Jayhawks

With the 2024-25 NBA season just days away, the Western Conference is locked, loaded, and ready for battle. The offseason drama has settled, rosters are finalized, and every team is gearing up for what promises to be a fierce and competitive race. From reigning contenders to rising underdogs, the West is stacked with talent and ambition. Let&rsquo;s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season&mdash;no frills, just what you need to know.
<ol>
<li> Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves are turning a new page after trading away longtime cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo and are now fully embracing Anthony Edwards as the franchise cornerstone. The T-Wolves&rsquo; mix of young talent and veteran leadership gives them a balanced roster around Edwards. Rudy Gobert remains a defensive anchor as a 4-time DPOY, Edwards is primed for a superstar leap, and if the supporting cast, including Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, steps up, the Wolves could be ready to take the top spot in the West.</li>
<li> Oklahoma City Thunder The Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild is no longer a long-term project; they&rsquo;re ready to compete now. However, due to Isaiah Hartenstein&rsquo;s injury to start the season, we&rsquo;re placing the Thunder at no.2 for now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already an All-NBA guard and arguably a top 5 player in the league. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams figure out to be the dynamic inside-out duo around SGA. Add in Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, the two new acquisitions this offseason with their capable role players Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe, this young core is as versatile as it is exciting. OKC&rsquo;s depth and versatility on both ends of the floor could propel them into serious title contention.</li>
<li> Phoenix Suns The Suns have loaded up for a title run, and with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal leading the charge, Phoenix has one of the most dangerous offensive trios in the league. They have added their most significant hole which is the PG spot with a solid pick up in Tyus Jones, and they have one of the best offensive coaches in the league in Mike Budenholzer. The Suns&rsquo; questions lie in their depth and health, but if they can manage those concerns, they&rsquo;re built for a championship push. Their offensive firepower is unmatched, and if they click, the Suns will be a team no one wants to face.</li>
<li> Memphis Grizzlies Memphis has weathered their offseason storms and enters the season with a gritty identity intact. Ja Morant is back after his injury and suspension last year and he will now play with last season&rsquo;s addition Marcus Smart. Together with the continued growth of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies are primed to be competitive and come back from their prime two seasons ago where they won 50+ games. Memphis&rsquo; defensive dominance paired with offensive firepower ensures they can be one of the top teams in the West with a deep bench with solid role players.</li>
<li> Denver Nuggets After falling short to Minnesota in 7 games last playoffs, the Nuggets will enter the season with their core mostly intact. Nikola Jokić remains the most dominant center and the best player in the game. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. healthy, the Nuggets are poised for another deep run. But perhaps their biggest loss this season was losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency and that might be a hit so they&rsquo;re currently ranked at no.5 to start the year. It could be a lot to ask for young players like Christian Braun or Julian Strawther to fill the void left by KCP, so it will be interesting to see how Denver handles his loss this season.</li>
<li> Dallas Mavericks Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving experiment is back after a successful season last year, where Dallas entered the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 &ndash; when they won the title. The two stars can mesh to create one of the league&rsquo;s most potent offenses and with the continued internal development of young players like Dereck Lively, the Mavs can build on that Finals appearance. With newcomer Klay Thompson set to provide historic spacing for their dynamic duo, Dallas has the talent to climb the standings and challenge the top teams in the West.</li>
<li> New Orleans Pelicans The Pelicans&rsquo; fate will always hinge on Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health. When Zion plays, New Orleans is a force to be reckoned with. Now paired with newly-acquired point guard Dejounte Murray, they have a balanced attack capable of competing with any team in the conference with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum still on the fold. If Zion stays on the floor, the Pelicans could find themselves rising up the ranks, but his availability remains the biggest X-factor.</li>
<li> Golden State Warriors The Warriors are clinging to their championship window with Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level. The addition of capable veterans in Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and DeAnthony Melton gives them depth and personnel that can play in their offense to surround the core of Curry and Draymond Green for their foundation. Health and age are concerns, but if their veterans stay intact, Golden State can&rsquo;t be counted out.</li>
<li> Sacramento Kings The Kings struggled a bit last season after making their long-awaited playoff return two seasons ago, and they&rsquo;re looking to build on that momentum. They have signed DeMar DeRozan and he should bring a new wrinkle to their motion and three-hunting offense. DeRozan&rsquo;s mid range ability should be a welcome addition to Sacramento&rsquo;s offense. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis still lead an explosive offense, but defense remains a question mark. Sacramento&rsquo;s high-flying, fast-paced style makes them a regular-season juggernaut, but they&rsquo;ll need to tighten up defensively if they want to make a deep playoff run.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers are counting on LeBron James and Anthony Davis staying healthy for a full season. With the front office standing pat on making moves this offseason, the Lakers&rsquo; success will hinge on their superstar duo. If LeBron and AD can avoid injury, Los Angeles will be a formidable playoff team, but health is always a looming concern with this group.</li>
<li> Houston Rockets The Rockets added veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to guide their young core last season and this season could be the time for them to step up. They finished strong last year behind defensive minded coach Ime Udoka and the result could be a team that surprises many. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun have star potential, and younger players Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson add even more excitement. The Rockets also drafted Reed Sheppard with the 3rd pick and Houston is hoping to lay the foundation for success and could push for a Play-In spot this season.</li>
<li> San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama enters his second season, and the Spurs are fully embracing their rebuild around the budding star. While Wembanyama showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, San Antonio is still in the development phase. But with the addition of Chris Paul, the Spurs now have a capable PG to feed Wemby and the other guys, possibly unlocking a new level to their games. With their young core, the Spurs may not be a playoff team yet, but their future looks incredibly bright with Wembanyama leading the way.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers&rsquo; fortunes rest on the health of Kawhi Leonard&mdash;again. After losing Paul George for nothing, Leonard is left to fend LA off by himself in their new arena at Intuit Dome. Gone are the days when LA has the talent to compete with anyone as they&rsquo;re just but a shell of themselves. Leading the way for the injured Leonard will be a 34-year-old James Harden and that might be too much to ask of the aging superstar. However, if Kawhi can return healthy and he can avoid the injury bug, the Clippers will be in the playoff mix, but that&rsquo;s a big &ldquo;if&rdquo; for this squad.</li>
<li> Portland Trail Blazers With Damian Lillard long gone, the Blazers will fully commit another season to their rebuild. Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe form a promising young core, but Portland will likely spend this season focusing on player development. While they won&rsquo;t be in playoff contention, the Blazers are positioning themselves well for the future, with an eye on growth and improvement.</li>
<li> Utah Jazz The Jazz are continuing their rebuild, with Lauri Markkanen emerging as a cornerstone player. While they have some intriguing young pieces like Taylor Hendricks and Keyonte George, Utah isn&rsquo;t ready to compete just yet. This season will be about development and finding which young players can be part of their long-term plans. The Jazz may not win many games this year, but they&rsquo;re building toward a brighter future.</li>
</ol>

Let’s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season.

2024-2025 NBA Western Conference Power Rankings: A race at the top to start the year

The Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets played two games in the Middle East for the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024 and here are some key observations from both teams after their first two preseason games.
Celtics vs Nuggets: Battle of the Champs
In a matchup between the past two NBA champions, the Celtics (2024 winners) prevailed twice over the Nuggets (2023 winners). The first one was a thriller, 107-103, while the second one was a blowout, 130-104.
Despite it still being the preseason, the Celtics showed their ability to win in both kinds of games, whether it was close or blowout. They proved their caliber against a fellow NBA champion that was hypothetically a matchup to watch out for, especially with the two teams being from different conferences.
The Celtics are really, really good &ndash; they did not miss a beat&nbsp;
The Celtics are back and are looking more dangerous than ever &ndash; at least from what they&rsquo;ve shown in these two games. They are really, really good and they mean business this year. This seems impossible after coming off a championship, but the Celtics appear to be hungrier for a chip than they&rsquo;ve ever been and they&rsquo;re looking to prove everyone wrong after a somewhat question-mark season last year, with all the injuries their opponents have endured. The Celtics ought to prove that the championship win was not a fluke, and this starts in the preseason by showing their usual dominant selves.&nbsp;
No championship hangover for these Celtics
The Celtics mean business, and when I say business, that&rsquo;s Jaylen Brown gesturing a too-small sign on Jamal Murray after scoring a tough bucket inside over him.
Jaylen Brown is back better than ever, and after that intense underwater basketball workouts and at just 28 years old, the Finals MVP is firmly in his prime and should play his best basketball ahead of him.
Jayson Tatum comes in with an edge after the Olympics run where he did not play twice, and gunning for the Finals MVP he did not win.
Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are Boston&rsquo;s ever-reliable do-it-all guys and they&rsquo;re gonna do everything that&rsquo;s asked of them.
The whole Boston core, with big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, along with crucial bench pieces Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, just appear to be ready for this title defense.
Mazzulla ball is in full effect &ndash; even if it&rsquo;s just the preseason
The Celtics under Joe Mazzulla make it to a point to shoot as many open threes as they could, and in Game 1 vs the Nuggets, they shot a whopping 61 attempts, making 20 of them; and in Game 2, shot 47 attempts with 18 makes &ndash; a respectable 38 percent clip.
This style of play has brought them a championship and should be rightfully used as such until teams find a way to counter Boston&rsquo;s offense. This is the kind of game that Mazzulla wants to play for the Celtics and they have the roster and the men to do it &ndash; a loaded roster of shooters and floor spacers.
The Celtics still have room for improvement &ndash; and that&rsquo;s scary
&ldquo;Defensively, just got to be a little more tighter on that end,&rdquo; Derrick White said post-game. &ldquo;With some of our communication and the things that we&rsquo;re doing, and I think that comes with time. Offensively, just continue to make the right read and make the right play.&rdquo;
This should be bad news for the rest of the NBA as the defending champions themselves feel they still have something to fix and improve as the season goes on &ndash; a never-ending learning and lessons that can only be taught through game experiences.
Nikola Jokic is still really good
This should be another MVP type of season is on the horizon for the 3-time MVP as he has shown no signs of slowing down and is getting even better and smarter with each game that he plays.
In two games vs Boston, the Joker averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds in just a little over 18 minutes of playing time. The Celtics haven&rsquo;t found a solution against Jokic inside and that resonates with the entire NBA as well.&nbsp;
Jokic&rsquo;s MVP campaign this season could come from him having to carry this roster more with some key departures from the team. He will have more responsibility on the offensive end and Jokic should just be dominant and assert himself to lead Denver to the upper echelon of the West.&nbsp;
Life after Bruce Brown and KCP for Denver
The Nuggets have now lost two key figures in their championship run in back-to-back offseasons, and if this is any indication, the past champs that lost their key role players struggled in the seasons to come. Brown and KCP&rsquo;s skillset should be replaceable but their chemistry with the team especially with MVP Jokic has been vital and Denver could take a step back on that end without those two.
Following their departures, the Nuggets have yet to replace them and will rely on young Christian Braun to replicate their success, or from a veteran like Vlatko Cancar who just recently returned from injury.
Denver&rsquo;s bench is suspect
Denver has no one off the bench who is legitimately an offensive threat or someone who can create his shot, so Michael Malone should probably stagger Jokic and Murray&rsquo;s minutes more, and lean on Michael Porter Jr for more offensive creation. This was exposed against the Celtics as the Nuggets struggled to have some offensive flow within their second units. Westbrook looked to be the answer for that problem but with his age he could not be tasked alone anymore to carry the offensive load for the bench.
Unless Denver makes a big FA signing or a splash before the trade deadline, expect their bench to struggle at times and they could be relying on their starters more often than not to supply all the scoring.
Westbrook&rsquo;s role
Newcomer Russell Westbrook has looked good at times for Denver in these two games. He was pushing the pace, driving and drawing the defense, and kicking it out to shooters which was a good sign for Denver as he figured out to be their backup point guard behind Jamal Murray, or even play alongside him at times to slot Murray at the 2. Westbrook at this point of his career does not need to do much on the offensive end, especially with an all-timer like Jokic in his prime. He could just provide energy off the bench for quality minutes and should be a big piece in Denver&rsquo;s rotation.
Jamal Murray&rsquo;s health
Perhaps the biggest factor out of them all, Jamal Murray&rsquo;s health is the biggest concern for Denver and should be their main priority heading into the season. Murray did not look right in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Canada&rsquo;s Olympic run, and he was not able to find his groove yet in two games vs Boston.
With teams scheming against Jokic every single night, Murray has to come in and set the tone for the Nuggets as their primary secondary option and draw the defense away from the MVP.

Here are some key observations from both the Celtics and the Nuggets after their first two preseason games.

NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024: 10 key observations from Nuggets-Celtics back-to-back games

After a long four-month offseason, the 2023-24 NBA season officially kicks off on October 24. Preseason action is currently underway, with teams evaluating their roster and getting ready for the start of the regular season.
There were a few roster rule changes of note this offseason that were introduced as part of the new CBA. Now, each team can sign up to three two-way players (up from two) who are able to play up to 50 games with their NBA team and spend the rest of their season in the G League. Also, offseason rosters were originally limited to 20 players but have since increased to 21.&nbsp;
Each team needs to be at 15 standard contracts prior to the start of the season, which means a few players on guaranteed deals will have to be cut prior to the season. While some teams have a pretty set roster, others (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) will be forced to part ways with talented players to reach their roster limit.&nbsp;
Looking at the Atlantic Division, let's see how each team&rsquo;s lineup is shaping up and what questions they may need to answer before the start of the season.
(This is part one of a six-part series, with more divisional previews coming soon).
<h1>BOSTON CELTICS</h1>
Outside of the top-six players, who will be the most reliable depth option?
After acquiring Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics may have the best top-six of any team in the league. While we can add the Holiday trade to their list of aggressive offseason transactions, their depth has taken somewhat of a step back.&nbsp;
They will have to replace four rotation players from last year&rsquo;s Conference Finals team with a few players who don&rsquo;t have much experience in playoff situations. Three players who should definitely see more minutes are Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet. Pritchard has played well on both ends of the floor when given an opportunity, notably shooting 40% from three-point range over his first three seasons. The Celtics rewarded him with a team-friendly extension that should see him take up about 5% of the salary cap over the next four years. Hauser has also been a stellar three-point shooter, knocking down 42% since coming into the league.&nbsp;
The frontcourt is probably the most notable weakness on the team&rsquo;s depth chart. Joe Mazzulla has expressed confidence that <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/10/7/23907608/boston-celtics-depth-sam-hauser-luke-kornet-payton-pritchard-joe-mazzulla-blake-griffin-bus-one-boys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kornet should be successful on both ends of the floor and will be their go-to backup center to start the season.</a> The preseason will be important in determining who else (i.e. Oshae Brissett, Jordan Walsh, Svi Mykhailiuk, etc.) may stand out for Mazzulla and get an opportunity for playing time behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Celtics have the least amount of players on guaranteed contracts in the league (10). However, their roster for opening night is likely set unless they want to open up flexibility to sign other veteran players or buyout candidates later this season. If they choose to cut someone, it would very likely be a player on a non-guaranteed deal. Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton each have a partial $200,000 guarantee that increases to over $1,000,000 if they make the roster. Kornet, Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens all have non-guaranteed contracts.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 19 players (10 guaranteed, 2 partially guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 1 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jrue Holiday, G/F Jaylen Brown, F Jayson Tatum, F/C Al Horford, F/C Kristaps Porzingis
Projected Rotation Players: G Derrick White, G Payton Pritchard, C Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed), F Sam Hauser, F Oshae Brissett
Projected Reserves: F Jordan Walsh, G/F Svi Mykhailiuk ($200K guaranteed), F Wenyen Gabriel (non-guaranteed), G Dalano Banton ($200K guaranteed), F Lamar Stevens (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-Way Players: C Neemias Queta, G JD Davison, G Jay Scrubb (Injured)
Projected Roster Cuts: G DJ Steward (Exhibit-10)
<h1>BROOKLYN NETS</h1>
What is Ben Simmons' role?
Ben Simmons has only played 42 games since being acquired by the Nets in February 2022, dealing with physical and psychological hurdles that have made him somewhat of an afterthought. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has expressed confidence that Simmons is now 100% healthy and ready to contribute again at a high level.&nbsp;
He seems to be penciled in as the team&rsquo;s starting point guard, starting in the Nets&rsquo; first preseason game. Though it was just a small 14-minute sample size, Simmons looked a lot like his former All-Star self. Having not played since February 15, he looked athletic, aggressive and confident before sitting out the second half.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He attacked the rim, I think he played with pace, looked pretty natural out there getting up and down the floor, communicating with guys into the flow of the game,&rdquo; Vaughn said, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/ben-simmons-passes-eye-test-in-nets-preseason-opener/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising his $38-million man</a>. &ldquo;Really good to see.&rdquo;
Vaughn has some options when it comes to starting lineups where he could go smaller, with a backcourt of Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie, or decide to start Dorian Finney-Smith and use Mikal Bridges as a big two-guard.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
Darius Bazley, Harry Giles and Trendon Watford are all on non-guaranteed deals and are vying for the final two roster spots. The Nets also have an open two-way spot, which I believe they could potentially use on a player like <a href="https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/mens-basketball/kennedy-chandler-starring-in-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League standout</a> and former Memphis Grizzlies second-rounder Kennedy Chandler.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 18 players (13 guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 2 two-way)
Projected Starters: G/F Ben Simmons, G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Mikal Bridges, F Cameron Johnson, C Nicolas Claxton
Projected Rotation Players: F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Royce O&rsquo;Neale, G Cameron Thomas, G Dennis Smith Jr., C Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe
Projected Reserves: G/F Lonnie Walker IV, C Noah Clowney, F Dariq Whitehead, F Darius Bazley (Non-Guaranteed), C Harry Giles (Non-Guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: G Armoni Brooks, F Jalen Wilson, G Kennedy Chandler* (Projected Signing)
Projected Roster Cuts: F Trendon Watford (Non-Guaranteed)
<h1>NEW YORK KNICKS</h1>
Who will be the first option off the bench?
New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has his fair share of options to headline his second unit. In his third year, Immanuel Quickley had his best season to date, finishing as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award behind Malcolm Brogdon. Quickley was the primary scorer for the second unit, but he shouldn&rsquo;t have to carry the entire load on offense with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo.&nbsp;
DiVincenzo impressed last season with the Golden State Warriors as a reliable bench shooter and should spot minutes for Quentin Grimes and R.J. Barrett when offensive pushes are needed. Josh Hart could also be the team&rsquo;s sixth man, just like he was during the Knicks&rsquo; playoff run. After being traded from Portland, Hart averaged 30 minutes per game despite coming off the bench most of the time. It is worth noting the Knicks-Villanova connection between Hart, DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson, who should fit seamlessly together on the floor thanks to their pre-existing chemistry. While unlikely to be the first off the bench, Isaiah Hartenstein also deserves mention since he has been one of the league&rsquo;s better backup centers and could see more time if Mitchell Robinson gets in foul trouble. In terms of rotation issues, Thibodeau should see this as a good problem to have regardless of who he brings off the bench first.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Knicks have three spots up for grabs between Ryan Arcidiacono, DaQuan Jeffries, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr. All are on non-guaranteed deals that won&rsquo;t be fully guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date on January 10.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (12 guaranteed, 4 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jalen Brunson, G Quentin Grimes, G/F R.J. Barrett, F Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson
Projected Rotation Players: G Josh Hart, G Immanuel Quickley, G Donte DiVincenzo, C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Miles McBride
Projected Reserves: G Evan Fournier, C Jericho Sims, F Isaiah Roby (non-guaranteed), G Ryan Arcidiacono (non-guaranteed), G/F DaQuan Jeffries (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: F/C Nathan Knight, G/F Dylan Windler, F Jaylen Martin
Projected Roster Cuts: G Duane Washington Jr. (non-guaranteed), G Charlie Brown Jr. (Exhibit-10), F Jacob Toppin (Exhibit-10)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/embiid332.jpg" alt="" width="672" height="440" />
<h1>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h1>
Will Tyrese Maxey become more of a creator and how can that adjust the rotation?
The Sixers&rsquo; ceiling is contingent on how much Tyrese Maxey can improve this season. Maxey hasn&rsquo;t needed to be the team&rsquo;s primary distributor since James Harden joined the team, allowing him to blossom into a reliable 20-PPG scorer. Regardless of whether Harden&rsquo;s trade situation is resolved, Maxey will need to become a better creator and distributor if he wants to take his game to the next level. Prior to Harden&rsquo;s arrival, Maxey had an impressive 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio despite his small frame and risk-averse tendencies.&nbsp;
Interestingly, team president Daryl Morey has held off on giving Maxey an extension this offseason, electing to wait until next summer to pay his budding young guard. Maxey will likely demand near max-level money that could harm Philly&rsquo;s flexibility to go after star players next offseason. If he can improve his ball-handling and distribution tendencies, the Sixers&rsquo; offense should benefit tremendously, helping the offensive output of players like P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed and easing the reliance on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Patrick Beverley.
Roster Decisions
Two players will likely be fighting for the Sixers&rsquo; final roster spot. The team re-signed veteran Danny Green, who played for the team from 2020 to 2022, to a non-guaranteed deal. They also brought over young big Filip Petrusev, who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2021. Petrusev signed a multi-year deal that was partially guaranteed for $559,782 this season and non-guaranteed next year. Although unlikely, the 76ers could also elect to waive Montrezl Harrell despite his deal being fully guaranteed, as he should miss this season with a torn ACL.
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (14 guaranteed, 1 partially Guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Tyrese Maxey, G James Harden, F P.J. Tucker, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Projected Rotation Players: G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, G Patrick Beverley, F/C Paul Reed, F/G Kelly Oubre Jr., F Danuel House
Projected Reserves: C Mo Bamba, F Furkan Korkmaz, G Jaden Springer, G/F Danny Green (non-guaranteed), C Montrezl Harrell (injured)
Projected Two-way Players: G Terquavion Smith, G Ricky Council IV, F Azuolas Tubelis
Projected Roster Cuts: F/C Filip Petrusev ($559,782 guaranteed), G David Duke Jr. (Exhibit-10), G Javonte Smart (Exhibit-10)
<h1>TORONTO RAPTORS</h1>
What style does Darko Rajakovic bring to Toronto and who will benefit the most?
New coach Darko Rajakovic inherits an interesting Raptors team with plenty of talent, but they may be facing a crossroads in terms of how successful they can be as a group. Rajakovic is in his first NBA head coaching gig after three seasons as an assistant with the Grizzlies and is known around the league as a pick-and-roll guru.&nbsp;
The idea of the Raptors being a primary pick-and-roll team became less appealing when they were unable to retain Fred VanVleet in free agency, replacing him with a less reliable shooter in Dennis Schr&ouml;der. Instead, Rajakovic will likely rely on Schr&ouml;der and his newly paid center Jakob Poeltl for more ball movement and playmaking. Rajakovic compared Poeltl to Domantas Sabonis before the Raptors&rsquo; preseason win over the Sacramento Kings on October 9 and could use him in a similar role. If Poeltl can be 70% of what Sabonis was last season, it can be a huge boost to an inconsistent offense.
Roster Decisions
The Raptors have 15 players on guaranteed deals going into the season, but also carry Jeff Dowtin Jr. on a non-guaranteed deal. Dowtin played on a two-way contract with Toronto last season, appearing in 25 games. With the roster full, Dowtin is unlikely to make the regular-season roster but he has still <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-praise-jeff-dowtin-jr-as-roster-decisions-await" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressed the coaching staff this preseason</a>. If any player is in danger of losing their roster spot to Dowtin, it would likely be former first-round pick Malachi Flynn. Dowtin&rsquo;s deal becomes guaranteed for $900,000 on October 21, four days before the team&rsquo;s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I would expect the Raptors to make a decision on Dowtin before then.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (15 guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Dennis Schr&ouml;der, F/G Scottie Barnes, F OG Anunoby, F Pascal Siakam, C Jakob Poeltl
Projected Rotation Players: G Gary Trent Jr., F Precious Achiuwa, F/C Chris Boucher, F Jalen McDaniels, G/F Gradey Dick
Projected Reserves: F Thaddeus Young, G Malachi Flynn, F Otto Porter Jr., C Christian Koloko, G/F Garrett Temple
Projected Two-way Players: G/F Ron Harper Jr., G Markquis Nowell, G Javon Freeman-Liberty
Projected Roster Cuts: G Jeff Dowtin (non-guaranteed), F Mouhamadou Gueye (Exhibit-10), C Makur Maker (Exhibit-10)
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Blake Stern previews the Atlantic Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and a burning question entering the season.

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic rode atop a firetruck with people who mean&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/lionelbienvenu/status/1669395480961495040" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the world to him</a>&nbsp;&mdash; his teammate Jamal Murray, his family &mdash; and the NBA trophy.
Jokic and the Denver Nuggets soaked in the moment and were soaked, too, by champagne spray on Thursday during a parade through downtown Denver to celebrate their first NBA title.
His young daughter, Ognjena, stole the show as she sat in front of him on the firetruck, at times wearing Jokic&rsquo;s championship hat. Jokic turned in some big assists, too, shielding her from champagne showers.
This celebration has been a long time in the making and swarms of fans showed up. It took 47 seasons&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-aba-nuggets-9294860355b4db51adfb86ec3bce674e">in the NBA</a>&nbsp;for the franchise&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/DenverChannel/status/1669401885998997506" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">to finally make</a>&nbsp;Denver the home of the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy.
And to think, Jokic was more concerned about when he could return home to Sombor, Serbia, than attending the parade. The player known as &ldquo;Joker&rdquo; changed his tune following the festivities.
&ldquo;This is amazing,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all going to remember this our whole lives.&rdquo;
Near the end of the parade route, an officer was struck by a firetruck and suffered a serious leg injury,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/DenverPolice/status/1669443565330595845" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas said</a>&nbsp;at a news conference. The officer was in serious and stable condition. Later in the day and after the parade, a shooting took place in the downtown area that injured two people. Thomas said the police didn&rsquo;t believe the incident was associated with the celebration. It follows&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-shooting-nuggets-suspect-ee4869abf1afee855565f1c517bfae1f">a mass shooting in downtown</a>&nbsp;Denver after the Nuggets clinched the title Monday night. The shooting was likely sparked by a drug deal gone wrong, according to police.
The Nuggets capped off an impressive postseason by beating the Miami Heat in the Finals in Game 5. The Nuggets finished 16-4 in the playoffs, which was tied for the second-best mark by an NBA champion since the first round was expanded to best-of-seven in 2003. San Antonio also was 16-4 in 2007, and Golden State went 16-1 in 2017.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hitting me right now,&rdquo; said coach Michael Malone, who was choking up as he was interviewed shortly after climbing off his firetruck for the parade. &ldquo;This is an amazing experience.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a crazy idea,&rdquo; added Malone, who was wearing a shirt that read &ldquo;Put this in your pipe and smoke it&rdquo; with a picture of the NBA trophy under it. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s do this again. I want to be on another float. I want to be at another parade and do this thing again.&rdquo;
This title and this parade is a tip of the cap to the team&rsquo;s ABA roots. It&rsquo;s also a tribute to all the players who ever wore the Nuggets&rsquo; iconic rainbow uniforms or any other version of the jersey.
There were so many scenes to absorb. There was rookie Christian Braun tossing his shirt into the crowd. Veteran DeAndre Jordan mingling with the fans, giving them high-fives. Murray signing a painting of himself. And Kentavious Caldwell-Pope playing the role of TV broadcaster when he interviewed teammate Aaron Gordon.
&ldquo;KCP, reporting live,&rdquo; he said, turning to Gordon on the Denver 7 broadcast. &ldquo;How does it feel to be a champion?&rdquo;
&ldquo;You would know, champ,&rdquo; Gordon responded to Caldwell-Pope.
Caldwell-Pope was the lone Nuggets player to have earned a championship, courtesy of his title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
That is, until now.
&ldquo;We really did this,&rdquo; said Murray, who returned to elite form this season after missing all of 2021-22 as he recovered from a torn ACL. &ldquo;We champs for life &mdash; champions for life.&rdquo;
Twenty miles away from the party downtown, the Broncos wrapped up their offseason program Thursday in relative isolation. Veteran safety Kareem Jackson said the Nuggets&rsquo; championship inspires them.
&ldquo;Yeah, definitely seeing another team in the same city win it all, and those guys had a great year. It&rsquo;s definitely encouraging for us. We definitely want to do the same thing,&rdquo; Jackson said.
Jokic is coming off an historic playoff performance, where he became the first player to lead the league in total points (600), rebounds (269) and assists (190) in a single postseason. The two-time NBA MVP added more hardware to his resume, too, capturing the Finals MVP.
He had that trophy next to him, too. Jokic momentarily&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1669171648136724482" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">misplaced it Monday night in the chaos of winning</a>&nbsp;a title.
Jokic was called up to the microphone to speak and serenaded with thunderous chants of &ldquo;MVP,&rdquo; &ldquo;MVP&rdquo; from the crowd.
&ldquo;Ok, ok, ok, ok,&rdquo; he said to quiet them down. &ldquo;Thank you. Thank you, though.&rdquo;
With the season now officially closed, Jokic will soon head home to spend time with his family and return to his other passion &mdash; horse racing. He&rsquo;s hoping to make it back in time to attend a harness race on Sunday.
This is the second straight June the city has held a parade. The Colorado Avalanche were the guests of honor last year after hoisting the Stanley Cup.

The Nuggets celebrated their first NBA championship on Thursday with a parade through downtown Denver.

Nuggets celebrate NBA title with parade through downtown Denver

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; The Denver Nuggets act like they&rsquo;ve been here before.
There is an&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-2023-heat-nuggets-b0f83f7baccd425dbf8aba440e3e210c">unmistakable poise</a>&nbsp;to the Nuggets, who are&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-miami-heat-denver-nuggets-abb4788990b6fb026d65d83c8bc4bb8b">only one win away</a>&nbsp;from their first NBA championship and could hoist the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy as early as Monday night when the finals return to Denver for Game 5. Their stars have been starry in their first finals appearance. Their role players have delivered. There hasn&rsquo;t been a colossal blunder. And even on the cusp of a title, they refuse to change their approach.
&ldquo;We need to win one more,&rdquo; two-time MVP Nikola Jokic said.
That&rsquo;s the Nuggets. Simple. Effective. Blunt.
With Jokic and Jamal Murray leading the way, and with basically a different person stepping up to be the third hero every night so far for the Nuggets, they have the Miami Heat in serious trouble now.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-2023-heat-nuggets-b0f83f7baccd425dbf8aba440e3e210c">They lead the finals 3-1</a>&nbsp;and with potentially two of the next three games &mdash; if needed &mdash; in Denver.
&ldquo;We get an opportunity to play a super competitive game in a great environment,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s going to be an awesome environment. Our guys are built for that. They love that. &hellip; Yeah, we understand what the narrative will be, but that&rsquo;s the way it is with our team.&rdquo;
History says this series is pretty much over; only one team in NBA history has dug its way out of such a hole in the finals, that being the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors. Heat forward Kevin Love played for that Cleveland team.
&ldquo;Forget the game,&rdquo; Love said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just one possession, one quarter, half by half. Just get it done by any means necessary and we&rsquo;ll figure the rest out.&rdquo;
It will be a daunting task.
The Nuggets have held Miami under 100 points three times through the first four games; those were the three Denver wins in the series. They&rsquo;re 9-1 at home, the only loss coming in Game 2 of this series when Miami pulled off a big rally and survived when a potentially game-tying 3-pointer by Jamal Murray missed at the buzzer.
&ldquo;This is what I always tell my guys: Winning a championship will be the hardest thing you ever do,&rdquo; said Heat forward Udonis Haslem, a three-time champion whose 20-year career ends when this series ends. &ldquo;People only talk about the parade and holding up the trophy. They don&rsquo;t talk about the journey, the sleepless nights, the frustration, the tears, the pain. They don&rsquo;t talk about that (stuff). This is all part of that.&rdquo;
Denver isn&rsquo;t talking about a parade; some city officials in Dallas were during the 2006 finals when the Mavericks led Miami 2-0, and the Heat won the next four games. The Nuggets aren&rsquo;t making any such blunders. No blunders at all, really. Every detail is covered, even remembering to run the 24-second shot clock down to the very end on multiple possessions in the final minutes of Game 4, just to shorten the game and limit whatever chance Miami had at making a comeback.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve done our job. But we&rsquo;re not celebrating like we&rsquo;ve done anything yet,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;We know we&rsquo;re going to have to go home and turn off the TV, the radio, don&rsquo;t read the papers, don&rsquo;t listen to everybody telling you how great you are. &hellip; We stay true to our identity.&rdquo;
Here&rsquo;s what that means: The Nuggets have two exceptional players, a two-time MVP in Jokic playing the role of Batman and a still-rising star in Murray happily playing the role of Robin in Denver&rsquo;s superhero duo.
Jokic &mdash; who will never willingly enter a conversation about his incredible stats &mdash; is on the cusp of becoming the first player to ever lead the NBA in points, rebounds and assists during a postseason. Murray is the first player to have at least 10 assists in each of his four finals games. They have been the 1-2 punch that has put Miami on the ropes throughout this series.
And then there&rsquo;s always a third or fourth hero to finish the job. In Game 1, it was Michael Porter Jr. with 14 points and 13 rebounds. In Game 3, it was rookie Christian Braun with 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting. In Game 4, it was Aaron Gordon with a team-high 27 points and Bruce Brown with 21 off the bench.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s just how this team is built,&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;We have guys that can step up night in and night out. Sometimes it&rsquo;s not going to be your night, and sometimes it is going to be your night. This team does a good job finding the people that are kind of in a rhythm and kind of going.&rdquo;
Jokic gets most of the credit and doesn&rsquo;t want it. Murray doesn&rsquo;t get enough credit and doesn&rsquo;t care about that, either. The other guys, they just take their cues from Jokic and Murray and find a way.
If they do it one more time, they&rsquo;ll be getting rings in a few months.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just ready to win a championship,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We have the tools to do it. It&rsquo;s been on our minds for a while. We&rsquo;re just locked in. I don&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;ve got to overthink it. We&rsquo;re just dialed in, ready to win.&rdquo;

Despite the fact that is their first NBA Finals appearance, the Denver Nuggets act like they’ve been here before.

Nuggets showing plenty of poise in NBA Finals against Heat

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBA Finals is not too big of a stage for him.
The 21st pick in the draft last summer, Braun has made the most of his minutes off the bench, sinking 10 of 12 shots, grabbing a half dozen rebounds and collecting four steals against the Miami Heat while giving teammates an extended breather.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a rare rookie right here,&rdquo; Aaron Gordon said. &ldquo;From Day 1 he&rsquo;s been on top of it. This is a real winner right here. I say that because he&rsquo;s always in the right spot. He&rsquo;s in the right place at the right time, and he&rsquo;s been doing that all year.&rdquo;
Braun has a chance to become just the fifth player in NBA history to win an NBA title a year after winning the NCAA championship, joining Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Henry Bibby and Billy Thompson.
Braun gave the Nuggets a much-needed lift in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-miami-heat-denver-nuggets-6410e66b0dc6f50f2bbed3b6b7a178b4">Denver&rsquo;s Game 3 rout of the Heat</a>. With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray making history with the first dual triple-double in the NBA Finals, Braun scored 15 points in 19 minutes on a night starters Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggled again.
Braun&rsquo;s remarkable resume includes three state championships at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and a national title with the Jayhawks last year.
Most rookies who cap their college careers with championships have to bide their time in the pros until it&rsquo;s, well, their time. Braun is two wins away from an incredible fifth championship in seven years.
And one of those years without a title came in 2020, when the pandemic shuttered sports and society at a time the Jayhawks were entering the NCAA tournament as the nation&rsquo;s No. 1 team.
&ldquo;Getting shut down, we feel like we were definitely held back from something,&rdquo; said Braun, who helped Kansas win the national title two years later when he had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Jayhawks&rsquo; 72-69 win over North Carolina in the national championship.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m definitely blessed,&rdquo; Braun said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not necessarily an individual accomplishment. I&rsquo;ve been a part of some really good teams with really good coaches and really good players.&rdquo;
Like on the court, he&rsquo;s been in the right place at the right time his whole life.
&ldquo;All year long the one thing I&rsquo;ve talked about with Christian is that he&rsquo;s a winner,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;The guy has won at every level, and here he is in the NBA Finals. It&rsquo;s kind of staying true to form for Christian Brawn.&rdquo;
Malone said he knew Braun&rsquo;s addition was going to be big when the 6-7 shooting guard whose last name is pronounced &ldquo;Brown,&rdquo; helped Denver to a 128-123 win at Golden State in the second game of the season with Murray in street clothes as he worked his way back from a torn ACL.
&ldquo;For a young player playing against the defending world champions on the road, he wasn&rsquo;t afraid,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;That really stuck out to me. Most young kids, they get in a situation or environment like that, they&rsquo;re going to be a little bit over their head, and he wasn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Braun&rsquo;s attitude is that if he&rsquo;s only going to get minutes here and there, then he&rsquo;s going to hustle from the second he checks in to the moment he&rsquo;s summoned back to the bench.
&ldquo;The last two months of the year he was a rotational player for the No. 1 team in the West,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s done his job in the playoffs. He&rsquo;s gone out there and defended, rebounded, ran the floor, moved without it. He&rsquo;s never afraid of the moment, which you have to appreciate for such a young kid.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Obviously, the Final Four kind of helped me with that,&rdquo; Braun said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve kind of been here before.&rdquo;
Several times even.

Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBA Finals is not too big of a stage for him.

Nuggets’ Braun seeking NBA title a year after winning NCAA championship

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Never had two players from the same team had 30-point triple-doubles in the same game. Never in the regular season. Never in the playoffs. Certainly never in the NBA Finals.
Until now.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray made history Wednesday night &mdash; and have the Denver Nuggets two wins away from making some real history as well.
Jokic and Murray became the first teammates in NBA Finals history to both record triple-doubles, and the Nuggets reclaimed the lead in the series by beating the Miami Heat 109-94 in Game 3.
&ldquo;By far, their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said, after his team moved two wins away from Denver&rsquo;s first title.
Jokic finished with 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists &mdash; the first such game in NBA Finals history, or at least the first since assists were tracked. Murray had 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, getting the rebound he needed with 9 seconds remaining.
The Nuggets outrebounded the Heat 58-33, and took a 2-1 lead. Game 4 is Friday in Miami.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just glad that we won the game,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;It was a big one for us because they won in our arena. We just didn&rsquo;t want to go down 2-1.&rdquo;
Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for Miami, and Bam Adebayo finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Caleb Martin added 10 points.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to come out with more energy and effort and that&rsquo;s correctable,&rdquo; Butler said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s on us as a group.&rdquo;
Jokic and Murray combined for 24 field goals; Miami had 34. Jokic and Murray combined for 31 rebounds; Miami had 33. Jokic and Murray combined for 20 assists; Miami had exactly that many.
Somehow, some way, the Heat know they need to find an answer before Friday.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not an easy task to do,&rdquo; Butler said. &ldquo;But if we want to win, we&rsquo;re going to have to figure it out.&rdquo;
Miami has been the comeback kings of these playoffs &mdash; seven rallies in games after trailing by at least 12 points. The Heat were down by 14 going into the fourth, and Malone reminded his club of Miami&rsquo;s penchant for comebacks.
&ldquo;First two games, they won the fourth quarter,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;Tonight, we win the fourth quarter, we win the game.&rdquo;
His team listened.
The lead eventually reached 21, the outcome never seriously in doubt, and Jokic looking very much like he&rsquo;s back in cruise control. The Heat got within nine on a 3-pointer by Duncan Robinson with 1:22 left, but there was no epic finish for Miami. Murray and Jokic had the Nuggets too far ahead to get caught.
&ldquo;You have to expect there to be elite talent in the finals,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;And both those guys are elite-level talent.&rdquo;
Officially, Jokic is now the seventh player to have two triple-doubles in the same finals. Magic Johnson and LeBron James each did it in three different finals. Draymond Green, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Butler all had one title series with two triple-doubles.
It was Jokic&rsquo;s 10th triple-double of these playoffs, extending his single-season record, and he was unbothered by whatever Miami threw his way. He finished 12 for 21 from the floor, 7 for 8 from the line, playing 44 minutes.
&ldquo;We were more locked in, more focused,&rdquo; Jokic said.
Christian Braun was tremendous off the bench for the Nuggets, scoring 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting in 19 minutes. Aaron Gordon added 11 for Denver.
And afterward, they both marveled at what their stars did in Game 3.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s greatness, man. It&rsquo;s greatness,&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a dynamic duo right there.&rdquo;
Added Braun: &ldquo;I would say that it&rsquo;s what they do every game.&rdquo;
Miami never led in the second half. A dunk by Adebayo put the Heat up 44-42 with 3:18 left in the half, before a 3-pointer by Murray represented the seventh and final lead change of the night. It was 53-48 at halftime, before Denver pushed the lead to double digits for the first time early in the third and wound up leading by as many as 19 later in that period.
The Heat stole home court by winning Game 2 in Denver, a game where Murray had a chance to force overtime with a 3-point try that missed at the end. The Nuggets now have the lead again, and there was no Game 2 hangover on Wednesday.
&ldquo;Not just me,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;Everybody bounced back.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Denver used Reggie Jackson in the first quarter, going nine deep in the opening 12 minutes for the first time since Game 2 of the West finals. ... Denver hadn&rsquo;t lost two consecutive games to Miami since March 14 and Nov. 30, 2016. Jokic played in both of those games, Murray in the second one early in his rookie season.
Heat: It was the first finals game in Miami since 2014. The Heat didn&rsquo;t have any &ldquo;home&rdquo; games in the 2020 finals, which were held in the NBA&rsquo;s restart bubble near Orlando. ... Wednesday was the 11th anniversary of LeBron James&rsquo; 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist game at Boston in Game 6 of the East finals &mdash; staving off elimination. The Heat won Game 7 and went on to beat Oklahoma City for James&rsquo; first title.
HASLEM RECORD
Miami&rsquo;s Udonis Haslem &mdash; in his 20th and final season &mdash; set a record. He became the oldest player to appear in the NBA Finals, breaking the mark of 42 years, 58 days set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on June 13, 1989.
Haslem turns 43 on Friday. He played the final 29.8 seconds.
RARE COMPANY
Jokic had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the first quarter. The only other players in the last 25 years to have that in any quarter of a finals game were Stephen Curry (12-7-5) for Golden State in the third quarter against Cleveland on June 4, 2017, and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal (12-7-3) for the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter against Philadelphia on June 8, 2001.
CELEB WATCH
Former Heat player and NBA champion Mike Miller &mdash; now an agent &mdash; was at the game, along with one of his clients, Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/Pp_doesit/status/1666599282634260482?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Banchero tweeted</a>&nbsp;&ldquo;game ain&rsquo;t even started yet i&rsquo;m in here star struck.&rdquo;
DJ Khaled was in attendance, along with soccer greats Neymar and Paul Pogba (on the day Lionel Messi committed to play for Inter Miami), Shakira, Magic Johnson, J. Cole (who played a role in getting Caleb Martin to the Heat) and Dwyane Wade &mdash; who starred for Miami&rsquo;s title teams in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-206 apnews_article_midarticle_2" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">&nbsp;</div>

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray made history Wednesday night — and have the Nuggets two wins away from making history as well.

Jokic, Murray have triple-doubles, Nuggets beat Heat 109-94 for 2-1 lead

The 2023 NBA Finals start Thursday in Denver. Here's a preview of the series:
8TH SEED MIAMI HEAT (44-38, 12-6) vs. 1ST SEED DENVER NUGGETS (53-29, 12-3)
How they got here: Heat &mdash; beat No. 1 Milwaukee 4-1, beat No. 5 New York 4-2, beat No. 2 Boston 4-3. Nuggets &mdash; beat No. 8 Minnesota 4-1; beat No. 4 Phoenix 4-2; beat No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers 4-0.
Season series: Nuggets, 2-0. Denver&rsquo;s two victories came by a combined nine points, with a 124-119 home win on Dec. 30 and a 112-108 victory in Miami on Feb. 13.
Schedule: Thursday and Sunday at Denver, June 7 and 9 at Miami, June 12 at Denver if necessary, June 15 at Miami if necessary, June 18 at Denver if necessary.
Starters: Heat &mdash; F Jimmy Butler, F Caleb Martin, C Bam Adebayo, G Max Strus, G Gabe Vincent. Nuggets &mdash; F Michael Porter Jr., F Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Jokic, G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Jamal Murray.
Key reserves: Heat &mdash; F Kevin Love, F Haywood Highsmith, F Duncan Robinson, C Cody Zeller, G Kyle Lowry. Nuggets &mdash; F Bruce Brown, F Jeff Green, F Christian Braun.
Storyline: The Nuggets have cruised to the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history behind Jokic, the two-time NBA MVP who is averaging 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the postseason. The Heat are here for the seventh time, though this is their most surprising trip. Minutes away from missing the playoffs entirely, they went on to become the second No. 8 seed to reach the finals, joining the New York Knicks in 1999.
Injury watch: Miami&rsquo;s Tyler Herro, out since breaking his hand in the postseason opener against Milwaukee, has been working out in hopes of playing in this series.
Numbers of note: The Heat haven&rsquo;t won in Denver since Nov. 30, 2016. ... Denver is 8-0 at home in the postseason and has won six straight overall since being tied 2-2 with the Suns. ... The Heat have won Game 1 on the road in all three series thus far. ... In Jokic and Murray (27.7 ppg), the Nuggets have two of the top nine scorers in this postseason. Butler (28.5) is seventh. ... Miami&rsquo;s bench has outscored its opponents by 213 points in the postseason. ... The Heat lost their past two home games after winning their first six of the postseason.
Prediction: Denver is a nine-point favorite in Game 1,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/basketball/nba/miami-heat-@-denver-nuggets-32391896" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>&nbsp;But with the Nuggets perhaps rusty since finishing off the Lakers on May 22, the Heat may have another chance to open with a road win. Even if they do, this time it won&rsquo;t matter. Jokic and Murray are on too much of a roll to be stopped now. It took Denver a long time to get to the NBA Finals, but it will be worth the wait. Nuggets in 6.

The 2023 NBA Finals start Thursday in Denver. Here's a preview of the series.

NBA Finals preview capsule: Breaking down Nuggets vs. Heat

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray continue to turn in jaw-dropping performances during these playoffs, raising expectations along the way.
They took Round 1 of their Western Conference Finals showdown against LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a game in which Jockic was dazzled by the fortitude of of his Denver Nuggets teammate, who played through a painful ear infection.
&ldquo;Of course maybe he&rsquo;s just faking it,&rdquo; the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1658693620621541378" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nuggets big man</a>&nbsp;interjected after the Nuggets staved off the Los Angeles Lakers 132-126. &ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t want to practice.&rdquo;
A little comedy to go with their chemistry.
Opponents have found nothing funny about the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1658666245548544001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Murray-Jokic combo</a>&nbsp;in the playoffs. They are playing their best basketball since the 2020 NBA bubble. Seven months after that run, Murray tore his left ACL and had to sit out the last two postseasons.
Now, Murray and Jokic are back to showcasing a brand of two-player hoops reminiscent of the John Stockton-Karl Malone era in Utah. But they seek what eluded Stockton and Malone.
They&rsquo;re chasing a championship ring to cement their place in NBA lore alongside Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and, yes, LeBron and AD, who combined for 66 points in Game 1 Tuesday night.
The Nuggets are one of six teams never to reach the NBA Finals and they&rsquo;re 0-7 against the Lakers in playoff series. Behind Murray and Jokic, they feel they finally have the championship chops to bring the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy to the Mile High City.
&ldquo;It seems like for years now, we&rsquo;re some dusty old cowtown in the Rocky Mountains, with so little respect that we get,&rdquo; said coach Michael Malone, whose team will try to improve to 8-0 at home in the playoffs Thursday night. &ldquo;You can sit there, you can fight it and complain about it. Or you can just embrace who we are and what we have.&rdquo;
That disrespect didn&rsquo;t wane even with the Nuggets earning the top seed for the first time as commentators alternately anointed everyone but Denver as the favorite to win the West.
For all those who tuned in Tuesday and really watched Jokic and Murray for the first time they saw what players and coaches around the league say: That was no fluke, they&rsquo;re just about always that good.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather not waste time with the pundits that count us out and don&rsquo;t give us the respect we deserve as a team, with everything we&rsquo;ve done,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;But there&rsquo;s one thing we haven&rsquo;t done. And until we win a championship, people are going to keep saying that about us. So that&rsquo;s what drives us.&rdquo;
Denver may have already won a championship by now were it not for Murray&rsquo;s devastating knee injury at Golden State on April 12, 2021.
He could only watch as the Nuggets were routed by Phoenix in the second round of the playoffs that year and again by the Warriors in the first round last year when their other max player, Michael Porter Jr., also was sidelined.
But this could be their best opportunity to date.
With Murray back healthy and Jokic a matchup nightmare for anyone, they&rsquo;re rolling along, winning nine of 12 playoff games so far.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re a dynamic duo, great symmetry, know each other well,&rdquo; Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. &ldquo;Great rhythm, regardless of who&rsquo;s initiating, who&rsquo;s screening. ... We have to be ready to really defend that at a high level.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s a difficult ask.
&ldquo;We just have to make it tough for him, switching up matchups and schemes on him,&rdquo; Davis said of Jokic.
Murray was questionable for Game 1 due to an ear infection that made for a miserable weekend. But there he was at his best, knocking down a dozen shots, including four 3-pointers and dishing out five assists.
&ldquo;The whole playoffs, I think he&rsquo;s playing amazing,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;We all know what he brings, the toughness.&rdquo;
Jokic, too, filled up the stat sheet. He finished with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists, giving him 12 career playoff triple-doubles, most by a center in NBA history.
The Nuggets will need more performances like this to fend off the Lakers, who beat them in the Western Conference Finals in 1985, 2009 and 2020.
Denver has more firepower this time around, too, with a solid supporting cast. It also includes Porter, Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown, rookie Christian Braun, Jeff Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who brings a championship pedigree to a roster known mostly for its two-time MVP.
All of that was on display in the Nuggets&rsquo; series clincher against Phoenix in Round 2 when Denver bounced the Suns with a 25-point blowout.
&ldquo;We looked like a championship team,&rdquo; Jokic said afterward. &ldquo;We were so focused. ... Well, I guess I don&rsquo;t know how a championship team looks. But I think that was how it&rsquo;s supposed to look.&rdquo;
That view will become clearer if Jokic and Murray can keep playing like this.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray continue to turn in jaw-dropping performances during these playoffs.

Jokic, Murray know they need title to get recognition of other duos

The NBA announced the All-Rookie teams on Monday afternoon.
The All-Rookie First Team consists of Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray and Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin.
Banchero, who won the 2022-23 Rookie of the Year award, was the lone unanimous First-Team selection.
The All-Rookie Second Team features Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason, Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan.
The following players also received votes: Andrew Nembhard (Pacers), Shaedon Sharpe (Blazers), AJ Griffin (Hawks), Christian Braun (Nuggets), Jaylin Willams (Thunder), Jaden Hardy (Mavericks), Malaki Branham (Spurs), Dyson Daniels (Pelicans), Mark Williams (Hornets) and MarJon Beauchamp (Bucks).
Here are the complete results:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/rook1.png" alt="" width="648" height="667" />
On Tuesday, the NBA will announce the All-Defensive Teams. On Wednesday, the league will announce the All-NBA Teams. And on Thursday, they'll announce the Teammate of the Year award.

The NBA announced the All-Rookie teams on Monday afternoon.

Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams headline NBA All-Rookie Teams

Jamal Murray scored 24 points and dished out eight assists in his first playoff game since the 2020 NBA bubble and the top-seeded Denver Nuggets routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-80 Sunday night.
Nikola Jokic added 13 points, 14 rebounds and a half dozen assists in 28 minutes and Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 points as Denver snapped a five-game skid in playoff openers.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 18 points. Karl-Anthony Towns, who was rounding into form this month after missing 52 games with a bad calf, missed 10 of his first 12 shots and finished with 11 points.
The Timberwolves hadn&rsquo;t been held to so few points since Nov. 19, 2016.
Jokic said during the Nuggets&rsquo; week off that he was eager to see how they&rsquo;d do do with Murray and Porter back in the lineup with him after injuries and surgeries waylaid Denver&rsquo;s Big Three each of the last two postseasons.
The answer was emphatic: the trio combined for 55 points, 33 rebounds and 16 assists &mdash; with just two combined turnovers &mdash; as all five of Denver&rsquo;s starters scored in double figures as did reserve Bruce Brown, who chipped in 14.
The Nuggets were the only one of four home teams to win Sunday as the Bucks, Grizzlies and Suns all surrendered homecourt advantage to lower seeds in the first round.
The opener marked Murray&rsquo;s first playoff appearance since his breakout performance in the 2020 NBA bubble, when he twice put up 50 points on the Jazz in helping the Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals where they lost to LeBron James and the Lakers. Murray tore his left ACL eight months later and missed the Nuggets&rsquo; last two playoff runs.
&ldquo;It is kind of wild to think it&rsquo;s been that long,&rdquo; Denver coach Michael Malone said before tip-off. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just so happy for him, proud of him. It has not been an easy journey for him, but I think this year, we&rsquo;ve seen Jamal have moments where that&rsquo;s the Jamal Murray that we all love and remember.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s just really excited to get back out there, play, and remind people of what he&rsquo;s capable of. We know how important he is to us. I&rsquo;m just very, very thankful that, we as a team, are healthy going into the postseason.&rdquo;
That includes Porter, who sat out a year ago following back surgery.
The Timberwolves were without starting forward Jaden McDaniels, their best perimeter defender, who broke his right hand punching a wall in Minnesota&rsquo;s final regular season game.
SPICY NUGGETS
Malone said before tip-off he expected some chippiness in the series: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mind spicy. This is the playoffs. This isn&rsquo;t like regular season games.&rdquo;
He got just that in the third quarter when rookie Christian Braun got into a tussle with Kyle Anderson after Anderson&rsquo;s flagrant foul. As teammates rushed into the fray, Murray pointed to the scoreboard, which read: Nuggets 83, Timberwolves 58.
HIGH PRAISE
It&rsquo;s no surprise Timberwolves basketball boss Tim Connelly spoke so glowingly about the Nuggets, whose nucleus he helped assemble before being lured away by the T-Wolves 11 months ago.
&ldquo;Michael Malone is a fantastic head coach. The staff is full of future head coaches,&rdquo; Connelly said at the morning shootaround. &ldquo;Obviously, Nikola, best player in the world. ... From A-to-Z, a first-class organization, great ownership.&rdquo;
Connelly shared intel on Jokic and his teammates with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, who said, &ldquo;his background on this &mdash; very, very helpful.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Minnesota surrendered the first eight points of the game and the first nine points after halftime. The Wolves fought back to take a 17-16 lead in the first quarter but there was no similar comeback in the third.
Nuggets: Denver outscored Minnesota 32-14 in the third quarter to build an 87-58 lead. ... Jokic was sent back into the game with the Nuggets ahead by 30 with 7:46 left in the fourth and picked up a flagrant foul, his fifth, at the 6:50 mark when he elbowed Anthony Edwards in the face. He fouled out 13 seconds later.
UP NEXT
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Denver.

Jamal Murray scored 24 points and the top-seeded Denver Nuggets routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-80 Sunday night.

Jamal Murray leads Nuggets past Wolves 109-80 in Game 1

Exactly two months ago, the Dallas Mavericks were the fourth seed in the Western Conference and all eyes were on them after their blockbuster acquisition of Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks thought they'd found the perfect co-star for Luka Doncic, someone who could help them make another deep playoff run after advancing to the Western Conference Finals the year before.
However, on Friday night, the Mavericks were officially eliminated from the postseason after opting to sit Irving, Christian Wood, Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber against the Chicago Bulls, and resting Doncic after the first quarter.&nbsp;
Dallas prioritized their draft pick over potentially making the play-in, as they owe their first-round pick to the New York Knicks (as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade) but it's top-10 protected, and losing to the Bulls gave Dallas the 10th-best lottery odds in the league.
While much of the conversation about the Mavericks&rsquo; uncertain future has centered around Irving&rsquo;s upcoming free agency and whether Jason Kidd will return as head coach, ESPN&rsquo;s Tim MacMahon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36111588/the-end-dallas-mavericks-season-marks-beginning-franchise-altering-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that sources within the Mavericks fear that "Doncic, who publicly and privately expressed extreme frustration this season, could consider requesting a trade as soon as the summer of 2024 if Dallas doesn&rsquo;t make significant progress by then.&rdquo;
MacMahon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36111588/the-end-dallas-mavericks-season-marks-beginning-franchise-altering-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adds</a> that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s a strong sense of urgency within the organization to expedite the process before Doncic loses faith in the Mavs&rsquo; ability to build a contender around him.&rdquo;
While the Mavs have Doncic on a five-year, $215 million supermax contract, he could still request a trade in the near future if he's unhappy. There&rsquo;s no question that Doncic was frustrated throughout this season.
"I think you can see it with me on the court," Doncic said following a disappointing loss to the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets last month. "Sometimes, I don't feel it's me. I'm just being out there. I used to have really fun, smiling on the court, but it's just been so frustrating for a lot of reasons, not just basketball."
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Recently, Doncic admitted that the Mavs&rsquo; chemistry declined &ldquo;a lot&rdquo; from last season to this year, while acknowledging that losing Jalen Brunson in free agency played a significant role in the team&rsquo;s drop off.&nbsp;
The hope was that Irving could help fill the hole left by Brunson's departure and give Dallas the perfect running mate for Doncic. However, as MacMahon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36111588/the-end-dallas-mavericks-season-marks-beginning-franchise-altering-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>, the Mavs went 5-11 when Doncic and Irving were both in the lineup, the worst winning percentage (.313) that a pair of All-Star teammates have posted since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77.
Dallas enters this offseason with some big decisions to make. They have a number of key players hitting unrestricted free agency including Irving, Wood and Dwight Powell. Mark Cuban told reporters that the priority is to keep Irving long-term.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not Kyrie or bust, but we want to keep him,&rdquo; Cuban <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-cuban-says-keeping-irving-is-priority-supports-kidd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;I want him to stay for sure, and I think we have a good shot. I think he&rsquo;s happy here. He told me he&rsquo;s happy here.&rdquo;
Cuban also stressed that the team will be looking to add defenders over the summer, so they can be more competitive on that side of the floor.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got the best offensive rating, I think, with those two guys when they play together,&rdquo; Cuban said. &ldquo;We could not find a way to get stops in close games. I don&rsquo;t think you can point to any one thing, but we&rsquo;ll have to make changes, obviously, to be able to get better defensively.&rdquo;
While there&rsquo;s been plenty of speculation that the Mavs may replace Kidd, Cuban told reporters that he doesn&rsquo;t blame Kidd for the team&rsquo;s struggles, so perhaps a coaching change isn&rsquo;t coming.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s J-Kidd&rsquo;s problem that we didn&rsquo;t have an identity,&rdquo; Cuban <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-cuban-says-keeping-irving-is-priority-supports-kidd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;The game changed in ways we didn&rsquo;t expect it to change. So I blew it. It was on me personally because the game changed in terms of the &lsquo;take&rsquo; fouls and the speed of the game and where you need to be defensively.&rdquo;
As for Doncic&rsquo;s future, it remains to be seen if the Mavericks can put the right pieces around him and become a perennial contender. Several days ago, Cuban was asked about Doncic&rsquo;s long-term optimism and whether he&rsquo;ll be the new Dirk Nowitzki, who spent 21 seasons with the Mavs.
&ldquo;Players don&rsquo;t talk like that, &lsquo;Hey, I&rsquo;ll be here for the next 17 years,&rsquo;&rdquo; Cuban <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-cuban-says-keeping-irving-is-priority-supports-kidd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;He&rsquo;d like to be here the whole time, but we&rsquo;ve got to earn that.&rdquo;

The Mavs are reportedly worried that Luka Doncic may request a trade as soon as next year if they can't make significant progress.

Mavs fear Luka Doncic may request trade unless they build contender

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points, including a key layup with 17 seconds left as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 112-108 on Monday night in Ja Morant&rsquo;s first game back with the team after an eight-game league suspension.
Santi Aldama added 22 for Memphis and Desmond Bane finished with 17 as Memphis won its sixth in the last seven.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 28 points, but missed all eight of his shots in the fourth quarter as Memphis outscored Dallas 29-12 in the period.
Morant did not dress for the game but was on the Memphis bench, coming out to a hearty ovation from the fans just before tipoff. The NBA assessed the suspension after a video from a Denver-area strip club earlier this month showed Morant brandishing a gun.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks were again without leading-scorer Luka Doncic, who missed his fifth game with left thigh soreness.
That left the Dallas offensive surge to Irving, picked up in a trade deadline deal, along with Christian Wood, who scored 20.
Dallas built its lead to 16 points in the third quarter, but Memphis crafted a 24-7 run in the fourth, and the game settled into an exchange of leads for both teams.
The game was tight through the first half with seven ties and three lead changes before the Mavericks carried a 60-57 lead into halftime, led by 20 points from Irving. The third quarter belonged to Dallas, stretching lead to 96-83 as Hardy scored 10 in the stanza, while the Mavericks shot 62%.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: While Doncic missed his fifth game with a left thigh strain, it marked the eighth time in 17 games since acquiring Irving at the trade deadline that one or both of the All-Stars has been out. ... Davis Bertans&rsquo; 3-pointer in the second quarter was the 800th of his career.
Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks picked up a technical foul for taunting after a dunk. It was his 18th of the season, and per league rules, he will be suspended for Wednesday&rsquo;s game against Houston. ... Memphis is 11-2 against the Southwest Division, with the only losses coming to Dallas and the New Orleans Pelicans.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Golden State on Wednesday night.
Grizzlies: Play the first of consecutive home games against Houston on Wednesday night.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points, including a key layup with 17 seconds left as the Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks.

Jackson scores 28 as Grizzlies rally late to defeat Mavs

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Christian Wood had 27 points and 13 rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks overcame a series of blunders at the end regulation to beat the San Antonio Spurs 137-128 in overtime Wednesday night without injured All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Dallas&rsquo; Maxi Kleber threw an inbounds pass out of bounds on a full-length heave with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation. Keldon Johnson, who missed a pair of free throws with 1.8 seconds, tied it 121 on an alley-oop dunk off an inbounds pass from Malaki Branham.
Wood had five points in overtime as Dallas fights to remain in the top 10 in the Western Conference. The Mavericks entered the game in ninth place with the same record as the 10th-place Los Angeles Lakers and a game ahead of the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans.
Dwight Powell and Jaden Hardy had 22 points each and Josh Green added 21 points for Dallas, which snapped a three-game skid.
Johnson had 27 points to lead the short-handed Spurs.
Playing the second game of a back-to-back, the Spurs were without starters Devin Vassell Jeremy Sochan and Zach Collins along with Keita Bates-Diop and Charles Bassey. But as they did in setting a franchise record with 22 3-pointers in a rousing victory over Orlando on Tuesday night, San Antonio responded with a balanced scoring effort.
Branham had 20 points, Romeo Langford had 17 points and four others scored in double figures.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dallas has won six straight against San Antonio. The Mavericks&rsquo; previous loss to the Spurs was April 11, 2021, in San Antonio. &hellip; Doncic and Irving were both in attendance, sitting at the end of the Mavericks bench. &hellip; Jaden Hardy has scored 20 points in all three of his career starts for the Mavericks. In a back-to-back set against Memphis, Hardy had 22 points on March 11 and 28 points on March 13.
Spurs: San Antonio confirmed that C Charles Bassey suffered a non-displace fracture in his left patella. The injury occurred at the close of the first quarter of Tuesday&rsquo;s victory over Orlando. Bassey will miss the remainder of the season. &hellip;. San Antonio is 2-1 during its six-game homestand. &hellip; Of the 13 games the Spurs have remaining, 10 are against a team in the playoffs or play-in tournament if the season ended today. &hellip; Johnson made his 200th career start in 219 career games with the Spurs. Only Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Willie Anderson and Sean Elliott have 200 starts in fewer games for the Spurs.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Spurs: Host Memphis on Friday night.

Christian Wood had 27 points and 13 rebounds as the Mavericks beat the Spurs 137-128 in overtime on Wednesday night.

Christian Wood has 27 points, 13 rebounds in Mavs’ OT win over Spurs

NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; CJ McCollum scored 13 of his 32 points in the final four minutes and the New Orleans Pelicans held off the Dallas Mavericks 113-106 on Wednesday night.
McCollum&rsquo;s compelling finish came after each team lost a top player. The Pelicans&rsquo; Brandon Ingram left late in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle after scoring 12 points. Dallas star guard Luka Doncic left in the third with a strained left thigh after scoring 15 points.
The Mavericks were down by as many as 19 in the third quarter and by double digits well into the fourth. But the Mavs suddenly surged within striking distance with a 12-0 run that began with Davis Bertans 3, Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s 4-point play on a 3 as he was fouled, and Christian Wood&rsquo;s 3-point play on a layup as he was fouled.
Irving capped the spurt with driving layup along the baseline that made it 97-94 with 4:12 left.
That&rsquo;s when McCollum snapped the run with two clutch baskets &mdash; a 14-foot pull-up and a 3. He added two more 3s and a floating bank shot to make it 110-103 in the final minute, and New Orleans held on from there.
Trey Murphy III scored 16 for New Orleans. Herb Jones and Jaxson Hayes each added 14 points for the Pelicans.
Irving scored 27 points and Tim Hardaway Jr added 17 points for Dallas.
Coming off a four-point victory over Utah on Tuesday night, Dallas faded quickly after a promising first few minutes. After hitting two of their first four 3s and going up 14-6 on Powell&rsquo;s alley-oop dunk of Doncic&rsquo;s lob, the Mavs missed 13 of their next 14 shots from deep.
By the end of the first quarter, the Pelicans had tied it at 24 on rookie Dyson Daniels&rsquo; 3-pointer.
New Orleans then opened the second quarter with eight straight points on McCollum&rsquo;s 3, Hayes&rsquo; alley-oop dunk and Naji Marshall&rsquo;s banked 3, and went on to lead by as many as 18 before taking a 59-43 lead into halftime.
Despite Ingram&rsquo;s inability to return after the second quarter, New Orleans maintained a comfortable lead for most of the second half.
Jones scored eight of his points in the third quarter, when Murphy hit two 3s, and New Orleans led 90-74 after Murphy&rsquo;s third 3 of the half early in the fourth.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Wood finished with 15 points and Jaden Hardy 11. ... Finished 16 of 46 (34.8%) from 3-point range. Doncic was assessed a technical foul in the first quarter while staring down official Natalie Sago after making a driving shot on which he apparently thought he&rsquo;d also been fouled. ... Reggie Bullock missed the game with a bruised right quadriceps, Maxi Kleber was out with a right hamstring injury and center JaVale McGee was sidelined by a sprained right ankle.
Pelicans: The club announced before tip-off that All-Star forward Zion Williamson will be out at least two more weeks while he recovers from a Jan. 2 right hamstring injury. ... Shot 50.6% (42 of 83) overall and 48.1% (13 of 27) from deep. ... Outrebounded Dallas 49-34.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Memphis on Saturday.
Pelicans: Host Oklahoma City on Saturday.

CJ McCollum scored 13 of his 32 points in the final four minutes and the Pelicans held off the Mavericks 113-106 on Wednesday.

CJ McCollum scores 32, Pelicans hold off Mavericks 113-106

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant had 23 points and seven rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies raced to an early lead and coasted to a 112-94 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night in a matchup of the Western Conference&rsquo;s top teams.
Tyus Jones finished with 17 points, and Luke Kennard, Xavier Tillman and Dillon Brooks scored 12 apiece for Memphis, which trails Denver by six games in the conference race.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Jeff Green added 12 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Christian Braun each scored 11 points as Denver&rsquo;s four-game winning streak came to an end. Denver was hampered by a 40% shooting game. The Nuggets&rsquo; starters were 17 of 47 from the field in the game.
Denver&rsquo;s 94 total points was a season low.
&ldquo;One of the biggest priorities was transition defense,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;I thought our urgency was phenomenal.&rdquo;
The matchup of the West leaders had Denver entering while playing well and Memphis struggling, dropping six of its last 10 games and losing its grip on the second spot as the Sacramento Kings rose to third.
But Memphis came out with more intensity and defensive pressure, a continuation of the Grizzlies first post-All-Star break game &mdash; a last-minute loss at Philadelphia.
&ldquo;They just played more physical than us,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;They treated it like a playoff game. We didn&rsquo;t. We came out lackadaisical. They got a good lead, and we couldn&rsquo;t bounce back.&rdquo;
Nuggets coach Michael Malone added: &ldquo;I felt like going into this game that (the Grizzlies) were going to approach this as a playoff game. We approached it as a game 61 or 62.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies finished with 19 fast-break points and 60 points in the paint.
&ldquo;They ran off misses. They ran off makes. They were sprinting. We just didn&rsquo;t match that,&rdquo; Malone said.
Memphis converted 56% of its shots in the first half and was 9 of 21 form outside the arc. Meanwhile, the Nuggets offense struggled, shooting 38% from the field and making only 3 of 16 3-pointers. Ten turnovers added to the Nuggets&rsquo; misery.
Memphis led by as many as 29 points in the first half and carried a 66-42 advantage at the break.
Memphis opened the second half with eight straight points, pushing the lead to 32 points. That catapulted the Grizzlies to a 94-62 advantage through three quarters. At that point, Memphis was still shooting better than 53%.
With Denver facing the second half of a back-to-back Sunday, Malone sat his starters in the fourth quarter.
The win gave Memphis a two-game cushion over third-place Sacramento after the Kings&rsquo; 176-175 win over the Clippers in double-overtime Friday night. But despite the rout of the Nuggets, Memphis didn&rsquo;t consider the win a statement game.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s too early to say,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good win. They&rsquo;re a good team, but it&rsquo;s also one game. Don&rsquo;t try to look too much into it.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Denver&rsquo;s 42 points were a season low for the first half. The previous low was 43 against Minnesota on Feb. 5 ... The Nuggets defeated the Grizzlies 105-91 on Dec. 20 in Denver. The three-game season series wraps up March 3 in Denver.
Grizzlies: Tillman made all six of his shots in the game. ... C Steven Adams missed his 13th straight game with a right knee sprain. ...Desmond Bane had 10 points but was 4 of 13 from the field.
TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY
Morant had one of his highlight layups after a scramble for the ball at midcourt,. After he scored, he expressed his excitement. &ldquo;I kind of yelled,&rdquo; Morant said, &ldquo;and got light-headed. So I probably won&rsquo;t do that again.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Grizzlies: Entertain the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Ja Morant had 23 points as the Grizzlies raced to an early lead and coasted to a 112-94 victory over the Nuggets on Saturday night.

Ja Morant, Grizzlies beat Nuggets in matchup of West leaders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exploring possible trade destinations for Nuggets' Bones Hyland

On January 15, after a 112-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving was asked about Kevin Durant's absence. More specifically, he was asked how the circumstances (and the locker room) differ from last year. This is what he had to say.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kyrie on why KD's absence is different this year: "Well I'm consistently in the lineup, that helps. We also don't have anyone who is halfway in in the locker room."
&mdash; Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alec_Sturm/status/1614805186589110277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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There was a hint of irony to the response in light of his&nbsp;absence for large portions of last season due to New York's vaccine mandate, as well as the suspension he served this season due to sharing antisemitic content. Secondarily, it felt like a clear shot at former Nets guard James Harden, who ultimately requested a trade before last year's deadline.&nbsp;
On January 15, Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10063026-ball-is-in-the-nets-court-as-kyrie-irving-seeks-long-term-extension" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relayed word from Irving's agent</a>, expressing their desire to reach an agreement on a long-term extension in Brooklyn. From the piece:
<blockquote>
"Around Kyrie and staying with the Nets? I have reached out to the Nets regarding this," his agent Shetellia Irving told Bleacher Report. "We have had no significant conversations to date. The desire is to make Brooklyn home, with the right type of extension, which means the ball is in the Nets' court to communicate now if their desire is the same."
</blockquote>
It would appear the desire isn't mutual. With no extension agreed to, Irving has reportedly requested a trade from the Nets ahead of the February 9 trade deadline.
Zooming out, that's three separate trade requests the Nets have received from stars over the past calendar year. And before digging into potential destinations from Irving, it's worth taking the step back to acknowledge how wild things have been in Brooklyn during the 7/11 Era.&nbsp;
(Also, the clock is going to start back ticking on Durant, no? Irving requesting the trade now is unfortunate timing. Depending on what they could get back, this deal could take the Nets out of the contention conversation through absolutely no fault of Durant's. Considering Irving's role in Durant's trade request in the summer &mdash; he wants, or wanted, his guy there with him long-term &mdash; it would be understandable if he got antsy again.)
Irving has been tremendous on the court this season, averaging 27.1 points (career-high 56.9% on 2s, 37.4% on 3s), 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds. His blend of ball-handling, pull-up shooting and finishing is almost unrivaled in the league &mdash; and in league history. And to Irving's credit, his buy-in on the defensive end is as consistently high as it's ever been in his career.
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Irving's availability and contract status &mdash; he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer &mdash; will complicate his trade value. The receiving team, if he's moved, will have to be confident in retaining Irving long term. And from there, they'd have to be confident that Irving, who hasn't appeared in 70 games since the 2016-17 season, will be consistently available. His injury history and off-the-court controversies in back-to-back seasons make that a tough bet on the surface.
Of course, the bet being tough &mdash; and likely untenable for some franchises &mdash; doesn't mean it won't be made at all. There will be teams that check in on Irving and push their chips to the middle of the table.
We have to start the conversation with the Los Angeles Lakers. They were linked to Irving in the summer, when it felt like both Durant and Irving could be moved. There's an obvious link between Irving and LeBron James. The two played in Cleveland together for three years, winning a title in 2016. LeBron also stood up for Irving during his suspension earlier this season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
💭 I told you guys that I don&rsquo;t believe in sharing hurtful information. And I&rsquo;ll continue to be that way but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play. That&rsquo;s what I think. It&rsquo;s that simple. Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he&rsquo;s asked to do to get back on
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1590781218790211584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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We don't have to spend much time here. The Lakers would build a package headlined by Russell Westbrook and one or both of their future first-round picks (2027, 2029) for Irving. That doesn't mean the Nets would get Westbrook; three-team frameworks would likely be discussed, and it's worth noting that Haynes reported earlier on Friday that the Lakers and Utah Jazz <a href="https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10064005-nba-insider-buzz-lakers-know-they-need-another-trade-jazz-enter-westbrook-chat.amp.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">re-engaged in talks surrounding Westbrook</a>.
Beyond the Lakers, there are a few teams that come to mind that make on-court &mdash; and I stress on-court &mdash; sense for the star guard.
Priority number one for the Dallas Mavericks, for example, is finding a legitimate co-star to pair with Luka Doncic. He's clearly good enough to handle a gargantuan offensive load; he leads the NBA in points (second in scoring average, 33.4) and ranks fifth in assists (8.2). Only the Cavs play at a slower pace than the Mavericks this season, mostly due to Doncic's surgical cadence in the half-court.&nbsp;
Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood (when healthy) have filled in well as secondary scorers. Dinwiddie is averaging nearly 18 points a game while bombing away from three (40.3% on a career-high 6.4 attempts). Wood's inside-out dynamic has helped him become the second half of the NBA's most prolific pick-and-roll duo, per Second Spectrum tracking.
Neither of them garner the same defensive attention that Irving does, nor can they take over games in the way that Irving can. A framework built around former-Net Dinwiddie and currently-in-the-rumor-mill Dorian Finney-Smith could intrigue the Nets.
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The Miami Heat were reportedly on Irving's summer list of teams he'd be okay getting signed-and-traded to, per ESPN's Adrain Wojnarowski. A certified third star alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo could lift their ceiling, especially one as dynamic offensively as Irving. As of writing, the Heat rank 25th in overall offensive rating, excluding garbage time, and 22nd in half-court offense.
While Tyler Herro has taken steps as a creator and first-time starter &mdash; 20.3 points (49.9% on 2s, 37.3% on 3s) and a career-high 4.4 assists is nothing to sneeze at &mdash; his ability to generate traction downhill and deal with in-your-jersey defenders on an island pale in comparison to Irving. Among teams that may show interest in Irving, Herro may be the best young piece that could be offered in a deal &mdash; though his inclusion would be complicated due to the <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2018/10/hoops-rumors-glossary-poison-pill-provision.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"poison pill" element</a> of his current contract status.
Because Herro's rookie extension (4/120) hasn't kicked in yet, the Heat and Nets would be dealing with different cap numbers in a potential trade. For the Heat, they'd be sending out Herro's current-year salary ($5.7 million). The Nets (or a third team receiving Herro) would be accounting for $25.1 million &mdash; the average of Herro's total salary owed.
Without Herro, Miami would likely try to use Kyle Lowry as the headliner to a package. With <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Heat.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">somewhat limited pick ammo</a> and young prospects -- how much would Nikola Jovic appeal to this version of Brooklyn? -- the Heat feel more like a long shot compared to Los Angeles and Dallas.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>The Suns and Nets were linked during the Durant Sweepstakes, but I wonder if they'd check in on Irving. This would be a deal centered around Chris Paul, which begs the question: how much more would Brooklyn want? Would a Paul + Cam Johnson package appeal to both parties, in light of Phoenix's need for half-court scoring?</li>
<li>The Clippers will always &mdash; or at least should &mdash; be mentioned in these kind of conversations. Their roster is littered with quality players on mid-level salaries, making them an appealing keep-us-competitive option for the Nets.</li>
<li>I'm sure the Knicks are content with Jalen Brunson, but hey. Just ... hey, I'm sure they'll think about it. Even if the answer is ultimately, "Nah, we're good", I find it hard to believe they wouldn't think about it.</li>
<li>Normally there's a "won't happen, but these pieces make sense" team to choose from in trade discussions like this, but I'm struggling with this one. Would the closest be something surrounding an Irving-Zach LaVine swap? Like, sure?</li>
</ul>

Kyrie Irving has requested a trade from the Nets. Nekias Duncan looks at which teams make sense as a possible landing spot.

Exploring possible trade destinations for Nets' Kyrie Irving

Bill Self hasn&rsquo;t had to go through many stretches like this in his 20 seasons at Kansas. Yet the coach hasn&rsquo;t seemed angry or even all that discouraged during a rare three-game losing streak.
Self knows this isn&rsquo;t the same Jayhawks team that won the national championship last season.
Kansas (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) has gone from having one of the nation&rsquo;s most experienced rosters to a much younger group without a proven presence in the post in a loaded Big 12 Conference that may be better than ever.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have as much margin for error as we&rsquo;ve had in years past and that&rsquo;s OK,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;But (when) you don&rsquo;t have quite as much margin for error, and the other teams in the league are a lot better, it makes it tough.&rdquo;
The ninth-ranked Jayhawks have lost three in a row for only the fourth time under Self. Each loss was to a ranked conference opponent, two on the road. The latest was 75-69 at Baylor on Monday night in a matchup of the last two national champions, the fifth win in a row for the 17th-ranked Bears.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be honest with you, I&rsquo;ve got to take a different approach and understand that it&rsquo;s a marathon,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not an immediate reaction, because you can react immediately in this league, and you&rsquo;ll have nine other teams go through the exact same thing at some point.&rdquo;
Kansas is still loaded with talent.
Junior forward Jalen Wilson leads the Big 12 with in scoring at 21.4 points per game and is second in rebounds at 8.6. While streaky, freshman Gradey Dick (14.9 ppg) is the league&rsquo;s top 3-point shooter at 43.7%, and Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar Jr. averages 7.3 rebounds. Dajuan Harris Jr. is one of the top assist men at 6.5 per game despite his extended shooting struggles.
But these Jayhawks are different than most of Self&rsquo;s standout teams in the past that played through the post with big guys like David McCormack, Jeff Withey, Thomas Robinson or Udoka Azubuike.
McCormack was part of last year&rsquo;s title team, along with first-round NBA draft picks Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun. The Jayhawks also lost ballhandler Remy Martin and veteran sharpshooter Jalen Coleman-Lands.
Kansas plays its SEC/Big 12 Challenge game Saturday at Kentucky (14-6), which won 80-62 at Allen Fieldhouse last season. The Jayhawks will be trying to avoid their first four-game losing streak since 1988-89, their first season under coach Roy Williams.
After going to Rupp Arena to face coach John Calipari&rsquo;s struggling Wildcats, the Jayhawks return to conference play against fifth-ranked Kansas State. They then open the second half of their Big 12 schedule at No. 12 Iowa State before hosting No. 10 Texas.
Their current skid began with an 83-82 overtime loss last week at K-State, which had a 14-point lead midway through the first half. TCU, now ranked 11th, hit 13 of its first 15 shots and had an early 19-0 run in an 83-60 win Saturday, the second-worst home loss in the Self era.
&ldquo;Our league is that good,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be a grind.&rdquo;
The Jayhawks trailed by as many as 13 midway through the first half at Baylor. They took their only lead when Wilson swished a 3-pointer with 15 1/2 minutes left, but the Bears responded with a 12-3 run.
&ldquo;The way that K-State played the first 10 minutes, the way TCU played the first 10 minutes, and the way Baylor played the first 10 minutes, if we had played really well, we would have still been behind,&rdquo; Self said, before using a wrestling analogy prompted by seeing two former Oklahoma State classmates in the postgame interview room at Baylor.
Brad Livingstone was a senior at Oklahoma State during the 1981-82 season, when Self was a freshman for the Cowboys. Livingstone&rsquo;s wife, Baylor president Linda Livingstone, also played basketball for the school in Stillwater where wrestling is big.
&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re on top and you can get riding time, it takes twice as much energy if you&rsquo;re the low man in wrestling. ... It&rsquo;s exactly the way basketball is too,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re behind, it takes more energy, everything&rsquo;s magnified, it takes more effort. And when you&rsquo;re playing with the lead, obviously you&rsquo;re looser, everything&rsquo;s not life or death.&rdquo;

Kansas has gone from having one of the nation’s most experienced rosters to a much younger group without a proven paint presence.