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The 2024 NBA Free Agency underway. Here's everything you need to know about the makings and the moves around the NBA.

2024 NBA Free Agency Tracker: All the signings and deals in the offseason

With Thursday's heartbreaking 122-128 overtime loss against the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons' losing streak reached&nbsp;28-consecutive games &mdash; tying the record for the longest losing spell in NBA history.
The Pistons are tied with the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost 28-straight games across two seasons (2014-15 to 2015-16). Detroit now holds the longest single-season losing streak of all-time.
The Pistons had their chances late in the game, even sending the game to overtime, but could not close out the Celtics. This was Boston's 22nd-straight win at home, where they are undefeated this season.
Cade Cunningham led another spirited effort for Detroit, putting up 31 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds, but he just could not will his team to victory. This comes after a herculean performance just two nights earlier against the Brooklyn Nets, when he had 41 points on 71% shooting.&nbsp;
Kristaps Porzingis helped the Celtics avoid disaster by tallying 35 points on 13-of-21 from the field and 8 boards, including a late dunk in transition to seal the game.&nbsp;
The Pistons will have another chance to put an end to this historic losing streak and try to evade NBA infamy when they face the Toronto Raptors at home on Saturday night.&nbsp;
Pelicans 112, Jazz 105
Zion Williamson had a near triple-double, while Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum each added 20-plus points as New Orleans snapped a two-game skid at the Smoothie King Center against Utah.&nbsp;
Williamson scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 8 assists for the Pelicans as they improved to 18-14. Collin Sexton had 26 points, while Lauri Markkanen added 24 for the Jazz.
Pacers 120, Bulls 104
 The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls on the road, and Tyrese Haliburton became just the second NBA player since 1985 to register 20 points and 20 assists with zero turnovers in a game (joining Chris Paul, who did it in 2016).
Haliburton was backstopped by Myles Turner, who contributed 24 points. Bennedict Mathurin added 19 points off the bench.
Patrick Williams had 22 for a recently streaking Chicago Bulls squad, who had won nine of their last 13 games entering this contest.&nbsp;
Timberwolves 118, Mavericks 110
Anthony Edwards dropped a season-high 44 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. Edwards shot 12-of-23 from the field, with 6 threes and 14 free throws, keeping the Wolves atop the West at 23-7.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way for the Mavs with 32 points off the bench on the second night of a back-to-back after a frustrating loss last night to the Cleveland Cavaliers.&nbsp;

Detroit's losing streak reached 28-consecutive games on Thursday — tying the record for the longest losing spell in NBA history.

Pistons drop 28th straight, tying NBA record for longest losing streak

With the NBA&rsquo;s 2023 free-agency period pretty much wrapped up, why not take a look at how projecting next year's free-agent market? Obviously, a lot can change between now and then, but let&rsquo;s examine each team&rsquo;s cap situation and how much cap room they project to have next summer.&nbsp;
Next year&rsquo;s free-agency class could feature some big names, including Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Maxey (restricted), Paul George, LeBron James, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, OG Anunoby and DeMar DeRozan.&nbsp;
For the purposes of this exercise, I&rsquo;m going to separate teams into four spending-power tiers: Cap Space Teams, Non-Tax MLE Teams, Luxury Tax Teams and Second Apron Teams. Also, let's assume that the salary cap will be set at $149,623,000 and the luxury tax will come in at $181,823,000, the maximum 10% jump from this upcoming season set under the new CBA.
CAP SPACE TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to have cap space next summer. They have spending access to their cap space, Bird Rights, the Room Exception (projected at $8,495,000) and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
San Antonio Spurs ($77,195,776 under the cap) If Victor Wembanyama is 70% as good as he&rsquo;s hyped up to be entering this season, one would figure that the Spurs will spend big or at least make a meaningful impact on the free-agent market next summer. They project to have an enormous amount of cap space, so it&rsquo;s very possible we&rsquo;ll see San Antonio take on some more bad contracts in trades to give them even more draft capital. Also, they&rsquo;ll want to retain Devin Vassell, who will be a restricted free agent next offseason once the Spurs extend his qualifying offer.
Philadelphia 76ers ($73,034,842 under the cap) The Sixers are perhaps the most interesting team in terms of their 2024 offseason outlook. By letting Tyrese Maxey hit restricted free agency next summer rather than extending him this year, Philadelphia gave themselves serious cap flexibility. Tobias Harris and James Harden both have expiring contracts, so the Sixers will have to use their cap space to replace their production. A Harden trade would obviously change their projected cap room, but it remains to be seen what they&rsquo;ll get back for the former MVP and how much it&rsquo;ll impact their books.
Toronto Raptors ($60,339,034 under the cap) After losing Fred VanVleet, the Raptors are walking a tightrope when it comes to whether they&rsquo;ll compete or rebuild. They face some tough decisions. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are both set to hit free agency next summer, so Toronto needs to decide whether they want to extend or trade their best players. Not to mention, Precious Achiuwa and Gary Trent Jr. also need new contracts.
Orlando Magic ($58,010,944 under the cap) Orlando has a lot of options for next summer, but the Magic may start with retaining many of their own players. Franz Wagner will likely receive a big contract extension, while Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony will be up for new contracts. Given that Orlando has a logjam in their backcourt &ndash; with Fultz, Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black &ndash; it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see what they do with Fultz and Anthony. The Magic will still have plenty of room to add quality talent for yearly average values over the NTMLE.
Detroit Pistons ($57,781,166 under the cap) Detroit may approach the 2024 offseason similar to how Houston approached this summer, as a young team hoping to use its massive cap space on good veterans in order to take bigger steps toward playoff contention. With that said, the first priority for the team will be agreeing to a contract extension with Cade Cunningham.
Utah Jazz ($50,315,319 under the cap) The Jazz find themselves in a unique position where they could go in two directions. After committing a three-year deal to Jordan Clarkson, they can use their cap space to give 2023 Most Improved Player Lauri Markkanen a contract extension. If they want to have significant cap space for next summer instead, they can hold off on giving Markkanen an extension until free agency is settled.
Washington Wizards ($47,123,801 under the cap) Despite their cap space next year, don&rsquo;t expect Washington to be a big player in 2024 free agency. In the beginning stages of a rebuild, the Wizards will probably keep their sights on collecting more draft capital. They do have an interesting decision coming up with recent trade acquisition Tyus Jones, whom they&rsquo;ll likely want to keep long-term.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets ($41,300,515 under the cap)&nbsp; They may lose some 2024 cap space if they eventually re-sign PJ Washington this offseason, but watch out for Charlotte to be one of the many small-market teams with money to spend next summer. With LaMelo Ball in the first year of his max contract extension, Charlotte may cash in on a marquee player to keep their young star happy.
Brooklyn Nets ($33,048,185 under the cap) The Nets do have the potential to have significant cap space next summer if they choose not to re-sign most of their own free agents. However, the Nets will more than likely focus on exploring the trade market and retaining big man Nic Claxton before reaching next year&rsquo;s free agency. Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O&rsquo;Neale will also hit free agency next offseason.
Indiana Pacers ($20,488,005 under the cap) Indiana could get to an even higher number in cap space if they decline Bruce Brown&rsquo;s $23 million team option next season. If Brown has a good year, the Pacers would likely keep him on a long-term deal that would consume a good chunk of their space. Other impending free agents they might like to keep include Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith.
Oklahoma City Thunder ($10,264,814 under the cap) The Thunder will likely continue to utilize the strategy of taking on short-term, bad-money contracts in exchange for draft capital. As they inch closer to contention, they will be looking at some big-money extensions for many of their young pieces, including one for Josh Giddey next year.&nbsp;
NON-TAX MLE TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap but under the luxury tax. They have spending access to Bird Rights, the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (projected at $13,644,000), the Bi-Annual Exception (projected at $4,968,000) unless used in 2023-24, and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
Chicago Bulls ($19,465,689 under the cap) The Bulls could potentially operate as a cap-space team if they elect to let DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams walk in free agency, but that seems unlikely. In addition, the Bulls could potentially create more space if Lonzo Ball&rsquo;s knee injury is considered career-ending by an NBA/NBPA-appointed physician. (Ball would still be paid, it just wouldn&rsquo;t count against the cap).&nbsp;
Sacramento Kings ($210,669 under the cap) The Kings used up most of their cap space by signing Domantas Sabonis to a big four-year extension that ties him with the team through 2028. As long as they are competitive, they will likely pursue quality pieces with their Non-Tax MLE to support Sabonis and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox. They will also likely try to keep Malik Monk and look at extension options for Davion Mitchell.
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New Orleans Pelicans ($487,911 over the cap) The Pelicans are fairly set with their core of CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram under contract through 2025. Ingram and McCollum are both extension-eligible this offseason, but the Pelicans may wait on dishing out extensions to maintain flexibility under the tax. New Orleans must also monitor Jonas Valanciunas&rsquo; free agency and a possible extension for Trey Murphy III.&nbsp;
Atlanta Hawks ($1,658,172 over the cap) Similar to the Kings, the Hawks wiped away their cap space when they signed Dejounte Murray and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter to four-year, $120 million and four-year, $90 million extensions, respectively. Already pushing past the salary cap, the Hawks may face a money crunch as they broach the luxury tax line. Retaining restricted free agents Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey next offseason may be tricky.
Los Angeles Clippers ($5,018,261 over the cap) The Clippers are in an interesting spot with George and Leonard both needing new deals, which they will likely get despite their inability to stay on the floor. Many veterans with big salaries will come off the books next year, like Marcus Morris, Nic Batum and Robert Covington. The question is whether the Clippers will continue to commit significant capital to a roster that hasn&rsquo;t met its lofty expectations.
Miami Heat ($7,751,630 over the cap) The Miami Heat are in a holding pattern with their roster as they engage in a Mexican standoff with the Blazers on a Damian Lillard trade, which could see them skyrocket into the deep tax. Outside of the Dame situation, Jimmy Butler will likely look for another big extension this offseason, which will pay him max money deep into his late 30s. They will also have to contend with potentially losing Caleb Martin, who has a player option for 2024-25.
Houston Rockets ($8,734,919 over the cap) The biggest spenders of this past offseason, the Rockets made big moves for Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Houston could get back into the cap-space tier again if they choose to part ways with Kevin Porter Jr. and his non-guaranteed $15.9 million salary. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun will also be up for extensions.&nbsp;
Cleveland Cavaliers ($11,399,749 over the cap) The Cavs are pretty set going into the 2023-24 season and beyond with two max guys (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell) and key guys on fairly big deals (Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Max Strus). They will likely give Evan Mobley a big extension next offseason, which could push them into the luxury tax in the near future. For next offseason, their only notable free agent is Isaac Okoro.
New York Knicks ($11,400,861 over the cap) This morning, the Knicks inked Josh Hart to a four-year contract extension that pushed them over the cap for 2024-25. Their main concerns for next summer are Immanuel Quickley and Isaiah Hartenstein, who are both up for new contracts. They will likely be able to avoid the tax by declining their team option on Evan Fournier or trading his expiring contract for another expiring deal.
Dallas Mavericks ($13,566,153 over the cap) The Mavericks are not likely to seek pathways to cap space next summer after doubling down on their trade for Kyrie Irving by re-signing him to a three-year, $120 million deal. They should look to retain Josh Green, who will be a restricted free agent. Luka Doncic&rsquo;s happiness looms over all of the Mavs&rsquo; moves, as ESPN&rsquo;s Tim McMahon <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-fear-luka-doncic-may-request-trade-unless-they-build-contender">reported in April</a> that the Mavericks are worried about Doncic potentially seeking a trade elsewhere as soon as next year.
Los Angeles Lakers ($15,380,636 over the cap) The Lakers had a pathway to almost two max slots in the unlikely scenario that they decided to pivot from the LeBron-AD era. However, that option is out the window with them inking Davis to a three-year supermax extension that will keep him with the team through 2028. LeBron James&rsquo; decision to stay with the team or leave will ultimately dictate how the Lakers approach spending next offseason.
Portland Trail Blazers ($20,567,876 over the cap) Portland is in the midst of turning the page to a new era as they look to accommodate franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard&rsquo;s trade request. If they do end up trading Lillard, expect their cap numbers to come down slightly, but not enough to get any meaningful space. Whether Lillard is traded for the Miami package or something else, Portland shouldn&rsquo;t be a major player in free agency for a while.&nbsp;
LUXURY TAX TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap and luxury tax. They have spending access to Bird Rights, the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (projected at $5,500,000), and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
Minnesota Timberwolves ($14,474,085 under the tax) The Timberwolves have paid the luxury tax only once since 2007. They should be a tax team once again, with Karl-Anthony Towns' supermax extension and Anthony Edwards' max extension kicking in. In addition, Minnesota will need to use significant capital to keep players like Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson, all of whom will be free agents in 2024.
Golden State Warriors ($9,696,462 under the tax) While the Warriors are currently under the tax, they are likely going to re-sign 2024 free agent Klay Thompson to a long-term deal at a lower number or at least use his Bird Rights to acquire another piece at a similar number. Golden State can cut some costs by releasing Chris Paul after the season, as his $30 million salary for 2024-25 is non-guaranteed.
Milwaukee Bucks ($6,142,529 under the tax) The Bucks re-signed Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to big-money deals, committing to the players who won them the 2021 title. Another one of those players, Jrue Holiday, is set to reach free agency and will likely demand max money. In addition, Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes eligible for a supermax extension of up to three years in October and can sign a four-year supermax extension next offseason.
Denver Nuggets ($6,732,627 over the tax) The defending champs have their core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon locked in through the 2025 offseason. They&rsquo;ve already lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green this summer and will be forced to work around the edges with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope potentially heading for free agency next summer.
Boston Celtics ($7,306,800 over the tax) The trade for Kristaps Porzingis pushed the Celtics into the luxury tax for the first time since 2018, and that was before they signed Jaylen Brown to a five-year supermax extension. With Jayson Tatum&rsquo;s own supermax extension on the horizon next year, the Celtics figure to be a tax team, and potentially a second apron team, for the foreseeable future.
SECOND APRON TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap, luxury tax and second luxury tax apron ($17.5 million over the tax). They have spending access to just Bird Rights and the Veteran Minimum Exception. The second apron was introduced in the new CBA and prevents teams from using the Taxpayer MLE, trading first-round picks seven years away, signing buyout free agents and taking back more salary than they send out in trades among other restrictions.
Memphis Grizzlies ($13,829,477 over the tax) For the first time under owner Robert Pera, the Grizzlies will be paying the luxury tax. While Memphis probably won&rsquo;t reach the second apron, they are not likely to have enough spare capital to use their Tax MLE and be able to fill out their roster without going over it. Their core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are locked up to big money, long-term deals that will keep Memphis among the league's biggest spenders for likely the next decade-plus.
Phoenix Suns ($27,039,607 over the tax) Phoenix is by far the most limited team when it comes to spending, and they will be for the next few seasons after trading for Bradley Beal&rsquo;s behemoth contract. With four max contracts, including two supermax contracts, the Suns have blown through the second apron. Like this past offseason, the supporting cast around their core four will be mostly minimum-salary contracts.

How much cap room is your favorite NBA team projected to have next summer? Blake Stern breaks down where all 30 teams stand.

Which NBA teams project to have the most cap space in 2024?

<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-wembanyama-big-men-716d46b407e0e0b6be18370cc7e643b2">Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;NBA draft experience will be quite unlike last year&rsquo;s No. 1 pick.
Paolo Banchero could never be certain he would be taken first. There was too much speculation that Orlando was also considering Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren, with some mock drafts listing Banchero below both. The eventual Rookie of the Year said he didn&rsquo;t find out&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-nba-draft-live-updates-1a7d5a8f93ddab31614e29c337e8d862">he was the Magic&rsquo;s choice</a>&nbsp;until less than a minute before Commissioner Adam Silver went on stage in Brooklyn.
Wembanyama has no need to wait.
The 19-year-old from France has owned permanent residence atop mock draft boards, including all four versions of the AP&rsquo;s, and could begin walking to the stage Thursday night before Silver finishes announcing the San Antonio Spurs&rsquo; selection.
Shortly after, two twin brothers could make the same walk.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-amen-ausar-thompson-a34e7912942e90a202005ea35fcd0944">Amen and Ausar Thompson</a>&nbsp;of Overtime Elite are both expected to land inside the top 10.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, FORWARD, FRANCE</h2>
His combination of a center&rsquo;s size and a guard&rsquo;s shooting and dribbling make the 19-year-old a prospect perhaps unlike any other the NBA has seen, and should end the 13-year streak of the No. 1 pick being a college freshman. The Spurs won five NBA titles after taking Tim Duncan in 1997, the last time they had the No. 1 pick and dream of a similar impact from Wembanyama, who is listed at 7-foot-4.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">2. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: BRANDON MILLER, FORWARD, ALABAMA</h2>
At 6-9, the SEC player of the year and tournament MVP as a freshman has the size, versatility and 3-point stroke to make him an ideal player for the modern NBA game. But the Hornets, who played without Miles Bridges last season after an arrest for a domestic violence incident against the mother of his children, may have to weigh a negative reaction if they add Miller, who&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-tuscaloosa-alabama-crimson-tide-top-25-college-basketball-today-39eab4a038324d58910da79372722ad1">delivered the gun used in a fatal shooting.</a>
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">3. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: SCOOT HENDERSON, GUARD, G LEAGUE IGNITE</h2>
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1665146603525795840?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Worked out for the Trail Blazers</a>&nbsp;and showed the athleticism and ability to do it all from the guard spot that may have made Henderson the No. 1 pick in many years. This time, he could be part of a trade if the Blazers decide they&rsquo;d prefer to acquire more veteran help around Damian Lillard &mdash; or perhaps Lillard&rsquo;s replacement if they instead decide to build around youth.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">4. HOUSTON ROCKETS: AMEN THOMPSON, GUARD, OVERTIME ELITE</h2>
At 6-7, Thompson has great size for a guard and the 20-year old showed the ability to step up when it matters most, averaging 17.2 points, 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the playoffs to lead the City Reapers to the championship last season. The Rockets, after adding Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. in the last two drafts, are positioned to get another good one.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">5. DETROIT PISTONS: CAM WHITMORE, FORWARD, VILLANOVA</h2>
The Pistons fell to the lowest spot possible in the lottery after finishing with the NBA&rsquo;s worst record and sharing the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick. But getting Whitmore, a versatile wing with a strong build, to add to young pieces such as Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey under new coach Monty Williams would help ease the sting.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">6. ORLANDO MAGIC: AUSAR THOMPSON, FORWARD, OVERTIME ELITE</h2>
Amen Thompson&rsquo;s twin brother has been the Overtime Elite regular season and finals MVP the last two seasons and the 6-7 swingman plays big on defense, twice blocking seven shots in a game. The Magic were a team on the rise in the second half of last season and Thompson could help ensure that continues.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">7. INDIANA PACERS: JARACE WALKER, FORWARD, HOUSTON</h2>
Coming from Houston&rsquo;s rugged program means Walker already plays NBA-ready defense, and the offensive end could come along quickly under Rick Carlisle. At 6-8, 240 pounds, he already has the size and strength to deal with anyone he could face in the frontcourt.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">8. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: ANTHONY BLACK, GUARD, ARKANSAS</h2>
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wizards-suns-trade-bradley-beal-55adab5fa31d5dfbc35b83223743d9c6">With Bradley Beal going</a>&nbsp;and no certainty that Chris Paul will stay, there&rsquo;s an opportunity for an immediate impact in the Washington backcourt. The 6-7 guard seems to have endless energy, playing nearly 35 minutes a game to lead the Southeastern Conference and all 20 minutes in a half 19 times. That included 37 minutes on an injured left ankle in the Razorbacks&rsquo; NCAA Tournament upset of top-seeded Kansas, when he helped hold expected lottery pick Gradey Dick to seven points.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">9. UTAH JAZZ: TAYLOR HENDRICKS, CENTRAL FLORIDA</h2>
The 6-9 freshman makes an impact inside and outside on both ends of the floor. He led the American Athletic Conference in blocked shots and shot 39% from 3-point range, becoming the only Division I player last season with at least 60 3-pointers, 55 blocked shots and 35 dunks.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">10. DALLAS MAVERICKS: GRADEY DICK, GUARD, KANSAS</h2>
Dick made 83 3-pointers, most in Kansas history by a freshman, and the 6-8 forward could get plenty of open looks when Mavericks opponents focus their attention on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving &mdash; if Irving remains in Dallas. The Mavs went to great lengths to protect their chances of keeping this pick, tanking their final couple games to boost their lottery odds while still in play-in contention.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">11. ORLANDO MAGIC (from Chicago Bulls): BILAL COULIBALY, FORWARD, FRANCE</h2>
Wembanyama&rsquo;s teammate with Metropolitans 92 is a 6-6 swingman whose stock rose as their team reached their French League finals. He hasn&rsquo;t reached his potential yet as a scorer, but his 7-3 wingspan allows him to impact the game on both ends even without doing so and could make him a good fit with 2022 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">12. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: DERECK LIVELY II, CENTER, DUKE</h2>
Is still limited offensively, but the 7-1 Lively shows promise as a rebounder and shot blocker, highlighted by 14 boards and eight blocks in a game against rival North Carolina.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">13. TORONTO RAPTORS: JALEN HOOD-SCHIFINO, GUARD, INDIANA</h2>
The Big Ten freshman of the year has great size in the backcourt at 6-6 and could help the Raptors guard against a potential loss of Fred VanVleet in free agency, but needs to become a better shooter after hitting only 40% from the field in his lone season.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">14. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: CASON WALLACE, KENTUCKY</h2>
A point guard who takes care of the ball and takes it away from opponents, he was fourth in the SEC in both steals per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. At 6-4, has the size and strength to defend some of the marquee guards in the Western Conference.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">15. ATLANTA HAWKS: KOBE BUFKIN, GUARD, MICHIGAN</h2>
Massive leap from first to second year of college, averaging 14 points as a sophomore after not starting a game while averaging 3.0 points as a freshman. Next leap is to the NBA, where the 6-4 lefty could quickly be a change-of-pace guard off the bench.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">16. UTAH JAZZ (from Minnesota): KEYONTE GEORGE, GUARD, BAYLOR</h2>
The highest-ranked recruit in program history lived up to the billing in his lone college season, scoring 20 or more points 12 times and averaging 15.3 en route to Big 12 freshman of the year honors. The 6-4 guard could provide scoring punch on a team that stayed in the postseason hunt longer than expected.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">17. LOS ANGELES LAKERS: NICK SMITH JR., GUARD, ARKANSAS</h2>
After mixed results with Russell Westbrook and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell last season, the Lakers&rsquo; search for guard help could lead to Arkansas, where the 6-5 Smith played in just 17 games in his lone college season after recovering from a right knee injury but showed the ability to play either guard spot.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">18. MIAMI HEAT: JORDAN HAWKINS, GUARD, UCONN</h2>
Ballhandling still needs improvement, but Hawkins&rsquo; catch-and-shoot ability was one of the biggest reasons the Huskies stormed through the NCAA Tournament to their fifth national title, and something the Heat were missing in their NBA Finals loss.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">19. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: NOAH CLOWNEY, FORWARD, ALABAMA</h2>
Clowney put up nearly eight rebounds and a block per game in his lone college season. With just 210 pounds on his 6-10 frame, he will need to add strength for the battles inside against NBA big men.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">20. HOUSTON ROCKETS (from LA Clippers): KRIS MURRAY, FORWARD, IOWA</h2>
After averaging 20.2 points &mdash; with a 30-point, 20-rebound game in one outing &mdash; Murray will try to make a similar first-year NBA impact as twin brother Keegan, who after leaving the Hawkeyes became an immediate starter for Sacramento last season and was an All-Rookie first-team selection.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">21. BROOKLYN NETS (from Phoenix): JETT HOWARD, GUARD, MICHIGAN</h2>
His willingness to fire from behind the arc makes the freshman a perfect fit for the 3-point happy NBA. The 6-8 freshman made multiple 3-pointers in 24 of his 29 games for Juwan Howard, his father, and hit three or more in almost half of them. Howard made 36.8% of them while averaging 14.2 points
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">22. BROOKLYN NETS: LEONARD MILLER, FORWARD, G LEAGUE IGNITE</h2>
The Nets have needed more scoring punch since trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and Miller looks capable of providing it after averaging 18 points last season. The 6-10 Canadian also averaged nearly 11 rebounds, another area Nets leadership has identified as a priority.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">23. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (from New York): BRICE SENSABAUGH, FORWARD, OHIO STATE</h2>
Averaged 16.3 points and shot better than 40% from 3-point range in his strong one season for the Buckeyes, where he was the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since D&rsquo;Angelo Russell in 2015.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">24. SACRAMENTO KINGS: MAXWELL LEWIS, FORWARD, PEPPERDINE</h2>
The 6-7 Lewis made nearly 80% of his free throws and 36% of his 3-point attempts in his two seasons with the Waves, and improved his ability to score off the dribble while averaging 17.1 points last season.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">25. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: G.G. JACKSON, FORWARD, SOUTH CAROLINA</h2>
Would have been heading to college now &mdash; perhaps as the No. 1 prospect &mdash; before reclassifying last summer to enter a year earlier. Instead, the 6-9 Jackson is on his way to the NBA after scoring in double figures in 25 of his 32 games, averaging 15.4 points.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">26. INDIANA PACERS (from Cleveland): JAIME JAQUEZ JR., GUARD, UCLA</h2>
The do-everything swingman led the Bruins with 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, becoming their first Pac-12 player of the year since Kevin Love in 2008. At 6-7, Jaquez does everything well &mdash; he&rsquo;s No. 8 in UCLA history in both points and steals &mdash; but maybe not any of them at the top NBA level.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">27. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (from Denver via New York and Oklahoma City): AMARI BAILEY, GUARD, UCLA</h2>
Bailey had a strong finish to his lone college season, averaging 16.7 points on 56% shooting in the Bruins&rsquo; run to the Sweet 16. The Hornets struggle when LaMelo Ball is out, so the 6-5 guard could be appealing to a team that was fourth-worst in the NBA in scoring.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">28. UTAH JAZZ (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn): COLBY JONES, GUARD, XAVIER</h2>
With three picks in the first round, the Jazz are positioned to bolster a team that hung around the playoff race much longer than expected. The 6-6 Jones, who made 18 of 21 shots in one torrid stretch last season and shot 9 of 10 on 3-pointers in another, could be a nice late addition.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">29. INDIANA PACERS (from Boston): BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI, GUARD, SANTA CLARA</h2>
Made 43.8% of his 3-pointers in his lone season after transferring from Illinois, accuracy from behind the arc that NBA teams covet. The 6-5 guard shared WCC player of the year honors after averaging 19.9 points and 8.8 rebounds, finishing in the top three in the conference in both categories.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">30. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (from Milwaukee via Houston): DARIQ WHITEHEAD, FORWARD, DUKE</h2>
Arrived at Duke as the high school player of the year, but a foot injury led to a delayed start to his college career followed by shooting struggles after it finally began. But the 6-7 forward showed enough defensive and 3-point abilities in his limited time to make himself worthy of a first-round spot.

How will the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft shake out on Thursday night? Check out the AP's latest mock draft.

NBA mock draft: Wembanyama easy No. 1, Miller at 2, Henderson 3rd

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; For much of the spring, finding an NBA coaching job was the last thing Monty Williams cared about.
After being fired by the Phoenix Suns following their elimination from the postseason, Williams had talked to a few teams when his family got some upsetting news &mdash; his wife, Lisa, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Williams was introduced Tuesday as the new coach of the Detroit Pistons, and he discussed his wife&rsquo;s health in an attempt to help others.
&ldquo;The reason that I bring it up is to not talk about my family, but to make it more of an emphasis that women need early detection testing. We had genetic testing done and then scan after scan after scan and then we found it early, and that may have saved my wife&rsquo;s life.
&ldquo;It can save others.&rdquo;
Williams had been in contact with Pistons general manager Troy Weaver, but dropped out of contention for the Detroit job when his wife was diagnosed.
&ldquo;As we navigated all of that, I was talking to Troy and telling him man, I couldn&rsquo;t, you know, right now because I gotta take care of my family,&rdquo; he said.
Williams, whose first wife, Ingrid, died in a car crash in 2016, was ready to take at least one season off to spend more time with his wife and kids. He&rsquo;s also helping his son Elijah &mdash; a top recruiting target for schools across the country &mdash; deal with that aspect of his life.
&ldquo;After we got the good news about Lisa, I was with my kid at a tryout when I got a text from Troy out of the blue,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I thought everything was totally off the table, but things went quickly after that.&rdquo;
Williams flew to Los Angeles to meet with owner Tom Gores.
&ldquo;I had met with Troy for about five days at my house, and I told him we had a critical responsibility to get this right for our players,&rdquo; Gores said. &ldquo;They have literally trusted us and they are even holding their own practices. I wouldn&rsquo;t say it was a yelling match, but we talked about how it was important to deliver for those young men.&rdquo;
Williams coached New Orleans from 2010-15, going 173-221 and losing twice in the first round of the playoffs.
Things were different in Phoenix. Taking over a team that had gone 19-63 in 2018-19, Williams led the Suns to a 34-39 record in the pandemic-affected 2019-20 season, then 51-21 and a berth in the NBA Finals in the compressed 2020-21 schedule. They lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Phoenix went 64-18 and finished as the West&rsquo;s top seed in 2021-22. Williams was named Coach of the Year, but the Suns were knocked out in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks.
This season, they slipped to 45-37 and another second-round loss, this time to the championship-bound Denver Nuggets.
Now he&rsquo;s going to have to restart that process in Detroit.
The Pistons had the worst record in the league at 17-65 but were unlucky in the draft lottery, getting the fifth pick. They&rsquo;ve gone seven years without a winning season and haven&rsquo;t won a playoff game since Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals.
Detroit has a promising young core in Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, but Cunningham missed most of last season with a stress fracture.
&ldquo;You can see the talent of this group and you see the size, but what I&rsquo;m really impressed by is the people,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;When I talk to them, they look me in the eye, which is impressive. When I text them, they get right back to me. There&rsquo;s a hunger and a desire there.&rdquo;

Williams was introduced Tuesday as the new coach of the Pistons, and he discussed his wife’s health in an attempt to help others.

Wife’s cancer almost prevented Monty Williams from taking Pistons job

There&rsquo;s no doubt who the San Antonio Spurs are going to select with the first pick in this year&rsquo;s NBA draft.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wembanyama-draft-lottery-nba-b0692a8ee59c2235f2d4f4387266eab7">Victor Wembanyama</a>&nbsp;could have started packing for Texas once the Spurs learned they had won the NBA draft lottery.
But once the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wembanyama-wemby-nba-draft-lottery-50308e65f44b8df7a2368c4de17bacff">7-foot-3 French phenom</a>&nbsp;is off the board minutes after the draft begins on June 22, that&rsquo;s when the intrigue will begin.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-combine-scoot-henderson-brandon-miller-a55811da32a6f58cafde246b0e602152">Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller</a>&nbsp;to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 2?
The first edition of the AP&rsquo;s 2023 mock draft says it&rsquo;ll be Miller.
1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, FORWARD, FRANCE
His combination of a center&rsquo;s size and a guard&rsquo;s shooting and dribbling make the 19-year-old a prospect perhaps unlike any other the NBA has seen. The Spurs won five NBA titles after taking Tim Duncan in 1997 the last time they had the No. 1 pick and dream of a similar impact from Wembanyama.
2. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: BRANDON MILLER, FORWARD, ALABAMA
At 6-9, Miller has the size, versatility and 3-point stroke to make him an ideal player for the modern NBA game. The SEC player of the year and tournament MVP as a freshman, Miller would appear to be a good fit playing with LaMelo Ball, though the Hornets, who played without Miles Bridges last season after an arrest for a domestic violence incident against the mother of his children, may have to weigh a negative reaction if they add Miller, who&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-tuscaloosa-alabama-crimson-tide-top-25-college-basketball-today-39eab4a038324d58910da79372722ad1">delivered the gun used in a fatal shooting.</a>
3. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: SCOOT HENDERSON, GUARD, G LEAGUE IGNITE
His athleticism and ability to do it all from the guard spot may have made Henderson the No. 1 pick in many years. This time, he could be part of a trade if the Blazers decide they&rsquo;d prefer to acquire more veteran help around Damian Lillard &mdash; or perhaps Lillard&rsquo;s replacement if they instead decide to build around youth.
4. HOUSTON ROCKETS: AMEN THOMPSON, GUARD, OVERTIME ELITE
At 6-7, Thompson has great size for a guard and the 20-year old showed the ability to step up when it matters most, averaging 17.2 points, 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the playoffs to lead the City Reapers to the championship last season. The Rockets, after adding Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. in the last two drafts, are positioned to get another good one.
5. DETROIT PISTONS: CAM WHITMORE, FORWARD, VILLANOVA
The Pistons fell to the lowest spot possible in the lottery after finishing with the NBA&rsquo;s worst record and sharing the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick. But getting Whitmore, a versatile wing with a strong build, to add to young pieces such as Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey would help ease the sting.
6. ORLANDO MAGIC: AUSAR THOMPSON, FORWARD, OVERTIME ELITE
Amen Thompson&rsquo;s twin brother has been the Overtime Elite regular season and finals MVP the last two seasons and the 6-7 swingman plays big on defense, twice blocking seven shots in a game. The Magic were a team on the rise in the second half of last season and Thompson could help ensure that continues.
7. INDIANA PACERS: JARACE WALKER, FORWARD, HOUSTON
Coming from Houston&rsquo;s rugged program means Walker already plays NBA-ready defense, and the offensive end could come along quickly under Rick Carlisle. At 6-8, 240 pounds, he already has the size and strength to deal with anyone he could face in the frontcourt.
8. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: TAYLOR HENDRICKS, CENTRAL FLORIDA
The 6-9 freshman makes an impact inside and outside on both ends of the floor. He led the American Athletic Conference in blocked shots and shot 39% from 3-point range, becoming the only Division I player last season with at least 60 3-pointers, 55 blocked shots and 35 dunks.
9. UTAH JAZZ: ANTHONY BLACK, GUARD, ARKANSAS
The 6-7 guard seems to have endless energy, playing nearly 35 minutes a game to lead the Southeastern Conference and all 20 minutes in a half 19 times. That included 37 minutes on an injured left ankle in the Razorbacks&rsquo; NCAA Tournament upset of top-seeded Kansas, when he helped hold expected lottery pick Gradey Dick to seven points.
10. DALLAS MAVERICKS: GRADEY DICK, GUARD, KANSAS
Dick made 83 3-pointers, most in Kansas history by a freshman, and the 6-8 forward could get plenty of open looks when Mavericks opponents focus their attention on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving &mdash; if Irving remains in Dallas. The Mavs went to great lengths to protect their chances of keeping this pick, tanking their final couple games to boost their lottery odds while still in play-in contention,.
11. ORLANDO MAGIC (from Chicago Bulls): KEYONTE GEORGE, GUARD, BAYLOR
The highest-ranked recruit in program history lived up to the billing in his lone college season, scoring 20 or more points 12 times and averaging 15.3 en route to Big 12 freshman of the year honors. The 6-4 guard could provide scoring punch on a team that was 26th in the NBA in points per game.
12. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: CASON WALLACE, KENTUCKY
A point guard who takes care of the ball and takes it away from opponents, he was fourth in the SEC in both steals per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. The Thunder already have a Kentucky guard thriving in their backcourt in All-NBA player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
13. TORONTO RAPTORS: NICK SMITH JR., GUARD, ARKANSAS
Played in just 17 games in his lone college season after recovering from a right knee injury, but that was enough to play himself into lottery consideration. At 6-5, Smith can play either guard spot and would improve the backcourt on a Toronto team whose strength was its wings.
14. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: JORDAN HAWKINS, GUARD, UCONN
Ballhandling still needs improvement, but Hawkins&rsquo; catch-and-shoot ability was one of the biggest reasons the Huskies stormed through the NCAA Tournament to their fifth national title. Now it could help create more driving lanes for Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
15. ATLANTA HAWKS: KOBE BUFKIN, GUARD, MICHIGAN
Massive leap from first to second year of college, averaging 14 points as a sophomore after not starting a game while averaging 3.0 points as a freshman. Next leap is to the NBA, where the 6-4 lefty could quickly be a change-of-pace guard off the bench.
16. UTAH JAZZ (from Minnesota): G.G. JACKSON, FORWARD, SOUTH CAROLINA
Would have been heading to college now &mdash; perhaps as the No. 1 prospect &mdash; before reclassifying last summer to enter a year earlier. Instead, the 6-9 Jackson is on his way to the NBA after scoring in double figures in 25 of his 32 games, averaging 15.4 points.
17. LOS ANGELES LAKERS: JALEN HOOD-SCHIFINO, GUARD, INDIANA
After mixed results with Russell Westbrook and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell last season, the Lakers&rsquo; search for point guard help could lead to Indiana, where Hood-Schifino was the Big Ten freshman of the year. Great size in the backcourt at 6-6 but needs to become a better shooter after hitting only 40% from the field in his lone season.
18. MIAMI HEAT: MAXWELL LEWIS, FORWARD, PEPPERDINE
The Heat&rsquo;s success developing undrafted players &mdash; they have seven on the roster that has made a surprising run to the NBA Finals &mdash; allows them to recover if they miss in the draft. But they might not by looking at the 6-7 Lewis, who made nearly 80% of his free throws and 36% of his 3-point attempts in his two seasons with the Waves.
19. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: KRIS MURRAY, FORWARD, IOWA
After averaging 20.2 points &mdash; with a 30-point, 20-rebound game in one outing &mdash; Murray will try to make a similar first-year NBA impact as twin brother Keegan, who after leaving the Hawkeyes became an immediate starter for Sacramento last season and was an All-Rookie first-team selection.
20. HOUSTON ROCKETS (from LA Clippers): BILAL COULIBALY, FORWARD, FRANCE
The Rockets hoped to land Wembanyama after sharing the best odds to win the lottery. They could look here at his teammate with Metropolitans 92, a 6-6 swingman who doesn&rsquo;t score much yet but whose 7-3 wingspan allows him to impact the game on both ends even without doing so.
21. BROOKLYN NETS (from Phoenix): JETT HOWARD, GUARD, MICHIGAN
His willingness to fire from behind the arc makes the freshman a perfect fit for the 3-point happy NBA. The 6-8 freshman made multiple 3-pointers in 24 of his 29 games for Juwan Howard, his father, and hit three or more in almost half of them. Howard made 36.8% of them while averaging 14.2 points
22. BROOKLYN NETS: LEONARD MILLER, FORWARD, G LEAGUE IGNITE
The Nets have needed more scoring punch since trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and Miller looks capable of providing it after averaging 18 points last season. The 6-10 Canadian also averaged nearly 11 rebounds, another area Nets leadership has identified as a priority.
23. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (from New York): RAYAN RUPERT, FORWARD, NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
The native of France would bring coveted defensive abilities, though not much in the way of scoring. Still, it would be hard to pass up a 19-year-old whose 6-7 size allows him to defend any forward or guard position.
24. SACRAMENTO KINGS: DERECK LIVELY II, CENTER, DUKE
Is still limited offensively, but the NBA&rsquo;s highest-scoring team doesn&rsquo;t need points. The Kings need someone to help prevent them, and the 7-1 Lively shows promise as a rebounder and shot blocker, highlighted by 14 boards and eight blocks in a game against rival North Carolina.
25. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS, FORWARD, INDIANA
Had more than 2,200 points and 1,100 rebounds in one of the most decorated careers in Hoosiers history. But in the one-and-done era, the 23-year-old All-American&rsquo;s age may work against the son of former Indiana Pacers forward Dale Davis.
26. INDIANA PACERS (from Cleveland): JAIME JAQUEZ JR., GUARD, UCLA
The do-everything swingman led the Bruins with 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, becoming their first Pac-12 player of the year since Kevin Love in 2008. At 6-7, Jacquez does everything well &mdash; he&rsquo;s No. 8 in UCLA history in both points and steals &mdash; but maybe not any of them at the top NBA level.
27. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (from Denver via New York and Oklahoma City): AMARI BAILEY, GUARD, UCLA
Bailey had a strong finish to his lone college season, averaging 16.7 points on 56% shooting in the Bruins&rsquo; run to the Sweet 16. The Hornets struggle when LaMelo Ball is out, so the 6-5 guard could be appealing to a team that was fourth-worst in the NBA in scoring.
28. UTAH JAZZ (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn): COLBY JONES, GUARD, XAVIER
With three picks in the first round, the Jazz are positioned to bolster a team that hung around the playoff race much longer than expected. The 6-6 Jones, who made 18-of-21 shots in one torrid stretch last season and 9-of-10 3-pointers in another, could be a nice late addition.
29. INDIANA PACERS (from Boston): NOAH CLOWNEY, FORWARD, ALABAMA
Clowney put up nearly eight rebounds and a block per game in his lone college season. At just 210 pounds on his 6-10 frame, he will need to add strength for the battles inside against NBA big men.
30. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (from Milwaukee via Houston): DARIQ WHITEHEAD, FORWARD, DUKE
Arrived at Duke as the high school player of the year but a foot injury led to a delayed start to his college career followed by shooting struggles after it finally began. But the 6-7 forward showed enough defensive and 3-point abilities in his limited time to make himself worthy of a first-round spot.

Check out the first 2023 NBA mock draft the Associated Press, which features a bit of a surprise at No. 2 overall.

NBA mock draft: Wembanyama to Spurs at 1, then Miller to Hornets at 2

When a generational talent like&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wemby-victor-wembanyama-nba-draft-f5be654cce544c675559bad526220a9e">Victor Wembanyama</a>&nbsp;comes along, it&rsquo;s clear that he would make any team that he&rsquo;s with better in a multitude of ways.
And the team that wins Tuesday&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wembanyama-nba-draft-spurs-ee1a9bd2232173666d3302bb491c7c5c">NBA draft lottery</a>&nbsp;in Chicago &mdash; and the right to draft Wembanyama next month &mdash; will be immediately improved. Here&rsquo;s a look at the 14 hopefuls in the lottery, and their odds of landing the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-las-vegas-6f4ac3d44f624ef36ddb00e314cf0401">7-foot-3 French teen phenom.</a>
DETROIT
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook: A new coach is coming, and if Wembanyama goes to the Pistons he&rsquo;d be teaming up with Killian Hayes &mdash; whose mother is French, so there would be some comforts of home at least.
Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey were&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-all-rookie-team-e70909b25b2ae3fabd26d3c380e4f07c">All-Rookie picks</a>&nbsp;this season. Cade Cunningham was one last season, after he was the No. 1 pick in 2021. It&rsquo;s hard to envision how exactly Wembanyama and Cunningham would play together, since there&rsquo;s still so much mystery about Cunningham&rsquo;s game, especially after he missed much of this season. But two great young talents surely would figure it out.
HOUSTON
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook:&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/rockets-udoka-e24d2a5ccedef68bf86faee4ba2b5917">Ime Udoka is in place as the new coach</a>, there&rsquo;s a belief around the league that the Rockets will change their roster considerably in free agency &mdash; bringing James Harden back, perhaps &mdash; and Wembanyama would energize the fan base in many of the same ways Yao Ming&rsquo;s arrival did.
It would take some shots away from Houston&rsquo;s young players and adjustments would have to be made. And the pairing of Wembanyama with Alperen Sengun would be so interesting on defense.
SAN ANTONIO
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook: Gregg Popovich would get another incredibly talented big to build around, just as was the case with David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
The Spurs have flourished with international players, such as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs haven&rsquo;t won a playoff series since 2017 and haven&rsquo;t played in one since 2019. But all the losing, all the drafting, all the player development has built them for this &mdash; and Wembanyama would be the springboard to make San Antonio a playoff town again right away.
CHARLOTTE
Odds: 12.5%, or 8-1
Outlook: Maybe this would convince Michael Jordan to not sell the majority stake of the Hornets after all. (Or maybe it&rsquo;ll just raise his price.) Imagine &mdash; the most recognizable player maybe ever, with an iconic brand, getting to draft a kid who is surely going to be a global marketing dream.
As often is the case with top draft picks, much of the attention goes to Wembanyama&rsquo;s offensive game. But Charlotte is desperately in need of more defense, and Wembanyama will make an immediate impact on that end &mdash; which would only further endear him to Hornets coach Steve Clifford. And Wembanyama and LaMelo Ball together would be instantly something to watch.
PORTLAND
Odds: 10.5%, or about 10-1
Outlook: Damian Lillard is tired of waiting and wants the Trail Blazers to become a contender. This would be a great start to that plan.
There is a ton of talent in Portland, led by the all-world guard, and the Blazers packed it in early this season with an eye on the draft. And the ping-pong balls don&rsquo;t care about fairness, but after Sam Bowie and Greg Oden, it surely could be argued that Portland deserves a draft break.
ORLANDO
Odds: 9%, or about 11-1
Outlook: Now this would be spicy. If the Magic win the lottery again, the pairing of Paolo Banchero with Wembanyama would give Orlando an immediate shot in the arm.
The Magic were 5-20 and refused to tank. They went 29-28 the rest of the way, and the young core &mdash; Banchero, Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz, etc. &mdash; seems like it&rsquo;s poised for bigger things in the Eastern Conference already. Fultz, like Banchero, was a No. 1 pick as well.
INDIANA
Odds: 6.8%, or about 15-1
Outlook: With Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers want to play fast. And he would benefit greatly from an athletic big to play pick-and-roll with (as would plenty of other people in the NBA, of course).
There&rsquo;s a lot to like about Indiana as a landing spot. Championship coach in Rick Carlisle. One of the league&rsquo;s best atmospheres. Basketball is a religion in Indiana. Make no mistake, they&rsquo;d be good right away.
WASHINGTON
Odds: 6.7%, or about 15-1
Outlook: Two things immediately jump off the page with the Wizards. One, Bradley Beal would probably become an even better version with Wembanyama. And two, with Kristaps Porzingis, this might be the rare spot for Wembanyama to not be the tallest player on his own roster.
UTAH
Odds: 4.5%, or about 22-1
Outlook: Wembanyama is obviously familiar with the Jazz, given his relationship with former Utah center Rudy Gobert. It would be a unique parallel; the Jazz trade Gobert in 2022, fall into the lottery a year later, get Wembanyama to add to a good young cast led by Lauri Markkanen.
DALLAS
Odds: 3%, or about 33-1
Outlook: Dallas raised the NBA&rsquo;s ire by tanking at the end to protect its lottery odds. If the Mavericks win the lottery and can pair Wembanyama with Luka Doncic &mdash; and perhaps Kyrie Irving &mdash; the $750,000 tanking fine might end up as the best money Mark Cuban ever spent.
CHICAGO
Odds: 1.8%, or about 55-1
Outlook: DeMar DeRozan would be a great first vet for Wembanyama to open his NBA career with and learn from.
OKLAHOMA CITY
Odds: 1.7%, or about 60-1
Outlook: The Thunder were one of the best stories in the league this season with a budding star like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and last year&rsquo;s No. 2 pick &mdash; Chet Holmgren &mdash; set to make his NBA debut this fall. Put Wembanyama on the Thunder, and it&rsquo;ll be scary.
TORONTO
Odds: 1%, or 100-1
Outlook: The Raptors will have a new coach and nobody knows what direction they&rsquo;re going yet this summer. Wembanyama would surely change some of their plans.
NEW ORLEANS
Odds: 0.5%, or 200-1
Outlook: Everyone can see the Pelicans&rsquo; potential, even with the annual mystery of how durable Zion Williamson will (or won&rsquo;t) be. To overcome 200-1 odds would be just amazing luck, and as the city&rsquo;s motto goes, it would truly mean that the good times will roll in New Orleans.

Victor Wembanyama is one of the most hyped-up prospects in years. Tim Reynolds examines how he would impact each lottery team.

Wemby watch: How Victor Wembanyama may help each draft lottery team

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

This isn't how things were supposed to go in Detroit.&nbsp;
It was hard not to be excited for the Pistons heading into the year. Strong draft class, headlined by Jaden Ivey and the traded-for Jalen Duren. A Jerami Grant trade not only netted them a future first-rounder and other draft capital, it was a move made in part to clear some of the runway for Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey, the latter of which was expected to fill more of Grant's time at forward.
The shooting woes that hampered Detroit last season were somewhat accounted for; adding Alec Burks into the mix was supposed to help, and an offseason trade for sniper Bojan Bogdanovic was expected to be a big add to their offense.
Fast forward to now, and the Pistons are without Cunningham for the year, dealing with an uneven campaign from Bey, and ultimately find themselves percentage points away from the worst record in the NBA.
So much for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-central-division-chicago-bulls-cleveland-cavaliers-detroit-pistons-indiana-pacers-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">play-in ceiling</a>.&nbsp;
There have been bright spots though. Ivey and Duren have been as advertised; Ivey's going to make the All-Rookie first team, and Duren could make a push for it by the end of the season. Loyal listeners of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a> know how pleased I've been with Killian Hayes' growth this season.
On the veteran side, Bogdanovic has somehow been better than expected.&nbsp;
The initial plan was to spread the floor at a high level, and act as a security blanket so Cunningham (and Bey) wouldn't have to work as hard as creators. Instead, Bogdanovic has become the defacto top option.
Since November 11, kicking off the stretch without Cunningham for good, Bogdanovic is averaging a team-high in front-court touches (33.8), points (22.3), shot attempts (14.8), three-point attempts (5.6) and free throw attempts (5.8).&nbsp;
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The efficiency has been off the charts, with Bogdanovic converting a ridiculous 56.6% of his twos and nearly 41% of his threes.&nbsp;
League-wide, Bogdanovic is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shots-general?CF=FG3A*GE*5:FG3_PCT*GE*40:FG2_PCT*GE*55&amp;TeamID=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of five* players</a> converting at least 55% of their twos and 40% of their threes with high volume during this month-plus stretch, joining Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins and Lauri Markkanen. (*Wendell Carter Jr. is also on this list, but only has three games under his belt during this stretch. Please come back soon, Wendell. We miss you, and the Magic surely do.)
What makes Bogdanovic fun is the myriad ways he can be used. He's running nearly 15 ball screens per 100 possessions since November 11, and the Pistons are scoring roughly 1.04 points per possession (PPP) on those trips &mdash; a mark that ranks in the 72nd percentile, per Second Spectrum.
He's shooting most of the time (50.8%), with his scoring prowess popping against drop coverage or switches (1.08 PPP). Bogdanovic slow-probes his way to his spots, whether that's keeping his defender at bay when faced with drop, or picking out a matchup agains a (late) switch and posting up.
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There are still limitations. Mainly, Bogdanovic's handle isn't tight enough to access&nbsp;every&nbsp;area of the court on a whim. When faced with more aggressive coverages &mdash; hedges or flat-out traps &mdash; he's prone to retreating without taking full advantage of the numbers game ahead of him. Even when he isn't, navigating close quarters can be an adventure. He's up to 27 "lost ball" turnovers in 30 games this season (0.9), after racking up 48 of them in 69 games last season (0.7).
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Even with that uptick, it's hard to ignore the overall efficiency here. And it's especially impressive considering he's carrying a much larger offensive load than originally expected.
This isn't the first time Bogdanovic has had to scale up. He saw his shot volume increase by nearly three attempts between his first and second year in Indiana. In year two (2018-19), Bogdanovic averaged 18 points with shooting splits similar to what he's doing now &mdash; 53.8% on twos, 42.5% from three. That was a year where Victor Oladipo appeared in just 36 games.
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But this is different. Bogdanovic's 64.9% True Shooting clip is easily the higheest of his career, and a whopping 7.4 points above league average. It would behoove other teams to take notice.
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3992371/2022/12/12/bojan-bogdanovic-jae-crowder-shams-charania-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>. The Phoenix Suns were linked to Bogdanovic before he was dealt to the Pistons, and could probably use another shot creator in light of Chris Paul's decline in that area.
There are others, like the Atlanta Hawks, that could use the forward's blend of creation and outside shooting. Is there a conversation to be had around a package headlined by John Collins? It's certainly worth asking. <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-lakers-knicks-john-collins-bojan-bogdanovic-free-agency-stock-watch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Scotto of HoopsHype</a> reported that the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks have also expressed interest.
That would track. The Mavs desperately need more creation to take pressure off of Luka Doncic. The Heat need more shooting &mdash; they rank 21st in three-point percentage despite ranking seventh in three-point rate &mdash; and could stand to upgrade at the 4, though Caleb Martin has played pretty well this season.
Of course, the Pistons don't have to cooperate. They recently extended Bogdanovic, and per James Edwards of The Athletic, the Pistons <a href="https://theathletic.com/3995150/2022/12/13/pistons-trade-scenariors-noel-bogdanovic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aren't eager to move him</a>. It would (rightfully) take a big offer to pry him out of there. But with the way he's playing, it's probably worth the swing.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the recent offensive explosion of Bojan Bogdanovic.

Good teams should be looking to trade for Bojan Bogdanovic

Nekias Duncan takes an early look at this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through mid-December.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award front-runners: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle scored a season-high 36 points on his 28th birthday, and the New York Knicks extended their win streak against the Detroit Pistons to 11 games with a 140-110 victory on Tuesday night.
Randle was 14 for 24 from the field. He also had seven rebounds and five assists.
&ldquo;He was super aggressive early and he got into a great rhythm,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;He always does a good job of moving without the ball and his teammates were searching him out tonight.&rdquo;
Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson each scored 16 points for New York, which had lost four of five. Mitchell Robinson grabbed 13 rebounds, and reserve Immanuel Quickley had 15 points.
&ldquo;We've been scoring a ton of points ... and it is because of how we're playing as a team,&rdquo; Thibodeau said. &ldquo;We're sharing the ball, we're making plays and we're getting to the line a lot. I like where we are offensively, and the rebounding was really good tonight.&rdquo;
Isaiah Stewart scored 19 points for Detroit, which hasn't beaten New York since Jan. 7, 2020. Bojan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III each had 13 points.
&ldquo;I think tonight was a delayed reaction to the West Coast trip,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey. "I expected a game like this on Monday, but we put up a fight in that one. This one was a stinker.
&ldquo;We've been playing excellent basketball lately, but that didn't happen tonight."
The Pistons were missing two starters &mdash; Cade Cunningham (shin) and Jalen Ivey (knee) &mdash; but got back Bogdanovic (ankle) and Stewart (foot).
The Knicks led 70-56 at the break. Randle went 6 for 11 on 3-pointers in a 26-point half as New York outshot Detroit 52.4% to 36.8% from behind the arc.
&ldquo;He's an old-school power forward, so he gets a lot of points at the rim, and when he's shooting like he did tonight, he's tough,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;When he got those first couple 3s to go down, I knew it was going to be a long night.&rdquo;
Randle scored three quick baskets to start the third and drew a technical foul when he was shoved after a dunk by Stewart. That moved New York's lead to 21 at 80-59.
It was 108-77 at the end of the third, thanks to a 38-point quarter for the Knicks that included 10 more points for Randle. That allowed Thibodeau to rest his starters with the Milwaukee Bucks coming to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
&ldquo;There are times in this league when the schedule works in your favor and times when it works against you,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This is a tough spot, but it brought out the best in our players tonight.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Knicks: The 11-game winning streak against Detroit is the longest in the series since an early version of the Bad Boys beat New York 12 straight times in the late 1980s. ... New York has scored at least 120 points in all three games against the Pistons this season.
Pistons: Bogdanovic hit one 3-pointer, giving him 1,283 for his career and tying him with Mookie Blaylock for 64th on the NBA list. ... Alec Burks didn't score, ending his streak of double-digit games off the bench at six.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Detroit was playing its eighth game in 13 days, with the first six coming on a West Coast trip.
&ldquo;This is one I put on the schedule,&rdquo; Casey said.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.
Pistons: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

Randle was 14 for 24 from the field. He also had 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Julius Randle scores 36 as Knicks rout Pistons 140-110

Nobody can be certain how the Boston Celtics will perform under their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-nba-sports-basketball-ime-udoka-fce31147438f281ce1900637d0a8e2a0">third coach in three years</a>, or whether James Harden can flourish in Philadelphia alongside Joel Embiid, or if Ben Simmons' first season playing with the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-kevin-durant-dab19fb9bb2ded9be5462eb893903bdc">Brooklyn Nets</a> is already the last chance with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Talent is spread all over the Eastern Conference. So are the question marks.
It's easy to see any of those teams, along with Milwaukee, Miami and perhaps others, finishing atop the conference. It's also easy to see some of them derailed by drama.
For now, everybody is looking at the positives.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of good teams, a lot of talent in the East, but once the games are being played, that&rsquo;s when you&rsquo;ll declare who the best team is,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;I think obviously first third of the season, halfway through, you&rsquo;ll start to figure it out, but everybody feels great about their team around this time.&rdquo;
Durant didn't feel great over the summer, telling the Nets he wanted to be traded. At the same time, the Nets were declining to give Irving a contract extension after he was unavailable for so much of last season because he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
But the Nets' problems were old news by the time the Celtics, coming off an NBA Finals appearance, suspended coach Ime Udoka just before training camp for at least this season for multiple violations of team policies involving a woman in the organization. Assistant Joe Mazzulla takes over for Udoka, who just finished his first season after replacing Brad Stevens.
Despite that, 76ers coach Doc Rivers still looks at the Celtics, along with the Bucks, as teams that start 2022-23 in a strong spot. While his team strives to get the best out of former MVP Harden, who was swapped for Simmons at the February trade deadline, the top players on rival squads (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday in Milwaukee; Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford in Boston) have played plenty of big games together.
&ldquo;I think as a coach, when you look around, you look at teams that have been together and teams that have an advantage there,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;Milwaukee. Boston, they&rsquo;ve made some changes, but they still have their core guys, they&rsquo;re still moving that core around. So those are the teams that a team like us, or teams that have made a lot of changes, you have to put a lot of work in. You have to put more work in, because they do have an advantage.&rdquo;
A look at the East, in predicted order of regular-season finish:
PLAYOFF BOUND
1. Milwaukee &mdash; The Bucks should be driven to get home-court advantage after their title defense ended with a Game 7 loss at Boston in the second round.
2. Boston &mdash; The coaching situation is an unknown. The players are not.
3. Philadelphia &mdash; The 76ers will hope for more than the 21 points Harden averaged for them last season.
4. Miami &mdash; Had the East's best record and was a game away from the NBA Finals last season.
5. Chicago &mdash; Bulls were in great shape last year until injuries to Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball.
6. Cleveland &mdash; Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the backcourt with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley up front should be good enough for a team that just fell short of the playoffs last season.
INTO THE PLAY-IN
7. Brooklyn &mdash; Too explosive to be stopped. Maybe too small to stop others.
8. Toronto &mdash; Needs good bench play to keep the key starters from wearing down.
9. Atlanta &mdash; With Dejounte Murray joining Trae Young, guard play won't be a problem in Atlanta.
10. New York &mdash; Jalen Brunson takes over at the point and tries to get the best out of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett.
FACING LONG ODDS
11. Charlotte &mdash; Coach Steve Clifford&rsquo;s second stint depends, as with recent Charlotte seasons, on the health of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward.
12. Washington &mdash; The potential is there, as long as Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis are on the court together enough.
13. Indiana &mdash; Rick Carlisle for so long had playoff teams in Dallas. He doesn't in Indiana.
14. Detroit &mdash; With Cade Cunningham, No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey and other young talent, Pistons won't be in this position in a few years.
15. Orlando &mdash; No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero is the latest good piece to join Magic's youth movement.
NEWCOMERS OF NOTE
Besides Mitchell, the All-Star guard who was traded from Utah to Cleveland, key additions in the East include Murray (traded to Atlanta from San Antonio), Malcolm Brogdon (Boston) and Brunson (New York).
SECOND-YEAR STARS
Toronto's Scottie Barnes edged fellow forward Mobley of Cleveland by 15 points in voting for Rookie of the Year, the closest finish under the current voting format that began with the 2002-03 season. Throw in Detroit's Cunningham, the 2021 No. 1 pick, and there's some potential sophomore sensations in the East.
BALL BROTHERS
Both LaMelo and Lonzo Ball are battling injuries headed into the regular season. LaMelo, the former Rookie of the Year, has a sprained ankle that has his availability in question for Charlotte's opener. Lonzo won't be ready in Chicago after another procedure last month because he still experienced pain in his left knee after having surgery last season, when he didn't play after Jan. 14.
TOUGHENING UP
Players arriving to add some needed physicality to contenders include P.J. Tucker in Philadelphia, Markieff Morris in Brooklyn, Andre Drummond in Chicago and Robin Lopez in Cleveland.

It's easy to see any of these top East teams finishing atop the conference. It's also easy to see some of them derailed by drama.

NBA's Eastern Conference has many contenders, many questions

It's hard to predict when a slump ends without the benefit of hindsight.&nbsp;
Even the best NBA shooters are vulnerable to outlier struggles that can last an entire season, and those years jump out at you on the stat sheet. But how do we distinguish between an outlier and a harbinger before letting the full story play out? With so much context to account for &mdash; new teams, new roles and changing health status &mdash; that becomes a challenging question to address.
In this week's NBA Stats Notebook, we'll highlight five players with enough indicators to make me believe that they'll bounce back from last year's struggles. By no means are these predictions a guarantee, however, as I also outlined what hurdles could stand in the way of them getting back on track.&nbsp;
Let's dive in and think "positive regression!"
SADDIQ BEY, DETROIT PISTONS
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Cory Joseph talks about the improvement he&rsquo;s seen in Saddiq Bey&rsquo;s game and what Bojan Bogdanovic brings <a href="https://t.co/vzL7ZIisLD">pic.twitter.com/vzL7ZIisLD</a>
&mdash; Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) <a href="https://twitter.com/omarisankofa/status/1575894014280097794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Bey is a quiet, but still vital piece to a Pistons rebuild that has quickly ramped up. The 2020 first-round pick logged some massive games last season, including a 51-point explosion on March 17. But he took a step back as a perimeter scorer on a team with few reliable long-range threats; Bey sported a 34.6% three-point clip that isn't horrendous, but still feels disappointing given his stature as a spacer.
With that said, Detroit fans should bank on a big swing. For starters, the Pistons added Jaden Ivey, who will command quite enough attention as an individual scorer. Cade Cunningham should improve his own perimeter presence, and Bojan Bogdanovic joins the squad as an immediate marksman. To his part, Bey should get more catch-and-shoot chances and create less as a pull-up scorer, which should in turn help his final percentage.
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Bey is a much better shot-maker off the catch. According to InStat Scouting, he knocked down a whopping 51.4% such threes in his sophomore year at Villanova. So, even though he doesn't have a long NBA track record yet, Bey has proven himself as a shooter and should continue to this season.
Additionally, Bey seems to be merging the 3-and-D role that began his career with some of the off-dribble skills he added last season, <a href="https://theathletic.com/3645146/2022/09/30/pistons-training-camp-saddiq-bey/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic</a>. I'm happy to bet on natural growth from a young player and more manageable responsibilities, giving Bey a path to success.
MAXI KLEBER, DALLAS MAVERICKS
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remember when Maxi Kleber hit 8 3s in a huge game 3 against the Jazz the second most 3s in a playoff game in Mavs history <a href="https://t.co/4y6diQm2ZP">pic.twitter.com/4y6diQm2ZP</a>
&mdash; Slightly Biased (@BiasedSlightly) <a href="https://twitter.com/BiasedSlightly/status/1570831726536192001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Kleber's shooting slump already ended in the 2022 postseason. The stretch big man was unreal for the Mavericks last spring, knocking 'em down to the tune of 43.5% from distance in Dallas' three series. That dwarfs the 32.5% rate he posted in the regular season, which was the worst since his rookie year.
The 30-year-old has made strides with his NBA shot since entering the league in 2017. His catch-and-shoot clip improved for four straight seasons (up to 41.0% in 2020-21) before it took an absolute nosedive to 32.9% last year. Kleber's 2021-22 struggles are not a fair indicator of his career growth.
His health, however, is a fair question mark. Kleber battled injuries at five different points of last season, <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nba/maxi-kleber-player-injuries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Fox Sports</a>. To build a rhythm, he needs a string of good fortune. Hopefully the Mavs' beefed-up big rotation, including new additions Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, can lessen the load.
DAMIAN LILLARD, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
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"I just felt relaxed. I just wanted to come out and have fun, just hoopin' again." Damian Lillard on his first game in 10 months "I was just happy that I felt good out there. I didn't have anything on my mind other than just playing"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RipCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RipCity</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a> <a href="https://t.co/WvohbUbJOm">pic.twitter.com/WvohbUbJOm</a>
&mdash; Orlando Sanchez (@orlandokgw) <a href="https://twitter.com/orlandokgw/status/1577201323807604737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Dame Time is one of the best pull-up scorers basketball has ever seen. But between coming back from the Tokyo Olympics, injuries, team discord and his own lackluster play, Lillard's 2021-22 was a derailment from his past superstardom. He played just 29 games before shutting things down as the Blazers hit mini-rebuild mode. In those contests, Lillard made a career-low 32.4% of his triples.
According to PBP Stats, Lillard converted just 29.8% of his "self-created" three-point attempts (shots coming after having possession for at least two seconds). That's by far the lowest rate of his nine-year career to date. Lillard typically hovers around 35% on self-created threes. Can he get back there?
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The positive argument claims that Portland is in a far better offensive situation. Jusuf Nurkic is healthy, Jerami Grant is a nice acquisition and, though CJ McCollum is gone, Anfernee Simons appears capable of filling his shoes. The counterargument: Lillard is 32 years old and coming off of a long recovery from an abdominal injury. He'll still be a star, but it remains to be seem how much Lillard looks like his usual self.
DUNCAN ROBINSON, MIAMI HEAT
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Highest Career 3P% On 6+ 3PA per game: 42.8 &mdash; Stephen Curry 41.7 &mdash; Klay Thompson 40.6 &mdash; Duncan Robinson 39.8 &mdash; Buddy Hield <a href="https://t.co/lRoB0a6XTd">pic.twitter.com/lRoB0a6XTd</a>
&mdash; NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAMuse24/status/1574765864435466241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The case for a Robinson rebound year is easy. He's one of the best shooters in the world, and it's going to take more than one down season (in which he still made 37.2% of his threes, by the way) to jostle that reputation. Robinson knocked down just 34.7% of his catch-and-shoot triples in 2021-22; in his prior two years, he reached marks of 41.7% and 46.0%. He also actually made a career-high 45.1% of his pull-up attempts last season. Nekias Duncan even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-curious-case-of-duncan-robinson-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down why this slump was so odd</a> early in the fall.
Robinson is, quite plainly, a much better shooter than he showed last year, and he even returned to his regular self as the winter went on. Robinson canned over 41% of his threes in three of the final four months of the regular season. The problem: His playing time also decreased in each of those months, and in the playoffs, the sharpshooter averaged just 12.2 minutes per game.
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What is Robinson's place in this year's Heat rotation? He played 18 minutes in Miami's first preseason game, suggesting he's still a fixture in Erik Spoelstra's vision. If that's true, he should be an obvious bounce-back candidate. But Robinson has to keep that spot by shooting well and at least reaching the bar defensively for a tough Heat squad.
KRISTAPS PORZINGIS, WASHINGTON WIZARDS
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These players were true long-range shooters last season 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/kvdsCk3M0a">pic.twitter.com/kvdsCk3M0a</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1555174776804614145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Porzingis was a shooting mess with the Mavericks last season before somewhat regaining his perimeter success following a trade to Washington. But across his 75 games, he made just 31.3% of his threes after holding the ball for less than two seconds &mdash; easily a career-low percentage.
Fans should be confident that rate rises; it's unclear to what extent. Porzingis has always been a somewhat streaky scorer, which unfortunately fits right in with a lot of Washington's current offensive threats. As with Kleber, health also plays into developing some consistent momentum as a shooter. Porzingis has the history of prolific perimeter prowess, though, with some of the more difficult shot diets for an NBA big man.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Yep, Victor Wembanyama is pretty good! (Can you guess who did this in the NBA?)</li>
</ul>
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Wembanyama finishes with 7 three-pointers and 5 blocks, something that's only happened once in NBA history
&mdash; Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBADraftWass/status/1577514952725856259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Yep, Victor Wembanyama might be really good!</li>
</ul>
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The NBA record that everyone assumed would never be broken, suddenly feels very...breakable 😂 <a href="https://t.co/RrpQ8Yw2v5">pic.twitter.com/RrpQ8Yw2v5</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1577711805316489217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>A noteworthy graphic from SIS Hoops that shows how Malcolm Brogdon can really add some juice to the Boston Celtics' offense:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Last season, Malcolm Brogdon's pick-and-roll proficiency ranked near the top of the league. Check out how his pick-and-roll advantage creation ability stacks up with the rest of Boston's returning players: <a href="https://t.co/bErVKOIHBY">pic.twitter.com/bErVKOIHBY</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1576978735256911877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ethan Fuller highlights Damian Lillard, Duncan Robinson, Saddiq Bey and others as candidates for positive shooting regression.

NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who could have bounce-back shooting years

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young has been named the 2022 WNBA Most Improved Player, the WNBA announced today. Young is the first player in Aces franchise history to win the award.
Young received 32-of-56 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu finished in second place with 10 votes. Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham earned seven votes and Aces guard Kelsey Plum received four votes. Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan, Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams and Liberty center Han Xu each received one vote.
Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, averaged career-highs of 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals this season, up from 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 2021. Young improved her three-point shooting from 25% last season to 43.1% in 2022. She ranked 14th in the WNBA in assists per game (3.9).
The 6-foot guard was selected to the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time in her career this season and participated in the Skills Challenge at WNBA All-Star. Young helped the Aces post the most wins (26) in franchise history on their way to earning the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs. Las Vegas averaged a WNBA-high 90.4 points per game this season, the third-highest scoring average in league history and the highest mark since 2010.
On July 26, Young scored 18 points and added 6 rebounds to help the Aces defeat the Chicago Sky in the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner&rsquo;s Cup, the culmination of the league&rsquo;s second annual in-season competition that took place during the first half of the regular season.
Young was named WNBA&rsquo;s Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from May 16-22 after averaging 21.3 points, 3.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals and shooting 55.3% from the field to help lead the Aces to three wins. It was her first career Player of the Week honor.
The Aces continue their pursuit of the first WNBA Championship in franchise history when they host the Storm in Game 2 of the Semifinals on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Storm leads 1-0. The series, which features a WNBA postseason record seven No. 1 overall draft picks in the starting lineups for both teams, is a rematch of the 2020 WNBA Finals, won by Seattle.
In honor of being named the WNBA Most Improved Player, Young will receive $5,150 and a specially designed trophy from Tiffany &amp; Co.
Below are the voting results for the 2022 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player Award and a list of past recipients:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 176px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">PLAYER</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">TEAM</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">VOTES</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Jackie Young</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Las Vegas Aces</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">32</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Sabrina Ionescu</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">New York Liberty</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">10</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Sophie Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Phoenix Mercury</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Kelsey Plum</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Las Vegas Aces</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">4</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Teaira McCowan</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Dallas Wings</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Gabby Williams</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Seattle Storm</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Han Xu</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">New York Liberty</td>
<td style="width: 31.4553%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young has been named the 2022 WNBA Most Improved Player, the league announced today.

Jackie Young wins 2022 WNBA Most Improved Player award

WNBA playoff basketball is finally here! With things kicking off on Wednesday night, I decided to highlight an X-factor I'll be keeping tabs on for each best-of-three first round series.
For Part II of this two-part series, let's look at the Thursday night matchups, which features the Connecticut Sun taking on the Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm battling with the Washington Mystics. If you missed Part I, featuring the Las Vegas Aces-Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky-New York Liberty matchups, you can <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-wnba-playoff-primer-las-vegas-aces-phoenix-mercury-chicago-sky-new-york-liberty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read that here</a>.&nbsp;
(For deeper thoughts on each series, listen to our playoff preview on the latest episode of&nbsp;<a href="NBA%20playoff%20basketball%20is%20finally%20here!%20With%20things%20kicking%20off%20on%20Saturday,%20I%20decided%20to%20highlight%20an%20X-factor%20I'll%20be%20keeping%20tabs%20on%20for%20each%20first-round%20series.%20Let's%20dig%20in,%20shall%20we?%20%20(For%20deeper%20thoughts%20on%20each%20series,%20listen%20to%20Part%20I%20and%20Part%20II%20of%20our%20series%20previews%20at%20The%20Dunker%20Spot.)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot.</a>)
(4) SEATTLE STORM vs. (5) WASHINGTON MYSTICS
THINGS TO KNOW
<ul>
<li>Storm won season series 2-1
<ul>
<li>June 23: Storm 85-71</li>
<li>July 30: Storm 82-77</li>
<li>July 31: Mystics 78-75</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Mystics star Elena Delle Donne played in all three matchups, and should be fully available for the postseason.</li>
<li>The Storm (22-14) finished No. 6 in offense (102.6 ORTG), No. 3 in defense (97.4 DRTG) and No. 4 in Net Rating (+5.2).</li>
<li>The Mystics (22-14) finished No. 7 in offense (101.1 ORTG), No. 1 in defense (96 DRTG) and No. 5 in Net Rating (+5.1).</li>
</ul>
KEY QUESTION: Who can create easy buckets?
It is both a treat and a disgrace that two legitimate title contenders are facing off in the first round. It's cruel that we may get, at most, three games of Delle Donne after the Mystics were so diligent about load-managing her so she'll be in peak condition for the postseason. And the thought of Sue Bird's career ending &mdash; or Breanna Stewart's career in Seattle ending, if you <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/01/21/breanna-stewart-free-agent-reportedly-met-new-york-liberty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe the New York smoke</a> &mdash; with a first-round ouster just seems unfair.
Beyond that &mdash; holy bleep, are these teams ridiculously good defensively.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Mystics and Storm ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defensive Rating respectively</a>. That Moreyball stat from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-wnba-playoff-primer-las-vegas-aces-phoenix-mercury-chicago-sky-new-york-liberty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aces-Mercury section</a> &mdash; the percentage of shots that come at the rim or behind the arc &mdash; can be flipped to see which teams are&nbsp;preventing&nbsp;their opponents from taking shots from fruitful areas. The Mystics (54.4% of shots) and Storm (59.0%) have <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/wnba/opponent?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;StartType=All" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed the lowest share</a> of those shots in the league.
As dominant as they are defensively, they've been equally middling on the glamour end of the floor. They're separated by roughly a point in terms of Offensive Rating, with the Storm (102.6, sixth) edging out the Mystics (101.1, seventh) this season. Quiet as kept, neither team <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/wnba/team?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;StartType=All&amp;Type=Team&amp;Table=Shooting&amp;StatType=Totals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gets to the rim that often</a>.
They've both struggled with flow in the half-court, though some of their struggles can be explained away. The Mystics haven't always had Delle Donne in the lineup; with her being the only player that consistently draws an extra defender, it's led to a lot of side-to-side passing and unsavory shot selection. As good as Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins are, teams are pretty comfortable ducking under picks against them to:
<ol>
<li>Keep them out of the paint</li>
<li>Stay out of rotation</li>
</ol>
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With the Storm, things would fall off a cliff whenever Stewart would leave the court. Ideally, this would set the stage for Jewell Loyd to lead second units. Her blend of driving and pull-ups should help weather storms (sorry), but she simply hasn't made shots at the same clip. She converted a career-worst 40.3% of her two-point shots, including a ghastly 33.7% on shots between 3 and 10 feet.
With that, I wonder how each team goes about unlocking itself in the half-court beyond, "Give it to Stewie/EDD and get out of the way."
For the Storm, that may be experimenting with more on-ball reps for Gabby Williams, who's both the worst spacer in their starting unit and a sneaky-good pick-and-roll player. They trust her with reps in early offense situations, either above the break or emptying a side and letting her zig and zag.
<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/cr4o0a" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Utilizing Williams on the ball could limit the help the Mystics can send. If Williams is the one setting the table, the star talent she's surrounded with could feast on catch-and-shoot or catch-and-drive opportunities against a tilted defense.
On the Mystics side, I'm intrigued by the inverted pick-and-rolls and ghost screens they've mixed in with their guards. That could be a way to get the Storm to put two on the ball, which could open up short-roll opportunities and easy drive-and-kick scenarios.
(3) CONNECTICUT SUN vs. (6) DALLAS WINGS
THINGS TO KNOW
<ul>
<li>Wings won season series 2-1&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="3">May 24: Wings 85-77&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">May 26: Sun 99-68&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">July 5: Wings 82-71</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale will miss the first round after having core muscle surgery/</li>
<li aria-level="2">The Sun (25-11) finished No. 2 in offense (105.8 ORTG), No. 2 in defense (96.3 DRTG) and No. 1 in Net Rating (+9.5).</li>
<li aria-level="2">The Wings (18-18) finished No. 4 in offense (104.6 ORTG), No. 9 in defense (104.3 DRTG) and No. 6 in Net Rating (+0.2)/</li>
</ul>
KEY QUESTION: How impactful can Teaira McCowan be?
This has felt like a popular upset pick, and I get the argument for it. The Wings&nbsp;did&nbsp;win the regular season series, though the wins came with Ogunbowale averaging 18 points and drilling crucial shots and versatile forward Satou Sabally doing a little bit of everything. Neither will be available once the series starts.
There's also the matter of the Sun, as talented as they are, also having a tendency to lose the plot in the half-court. Even amidst their overall success &mdash; I hear having the second best ORTG in basketball is a good thing &mdash; the lack of Jonquel Jones <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/clutch-traditional/?sort=FGA&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;TeamID=1611661323" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in crucial moments</a> continues to baffle me.
Ultimately, I think the Wings' chances for an upset will depend on how well McCowan can hold up.
She's been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-teaira-mccowan-shining-surging-dallas-wings-arike-ogunbowale-marina-mabrey-allisha-gray-kayla-thornton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a revelation of late</a>, holding down the fort inside with deep seals, post hooks, offensive boards and plenty of fouls drawn. She's also seen her fair share of double teams, and that's where things could get dicey.
Jones is a good defender in her own right. She won't&nbsp;need&nbsp;help in form of a double or hard dig. But she may get them, mostly because Alyssa Thomas is one of the best defenders on the planet. She's an event creator of the highest order, and an instinctual defender willing and able to take aggressive gambles. I think back to this recent possession from a Wings-Mercury game:
<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/hidrqi" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
If Sophie Cunningham can fluster McCowan with help like that, what kind of damage could Thomas do?
McCowan has been able to plow through opposing defenses &mdash; figuratively and literally &mdash; as the Wings have closed their season on a high note. Being game planned against in a playoff setting is different altogether. It's where the foul trouble and the less-than-sterling assist-to-turnover ratio &mdash; she had 8 assists and 14 turnovers in her last five games &mdash; come into play.
I'm a little less worried defensively, but it's worth keeping an eye on her in a drop. Courtney Williams is not gun-shy; she took by far the <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/shooting/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most mid-range jumpers</a> in The W, and I'd worry about the cascading effect of McCowan's drop turning into a late switch.
<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/4j26fx" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Not that Kayla Thornton and Allisha Gray aren't good rebounders in their own right, but tasking them with battling with Connecticut's size on the glass is unfair to them. McCowan in space is also asking for an advantage to be given up, or fouls to be committed. And without Ogunbowale, she's frankly too important to log under 30 minutes a game if she can help it.

Nekias Duncan previews two series in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs, highlighting a key question heading into each.

2022 WNBA Playoff Primer Part II: Sun-Wings, Storm-Mystics

It really took the entire season for the WNBA to solidify its playoff hierarchy.
We had four teams battling for two spots on the very last day of the regular season with the top seed also in flux. Late-season injuries, breakout players and roller-coaster games made it challenging to even visualize what the 2022 postseason would look like.&nbsp;
Now, the dust has settled, and we've arrived at what should be a chaotic, thrilling three rounds of playoff basketball.
I've listed one noteworthy statistic for each team that's worth remembering as we get into the games. This won't be a full playoff preview (we have one coming though!), but more a snapshot glance at the flavors and storylines surrounding each squad. Get yourself ready for Wednesday's first round here!
1. LAS VEGAS ACES
<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/kt553t" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 37
The Aces have been on top of the league practically all season, and are led by an MVP frontrunner in A'ja Wilson. But the most impressive number I found came from Las Vegas' leading bucket-getter. Kelsey Plum canned 37 unassisted made triples in the regular season. According to the PBP Stats hub, which contains data back to 2009, that's the second-most of any player in a single season behind only Diana Taurasi (47 in 2018).&nbsp;
Plum's stepback game is just filthy. She can also rise into her shot so quickly, which flummoxes screening defenders hoping to contain her. Plum is averaging twice as many unassisted three-point makes per 100 possessions (4.57) as she has in any other season of her career, and she's still shooting over 42% from distance. She will be an instant highlight throughout this postseason.
2. CHICAGO SKY 
<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/1nfmsw" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 11
The Sky have dished out a whopping 11 at-rim assists per game in the regular season. That's by far the most in PBP Stats' WNBA database, which dates back to 2009. Chicago has lead the league in at-rim assists each of the last five seasons, but the team hit an impressive new frontier in 2022.
Courtney Vandersloot led The W with 3.0 at-rim assists per game this season. Candace Parker (2.4) and Emma Meesseman (1.8) also placed in the top 15. With a dazzling playmaker like Vandersloot, big passing hubs like Parker and Meesseman and an all-world slasher in Kahleah Copper, Chicago can creatively pressure the paint like no other.
3. CONNECTICUT SUN
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Alyssa Thomas (<a href="https://twitter.com/athomas_25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@athomas_25</a>) had herself a night recording her FIRST career triple-double, becoming the 11th player with a triple-double in WNBA history, and 4th player with a triple-double this season 👏 ✅15 PTS ✅12 AST ✅10 REB ✅3 STL <a href="https://t.co/zeVwHDj0kh">pic.twitter.com/zeVwHDj0kh</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1550897698563244034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Number to note: 12.7
Don't be fooled by the third-seed billing; Connecticut has been perhaps the hottest team in the league since All-Star weekend. The Sun's 12.7 Net Rating ranks at the top since the break, and they also hold the league's best Defensive Rating (95.9) in that span.&nbsp;
The Sun are, amazingly, the only team with zero players averaging at least 15 points per game post-All-Star. They've had an incredible blend of spotlight stars in the last month. Alyssa Thomas posted the first two triple-doubles in franchise history. Jonquel Jones is maintaining her MVP-caliber dominance with a lighter minutes load. Natesha Hiedeman has drilled 48.6% of her threes since the break.&nbsp;
Connecticut's starting lineup of Hiedeman, Courtney Williams, DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones has the third-best cumulative plus-minus in The W post-All-Star break &mdash; and the team has Brionna Jones coming off the bench. Everything seems to be clicking at the right time.&nbsp;
4. SEATTLE STORM
<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/txn776" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 84
No WNBA pairing has assisted each other more than the dynamic duo of Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. They've connected a combined 84 times this season, with 62 assists coming from Bird and 22 from Stewart. Seattle has a high-octane offense, and these two help fuel the engine.
Several of these assists come from Stewart getting into her bag in the post. But Bird will also orchestrate sets that give Stewart driving and cutting chances. In return, Stewart recognizes help when she's posting up, and frequently hits Bird for open three-pointers. They've got some of the best chemistry you'll see between any two teammates in the playoffs.
5. WASHINGTON MYSTICS
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Number to note: 24.1
Shakira Austin has entrenched herself as a highlight of an impressive 2022 rookie class. The third overall pick is already one of the top rebounders in the WNBA, and her defensive rebound rate off of missed field goals (24.1%) is third among all players with at least 500 minutes played, per PBP Stats. Austin is also sixth in offensive rebound rate (9.5%). She racked up 40 putback points this season, tying her for seventh with Tina Charles.
Even at 6-foot-5, Austin isn't really a bruiser. The way she hones in on a rebound is almost falcon-like. She soars past boxouts with a burst and can high-point the ball with precision. As Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shakira-austin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote earlier this season</a>, Austin's budding two-way skills are also worth following, but she's already arrived as one of the best on the boards.
6. DALLAS WINGS
<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/f3en82" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 3.2
Arike Ogunbowale will miss at least the first round of the playoffs after suffering an abdominal injury. Rookie Veronica Burton has been thrust into the starting lineup in her absence, putting the Northwestern guard into the spotlight just as the young Wings prep for the postseason.
Burton's still experiencing the steep professional learning curve. But, as evidenced by her 3.3% steal rate, the second-best among WNBA players moving on to the postseason, she's already a defensive force.
Burton reads cutters like a fortune teller, as shown in the first two clips above. She also has the lateral movement to play uber-aggressively on digs and help because she can recover; in addition, she's spectacularly active with her arms and timing. It's just fun to watch her play defense, and it can help provide a spark for Dallas as it looks to upset Connecticut in the opening round.&nbsp;
7. NEW YORK LIBERTY
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Marine Johann&egrave;s just hit her sixth three with a one-legged jumper off the screen. 🤯 WHAT?! <a href="https://t.co/hZpcTDUDoL">pic.twitter.com/hZpcTDUDoL</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ownthecrown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ownthecrown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBATwitter</a>
&mdash; Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixfivelando/status/1558900506512203777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

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

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In March 2021, Isaiah Livers was at the heart of perhaps his strongest year at the University of Michigan, preparing for a conference tournament and March Madness run that would catapult his NBA Draft stock heading into June.&nbsp;
Unfortunately, his senior campaign ended prematurely when he broke his foot in the team&rsquo;s Big Ten Tournament opener against the Indiana Hoosiers. After four seasons of development and hard work, Livers&rsquo; collegiate career was in the rearview mirror.
Following the Wolverines&rsquo; defeat to the upset-minded Bruins, Livers began his rehab and moved on to the pre-draft process. By late June, at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, he was out of his walking boot and, slowly but surely, getting back to the grind. A little over a month later, the Detroit Pistons selected Livers with the No. 42 overall pick.
Sometimes, the most difficult aspect of coming back from a significant injury isn&rsquo;t a physical battle. It&rsquo;s also an uphill struggle with the mind &mdash; something that Livers learned right away, yet didn&rsquo;t dwell on.
&ldquo;It's tough for anybody to take the game away. You love the game and it gets taken away for almost a year. Like, that's hard. That's a hard pill to swallow,&rdquo; Livers told Basketball News in a phone interview, noting that his development coach Reg Butler, mentor Damon Allison and father Mo were with him every step of the way.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d say my peers helped me through the mental side. Things naturally get into a dark place. Without touching a basketball... I can't go two days without touching a basketball. That's really hard to do. So once I had to be asked to do a year, I was like, &lsquo;Okay, I gotta do this for my body.&rsquo;&rdquo;
One of the loudest voices that uplifted Livers was his best friend and former college backcourt mate, Jordan Poole.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We stick together. We talk a lot. He really helped me when I first entered the rehab process,&rdquo; Livers said of Poole. &rdquo;He gave me little tips. He heard about Damian Lillard when he had his foot issue. He couldn't move around at all. All he was doing was dribbling around and just making sure his handles were tight. I tried to do that every day possible. So just little stuff like that. You know, he's just always gonna be in my life for sure. I respect that man."
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Former Michigan head coach and current Pistons senior player development advisor John Beilein applauds Livers&rsquo; attitude toward the get-back.
&ldquo;I think his approach to his injury was outstanding, that it wasn't, &lsquo;Woe is me.&rsquo; It was, &lsquo;Alright, I gotta get this fixed,&rsquo;&rdquo; Beilein told Basketball News. &ldquo;And we have a great training staff at Michigan and they were very, very patient in waiting for him to get fully healed, for the bone to get fully healed. So as a result, it gave him time to really reflect on the game a lot.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But a lot of guys either hurry back, or, they wouldn't take the therapy seriously, and then they're back into the injury bug again. Isaiah was a pro, like a 10-year veteran. He wanted to get back, he pushed himself to get back, but he trusted others in that process.&rdquo;
Livers admitted that the most crucial part of his rehab was staying in shape. That started with cleaning up his diet and cutting out bad foods. However, the kicker was feverishly riding a Peloton, always breaking a sweat and biking to avoid gaining weight.
&ldquo;Honestly, I think I did a pretty good job,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;Coming back to the season, it wasn't like I needed two weeks to get in shape. I was already in shape. So I was sitting there ready.&rdquo;
Livers played 19 games for the Pistons in his first year, receiving essentially all of his playing time post-All-Star break and starting each of the team&rsquo;s final five contests. He scored in double figures in three of those games, and recorded a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double in his first career NBA start. He stood out with a 50% perimeter clip during that stretch and nailed 27-of-64 three-point attempts on the season (42.2%).
"I thought that I did what I needed to do,&rdquo; Livers said of his abbreviated rookie campaign. &ldquo;Coach [Dwane] Casey sat me down at the beginning of the year. He knew what I could do. He knew my shooting ability. But the one thing he didn't know about was my defensive intelligence. I don't think he knew I was going to catch on so quickly.&rdquo;
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Whether it&rsquo;s Cade Cunningham&rsquo;s eye-popping flashes of superstardom or Saddiq Bey&rsquo;s spectacular scoring outbursts or a motivated-and-returning Marvin Bagley III or a dynamic top-five rookie in Jaden Ivey, there are plenty of reasons to be excited if you&rsquo;re a Pistons fan.&nbsp;
Between some media and fans &mdash; and perhaps respected minds around the NBA &mdash; Detroit is being circled as a sneaky squad in 2022-23, a la the Cleveland Cavaliers of last year, for example. Though unattentive to the outside noise, Livers relays that the team has had talks this offseason with general manager Troy Weaver and among themselves about the mindset and work everybody will have to put in to make a jump. As a young core, they&rsquo;re all eager to grow and learn together.
&ldquo;It's honestly fun. It's like, you have nothing to lose...&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;You just go out there, have fun and just let it develop. You know how if you put a bunch of work in, the sky&rsquo;s the limit. So we're all excited. Can't wait. I love what everybody brings to the table. Everybody has their own unique skill set to bring to the table."
Playing alongside Cunningham, Bey and Ivey, Livers believes the chemistry will come easily.
&ldquo;Those are the guys, you know, their job is to get me open if you think about it. Like, I'm standing on the wings or down in the corner. They just keep driving by their man. Eventually, they're gonna need help. You gotta have a knockdown shooter,&rdquo; Livers said. "So that just raises my confidence because I know they&rsquo;ll look for me anyways. So it's just cool to play with guys that are always playing with their head up instead of playing with their head down, looking to just score and score. Those guys are being unselfish. So I'm excited."
Beilein likes how Livers fits with the Pistons' core and believes his versatility will help him earn significant playing time during his sophomore season.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a multi-position player. I mean, I&rsquo;m sure he can play the 2 through 4,&rdquo; Beilein said. &ldquo;So that really allows him to just... A coach can look at a certain player and say, &lsquo;Well, he's best suited as a 2-guard, so we'll put Isaiah in at 3 or 4.&rsquo; Or, &lsquo;He's best suited as a 4-man, so we&rsquo;ll play Isaiah as a 3.&rsquo; So he's extremely versatile in his game. He's gonna be out there. It's not my decision, but he's got a great chance of playing a lot of minutes this year."
Livers&rsquo; point of emphasis over the offseason has been improving off the dribble. He mentions coming off ball-screens and handoffs, playmaking while getting to the basket, drawing help to kick out, making the proper reads and going to his pull-up more often.
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And although Livers insists his catch-and-shoot game is well cemented (&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going up!&rdquo;), he shares that Butler administered brain tests on him to illustrate he wasn&rsquo;t being as assertive with his offense and shot-taking as he could&rsquo;ve been. A former pitcher and center fielder in baseball, the 24-year-old first had to understand what his levels were telling him.
&ldquo;I'm more of a sit-back, long thinker, think-things-through type, so my red was low. And once me and Reg started talking about it, it wasn't easy for me to acknowledge. I thought I was already aggressive and dominant, but I guess I wasn't,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;So once I had seen that, it kind of came to the game. I know what I can bring to the game. So I can go 0-for-10 and I'll still be happy the next day because I'm still going to shoot the same shots."
Case in point: NBA Summer League. Livers went 1-for-8 from deep in his Las Vegas debut, then followed it up with a 4-for-5 performance from downtown in the next game. He averaged 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in his two summer-league contests with Detroit on 44.4/38.5/77.8% shooting splits.
Looking back on his rookie campaign, Livers singles out Dallas Mavericks wonder Luka Doncic as his favorite defensive matchup thus far &mdash; one that he took pride in even with the Slovenian sensation and the Mavericks &ldquo;killing&rdquo; the Pistons by a final score of 131-113. Looking ahead, Livers already has a running wish list of three more big names he'd like to take on: Poole, LeBron James and, one of his favorite players growing up, Kevin Durant.
&ldquo;I actually had a concussion when we were on the road to Brooklyn last year, and I promise you, I was in the medical staff room every day trying to like push it so I could make that flight to go guard KD; I was trying to do that every day. That's definitely a guy I want to guard," Livers said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Isaiah Livers said NOPE 🚫<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA2K23SummerLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA2K23SummerLeague</a> Live Now on ESPN <a href="https://t.co/4YUGc2sVFJ">pic.twitter.com/4YUGc2sVFJ</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1545276654997708802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
Considering all of the options at a player's disposal nowadays, it's rare for a prospect to attend a university and stay with that same program for four years. It&rsquo;s even less likely when the coaching carousel leads to personnel changes.&nbsp;
Livers is one of those atypical cases. Being in school for that long challenged him to overcome adversity and keep his composure, whether it was on the court with the Wolverines or off of it studying sociology. (He completed his degree in general studies with a minor in sociology, but plans on going back for extra schooling, as he's just two semesters of classes away from receiving a degree in sociology specifically.)
&ldquo;I feel like if I went back and watched all my four years, one by one, each year, I had something new and I'm doing something different and I&rsquo;m asked to do more. So it was kind of cool. I like the buildup,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;You get better every summer. You kind of separate yourself and get better, you learn some more, work on your weaknesses. You only enhance your strengths.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So yeah, I take big pride in that, &lsquo;cause not only did I stay four [years], [I also] got my education out of it too. So my mom and grandma are pretty happy about that as well. So you know, it all just worked. It was all full circle. When you stay four years, [there&rsquo;s a] very, very low chance to get drafted or go to the NBA because they want young guys. But that wasn't on my mind at all. I was like, &lsquo;Shoot, I'm a good player, and I know a team&rsquo;s gonna want to take me,&rsquo; and so, that was the mindset going into it."
Sticking it out at Michigan from the beginning, Livers originally worked with Beilein, who provided him with knowledge of fundamentals and a number of shooting tips.
&ldquo;He's taught me a lot about how to move off the ball and get myself open,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;Just create an advantage for me or the ball-handler coming off the screen. I can slip out of it, do whatever I want out of it, But yeah, we talked a lot about more of how to become a dynamic shooter on the move.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He was a guy who, he could shoot, but I wouldn't call him a shooter when we got him because he had a low release point [and] shot out of his chest a little bit,&rdquo; Beilein added. "We have 100 practices in a year; we worked after practice probably 50 times on just getting better arc, better spin, quicker release, good footwork. And those two years, he shot well for us. But then, as a junior and senior, [he] shot really well for the Michigan team [under Juwan Howard]."
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Understanding his athleticism, Beilein also put Livers in spots where he could crash the long boards and provide extra opportunities with his rebounding prowess &mdash; something that&rsquo;s translated to the next level.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That's all I did my first year [at Michigan], honestly,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;I would start for 15 minutes, grab some offensive rebounds, knock a couple shots down, and I&rsquo;m coming off of Duncan Robinson, so I established my role that way and got used to it. It kind of got ingrained.
&ldquo;Coach Casey, we just sat down and watched some film and he said, &lsquo;Hey, you have the license to go do this. I know you're pretty good at it.&rsquo; So I was like, &lsquo;Okay, bet. That's gonna open the game up, get second-chance points.&rsquo;"
When Beilein departed for the NBA and Cleveland, Michigan hired Juwan Howard as his successor. Howard was a 17-year pro with seven seasons of experience as a head coach, so it brought a little bit of a different perspective for Livers and the Wolverines.&nbsp;
Defense was a focal point right away.
&ldquo;He literally brought nothing but NBA lingo to our practices. We had to learn it, or we weren't gonna play,&rdquo; Livers said of Howard. &ldquo;He let me rock out here and there, but we definitely had more of a focus on the defensive end. Bringing that communication and those rotations that were already NBA-like, you were already a step ahead playing for Coach Howard.&rdquo;
This helped Livers catch on quickly once he made it to the pros.
&ldquo;I was just watching as I was rehabbing; I didn't play until like the All-Star break. I was like, &lsquo;Oh, that looks familiar. We did that at Michigan.&rsquo; So it was kind of like second nature for me," Livers said. &ldquo;I learned so much there.&rdquo;
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Since he only played a handful of games, next season could essentially be seen as his actual&nbsp;rookie year, but Livers won&rsquo;t treat it that way. His teammates and coaches have acknowledged his input and chatty nature from the very first practice he participated in. Everybody in the Pistons organization expects Livers to speak up the way they know he&rsquo;s capable of.
&ldquo;I want to feel more like of a vet because I'm establishing my voice within the organization a lot more,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;So doing a lot more of that, get a lot more guys to also not be afraid to use their voices to speak up, especially during the game.
&ldquo;I don't want to look at it like a rookie. Because a rookie is gonna come in like, &lsquo;Oh, where do I go? What do I do?&rsquo; I'm coming to the second year like, &lsquo;Yo, we running this. When this happens, I'm over here.&rsquo; Stuff like that. Just being more of a leader."
Since coming to Detroit, Livers has established a bond with Casey. The two have a great deal of trust in one another, and continue to strengthen their relationship.&nbsp;
Livers recalls a late-season game against the Atlanta Hawks, who were fighting for playoff positioning. Casey kept him in with a fourth-quarter situation on a whim when he&rsquo;d been a 15th man to that point, and Livers delivered two key threes and stole the ball away from Trae Young. The Pistons came out on top 113-110 in overtime.
&ldquo;I was like the last man off the bench. No one knows what I can bring to the table, and I was hitting shots and started doing everything I was asked of,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;What's crazy is Coach Casey had the amount of trust to leave me out there. I know it was the end of the season, but winning the game is winning the game, and he left me out there. So that said a lot about his character and what his confidence was in me. Me and Coach Casey are very close."
Admittedly, Livers has not had his welcome-to-the-NBA moment yet, but he knows it&rsquo;s coming. When asked about objectives he has set for his sophomore year, he keeps it simple.
&ldquo;Win. Win as many games as possible,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;That is my personal goal this year by any means. And team-goal wise, obviously make the playoffs. It's been talked about here and there, but I truly did not like sitting at home and watching all these playoff games. It was very weird to me, and I don't want to go through that again."
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A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, about two-and-a-half hours west of Detroit, Livers has felt the love from the city and the Pistons&rsquo; fan base.&nbsp;
And if the offseason work is an indication of what&rsquo;s to come, Livers will be a part of a special up-and-coming era of basketball in the Motor City, not far from where it all began for him.
&ldquo;This dude has an incredible basketball IQ, and so people love coaching him,&rdquo; Beilein said. &ldquo;For a young dude in the NBA, but also, I noticed that when he played for me at Michigan, and those first two years, he understands what makes teams win; that is a talent to understand that this little pass, this extra pass, this pass to lead to the extra pass, is just as important as when you go on 1-on-1 with somebody.
&ldquo;He's gonna be that 3-and-D guy that you see so much of. It's so successful in the NBA.&rdquo;

Isaiah Livers is brimming with confidence entering his second season with the Detroit Pistons.

Isaiah Livers is ready to rise up in second season with Pistons

The WNBA is locked into three tiers at this point of the season. There's the tippy top with the contenders: the defending champion Chicago Sky (who may need a tier of their own soon), Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics.
The Indiana Fever are in their own Tier of Woe, sporting the worst record in the league (5-24) despite having an All-Star-caliber guard in Kelsey Mitchell, and plenty of young talent to be excited about moving forward.
And then there's the middle. A hodgepodge of teams seeded 6-through-11 that are a week away from earning praise or garnering "will-they-miss-the-playoffs-altogether?" discussions. There are six teams separated by three games, fighting for the final three playoff spots. It's a fun or stressful race, depending on who you root for.
The Phoenix Mercury are currently making a push in that middle tier.
We aren't far removed from wondering if it was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-should-the-phoenix-mercury-do-with-skylar-digginssmith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best to blow things up</a>. We've had a sideline star dustup, a future Hall-of-Famer leaving midseason and joining one of the contenders shortly after, and a clown emoji situation that I'm still cackling about. The Mercury haven't just been an underwhelming team this season, they ranked very low on the "good-vibes" scale.
Here they are though: 6-4 in their last 10 games, quietly pushing their way to the eighth and final playoff seed. <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=OFF_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=06%2F25%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Since June 25</a>, they have a better offense than the Storm and Sun, and a better defense and net rating than the Aces.
Despite ranking last in pace during this stretch, the Mercury are going full Moreyball to give themselves a shot. Nearly 70% of their shot attempts have come from three or at the rim; they lead the W in three-point attempts (29.6, 36.7 per 100 possessions) and their 20.7 free-throw attempts rank second behind the Dallas Wings (21.5).
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Skylar Diggins-Smith (23-5-6-2-1 in her last 10) continues to play MVP-caliber ball. Diana Taurasi is starting to perk up, averaging 24 points (while shooting 39.3% from three on 11.2 attempts) over her last five games after struggling beforehand (15.5 points and 32.5% from three on 8.0 attempts).&nbsp;
Right behind them in production is Sophie Cunningham, whose insertion into the starting lineup as a small-ball 4 has juiced the offense. She's averaging a shade under 17 points during this stretch behind ridiculous shooting. A 42.5% clip on 8.0 attempts is typo-level good, especially when you factor how many of her threes are coming off of movement.&nbsp;
To that point: Cunningham at the 4 has made life easier for everyone around her, while putting more strain on defenses.&nbsp;
The Mercury's Friday night beatdown of the Seattle Storm gave us plenty of examples. Cunningham herself had a solid outing &mdash; 19 points, including 5-of-10 shooting from three &mdash; but the way she was used continuously put the Storm in tough spots.
Take the opening bucket from Phoenix.
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The Mercury go with a high pick-and-roll between Taurasi and Brianna Turner. Even at this stage of her career, defenses have to respect Taurasi's ability to pull up. That's what makes Cunningham's positioning key; she's one pass away, which puts strain on Breanna Stewart as a helper since she's responsible for tagging Turner on the roll.
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With Tina Charles stepping up to take away Taurasi's space, Stewart is stuck between tagging Turner on the roll or sticking with Cunningham on the perimeter. Cunningham exacerbates this issue by lifting higher on the floor, and eventually gets an open three out of it.
I even think of quieter possessions like this, with Cunningham stashed in the weakside corner. It doesn't lead to a bucket, but look at who makes the rotation on this drive from Diggins-Smith, where it comes from (the strong side, a general no-no), and the difference in urgency compared to Cunningham's defender.
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The Mercury have found success using Cunningham as part of their HORNS or HORNS-adjacent sets. Using her as a screener or flare option means involving a big; most of whom aren't used to defending movement shooters. Stewart is a legitimate DPOY candidate and you see how she isn't exempt from making hard choices in space.
Beyond that, Cunningham embraces contact. That leads to #antics at times, but in general, her willingness to get her hands dirty makes her a pretty useful off-ball threat. She doesn't mind prying others open. And because of her shooting ability and spatial awareness, defenses&nbsp;really&nbsp;have to be connected or they risk giving up something easy.&nbsp;
I loved the Mercury going to this set on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter on Friday night. Cunningham starts in the corner this time, but the objective is for her to screen for Taurasi and see what opens up.&nbsp;
On the first trip, Cunningham's lead block creates a triple for the legend.
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On the next one, Cunningham slips into open space against a switch. Remember, folks: the best way to beat a switch is with a slip.
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It's important to stress that the Mercury are generating these looks against the Seattle Storm, the team that had the best defensive rating in the W <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateTo=07%2F21%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heading into Friday night's action</a>.
<a href="https://www.positiveresidual.com/shiny/wnba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Since June 25</a>, the Mercury are outscoring teams by 9.3 points per 100 possessions with the Cunningham-Turner pairing on the floor. The starting unit with those two, Diggins-Smith, Taurasi and Shey Peddy has posted a plus-13.1 net rating in that time frame &mdash; one of the best marks in the W.
Long term, the bellwether for Sophie-at-4 lineups will continue to be the defense. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Cunningham is at a size disadvantage against most 4s. Teams haven't been shy attacking her on the block; per InStat tracking, she's defended 16 post-ups in the last three games. She's held up for the most part; again, she embraces physicality, and she also contests pretty well without fouling.
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The issue is what happens after the shot. Her opponent may miss, but they'll likely have the fast track to an offensive rebound. And to that point: the Mercury have&nbsp;by far&nbsp;the <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DREB_PCT&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=06%2F25%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst defensive rebound rate</a> in the W over their past 10 games, grabbing just 62% of misses.
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Overall, things have worked because Cunningham has been so good offensively. The shooting, and the multiple platforms it can be used in, has juiced the Mercury's attack.
As long as that continues, they'll be in good shape to hold onto a playoff spot.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the impact of Sophie Cunningham starting at the 4 for the Phoenix Mercury.

Sophie Cunningham giving the Phoenix Mercury a lift at the 4

Well, it finally happened. The New York Knicks and a top-tier free agent have agreed to terms on a contract.
Barring any shocking, last-minute changes, Jalen Brunson will be the Knicks&rsquo; starting point guard on opening night in 2022-23, as he and the team came to terms on a whopping four-year, $104 million deal.
After entering the NBA following a successful three-year career at Villanova, Brunson was drafted and signed a partially guaranteed four-year, $6.1 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks before the 2018-19 season, meaning this marks his first big payday.
Even though the agreement was just recently announced, the presumed signing has already been scrutinized ad nauseum. And since he signed with New York, it&rsquo;s been even more polarizing.
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In light of this move, let&rsquo;s step back and examine the facts: Brunson signed a big deal that will pay him a lot of money in 2022-23 and beyond. Additional details about salary have not yet been announced, but regardless of the annual breakdown, is a deal like this warranted?
That depends on how you view value.
Objectively, the Knicks probably overpaid, as least in terms of production. In total, 13 point guards were scheduled to be paid more than $26 million next season as of June 30, 2022: Stephen Curry ($48 million), Russell Westbrook ($47 million), Damian Lillard ($42.5 million), Trae Young ($37 million), Luka Doncic ($37 million), Kyrie Irving ($36.9 million), Ben Simmons ($35.4 million), Jamal Murray ($31.6 million), D&rsquo;Angelo Russell ($31.3), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($30.9 million), De&rsquo;Aaron Fox ($30.3 million), Chris Paul ($28.4 million) and Kyle Lowry ($28.3 million).
For what it&rsquo;s worth, the players just behind Brunson are Mike Conley ($22.6 million), Malcolm Brogdon ($22.6 million), Terry Rozier ($21.5 million), Fred VanVleet ($21.2 million), Spencer Dinwiddie ($20.1 million), Lonzo Ball ($19.5 million) and Eric Bledsoe ($19.3 million).
Most NBA experts can find a few guys on that list that Brunson is probably better than, including Russell, Brogdon, Rozier, Bledsoe &mdash; and probably Ball too.
Considering that each team is at a different place in its development, it&rsquo;s harder to rank starting point guards. But it&rsquo;s fair to say that there are 11 point guards across the league who the Knicks would prefer over Brunson &mdash; Curry, Doncic, Lillard, Young, Jrue Holiday, Ja Morant, Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball, VanVleet, Darius Garland and Cade Cunningham. They might also prefer Dejounte Murray, Paul, Fox and Lowry as well, depending on who you ask.
So, an objective review of production from the point-guard position reveals that Brunson might not be an elite producer, yet. Granted, defining point guards is difficult, so bear with me.
In 2021-22, Brunson was tied for the 16th-highest scoring average among point guards (16.3 points per game). He was also 23rd among the position in assists per game (4.8), 16th in total rebounds per game (3.9) and 25th in Defensive Box Plus-Minus (-0.6).
Brunson&rsquo;s production was matched or bettered by a few point guards making less than he is set to earn, including Cole Anthony (rookie deal), VanVleet ($21.2 million) and Dinwiddie ($20.1 million).
But production is also about opportunity, and Dallas used Brunson in a specific way. The fact of the matter is that Dallas already has its lead guard, and it&rsquo;s a no-brainer when choosing who should be the primary creator between Doncic and Brunson. The idea that Brunson will have more opportunities in New York should be exhilarating to Brunson and his believers.
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Welcome to New York, Jalen Brunson! <a href="https://t.co/lISUdlwnOH">pic.twitter.com/lISUdlwnOH</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1542684979204919301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Further, it&rsquo;s easy to overlook the idea that teams invest in players&rsquo; futures. Sure, most fan bases celebrate signing proven players. But some of the best contracts are those given to players on the verge of breaking out, and that could be precisely where Brunson is in his career.
Brunson&rsquo;s contract was created by optimists who know and love him. Leon Rose, Brunson&rsquo;s former agent, simply believes that giving Brunson the keys to the castle will make him better; the adage of &ldquo;yesterday&rsquo;s price ain&rsquo;t today&rsquo;s price&rdquo; feels eerily relevant. It certainly is for the Mavericks, as they could have signed him for significantly less just a few months ago, and it could be for the Knicks too, if Brunson outperforms this contract.
This deal was also a must-have for the Knicks because not only have they failed to land a major free agent since 2010 &mdash; at which point Amar'e Stoudamire was more of a consolation prize than a home run &mdash; but they&rsquo;ve also been desperate for a starting-caliber point guard for what feels like ever.
Don&rsquo;t believe me? Here&rsquo;s a look at the Knicks&rsquo; opening-night starting point guards for the past 13 seasons: Chris Duhon, Ray Felton, Toney Douglas, Felton (again), Pablo Prigioni, Shane Larkin, Jose Calderon, Derrick Rose, Ramon Sessions, Trey Burke, Allonzo Trier, Elfrid Payton and Kemba Walker.
So, it&rsquo;s been a rough, rough stretch.
But that&rsquo;s not all. Brunson turns 26 in August, meaning he&rsquo;s an ideal match for the Knicks' young core. RJ Barret is just 21, Julius Randle is 27, Mitchell Robinson (a candidate to re-sign in New York) is 23, Obi Toppin is 23 and Immanuel Quickley is 22.
Now, back to that list of higher-paid point guards: Only seven of the 13 point guards set to make $26 million or more next year are under 30 years old.
Knicks fans are fractured over the idea of paying Brunson, but if not him, then who?
This league has proven time and again that market size does not explicitly matter, and the idea that free agents will be intoxicated by all that is New York is a dated concept. Culture and success matter more. And if that&rsquo;s the case, and you choose to forego signing Brunson because it&rsquo;s too much money, you&rsquo;ll be stuck in a chicken-and-the-egg situation pertaining to the team&rsquo;s culture and success for even longer.
And then, there&rsquo;s the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and salary cap to consider. Both the owners and players can technically opt out of the current CBA this December. More importantly, the NBA's television deals expire after the 2024-25 season, and the league is allegedly expecting a &ldquo;huge increase&rdquo; in rights fees, according to ESPN.
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CNBC reported last March that the league will seek a new television contract in the range of $75 billion, up from $24 billion, and league revenue obviously impacts the salary cap. This is relevant because, in 2022-23, the salary cap will be $123.6 million, with the tax level coming in at $150.2 million. Forbes&rsquo; Morten Jensen reported last September that the cap could jump to as much as $171 million by 2025, assuming no cap smoothing after a new rights deal and CBA.
Brunson&rsquo;s deal works out to an average annual salary of $26 million, or 17.3% of the full 2022-23 cap. If it does, in fact, jump to $171 million in 2025-26 (and assuming the Knicks have a team salary of $171 million), Brunson would represent only 15% of the team&rsquo;s cap in the final year of his deal &mdash; and the Knicks will have his Bird rights, allowing them to exceed the cap in re-signing him.
It's worth mentioning that Brunson's deal allegedly has a player option in its final year, meaning he can opt out before 2025-26. But at the very least, an increase in the salary cap in 2025-26 would offset re-signing him to a bigger deal, assuming he deserves one. For reference, Curry accounted for 28% of the Warriors' 2021-22 salary. Not that we're comparing Brunson and Curry, but $26 million per year isn't as harmful as it used to be.&nbsp;
So, as much as it may feel arbitrary, and even irresponsible, to hand out a deal like this to a non-All-Star, I ask you this: At what point should the Knicks give out a big contract? And who would agree to come to New York?
Brunson might not be Curry or Lillard, but he&rsquo;s the best player the Knicks have enticed to join them in a long time. And he might be even better than anyone knows.
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With Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have found their new floor general. Considering the price tag, will he live up to expectations?