Lancers

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
As the 2024-25 NBA regular season winds down, it&rsquo;s time to spotlight the standout performers who rose above the rest. From breakout stars to defensive anchors and rookie sensations, here are my picks for the major awards this season &mdash; including some deserving runner-ups and honorable mentions.
<h3>Most Improved Player: Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)</h3>
Runner-ups: Ivica Zubac, Christian Braun
Notes: Dyson Daniels has made the leap. After being traded to the Atlanta Hawks, Daniels not only found a larger role but embraced it fully, evolving into a dynamic two-way guard. His length, defensive instincts, and vastly improved shooting have made him one of the league&rsquo;s biggest revelations. Daniels went from being a defensive specialist to a legitimate secondary playmaker and spot-up threat, thriving alongside Trae Young. Daniels also has a legitimate case for the Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in steals, and this only strengthens his case for Most Improved.
Ivica Zubac has a notable case for runner-up after seeing growth as a more consistent interior anchor for the Clippers. Zubac also had a huge year offensively, often conniving with James Harden for lob and post opportunities. Meanwhile Christian Braun carved out a bigger offensive role in Denver with increased minutes and responsibility as he saw the biggest increase in PPG from over a season ago.
<h3>Sixth Man of the Year: Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics)</h3>
Runner-ups: Malik Beasley, Ty Jerome
Pritchard stepped up in Boston&rsquo;s championship-caliber rotation, giving them much-needed energy, scoring punch, and floor-spacing off the bench. He played with confidence, controlled tempo, and was crucial during clutch stretches when starters rested. His knack for scoring in bunches and orchestrating the offense when Jrue Holiday or Derrick White sat was invaluable.
Beasley&rsquo;s sharpshooting in Detroit has stood out, garnering a league-2nd-best 319 threes as a bench player while Ty Jerome&rsquo;s steady second-unit play in Cleveland has them at the top of the East and worthy of 6th man consideration.
<h3>Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)</h3>
Runner-ups: Evan Mobley, Lu Dort
This should have been Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s award if not for the blood clot injury, but here we are. There should be a winner, and my pick would be Draymond Green. Even in his 30s, Green remains a defensive savant. He quarterbacked Golden State&rsquo;s schemes, constantly switching, communicating, and anchoring a defense that ranked among the best post-All-Star break. While Green&rsquo;s impact isn&rsquo;t always in the stat sheet, his presence turned the Warriors into a top-tier defensive team when he was on the floor.
Mobley continued to showcase elite versatility for Cleveland, while Dort was once again a perimeter nightmare for opposing guards and wings. Both Mobley and Dort deserve these runner-up spots due to their teams (Cleveland and OKC) performing well because of them.
<h3>All-Defensive Teams</h3>
1st Team: Draymond Green, Evan Mobley, Lu Dort, Amen Thompson, Dyson Daniels 2nd Team: Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Toumani Camara, Ivica Zubac
Amen Thompson&rsquo;s disruptive length and switchability earned him a First-Team nod as a rookie, while Dyson Daniels brought relentless on-ball pressure. On the Second Team, Shai&rsquo;s defensive improvements were evident this year, and Camara turned heads with his rugged, fearless wing defense in Portland. Zubac was a rock-solid rim protector all season long.
<h3>Rookie of the Year: Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)</h3>
Runner-up: Zaccharie Risacher
Castle made an immediate impact in San Antonio with his poise, defense, and playmaking. He embraced the challenge of playing next to Victor Wembanyama and flourished as a stabilizing backcourt force. Castle's two-way effort, ability to guard multiple positions, and unselfish offense stood out in a deep rookie class.
Risacher showcased his offensive polish and smooth shooting stroke in Atlanta and made a strong late push for the award.
<h3>All-Rookie Teams</h3>
1st Team: Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey 2nd Team: Bub Carrington, Isaiah Collier, Matas Buzelis, Kel&rsquo;el Ware, Yves Missi
From Sarr&rsquo;s shot-blocking to Jaylen Wells&rsquo; scoring flashes, this rookie class was filled with gems despite a no-clear-star tag. Edey proved his game could translate at the next level, and Buzelis quietly put together a solid two-way campaign. Carrington and Collier each had stretches of brilliance at the point guard spot for their respective teams.
<h3>Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers)</h3>
Runner-ups: J.B. Bickerstaff, Tyronn Lue Honorable Mentions: Ime Udoka, JJ Redick, Mark Daigneault
Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s return to head coaching was a rousing success. He reshaped the culture in Cleveland, maximizing the young core&rsquo;s strengths and installing a balanced system that translated to wins. The Cavaliers became the best team in the East, and Atkinson&rsquo;s ability to unlock both offense and defense from a good squad last year to a better squad this year was remarkable.
Bickerstaff turned Detroit around after a league-worst record , and Lue once again juggled egos and lineups with the Clippers to keep them near the top of the West despite losing Paul George in free agency.
<h3>Clutch Player of the Year: Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)</h3>
Runner-ups: Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry
Jalen Brunson owned the fourth quarter. His combination of poise, patience, and pure bucket-getting in crunch time made him one of the league&rsquo;s most dangerous closers. Whether isolating, using the pick-and-roll, or getting to his spots, Brunson delivered when it mattered most &mdash; and turned Madison Square Garden into his stage.
Edwards embraced the big moments in Minnesota to have one of the most points in clutch time, while Curry remained a timeless threat late in games.
<h3>All-NBA Teams</h3>
1st Team: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards 2nd Team: Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell 3rd Team: Jalen Brunson, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., James Harden, Ivica Zubac
SGA led the way with MVP-level consistency and picking Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Tatum were no brainers.Edwards made his All-NBA debut with a huge leap in production and impact, being a top 5 scorer in the league. Cade Cunningham took over the reins in Detroit and finally stayed healthy, while Zubac&rsquo;s defensive presence and scoring efficiency earned him a well-deserved spot among the league&rsquo;s elite.
<h3>Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)</h3>
Runner-up: Nikola Jokic Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Rather than rehash the argument, I&rsquo;ll let this piece explain it in full detail: 🔗 <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-shai-gilgeousalexanders-case-as-the-2025-nba-mvp">Making Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s case as the 2025 NBA MVP</a>

As the 2024-25 NBA regular season winds down, it’s time to spotlight the standout performers who rose above the rest.

OPINION: Picking the 2024-2025 NBA Awards winners

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league&rsquo;s annual awards has officially ended. Here&rsquo;s a look at my picks of the NBA's award winners.
Most Improved Player: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
(Runner-ups: Coby White, Jalen Johnson)
Notes: In the end, Tyrese Maxey takes the award with the amount of burden and responsibility in a Philadelphia team reeling from the loss of James Harden to become a true No. 2 option behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. White improved a lot this year, increasing his averages both numbers and his shooting percentages. Johnson, like White, has also increased his usage and averages by a lot, featuring as the third option behind DeJounte Murray and Trae Young, or even as the second option without one of those two. A jumbo playmaking forward, Johnson showed improvements in his playmaking as well as his ability to score and had increased numbers in shooting as well. Ultimately, Maxey wins this award out because he was a guy who increased his usage and his role while playing most of the season without Embiid.
Sixth Man of the Year: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Malik Monk, Bobby Portis)
Notes: Naz Reid has been the best player off the bench this season with the way he has been an offensive spark plug for the Timberwolves this season. He&rsquo;s had a phenomenal season, and he had to start and fill in for Karl-Anthony Towns when he went down while still being an efficient scorer as he is. If you factor in all the stuff for these awards, you could actually make a case for Monk, for Portis, maybe even guys like Norman Powell for the Clippers and Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Hawks. But with Minnesota going 56-26 and having the second most wins in franchise history &ndash; ultimately ending up atop the three best teams in the West, this gives a little bit of boost to Naz Reid due to his importance to the team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis; Honorable mention: Bam Adebayo)
Notes: One of the hardest awards to figure out. Minnesota had the best defense in the league for a reason, and based on that Rudy Gobert would be a deserving winner of the award. When he&rsquo;s off the floor, the team does not perform defensively the way it does when Gobert is on the floor. This was hard because Wembanyama had a legitimate case, being the generational defender that he was. Davis also had a strong case with how he carried single-handedly the Lakers&rsquo; defense, while Adebayo had the immense burden of playing all the defensive schemes in Miami. Ultimately, it ended up with Gobert with the way he lifted a good defensive team to the best in the league, manning that paint and being that anchor that holds all of the pieces together.
All-Defensive Team:
1st Team - Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones
2nd Team - Derrick White, Jalen Suggs, Jaden McDaniels, Alex Caruso, Jonathan Isaac
Notes: Starting this year, the NBA&rsquo;s All-NBA teams and defensive teams were positionless so I had to cheat a little bit here, putting 4 bigs in the 1st team. Gobert, Wembanyama, Davis, and Adebayo are no-brainers considering their defensive impact for each of their teams, while Jones takes the last spot in the 1st team for his ability to disrupt offenses as well as guarding each team&rsquo;s best player night in and night out for the Pelicans.&nbsp;
The second team features White (most blocks for a guard), Suggs and Isaac (best defensive players for the 4th best defense in the league, helping to lead the Magic back to the playoffs), McDaniels (best wing defender for the best defense in the league), and the perennial all-defense player Caruso who brings it in defensively every game.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
(Runner-up: Chet Holmgren)
Notes: Despite Holmgren having far and away the better team success, there&rsquo;s no denying Wembanyama&rsquo;s greatness in his rookie year. The French phenom has transcended the game both figuratively and on the eye test &ndash; he is simply a generational talent who is going to take over the league soon. Holmgren got off to a hot start in the first two months of the season but since January, Wembanyama has locked up the award for himself with out-of-the-world numbers for a rookie. He was dubbed as the best prospect since LeBron James and now he is well on his way to being one of the greatest of all time if he remains healthy after a historic rookie season.
All-Rookie Team:
1st Team - Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., GG Jackson
2nd Team - Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Notes: There were several names to choose from here, and it felt hard to cut some of them here. Jordan Hawkins of the Pelicans has had a good start to the year when the team had all those injuries paving the way for him to play early into the season but has seen the bench since as NOLA got healthier and players came back; Cason Wallace had such a good shooting year off the bench for the No.1 seeded Thunder despite shooting being labeled by scouts as his biggest weakness coming into the NBA; Dereck Lively II being center that Luka Doncic needed and fit well with by catching all those lobs and helping the Mavs&rsquo; defense this season big time; No.2 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a good close to his rookie year.
All in all, these 10 rookies have felt like the best rookies in terms of production, opportunity, and narratives surrounding them. Of course, Wembanyama and Holmgren are automatic locks; Miller has been the best player in Charlotte without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams; Jaquez is a vital piece off the bench for Erik Spoelstra&rsquo;s playoff-bound Heat team; and GG Jackson becoming a legit NBA scorer despite being the youngest player in the league to round out the first team.
The Thompson twins have just been defensive monsters ever since stepping foot in the league; George playing point guard at Utah has turned some heads and he has stepped up with the opportunity given to him; while Podziemski and Jackson-Davis have arguably been rotational pieces to the Warriors despite being rookies and has contributed a lot to them finding a way to fit in a complex team.
Coach of the Year: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
(Runner-ups: Chris Finch, Jamahl Mosley)
Notes: There have been so many good coaches this season that have elevated their teams to good records, say Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks. But my Coach of the Year pick goes to Mark Daigneault of the OKC Thunder because this award tends to favor the expectations set for a team before the start of the season. The Thunder weren&rsquo;t supposed to be this good this season, but Daigneault catapulted them into one of the best teams not just in the West but the entire NBA. The evidence is written on the wall: No.1 in the West despite being the second youngest team in the league; having a top 5 ranking on both offense and defense and no.2 overall net rating. Finch and Mosley take the runner-up spots with the work they had to lift both the Timberwolves and the Magic to being top 4 seeds in their conferences as well as having top-rated defenses in the league.
Clutch Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
(Runner-ups: DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
Notes: Another tough and close race, but ultimately it goes to Curry. Despite the Warriors&rsquo; so-so record, Curry had the most clutch time points, shot 50% from the field, and 46% from three in clutch time. Curry had the most threes than anyone in crunch time &ndash; being just the incredible clutch-time performer that he is &ndash; and always been.
All-NBA Team:
1st Team - Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum
2nd Team - Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James
3rd Team - Stephen Curry, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton
Notes: With Jalen Brunson carrying the Knicks to a second seed in the East playing without Julius Randle since January, it was incredibly hard to leave him off the 1st team. However, by the slightest of margins, I gave the nod to Tatum for being the best player on the best team in the league by a wide margin.
All the other picks were pretty explanatory, with the top 4 in the MVP race in Jokic, Doncic, SGA, and Giannis all expected to be first-teamers. The second team kind of got tougher besides Brunson, with legends Durant and James making the list because of the seasons they had leading their team as well as playing their most regular season game in years. Rounding out the second team were Edwards and Davis, two stars with the biggest impacts on their teams in the tough Western Conference.
The third team is actually a toss-up with a lot of good cases from the league all around, but ultimately I went with Curry, Sabonis, Leonard, Booker, and Haliburton.
Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&nbsp;
(Runners-up: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic; Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo)
Perhaps the closest race out of all the awards, all three players here are each deserving with their narratives and the numbers that support each of their cases. You can never go wrong picking one over the other, so it came down to personal opinion on who I thought had the strongest case this season. His case?
-Leading the second youngest team in the league to No.1 in the West
-3-1 series vs Denver
-3-1 series vs Dallas
-First player since Steph and MJ to average 30/5/5 in a season with 2+ steals
-Second in defensive net rating for guards
One could make the argument for Nikola Jokic being the best player in the world having better numbers than his two MVP seasons while Luka Doncic had one of the best seasons statistically in all facets of the game, but there&rsquo;s no denying SGA&rsquo;s strong case as well given the expectations for this young Thunder team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is my MVP.

The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league’s annual awards has officially ended.

OPINION: Picking the 2023-2024 NBA Awards winners

With the Eastern Conference All-Star starters set, let&rsquo;s look at the players who deserve a reserve slot for the East All-Star team this season. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/picking-the-nbas-western-conference-allstar-reserves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out our Western Conference All-Star reserve picks here</a>.
Guard: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
This pick is a no-brainer. Brunson is the head of the snake for a New York Knicks team that&rsquo;s been the best in the NBA since the turn of the calendar, going an NBA-best 14-2 in January. If not for falling short in fan voting (ranking just fifth), he would have been an All-Star starter. The 6-foot-2 guard ranked third and second in player and media voting, respectively, earning the respect of his peers and the media alike due to his ongoing stellar season. He&rsquo;s currently averaging 27 points, 6.5 assists and 4 rebounds per game for the third-place Knicks. Brunson is surefire and deserving All-Star.
Guard: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Equally as deserving as Brunson, Mitchell is the second player (and guard) I'd select as an East reserve. He&rsquo;s averaging 27.7 points, 6.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds per outing and is leading one of the hottest teams in the NBA, as the Cavs recently went on an eight-game winning streak. What makes this recent stretch even more impressive is that Mitchell did this without All-Star backcourt mate Darius Garland and forward Evan Mobley, who have been out with injuries. Despite surfacing in some trade rumors early in the season, Mitchell put his head down and went to work, earning himself an All-Star spot this season.
Forward: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has certainly picked up right where he left off last season after recently signing his lucrative $300 million extension. Brown has been the second-best player on the best team in the NBA, averaging 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists a game. He provides ample support for Celtics teammate and All-Star starter Jayson Tatum and at times carries the offensive load when Tatum is not on the floor. Boston would not be the juggernaut they are without the 6-foot-6 Brown&rsquo;s perimeter defense, dynamic three-level scoring and improved pick-and-roll decision-making.
Forward: Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Blossoming into a true alpha for the Magic this season, Banchero has turned heads with his play. The 2022 No. 1 overall pick is averaging 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and he has yet to miss a game (47 games played). Banchero is one of only three players with the same numbers this season while shooting 38% from three, with the other two being All-Star starters LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The Magic are in the thick of a tight Eastern Conference playoff race, and Banchero has been a big reason why. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound forward has produced in clutch moments and had a number of dominant performances despite being just a sophomore in this league. Without him, Orlando would be a totally different team.
Center: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat&nbsp;
Although the Miami Heat have been in a slump as of late, Bam Adebayo has shown up night in and night out while producing the same type of efficiency and numbers he's known for. Adebayo is averaging 20.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 blocks and a steal while serving as a two-way anchor for the Heat. A lot of Miami's offensive possessions have been initiated by Adebayo, whether it be dribble handoffs, screening actions or him going to work from the free-throw line. He is having a career-year in terms of scoring while still playing at a high level on defense. For a Heat team that's been missing key players all season long, Adebayo has been rock-solid and that will likely earn him another All-Star nod.&nbsp;
Wildcard: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
A Most Improved Player candidate, Maxey has taken his game to new heights this season. He&rsquo;s bumped up his scoring average from 20.3 to 25.7 points a game, and transitioned into a full-time point guard after James Harden&rsquo;s departure. Maxey has learned to balance his scoring and facilitating, emerging as a perfect No. 2 option alongside reigning MVP Joel Embiid. Their partnership has been lethal, averaging the most combined points by a duo this season. Maxey&rsquo;s ascension to a legit second option this season didn't go unnoticed, as he earned the respect of his fellow players and media, ranking second and fourth, respectively, in their voting ballots. This all adds up to the first All-Star berth for the 6-foot-3 guard.
Wildcard: Trae Young, Philadelphia 76ers
Even though the Atlanta Hawks have been underperforming, it's hard not to notice Young&rsquo;s exploits this season. He is the only player in the league averaging 26 points and 10 assists, and he has the most 30-point, 10-assist games (13). Although Young finished second in fan voting among East guards, he'll likely need to earn a wildcard spot in order to make the East team. Sure, one can argue Young&rsquo;s stats do not impact winning and somone like Boston&rsquo;s Derrick White deserves the nod over him because his team is atop of the standings. But I believe Young's sheer excellence this season has earned him a spot. 
Snubs: Julius Randle (Forward, New York Knicks); Derrick White (Guard, Boston Celtics); Kristaps Porzingis (Center, Boston Celtics); Jimmy Butler (Forward, Miami Heat)&nbsp;
Probably the toughest cut was Julius Randle, who was having a good season with the now third-place Knicks before dislocating his shoulder. He might still be named an All-Star and then a replacement would be named in his place, which would allow Randle and his replacement to be recognized. White&rsquo;s impact on winning for the top-ranked Celtics stands out and should warrant an All-Star spot if the East didn't have several star guards who are putting up ridiculous stats. Porzingis and Butler, on the other hand, have missed a considerable amount of games, which weakens their case.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/picking-the-nbas-western-conference-allstar-reserves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out our Western Conference All-Star reserve picks here.</a>

With the Eastern Conference All-Star starters set, let’s look at the East players who deserve a reserve slot this season.

Picking the NBA's Eastern Conference All-Star reserves

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

One of the most underrated honors in all of basketball is the NBA&rsquo;s Most Improved Player award. 
The league is full of young, developing talents, so being selected as the player who made the biggest strides is an incredible accomplishment. This award can also be a testament to getting your career back on the right track, as was the case with last year's recipient Lauri Markkanen. Many people were ready to give up on Markkanen becoming a star-caliber player, but a change of scenery allowed him to emerge as an All-Star and post career-highs across the board with the Utah Jazz. 
The race for this year's Most Improved Player award will be very interesting, as the last few drafts featured a plethora of talent. Here are my top-five candidates for the Most Improved Player award entering the 2023-24 NBA season:
1. Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets
Mikal Bridges' play became one of the most fascinating storylines during the second half of last season. Bridges was known as an elite second or third option, but he stepped up as the Brooklyn Nets' No. 1 scorer after they acquired him from the Phoenix Suns as part of the Kevin Durant blockbuster trade. Whenever a team is trading one of the best players of all-time, it's difficult to get equal value in return. However, this deal ended up being a win-win. As soon as Bridges was traded to Brooklyn, he made an immediate impact on both ends. The Nets were projected to fall in the standings and miss the playoffs. However, Bridges had something to say about that. 
In 27 games with Brooklyn, Bridges averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.5 threes and a steal, while shooting 47.5% from the field, 37.6% from three and 89.4% from the free-throw line. These are elite numbers. On the season, Bridges played 83 games and averaged 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists. These are still great numbers, but it's clear that he took his game another level during the small sample size we saw of him in Brooklyn. If he can produce at that level over a full season and continue to thrive as the Nets' first option, he will, without a doubt, win the Most Improved Player award. <a href="https://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/odds/most-improved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and BetMGM</a> currently have Bridges as the favorite to win the award.
2. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
One of the most underrated candidates for this award is the young Turkish star Alperen Sengun. In just two seasons, Sengun has become one of the better offensive centers in the league. The Houston Rockets big man was very productive in 28.9 minutes per game, and he could take a massive leap this season. He finished last year averaging 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists, which is already very solid for a young center. However, his per-36 averages were 18.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals &ndash; fantastic numbers for a second-year player. 
With his minutes likely increasing and Sengun continuing to develop, he could be in for a huge season. The Rockets are looking to climb up the Western Conference standings after adding Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks this summer, and Sengun could play a major role in their turnaround. Sengun has the fourth-best odds in the Most Improved Player race <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=player-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on FanDuel</a>.
3. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Despite entering last season as a role player for the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves has become a household name among NBA fans. Prior to his game being on display with Team USA as they compete for the World Cup, Reaves put on a show in the postseason for the Lakers. During the regular season, Reaves averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 threes on 52.9/39.8/86.4 shooting splits. 
Then, in the playoffs, Reaves made a huge leap and averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 threes on 46.4/44.3/89.5 shooting splits. He displayed abilities that were far beyond those of a role player, and he will prove to be a very important piece for this Lakers team next season. Reaves&rsquo; success didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed, as the Lakers signed him to a four-year, $53 million contract this offseason. Reaves has the fourth-best Most Improved Player odds <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/42648?category=awards&amp;subcategory=most-improved-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on DraftKings</a>.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/arr.png" alt="" width="731" height="442" />
4. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers
It&rsquo;s pretty rare to see a player win the Most Improved Player award in their second season. In fact, it has only happened seven times in NBA history, and the last sophomore to win the award was Monta Ellis back in 2007. That said, if any of this year's sophomores can do it, it&rsquo;s Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe. With all of the drama surrounding Damian Lillard's trade request this summer, the Blazers aren&rsquo;t exactly in the best position heading into next season. But Sharpe might be able to thrive in this environment, especially if the Blazers' impending rebuild leads to significantly more playing time. 
Sharpe played just 22 minutes per game last season, and his per-36 numbers were impressive for a rookie: 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 threes and 1.9 assists. Sharpe should absolutely play 30 minutes per game next season, and he will have an opportunity to join the 20 points-per-game club. He could make a leap similar to what we saw from Tyrese Maxey in his second season. Sophomores have a tough time winning this award, especially if they were drafted very high, since drastic improvements are expected in their second season. Sharpe was the No. 7 overall pick in last year's draft, so he'll need to really turn heads in order to win this award.
5. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
While Cade Cunningham has the second-best odds to win the Most Improved Player award <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=player-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on FanDuel</a>, he is a very hard player to evaluate in this context. Cunningham has already played elite basketball in his young NBA career, but he appeared in just 12 games last season, leaving us with a very small sample size to analyze. The Detroit Pistons have certainly made improvements to their roster, but it remains to be seen whether they'll help Cunningham's stats (since he'll be surrounded by more weapons to distribute to) or hurt them (since they'll take away some of his touches). 
That said, he will likely be an elite scorer regardless of his supporting cast. Having him listed this low isn&rsquo;t a slight; he'll very likely emerge as a star next season. It&rsquo;s just hard to imagine him showing more improvement than other players on this list, partially because he's already looked so good at times. It's also worth noting that just one No. 1 overall pick has won the Most Improved Player award in NBA history: Pervis Ellison in 1992. Cunningham&rsquo;s biggest concern in terms of improvement this season should be games played. 
Honorable Mention: Josh Giddey, Scottie Barnes, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Jordan Poole

Hunter Simpson shares his top-five candidates for the Most Improved Player award entering the 2023-24 NBA season.

5 NBA players to watch in the 2023-24 Most Improved Player race

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Adrian Griffin understands the responsibility that comes with taking over a title contender as a first-time head coach.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s be real,&rdquo; Griffin said Tuesday during his introductory news conference as the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-adrian-griffin-769056191fa4144c6de394c5b902e78e">Milwaukee Bucks&rsquo; coach.</a>&nbsp;What first-time head coach gets to coach the Milwaukee Bucks, with all the special talent on this team? I&rsquo;m extremely humbled.&rdquo;
The Bucks went against the grain by selecting Griffin, who spent the last five seasons as an assistant with Toronto. He replaces Mike Budenholzer, who led Milwaukee to the league&rsquo;s best regular-season record but&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-budenholzer-fired-e9ab56f83d317afd621adb7d7c244006">got fired</a>&nbsp;after a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-bucks-heat-giannis-antetokounmpo-budenholzer-5e7ea2d31a0e15e286d5f499b8247723">first-round playoff loss</a>&nbsp;to Miami.
Six teams have made coaching changes since the end of the regular season. The Bucks are the lone team thus far to pick someone without head coaching experience.
The Philadelphia 76ers chose&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nick-nurse-2023-nba-282f466ed20036346af54a2658cf214a">former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse,</a>&nbsp;the Houston Rockets selected&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/rockets-udoka-e24d2a5ccedef68bf86faee4ba2b5917">ex-Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka</a>, and the Detroit Pistons hired&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/monty-williams-nba-pistons-23b27fdbdb44eee0cf2f95737ae87803">former Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams.</a>&nbsp;Phoenix hired&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-coach-frank-vogel-booker-durant-af0addd381c9727751361b4aa4f2637d">Frank Vogel</a>&nbsp;for his fourth NBA coaching job. Toronto still hasn&rsquo;t filled its vacancy.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst said Griffin&rsquo;s background as an NBA player and assistant over the last two decades made him an ideal candidate. Horst cited a comment from his assistant general manager.
&ldquo;Milt Newton said throughout this process after we met with Adrian, &lsquo;Adrian&rsquo;s a head coach. He just hasn&rsquo;t gotten the opportunity yet,&rsquo;&rdquo; Horst recalled.
Griffin, who turns 49 on July 4, already is taking steps to address his lack of experience. He confirmed Tuesday that his staff will include&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/stottte99c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Terry Stotts,</a>&nbsp;who spent 13 seasons as an NBA head coach, including a two-year stint with Milwaukee from 2005-07.
&ldquo;To get a guy like Terry is a home run,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;He brings unbelievable experience.&rdquo;
Griffin was an undrafted swingman from Seton Hall who ended up playing&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/griffad01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eight seasons in the NBA</a>&nbsp;after toiling in lesser leagues. He has spent&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/griffad01c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">15 years as an NBA assistant</a>&nbsp;since the end of his playing career.
He now steps into a big opportunity with expectations to match.
The Bucks fired Budenholzer just two years after he led Milwaukee to its first NBA championship in half a century. The Bucks posted the NBA&rsquo;s top regular-season record in three of Budenholzer&rsquo;s five seasons but, with the exception of 2021, they&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-horst-budenholzer-aefb9f69a0d524eccbf8773e71dfd147">couldn&rsquo;t match that success in the playoffs.</a>
Griffin takes over a talent-laden roster led by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Griffin spoke to Antetokounmpo before he was hired and said he felt like they connected and that they have similar values.
&ldquo;Yes, we have high expectations, but we&rsquo;re going to embrace them,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;But it starts by getting to work. Never lose sight of the work involved. I think going undrafted and going the minor league route, it taught me the value of hard work. That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re going to build upon from day one.&rdquo;
Griffin was on Toronto&rsquo;s staff when the Raptors won the 2019 championship. One year later came a development that could have hindered his shot at becoming a head coach.
Griffin&rsquo;s ex-wife, Audrey Sterling, accused him in an August 2020 social media post of physically abusing her and failing to pay child support. Griffin filed a defamation suit a year later that was settled last September.
The initial complaint filed by Griffin included statements posted on social media by two of their children supporting him and denying their mother&rsquo;s allegations.
Griffin said Wednesday he couldn&rsquo;t get into the details of the litigation but noted that he &ldquo;absolutely denied&rdquo; his ex-wife&rsquo;s accusations and pointed out he was the one who filed the defamation lawsuit. Horst said the Bucks researched the issue and cited a review the Raptors had conducted in collaboration with the NBA.
&ldquo;It was clear and determined the accusations were just unfounded,&rdquo; Horst said. &ldquo;I can tell you beyond that, just the multiple conversations I&rsquo;ve had with Adrian and others had with him, in each case his comments were just really heartfelt and sincere. Ultimately, we believe him and believe in him, and the person of high character that he is. Everyone that we spoke to felt the same. It gave us a ton of excitement and confidence in making the hire, even though we were aware of those allegations.&rdquo;
Griffin now is back in the place where he began his coaching career.
After getting traded to Milwaukee in the summer of 2008, Griffin stayed with the Bucks throughout training camp before getting a call from coach Scott Skiles at the start of the season. Griffin hadn&rsquo;t made the team but got an offer to join Skiles&rsquo; staff.
Griffin has been coaching ever since. He now rejoins Horst, who was the Bucks&rsquo; director of basketball operations in 2008.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny how life works,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;Everything has come full circle.&rdquo;

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin discussed the responsibility that comes with taking over a title contender as a first-time head coach.

Bucks’ Adrian Griffin excited to begin head coaching career with contender

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/detroit-pistons-victor-wembanyama-61017c01ae34bd536f9a512ab060570c">Detroit Pistons</a>&nbsp;made a bold move in their latest attempt to become relevant in the NBA again.
Detroit reached an agreement to hire former Phoenix Suns coach&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-monty-williams-fired-53f33c2c3c8d69af7449cbfbf931bc0a">Monty Williams</a>, according to two people familiar with the situation.
One of the people, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced, told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that Williams agreed to a six-year contract.
Phoenix fired Williams two-plus weeks ago, two years after reaching the NBA Finals and a year after he won the league&rsquo;s coach of the year honors.
The 51-year-old Williams won 63% of his games over four regular seasons with the Suns, but they were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals two years in a row after losing to Milwaukee in the 2021 NBA Finals.
The Pistons would be thrilled to approach that level of success anytime soon under Williams.
Detroit won an NBA-low 17 games last season, losing 30% or fewer games for the fourth straight season under Dwane Casey, who stepped down as coach with one year left on his contract to take a role in the front office.
The Pistons did not have good fortune in the draft lottery, landing the No. 5 pick overall for the second straight year and missing out on an opportunity to draft 7-foot-3 French pro&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/victor-wembanyama-summer-league-nba-2023-b6b0339c0eaa94d7e48c3ec319ea36df">Victor Wembanyama, a 19-year-old supertalent expected to be the first overall pick of the San Antonio Spurs</a>.
Detroit, a three-time NBA championship franchise, has earned a spot in the playoffs just twice in 14 years. The Pistons have not won a postseason game since 2008, when they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight time during a remarkable run that included winning the 2004 NBA title and falling a game short of repeating as champions.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the No. 5 and No. 13 pick overall last summer, did provide hope for the future with their play last season. Cade Cunningam, the No. 1 pick overall in 2021, had his second season stunted by shin surgery after playing in just 12 games.
Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged a career-high 21.6 points, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley are expected to be back.
The young team, with some experienced players in the rotation, will have a proven leader on the bench.
Williams is 367-336 in nine seasons as an NBA head coach with a 29-27 postseason record. He had a five-year stint with the New Orleans Pelicans, who fired him in 2015 with a 173-221 record and two playoff appearances.
While Williams was an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, his wife, Ingrid, died from injuries sustained from&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/e64ac4c2322b468caf67e16fe46aa21a">a car crash</a>&nbsp;in which she was hit head-on by an SUV that crossed the center line after losing control.

The Detroit Pistons made a bold move in their latest attempt to become relevant in the NBA again: hiring coach Monty Williams.

Pistons reach agreement to hire former Suns coach Monty Williams

When a generational talent like&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wemby-victor-wembanyama-nba-draft-f5be654cce544c675559bad526220a9e">Victor Wembanyama</a>&nbsp;comes along, it&rsquo;s clear that he would make any team that he&rsquo;s with better in a multitude of ways.
And the team that wins Tuesday&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wembanyama-nba-draft-spurs-ee1a9bd2232173666d3302bb491c7c5c">NBA draft lottery</a>&nbsp;in Chicago &mdash; and the right to draft Wembanyama next month &mdash; will be immediately improved. Here&rsquo;s a look at the 14 hopefuls in the lottery, and their odds of landing the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-las-vegas-6f4ac3d44f624ef36ddb00e314cf0401">7-foot-3 French teen phenom.</a>
DETROIT
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook: A new coach is coming, and if Wembanyama goes to the Pistons he&rsquo;d be teaming up with Killian Hayes &mdash; whose mother is French, so there would be some comforts of home at least.
Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey were&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-all-rookie-team-e70909b25b2ae3fabd26d3c380e4f07c">All-Rookie picks</a>&nbsp;this season. Cade Cunningham was one last season, after he was the No. 1 pick in 2021. It&rsquo;s hard to envision how exactly Wembanyama and Cunningham would play together, since there&rsquo;s still so much mystery about Cunningham&rsquo;s game, especially after he missed much of this season. But two great young talents surely would figure it out.
HOUSTON
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook:&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/rockets-udoka-e24d2a5ccedef68bf86faee4ba2b5917">Ime Udoka is in place as the new coach</a>, there&rsquo;s a belief around the league that the Rockets will change their roster considerably in free agency &mdash; bringing James Harden back, perhaps &mdash; and Wembanyama would energize the fan base in many of the same ways Yao Ming&rsquo;s arrival did.
It would take some shots away from Houston&rsquo;s young players and adjustments would have to be made. And the pairing of Wembanyama with Alperen Sengun would be so interesting on defense.
SAN ANTONIO
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook: Gregg Popovich would get another incredibly talented big to build around, just as was the case with David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
The Spurs have flourished with international players, such as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs haven&rsquo;t won a playoff series since 2017 and haven&rsquo;t played in one since 2019. But all the losing, all the drafting, all the player development has built them for this &mdash; and Wembanyama would be the springboard to make San Antonio a playoff town again right away.
CHARLOTTE
Odds: 12.5%, or 8-1
Outlook: Maybe this would convince Michael Jordan to not sell the majority stake of the Hornets after all. (Or maybe it&rsquo;ll just raise his price.) Imagine &mdash; the most recognizable player maybe ever, with an iconic brand, getting to draft a kid who is surely going to be a global marketing dream.
As often is the case with top draft picks, much of the attention goes to Wembanyama&rsquo;s offensive game. But Charlotte is desperately in need of more defense, and Wembanyama will make an immediate impact on that end &mdash; which would only further endear him to Hornets coach Steve Clifford. And Wembanyama and LaMelo Ball together would be instantly something to watch.
PORTLAND
Odds: 10.5%, or about 10-1
Outlook: Damian Lillard is tired of waiting and wants the Trail Blazers to become a contender. This would be a great start to that plan.
There is a ton of talent in Portland, led by the all-world guard, and the Blazers packed it in early this season with an eye on the draft. And the ping-pong balls don&rsquo;t care about fairness, but after Sam Bowie and Greg Oden, it surely could be argued that Portland deserves a draft break.
ORLANDO
Odds: 9%, or about 11-1
Outlook: Now this would be spicy. If the Magic win the lottery again, the pairing of Paolo Banchero with Wembanyama would give Orlando an immediate shot in the arm.
The Magic were 5-20 and refused to tank. They went 29-28 the rest of the way, and the young core &mdash; Banchero, Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz, etc. &mdash; seems like it&rsquo;s poised for bigger things in the Eastern Conference already. Fultz, like Banchero, was a No. 1 pick as well.
INDIANA
Odds: 6.8%, or about 15-1
Outlook: With Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers want to play fast. And he would benefit greatly from an athletic big to play pick-and-roll with (as would plenty of other people in the NBA, of course).
There&rsquo;s a lot to like about Indiana as a landing spot. Championship coach in Rick Carlisle. One of the league&rsquo;s best atmospheres. Basketball is a religion in Indiana. Make no mistake, they&rsquo;d be good right away.
WASHINGTON
Odds: 6.7%, or about 15-1
Outlook: Two things immediately jump off the page with the Wizards. One, Bradley Beal would probably become an even better version with Wembanyama. And two, with Kristaps Porzingis, this might be the rare spot for Wembanyama to not be the tallest player on his own roster.
UTAH
Odds: 4.5%, or about 22-1
Outlook: Wembanyama is obviously familiar with the Jazz, given his relationship with former Utah center Rudy Gobert. It would be a unique parallel; the Jazz trade Gobert in 2022, fall into the lottery a year later, get Wembanyama to add to a good young cast led by Lauri Markkanen.
DALLAS
Odds: 3%, or about 33-1
Outlook: Dallas raised the NBA&rsquo;s ire by tanking at the end to protect its lottery odds. If the Mavericks win the lottery and can pair Wembanyama with Luka Doncic &mdash; and perhaps Kyrie Irving &mdash; the $750,000 tanking fine might end up as the best money Mark Cuban ever spent.
CHICAGO
Odds: 1.8%, or about 55-1
Outlook: DeMar DeRozan would be a great first vet for Wembanyama to open his NBA career with and learn from.
OKLAHOMA CITY
Odds: 1.7%, or about 60-1
Outlook: The Thunder were one of the best stories in the league this season with a budding star like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and last year&rsquo;s No. 2 pick &mdash; Chet Holmgren &mdash; set to make his NBA debut this fall. Put Wembanyama on the Thunder, and it&rsquo;ll be scary.
TORONTO
Odds: 1%, or 100-1
Outlook: The Raptors will have a new coach and nobody knows what direction they&rsquo;re going yet this summer. Wembanyama would surely change some of their plans.
NEW ORLEANS
Odds: 0.5%, or 200-1
Outlook: Everyone can see the Pelicans&rsquo; potential, even with the annual mystery of how durable Zion Williamson will (or won&rsquo;t) be. To overcome 200-1 odds would be just amazing luck, and as the city&rsquo;s motto goes, it would truly mean that the good times will roll in New Orleans.

Victor Wembanyama is one of the most hyped-up prospects in years. Tim Reynolds examines how he would impact each lottery team.

Wemby watch: How Victor Wembanyama may help each draft lottery team

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

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

After monitoring the NBA awards races all season, Nekias Duncan shares his final selections for DPOY, ROY, MIP, 6MOY and more.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award selections: DPOY, 6MOY, MIP, more

Oklahoma City Thunder guard-forward Jalen Williams and Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero have been named the NBA's Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in March and April.
Williams averaged 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists over that span, while helping the Thunder make the Play-In Tournament.
Banchero averaged 20.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists over that span, while strengthening his case for the Rookie of the Year award.
Other nominees for this award were Jaden Hardy (DAL), Keegan Murray (SAC), Shaedon Sharpe (POR), Jabari Smith Jr (HOU), Jaden Ivey (DET), Bennedict Mathurin (IND) and Andrew Nembhard (IND).

Jalen Williams and Paolo Banchero have been named the NBA's Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month.

Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero named NBA's Rookies of the Month

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; The Detroit Pistons, coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, are searching for a coach and hoping their new leader has Victor Wembanyama in the lineup.
Detroit closed its fourth straight season &mdash; and 12th in 14 years &mdash; without a postseason appearance on Sunday with a lopsided loss at Chicago.
After finishing an NBA-worst 17-65, Dwane Casey announced he was stepping down with one year left on his coaching contract to accept a role in the Troy Weaver-led front office.
Casey was hired by the Pistons in 2018, when he was named the NBA Coach of the Year after his seventh season in Toronto. He led them to a .500 record in his first season and a playoff berth that ended with a first-round exit.
The team&rsquo;s latest rebuilding effort crumbled due to moves that didn&rsquo;t pan out, including trading for Blake Griffin, and injuries that kept key players such as Cade Cunningham off the court to hurt Casey&rsquo;s chances of having success.
&ldquo;We are grateful for his steady hand as head coach during these important development years, and we are excited to have his wisdom and experience in the front office as we enter the next phase,&rdquo; team owner Tom Gores said. &ldquo;Dwane joined us as an experienced and successful coach ready to lead a veteran team, but when we made adjustments as an organization to rebuild around a younger core he fully embraced the decision.&rdquo;
Detroit desperately hopes its painful season will pave the way for Wembanyama to bring his talents to a franchise aiming to eventually add to its three NBA titles.
&ldquo;It was something our organization had to go through,&rdquo; Casey said last week. &ldquo;It was painful. It was ugly.&rdquo;
The Pistons, by only one game, beat their franchise-worst record from the 1979-80 season when Dick Vitale was fired 12 games into the season. Their miserable season, though, won&rsquo;t give them a big advantage in the draft lottery.
Detroit, San Antonio and Houston each will have a 14% chance of picking first &mdash; and selecting a 7-foot-3 French phenomenon. Whether Wembanyama or another talented player joins the Pistons, they need an influx of talent.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the No. 5 and No. 13 pick overall last summer, did provide hope for the future with their play.
Ivey, an electric guard, averaged 16-plus points and more than five assists to rank among rookie leaders. The 19-year-old Duren, who started the season as the NBA&rsquo;s youngest player, averaged about nine points, nine rebounds and one block a game.
Cunningham, the No. 1 pick overall in 2021, had his second season stunted by shin surgery after playing in just 12 games.
&ldquo;Cade going down was a blessing in disguise for Ivey,&rdquo; Casey said last week, referring to the transition to point guard that the former Purdue star was forced to make.
Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged a career-high 21.6 points, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley are expected to be back to give the young team some experienced players in the rotation.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still excited about what we got here,&rdquo; Bagley said. &ldquo;We got guys that care and are not OK with losing and that in itself is a sign of a team that can be great.&rdquo;

“It was something our organization had to go through,” Dwane Casey said last week. “It was painful. It was ugly.”

Pistons search for coach, hope to draft Victor Wembanyama

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey stepped down after Sunday&rsquo;s 103-81 loss to the Chicago Bulls to end the 2022-23 season.
Casey will move to a role in the franchise&rsquo;s front office.
The Pistons ended the season with an NBA-worst 17-65 mark and missed the postseason for the fourth straight year.
&ldquo;Hopefully my legacy will be will building the foundation with these young guys,&rdquo; said Casey, a former NBA coach of the year in Toronto. &ldquo;When you bring in a young team, this league is not very forgiving in terms of wins and losses. I knew that coming in.&rdquo;
Casey guided the team to the playoffs in his first season in Detroit but the start of a rebuilding project the following season left Detroit near the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s basement. The franchise selected Cade Cunningham after winning the 2021 NBA draft lottery but his second season lasted just 12 games before he was sidelined by shin surgery.
"Things changed, health changed and we took it down to the studs,&rdquo; Casey said of the team&rsquo;s rebuild after making the 2018-19 playoffs with a veteran group that included Blake Griffin.
Casey was the league&rsquo;s coach of the year in 2018 after his seventh and final season in Toronto. He helped the Raptors to six straight playoff appearances before giving way to Nick Nurse, who coached the franchise to the 1989 NBA title.
His head coaching career began with a two-season stint in Minnesota.

Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey stepped down after Sunday’s 103-81 loss to the Chicago Bulls to end the 2022-23 season.

Dwane Casey steps down as Pistons coach, will join front office

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Mikal Bridges scored 26 points and the Brooklyn Nets moved to the verge of a playoff spot by beating the Detroit Pistons 123-108 on Wednesday night.
&ldquo;We just had to stay locked in down the stretch,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;We knew they made a big run against Miami last night, so we were expecting them to make it tough on us, too.&rdquo;
Former Pistons guard Spencer Dinwiddie shot 1 for 10 from the floor but matched his career high with 16 assists for the Nets (44-36), who won for the fourth time in five games. They need one more victory or a loss by Miami (42-37) to clinch the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Joe Harris had 18 points on six 3-pointers, all in Brooklyn&rsquo;s 47-point first quarter.
&ldquo;The ball was really moving. Spencer did a great job of facilitating,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing unselfishly and making the second pass to turn good shots into great ones.&rdquo;
R.J. Hampton had a career-high 27 points for Detroit, which has lost 22 of its last 23 games. Jaden Ivey had 23 points and 10 assists.
The Pistons trailed by as many as 19 points, but Hampton had 18 points in the third quarter to help them pull within 96-90.
&ldquo;We took a punch in the third, but I thought we really responded,&rdquo; Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said. &ldquo;We had every guy doing whatever they could to try to contribute to a win.&rdquo;
However, Brooklyn was able to take advantage of Detroit&rsquo;s biggest weakness, getting enough offensive rebounds to prevent the Pistons from putting together a fourth-quarter run.
&ldquo;It came down to the little things again tonight - that&rsquo;s what always seems to be the issue for us,&rdquo; Hampton said. &ldquo;We need to take the step up from playing 42 good minutes to playing 48 good minutes. That&rsquo;s when we will win some games.&rdquo;
Brooklyn had its biggest quarter of the season in the first, but Harris missed an open 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have made it 50 points. Dinwiddie&rsquo;s 10 assists in the period were the most in the NBA this season.
&ldquo;We just had everything going and Spencer was finding everybody,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;They kept overhelping and we were able to get a lot of good looks.&rdquo;
The Nets couldn&rsquo;t keep up that pace in the second quarter, but the Pistons were only within 74-57 at the half because of six missed Brooklyn free throws. The Nets had a 35-13 edge in bench scoring in the half and had four players in double figures.
After starting 10 of 16, Brooklyn missed 13 of its next 14 3-point attempts, allowing Detroit to stay within 81-69 midway through the third quarter. Hampton led Detroit&rsquo;s rally with four 3-pointers, including a 30-footer to make it 91-87 with 59 seconds left in the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Nets: The 47-point quarter was the fourth-biggest in franchise history. The Nets had a 51-point fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics on March 3, 2020, and had 48-point quarters against the Pistons (1980) and Orlando (2022). ... The Nets are the last team to lose a home game to the Pistons, losing 130-122 on Jan. 26.
Pistons: Detroit finished the season with a 9-32 record at Little Caesars Arena, the only NBA team to win fewer than 10 games at home. Charlotte and San Antonio are next with 13 wins. ... The Pistons were down to six healthy players when Ivey limped off late in the third, but he returned from the locker room for the fourth.
WAITING FOR NEXT WEEK
Pistons coach Dwane Casey met with owner Tom Gores after the game, but he said they agreed to wait until after the season ends to make any decisions about next year. Casey is 121-261 (.317) in five seasons with the Pistons, including 80-220 (.267) in the last four years.
UP NEXT
Nets: Host the Orlando Magic on Friday before finishing the regular season with a home game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
Pistons: Finish the season with divisional road games against the Indiana Pacers (Friday) and Chicago Bulls (Sunday). The Pistons are 1-13 against the Central Division this season.

Brooklyn needs one more victory or a loss by Miami (42-37) to clinch the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Nets beat Pistons 123-108, close in on playoff berth

I'd like to workshop a take: The Cleveland Cavaliers are the NBA's preeminent "but" team.&nbsp;
Think about your ideal makeup of a contender. You want a team that can dominate &mdash; or wall off &mdash; the paint. Preferably both. You want a stingy defense, period. You want scheme-breaking shot creators &mdash; guys who can attack a drop, pass against more aggressive coverage, and boogie against defenders 1-on-1 when the situation calls for it. You want proper spacing around those guys to make their jobs easier.
The Cavs check a lot of those boxes.
There's a reason they've been near or at the top of the league in net rating all year long. Per Cleaning The Glass, they're one-tenth of a point behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the best defense in the NBA, headlined by their menacing frontcourt. In fact, the Cavs are one of four teams &mdash; joining the Grizzlies, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers &mdash; that rank in the top 10 in offensive and defensive rating.&nbsp;
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland certainly pass the bust-your-defense smell test. Mitchell will, at worst, make the All-NBA Second Team; Garland doesn't have the same momentum, but he's played at an All-NBA level.&nbsp;
There are enough questions, enough "buts" (grow up), to generate some unease:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>How versatile&nbsp;is this defense &mdash; especially with only one of the twin towers on the floor?</li>
<li>They're skilled enough to beat most coverages,&nbsp;but, do we trust their process late in games?</li>
<li>Are there enough&nbsp;spacers to accentuate the skills of Mitchell and Garland?</li>
</ul>
Smack dab in the middle of these questions, figuratively and literally, is second-year forward Evan Mobley. Mobley doubles as a budding young star and, arguably, Cleveland's biggest X-factor <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-cleveland-cavaliers-open-up-on-tough-road-back-to-playoffs-jb-bickerstaff-jarrett-allen-evan-mobley-darius-garland-lebron-james-cavs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this postseason</a>.&nbsp;
After narrowly missing out on Rookie of the Year last season, Mobley showcased growth along the margins. His screening got better; he shaved tenths of a second off of his post-catch moves, unlocking more shot opportunities, short-roll playmaking windows and more half-court continuity as a handoff hub. While still wiry, Mobley's added strength helped foster growth as a rebounder.
In 2023, Mobley has exploded.
Over his past 41 games, he's averaging 17.9 points while converting roughly 60% of his twos, grabbing 9.2 rebounds, dishing out 3.0 assists (1.8 turnovers), swatting 1.8 shots and snagging nearly a steal (0.8) per game.&nbsp;
The scoring has popped in a real way. After having 12 games of 20 or more points last season, he's up to 20 this year. He's racked up 13 since the turn of the calendar, including big performances <a href="https://youtu.be/Hm-DPTmydgw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">against the Milwaukee Bucks</a> (38 and 9) and Denver Nuggets (31 and 9).
What Mobley can do as a lob threat or cleanup man on the offensive glass is well-documented. But the self-creation flashes? We're moving away from "flashes" and into this-is-what-he-does territory.
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We're seeing a little more oomph&nbsp;before some of these shots. Subtle bows and shoulder nudges into the chest of defenders create *just* enough space for him to get off clean looks.&nbsp;
Beyond that, it's hard not to marvel at Mobley's patience when operating below the free-throw line. He doesn't mind pump faking once, twice, sometimes three times to get a defender off-balance. It's been fun watching Mobley almost realize in real-time, "Hey, teams really can't&nbsp;do anything with me inside of 10 feet, huh," as he flips in a mix of jump hooks, push shots and turnaround jumpers.&nbsp;
While Mobley has been assisted on more of his shots overall, he's showcased growth when creating on his own. He's converted 48.4% on self-created shots &mdash; which PBP Stats defines as "shots on which the player held the ball for two or more seconds before the shot" &mdash; inside of 10 feet this season, a slight bump from last year's number (47.7%).
Mobley's trending in the right way, but, naturally, he isn't there&nbsp;yet. He's well-below league average (53.1% FG) on those self-created looks inside of 10 feet. Though he's looked more comfortable on the block, the efficiency hasn't followed.
The Cavs are generating 0.85 points per possession (PPP) when Mobley shoots out of a post-up, ranking last among 26 players with at least 75 reps. And that efficiency actually drops&nbsp;when he's been defended by a smaller player (0.76 PPP).
I wouldn't be concerned long-term; the film is littered with some uncharacteristic misses up close, and he's been much better in 2023 (0.94 PPP) than the 2022 portion of the season (0.59 PPP). Smaller players being able to get under him and bother his better-but-still-loose handle &mdash; while also&nbsp;reading where bigger help is coming from &mdash; is something worth keeping an eye on.&nbsp;
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The jumper remains a work in progress, though it's important that the shot is less of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency thing and more of something he's comfortable taking. It's helped him become more fluid in short-roll situations, and there's a head-shaking effect on nights where he has the three-ball going on top of his interior exploits.
Mobley has gotten better defensively as well. He's already much better than any player his age has any business being in drop coverage. His timing feels preternatural when contesting shots &mdash; inside the arc or outside of it. I don't think enough is being made of the fact that Mobley <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle?PerMode=Totals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leads the NBA</a> in three-pointers contested, ranks in the top 10 in blocks per game (1.5) and still fouls fewer than three times per contest.
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And of course, his unique blend of length and mobility makes him quite the space defender. Only Nic Claxton has defended more isolations than Mobley, and Evan's efficiency-allowed number (0.895 PPP when a player shoots against Mobley) isn't far off Claxton's (0.852 PPP) or Bam Adebayo's (0.856 PPP). It's Year 2 and he's firmly in elite company.
The quieter portion of Mobley's growth has been his work as a rebounder. His overall rebound rate has improved by nearly two percentage points from last season (13.5% to 15.4%). His defensive rebound rate has jumped nearly three percentage points (19.8% to 22.7%). He snagged 1.8 contested defensive boards per game last season; that's up to 2.4 this year, a mark just outside the top 10 this year.&nbsp;
This growth has allowed him to anchor more minutes at the 5 this year. The Mobley on/Allen off minutes were essentially neutral (-0.2 NET, per Cleaning The Glass) last season; the Cavs are flat-out winning those minutes (plus-4.4 NET) this year behind a stingy defense (110.9 DTRG, would rank No. 1 in the league).&nbsp;
I don't think Mobley was quite ready to anchor solo minutes last year; he looks firmly prepared to do so now. The bigger question may be if the&nbsp;Cavs&nbsp;are equipped for him to do so.
They've trended smaller as of late, finding more minutes for their stable of wings at the 4 alongside Mobley. I'd worry about what happens when opponents are intentional about engaging him.
Engaging him directly, or pulling him away from the action by spacing him, puts strain on the weaker defenders around him. More worrisome, it exposes the Cavs on the glass behind him. Even when he's down there, there's only so much Mobley can do by himself. He's improved, but he isn't quite Moses Malone.
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Look no further than the four-game stretch in mid-March while Allen was out, where Cleveland logged a 70.3 defensive rebound rate (20th during that stretch), grabbing only 45.7% of available rebounds (28th).
It's fair to argue it won't always be&nbsp;that&nbsp;stark, and it's worth noting the Cavs did go 3-1 in those games. On the flip side, the three wins came against Charlotte (twice) and Washington, while the loss came against Philadelphia &mdash; a team they could see in the Eastern Conference Finals if they make it that far.
More pressing: In Round 1, they're slated to face the New York Knicks, who rank third in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=OREB_PCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offensive rebound rate</a> (31.6) and <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/misc?dir=A&amp;sort=PTS_2ND_CHANCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second-chance points</a> (16.1). The Cavs are 1-3 in the season series with a rebound rate of 45.7% in those games. There's context to be added, but still enough to be concerned about.
The good news, and something worth reminding folks of, is that it's okay for them not to have all the answers now. This is a&nbsp;young&nbsp;group with easy-to-see growth pathways for at least three-fourths of the team's core.
Mobley in particular is looking scarier by the week. If nothing else, this postseason should give us a clearer picture of where he is, where he's going and what the Cavs have to provide to facilitate that path.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan analyzes the growth of Evan Mobley in the second half of the Cavaliers' season and how he's Cleveland's X-factor.

Evan Mobley's evolution is upon us — is it enough for the Cavaliers?

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Rodney Terry held Texas together in crisis. Then he took the Longhorns on their deepest NCAA Tournament run in 15 years.
His reward: Texas removed the &ldquo;interim&rdquo; tag from his title and made him the full-time head coach.
&ldquo;I felt confident the whole time to be honest with you,&rdquo; Terry said Tuesday at his news conference, where the former assistant was introduced as head coach. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d prepared my whole life for this opportunity.&rdquo;
Not everyone was so calm about it. As the season wore on and Texas advanced deeper in the NCAA Tournament, the university&rsquo;s wait-and-see approach became one of the biggest stories of the postseason as fans and players, past and present, wondered what more did he have to prove?
For some, March Madness was being mad at Texas for being slow on the decision.
Texas finally announced Monday &mdash; about 24 hours after the Longhorns&rsquo; season ended in the Elite Eight &mdash; that Terry was indeed the new head coach.
&ldquo;You had a very long job interview,&rdquo; Texas President Jay Hartzell said Tuesday. &ldquo;And I would say you nailed it.&rdquo;
Texas officials put Terry in charge when Chris Beard initially was suspended, then fired, midseason after a felony domestic violence arrest.
He&rsquo;d been a Texas assistant for a decade under Rick Barnes before head-coaching stints at Fresno State and UTEP, before returning to the Longhorns as an assistant in 2021.
&ldquo;My time and Fresno and UTEP prepared me for this opportunity,&rdquo; Terry said. &ldquo;No one knows this place better than me and how to be successful at an elite level (at Texas).&rdquo;
Once in charge, Terry did just about everything anyone could ask. He guided an experienced, senior-laden team to a second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference, the third-most wins in school history, a Big 12 Tournament championship and its first Elite Eight since 2008.
The university did not immediately release a copy of the contract under a public records request from The Associated Press. University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife said Terry got a five-year deal for $3 million per year.
&ldquo;Coach Terry is just everything we want in a leader,&rdquo; Eltife said. &ldquo;We all want to win. But you also want someone who is a role model for our student. Class, integrity and character. And look at the way he handled himself after the incident we went through.&rdquo;
Attending the news conference were Terry&rsquo;s players from this season, as well as several former prominent Longhorns and NBA players, including LaMarcus Aldridge and T.J. Ford. Both played at Texas while Terry was an assistant.
&ldquo;Everyone was worried what would happen&rdquo; after Beard was fired, Aldridge said. &ldquo;He bonded those guys together.&rdquo;
Beard was arrested on Dec. 12 after his fianc&eacute;e told police he strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation at his home. She later said Beard didn&rsquo;t choke her. Texas fired Beard on Jan. 5, calling him &ldquo;unfit&rdquo; to lead the program.
The district attorney dismissed the charge in February. Prosecutors said they could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt and the fianc&eacute;e did not want to go to trial.
Beard has since been hired at Mississippi.
Terry said Beard reached out to congratulate him on Monday, adding he wished Beard &ldquo;nothing but success&rdquo; at Ole Miss.
Terry credited the Longhorns players for not fracturing under the stress of having their head coach fired midseason.
&ldquo;No team faced the challenge you guys faced this year,&rdquo; Terry said.
Texas should be regular contenders for the Elite Eight and beyond, he said. Texas went to the Final Four in 2003 and advanced to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight four more times in his first stint as an assistant.
&ldquo;We set a high bar for ourselves&rdquo; this season, Terry said. &ldquo;We want to get back to that Elite Eight game. Obviously we want a different outcome when we get to that game and have a chance to get to the Final Four.&rdquo;

Rodney Terry held Texas together in crisis. Then he took the Longhorns on their deepest NCAA Tournament run in 15 years.

Terry says he always felt confident he’d earn Texas job

The Detroit Pistons entered the season with a young nucleus led by Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. There was talk of a new phase of their rebuild.
Instead, they appear poised to finish with the worst record in the NBA.
An injury to Cunningham limited him to 12 games this season, and Detroit has lost 14 of its last 15 to fall to 16-56. The Eastern Conference&rsquo;s second-worst record belongs to the Charlotte Hornets, who have dealt with their own major injury to LaMelo Ball. Instead of showing progress in 2022-23, both teams have had to spend another season being patient.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been doing it with young players, and their development is our situation now with our record,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said recently. &ldquo;But for me, their growth, a young man like James Wiseman, a young man like Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, those guys&rsquo; growth is our record. We don&rsquo;t talk about wins, we talk about having small victories, whether it&rsquo;s rebounding, transition defense, those little things that probably the everyday fan wouldn&rsquo;t pay attention to. But for us, that&rsquo;s growth, because for us, the pot of gold is at the end of the rainbow.&rdquo;
Pistons fans can be forgiven for thinking they were a bit closer to the end of that rainbow before this season. They&rsquo;d added Ivey and Duren, two of the top 13 picks in last year&rsquo;s draft, and Cunningham was coming off a strong rookie season. Detroit had also acquired Bojan Bogdanovic from Utah in a trade.
Casey said at the time the Pistons were young, but the most talented they&rsquo;d been since he took over in 2018.
But Cunningham didn&rsquo;t play after Nov. 9 and eventually had season-ending surgery on his shin. The Pistons acquired Wiseman, the second overall pick in 2020, from Golden State. He had 22 points and 13 rebounds against Miami on Sunday, but that was yet another defeat.
The Hornets (23-50) also feel strongly about their future, but this season has been nothing short of a disaster for coach Steve Clifford in his return to Charlotte.
Ball, taken one pick after Wiseman in 2020, was an All-Star last season but has been limited to 36 games in 2022-23 due to three left ankle sprains and a fracture in his right ankle. Ball is currently in a walking boot and on crutches and is done for the season.
He said Monday he expects to be ready for training camp in September.
Charlotte went 43-39 last season. But even before their injury problems, the Hornets&rsquo; 2022-23 campaign seemed doomed. Restricted free agent Miles Bridges, the team&rsquo;s leading scorer last season, was arrested on domestic abuse charges and never re-signed. He pleaded no contest.
Clifford does feel good about the young talent on the roster, including the development of rookie Mark Williams and Nick Richards, the team&rsquo;s two young 7-foot centers. He&rsquo;s also high on forward JT Thor and guard Bryce McGowens.
&ldquo;I think Nick Richards has emerged and he can be in the rotation for a good team, and Mark Williams is every bit the defender, or maybe even more, that people thought he could be, and much better offensively,&rdquo; Clifford said.
Unlike the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, the two teams bringing up the rear in the West, the Pistons and Hornets haven&rsquo;t had success in the particularly recent past. Detroit hasn&rsquo;t won a playoff game since 2008. Charlotte made the play-in round last year, but that was the Hornets&rsquo; lone winning season of the past seven.
The injuries to Cunningham and Ball have made this season another dreary one for the Pistons and Hornets, but the presence of those two players mean improvement could certainly come quickly if they&rsquo;re back to full health. And now Detroit and Charlotte can look forward to more high draft picks.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a rebuilding year,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;But in the future, these last two years is really going to pay off for the franchise and for these players.&rdquo;
___
AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this report.

Both NBA teams in Detroit and Charlotte had seasons plagued by the injury bug.

Injuries slowed progress of developing Pistons and Hornets

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; The Denver Nuggets have been so dominant this season that they&rsquo;ve clinched the Northwest Division with a few weeks left in the regular season.
Nikola Jokic deferred to teammates early before looking for his shot and finished with 30 points to help the Nuggets&nbsp;beat the Detroit Pistons 119-100 on Thursday night and end a season-high four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;This has to be a building block,&rdquo; Denver coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;I told our team, it&rsquo;s a good win. Clinched a playoff spot. Won your division. That&rsquo;s great. Let this be the start of something special. We lost four in a row, lowest of the low for us during this season. Now, let&rsquo;s get back to playing and go on a run.&rdquo;
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20 points, Jamal Murray had 19 and Aaron Gordon 15 for the Western Conference-leading Nuggets.
Jokic,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-nuggets-nba-sports-basketball-e71877c5accadfafcf69dfc799ed2448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the two-time reigning NBA MVP</a>, had three assists and three rebounds before his first attempt several minutes into the game and finished 14 of 18 from the field with 10 rebounds and nine assists.
The short-handed Pistons were competitive for three quarters, leading by as many as seven points in a game with 16 lead changes and 10 ties. The Nuggets picked up their intensity on defense in the fourth, and pulled away easily to lead by double digits midway through the quarter.
&ldquo;A championship team is going to turn up their energy,&rdquo; Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;We talked about that during the timeout. We didn&rsquo;t respond, and that&rsquo;s part of our growth.&rdquo;
Rodney McGruder scored 20 for the Pistons, who have lost 12 of 13 games and have the NBA&rsquo;s worst record. Detroit rookies Jalen Duren had 15 points and 13 assists, while Jaden Ivey added 14 points and six assists.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Jokic was an assist away from a triple-double. The 7-foot center, who often plays like a point guard, has an league-high 27 triple-doubles to nearly triple the rest of the league leaders in the category. ... With the win, Denver is .500 on the road. ... The Nuggets have won the division for the third time in five seasons, and they finished in second place the other two years.
Pistons: The banged-up team was missing many injured players: Marvin Bagley III, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Hamidou Diallo and Isaiah Livers, along with Cade Cunningham,&nbsp;who had season-ending shin surgery three months ago.
&ldquo;They have not been winning games, but they&rsquo;ve been playing hard with the guys they have available,&rdquo; Malone said.
ON D IN THE D
Denver limited Detroit to 14 points in the fourth quarter after giving up an average of 117 points over the previous three games.
&ldquo;It always starts with our offense,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;When we&rsquo;re turning the ball over, it makes it really hard to defend.
&ldquo;When we&rsquo;re not aggressive and we&rsquo;re not physical, it&rsquo;s like a layup line out there.&rdquo;
HE SAID IT
Casey said Jokic reminds him of Hall of Famer Larry Bird.
&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t get in a hurry, and you can&rsquo;t rush or speed him up,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;He gets to where he wants to go by taking his time, using his body, angles, pass fakes.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not the most athletic guy in the world, but he gets exactly where he wants to go when he wants to get there.&rdquo;
Jokic has a shot to be the first player since Bird to win three straight NBA MVP awards. The former Boston Celtics superstar pulled off the feat in the mid 1980s.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Stay on the road for third of five-game trip to face the New York Knicks on Saturday afternoon.
Pistons: Host Miami on Sunday night.&nbsp;

The Nuggets have been so dominant this year that they’ve clinched the Northwest Division with a few weeks left in the season.

Nuggets top Pistons to end skid, clinch Northwest Division

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; The number was supposed to be 96.
The last time the NCAA seriously considered expanding the men&rsquo;s Division I basketball tournament a plan emerged to add 16 more games and 32 more participants to grow that symmetrically satisfying 64-team bracket.
The backlash that followed from college sports administrators back in 2010 was strong enough to scrap the idea. A modest expansion to 68 teams was approved in 2011.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, membership sentiment was that they were not unified in wanting to expand the tournament beyond 68,&rdquo; recalled Greg Shaheen, the former NCAA vice president for championships.
For the first time in more than a decade, NCAA and college sports leaders are committed to a serious examination of increasing the number of teams allowed to compete in an event that has become one of the crown jewels of American sports.
The mere suggestion of messing with March Madness, which generates hundreds of millions in revenue annually for the NCAA and its 1,100 member schools, is still met with skepticism by a lot of basketball fans and some within college sports.
Making significant changes in the near term will be difficult, if not impossible. There are logistical, financial and even political obstacles.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not to say we won&rsquo;t give it it&rsquo;s appropriate level of analysis and consideration, but there&rsquo;s a lot of factors to be considered,&rdquo; said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA vice president for basketball.
Chatter about tournament expansion started more than a year ago, when the NCAA assembled a committee to look into the how Division I, the highest level of college sports, operates.
After more than a year of work, the committee&rsquo;s final recommendations included expanding fields for all NCAA championship &mdash; not just basketball &mdash;- with a high level of participation to accommodate 25% of competing schools.
The 25% recommendation is just that. Whether it is implemented will be a decision made on a sport-by-sport basis. Committee co-chair Greg Sankey, the Southeastern Conference commissioner, has tried to avoid being seen as pushing for expansion while also pointing out some of the reasons to do so.
&ldquo;You have teams that have been the 11-seed in the First Four, make it to the Final Four, the Elite Eight, the Sweet 16,&rdquo; Sankey said in January. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excluding highly competitive teams, because of the structure. Now what does that expansion or those opportunities look like? I have ideas, but I&rsquo;m not going to throw them out now since I don&rsquo;t want to make headlines.&rdquo;
Current selection protocols provide an automatic berth to the champions of all 32 Division I conferences, plus 36 at-large bids. Those are mostly scooped up by the six strongest and richest conferences: the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern.
The Big Six secured 31 of 36 at-large bids on Sunday.
Along with prestige and opportunities to advance, bids have monetary value. The NCAA distributes revenue to conferences based on tournament performance, with conferences earning a unit for each round one of its teams advances.
In 2023, a basketball unit will be worth approximately $2.04 million over the six-year period in which it is paid out. So if you&rsquo;re the SEC or Big Ten, each with eight teams in the tourney, seeing all of them advance a round means more than $16 million.
Coaches, whose job security often depends on making the tournament, have typically supported a bigger field.
&ldquo;Since I coached at Valparaiso University I always was in favor of tournament expansion, because I thought there&rsquo;s enough quality teams,&rdquo; Baylor coach Scott Drew said.
Drew&rsquo;s magic number is 128, which would add another full round to the tournament and include more than one-third of the 358 Division I basketball teams.
Tom Burnett, the former Southland Conference commissioner who also served a stint as the head of the men&rsquo;s basketball selection committee, said he was open-minded but cautious when the topic of tournament expansion would come up.
&ldquo;If there were a practical expansion plan that addressed whatever needs to be addressed &mdash; except here&rsquo;s where I draw the line: It can&rsquo;t expand because my team didn&rsquo;t get in,&rdquo; Burnett said. There will always be teams that feel slighted if they don&rsquo;t get in.
There is some concern outside the power conferences that expansion will result in even more at-large bids going to middle-of-the-pack teams from those leagues with strong mid-major teams still getting squeezed out.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve got a seventh- or eighth-place team in over a regular-season champion in a conference, from our perspective, that&rsquo;s not the way to expand,&rdquo; said Northern Arizona athletic director Mike Marlow, whose team made an unlikely run to the Big Sky Tournament championship game before losing.
If the Lumberjacks (12-23) had beaten Montana State (25-9) to win the conference, the Bobcats &mdash; with 13 more wins than NAU &mdash; would be heading to the NIT instead of a first-round NCAA game against Kansas State on Friday.
A-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said she&rsquo;s not concerned about expansion favoring certain conferences.
&ldquo;I think that everybody has a fair opportunity to share in those additional opportunities. You just have to go after it, just like teams and schools are going after it now,&rdquo; McGlade said.
McGlade stopped short of saying she supports expansion, but she enthusiastically supports doing a deep dive into the possibility.
Others are open-minded, but will enter the discussion more tentatively.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s be careful because it&rsquo;s really, really good right now,&rdquo; Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said. &ldquo;So make sure whatever we do is additive, and not just doing something for the sake of expansion that might somehow take the tournament a step back.&rdquo;
The calendar alone is likely to limit expansion options. Any plan that requires the NCAA Tournament to start earlier than it already does &mdash;- the First Four games tip-off Tuesday &mdash;- would also require conference tournaments to end sooner and maybe even the regular season.
&ldquo;We already start the regular season in early November where historically some conferences have said it&rsquo;s too early with all that&rsquo;s going on with college football and the like,&rdquo; Gavitt said.
Any expansion of the men&rsquo;s tournament will almost certainly need to be done to the women&rsquo;s tournament, too. The NCAA was slammed in 2021 for not providing a similar experience for the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s teams. An independent review concluded the association had not done enough to invest and promote the women&rsquo;s tournament.
The women&rsquo;s field expanded from 64 to 68 last year. While the depth of competition in women&rsquo;s basketball has unquestionably improved, has it done so enough to justify a large and costly expansion?
But the same thing can be said for the men&rsquo;s tournament. More teams adds expenses for travel, lodging and possibly running additional sites.
Plus, it would almost certainly decrease the value of those performance units, money that is is often the main revenue source for mid-major conferences that don&rsquo;t play major college football.
&ldquo;Cutting that by 10 or 11%, or whatever the different calculation could be, that&rsquo;s actually really important. And it&rsquo;s vital to the stability of Division I,&rdquo; Shaheen said.
When Shaheen led the last expansion effort, the NCAA was heading toward the end of a media rights deal with CBS. A new format was part of negotiations for the next deal.
That&rsquo;s not the case now. The current $8.8 billion contract with CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery, part of an extension the NCAA signed in 2016, runs through 2032.
&ldquo;What role would broadcast partners play?&rdquo; Gavitt said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t do anything without respect and communication with our broadcast partners, who we value significantly.&rdquo;
While CBS and WBD will not publicly insert themselves into any exploration of tournament expansion, their opinions are key and they hold the rights to any men&rsquo;s tournament games for nine more years. The NCAA cannot seek another partner for newly created games.
Contracts between the NCAA and the networks are not made public. But if the networks are under no obligation to pay up for more inventory &mdash; and nothing indicates they are &mdash;- then all this expansion talk might be nothing more than preparation of the next TV deal.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a complicated thing,&rdquo; Shaheen said.
___
AP College Basketball Writer John Marshall contributed.

NCAA and college sports leaders are committed to a serious examination of increasing the number of teams in March Madness.

A bigger March Madness? Many obstacles stand in the way

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and another man have been indicted by a grand jury on capital murder charges for the January shooting death of a 23-year-old woman near campus, defense lawyers confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday.
Miles was charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Jamea Harris, his defense lawyer Mary Turner told the AP. Michael Davis, who police investigators said was the triggerman, was also indicted, his lawyer, John Charles Robbins, said.
Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2023/03/former-ua-basketball-player-darius-miles-friend-michael-davis-indicted-in-the-strip-shooting-death-of-jamea-jonae-harris.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told AL.com that the indictments against Miles and Davis, who&rsquo;ve been held without bond since their arrest, were issued on Wednesday</a>.
Harris was sitting in a car when she was struck by a bullet. A police investigator testified last month that Miles provided the handgun Davis allegedly used in the shooting.
During a court hearing last month, Turner suggested Miles was in a defensive posture when he told Davis where the gun was located.
But prosecutors maintained there was ample evidence to pursue charges in the shooting, which happened early Jan. 15 on &ldquo;The Strip,&rdquo; a district of bars and restaurants near the Tuscaloosa campus. Testimony at the hearing last month indicated there had been some type of verbal altercation before the shooting.
The Turner Law Group, which is representing Miles, issued a statement Friday, saying they were disappointed by the decision to pursue capital murder charges &ldquo;considering the evidence uncovered during our investigation and the obvious weaknesses in the government&rsquo;s case brought to light during the preliminary hearing.&rdquo;
Davis maintains he is innocent, Robbins, his attorney, said. &ldquo;I look forward to the opportunity to vigorously defend Michael at trial and to defend his right to protect himself when somebody points a gun at him and shoots him,&rdquo; Robbins said.
Miles was a reserve on the Crimson Tide, but an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-crime-alabama-crimson-tide-top-25-college-basketball-today-b7fb03d271a2fb7a99076f34e2565b08" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After he was charged in January, Alabama said he was &ldquo;removed from campus&rdquo; and the team.</a>
During the February court hearing, Tuscaloosa Police investigator Brandon Culpepper testified that Miles texted Tide freshman basketball star Brandon Miller to bring him his gun. Police have said another player, guard Jaden Bradley, also was at the scene.
Neither Miller nor Bradley have been charged with anything.
&ldquo;This whole situation is just really heartbreaking, but respectfully that&rsquo;s all I&rsquo;m going to be able to say on that,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-brandon-miller-8180ff86600e1204bcb80a222d2144ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miller told reporters</a>&nbsp;Wednesday in his first public comments about the case.
Both Miller and Bradley have continued to play as the No. 4-ranked team in the country makes its way through the Southeastern Conference Tournament ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Miller scored 18 points and had nine rebounds in Friday&rsquo;s SEC quarterfinal win over Mississippi State.
In the postgame news conference, Miller was asked his thoughts on the indictment. He said, &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t &mdash; I&rsquo;m not going to be able to say on that.&rdquo;
Coach Nate Oats was asked whether he has a weapons policy for his team, and said that &ldquo;our players are required to follow the university policy on guns, which essentially bans them on campus.&rdquo;
He also was asked who was involved in deciding whether Miller and Bradley could continue to play.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a difficult situation, as you understand. I mean, we&rsquo;re dealing with a criminal matter,&rdquo; Oats said, adding that as the school received &ldquo;facts from law enforcement as they do their investigation,&rdquo; &ldquo;this was a decision made, based on all the facts we had, with, obviously, my boss, (Director of Athletics) Greg Byrne; his boss, (President) Dr. (Stuart) Bell; and the Board of Trustees.
&ldquo;And everybody was comfortable, and based on the information we had, Brandon didn&rsquo;t break any school policy or team policy, so ... I was comfortable with the decision that was made.&rdquo;
Harris&rsquo; mother told reporters last month that she is frustrated by the focus on basketball instead of her daughter&rsquo;s death. She said her daughter was a beautiful person who was trying to have a night out with friends when she was killed.
&ldquo;She has a 5-year-old son that is still waiting for his mother to come home,&rdquo; DeCarla Heard told reporters. &ldquo;I want justice for my grandson.&rdquo;
Oats was asked Friday whether he has spoken to Harris&rsquo; family.
&ldquo;Listen, this whole situation has been, obviously, as you know, hard to deal with, tragic, to have any involvement in a young woman losing her life. What you ask is a private matter. I&rsquo;m not going to discuss publicly with everybody,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A lot of this is just hard to deal with, to be honest with you. But it&rsquo;s a private matter.&rdquo;

Former Alabama player Darius Miles was indicted by a grand jury on capital murder charges after shooting a 23-year-old lady in January.

Caden