Sycamores

WNBA super rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese wasted no time showing their wares in the WNBA&rsquo;s return to action after a month-long break from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Indiana Fever&rsquo;s Clark, the no.1 overall selection in this year&rsquo;s draft, lit up Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury in their first game back in the WNBA. Clark had 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists in the win over Taurasi and Team USA teammates Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper. Clark showed poise and renewed confidence as the Olympic break seemed to calm the super rookie&rsquo;s game down. Clark started her WNBA career on a whirlwind, going from the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament to being drafted in the league in three weeks, then starting the entire month with just over a month.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The transition seemed to have affected Clark&rsquo;s game to start, however she has gotten her groove. Clark followed up that performance against Phoenix with 23 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks and made history in the process by breaking the WNBA record for most assists in a season by a rookie. Clark is now also the franchise record holder for most 3-pointers made by a rookie, a testament to the rookie&rsquo;s incredible season as a pro. Clark is starting to get into her groove now as she gets more and more comfortable in the league and that is bad news for the rest of the WNBA teams.
Angel Reese, Chicago Sky&rsquo;s no.7 pick, has continued her double-double rampage throughout the league. Since coming back from the Olympic break, Reese has delivered three straight double-doubles, putting up 11 and 15 against the Phoenix Mercury; 14 and 11 against the Los Angeles Sparks; and an almost 20-20 game vs the Mercury again with 19 points and 20 rebounds. Reese&rsquo;s relentless pursuit of the boards put her in special company in the league, making history in her own right by being the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 20 double-doubles in a single season. Reese&rsquo;s latest triple-double also marked a league-leading mark &ndash; an impressive one being a rookie in a league with premier players in A&rsquo;Ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.&nbsp;
For Wilson and Stewart, Team USA&rsquo;s runaway best players in their 8th straight run to Olympic gold, they will now be back to their respective teams in the WNBA to lead another championship run. Wilson&rsquo;s Las Vegas Aces and Stewart&rsquo;s New York Liberty met in the 2023 WNBA Finals with Wilson and Las Vegas eventually coming out on top. This season, the two teams are one of the best in the league yet again and it figures out to be yet another race to the finish line among them. When the league resumed play, Stewart and New York recently got the better of the matchup with a tough 79-67 victory. Stewart had 18 points and 7 boards in the win, but she had a lot of help from her Liberty teammates with Sabrina Ionescu leading the way with 23 points.
Despite the Aces&rsquo; rocky season than expected coming off a WNBA championship, Wilson continues to dominate the league by further establishing her status as the best player in women&rsquo;s basketball. She recently had a staggering 34 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks on 12-20 FG and 10-11 FT to lead the Aces to another win and bring their record to 17-9, good for 4th overall in the league.
A lot of action is still yet to unfold in the WNBA with more and more stars and good basketball to be played, so stay tuned as the race to the end gets more intense.

WNBA super rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese wasted no time showing their wares in the WNBA’s return to action.

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese light up the WNBA after Olympic break

Longtime pro Jordan Crawford opens up to Spencer Davies about his unpleasant NBA experience, his Detroit connection and more.

Ex-NBA pro Jordan Crawford has a story to tell — and a whole lot more

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Michigan State coach Tom Izzo gazed into the crowd, tears welling in his eyes, moments before his team played its first home game since a mass shooting on campus killed three students and hospitalized five students.
&ldquo;It was one of those moments where I just said, `I&rsquo;m a lucky guy,&lsquo;&rdquo; Izzo recalled as his voice cracked with emotion. &ldquo;I said to myself, `I hope we can come through for you.&rsquo;&rdquo;
The Spartans did.
Tyson Walker shook off a slow start to score 23 points and lifted Michigan State to an 80-65 win over No. 17 Indiana on Tuesday night, eight days after a mass shooting ended lives, endangered others and frightened an entire community.
&ldquo;It was definitely a emotional,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;Everybody was involved in some way because everybody&rsquo;s on campus. So, it was definitely good to go out there and play well for everybody.&rdquo;
The Spartans (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten) surged into the lead late in the first half after Walker started making 3-pointers following an 0-for-4 start from the field and were ahead by double digits for much of the second half.
&ldquo;Izzo&rsquo;s teams play great. They play hard,&rdquo; Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. &ldquo;They force you to play hard. If you don&rsquo;t meet that, you&rsquo;re going to lose.&rdquo;
The Hoosiers (19-9, 10-7) relied heavily on Trayce Jackson-Davis, as usual, and he had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Michigan State had its previous home game against Minnesota postponed after the shootings and resumed playing Saturday night in a loss to rival Michigan on the road.
The victims, survivors and first responders from last week&rsquo;s shootings were recognized with pregame remarks. There was also a moment of silence that was broken by the Michigan State band playing &ldquo;MSU Shadows,&rdquo; when Izzo looked left, right, high and low at fans in the stands.
&ldquo;I wish I could have ran up to that top row and thank the people that were there,&rdquo; Izzo said.
In the front row of the student section, white shirts were placed on eight seats to save them for the eight students shot on campus. The funeral for the last of the three students killed was earlier Tuesday.
The Spartans, after the emotional pregame, got off to a sluggish start before turning the game around with 3-pointers, defense and rebounding.
Michigan State&rsquo;s A.J. Hoggard had three turnovers early in the game, then didn&rsquo;t have another turnover and finished with 22 points and five assists. Joey Hauser and Malik Hall each scored 10 points for the Spartans, who have won three of their last four games.
Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 16 and Trey Galloway had 11 points for the Hoosiers.
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: The Hoosiers, who have lost two of their last three games, may have some work to do to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
Michigan State: After collapsing late against Michigan and returning to play at home on an emotional campus, Izzo&rsquo;s team earned a much-needed win.
HE SAID IT
&ldquo;As the game wore on, they smashed us and I don&rsquo;t like that,&rdquo; Woodson said.
IN THE FACE
Midway through the second half, Michigan State&rsquo;s Mady Sissoko blocked Malik Reneau&rsquo;s shot and the ball hit Kaleb Banks in the head so hard that he staggered and fell to the court.
BRIDGES SAYS
Former Michigan State star Miles Bridges sat behind the team&rsquo;s bench and said he may be back in the NBA soon, returning to play for the Charlotte Hornets.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long process,&rdquo; Bridges told The Associated Press at halftime. &ldquo;I might be back in March.&rdquo;
Bridges has not played this season while under an NBA investigation. He pleaded no contest three months ago to a felony count of injuring a child&rsquo;s parent, agreeing to do so in exchange for three years probation and no jail time.
INJURY REPORT
Michigan State&rsquo;s Carson Cooper missed the game after Izzo said the freshman center sprained his ankle during practice on Monday. Indiana senior guard Xavier Johnson is still out with a foot injury.
UP NEXT
Indiana: Plays rival and fifth-ranked Purdue on the road Saturday night.
Michigan State: Travels to play Iowa on Saturday.

The Spartans (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten) surged into the lead late in the first half after Walker started making threes following an 0-for-4 start.

Michigan State tops Indiana in first home game since shootings

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Maddy Westbeld scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and No. 5 Notre Dame rallied in the fourth quarter to hold off Miami 66-63 on Thursday night.
Sonia Citron scored 13 and Olivia Miles finished with 12 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Notre Dame. Lauren Ebo had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Irish (11-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won five straight.
Destiny Harden had 12 points, nine rebounds for five steals for Miami (7-6, 0-2), which has dropped three straight. Haley Cavinder also scored 12 and Lashae Dwyer added 10 for the Hurricanes, who trailed by 13 early but took a three-point lead in the opening moments of the fourth quarter.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA 76, TEXAS A&amp;M 34
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke had 14 points and South Carolina opened Southeastern Conference play with a victory over Texas A&amp;M.
Freshman reserve Talaysia Cooper had 15 points for the Gamecocks (13-0), and sophomore backup Sania Feagin scored 11 points. All-American Aliyah Boston finished with six points and five rebounds, playing just 19 minutes in the runaway win.
Sydney Bowles and Jada Malone each scored eight points for Texas A&amp;M (5-6). The injury-riddled Aggies had only eight players available.
MICHIGAN STATE 83, NO. 4 INDIANA 78
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Kamaria McDaniel had 24 points and Michigan State defeated previously unbeaten Indiana.
Matilda Ekh and Taiyier Parks each had 18 for the Spartans (9-5, 1-2), and DeeDee Hagemann had 15 points and eight assists.
Mackenzie Holmes had 32 points and 12 rebounds for the Hoosiers (12-1, 2-1 Big Ten), while Yarden Garzon added 17.
DUKE 72, NO. 6 NC STATE 58
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Celeste Taylor scored 23 points, including a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, and Duke beat NC State.
Elizabeth Balogun had 16 points as the Blue Devils (12-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) picked up the most significant victory in coach Kara Lawson&rsquo;s three seasons. Shayeann Day-Wilson and Kennedy Brown each scored 10 points.
Saniya Rivers had 17 points for NC State (11-2, 1-1), which had won seven straight games this season. Jakia Brown-Turner scored 12 points and Aziaha James had 10.
CLEMSON 64, NO. 7 VIRGINIA TECH 59
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Amari Robinson had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Clemson earned its first victory against a top-10 opponent since 2000.
Ruby Whitehorn scored 13 points for the Tigers (10-4, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), including three free throws in the final 20 seconds. Daisha Bradford had 12, and Hannah Hank finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Cayla King had 15 points and five 3-pointers in Virginia Tech&rsquo;s second loss in three games. Georgia Amoore scored 14 points for the Hokie (11-2, 1-2), and reigning ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley had 14 points and six rebounds.
NO. 9 LSU 69, NO. 24 ARKANSAS 45
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese and Alexis Morris each scored 19 points to lead LSU past Arkansas in both teams&rsquo; SEC opener.
Reese, who finished with a double-double by grabbing 16 rebounds, was one of three Tigers (13-0) who had double-digit boards. Flau&rsquo;jae Johnson had 11, to go along with 10 points, and LaDazhia Williams had 15 rebounds.
Samara Spencer led the Razorbacks (13-3) as she scored a team-high 17 points on 7 of 15 shooting. The rest of the team went a combined 10 of 46 from the floor.
NO. 12 IOWA 83, PURDUE 68
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark scored 24 points, McKenna Warnock added 19 and Iowa defeated Purdue.
Monika Czinano added 12 points to surpass 2,000 for her career, reaching that milestone for the Hawkeyes (11-3, 3-0 Big Ten Conference) one game after Clark did. Hannah Stuelke had 11 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double.
Lasha Petree paced the Boilermakers (10-3, 1-2) with 22 points. Cassidy Hardin and Caitlyn Harper scored 10 apiece.
FLORIDA STATE 78, NO. 13 NORTH CAROLINA 71
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Makayla Timpson scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Ta&rsquo;Niya Latson had 12 of her 21 points in the third quarter and Florida State beat North Carolina.
Florida State (13-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) avenged last season&rsquo;s 64-49 loss to North Carolina that ended a six-game winning streak in the series.
Deja Kelly scored 20 points to lead North Carolina (9-3, 0-1) in its conference opener. Alyssa Ustby added 16 points and 13 rebounds. Kennedy Todd-Williams also had 16 points to go with eight rebounds. Eva Hodgson had 12 points and seven assists.
NO. 18 ARIZONA 84, ARIZONA STATE 66
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Esmery Martinez finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds to power Arizona&rsquo;s win in its Pac-12 Conference opener.
Martinez sank 9 of 14 shots from the floor to help the Wildcats (11-1) shoot 55.4% overall. It was her fourth double-double of the season. Shaina Pellington added 14 points, Cate Reese finished with 13 points and Jade Loville scored 12.
Tyi Skinner made 10 of 21 shots with five 3-pointers, scoring 26 for the Sun Devils (7-5). Treasure Hunt pitched in with 13 points and six rebounds. Meg Newman had 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds off the bench.
NO. 19 GONZAGA 77, PEPPERDINE 63
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Kaylynne Truong hit six 3-pointers and scored 26 points, both career highs, to lead Gonzaga to its sixth-straight win.
Yvonne Ejim added 17 points and Eliza Hollingsworth had 16 and both grabbed nine rebounds for the Bulldogs (13-2, 3-0 West Coast Conference). Brynna Maxwell scored 10.
Ally Stedman led Pepperdine (6-7, 1-2) with 16 points. Theresa Grace Mbanefo added 15 points and nine rebounds and Jane Nwaba had 14 points.

A recap of women's top-25 hoops action highlights a comeback effort by the fifth-ranked Irish.

No. 5 Notre Dame rallies in fourth to beat Miami 66-63

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2023, including several high-profile, first-time nominees including Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade and the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women&rsquo;s Basketball Team. &nbsp; A first look at the list of eligible nominees was provided by &ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; on ESPN; the complete list of eligible candidates can be found below. &nbsp; Finalists from the North American and Women&rsquo;s committee for the Class of 2023 will be announced on February 17, at 5:30 p.m. ET in Salt Lake City, Utah, during NBA All-Star Weekend. &nbsp; The entire Class of 2023, including those selected by the direct-elect committees, will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Houston, Texas, on April 1, in a nationally televised broadcast at 11 a.m. EST.
NORTH AMERICAN NOMINATIONS &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ken Anderson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Beilein (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Bess (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Chauncey Billups (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Chambers (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Clougherty (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Cooper (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joey Crawford (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Curran (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mark Eaton (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cliff Ellis (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Finley (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pau Gasol (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leonard Hamilton (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lou Henson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ed Hightower (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; David Hixon (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mark Jackson (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marques Johnson (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Keady (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Larranaga (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Maurice Lucas (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Shawn Marion (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rollie Massimino (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Motta (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dirk Nowitzki (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jake O&rsquo;Donnell (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tony Parker (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Phelan (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gregg Popovich (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bo Ryan (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Stan Spirou (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Reggie Theus (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dwyane Wade (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Buck Williams (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Williamson (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paul Westhead (COA)
WOMEN&rsquo;S NOMINATIONS &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leta Andrews (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jennifer Azzi (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gary Blair (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Doug Bruno (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Becky Hammon (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Becky Martin (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Debbie Miller-Palmore (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kim Mulkey (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valerie Still (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marian Washington (COA) &nbsp; INTERNATIONAL DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jackie Chazalon &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mirza Delibasic &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dusan Ivkovic &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Semen Khalipski &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vladimir Kondrashin &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Eduardo Lamas &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marcos Leite &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Shimon Mirrahi &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Amaury Pasos &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Manuel Sainz &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Togo Soares &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ranko Zeravica &nbsp; WOMEN&rsquo;S VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1976 US Olympic Team (TEA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team (TEA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alline Banks Sprouse (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Edmonton Commercial Grads (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Head (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Yolanda Laney (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Nashville Business College (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lometa Odom (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Harley Redin (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hazel Walker (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valerie Walker (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dean Weese (COA)*
CONTRIBUTOR DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pete Babcock &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Baumgartner &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Henry Bibby &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marty Blake &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vic Bubas &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Doug Collins &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wayne Duke &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bill Foster &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob Gibbons &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Simon Gourdine &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tim Grgurich &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Junius Kellogg &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Johnny &ldquo;Red&rdquo; Kerr &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Konchalski &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bobby Lewis &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fred McCall &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack McCloskey &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jon McGlocklin &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Speedy Morris &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dennis Murphy &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Curly Neal &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Powers &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Will Robinson &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Shue &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Valvano &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Donnie Walsh &nbsp; VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1936 US Olympic Team (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1972 US Olympic Team (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Barnett (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Blackburn (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sid Borgia (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Brown (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Freddie Brown (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Coleman (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Eckman (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leroy Edwards (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leo Ferris (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hy Gotkin (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Travis Grant (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Hartman (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cam Henderson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Robert Hopkins (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Keinath (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Greg Kelser (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968, 1969 (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob Love (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Loyola of Chicago (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Billy Markward (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ed McCluskey (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack McKinney (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bill Melchionni (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Francis Meehan (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lucias Mitchell (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Donald &ldquo;Dudey&rdquo; Moore (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joe Mullaney (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Willie Naulls (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; North Catholic High School Junior Varsity (Philadelphia, PA) (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Don Otten (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Philadelphia SPHAS (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin Porter (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Glenn Roberts (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lennie Rosenbluth (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kenny Sailors (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fred Schaus (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sam Schulman (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paul Silas (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Van Arsdale (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Van Arsdale (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lambert Will (CONT)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Max Zaslofsky (PLA)

Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich and Dwyane Wade are among the candidates for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Basketball Hall of Fame announces candidates for Class of 2023

Over Alex Caruso's six seasons as a professional basketball player, he has navigated through a shifting landscape of teams, roles and expectations.
His career began as an undrafted rookie with the Oklahoma City Blue. Then, he burst into the Hollywood spotlight with the Los Angeles Lakers and played a significant role while winning his first NBA championship. And after earning a lucrative contract from the Chicago Bulls, Caruso has now taken on the responsibility of major minutes on a retooled playoff contender in the Windy City.&nbsp;
Injuries, plus the physical and mental toll of playing in the league, can jostle a player out of a rhythm. When Caruso needs to recalibrate, he often hones in on a different type of shot.
"Golf is the great analogy for anything in life to be honest," Caruso told Basketball News. "[Because of] how much stress there is on that and how much mental fortitude you have to have &mdash; patience, [and] the ability to take in a bunch of information and create or formulate a game plan and try and act on it. But the thing for golf, for me, is just really to get away. It's kind of one of my only hobbies."
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Caruso's second sport is well-documented. He's&nbsp;<a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/alex-caruso-bulls-interview-fashion-style-golf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played with his father at Pebble Beach</a>, and he competed in the American Century Championship this summer. Caruso says that, like developing a swing in golf, basketball is all about muscle memory and disciplined repetition. When your shot is off &mdash; just like in golf &mdash; sometimes you just have to lean on what works for you.
"Something that I realized, through golf swings sometimes, is if I'm poking the ball or I'm slicing it too much, getting back to the basics and just having more of a feel sometimes [works]. I apply that to my basketball games," Caruso said. "If I feel like I'm forcing something too much or things aren't going my way, I just try to get back to the basics [and] get back to what feels right. My natural abilities got me to a really good spot in life and with this game, so that's something I always kind of fall back on."
Like with his golf game, Caruso believes the Bulls have to rediscover what "feels right."
Chicago is running back a largely similar roster from their first season of an overhaul in 2021-22. Given their late-year fade, sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and quiet first-round exit from the playoffs, the Bulls may appear to be sitting on their hands on the surface. However, Caruso emphasized that when Chicago was healthy and locked in, as they were in the first stages of last season, the roster had palpable success.
The Bulls were on top of the East standings for 47 days, second only to the Miami Heat, and held the first seed as late as Feb. 25. They had the NBA's 10th-ranked defense through the end of the 2021 calendar year; that fell to 22nd by the end of the regular season. To Caruso, a return to the top means reemphasizing the details of what had the Bulls clicking last winter.
"Obviously, we had a little bit of bad luck with injuries last year. That doesn't help," Caruso said. "I think in the beginning of the year, we were first in the East, we had a great Defensive Rating [and the] offense was doing everything they needed to do as far as moving the ball, creating open shots. And then, through a little bit of adversity in the year, we dropped a little bit of discipline in certain areas of the game.
"I think that's something that, if you're trying to win &mdash; and win in the postseason &mdash; those are things that you got to be consistent at."
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Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. are back, Patrick Williams has a full summer after an injury-riddled second season, and Andre Drummond is joining the fold to back up Nikola Vucevic. Caruso says those guys all make a defensive difference, and even leading scorers DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine represent an athletic presence. But when everyone's healthy, the first line of defense comes from two ex-Laker teammates in Caruso and Lonzo Ball.&nbsp;
Caruso averaged a career-high 1.7 steals per game in his first year as a Bull. Had he played enough games, he likely would have warranted All-Defensive consideration. He deflected the ball 3.4 times per game in 2021-22, tied for fourth-most among all NBA players. Chicago was 8.5 points stingier per 100 defensive possessions with Caruso on the floor too &mdash; a differential in the 96th percentile of all players, per Cleaning the Glass.
The now-veteran guard has this remarkable, innate ability to visualize a tree of outcomes on any defensive possession. He describes his defense like he's accounting for a multiverse, then whittling down the possibilities until he reaches the branch he wants. The <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/bulls-alex-caruso-details-how-defense-fuels-his-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pacing of the shot clock</a>, the rhythm of an opponent's dribble and the locations of his teammates (as he alluded to in the below video) all help Caruso wade through uncertainty.
<iframe title="Alex Caruso Breaks Down How to Guard The NBA&rsquo;s Best Scorers" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RyA_wTOzza4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
"[In the] professional game, the more information you can have and understand before a play takes place, the better chance you have of a successful stop, or offensive possession, whatever it is," Caruso explained. "The court is so big and the three-point line's so far away. And, nowadays, everybody's playing pace-and-space offense where they're trying to spread everybody out and take advantage of 1-on-1 matchups.
"For me, it's just about creating advantages for myself. These guys are already so good; if I try to play them 1-on-1, just head-up, I could play the best defense of my life and they still might score. So for me, it's just trying to create advantages as much as I can. The best advantage you have on defense is your teammates, so I try to use them as much as possible, whether they're even aware of it or not."
Pesky screen navigation had become a tool for defenses to gunk up today's pick-and-roll-happy attacks. Caruso excels as a screen irritant, using patience and precision to read a ball-handler's choices. He revels in the finer points of defending screens and, after six seasons as a pro, has built up an encyclopedia of tricks and tendencies.
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"[It takes] a little bit of anticipation [and] being able to control the ball-handler," Caruso said. "If he has a chance to reject you, and you try to get skinny and get over the top of the screen, then it's just going to increase that 2-on-1 advantage that they're trying to get with the pick-and-roll. It's just about anticipating, but then, trying to be like a defensive back in the NFL. I'm trying to mirror what they're doing. I'm not trying to necessarily beat them to the spot. I just want to make sure that I'm in their hip pocket, moving as they're moving.
"Then, once we get to the point of the screen, I just connect to their body &mdash; hip-to-hip, chest-to-chest &mdash; and just try to get skinny and get through the screen. So, it comes with a lot of practice too. For years, I've been fighting over ball-screens trying to get better at it, and it's been useful for me."
Of course, the second challenge is literally getting through that screen, set by some of the league's most imposing physical obstacles. Caruso quickly lists Steven Adams and Jonas Valanciunas, two notorious bruisers, among the league's toughest screen-setters.
His third choice &mdash; after some thought &mdash; is Draymond Green.
"Just because he sets illegal screens and they let him get away with it," said a smirking Caruso, who concedes that he, too, tries to push referees' tolerance.
"On defense, I probably foul a little more than I should, but the refs can't call a foul every single time," Caruso added. "So it's like &mdash; Draymond's gonna get Steph [Curry] open eventually. He's gonna run into you and the refs aren't going to call it. So just his ability to be physical and get guys open is pretty good."
Caruso reunited with Ball last season, and the two immediately clicked. Ball was similarly effective when healthy and placed just behind Caruso with 3.2 deflections per game. In the 460 minutes the duo played together, it outscored opponents by 9.5 points per 100 possessions.&nbsp;
Ball is currently recovering from a torn meniscus and his return date <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bulls-optimistic-on-lonzo-balls-injured-knee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is still up in the air.</a>&nbsp;But Caruso can't wait to have him back on the floor, saying that they "see a lot of the same stuff on the court." After two years apart, Caruso believes Ball has rediscovered his own strengths and seems more comfortable as a pro.
"I think he started playing his game a little more, and I think he might have tried to fit into a role a little bit in L.A . &mdash; and you kind of have to when you have superstar players around you for that last year like he did," Caruso said. "I think he got the chance in New Orleans to play his game the same way he's played from high school, to college, to get into the pros.
"There's a reason he was the No. 2 overall pick and got to where he was. He's an elite player at the stuff that he does, and I think he's doing things that he does best. He's able to do those with us and the Bulls. I'm excited for him to come back and have a good year."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
While Caruso and Ball battled injuries, Ayo Dosunmu stepped into the fray as a rookie second-round pick and flashed defensive promise. The Bulls hope to further bolster the backcourt stoppage with Dalen Terry, their No. 18 overall selection from this year's draft. Caruso recognizes that learning defense in a trial-by-fire environment can be challenging, and he was impressed with how Dosunmu handled the burden.
"Ayo was, basically all last year, just playing off the feel," Caruso said of his young teammate. "Your first year in the league, you don't understand concepts really. You don't understand coverages. You're seeing guys play, and you're playing against guys for the first time. You're seeing their best moves for the first time; they're probably going to beat you most of the time. So for him to be able to compete the way he did last year on defense is a great sign for a guy in his first year."
That's the lesson Caruso is learning, and teaching, as he grapples with the pro lifestyle. There's no textbook answer to playing defense in the NBA, winning at the highest level or even maintaining a consistent golf game. Sometimes it all comes down to building a knowledge base and feeling out the right path.
Learning what "feels right" can also be an experimental process. Caruso's mastery of the on-court intricacies has already set him apart as a defender. Those nitty-gritty details are also helping him learn how to evolve his nutrition habits and stay best attuned to the wear-and-tear of the NBA schedule.
Caruso is currently teaming up with ZENB, a plant-based food brand centered in Chicago, and is competing in a cooking competition against former LA Sparks guard Te'a Cooper. The pair will make four dishes out of plant-based alternative foods, and Caruso has been taking careful notes from chef Monti Carlo.
"It's just a fun experience to learn from Chef Monti, who's been in cooking shows herself and has experience, and to just learn some, tricks and trades and figure out some stuff to help myself to be a better cook in the future," Caruso said.&nbsp;
The 28-year-old averaged 28.0 minutes per game last season, by far a career-high. Caruso's hard-nosed aggression is a signature strength; he's also in the thick of action that can (and did) result in injuries. In 2021-22, he fractured his wrist and missed six weeks, and also missed games due to a foot sprain, concussion and minor hamstring and back issues.
Caruso says he currently feels fine physically, and has gotten in some productive workouts this offseason. But his minute uptick has also forced him to reflect on his habits &mdash; be it an increased focus on recovery with massages, cold tubs and lift sessions or altering his diet. Caruso has looked at shifting toward more plant-based foods with inspiration from ZENB. He's also staying regimented with his four meals per day, and, over time, has learned to carefully monitor his hydration.
"Hydration, I think, is one of the things that I overlooked a lot as a young professional," Caruso said. "It's something now that I've realized, when I get the right sugars and salts back into my body through sports drinks [and] electrolyte packets, as well as water, I just have better sleep, [and] I have better workouts the next day... I'm already a slim guy as it is, so for me to be able to maintain weight through an 82-game-plus season, it's something that I've really tried to hone in on and perfect for myself."
In the grand scheme of the NBA, these minute details might seem insignificant. But they've helped Caruso blossom from an undrafted rookie into a defensive fulcrum, and they'll help him and Chicago reach the next tier of contention.
"It's just little things... that I've had to tweak," Caruso said. "Experience is the best teacher, so it's stuff that I've learned from and can hopefully take and put into my regimen moving forward."

Ethan Fuller chats with Alex Caruso about his strategy behind defending NBA players, his thoughts on the Bulls, nutrition and more.

Alex Caruso is nailing down the details with the Chicago Bulls

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller knows his team won&rsquo;t be able beat the defending WNBA champions on style points or offensive prowess alone.
To beat the Chicago Sky in a five-game series, Miller believes you can&rsquo;t be afraid to make a mess.
&ldquo;A lot of free flowing offenses of the four teams left, and we know who we are,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re blue collar. We&rsquo;re going to be good around the basket, we&rsquo;re going to rebound and we&rsquo;re going to defend our tails off. But we have to make it messy.&rdquo;
DeWanna Bonner had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Sun to a 68-63 win over Sky in Game 1 of their WNBA semifinals series on Sunday night.
Jonquel Jones scored 12 points and also grabbed nine rebounds for the Sun, Alyssa Thomas had 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Brionna Jones added 12 points. Jonquel Jones was 5 for 8 from the field and Brionna Jones shot 6 for 8.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got so many weapons on this team,&rdquo; Bonner said. &ldquo;Whoever they focus on, it could be anybody&rsquo;s night. (Jonquel Jones) hit the biggest shot of the game, probably, when we were down one or two.&rdquo;
Candace Parker had 19 points and 18 rebounds for the Sky, and Kahleah Copper scored 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Chicago had a season-low 63 points and shot 35.3% for its lowest percentage in a playoff game since 2014.
&ldquo;We missed some bunnies, we missed a few chippers,&rdquo; Sky coach James Wade said. &ldquo;A couple of times, we got out of pick and rolls and we had shots at the rim, but we didn&rsquo;t make them. We&rsquo;ve just got to make those shots.&rdquo;
Game 2 is back here Wednesday night.
After Emma Meeseman&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 2:12 remaining gave Chicago a 63-62 lead and whipped the Wintrust Arena crowd into a frenzy, the Sun missed their final four shots.
Jonquel Jones scored inside 27 seconds later to put the Sun back ahead. Bonner made two free throws with 1:31 left to extend the lead, and Connecticut got two offensive rebounds to kill some time off the clock, and Bonner made a layup with 3.8 seconds left to seal the win.
Brionna Jones said the Sun did well in executing their aggressive game plan, but another key was only fouling seven times while playing physically. Chicago went 7 of 9 at the line.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s definitely a point of emphasis,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to keep them off the free throw line.&rdquo;
Connecticut outscored Chicago 20-12 in the third quarter as Natisha Hiedeman and Bonner made 3s and Bonner hit a pull-up jumper to move into double figures.
Parker strung a slick pass to Copper in transition for her first bucket since the first quarter to pull Chicago within four points with 8:47 left.
Miller said veterans such as Bonner and Thomas kept the Sun composed as the home crowd tried to will Chicago to a win.
&ldquo;We were rattled in the fourth quarter, and our veterans settled down and we made enough plays to win this game,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;This is what this series against each other has really come down to, those last couple of minutes, over and over and over again. Tonight, we made those plays.&rdquo;
Copper went 4 of 4 and hit a 3 for 11 points in the first half as the teams entered the break tied at 34.
Connecticut built an eight-point first quarter lead by scoring 11 points off six Chicago turnovers, but the Sky climbed back into it as Copper and Parker combined for 18-first half points.
Jones hit 3 of 4 shots to lead Connecticut with eight points and snagged four rebounds and two steals in a first half that had seven lead changes and five ties.
BIG BEEF
Copper knocked down a pair of free throws to nudge Chicago in front with 5:13 to go, shortly before she and Courtney Williams received double technical fouls for refusing to let go of a called jump ball.
Stevens said the play was indicative of the tone for the rest of the series.
&ldquo;They have beef with us from last year and all that, so it&rsquo;s whoever wants it more,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;I think that play with Kah, that was great. That&rsquo;s the type of series this is going to be. Who wants it more? Who is not going to let the ball go?&rdquo;
STYLE CLASH
Wade would like his team to play on the run more going forward, rather than getting into another dragged out, low-scoring affair.
&ldquo;I felt like we played their style,&rdquo; Wade said. &ldquo;They wanted us to play their style of game where it was slow and methodical. We like to play a little bit more free.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Chicago totaled a season-high 10 blocks in the losing effort. ... Parker passed Tamika Catchings for No. 1 all-time in WNBA playoff defensive rebounds with 450. ... Thomas passed Nykesha Sales to become the Sun&rsquo;s No. 2 career playoff scorer by reaching 1,080 points. ... Parker is one playoff double-double short of tying Catchings (27) for most all-time in WNBA history. ... Bonner moved into a tie for sixth in Sun history in playoff rebounds with 110.

DeWanna Bonner had 15 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Sun to a 68-63 win over the Sky in Game 1 of their WNBA semifinals series.

DeWanna Bonner scores 15 as Sun beat Sky in Game 1 of WNBA semis

We've got chalk!
The Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm swept their opponents, and though the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun had to go on the road, they handled business with double-digit wins. That sets us up for a pair of thrilling second-round series including the top-four seeds.
Let's take a look at some of the key matchups and questions for each series.
(2) CHICAGO SKY VS (3) CONNECTICUT SUN
THINGS TO KNOW
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Sky won season series 4-0</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">June 10: 83-79</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">June 29: 91-83</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">July 31: 95-92 (no Candace Parker)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">Aug. 7: 94-91 (no Curt Miller)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
KEY QUESTION: Who will win the paint battle?
It would be easy to go with the "power vs. finesse" angle for this frontcourt battle.
Chicago's trio of Candace Parker, Emma Meesseman and Azura Stevens (off the bench) do plenty of perimeter-based work. Parker and Meesseman often operate from outside as high post or handoff hubs, influencing the Sky's interior attack by picking out cutters. No frontcourt duo averaged more assists than Parker and Meesseman (8.3) this season.
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Stevens was more of a spacer (36% from three on moderate volume) than hub; that spacing helped open the floor for others, and she provided her own value as the rare big with comfort attacking closeouts.
The Sun do more of the gruntwork inside. Behind the trio of Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas, and Brionna Jones, the Sun led The W in post-up shot attempts per game (6.9, per InStat tracking) and offensive rebound rate (37.1%). No one embodies their physicality quite like Bri Jones. The list of players that can deal with her on the block or the glass is a short one.
There's versatility present, of course; Jonquel might be the best shooter on the roster, able to space, pick-and-pop, or run off screens. Thomas led all frontcourt players, and ranked 4th overall, in assists this season (6.1). She's comfortable bringing the ball up the floor and actually initiates a large chunk of the offense in the half-court.
This series may boil down to who can assert their style the most. While the Sun lack in pure shooting and improvisation, they could very well counter it by winning the possession battle. Due to their size and glass-work, a league-leading 37% of their shot attempts came at the rim this season.&nbsp;
The Sky, with their motion-based offensive attack and occasional mismatch hunting, ranked just behind the Sun in rim rate (35%) this season. Because of the skill-sets of their bigs, they could have success pulling the Sun's bigs out of the paint, thus opening the floor for their perimeter players to operate.&nbsp;
KEY MATCHUP: Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams vs. Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley
I have some serious questions about the Sun's backcourt. 
At their best, Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams can provide enough shot-making to complement their stars. Hiedeman is a sniper beyond the arc, having drained 40.5% of her threes over the past two seasons. 
Williams has been more inconsistent as a three-point shooter &mdash; she's shot 45.7%, 23.5%, 38.3%, and 33.8% over the past four seasons &mdash; but she gives the Sun much-needed juice off the dribble. She led The W in mid-ranga attempts (6.6) by a wide margin and <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/shooting/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FG%20PCT&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=Mid-Range%20FGA*GE*3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked 6th in percentage</a> (40.9%) among 20 players who averaged at least three attempts.&nbsp;
But there are drawbacks in this matchup. As lethal as Hiedeman is with her feet set, she hasn't gotten super busy off of movement. Of her 168 three-point attempts this season, only 42 of them (25%) came via isolation, ball screen, off-ball screen, or handoff, per InStat tracking. That has allowed Allie Quigley to take on that matchup during the regular season meetings.&nbsp;
For Williams, her inconsistency from deep allows teams to "gap" her off the ball. The Sky bordered on disrespect when she didn't have the ball, opting to ignore her completely to dig down on drives or double post-ups. Williams is going to make a shot on the possession below (a key for this series), but look at how threatened Chicago is by her.
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There's also the matter of decision-making. Hiedeman and Williams can get buckets when they're on, but neither of them are natural playmakers. Part of the "why doesn't Jonquel get more touches" answer is their inability to find her in a timely manner. And as good as Thomas has been as a creator, she wouldn't have to do so as much if the guards could be trusted more to keep the offense flowing. Williams in particular has a penchant for taking tough, contested pull-up middies. She's good enough to make them, but the process can get murky sometimes.
The Sky's backcourt of Courtney Vandersloot and Quigley don't have those concerns. Vandersloot is one of the best decision-makers in league history, while Quigley is one of the best shooters the league has seen &mdash; though it's worth noting she got off to a rough&nbsp;start to begin the year.
I do wonder if the Sun take a page out of the New York Liberty's book from their first-round matchup with the Sky. New York found some success with ducking under picks, particularly against Vandersloot. When they were able to keep her out of the paint, Chicago's half-court offense sputtered some.
Beyond that, it'll be on the Sun's guards to stay connected off the ball. During the regular season series, I found they mostly did a good job of containing the Sky's initial half-court action. Trouble ensued once the possession went later in the clock, with impromptu jukes and backcuts leading to buckets.
If they're able to hold up, this series could swing.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">I wonder what coverage Kahleah Copper will receive. Teams have typically gone under picks against her, though the Sun went with more switching and, surprisingly, hedging to force the ball out of her hands. It's an interesting gambit to take away her drives, though I wonder if that'll open more things up for the Sky offensively.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">Keeping an eye on the backup guard minutes for Chicago. We know Rebekah Gardner is locked in, and may wind up closing games depending on how well Quigley shoots. I wonder how secure Julie Allemand's spot it. The Liberty found comfort trying to attack her in round 1, and the three-ball hasn't fallen at a high clip this season. Could we see Dana Evans pop up if necessary, or would James Wade simply shorten the rotation and give the Vandersloot/Quigley/Gardner triumvirate all the minutes?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">I'd like to see more Dijonai Carrington minutes for the Sun. Her defense may be needed more than usual in this series.</li>
</ul>
(1) LAS VEGAS ACES VS (4) SEATTLE STORM
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Aces won season series 3-1</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">May 8: 85-74 (no Tina Charles, Riquna Williams)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">June 29: 88-78, SEA</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">Aug. 7: 89-81</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">Aug. 14: 109-100 (no Dearica Hamby)</li>
</ul>
<li>Dearica Hamby (right knee bone contusion) will miss at least the first game of this series. She suffered the injury on August 11, and was given a 2-4 week timeline.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
KEY QUESTION: Who can flip the switch?
This is a star-studded matchup. If you haven't heard (or seen the 289347293482 graphics about it), there will be seven&nbsp;former No. 1 overall picks featured in this series: A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young for the Aces; Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, Sue Bird, and Tina Charles for the Storm.
With the exception of maybe Bird at this stage, all of these players are comfortable going one-on-one and getting tough buckets. That may be necessary in this series considering where these teams are defensively.
The Aces were an aggressive pick-and-roll team at the beginning of the season, having their bigs play at the level (or higher) of ball screens. The Storm have dialed up the pressure on ball screens for years. As the season has gone on, and particularly during the regular season meetings, both teams have leaned a little more into switching.&nbsp;
Both teams generally do a good job of passing off their assignments when switching. The Storm, however, might be the gold standard in switching into a (perceived) mismatch, and quickly scram-switching their way out of it by toggling assignments off the ball. Look at how quickly Williams "scrams" Bird out of the Wilson matchup here:
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That is&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;work from the Storm. Bird goes from defending Chelsea, to switching onto Wilson, to immediately switching off Wilson to take Plum on the perimeter. They nail those kind of quick-hitting rotations.
This feels like more of an Aces question than a Storm one. Offensively, they're going to need to be purposeful and decisive when trying to attack in the half-court. They can't afford to have possessions like this:
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The Storm served Bird up on a platter for Wilson early into the possession, and the Aces did nothing productive with it. What should've been a quick attack, or at least a dish and post-up opportunity, turned into&nbsp; a drive from the corner gained little traction and ended with a late clock contested triple.
On the other end, they have to be able to 1) contain drives and 2) get their smaller players out of trouble when needed. The scram-switching from this unit has been inconsistent, to be kind.&nbsp;
KEY MATCHUP: Kelsey Plum vs. Gabby WIlliams
Of course, this will depend on Williams' availability in this series. She suffered a concussion during the Storm's Game 2 victory over the Washington Mystics. <a href="https://twitter.com/hunter9h/status/1563541825901989900?s=20&amp;t=01p9RFnjUY2JJR9UPBzPRw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">At last check</a>, she hasn't cleared protocols yet, leaving her unavailable for Game 1 at the very least.
Assuming she makes a return during the series, this might be the most important battle of the series. Plum has been electric all season, but has seen a dip in production &mdash; or at least a dip in&nbsp;ease &mdash;&nbsp;when faced with lengthy defenders.
Williams just happens to be one of the best defenders in the sport, listed at 5-foot-11 and equipped with endless, active arms. The Aces want to make quick work in the half-court. That means creating early advantages with ball screens or with movement, something Williams does a wonderful job of preventing.&nbsp;
If she's able to keep a handle on Plum, you can expect Aces possessions to end much later in the clock. On top of Plum's shooting, she also led the Aces (and ranked third in The W) with 58 made shots off drives, per InStat. Rim pressure has been a question mark for the Aces all season; only the Storm generated a lower percentage of their <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/wnba/team?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular+Season&amp;StartType=All&amp;Type=Team&amp;StatType=Totals&amp;Table=Shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shots at the rim</a> (23.9) than the Aces (24.6). If Plum can't get there, the Aces would have to rely almost entirely on tough shotmaking. They certainly have the talent to do it, but it's a diet they don't&nbsp;want&nbsp;to live on.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Do we see the Aces go small at any point? They've experimented with a fun group -- Chelsea Gray, Plum, Riquna Williams, Jackie Young and A'ja Wilson -- but they've only played 14 minutes.&nbsp;I'm intrigued.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">On the defensive scheme front, I wonder how many changeups we see. Both have shown comfort dialing up the pressure, and they both have a zone defense in their back pocket.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">If Gabby Williams isn't available for an extended stretch, where do they go? Stephanie Talbot would help spacing tremendously, though she can get picked on defensively (and throw the other perimeter matchups out of whack). Briann January would help maintain the defense, but you're getting smaller without helping the spacing that much. The jumbo option, with Breanna Stewart, Ezi Magbegor, and Tina Charles together, has only seen six minutes of burn all season. I don't know if Noelle Quinn would bust that out, but I'd get a kick out of it if she does.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan previews the second round of the WNBA playoffs.

2022 WNBA Playoffs: Previewing the second-round matchups

It really took the entire season for the WNBA to solidify its playoff hierarchy.
We had four teams battling for two spots on the very last day of the regular season with the top seed also in flux. Late-season injuries, breakout players and roller-coaster games made it challenging to even visualize what the 2022 postseason would look like.&nbsp;
Now, the dust has settled, and we've arrived at what should be a chaotic, thrilling three rounds of playoff basketball.
I've listed one noteworthy statistic for each team that's worth remembering as we get into the games. This won't be a full playoff preview (we have one coming though!), but more a snapshot glance at the flavors and storylines surrounding each squad. Get yourself ready for Wednesday's first round here!
1. LAS VEGAS ACES
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Number to note: 37
The Aces have been on top of the league practically all season, and are led by an MVP frontrunner in A'ja Wilson. But the most impressive number I found came from Las Vegas' leading bucket-getter. Kelsey Plum canned 37 unassisted made triples in the regular season. According to the PBP Stats hub, which contains data back to 2009, that's the second-most of any player in a single season behind only Diana Taurasi (47 in 2018).&nbsp;
Plum's stepback game is just filthy. She can also rise into her shot so quickly, which flummoxes screening defenders hoping to contain her. Plum is averaging twice as many unassisted three-point makes per 100 possessions (4.57) as she has in any other season of her career, and she's still shooting over 42% from distance. She will be an instant highlight throughout this postseason.
2. CHICAGO SKY 
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Number to note: 11
The Sky have dished out a whopping 11 at-rim assists per game in the regular season. That's by far the most in PBP Stats' WNBA database, which dates back to 2009. Chicago has lead the league in at-rim assists each of the last five seasons, but the team hit an impressive new frontier in 2022.
Courtney Vandersloot led The W with 3.0 at-rim assists per game this season. Candace Parker (2.4) and Emma Meesseman (1.8) also placed in the top 15. With a dazzling playmaker like Vandersloot, big passing hubs like Parker and Meesseman and an all-world slasher in Kahleah Copper, Chicago can creatively pressure the paint like no other.
3. CONNECTICUT SUN
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Alyssa Thomas (<a href="https://twitter.com/athomas_25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@athomas_25</a>) had herself a night recording her FIRST career triple-double, becoming the 11th player with a triple-double in WNBA history, and 4th player with a triple-double this season 👏 ✅15 PTS ✅12 AST ✅10 REB ✅3 STL <a href="https://t.co/zeVwHDj0kh">pic.twitter.com/zeVwHDj0kh</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1550897698563244034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Number to note: 12.7
Don't be fooled by the third-seed billing; Connecticut has been perhaps the hottest team in the league since All-Star weekend. The Sun's 12.7 Net Rating ranks at the top since the break, and they also hold the league's best Defensive Rating (95.9) in that span.&nbsp;
The Sun are, amazingly, the only team with zero players averaging at least 15 points per game post-All-Star. They've had an incredible blend of spotlight stars in the last month. Alyssa Thomas posted the first two triple-doubles in franchise history. Jonquel Jones is maintaining her MVP-caliber dominance with a lighter minutes load. Natesha Hiedeman has drilled 48.6% of her threes since the break.&nbsp;
Connecticut's starting lineup of Hiedeman, Courtney Williams, DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones has the third-best cumulative plus-minus in The W post-All-Star break &mdash; and the team has Brionna Jones coming off the bench. Everything seems to be clicking at the right time.&nbsp;
4. SEATTLE STORM
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Number to note: 84
No WNBA pairing has assisted each other more than the dynamic duo of Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. They've connected a combined 84 times this season, with 62 assists coming from Bird and 22 from Stewart. Seattle has a high-octane offense, and these two help fuel the engine.
Several of these assists come from Stewart getting into her bag in the post. But Bird will also orchestrate sets that give Stewart driving and cutting chances. In return, Stewart recognizes help when she's posting up, and frequently hits Bird for open three-pointers. They've got some of the best chemistry you'll see between any two teammates in the playoffs.
5. WASHINGTON MYSTICS
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Number to note: 24.1
Shakira Austin has entrenched herself as a highlight of an impressive 2022 rookie class. The third overall pick is already one of the top rebounders in the WNBA, and her defensive rebound rate off of missed field goals (24.1%) is third among all players with at least 500 minutes played, per PBP Stats. Austin is also sixth in offensive rebound rate (9.5%). She racked up 40 putback points this season, tying her for seventh with Tina Charles.
Even at 6-foot-5, Austin isn't really a bruiser. The way she hones in on a rebound is almost falcon-like. She soars past boxouts with a burst and can high-point the ball with precision. As Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shakira-austin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote earlier this season</a>, Austin's budding two-way skills are also worth following, but she's already arrived as one of the best on the boards.
6. DALLAS WINGS
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Number to note: 3.2
Arike Ogunbowale will miss at least the first round of the playoffs after suffering an abdominal injury. Rookie Veronica Burton has been thrust into the starting lineup in her absence, putting the Northwestern guard into the spotlight just as the young Wings prep for the postseason.
Burton's still experiencing the steep professional learning curve. But, as evidenced by her 3.3% steal rate, the second-best among WNBA players moving on to the postseason, she's already a defensive force.
Burton reads cutters like a fortune teller, as shown in the first two clips above. She also has the lateral movement to play uber-aggressively on digs and help because she can recover; in addition, she's spectacularly active with her arms and timing. It's just fun to watch her play defense, and it can help provide a spark for Dallas as it looks to upset Connecticut in the opening round.&nbsp;
7. NEW YORK LIBERTY
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Marine Johann&egrave;s just hit her sixth three with a one-legged jumper off the screen. 🤯 WHAT?! <a href="https://t.co/hZpcTDUDoL">pic.twitter.com/hZpcTDUDoL</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ownthecrown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ownthecrown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBATwitter</a>
&mdash; Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixfivelando/status/1558900506512203777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Number to note: 41.4
The Liberty generate 41.4% of their team's shots from beyond the arc &mdash; the highest percentage in the WNBA this regular season. Sabrina Ionescu leads the squad from a volume perspective (7.3 attempts per game), but New York sends the ball around to several perimeter-oriented players.
Per PBP Stats, Sami Whitcomb and Marine Johann&egrave;s have the highest three-point attempt rates among anyone who logged at least 500 minutes this season. Whitcomb has made 35.1% of her triples this season, while Johann&egrave;s is a red-hot 43.7% from deep. Rebecca Allen (17th) and Ionescu (19th) also rank among the top 20 players in three-point attempt frequency.
8. PHOENIX MERCURY
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Another crazy stat: Diamond DeShields with 15 points in 18 minutes 🤯🤯<a href="https://t.co/151tuZHl3k">pic.twitter.com/151tuZHl3k</a>
&mdash; WSLAM (@wslam) <a href="https://twitter.com/wslam/status/1558291799755587584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Number to note: 236
The Mercury have played a grand total of 236 minutes without Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi on the floor this season. That's a small sample size &mdash; 160 of those minutes have come after Aug. 4, the last time either of them suited up for Phoenix. Diggins-Smith is currently out for undisclosed reasons with no timetable; Taurasi also has no updated timetable as she deals with a quad strain. Returning two stars would obviously be beneficial, but for now, Phoenix has to defend its 2021 Finals run with its supporting cast.
Fortunately, several players have stepped up when the Mercury has needed them. Sophie Cunningham has shined in a Swiss Army Knife-type role, as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/sophie-cunningham-giving-phoenix-a-lift-at-the-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan detailed earlier this summer</a>. Diamond DeShields dropped a pair of 20-plus-point outbursts in two huge games to help Phoenix reach the postseason. Brianna Turner is one of the best shot-blockers in the league.
The Cunningham-Turner-DeShields trio has a minus-4.33 NET this season without Taurasi and Diggins-Smith. Phoenix's most-played lineup since Aug. 5 includes those three, Shey Peddy and Jennie Simms; they're a minus-1 in 68 minutes. We'll see how well they can hold up without the star backcourt duo.&nbsp;

Ethan Fuller lists one noteworthy stat to monitor for each team in the 2022 WNBA Playoffs.

2022 WNBA Playoffs: One key stat to know for each team

Compared to a grind-it-away offseason last summer that helped earn him a huge payday, Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen has been traveling and spending much more time with family this go-round.
Allen's latest adventure? Canberra, Australia, where the 24-year-old is participating in the Basketball Without Borders Asia program as a coach for the first time in his career.
"I've been trying to come here to BWB for a while, but things just never lined up,&rdquo; Allen told Basketball News over the phone. &ldquo;I just liked the idea of the world-life travel, the connecting basketball globally, expanding the NBA globally. I just think it's a great opportunity to share the game.&rdquo;
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Working alongside Chicago Bulls guard Coby White, Dallas Mavericks swingman Josh Green and Phoenix Suns forward Cam Johnson, Allen&rsquo;s been appreciative to get to know the guys he competes against. Together, the four NBA players are providing their best knowledge and advice to the next generation of hoopers to ensure the game of basketball continues to thrive.
&ldquo;That's who's coming after us. That's literally the future of the game, both globally and in the States,&rdquo; Allen explained. &ldquo;We have to share our knowledge to the people coming after to just make things better for the future."
Part of the reason Allen feels so strongly about this is that he had the proper guidance when he was in these campers&rsquo; shoes.
&ldquo;I don't remember the names well. But just growing up, [during] my summer workouts when I was their age [at Texas], I used to practice against some college and NBA players,&rdquo; Allen said. &ldquo;They would always take the time to help me, to show me little tips about how they played the game, how they played their position, and just helped me get my game to the next level. So that's what I'm trying to do with these kids.&rdquo;
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With BWB Asia Camp wrapping up on Aug. 10, Basketball News spoke with Allen about his involvement, his offseason, the Cavs&rsquo; upcoming year and more.
I'm sure Matthew Dellavedova told you good things about Australia. Have you been there before?
Allen: "This is my first time, but so far so good (laughs)."
Did you get any good coaching tips from J.B. Bickerstaff?
Allen: "Ah, no! Actually, I could've asked him (laughs). Honestly, I've been meeting great coaches out here, great people. It's been an amazing experience."
Have you gotten any kinds of unique questions from the campers?
Allen: "The kids didn't really ask me questions. They were kinda shy. But one of the kids just asked about leadership and how to become a better leader, which is surprising. I bet you none of us would've asked that growing up. But it goes to show the kids are trying to be the best they can."
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How&rsquo;s the offseason gone for you?
Allen: "Offseason's going pretty well. It's been kinda just a normal offseason, honestly."
Is your finger feeling alright?
Allen: "The finger's completely healed, not even like I broke it anymore."
Are you eager to start back up again at your own training camp in Cleveland?
Allen: "Aw yeah. I mean, it feels like the season's been done for eight months. Around this time of the year, I get itching to play, I get ready to get back on the court. But the good thing [is] it's about two months away."
You and Darius Garland are going into your second-and-a-half season together basically. Why do you think you guys have meshed so well as a tandem, and how would you like to build on that this coming year?
Allen: "Things really clicked for us as soon as I got to Cleveland. Obviously, we all know he's an amazing point guard. But the thing that I don't think people realize is just how willing he is to learn the game, how willing he is to work with myself to try to figure out the best position for me to catch the ball and to just finish a lob. And I see it expanding even further.
"Just every single year, especially with him and I, we've improved our games together, improved our chemistry, improved how we play the game together. And I think we still have a long way to go."
What did you think of the team bringing in Robin Lopez? 
Allen: "I'm happy with the Robin [addition]. I know him from just playing against him on the court. He's a great dude. The Lopez brothers altogether, just the things beyond social media battles, great guys. Especially defending [Robin], [he's a] great player &mdash; Captain Hook (laughs). He has the best hook shot in the league."
Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s back in the fold too. The locker room&rsquo;s gotta be thrilled about that.
Allen: "It's so good to have Ricky back. Off the court, great guy. He was a glue guy for us, to be able to keep us together. [He] came in with a positive attitude every day, willing to work. And even especially on the court, he ran the offense, he got us to where we needed to be."
Are we going to see more of that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WVdTvfC2ik" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-low action</a> with Evan Mobley?
Allen: "Oh absolutely, that's not going anywhere (laughs). I mean hey, we've got Lauri [Markkanen] too. We've got all three levels of scoring."
Is anybody coming into the paint after what you two did last year?
Allen: "(Laughs) You know, if they do, they're gonna know what happens."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kevin Love: 22 PTS, 6 REB, 6 3PM Jarrett Allen: 19 PTS, 11 REB, 5 BLK Evan Mobley: 17 PTS, 11 REB, 4 BLK The <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cavs</a> big men put in work in their win 💪 <a href="https://t.co/jSdNxx5rAl">pic.twitter.com/jSdNxx5rAl</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1466414382519398417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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You were right there in the thick of it before the injuries hit. Do you feel you guys would&rsquo;ve gotten further/made more of a run had everybody been healthy?
Allen: "You know, with that, you never can say for sure. I don't like saying if we could've made it or not because what happened, happened. But the possibility is definitely there, and the question is there, of just how far could we have made it."
Being sidelined had to sting, especially with the timing. You guys were surging before the All-Star break.
Allen: "Yeah, we were. It was the whole timing of the injury, right? When we were rolling and then, things started to not go where we wanted to go toward the end of the season. So this year, coming out, I think we're all full-steam ahead."
What&rsquo;s the vibe been with the guys?
Allen: "We have our own little group chat. We share memes, check in on each other every now and then. We're all [ready] to play again."
I'm sure the pictures from Kevin Love and Cedi Osman's weddings made it in there.
Allen: "(Laughs) I'm super excited for them."
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Here&rsquo;s something I always wanted to ask you &ndash; how did you get so invested in anime? Those likes pop up on the Twitter feed quite a bit! 
Allen: "(Laughs) I just think it's a fun thing to do. People have things that they like, have different types of hobbies, different things. That's just who I am. It's the things I like to do, things I don't mind sharing that I like."
Have you ever gotten fan art before?
Allen: "Some. Normally, me as <a href="https://www.funimation.com/shows/afro-samurai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afro Samurai</a> (laughs). But other than that, nothing too crazy."
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Background on Basketball Without Borders
<ul>
<li>Basketball Without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program that has been conducted annually since 2001.</li>
<li>The first-ever BWB camp took place in Europe in July 2001: Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Toni Kukoc (Croatia), together with former teammates from the Yugoslavia national team, reunited in Treviso, Italy to work with 50 children from the former Yugoslavia.</li>
<li>Since then the NBA and FIBA have staged 65 BWB camps in 42 cities in 30 countries on six continents with more than 3,700 participants from 133 countries and territories.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The NBA typically hosts four regional BWB camps over the summer (Africa, Europe, Asia, Americas), and in 2015 created the BWB Global camp, which is held annually at NBA All-Star for the top prospects from the previous summer&rsquo;s camps.</li>
<li>More than 310 current and former NBA/WNBA players have joined more than 240 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to share their expertise and knowledge with participants.</li>
<li>More than 100 former BWB campers have made it to the NBA or WNBA, including Marc Gasol, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Nicolas Batum, Jonas Valanciunas, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Danilo Gallinari</li>
<li>A record 41 former BWB campers were on opening-night rosters for the 2021-22 season.</li>
<li>The highest-drafted former BWB campers are:
<ul>
<li>No. 1 overall: Deandre Ayton (Bahamas; 2018), Andrea Bargnani (Italy; 2006)</li>
<li>No. 3 overall: RJ Barrett (Canada; 2019), Joel Embiid (Cameroon; 2014), Enes Kanter Freedom (Turkey; 2011)</li>
<li>No. 4 overall: Dragan Bender (Croatia; 2016)</li>
<li>No. 5 overall: Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania; 2011)</li>
<li>No. 6 overall: Josh Giddey (Australia; 2021); Danilo Gallinari (Italy; 2008); Bennedict Mathurin (Canada; 2022)</li>
<li>No. 7 overall: Killian Hayes (France; 2020), Lauri Markkanen (Finland; 2017), Jamal Murray (Canada; 2016)</li>
<li>No. 8 overall: Frank Ntilikina (France; 2017)</li>
<li>No. 9 overall: Deni Avdija (Israel; 2020) and Rui Hachimura (Japan; 2019)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies chats with Jarrett Allen about his involvement with BWB Asia, his offseason, the Cavs’ upcoming year and more.

Jarrett Allen Q&A: Cavaliers' offseason, Basketball Without Borders

As we officially put the finishing touches on &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on BasketballNews.com, NBA over/under win total projections have been released for every team.
Which numbers stand out most to hammer one way or another from a betting perspective? In this piece, I unveil my over/under predictions for every team in the Western Conference. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Phoenix Suns: Over 52.5 (-110)
Even if the Suns don&rsquo;t acquire Kevin Durant, they remain in an advantageous position to finish near the top of the Western Conference standings. Phoenix still has a stacked rotation, with the biggest difference being Dario Saric&rsquo;s return to the backup big role in place of JaVale McGee. If Devin Booker and the Suns&rsquo; formidable young core continue taking steps forward, it&rsquo;s hard to envision much of a drop-off occurring in the win-loss column.
Phoenix&rsquo;s postseason exit was one of the ugliest we&rsquo;ve seen in recent memory, but a loss like that could rattle this group enough to come back similarly to the team's Finals experience in 2021. I&rsquo;m hammering the over here, as the Suns remain one of the most dangerous squads in the Association. If Durant comes, that&rsquo;ll be the ultimate cherry on top.
Los Angeles Clippers: Over 52.5 (-110)
A fully healthy Clippers squad with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will always stay in the conversation among the league's elite tier. Last season, we were all robbed of seeing this dynamic duo in action together, but all the time off leads me to believe we should see them play more than usual. If so, the over/under of 52.5 wins is one I&rsquo;m comfortable placing the over wager upon.
Los Angeles not only has a loaded rotation similar to Phoenix, but it has a historically potent wing tandem ready to go on a revenge tour. As one of my favorite bets in the West, lock in the Clippers&rsquo; over with the utmost confidence.
Golden State Warriors: Over 51.5 (-115)
The defending champions check in third in the West, which feels like an undersell of what they just accomplished. Stephen Curry is still playing at an all-time level, and Klay Thompson began to find his footing throughout the Warriors&rsquo; run to a championship.
Feeling confident in the over also has to do with the development of the team's younger, up-and-coming players. Though dependent upon how much more Golden State will go into the luxury tax long-term, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins look to be entrenched long-term pieces. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are the ultimate wildcards for Golden State. Even if only one takes off from a development perspective in 2022-23, 51.5 wins is a number to hit the over on.
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Denver Nuggets: Over 49.5 (-140)
Nikola Jokic enters this season as a trendy dark-horse selection for MVP as the back-to-back award winner, which is incredible to even think about. The Nuggets have stayed competitive amidst their countless injury issues because of Jokic&rsquo;s greatness.
Now, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. eventually expected back at 100%, Denver is a team many bettors are hammering the over on with -140 moneyline odds on 49.5 wins. Frankly, I&rsquo;m in lockstep with the sportsbooks because Denver was a team that sneakily improved on the margins this offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was an underrated acquisition from the Washington Wizards, and he&rsquo;s earned a new multi-year extension upon his arrival.
If Murray and Porter&rsquo;s health cooperate alongside the all-world talent that is Jokic, 50 wins for the Nuggets just feels right to say. Even above that mark is an appropriate projection, because Jokic elevates the floor that much on his own.
Memphis Grizzlies: Under 48.5 (+105)
Ja Morant qualified as our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-for-202223-nba-most-valuable-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under-the-radar MVP selection</a> during &ldquo;Bet Week,&rdquo; but the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. early on looms large for the Grizzlies. Although he flies under the radar a little bit too often, JJJ is an anchor to a defense that&rsquo;s done a complete 180 over the last year.
A lot will be on the plate of Morant, which he won&rsquo;t have a problem with, but what about the rest of the West? The Clippers and Nuggets are healthy now, plus the Suns and Warriors will remain in the title race as well. If Morant can carry the Grizzlies in similar territory without JJJ, his MVP argument could become very valid.
I&rsquo;m going to tread lightly on Memphis and select the under here with plus-money value. Morant will put up spectacular numbers once more, and Desmond Bane should continue to emerge in the backcourt. For my current projection, the Grizzlies will slot in as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
Dallas Mavericks: Under 48.5 (-105)
The argument against the Mavericks is almost identical to the one I just presented for Memphis. Luka Doncic enters as the heavy betting favorite for MVP, but will he alone be enough to lift Dallas into truly elite territory? That&rsquo;s one of my biggest questions entering 2022-23, because players like Doncic and Morant fit the billing of talents who can lift teams all on their own.
Months away from it now, it&rsquo;s still stunning to think back to the Mavs&rsquo; Game 7 shellacking of the Suns in the West semifinals. Once Doncic figured out Phoenix&rsquo;s defense, it was game over. Could Doncic do this to the rest of the league? There&rsquo;s no doubt he will put up monster numbers, but the Mavericks fit into the same tier as the Grizzlies right now around 47-48 wins.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 47.5 (-140)
I&rsquo;ll continue to bang the Minnesota drum until proven otherwise because I&rsquo;m all-in on the Timberwolves taking a huge step forward. Anthony Edwards checks every box for a young superstar, and their new addition in Rudy Gobert will augment a talented rotation. Karl-Anthony Towns being flanked by Gobert makes up one of the most unique frontcourt combinations we&rsquo;ve ever seen in the modern NBA, but this type of move is a risk an organization like Minnesota must take. Towns and Edwards are ready to win big soon, so adding an elite rim-protector like Gobert allows those gifted scorers to focus on that end.
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Bookmark this if you want, but here&rsquo;s perhaps my biggest hot take: Minnesota will win the Northwest Division and become a top-four seed. With how everything stacks together for Minnesota, this is a team well-positioned to take a leap similar to the one we&rsquo;ve seen from Phoenix and Memphis in recent years.
Los Angeles Lakers: Under 45.5 (-105)
Unless Kyrie Irving is walking through the door anytime soon, I&rsquo;m taking the money and running as quickly as possible on the Lakers' under here. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will do their usual damage, but this roster is nowhere close to being finished. Also, there&rsquo;s no way anyone can truly believe the Lakers are a Finals contender with their ongoing saga surrounding Russell Westbrook. From the very beginning, Westbrook&rsquo;s fit was super clunky alongside LeBron and AD. Now, the triple-double king continues to be the main target of trade rumors, many of which are linking him to the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs as a pure salary-dump option.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-would-be-foolish-not-to-accept-pacers-lifeline-to-extend-their-title-window" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offering the Lakers a lifeline to fix the Westbrook situation</a>. The Pacers are willing to take on the $47 million owed to Westbrook while also sending Los Angeles back two starters in Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The current hold-up in trade negotiations reportedly is draft pick compensation. Los Angeles refuses to offer its 2029 first-round pick on top of the 2027 selection, which the Pacers believe is more than a fair price to pay.
In the meantime, I&rsquo;m going to take the Lakers under 45.5 wins while it remains at plus value. Until any resolution is reached on the roster, I&rsquo;m betting against L.A.
New Orleans Pelicans: Over 44.5 (-140)
Compared to almost any other team in the NBA, New Orleans projects supremely well long-term if Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health cooperates. Williamson and Brandon Ingram have each shown on separate occasions they can be the No. 1 option for New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are ideal veteran pieces in the starting unit as well. Well-balanced on both ends of the court, the Pelicans have completely bought into what head coach Willie Green brought over from Monty Williams in Phoenix.
With Williamson, Ingram and McCollum, the Pelicans should be a team projected closer to 50 wins. I absolutely love the over here on 44.5 wins, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if New Orleans finishes as a playoff lock instead of a Play-In Tournament competitor.
Portland Trail Blazers: Under 40.5 (-110)
Kudos to Damian Lillard because he will not leave the Blazers hanging anytime soon. He&rsquo;s all-in on winning in Portland, which reminds me so much of Reggie Miller with the Pacers a few decades back. Portland re-signed Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons, but two notable splashes occurred this offseason. Jerami Grant is the Blazers&rsquo; first true wing threat in years, and the ultimate wildcard from the 2022 NBA Draft fell into their laps at No. 7 overall. What if Shaedon Sharpe hits his ceiling? That&rsquo;s something Portland has in their back pocket, because Sharpe&rsquo;s scoring prowess forecasts very well alongside Lillard. They'll just have to hope he can get healthy and stay healthy.
The West remains a tough customer though. So, with that being said, the Blazers fall into the category of a feisty team that&rsquo;s competitive most nights on their way to a sub-40-win campaign. It's certainly not the outcome Blazers fans hope for, but there&rsquo;s a large number of teams ahead of them at the moment.
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Sacramento Kings: Over 32.5 (-120)
The Kings actually had a good offseason. Yes, you&rsquo;re reading that right. Keegan Murray at No. 4 overall looks to be a lights-out scorer with an extremely high floor. Ideally, Murray can become the third piece to a long-term trio in Sacramento alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Also, don&rsquo;t forget about the Kings adding much-needed help on the perimeter with Kevin Huerter via trade and Malik Monk via free agency.
I had to double-take upon finding this fact, but the Kings have only exceeded 33 wins once over the last 14 years (2018-19 was that season).
Luckily for Sacramento, I&rsquo;m projecting them to finish with at least 33 wins for 2022-23. If the Kings underachieve once more, I wonder what the future looks like for an organization that stays in topsy-turvy mode.
Utah Jazz: Under 31.5 (-110)
Assuming Donovan Mitchell is eventually traded, this number will crumble down into the 20s. Utah is in the midst of a full-scale rebuild attempt for the first time in over a decade, and all signs point to Mitchell&rsquo;s exit soon enough from Salt Lake City. Gobert being dealt within the division to Minnesota for a historic amount of draft capital shook up the trade market for good, as it&rsquo;s holding up potential blockbusters revolving around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Mitchell.
Moving forward, there&rsquo;s no reason why you should feel confident about betting the Utah over unless Mitchell keeps them above water staying around until February. If not, you&rsquo;re putting an awful lot of faith into the hands of Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson to carry the roster. (If they're there.)
The smart route is to go with the under for the Jazz. Lock in with extreme confidence that Jazz executive Danny Ainge eventually tears it all down within a few months.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Under 26.5 (+100)
Until the Thunder stop their tanking ways, I can&rsquo;t willfully bet an over on them. Following their aggressive draft night &mdash; obtaining three lottery picks headlined by No. 2 overall selection Chet Holmgren, who many viewed as the best overall player &mdash; maybe that "tanking" buzzword is in their rearview mirror.
OKC&rsquo;s roster is young, but the talent screams out as a team that could propel itself forward in a huge manner. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey profile as a super fun long-term backcourt pairing. Luguentz Dort is a pitbull defender who continues to improve his outside shot, which earned him a lucrative five-year extension.
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The Thunder could easily make me look foolish selecting the under, but something along the lines of 25 or 26 wins feels spot on. Can Sam Presti resist the temptation of not tanking for Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in 2023?
Houston Rockets: Over 23.5 (-125)
The Rockets have one of the most interesting young cores to monitor heading into next season. Jalen Green began to turn the corner over the last month of the season, averaging 22.3 points on a 59.9% True Shooting percentage. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston&rsquo;s No. 3 overall selection from the 2022 draft, projects as a score-first wing/big hybrid who should excel alongside Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Alperen Sengun, a throwback Turkish big man, is an underrated prospect with an unlimited ceiling once the small aspects of his game are figured out.
Houston is nowhere close to being competitive, but that&rsquo;s totally okay. The team controls the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; draft for the next season years, so the Rockets are set up arguably as well as anyone right now with the chaos surrounding that whole situation. If the youth jells together and the organization obtains another top pick in next year&rsquo;s draft, be on the lookout for this core to ascend.
For the over/under, 23.5 wins feels a little low, in my opinion. I&rsquo;m projecting the Rockets with 25 victories, so give me the over at -125 odds on DraftKings.
San Antonio Spurs: Under 22.5 (-110)
Once Dejounte Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, it sounded the alarm that the Spurs are finally waiving the white flag on competing for wins effective immediately. San Antonio obtained three future first-round picks for Murray, a haul for a team pressing the reset button at the perfect time.
Las Vegas projects the Spurs with the worst over/under for next season, and there&rsquo;s no real reason to go against them there. Keldon Johnson will put up numbers following his long-term extension, but inexperience is the main theme for San Antonio. The Spurs should be on their way to 20 wins or less, so hammer the under.

Evan Sidery goes over win totals for the Western Conference. Who stands out?

Best Bets: NBA Western Conference over/under projections

As we begin to officially put the finishing touches on &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on BasketballNews.com, NBA over/under win total projections have been released for every team.
Which numbers stand out most to hammer one way or another from a betting perspective? In this piece, I unveil my over/under predictions for every team in the Eastern Conference. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Boston Celtics: Over 54.5 (-130)
The defending Eastern Conference champions headline the best win total of any team in the league on DraftKings, checking in at an impressive 54.5 projected wins. Boston not only improved its roster following a Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, but the team added some real contributors who will hold immense value with Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari. Also, Robert Williams staying healthy all season long would be a huge boost for an already elite defensive unit.
We&rsquo;re hammering the over here because the Celtics have all the necessary ingredients in place to finish with 55 or more wins. Not only can their rotation easily go 10 players deep, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are two dynamic stars at the most important position on the court. Even if the Celtics were to swing a jaw-dropping trade sending out Brown for Kevin Durant, this team should be in a magnificent spot to hit this projected mark with ease.
Milwaukee Bucks: Over 52.5 (-115)
It&rsquo;s never wise to bet against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. More often than not, they always hit their overs when the roster is fully cooperating from a health perspective. Giannis is a player I&rsquo;ve highlighted over the last week who is in prime position to make a serious push for multiple awards like Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. If that indeed comes to fruition and Giannis sets a rampage throughout the NBA, Milwaukee will be one of the most dangerous teams entering postseason play.
The Bucks&rsquo; team-building job is a lot easier with Giannis onboard, but Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are bona fide sub-stars who showed their true value during the team's 2020-21 title run. Also, re-signing Bobby Portis to a long-term deal was huge for the Bucks because he fits so well alongside Giannis as their complimentary stretch big.
Once more, I love the over to hit here at -115 odds on DraftKings. If Giannis stays healthy, the Bucks should cruise to 50-plus wins while posing a real threat to upend Boston atop the East standings.
Philadelphia 76ers: Over 49.5 (-140)
Joel Embiid and James Harden joining forces was always Daryl Morey&rsquo;s dream vision in Philadelphia. Following a rough and quick postseason exit, it feels like the light finally turned on for good with Harden. All offseason long, Harden has reportedly stayed in shape while re-signing a team-friendly, one-plus-one contract, and two of his former teammates in Houston have joined the fray.
The Sixers signing PJ Tucker, albeit at age-37, is a massive move to bring aboard much-needed physical toughness to a roster sorely lacking it. Danuel House Jr. will also provide some two-way versatility off Philadelphia&rsquo;s bench. Also, the draft night trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for De&rsquo;Anthony Melton continues to be overlooked. Arguably the perfect complementary third guard to place alongside Harden and Tyrese Maxey, Melton should thrive within this role, as he mastered it next to Ja Morant.
Health is a huge question mark when examining the long-term gains of this over/under of 49.5. Will Embiid play most of the season? If so, this is another simple nod to the over. However, with an already deep history of injuries, tread lightly here on Philadelphia. Rolling the dice, I&rsquo;m taking the over while praying Embiid puts together another fully dominant campaign.
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Miami Heat: Over 48.5 (-125)
As always, the Heat are flying under the radar entering another season. It was an offseason filled with little to no activity for Miami outside of re-signing Victor Oladipo and Caleb Martin. Plus, they seem like massive long shots to ever enter the potential trade race for Durant after originally being a preferred destination alongside the Phoenix Suns.
Miami is returning a loaded rotation, although losing Tucker to a conference rival will sting a little bit. This is an over/under bet where you simply trust the system in place. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are top-30 players in the Association. Tyler Herro is an emerging young star who is the betting favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year in consecutive seasons. Erik Spoelstra remains one of the game&rsquo;s elite-tier tacticians too.
Add it all together, and Miami should flirt with a 50-win season in 2022-23. Trust the process and &ldquo;Heat Culture&rdquo; for the team to slide its way into a top-three seed in the East.
Atlanta Hawks: Under 46.5 (-105)
What a splashy offseason it was for Atlanta following its embarrassing postseason exit at the hands of Miami. The Heat exposed the Hawks&rsquo; lack of ball-handling help to take pressure off superstar point guard Trae Young. Now, with an all-in move for Dejounte Murray, Atlanta wants to surge up the East ladder. Can the Hawks recapture the 2020-21 magic with an All-Star backcourt pairing? Paying the heavy price the team did for Murray, Atlanta better hope this meshes as well as it looks on-paper.
For our projection, though, we&rsquo;re going with the under at a slight underdog value at -105. Similarly to the Western Conference, the East is setting up to be a war, so the top eight could all be mixed together by season&rsquo;s end. Teams such as Atlanta could be the prime example here, because 46.5 wins truly feels right on the money. In the end, a 45 or 46-win season for the Hawks would be a success, while also cashing plus money for those who bet the under.
Brooklyn Nets: Under 45.5 (-105)
I truly have no clue how this team should be viewed right now. With Kevin Durant still holding firm on his trade request, the 45.5 number here just feels like too much. If Durant is off the Nets anytime soon, Kyrie Irving would probably soon follow him out. It&rsquo;s a ticking time bomb right now, so avoiding this bet entirely is the smartest play possible.
Brooklyn did a fantastic job outside of the Durant and Irving fiasco to add more depth to a team ready to push for a title. However, because of all the uncertainty, getting the under on 45.5 wins at plus money odds is simply too good to pass up.
Toronto Raptors: Over 45.5 (-110)
One of my favorite teams projected to take a massive leap forward in 2022-23, the Raptors finished the regular season off strong before their postseason exit against Philadelphia. Scottie Barnes established himself as a true building block. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are entrenched core pieces. With OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. as the team's fourth and fifth-best players, it goes to show how loaded Toronto can become. The Raptors added more depth and remain a top contender to secure Durant&rsquo;s services, if the Nets indeed decide to trade him.
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Whether Durant comes to Canada or not, I absolutely love the Raptors as a team who should be pushing closer to 50 wins compared to 40. Hammer the Raptors over here to oblivion as they establish themselves as a real Finals threat this season.
Chicago Bulls: Under 43.5 (+100)
As I wrote earlier this offseason, Rudy Gobert felt like the missing piece to the puzzle for the Bulls to become a real threat in the East long-term. Now, with Gobert on the Minnesota Timberwolves, where does Chicago realistically go to pivot? It&rsquo;s hard to see a clear answer right now, which is concerning over an extended window. The Bulls backed up the Brink&rsquo;s truck for Zach LaVine, who definitely deserved the lucrative payday. LaVine and DeMar DeRozan form a dynamic scoring combination, but who else can help take this team into another tier?
Patrick Williams is a potential name to watch develop, but the real questions loom in the backcourt, for me. Goran Dragic signing in Chicago was very interesting, because the team already has a glut of guards on its roster: Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu and Dalen Terry. With Ball&rsquo;s shoulder sidelining him last season, how concerning is that moving forward? For those wanting to monitor the betting lines for Chicago, Ball is an underrated piece to its early-season success as a connective two-way presence.
With the East even tougher, plus some looming concerns in the short and long-term view, I&rsquo;m hammering +100 value on the Bulls to finish as a Play-In Tournament team vs. being a playoff lock.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 42.5 (-135)
Similarly to Toronto, this is another squad I'll love to slam the over on. The 42.5-win number here is too small for Cleveland, especially with its young core jelling together even further. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen make up one of my favorite young trios in the Association, and I&rsquo;m betting big on the three taking another huge step forward.
Don&rsquo;t forget, the Cavaliers were rolling before injuries to countless rotation members begin to be too much to overcome. Caris LeVert, a midseason acquisition, should look much more comfortable in J.B. Bickerstaff&rsquo;s system. Collin Sexton&rsquo;s status remains unclear, but he&rsquo;s a spark-plug scorer who would take immediate pressure off Garland.
Las Vegas is leaning towards projecting the Cavs as a playoff team, and I&rsquo;m siding with them as well.
New York Knicks: Over 39.5 (-110)
Just like their cross-town rivals in the Nets, betting on a Knicks over/under win total right now isn&rsquo;t smart. Wait to see how the dust settles for Donovan Mitchell in Utah first before deciding upon any Knicks-related props.
However, for my projection on Aug. 8, I&rsquo;m betting on Mitchell to eventually land in New York before the regular season begins. With Mitchell, New York feels like a real playoff contender. However, even after signing Jalen Brunson, this Knicks team feels rather incomplete compared to other squads.
This one is simple: If Mitchell arrives, it&rsquo;s a yes on the over. If not, stay away and hit the under instead.
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Charlotte Hornets: Under 36.5 (-105)
Here's another organization that feels incomplete at the moment, especially with the ongoing legal situation surrounding Miles Bridges. As currently constructed, the up-and-coming Hornets feel further away than they did last season. Although Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier are solid veterans for Charlotte, I don&rsquo;t put them on the same tier as the Cavaliers or Knicks. LaMelo Ball is approaching full-blown superstardom, but who else around him will be able to help consistently? This may be a hot take, but it might be in the Hornets&rsquo; best interest to bottom out for a year hoping to land a top pick for a stacked 2023 NBA Draft.
If there&rsquo;s one team poised to regress from Play-In contender to lottery team, Charlotte certainly stands out, and I&rsquo;ll take the under at plus value.
Washington Wizards: Under 35.5 (-115)
Are the Wizards in win-now mode? It certainly seems that way after Bradley Beal signed the dotted line on a supermax deal. The time to put together a winner in D.C. is throughout Beal&rsquo;s hefty contract, but this team still isn&rsquo;t close to being a real threat. In my opinion, Washington continues to stand out as the premiere &ldquo;blow it up&rdquo; squad because of Beal&rsquo;s uncertain status. Now, with a no-trade clause, Beal pretty much runs the entire show now.
Washington added a starting point guard in Monte Morris, but that&rsquo;s not enough to really make a sizable improvement unless Beal bounces-back with authority. The team's young players also need to take much-needed steps forward. At this moment, I&rsquo;m betting against all of that occurring next season. As a slight favorite, feel comfortable selecting the under on the Wizards.
Detroit Pistons: Under 28.5 (-105)
It&rsquo;s hard to argue against the Pistons possessing one of the most promising young cores in the East. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are ideal pieces to put alongside former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, who began to flash superstar potential during the second half of his rookie season.
While the Pistons added foundational pillars this offseason, the team is still ripe with inexperience. The rebuild remains ongoing in Detroit, but the exit signs are approaching. In the meantime, the young core is prioritized over wins this upcoming season.
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Although a 30-win campaign sounds fun, another top selection in 2023 could really take this team to heights it hasn't experienced in decades. Bet on the under here, especially as the tank race hits overdrive post-All-Star break.
Orlando Magic: Over 26.5 (-120)
Paolo Banchero brings an alpha mentality that&rsquo;s been missing forever in Orlando. The No. 1 pick has the ultimate runway to produce immediately, which is why he&rsquo;s the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-on-202223-nba-rookie-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">betting favorite to win Rookie of the Year</a>. Banchero could be a 20-plus point scorer right away, but don&rsquo;t forget about some other enticing young talent in Orlando. Franz Wagner established himself as a core piece, producing excellent all-around numbers. Wendell Carter Jr. is a double-double machine with playmaking chops for a big man. Jalen Suggs hit the rookie wall, but if he can round into form it'll add another aggressive scorer to the equation. Plus, there's the returning Markelle Fultz as well.
Orlando owns one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, but it consistently showed heart by keeping a lot of games close. If Banchero&rsquo;s adjustment is smooth, I actually like betting the favorite option here on the over. Something along the lines of a 27-55 season feels spot-on for Orlando.
Indiana Pacers: Under 24.5 (-115)
Rounding out the East&rsquo;s over/unders list is the Pacers, who are now creating a noticeable difference at the bottom. With two games separating Indiana from Orlando, it shows how little faith Vegas has in this team winning a lot of games next season.
Tyrese Haliburton is the face of the franchise in Indiana now, as the team begins a rebuild over 30 years in the making. Bennedict Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, brings a score-first approach that should mesh seamlessly in the backcourt next to Haliburton. Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith are two young bigs who have flashed two-way potential in addition.
Outside of that, trade rumors are the main subject ongoing in Indiana. According to The Athletic&rsquo;s Bob Kravitz, Indiana would prefer to trade Myles Turner and Buddy Hield this offseason. Neither player fits the organization&rsquo;s new timeline, and the Pacers should be able to fetch some real value in return.
Indiana is a team that really stands out as a prime contender to enter a full-on tank. For an organization that has never drafted No. 1, it would change everything for the Pacers to have some good fortune. Finally embracing a rebuild, maybe lady luck is finally on their side for good.
With that being said, my most confident play is the Pacers under 24.5 wins cashing.

Evan Sidery goes over win totals for the Eastern Conference. Who stands out?

Best Bets: NBA Eastern Conference over/under projections

Boy, is there a lot going on with the Phoenix Mercury this season.
(You're welcome for avoiding the very obvious "Mercury in Retrograde" joke.)
Following a Finals appearance last season, expectations were high for the Mercury. The wrongful detainment of All-Star and future Hall-of-Fame center Brittney Griner in Russia has thrown things for a loop. The defense, in particular, has fallen apart in Griner's absence, dropping from seventh last season (101.3 DRTG) to 11th this year (104.4 DRTG).
But the team's struggles go beyond the absence of Griner &mdash; on and off the court.
Their premier free-agent signing, another former All-Star and future Hall-of-Fame center in Tina Charles, is no longer on the team; she joined the Seattle Storm after agreeing to a contract divorce with the Mercury. Also, the relationship between Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith has been, well... let's say rocky.
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Further complicating matters is a recent controversy surrounding Taurasi, Diggins-Smith and new head coach Vanessa Nygaard.&nbsp;
Diggins-Smith has been excellent this season, earning All-Star honors by posting averages of 19.1 points (fourth in the W), 5.0 assists (ninth), 1.8 steals (fourth) and 1.0 blocks (first among guards). Taurasi hasn't consistently hit that level, averaging 15.5 points and 4.1 assists while not defending nearly as well as Diggins-Smith has. She did not earn All-Star honors, something that rubbed Nygaard the wrong way.
"There will be a game played in Chicago," Nygaard said recently. "But it won't be an All-Star game without Diana Taurasi playing."
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It's easy to understand the sentiment. Taurasi is one of the greatest players in basketball history. Even in a down year, she's proven capable of turning a game on its head with her deep-range shooting. But it's hard to argue her All-Star candidacy this season with how deep and talented the guard group is. More importantly to this discussion, Nygaard making those comments, with&nbsp;Diggins-Smith being selected to play in the game, wasn't a wise move.&nbsp;
The Mercury's Twitter account posted video of Nygaard's comments. Diggins-Smith quote-tweeted the video with a clown emoji (before eventually deleting it).
Oof.&nbsp;
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With this much turmoil surrounding the team, it's fair to argue that changes are needed. According to the always-excellent <a href="https://twitter.com/howardmegdal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Howard Megdal</a> of The Next, the Mercury have put Diggins-Smith <a href="https://www.theixsports.com/basketball/nygaard-diggins-smith-mercury-clown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the trade block ($)</a>.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
To a certain extent, this could have ramifications for Diggins-Smith, who has asked out of one organization, worn out her welcome with another, and has left many others around the league wary of adding her. And Phoenix is shopping her, multiple teams confirmed to me.
</blockquote>
It goes without saying, but a trade featuring Diggins-Smith has the potential to shape this year's title race. Heck, if a move is made, it could affect the next couple. She is arguably the best point guard in the W &mdash; an MVP-caliber talent due to her blend of slashing, playmaking, pull-up shooting and fiestiness on the defensive end.
Finding a trade partner for Diggins-Smith could be tough. She's making max money, and there isn't a team flushed with cap space to absorb her deal. Beyond that, the pool would almost certainly be limited to contending teams. You're likely not bringing her into a rebuilding situation like Atlanta or Indiana, lest she becomes frustrated with the lack of championship equity surrounding her.
But among the contending teams, nearly all of them have high-level point guards and/or tight-knit groups that they may have to talk themselves into breaking up.
The Chicago Sky are likely content with Courtney Vandersloot; Sue Bird is hanging up her sneakers after this season, but it's hard to find a package that would land Diggins-Smith in Seattle. Several members of the Las Vegas Aces have highlighted the leadership that Chelsea Gray, yet another former All-Star, has provided since joining the team last season.
Maybe there's a conversation to be had with the Conneticut Sun, who are currently trucking along with sharp-shooting Natisha Hiedeman at point guard with Jasmine Thomas out for the season with a torn ACL. Owen Pence of Winsidr <a href="https://twitter.com/OwenPence/status/1544734219246735360?s=20&amp;t=3ktGRjR_GYkvNKLqqjmZKw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested a package</a> around All-Star big Brionna Jones. It's worth a phone call at least.&nbsp;
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Megdal briefly mentioned the Los Angeles Sparks as a potential suitor. While they're not in the contender tier right now, the roster does have a great deal of talent headlined by Nneka Ogwumike. The guard room is also a bit crowded; as Megdal alluded to, maybe there's a package to be built around Chennedy Carter.
Of course, the possibility exists that cooler heads prevail. Maybe the market isn't there, or there's some sort of come-to-Jesus moment that leads to the season being played out with hopes of evaluating everything in the offseason.
For now, this becomes the most important on-court situation to track in the WNBA.

The Mercury have reportedly put Skylar Diggins-Smith on the trade block. Nekias Duncan digs into whether Phoenix should move her.

Should the Phoenix Mercury trade Skylar Diggins-Smith?

To those who were paying attention, Brad Stevens shut down the Boston Celtics' pursuit of a Kevin Durant-type superstar long before Durant set the NBA world on fire with his reported trade request.&nbsp;
After the Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, Stevens turned his focus quickly to the offseason, and laid out a vague, yet detailed outline of how things would look in his second offseason as the team's president of basketball operations.
&ldquo;I think we have to walk a fine line a little bit. I think teams are fragile,&rdquo; Stevens said <a href="https://theathletic.com/3376940/2022/06/21/celtics-brad-stevens-offense-playmaking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via The Athletic's Jared Weiss</a>. &ldquo;I think the way teams work together and operate together are fragile. And I think your identity as a team, when you find one that&rsquo;s successful &mdash; which we did this year on the defensive end of the floor and when we were at our best sharing the ball offensively &mdash; those things are fragile. So just to add doesn&rsquo;t mean that you&rsquo;re not taking something away from the group. And to change significant pieces in the group doesn&rsquo;t mean that that might not totally take your identity and shift it in a direction that&rsquo;s not as successful.&rdquo;
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Steve later added further perspective:
&ldquo;With our group in particular, it&rsquo;s not as much about blindly acquiring talent as it is fitting a team together. We&rsquo;ve got some very, very talented guys, and they are young. So it&rsquo;s about how do we fit together, bring our strengths together to accentuate each other.&rdquo;
It's the approach that landed Derrick White (and Daniel Theis, in some respects) this past trade deadline, and the same theme is underlining Boston's two splashes this NBA offseason.
Last Friday, the Celtics reportedly acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts, Nik Stauskas and a 2023 first-round pick &mdash; essentially one rotation player, several reserves and a draft asset. According to several reports, they also intend to ink Danilo Gallinari to a two-year contract following a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs.
Observers have lauded both moves in consensus, and I'd join the chorus. Boston barely subtracted from its 2021-22 rotation while adding two veterans who have averaged at least 24 minutes per game in each of their respective seasons since Gallinari's 2008-09 rookie year. Brogdon and Gallinari add 821 combined NBA games started to the shuffle, and to have both off the bench is a testament to the depth of a title frontrunner.
But even if the on-paper trade-off was minimal, this is still a serious bet that Stevens and Ime Udoka know how to straddle that aformentioned fine line &mdash; how to avoid complacency without upsetting the fragility of a team's identity. Brogdon and Gallinari bring strengths that the Celtics sorely lacked in their Finals loss &mdash; and concerns that could undermine their fit with the rest of the roster.
Here's how I painted Boston's offseason needs:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Three most notable needs for the Celtics to address this offseason: - Movement shooting/shooters who force defensive attention - Third big who can switch in postseason - Bench scorer who can get to second level of defense
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1541795815160700934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And here's another nugget from Stevens:
&ldquo;I think we need a little bit more playmaking. I think that&rsquo;s real,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;I think we need more playmaking, but I don&rsquo;t think we can be stagnant. We have to make sure that we continue to play with pace. When we are at our best we play with pace, and when we create one advantage the ball whips around the court and I just thought we played pretty slow in that last series.&rdquo;
An idealized Malcolm Brogdon hits my third bullet point and Stevens' quote.&nbsp;
In his smaller, 36-game sample size from an injury-plagued 2021-22 season, Brogdon finished fourth in the NBA with 18.3 drives per game. He's steadily increased that volume throughout his NBA career, and has kept up some impressive numbers on those attacks. Here's how he ranked in several metrics when driving the ball last season, among 83 players who drove at least seven times per game across at least 30 games:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">Category</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">Number (NBA Rank) </td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">Drives/Game</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">18.3 (4th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">FG%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">54.1% (12th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">FTA/Game</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">2.2 (t-17th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">AST%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">12.9% (t-15th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">TOV%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">4.2% (1st)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
What does playmaking mean? It's an amoebic term that people use... creatively, throughout basketball. To me, a good "playmaker" can create an advantage and make the high-efficiency play, whether it be a bucket or a pass, out of that advantage. Brogdon successfully play-makes when he hits these driving lanes.
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It's impressive how he can generate quality looks without an eye-popping first step or vertical leap. Brogdon can use a quick dribble move to get his legs running, and he's great at creating extra space with his opposite arm and shoulder without fouling. Then, he can get the ball to his extended finishing hand so quickly that even longer defenders can't recover in time (look at that drive on Jaylen Brown). Brogdon doesn't have the best natural touch at the rim, but all of these smaller tricks of the trade help him clear the obstacles.
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Brogdon isn't passing players open, but he has the requisite court vision to read help defense and sense where his shooters are. Brogdon notched upper-echelon assist rates in each season as a Pacer without sacrificing too many turnovers, and should continue to do so in a smaller role.
I read and listened to some Brogdon season-ending reviews from Caitlin Cooper and Mark Schindler. One notable critique they alluded to was his tendency to lean into the drive, particularly on a mismatch.
<a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2022/7/1/23179429/pacers-trade-malcolm-brogdon-to-celtics-continue-rebuild" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cooper noted</a> one play against the Detroit Pistons where Brogdon charged at a switching Isaiah Stewart without any threat of a pass or pull-up. It's noteworthy because one of the biggest criticisms of the Celtics all season long was their late-game tendency to fall into isolation mismatch-hunting, gunking up the ball movement. That overlap does give me pause.
Schindler elaborated on an <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2022/4/12/23021238/player-reviews-malcolm-brogdon-buddy-hield-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April episode of the Indy Cornrows</a> podcast that Brogdon demonstrated a concerning hesitancy to shoot in search of drives. He shot just 31.2% from beyond the arc last season, the worst percentage of his career and far off from his 38.8% clip in 2020-21. It further strained the synergy between Brogdon and Tyrese Haliburton, who, as Caitlin and Mark both emphasized, did not mesh particularly well in a tiny eight-game sample.
Fitting Brogdon into Boston's guard rotations should be smoother.&nbsp;
Firstly, it's reasonable to expect shooting improvement. Brogdon was in and out of a jumbled Pacers lineup last season, and again, played only 36 games. He made just 33% of his catch-and-shoot threes last season after hitting on 44% of those shots the prior year. Brogdon isn't the 50-40-90 player he was in 2017-18, but he's also just a better knockdown shooter than his 2021-22 numbers indicate.
He won't be playing the same minutes with the same responsibility, and a change of scenery can always act as a confidence reset. Tatum, Brown, Smart and White can all orchestrate offense with a base level of comfort, meaning Brogdon receives more time as a spot-up perimeter threat.&nbsp;
Boston desperately needed another player who could collapse defenses in the Finals, particularly as Brown and Tatum grew fatigued from high usage. Boston drove to the basket 52 times per game in the Finals. Tatum, Brown, Smart and White combined for 91% of those drives. Tatum and White struggled immensely against Golden State's defense, shooting 31.0% and 27.8% from the field, respectively.
Brogdon should feast on reps as an initiator off the bench or as an off-ball threat to shoot or drive next to Boston's other primary creators. His presence should particularly help White &mdash; who is used to playing as a "1B" attacker from his days in San Antonio &mdash; speed to the basket with more freedom as Brogdon draws some defensive eyeballs away.
Payton Pritchard is another beneficiary, though I wonder what the trades mean for his playing time. He's the best shooter on the Celtics, but one of the least threatening drivers in the entire league. Now, he won't have to worry about pressuring a defense, and in theory, he can turn into a floor-spacer while Brogdon and White do the heavy lifting with the ball.
On defense, Boston simply needs its cast to hit a threshold of individual switchability and team communication. Brogdon won't make an All-Defensive Team next season, but at 6-foot-5 and nearly 230 pounds, he's an above-average defender who should hold his own on most guards and leaner wings. Brogdon will rarely have to exhaust energy as a point-of-attack defender as long as Smart and White are healthy, and he seems capable of acclimating to the high-pressure world of Celtics scrams and switches.&nbsp;
All of these visualizations hinge on two additional question marks. First, Brogdon has to settle into his role. Multiple reports from Boston-area outlets have repeated that, barring some stunning change, he will be used off the bench. This shouldn't be a serious concern; Brogdon might stay healthier with a lesser workload, and he's indicated he knows what he has to sacrifice.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking to win a championship, that&rsquo;s actually it,&rdquo; Brogdon said to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3395726/2022/07/01/celtics-trade-malcolm-brogdon-pacers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jared Weiss of The Athletic</a>. &ldquo;In the past, I&rsquo;ve worried about stats and numbers and all that. I&rsquo;m going to Boston and not worrying about that.&rdquo;
Health is an entirely different topic.
Brogdon has not played more than 65 regular-season games in a single season since his rookie year. He's never had one serious long-term injury like an ACL or Achilles tear, but has fought through numerous ailments all over his body throughout his career (<a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nba/malcolm-brogdon-player-injuries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here's a list</a>). I won't speculate on what we can expect for availability, and the Celtics doctors know far more than we do. It's still worth monitoring for a guard who turns 30 this winter.
But as long as Brogdon is healthy, he's one more supporting beam for Boston's offense as it tries to create the consistency worthy of an NBA championship.&nbsp;
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Ethan Fuller breaks down how Malcolm Brogdon fits the Celtics' rotation.

How does Malcolm Brogdon fit with the Boston Celtics?

At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, it was a foregone conclusion Zach LaVine would eventually re-sign with the Chicago Bulls on a max contract. However, over the last month or so, there&rsquo;s been buzz about LaVine potentially taking his talents elsewhere.
Does it actually make sense for LaVine to leave the Bulls, an infrastructure well built to accentuate his strengths? If LaVine bolts the Windy City for greener pastures, the fit, not market size, should be of the upmost importance.
The market will be robust for LaVine as an upcoming unrestricted free agent, slotted at No. 1 overall on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Free Agent Rankings</a> page. LaVine joining a contender would instantly vault its status amongst the Association&rsquo;s elite.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and try to figure out the best logical fits for LaVine away from Chicago via sign-and-trade.
Miami Heat
Bulls receive: Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker
Heat receive: Zach LaVine
Pacers receive: Duncan Robinson, 2023 first-round pick via Heat (lottery protected)
Miami&rsquo;s dire need for another aggressive scorer to pair alongside Jimmy Butler was showcased on the biggest possible stage. The usage on Butler&rsquo;s plate is simply too much, and Kyle Lowry has proven to taken a step back on the offensive end as well.
LaVine alongside Butler, Lowry and Bam Adebayo would be a dream scenario to unfold for the Heat. This offseason feels like the perfect time to make that all-in move with this core, especially with future draft picks available in deals.
Herro is the crown jewel of this deal for the Bulls, so it all depends how they view him. Tucker going back to Chicago also adds even more toughness on the defensive end with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
For contenders, pulling off a sign-and-trade to acquire LaVine is a little tricky. A third team would need to be involved to make salaries work; in this instance, that franchise takes on the bloated salary of Robinson and is rewarded with draft compensation for its participation. Look for teams with cap space that are rebuilding (Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, etc.) as potential dance partners under any sign-and-trade involving LaVine to a Finals contender.
Projected Starting Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Zach LaVine, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo
Atlanta Hawks
Bulls receive: Kevin Huerter, Onyeka Okongwu
Hawks receive: Zach LaVine
Pacers receive: Danilo Gallinari, 2023 first-round pick via Hawks (lottery protected)
Could you imagine the fireworks on the scoreboard with Trae Young and LaVine sharing a backcourt? That&rsquo;s more than worth the price of admission for Hawks games, and it helps elevate their core to being a legitimate contender immediately. LaVine and Young being flanked by endless amounts of defensive versatility and length is a recipe for success.
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What makes the Hawks&rsquo; sign-and-trade more realistic is Gallinari&rsquo;s contract, which only has $5 million guaranteed. Atlanta would surely cooperate for draft compensation in order to bring LaVine aboard.
Chicago receives a promising three-level scorer in Huerter, plus a much-needed rim protector with Okongwu. This feels like a strong return for the Bulls under this scenario.
For Atlanta to make this work, a third team has to get involved that can absorb Gallinari's $21 million salary. Luckily, again, only $5 million is guaranteed, so the third team can easily get off his contract. The Pacers are mentioned here once more because I expect them to operate in a Thunder-like manner this offseason, as they really kick off their full-scale rebuild. Expect to see Indiana take on contracts for future draft capital, which would help project the rebuild timeline more clearly.
Projected Starting Lineup: Trae Young, Zach LaVine, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, John Collins, Clint Capela
Dallas Mavericks
Bulls receive: Jalen Brunson, Josh Green
Mavericks receive: Zach LaVine
Trail Blazers receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., 2025 first-round pick via Dallas (top-8 protected)
Luka Doncic needs help in Dallas for championships to be a realistic aspiration. Doncic is already one of the best players in the league at 23 years old, but how will the Mavericks further construct the roster around him? If Dallas is indeed going to make a splash, going for LaVine compared to a big man like Rudy Gobert is the smarter play. Doncic and LaVine would be a deadly backcourt duo that could go toe-to-toe with any team in a more perimeter-oriented NBA.
The Bulls receiving Brunson back in a double sign-and-trade would be a huge win, allowing his game to further blossom alongside an elite wing scorer like DeMar DeRozan. Brunson helps keep Chicago afloat in the Eastern Conference, while also presenting an enticing long-term piece to its core.
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While Brunson would need to sign off on this, as would LaVine, I think he would gladly pursue this idea. Operating as the No. 2 scoring option alongside DeRozan, Brunson will be able to further blossom his all-around game for a win-now contender in the East. Adding Brunson alongside Ball and Caruso also takes playmaking pressure off Brunson, which allows him to continue mismatch hunting in 1-on-1 situations.
If the Bulls are on track to lose LaVine, finding an even more motivated Brunson as the return compensation is a massive win for them.
The third team getting involved to take on Hardaway's remaining salary is Portland, who needs to find any sort of scoring help it can alongside Lillard. Hardaway certainly wouldn't be a splashy transaction for the Blazers, but his added offensive punch in the starting unit or off the bench would be a welcome sight. Trying to find a taker for THJ will be tough, so offering a future lightly protected first-round pick probably is the going cost.
Projected Starting Lineup: Luka Doncic, Zach LaVine, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber?
San Antonio Spurs
We&rsquo;ve now reached the portion where a team can outright sign LaVine without having to maneuver a sign-and-trade. How ironic would it be for LaVine to go join DeRozan&rsquo;s former team alongside fellow Pacific Northwest resident Dejounte Murray? That&rsquo;s a very strong complementary backcourt, but is it enough in the Western Conference to make a serious jump forward? We all know Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich would be all aboard a win-now idea at this stage of his career as well.
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For the Spurs, they need to find that final piece to an already intriguing core. Murray and LaVine leading the Spurs' youth movement forward towards realistic playoff contention each year would be a much-needed step forward. LaVine's arrival would take ample pressure off Murray, plus the latter's defensive presence helps further optimize the former.
Projected Starting Lineup: Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, Josh Richardson, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland could be under new ownership, and the frontrunners as of Thursday indicate it could be a huge win for the organization. Nike founder Phil Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Alan Smolinisky are leading the charge, so we&rsquo;ll see if that occurs soon.
On the court, Damian Lillard would love having a player like LaVine. A modern three-guard starting unit consisting of Lillard, LaVine and Anfernee Simons would simply be unfair trying to contain for all 48 minutes.
The Blazers would still need to make more roster moves &mdash; maybe <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-4-hypothetical-trades-for-the-blazers-firstround-draft-pick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipping off their No. 7 overall pick for Detroit Pistons wing Jerami Grant</a> &mdash; but adding LaVine would signal they&rsquo;re finally ready to go for it. In order to keep Lillard around past next season, making an all-in move for LaVine wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising one bit.
Let's say Portland pulls the trigger for an aggressive draft-night move involving Grant or Raptors wing OG Anunoby. If that occurs, it's the Blazers signaling to the NBA that they're ready to have a very aggressive offseason. Retooling on the fly and forming a deadly backcourt combination would quickly put Portland back on the map in the West.
Portland would need to gut their entire roster outside of Lillard and Simons to make an Anunoby/LaVine scenario possible under the salary cap. It's a lot of transactional work, but the end result for the Blazers would be an instant threat to make a deep postseason push with Lillard, LaVine, Simons and Anunoby.
Projected Starting Lineup: Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Zach LaVine, Jerami Grant/OG Anunoby?, Jusuf Nurkic?
Less than a month away from the NBA&rsquo;s legal tampering period opening, LaVine will become one of the hottest commodities available. Unless LaVine believes the Bulls are not real contenders, it would make the most sense for him to return on a new long-term deal. If it gets to the point we&rsquo;ve discussed, the Bulls will be okay extracting heavy amounts of value for a player on the way out.
NBA free agency was expected to be quiet, but, as we all know, the game never sleeps. Anything can happen, and this offseason is shaping up to be another wild one with star movement soon on the horizon once more.
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Zach LaVine enters this offseason as the top NBA free agent. What could LaVine's market look like if he leaves the Bulls?

Examining potential destinations for Zach LaVine

Through two weeks of the WNBA season, where does each team stack up and what are some prime takeaways?

WNBA Power Rankings 5/22

Year 26 of the WNBA is finally here! There will be plenty of storylines to follow this year: Swan songs for long-time legends (Sylvia Fowles, Sue Bird), highly anticipated returns (Elena Delle Donne), new faces in new places (Tina Charles and Liz Cambage among others), and plenty of young stars looking to make leaps. It's a great time to get invested in the W if you haven't already.
Opening night was a doozy: four games featuring eight teams with wildly different expectations. Every game got my brain churning in some capacity, and the same can be said for my pal <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler</a>.
So, naturally, we decided to team up and share our takeaways from each game. Let's dig in!
INDIANA FEVER VS WASHINGTON MYSTICS
THE SCORE: 84-70 MYSTICS
THE STORY: MYSTICS' OFFENSE SCARY HOURS
This was a weird game to say the least, something that will likely be the norm for an extremely young Fever team that started three rookies and had five who played significant rotation minutes last night.
The youth was apparent, but so was the budding potential. NaLyssa Smith finished her first game in the pros with a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double while showcasing the footwork, fluidity and athleticism that make her a remarkable prospect.
Destanni Henderson carved up the floor with passes, hitting cutters with ease and operating out of ball screens with the guile that made her a joy to watch at South Carolina.
Most importantly, seeing a healthy Elena Delle Donne back was just awesome. She's gone through an insane amount medically in the past few seasons, and to come in without a minutes restriction was great.
The 84 points scored by the Mystics last night undersells the brilliant flashes they put together offensively. While noting again that this Fever team is of course inexperienced, Washington put them through the ringer. They threw so many actions and looks at the wall in the first game that impressed, and it felt like a playoff gameplan at times. The second Crystal Dangerfield checked into the game, sets were called to run lead guard Natasha Cloud off screens or cuts to post the much smaller Dangerfield up and draw a foul or easy bucket.
Cloud saw the court extremely well last night, and her control of the offense and ability to shift east and west to find better angles to attack was impressive.&nbsp;
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For a roughly five-minute stretch in the second quarter, the Mystics went to Delle Donne at the 5 with Cloud, Ariel Atkins, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Tianna Hawkins. All five players can shoot, pass, handle and attack the floor. While it's not a look that the Mystics can fully embrace for large chunks of the game, the run they went on (outscoring Indiana by 8 in a 4:47 stretch, per InStat scouting) showed glimpses of a potent lineup.
With Delle Donne up screening this high and three shooters fanned out, Fever rookie big Queen Egbo has to play at the level. Cloud is capable of hitting a pull-up two against drop. Delle Donne is too good of a shooter from *checks notes* everywhere to give her any modicum of space. It's hard to draw help from any of the off-ball defenders given the personnel the Mystics are employing.
Washington went repeatedly to a 5-out look with this group. Space Delle Donne and use Hawkins as a popper off a pick for Cloud, as she can drive to the basket off a hard close. This is a stout group defensively as well! There's length and mobility. While they'd likely struggle against a true post, the offense feels like it could be so good that it can dictate matchups and opposing lineups.
This Mystics team has a chance to really pop, and it's great to see them whole again. - Mark
STRAY THOUGHTS
-&nbsp;I was a bit surprised by how straight-up the Fever defended the Mystics in this one. Pick-and-rolls were defended two-on-two, often allowing Delle Donne to pop into open space or, if the Fever executed a late switch, drivers to get one-on-ones against bigs. Delle Donne saw plenty of single coverage on post-ups, including a notable up-and-under against NyLyssa Smith. Bless her heart.&nbsp;
- On the pick-and-roll front, I'm curious to see how teams defend the Cloud-Delle Donne duo moving forward. Drop is a non-starter, and switches aren't ideal considering the scoring ability of both. Do you really want to give Delle Donne short-roll opportunities with traps? Good luck.
- The post-up bullying aside, it was nice to see Dangerfield scooting around out there. I'm still a little shellshocked by the Lynx waiving her, especially considering the struggles they had generating offense in their game against the Storm. - Nekias
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LOS ANGELES SPARKS VS CHICAGO SKY
THE SCORE: 98-91 (OT), SPARKS
THE STORY: DANA EVANS!!!!
The most competitive game of the evening was also a cagey affair! Both teams have new faces in prominent roles, and it was clear that both coaching staffs were trying to pinpoint these new areas early to test the waters of their personnel.
Chennedy Carter had great flashes as a scorer out of transition and in the halfcourt, but she was also on a very different rhythm than the rest of the team, which was to be expected in her first game in LA. Derek Fisher rode with Jordin Canada down the stretch, as she cut up the Sky in the halfcourt on drives and set up her teammates extremely well. They don't win the game without her shotmaking (and that call on the last shot).
Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike were both fantastic &mdash; Parker with her playmaking and defensive freneticism, Ogwumike with her aggression on offense and defense as well. It was great to see Nneka look this fluid and fully healthy.
The story of the game for me was backup guard Dana Evans. A member of the Sky's title team as a rookie last season, Evans shined bright, going for a career-high 24 points, easily surpassing her 14-point outing that paced her scoring last season.
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Evans toggled on and off the ball, which made her performance all the more impressive. She got to her pull-up and operated well as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll. She canned some deep threes, which opened up even more for her off the catch. She was great intiating sets and then relocating and making herself involved in play, which is essential playing alongside star players.
Evans was great drawing contact, finishing through it and making herself a weapon as a secondary scorer and advantage attacker last night, feasting off of initial plays in sets.&nbsp;
With Julie Allemand (part of the Diamond DeShields trade in the offseason) coming over from overseas to play soon, it'll be interesting to see how the backup guard rotation shapes up in Chicago. Allie Quigley was out last night and Kahleah Copper (who is also finishing up overseas play) is really the only true wing on the roster. As <a href="https://twitter.com/5outbasketball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Kilkelly</a> pointed out last night, we should expect a lot of 3-guard sets from the Sky this season. This was a special, special performance from Dana that perhaps signified even more reason for excitement this season. - Mark
STRAY THOUGHTS
-&nbsp;Consider me intrigued with Chicago's frontcourt. Starting big with Parker, newcomer Emma Meesseman, and Azura Stevens is sure to pose problems for everyone. That combination of size and ball skills can only be matched by... two other teams? Maybe three? To the three-guard point, I'm excited to see more of the Parker-Meesseman duo. They already showcased some high-low chemistry in the opener.
- How about Jordin Canada, Starting Point Guard? It's about darn time! She's been one of the W's best drivers and point-of-attack defenders for quite some time. Watching her direct the offense and call her own number down the stretch was pretty fun. I don't think she's a 21-and-8 player, but there's clearly more in the bag than she was able to show in Seattle.
- Chennedy Carter is playing basketball again! Her shot creation should pop in this bench role. One might say she'll provide a Spark. - Nekias
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LAS VEGAS ACES VS PHOENIX MERCURY
THE SCORE: 106-88, ACES
THE STORY: OFFENSIVE FREEDOM
Let's get the caveats out of the way early. It's one (1) game. The Mercury, in particular, were missing a ton of talent. There was no Brittney Griner (GET BRITTNEY HOME) as she's still detained in Russia. Brianna Turner, one of the best young frontcourt players in the W, is still playing overseas. The same is true for Diamond DeShields, one of the most athletic wings in the W. That's a pretty large chunk of the Mercury's defensive infrastructure missing.&nbsp;
With that said:&nbsp;whew, buddy, did the Aces put the ball in the basket.
Not only did they drop 106 points, a mark they eclipsed just twice last season, the way they went about it was encouraging.&nbsp;
With A'ja Wilson starting alongside Dearica Hamby, there was more space to operate with. The pace was pushed more frequently &mdash; they won the fastbreak points battle, 15-6 &mdash; and the tempo was up in the half-court. More pace and space means Wilson and Hamby getting busy as screeners or post hubs. Actions with an empty corner have a little more juice now.
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Ah, and then there were the threes.&nbsp;
The Aces were the league's most efficient offense last season, but did so in the most predictable, traditionalist way. They fed the block and brutalized opponents inside. This wasn't a team that shot threes often; their 13.5 attempts last season ranked last in the league by a pretty decent margin.&nbsp;
The tide seems to be turning for the group under new head coach Becky Hammon. They attempted 23 triples in their lone preseason game. They took 21 on Friday night, making 11 of them. It was, per the broadcast, the third time in&nbsp;franchise history&nbsp;that they made 11 or more threes in a game.&nbsp;
Between Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray bombing away from deep (hitting a combined 6-of-11 from three), and the complementary play styles (and general mobility) of Wilson and Hamby, it should come as no shock that Jackie Young (20 points on 8-of-10 shooting) was also&nbsp;able to shake loose.
Good freaking luck with this group. - Nekias
STRAY THOUGHTS
- I've already started the Kelsey Plum All-Star campaign, and Kelsey has done so accordingly with her play!
- I was so so impressed by Las Vegas' ball movement and connective passing. While it's important to note that the Mercury were pretty depleted heading into game one, the Aces exacerbated all the advantages they could find and make.
- Jackie Young!!! Entering her fourth season, I have really high expectations for who Jackie can be. With a new coach and system, I think Friday night was a glimpse of her bright spots from past years as well as how beneficial pacing and an even more spread floor benefits her game. She's so strong on her power-drives to the rim and such a fantastic mid-range shooter on a variety of self-created looks. Her defense on Diana Taurasi was extremely fun and effective as well, really sticking to her off the ball. - Mark
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SEATTLE STORM VS MINNESOTA LYNX
THE SCORE: 97-74, STORM
THE STORY: GABBY WILLIAMS IS BACK
It's been a tumultuous stretch from Gabby Williams, a UConn standout turned gap-filler for the Chicago Sky. She had her contract suspended for roster-spot reasons &mdash; you can get a breakdown of that ordeal <a href="https://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/hc-sp-uconn-women-gabby-williams-explainer-20210508-20210507-gtqqe5sspjdrfncall7kpcxzm4-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> &mdash; and was then traded from the Sky to the Los Angeles Sparks before the 2021 season began.
She was traded again over the offseason, this time to the Seattle Storm for Katie Lou Samuelson and the pick (#9 overall) that became Rae Burrell.
We're only a game in, but this is already looking like one of the best moves of the offseason for the Storm.
Wiilliams can do just about everything but shoot from deep (as she's a career 24.8% from three), which bodes well for a Storm team as active as this one.&nbsp;
Offensively, she's able to get the machine churning with her passing ability. Whether it's making entry passes, making kicks off the dribble or running the occasional ball screen, Williams can find her teammates. Off the ball, she's a willing screener and heady cutter. You can't really afford to "gap" her because she'll make herself &mdash; or a teammate &mdash; a threat.
The real appeal comes on the other end. Williams is a true multi-positional defender. She has the mobility to slide with guards, can deal with virutally any wing you throw at her, and is pesky enough to bother bigger players as well. Watching her slither across screens and mirror ball-handlers is a joy.&nbsp;
For people who aren't familiar or needed the reminder of what she can do defensively, look no further than her work in the second quarter of this game. These are just&nbsp;three&nbsp;examples of her versatility.
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You get it all here. Active hands, timely rotations off the ball, switchability, contesting without fouling. She's a beast. - Nekias
STRAY THOUGHTS
- I'm super intrigued by who Jessica Shepard could be for this team. Her shot was there and she looked confident in it. She displayed some really fun and tantalizing ball skills and court vision as a DHO operator and high-post playmaker. With the Lynx this depleted to start the season, they'll need as much as she can offer as well.
- The Storm miss Mercedes Russell's post presence without a doubt, as Sylvia Fowles bodied them early (a norm for W frontcourt players the past decade-and-a-half). Yet, their ability to rotate backline and flash recovery skills and communicate as a defense throughout the game was impressive. Williams and Briann January bring extra pop at the point of attack and this team shows real capability early to be a more stout defense. - Mark
<a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler contributed to this article.</a>
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Nekias Duncan and Mark Schindler team up to give their observations from the opening night of the 2022 WNBA season.

2022 WNBA season: Thoughts from each opening-night game

A perfectly orchestrated out-of-bounds set is a thing of beauty.&nbsp;
Plays ran after timeouts, or ATOs as they're commonly referred to, are by far the most intricately designed sets in any NBA game.
We hear the phrase "read and react" quite frequently, but that's truly the best way to describe the typical flow of NBA offenses. Possessions in the half-court without any sort of stoppage regularly feature some sort of pick-and-roll or handoff action, maybe with 1-to-2 additional tinkerings depending on the team you're watching. But the point is: There is a great deal of freelancing going on out there. These guys are pros for a reason &mdash; they don't need a guy in a suit telling them exactly&nbsp;what to do for every second of the game.
ATOs, however, are quite different. They allow head coaches to step in, sit down with their players for a full minute and 15 seconds, precisely rehearse and recall a scripted action from practice, and, most of all, tactically prey on the weaknesses of an opponent.&nbsp;
And when they're executed well? Sheesh, there's truly nothing better.&nbsp;
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Now, just for size, imagine watching two back-to-back successful ATOs in the final eight seconds of a playoff game. That'd be crazy, right? Huh?! For all my play-by-play geeks out there?
Alas, that is what happened during Tuesday's Game 5 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Let's set the stage a little bit: This contest was not a gorgeous showing of pristine execution. It was a back-and-forth, frenetic affair, with both teams streaking up-and-down the floor like the Gatorade coolers had been spiked with C4 pre-workout. All of that speed didn't necessarily equate to production; collectively, both teams turned the ball over a ghastly 39 total times, and Memphis couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from deep at just 25.0% (7 of 28).
Minnesota controlled the tempo for most of Tuesday's game, building a lead as large as 13 in the second half. The Grizzlies looked dead in the water on their home floor, unable to get much of anything going in the halfcourt. Then, Ja Morant did this, and the mood completely changed...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Chasing History -Episode 12 🏆 A jaw-dropping dunk&hellip;.a clutch late 3&hellip;.a game-winning shot. Ja Morant did it all in game 5, leading the Grizzlies to victory over the Timberwolves to take the 3-2 series lead. <a href="https://t.co/pKbwxriEws">pic.twitter.com/pKbwxriEws</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1519677816828313601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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(Seriously, it's tough to get enough of this freakin' dunk. BBN's Mark Schindler even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ja-morants-jadropping-dunk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote an entire article on it</a>! I mean, what the actual HECK, Temetrius Jamel Morant.)
That audacious poster lit something inside of Morant, who went on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-grizzlies-helped-ja-morant-find-himself-as-a-scorer-in-game-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an absolute tear in the final period of the game</a>, eventually boosting his fourth-quarter point total to 16 after a pair of free throws. This put Memphis up by 3 with just eight seconds remaining.
With the first-round series hanging in the balance at 2-2, Minnesota needed a three-pointer more than ever to even things up at 109 apiece. And gosh darn it, Wolves head coach Chris Finch delivered.&nbsp;
Minnesota sets things up with Jordan McLaughlin inbounding, its two strongest offensive players &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards &mdash;on the strong side of the floor and D'Angelo Russell and Jaden McDaniels on the weak side.
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McLaughlin inbounds the ball to Towns at the left slot to initiate things. All the while, McDaniels streaks toward the left dunker spot and Russell brushes a backscreen for McDaniels. Then, Russell proceeds to "ghost" or fake a secondary back-screen for Edwards cutting up from the low block to the right slot.
Here's a video of that specific action involving that trio of players:
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In the end, it was a simple exchange of positioning; McDaniels had replaced Russell in the right dunker spot, Edwards had taken McDaniels' place as the lifted shooter on the weak side of the floor, and Russell was now in Edwards' spot on the strong side. But most importantly, Brandon Clarke, the largest Grizzly available, was now tasked with manning rim-protection duties as the "low man."
Now, let's zoom out a bit. Minnesota inbounds the ball to its most dangerous offensive player, Towns, who at this point has scored a team-high 28 points on the night. Yet as the inbounder, it's McLaughlin who is technically the most dangerous player on the floor, and so Towns immediately returns the rock to give the zippy backup a running start. As such, McLaughlin gains a step on his defender, Kyle Anderson, and this causes Clarke to hesitate for a second, unsure if he's supposed to protect the rim or track the weak-side shooters.
Because Clarke decides to hold his ground in the paint, Morant then becomes responsible for "zoning up" and guarding the two weak-side offensive players, Edwards and McDaniels. So, Edwards drifts down to the baseline for deep positioning to create a brutally tough angle of recovery, and McDaniels sets a back-screen on Edwards' man (Morant).
This specific screening setup is known as "exit" action, where one offensive player pins the "zoned-up" defender with a screen to generate a corner three for his teammate. (Finch loves&nbsp;his exit-screen plays, I tell ya.)
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McLaughlin flicks a ridiculous bounce pass to the corner like he's skipping rocks across a pond, and Edwards&mdash;quietly shooting ~42% on catch-and-shoot threes in the regular season and postseason&mdash;nails the corner jumper over an excellent closeout from Clarke.
Here's Finch's pi&egrave;ce de r&eacute;sistance in full:
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Tie game at 109.
Which meant it was Taylor Jenkins' time to cook for the Grizzlies' response.
Unlike Minnesota, Memphis set up by overloading one side of the floor with Desmond Bane, Anderson and Morant all sharing the strong side, and Tyus Jones on the weak side.
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Morant sets a cross-screen for Jones to cut across the paint, only to have Ja then come off a pindown screen from Desmond Bane. This specific action is known as "screen the screener," in which a player (Morant here) sets a screen for one teammate (Jones) and then receives a screen from another (Bane). Meanwhile, Anderson cuts across the paint from the left corner to the right slot to drag Minnesota's only rim-protector, Towns, completely out of the play.
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Memphis' screen-the-screener setup, or STS, forces Morant's defender (Edwards) to navigate not one, but two&nbsp;off-ball screens while tracking the hottest player on the floor. Edwards falls slightly behind the lightning-quick Morant, and exasperates things by gambling for the steal. Ant giveth, Ant taketh.
Now, Morant has the advantage with a free lane to the rim and Clarke in the right dunker spot. Jarred Vanderbilt rotates over to the stop the drive, and Towns inexplicably (??) turns his body away from the ball instead of rotating down to Clarke. This effectively leaves Vanderbilt in no man's land, forced to defend perhaps the best downhill dude in the league and&nbsp;a premier lob-threat... and, well, you know the rest.
Let's see the full play.
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Game. Set. Match. The Grizzlies went on to win Game 5 by a final of 111-109, and took an emphatic 3-2 lead in the series all behind Morant's 18 fourth-quarter points.
And sure, the night was dominated by the highlights (again, whew, that dunk), but it's sequences like the final eight seconds that make this NBA game what it is &mdash; great.
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Matt Brooks gives kudos to both Chris Finch and Taylor Jenkins for their ATOs in the crucial moments of Game 5 in Memphis.

Applauding Chris Finch and Taylor Jenkins' ATO play-calling wizardry

Award talk is ramping up as the season winds down. We all love debating these topics, but that's also the bad news. We&nbsp;all love debating these topics. Fun conversations devolve into bad-faith arguments if you aren't careful.&nbsp;
(Are you even online, watching television, having conversations with friends, if you aren't being bombarded with "Player X is the obvious, no-questions-asked MVP" arguments?)
I won't act like I'm above the awards talk &mdash; <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a> will be having an awards episode later this week &mdash; but this also seems like a good time to go off the beaten path since everyone's talking about the major awards.
Basketball is a simple game in its own right, but it is ruled by microskills. Wins and losses are decided by which teams &mdash; which players &mdash; can fill their roles the best. It would only make sense, then, to dig deeper and highlight players who are excelling within those roles.
With that in mind, I elicited the help of resident smart guys Jackson Frank and Mark Schindler to hand out some skill-specific awards. Before digging in, let's do some housekeeping.
<ul>
<li>We do not hate your favorite players. If they are not mentioned, it is simply because they weren't held in as high of a regard as the players who are mentioned.</li>
<li>To that point, there will be honorable mentions listed. That doesn't mean they are the&nbsp;only&nbsp;players worthy of that distinction.</li>
<li>You're more than welcome to disagree with these choices! That's the fun of it. Heck, we&nbsp;didn't have the same guys or order for these awards, but we were able to whittle things down.</li>
</ul>
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Now, let's hand out some awards.
BEST SCREENER: DOMANTAS SABONIS
Honorable mentions: Steven Adams, Rudy Gobert, Bam Adebayo, Nikola Vucevic
I'll never forget Caitlin Cooper's article on Domas <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2019/12/2/20991829/domantas-sabonis-indiana-pacers-art-of-screening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sabonis' screening</a> back in 2019. To that point, it was one of the first &mdash; if not the&nbsp;first &mdash; deep dive I've seen on someone's screening.
She touched on the sheer volume of screens Sabonis set; his sense of flipping the angle on screens to pry ball-handlers open. Knowing when to slip if defenses went with more aggressive coverages. Those astute observations remain true roughly three years later.
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Sabonis is more of a revolving door than a brick wall, but his ability to do both at a high level is what earns him this distinction. He only ranks <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle/?sort=SCREEN_ASSISTS&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third in screen assists</a> (5.5) this season, though he's led the NBA in each of the past two seasons.
It's worth pointing out the prowess of Rudy Gobert, who leads the NBA in screen assists (6.4). He's long been an underrated linchpin of Utah's offensive success. Heck, it feels like he's the reason screen assists have become part of the non-casual fan's vernacular.
Nobody has set more on-ball picks than Nikola Vucevic (3,167) this season, per Second Spectrum. His work with freeing Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan has been invaluable, especially at the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-demar-derozans-dagger-dime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">end of games</a>.
If you're a fan of bone-crushing screens, look no further than Steven Adams and Bam Adebayo. Second Spectrum tracks the percentage of screens that a defender "dies on"; it should come as no surprise that Adams leads the NBA by a solid margin (5.7%) among high-volume screeners, while Adebayo ranks third (3.9%). Quick hat tip to Kevon Looney (4.7%) for being sandwiched between those two; he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kevon-looney-the-warriors-unsung-hero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deserves more love</a>.
BEST SCREEN NAVIGATOR: HERB JONES
Honorable mentions: Alex Caruso, Mikal Bridges, Gary Payton II
The NBA is a pick-and-roll game. With the heightened emphasis on spacing and three-point shooting (linked, but not the same thing), elite ball-handlers have more room to operate. Add in the fluctuating scale of physicality allowed from defenders, and it's pretty darn hard to contain people.
The fact that Herb Jones, a second-round draft pick, is already among the NBA's elite defenders is flat-out insane. You simply can't keep this guy out of a play unless you have a crowbar present.&nbsp;
He does a phenomenal job of staying attached to ball-handlers. He's able to re-connect if he's bumped on screens, but also has the length to duck under picks and offer strong contests anyway.
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If you want a number, let's go back to the die-on-screen percentage. Among 28 players who have faced at least 1,000 picks this season, only Desmond Bane (0.6%) has been washed out less frequently than Jones (0.9%).
There's some context needed. Players in heavy switching schemes will naturally have a lower percentage than those who have to fight over screens while their big drops back. Even if you filter only for the screens being fought over, Jones has a top-five mark among high-volume defenders (minimum 300 picks fought over), per Second Spectrum.
Now, factor in Jones getting the opposing team's best perimeter option; because of that, Jones defends more picks per 100 possessions (29.7) than Bane does (22.4). He should be getting legit All-Defense love.
The same could be said for Alex Caruso before injuries derailed his season. During the Bulls' run as the East's top seed, Caruso set the table with his gnarly defense at the point of attack.
Mikal Bridges likely&nbsp;will&nbsp;make an All-Defensive team this year for his work. He doesn't miss games, he plays high minutes and he relishes the matchups he's tasked with.&nbsp;
There may not be a better point-of-attack defender than Gary Payton II on a per-possession basis, though he gets dinged a bit for his lack of workload.
BEST HELP DEFENDER: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Honorable mentions: Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, Evan Mobley
Here's a minute's worth of help rotations from Giannis this year. Hit me up on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@NekiasNBA</a>) and let me know which clip is the one that makes you laugh, because it will absolutely happen.
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It remains wild to me that this can be considered a down year for Giannis, and he's still been one of the most destructive forces in basketball. He's had to toggle more roles this year with the extended absence of Brook Lopez. When tasked with being an off-ball roamer &mdash; his best role &mdash; he's been able to blow things up.
It's been a pretty wild year for mess-cleaner Rudy Gobert. He is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defensive-impact/?sort=DEF_RIM_FG_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;CF=DEF_RIM_FGA*GE*4&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of three players</a> defending at least four shots at the rim (7.0) and allowing a field-goal percentage under 50% (49.9%); Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr. (4.8, 49.6%) and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-isaiah-hartenstein-is-the-clippers-secret-weapon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Hartenstein</a> (4.7, 47.6%) are the others.
The same can be said for Robert Williams III (get well soon!), whose deployment on weak shooters has unlocked his prowess as a shot-blocker. That hack has been a pretty big part of Boston's elite defense.
It feels like some of the shine is wearing off of Evan Mobley's campaign. He's been more of an anchor than helper since Jarrett Allen has gone down; don't sleep on what he's been able to do in the helper role though. His unique blend of size, length, mobility and discipline has allowed him to shut things down. Whether he's rotating from the weak side or causing havoc as part of the zone, he's already one of the most feared defenders in the league.
Kudos are in order for the work Draymond Green and Marcus Smart put in. They are two of the best communicators in the NBA, able to call out opposing sets and direct switches to flatten out actions. Neither are traditional weak-side rim-protectors, but Green wins with his positioning and verticality while Smart takes charges like he doesn't give a single [expletive] about his well-being.
SHORT-ROLL THREAT: NIKOLA JOKIC
Honorable mentions: Joel Embiid, Dwight Powell, Deandre Ayton
In normal circumstances, I'd call Jokic a basketball computer due to his ability to map the floor and make great decisions on a whim. In light of the banter around the MVP conversation, it's probably best to keep Jokic and "computer" out of the same sentence.
With no Jamal Murray, you don't see Denver ball-handlers get all-out trapped too often. But on the occasions that Jokic is able to face a 4-on-3, 3-on-2 or 2-on-1, the inevitablitity pops out. What do you with a player with Jokic's passing chops and intermediate scoring ability?
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You pray. That's what you do.
His MVP-candidate counterpart in Joel Embiid doesn't exhibit the same skill as a passer, but he brings the funk as a scorer. Whether it's bullying smaller defenders at the rim, or slowing things down to sprinkle in pull-up jumpers, scrambling defenses don't have much of a shot.
Deandre Ayton has made real strides as a scorer in these situations. If we want to talk about intermediate scoring, you have to shine line on his career-high 59.0% clip on shots between 3 to 10 feet.
And then, there's Dwight Powell. He's generating well over 1.2 points per possession when shooting or passing out of a trapped ball-screen, a number sandwiched between Jokic and Embiid. He's long been one of the NBA's underrated roll men; his improvements as a passer have nearly made trapping Luka-led pick-and-rolls untenable.
BEST DRIVER: LUKA DONCIC
Honorable mentions: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ja Morant
Speaking of Luka, he narrowly edged out our candidates as the NBA's best driver. It's become commonplace to describe a lead ball-handler as one that plays at their own pace &mdash; oddly enough, sub-elite athletes seem to make up 100% of the list of those players. But Luka really does.&nbsp;
He doesn't blow past you; he freakin'&nbsp;bodies you while going 6 miles per hour, then contorts his body for rim finishes or dimes to open teammates.
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Doncic ranks <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second in the NBA</a> in drives (22.4), leads the NBA in assists via drives (3.0) and is converting 55.3% of his shots off drives. That 55.3% clip ranks fifth among 53 players averaging at least 10 drives a game.
If Luka's style isn't your speed, I'd once again like to present Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the NBA's funkiest driver. Differing stride lengths, off-foot gathers, quicker-than-usual scoop shots against unsuspecting defenders. He's got the juice, man.
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SGA's got the stats, too. He leads the NBA in drives and free-throw attempts drawn, and boasts a comically low turnover rate despite passing at a higher rate than Trae Young.
And then there's Ja Morant, who glides through the air like he belongs there. He's the NBA's leader in paint points for a reason.
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Three unique talents with contrasting driving styles. You truly love to see it.
BEST PASSER: TRAE YOUNG
Honorable mentions: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Chris Paul
While we're on Trae Young, there's nobody in the league doing what he's doing right now. He may just join Nate "Tiny" Archibald as the second player to lead the NBA in total points and assists. And to the latter point, he gets the "best passer" tag for being able to make every read in the book while being my size.
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Teams are geared to defend Young. They throw size on him. They trap him. They pre-rotate to take away his common reads, and yet, he counters all of your counters. He's the NBA's premier lob-thrower while being a skip-pass savant. He doesn't need to see over your defense because he already knows where everyone is.
If you do enjoy the advantage of looking over the top of defenders, it's hard to argue against Luka Doncic. There really isn't a coverage you can play that prevents him from dotting you up. A growing favorite: watching Doncic get trapped, only for him to casually string it out before tossing a dart.
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I'm not sure there's much more to be said about Nikola Jokic at this point. Between his long distance hookups after boards and preternatural sense for finding cutters, it's been&nbsp;time to discuss where he ranks among the top passers of all-time, period. He's top five in my book, and that's probably conservative.
Oh, right, Chris Paul is leading the NBA in assists without really turning the ball over. Another year in the office.
BEST DUNKER: MILES BRIDGES
Honorable mentions: Giannis Antetokounmpo, KJ Martin, Obi Toppin, Jarrett Allen
It is hard not to enjoy the musical stylings of Miles Bridges. It is also hard not to enjoy the musical&nbsp;stylings of Miles Bridges.
I could bore you with the numbers, like him being one of four non-bigs to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022_shooting.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rank in the top 15</a> of total dunks (13th, 116). But honestly, just look at what this dude does with a runway. It's skillful violence.
<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/0c90xz" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The combination of power and pretty (he has some fire&nbsp;windmills in his film) gives him the edge over the inevitability of Giannis (third, 174) and Jarrett Allen (fourth, 164), as well as the suddenness of KJ Martin (15th, 111) and Obi Toppin (23rd, 93).
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Nekias Duncan, Jackson Frank and Mark Schindler team up to hand out some skill-specific awards for the 2021-22 season.

Introducing the 2021-22 NBA Superlative Awards

What if I told you the Houston Rockets now have the longest active winning streak in the NBA, and that the New Orleans Pelicans have won more over their last 10 games than many playoff contenders?
We've hit the holiday season with a bizarre stretch of basketball, where it truly seems like any non-Oklahoma City Thunder team can win on any given night. But with every surprise winner somes a disappointed loser, and as the .500-ish squads stack up, many fans are growing increasingly frustrated.
These are prime conditions for a much-needed Sour Rankings shakeup. Over half of this week's field is comprised of previously-unranked teams.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;Cleveland is officially back with Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen has been playing at an All-Star level lately. Even the losses have been of good quality. The Philadelphia 76ers went 2-1 this past week and beat the Atlanta Hawks on national TV behind Joel Embiid's return to his normal self. Pascal Siakam's 31-point game in Toronto's win on Sunday inspired enough confidence in his return to push the Raptors out of these rankings.
Houston also makes the most impressive escape of the season to date. Its six-game winning streak propels the team out of our No. 2 spot. Meanwhile, New Orleans is a respectable 5-5 in the last 10 games and breaks out after holding the No. 1 ranking for most of the early weeks. Good on the Pels.
10. Miami Heat (14-10)
Bam Adebayo is down for an extended period due to thumb surgery, and the Heat have won just one game in his absence against the rudderless Indiana Pacers. They were hit by two crushing losses to the Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks who, not coincidentally, have some dominant interior presences. In the defeat to Milwaukee, Miami rolled with a Dewayne Dedmon/PJ Tucker/Max Strus/Omer Yurtseven frontcourt rotation. They're fine players, but none bring the combination of defensive acumen and offensive playmaking of Adebayo.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Detroit Pistons (4-18)
The Pistons are tied for the longest winless streak and worst record in the NBA &mdash; not exactly coveted crowns. Things have still been touch-and-go for most of the young prospects, but Cade Cunningham does appear to be growing into his role as the offensive hub of the franchise. Cunningham dropped 26 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks against the Trail Blazers, and then 19 points and 5 assists vs. Phoenix.&nbsp;
(Last week: 8)
8. Sacramento Kings (10-14)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Marvin Bagley III (<a href="https://twitter.com/MB3FIVE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MB3FIVE</a>) in the Kings last 3 wins 20 MINS vs Clippers 12 PTS, 11 REB, 67% FG 35 MINS vs Lakers 13 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 100% FG 19 MINS vs Blazers 10 PTS, 8 REB, 2 3PTS, 67% FG<a href="https://t.co/RbwXyg4woi">pic.twitter.com/RbwXyg4woi</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1467520387697287168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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A solid week for Sacramento, who rebounded from a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers by sweeping the L.A. Clippers in a two-game series. Terence Davis logged two outings of 20-plus points to help grab that win, and Marvin Bagley III chipped in a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the second victory over LAC. The Kings are in the midst of a pretty odd stretch, having played just one game in five days. Hopefully that's given interim head coach Alvin Gentry some time to stabilize things.
(Last week: 6)
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-16)
Look, I'm still a massive believer in the overall franchise direction of the OKC Thunder franchise. And a young team is going to take its lumps as part of the rebuilding process. But a 73-point loss is a 73-point loss, and an eight-game losing streak is an eight-game losing streak. OKC has to find some way to play meaningful, competitive hoops for the sake of learning and development. Nine of the team's 16 defeats have been by double digits.
(Last week: Unranked)
6. Dallas Mavericks (11-11)
The Mavericks are 2-7 in their last nine games, with those wins coming against the Clippers and Pelicans. They missed Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis on Saturday and lost to a Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies squad in a contest that was not as close as the final score indicates. In this nine-game stretch, the once-high-octane Mavs offense has cleared 110 points just three times.
Dallas fans had to watch with longing as Texas native Desmond Bane, who the team passed on in favor of Josh Green in the 2020 NBA Draft, lit up the court. Green has played 54 minutes this season.
(Last week: Unranked)
5. Portland Trail Blazers (11-13)
So Neil Olshey is finally out as general manager, and based on the reports of his workplace culture (and the team's perpetual mediocrity), that seems like a long overdue move. But the act of firing a general manager midseason should never make you feel good about the team &mdash; it's just an obvious sign that things are not going well. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-damian-lillard-wants-to-play-with-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Damian Lillard wants to play with Ben Simmons</a>, but would this theoretical pairing be enough to drastically alter Portland's ceiling?&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Lillard is out with an abdominal injury, and the Blazers are 1-5 in their last six games.
(Last week: Unranked)
4. Denver Nuggets (11-11)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Joker leads the way 🃏 Nikola Jokic goes for 32 PTS, 11 REB and 5 AST in 27 minutes as the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> pick up the win in NYC! <a href="https://t.co/uLvOrnFDIn">pic.twitter.com/uLvOrnFDIn</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1467233497051926530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Nikola Jokic returned and yanked Denver out of the No. 1 ranking with his 32-point performance in a win over the Knicks. The Nuggets did still drop one to the lowly Orlando Magic, and now Bones Hyland, Austin Rivers and Bol Bol are all in the league's health and safety protocols. We'll see how this ragtag rotation does with four games in the next six days.
(Last week: 1)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (12-12)
The Lakers have played one contest in six days &mdash; a loss to the Clippers. Frank Vogel has now labeled Dwight Howard as the only center in the rotation, which is most notable because it means he still won't label Anthony Davis a center. L.A. gives up the fifth-most turnovers in the league and allows the fourth-most opposing offensive rebounds, so teams receive plenty of chances to score. Next up is a pivotal rivalry rematch against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
(Last week: 3)
2. New York Knicks (11-12)
Shaking up the rotation hasn't changed the results. The Knicks are on a three-game losing streak, and got trounced by the injury-plagued Nuggets this weekend. Julius Randle sporadically flips from All-NBA superstar to two-way negative, and RJ Barrett still cannot buy a consistent jump shot. New York got shredded by Denver's bench, consisting of Facundo Campazzo, Zeke Nnaji, Vlatko Cancar, JaMychal Green and the recently-signed Davon Reed.
(Last week: 4)
1. Indiana Pacers (9-16)
Indy Cornrows' Caitlin Cooper wrote an excellent analysis of just <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2021/12/5/22815853/how-crunch-time-defines-the-current-state-of-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how bad the Pacers are when crunch time comes</a>. Our own <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-must-accept-new-reality-and-become-sellers-at-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evan Sidery slammed the franchise</a> for languishing in mediocrity well past due. Indiana is 9-16 and on the thin edge of the playoff race. Altogether, that alone should explain why the Pacers have plummeted to the No. 1 spot in these rankings.
(Last week: Unranked)

Five new teams appear in the Sour Rankings after some major shakeup.