Pilots

The 2001-02 NBA season was Michael Jordan&rsquo;s first with the Washington Wizards, a time when he decided to unretire and return to the league for the second time in his career.
Some would have you believe that MJ&rsquo;s Wizard years &ldquo;diminished his legacy," while others feel that he was still the best shooting guard in the league. Wherever he actually stood, Jordan was clearly still exceptional given his age, production and general persistence.
In that '01-02 campaign, there were plenty glimmers of &ldquo;old&rdquo; Jordan &mdash; as well as old Jordan, who turned 39 that February &mdash; but were they enough to make him a Most Valuable Player candidate at one point? It was at least discussed.
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Around this time 20 years ago, Jordan had just returned from a chronic knee injury that had <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/news/2002/0225/1340423.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly been bothering him throughout the season</a>. He even came off the bench upon being reinserted to the lineup for the final seven games of the season, and he scored more than 14 points just one time. But before missing 12 games of action between Feb. 27 and March 18, Jordan&rsquo;s comeback season had been a successful one.
When Jordan went down, <a href="http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand.php?link=Y&amp;season=2002&amp;divcnf=div&amp;month=Feb&amp;date=23">the Wizards were 27-27 and in the playoff chase</a>, tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference with Allen Iverson&rsquo;s Philadelphia 76ers and Baron Davis&rsquo; Charlotte Hornets. Washington was also just three games behind Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker and the Boston Celtics, who were sitting in fourth. Jordan had been averaging 24.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game on 41.9% shooting from the field and 78.8% from the free-throw line at the time of his injury, which forced an extended absence.&nbsp;
(Just days before the setback, the Wizards were 27-23 and fifth in the East, and that was about three months following a 2-9 start to the season).
There's at least one notable story regarding Jordan&rsquo;s MVP candidacy that you can still find on the internet. Here's an excerpt of an article <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/13/sports/pro-basketball-inside-the-nba-jordan-lifts-wizards-and-his-mvp-bid.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">written by Mike Wise in the New York Times</a> on Jan. 13, 2002, for example.
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Who else besides Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett has been more important to his team? O'Neal and Chris Webber have been injured, and neither Tracy McGrady nor Vince Carter has elevated his team to the top of the Eastern Conference. Allen Iverson, the reigning MVP, is muddling through a disappointing season in Philadelphia.
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By that point in the season, the Wizards were 18-16 and on track to not just make the playoffs, but also match the 19-win mark that the team recorded the previous season that same week. (That's how D.C. ended up with 2001 No. 1 overall pick Kwame Brown).
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Just two weeks earlier, Jordan dropped 51 points against the Hornets and 45 points (plus 10 rebounds and 7 assists) against the first-place (and soon-to-be East champion) New Jersey Nets in consecutive blowout victories. Those were his two highest-scoring totals of the season &mdash; though he did have back-to-back 40-point games in late January in wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns.
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More importantly, that two-game, 96-point outburst against the Hornets and Nets stemmed from an uncharacteristic 6-point effort against the Indiana Pacers just days earlier. It's a time that our own Etan Thomas, then a rookie teammate of MJ's on the Wizards, specifically recalls.
&ldquo;I remember the media was ripping him to shreds,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;After that, they were like, 'He&rsquo;s too old, he shouldn&rsquo;t have come back, he&rsquo;s tarnishing his legacy,' yadda, yadda, yadda. So I remember going into the locker room, and he was sitting in this chair reading the papers. I remember seeing him rockin&rsquo; and, like, humming and biting his lip, and he was like, 'Uh huh.' So I guess he was just reading it over and over again. He was very intense.&rdquo;
On the 51-point eruption in particular, Thomas highlighted: &ldquo;In that game, it was like magic. It was electrifying, like every move, and he was on fire!&rdquo;
In Wise's aforementioned story, then-Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning had his own <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/13/sports/pro-basketball-inside-the-nba-jordan-lifts-wizards-and-his-mvp-bid.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thoughts on Jordan's aging process</a>.
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"Every player reaches a point in their career where their game starts to decline. Some earlier than others. Look at Michael. He's 38. He's not averaging 30-something points a game like he used to. He's in the low 20's now. Is he still effective? Yeah, he's very effective. Is he the old Michael? Hell no. Far from it, even with those 50-point games now and then.
"I played against the old Michael. I've seen him at that level. But he's made the adjustment. He's learned to cope with his body playing at a certain level and not expecting to play at the old level. He's raised his game in other areas."
</blockquote>
Thomas, though, explains that people didn&rsquo;t realize the severity of Jordan's ongoing ailments. Beyond nearing 40 years old, MJ was simply overcoming more than the public knew.
&ldquo;This is the part that people don&rsquo;t understand: how injured he was. I saw it firsthand,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;Somehow it leaked that he was getting his knee drained, and I was sitting there like, &lsquo;I see him do that every other day!&rsquo; Literally, his knee would swell up like the Elephant Man! I was sitting in the training room getting some treatment or whatever, and he was on the table next to me. I saw it! They came in, and they pulled out this needle and drained his knee. They drained it and this black-tar goo stuff came out and he was in excruciating pain and it looked terrible!
&ldquo;I asked him, &lsquo;Why are you even doing this?&rsquo; He didn&rsquo;t need to prove anything to anybody. And when I said it, the whole training room got quiet, and he just looked at me and kinda shook his head. He didn&rsquo;t give me an answer, he just kinda shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He was really in pain, he just didn&rsquo;t tell nobody.&rdquo;
In the NYT piece, Sacramento Kings general manager Geoff Petrie &mdash; who won NBA Executive of the Year in both 1999 and 2001 &mdash; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/13/sports/pro-basketball-inside-the-nba-jordan-lifts-wizards-and-his-mvp-bid.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said Jordan had a shot at MVP</a>, albeit a fringe one, saying he&rsquo;d vote for Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and Kobe Bryant instead, who then had the Lakers at 26-8.
<blockquote>
"I'd say Shaq and Kobe, who are almost indistinguishable because both are so good. Then [Jason] Kidd, [Tim] Duncan and maybe [Kevin] Garnett. But if the Wizards keep going the way they are, Michael would have to have a shot.
"There is another reservoir of talent there with [Jordan]. He's so driven. I was reading something Grant Hill said recently, about the fact that it's so easy to get caught up in Jordan's athleticism. The level of athleticism has dropped, but the skill level is so high."
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Thomas adds that, while Jordan was nearing 40, you&rsquo;d still often get those glimpses of his true game in practices &mdash; and his competitiveness on a daily basis.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You saw the flashes of him being MJ MJ,&rdquo; Thomas assured. &ldquo;But his game was different, so now, it wasn&rsquo;t that explosive game that you&rsquo;re seeing on all the highlights with him coming down dunking on everybody. He started working the mid-range. And I saw him torch people with that mid-range. We had that little drop play to 'em &mdash; kinda semi-triangle &mdash; but he would work off the elbow and he would just be torching cats with it. So his game changed.
&ldquo;I was there seeing all of that. I was like, 'Man, he&rsquo;s still MJ!' It was just different. It wasn&rsquo;t like, 'Oh, come down the lane and dunk on everybody,' it was just killing everybody with the mid-range. It was like he had everybody on a string! He was making these moves and they could not stop him! They kept going for all of the fakes! And these were all top defenders!&rdquo;
Jordan subsequently finished 13th in MVP voting with 16 voter points. His finished with averages of 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game on 41.6% shooting from the field and 79.0% on free throws. He led the team in points, assists and steals per game through 60 appearances.
The Wizards finished the season 37-45, but they were 7-15 in the games that MJ missed.
Tim Duncan <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2002.html">wound up winning the MVP that year in a close race over Jason Kidd</a>. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal, Tracy McGrady, and Kobe Bryant rounded out the top five.
But when healthy, Jordan was far better than people would have you believe that season.
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Bryan Fonseca revisits Michael Jordan's comeback season with the Wizards, with insight from MJ's former teammate Etan Thomas.

Did you know Michael Jordan was an MVP candidate with the Wizards?

Lakers star Anthony Davis plans to return Friday vs. the Pelicans, barring a setback, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Davis has been sidelined since Feb. 14 due to a mid-foot sprain.
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Lakers star Anthony Davis plans to return Friday vs. the Pelicans, barring setback, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>. Davis has been sidelined since Feb. 14 due to mid-foot sprain. Big Lakers-Pelicans game with Play-In ramifications.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1509608005527998488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Anthony Davis plans to return to play for the Lakers tomorrow in a pivotal matchup against his former team.

Shams: Anthony Davis slated to return tomorrow vs. New Orleans

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night with Los Angeles missing LeBron James because of an ankle issue while anticipating the return of long-injured Anthony Davis.
James and Davis didn't play after being listed as doubtful, which was actually an upgrade for Davis. The eight-time All-Star hasn't played since Feb. 16 because of a right mid-foot sprain. His first full practice since the injury was Monday in Dallas.
The question is when the superstars return. The Lakers (31-44) are tied with San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with seven games remaining for both teams. Coach Frank Vogel was non-committal before the game.
Los Angeles finishes a three-game road trip in Utah on Thursday before returning home Friday to complete a back-to-back against New Orleans. The Pelicans are ninth in the West, a game ahead of the Lakers and Spurs.
&ldquo;With those guys out, we&rsquo;re at a talent deficit, so the focus and execution has to make up for it,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;This is just the latest dose of adversity that this year&rsquo;s team has faced. When you lose &rsquo;Bron, OK, you have to adjust yet again throughout a season of setbacks.&rdquo;
Malik Monk scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook had 25 for the Lakers, who dropped their third straight for their fifth losing streak at least that long in the past two months as part of a steady slide away from .500 for the 2020 champs.
Doncic had 25 points in the first half as Dallas scored a season-high 82 for a 26-point lead. He finished with 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
The 23-year-old star secured his first triple-double in almost two months and 10th of the season with an <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1508973213480497153?s=20&amp;t=1oiVTgbr4YMZ7HtyrqQYJg">offensive rebound for a layup</a> that gave him 32 points and put Dallas up 101-65 with 6:58 left in the third quarter. Doncic sat the fourth.
Maxi Kleber capped an 11-0 run in the final 84 seconds of the first quarter with a coast-to-coast layup just before the buzzer. Dallas shot 64% for a 43-25 lead.
One of the few times LA tried to defend the 3-pointer, Spencer Dinwiddie was fouled on a 3 that put Dallas up 63-33 in the second quarter. He missed the free throw. Dallas was 11 of 19 from 3 after Dinwiddie's make and finished with a season-high 20 in 46 attempts.
&ldquo;We respect who they are,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re dangerous. (Monk) played well. Russ played well. We took care of business from the start. I think those guys set the tone. Three great quarters of basketball.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: The other meeting in Dallas this season was one of the 21 games James and Davis have played together. The Lakers won it 107-104 in overtime on Austin Reaves' 3 with a second remaining on Dec. 15. Reaves missed all four of his attempts from deep in his return and scored three points. ... Stanley Johnson matched his season high with 16 points.
Mavericks: G Brandon Knight signed his second 10-day contract of the season under the COVID-19 allowances after G Trey Burke joined G Sterling Brown in the health and safety protocols. ... Reggie Bullock scored 17 points and was 5 of 8 from 3, putting him at 12 of 19 over two games after going 1 of 12 in the previous two.
DALLAS IN THE WEST
The Mavericks (47-29) moved within a game of Stephen Curry and Golden State for the third seed in the West. Dallas owns the tiebreaker.
The victory also assured the Mavericks of staying at least a game ahead of Utah for No. 4, the final spot with home-court advantage in the first round. The Jazz will have that tiebreaker if they maintain their Northwest Division lead over Denver.
HOWARD BENCHED
Dwight Howard didn't play again for the Lakers after coming out five minutes into the game. &ldquo;We got down 25 points very early in the game so I was looking for somebody else to get something done,&rdquo; Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Lakers: LA can sweep the season series against Utah for the second time in three seasons after going the previous 34 years without doing it.
Mavericks: The second night of the final back-to-back of the regular season is Wednesday in Cleveland. It opens the last road trip (four games) as Dallas completes a stretch of 15 of 23 games away from home,

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night.

Mavs rout Lakers 128-110 with LeBron sitting, AD near return

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Examining 11 impact players whose return could alter NBA playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers just can&rsquo;t get it together, and now they&rsquo;re nearly out of time.
From Anthony Davis&rsquo; injuries and Russell Westbrook&rsquo;s subpar play to LeBron James&rsquo; inability to carry them all, practically nothing has gone well this season for the franchise that momentously assembled a veteran-laden roster last fall to chase another ring.
After their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/toronto-raptors-los-angeles-lakers-san-antonio-spurs-nba-sports-73766ac5ecd0997e813d14de5e07d1d5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">117-110 loss to the Spurs</a> on Monday night, the Lakers are 28-36 and in ninth place in the Western Conference, just three games out of 11th. A group expected to contend for a title is much closer to missing the 10-team playoffs.
They haven't given up hope in Hollywood: James and coach Frank Vogel both insist there's still time for Davis to get healthy, for Westbrook to find his game and for the Lakers' supporting cast to recapture its collective prime.
&ldquo;We still have games to play,&rdquo; James said last week after the Lakers blew a late lead <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-carmelo-anthony-38b427c106ab4e560f0428a18ca6c84b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and lost to Dallas</a> at home. &ldquo;Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, then I got a chance. So that&rsquo;s my confidence.&rdquo;
But every dispiriting loss and injury setback underscores the likelihood that the Lakers&rsquo; dreams of an 18th title are profoundly unrealistic. A roster with four members of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team has gone 7-17 since Jan. 7.
Nobody knows exactly where to assign the blame for this m&eacute;lange of mediocrity &mdash; not even the Lakers' front office, which hasn't yet scapegoated Vogel for the struggles by firing him.
But past Lakers greats are embarrassed by the current state of the franchise with glory days worthy of an HBO series. &ldquo;Winning Time," the dramatization of LA's vibrant championship teams of the 1980s, began airing last weekend.
James Worthy, a star on those Showtime Lakers, recently referred to the current team as &ldquo;the walking dead&rdquo; on its own television network. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal castigated the Lakers last week for their lack of visible passion during another defeat &mdash; and boasted he wouldn't have accepted the current situation.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m losing to the Clippers, somebody is getting beat up that night in the locker room,&rdquo; Shaq said.
The past two games encapsulate the frustration and inconsistency that have defined LA's season. James carried the Lakers to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-los-angeles-lakers-nba-sports-los-angeles-9107a169a0fdc322b9fd0e6482d2929d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 124-116 victory over powerhouse Golden State</a> last Saturday with a massive 56-point performance, tied for the third-biggest in his 19-year NBA career &mdash; but then he sat out the loss at 12th-place San Antonio with knee soreness.
The Lakers lost to the Spurs without their two most important players on the court, and they did it on the two-month anniversary of the last time they won consecutive games.
&ldquo;I feel like every time we get some momentum, something happens,&rdquo; Westbrook said, shaking his head. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been like that. When we play a good game, something always happens (shortly afterward). But that&rsquo;s just how it&rsquo;s been for us. We&rsquo;ve got to keep plugging away, keep finding ways to pick each other up, because some of that stuff is out of our hands, and health is the most important thing for all of us.&rdquo;
Westbrook is correct: Of all the Lakers&rsquo; risky personnel decisions over the past 16 months, relying on Davis to stay healthy has been the biggest bust.
The star forward&rsquo;s gangly body and awkward movement have never allowed him to be durable, but Davis has been sidelined by several woes for much of the past two seasons, undercutting everything the Lakers want to do.
After missing half of the Lakers' 2020-21 regular season with injuries and then getting hurt again in the playoffs, Davis missed 17 more games this season with a sprained knee. He went out yet again before the All-Star break with a sprained foot, and there's a chance he won't return at all this season.
While Davis has missed 27 of the Lakers' 64 games, James has also been less reliable than usual, missing 18 games. They appeared in only 27 games together last season, and they've played just 20 games alongside Westbrook this year &mdash; only five since Dec. 17.
The Lakers have used 32 starting lineups already, both because of their stars' injuries and their unimpressive supporting cast. They're currently starting Austin Reaves, an undrafted rookie who wasn't expected to play much at all.
&ldquo;It changes a lot of things when you've got some of your main guys out," said Westbrook, whose first year with his hometown team has been largely a nightmare. "We've got to stick to it, and hopefully guys can step up and make that change.&rdquo;
The 2017 NBA MVP is shooting poorly and struggling to fit alongside James. Westbrook's 18.1 points per game are his fewest since 2009-10, as are his 15.9 shots per game, but that attempt to play team ball isn't translating into wins.
Just as Pau Gasol was the target of Lakers fans' frustration during their most recent season with this level of unrealized expectations in 2013, Westbrook is the prime scapegoat at their downtown arena. He has even stopped bringing his family to home games because of the booing and profanity directed at him.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just super unfortunate, and it&rsquo;s super upsetting to me,&rdquo; Westbrook said. &ldquo;The shaming of my name, the shaming of my character, the shaming of who I am as a person is, to me, not warranted. I haven&rsquo;t done anything to anybody. I haven&rsquo;t hurt anyone. I haven&rsquo;t done anything but play basketball in a way they may not like.&rdquo;
The only thing that suggests the Lakers still might make something of this miserable season is the name at the top of the roster. Although he'll apparently have to manage his knee soreness down the stretch, the 37-year-old James has missed the playoffs just once since 2005, and he's still near the peak of his formidable talents when healthy.
&ldquo;Even though they&rsquo;ve struggled, they&rsquo;ll be able to figure it out," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;I have no doubt about that. I&rsquo;ve seen Bron in tough situations before. I&rsquo;ve always seen him come out on top.
"I know a lot of people count the Lakers out, but they&rsquo;re still a good team,&rdquo; Lue added. &ldquo;Guys have been in and out all year, and it&rsquo;s tough. But when they get to the playoffs or the play-in game or whatever, I guarantee that (No. 1 seed) won't want to see them. They're not out of it.&rdquo;

The Lakers just can’t get it together, and now they’re nearly out of time.

Lakers stumbling through season of high expectations

If you haven&rsquo;t heard by now, you will soon: the Cleveland Cavaliers are coming for you.
Seemingly in the blink of an eye, the wine-and-golders have gone from lovable underdogs to unforgiving bullies. Through 30 games, over one-third of the way into the 2021-22 campaign, the Cavs boast an 18-12 record &mdash; probably the most misleading in the NBA, an absolute undersell &mdash; with one of the top average margins of victory in the league.
Using cliches and &ldquo;broken-record coach speak&rdquo; as J.B. Bickerstaff lightheartedly says before answering our repetitive comments of praise, you can&rsquo;t single out anyone as the sole reason for such a dramatic turnaround. Everyone has collectively bought in &mdash; from the returning players who &ldquo;took a lot of ass whoopings&rdquo; to the new ones who came in looking to advance a process.
Pun definitely intended, these Cavs will let you know, and fast. Jumping out to double-digit leads quickly. Punching you square in the mouth to close first halves. Putting you on the wrong end of the highlight reel. Not only do they feel like they belong, they expect to win.&nbsp;
No matter who they&rsquo;re up against. No matter who&rsquo;s on the floor for them. No matter the situation.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s giving us confidence just knowing we can beat some of the best teams in this league. I think we&rsquo;re one of &lsquo;em, to be honest with you,&rdquo; Darius Garland said after a win over the Chicago Bulls last week. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got to bring that confidence, bring that intensity every game. Just stay with it, just keep being us. Bring the scrap every night, listen to the coaching staff and keep playing Cavaliers basketball.&rdquo;
There were times in the past few years when Cleveland looked like it began to put things together... in stretches. But an injury here, a setback there, an interruption, a roster change &mdash; it never sustained. At this point, we&rsquo;ve gotten a two-month sample size of this version of the team. It fights with the same vigor, the same self-belief and the same grit on a nightly basis.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s about those guys in the locker room,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;From day one &mdash; go back to September, they showed up the day after Labor Day &mdash; they were in the gym and working, and were committed to one another. And then their personalities, they genuinely all get along, they genuinely all like each other. They fight for each other. They support each other.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I go home and I watch the games over, and I spend so much time just watching our bench. There&rsquo;s body after body after body that&rsquo;s up celebrating, cheering, [and] guys that don&rsquo;t even sit down during the game. That&rsquo;s what does it, and it&rsquo;s that chemistry the guys have formed. They love to compete. These games, even games we&rsquo;ve lost, they&rsquo;ve laid it out there. We&rsquo;ve had leads versus really good teams because of the spirit that those guys have played with... Guys being committed to what you're trying to do, and committed to one another is the most important thing that you can have. And I think that's where we've seen the biggest leap.&rdquo;
Combine that consistent effort with otherworldly versatility, skill and attitude, and you&rsquo;ve got the recipe for a unique, killer concoction.&nbsp;
As muttered recently on a radio hit in Cleveland, it&rsquo;s nearly impossible to cover everything top to bottom in regards to what&rsquo;s going right for this team. But we&rsquo;ll give it a try.
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Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley (and Lauri Markkanen)
Coming into the season, everybody wondered how the duo of Allen and Mobley would coexist on the floor. The thought of Markkanen sharing the floor with both never crossed anybody&rsquo;s mind. And yet, here we are, talking about Tall Ball as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/in-the-nba-length-matters-unedited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the league's newest craze</a> that&rsquo;s thrown nearly every opponent for a loop.
Bickerstaff decided at the beginning of the season that he had to find a way to put his best players on the floor all at once, and for his team, that was through size and skill. We&rsquo;re seeing Cleveland reap the benefits of that on a nightly basis. It all starts on the defensive end.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;re seeing Allen and Mobley deny those bold enough to enter their territory. Allen is the anchor in the middle, timing his head-on challenges to near perfection, while Mobley is the weak-side insurance policy waiting to reject all comers who&rsquo;d initially believed there was a path to an easy bucket. The rookie covers some insane ground, by the way, with his long strides allowing for quick recovery if he ever overcommits or has to be the last line of defense at a certain spot. He&rsquo;s also insanely intelligent, keeping the ball in play whenever he blocks shots (or just blatantly ripping it out of somebody&rsquo;s hands).
The funny part is that the teams strategizing to get Allen and Mobley on perimeter switches don&rsquo;t fully comprehend that those two are hoping for such a plan. They are not going to be left in the dust in space, and no matter which one is tasked with defending a quicker guard, the other will have his back down low. The rotations are just incredibly crisp. Of the duos in the NBA that have played at least 500 minutes, the Allen-Mobley pairing is allowing just 95.9 points per 100 possessions. That is the top Defensive Rating in the entire league, if you&rsquo;re keeping count.
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Also, their defensive prowess allows the Cavs&rsquo; perimeter defenders to put more pressure on the ball and gamble more due to the protection behind them. Which brings us to the third leg of the triumvirate&hellip;
Let&rsquo;s give credit to the unheralded contributions from Markkanen on this end of the floor too. Stride for stride, the Finnish 7-footer has been able to shuffle his feet laterally to contain his assignments rather successfully. He&rsquo;s not fouling, he&rsquo;s contesting the third-most shots on the team on average (8.3) and he&rsquo;s utilizing his length to make his man either give up the ball or force a shot attempt over a trio of towers. By no means is he the primary guy to highlight individually; however, considering past questions of how Markkanen would handle playing the 3 on the defensive side of the ball, the returns have been more than acceptable, particularly with how he&rsquo;s positioned himself. He&rsquo;s an integral part of this Cavs' frontcourt.
DG the PG
Where do you even start with Darius Garland?&nbsp;
Is it the way he picks his spots? How quickly he&rsquo;s processing his reads? His trickery with lobs? The fact that he's firing up shots without hesitation?
No matter which area of his game pops out to you, it&rsquo;s plain and obvious that Garland is making that all-too-familiar third-year jump from good to great. He&rsquo;s in complete control of the game with the ball in his hands, becoming the conductor of the (not-so) soothing Cavs symphony.&nbsp;
The 21-year-old is so agile and shifty that he has his defenders constantly asking for help, and what happens after that is up to him. He has shown a tendency to disguise the floater he used so often last year, which allows the aforementioned Allen and Mobley to capitalize with thunderous throwdowns. They are Garland&rsquo;s top two targets on the offensive end by and large, and Allen has a 62.8% field-goal percentage off those connections.
With his dribble penetration drawing more and more attention, opportunities are opening up for others. Garland puts a lot of heat on his pocket passes and quick shovel feeds, but his teammates are beginning to understand when and where to expect the ball, which has allowed for this Cleveland offense to thrive.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Asked Steph Curry about Darius Garland, and he gave his props to the third-year <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> guard: "He's taking another step in that right direction." <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/071djCaBWJ">pic.twitter.com/071djCaBWJ</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1461716450301947906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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He&rsquo;ll also get his own shot going when he sees an opportunity, and those attempts are coming at all three levels of the floor. Not many point guards around the league can match his production. According to Basketball-Reference, Garland&rsquo;s shooting percentages across the board are as follows: 63.2% from 0-to-3 feet, 46.3% from 3-to-10 feet, 49.2% from 10-to-16 feet, 52.6% from 16 feet to the three-point line and 38.9% from beyond the arc.
Garland has been able to play off the ball as well, with Ricky Rubio as a ball-handler. He&rsquo;s been able to catch the opposition sleeping on a number of cuts, and is making them pay as a catch-shooter on the outside to boot. He&rsquo;s got synergy with the bigs coming off dribble handoffs. It&rsquo;s just all clicking for him right now. (Spoiler Alert: Our own Nekias Duncan will have more on Garland in the future.)
Veterans Matter
Without Rubio, who knows if Garland reaches this level of success? The Spanish guard has been a mentor and a maestro in his own right for this young team. As adamantly stated by several Cavs, he is a starting point guard in the NBA, yet he is propelling a uniquely productive bench alongside Kevin Love.&nbsp;
Both are buying what Cleveland is selling, and have become a crucial part of not only the development of this inexperienced bunch, but also the contributions toward its winning ways. The inherent unselfishness has permeated throughout, which is allowing for the production we&rsquo;ve seen.
Rubio has been the Cavs&rsquo; iron man, having played all 30 games and making an impact in whatever way is working that night &mdash; turning the corner, shooting the basketball at a 34% perimeter clip, pushing the offense in transition. In addition to all of this, he recently surpassed the 5,000-assist mark, backing up the importance of moving the ball. It was the team's No. 1 goal coming into the campaign, and thanks to Rubio&rsquo;s IQ, there&rsquo;s been a domino effect.
Love has rediscovered the fun of &ldquo;the chase&rdquo; with Cleveland, and it&rsquo;s shown with his performances. As a super-sub this season playing a tad under 20 minutes per night, the former All-Star is averaging 12.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest, while nailing 41.2% of his triple tries. Albeit on a low amount of attempts, Love is leading the NBA at 96.4% from the free-throw line.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"You don't get this often." No lip service when Kevin Love talks about *these* <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>. He's saying this team has something "bigger than ourselves" and "truly celebrate each other." <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJIf43fdLW">pic.twitter.com/MJIf43fdLW</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1470597707341479941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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These two deserve a boatload of credit for the sacrifices they&rsquo;ve made knowing where they&rsquo;re at in their respective careers, and the fact that they&rsquo;ve embraced the roles fully demonstrates their professionalism.
Those are the vets who see consistent playing time. There&rsquo;s another who doesn&rsquo;t receive quite as much love because his impact is not as obvious, and that&rsquo;s Ed Davis. Bickerstaff went to bat for the seasoned big man to occupy Cleveland&rsquo;s final roster spot for locker-room and mentorship purposes, and thus far, it&rsquo;s been a home run. Davis knows why he&rsquo;s here, and he&rsquo;s more than willing to hold up his end of the bargain. And in cases where Allen and/or Mobley aren&rsquo;t available, he&rsquo;s able to slot in and do his job.&nbsp;
The &ldquo;others&rdquo; that really aren&rsquo;t the others
It&rsquo;s unfortunate that Isaac Okoro just got placed into the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, because he is the backbone of the Cavs&rsquo; perimeter defense. He&rsquo;s constantly taking on the opponents&rsquo; toughest offensive players, chasing guys all around the half-court to deny them the ball, defeating screens to stick on them when the ball is in their hands and forcing them into awkward positions.
Offensively, Okoro is beginning to find his footing from the corner. It&rsquo;s not just the three-point shot &mdash; where 61.6% of his perimeter tries have come from &mdash; it&rsquo;s the way he&rsquo;s making defenses pay when they close-out too hard. He&rsquo;s putting the ball on the floor, going into contact and, in some cases (as seen against Houston), bruising the rim. Okoro&rsquo;s got a hell of a layup package too, and in transition, he&rsquo;s a load to handle.
Cedi Osman&rsquo;s hot start to the season has tailed off a bit; however, with a defined role as a part of the second unit, you can see how relaxed he&rsquo;s playing. Defensively, he&rsquo;s been swiping away steal after steal, and in the open floor, he&rsquo;s been in attack mode. He&rsquo;s also hoisting threes on the move and standstill like we&rsquo;ve never witnessed before. There is no lack of confidence there.
Maybe the most underappreciated player the Cavs have is Dean Wade, who, whether in the starting lineup playing 30 minutes or with the reserves in garbage time, constantly brings the same effort on both ends no matter the circumstance. He&rsquo;s able to stretch the floor as a long-range sniper, and he is Bickerstaff&rsquo;s sneakiest contingency plan on the defensive end.&nbsp;
Speaking of which, Lamar Stevens is the man Cleveland goes to when it needs a shot in the arm. He&rsquo;s got a bulky frame and matches up well 1-through-4. There have been numerous occasions when the team has gone to him and found the energy it needed from only his presence on the floor. He won&rsquo;t take many shots, but he&rsquo;ll prevent quite a few.
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The core of what makes the Cavs such a dangerous team is their box-score balance. Every night, you&rsquo;ll see six or seven players in double figures, assist figures in the mid-to-high 20s and 30s and modest (or poor) opponent field-goal percentages.
In every sense of the word, Cleveland is playing team ball. The NBA challenged the organization with eight out of 11 on the road to begin the season &mdash; including a grueling West Coast trip &mdash; and the wine-and-gold passed that test with flying colors. (They&rsquo;re one of the best away teams in the league at 9-5.) Now, whenever the Cavs are playing a team that isn&rsquo;t a playoff contender, they&rsquo;re demoralizing them and steamrolling them. The tough love has paid off in a major way.
No, they&rsquo;re not a finished product. They're even missing their leading scorer from a season ago (here's to hoping for a speedy recovery for Collin Sexton). They&rsquo;re not close. There haven't been nearly enough 48-minute games, and the hunt for a &ldquo;signature win&rdquo; is still on.
With that said, the Cavs have consistently brought it every single night, and teams that haven&rsquo;t taken notice are in for a hard, painful lesson once that ball tips off.
The warning sign is right in front of them: Beware of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiC_7ut0-v0AhWHkIkEHe4rAFUQFnoECAMQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cleveland.com%2Fcavs%2F2021%2F11%2Fcleveland-cavaliers-have-adopted-underdog-mentality-complete-with-new-barking-celebration.html&amp;usg=AOvVaw1bAEDy2vYzH4odGmLpFcU0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Junkyard Dogs</a>.

Spencer Davies breaks down the Cavaliers' unexpected start to the season and why they're having so much success.

From lovable underdog to unforgiving bully: How the Cavs got here

The 2021-22 NBA campaign has been a Battle Royale-esque affair through the first third of the season, with seemingly 90% of the league jostling for postseason positioning. The Cleveland Cavaliers have popped, Indiana is potentially hitting reset, Memphis has been on a tear without Ja Morant (7-1) and DeMar DeRozan is making off-ball rotations on defense. Very little has been certain or expected in an inspiring start to the year.
Every game I watch, I seem to simultaneously understand more, but know less. So much is changing and evolving each game on a macro- and micro-scale. While my opinions on franchises and players continuously blossom, one thought has constantly reverberated in my mind: Greatness is fleeting.
I&rsquo;ve mostly found myself contemplating this with each passing Los Angeles Lakers game I watch. Anthony Davis is having a good year and will undoubtedly be an All-Star barring health, and all I can think about is how he&rsquo;s not AD. He is in body and person, but not in essence. Those rotations at the rim, a half-step later. His feet on the perimeter, not quite as nimble. He seems tired and fatigued, and is just moving slower in general.
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Davis is having his lowest impact season defensively since his second year in the league, per Dunks and Threes&rsquo; EPM. It&rsquo;s worth noting, as well, that the surrounding talent in Los Angeles does him no favors, but that&rsquo;s only part of the equation.
Flashback to 2019-20 season, the Orlando Bubble and an NBA title for the Lakers. Davis was getting mentioned as potentially the best player in the world. He&rsquo;d hit his stride and then some offensively, and was rivaled only by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid as bigs with the highest level of two-way impact.
A slew of injuries and an onslaught of games over the past two years have seemingly taken a toll. At the expense of sounding pessimistic, it genuinely raises concerns about whether or not Davis will hit that level again, and that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s so wild to me. AD is still one of the very best players in the world, and all the basketball world can talk about is how he&rsquo;s underperforming. It&rsquo;s not necessarily unwarranted considering the standard he&rsquo;s built for himself in his play throughout his career. The starkness in change is just hard to cast aside. He hit that very pinnacle for a few brief months and there was an immediate, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s here!&rdquo; crowning (that was deserved), but was unable to maintain that mantle.
What makes the matter more disheartening is that it&rsquo;s nobody's fault, it just *is*. There&rsquo;s a defeating resonance in the notion that Davis may never reach those heights again as a player despite his best efforts.
Injuries and time are equally damning. I never reached remotely similar heights as an athlete, and dealing with recurring injuries and their fallout was the most trying time in my life. I don&rsquo;t intend to make a comparison, but applying my own experience to those on a grander scale is startling in looking at how these scenarios play out. It&rsquo;s one thing to have everything derailed before the train even departs on your career; it&rsquo;s another to be in the throes of your everyday life as a professional.
You go from spending all of your time focused on what&rsquo;s ahead and preparing for tomorrow, to hoping you will be able to do what was once status quo at the same level after six months of rehab. That everyday grind and repetition that built you and was your daily engine screeches to a halt because the transmission is busted.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;re not prepared for it, it just happens. When you finally do get back, you&rsquo;re not really back. You&rsquo;re scrambling to regain your condition, you&rsquo;re lagging in workouts. You might start working overtime to see if you can cut down recovery time. Maybe you have a setback. And even if you do everything right, you might never move your feet with quite the same speed, or regain that quarter-second of timing that made you a Defensive Player of the Year candidate &mdash; not because you don&rsquo;t see the drive, but because your body can&rsquo;t move and react in the same way it once did.
(And for the record, Kevin Durant returning to MVP level form after his Achilles injury is an impressive abnormality that should not be expected.)
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Michael Porter Jr. signed a max contract after a career year last season. His year ended abruptly, and his future is possibly altered due to a back injury that was clearly hampering him in the nine games he played this year (the infamous missed dunk in transition). The potential of suffering a significant injury has loomed over his career as darkly as his budding potential has been bright. Porter had back surgery during his sole season at Missouri prior to the draft and missed his entire rookie year. Hopefully, with time and rehab, he can return to who he&rsquo;s blossomed into as a player.
Kemba Walker was an All-Star two seasons ago and now is fully out of the rotation in New York. Once one of the great paint-touch artists in the league, Walker&rsquo;s knees have degraded to the point where consistent dribble penetration isn&rsquo;t in the cards. His percentage of shots taken at the rim has dropped by 10% since his All-NBA campaign in 2018-19 per Cleaning the Glass.
So often it takes injuries or inopportune events unfolding to remember that athletes are human. It&rsquo;s a necessary reminder that perfection is an impossible achievement. Greatness is fleeting, and reminiscing on recent history and the evolution of timelines pushes me to admire those apex moments with greater appreciation.
As much as we desire and long for the promise of potential and growth, it&rsquo;s worth stopping to breathe in the amazing things these players are doing presently, because the context of the present could be drastically different in the intermediate future.

Mark Schindler has thoughts on how injuries and workload take a toll on stars, and why we should take time to appreciate the present.

Greatness is fleeting, so enjoy stars in their prime while you can

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

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

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

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

Before the 2021 NBA Draft and the start of free agency, we assessed the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/facing-a-somewhat-challenging-offseason-the-los-angeles-lakers-have-decisions-to-make" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key personnel decisions that the Los Angeles Lakers would have to make this offseason</a>.&nbsp;Here is a section from that article:
&ldquo;While the Lakers can never be counted out as candidates to trade for a superstar, the likelihood is that L.A. will not be able to swing a deal for someone like Damian Lillard this offseason. The Lakers do not have a core of young players to throw in a trade or a stash of draft picks to barter with.
"With little cap flexibility, the simplest path toward filling out the roster this offseason is through re-signing the free agents from last season&rsquo;s squad. While that will not make for the most exciting offseason in Lakers&rsquo; history, it would ensure the Lakers have a baseline of talent to put around LeBron James and Anthony Davis."
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka took a bolder approach this offseason, opting to trade several players in exchange for guard Russell Westbrook, moving on from several players from last season&rsquo;s roster, re-signing Talen Horton-Tucker and filling out the depth chart with a mix of experienced veterans and younger players with upside. With the recent Marc Gasol trade, the only returning players from last year&rsquo;s roster are LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Horton-Tucker.&nbsp;
The current roster now includes James, Davis, Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, as well as Joel Ayayi and Austin Reaves (on two-way contracts).&nbsp;
The Lakers now feature a star-studded roster, but the main concern will be the overall age of the team. L.A. now has nine players over the age of 32 and four of the top-five active leaders in overall career games played (James, Howard, Ariza and Anthony). The main questions with this roster are:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Will the age/injuries limit L.A. in the postseason?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">How will Westbrook share playmaking duties with LeBron?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Will the Lakers drop off from last season's league-leading defense?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Do the Lakers have enough three-point shooting?</li>
</ol>
Last season, James missed 27 games and Davis missed 26 due to injury, and both were limited in the postseason. If both superstars are once again battling injuries in the postseason, the Lakers will suffer a similar fate as last season. However, assuming James and Davis are relatively healthy, the question is: how will the remainder of the Lakers' roster hold up? Is there enough depth to get through the grueling 82-game regular season without suffering too many setbacks?
With some luck and strategic maintenance throughout the regular season, the answer should be yes. While the roster is quite old collectively, their key rotation players did not miss too much time <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last season</a> due to injuries.
<ul>
<li>Trevor Ariza &ndash; 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dwight Howard &ndash; 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Russell Westbrook &ndash; 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Talen Horton-Tucker &ndash; 2</li>
<li>Kent Bazemore &ndash; 3</li>
<li>Carmelo Anthony &ndash; 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kendrick Nunn &ndash; 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Wayne Ellington &ndash; 15</li>
<li>Malik Monk &ndash; 17</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Rajon Rondo &ndash; 26</li>
</ul>
Out of these key rotation players, only three had more than 10 injury-related missed games last season. Of course, some players did not play heavy minutes at different times throughout the season, but based on this data, it&rsquo;s reasonable to believe that the Lakers can get through the upcoming season without losing a disproportionate number of players. Injuries are unavoidable and COVID-19 will likely play a factor in terms of players missing games, but with some strategic load management throughout the season, it appears the Lakers have the depth and personnel to persevere.&nbsp;
In terms of sharing playmaking duties, it&rsquo;s unclear how James and Westbrook are going to mesh. Westbrook is saying the right things so far:&nbsp;
&ldquo;My job is to make sure that I&rsquo;m able to make his game easy for him. I&rsquo;ll find ways to do that throughout the game,&rdquo; Westbrook said at his first press conference as a Laker. &ldquo;As it pertains to ball-handling and all that, it really doesn&rsquo;t matter. There&rsquo;s many different ways you can impact the game without having the ball in your hands. And I&rsquo;ve been able to do that for many years and I will figure it out.&rdquo;
Westbrook has played with dynamic scorers and ball-handlers in the past, including Kevin Durant, James Harden (twice) and Bradley Beal. Westbrook&rsquo;s heavy usage rate, aggressive style of play and inefficiency as a three-point shooter have caused chemistry issues with past teammates, but LeBron is now 36 years old and coming off a rare injury-plagued season.
Perhaps LeBron will look to take a step back from his usual playmaking duties in the regular season and allow Westbrook to take on that volume in his place. Or, perhaps Westbrook will defer to James and Davis, being more selective with his opportunities and acting at the team&rsquo;s primary playmaker. Considering LeBron&rsquo;s age and the injuries he suffered last season as well as Westbrook&rsquo;s desire to win his first championship, there is plenty of reason to believe these two players will find a workable balance in terms of running the Lakers&rsquo; offense.
Perhaps the biggest question people have not focused on enough is the possible drop-off on the defensive end. The Lakers had the best defense in the league last season, but that was with a younger roster that featured several two-way wing defenders. Missing from last season&rsquo;s squad are Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Wesley Matthews, Markieff Morris and Marc Gasol.&nbsp;
While none of these players are individually elite defenders at their respective positions, they meshed well enough to cover each other&rsquo;s shortcomings and create a solid, consistent defense. Caruso was a particularly effective wing defender, and Gasol was still an effective anchor when he got minutes. The Lakers added some players who can certainly step in and try to fill the void left behind, but players like Ariza, Rondo, Ellington, Jordan and Carmelo are well past their athletic primes. Younger players like Monk, Nunn, Horton-Tucker and even Bazemore have the mobility to stay in front of wings and should each be in the rotation to a certain extent.
Westbrook also has the athletic ability to be a tough defender, but his focus and effort on that end of the court have been inconsistent for several seasons. The Lakers are going to need Davis to be a defensive anchor in the middle. Last season, AD averaged career-lows in blocks per game (1.6, down from 2.3 the year before), block percentage (4.5%), total rebound percentage (13.8%), defensive win shares (2.4) and value over replacement player (1.9). In addition to getting more out of Davis, L.A. hopes that Howard can provide the same defensive impact as he did during his last stint with the team in 2019-20.
Head coach Frank Vogel has the difficult task of implementing a defensive system with a rebuilt roster that features several players in the twilight of their respective careers. Expect at least a slight drop-off from last season&rsquo;s top-ranked defense.
Three-point shooting was an area of concern entering the offseason, but the Lakers added a couple of players who should provide spacing for Westbrook, James and Davis to operate. Ellington shot a scorching 42.2% from distance last season on six attempts per game. Anthony shot 40.9% on 4.7 attempts, a nice bump in efficiency over the last six seasons, and his shooting could be a big catalyst for the Lakers&rsquo; offense. Monk is coming off his best season from beyond the arc, as he shot 40.1% from distance on five attempts per game. Nunn also had a particularly good season shooting the ball, hitting 38.1% of his 5.7 attempts per game. Bazemore and Ariza showed efficiency from distance last season, though Horton-Tucker continues to struggle from beyond the arc.
In short, the Lakers added enough shooters to this roster to ensure that spacing shouldn't be a major issue unless several players regress this upcoming season, or if defenses force Westbrook into taking a heavy dose of three-point attempts each night.&nbsp;
The Lakers entered the offseason with seemingly little flexibility to reshape and improve their roster. Despite the odds, Pelinka managed to add another star player and round out the roster with proven veterans who can still contribute at a high level. Injuries and age are a concern, but that is true for several teams in contention. The Lakers enter this season with plenty of star talent, a ton of experience and championship-or-bust expectations as they look to add banner No. 18 to the rafters of Staples Center.

Jesse Blancarte answers some key questions surrounding the Lakers' 2021-22 roster.

Answering the big questions surrounding the Lakers' 2021-22 roster

With the 2021 NBA Finals underway, BasketballNews.com will have you covered every step up the way with the top storylines, breakdowns, player quotes and more. Here are Spencer Davies' observations from the Milwaukee Bucks' perspective after their 118-105 loss in Game 2:
Just a short time after he thought his year was over, Giannis Antetokounmpo gave the world an all-time performance. Unfortunately for the Milwaukee Bucks, he was about the only one that they could depend on.
Giannis finished with a postseason career-high 42 points and 12 rebounds, playing with sheer force and bullying his way to the bucket with ease. He put the ball on the floor with some nifty dribble moves, backed down his opponents deep in the paint and got to the free-throw line as a result. Defensively, he was flawless as a helper on the weak side and active with his hands and long arms. Greek Freak&rsquo;s third quarter was nothing short of dominant, keeping the Bucks in the game with his power and realization that nobody on the floor could answer for his stature.
To Milwaukee&rsquo;s chagrin, it just wasn&rsquo;t enough, as the Phoenix Suns defended home court with a 118-108 win to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
&ldquo;I just tried to be aggressive. Miss or make, gotta be aggressive,&rdquo; Giannis said postgame following the Game 2 loss. &ldquo;Got to leave everything on the court. You know, just focusing on my body, my technique, everything I do.
&ldquo;Personally I think to win this series, it's going to be all mental. I feel like there's so much talent on both teams. It's going to be mental,&rdquo; Giannis said after the Game 2 loss. &ldquo;It's going to be the constant pressure. That's what I want to put to the other team. Obviously they get tired, we get tired, Khris [Middleton] gets tired, I get tired, but we have to keep coming over and over again as a team. Keep being aggressive and keep pressuring them and having that constant pressure putting on them. That's what I was trying to do.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Giannis went OFF for a Playoff career-high 42 points last night. 71.4 FPTS - 12 REB - 3 BLK <a href="https://t.co/qV5leRDmQ1">pic.twitter.com/qV5leRDmQ1</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1413513284771274761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Any time the Bucks shortened the deficit, Chris Paul would knock down a patented off-balance mid-ranger over the top or a timely three, and if it wasn&rsquo;t him, it was Devin Booker knocking down momentum-killing jumpers from wherever he pleased. The Bucks&rsquo; defensive adjustments worked; this was just a classic case of great offense beating great defense.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You know, we're pros. They can keep making them. I've seen it happen,&rdquo; said Pat Connaughton, who contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds off the Milwaukee bench. &ldquo;I think we definitely tried to make some adjustments at halftime. We were active in the first half, being in the passing lanes and they made some shots, so we tried to be a little bit less active going into the second half as far as, you know, staying in. We wanted to show a body and then try to get out. And it felt like in the second half, we did a better job of it.
&ldquo;I think they capitalized on the ones that got loose at the end and they definitely hit some transition threes and Book hit a few shots that were tough and contested and were setbacks and things of that nature. But it's the NBA Finals. Great players do great things and everyone around here can play, everyone around here can shoot. It's just about trying to make them feel a little bit more uncomfortable.&rdquo;
&ldquo;[Booker] is one of the leading scorers in this game,&rdquo; Jrue Holiday said. &ldquo;He's put in the work and practiced for it, just like we've done the same. He's damn near perfected it and has been on a roll, been on a tear. Difficult [to guard], yes, but still not impossible for us to do a little bit more... I think we do exactly what we did [to not get sped up]: Stay calm, stay collected. I think the third and fourth quarter, we outscored them in the third and we tied in the fourth. I think there are times in the game where if they hit those big shots, you've just got to stay calm like we did. And then once we get down, what, seven points, six points, we have to try to get over that hump.&rdquo;
Phoenix&rsquo;s extra possessions late in the fourth when Milwaukee went small again with Giannis at the 5 were also a big reason the home team was able to secure the victory.
&ldquo;Yeah, got to do a better job on the 50/50 balls,&rdquo; Giannis said. &ldquo;There was one possession where we gave them three open threes. Wasn't able to get the rebound. I think we were like down six or something. It was a big shot. Just got to do a better job rebounding the ball. And it's tough, it's tough, going small and like switching up, and then I've got to get my butt back and help my team to get the rebounds. But we're going to hopefully move forward, we're going to do a better job of that.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Definitely [have to] run down those long rebounds, loose balls,&rdquo; Middleton said. &ldquo;They had several. Late in that fourth quarter, they scored each and every time. Even if they missed that second attempt, they still got it back and hit a mid-range or a three. We do that, it could be a totally different ballgame.&rdquo;
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There&rsquo;s another saying that proves true in the NBA: It&rsquo;s a make-or-miss league, and the Bucks did not live up to cashing in on their looks. There were more missed layups, perplexing early attempts in the shot clock and a lack of rhythm and continuity, specifically when it came to Middleton and Holiday. Milwaukee&rsquo;s Achilles heel in this postseason has been a lack of trust and a shortage of passing. The team saw it work in the first quarter with off-ball cuts and open-lane drives early on that led to 20 first-quarter points in the paint. And still, the Bucks reverted back to the same bad habits in the next 36 minutes.
Holiday knew he had to be aggressive from the tip for Milwaukee following his poor shooting night in Game 1, and he showed that with a ton of field goal attempts. The problem was, not many of those shots fell.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think we had a lot of open shots that we didn't make,&rdquo; Holiday said. &ldquo;I know me personally, there were a couple layups there that I usually make that kind of rimmed in and out. Had some good looks... I think I did a good job of being aggressive, especially from the start. We got a quick lead early, but again, they started to go dry there a little bit. I'll continue to be aggressive. It's the only thing I really can do is put pressure on the rim and try to spread out for threes.&rdquo;
&ldquo;No matter what's going on, you've got to stay aggressive and you cannot get in your feelings. It's hard not to. You know, NBA Finals, 20,000 people booing you and all that, it's kind of hard. But at the end of the day, it's not about me. It's not about him. It's not about Khris. It's not about Coach. It's about all of us,&rdquo; Giannis said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, if there's a game that you're 3-for-12 or whatever the case might be and you can rebound the ball or get a steal or do something else to help the team win, that's what it's all about right now. I think [Jrue] understands that. I know he's going to be there when we need him the most and I don't worry about it. He's a great basketball player. He's played great all year and he's going to continue to play great for this team.&rdquo;
So was the story of the game with Holiday and Middleton, who once again did not seem to have their jumpers going with quick possession after quick possession, particularly after the Suns converted on the other end. They seemed to be rushing and trying to do too much, and couldn&rsquo;t convert much; the two were a combined 5-for-23 at a point and finished 12-for-39.
&ldquo;In the first half, I had more than a few go in and out for me. So, that's that. I'll take them over and over again. Just didn't hit them in the second half... knocking down some shots would make life a lot better for us.&rdquo;
&ldquo;You always give credit to the defense,&rdquo; Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said of Holiday and Middleton&rsquo;s troubles. &ldquo;Those guys do a good job. There's probably a few looks that I think they got to go in when you're playing against a good defensive team -- you get a good, clean one. Jrue was getting to the paint a lot. I liked his aggressiveness. I think we need all three of those guys. I think if they just keep working, they will come good... Jrue's got to play his game. He knows how to play. He and I will talk, but it will be more just keep being aggressive. Our spacing I think was better tonight. I think his opportunities were better.&rdquo;
Defense was not really an issue for the Bucks. Their coverage on Paul and Booker was tighter. Holiday was even picking up Paul around three-quarters court on the inbounds. As a team, Milwaukee didn&rsquo;t commit a foul until the 8:17 mark of the second quarter, so the discipline was there, as was the physicality.&nbsp;
But what hurt, with Paul giving it up and Booker not getting easy layups, were the open looks and opportunities that surfaced for Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Cameron Johnson to make their own marks. As a team, the Suns drilled 20 three-balls on a 50% clip.
&ldquo;I think a little bit of over-helping,&rdquo; Middleton said of what Milwaukee did wrong. &ldquo;CP and Book, they were able to get into the pick-and-roll play and get in the middle, draw a crowd -- sometimes we over-help and sometimes they hit tough shots. They did a good job of spreading the floor, getting to the middle and then drive-and-kick and find the shooters.&rdquo;
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Here's another example of the Bucks defense coming in off their man to be at the elbow with a stunt from Middleton. Crowder gets the three off because Tucker stays at help too long, got to get out earlier because he doesn't have the help Holiday did. <a href="https://t.co/AMTWTbRaZs">pic.twitter.com/AMTWTbRaZs</a>
&mdash; Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoDakhil_NBA/status/1413308548415508485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;With Book and Chris, they attract so many people that you just want to just try to stop them from getting (in) the paint and make it difficult for them, but you can't forget about the other guys. Not helping so much and hard close-outs to those threes,&rdquo; Holiday added.
On the bright side, the Bucks as a whole did a much better job of getting a body or two on Deandre Ayton as well to make sure he stayed off the boards as much as possible. Brook Lopez was terrific at defending in between on pick-and-rolls and recognized when Ayton was going to catch his lobs, so that is a positive, too.
Connaughton and PJ Tucker gave Milwaukee a boost with their hustle plays and some timely triples, but the Bucks&rsquo; issue seems to come from a lack of juice at the backup point guard position. While Jeff Teague&rsquo;s veteran presence is valuable on this stage, he just hasn&rsquo;t been up to par in the short minutes he&rsquo;s been afforded. Bryn Forbes provides a shooting threat; however, he is an easy target for the Suns on the defensive end. They&rsquo;re really hurting without Donte DiVincenzo as well.
Perhaps most disconcerting of all is that Phoenix won with two completely different styles. In Game 1, it was a freeway to the rim with plenty of restricted area shots and free throws. In Game 2, it was via perimeter shooting and daggers to crush Milwaukee&rsquo;s spirits after solid defensive possessions.&nbsp;
The good news? The Bucks are heading home. Every game is a must-win, basically, from here on out. They&rsquo;ve been down 0-2 in a series as recently as the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and have been mentally tough all postseason long. The question is, though: Can they do it in The Finals?
&ldquo;We've got to come out, be prepared and be ready for a dogfight. We have been in this hole before. It's not going to be easy, but we've got to find a way to do it,&rdquo; Middleton said. &ldquo;Like I said, it's going to be hard, but that's what it is at this point in the playoffs. Hopefully we can knock down a couple more shots, limit them to some of those three-pointers and play a little bit faster or freer or whatever.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think no matter what we say, we know what the deal is,&rdquo; Giannis said. &ldquo;It's as simple as that. We've got to go back home and do our job. They did their job. We've got to do our job. We've been here before and we were able to get the job done. Hopefully we can put ourselves in position and we can believe in one another and we can play together and we can have fun. We can compete and we can dive on the floor, we can make shots, put ourselves in a position to win the game.
&ldquo;But we know what the deal is, man. Like, we got to go back home and protect home.&rdquo;
Game 3 of the Finals is set for 8 p.m. ET in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum.
For Game 1 observations from the Bucks' perspective, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-finals-observations-milwaukee-bucks-game-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

Spencer Davies shares his takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks' loss in Game 2 to the Phoenix Suns.

Spectacular Giannis, Holiday-Middleton clunkers define Bucks' Game 2

It's safe to say that Kyle Kuzma and the Los Angeles Lakers did not expect to be sitting at home at this time of the year. Due to a number of factors &ndash; including injuries, a shortened season and tough luck &ndash; things just didn't shake LA's way.
In an <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945630-kyle-kuzma-talks-lakers-role-lebron-james-kobe-bryant-more-in-br-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with Bleacher Report's Tyler Conway</a>, Kuzma opened up about how he felt this past year, ranging from his inconsistent role, to the Lakers being eliminated in round one, to what he feels he's capable of going forward.
Prior to this season, Kuzma had found the perfect niche in the Bubble as the guy to make the big-time, team-first plays and provide second chances. He scrapped for loose balls, played solid defense and sacrificed for his teammates. Those responsibilities were much different than his first two years in LA, when he was depended on for his aggressiveness as a scorer and facilitator; in his second season with the team, Kuzma averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game with the most field goal attempts on the team aside from LeBron James.
Afterwards, he'd struggled when his field goal attempts decreased, as his role within the offense scaled back and his rhythm as a shooter was interrupted. But in 2019-20, he helped win games outside of the box score, especially as a key cog in the postseason en route to a title.
With a different roster, plenty of setbacks and changes on the team, the 2020-21 playoffs were much different. Putting it nicely, Kuzma's postseason numbers &ndash; 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds on 29.2% from the field and 17.4% from deep &ndash; were dreadful, and not nearly reflective of his capabilities.
"A little bit of everything," <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945630-kyle-kuzma-talks-lakers-role-lebron-james-kobe-bryant-more-in-br-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kuzma said of what went wrong</a>. "Injuries throughout the season, changing roles, certain guys in the lineup, certain guys not in the lineup. The NBA season is already mentally draining, and when you have a lot of that, it just adds to it...
"...If you look at all the teams that were in the Bubble and played long, they had a lot of injuries," <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945630-kyle-kuzma-talks-lakers-role-lebron-james-kobe-bryant-more-in-br-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kuzma continued</a>. "Look at Denver with [Jamal] Murray, even looking at the Heat this year how many injuries they had, along with us, too. Having [Anthony Davis] out, Bron out, [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope] out a few games, [Alex] Caruso out a few games, a lot of people missed games, and I contribute that to the Bubble. If you think about the injuries from a player's perspective, it wasn't enough time for players to get their bodies ready. But at the same time, you gotta go out and compete and take care of your body. I'm definitely not complaining; they pay us a lot of money to go out there and compete."
As the reigning and defending NBA Champions, a first-round exit was not exactly what the Lakers had in mind when it came to this season and playoffs. Kuzma admits that the inconsistency of his role wasn't what he had in mind, either.
"My biggest thing is I just want to play within a consistent role. If I have that ability, I'll be able to showcase what I can really do," <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945630-kyle-kuzma-talks-lakers-role-lebron-james-kobe-bryant-more-in-br-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kuzma said</a>. "There were parts of this year &mdash; and even anywhere else in my career &mdash; when I'm in a consistent space, I'm out there handling the ball, making teammates better, scoring, shooting, defending, rebounding. I think if I'm in that space, I'll be good."
In the interview, Kuzma said that he'll be focused on working on his ball-handling this offseason in order to be on the court "more efficiently" instead of only being a corner catch-shooter. Also, he insisted that he's capable of being a 25-point-per-game scorer and an All-Star.
"I definitely can. I definitely believe that, too," <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945630-kyle-kuzma-talks-lakers-role-lebron-james-kobe-bryant-more-in-br-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kuzma said</a>. "I don't really care what nobody thinks or says. I know myself, and I know my ability. It's hard to be consistent in an inconsistent role. I'm excited for a more consistent space next year.
"I've done a great job every offseason of trying to build something and add something to my game. I've turned myself into a great defender. My rookie year, I was a stop sign on defense. I didn't really stop anybody. Now, whether it's elite wings, 4 men, even point guards and shooting guards, I have the ability to guard four positions now and really affect the game on that end of the court."

Kyle Kuzma opened up about this past year, including his inconsistent role with the Lakers and what he feels he is capable of.

Kyle Kuzma sounds off on inconsistent role with Lakers

Wednesday was one of the wildest NBA news days in recent memory. The BasketballNews.com staff reacts to every story.

Reacting to a wild NBA news day: Kawhi, CP3, firings, LaMelo

Spencer Davies breaks down the Cavs' offseason and speaks to a source close to the team about what's next for the franchise.

Cavs banking on organic growth, supplementing talent to take next step

After two seasons that felt like one relentless grind interrupted only by a strange championship celebration, the Los Angeles Lakers simply need a rest.
The 2020 NBA champs weren't happy to be headed home this weekend after the Phoenix Suns knocked them out of the first round. Yet the early playoff exit came with the consolation of a title memory that's still fresh in many players' minds &mdash; and an abiding belief they will contend again next year if they just rest up and then stay healthy.
&ldquo;The one thing that bothers me more than anything is we never really got an opportunity to see our full team at full strength,&rdquo; LeBron James said. &ldquo;Either because of injury or COVID or something going on with our ballclub this year, we could never fully get into a rhythm and never really see the full potential of what we could be capable of.&rdquo;
When these Lakers were healthy, they were outstanding. But that period was brief, and it ended early.
Los Angeles was 21-6 on Valentine's Day when Anthony Davis went down with an accumulation of leg injuries that would ultimately keep him out for 30 games. He returned in late April, but wore down again in the postseason and missed nearly all of the last 2 1/2 games against Phoenix with knee and groin problems.
Davis acknowledged the roots of his latest injury-plagued season were planted in the Florida bubble.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t get a (full) summer, and it messed up the routines where you&rsquo;re trying to recover from a season and get ready for a season,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all around the league, but now we have an opportunity as the Lakers to take advantage of this longer offseason and get our bodies healed.&rdquo;
James missed 26 games with a high right ankle sprain, and he acknowledged it wasn't fully healed even in the playoffs. Although the 36-year-old star still performed at an MVP level when healthy, time could be creeping up on one of the most resilient players of his generation: two of his three seasons with the Lakers have been significantly limited by injuries.
The supporting cast also picked up many knocks, from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's bruised knee in the postseason to Alex Caruso's myriad of setbacks. The injuries prevented the Lakers from forming a cohesive unit with the chemistry and teamwork that defined last season's champions.
Yet from the front office to the end of the bench, these Lakers still think they could have beaten anybody if they had been able to do it together.
&ldquo;We believe in the group that we have,&rdquo; Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Friday. &ldquo;And if we have the core of Anthony Davis and LeBron James healthy, we'll build the right supporting cast around those guys, and we'll have a chance to compete for a championship again next year.&rdquo;
WHITHER THE MENACE
Dennis Schr&ouml;der's future tops the Lakers' list of offseason questions. Los Angeles gave up Danny Green and a first-round pick to get the German point guard in the offseason, and he showed strong flashes of excellence during an ultimately inconsistent season.
Schr&ouml;der turned down a contract extension during the year, but he insists he only did it to have the experience of unrestricted free agency this summer &mdash; and he has repeatedly said he wants to return to the Lakers.
&ldquo;Unfinished business,&rdquo; Schr&ouml;der said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re better than this. ... I want to be here and win a championship. It's not even a question.&rdquo;
WHAT TO KEEP
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka will have plenty of time to figure out how much of his supporting cast will return, and nearly everybody will necessitate discussion.
Caldwell-Pope wasn't productive for long stretches, while Kyle Kuzma regressed offensively as his overall game blossomed. Both are among the Lakers' few tradeable assets.
Caruso likely could get a larger role with another team, and the unrestricted free agent guard's offensive limitations showed at times. Talen Horton-Tucker is a fascinating prospect who will be tempting to other teams as a restricted free agent.
Wesley Matthews and Markieff Morris both hope to return in their complementary roles.
&ldquo;I want to run this back so bad,&rdquo; said Matthews, who hit a career-worst 33.5% of his 3-point shots. &ldquo;Injuries took us out, but we continued to fight. That&rsquo;s just part of the expectation when you put on this Lakers uniform. ... If we stayed healthy all season, who knows?&rdquo;
And then there's wise veteran Jared Dudley, who wants to return in his role as essentially a player-coach: &ldquo;Come on, man. They need me like I need them.&rdquo;
UNCENTERED
The Lakers' three supporting big men all struggled to find a consistent role next to Davis, and the club must reevaluate its intentions at the position.
Marc Gasol was effective for long stretches, but his mobility has slowed, while Andre Drummond injected energy and rebounding in his late-season arrival before losing much of his playing time down the stretch. Drummond's skill set would appear to complement Davis' abilities, but Drummond was disappointed they never got significant playing time together due to his late arrival and Davis' injuries.
Montrezl Harrell's contributions also eroded as the season progressed, with the Lakers appearing to decide his defense wasn't good enough. Harrell has a player option for next season, and he was noncommittal on his future Friday.
ON STAFF
Vogel has completed two seasons of his initial three-year deal on the Lakers' bench. After winning a championship and turning the Lakers into the NBA's top defensive team, Vogel sounds unconcerned about his future: "I love this organization, and I hope to be a Laker for life.&rdquo;
Vogel's staff might not remain intact, however: Assistant coach Jason Kidd is thought to be a candidate for other head coaching jobs, and Vogel would support the move.
&ldquo;Jason has become one of my closest friends and someone that's been integral to our success,&rdquo; Vogel said. "Anybody that has an opening in the NBA, Jason should be at the top of their list."
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Lakers have an abiding belief they will contend again next year if they just rest up and then stay healthy.

After exit, Lakers hope to run it back with healthier team

Chris Paul had 18 points and nine assists, Devin Booker and Jae Crowder added 17 points apiece and the Phoenix Suns evened their first-round series with a 100-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 on Sunday.
Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 17 rebounds for the second-seeded Suns, who took advantage of Anthony Davis' absence from the second half with a groin injury to reclaim home-court advantage in the series after two straight losses.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
CP3 and Ayton SHINE as the <a href="https://twitter.com/Suns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Suns</a> even the series ☀️ Paul: 18 PTS, 9 AST, 3 STL, 44.1 FPTS Ayton: 14 PTS, 17 REB, 2 STL, 43.4 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/YS7yRPTa7D">pic.twitter.com/YS7yRPTa7D</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1399124703369961472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

LeBron James had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who fell too far behind in the third quarter while Davis was being evaluated in the locker room. Before a last-minute surge, Los Angeles struggled in the absence of starters Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who injured his knee in Game 3.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Davis scored six points on 2-for-9 shooting in the first half, then didn&rsquo;t return after halftime. The superstar big man scored 34 points in each of the Lakers&rsquo; two victories in the series, but he hyperextended his leg in Game 3 and appeared to aggravate his accumulated injury woes in the second quarter of Game 4, falling awkwardly and grabbing his leg after a layup attempt defended by Crowder.
Aside from the latest setback for Davis, who missed 30 games in the regular season, the Suns sharply improved their effort against the defending NBA champions and showed solid poise. Phoenix collectively has little experience in the postseason, but Paul excelled again on the big stage in his first playoff run with his new team.
Paul, largely a non-factor in Game 3, ignored his injured shoulder and contributed 12 points and all his assists in the second half. Phoenix dominated the third quarter and hung on for the franchise's first road playoff victory in over 11 years.
The Suns made a 32-15 run starting shortly before halftime and encompassing the whole third, during which they held the Lakers to 15 points on 3-for-16 shooting.
The Suns led by 18 with less than nine minutes to play, but James led a 19-8 run and trimmed the lead to 95-88 with 2:40 left. Phoenix hung on when Paul hung in the air to steal a pass with 1:59 to play before Crowder hit an uncontested 3-pointer in front of the Suns' bench with 1:23 left to seal it.
Booker, responding to the first postseason pressure of his six-year NBA career, also played with improved focus after getting kicked out of Game 3 in the final minute of a sub-par performance for the high-scoring guard.
Phoenix led 54-50 at halftime with 15 points from Booker. The Suns seized control shortly before the break, starting a 24-6 run that spanned halftime.
TIP-INS
Suns: After skipping practice Saturday to rest, Paul went through a pregame workout and was pronounced healthy to play. ... Mikal Bridges and Crowder hit three 3-pointers apiece to lead the team.
Lakers: Davis played despite hyperextending his left knee in Game 3. ... Caldwell-Pope's unavailability was a game-time decision after a pregame workout. ... Los Angeles hasn't won back-to-back home playoff games since 2012.
REPLACING KCP
Wesley Matthews took Caldwell-Pope&rsquo;s starting spot. Both teams missed plenty of open perimeter shots early, but Caldwell-Pope&rsquo;s absence boosted the Lakers&rsquo; 3-point game early: After hitting just nine combined 3-pointers in the first halves of the first three games, Los Angeles hit nine in the first half of Game 4 alone with two apiece from Matthews and Ben McLemore, who got playing time mostly because of Caldwell-Pope&rsquo;s absence.
The Lakers hit just four more 3-pointers in the second half, however. Matthews and McLemore didn't score again after their early burst.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Suns' last road playoff victory was in San Antonio on May 9, 2010, when Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire completed a four-game sweep of the Spurs in the second round before falling to the soon-to-be repeat champion Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Chris Paul had 18 points and nine assists, Devin Booker and Jae Crowder added 17 points apiece and the Suns evened their first-round series with a victory over the Lakers.

CP3, Suns beat Lakers 100-92, even series after Anthony Davis hurt

Spencer Davies chats with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams about the details of Overtime Elite, a new league that's changing the game.

Former NBA execs, Overtime Elite seek to revolutionize amateur-to-pro preparation

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With LeBron James still working himself back to full strength from a sprained right ankle, the Los Angeles Lakers found out Monday they'll be without their other point guard for more than a week.
Coach Frank Vogel said James and Dennis Schr&ouml;der were out for Monday's game against the Denver Nuggets. Vogel said he was sitting James in the second game of a back-to-back after the four-time MVP experienced ankle soreness during the fourth quarter of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-toronto-raptors-canada-nba-sports-71ba25a856ada5cd22faaa92d900bba0">Sunday's 121-114 loss</a> to the Toronto Raptors.
Schr&ouml;der will be out much longer. He entered the league's coronavirus health and safety protocol on Sunday and will miss at least 10 days.
&ldquo;They are the quarterbacks of our offense and it is a unique challenge without them. It will be more of a team-led approach,&rdquo; Vogel said.
The Lakers had lost three straight and six of seven entering Monday. They have gone 8-15 since James sprained the ankle on March 14 against the Atlanta Hawks.
Vogel said James didn't suffer any setbacks and the decision to sit him was precautionary.
Schr&ouml;der recently told German media that he had some reservations about getting vaccinated against the coronavirus. According to the <a href="https://www.spox.com/de/sport/ussport/nba/2104/News/dennis-schroeder-beschaeftigt-impfdebatte-schwierige-sache-fuer-mich.html">German site Spox</a>, Schr&ouml;der said it was difficult for him because &ldquo;I&rsquo;m one who doesn&rsquo;t like to take painkillers. I always try to get by without all that stuff.&rdquo;
Vogel said the team had a series of meetings on Zoom before vaccines became available and shortly after to tell players about the benefits of getting vaccinated.
&ldquo;Everyone has a different viewpoint on how they want to manage their own personal health,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There are competitive and lifestyle advantages if we reach 85%. At the end of the day, it's their own personal choice and we respect that.&rdquo;
At 36-28 entering Monday in the highly competitive Western Conference, the Lakers are in danger of having to participate in the league's new play-in tournament for a spot in the main playoff draw.
After Sunday's loss, James was highly critical of the play-in tournament concept, while Anthony Davis said the defending champions had reached their lowest point of the season.
&ldquo;Our team is shook right now to not have LeBron again. We understand it is going to take time for him to be 100 percent,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not happy where we are right now. We need everyone to rise to the challenge. That applies to Anthony as much as everyone else.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Lakers are currently without LeBron James (sprained right ankle) and Dennis Schröder (health and safety protocols).

With LeBron, Schröder out, Lakers are missing offense's 'quarterbacks'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Anthony Davis' right leg became too painful to play on two months ago, the big man and the Los Angeles Lakers decided he wouldn't return until he was completely ready to be himself again.
More than two months later, Davis is confident that time has arrived with 14 regular-season games left in the Lakers' push to defend their NBA title.
Davis intends to play Thursday night when the Lakers open a four-game road trip at Dallas, he said after a workout at the team's training complex. He hasn't suited up since Feb. 14, missing Los Angeles' last 30 games in the longest injury absence of his nine-year NBA career.
“I wanted to make sure I was coming back 100%, because it wouldn’t be fair to myself, wouldn’t be fair to my team,” Davis said Wednesday. “I feel great. These last games leading to the playoffs, a lot of teams aren’t healthy, a lot of players aren’t healthy. I’m 100%, and we’ve got Bron coming back as well who’s going to be 100% healthy. I think we’ve put ourselves in a good position.”
Indeed, the Lakers (35-23) have managed to stay in the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings despite playing without Davis for nine weeks and without LeBron James since March 20. The Lakers went 14-16 without Davis, and they’re 7-9 since both Davis and James went down.
Coach Frank Vogel said James is still “probably a couple of weeks or so” away from returning from his sprained ankle. 
Davis will start when he returns, but will only play about 15 minutes in his first game back. Vogel intends to monitor his superstar's acclimation closely, and his return could be pushed back another game if Davis feels sore on Thursday morning.
“Honestly, if you’re out for this long, it usually takes a couple of weeks to feel like you really have your legs under you, and your rhythm and timing is back,” Vogel said. “It’s going to take some time, and as far as the minutes restriction, it’s really going to be evaluated on a day-by-day basis.”
The absences of Davis and James potentially were a huge setback for the Lakers' repeat hopes. But now that the Lakers' supporting cast has made it nearly certain the team is still playoff-bound, the Lakers are about to have two rested, hungry superstars when the postseason begins in a month.
Davis' injury left him in serious pain in his right heel and calf during his final game at Denver on Valentine's Day. The big man had already skipped a handful of games early in the regular season after the short turnaround from the Lakers' playoff run in the Florida bubble, but the shock of that last escalation in his leg woes caught Davis' full attention.
“It was something I've never felt before as far as pain,” Davis said. “I didn't want to have to go through that again. ... I've felt pain there before, just going through the process the first time I injured it, but the second time — knock on wood, I never tore an Achilles, but I kind of felt like sharp pain, like it was ripping, which I never felt before. It was tough to flex my foot. I knew it was something serious. It wasn’t as serious as it could have been, but it was still a pretty significant injury."
So the Lakers shut down Davis near the midpoint of this unusual NBA season. Los Angeles scuffled through the next five weeks, going 7-7 until James also went down with his sprained ankle.
And yet the absence of their two roster cornerstones still hasn't sunk the Lakers. With Dennis Schröder, Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma leading a team effort, Los Angeles has played roughly .500 ball and dropped only from second to fifth in the conference standings, staying right behind Denver.
Davis and James have been with the team at nearly every game, and Davis sees benefits beyond rest from his time on the sidelines.
“I think that’s how I stayed engaged and got my fix not being able to play, just being in the gym with the guys and breaking down the games for the guys and helping them learn,” Davis said. “It kind of helped me become a better leader as well. It was good for me, but I think it was also good for them to hear my voice.”
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Anthony Davis intends to play Thursday night when the Lakers open a four-game road trip at Dallas.

Lakers' Anthony Davis feels '100% healthy,' ready for return Thursday

After LeBron James suffered a high ankle spain in the Los Angeles Lakers' contest on Saturday, teammates were asked about what they expect the timetable could be like without the superstar.
"He's bounced back before and he will in a couple of days," Dennis Schroder <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31102023/frustrated-lebron-james-leaves-home-game-los-angeles-lakers-first-half-right-ankle-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "So, I'm not worried."
"This guy is a pro, man. I don't think it's going to set him back too much, but he is human, man," Harrell added.&nbsp;
James injured the ankle during a play for a loose ball in the Lakers' 99-94 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. He now joins star teammate Anthony Davis on the injury report, and no timetable has been given yet for a James return.&nbsp;
But Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com <a href="https://twitter.com/InStreetClothes/status/1373383791734091777" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that James has suffered eight different ankle injuries over his career and missed just three games. Hopefully, James can power through this setback in a similar manner.

David