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Cavaliers

Changes are coming in Minnesota.
Fresh off a 46-36 campaign and competitive first-round exit, the Timberwolves have already gone swinging. There's a new sheriff in town, with former <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nuggets-tim-connelly-to-become-wolves-president-of-basketball-ops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly joining the team</a> in a similar role. The price was huge: a five-year deal worth north of $40 million and&nbsp; &mdash; and! &mdash; equity in the organization, per The Athletic. It's a monstrous deal with the potential for more &mdash; a deal, as my Dunker Spot co-host <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Jones Jr.</a> described on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our latest episode</a>, that the Nuggets weren't likely to match.
There's obvious intrigue in Connelly's move to Minnesota, namely him leaving a successful division rival that currently rosters a back-to-back MVP in Nikola Jokic to do so. But the interest for me has come with the reporting around the move. Take this passage from The Athletic's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3320881/2022/05/18/timberwolves-tim-connelly-president-basketball-ops/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania</a> as negotiations were heating up between the two sides.
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Leaving the two-time MVP for upstart Minnesota would be a bold move. But the Timberwolves do have a pair of building blocks in Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, promising young talent in Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt, a coach who is revered throughout the organization and an ownership group that appears to be motivated to invest in the organization.
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Hmm... notice anyone missing? Also, the "ownership group that appears to be motivated to invest" portion could be seen as subtle shade toward the organization that was on track to lose Masai Ujiri (killing it in Toronto since 2014) and Connelly due to being outbid.&nbsp;
And how about this one, from Krawczynski and Charania again, after the <a href="https://theathletic.com/3326241/2022/05/23/tim-connelly-wolves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deal was done</a>?&nbsp;
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There are reasons beyond financial for him to be optimistic about the situation in Minnesota. Connelly will be taking over a team with two stars in Towns and Edwards, promising young players in Jaden McDaniels and Vanderbilt and a top-notch coach in Chris Finch, who spent one season working with Connelly in Denver as an assistant on Malone&rsquo;s staff. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had a strong season before struggling in the playoffs and Patrick Beverley asserted himself as a tough, veteran leader for a young group.
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Ah,&nbsp;there's&nbsp;the name. But you see why my brow is raised, right? Towns and Edwards represent the core. McDaniels and Vanderbilt are the young pieces dubbed to grow alongside them. The 26 year-old Russell &mdash; one of Towns' best friends making north of $30 million this season &mdash; went from not being mentioned at all in the lead-up piece, to essentially getting a throw-in line with Beverley in the update five days later.
Oh, it doesn't help that Jordan McLaughlin was closing out playoff games while a healthy Russell watched in Round 1. Add in the fact that Russell's future has <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/05/03/report-timberwolves-will-attempt-to-trade-dangelo-russell-this-offseason/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already been questioned</a>, and I think it's fair to assume what the big&nbsp;roster&nbsp;swing for the Wolves will be.&nbsp;
Any team acquiring him will be on the hook for over $31 million next season, though that's the only&nbsp;year left on Russell's deal.&nbsp;
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WHAT RUSSELL BRINGS
Russell remains a smooth operator. He's a proactive passer, one who's able to see and&nbsp;fire into a gap before most players know what's happening. You'll see it with his transition hit-aheads, as well as some of the reads he'll make in pick-and-roll.
And about pick-and-roll: Not many players blend pull-up shooting and high-level passing like Russell does. You can't afford to duck under against him, or drop your big back too far. He will absolutely waltz into jumpers. Once he gets hot, you're forced to press up &mdash; and that opens up even more passing windows for him.
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Russell was one of 31 players to receive at least 1,500 on-ball picks this season, per Second Spectrum. Russell-led ball screens were good for nearly 1.03 points per possession (PPP), a top-10ish mark in NBA among high volume ball-handlers.
You can thank the jumper for that &mdash; Russell converted 37% of the pull-up threes he attempted out of pick-and-roll, per InStat tracking. For comparison, that put him in line with high volume pull-up artists like Stephen Curry (38.9%) and Trae Young (37.0%).
(Also: Shout out to Darius Garland for bombing away at a 42.5% clip. That guy's getting paid.)&nbsp;
LIMITATIONS
Russell is what I'd describe as a two-level scorer. He's comfortable firing from deep, and he's able to snake and hunt shots around the elbow area with the best of them. Rim pressure is... simply not his thing. Only 16% of Russell's shots came at the rim last season, a mark that ranks in the 16th percentile per Cleaning The Glass. (Not great!)
And as someone who rarely got to the rim, Russell didn't draw many shooting fouls either. The lack of "easy points" lends to a boom-or-bust nature in Russell's game. His pull-up jumper is a legit weapon, but things kinda crater for him if it isn't falling in a way that isn't helpful for your&nbsp;lead&nbsp;ball-handler.&nbsp;
I think a truth has become (more) clear &mdash; Russell needs to be paired with a ball-dominant rim threat to get the best out of him.
That was the intrigue around Edwards taking more of a lead role in the second half of the season. In theory, Edwards ability to touch the paint on any given possession would lead to easier catch-and-shoot &mdash; or catch-and-drive &mdash; opportunities for Russell. A team trading for Russell should have a similar infrastructure in place.
Defensively, Russell found his home as a middle linebacker. Most teams rely on their primary rim-protector to call out coverages and actions. For Minnesota, that responsibility was Russell's. It was an odd dynamic, but one that worked. He was often seen and&nbsp;heard barking out instructions while he zoned up behind the action.
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I remained worried about him in more conservative defensive schemes. Russell isn't the quickest laterally. And while he's improved a bit from his rookie season (I'd hope so!), screen navigation remains an issue for him overall.
With the Wolves, Russell was blessed with the opportunity to roam off-ball (his ideal role) while having the screen navigation issues limited due to his big hedging ball-screens with him. If Russell's dumped into a drop scheme, the onus flips back on him to stay attached to ball-handlers. That could be a tricky bet.
LANDING SPOTS
Due to Russell's contract and the context needed to unlock him on both ends, it's hard to imagine 20+ teams blowing up the phones in Minnesota. There are a few teams that:
1) Make theoretical sense for Russell's game
2) Have the contracts to at least get conversations started
The New York Knicks have been searching for a calming presence at point guard for ages; at the very least, a guy that can grease the wheels of an offense with pick-and-roll play. While an in-house option is staring them in the face &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I'm with you, Knick fans</a> &mdash; it wouldn't shock me to see the Knicks take a flier on a talent like Russell, especially if it doesn't cost a core piece.&nbsp;
The contracts of Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Nerlens Noel get you in the ballpark of Russell's number. The Knicks have the Mavericks' first rounder in 2023 &mdash; a likely low 20s pick &mdash; to toss in if the Wolves don't think that's enough.
In theory, you'd have Russell playing off the rim-battering of RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. Maybe you get a more unlocked Randle with someone that can thread the needle on tight-window passes more consistently.&nbsp;
The Wolves would be able to bolster their depth, adding some rim pressure (Rose), movement shooting (Burks) and a big that can do work in an aggressive scheme (Noel). The Knicks losing the latter would be buffered by the retention of Mitchell Robinson and the likely growth from Jericho Sims.
Quick question: Who's the best passer for the Los Angeles Clippers? Follow-up question: How many names did you list before naming an actual guard? The combined deals of Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard get you in the door. I can hear arguments about that already being too much for L.A. I'd argue that Russell gives you more on the playmaking front, gives you more size in the backcourt and helps your defense without tapping into your wing depth. Again, there's at least a conversation to be had.
If you're looking to pair Russell with a ball-dominant rim threat, how about Luka Doncic and Dallas? At worst, Russell could serve as a buffer to Jalen Brunson signing elsewhere. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dwight Powell would give the Wolves the movement shooting, plus big-man depth combination to bolster their supporting cast. I'd argue the Mavericks may have to throw in a pick, though they're a little light on that front.
Lastly, would you rather have Russell or Cole Anthony? Actually, don't answer that.
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Nekias Duncan looks at potential landing spots for Wolves guard D'Angelo Russell this offseason.

Examining potential trade destinations for D'Angelo Russell

Memphis guard Ja Morant was voted the NBA's Most Improved Player, beating out San Antonio's Dejounte Murray.
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The 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Improved Player is Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant! <a href="https://t.co/XNLdPFQwFe">pic.twitter.com/XNLdPFQwFe</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1518719763916427264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Morant got 38 first-place votes and 221 points from a panel of 100 sports writers and broadcasters while Murray received 20 first-place votes and finished with 183 points.
Morant averaged 27.4 points 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists this past season while helping lead the Grizzlies to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The third-year player boosted his scoring and rebounding from the previous season where he averaged 19.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
Cleveland's Darius Garland finished third with 178 points followed by Golden State's Jordan Poole and Memphis' Desmond Bane.
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Ja Morant is the first player to win the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award with the Memphis Grizzlies. More ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/DGowSmohq5">https://t.co/DGowSmohq5</a> Voting Results ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/xRFlJ9dtEW">pic.twitter.com/xRFlJ9dtEW</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1518720295661621253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Memphis guard Ja Morant was voted the NBA's Most Improved Player, beating out San Antonio's Dejounte Murray.

Ja Morant wins NBA's Most Improved Player award

Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy for winning the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award, the NBA announced today. &nbsp;The annual award is designed to honor a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.
Each NBA team nominated one of its players for the NBA Sportsmanship Award. &nbsp;From the list of 30 team nominees, a panel of league executives selected one finalist from each of the NBA&rsquo;s six divisions. &nbsp;Current NBA players selected the winner from the list of six finalists, with nearly 300 players submitting their votes through confidential balloting conducted by the league office.
In addition to Mills (Atlantic Division), the finalists were Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo (Southeast Division), Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges (Pacific Division), Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (Central Division), Denver Nuggets forward Jeff Green (Northwest Division) and Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (Southwest Division).
Mills received 1,975 total points (58 first-place votes) in balloting of NBA players. &nbsp;Green finished in second place with 1,841 points (60 first-place votes). &nbsp;The six finalists were awarded 11 points for each first-place vote, nine points for each second-place vote, seven points for each third-place vote, five points for each fourth-place vote, three points for each fifth-place vote and one point for each sixth-place vote.&nbsp;
A 13-year NBA veteran from Australia, Mills has won the NBA Sportsmanship Award for the first time. &nbsp;He will be presented with a special edition 75th Anniversary commemorative trophy today in celebration of the honor, gifted in addition to the Joe Dumars Trophy, which he will receive later. &nbsp;The commemorative trophy, composed of a solid crystal basketball, features the NBA 75 logo 3D laser etched and suspended within its center.
In the 2021-22 regular season, Mills averaged 11.4 points and 2.3 assists in 29.0 minutes in 81 games with the Nets, who signed him as a free agent in August 2021. &nbsp;He ranked 11th in the NBA in three-pointers made (227) and 25th in three-point field goal percentage (40.0). &nbsp;Mills was not assessed a technical foul this season. &nbsp;He has been assessed two technical fouls in 820 career regular-season games, with no technical fouls in 11 of his 13 seasons.
Mills, 33, played the previous 10 NBA seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, winning an NBA championship in the 2013-14 season. &nbsp;He played his first two NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, who selected him in the second round (55th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft.
The NBA Sportsmanship Award trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, a six-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion. &nbsp;Dumars played 14 NBA seasons and won the inaugural Sportsmanship Award in the 1995-96 season.
Below are the voting totals for the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award:
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Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy for winning the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award.

Nets' Patty Mills wins the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award

Mat Issa raves over Jordan Poole regarding his three-level scoring and how his ceiling may be higher than once thought.

Jordan Poole is even better than we could've imagined

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

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

Summer plans for the Spurs, Hornets, Cavaliers and Clippers

This year has been a great reinforcer of the enjoyment of the process. The NBA season is 82 games, far more than many fans and observers alike would like there to be, and I can't blame them. (For the sake of player health and longevity, I'd love to see the season shortened.)
After a close loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in the Play-In Tournament, the Cleveland Cavaliers were ousted from the playoffs entirely, meaning their season had come to an end.
"End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take." 
- <a href="https://youtu.be/Rag_9J1ZC2g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gandalf</a> 
- Me watching the Cavs
Pull up Basketball-Reference, and you'll find the Cavs with a 44-38 record and the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. A solid record at the end of the season. A good one even, if taking the past year into account. I was of the opinion that the Cavs might jockey with Play-In positioning at points this year, but ultimately would fall short of being a playoff team and take a meaningful few steps as a young squad.
That's what makes the regular season so precious to me. Watching the game-to-game, week-to-week evolution of this group was a special endeavor this year. I relish growth, persistence and consistency; the Cavs met all three needs with gumption. This is not a "watch the games bro" take, but rather an "I'm so thankful I got to watch the games bro" exclamation. Deducing what this team was this season down to its final record is a disservice.
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Just 11 games in, the Cavs lost Collin Sexton for the season. A month-and-a-half later, they lost sixth man and backup point guard Ricky Rubio as well. You might look at his efficiency or lack thereof and question his impact, but Rubio gave the Cavs' bench a verve that they were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mulling-over-6-options-for-the-cavs-with-ricky-rubio-out-for-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never able to replicate</a>.
All three frontcourt starters missed significant stretches of time, with Jarrett Allen's finger fracture throwing the team into a tailspin shortly after the All-Star Break
None of the primary starters this season played 70 games.
This was a team that was 35-21 a week before the break festivities in Cleveland, legitimately fighting for (and maintaining) home-court advantage in the playoffs for a significant stretch of the regular season.
The way the Cavs got there was even more enticing.
The first time I saw that J.B. Bickerstaff was starting Lauri Markkanen at the 3, I was vexed. I understood why, but thoroughly questioned its viability. Even prior to that, I was extremely critical of the Markkanen sign-and-trade in the offseason. Well, I was just flat-out wrong!
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Big to Big to Big <a href="https://t.co/5WlMaBYmoe">pic.twitter.com/5WlMaBYmoe</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1460317639629234180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The three-7-footer lineup the Cavs started and leaned upon as their bread and butter all year was a delight. The big-to-big-to-big passing was joyous and impactful. It will be interesting to find out whether teams try to replicate a jumbo lineup without capturing the essence of why it worked. Having three players who all have size, mobility and skill is not an easy combination to find.&nbsp;
Markkanen's offense was up and down at times this year, but his defense should be lauded. He was a very rough defender his whole time in Chicago, and I was taken aback early this season by his effort and attentiveness &mdash; which never really waned by my eye. His game against Atlanta was phenomenal, even if marred by a late game turnover. Again, process, process, process.
Jarrett Allen earned an All-Star nod through his all-around improvements, becoming a legitimately switchable big man and the anchor of the Cavs' defense in the paint as their primary rim-protector. The offense really suffered without his gravity as a roller and his screening ability when he was out. He found new levels of aggression that he flashed late last year, and made it a consistent staple this year.
Allen's presence and Markkanen's strides allowed Evan Mobley to assert himself. His ground coverage is breathtaking, and it enabled a ridiculously aggressive, effective and quirky 3-2 zone to bend the court dimensions to the the Cavs' will.
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Evan Mobley <a href="https://t.co/hN41CbufIb">pic.twitter.com/hN41CbufIb</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1452408998926376968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It should not be possible to cover the rim to the arc the way he does, but Mobley just does.
The flashes he showcased throughout the year as a face-up scorer and passer were wild, and lend credence to his exciting future as one of the brightest young stars in basketball.
I won't quibble with anyone who voted for another first-year player as Rookie of the Year; there are so many different ways to view, appreciate and evaluate the game. This <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-fighting-narratives-in-the-rookie-of-the-year-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rookie class is incredible</a>. I am still there with Mobley winning it.
Darius Garland quite literally was Cleveland's offense at points this year when the team was depleted. His off-the-dribble ease and marksmanship open up his game as one of the best passers in the sport. In spite of the finish to the year, he and Allen were rightful All-Stars at the time. Garland's growth over the past two years, along with Mobley's ascension, provides the foundation of one of the more intriguing young cores in the NBA. There's still a great deal for the pair to grow both individually and together!
Kevin Love had an awesome bounce-back season, warranting Sixth Man of the Year buzz before the Cavs (and he) tailed off down the stretch. Cedi Osman is still an absolute bundle of chaos, but Cleveland was better because of him, putting together his most efficient season since his rookie year.
The Cavs will keep their first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (14th-best odds), as the pick will not convey to Indiana due to lottery protections (part of the Caris LeVert trade). Given how the season ended, this is a silver lining. Cleveland needs wing depth and more shot creation.&nbsp;
I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/enjoying-the-little-things-of-the-nba-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about Isaac Okoro</a> and his impact earlier this season, highlighting the little things he honed in on to imprint himself on both ends. He played 34 minutes combined in the two Play-In matchups and took 6 shots. I don't have an answer now &mdash; it's something I want to dive into further in the offseason &mdash; but the Cavs really need Okoro to make significant strides as an offensive player.
I do think some have been too quick to cast off the positive things he has done and what he can provide, but Okoro's current limitations were put on display in those contests. If he runs ball-screens, the defense goes under and forces a pass-out-and-reset or a shot off the dribble. If he's spaced off the ball, he's left open in the corner. The defense is really, really good, but the offense needs to come along.
Speaking of offense, the Caris LeVert trade was made with the purpose of bringing in another shot-creator and offensive engine. I am so interested to see what happens between LeVert and the Cavs this off-season.
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Caris LeVert on the importance of a contract extension with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>: "Yeah, this is where I want to be. They know that. The front office knows that, my teammates know that. So I don't know what's gonna happen with that contract extension, but I know where my heart is."
&mdash; Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) <a href="https://twitter.com/kelseyyrusso/status/1515360464263385098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I understood why the Cavs made the trade at the time, going in on this season to try and make a real playoff run without fully hindering their intermediate future and flexibility. I just really struggled to be into the move from a personnel perspective, and I'll have even more questions once/if Collin Sexton returns next year.
I have no idea what to think about Sexton's future in Cleveland. He is a really good player with some flaws that can be a bit exacerbated playing alongside another small guard. His numbers were down and his shot wasn't right to start the year, but he was playing some of the best team basketball of his career to start the year. I don't know what the answer is for Cavs president Koby Altman, general manager Mike Gansey and the front-office brain trust, but they have a lot of decisions to make over the next few months as they continue to shape this team.
Hard decisions are a good thing! To look at where the Cavs were two years ago at 19-46 with questions about their infrastructure to where they're at now... that's pretty good!
The way they handle those head-scratching conundrums over the summer will ultimately mold their future playoff aspirations and viability. The 2021-22 Cleveland campaign was one of the more unexpected and exciting runs that had some unfortunate road bumps.
But the point remains that the future of the Cavs is much brighter today than it was eight months ago, and where this team is at by this time next year will have been set up by the trials and tribulations of this year.
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The Cavaliers' season came to an end last night, but their year as a whole was one for the books.

Recognizing the Cavs for who they were, could've been and may soon be

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half and the Atlanta Hawks overcame losing center Clint Capela to a knee injury to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-101 in the play-in on Friday night and earn the Eastern Conference's No. 8 playoff seed.
Young started slowly for the second straight game, but &ldquo;Ice Trae,&rdquo; as he fancies himself, heated up when it mattered most.
The All-Star guard scored 16 points in third quarter to rally the Hawks from a 10-point halftime deficit, and added another 16 in the fourth to finish off the Cavs, whose inexperience showed throughout the second half.
Bogdan Bogdanovic added 19 points for Atlanta, which will play No. 1 seed Miami in the first round. Game 1 is Sunday in South Florida.
The Hawks, who made it to the conference finals a year ago, may have to go forward without Capela. The 6-foot-10 center hyperextended his right knee late in the first half, had to be helped from the floor and couldn't return.
Lauri Markkanen scored 26 and Darius Garland 21 for the young Cavaliers, whose unexpected season fell just shy of a playoff berth.
Cleveland hasn't been to the playoffs since 2018, and the Cavs haven't been to the postseason without LeBron James on their roster since 1998.
As if to add insult to injury, James tweeted an emoji of an ice cube in the closing seconds &mdash; a nod to Young &mdash; as the Hawks were ending Cleveland's season.
Lifted by a rowdy, towel-waving crowd in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cavs were in position to advance and played well in long stretches. However, Cleveland's offense bogged down in the third quarter, and the Cavs had no answer defensively for Young.
As the final seconds ticked off, Young waved goodbye as the Cleveland crowd thinned out and headed to the exits.
Those who stayed saluted the Cavs, who weren't expected to get this far after winning just 22 games last season. While they've been relegated to lottery picks and losing since James left after a four-year run to the NBA Finals four years ago, the future in Cleveland is bright.
With the season on the line, Cleveland got a huge emotional and defensive lift by the return of All-Star center Jarrett Allen, who had missed the previous 19 games with a broken finger on his left hand. Allen finished with 11 points.
The Hawks were in big trouble late in the third quarter, when Young finally heated up.
Ignoring some vulgar chants by Cleveland fans, the dazzling guard made a pair of 3-pointers and scored Atlanta's final 12 points in the quarter as the Hawks closed with a 17-8 run over the final 3:48 to tie it 84-all going into to the final 12 minutes.
Markkanen made four 3-pointers and Cleveland hit six shots from long range in the first 12 minutes to open an 11-point lead after one.
Atlanta helped with some sloppy play and committed seven turnovers, four by Young.
But once he started taking care of the ball, and making shots, there was no stopping him.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Danilo Gallinari added 14 points. ... Young averaged 32.5 points in four games against Cleveland in the regular season. ... F/C John Collins (finger, foot) and Lou Williams (back) both sat out. ... Committed a league-low 11.9 turnovers per game during the regular season.
Cavaliers: Kevin Love only played 10 minutes &mdash; one in the second half. ... Cleveland's 22-win improvement was the second biggest in club history. The 1991-92 Cavs made a 24-game jump.
CLEVELAND ROCKS
It was an extraordinary sports night in Cleveland.
While the Hawks and Cavaliers tangled with a postseason spot up for grabs, the Guardians played their first home game since changing their name next door at Progressive Field.
The doubleheader was reminiscent of 2016, when the Cavs received the NBA title rings on opening night as Cleveland&rsquo;s baseball team, then called the Indians, hosted a World Series game.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Atlanta went 1-3 vs. Miami during the season.
Cavaliers: More time to rest up after an injury-ravaged season.

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half to lift the Hawks to the playoffs.

Trae Young's 38 lift Hawks past Cavs for No. 8 playoff seed

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Friday's Play-In Tournament slate.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks (-1.5)
I can&rsquo;t wait for this one, folks. Will Trae Young carry the Hawks to the postseason once again? Can the resurgent Cavaliers cap off a magical regular season in a positive manner? There are so much juicy angles from a betting perspective for this matchup.
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&mdash; Friday, April 15th Atlanta Hawks @ Cleveland Cavaliers</blockquote>

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Ultimately, it&rsquo;s so hard to bet against Young and Atlanta right now. Expect a fun scoring duel between Young and Garland, while the frontcourt battle is an underrated angle as well. If Young gets going early, Cleveland is in big trouble. Forecasting a monster performance from Young, we&rsquo;re hammering the road favorite here.
Pick: Hawks -1.5
Player Props: Trae Young over 30.5 points, Evan Mobley over 15.5 points, Clint Capela over 13.5 rebounds, Darius Garland over 8.5 assists
Los Angeles Clippers vs. New Orleans Pelicans (-1)
It simply sucks that Paul George has been officially ruled out due to NBA COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Without George, who showed early how much he can swing things in the Clippers' favor, can Los Angeles pull off some magic once again? All season long, the Clippers have stayed afloat without George and Kawhi Leonard.
We&rsquo;re not going to bet against the surging Pelicans, though. Head coach Willie Green has this group all the way locked in, so if CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram control the pace, we love the Pelicans. New Orleans clinches it on the road to set up a first round series against the juggernaut Phoenix Suns.
Pick: Pelicans -1
Player Props: CJ McCollum over 25.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 24.5 points, Reggie Jackson over 20.5 points, Ivica Zubac over 8.5 rebounds
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA Play-In Tournament games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/15/22

Many of them NBA big-game beginners, the young Cavaliers took their lumps in Brooklyn the other night and missed their first chance of making the playoffs.
Fortunately, they've got another shot.
Trouble is, Trae Young does, too.
Atlanta's high-scoring All-Star guard will be THE defensive focal point for Cleveland on Friday night as the Cavs host the Hawks in a win-or-start-vacation game. The winner advances to play No. 1 seed Miami in the Eastern Conference's first round.
Young averaged 32.5 points in four games &mdash; his high was 41 &mdash; against the Cavs this season, and Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn't waste a breath in bringing him up when asked about the challenges the Hawks present offensively.
&ldquo;Obviously, it starts with Trae Young,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;What he does impacts everybody else and his ability to one, make all the shots from all over the floor, two, to make all the plays with the ball in his hand, the passes and then that pick-and-roll game that they run."
Young started slowly but scored 24 points in Atlanta's 132-103 rout of Charlotte on Wednesday night, a game the Cavs watched live and scouted together.
&ldquo;They played well and they moved the ball well as a team,&rdquo; Cavs guard Rajon Rondo said. &ldquo;Trae accepted the double teams that Charlotte threw at him at the start of the game. He got off the ball extremely well, he shared the ball with his teammates and they made plays for each other.&rdquo;
The Cavs didn't handle Brooklyn's two-headed, Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving monster early in Tuesday night's 115-108 loss, the first taste of playoff-like intensity and physicality for most of Cleveland's players.
The Nets led by 20 points after the first quarter, and although the Cavs fought back and were within six late, the initial onslaught was too much to overcome.
There is no teacher like experience, and Bickerstaff believes his team will grow from the play-in opener.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been tested and I feel like our guys have done a really good job of responding,&rdquo; he said. And when they&rsquo;ve been in a certain situation, they don&rsquo;t make the same mistake twice. They come out and they learn from it and they improve on in the next time out."
Atlanta won three of the four matchups this season with Cleveland, blowing the Cavs out 131-107 in the most recent matchup on March 31. But the Cavs were short-handed in every game and could get back All-Star center Jarrett Allen, who has been sidelined since March 6 with a broken finger.
The team officially listed Allen as questionable on the injury report, a positive step after he missed the past 19 games.
Allen in the middle of Cleveland's defense would be another obstacle for Young, who is not only dangerous as a shooter but in finding Clint Capela and Atlanta's other big mans on lobs at the rim.
PLAYOFF RONDO
With 134 games of postseason experience, Rondo gives the Cavs someone who has seen it all this time of year.
He's been a sounding board for teammates and coaches. Bickerstaff called him a basketball &ldquo;savant&rdquo; before Rondo got nine assists in 26 productive minutes against the Nets.
A two-time champion, the 36-year-old Rondo struggled to describe his postseason metamorphosis.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t really put it into words,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I get a little more time to rest my body. I usually play a lot more minutes. The coaches usually allow me to do what I do best &mdash; manipulate the game and try to do what&rsquo;s best for the team and stay on the same page with my teammates, along with getting W&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
HURTING HAWKS
Atlanta forward John Collins, who hasn't played since March 11 with a sprained finger and foot, won't play along with guard Lou Williams (back).
Also, guard Bogdan Bogdanovic is questionable with a left ankle sprain.
DRE STEPS UP
Hawks forward De&rsquo;Andre Hunter scored 22 points in the play-in victory over the Hornets, with 16 coming during a third-quarter barrage that turned the game into a blowout.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Hunter has battled health issues and struggled to develop into a consistent performer over his three-year NBA career. The Hawks hope his performance was a sign that he&rsquo;s ready to step up in the postseason.
&ldquo;He was playing aggressive,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we need from Dre. He was making plays, getting to the basket, and the way he was guarding got Miles (Bridges) frustrated. It was a great all-around game for Dre.&rdquo;
THE BIG MAN
Cleveland&rsquo;s advantage in the post -- especially if Allen goes &mdash; puts a big responsibility on Capela.
Outside of him, the Hawks don&rsquo;t really have anyone who can match up with Cleveland&rsquo;s front line, which can include three 7-footers at once.
&ldquo;They pose a challenge because of their size,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;They do a good job of taking advantage of their size with their ability to pound you in the paint. They&rsquo;ve got a of lot of length.&rdquo;
Capela had a big game against Charlotte with 15 points and 17 rebounds, but the Hornets went went with a small lineup most of the game. That won&rsquo;t be the case against the Cavaliers, but the Hawks are confident in their man in the middle.
&ldquo;He was everywhere,&rdquo; Danilo Gallinari said. &ldquo;We know he can do that every single night. He&rsquo;s got our back and can dominate the paint.&rdquo;
___
AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Trae Young averaged 32.5 points in four games — his high was 41 — against the Cavs this season. The Hawks went 3-1 vs. Cleveland.

Cavs get second shot at playoffs, must slow Hawks' Young

We have never seen a player like Kevin Durant.
I'd like to say that's a widely accepted sentiment. He's one of the most unique athletes the league has seen; a lanky 7-footer (<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-nba-players-lie-about-their-height-1462316051" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he'd say otherwise</a>) with wild-when-you-think-about-it control over those limbs.&nbsp;
When we think of Durant, we think about his body type in conjunction with his scoring ability. Nobody that tall should be able to shoot like he does; with his lengthy arms, he shouldn't be able to handle the ball like he does. His thin frame shouldn't be able to handle the body blows he takes; smaller players are able to bother his base, but he still has the core strength to contort his body and hold firm for jumpers or shots after fouls.
He can shoot over you. He can finish through you. At his peak, he had the quicks to blow past people in his same frame range. Durant was and is a singularly unique talent.
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I'm not sure we talk enough about the other stuff though. It went a bit under the radar during Tuesday night's Play-In Tournament victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was easier to be slackjawed over Kyrie Irving's tremendous shot-making &mdash; 34 points on 15 shot attempts while fasting for Ramadan is insane &mdash;&nbsp;or Darius Garland's second-half plunge to keep things within striking distance.
Durant did score well, dropping 25 points while converting over 57% of his twos (8-of-14) and half of his threes (1-of-2). But I found myself marveling at the other ways he impacted the game.
Let's start here, actually:
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That's some well-designed Flex action from Cleveland &mdash; it should be familiar for those who enjoyed <a href="https://youtu.be/9sEmsZXWGgQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the LeBron Era</a> &mdash; and Lauri Markkanen makes it more fruitful with his swim move before the cut.&nbsp;
But Durant erases it anyway.&nbsp;
Not only does he erase the shot, he pops up and jets down the floor. He reads the cut from Kyrie and begins spacing towards the corner, receives a pass, then draws in Evan Mobley before slipping a pass to Andre Drummond.
The Nets were able to get good stuff out of Durant receiving screens from smalls.
There was his variation of Scissor action with Kyrie as the screener.
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He also set up empty corner looks for Bruce Brown.
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(As an aside, I felt sorry for Markkanen. The Durant matchup is not a fun one, nor is the Drummond one he received to start the game. Point of attack or last line of resistance, the Nets made sure to pick on him throughout the game.)
The passing from Durant was superb. He finished the game with 11 assists, one off the game lead from Kyrie. But it wasn't just the passing. It was the playmaking. It was the decision-making. Durant had just one turnover with those 11 dimes, and even that slip-up came on a tight-window pocket pass that he nailed several times during the course of the game.
And then, there was the defense. The box score reveals 3 blocks and a pair of steals, all of which were important and impressive. But I truly don't think Durant gets his due as a communicator.
For a team that switches as much as the Nets do &mdash; they switched on-ball and off-ball screens at a top-seven rate this season, per Second Spectrum &mdash; making sure the team is connected when offenses go to more complicated sets is key. Durant does a wonderful job of keeping things in line.
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When directly involved, Durant's length and mobility shine, as does his underrated sense of timing. He contested 19 different shots on Tuesday night, with the Cavs converting on just 42% of those looks, per Second Spectrum.&nbsp;
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This kind of "other stuff" productivity from Durant was simply a microcosm of his season.
On the season, Durant was <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&amp;match=single&amp;order_by_asc=0&amp;order_by=ws&amp;is_playoffs=N&amp;lg_id=NBA&amp;type=per_game&amp;per_minute_base=36&amp;per_poss_base=100&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=30&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=usg_pct&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=25&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=ast_pct&amp;ccomp%5B3%5D=lt&amp;cval%5B3%5D=13&amp;cstat%5B3%5D=tov_pct&amp;ccomp%5B4%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B4%5D=60&amp;cstat%5B4%5D=ts_pct&amp;age_min=0&amp;age_max=99&amp;season_start=1&amp;season_end=-1&amp;height_min=0&amp;height_max=99&amp;locationMatch=is&amp;as_comp=gt&amp;as_val=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of three players</a> &mdash; and nine all-time &mdash; to have a usage rate over 30% (31.2%), a True Shooting percentage over 60% (63.4%), an assist rate over 25% (29.1%), and a turnover rate under 13% (12.9%). The other two who matched such marks this season are Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James.
That blend of scoring&nbsp;and&nbsp;playmaking efficiency is rare.
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On the defensive side, Tuesday night's action was an extension of what we've seen from Durant. He's contested 19 or more shots in each of his last three games. Zoom out even further, and Durant's impact becomes more clear.
Opponents shoot less frequently at the rim with Durant on the floor; the differential (minus-2.4 percentage points) is tied for the best mark in Durant's career, and ranks in the 86th percentile overall, per Cleaning The Glass.
Not only do teams not shoot as much at the rim with Durant on the floor, but they also don't shoot as well &mdash; their rim efficiency drops over 4 percentage points, a figure that hasn't been hit since Durant's Thunder days.
Some of that can be attributed to the personnel beside or behind Durant, but a lot of that&nbsp;is&nbsp;Durant. The fact that he's pulling this off at his age, after his injuries and with his offensive workload is incredible stuff.
There's a reason that Durant was a strong MVP candidate before injuries took him (and the Nets) down. There are two, maybe three players in the sport affecting both ends on a per-possession basis to Durant's degree.
And none of them truly do it like&nbsp;him.
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Nekias Duncan pays homage to Kevin Durant's non-scoring skills after the Nets' win over the Cavs in the Play-In Tournament.

Marveling over Kevin Durant's other skills

With the 2021-22 NBA regular season in the books, let's examine the numbers and hand out some hardware to the cream of the fantasy crop.
Fantasy MVP: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
In regards to the NBA's actual Most Valuable Player award, a strong case could be made for several players (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-mvp-rankings-jokic-edging-out-embiid-antetokounmpo-chasing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as I detailed two weeks ago</a>). However, in the fantasy-hoops universe, Nikola Jokic reigns supreme for the second-straight season. And it wasn't particularly close.
Not only was the Joker durable, appearing in 74 games, but he was remarkably efficient (shooting over 58% from the floor and 81% from the charity stripe). His all-around statistical production was mind-boggling, as he became the first player in NBA history to tally more than 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in the same season. As a cherry on top, Jokic saved some of his best work for the fantasy playoffs. Over his last five games, he averaged 37.8 points, 16.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.2 steals (joining Karl Malone as the second player in league history to record five-straight double-doubles with 35+ points in each game). Whether you played in a head-to-head or roto league, nobody was more valuable than Mr. Jokic.&nbsp;
Fantasy Rookie of the Year: Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Detroit's Cade Cunningham, Orlando's Franz Wagner and Cleveland's Evan Mobley all posted impressive numbers in their rookie campaigns, but Barnes wins this race by a nose. Scottie appeared in 74 out of 82 games and became the only rookie since Luka Doncic to average at least 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a steal in their first season. Barnes is also the first rookie in Toronto's franchise history to record 1,000+ points, 500+ rebounds and 250+ assists. He finished the season ranked 66th overall in nine-category roto formats.&nbsp;
Most Improved Fantasy Player: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
This is another award that could go to a bevy of deserving players (such as Darius Garland, Jordan Poole and Ja Morant); however, in my opinion, Maxey gets the nod. Due to the drama and uncertainty surrounding Ben Simmons coming into this season, some fantasy pundits pegged Maxey as a late-round sleeper, but nobody could have expected Maxey to step in and step up as he did.&nbsp;
As a rookie in 2020-21, ​​Maxey averaged a modest 8.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 15 minutes a night while shooting just 30% from downtown, which resulted in him ranking 330th overall (behind players such as Edmond Sumner, John Konchar and Dean Wade) in nine-category fantasy leagues. Yet, as a starter out of the gates this season, Maxey averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 dimes, 3.2 boards and 1.8 treys, while converting 48.5% of his field goal attempts and 42.7% of his triple tries (including 48% from deep over the second half of the season). He finished the 2021-22 season ranked 35th overall in total fantasy value (ahead of fantasy stars such as Khris Middleton, Kristaps Porzingis and Domantas Sabonis). &nbsp;
Fantasy Coach of the Year: Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves 
On Monday, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced that they signed Finch to a multi-year extension. And many fantasy GMs surely applauded the decision. The Timberwolves led the NBA in pace (101.47), which is the way into the hearts of fantasy folks. The Wolves also led the league in points per game (115.9) for the first time in franchise history, made three-pointers (1,211) and turnovers forced (1,339). Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, D'Angelo Russell and even Patrick Beverley benefited statistically from Minny's up-tempo offense.&nbsp;
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Defensive Player of the Year: Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
For those of us who invested in JJJ on draft day the last few years, he finally rewarded us with a monster campaign in 2021-22. Jackson was able to stay healthy (making 78 appearances), and not only did he lead the league in blocked shots per game (2.3), he also averaged just shy of one steal and six rebounds. Factor in his effectiveness and efficiency from behind the arc (he knocked down 128 triples), and it's easy to see why Jackson returned fourth-round fantasy value this season.&nbsp;
Biggest Bust: Tie between Russell Westbrook and Julius Randle
After Randle finished in the top-40 overall in 2020-21, Knicks fans and fantasy GMs who drafted him back in October were hoping the burly power forward would be able to replicate his shockingly impressive production. Yet, although his counting stats were solid, Randle's field goal percentage dropped from 45.6% down to 41.1%, his three-point percentage tumbled from over 41% all the way down to below 30.8% and his free throw percentage dipped from above 81% to 75.6%. Randle also tied his career-high in turnovers (3.4). Due to the poor shooting numbers, turnovers and lack of defensive stats, Randle ranked 127th overall (or just behind Bruce Brown in per-game value).&nbsp;
Westbrook also badly burned fantasy GMs in 2021-22. Russ racked up plenty of points, rebounds and assists (18/7/7) but didn't come close to matching the 22/12/11 he averaged with the Washington Wizards the year before. In addition, Westbrook's extraordinary inefficiency and high turnover rate ruined many a fantasy matchup for GMs who rostered Russ.
Pickup of the Year: Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans
Jones, the 35th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, was a complete unknown to the vast majority of fantasy hoopers heading into the 2021-22 season. He went undrafted in even the deepest of leagues and went scoreless in just three minutes of action in the Pels' season opener. However, due to his defensive tenacity and efficient offense, Jones carved out a role in New Orleans and began being scooped up off of waiver wires nationwide. He had earned a spot in the starting lineup by late November and never relinquished it.
Jones finished the season averaging 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks. He led all rookies in total steals with 130 (50 more than Scottie Barnes, who ranked second) and was third in blocks. According to Basketball-Reference, he is the only rookie in New Orleans' franchise history to tally more than 125 steals and 50 blocks (and just the seventh rookie in NBA history to do so, joining Michael Jordan, Nerlens Noel, Ron Harper, Ben Simmons, Willie Anderson and David Robinson). Of those seven, Jones is the only one to commit 100 or fewer turnovers. Jones finished the season ranked 77th overall in nine-category formats.&nbsp;
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With the 2021-22 NBA regular season in the books, Tommy Beer hands out some hardware to the cream of the fantasy crop.

2021-22 Fantasy Basketball Awards: MVP, ROY, Most Improved and more

Kyrie Irving had 34 points and 12 assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and 11 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets took the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108 on Tuesday night in the play-in opener.
The Nets raced to a 20-point lead after one quarter and turned the Cavaliers away time and time again to earn a matchup with No. 2 seed Boston in a series that begins Sunday.
Irving made his first 12 shots before a 3-pointer rimmed out in the fourth quarter. He finished 12 for 15.
A preseason NBA Finals favorite who sputtered through a turbulent season and were in 10th place entering the last week of the regular season, the Nets have run off five straight wins. With Durant and Irving, they are far more dangerous than the usual No. 7 seed.
And both are willing to give the ball to teammates who are capitalizing when they get it. Bruce Brown had 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Andre Drummond scored 16 points.
Darius Garland scored 34 points for the Cavaliers, who have another chance to earn the No. 8 seed. They will host the winner of the Atlanta-Charlotte game on Friday, with the winner moving on to face No. 1 seed Miami.
Brooklyn and Cleveland both went 44-38 but the Nets clinched the tiebreaker by beating the Cavs at Barclays Center last Friday to finish 3-1 against them. Cleveland was confident it could come back to Brooklyn and win, though it was clear quickly just how difficult that would be.
The Nets made nearly 71% of their shots in the first quarter &mdash; Irving and Durant combined to make all eight of theirs &mdash; and closed the period with a 15-3 spurt that made it 40-20. It was a bigger lead than Brooklyn had in any first quarter during the regular season.
The offense sputtered, as it usually does, when Durant went to the bench to start the second and Cleveland went on a 9-2 run to cut it to 13. The margin stayed right around there the remainder of the half, with the Cavs missing a number of open looks before Irving's jumper at the buzzer made it 57-43. That made him 9 for 9 at the break.
The Cavaliers, trying to extend a surprising season that saw them double their win total from a season ago, kept chipping away in the second half. But they would too often miss an open 3-pointer or give up an extra possession on an offensive rebound that the Nets would take advantage of.
Nic Claxton had 13 points and nine rebounds for Brooklyn.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Evan Mobley scored 19 points and Kevin Love had 14 points and 13 rebounds. ... The Cavaliers remained without All-Star center Jarrett Allen because of a broken finger.
Nets: Irving's 9-for-9 first half wasn't even his best for Brooklyn. He was 10 for 10 against Chicago on Jan. 31, 2020. ... Brooklyn went 1-3 against Boston during the regular season. The Nets beat the Celtics 4-1 in the first round last season. ... Goran Dragic returned after missing the end of the regular season in health and safety protocols. He had three points in 10 minutes.
SUBWAY SHOOTING
The Nets and the New York Liberty Foundation announced before a moment of silence that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-steve-nash-5fbbe485d9c340bd7c7a44160317dffc">they were donating $50,000 </a> to help those who were injured after at least 10 people were shot on a subway Tuesday. The shooting occurred at the subway stop closest to the Nets' training facility.
SIMMONS STATUS
Nash said Ben Simmons is moving better and doing more shooting, but there still was no timetable for when he could finally play for the Nets. Simmons, who sat on the bench wearing a matching green jacket and shorts, has battled back problems since not long after being acquired from Philadelphia in February.
&ldquo;So definitely positive signs, improving and moving and all those things, but like I said he hasn&rsquo;t been running full speed or playing against anybody,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;So still a lot of markers to meet.&rdquo;
CENTER OF ATTENTION
Allen seemed poised to return for the play-in game, but the Cavaliers&rsquo; big man isn&rsquo;t quite ready.
Bickerstaff said the All-Star, who came to Cleveland from the Nets in a trade last season, did individual drills the past two days, when the team&rsquo;s focus at practice had to be on the available players to get ready for Brooklyn.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s doing well,&rdquo; said coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who has been without Allen for more than a month. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s working out; he&rsquo;s starting to do more with both hands. We&rsquo;re just kind of in a wait-and-see.&rdquo;

Kyrie Irving had 34 points and 12 assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and 11 assists and the Nets took the No. 7 seed in the East.

Irving, Durant lead Nets past Cavs in Play-In for No. 7 seed

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Tuesday's Play-In Tournament slate.
Brooklyn Nets (-9.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
It&rsquo;s fitting that postseason NBA basketball kicks off on Tuesday night with the Nets. One of the most polarizing teams in the Association goes up against the resurgent Cavaliers, who are again without All-Star center Jarrett Allen. Without Allen, tough sledding is ahead for Cleveland to pull off the massive upset. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley will need to outduel Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, which is a tough task for anyone in the world.
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&mdash; Tuesday, April 12th Cleveland Cavaliers @ Brooklyn Nets</blockquote>

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In the end, Brooklyn&rsquo;s experience and star power will reign supreme. Hammer with emphasis Brooklyn to pull off the double-digit Play-In victory.
Pick: Nets -9.5
Player Props: Kevin Durant over 31.5 points, Kyrie Irving over 28.5 points, Evan Mobley over 9.5 rebounds, Darius Garland over 8.5 assists
Minnesota Timberwolves (-3) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Unlike the probable result in the first Play-In matchup, expect fireworks in Minneapolis throughout Timberwolves vs. Clippers. Not only does this game have the underrated stars (Paul George and Karl-Anthony Towns), but it also features the scrappiness to create a playoff-like environment. This one was so tough to call, but in the end go for the underdog.

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George always comes up huge in these spots, so watch him will Los Angeles to a one-possession outcome. Whether it be an outright upset or backdoor cover, lock in Clippers +3 before tip-off.
Pick: Clippers +3
Player Props: Paul George over 27.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 22.5 points, Ivica Zubac over 8.5 rebounds, Karl-Anthony Towns over 1.5 threes
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Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/12/22

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 36 points, leading a pair of fourth-quarter surges that carried the Brooklyn Nets into a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 118-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. 
The Nets caught the Cavaliers at 43-38 with a game remaining and clinched the tiebreaker. They will finish seventh if they beat Indiana on Sunday in their final regular-season game. The No. 7 team hosts No. 8 on Tuesday, moving into the playoffs with a victory. 
The loser of the 7-8 game has a second shot at the postseason by beating the winner of the game between the Nos. 9 and 10 teams on Friday.
Kyrie Irving shook off a poor shooting night to finish with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Bruce Brown had 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Nets, who won their third straight. Andre Drummond had 15 points and 12 rebounds. 
Darius Garland scored 31 points for the Cavaliers, who dropped their third straight. They got rookie Evan Mobley back after a five-game absence with a sprained left ankle but are still missing All-Star center Jarrett Allen because of a broken finger that has sidelined him nearly a month.
Mobley and Lauri Markkanen both had 17 points. 
Durant scored 16 points in the first quarter but the Cavaliers defended well across the middle two periods and were ahead 93-89 early in the fourth. Durant then made a go-ahead 3-pointer during a 10-0 spurt that made it 99-93.
Cleveland got the next two baskets but Durant made another 3 to kick off an 8-0 run that put Brooklyn in control at 107-97 with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining. 
Durant was 6 for 7 in the first quarter and the Cavaliers barely outscored him, with the Nets leading 34-19. But he missed all three shots in the second and the Cavs worked their way back into it, getting within five before Brooklyn took a 62-54 advantage to the half. 
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Cedi Osman turned 27. ... Former Nets swingman Caris LeVert scored 16 points. 
Nets: Coach Steve Nash, on the decision to waive veteran James Johnson on Thursday: “There’s a lot of tough decisions throughout the year, so that’s just another tough one and sometimes it’s a bit unforeseen where things are going to go and the decision was made. So we just have to move on and just keep coaching the group, keep pushing the group.”
CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR?
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he wasn't offended by the notion that top teams in the East might have been angling to avoid the Nets and would rather face his young team.
“I mean, the perception or the reality of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and the pieces that are around this team and the way that they’re coached, you can understand why people would want to do that,” Bickerstaff said. “But I’ll tell you this, if we’re healthy, we’re not a team people want to face.” 
SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES
Allen and LeVert, who originally ended up in Indiana before being traded this season to Cleveland, were part of the four-team deal in January 2021 that brought James Harden to Brooklyn.
“It’s amazing. It’s probably been 13 months or something like that it feels like five years,” Nash said. “But happy for those guys doing well, playing on a good team and they’ve found a nice home.”
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Milwaukee on Sunday.
Nets: Host Indiana on Sunday.

Brooklyn Nets improve playoff positioning with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Durant, Nets beat Cavs, in position to take No. 7 in East

After looking at how to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/betting-the-west-why-the-suns-being-heavy-favorites-makes-sense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bet the Western Conference</a> in the forthcoming NBA Playoffs, we now turn our attention to the Eastern Conference. Parity is of the essence atop the East, which includes five teams with a legitimate argument to win the conference and make a run to the NBA Finals. From a betting perspective, sportsbooks are all over the place when it comes to forecasting what&rsquo;s next in the East. How should the conference be divvied up before the postseason? Let&rsquo;s dive into the odds.
Tier 1: Milwaukee Bucks +270, Brooklyn Nets +330
I have this weird feeling building we&rsquo;re going to get Suns vs. Bucks Part II in a few months with another championship on the line. As of late, Milwaukee is finding a groove and rounding into form for their title defense. Giannis Antetokounmpo can break any defense apart, so another dominant run could cement his overall legacy. Considering the Bucks have such a strong rotation, the safest bet right now is to repeat last year&rsquo;s Finals matchup.
The one X-factor in the East has to be Brooklyn. Although James Harden is no longer there, Brooklyn still has two stars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving who can push an elite team like Milwaukee to the brink. As we&rsquo;ve seen this season, the Nets are nearly impossible to stop when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both going off offensively.
Last season saw Durant nearly beat the Bucks by himself in the Eastern Conference Finals. If Irving stays healthy, the main theme of top teams repeating could circle back around for an epic early-round clash.
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Highlights from last night's OT WIN vs. Nets. ⚡️ <a href="https://twitter.com/we_energies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@we_energies</a> ⚡️ <a href="https://t.co/A8gHaMibWs">pic.twitter.com/A8gHaMibWs</a>
&mdash; Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1509923795028615197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Tier 2: Miami Heat +425, Boston Celtics +430, Philadelphia 76ers +500
Kudos to BasketballNews&rsquo; own Spencer Davies, because he called it on the first &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; podcast episode previewing the 2021-22 season. He said that Miami was going to surprise some people and was right on the money. Miami has the two-way versatility to compete with the East&rsquo;s elite. The leaps from Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have taken pressure off of Jimmy Butler, and it always helps to have a soothing veteran point guard presence in Kyle Lowry.
Miami has shown lockdown potential on both ends of the court, so if they have a hot shooting series, they can go toe-to-toe with anybody.
Losing Robert Williams due to injury is going to hurt Boston in the short-term, but this team has been scary good since the All-Star break. Jayson Tatum is one of the best scorers in the NBA, and Jaylen Brown is finding his spots within the flow of the offense. Any concerns related to Tatum and Brown&rsquo;s on-court fit have fizzled out. Boston has the star power to win big, but they also have some veterans who can be key in postseason pushes.
If I wanted to throw a dart at any of the odds presented on the board, Philadelphia gets my attention. The odds at +500 are simply too good to pass up. Betting on a historic postseason from Joel Embiid and James Harden, who continue to build chemistry together, has an extremely high ceiling. Tyrese Maxey has also begun to blossom, helping form a fun long-term trio in Philadelphia. I wouldn&rsquo;t be stunned if we saw the Sixers make the Finals, and I still feel there&rsquo;s a real shot there.
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Tier 3: Chicago Bulls +2700, Toronto Raptors +3000, Cleveland Cavaliers +5500
Unlike the Western Conference&rsquo;s top Tier 3 team, the Utah Jazz (+950), Chicago kicks it off at +2700 odds. It&rsquo;s been disappointing to watch the Bulls lose steam over the last few months because the early potential was off the charts. DeMar DeRozan is a perfect fit within the Bulls&rsquo; system alongside Zach LaVine, but losing Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso for the majority of the regular season were massive blows. Maybe the Bulls can surprise in the first round, but betters shouldn't expect much beyond that, especially now that Ball is officially out for the season.
Second to Philadelphia on my favorite odds out East, Toronto at +3000 is very tempting to hammer. The Raptors have caught lightning in a bottle for a while now, and their blend of win-now veterans and exciting young players is fun to watch. Pascal Siakam deserves an All-NBA spot, and the trio of Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby provide ideal two-way balance. Versatility is off the charts in Toronto, and there&rsquo;s a reality where they could be playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. Don&rsquo;t sleep on the Raptors because they&rsquo;ve been quietly impressive since February.
In the opposite direction of Toronto, Cleveland checks in with long +5500 odds. The Cavaliers were rolling behind their dynamic young trio of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. When Allen, their two-way All-Star anchor, went down it knocked the wind out of Cleveland&rsquo;s surging sails. Garland taking the leap could help Cleveland become a frisky opponent out early in the postseason. I&rsquo;m excited to see what happens this offseason for a team ready to take another huge leap forward in 2022-23.
Tier 4: Atlanta Hawks +10000, Charlotte Hornets +18000
In Tier 4, the odds are bordering on impossible for an NBA Finals run. Atlanta has been one of the NBA&rsquo;s most disappointing teams this season after their surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. Trae Young is doing his best to carry a consistently short-handed Hawks squad, which is leading to some absurd individual numbers along the way. Maybe Young can help Atlanta push a team in the first round, but betting against another surprise run shouldn&rsquo;t be off the table.
Charlotte is one of my favorite teams to watch this season when they get humming offensively. LaMelo Ball running the show is so entertaining, plus they have a plethora of high-volume three-point shooters. Miles Bridges&rsquo; leap in a contract year makes him a pillar piece to Ball in Charlotte. It would be fun to have the Hornets in the postseason, but it may be a very quick exit for them. If Charlotte can add one more game-changing piece in the offseason (Myles Turner, perhaps?), they could take a huge leap in 2023.
Analyzing the betting odds in the Eastern Conference, the possibilities are endless. Five teams sit within the first two tiers of Finals probabilities, and it wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see a team with longer odds (Raptors, Hawks, etc.) make a surprise push further.
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With the NBA postseason drawing near, which teams have the best odds to come out of the Eastern Conference?

Betting the East: Possibilities are endless for NBA Finals contenders

He can&rsquo;t be a lead guard.
He&rsquo;s not a point guard.
He can&rsquo;t get to the rim.
You&rsquo;ve probably seen these kinds of phrases thrown around as long as you&rsquo;ve watched the NBA, and for good reason. Lead guard/primary ball-handler play is pretty essential to good offense.
Driving the ball, getting to the rim, collapsing the defense and forcing a defensive rotation/help at the rim with a well-timed pass to the vacated spot where the help came from (or an even more ambitious pass to where help is coming from next) are staples of modern offense in the league.
Ja Morant, Luka Doncic and Trae Young are three of the idyllic rim-pressure threats in their own variations.
Morant is the absurd downhill athlete with incredible at-rim pop. Defenses sell out to stop him from even nearing the paint. Doncic (No. 2 in the league in drives per game) breaks down his man with strength, rhythm and angles
Young is a pull-up artist with a type of guile in his movements that forces overplays on the exterior, and he uses it to his benefit, gliding to the paint and utilizing one of the best floaters in the league (also disguised as a lob!) to punish the defense. Young takes the least shots at the rim of the three, but getting there is not an issue in the slightest, and he's worked his game to use his touch and shiftiness to his advantage.
All three are varying levels of passers ranging from very good to preternatural, but the point remains that their differing gifts, along with their honed craft, are the perfect catalysts for destructing defenses.
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What about the guards/ball-handlers who are imperfect though? I'm not sure I've been more interested in such a thought than I have been this season.
Darius Garland, a player whom many draft analysts wondered if he could get to the rim enough, just makes it work. Prolific pull-up shooting, a phenomenal handle and stellar court vision allow him to work around his own at-rim struggles. He gets to the rim and to the paint with regularity, but due to his lack of verticality, finishing there isn't his forte. Drop-offs, dump-offs and well-placed and disguised lobs in tandem with his floater (in the same vein of Young) formulate the ability to set up his fantastic array of lob partners.
That timing aspect &mdash; VERY IMPORTANT.
Part of what makes this work for Garland is how sneaky he is with his interior game. Everything he does is lightning quick, often even taking his bigs by surprise (I swear at least one-third of his turnovers are bobbled passes that shock the recipient). Quickness, pace and timeliness.&nbsp;
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Oh my word, Darius Garland <a href="https://t.co/fYhSjPzfUP">pic.twitter.com/fYhSjPzfUP</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1459617261405327369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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First off, this pass is freakin sick. Second, this is a great (albeit exaggerated) microcosm of what makes Garland so effective: the defense is always guessing. He's always pushing and probing and again, the defense is on its heels as he keeps the pressure on making it look like he could score. If stifled, he's superb at moving the ball, moving himself with quickness and then making himself available for the ball again as soon as possible. He's like a hornet, constantly stinging with an absurd work rate that's so difficult to keep pace with as a defender.
Immanuel Quickley enters stage left
The aforementioned three questions have been asked over and over again this year in regard to Immanuel Quickley and his ability to lead an offense. They're the same questions that were asked when he was drafted.
By definition, Quickley IS a combo guard. He is not Garland, as he lacks the same handle and playmaking ability that made the Cavs' maestro a first time All-Star, but through that same lens, there are some comparisons that can be drawn.
Since the All-Star Break (20 games, Knicks 10-10), Quickley is averaging 15.2 points and 4.2 assists with 1.2 turnovers per game on 61.1% True Shooting in slightly over 26 minutes of play per night. He's bombed away from three, taking 5.1 treys per game hitting at a 39.2% clip; most importantly, it's how he's getting these shots off.
Three-and-a-half of these long-distance tries per game are pull-up threes (shooting 41.4%), forcing defenses to prioritize his jumper and consistently forcing his defender to go over on ball-screens he runs.
One of my favorite and the most encouraging things: He is becoming quite cunning at grifting for fouls (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/in-defense-of-fouldrawing-a-gift-not-a-grift" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a gift</a>), averaging 4.8 trips to the line per game after the break. He's eighth in percentage of points derived from free throws in that time frame, actually ahead of RJ Barrett, who has been putting work in at the line.
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He's so good at snaking, using his body to wall off his man and baiting him into contact. He has a real knack for selling fouls while also deserving them if that makes sense, even if it is grifty! This is an awesome development and legitimate way to buoy his offensive game.
Quickley is shooting 45.0% from 4 to 14 feet over that span (30% of his total shots), a large portion of his offense. The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-immanuel-quickleys-unusual-shot-diet-can-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floater is essential for him</a>. Much like we've seen with Bruce Brown in his ebbs and flows, the floater diet is a tough one; if it's not falling, the defense will adjust accordingly. But, if it is at a high clip, it puts the defense in a quandary. It is just a really hard shot to NOT contest even if it typically has less inherent value than a layup in theory.
Quickley is a good passer, not a great one &mdash; an important distinction. Ideally, he's not your best playmaker on the floor. I would honestly love to see him be more aggressive in some of the reads he makes. He'll make really good quick decisions, but he can be rather safe with the ball at times. He doesn't have the typical downhill burst of a primary ball-handler who will fully break a defense, but the quickness and timing of the passes he does make &mdash; due to the gravity he commands as a pull-up threat out of pick-and-roll &mdash; can allow him to imitate some of those looks.
Since the All-Star Break, Quickley is averaging 8.3 potential assists, accounting for all passes that lead to a shot attempt regardless of a make or miss. That puts him in the same ballpark of Jimmy Butler (8.2), DeMar DeRozan (8.6) and Julius Randle (8.5), all players with a significant usage and substantially higher minutes played than Quickley. That's not to say that he's a better scorer or playmaker, but rather to illustrate that he's doing more than the assists might indicate at face value.
This possession is such a great encapsulation of what Quickly brings offensively.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The young Knicks who move the ball quickly and with purpose are just joyous Really fun possession <a href="https://t.co/tKXGZb4irJ">pic.twitter.com/tKXGZb4irJ</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1511079654471442434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

RJ Hampton sells out for the Quickley stepback three. Quickley makes a really quick outlet pass to Obi Toppin in the slot and moves himself immediately.
A quick pause: YES. This is so huge; the relocation and constant movement. A great way to offset the lack of other primary skills is to push the tempo &mdash; always moving, always scanning and always relocating after you're out of an action. If you immediately make yourself available after the ball leaves your hands, you can put some added strain on a defense. Simple, but very effective. (This is something Tyrese Haliburton is great at.)
Yes, the initial dent Quickley puts in the defense might be lesser than that of a true primary, but with a good offensive ethos and the principles laid out, we've seen the ability for some really solid offenses to live on continuous advantage creation and maintenance.
Quickley gets far enough in to draw Devin Cannady over in a help scenario before kicking to Barrett for the corner three. I don't have a "for sure" answer, but it feels like if Quickley is able to get another step into the paint with even more of an at-rim/floater sell, perhaps he puts even more of a dent in the defense. I'm nitpicking, but it's also important to note that this is just a harder way of life as an offensive player. If Cannady is actually a wing-sized player guarding Barrett, it's a shot that's much easier to contest.&nbsp;
With Robinson in the dunker spot, Robin Lopez is rather frozen, and on the IQ fake, he immediately seeks out Robinson's body to prevent the lob or box him out on a shot attempt.
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There are subtleties in pacing Quickly can improve upon (he's already shown great signs of growth) that could make him even more impactful. Pairing him with lob partners like Robinson and Jericho Sims makes his floater and the threat of it that much more impactful, as he starts to work on masking his shot and pass to mimic one another. Sims' screening has been very fun to see work in tandem with Quickley as well; he's easily the best screener on the team that isn't IQ.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks' offense scores 5.3 points per 100 possessions more with Quickley on the floor. Yes, on/offs are extremely finicky and New York's awful starting unit plays a huge part in this sizable differential. Yet, that's also part of the point, no?
When IQ is on the floor, the Knicks actively seek more opportunities in transition and push more off of live rebounds. Truly, they just move quicker and with more purpose, something that's been a real issue for this Knicks team. The young guys play with pace, actively relocate, make quick decisions and continue to exploit advantages.
Barrett is the power wing that was promised, currently in the midst of his own breakout with high usage. In some ways, tasking IQ and Barrett with overlapping usage and quasi-primary creation together could be (and has been) a boon. RJ is one of the best in the league at getting to the rim (the finishing deserves its own article), and the pair together can mask some of its offensive flaws/inefficiencies. Both can start sets, both can capitalize upon advantages, and both are still feeling out their own abilities as creators.
Per Cleaning the Glass, lineups with Quickley and Barrett that don't feature Randle are outscoring opponents by 4.8 points per 100 possessions (747 possessions total, a solid sample). This is not intended as a refrendum on Randle; it's just a case in point when looking at who is commanding usage on the court.
Quickley doesn't get to the rim with regularity, but he does things that can emulate lead guard play. It's a harder diet to survive on, but so is *checks notes* everything else the Knicks have tried this season. He's shown enough encouraging signs that he can thrive.
It's been time for the Knicks' front office/Tom Thibodeau/whoever the heck is in charge there to prioritize Quickley and his ability to elevate the offense &mdash; and with hope, that's what they'll do this offseason.
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While Immanuel Quickley might not get to the rim like a traditional point guard, he elicits lead ball-handler traits with regularity.

Immanuel Quickley: Pressuring the rim without getting there

Not since 1998 have the Cleveland Cavaliers made the playoffs without LeBron James.
This season, they&rsquo;re at least assured of a spot in the Play-In tournament after an impressive turnaround.
The 10 teams in the Eastern Conference that will advance beyond the 82-game regular season are already set. The only suspense left is determining seeding &mdash; and which teams will avoid the Play-In and go straight to the playoffs. Chicago, Toronto and Cleveland, who finished 11th, 12th and 13th in the conference last season, are now battling it out to finish in the top six.
The Bulls (45-33) and Raptors (45-33) are tied for fifth, just above the Play-In cutoff. The Cavaliers (43-36) are in seventh.
Chicago hasn&rsquo;t made the playoffs since 2017. Cleveland hasn&rsquo;t made it since 2018 &mdash; before James left the team for a second time. Only Charlotte (2016) has a longer playoff drought in the East, and the Hornets made the Play-In last season and have done so again this year.
The Cavaliers went 22-50 a season ago, but they&rsquo;ll finish 2021-22 with a winning record. Cleveland has the fifth-best defensive rating in the league this season after finishing 25th a year ago. It hasn&rsquo;t been a great stretch run for the Cavs, who have lost six of their last eight and appear headed to the Play-In round.
&ldquo;My biggest concern is our habits, and if we&rsquo;re doing things correctly,&rdquo; coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after a recent win over the New York Knicks. &ldquo;We do things correctly, we&rsquo;ve got enough to win basketball games. So that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re focusing on is those habits and continuing to do the right things, and then you let the teams in front of you do what they need to do.&rdquo;
Cleveland still has Kevin Love, a veteran link to the Cavs&rsquo; 2016 championship, but younger players like Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, rookie Evan Mobley and Lauri Markkanen have really helped drive this improvement.
Markkanen went to Cleveland from Chicago in an offseason trade, but the Bulls have done fine without him, climbing the standings after they went 31-41 a season ago. Their big new addition, DeMar DeRozan, is averaging a career-high 28 points per game, helping change the Bulls&rsquo; outlook considerably.
Chicago&rsquo;s defense has actually slipped since last season, but its offensive rating has improved from 21st in the league to 11th. DeRozan scored 50 points in an overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. DeRozan said a missed free throw late in the fourth quarter left him frustrated, but the Bulls took the game anyway.
&ldquo;I think he gets really mad all the time, to be quite honest,&rdquo; coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;I think he holds himself to such a high standard, and I think that&rsquo;s what makes him a great player.&rdquo;
Chicago&rsquo;s next two games are tough &mdash; against Milwaukee on Tuesday night and Boston on Wednesday night &mdash; but they&rsquo;re both at home. Then the Bulls host Charlotte before playing at Minnesota to end the regular season.
Toronto finishes with home games against Atlanta, Philadelphia and Houston, followed by a game in New York against the Knicks.
The Cavaliers need help from the out-of-town scoreboard to avoid the Play-In, and although they have a very winnable game Tuesday night at Orlando. They then play at Brooklyn and at home against Milwaukee.
OTHER RACES
The top seed in the East is still up for grabs, with Miami (51-28) hoping to hold off Boston (49-30), Milwaukee (48-30) and Philadelphia (48-30). The Heat have home games against Charlotte and Atlanta before a trip to Orlando. Milwaukee hosts Boston on Thursday night, but it remains to be seen if either of those teams still has a chance at the No. 1 seed by then.
Of the top 10 spots in the East, the largest separation between any two of them is three games, so there&rsquo;s still a lot of uncertainty left, even if everyone but those 10 teams has been eliminated already. That&rsquo;s a lot different than the West, where Phoenix (62-16) has secured the top seed and Memphis (55-23) has locked up No. 2.

After fast starts in the first half of the season, Cleveland and Chicago are suddenly reeling.

Cavaliers, Bulls pushing for playoffs in East after droughts

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid did plenty of damage on his own. The Cavaliers, though, felt the big man got some unwarranted help.
Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff was highly critical of the officiating after Embiid scored 44 points &mdash; and made 20 trips to the free throw line &mdash; in Philadelphia's 112-108 win over the Cavs on Sunday night.
&ldquo;That game was taken from us,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;We deserved to win it.&rdquo;
Embiid added 17 rebounds and James Harden had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his second triple-double with Philadelphia as the 76ers locked up a playoff spot.
Embiid was questionable coming into the game with a sore ankle. But not only did the 7-footer play, Embiid dominated down the stretch, scoring 12 points in a key sequence of the fourth quarter.
He also made 17 free throws, added five blocks, made three 3-pointers and had three assists in 38 minutes of another MVP resume builder.
Embiid won&rsquo;t allow himself to get caught up in the debate.
&ldquo;If it happens, great,&rdquo; he said of winning his first MVP. &ldquo;If it doesn&rsquo;t, I don&rsquo;t know what I have to do. I&rsquo;ll feel like they hate me. I feel like the standard for guys in Philly or for me is different than everyone else.&rdquo;
Bickerstaff wasn't taking anything away from Embiid or Harden, but he was upset with what he thought was a major discrepancy in fouls. Cleveland was called for 28 to Philadelphia's 19 in a physical game with playoff-level intensity.
&ldquo;The one thing you can't defend is the free throw line and that's absurd,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said, referring to the Sixers' 42 attempted foul shots. &ldquo;Our guys deserved way better than they got tonight.
&ldquo;They're great players and they understand how to play through the rules,&rdquo; he said of Philly's All-Stars. &ldquo;They know how to manipulate the rules. This is no knock or disrespect to those guys. But the game has to be consistent on both ends of the floor. We were searching for that consistency and we never found it.&rdquo;
Darius Garland scored 23 and Caris LeVert and Lamar Stevens had 18 apiece for the Cavs, who played without injured 7-footers Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen but battled one of the East's top teams to the finish.
Cleveland, which is trying to hang onto the No. 7 play-in spot, was within 107-106 when Bickerstaff felt Garland drew contact from Embiid while missing an off-balance layup with 15.2 seconds left.
&ldquo;Darius was fouled,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;He did his job and got to a spot and got fouled. No whistle.&rdquo;
The Cavs were only down 109-106 after Harden made two free throws with 11.2 seconds left.
But Kevin Love made a careless inbounds pass that was stolen by Matisse Thybulle, who then made a pass from a sitting position to a streaking Tobais Harris for a game-sealing dunk with 7.2 seconds left.
Nothing came easy on offense for the Sixers, who made 21 3-pointers and scored a season-high 144 in a win over Charlotte on Saturday.
&ldquo;Yesterday we couldn&rsquo;t miss,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Today, we couldn&rsquo;t make.&rdquo;
But Embiid bailed his teammates out with the kind of performance that has come to be expected of him, the kind made by an MVP.
&ldquo;I get to witness his greatness every night," Harden said. "Obviously, his offensive numbers tonight are self-explanatory. Defensively, he was very active blocking shots, changing shots and clogging the paint up was key.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
76ers: Finished 35 of 42 at the line. ... F Paul Millsap, a 15-year veteran, has only played eight minutes in the last five games. Millsap has only appeared in four games since DeAndre Jordan was signed on March 3. &hellip; Philadelphia plays three of its final four regular-season games on the road. ... Rivers had high praise for Cavs guard Rajon Rondo, who played for him in Boston. &ldquo;The brightest player I've ever been around,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;He kept us (coaches) on our toes.&rdquo;
Cavaliers: Rondo (ankle) played for the first time since March 12. ... Allen missed his 15th straight game and Mobley sat his fourth in a row. Bickerstaff did not say when &mdash; or if &mdash; either will be back before the regular season ends in a week.
EM(BIID)-VP TALK
Rivers has been campaigning for Embiid to win MVP honors this season among a group of worthy candidates. For the Sixers coach, Embiid's passing, defense and leadership are overlooked parts of his well-rounded game.
&ldquo;I know he's my guy, obviously,&rdquo; Rivers said pregame. &ldquo;He has just has done so many things.&rdquo;
Rivers credits Embiid for pulling the Sixers through &ldquo;the Ben Simmons saga.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He was our second-best player at the time and was out, and at the All-Star break when we made the trade, we were a game out of first place in the East,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;There's a lot to be said about that.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
76ers: Play at Indiana on Tuesday.
Cavaliers: Visit Orlando on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid scored 44 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in Philadelphia's win in Cleveland.

Cavs cry foul after Embiid scores 44 in Sixers' 122-108 win

Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-101 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Garland led seven Cavaliers in double figures as Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak.
Caris LeVert finished with 19 points. Moses Brown and Isaac Okoro each added 16. Brown also had 13 rebounds. Kevin Love had 15 off the bench. Cedi Osman and Lauri Markkanen both added 10 for Cleveland.
&ldquo;We're starting to put something together,&rdquo; Garland said.
Added Love: &ldquo;We're a very good team.&rdquo;
After a four-game winning streak, New York has lost two straight.
Obi Toppin scored a career-high 20 points. Evan Fournier had 19. Immanuel Quickley scored 17 off the bench. RJ Barrett finished with 12, and Alec Burks had 11 for New York.
&ldquo;We lost today so it really doesn't mean anything to me,&rdquo; Toppin said about his career day. &ldquo;We (have to) learn from today and just get better and win these next couple games.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers never trailed in sweeping the regular-season series. Cleveland shot 54.3% from the field (44-for-81) and 44.1% from 3 in the matinee at Madison Square Garden.
&ldquo;We finally made some shots,&rdquo; Garland said.
New York was 31-for-77 from the field (40.3%) and 13-for-30 from 3 (43.3%).
But the Knicks were unable to score a go-ahead basket at any point. And Cleveland took every opportunity to build on its advantage including a 57-second sequence in the third quarter.
Barrett made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 80-74. The Cavaliers responded with an Okoro tip-in, an Okoro 3, and a spectacular two-handed dunk from Brown to push the lead to 13.
The spurt increased into an 22-11 quarter-ending run, allowing Cleveland to enter the fourth with an 102-87 advantage.
&ldquo;It was definitely something we talked about within the huddle in that second half,&rdquo; Love said of the Cavaliers ability to put the game away. &ldquo;When we got up we said we (didn't have to) stop and let's continue to make the right play; play for each other.&rdquo;
Osman&rsquo;s four-point play with 9:28 left put the game away.
&ldquo;They have a lot of guys who can stretch the floor,&rdquo; said Quickley. &ldquo;We didn't play our best.&rdquo;
Cleveland rookie Evan Mobley missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: With slightly more than a week remaining in the regular season, the Cavaliers are in the midst of a playoff race. Entering the day, Cleveland was seventh in the East which places them amongst the teams in the play-in mix. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s obviously a step forward for us,&rdquo; Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before the game.
&ldquo;No matter what team has been built (and) how long they&rsquo;ve sustained success, they&rsquo;ve had to go through this process and they&rsquo;ve gone through the process of being heartbroken and learning through disappointment.&rdquo;
When asked specifically how he thought his team was handling being in a playoff push, Bickerstaff said he believed they were &ldquo;handling it well.&rdquo;
Knicks: New York star forward Julius Randle missed the game with an injured quadriceps, and coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game it is &ldquo;most likely he will be out the rest of the way.&rdquo; Randle, 27, averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 72 games this season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had this nagging thing going on for awhile,&rdquo; he said.
Thibodeau said Randle will not travel with the team to Orlando for Sunday&rsquo;s game against the Magic. Following Sunday, New York will have three games left in what has been a disappointing season.
&ldquo;Most likely where we are, just let him get healthy and go from there,&rdquo; Thibodeau said.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: host Philadelphia on Sunday.
Knicks: visit Orlando on Sunday.

Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-101 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday.

Darius Garland leads Cavaliers to 119-101 win over Knicks

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 30 points and the surging Atlanta Hawks never trailed while beating the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 131-107 on Thursday night to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
Cedi Osman led Cleveland with 21 points. Darius Garland had 18 points and eight assists while sitting out the final quarter of the blowout loss.
Cavaliers standout rookie Evan Mobley missed his second consecutive game with a sprained ankle. Cleveland has lost two straight and five of six as it attempts to keep the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Young had nine assists as the Hawks' fourth consecutive win clinched no worse than the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference and a berth in the play-in tournament. The Hawks began the night one-half game behind Charlotte and one game behind Brooklyn.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in a tight race here at the end and we&rsquo;re starting to click at the right time,&rdquo; Young said, before offering the reminder the Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals last year. &ldquo;We did the same thing last year and we were able to make a run.&rdquo;
Kevin Huerter continued his strong finish to the regular season with 23 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Clint Capela added 12 points with 14 rebounds.
Cavaliers coach B.J. Bickerstaff said before the game &ldquo;we&rsquo;re searching at this point&rdquo; for a playing rotation due to injuries. Guard Rajon Rando (ankle) missed his 10th consecutive game. Center Jarrett Allen missed his 12th straight with a finger injury.
Bickerstaff said he respected the Hawks' &ldquo;firepower&rdquo; and said &ldquo;they have the ability to blow you out because of that.&rdquo;
The Hawks delivered on Bickerstaff's assessment.
Atlanta took its first double-digit lead at 29-19 on Bogdan Bogdanovic's 3-pointer with 3 minutes remaining in the opening period. The Hawks stretched the lead to 20 points, 73-53, early in the second half on Young's 3 and extended the advantage to 30 points in the final period.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Mobley did not travel to Atlanta and is &ldquo;headed in the right direction,&rdquo; according to Bickerstaff. ... G RJ Nembhard was converted to a standard NBA contract. ... C Moses Brown had 15 points and 13 rebounds in his second consecutive start after he was signed to a two-way contract.
Hawks: C Onyeka Oknogwu had 17 points and 12 rebounds. ... There was no update on F John Collins almost two weeks after the team announced he would be out indefinitely with a plantar fascia tear in his right foot and a right finger sprain. Coach Nate McMillan said Collins &ldquo;is not doing anything as far as running and jumping&rdquo; but added &ldquo;we're not saying he's shut down.&rdquo; ... In a pregame ceremony, Young was presented the team's Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for community service. The award is given each year in honor of the late Atlanta center who died in 2005.
INJURY SCARE
Young played the third quarter after suffering what McMillan said he feared was a serious groin injury in the first half.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been kind of sore these past couple of weeks,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;... I just took a wrong step and it kind of shocked me for a second. ... I&rsquo;ll be all right.&rdquo;
HUERTER&rsquo;S SCORING SURGE
Huerter is taking advantage of increased scoring opportunities, especially in games when Danilo Gallinari (right elbow contusion) has joined John Collins on the inactive list. Huerter sank five of six 3-pointers, his fourth consecutive game making at least four 3s.
Some of Huerter&rsquo;s shots are the result of defenses placing extra attention on Young.
&ldquo;Kevin has been getting more minutes, and playing with Trae the ball has found him,&rdquo; McMillan said.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Continue a stretch of three games in four days when they visit the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Hawks: Remain home to play the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

Trae Young scored 30 points and the surging Hawks never trailed while beating the short-handed Cavaliers 131-107 on Thursday.