Barons

Some stories from the golden era of the NBA exist in that fascinating space between confirmed history and beloved lore,&nbsp; too detailed to be invented, too strange to be mundane. The tale of what happened in an elevator at the 1998 NBA All-Star Game in New York City sits squarely in that territory. It involves a teenager named <a href="https://rg.org/news/basketball/phil-handy-jordan-kobe-lebron-goat-debate">Kobe Bryant</a>, a 270-pound veteran named Jayson Williams, a near-brawl in an enclosed space, and the intervention of a man who would eventually become the 45th and 47th President of the United States.
The confined space of an elevator is the last place you want to be when a 270-pound professional athlete decides he has been disrespected enough. According to Williams's account, one he has told many times over the years with the kind of vivid detail that only a born storyteller can summon, that is exactly where things stood between him and a young Kobe Bryant during All-Star Weekend at Madison Square Garden.
A Future President Steps Between Two Giants
Williams reportedly swung at Bryant, and what started as a locker room tension between a veteran who felt disrespected and a teenager who refused to back down threatened to become something far worse. This is where the story takes its most improbable turn. Donald Trump, then a New York fixture and real estate mogul who had turned celebrity into its own kind of currency, did not step back. He stepped in.
Trump later confirmed the incident during an interview with Jake Paul, offering a characteristically direct account of what happened. "That was a long time ago. Yeah, well I was breaking up a fight, which sometimes is more dangerous than being in a fight," Trump said. "But I like Kobe. Kobe was having a hard time with somebody, and it worked out fine. But yeah, I broke it up,&nbsp; probably not a smart thing to do. Historically, it's never good to break up fights."
According to the account that has circulated since, Trump physically grabbed Williams and told Bryant to get out. The elevator doors opened. Kobe walked. A potential disaster for the NBA's rising star, a teenager still finding his footing in the league, was averted in one of the most unlikely moments in sports history.
"I was breaking up a fight, which sometimes is more dangerous than being in a fight... I like Kobe. Kobe was having a hard time with somebody, and it worked out fine." <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/14/sports/donald-trump-confirms-breaking-up-fight-involving-kobe-bryant/">said Donald Trump</a>
<h2>Charles Oakley, the Witness Who Doesn't Quite Remember</h2>
Every great piece of basketball lore needs a credible voice to place it in context, and Charles Oakley, one of the toughest and most respected players of that era, provides exactly that, even if his account comes with a caveat. Oakley, speaking with Yahoo Sports, was measured: he doesn't personally recall being in the elevator that day, but he has absolutely heard the story, told by Williams himself, on multiple occasions to multiple people.
"He had told it to some people that I was around," <a href="https://scoopb.com/2026/03/exclusive-the-night-trump-saved-kobe-inside-the-1998-elevator-brawl-with-untold-accounts-from-jayson-williams-and-charles-oakley/">Oakley said to Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson</a>&nbsp;"Jayson, he liked to be a story. He's a storyteller. I told him, 'Jayson, I mean, you 55, 57. You probably told that story 50 times.'" When I spoke with Oakley separately, he echoed that sentiment. While he couldn't personally account for the specifics of the elevator incident, he was quick to note that Williams tells it with extraordinary conviction and color. "Jayson is an awesome storyteller who brings these moments to life with incredible detail," Oakley said. That endorsement, from a man who has no incentive to embellish, carries its own weight.
<h2>Jayson Williams and the Locker Room That Made History</h2>
Williams's connection to the 1998 All-Star Game runs deeper than one elevator encounter. He has vivid memories of walking into the locker room at Madison Square Garden and locking eyes with Larry Bird, who was coaching the Eastern Conference that weekend. The history between them stretched back to Williams's second game in the league, when Bird, still active and relentless, had torched him for 45 points while repeatedly demanding that the coach put the rookie back in so he could keep going.
"He just looked at me and said 'Your minutes are on the board'... And I said 'Thanks Coach' and he goes 'You f---n' rookie!' This is Larry Bird and he remembered that for 25 years!" Williams said. "He's one of the biggest and best smack talkers but he can back it up. All the time though!"
And then there was Michael Jordan, the loudest presence in a room full of legends. Williams describes Jordan's energy that day as laser-focused and entirely intentional: MJ was announcing to anyone who would listen that he wanted the ball every single possession. "He was coming in there letting us all know that he wasn't going to take the ball out because you know in the All-Star Game when you take the ball out you don't get it back," Williams explained. "He's MJ baby! He's the best who ever did it."
<h2>Why This Story Still Matters</h2>
The 1998 NBA All-Star Game produced a box score and a winner. But the stories that live from that weekend, a future president breaking up a fight in an elevator, Larry Bird's long memory for a rookie he once torched, Michael Jordan manufacturing motivation in real time, are the ones that remind you why the human element of professional basketball is as compelling as anything that happens between the lines.
Jayson Williams may have told the elevator story fifty times. But fifty tellings of a story this strange, this specific, and this perfectly placed at the intersection of basketball and American history is not repetition. It is preservation. And now it belongs to the record.

A veteran who felt disrespected. A teenager who refused to back down. A future president who stepped into the middle of it. The story of one of the NBA's most surreal untold moments — set against the electric backdrop of Madison Square Garden in 1998.

Donald Trump Stopped Kobe Bryant–Jayson Williams Elevator Fight (1998 NBA All-Star)

The 2023 NBA Draft could go down as a special class, with talented prospects such as Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and the Thompson twins as well as some interesting depth pieces.
But will it ever be considered one of the best draft classes in NBA history? That remains to be seen.
Today, we're going to identify the cr&egrave;me de la cr&egrave;me of NBA draft classes.
The 2003 NBA Draft
The 2003 NBA Draft featured multiple generational talents that would come to define the NBA for the next two decades. Led by LeBron James, this class also included household names such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Not only did this draft have star power, it was also very deep. Twenty-seven players from the 2003 class played at least 10 seasons in the NBA: James, Wade, Anthony, Bosh, Kyle Korver, David West, Zaza Pachulia, Nick Collison, Boris Diaw, Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa, James Jones, Chris Kaman, Kirk Hinrich, Dahntay Jones, Steve Blake, Mo Williams, Luke Ridnour, Willie Green, Matt Bonner, Travis Outlaw, Keith Bogans, Darko Milicic, Mickael Pietrus, Sasha Pavlovic, Josh Howard and Luke Walton. This class featured nine All-Stars and plenty of quality role players.
The 1984 NBA Draft
The 1984 NBA Draft stands as a legendary class, and some might argue that it's the greatest draft of all-time. Two of the top three picks &mdash; Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon &mdash; would ultimately etch their names in the annals of basketball history and redefine greatness. In addition to Jordan and Olajuwon, players like Charles Barkley, John Stockton and Alvin Robertson showcased their immense talent as well. This class produced five Hall-of-Famers and seven All-Stars.
The 1996 NBA Draft
The 1996 NBA Draft changed the landscape of the league, heralding the arrival of future Hall-of-Famers and icons. Led by the legendary Kobe Bryant and the enigmatic Allen Iverson, this class boasted an array of talent that reinvigorated the game. This class also featured Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Stephon Marbury, Peja Stojakovic, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Antoine Walker, Marcus Camby, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Derek Fisher. The 1996 NBA Draft was deep, producing 10 All-Stars and five Hall-of-Famers. Jon Finkel recently revisited this star-studded class in his book "1996," and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/revisiting-the-starstudded-1996-nba-draft-kobe-bryant-ray-allen-steve-nash-allen-iverson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ran a terrific excerpt on Basketball News</a>.
The 1985 NBA Draft
The 1985 NBA Draft was certainly special. This class featured 10 All-Stars including Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Joe Dumars, Detlef Schrempf, Xavier McDaniel, Charles Oakley, &nbsp;AC Green, Terry Porter and Michael Adams. The class also featured Arvydas Sabonis, an overseas legend and terrific Portland Trail Blazer. Like the 1996 NBA Draft, this class has the star power and depth to be considered one of the best drafts in NBA history.
The 2009 NBA Draft
While not as immediately illustrious as some of the other classes on this list, the 2009 NBA Draft proved to be a treasure trove of talent. This class exemplified the importance of patience and player development, as Stephen Curry, James Harden, Blake Griffin, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague would all go on to become All-Stars. Griffin missed his rookie year with an injury, but dominated as soon as he stepped on an NBA court. Curry battled injuries early in his career, but would become a four-time champion and two-time MVP. Harden went from being an elite sixth man to an MVP once he got the opportunity in Houston. This class also featured Brandon Jennings, Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, Patty Mills, Danny Green, Taj Gibson and Patrick Beverley among others.
Which class is the greatest in NBA history? <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tweet us your thoughts</a>!&nbsp;

Basketball News examines the crème de la crème of draft classes throughout NBA history.

Exploring the 5 best draft classes in NBA history

The Orlando Magic have had their fair share of ups and downs in their relatively short history. However, since the franchise was established in 1989, they have provided their fans with some unforgettable seasons. From the early success of Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway to the dominant play of Dwight Howard in the late 2000s, the Magic have had some remarkable teams.
The Magic have had quite a bit of lottery luck, landing the No. 1 pick in 1992 (which allowed them to select O'Neal), 1993 (which allowed them to pick Chris Webber and trade him to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks), 2004 (which allowed them to select Howard) and 2022 (which allowed them to draft Paolo Banchero).&nbsp;
The current Magic squad has fans in Orlando excited about the future, with a core of Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz among others. But today, let's look back at the past and examine the five best seasons in franchise history.
5. 2007-08 SEASON RECORD: 52-30 FINISH: LOST IN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
This season, the Magic won 52 games and finished as the third-best team in the Eastern Conference. The team was led by a 22-year-old Dwight Howard, who earned his second All-Star selection while emerging as a two-way force. During the regular season, Howard averaged 20.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, while shooting 59.9% from the field. He was even more dominant in the playoffs, averaging 18.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks. Orlando defeated the Toronto Raptors in five games in the first round, but they were ultimately eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This season laid the groundwork for Orlando's Finals run in 2008-09.
4. 2009-10 SEASON RECORD: 59-23 FINISH: LOST IN CONFERENCE FINALS
Despite coming off of an NBA Finals run, the Magic decided to make some big changes entering this 2009-19 season. Orlando acquired Vince Carter in a blockbuster trade with the New Jersey Nets and added some new role players in Matt Barnes, Jason Williams, Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass. The Magic won 59 games, which was the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Orlando was once again led by Howard, who earned his second-straight Defensive Player of the Year award. The Magic were dominant through the first two rounds of the 2010 NBA Playoffs, sweeping the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, they faced off against the Boston Celtics and lost in six games. Still, their regular-season success and deep postseason run cannot be overlooked.
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3. 1995-96 SEASON RECORD: 60-22 FINISH: LOST IN CONFERENCE FINALS
The 1995-96 season was another successful year for the Magic. The team finished with a record of 60-22, which was the second-best in the Eastern Conference and is still the franchise record for most wins in a single season. Led by one of the best one-two punches in the league in Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, Orlando went 7-1 through the first two rounds of the 1996 NBA Playoffs, eliminating the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks with ease. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic ran into Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who got their revenge from the previous year by sweeping Orlando.
2. 2008-09 SEASON RECORD: 59-23 FINISH: LOST IN NBA FINALS
This team was ahead of its time, as Stan Van Gundy surrounded Dwight Howard with shooters and made teams pick their poison. The Magic had a terrific core of Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson, plus excellent role players such as Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick and Marcin Gortat. Orlando's run in the 2009 NBA Playoffs was incredible, as they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics (led by the Big Three) and Cleveland Cavaliers (led by LeBron James). Until this year, the Magic were the only team to defeat James in a Conference Finals series. In the NBA Finals, the Magic matched up against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, ultimately losing in five games. What if Courtney Lee hits the game-winning layup at the end of Game 2 in the 2009 NBA Finals? That's one of the biggest "what ifs" among Magic fans to this day.
1. 1994-95 SEASON RECORD: 57-25 FINISH: LOST IN NBA FINALS
The 1994-95 season was the most successful season in the Magic's franchise history. Shaquille O'Neal was virtually unstoppable, averaging 29.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.4 blocks, while shooting 58.3% from the field. Penny Hardaway was excellent as well, averaging an efficient 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals on 51.2/34.9/76.9 shooting splits. The team won 57 games, which was the best record in the East. Prior to the 1995 NBA Finals, the Magic became the only team to eliminate Michael Jordan in the playoffs during the 1990s, beating Chicago in six games in the Conference Semifinals. Jordan came out of retirement midseason and the Magic spoiled his return. After defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the Conference Finals, the Magic faced off against the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. Hakeem Olajuwon put up 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game and helped the Rockets sweep the Magic. Still, the Magic's run to the Finals was nothing short of spectacular.
While the Magic have not won an NBA championship, they have had some great seasons and provided their fans with plenty of memorable moments.&nbsp;

From Shaq and Penny to the Dwight Howard era, Basketball News looks back at the five best teams in Orlando Magic history.

Ranking the 5 best seasons in Orlando Magic history

Spencer Davies speaks with Taqwa Pinero about his life journey and how he's preparing both the future and current hoop generations.

Taqwa Pinero's knowledge is its own currency, and he's paying it forward

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 11 assists, Jamal Murray finished with 26 points and nine assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-106 on Saturday night in a late-season showdown of the NBA&rsquo;s conference leaders.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 points for West-leading Denver (50-24), which outscored East-leading Milwaukee 68-40 in the second half.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points -- just seven in the second half -- and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bucks (53-20).
The battle of the top teams in each conference -- and two strong MVP candidates -- was more competitive than the teams&rsquo; first meeting, won by the Bucks 107-99.
SUNS 125, 76ERS 105
PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Devin Booker scored 29 points, Bismack Biyombo added 17 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, and the Phoenix Suns snapped a three-game losing streak.
Phoenix got good minutes from most of their bench players, particularly Terrence Ross and T.J. Warren. Warren finished with 16 points, while Ross had 15. Booker shot 9 of 18 from the field and hit all nine of his free throws.
The Suns won despite a huge game from Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 37 points on 14-of-19 shooting, including 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Joel Embiid added 28 points and 10 rebounds.
KINGS 121, JAZZ 113
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Kevin Huerter scored 27 points, had seven rebounds and four assists and Sacramento beat Utah.
Domantas Sabonis finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists for his NBA-leading 60th double-double of the season. Harrison Barnes added 18 points. Keegan Murray scored 14 of his 22 total points in the first quarter and knocked down six three-pointers for the Kings.
Jazz rookie Walker Kessler scored a career-high 31 points for the Jazz. Kessler added 11 rebounds and finished 14 of 16 from the floor. Kelly Olynyk finished with 17 points and 10 assists, Ochai Agbaji scored 20 and Jarrell Brantley added 13 off the bench for Utah.
NETS 129, HEAT 100
MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Mikal Bridges scored 27 points, and the Brooklyn Nets opened the third quarter on a 31-6 run on the way to rolling past Miami and leapfrogging the Heat back into the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Cam Johnson added 23 points and Spencer Dinwiddie scored 15 for the Nets (40-34), who snapped a five-game slide. They&rsquo;re only a half-game up on Miami (40-35) in the race for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff berth, but swept the Heat 3-0 this season and would also own a head-to-head tiebreaker.
Max Strus scored 23 for the Heat, all of them in the first half. Tyler Herro scored 23, Jimmy Butler had 18 and Bam Adebayo finished with 16 for the Heat. Miami was outscored 64-31 after halftime.
HAWKS 143, PACERS 130
ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; John Collins led eight Atlanta scorers in double figures with 21 points and the Hawks overcame Jordan Nwora&rsquo;s season-high 33 points and protected their shaky hold on the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings
Trae Young was ejected in the third quarter after firing an unusually hard pass to referee Scott Wall during a timeout. Wall caught the ball. Young was immediately called for a technical foul and ejected. Young had 14 points and five assists. Dejounte Murray had 20 points in his return after missing two games with a non-COVID illness. Saddiq Bey led Atlanta&rsquo;s bench with 18 points.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 19 points and Buddy Hield had 16 for Indiana.
PELICANS 131, CLIPPERS 110
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Trey Murphy III scored 32 points, Brandon Ingram had 32 points and 13 assists, and the New Orleans Pelicans never trailed against the Los Angeles Clippers.
C.J. McCollum had 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pelicans, who have won four in a row.
Bones Hyland scored 18 points and Kawhi Leonard added 12 points and six rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost three of four.
At risk of falling out of the play-in tournament with a loss, the energized Pelicans started out hot, scoring the first eight points, and never let up.

A recap of Saturday's slate of NBA hoops includes the East and West's best going head-to-head.

Conference leaders clash as Nuggets top Bucks 129-106

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists for his 25th triple-double this season to lead the Denver Nuggets over the Memphis Grizzlies 113-97 Friday night in a showdown of the top two teams in the Western Conference.
Denver won the season series 2-1 and holds a six-game lead &mdash; five in the loss column &mdash; over Memphis for the top seed in the Western Conference. Sacramento is seven games back.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 26 points and Jamal Murray scored half of his 22 points in the fourth quarter for the Nuggets, who are 25-0 this season when Jokic has a triple-double.
&ldquo;Since the All-Star break, it feels like every night&rsquo;s a playoff-type game,&rdquo; Denver coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve played Memphis twice, Cleveland, the Clippers, and our guys showed up.&rdquo;
Ja Morant had 27 points and 10 assists for the Grizzlies despite wearing a face mask due to a nasal fracture suffered at Houston on Wednesday night. Desmond Bane had 19 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 15 and Xavier Tillman Sr. had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
&ldquo;We did a lot of great things for three quarters and then just kind of fell apart,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.
The game was tied at 80 after three quarters, but the Nuggets outscored the Grizzlies 33-17 in the fourth. Murray had two layups, made a pair of free throws and fed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a corner 3-pointer to give the Nuggets a 96-86 lead.
Murray&rsquo;s 3-pointer and Porter&rsquo;s four-point play &mdash; which secured Jokic&rsquo;s 101st career triple-double &mdash; made it 105-86.
&ldquo;Anybody can make a shot, but we&rsquo;re getting stops, we were getting out and running, the team was flowing. Everyone was being unselfish,&rdquo; Murray said of the fourth quarter.
Memphis shot just 7 of 20 in the final 12 minutes.
&ldquo;In the fourth, we got some good shots and they just weren&rsquo;t falling, and they started hitting more shots,&rdquo; Luke Kennard said.
Denver missed its first 11 shots from 3-point range and didn&rsquo;t get its first make until late in the second quarter.
MAN BEHIND THE MASK
Morant won&rsquo;t have this particular mask for long. The guard will have one fitted to his face by the time the team arrives in Los Angeles for Sunday&rsquo;s game.
&ldquo;This one will be a temporary one that is kind of a standard operating one,&rdquo; Jenkins said. &ldquo;Luckily we&rsquo;ll get one that fits him a little bit more, to the mold of his face and gives him a little more comfort out there.&rdquo;
TAKE A SEAT
Memphis forward Dillon Brooks was hit with his 16th technical foul of the season with 5:45 left in the game. Brooks earned a $5,000 fine and a one-game suspension.
CLARKE INJURED
Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke left in the final seconds of the first quarter with a lower left leg injury. Clarke missed a free throw and started limping as he went up the court and fell at half-court. He was helped to the locker room without putting weight on his left leg.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Have held Denver to 42 and 50 points in the first half of their last two games. ... C Steven Adams missed his 16th straight game with a right knee sprain.
Nuggets: C Thomas Bryant was helped to the bench after suffering an injury under Memphis&rsquo; basket in the third quarter. Malone said after the game Bryant could have returned if needed.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At the Clippers on Sunday night.
Nuggets: Host the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

Nikola Jokic had 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets over the Memphis Grizzlies 113-97 Friday night.

Nikola Jokic’s triple-double lifts Nuggets over Grizzlies 113-97

Since Nike made the decision to end its relationship with Kyrie Irving and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-nike-employs-adl-tactics-as-they-officially-drop-kyrie-irving-etan-thomas-torraine-walker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discontinue his signature shoe</a> after he shared the documentary "Hebrews To Negroes," many brands have reportedly reached out to his camp to attempt to lure him into joining them &mdash; Adidas, New Balance and PUMA to name a few.&nbsp;
During a postgame conference while discussing being a shoe company free agent, the lone company Irving has publicly acknowledged as a possibility was SIA Collective. In addition, he explained that he is not in a rush and wants to take his time to find the right place so he doesn&rsquo;t duplicate a similar situation as the one he had with Nike, who he referred to as &ldquo;that other brand.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Number one, I&rsquo;m in no rush to make any business decisions right now&hellip;. I just want to take my time," Irving said on Dec. 28 after the Brooklyn Nets' win over the Atlanta Hawks. "In terms of SIA Collective &mdash; great brand, great brothers, great operation team behind the scenes. But again, I'm looking for a home where we can build a huge marketplace and I can have some ownership, and that takes time to build. So I&rsquo;m willing to stay patient, but work with people that are willing to work with me.
&ldquo;SIA Collective has been a great brand to converse with, but I don&rsquo;t want to settle with one. I think I just want to keep my options open, look for ownership and enjoy the free agency for a little bit. It&rsquo;s been a long time coming, and then, I think there are a lot of details that are going to come out in the future about what was actually going on. And I think once my platform is created, when I can do that, then we'll share that. But shout out to SIA Collective and everybody that's been recruiting me during the process. I&rsquo;m appreciative. But I&rsquo;m definitely not going to go back into a similar contract that I was in &mdash; or any type of situation or circumstance that I was in or similar to what I was at &mdash; with that other brand.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kyrie Irving was asked about his sneaker free agency &amp; touched upon what went wrong with Nike "There are a lot of details that are going to come out in the future about what was actually going on. I'm not going to go into a similar contract I was with at the other brand" <a href="https://t.co/K8AUxOEXnh">pic.twitter.com/K8AUxOEXnh</a>
&mdash; Nets Videos (@SNYNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1608333645558816770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Since then, many have been asking: Who is SIA Collective, and what are they about?&nbsp;
On <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rematch/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-62-devlin-carter-talks-his-desire-to-partner-with-kyrie-irving,-owning-his-own-brand,-fashion,-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the latest episode of the The Rematch</a>, I had the opportunity to sit down with the founder of SIA Collective, Devlin Carter, who founded the company in 2019. SIA Collective, which stands for Somewhere in America, is an independent, Black-owned shoe and apparel company.
Almost immediately after Nike dropped the Nets star, Carter took to social media to make a public plea to Kyrie to sign with SIA Collective instead of Adidas or PUMA or New Balance or any of the other companies that have reached out following the Nike divorce. The main theme of his pitch is that he is open to offering Irving the very ownership that he expressed is his desire. In Carter's words: "When you have that nobody can drop you because they don&rsquo;t agree with something you do or say.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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During our interview, Carter detailed his meeting with Kyrie&rsquo;s entire team, and expressed why he feels SIA Collective would be the perfect fit for Irving.
Etan Thomas: So, you <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cly41bVvJvZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made the video</a> initially after Nike decided to essentially drop Kyrie Irving making the plea to him to consider joining SIA Collective, and the response from the video was that a lot of people in the community started tagging Kyrie in your video to try to connect you with Kyrie, so walk us through what happened after that point.
Devlin Carter: :Sure. So after I made the video, I got a DM of Kyrie&rsquo;s agent Shetellia Riley Irving saying, 'Hey, send me an e-mail at your earliest convenience.' So I sent the e-mail and they responded asking when I was available for a Zoom call. I responded, 'Whenever you guys are, I&rsquo;m open. Whatever y&rsquo;all want (laughing). We can do it right now if you want.'
"So we had it scheduled for Friday &mdash; not this Friday that just passed, but the prior Friday. So we had that set up, and in between that meeting, I also sent them a shoe that we&rsquo;ve been working on called the EVO Bounce, which is a performance basketball shoe. So I sent them some images of it. I had my photo shop guy mock it up in a Brooklyn Nets design and put a No. 11 on it. And (Shetellia) hit me right back and asked, 'When could you get us this shoe?' So I explained to them that, right now, we were in the sole process. So we&rsquo;re making the sole and adding the technology to it, but I said, 'As soon as we&rsquo;re done, I&rsquo;ll send you as many samples as you need.'"
Etan: So they had a quick response?
Carter: "Yes, and I can tell by how quickly they responded that they liked the design of the shoe. That&rsquo;s one thing that I don&rsquo;t have any issues or concerns about is my ability to design a dope looking basketball shoe for Kyrie. So then, from there, we had the meeting on the Zoom call, and it&rsquo;s me, his agent Shetellia Riley Irving, Kyrie&rsquo;s dad (Drederick) and another gentleman who is Kyrie&rsquo;s brand manager. So we&rsquo;re all on the Zoom and Shetellia is quarterbacking the call. And she tells the gentlemen to tell me about themselves, so basically, they&rsquo;re pitching me. And I&rsquo;m thinking, 'Wow, I think I should be pitching myself to y&rsquo;all.'"
Etan: Right, right, but they&rsquo;re telling you about who they are.
Carter: "Yeah. So Kyrie&rsquo;s dad &mdash; super cool, super down to earth. He&rsquo;s telling me how he worked in finance and is from the Bronx. And the brand manager told me how he started with Kyrie and (how) he used to work with Nike, but left Nike to work solely with Kyrie, and how he helps his sister (Asia) with her branding and whatnot. And Shetellia tells me how she worked at BET and launching Power 105.1 (in New York). And then, they asked me how I started, my whole background in fashion design. Then, they started pitching questions."
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Etan: What were some of their questions?
Carter: "One of their questions was how long have I been doing this. They asked about my company and our sales, and I told them that I started in 2019 and we&rsquo;ve done over $40 million in sales really without any advertisement at all. I feel like spending money on advertisement doesn&rsquo;t really reach your core, and she liked that concept as well.&nbsp;
"They also asked me about technology, if I had any patents on technology. And I said, 'Right now, we actually do have a new foam that we&rsquo;re developing and it&rsquo;s just about done, so we&rsquo;ll be putting a patent on that.' But then, I was just honest with them and said, 'Listen, no matter what technology I design and I patent, (China companies) are going to steal it if they want to steal it; they steal Nike&rsquo;s stuff all the time. That&rsquo;s just the way it works. But I told (Irving's team) one thing you will not have to worry about is technology, and whatever he wants his shoe to feel like and whatever he wants in there, we can do it.&nbsp;
"Here&rsquo;s the thing &mdash; these avenues and all of this stuff have never been open to us. Because an athlete has always been just an endorser. So Nike&rsquo;s not going to take you to their factories and say, &ldquo;Yeah, this is where we get our air cushion and 'This is this and this is that, this is such and such who runs the factory and you can e-mail him at any time with any adjustments you want to make.' They&rsquo;re not going to want to give you that level of say in your signature shoe. They&rsquo;re going to keep that gate closed to you."
Etan: Right, and that was actually a thing because Kyrie reportedly wanted a say in the design of his shoe at Nike.
Carter: "Right, and I told them, 'I can open that gate for you.' My whole pitch with them at the end of the day was... I said, 'Listen, I&rsquo;m not doing this for the money. I&rsquo;m set for life. I own real estate, I&rsquo;m good, my kids are good. I&rsquo;m not doing it for that. I&rsquo;m doing this for the message that it sends. This is transcending if we could make this happen.' And who better to do this than a player like Kyrie? Because at the end of the day, Kobe [Bryant] wanted to do something like this. He wanted to start Mamba Sports; he did not want to be signed with Nike forever because he opened his eyes and saw that there was a better way to do this &mdash; ownership vs. being an employee.&nbsp;
Etan: Interesting. I didn&rsquo;t know that.
Carter: "Yeah, and it&rsquo;s not that only Nike can do this stuff. Look at D-Wade (Dwyane Wade) with Li-Ning; their shoes are outperforming Nike&rsquo;s shoes. Nike does not possess a monopoly on superior technology or anything. Technology is simply monetary, meaning anybody can get the technology if they have the money. The shoe just needs to be a good foam, you need to have a good shank plate and a good lockdown. That&rsquo;s really all a basketball shoe really needs, but we can take it to that next level and add the extra cushion and add the extra foam and add the custom orthotics. We have the capability to do all of that. But again, because we&rsquo;ve never been privy to this information, to us, it seems so foreign."
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?p=BNI7040902741" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Etan: I posted on social media that Adidas and PUMA and New Balance have reached out to Kyrie for potential sponsorship deals, and I posted it alongside an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-nike-employs-adl-tactics-as-they-officially-drop-kyrie-irving-etan-thomas-torraine-walker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article I wrote for Basketball News</a> called, "Nike Employs ADL tactics as it officially drops Kyrie Irving." I tagged you in it, and I saw in the comments section that a lot of other people were tagging you in as well. You responded in the comment section:
<blockquote>
If you just want an endorsement deal&hellip;..then sign with whoever will pay you the most, but as soon as you say something they don&rsquo;t agree with, it&rsquo;s goodbye. But if you really wanna make a change and create a movement &hellip;.ownership is the only way.
</blockquote>
Can you expound on that?
Carter: "Basically, that&rsquo;s saying: Once you take that check, you&rsquo;re just an employee. There&rsquo;s no power in taking that check. These are the times where you take a chance. I&rsquo;ll explain that in my own story.
"I was in the military. I had already done 11 years. Most people who serve in the military, once you pass 10 years, you don&rsquo;t get out of the military because you only need two more transfers, then you get your retirement. But in my 11th year in the military, I was doing the custom shoes. I&rsquo;m going to the post office with 10 boxes of shoes that I customized for people, making... say $4,000 off of those custom shoes that I did. I&rsquo;m in the line and I&rsquo;m looking at the mail clerk. I&rsquo;m looking dead at him and he looks miserable, and I asked myself... there&rsquo;s no way that when he was a kid, he told his mom, 'I&rsquo;m going to grow up and I&rsquo;m going to sell stamps for a living.'
"No, that&rsquo;s just what life brings you, curveballs. You do what you gotta do to make ends meet, and much respect to everyone who is in a position where they have to do that. I didn&rsquo;t want to be someone who said to my kids, 'You can chase your dreams, you can be whatever you want, but I didn&rsquo;t do it. I didn&rsquo;t chase those dreams, I stayed at a job that I really don&rsquo;t want to do, but it pays the bills, I&rsquo;m comfortable, so I&rsquo;m going to stay here.' I didn&rsquo;t choose that. I started SIA Collective. I have the freedom I have always wanted, and I have never struggled. In fact, I am making more money than I have ever made in my life.
"Now, relating this to Kyrie &mdash; you&rsquo;re already set for life. What&rsquo;s another $11 million a year &mdash; which is what Nike paid him last year &mdash; going to really do for you when you can easily make that, and much more, as an owner of your own shoe and not be muzzled? Ownership vs. being just a worker. Without ownership, if he goes to Adidas, New Balance, PUMA or whoever, it will just be the same as his Nike experience. If you say or do something they don&rsquo;t like, they&rsquo;ll drop you.
"We should encourage looking outside for answers, that&rsquo;s all Kyrie was doing. The seeking of knowledge should never be punishment, but In order to really be free, ownership is the only way, and Kyrie can have that with SIA Collective."

Etan Thomas interviews SIA Collective founder Devlin Carter about his behind-the-scenes pitch to Kyrie Irving and his team to collab.

SIA Collective's Devlin Carter details meeting with Kyrie Irving’s team

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NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

The Memphis Grizzlies have nailed the NBA Draft since Zach Kleiman took over the front office. In recent years, he and his staff have clearly identified their kind of prospects and honed in on these players.&nbsp;
Several months after Kleiman was promoted to Memphis' executive vice president of basketball operations on April 2019, he selected Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick.
Later that draft night, the Grizzlies traded up to draft Brandon Clarke with the No. 21 pick. Clarke was a fringe top-10 player on many big boards, but continued to slip on draft night due to his age (23) and limited wingspan (6-foot-8, which is the same as his height). Many of Memphis' picks fit this description; by unsubscribing from groupthink, the Grizzlies have managed to find sleepers that other front offices overlooked due to perceived issues.
Clarke went on to deliver the most efficient season from the field in NBA history for a rookie (61.8% field-goal percentage), and he was the Grizzlies' biggest impact player during their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2021-22 NBA Playoffs.
The Grizzlies did not have a first-round pick in 2020, but sent two second-round picks to the Boston Celtics in exchange for the No. 30 pick. Kleiman then selected Desmond Bane, who was still on the board because of his age (22) and wingspan (6-foot-4, despite standing at 6-foot-6).
Bane had the highest college PER of any Grizzlies draft pick in franchise history. All Bane did was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-cementing-himself-as-essential-part-of-nextgen-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become a Most Improved Player candidate</a> in his sophomore season, and he is currently emerging as one of the most lethal shooters in the league.
In the second round, following the Bane selection, Kleiman moved up again to get Xavier Tillman Sr. out of Michigan State; Tillman was another 22-year-old with first-round talent who slid because of age. He hasn't had the same impact as Clarke or Bane, but he's had his moments over the last two seasons.&nbsp;
The 2021 NBA Draft is yet another prime example of Kleiman doing things his way. The Grizzlies moved up from No. 17 to No. 10, with players such as James Bouknight, Moses Moody and Chris Duarte on the board. Most assumed that Moody was the no-brainer pick for the Grizzlies, but Kleiman and Co. had a different plan; Memphis selected Ziaire Williams out of Stanford. Most mock drafts had Williams as a mid-to-late first-round pick, but the Grizzlies were not going to take any chances and risk missing out on their guy.
Then, in back-to-back years of the draft, Memphis bought back into the first round by acquiring the No. 30 pick to gain a cheaper, controlled contract. The Grizzlies dealt the No. 40 pick and two future second-round picks in exchange for the No. 30 selection, where Santi Aldama was the choice. Most teams didn't have Aldama atop their draft board at that spot, as a number of prospects with late-first grades had slipped, including JT Thor, Ayo Dosunmu and Joe Wieskamp. However, the Grizzlies were determined to add the 6-foot-11 forward who can dribble, pass and shoot &mdash; providing versatility and spacing.&nbsp;
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Leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft, multiple outlets reported that Memphis was interested in moving up again. The Grizzlies were rumored to be after the Sacramento Kings' No. 4 pick and the New York Knicks' No. 11 pick (and they likely inquired about some selections in between).&nbsp;
Here's what we know: the Grizzlies have a type, and they'll do whatever it takes to get their guys &mdash; even if that means trading up. Outside of Morant, every draft pick from Kleiman and Co. has been the result of Memphis moving up in the draft to snag its target.
Should a team go after the best player available or prioritize the best fit for its roster? This is one of the main debates that surfaces every year around the NBA Draft. For the Grizzlies, the best player available is the guy who is the best fit. For Memphis, best fit doesn't just refer to someone who fills a positional need. They are looking for the player who best fits the current mix of players as a person and a player. And unlike other teams, the Grizzlies aren't focused on a player's age and wingspan.
&ldquo;What we really care about is: Who is the person and are they good at basketball?&rdquo; Kleiman said.
Armed with picks No. 22 and No. 29 in this year's first round, it felt inevitable that the Grizzlies were going to trade up and snag their guy. Was it going to be Tari Eason from LSU? AJ Griffin seemed like a perfect fit. Even Jalen Duren made sense. But when it comes to Memphis, identifying the team's targets without inside knowledge is a crapshoot.
Then, it happened: Memphis packaged their two first-rounders to move up to No. 19. Malaki Branham was there, slipping out of the teens. Christian Braun and MarJon Beauchamp were also on the board. However, the Grizzlies opted for Jake LaRavia out of Wake Forest. This was their guy. With the San Antonio Spurs rumored to like LaRavia at No. 20, they made sure to go get him.
Now, would Memphis once again try to trade up into the end of the first round for the third year in a row?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> today announced the team acquired the draft rights to David Roddy (the No. 23 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft) and Danny Green from the Philadelphia 76ers for De'Anthony Melton. <a href="https://t.co/M5zHBVvjtR">pic.twitter.com/M5zHBVvjtR</a>
&mdash; Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzliesPR/status/1540450306126819328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Grizzlies didn't wait for the last pick of the first round this time, jumping back in four selections after LaRavia's to surprise everyone once again. Jaden Hardy, Andrew Nembhard and Patrick Baldwin Jr. had all been linked to Memphis during the pre-draft process. Instead, it was David Roddy, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-prospect-david-roddy-aims-to-be-ultimate-glue-guy-after-colorado-state-breakout-minneapolis-minnesota-breck-school-phil-beckner-niko-medved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6-foot-6 defensive lineman&nbsp;forward from Colorado State</a>.&nbsp;
As the second round progressed, a few players began to fall. EJ Liddell, Bryce McGowens and Kennedy Chandler were sliding despite having first-round grades. Then, Memphis struck again, acquiring the No. 38 pick for a future second-rounder and cash. Here, the Grizzlies selected Chandler.
"We were shocked that Kennedy slipped to where he was,&rdquo; Kleiman said after the draft. "That wasn't the first team that we called trying to get in using a second, trading in and trying to get a point guard who fits what we're about.&rdquo;
Kleiman still had No. 47 even after trading up twice. Memphis selected Vince Williams Jr. out of VCU, a 6-foot-5 wing with a 7-foot wingspan.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Only three college players reached these thresholds: Shot Selection: eFG% &gt; 57% Value Beyond Scoring: D-REB% and AST% &gt; 14% Defensive Playmaking: BLK% and STL% &gt; 2% The Grizzlies drafted all three: Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, and Vince Williams 🔥🔥<a href="https://t.co/o4aJDNy1lL">https://t.co/o4aJDNy1lL</a>
&mdash; Bryan Kalbrosky (@BryanKalbrosky) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1541478576201113602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After their second-round exit against the world champion Golden State Warriors, it was clear Memphis needed shooters and guys who could defend and play in the half-court. All four of the organization's draft picks shot better than 38% from deep last season and averaged over 2.0 stocks (steals and blocks) per game.
While they vary in size and position, the Grizzlies selected four players who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend. And though shooting was the priority in this draft, they stuck to their plan, searching for good people who are also good at basketball.
After an eventful draft night, they ended up with four players who can contribute in a multitude of ways early in their careers.
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The Grizzlies have been aggressive in recent NBA Drafts, trading up every year since 2019 to go get their guys.

The Grizzlies’ unique NBA Draft approach has yielded multiple steals

In recent years, there are many examples of players who slipped on draft night because they were older than their peers and teams wanted to go with a younger, higher-upside option.
Players who fit this description include Desmond Bane, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Jalen Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, Herb Jones, Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard, Grayson Allen, Matisse Thybulle, Brandon Clarke and Terance Mann among others.
Many of these players have outperformed their draft slot, and quite a few were key contributors during the 2022 NBA Playoffs, rewarding the teams that took a chance on them.
Most NBA teams prioritize youth and upside in the draft. As a result, the more experienced prospects tend to fall. But given the success of these older players in recent years, could we see teams shift their thinking a bit when it comes to these prospects?
&ldquo;The trends seem to go in waves, but I do think some of the recent success that older players have had will affect some decisions to a certain extent,&rdquo; said Matt Babcock, a former NBA agent and current NBA Draft analyst. &ldquo;However, I believe teams will always have somewhat of a juggling act when it comes to selecting prospects who have upside and ones who are NBA-ready.&rdquo;
While it&rsquo;s true that younger players tend to have a higher ceiling, there is this idea that older prospects have already realized their full potential and what you see is what you get. Bane, Bridges, Brunson and Co. are proving that this isn&rsquo;t always true, as they have each made huge strides since being drafted despite their advanced age.
&ldquo;The perception that an older rookie doesn&rsquo;t have as much upside isn&rsquo;t a fair label for a tough-minded player who continues to work on his game,&rdquo; an Eastern Conference general manager told BasketballNews. &ldquo;I think history and analytics show that the younger the player, the more likely that player succeeds, but it isn&rsquo;t a cut-and-dry method when it comes to selecting players. There are older players who often come from strong college programs who tend to have a chance to succeed, because they have been through three-to-four years of great coaching and have developed the work habits and toughness that allow them to impact an NBA game right away.&rdquo;
&ldquo;A high ceiling isn&rsquo;t just based on your physical gifts, a high ceiling is based on your work ethic when nobody is watching,&rdquo; ESPN&rsquo;s Fran Fraschilla added. &ldquo;So whether it&rsquo;s a 19-year-old player or an older prospect with a few years of college experience, what the team needs to figure out is, &lsquo;What kind of character are we drafting? When we pay him life-changing money, is he going to be the same guy and keep working?&rsquo; I think you&rsquo;re more confident (trusting) a four-year-guy like a Desmond Bane or CJ McCollum because you can go back and watch more of his career unfold, and you&rsquo;re more confident that those guys are going to continue developing their game. So, in effect, their ceiling becomes just as high as the guys who have all of this great potential and who could be more boom-or-bust sometimes.&rdquo;
Rather than generalizing and writing off players because of their age, it&rsquo;s important to evaluate each situation on a case-by-case basis.
&ldquo;I do believe in the concept that a younger player generally possesses more upside and room for growth; I mean, it's common sense,&rdquo; Babcock said. &ldquo;However, every player is different and has had a different path to the pros, and subsequently, each player needs to be evaluated separately rather than put into a general classification.
&ldquo;Every team and every pick is different. The way I see it, it's like baseball. Every pitch presents a unique situation and requires a different strategy, and so does every pick in the draft. Which players are available? How do they fit within the team&rsquo;s current roster structure now and in the future? How does that team value each player &mdash; whether it&rsquo;s for their ability to contribute right away or their upside? Do they have potential depth issues that need to be addressed? Does an available player possess too much talent to overanalyze? I could keep going on and on, but my point is that I think it should come down to taking things case-by-case and weighing the pros and cons rather than just selecting a player who&rsquo;s most ready or who possesses the most upside.&rdquo;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_18148126_690w.png" alt="" width="740" height="370" />
Fraschilla echoed this sentiment.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think the draft is always a case-by-case situation. Teams always have to weigh whether to go after production vs. potential,&rdquo; Fraschilla said. &ldquo;If they chase production, it&rsquo;s usually a guy who has been in college for three or four years, he&rsquo;s proven himself and he&rsquo;s played in big games. If they chase potential, it&rsquo;s probably a freshman or a kid from the G League Ignite, and you&rsquo;re looking at a 19-year-old and trying to project where he&rsquo;ll be at age-25. You have a little bit more comfort with an older player, but a little less upside allegedly.
"But a smart team always views it case-by-case. We&rsquo;ve seen four-year guys flame out and we&rsquo;ve one-and-done guys flame out. I think it&rsquo;s a matter of a team doing the necessary homework on a kid&rsquo;s character, work ethic, self awareness to be a role player &mdash; all of these things factor in.&rdquo;
The Eastern Conference GM pointed out that there&rsquo;s another reason teams may alter their approach and opt for more NBA-ready players.
"I would also say that some NBA teams are less inclined to focus on what a 19-year-old can develop into by age 26 or 27 because there is so much roster turnover and change in the league today," the GM said.
Fraschilla also mentioned that sometimes older prospects are more mature and come into the NBA knowing their role, whereas some one-and-done prospects may struggle taking a back seat.
&ldquo;Herb Jones is a perfect example of someone who knows who he is &mdash; his self awareness is evident," Fraschilla said. "Even at Alabama, he had talented guys around him, and he was a great defender. He fits exactly the role that the Pelicans needed him to play as a rookie. He played in a high-level college league where he guarded really good players, and he plays with great energy.
"You probably feel more comfortable with the older player who has more of a sense of who he is, as opposed to the one-and-done guy who automatically thinks he&rsquo;s going to be Penny Hardaway or LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. In the NBA, 95% of the league are role players. There are 25-30 great players and everyone else is a role player."

With older prospects outperforming their draft position in recent seasons, will teams shift their thinking when they're on the clock?

Experience or upside? Weighing pros, cons of older NBA Draft prospects

The New Orleans Pelicans are a team on the rise.
Despite stumbling out of the gates this season (losing 12 of their first 14 games), the Pels were able to right the ship and advance to the postseason. Over the second half of the 2021-22 campaign, New Orleans finished in the top 10 in both Offensive and Defensive Efficiency. Their Net Rating of plus-4.7 in the 23 games played after the All-Star break was tied with the Miami Heat for the sixth-best mark in the NBA.
After beating both the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers in the Play-In Tournament, the Pelicans gave the Phoenix Suns a battle in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out in six games.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The addition of CJ McCollum at the trade deadline paid immediate dividends for New Orleans, as he averaged over 24 points per game to go along with 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 made three-pointers after coming over from Portland. McCollum also quickly established himself as a team leader on and off the floor. Jonas Valanciunas is another respected veteran still producing at a very high level as well.
The rest of the roster is teeming with promising young players. Brandon Ingram, who is still just 24 years old, was a beast in the postseason, averaging 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting over 40% from downtown in the series vs. Phoenix. The team's three rookies &mdash; Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado &mdash; were all significant contributors too.
Jones exceeded even the loftiest of expectations, immediately establishing himself as an elite defender. The 35th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, he led all rookies in total steals with 130 (50 more than Scottie Barnes, who ranked second) and was third in blocks. According to Basketball-Reference, he is the only rookie in New Orleans franchise history and just the seventh first-year pro in league history to tally more than 125 steals and 50 blocks. Jones' terrific all-around play earned him a spot on the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team.&nbsp;
Jaxson Hayes, who just celebrated his 22nd birthday last month, is coming off the best year of his young career. Despite an up-and-down season with different roles, Devonte' Graham still averaged double-figures.
And, remarkably, 14 of the 15 players on the Pels roster to end the season are under contract for at least one more season. The only free agent on the team is Tony Snell, who didn't log a single minute for New Orleans in the playoffs.
So, it'll be a stress-free summer for the Pelicans front office, as they don't have any significant decisions to make this offseason, right?&nbsp;
Wrong.&nbsp;
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On the contrary, the Pels have to make one of the most important determinations in the history of the franchise. As of next month, Zion Williamson will be eligible to sign a five-year, $181 million max rookie extension, which could increase by an additional $36 million, all the way up to $217.5 million, if he were to be named to an All-NBA team next season.
Let's start by recognizing that, dating back to high school, Williamson has been utterly dominant on both ends of the floor whenever he's been healthy enough to step foot on a basketball court.&nbsp;
During his lone season at Duke, Williamson was the consensus National Player of the Year. He tied for the ACC lead in scoring with 22.6 points per game, was third in rebounding (8.9 rebounds), second in steals (2.1) and fifth in blocks (1.8) on average. He also shot 68.0% from the floor, which led the ACC and was second nationally. Zion is the only NCAA player ever to average over 20 points a night and tally at least 70 steals and 50 blocks in the same season.
As a rookie in New Orleans, Williamson averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and gave glimpses of the enormous potential he possesses thanks to his almost unimaginable combination of size, strength and athleticism.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In 2020-21, his age-20 season, Zion averaged a whopping 27.0 points (including over 20 points per game in the paint &mdash; the most since Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-00), 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while shooting over 61% from the floor. In the process, he became the first player in NBA history to average at least 27 points on 60-plus% shooting for an entire season. Williamson tallied ​​20 or more points in 25 straight games, which is the longest streak in NBA history for a player under 21 years old.
He was named to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, becoming the 10th player in league history to earn All-Star recognition before celebrating his 21st birthday and becoming the fourth-youngest player in NBA history behind only Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.
Through his first 60 career games, Williamson scored 1,457 points, trailing only Michael Jordan (1,664) for the most in the last 40 seasons.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Zion Williamson will go off next season! NBA career stat line: 25.7 PPG (60.4% FG) 7.0 RPG, 3.2 APG <a href="https://t.co/oGRNIQXYt7">pic.twitter.com/oGRNIQXYt7</a>
&mdash; Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) <a href="https://twitter.com/CourtsideFilms/status/1532019142718640130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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So, given this nearly unprecedented production, signing him to a max contract in order to lock him up immediately is a no-brainer for New Orleans, right?&nbsp;
Wrong.
While Zion has been unguardable when he's on the floor, his inability to stay on the court has been a recurring concern.&nbsp;
Since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019, Williamson has appeared in just 85 out of a possible 226 games. He missed the first 44 contests of his rookie season after tearing his meniscus, dealt with a thumb sprain, a fractured left ring finger and right knee soreness as a sophomore&nbsp;and sat out the entire 2021-22 season following surgery to repair a broken foot.
Over the last 30 years, the only top pick to play fewer games over his first three years in the league is former Portland Trail Blazer big man Greg Oden.&nbsp;
In addition to the injury issues, there have been reports about Williamson's unhappiness in New Orleans. Yet, when he was asked back in April if he would agree to sign a max offer from the Pels, <a href="https://twitter.com/FletcherWDSU/status/1520095546752516096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1520095546752516096%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnba.nbcsports.com%2F2022%2F04%2F29%2Fzion-williamson-says-hed-sign-contract-extension-if-pelicans-offer-of-course-i-couldnt-sign-it-fast-enough%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zion responded</a>: "Of course, I couldn't sign it fast enough."
However, Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin acknowledged that contract-extension talks with Williamson would be difficult.
"Obviously, that conversation is going to be one that will be a challenge," <a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_043ffe96-c7fd-11ec-a2e1-a7e798041444.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Griffin said</a> early last month. "When it's time to have that, we'll have it. And right now what we're focused on is him being healthy, and (being in) kind of elite condition to play basketball, and we'll start there."
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Williamson has one year left on his rookie-scale deal, which will pay him $13.5 million in 2022-23. If Zion and the Pels don't agree on an extension this offseason, he will be a restricted free agent next summer. In that scenario, both sides would be carrying considerable risk. Williamson would be gambling on not having his future earning power crippled by a career-altering injury, while, at the same time, the Pels would risk potentially losing a franchise-altering talent via free agency.
Meeting in the middle probably makes the most sense for both parties. When discussing the parameters of a compromise, the agreement between the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid back in 2017 provides a blueprint.
After sitting out the entirety of his first two NBA seasons due to a devastating foot injury, Embiid suited up for only 31 games in his third year. Although Embiid looked fantastic when he was finally cleared to play, the Sixers were understandably hesitant to commit massive sums of guaranteed money to the injury-prone big man.
Thus, that offseason, Philadelphia and Embiid agreed to a five-year, $148 million extension, but the deal included offset language that protected the team if the player could not stay healthy. If Embiid missed 25 or more games or played fewer than 1,650 minutes in any of the final four seasons of the extension, Philadelphia had the right to waive him and get out of paying the remaining years of his contract.
As it turned out, Embiid avoided the injury bug and established himself as one of the league's premier players, finishing second in MVP voting in each of the past two seasons. Last summer, he inked a four-year, $196 million supermax pact that will keep him with the 76ers through the 2026-27 season. His entire salary is fully guaranteed.&nbsp;
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In late May, <a href="https://twitter.com/FletcherWDSU/status/1530212975310667776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported</a>:
<blockquote>
From what I have been told, the Pelicans, at this point, are not willing to offer a full five-year guaranteed deal. A lot of it is flowing down from ownership. Gayle Benson, the owner, is also the owner of the New Orleans Saints. And I have been told they're going to take a football-style, Saints-style mentality with this contract negotiation. They will offer him a huge contract, but will not guarantee all of it.
</blockquote>
It's possible such an approach by the Pels could offend Zion and lead to a standoff between the two parties. But the alternative (signing a max deal with no protections) seems like a non-starter for New Orleans ownership. So, even if the Pels front office were willing to gamble with the team's cap space, Benson likely wouldn't be willing to roll the dice.&nbsp;
Again, a compromise appears to be the most reasonable and plausible outcome. In this scenario, Zion would still bank north of $90 million if he was unable to stay healthy.
It's difficult to imagine a player who hasn't set foot on an NBA court during an actual game in over 13 months turning down that type of payday.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer ponders how the Pelicans should handle Zion Williamson's extension-eligible period and weighs their options.

Should the Pelicans sign Zion Williamson to a max contract?

Ja Morant scored 47 points to match his postseason high and carry the Memphis Grizzlies into a tie in the Western Conference semifinals with a 106-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
Morant scored the last 15 points for Memphis, starting with 4:16 left. He drove and turned around a defender before hitting a 7-foot jumper with 1:42 left to put Memphis ahead to stay at 100-99. He added four free throws and a 9-footer finishing with 18 in the fourth quarter.
The NBA&rsquo;s Most Improved Player, who also had 47 in Game 2 against Utah last year, became only the third player in league history to have multiple 45-point games in the postseason before turning 23. The other two? LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Ziaire Williams hit four 3s and finished with 14 points off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 12 points before fouling out for the third time in eight games this postseason. Brandon Clarke added 10 points.
Now the youngest team to reach the semifinal round in the last 25 years heads to San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday night knowing the series will return to Memphis for Game 5.&nbsp;
Stephen Curry finished with 27 points on 3-of-11 shooting outside the arc. Jordan Poole added 20 off the bench but was 1 of 6 from 3. Andrew Wiggins had 16, going 1 of 7 from 3. Klay Thompson finished with 12 points and was 2 of 12 from 3. The Warriors shot just 7 of 38 from 3-point range.
The Warriors, in the semifinals for the seventh time in 10 years, had their chances. Trailing 104-101, Curry passed to Green, who tossed it to Thompson, who traveled with 17 seconds left. Morant hit two free throws for the final margin.
The Grizzlies are coming off the franchise&rsquo;s first series win in seven years. But a team that was the NBA&rsquo;s second-youngest squad during the regular season is trying to take Memphis past the second round, something this franchise has done only once back in 2013.
It didn&rsquo;t get easier when Dillon Brooks, averaging 15 points this postseason and whose job was defending Curry, was ejected with 9:08 left in the first quarter after a hard foul on Warriors guard Gary Payton II. Payton went to the locker room for X-rays on his left elbow. He didn&rsquo;t return.
Green, ejected from Game 1 for his own Flagrant 2, went down a couple minutes after Brooks&rsquo; ejection. He went to the locker room, flashing the middle digit on each hand at the fans. He returned for the second quarter after getting stitches for a cut at his right eye that was nearly swollen shut by halftime.
Memphis scored the first eight points of the game and led 33-25 after the hectic first quarter with Morant scoring 14, Jackson 10. Curry had 11 for Golden State with Brooks in the locker room. The second quarter got a bit sloppy at times with the Warriors going 2 of 11 outside the arc with five turnovers.
The Grizzlies led 56-51 at halftime with Morant scoring the final four points of the second for Memphis, giving him 23.
Curry and Poole fueled a big third quarter in Game 1 combining for 23 points. This time, Curry scored four points and Poole had six, but Golden State finished the third on a 13-3 run to tie it up at 77. Morant was hit in the face in the final seconds and went to the bench saying he couldn&rsquo;t see out of his left eye.
Golden State took its first lead of the game within the opening minute of the fourth on a layup by Poole, and the Warriors led by as much as 81-77. Memphis answered with a 9-2 run capped by back-to-back 3s from Williams, who missed the last two playoff games with a sore right knee.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Now are 39-34 in Game 2s and 18-9 since the 2015 playoffs. ... Thompson needed only one 3 to reach 400 for his career in the playoffs. He knocked that down with 7:16 left in the first quarter. ... They outrebounded Memphis matching their postseason high for a second straight game at 52-47.
Grizzlies: Morant snapped a streak of six straight double-doubles that made him the youngest in 30 years with that long a streak in one postseason. ... Jackson tied Zach Randolph for third on the franchise&rsquo;s career blocks list in the postseason with his 24th a minute into the third quarter. ... They shot 14 of 45 from 3.
IN THE CROWD
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was at the game with three former Spartans in this game, including Warriors forward Draymond Green. Izzo posed for a photo before the game with Xavier Tillman Sr. and Jackson.&nbsp;

Ja Morant scored 47 points to match his postseason high and carry the Grizzlies into a tie in the West semifinals with a 106-101 victory.

Morant scores 47 points, Grizzlies tie Warriors at one apiece

Right before officially clinching their seventh Final Four berth this past weekend, the Villanova Wildcats lost junior guard Justin Moore, who had to be helped off the floor after a freak injury while dribbling to kill the clock with less than 45 seconds to go.
'Nova beat Houston 50-44 in the Elite Eight to become one of the last four standing teams in the Big Dance for the first time since 2018. However, it was announced days later that Moore &mdash; Villanova&rsquo;s second-leading scorer at 14.8 points per game on .397/.356/.750 shooting splits &mdash; ruptured his right Achilles tendon, prematurely ending his season.
Much of the basketball world united in comforting Moore during an excruciatingly awful time to receive such news, including Kevin Durant, who ruptured his own Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals.
&ldquo;I texted Kevin; he called me,&rdquo; Wright recalled <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/college-sports/villanova/justin-moore-achilles-kevin-durant-villanova-20220331.html">to the Philadelphia Inquirer</a>. &ldquo;And Kevin said, &lsquo;I was watching that, and it looked just like &mdash; I knew it when he went down; it looked just like mine.&rsquo; So we talked for a while about it.
&ldquo;What was so impressive to me was, Durant said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;d like to talk to [Justin], talk to the parents about the process. I want to tell him that.&rsquo; He listed himself, Klay Thompson, a couple other guys I can&rsquo;t remember &mdash; he goes, 'Look, these guys had it in the NBA.' And people in the NBA know now that you can come back from that.&rdquo;
Moore wasn&rsquo;t just 'Nova&rsquo;s second-best scorer throughout the 2021-22 season, but the 6-foot-4 guard earned Second Team All-Big East honors and All-Big East Tournament honors earlier this month. Moore&rsquo;s been a starter in all three of his seasons at Villanova, and has seen his scoring averages jump from 11.3 to 12.9 to 14.8 points per game. This season, he netted a career-best 17.1 points per 40 minutes while also being the Wildcats&rsquo; best rebounding guard, pulling down 4.8 boards per contest.
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According to FiveThirtyEight, there have been six major injuries to Final Four bound teams in the Men&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament since 2010. Using the qualifier of players logging at least 20 minutes in an NCAA Tournament, these players include Kalin Lucas of Michigan State in 2010, Darryl Bryant of West Virginia that same year, Louisville&rsquo;s Kevin Ware (do not Google it if you&rsquo;re reading this during lunch) in 2013, Willie Cauley-Stein of Kentucky in 2014, Auburn&rsquo;s Chuma Okeke in 2019, and now Moore.
Lucas <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5017721" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruptured his Achilles against Maryland</a> in Round 2, and the Spartans subsequently lost in the Final Four. Oddly enough, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5022928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryant broke his foot in the same round</a>, and his Mountaineers were also eliminated in the Final Four. Ware had a gruesome injury against Duke in the Elite Eight, and his Cardinals are the only team of this specific group that became national champions so far. Cauley-Stein <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2014/3/28/5559920/willie-cauley-stein-injury-kentucky-vs-louisville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffered a left ankle injury in Round 1</a>, and his Wildcats lost in the title game. And Okeke <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2019/3/29/18287843/chuma-okeke-injury-bruce-pearl-crying-auburn-sweet-16-ncaa-tournament-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tore his ACL in the Sweet 16</a>; Auburn reached the Final Four round before having its season end.
So, how does 'Nova piece together the production and minutes to replace Moore? He&rsquo;s logged 35.9 minutes per game since the beginning of the Big East Tournament, and has led the Wildcats with 34.6 minutes per contest this season.
Collin Gillespie &mdash; the 2022 Big East Player of the Year, Big East Tournament MVP and Third-Team All-American &mdash; will likely be keyed in on that much harder against Kansas this weekend. (I mean, that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;d all do if you were in charge of the Jayhawks' defense, right?)
Gillespie&rsquo;s dropping a team-best 15.6 points and 3.3 assists per game on .431/.409/.905 shooting splits. Team sixth-man Caleb Daniels, a 6-foot-4 guard like Moore, has averaged 10.2 points on .427/.377/.851 in 27.3 minutes per contest this season.
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Though the Villanova-Houston offense resembled the (lack of) effectiveness of the Brock Lesnar-Goldberg match at WrestleMania 20, Daniels came up big with 12 points in 35 minutes, even as it came on 4 of 16 shooting. Every point matters against Houston, who had become a tournament favorite with sportsbooks due to its defensive run to the Elite Eight.
Jermaine Samuels, who led the game with 16 points, is 'Nova&rsquo;s leading non-guard scorer at 11.1 points per contest. The 6-foot-7 big also pulls down a team-high 6.5 boards per contest while shooting 47.4% from the field and 77.3% on free throws. Eric Dixon and Brandon Slater are the other two starting forwards, and there, you have 'Nova&rsquo;s main minute-eaters.
Moore, Gillespie, Slater, Samuels, Daniels and Dixon are the only Wildcats averaging at least 10 minutes per game this season, ranging from 34.6 to 25.1 in the order they&rsquo;re listed.
At least one of the following two guys will have to step up going forward to really alleviate the non-Moore minutes. The first would be Bryan Antoine, a junior who has come off the bench for three seasons with the Wildcats and wasn&rsquo;t one of the seven players to log minutes against Houston. Antoine hasn&rsquo;t played more than 11 minutes in a game since Jan. 25 and has scored 2 points since Feb. 12 (seven games, 35 minutes), but has battled injuries of his own, which is why he didn&rsquo;t appear until December.
He <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/march-madness-justin-moore-injury-gives-bryan-antoine-big-chance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently told the New York Post</a> that &ldquo;I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m pretty confident. I&rsquo;ve had the same mindset from Day 1. It hasn&rsquo;t really changed for me. Obviously with the injuries, I have been set back, but I&rsquo;m still the same player from high school.&rdquo;
Three years ago, Antoine was a five-star, top-20 recruit and McDonald&rsquo;s All-American who <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/24575439/bryan-antoine-commits-villanova-wildcats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chose Villanova over Duke, Florida, Kentucky, and Kansas</a>. The 6-foot-5 guard should have a chance to prove he can still resemble that as the Wildcat rotation now has to expand beyond six.
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The other guard in waiting is fellow 6-foot-5 junior Chris Arcidiacono, the brother of the Ryan. The younger Arcidiacono did log two minutes against Houston but hasn&rsquo;t cracked 10 since March 5, which is the only other time he&rsquo;s scored in a game since Feb. 22. <a href="https://villanovan.com/20381/sports/with-moore-out-its-time-for-arch-madness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Per the Villanovan</a>, Arcidiacono downplayed his potentially increased role with a boring quote.
&ldquo;Really, nothing changes,&rdquo; Arcidiacono said. &ldquo;My role is I come off the bench, bring energy, and just make sure we&rsquo;re playing Villanova basketball for 40 minutes. So whenever I&rsquo;m in, I&rsquo;m going to help our team play Villanova basketball.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s downplaying it here, but no doubt that it&rsquo;s possible both Antoine and Arcidiacono receive increased roles against Kansas this Saturday.
Villanova will need to squeeze everything they can out of their non-regulars in hopes of finding something unexpected to help their championship quest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Villanova played one game this season without Justin Moore --- an 85-74 win over UConn on February 5th in South Philadelphia. Chris Arcidiacono had nine points in 26 minutes off the bench. The Wildcats don't have what they had, but they still have enough. <a href="https://t.co/DckgK3BJyi">https://t.co/DckgK3BJyi</a>
&mdash; Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1508236981083553793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Bryan Fonseca looks at who 'Nova can turn to with Justin Moore sidelined for the rest of the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova will have to survive without Justin Moore in the Final Four

Here&rsquo;s a short list of NBA players who were born since the last time a guard won Defensive Player of the Year: Devin Booker, Dejounte Murray, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo and Brandon Ingram. Hold that thought &mdash; you can bet your life savings we&rsquo;ll get back to it.
We can do the heavy analytical dissection, but if we&rsquo;re being honest, advanced metrics haven&rsquo;t appropriately caught up to or captured how we watch defense, specifically on the perimeter.
This isn&rsquo;t going to be anti-film or anti-analytics; it's just that, sometimes, you gotta throw that sh** out the window and just make your points. You should still sound reasonable and informative while doing it &mdash; not just hot-taking for the sake of it &mdash; but even Kevin Durant famously said, &ldquo;<a href="https://twitter.com/kdtrey5/status/1184140634208329728?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who the f*** wants to look at graphs while having a hoops convo?</a>&rdquo; While many of you might not agree, there&rsquo;s at least a time and place to put this into practice. Now&rsquo;s that time.
The Boston Celtics were 25-25 on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 29. It was the day Marc Gasol turned 37, the day <a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/winter-noreaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a number of us experienced a Nor&rsquo;easter</a> and the day the C's beat the New Orleans Pelicans 107-97. Boston got a combined 69 points from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Some would call it a nice win.
But that day also marked the beginning of what is now a two-month Celtics run of Oscar-smacking the piss out of teams, riding a record of 47-29 ahead of their showing Wednesday night against the Miami Heat &mdash; another Eastern Conference contender.
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Oh yeah, we generally weren&rsquo;t calling Boston a contender two months ago &mdash; some weren&rsquo;t positive the team would totally avoid the Play-In Tournament. If you&rsquo;re keeping score at home, the Celtics have won 22 of their last 26, holding opponents under 100 points (in this NBA) 12 times &mdash; almost half of the time &mdash; and winning 15 of those games by 10 or more points.
The Celtics, right now, have the league&rsquo;s best defense. They&rsquo;ll experience some drop-off with Robert Williams out due to a torn meniscus, and even if we do see him again this season, he&rsquo;ll likely be less than 100%. That&rsquo;s unfortunate, but Boston should still be elite on that end, especially on the perimeter.
In 2022, we&rsquo;d like to think we&rsquo;re too sophisticated to use opposing points per game, but it bares mentioning that the C&rsquo;s are first in the league, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2022_games.html">allowing just 104.0 points per game</a>. <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1">They&rsquo;re also first in Defensive Rating at 105.9</a>.
Basic stuff, right? Yeah, I know. But if you keep going through defensive metrics, you&rsquo;ll find the Celtics at or near the top of many key statistics.
Now, go and look at Marcus Smart&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smartma01.html">Basketball-Reference page</a>, and we&rsquo;ll be here when you get back...
Did you know Smart has only been on an All-Defensive Team twice in his eight-year career? Surely, we can expect a third appearance this season, but still... that&rsquo;s it? (Note: Yes, this is also a case for three All-Defensive Teams for those of us who value that 50% of the game.)
When were those two All-Defensive years? The 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, where Smart cracked the First Team in back-to-back campaigns. We&rsquo;ve lauded his defense for years, and rightfully so. He&rsquo;s one of the best perimeter defenders you may have ever seen &mdash; definitely over the last 10 years. Advanced numbers don&rsquo;t always benefit perimeter defenders; in fact, they favor bigs all the time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🗣 Marcus Smart is the DPOY <a href="https://t.co/XVJFmYKbn2">pic.twitter.com/XVJFmYKbn2</a>
&mdash; Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) <a href="https://twitter.com/StoolGreenie/status/1508617595179585537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Smart&rsquo;s been amazing on defense this year. He&rsquo;s been as good as anyone on the perimeter, but even so, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022_leaders.html">he&rsquo;s only 20th in DRTG</a>, per Basketball-Reference. Wanna guess the positional breakdown of the 19 ahead of him?
There are nine centers, and six guys who play power forward. All but one, Jae Crowder, are considered bigs. Only three are considered guards: Chris Paul, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Luka Dončić. Would you say any of them, as good as they&rsquo;ve been, have been better than Smart defensively this year with a straight face?
(By the way, Smart is fourth on his own freaking team behind Williams [first], Al Horford [fourth] and Tatum [15th] somehow.)
Smart&rsquo;s tied for 11th in Defensive Box Plus-Minus. Wanna play the positional breakdown game again? No need. Only one guard is ahead of him, and that&rsquo;s Paul, who&rsquo;s on the best team in the league &mdash; the rest all play the 3, 4 or 5&mdash; especially the latter two.
Defensive Win Shares? Smart&rsquo;s 12th. Wanna do it again? All bigs except for Dončić and his teammate Tatum, who actually leads the league.
This isn&rsquo;t to say that these metrics (and ones that are alike) have been the only thing to influence voting throughout the DPOY award&rsquo;s history, but the award itself basically crowns whoever voters think is the best defensive big man. Sometimes you can crunch numbers, other times you can compare charts, but all in all, you still need to watch the m*****f*****. From there, it&rsquo;d be nice to recondition your thinking so we don&rsquo;t wind up in the same place all the time.
No guard has won DPOY since 1995-96, and that was Gary Payton &mdash; one of the best to ever do it. The most recent guard before Payton was Michael Jordan in 1988. That&rsquo;s two guards that have won DPOY since Mike Conley was born, and he&rsquo;ll turn 35 in October.
We don&rsquo;t even need to do the positional breakdown. We can do it like this: the last non-big to win DPOY was Kawhi Leonard in 2016 &mdash; the second season of back-to-back award wins. The last non-big before him? Ron Artest in 2004. And before that? Payton in &rsquo;96, then Jordan in &rsquo;88.
That&rsquo;s five DPOY Awards to non-bigs over the last 34 seasons, not including this year, where I&rsquo;m bracing for the voters to give it to Rudy Gobert a fourth time.
Smart&rsquo;s awesome, but even just on principle, just give the award to a (insert expletive here) guard. This is a guard- and wing-driven league offensively and Smart defends all those dudes, putting the clamps on several &mdash; and he's done this since being drafted in 2014. He&rsquo;s the best perimeter defender &mdash; arguably best, period &mdash; on the league&rsquo;s best defensive team. As the longest-tenured Celtic since 2017, this team has taken on his identity. Without Smart &mdash; even with Williams, Tatum, Brown, Horford and Derrick White &mdash; the Celtics wouldn&rsquo;t be this. His point-of-attack defense, switchability and leadership are immeasurable.
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And to the voters &mdash; y&rsquo;all are media members, many of whom grew up admiring the Celtics (let&rsquo;s keep it real, it&rsquo;s why we haven&rsquo;t stopped hearing about this run since it began) &mdash; so you know Smart&rsquo;s been as good as anyone. And if you&rsquo;re not going to give it to Mikal Bridges for his awesome work defensively on the NBA&rsquo;s best team, or Bam Adebayo for being the most versatile clamper in the league (<a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1503811583067271176" target="_blank" rel="noopener">games missed don&rsquo;t matter</a>), then give it to Smart.
He&rsquo;s earning it, he&rsquo;s deserving of it, and y&rsquo;all just need to do something different.
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Bryan Fonseca shares the history of the NBA DPOY award in reference to guards and believes Marcus Smart should win it.

Give Marcus Smart the damn Defensive Player of the Year award

You are now invited into the NBA rabbit hole you didn&rsquo;t know you needed.
Do you remember Deron Williams before he boxed Frank Gore? The Deron Williams before toiling away with his hometown Dallas Mavericks and ring-chasing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The one before the New Jersey Nets moved to Brooklyn. The one that got you banned on forums because of how vociferously you may have argued that he was better or worse than Chris Paul.
Ten years ago today, on March 4, that dude dropped a franchise-record 57 points. Yeah, you&rsquo;re getting old too, son. (That's still a Nets record, by the way.)
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That game itself, otherwise, wasn&rsquo;t all that memorable. The Nets had about one month left as representatives of New Jersey before relocating to Brooklyn later that year. They, at 12-26, won 104-101 against a Charlotte Bobcats (!) team that dropped to 4-31 on the lockout-shortened season.
Starters in the game included other glorious names like Kris Humphries, who was second on the Nets with 11 points (and 13 rebounds) and played 40 minutes. DeShawn Stevenson finished with an 0-2-1-0-0 line and had one shot attempt in 29 minutes of play. Eduardo N&aacute;jera, DeSagana Diop (who started for Charlotte!) and Shelden Williams got some run, and Tyrus Thomas played about seven minutes.
Kemba Walker was still coming off the bench for D.J. Augustin. Corey Maggette was the game&rsquo;s second-highest scorer, finishing with 24 points on just 4-of-12 shooting, but converted 15-of-16 free-throw attempts.
Current Charlotte (Hornets) star LaMelo Ball was 10 years old.
But it was also one of Williams&rsquo; last awesome NBA moments while still in his prime, a career cut short due to... well, it depends on who you ask, and/or what you believe. It&rsquo;s either related to injuries, which we began seeing take a toll on Williams after the Nets moved to Brooklyn. Or other stuff, like constant clashes with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett during that infamous 2013-14 season together.
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Say what you want about Stephen A. Smith &mdash; and this was before he essentially became the face of ESPN &mdash; but I vividly recall him here in New York saying things like, &ldquo;Deron Williams has the easiest job a franchise player could ever hope to have!&rdquo; And, &ldquo;All he has to do is ball,&rdquo; as Williams, frankly, didn&rsquo;t.
There was also the story that Pierce once mocked Williams, saying, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2015/7/11/8932649/farewell-to-all-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What&rsquo;s the matter now, Deron? Your ____ hurt</a>?&rdquo; (If I&rsquo;m blanking it and not even giving you a letter, just know it was raw.)
The Nets had Williams &mdash; generally hated by their fans to this day &mdash; Pierce, Garnett, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez as a championship-level starting-five (in theory) entering the 2013-14 season. And the head coach was a first-timer in Jason Kidd, who played an integral part on the underappreciated 54-win New York Knicks the season before as a player.
<a href="https://sicovers.com/featured/brooklyns-new-look-nets-who-wants-a-piece-of-them-2013-14-october-28-2013-sports-illustrated-cover.html">Remember that Sports Illustrated cover</a>? Ohhhhhh maaaaaaan.
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You may also recall the famous Jackie MacMullan <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12690080/washington-wizards-paul-pierce-speaks-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile on Pierce</a> when he was a Washington Wizard in the early John Wall and Bradley Beal days. As far as we know, this was before Wall and Marcin Gortat <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2018/02/07/marcin-gortat-responds-to-john-walls-comments-whos-attacking-who/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wanted to box each other&rsquo;s heads off</a>.
&ldquo;Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate,&rdquo; Pierce <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12690080/washington-wizards-paul-pierce-speaks-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said to MacMullan</a>. &ldquo;But I felt once we got there, that's not what he wanted to be. He just didn't want that.
&ldquo;I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was his first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.&rdquo;
After noting that Johnson is quiet and doesn&rsquo;t want much attention, Pierce continued.
&ldquo;There's a lot of secondary guys on that team. KG and I went there looking at them as the main guys who would push us, because we were advancing in years. But we ended up doing all the pushing,&rdquo; he said.
(Given what we&rsquo;ve learned, it&rsquo;s mildly surprising that Williams didn&rsquo;t <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1472409021189857287" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just fight him</a> after seeing this, but anyway.)
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Williams remains one of the grand "what ifs" of this century. And let&rsquo;s be responsible &mdash; injuries are one of the driving reasons for his sudden downswing from stardom to shell over a... hmm... two-year span? But we do what-ifs with guys who battled injuries all the time: Penny Hardaway, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Grant Hill and Derrick Rose, to name a few.
With Williams, just visualize, given how the game was going &mdash; and where he had been trending at one point &mdash; where he would&rsquo;ve evolved to if the talent, health, discipline and mentality all added up. And it doesn&rsquo;t always come together, which is why it&rsquo;s not responsible to purely say &ldquo;talent wins&rdquo; if the implication that talent alone is enough for substantial success.
And he clearly worked hard.
Williams averaged 19.5 points and 10.2 assists from 2007 to 2012 on .460/.346/.827 shooting splits. He attempted four threes a game at a respectable level and nearly six free throws per contest during that span. He consistently was among the league leaders in assists, while simultaneously profiling as one of the NBA&rsquo;s best scoring point guards. His True Shooting percentage was at 56.8% during those five years, hitting 60% in '07-08 and never dropping below 56.6% until the Nets&rsquo; last year in New Jersey. (Understandable when Humphries is your second-best player for most of the season.)
We weren&rsquo;t letting &lsquo;em fly from three the way we are now, and Williams was, like most others, streaky &mdash; but you had to guard him out there. The 35% perimeter clip in his peak reflected the near 36% for his career. The assists came with some high turnover numbers &mdash; Williams averaged 3.5 turnovers per game in those five seasons &mdash; but that still gave him a near 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
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Williams wasn&rsquo;t a usage monster either &mdash; his rating was never higher than 25.8% until a 30.1% usage in 2011-12, but, again, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NJN/2012.html">look at the roster</a>. Even so, he was eighth in the league in usage; otherwise, he never cracked the league&rsquo;s top-20. You know who did during that span? And on multiple occasions? Corey Maggette, Michael Beasley, Stephen Jackson, his then-teammate Brook Lopez and his former teammate Carlos Boozer. (Rashad McCants, Andrea Bargnani, Charlie Villanueva, Josh Smith, Rodney Stuckey and Jordan Crawford were in the top-20 as well during those days.)
Until the trade from Utah to New Jersey, Williams would be in the top-20 in VORP consistently too. Most hadn&rsquo;t yet cared about some of those metrics though.
And his strength was a big part of his game. Williams was built like Eric Gordon, had powerful crossovers like Baron Davis, a passing fluidity that neared Steve Nash, and an offensive creativity that rivaled CP3&rsquo;s &mdash; which is how all those damn fights started.
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Williams, in a lot of ways, was perfect for where the league was going. Surprisingly, he only made three All-Star teams, which were consecutive from 2010 to 2012; though, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2009/2/12/20301620/all-star-snubs-continue-for-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he had snub arguments in 2008 and 2009</a>, and <a href="https://nypost.com/2013/01/26/nets-wont-stir-pot-about-all-star-snub/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">again in 2013</a>.
It never came together, and everyone missed out because of it. Imagine if his prime stretched into a couple of those Brooklyn seasons... but don&rsquo;t imagine too hard because logistically, it would be a pain in the ass to lay out. But if he did ball out the way people on microphones, in forums and in his own locker room called for? Man.
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Williams would've been toe-to-toe in the mid-2010s against then-prime-entering stars such as James Harden, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. In his own conference, we might&rsquo;ve seen him in the playoffs go crossover-for-crossover with Kyrie Irving, or bump-for-bump with Kyle Lowry, or tough-finish-for-tough-finish with Wall. All of that while still mirroring a stat line of roughly 20 points and 10 assists per game on efficient shooting, further increasing his three-point and free-throw volume in the process.
That said, he did give us multiple All-NBA seasons and, again, a whole-ass fight with Gore. He says he&rsquo;s one-and-done, but that might be because none of you have offered him the Pierce one yet. And as silly as that sounds, you know you&rsquo;d watch.
But seriously, peak Williams was epic. If he continued along the path he had been, we don&rsquo;t know if it would&rsquo;ve brought the Nets a title &mdash; but they would&rsquo;ve been damn close.
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On the March 4 anniversary of Deron Williams' 57-point game, Bryan Fonseca looks back on his career and wonders: "What if?"

Deron Williams dropped 57 a decade ago... what could've been?

Time heals all wounds.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve been told, anyway.
Unfortunately, it would appear that Zion Willamson is testing the theory.
His massive stature is only surpassed by his incredible talent, but sadly &mdash; more than halfway through what should have been his third season &mdash; it&rsquo;s looking more and more like Zion is the second coming of Yao Ming.
On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_3452b938-8dd9-11ec-85bd-576e3c354632.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Clark of the&nbsp;New Orleans Times-Picayune</a> reported that Williamson may end up requiring a second surgery to repair a broken right foot that has derailed his third season. And at this point, we can&rsquo;t help but to point out the obvious as it relates to the young superstar &mdash; his body simply may not be able to stand up to the rigors of competing at the NBA level.
It certainly is a harsh consideration but, at this point, Zion has appeared in only 42% of the games that New Orleans has played since he was selected with the first overall pick in 2019.&nbsp;
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In fact, Zion has played in so few games, that it might be considered disrespectful of Yao Ming&rsquo;s career to mention the two in the same breath.
If you want to make anyone who&rsquo;s covered the game feel old, just tell them that Yao was drafted with the first overall pick by the Houston Rockets 20 years ago.&nbsp;
Indeed, way back in 2002, the Chinese phenom became the first international player who didn&rsquo;t play collegiately in the United States to be drafted with the first overall pick. He was the only man who ever made Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal look relatively miniature.
Those that knew Yao well and saw him up close often marveled at the power he seemed to have hidden in his legs. Despite his svelte frame, Yao&rsquo;s legs were like tree trunks. Although far from a high-flyer, at 7-foot-6 and playing between 305 and 310 pounds, he put significant stress on his lower extremeties and ultimately fell victim to it.
We may be witnessing the same thing happening to Zion.
With Yao, we found out the hard way that his body simply couldn&rsquo;t hold up. Most people&rsquo;s bodies simply aren't made to play 80-plus basketball games in the span of six months, which is exactly why so many players have only been able to do so with varying degrees of success (and availability).&nbsp;
After missing only two games his first three seasons in the league, things began to unravel for Yao in his fourth &mdash; he missed 25 games after undergoing surgery on his left big toe, and that was just the beginning.
He would miss 62 games over the span of his fifth and sixth seasons, before managing to play 77 games in his seventh. That seventh season ended prematurely, however, as he suffered a hairline fracture in his left ankle during Game 3 of the Rockets&rsquo; second-round playoff series against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Yao would miss the entirety of the enusing season in 2009-10. It should have been his eighth. He returned for the 2010-11 season, but five games in &mdash; despite being put on a 24-minute restriction &mdash; he developed another stress fracture in his left ankle.
He missed the remainder of the season before announcing his retirement the following July.&nbsp;
In the end, he played just 472 of a possible 738 games over his nine-year career.&nbsp;
Believe it or not, and despite all of that, in the three seasons spanning 2005-08, Yao&rsquo;s appearance rate of 65% was still much, much higher than Zion&rsquo;s (42%). And with Yao, it was particularly sad because he and the uber-talented Tracy McGrady were joined in Houston. A duo that had championship-caliber potential simply didn't have the health needed to get a real shot.
In his latter years, we spent more time wondering what Yao would look like with more development and at or near 100% effectiveness. Sadly, we never got to see.
We may never with Zion.
If the Rockets could do it all over again, they probably would&rsquo;ve tried to sell high (or, at least, sell at all) once Yao began spending more time in street clothes than in uniform. Players don't typically get healthier as they age.
Without a doubt, there would&rsquo;ve been at least one or two teams out there that would have been willing to roll the dice on Yao, just as there were teams willing to take chances on oft-injured players such as Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire, Tyreke Evans and even Kristaps Porzingis.
As constituted, the Pelicans are a talented team, especially after having acquired CJ McCollum at the trade deadline. With Brandon Ingram and a few other capable players on the right side of 30 years old, the thought of cutting bait with Zion and taking advantage of another team&rsquo;s willingness to make him their problem wouldn&rsquo;t be absurd.
His value isn&rsquo;t nearly as high as it was one year ago but, if the Wizards were able to find a taker for John Wall, it's easy to imagine that there would be a market for Zion.
Sadly, at this point, he can only be fairly regarded as a big if, whether we like it or not. And continuing to count on him in New Orleans is a proposition that&rsquo;s looking less prudent with each passing day.
Truth is, we&rsquo;d be hard-pressed to find a player of his size and stature who overcame such a turbulent injury history so early in a career.
Perhaps Zion can be the first.
At this point, though &mdash; especially through the lens of the great Yao Ming &mdash; it's probably safe to say that history isn't on his side.
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Moke Hamilton discusses the career parallels of Yao Ming and Zion Williamson, with an eye on their unfortunate injury woes.

Is Zion Williamson the next Yao Ming?

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast "Nothing But Bets" on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, "Nothing But Bets" is 55% against the spread, plus we're up hundreds of dollars on PrizePicks.
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For this fun Monday slate, which picks and trends are the best to wager on? Let&rsquo;s break it all down as you lock in bets and lineup cards:
Washington Wizards (-4) vs. Detroit Pistons
This feels like the perfect opportunity for the underdog to make this one closer than expected throughout. Washington is without Bradley Beal, plus Kristaps Porzingis isn&rsquo;t making his debut just yet. No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham has been such fun to watch this season, and he&rsquo;s why I believe the Pistons cover the 4-point spread.
Pick: Pistons +4
PrizePicks Power Play: Cade Cunningham over 15.5 points, Saddiq Bey over 16.5 points, Kyle Kuzma over 21.5 points, Thomas Bryant over 5.5 rebounds
New York Knicks (-10) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
All season long on "Nothing But Bets," we&rsquo;ve been tailing the Thunder as double-digit underdogs. More often than not, it&rsquo;s been a very sound strategy to deploy. It&rsquo;s time to hammer the Thunder against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, mainly in large part to New York&rsquo;s inconsistencies. Josh Giddey and the young Thunder keep cashing for the plus bettors.
Pick: Thunder +10
PrizePicks Power Play: Julius Randle over 23.5 points, Darius Bazley over 14.5 points, Josh Giddey over 6.5 assists, Evan Fournier over 2.5 rebounds
Brooklyn Nets vs. Sacramento Kings (-2.5)
Sacramento has found their winning ways recently, thanks in large part to the blockbuster trade for Domantas Sabonis. The results between Sabonis and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox have been fantastic thus far. In Brooklyn against a Nets team without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, we&rsquo;re betting on the Kings to keep stacking up victories.
Pick: Kings -2.5
PrizePicks Power Play: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 22.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 11.5 rebounds, Patty Mills over 14.5 points, Seth Curry over 14.5 points
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Milwaukee Bucks (-11.5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Portland looks completely different after this year&rsquo;s trade deadline. Heading on the road to play the defending champions is a bad outcome waiting to happen. Milwaukee easily handles business against the newly tanking Trail Blazers.
Pick: Bucks -11.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Khris Middleton over 23.5 points, Anfernee Simons over 21.5 points, Jusuf Nurkic over 11.5 rebounds, Jrue Holiday over 8.5 assists
Chicago Bulls (-3.5) vs. San Antonio Spurs
The DeMar DeRozan revenge game, and we&rsquo;re happy to take advantage of the low spread across the board. Chicago has been outstanding this season as favorites, plus DeRozan&rsquo;s scoring will be too much for his former team. We feel confident locking in Chicago because of DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.
Pick: -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: DeMar DeRozan over 31.5 points, Dejounte Murray over 22.5 points, Nikola Vucevic over 13 rebounds, Jakob Poetl over 8 rebounds
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Toronto Raptors (-3.5)
Toronto continues to be one of the best stories in the NBA this season. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet have been arguably playing at near-All-NBA levels, plus their young core continues to take significant strides forward. The Pelicans have been more consistently lately, but it&rsquo;s hard to envision a scenario where they stop the Raptors&rsquo; momentum.
Pick: Raptors -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Brandon Ingram over 21.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 21.5 points, Fred VanVleet over 19.5 points, CJ McCollum over 19.5 points
Utah Jazz (-15) vs. Houston Rockets
A huge spread for this game, but it&rsquo;s definitely worthy of the large line. Utah on all accounts hold significant advantages across the board compared to Houston. Donovan Mitchell will easily be able to have his way with the Rockets, so this feels like one of the best bets of the night for Monday&rsquo;s slate.
Pick: Jazz -15
PrizePicks Power Play: Donovan Mitchell over 24.5 points, Kevin Porter Jr. over 14.5 points, Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate over 11.5 points, Bojan Bogdanovic over 2.5 threes
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Denver Nuggets (-11.5) vs. Orlando Magic
Nikola Jokic is playing at an outrageously high level right now, even better than last season&rsquo;s jaw-dropping MVP campaign. Jokic is carrying a Nuggets team without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., further solidifiing his status among the NBA&rsquo;s elite. Denver could be a sleeper team in the playoffs, especially once Murray returns. Against the Magic, I believe Jokic and the Nuggets easily cover the 11.5-point spread.
Pick: Nuggets -11.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Nikola Jokic over 24.5 points, Will Barton over 15.5 points, Jalen Suggs over 13.5 points, Mo Bamba over 6.5 rebounds
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors (-6)
It&rsquo;s never a wise strategy to bet against Stephen Curry and the Warriors. On Monday, it&rsquo;s no different when they play against the Clippers in Los Angeles. Not only are the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (potentially <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ty-lue-kawhi-leonard-is-probably-not-gonna-come-back-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for the rest of the season</a>), one of their new additions in Norman Powell is already dealing with an injury as well. Wagering on the Warriors here feels like the best move.
Pick: Warriors -6
PrizePicks Power Play: Stephen Curry over 22.5 points, Reggie Jackson over 18.5 points, Klay Thompson over 18.5 points, Ivica Zubac over 7.5 rebounds
Make sure to <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily-fantasy? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA Picks and Fantasy Advice for 2/14/22

With the NBA trade deadline over and done with, the BasketballNews.com staff wants to share our thoughts on the moves that went down. Since Nekias Duncan thoroughly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graded each and every trade from the past week</a>, we asked the rest of our team to react to the results of the ever-so-eventful week.
Here are our staff's thoughts on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losers of the 2022 NBA trade deadline</a>. Now, in our latest Roundtable, we asked our writers the following question:
Who are the biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline? 
Alex Kennedy: My trade deadline winners are the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. I was someone who believed that Daryl Morey should trade Ben Simmons sooner than later, because I thought Simmons' trade value would only decrease over time. I didn't think the 76ers would actually be able to land a star player for Simmons, but I was clearly wrong. Morey's gamble paid off and now he's reunited with James Harden. As for the Pacers, I love&nbsp;what they did over the last week. We all knew that they were going to make drastic changes, but I was really impressed with how much they were able to get back for Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert and Torrey Craig. I love the addition of Tyrese Haliburton, and I truly believe he's going to develop into a star in Indiana. I also liked the buy-low addition of Jalen Smith, who was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan deserve credit for pulling off some smart trades and assembling an impressive young core.
Spencer Davies: I&rsquo;m going to be contrarian here, but good for the win-now teams who aren&rsquo;t really in a position to contend this season, yet still went for a swing. I&rsquo;m talking about the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers. The Pels acquired a 20 point-per-game scorer in CJ McCollum to put next to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson (defense we&rsquo;ll worry about later; Herb Jones and his 10 arms have it all covered anyway). My thoughts on the Kings acquiring an All-Star such as Domantas Sabonis are well-documented, and now, they&rsquo;ve added an underappreciated two-way guard in Donte DiVincenzo, who&rsquo;s still finding his form since his playoff injury last year. Finally, as for the Clippers, Norm Powell and Robert Covington are championship-caliber veterans who will get acclimated the rest of the season as L.A. stays afloat &mdash; and fit like a glove in Tyronn Lue&rsquo;s rotation next year beside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Individually, I also have to give big-ups to Daryl Morey for sticking to his guns.
Ethan Fuller: The Celtics and Pacers each made the right moves for their franchise directions. Boston needed to find another ball-handling guard to fit with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and the team did exactly that by adding Derrick White. They also brought back a perfect third center in Daniel Theis while clearing roster space to pursue bench upgrades on the buyout market. Indiana is crushing its rebuild initiation. Tyrese Haliburton is obviously the headliner, but the Pacers also netted a first and second-round pick, plus a noteworthy flier in Jalen Smith and tradeable players like Buddy Hield. They also didn't overextend with any forced moves.
Bryan Fonseca: It would be silly to say Indiana, and as much as I do like Tyrese, I'm not a *full-blown* Haliburton hipster. He can be an All-Star, for sure, but Domantas Sabonis is already that. The deal isn't *that* one-sided. I could say Brooklyn or Philly for getting themselves out of a situation, but both teams might've just traded one set of problems for another. In fact, I'd say that's likely. So, you know what, I really enjoy what New Orleans did. You can't rebuild forever and Zion Williamson's already extension-eligible this summer. We'll have to see him again at some point, and with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, you should be competitive, especially next year &mdash; if you have mostly good health. To me, it's a diet version of the Chicago Bulls adding DeMar DeRozan.&nbsp;
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Evan Sidery: Exiting this year&rsquo;s trade deadline, it's rare to list both teams from the biggest transaction as winners. That's exactly what happened in the Sixers and Nets&rsquo; blockbuster when James Harden and Ben Simmons swapped places. Harden joins Joel Embiid forming a lethal, potentially transcendent one-two scoring combination. Philadelphia pushed the chips in as Embiid continues to display rare big man dominance. For Brooklyn, this situation was untenable with Harden&rsquo;s on-court pouting. The Nets&rsquo; Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden will be looked back on with so many questions down the road. Both teams shook it up, and in the end it's fair to say both teams made weaknesses a strength. Harden is Daryl Morey&rsquo;s big moment in Philly, but Simmons could finally be fully maximized alongside Durant.
Mat Issa: Of course, the 76ers are &ndash; any time you can end an annoying, eight-month-old saga by securing a top-12 player in the world, you&rsquo;ve won immensely. However, the team that really stands out to me is their counterpart in the deal, the Brooklyn Nets. Despite having their back against the wall with very little leverage (thanks to Harden&rsquo;s displeasure being confirmed the morning of the deadline), the team netted a pretty nice return. Say what you will about him, but Simmons was a solid All-Star in a suboptimal situation in Philadelphia. Next season, he&rsquo;ll be operating with the perimeter gravity that the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry (another valuable piece from the deal) afford you. Also, adding a solid backup center and some draft capital is always nice, as well.
Justin Lewis: The Brooklyn Nets, because they just became a better team. The Detroit Pistons paid next to nothing for a shot at Marvin Bagley. The Memphis Grizzlies because Dallas got worse and no one in the West really made a move to pull closer or further away from them.
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Who are your biggest NBA trade deadline winners? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.