. In the nine years of NBA tracking data, he's also suited up for three teams with vastly different needs and contexts.
Impressively, while James' circumstances have changed, most of his creation diet has not. About 20% of his shots have been self-created threes in each of the past five seasons. He gets to the mid-range for about 16-to-20% of his looks, and it's been the case since the second year of his Cleveland homecoming. However, he has seen a notable change in two areas in recent seasons.
James has been driving to the basket much less frequently in the last two years, and it's resulted in fewer self-created shots in the paint. Two years ago, he averaged over 14.1 drives per game in the regular season for the title-winning Los Angeles Lakers. In 2021-22, that rate was down to 8.7 drives per game.&nbsp;
In contrast, he's shooting an increasing frequency of assisted threes, as shown in the below chart from PBP Stats:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-08-04-at-3-26-25-pm.png" alt="" width="697" height="362" />
James isn't some dynamic shooter off the catch, but hitting these shots in a percent rate around the upper-30s is pretty solid. You can see he's relied more and more on assisted threes since joining the Lakers. Last season, nearly 16.5% of his shots were these assisted triples, more than double the mark from his final season in Cleveland.
Are these two trends a result of James wanting to preserve his body as he battles injuries and Father Time? Or are they occurring because the Lakers have lacked perimeter threats? It's too complicated to answer here, but those are questions worth monitoring as he embarks on Year 20 as a pro.
CATEGORY 2: MID-RANGE MAESTROS &mdash; KEVIN DURANT AND CHRIS PAUL
The NBA is all about threes and layups, right? The mid-range pull-up is dead... right?
Kevin Durant and Chris Paul would like a word. We know they continue to make a living in the middle of the court, and eye-testers and statisticians alike would support their shot selection. But it surprised me that Durant and Paul are actually pulling up here even more frequently&nbsp;than in the past, even as the strategy of the game changes. Take a look at this chart I whipped up, showing how frequently the two create their own two-point shots from beyond 10 feet:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/kd-cp3-midrange.jpg" alt="" width="697" height="428" />
Nearly 40% of Durant's total shots last year were created by himself in the mid-range, and he canned them at a scorching 50.4% clip. Paul was even more extreme, with a whopping 56.8% of his shots being self-created, mid-range looks. He converted an unreal 54.2% of them. Those two down seasons for Paul, by the way, came in his two years with the Houston Rockets. I hardly think that's a coincidence.
The point is that if you are a comfortable mid-range creator, you absolutely have a place in today's NBA. Just look at our next two players.
CATEGORY 3: 2016 DRAFT PICKS &mdash; BRANDON INGRAM AND PASCAL SIAKAM
Here's a #take: The two best players from the confusing 2016 NBA Draft class are two more examples of how the right shot changes from player to player. Brandon Ingram and Pascal Siakam have seen their mid-range frequencies spike as they've ascended to primary playmaker roles on their respective teams. This table shows how they're leaning more on self-created longer twos:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 176px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 15.0416%; height: 44px;">Year</td>
<td style="width: 18.697%; height: 44px;">Ingram MR Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 18.6971%; height: 44px;">Siakam MR Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 18.958%; height: 44px;">Ingram MR FG%</td>
<td style="width: 19.4803%; height: 44px;">Siakam MR FG%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.0416%; height: 22px;">2016-17</td>
<td style="width: 18.697%; height: 22px;">28.44%</td>
<td style="width: 18.6971%; height: 22px;">4.35%</td>
<td style="width: 18.958%; height: 22px;">36.67%</td>
<td style="width: 19.4803%; height: 22px;">62.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.0416%; height: 22px;">2017-18</td>
<td style="width: 18.697%; height: 22px;">30.09%</td>
<td style="width: 18.6971%; height: 22px;">2.13%</td>
<td style="width: 18.958%; height: 22px;">40.48%</td>
<td style="width: 19.4803%; height: 22px;">40%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.0416%; height: 22px;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 18.697%; height: 22px;">32.19%</td>
<td style="width: 18.6971%; height: 22px;">4.78%</td>
<td style="width: 18.958%; height: 22px;">43.16%</td>
<td style="width: 19.4803%; height: 22px;">35.56%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.0416%; height: 22px;">2019-20</td>
<td style="width: 18.697%; height: 22px;">26.5%</td>
<td style="width: 18.6971%; height: 22px;">14.11%</td>
<td style="width: 18.958%; height: 22px;">42.05%</td>
<td style="width: 19.4803%; height: 22px;">32.03%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.0416%; height: 22px;">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 18.697%; height: 22px;">37.94%</td>
<td style="width: 18.6971%; height: 22px;">17.19%</td>
<td style="width: 18.958%; height: 22px;">47.24%</td>
<td style="width: 19.4803%; height: 22px;">38.18%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.0416%; height: 22px;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 18.697%; height: 22px;">39.29%</td>
<td style="width: 18.6971%; height: 22px;">25.52%</td>
<td style="width: 18.958%; height: 22px;">46.03%</td>
<td style="width: 19.4803%; height: 22px;">39.94%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Scroll right to view full table on mobile)
Ingram has always been comfortable creating for himself in this area. As a New Orleans Pelican, he's been surrounded with the perimeter and interior talent to open up more space as a mid-range artist. He's comfortably shooting in the mid-40s on these attempts, which is extremely promising as he moves towards his prime. Ingram isn't really a perimeter creator, but this talent plus his budding playmaking skills bode well for his future as a lead wing.
Siakam's growth is more eye-popping, though it should be noted he had a small role in those first two seasons. Over a quarter of his shots are now attempts he creates for himself in the mid-range, and this honestly might undersell him. He's a force in hitting some of the shorter paint shots that don't quite fit into this range.
Though Siakam isn't quite the knockdown scorer Ingram is, his growth is palpable. He's bullying his way to the rim more, and leaving behind a pull-up perimeter game that has yet to consistently suit him. When Durant and DeMar DeRozan eventually ride off into the sunset, these two should be candidates to replace them as the faces of the mid-range wing.
CATEGORY 4: TRACKING DATA BIOPICS &mdash; GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, BRADLEY BEAL AND JIMMY BUTLER
These three alpha scorers entered the Association around the dawn of the player tracking era. They've each uniquely molded themselves into high-powered self-creators.
Bradley Beal joined the Washington Wizards as the No. 3 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and partner in crime to John Wall. But as Beal's star rose and Wall battled injuries, the shooting guard evolved from a spacer and shooter into an attacking slasher. The below chart from PBP Stats shows how he took on more responsibility for creating his own shot within 10 feet of the hoop:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-08-04-at-4-23-32-pm.png" alt="" width="697" height="363" />
Beal is slicing to the basket at career-high frequencies. The 2021-22 campaign was the first time that more than 30% of his shots were self-created looks close to the rim. Unfortunately, it coincided with his lowest success rate on those shots, converting just 47.6% of them.
Jimmy Butler has had a more tumultuous NBA career that includes stops with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat in 10 seasons. But if you look at his same chart for self-creation within 10 feet, you can pretty clearly see when he settled in Miami.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-08-04-at-4-43-43-pm.png" alt="" width="698" height="356" />
In 2019, Butler began bombarding the basket. He almost doubled the interior creation frequency from his Most Improved Player season in 2014-15. Miami lacked players who can attack off the bounce. Butler's physical-play style, handle and underrated touch in the paint fit right in.
Giannis Antetokounmpo might be the most interesting name on paper because he was selected No. 15 overall in 2013 &mdash; the first year of the new player tracking. He's risen to arguably best-in-the-world status over that time, while winning a title and two MVP awards. But while his volume and responsibility have assuredly risen, his selection of self-created shots has only changed substantially in one zone: beyond the arc.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-08-04-at-4-56-58-pm.png" alt="" width="696" height="363" />
In 2018, it's as if the Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff just said, "Eh, go ahead, shoot threes and see what happens." And so, Antetokounmpo has fired away. It's not a fulcrum to his game by any means, but if 15% of his shot diet is self-created threes, that's meaningful enough in my book.&nbsp;
Defenses still mostly don't respect his shot, so Antetokounmpo has methodically stepped into more long-range shots. Calling them "self-created" looks is a bit of a stretch since he's often just waiting and slowly shooting. Nonetheless, shooting threes is a piece of his repertoire now, and it's ever-so-slowly coming along.
CATEGORY 5: ALL-WORLD CENTERS &mdash; JOEL EMBIID AND NIKOLA JOKIC
I've spent most of this deep dive on guards and wings; it only felt right to include the two defining centers of today's NBA. Neither creates much for himself from long range, for obvious reasons, but each has grown apart as a creator closer to the basket:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 327px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 12.331%; height: 44px;">&nbsp;Year</td>
<td style="width: 18.7394%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Embiid Paint Freq.&quot;}">Embiid Paint Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 17.1019%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Jokic Paint Freq.&quot;}">Jokic Paint Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 17.7545%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Embiid MR Freq.&quot;}">Embiid MR Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 17.2324%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Jokic MR Freq.&quot;}">Jokic MR Freq.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 12.331%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;2015-16&quot;}">2015-16</td>
<td style="width: 18.7394%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;DNP&quot;}">DNP</td>
<td style="width: 17.1019%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:22.47}">22.47%</td>
<td style="width: 17.7545%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;DNP&quot;}">DNP</td>
<td style="width: 17.2324%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7.37}">7.37%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 12.331%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;2016-17&quot;}">2016-17</td>
<td style="width: 18.7394%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:26.21}">26.21%</td>
<td style="width: 17.1019%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:24.65}">24.65%</td>
<td style="width: 17.7545%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:18.58}">18.58%</td>
<td style="width: 17.2324%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8.93}">8.93%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 12.331%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;2017-18&quot;}">2017-18</td>
<td style="width: 18.7394%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:24.35}">24.35%</td>
<td style="width: 17.1019%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:25.79}">25.79%</td>
<td style="width: 17.7545%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:29.74}">29.74%</td>
<td style="width: 17.2324%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8.67}">8.67%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 12.331%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;2018-19&quot;}">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 18.7394%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:29.09}">29.09%</td>
<td style="width: 17.1019%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:32.59}">32.59%</td>
<td style="width: 17.7545%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:20.1}">20.1%</td>
<td style="width: 17.2324%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8.46}">8.46%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 12.331%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;2019-20&quot;}">2019-20</td>
<td style="width: 18.7394%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:22.25}">22.25%</td>
<td style="width: 17.1019%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:27.58}">27.58%</td>
<td style="width: 17.7545%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:28.12}">28.12%</td>
<td style="width: 17.2324%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:13.88}">13.88%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 12.331%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;2020-21&quot;}">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 18.7394%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:23.52}">23.52%</td>
<td style="width: 17.1019%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:31.06}">31.06%</td>
<td style="width: 17.7545%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:36.12}">36.12%</td>
<td style="width: 17.2324%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:14.12}">14.12%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 12.331%; height: 44px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;2020-21&quot;}">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 18.7394%; height: 19px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:21.94}">21.94%</td>
<td style="width: 17.1019%; height: 19px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:30.89}">30.89%</td>
<td style="width: 17.7545%; height: 19px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:33.86}">33.86%</td>
<td style="width: 17.2324%; height: 19px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7.32}">7.32%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Scroll right to view full table on mobile)
Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid are the two most prolific post players in basketball, and yet their shots are trending towards different zones. Jokic has created a higher frequency of shots for himself closer to the basket, and after two big years in the mid-range, has shrunken that zone in his creation diet.
Embiid, meanwhile, is living in the middle of the half-court as a creator. In contrast, he isn't dominating to quite the same extent inside.&nbsp;
These two transcendent talents underscore the larger theme of this research &mdash; a simple but necessary reminder about the NBA ecosystem.
There is no secret ingredient or play style guaranteed for success. Players evolve with their teams, their bodies and the trends of the sport. The best individual scorers, like these 10 mentioned above, know how to capitalize on what works for them.

Ethan Fuller broke down how some of the game's top scorers have changed their shot selection over time.

Evaluating how 10 NBA superstars have changed as creators over time

NBA Summer League is a showcase for some of the top young talent in basketball. It also gives those on the fringes of the league a chance to break out, and reveal inspirational journeys of perseverance in the process.
Boston Celtics swingman Matt Ryan canned a game-winner on Monday to cap a performance I'll highlight in this roundup. But perhaps the best part came in his postgame interview:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🎥: <a href="https://twitter.com/ASherrodblakely?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ASherrodblakely</a> asked Matt Ryan about how it feels to see his hard work starting to pay off. He got choked up a bit while reflecting on the fact that a year ago he was driving for Door Dash and know he&rsquo;s on a Celtics roster <a href="https://t.co/GBRk9ya2rQ">pic.twitter.com/GBRk9ya2rQ</a>
&mdash; 𝕂𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕚 𝔸. 𝕃𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕤 (@KwaniALunis) <a href="https://twitter.com/KwaniALunis/status/1546689627628589057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

For Ryan and dozens of professional hopefuls, Summer League can help alter the course of their careers and lives. Performances like these are worth saluting.
Here's who stood out from what I saw on Monday:&nbsp;
STUDS
Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Trey Murphy dropped a 30-piece in the <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> win!<a href="https://twitter.com/treymurphy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@treymurphy</a> 30 PTS (10-18 FGM) | 6 REB <a href="https://t.co/QesZWbUZM0">pic.twitter.com/QesZWbUZM0</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546649262146129922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
Box score stats: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 10/18 FG, 3/6 3PT
Murphy put on a full scoring display to open the afternoon. The second-year forward impressed me particularly with how he reached the rim off the dribble, changing speeds and using ball-screens to get downhill. He's a lot bigger and stronger than I've given him credit for; he finished hard through contact multiple times.
Of course, Murphy also knocked down a few long three-pointers, which has been his calling card since entering the league. He's been one of the most impressive scorers at Summer League to date, and hopefully it helps Murphy carve his niche in a deep Pelicans rotation.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tari Eason dropped BUCKETS for the <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoustonRockets</a> in their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> win!<a href="https://twitter.com/TAR13ASON?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TAR13ASON</a>: 22 PTS, 11 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK <a href="https://t.co/V9cMKqdDd2">pic.twitter.com/V9cMKqdDd2</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546681252379611137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box score stats: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 9/16 FG, 2/3 3PT
If you want to call Eason the rookie MVP of the summer, I'd hear you out. The No. 17 overall pick seems to get better every game, and against the San Antonio Spurs, Eason unleashed his most prolific two-way performance.
His defense remains top-notch for a young player. Eason punctuated his effort with an awesome defensive rotation and block in the third quarter. Then on offense, he was scoring buckets as a rolling lob threat, an off-dribble driver and a corner shooter. I've reached the stage with Eason where I'm constantly reminding myself not to overreact about his talent.
Matt Ryan, Boston Celtics
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MATT RYAN! BALL GAME! <a href="https://t.co/y97v9OGUBK">pic.twitter.com/y97v9OGUBK</a>
&mdash; Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorcsnow/status/1546679203650732034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
Box score stats: 23 points, 2 steals, 7/12 FG, 6/11 3PT
Ryan was the hero in Boston's 111-109 win over Milwaukee thanks to his buzzer-beating three-pointer that included a twisted ankle in the process. But he caught fire throughout the contest. Ryan is excellent at relocating, and specifically earned some open looks when he capitalized on the chaos of an offensive rebound or loose ball.
Ryan played a grand total of five minutes with Boston last season after coming from the Grant Rapids Gold. With so many open roster spots, the Celtics could easily bring him back or sign him to a two-way contract.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Milwaukee Bucks
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WHAT IS THIS SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI <a href="https://t.co/BqPLOUyS1C">pic.twitter.com/BqPLOUyS1C</a>
&mdash; Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20/status/1546676214890364929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box score stats: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 9/19 FG, 3/5 3PT
Though the Bucks lost their matchup against Boston, they had two outstanding individual performances. The first came from Mamukelashvili, the No. 54 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Mamukelashvili only had a pair of assists, but I thought they were two signifcant reads: a corner dart to an open MarJon Beauchamp three-pointer, and a dump-off from a drive to AJ Green. They complemented a versatile scoring performance, and he went toe-to-toe with Boston's Mfiondu Kabengele in a great battle that might have ended with the above posterization.
I liked some of Mamukelashvili's defensive moments too. He stuck to Juhann Begarin, an athletic driving wing, and picked up 2 blocks. It was a pretty great all-around effort for a player who could give Milwaukee some quality frontcourt depth.
Lindell Wigginton, Milwaukee Bucks
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Keeping Up With The Canadians 🇨🇦 Lindell Wigginton | vs. Boston 24 POINTS 3 THREE POINTERS 5 REBOUNDS 5 ASSISTS<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/LZM7jXZ1zA">pic.twitter.com/LZM7jXZ1zA</a>
&mdash; NBA Canada (@NBACanada) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBACanada/status/1546849359483924482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box score stats: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 8/13 FG, 3/7 3PT
Wigginton was throwing dimes all over the court. His 6 turnovers don't do Wigginton justice, as 2 of those were great passes that Wigginton's teammates simply mishandled. Wigginton assisted Mamukelashvili on three of his makes and also pushed the Bucks forward on fast breaks.
As a scorer, the second-year guard used ball-screens to find a lane or force a switch, which he punished twice with pull-up twos. Defenders sometimes went under screens, and Wigginton responded by drilling some high-arcing threes. He balanced creativity with poise as a lead guard.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I could watch Chet Holmgren block shots all day long. <a href="https://t.co/jnXHPjfffH">pic.twitter.com/jnXHPjfffH</a>
&mdash; Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThunderFilmRoom/status/1546672039179833344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box score stats: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 7/10 FG, 2/4 3PT
As the above Tweet implies, we will be lucky to see the No. 2 pick swatting shots for a long, long time. Holmgren's incredible instincts and timing aren't any new revelation, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate them over and over again.
Orlando did not defend Holmgren as a roller particularly well in this one, and he found some easy finishes as a result. He also hit the defense with a sweet step-back three and positions himself well for dump-offs from passers like Josh Giddey. The only area I'd nitpick is that he sometimes tried to do too much as a ball-handler and coughed up some turnovers. But why not try to get creative in this setting?
Other notable performers: Daishen Nix (Rockets), Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets), Josh Christopher (Rockets), Malaki Branham (Spurs), MarJon Beauchamp (Bucks), Mfiondu Kabengele (Celtics), Justin James (Magic), AJ Lawson (Mavericks), Quentin Grimes (Knicks), Jabari Walker (Trail Blazers)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
DUDS
Sharife Cooper, Atlanta Hawks
Box score stats: 0 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, 0/8 FG
It's been a really rough week for Cooper as an offensive player. He's made 1 of his 14 field goal attempts through two games, and there isn't much to be optimistic about with his scoring flashes. Cooper really struggled to create easy looks at the rim. There were times where he'd even beat his defender on a drive and have them pinned on his hip, but he lacked the vertical explosion and strength to turn the advantages into quality chances. His perimeter shot looked inconsistent and timid. Hopefully, Cooper can turn things around, because we've seen so much more from him in the past year.
Leandro Bolmaro, Utah Jazz
Box score stats: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 3/12 FG, 0/2 3PT
The Jazz eked out a win over the Dallas Mavericks despite some ghastly individual shooting nights. Bolmaro was determined to attack the Mavs off the dribble. The aggression was great, but it often came with a low-quality shot because he could not beat a defender, or he would drive into a crowd. I do want to credit Dallas because the team collectively played great defense against Bolmaro. The former Minnesota T-Wolves swingman also missed some must-have layups that I'm not concerned about in the future.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Caleb Houstan, Orlando Magic
Box score stats: 4 points, 1 steal, 1 block, 2/10 FG, 0/6 3PT
This is another dud performance that I wouldn't be concerned about long-term. Houstan spaced the floor extremely well, was active as a cutter and even displayed some confidence attacking closeouts. He just missed shots that he should make. Now, if you're a skeptic of Houstan as a shooter based on his time at Michigan, then maybe this outing means more to you. I'm a firm believer in Houstan being one of the more talented pure movement threats in this draft class, so an off night isn't a harbinger for me.
Tre Mann, Oklahoma City Thunder
Box score stats: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3/14 FG, 1/6 3PT
In a similar vein, Mann has proven from his flashes in the regular season that he's going to be an NBA-caliber scorer. Though Mann's Monday effort won't mean much in the long run, I felt he made some odd decisions on when to attack vs. settle/pass.
Sometimes ,Mann would try and make too much happen off the bounce against a stout Magic defense. On one other play, he had what appeared to be an easy rim attack, but hesitated and shot a three that ended up letting a defender back in the picture to contest. These are probably microscopic miscues, but I definitely want to monitor how Mann works alongside primary playmakers in Giddey and Jalen Williams.

Trey Murphy III poured in 30 points to lead Monday's top performances at NBA Summer League on Day 5.

10 studs and duds from Day 5 of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

To those who were paying attention, Brad Stevens shut down the Boston Celtics' pursuit of a Kevin Durant-type superstar long before Durant set the NBA world on fire with his reported trade request.&nbsp;
After the Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, Stevens turned his focus quickly to the offseason, and laid out a vague, yet detailed outline of how things would look in his second offseason as the team's president of basketball operations.
&ldquo;I think we have to walk a fine line a little bit. I think teams are fragile,&rdquo; Stevens said <a href="https://theathletic.com/3376940/2022/06/21/celtics-brad-stevens-offense-playmaking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via The Athletic's Jared Weiss</a>. &ldquo;I think the way teams work together and operate together are fragile. And I think your identity as a team, when you find one that&rsquo;s successful &mdash; which we did this year on the defensive end of the floor and when we were at our best sharing the ball offensively &mdash; those things are fragile. So just to add doesn&rsquo;t mean that you&rsquo;re not taking something away from the group. And to change significant pieces in the group doesn&rsquo;t mean that that might not totally take your identity and shift it in a direction that&rsquo;s not as successful.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Steve later added further perspective:
&ldquo;With our group in particular, it&rsquo;s not as much about blindly acquiring talent as it is fitting a team together. We&rsquo;ve got some very, very talented guys, and they are young. So it&rsquo;s about how do we fit together, bring our strengths together to accentuate each other.&rdquo;
It's the approach that landed Derrick White (and Daniel Theis, in some respects) this past trade deadline, and the same theme is underlining Boston's two splashes this NBA offseason.
Last Friday, the Celtics reportedly acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts, Nik Stauskas and a 2023 first-round pick &mdash; essentially one rotation player, several reserves and a draft asset. According to several reports, they also intend to ink Danilo Gallinari to a two-year contract following a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs.
Observers have lauded both moves in consensus, and I'd join the chorus. Boston barely subtracted from its 2021-22 rotation while adding two veterans who have averaged at least 24 minutes per game in each of their respective seasons since Gallinari's 2008-09 rookie year. Brogdon and Gallinari add 821 combined NBA games started to the shuffle, and to have both off the bench is a testament to the depth of a title frontrunner.
But even if the on-paper trade-off was minimal, this is still a serious bet that Stevens and Ime Udoka know how to straddle that aformentioned fine line &mdash; how to avoid complacency without upsetting the fragility of a team's identity. Brogdon and Gallinari bring strengths that the Celtics sorely lacked in their Finals loss &mdash; and concerns that could undermine their fit with the rest of the roster.
Here's how I painted Boston's offseason needs:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Three most notable needs for the Celtics to address this offseason: - Movement shooting/shooters who force defensive attention - Third big who can switch in postseason - Bench scorer who can get to second level of defense
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1541795815160700934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

And here's another nugget from Stevens:
&ldquo;I think we need a little bit more playmaking. I think that&rsquo;s real,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;I think we need more playmaking, but I don&rsquo;t think we can be stagnant. We have to make sure that we continue to play with pace. When we are at our best we play with pace, and when we create one advantage the ball whips around the court and I just thought we played pretty slow in that last series.&rdquo;
An idealized Malcolm Brogdon hits my third bullet point and Stevens' quote.&nbsp;
In his smaller, 36-game sample size from an injury-plagued 2021-22 season, Brogdon finished fourth in the NBA with 18.3 drives per game. He's steadily increased that volume throughout his NBA career, and has kept up some impressive numbers on those attacks. Here's how he ranked in several metrics when driving the ball last season, among 83 players who drove at least seven times per game across at least 30 games:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">Category</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">Number (NBA Rank) </td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">Drives/Game</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">18.3 (4th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">FG%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">54.1% (12th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">FTA/Game</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">2.2 (t-17th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">AST%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">12.9% (t-15th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">TOV%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">4.2% (1st)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
What does playmaking mean? It's an amoebic term that people use... creatively, throughout basketball. To me, a good "playmaker" can create an advantage and make the high-efficiency play, whether it be a bucket or a pass, out of that advantage. Brogdon successfully play-makes when he hits these driving lanes.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/8bnbvm" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
It's impressive how he can generate quality looks without an eye-popping first step or vertical leap. Brogdon can use a quick dribble move to get his legs running, and he's great at creating extra space with his opposite arm and shoulder without fouling. Then, he can get the ball to his extended finishing hand so quickly that even longer defenders can't recover in time (look at that drive on Jaylen Brown). Brogdon doesn't have the best natural touch at the rim, but all of these smaller tricks of the trade help him clear the obstacles.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/pij3pw" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Brogdon isn't passing players open, but he has the requisite court vision to read help defense and sense where his shooters are. Brogdon notched upper-echelon assist rates in each season as a Pacer without sacrificing too many turnovers, and should continue to do so in a smaller role.
I read and listened to some Brogdon season-ending reviews from Caitlin Cooper and Mark Schindler. One notable critique they alluded to was his tendency to lean into the drive, particularly on a mismatch.
<a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2022/7/1/23179429/pacers-trade-malcolm-brogdon-to-celtics-continue-rebuild" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cooper noted</a> one play against the Detroit Pistons where Brogdon charged at a switching Isaiah Stewart without any threat of a pass or pull-up. It's noteworthy because one of the biggest criticisms of the Celtics all season long was their late-game tendency to fall into isolation mismatch-hunting, gunking up the ball movement. That overlap does give me pause.
Schindler elaborated on an <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2022/4/12/23021238/player-reviews-malcolm-brogdon-buddy-hield-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April episode of the Indy Cornrows</a> podcast that Brogdon demonstrated a concerning hesitancy to shoot in search of drives. He shot just 31.2% from beyond the arc last season, the worst percentage of his career and far off from his 38.8% clip in 2020-21. It further strained the synergy between Brogdon and Tyrese Haliburton, who, as Caitlin and Mark both emphasized, did not mesh particularly well in a tiny eight-game sample.
Fitting Brogdon into Boston's guard rotations should be smoother.&nbsp;
Firstly, it's reasonable to expect shooting improvement. Brogdon was in and out of a jumbled Pacers lineup last season, and again, played only 36 games. He made just 33% of his catch-and-shoot threes last season after hitting on 44% of those shots the prior year. Brogdon isn't the 50-40-90 player he was in 2017-18, but he's also just a better knockdown shooter than his 2021-22 numbers indicate.
He won't be playing the same minutes with the same responsibility, and a change of scenery can always act as a confidence reset. Tatum, Brown, Smart and White can all orchestrate offense with a base level of comfort, meaning Brogdon receives more time as a spot-up perimeter threat.&nbsp;
Boston desperately needed another player who could collapse defenses in the Finals, particularly as Brown and Tatum grew fatigued from high usage. Boston drove to the basket 52 times per game in the Finals. Tatum, Brown, Smart and White combined for 91% of those drives. Tatum and White struggled immensely against Golden State's defense, shooting 31.0% and 27.8% from the field, respectively.
Brogdon should feast on reps as an initiator off the bench or as an off-ball threat to shoot or drive next to Boston's other primary creators. His presence should particularly help White &mdash; who is used to playing as a "1B" attacker from his days in San Antonio &mdash; speed to the basket with more freedom as Brogdon draws some defensive eyeballs away.
Payton Pritchard is another beneficiary, though I wonder what the trades mean for his playing time. He's the best shooter on the Celtics, but one of the least threatening drivers in the entire league. Now, he won't have to worry about pressuring a defense, and in theory, he can turn into a floor-spacer while Brogdon and White do the heavy lifting with the ball.
On defense, Boston simply needs its cast to hit a threshold of individual switchability and team communication. Brogdon won't make an All-Defensive Team next season, but at 6-foot-5 and nearly 230 pounds, he's an above-average defender who should hold his own on most guards and leaner wings. Brogdon will rarely have to exhaust energy as a point-of-attack defender as long as Smart and White are healthy, and he seems capable of acclimating to the high-pressure world of Celtics scrams and switches.&nbsp;
All of these visualizations hinge on two additional question marks. First, Brogdon has to settle into his role. Multiple reports from Boston-area outlets have repeated that, barring some stunning change, he will be used off the bench. This shouldn't be a serious concern; Brogdon might stay healthier with a lesser workload, and he's indicated he knows what he has to sacrifice.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking to win a championship, that&rsquo;s actually it,&rdquo; Brogdon said to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3395726/2022/07/01/celtics-trade-malcolm-brogdon-pacers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jared Weiss of The Athletic</a>. &ldquo;In the past, I&rsquo;ve worried about stats and numbers and all that. I&rsquo;m going to Boston and not worrying about that.&rdquo;
Health is an entirely different topic.
Brogdon has not played more than 65 regular-season games in a single season since his rookie year. He's never had one serious long-term injury like an ACL or Achilles tear, but has fought through numerous ailments all over his body throughout his career (<a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nba/malcolm-brogdon-player-injuries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here's a list</a>). I won't speculate on what we can expect for availability, and the Celtics doctors know far more than we do. It's still worth monitoring for a guard who turns 30 this winter.
But as long as Brogdon is healthy, he's one more supporting beam for Boston's offense as it tries to create the consistency worthy of an NBA championship.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller breaks down how Malcolm Brogdon fits the Celtics' rotation.

How does Malcolm Brogdon fit with the Boston Celtics?

The end of the 2021-22 NBA season is remarkably bittersweet. The basketball was great, with an incredible level of competitiveness, a revamping of defense, an embracing of coverage versatility and an impressive rookie class. Covering it was an absolute joy.
On a personal note, a massive thank you to all who read my work, supported me, encouraged me or interacted with me during the season. Last May, I graduated from college with roughly a year-and-a-half of covering basketball in some part-time fashion under my belt.
I took a bit of a leap of faith to write about basketball full-time or go broke trying, and because of BasketballNews and a few other platforms, I was able to stay afloat and eventually break even for the first time in my life based on work I'm truly passionate about. My athletic &lsquo;career&rsquo; ended in 2018 and it took me a long time to really find out what was next and what my purpose was. Writing and talking about the game just does something for me that I can&rsquo;t explain, so I&rsquo;ll just reiterate: thank you all again for making this life possible. Without help from many of you and my family, I wouldn&rsquo;t be in this position. I&rsquo;m an extremely lucky person and I&rsquo;m so glad to do what I do, and I'm fortunate that my work resonates with people.
So as per usual, my main takeaway is never from the result, even when looking at my own track through basketball. The process is 97% of why I care and watch the games. It&rsquo;s what I love to track and decipher. Nekias Duncan exemplified that and then some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jayson-tatum-boston-celtics-improvement-nba-finals-leap-nekias-duncan-golden-state-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with his piece yesterday</a>.&nbsp;
The seasons within each season define the process. A player returns from injury or makes a key development that shapes a rotation, changes a team's identity or defines a stretch of play. Rinse and repeat, as this happens a multitude of times for each team to varying degrees. The contention landscape is an ever-molding horizon that whittles away as the year goes by.
A third of the way through the season, I thought the Cleveland Cavaliers had a shot at winning a series and making a second one raucous for their opponent. I didn&rsquo;t have faith in the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; frontcourt rotation and halfcourt offense, leading me to think they&rsquo;d be out of the playoffs before the Conference Finals (lol).
Along those lines, perhaps the biggest takeaway I have from this season and the postseason is that it&rsquo;s just really freakin' hard to win a title. That sounds reductive, and perhaps it is in essence, but that&rsquo;s sort of the point. I think it&rsquo;s a bit foolhardy and lacking in context at times to take away any sweeping thoughts on the ideology of basketball in such a volatile setting.
We at large don&rsquo;t know the full slate of what is or isn&rsquo;t going on behind the scenes or in a locker room until it&rsquo;s being broken nationally and is about to be resolved one way or another. That&rsquo;s not an excuse for poor or underwhelming play, rather to say that it&rsquo;s hard to place and capture the magic of incredible success. I, and many, thought that the Phoenix Suns would walk into the Western Conference Finals. The vibes dissipated with a quickness from immaculate to disastrous in a way I haven&rsquo;t felt since the 2013-14 Indiana Pacers.
I can point out the poor play and roster flaws that led to their on-court demise, but whatever happened off the court without a doubt contributed. It would be in poor faith to say, &ldquo;Because of this they lost." But it would be just as wrong to say, &ldquo;Well, they just didn&rsquo;t have that dog in them.&rdquo;
The Suns did have that magic for much of the season. We&rsquo;ve seen teams find it and lose it during the course of the year time and time again. Finding that run of play and maintaining it is so much more difficult than we lend credence to. We tend to decry the losers rather than pointing out the immaculate nature of those who stood the test of four playoff series. We should change that! Winning the NBA Finals is extremely difficult.
As Nekias pointed out in his<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jayson-tatum-boston-celtics-improvement-nba-finals-leap-nekias-duncan-golden-state-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aforementioned article</a>about Jayson Tatum, think about all of the fantastic moments and series that Tatum did have leading up to the Finals. That man balled the heck out. We&rsquo;re talking about how making the Finals and losing is bad for Tatum&rsquo;s legacy??? That&rsquo;s crazy to me. I understand the importance of legacy to some, but those arguments shed 97% of what got us here and hyperfocus on a six-game series at the highest level of play.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Basketball and sports in general are meant to be analyzed; it&rsquo;s a large part of my job. But I feel the championship series should ultimately be much more about enjoying two incredibly good, incredibly talented and incredibly fun teams duel for the top spot in the league after the season tipped 240 days before.
To lead into some of the more tactical/schematic takeaways, advantage continuation is paramount. It probably seems obvious, but the ability to keep moving the ball, keep a play running and force the defense to react in kind is so important, even if it doesn&rsquo;t lead to a bucket. I was routinely stricken by how often the Warriors had first, second, third or even fourth actions sputter out, but they routinely found a small crevice upon which to expand and keep the advantage flowing.&nbsp;
I saw so many times throughout the series, &ldquo;How was this Boston defense good during the regular season?&rdquo; Was I doomscrolling and over-indexing? You bet. But it still stood out. The Celtics fought for their lives on possessions, and the way they shut down the Warriors time and time again in the halfcourt only to be whiplashed by a backcut, a broken play, an impromptu DHO, a Steph Curry deep three or a quick putback after 15 seconds of scramble felt back-breaking. I&rsquo;m not sure I&rsquo;ve ever felt Steph&rsquo;s shooting gravity and never ending off-ball movement like I did in this Finals.
Even with players who weren&rsquo;t shooters on volume, the Warriors unclogged possessions due to Steph&rsquo;s otherworldly play and the quick decision-making of his teammates. Draymond flipping the switch on his offensive aggression, adjusting the shot tendencies like we WISH NBA 2K would even consider absolutely changed the series. Eliminating some of the indecisiveness and unwillingness made Golden State that much harder to guard.&nbsp;
As athletic and sizable as the Celtics were across the board, they often felt a step behind and rarely dictating the dance in defensive possessions, which felt quite polar to their first three series.
Prior to the final few games against the Warriors, the Celtics toed that line of having enough of that ball movement and redrive oomph, attacking with secondary and tertiary drives to maintain an advantage. That, uhhh, did not hold up in the Finals, as the Warriors played phenomenal defense, but it also felt like Boston went away from what made them the best offense in the league in 2022. Marcus Smart has his fair share of erratic offensive possessions, but he spurred the offense throughout the year as Ime Udoka charged him with more primary ball-handling duties to put Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in more optimal offensive situations.
It wasn&rsquo;t that he needed to always have the ball, and he still handled much in the postseason, but it assuredly happened less, and penetration and kickouts became more sparse. Again though, the point is that secondary creation juice is a large part of how they got to the Finals.
The Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks both felt as though they really lacked another secondary creator or enough of that ability to continue the advantages of Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo respectively. Again, not fully that dumbed down, but the Griz dealt with the issues of too many shooters who were hesitant and also not impacting the defense. The Bucks rarely sniffed the paint outside of Giannis or Jrue Holiday&rsquo;s forays to the rim. Kick-outs were routinely one-and-done shots. Injuries certainly played a factor, as Khris Middleton changes things greatly for the Bucks, but that wasn&rsquo;t the case. Even during the regular season, Milwaukee felt short of another shot creator.
On a similar note, the use of the clock to cut down or exacerbate your advantages on the margins is essential if you have some semblance of halfcourt struggles or are facing a top-notch defensive team. The Warriors absolutely bodied teams in transition and with early offense (no stats, just vibes; this was clear while watching). I think back to that Denver series and how masterfully the Warriors forced cross-matches and shifted the defense before plays started just by running like mad down the court.&nbsp;
Boston was on their heels for so much of the series due to how much concerted effort the Warriors put into getting into early sets. Running off of misses was a huge swing factor, feasting on Boston&rsquo;s at-rim misses in droves and parlaying a 4-on-3 against them into a 4-on-3 the other way. It honestly felt devastating at times, the basketball version of Sisyphus&rsquo; toil playing out on the parquet.
The Celtics felt on the verge of an eight-second violation every possession coming up court. Golden State employed a good array of pressure to slow down the Celtics; that&rsquo;s one of my favorite random things. You&rsquo;d think pressure would speed things up, right? Nope, it made the Celtics bog down and sink like a tank traversing through mud (shout out Call of Duty 4, mission War Pig; a throwback to seventh grade). In turn, they were sped up due to facing the shot clock with a proverbial back against the wall. All of the tendencies were loaded up in Golden State&rsquo;s favor given how they worked the margins.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
My last point I really want to stress is my ultimate Old-Man-Yells-at-Clouds moment. It is really, really, really, reaaaallllllyyyy hard to be a big in the NBA. So often, there&rsquo;s this idea that's consistently projected that you can "just scoop up a viable big for the mid-level exception" or that "teams shouldn&rsquo;t draft a big in the lottery." And sure, you can get a really serviceable backup or spot-starter for the MLE!
But you know that defensive-coverage versatility we mentioned earlier? It is so hard to be a big who can only play one coverage. I&rsquo;d argue being a coverage-versatile big who can make quality decisions and continue advantages if you don&rsquo;t craft them themselves is the most lacking positional archetype in a league that looks starved for them.&nbsp;
This is not my attempt to display how I think basketball should be played; there are a ton of viable ways to win a title and construct a roster even if there are some underscored guidelines that set the boundaries of what a team can be at the highest level.
But let&rsquo;s just run through some of the most important players on the deep playoff teams (who made it to the second round or further):
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Jaren Jackson Jr.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Giannis Antetokounmpo</li>
<li aria-level="1">Deandre Ayton</li>
<li aria-level="1">Robert Williams III</li>
<li aria-level="1">Al Horford</li>
<li aria-level="1">Draymond Green</li>
<li aria-level="1">Kevon Looney (who was incredible throughout the Warriors' run)</li>
<li aria-level="1">Bam Adebayo</li>
<li aria-level="1">Maxi Kleber</li>
</ul>
The NBA 5 is so pivotal upon how defenses play the game on either side. For a defense, they need to be able to hang up in a multitude of schemes while ideally being a backline eraser with strong-help instincts and the athleticism to deter shots. Switch everything is a lie, but some switchability is pretty nice too! Can you play close to the level? Can you show and recover? Can you display enough hand activity to add a modicum of hesitation on pull-up twos or a guard turning the corner out of a ball screen as your point-of-attack defender fights over to reconnect?
There are a trillion responsibilities seemingly, and ground coverage is a must.
Offensively, the 5s routinely were the focal point of how a defense looked to stifle an offense. While Draymond isn&rsquo;t technically a 5, he played a great deal of time there and his improved play and aggression over the backend of the series was paramount in attacking Boston&rsquo;s defense and tipping the scale. In the previous series, I can still hear Steve Jones Jr.&rsquo;s voice ringing out from the Dunker Spot (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen and subscribe!</a>) about how teams played him as a post decision-maker with Golden State&rsquo;s patented split cuts.
Al Horford broke defenses with his consistent shooting in the playoffs, something that wasn&rsquo;t there much of the regular season. Shooting in that sweet spot of league average or slightly higher without hesitation at the 5 spot is back-breaking. Miami and Milwaukee routinely tried to negate Horford&rsquo;s presence, but if you&rsquo;re going to shoot like that without thinking, it changes the way a defense can play you. Much of the same should be said of Maxi Kleber for the Mavs. His personal heater against the Suns altered that series and forced Phoenix into a defensive bind that restructured the way they could play defense without getting absolutely pelted from Kleber&rsquo;s above-the-break dynamism.
Being a capable two-way NBA big is freakin' hard. The game is still shifting more and more toward size and skill, something the next few draft classes exemplify. I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s as drastic as every player being 7-feet tall and taking pull-up threes out of ball screens, but there&rsquo;s real credence to acknowledging that the first few draft classes of players that grew up playing AAU and youth ball after the spacing revolution are coming in with skill sets to match. A few seasons ago, I was speaking with a prominent high school coach who mentioned that the high-school game was a half decade behind the NBA, as players adapted to what they saw and took in growing up. We&rsquo;re seeing that start to play out and that&rsquo;s absurdly cool to witness.
What will the game look like in 2027? I don&rsquo;t have the answer, but I have a semblance of an idea of where it&rsquo;s headed in the next few years, and I&rsquo;m excited.
What will the next shift be? How is the game going to bend the court dimensions again? It continually happens over time, as innovation and adaptation occurs.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The game is beautiful, and I&rsquo;m lucky to cover it. Once again, a heartfelt thank you to anyone who's reading and those who have shared or interacted with my work over the last season. It&rsquo;s odd to say goodbye to 2022, but I have a good feeling about next season.
Who knows, maybe this is the year for the Sacramento Kings?! Maybe the Orlando Magic are our wondrous young team that takes a sizable step forward from fun and young to fun, young and funkily effective. I don&rsquo;t know what next year holds and I can make as many predictions as I want, but that unknowing is part of what makes the game so mystifying to me. I love uncovering and trying to learn more about what the game is, and the skill sets and stories that make up the humans who play the game. I truly loved the process and unraveling of the 2022 season, and I hope you can say the same!
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The 2021-22 NBA season is over. What can we take away from it and where is the game headed in the coming years?