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Pacers

Entering the 2021-22 season, there were many long-term questions facing the Indiana Pacers. Seemingly stuck in the middle for years on end, when would they get off the hamster wheel and make a move one way or the other? Well, early on, we&rsquo;re already getting answers to some of those intriguing topics in Indianapolis.
Malcolm Brogdon, who was reportedly involved in Ben Simmons trade discussions, signed a new long-term extension worth $45 million, extending his stay in Indy through at least through 2024-25. Now, the Pacers&rsquo; leading scorer is off the market for good.
Two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis has continued to prove why he&rsquo;s a fixture piece for the Pacers, averaging 19.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists to this point. Sabonis has also continued to produce instant synergy with last year&rsquo;s newcomer in Caris LeVert, who the Pacers acquired after shipping off Victor Oladipo in the James Harden four-team blockbuster.
Among Sabonis-only lineup duos who played at least 500 minutes alongside him in 2020-21, only one player carried a positive net rating: LeVert. After LeVert suffered a stress fracture in his lower back, he missed the first six games of the regular season. However, that chemistry with Sabonis has picked up right where it left off for Indiana, as the inside-out duo is carrying a plus-10.3 NET in 109 total minutes (109.4 ORTG, 99.1 DRTG).
So, Indiana has at least three players locked into its long-term plans in a make-or-break campaign with Rick Carlisle now running the show at head coach. And now, surprisingly, a 24-year-old rookie has forced his way into the immediate conversation alongside Brogdon, Sabonis and LeVert.
Chris Duarte, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has been an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chris-duarte-exhibiting-maturity-poise-with-indiana-pacers-early" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instant revelation for the Pacers</a>. Carlisle has placed immense trust in the rookie already, giving him the ultimate green light and drawing up late-game, crunch-time shots for him as well. Duarte is averaging 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting a blistering-hot 42.2% on three-point attempts. In total, Duarte&rsquo;s efficiency levels stand at a respectable 55.5% True Shooting percentage in his first 11 games on the NBA level.
Duarte has already made Pacers fans think back to the days of Danny Granger and Paul George &mdash; two young wings who made instant impacts in the Association and became key long-term fixtures in the organization. It&rsquo;s a super-small sample size, but Duarte seems to be the team's first top draft pick in a while to hit since Myles Turner in 2015.
Honestly, the Granger comparisons have some legs to them. Coming out of New Mexico as an older prospect, Granger hit the ground running in Indiana having no real adjustment period for the Pacers. The same exact learning curve is happening for Duarte, last year's Pac-12 Player of the Year at Oregon.
Already, Duarte has forced Carlisle&rsquo;s hand to keep him on the floor, even with LeVert back from an injury. Instead of splitting the two, Carlisle is letting the talented wing duo log heavy minutes together, and it is producing fantastic results. When Duarte and LeVert share the floor, Indiana is outscoring opponents by 30.2 (!!) points per 100 possessions. That number will surely slide down as the season continues on, but the early results have been nothing short of phenomenal. This also shows Carlisle and the Pacers&rsquo; front office that the two can thrive with one another in a pair, taking pressure off each other as a slashing/spot-up combination with Sabonis using his Nikola Jokic-like tendencies inside.
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LeVert block 🚫 LeVert assist 🏀 Duarte triple 🎯<a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pacers</a> open on an 11-0 run on NBA League Pass! 📱💻: <a href="https://t.co/V0kkYEEIkG">https://t.co/V0kkYEEIkG</a> <a href="https://t.co/uHvgaAizsE">pic.twitter.com/uHvgaAizsE</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1456038702296219652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Indiana seems to have struck a gold mine with the Duarte selection, even further evidenced by the fact that the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2021/07/30/warriors-knicks-pursue-chris-duarte-even-after-pacers-chose-him/5426677001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tried to trade for him after he was selected</a>. On the court, Duarte is cold-blooded and doesn&rsquo;t fear any situation. He even took Giannis Antetokounmpo 1-on-1 and made a jumper in a must-score scenario. Duarte has forced himself into the Rookie of the Year discussion, which has Indiana grinning from ear-to-ear at the moment.
With Duarte currently breaking into a different tier of Indiana&rsquo;s roster, it&rsquo;s going to create a unique situation in a few months before February&rsquo;s trade deadline. If the Pacers are in the playoff race, don&rsquo;t be surprised if they keep the core together and reassess this upcoming offseason. However, if they are fading away already, how should they maneuver the deadline?
T.J. Warren, who hasn&rsquo;t played yet this season due to further complications from his foot injury, is expected to make his debut around Christmas or early January. Warren is slated to be one of the top available free agents in a light 2022 market, but his injury history could make teams with the necessary cap space seriously second-guess about offering him a hefty new contract. So, if Warren does well upon his return, he could lock in a new long-term deal with Indiana where it benefits both the team and the player&rsquo;s financial security multiple years down the road.
This leads us back to the elephant in the room, one that has been there for years now: Turner and his fit alongside Sabonis.
Thus far, the results have actually been positive for this jumbo big-man duo in Indy. The Sabonis-Turner 2-man lineup combination is outscoring opponents by 6.2 points per 100 possessions (103.7 ORTG, 97.5 DRTG) right now, so if that figure maintains, it will certainly be intriguing. Carlisle is still experimenting how to best utilize Sabonis and Turner together, which more often than not leads to each one patrolling his own unit. We&rsquo;ve yet to really see Indiana commit to closing a game with both Sabonis and Turner on the floor. That isn&rsquo;t a financially sustainable plan with a player making close to $20 million in either scenario sitting out in crunch-time.
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Thought this was really smart geometry last night. The Knicks were consistently involving extra defenders on the roll to crowd Sabonis, so took advantage of the gravity by positioning Turner's hot hand in the strong-side corner. Big difference from what occurred against Toronto <a href="https://t.co/3DILKyHv17">pic.twitter.com/3DILKyHv17</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1456309637293264902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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However, it should be noted that Turner is putting together a career-best start in Year 7 with the Pacers: 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 41.1% on threes. No surprise here, but when Turner isn&rsquo;t on the floor, Indiana&rsquo;s defense completely submarines. The team carries a 100.5 DTRG with Turner in 308 minutes, but it balloons to 115.9 points allowed per 100 possessions in the 230 minutes he sits. Overall, the Pacers are 14.3 points per 100 possessions better when Turner is on the floor. That&rsquo;s a noticeable swing, and one where it makes their long-term decisions revolving around their core even murkier.
Another way of looking at is that Turner&rsquo;s trade value may never be higher with his current start to the season. If it maintains for another few months, the trade deadline might be the best time to cash-in on a considerable return. Turner has been on the trade block for years, but nobody has wanted to bite on Indiana&rsquo;s asking price. Now, with Turner playing the way he is, it might finally be time to push that button.
A team like the Charlotte Hornets &mdash; an elite rim-protector away from making the jump &mdash; could be a team who would pay a fortune for Turner to be its swing piece to contention; that would allow Indiana to embrace its locked-in core of Brogdon, Duarte, LeVert, Warren and Sabonis. Would the Pacers bite on a trade package revolving around a protected 2022 first-round pick via the New Orleans Pelicans, plus promising young big man prospect PJ Washington? We&rsquo;ll cross that bridge when we get there, but these long-term hypotheticals should be buzzing within the mind of Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard.
In February, or at the end of this season, will Indiana commit further to the Turner-Sabonis frontcourt? What if Warren comes back and thrives as a small-ball 4 in lineups alongside LeVert and Duarte? There&rsquo;s still plenty of time for these questions to get answered, but that&rsquo;s why Indiana continues to stand out to me as one of the league&rsquo;s most intriguing teams &mdash; short- and long-term.
Duarte may have forced the Pacers into considering making a bigger move earlier than expected. And for a team in desperate need of hitting on draft picks, completely dearth of homegrown players, that&rsquo;s totally okay.

Could the Pacers be facing a foundational change earlier than expected thanks to Chris Duarte's impact? Evan Sidery examines.

Pacers facing key decision point with Chris Duarte's early emergence

Unlike their opponent on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Indiana Pacers have an abundance of options when it comes to the wing position. Their roster features respected veteran swingmen such as T.J. Warren, Justin Holiday, Torrey Craig and Jeremy Lamb, as well as the recovering Caris LeVert.
But head coach Rick Carlisle elected to try something different in Indiana&rsquo;s second game of the preseason, starting rookie Chris Duarte at the 2 and playing him at the 3 in some instances. Following a 15-point, 5 assist showing in his pro debut on the road against the New York Knicks, the Pacers&rsquo; lottery pick put his headiness on display in his second contest.
&ldquo;Duarte did a very good job starting [in] his first NBA start,&rdquo; Carlisle said after the team&rsquo;s 109-100 preseason win in Cleveland. &ldquo;I just thought shuffling the deck made some sense [for the starting lineup]. In practice, we changed up all three teams we were playing with. We had Isaiah Jackson playing some 4 defensively. We&rsquo;ve got to develop these guys, we&rsquo;ve got to find out as much as we can as a coaching staff and keep pushing from there.&rdquo;
Duarte&rsquo;s high awareness level is apparent, particularly as a ball-handler with a screener. Instead of forcing the issue, he's patient enough to let the action develop, keeping his dribble before making a decision based on how the defense plays it. Duarte is also finding his areas off the ball to spot up and shoot. Though he wasn&rsquo;t successful on three triple tries on Friday, those are going to likely fall more often than not with the way Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis put pressure on the opposition.&nbsp;
Possessing NBA size at 6-foot-6, the Oregon product was going directly at the Cleveland Cavaliers&rsquo; smaller backcourt, taking the ball to the cup and pulling up when the situation was in his favor. He even caught the Cavs sleeping twice in the third quarter and found a couple of easy cleanups on the offensive glass.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a huge fan of Chris,&rdquo; Brogdon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a huge fan of how he carries himself, his poise, his maturity, and then, his versatility. Offensively, defensively &mdash; he plays both ends. The most impressive thing about him is he&rsquo;s a top lottery pick &mdash; a guy with a lot of clout, a lot of attention coming in &mdash; but he wants to learn. He&rsquo;s soaking everything up, he&rsquo;s asking questions, he listens. He&rsquo;s gonna be really, really good.&rdquo;
The 24-year-old finished the night with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 20 minutes. It&rsquo;s not the sexiest stat line in the world; however, it should be noted just how natural Duarte looked out there on the floor with his All-Star teammates (and against competition) boasting years of experience ahead of his own.
Having played at the JUCO level for numerous seasons <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ncaa-basketball-chris-duarte-oregon-ducks-dominican-republic-continues-climb-nba-draft-2021-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prior to joining Dana Altman and the Ducks</a> for two years, it&rsquo;s obvious Duarte could be bringing a wealth of knowledge and polish that his peers in the 2021 NBA Draft class may not have. Whether he gets the opportunity to continue showing that, or if he has to wait his turn, will be up to the Pacers.
Age be damned, especially since the team that drafted him is trying to win now.&nbsp; Considering the endorsements he&rsquo;s received only weeks into training camp, it seems Duarte might force Indiana&rsquo;s hand.

In the preseason, rookie Chris Duarte is fitting in seamlessly at the NBA level with the Pacers, writes Spencer Davies.

Chris Duarte exhibiting maturity, poise with Pacers already

The Indiana Pacers have selected Chris Duarte with the No. 13 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
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ANALYSIS: Chris Duarte will turn 24 years old in June, making him one of the oldest players in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, he's mature, disciplined, and one of the best shooters in this class. His offensive impact, adequate on-ball defense, and toughness will likely allow him to be an immediate plug-and-play wing at the NBA level. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if Duarte provides a spark to an NBA team as early as next season.

The Indiana Pacers select Chris Duarte with the No. 13 pick in the NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Pacers pick Chris Duarte No. 13

Chris Duarte's path to the NBA is one that's rarely traveled. Entering the league at age 24 &mdash; only seven months younger than Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker &mdash; Duarte had to work pretty hard to even get noticed on a national stage. Beginning his collegiate basketball career at Northwest Florida State, a junior college, Duarte was able to catch the attention of D1 programs and eventually landed at the University of Oregon, a long way away from his native Dominican Republic.
The Indiana Pacers fell in love with Duarte as both a prospect and a person and selected him with the 13th overall pick in this year's draft. On draft night, the 24-year-old Dominican wing accomplished one of his major goals. There were trials and tribulations along the way, though. Nowadays, it&rsquo;s rare to ever see a draft prospect like Duarte go from unnoticed in junior college to being a lottery pick.
Duarte&rsquo;s new journey is just now beginning, and the realization started to kick in of how far he&rsquo;s come during the MGM Grand NBA Las Vegas Summer League.
"It's amazing, man. It's amazing,&rdquo; Duarte said of reaching the NBA. &ldquo;I was just excited about coming to Indy. Just excited about getting drafted. So whatever happened, it happens, so that's the way I was thinking. I was just really excited about seeing my dream come true.&rdquo;
Before becoming one of the hottest names in the pre-draft process &mdash; rising from a late first-round pick to someone who garnered significant buzz from multiple teams in the lottery &mdash; Duarte shined in his final season at Oregon. He averaged 17.1 points, 2.7 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting a blistering 42.4% from three-point territory. The 24-year-old do-it-all wing also became one of the NCAA&rsquo;s most efficient scorers, turning in a true shooting percentage of 65.7.
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For a team like Indiana &mdash; one that feels it's ready to win right now with a strong, well-rounded roster &mdash; Duarte fits into their culture seamlessly. New head coach Rick Carlisle, who returns to Indiana after over a decade with the Dallas Mavericks, feels Duarte has a role within their already deep rotation. After sharpshooter Doug McDermott&rsquo;s departure to the San Antonio Spurs in free-agency, Duarte figures to fill that role while also providing even more two-way versatility.
"He's a guy that we feel can play three positions &mdash; two, three and play some one,&rdquo; Carlisle said after the draft about Duarte. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a terrific offensive player. He's a terrific defender. And a guy that's very mature we feel like can help us now.&rdquo;
Duarte became regarded as one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the 2021 draft class. Now with the Pacers in Las Vegas, Duarte is proving those thoughts to be right on the money. Already, he looks the part of an instant-impact rotation player who is reaching the &ldquo;too good for summer league&rdquo; threshold. In Las Vegas, Duarte is averaging 17.5 points, 2.5 assists, two steals and one block while shooting an eye-opening 47.1% from three-point range.
Duarte&rsquo;s confidence is at an all-time high in Las Vegas, allowing the Pacers to experiment with other elements of his game. Although he figures to jump between shooting guard and small forward, there&rsquo;s untapped playmaking potential due to his extremely high basketball IQ. Based off Carlisle&rsquo;s post-draft comments, Duarte could see time as a tertiary playmaker who can create easy looks for others in certain situations.&nbsp;
"Coach Carlisle likes to have multiple ball-handlers,&rdquo; Pacers summer league head coach Mike Weiner said after Indiana's second game on Tuesday. "The league is going more skill-oriented and the more attackers and ball-handlers we have, the better. We feel Chris is going to fit in with that. We&rsquo;re putting him in different situations, wanting him to read the game, feel the game. A lot of the NBA game right now is feel.&rdquo;
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Duarte&rsquo;s feel for the game is already outstanding. Couple that with his pro-ready shooting and defensive versatility, and Indiana has a player poised to take on an important role in his rookie campaign. So far, the returns in summer league on the Duarte pick have been outstanding for Indiana &mdash; and there&rsquo;s no wonder why multiple teams tried to trade up on draft night for him.
"Well, that's me. I let the game come to me,&rdquo; Duarte said after his summer league debut. &ldquo;I don't force a lot of shots. And when I do, I just feel bad about myself, because that's not the right way to play basketball. I'm a team player. I try to make the simple play, so that's me."
Currently, outside of Duarte, one Dominican-born player is on an NBA roster: Al Horford of the Boston Celtics. Duarte is putting a whole country on his back with his strong professional debut in Las Vegas.
Moving forward, keep your eye on Duarte. He&rsquo;s already proving worthy of his lottery status with a well-rounded game that surprisingly has plenty of untapped potential.
Duarte has cleared a major hurdle in getting drafted by the Pacers, but he&rsquo;s not satisfied yet.

Chris Duarte was the oldest prospect in the draft. However, thus far, the Indiana Pacers look like they made a wise decision with their 13th pick.

Chris Duarte showcasing NBA readiness with strong summer league debut

The Dominican Republic is a place that is mostly known as a hotbed for talent on the baseball diamond, and not the hardwood. However, its basketball talent pedigree, although not as credible as some of the other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, and lineage of players is still impressive.
Current NBA players such as Al Horford and Karl-Anthony Towns (whose mother was Dominican) -- and former NBA players like Francisco Garcia, Felipe Lopez and Charlie Villanueva, along with others -- are among the top talents the nation has produced. As we head into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, I recently took a deep dive into Chris Duarte of the Oregon Ducks, who will likely be the next player of Dominican descent to play in the NBA.
Hailing from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, then attending high school in Troy, New York and junior college in Niceville, Fla., and now the University of Oregon, in Eugene, Ore., Chris Duarte has not had the typical path of most NBA prospects.
To start, Duarte originally played baseball, and more specifically was a pitcher who threw 90-mile-per-hour fastballs. Of course, being a baseball player by trade is not atypical where he's from. Duarte didn&rsquo;t actually start taking basketball seriously until he was 13 years old, as he sought to emulate his older brother, Michael, whom he noticed had taken a liking to the sport. Despite a late introduction to the game, Chris's talent was apparent even in the early stages of his development.
Once he turned his focus exclusively to hoops, Duarte spent his adolescence dominating his peers in local tournaments, eventually progressing to larger and larger stages. Fortunately for all of the basketball world, Duarte&rsquo;s family moved to New York, in large part because they sought to help cultivate his basketball skills and abilities.&nbsp;
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Duarte attended Redemption Christian Academy in Troy for his junior and senior years of high school. He helped lead Redemption to an 8-8 record his junior year and 5-7 record his senior year, while playing a fairly rigorous national schedule featuring teams like Brewster Academy and Victory Rock Prep. On the grassroots scene, Duarte competed in the Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) with the NY Lightning. He played a feature role in his lone AAU season with the club, playing alongside mid-to-high major talents like Aundre Hyatt (LSU), Nathan Mensah (San Diego State) and Isaac Kante (Hofstra). Over 18 games, Duarte posted 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in just under 23 minutes per contest.&nbsp;
Upon his graduation from Redemption Christian Academy, Duarte was selected to play in the Jordan Brand&rsquo;s New York Regional Game. Separate from the more well-known and more prestigious All-American games that most people are familiar with, the regional game still featured a bounty of high-major talents, with guys like Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Collin Gillespie (Villanova), Darryl Morsell (Maryland), and Jose Alvarado (Georgia Tech). Duarte registered 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists for the &ldquo;City&rdquo; team in a 170-162 loss to the &ldquo;Suburban&rdquo; team.&nbsp;
A month after the Jordan Brand game, Duarte committed to Western Kentucky and joined Rick Stansbury&rsquo;s inaugural recruiting class. He enrolled there in June 2017, but never played a minute for the Hilltoppers. (The crown jewel of that recruiting class, Mitchell Robinson, also did not suit up for WKU).
Duarte failed to qualify academically and was faced with two options: sit out a full-year and try to gain eligibility for the 2018-2019 season, or play at the junior college level, where he could hit the floor right away. Duarte opted for the latter, joining well-known JUCO powerhouse Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla.
At Northwest Florida, Duarte played a crucial role for head coach Steve DeMeo&rsquo;s Raiders in the 2017-18 season. Coming off the bench for all but one game, Duarte registered 12.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per contest, playing next to future Illinois Illini guard Andres Feliz. The NWF Raiders made it to the Elite Eight of the NJCAA National Championship, where they were upset by the No. 10 seed College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles, 107-93. For his efforts on the season, Duarte was named First-Team All-Panhandle Conference.
Six games into his sophomore season, Duarte signed his letter of intent to play for the Oregon Ducks under Dana Altman. That year, Duarte was the unquestioned leader of the NWF team, starting all 33 games and leading the team in scoring at 19.3 points per game. With the help of fellow March Madness star Javion Hamlet (North Texas), the Raiders registered a 28-5 regular-season record and a No. 1 overall seed in the 2018-19 edition of the NJCAA National Championship bracket. Northwest Florida State again fell in the Elite Eight, to Ranger College (TX), 66-63. Duarte was named the NJCAA National Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American. 
&ldquo;Chris is everything a coach wants in a student-athlete," DeMeo, now an assistant coach at St. John&rsquo;s, said of Duarte on the team website. "He is a great student, great person and a very special basketball player. Chris has really set the bar high here at Northwest Florida for all of our future Raiders, and I look forward to watching him grow and develop at Oregon and even beyond college.&rdquo;
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In his first season with Oregon, Duarte immediately settled into a role as the wingman to four-year starter and All-American Payton Pritchard, who is now with the Boston Celtics. Duarte was the second leading scorer, averaging 12.9 points per game while starting all the games he appeared in for the Ducks. He registered three 20-point games on the season, including a 30-point, 11-rebound, and 8-steal eruption in a home win v.s USC.
For most of the final month of that regular season, Duarte battled through a right hand injury, and it was apparent, as his effectiveness dwindled. His points average dipped to 6.2, his field goal percentage plummeted to 30.2% and his three-point percentage slipped to 13.6%. However, his toughness and resilience remained evident consistently. He finally succumbed to his injury, undergoing surgery to repair a broken finger on his shooting hand on Feb. 27, 2020. Altman ruled him out for the Pac-12 Tournament before COVID wiped out the entirety of the NCAA postseason. The pandemic cancellation was especially hard on the Ducks, as they finished 24-7, were the regular-season conference champions and seemed poised to be a potential threat in the big dance.&nbsp;
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Duarte entered this current season with the spotlight more firmly on him, as he was the Ducks leading returning scorer. He was tasked with being the nucleus of a team, featuring four transfers in Eugene Omoruyi (Rutgers), LJ Figueroa (St. John&rsquo;s), Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne), and Amauri Hardy (UNLV). To further complicate team chemistry, Will Richardson -- the longest-tenured Duck in the rotation -- underwent thumb surgery prior to Oregon&rsquo;s first game in December against Missouri.
Despite the challenges, Duarte was nothing short of sensational coming out of the gates, as he shouldered a massive scoring load while still excelling on the defensive end. He posted averages of 18.4 points, 2.5 steals and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from three-point range. Oregon started the season with a 9-2 record, peaking at No. 17 in the polls in that time frame. The Duarte-led Ducks stormed through Pac-12 conference play, finishing 14-4 and narrowly capturing the regular-season conference title over USC.
Duarte finished the regular season with a strong average of 19.2 points per game, while shooting 52% from three-point range over his last five games.
&ldquo;The first time that I saw Chris Duarte was his junior year at Oregon. I thought he was a solid player. I noted that he had good size for a wing, played hard, was super competitive, and he could really shoot the ball," added Matt Babcock, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst. "My evaluation of him was certainly positive, but I can&rsquo;t say that I was overly confident that he was going to be a sure-fire NBA player.
"However, fast-forward to this season, and Duarte has played on such a high level all season long and has subsequently changed the narrative for me. I watched him play in person in early January this year, and he was incredible. From there, I watched film on him keenly, and I must say that I was left thoroughly impressed with him as a player. I expect some to be critical of his age, as he is older for a draft prospect, but I think he&rsquo;s worthy of being a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, regardless of his age.&rdquo;
Granted a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament for their regular season performance, the Ducks demolished Arizona State in the quarterfinals by 18 points. In the semifinal game against Oregon State, the team got a nightmarish wake-up call, as the Beavers won by 11 in a wire-to-wire victory that was never in doubt. But this would not be the last we saw of Duarte and the Ducks.
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Altman&rsquo;s squad entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed, slated to play the No. 10 seed VCU Rams in the first round. Last weekend, over a year after he missed out on his first opportunity at a March Madness debut, Duarte was set to take the biggest stage in a matchup against another NBA prospect in Na&rsquo;Shon &ldquo;Bones&rdquo; Highland. His debut, however, would be delayed another 48 hours, as the Ducks&rsquo; first-round matchup was deemed a "no contest," as a COVID breakout ensued within the Rams&rsquo; locker room. The Ducks automatically advanced to the next round of the tournament.
In the second round, the Ducks headed towards a clash with Iowa and consensus All-American Luka Garza. In that game, Duarte wasted no time in making his presence felt, as he scored 23 points and dished out 7 assists against the Hawkeyes. Oregon ultimately ran away with the game, as the team ended the first half strongly and dominated Iowa in the second half.&nbsp;
Sunday night, Chris Duarte and the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans, a conference foe they are very familiar with -- and the team they barely edged out for the Pac-12 regular-season title. Another interesting element of this matchup is USC's star freshman, Evan Mobley, a likely top draft pick this summer. This should be a star-studded matchup, and we'll see if Chris Duarte can continue to elevate his stock and perhaps convince the general public to join Matt Babcock in considering him as a worthy first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Grant Aqui details the unique journey of Chris Duarte to college basketball's biggest stage and blossoming into an NBA Draft prospect.

From the Dominican Republic to The Big Dance, Chris Duarte continues to climb

With the 2021 NBA Draft approaching, BasketballNews.com is breaking down the best prospects in each conference. Today, we&rsquo;ll focus on players from the Pac-12 to keep an eye on.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/evan-mobley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evan Mobley - USC</a>
16.3 PTS 8.6 REB 2.3 AST 2.8 BLK
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As one of the top prizes of the 2021 NBA Draft, Evan Mobley headlines the group of prospects coming from the &ldquo;conference of champions.&rdquo; A prospect who is not expected to fall out of the top-3, the 7-foot, 215-pounder has a combination of size, skill, and mobility that creates a versatile player with two-way star potential. Mobley&rsquo;s appeal starts at the defensive end since he possesses high-level rim protecting prowess that projects to get better as he adds weight. To go along with that, he&rsquo;s also agile for his size and he utilizes his agility in tandem with his lengthy&nbsp; 7-foot-4 wingspan to allow him to switch onto wings and guards.&nbsp;
While his switchability and rim protection will be coveted by the teams at the top of the draft, what makes Mobley potentially special is offensive upside as a scorer and playmaker. Mobley possesses a soft touch around the rim, but also has moments of finishing over the top of defenders as well. His slender frame did give him some trouble with opposing big men in college, but that hasn&rsquo;t stopped scouts from raving about him (especially considering what he was able to do at this size). Tying it all together is his potential with the ball in his hands. Mobley can grab a rebound, start the fastbreak, and find open teammates with solid vision and passing accuracy. Also, he could extend his shooting range to be a threat from all over the floor, so the sky's the limit for the big man.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mobley is projected as the No. 2 pick to the Houston Rockets in our latest mock draft.</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/ziaire-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ziaire Williams - Stanford</a>
10.7 PTS 4.6 REB 2.2 AST 0.9 STL
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Projected as a lottery pick coming into the 2020-21 season, Ziaire Williams had an up-and-down year at Stanford, which has clouded his draft stock among scouts. While the lower points of his season may not have all been his fault, it&rsquo;s made him one of the more difficult prospects to project in this class. Measuring above 6-foot-8 without shoes at the NBA Draft Combine, Williams has intriguing upside as an athletic wing scorer with solid defensive ability that you could see being in the league for many years to come.&nbsp;
His scoring upside does come with some hesitation as his three-point percentage came in at 29% over 20 games. However, since Stanford&rsquo;s season was riddled with complications related to the pandemic and Williams missed time with injury, a true rhythm was difficult to find. What will benefit Williams is the flashes he showed this season as a dynamic scorer, secondary playmaker, and versatile defender. Where he lands will depend on NBA teams looking past his struggles and buying into the reputation he built during high school along with the appealing moments from his freshman season.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Williams is projected to go No. 18 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in our latest mock draft.&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/chris-duarte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Duarte - Oregon</a>
17.1 PTS 4.6 REB 2.7 AST 42.4% 3FG
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One of the older prospects in this draft, Chris Duarte is assumed to be one of the most NBA-ready prospects in this class (but more under the radar than guys like Corey Kispert and Davion Mitchell). Duarte is a 6-foot-6 wing who is an elite-level shot-maker who can immediately help any team around the league. With a smooth and high release, Duarte can shoot the ball off the catch or off the dribble very effectively and will be dangerous when he finds his openings. He also took on more ball-handling duties this season, which opened up his mid-range scoring and attacking the rim off the pick-and-roll. Duarte is also a very good team defender who was able to gather 2.7 stocks per game this season using impressive awareness on defensive rotations with the Ducks.&nbsp;
Duarte arrived at Oregon after being named the 2019 National Player of the Year by the NJCAA after two years at Northwest Florida State College. Two years later, Duarte projects to be drafted as early as the mid-first round and may have a ready-made role at the NBA level as soon as next season.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duarte is projected to go 17th overall to the Memphis Grizzlies in our latest mock draft.&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/josh-christopher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Christopher - Arizona State</a>
14.3 PTS 4.7 REB 1.4 AST 1.5 STL
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Following in the footsteps of James Harden as a guard prospect from Arizona State, Josh Christopher is a shot-creating wing who possesses good size, athleticism, and body control for an NBA shooting guard. At nearly 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Christopher has an NBA-ready frame that&rsquo;s very explosive and he loves to play in transition. In the halfcourt, he also has a solid handle to create separation on drives or to open up his jump shot. Unfortunately, his jump shot and shot selection didn&rsquo;t translate into being an efficient scorer from the floor.&nbsp;
During the draft process, Christopher will need to show development in his shot consistency to prove to teams that he has a ceiling as a high-volume scorer in the NBA. He also flashed potential as a passer, possibly showing scouts that he could handle more ball-handling opportunities in the future. If Christopher can put together his offensive game along with adding more technique and consistency to the defensive end, he&rsquo;s got a chance to be a highly impactful NBA player.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chrisopher is projected to be the 23rd pick to the Houston Rockets in our latest mock draft.</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/marcus-bagley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marcus Bagley - Arizona State</a>
10.8 PTS 6.2 REB 1.2 AST 34.7% 3FG
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Joining Josh Chrisopher from Arizona State is Marcus Bagley, the 6-foot-8 freshman brother of current NBA player Marvin Bagley III. Although they share the Bagley name, Marcus&rsquo; play style differs from his brother&rsquo;s, as he fits the big-wing archetype at the next level. The main skill that looks to translate for Bagley is his perimeter shooting, which early in the season was looking very solid but cooled down into January, resulting in a 34.7% three point percentage. Within the arc, he also had some struggles at low volume that he wasn&rsquo;t able to improve since his season was cut to 12 games this year due to injury and COVID-19 pauses.&nbsp;
As a four-star recruit coming out of high school, Bagley feels like he has more to prove that he didn&rsquo;t get the chance to show during his freshman year. He hasn&rsquo;t fully committed to the NBA yet to keep his options open, but testing the draft process will give him useful feedback to apply to his game whether he stays in the draft or returns to school. The general consensus is that Bagley&rsquo;s draft range is the early-to-mid second round, but he could climb into the late-first round because of his youth and potential upside as a 3-and-D player.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bagley is projected as the 37th pick to the Detroit Pistons in our latest mock draft.</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Smith - UCLA</a>
12.6 PTS 6.4 REB 2.0 AST 43.8% FG
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The UCLA Bruins impressed many this year during their run to the Final Four behind Johnny Juzang and company. Unfortunately, we&rsquo;ll never know what would&rsquo;ve happened if they had Chris Smith in the lineup, but it&rsquo;s easy to see how he could&rsquo;ve helped along the way. Smith is a 6-foot-9, 215-pound wing who can do a little bit of everything and, as a result, was getting NBA attention after his junior season. Coming into his senior year, he was looking to build upon the buzz, but he unfortunately tore his ACL after eight games and remained out for the season.&nbsp;
The interest in Smith is primarily because of his elite positional size and versatility, as he has the ability to guard up to four (and possibly five) positions depending on how his body continues to develop. Offensively, Smith gets to the rim with his length and athleticism, but he can also rise over defenders in the mid-range or from the perimeter to add to his potential as a three-level scorer. Over his eight games this season, he shot 50% from three on 20 attempts, which could have signaled an improvement in his shot that realistically could&rsquo;ve settled in the 36-39% range.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smith is projected to be the No. 43 pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in our latest mock draft.</a>

Blake Hairston breaks down the top NBA draft prospects to keep an eye on from the Pac-12 Conference.

2021 NBA Draft: Analyzing the Pac-12's top prospects

The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania officially tossed out a stick of dynamite on Tuesday, and the fuse was lit from Indiana. Trade season has officially begun, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-moving-to-substantial-rebuild-listening-to-trade-calls-on-stars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Pacers are open to a fire sale</a> to begin an &ldquo;extensive rebuild.&rdquo; A long overdue strategy in Indiana, it&rsquo;s the right move for a team that has shown a low ceiling and potential roster regression.
With a 10-16 record, Indiana is open to all of its key pieces being shipped out, per Charania, including Caris LeVert, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. Here on BasketballNews.com, we will be providing the best potential landing spots for all three. Nekias Duncan will be handling the two-time All-Star center in Sabonis, while I&rsquo;ll be scouring through the best situations for LeVert and Turner.
We&rsquo;re going to kick things off with LeVert. As I wrote last month, No. 13 overall pick Chris Duarte&rsquo;s quick emergence as a key long-term piece <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-facing-a-key-decision-point-later-on-with-chris-duarte-early-emergence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed the calculus on the future of the team's backcourt</a>. With Malcolm Brogdon signing an extension and not being eligible for a trade until this offseason, that leaves LeVert as the odd man out. He also plays the same position as Duarte, making his exit even more likely before February&rsquo;s deadline.
When the Pacers acquired LeVert almost exactly one year ago in the blockbuster four-team James Harden trade (which also sent Victor Oladipo to Houston), Indiana believed it might have struck discount gold once again. However, LeVert&rsquo;s on-court value is nowhere close to what it once was. LeVert has shown to be a solid combo guard, but his overall ineffectiveness in reading the floor and his poor shot selection make paying him a hefty contract a very worrisome proposition.
So, which teams actually make sense for the 27-year-old scorer? Let&rsquo;s dive into the best win-win scenarios for the Pacers and LeVert.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Although the Cavs are in the same division as Indiana, they immediately popped up as my best-case scenario in a potential LeVert deal. Not only would LeVert be able to slide in at shooting guard in the short-term replacing Collin Sexton &mdash; who is sidelined with a torn meniscus &mdash; but he also fits Cleveland&rsquo;s long-term puzzle alongside Darius Garland, No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley and potential All-Star center Jarrett Allen. LeVert is an ideal score-first complement to the gigantic frontcourt duo that is wrecking havoc to opposing offenses around the rim.
From the Pacers&rsquo; point of view, the Cavaliers have a former top-five pick in Isaac Okoro who seems like an ideal roll of the dice and trade sweetener. Okoro is a strong, defense-first wing, but his offense still isn&rsquo;t developing at the rate Cleveland had hoped. Okoro&rsquo;s fit with the Cavaliers core right now is clunky, so swapping him out for LeVert is a major win for 2021-22 and beyond.
Cleveland throwing out an offer to Indiana revolving around Okoro, Cedi Osman and a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick has to at least lead into serious discussions. Osman is salary-filler with a contract only guaranteed through the 2022-23 season, but he&rsquo;s a solid shooter who can provide wing minutes off the bench.
It&rsquo;s hard to peg LeVert&rsquo;s overall value, but a former top-five pick and a first-round pick make up a solid baseline and, honestly, this feels like the most realistic scenario as well. Cleveland is surprisingly in win-now mode, and LeVert adds a much-needed jolt offensively.
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Memphis Grizzlies
On the surface, you may be wondering why the Grizzlies are included here. They have Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, plus some enticing young prospects developing in their system. However, Memphis continues to remain afloat in the Western Conference play-in race early on without Morant, who is sidelined with a knee injury. Adding LeVert into the Grizzlies&rsquo; rotation would soften the blow of not having Morant at the moment, but he also fits very well alongside their young superstar point guard.
LeVert would slide right in as Memphis&rsquo; sixth man who can score for himself or create for others in a pinch. I&rsquo;m very intrigued by the idea of LeVert playing heavy minutes in combination with the likes of Morant, Brooks and Desmond Bane. This would be a move to raise the immediate and long-term ceiling for the Grizzlies, who could also deal Brooks this offseason if LeVert thrives in their system (which is something I actually <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-its-wise-for-the-grizzlies-to-canvass-the-trade-market-on-dillon-brooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested Memphis look into</a> before the season started).
The Grizzlies&rsquo; rotation once Morant returns would look like this:
Starters: Morant, Bane, Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams
Second Unit: De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, LeVert, Brandon Clarke, Xavier Tillman
That&rsquo;s a strong nine-man rotation that could go up against a lot of teams in the reloaded West.
As you can tell above, two names in the Grizzlies&rsquo; current rotation are missing: Kyle Anderson and No. 10 overall pick Ziaire Williams. That would be the return for Indiana, potentially with a lottery-protected first-round pick as well.
Again, it's a solid baseline offer for LeVert and the move could help both teams. Memphis acquires a win-now piece who can also help them long-term, plus Indiana receives a young prospect alongside another future draft pick. Win-win.
Dallas Mavericks
This one was tough, but LeVert's fit in Dallas is very intriguing. Could you imagine Luka Doncic playing alongside LeVert in the Mavericks&rsquo; backcourt? That would be so much fun, because LeVert is an ideal complementary piece who can take pressure off Doncic in key situations.
With the Mavericks&rsquo; roster, though, there are not many assets that would intrigue Indiana. So, unless Dallas was open to this idea, a swap of LeVert for Jalen Brunson at least makes a little bit of sense.
Brunson&rsquo;s strong start to the 2021-22 season is bringing his value to an all-time high as we inch closer toward restricted free agency. Would Dallas want to ship Brunson for a potentially cheaper option who could play more minutes alongside Doncic? Brunson would be an excellent fit in Indiana as well, forming a strong one-two punch with Duarte long-term.
Would Dallas even be open to the idea of something like Dwight Powell and Brunson for LeVert? It&rsquo;s a tough sell, but one that could be a potential win-win down the road for both sides.
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Utah Jazz
Talk about a potential shift atop the West if Utah were to snag LeVert between now and February. LeVert, I feel, would be a strong fit within head coach Quin Snyder&rsquo;s system. He'd take pressure off of LeVert and have him focus on the finer details. LeVert&rsquo;s scoring package would be another win-now, all-in push from Utah, who is trying to capitalize on its Finals window being open.
From Indiana&rsquo;s perspective, there&rsquo;s not a lot that Utah could offer that would intrigue them. However, an expiring contract in Joe Ingles (who could be bought out after a trade) alongside second-round pick Jared Butler, Eric Paschall and a lightly-protected 2023 first-round pick could at least make for some interesting discussions.
Ingles has been an integral piece to the Jazz&rsquo;s success for years, but upgrading to LeVert would be a major win for their title hopes. Utah would have copious amounts of scoring off its bench &mdash; LeVert, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay. The Jazz could also trot out LeVert as their starting small forward, inserting him between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Either way, it would be a massive opportunity to bring LeVert aboard.
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New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are teetering on desperation mode. The hot seat has been cranked up on executive vice presiident David Griffin, and Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues continue to short-circuit their hopeful rise up the West standings. Whether it be Turner or LeVert, expect the Pelicans to be calling Indiana sometime soon if they haven&rsquo;t already.
Bringing LeVert to the Bayou would lead to an experimental fit alongside Williamson and Brandon Ingram. LeVert would slide right in at shooting guard for the Pelicans, or he could lead their second unit as a dynamic sixth man.
As a potential trade package, what about sending Indiana the following: Josh Hart, Trey Murphy III and a future first-round pick, if necessary? The Pacers would then have two young wings on their roster who could help build out a new vision under head coach Rick Carlisle.
It&rsquo;s another interesting trade destination for LeVert, and one that actually makes sense for both sides when examined under the microscope.
***
Overall, LeVert&rsquo;s market is so hard to project. As a score-first combo guard on an attainable contract for the next two seasons, his market could be robust. However, there&rsquo;s another scenario where his injury history and inefficiency could seriously limit the market for him.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-must-accept-new-reality-and-become-sellers-at-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finally blowing it up</a>, and LeVert seems to be an obvious candidate to be moved very soon. Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com as we continue to track the situation, plus reveal more trade destinations for the team's other notable pieces in Sabonis and Turner.

Which teams around the NBA could soon be calling about Pacers shooting guard Caris LeVert? Evan Sidery lists five.

Examining potential trade destinations for Caris LeVert

The Indiana Pacers are at a crossroads, with the 2021-22 season looking like their final opportunity to make significant noise with this current core. On paper, Indiana&rsquo;s roster is strong, especially with their projected rotation of Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday, Chris Duarte and Torrey Craig.
But it&rsquo;s led to little success in recent years. The Pacers created one of the Association&rsquo;s best rivalries with the Miami Heat, with Paul George, Roy Hibbert, David West and Lance Stephenson leading the charge versus LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Ever since those days, Indiana has struggled to be competitive in a playoff series.
As long as the Simon family owns the Pacers, Indiana will never hit the reset button completely. It&rsquo;s why they traded George to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Sabonis instead of accepting a draft-pick-heavy package from another team. Indiana later shipped off Oladipo for Caris LeVert in the massive James Harden trade early last season.
Although Indiana is a smaller market, and tanking would probably be their best bet to ensure long-term success, the franchise has made a living off of finding these win-now deals and making playoff appearances. For small-market teams, playoff revenue matters. The Pacers are the perfect example of this, especially since they&rsquo;re so against selling off any of their core players for picks.
The Nate Bjorkgren experience was disastrous for the Pacers, as the first-time head coach not only failed to connect with the locker room, but his style of play also did not fit Indiana&rsquo;s personnel. It was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Enter one of the league's best head coaches in Rick Carlisle, who used to coach Indiana before his decade-plus stint with the Dallas Mavericks. The Pacers coughed up a pretty penny to land Carlisle (over $7 million) in hopes that he can help this roster jell together and climb the Eastern Conference standings.
Carlisle was the Pacers' big offseason addition. He's viewed as their saving grace &ndash; someone who can potentially turn the team around without drastic changes (health-permitting). If Carlisle isn't able to deliver, it may be time for Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan to seriously assess what happens next in the Hoosier State.&nbsp;
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Warren is entering the final year of his $50 million extension and if he's anywhere close to the player we saw in the Bubble, he could be headed for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a potential $100 million deal next offseason</a> since he projects to be one of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/after-years-of-star-movement-2022-offseason-is-shaping-up-to-be-the-opposite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best scorers available</a>. Meanwhile, LeVert, Turner and Brogdon each have two years remaining on their deals. Sabonis is the only core piece whose contract extends past the 2022-23 season. The window for this Pacers group is right now, and it may only be open for another year or two.
Since 2015, the Pacers&rsquo; draft history has been gruesome. Outside of Turner, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who very well could be entering his final season in Indiana</a>, the front office has failed to find long-term answers. After Turner, Indiana&rsquo;s first-round draft picks have been T.J. Leaf (18th), Aaron Holiday (23rd), Goga Bitadze (18th) and, most recently, Chris Duarte (13th) and Isaiah Jackson (22nd). The 24-year-old Duarte certainly showed flashes during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and he may be able to make an immediate impact since he's widely regarded as one of the most NBA-ready prospects in this class.
It remains to be seen what Duarte and Jackson will do, but Leaf and Holiday are already off the roster. Bitadze has failed to develop past a 10-to-15-minute-per-game role, and his playing time could stagnate even further with Jackson&rsquo;s arrival. Also, the Pacers have continuously missed on second-round picks in recent years. (In 2010, Lance Stephenson was a solid find at No. 40, but that was the previous regime.)
With missed opportunities in the draft and ownership that's completely against losing revenue, Indiana is constantly a fringe playoff team &ndash; stuck in the middle of the pack. It helps the bottom dollar, sure, but where does it get the organization in the end?
The 2021-22 season is a fork-in-the-road moment for Indiana. If the Pacers miss the playoffs or just barely squeak in with everyone healthy and Carlisle running the show, massive changes should ensue. Breaking up <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the jumbo-big duo of Sabonis and Turner</a> should be in the cards. Warren could leave for nothing as an unrestricted free agent in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/after-years-of-star-movement-2022-offseason-is-shaping-up-to-be-the-opposite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a barren 2022 free-agent market</a>. Brogdon and LeVert would enter contract years of thier own the following season.
Is it realistic to expect the Pacers to make a serious leap up the East standings? The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets are not vacating the top spots. The Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls have all potentially leapfrogged them in the hierarchy. Unless we see a magical season in which everything falls perfectly into place, Indiana&rsquo;s ceiling looks to be around the No. 6 seed. It's possible they'll make another appearance in the play-in tournament.
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Although Indiana's collection of talent keeps them around the playoff picture each year, is it really worth it if they keep getting bounced in the first round every single season? Bringing Carlisle onboard signals that the Pacers know the time is now to show how competitive they truly are. However, the hourglass may have already run out, as the expiration date with their current core seems to be fast approaching. Outside of Sabonis, LeVert and rookies Duarte and Jackson, everyone else could potentially be available come February&rsquo;s trade deadline or next offseason.
It takes such a delicate balancing act for small-market teams to compete nowadays. You have to luck into drafting a superstar or consistently hit home runs with signings and trades. When Indiana was at the peak of its powers and giving Miami's Big Three a run for their money, the franchise had an ascending superstar in George. However, as we all know, that relationship soured over time and they shipped him off to Oklahoma City. Now, it seems like the Pacers are betting on Sabonis to become a Nikola Jokic-type player or for LeVert to take a massive all-around leap that puts him the Most Improved Player discussion.
However you want to slice it, it&rsquo;ll be tough sledding for the Pacers moving forward. If everything coalesces under Carlisle, he could help make them a sleeper contender in the East. If the pieces fail to come together, Indiana could potentially blow it all up within the next calendar year. The stakes are raised, and it&rsquo;s time to either double-down or fold the hand with this current roster.

The Indiana Pacers will either take the much-needed leap forward in 2021-22 or major changes could be coming for the organization.

Pacers' roster faces make-or-break 2021-22 season

NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock answers your questions about the 2021 NBA Draft, the top prospects and what certain teams may do.

2021 NBA Mock Draft Mailbag with Matt Babcock: June 15

The Indiana Pacers are running around the obvious problem with their team right now. After another embarrassing loss at home on Friday night, this time to the Miami Heat, who were without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, serious questions need to be asked.
Sure, Nate Bjorkgren was a disaster last season as a first-time head coach, which led to splurging on bringing Rick Carlisle over from Dallas. However, even with Carlisle&rsquo;s principles being put into place in Indy, it&rsquo;s now becoming crystal-clear what the real issue is for the Pacers.
It&rsquo;s time to officially blow up this roster, or at least make a significant change to finally steer the ship in the direction of an extensive rebuild attempt.
For years now, Indiana has been content on the wheel of first round playoff exits. This will likely be the eighth consecutive season where the Pacers finish without a postseason series win. Indiana is known for basketball, but the 2021-22 Pacers are on the verge of becoming irrelevant.
Indiana is perfectly average, smack dab in the middle of overall efficiency on both ends of the court. They do not have a true No. 1 option that can take over games, simply multiple players who slide in as secondary pieces on good teams.
Sitting with a 9-16 record through the first quarter of the regular season, No. 13 overall in the Eastern Conference, Indiana is staring down the barrel of a long overdue organizational move. The question is: will owner Herb Simon, notorious for avoiding luxury tax payments and supplementing the organization with playoff revenue, give the go-ahead on a midseason fire sale before it&rsquo;s too late? The same needs to be said for team president Kevin Pritchard, who neeeds to come to the same realization that this team is nothing more than mediocre.
Is T.J. Warren&rsquo;s return from foot surgery next month really going to flip the Pacers&rsquo; immediate fortunes in the reloaded Eastern Conference hierarchy overnight? No, and it&rsquo;s time to reassess this roster for long-term hopes while sacrificing short-term success.
The problem for Indiana is: who exactly will help kickstart an overdue rebuild where stockpiling young talent and bottoming out is the way to go for a small-market franchise? Malcolm Brogdon would have been the obvious choice, but Indiana decided to lock him in on an extension before the regular season opener, eliminating him in trade discussions until at least next offseason. Caris LeVert isn&rsquo;t coming close to the same production Victor Oladipo provided pre-quad injury, but that was to be expected when canvassing through the former Michigan Wolverine&rsquo;s overall offensive profile. Not shedding his injury-prone label at all before becoming an unrestricted free agent, Warren has little chance of returning serious positive value in a trade.
Indiana is coming to the proverbial fork in the road on an experiment that we all knew would need to end sometime soon. Will it be Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner who is shipped off at their peak value in February? If the Pacers aren&rsquo;t having serious discussions about this scenario, then they may honestly be content on being a roster with its highest ceiling being a 6-8 seed and perennial first-round exits.
Sabonis is a rare big man who a team can run its offense through as a primary or secondary hub. Already a two-time All-Star, Sabonis has flashed 20-point, 10-rebound upside and probably would thrive even further as another team&rsquo;s second or third option, compared to being a No. 1 in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, Turner is an elite rim protector who can also stretch the floor from beyond the arc. As far as modern big archetypes, Turner is a piece who can swing the pendulum of fortunes in a positive direction for a playoff or championship-hungry organization.
If we&rsquo;re speaking about which player would return the highest value in a mid-season trade to a hopeful playoff contender, Sabonis is the answer. A frame of reference from a negotiation standpoint is when the Orlando Magic traded Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls centered around an enticing package of Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round picks (Franz Wagner plus a 2023 1st). Vucevic was 30 years old when the Magic finally decided to pull the plug on their mediocre ceiling. At age-25 with three years remaining on his current contract, there&rsquo;s a real argument to be made that Sabonis could return an even heftier package for Indiana to sell high on.
Turner, on the other hand, would still bring back a strong return with his improved motor and intensity. Already known as one of the best shot blockers in the Association, Turner has also cranked it up on offense attacking the boards and being more aggressive overall. In the end, Turner&rsquo;s trade value likely falls within the realm of returning a promising young prospect plus salary filler.
Although the jumbo-sized frontcourt duo is actually doing better than anticipated this season, outscoring opponents by 8.4 points per 100 possessions in two-man lineup data (105.8 OffRtg, 97.5 DefRtg in 396 total minutes), it&rsquo;s simply not a sustainable formula.
For years, Pacers fans have wanted to see the Sabonis-Turner duo be split up and commit to one as their starting center long-term. Finally, that time seems to be right around the corner, if Indiana&rsquo;s front office truly reflects on where the team currently stands.
If Indiana does indeed the pull the plug on the current iteration of their roster, there will be a feeding frenzy at February&rsquo;s trade deadline. I can think of so many teams off the top of my head who would be blowing up Indiana for either one of their bigs. It&rsquo;s simply the right move to make for the long-term outlook.
Outside of No. 13 overall pick Chris Duarte, who&rsquo;s turned some heads early on with his stellar transition to the NBA, who exactly is a young piece Indiana can build around? Small markets need to focus on hitting in the draft, which has been a rarity for the Pacers over the years, alongside internal player development.
Indiana must come to that conclusion and use one or potentially both of Sabonis and Turner to help this longstanding issue fix itself over time. The problem is, after bringing aboard a win-now veteran coach in Carlisle, he may not give the go-ahead for this route.
Anyway you want to slice it, there&rsquo;s a serious predicament unfolding in Indy. If the losses continue to pile on, the Pacers need to accept their new reality and embrace the tank for the betterment of the organization.
With the league&rsquo;s worst attendance by a wide margin, Pacers fans are already tuning the team out. It&rsquo;s time to wave the white flag and find a better solution to bring the Pacers back to relevance.

As losses continue to pile on for the Pacers, it's time to finally embrace the reality with their current roster's ceiling.

Pacers must accept new reality and become sellers at trade deadline

The 2021 NBA Draft class was the story of NBA Summer League Day 3.
The headlining matchup of top-pick Cade Cunningham vs. second-overall-selection Jalen Green certainly garnered enough conversation. But even from the first game, rookies painted tantalizing pictures of their NBA potential. Four of tonight's five "studs" were awarded to first-year prospects.
Does this mean the 2021 NBA Draft will be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jalen-suggs-thinks-2021-class-definitely-has-a-chance-to-rival-2003" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the best draft class ever</a>? Of course not. As always, it's important to remember not to draw definitive conclusions from games in a unique setting that will never be replicated in the actual NBA season. But for fans, it's okay to get hyped when the future looks bright.&nbsp;
Here were some of my Day 3 observations:
STUDS
Chris Duarte, guard, Indiana Pacers
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Chris Duarte is a sniper <a href="https://t.co/YtPSllgdti">pic.twitter.com/YtPSllgdti</a>
&mdash; NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBASummerLeague/status/1425220298455064580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 8-for-19 FG, 5-for-10 3PT
It was pure joy to watch the Pacers creatively use their lottery pick on offense. On one early play, Duarte bolted on a nice Iverson cut to get a quality look at the rim, though he missed the finish. Later in the first quarter, Indiana drew up a baseline out-of-bounds play that saw Duarte skirt through screens for a catch-and-shoot three.&nbsp;
The 24-year-old was communicative and aware on the defensive end. Though he had a couple of "heat-check" possessions, Duarte made five three-pointers, including two sensational buzzer-beaters. His assist numbers would have also been much higher if teammates finished off more of his nice passes.
Sharife Cooper, guard, Atlanta Hawks
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SHARIFE COOPER HITS A GAME-WINNER 😱 <a href="https://twitter.com/brhoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brhoops</a> <a href="https://t.co/BSH3SkZc2U">pic.twitter.com/BSH3SkZc2U</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1425242755756822529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 21 points, 9 assists, 1 steal, 8-for-14 FG, 5-for-8 3PT
Man oh man... I had to remind myself multiple times not to overreact to one summer league game. Cooper was scary&nbsp;on offense. He threw ridiculous, NBA-lead-guard-caliber dimes all over the court. Cooper also tallied six turnovers, but the mistakes are forgivable when he's creating these unique chances for his teammates.
More importantly: the perimeter shooting. Cooper made 13 threes in college; he canned five on Tuesday, including step-backs and quick shots off the catch. Defenders were content to let Cooper fire away given his track record. He made them pay right up to the buzzer-beating end of Atlanta's 84-83 win. Seeing this type of performance from Cooper should make opposing teams sweat.
Aaron Nesmith, guard/forward, Boston Celtics
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Aaron Nesmith tonight 🔥 33 PTS in 21 MINS 13/18 FG 7/9 3PT 7 REB<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BleedGreen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BleedGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/rgVd2LgQRI">pic.twitter.com/rgVd2LgQRI</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1425276061630279684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 33 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 13-for-18 FG, 7-for-9 3PT
Nesmith went on an absolute heater in Boston's lopsided 107-82 win over the Nuggets. He was lethal off screens, maintaining balance and consistency to splash triple after triple. But he also attacked off the dribble, driving to the rim or pulling up in the mid-range with equal success.
This performance is the missing piece for the Celtics' bench. Obviously, Nesmith won't be this hot, and is probably somewhere in between Tuesday's dominance and Sunday's frigid effort. But games like these tease the type of weapon the second-year wing can be without commanding a ton of usage. He still has to work on keeping players in front of him when defending.
Jalen Green, guard, Houston Rockets
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Jalen Green showed out tonight 👀 - 23 PTS - 5 REB - 9/18 FG - 4/9 3PT <a href="https://t.co/a7rtLFERCE">pic.twitter.com/a7rtLFERCE</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1424540461335605250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-for-11 FG, 3-for-5 3PT
Tuesday's matchup against Cade Cunningham was an amazing example of growth from Green. He flailed in the early going as the Pistons blitzed, and threw some wild turnovers. But after the first quarter, Green started to settle in and pick his spots in effective fashion. He made shots off the catch, cut well and only turned the ball over once in the latter three quarters. It wasn't a pretty night, and yet Green still finished with quality numbers.
Cade Cunningham, guard, Detroit Pistons
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Cade Cunningham catches Jalen Green reaching, hits him with the behind the back dribble and makes the 3!! <a href="https://t.co/xkEBiQDZQS">pic.twitter.com/xkEBiQDZQS</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1425272704874188802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 8-for-18 FG, 4-for-9 3PT
On the other end, Cunningham exuded the poise and cerebal vision that helped make him the first overall pick. The two assists woefully underrepresent how electric Cunningham was as a passer in transition, in the half-court and while attacking the basket. His four three-pointers came from all over the court, including one moment when he caught Jalen Green slipping. Defensively, Cunningham picked off a bunch of long passes and led the early-system pressure that caught Green off guard.
Other notable performers: Bol Bol (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Payton Pritchard (Celtics), Patrick Williams (Bulls)
DUDS
Zeke Nnaji, forward, Denver Nuggets
Box Score Stats: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 0-for-9 FG, 0-for-6 3PT
Nnaji was pretty invisible for most of the afternoon. When he did show up, it was with some brutal misses on three-pointers. That's a notable area of development for the 2020 first-round pick; he made 40% of his threes as a rookie after hitting just 29% of them in college. The 6-foot-9 forward was also somewhat concerning when he put the ball on the floor. Nnaji just doesn't have tight handle at this stage, and blew one fast break by flying into traffic out of control.&nbsp;
Jerome Robinson, guard, Chicago Bulls
Box Score Stats: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1-for-4 FG, 0-for-1 3PT
Robinson enters his fourth season since the Clippers selected him with the No. 13 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Summer league is becoming a potential make-or-break opportunity for Robinson's NBA future, and the young guard just isn't showing enough. He had some nice moments as a pick-and-roll operator, but needs to be the perimeter threat he was at Boston College. That hasn't happened yet.&nbsp;
Yam Madar, guard, Boston Celtics
Box Score Stats: 0 points, 1 assist, 0-for-3 FG, 0-for-1 3PT
I am a massive fan of Madar's game and buy his NBA future. But this was a sobering reminder that the 20-year-old still has a ways to go in his development. With Payton Pritchard running the offense, Madar was much less effective off the ball, and when he had it, he made some questionable decisions.
On one occasion, Madar had a sensible 12-foot floater chance, but pulled up for a jumper only to get blocked from behind. He also dished out a nice underhand pass... that should have been a lob on a two-on-one fast break. He has to know when to incorporate other moves besides the fadeaway in the mid-range, and make some smarter passing decisions.
Kenneth Faried, forward, Portland Trail Blazers
Box Score Stats: 3 points, 12 rebounds, 1 block, 1-for-4 FG&nbsp;
We've known for a decade that Faried can rebound the ball at a high level. But the veteran forward has to show something else as he fights to get back into the league, and he didn't do that on Tuesday. Faried was clumsy as a screener and poor as a finisher. His range still does not extend past the elbows, and he went just 1-for-4 on free throws. Fellow vets Emmanuel Mudiay and Michael Beasley both had nice games, making Faried's lackluster outing more incriminating.
Jay Scrubb, guard/forward, Los Angeles Clippers
Box Score Stats: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-for-19 FG, 2-for-8 3PT
Scrubb opened up his summer-league stint with a stellar game on Monday. Tuesday night, however, the score-first forward just didn't have the touch. Scrubb missed a bunch of attempts at the rim and struggled to finish through contact despite his frame. His struggled with the three-ball as well and got caught ball-watching on defense. The 2020 second-round pick did make good decisions as a passer, though, and should inspire plenty of optimism on offense.

Several rookies logged standout performances on the third day of NBA Summer League.

5 Studs and duds from the third day of NBA Summer League

With the 2021 NBA Draft just days away, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has put together a list of the top available prospects by position. He recently listed the draft's top&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-point-guards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-small-forwards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small forwards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-power-forwards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power forwards</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-centers-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">centers</a>.
Here are the best shooting guards in this year's class:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Green, G League Ignite</a> 
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Although known mostly as a high-flyer, Jalen Green showed a more versatile offensive repertoire this past season for the G League Ignite. His explosiveness and ability to create space off the dribble, along with his improved outside shooting, have made him one of the most coveted prospects this year. Green is perhaps the most athletic and dynamic prospect in the entire draft, and he has subsequently established himself as a near lock to be a top-five pick.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/james-bouknight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Bouknight, UConn</a> 
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An explosive vertical athlete, crafty finisher around the rim, and assertive scorer, James Bouknight is capable of filling up a box score with points in the blink of an eye. Although he still needs to improve as an outside shooter, he has the potential to become a primary offensive option in the NBA and should have a solid career.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/moses-moody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moses Moody, Arkansas</a> 
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Standing 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan, Moses Moody is one of the best shot-makers in this year&rsquo;s draft. Although he is lacking quickness and overall burst, he is a disciplined and reliable team defender with plus length. He has the ability to impact both ends of the floor, making him a viable option in the first round for teams that want a 3-and-D type of player.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/chris-duarte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Duarte, Oregon</a> 
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Chris Duarte is 24 years of age, making him one of the oldest players in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, he's mature, disciplined, and one of the best shooters in this class. His offensive impact, adequate on-ball defense, and toughness will likely allow him to be an immediate plug-and-play wing at the NBA level. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if Duarte provides a spark to an NBA team as early as next season.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/keon-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keon Johnson, Tennessee</a> 
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Possessing incredible athleticism and a nose for the ball, Keon Johnson has the tools to be an elite defender and high-flyer at the next level. Although there are some concerns about his limitations on the offensive end, his aggressiveness, instincts, and versatility on the defensive end suggest that he can become a high-level role player while possessing upside considering his elite athleticism.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jaden-springer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Springer, Tennessee</a> 
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A disciplined and physical guard who can score on all three levels, Jaden Springer uses his physical strength to attack the rim and create space to score in the midrange while also being a reliable outside shooter. He is a tremendous defender both on and off the ball, and his physicality and toughness allow him to defend multiple positions. His ability to play point guard regularly is highly questionable, but he is an effective passer. Springer&rsquo;s ceiling might not be quite as high as some of the other one-and-done prospects this year; however, his floor is high, making him a safe bet.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/cam-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cam Thomas, LSU</a>
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Cam Thomas is a microwave scorer and tough shot-maker who has the ability to get hot at any moment. He has great shot creation tools and has shown a combination of easy NBA range as well as craftiness at the rim to finish inside. He's also able to get to the free-throw line at a high rate, making him one of the best scorers in the class.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/josh-christopher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Christopher, Arizona State</a> 
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An athletic, playmaking guard, Josh Christopher was inefficient at Arizona State this past season. However, he did show an ability to score off the dribble and hit tough shots. He excels attacking in transition and when he gets downhill, he is a powerful athlete who is capable of finishing plays with craft and touch. He needs to become more focused on defense and improve as a decision-maker, especially in regard to his shot selection. But he is one of those guys where if it clicks, watch out.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joshua-primo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Primo, Alabama</a> 
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Despite being a little ways from making a real impact on an NBA floor, Josh Primo has tremendous long-term potential. He progressed well during his freshman season at Alabama, averaging 9.0 points per game while shooting 41.4% from three and 89.3% from the free-throw line in conference play. With good positional size, Primo will need to continue to build on his basketball IQ and versatility as he moves on to the next level, but he shouldn't be on the board too long as his upside is undeniable.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/brandon-boston-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Boston Jr., Kentucky</a> 
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After being a highly touted recruit entering his freshman year at Kentucky, Brandon Boston Jr. had a disappointing season. His draft stock is somewhat unstable at the moment due to his thin build and inconsistent play. But at 6-foot-7, Boston&rsquo;s combination of length, shot-making, and ball-handling give him the potential to be an effective scorer in the NBA. Despite some of the public concerns, don&rsquo;t expect Boston to slip too far in the draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/ayo-dosunmu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois</a> 
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Averaging 20.1 points per game this season, Ayo Dosunmu solidified himself as one of the best guards in college basketball last season. He's a terrific athlete who excels in open space as well as attacking the rim. He is a combo guard who's effective in the pick-and-roll. He has also continually improved as an outside shooter. Dosunmu's competitive nature makes him a viable option for teams looking for depth at guard.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/quentin-grimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quentin Grimes, Houston</a> 
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The former McDonald's All-American came into his own last season with the Cougars, scoring over 17 points per game while solidifying himself as one of the best shooters in the country. With good athleticism and playmaking, Grimes has a real chance to carve out a role for himself in the NBA. He struggled with inconsistency at times, but the sharpshooting makes him a viable option in this month's Draft.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joel-ayayi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga</a>
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A key piece in Gonzaga's incredible season, Ayayi played well both on and off the ball for the Bulldogs. He isn't the flashiest player on the floor, but the Frenchman is consistent, reliable, and a strong decision-maker. Ayayi shot 38.9% from deep this season on the way to 12.0 points per contest, and regularly added great reads off the dribble as a facilitator, playmaking, and disciplined defense on the other end. With his positional size and intelligence, he has a great chance to carve out a role in the NBA.
To see BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft">click here</a>. Also, check out the list of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-point-guards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top point guards in this class</a>.

Matt Babcock lists his best shooting guard prospects in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Top shooting guards in this class

The Golden State Warriors were frenzied, rushing shots and being careless with the basketball. It led to perhaps their worst loss this season to an Indiana team with a handful of injured stars watching in street clothes.
Keifer Sykes hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:41 left in overtime and a layup the next possession, Chris Duarte scored 27 points and the undermanned Pacers beat Stephen Curry and the Warriors 121-117 on Thursday night.
Golden State got one last chance with 6.4 seconds left after a jump ball and Klay Thompson checked in but couldn't get a shot off.
&ldquo;We were definitely sped up a little bit, 9 for 42 from 3, but it wasn&rsquo;t a great game in terms of our execution to get those 42 3-point shots,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we earned the right to make a lot more than that. It just felt like we were scattered out there and in a rush for sure.&rdquo;
Curry scored 39 but none in overtime, missing a 3 from the top of the arc with 16.5 seconds left. He had a tying layup with 2:44 left and four free throws in the final 34.5 seconds of regulation, but Golden State surrendered Justin Holiday's tying 3 with 6 seconds left to send the game into OT.
&ldquo;As far as the 3-point shot that tied it, I&rsquo;m normally a fouler and I take the hit on that one, too. This was my night to stink it up,&rdquo; Kerr said.
Duarte hit clutch jumpers late in regulation as the determined Pacers hung tough on a night they were missing the starting backcourt duo of Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, along with starting center Domantas Sabonis because of injuries.
&ldquo;Golden State is a great, great team. They got two of the best players &mdash; two of the best shooters that you&rsquo;ve ever seen in this game &mdash; so I think us coming out with the win, it&rsquo;s a huge, huge win for us,&rdquo; Duarte said.
Juan Toscano-Anderson, who had a key 3 with 3:19 to go, rebounded Torrey Craig's miss with 15.7 seconds left and Curry converted free throws.
Indiana center Goga Bitadze was ejected with 6:44 left following his second technical after fouling Gary Payton II, who went over the 6-foot-11 center for a left-handed slam and also was whistled for a technical.
&ldquo;I didn't say anything,&rdquo; said Payton, who scratched his head after the dunk and stared at Bitazdze, who appeared to try to head butt the Warriors star.
Thompson drove to the basket for a pretty reverse layup in the second quarter and again showed signs of his old dominant self after returning earlier this month from a 2 1/2-year absence following surgeries on his left knee and right Achilles tendon. He missed all seven of his 3-point tries and Golden State's players aside from Curry were 0 for 14 from deep until Damion Lee connected with 40 seconds left in the third.
"Just got to give it time," Kerr said.
Curry had 18 points by halftime to help Golden State build a 63-55 lead and wound up 12 of 27 with six 3-pointers. Kevon Looney grabbed 15 rebounds for his career-best fourth straight game with double-digit boards. DeMarcus Cousins was the last Warriors player with 10 or more rebounds in four straight games, doing so in five in a row from Feb. 12-28, 2019, according to Elias.
Indiana snapped a four-game losing streak with a 111-104 road win against the Lakers on Wednesday. The Pacers take on the top two teams in the Western Conference in consecutive games when they play at Phoenix on Saturday.
The Warriors dropped to 10-1 this season facing the Eastern Conference.
HOME RUN DERBY
Golden State canceled practice Wednesday and had a fun game of <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1484044016605794304">Home Run Derby instead</a>.
&ldquo;Everyone's tired from all the travel over the last month or so, just felt like a good day to unwind and do something fun, &rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;... Klay was good. I know you're going to be shocked that Steph and Klay were both excellent.&rdquo;
HONORING MRS. ATTLES
Wilhelmina Attles, a former teacher in Oakland and wife of Warriors Hall of Famer Al Attles, was honored on Educators Appreciation Night and the Oakland Unified School District declared Jan. 20 &ldquo;Mrs. Attles Day.&rdquo; She left the court in tears after the halftime ceremony, clearly touched.
SELLOUT STREAK
The Warriors recorded their 400th straight sellout spanning the regular season and playoffs &mdash; excluding the limited capacity for fans last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The streak dates to Dec. 18, 2012, against New Orleans.
TIP-INS
Pacers: Brogdon has right Achilles tendon soreness, LeVert a sore right calf and Sabonis a sprained left ankle. ... Indiana improved to 5-17 on the road with its third straight victory on the Warriors' home floor.
Warriors: Rookie Jonathan Kuminga, in the starting lineup during Draymond Green's injury absence, was hit with his first career technical for making contact with Lance Stephenson midway through the second. ... Otto Porter Jr. sat the first game of a back-to-back while Thompson and Andre Iguodala are set to rest Friday vs. the Rockets. ... The Warriors still hope C James Wiseman, recovering from right knee surgery, will begin scrimmaging with contact soon but limited scheduled practices has made that challenging along with the big man needing the knee flushed to relieve swelling last month. &ldquo;At this point I&rsquo;m also aware I&rsquo;m the boy who cried wolf a little bit,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;When it happens, it happens and we&rsquo;ll let you know.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Pacers: At Suns on Saturday night.
Warriors: Host Houston on Friday night to complete a back-to-back having won four straight vs. the Rockets.

Keifer Sykes hit a go-ahead three withand a layup in OT, Chris Duarte scored 27 points and the undermanned Pacers won.

Undermanned Pacers stun Curry, Warriors 121-117 in overtime

Kevin Durant is a basketball junkie. When he isn&rsquo;t lighting up opposing teams on the court, he&rsquo;s often studying film or watching games on NBA League Pass.
Because he watches so much basketball, Durant can offer up informed takes and detailed analysis of players and teams around the NBA. That&rsquo;s why Durant was the perfect first guest for the new #NBAHooperVision stream, which is hosted by Jamal Crawford and Quentin Richardson.
During the broadcast, Crawford asked Durant which young NBA players he likes the most, and the two-time champion used this opportunity to praise the 2021 rookie class.
&ldquo;I like a lot of the rookies this year,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;I like Scottie Barnes. I like [Chris] Duarte. We played them a couple of weeks ago. He reminds me of an old-school shooting guard. [He&rsquo;s] quick off the catch and can shoot the mid-range off a couple of dribbles too. He&rsquo;s got good size. I like him. I like him a lot. I like this rookie class a lot.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KDTrey5</a> discusses this year's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBARooks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBARooks</a> class with <a href="https://twitter.com/JCrossover?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JCrossover</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/QRich?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QRich</a>! Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAHooperVision?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAHooperVision</a> on NBA League Pass: <a href="https://t.co/xoeIs9fLvQ">https://t.co/xoeIs9fLvQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/Hg15w0v3OB">pic.twitter.com/Hg15w0v3OB</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1461515840000561152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Barnes has been one of the biggest surprises among this year&rsquo;s rookies, as he was initially viewed as a raw prospect who would take some time to develop. After all, during his lone collegiate season, he only started seven contests and averaged just 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 24.8 minutes per game. However, Barnes has been excellent for the Toronto Raptors, starting every game and averaging 14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game.
Duarte was playing 35.9 minutes per game over the first month of the season, as the Indiana Pacers were without Caris LeVert, Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb for multiple games. The 24-year-old made the most of this opportunity and showed why he was considered one of the most NBA-ready players in this class. However, he&rsquo;s come back down to Earth a bit recently, and he&rsquo;s averaging just 23.1 minutes over the last six games. Still, on the season, Duarte is averaging 13.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 threes and 0.9 steals, and he&rsquo;s been one of the most efficient rookies with 43.4/39.2/76.5 shooting splits.&nbsp;
Several weeks ago, after the Brooklyn Nets' 96-90 win over the Detroit Pistons, Durant also praised No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham.
&ldquo;I love Cade&rsquo;s game,&rdquo; Durant <a href="https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/2021/11/05/pistons-cade-cunningham-kevin-durant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s going to be a tough, tough cover for a long, long time. I got to know him while he was in high school, so we built a little relationship. To play against him in the NBA is what we had a lot of conversations about &mdash; being on this level and what it took. He battled some injuries to start, but to come out here and play aggressive tonight [was big]. He hit some big shots for them. I&rsquo;m happy for him and looking forward to seeing his career... This is really one of my guys.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Cunningham got off to a slow start, but he&rsquo;s currently averaging 14.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.9 threes and 1.4 steals for the 4-12 Pistons. With that said, the 20-year-old has struggled with his efficiency, shooting 35.0% from the field and 25.3% from three-point range.
In addition to Barnes, Duarte and Cunningham, this rookie class has also featured impressive play from Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley (who's widely considered the Rookie of the Year favorite), Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, Oklahoma City Thunder Josh Giddey, Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, etc.
It remains to be seen how the 2021 NBA Draft will stack up alongside other classes in the long run, but the early results have been promising.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rookie-rankings-2021-evan-mobley-scottie-barnes-bursting-onto-scene" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Be sure to check out BasketballNews.com&rsquo;s top-10 rookie rankings.</a>

Kevin Durant is a big fan of the 2021 rookie class, praising Scottie Barnes, Chris Duarte and Cade Cunningham in particular.

Durant praises 2021 NBA Draft class: 'I like this rookie class a lot'

Now that the NBA Finals are over, it&rsquo;s time for sports bettors to move onto the next big date in the league: the NBA Draft. It's the event where young ballers' dreams come true, while also changing the trajectory of the franchises they're taken by, and it takes place tomorrow night on July 29.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s a growing consensus on who the top three picks in the draft will be. Oklahoma State&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/cade-cunningham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cade Cunningham</a>, the G League Ignite&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Green</a> and USC&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/evan-mobley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evan Mobley</a> are currently projected to go Nos. 1, 2 and 3 per insiders and the odds offered by sportsbooks.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, Cunningham is the overwhelming favorite to be the <a href="https://betql.co/nba/sharp-picks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top NBA pick</a> in the draft at (-8000) by the Detroit Pistons. Nos. 2 and 3 are currently a toss-up, but the odds say Green is the (-200) favorite to be the No. 2 pick for the Houston Rockets.
Lastly, Mobley leads the way in the odds (-165) to go No. 3 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After the top three picks, the order gets a little hazy. Gonzaga&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-suggs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Suggs</a> is the favorite at (-160) to go No. 4 to the Toronto Raptors, while FSU&rsquo;s versatile forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/scottie-barnes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scottie Barnes</a> is listed at (-120) to be the No. 5 pick by the Orlando Magic.
(Editor's Note: BasketballNews.com Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock also has Suggs going No. 4 to the Raptors and Barnes going No. 5 to the Magic in his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>.)
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Let&rsquo;s now take a look at the NBA Draft bets we like as a team:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/cam-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cam Thomas</a> UNDER 23.5 and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/chris-duarte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Duarte</a> UNDER 18.5 both look juicy. The two have been invited to the Green Room, and are shooting up draft boards.
Thomas has been one of the country&rsquo;s best scorers at both the high school and college levels, and his ability to get buckets will transfer over to the NBA. Several teams are interested in him, including the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
OKC is trying to accumulate the best players possible, and he&rsquo;d be a great fit next to the team's current point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (unless he doesn't stick around, as the Thunder are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shai-gilgeousalexander-no-longer-impossible-to-get-in-trade-discussions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly not considering him untouchable</a>). As for the Knicks, we all saw how desperately they could&rsquo;ve used scoring in the playoffs. New York holds two picks -- Nos. 19 and 21 -- and the BetQL team would be hard-pressed seeing Thomas drop further than the Knicks.
Duarte, a knockdown shooter, also has been picking up steam this week in terms of his draft position. The Oregon sniper has the ability to immediately make an impact no matter what roster he is on. The BetQL team can see him going anywhere in the 13-to-16 range. He&rsquo;d be a good fit with the Indiana Pacers at 13, or would slide in nicely as Klay Thompson&rsquo;s backup in Golden State if the Warriors hang onto their pick at 14. Duarte has been compared to Thompson in many ways, and that Golden State system would allow him to maximize his potential.
As far as matchup wagers go, one that the BetQL team recommends making a bet on is Cameron Thomas vs. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/tre-mann" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tre Mann</a>. Thomas is favored at (-120) to be selected before Mann in next week&rsquo;s draft.
As you can see from the BetQL team's previously-mentioned thoughts above, it feels the LSU guard is going to be selected in the middle-to-early-20s part of the first round, whereas Mann is slated to go more towards the end of the first round. At this price, this wager presents some value.
(Editor's Note: BasketballNews.com Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has Thomas going No. 20 to the Atlanta Hawks and Mann going No. 27 to the Brooklyn Nets in his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>.)
As a Basketball News reader you can get access to BetQL for 30% when you use the code BBN30, <a href="https://betql.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out BetQL</a> and win the rest of your bets in the draft and more.

With the 2021 NBA Draft just one night away, here are the odds for the top picks and best bets to make.

Odds and best bets for the 2021 NBA Draft

After evaluating all of the 2021 NBA Draft prospects before their transition to the pros, Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock will continue to keep track of the first-year players as they start their NBA careers. 
Just under a month into the 2021-22 NBA season, here is Babcock's first edition of NBA Rookie Rankings:
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Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers (9-6) 
14.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.6 BPG, 1.0 SPG, 49.4 FG%, 30.8 3PT%, 77.1 FT%, 33.6 MPG
After being selected No. 3 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Evan Mobley is looking like a steal for the Cleveland Cavaliers thus far. At 7-feet tall, Mobley has shown that he's capable of being a defensive anchor for the Cavaliers by utilizing his length and mobility, and he has significant potential to become an offensive cornerstone for them as well. Perhaps the best part of Mobley&rsquo;s early success is that his individual production has not only led to him gaining recognition, but the Cavs are winning too. They are currently 9-6 after posting a subpar 27-45 record throughout the 2020-21 season. The Cavs announced recently that Mobley will be out for two-to-four weeks with an elbow injury; however, he remains the early front-runner for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, nonetheless.
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Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors (7-8) 
16.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 51.2 FG%, 18.2 3PT%, 79.1 FT%, 35.5 MPG
Although Evan Mobley has a slight edge in regards to being the early favorite for Rookie of the Year, Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is certainly not far behind. In Barnes&rsquo; lone freshman season at Florida State, he regularly showed flashes of potential greatness, but he did not have a dominant year by any means; he only averaged 10 points per game over the season, and those numbers aren't what you'd typically expect to see from a high lottery pick. However, early in Barnes&rsquo; rookie campaign, he has already proven to be an extremely effective do-it-all forward, as he is averaging over 16 points and 8 rebounds per game while helping lead the Raptors to a near .500 record. Expect Barnes to be a mainstay and fan favorite in Toronto for years to come.
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Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic (3-10)
13.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 44.5 FG%, 37.1 3PT%, 76.0 FT%, 32.2 MPG
After a terrific sophomore season at Michigan, Franz Wagner has made a seamless transition into the NBA. At 6-foot-10, Wagner is big and versatile. He&rsquo;s not overly flashy, but he does a little bit of everything. This young Magic team is not winning games at a high rate just yet, but Orlando is drawing quite a bit of positive attention for the first time in a while, and Wagner has been a big part of that. I&rsquo;ve questioned Wagner&rsquo;s fluidity and consistency as an outside shooter in the past, but he&rsquo;s currently shooting an acceptable 37.1% from three-point range (23-of-62). If he&rsquo;s able to continue to develop in that area, his ceiling on the offensive end would be even higher than I originally thought. Regardless, I&rsquo;m expecting Wagner to become a good starter in the NBA and a player who will help a franchise win games, at the very least.
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Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers (6-9) 
14.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 43.1 FG%, 40.3 3PT%, 76.5 FT%, 32.1 MPG
While at Oregon last season, Chris Duarte was a prospect who I put my stamp of approval on early, so naturally I&rsquo;m happy to see him doing so well early in his career with the Indiana Pacers. At 6-foot-5, Duarte displays a lot of the qualities that one would want from the shooting guard position &mdash; most importantly, his ability to shoot and score the ball. Through 14 games, Duarte is averaging 14.3 points while shooting 40.3% from three-point range. After being selected No. 13 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Duarte is looking like one of the better picks from this class so far.
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Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder (5-8)
9.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 37.1 FG%, 25.6 3PT%, 61.5 FT%, 28.8 MPG
Although he just turned 19 years old, Josh Giddey is already doing some really good things in his rookie season for the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite room for growth with his shooting efficiency &mdash; he&rsquo;s only shooting 37.1% from the field and 25.6% from three-point range &mdash; Giddey is just simply fun to watch as he makes crafty moves and slings dart-like passes all over the floor with both hands. It is going to be interesting to see him mature and grow as a player. After snagging Giddey with the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, it looks as if Sam Presti has struck gold once again.
Jalen Green, Houston Rockets (1-13) 
13.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 36.0 FG%, 27.4 3PT%, 78.6 FT%, 31.9 MPG
Jalen Green may be sixth on this list, but I don&rsquo;t think anyone is questioning him long-term... I&rsquo;m certainly not. The Rockets are in rebuild mode; they have a 1-13 record and, well, they&rsquo;re just not very good. They&rsquo;re going through some growing pains, and so is Green. Although he has been inconsistent, he has shown flashes as to why many believe he&rsquo;ll become a prolific scorer in the NBA &mdash; myself included. He possesses high-level explosiveness and has an uncanny ability to score the ball. Similar to Anthony Edwards last season, I think it&rsquo;s just a matter of time before he finds his footing and takes off.
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (3-10) 
13.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 34.8 FG%, 27.6 3PT%, 92.9 FT%, 30.0 MPG
After missing the first handful of games to start the season due to a minor injury, Cade Cunningham, the top pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, has had a very slow start to his career with the Detroit Pistons. However, I don&rsquo;t think some of the harsh criticism he's received is all that fair. Recently, Cunningham has started playing much better, including an outstanding performance on Monday night, when he scored 25 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 8 assists in a loss to the Sacramento Kings. Despite the underwhelming start, I still think Cunningham will end up being one of the best players from the 2021 class. Similar to Jalen Green, I don&rsquo;t expect him to be ranked this far down this list for very long.
Davion Mitchell, Sacramento Kings (6-8)
9.6 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.4 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 40.1 FG%, 29.8 3PT%, 63.6 FT%, 26.3 MPG
I was a bit surprised when the Kings selected Davion Mitchell with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, it was not because of his lack of talent, but more so that the Kings seemed to have a bit of a logjam at guard with De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Despite the crowded backcourt, Mitchell has stepped in and contributed right away, playing 26.3 minutes per game. Perhaps my favorite part of Mitchell&rsquo;s game is that he&rsquo;s willing and able to pick up defensively full-court. Once he starts knocking down outside shots at a higher clip, as he did at Baylor, I believe his productivity and effectiveness will increase even to even higher levels.
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets (1-13) 
9.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 48.2 FG%, 37.5 3PT%, 66.7 FT%, 19.3 MPG
Though he falls into the category of being a throwback, traditional big, Alperen Sengun is doing a lot of the same things that he did in Turkey last season &mdash; he just produces. I think playing for a rebuilding Houston Rockets team is a great situation for him in regards to his development, as they have the luxury of playing him solid minutes in his rookie season. After being selected No. 16 overall, Sengun is looking like a terrific pick for Houston.
Herbert Jones, New Orleans Pelicans (2-13) 
7.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 50.0 FG%, 38.5 3PT%, 78.6 FT%, 24.8 MPG
Selected with the No. 35 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, Herbert Jones has carved out a solid role for himself with the New Orleans Pelicans, providing versatility on both ends of the floor. This past weekend, Jones had a career-night, scoring 17 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies. It sure is looking like Jones is in the NBA to stay.
Others worth mentioning:
Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic Bones Hyland, Denver Nuggets Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Oklahoma City Thunder Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers Dalano Banton, Toronto Raptors

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, Matt Babcock's unveils the first edition of his NBA Rookie Rankings.

NBA Rookie Rankings: Mobley, Barnes bursting onto the scene

Welcome to a special NBA-Summer-League-Edition of Roaming The Baseline. This will serve more like a notebook, with observations around the league from this year's summer-league experience. Players that stood out, players that disappointed, randomness from the stands -- you'll get it all here.
With that, let's roam the baseline.
HOUSTON, WE HAVE PROBLEMS
I mean this in a positive sense. You don't want to make sweeping conclusions before, during or after summer league ball. I mean, it's summer league ball, duh. But I do feel a little bit better about the Houston Rockets' draft after watching them in Vegas.
The morning after the draft, I <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1421129799716769794?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared my concerns</a> on Twitter. To sum it up: I liked the picks individually, but wasn't quite sure how or if the developmental reps would be spread around in an effective manner.&nbsp;
Some of those questions still persist, but I'm more comfortable because of how everyone looked.
Jalen Green (20-4-2 with a 51/53/93 slash line) flourished, blessing a masked audience with shot/space creation flashes and pick-and-roll poise beyond his years. I'm still losing my mind over this pass.
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Alperen Sengun (15-11-3-1-3, 43/38/61) was Houston's most productive rookie, showcasing real scoring and passing chops out of the post, as well as holding his own as a positional defender. I'm curious to see how his skill set translates against actual NBAers, but his feel was apparent even on this stage.
Watching Josh Christopher (17-4-4, 39/18/78) was an experience and a half, man. You were just as likely to see him clamp up a primary initiator (he had some reps&nbsp;against Cade Cunningham) as you were to see him take an ill-advised, early clock pull-up triple for... no real reason, to be frank with you.&nbsp;
But the energy was infectious. He got to the rim almost whenever he wanted and generated free throws at a solid clip. And speaking of infectious energy &mdash; watching Rockets-Pistons live was even more fun because I was seated near either friends or family of Christopher. And they were loud and proud,&nbsp;let me tell ya.
Usman Garuba (4-8-3-2-1, 33/0/40) came to Vegas late due to Olympic obligations, but immediately gave his fans and critics plenty of ammo.
On the high end, he absolutely wrecked the Portland Trail Blazers on defense. He did the "boring" stuff, rotating and boxing out and ending possessions with defensive rebounds. But the event creation was there: five steals and a block is nothing to sneeze at.
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Offensively, well, there wasn't much offensively. There was the occasional instance of quick processing as a passer, but you'd be hard-pressed to find really high-level reads. The finishing wasn't there; Garuba converted well-under 50% of his looks at the rim, per InStat tracking. He missed both of his three-point attempts, and the free-throw percentage wasn't great with a limited sample.
THE KINGS MAY HAVE SOMETHING IN DAVION MITCHELL
It's not too often that the Sacramento Kings win things, so it's only fair to highlight them when they do.
On a serious note: What a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/kings-offense-mitchells-defense-leads-sacramento-to-title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summer league run for them</a>. 5-0 with a title to boot, all behind a devastating defense. The points allowed: 70 (Charlotte), 75 (Washington), 75 (Memphis), 70 (Dallas), 67 (Boston).
It started with No. 9 overall pick Davion Mitchell (11-1-6-1, 42/47/29), whose on-ball defense was on full display across multiple positions. This isn't the time to have "point of attack defense vs. rim protection" discourse, but Mitchell showcased the value of strong point of attack defense. The stretches he had against fellow lottery pick James Bouknight were downright filthy.
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He provided value offensively as well, shooting the leather off the ball, puncturing the paint consistently and making timely reads in pick-and-roll. To nearly rack up a 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in summer league is not an easy thing to do, considering the, uh...[waves arms wildly]... nature of summer league basketball.
Mitchell seems ready &mdash; well, as comfortably as you can make that proclamation after Vegas games. Finding playing time for him should be interesting. I would imagine we'll see plenty of three-guard looks from the Kings this year. If Mitchell is genuinely able to defend up a position, that alignment should be fine.
CADE CUNNINGHAM'S ROLE
After watching him operate in a phone booth in college, with teammates that didn't consistently generate open looks for him, I was excited to watch Cade Cunningham (19-6-2, 43/50/50) in a summer league setting.
He wouldn't be surrounded with Team USA or anything, but just about anything would be better than the context he had worked with in college. So it was a bit surprising to see Cade work off the ball as much as he did.
It makes sense, zooming out. You don't want to overwhelm your number one, even one as poised and as talented as Cade. Though he's mature beyond his years, you don't want to give complete control and run the risk of bad habits being established.
Also: Cade isn't the only guy the Pistons wanted to give reps to. Killian Hayes entered the summer coming off an underwhelming, and later injury-shortened, rookie campaign. It was worth exploring what Saddiq Bey could do with the rock. Heck, Saben Lee intrigued during the second half of the season with his adventurous forays to the basket.
So the Pistons did spread the wealth, often sliding Cade off the ball. Luckily for Detroit, Cade is 1) very smart, and 2) a darn good shooter, a development that should scare folks.&nbsp;
He got busy off movement, relocated well and cashed home spot-up shots to the tune of a 50% clip on nearly nine attempts per game. Oh, and he was able to do it like this, too.
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There were some warts to Cade's stint in Vegas. The passing was good, not great. There were some wayward skips and forced dimes, though nothing to be super concerned about long-term.
Something to watch: Cade took two free throws in three games. Him not having elite burst has been on the scouting report for a while, but someone with his size and skill level should be able to get to the line more than that on accident.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM"
<ul>
<li>With the obvious caveat of not being, like, <a href="https://twitter.com/abovethebreak3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PD Web</a>-level draft person, I did not understand the Spurs taking Josh Primo in the lottery. He did raise my brow some with his ball-screen savvy and the ease in which he flowed into pull-ups in Vegas. His 31.3% clip on threes (8.0 attempts) doesn't tell the full story, but there were some ugly misses in there too. I gotta see more.</li>
<li>Know who I don't need to see more of? Payton Pritchard (17-6-9), Tyrese Maxey (26-6-5), Immanuel Quickley (20-4-8) and Obi Toppin (21 &amp; 8), for starters. Desmond Bane (24-4-4) also fits the bill. It's always a good sign when Year 2 guys look like they have no business being there, and they all looked thoroughly out of place.</li>
<li>Y'all really let Jalen Johnson (19-10-2) fall out of the lottery, and Sharife Cooper (14 &amp; 7) fall to the middle of the second round, huh?</li>
<li>Following the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade, the Heat have to hit on the margins to fill out the roster. Omer Yurtseven (20-10-2-1-3) seems to have real potential as a rotational big, and I have my eye on ball-hawking guard Marcus Garrett to potentially land a two-way deal.</li>
<li>The Portland Trail Blazers. That's the thing that makes me go "hmmmm." Because what was the direction &mdash; what was the point, really &mdash; of their roster? It was a who's-who of former lottery flameouts (Michael Beasley, Emmanuel Mudiay), Kenneth Faried for some reason and then... Greg Brown III, who gave us this when we truly didn't deserve it.</li>
</ul>
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STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>It felt weird being in Vegas, to be completely honest with you. It wasn't as hot as it was when I went in 2019, and it was nice to see some of my (media) pals that I either hadn't seen in a while or hadn't met yet. But man, it would've been nice to have more access, more freedom, a little more fun. Not sure if things will be "normal" for quite some time, but summer league didn't truly feel like summer league this year.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Back to actual basketball &mdash; I came away impressed with Scottie Barnes (16-7-3-1-2). It's simple, it's cliche, but the dude knows how to play basketball. He's always moving, flowing from the dunker spot to the corner, then lifting to the wing if necessary. He's unselfish, sometimes to a fault. Though shooting concerns persist, it's encouraging that he wasn't gun-shy. The defense is pretty much there already, and he was tasked with multiple positional assignments, as well as different schemes. Fun dude to track.</li>
<li>Won't go deep into Evan Mobley since I wrote about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/early-returns-thoughts-on-evan-mobleys-summer-league-debut" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his debut</a>, but I'll just say that young man is gonna be&nbsp;good.</li>
<li>I wasn't a fan of how the Charlotte Hornets put their team together at all. Bouknight and Grant Riller can't be your only trusted ball-handlers, especially with neither of them being natural playmakers. Expecting your offense to flow, or for your more raw talents (Kai Jones, JT Thor) to flourish within this context was a fool's errand.</li>
<li>Shout out LiAngelo Ball!</li>
<li>The Pacers have something in Chris Duarte, who both shot and defended well. That man was&nbsp;everywhere&nbsp;the few times I watched him.</li>
<li>The shooting splits may not show it, but Jonathan Kuminga looks further along than I expected him to be. There were plenty of on-ball flashes to be excited about. Also... don't call him that.</li>
<li>Nets rookie Cam Thomas was regarded as arguably the best shot creator in this year's class. Leading summer leaguers in scoring (27.0 points, 42/36/85) is an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/did-the-nets-get-a-steal-in-no-27-overall-pick-cam-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">easy way to back up that claim</a>. I'm even more impressed with Brooklyn's offseason now.</li>
</ul>

Nekias Duncan gives his closing thoughts and observations on this year's Summer League.

Roaming the Baseline: NBA Summer League Edition

Nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, fantasy managers are already looking back at their drafts &mdash; celebrating certain steals and kicking themselves over their biggest busts.
It&rsquo;s always fun to track which players are overachieving from a fantasy standpoint. This list features a wide variety of surprise breakouts &mdash; from rising stars who have made a significant leap forward, to prospects who are making the most of an increased role, to veterans who find themselves in the right place at the right time following a change of scenery.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s break down the NBA players who have exceeded expectations out of the gate and helped fantasy managers get off to a strong start. (This article uses fantasy scoring from Yahoo's points leagues and all stats are up-to-date to reflect games played through Nov. 11).&nbsp;
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs | 46.18 FPPG, 9th in NBA
Entering this season, Dejounte Murray was a popular breakout candidate among fantasy analysts and managers, which is why he was being drafted in the third or fourth round of most fantasy drafts. However, nobody saw this kind of leap coming, as he&rsquo;s been a top-10 fantasy option through 11 games. The 25-year-old has become the focal point of the Spurs&rsquo; attack, averaging 18.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 1.4 threes, 0.5 blocks and just 2.1 turnovers in 34.3 minutes. Murray is filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis, like when he posted a monster 21-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound, 2-steal, 2-block performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 26. San Antonio has shifted its focus to rebuilding and developing their young talent, so Murray's role isn't changing anytime soon.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies | 46.29 FPPG, 8th in NBA
Like Murray, Ja Morant was being selected as a third- or fourth-rounder in fantasy drafts, but he has dominated out of the gate, and his 46.29 fantasy points per game rank eighth-best among all NBA players. Morant is averaging a career-high 26.5 points (up from 19.1 PPG last year) to go along with 7.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 threes and 1.7 steals. Also, this has been his most efficient campaign, as he&rsquo;s shooting 48.5% from the field, 34.5% from three-point range and 77.9% from the free-throw line (all of which are career-highs). He needs to limit his turnovers, as he's averaging 4.4 per game (which is eighth-most in the league). But otherwise, he's been an absolute steal for managers who bet on the high-upside guard.
Jonas Valanciunas, New Orleans Pelicans | 43.65 FPPG, 13th in NBA
Jonas Valanciunas has been a solid fantasy option in recent years, totaling the 30th-most fantasy points in the league last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. However, after changing teams over the offseason, the fantasy community wasn&rsquo;t sure what to expect from the 29-year-old. Fantasy Pros&rsquo; preseason Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) had Valanciunas projected as the <a href="https://www.fantasypros.com/nba/rankings/overall-points-yahoo.php?filters=34c251ed83" target="_blank" rel="noopener">69th-best player</a>, and his Average Draft Position (ADP) was <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/average-draft-position/basketball?league=h2h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">74.09</a>. Well, through 12 games, he's been a top-15 fantasy weapon, averaging a career-high in points (20.0), rebounds (14.0), assists (2.7), threes (1.0) and steals (0.8). With Zion Williamson recovering from offseason foot surgery and Brandon Ingram sidelined due to a hip contusion, Valanciunas has taken on a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-made-right-decision-by-extending-jonas-valanciunas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much bigger role than initially anticipated</a>, and he&rsquo;s made the most of the opportunity in New Orleans. He&rsquo;ll likely come back down to earth at some point, but he absolutely deserves praise for his impressive start.
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Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets | 41.35 FPPG, 23rd in NBA
One week before the season tipped off, Miles Bridges had an ADP of <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/average-draft-position/basketball?league=h2h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">103.70</a>. That means he was typically being picked in the same range as Klay Thompson (who remains sidelined) and Delon Wright (who&rsquo;s averaging 9.18 FPPG). Now, the 23-year-old is suddenly a top-25 option, averaging 21.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 threes, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and just 2.5 turnovers in 36.2 minutes per game. Bridges is one of the biggest surprises of this fantasy season because nobody outside of Miles&rsquo; family could've seen this kind of breakout campaign coming. With Morant and Murray, there was plenty of talk about how this could be their year, but Bridges wasn&rsquo;t receiving that kind of hype. The high-flyer has always been a ton of fun to watch, and it&rsquo;s been a pleasure seeing him round out his game and realize his full potential. Bridges has been incredibly consistent so far this season, finishing with 36.0 or more fantasy points in 10 of 12 games.
Al Horford, Boston Celtics | 37.23 FPPG, 42nd in NBA
It&rsquo;s easy to see why fantasy analysts and managers didn&rsquo;t feel like they could trust Al Horford entering this season. While a reunion with the Celtics was nice, he turned 35 years old in June and played in just 28 games last season for the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder (who were trying to showcase him and increase his trade value). Horford understandably slipped to the 11th or 12th round in drafts (and even went undrafted in some leagues), but he&rsquo;s been outstanding for Boston. Through nine games, he&rsquo;s averaging 13.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.4 blocks, 0.9 steals, 1.1 threes and just 1.1 turnovers in 28.9 minutes per game. Prior to this season, Horford had never averaged over 1.5 blocks per game, so his 2.4 rejections have been a surprise. And the last time he averaged this many rebounds was back in 2012-13, when he was on the Atlanta Hawks. Horford has turned back the clock, and it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see just how much of this production is sustainable going forward.
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Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic | 37.29 FPPG, 41st in NBA
As of Oct. 17, Cole Anthony&rsquo;s ADP was <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/nba_player_news/Cole_Anthony/adp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">146.68</a>, which means he went undrafted in some leagues and some lucky managers landed a stud off of waivers. This season, Anthony has emerged as Orlando&rsquo;s leading scorer, averaging 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.0 threes, 1.3 steals and 2.8 turnovers in 33.9 minutes per game, while shooting 44.0% from the field, 39.1% from three and 85.0% from the free-throw line. The 21-year-old has become a fan favorite thanks to his aggressiveness, swagger and <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1457528011700547588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amazing interviews</a>. The Magic have assembled an impressive young core that is a lot of fun to watch.
Mo Bamba, Orlando Magic | 32.56 FPPG, 59th in NBA
Speaking of Orlando's young core, Mo Bamba also deserves a mention on this list. His ADP was even lower than Anthony&rsquo;s at <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/nba_player_news/Mo_Bamba/adp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">151.47</a>, but he&rsquo;s been playing at a high level on both ends. Shortly after he became the sixth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, his trainer Drew Hanlen <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2018/07/29/nba-offseason-training-joel-embiid-gordon-hayward-jayson-tatum-markelle-fultz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> that he was a very raw project; it would likely take three-to-five years before he could become a real low-post threat on offense since he needed to bulk up, improve his lower-body strength and learn to make the right reads. Bamba put in work behind the scenes, following the same developmental plan that Joel Embiid used under Hanlen earlier in his career. Well, here we are four years later, and Bamba looks like the real deal. The 23-year-old is averaging 11.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.8 assists, 1.6 threes and 0.9 steals on 49.5/40.4/70.8 shooting splits, and it's clear his best basketball is still ahead of him.
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings | 37.52 FPPG, 40th in NBA&nbsp;
Barnes has been a serviceable role player for fantasy teams throughout his 10 years in the NBA, but he's been much more impactful this season now that he's playing the best basketball of his career. Barnes, who had an ADP of <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/nba_player_news/Harrison_Barnes/adp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">99.1</a>, is averaging the 40th-most fantasy points in the league (37.52) thanks to his 21.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.6 threes, 1.2 steals and 2.0 turnovers (plus his efficient 49.0/42.5/86.7 shooting splits). While he has certainly helped many managers in point leagues, he has been even better in category leagues (where he's a top-15 option).
Ricky Rubio, Cleveland Cavaliers | 30.41 FPPG, 73rd in NBA
Following a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ricky-rubio-will-demand-the-best-out-of-young-cleveland-cavaliers-himself" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terrific Olympic showing with the Spanish national team</a> &mdash; during which he averaged 25.5 points, 6.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 threes on 47.8% shooting from deep &mdash; Ricky Rubio has picked up right where he left off. The 31-year-old is putting up a career-high 14.3 points as well as 6.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 threes, 1.3 steals and 3.0 turnovers while shooting a personal-best 41.0% from three-point range. Now, with Collin Sexton <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-collin-sexton-sidelined-whos-next-man-up-for-cavs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sidelined indefinitely due to a torn meniscus</a>, Rubio will take on a larger role and workload, and become an even bigger steal. Though Isaac Okoro appears to be the team's new starting guard, in the four games that Rubio's played over 30 minutes for Cleveland this season, he&rsquo;s averaged 19.5 points, 7.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 threes and 1.5 steals on insane 50.0/50.0/100.0 shooting splits.
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Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers | 30.21 FPPG, 74th in NBA
Once it became clear that Ben Simmons wouldn't be suiting up for the start of the season, Tyrese Maxey became an interesting sleeper to keep an eye on at the end of drafts. But instead of emerging as a quality role player, the sophomore guard has looked like a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-centered-on-getting-1-better-every-day-for-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising star for the 76ers</a>. Two nights ago, Maxey had 31 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 0 turnovers against the Milwaukee Bucks, and then he followed that up with a 33-point, 5-assist, 4-rebound, 2-block, 1-steal, 2-turnover performance against the Toronto Raptors. The 21-year-old doesn't lack confidence. On the season, he's now averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 threes, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.5 turnovers in 35.8 minutes, while shooting 50.6% from the field, 38.1% from three and 87.2% from the free-throw line.
Honorable Mention: The 2021 Rookie Class&nbsp;
Fantasy managers who put their faith in the 2021 NBA Draft class have largely been rewarded, especially if they bet on Scottie Barnes (33.70 FPPG, 56th-ranked), Evan Mobley (33.33, 57th) or Josh Giddey (30.44, 72nd) &mdash; all of whom are averaging at least 30.0 FPPG and currently top-75 options.
Franz Wagner (25.86, 106th) and Chris Duarte (25.01, 114th) have been the biggest surprises among rookies, as they each got off to a hot start after stepping up amidst injuries. (The Orlando Magic started the season without Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz and Chuma Okeke, while the Indiana Pacers have dealt with injuries to Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb).
Other rookies such as Cade Cunningham (23.48, 134th), Jalen Green (23.31, 135th), Alperen Sengun (21.98, 153rd), Jalen Suggs (21.06, 160th) and Davion Mitchell (20.74, 164th) have shown flashes early on as well.

One month into the NBA season, which players have been fantasy-basketball steals? Alex Kennedy breaks down 10 overachievers.

Fantasy basketball steals: 10 players exceeding expectations

The 2021 NBA Summer League has concluded, with the Sacramento Kings winning the Summer League championship over the Boston Celtics. While the Kings and New Orleans Pelicans are the only teams who left Las Vegas with an undefeated record, plenty of players made the most of their opportunity during the tournament.
There were rookies who made a strong first impression at the NBA level, second-year players who were determined to showcase more of their game and prove they're ready for a bigger role, and veterans who hoped to earn a roster spot or training-camp invite. We asked our staff the following question:
Which player impressed you the most during Summer League?
Nekias Duncan: Not enough nice things can be said about the three-game stretch that Jalen Green put together. He popped as a shot creator, and showed real life as a passer in pick-and-roll situations. The on-ball defense looked much better than it did during his G-League stretch, though we&rsquo;ll see how that translates.
Alex Kennedy: Tre Jones of the San Antonio Spurs really stood out to me. The sophomore point guard only appeared in 37 contests as a rookie and played just 7.3 minutes per game, but he dominated the competition in Las Vegas. In four games, the 21-year-old averaged 22.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals on 50.7/36.4/90.5 shooting splits. Against the Charlotte Hornets, he hit <a href="https://youtu.be/cP5X8QT4U6k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an impressive game-winning shot</a> and finished with 34 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds. Jones looked too good for Summer-League action, which has to make the rebuilding Spurs happy. Like Jones, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-centered-on-getting-1-better-every-day-for-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers)</a>, Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies) and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls)</a> also deserve credit for shining and showcasing their continued development.
Jackson Frank: My sample is more narrow than usual because I didn&rsquo;t catch my full allotment of games, but I dug what I saw from Aaron Nesmith. He flashed some off-the-dribble verve as a pull-up shooter and driver, and even executed some passing reads I wasn&rsquo;t aware were in his bag. The Celtics need wing shooting and if he&rsquo;s a legit rotation guy with some ability to attack closeouts, that&rsquo;d help buoy them a good bit.
Spencer Davies: Though there were a number of young players who looked ready for the big stage, it&rsquo;s hard not to salivate over what Jonathan Kuminga can become. With the right development and a perfect situation among champions in Golden State, it&rsquo;s looking like he&rsquo;ll be a force to be reckoned with down the line. The jump shot is inconsistent and he comes off as a little overaggressive and reckless right now &mdash; particularly when running the floor &mdash; but the dribble moves he put on in isolation situations were eye-popping, as were his speed and strength when he finished at the rim. The 18-year-old forward has plenty of upside to be excited about. It just may take a little time before he puts it all together, and that&rsquo;s okay.
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Chris Sheridan: The Nets have a very confident rookie in Cam Thomas, who killed it at Summer League and led all players with 27.0 points per game. In fact, this scoring average is second-best in Summer-League history behind only Donovan Mitchell (28.0). Thomas has a confidence and a hunger that the Nets recognized, which is why they selected him at No. 27. Whether he can crack that loaded guard rotation in Brooklyn remains to be seen, but he could be making noise in the BK for the next decade long after Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant have hung up their sneakers.
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<div class="c-message_actions__group" role="group" aria-label="Message shortcuts" data-qa="message-actions">Evan Sidery: Jalen Green was so impressive to me throughout Summer League. We knew how gifted of a three-level scorer he was, but Green made it look so easy. For a rebuilding Rockets squad, there&rsquo;s no reason Green can&rsquo;t average 20-25 points per game during his rookie campaign. Green&rsquo;s potential is immense; eventually, he could potentially become a multi-time scoring champion.</div>
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<div class="c-message_actions__group" role="group" aria-label="Message shortcuts" data-qa="message-actions">Ethan Fuller: I've always thought the "older-equals-more-NBA-ready" philosophy is a myth. But Chris Duarte might be proving me wrong. The 24-year-old first-round rookie shined for Indiana, who used him in so many creative ways. Duarte made plays on and off the ball, got to his shots in rhythm and played heads-up team defense. He could absolutely be a day-one positive in the Pacers' rotation.</div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jalen Green summer league scoring highlights <a href="https://t.co/VioXalqqwn">pic.twitter.com/VioXalqqwn</a>
&mdash; Rob Kimbell (@RobKSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobKSports/status/1426558476373921799?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<div class="c-message_actions__group" role="group" aria-label="Message shortcuts" data-qa="message-actions">Jesse Blancarte: Jalen Green only played a few Summer-League games before being sidelined with a hamstring injury, but he displayed his dynamic offensive talent and showed why he was chosen second overall in this year&rsquo;s draft. Step-back jumpers, catch-and-shoot three-pointers, drives to the basket, finishes in traffic, operating out of the pick-and-roll... Green did a little bit of everything and proved he has the talent to become a superstar player in the NBA.</div>
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<div class="c-message_actions__group" role="group" aria-label="Message shortcuts" data-qa="message-actions">Drew Maresca: Dare I say&hellip; LiAngelo Ball? Listen, a lot of guys looked great like Davion Mitchell, Payton Pritchard and Immanuel Quickley. But Ball looked surprisingly serviceable in Summer League, scoring 9.6 points per game while connecting on 34.5% of his three-point attempts, and that includes a poor final outing against the Chicago Bulls (6 points, 0-for-5 on three-point attempts). If Ball <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/did-liangelo-ball-earn-a-roster-spot-with-the-hornets-during-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">makes the Hornets' roster</a>, and I think he will, he&rsquo;ll be in a comfortable spot alongside younger brother LaMelo Ball. Sure, his long-term impact is limited, but Ball was arguably the feel-good story of the Summer League.</div>
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<div class="c-message_actions__group" role="group" aria-label="Message shortcuts" data-qa="message-actions">Jonathan Concool: Jalen Green looked every bit as advertised in his short time playing for the Houston Rockets' Summer League team. Not only did Green average 20.3 points in just 24.1 minutes, he looked extremely comfortable on the court and that might&rsquo;ve been what impressed me the most. Green&rsquo;s decision to play with the G League Ignite last season certainly seemed to give him an advantage, as he showed no jitters or nerves playing in front of NBA personnel. (After his first Summer-League game, he said that it was similar to the G League.) Green outdueled No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham in a showdown between the top-two selections, scoring a game-high 25 points and leading the Rockets to the 111-91 victory over Cunningham (20 points) and the Detroit Pistons. Green&rsquo;s Summer League was cut short due to hamstring soreness, but the Rockets emphasized they were just being overly cautious in their decision to keep him out of the lineup. Things are looking up in H-Town, as this team may be able to turn things around with their young core of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green and Christian Wood leading the way.</div>
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Which players stood out the most during the NBA-Summer-League action? We asked our BasketballNews writers to weigh in.

Roundtable: Which NBA Summer League player impressed you the most?

Patrick Beverley will face a suspension to start next season for that dangerous behind-the-back push, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Source: <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-paul-doesnt-react-to-patrick-beverley-demarcus-cousins-and-gets-last-laugh-in-shoving-suns-to-nba-finals-165811031.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Haynes/Yahoo Sports</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Beverley gave Paul a hard shove in the waning stages of Phoenix's Game 6 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Finals. With L.A. being out of the playoffs, the suspension would tack onto next season. Paul scored 41 points to go with eight assists in a statement performance to send Phoenix to its first NBA Finals since 1993.

Beverley shoved Chris Paul during a timeout in the final quarter of Game 6.

Chris