Eagles

The Charlotte Hornets might have lost the game, but Brandon Miller certainly left an impression in his first opportunity to play against his &ldquo;basketball GOAT.&rdquo;
The rookie forward scored 22 points on 8/19 shooting and sank in 5 threes in the Hornets&rsquo; 118-130 loss against Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Miller missed the first Hornets-Clippers game earlier in the season due to an ankle injury, which Los Angeles also won, 113-104.
The 6-foot-9 Miller notably expressed his admiration for George&rsquo;s game, noting how he regards George as his &lsquo;role model&rsquo; and the player he studies and molds his game after.
In an interview with ESPN, Miller notes how George is the perfect archetype to study in today&rsquo;s NBA with his size, speed, fluidity, smoothness, and two-play play on the court.
"Paul George is the best player in my eyes ... I don't really watch anybody else as far as trying to get their moves down. Paul George is my GOAT,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;It's kind of how the league is built now: Paul George is the right person to study for this generation."
The sweet-shooting rookie out of Alabama witnessed firsthand how George operates, with the 6-foot-8 former Indiana Pacer and Oklahoma City Thunder carving up the Hornets&rsquo; defense to put up 41 points. George was ultra-efficient, going 14-21 from the field including 8/12 from the three-point area, and had an all-around game by adding 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Miller did his best to impress George by scoring a few buckets over him and then expressed his admiration again for him after the game. The two swapped their jerseys afterward.
&ldquo;When he&rsquo;s on the court, he&rsquo;s [George] a great shotmaker but not just that &ndash; he takes pride on the defensive side and that&rsquo;s the one thing that stands out with him and in his career. That&rsquo;s why my favorite player is Paul George.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Paul George and Brandon Miller jersey swap after the LAC-CHA game 🙌🏾 <a href="https://t.co/c4WROvHkPa">pic.twitter.com/c4WROvHkPa</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1774598212315488671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
Miller also says he&rsquo;s planning and looking forward to learning more about George in the summer, indicating the two working out together in the offseason.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s my big bro,&rdquo; Miller said of George. I&rsquo;m looking forward to working out with him in the summer &ndash; I know he&rsquo;s going to be a tough matchup everytime we&rsquo;re gonna play with each other.&rdquo;

Brandon Miller certainly left an impression in his first opportunity to play against Paul George, his self-described “basketball GOAT."

Brandon Miller impresses in first meeting against his 'GOAT’ Paul George

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; One short year ago, college basketball was getting ready for the game of a lifetime: North Carolina vs. Duke at the Final Four.
And this year? Well, to put it kindly, who the heck are these guys?
The NCAA Tournament, the annual event that has told and sold and made marketing gold out of the story of underdogs and busted brackets has, for 2023, produced an extreme rendition of what happens when&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-final-four-uconn-fau-6ca1aeceb20e4d9cde254e52ea77430f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all that cherished unpredictability</a>&nbsp;plays itself out to the end.
In one Final Four meeting Saturday, it will be San Diego State against Florida Atlantic. In the other, it will be Miami vs. UConn.
&ldquo;I expect the prognosticators to pick us fifth at the Final Four,&rdquo; Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May said in a nod to the reality that nobody really expected the Owls, or any of these teams, to be here.
Of the four programs descending on Houston this week, only one has ever sniffed a Final Four before. It&rsquo;s the first time in 53 years that has happened.
With its four national titles and some famous names from the past, including Jim Calhoun, Kemba Walker&nbsp;and Rip Hamilton, the name &ldquo;Connecticut&rdquo; certainly should ring a bell, even if it might not tread all the way into true blueblood territory.
Miami?&nbsp;That was a program that was literally shut down for 14 years in the 1970s and 1980s due to lack of interest. The school was too busy building a football program that would become (in)famous for winning with a certain panache.
May&rsquo;s Florida Atlantic&nbsp;program? It&rsquo;s a relative new kid on the block, a member of Division I since 1993 that is based in the retirement community of Boca Raton, a locale better known for its 4:30 dinner specials than its 7 p.m. tipoffs.
San Diego State?&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/final-four-san-diego-state-46eefb6f73d12368b158126d5365cb0a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In their defense</a>, maybe this shouldn&rsquo;t be the Aztecs&rsquo; first Final Four. In 2020, they were 30-2 and generally slotted in as a No. 1 seed, albeit still an underdog to a stacked Kansas team that was the odds-on favorite. Then COVID hit and wiped that season off the boards.
&ldquo;There are a lot of really good teams in college basketball, and the difference between winning and losing is paper thin,&rdquo; San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said.
Will anyone, outside of the truest of diehards, bother to watch?
As of Thursday, a pair of seats in the nosebleed section for Saturday&rsquo;s doubleheader &mdash; the most-anticipated day on the college hoops calendar &mdash; were going for around $100 each on the secondary market. A year ago, shortly after the Duke-Carolina matchup was set, the average price for those same seats nearly doubled to $800 a ticket.
There has been a lot of debate and even some handwringing about how one of America&rsquo;s greatest sporting events produced a 4 seed, two 5s and a 9 &mdash; for a seed total of 23, which is the second-highest in history &mdash; that between them boast not a single McDonald&rsquo;s All-American nor one consensus top-30 recruit.
The transfer portal, which allows players to come and go from school to school without having to sit out a year, might be the best explanation. Miami coach Jim Larranaga called it basketball&rsquo;s form of &ldquo;speed dating,&rdquo; a get-rich-quick scheme that, with the right timing, chemistry and luck, can make a roster very good (or very bad) very quickly.
Some other possibilities: an NCAA selection committee that some say is divorced from reality; the ever-shifting landscape caused by name-image-likeness (NIL) deals that give players more leverage (and money); and, for sure, an abundance of flawed teams &mdash; including Alabama, Houston and Kansas &mdash; that were overvalued and placed at the top of the heap this year.
But before jumping to grand conclusions about matchups like these becoming the &ldquo;new normal&rdquo; at the Final Four, former Duke star and current TV analyst Jay Bilas reminds us that we are a scant 365 days removed from a completely different sort of get-together.
&ldquo;I love the one about the narratives that you don&rsquo;t need those McDonalds guys to win,&rdquo; Bilas said. &ldquo;OK, so don&rsquo;t recruit the best players, and see how that goes for you. I just don&rsquo;t understand how all this gets this way.&rdquo;
A year ago, the tournament felt perfect. The country got its dose of Cinderella &mdash; namely, when 15 seed Saint Peter&rsquo;s made a first-of-its-kind run into the Elite Eight. Then, a sense of perfectly timed normalcy took over.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski got to close out his career at the Final Four, and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-north-carolina-tar-heels-mens-basketball-duke-blue-devils-mens-basketball-sports-north-carolina-26014ae4edf5d2649b3543ab3b43528f">the end</a>&nbsp;came against none other than archrival North Carolina. Joining those power programs in New Orleans last year were Kansas and Villanova, two more of the country&rsquo;s great programs with seven national titles between them. The total seed value of those four teams: 13, with most of that accounted for by the Tar Heels, who got in as an 8 after knocking out Saint Pete&rsquo;s.
So, will 2023 be remembered as the year when chaos took over for good, or just a minor blip in the proceedings while all those Jayhawks and Blue Devils reload?
&ldquo;The tournament is about a lot of different things to a lot of different people,&rdquo; Bilas said. &ldquo;Some people love it for the brackets, some people love it for the basketball. But no matter who&rsquo;s in the Final Four, the bandwagon is always wide open, and you can jump on it whenever you want.&rdquo;

Of the four teams descending on Houston, only one has ever sniffed a Final Four before — the first time that's happened in 53 years.

Final Four: Last year’s bluebloods are this year’s no-names

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Northern Kentucky coach Darrin Horn might be looking forward to his team&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament appearance even more than his players.
The Norse won their fourth Horizon League championship since 2016-17 but will play in March Madness for the first time since 2019. They also won the league title in 2020, but there was no NCAA Tournament that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That denied Horn a chance to lead his first NKU squad in the Big Dance, which makes this berth a bit more special. Especially after the Norse let an opportunity slip away in last year&rsquo;s Horizon Tournament.
&ldquo;We kind of feel like we had one taken from us literally, where you qualify for the tournament and then the tournament just doesn&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; Horn said in a phone interview. &ldquo;So, to finally punch your ticket and know that there&rsquo;s going to be games and you&rsquo;re going to be a part of the process, that&rsquo;s really exciting.&rdquo;
The No. 16 seed Norse (22-12) will face Midwest top seed Houston on Thursday night in Birmingham, Alabama. NKU features the nation&rsquo;s No. 27 defense (63.6 points allowed per game) and the No. 42 scorer in junior guard Marques Warrick (19.1 points).
DEJA VU
Howard&rsquo;s last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992 was a 100-67 loss to Midwest top seed Kansas. Back then, Kenneth Blakeney was a 20-year-old Duke sophomore on a Blue Devils squad that repeated as national champions.
Blakeney now coaches Howard and will lead the No. 16 seed Bison (22-12) against the defending national champion and top-seeded Jayhawks again, this time in a West Region first-round game. Howard topped Norfolk State 65-64 for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship, capping a remarkable turnaround from 4-29 in Blakeney&rsquo;s debut season in 2019-20 to their first regular-season and tournament titles since that last trip to the Big Dance.
&ldquo;To represent Howard University is a big honor for me,&rdquo; said Blakeney, a Washington, D.C., native, via email. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m humble to be a mentor at a great university. Kansas is a national, traditional and historic program. I&rsquo;m excited.&rdquo;
The D.C. school is one of two historically Black colleges and universities in the tournament. Texas Southern won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title and will face Fairleigh Dickinson in a matchup of No. 16 seeds in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
CHARMED EXISTENCE
It&rsquo;s been quite a year for West Virginia coach Bob Huggins.
Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September. He became the winningest active Division I coach last week when Jim Boeheim retired at Syracuse.
The Mountaineers (19-14) overcame a horrible start to Big 12 play to reach the NCAA Tournament field as a No. 9 seed. They&rsquo;ll meet No. 8 seed and state line rival Maryland (21-12) on Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama.
&ldquo;I never had any doubt that we wouldn&rsquo;t play in the tournament,&rdquo; Huggins said Sunday night. &ldquo;I thought we were getting better and better.&rdquo;
West Virginia lost its first five Big 12 games but rebounded to finish 7-11 in arguably the nation&rsquo;s toughest league. The NCAA bid wouldn&rsquo;t have been secured without three wins in the Mountaineers&rsquo; final four regular-season games, including over Iowa State and No. 12 Kansas State.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m good with it,&rdquo; Huggins said. &ldquo;Obviously we wanted to win more games. We just had some things happen.&rdquo;
RECONNECTING
Marquette&rsquo;s first-round East Region matchup Friday against Vermont gave Golden Eagles guard and Big East player of the year Tyler Kolek a chance to catch up with an old friend.
Kolek began his college career at George Mason while playing for a coaching staff that included Bryson Johnson, who is now a Vermont assistant. As soon as the matchup of No. 2 and No. 15 seeds was announced, Kolek and Johnson began exchanging texts.
&ldquo;We had some competitive fire going back and forth,&rdquo; Kolek said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d always shoot against each other (at George Mason). He actually played at Bucknell and he was a pretty good player. Just a little trash talk.&rdquo;
Marquette beat Xavier 65-51 on Saturday to earn its first Big East Conference title.
STAYING HOME
No. 1 overall seed Alabama and archrival Auburn, the Midwest No. 9 seed, won&rsquo;t have to go far for their tournament debuts.
Both schools will open in Birmingham, Alabama, a 58-mile hop from Tuscaloosa for the Crimson Tide, who on Thursday will face the winner of the No. 16 seed matchup between Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State.
The Tigers will travel about 110 miles for their first-round meeting with No. 8 seed Iowa, where Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was an assistant from 1986-92.
___
AP Sports Writers Mike Marot, Steve Megargee, John Raby and Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

A look at the top storylines in the upcoming men's 2023 NCAA Tournament.

March Madness: Norse ride again, a KU deja vu for Howard

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Jahvon Quinerly scored 24 points, Brandon Miller made the clinching free throws with six seconds left and No. 2 Alabama rallied from a 17-point deficit before beating archrival Auburn 90-85 in overtime Wednesday night.
The Crimson Tide (26-4, 16-1 Southeastern Conference) clinched outright their second regular-season SEC title in three years but continued to live on the edge over a troubling eight days that included courtroom revelations in a capital murder trial.
Miller rebounded teammate Jaden Bradley&rsquo;s missed dunk and drew a foul, making both free throws. Noah Clowney had blocked K.D. Johnson&rsquo;s layup attempt on the other end.
The Tigers (19-11, 9-8), who had three key players foul out, couldn&rsquo;t close it out after leading almost the entire way in regulation. They were up 17 with under 11 minutes left.
Alabama won its fourth straight but the past three have gone down to the wire since courtroom revelations tied freshmen Miller and Bradley to the scene of a murder. Neither has been charged or accused of a crime, but then-teammate Darius Miles and another man are facing capital murder charges.
Police said Miles texted Miller asking him to bring the gun.
NO. 22 TCU 75, NO. 9 TEXAS 73
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; Damion Baugh scored a career-high 24 points, Emanuel Miller had 20 and TCU denied Texas a chance to play for a share of the Big 12 title in its upcoming regular-season finale.
Baugh scored on a breakaway layup off the opening tip and the Horned Frogs (20-10, 9-8 Big 12) never trailed. It was the second loss in a row and third in five games for the Longhorns (22-8, 11-6), who haven&rsquo;t won a regular-season conference crown since 2008.
Texas hosts third-ranked Kansas (25-5, 13-4) on Saturday. The Jayhawks had already clinched at least a piece of the Big 12 title Tuesday night, and now know they won&rsquo;t have to share it.
Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice scored 16 points for the Longhorns, and Tyrese Hunter had 15.
NO. 10 GONZAGA 104, CHICAGO STATE 65
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 17 points in what&rsquo;s expected to be his final home game at Gonzaga, and the Bulldogs trounced Chicago State in a postseason tune-up.
Timme made his 99th start at Gonzaga. The senior forward ranks second on the school&rsquo;s career scoring list, 21 points behind Frank Burgess (1958-61).
The 6-foot-10 Timme has played four seasons at Gonzaga but could return for a fifth because of extra eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has not announced any definitive plans.
Fellow senior Rasir Bolton added 15 points for the Zags (26-5), who won their seventh straight game. Malachi Smith scored 14.
Jahsean Corbett led Chicago State (11-19) with 22 points and seven rebounds.
Gonzaga added the game to avoid going more than a week without playing before the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.
NO. 11 KANSAS STATE 85, OKLAHOMA 69
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Desi Sills flirted with a triple-double in his Bramlage Coliseum farewell and Kansas State held on to beat Oklahoma.
Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell also had big senior send-offs for the Wildcats. Sills finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Johnson had 16 points and Nowell added 11 points and 10 assists to help Kansas State (23-7, 11-6 Big 12) snap a three-game skid against the Sooners.
Nae&rsquo;Qwan Tomlin scored 19 points for Kansas State, which led by 20 early in the second half before the Sooners (14-16, 4-13) made a late run. Milos Uzan had 20 points to lead Oklahoma.
NO. 14 UCONN 88, DEPAUL 59
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Adama Sanogo scored 26 points to lead five UConn players in double figures and the Huskies closed out their home schedule in emphatic style with an easy win over skidding DePaul.
Andre Jackson filled up the stat sheet for Connecticut (23-7, 12-7 Big East) with 11 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Tristen Newton added 12 points for the Huskies, who have won four straight and seven of eight.
Nick Ongenda tied a career high with 17 points for DePaul (9-21, 3-16), which has lost 11 in a row.
UConn put the game away early, opening on a 29-2 run.
NO. 19 XAVIER 94, NO. 20 PROVIDENCE 89
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Souley Boum scored a season-high 33 points and Colby Jones added a career-best 29 to help Xavier beat Providence and clinch the No. 2 seed in the Big East Tournament.
Ed Croswell had 17 points with 13 rebounds, and Bryce Hopkins also scored 17 for Providence, which cut a 22-point first-half deficit to two in the second half.
It was the Friars&rsquo; first loss at home in 16 games this season.
With one game remaining, Xavier (22-8, 14-5 Big East) has a one-game lead over Providence (21-9, 13-6) and controls the tiebreaker, having swept their two regular-season matchups.
OHIO STATE 73, NO. 21 MARYLAND 62
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Felix Okpara had 12 points and 12 rebounds to help Ohio State finish its home schedule with a win over Maryland.
Justice Sueing had 16 points to lead six Buckeyes in double figures. Ohio State (13-17, 5-14 Big Ten) jumped ahead early with a 12-0 run and didn&rsquo;t give up the lead the rest of the way.
Julian Reese had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Terrapins (20-10, 11-8).
VANDERBILT 68, NO. 23 KENTUCKY 66
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Jordan Wright hit a go-ahead fall-away jumper in the lane with 2.6 seconds remaining to finish with 23 points, and Vanderbilt topped Kentucky for its first win at Rupp Arena since January 2007.
The surging Commodores (17-13, 10-7 Southeastern Conference) earned their seventh win in eight games and are 7-3 since losing to Kentucky 69-53 last month in Nashville.
Wright&rsquo;s drive tied the game with 42 seconds left, and Tyrin Lawrence grabbed Antonio Reeves&rsquo; missed jumper with 20 seconds to go.
Reeves&rsquo; 3-point attempt missed the rim altogether as time expired. Kentucky had won its previous four and re-entered the rankings on Monday for the first time in seven weeks.
Oscar Tshiebwe had 21 points and 20 rebounds for the Wildcats (20-10, 11-6).
NOTRE DAME 88, NO. 25 PITTSBURGH 81
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Hammond and Cormac Ryan each scored 20 points as Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh to win longtime coach Mike Brey&rsquo;s final home game.
Nate Laszewski and Trey Wertz each added 14 points for the Fighting Irish (11-19, 3-16 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a seven-game losing streak.
Brey, stepping down at season&rsquo;s end, received warm ovations from the crowd before and after the game. He improved to 315-76 at Purcell Pavilion over 23 years as Notre Dame coach.
Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings and Nike Sibande all scored 19 points for Pittsburgh. Blake Hinson added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Panthers (21-9, 14-5), who lost for only the second time in 10 games. They were playing their first game since moving into the AP Top 25 for the first time in seven years.

A recap of Wednesday's top-25 action in men's college hoops includes the Crimson Tide winning the regular-season SEC title.

No. 2 Alabama rallies from 17 down to top rival Auburn in OT

The most important word in NBA All-Star break might actually be "break."
For one week, the entire league recalibrates itself for the home stretch of the regular season and catches up on the aches, pains and more significant injuries that stem from competing hard every single day. Rookies can also breathe after being thrown into the fires of their first year as a pro.
Young talent can thrive coming out of the break. Bottom-feeding teams are ready to turn minutes over to those with less experience and more upside after the trade deadline. Contenders have a better understanding of how rookies could slot into a playoff-seeking rotation. And regardless of the ethics, a stellar final impression can heavily impact All-Rookie narratives.
So who might surprise us with a strong close to the season?
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Here are five under-the-radar rookies worth monitoring for a leap forward &mdash; "under-the-radar" excluding lottery draft picks and players already firmly in the Rookie of the Year conversation (i.e. Walker Kessler):
Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs
Malaki Branham is barely under the radar at this point; he's leading all rookies with 18.1 points per game in February. But he is one of my favorite players in this rookie class, and since he fits my criteria, I'm seizing the chance to spotlight him.
According to PBP Stats, 136 players have attempted at least 50 "self-created" mid-range shots this season (attempts after possessing the ball for at least two seconds). Branham is converting on a ridiculous 56% of those shots, ranking third behind only Kevin Durant and Seth Curry.
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Malaki Branham logged his sixth consecutive start Monday at Cleveland and played well, scoring 18 points on 8-of-11 in the loss. Branham is a natural shot-creator who is also excellent moving off-ball. He&rsquo;s going to be a very good NBA player and an important piece for the Spurs. <a href="https://t.co/kbfm5KivkL">pic.twitter.com/kbfm5KivkL</a>
&mdash; Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/UsherNBA/status/1625337236152799232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
The No. 20 overall pick hardly wastes time and effort when he attacks off the dribble. While Branham has showcased his chops as an on-ball scorer, he's also 26-for-29 on assisted shots within 10 feet of the rim this season, per PBP Stats, and Synergy says Branham is shooting 76.5% on cutting field goal attempts.&nbsp;
Branham's relatively low output from the perimeter at Ohio State drew question marks around the NBA Draft. Could he stretch his mid-range prowess beyond the arc? This season, Branham has made just 33.3% of his catch-and-shoot threes, but since February, he's at a scorching 18-for-41 (43.9%) on 4.6 &nbsp;attempts per game.&nbsp;
Right now, he's purely been a bucket. We're still waiting to see a bit more of the off-dribble playmaking, which I believe was underrated in college. Branham also is, well, a contributor to the Spurs' league-worst defense. But the 6-foot-5-inch wing is playing in a low-stakes environment by NBA standards and is clearly growing more comfortable with each passing game. If you told me he would lead rookies in post-All-Star scoring, I'd believe you.

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Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets
The No. 21 overall selection in this past year's draft hung around the back end of the Nuggets' rotation for most of the season, but has received 23.3 minutes per game this month. Christian Braun is averaging 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals across nine February contests on a scintillating 64.5% True Shooting clip.&nbsp;
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Holy crap Christian Braun! The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nuggets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nuggets</a> rookie summoning his inner Nikola Jokic, on the baseline cut takes the entry pass from Joker and instantly dishes it back out to Michael Porter Jr. for the corner 3-pointer. Such a damn impressive heads up play.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MileHighBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MileHighBasketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/p01V1g6PIi">pic.twitter.com/p01V1g6PIi</a>
&mdash; Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelRushNBA/status/1625539664571699201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Braun is a quintessential connector for the Nuggets right now. Over 53% of his shots have come at the rim, mostly off of secondary drives or cuts, and he'll also spot up from the corners frequently. He's not a lead playmaker, but he'll keep the ball moving; plus, he's had just six bad-pass turnovers all season, per PBP Stats.&nbsp;
The Nuggets also like to use Braun's size at 6-foot-7, 218 pounds to guard up the lineup. According to BBall Index, the Kansas product has spent over 62% of his playing time defending point guards and shooting guards. And, while he's not the point-of-attack defender, he's useful in taking away complementary options and being an additional pest.
Denver's lack of trade-deadline additions on the wing (and top billing in the West) means Braun is expected to contribute to a deep playoff run. A stable three-point shot would go a long way (46.7% in February, 37.1% on the season), along with continued growth on defense. But Braun is the rare rookie on a pressure-packed team, and thriving would say a lot about his impact.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
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Per Cleaning the Glass: only 5️⃣ NBA players have block and steal rates both above 1.5% 🏀 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) - Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM) - Larry Nance Jr. (NOP) - Kyle Anderson (MIN) - Tari Eason (HOU) <a href="https://t.co/Fi0pGOHnbL">pic.twitter.com/Fi0pGOHnbL</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1628828512206348291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Tari Eason's 1.5% block rate and 2.2% steal rate place him in an elite group of defensive havoc-wreakers this season. He's averaging 4.52 bad-pass steals or deflections per 75 possessions, per BBall Index, which puts him in the 95th percentile at his position.
Eason is already a unique event-creator on defense with his length and mobility. He also inhales rebounds on both ends of the glass. The former LSU forward secures offensive boards on 10.6% of Houston's misses, a rate that ranks second among all non-bigs in the league.&nbsp;
Those two impact areas carry the weight for Eason's All-Rookie case; he's still finding his niche on offense. He has to create more for himself than expected, and he's making a paltry 40.7% of his unassisted shots at the rim. The Rockets' offense has been a mess all season long. Ideally, Eason could start his career capitalizing on more cuts, lobs and spot-ups, but it's unclear if he'll find that balance this season.
Still, his defensive impact and rebounding activity warrant a prime spot in the rotation of a young, losing team, and Eason is talented enough to make it work.
Jaylin Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
The pesky Thunder continue to stick around in the playoff race, and Jaylin Williams &mdash; not to be confused with Jalen &mdash; has been the most recent young head-turner with his charge-taking. Check out this graphic from Dom Samangy:
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Former Razorback, Jaylin Williams, is currently LEADING THE NBA in charges drawn per minute played and has the highest charge rate in 7 years since the NBA started tracking &ldquo;hustle stats&rdquo; in 2016. He currently draws a charge every 22 minutes of play! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProHogs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProHogs</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/Jay_MWilliams_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jay_MWilliams_</a> <a href="https://t.co/bOM9XcqynU">pic.twitter.com/bOM9XcqynU</a>
&mdash; Dom Samangy (@DSamangy) <a href="https://twitter.com/DSamangy/status/1628448922770329601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Williams is such a fun, unique player. He's not racking up blocks or steals as a rim-protector, but he rebounds, takes charges and positions himself well on defense for a rookie.
Then, on offense, he's warped his impact from the pre-draft projections coming out of Arkansas. Williams' perimeter shot-making was more of an intriguing developmental pathway than a bread-and-butter skill entering the 2022 NBA Draft. The second-rounder is shooting a red-hot 47.7% from long range this season, including (checks notes) 55.6% since Jan. 1. In contrast, he's barely scoring around the rim; just 29% of his shots are coming within 4 feet of the basket.
Add in an 11.1% assist rate (66th percentile among bigs) and 3.1 screen assists per 75 possessions (80th percentile), and Williams is upending a lot of the traditional images for low-usage young centers.&nbsp;
OKC moved on from Mike Muscala and forward Darius Bazley at the trade deadline. Williams' playing time has fluctuated this season, but he's averaging 21.8 minutes per game in February and has started 11 of 17 games in the new year. He'll be a big part of this stretch run for a Thunder team capable of contending.
Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
mark williams size blk + lob radius, good stuff <a href="https://t.co/8lVqlyksUH">pic.twitter.com/8lVqlyksUH</a>
&mdash; ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) <a href="https://twitter.com/bjpf_/status/1627041357041897472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The Hornets traded away Mason Plumlee and are well out of the playoff picture. It's time to give the young guys some runtime, and that begins with Mark Williams, who has started the last four contests. The No. 15 overall pick is averaging 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 15.9 minutes per game this season.
Williams has thrived in more of the traditional finishing-center archetype. He's tallying 4.4 screen assists per 75 possessions (88th percentile) and posting a monster 3.7% block rate and 2.0% steal rate. (He missed the minute qualifier for Eason's previously mentioned stat). The 7-foot-1-inch center takes 78% of his shots around the rim, the majority via assists, and he makes 70% of those attempts.&nbsp;
Let's expand on the interior defense a bit because Williams' small-sample impact numbers are insane. Pulling from BBall Index's data, here's a look at how he's affecting shots around the basket.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">Category</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;">Value</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;">Percentile rank (among C's)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">% of teams' at-rim shots contested by Williams</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.4714}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0.00%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}">47.14%</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.96}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=percentrank('Data Pull'!C[134]:C[134],R[0]C[-1])">96th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">At-rim contests per 75 poss.</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10.82}">10.82</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.987}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=percentrank('Data Pull'!C[135]:C[135],R[0]C[-1])">99th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">Blocks per 75 poss.</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:2.63}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0.0&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}">2.6</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.97}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=percentrank('Data Pull'!C[136]:C[136],R[0]C[-1])">97th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">% of Williams' contests that become blocks</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.2429}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0.00%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}">24.29%</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.857}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=percentrank('Data Pull'!C[137]:C[137],R[0]C[-1])">86th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">Opponent FG% at rim vs. expected FG%</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:-0.116}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;+#,##0.00%;-#,##0.00%&quot;}">-11.60%</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.987}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=1-percentrank('Data Pull'!C[138]:C[138],R[0]C[-1])">99th</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Scroll right to view full table on mobile)
These are massive data points for any player, much less a rookie.
When Williams is on the court, Charlotte allows 6.6 fewer points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. He's already changing the tone for a squad that has historically had issues fortifying the floor. Hopefully we get to see more of that in this stretch run.
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THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Not a stat, but I do want to give honorable mention shoutouts to AJ Griffin of the Atlanta Hawks and AJ Green of the Milwaukee Bucks. Both are talented rookies ready to join their team's rotations; I just wonder what minutes are available. Griffin now has to compete with Saddiq Bey in Atlanta's wing room in addition to the other established talents on the roster. Green seems to take a back seat when the Bucks are fully healthy.</li>
<li>Synergy's Todd Whitehead made these neat visualizations of pick-and-roll defense that I highlighted at the beginning of the year, and he's got some interesting takeaways now:</li>
</ul>
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When I made this chart back in November, I was interested to see that the teams with the best process (ones taking away opponents rolls/cuts to the rim, corner 3s, and shooting fouls) weren't necessarily the ones with the lowest PPP allowed (👀Boston, for example). <a href="https://t.co/5VVpnVCyYW">https://t.co/5VVpnVCyYW</a> <a href="https://t.co/aWBfcmOA9T">pic.twitter.com/aWBfcmOA9T</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1626670052769669120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Another post-All-Star stats check-in courtesy of Tom Bassine:</li>
</ul>
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Updated starter and bench majority lineup team strengths. Denver still builds their leads through starter lineups with Jokic. Chicago bench stands out. <a href="https://t.co/1Uh8HSWSfs">pic.twitter.com/1Uh8HSWSfs</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1629102353210126336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Ethan Fuller highlights five under-the-radar rookies who could make an impact in the NBA season's final months.

NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who could break into the All-Rookie race

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Trayce Jackson-Davis returned to Indiana so he could celebrate a banner season.
On Saturday, the fourth-year forward added another big piece to his legacy.
He scored 25 points and then watched Jalen Hood-Schifino break free for the clinching dunk with 2 seconds left to give No. 21 Indiana a 79-74 victory over No. 1 Purdue &mdash; and a quick storming of the court.
It&rsquo;s the fourth time the Hoosiers have beaten the nation&rsquo;s top-ranked team at Assembly Hall, and the first since upsetting Michigan almost exactly 10 years earlier.
&ldquo;I just think it&rsquo;s a toughness factor,&rdquo; Jackson-Davis said, explaining why this team is different. &ldquo;I feel like teams in the past that I&rsquo;ve been on just weren&rsquo;t that tough, honestly. We&rsquo;ve kind of played with a chip on our shoulders since we got punked by Rutgers and we&rsquo;ve kind of found our niche and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re doing.&prime;
The only guy that&rsquo;s been even close to Jackson-Davis&rsquo; productivity over the past month has been Purdue&rsquo;s Zach Edey, who had 33 points and 18 rebounds.
But it was Jackson-Davis who walked away with his sixth win in seven games by moving within 16 points of becoming the first Indiana player to ever score 2,000 and grab 1,000 rebounds. He finished with seven rebounds and five blocks, becoming the first player to have 25 points and five blocks against a No. 1-ranked team since Marcus Camby in November 1995 against Kentucky.
Fittingly, Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers (16-7, 7-5 Big Ten) celebrated with their fellow students, who rekindled memories of Christian Watford&rsquo;s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to beat No. 1 Kentucky in December 2010. And this time, the fans lingered on the court long after the final buzzer as they pumped fists and danced to the sweet sounds emanating from the pep band.
It marked the first time in the 216-game series Purdue (22-2, 11-2) was ranked No. 1.
&ldquo;They were our sixth man honestly and we fed off of it,&rdquo; Jackson-Davis said. &ldquo;That was the most electric crowd since I&rsquo;ve been here. They really helped us.&rdquo;
But Indiana also played pretty well, forcing 16 turnovers and shooting 52.6% from the field against a defense that had held 24 consecutive opponents to 70 or fewer points. It won despite getting outrebounded 38-22 and nearly blowing a 16-point lead.
The 7-foot-4 Edey positioned Purdue for the charge by scoring eight of Purdue&rsquo;s first 10 second-half points to cut a 15-point deficit to nine. He then added the final six points in a 12-4 spurt that make it 67-65 with 5:40 to play. And when Braden Smith&rsquo;s layup made it 71-70 with 2:03 left, even Boilermakers coach Matt Painter sensed the fans&rsquo; angst.
&ldquo;If you can flip that or tie it or take the lead there, it&rsquo;s just a different feeling,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really hard to overcome that, the air kind of goes out of it, things get quiet in your own arena.&rdquo;
Instead, the Hoosiers forced three turnovers and eventually closed it out with four free throws, a layup from Hood-Schifino and the dunk off a perfectly designed inbound pass from second-year coach Mike Woodson, who has won both home meetings against Indiana&rsquo;s archrival.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know the play was going to go that way, obviously,&rdquo; said Hood-Schifino, who had 16 points. &ldquo;But in the last timeout, I told coach I&rsquo;m going to get this last bucket, so I was happy.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: Even on an uncharacteristic day, the Boilermakers showed why they are the nation&rsquo;s top team. The matchup with Edey is so difficult, Purdue can exploit it at will.
Indiana: The Hoosiers did everything they needed early &mdash; making shots, ramping up the pace and making life generally difficult for the Boilermakers. And down the stretch they showed the mettle of a team that was the preseason conference favorite.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Purdue entered the day with a nine-game winning streak and as the only one-loss team in Division I, so another loss may not knock them out of the top spot. Indiana, which reappeared Monday in the Top 25, has solidified its spot despite losing earlier this week at Maryland.
SPECIAL MOMENTS
Indiana Athletics Hall of Fame radio announcer Don Fischer was honored at halftime for calling his 50th season of play-by-play. He&rsquo;s tied for the fourth-longest active tenure in Division I basketball with Kevin McKinney of Wyoming. Then during the final media timeout, the Hoosiers thanked ESPN color analyst Dick Vitale with a video tribute to his career. Vitale stood and waved to the crowd in appreciation.
UP NEXT
Purdue: Returns home Thursday against Iowa.
Indiana: Hosts Rutgers on Tuesday.

It’s the fourth time the Hoosiers have beaten the nation’s top-ranked team at Assembly Hall.

Jackson-Davis, No. 21 Indiana beat Edey, No. 1 Purdue 79-74

"We're a championship team."
That's what Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said, as <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2023/02/03/nuggets-jamal-murray-championship-team/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part of a larger answer</a> about the team's prospects after Thursday night's 134-117 win over the Golden State Warriors. Murray was a big part of the win, scoring 33 points (9-of-12 from two, 3-of-11 from three), dishing out 8 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds in a little over 30 minutes.
"All that stuff, not being happy, has gotta go out the window or else we&rsquo;re not going to win," Murray said. "It&rsquo;s nice to have a coach that knows that and knows what we&rsquo;re trying to accomplish.&rdquo;
There are a couple of ways to decipher the rest of Murray's words. You can take the "duh" approach and leave it there. Any team with title aspirations &mdash; and the Nuggets, headlined by MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic while boasting the West's best record, certainly fit the bill &mdash; needs buy-in. Beyond the Xs and Os and rotation decisions, a head coach's primary responsibility is to get buy-in from its players.&nbsp;
Michael Malone has appeared to get that for the most part. You can see that most blatantly with the Nuggets' defensive performance. Per Cleaning The Glass, they're up to 16th in defensive rating on the year, excluding garbage time. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-examining-the-denver-nuggets-poor-defense-nikola-jokic-michael-malone-bruce-brown-michael-porter-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In early December</a>, I wrote about how pourous their then-ranked 27th defense was; Coach Malone seemingly lamented it every other game.
If you read a little deeper into Murray's reminder for connectivity, you could interpret it as a message to second-year guard Bones Hyland.
Hyland didn't appear in Thursday night's game. He only played four minutes in Tuesday's win over (what's left of) the New Orleans Pelicans. In fact, here is Hyland's minute count over the Nuggets' past 10 games: 8, 15, 18, 8, 11, 0 (inactive), 24, 21, 4, 0 (DNP).
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There have been reports of Hyland and Malone not seeing eye-to-eye. It would make sense; young players &mdash; especially young guards &mdash; have to do a lot to earn Malone's trust on both ends of the floor.
Hyland is a microwave scorer, unafraid to pull from 30 feet if he's feeling it. He's drained nearly 38% of his threes on high volume (5.7 attempts in 19.5 minutes) this season. He's also, at this stage of his career, a harmful defender due to his off-ball awareness and shaky screen navigation. Those are hard sells for Malone fundamentally, even while acknowledging how talented Hyland is.
But with the relationship appearing to deteriorate, trade rumors have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-bones-hyland-is-one-of-the-most-likely-players-to-be-dealt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to swirl</a>. Most recently, ESPN's Tim MacMahon essentially called a Hyland trade an inevitability. Brian Windhorst didn't go that far, but it seems the writing is on the wall in Denver.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;Bones Hyland is getting traded. It&rsquo;s a matter of where and for what.&rdquo; (via <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn_macmahon</a>) <a href="https://t.co/JlUJQI7YnW">pic.twitter.com/JlUJQI7YnW</a>
&mdash; The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) <a href="https://twitter.com/_TradeDeadline/status/1621550941500473348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Beyond the intrigue of the Nuggets potentially moving Hyland this early, figuring out who they'd actually pursue is also challenging.
It's easy to look at the roster and pinpoint&nbsp;what&nbsp;they should pursue. Finding a bigger, more reliable two-way presence on the perimeter would be at the top of the list. As it stands, rookies Christian Braun and Peyton Watson are the only "3s" between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-8 on the roster. Braun has been in and out of the rotation this season despite his positive flashes, and we've seen virtually nothing from Watson.
If they land on another guard to directly replace Hyland, that player would need to hold their own defensively &mdash; and likely be capable of punching above their weight &mdash; while being able to toggle between on and off-ball duties. Murray has been commanding the second unit when staggered away from Jokic; ideally, you'd want to take some of that creation burden off of him.
The "who" of it is what makes this tough. Hyland isn't just a young trade chip &mdash; he might be the&nbsp;trade chip for the Nuggets considering their first-round pick situation. <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Nuggets.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Due to prior trades</a>, the earliest available first-rounder they can move <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/2023/1/10/23547887/the-denver-nuggets-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is their 2029 first</a>. Cashing in Hyland for a veteran could still be the move, but it'd be beneficial to add a vet who could move the needle this year and&nbsp;next year, at the very least.
No team wants to "lose" a deal obviously, but there's heightened importance in nailing a trade involving Hyland because of it.
For that reason, I'd imagine the first call would be to the Chicago Bulls. Alex Caruso doesn't fit the wing-with-size archetype, but he doubles as one of the NBA's stingiest and most versatile perimeter defenders. He is one of the best screen navigators in the sport, possesses quick hands that allow him to pester ball-handlers and restrict passing lanes and has the strength and guile to defend bigger wings or forwards when called upon.
A fun stat, per Second Spectrum: Over the past two seasons, possessions featuring a post-up defended by Caruso have garnered just 0.82 points per possession (PPP). Among the 114 players who have defended at least 75 post-ups in that time frame, that mark ranks 11th. Players ahead of him include Pascal Siakam (0.74 PPP), Draymond Green (0.75 PPP), PJ Tucker (0.76 PPP), Onyeka Okongwu (0.78 PPP) and Jayson Tatum (0.8 PPP).
Any questions concerning Caruso come on the offensive end of the floor. He's currently shooting 40.2% from deep, but is only attempting 4.3 threes per 100 possessions, the second-lowest clip of his career. Because of his infrequent trigger &mdash; with more infuriating catch-and-holds sprinkled in this season &mdash; defenses are okay defending him conservatively on the perimeter.&nbsp;
Caruso remains a smart cutter and a tough-as-nails screener, making him an ideal partner for Nikola Jokic whenever they play together. His cross screens consistently help Nikola Vucevic establish deep post position; it's easy to see him doing the same for Jokic. There's also room for him to act as a brush screener whenever the Nuggets want to utilize Jokic as the pick-and-roll ball handler.
Per <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-nba-trade-winds?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=99187151&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein of Substack ($)</a>, the Bulls reportedly want two first-round picks in a deal for Caruso. Would the Bulls consider Hyland as a first-rounder, and would the 2029 first the Nuggets could actually offer be enough to entice them? If so, Hyland, Jeff Green, Ish Smith and the 2029 first is a package that could get the ball rolling.
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(There would be haggling, of course. The Nuggets would rather add second-rounders &mdash; they have six, including two this year. If they do include the first-rounder, I'm sure they'd ask for protections &mdash; or explore what it would take to get the Bulls to include Andre Drummond in the deal as well. In short, there are conversations to be had here.)
If not the Bulls, the Nuggets should check in with the Washington Wizards again. They just did business over the summer with the wing room; why not see if they could pry Delon Wright out of there? It would take one of Green or Smith along with Hyland for salary-matching purposes. Because of the age gap and team control aspect, the Nuggets may be able to ask for minor draft compensation.
Among available forwards, I wonder if they'd call the Phoenix Suns and check in on Jae Crowder. Because of Crowder's contract status &mdash; he's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer &mdash; the Nuggets likely wouldn't have to think about including a future first. The Hyland-Green-Smith triumvirate would work salary-wise for Crowder and a minimum piece (maybe Jock Landale or Josh Okogie).
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>If the San Antonio Spurs didn't already have multiple guards they're somewhat invested in, a Hyland-led package for Josh Richardson would be something worth exploring.</li>
<li>Same guard-heavy issue with the Utah Jazz, otherwise a Jarrod Vanderbilt deal would be at the top of the list for me.</li>
<li>The Sacramento Kings and Warriors have reportedly been linked to Matisse Thybulle. The Nuggets have the offensive infrastructure to slot Thybulle in as a cutter and occasional screener. How would we feel about a Hyland/Green for Thybulle/Shake Milton swap? Feels like a third team would be needed to balance things further for the Sixers, but I'd be intrigued.</li>
<li>Hyland for Cam Reddish is the "Man, everybody would hate this" trade that I can't push in good faith.</li>
</ul>

The Denver Nuggets may be on the verge of trading Bones Hyland. Nekias Duncan explores which landing spots make sense for Hyland.

Exploring possible trade destinations for Nuggets' Bones Hyland

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown scored 37 points, completing a tying three-point play with 4.1 seconds left in regulation and adding 11 more in overtime as the NBA-leading Boston Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the archrival Los Angeles Lakers 125-121 on Saturday night.
Brown added nine rebounds, Jayson Tatum had 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Malcom Brogdon scored 15 of his 26 points in the second half of a see-saw game that had 19 lead changes &mdash; six in the fourth quarter &mdash; and 15 ties.
LeBron James had 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Los Angeles. Anthony Davis scored 16 points with 10 rebounds, coming off the bench for the second game in a row after missing 20 with a foot injury.
Patrick Beverley had 15 points, twice giving the Lakers the lead in the final minute of the fourth. But he also missed a foul shot that might have clinched it and was called for a technical foul on the contentious last play of regulation. Tatum made the free throw, and Boston never trailed in the extra period.
With Celtics Hall of Famer Paul Pierce cheering his former team on from the sideline and the team&rsquo;s broadcasters &mdash; Boston&rsquo;s Cedric Maxwell and L.A.&rsquo;s Mychal Thompson &mdash; talking trash on press row, the Celtics swept their longtime rivals in the two-game season series.
Beverley hit a 3-pointer to give the Lakers the lead with 52 seconds left and then, after Boston tied it, scored on a putback dunk that made it 104-102 with 19 seconds to play. But after Brown missed a 3, Beverley missed one of two free throws; Al Horford missed a 3, and Brown scored on the putback and picked up a delayed foul call.
One game after missing a pair of free throws in the final seconds of a one-point game, Brown hit this one to tie it 105-all with 4.1 seconds to play.
The Lakers had a chance to win it in regulation, and James drove to the basket. He missed the layup &ndash; and the referees missed Tatum swiping his arm on the shot. An enraged James gesticulated wildly, and Beverley picked up a technical foul in the ensuing hubbub.
The Celtics (36-15) have the NBA&rsquo;s best record despite losing their previous three games, including an overtime loss to the Knicks on Thursday night when Brown missed two free throws trailing by one with 8 seconds left.
There was a vocal contingent of Lakers fans making noise when the visitors opened an 11-point lead in the third quarter. But they were out-shouted by the locals when Tatum, who scored 15 in the third, including three 3-pointers, helped erase an 11-point deficit.
TIP-INS
Pierce was wearing what appeared to be shamrock pajama pants. &hellip; Westbrook missed his first six shots, as the crowd taunted him to shoot, before finishing with 12 points on 4 of 14 shooting. &hellip; Brown picked up his fifth foul on the first possession of the fourth quarter. &hellip; The Celtics beat the Lakers 122-118 in L.A. on Dec. 13. Tatum scored 44 points. Davis had 37 points and 12 rebounds. James scored 33 with nine boards and nine assists. &hellip; The Celtics were without point guard Marcus Smart and big man Robert Williams III, who both have sprained ankles.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Brooklyn on Monday night.
Celtics: At Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

The NBA-leading Boston Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the archrival Los Angeles Lakers 125-121 on Saturday.

Jaylen Brown forces OT, Celtics snap skid by beating Lakers 125-121

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke scored 16 points and Aliyah Boston added 12 to help No. 1 South Carolina remain unbeaten with a 58-51 win over Mississippi State on Sunday.
The Gamecocks were held to a season-low point total but were able to find a way. Boston added 15 rebounds in the win.
South Carolina (16-0, 3-0 SEC) had a massive advantage at the free throw line where the Gamecocks were 14 of 24 while MSU was 2 of 5. The Gamecocks also dominated the boards with a 53-35 edge including 22 offensive rebounds.
Jerkaila Jordan led the way for the Bulldogs (12-5, 1-3) with 13 points and five rebounds. Jessika Carter had 11 points and nine rebounds.
NO. 2 STANFORD 60, CALIFORNIA 56
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Haley Jones scored the go-ahead layup with 1:17 to play, Cameron Brink had 25 points, 17 rebounds and three blocked shots as NBA pal Stephen Curry watched courtside, outdueling Leilani McIntosh down the stretch as Stanford held off California.
Jones wound up with 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Cardinal (16-1, 4-0 Pac-12) ran their winning streak to 11 games.
McIntosh finished with 19 points for the Golden Bears (10-5, 1-3).
Stanford won its 38th straight game against Pac-12 teams including the past two conference titles and postseason.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 87, ILLINOIS 81
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Taylor Mikesell scored a game-high 31 points as Ohio State erased a halftime deficit and avoided an upset.
Mikesell shot 50% from the field and Cotie McMahon added 22 points for Ohio State (17-0, 6-0 Big Ten). Taylor Thierry had 12 points and swiped four steals.
Kendall Bostic notched her sixth double-double of the season behind 27 points and 15 rebounds. Genesis Bryant finished with 20 points, Makira Cook had 12 and Brynn Shoup-Hill tallied 10 for Illinois (14-3, 4-2).
NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA 60, NO. 4 NOTRE DAME 50
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; First-year guard Paulina Paris scored 11 of her season-high 16 points in the fourth quarter to help North Carolina push past Notre Dame.
Deja Kelly added 14 points for the Tar Heels (10-5, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a four-game skid that had drained some of their early season buzz.
Olivia Miles had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead Notre Dame (12-2, 3-1), which had entered Sunday as one of two unbeaten teams in ACC play.
NO. 6 INDIANA 72, NORTHWESTERN 50
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Indiana beat Northwestern.
Grace Berger finished with 16 points and five assists for the Hoosiers (14-1, 4-1).
The Wildcats got a boost off the bench as Jasmine McWilliams added eight points on 3-for-3 shooting in the third. McWilliams and Sydney Wood led Northwestern (6-9, 0-5 Big Ten) with 10 points each in their seventh loss in nine games.
NO. 7 LSU 67, KENTUCKY 48
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Flau&rsquo;jae Johnson scored 26 points, including eight during a 12-0, second-quarter run to break the game open, Angel Reese also scored 26 and LSU earned its best start in school history.
Reese had 13 rebounds for her nation&rsquo;s-best 16th double-double. The Tigers (16-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) outshot Kentucky just 40%-35% but dominated nearly every other statistical category including rebounding (45-23).
Maddie Scherr had 22 points for Kentucky (8-8, 0-4), which dropped its fourth in a row and lost its second game this season in Rupp Arena, home of the men&rsquo;s basketball team.
MIAMI 77, NO. 9 VIRGINIA TECH 66
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Jasmyn Roberts scored a career-best 23 points, Haley Cavinder added 19 and Miami held off Virginia Tech.
Roberts was 8 for 12 from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point range for the Hurricanes (10-6, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won their third straight game. Cavinder was 6 for 12 from the field, and Miami shot 54%.
Elizabeth Kitley scored 20 for Virginia Tech (13-3, 3-3), which had beat Miami five consecutive times. Georgia Amoore added 13 for the Hokies.
NO. 10 NC STATE 87, VIRGINIA 62
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Jada Boyd scored 13 points and No. 10 North Carolina State snapped a two-game home losing skid.
Camille Hobby and Mimi Collins both had 12 points, and Diamond Johnson and River Baldwin added 10 points apiece for the Wolfpack (13-3, 3-2). Jakia Brown-Turner and Madison Hayes each finished with nine.
Camryn Taylor scored 16 points, Taylor Valladay had 13 and Sam Brunelle 12 for Virginia (13-3, 2-3), which dropped a game to a top-10 team for the second time in four days after losing Thursday at No. 9 Virginia Tech.
NO. 17 OKLAHOMA 82, NO. 11 IOWA STATE 79
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Ana Llanusa scored 23 points, Skylar Vann hit the final go-ahead basket, and Oklahoma defeated Iowa State in a matchup of the Big 12&prime;s top two offenses.
In a game with 25 lead changes, Oklahoma struck last.
Vann finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for Oklahoma (12-2, 2-1 Big 12). Nevaeh Tot also scored 13 points, and Taylor Robertson finished with 10.
Ashley Joens finished with 27 points and nine rebounds. She made 12-of-13 free throws. Lexi Donarski scored 20 and Nyamer Diew 14 for the Cyclones (10-3, 2-1).
NO. 12 UCLA 61, SOUTHERN CAL 60
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Freshman Londynn Jones scored 13 of her career-high 22 points in the second half and UCLA used a big fourth-quarter run to beat Southern California.
Emily Bessoir hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points for UCLA (13-2, 2-1 Pac-12). Charisma Osborne scored six of her nine points in the fourth quarter.
Rayah Marshall had 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks for Southern Cal (11-4, 1-3) and Kayla Williams also scored 15 points. Okako Adika added 11 points and Destiny Littlejohn 10.
NO. 15 ARIZONA 79, NO. 18 OREGON 71
TUSCON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Madison Conner scored 16 second-half points to lead five Arizona players in double figures and the Wildcats beat Oregon.
Shaina Pellington had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists, Jade Loville scored 13 points and Esmery Martinez 11 for Arizona (14-2, 4-1 Pac-12). Kate Reese had 10 points.
Grace VanSlooten led Oregon (12-4, 3-2) with 18 points. Te-Hina Paopao and Endyia Rogers scored 17 apiece, Chance Gray added 10 and Phillipina Kyei had six points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 Kyei has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in eight consecutive games.
NO. 24 ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 71, XAVIER 52
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jayla Everett scored a season-high 26 points and St. John&rsquo;s bounced back after its first loss of the season.
Jillian Archer had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Red Storm (14-1, 5-1 Big East Conference).
Mackayla Scarlett had 18 points for the Musketeers (7-9, 0-7), who have lost six straight as well as 15 straight to St. John&rsquo;s.
NO. 25 CREIGHTON 68, MARQUETTE 42
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Lauren Jensen scored 19 points and Creighton defeated Marquette after holding the Golden Eagles to 14 points in the first half.
Chloe Marotta scored 20 points for Marquette and Jordan King added 13. Only four players scored for the Golden Eagles (10-6, 3-4 Big East).
Jensen made 9 of 14 shots and added three rebounds and five assists. Morgan Maly had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Emma Ronsiek scored 10 for the Bluejays (10-5, 4-3) who had lost four of their last five games.

A recap of Sunday's women's college basketball slate features the top-ranked Gamecocks in a battle with the Bulldogs.

No. 1 South Carolina battles back to beat Mississippi State

On the latest episode of The Rex Chapman Show with Josh Hopkins, the guys are joined by the legendary Mike Krzyzewski a.k.a. Coach K.
During the show, Coach K revisits his incredible tenure at Duke and watching the team play under Jon Scheyer now, the Redeem Team, his coaching philosophy and much more. Watch the full episode below:
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Time Stamps
5:30 - Should Christian Laettner have been ejected in 1992?
7:00 - After a storied career, what is Coach K up to these days? What's life after coaching like for him? There's still plenty of basketball.
9:15 - Is it difficult watching Duke basketball from a different capacity? Are there any regrets after leaving the bench, and now watching Jon Scheyer take over as head coach?
11:30 - What did Coach K see in Scheyer in his playing days at Duke that made him the perfect archetype to be a great coach?
18:30 - Where did Coach K gain his unparalleled work ethic? He goes back to his childhood and what he learned at West Point, and discusses what he continues to use to this day.
22:30 - At West Point, it wasn't just learning from Coach Bobby Knight on the basketball court, but there were so many facets of leadership and life skills he learned at the academy.
24:00 - Coach K's philosophy to "be worthy of winning"&nbsp;
28:00 - On the recruiting trail, Coach K always made it a point of emphasis to understand what a player's relationship was with their mother, and you could learn even more if they had an older sister.
31:30 - With the success Coach K has had, especially in the NCAA Tournament, he describes how several of his teams may have been worthy of a national championship, but may have fallen short because the one thing you can't fast-track is experience.
42:00 - Where coaching USA Basketball ranks among the accomplishments of Coach K's career. To him, there's no greater honor than representing your country on the world stage.
45:30 - What was so special about The Redeem Team of 2008 under the leadership of Kobe Bryant? It was about winning a gold medal, but more so about winning the respect of their country.
48:00 - Kobe Bryant approached Coach K in 2008 and asked to guard the best player on the opposing team: "Most people don't dream of moments."
52:00 - Coach K says Rex Chapman was one of the players Coach K always wanted to coach because he had a spirit and passion for the game.
54:00 - Coach K recalls "The Shot" and gives the guys his view of those final seconds in that incredible victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. It was at that moment he recognized he had to say something to the team he had just beaten.
59:00 - What Coach K's expectations are for Kentucky this season, and how hard it must be for John Calipari to have to go out and win every game for the fans.

On The Rex Chapman Show, the iconic "Coach K" Mike Krzyzewski discusses the Blue Devils, his philosophies and much more.

Legendary 'Coach K' Mike Krzyzewski talks Duke, USA Basketball, more

Luka Doncic carries the largest individual scoring burden in the NBA. It's barely even up for debate at this point. He leads the league in per-game scoring, ranks second in Basketball Reference's usage rate, and has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jason-kidd-concerned-about-luka-doncics-ridiculously-high-usage-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already sparked concern</a> about the effects of his workload from head coach Jason Kidd.
The most telling evidence, however, comes from Darryl Blackport and PBP Stats, which tracks "self-created" shots around the NBA &mdash; shots that took two or more seconds for an individual to generate. Of Doncic's 370 field goal attempts this season, 342 &mdash; a whopping 92.4% &mdash; have been self-created. That percentage leads the NBA by a wide margin and is on pace to be the highest in the last 10 years since NBA tracking data was implemented.
Only four other times has a player self-created over 90% of his shots in a season: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (twice, in 2020-21 and 2021-22), Trae Young (2021-22) and James Harden (2018-19). We can draw all sorts of takeaways from Doncic's pace regarding his own greatness, his usage and the support system of the Mavericks' offense. The central point is that Doncic has to conjure a level of bucket-getting creativity unlike almost anyone we've seen in recent years.
I examined some of this self-creation data over the summer, looking at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-have-nba-superstars-changed-as-creators-over-time-lebron-james-kevin-durant-chris-paul-giannis-joel-embiid-nikola-jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaguewide trends</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-have-nba-superstars-changed-as-creators-over-time-lebron-james-kevin-durant-chris-paul-giannis-joel-embiid-nikola-jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">player evolutions</a>. We're approaching the 20-game mark of the season for most NBA teams, and while that's still a small sample size, it's worth starting to unpack the landscape of the league.
Let's get back to Doncic and the burden of self-creation. Here are the top-10 leaders in self-creation frequency (min. 100 total shot attempts) so far this season, along with their effective field goal percentages on those shots:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 242px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Player</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">% of FGA that are self-created</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">eFG% on self-created shots</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd" style="height: 22px;" role="row">
<td class="" style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Luka Doncic</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">92.4%</td>
<td class="sorting_1" style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">54.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">87.6%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">54.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Trae Young</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">86.1%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">45.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Ja Morant</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">85.0%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">49.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">83.9%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">48.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Jalen Brunson</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">81.2%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">54.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Kevin Porter Jr.</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">81.0%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">44.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">DeMar DeRozan</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">80.8%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">56.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Cade Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">78.1%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">47.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">De'Aaron Fox</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">77.7%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">56.4%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, considering their extraordinary creation burdens, have been quite effective. Jalen Brunson and De'Aaron Fox have also shined as individual creators this season, and we already knew DeMar DeRozan could get buckets himself.
Meanwhile, it's been tough sledding for Trae Young and Kevin Porter Jr. Young should bounce back given his track record, but Porter Jr. is regressing from his already-dismal 44.4 eFG% last season. Houston needs to find a way to make life easier for KPJ.
Fox and DeRozan rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in self-created eFG% among 85 players who have taken at least 100 such attempts. The four in front: Stephen Curry (62.7%), Donovan Mitchell (62.0%), Tyrese Haliburton (58.1%), and Tyler Herro (56.6%).&nbsp;
Add that stat to the index of support for one of Chef Curry's best seasons ever. He's only surpassed that mark once in tracking data history: his 2015-16 MVP season. And how about Mitchell and Haliburton thriving &nbsp;as lead creators despite a new role (Haliburton) and a new team (Mitchell)? Their electric starts are backed up by the numbers.
Though creative individual scorers help lead the entertainment aspect of the NBA, there's still the stigma that less ball movement means less success. Does that match up with how the season has played out to date?
Not really. The Los Clippers have self-created a league-high 54.1% of their shots this season and are 28th in Cleaning the Glass's offensive rating. Teams like the Rockets and Pistons are in a similar boat. But the Spurs only create 39.7% of their shots with individual efforts (2nd-lowest in the NBA), yet have the 26th-ranked offense. Charlotte, the worst offense in the league, is exactly in the middle at 15th-fewest in self-creation frequency. The below graph shows there isn't much of a trend:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-11-25-at-1-45-57-pm_690w.png" alt="" />
Self-creation efficiency, regardless of team volume, is a tad bit more telling, but still not super helpful. Many of the best offenses have also knocked down self-created attempts at a high clip, but there are also several notable exceptions, namely teams like the Raptors and Jazz:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-11-25-at-1-45-04-pm_690w.png" alt="" />
The moral of the story is: Basketball is complex! Maybe letting individual shot creators run free is good for the offense and overall team. Maybe it isn't. "Know your personnel" is not just about scouting opponents &mdash; it also can mean understanding one's own roster and the best ways to harmonize with each player.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Which player is self-creating the fewest percentage of his shots? That's Boston Celtics wing Sam Hauser:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Fun stats that shows how extreme Sam Hauser is leaning into the off-ball shooter archetype: He&rsquo;s taken 89 shots this season. ONE has been a self-created shot and it was near the basket. His 1.1% self-creation frequency is hilariously low and the lowest in the NBA
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1596196146309107712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>More fuel to the "Steph Curry is playing his best basketball ever" from Synergy's Todd Whitehead:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Steph Curry is off to the hottest start of his career. <a href="https://t.co/S9QLlSJCwM">pic.twitter.com/S9QLlSJCwM</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1593696065907134465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>Here's a neat visualization from SISHoops that highlights how this year's best perimeter shooters are finding their chances:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Shot versatility is an underappreciated element of shooting ability, so we're taking a look at how the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> top 3-point marksmen are getting their looks: <a href="https://t.co/OQUAp6ZaAx">pic.twitter.com/OQUAp6ZaAx</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1595108265670889473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ethan Fuller looks at the early landscape of shot creation around the NBA.

NBA Stats Notebook: Analyzing early self-creation trends around the league

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes how Chris Webber's decision-making unlocked the Kings' revolutionary offense.

Blazing the Trail: Chris Webber, the read-and-react king

What stands out to you about this possession?
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If your eyes immediately go to Nikola Jovic &mdash; a skilled seven-footer that the Miami Heat are pretty excited about &mdash; initiating the offense, I wouldn't blame you.
If you're a stickler for process, it's fair to point out that the first action of the possession &mdash; a pitch to Marcus Garrett before flowing into a ball-screen &mdash; taking nearly 15 seconds to occur is less than ideal. It leads to Garrett trying and failing to beat Xavier Tillman off the bounce after forcing a switch, which then calls for Jovic to save the possession with a(nother) deep three.
But look at Haywood Highsmith.
While the Heat take their precious time getting into the possession, he's calling for Garrett to move closer to the right wing so his help defender can't park at the free-throw line. Spacing is the name of the game, and Highsmith has a strong understanding of it.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_10_08_20_24_08.png" alt="" width="578" height="325" />
Highsmith lifts to the right wing while the ball-screen happens, then retreats back to the corner once Jovic receives the ball. And while his defender, David Roddy, stares down the late-clock iso from Jovic, Highsmith loops into the paint in anticipation for the shot.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_10_08_20_28_13.png" alt="" width="578" height="325" />
Sure enough, the shot clanks off the right side of the rim. By doing his homework early, by remaining active off the ball, Highsmith goes from spacer to glass-cleaner before anyone can put a body on him. Two-possession game.
Highsmith continues to fly under the radar. You can track it back to his family; he's technically a junior, with his father &mdash; Haywood Highsmith Sr. &mdash; carving out a prolific college career <a href="https://fightingfalcons.com/honors/hall-of-fame/haywood-highsmith/74" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in his own right</a>.
"First and foremost, my parents were very supportive of me over the years," Highsmith told Basketball News during a phone interview. "My father grew up playing basketball; he was a Hall-of-Famer in college, so I basically learned the game from him."&nbsp;
The younger Haywood would have <a href="https://wucardinals.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/haywood-highsmith/3842" target="_blank" rel="noopener">productive college career</a> of his own. He shined at Wheeling University, a Division II school, starting three of his four years there. As a senior, Highsmith averaged 22 points (60.9% from two, 40.5% from three), 12.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks.
It's been work since then. A two-way deal with the Philadelphia Sixers here; a two-year stretch in Germany there; G League reps in the interim. Highsmith has had to cycle through teams, schemes, roles and countries. But that amalgamtion of experiences has prepared him for this Heat run.
&ldquo;I don't view him as a young player," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said after Friday night's win over the Memphis Grizzlies. "I understand he doesn't have an extensive NBA experience &mdash; but he's played some very good basketball in the G League. He has had to grind and earn everything and every opportunity that he&rsquo;s been given. He just continues to get better each year.
"He has also contributed on some very good winning teams in the G League, and he has been one of those glue guys for those teams. [That] was one of the things that appealed to us about him &mdash; and it was the fact that he makes winning plays and contributes to winning &mdash; and it does not necessarily always show up in the conventional box score. But he defends, has a knack for the ball [and] he is very good in the system."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The biggest question surrounding the Heat entering this season has been some variation of, "Who starts alongside Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt?" We've seen Caleb Martin, another diamond-in-the-rough find, get reps at the 4. Adebayo himself has played the 4 alongside Omer Yurtseven. It probably won't be Jimmy Butler, who jokingly-yet-seriously shut down the prospect of it in training camp.
Keep an eye on Highsmith, once again flying under the radar. He's coming off of a productive showing at NBA Summer League where he was tasked with defending all over the floor, canning triples and occasionally keeping the offense flowing as a driver.
During preseason play, he's been sliding across the positional scale defensively. He saw time against Bryn Forbes (movement shooter), Austin Rivers (wing scorer), Taurean Prince (spacer, close-out attacker) and Eric Paschall (versatile 4). Against the Brooklyn Nets, he spent time against Kevin Durant and&nbsp;Ben Simmons. On Friday night against the Grizzlies, he saw time against Dillon Brooks, Ziaire Williams and even Xavier Tillman.&nbsp;
He didn't always fare well against those matchups, but he offers the archetype &mdash; rangy, active, physical, willing &mdash; that the Heat want if they decide to go smaller again.&nbsp;
Highsmith recently spoke to Basketball News about his qualifications at the 4, his influences as a player, what he's worked on this summer and more.
(This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.)
How would you describe your game to someone who isn't familiar with you?
Haywood Highsmith: "I'm just a versatile basketball player. I don't really have a set position; I'll go out there and play whatever the team needs me to play. It starts with defense, being able to guard multiple players. Offensively, I'd say I'm a good shooter, an underrated passer. I'm just a guy that does a little bit of everything on the floor &mdash; and plays hard."
I was going through some of your college and overseas film, and it looks like you have somewhat of a post game too. Do you feel like that's something you can utilize if opponents stash smaller players on you?
Highsmith: "When I was in college, I was a Division II player so I faced some smaller players from time to time. I was pretty dominant in the post with a right hook, spins and stuff like that. I was kind of a big man in college; now that I'm in the pros, I'm more of a hybrid. When I get mismatches, I could definitely use some of the moves I used to do back in my earlier days &mdash; take advantage of my size and length and get good shots against smaller opponents."
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/v538tr" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Since you've been in the NBA, who are some players you've drawn from or learned from?
Highsmith:&nbsp;"When I was in Philly (2018-19 season), I did talk to Jimmy [Butler] from time to time. Obviously I'm with him now, so I've been able to learn more from him. With the Heat last year, P.J. [Tucker] taught me a lot about playing hard, doing the little things while on the court; you can affect winning in different ways.
"In the G-League, I'd say Shaq Harrison. He's been around the NBA for a minute, played for the Bulls &mdash; he's a really good player. Guys like that, you can a learn a lot from. They've been playing longer than me, and they have more knowledge than me as well."
You've discussed your dad playing on the college level. How has that shaped your game?
Highsmith:&nbsp;"My dad has been supporting me since I was a kid. I knew I'd grow up to play basketball; he played, we're both very tall. He pushed me to develop skills beyond what he had. He tries to tell me things I could do better; sometimes I listen, and sometimes I don't (laughs). I feel like I'm learning more on this side, but sometimes he does bring up good points."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Whenever you do pour over game tape, what are the kind of things you look for?
Highsmith: "I try to pinpoint areas in which I can be better, then I look at the things I did well and see what I can be consistent with. It's not always about looking at the things you did wrong; it's important to see the things you did well and stay positive. I just try to soak it all in, honestly."
What's a specific area of your game that you looked to improve this past summer?
Highsmith:&nbsp;"Obviously, it starts with being in the best conditioning as possible. I feel like the Heat have really helped me with that. I've been with them all summer.
"Beyond that, I've worked on my ball-handling and being more consistent with my shot. I worked with Rob Fodor, the Heat's shooting coach. He's a really good guy, and has had me working on different things with my jumpshot. So, it's been a blend of skill work and getting in great shape."
On the jumper, have you made any tweaks to it, or has it been more about getting reps up?
Highsmith:&nbsp;"It's about having a one-motion jumper for me. I have to make sure I don't hold the ball up top. I want to have one fluid motion with my jumpshot."
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Last question for you. You've played D-II, played overseas, played in the G-League, and you have some NBA experience. What are some of the stylistic differences that you've seen across those leagues?
Highsmith:&nbsp;"Overseas, it's obviously a more physical game. I think the defense is harder because there's more ball movement.
"In the NBA, the players are more talented so the stars have the ball in their hands more. Overseas, they move the ball around. There are a lot of good passers. Some of the big men can really shoot, and can also pass the ball really well.&nbsp;
"But with the NBA, G-League, overseas, D-II &mdash; it's all just basketball at the end of the day. There are different levels and different skill sets; obviously, I had to make an adjustment coming from playing D-II. I was probably the best player on the court every practice, every game. When I came to the pros, I had to change spots. I had to learn how to adjust and find my niche. I feel like I've done a good job of that, being able to play alongside different types of players. It's different everywhere, but you just have to be able to adjust and adapt to different styles."
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Actually, one quick follow-up before I let you go. You mentioned the physicality overseas and, at least when I watch, there seems to be more of an emphasis on big-man play. Do you feel like there's less switching overseas? What are the differences in defensive schemes?
Highsmith:&nbsp;"Yeah. When I was overseas, a lot of teams would hedge on ball-screens. You'd have to be able to hit the short-roll with a pass, or swing a pass to the opposite wing so that guy could hit the player rolling.
"When I got over there, they asked me to hard hedge, which I'd never done before. It was hard for me to learn at first. But as I grew, they recognized that I was better at switching because I could guard multiple positions. It didn't make much sense for me to hedge and try to recover back to my man. I feel like switching is very easy to do, especially compared to something like hedging."

Nekias Duncan talks to Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith about his background, role, skill set and more.

Heat's Haywood Highsmith Q&A: Playing the 4, skill development, more

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

Blazing the Trail: Chauncey Billups, the basketball cheat code

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes Penny Hardaway as a dual threat and how he stood out from other point guards.

Blazing the Trail: Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway, the floor giant

Players across throughout the NBA will attest to a common slogan for long-term staying power: Know Your Role.
For Bruce Brown, that catchphrase has challenged him, helped him thrive and led him to Denver.
In his four-year NBA run to date, Brown has shapeshifted into all sorts of roles and archetypes while playing for the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets. He opened his career playing as a shooting guard, shifted to point guard in his second season, reinvented himself as a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-bruce-brown-is-an-enigma-in-all-the-right-ways" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jack-of-all-trades wing in Brooklyn</a> and even logged meaningful time as a small-ball center while solidifying himself as a critical piece for the Nets.&nbsp;
This summer, the 25-year-old finally received some control of his destiny as an unrestricted free agent. As Brown negotiated with multiple prospective franchises, he wanted to know his role &mdash; not just in terms of playing time, but also in his own stylistic fit. When Brown signed a two-year, $13.2 million contract with the Denver Nuggets, he asserted that Denver would provide a fruitful on-court marriage of scheme and talent.
"[Knowing my role] was huge, because you don't want to go to a team where it just won't work, right?" Brown told Basketball News in a phone interview. "So I knew coming to Denver &mdash; the way they play, it's a lot of cuts, slips [and] corner threes. And then, they got a lot of guys who know how to play the game of basketball, so the game would be a lot easier."
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Of course, Denver also rosters an off-ball cutter's dream in Nikola Jokic. Brown expects easy on-court chemistry with the back-to-back reigning MVP.
"I feel like I'm one of the best cutters in the league," he said. "So I can find open spots. make the game easier for him, knock down corner threes [and] just take some pressure off."
Those cuts, slips and corner threes became pillars of Brown's game after he joined the Nets. With Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden in the fold, Brooklyn didn't have room for another lead guard. To stay on the court, Brown's usage underwent a dramatic overhaul. Just look at this play-type data from Synergy:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 154px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 66px;">
<td style="width: 10.4071%; height: 66px;">Year</td>
<td style="width: 19.5455%; height: 66px;">PnR Ball-Handler Play Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 18.8929%; height: 66px;">PnR Roll-Man Play Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 10.5377%; height: 66px;">Cut Freq.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.4071%; height: 22px;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 19.5455%; height: 22px;">15.8%</td>
<td style="width: 18.8929%; height: 22px;">N/A&nbsp;</td>
<td style="width: 10.5377%; height: 22px;">11.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.4071%; height: 22px;">2019-20</td>
<td style="width: 19.5455%; height: 22px;">29.5%</td>
<td style="width: 18.8929%; height: 22px;">N/A</td>
<td style="width: 10.5377%; height: 22px;">10.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.4071%; height: 22px;">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 19.5455%; height: 22px;">3.6%</td>
<td style="width: 18.8929%; height: 22px;">12.1%</td>
<td style="width: 10.5377%; height: 22px;">26.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.4071%; height: 22px;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 19.5455%; height: 22px;">4.4%</td>
<td style="width: 18.8929%; height: 22px;">9.3%</td>
<td style="width: 10.5377%; height: 22px;">23.7%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Scroll right to view full table on mobile. Note that N/A means Synergy tracked less than 10 total possessions of a play type)
"My first year, I was more of a 2, and the second year moving to the 1 [was] just a learning experience," Brown said. "That was the first time I've ever played the 1, so [I'm] knowing every position, knowing where players are supposed to go; I'm knowing every single play from every position.
"And then when I get to Brooklyn, it was a completely different situation where they already have their starting guards. Second season, I was like, I need to do something to fit in to get on the floor. Defensively, I can get on the floor that way. But on the offensive end, I need to do something to stay on the floor to at least help the guys out there on the floor. And then that's when I just started being a little rover. They were helping off me, so I would cut and get easy layups just to keep them honest."
Brown credited former Nets director of player development Adam Harrington for helping him make the change in his first year with Brooklyn. Entering his second season with the Nets, Brown wanted to incorporate more perimeter skills back into his role, so he spent time with Brooklyn assistant coach Royal Ivey (a.k.a. "Coach Smoke") developing his three-point shot. The work led to a 40.4% long-range clip in 2021-22, by far a career-high.
But Brown's past experience as a playmaking guard didn't just fall by the wayside. In fact, he believes it gives him extra advantages when he slips screens, cuts or rolls to the basket. Brown knows what he should be looking for in defensive rotations from his time as a primary ball-handler, and that opens up extra passing lanes and scoring opportunities.
"Me being the 1, I know if I hit the big in the pocket, I know where the help's coming from [and] what I wanted to do," Brown said. "So it just made it a lot easier &mdash; like, I knew the low man is always gonna help off the corner, so either the corner pass or the man up top is gonna go. But if I don't roll too far to the rim, the floater's always open."
The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-bruce-brown-is-an-enigma-in-all-the-right-ways" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floater is a gold mine if Brown can level up his efficiency with the shot</a>. But the below clips demonstrate his unique wiring as a cutting and rolling playmaker.
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Brown needs a mere split-second to diagnose where defenses will help, and from there, he can throw lobs, hit bigs for layups or send the ball out to the corners. Rarely can players make passing reads with such little time on the ball. It's easy to picture him in a two-man action with Jamal Murray that results in a quality assist, or him cutting off of Jokic and making the extra pass to a shooter.&nbsp;
Over the summer, Brown has continued to refine the three-ball, and wants to add consistency shooting above the break in addition to his sweet spots in the corners. When the Nuggets laid out their vision for Brown, they pitched that he wouldn't need to completely reshape his game again. The tools Brown added in Brooklyn can easily work alongside Denver's stars.
"Come in, basically play the same role [with cuts, slips]," Brown said of what the Nuggets asked of him. "I mean, the ball's gonna be in Jokic and Jamal's hands the majority of the game. So really, just play off them like I was doing in Brooklyn with KD and Kyrie, so, basically the same thing."
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With Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope among the new additions in Denver, the Nuggets didn't just bolster their defense &mdash; they also added two players who understand their offensive fits alongside the team's hubs.&nbsp;
"I think [with] all the new pieces, that everybody knows how to play basketball. Everybody knows their role," Brown said. "Nobody gonna try to do too much. We know the main guys who are gonna have the ball in their hands... We just do what we're supposed to do and we'll take care of everything else."

Bruce Brown signed a two-year deal with the Nuggets this offseason after reinventing his role with the Nets.

Bruce Brown feeling secure in his new role with the Denver Nuggets

In the NBA, getting ahead of the trend when it comes to teams on the rise is a tricky process. However, sometimes it&rsquo;s easy to spot the obvious candidates who have oodles of potential for a massive jump. Recently, we&rsquo;ve seen teams like the Phoenix Suns go from perennial lottery team to instant Finals gratification. The Memphis Grizzlies are another strong example where a talented nucleus formed together, ultimately leading to an expedited rebuild process.
Here at Basketball News, I will unveil a few teams leading into the season who stand out from the rest. First is the upstart New Orleans Pelicans, who appear finally ready to break through the glass ceiling as a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.
When the Pelicans pushed the Suns in the first round of the postseason, it certainly opened a lot of eyes, myself included, for what could be coming down the Bayou. All of this occurred without their most important piece to the puzzle: Zion Williamson. With Williamson now expected to be fully healthy at the start of next season, New Orleans&rsquo; rotation doesn&rsquo;t have many holes on paper.
Starting Lineup: CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas
Second Unit: Jose Alvarado, Dyson Daniels, Trey Murphy III, Larry Nance Jr., Jaxson Hayes
The ideal blend of win-now veterans and enticing youth weave together for head coach Willie Green, who helped steer the ship when it mattered most in New Orleans&rsquo; improbable run to the playoffs without their young superstar. Now, in his second season at the helm, Green and the Pelicans top the list for organizations ready to truly ascend forward.
One of the biggest pivot points for the Pelicans was their acquisition of McCollum, who looks at ease running the show offensively. Playing more as a combo guard compared to exclusively off-ball in Portland, McCollum thrived. He amassed a career-high 24.3 points and 5.8 assists per game. In 386 regular season minutes, the two-man lineup of McCollum and Ingram averaged a blistering 116.9 points per 100 possessions. Not only should that number take potentially another step forward in 2022-23, but Williamson's presence can also make this entire roster better overnight.
Before Williamson&rsquo;s offseason foot surgery caused a season-long setback &mdash; one that Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin said would originally have him back soon after the 82-game schedule began &mdash; the former Duke Blue Devil was beginning to truly dominate as an offensive engine.
Williamson acted as Pelicans&rsquo; lead playmaker bringing the ball up the court, running sets for himself and others under former head coach Stan Van Gundy while also being a one-man wrecking crew, averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 0.9 steals in 33.2 minutes per contest.
There have been no indications that Williamson&rsquo;s foot remains an issue in New Orleans, so throwing him back into the mix alongside McCollum and Ingram will certainly become a scary sight for opposing teams. Allowing McCollum to fall into the third option for the Pelicans&rsquo; new-look attack should greatly benefit all parties.
Speaking of Ingram &mdash;remember how he seized the moment during his first postseason appearance, almost willing the No. 8 seed Pelicans over Phoenix? Before falling in six games, Ingram put the Association on notice for what should be the next step of his own blossoming career. The lanky wing averaged 27.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists on an impressive 58.2% True Shooting percentage.
We&rsquo;ve already witnessed Ingram&rsquo;s first All-Star berth, but could a potential Pelicans&rsquo; rise finally lead to some All-NBA consideration? Honestly, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a shock once April 2023 rolls around.
The three-headed monster of Williamson, Ingram and McCollum speaks for why New Orleans qualifies as a top candidate for a serious leap forward. The ancillary pieces on this roster fit smoothly into the mix as well.
Herb Jones quickly turned into one of the NBA&rsquo;s most versatile defenders as a rookie. Jose Alvarado, an undrafted rookie, also showcased a never-say-die attitude that quickly won him valuable rotation minutes, which should only increase during his second go-around.
Trey Murphy III is another intriguing long-term piece for New Orleans, because wings who can shoot from distance at an above-average clip are among the most coveted archetypes in the modern NBA. Murphy recently dove into his growth last season <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/trey-murphy-iii-wants-to-announce-presence-new-orleans-pelicans-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with our own Ethan Fuller</a> and laid out what should be another important developmental year in 2022-23.
The over/under win total projection in Las Vegas for the Pelicans sits at 44.5, which feels like an easy wager to lay. Williamson&rsquo;s health will obviously be a huge question looming for New Orleans now and in the future, but last season showed this team is on the cusp even without their most important piece. Ingram is a bonafide All-Star-caliber player who will only continue to grow entering (incredibly) his age-25 season. McCollum continues the next phase of his career in arguably his best spot yet, deferring to the young stars and finding his spots at the most efficient parts of the floor.
And how could we not talk about the plethora of assets the Pelicans sit on following the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades? Ingram is a centerpiece to their vision from the Lakers, but they remain in an advantageous position whenever the next disgruntled superstar wants out.
All of the following picks from Los Angeles and Milwaukee are still heading their way, which still provides ample ammunition for the next few years: 2023 first-round swap rights (via Lakers), 2024 unprotected first-round pick with defer rights to 2025 (via Lakers), 2024 swap rights (via Bucks), 2025 unprotected first-round pick (via Bucks), 2026 swap rights (via Bucks), 2027 unprotected first-round pick (via Bucks). Who wouldn&rsquo;t at least consider playing in New Orleans with this core, especially if Williamson bounces back into premier form?
Everything on the table right now in New Orleans is simmering like a tasty shrimp gumbo. Now, all that needs to happen is internal improvement and health cooperating along the way. Similarly to the Suns and Grizzlies from years prior, the Pelicans are an odds-on favorite to surprise everyone in just a few months.

Zion Williamson's return should add a serious boost to a Pelicans team that turned heads last season.

With a deep roster, the New Orleans Pelicans can surprise everyone

Welcome to Basketball News' 10-part mini-series, Blazing the Trail, where Mat Issa breaks down the most revolutionary players of the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout this series, we'll examine how these players changed basketball and pioneered their respective skills.
In this fifth installment, Mat goes in-depth on one of the most versatile defenders of all-time: Andrei Kirilenko. He explains what made him different from other off-ball rovers who came before him, with insights from his former coaches, teammates and more.
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No player in this series has garnered more anticipation than Andrei Kirilenko. A quick survey of the internet yields countless articles and <a href="https://youtu.be/XGkSph7VDrU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube videos</a> that are all centered around the same premise:
Kirilenko would be a perfect fit in today&rsquo;s era.
Did Kirilenko serve as the prototype for the modern-day defender? During his prime, was he a revolutionary and a superstar?&nbsp;
Let's find out.
WHAT MADE KIRILENKO SPECIAL?
In baseball, a "five-tool player" is bestowed this label if they display excellence in five categories: hitting for average, hitting for power, fielding, speed and throwing.
Similarly, Kirilenko excelled in five different defensive disciplines.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/kirilenko-five-tool-defender.jpg" alt="Visual Created by Mark Cheung" width="487" height="520" />
Tool No. 1: Man Defense
&ldquo;His technique was fundamentally instinctive,&rdquo; said Gordon Chiesa, Kirilenko&rsquo;s former coach in Utah.
Kirilenko touted great length, reflexes and an active &lsquo;tap-dancing&rsquo; stance (see clips below) that enabled him to keep the ball in his line of sight at all times.&nbsp;
On top of that, he mastered the &lsquo;flick-hand technique,&rsquo; which aims to force ball-handlers to dribble East to West rather than North to South (since it's harder to get in the paint when you can&rsquo;t move forward).
"[Your] defensive hand is on the ball side, and [you're] flicking [your] hand up towards the ball &ndash; without losing [your] balance &ndash; to make their dribble lateral, so that it's more protective [rather than] more downhill," Chiesa explained to Basketball News.
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Tool No. 2: Versatility&nbsp;
While Kirilenko&rsquo;s primary assignments were forwards, he was capable of guarding shiftier speedsters and gargantuan bruisers as well.
&ldquo;You could literally put him on just about anyone,&rdquo; recalled Michael Ruffin, Kirilenko&rsquo;s former teammate who is now an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns. "[He] had the speed, quickness, length to keep up with guards&hellip; on the perimeter. That&rsquo;s who he would end up guarding a lot [of the time].&rdquo;
Kirilenko even developed antidotes to deploy when going up against the more powerful, low-post big men of the time.
&ldquo;Even on the post with a bigger, banging guy&hellip; he could make it difficult for them to get the ball deep by fronting them,&rdquo; said Charlotte Hornets assistant Tyrone Corbin, who coached Kirilenko in Utah. "What he would do is put the work in early [in the post] to make the catch a little further out, so they wouldn&rsquo;t catch it so deep in the paint.&rdquo;
And if the big man somehow managed to receive the entry pass?
&ldquo;He would go after the ball and keep them off balance that way,&rdquo; Corbin explained.
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Tool No. 3: Off-Ball Disruptor
&ldquo;The thing I remember about him most is that he [was] a defensive playmaker,&rdquo; Chiesa said.
Each season from 2001 to 2011, Kirilenko finished in the 96th percentile or higher in Cerebro Sports&rsquo; Defensive Statistical Impact metric (which measures defensive playmaking).&nbsp;
&ldquo;What made Kirilenko brilliant, I call it early eyes,&rdquo; Chiesa explained. &ldquo;He could read plays before [they] happened&hellip; and he was able to be cat-quick and jump in the passing lanes to steal the ball, block a shot or pickpocket somebody.&rdquo;
Among other things, Kirilenko was adept at doubling down from the perimeter &ndash; the concept of rotating over from the perimeter to double a player on the low block (which was particularly important during that era considering the high volume of post-ups).
&ldquo;People never understood how long he really was,&rdquo; Corbin said. &ldquo;He could be at the <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/the-basketball-dictionary-5c3835e9fe58#:~:text=Nail%3A%20The%20spot%20in%20the,the%20middle%20at%20all%20costs." target="_blank" rel="noopener">nail</a>/elbow, and a guy could get the ball in the post and turn to dribble or make a move, and he&rsquo;s on top of them knocking the ball out.&rdquo;
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Tool No. 4: Motor
Legendary Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was known for stressing the importance of conditioning in all his practices.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s one of the biggest sticklers with Coach Sloan: you had to be in great shape,&rdquo; Corbin emphasized. &ldquo;Most of the things that we did every day involved some kind of drill [with] conditioning as part of the drill.&rdquo;
Upon reflecting on his experiences, Ruffin agreed with Corbin&rsquo;s assessment.
&ldquo;The philosophy of the team&hellip; was that every time you stepped on the court, you go hard,&rdquo; Ruffin said.
Kirilenko did not deviate from this mission statement. During his iconic run in the 2003-04 NBA season (more on that in a bit), he finished in the 94th percentile in minutes played. And he spent every second of those nearly 2,900 minutes stalking the terrain at a frenetic pace.
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Tool No. 5: Shot-Blocking
Kirilenko was a human eraser of the highest order, and his acumen as a shot-blocker is what separated him from the likes of Shawn Marion &ndash; the other multi-faceted forward of that time.
During his career, Kirilenko posted a whopping seven seasons with a block percentage of 4% or higher. Marion, on the other hand, never surpassed 3%.&nbsp;
With his condor arms, impeccable timing and recovery speed, Kirilenko was terrific at swatting away attempts.
&ldquo;Super timing. Super, super timing," Corbin said. "And his ability to recover &ndash; to get from point A to point B &ndash; especially off the ball when he could be on the weakside. A guy could drive thinking he was open; [Kirilenko] would get from where he was to the ball quickly before the guy could alter his shot or see him coming.
&ldquo;As good as he was on the ball, he was better coming off the ball because guys couldn&rsquo;t see where he was coming from.&rdquo;
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ON-COURT PRODUCTION
Prior to the 2003-04 NBA season, ESPN writer Frank Hughes <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2003/10/5/19788279/little-expected-of-jazz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a> that the Utah Jazz would lose more games than any team in NBA history.&nbsp;
Not only did Utah outperform these not-so-lofty expectations, they came within one game of the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference.&nbsp;
So, what happened?
&ldquo;When things like that usually happen, you look back, and you&rsquo;re like, &lsquo;Oh, we missed on three or four of those players. They were way better than we thought,'&rdquo; said David Locke, who has been the radio voice of the Jazz for 13 years.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that exists on [the Jazz&rsquo;s] roster. I think the only one we missed on was a 22-year-old Andrei Kirilenko [who] was just a way better player and more important than people realized.&rdquo;
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Advanced data helps us understand Kirilenko's impact that season. Basketball Reference&rsquo;s Box Plus-Minus paints Kirilenko as a <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2004_advanced.html#advanced_stats::bpm">top-three player</a> in the league that year, with the next-best Jazz player ranking 75th. While top-three may be unlikely, he was pretty darn close.
In 2003-04, Utah's defense was 2.2 points stingier per 100 possessions with their Swiss-army-knife defender on the floor (which ranked in the 72nd percentile, per Cleaning the Glass).&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s more, AK-47's value extended beyond his defense. He also boasted a progressive offensive game &ndash; one that improved Utah&rsquo;s attack by 9.5 points per 100 possessions (ranking in the 97th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass).&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Along with being a revolutionary defender, Kirilenko had an incredibly modern (and underrated) offensive game. He was a decisive passer, an eager cutter, a fearless driver, and a FT drawing machine. He would have been the perfect player in today's read-and-react react game. <a href="https://t.co/dvEZTxxWDJ">pic.twitter.com/dvEZTxxWDJ</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1562527132013604865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Put those two outputs together, and the Jazz had a +11.8 efficiency differential per 100 possessions when Kirilenko was on the court. That year, the only other All-Stars to achieve that mark were Kevin Garnett (the 2003-04 MVP), Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal, Jason Kidd and Brad Miller.&nbsp;
(Note: On the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/260tNesWxrhH93RDQP06pS?si=79381e7876574e8f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blazing the Trail podcast</a>, historian Cody Houdek and I broke down where Kirilenko ranked in the league that season, and we ultimately landed on him falling somewhere in the 8-12 range).
BLAZING THE TRAIL
Chiesa&rsquo;s Jazz spent the late 1990s being vanquished by a team that rostered a player in Kirilenko&rsquo;s likeness: Scottie Pippen.
&ldquo;Defensively, [Pippen] was a defensive playmaker who could guard all five positions, and that was Kirilenko,&rdquo; Chiesa compared.&nbsp;
Despite their similarities, Pippen&rsquo;s approach was more <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9vFHYVXtRk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on-ball orientated</a> (juxtaposed with Kirilenko&rsquo;s primarily off-ball style). A more perfect progenitor for this inspector-gadget model exists by way of 1970s stalwart Bobby Jones.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Absolutely,&rdquo; Chiesa exclaimed when asked about the two forwards' similarities.&nbsp;&ldquo;Just like Kirilenko &ndash; 6-foot-9, [220] pounds, gangly, high hips, [could] run the floor, defensive playmaker...&rdquo;&nbsp;
Like Kirilenko, the Secretary of Defense touted the illustrious <a href="https://streamable.com/3ynktv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five defensive tools</a> and, as a result, left a significant mark on that end of the floor &ndash; quarterbacking five top-5 defenses during his 10-year tenure in the NBA.
Both defensive roamers by nature, Kirilenko was able to become arguably more impactful than his predecessor thanks to the abolition of illegal defense rules in 2001. Before this rule change, zone defense was banned, and if teams/players wanted to execute these exotic coverages, they had to do so covertly, which greatly mitigated the value of off-ball roamers such as Jones.
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IMPACT ON TODAY'S GAME
In the era of pace and space, the logical defensive counter to this increased surface area is to obtain personnel who can cover this space efficiently.&nbsp;
As alluded to in the previous section, rule changes enabled Kirilenko to operate unrestricted in a manner his forefathers never could. And this confluence of events, combined with his unique physical tools and instincts, made him the prototype for the space-ball defender.
Today, the NBA landscape is littered with players who resemble Kirilenko's robust defensive palate. Nearly every prominent defender in the Association has shades of Kirilenko&rsquo;s design in their own game.&nbsp;
For instance, All-Defensive First Team forward Mikal Bridges shares Kirilenko&rsquo;s length and motor.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think that [Kirilenko] is actually a lot like Mikal,&rdquo; said Ruffin, who coaches Bridges on the Suns. &ldquo;They are both extremely long, they move really well [when] negotiating screens, both have good motors, and they both take pride in defending.&rdquo;
As for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, Ruffin said that he inherited Kirilenko&rsquo;s versatility. Like Kirilenko, Smart regularly faces off against defenders far larger than him in stature, and he holds them off using the same <a href="https://streamable.com/5x6n4y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fronting techniques</a> Corbin alluded to earlier.&nbsp;
Draymond Green, arguably the best defender of his generation, may share the most similarities with Kirilenko &mdash; possessing all five of his fancy utensils. And similar to how Kirilenko surpassed Jones, Green one-upped AK-47 by adding a rim-deterrence component to his game.&nbsp;
The best paint protectors deter opponents from taking shots in the restricted area entirely, and Green is no exception. This past season, opponent rim frequency decreased by 5.4% when he was on the court (which ranked in the 99th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass). Unfortunately, Kirilenko's presence didn&rsquo;t have the same effect, as the opponent's rim frequency <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/2029/onoff#tab-opp_shooting_freq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oftentimes</a> increased when he was on the floor.
Thanks to the movement initiated by Kirilenko (and capitalized on by Green), every team is looking for the next torchbearer to the space-ball-defender lineage.
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In fact, Utah may have just stumbled upon its second iteration of the archetype in recently acquired Jarred Vanderbilt. When asked about their parallels, Chiesa pulled out his notes from when the Jazz and Timberwolves faced off on December 31, 2021, and read them aloud:
&ldquo;Lengthy frame, long arms, pretzel legs&hellip; wily defensive ball-retriever, glides in from perimeter to block shots, active back-tipper into transition, early-eyes anticipator, in and out of the passing lanes, steal maker&hellip; around the ball consistently.&rdquo;
Sound familiar?
Meanwhile, in Toronto, the Raptors believe they hold the key to the next link in the five-tool chain in reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think Scottie is overall a better talent [than Kirilenko]," Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin told Basketball News. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not taking anything away from Kirilenko&hellip; but I think there is something special about Scottie.&rdquo;
Seeing the direction the league is going, it makes sense why people always ponder how Kirilenko would fare in today&rsquo;s game.&nbsp;
But don&rsquo;t let his status as a revolutionary fool you; he was a damn good player during his time too.&nbsp;
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Check back next week for Part VI of Blazing the Trail, which focuses on Shawn Kemp, the aerial artist.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-reggie-miller-the-moving-target-indiana-pacers-rik-smits-dan-burke-michael-jordan-joe-dumars-golden-state-warriors-chris-mullin-steph-curry-klay-thompson">Click here to read Part IV: Reggie Miller, the moving target</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-shane-battier-the-databall-defender-memphis-grizzlies-houston-rockets-miami-heat-daryl-morey-david-fizdale-detroit-pistons-draymond-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part III: Shane Battier, the data-ball defender</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-rashard-lewis-all-star-stretch-four-orlando-magic-stan-van-gundy-dwight-howard-hedo-turkoglu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part II: Rashard Lewis, the All-Star stretch 4</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part I: Steve Nash, the magician who danced in the paint</a>

Andrei Kirilenko was a five-tool defender who was ahead of his time. Mat Issa looks back on AK-47's career and impact on today's NBA.

Blazing the Trail: Andrei Kirilenko, the five-tool defender

Shams Charania of&nbsp;The Athletic&nbsp;released his latest <a href="https://theathletic.com/3526628/2022/08/22/kevin-durant-donovan-mitchell-trade-talk-shams/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA trade slop drop Monday morning</a>, and it restated several points on the Boston Celtics' involvement in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Notably, according to Charania, Boston has not made Marcus Smart or Robert Williams III available.
Smart is entrenched in the Celtics franchise as its longest-tenured player, emotional leader and reigning Defensive Player of the Year. But the withholding of Williams also speaks to how highly regarded he is on the roster and how critical he was to Boston's NBA Finals run last season.
Williams broke out big time in 2021-22, averaging 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game with a stunning 73.6% clip from the floor. He landed on the All-Defensive Second Team and anchored one of the best defenses in the league. A year ago this Wednesday, Williams signed a four-year contract that could be worth up to $54 million. He's already made that look like a massive bargain.
The 2018 first-round pick thrives in his classically-defined archetype as a rim-protecting center, two-way rebounder and lob finisher. Williams has already showcased elite traits in that role &mdash; traits that, if he never improved even fractionally, would still be among the best in the world for the next several years.
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However, Williams' role also clouds viewers' visualizations of his next steps. At age 24, and, with one healthy-ish season under his belt, Williams still has plenty of room to grow with the Celtics. But if he's already so good at what he does, and Boston rarely asks him to do anything else, what is the trajectory for his impact?
Fortunately, between Williams' additional skills and his functional areas of improvement, he can continue to shoulder more responsibility as a young big man.
Celtics fans have continuously marveled over Williams' passing flashes during his first few seasons in the league. His assist-to-usage rate has been in the top 20% among centers in each of the past three years, per Cleaning the Glass. And, despite receiving few touches outside of play-finishing chances, Williams can dazzle with his vision.
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I love watching Robert Williams pass the basketball. Always makes such rapid decisions for the Celtics. These are two assists from today, the one-handed midair redirect to Pritchard after the rebound is silly <a href="https://t.co/bWf4V9Rf3a">pic.twitter.com/bWf4V9Rf3a</a>
&mdash; Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1497657823945060355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a>
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When Boston tapped into Williams as a passer, they often set him up at the top of the arc or slightly offset on the wings. It's amazing how imposing he is from that range despite posing zero threat as a shooter or driver. Having Williams quarterback the offense from here also opens up opportunities for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to move off the ball and use their strength and speed to get open instead of ball-handling and creating.
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It's almost like Tatum is running a wide receiver option route in the above clips. In the first two plays, Jayson is slipping screens and cutting to the basket while Williams rifles passes in for layups. In the third clip, Tatum is using a Payton Pritchard flare screen and hitting a three. The fourth clip is another flare screen, but Williams and Tatum both recognize the open space, and the former leads the superstar into a driving layup. For good measure, the last clip is Brown faking off a similar pindown and cutting to the basket.&nbsp;
With "Timelord" running the show, off-ball defenders have to key in on Boston's dynamic duo, and it opens up easy reads for him to make, like this one to Grant Williams:
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Letting Robert Williams direct from the arc is a great way for the Celtics to leverage Jayson Tatum off-ball. He drew three Bucks defenders with his cut and that created an open three for Grant Williams <a href="https://t.co/Mw3K2qqorL">pic.twitter.com/Mw3K2qqorL</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1521891105486352385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2022</a>
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The gripe here isn't with Williams III; rather, I wish the Celtics would put him in these positions more often. He has a high overall turnover rate, but rarely gives the ball away in these situations. It places less of a load on Tatum and Brown as self-creators and gets more players moving around the half-court in general.
There's also untapped intrigue with him at the high post. According to PBP Stats, Williams III had 84 elbow touches across the entire 2021-22 regular season. His 16.7% assist rate ranked second among the 99 players with at least 75 elbow touches, behind only Memphis Grizzlies big man Steven Adams. Now, some of these touches are mere handoffs. But others are Williams connecting with shooters on a short roll, or directing traffic out of a post touch.&nbsp;
Jared Weiss of&nbsp;The Athletic&nbsp;detailed how <a href="stories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston's offense drifted away from post-ups</a> as the season went on, and how adding more back with Williams involved could make sense. Given Williams' vision and the success that comes when players orbit around him, I would agree.
Any individual scoring development like a mid-range jump shot would be icing on the cake, as <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/8/16/23302020/robert-williams-boston-celtics-center-jump-shot-analysis-what-if-week-celticsblog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevor Hass of Celtics Blog wrote.</a> But head coach Ime Udoka already has untapped potential right in front of him in the form of Williams as a passing hub. Manifesting more touches for a tertiary option is much easier said than done, but integrating Williams further could seriously juice a Celtics offense that often stagnated.&nbsp;
Defensively, however, the onus is on Williams to improve his switchability.&nbsp;
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The 6-foot-9-inch center is a remarkable roamer and shot-blocker &mdash; in the highest echelon of rim-warping players across the league. He hit his defensive stride strongly down the stretch because Udoka and the coaching staff put him in defensive positions to be successful. Sporting News writer Stephen Noh intricately broke down <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/hidden-gems-robert-williams-celtics/zw4cxlj1httzlmdwnkyw6ayz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how the Celtics kept Williams out of the on-ball limelight</a> whenever possible and made his job all about rotating and swatting.&nbsp;
That's great, and it proved to be successful enough to get Boston to within two games of a championship. It also required some luck and some heavy lifting from Al Horford, who used a stretch of good health to play some of the best switching defense we saw all season at age 35.&nbsp;
Horford, now 36, can't be expected to carry the same burden throughout another title push, and the Celtics only have one other center in line for possible rotation minutes in Luke Kornet. Williams will have to defend in ball-screen coverage and switch onto guards at certain points.
Last year, it didn't go so well. Boston started out switching 1-through-5 on defense and changed that as the year went on. Who knows if it was Williams who caused the shift, but his struggles certainly played a part.
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As shown in the clip above, Williams can't move with the necessary lateral quickness to stop drives at the root. He has to rely on his length to catch up when he gets beat, and while that leads to some highlight-reel recovery blocks, it's not a fail-safe he should want to lean on. Williams is also historically a foul-prone perimeter player who bites on pump-fakes far too often, though he tempered those temptations last year.
I'd claim that Williams improved in the moments he did have to switch onto isolations later in the season. It seemed he played those possessions more conservatively and was willing to give up the three-ball, knowing he has the vertical pop to reach shots like this:
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Don't expect Williams to become some unicorn-like defender who can smother players all over the court. If Williams can at least contain drives and keep defenders thinking about the threat of a block, that's a win for Boston. He's got the all-world rim-protection in his pocket already.
Williams is already a high-end starting center whose talents can help Boston get back to the Finals. If he breezes through a heavier passing workload and makes some progress as an on-ball defender, we could be talking about a sub-All-Star type of center next season.
Robert Williams III only underscores that the Celtics, even after reaching June, still have room for progress.

Ethan Fuller breaks down the next phases of growth for Celtics center Robert Williams III.

What the next level looks like for Celtics big man Robert Williams III

As we approach the conclusion of &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>, NBA Defensive Player of the Year award odds are next up on the to-do list. Where is the best value to extrapolate from sportsbooks? A few contenders stand out, so let&rsquo;s go ahead and examine my best bets and dark horse selection for DPOY with all odds provided by DraftKings.
Defensive Player of the Year Best Bet: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves (+450)
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Rudy Gobert's 4th quarter defense vs. the Mavericks was nothing short of spectacular. <a href="https://t.co/QkJrPsn4em">pic.twitter.com/QkJrPsn4em</a>
&mdash; 𝐇 𝐨 𝐨 𝐩 𝐕 𝐞 𝐧 𝐮 𝐞 (@KGsGOAT) <a href="https://twitter.com/KGsGOAT/status/1497440528660578305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As a three-time DPOY winner, Gobert has become the crown jewel in the Association for rim-protecting excellence. Now, entering Year 10 on a new team, Gobert has the opportunity to reclaim the award with emphasis.
Alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, Gobert exits a possible rebuilding situation for a ready-made contender in the Western Conference. As Minnesota&rsquo;s enforcer on the defensive end, Gobert will put up the counting numbers and advanced metrics to once more prove his immense value in that area.
The Timberwolves were so confident paying a steep price for Gobert becuase he augments all the talent around him. Towns and Edwards will benefit, but don&rsquo;t forget D&rsquo;Angelo Russell enters a prove-it contract year as the starting point guard.
Throughout the offseason, Minnesota&rsquo;s aggressive approach has led to a deep rotation near completion. With a multitude of lineup combinations, the Timberwolves&rsquo; versatility will be on full display.
It&rsquo;s a unique fit on paper, but I&rsquo;m all-in on Gobert and his long-term fit in Minnesota. Even as the heavy betting favorite at +450 odds on DraftKings, there&rsquo;s still value to be had to cash out at season&rsquo;s end.
Defensive Player of the Year Best Bet: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (+1200)
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Bucks blitz Tatum in the pick-and-roll, he splits it. But guess who's there with the elite help defense: Giannis <a href="https://t.co/3GmaBgDL12">pic.twitter.com/3GmaBgDL12</a>
&mdash; Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1520828148534812673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Another titan in the DPOY race, it&rsquo;s never wise to rule out Giannis making an all-out push for any attainable award. Already one of the most decorated individuals in NBA history at his age, the Greek Freak feels poised to remind everyone how good he and the Bucks truly are.
It was a relatively quiet offseason in Milwaukee with the main move being re-signing Bobby Portis. The Bucks' roster is aready loaded to the gills with talent that meshes seamlessly alongside their generational superstar. Everything is setting up for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks to once again finish near the top of the East while the two-time MVP puts up monster numbers along the way.
Since taking the leap to stardom back in 2016-17, Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s stocks (steals plus blocks) continue to rise. Over that span, Giannis has averaged 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, simply dominating on both ends of the court. If the Bucks keep up their winning ways and Giannis continues on his reign of terror, there&rsquo;s no reason why he shouldn&rsquo;t become an eventual finalist for this award.
Defensive Player of the Year Dark-Horse Bet: Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns (+1400)
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A compilation of Mikal Bridges' defense on Kristaps Porzingis last night. Obviously a very draining physical matchup for him, but he battled on switches and broke up multiple possessions. Incredible job. <a href="https://t.co/NbKRnBZq4Z">pic.twitter.com/NbKRnBZq4Z</a>
&mdash; Sam Cooper (@scooperhoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/scooperhoops/status/1461326352385249283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Last season&rsquo;s runner-up behind Marcus Smart checks in as this year&rsquo;s dark horse prediction. Finally, the NBA began to show respect to perimeter defenders with Smart and Bridges battling atop the DPOY leaderboard. Look for this trend to continue and maybe even become normalized. While Bridges&rsquo; status in Phoenix might remain in limbo right now due to the Suns' ongoing flirtation to secure Kevin Durant, there&rsquo;s no denying he&rsquo;s one of the best all-around wing defenders. He's able to lock up practically any scorer archetype..
Expect to see a highly-motivated Bridges entering his fifth season, one that will put even more pressure on him to become a more well-rounded pillar in the Suns&rsquo; success. While Bridges won&rsquo;t put up gaudy statistics, the eye test proved consistently there&rsquo;s not many defenders on the same tier as the 2018 No. 10 overall pick.
Assuming Phoenix stays near the top of the Western Conference hierarchy, projected at this point to run back most of their league-best rotation, Bridges&rsquo; DPOY argument is already written. If all goes to plan, Bridges will be a finalist and potentially bring the award to the Valley this time around.

Bet Week continues on as Evan Sidery provides his best wagers and dark horse prediction for 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.