Cowboys

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

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

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

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

When the new league year began on July 1, NBA teams were quick to sign free agents and start negotiating extensions with some of their younger players.&nbsp;
Players who were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are signed to rookie-scale contracts, which are eligible to be extended on the first day (July 1) of the fourth and final year of their deal. This past offseason, the vast majority of players eligible for rookie-scale extensions were picked in the first round in 2020. Teams have until the day before the start of the 2023-24 regular season (which begins on October 24) to agree to an extension, or else those players will hit restricted free agency next summer.&nbsp;
Out of the 30 first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, 27 were eligible for rookie-scale extensions. In addition, the Orlando Magic&rsquo;s Chuma Okeke also became eligible for a rookie-scale extension because he signed his rookie deal in 2020, a year after he was drafted due to injury. So far this offseason, five players have signed extensions, with four of them receiving maximum contracts.&nbsp;
Those who received the max signed what&rsquo;s called a Designated Rookie Extension, which has a starting salary at 25% of the 2024-25 salary cap (projected at $37,405,750) with 8% raises over five years (for a total contract value of $216,953,350). However, via the &ldquo;Derrick Rose rule,&rdquo; if any of the players who signed one of these extensions is a member of any of the 2023-24 All-NBA teams, their starting salary will be set at 30% of the 2024-25 salary cap (projected at $44,886,900) with 8% raises over five years (for a total contract value of $260,344,020). These players include Minnesota&rsquo;s Anthony Edwards, Charlotte&rsquo;s LaMelo Ball, Indiana&rsquo;s Tyrese Haliburton and Memphis&rsquo; Desmond Bane. However, Bane&rsquo;s extension doesn&rsquo;t contain the &ldquo;Rose Rule&rdquo; language, so he can&rsquo;t receive a starting salary raise even if he earns an All-NBA nod.
There is also a new wrinkle in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that changed the rules in regards to rookie-scale extensions, allowing teams to offer all players an extension up to five years. Previously, only players who were offered maximum contracts could agree to an extension up to five years. So far, no team has given out a five-year non-max extension.
The only player who has signed a non-max rookie extension this offseason is Detroit&rsquo;s Isaiah Stewart. Stewart, the No. 16 pick in 2020, has been a starter for the rebuilding Pistons over the past few years. The tough, defensive big man agreed to a four-year, $64 million extension with $60 million guaranteed, $4 million in potential performance bonuses and a team option in the final season. Stewart&rsquo;s extension could serve as a potential benchmark for other big man extension candidates like Toronto&rsquo;s Precious Achiuwa and Atlanta&rsquo;s Onyeka Okongwu.
With 21 first-round picks (and Okeke) still awaiting a potential extension, let&rsquo;s take a look at who is most likely to receive an extension and what their deals might look like.
LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED
Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls): Williams has been a steady force for the Bulls amid the team&rsquo;s struggles to consistently play winning basketball. The former Florida State forward has improved his shooting each year of his career but has yet to really break out as a primary scoring option for Chicago. Williams is just 22 years old and still has a lot of potential, so he should command an extension similar to what Atlanta&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Andre Hunter received last summer.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $90,000,000, no options
Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks): Okongwu has been slotted as the Hawks&rsquo; center of the future for a few years now and has mostly looked the part backing up Clint Capela. Atlanta has a very crowded cap sheet, especially after extending Dejounte Murray. It is possible they could look to move Capela soon in order to free up cap space and give the starting center job to Okongwu. As mentioned above, look for Okongwu to ask for slightly above what Detroit gave Isaiah Stewart.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $72,000,000, could earn up to $80,000,000 with incentives, no options
Devin Vassell (San Antonio Spurs): The Spurs should try to lock up some of their reliable young pieces as they begin the Victor Wembanyama era. Similar to what San Antonio did with Keldon Johnson, they&rsquo;ll likely look to give Vassell a long-term value deal. They also could take advantage of the new CBA rules, keeping the former No. 11 pick under contract through 2029.
Extension Prediction: Five years, $110,000,000, no options
Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks): Green has quietly been developing very nicely with the Mavericks and could fight for a spot in the starting lineup this fall. The Australian native has shown real potential as a 3-and-D wing and could command the full mid-level exception if he reaches the open market next summer. Dallas shouldn&rsquo;t (and most likely won&rsquo;t) let that happen.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $65,000,000, no options
Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks): Quickley is coming off his best season as a pro that saw him finish as runner-up for the NBA&rsquo;s Sixth Man of the Year award. A scoring machine, the former Kentucky guard would likely start for a good chunk of NBA teams, but will likely have to be the backup as long as Jalen Brunson is in New York. The Knicks would certainly love to keep Quickley, but look for them to wait all the way up to the October 23 deadline to pay him in order to maintain trade flexibility.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $88,000,000, could earn up to $92,000,000 with incentives, no options
Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves): McDaniels is certainly viewed as a core piece by the Timberwolves&rsquo; brass as they fought hard to keep him out of the Rudy Gobert trade, sacrificing more draft capital instead. The Washington product has been a versatile, two-way player since arriving in Minnesota and is an ideal wing next to Anthony Edwards. He should be paid accordingly.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $100,000,000, no options, declining annual salary
LIKELY TO REACH RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY
James Wiseman (Detroit Pistons): Wiseman has been better on both sides of the ball since being traded to Detroit last February, but his game still needs to be developed further if the Pistons are to seriously invest in him.
Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers): Cleveland has been looking for a permanent solution at their starting small-forward position for some time now, resulting in them paying Caris LeVert and signing Max Strus. Okoro hasn&rsquo;t shown he can be the Cavs&rsquo; long-term solution.
Obi Toppin (Indiana Pacers): If Toppin had stayed in New York, there&rsquo;s no way he would have been extended. Now in Indiana, the former Naismith National Player of the Year should get a chance to start and improve his stock going into next summer.
Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards): Avdija is a pretty good young player outside of his shooting struggles. With a new regime in Washington, Avdija may be a trade candidate if new president Michael Winger doesn&rsquo;t see him as a part of the team&rsquo;s long-term plan.
Aaron Nesmith (Indiana Pacers): A starter for the Pacers last year, Nesmith may be buried on the depth chart with the additions of Toppin and rookie Jarace Walker. He hasn&rsquo;t made enough of an impact to warrant an extension.
Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic): Anthony has been a solid bench contributor for Orlando since being drafted out of North Carolina. However, the Magic backcourt is extremely crowded with the addition of rookie Anthony Black, making them unlikely to prioritize securing a deal with Anthony.
Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder): Poku is coming off a fractured leg that kept him out for the back half of last season. He needs to show that he can be a long-term piece if he wishes to stay with the Thunder.
Saddiq Bey (Atlanta Hawks): Bey is certainly talented enough to warrant an extension, fitting into the starting five seamlessly after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. However, the team may have to choose between extending Bey or Okongwu in order to manage their already-very-full salary cap sheet.&nbsp;
Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors): The Raptors have already committed to a center in Jakob Poeltl this offseason. Achiuwa hasn&rsquo;t shown enough to break through outside of his bench role to warrant an extension.
Zeke Nnaji (Denver Nuggets): Despite not being a regular member of the rotation, Nnaji has shown he is a capable backup option to Nikola Jokic when he&rsquo;s on the floor. While an extension isn&rsquo;t in the cards, the Nuggets should look to retain him.
Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics): Boston would probably love to keep Pritchard on a team-friendly deal, as he has been a reliable insurance option for them since coming into the league. The former Oregon guard will more than likely want to test the free-agency market to see if he can possibly find a path to more playing time elsewhere.
LIKELY TO NOT RECEIVE A QUALIFYING OFFER, BECOME AN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT NEXT SUMMER
Killian Hayes (Detroit Pistons): Hayes has not lived up to his top-10 pick billing and has fallen out of Pistons general manager Troy Weaver&rsquo;s long-term outlook. Detroit could extend him a qualifying offer next summer, but he likely won&rsquo;t receive much interest on the open market.
Kira Lewis Jr. (New Orleans Pelicans): Lewis has been relegated to a reserve while suffering through multiple injuries through his first three years in the NBA. The Pelicans have made it known league-wide that he is available for trade.
Chuma Okeke (Orlando Magic): Okeke has struggled with his all-around game for the better part of the last two years and is unlikely to be retained by Orlando going forward.
Malachi Flynn (Toronto Raptors): Flynn hasn&rsquo;t taken advantage of the many opportunities he&rsquo;s had to be a part of the Raptors&rsquo; rotation as the backup point guard. He may see some run this year, but the Raptors may have seen enough to move on this summer.
THE TYRESE MAXEY WILD CARD
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers): Maxey is the wild card of the rookie-extension candidates, as Sixers general manager Daryl Morey has said that the team will hold off on extending the 22-year-old shooting guard in order to maintain trade and cap flexibility going into next summer. Maxey has blossomed into a core member of the 76ers going forward and would likely receive close to, if not the full, max rookie extension. With no end in sight to the James Harden debacle, the Sixers may want to secure their young prize before their situation could turn worse.

Blake Stern takes a look at which players are most likely to receive a rookie-scale extension prior to the October 23 deadline.

Checking in on the NBA's rookie-scale extension candidates

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 27 points and Terry Rozier had 21 points and nine assists as the Charlotte Hornets beat Detroit 113-103 on Thursday night and extended the Pistons&rsquo; losing streak to 10 games.
&ldquo;I thought we did a good job of following the game plan and staying disciplined,&rdquo; said Oubre, who is averaging 20.8 points in eight games since returning from a hand injury. &ldquo;I stayed around the team 24/7 when I was hurt so I would be ready to go when I came back.&rdquo;
P.J. Washington added 20 points and Nick Richards had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets, who won their second straight game and for the seventh time in 10 games.
&ldquo;Our guys are working hard and they are finally getting some results,&rdquo; Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. &ldquo;We were really active tonight and we had great rim protection.&rdquo;
Cory Joseph scored 17 points and James Wiseman had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s super tough to be playing from behind every night,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;We need to find a way to come out with better energy to get over this hump.&rdquo;
Detroit played without four of the five starters from its season-opening win over the Orlando Magic. Cade Cunningham (leg), Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) and Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) are injured, while Saddiq Bey was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Rookie Jaden Ivey is the only player to start both games.
&ldquo;I thought our approach was disappointing tonight,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if it is just all the games we&rsquo;ve played in a short time, but I didn&rsquo;t feel like we came out with the kind of energy we needed.&rdquo;
The Hornets finished the first half with an 8-0 run and held a 59-50 lead. Charlotte used a 13-5 run at the start of the third quarter and increased the margin to 17 points.
Joseph scored 14 points in the quarter, helping Detroit close within 93-83 heading to the fourth. But the Hornets extended their lead to as many as 18 points in the sloppy closing period.
&ldquo;I thought that was the key stretch of the game,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;They had it down to 10, but we got it to 18 early in the fourth and took away their momentum.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Charlotte beat the Pistons 117-106 at home on Feb. 27, and split the season series 2-2. The Hornets have won eight of their last 11 games against Detroit.
Pistons: Detroit announced before the game that Stewart is suffering from a right shoulder impingement and will be evaluated again in three to four weeks. Stewart is second on the team in blocks and rebounds.
INJURY UPDATE
Charlotte center Mark Williams didn&rsquo;t play in the second half due to a thumb injury.
&ldquo;He went back to the locker room after he did it, but he came back to try to play,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;He just wasn&rsquo;t able to catch the ball. Hopefully, it won&rsquo;t be anything serious.&rdquo;
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
The Pistons honored the 2003 WNBA champion Detroit Shock at halftime. The Shock, who also won titles in 2006 and 2008, moved to Tulsa after the 2009 season and are now the Dallas Wings.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect this to happen, because the franchise has been gone for a while now,&rdquo; said Shock forward Swin Cash-Canal, who was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. &ldquo;But they called and said they wanted to do it for Women&rsquo;s History Month, and we appreciate it. They have done a top-notch job of this.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
Pistons: Host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday and on Monday.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 27 points as the Hornets beat Detroit 113-103 on Thursday night, extending the Pistons’ losing streak to 10 games.

Oubre, Rozier help Hornets deal Pistons 10th straight loss

PARIS (AP) &mdash; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-las-vegas-6f4ac3d44f624ef36ddb00e314cf0401">Victor Wembanyama was sitting courtside,</a> the 19-year-old French phenom and presumed No. 1 NBA draft pick watching some of the players he&rsquo;ll go up against next season.
And a guy with a French surname put on quite a show.
Zach LaVine &mdash; who said his great-grandfather was French &mdash; scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls never trailed in a 126-108 win over the Detroit Pistons at the NBA Paris Game on Thursday.
&ldquo;Maybe the air up here was good for me,&rdquo; LaVine said.
DeMar DeRozan added 26 points for the Bulls, and Nikola Vucevic finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 25 points. Killian Hayes, the only French player on either roster, scored four points for Detroit on 2-of-13 shooting, but had a game-high eight assists.
Hamidou Diallo had 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting for Detroit, while Saddiq Bey and Jaden Ivey each scored 16 for the Pistons.
&ldquo;It was a bit frustrating to not be the winners tonight," Hayes said.
It was the capper to several days of celebrating the NBA in France, after both teams took part in clinics, touristy events like visits to the Eiffel Tower, some upscale dinners and even a private show for the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-rodney-mcgruder-268c20ad7406e6f162bc0dc0f5a3a410">Pistons at the Paris Opera House</a>.
And while the game counted &mdash; Chicago (21-24) stayed in 10th in the Eastern Conference and what would be the last play-in spot with the win, while Detroit fell to 12-36, the second-worst mark in the NBA &mdash; it also was no mundane middle-of-the-season regular-season matchup.
The celebrity list included NBA greats like Magic Johnson, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Tony Parker; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-richard-hamilton-8002bc599b1b4e27789f6624d61de0cc">a Bulls legend and native French son in Joakim Noah;</a> the rising star that everybody can&rsquo;t stop talking about in Wembanyama; WNBA players like Gabby Williams; even Grammy winners and Formula 1 drivers.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to quite compare this to All-Star,&rdquo; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-france-government-africa-efc212a60bce5820d7673a54fd4bea5b">NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said,</a> &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s the closest thing to a European All-Star Game that we have.&rdquo;
It was also a celebration of the continued strength of the international footprint on today&rsquo;s NBA game. When the Bulls and Michael Jordan &mdash; along with B.J. Armstrong, then a Bulls guard, now an NBA agent who was at the game Thursday &mdash; played in Paris during the preseason in 1997, about 1 of every 14 NBA players was born outside the U.S.
Now, that&rsquo;s about 1 in 4.
&ldquo;It is special because we&rsquo;re representing not only Detroit, but the NBA,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;And we&rsquo;re trying to put the brand in a good place &mdash; in a place where basketball is taking off.&rdquo;
<a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1616197195878830089?s=20&amp;t=gIeSQODhSY64TYUk1bgQew">Wembanyama and his family</a> made their way to courtside seats about 15 minutes before tip-off, immediately attracting a huge crowd. When the camera found him and he was shown to the French fans on the big in-arena screens in the second quarter, he clapped and smiled, as did his mother seated one row back over his right shoulder &mdash; as the crowd positively roared in delight.
Both teams are flying home Friday.
&ldquo;It's great for people here in Paris to get an up-close look at the NBA," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;It makes you realize that the sport is followed so closely around the world. It was amazing. The place was sold out."
TIP-INS
Bulls: Derrick Jones Jr. had 12 points for Chicago, <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1616196916945031181?s=20&amp;t=gIeSQODhSY64TYUk1bgQew">including four highlight-reel dunks</a> &mdash; no surprise for a former NBA dunk champion. ... Ayo Dosunmu scored 13 for the Bulls. ... Chicago shot 54%.
Pistons: Jalen Duren had an imperfect start to the trip &mdash; he misplaced his passport &mdash; then got that settled and had a perfect shooting game, 4-for-4 from the field on his way to a 11-point, 12-rebound effort. ... Isaiah Stewart grabbed 11 rebounds.
GLOBAL GAME
The NBA has teams in the U.S. and Canada, of course, and this game in France pushed the list of nations where the league has played or practiced this season to seven.
Mexico played host to a game between San Antonio and Miami last month. The Heat also had training camp in the Bahamas, and the league went to two other countries for preseason games &mdash; Golden State and Washington played twice in Japan, while Milwaukee and Atlanta played twice in the United Arab Emirates.
ROAD TRIP
It was a &ldquo;home&rdquo; game for the Pistons, even though Paris is about 4,000 miles from Detroit. As the home team, the Pistons got to bring a slew of staffers on the trip &mdash; including some game operations workers and members of the stat crew that works at the scoring table.
James Capers, Karl Lane and Natalie Sago got sent to officiate the game. All three referees had games Saturday in the U.S., then traveled to Paris.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Atlanta on Monday.
Pistons: Host Milwaukee on Monday.

Zach LaVine scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls never trailed in a 126-108 win over the Detroit Pistons.

LaVine scores 30, Bulls defeat Pistons 126-108 in Paris

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant each scored 32 points and the Nets extended their longest winning streak since moving to Brooklyn to nine games with a 125-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.
The Nets withstood a sensational 46-point performance by Darius Garland, who single-handedly kept the Cavs close in the fourth.
Brooklyn has won 13 of 14 and is beginning to look like an NBA title contender.
T.J. Warren added a season-high 23 points for the Nets, who handled one of the teams they&rsquo;re chasing in the Eastern Conference standings after beating Milwaukee by 18 last Friday.
Durant moved past Tim Duncan (26,496) into 15th place on the career scoring list.
Irving made a season-high seven 3-pointers &mdash; and two key free throws with 41.1 seconds left &mdash; while being booed nearly every time he touched the ball by fans who cheered him during six seasons with Cleveland.
CLIPPERS 142, PISTONS 131, OT
DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Paul George scored 32 points and Los Angeles overcame a 14-point deficit in the final 3:34 of regulation to beat Detroit in overtime.
Terance Mann hit a tying jumper with five seconds left in the fourth quarter to cap a closing 16-2 run for the Clippers, who trailed 126-112 with 3:34 remaining. Los Angeles then outscored the Pistons 14-3 in the extra period.
Ivica Zubac added 12 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles, which has beaten Detroit eight straight times. The Clippers had seven players score in double figures.
Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 23 points, including the Pistons&rsquo; only field goal of the last eight minutes. Isaiah Stewart added 21 points for NBA-worst Detroit.
HEAT 113, TIMBERWOLVES 110
MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Max Strus scored 19 points, Kyle Lowry added 18 points and nine assists, and Miami got back to .500 by holding off Minnesota.
Orlando Robinson scored 15 points and Tyler Herro had 14 for the Heat (17-17), who were without Jimmy Butler (ankle) and Bam Adebayo (illness).
Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 29 points for the Timberwolves (16-18). Naz Reid had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
ROCKETS 133, BULLS 118
CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Kevin Porter Jr. scored a season-high 36 points and Houston used a 17-1 run in the third quarter to beat Chicago, snapping a five-game losing streak.
Alperan Sengun added 25 points and Jalen Green had 24 for the Rockets, who scored the first 10 points of the game but blew an 18-point lead before their third-quarter spurt.
DeMar DeRozan scored 31 for the Bulls, who won their previous three games. DeRozan passed George Gervin for 44th place on the career scoring list with 20,727 points.
PELICANS 113, PACERS 93
NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Naji Marshall scored a career-high 22 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and short-handed New Orleans extended its winning streak to three games by beating Indiana.
CJ McCollum added 19 points for the Pelicans, who were missing top scorer Zion Williamson along with Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III.
Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 15 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Myles Turner scored 14.
SPURS 126, JAZZ 122
SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Devin Vassell had 24 points, Keldon Johnson added 21 and San Antonio fended off Utah in the final minutes.
The Spurs led 121-110 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. The Jazz scored seven points in 33 seconds, but could not complete the comeback.
Lauri Markkanen had 32 points and Jordan Clarkson added 25 for Utah.
Clarkson&rsquo;s 3-pointer cut it to 123-120 with 30.1 seconds left, but Tre Jones tossed in a floater 23 seconds later to seal the victory.
Jones had 11 points and Jakob Poeltl scored 16 for San Antonio.
TRAIL BLAZERS 124, HORNETS 113
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Jusuf Nurkic scored 27 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers, to go with 14 rebounds and six assists as Portland defeated Charlotte.
Jerami Grant led all scorers with 32 points for Portland. Damian Lillard had 17 points and nine assists on a night when he was honored for becoming the leading scorer in Trail Blazers history.
LaMelo Ball paced the Hornets with 25 points.
Portland trailed by 14 in the second quarter but Nurkic sparked the turnaround, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists after halftime.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A recap of Monday night's NBA slate includes an Eastern Conference showdown between two of the league's best.

Irving, Durant lead Nets past Cavs for 9th straight win

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.
<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/5u50kd" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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:
<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/53sd8s" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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:
<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/2n6tqk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

RJ Nembhard Jr. had 16 points and six assists, Isaiah Mobley added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Atlanta Hawks 94-90 on Saturday in the NBA Summer League.
Mobley, a second-round pick in this year's draft, grabbed six rebounds on the offensive end and added four assists for the Cavaliers (3-2). Fellow second-rounder Luke Travers pitched in with 14 points and five boards. Cam Young scored 15 points. First-round pick Ochai Agbaji did not play.
Tyrese Martin scored 21 to top the Hawks (2-3). Chaundee Brown Jr. added 17 points. Chris Clemons finished with 16 points, while Tyson Etienne scored 13.
Atlanta's top pick A.J. Griffin &mdash; 17th overall &mdash; did not play.
PISTONS 102, MAGIC 86
Jules Bernard had 22 points and nine rebounds, Charlie Moore had 21 points and eight assists, and Detroit cruised past Orlando.
Bernard sank all three of his 3-point attempts for the Pistons (3-2). Braxton Key added 15 points, while Stanley Umude scored 13. Detroit sat first-rounders Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren for the finale.
Justin James had 18 points to lead the Magic (2-3). Tommy Kuhse added 13 points, while Zavier Simpson and Daniel Oturu scored 10 apiece.
Orlando dropped its final three games without top pick Paolo Banchero. The Magic decided to pull Banchero from the event just hours before a showdown with No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City.
TIMBERWOLVES 89, HORNETS 86
Kevon Harris scored 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting to help Minnesota fend off Charlotte.
Harris hit all four of his 3-pointers for the Timberwolves (2-3). Wendell Moore Jr. had 15 points, while second-round pick Josh Minott scored 12. Marial Shayok had seven points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
JT Thor finished with 28 points and five steals for the Hornets (2-3). Justin Minaya scored 10 points and Mark Williams, the 15th overall pick, had eight points and seven rebounds.
Thor completed a three-point play, then buried a 3-pointer to get the Hornets within 88-86. Jacob Gilyard sank 1 of 2 free throws with 4.9 seconds left and Minott blocked Bryce McGowens' 3-pointer to end the game.
SPURS 90, GRIZZLIES 87
Malaki Branham made five 3-pointers and scored 23 points to help San Antonio turn back Memphis.
Branham, the 20th overall pick, was 5 of 8 from distance to help the Spurs (1-4) notch their first win in their final try. DJ Stewart added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Robert Woodard II had six points to go with 10 rebounds.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. paced the Grizzlies (2-3) with 27 points and 12 rebounds. First-rounder David Roddy added 19 points. Ronaldo Segu and Kennedy Chandler scored 13 and 10, respectively.
Lofton sank a 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining to give Memphis an 87-86 lead. Branham answered with a 3 and Blake Wesley &mdash; the No. 25 pick &mdash; hit 1 of 2 free throws with 4.1 seconds left to cap the scoring. Dakota Mathias missed a 3-pointer on the game's final shot.
BULLS 119, 76ERS 104
Marko Simonovic scored 26 points, Malcolm Hill added 23 and Chicago breezed past Philadelphia.
Simonovic made 11 of 15 shots and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Bulls (4-1) close out with three straight wins. Carlik Jones scored 15 points but had seven of Chicago's 15 turnovers. Dalen Terry, the 18th overall pick, had three points, two assists and two rebounds in nine-plus minutes.
Charlie Brown Jr. led the 76ers (2-3) with 21 points. Grant Riller scored 19. Trevelin Queen had 16 points and seven of Philadelphia's 21 turnovers. Filip Petrusev scored 14.
NETS 102, CELTICS 95
Cam Thomas scored 25 points, David Duke Jr. added 24 and Brooklyn knocked off Boston.
Thomas added six assists for the Nets (3-2), while Duke handed out five. Kessler Edwards scored 15 points and Day'Ron Sharpe had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Juhann Begarin topped the Celtics (3-2) with 25 points. Mfiondu Kabengele scored 18. Second-rounder JD Davison &mdash; Boston's only pick in the draft &mdash; totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds.
KINGS 92, ROCKETS 81
Jeriah Horne scored 20 points to lead Sacramento over Houston
Jared Rhoden pitched in with 15 points and seven rebounds for the Kings (3-2). Sacramento chose to sit No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray for the finale.
Tari Eason, the No. 17 pick in the draft, had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets (2-3). TyTy Washington Jr. scored 15 points, while Daishen Nix had 14 points and seven boards. No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
LAKERS 95, MAVERICKS 84
Cole Swider scored 16 points to spark Los Angeles past Dallas.
Swider sank 4 of 6 from 3-point range for the Lakers (3-2). Jay Huff had 13 points, Javante McCoy scored 12 and Scotty Pippen Jr. 11.
A.J. Lawson had 19 points to lead the Mavericks (0-5) &mdash; the only team without victory in the event. Moses Wright scored 17 with six boards. Jaden Hardy scored 15 but had seven of Dallas' 19 turnovers. Lawson turned it over six times. Jerrick Harding had 11 points and five assists.
HEAT 86, CLIPPERS 83
Kyle Allman Jr. scored 26 points, sinking a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31 seconds left, and Miami rallied past Los Angeles.
Allman added seven rebounds and six assists for the Heat (2-3). Dru Smith had 22 points and Jamal Cain pitched in with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Miami outscored Los Angeles 31-20 in the final quarter
Reggie Perry, Jay Scrubb and Xavier Moon all scored 16 for the Clippers (2-3).

Check out this recap of Saturday's NBA Summer League action.

Nembhard, Mobley lead Cavs past Hawks 94-90 in Summer League

Brandon Boston Jr. had 22 points and eight rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers used a 32-9 fourth quarter to beat the Utah Jazz 82-65 on Friday in the NBA Summer League.
Los Angeles scored just 11 points in the third quarter before opening the fourth on a 24-4 run for a 74-60 lead.
Jay Scrubb added 14 points and Cameron Reynolds had 12 for Los Angeles (2-2).
Leandro Bolmaro led Utah (2-2) with 19 points. Johnny Juzang scored eight of Utah&rsquo;s opening 12 points, and finished with 14. Tacko Fall, a 7-foo-6 center, had eight points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
76ERS 97, NUGGETS 71
Grant Riller scored 18 points and Trevelin Queen added 17 as Philadelphia routed Denver.
Riller scored 13 points, in just six first-half minutes, to help Philadelphia build a 48-27 lead. Denver shot just 25.6% from the field in the first half, including 4 of 17 from 3-point range. The 76ers led 69-39 late in the third quarter.
Isaiah Joe had 14 points and four 3-pointers for Philadelphia (2-2). Justin Smith and Aminu Mohammed each scored 10 points.
Mbaye N&rsquo;Diaye scored 12 points and Christian Braun had 11 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals for Denver (2-2).
THUNDER 90, WARRIORS 82
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had 15 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Williams had 10 points with six assists and Oklahoma City beat Golden State.
Gabe Brown and Jaden Shackelford each scored 12 points for Oklahoma City (3-1). Eugene Omoruyi scored 11 points and Vit Krejci had 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Chet Holmgren did not play.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 16 points and James Wiseman added 14 for Golden State (1-3). Quinndary Weatherspoon added 11 points and Gui Santos had 10.
KINGS 82, SUNS 69
Keegan Murray continued his strong Summer League showing with 21 points and 10 rebounds, Neemias Queta added 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting and also grabbed 10 rebounds to help Sacramento beat Phoenix.
Murray, picked No. 4 overall in June's draft, is averaging 23.3 points and 7.3 rebounds after four games in Las Vegas. DJ Steward added 14 points for the Kings.
Ish Wainright led Phoenix with 13 points and McKinley Wright IV added 11 points, eight rebounds and two steals.
WIZARDS 97, PACERS 79
Jordan Schakel scored 21 points with seven rebounds and five assists, Jordan Goodwin added 19 points and three steals and Washington beat Indiana.
Isaiah Todd hit three 3-pointers and finished with 17 points and eight rebounds for Washington. Tahjere McCall scored 13 points, Jaime Echenique added 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks for the Wizards.
Kendall Brown led Indiana with 14 points and Aaron Nesmith added 12.
Johnny Davis (back tightness), picked No. 10 overall by the Wizards in last month's draft, and Bennedict Mathurin (toe), who Indiana selected No. 6 overall, did not play.
RAPTORS 88, HEAT 78
Dalano Banton scored 18 points, Armoni Brooks 17 and Jeff Dowtin added 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists to help Toronto beat Miami.
Ron Harper Jr. scored 14 points and Rodions Kurucs 13 for the Raptors.
Kyle Allman Jr. led the Heat with 17 points, Orlando Robinson added 13 points and 11 rebounds and Javonte Smart also scored 13 points. Haywood Highsmith scored 10 points.
LAKERS 102, PELICANS 94
Cole Swider hit five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, Javante McCoy added 14 points and seven assists to help Los Angeles beat New Orleans and eliminate the Pelicans from Summer League championship contention.
Max Christie scored 12 points, Mason Jones added 11 and Jay Huff had 10 points and four blocks for the Lakers. Scotty Pippen Jr. finished with 11 points and seven assists.
Jared Harper led the Pelicans with 20 points. Deividas Sirvydis made 4 of 7 from 3-point range and finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, John Petty Jr. scored 16 points and Tyrique Jones had 11 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.
Dyson Daniels, a 6-foot-6 19-year-old who New Orleans selected No. 8 overall in last month's draft, didn't play for the Pelicans.

Brandon Boston Jr. had 22 points and eight rebounds and the Clippers used a 32-9 fourth quarter to beat the Jazz 82-65.

Clippers use 32-9 4th quarter to beat Jazz at Summer League

Santi Aldama scored 31 points, David Roddy added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies tied the Las Vegas Summer League record for points in a game in a 120-84 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
The Grizzlies (2-1), who never trailed and led by double figures for more than 33 minutes, hit 12 3-pointers, shot 59% from the field and had 31 assists. Their 120 points matched the record set by the Denver Nuggets in 2007.
Summer League games are 40 minutes, eight fewer than an NBA regular-season game.
The 6-foot-11 Aldama, a first-round draft pick in 2021, made 12 of 14 from the field, hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots. Ziaire Williams, the No. 10 pick in the 2021 draft, had 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Roddy, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound forward who was picked No. 23 overall in June&rsquo;s draft, was 7-of-11 shooting. Kenneth Lofton Jr. added 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Cam Thomas made 11 of 13 free throws and finished with 29 points for Brooklyn (1-2). The No. 27 pick overall in the 2021 draft, Thomas has scored at least 26 points in each of his three games in Las Vegas and is averaging 28.7 per game. Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe added 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, and David Duke Jr. scored 12 points.
BULLS 93, RAPTORS 83
Carlik Jones scored 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting with five assists, and Dalen Terry scored all of his 14 points in the first half to help Chicago beat Toronto.
Malcolm Hill added 11 points for Chicago (2-1). Ethan Thompson and Makur Maker scored 10 points apiece.
Toronto scored 12 fourth-quarter points, nine that came as Ryan Hawkins hit three 3-pointers in the final 64 seconds.
Dalano Banton scored 18 points for Toronto (1-1). Jeff Dowtin added 16 points and D.J. Wilson scored 10. Christian Koloko, a 7-foot center out of Arizona, finished with five points, four rebounds and three blocks. The Raptors' only pick (No. 33 overall) in June&rsquo;s draft, Koloko shot 2 of 8 from the field and 0 for 3 from the free throw line but made his lone 3-point attempt.
The Bulls, who trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter, shot 55% (33 of 60) from the field, had 20 assists and scored 36 points off 18 Toronto turnovers.
HAWKS 95, HEAT 88
Tyrese Martin scored 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Chaundee Brown Jr. was 8 of 11 from the field and finished with 18 points to help Atlanta beat Miami.
Chris Clemons, who averaged 30.1 points as a senior at Campbell in 2018-19, scored 15 for the Hawks.
Atlanta (1-2) made 37 of 69 (53.6%) from the field and shot 44.4% (8 of 18) from 3-point range.
Javonte Smart led Miami with 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Kyle Allman Jr. scored 14 points and Bryson Williams 11.
CELTICS 103, WARRIORS 92
Mfiondu Kabengele had 20 points and 13 rebounds, 19-year-old Juhann Begarin scored 21 points and Boston beat Golden State despite big games by Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Kuminga scored 22 points on 11-of-22 shooting. Moody added 21 but made just 6 of 19 from the field and 2 of 9 from 3-point range.
James Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, had six points, seven rebounds and three blocks in his second game back from a knee injury that sidelined him for most of the last year-plus.
Justin Jackson scored 24 points, including five 3-pointers, for Boston. Brodric Thomas hit 4 of 7 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points.
PACERS 101, PISTONS 87
Bennedict Mathurin shot 5 of 9 from the field, 9 of 10 from the free throw line and finished with 20 points to help Indiana beat Jaden Ivey-less Detroit.
The No. 6 pick in last month's draft, Mathurin added five rebounds, three assists and three steals with no turnovers. Terry Taylor had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Isaiah Jackson also scored 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith added 12 points.
Ivey, taken by the Pistons with the No. 5 pick in the draft, as well as Saben Lee, Isaiah Stewart and Isaiah Livers did not play for Detroit.
Buddy Boeheim led the Pistons with 18 points. Stanley Umude scored 14, Charlie Moore added 13 and Jalen Duren &mdash; picked 13th overall in June's draft &mdash; had 12 points.
SUNS 105, MAVERICKS 78
Louis King and Olivier Sarr each had a double-double to lead Phoenix in its rout of Dallas.
King finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Sarr added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. also scored 12 points, McKinley Wright IV had 11 and Leonardo Meindl 10 for the Suns.
Jerrick Harding led the Mavericks with 20 points and A.J. Lawson scored 10. Jaden Hardy had 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Hardy, the No. 37 overall pick is last month&rsquo;s draft, was a consensus 5-star recruit out of high school in 2021 and spent last season with the NBA G League Unite.
LAKERS 83, CLIPPERS 72
Mason Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Javante McCoy scored 14 points to help the Lakers beat the Clippers.
Sacha Killeya-Jones added 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the Lakers. Nate Pierre-Louis scored 10 points.
Jay Scrubb and Brandon Boston Jr. scored 15 points apiece for the Clippers. Boston made just 3 of 12 from the field but hit 9-of-12 free throws and grabbed nine rebounds.

Santi Aldama scored 31 points, David Roddy added 20 and the Grizzlies tied the NBA Summer League record for points in a game.

Grizzlies tie NBA Summer League scoring record, beat Nets 120-84

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

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

WNBA Power Rankings 5/22

Following the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; shocking postseason exit, all eyes are now on Deandre Ayton's free agency.
After the Suns declined to sign Ayton to a five-year, rookie-scale max extension before the 2021-22 season, restricted free agency is now on the horizon for the athletic big man. During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Ayton&rsquo;s agent Bill Duffy discussed Ayton's future on SiriusXM&rsquo;s NBA show.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re disappointed. We wanted a max contract,&rdquo; Duffy <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1527772160923619328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;He went out and was a solider the whole year, played well, improved his statistics. So, we&rsquo;re proud of him. A lot of guys handle things differently, but he was very mature about it. Things will work out for Deandre. He&rsquo;s a valuable player. There&rsquo;s other teams in the league as well. He&rsquo;s a restricted free agent, so we&rsquo;ll see how this process unfolds.&rdquo;
Ayton averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks on a career-high 65.6% True Shooting percentage during the 2021-22 campaign. Ayton was a key asset for the Suns on both ends of the court, especially around the basket as an easy lob threat and defensive anchor. Ayton has been a key piece for the Suns, but is he worth a max contract? Based on Duffy&rsquo;s comments earlier this week, it sounds like Ayton&rsquo;s camp won&rsquo;t settle for anything less than the max entering free agency.
From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, they saw improvement from the 2018 No. 1 overall pick this season before the team's disappointing postseason showing.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense,&rdquo; Suns owner Robert Sarver told <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> recently about Ayton. &ldquo;I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Taking all of this into consideration, what if Ayton's days in Phoenix are numbered? Here's a look at the most realistic sign-and-trade destinations for Ayton this summer.
Note: It's important to remember that sign-and-trade deals rarely return the same value as a traditional trade. The Suns have let it be known that they won't simply let an asset like Ayton walk for nothing. If Ayton&rsquo;s time in Phoenix is indeed over, the Suns won&rsquo;t be leaving the relationship empty-handed.
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones
San Antonio is one of the few teams this offseason with secured max-level cap space. All that needs to be done in order to chase Ayton is renounce the restricted rights to Lonnie Walker.
Being at the bottom of the NBA standings is new for the Spurs. After being one of the league's model organizations for over two decades, they have officially hit a playoff drought. San Antonio was hoping for some lottery luck, but now they have to try another plan to bring in a star.
San Antonio&rsquo;s dynamic young duo of Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson is so fun to watch, but the they need a third game-changer to take this rebuild back into playoff mode. Ayton would be an ideal solution, mainly because of his excellent two-way fit in the Spurs&rsquo; system. Dropping Ayton into the Spurs&rsquo; player-development program could make some in Phoenix worry about the long-term consequences of this deal.
For Phoenix, cooperating with a long-time rival would hurt. However, if the relationship between team and player becomes fractured, the Suns won&rsquo;t have much of a choice if he finds a max offer on the open market.
The Suns won&rsquo;t let Ayton leave Phoenix unless they receive strong assets in return. The Spurs can actually provide a solid package that helps in the short and long-term.
In this deal, Phoenix could land one of the most underrated big men in the Association as well as two young players who have shown flashes. The Jalen Smith experiment was a disaster for the Suns after taking him No. 10 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Vassell went one pick later. Phoenix can right that wrong while also obtaining an intriguing point guard to develop in Jones.
This feels like a win-win for both sides. San Antonio would have a new Big 3 in Ayton, Murray and Johnson, while the Suns could acquire their new starting center and two pieces to bolster the bench unit.
Charlotte Hornets
Hornets receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington and draft compensation
There might not be a team with a more dire offseason need than the Hornets and their hole at center. Charlotte was one of my NBA League Pass teams this season due to their fun offensive pace, but the defense often bordered on disastrous. Montrezl Harrell and Mason Plumlee aren&rsquo;t going to cut it, so it&rsquo;s time for Charlotte to get aggressive.
Given Charlotte&rsquo;s roster, they would have to move some salaries around to make an Ayton chase realistic. Offloading Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s contract is going to be a tough task and they may even have to relinquish one of their top-15 picks to do so, but it would have to happen in order for them to pursue Ayton. Hayward is due $61.6 million over the next two seasons, and Charlotte simply can&rsquo;t afford to keep biting that bullet with restricted free agent Miles Bridges due for a payday and LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s own rookie-scale extension on the horizon. Trading away Hayward and Mason Plumlee would give the Hornets max space.
Landing Ayton is Charlotte's dream scenario. Not only would Ayton continue to get spoon-fed easy looks from an elite point guard, he would help stabilize the Hornets' defense to respectable levels. Thanks to his freakish athleticism, Ayton would be able to cover up a lot of holes around him defensively.
Phoenix would love to pull off a double sign-and-trade to nab Bridges, but that seems unlikely. Instead, this deal allows them to find their long-term answer at point guard post-Chris Paul. While Terry Rozier is a shot-chucker, he has improved as a playmaker in Charlotte. In the short-term, Rozier could step in as the Suns&rsquo; sixth man and provide the exact boost that they need in offensive guard creation. PJ Washington is an interesting add because he could slide right into the small-ball 5 role played previously by Dario Saric.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/aytonturn.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="377" />
Indiana Pacers
Pacers receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Myles Turner, Chris Duarte, TJ McConnell
What&rsquo;s the next step for Indiana? Long gone are Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert. Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield could be the next Pacers veterans to be shipped out via trade as Indiana fully embraces a rebuild attempt. It&rsquo;s been long overdue for the Pacers to pull the plug on the core that continued to stagnate once the postseason arrived.
A year later, Indiana&rsquo;s future looks much brighter with a talented, new-look core of Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson and whoever is selected at No. 6 overall.
Ayton couldn't ask for a better pick-and-roll partner than Haliburton. Already making magic happen with CP3, Ayton&rsquo;s rolling ability would help accentuate Haliburton&rsquo;s biggest strengths. Also, Ayton&rsquo;s defensive versatility would be a welcome arrival for a team that nosedived in that category last season.
For Indiana, the price would be hefty. Not only would this trade require a four-year max contract for Ayton, but the Pacers would likely need to ship out a key piece of their young core via sign-and-trade (such as Duarte).
This trade would be a huge win for Phoenix, but it also looks great for the Pacers. The Suns would have a starting center who adds floor-spacing equity and elite rim protection, a capable veteran backup point guard who can spell Paul at times, plus one of the most impactful rookie wings in the Association. Having to include Duarte could leave the Pacers apprehensive, but they are reportedly enamored with adding another explosive piece via the draft, as Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky) and Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) have all been linked to Indiana early in the pre-draft process.&nbsp;
Detroit Pistons
Pistons receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart, Cory Joseph and draft compensation
Another team that has considered making a run at Ayton this offseason is the Pistons, and they can create max space very easily: trading away Kelly Olynyk&rsquo;s contract.
The Pistons struck gold with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey and they are helping usher in a new era in Detroit. Ayton&rsquo;s arrival would be the final piece to the puzzle for a team seemingly pushing their chips in on postseason play as early as 2023.
It would be best for Ayton to land with a capable lead guard who can feed him regularly. Already capable of tallying 20 and 10 most nights, Ayton would be set up for long-term success alongside Cunningham and Bey.
The question is, what would the Pistons need to send Phoenix&rsquo;s way in order for this sign-and-trade to go through? It&rsquo;s going to be a lot, and it would be a blockbuster-type transaction.
Blockbuster indeed, because Grant is now heading back to the Valley in this scenario. If the Suns and Pistons want to cooperate on a Ayton deal, I have to imagine one of Grant or Bey would have to be involved. Stewart is another enticing trade chip because he&rsquo;s shown the versatility to space the floor from three-point range. While he doesn't have the same touch as Ayton, Stewart brings nastiness and a tenacity on both ends of the court that Phoenix would absolutely love.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ayton1.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="373" />
Atlanta Hawks
Hawks receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic
No ifs, ands or buts about it, Trae Young would make Ayton an All-Star next season. What a fun inside-out duo this is to envision. While Atlanta is nowhere close to reaching the necessary cap space to absorb a massive Ayton deal on their own, a sign-and-trade becomes feasible with all of the talent that could fit into the Phoenix roster.
For the Hawks, Ayton represents another foundational building block to place alongside Young for the long-term. John Collins could be the guy, but he&rsquo;s been in trade rumors for the past year with no signs of those slowing down. Onyeka Okongwu could also grow into that role, but the Hawks signing Clint Capela to a long-term extension perhaps signals that they see him more as a piece to the puzzle rather than a true building block.
Ayton would arrive in Atlanta and instantly average around 23 points and 12 rebounds per game. On box-score fit alone, this would be the best landing spot for Ayton thanks to the greatness of Young.
If Phoenix had drafted Luka Doncic rather than Ayton at No. 1 overall in 2018, Phoenix may have considered adding Clint Capela to their frontcourt. Four years later, Capela being re-routed to Phoenix in an Ayton sign-and-trade is a plausible scenario to imagine. Capela would provide similar numbers to Ayton while requiring less of an offensive workload. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic might vault to the top the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year leaderboards in the near future. Bogdanovic and Cameron Johnson leading the Suns&rsquo; second unit? That&rsquo;s a filthy thought.
***
None of these trades are perfect, but they do illustrate how challenging it will be for Phoenix to find a home for Ayton while also returning the value they'd love to get back for him. Ultimately, it may be in the Suns' best interest to re-sign Ayton this offseason and trade him at some point down the road when his value isn't so depressed.
Whatever happens, Ayton&rsquo;s name will continue to pop up in rumors throughout the spring and summer until the Suns and Ayton's camp find common ground at the negotiation table. This situation could become awkward and dragged out, which would surely kick the trade rumors into high gear. This isn't the last we'll hear about Ayton and the possibility of him changing teams.
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With Deandre Ayton's future in Phoenix becoming murky, it's time to examine potential destinations for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Examining potential sign-and-trade destinations for Deandre Ayton

The NBA sent four teams home from its Play-In Tournament after Friday night, but all four are poised to contend next season.
Though the Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs exited early, their trio of All-Star guards and exciting young cores mean all three should be back in the hunt &mdash; provided they beef up their rosters in the offseason. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers weren't supposed to make it this far without their franchise cornerstones; that only creates more buzz surrounding a 2022-23 championship contender.
What can these franchises do this offseason to set themselves up for success? I've written up some summer plans for all four squads, including draft assets (via Tankathon), potential free agents (via Spotrac) and a central team-building question (via my deranged mind). If you missed last week, I did the same for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/summer-plans-for-the-nbas-nonplayoff-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 teams who did not crack the NBA postseason</a>.
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Let's dive in.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, First-round pick via Pelicans, Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Toronto (if 55-60)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Montrezl Harrell, Isaiah Thomas, Miles Bridges (restricted), Cody Martin (restricted), Arnoldas Kulboka (restricted), Scottie Lewis (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How can the Hornets construct an interior defense?
Charlotte's bottom-10 defense doomed the franchise several times in the regular season and, ultimately, in the Play-In loss to Atlanta. The Hornets gave up boatloads of at-rim attempts and three-pointers, and simply looked like turnstiles at times. Improvement is necessary across the board, but an on-paper view highlights a clear need for upgrades inside.
Mason Plumlee is a fine basketball player, but he's not anchoring a high-level NBA defense. Neither is Montrezl Harrell, and 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones barely touched the floor in Charlotte. The Hornets don't have a whole lot of salary flexibility with big-money deals in place for Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier. Miles Bridges' restricted free agency is also a key offseason focal point.&nbsp;
Though the Hornets likely can't throw outright money at a Deandre Ayton-level restricted free agent, perhaps they could work a sign-and-trade for a lesser-known young talent. Maybe Mo Bamba fits the bill from Orlando? Charlotte was tied to trade rumors surrounding Myles Turner before the trade deadline, and the front office could also elect to sign a veteran at a mid-level exception.
Regardless of the pathway, the Hornets have needed to address the center position for years now. With a playoff leap now the expectation in 2022-23, they can't afford to let another summer slip away.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, Second-round pick via Spurs, Second-round pick via Heat
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Ed Davis, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Goodwin, Collin Sexton (restricted), Moses Brown (restricted), RJ Nembhard (restricted), Dean Wade (team option)
Central question:&nbsp;What is Collin Sexton's future in Cleveland?
The Cavaliers may have slid out of the playoffs, but this was a banner year for the franchise's long-term trajectory. Darius Garland emerged as a cornerstone point guard, Evan Mobley might win Rookie of the Year, and the frontcourt pairing with Jarrett Allen looks to be a mainstay in the Eastern Conference. Injuries ultimately derailed what was a top-four seed. Most of the rotation is under contract and under 30, hinting at continued growth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Darius Garland -&gt; Jarrett Allen -&gt; Evan Mobley (Lob) <a href="https://t.co/nDQz7tkxbs">pic.twitter.com/nDQz7tkxbs</a>
&mdash; Jackson Lloyd (@JacksonLloydNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonLloydNBA/status/1515354588353728522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

This seaon's leap makes the situation with Sexton... difficult. Let's not forget that the combo guard is a season removed from a 24-point-per-game season as an efficient primary scorer, and that the Cavs were 19th in Offensive Rating this year. Sexton can meaningfully boost Cleveland simply as a bucket-getter, nevermind if he keeps improving as a playmaker.
What kind of contract do the Cavs offer to a 23-year-old who missed nearly a full season with a knee injury though? If a desperate team decides to throw money at Sexton to force the franchise to match, is there a limit to the front office's willingness? What would an extension mean for Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert?&nbsp;
Sexton is one of the biggest dominoes in the upcoming offseason, and arguably the most unpredictable.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Robert Covington, Rodney Hood, Isaiah Hartenstein, Amir Coffey (restricted), Xavier Moon (restricted), Ivica Zubac (team option), Nic Batum (player option)
Central question:&nbsp;What does a fully-healthy 10-man rotation look like?
Nobody expected the Clippers to be a playoff contender without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and they still almost cracked the postseason with the supporting cast chipping in. L.A. made a splash at the trade deadline by adding Norman Powell and Robert Covington, two players who conceivably make sense next to the franchise's two stars.
This roster is deep. It's a great problem to have, but it's still a problem with several rotation options potentially hitting free agency. Covington will likely command a solid new deal as one of the league's more reliable two-way complements, and Batum could easily decline his $3.3 million team option in search of a raise. Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein may both hit free agency; what would happen to the center rotation in that case?
The Clippers have Leonard, George, Powell, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Marcus Morris locked down for next season. That's already seven rotation-caliber players, and it doesn't account for leaps from young talents like Brandon Boston Jr., Jason Preston or Amir Coffey. A roster crunch is inbound, and the organization can't let a quality addition slip away as it positions itself for title contention next season.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, first-round pick via Raptors, first-round pick via Celtics, second-round pick via Lakers
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Lonnie Walker IV (restricted), Devontae Cacok (restricted), Joe Wieskamp (restricted), DJ Stewart Jr. (restricted), Robert Woodard II (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How do the Spurs toe the line between developmental patience and consolidation?
San Antonio valiantly fought to get to the Play-In Tournament before losing to New Orleans, but also had one of the more underrated developmental seasons across the roster. Dejounte Murray made his All-Star leap and Jakob Poeltl established himself as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jakob-poeltl-san-antonios-newest-watchful-protector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the league's better rim-protectors</a>; the Spurs collectively were just a tick under league-average on both ends of the floor, per Cleaning the Glass.
One of the NBA's youngest rosters is well on track and about to receive another influx of potential. San Antonio could use its three first-rounders (including its own lottery pick) to add to the frontcourt or find another lead guard. However, the Spurs already have 12 players locked down for next season under at least partial guarantees, and 11 of them are under 30. They have a pathway to over $24 million in salary cap space this summer should they move on from restricted free agents like Walker.&nbsp;
There's an avenue, with draft picks, young players and cap space, for San Antonio to make a serious splash. Is that in the programming for this franchise, though? San Antonio hasn't acquired a star via trade in several years, unless you want to count adding DeMar DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster. At the same time, there are only so many minutes to go around for the young guns, especially if the Spurs think they can compete for the playoffs.
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Ethan Fuller sets the stage for the NBA's four Play-In exits approaching the offseason.

Summer plans for the Spurs, Hornets, Cavaliers and Clippers

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Saturday's slate.
Charlotte Hornets (-2) vs. Dallas Mavericks
This is going to be a very fun game to go along with March Madness action. Luka Doncic versus LaMelo Ball is already appointment-viewing, because both should feast in this matchup. On the road, we&rsquo;re betting big on Luka magic to pull through for bettors as underdogs. Dallas has played spoiler all season long in this role. If the Hornets' defense is unable to stop Doncic, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for the home team. Hammer Dallas on the road to cover.
Pick: Mavericks +2
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 31.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 19.5 points, Miles Bridges over 18.5 points, Jalen Brunson over 17.5 points
Washington Wizards (-3) vs. Los Angeles Lakers
What can you say about the Lakers at this point? As one of the most inconsistent teams in the Association, they are the NBA&rsquo;s version of a rollercoaster ride. On Saturday, the Lakers face off with Russell Westbrook&rsquo;s former team in Washington D.C. In what should be a fast-paced, high-scoring game, we&rsquo;re siding with the best player on the planet. LeBron is going for a scoring title, and it&rsquo;s hard to envision the Wizards giving much resistance. Behind a big night from LeBron, the Lakers pull off the upset.
Pick: Lakers +3
PrizePicks Power Play: LeBron James over 30.5 points, Kyle Kuzma over 20.5 points, Kristaps Porzingis over 18.5 points, Russell Westbrook over 16.5 points
Cleveland Cavaliers (-5.5) vs. Detroit Pistons
Even without Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers continue to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference playoff race. One of the best stories in the Association this season, Cleveland has thrived in tough situations. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley should be able to dominate on both sides of the court against the Pistons, who are right in the thick of potentially obtaining back-to-back No.1 overall draft picks. Cade Cunningham has been fun to watch for Detroit, but nothing else really stands out. With great value on the spread, hammer the Cavaliers to win and cover.
Pick: Cavaliers -5.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Darius Garland over 24.5 points, Cade Cunningham over 20.5 points, Evan Mobley over 17.5 points, Isaiah Stewart over 8.5 rebounds
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Make sure to <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For an intriguing Saturday slate in the NBA, "Nothing But Bets" drops off their favorite picks and props.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/19/22

The NBA All-Star break is always a good time to reflect on the first half of the season and look ahead to the remainder of the campaign. For fantasy-basketball enthusiasts, it also means that the fantasy playoffs are just a few weeks away.
Who better to help break down this season from a fantasy perspective than one of the most respected names in the fantasy-basketball community?&nbsp;
BasketballNews.com chatted with <a href="https://twitter.com/redrock_bball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Lloyd</a> &mdash; the host of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1I9lmlRwqSehJzlRo6DKqg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Locked On Fantasy Basketball Podcast</a> as well as the lead fantasy analyst for <a href="https://basketballmonster.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball Monster</a> and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/author/josh-lloyd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Sports Australia</a> &mdash; to get some fantasy advice for the home stretch, pick his brain about the first half of this season and learn about his journey from pharmacist to fantasy expert.
In terms of fantasy production, which players have surprised you the most so far this season?&nbsp;
Josh Lloyd: &ldquo;Gary Trent Jr. has been a huge surprise to me as well as Dejounte Murray. I also did not expect DeMar DeRozan to have the best season of his career at his age on a new team with an established number-one guy.&rdquo;
Which players have disappointed you this season?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;Isaiah Stewart has been a huge letdown, as were Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal &mdash; even before they missed time due to injury.&rdquo;
Who are a few players that should be owned in significantly more leagues?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;Patrick Beverley is the number-one player who stands out to me. He does get hurt a lot, but when healthy, he shouldn&rsquo;t be on any waiver wires. I&rsquo;d also take a chance on guys like Cam Payne (now with Chris Paul&rsquo;s injury) and Jaxson Hayes in New Orleans; they need to be grabbed.&rdquo;
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Who are some players to keep an eye on as this season progresses that could become a decent add (just based on the trajectory they&rsquo;re on or the opportunity ahead of them)?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m always going to watch Alperen Sengun. It will take Christian Wood missing time, but that is always possible. I also want to track the Pacers&rsquo; big-man situation, and especially Isaiah Jackson. There are a lot of unknowns there, but Jackson has the highest fantasy upside.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Which struggling player will get back on track and reward patient fantasy owners?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;OG Anunoby is in a big slump at the moment and I believe he will get back to his usual production soon. I&rsquo;d also look at Anthony Edwards, who has really struggled of late. But resting his ankle should allow him to attack the last part of the season with vigor.&rdquo;
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Who should fans be most concerned about rest-of-season?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;Malcolm Brogdon and Zion Williamson haven&rsquo;t been ruled out for the season, but I doubt they play. I would also be pretty concerned about Tyrese Maxey with James Harden in town.&rdquo;
Which trade-deadline acquisitions are worth a look after their change of scenery?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;To be honest, most of the value is created for players who remained on their teams, like Devin Vassell taking on a bigger role with Derrick White gone [in San Antonio]. I would also look at Justise Winslow in Portland.&rdquo;
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You were a pharmacist and then you made the transition to fantasy analyst. What went into that decision? And was it scary leaving behind a great job with plenty of security?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;It was simply about doing something I enjoyed. Pharmacy had become pretty stale and limiting and I spent so much time analyzing the NBA anyway that when a chance came up to make that a career, I took it. It was a little scary, but I didn&rsquo;t make the full-time transition for a couple of years, when I had full-time employment in the fantasy industry already secured.&rdquo;
There are a ton of people who would love to become a fantasy analyst, but they probably don&rsquo;t know where to start or they think it&rsquo;s unrealistic. What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career as a fantasy analyst?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;The number-one thing to do is be active. Get involved in Twitter. Post in the fantasy-basketball subreddit. Start your own YouTube channel or podcast, or even blog. Just practice writing or speaking and analyzing the game. It&rsquo;s not easy and takes a lot of commitment. The number-one thing to build yourself up, though, is to be consistent.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Our Tommy Beer recently put together his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-202122-fantasy-basketball-allstar-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 Fantasy All-Star Team</a>, highlighting which NBA players were fantasy studs during the first half of the season. Did any of your players make the list?
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Need some fantasy advice? Josh Lloyd shares his must-add players, biggest surprises and letdowns, players who concern him and more.

Fantasy-hoops Q&A: Josh Lloyd on must-add players, biggest concerns, more

The San Antonio Spurs have not housed an All-Star since the <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/all_star.html">2018-19 season</a> when LaMarcus Aldridge earned his seventh and final nomination. In fact, entering this season, the Spurs were the only NBA team in the league without a single former All-Star on their roster.&nbsp;
This three-year drought could finally be coming to a close, however, thanks to the spectacular play of one Dejounte Murray. While other breakout star guards like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/at-a-certain-point-well-have-to-mention-ja-morant-in-the-mvp-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ja Morant</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-all-star-case-fred-vanvleet-toronto-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fred VanVleet</a>, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/darius-garland-is-making-the-allstar-leap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Darius Garland</a> have all become social media darlings (rightfully so), Murray&rsquo;s career year seems to be slipping under the radar. But I&rsquo;m here to tell you: Dejounte Murray deserves your attention, and the case for his first-ever All-Star nomination may be stronger than you think.
Playmaking
To be clear, I&rsquo;m talking about Murray's knack for <a href="https://premiumhoops.org/2021/04/06/evaluating-nba-perimeter-defense-establishing-and-using-a-rubric/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event creation</a> on both sides of the ball.&nbsp;
On offense, I&rsquo;ll be the first to tell you he&rsquo;s a clear notch below the elite shot-composers. He doesn&rsquo;t get many layup assists (<a href="https://backpicks.com/2022-players/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">-1 relative layup assist percentage</a>). He&rsquo;s late on, or outright misses, some lay-down passes. And during my entire film study (roughly 750 possessions), I&rsquo;ve yet to witness him attempt a single skip pass.
However, the beauty of Murray&rsquo;s game is that he&rsquo;s well aware of his shortfalls as an offensive playmaker, and to compensate, he&rsquo;s mastered two very important passes.
The pocket pass.
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And the kick-out to a three-point shooter.&nbsp;
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As is the case with all great offensive initiators, Murray&rsquo;s facilitation abilities augment the rest of his teammates. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Spurs as a team experience a 4% increase in <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/2630/onoff#tab-team_shooting_fg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Effective Field Goal percentage</a> (93rd percentile) when Murray&rsquo;s on the floor, despite he himself being a below-average shooter efficiency-wise.
Additionally, his discipline as a passer beams out in his sub-10% turnover rate (84th percentile), which is a major reason why the Spurs rank&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No. 1 in the league</a> in that category (one of Dean Oliver&rsquo;s famous <a href="https://squared2020.com/2017/09/05/introduction-to-olivers-four-factors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four Factors</a>).
Normally, I&rsquo;m partial to high-turnover passers who take risks to bend defenses. But in this case, I think Murray&rsquo;s ability to provide a steadying presence to a young team has been crucial to San Antonio's offense not folding in itself this season.
Defense
Defensively, Murray&rsquo;s creation is more of the chaos-inducing variety. He&rsquo;s in the 89th percentile in steal percentage (fourth year in a row that he&rsquo;s in the 80th percentile or higher), and it&rsquo;s because he does a great job of deploying his pterodactyl-like wingspan to nuke possessions &mdash; both on and off the ball.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Daniel Bratulić (great Twitter follow, by the way) charted &ldquo;On-ball steals per Game&rdquo; and &ldquo;Passes Intercepted Per Game&rdquo; for the best thieves in basketball, and what do you know? Murray excels in both manners of hardwood robbery.&nbsp;
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Here is a breakdown of how top stealers in the game get their steals. Some are better at pickpocketing the ball handlers (Thybulle, CP3), some are better while playing off the ball (OG, Haliburton) and some excel at both (Murray, Ball, Caruso, Smart, Butler) <a href="https://t.co/J4Bx58nxWY">pic.twitter.com/J4Bx58nxWY</a>
&mdash; Daniel Bratulić (@daniel_bratulic) <a href="https://twitter.com/daniel_bratulic/status/1484245391742844932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Other than the diversity of his pickpocketing portfolio (admit it, that&rsquo;s fun to say), one thing you probably noticed is that many of his pilfers result in &ldquo;pick-sixes,&rdquo; which... transitions.... us perfectly into the next portion of his All-Star argument.
Transition
The reason Murray's playmaking on defense is so valuable isn&rsquo;t solely because it helps end the opposing team&rsquo;s offensive possessions prematurely. It also ignites the most efficient form of offense in the game: the fastbreak.&nbsp;
This season, Murray is averaging 1.27 points per possession (79th percentile) on nearly three transition possessions per game. (For some context, that efficiency is on-par with one of the game&rsquo;s most explosive players in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-high-can-anthony-edwards-fly-examining-the-20yearolds-ceiling">Anthony Edwards</a>.)
Murray&rsquo;s fastbreak ferocity isn&rsquo;t limited to plays off of steals. He&rsquo;s prone to hit turbo after defensive possessions that result in him corralling a rebound (7.5 defensive boards per 75 possessions).
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The Spurs as a team are scoring nearly three more points in transition per 100 possessions with Murray on the floor (94th percentile). Overall, San Antonio ranks in the top-10 in the league in points per possession on transition plays &mdash; in large part thanks to Murray&rsquo;s stewardship in this department.
Mid-Range Game
While the <a href="https://youtu.be/59epmjId_z0">Mid-Range King</a> left the Lone Star State this past offseason, it appears a worthy heir has risen to take his place on the throne. So far this year, Murray is shooting more mid-range shots per game than he ever has, all while maintaining efficiency similar to his previous seasons:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 324px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
Year
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
Attempts Per Game*
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
Shooting Percentage*
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2017-18
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
1.2
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
42%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2018-19
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
3.5
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
36%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2019-20
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
4.7
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
44%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2020-21
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
8.1
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
44%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2021-22
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
9.4
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
42%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Data provided by Cleaning the Glass
As last year&rsquo;s playoffs taught us, in a world where everyone is trying to stop threes and layups, having someone who can burn defenses with the middie is a useful trump card to have in your back pocket.&nbsp;
Murray&rsquo;s proficiency from no man&rsquo;s land also opens up driving lanes for him. As someone who runs a ton of pick and rolls (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/ball-handler/#!?sort=POSS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of seven players who runs at least 10 per game</a>), big men could theoretically sink into a drop against him because of his poor three-point shooting. However, because of his gravity in the mid-range, defenders often have to come up on the level of the screen, which gives him a chance to maneuver himself right past them.
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Murray is currently averaging a career-high 65% on shots at the rim (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/2630#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">82nd percentile</a>) while also averaging more drives per game than he has for his entire career. The massive attacking volume (No. 6 in the NBA in drives per game) that his mid-range shooting enables him to carry makes him the kind of offensive player a team can lean on in the postseason (see Donovan Mitchell). Those types of players generally warrant serious All-Star consideration.
Conclusion
The other day, Andy Bailey put out a tweet ranking NBA players based on their average rankings in 10 catch-all metrics:&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
If you sort every NBA player with 400+ minutes by the AVERAGE OF THEIR RANKS in 10 catch-alls (Box Plus/Minus, RAPTOR, Estimated Plus-Minus, LEBRON and Game Score per 36 minutes, as well as the cumulative versions of each), this is the top 30... <a href="https://t.co/Og4CguGtk3">pic.twitter.com/Og4CguGtk3</a>
&mdash; Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDBailey/status/1485349610516213761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Murray had the 16th-highest average score in the league, which by that measure would not only make him an All-Star caliber player, but a solid contender for an All-NBA spot this season.&nbsp;
Now, I&rsquo;m by no means saying that Murray definitely deserves to be an All-Star (nor that he should be in the discussion for All-NBA); Murray certainly has his flaws as a candidate &mdash; poor foul-drawing rates, below-average efficiency and questionable rebounding value (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defensive-rebounding/?CF=GP*GE*25&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;sort=DREB_CONTEST_PCT&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poor contested defensive rebounding rates</a>). Plus, there has just been too much great guard play this season to the point where somebody has to be left on the outside looking in.
All I&rsquo;m saying is, when you factor in his high placement in widely-cited, catch-all metrics with the arguments I&rsquo;ve laid out for you here, Dejounte Murray&rsquo;s got a case for All-Star consideration.
And you know what, it&rsquo;s a pretty darn good one.
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Mat Issa lays out his reasoning as to why Dejounte Murray should legitimately be considered to play in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

Making the NBA All-Star case for Dejounte Murray

&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; returns to go over today&rsquo;s small four-game slate on Tuesday. Every day, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; gives you the inside advantage before games begin. So far this season, we are carrying a 136-110-3 record (55.2%).
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under power play prop bets are provided by PrizePicks.
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat (-10)
This is such a rough spot for the Pistons to be in going up against Miami. The Heat&rsquo;s all-around efficiency, coupled with their suffocating defense, will make this one a blowout relatively quick. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo should easily dominate the Pistons&rsquo; porous defense, plus No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham will be in for a rough go trying to score on Miami&rsquo;s superstar wing. Hammer the Heat to cover the 10-point spread, plus the following power play prop on PrizePicks: Butler over 23.5 points, Adebayo over 17.5 points, Cunningham over 14.5 points.
New York Knicks (-7) vs. Los Angeles Lakers
There&rsquo;s been plenty of late action helping ballon this line in a gigantic way towards the Knicks. Originally opening at -3.5, it&rsquo;s since doubled to -7 in favor of New York. Both the Knicks and Lakers have been unable to find any consistency over the last few weeks. Also, LeBron James will be out tonight for Los Angeles after his scuffle with Isaiah Stewart in Detroit on Sunday. Even with no LeBron, I still think New York is getting too many points here. I&rsquo;m hammering the Lakers to cover the 7-point spread in a closely-contested matchup at Madison Square Garden. On PrizePicks, tail me on this simple power play: Anthony Davis over 24.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 14.5 points, Julius Randle over 9.5 rebounds, Russell Westbrook over 8.5 assists.
Portland Trail Blazers (-7) vs. Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic is expected to remain out tonight for Denver, which is bad news for the Nuggets in Portland. The last time Denver played, the team was blown off the court in Phoenix. With no Jokic, plus Michael Porter Jr.&rsquo;s back injury <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/michael-porter-jrs-season-in-jeopardy-due-to-potential-nerve-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worse than expected</a>, this could be a truly rough patch upcoming for the Nuggets. In this spot, I love the Trail Blazers to win outright and cover the 7-point spread. An ideal opportunity for Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to flex their muscles against Denver&rsquo;s smaller guards. On PrizePicks, another cost-effective power play: Lillard over 23.5 points, McCollum over 18.5 points, Will Barton over 18.5 points.
Los Angeles Clippers (-5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic&rsquo;s status is still up in the air, but even if he plays, I&rsquo;m still leaning in the direction of Los Angeles at home. Paul George continues to be dynamite for the Clippers, plus role players continue stepping up well alongside him. The Clippers match up very well against Dallas, and I don&rsquo;t expect the Mavs to keep it close if their MVP candidate can&rsquo;t suit up. Give me the Clippers to cover the 5-point spread and the following power play strategy on PrizePicks: George over 24.5 points, Kristaps Porzingis over 18.5 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. over 2.5 threes.
Recapping our picks against the spread for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s what is being lock in for Sunday&rsquo;s slate: Heat -10, Lakers +7, Trail Blazers -7, Clippers -5.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

Alongside our "Nothing But Bets" podcast on BasketballNews.com, our daily picks will be posted each day.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/23/21

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-suns-shining-during-winning-streak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. 
The Warriors are still sitting atop our updated power rankings, but the red-hot Suns are coming for the No. 1 spot!
1. Golden State Warriors (15-2) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
How special has Steph Curry's start to this season been, you ask? Consider this: During the 1985-86 season, Larry Bird led the NBA in made three-pointers, knocking down 82 triples that year. Curry made 85 three-pointers over the first 15 games of this 2021-22 campaign. And, even when he has an off night (as he did Sunday, scoring just 12 points), the Warriors still spanked the Raptors behind 33 points from Jordan Poole and 32 points from Andrew Wiggins. Oh, and if that already wasn't enough offensive firepower, we learned last week that Klay Thompson has been cleared for full practices and is "<a href="https://theathletic.com/news/warriors-klay-thompson-cleared-to-practice-fully-could-return-within-week-of-christmas-sources/iEKeYCOtl4px/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trending toward</a>" a return the week before Christmas.
2. Phoenix Suns (14-3) 🔼 Last Week: 3 
The Suns knocked off the Spurs on Monday night to notch their 13th consecutive victory. That's tied for the third-longest winning streak in Suns history. The all-time franchise record for Phoenix is 17 straight victories, which they accomplished during the 2006-07 season.&nbsp;
3. Brooklyn Nets (13-5) 🔽 Last Week: 2
Kevin Durant returned to action Monday night after missing one game with a sprained right shoulder, and he scored 27 points to help lead the Nets to a victory over Cleveland. Brooklyn also got an excellent lift from LaMarcus Aldridge (21 points and 11 rebounds off the bench) and first-round pick Cam Thomas, who scored a career-high 11 points vs. the Cavs.&nbsp;
4. Miami Heat (11-6) 🔼 Last Week: 6
The Heat have won 4 of their last 5 games, and have been efficient all season on both ends of the floor. They rank in the top-five in both Offensive Rating (scoring 111.7 points per 100 possessions) and Defensive Rating (allowing less than 105 points per 100 possessions).
5. Milwaukee Bucks (10-8)&nbsp;🔼 Last Week: 13 
The Bucks whooped the Orlando Magic on Monday night, entering halftime with a monstrous 77-36 advantage, the largest halftime lead in franchise history. The Bucks have won four in a row and remain undefeated this season (6-0) when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are all healthy and active.&nbsp;
6. Chicago Bulls (12-6) 🔽&nbsp;Last Week: 4
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have carried the Bulls offensively this season. They both scored at least 25 points 11 times over the first 15 games of 2021-22. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, DeRozan and LaVine are the fastest pair of teammates to record 10 or more 25-point games since Elgin Baylor and Jerry West did so in 11 games for the LA Lakers back in 1962-63.
7. Washington Wizards (11-6) 🔽 Last Week: 5
Washington is struggling of late, having lost 3 of its last 4 games. However, the Wizards will get some reinforcements up front in the near future, as both Rui Hachimura (personal) and Davis Bertans (left ankle sprain) were assigned to the team's G League affiliate Capital City Go-Go on Monday. Hachimura, who missed training camp and has been sidelined for the Wizards' first 17 games for unknown personal reasons, has been doing individual work at the Wizards' practice facility since early October and is inching closer to a return. (For what it's worth, I was tempted to knock the Wiz a bit further down the rankings due solely to the oversized sweater Kyle Kuzma wore to Monday's game, but decided to hold off.)
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When you're off to one of the best starts in franchise history, you get to wear whatever you want😂<a href="https://twitter.com/kylekuzma?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kylekuzma</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCAboveAll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCAboveAll</a> <a href="https://t.co/2drVu8PpGg">pic.twitter.com/2drVu8PpGg</a>
&mdash; NBC Sports Washington (@NBCSWashington) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWashington/status/1462916705387175947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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8. Utah Jazz (11-6) 🔼 Last Week: 9
Utah had won three in a row before blowing a lead in the closing seconds to the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night. Fortunately for the Jazz, they have three winnable games this week, as they play the Thunder on Wednesday and host the Pelicans for a pair of games this weekend.&nbsp;
9. Charlotte Hornets (11-8) 🔼 Last Week: 16
The Hornets have won 6 of their last 7 contests, thanks largely to the production from sophomore star LaMelo Ball. Over the team's past eight games, Ball is averaging a whopping 19.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.6 made three-pointers.&nbsp;
10. Los Angeles Clippers (10-7) 🔼 Last Week: 12 
With Kawhi Leonard (ACL surgery) out indefinitely, Marcus Morris Sr. sidelined by a knee issue of his own and Nicolas Batum placed into health and safety protocols for at least 10 days, Paul George has put the Clippers on his back this season. He's averaging 26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.1 made triples. He's currently on pace to join James Harden (2016-17) as just the second player in NBA history to average more than 26 points, 7 boards, 5 dimes and 3 treys per game over an entire season.&nbsp;
11. Boston Celtics (10-8) 🔼 Last Week: 17
It appeared the Celtics were teetering and in some trouble early in the season, but Boston has won 8 of their last 11 and is currently riding a three-game win streak. Jayson Tatum has scored at least 30 points in each of his last four games, and is averaging 33.5 points, 8.5 boards, 3.8 assists and 4.0 made treys during this four-game span. However, Boston is about to enter a brutal stretch. After hosting the division-leading Nets on Wednesday, the C's play 6 of their next 7 games on the road.&nbsp;
12. Philadelphia 76ers (10-8) 🔽 Last Week: 12
Despite being forced to play without Joel Embiid (Health and safety protocols), Ben Simmons (personal), Tobias Harris (left hip) and Seth Curry (back tightness), the Sixers were still able to beat the Kings Monday night in Sacramento. Tyrese Maxey has been a beast for Philly of late, averaging 25.4 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 three-pointers over his last seven games, while shooting a blistering 53.2% from the floor, 41.9% from downtown and 93.9% from the free-throw stripe.
13. Dallas Mavericks (9-7) 🔽 Last Week: 7
Luka Doncic has missed three straight games because of a sprained left knee and ankle, but the Mavs are hoping he'll be able to return to action Tuesday vs. the Clippers. Encouragingly, Kristaps Porzingis has been playing much better. Over his last five games, KP is averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 2.5 made treys while slashing 52/40/92%
14. Denver Nuggets (9-8) 🔽 Last Week: 8
The Nuggets have lost four straight games, with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic missing each of the last two contests due to a sprained right wrist. Worse yet, Mike Singer of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/michael-porter-jrs-season-in-jeopardy-due-to-potential-nerve-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denver Post reported</a> on Monday that Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue that could potentially require another back surgery, which would sideline him for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-9) 🔽 Last Week: 11
After a terrific start to the season, the Cavs have now lost four straight games. And things won't get any easier this week, as they host the scorching-hot Suns on Wednesday night and then embark on a three-game road trip next week against three teams with winning records (Heat, Wizards and Mavs).&nbsp;
16. Memphis Grizzlies (9-8) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The Grizzlies notched one of their most impressive victories of the season Monday night by beating the Jazz in Utah. Desmond Bane poured in a career-high 28 points vs. the Jazz to go with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 triples, while Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 26 points, including a game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds. On the season, Memphis is 7-2 when JJJ scores more than 13 points; conversely, the Grizz are just 1-5 when Jackson scored 12 points or less.&nbsp;
17. Portland Trail Blazers (9-8) 🔼 Last Week: 19
The Blazers have won 4 of their last 5 games, including three consecutive victories at home last week. After a slow start, Damian Lillard is heating up. Just named as the Western Conference Player of the Week, Dame is averaging 28.3 points and 8.3 assists while shooting over 39% from downtown during this three-game stretch. He has made all 22 of the free throws he's attempted.
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Damian Lillard is named Western Conference Player of the Week! 28.3 PPG 8.3 APG 2.7 RPG 1.7 BPG 48.4 FPPG <a href="https://t.co/uNZ3ytGfbz">pic.twitter.com/uNZ3ytGfbz</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462891134162808835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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18. Los Angeles Lakers (9-9) 🔽 Last Week: 15
The Lakers have lost 3 of 4, and will have to play without LeBron James on Tuesday night vs. the New York Knicks after he was suspended for one game due to hitting Isaiah Stewart in the face last Sunday.
19. Atlanta Hawks (9-9) 🔼 Last Week: 21
It turns out all the Hawks needed to get healthy was some home cooking. Atlanta capped a perfect five-game homestand with their fifth straight victory Monday over OKC. On the season, the Hawks are 8-1 at home and just 1-8 on the road.&nbsp;
20. New York Knicks (9-8) 🔽 Last Week: 14
After a 5-1 start, the Knicks are just one game above .500, and RJ Barrett's nasty slump is a primary reason. Over the Knicks' last eight games, Barrett is attempting more than 13 field-goal attempts per contest, but is shooting a paltry 28% from the floor and 17.5% from three-point territory. Of the 215 players with more than 50 field-goal attempts over their team's last 10 games, Barrett is the only player in the league shooting below 32% from the floor and below 21% from downtown.
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-9) 🔼&nbsp;Last Week: 25
At this time last week, the Wolves were languishing with a 4-9 record. However, Minnesota has reeled off four straight wins. Unsurprisingly, Karl-Anthony Towns has led the way. Over his last four games, KAT is averaging 26.2 points (on 55.4% shooting), 9.2 boards and 3.0 dimes.&nbsp;
22. Indiana Pacers (8-11) &harr;️ Last Week: 22
By following up a blowout victory over the Pels this weekend with another lopsided win over Chicago Monday night, it looks like the Pacers are starting to get on track. "It feels like we're getting our footing," Pacers coach <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360081" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rick Carlisle said</a> after beating the Bulls. "We're a team that's not going to get any free lunch from anybody. We've got to embrace that fact, and it's got to be something that brings us closer and closer together."
23. Toronto Raptors (8-10) 🔽 Last Week: 20
The Raps are just 2-7 in their last nine games, due in large part to their surprisingly sieve-like defense. Toronto is allowing more than 116 points per 100 possessions during this nine-game stretch. To put that in context, no other team in the NBA is giving up more than 114.7 points per 100 possessions.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (6-12) 🔽 Last Week: 23
The Kings fired head coach Luke Walton on Sunday. Alvin Gentry, who most recently served as head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans, has stepped in as the interim coach. The Sixers spoiled Gentry's debut Monday night. Interestingly, Marvin Bagley III has logged double-digit minutes in 4 of the Kings past 5 games.&nbsp;
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-11) 🔼 Last Week: 26
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first game of the season Monday night due to a sprained right ankle. OKC ended up losing in Atlanta, but rookie Josh Giddey was impressive, stepping in for SGA as the team's primary playmaker, as he nearly triple-doubled; Giddey finished with 15 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks.
26. San Antonio Spurs (4-12) 🔽 Last Week: 24
The Spurs, who have lost five straight, are just 2-8 over their last 10, and have lost 12 of their first 16 games in a season for just the second time in franchise history. One bright spot for San Antonio has been Dejounte Murray, who recorded his third triple-double of the season Monday night, tallying 18 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals with just one turnover in a close loss to the Suns.
27. New Orleans Pelicans (3-16) 🔼 Last Week: 28
The Pels are already 13 games under .500 and about to enter a tough stretch in their schedule. They host the Wizards on Wednesday, and they play a back-to-back in Utah on Friday and Saturday before heading to Los Angeles. Hopefully, we get some good news about Zion Williamson (right foot surgery) sooner rather than later.&nbsp;
28. Detroit Pistons (4-12) 🔼&nbsp;Last Week: 29
The Pistons blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead to the Lakers on Sunday night. Still, Detroit fans did get to enjoy a breakout performance from No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham, who racked up 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to become the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cade-cunningham-becomes-youngest-piston-to-record-triple-double" target="_blank" rel="noopener">youngest player in Pistons franchise history to record a triple-double</a>.
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5 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pistons?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pistons</a> scored in double-digits in last night's home game against the Lakers. <a href="https://twitter.com/JeramiGrant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeramiGrant</a> recorded his 2nd 30+ performance of the season &amp; a season-high 5 from beyond the arc. <a href="https://twitter.com/CadeCunningham_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CadeCunningham_</a> achieved his 1st triple-double in his 11th career game (13 PTS, 12 REB, 10 AST). <a href="https://t.co/zNNBpGm5zt">pic.twitter.com/zNNBpGm5zt</a>
&mdash; Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) <a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1462805678007930884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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29. Orlando Magic (4-14) 🔽 Last Week: 27
After an impressive victory over the Knicks at MSG last Wednesday, the Magic lost three straight games to Eastern Conference powerhouses Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Cole Anthony, who is enjoying a breakout season and is the team's leading scorer, has missed two straight games. Unfortunately, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said there is "no timetable as of right now" regarding Antony's return to action. "We're just going to keep seeing how he progresses as he goes through rehab," Mosley said Monday.
30. Houston Rockets (1-16) &harr;️ Last Week: 30
The Rockets are reeling, having lost 15 straight games. Since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, the only longer losing streak in the NBA belongs to... last season's Houston squad, which lost 20 consecutive contests.&nbsp;

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.