Golden State Warriors

The word got out about the most recent Mal Mundy Hoops Fest Tour Statement Session.
Over 30 college coaches came down to South Side High in Youngsville, LA, to scout over 40 prospects on the last Sunday before school starts up. South Coast scout Chris Dodson was in the gym and came away impressed with a few players still looking for offers.
Most Impressive:&nbsp;I've got&nbsp;Jaylen Peters (Liberty) as the best player in the gym for long stretches, and it wasn't particularly close at times. The two-man game with&nbsp;Chris Birden (Newman) was clicking, but Peters was the player who made folks stop taking notes and just watch. It helps that it seemed the rest of the team started deferring to his leadership pretty quickly, and that the other teams seemed to want to avoid Peters. Yet he still erased mistakes, could correct actions on the fly, and made some impressive instinctual plays on pure athleticism.
You'll hear if Peters is on the court. A defensive leader, smart with instant energy; anyone recruiting on winning attitude alone should offer Peters immediately. He called plays for others and was a step ahead on both ends. Peters disrupted almost every action on defense and found ways to score without the ball on offense. Peters said his favorite part of the game is playing in transition because of all that can happen on a fast break.
&ldquo;When I&rsquo;m alone on the court, I like to work on tougher shots," Peters said. "I'm not the quickest with the ball so shooting, finishing over or through a defender is a big part of my game.&rdquo;
Self-aware and credited teammates without prompting, Peters says he is ready to run as senior, &ldquo;especially at Liberty where I have great guards who can find me at the rim.&rdquo; Social media is full of highlights. Now, I need to see a full game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Some highlights from AAU this summer <a href="https://t.co/gLXzsCkJV1">pic.twitter.com/gLXzsCkJV1</a>
&mdash; Jaylen Peters (@JaylenJaylen0) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaylenJaylen0/status/1686481786631569409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Most Overlooked:&nbsp;Clayton Blackledge (St. Louis Catholic) bossed in the first game, just a solid performance knowing the situation. Not going to get a lot of shots early and was the only available big man; no one else on team above 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6.
I talked to him about cardio afterwards. Somewhat stiff, he needs to take some yoga classes to get more speed and flexibility in the hips. Get him a new desk in class or stretching bands with a mat in the back for plyometrics. It would also help his second jump on the boards. He missed a few rebounds trying to reload and get balance. However, when he is fresh, there is some dominate tape.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Big fella has been extremely efficient and effective today. Great opportunity for Clayton Blackledge! <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSBCANOW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LHSBCANOW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RecruitLouisiana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RecruitLouisiana</a> <a href="https://t.co/EoOkflDDvP">pic.twitter.com/EoOkflDDvP</a>
&mdash; St. Louis Catholic Boys Basketball (@slchsboysbball) <a href="https://twitter.com/slchsboysbball/status/1673027017774710784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

He moved opposing bigs completely out of the paint, then won the race back down the floor more than a few times. He held positions on offense, giving the perimeter-heavy roster room to work. Blackledge understands and enjoys the dirty work of basketball. He smiled after setting a solid screen, the same as he did after a short jumper.
Blackledge rolls to the rim well, with purpose. He sealed defenders with force and finished second chances on the first try with no trouble. He&rsquo;d be a winning culture staple in low D1 practice and could become a starter. He finished with both hands and hit a 14-footer after tossing something off the court. He wasn&rsquo;t fazed, just came back into focus for a pass and hit the shot in rhythm.
He had another pick and short-roll floater off glass that looked on purpose. If it was a fluke, the kid might have a career in poker if hoops doesn't work out. He talked more on defense when tired. No big man subs were available. but he was still doing work. He seemed to get a lot out of the run, but still wanted more when interviewed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ok #130 - we 👀 you! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RecruitLouisiana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RecruitLouisiana</a> <a href="https://t.co/RCbqi9nPt3">pic.twitter.com/RCbqi9nPt3</a>
&mdash; St. Louis Catholic Boys Basketball (@slchsboysbball) <a href="https://twitter.com/slchsboysbball/status/1672659460337147908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Notables Needing Longer Looks:
Jordan Comanche (Wossman) works back on defense. Helps cover mistakes and runs the floor. Beats his man to spots, gets space. Shot-form consistency seems off but making me a believer with every made shot. The jumper form fluctuates, but he hits the open shots. A contested floater was wildly off the mark. Need to see more, but there are plenty of reasons to be more curious about Comanche.
Chris Shiflett Jr. (Evangel) has hands slower than head, but the talent to catch up. Sees passes but sometimes telegraphs because he sees that play so early. Needs a bit more deception to pull off the flashy stuff at 5-foot-9 or it seems more like trying to force plays even in traffic. Talent is there though. Can finish crafty layups. Nice touch on high-arcing floaters.
Javon Johnson (Bossier)&nbsp;will go chest-to-chest with anyone. Gets downhill, tough handles with someone on the hip. Attacks lazy defense, gets to the rim, stays in rhythm. Seemed a solid shooter.&nbsp;
Jeremiah Lucas (Bonnabel)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Gavin Lucas (Bonnabel) are similar to Johnson in that both play like they are comfortable on concrete courts outside in the heat. Handles, passing vision, anticipation and can shoot. Bonnabel's two-guard tandem will be a pair to watch.

On Sunday, over 30 college coaches came to Youngsville, LA, to scout over 40 prospects. Chris Dodson shares his scouting report.

Statements Made: LA Hoops Fest Scouting Report

Trust me, I know.
Following the blockbuster trade that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-owner-mark-cuban-breaks-silence-on-kyrie-irving-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks</a>, much of the conversation surrounding the deal focused on risk &mdash; how Irving's presence may affect the Mavericks' locker room, and especially, Luka Doncic; how the Mavericks would (struggle to) pivot if Irving were to walk in the offseason; how Kevin Durant is feeling in Brooklyn, seeing his co-star total drop from two to zero in a calendar year.
All of those concerns are valid.
There's a reason we immediately got a report from Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes saying the Phoenix Suns &mdash; who offered a package headlined by Chris Paul for Irving &mdash; are ready to push their chips in for Durant if he becomes available again.
The Mavericks absolutely should be keeping an eye on Doncic's long-term happiness. And with Irving, he hasn't been the beacon of reliability or availability. (That's putting it conservatively, for the sake of this piece and this piece only.)
Let's put that to the side for just a moment.&nbsp;
From an on-court perspective, the Mavericks have added a really good basketball player. The entire reason they made this gamble is because of the ceiling-raising that Irving's talent signifies. Let's take a look at what things could look like.
ON-BALL USAGE
Frankly, this should be pretty seamless.
Irving is one of the best isolation scorers of the modern era. His free-verse handle allows him to get wherever he wants to, whenever he wants to get there. He's quick enough to speed past off-balanced defenders, mixes in deceleration to keep defenders off balance (and flow into pull-ups on a dime) and has the body control and dexterity to create finishing angles out of mid-air.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/89tw0c" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Over the past four seasons, trips featuring an Irving isolation have generated 1.12 points per possession (PPP). That's first in the NBA among 38 players with at least 1,000 isolations during that time frame. Drop the requirements to 500 isolations, expanding the field to 81 players, and Irving barely trails Zion Williamson (724 isolations, 1.123 PPP) despite having 463 more reps.
This season alone, trips featuring an Irving isolation have produced an absurd 1.21 PPP &mdash; third in the NBA among 88 players with at least 100 clear-outs under their belt. It's worth noting that the two players ahead of Irving &mdash; Lauri Markkanen (1.22 PPP) and D'Angelo Russell (1.213 PPP) &mdash; have combined for 214 isolations, while Irving is at 328 by himself.&nbsp;
I start with pure isolations because that's what the Mavericks have leaned into this season. They lead the NBA in isolations in whatever way you'd like to measure it: Total (1,397), per game (25.8) or per 100 possessions (26.9). Naturally, Doncic paces the league in total isolations (673) on elite efficiency to boot (1.14 PPP).
Even if you project this to be the most blatant my-turn-your-turn pairing in the leauge &mdash; and I don't, but we'll get into that shortly &mdash; these two are good enough to make that offense fruitful.&nbsp;
Irving's scoring chops also help him in ball-screens. Drop coverage is untenable because of his ability to chew up space. He's also, quietly, a pretty creative interior passer. Diverting too much attention to him can lead to a nice mix of pocket passes, dump-offs and lobs.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/c3xbco" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Irving made sweet music with Nicolas Claxton in pick-and-roll this year (1.09 PPP). There shouldn't be a steep learning curve receiving screens from Dwight Powell or Christian Wood, assuming the latter is on the roster.&nbsp;
Also, prepare yourself to watch Doncic screen for Irving sometimes. Doncic is setting nearly three on-ball picks per 100 possessions this year, a career-high for him, though pretty low overall. If I had to guess, that number should perk up.
On-ball screens from Doncic have mostly been used to manufactor favorable matchups. That was more of a given when screening for Spencer Dinwiddie since they're close to the same size. Switching was, per Second Spectrum, easily the most common coverage that two-man pairing saw.&nbsp;
With Irving, that could shift a bit. Irving's defenders tend to be smaller than Dinwiddie's; this is an imperfect measure, but per NBA.com's matchup data, Irving has been <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/202681/by-position?Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended by guards</a> roughly 69% of the time, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203915/by-position?Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slightly higher</a> than Dinwiddie's 61.8% clip.
At almost 6-foot-6, it would make sense that teams would feel more comfortable stashing wings and forwards on the latter. While throwing size on Irving makes sense in theory, even asking traditional wings to navigate screens or mirror Irving in space is a tall task.
(Yes, the joke was intentional.)
By the way, it's worth keeping an eye on how Irving deals with blitzes. To say he gets overwhelmed is overselling it, but there can be a bit of catch-hold-read-then-pass to those situations that may not vibe well with how slowly the Mavericks play. The short-roll playmaking on this roster continues to be a subplot worth following.
Because Irving can generate high-level offense, the Mavericks should be able to breathe easier in non-Luka lineups. Prior to the trade, the Nets were outscoring opponents by 44 points (plus-4.2 net rating) in the 676 minutes Irving played without Durant this season, <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy/nba?Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;TeamId=1610612751&amp;Type=Team&amp;0Exactly1OnFloor=202681&amp;1Exactly1OffFloor=201142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per PBP Stats</a>. The Mavericks have <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612742&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203915,1629029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost the Dinwiddie on/ Doncic off minutes</a>, though you can shoot some bail based on the sheer volume of talent missing in some of the games Doncic hasn't been available.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
OFF-BALL VALUE
This is where the on-court hand-wringing begins offensively, and honestly, I'm not sure where the major concern comes from.
It's very much true that Irving and Doncic like the ball in their hands. It's especially true for Doncic, who <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches?CF=GP*GE*30&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=TIME_OF_POSS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leads the NBA</a> in average time of possession (9.6 minutes) and seconds per touch (6.39), ranks second to Trae Young in dribbles per touch (5.59) and fourth in touches per game (90.5) overall.
Irving isn't close to any of those marks. Would it shock you to learn that the Dribble Gawd himself ranks 22nd &mdash; in a tie with Dinwiddie, oddly enough &mdash; in time of possession (5.7), 41st in seconds per touch and 53rd in dribbles per touch (3.77)? You're welcome, friends.
But seriously, it feels like people are extrapolating some of Irving's iso exploits and turning him into a heliocentric nightmare that can't fit alongside Doncic. It couldn't be further from the truth.
On a basic level, Irving's ability to shoot &mdash; and opponents treating him like a top-of-the-line threat, which can't be said for Dinwiddie &mdash; should open up the floor for other Mavericks.&nbsp;
Jason Kidd isn't the NBA's Andy Reid, nor should he be confused as such; he won't be drawing up fancy screen designs to confuse defenses. It became a running joke in Dunker Spot watch parties (<a href="https://www.playback.tv/thedunkerspot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rock with us, folks</a>) that fan pleas for more off-ball movement led Kidd to essentially respond with, "Here's a stagger for Tim Hardaway Jr. &mdash; enjoy!"
As bland as the movement stuff for Dallas can be, Irving can operate within those concepts. The Mavs love "Chicago" action, a common set in the league where a player receives a pindown before flowing into a handoff.
Josh Green misses the assignment in the first clip, but you can see the Nets run it for Irving in the second.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/shen9u" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That basic stagger for Hardaway? They'll run it for Dinwiddie too, in order to get him a head start downhill. With Irving's downhill funk and pull-up chops, it's easy to envision him cooking more in that setup.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/pvkkbu" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
What stands out about Irving is how smart of a cutter he is. That bodes well considering the amount of double-teams Doncic draws in the post. But even in off-ball actions designed for him, he's fine going off script to find a better opening.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ecqx3i" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
And speaking of Doncic: Get ready for Irving to set screens for Doncic too, particularly during clutch time.
Irving has plenty of experience screening for bigger ball-handlers. He's done so for LeBron James during their Cleveland years together. The Nets were generating good looks out of the Durant-Irving inverted ball screen this season, even if the numbers behind it (0.88 PPP) were underwhelming. Screening for Doncic should be money.
As mentioned earlier, Irving likely being defended by smaller players may make it less enticing for defenses to switch that action. If teams opt to throw two defenders at Doncic, that'll open up short-roll opportunities for Irving. That doesn't seem ideal.
Off rip, Doncic is a&nbsp;much&nbsp;better passer than Durant, meaning Irving should have earlier, more fruitful short-roll opportunities than he saw in Brooklyn. Beyond that, Irving's best traits &mdash; pull-up mid-range shooting, rim finishing, dump-off passes &mdash; are highlighted in this setup.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/0gguvc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Have fun dealing with that.&nbsp;
The cloud hovering over all of this is, of course, how often we'll see Irving, period. Beyond that, it's fair to wonder what the defense will look like.
Irving is a more stout on-ball defender than Dinwiddie by my eye, though that isn't the highest bar. For whatever it's worth to you, Irving grades out as a slight positive (plus-0.2) according to DunksAndThree's Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) metric, while Dinwiddie is firmly negative (minus-1.9). The size difference may hurt, especially once teams get into mismatch-hunting mode as the postseason nears.&nbsp;
But in a Western Conference that feels up in the air, I understand why the Mavericks made the gamble. When examining the on-court fit, I'd argue it's a pretty good one.

Nekias Duncan analyzes how Kyrie Irving will mesh with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks following the trade from Brooklyn.

Examining Kyrie Irving's basketball fit with the Dallas Mavericks

Award talk is always fun &mdash; or annoying, depending on where you land with The Discourse&trade;. The NBA is filled with talent, giving us plenty to enjoy on a night-to-night basis. It also makes it incredibly tough to parse out awards.
Listing a top-five MVP ballot means "disrespecting" the sixth guy who didn't make it. There are at least five centers &mdash; Brook Lopez, Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen, Nic Claxton and Joel Embiid &mdash; fighting for two All-Defensive center spots, and that's ignoring Anthony Davis. This stuff is&nbsp;tough,&nbsp;man.&nbsp;
If there's one award that may wind up being a landslide, it's the newly announced Clutch Player of the Year award.&nbsp;
We don't have an official guideline; the award's description is simply the "player who best comes through for his teammates in the clutch." It's vague, yet simple &mdash; reward the guy that makes big plays when it matters.
(My hope is that it doesn't become the late-game version of Sixth Man of the Year, where the scoring leader wins regardless of any other area of the game. In short: Scoring should matter, as should playmaking and making big stops defensively.)
Let's put it out there now: This should be De'Aaron Fox's award to lose.
He feels like an award casualty candidate in other discussions. His career year &mdash; 24.0 points on 59.3% True Shooting, 6.1 assists (2.6 turnovers), 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game &mdash; just happens to coincide with Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Damian Lillard and Devin Booker losing their minds individually. That's just in the Western Conference, which could complicate Fox's All-Star candidacy.
Add in Eastern Conference guards like Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, and the All-NBA conversation is going to be tough for Fox too.&nbsp;
Clutch Player of the Year, though? Fox has been inevitable.
In clutch time &mdash; which NBA.com defines as the last 5 minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, with the score within 5 points either way &mdash; <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/clutch-traditional?CF=FGA*GE*30&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FGM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leads the NBA</a> in made baskets (44) while converting a ridiculous 60.3% of his shots. Among 59 players to attempt at least 30 clutch shots, Fox trails only Bradley Beal (65.6% on 32 attempts) in efficiency.&nbsp;
(As a brief aside, have we forgotten how good Beal is? He's missed games, and has taken a bit of a step back with Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis taking more ownership of the offense, but Beal is still slapping up 22-3-5 on 61.0% True Shooting. He's converting over 57.0% of his twos!)
Anyway, it starts with the drive for Fox, as it always does. He has a special ability to generate paint touches on a whim. He's one of the five fastest players in the NBA; he knows that, his opponents know that and he knows his opponents know that. What makes Fox dangerous is how he leverages that speed by decelerating &mdash; it's like he's realm shifting out there when he puts on the brakes.
That dichotomy makes him nearly impossible to stay in front of. At this point, it feels like we only see full-speed Fox in doses. Just the&nbsp;fear of him turning on the jets can throw defenders off-balance. Because he's able to create fruitful advantages, he's a dominant paint scorer&nbsp;and&nbsp;someone who can involve others when opponents toss too much attention his way.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/8hgc9f" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
On the season, the Kings are generating a robust 1.16 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Fox drive, per Second Spectrum &mdash; sixth among 77 players with at least 300 drives under their belts this season. When filtering for clutch time, that number rises to 1.2 PPP.
Fox doesn't do it on his own, of course. The two-man game between him and Domantas Sabonis is tough to deal with. Sabonis' utility as a handoff hub, post hub and screening partner helps attract attention and pry Fox open.
Kevin Huerter, one of the NBA's most dangerous off-ball weapons, makes life easier for Fox. Keeping him one pass from Fox keeps help defenders away. And using Huerter as a (ghost) screener adds another layer for defenses to deal with. Huerter can feed favorable matchups to Fox for exploiting, or the Kings can flow out of HORNS Flare &mdash; with Huerter setting or ghosting a screen for Fox before flying off a screen for Sabonis &mdash; to induce further strain on the defense.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/3v4ya1" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Fox has also had some&nbsp;moments&nbsp;defensively late in games. His effort overall has improved this season. He's always been able to ramp things up on the ball when needed, but I've been impressed with how he's toggled his help assignments late, especially when you factor in the load he's carrying on the other end.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/7gx5g4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Overall, the Kings are 13-10 in "clutch" games with Fox this season, much better than last season's 11-19 mark. It's fueled by their offense, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/clutch-advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lapping the field</a> in clutch offensive rating (130.4) by nearly&nbsp;six points.&nbsp;You can primarily thank Fox for that.
OTHER CANDIDATES
<ul>
<li>Hey, that Luka guy is pretty good. He's tied for fourth in clutch scoring (99) and leads the NBA in assists (23) and steals (8), oddly enough. The Mavs have gone 16-10 in clutch games featuring Doncic. They've also won the Doncic clutch minutes by 41 points, the fifth-best mark in the NBA.</li>
<li>While we're on bigs, Jokic is tied for 10th in scoring (70 points) and second in assists (22) while only turning the ball over five times. The Nuggets have outscored opponents by 69 points in Jokic's 83 clutch minutes &mdash; easily the best mark in the league. He just had a game-winning floater on Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.</li>
<li>Jalen Brunson's third in crunch-time scoring (101), has canned nearly 46% of his threes, has gotten to the line a ton (36 free-throw attempts, tied for eighth) and is the biggest reason why the New York Knicks have a winning record (13-10) in clutch games.</li>
<li>Fox has made more clutch buckets than anyone, but DeMar DeRozan slightly edges him out in total scoring (113 to 108). No player has gotten to the line more than DeRozan, where he's drilled 42-of-45 foul shots (93.3%) during money time. He remains a terrifying mid-range scorer, with a filthy pump fake to bait you into easier points. The Bulls being 8-14 (and a minus-5 point differential) in clutch games isn't his fault, but that'll hurt him in the race.</li>
<li>Speaking of mid-range mastery and elite foul drawing, it's hard to ignore the production of Gilgeous-Alexander. He's tied for fourth with Doncic in clutch scoring (99) and slightly trails DeRozan in total free-throw attempts (41). Subpar efficiency (40.6% FG) and the Oklahoma City Thunder's bleh record (9-17, minus-16 differential) in SGA's minutes hurt him.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Nekias Duncan takes his first glance at the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award and why De'Aaron Fox leads the pack of candidates.

De'Aaron Fox early front-runner in NBA Clutch Player of the Year race

On Monday morning after the holiday weekend, Kevin Durant admitted that he has a soft spot for young bigs who mature, get paid and become household names. Just like another bright center the Brooklyn Nets had when he first got to the organization, Nic Claxton has made huge strides that are on display in each game as of late.
&ldquo;Just gaining more confidence. He's always been a confident player. But you couple that confidence with (the) understanding of the game and trusting in your work, I think that's the reason why he's here,&rdquo; Durant said after the Nets&rsquo; ninth straight win in Cleveland. &ldquo;You know, the coaching staff (has) been patient with his development since he got drafted, and he's going out there and wanting to be great, and I think that's a tough journey to being relied upon every night, being consistent and then, just that longevity.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think that's what he wants to get to as a player, is consistently doing this every day for 15 years, so that's what he's thinking about and it's cool to see it kind of unravel at this point. But he knows he&rsquo;s got a long ways to go. We have a long ways to go as a team, so we can't get complacent at this point.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nic Claxton had one of the best games of his career last night ⭐️ <a href="https://t.co/mR2i8X0hwi">pic.twitter.com/mR2i8X0hwi</a>
&mdash; Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNetcast/status/1606659465343901698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Sporting a fresh look, and the second-highest win share total and Box Plus-Minus on the Nets, Claxton is averaging a career-high 11.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest.
Whether it's making the two biggest stops down the stretch on the road against a dominant Cavaliers team, finishing at an elite level or growing his offensive game in different ways as he showed against Milwaukee, Claxton is quickly becoming one of the most effective centers in the NBA.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big piece for us and we need him every night,&rdquo; Kyrie Irving stated.
&ldquo;We just want him to be confident,&rdquo; Royce O&rsquo;Neale added. &ldquo;Myself, just giving him that confidence and telling him to play on both ends. He can be dominant on both ends, both ways, and just him being that confident and then, taking the challenge of whoever he's guarding, doing whatever we need him to do.&rdquo;
Defensively, Claxton is one of the stingiest switch bigs in the league. He stays in front, has plenty of length and can recover with the best of them. According to NBA.com, the fourth-year center has seen 79 isolations &nbsp;&mdash; the most in the league. Claxton is only allowing 0.81 points per possession in those scenarios, trailing only Evan Mobley and Clint Capela.
That &mdash; combined with his 2.3 blocks a night (double what he produced last season and ranking second-best in the league) &mdash; has spearheaded Brooklyn&rsquo;s efforts to lock-in on D as of late.
&ldquo;That's kind of been my staple since I've been in the league,&rdquo; Claxton told Basketball News prior to Monday morning&rsquo;s shootaround in Cleveland. &ldquo;And the more you guard guys, the more you pick up on tendencies and see who wants to drive, who wants to shoot, and it's just experience. Experience is the best teacher. And just, buckling down every possession and not taking any possession for granted.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
But, as he said, the 23-year-old has always had a knack for stifling the competition. It&rsquo;s what Claxton is doing to contribute on the offensive side of the ball that complements that story. For one, he boasts the NBA&rsquo;s top field-goal percentage and effective field goal percentage by a wide margin at 73.8%. Next on the list is Rudy Gobert over seven percentage points behind him (66.4%).
Claxton&rsquo;s efficiency is off the charts. He&rsquo;s doing it with <a href="https://go.nba.com/ajcfg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cuts</a> (1.35 PPP), running the floor on <a href="https://go.nba.com/1xt2l" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fast breaks</a> (1.34 PPP) and <a href="https://go.nba.com/x91v8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rolling hard</a> with finishes through contact (1.22 PPP).
&ldquo;It's just the work that I put in over the offseason, getting stronger, working on my body, my confidence, and my teammates finding me. Just me being aggressive and finishing around the rim, that's really what I've been doing. That's what I just gotta keep going,&rdquo; Claxton said. &ldquo;I mean I'm stronger now, more confident now. (I&rsquo;m) getting a lot of easy looks. And the shots that I do take that are contested, I mean, I like myself to finish over or around anybody.&rdquo;
Going further into the numbers, the Georgia Bulldog alum is scoring 140.4 points per 100 shot attempts &mdash; a figure that ranks in the 94th percentile, per <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4602#tab-offensive_overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleaning The Glass</a>. The Nets&rsquo; eFG% is a sizzling 59.3% with him on the floor (which ranks in the 97th percentile).
&ldquo;Just always being a threat out there,&rdquo; Claxton explained of his approach on offense and the success that&rsquo;s come with it. &ldquo;A lot of times, teams (are) not really guarding me real honest. They're shifting a lot trying to stop our main guys, so just making sure I'm a threat at all times on the court and staying aggressive.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Our transition game, it's definitely the best that it's been since I've been here, and we've got five guys that can get out in transition and score and great passers. So just asserting myself in different ways."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The top Mobile Bigs in our On-Ball Defense metric: 1. Nic Claxton 2. Maxi Kleber 3. Darius Bazley 4. Wendell Carter Jr. 5. Drew Eubanks <a href="https://t.co/6wv3jesAnB">https://t.co/6wv3jesAnB</a>
&mdash; BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_BBall_Index/status/1607566421503918080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Above all else, Claxton&rsquo;s been essential for a Brooklyn team that struggles to secure boards. He&rsquo;ll do plenty of damage when he gets a <a href="https://go.nba.com/du5jf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">putback opportunity</a> too (1.51 PPP).
&ldquo;I'm trying to get as many rebounds as I can. I know that's an area where sometimes we struggle, so I take it upon myself to crash the glass offensively and defensively,&rdquo; Claxton said.
Don&rsquo;t look now, but at 22-12, the Nets are the hottest squad in the NBA. They&rsquo;ve ripped off nine-straight wins, including two over contending Eastern Conference teams. It&rsquo;s the longest winning streak the franchise has had since 2006. Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn has amassed a league-best 20-7 record since taking over on Nov. 1, and has this group laser-focused on the task at hand.
&ldquo;We're definitely taking steps in the right direction. You can never be satisfied, but we had a rough start to the season. But these last several games have been heading in the right direction,&rdquo; Claxton said of the Nets, who have lost just one contest in December. &ldquo;We've just gotta take it game-by-game and worry about us. The East is definitely loaded, but we've just gotta control what we can control and keep getting better as a team.
&ldquo;This is a different swagger, different energy. I think we're really hanging our hat on defense. Our defensive principles have been really solid, and that's something that just travels no matter where you are. I think us really focusing on defense, and obviously, we've got some of the most talented players and best shooters in the world.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Vaughn&rsquo;s been around from the onset of Claxton&rsquo;s pro career, as an assistant and as a head coach. A big believer in his capabilities, he admits that Claxton becoming the player he is now had to be a two-way street coming into this season.
&ldquo;It's okay to remind a player of how important they are for the organization's success and how that player has to put in the work to help us, and to help himself get to that position,&rdquo; Vaughn stated. &ldquo;And so, I thought Nic always saw how good he could be, but the steps of getting there (is a different challenge). And so, now he's taking those steps and he's getting rewarded for it.&rdquo;
Stronger, smarter and as self-assured as he&rsquo;s been in his four NBA seasons, Nic Claxton took it upon himself to improve in all facets. Alongside the incredible firepower of Durant and Irving, and a rejuvenated Ben Simmons, he's undoubtedly been a serious reason as to why the Nets have been able to move full speed ahead.
&ldquo;A lot of growth. I think the biggest part is being available every night. That's something that can be overlooked at this stage of a person's career, is availability. So he's showing that he can start and produce on a nightly basis against starters, which is a tough task,&rdquo; Vaughn said.
&ldquo;So that is the preparation that he had leading up until this year, what it looked like for him in the summertime, how he approached it as a professional &mdash; whether it was his diet, whether it was his strength training, whether it was how he recovered in the offseason. Those things are in line with being a professional, and he's getting rewarded.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies speaks with Nic Claxton about his incredible fourth-year improvements, Brooklyn's red-hot winning streak and more.

Nic Claxton's approach reaping rewards with surging Nets

Back injuries are incredibly common in professional sports, particularly in the NBA. But just because they&rsquo;re common does not make them easy to overcome &mdash; and Ben Simmons can attest to that.
Simmons is a big, dynamic playmaker whose defensive versatility and speed set him apart from the vast majority of guards in the NBA. And, right or not, the Brooklyn Nets were relying on Simmons to contribute in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
After a number of reports suggested a Simmons comeback was imminent, we now know that was not meant to be.
The media didn&rsquo;t help, as rumblings surfaced that Simmons was pain-free following a practice and could return to the team as early as Game 3. Simmons didn&rsquo;t help his case either, and at one point beckoned to ESPN's Nick Friedell to film him <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/1515377280129806340?s=20&amp;t=dhtvXHosNXvt8FuOZ4T1kg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dunking the basketball</a> after a recent practice.
We don&rsquo;t necessarily know why Simmons didn&rsquo;t play in the Nets&rsquo; first-round series. Maybe he suffered a setback, or maybe he wasn&rsquo;t as healthy as we were led to believe. Per The Athletic's Shams Charania, his mental health <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-ben-simmons-did-not-return-because-of-mental-block" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was also a major factor</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
But while reports about his potential availability misled many of us, <a href="https://rahulshahmd.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Rahul Shah</a>, a world renowned, board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, cautioned against getting too excited from the very start.
&ldquo;Simmons received a shot a few weeks ago,&rdquo; Dr. Shah told BasketballNews.com in a Zoom interview in late March. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re not seeing him practice, warming up with the team, 3-on-3s &mdash; if he&rsquo;s not doing that, you can be pretty certain he&rsquo;s not getting the relief he needs.&rdquo;
We last saw Simmons on the floor in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, but he sat out of this season's training camp in hopes of pressuring the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him. The Sixers didn&rsquo;t relent... at least not quickly.
Simmons' hold-out cost him 54 games (and approximately $20 million, over which he filed a grievance in early April), and on Feb. 10, he was finally traded to Brooklyn.
As mentioned earlier, Simmons dealt with mental-health issues for the entirety of the 2021-22 season and possibly longer. It was initially <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/1491841027153412096?s=20&amp;t=johir1tYZUwQ_s5HLqg4-Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported by ESPN&rsquo;s Ramona Shelburne</a> that Simmons &ldquo;will continue to work with his therapist to get mentally ready to play in Brooklyn.&rdquo; But there was no mention of a back injury &mdash; at least not initially.
One of the main challenges in understanding where Simmons was in his recovery as of a week ago was that the injury wasn&rsquo;t proactively reported. Even Nets head coach Steve Nash seemed unclear on his status for much of the time following the trade.
Nash referred to Simmons&rsquo; back injury as &ldquo;a little soreness&rdquo; in late February. In mid-March, he had &ldquo;extremely high hopes&rdquo; that Simmons would return in the regular season. But in late March, Nash finally conceded that &ldquo;someone&rdquo; had reported that Simmons had a herniated disc.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JI6n9zrozBU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Was Nash being intentionally coy? Or was he truly unaware of the extent of Simmons&rsquo; back issues?
It&rsquo;s worth mentioning that Simmons has a mostly uneventful injury history as it relates to his back. The most recent occurrence was when he missed nine games with a nerve impingement in February 2020, but there have been no reported complications since.
Something clearly happened between June 2021 and February 2022.
<a href="https://rahulshahmd.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Shah</a> told BasketballNews.com that herniated discs typically require three-to-six months for a full recovery. Could Simmons have really injured his back after being traded? Or just before?
It&rsquo;s possible, but not relevant.
Regardless of when it happened, we can probably blame Simmons' hold-out for much of it. Training camp and the preseason are important to warm up for a relatively long season. Getting back into shape after skipping training camp and preseason and missing months of a season is nearly impossible &mdash; even for someone as athletic as Simmons.
Even worse, Simmons&rsquo; injury could have long-term implications for the Nets.
With Simmons having received an epidural shot in mid-March, Dr. Shah walked BasketballNews.com through the process and timeline of a typical recovery from a herniated disc.
&ldquo;Shots are one step before surgery, and that&rsquo;s why Simmons was having shots,&rdquo; Dr. Shah explained. "If that doesn&rsquo;t work, why not? It can be because it&rsquo;s the wrong problem, but it can also be that more has to be done. Typically, with surgery &mdash; when you go to that area &mdash; you identify where the disc is pressing on that nerve. You go in and basically trim down the area; you just remove a small portion. But if you&rsquo;re torquing on that area, there&rsquo;s a chance that more disc can come out.
&ldquo;So, you want to limit risk as much as you can. You want to always take the least amount of risk, but sometimes it&rsquo;s not enough. This operation is very effective but there is a 5-to-15% chance of more disc coming out in the future.&rdquo;
Dr. Shah also explained that, while surgery is generally successful, the risk it presents leads many people to try rehab and shots first.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
&ldquo;People return to twice as many games and play for twice as long with the surgery than without it,&rdquo; Dr. Shah explained. &ldquo;But there is a risk with it. And that&rsquo;s why most people don&rsquo;t go with it immediately.
&ldquo;So, for Ben Simmons, the likelihood of him needing this kind of surgery is probably reasonable, maybe 60% or 70%. And the real question is, &lsquo;Can he return back and play at the highest level with the shot?&rsquo; If he can&rsquo;t, you have your answer.&rdquo;
While the Nets&rsquo; season is done, Simmons could have decisions to make that will directly impact his ability to play next season. Granted, Simmons&rsquo; mental health is at least equally important as his physical health, especially to him; but if Simmons&rsquo; is to be successful, his back must be healthy.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a diskectomy &mdash; a surgical procedure to remove the damaged portion of a herniated disk in your spine &mdash; requires at least 6-to-8 weeks of recovery time. For context, Dwight Howard was expected to miss <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-basketball-nba-was-howard/wizards-howard-says-hes-pain-free-after-surgery-idUSKCN1OI2K4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2-to-3 months</a> following a microdiscectomy in late 2018, and Mike Dunleavy was projected to miss <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2015/09/25/chicago-bulls-mike-dunleavy-back-surgery-injury-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8-to-10 weeks</a> in 2015 following the same procedure.
Simmons and the Nets have about five months until the start of training camp. So, while he technically has some time, Simmons should make a decision regarding how he'll proceed sooner than later.
In a recent <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nets-rumors-kyrie-irving-kevin-durant-ben-simmons-steve-nash-bruce-brown-nicolas-claxton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype podcast with the Daily News' Kristian Winfield</a>, Mike Scotto said the Nets hope Simmons can guard an opposing team&rsquo;s best player on any given night, regardless of position. In other words, in a given (hypothetical) week, Simmons will be expected to guard the likes of LeBron James, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more.
That is a very tall task for any player, but it&rsquo;s downright impossible if said player has a lingering injury &mdash; especially in his back. And given what was given up to get Simmons to Brooklyn (and the fact that most teams around the league want nothing to do with him at the moment), the Nets have to hope he'll bounce back to his old self.&nbsp;
It might seem crazy, but Ben Simmons is still only 25. He truly could have a decade or more left in the NBA. Hopefully he's able to overcome all of his challenges &mdash; physical and otherwise.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Dr. Rahul Shah says there was a 60-70% chance that Ben Simmons needed back surgery in late March. Could the Nets have known?

Ben Simmons' Brooklyn no-show was more predictable than we thought

The Brooklyn Nets' offense was mostly humming in Tuesday's 115-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to kick of the NBA Play-In Tournament. Kyrie Irving dazzled with 34 points on 12 of 15 shooting. Kevin Durant had his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/appreciating-kevin-durants-other-skills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long arms involved in almost every play</a>, and Bruce Brown sliced his way to a near-triple-double.
Nicolas Claxton's name didn't carry the same overall buzz, but I couldn't stop thinking about his place in the victory. The 22-year-old (Happy Birthday on Sunday, by the way!) totaled 13 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in just under 29 minutes. Other than his long two to beat the first-quarter buzzer, Claxton didn't really create any highlight moments, but then you look at the box score and see he drilled all six of his shot attempts.
And then, you &mdash; "you" being I &mdash; check NBA.com and see Claxton finished seventh this season with a 67.4% overall field goal percentage (min. 800 minutes played). He sports a sparking 80.0% clip within 4&nbsp; feet of the basket, ranking second in the NBA, per Cleaning the Glass.
So at a very base level, Claxton has established himself among the most efficient players in basketball. Of course, it's more complicated than that. How does he benefit from Brooklyn's unique assembly of creators, and how does he set up for success?&nbsp;
Let's start with his Tuesday buckets.
Claxton's aforementioned buzzer-beater ranks as an extreme outlier. It's not just about the play context; Claxton attempted all of&nbsp;nine shots further than 8 feet from the basket in the entire regular season. Four of his five other makes in the game were dunks off assists from Brown. This one stuck out to me:
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/9d0s8w" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
This looks pretty easy for Claxton. Brooklyn sends two defenders to Durant on the flip pass from Brown, who ghosts the screen and short-rolls to the basket. Durant finds him, Brown has tons of space and Kevin Love is forced to help, which means an open lob for Claxton is coming. This happened three separate times (with minor differences) in the game to give the center easy dunks.&nbsp;
I want to credit Claxton too though. He anticipates what's going to happen even as Brown is rolling. In fact, Claxton points for the lob before Brown even comes down with the basketball. It's super quick, but here's a mid-quality screen-grab of what I mean:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/web-capture_14-4-2022_103231_new-instatscout-com_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="575" height="340" />
Brown hasn't even landed on the court yet, and Claxton already has his finger raised as he prepares to receive the pass. These small anticipations cut down the time between offensive decisions, and keep defenders from rotating to help or recovering back. Claxton likely had tons of room for error here; there's no weak-side defender to rotate over, and Love doesn't have the length or agility to cover so much ground. In other situations, however, this awareness benefits Claxton and the Nets' passers.
Claxton appeared in just 46 games this season as he battled injuries, but he went a pristine 88 of 94 on dunks, per NBA Stats. He shot 72.4% from the field off of Durant passes, 73.9% off passes from Patty Mills and 76.9% off passes from Brown. These are relatively small sample sizes, but they do reinforce what we saw on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-11-inch center averaged 1.39 points per possession (PPP) on cuts, ranking 12th among 43 players with at least 100 cutting possessions. Nearly 31% of his total plays involved cuts, which can range from circling up to the restricted area or catching a lob from the dunker spot, to more complex actions. Claxton placed sixth among the group with a 73.6% field goal rate on cuts.
According to the BBall Index, Claxton averages 5.7 points per 75 possessions on cuts and off-screen plays, putting him in the 97th percentile of bigs.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/9d0s8w" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
There's just so much good minutiae in these plays. In the first clip, Claxton hands the ball off to a full-speed Mills and turns around to cut before the Pacers even realize what's happening. In clip No. 2, Claxton flips to the other side of Evan Mobley right as Brown receives the bounce pass from Durant. It opens up a passing lane, and Mobley can't quite recover to contest the dunk.&nbsp;
Opposing bigs have to account for Claxton at all times.&nbsp;
Brooklyn faces a Boston Celtics roster in the first round that plays a very different defensive style compared to Cleveland. The Celtics typically will single-switch 1-through-4 (sometimes 1-through-5), and appear to have landed on the two-big combination of Al Horford and Daniel Theis to fill the gap left by Robert Williams' current injury. Grant Williams is also capable of battling most non-bruiser bigs.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/uhx30h" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The last time Claxton made less than 50% of his shots? March 6 against the Celtics. He finished 1 of 4 attempts. Claxton shifted around in the paint and was an active interior presence, but as shown in the first clip, Boston was ready with its help. Drawing fouls is no good; Claxton shot a dismal 58.4% from the charity stripe this season and was 1 of 6 on Tuesday.
When Brooklyn can't create driving lanes, Claxton then can't set himself up for a lob or cut. When the team can &mdash; as Seth Curry does in the final clip &mdash; Claxton knows where he needs to be to get a head of steam and throw it down.
One game-within-the-game will be: Can Claxton outsmart a Celtics defense that has locked down just about every team this calendar year? Can Brooklyn's facilitators create advantages that open up lobs and dunks? Can the Celtics stick with some of the most dynamic playmakers in today's game and keep possessions from unraveling, leading to easy Claxton chances?
One of the most dynamic lob threats in the NBA can help sway a competitive series if he finds his quality scoring chances. This doesn't even account for Claxton's budding prowess as a defensive rim-protector. He'll be involved in the figurative and literal center of the Nets' first-round brawl.&nbsp;
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Interesting graphic here from SIS Hoops, and while I'd want more specifics based on matchups, it underscores that Toronto's defense has been sweet this season:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Most defensive stats focus on outcomes where shots occur despite much of defense being about the shots that don&rsquo;t happen. Whether through lockdown defense or schematic concessions, teams yield shots least frequently in isolation when these players are the primary defender: <a href="https://t.co/R1UfzKVjUb">pic.twitter.com/R1UfzKVjUb</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1512463227329859586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>More SIS Hoops since they're awesome: Can we talk about the Pelicans?!</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The regular season is officially behind us. Check out how teams waxed and waned over the course of the year via their rolling net ratings: <a href="https://t.co/Mt1iLfMY6F">pic.twitter.com/Mt1iLfMY6F</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1513559896876363776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>Simply a banger as usual from our Nekias Duncan, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/deandre-hunter-and-the-value-of-playing-fast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his article on De'Andre Hunter was extremely interesting to me</a> and ties in somewhat to my thoughts on Claxton's processing. Hunter averaged just 2.04 seconds per touch in last night's Play-In victory, which is down nearly three tenths of a second from his average over the first 18 games of the season. That's more significant than you might realize, so I highly recommend you read the breakdown.</li>
</ul>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Nic Claxton has emerged as one of the league's best lob threats by thriving off of Brooklyn's playmakers.

NBA Stats Notebook: How is Nic Claxton's interior efficiency so high?

Kyrie Irving had 34 points and 12 assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and 11 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets took the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108 on Tuesday night in the play-in opener.
The Nets raced to a 20-point lead after one quarter and turned the Cavaliers away time and time again to earn a matchup with No. 2 seed Boston in a series that begins Sunday.
Irving made his first 12 shots before a 3-pointer rimmed out in the fourth quarter. He finished 12 for 15.
A preseason NBA Finals favorite who sputtered through a turbulent season and were in 10th place entering the last week of the regular season, the Nets have run off five straight wins. With Durant and Irving, they are far more dangerous than the usual No. 7 seed.
And both are willing to give the ball to teammates who are capitalizing when they get it. Bruce Brown had 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Andre Drummond scored 16 points.
Darius Garland scored 34 points for the Cavaliers, who have another chance to earn the No. 8 seed. They will host the winner of the Atlanta-Charlotte game on Friday, with the winner moving on to face No. 1 seed Miami.
Brooklyn and Cleveland both went 44-38 but the Nets clinched the tiebreaker by beating the Cavs at Barclays Center last Friday to finish 3-1 against them. Cleveland was confident it could come back to Brooklyn and win, though it was clear quickly just how difficult that would be.
The Nets made nearly 71% of their shots in the first quarter &mdash; Irving and Durant combined to make all eight of theirs &mdash; and closed the period with a 15-3 spurt that made it 40-20. It was a bigger lead than Brooklyn had in any first quarter during the regular season.
The offense sputtered, as it usually does, when Durant went to the bench to start the second and Cleveland went on a 9-2 run to cut it to 13. The margin stayed right around there the remainder of the half, with the Cavs missing a number of open looks before Irving's jumper at the buzzer made it 57-43. That made him 9 for 9 at the break.
The Cavaliers, trying to extend a surprising season that saw them double their win total from a season ago, kept chipping away in the second half. But they would too often miss an open 3-pointer or give up an extra possession on an offensive rebound that the Nets would take advantage of.
Nic Claxton had 13 points and nine rebounds for Brooklyn.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Evan Mobley scored 19 points and Kevin Love had 14 points and 13 rebounds. ... The Cavaliers remained without All-Star center Jarrett Allen because of a broken finger.
Nets: Irving's 9-for-9 first half wasn't even his best for Brooklyn. He was 10 for 10 against Chicago on Jan. 31, 2020. ... Brooklyn went 1-3 against Boston during the regular season. The Nets beat the Celtics 4-1 in the first round last season. ... Goran Dragic returned after missing the end of the regular season in health and safety protocols. He had three points in 10 minutes.
SUBWAY SHOOTING
The Nets and the New York Liberty Foundation announced before a moment of silence that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-steve-nash-5fbbe485d9c340bd7c7a44160317dffc">they were donating $50,000 </a> to help those who were injured after at least 10 people were shot on a subway Tuesday. The shooting occurred at the subway stop closest to the Nets' training facility.
SIMMONS STATUS
Nash said Ben Simmons is moving better and doing more shooting, but there still was no timetable for when he could finally play for the Nets. Simmons, who sat on the bench wearing a matching green jacket and shorts, has battled back problems since not long after being acquired from Philadelphia in February.
&ldquo;So definitely positive signs, improving and moving and all those things, but like I said he hasn&rsquo;t been running full speed or playing against anybody,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;So still a lot of markers to meet.&rdquo;
CENTER OF ATTENTION
Allen seemed poised to return for the play-in game, but the Cavaliers&rsquo; big man isn&rsquo;t quite ready.
Bickerstaff said the All-Star, who came to Cleveland from the Nets in a trade last season, did individual drills the past two days, when the team&rsquo;s focus at practice had to be on the available players to get ready for Brooklyn.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s doing well,&rdquo; said coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who has been without Allen for more than a month. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s working out; he&rsquo;s starting to do more with both hands. We&rsquo;re just kind of in a wait-and-see.&rdquo;

Kyrie Irving had 34 points and 12 assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and 11 assists and the Nets took the No. 7 seed in the East.

Irving, Durant lead Nets past Cavs in Play-In for No. 7 seed

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant scored a season-high 53 points, making the tiebreaking 3-pointer in a sensational show for a crowd that included Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the New York Knicks 110-107 on Sunday.
Durant's 3-pointer snapped a 103-all tie with 56 seconds remaining. He added four more free throws to keep the Nets ahead, finishing one point shy of his career high.
Durant also had nine assists and six rebounds in his 60th career 40-point performance.
Irving had a nice view while attending his first Nets home game this season, though still unable to play in New York. There is no longer a mandate that spectators are vaccinated against the coronavirus, but there is still one requiring it for someone who works there. Irving has not been vaccinated.
So the star guard had a seat in the stands, just as he did a night earlier to watch his college team, Duke, lose in the ACC championship game. He walked off arm-in-arm with Durant toward the Nets locker room after the game ended.
Andre Drummond had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who won their third straight. Bruce Brown scored 15 points.
Julius Randle scored 26 points and Evan Fournier had 25 for the Knicks, who finished 3-4 on their road trip. RJ Barrett had 24.
Durant scored 16 points in the first quarter and Brooklyn was ahead much of the way, but the Knicks rallied to take a 103-101 lead on Barrett's basket. Drummond's dunk tied it before Durant sprinted out to the wing to catch and fire in his fourth 3-pointer of the game. He finished 19 of 37 from the field.
It was a two-point game when Irving emerged to walk to his seats opposite the Nets' bench with just under 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half. He walked through the stands from the further tunnel, with some fans chanting &ldquo;Free Kyrie! Free Kyrie!&rdquo; as he walked by. He exchanged some hugs at his seat, where he sat maskless.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Obi Toppin returned after missing five games with a strained left hamstring and scored eight points. ... Coach Tom Thibodeau said rookie Quentin Grimes, out with a right knee injury, was pretty much going at full speed and his next step was to take part in contact portions of practice. He had no update on Derrick Rose, who had a procedure to address a skin infection on his surgically repaired right ankle.
Nets: Seth Curry was originally in the starting lineup but was scratched because of left ankle soreness. ... Nic Claxton scored 10 points.
&nbsp;
WAITING ON IRVING
Coach Steve Nash said it isn't harder for the Nets to play without Irving than it was when all the mandates were still in effect, because they haven't allowed themselves to think they're any closer to getting him.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been let down by this process a lot of times in a sense,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re hoping and wanting him to be able to return, so we have not really, I think, put ourselves in a position to think it&rsquo;s happening for sure. We just keep proceeding with the task that we can control. That's getting better every day and obviously we wish he was back yesterday, but the reality is we only focus on what we can control.&rdquo;
SIMMONS STATUS
Nash said Ben Simmons will continue to rehab and strengthen his back this week in hopes of getting more mobility. Simmons' back began bothering him as he tried to build up his conditioning after not playing at all this season in Philadelphia and it's unclear when he will be ready to fully practice or play.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host Portland on Wednesday.
Nets: Visit Orlando on Tuesday.

Kevin Durant scored a season-high 53 points, making the tiebreaking 3-pointer as his Nets beat the New York Knicks 110-107 on Sunday.

Durant scores 53, Nets edge Knicks 110-107 as Irving watches

When Ben Simmons was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the hope was that he could potentially be next in the line of generational, all-around superstars. LeBron James was even uttered as a comparison by some national prognosticators before Simmons suited up at LSU for his lone collegiate season.
The Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Draft Lottery that year and paired Simmons with Joel Embiid, a duo that formed instant chemistry and helped Philly shoot up the Eastern Conference standings soon after. Simmons had his faults, especially well-documented on the offensive end, but his unique strengths as a jumbo-sized playmaker and two-way engine made a potential ceiling outcome immense.
After a tumultuous ending to his five-year stint in Philadelphia &mdash; being <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-deserves-criticism-but-not-to-be-thrown-under-the-bus-by-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly called out by Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers</a> in the East semifinals &mdash; Simmons can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.
To properly optimize the talent of Simmons on the court, the Brooklyn Nets are the best fit on-paper to bring out his special two-way potential. Alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Nets, Simmons will enter as a moldable ball of clay who can play a multitude of roles. Simmons can not only run an offense setting up his superstar teammates, but he can also operate as a pick-and-roll threat rolling to the basket. On top of that, his speed for a near-seven-footer makes him a lethal weapon to deploy in transition opportunities, which will be plentiful in Brooklyn.
Picture Draymond Green during the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; championship years. He was the glue that kept it all together, as he still does today during their resurgent comeback. In Brooklyn, Simmons can be the fulcrum of the Nets' system next to Durant and Irving. Not only can Simmons defend at an All-NBA level, but he can start scoring opportunities off the rebound with reckless abandon. Irving will quickly mesh with Simmons as well in three-man spots where pick-and-roll situations, plus a moving Durant, is on the table each possession.
It&rsquo;s an exciting thought exercise to finally envision Simmons at his max levels, especially when two of his newest teammates are some of the greatest scorers ever.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In the playoffs against teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers (ironically enough), Simmons will present real tangible issues consistently thanks to his new environment. Durant and a part-time Irving are going to make Simmons&rsquo; life a whole lot easier. Blending in with a pair of three-level marksmen compared to Embiid will finally place Simmons in a more palpable situation to tap into his multi-tooled impacts on a basketball court.
Thursday&rsquo;s blockbuster involving James Harden and Simmons will always be remembered not only as a pivotal point in each of their careers, but for these respective franchises as well. With the Sixers going all-in to maximize a title window, Brooklyn remains on a similar path long-term, simply swapping out a high-usage guard for a low-usage superstar who can thrive in a unique role.
Let&rsquo;s take a look now at the Nets&rsquo; potential new rotation, one that brings aboard more shooting and two-way versatility:
Starters: Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, LaMarcus Aldridge
Bench: Patty Mills, Cam Thomas, Bruce Brown, Kessler Edwards, James Johnson, Blake Griffin, Nic Claxton
When the Nets are in the postseason, I'd expect them to flip Simmons into a full-time center role, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see head coach Steve Nash utilize Aldridge at center with his floor-spacing capabilities.
Simmons is only 25 years old, and his true upside has fallen under the radar since his postseason disappearance. Buying into a more complementary role and admitting he&rsquo;s not the star of the show will do wonders for him. Simmons has reportedly already spoken to Durant and is excited about his future in Brooklyn.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Through his five years on the court in Philadelphia, Simmons filled up the stat sheet, averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 steals on a 57.9% True Shooting percentage. The warts are instantly acknowledgeable in his game, but Simmons joining the Nets&rsquo; ecosystem could be a huge turning point that we look back on in the Association's history books.
If Simmons recaptures his All-NBA form and settles in perfectly as Durant&rsquo;s sidekick in his new home, the Nets will have made themselves a more chameleon-like team that's able to adapt in all-or-nothing postseason play.
Simmons has yet to reach his ceiling, and Brooklyn was forced to roll the dice with Harden&rsquo;s malcontent; both moves could be a blessing in disguise down the road.
Not only will Simmons help the Nets in the near future by racking up triple-doubles and contributing on both ends, perhaps he can become Brooklyn's franchise cornerstone and eventually usher in a new, fruitful era post-Durant.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons' career-defining moment has finally arrived on a silver platter.

Nets provide Ben Simmons a golden opportunity to maximize his game

Darius Garland strengthened his All-Star case with 22 points and 12 assists, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 114-107 win Monday over the Brooklyn Nets, who began a stretch without injured superstar Kevin Durant.
Isaac Okoro added 15 points and Jarrett Allen had 14 and 10 rebounds for the Cavs, who won their fifth straight.
Kyrie Irving scored 27 points in his fourth game of the season and James Harden added 22 for Brooklyn, which was playing its first game since Durant, the NBA's leading scorer, sprained his left knee. He's expected to be out several weeks.
The Nets missed five straight shots down the stretch but were still within 110-107 when a costly turnover by Harden led to a breakaway dunk for Okoro.
Harden attempted a pass back to Irving, who slipped near mid-court and laid helplessly on the floor as Okoro streaked by and scored.
Irving missed a 3-pointer that went halfway down and came out before Cleveland's Kevin Love made three free throws to close out one of the Cavs' biggest wins this season.
Durant, averaging 29.3 points per game, sprained his left medial collateral ligament (MCL) on Saturday in a win over New Orleans. The Nets don't have a definitive timeframe for his return, but it's safe to assume they'll be without one of the game's best players for several weeks.
Before the game, Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said Durant will be re-evaluated in &ldquo;a few weeks,&rdquo; at which point the team will have a better sense of when he'll be back.
In the meantime, the Nets, who were hoping to finally have a long stretch with Durant, Harden and Irving on the floor together, are again being forced to cope, adjust and figure out how to win.
&ldquo;It's an opportunity for our team to grow,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;We have to find solutions.&rdquo;
The Nets got another scare in the third quarter when Harden grabbed his left leg and hobbled off.
He stayed in for another minute before being replaced by Irving, who then scored seven straight points, dropping a 3-pointer with 11.7 seconds left to put Brooklyn up 88-87 heading into the fourth.
Garland, who was named the Eastern Conference's player of the week during the game, was in the middle of the game's splashiest play in the first half.
After making an overhead catch on a long outlet pass from Love like a football wide receiver, Garland flipped the ball back to a trailing Okoro for a thundering dunk.
TIP-INS
Nets: It's hard to find a positive with Durant's situation, but one plus is that Brooklyn plays nine of its next 11 on the road and will have Irving, who can't play at home because he's not vaccinated against COVID-19 as mandated in New York's public venues. ... F/C Nick Claxton (hamstring) missed his fourth straight game. ... A two-time league MVP as a point guard, Nash has been impressed with Garland's development. &ldquo;He kind of has all the tools you want, coupled with speed and quickness."
Cavaliers: With the All-Star Game in Cleveland next month, the Cavs are pushing hard for Garland to make the team along with Allen, who has been one of the East's most dominant big men. &ldquo;They both deserve it,&rdquo; said coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who hasn't started calling colleagues to push for their votes. ... G Lamar Stevens (sore knee) sat out. ... G Rajon Rondo (hamstring) missed his fourth game in a row. ... Chairman Dan Gilbert attended his second game this season.
UP NEXT
Nets: Visit Washington on Wednesday. They beat the Wizards 104-90 on Oct. 25.
Cavaliers: Play at Eastern Conference-leading Chicago on Wednesday.

Darius Garland strengthened his All-Star case with 22 points and 12 assists, leading the Cavaliers to a 114-107 win.

Garland leads Cavs to 114-107 win over Durant-less Nets

Just a short time after appearing to exorcise their playoff demons by sweeping the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks have suddenly reverted back to their old habits, and they find themselves in a 2-0 hole following drubbings by the shorthanded, yet unflappable, Brooklyn Nets.
Sure, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are doing the heavy lifting without their third amigo James Harden, who's been sidelined by an awfully-timed hamstring injury, but it's been a reborn Blake Griffin, jack-of-all-trades Bruce Brown and confident reserves Mike James and Nicolas Claxton who truly have Brooklyn playing as one.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Bucks are <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/passing/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Playoffs&amp;sort=PASSES_MADE&amp;dir=1&amp;PORound=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not moving the basketball</a>. Through two games, they're averaging just over 208.0 passes per game. Though smaller sample sizes are noisier by nature, it's the lowest amount in the semifinal round thus far, and a far cry from their 258.3 passes per game in the postseason's opening round. Related to that fact, Milwaukee is not racking up consistent assists in any way, shape or form.
Though understanding they've got to make shots, the Bucks have gone "one and done" all too many times, settling early and often against a Nets team that can be beaten if you get them off balance. According to NBA.com, Milwaukee is shooting a ghastly 32.8% on pull-up field goals in this series. When that is the case, there should be no reason to <a href="https://go.nba.com/hnnm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take over 33 of them</a> per contest.
Stating the obvious, Giannis Antetokounmpo is not a point guard, nor should he be Milwaukee's primary playmaker. He is a force to be reckoned with when playing without the ball, cutting to the rim and attacking using angles off the catch. That was evident in the Bucks' beatdown of the Heat! Now, the Nets have done a solid job of walling off the restricted area -- a la the 2019-20 Heat -- and he's been trying to make them pay with jumpers; however, that's not exactly his strength (he's 8-of-21 on jump shots and 3-of-13 on field goals outside of the paint).
He's been too timid and indecisive in the half-court. Post-up fadeaways aren't the answer, either, and making free throws would be quite helpful to a now-struggling offense (he's shooting 20% from the charity stripe on five attempts per game).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Of course, Giannis' teammates need to be much better if the Bucks expect to win a game, much less this series. That starts with Khris Middleton, who has been nothing short of disappointing after torching Miami for four games. On the surface, it's missed attempts and, like many of his teammates, poor-shot selection. Playtype numbers tell a story that takes it a step further.
According to InStat, Middleton has failed to generate more than 0.65 points per possession as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, and even worse, has created a lowly 0.29 PPP on seven post-ups. Those are <a href="https://basketball.instatscout.com/players/9020/playtypes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his two most frequently used roles within the Bucks offense so far</a>. To compare, in the Heat series, he had double the frequency on catch-and-shoot possessions and he was posting up six percent less.
Defensively, Middleton has been toasted by Irving, Durant and James (Mike, not Harden). Against Middleton, the Nets are scoring 1.88 points per possession on catch-and-shoots, 1.75 PPP on handoffs, 1.75 PPP with pick-and-roll handlers and 1.25 PPP in isos, per InStat. Again, noisy numbers with just a two-game sample size, but the offensive shortcomings are clearly leading to defensive slipups.
To be frank, this is not a version of Middleton that the Bucks can overcome to beat a title favorite that's just hitting its stride (especially since Brooklyn should only better once they get back Harden and a key glue guy in Jeff Green).
While Jrue Holiday is doing his best at taking care of the ball and has clearly been Milwaukee's best bet as a playmaker, he's still not being aggressive enough, especially on the fastbreak. He hasn't driven with a purpose off misses or turnovers; instead, he's had a more methodical pace and has been fine with attempting threes before most of his teammates have even gotten set in their spots.
Defending in transition, Holiday has been no match for Brooklyn's speed when its players have momentum or use their trickery. To be fair, he's done a decent job against Irving, especially since we all know how elusive and crafty Uncle Drew can be.
The final piece to the puzzle is Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. We're not going to dig into the rotations all that much because most people see the perplexing all-bench lineups, and we've had this conversation many times before. The confusing thing is that the lineups improved in the Miami series, and then Coach Bud went right back to square one. It's like Budenholzer got a random bout of amnesia and forgot everything he successfully tried over the last year, regressing back to the 2020 version of himself.
It's as simple as this: the seat temperature is going to increase fast if he doesn't change his ways. There was a moment in Game 2 when the Nets came out of the gate and took a 17-point lead in the first quarter. Sticking to his ways, Budenholzer pulled Giannis out for a rest... with Milwaukee down double-digits and Brooklyn going for the early kill.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
This decision coming off of a <a href="https://twitter.com/eric_nehm/status/1401364036600713227?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game 1 postgame quote from Coach Bud</a> that really caught some attention (and flack):
"I think our guys left it all out on the court. They all want to play 48 minutes," Budenholzer said. "So we just gotta keep them competing, keep them where they can execute. Giannis never wants to come out, Khris, Jrue. But we got a deep team and we gotta take advantage of it. Keep them ready. Keep them fresh, but they want to be out there."
Budenholzer's playoff reputation precedes him, and even with the exception of the first round, he hasn't shown a willingness to change or adapt on the biggest stage (or in a series with all eyes on his team).&nbsp;
Get the rock out of Giannis' hands and put him in position to thrive away from the ball, fall back to the drive-and-kicks, don't settle, be decisive, stay disciplined as best as possible against Brooklyn's stars and scrap for loose possessions the way that Griffin has done.
Across the board, Game 3 is going to be the most important 48 minutes the team has played all year long. It's probably the most pivotal game the team has played since Milwaukee was in the Eastern Conference Finals in Bud's first year.
It's time to put up or shut up. If they fail to do the former, Giannis and the Bucks won't have to bother packing their bags for a trip back to Barclays Center.

Spencer Davies looks at why the Bucks have had such a difficult time with the Nets in the first two games of their series.

How the Bucks can avoid more disaster against striding Nets

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton.
Two elite offenses. A pair of defenses where timely switches may determine their success or failures. A pair of head coaches with questions to answer.
I do not need to sell you on why this year's Bucks-Nets series may be the most anticipated gathering of the postseason. Star power, tactical intrigue and sweet, sweet #narratives will be on full display for however long the series goes on.
My job is a simple one: cut out the fluff, figure out what matters and give my best guesses on what you'll see.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR -- TRANSITION/EARLY OFFENSE
The Bucks and Nets were elite transition teams, ranking fourth (14.5) and sixth (14.3), respectively, in fast break points. Both got <a href="http://stats.inpredictable.com/nba/ssnTeamPoss.php?season=2020&amp;po=0&amp;frdt=2020-12-22&amp;todt=2021-06-01&amp;view=off&amp;sort=aoeffdr&amp;order=DESC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">busy after missed shots</a>, with the Nets (1.18 points per possession, 3rd) edging out the Bucks (1.15, 8th) in that metric.
Both squads look to space properly around their stars, though they tend to attack in slightly different ways. Giannis prefers to go middle. With spacers trailing to either side of him, it's difficult to build a wall on the fly while also accounting for those shooters. You have to pick a poison, basically.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/2fdz8s" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
You may get a slightly different flavor from Brooklyn, particularly when Harden gets the outlet. He can rumble in -- he's drawn shooting fouls on 15.2% of his transition attempts since joining the Nets, per Synergy -- but often elects to turn down the speed dial and utilize early (drag) screens.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/akm9nt" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
About those drag screens: the Nets love to run them with an empty corner. Making their ball screens a 2-on-2 endeavor is typically trouble for their opponents. They'll get an unfavorable switch, or some sort of advantage in which the defense can't provide help in good conscious.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/gn9ne3" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Bucks will also mix in those empty corner looks, particularly when Giannis is operating as the screener. For the most part, they prefer to keep things middle with their ball screens. They'll oscillate between five-out spacing and their dunker spot-infused setup depending on the lineup on the floor.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/lddaf2" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
WHAT TO WATCH FOR -- OUT OF BOUNDS
The Nets have a clear emphasis with their baseline or sideline-out-of-bounds plays: force the defense to make a quick, uncomfortable decision.
One of their most common sideline plays -- and one of the most common actions throughout the NBA -- is a quick-hitter in which the inbounder passes it to a big above the break. The inbounder will then receive a back-screen; the player that sets the back-screen will then lift above the break to flow into a dribble handoff or pick-and-roll with the big.&nbsp;
This ultimately isn't going to lead to anything, but here's an example of the set-up.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/nt5ez3" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Now, that's Mike James and Landry Shamet hooking up before flowing into a dance with DeAndre Jordan. There's a pocket for a pull-up middy that James opts not to take.
Imagine that same action with two of Harden, Irving, Durant or Joe Harris doing the initial exchange.&nbsp;
Now imagine&nbsp;that&nbsp;with counters, because the Nets have them. These aren't all scoring plays, but this gives you an idea of how the Nets can stress you out.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/qp8axh" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
If there's anything to keep an eye out for on the Bucks side, it's this screening action for Middleton if he's operating as the inbounder. He can be hit on a cut if it's there, a post-up on the opposite side (especially if there's a switch) or a clear out on the opposite wing if he's tracked all the way through.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/fl5brp" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
KEY QUESTIONS
1) Can either team afford to play drop coverage?
This could be referred to as the Brook Lopez Question. It could also be referred to as the DeAndre Jordan Question.&nbsp;
From my view, this is a more pressing question for the Nets. Jordan hasn't played a second during the postseason, and has only appeared in three games (44 minutes) since the beginning of May. It's clear they've leaned into a center rotation of Blake Griffin, Jeff Green and Nicolas Claxton -- with a little Durant mixed in there.
There are two issues with that.
Green is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jeff-green-out-for-at-least-10-days-with-plantar-fascia-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently out</a> with a strained plantar fascia. There's no telling when he'll be back, or how effective he'll be when he returns. The other issue is that, from a size and physicality standpoint, Jordan is the only player on the Nets roster with a prayer of defending Giannis.
If Jordan does get the assignment again, he'll have a simple job: hang back in the paint, dare Giannis to shoot jumpers and absorb blows at the rim if he attacks.&nbsp;
That was a sound plan in the first half of their first meeting, but Giannis <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-brooklyn-nets-deandre-jordan-milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-playoff-preview-defense-center-key-nekias" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found utility</a> operating as a handoff man or screener in the second half of that game. Over the next two meetings, Giannis scored 85 points while shooting 52% from two and 40% from three.&nbsp;
Here's Giannis' shot chart with Jordan as his defender in those two meetings, per InStat tracking data.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/field-goals-giannis-antetokounmpo-1_lg.png" alt="" />
Giannis found his comfort zone in the second meeting. He brought the funk to Jordan, mixing in shoulder charging-drives, jump hooks, turnaround jumpers... you name it, he did it. If he can get to his spots and do what he wants against the Nets' best option, what do you do?
On the flip side, the Bucks have their own questions to answer in regards to Lopez. This isn't the Miami Heat, with all due respect.
For all the hoopla about Lopez hanging in a drop and the exploits that could come into play, the Heat ultimately didn't have the pull-up chops to make him (and the Bucks) bend. The Nets do, so Lopez in space could be problematic for Milwaukee.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/saytbq" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
To that point: Brooklyn scored roughly 1.1 points per possession in the pick-and-roll when the Bucks were in drop coverage during the season series, per a source with access to Second Spectrum tracking data. That number was nearly cut in half (0.53 PPP) when the Bucks switched, though the sample (17 picks) is pretty small.
The Bucks will need Lopez if he can hold up, though. Not only is his rim protection value essential, but he's also been a security blanket on the other end of the floor.
He's figuratively and literally a large part of the Bucks' ability to clean the glass; their rebound rate drops nearly four percentage points with Lopez <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/vs/advanced/#!?TeamID=1610612749&amp;VsPlayerID=201572&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the bench</a>.&nbsp;
Teams also have to be a bit careful about stashing smaller or worse defenders on Lopez. He's been more than willing to punk dudes on the block. He's generated nearly 1.2 points per possession when shooting out of the post against guards or forwards this season, per the Second Spectrum source.
2) How will the Bucks match up?
Donte DiVincenzo may not be a household name, but his ability to slither over screens will be missed. He <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203925/head-to-head/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">got the Harris assignment</a> during the regular season meetings and did a decent job of tracking him. With DiVincenzo out, the Bucks are going to have some decisions to make.
Will they roll with Pat Connaughton in his place? There isn't a great matchup for him. Looking through his Brooklyn film, he looked more comfortable using his body to absord blows than he was navigating screens. His best flashes came when matched up against Green on stray possessions.
I think back to the first meeting where Durant or Harden were able to isolate him. Let's just say things did #not #go #well.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/11peuw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He could be an innings eater of sorts against Harden. Harden would win that matchup, but maybe the gamble would be baiting the Nets into a heavier-than-they'd-like dosage of isolation play. That would allow Middleton (fresh off the Duncan Robinson assignment) to track Harris, Holiday to defend Kyrie and Giannis to take the Durant matchup from the jump.&nbsp;
The Bucks could opt to size up, inserting PJ Tucker in place of DiVincenzo and switching everything 1-through-4. I'd worry about what that would do to the Bucks on offense; both Tucker and Lopez can knock down open shots, but defenses don't defend them like true scoring threats. There's a reason that lineup only saw <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612749&amp;sort=MIN&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=GROUP_NAME*E*holiday:GROUP_NAME*E*middleton:GROUP_NAME*E*antetokounmpo:GROUP_NAME*E*lopez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five minutes together</a> in the regular season.&nbsp;
3) How effective will Giannis be in pick-and-roll?
If the second half of the first meeting was any indication, the Bucks should be able to get good looks out of Giannis-as-screener actions. Allowing him to rumble into open space is a problem; switching a small onto him is a problem.
The Middleton-Giannis pick-and-roll, in particular, has been effective all season long. The Bucks scored 1.1 points per possession on trips featuring a ball screen between the two, per the Second Spectrum source.
What I'm curious about is the inverse. There were roughly a handful of possessions in which Giannis had a smaller player screen for him, with most of those coming in the second meeting. A quality (for Giannis) look was created every time.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/9m9av5" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Very quietly, Giannis generated 1.23 points per possession as the pick-and-roll ball handler (passes included) this season, the best mark among 146 players to initiate at least 150 pick-and-rolls per Synergy. That number rose to 1.3 points per possession when a guard set the screen for Giannis.
I'm curious to see how often the Bucks work that wrinkle into the plan. With the Nets being a switch-heavy as they are, Milwaukee may be able to mismatch-hunt a bit.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>It's a bit of a hat tip to the "drop coverage" section, but keep an eye on the way the Nets utilize Harris. He's mostly the beneficiary of the Big Three, spotting up and relocating when necessary to cash in on catch-and-shoots. The Nets have a bevy of stagger plays built in to get him easy looks, though. This one popped on film.</li>
</ul>
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/b5vlg4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<ul>
<li>As was the case in the first round, Bryn Forbes minutes are going to be a barometer of the series. If he has a sizable role, it'll be due to him shooting well enough to do so. But also... these Nets are a lot more predatory than the Heat. The show-and-recovery sequences will have to be on point, because he simply won't survive on switches.</li>
<li>To that point, keep an eye on the Harden-Bruce Brown connection. The Nets scored over 1.2 points per possession when Brown screened for Harden this season, per the Second Spectrum source. Brown seems like a natural hiding place for a second unit guy like Forbes, but that could be fool's gold.</li>
<li>Even if the Bucks don't start this way, this has to be the series we see the Tucker-Giannis frontcourt to close things out. The Holiday-Middleton-Tucker-Giannis quartet has played 43 total minutes to this point; they have a plus-17.5 net rating in that time frame. The fifth will probably be the better of Connaughton or Forbes, though I guess you can never count Jeff Teague out of these things, amirite?</li>
<li>Very quietly, the Nets were a middling team against zone (0.97 PPP, 18th, per Synergy). The Bucks experimented with some zone in the second half of the season. I wouldn't be shocked to see them mix it in against Brooklyn's second unit.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Speaking of second units, Claxton vs Bobby Portis is going to be an under-the-radar battle that could swing a quarter, which could swing a game, which could swing the series. There are avenues (Portis' ineptitude in drop, Claxton's jumpiness or middling physicality) in which either guy could get played off the floor. This is a matchup to keep an eye on.</li>
</ul>

Nekias Duncan breaks down all the film, key matchups and numbers necessary to prepare for Brooklyn and Milwaukee's second-round clash.

Speedy