Aggies

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 12 of his 16 points in overtime, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining, and No. 17 Illinois rallied to hand second-ranked Texas its first loss of the season, 85-78 on Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic.
Jayden Epps added 11 points, including the final five points of regulation &mdash; a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left and two tying free throws with 8 seconds remaining. Epps then blocked Marcus Carr&rsquo;s jumper in the lane just before the buzzer to force overtime in an entertaining showdown at Madison Square Garden.
Matthew Mayer, who faced Texas several times at Baylor, tied a career high with 21 points as he made his first seven shots and finished 8 of 10.
Shannon, who missed eight of nine shots in regulation, took over in the extra period to help Illinois (7-2) beat a ranked foe for the second time this season.
Timmy Allen scored a season-high 21 points for Texas (6-1), which failed to open 7-0 for the first time since 2014-15. Tyrese Hunter added 10 points but Carr was held to nine points on 3-of-14 shooting as Texas had 12 shots blocked and shot 42%.
NO. 1 HOUSTON 76, NORTH FLORIDA 42
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Ja&rsquo;Vier Francis scored 14 points, star Marcus Sasser had 12 points in the first eight minutes before leaving with a cut over his eye, and Houston coasted past North Florida.&nbsp;
Sasser, who entered the game averaging 17.5 points, made two 3-pointers early but got hit in the face and left with a cut that required stitches.
Jarace Walker had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Houston (9-0), and Tramon Mark scored 10.
Jarius Hicklen led the Ospreys (2-6) with 12 points.
NO. 3 VIRGINIA 55, JAMES MADISON 50
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Kihei Clark scored 17 points, Jayden Gardner had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Virginia beat its feisty in-state rival.
The Cavaliers (8-0), who lost starting guard Reece Beekman to a right leg injury early in the first half, prevented the Dukes (7-3) from winning a second straight December game in Charlottesville. James Madison beat Virginia 52-49 last Dec. 7.
Takal Molson scored 20 points for James Madison, including a 3-pointer that tied the game at 42-all with 7:47 to play. Gardner responded for Virginia by scoring five straight points in a 9-1 run.
The Cavaliers kept the Dukes in the game by missing eight of 13 free throws over the last six minutes.
NO. 9 ARKANSAS 65, UNC GREENSBORO 58
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Standout freshman Nick Smith Jr. scored 22 points in just his third game as Arkansas overcame a sluggish offensive showing to beat North Carolina-Greensboro.
The Razorbacks (8-1) shot 33.3% and trailed for a majority of the game.
Makhi Mitchell had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Arkansas, Davis had 10 points and 10 boards, and Black scored 11 points.
Donovan Atwell led UNC Greensboro (4-6) with 12 points and Dante Treacy added 11.
NO. 12 BAYLOR 80, TARLETON STATE 57
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Freshman Keyonte George scored 22 points, redshirt freshman Langston Love added 20 and Baylor beat Tarleton State.
The Bears (7-2) had trouble early pulling away from the Texans, led by former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, but finally took a double-digit lead not long after halftime.
Shakur Daniel scored 13 points for the Texans (5-4), who were playing Baylor for the first time since 1986 and the ninth time overall.
WISCONSIN 64, NO. 13 MARYLAND 59
MADISON, Wis. (AP) &mdash; Chucky Hepburn scored 13 points and Steven Crowl added 12 as Wisconsin handed Maryland its first loss under coach Kevin Willard.
Wisconsin (7-2, 1-0 Big Ten) opened a 58-45 lead with a 13-point run, capped by Crowl&rsquo;s two free throws with 3:46 remaining. The Badgers hung on despite making just 15 of 25 free throws in the second half and no field goals over the final 4:03.
Jahmir Young scored 17 points and Julian Reese had 10 for Maryland (8-1, 1-1), which entered averaging 80.8 points per game and outscoring opponents by 19.8.
NO. 15 DUKE 74, IOWA 62
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jeremy Roach tied a career high with 22 points and No. 15 Duke led virtually the entire way against Iowa in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
The Blue Devils (9-2) won their third straight since a 19-point loss to Purdue last month in the championship game of the Phil Knight Legacy.
Mark Mitchell added 13 of his 17 points in the second half. Kyle Filipowski had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double.
Patrick McCaffery led the Hawkeyes (6-2) with 12 points in a game that had special meaning to him. The junior forward was 13 when he was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid.
NO. 24 TCU 78, JACKSON STATE 51
FORTH WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; JaKobe Coles scored a career-high 21 points, Damion Baugh had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, and TCU won its fifth straight.
Coles matched his career high with 15 points by halftime. He then had the final six points of an 8-0 run early in the second half for a 54-34 lead. Shahada Wells added 14 points and Chuck O&rsquo;Bannon Jr. scored 11 for TCU (7-1).
Coltie Young made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points for Jackson State (1-7). Romelle Mansel had eight points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.&nbsp;

The Jimmy V Classic started with a bang on Tuesday evening, including a top-tier upset.

Shannon shines in OT, No. 17 Illinois tops No. 2 Texas 85-78

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

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

In hindsight, it became quite obvious that the great David Stern&rsquo;s mission as commissioner of the NBA was to help expand the league, and the sport&rsquo;s global footprint. During his reign, we saw pro players participate in the Olympics, an expansion into Canada and games routinely played overseas.
In relatively short order, it&rsquo;s become evident that at least one of current commissioner Adam Silver&rsquo;s priorities &mdash; aside from expanding the league&rsquo;s bottom line &mdash; is to simply make the game more fun.
We&rsquo;ve seen tweaks to the All-Star Game and its selection process, changes to the draft lottery and recent discussions about the league possibly implementing an in-season tournament with a trophy at stake.
By far, though &mdash; and in only two years &mdash; the league&rsquo;s decision to determine the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference through the Play-In Tournament has already proven to be a stroke of genius.
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If you were to take a poll of casual NBA fans, many of them would tell that you one of the reasons they couldn&rsquo;t become diehards is because the NBA season is just so long. The regular season is about six months, and the playoffs another two.
Truth be told, many of the league&rsquo;s players feel the same exact way.
Weeks ago, when Portland Trail Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2022/02/portland-trail-blazers-damian-lillard-likely-wont-return-to-action-this-season.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided an update</a> on Damian Lillard, Cronin stopped short of saying that Lillard would not be returning this season. But he did admit that a part of not pushing Lillard to return was the fact that the organization felt the superstar needed a &ldquo;mental break,&rdquo; as much as a physical one.
It's hard for the league&rsquo;s players to be fully invested for training camp, preseason and then, 82 games &mdash; especially when the current generation of player has been trained to believe that the only thing that makes for a &ldquo;successful&rdquo; season is winning a championship. That belief has resulted in some dangerous trends developing, from superstar players being &ldquo;load managed&rdquo; during the regular season to some opining that the regular season is irrelevant altogether.
The answer, and Silver&rsquo;s challenge, has been to change that perception and give players and teams more things to play for. The Play-In Tournament has done exactly that.
Traditionally, teams have cared about securing playoff spots, but by the time most of the league&rsquo;s teams had played 70 games, the playoff picture had become somewhat clear. And even for those teams whose seeds weren&rsquo;t fixed, the priority with 12 to 15 games remaining in the regular season was to enter the postseason as healthy and as fresh as possible. Star players were rested, while many others would see their minutes limited. Those that did play would often half-step through the contests.
Obviously, that&rsquo;s understandable, but it didn&rsquo;t exactly make for the best viewing experience &mdash; particularly for season ticket holders who would see the final 8 to 10 games of their teams' campaigns not being treated with any real urgency.
The Play-In Tournament, though, has changed that. If nothing else, it&rsquo;s doused the league&rsquo;s collective competitive fire with a bit of gasoline. Instead of teams simply vying for the top four seeds, the Play-In has created bands that preserve a team&rsquo;s competitive nature, almost regardless as to what its seed is.
Outside of the top four, the fifth and sixth-seeded teams will fight to the end, because those seeds now have newfound value. Aside from having to &ldquo;earn&rdquo; their way into the postseason at seventh or eighth, at least one of No. 7 or No. 8 will have to play two additional games. That&rsquo;s not exactly ideal when you know the No. 1 or No. 2 seed is going to be waiting on the other side.
Seventh and eighth, obviously, will be trying to catch No. 6. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the conference, the teams anywhere within striking distance of the No. 10 seed will be gunning for that spot. No longer is the eighth seed the goal for everyone; competitive teams would pursue No. 10 for no other reason than to expose their young players to a level of competition in which something more than a &ldquo;normal&rdquo; regular season game was at stake.
In other words, instead of two bands where teams compete for a top-four seed and a top-eight seed, we&rsquo;ve already seen teams playing through the end of the season because there&rsquo;s simply more value in more spots.
That&rsquo;s great for the league&rsquo;s fans.
Everything else &mdash; and yes, there&rsquo;s more &mdash; is a bonus.
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The fact that the top two seeds don&rsquo;t know who their opponent will be adds a level of intrigue to the postseason that didn&rsquo;t exist in the same way before the Play-In Tournament. Then, of course, there's the fact that we&rsquo;ve already seen that superstars and their teams aren&rsquo;t immune from being forced to earn their way in.
Last season, we witnessed LeBron James and Steph Curry square off in an epic battle that saw the Los Angeles Lakers prevail, and then Curry and the Golden State Warriors were eliminated by Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. In 2020, in the Orlando Bubble, we saw the Grizzlies do battle with Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
This season, it would appear that both the LeBron and Kevin Durant will see their respective teams have to earn their way into the postseason. The Lakers enter play on March 16 all but guaranteed to be in the Play-In, and most probably as the ninth seed. The Lakers trail the eighth-seeded Clippers by 5.5 games in the standings, meaning that they would have to beat the New Orleans Pelicans, and then, either the Los Angeles Clippers or Minnesota Timberwolves for the right to play the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
Out East, meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets have a shot at catching the Cleveland Cavaliers for the sixth seed &mdash; they trailed the Cavs by 3.5 games in the standings with 13 to play coming into Thursday. But if things end up the way they are today, Brooklyn would be eighth, and would have to play in Toronto (and without Kyrie Irving) in their first Play-In game. If they lost that game, Brooklyn would have to play either Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks or LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.
In other words, it&rsquo;s possible that neither LeBron nor Durant could be in the 2022 postseason. That they&rsquo;ll likely have to fight their way in, though, makes for must-see TV.
With less than 15 games to go in the regular season, rather than seeing most teams opt to rest their star players and/or mail-in the effort as they await the start of the playoffs, a lot is still yet to be decided.
There are many things that you could call that &mdash; awesome, exciting, innovative.
But for Adam Silver, it happens to be something different altogether.
It&rsquo;s a mission accomplished.
In short order, the NBA&rsquo;s play-in tournament has already made winners of us all.
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Moke Hamilton describes how the NBA Play-In Tournament has made for a meaningful and competitive season down the stretch.

How the NBA Play-In Tournament has already made winners of us all

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>. 
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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>

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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

After the Philadelphia 76ers crushed the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Joel Embiid said he felt his partnership with the newly acquired James Harden was "unstoppable."
It's hard to blame the big man for feeling confident. Philly is 2-0 with Harden in the lineup, having blown out both opponents by a combined 45 points.
Harden's first game as a member of the 76ers was also the team's first post-All-Star break, a 31-point demolition of the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road. In his Philly debut, The Beard racked up 27 points (7 of 12 from the field, 8 of 9 from the free-throw line), 12 assists, 8 rebounds and 5 made treys.&nbsp;
On Sunday, Harden stuffed the stat sheet with 29 points, 16 dimes, 10 boards, 5 steals and 3 triples. In the process, he became the first player in NBA history to tally at least 25 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds in each of his first two games with a new team.&nbsp;
He has been, to borrow a phrase from Embiid, "unstoppable."&nbsp;
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However, in watching him stack up insane numbers over those two games, I couldn't help but think back to his last appearance with Brooklyn on Feb. 2.
Before the Nets sent him to the Sixers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks, Brooklyn was beaten badly by the lowly Sacramento Kings, and Harden's effort (or lack thereof) was abominable in his final contest as a Net. He finished with 4 points on 2 of 12 shooting, and the team was outscored by 21 points with Harden on the floor.&nbsp;
The energy and effort level Harden has played with for Philadelphia, when contrasted to Brooklyn, is stunning.&nbsp;
Over Harden's last two games with the Nets, he scored 26 points on 8 of 30 shooting, recorded a single steal and posted a plus/minus of -32.
Over Harden's first two games with the Sixers, he scored 56 points on 15 of 26 shooting, notched 5 steals and posted a plus/minus of +54.
To put his putrid performance against the Kings in context, keep in mind that Harden had scored in double figures in 450 consecutive games from 2015 through 2021. That's the eighth-longest such streak in NBA history.
Over the last decade, dating back to the start of the 2012 season, Harden has scored more points than every player in the league. His 21,340 points are more than 2,000 ahead of LeBron James (19,250), who ranks second.
But it wasn't just the inefficient offense. The footage of Harden loafing around the court in Sacramento was astonishing.&nbsp;
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Harden effort thread because I watched the film back and, my god, it's pathetic. Clip 1: just blatantly not caring. <a href="https://t.co/NbCccj2Ntt">pic.twitter.com/NbCccj2Ntt</a>
&mdash; Erik Slater (@erikslaterNR) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikslaterNR/status/1489287381031297027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Here's what NBA insider <a href="http://NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic said on The Ringer NBA Show podcast</a> about that game and the situation surrounding Harden:
<blockquote>
He has a game in Sacramento where, you know, I think it's fair to say there were people who were within that locker room, within those confines, wondering, "Did he just quit on us?" And then he sits multiple games for a hamstring injury when, you know, there was no sign of a hamstring injury. There was a sign of the hand injury, but there was no hamstring.
</blockquote>
The day before the deadline, ESPN NBA senior writer <a href="https://twitter.com/gifdsports/status/1491469365467832328?s=20&amp;t=oZH91aLw2DxHA9FKKxEyDQ">Brian Windhorst intimated</a> that Harden might sabotage Brooklyn's season if the franchise didn't acquiesce to his wishes.
<blockquote>
You gotta be very careful using the "Q word" or saying whatever, but [Harden's] actions over the past 10 days are basically a threat to the Nets. Last week in Sacramento, he played 37 minutes and scored 4 points... And that doesn't even articulate the effort level he gave on defense in that game. Then, he basically shut it down for the rest of that road trip, and he is screaming in every way he possibly can, "I don't want to be here, get me out of here." Just like he did in Houston.
And so what the real issue here for the Nets is not the consequences of making this deal, it's the consequences of not making this deal. If they don't do this trade, what is James Harden going to do the rest of this season? And then, of course, what is he going to do when he becomes a free agent in the summer?
</blockquote>
As we now know, in the hours leading up to the trade deadline, Harden would leak that he planned to sign with the Sixers as a free agent this summer, essentially forcing the Nets to trade him to Philadelphia. Consequently, the Nets pulled the trigger on the blockbuster swap. As I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lest-we-forget-ben-simmons-is-a-great-basketball-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed last month</a>, the Nets were able to add three starters and two future firsts by parting with the unhappy Harden.
The drama at the deadline generated a ton of interest in the NBA, with trade rumors dominating social media and sports news broadcasts.
In addition, the tension and emotion surrounding the situation may be the birth of a heated rivalry between Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Immediately after the trade was finalized, fans worldwide circled March 10 on their calendars, as the Nets and Sixers will meet for the first time on that date. That highly-anticipated, nationally-televised game will generate huge ratings, just as a playoff series would between the two squads. That is obviously good news for the NBA.&nbsp;
However, on the flip side of the coin, it is worth asking: What is the long-term impact of superstars quitting on their current teams and complaining their way out of town, only to get rewarded by landing in their preferred destination?
Remember, this is the second time in two years that Harden has forced his way off a team.
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🚨🚨🚨 New Keepin' It 94 is up! Reacting to how new players are looking with their new teams, giving a summation of where the NBA is heading into the All-Star break in Cleveland and other good tidbits. Subscribe, rate, review 🎙️ LINK: <a href="https://t.co/RqDjKWI9QP">https://t.co/RqDjKWI9QP</a> <a href="https://t.co/GEEPbKTYgr">pic.twitter.com/GEEPbKTYgr</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1494426898629373959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, while a member of the Rockets, Harden showed up to training camp late and out of shape.
"He believed he could force a trade if he could anger team governor Tilman Fertitta enough," Bleacher Report's Farbod Esnaashari <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2934230-the-2-month-trade-request-how-james-harden-forced-his-way-out-of-houston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote on March 3, 2021</a>.
And in early January, Harden told reporters Houston was "<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30702503/all-star-james-harden-says-houston-rockets-just-not-good-enough" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just not good enough</a>."
The Rockets got back a bevy of promising young players and draft picks by trading away Harden, but after finishing with the league's worst record last season, they are once again on pace to finish at the bottom of the standings.
In his final game as a member of the Rockets on Jan. 12, 2021, Harden finished with 15 points on 5 of 16 shooting and posted a plus/minus of -23.
Three nights later, in his first game as a Net, Harden made history as the first player to post a 30-point triple-double in a team debut, finishing with 32 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in a victory over the Orlando Magic.
Harden, of course, is not the first player to force the hand of his employer. Jimmy Butler belly-ached his way out of Minnesota and ended up in South Beach. Anthony Davis maneuvered his way out of New Orleans and landed in Los Angeles. Paul George forced his way out of Indiana and Oklahoma City. Simmons never played another game for the 76ers after he felt disrespected by his teammates and Doc Rivers following his poor performance in the 2021 playoffs.
The established precedent is troubling, especially considering how frequently it has occurred in recent years. The player empowerment era puts persistent pressure on general managers, and it may test the dedication of even the most loyal fans in some smaller markets.
Late last month, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/02/20/nba-superstar-empowerment-disruption-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated reported</a> that executives leaguewide have speculated it's only a matter of time before several other popular players follow suit.
<blockquote>
The teams that have a star are feverishly doing everything to keep them happy. The rest are plotting to poach them. Around the league, team executives are already bracing (and/or plotting) for the next disenchanted star to ask out, with speculation focused on Zion Williamson in New Orleans, Damian Lillard in Portland, and Donovan Mitchell in Utah.
</blockquote>
As Beck notes, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked about the worrisome trend during his annual All-Star weekend press conference.
"It's no secret that I've expressed my unhappiness with public trade demands," <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/02/20/nba-superstar-empowerment-disruption-trades">Silver stated</a>. But he added, "I don't want to pretend standing here that I have some secret idea that I know can fix that problem."
It's hard to imagine the issue abruptly disappearing. If anything, it may get worse before it gets better.&nbsp;
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James Harden's first two games with the 76ers were a smashing success, but we've seen this play out before. Tommy Beer examines.

James Harden got his wish... again, and that's a problem for the NBA

It takes but a moment to feel Davion Mitchell's presence pop on screen anytime the Sacramento Kings play.
One of my top-five running bits this season has been opposing ball-handlers experiencing his ball pressure and intensity on defense for the first time. When Mitchell stifles a first step, it's akin to someone catching a jab to the chin for the first time. They've sparred, they've been around some heat in the ring, but Davion has that kind of defensive charisma that makes opposition stiffen, flash the Gary Payton eyebrow raise and recognize he's for real.
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<a href="https://t.co/fDlYZ1vXGs">https://t.co/fDlYZ1vXGs</a> <a href="https://t.co/3TW9RprX7H">pic.twitter.com/3TW9RprX7H</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1455722732516253703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The defense has been etched in stone since his first minutes at NBA Summer League. However, Mitchell's offense has run counter much of the year. Through his first 43 games of the season, he played roughly 25 minutes per game, averaging 9.1 points and 3.2 assists on 45.5% True Shooting (10.5% below league average). His three-ball was way off, particularly off the catch, shooting better off the dribble per Second Spectrum.
Fast forward to Jan. 26 in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. With De'Aaron Fox out due to injury, Mitchell received his second career start, and the first in a string of seven straight starts with the Kings. While he's returned to the bench post-trade deadline and Fox's return, he's continued his stellar play.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 66px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 12.3133%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Stretch of Play</td>
<td style="width: 13.5566%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">True Shooting </td>
<td style="width: 10.1783%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Pull-Up 2s</td>
<td style="width: 8.5783%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Pull-Up 3s</td>
<td style="width: 13.1566%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Catch-and-Shoot 3s</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 12.3133%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Last 10 Games</td>
<td style="width: 13.5566%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">54.5%</td>
<td style="width: 10.1783%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">41% (3.9 per)</td>
<td style="width: 8.5783%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">40% (2.5 per)</td>
<td style="width: 13.1566%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">38.6% (4.4 per)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
In his last 10 games, Mitchell is averaging 16.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists, and doing so with better efficiency than he has all season (All four categories in the table above are upticks from his first 43 games).
So what's changed?
Mitchell's increasing minutes have been the largest reason for his success. Normally, that's a thinly veiled way of saying that nothing's changed &mdash; but in Mitchell's case, it's quite the contrary!
With the ball in his hands more, and more opportunities on the court, he's been more able to adapt and search out his balance in the offense between controlling the rock and moving off of it. Throughout the year, I've consistently wished Mitchell would move more without the ball. Lo and behold, it's happening!
A large reason for his improvement as a catch-and-shoot player (significant concern pre-draft) has been his willingness to move off the ball and relocate into open space.
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He's lifting from the corners more often.
He's dishing out of paint touches and quickly twirling out to the slot.&nbsp;
Making yourself available is a really important part of becoming a better shooter (and offensive player in general), and it's helped Mitchell to flow within an offense more.
Davion greatly struggled for much of the season to adapt to NBA length and speed &mdash; something that happens to most rookies &mdash; but for small guards who need the ball, it can be an adventure. Better off-ball movement is one of the first cogs for his further development.
He has to thrive on the margins, as the easier modes of efficient offense aren't as readily available to him. Can he find an extra step or sliver of space through good screening or quick handoffs?
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He's started to. Sacramento's offense is heavily trending in that direction after trading for Domantas Sabonis, one of the best and most dynamic screeners in basketball.
What's so intriguing about Mitchell is his ability to exploit those margins. While yes, he is small, he is also perhaps the most explosive player on the Kings' roster. His first step is bonkers, he has a shifty handle, and he's a decent enough leaper to where he's not a solely below-the-rim athlete.
Earlier this season, he was belting line-drives to the rim, packed with power undoubtedly, but a line-drive is still a straight-on, squared-up attempt. It's so tough to consistently win by overpowering your defender in the NBA unless you have overwhelming size and physicality. Mitchell can win with power, but he has to pick his spots.
He's shown very encouraging finishes at the rim through contact.
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When he lines up a drive to set up an unprepared or unequipped defender, Mitchell unleashes one of my favorite moves in the league right now.
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I struggle to call it a "hesi" because it's so insanely quick, but he throws out this stutter step often with an in-and-out or hesitation dribble that just DUSTS defenders like no other. The suddenness is devastating.
He's converting a blistering 74.0% at the rim over his last 10 contests per Cleaning the Glass; that at-the-rim field-goal percentage was at 59.0% before this stretch.
However, his shot profile over this time has been incredibly telling, as 25.0% of Mitchell's total attempts came at the rim prior to Jan. 26; that number has since shrunk to 17.0%, with 36.0% of his shots coming from the mid-range and the remaining 47.0% attempts from three.&nbsp;
Mitchell's pacing has adapted. As mentioned earlier, less line-drives and more change-ups exist in his diet; he's more actively looking to go east and west, keeping his dribble alive without going straight to the rim as often.
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Mitchell really excels at utilizing "Horford screens" from his bigs in the dunker spot (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Listen and subscribe!</a>) or on the roll. It's essentially an illegal-ish screen that doesn't always get called, made famous by Al Horford and his sealing protege, Daniel Theis.&nbsp;
While it may seem counterintuitive to get to the rim less, thus is the life of a combo guard. As explosive and powerful as Davion is, intuitive rim-protectors can sniff out his headlong hesitations.
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With time, he'll likely develop more counters, which he needs; he really only has one or two go-to moves. While they're fantastic, we are approaching the point to where it is going to be on the scouting report.&nbsp;
His prolific pull-up shooting from deep has opened up more possibilities to probe. Teams still routinely go under on his ball-screens, but he's punished them for doing so.&nbsp;
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Mitchell's pull-up two is a useful tool, and one he has to use as a jab. The quickness and explosiveness with which he can rise into it is arguably more of a threat right now than its effectiveness. Defenses are more apt to give him the shot, but he's so quick that they can't afford to fully sag off into the paint.&nbsp;
It's like his jab. If he doesn't utilize it, the defense may forget what he can do if they're not antagonized into being on-guard. They may find comfort in not paying attention. It's his basis upon which his interior game is built.
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The space he can create in isolation is astounding.&nbsp;
Again, the effectiveness is not fully there yet, but what he has done &mdash; and the improvements he's made along with the creation flashes he's shown &mdash; is head-turning.
The play Mitchell has put together over the past three weeks is incredibly enticing, but there's still room for growth, as he looks to take further steps on a team headed in a new direction after trading Tyrese Haliburton.&nbsp;
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One area I really want to see from him grow is his floater game and some of his decceleration. He's adept at sudden stops into a pull-up, but getting into his floater has felt mixed in my viewings. He can look to shy away from contact and try to force up shots with his off-hand away from the rim &mdash; which makes sense, as he's trying to shield the ball &mdash; but he often seems to be fighting his own explosiveness on those touch shots.
It's not a massive detriment, but something to monitor as he continues to create on the margins.
Opposing defenses have started to put longer, rangier wings on Mitchell rather than a guard he can take off the dribble. He's shown an aptitude to find meaningful ways to attack those defenders, but it's worth keeping an eye on as he continues to draw more attention moving forward.
Without a great screen, Davion's game can be greatly hindered.&nbsp;
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He certainly can create without screens, as seen already, but when he needs to operate through screens, they need to make real contact. Rear contests and length can throw off his rhythm as a pull-up shooter.&nbsp;
Mitchell is by no means a finished product, though he might garner some dark horse All-Defense votes! I wouldn't likely include him on my teams, but he'd make the short list for guards (Sacramento, quietly league average defensively over the last two weeks!). The offensive strides he's made have been incredibly impressive throughout the season. His growing gravity is opening passing windows that weren't consistently there earlier in the year. I'm really excited to see how he handles his development!
He has a difficult path forward to hit higher offensive outcomes, but Davion Mitchell is thriving on the margins already.&nbsp;
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Davion Mitchell has found his footing offensively after a rough start to his rookie year. What's changed? Mark Schindler analyzes.

Digging into the offensive strides of Davion Mitchell with the Kings

The pressure is on in the Bayou for a multitude of reasons.
Zion Williamson&rsquo;s generational talent is now being questioned with looming long-term injury issues, as he's yet to see the floor this season. Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has also been under fire for transactions New Orleans has made to enhance its team around Williamson and All-Star talent Brandon Ingram.
Well, that move to take a step forward with emphasis just occurred for the Pelicans.
Tuesday morning, New Orleans <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-finalizing-deal-to-acquire-cj-mccollum-in-trade-with-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired veteran guard CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers</a> in exchange for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada, a protected first-round pick and two future second-rounders. (The protection on the first-round pick being dealt to Portland is 5-14 in 2022.) The Pelicans also netted athletic big man Larry Nance Jr. and rotation wing Tony Snell.
An instant starter, plus two capable bench pieces who bolster that unit, makes New Orleans a better on-court product. It&rsquo;s incredible to see how the organization swindled Nance away from Portland alongside McCollum, an underrated aspect that will help the Pelicans become a more versatile team on both ends.
With the uncertain questions now hovering over the franchise with its potentially generational superstar in Williamson, this was a necessary move to push the needle in 2021-22 and beyond. McCollum&rsquo;s presence will provide stability for the next two-and-a-half years in New Orleans&rsquo; backcourt. Also, McCollum will take plenty of pressure off Williamson and Ingram moving forward in the scoring department.
So far this season, McCollum is averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds on a pedestrian 53.2% True Shooting percentage. McCollum&rsquo;s certified bucket-getting ability is underrated, because he&rsquo;s never had a full year as a starter where he scored fewer than 20 points per game. As the third option in New Orleans, McCollum is an ideal roll of the dice by Griffin and Co.
In the Pelicans&rsquo; system under head coach Willie Green, a tree off Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams' renowned "0.5 offense," expect to see McCollum&rsquo;s passing rise. McCollum is an underrated facilitator who can carry the load, especially when there are strong scorers alongside him. And as we all know, McCollum&rsquo;s scoring could really push the Pelicans squarely into the Play-In tournament conversation post-All-Star break.
On the other end, Portland could go any direction but the obvious signs point towards a rebuild after trading McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington. The Blazers reportedly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/portland-trail-blazers-still-hope-to-add-detroits-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be in on Jerami Grant</a> to appease Damian Lillard, but it&rsquo;s a wait-and-see situation unfolding there.
New Orleans now has its starting lineup locked it for the next few seasons at minimum: Devonte&rsquo; Graham, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas.
Is that a capable group to push the Pelicans up another rung on the Western Conference ladder? It&rsquo;s totally possible, but Williamson is a complete wildcard for this scenario to unfold. Hopefully, Zion returns from his nagging foot issues and produces at an All-NBA level once again for the Pelicans. In the short-term, I&rsquo;m intrigued to see how Nance fits into the Pelicans&rsquo; offense. He&rsquo;s a player who could provide a real impact upon arrival without any adjustment period.
Williamson being at one-hundred percent alongside a 1-2 perimeter combo of Ingram and McCollum is impressive. It&rsquo;s definitely an aggressive push, but one that has to be done; it's a cloudy immediate future with potentially luscious long-term results.
The Pelicans have a war chest of future draft capital they barely touched even after bringing aboard McCollum. Griffin has enticing salaries to make more moves down the line, but the Pelicans now become better while maintaining real flexibility.
Moving away from the deadline after this week, reassessing how the Pelicans stand in the Western Conference will be a fun exercise to monitor. New Orleans has all the ingredients to make a Michelin-star gumbo on the court, but the mixer (Williamson) needs to help bring it all together soon.
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The Pelicans pushed some chips in on CJ McCollum with a colossal trade. For New Orleans, it's a very smart wager.

Why the Pelicans' bet on CJ McCollum is a wise investment

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-warriors-and-suns-continue-to-battle-for-the-top-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The same two names remain at the top of this week's Basketball News NBA Power Rankings, but there is a bit of a shakeup in the back half of the top-10, as Cleveland and Memphis continue to win. &nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (22-5) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Stephen Curry couldn't break Ray Allen's all-time three-point record Monday night in Indiana, but the Warriors were able to walk away with a 102-100 victory. Steph has a chance to pass Allen on Tuesday night in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, against the team that was <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1470778720600403974?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one spot away from drafting him</a>: the New York Knicks.&nbsp;
2. Phoenix Suns (21-5) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
The Suns, playing without Deandre Ayton (non-COVID illness) and Devin Booker (left hamstring strain), were beaten badly by the Clippers on Monday night. The Suns still haven't lost consecutive games since before Halloween.&nbsp;
3. Utah Jazz (19-7) ⬆️ Last Week: 6
The Jazz, winners of seven consecutive contests &mdash; including four straight on the road &mdash; possess the league's longest active winning streak. Now, Utah returns home, where the team will commence a string of six straight home games beginning Wednesday. It's longest homestand this season for the Jazz.&nbsp;
4. Brooklyn Nets (19-8) ⬆️ Last Week: 5
Kevin Durant <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/durant-scores-51-in-nets-116104-win-over-slumping-pistons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poured in an NBA season-high 51 points</a> in the Nets' victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The NBA's leading scorer, KD is averaging 32.9 points over his last seven games. But it's also worth noting he is averaging over 40 minutes per game during this current stretch &mdash; truly remarkable considering he is just two years removed from a torn Achilles.&nbsp;
5. Milwaukee Bucks (18-11) ⬇️ Last Week: 3
Khris Middleton limped to the locker room in the third quarter of Monday's loss to the Boston Celtics and could not return. After the game, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/status/1470590960069488640?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Middleton suffered a hyperextended left knee, but stated that "initially there are positive indications" about the injury. However, the team will have a better idea of the severity of the hyperextension after further examination.&nbsp;
6. Chicago Bulls (17-10) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The NBA announced Monday that the Chicago Bulls' next two games (Tuesday's matchup with the Pistons and Thursday's game vs. the Toronto Raptors) will be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak within the locker room. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Troy Brown Jr., Coby White, Javonte Green, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Alize Johnson and Stanley Johnson are all currently in the league's health and safety protocols. These are the first two games postponed this season. Unfortunately, they may not be last.
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7. Memphis Grizzlies (17-11) ⬆️ Last Week: 13
Despite seeming to fly under the radar, the Grizzlies are one of the NBA's hottest teams, having won 8 of their last 9 games. This 8-1 surge is especially remarkable when you consider the Grizz are doing it without Ja Morant, who suffered a left knee injury in late November. Plenty of credit goes to Tyus Jones, who has been starting in place of Morant. Over his last seven games, Jones is averaging 11.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals. He has dished out 47 dimes during this stretch while committing just eight turnovers.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (17-12) ⬆️ Last Week: 15
Kevin Love scored all 23 of his points in the second half of Monday's win over the Miami Heat to help lead the surging Cavs to their fourth consecutive victory. Remarkably, the Cavs are now five games above .500 without LeBron James on their roster for the first time since December of 2000, when they were 15-10. Yes, incredibly, it's the first time this century!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"You don't get this often." No lip service when Kevin Love talks about *these* <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>. He's saying this team has something "bigger than ourselves" and "truly celebrate each other." <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJIf43fdLW">pic.twitter.com/MJIf43fdLW</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1470597707341479941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
9. Miami Heat (16-12) ⬇️ Last Week: 8
The Heat started their four-game road trip with a dud Monday night, falling to the Cavs. Miami has three road games left to close out the week, but after playing in Philly on Wednesday, they play the two worst teams in the conference (Orlando on Friday and Detroit on Sunday).&nbsp;
10. Los Angeles Clippers (16-12) ⬆️ Last Week: 12 
The Clips smashed the Suns on Monday night, despite playing without Paul George (right elbow sprain) and Nicolas Batum (ankle). Marcus Morris Sr. led the way for L.A., racking up 24 points on 10 of 16 shooting and ripping down a season-high 11 rebounds, two triples and one assist. We'll see if PG-13 is cleared to play Wednesday vs. the Jazz.&nbsp;
11. Philadelphia 76ers (15-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Sixers were forced to play without Seth Curry (right shoulder) and center Joel Embiid (rib soreness), and got hammered by the Grizzlies, 126-91. Memphis led by as much as 36 points in the final frame. "This is a burn-it film. Throw it away and move on to the next game," Philly head coach <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doc Rivers said</a> after the contest. Philly will look to bounce back Wednesday when they host the Heat.&nbsp;
12. Charlotte Hornets (15-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
Good news for the Hornets, as LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels and Mason Plumlee have all been cleared to return from health and safety protocols. The three players have been assigned to the Greensboro Swarm for conditioning purposes. Charlotte's next game is Wednesday vs. the San Antonio Spurs.&nbsp;
13. Washington Wizards (15-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 10
The slumping Wizards have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Their only win during this current stretch was against the lowly Pistons in overtime. Washington hasn't won a game in regulation since Dec. 1, and things won't get any easier for the Wiz in the near future. Monday's loss in Denver was the first game of a grueling six-game road trip that includes stops in Utah, Phoenix and Brooklyn.
14. Los Angeles Lakers (15-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 17 
Over in the NFL, 42-year-old Tom Brady has a chance to become the oldest MVP ever in any pro sport in North America. Not to be outdone, LeBron James &mdash; who will celebrate his 37th birthday later this month &mdash; is averaging 29.8 points, 8.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 made three-pointers over his last eight games, while logging more than 39 minutes per contest.&nbsp;
15. Boston Celtics (14-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 11
Jayson Tatum poured in 42 points Monday in Boston's victory over Milwaukee. Tatum was joined by his fellow Celtic star, Jaylen Brown, who returned to action after missing five games with a right hamstring injury and chipped in 19 points for Boston.
16. Denver Nuggets (14-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 18
Nikola Jokic was ejected from Monday's win over the Wizards after being hit with two technical fouls, but not before he tallied 28 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in 31 minutes. Over Denver's last six games, Jokic is averaging a mind-boggling 28.8 points (on 60% shooting), 13.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists in just 33.3 minutes per contest.
17. Dallas Mavericks (14-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
Kristaps Porzingis was dominant in Dallas' victory over the Hornets Monday. Playing without Luka Doncic, who is expected to miss multiple games due to left ankle soreness, KP shouldered the load vs. Charlotte, tallying 24 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. The Mavs host LeBron and the Lakers on Wednesday.&nbsp;
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18. Atlanta Hawks (13-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 14
Despite a 41-point, 9-assist performance from Trae Young, the Hawks blew a 19-point second-half lead Monday night in a bitterly disappointing home loss to the Houston Rockets. Atlanta has 4 four of its last 5 games and has lost five straight at home.&nbsp;
19. Toronto Raptors (13-14) ⬆️ Last Week: 21
After a disappointing and inconsistent start to the season, Chris Boucher is starting to turn it around for Toronto. Over the Raps past four games, Boucher is averaging 14.0 points (while shooting 56.8%) to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 22 minutes a night.&nbsp;
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-15) &harr;️ Last Week: 20
The Timberwolves welcomed back D'Angelo Russell to the lineup Sunday night in Portland after the point guard had missed three straight games due to a right ankle injury, and ended their five-game losing skid by beating the Portland Trail Blazers. Minnesota travels to Denver on Wednesday and then returns home to take on the Lakers.&nbsp;
21. Indiana Pacers (12-17) ⬆️ Last Week: 23
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Big double-double for Domantas Sabonis in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pacers</a> W 💪 30 PTS 11-15 FGM 10 REB 6 AST 3 STL 60 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/RD341JwbqV">pic.twitter.com/RD341JwbqV</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1468052587882721288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Monday, the NBA announced Domantas Sabonis as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging a team-high 25.0 points (on 75% shooting!) and 10.3 rebounds per game, to go along with 6.0 assists per game, as the Pacers went 3-0.
22. New York Knicks (12-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
The Knicks were forced to play Sunday vs. Milwaukee without RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin (who both missed the game because they are in the league's health and safety protocols), and Julius Randle and Evan Fournier combined for just 14 points. Unsurprisingly, the Knicks fell to the defending champs. It was New York's third straight defeat. The silver lining for New York was Quentin Grimes' performance in his first career start. Grimes poured in 27 points and knocked down seven three-pointers, the most ever by a Knicks rookie.
23. San Antonio Spurs (10-16) ⬆️ Last Week: 25
Dejounte Murray recorded his fourth triple-double of the season in Sunday's victory over the Pels. Murray has been playing extremely well over the past month, averaging 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.9 steals.
24. Portland Trail Blazers (11-16) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
Damian Lillard (lower abdominal tendinopathy) returned to action Sunday night and tallied 24 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, but it wasn't enough to get the Blazers back on track. Portland has now lost five games in a row and 8 of their 9 nine. And things don't get any easier for Portland this week, as they host the Suns on Tuesday night and take on the Grizzlies this Wednesday on the back-end of a back-to-back.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
25. Houston Rockets (9-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
After having their seven-game win streak snapped last week, the Rockets got back in the win column Monday in Atlanta. Houston is 8-2 over their last 10 games, which is tied for the best record in the league over that stretch.&nbsp;
26. Sacramento Kings (11-17) ⬇️ Last Week: 24
The Kings went 0-3 in their recently-completed three-game road trip. Sacramento coach Alvin Gentry <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360230" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> that his players held a closed-door meeting after Monday's embarrassing blowout loss to the Raptors.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
Luguentz Dort, who has been one of the bright spots during a disappointing OKC season, sprained his left ankle in Sunday's loss to the Mavericks. Over the Thunder's previous 15 games, Dort was averaging 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 made treys per contest.
28. New Orleans Pelicans (8-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 28
Just when it seemed the Pels' 2021-22 season couldn't get any more depressing, it was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/zion-williamson-foot-experiences-setback-will-be-shut-down-from-basketball-activities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Saturday that Zion Williamson "continues to experience soreness in his surgically-repaired right foot and is likely to be shut down from basketball activities for the time being," and that Williamson's bone "has not healed the way the team expected and he will take some time off before proceeding." It appears there is now a possibility that Zion doesn't log a single minute all season.
29. Orlando Magic (5-23) &harr;️ Last Week: 29
The Magic lost each of the five games they played on their recently completed five-game road trip, but Cole Anthony refuses to slow down. Over the three games Orlando played last week, Anthony averaged a whopping 25.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 made three-pointers while shooting 53.6% from downtown.&nbsp;
30. Detroit Pistons (4-22) &harr;️ Last Week: 30
It was revealed over the weekend that Jerami Grant suffered torn ligaments in his right thumb and will be out indefinitely. However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Grant is "one of the most sought-after players in a potential trade, with the Lakers and Trail Blazers among the teams pursuing the Pistons versatile forward." Shams adds that Grant's injury "is not expected to impact his trade market, as "dozens of teams call the Detroit front office about Grant each week, and sources said the team is open to a possible deal." Our own Evan Sidery looked at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible destinations for Grant</a> on Monday night.

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

NBA Power Rankings: Jazz vault into top-3; Grizz, Cavs keep ascending

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-bucks-jump-into-top-5-suns-still-streaking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Milwaukee Bucks, now finally healthy, have vaulted further in the top-five, while the league's top two teams are set to square off in a much-anticipated duel, with potential historical implications, Tuesday night in Phoenix.&nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (18-2) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Today in "further proof that Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter that has ever walked the earth," over his last 10 games, Steph is averaging 31.8 points, 7.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 6.2 made three-pointers while shooting 50.7% from the floor, 46.6% from downtown and 91.7% from the charity stripe. Oh, and as if they needed it, the Warriors have reinforcements on the way. Both Klay Thompson (right Achilles surgery) and James Wiseman (right knee surgery) were assigned to the team's G League affiliate in Santa Cruz earlier this week, as they inch closer to a return to action.&nbsp;
2. Phoenix Suns (17-3) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
The Suns have a chance to notch their 17th consecutive victory Tuesday night, which would tie the franchise's all-time record. But they'll have to earn it, as they take on the Warriors in a showdown that will generate plenty of juice for a regular-season game played in November. It will be the first game in history in which both teams playing each other have a winning percentage of at least .850, and both teams are riding winning streaks of at least seven games.&nbsp;
3. Brooklyn Nets (14-6) &harr;️ Last Week: 3
The Nets got some bad news Monday when it was announced that sharpshooting guard Joe Harris would undergo surgery on his left ankle. Harris' agent said the guard is expected to miss 4-to-8 weeks, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that "there's optimism that Harris can return to the Nets on the shorter end of that timeline."
4. Milwaukee Bucks (13-8) 🔼 Last Week: 5
The Bucks have now won seven straight, and are still undefeated this season (a perfect 10-0) when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are all in the lineup. The Bucks have also added veteran big man DeMarcus Cousins, who will be available to play this week. "When you look at the depth chart and look at how we're subbing, depth at the big position is something that we could use," Budenholzer said over the weekend. Starting center Brook Lopez (back) has been sidelined since opening night.&nbsp;
5. Chicago Bulls (14-8) 🔼 Last Week: 6
Nikola Vucevic did it all in the Bulls' victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, tallying 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Alex Caruso also had another solid game, and has been a terrific addition for Chicago. Over his last five games, Caruso, who leads the NBA in steals, is averaging 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 53.8% from the floor.
6. Utah Jazz (14-7) 🔼 Last Week: 8
The Jazz have won 6 of their last 8 games, thanks largely to consistent excellence from Rudy Gobert. On the season, Rudy is averaging 15.1 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, while converting over 73% of his field-goal attempts.&nbsp;
7. Miami Heat (13-8) 🔽 Last Week: 4
After losing to the Nuggets on Monday night in Miami, the Heat are 2-3 in their last five games, with one of those wins coming against the lowly Detroit Pistons. Miami will look to get back on track Wednesday night when the team hosts the Cavs before heading to Indiana on Friday.&nbsp;
8. Washington Wizards (13-8) 🔽 Last Week: 7
After averaging 30.5 points per game in 2019-20 and 31.3 points in 2020-21, Bradley Beal has scored more than 30 points in a game just once this entire season. Over the Wizards' last six games, Beal is averaging 21.0 points per game. However, the Wiz are five games over .500 and sitting in fourth place in the conference.&nbsp;
9. Charlotte Hornets (13-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 9
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LaMelo continues to amaze. 28 PTS 13 REB 7 AST 3 STL 60.1 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/0Hi7yRXMa2">pic.twitter.com/0Hi7yRXMa2</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1463209482213859335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Remarkably, LaMelo Ball has dished out 13 assists in each of the Hornets past three games. According to Basketball-Reference, only four other players in NBA history have tallied at least 13 assists with double-digit points and over five rebounds in more than three consecutive games. Those four players are Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Roberston.&nbsp;
10. Philadelphia 76ers (11-10) 🔼 Last Week: 12
The Sixers were just 2-8 over their previous 10 games heading into Monday night when they secured a much-needed victory over Orlando. To make things even better, Joel Embiid has returned to action after missing over 20 days of action. Tyrese Maxey continues to impress on a nightly basis, making a solid case for the Most Improved Player award while buying time for the Sixers front office to patiently deal with the Ben Simmons saga. Over Philly's last 10 games, Maxey is averaging 22.1 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds.&nbsp;
11. Dallas Mavericks (10-9) 🔼 Last Week: 13
Luka Doncic missed all four free throws he attempted in Monday night's loss to the Cavs. Dating back to Nov. 3, Doncic is shooting just 59% from the charity stripe, and is at 65.2% for the season. It's befuddling considering Doncic's accuracy from long range, and that over the first two months of the 2020-21 season, Doncic was 178-for-224 (80%) from the free-throw line. In addition, Doncic's on/off splits this season are stunning. The Mavs have been outscored by 110 points with Doncic on the floor this season. The only player in the NBA on a winning team with a worse plus/minus is Kemba Walker (-122).
12. Los Angeles Clippers (11-10) 🔽 Last Week: 10
The Clippers' seven-game winning streak earlier this month seems like a distant memory, as L.A. has since dropped 5 of its last 7 contests. The Clips' defense had been solid all season, but they shockingly gave up 123 points to the undermanned Pelicans on Monday night.&nbsp;
13. Denver Nuggets (10-10) 🔼 Last Week: 14
The Nuggets were happy to welcome MVP Nikola Jokic back to the lineup on Monday after he missed four straight due to a wrist injury. However, Denver fans got some devastating news earlier in the day, when Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Michael Porter Jr. will undergo a surgical procedure on his back and will miss an indefinite period of time.
14. Boston Celtics (11-10) 🔽 Last Week: 11
The Celtics are about to endure a brutal three-week stretch. Boston hosts the Sixers on Wednesday before embarking on a five-game road trip against Utah, Portland, both LA teams and the Suns. Then, the C's return home to take on the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Sixers. Ten consecutive contests against teams at or above .500. Yikes.&nbsp;
15. New York Knicks (11-9) 🔼 Last Week: 20
There was some very surprising news courtesy from Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau on Monday, as he told reporters that not only was Alec Burks going to replace Kemba Walker in the starting lineup, but that Walker would be out of the rotation entirely &mdash; at least for the immediate future. It was surely a difficult decision for the coach to bench the veteran, but it was the right call. The Knicks have been outscored by a mind-boggling 122 points in the 441 minutes Walker has played this season.&nbsp;
16. Los Angeles Lakers (11-11) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The Lakers are 4-5 over their last nine games, which is concerning enough. But that record is even more troubling when you realize all four of those wins have come against teams far below .500. Conversely, Los Angeles is 0-4 in its last four games against teams with winning records.&nbsp;
17. Atlanta Hawks (11-10) 🔼 Last Week: 19
The Hawks had reeled off seven straight victories before the Knicks beat them in Atlanta over the weekend. The NBA announced on Monday that Trae Young was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/booker-young-earn-nba-player-of-the-week-honors-for-nov-2229" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named Eastern Conference Player of the Week</a> for his performance last week. Young averaged 31.3 points and 8.5 assists as the Hawks went 3-1 over four contests.&nbsp; &nbsp; 18. Cleveland Cavaliers (11-10) 🔽 Last Week: 15
Lauri Markkanen has been a beast for the Cavs since returning to the lineup after missing nearly three weeks due to COVID. In the four games he's played since rejoining the team, Lauri Legend is averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 made treys while shooting 50% from the floor, including 42.4% from behind the arc.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-10) 🔼 Last Week: 21
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Where would you rank the Anthony Edwards/Karl-Anthony Towns duo amongst the rest in the league. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBATwitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaisedByWolves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaisedByWolves</a> <a href="https://t.co/1VjhsN1SNc">pic.twitter.com/1VjhsN1SNc</a>
&mdash; Daily NBA Fantasy (@DailyNBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyNBAFantasy/status/1465511438965821446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Wolves are rolling right now, and are winners in 7 of their past 8 games. During this eight-game stretch, sophomore Anthony Edwards is averaging 20.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 3.1 made triples. At just 20 years of age, the kid is starting to establish himself as a star already. &nbsp;
20. Memphis Grizzlies (10-10) 🔽 Last Week: 16
The entire city of Memphis held its collective breath when it saw superstar point guard Ja Morant crumble to the court in pain on Friday night, clutching his knee. However, Grizz fans got good news over the weekend, as coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant is only dealing with a left knee sprain. "He'll be out for a few weeks, and each week, we'll have a better idea as (things) unfold," Jenkins said Sunday. "We expect a full recovery, and this is nothing long-term that we're worried about."
21. Portland Trail Blazers (10-11) 🔽 Last Week: 17
The Blazers have lost three in a row, and Damian Lillard is mired in another shooting slump. During these three straight defeats, Lillard is shooting just 35.6% from the floor and 26.1% from downtown. Dame has never finished a season shooting below 34% from deep, but has converted just 30.2% of his triple tries in 2021-22. Lillard is expected to take a rest day on Tuesday vs. Detroit.
22. Toronto Raptors (9-12) 🔼 Last Week: 23
The Raptors have played without OG Anunoby (left hip) and Khem Birch (right knee) in each of their past six games, and are just 2-6 in their last eight. Fortunately for Toronto, the team has an excellent opportunity to jumpstart its season over the next few weeks, as they play 9 of their next 10 contests at home.&nbsp;
23. Indiana Pacers (9-14) 🔽 Last Week: 22
The Pacers lost to the Wolves on Monday, but the defeat can't be pinned on Domantas Sabonis, who was everywhere for the Pacers. He racked up a monstrous triple-double: 16 points, a career-high 25 rebounds and 10 assists. According to Basketball-Reference, Sabonis is the first player to grab 25 boards in a triple-double effort since Shaquille O'Neal in 1993.
24. Sacramento Kings (8-13) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
The Kings won back-to-back games last week, including a thrilling triple-overtime victory over the Lakers on Friday before getting blown out in Memphis in Sunday night. As we <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-bucks-jump-into-top-5-suns-still-streaking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted last Tuesday</a>, Marvin Bagley III has worked his way back into the Kings rotation. Over Sacramento's past three games, he's averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 boards in 24.1 minutes while shooting 71.4% from the floor.&nbsp;
25. San Antonio Spurs (6-13) 🔼 Last Week: 26
Break up the Spurs! They've won consecutive contests! For a Gregg Popovich-coached team, that is usually a meaningless accomplishment. However, by beating the Celtics last Friday and the Wizards on Monday night, San Antonio has a winning streak for the first time this season. According to the Associated Press, San Antonio has won back-to-back games 881 times under coach Pop since 1996, which is the most of any coach in NBA history. (Phil Jackson is second with 823.)
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-14) 🔽 Last Week: 25
OKC lost to the Rockets on Monday nightm but did get an encouraging performance from its young big man, Isaiah Roby, who tallied a season-high 17 points in 27 minutes. Tre Mann also notched his career-high with 17 points vs. Houston.&nbsp;
27. New Orleans Pelicans (6-17) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
Jonas Valanciunas erupted for a career-high 39 points along with 15 rebounds in Monday's victory over the Clippers. Valanciunas was a perfect 7-for-7 from downtown in the first half. Shockingly, Valanciunas now leads the NBA in three-point percentage this season, as he has knocked down 30 of his 58 attempts (51.7%).
28. Houston Rockets (4-16) 🔼 Last Week: 30
The Rockets young guns propelled them to a victory over OKC on Monday, which was Houston's third consecutive victory. Christian Wood poured in 24 points and grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds, while Kevin Porter Jr. notched the first triple-double of his career with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. At 21 years and 209 days old, KPJ became the youngest player in franchise history to record a triple-double.
29. Detroit Pistons (4-16) 🔽 Last Week: 28
The Pistons have lost six straight and sophomore Saddiq Bey, the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, continues to struggle with his efficiency. Bey has been asked to shoulder more of the offensive load for the rebuilding Pistons this season, but has not been able to locate his stroke. After posting a respectable 53% Effective Field Goal percentage as a rookie, Bey is shooting just 36.3% from the floor, including 29.4% from downtown and 73.2% from the free-throw line this season.
30. Orlando Magic (4-18) 🔽 Last Week: 29
Monday night was a bummer for the Magic. Not only did they lose to the Sixers, but they lost No. 5 overall pick, Jalen Suggs, for an "extended period of time," as he fractured his right thumb. Guards Michael Carter-Williams and Markelle Fultz are both also sidelined with injuries. (Editor's Note: Fultz <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rematch/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-39-markelle-fultz-talks-injuries,-dealing-with-criticism-his-love-of-the-game-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined "The Rematch" with Etan Thomas recently to discuss his recovery and more</a>.) Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said Monday there is no timeline for either player to return. Cole Anthony has missed six straight games due to an ankle injury to boot.

NBA Power Rankings: Warriors, Suns still standing above the rest

&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; written content will be making a change after our last post this month, listeners, as I could possibly be doing a weekly written check-in in lieu of a daily one. Moving forward, make sure to subscribe to &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on your preferred streaming platform to get the inside edge. In the meantime, this is the last dance for daily betting picks against the spread. Let&rsquo;s go out with a bang, shall we?
This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is carrying a 163-131-3 record (55.4%). It&rsquo;s time to bounce-back from an inconsistent Monday with a fantastic 5-game slate on tap for Tuesday, which includes the game of the year thus far between the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under power play prop bets are provided by PrizePicks.
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Toronto Raptors (-3.5) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Against the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies, I feel there&rsquo;s strong value to be had here on Toronto at -3.5. The Raptors are without OG Anunoby, but No. 4 overall pick Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam have picked up the slack recently. Fred VanVleet is also playing at a near-All-Star level right now for the Raptors, so we&rsquo;re hammering Toronto to win outright and cover the 3.5-point spread. On PrizePicks, let&rsquo;s lock in an enticing power play for this fun matchup across the border: Dillon Brooks over 19.5 points, VanVleet over 18.5 points, Barnes over 7.5 rebounds.
Brooklyn Nets (-7.5) vs. New York Knicks
The first game of TNT&rsquo;s thrilling double-header on Tuesday features the crosstown Big Apple rivalry being renewed between the Nets and Knicks. As the Knicks continue to slide, this is a perfect spot for the star-studded Nets to flex their muscles. Expect a big outing from Kevin Durant and James Harden, which should propel Brooklyn to a comfortable victory over the Knicks. Hammer Nets -7.5 with ease, plus the following prop bet on PrizePicks: Durant over 28.5 points, Harden over 21.5 points, Alec Burks over 14.5 points.
Portland Trail Blazers (-7) vs. Detroit Pistons
Even though the Trail Blazers are on the second night of a back-to-back, I love them in this spot to cover the 7-point spread tonight in Portland. Cade Cunningham is finding his groove recently as the No. 1 overall pick for Detroit, but the backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will be too much to handle in this one. Lock in the Blazers to cover the 7-point spread, plus this intriguing over/under power play via PrizePicks: Lillard over 24.5 points, McCollum over 20.5 points, Cunningham over 15.5 points, Isaiah Stewart over 6.5 rebounds.
Phoenix Suns (-2.5) vs. Golden State Warriors
I will be covering the game live for BasketballNews.com tonight, which is going to be a potential Western Conference Finals preview at the Footprint Center. Stephen Curry and the Warriors square off with Devin Booker and the Suns. Who holds the edge in this gigantic matchup between two early-season juggernauts? It&rsquo;s so hard to project this one from a betting perspective, but I favor Phoenix here for multiple reasons. Not only do the Suns have better depth than Golden State, in my opinion, but they have a much more well-rounded starting lineup around their superstar. Expect a barn burner between Curry and Booker to take place in the scoring category, but the Suns to cover the 2.5-point spread in the end. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m locking in: Curry over 27.5 points, Booker over 22.5 points, Chris Paul over 8.5 assists, Draymond Green over 7.5 assists.
Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-4)
Closing out an exciting Tuesday slate in the Association, we have a rematch from a triple-overtime thriller which occurred last week. This time around, I&rsquo;m expecting the Lakers to enact revenge on the Kings after an embarrassing home defeat. Points will be scored in bunches throughout this game, but the star power for Los Angeles wins out in the end. Hammer Lakers -4 on the point spread, plus the following power play on PrizePicks: LeBron James over 25.5 points, Anthony Davis over 23.5 points, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 21.5 points, Tyrese Haliburton over 5.5 assists.
Recapping our picks against the spread for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s what is being lock in for Tuesday&rsquo;s slate: Raptors -3.5, Nets -7.5, Trail Blazers -7, Suns -2.5, Lakers -4.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

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

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/30/21

&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; returns after Thanksgiving to provide the betting edge on NBA action. So far this season, we are carrying a 145-114-3 record (56.3%).
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under power play prop bets are provided by PrizePicks.
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Orlando Magic vs. Chicago Bulls (-9.5)
This is a huge spread on the road in favor of Chicago, but the Bulls are going to be a frustrated group after an embarrassing loss in Houston. Expect the Bulls to come out firing on all cylinders, not taking it easy once again against an inferior opponent. The Bulls should dominate from opening tip-off, which would lead to a huge double-digit victory on the road in Orlando. Tail me on this fun over/under power play on PrizePicks: Zach LaVine over 24.5 points, DeMar DeRozan over 23.5 points, Jalen Suggs over 13.5 points, Mo Bamba over 9.5 rebounds.
Charlotte Hornets (-2.5) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
I&rsquo;m all-in on the Hornets being a playoff team in the Eastern Conference this season, especially with the way LaMelo Ball is playing recently. The Hornets&rsquo; offense is so entertaining to watch, but their defense tends to give games away. In what should be one of the most fun games during Friday&rsquo;s massive 12-game slate, I&rsquo;m rolling with the home team in Charlotte. LaMelo puts together another big outing to propel the Hornets over another exciting team in the Timberwolves. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m going heavy on the over point totals: Karl-Anthony Towns over 22.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 22.5 points, Ball over 20.5 points, Terry Rozier over 17.5 points.
New York Knicks vs. Phoenix Suns (-3.5)
This Suns team is special, folks. Going for their 15th straight win, it&rsquo;s hard to see how it doesn&rsquo;t happen under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Devin Booker is averaging over 30 points per game in New York, which doesn&rsquo;t bode well for the Knicks to halt Phoenix&rsquo;s incredible streak. Hammer the surging Suns to win outright and cover the 3.5-point spread behind another monster outing from their 25-year-old superstar. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m locking in: Booker over 22.5 points, Julius Randle over 19.5 points, Chris Paul over 13.5 points.
Memphis Grizzlies (-1) vs. Atlanta Hawks
This smells like an upset special tonight in Memphis. Although the Grizzlies are favored, it&rsquo;s hard to envision how their maddeningly inconsistent defense can contain Trae Young on any level. We&rsquo;re going against the grain here and taking the underdog Hawks to win outright on the road. Behind a big performance from Young and John Collins, Atlanta gets it done to add an impressive win to its early-season resume. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m submitting for another eye-opening power play: Young over 24.5 points, Ja Morant over 23.5 points, Clint Capela over 11.5 rebounds.
Indiana Pacers (-4) vs. Toronto Raptors
With Toronto missing OG Anunoby, I love Indiana to win and cover the 4-point spread in this spot. The Pacers continue to be one of the most confusing teams to figure out, but they match up well here against the Raptors. Chris Duarte continues to be a long-term revelation for the Pacers&rsquo; future, plus Malcolm Brogdon is embracing the No. 1 scoring role. At home, I&rsquo;m locking in the Pacers over Toronto. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m rolling with for a fun game in Indy: Malcolm Brogdon over 18.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 17.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 15.5 points, Scottie Barnes over 12.5 points.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Washington Wizards (-7.5)
We continue to hammer the underdog Thunder, and they continue paying huge dividends. Again, we&rsquo;re jump on that train and projecting OKC to cover the 7.5-point spread as home underdogs against the Wizards. Although the Thunder are without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the pro-Thunder movement isn&rsquo;t stopping here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets.&rdquo; Tail me on this over/under power play on PrizePicks: Bradley Beal over 23.5 points, Luguentz Dort over 17.5 points, Spencer Dinwiddie over 13.5 points, Josh Giddey over 6.5 rebounds.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Boston Celtics (-4.5)
Until proven otherwise, another solid strategy that&rsquo;s paid off for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; listeners has been betting against the Spurs almost every game. Recently, San Antonio has been struggling to stay consistent. Going up against Boston, who has Jaylen Brown now back in the starting lineup, it could turn into a blowout victory for the Celtics. That&rsquo;s my forecast for this game &mdash; a huge outing from the Celtics&rsquo; one-two punch of Jayson Tatum and Brown helps them cruise to an easy victory in the Alamo. On PrizePicks, to no one's surprise, we&rsquo;re going over on points: Tatum over 26.5 points, Brown over 19.5 points, Dejounte Murray over 7.5 rebounds.
Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-3.5)
The Bucks are finally finding a groove after a rough start, but a lot of it can be traced to injury or COVID issues. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are back in the lineup for Milwaukee, once again thriving alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Nuggets so shorthanded in this matchup, this is another outing where the road team could roll to a double-digit victory. I think we&rsquo;re getting a bunch of value at Bucks -3.5, so we&rsquo;re hammering that line and the following power play on PrizePicks: Giannis over 24.5 points, Middleton over 15.5 points.
Utah Jazz (-13.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero, the top-two projected picks on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>, should be looking for houses in New Orleans right now. The Pelicans are well on their way to another top finish in the lottery, which is the exact opposite of what they had hoped for this season. Zion Williamson continues to miss time, and the rotation just isn&rsquo;t working right now. Wholesale changes should be on the horizon for the Pelicans, and this game is going to get ugly in Salt Lake City. Even with the massive spread, I&rsquo;m still rolling with the Jazz to cover. On PrizePicks, this is a strong power play option: Donovan Mitchell over 23.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 19.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Jonas Valanciunas over 10.5 rebounds.
Golden State Warriors (-6) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Don&rsquo;t bet against the Warriors until proven otherwise, please. Stephen Curry is the MVP favorite, and the Warriors look unstoppable right now. This is vintage Golden State basketball we&rsquo;re watching right now, which is only going to get better once Klay Thompson officially returns next month. At home, there&rsquo;s no way I&rsquo;m betting against the Warriors. Lock in the Warriors -6, plus the following power play on PrizePicks: Curry over 28.5 points, Damian Lillard over 25.5 points, CJ McCollum over 20.5 points, Draymond Green over 7.5 assists.
Los Angeles Lakers (-7) vs. Sacramento Kings
LeBron James is back for the Lakers, which is bad news for the Kings tonight. LeBron helped the Lakers claw back to an impressive overtime win on the road in Indiana earlier this week, which could act as a huge momentum-booster for them. Expect the good vibes for the Lakers to continue on as they easily cover the 7-point spread versus Sacramento. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m locking in an all-points power play: LeBron over 22.5 points, Anthony Davis over 22.5 points, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 20.5 points, Tyrese Haliburton over 12.5 points.
Recapping our picks against the spread for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s what is being lock in for Friday&rsquo;s slate: Bulls -9.5, Hornets -2.5, Suns -3.5, Hawks +1, Pacers -4, Thunder +7.5, Celtics -4.5, Bucks -3.5, Jazz -13.5, Warriors -6, Lakers -7.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/26/21

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

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

&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is back to go over today&rsquo;s games on a fun-filled Saturday of NBA hoops. Every day, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; gives you the inside advantage before the games begin. So far this season, we are carrying a 124-99-2 record (55.6%).
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under power play prop bets are provided by <a href="https://www.prizepicks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PrizePicks</a>. Did you know we hit two power-play bets yesterday totaling $2,000? If you haven&rsquo;t tailed our bets yet, your wallet is missing out!
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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New York Knicks (-11.5) vs. Houston Rockets
New York is in desperate need of a get-right game, and I think it happens for them today at Madison Square Garden. The Rockets are on pace to finish with the worst record in NBA history, so the fact that they're coming to town could help the Knicks solve a lot of their recent issues. Hammer New York to cover the big 11.5-point spread, plus the following over/under power-play on PrizePicks: Julius Randle over 19.5 points, Christian Wood over 15.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 14.5 points, Jalen Green over 13.5 points.
Washington Wizards vs. Miami Heat (-1)
When Miami is fully healthy, they have shown why we should treat them as a serious NBA Finals threat. Jimmy Butler is playing at an MVP level. Meanwhile, new additions in Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker are fitting into the Heat culture perfectly. On top of that, we&rsquo;re seeing real developmental jumps from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Even on the road against an improved Wizards squad, give me the Heat to win outright and cover the 1-point spread. This feels like another statement outing from Butler, which propels Miami to another big victory. On PrizePicks, tail me on this fun power-play prop: Bradley Beal over 24.5 points, Butler over 23.5 points, Spencer Dinwiddie over 5.5 assists, Duncan Robinson over 2.5 threes.
Indiana Pacers (-7.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Both of these teams are just so confusing. Indiana continues to prove their core is stagnant and needs an extensive teardown. New Orleans continues to sink without Zion Williamson, although they pulled off an impressive victory last night against the Los Angeles Clippers. In Indiana tonight, I&rsquo;m actually going to go with the underdog Pelicans to cover the 7.5-point spread. Last game, head coach Rick Carlisle benched the Pacers&rsquo; starters for the final 20 minutes of regulation, which led to their second unit actually mounting a massive comeback attempt. I envision Indiana&rsquo;s struggles continuing as the Pelicans keep this one close throughout. On PrizePicks, this feels like a power-play winner: Brandon Ingram over 21.5 points, Malcolm Brogdon over 18.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 11.5 rebounds, Domantas Sabonis over 10.5 rebounds.
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Atlanta Hawks (-6.5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
I can&rsquo;t wait to tune into this matchup. Trae Young versus LaMelo Ball. Two super high-paced offenses squaring off. The over/under for this game feels like a lock, but foley betting on the point spreads, I&rsquo;m rolling with Atlanta to get the job done. Expect a huge outing from Young, plus the Hawks&rsquo; frontcourt duo of John Collins and Clint Capela should impose their will on Charlotte&rsquo;s bigs. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m locking in this power-play: Young over 23.5 points, Ball over 18.5 points, Miles Bridges over 18.5 points, Clint Capela over 12.5 rebounds.
Boston Celtics (-10) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Every time I bet on the Thunder, they pay off big-time. I&rsquo;m going back to that well again here, even with them on the second night of a back-to-back. Expect both teams to be fatigued, which could help the Thunder stay in this one throughout. Oklahoma City is closer than many expect to taking a jump forward in their rebuild. Stay tuned to <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> this weekend as I&rsquo;m currently working on an in-depth Thunder piece. I&rsquo;m rolling with the underdog Thunder to cover the 10-point spread in Boston, plus the following prop bets on PrizePicks: Jayson Tatum over 25.5 points, Dennis Schroder over 16.5 points, Josh Giddey over 6 rebounds, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 4 rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.5) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Another matchup where you should expect plenty of points to be scored throughout. Ja Morant is a dark-horse MVP candidate right now. Meanwhile, Minnesota&rsquo;s trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell are beginning to finally figure each other out. Tonight, I&rsquo;m riding with the Timberwolves to pull off the victory at home and cover the 2.5-point spread. This will be close throughout, but the star power on Minnesota outweighs Morant. On PrizePicks, tail me on this power-play: Morant over 26.5 points, Towns over 22.5 points, Edwards over 22.5 points, Steven Adams over 8.5 rebounds.
Milwaukee Bucks (-12.5) vs. Orlando Magic
I&rsquo;m forecasting a dominant bounce-back victory for the defending champions after they allowed Oklahoma City to keep it close last night. Against another tanking team in the Magic, I like the Bucks to roll in this spot thanks to strong outings from their dynamic scoring duo. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton put their foot on the gas early and don&rsquo;t let off as Milwaukee dominates the Magic from start to finish. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I locked in: Giannis over 23.5 points, Middleton over 17.5 points, Franz Wagner over 12.5 points, Mo Bamba over 9 rebounds.
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Portland Trail Blazers (-6.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Until Joel Embiid returns for Philadelphia, it&rsquo;s hard to trust the Sixers from a betting perspective. In Portland, I love the Trail Blazers&rsquo; backcourt combo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to go off here. Also, don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Sixers&rsquo; own backcourt in Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry also pour in some points as well. Tonight, I&rsquo;m locking in the Trail Blazers to cover the 6.5-point spread as one of my best bets for Saturday&rsquo;s slate. I don&rsquo;t know about you, but this feels like a perfect time for Lillard to snap out of his season-long cold stretch. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s a very realistic power-play that could cash: Lillard over 22.5 points, McCollum over 19.5 points, Maxey over 16.5 points, Curry over 14.5 points, Andre Drummond over 11.5 rebounds.
Utah Jazz (-8) vs. Sacramento Kings
This honestly feels like the last stand for Kings head coach Luke Walton. After getting embarrassed last night by the shorthanded Toronto Raptors at home, this could be Walton&rsquo;s swan song leading this team. Will the Kings put up an inspired effort or get demolished once again? I&rsquo;m going with the latter here, especially against a well-oiled machine like Utah. The Jazz easily cover the 8-point spread in Sacramento as Walton could be fired at the end of this game. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s another fun power-play option: Donovan Mitchell over 23.5 points, Harrison Barnes over 14.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton over 4 assists.
Recapping our picks against the spread for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s what is being lock in for Saturday&rsquo;s slate: Knicks -11.5, Heat -1, Pelicans +7.5, Hawks -6.5, Thunder +10, Timberwolves -2.5, Bucks -12.5, Trail Blazers -6.5, Jazz -8.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://www.prizepicks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here.</a>

For a fun Saturday slate, "Nothing But Bets" provides their picks against the spread plus over/under prop bets via PrizePicks.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/20/21

Last week, BasketballNews.com dished out its <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-golden-state-warriors-come-in-at-no-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first edition of NBA Power Rankings</a> for the 2021-22 season. Now, nearly one month into the campaign, Tommy Beer is back with his latest version.
The two top-rated teams in this week's ranking's square off against each other Tuesday night in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (11-2) &harr;️ Last Week: 1 
The Warriors had their seven-game winning streak snapped Sunday night in Charlotte, and head to Brooklyn on Tuesday evening in a matchup between the two best teams in the league thus far this season. Tuesday's contest also features a showdown between the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stephen-curry-kevin-durant-named-players-of-the-week-for-nov-8-14" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reigning Eastern Conference and Western Conference NBA Players of the Week</a>: Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who averaged 34.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game last week.
2. Brooklyn Nets (10-4) 🔼 Last Week: 6
Just how efficient has the aforementioned Kevin Durant been this season, you ask? Incredibly, KD has scored 415 points on just 263 field goal attempts. To put those numbers in perspective, consider this: Curry has scored 365 points on 265 FGAs. And Boston's Jayson Tatum has scored 109 fewer points (306) than Durant despite having attempted 28 more shots from the floor (291) this season. It's genuinely remarkable how well KD has played since recovering from his torn Achilles.&nbsp;
3. Phoenix Suns (10-3) 🔼 Last Week: 8
On Monday, the Suns welcomed back Deandre Ayton (who had missed five games due to a right lower leg contusion), and the big man racked up 22 points (10-of-14 shooting) and 12 rebounds to help carry Phoenix to its ninth straight win. That's the league's longest current winning streak, and the Suns' longest streak in over a decade (they won 10 in a row from March 14 to April 2, 2010).
4. Chicago Bulls (10-4) &harr;️ Last Week: 4
When the Bulls inked DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to big contracts over the summer, they envisioned them performing as well as the duo did in Monday's night's pounding of the Lakers. DeRozan converted 15-of-23 attempts and made all six of his free throws en route to a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/demar-derozan-says-he-nearly-joined-lakers-thought-it-was-done-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">season-high 38 points</a>. Lonzo shot 10-of-13 from the field and knocked down seven three-pointers for a season-high 27 points, to go along with 7 rebounds and 8 assists. The Bulls have won four of their last five, with those four wins coming against the Nets and Mavs, plus the Lakers and Clippers on a road back-to-back.&nbsp;
5. Washington Wizards (10-3) 🔼 Last Week: 7
The Wiz outlasted the Pelicans on Monday night to secure their fifth consecutive victory. Washington has won at least 10 of their first 13 games to start a season for the first time in over 40 years (they opened the 1974-75 season with an 11-2 record). Editor's Note: Our Spencer Davies <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-kuzma-montrezl-harrell-have-wizards-adopting-dog-mentality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently spoke with Wes Unseld Jr. and Kyle Kuzma</a> about Washington's developing defensive identity. 
6. Miami Heat (9-5) 🔽 Last Week: 3
Miami was forced to play without Jimmy Butler (sprained right ankle) and Bam Adebayo (bruised left knee) Monday night in Oklahoma City, but Tyler Herro scored 26 points to help propel the Heat past the Thunder. After a relatively disappointing sophomore season, Herro has bounced back in a big way this year. Through Miami's first 14 games, Herro is averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 made triples while posting an Effective Field Goal Percentage of 53.7%.
7. Dallas Mavericks (9-4) 🔼 Last Week: 11
Kristaps Porzingis followed up a 32-point explosion Friday with 29 more points in a 111-101 win over the Nuggets on Monday. However, unfortunately for Dallas, Luka Doncic limped off the court after Austin Rivers fell on his left ankle in the final minute of Monday's victory. The Mavs play the red-hot Suns twice this week.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kristaps Porzingis last 3 games: 27.7 PPG 10.0 RPG 55/50/90% Mavs won 5 of the last 6 UNICORN SZN <a href="https://t.co/xzBl1siz0K">pic.twitter.com/xzBl1siz0K</a>
&mdash; MFFL (9-4) (@Mavs_FFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mavs_FFL/status/1460453842022195202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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8. Denver Nuggets (9-5) 🔼 Last Week: 12
After capturing his first MVP award in 2020-21, Nikola Jokic might, somehow, be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/were-having-the-wrong-conversation-about-nikola-jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">playing at an even higher level this season</a>. Not only is The Joker averaging a mind-boggling 26/13/6 stat line to go with 1.7 made treys per contest, but he is also shooting a career-high 59.3% from the floor.
9. Utah Jazz (8-5) 🔽 Last Week: 5
Utah stormed out of the gates this season, winning 7 of its first 8 contests. However, the Jazz's defense has abandoned them of late, as they're allowing over 114 points per 100 possessions during a current five-game stretch. Utah will look to get back on track Tuesday night vs. Philadelphia.&nbsp;
10. Philadelphia 76ers (8-6) 🔽 Last Week: 2
If you were looking for a reminder of just how important Joel Embiid is to the success of the Sixers, last week was Exhibit A. Embiid entered the NBA's health and safety protocols last Monday after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19. Consequently, the big man missed all four games the 76ers played, and Philly lost each contest.&nbsp;
11. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-6) 🔽 Last Week: 9
Rookie sensation Evan Mobley entered Monday's matchup with Boston on a heater, averaging 19.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 triples and 2.0 blocks over Cleveland's five previous contests. However, the kid came crashing back to earth vs. the Celtics, missing all 11 of his field-goal attempts prior to exiting the game with a right elbow sprain. The Cavs then announced Tuesday afternoon that <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1460664697997438982?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mobley would miss 2-to-4 weeks due to the elbow injury</a>.&nbsp;
12. Los Angeles Clippers (8-5) 🔼 Last Week: 17
The Clippers were riding a seven-game winning streak into Sunday's showdown with Chicago before the Bulls handed L.A. its first loss since the Friday before Halloween. Still, Clippers fans got some encouraging news on Sunday from head coach Tyronn Lue. He told reporters that Marcus Morris has made progress in his recovery from a left knee injury, and that it may be possible Morris could travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip later this week.
13. Milwaukee Bucks (6-8) 🔼 Last Week: 16
The Bucks spanked the Nets by 23 points on opening night. That was the last time the team had all five of its starters healthy. Fortunately for Milwaukee, Khris Middleton (health and safety protocols) is reportedly expected to return Wednesday against the Lakers after missing eight consecutive contests. In addition, the Bucks begin their longest home stand of the season (five games) starting Wednesday vs. the Lakers.
14. New York Knicks (8-6) 🔽 Last Week: 10
The Knicks got <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/knicks-to-begin-an-important-three-game-home-stand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a much-needed victory</a> on Monday vs. the Pacers. It was their backup backcourt of Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickly that led the way. That combo has been, by far, New York's most effective two-man lineup this season; the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 89 points in the 183 minutes D-Rose and IQ have been on the floor together. In contrast, New York has been outscored by 75 points in the 290 minutes that the starting backcourt of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier have played together. Over the Knicks' last four games, Quickley is averaging 13.3 points and 3.0 made treys while shooting 51.5% from the floor, 60% from downtown and 87.5% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
15. Los Angeles Lakers (8-7) &harr;️ Last Week: 15
The Lakers lost on Monday in blowout fashion to the Bulls, but L.A. fans were once again treated to another impressive performance from Talen Horton-Tucker. THT started and racked up a career-high 28 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in 37 minutes. And, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there is "growing optimism" that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-optimism-lebron-james-could-return-friday-vs-celtics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LeBron James (abdominal strain) could return to action</a> on Friday in Boston.&nbsp;
16. Charlotte Hornets (8-7) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The surging Hornets put an end to the Warriors' seven-game win streak on Sunday. It was thanks in large part to another phenomenal all-around effort from LaMelo Ball, who racked up 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals to go with four triples. Despite turning 20 years old just a few months ago, Ball is averaging 19.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.7 made treys per game. Only three players in NBA history have ever finished a season averaging more than 15 points, 7 boards and 7 dimes before turning 21: Magic Johnson in 1979-80, LeBron James in 2004-05 and Luka Doncic in 2019-20. &nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
where does lamelo get his ideas <a href="https://t.co/IHyFafKDBY">pic.twitter.com/IHyFafKDBY</a>
&mdash; James Herbert (@outsidethenba) <a href="https://twitter.com/outsidethenba/status/1460055631524777996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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17. Boston Celtics (7-7) 🔼 Last Week: 23
In early November, Dennis Schroder was inserted into the starting lineup to replace Jaylen Brown (strained right hamstring), and Schroder has filled in admirably. He is averaging 24.0 points (on 51% shooting), 4.2 rebounds, and 3.8 dimes in his five consecutive starts. However, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said Schroder would return to the bench once Brown is back. "We like our regular starting lineup," Udoka said. "Dennis is a pseudo sixth starter for us, coming off the bench and finishing games."&nbsp;
18. Memphis Grizzlies (7-7) 🔽 Last Week: 14
After losing three straight games, all by double-digits, a matchup with the hapless Rockets was just what the doctor ordered for the Grizzlies. Memphis blew out Houston by 34 points on Monday night, 136-102.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (7-8) 🔼 Last Week: 20
After missing Sunday's game vs. the Nuggets, Damian Lillard (abdomen) was back in action on Monday and led the Blazers to a 118-113 home win over Toronto. Lillard recorded 24 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, a block and cashed-in three treys. Portland 6-1 at home, but just 1-7 on the road.&nbsp;
20. Toronto Raptors (7-8) 🔽 Last Week: 13
The Raps have lost 5 of their last 6 games, and things don't get any easier in the near future. Toronto is just beginning a six-game road trip that will include stops in Utah and Golden State later this week.&nbsp;
21. Atlanta Hawks (6-9) 🔽 Last Week: 19
The Hawks got a much-needed victory over the Magic on Monday, but received awful news over the weekend when they learned <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/hawks-f-deandre-hunter-out-2-months-with-wrist-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">De'Andre Hunter would have to undergo surgery on a tendon in his right wrist</a> that's expected to sideline him for roughly two months. And in Monday's victory, Kevin Huerter was forced to exit the game due to left hamstring tightness.
22. Indiana Pacers (6-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 22
On Monday, the Pacers were held to just 10 points in the fourth quarter in their loss to the Knicks. Remarkably, Indiana didn't convert a single field goal attempt in the final seven minutes of regulation. The Pacers will look to get back in the win column Wednesday vs. the Pistons.&nbsp;
23. Sacramento Kings (6-8) 🔽 Last Week: 21
The Kings snapped a four-game losing streak on Monday vs. the lowly Pistons, but coach Luke Walton is on the hot seat. Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-losing-streak-could-have-luke-walton-on-hot-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walton's job "will likely be in peril"</a> if the Kings don't turn things around soon.&nbsp;
24. San Antonio Spurs (4-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
The Spurs have faced a demanding schedule early on, with 9 of their first 15 games on the road. And, despite having a positive point differential on the season (+1), they find themselves five games below .500. San Antonio is expected to welcome back Jakob Poeltl this week once his conditioning improves, as he works his way back from COVID.
25. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 25
Karl-Anthony Towns poured in a season-high 35 points to go along with 13 rebounds and 2 assists, but also committed a season-high-tying 7 turnovers in Monday's 99-96 loss to the Suns. The Wolves have now lost 8 of their last 9.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Karl Anthony Towns scored a season-high 35 points as the Wolves battled until the end with Phoenix but fell short 99-96. Full highlights ⤵ <a href="https://t.co/x8gU14LE8R">pic.twitter.com/x8gU14LE8R</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsNOR/status/1460454524863361024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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26. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-8) 🔼 Last Week: 27
OKC has lost two in a row, but Luguentz Dort has continued his impressive play. We know what he brings to the table on the defensive end, but over the Thunder's last four games, Dort is averaging 22.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 made treys, while shooting 56.9% from the floor, 37.9% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
27. Orlando Magic (3-11) 🔽 Last Week: 26
Jalen Suggs was unable to play Monday in Atlanta due to a right ankle sprain, which he suffered late in Saturday's home loss to the Wizards. However, Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley said the team was "just being cautious," adding that Suggs went through shootaround Monday morning and is considered "day-to-day." Orlando's next game is Wednesday vs. the Knicks.&nbsp;
28. New Orleans Pelicans (2-13) 🔼 Last Week: 30
Brandon Ingram returned to action over the weekend after missing seven straight games due to a hip injury. However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst <a href="https://twitter.com/EliotClough/status/1459240545679822850?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported last Friday</a> that he believes Zion Williamson (right foot surgery) is still "weeks away" from a return and won't be cleared to play until December.
29. Detroit Pistons (3-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 29
Pistons fans haven't had much to cheer about this season, but they did get to enjoy No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham pouring in a career-high 25 points while also tallying 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and five treys on Monday.
30. Houston Rockets (1-13) 🔽 Last Week: 28
The Rockets are riding an embarrassing 12-game losing streak. And it's not as if these contests have been nail-biters. During this 12-game slide, Houston has been outscored by a whopping 169 points.&nbsp;

NBA Power Rankings: Suns shining during winning streak

The college basketball season is underway, which means BasketballNews.com's scouting coverage has been kicked into full gear. The bulk of my travel and scouting schedule is set through the entire season, and let me tell you &mdash; I have some terrific basketball to see! As I scour the map evaluating prospects at various levels, I'll be sharing my takeaways every step of the way. I hope you enjoy it!
Here&rsquo;s where I was last week:
State Farm Champions Classic &mdash; New York, New York
Last Tuesday, Nov. 9, the college basketball season officially began, and I didn&rsquo;t waste any time getting out into the scouting trenches. I traveled to New York City for the State Farm Champions Classic to see a star-studded doubleheader that pitted Michigan State against Kansas and Kentucky against Duke. Here are a few of my thoughts and takeaways on some of the top prospects:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero, Duke</a> MIN: 31 | PTS: 22 | REB: 7 | AST: 0 | STL: 2 | FG: 7-11 | 3PT: 0-3 | FT: 8-9 | TO: 1
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I was already very familiar with Banchero prior to this trip. We had already discussed with our staff internally that Chet Holmgren and Banchero are likely in a category of their own in regards to the 2022 NBA Draft. We started the season with Holmgren at No. 1 and Banchero right behind him at No. 2.
After seeing Banchero in a Duke uniform &mdash; under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, dominating a talented Kentucky team &mdash; it&rsquo;s hard not to get even more excited about him as a prospect. At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Banchero possesses a unique combination of traits, as he is so strong and powerful, but also skilled. He does a little bit of everything, but what intrigues me the most about Banchero is his ability to create on his own versus essentially anyone that&rsquo;s matched up against him, big or small. There are not many players on the NBA level that you can run your offense through, and I think Banchero is going to be one of those guys. I&rsquo;m starting to think it could be the separating piece between Banchero and Holmgren. However, there&rsquo;s a lot more to watch in order to figure things out. But the good thing is we won&rsquo;t have to wait long to see them square off, and the next time I&rsquo;ll see Banchero in-person will be Nov. 26 in Las Vegas &mdash; facing off against none other than Holmgren&rsquo;s Gonzaga Bulldogs.
In the meantime, we&rsquo;ve moved Banchero into the No. 1 spot on our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/ochai-agbaji" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ochai Agbaji, Kansas</a> MIN: 36 | PTS: 29 | REB: 2 | AST: 1 | STL: 2 | FG: 9-17 | 3PT: 3-7 | FT: 8-8 | TO: 0
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It seems like it was just yesterday that my friend and former colleague, Luca Desta, called me after he scouted Kansas at Baylor for us while we worked for Babcock Hoops during the 2018-19 college season. A lot has changed since then: I&rsquo;ve transitioned our scouting coverage from Babcock Hoops to BasketballNews.com, Luca is now Vice President of Global Scouting for the Utah Jazz and Ochai Agbaji is now in his senior season for the Jayhawks. I&rsquo;m happy to say that we&rsquo;ve all been moving up, including Agbaji.&nbsp;
In New York, Agbaji showed me everything that I wanted to see from him. His athleticism and physical tools were never in question; however, he has always seemed a little bit mechanical and inconsistent on the offensive end. That was not the case at the State Farm Champions Classic. In 29 minutes, Agbaji played with such fluidity and confidence, knocking down shots from all over the place, and he seemed to be everywhere with lob finishes and slashing plays. He played with such great energy, and had a major presence. Naturally, some will be turned off since Agbaji is a bit older for an NBA prospect &mdash; he will be 22 on draft night &mdash; but I&rsquo;d like to remind those folks that Chris Duarte, who was 24 years old on draft night, is already contributing to the Pacers at a high level as a rookie. Although I&rsquo;ve scouted Agbaji for years now, I&rsquo;ve never been so excited about him as a prospect. Subsequently, we have moved him up our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board to No. 38.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevor-keels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevor Keels, Duke</a> MIN: 34 | PTS: 25 | REB: 1 | AST: 3 | STL: 3 | FG: 10-18 | 3PT: 1-4 | FT: 4-6 | TO: 2
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I had watched some film and was familiar with Trevor Keels&rsquo; status as a top recruit, but last Tuesday was the first opportunity I had to see him play in-person. In these scenarios, I go in with an approach to be a sponge and absorb as much information as possible. I do it in an effort to be able to create my own unique and unbiased evaluation of the player, rather than be influenced by rankings, hype or other people&rsquo;s opinions.
At first glance, I didn&rsquo;t know what to make of Keels&rsquo; body type. He&rsquo;s listed at 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds. He looks more like a football player rather than a basketball player &mdash; he&rsquo;s big and thick, especially for a guard. On the court, he was able to utilize his physicality and ball handling ability to regularly get to the rim and play &ldquo;bully-ball,&rdquo; effectively overpowering a Kentucky team that tends to play multi-guard lineups including Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington and Davion Mintz. They all struggled to stop Keels. He also showed an ability to shoot the ball from outside. All in all, I&rsquo;m not sure he could have had a better start to his college career, as he scored 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting in 34 minutes.&nbsp;
I walked away a little torn in my opinion of Keels as a prospect. On one hand, he&rsquo;s a true freshman who lit up a talented Kentucky team in his first college game on a huge stage. You really can&rsquo;t ignore that. On the other hand, I question his body and his lack of athleticism. Also, what role will he fill in the NBA? Despite my questions (it&rsquo;s part of my evaluation process), I am certainly intrigued with Keels and plan to monitor him closely. In the meantime, I have decided to include him on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board, at No. 29. &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/tyty-washington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TyTy Washington, Kentucky</a> MIN: 28 | PTS: 9 | REB: 1 | AST: 3 | STL: 1 | FG: 3-14 | 3PT: 0-2 | FT: 3-4 | TO: 0
I&rsquo;ve gotten to know TyTy Washington as a player very well over the last year, and I think it would be safe to say that I&rsquo;m one of his biggest supporters. Unfortunately, opening night was not Washington&rsquo;s best game. Although his decision making was solid, he struggled to make shots, making only 3-of-14 shot attempts. I think he had a hard time finding his rhythm, as Kentucky played him mostly off the ball alongside small point guard, Savhir Wheeler.&nbsp;
Long-term, I see Washington being an on-ball point guard in the NBA who will play with a solid balance of scoring and facilitating. Unless head coach John Calipari makes some dramatic changes, Washington is going to need to adapt to his new role to make the most of this season. However, I believe that he will be able to do so effectively.&nbsp;
He didn&rsquo;t light the world on fire in his first game, but there won&rsquo;t be any knee-jerk reactions from me anytime soon. We currently have TyTy Washington at No. 11 on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/max-christie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Max Christie, Michigan State</a> MIN: 31 | PTS: 9 | REB: 3 | AST: 0 | STL: 1 | FG: 3-10 | 3PT: 2-4 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 2
My first thoughts when watching Max Christie for the first time last week was, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very thin, he has a baby face and he looks like a young freshman.&rdquo; Furthermore, his stat line and production wouldn&rsquo;t blow away anyone either, as he only scored 9 points on 3-of-10 shooting. I could easily see someone thinking he blended into the game and was underwhelming, and subequently drawing a quick conclusion of &ldquo;he&rsquo;s not ready.&rdquo;
Christie certainly didn&rsquo;t dominate in that game by any means. However, one of my favorite things about evaluating young NBA prospects is reading between the lines. With Christie, I saw a 6-foot-6 guard with a sweet stroke that has a great feel for the game. I also find it to be interesting that Tom Izzo &mdash; a great, but demanding and tough coach &mdash; trusted Christie, a true freshman, to start and play 31 minutes in his first career college game. A huge one at that.
There&rsquo;s a reasonable argument that a player like Christie would benefit from staying in school to get stronger, mature as a player and get his game polished to a point where he could produce at a high level in college before entering the pros. However, the same exact thing could have been said about Josh Primo at Alabama, who only averaged 8.1 points in 22 minutes per game last season. Primo was selected No. 11 by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2021 NBA Draft. That leaves me thinking: Could Max Christie be this year&rsquo;s Josh Primo?
Christie is currently No. 18 on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/oscar-tshiebwe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky</a> MIN: 29 | PTS: 17 | REB: 20 | AST: 1 | STL: 1 | BLK: 2 | FG: 8-14 | 3PT: 0-0 | FT: 1-1 | TO: 2
My uncle, Rob Babcock, a former longtime front office executive in the NBA, used to say &ldquo;playing hard is a skill and it&rsquo;s not discussed enough.&rdquo; Oscar Tshiebwe has his limitations, but he plays so hard. At 6-foot-9 and a rock solid 255 pounds, Tshiebwe is so physical and has &ldquo;the pedal to the metal&rdquo; at all times. He was undoubtedly the bright spot for the Kentucky team versus Duke, scoring 17 points and grabbing an incredible 20 rebounds. Actually, he secured 20 rebounds in their second game versus Robert Morris too.
Tshiebwe likely won&rsquo;t be for everyone in the NBA, as bruisers without an ability to stretch the floor are not nearly as valuable as they once were, however, I think Tshiebwe finds a way to stick.
We currently have Tshiebwe at No. 50 in our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams, Duke</a> MIN: 18 | PTS: 5 | REB: 6 | AST: 0 | STL: 2 | BLK: 3 | FG: 2-3 | 3PT: 0-0 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 0
At 7-foot tall with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Mark Williams is big and long. There will be a place for him in the league as a rim-protector, rebounder and finisher around the rim. I&rsquo;m still not overly confident as to what his draft range will ultimately look like, but he&rsquo;s a prospect certainly worth tracking.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Griffin, Duke</a> MIN: 11 | PTS: 2 | REB: 2 | AST: 0 | FG: 1-3 | 3PT: 0-1 | FT: 0-0 | TO: 0
Former 5-star recruit AJ Griffin didn&rsquo;t get a chance to do much in his college debut. He just recently returned from a minor injury and I think he's just getting in the swing of things. He wasn't able to show much, but what I did see, I liked. At 6-foot-6 and a sturdy 222 pounds, Griffin looks to have the tools to be a a very good NBA player. I am certainly excited to keep watching him as his upside is very high.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/daimion-collins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daimion Collins, Kentucky</a> MIN: 2 | PTS: 0 | REB: 0 | AST: 0 | FG: 0-0 | 3PT: 0-0 | FT: 0-0 | TO: 0
I&rsquo;m sure this was not how Daimion Collins envisioned his college career starting. But although he didn't get much of a chance to play in the season opener, he did have a breakout game this past Friday vs. Robert Morris. He scored 14 points and blocked 4 shots in that contest. He has a lot of room for growth, but considering his length and athleticism, Collins&rsquo; upside is very high.
Latitude Longitude Classic &mdash; Phoenix, Arizona
Following the double-header, I made a cross-country flight out to Phoenix, Arizona to watch some top high-school talent. In doing so, I was able to get another look at top prospects in the Class of 2022: Dior Johnson (committed to Oregon), Adem Bona (committed to UCLA), MJ Rice (committed to Kansas), Chance Westry (committed to Auburn) and Dylan Andrews (committed to UCLA). I was also able to see top prospects in the class of 2023: Baye Fall, Mookie Cook, Kylan Boswell and Assane Diop.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I&rsquo;m in Phoenix, Arizona, tonight to see top-rated big man Baye Fall of <a href="https://twitter.com/DenverPrep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DenverPrep</a> as they face <a href="https://twitter.com/PhhPrep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PhhPrep</a> in the Latitude Longitude Classic. Fall, a 6&rsquo;11&rdquo; center, is currently a consensus top-6 player in the class of 2023. <a href="https://t.co/ebum3SEOxh">pic.twitter.com/ebum3SEOxh</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1458973833449259010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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As an NBA Draft Analyst, for me to be able to get opportunities to see likely future NBA prospects while they&rsquo;re in high school, is invaluable to my evaluation process. Of course, players at that stage are far from finished products, but it is great to be able to start the evaluation process early. I&rsquo;m not going to provide detailed breakdowns on these players today, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if you start hearing these names more and more. There is a lot of talent coming up!
All in all, my first big trip of the season was a fruitful one. Needless to say, I&rsquo;ve started the season off with a bang, but I have no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. I have another big trip set to begin Thursday, when I head to Florida for a number of college games, and they'll be loaded with NBA talent.
Next week's preview: Jabari Smith, Patrick Baldwin, Matthew Cleveland and more.

Matt Babcock details his observations from NCAA opening night at the State Farm Champions Classic in New York.

Babcock's Takeaways: Paolo Banchero, Ochai Agbaji, Trevor Keels, more

Who&rsquo;s ready for another full week of betting on basketball? After a strong week hitting on nearly 65% of our picks against the spread, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo;</a> is ready to keep the upward trajectory rolling.
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under prop bets are provided by PrizePicks. So far this season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is carrying a 103-80-2 record&nbsp;(56.2%).
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics (-3)
On Monday, we get another fun matchup in Cleveland as the Celtics face off against the Cavaliers once again. Last go-round, Cleveland pulled off a second-half comeback to secure the victory. Again, the Cavaliers enter this matchup as the underdogs. And once again, we&rsquo;re hammering Cleveland in a similar spot. Cleveland is for real, and they are going to be competing for a play-in spot throughout the regular season. Give me the Cavaliers to cover the points in this spot, and tail this over/under power play on PrizePicks: Jayson Tatum over 26.5 points, Dennis Schroder over 17.5 points, Evan Mobley over 16.5 points, Jarrett Allen over 13.5 points, Allen over 10.5 rebounds.
Washington Wizards (-4.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
This spread has climbed up a full two points since late last night, indicating a lot of sharp money is coming in on Washington. In this scenario, I totally would do the same. Washington completely outmatches New Orleans, who hasn&rsquo;t proven anything away from the Bayou so far this season. The Wizards&rsquo; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-kuzma-montrezl-harrell-have-wizards-adopting-dog-mentality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offseason retooling has worked out great</a>, and their well-balanced rotation holds a significant advantage over the Pelicans. Hammer Washington to cover the 4.5-point spread and lock in this PrizePicks power play: Brandon Ingram over 20.5 points, Spencer Dinwiddie over 18.5 points, Kyle Kuzma over 17.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 0.5 threes.
Detroit Pistons vs. Sacramento Kings (-4.5)
The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-losing-streak-could-have-luke-walton-on-hot-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Luke Walton&rsquo;s head coaching seat is starting to get uncomfortably warm in Sacramento. The Kings continue to play way too inconsistently, which is a disappointing trend throughout the Walton era. In Detroit, I&rsquo;m expecting another bad loss for the Kings, which could officially close the door entirely on Walton&rsquo;s tenure in Sacramento. Yes, I&rsquo;m going that bold here. Give me the Pistons to cover the spread thanks to a big breakout outing from No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m locking in this enticing over/under parlay: Jerami Grant over 19.5 points, Cunningham over 14.5 points, Cunningham over 3.5 assists, Saddiq Bey over 1.5 threes.
New York Knicks (-3.5) vs. Indiana Pacers
These are two teams who are so hard to figure out right now. Both are up-and-down on various nights, but the team with more momentum seems to be Indiana. Malcolm Brogdon has been so fun to watch this season, plus an aggressive version of Myles Turner is really helping the long-term picture alongside Domantas Sabonis. On the road, I&rsquo;m actually rolling with Indiana to cover the spread at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers can be so inconsistent, but they seem to have found a groove recently. Hammer the underdog in this spot, plus the following power play on PrizePicks: Brogdon over 19.5 points, Turner over 12.5 points, Sabonis over 10 rebounds, Brogdon over 5.5 assists, Turner over 1.5 threes.
Atlanta Hawks (-10.5) vs. Orlando Magic
The Magic burned me over the weekend when I bet on them as a home underdog. This time around in Atlanta, I won&rsquo;t be making the same mistake. Trae Young went off against Milwaukee on Sunday, and I think we see an encore performance tonight as well. Atlanta holds the advantage from every angle in this matchup, plus nobody on Orlando will be able to contain Young&rsquo;s scoring abilities. Although the spread is above double-digits at -10.5, I feel comfortable betting on the Hawks to cover. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m locking in the following over/under power play prop: Young over 25.5 points, John Collins over 15.5 points, Young over 8.5 assists, Young over 2.5 threes.
Dallas Mavericks (-5.5) vs. Denver Nuggets
I&rsquo;ve been waffling back-and-forth on this game because of the star power on both sides. It&rsquo;s easy to envision a scenario where Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic both go off simultaneously. However, even though Denver is missing Michael Porter Jr., I actually like the Nuggets to cover the 5.5-point spread on the road here. I&rsquo;m on the idea that this is a super close game throughout, which makes the +5.5 option way too enticing not to wager on. Give me the Nuggets at +5.5, plus the following Jokic/Doncic power play on PrizePicks: Doncic over 26.5 points, Jokic over 25.5 points, Jokic over 12.5 rebounds, Doncic over 7.5 rebounds, Doncic over 2.5 threes.
Memphis Grizzlies (-12) vs. Houston Rockets
This is going to be a super entertaining game for those who don&rsquo;t like to watch defense. Expect a high-scoring outing, but we still love the idea of Memphis covering this massive 12-point spread. I&rsquo;m forecasting one of those special performances from Ja Morant, which leads to Memphis pulling away in the second half. Houston is also on the second night of a back-to-back after getting blown out by the Phoenix Suns. I&rsquo;m laying the points on Memphis at -12, plus a Morant-heavy power play on PrizePicks: Morant over 23.5 points, Morant over 7.5 assists, Morant over 5.5 rebounds, Morant over 1.5 threes.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat (-9)
Oklahoma City can stick with teams in the middle of the pack, but it doesn't have great luck against the NBA&rsquo;s elite. This matchup is no different against Miami, who holds an advantage across the board. The Heat&rsquo;s suffocating defense will be too much for OKC to handle, which is why I&rsquo;m smashing Miami to cover the 9-point spread as one of my best bets for Monday night. On PrizePicks, tail me on this power play where Miami flexes its muscles early and often: Bam Adebayo over 18.5 points, Josh Giddey over 9.5 points, Adebayo over 10.5 rebounds, Kyle Lowry over 6.5 assists.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Phoenix Suns (-4)
Phoenix is on the second night of a back-to-back traveling from Houston to Minnesota, but the red-hot Suns get the job done in this one as well. The Suns have won eight-straight games, and I see no reason why I should stray away from wagering on them once again. This should be a closely contested matchup, but I expect the Suns to pull away late. Hammer the Suns on the 4-point spread to pull off their ninth consecutive victory, plus the following power play on PrizePicks: Devin Booker over 24.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 23.5 points, Karl-Anthony Towns over 22.5 points, Mikal Bridges over 12.5 points, Booker over 4.5 assists.
Portland Trail Blazers (-1.5) vs. Toronto Raptors
Damian Lillard is questionable for tonight&rsquo;s game, but I still love Portland in this spot if he can&rsquo;t suit up. Toronto has been so up-and-down this season, and this is a spot where CJ McCollum could carry the load well. I was going back-and-forth on this game for awhile, but settled on Portland to cover the 1.5-point spread. If Lillard plays, smash the Blazers to cover with ease. When I wrote this, there were no props currently available on PrizePicks. So, we&rsquo;re going to lock in Portland at -1.5. This should be a fun game with a lot of points on the board, so I&rsquo;ll be tuning into this one for the late West Coast swing.
Los Angeles Lakers (-0.5) vs. Chicago Bulls
Following along with the line movement on this game has been insane. The Lakers opened as favorites, then it jumped overnight to Chicago. Finally, it settled on Los Angeles in a near pick &lsquo;em scenario as 0.5-point favorites. The Bulls had an impressive win last night against the Clippers, but I&rsquo;m rolling the dice and wagering on the Lakers to win outright at the Staples Center. Anthony Davis has been carrying the load for Los Angeles recently, and I expect him to have a dominant outing. I&rsquo;m locking in Lakers -0.5, plus the following props on PrizePicks: Davis over 25.5 points, Zach LaVine over 25.5 points, DeMar DeRozan over 24.5 points, Davis over 11 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony over 2 threes.
Recapping our picks on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Monday&rsquo;s slate: Cavaliers +3, Wizards -4.5, Pistons +4.5, Pacers +3.5, Hawks -10.5, Nuggets +5.5, Grizzlies -12, Heat -9, Suns -4, Trail Blazers -1.5, Lakers -0.5.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

Kicking off another week of NBA picks against the spread, "Nothing But Bets" drops their latest predictions and over/under props via PrizePicks.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/15/21

It&rsquo;s time for our latest picks against the spread with &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; our daily NBA betting podcast hosted by yours truly. Each morning, we provide you the edge when canvassing the daily market for a fun slate of action. On Wednesday, a monster 13-game slate is in store, and we have you covered from all angles.
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under prop bets are provided by PrizePicks. Over the last two days, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is 9-2 against the spread, including an undefeated 3-0 mark on Tuesday. Overall this season, we&rsquo;re carrying an 81-63 record (56.3%).
Did you know we&rsquo;ve also made $7,000 on PrizePicks power plays over the last week? If you haven&rsquo;t tailed yet, it&rsquo;s time to do get in on the over/under action. Without further ado, it&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Orlando Magic vs. Brooklyn Nets (-9)
It&rsquo;s hard to envision a scenario where the Magic win this game, let alone cover the 9-point spread against Brooklyn. Kevin Durant is in the MVP race right now playing at an extremely high level. Also, James Harden is working his way through the new foul rules and beginning to find his footing. Orlando has a fun young core, but that group is no match for the Nets on Wednesday night. Tail this over/under power play on PrizePicks: Durant over 28.5 points, Harden over 20.5 points, Cole Anthony over 18.5 points, Joe Harris over 2.5 threes, Durant over 2 threes.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards (-3)
It will be interesting to see <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-collin-sexton-sidelined-whos-next-man-up-for-cavs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how the Cavaliers maneuver their offensive production with Collin Sexton out with a meniscus injury</a> suffered at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. Expect to see Ricky Rubio take on an increased role, plus Darius Garland to have an ultra green light to shoot from deep. However, in this matchup, we&rsquo;re rolling with the road favorite in Washington. The Wizards&rsquo; well-balanced rotation around Bradley Beal has been paying huge dividends so far. For that reason, we&rsquo;re rolling with Washington against the Sexton-less Cavaliers. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s another enticing over/under power play: Beal over 26.5 points, Garland over 19.5 points, Evan Mobley over 17.5 points, Jarrett Allen over 12.5 rebounds, Rubio over 6.5 assists.
Houston Rockets (-3.5) vs. Detroit Pistons
In a battle between the two top picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, this should be a matchup where you sit on the couch and grab some popcorn for the entertainment value. Sure, it&rsquo;s two tanking teams going nowhere, but Cade Cunningham vs. Jalen Green is box office material on its own. For the first time this season, we&rsquo;re going with the Pistons to cover the 3.5-point spread on the road. In Round 1, give me Cunningham over Green. No surprise, on PrizePicks we&rsquo;re locking in a rookie-heavy prop: Jerami Grant over 20.5 points, Christian Wood over 19.5 points, Cunningham over 15.5 points, Green over 13.5 points, Cunningham over 5.5 rebounds.
New York Knicks (-4) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee looks to get revenge after it blew a 20-point lead at home against the Knicks last week. This time around, New York is the 4-point favorite with the Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back. Even as the underdog, give me the Bucks in this matchup. I&rsquo;m expecting a monster outing from Giannis Antetokounmpo under the bright lights of MSG to get this one done. Lock in Bucks +4 and the following power play on PrizePicks: Giannis over 27.5 points, Grayson Allen over 13.5 points, Giannis over 10.5 rebounds, Giannis over 5 assists.
Boston Celtics (-2) vs. Toronto Raptors
I&rsquo;m forecasting a huge night from Jayson Tatum, which should propel the Celtics over Toronto. Jaylen Brown is out tonight, but I get the feeling that we'll see one of those special outings from Tatum. Toronto has been a feisty team against the spread, especially with its fun, young wing duo in OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes. On PrizePicks, we&rsquo;re banking on Tatum to lead us to a power play win: Tatum over 26.5 points, Anunoby over 17.5 points, Barnes over 12.5 points, Barnes over 6.5 rebounds, Tatum over 3 threes.
Memphis Grizzlies (-5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets&rsquo; defense is a dumpster fire right now, and it&rsquo;s hard to see how they escape it anytime soon. Charlotte is in desperate need of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-facing-a-key-decision-point-later-on-with-chris-duarte-early-emergence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making a trade for an elite rim-protector</a> (*cough* Myles Turner *cough*), which could finally lift them to being a legitimate playoff contender. On the road in Memphis, though, I&rsquo;m hammering the Grizzlies to cover the 5-point spread. It&rsquo;s going to be a shootout, but I trust the Grizzlies way more to get a few stops when it matters compared to Charlotte. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m rolling with the idea of a very high-scoring game for the over/under power play: Ja Morant over 23.5 points, Miles Bridges over 20.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 19.5 points, Desmond Bane over 13.5 points, Morant over 1.5 threes.
Chicago Bulls (-3.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Even though the Mavericks have the best player on the floor in Luka Doncic, it&rsquo;s hard to trust them against an above-average opponent. Dallas has feasted on the bad teams, but struggled against ones who are actually consistent. That&rsquo;s no different for my prediction tonight, locking in Chicago to cover the 3.5-point spread. Expect huge outings from Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to send the Bulls to victory. Let&rsquo;s ride with this prop on PrizePicks: Doncic over 25.5 points, LaVine over 25.5 points, DeRozan over 23.5 points, DeRozan over 0.5 threes.
New Orleans Pelicans (-4.5) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Hop on board of the Thunder being a fun team to actually cover spreads this season. They&rsquo;ve already busted so many parlays this season, and tonight should be no different. How in the world are the Pelicans 4.5-point favorites over OKC? Right now, the Pelicans are in a complete tailspin. Betting on New Orleans is not a wise investment, so we&rsquo;re hammering the Thunder to cover +4.5. It&rsquo;s tailing time on this fun PrizePicks power play: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 22.5 points, Josh Giddey over 10.5 points, Gilgeous-Alexander over 4.5 rebounds, Gilgeous-Alexander over 4.5 assists.
San Antonio Spurs (-1) vs. Sacramento Kings
The underdog theme continues for today&rsquo;s picks, as I&rsquo;m betting on the Kings to win outright in San Antonio. Sacramento has been a tad inconsistent, but I think it is just the better team overall here against the Spurs. After almost pulling off a 24-point comeback late on Monday versus the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento is showing some real resilience. Hammer the Kings at +1 and the following over/unders via PrizePicks: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 21.5 points, Harrison Barnes over 18.5 points, Fox over 6 assists, Barnes over 2 threes.
Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers (-3)
There will be no Nikola Jokic tonight for Denver, as he serves his one-game suspension for<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nikola-jokic-markieff-morris-ejected-after-back-and-forth-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> hitting Markieff Morris from behind Monday</a>. Also, the Nuggets will be without Michael Porter Jr. for the foreseeable future due to a back injury. Denver is without its top three scorers, so we&rsquo;re betting on Indiana to get the job done at altitude. (If you haven&rsquo;t already, go check out my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-facing-a-key-decision-point-later-on-with-chris-duarte-early-emergence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacers story from earlier today</a> as well in regards to Chris Duarte's emergence.) Here are our over/under leans on PrizePicks for this matchup: Will Barton over 18.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 16.5 points, Sabonis over 10.5 rebounds, Sabonis over 4.5 assists.
Phoenix Suns (-5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Deandre Ayton is out once again for the Suns tonight against the Trail Blazers, but the momentum is very much in their favor right now. As the winners of five straight, it&rsquo;s hard to envision the Suns losing this one against the very inconsistent Blazers. When will Damian Lillard snap out of his shooting funk? Until he snaps that stretch, it&rsquo;s hard to bet on Portland. Hammer Phoenix to cover the 5-point spread and the following props on PrizePicks: Devin Booker over 24.5 points, Jusuf Nurkic over 10.5 rebounds, Chris Paul over 9.5 assists, Booker over 2 threes.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat (-4.5)
Miami is going to be super-charged up after what happened in Denver on Monday. Against the LeBron James-less Lakers, who continue to struggle without the best player of this generation, we&rsquo;re hammering the Heat to cover the 4.5-point spread. This feels like a statement game opportunity for Jimmy Butler, so we&rsquo;re leaning heavily in his direction for our PrizePicks over/under power play here: Butler over 23.5 points, Carmelo Anthony over 16 points, Bam Adebayo over 9.5 rebounds, Butler over 6.5 rebounds, Butler over 6 assists. Miami is a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/heat-showcasing-early-on-why-they-belong-in-the-nbas-elite-tier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">real threat to make it out of the Eastern Conference</a> this season, so this is another chance to notch a huge win.
Golden State Warriors (-7.5) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Hammer this spread all the way in favor of Golden State. Stephen Curry is the early MVP favorite, and I expect another huge outing from him against Minnesota&rsquo;s backcourt. The Warriors are clicking on all cylinders, and they&rsquo;re only going to get better once Klay Thompson is back later on. Golden State landed at No. 1 in the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-golden-state-warriors-come-in-at-no-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com Power Rankings</a> this week, so we&rsquo;re riding that momentum and taking the Warriors to cover. Tail this over/under power play on PrizePicks, too: Curry over 30.5 points, Karl-Anthony Towns over 23.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 22.5 points, Curry over 6 assists, Curry over 5.5 assists.
Recapping our picks here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Wednesday&rsquo;s slate: Nets -9, Wizards -3, Pistons +3.5, Bucks +4, Celtics -2, Grizzlies -5, Bulls -3.5, Thunder +4.5, Kings +1, Pacers -3, Suns -5, Heat -4.5, Warriors -7.5.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/10/21

We are red-hot on Prize Picks props right now on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; our daily NBA betting podcast on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>. Over the last four days, we have hit five power plays. For example, if you tailed these bets for $100 on each wager, you would have made $5,000. Whether it be our picks against the spread or over/under props, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is with you every single day to give you an edge over the competition by previewing daily action in the Association.
All odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook. Player over/under prop picks are from our sponsor, Prize Picks. Without further ado, it&rsquo;s hammering time!
Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets (-3.5)
Pascal Siakam is making his season debut tonight for the Raptors, who continue to surprise early on this season. OG Anunoby is taking the leap into the Most Improved Player conversation, while No. 4 overall pick Scottie Barnes is near the top of the Rookie of the Year race as well. Surprisingly, this Raptors team seems feisty enough to fight for a play-in spot all season long. In this matchup against the star-studded Nets at home, though, we favor the road team in Brooklyn. Kevin Durant and James Harden should put together outstanding outings, which leads the Nets to covering the 3.5-point spread in the end. On Prize Picks, here&rsquo;s a power play to tail me on: Durant over 27.5 points, Harden over 20.5 points, Anunoby under 18.5 points, Harden over 9.5 assists.
New York Knicks (-7.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Knicks are for real. After falling into a 20-point hole on Friday in Milwaukee, they stormed back in the second half to beat the Bucks by double-digits. New York is well on its way to another locked-in playoff spot, if their early-season momentum continues on. Against the Cavaliers, I actually favor the young core of Cleveland to cover the 7.5-point spread. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are such a fun core to build around, and I think they keep this one close throughout. I&rsquo;m not confident enough to pick the underdog outright in Madison Square Garden, but this should be a closely-contested matchup. Give me the Cavaliers +7.5 and the following over/under props: Julius Randle over 22.5 points, Garland over 17.5 points, Allen over 12.5 points, Allen over 11.5 rebounds, Randle under 2 threes.
Sacramento Kings (-1) vs. Indiana Pacers
Sacramento is so fun to watch. If you&rsquo;re not on the West Coast to watch them, stay up one night and do so because you won&rsquo;t regret it. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Davion Mitchell and Buddy Hield are all jelling together well. Meanwhile, Richaun Holmes continues to be an incredible find for the Kings after signing a multi-year extension this past offseason. With the all-around fireworks Sacramento is capable of on offense, I&rsquo;m hammering the Kings here on the 1-point spread. Indiana is so up-and-down, especially on the road. It&rsquo;s hard to trust the Pacers right now, but this should be a very tight game, which TwinSpires predicts with such a small spread. Hammer the Kings and these over/under props on Prize Picks: Fox over 21.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 18.5 points, Harrison Barnes over 17.5 points, Chris Duarte over 13.5 points, Sabonis over 10.5 rebounds.
Washington Wizards vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-1)
The Bucks have to bounce back from an embarrassing collapse on Friday against New York, right? That&rsquo;s where I&rsquo;m leaning here thanks in large part to Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Who on the Wizards will be able to contain Giannis? The answer is nobody. With that being said, I love the Bucks on the road against the new-and-improved Wizards. Washington has achieved a solid balance around Beal, but they&rsquo;re still not on the level of Milwaukee. Especially with Jrue Holiday being worked back into the lineup, hammer Milwaukee here. On Prize Picks, here&rsquo;s a Giannis-centric power play: Giannis over 29.5 points, Bradley Beal over 24.5 points, Giannis over 11.5 rebounds, Giannis over 5.5 assists.
Orlando Magic vs. Utah Jazz (-12)
Utah is going to come into this game against the lowly Magic very angry. They had the chance to win last night against the Miami Heat but were unable to pull it off late. This time around, expect the Jazz to dominate from the opening tip, as this one won&rsquo;t be close at all. Even with a massive 12-point spread, we&rsquo;re hammering Utah here to cover. Expect the Jazz to win by at least 12 points, and potentially 20-plus as well. On Prize Picks, we&rsquo;re rolling with the Jazz&rsquo; inside-out duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert to dominate: Mitchell over 25.5 points, Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Mitchell over 5 assists, Mitchell over 3.5 threes.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs (-4)
There&rsquo;s a first time for everything in the NBA gambling world. Today, the time is now for the Oklahoma City Thunder to be wagered on. Yes, surprise, I&rsquo;m rolling with the Thunder to cover the 4-point spread as underdogs at home against the Spurs. This one is going to be close throughout, in my opinion, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the trump card for Oklahoma City. The way SGA has been playing recently has been fantastic, and I expect his hot streak to maintain versus San Antonio. I&rsquo;m not picking the Thunder outright here, but OKC being able to make this a one-possession game is a plausible scenario. On Prize Picks, let&rsquo;s lock in an SGA-heavy over/under power play: Gilgeous-Alexander over 22.5 points, Dejounte Murray over 17.5 points, Gilgeous-Alexander over 5.5 rebounds, Gilgeous-Alexander over 4 assists.
Golden State Warriors (-12.5) vs. Houston Rockets
This Warriors team is dominant right now. Just imagine the possibilities once Klay Thompson is back at 100 percent and in the starting lineup around the holidays. Golden State is well on their way to being a top-three seed in the Western Conference this season, so welcome back to elite status. The Warriors&rsquo; veteran role players have been outstanding fits, plus the emergence of Jordan Poole has been so fun to watch. Stephen Curry is playing like an MVP contender, so expect him to flex his muscles early and often against the Rockets&rsquo; inexperienced backcourt. Let&rsquo;s go over to Prize Picks and lock in some Warriors props to tail our prediction of them to cover the 12.5-point spread: Curry over 29.5 points, Poole over 17.5 points, Curry over 5.5 threes, Andrew Wiggins over 1.5 threes.
Los Angeles Clippers (-6) vs. Charlotte Hornets
I&rsquo;m still in the camp of Charlotte eventually finishing as a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, but their defense is a complete disaster right now. Most nights, they have to win thrilling shootouts. As we saw against Golden State, they can get sliced apart against elite teams. The Clippers are not on that level yet, but they&rsquo;re getting close thanks to Paul George showing why he&rsquo;s still a superstar without Kawhi Leonard alongside him. George has been one of the best players in the Association, and I expect him to bludgeon the Hornets&rsquo; porous defense throughout tonight&rsquo;s tilt at the Staples Center. Hammer the Clippers at -6, plus the following over/under props on Prize Picks: George over 26.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 6.5 assists, George over 5.5 assists, George over 3.5 threes, Ball over 2 threes.
Recapping our picks here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Sunday&rsquo;s awesome slate of NBA action: Nets -3.5, Cavaliers +7.5, Kings -1, Bucks -1, Jazz -12, Thunder +4, Warriors -12.5, Clippers -6.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

For Sunday's fun slate of NBA action, "Nothing But Bets" drops off the daily picks against the spread plus over/under power play props from Prize Picks.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/7/21

It&rsquo;s time for another installment of your daily picks against the spread on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>'s daily NBA betting podcast. For Friday&rsquo;s action, we have an awesome nine-game slate on tap.
All odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook. Player over/under prop picks are from our sponsor, Prize Picks. We&rsquo;ve hit three power play over/under bets over the last two days ($300 total to win $3,000)! Let&rsquo;s dive into it all below.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI2280220361" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Detroit Pistons vs. Brooklyn Nets (-10)
Continuing to bet against the Pistons is surely winning many NBA bettors a lot of money. Detroit is going nowhere fast, while the Nets are really starting to click together at the perfect time. With the Pistons on the second night of a back-to-back, I&rsquo;m forecasting a huge blowout win in favor of the Nets. Kevin Durant and James Harden are going to have their way with Detroit, and this is locked in as one of my best overall bets tonight. On Prize Picks, here&rsquo;s a fun Nets-related prop to tail: Durant over 26.5 points, Harden over 20.5 points, LaMarcus Aldridge over 10.5 points, Harden over 8.5 assists. Locking this in with a power play wins you back 10x the amount, so $100 to win $1,000 if you so desire.
Washington Wizards (-2) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Give me the road underdog here to cover and outright win this game. The Grizzlies have been so fun to watch this season, not only because of Ja Morant&rsquo;s star leap, but also due to young role players thriving as well. Desmond Bane and De&rsquo;Anthony Melton have become key cogs to the Grizzlies&rsquo; success, helping take pressure off Morant on both ends of the court. In this matchup against the Wizards, I lean towards Memphis winning the perimeter and inside situations. Memphis is more well-rounded, plus they can get defensively when needed. Memphis as the underdog was too good to pass up on here, and the Prize Picks props were no different: Morant over 24.5 points, Bane over 15.5 points, Melton over 11.5 points, Morant over 6.5 assists.
Orlando Magic vs. San Antonio Spurs (-4)
There&rsquo;s a first time for everything in the world of NBA betting, and tonight I&rsquo;m rolling with the Magic to cover the 4-point spread at home against San Antonio. The Spurs are a little more experienced, but they have also been very inconsistent like Orlando to start this season. Orlando&rsquo;s young core is showing some real signs of blossoming over the next few months, and this game could be a fun experience. Give me the Magic at +4, but not enough to feel comfortable in picking them on the moneyline odds. On Prize Picks, here&rsquo;s an enticing power play option: Dejounte Murray over 18 points, Wendell Carter Jr. over 13.5 points, Franz Wagner over 12.5 points, Mo Bamba over 9.5 rebounds.
Toronto Raptors (-5.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Get your popcorn ready for this rookie battle, folks. The two players leading the early Rookie of the Year race, Cleveland&rsquo;s Evan Mobley and Toronto&rsquo;s Scottie Barnes, square off for what should be a fantastic matchup. In this one, though, I&rsquo;m leaning towards Barnes winning Round 1. However, the main reason isn&rsquo;t because of the No. 4 overall pick. OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet should have fantastic outings alongside Barnes, which is why I&rsquo;m hammering the Raptors to cover the 5.5-point spread. For Prize Picks over/unders, these caught my attention: Anunoby over 19.5 points, VanVleet over 18.5 points, Barnes over 14.5 points, Jarrett Allen over 13.5 points, Allen over 11.5 rebounds.
Milwaukee Bucks (-3.5) vs. New York Knicks
This truly feels like a game where Giannis Antetokounmpo goes off. Easily the best player on the court in this one against an improved Knicks team, Giannis can simply be too much to handle when he catches fire. That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m projecting tonight as Giannis leads Milwaukee over New York, easily covering the 3.5-point spread. On Prize Picks, tail me on a Giannis-heavy over/under power play: Giannis over 27.5 points, Giannis over 11 rebounds, Pat Connaughton over 9.5 points, Giannis over 5.5 assists. If the Finals MVP does what I think he can to the Knicks&rsquo; defense, he&rsquo;s a solid investment for a massive payout.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-2.5)
Paul George has been so awesome to watch back as the No. 1 option this season in Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s absence. The Indiana version of George is back, and even better than he was five years ago. George is doing everything for the Clippers, and that&rsquo;s why he should be near the top of MVP ballots if Los Angeles begins to rattle off wins here throughout November. In Minnesota once again, I&rsquo;m rolling with George and Co. to pull off the win and cover the spread. No surprise, I&rsquo;m betting on a big outing from George on Prize Picks: George over 27.5 points, Karl-Anthony Towns over 24.5 points, Reggie Jackson over 18.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 23.5 points, George over 5 assists.
Sacramento Kings (-2) vs. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets got smacked around by the Warriors on Wednesday. However, I&rsquo;m all-in on the Hornets being a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference this season. LaMelo Ball is taking the Year 2 leap. Miles Bridges is earning himself over $100 million on his next contract. Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. are also providing a nice buffer on the wing as well. If the Hornets want to prove they&rsquo;re for real, these are games they win on the road across the country. Hammer the Hornets as the underdog on the spread, plus the outright win. Charlotte makes another statement, providing hope with a big bounce-back victory. On Prize Picks, betting on a high-scoring shootout could be a very wise way to profit: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 21.5 points, Ball over 19.5 points, Bridges over 19.5 points, Harrison Barnes over 18.5 points, Ball over 2 threes. Honestly, this is the game I&rsquo;m most looking forward to watching for Friday&rsquo;s action-packed slate.
Portland Trail Blazers (-5) vs. Indiana Pacers
With Caris LeVert&rsquo;s return earlier this week, Indiana is finally finding a groove. The big man duo of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner is finally showing promise after a slow start as well. Chris Duarte, the Pacers&rsquo; newest lottery pick, has zero fear becoming a go-to scorer from the jump. Everything for Indiana is riding high right now, but I think it crashes down to earth momentarily when they begin a west coast road trip in Portland against the Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum hold a huge backcourt advantage, so I&rsquo;m riding that all the way to Portland covering the 5.5-point spread. If you also bet on big games between Lillard and McCollum, Prize Picks has you covered: Lillard over 25.5 points, McCollum over 22.5 points, Lillard over 3.5 threes, McCollum over 3 threes.
Golden State Warriors (-9) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Who&rsquo;s going to stop the Warriors, especially once Klay Thompson returns? This team looks scary good right now, thanks in large part to Stephen Curry&rsquo;s brilliance once again. Going against this short-handed Pelicans team, Golden State should roll in blowout fashion. Curry is going to pile up the points, while key players step up alongside him. Honestly, this feels like the biggest deficit of the night in terms of win-loss margin. The Pelicans will have no answers for the Warriors, and it&rsquo;s an easy bet to hammer the 9-point spread here. On Prize Picks, a hot shooting night from the Warriors could win you back big bucks as well: Curry over 30.5 points, Jordan Poole over 17.5 points, Curry over 5.5 threes, Poole over 2.5 threes, Andrew Wiggins over 1.5 threes.
Recapping our picks here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with tonight: Nets -10, Grizzlies ML (+2), Magic +4,&nbsp; Raptors -5.5, Bucks -3.5, Clippers -2.5, Hornets ML (+2), Trail Blazers -5, Warriors -9.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

Nothing But Bets is back dropping off picks against the spread, plus enticing over/under props via Prize Picks, for an awesome nine-game slate in the NBA.