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Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals will be played on Thursday, June 2. Remarkably, that date is the exact one-year anniversary of the Boston Celtics' announcing Brad Stevens had stepped away from head coaching duties to assume the role of president of basketball operations in place of the departing Danny Ainge.
Let's have a look back at what has been an extraordinary and almost unimaginable 12 months&hellip;
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During his eight seasons on the sidelines in Boston, Stevens was viewed as one of the league's better head coaches. He was regarded as an elite tactician and considered an important part of the Celtics' sustained success. Under his stewardship, Boston advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals three times in four years.
So when the club announced that its long-time top executive in Ainge was retiring and that Stevens would be promoted to team president last June, it came as a shock to most. Would Stevens be able to replicate the regular-season success he enjoyed as head coach? Could Boston get over the hump and advance all the way to the NBA Finals?
Although Ainge left a roster stocked with a budding superstar in Jayson Tatum, his All-Star caliber sidekick in Jaylen Brown, veteran stalwart Marcus Smart and a few promising youngsters, Stevens took control at a precarious juncture. Boston entered last summer capped out (with a directive from ownership not to incur a costly luxury tax bill) and lacking excess draft capital.&nbsp;
Stevens' first order of business was parting ways with Kemba Walker and his cumbersome contract. With two years and $73 million remaining on his deal, Walker was the team's highest-paid player. When healthy, the four-time All-Star Walker was highly productive on the offensive end for the C's, but his balky left knee had robbed him of his quickness. Some suggested the Celtics sit tight, hoping that an entire offseason of rest would allow Kemba to re-establish himself as a quality starter. If Boston wanted to trade Walker, Stevens would have to get creative.
The week before the 2021 NBA Draft, Stevens dealt Boston's first-round pick (16th overall) and a 2025 second-round draft pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford and a 2023 second-rounder.&nbsp;
At the time, Stevens' first significant move as team president was considered highly questionable.&nbsp;
Following the 2019-20 season, when Horford posted career-worst numbers for the Philadelphia 76ers after signing a monstrous four-year, $109 million pact, the veteran big man's contract was viewed as one of the worst in the league. In December 2020, the Sixers were forced to attach a future first-round pick and the draft rights to Vasilije Micic (who just won his second EuroLeague Final Four MVP) in a trade with OKC just to get out from under Horford's contract.
During his lone season in Oklahoma City, Horford appeared in just 28 games for the Thunder. After the trade deadline passed in February 2021, the Thunder shut him down for the rest of the season. At the time, it felt like Stevens was trading for a potentially washed-up 35-year-old center with two years and $53.5 million left on his contract ($41 million of it guaranteed).
But after struggling at times to find his groove in the regular season, Horford has been a crucial cog in the Celtics' run to the Finals. During these playoffs, he is averaging 11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 three-pointers,1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals per game, all while shooting 50.0% from the floor, a scorching 43.2% from downtown, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
Per Basketball-Reference, Horford is just the third player in NBA history (joining Draymond Green and Rasheed Wallace) to average more than 1.5 blocks and more than 1.5 made treys in a postseason (minimum 15 games played). Horford is also the first player ever over the age of 35 to tally more than 25 blocks and more than 25 three-pointers in a single postseason.
To say the Walker/Horford trade has worked out well for Boston would be a dramatic understatement.&nbsp;
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After acquiring Horford, Stevens' next critical decision would be choosing a new head coach. After interviewing several candidates, Stevens zeroed in on Ime Udoka and officially hired him in late June. Udoka was a bit of a gamble, as he had never been a head coach, having spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant with San Antonio (2012-13 to 2018-19), Philadelphia (2019-20) and Brooklyn (2020-21).&nbsp;
Udoka's job was made that much more difficult when the C's stumbled out of the gates this season. By the turn of the new year, there was some finger-pointing in the locker room with the Celtics losing too many winnable games. Three weeks into January, Boston was still below .500 with a 23-24 record.
However, Udoka remained stoically stern, providing a calm and reassuring presence in the locker room and on the sideline. His ability to outcoach opponents and his command of the X's and O's gained him the trust of his team. Over the second half of the season, Boston ranked in the top three in Defensive Efficiency, and led the league in Offensive Efficiency (122.6) and Net Rating (plus-12.7) by a wide margin.
Udoka earned Coach of the Month honors on multiple occasions, and would go on to finish fourth in the NBA Coach of the Year voting. The league-wide respect he's garnered has only increased as he's helped guide his team to the championship series.&nbsp;
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When the free agency frenzy commenced in July 2021, Stevens had to decide what to do with shooting guard Evan Fournier. Ultimately, Boston opted to let Fournier leave for New York.
The Celtics' only free-agent addition of note last summer was inking Dennis Schroder to a team-friendly, one-year deal for $5.9 million. However, Stevens signed Marcus Smart (four years, $76.5 million) and Robert Williams III (four years, $48 million) to lengthy extensions.
The Smart signing, in particular, looks genius in retrospect.&nbsp;
It had been rumored that Ainge was seriously considering trading away Smart in different deals in years past. However, Stevens made it clear that he was committing to Smart for the long term. Just as importantly, Stevens let it be known he would entrust Smart with the team's primary point guard duties. This may seem like an easy decision with the benefit of hindsight, but it's important to point out that entering this season, Smart had started in just 228 of the 449 games he had appeared in. And a large percentage of those starts were alongside point guards such as Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas.&nbsp;
The C's flourished with Smart installed as the floor general, especially on the defensive end. Smart, as we know, would be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996.
Starting in each of the 71 regular-season games he played, Smart finished the season ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.68), ranked fifth among all guards with a Defensive Rating of 105.2, and led the NBA with 1.1 loose balls recovered per contest. He was also near the top of the league in deflections, charges drawn and defensive rebounds. On the offensive end, he averaged a career-high 5.9 assists per game and posted an Effective Field Goal percentage above 50% for the first time.
Had Stevens not locked up Smart last summer, he would undoubtedly have been one of the most highly sought-after players on the free-agent market next month.&nbsp;
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Before being sidelined by a knee injury late in the season, Williams had also been enjoying a breakout 2021-22 campaign, averaging career-highs in points (10.0), rebounds (9.6), blocks (2.2), steals (0.9), field-goal percentage (73.6%) and free-throw percentage (72.2%). Like Smart, Williams' value now exceeds his salary.&nbsp;
In February, Stevens recognized Boston's backcourt needed an upgrade. Hence, he sent Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford and a top-four-protected 2022 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Derrick White at the trade deadline. Udoka, who was familiar with White having spent time as an assistant in San Antonio, asked him to sacrifice some of his offense. White would serve as a reserve, which meant fewer field goal attempts and fewer minutes. White embraced the role, supplied solid defense on the perimeter and knocked down a handful of big buckets during Boston's run to the Finals.
Ironically, of all the trades and signing Stevens has made over the past 12 months, arguably the most important and impactful are the ones he did NOT agree to. It sounds outlandish now because the C's are four wins away from the franchise's 18th championship, but plenty of pundits and fans in New England had been calling for the Celtics to break up the duo of Brown and Tatum.
While there was no denying their collective talent, many argued the roster was unbalanced, and that the skill sets Tatum and Brown brought to the table were a bit duplicitous. Thus, some folks contended that the best path forward was trading Brown (possibly in a package with Smart) for a pure point guard (such as Damian Lillard).
Pressure and the corresponding rumors reached a fever pitch in the dark days of December and January.&nbsp;
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Damnit I&rsquo;m holding everybody in Boston accountable, from the front office, to the coaching staff and down to Jaylen and Tatum. It&rsquo;s time to break them up! Carry on&hellip; <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FirstTake</a> <a href="https://t.co/2fNHMFavfd">pic.twitter.com/2fNHMFavfd</a>
&mdash; Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1479494503765524483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As noted above, Boston was below .500 for much of the season. On Jan. 15, the Celtics had a worse record than both the Knicks and Washington Wizards. Boston was 11th in the East, on the outside of the Play-in Tournament looking in.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But Stevens never budged, trusting in the roster he helped construct. And the results speak for themselves. Twelve months after he was hired, Stevens's squad is preparing for the NBA Finals.&nbsp;
Earlier this month, the NBA announced Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 Basketball Executive of the Year Award. Stevens came in sixth, receiving only one first-place vote. However, that award is based on regular-season accomplishments.
Given how well Boston has performed in the playoffs, there is little doubt about which executive's moves have looked best in the postseason.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer reviews Brad Stevens' first season as Celtics president with his one-year anniversary coinciding with NBA Finals Game 1.

Brad Stevens deserves massive credit for the Celtics' success

Objectively, Damian Lillard is as accomplished as nearly anyone in the NBA, but the legacies of all-time greats are judged against other all-time greats. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal teases Charles Barkley on "Inside the NBA" about having won zero championships because he can. Win one, and you&rsquo;re forever a member of the club. Fail to do so, and you&rsquo;ll remain on the outside looking in.
Granted, being an all-time great is a good club to be a part of, but failing to win a championship can be utterly haunting. Just watch players like Barkley and Patrick Ewing talk about failing to win on the biggest stage. You hear regret in their voices. And pain. And there&rsquo;s nothing they can do about it.
It&rsquo;s premature to lump Lillard in with the aforementioned greats. After all, he&rsquo;s still only 31, meaning he has years remaining before we can have an honest discussion about his place amongst league legends (with or without a championship). I&rsquo;ll happily wait until he&rsquo;s retired to assess his legacy.
What I will address now is the fact that Lillard&rsquo;s inability to deliver a championship to Portland in his 10 seasons is actually not his fault. In fact, I posit that that no superstar in recent memory can be blamed less than Lillard for his team&rsquo;s shortcomings. Lillard has faced a grueling uphill battle since joining the Trail Blazers as a rookie, and his presence has resulted in Portland consistently outperforming their talent.
First, let&rsquo;s inventory how Lillard&rsquo;s Trail Blazers have fared in the postseason. In total, Portland has missed the playoffs twice since Lillard was drafted: once during his rookie year and again in 2021-22, a season in which Lillard was shut down in late December due to abdominal surgery. Had Lillard been healthy all season, his Blazers may have made their ninth consecutive postseason appearance.
Once there, Lillard is an impactful postseason player, posting 25.7 points and 6.2 assists per game in 12 career postseason series. Across his playoff career, he&rsquo;s shot 41.2% from the field, 36.9% on threes and 88.7% on free throws. He&rsquo;s also had several epic shots that were either game-winners or series-enders, which probably inspired Robert Horry, an all-time great shooter himself, to recently refer to Lillard the best clutch shooter ever.
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Robert Horry calls Damian Lillard the best clutch shooter ever over Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant &ldquo;He has hit a clutch shot versus every team in the NBA.&rdquo;<a href="https://t.co/lg34EjTZNB">https://t.co/lg34EjTZNB</a>
&mdash; NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1525203234650050562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Despite his heroics, Lillard&rsquo;s Trail Blazers have never reached the NBA Finals. They did succeed in reaching the Western Conference Finals once in 2019. They ultimately lost to the Golden State Warriors. They also lost to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2014, the 73-9 Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2016 and the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round in 2020. So, four of Lillard&rsquo;s eight postseason appearances ended against either the eventual champions or the dynastic Warriors.
Like Barkley and Ewing before him, Lillard has been a victim of time and circumstance, as his prime fell right in the middle of the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; historic run. But in Lillard&rsquo;s case, his struggles have been about more than his opponents. After all, Lillard is not dominated by any one player like how Jordan dominated his era. His circumstances are more a result of his supporting cast, or lack thereof.
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Lillard&rsquo;s stance on recruiting is that he wants to remain in Portland. He&rsquo;ll assist in recruiting free agents to Rip City, but he will not entertain recruiting pitches from other teams&rsquo; stars, a fair and respectable stance. For whatever reason, Lillard has been unsuccessful in recruiting others thus far. For example, he failed to land Kelly Oubre in Portland just last summer. However, there are limited examples of a dedicated push by Lillard in recruiting. Whether he foregoes recruiting or fails at it , the result is the same, and it hurts.
But as much as Lillard could participate in team building, there is a management team that is paid a handsome salary to build the team into a legitimate contender, regardless of Lillard's recruitment style. Frankly, that front office has failed to surround Lillard with top-tier co-stars.
A quick inventory of recent NBA champions reveals that Portland&rsquo;s talent is simply insufficient. Seven of the last 10 champions had multiple All-Stars. The other three were San Antonio in 2014, Cleveland in 2016 and Milwaukee in 2021, and we know all three teams had far more talent than any Portland team. Comparatively, battling all-time great competition, Lillard&rsquo;s only active All-Star teammate has been LaMarcus Aldridge, and they only overlapped as All-Stars twice.
There is also CJ McCollum, who was the 2015-16 Most Improved Player. Despite not being named to an All-Star team, he&rsquo;s certainly been an All-Star caliber player for much of his career. He&rsquo;s even (slightly) better in the playoffs, where he&rsquo;s scored 20.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 13 series.
McCollum's and Aldridge&rsquo;s better seasons sadly didn&rsquo;t overlap. Aldridge&rsquo;s final season in Portland (2014-15) was McCollum&rsquo;s sophomore season, and McCollum wasn&rsquo;t yet the McCollum we've come to know.
Portland could be on to something now. Anfernee Simons could prove to be a valid backcourt mate for Lillard. The former IMG star had a breakout season last year, averaging 17.3 points per game on 40.9% on three-pointers. If Joe Ingles can regain his pre-injury form and Jusuf Nurkic can remain healthy, there are some promising pieces in the mix.
However, the Trail Blazers still need at least one more creator. Fortunately, Portland has a 37.2% chance of sneaking into the top-four in this year&rsquo;s NBA Draft. Doing so would equip them with a valuable trade chip that could deliver exactly the type of player they need and maybe get them closer to becoming NBA Champions.
Regardless as to what happens with Portland in the immediate future, a closer look at Lillard's body of work reveals just how great he really is. Soon, he may join that elusive and exclusive championship club, but even if he doesn&rsquo;t, we should be careful how we refer to his failures. Because more so than practically anyone in NBA history, not winning a championship shouldn't paint our perception of Lillard.&nbsp;
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Damian Lillard is already an all-time great. We can't ignore his postseason failures, but he can't be defined by them, either.

Damian Lillard's inability to win isn't his fault

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Memphis Grizzlies routed the Golden State Warriors 134-95 on Wednesday night to avoid elimination and force a sixth game in the Western Conference semifinal.
Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Memphis. Ziaire Williams and Brandon Clarke had 11 apiece and De&rsquo;Anthony Melton 10. Steven Adams had 13 rebounds, six offensive.
The Grizzlies never trailed, turning in their best performance of this series to pull to 3-2 even with All-Star guard Ja Morant sitting out his second straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee. They improved to 4-11 when facing elimination.
Memphis scored 77 points in the first half, the most in franchise postseason history. The Grizzlies pushed their lead to 55 in the third quarter, threatening the three biggest postseason blowouts in NBA history. Their 52-point lead after three tied for the largest in a playoff game in the past 70 years.
When Memphis fans chanted &ldquo;Whoop That Trick! Whoop That Trick!&rdquo; early in the fourth, Stephen Curry laughed on the court laughing while Draymond Green swung a towel in unison with the crowd.
Game 6 is Friday night in San Francisco, where the Warriors have won five straight playoff games and their last seven overall.&nbsp;
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 19 points, Jonathan Kuminga added 17, Curry had 14 and Damion Lee and Moses Moody each had 10.
The Warriors lost for the first time with assistant Mike Brown filling in for coach Steve Kerr, who missed his second straight game since testing positive for COVID before Game 4.
The Grizzlies got back to doing the things that helped the post the second-best record during the regular season. They outrebounded Golden State and dominated on the offensive boards. They forced plenty of turnovers and got their best production from the bench of this series.
Golden State, thanks to Poole coming off the bench, had outscored Memphis&rsquo; reserves each of the first four games. Facing elimination, the Grizzlies had a 28-8 edge through the first two quarters and finished with a 52-35 margin.
Memphis led 38-28 at the end of the first quarter and continued a 24-8 run into the second quarter to go up 53-36t. They finished the second on a 20-4 run, including 14 straight, to outscore Golden State 39-22 for a 77-50 lead at halftime.
Then the Grizzlies opened the third quarter outscoring Golden State 20-6, prompting fans to start chanting &ldquo;Whoop That Trick.&rdquo; Memphis just pushing, outscoring Golden State 42-17 in the third for a 119-67 lead going into the fourth.
Brown benched most of his starters by 3:44 of the third, and Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins followed to start the fourth resting up for a flight to California and Game 6.
TIP-INS
Warriors: The 77 points allowed in the first half matched the most allowed all season. They also gave up 77 on Jan. 13 at Milwaukee. ... The Warriors also fell to 12-4 in Game 5s since 2015. ... Nemanja Bjelica started the third quarter in place of Jonathan Kuminga. Bjelica had played only four minutes in this series. ... Otto Porter Jr. played 12 minutes before being sidelined by a sore right foot.
Grizzlies: They matched their most first-half points, also scoring 77 against New Orleans on March 8. They did it by outscoring Golden State 24-5 on second-chance points with a 18-4 edge on the offensive boards.
POSTSEASON BLOWOUTS
The Bucks also led Philadelphia by 52 (124-72) on March 30, 1970. Denver beat New Orleans by 58 on April 27, 2009, matching the margin Minneapolis beat St. Louis on March 19, 1956. Golden State beat the Los Angeles Lakers by 56 on April 21, 1973.
GRIZZLIES&rsquo; D
Memphis scored 25 points off turnovers in the first half &mdash; most by any team in the 1st half over the last 25 postseasons. The Warriors had been averaging 19 turnovers a game in this series and had 14 by halftime and finished with 20.
BROWN&rsquo;S FIRST LOSS
Brown, the next coach of the Sacramento Kings, had been 12-0 coaching the Warriors in the postseason, winning 11 straight in the 2017 playoffs. He also won Game 4 when the Warriors took the lead for the first time with 45.7 seconds left to pull out a win for a 3-1 series lead.&nbsp;

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Grizzlies routed the Warriors 134-95.

Grizzlies rout Warriors to avoid elimination, force Game 6

In the 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place in 2021 due to COVID, France matched up with Team USA in the men&rsquo;s basketball gold-medal game for the third time.
The first gold-medal meeting between the two nations took place was in 1948, with France <a href="https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/games-of-the-xivth-olympiad-1948.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing 65-21 in that final</a>.
Despite having been historically good since then, it took another 52 years for the Frenchmen to return to that stage for a second time; unfortunately, Team USA awaited again. The game was much closer in 2000 than in 1948, but the Americans &mdash; led by Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning and Ray Allen among others &mdash; outlasted Antoine Rigaudeau, Laurent Sciarra, Frederic Weis and France, 85-75.
(No, that wasn&rsquo;t the game Carter <a href="https://youtu.be/WihbbVEmppI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dunked on Weis</a>; that was earlier in The Games.)
And in last year&rsquo;s gold-medal game, in the countries' third meeting on that stage, France <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-olympics-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401347899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">got even closer</a>.
France's best Olympic team ever was defeated by the Americans, 87-82. Team USA started Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bam Adebayo, answering the French quintet of Nando De Colo, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Guerschon Yabusele and Rudy Gobert.
Contributions from the U.S. bench came from Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Draymond Green and Khris Middleton, while Timoth&eacute; Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntikilina, Thomas Heurtel and Moustapha Fall were key components of France's second unit. The Frenchmen trailed by as little as 3 points with just eight seconds remaining before Durant iced the game with two free throws.
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Now imagine that game with Joel Embiid... playing for France.
The 28-year-old NBA MVP candidate, who was born and raised in Cameroon and has never played for his home national team (despite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/things-to-monitor-as-the-next-fiba-world-cups-next-qualifying-window-arrives">coming close in 2017</a>), is reportedly <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/05/02/joel-embiid-could-change-nationality-play-french-national-team-report">eyeing an opportunity to suit up for France</a>.
Embiid has family in France, and is <a href="https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/basket/basket-joel-embiid-superstar-de-nba-se-rapproche-de-l-equipe-de-france_AV-202205020664.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering changing his nationality</a> in order to play for the Frenchmen in the 2024 Olympic Games, where they&rsquo;d enter as one of the favorites to challenge Team USA again for the gold. According to French basketball general manager Boris Diaw, Embiid is <a href="https://actucameroun.com/2022/05/03/boris-diaw-manager-general-de-lequipe-de-france-confirme-les-demarches-entamees-par-joel-embiid-pour-jouer-avec-les-bleus-en-vue-des-jo-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking the necessary steps</a>.
(Looks like we won't ever see the Embiid-Pascal Siakam tandem for Cameroon, unfortunately.)
In FIBA, each team is allowed one naturalized player on its roster. Current and recent instances of this include American-born players to suit up for different countries, such as Javonte Green (Montenegro), Matt Costello (Ivory Coast), Anthony Randolph (Slovenia) and Andray Blatche (Philippines). Non-American examples include Congolese center Serge Ibaka playing for Spain, Cuban native Ismael Romero playing for Puerto Rico and French-born Aaron Cel playing for Poland. Another famous occasion where this occurred saw Hakeem Olajuwon playing with Team USA in the 1990s.
Regarding American-born WNBA players, known examples include Bria Hartley representing France, Becky Hammon representing Russia and Leilani Mitchell representing Australia. Non-American examples in the women&rsquo;s game include Bahamian Jonquel Jones playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Senegal native Astou Ndour playing for Spain.
Now, it may be long before we see Embiid actually playing for France if this process gets finalized, or less than we think if he decides not to wait for the Olympics.
The next major European basketball tournament is EuroBasket 2022, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/eurobasket/2022">which will run from Sept. 1-18 later this year</a> across Italy, Germany, Georgia and the Czech Republic. France will be one of 24 teams competing, but seeing Embiid there would be surprising.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup, which France is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/where-things-stand-after-the-second-window-of-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers">currently attempting to qualify for</a>, will take place from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10, 2023. Qualifying for the World Cup will run through next February before the final pool of 32 teams gets decided.
And the 2024 Summer Olympics, assuming we avoid another global pandemic, is expected to actually run that summer. The host of the Games? France, who will automatically qualify for the tournament <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/pr-n34-brazils-national-teams-granted-automatic-places-at-2016-olympic-basketball-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by rule</a>. Embiid will be 30 years old by the next Olympics.
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Since Embiid is reportedly targeting the 2024 Games, let&rsquo;s look at some players who might be his teammates.
The oldest players from the silver-medal-winning squad last summer were De Colo and Batum, who&rsquo;ll be 37 and 35 by the 2024 Games, so expect many of the same players to run it back if possible. One name that could join the fray is Boston Celtics second-round pick Juhann Begarin, who is just 19 years old and was the No. 45 overall selection last summer. Isma&euml;l Kamagate and Hugo Besson, both of whom are 21, are in the 2022 NBA Draft pool; the same goes for 18-year-old Ousmane Dieng, who is quickly rising up draft boards. There's also plenty of hype surrounding fellow 18-year-old, ASVEL star and 7-foot-2 sensation Victor Wembanyama &mdash; a lock to be a high draft pick in 2023.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft">BasketballNews.com Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock</a> has Dieng going No. 21 overall, Kamagate at No. 40 and Besson at No. 51.
But really, there&rsquo;s one question we need to answer, and it has to do with a three-time Defensive Player of the Year already on the roster who holds down the 5 position. Could an Embiid and Gobert frontcourt lead France over Team USA?
If you haven&rsquo;t realized, the American pool of bigs is slighter than you think.
Many of the best centers in the NBA aren&rsquo;t American and don&rsquo;t represent America internationally. Examples include Embiid, Gobert, Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Nikola Vučević (Montenegro), Kristaps Porziņģis (Latvia), Clint Capela (Switzerland) and Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania).
The best centers that have represented Team USA, and/or have Team USA eligibility, have been Adebayo, Green, Jarrett Allen and JaVale McGee. Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) is a player to watch <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/06/22/suns-big-deandre-ayton-ideal-team-usa-2024-summer-olympics-paris/5307682001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who could represent Team USA in the future</a>, along with younger bigs like Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren.
Assuming health, so the 2024 American team could start either Adebayo, Ayton or Allen, if not 2 of the 3. Team USA is generally harder to guess in advance, but your starting lineup could look like some combination of Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Booker, Tatum and Adebayo. Maybe, to match size, Ayton gets in there instead of Edwards.
Maybe a Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell sneak into the backcourt instead. Maybe someone we&rsquo;re not projecting to make another huge leap does &mdash; like Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro or Tyrese Maxey &mdash; or maybe Jaden Ivey or Jabari Smith are more ready than we think by 2024. Even so, you&rsquo;d throw, at best, Adebayo, Ayton, Allen, and Mobley at the Embiid-Gobert combo, and that tandem could be backed up by Dieng, Yabusele, and Vincent Poirier for France.
It&rsquo;s a lot to project, no doubt, but giving <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/rankingmen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the No. 4 team in the world</a> a top-four player in the world could be what it takes for someone to snatch the gold medal away from Team USA in the Olympics for the first time since 2004.
But a lot can happen in two years, so we'll table this... for now.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca looks at the potential of Joel Embiid joining France in international competition.

We’re not talking enough about Joel Embiid possibly playing for France

It's not uncommon for high-profile athletes in New York to experience ups and downs throughout their careers. Yet, in just the three seasons Julius Randle has spent as a Knick, he's endured nearly unprecedented swings, from extreme lows to intense highs and everything in-between...
After making the difficult decision to trade away Kristaps Porzingis in February 2019, the Knicks inked Randle to a three-year, $63 million deal the following summer, hoping Randle could carry the team offensively and help them return to respectability.
However, Randle struggled to handle the bright lights of Broadway during his first year in NYC. After averaging over 21 points per game on 52.4% shooting during his sole season in New Orleans, Randle's scoring average dipped to 19.5 points per game on 46.0% shooting in 2019-20. And while his overall counting stats were solid (19/10/3), his inefficiency and defensive lapses contributed to the Knicks' putrid 21-45 record.
In an article he <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/reputation-julius-randle-new-york-knicks-basketball-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penned for the Players Tribune</a>, Randle acknowledged that he wasn't quite prepared for the pressures that came along with being the top dog in the Big Apple.
"To be honest, I don't think I realized everything that goes into being a No. 1 option in the NBA," Randle <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/reputation-julius-randle-new-york-knicks-basketball-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>. "Another problem, looking back, is that I think I was so focused on proving myself as a No. 1 option, that I lost sight of some of my other responsibilities to the team."
Randle added: "I know you only get one chance to make a first impression in a city &mdash; and I was so disappointed in myself for how that first season in New York had gone."
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Well, his second impression was incredible.&nbsp;
Randle wasn't just good during his second season in NYC; he authored one of the finest all-around seasons in Knicks franchise history.
The winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player, Randle finished the 2020-21 campaign averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, ranking in the top-20 in all three statistical categories. Prior that that, the only other players in NBA history to average at least 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists over an entire season were Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokić, Larry Bird, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.
Randle also averaged 2.3 made three-pointers and 0.9 steals while shooting 45.6% from the floor, 41.1% from downtown and 81.1% from the free-throw line. According to Basketball-Reference, Randle was just the second player ever to average more than 10 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting over 40% from three-point territory and over 80% from the charity stripe. (The only other player in this exclusive club is Bird, who posted those numbers in 1984-85 en route to winning the Most Valuable Player award.)
Knicks fans inside MSG would serenade Randle with boisterous "MVP" chants nearly every time he stepped to the free-throw line over the last two months of the season.&nbsp;
Randle would finish eighth in MVP voting and be named to the All-NBA Second Team alongside Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid and LeBron James.&nbsp;
Last summer, fresh off his career year, the Knicks inked Randle to a four-year contract extension worth up to $117 million.
Consequently, expectations were sky-high for Randle and his Knicks entering the 2021-22 campaign...
As we know, New York instead finished the year with a disappointing 37-45 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 10 years.
While Randle's counting stats were once again solid, his offensive inefficiency and porous defense were crippling. After shooting 41.5% on mid-range jumpers in 2020-21, he converted just 33.3% of his mid-rangers this past season. Of the 66 players who attempted more than 500 jump shots this past season, Randle was the least efficient. Every other player in the league who attempted more than three such shots per game converted over 35% &mdash; except for Randle.
Randle also struggled from long distance. After shooting over 41% from behind the three-point arc in 2020-21, that percentage tumbled all the way down to below 31% in 2021-22.
To put Randle's inefficiency in context, consider this: In 2021-22, Randle became the first and only player in NBA history to attempt more than 300 three-pointers and 300 free throws, yet shot below 42% from the floor, below 31% from downtown and below 76% from the charity stripe.
Oh, and his assist average decreased (from 6.0 to 5.1) while committing a career-high 245 turnovers.
Yet, if only his subpar production were an issue, the Knicks front office &mdash; led by team president Leon Rose &mdash; might be far more comfortable bringing Randle back in 2022-23 and hoping he can rebound from a rough year.
However, there are a number of concerns that complicate the situation.&nbsp;
The relationship between the burly power forward and Knicks fans turned toxic at various points over the past six months. During a home game against the Boston Celtics in early January, some New York fans inside Madison Square Garden booed Randle and his teammates after the Knicks fell behind by 25 points. Randle aimed a thumbs-down gesture at the crowd at one point in the fourth quarter. He acknowledged the gesture was directed at the fans after the game (which included a miraculous Knicks comeback, capped by RJ Barrett sinking a miraculous buzzer-beater).
When asked by reporters what it was for, Randle <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/06/julius-randle-gives-knicks-fans-thumbs-down-shut-the-f-k-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>: "To shut the f&ndash;k up."
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Unsurprisingly, the relationship remained rocky the rest of the way. As New York piled up losses and Randle continued to miss shots he had made a year earlier, the crowd continued to get on the team's highest-paid player. Making matters worse, <a href="https://tommybeer.substack.com/p/thibs-needs-to-send-a-strong-message?s=w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randle's lack of effort</a>, especially on the <a href="https://tommybeer.substack.com/p/thibs-needs-to-send-a-strong-message?s=w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive end</a>, drew the intense ire of the fan base.
Poor shooting or effort errors (such as giving up an easy bucket because you close out too hard) are frustrating but forgivable. However, New Yorkers won't tolerate consistently failing to box out or hustle back on defense. And, for long stretches this winter, Randle was guilty of such offenses.&nbsp;
Last month, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/julius-randle-could-be-forcing-way-off-knicks-in-james-harden-type-of-way/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Berman of the New York Post reported</a> that people around the league felt Randle was "acting in a 'James Harden type of way' that suggests he wants a new place of work next season."
Berman <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/julius-randle-could-be-forcing-way-off-knicks-in-james-harden-type-of-way/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that "some NBA sources believe the Knicks will shop Randle for a package revolving around a center if they lose Mitchell Robinson."
Randle has said publicly he wants to remain in New York, but has also stated that his wife and young son were forced to leave their courtside seats at some home games this season due to unwelcome comments from the crowd. Being traded to a new franchise could allow Randle to start fresh and hopefully re-establish himself as an All-Star.
The best resolution for both the player and the team may be parting ways this summer.&nbsp;
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From the Knicks' perspective, trading away an All-Star less than a year after you ink him to a max extension is never ideal. The front office hoped Randle would be a foundational cornerstone for the remainder of his prime. However, New York must acknowledge that this past season was a mess in more ways than one.&nbsp;
Interestingly, one bright spot over the second half of the season was the awe-inspiring play of Obi Toppin. When a sore quad sidelined Randle in late March, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft stepped in and most definitely stepped up. Fans who had been begging for Toppin to see more minutes finally got their wish.
Toppin started each of the Knicks' final five games and averaged 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 made three-pointers, 2.8 assists and 1.0 blocks. He shot over 55% from the floor, over 46% from downtown and over 86% from the charity stripe. He was one of just seven players to average more than 27 points and 6 boards per game in April. The other six were Jokic, Embiid, LeBron, Luka Doncic, Pascal Siakam and Kevin Durant. (And of this group, Toppin and Doncic were the only players to knock down more than three treys a night.)
While it's foolish to make too much out of relatively meaningless games late in any season, it's impossible to watch Toppin and not recognize he possesses tantalizing upside. And remember, this is the same dude who was named the NCAA National Player of the Year in 2020 due to his dominant play at Dayton, where he averaged 20.0 points to go along with 7.5 rebounds while shooting a scorching 63.3% percent from the field and 39.0% from behind the arc.&nbsp;
Toppin will be due for a contract extension of his own soon, and the Knicks need to determine if he is worth a hefty investment. Trading Randle would open a spot in the starting lineup for Toppin, who is closer in age to the Knicks' young core of Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, etc.
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The issue for New York is that it would have to "sell low" on Randle relative to where his league-wide value was just six months ago. Would the Knicks be content to trade him away if they would only be able recoup around 70 cents on the dollar? On the other hand, would another team be willing to trade for the $100+ million remaining on Randle's contract?
My guess is that the all-around skill set Randle showcased in 2020-21 will be more than enough to entice a few general managers.
Keep in mind that even in a "down year" in 2021-22, Randle averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 boards and 5.1 dimes. The only players to exceed those numbers in each category this season were Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. In addition, although Randle's contract is certainly not a bargain, it's not an albatross by any means &mdash; even with its 15% trade kicker.&nbsp;
More than 50 players in the league will earn more than Randle next season. A contract averaging around $26 million a year is reasonable for a player with Randle's immense talent and proven durability (he's appeared in 207 of a possible 222 games over the last four seasons).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Also, the fact that Randle is under team control for at least three more years (he has a player option for 2025-26) would appeal to several teams, especially small-market clubs.&nbsp;
Furthermore, there are always other GMs looking to move their own high-priced players due to positional log jams or salary constraints.
For instance, <a href="https://theathletic.com/3243084/2022/04/11/whats-next-for-lakers-notes-on-nick-nurse-russell-westbrook-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple</a> league insiders have <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/indiana-intrigue?s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Indiana Pacers are "open to trade conversations around Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield this offseason." Brogdon, whose name has been bandied about in trade rumors since Indiana acquired Tyrese Haliburton in February, has three years left on his deal. He and Randle have nearly identical salaries for next season, meaning they could be swapped straight up for each other.&nbsp;
With the Knicks still in desperate need of a point guard, which side would say no to a potential Brogdon-Randle deal?
It's also worth noting that <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10032521-who-will-lead-lamelo-ball-and-promising-hornets-into-their-prime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a> recently reported Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward is "interested in a change of scenery this offseason." A swap sending Kemba Walker, who is still beloved in Charlotte, and Randle to the Hornets in exchange for Hayward works under the cap. Would Charlotte be willing to include draft capital to get a deal done?
We know the Los Angeles Lakers would love to rid themselves of Russell Westbrook, who has just one year left on his current contract. And if we're thinking outside the box, would the Knicks be willing to consider a reunion with Kristaps Porzings?
The point is, if New York is genuinely willing to make Randle available, the franchise will have plenty of interested parties, which could make for a very interesting offseason.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer analyzes what went awry for Julius Randle in his third season with the Knicks and ponders options for both parties.

Julius Randle and the Knicks should part ways this summer

Throughout Wednesday&rsquo;s contest between the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans, the Smoothie King Center&rsquo;s atmosphere swelled to unconscionable decibels. Pelicans fans, overwhelmingly clad in red T-shirts, roared in support of their team, one that controlled much of the contest and dispatched the Spurs, 113-103.&nbsp;
They had many reasons to cheer, all of which draw back to the Pelicans&rsquo; remarkable turnaround without superstar Zion Williamson the entire way. After opening the year 14th in the West with a record of 3-16, New Orleans is now 37-46 and stands just 48 minutes away from a first-round series with the Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
Since this 34-30 run commenced, the Pelicans have been a true joy to watch. The beauty of this club is that its frenzied, impassioned fans could&rsquo;ve been delighted for any number of reasons Wednesday. There is not one singular storyline to embrace. The splendor rings up and down the roster. It&rsquo;s like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, and every endpoint is a feel-good tale.&nbsp;
Wednesday&rsquo;s stars were abundant and a matter of a perspective, the resolute theme of this five-month resurgence.&nbsp;
CJ McCollum slithered, shot and boogied to 27 first-half points and finished with 32 on the day. Before being traded from Portland, McCollum would sometimes dissolve in the shadows of Damian Lillard, always a year behind the experience of his backcourt mate and outmatched for individual honors. In New Orleans, McCollum is the elder statesman. Only Garrett Temple is older, and nobody touts more playoff game appearances.&nbsp;
This is his opportunity to be the veteran star, and he&rsquo;s seized it, averaging 24 points, 6 assists, 4&nbsp; rebounds and a steal on 58.0% True Shooting in 26 regular-season games as a Pelican.&nbsp;
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CJ MCCOLLUM LIGHTING THE SPURS UP ⚡️ <a href="https://t.co/JQxecBRX2g">pic.twitter.com/JQxecBRX2g</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1514435528359219203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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His 32-7-6-1 (63.5% TS) performance against San Antonio, punctuated by deft dribbling sequences into drives and silky pull-up jumpers, along with a 7-of-7, 19-point second frame, summarized everything he&rsquo;s brought the last two months. By night&rsquo;s end, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8iu88pq9Rk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he made it clear, he&rsquo;s &ldquo;at home,&rdquo;</a> and he illuminated that comfort during the biggest game of the season.&nbsp;
McCollum&rsquo;s shot-making partner, Brandon Ingram, glimmered Wednesday to the tune of 27-5-5 on ~62% TS. Over the past few months, Ingram has evolved his game, growing as a decision-maker, facilitator and off-ball defender. He&rsquo;s established himself as a bona fide star and one whose impact stretches well beyond scoring, while continuing to pour in buckets at a reliable rate.
After the Spurs jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first quarter, Ingram played the role of stabilizer, tallying 11 points and two dimes over a seven-minute span and fueling an 18-8 run. To open the second half, he displayed his defensive maturation and helped stymie numerous possessions as a helper.&nbsp;
When San Antonio trimmed the deficit to six with just under five minutes remaining, Ingram snapped a five-minute drought by scoring 6 of New Orleans&rsquo; next 8 points and pushing the lead back to double-digits. For stretches, the Spurs doubled him off of screens, and he seamlessly played the role of a waiter by finding teammates for quality shots.&nbsp;
Ingram's full complement of skills was evident, some of which he rapidly incorporated and were integral to the Pelicans&rsquo; renaissance. He thrived amid his first swim in the waters of postseason basketball.&nbsp;
If McCollum and Ingram were the offensive standouts, Herbert Jones is the unabashed, brilliant defensive standout of the night. Wiggling around screens and applying his 7-foot wingspan to disrupt shots, <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1514462137208356873?s=20&amp;t=exiOaJHeGESmdkeCybEMEQ">he hounded All-Star Dejounte Murray</a> en route to a 5-of-19 shooting game.&nbsp;
When opportunities arose offensively, he snagged them, knocking down a pair of triples and disappearing behind the defense as a cutter. Once a second-round rookie who played just three minutes in his NBA debut, Jones has, six months later, proven to be a legitimate All-Defensive Team candidate. He finished this game with 12 points, 5 boards, 3 dimes, 2 steals and 2 blocks. An All-Rookie nod awaits him and might come while he&rsquo;s starring defensively in a first-round series, justifiably playing heavy minutes for a team on the rise.&nbsp;
The tone-setters alongside Jones&rsquo; All-Defense exploits were stalwart big Jonas Valanciunas and undrafted rookie Jose Alvarado, who definitively declared that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBPHnGviVI">yes, he can shoot</a>, in the grandest game of his life.
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With Jones discarding screens like second nature, Valanciunas&rsquo; astute positioning and strength as a drop defender further frustrated Murray in pick-and-rolls. He wielded active hands to disrupt the point guard&rsquo;s rhythm and when the contexts ventured outside of pick-and-rolls, Valanciunas influenced shots around the rim.
As the tension inside eased for him offensively, Valanciunas scored 12 of his 22 points in the third quarter and exited the period with New Orleans leading by 21. He was the Pelicans&rsquo; bedrock this season, playing 2,240 minutes (second-most on the team) and routinely buoying them on both sides of the ball.&nbsp;
When Ingram was sidelined, Valanciunas&rsquo; efficiency as a face-up and post hub carried the offense. If defenses loaded up against him, he sprayed passes to cutters and shooters. He molded his game to fill the shape of whatever holes existed on the roster, something he&rsquo;s done for years. Only a handful of NBA centers are better than Valanciunas. New Orleans does not reach this point without his steady, multifaceted contributions.&nbsp;
The Pelicans didn&rsquo;t just close Wednesday with one rookie in the lineup. They closed with two, as Alvarado usurped Jaxson Hayes for the final spot. He scored 12 points, splashed in three triples, blended in well off the ball offensively and snagged a steal, which led to perhaps the most dynamite portion of the first half.
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Electric sequence from the Pelicans. This team is a joy <a href="https://t.co/bqOCB4YJ1l">pic.twitter.com/bqOCB4YJ1l</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1514434151897726977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Formerly a two-way player who didn&rsquo;t crack the rotation until January, Alvarado signed a four-year contract last month (with team options for the last three seasons, unfortunately). His point-of-attack chops defensively and downhill zeal offensively have ignited the Pelicans&rsquo; rotation.&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s emerged as their most important reserve guard. Advanced metrics adore him, and rightfully so. Head coach Willie Green&rsquo;s decision to roll with him down the stretch was a culmination of his play the past three months. Jose Alvarado won&rsquo;t just stick in the closing lineup Wednesday. He&rsquo;ll stick around the NBA for a while.
Collectively, Wednesday&rsquo;s game should be a celebration of the Pelicans' players and coaching staff. A 3-16 start with a remade roster and new coaching staff could bury a team. But everyone involved practiced fortitude. Whatever message Green preached to his players and staff resonated.&nbsp;
They climbed out of the 14th spot, in part because a first-year coach had the moxie and belief to tab two rookies as vital parts of the rotation. Not every coach would embrace that decision, especially one whose imprint is yet to solidify.&nbsp;
Regardless of how Friday&rsquo;s duel with the Los Angeles Clippers concludes, the Pelicans&rsquo; season is a success. Wednesday encapsulated the wide-ranging factors for that success. Everywhere you look, a different fan probably had a different reason to jubilantly clap their hands and voice their approval. It&rsquo;s why this New Orleans team is an absolute charm.&nbsp;
Basketball should be fun in a multitude of ways. That&rsquo;s exactly what these Pelicans are.&nbsp;
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The New Orleans Pelicans did not start the season looking like a playoff team, which is why their success is something to celebrate.

Wednesday was a celebration of how far the Pelicans have come

The Trail Blazers' season started with Damian Lillard declaring his faith the team would be competitive. It ended with him on the bench in street clothes, watching as Portland lost its 11th straight game.
With a spate of injuries, a new coach, a front-office shakeup and a roster overhaul, the Blazers' turbulent season was less about the present and more about rebuilding for the future.
Portland heads into the offseason with at least one lottery pick and cap space, armed with a plan to build around six-time All-Star Lillard. He made a promise to fans at the Moda Center for the team's final game.
&ldquo;This year a lot of things came up that we didn&rsquo;t expect. A lot of hard times. But you guys continue to show up. Continue to show us love. Continue to be the fans that I&rsquo;ve always known," he said. "And I just need y&rsquo;all to know one thing: This will not continue. Next year we&rsquo;re gonna come back better than we&rsquo;ve been.&rdquo;
It was a far cry from the start of the season, when <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-portland-trail-blazers-damian-lillard-nipsey-hussle-8e42df230931af414e83df09eeae26b9">Lillard flashed his Olympic gold medal and said:</a> &ldquo;I think over the years we&rsquo;ve always had a competitive team, I think we&rsquo;ll be competitive again.&rdquo;
The Blazers finished 27-55, their worst season since 2005-06 when they won just 21 games. Clearly eying draft position after the NBA trade deadline, 11 of Portland's losses following the All-Star break were by more than 30 points.
Over the course of the season the Blazers used 34 different starting lineups, winding up at 13th in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;It's not been a season that any of us expected, but the way that I kind of see it in all honesty, this year has kind of been like a real microcosm of life. You have these great ideas and plans and thoughts, and then things happen and you have to pivot," said first-year Portland coach Chauncey Billups. "And then it becomes about how you pivot, and what you do.&rdquo;
INJURIES ABOUND
Lillard was the most significant of the Blazers' injuries this season. He played in just 29 games, the result of a nagging abdominal injury that required surgery in January.
Backcourt partner CJ McCollum missed 17 games with a collapsed lung. Others who missed significant time included Nassir Little, who sustained a labral tear in his left shoulder in late January and missed the rest of the season; Jusuf Nurkic, shut down for the final 22 games of the season with plantar fasciitis; and Larry Nance Jr., who missed 17 games with right knee inflammation before he was traded.
And that's not to mention the games missed because of COVID-19 protocols.
SHAKEUPS AT THE TOP
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-los-angeles-clippers-portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-d396c10b6f9fb6fd2294fdbf85e0e2ae">Billups was hired in the offseason as the team's new coach, </a> replacing Terry Stotts, who had led the team to playoff appearances in the past eight seasons. Billups had limited experience with just one season as an assistant NBA coach.
Blazers President and CEO Chris Magowan stepped down in November and was replaced by Dewayne Hankins, a team vice president and chief commercial officer.
General manager Neil Olshey was then dismissed by Portland in December following an outside investigation into concerns about workplace environment. Joe Cronin, an assistant GM, was promoted to fill the role on an interim basis.
SHAKEUPS ON THE COURT
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-anfernee-simons-damian-lillard-ac8ac08b3e767746a75214b0ad1962ea">The Blazers made a flurry of multiplayer deals before the February deadline.</a> Five Blazers who played in the team&rsquo;s opener against Sacramento were no longer with the team, including three starters.
The most significant of the deals involved McCollum, who had been drafted by the Blazers in 2013 and formed a close bond with Lillard. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-pelicans-portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-new-orleans-ba8eb752b95b311947df90132b93eee4">He was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans along with Nance and Tony Snell. </a>
Portland also traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and a second-round pick in 2025. The day before the deadline, the Blazers acquired injured forward Joe Ingles in a three-team trade with Utah and San Antonio.
ANFERNEE'S RISE
The one bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-james-harden-kyrie-irving-portland-trail-blazers-adcd0df67820677f5bac7c07202ba2f9">the rise of guard Anfernee Simons</a>.
Simons took advantage of the opportunity when Lillard was injured. After taking over as starter, he averaged 23.4 points and 5.8 assists.
Just 22, he scored a career-high 43 points on Jan. 3 against Atlanta, making him the youngest Trail Blazer ever to have a 40-point game. On Feb. 14 in Milwaukee, he had seven 3-pointers, and he finished with 18 games with five-plus 3s.
The Blazers also shut him down for the final stretch of the season. He missed the final 17 games with left knee patellar tendinopathy.

Portland heads into the offseason with at least one lottery pick and cap space, armed with a plan to build around Damian Lillard.

Trail Blazers look to rebuild after turbulent season

For a third of the NBA, summer break comes early.&nbsp;
Though 10 teams didn't make the playoffs, it's not all doom and gloom. Several NBA bottom-feeders took tangible steps forward in their rebuilding efforts, while others &mdash; well, they're not supposed to be here.
Every franchise enters the offseason with summer plans. As teams get eliminated from the postseason, I'll be rounding up every team's offseason outlook and posing one question they must answer over the summer. You'll see each squad's 2022 NBA Draft chest, plus their potential free agents, along with the central question.&nbsp;
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Let's get started!
DETROIT PISTONS 
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick (via Brooklyn)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Marvin Bagley III (restricted), Cory Joseph (player option), Hamidou Diallo (team option), Frank Jackson (team option), Luka Garza (team option), Carsen Edwards (team option), Rodney McGruder 
Central question: How do the Pistons build an offense around Cade Cunningham?
This was a pretty solid season for Detroit as far as rebuilding efforts go. Cade Cunningham emerged as a Rookie of the Year front-runner and two-way centerpiece who has fans ecstatic about his ceiling. The Pistons finished a solid 10-14 after the All-Star break, and have shown flashes of an improving defense. They did still finish with the 28th-ranked offense, per Cleaning the Glass, and one of the worst shooting rates in the NBA.
Cunningham had to carry a ridiculous offensive load in the latter stages of the season. Detroit has the power to change that in 2022-23, starting with its high draft pick. Maybe Jabari Smith's lights-out scoring means he's an ideal secondary option? Perhaps Paolo Banchero thrives as an additional creator, or maybe Chet Holmgren makes sense as a finisher and spot-up threat? The fun part about Cunningham is that his versatility creates so many pathways for the Pistons in the draft &mdash; whether or not the ping pong balls fall their way.
Detroit wields a cap hold of approximately $28 million on Bagley, and once that lifts (either via a new contract or letting him walk), the Pistons should have a solid chunk of cap space to add to the supporting cast.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), better of Brooklyn/Miami first-round picks
Potential free agents: John Wall (player option), Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando (restricted), Jae'Sean Tate (team option), Anthony Lamb (qualifying offer), Trevelin Queen (qualifying offer)
Central question: How patient is the front office willing to be?
Houston's 2021 draft strategy of "draft talent, figure out the fit later" appears to be working out. Jalen Green demonstrated an Anthony Edwards-esque leap post-All-Star break, Alperen Sengun is already one of the NBA's best passing bigs, and guys like Josh Christopher and KJ Martin routinely hinted at upside. Houston gets another prime shot at a franchise cornerstone this draft cycle. We're approaching Stage 2 of the strategy, though: figuring out how the pieces fit.&nbsp;
The Rockets were one of two NBA teams with bottom-five ratings on offense and defense. They led the league in rim frequency and were fourth in three-point frequency, but posted mediocre shooting clips. Houston evokes memories of the rebuilding Nets, who played a similarly extreme brand of ball for a few years as the team slowly reshaped into a fun playoff squad. Does the front office have the foresight to let head coach Stephen Silas work things out with his roster of young guns?&nbsp;
INDIANA PACERS
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How is there a &ldquo;rebuild&rdquo; to afraid of if it isn&rsquo;t a rebuild? <a href="https://t.co/0pDD7E6Mss">pic.twitter.com/0pDD7E6Mss</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1512127632758001664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (10.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick (if 15-30, via Cleveland), Second-round pick (via Houston), Second-round pick (via Phoenix)
Potential free agents: Ricky Rubio, T.J. Warren, Jalen Smith, Lance Stephenson, Nate Hinton (restricted), Oshae Brissett (team option)
Central question: How extreme is the incoming rebuild, and what veterans mesh with the future vision?
Notably unlisted among the potential free agents are Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and T.J. McConnell. All range from solid starters to rotational complements, and 3 of the 4 (not Turner) will be 30 next season. The Pacers are clearly retooling, as evidenced by their trade-deadline fireworks and Tyrese Haliburton's subsequent high usage. They also have publicly flip-flopped regarding the direction of the team; see the above Tweet.
Indiana doesn't have the pure depth of talent to straddle the line. The Pacers can trade many of these talented players and build up a chest of draft picks and young pieces, or they can charge ahead, turn their picks into win-now players and hope Haliburton is ready for the playoff push. But a middle ground doesn't exist in an Eastern Conference where just about every team has solidified its direction.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Draft assets: None
Potential free agents: Russell Westbrook (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Austin Reaves (team option), Stanley Johnson (team option), Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, D.J. Augustin, Wenyen Gabriel, Mason Jones (restricted)
Central question: What does team-building around two injury-prone superstars look like?
LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-i-dont-have-a-cap-on-how-long-i-want-to-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turns 38 next season</a>, and has played 60-plus games just once in the past four seasons. Anthony Davis has now missed more than half the season in back-to-back years. Sure, the Lakers were a mess regardless of their stars' health, but going forward, is pursuing fits next to James and Davis even worthwhile if the two won't consistently be on the court?
With just three players under contract (the aforementioned stars, plus Talen Horton-Tucker), the Lakers enter another offseason of a roster overhaul. This time, I'd recommend almost entirely forgetting about James and Davis when building the squad and simply try to assemble units that make sense together.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, could change based on Play-In results), Second-round pick via Boston and Charlotte (if 56-60)
Potential free agents: Mitchell Robinson, Ryan Arcidiacono 
Central question: What's going to happen with the veterans?
The top six moneymakers for the Knicks next season are all 27 or older, and I think many fans would say that out of the group, only Julius Randle should have started &mdash; and he seriously regressed this season. The young Knicks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clearly showed they're ready to take the mantle</a>.
So what happens with Randle, Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker? Is Tom Thibodeau prepared to reduce their (their meaning Burks specifically in this case) minutes and usage, will trades be coming, or will Madison Square Garden burn when Immanuel Quickley opens the season by playing 16 minutes off the bench? New York has drafted extremely well in recent seasons, but the ceiling of the young core is capped if these youngsters don't get a chance to prove themselves in meaningful situations.
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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 
Draft assets: First-round pick (12.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via Clippers, First-round pick via Phoenix, Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Derrick Favors (player option), Mike Muscala (team option), Lu Dort (team option), Isaiah Roby (team option), Melvin Frazier (restricted)
Central question: What is the pathway in the frontcourt?
I've stanned Sam Presti's team-building strategy for years now, and I still think it's on track for a serious payoff. Josh Giddey slots in somewhere on your All-Rookie ballot, and draft classmates Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins flashed rotation-caliber play as well. It is simply a joy to watch a random young player have a breakout game on any given night, and OKC has already shown the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early stages of a prominent defense</a>.
Next up: Capitalize on a draft loaded with intruiging frontcourt players. Banchero, Holmgren and Smith are obviously the best of the best. But even if the Thunder slide in the lottery, they could pounce on an athletic shot-blocker like Jalen Duren, or use one of their later picks on a center like Mark Williams. I'm just spit-balling, but the point is that OKC has plenty of chances to find its big-man anchor and further flesh out its core.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Indiana
Potential free agents: Gary Harris, Robin Lopez, Bol Bol (restricted), Ignas Brazdeikis (restricted), Admiral Schofield (restricted)
Central question: How do the offensive pieces fit together?
Orlando quietly logged a 17th-ranked defense this season, and an 11th-ranked unit since Feb. 1. A dismal offense ultimately doomed the Magic, who were riddled with inconsistent shotmaking and poor team efficiency marks throughout the half-court. We don't need to sound any player alarms; it takes time for young guards in particular to grasp the responsibilities of running NBA offenses.&nbsp;
But what if I told you Orlando has wielded bottom-10 offensive ratings every season for the last decade?&nbsp;
Change can start in the draft, again with some of the top offensive forward options like Banchero or Smith. Adding another ball-dominant guard in Jaden Ivey might be overkill, but AJ Griffin and Bennedict Mathurin feel like good wing fits at first glance. Spotrac estimates the Magic could have up to $30 million in practical cap space, leaving plenty of room for veteran players to accentuate the young talent.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
THE D IN DREW STANDS FOR DUNK DO NOT GOOGLE THIS <a href="https://t.co/2AojdAskYV">pic.twitter.com/2AojdAskYV</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1508636734900166659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (9.0% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via New Orleans (if 5-14), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Memphis
Potential free agents: Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Anfernee Simons (restricted), CJ Elleby (restricted), Elijah Hughes (restricted), Keljin Blevins (restricted)
Central question: Is Portland actually trying to win "now" or win soon?
Some really great development happened for the Blazers during the "wash" portion of the season in the form of players like Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson and Drew Eubanks. Add them to Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and the incomng draft picks, and Portland suddenly has... kind of a sneaky-deep prospect pool? There's real potential to mold this group into a rotation cast that gives Portland one of its deepest rosters in years.
That's why these <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant trade rumors concern me</a>. Giving up a possible lottery pick to try and piece together a short-term playoff team risks too much and keeps the Trail Blazers in the limbo they have lounged in for several years. Understandably, the franchise wants to build a contender while Damian Lillard is invested and in his prime. With some patience, Portland can without sacrificing sustainibility.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Draft assets: First-round pick (7.5% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick (via Chicago)
Potential free agents: Jeremy Lamb, Josh Jackson, Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Neemias Queta (restricted), Trey Lyles (team option)
Central question: How does Sacramento turn into a competitive NBA defense?
The Kings have trotted out lackluster defenses for as long as I can remember. In fact, they haven't ranked above 20th in Defensive Rating since 2005-06 &mdash; notably, the last time they made the playoffs.
And that didn't change under interim head coach Alvin Gentry. (Gentry will not return as head coach next season, but is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-alvin-gentry-no-longer-interim-coach-of-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in talks for a front-office role</a>, per ESPN.) However, the on-paper roster actually shines some hope. Davion Mitchell made highlight reels out of his "Off-Night" defense. Justin Holiday is a solid individual defender, as is Harrison Barnes, and even De'Aaron Fox has his sporadic moments.&nbsp;
Can Sacramento find a head coach who turns a group of intriguing players with defensive potential into even an average squad? What draft and free agency options exist? Of course, the Kings would like to end their NBA-leading playoff drought. That'll come with changing the culture on defense.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, depends on Play-In results), Second-round pick (via Dallas)
Potential free agents: Bradley Beal (player option), Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Anthony Gill (restricted), Cassius Winston (restricted)
Central question: What style of guard play is a feasible best fit?
Okay, so obviously the biggest question mark surrounds Bradley Beal's free agency. But from a conceptual standpoint, Washington has tried and failed over the past few seasons to find Beal's best-fitting partner in crime. John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Spencer Dinwiddie were each supposed to provide the downhill juice Beal lacks. The Wizards either did this at serious expense of another skill area (Wall, Westbrook), or it just didn't translate their at-rim ability (Dinwiddie). All battled injuries as well.
"I think we need bigger guards," <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-outlines-what-wizards-need-build-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said in March</a>. "We need more guys that can get in the paint for us, more ball-handlers, more guys that can really create and get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock down threes."
I mean, Beal's needs make total sense. The problem is that every other basketball team on Earth also wants this type of guard.
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Ethan Fuller sets the offseason stage for each team that missed the NBA playoffs.

Summer plans for the NBA's 10 non-playoff teams

CJ McCollum and Jaxson Hayes each scored 23 points and the New Orleans Pelicans clinched a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, beating the Sacramento Kings 123-109 on Tuesday night.
Brandon Ingram added 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Pelicans (35-44), who never trailed. New Orleans has won four of five.
Damian Jones had 22 points for Sacramento. The Kings, who were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday for an NBA-record 16th consecutive season, trailed by three at halftime but couldn&rsquo;t keep up when the Pelicans went on a shooting streak in the second half.
New Orleans led by three at halftime, then pulled away with seven 3s in the third quarter &ndash; one by five different players and two from Trey Murphy III.
Sacramento got within 105-99 in the fourth quarter before McCollum scored down low and Ingram followed with two free throws.
That helped the Pelicans inch closer to returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18, when they were coached by Alvin Gentry &ndash; currently the Kings interim coach. New Orleans has stayed in the hunt this season despite being without star forward Zion Williamson, who hasn&rsquo;t played since fracturing his right foot and undergoing surgery in the offseason.
The Pelicans were also missing Jonas Valanciunas (right ankle soreness) against the Kings but it hardly mattered. New Orleans held a 44-36 rebounding advantage and outscored Sacramento in the paint 58-44.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: New Orleans shot 9 of 15 on 3s in the second half.
Kings: Jones made six of his first seven shots and scored 15 points before halftime. &hellip; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (wrist) and Domantas Sabonis (left knee) remain out.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Travel to face the Trail Blazers on Thursday. New Orleans has won both games against Portland this season.
Kings: Play the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The Pelicans clinched a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, beating the Kings 123-109 on Tuesday night.

Pelicans beat Kings 123-109, clinch Play-In spot in West

Play-In and playoff time are right around the corner in the dwindling NBA season. As such, most of conversations will understandably revolve around the league's premier teams. It's easy for the teams at the bottom to get lost in the shuffle. They generally reach a point where lottery odds take precedence; in some instances, important young pieces are getting shut down like the veterans are.
I wanted to take a moment to highlight some players who are likely flying under the radar. You have to take post-All-Star break stretches with at least two grains of salt, but this is a time for unheralded players to stretch themselves. In a best-case scenario, they wind up showing you something that transfers to the next season.
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Here are a few players &mdash; just a few! &mdash; who have caught my eye recently.
KILLIAN HAYES
The Stats: 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists (1.4 turnovers), 2.8 steals over last five games&nbsp;
The Skill: Downhill Comfort
It's been a hectic start for Killian Hayes, a high-upside guard project who's had his career derailed by injury woes to this point. Young ball-handlers need live reps to work out the kinks of their game; Hayes hasn't consistently been able to do that, which make his flaws look even worse when he's been on the floor.
Hayes is in the midst of finding himself though. He's one of the most underrated guard defenders in the sport already, boasting off-ball prowess and a knack for getting over or&nbsp;ducking under picks and remaining attached.&nbsp;
Offensively, there's been a bit of a chicken-or-egg ordeal with him. He's shown legit passing chops from the jump, but his ability to create advantages &mdash; via explosive drives or out of fear of his jumper &mdash; hasn't been there. Putting him off-ball has led to teams ignoring him as a threat.
That's what makes Hayes' recent aggression worth paying attention to. This is probably the most I've seen him generate paint touches.
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How about this: Hayes is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;LastNGames=5&amp;TeamID=1610612765&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">converting over 68%</a> of his shots via drive over this five-game stretch. That's wildly impressive, and likely unsustainable. The rising drive volume is the key here. After averaging 6.0 drives per game <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612765&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1&amp;SeasonSegment=Pre%20All-Star" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before the All-Star break</a>, that number has risen to 7.1. Over the last five, it's up again to 8.8.
If Hayes can get downhill more consistently, that should open up more passing windows for him. If you want to zoom out a bit, that should unlock some off-ball opportunities for Cade Cunningham so he doesn't have to create all the time (even though he's probably good enough to do so.)
Don't sell your Hayes stock, folks.
BRANDON WILLIAMS
The Stats: 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists (2.8 turnovers), 1.6 steals over last five games
The Skill: Pick-and-Roll Passing
The Blazers are an absolute mess right now, but that's mostly fine. They're playing for lotto odds and hoping to make some "keep Damian Lillard" splashes in the offseason.
In the meantime, can I just say I've oddly enjoyed the dynamic between Brandon Williams and Drew Eubanks? Also, did you know Eubanks was averaging nearly 18 points and 12 rebounds over his last five games? You do now!
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But seriously, Williams has a real feel for pocket passing. There's a pace to him that allows him to operate with slower rollers. I've also seen enough skips in his film to say he can make most of the reads you want from him.
The question becomes: What level of a shooter is he going to be? The three-point shooting has fluctuated in both directions since he's been given more reps, and the pull-up middy <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/pullup/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;LastNGames=5&amp;TeamID=1610612757&amp;sort=PULL_UP_FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hasn't been great either</a>. There's enough craft there to be excited about though. I'm curious to see what he looks like in a more defined role next season.
DAMIAN JONES
The Stats: 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists (1.5 turnovers), 1.8 blocks over last six games
The Skill: Playmaking
Damian Jones had stops with Golden State, Atlanta, Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers before landing in Sacramento. Go down the line; you don't think the Dubs could use a vertical spacer like this? Think the Suns would rather have Bismack Biyombo than Jones? Would the Lakers turn down young talent to... well actually, nevermind.
Jones has&nbsp;really&nbsp;been balling since newbie Domantas Sabonis has been out of the lineup. Averaging 17 and 8 is nothing to sneeze at, and he's predictably getting busy as a roll man and glass-cleaner.
What's been interesting &mdash; the Kings are putting the ball in his hands a little. You won't confuse him with Sabonis, but he's been allowed to be a handoff hub in Delay sets. And when the Kings are able to draw two to the ball, Jones hasn't looked entirely out of place as a short-roll decision-maker.
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Expectations of "traditional" centers are changing. If you aren't good enough to build the boat around, you'll need to complement stars with something. Some bigs have attempted to expand their range to the three-point line &mdash; something Jones has dabbled with on occasion this season &mdash; while others are becoming more adept as initiators. That Jones is showing flashes in the latter should add to his value moving forward.
ALEKSEJ POKUSEVSKI
The Stats: 14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 9.0 assists (4.3 turnovers), 0.8 steals over last four games
The Skill: Decision-Making
Let's start right here, because what the heck.
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That is Aleksej Pokusevski getting&nbsp;Chris freakin' Paul&nbsp;on a rip-through foul. After that, you get Pokusevski running a pick-and-roll and freezing Cam Johnson with a jump pass to the corner. The pass accuracy was off, but it's hard not to appreciate the level of manipulation.
It's easy to point to the recent triple-double, but the overarching thing is that Pokusevski looks more comfortable on both ends as of late. The shot is falling for him at nearly a 48% clip &mdash; wildly impressive considering the amount of movement attempts he fires. He's made some real strides on the ball too. He's still trying some wild stuff, but the chaos is more controlled.
Pre-break, Pokusevski had an assist rate of 11.6 and a turnover rate of 16.2. Since then, he's been firmly in the positive (22.0 to 16.7). Both numbers have shot up during this four-game stretch (35.1, 26.2) but, he's still largely been a plus-playmaker statistically.
Skipping steps in pick-and-roll. No-looks in transition. Timely "one more" passes when the ball gets to swinging. The level of ball placement with some of his interior reads should not be possible for a guy his size.
I have been, I am and I will continue to be intrigued by Poku.&nbsp;
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>What Houston Rockets forward KJ Martin brings to the table as a (violent) dunker and weak-side shot-blocker should be well documented at this point. I think he's also firmly proving you can't leave him completely open. I'm not buying him being a 48% shooter from deep like he has been since the All-Star break (on "meh" volume), but the form and touch are to the point where he should be accounted for as a spot-up option.&nbsp;</li>
<li>I'd keep an eye on Markelle Fultz (13.8 points, 5.4 assists, 2.0 steals over his last five) if I were you. The burst looks solid, as does the defense. So much focus has (understandably) been on his injury history and whatever the heck happened with his jumper, but that's one crafty dude with the ball in his hands.</li>
<li>Nothing deep here, just want to say I'm glad Goga Bitadze is showing some signs of life in a weird context. Related: I have no idea what Indiana's big man room is going to look like next season.</li>
</ul>
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Nekias Duncan highlights some young (role) players on struggling teams who are worth keeping an eye on.

Views from the bottom: 4 young NBA players to keep an eye on

Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points, Jordan Poole added 22 and the Golden State Warriors held off the Sacramento Kings 109-90 on Sunday night.
Nemanja Bjelica had season highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds to go with his six assists in the Warriors&rsquo; second straight win &mdash; something they hadn&rsquo;t done since early March.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing for seeding at this point and we really want to get as high as we can in the standings,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care how we got here, we got here. We&rsquo;ve had all kinds of injuries and adversity. Our guys have stuck together and competed, and here we are.&rdquo;
Harrison Barnes had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings, who were eliminated from playoff contention for an NBA-record 16th consecutive season.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been here the last two years and I can tell you in my opinion things are headed the right way,&rdquo; Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s some work to be done but everybody here is willing to put in the hours and put in the work and find a way to get the monkey off the back.&rdquo;
Sacramento lost all four games against Golden State this season.
One day after coming back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Utah Jazz and clinch a playoff spot, the Warriors nearly went the opposite way, letting a big lead slip away. Sacramento trailed by as much as 26 but got within 93-86 late in the fourth quarter following Damian Jones&rsquo; short jumper.
Draymond Green found Gary Payton Jr. cutting along the baseline for a layup and Wiggins followed with a 3-pointer for the Warriors. After Jones scored for the Kings, Green fed Jonathan Kuminga for a dunk and Wiggins hit another jumper.
Kuminga finished with 17 points as the Warriors won their 50th game of the season.
&ldquo;It was a huge weekend for us just getting back to playing our brand of basketball,&rdquo; said Green, who picked up his 14th technical this season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to be back where we are. Now we have to continue to build and try to roll into these playoffs.&rdquo;
The Warriors, already without Stephen Curry for the remainder of the regular season because of a left foot sprain, were also missing Klay Thompson, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala. Those three were held out because of the back-to-back.
Green, who has been nursing a lower back injury, convinced the coaching staff ti let him play in both games.
&ldquo;I need reps,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;I felt good. They gave me the option to play so I took the option.&rdquo;
HONORING SHOOTING VICTIMS
Before the game, the Kings held a moment of silence was held for victims of the mass shooting that occurred early Sunday morning three blocks away from the Golden 1 Center. Six people died and 12 were wounded. Police have said at least two shooters were involved.
Kerr and Gentry both called for stricter gun control regulations.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so, so sorry for the victims and their families,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just time. It&rsquo;s time for us to do something about it instead of have another moment of silence and then send thoughts and prayers.&rdquo;
Gentry called the shooting &ldquo;an incredible tragedy.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s unfortunate that something like that can still happen nowadays in an environment where everybody is really out having fun, just trying to have fun and have a good time,&rdquo; Gentry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a sad day. I hope this is not something that our city is remembered for because it&rsquo;s a great place with a lot of great people that live here.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State has won 50 or more games in eight of the last 10 seasons.
Kings: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (right hand) and Domantas Sabonis (right knee contusion) did not play.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host the Lakers on Thursday.
Kings: Host the Pelicans on Tuesday for the final home game of the season.

Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points, Jordan Poole added 22 and the Warriors held off the Kings to eliminate them from playoff contention.

Warriors win second straight, beat struggling Kings 109-90

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Keldon Johnson scored 28 points and the San Antonio Spurs defeated the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 113-92 on Sunday night to strengthen their bid for a play-in berth.
Coupled with the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; loss to Denver, San Antonio&rsquo;s magic number for clinching 10th place in the Western Conference is two games. The Spurs (33-45) also hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers (31-47) with a better conference record.
San Antonio won a two-game weekend series with Portland to complete a four-game sweep of the Trail Blazers. It was the sixth win in seven games for the resurgent Spurs.
San Antonio's Zach Collins had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double. Tre Jones added 18 points and Keita Bates-Diop 12.
The Blazers struggled to maintain any consistency offensively without Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart, Eric Bledsoe, Anfernee Simmons and several other injured players.
Keon Johnson and Ben McLemore had 19 points each to lead Portland.
San Antonio was without Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl.
As they did Friday, the Trail Blazers took an early lead as the Spurs struggled to adjust without its missing starters.
Johnson responded with his sixth straight 20-point game.
San Antonio outscored Portland 34-16 in the third quarter to overcome a 13-point deficit.
The Spurs tied the game at 23 on a runner by Josh Richardson off a pair of offensive rebounds and then took the lead on Lonnie Walker IV&rsquo;s 3-pointer.
The Blazers regained the lead in the second quarter, much to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich&rsquo;s dismay. The veteran called a timeout with 7 minutes remaining after San Antonio allowed a 3-pointer that put up Portland up 43-37.
The Blazers were 6 for 10 on 3-pointers in the second quarter and shot 52% overall in the period. Portland finished 16 for 44 on 3-pointers and shot 40% overall.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland has lost four straight to San Antonio. The Trail Blazers' last victory at the AT&amp;T Center was May 8, 2021. ... Portland is 27-51, its first 50-loss season since going 32-50 in 2007. ... Rookie F Greg Brown III was assessed a clear path foul with 11:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. After committing a turnover, Brown began attempting to wrap up Tre Jones near midcourt on a fast break. ... G Kris Dunn received a flagrant foul 1 after hitting Johnson in the head on a layup attempt with 8 minutes remaining in the fourth. Initially ruled a common foul, the penalty was changed after video review. Johnson had to reinsert a contact lens before shooting free throws.
Spurs: San Antonio star Manu Ginobili received a standing ovation after the Spurs honored the Argentinian for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Spurs showed a video of Ginobili receiving a call from Hall of Fame president John Doleva informing him of the selection. San Antonio then cut to a live shot of Ginobili, who was in attendance &mdash; which drew another huge roar and standing ovation. ... Murray and Poeltl were both late scratches from the starting lineup. Murray is still battling a non-COVID upper respiratory illness. Poeltl has a back injury. ... Collins was a rebound shy of completing his first career double-double on Friday. ... C Jock Landale did not return after spraining his right foot 30 seconds into the second quarter. After writhing in pain on the court for about a minute, Landale walked back to the locker room unassisted. ... Romeo Langford played for the first time since March 7 after missing 12 straight games due to an injured hamstring.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Spurs: At Denver on Tuesday night.

Keldon Johnson led the San Antonio Spurs with 28 points in their play-in strengthening win against the Trail Blazers.

Spurs top short-handed Blazers to strengthen play-in hopes

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; The worst losing streak of Miami's season is over. Not only that, but the Heat returned to the top of the Eastern Conference.
And now a road trip with massive seeding implications awaits.
Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 15 rebounds, and the Heat beat the Sacramento Kings 123-100 on Monday night to stop a four-game slide.
Tyler Herro had 20 for the Heat, who improved to 36-5 when scoring at least 110 points.
&ldquo;Felt amazing to get back in the winning column," Herro said.
The Heat (48-28) are leading the East again, a game ahead of No. 2 Milwaukee and No. 3 Philadelphia (both 46-28, with the Bucks holding the tiebreaker edge there). Boston started the day No. 1 in the East; the Celtics (47-29) fell to fourth, percentage points behind the Bucks and 76ers after losing to Toronto.
&ldquo;We got back to being who we are," Butler said.
Davion Mitchell scored 21 points for Sacramento, which got 17 from Harrison Barnes.
Miami's 23-point victory margin was its largest since a 24-point win at Atlanta on Jan. 12. And Miami looked exactly the way Kings coach Alvin Gentry expected &mdash; especially after the Heat had dropped their last four.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t read a whole lot into that,&rdquo; Gentry said. &ldquo;I think if you look at their team and the way they go out, they will be a huge factor when the playoffs start anyway. I think it&rsquo;s a wakeup call.&rdquo;
Sure looked like one. Sacramento scored the first six points, Miami scored the next nine and never trailed again.
Damian Jones had 15 points, Donte DiVincenzo 12 and Trey Lyles 11 for the Kings.
After spending most of March at home &mdash; the Heat have played 11 of their last 12 games in their own building &mdash; a three-game road swing starts Wednesday in Boston. It moves to Chicago on Saturday, then Toronto on Sunday for what will be a celebration of Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s time with the Raptors and probably a game with significant seeding implications for both clubs.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always good to compete for something,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not the end-all, be-all. It&rsquo;s a really competitive race in the East. This is what you always want. You want the games to have meaning and context and significance to them. That&rsquo;s basically every game right now in the Eastern Conference. That makes it very compelling.&rdquo;
Miami inserted Max Strus &mdash; celebrating his 26th birthday &mdash; into the lineup for Duncan Robinson. The move came with Robinson averaging 8.4 points on 32% shooting from 3-point range in his last seven games, one of several rough stretches he&rsquo;s had this season.
&ldquo;These are tough decisions," Spoelstra said.
But it worked wonders for Robinson. He had 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point territory.
&ldquo;Good to get back on track," Robinson said.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento isn&rsquo;t sure if De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (sore right hand) and Domantas Sabonis (bruised left knee) will return this season. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re trying to get to the point where they can come back,&rdquo; Gentry said. ... Sacramento went 10-20 vs. Eastern Conference teams this season.
Heat: Miami finished 18-12 against the Western Conference, its best mark since going 20-10 in 2013-14. ... The lineup shakeup led to Miami using its 19th different starting five this season. The Heat are 9-2 when Strus starts.
BEST (AND WORST)
Miami is 29-5 (.853) all-time at home against Sacramento, by far the best record the Heat have on their own floor against any opponent. The Kings franchise &mdash; including the Cincinnati and Kansas City days &mdash; struggles in Miami like nowhere else; its second-worst road record all-time comes on trips to Portland, where Kings teams have gone 19-90 (.174).
RESPECT
When Miami Hurricanes coach Jim Larra&ntilde;aga was introduced and acknowledged cheers from his seat during a second quarter timeout, Spoelstra &mdash; who doesn&rsquo;t always pay attention to what&rsquo;s happening during stoppages in play &mdash; was among those who clapped and pointed his way. Larra&ntilde;aga and the Hurricanes lost to Kansas in the Elite Eight on Sunday, ending the deepest NCAA Tournament run in school history.
UP NEXT
Kings: Visit Houston on Wednesday.
Heat: Visit Boston on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo added 22 and the Heat beat the Sacramento Kings 123-100 to stop a four-game slide.

Heat snap 4-game losing streak by topping Kings, 123-100

Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 15 rebounds, and the Miami Heat beat the Sacramento Kings 123-100 on Monday night to stop a four-game slide.
Tyler Herro had 20 for the Heat, who improved to 36-5 when scoring at least 110 points.
Davion Mitchell scored 21 for Sacramento, which got 17 from Harrison Barnes.
Miami snapped its longest losing streak of the season, and the 23-point margin was the largest for the Heat since a 24-point win at Atlanta on Jan. 12.
And Miami looked exactly the way Kings coach Alvin Gentry expected. His prediction that the Heat would look different after a four-game slide was spot on.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t read a whole lot into that,&rdquo; Gentry said. &ldquo;I think if you look at their team and the way they go out, they will be a huge factor when the playoffs start anyway. I think it&rsquo;s a wakeup call.&rdquo;
Damian Jones had 15 points, Donte DiVincenzo 12 and Trey Lyles 11 for the Kings.
After spending most of March at home &mdash; the Heat have played 11 of their last 12 games in their own building &mdash; a road trip now awaits that will significantly factor into how the No. 1 seed in the East is won.
Miami goes to Boston on Wednesday, Chicago on Saturday, then Toronto on Sunday for what will be a celebration of Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s time with the Raptors and probably a game with significant seeding implications for both clubs.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always good to compete for something,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not the end-all, be-all. It&rsquo;s a really competitive race in the East. This is what you always want. You want the games to have meaning and context and significance to them. That&rsquo;s basically every game right now in the Eastern Conference. That makes it very compelling.&rdquo;
Miami inserted Max Strus &mdash; celebrating his 26th birthday &mdash; into the lineup for Duncan Robinson. The move came with Robinson averaging 8.4 points on 32% shooting from 3-point range in his last seven games, one of several rough stretches he&rsquo;s had this season.
But it worked wonders for Robinson. He had 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point territory.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento isn&rsquo;t sure if De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (sore right hand) and Domantas Sabonis (bruised left knee) will return this season. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re trying to get to the point where they can come back,&rdquo; Gentry said. ... Sacramento went 10-20 vs. Eastern Conference teams this season.
Heat: Miami finished 18-12 against the Western Conference, its best mark since going 20-10 in 2013-14. ... The lineup shakeup led to Miami using its 19th different starting five this season. The Heat are 9-2 when Strus starts.
BEST (AND WORST)
Miami is 29-5 (.853) all-time at home against Sacramento, by far the best record the Heat have on their own floor against any opponent. The Kings franchise &mdash; including the Cincinnati and Kansas City days &mdash; struggles in Miami like nowhere else; its second-worst road record all-time comes on trips to Portland, where Kings teams have gone 19-90 (.174).
RESPECT
When Miami Hurricanes coach Jim Larra&ntilde;aga was introduced and acknowledged cheers from his seat during a second quarter timeout, Spoelstra &mdash; who doesn&rsquo;t always pay attention to what&rsquo;s happening during stoppages in play &mdash; was among those who clapped and pointed his way. Larra&ntilde;aga and the Hurricanes lost to Kansas in the Elite Eight on Sunday, ending the deepest NCAA Tournament run in school history.
UP NEXT
Kings: Visit Houston on Wednesday.
Heat: Visit Boston on Wednesday.

Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 15 rebounds and the Heat snapped a four-game skid.

The NBA playoffs are fast approaching and as the season winds down, there are a total of 21 teams fighting for 16 playoff spots across the two conferences.
Every game matters.
Injuries have had a major impact on this season. In the Western Conference, a number of potential playoff teams are missing key pieces, including the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry and James Wiseman), Denver Nuggets (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.), Los Angeles Clippers (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George), Memphis Grizzlies (Ja Morant), Los Angeles Lakers (Anthony Davis), New Orleans Pelicans (Zion Williamson) and Portland Trail Blazers (Damian Lillard).
There are fewer injured stars in the Eastern Conference, but Jarrett Allen (CLE), Ben Simmons (BKN), Lonzo Ball (CHI), Gordon Hayward (CHA) and Colin Sexton (CLE) are currently sidelined.
Between now and the start of the playoffs on April 12, some important players are expected to return to their respective teams, which could alter the NBA landscape in a major way.
<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
DENVER NUGGETS
On March 15, the Nuggets assigned Jamal Murray to their G-League affiliate (the Grand Rapids Gold) to get some additional work at practice. This sent waves through social media, as fans anticipated Murray's long-awaited return to the Nuggets' lineup. However, just a few days later, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that Murray is "not close" to suiting up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Denver Nuggets HC Michael Malone says Jamal Murray is "not close" to rejoining the lineup, per <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarrisonWind</a> <a href="https://t.co/7leLWbJe5W">pic.twitter.com/7leLWbJe5W</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1505676501303320576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It seems unlikely that Murray will be able to play during the regular season, but perhaps he'll be able to return at some point during the postseason.
Michael Porter Jr. is also on the mend, but the reports about his availability have been all over the place. There were rumblings that his rehab didn't go great and that he was further away than Murray. Then, there was a rumor that he's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3198516/2022/03/21/nuggets-hopeful-jamal-murray-and-michael-porter-jr-could-be-back-by-playoffs-but-no-immediate-return-on-the-horizon/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due back very soon</a>.

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A little over a week ago, Malone was asked about the possibility of Murray and Porter returning, and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/malone-michael-porter-jr-and-jamal-murrays-wont-be-back-soon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, "There is no immediate return on the horizon for either one of those players."
Denver is currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference, trying to stave off the Minnesota Timberwolves and avoid the Play-In Tournament.&nbsp;
Nikola Jokic has played at an MVP level (again) and the absence of these two stars has allowed for Bones Hyland to emerge as a legitimate rotation player as a rookie. Adding even one of these two players back into the fold would make the Nuggets a significantly more threatening first-round opponent for the Grizzlies, Warriors or Mavericks.&nbsp;
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Since the acquisition of CJ McCollum on February 8, the New Orleans Pelicans rank No. 10 in offensive rating and No. 6 in net rating. While the Pelicans won't be getting All-Star power forward Zion Williamson back at any point this season, they did just have another impact player return to their lineup.
Larry Nance Jr. was acquired as part of the McCollum trade and he made his Pelicans debut a few days ago. The 29-year-old is a seamless fit on the offensive end and he'll give New Orleans some defensive versatility.
Even though we all wanted to see how this team would look with a healthy Zion, they have a solid core with McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Herb Jones, Devonte' Graham, Nance and Co. &mdash; making them a scary opponent in the Play-In Tournament.

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New Orleans likely won't catch the Clippers for the eighth seed, but they could steal homecourt advantage in the 9-10 game against the Lakers, as they are currently a half game behind L.A.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
With LeBron James on roster, there always seems to be this lingering feeling that the Lakers will catch their stride and figure this thing out. But without Anthony Davis, it seems unlikely that Los Angeles will be able to escape the Play-In Tournament.
There has been no official word on a potential return date for Davis, but the Lakers would need him available if they hope to play beyond April 12.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Anthony Davis continues to do on-court shooting, per Frank Vogel, and is progressing each day: &ldquo;Anthony has had a good week &hellip; He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1504943043669106699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The presence of Davis would inject a tiny sliver of hope that he and James could will this team to victory and into a revenge series against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Stephen Curry is expected to be out until mid-April at the earliest, which is a huge blow to the Warriors. Fortunately, Curry has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/warriors-curry-expects-to-return-by-start-of-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he should be back in time for the first game of the playoffs.
The team has reintroduced Klay Thompson back into the fold, and Draymond Green is back in the lineup too. While Golden State's star-studded trio has only played three games together this season, at least the Warriors should have all three vets together for the postseason (barring any setbacks or new injuries).
Unfortunately, Golden State won't be at full strength, as James Wiseman was recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-james-wiseman-ruled-out-for-remainder-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled out</a> for the remainder of this season. The sophomore is still recovering from a torn meniscus that he suffered last April. Wiseman's size and versatility would have helped the Warriors, especially when facing the likes of Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Golden State has been struggling without Curry, dropping four of their last five games (including surprising losses to the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks). Golden State surrendered the No. 2 seed to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Warriors could slip to fourth in the Western Conference, leading to a potential second-round matchup against Phoenix (instead of Memphis or Utah).&nbsp;
Still, assuming the Warriors have their Big Three, they will be dangerous in the playoffs.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Recently, Clippers head coach Ty Lue was asked about Kawhi Leonard and Paul George potentially returning prior to the playoffs, and he didn't shoot down the possibility.
"If guys are able to [return], they are gonna do it," Lue said. "But the most important part is making the sure the players are taken care of and making sure they're ready to go and fully healthy."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ty Lue says he&rsquo;ll keep the door open on Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and/or Norman Powell returning if it&rsquo;s less than a week until the playoffs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Clippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Clippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/iebGp2sRcp">pic.twitter.com/iebGp2sRcp</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1505958728125739011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Leonard has been sidelined since last postseason, and Clippers fans have been holding out hope for a late-season comeback. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Leonard may be able to return if the Clippers make it out of the Play-In Tournament.
George has been sidelined due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and there is no timetable for his return. Recently, he has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> made progress and been cleared for 4-on-4 and shooting drills, so a return still seems possible.&nbsp;
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<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
CHICAGO BULLS
The Bulls skyrocketed to the top of the East standings early in the season thanks to a supernova DeMar DeRozan and stellar defense. Two key cogs of that defense were Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, who have played just 35 and 36 games, respectively. Chicago also played most of the season without forward Patrick Williams, who's another important rotation player.&nbsp;
The absence of those two elite perimeter defenders caused the Bulls to slip to the East's five seed, and they are just one game ahead of the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors.&nbsp;
Caruso returned on March 12 and Williams returned on March 21. But if Ball is able to return to the starting lineup, that could significantly affect the outcome of a series against the Celtics or 76ers.
However, here's the bad news:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lonzo Ball will stop running on his knee for the next 10 days, per Billy Donovan. They&rsquo;ve been trying to ramp him up but he hasn&rsquo;t responded well
&mdash; Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1506033717608865798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ball may not be needed for Chicago to avoid the Play-In Tournament, but his return is crucial in order for the Bulls to make a deep run in the playoffs.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Colin Sexton is not coming back this season. In fact, it's possible that he has played his final game as a Cavalier since he's set to become a restricted free agent.
However, one of the main reason that the Cavaliers have exceeded expectations this season is the play of Jarrett Allen. Ricky Rubio was also a key cog in the Cleveland machine, but his injury back in December led to the acquisition of Rajon Rondo... who is also currently out with an ankle injury.&nbsp;
Allen's presence defensively next to Evan Mobley is crucial to the success of the Cavs. Cleveland's opponents take the ninth-most shots at the rim in the league, but they shoot the worst percentage. Their perimeter defense funnels opponents to the rim because of the three 7-footers they have on the floor.&nbsp;
For Cleveland to pull off a first-round upset, Allen must be present and continuing his career-year.&nbsp;
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Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game and oftentimes play a major factor in the postseason. This year is proving to be no different, as the field seems wide open due to injuries and the players who are returning could have a major impact on who is eventually crowned champion.
BROOKLYN NETS
After arriving in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons began ramping up his conditioning and preparing to make his season debut, but then his back started giving him trouble. Initially, it was being described as back soreness, but he was recently diagnosed with a herniated disc and he needed an epidural for the pain.
Nets head coach Steve Nash has said that surgery isn't currently being considered. Simmons is working with a physical therapist and trying to get healthy enough to make his Nets debut. Nash told reporters that he's "fully expecting" Simmons to play at some point this season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33520712/brooklyn-nets-hold-hope-ben-simmons-return-couple-regular-season-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Brooklyn hopes to have Simmons for a "couple" regular-season games so that he can start shaking off the rust and getting acclimated prior to the postseason.
Whenever he returns, the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year runner-up will provide a huge boost for the Nets. Last season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Several NBA playoff teams are hoping to get back key contributors in time for the postseason. Justin Lewis examines these situations.

Examining 11 impact players whose return could alter NBA playoffs

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Landry Shamet made a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in overtime moments after missing an open look beyond the arc and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings 127-124 on Sunday.
Damian Jones gave the Kings a 121-120 lead with a putback dunk not long after the Suns star Devin Booker fouled out. Shamet&rsquo;s 25-foot try missed, but Phoenix grabbed the rebound. Following a timeout, Shamet hit his fifth 3-pointer of the game to put the Suns ahead by two.
After Mikal Bridges &mdash; who had 27 points for short-handed Phoenix &mdash; made the second of two free throws, Jones made one from the stripe, but missed the second. Aaron Holiday grabbed the rebound and Torrey Craig dunked.
Booker scored 19 of his 31 points in the third quarter as the Suns won their fifth straight to improve to 58-14 &mdash; nine games ahead of second-place Memphis for the best record in the league.
Shamet finished with 21 points. Center Deandre Ayton had 12 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Backup center JaVale McGee had 14 points before fouling out in overtime.
Already missing All-Star point guard Chris Paul (broken right thumb) and sixth-man Cam Johnson (right quad contusion), the Suns were with without backup point guard Cam Payne because of a non-COVID-19 illness. Jae Crowder, who returned following a two-game absence due to groin soreness, limped off with a right foot injury in the third quarter.
Davion Mitchell, starting in place of injured point guard De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, had 28 points and nine assists for Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists before leaving with an apparent left knee injury in the fourth quarter. The Kings have lost 10 of 13.
Booker put the Suns ahead 110-108 with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter before Mitchell&rsquo;s layup forced overtime. McGee scored six of the Suns first eight points in overtime.
TIP-INS
Suns: Booker has 136 career games with 30 points or more. &hellip; Phoenix had almost as many turnovers (eight) as assists (10) in the first half. &hellip; Elfrid Payton started at point guard for the Suns.
Kings: Fox sat out a second straight game because of a right hand injury.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Kings: At Indiana on Wednesday night.
&nbsp;

Landry Shamet made a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in overtime and the Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings 127-124.

Shamet hits key 3-pointer in OT, Suns rally to beat Kings

It was all good just a year ago.
Last season, by the time the calendar turned to March, at 18-17, the New York Knicks had spent a better part of the season meandering around the .500 mark. They were far from world-beaters, but caught fire late and managed to reel of an impressive stretch that saw them end the season at 41-31.
Improbably, they&rsquo;d risen to fourth in the Eastern Conference.
This year, they haven&rsquo;t exactly looked like a club ready to launch a takeover. Far from it, in fact.
While DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball signed with the Chicago Bulls, and Kyle Lowry and Russell Westbrook changed addresses last summer, the Knicks instead opted for Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Neither have helped the team&rsquo;s cause.
And with Sunday&rsquo;s 125-109 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden, the team fell to 11 games below the .500 mark &mdash; bad news considering the club will now embark on its longest road trip of the season.
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Starting Wednesday &mdash; the second anniversary of Leon Rose being named team president &mdash; the Knicks will play seven consecutive games away from the comfy confines of Madison Square Garden. They won&rsquo;t be the home team again until March 16, when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.
Realistically speaking, in order for the Knicks to make a run to the eighth seed, they&rsquo;ll probably have to go 15-6 over their final 21 games.
Even with the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, New York will have to make up six games in the loss column. The Charlotte Hornets, who currently hold the 10th seed, have three fewer losses than New York. That&rsquo;s a more manageable deficit to make up, but considering what lies ahead, it won&rsquo;t be easy.
For New York, 12 of the remaining 21 games are on the road, and 5 of the 9 home contests are against the Bulls, Nets, Raptors, Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers. There aren&rsquo;t many "gimmes" in that stretch.
In fact, according to <a href="http://tankathon.com">Tankathon.com</a>, the Knicks have the fifth-toughest schedule remaining, with only the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Bulls having tougher opponents.
Conversely, the Nets&rsquo; schedule ranks as the 19th-most difficult (or 11th-easiest). Unlike the Knicks, though, things are looking up for Brooklyn. It would appear that Kyrie Irving could soon be permitted to play at Barclays Center (although <a href="https://twitter.com/malika_andrews/status/1498324410041655308?s=20&amp;t=DZL71Kaap1UvPvRmHm9kjA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not a guarantee</a>), while Kevin Durant and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lest-we-forget-ben-simmons-is-a-great-basketball-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Simmons figure to return to the floor</a> within the next few weeks.
Unless something crazy happens, assuming the Knicks don&rsquo;t pull off the improbable, after two years on the job, the challenge for Leon Rose will be to admit mistakes and learn some lessons. Ditto for Tom Thibodeau.
Walker was not the answer at point guard, and upgrading that position has to be the team&rsquo;s No. 1 priority moving forward.
RJ Barrett probably <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-rj-barretts-recent-scoring-surge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deserves more repetitions</a>. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
RJ picking up where he left off. <a href="https://t.co/RqQQKdmB5P">pic.twitter.com/RqQQKdmB5P</a>
&mdash; NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1497394685748391936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Julius Randle <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/as-a-franchise-player-julius-randle-has-left-a-lot-to-be-desired" target="_blank" rel="noopener">probably doesn&rsquo;t</a>.
Truth be told, no player should be considered untouchable if the likes of Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard or Donovan Mitchell happened to find themselves on the market &mdash; because as currently constituted, the Knicks simply can&rsquo;t compete with the conference&rsquo;s playoff contenders, much less its upper-echelon. They need to be honest about that truth and confront it.
New York is nowhere near the likes of a Sixers team that has one player who won MVP and another who might win it this season, and it showed on Sunday.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers might even have a theory.
Rivers coached the Boston Celtics to a 66-16 record in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen&rsquo;s first season there and won the 2008 NBA Finals. That team had it.&nbsp;
His Los Angeles Clippers teams that couldn&rsquo;t get over the hump? Not so much.
After his Sixers beat the Knicks on the front end of their home-and-home series on Sunday, when asked what changed for the Knicks since last season, that was the first thing Rivers brought up.
&ldquo;When you make changes, sometimes that goes well for you and sometimes it doesn&rsquo;t,&rsquo;&rsquo; the coach said <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/27/doc-rivers-gets-to-heart-of-knicks-struggles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to the New York Post</a>.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Chemistry is a very fickle thing, as we all know. When you have it, you want it. Sometimes you don&rsquo;t even know why you have it, but you know you want to try to protect it. And when you lose it, you don&rsquo;t know why you&rsquo;re losing it sometimes.&rdquo;
In other words: Doc can&rsquo;t help but to look at this year&rsquo;s Knicks and wonder what happened.
At 11 games below .500 and with the odds of qualifying for the postseason seeming quite remote, in that regard, he certainly isn&rsquo;t alone.&nbsp;
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Moke Hamilton looks at the difference a year has made for the Knicks, and what the team needs to pull off to reach the Play-In.

Knicks' playoff hopes hang by a thread as club begins 7-game road trip

The NBA All-Star break is always a good time to reflect on the first half of the season and look ahead to the remainder of the campaign. For fantasy-basketball enthusiasts, it also means that the fantasy playoffs are just a few weeks away.
Who better to help break down this season from a fantasy perspective than one of the most respected names in the fantasy-basketball community?&nbsp;
BasketballNews.com chatted with <a href="https://twitter.com/redrock_bball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Lloyd</a> &mdash; the host of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1I9lmlRwqSehJzlRo6DKqg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Locked On Fantasy Basketball Podcast</a> as well as the lead fantasy analyst for <a href="https://basketballmonster.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball Monster</a> and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/author/josh-lloyd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Sports Australia</a> &mdash; to get some fantasy advice for the home stretch, pick his brain about the first half of this season and learn about his journey from pharmacist to fantasy expert.
In terms of fantasy production, which players have surprised you the most so far this season?&nbsp;
Josh Lloyd: &ldquo;Gary Trent Jr. has been a huge surprise to me as well as Dejounte Murray. I also did not expect DeMar DeRozan to have the best season of his career at his age on a new team with an established number-one guy.&rdquo;
Which players have disappointed you this season?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;Isaiah Stewart has been a huge letdown, as were Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal &mdash; even before they missed time due to injury.&rdquo;
Who are a few players that should be owned in significantly more leagues?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;Patrick Beverley is the number-one player who stands out to me. He does get hurt a lot, but when healthy, he shouldn&rsquo;t be on any waiver wires. I&rsquo;d also take a chance on guys like Cam Payne (now with Chris Paul&rsquo;s injury) and Jaxson Hayes in New Orleans; they need to be grabbed.&rdquo;
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Who are some players to keep an eye on as this season progresses that could become a decent add (just based on the trajectory they&rsquo;re on or the opportunity ahead of them)?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m always going to watch Alperen Sengun. It will take Christian Wood missing time, but that is always possible. I also want to track the Pacers&rsquo; big-man situation, and especially Isaiah Jackson. There are a lot of unknowns there, but Jackson has the highest fantasy upside.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Which struggling player will get back on track and reward patient fantasy owners?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;OG Anunoby is in a big slump at the moment and I believe he will get back to his usual production soon. I&rsquo;d also look at Anthony Edwards, who has really struggled of late. But resting his ankle should allow him to attack the last part of the season with vigor.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/og12_lg.jpg" alt="" width="714" height="358" />
Who should fans be most concerned about rest-of-season?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;Malcolm Brogdon and Zion Williamson haven&rsquo;t been ruled out for the season, but I doubt they play. I would also be pretty concerned about Tyrese Maxey with James Harden in town.&rdquo;
Which trade-deadline acquisitions are worth a look after their change of scenery?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;To be honest, most of the value is created for players who remained on their teams, like Devin Vassell taking on a bigger role with Derrick White gone [in San Antonio]. I would also look at Justise Winslow in Portland.&rdquo;
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You were a pharmacist and then you made the transition to fantasy analyst. What went into that decision? And was it scary leaving behind a great job with plenty of security?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;It was simply about doing something I enjoyed. Pharmacy had become pretty stale and limiting and I spent so much time analyzing the NBA anyway that when a chance came up to make that a career, I took it. It was a little scary, but I didn&rsquo;t make the full-time transition for a couple of years, when I had full-time employment in the fantasy industry already secured.&rdquo;
There are a ton of people who would love to become a fantasy analyst, but they probably don&rsquo;t know where to start or they think it&rsquo;s unrealistic. What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career as a fantasy analyst?&nbsp;
Lloyd: &ldquo;The number-one thing to do is be active. Get involved in Twitter. Post in the fantasy-basketball subreddit. Start your own YouTube channel or podcast, or even blog. Just practice writing or speaking and analyzing the game. It&rsquo;s not easy and takes a lot of commitment. The number-one thing to build yourself up, though, is to be consistent.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Our Tommy Beer recently put together his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-202122-fantasy-basketball-allstar-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 Fantasy All-Star Team</a>, highlighting which NBA players were fantasy studs during the first half of the season. Did any of your players make the list?
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Need some fantasy advice? Josh Lloyd shares his must-add players, biggest surprises and letdowns, players who concern him and more.

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

In 2012, Tom Ziller wrote an article for SB Nation on the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/2/2/2766177/lebron-james-volatility-scorers-hook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring volatility</a> of the NBA&rsquo;s top scorers. Since then, the subject has remained largely untouched (although Ben Taylor does discuss it briefly in his <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Basketball-Ben-Taylor/dp/1532968175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">book</a>, "Thinking Basketball").
So, since the NBA is on a hiatus until Thursday, I figured now was as good of a time to delve a little deeper into the topic.
To help me do so, I called upon the aid of software engineer/data scientist <a href="https://twitter.com/daniel_bratulic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Bratulić</a>.
First and foremost, for those unaware, scoring volatility is basically the degree of variance present in a player&rsquo;s game-to-game scoring outputs (e.g. low variance = low volatility). Understanding which players are more consistent and which ones are more of a wildcard is important in a game that is often defined as a &ldquo;make or miss league.&rdquo;&nbsp;
As Taylor notes in his aforementioned book: &ldquo;Teams are significantly more likely to win games when (at least) one player has an explosive night.&rdquo;
This sentiment is especially true this season, where the championship landscape is as deep as it has been in quite some time, and a single heater could reroute the entire course of history (I&rsquo;m looking at you, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SPjJ197oKE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Klay Thompson</a>).
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To identify the most volatile players among volume scorers, we charted the variance levels of the top-30 scorers based on their game-to-game True Shooting percentages. Here's what we found.
Shooting Consistency: 2021-22
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-22-at-11-31-52-am_lg.png" alt="" width="474" height="448" />
(Chart created by Daniel Bratulić)
For the sake of this exercise, we can shelve Damian Lillard&rsquo;s variance right now since it&rsquo;s doubtful he returns to the court this season. Steph Curry&rsquo;s standing on this list is likely due to the unprecedented (by his standards) shooting slump he endured for a large chunk of December and January.
What is the most interesting here is the six-man cluster on the top-left corner, consisting of Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards. These six are noteworthy because their overall True Shooting averages are right around the league average. So this means that their good games are well-above league average, while their off-nights are probably well-below.
To assess the nature of these players&rsquo; volatility, I charted their True Shooting numbers on a month-by-month basis:
True Shooting Percentage By Month
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-20-at-9-12-19-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="585" height="355" />
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 378px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Player
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
Oct.
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
Nov.
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
Dec.
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
Jan.
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
Feb.
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Mitchell
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
52.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
54.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
63.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
52.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
66.2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Siakam
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
N/A
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
54.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
53.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
55.2%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
62.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Ingram
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
53.6%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
50.6%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
58.1%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
51.7%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
54.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
McCollum
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
57.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
50.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
46.6%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
60.2%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
54.4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Tatum
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
48.8%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
50.8%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
58.5%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
59.1%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
57.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Edwards
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
49.6%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
54.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
59.0%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
60.2%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
49.0%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Mobile users scroll right for full table)
Apologies for the slight cluster in the graph, but from analyzing that and the table, you will probably notice two different styles of shooting trends. For Siakam, Ingram and Tatum, you see one or two outlier months that are more indicative of an extended stretch of hot/cold shooting than erratic changes in game-to-game shooting efficiency. For instance, Tatum experienced a well-documented slow start to the season before returning to True Shooting percentages more in-line with his <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tatumja01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">career averages</a> during December, January and February.&nbsp;&nbsp;
On the other hand, Mitchell, McCollum and Edwards have two months of True Shooting well-above the league average, one month right around league average and two months well below it.&nbsp;
To use Edwards as an example, his October and February shooting percentages were abysmal (sub-50%), his November finish isn&rsquo;t too far from the <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/league-average-true-shooting-percentage-2022">league average</a> of 56%, and his December and January efficiency hovered right at that golden 60% threshold.
Mitchell, specifically, is no stranger to volatile scoring seasons. From 2018-21, Mitchell has consistently been an inconsistent scorer (I know, the irony), finishing with a standard deviation right around &ldquo;14&rdquo; in the three seasons prior to this campaign (charts from 2018-21 included after the conclusion of this article for anyone interested).
We&rsquo;ve also already gotten a glimpse of the postseason highs and lows that come with his streaky shooting. In 2018-19, Mitchell posted a dreadful 42.3% True Shooting, and the Utah Jazz were handedly discarded by the Houston Rockets in five games. On the flip side, in 2020-21, Mitchell eviscerated defenses with a 60.2% True Shooting clip. And if not for injuries to him and Mike Conley (and an aberration of a shooting performance by Terance Mann), the Jazz very well could have competed for a Western Conference championship.
In McCollum&rsquo;s case, the Portland Trail Blazers&rsquo; best season in the Lillard era coincided with one of his most volatile. In 2018-19, McCollum led all volume scorers in volatility with a standard deviation of &ldquo;17&rdquo; (again, reference charts below). During the playoffs, McCollum shot five True Shooting percentage points higher in their eight wins than he did in their eight losses, which signals the highest positive differential of any Blazer that played at least 300 minutes that postseason (per NBA.com).
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Overall, Mitchell, Edwards and McCollum appear to be the most volatile volume scorers of the 2021-22 season thus far. This matters because all three of these players are rostered by teams currently in the thick of the playoff picture. An electric shooting night from one of these guys could swing a Play-in game, a Game 7 or maybe even an entire postseason series. Such seismic capacity demands our attention, and further time should be allocated towards identifying these players and ascertaining the extent of their impact on winning.
For now, one would be wise to keep tabs on these players because &mdash; for better or worse &mdash; they may just go nuclear and tip the scales, and rewrite the story of the NBA in the process.
Shooting Consistency: 2018-19
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-22-at-11-34-19-am_lg.png" alt="" width="474" height="462" />
(Chart created by Daniel Bratulić)
Shooting Consistency: 2019-20
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-22-at-11-35-29-am_lg.png" alt="" width="475" height="456" />
(Chart created by Daniel Bratulić)
Shooting Consistency: 2020-21
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-22-at-11-36-31-am_lg.png" alt="" width="475" height="468" />
(Chart created by Daniel Bratulić)
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Mat Issa breaks down the variance of the NBA's most notable scorers and how it affects their respective teams.

Charting the most volatile scorers in the NBA right now

Long overdue for a makeover, the Portland Trail Blazers became sellers at this year&rsquo;s trade deadline. CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington are all gone in place of more youth and future cap flexibility.
With Damian Lillard presumably out for the rest of the season, this provided Portland the ideal opportunity to hit the reset button. The main question, though, always circles back around to Lillard&rsquo;s long-term future with the Blazers.
Is Lillard seriously going to sit through an extended rebuild through his mid-30s? With three years remaining on Lillard&rsquo;s contract in 2022-23, here&rsquo;s the current core group to move forward with: Anfernee Simons, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nassir-little-sheer-will-intensity-gives-portland-trail-blazers-a-boost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nassir Little</a>, Josh Hart, Keon Johnson, Justise Winslow, Didi Louzada, Greg Brown III.
Simons has proven to be a real building block during his full-fledged breakout campaign, but there are many questions outside of him. Little has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nassir-little-on-blazers-struggles-his-development-gm-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flashed some improvements</a>, but consistency for him was still needed before going down with an injury. Hart and Johnson were the primary pieces returned in the Blazers&rsquo; midseason roster remake.
In the end, will that crop of young players be enough to keep Lillard content while also competing within an actual championship window? That answer remains murky at best, particularly a Finals appearance being close to feasible.
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Portland created oodles of flexibility this summer via free agency or the trade market to improve rapidly around Lillard. If the next disgruntled star wants out this summer, the Blazers can at least have a seat at the table as potentially realistic destinations. They are set up well with future draft capital, plus multiple young players and a large, soon-to-be expiring contract with Eric Bledsoe.
The franchise can get into many discussions simply based off the variability of its asset collection. They could&rsquo;ve gotten more in both deals &mdash; which could loom large if they swing-and-miss this offseason &mdash; but the idea on paper makes sense.
The Blazers' last roster makeup was based around the dynamic high-usage backcourt of Lillard and McCollum. The backcourt's defensive abilities, or lack thereof, limited its potential ceiling. In the next chapter for Portland, what will be necessary to build an instant contender?
With it being unlikely that the Blazers land a star-level player, the NBA Draft is their best bet to reshaping on the fly while also achieving another chapter post-Lillard. In the McCollum trade, Portland received a 2022 first-round pick from the Pelicans where it&rsquo;s likely to convey this season (protected 1-4, 15-30).
With two top-10 picks at its disposal, Portland has the artillery to make some splashy moves on draft night, whether it be acquiring two young prospects or a seismic blockbuster trade.
Lillard seemingly is fine on the surface signing another record-breaking contract with the Blazers, but, deep down, when will this reach a level of discontent where lines are drawn? When will Lillard make the pressure too hot for the Blazers to handle? For a scorer of Lillard&rsquo;s caliber, he deserves to legitimately chase championships during the second half of his prime years. At the moment, that destination isn&rsquo;t realistically in Portland.
Building a team around young players and maybe a re-signed Jusuf Nurkic isn&rsquo;t going to make even a noticeable dent in the Western Conference. Sure, Simons is a fun backcourt partner with Lillard, but it keeps Portland in the same position it was with McCollum all these years already.
This is what makes the Jerami Grant rumors so interesting around the Blazers entering such an important offseason. As said on <a href="https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1mrxmaWXOqwxy?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Trade Deadline Twitter Space</a>, HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto relayed Grant to Portland was generating the most buzz before the deadline with less than 24 hours to go. Grant&rsquo;s fit with Lillard and the Blazers would be excellent, finally providing a real two-way wing next to his offensive profile.
Grant, Lillard and Simons is something to build around, but it&rsquo;s again another roadblock when seriously considering a real Finals push. If we&rsquo;re being honest, Grant is the likely move Portland makes to push more chips in with Lillard. How it plays out is a completely different story though.
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For both Lillard and the Blazers, the realization that it might be time for a split is closing in. As we just saw in the Super Bowl with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, staying loyal forever doesn&rsquo;t always lead to the ultimate prize. Stafford <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/matthew-stafford-trade-rams-send-two-first-round-picks-a-third-round-pick-and-jared-goff-to-lions-for-qb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested a trade</a> from the lowly Detroit Lions and instantly won a championship with Los Angeles.
Lillard is the NBA&rsquo;s version of Stafford, so loyal to a fault and always putting the team on his back. Stafford eventually knew the time arrived to make a change for his legacy's sake. Lillard has to be envisioning this when canvassing Portland&rsquo;s future outlook.
It&rsquo;s again slowly bubbling under the surface, but the Blazers remain one of the most intriguing teams in the league for yet another offseason. How Portland maneuvered at the deadline gave a sneak peek into what should be a summer with gigantic stakes.
Now, we wait and see how it all unfolds for an organization with change occurring on all levels.
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After a roster overhaul, which direction will the Portland Trail Blazers pursue? Damian Lillard's long-term future depends on it.