Cowboys

The quirks of scheduling for the NBA playoffs created three-day breaks between games in the Boston-Milwaukee and Memphis-Golden State series.
In this case, the teams don&rsquo;t mind the delays too much. They have used the time off to get healthier and deal with unexpected roster changes.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s beneficial in a lot of ways,&rdquo; Celtics coach Ime Udoka said.
Both series are tied heading into Game 3s on Saturday at Milwaukee and San Francisco. These four teams haven&rsquo;t played since Tuesday.
NBA teams rarely get such long layoffs. For example, the Grizzlies had three off days between games just once during the regular season, aside from the All-Star break.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he would have preferred to have two days between games rather than three. But he felt players could benefit from having time for a mental break amid a grueling series.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s definitely positives,&rdquo; Bucks center Brook Lopez said. &ldquo;It is helpful to recover. It&rsquo;s helpful because you can watch film, you can go over what the other team&rsquo;s doing, what you&rsquo;re doing, learn a lot of stuff. But we&rsquo;re all definitely itching to play as well. Maybe that&rsquo;s because we lost the last game, but we&rsquo;re definitely ready to get back out there.&rdquo;
The longer break gave players time to heal.
Ukoda said NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart is probable for Saturday after missing Game 2 with a bruised right thigh. Memphis center Steven Adams cleared health and safety protocols and should play Saturday after missing the first two games against the Warriors.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad Steve-O&rsquo;s back,&rdquo; Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson said. &ldquo;He looks great.&rdquo;
Bucks forward Khris Middleton remains out for at least the next two games with a sprained left medial collateral ligament, but the longer this series goes, the more likely he gets to play in this round.
The Grizzlies and Warriors also got accustomed to working without guys who will be missing when the series resumes.
Golden State&rsquo;s Gary Payton II is out indefinitely with a broken left elbow after taking a flagrant foul from Memphis&rsquo; Dillon Brooks, who received a one-game suspension.
&ldquo;Just having some time at home to get some rest in and get some good practices in and really lock in on the game plan is always going to be good for us,&rdquo; Warriors center Kevon Looney said. &ldquo;We have a veteran team and it&rsquo;s given us a chance to make some adjustments and figure out and learn from our last loss.&rdquo;
They like having that extra time, even though it&rsquo;s out of the ordinary.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in the playoffs where we play every other day,&rdquo; Celtics forward Al Horford said. &ldquo;And when that&rsquo;s the case, you&rsquo;re wishing and hoping, &lsquo;Man, I hope we get an extra day.&rsquo; Now in this case, it&rsquo;s a &lsquo;When are we playing again?&rsquo;-type thing. At the end of the day, this is the way it is. The scheduling works out this way. We have to make sure we stay ready no matter what it is.&rdquo;
CELTICS AT BUCKS
Series tied 1-1. Game 3, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC.
&mdash;NEED TO KNOW: The Celtics bounced back from a 101-89 loss in Game 1&nbsp;by trouncing the defending champion Bucks 109-86 in Game 2. The Bucks have an 88-44 edge in paint points through the first two games of this series, while the Celtics have outscored Milwaukee 114-45 from 3-point range.
&mdash;KEEP AN EYE ON: Milwaukee&rsquo;s 3-point shooting. Since going 10 of 20 on 3-point attempts in the first half of Game 1, the Bucks have shot just 5 of 32 from beyond the arc.
&mdash;INJURY WATCH: Middleton remains unavailable and will miss a sixth straight playoff game. Smart expects to play Saturday. Bucks G George Hill, who hasn't played yet this postseason due to an abdominal strain, is listed as probable.
&mdash;PRESSURE IS ON: Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo. As long as Middleton remains out, Antetokounmpo is going to have to be at his absolute best for the Bucks to win. The two-time MVP is averaging 26 points in this series, but he&rsquo;s shooting 38.5% (20 of 52) from the floor.
GRIZZLIES AT WARRIORS
Series tied 1-1. Game 3, 8:30 p.m. EDT, ABC.
&mdash;NEED TO KNOW: The Grizzlies won 106-101 in Game 2 to tie the series after falling 117-116 in Game 1. Memphis&rsquo; Ja Morant is averaging 40.5 points, 9 assists and 8.5 rebounds through the first two games. The Warriors are shooting just 27.6% (21 of 76) from 3-point range in this series. They went 7 of 38 in Game 2.
&mdash;KEEP AN EYE ON: Warriors F Jonathan Kuminga. The 6-foot-7 rookie likely will play more with Payton sidelined.
&mdash;INJURY WATCH: The Warriors will be missing F Andre Iguodala as well as Payton. Iguodala remains out with a disk injury in his neck that has caused him to miss Golden State&rsquo;s last three playoff games. Adams should return for the Grizzlies after missing three games.
&mdash;PRESSURE IS ON: Adams. He was essentially benched in the first round but could have a major role in this series as the Grizzlies try to regain their regular-season form on the glass. Memphis led the NBA in offensive rebounding, total rebounds and second-chance points during the regular season but has been outrebounded by the Warriors in each of the first two games. Adams had an NBA-leading 4.6 offensive rebounds per game this season.
___
AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley and Teresa M. Walker contributed to this report.

The quirks of scheduling for the NBA playoffs created three-day breaks between games in Celtics-Bucks and Grizzlies-Warriors.

Long breaks between NBA playoff games give teams time to heal

It appears as though the New Orleans Pelicans are playing harder and more aggressively, and with a greater sense of urgency and more passion, than the Phoenix Suns are at this point of their playoff series.
Herb Jones is putting on a Superman cape to leap tall buildings in a single bound and block three-point attempts. The scrappy Jose Alvarado forced Chris Paul into an eight-second violation in the backcourt, something that very rarely happens to the veteran point guard. The bench is fired up for the entire game, and the team is playing with a passion that hasn&rsquo;t been seen in New Orleans for quite some time.
Nobody outside of that city could&rsquo;ve imagined that this series would be tied at two games apiece with the highly-favored, 62-win, defending-Western-Conference-champion Suns.&nbsp;
Having said that, there seems to be a feeling of disrespect from the national media for a team that has exceeded the expectations of so many in the sports world.&nbsp;
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I spoke with Pelicans color analyst Antonio Daniels about his assessment of the team and that national media disrespect toward New Orleans.
Etan Thomas: First, how great is it to see the Pelicans prove a lot of people wrong who didn't even give them a chance?
Antonio Daniels: "Oh, man. Well, for me, it's not even about it being great, proving people wrong. The great part is what I've seen this team accomplish. People are going to doubt no matter what. I don't care who you are, or what you've ever done, how good you are. People are always going to doubt. But you can't allow people's doubts to actually affect the way that you think about yourself. I have said this about this team from Day 1, and I actually have it bookmarked in my Twitter feed; Nov. 5, I said at this time, 'This team gets healthy, they're a playoff team. If they get healthy, they're a playoff team.' And I remember I was doing the pregame show and David Wesley, who's a good friend of mine, turned and faced my way and was almost like to say, 'Whatever.' You know what I mean?
Etan: Right.
Daniels: "Here's the thing, Etan. When you're talking about success in this league, it's not going to [happen] if you don't have a culture of overachievement. It doesn't happen. You have to have guys that overachieve, guys that are outplaying the expectation. You can go all the way back to the Golden State Warriors. What they did with Steph Curry and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson and those guys. They all overachieved. Did you think when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were coming out that they would be the best shooting backcourt in history? Or when Draymond Green was coming out, at this point in his career, he would be a Hall-of-Famer? No. But they created a culture of overachievement.
"What you have here in New Orleans is, a lot was going on early on in the season, new pieces trying to fit in along with head coach Willie Green. And that's a lot to take on early; 1-12, 3-16 is what this team started. And now, at that time, the talk was, 'Let's tank. There's no Zion.' Fans all said they should just tank the season. Even when you acquired CJ McCollum. I remember Stephen A. Smith saying, 'Oh, I don't know what they're doing. Why would CJ McCollum want to go there? New Orlenas ain't going anywhere anyway.'
"The disrespect from the national media is, I think, what guys really pay attention to. And I think they do somewhat use that as motivation. But to be a part of this journey, Etan, from Day 1 of training camp, to Zion being hurt [and] not being available throughout the course of this team's season, being without your best player and seeing what this team has been able to accomplish, climbing out of that 3-16 start, it's been special."
Etan: Talk about the addition you mentioned of CJ McCollum and how much that has helped the entire team.
Daniels: "I'll say this first: What people forget about in that addition is that Larry Nance was in that [trade] as well, and people aren't talking about that. People are talking about CJ, and CJ's been fantastic. But I'll tell you what, I don't think that the Pelicans are at this point without Larry Nance Jr. He was the difference in the Play-In game against the Clippers because what he offers you is versatility at the 5 spot that you didn't have prior to him. Versatility and experience. When teams go small, like you see a lot of the NBA doing now, and they're basically playing five forwards like the Toronto Raptors, it&rsquo;s problematic for opposing teams. You need a big that is experienced, knowledged, but understands strengths and weaknesses [and] also has the skill set to compete. Larry Nance Jr was great. And people don't talk about him enough."
Etan: Great point.
Daniels: "But to get to CJ &mdash; CJ's playing the best basketball of his career. And from his words, he's a servant leader. And I love it because he's not very vocal, but he leads by example. He came in and he said, 'You know what, man? I want Brandon Ingram to be the best version of himself' on Day 1. Because if B.I.'s the best version of himself, that will allow me (meaning CJ McCollum) to be the best version of myself. And I remember asking CJ, when I sat down and I interviewed him, talking about, 'How do you develop chemistry between you and B.I.?' And he said, 'You know what? I'll do the same thing with him that me and Dame [Lillard] did. We sat down and we watched films together. I want to know where he wants to ball. I want him to be vocal with me. I want to know where his hotspot is, what plays he likes, when he needs me to back down and allow him to be the best version of himself.' The communication between those two from Day 1 was at an all-time level.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
𝙋𝙀𝙇𝙎 𝙒𝙄𝙉 ⚜️ Brandon Ingram : 30 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST ⚜️ Jonas Valanciunas : 26 PTS, 15 REB, 4 AST ⚜️ Cj McCollum : 18 PTS, 9 REB Les <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> l'emportent 118-103 et reviennent &agrave; 2-2 face &agrave; Phoenix ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WBD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WBD</a> <a href="https://t.co/zbghiMm2fU">pic.twitter.com/zbghiMm2fU</a>
&mdash; NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFRANCE/status/1518469593290919937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

"But, Etan, what really helped this team was the All-Star break. Because if you look at what this team has done post-All-Star break, that was the chemistry between CJ and B.I. really starting to take off. We opened up in Phoenix. First game at the All-Star break, we opened up in Phoenix. And they talked at length about the dinner that they had in Phoenix the night before, where they just got an opportunity to connect to one another and to communicate with one another. This team has been rolling ever since when those two are on the floor together with a healthy starting five."
Etan: I want you to talk a little bit about Coach Willie Green. I actually posted and tweeted the clip of <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1515310682945855488?s=20&amp;t=jxzjmwJgR9FJ3SYvF7c53w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">him motivating the guys</a>. It made me feel like I want to go out there and lace them back up and get ready to go play. Talk about how great he has been for this team.
Daniels: "Listen, Etan, I can't put it into words the respect that I have for Willie Green from Day 1. You know it's funny. Because when you're losing, people don't want to hear about it. People don't want to hear about the positives when you're losing. They only want to hear about the positives when you start playing well. And when this team was 1-12, and then, when they were 3-16... I'll tell you, Etan, we've both played on bad teams; you know what a shootaround is like walking into the gym when you're 3-16. This was not it. I have never seen more spirited shootarounds from, at the time, what seemed to be a bad basketball team. And that started with Willie Green. He never blinked. He never allowed this team to lose confidence. His faith in this team never wavered, and he stands on his faith as a whole.
"I'll give you a quick example. You know how many coaches have the open-door policy where you can come in and talk? I meet with Willie Green from time-to-time. We'll go into his office. We'll talk or sit or chat or go out to dinner. Etan, our meetings ended with prayer. How many coaches have you ever gone in to meet with and talk about the team or whatever it may be and, when it's all said and done, you guys are at his desk praying together? That speaks to the man that Willie Green is. He is one of those guys that is so inspiring because he makes you want to be a better version of yourself. I don't hoop no more, Etan. If that's how he makes me feel, I can imagine how he makes players feel. When you have guys like Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy and Herb Jones, Jaxson Hayes &mdash; all these guys, when their number was called, they were ready to go. Because when they weren't playing, Willie Green was still speaking grace, life and confidence into them. And I had an opportunity to see it up close and personal. I am at every practice, at every shootaround. I've traveled with the team. I eat with the team. To see his communication with them, his ability to relate to them [is incredible].
"And I'm a proud believer, Etan, that the best coaches in this league are role players. You know why? Because they can relate to everybody from 1-to-15. If you're a star player, you can't relate to the guy who hasn't played in six games or the guy who's major inconsistent. Willie Green has started in this league, he's been a sixth man, he's been in situations where his minutes weren't guaranteed and he's also been in a situation where he hadn't played at all. Tell me who on that bench he cannot relate to! And there's nothing more important in today's NBA than a coach's ability to relate to his players. I don't care about your defensive schemes, I don't care about your X's and O's. If the players feel like you can't relate to them, they will not play as hard for you. But the moment that they feel like you care about them as men, as fathers, as husbands &mdash; they will run through a wall for you. And I'm telling you, Willie Green has that locker room so engaged, because of the way that he handles himself throughout adversity."
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Etan: Wow. That's great to hear, and I thought that about him already, just from knowing who he is. But it's great to hear you say that. Let me ask you one more thing. I know you don't worry about the haters and the noise and social media, all that stuff, but they keep bringing up the fact that because Devin Booker isn't there, that's the reason why the Pelicans are in this series. I was like, 'Well, wait a minute. Y'all forget that Zion isn't there either?' I'm like, y'all forgot about that part.
Daniels: "Here's the thing. Has there ever been an NBA champion where there's not a 'What if?' attached to it? Let's just go back to a year ago. Remember when Trae Young got hurt against Milwaukee? Remember when Kyrie Irving got hurt against Milwaukee? Remember James Harden had to come back as a shadow of himself with half of a hamstring versus Milwaukee? Remember a couple years back when Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson got hurt, and then Toronto won the championship? Look, ain't nobody tripping on that. This is the league full of injuries. You get certain things that are out of your control. So If people say, 'Oh man, the only reason that the Pelicans won is because (fill in the blank), well, okay.' But you are not going to find an NBA champion, a NFL champion where breaks don&rsquo;t go somebody's way.
"But I'll tell you this, there are two teams in the NBA who have yet to play with their best player. I'm talking about not even one practice. Not even one practice this year with their best player. It's the L.A. Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans. Kawhi [Leonard] literally practiced one time. But let me tell you the difference. The difference is, Kawhi Leonard has practiced with Tyronn Lue before. He's practiced with him before, last year. Zion does not have one practice with Coach Willie Green. Not one. The last that Zion has been on the floor is when he was averaging 26 points per game and shooting 61% from the field under Coach Stan Van Gundy.
"So people can sit here and say, 'Oh, well, the only reason is, because...' So what? So what? Your job is to go out and your job is to play. Plain and simple. Look at the playoffs now. Khris Middleton is sidelined. Luka [Doncic] was sidelined. Kyle Lowry is sidelined. You get guys that are injured all the time. What are the Pelicans supposed to say? 'Ah, you know what man? Devin Booker's not there. Let's wait. Let's wait until they have help and then come back to finish this series.' No. Your job is to take advantage of the situation that's given."
Etan: That&rsquo;s absolutely correct.
Daniels: "And I'll tell you this, Etan, it goes along with the national narrative of the lack of respect that's given to the Pelicans. It goes right along with it. It doesn't matter. You know this better than anybody. It doesn't matter what people think about you. 'You ain't never believed in me as long as I believe in myself.' And this is a team, right now, that believes in themselves."
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Etan Thomas speaks with former teammate and Pelicans color analyst Antonio Daniels about NOLA's playoff surge vs. Phoenix.

Antonio Daniels: Pelicans have been disrespected by national media

PJ Tucker was brought in to defend.&nbsp;
At the very least, that was the conventional wisdom.&nbsp;
Tucker is fresh off of winning his first NBA championship, thanks to the defensive role he played on the Milwaukee Bucks. He defended up and down the lineup, duking it out versus different types of players.
Jimmy Butler and his mid-post rugged nature in one round. Kevin Durant and his slithery pull-up game in another. Trae Young for spurts in the Eastern Conference Finals. Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton all saw Tucker for a few possessions in the NBA Finals.
In other words: Tucker was asked to do a lot defensively, as he has been throughout his career as a rotational piece.
Offense has always been a different story. A simpler story. Get your butt to the corner, stay ready if a pass comes your way and shoot down to the offensive glass if necessary.
It doesn't get much easier than that, right?
Right, but that's also been part of the problem with Tucker. His offensive value was so singularly focused &mdash; 71% of his shot attempts from 2017 to 2020 were threes, and 72% of those threes came from the corners, per Basketball-Reference &mdash; that defenses didn't have to think too much concerning him.
Add in the fact that his corner efficiency dropped in consecutive seasons &mdash; from 39.9%, to 39.3%, to 38.4%, to 34.7% last year &mdash; and his value became complicated. Was the defense good enough to offset the lack of offensive attention? Could he make defenses pay enough in his role? Were there counters to add?
For the Heat so far this season, the answer has been "yes" on all accounts.&nbsp;
Tune into a Heat game, and you'll see Tucker defending a little bit of everyone. His <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/200782/head-to-head/?sort=PARTIAL_POSS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive-matchup dashboard</a> is as diverse as the world is supposed to be. Among players he's matched up with for at least 20 possessions: Donovan Mitchell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis. He doesn't always force a miss, but he always forces his matchup to work hard. It's all you can ask for.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/p6yti3" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
On the other end, Tucker is doing the usual. He's up to a blistering 45.2% from deep on a moderately-low volume (2.6 attempts). Most of his damage is being done from the corners; 37 of his 42 attempts &mdash; and 16 of his 19 makes &mdash; have come from those side pockets.
From there, it gets kinda weird. Tucker's three-point volume being low isn't out of the ordinary; half of his total shots coming from behind the arc is&nbsp;extremely&nbsp;odd. Again, north of 71% of his shots came from downtown in the four seasons prior to this one.
In a figurative sense, Tucker has seemingly found a new role. In a literal sense, he's found a new roll.
The Heat have utilized him as a screener more often than many (read: I, Nekias) anticipated. It hasn't just been of the let's-force-a-switch variety either; Tucker has made himself a legitimate option in ball screens.
You won't confuse him for a true vertical spacer. Tucker has dunked the ball once this season, and has converted just 51 slams in his 11-year career.
What Tucker is doing, however, is finding a pocket. First as an outlet after the screen, then as a scorer from the painted area. He has a strong understanding of angles and pacing. He pries the ball-handler loose with a pick, but flips his hips early enough to become a scoring option within the rhythm of the action.
From there, he's flipping in a little floater. It's very quietly the most effective weapon in basketball that nobody's talking about.
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That sounds like hyperbole, but Tucker's really getting it done as a release valve. He's generating over 1.47 points per possession on floaters, the highest mark in the NBA among players that have logged at least 10 of them, per Synergy.&nbsp;
The fun part? This level of efficiency (and volume) has seemingly come out of nowhere. His floater stats:
<ul>
<li>2017-18 (HOU): 1-of-5, 20% FG</li>
<li>2018-19 (HOU): 7-of-22, 31.8% FG</li>
<li>2019-20 (HOU): 11-of-26, 42.3% FG</li>
<li>2020-21 (HOU, MIL): 3-of-11, 27.3% FG</li>
<li>2021-22 (MIA): 14-of-19, 73.7% FG&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Between making hay in ball-screens, random cuts and timely offensive rebounds, Tucker is converting a career-high 62.5% of his twos.
If you had "PJ Tucker is going to flirt with the best offensive season of his career" on your preseason bingo card, I simply don't believe you. That's the case right now, though. He's scored more before &mdash; he averaged 9.4 points in Phoenix during the 2013-14 season &mdash; but he didn't have this blend of efficiency and shot versatility.
Props to Tucker for expanding &mdash; or at the very least, showcasing &mdash; his offensive bag.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the quietly effective offensive season that PJ Tucker is having in Miami.

PJ Tucker: The Heat's ultimate 'roll' player

The basketball universe is assembling in Las Vegas this week, and it is not just NBA personnel. Officials from EuroLeague teams and EuroCup teams will be in Sin City, too, because teams around the world are looking for players who will not make the NBA. An exception is China, where foreign players will be barred because of COVID factors.
So let&rsquo;s have a look at who is there and has the potential to be &ldquo;eating pasta&rdquo; next season (basketball vernacular for playing overseas) or playing their way onto an NBA roster.
There are some very talented younger players who do not have the height or athleticism that NBA scouts and general managers gravitate towards. Can they break through anyway?
But there also are some accomplished vets who would ordinarily play in China because they can make more money there than they can in the United States. Many of them may end up in Europe, but some may end up making NBA rosters if injuries open up jobs.
Here are 10 names worth keeping an eye on:
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Kenneth Faried, Portland Trail Blazers: He was a very productive NBA player for nine years before becoming one of many veterans who got squeezed out because NBA teams turned to developing younger prospects and players on two-way contracts. He was a member of the U.S. National team that won the 2014 Basketball World Cup and was one of 30 finalists for the 2016 U.S. Olympic team. He last played for the Houston Rockets in the 2018-19 season where he averaged an impressive 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds in 25 appearances. He will be joined on the Blazers&rsquo; roster by two players who also spent last season in China, Emmanuel Mudiay and Michael Beasley.
Eugene Omoruyi, Dallas Mavericks. Regarded as one of the top undrafted players in 2021, the Oregon product tied for the Ducks&rsquo; team lead in scoring at 17.1 points per game and is considered a strong two-way player. Omoruyi averaged 1.5 steals per game and grabbed 41% of his rebounds on the offensive end. He did so playing alongside the more highly regarded Chris Duarte, the 13th overall pick of the Indiana Pacers.
Jimmer Fredette, Denver Nuggets: He was supposed to play for the Nuggets after spending most of the past five seasons in China, but was a late scratch. Still, his return stateside could land him an NBA job. The 10th overall pick in 2011 played two-and-a-half seasons for Sacramento, averaging seven points per game for the Kings in 15 minutes. He then played briefly in Chicago, New Orleans, Phoenix and New York. He eventually went over to China to play with the Shanghai Sharks, where he averaged 37 points per game in his first three seasons with the team from 2016-2019. He scored 75 points in a 2018 game. Because of COVID restrictions, China is not likely to allow foreign players to compete in its 2021-22 season, so Fredette may end up landing an NBA job without even suiting up in summer league. His pedigree still makes him a name to watch, though.
Mac McClung, L.A. Lakers: He&rsquo;s a longshot to make the roster for a Lakers team that has loaded up on veterans to flank LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When your prospective team adds the likes of Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn (among others), there&rsquo;s bound to be a roster squeeze. But somebody has to buy the donuts for the vets. McClung&rsquo;s college stats at Texas Tech were pedestrian, but he would not be with the Lakers unless someone in the organization saw something in him. The team also desperately needs some youth.
Yves Pons, Memphis Grizzlies: The 22-year-old Haitian guard led the Tennessee Volunteers in blocks in each of the past two seasons, and that is pretty much his major skill set. He was the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, and with a dearth of perimeter defenders in the NBA who also can block shots, the Grizzlies are giving him a look-see because they watched him play in their backyard for four seasons. Try to name another shot-blocking guard. There are not many of them.
Asbjorn Midtgaard, Orlando Magic: The Danish 7-footer rode the bench for three years at Wichita State and then transferred to Grand Canyon, where he averaged 14.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. His team made the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Iowa. Still, he led NCAA Division I in field goal percentage (70.6), which is no small accomplishment. He also shot 8-for-11 against Luka Garza in his team&rsquo;s first-round loss in the NCAA tournament.
Keon Johnson, L.A. Clippers: An exception here, because Keon is not exactly "under the radar" after being selected with the 21st overall pick in the draft. He is an exception because his athleticism is exceptional; he recorded a 48-inch vertical leap at the NBA draft combine, shattering a 20-year-old record of 45.5 inches recorded by Kenny Gregory in 2001. One of his teammates will be Jason Preston, who was drafted 33rd by Orlando and was dealt to the Clippers for a future second-round pick and cash.
David DeLeo, Philadelphia 76ers: His father, Frank, was a scout for the Sixers, and he clearly taught his son a bit about how to shoot the ball. DeLeo was the all-time leader in the MAC in three-pointers made with 337, and has spent the past two seasons playing in Spain and Greece. He may end up in an NBA camp before ultimately finding another European job, but then again, Philly needs a three-point marksman to develop behind Danny Green. So you never know.
Derrick Alston Jr., Golden State Warriors: A former ball boy for the Houston Rockets, Alston made the team at Boise State as a walk-on his freshman year. He progressed to the point where he was First-Team All-Mountain West after averaging a team-leading 17.0 points. He is one of 12 undrafted rookies on Golden State&rsquo;s summer league team.
Rokas Jokubaitis, New York Knicks: He finished second behind Rockets draft pick Usman Garuba (the 23rd overall pick) in EuroLeague Rising Star voting after a solid season for FC Barcelona, where he is under a four-year contract. This will be a chance for Knicks fans to get their first look at the pick they acquired from Oklahoma City at No. 34. If he impresses and can negotiate a buyout of his current contract, he could end up battling Luca Vildoza for the final point guard spot on the Knicks.
Every year, whether it be undrafted players or second-round picks, players who end up making an impact manage to fly under the radar. These 10 (nine if you exclude Fredette) hope to do exactly that.

Every year, there are players who outperform the competition in summer league and land an NBA job. Here are some names to watch.

10 under-the-radar players worth watching in the NBA Summer League

A French bar in the Carroll Gardens section of Kevin Durant&rsquo;s adopted home borough of Brooklyn seemed like the perfect spot to watch Team USA go for the gold medal against France on Friday night. There was just one problem.
&ldquo;We will be closing at 11 p.m.,&rdquo; the bartender said.
The city that never sleeps has become sleepy again because of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, and a tavern near Barclays Center had fewer than a dozen customers (along with a sign in the window seeking bartenders and servers) on what would ordinarily be a busy Friday night in the nation&rsquo;s most populous city.
It made for a weird watching experience just a couple blocks from where Durant will be back at work when the 2021-2022 NBA season begins. But he has just given himself the means to build a special trophy case for his third Olympic gold medal&hellip; If that is what he so chooses to do with some of the $198 million he will be getting from the Nets.
Still though, Durant and his American teammates did not return to the Tokyo Hilton with gold medals after defeating France by a final score of 87-82 in a very entertaining game in Saitama, Japan. The medal ceremony had not yet taken place, and wouldn&rsquo;t until after the Australian national team defeated Slovenia in the bronze medal game, 107-93.
Typically, the medal ceremony takes place after the gold medal game, but, in these times, what is typical and what is functional are two different things. And the question of what the American players will be doing with their gold medals remained an open one as the weekend began back in the United States.
Last month, there was a palpable sense of panic from some corners of the basketball universe when the American men first got together in Las Vegas. The club immediately proceeded to lose glorified scrimmages against Nigeria and Australia.
A significant number of people in the United States seem intent on pretending that the rest of the world had not caught up to America in the global race to be a basketball powerhouse, so there was a major reaction to those losses. To borrow an old quote from coach Gregg Popovich, though, those people who don&rsquo;t recognize that the rest of the world is indeed catching up &ldquo;must have been living in a phone booth&rdquo; for the past couple of decades.
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The world caught up a long time ago, and what these Olympics demonstrated was that the trick to success is peaking at the end, not in training camp. Friday night (Saturday morning in Japan) was the culmination of the American federation keeping its head down and achieving its collective goal while being half-a-world away from home and dealing with COVID-19 protocols and quarantining rules. Team USA didn&rsquo;t have the same opportunity to enjoy the host country as previous teams did, nor were they able to go to other sporting events at various venues and have a fairly unique life experience.
Durant has done this three times, but his teammates were all relative neophytes. Only Draymond Green had done this before, winning gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. And for three players who competed in the NBA Finals &mdash; Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker and Khris Middleton &mdash; winning gold medals so soon after playing four rounds of playoff basketball was a testament to their collective desire to be the very best, not only in the NBA, but in FIBA too.
&ldquo;You know what&nbsp;&lsquo;sayonara&rsquo;&nbsp;means? That's how I&rsquo;m feeling right now,&rdquo; Popovich joked after the gold medal game. &ldquo;I agree with these guys. Every championship is special, and the group you&rsquo;re with is special. But I can be honest and say this is the most responsibility I&rsquo;ve ever felt, because you&rsquo;re playing for so many people that are watching and for your country and other countries involved. The responsibility was awesome, and I felt it every day for several years now. I&rsquo;m feeling pretty light now and looking forward to getting back to the hotel and having something.&rdquo;
The French national team kept this one interesting right into the final minute, staying within striking distance throughout the second half. With 1:08 left in the contest, Team France found themselves down just six points, 84-78. Holiday missed a step-back three-pointer, but Evan Fournier missed a three-pointer at the other end, as well. Durant grabbed one of his six rebounds and the U.S. team was able to withstand Damian Lillard&rsquo;s two missed free throws with 23 seconds left. They were playing with just enough of a cushion to achieve exactly what they set out to do, though, and they were able to hang on.
The mission was accomplished.
&ldquo;Getting in at one in the morning, me, Book and Khris, and then playing that night against France, losing that game and then being able to go through the rest of the tournament and then winning the gold medal game&hellip;&rdquo; Holiday said. &ldquo;I don't know &mdash; I guess me thinking about it, and me telling that story, man, that&rsquo;s a hell of a summer.&rdquo;
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The countdown now begins to the Paris Olympics in 2024, and the focus of the basketball world will turn to Las Vegas as NBA teams begin preparing for the upcoming season with summer league. There is very little time for anyone to exhale, and all that anyone anywhere around the world can hope for going forward is a return to some semblance of the normalcy we all knew before March 2020.
Durant will eventually be back inside Barclays Center and will be flanked by bronze medalist Patty Mills of Australia, who scored 42 points to go along with nine assists against Slovenia in the bronze medal game. With those two, the quest for the Nets&rsquo; first NBA championship will begin anew.
Grant Hill will be taking over leadership of the U.S. basketball federation from Jerry Colangelo, and before preparing for the Paris Olympics, he will need to start making plans for the next FIBA World Cup. The World Cup will be contested in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia in 2023.
We are still three years away from knowing whether Durant will go for a fourth gold medal, but all American fans should hope that he does. The guy showed an intense competitive desire throughout the summer, despite the Nets&rsquo; excruciating loss to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Can they get a different result if James Harden and Kyrie Irving are healthy? Will folks in Brooklyn be able to attend the games mask-free and enjoy something resembling a lively nightlife when those games are concluded?
We shall see.
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Players and coaches and employees of NBA teams that came through New York last season to play the Nets and Knicks invariably had one question upon seeing the empty streets: &ldquo;Where are all the people?&rdquo;
They&rsquo;re still around, just not out and about. Certainly, the Tokyo Olympics &mdash; like life in general over the past year-and-a-half &mdash; has been unlike anything we&rsquo;ve experienced. What we can all learn from Durant and company, though, is that the goal is to emerge intact and accomplished. Quantifying those things remains a personal challenge for everyone.
Hopefully, though, people can draw inspiration from their gold medal.
&ldquo;I remember we had a team meeting after the first game against France, Pop wasn&rsquo;t there,&rdquo; Durant said of the opening game in which he scored only 10 points and was in foul trouble.
&ldquo;You know when you have a team meeting, you're kind of at the bottom. So, we just worked our way up from there. Everybody just committed to doing what&rsquo;s best for the group, no matter what. It was just amazing to see that clock run down to zero and us celebrate like that and then celebrate in the locker room. It was just incredible, man.&rdquo;
Yes it was, KD.
Props to Team USA. Big time.

It wasn't all smooth, but Kevin Durant led Team USA to the gold medal in Tokyo. We should all be inspired by the accomplishment.

Behind Kevin Durant, Team USA completes inspiring gold medal run

I'm not sure who could've predicted this Eastern Conference Finals.
On one side, the Milwaukee Bucks are seeing the fruits of their switch-it-up labor. They've tinkered all year long in preparation of this postseason. They mollywhopped the Miami Heat in round one. They then snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, before snatching victory anyway in a seven-game slugfest against the Brooklyn Nets.&nbsp;
On the other side are the Atlanta Hawks, a team that didn't look playoff bound midway through the season due to injuries, roster instability, and coaching turmoil. The firing of Lloyd Pierce, and the subsequent hiring of Nate McMillan, jumpstarted their turnaround. They proved to be too prolific for the New York Knicks in round one, and too resilient for the Philadelphia 76ers in round two.
And so, here we are. Two teams with unique (and oft-hated) offensive engines. Two teams that have had a microscope on their head coaching jobs for different reasons. Two teams that haven't won a title in decades, both presented with the opportunity to make the Finals.
I&rsquo;m not a coach -- I'm just a pun-loving basketball fan with a hankering for film breakdowns. But instead of a traditional series preview, I decided to go into the basketball trenches and devise gameplans for both teams. The tone of this piece will be a little more informal, but it will still be informative (at least I hope).
Without further ado, let's look at how the Milwaukee Bucks will try to stop the Atlanta Hawks.
Defensive Matchups
Jrue Holiday --&gt; Trae Young
Pat Connaughton --&gt; Kevin Huerter
Khris Middleton --&gt; Bogdan Bogdanovic
Giannis Antetokounmpo --&gt; John Collins
Brook Lopez --&gt; Clint Capela
The core four + PJ Tucker lineup has performed well this postseason (plus-10.3 net rating in 133 minutes), though it may make sense to downsize with Connaughton in this matchup.
That unit has also worked well (plus-8.3 in 38 minutes), and having Connaughton on the floor may make it a little more difficult to hide Young on the other end. Connaughton has some value as a ghost screener, while Tucker is primarily used to space in the corner or lurk around the dunker spot for offensive rebounds.
Top Priority on Defense: Disrupt Early offense
The Hawks aren't a team that wants to play particularly fast. They rank in the bottom third of the league in seconds per possession off of missed shots and turnovers, per <a href="http://stats.inpredictable.com/nba/ssnTeamPoss.php?season=2020&amp;po=0&amp;frdt=2020-12-22&amp;todt=2021-06-20&amp;view=off&amp;sort=aotopdr&amp;order=DESC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inpredictable tracking data</a>.&nbsp;
Being okay with grinding down possessions doesn't mean they can't attack early.&nbsp;They'll mix in a variety of looks to keep you off-balance.
A favorite, and one that Bucks fans in particular should recognize: a quick-hitter in which a player receives an off-ball screen in the middle of the floor, then immediately flows into a pick-and-roll. Call it Middleton Action if you want. There's also a built-in hand-back option if the middle screen doesn't gain enough traction.
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"Pistol" action is also a favorite of theirs. Combining a guard screen (and flare) with an empty corner set-up can be incredibly difficult to defend.
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Ultimately, the Hawks remain the NBA's preeminent Double Drag team. Young trotting up the court with a pair of screeners waiting for him is a scary sight.
One screener, likely Capela, will dive the basket. The other screener -- mostly Collins, but sometimes the guards get involved -- will pop above the break or flare out to the wing. Young can hit the roller, hit the pop, get downhill for floaters, or make corner skips. It's a nightmare, really.
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No team ran more "double-pick" plays than the Hawks this season, per Second Spectrum tracking data. They generated a healthy 1.1 points per possession on those looks; that number ballooned to [checks notes] over 1.9 points per possession on 26 direct hookups against the Bucks this season. That is a small sample, but it gives you an idea of how deadly the Hawks can be.
Being able to contain those kind of actions will force&nbsp;the Hawks to play deeper into the clock. No matter the comfort level, that's still a tough diet to live on.
Hawks' Team Stats (and Atlanta's stats vs. Milwaukee)&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 114.3, 9th (113.2)</li>
<li>Half-Court Offensive Rating: 99.2, 9th (108.8)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 58.1, 10th (58.7)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 59.1, 18th (60.3)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 13.3, 10th (10.5)</li>
<li>Pace: 98.68, 22nd (98.67)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 24.2, 4th (21.3)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 81.2, 5th (81.3)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 33.4, 19th (36.0)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 37.3, 12th (38.0)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 10.6, 7th (6.0)</li>
</ul>
Hawks' Play Type Breakdown
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Defending Trae Young
How much is there to say about Young at this point?&nbsp;
His blend of scoring and playmaking chops are rivaled by a handful of players in the NBA. He's faced two strong defenses in the postseason, and neither was able to consistently slow him down. It's hard to scoff at 29 and 10, even with the efficiency taking a hit from the regular season (55.3 TS%).
Young struggled in his lone showing against the Bucks this season -- 15 and 9 with six turnovers, while shooting 3-of-17 from the field -- though that was an outlier performance based on the shots he took (and&nbsp; missed). He is absolutely good enough to shape this series in his image if he isn't pressured.
Major Key: Restrict his Airspace
There isn't a good answer for a guy like Young, particularly in ball screens. He's a fearless pull-up threat with range extending to darn-near half-court. The danger levels rise when he gets downhill.
He's the most prolific floater taker (and maker) in the NBA; per Synergy, Young led the NBA in points off floaters (332), edging out second-place Richaun Holmes (226) by 106 points.&nbsp;
Put another way: Young took 345 floaters, while Holmes and third-in-points Luka Doncic took 347 combined.
It's the ultimate Small Guy Weapon, made even more dangerous by the fact that Young's floater looks identical to his lob pass. Backpedaling defenders don't know whether to step to give a moderate contest, or hang back to take away lob passes.
Defending Young in ball-screens will have to be a 2-on-2 endeavor if possible. This may not be a deep-drop series. Young shot 3-of-17 in the regular-season meeting, but he missed a ton of makeable shots that, frankly, he didn't have to work super hard to get.
The gameplan will need to resemble what was seen in the semis against Kevin Durant. Lopez may not have to be above the three-point line like he was against those Durant-Bruce Brown pick-and-rolls near half court. As hot as Young can run as a pull-up shooter, he is not Durant in that regard.
However, the answer probably isn't hanging back a step or two below the free throw line either. Finding that middle ground would allow time for Young's defender (mostly Holiday) to recover.&nbsp;
We talk about "rearview contests" when it comes to point-of-attack defenders in drop coverage. It's important for guys to be able to recover and contest shots from behind, making the ball-handler squirm a bit.&nbsp;
Young has removed that from the table with his ability to stop-and-pop. Quibble about those foul calls if you want, but it's a smart (and legal) way to make him even more difficult to defend. If he gets you on his hip, you're pretty much done for.
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Again, infuriating. But again, smart and legal.&nbsp;
Instead of straight-line recovery paths, taking a different angle to end up on Young's side (instead of his hip) may be the best way to bother him. Peep this rep from Middleton.
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<div class="p-rich_text_section">With that plan, Young would have to go with a super unnatural shooting motion to lean in and draw fouls that way. He still could -- he's that slithery -- but it's at least extra work. That kind of extra work, with his usage, can add up over the course of the series.</div>
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If the deeper drop remains a default, that will not only put strain on Young's defender. It'll also require some extra help off the ball. You can afford to have Lopez deeper in the paint, the last line of defense, if there's someone who can throw off Young's cadence in the intermediate area. Timely digs from the perimeter will be key in this instance.
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Jeff Teague (I would hope there won't be any Teague in this series) gets lost in the sauce early, while Bobby Portis is dropping&nbsp;from&nbsp;the dotted line area. Tucker is able to bridge the gap by showing some help right as Young begins his gather. That can work on occasion; you just have to be weary of Young making kick-outs.
Something to consider: one way to cut off Young's rhythm could be to switch. That will depend on the personnel on the floor, as well as who Young's partner is in ball-screen actions.
(Quietly, this is the case to keeping Tucker in the starting lineup. Switching Young-Bogdanovic or Young-Huerter pick-and-rolls, whichever assignment Tucker draws, could put a dent into Young's mismatch hunting.)
In terms of the partnerships, switching the Young-Collins pick-and-roll should be worth considering. The two generated just 0.94 points per possession when facing a switch, well below their overall efficiency (1.06 PPP) per Second Spectrum.
Forcing Young to shoot over the outstretched limbs of Giannis may be a worthwhile gamble. Collins has been a menace on the block against guards (1.23 PPP), though Holiday is not your ordinary guard (0.88 PPP allowed on post-ups).
Defending the Shooters (Perimeter)
Lou Williams: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>It seems counterintuitive based on his production. Williams shot north of 44% from three as a Hawk this season, though did so on low volume. The argument is that Williams, even at this stage, is more dangerous getting downhill (and grifting for fouls) than he is as a three-point marksman. Show him you're coming without getting too close to him; that could eliminate some of his pump-and-drive or pump-and-lean-in game.</li>
</ul>
Kevin Huerter: Hard close-out to his right hand
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Huerter is a lights-out shooter, a career 38% marksman with volume and shot versatility. He can drain spot-up shots, convert on pump-and-sidestep looks, and is a willing relocator when the action is flowing elsewhere. Running Huerter off the line makes sense; doing so and forcing him to use his left is the optimal outcome. He already isn't a rim threat, and has oddly shot much worse on pull-ups when driving left.</li>
</ul>
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Bogdan Bogdanovic: Hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>Bogdanovic is an elite shooter with a high release point. He cares not for your contests; per Synergy, Bogdanovic ranked in the 91st percentile on "guarded" catch-and-shoot looks. That doesn't mean you don't try, but you also don't want to get sloppy. He absolutely has the playmaking chops to beat a rotating defense, and complements that with a more complete scoring arsenal than Huerter. Don't let him get busy.</li>
</ul>
Tony Snell: Hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Snell hasn't shot well this postseason, but he has long earned the pedigree of a high-level spot-up shooter. He also... doesn't do much else with the ball. Force him off the line and make him make decisions.</li>
</ul>
Defending the Shooters (Frontcourt)
Danilo Gallinari: Hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Gallinari can stroke it from deep (career 38.2% shooter on 5.2 attempts), and resides in the cares-not-for-your-contest division. Injuries and age have sapped a lot of his burst off the bounce; running him off the line and forcing him to beat you with drives, pull-ups, and tough turnarounds might be a reasonable bet.</li>
</ul>
Solomon Hill: Let him fire
<ul>
<li>Hill has shot above league average from three once in his career, and even that mark (36.8% in 2019-20) came on relatively low volume (2.9 attempts). He's okay from the corners (career 36.6%), but it's underwhelming considering a majority of those looks have been wide open. Muck up the action elsewhere.</li>
</ul>
John Collins: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>At a certain point, the scouting report on Collins has to change a bit. We're now two years into Collins becoming a stretch option; he's drilled 40% of his threes over the past two seasons on moderate volume. He's shooting 39% in the postseason. His release is a bit slow so there's no need to blitz him, but he's at least graduated from "tip-your-cap-if-he-beats-us" status.</li>
</ul>
X-Factor: Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bogdanovic has been huge for this Hawks team all season, thriving as a secondary option and completely taking over games when he's rolling. To that point: Bogdanovic dropped 28-6-7 against the Bucks on April 15, then dropped 32 on them on April 25.&nbsp;His shot-making is a perfect complement to, and occasionally a cover for, Young.
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The issue is less about Bogdanovic's playoff mettle, and more about his health. He suffered a knee injury early in Game 6. It didn't keep him out of Game 7, but he was clearly hampered (four points on 2-of-8 shooting in 21 minutes).
This isn't a profound point, but the Hawks will need him to be at or near full strength to have a hope in this series. And to that point, pressuring Bogdanovic will go a long way to stifling Atlanta's half-court attack.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scouting-report-how-the-hawks-can-stop-the-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Nekias' breakdown of how the Hawks should defend the Bucks.</a>

Nekias Duncan puts on his amateur coaching hat and puts together a game plan on how the Bucks should defend the Hawks.

Scouting Report: How the Bucks can stop the Hawks

Before the team&rsquo;s win on Friday, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer joked that if they didn&rsquo;t play well, he&rsquo;d tell Giannis Antetokounmpo that he won&rsquo;t be needed against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The tongue-in-cheek comment stemmed from the teams&rsquo; first meeting on Jan. 9, a 100-90 victory with the Greek Freak sidelined by a back injury at the time.
That night, Bucks newcomer Bobby Portis made his first NBA start since Feb. 27 of last year and delivered a 17-point, 11-rebound, 4-steal performance that pushed Milwaukee to a win. Fast forward to Friday night, he was back in his regular role off the bench, yet he still made just as big of a difference.
Facing some unusual travel problems heading into the game, Giannis and the Bucks&rsquo; starters came out flat against the sneaky Cavs. Trailing in the game by seven points early in the second quarter, Portis strung together eight straight points off a jumper, floater and finishes in traffic. It was a stretch that revved an engine that hadn&rsquo;t been able to turn on. From then on, Milwaukee&rsquo;s offense began to hum.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s great for our team. I think his teammates love him. He plays with a great passion, with a great edge,&rdquo; Budenholzer said following the 123-105 runaway over the Cavs, whom Milwaukee plays again Saturday on a back-to-back. &ldquo;I think we need that. It&rsquo;s been fun. Everybody believes in him, trusts in him. They know that he&rsquo;s gonna give us a big impact. His personality, his edge have all been a great addition to our group.&rdquo;
What Portis did against Cleveland (for the second time) is hardly a flash in the pan. This has been a theme all season. The veteran forward is starring in his particular role with the second unit, averaging 19.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per 36 minutes. He is purposeful with every attempt and crashes the boards hard every night on both ends, and it fires his guys up.
&ldquo;I think the last three, four years of my career, I&rsquo;ve kinda found the niche of coming in and bringing energy off the bench,&rdquo; Portis said after Friday&rsquo;s win. &ldquo;Just knowing if the game&rsquo;s up and down or if our team needs energy, being that sparkplug that the team needs. Just going out there and playing as hard as I can, taking the shots that&rsquo;s given to me and being aggressive with it. I think I&rsquo;ve done a good job of that.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d seen [Friday] that we were kinda sluggish early on, and I knew that our team needed some energy. When I sit on the sideline and I see what&rsquo;s going on, I always tell the other four guys that&rsquo;s coming in with me, &lsquo;It&rsquo;s one of those nights, we gotta be ready y&rsquo;all.&rsquo; I always try to just talk to the guys and just try to come in and play with some swag.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Bobby Portis shines in the big <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a> dub 🦌 21 PTS | 8 REB | 2 STL | 41.6 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/DM679tLuCv">pic.twitter.com/DM679tLuCv</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1356446196567580673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Portis tries to stay consistent in everything he does in life. His daily routine isn&rsquo;t anything out of the ordinary: sleep, wake up, go to shootaround, watch film, nap. There is no feeling of whether he&rsquo;s going to have a better game than the others or vice-versa because he sticks to his regimen regularly.&nbsp;
To prepare for his upcoming matchups, Portis relies on studying up specific schemes a particular team will throw at him one day before that game as well as the 4 or 5-man he&rsquo;s up against and his tendencies, plus whether he&rsquo;ll see more drop coverage or switching. It&rsquo;s a method he credits to one of his former coaches with the Chicago Bulls (and a former player himself), Pete Myers, and it&rsquo;s stuck with the 25-year-old ever since.
According to InStat, the Bucks&rsquo; second-most used five-man lineup consists of D.J. Augustin, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Giannis and Portis. The combination has played over 47 minutes together and is scoring 124 points per 100 possessions on 53 percent from the field, including an astounding 55 percent mark from long distance.&nbsp;
We know that Giannis is going to positively affect every lineup because that's what a reigning back-to-back MVP does. But when you look at how Portis plays with Augustin and Middleton, whether in a two-man game with each or otherwise, it truly stands out. Per NBA.com, the trio has a plus-13.2 net rating in 160 minutes and <a href="https://go.nba.com/kvnl">the highest offensive rating on the team</a>.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re three great players,&rdquo; said Donte DiVincenzo, who recorded a career-high 11 rebounds Friday in Cleveland. &ldquo;I think Bobby has a great knack for finding his spots and being able to be efficient in where he gets the ball. We were joking on the bench, I feel like he never misses a shot."
(As specified by InStat, Portis is 19-for-22 on cut shots and boasts a 63.7 true shooting percentage overall.)
&ldquo;Then you have D.J. Augustin, he loves to create for other people. When he&rsquo;s aggressive, guys are gonna get open shots,&rdquo; DiVincenzo continued. &ldquo;And then you go to Khris, Khris does what Khris does. He&rsquo;s an All-Star player, he&rsquo;s one of our leaders and when you put the pressure on him, to make plays and make other guys better, he&rsquo;s gonna step up and do that.&rdquo;
Portis agrees wholeheartedly with his teammate, citing Augustin and Middleton&rsquo;s willingness to pass the ball and make the right plays.
&ldquo;If I get in the pocket and find the right angles, they&rsquo;ll get it to me. On this team, we have a lot of guys that can shoot the basketball at a high level, at a high clip. So now if I catch it in the post, there&rsquo;s not too many double teams,&rdquo; Portis said. &ldquo;The last three, four years when I caught it in the post, they would ODB me from the top. I would get trapped and stuff like that. So it&rsquo;s kinda easier for me now to get in a rhythm.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know when I&rsquo;m coming in the game and know when I&rsquo;m coming out, so it&rsquo;s kinda easier to play my minutes with force. It&rsquo;s kinda better that way as well, knowing that on a night like [Friday] I&rsquo;m gonna come in at the five-, six-minute mark. I know if our team needs some energy, I can come in and do that, and I think that&rsquo;s fun playing that way."
Portis seems to appreciate the structure Budenholzer and the Bucks are providing him, and why wouldn&rsquo;t he? It&rsquo;s turned out to be a career-year so far for a player who&rsquo;s proven that some of us forgot about him way too soon, and at this pace, he&rsquo;ll keep sending loud reminders of why he&rsquo;s always deserved better.
&ldquo;Obviously, it&rsquo;s always fun playing this game. It&rsquo;s a beautiful game if you play it the right way, and I&rsquo;ve been having a lot of fun this year,&rdquo; Portis said.
&ldquo;I think if you ask anybody about me, I&rsquo;m the same person every day of my life. I don&rsquo;t know no other way to be. All I know is to be Bobby Portis. I can&rsquo;t fake the funk. I&rsquo;mma go out there every day, be who I am, play hard, make the right play. Just play with an edge, play with a swag, play with energy. That&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;ve been my whole life, and I&rsquo;m gonna continue to be who I am. I don&rsquo;t know how to be any other way.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies digs into the striking success that Bobby Portis has had in his first year with Milwaukee and why it's come naturally.