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Kings

May 5, 2006. That was the last time the Sacramento Kings <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200605050SAC.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played in a playoff game</a>. That contest took place 5,863 days ago.&nbsp; To put that into context: During that 2005-06 season, Chris Paul was a rookie and Bruce Bowen, who was born in 1971, was named to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team. Steve Nash won his second consecutive MVP award and Boris Diaw was named the league's Most Improved Player.
The Kings made history last month, the type of history that no organization wants to be known for. Sacramento, who finished the 2021-22 campaign with a 30-52 record, failed to qualify for the postseason for the 16th straight season, breaking the NBA record for the longest playoff drought. (The Kings had been tied with the Buffalo Braves and Los Angeles Clippers prior.)
So, while <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-lottery-teams-who-should-trade-to-win-now-or-at-least-sooner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many teams in this year's draft lottery</a> are rumored to be interested in potentially trading their pick, arguably no team is more motivated to add an established player (as opposed to an unproven rookie) in hopes of avoiding a return trip to the all-too-familiar lottery dais next May than the Kings.
As proof of their urgency to win now, the Kings shocked pundits back in February by trading away Tyrese Haliburton, one of the league's most promising young point guards, to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for a package that included Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis.&nbsp;
Thus, it isn't shocking to learn that Sacramento, who jumped up to land the No. 4 overall pick in last week's lottery, is reportedly willing to wheel and deal if presented with the right offer.&nbsp;
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036369-nba-draft-buzz-insiders-explain-why-chet-holmgren-makes-sense-at-no-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>, "there's a strong belief among rival teams that Sacramento will explore trading the fourth selection, either out of the draft entirely for an impact veteran or down later in the lottery to net a contributing rotation player in the process."
The other issue likely factoring into the Kings' thought process is that the top tier of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> consists of three players (Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero), with a bit of a dropoff after those elite prospects. Nonetheless, "the uncertainty of the fourth selection could prompt eager teams to leap up to secure their prized prospect" which puts the Kings' front office in a "<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036369-nba-draft-buzz-insiders-explain-why-chet-holmgren-makes-sense-at-no-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strong trade position</a>," per Fischer.&nbsp;
Additionally, Mike Scotto of HoopsHype recently <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/aggregate-nba-mock-draft-lottery-jabari-smith-chet-holmgren-paolo-banchero-trade-rumors/">reported</a> that NBA executives "are monitoring the Sacramento Kings" as a team that could trade their pick "in search of player(s) that can help immediately." Scotto added that after acquiring Sabonis, the Kings have "made it clear the goal is to end the franchise's playoff drought" and that "rival teams are keeping an eye on Sacramento to trade this pick."
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So, let's examine some deals that might make sense for both the Kings and a potential trading partner.
Detroit Pistons send Jerami Grant, Saben Lee, Isaiah Livers and a second-round pick (No. 46 overall) to the Kings in exchange for the No. 4 overall pick, Richaun Holmes, Maurice Harkless and Alex Len
Earlier this offseason, Sacramento general manager Monte McNair <a href="https://account.sacbee.com/paywall/subscriber-only?resume=260358905&amp;intcid=ab_archive">conceded</a> that the team needs to add players who can knock down shots and fit in alongside the franchise's cornerstones, Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox.
"I think shooting, we can clearly acknowledge, will be a huge priority," McNair declared. "Length, athleticism, versatility &mdash; we've talked about all that as well. Obviously, you want the whole package, but shooting will be a big priority for us."
Grant most certainly checks those boxes. During his two years in Detroit, he has averaged 20.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.0 made treys and 1.1 blocks per game. He has shot over 37% from downtown on 4.5 attempts over the past four seasons and is a versatile, plus defender. As a stretch-4, Grant &mdash; who just turned 28 and is in the heart of his prime &mdash; could conceivably fit in well in the frontcourt alongside Sabonis, who likes to operate on the low block and is a good passer from the post. Moreover, Fox-Grant pick-and-rolls would be difficult to defend.&nbsp;
The issue in this potential trade is that Grant has just one season left on the three-year, $60 million deal he signed in 2020. However, as long as Grant is traded before Aug. 9, he is eligible to sign an extension with his new team for up to $112 million over four years. After previously spurning the Nuggets to sign with the Pistons, we know that Grant is not afraid to join a team that hasn't enjoyed recent success. Would he be willing to commit to Sacramento long-term? If so, a Big Three of Fox, Grant and Sabonis might be talented enough to finally push the Kings into the postseason.&nbsp;
For the Pistons, they would add Holmes (a quality center on a team-friendly contract) and enter next month's draft with 2 of the top 5 picks, which would allow them to add a pair of promising prospects to a core centered around Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes. 
Washington Wizards send Kyle Kuzma and the No. 10 overall pick to the Kings for the No. 4 pick, Justin Holiday and Terence Davis
After a disappointing end to his tenure as a Los Angeles Laker, Kuzma bounced back with a very productive season for the Wizards in 2021-22. He averaged 17.1 points and 1.9 made three-pointers while setting career-highs in rebounds (8.5), assists (3.5) and blocks (0.9) per game. He led the Wiz in double-doubles with 24 (which ranked tied for the sixth-most among all forwards in the NBA). Adding Kuzma's offensive versatility would provide Sacramento with some much-needed depth at forward. In addition, the Kings would still have a lottery pick, dropping back just six spots, which would allow them to add another young asset to the roster.&nbsp;
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The Wizards would likely entertain such a deal if they fell in love with a prospect &mdash; such as Keegan Murray, Jaden Ivey or Shaedon Sharpe &mdash; whom they feel relatively sure won't still be on the board at 10.
Kuz has two years left on his current contract but can opt out in the summer of 2023. However, he will be eligible to sign a four-year extension for up to $70 million this October if his $13 million player option for 2023-24 is declined.&nbsp;
A similar package featuring one of the Wizards' other young forwards (Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija or Corey Kispert) instead of Kuzma might also be feasible, depending on the value the Kings/Wizards place on the respective players.&nbsp;
Houston Rockets send the No. 3 overall pick and Eric Gordon to the Kings for the No. 4 pick, a (protected) future first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick, Richaun Holmes and Justin Holiday
Is it possible that Sacramento views Smith, Holmgren or Banchero as talented enough to make a substantial impact as a rookie? If so, would the team be willing to pony up sufficient capital to move up one spot?
The Kings would snag one of this draft's three most prized prospects in this hypothetical scenario. The 7-foot Holmgren is one of the most versatile prospects to enter the draft in recent history. Banchero possesses a freakish combination of size, strength and athleticism. Smith projects as a lethal stretch-4 who could fit in nicely alongside Sabonis.&nbsp;
Gordon is a respected, established veteran with just one year of guaranteed money left on his contract. He shot a scorching 41.2% from three-point territory this past season, the second-best mark of his career.&nbsp;
Such a deal would make sense for the Rockets if they feel whichever of the top-tier prospects that falls to them isn't significantly better than the next highest-ranked player on their board. During a post-lottery press conference last week, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said Houston is <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/1526739178557517824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1526739178557517824%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F10036145-rockets-open-to-trading-3rd-pick-in-2022-nba-draft-if-a-deal-makes-sense-gm-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open to trading the No. 3 pick</a>.
"I'm definitely not gonna block them out," Stone <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/1526739178557517824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1526739178557517824%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F10036145-rockets-open-to-trading-3rd-pick-in-2022-nba-draft-if-a-deal-makes-sense-gm-says">told reporters</a>. "If they wanna talk, I'm always available to talk... If it's the case that they're interested in doing something, we're always available to listen. If there's something that makes sense for both teams, something will get done."
Adding a quality young center in Holmes would give the Rockets leverage in negotiations with Christian Wood, or potentially enable them to trade him out of Houston.&nbsp;
New York Knicks trade Julius Randle and the No. 11 overall pick to the Kings for Harrison Barnes, the No. 4 pick and a second-round pick (No. 37 overall)&nbsp;
Randle playing alongside Sabonis could be viewed as a clunky fit, but Sabonis did play 80% of his minutes at center for Sacramento after arriving via the midseason trade. The pairing would undoubtedly be problematic defensively, but the duo would be dynamic on the offensive end. Over the past two seasons, Randle and Sabonis were 2 of only 4 NBA players to average double-digit boards and more than 5 assists per contest. (The other two players in this club were Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo.)
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After being named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2020-21, Randle's offensive inefficiency regressed dramatically this past season. In addition, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/julius-randle-and-the-knicks-should-part-ways-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the relationship between Randle and Knicks fans turned toxic</a> at various points during the year. Yet, even in a "down year," he averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 boards and 5.1 dimes per game. A fresh start in California might help Randle regain his All-Star form. Also, he is under team control for at least three more years (he has a player option for 2025-26), which means the Kings wouldn't have to worry about their key players entering free agency anytime soon.&nbsp;
From the Knicks' perspective, this move would allow them to jump up and snag a highly-touted prospect, possibly combo guard Jaden Ivey, who New York was rumored to be interested in. And, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/julius-randle-and-the-knicks-should-part-ways-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as I wrote last month</a>, moving Randle would enable the Knicks to insert Obi Toppin (who averaged 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 made three-pointers per game in April) into the starting lineup while also clearing Randle's contract off their books. Barnes will celebrate his 30th birthday next week, but is still playing at a high level and has just one year left on his current deal.&nbsp;
Atlanta Hawks trade John Collins and the No. 16 pick to the Kings for Harrison Barnes and the No. 4 pick
After signing a massive five-year contract worth $125 million last summer, Collins struggled with injuries and inconsistency in 2021-22. His disappointing production was one of the reasons Atlanta failed to meet lofty expectations this season. One year after advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks spent much of this past season below .500 and were easily eliminated by the Miami Heat in the first round.
Would they be willing to part way with Collins (and his contract) to jump 12 spots in the draft?&nbsp;
Much like the aforementioned Randle/Knicks deal, the Kings would have to decide if Collins could mesh with Sabonis and Fox.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets trade Gordon Hayward, the No. 13 pick and the No. 15 pick (via NOLA) to the Kings in exchange for Harrison Barnes, Maurice Harkless, Alex Len and the No. 4 pick
Attempting to determine Hayward's value league-wide is difficult. When healthy, he's been remarkably productive throughout his career. However, he's been plagued by injury issues and has missed 58 games since signing a four-year, $120 million pact with the Hornets in 2020. He has two years and $61.5 million left on his current contract, which also contains a 15% trade kicker.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer highlights a number of possible trades that the Kings could execute to improve their roster this summer.

Breaking down 6 hypothetical trades for the Kings' fourth draft pick

The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery was last night, so we now have our top-14 picks!
Unfortunately, many of these teams &mdash; like the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets &mdash; have grown accustomed to picking in the lottery year after year.
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Of those top-14 teams, some should try to win now. And no, that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean they have to trade their first-round pick, especially after observing how Rookie-of-the-Year winner Scottie Barnes and runner-up Evan Mobley impacted winning this season. But, for some teams, you could say that if they were better at development, they wouldn&rsquo;t be in the lottery this often.
But we digress. Here are some teams who should strongly consider using their lottery pick in a win-now trade so that they&rsquo;re not back in the same position next season in an increasingly wide-open NBA.
(Did we include specific trade ideas? No, we aren't firing up the trade machine here. It's May, and what do you want? 2,500 words? On the Lottery? During the Conference Finals?)
Sacramento Kings
The Kings, who were the only team to jump in the lottery last night, have picks No. 4 and No. 37 in the upcoming draft, <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Kings.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">along with all of their pending first-rounders</a> and many of their seconds.
Absolutely no team in the NBA needs to make the playoffs more than the Kings. The team was a perennial playoff participant from 1999 through 2006, which is hard to fathom since they haven&rsquo;t reached the postseason ever since. Their eight-straight playoff trips included four consecutive runs to at least the Western Conference Semifinals, with a Western Conference Finals trip in 2002. They have not made the playoffs since 2006; they&rsquo;ve only finished above 10th place in the West once, in 2019, when they went 39-43 &mdash; their best record in 16 years, and one of only two seasons in which they&rsquo;ve had more than 33 wins.
Last season, they made the now keystone Kings-Pacers trade, dealing Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristian Thompson for Domantas Sabonis (who represented them at the lottery), Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick. With the pairing of Sabonis (26 years old) and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (24 years old), it may make more sense to add a similarly aged starter who can help their 2022-23 presumed playoff push.
Also, expected on the roster next season is Davion Mitchell, who will enter his sophomore season but is already 23 years old and may earn an All-Rookie selection soon. Richaun Holmes saw his role take a hit once Sabonis arrived and missed much of the latter portion of the season <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/being-accused-ex-wife-domestic-010013091.html">dealing with a personal issue</a>. Otherwise, for now, Holmes, Harrison Barnes and Mitchell are among the players under contract for next season.
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Dealing the No. 4 overall pick could land them a damn good player. John Collins, Gordon Hayward, Julius Randle, Jerami Grant and Christian Wood are among those who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may find a new home this summer</a>. Could the Utah Jazz look to move on from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donovan Mitchell</a> or <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rudy Gobert</a>&nbsp;in the coming months?
The Kings will have to attach players to the No. 4 pick, but imagine if Sacramento could put another win-now piece alongside Fox and Sabonis? They should make some calls to see what a package built around the No. 4 pick could return.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Despite all of the draft picks the Thunder own, they simply can&rsquo;t draft everyone. In this year's draft, OKC owns No. 2, No. 12, No. 30 and No. 34. Over the next five years, they will have 17 first-round picks and 30 selections in total. This is something you do in NBA 2K when you plan on building a dynasty, but at some point, most virtual GMs realize that you need to start having actual players on your roster to win rather than just continually flipping players for picks while toiling at the bottom of the standings.&nbsp;
At some point, Oklahoma City needs to make its run. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is about to enter the first season of his five-year, $172 million extension, which will see him earn just under $30 million next year. SGA turns 24 years old this summer and is a cornerstone for the franchise as their best player at the moment. Last year's No. 6 overall selection Josh Giddey looks like a keeper who almost certainly will be on an All-Rookie team this season. Lu Dort, Tre Mann, Kenrich Williams, Darius Bazley, Ty Jerome and Aleksej Pokusevski are all under contractual control for next season.
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OKC could quickly assemble a package for a high-level starter or borderline star to join SGA and Giddey, particularly with whoever else is retained. They have more than enough draft capital and could probably get close to anyone they want as a result. In terms of their roster, they just need good two-way players who fit what they&rsquo;re trying to build culturally and schematically. Literally, anything goes here.
At some point, the Thunder will have to package some of these draft picks or prospects. We'll see when Sam Presti decides to flip that switch.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are in a tough spot with Damian Lillard, and what Lillard wants will factor in to their decision-making. He clearly wants to win but, by all accounts, he prefers to stay in Portland. It may be difficult to check both of those boxes with the Blazers as presently constructed. In the Lillard-CJ McCollum era, Portland made the playoffs every season and reached one Western Conference Finals in 2019. They were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-salute-to-the-defiance-of-damian-lillard-and-cj-mccollum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often failed by suboptimal roster construction around Lillard and McCollum</a>, and then the elite backcourt would be unfairly blamed for the team's struggles.
With the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and the assumption that Lillard remains, what&rsquo;s their next move as they once again attempt to win with their elite 6-foot-3 shot creator? Lillard is due over $42 million next season, the second season of a four-year supermax that will include a player option worth close to $49 million in 2024-25.
Eric Bledsoe&rsquo;s $19 million and Josh Hart&rsquo;s $12 million are the only other big salaries on the books for next season. A decision awaits on dynamic guard Anfernee Simons, who is reminiscent of the aforementioned McCollum, as he is up for an extension this summer as he enters restricted free agency. <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/25/restricted-free-agent-to-be-anfernee-simons-i-100-want-to-stay-in-portland/#:~:text=signed%20a%20three%2Dyear%2C%20%2451.8,board%20career%20highs%20this%20season." target="_blank" rel="noopener">He reportedly wants to stay in Portland</a>.
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Ultimately, if the Blazers decide to package the No. 7 overall with some combination of players, could they look to include Simons via a sign-and-trade? It depends how aspirational a supposed deal could get and who they are getting in return. Only $3.9 million of Bledsoe&rsquo;s deal <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/eric-bledsoe-6900/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is fully guaranteed until June 29</a>, making him a prime trade-and-waive candidate between now and the draft.
Here's the reality: Portland&rsquo;s roster requires a full rebuild, but if Lillard is going to remain, selecting a rookie at No. 7 might not be ideal. And given their history and Simons' fit alongside Lillard, you might want to look at a big.

Bryan Fonseca argues that there are three NBA teams who should look to trade their lottery pick for a win-now piece.

Which NBA Draft Lottery teams should make a win-now trade?

The Sacramento Kings officially announced the hiring of Mike Brown as their new head coach with hopes he can end the NBA's longest playoff drought ever.
General manager Monte McNair said Monday that Brown was picked to replace interim coach Alvin Gentry. The Kings fired Gentry after a season during which they set an NBA record by missing the playoffs for a 16th straight year.
“Mike has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead winning teams throughout his long and successful coaching career,” McNair said in a statement. “He has worked with some of the best players in the NBA and is one of the league’s premier defensive minds. I am excited to bring his extensive experience to Sacramento.”
Brown currently is an assistant with Golden State and will remain with the Warriors for the rest of their playoff run. Brown previously had two stints as head coach in Cleveland, where he guided the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007, and had one stint as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Brown is the latest former Golden State coach to take over the Kings.
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive took over the franchise in 2013 after being a minority owner with the Warriors and immediately hired Michael Malone off Golden State’s staff as his first head coach. 
Ranadive then hired former Warriors assistant Luke Walton as head coach in 2019 and promoted former Warriors assistant Gentry to interim coach after Walton was fired last November.
None of the moves have led to success for the NBA’s worst-performing franchise of the past 16 years.
The Kings have failed to make the playoffs in each of those seasons, setting the record for the longest drought in NBA history. They went 30-52 this past season under Walton and Gentry and their .366 winning percentage was their worst since the 2017-18 season.
Since moving to Sacramento in 1985, the Kings have had only one stretch of success, making the playoffs in all eight seasons under coach Rick Adelman from 1999-2006. Adelman was fired in 2006 and remains the only coach in the Sacramento era to post a winning record in any season.
Brown comes with a strong pedigree, having worked as an assistant under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio and Steve Kerr at Golden State.
He got his first head coaching job in Cleveland in 2005. He helped LeBron James and the Cavaliers make the Finals in his second season before getting swept by the Spurs. He was fired in 2010 after winning 127 games the previous two years but failing to get back to the Finals.
After a year off, Brown replaced Phil Jackson with the Lakers and didn’t have nearly the success he had in Cleveland. The Lakers went 41-25 in his first season and he was fired after starting the next season 1-4.
Brown returned to Cleveland the following season and went 33-49 before getting fired again after one season.
Brown was then hired in July 2016 by the Warriors to take over as lead assistant after Walton left to take over as head coach of the Lakers.
Brown takes over a team that allowed the second-most points in the NBA despite getting a lift on that end of the court from rookie Davion Mitchell. 
Point guard De’Aaron Fox was in and out of the lineup, missing 23 games with a variety of injuries. Two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis arrived in a deadline deal by general manager Monte McNair. Sabonis made a big splash in Sacramento before sitting out the final nine games with a knee injury.
Although McNair has brought some order to the front office, he still hasn’t been able to build a roster capable of contending for a playoff spot.
___
More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Kings general manager Monte McNair said Monday that Mike Brown was picked to replace interim coach Alvin Gentry.

Kings announce hiring of Mike Brown as new coach

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

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

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

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

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

The Bruce Brown puzzle starts with trying to pin down his position.&nbsp;
Basketball Reference lists Brown as a point guard, shooting guard and small forward. The BBall Index labels him as a small forward on offense, a point guard on defense, and a big for his advanced position. The NBA plays it safe by calling him a guard-forward. Cleaning the Glass has described him as a forward, wing and combo guard. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/changing-of-the-guard-the-future-of-screening-is-here" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Nash has been quoted</a> considering Brown possibly as a center.
While the merits of position labels are a separate conversation, the point is: If you want to find a truly "positionless" NBA player, you won't do much better than Brown.
The 25-year-old shifts fluidly between roles on a Brooklyn Nets team that has struggled dealing with change this season. Now, as the squad appears to be heating up, Brown is clicking as the textbook glue guy that any playoff contender would love to have. Since the All-Star break, he's averaging 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 40.7% from three-point range with a 58.3% overall True Shooting percentage.
Brown is breaking out the full bag as an initiator and connective passer, a multi-faceted off-ball player and a primary defender. But a peek at the numbers also opens up more questions.&nbsp;
For example: Brown's at-rim scoring pressure is among the best from any non-big in the entire league. Over 45% of his shots have come within four feet of the basket in each of his four seasons and he's generally a solid finisher. His 65% clip at the rim this season is average among forwards.&nbsp;
So when I mosied on over to the Synergy playtype stats on the NBA's site, I was stunned to find that Brown has been by far one of the least efficient cutting scorers in the league this year. He's hit just 40.6% of his shot attempts off of halfcourt cuts; that's the worst among 105 players with at least 50 cutting possessions logged, and the closest player to him is Andre Drummond at 55.6%.&nbsp;
This does not mean Brown is a bad cutter.&nbsp;
I would argue after some cursory film study that he's generally excellent at timing his 45-cuts and weaving his way into space. Brown likes this right-hand jump floater but he doesn't always have the natural touch. According to InStat, he's made just 36.0% of his 114 floater attempts this season. Here's a reel with four great cuts and mixed floater results, plus two bonus cuts at the end:
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Synergy playtype data is generally considered to be some of the more accurate out there, but it's still vulnerable to subjectivity and tracking noise. More importantly, the possessions included here (from my understanding) are only plays that end in a shot, turnover or foul. That removes some of Brown's best work as a connector.&nbsp;
Since the All-Star break, Brown has a 15.0% assist rate (80th percentile among forwards) and 6.6% turnover rate (81st percentile). He returned to the starting lineup on Feb. 12 and has committed multiple turnovers in a game just once during that span. Brown's combination of decisiveness and patience means defenders don't have a moment to spare when he gets the ball.&nbsp;
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If help comes to ward off a drive, Brown knows who gets open. He's also capable of making the right reads and applying just enough pressure with the ball in his hands. Brown stays patient on these baseline drives and makes two great reads:
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Brown is averaging 1.43 points per possession in transition and finishing 74% of his transition shot attempts, both among the best marks in the league. It's easier for him to get all the way to the rim in this context. Splitting hairs creates an interesting contrast: Brown is shooting 64.4% in the restricted area (not bad!) but 37.3% in the NBA's "In the Paint-Non-RA" zone (very bad!). Unsurprisingly, that's also the zone where he takes a lot of those hook-floater-type shots.
Being a 6-foot-5, 200-pound jack-of-all-trades means Brown can make the quick bursts we like to see and play with strength against smaller matchups. It also means he's going to have a tougher time finishing short touch shots associated with bigs because he's not a blow-by driver and, well, not exactly big.&nbsp;
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However, the offensive impact drastically rises when Brown has the three-point shot going. His 40.7% clip since the break comes at triple the pre-All-Star volume. It's still on a relatively small 2.5 attempts per game, but this could signal some increased confidence, and Brown is generally solid from the charity stripe.
Defenses do not respect the shot. They don't usually close out hard on his shots (see the below film) and are generally unafraid to help off of him when he's in the corners. For Brown, it's simply about making the defenses pay by hitting these catch-and-shoot looks. He made just 32.5% of his catch-and-shoot threes before the All-Star break but is up to 41.7% since then.
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A sweet-shooting Brown means more easy perimeter points for Brooklyn, more space to weaponize him as a driver and passer, and perhaps some extra freedom for the Nets' superior scorers to move around off the ball.
Brown will always be a necessary rotation piece for the Nets due to his defensive value. He's not going to reach the All-Defensive stratosphere, but he's a darn good defender on a team that simply needs darn good defenders. Brooklyn dumps a ton of responsibilities on their malleable stopper.
BBall Index has developed <a href="Visit%20Glossary%20Here" target="_blank" rel="noopener">metrics</a> for defensive-matchup difficulty, positional versatility and role versatility. Brown places in the top 15% for all three. His deflections (3.5) and steals (1.7) per 75 possessions both rank in the top 10%.&nbsp;
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Brown can read passing lanes, navigate screens and use active hands to muck up plays. He doesn't get into a whole ton of foul trouble (2.4 per game) and it's worth the payoff for his energy.&nbsp;
On the most recent episode of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a>, Steve Jones Jr. asked Nekias Duncan if Brown is currently the third-best player on the Brooklyn Nets. Right now, with most aspects of Brown's game clicking, I'm inclined to say yes. He's nowhere near the overall impact of a Draymond Green, but Brown boosts Brooklyn in ways akin to the Warriors star.&nbsp;
His shot ultimately determines his ceiling level of importance to the Nets in the postseason. If Brown can hit threes at even a middle ground between his pre and post-All-Star extremes, he threatens defenses and opens up the rest of his offensive game. If he can figure out that floater, he becomes lethal in space and off of cuts.
Brown possesses so many unique traits that defy most NBA-player archetypes. Now he just has to sync them all up in time for the playoffs.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Marcus Smart has transformed his rim pressure this season and it's been fantastic:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Marcus Smart has made such a massive, necessary improvement in at-rim finishing this season. 2019-20: 47% at rim (11th %ile) 2020-21: 49% at rim (15th %ile) 2021-22: 64% at rim (73rd %ile!!) 24% of his shots are coming at the rim, his highest frequency since 2016-17
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1504301738026745859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Here's a great graphic from Mark Cheung from last week about Wendell Carter Jr.'s shifting shot selection:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Wendell Carter Jr. has been averaging 17/11/3 since the new year - and is doing so on a brand new shot diet of 3s and Drives. He's always flashed impressive shooting touch and ball skills for a big, now he's finally put it all together. <a href="https://t.co/0SXZrCa2EF">pic.twitter.com/0SXZrCa2EF</a>
&mdash; Mark (@MarkC_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkC_NBA/status/1502015316146077705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>A whopping 25 players are averaging at least 25 points per game in March. Eight are putting up 30 per game: Kyrie Irving (37.8), Jayson Tatum (35.1), Brandon Ingram (33.3), LeBron James (32.6), Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.5), Luka Doncic (32.1), De'Aaron Fox (30.9) and Joel Embiid (30.6). The league is going off!</li>
</ul>
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Ethan Fuller highlights the unique, wide-reaching impact of Bruce Brown for the Brooklyn Nets.

NBA Stats Notebook: Bruce Brown is Brooklyn's game-changing enigma

Nekias Duncan dives deep into the rise of guard-screening in the NBA through the lens of NBA players, coaches and more.

Changing of the guard: The future of screening is here

We're in the midst of a ridiculous scoring explosion.
Since the All-Star break, there have been 26 instances of a player scoring at least 40 points. Twenty different players have achieved the feat, ranging from superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, stars like Darius Garland, quality starters like Gary Trent Jr., gap-fillers like Josh Hart and bench assassins like Jordan Clarkson.&nbsp;
If the single-game excursions don't do it for you, consider that 11 players are averaging north of 30 points since the break. Only three pulled it off during the 2019-20 season &mdash; the infamous Orlando Bubble year &mdash; and that's the high mark of the past decade. We'll see what happens as the post-break sample grows, but we're in rare air right now.
The list of 11 is filled with single-name guys: LeBron, Jokic, Embiid, Giannis and Trae to point out a few. But then you get towards the bottom, and you see a pair of Kentucky Wildcats.
There's De'Aaron Fox, who is 11th in scoring (30.4 points per game) while dishing out nearly 8 assists per contest. His turbo-charged attacks &mdash; both on the ball or flowing into handoffs and cuts alongside his shiny new All-Star Domantas Sabonis &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/deaaron-fox-is-blossoming-alongside-domantas-sabonis-but-whats-next-for-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been fruitful</a>. It helps that the jumper (38.6% from three on 5.7 attempts) is falling right now.
And then, right above him on the list is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is quietly averaging 30.6 points over his last 10 games.
He isn't just getting buckets, but he's doing it efficiently. His 62.9% True Shooting percentage is one of the best marks in the league among high-usage players. The impressive part is that the bulk of his success has come in the interior.
Frankly, there's no driver in the league like SGA. There are numbers to quantify that; he's averaging the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;SeasonSegment=Post%20All-Star&amp;sort=DRIVE_PTS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth-most drives</a> since the break (22.9), ranks second in drive scoring (13.9) and is the only player converting more than half of his drive-based shots (51.5%) while attempting at least 10 of them per game.
While we're at it, here are how some notable names are faring on <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shots-general/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;SeasonSegment=Post%20All-Star&amp;sort=FG2A&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-point shots</a> since the All-Star break:
<ul>
<li>Brandon Ingram: 63.6% on 15.4 attempts</li>
<li>Giannis Antetokounmpo: 61.3% on 15.2 attempts</li>
<li>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 57.6% on 15.8 attempts</li>
<li>Ja Morant: 51.2% on 18.4 attempts</li>
<li>Joel Embiid: 45.9% on 15.0 attempts</li>
</ul>
Truly, you have to watch him. Despite having sub-elite burst, a sub-elite handle and a middling vertical pop, SGA consistently gets to his spots. Factor in his supporting cast (read: general lack of spacing), and his numbers become nonsensical. He simply shouldn't be this efficient within his context, but he's good enough to make it work.
He is a beacon of flexibility and deceleration. His ability to vary his stride length &mdash; some steps are quick and choppy, others are longer &mdash; is top-tier stuff. Gaining leverage is the name of the game, and SGA stops-and-slithers his way into it on a majority of his drives.
Defenders are rarely at risk of being blown by in a traditional sense, but they can never catch up to him. More accurately, they can never match his timing.
Take this play, for example.
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</div>
Cody Martin doesn't do anything wrong here. He's squarly in front of SGA when the drive starts. Even with SGA attacking his front foot, Martin is never out of position ... until the second step on the gather.
That second step is longer and more powerful than the first, allowing SGA to gain a little bit of an advantage when gliding through the air. That turns this:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_15_17_59_20_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Into this:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_15_17_59_33_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Watching SGA duck under defenders is a hidden joy. You don't have to be Allen Iverson-fast if you can get your shoulder into a guy's chest.&nbsp;
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Martin reaches in space, but SGA counters with a behind-the-back dribble. With Martin upright, SGA crosses back to his left&nbsp;and sinks low&nbsp;to create the early advantage.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_15_18_11_21_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
He now <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1503721522053238785?s=20&amp;t=0mgvyxKROeC9qeB3tz4COw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has Montrezl Harrell (Micro Shaq???) on a patch of land</a>. He's able to get lower than him, too, then catch Harrell off guard with a Steve Nash-ian scoop. Harrell's barely off the ground by the time the shot's up.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_15_18_16_36_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
The gather timing is wild enough; SGA altering his level of explosion on the gather is some nasty stuff.
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Look at how silly he makes Mason Plumlee look. Plumlee goes with a full-blown vertical contest &mdash; typically the right thing to do! &mdash; but because SGA leads at 10% capacity, he's able to slide under Plumlee for an unbothered layup.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has seemingly found a hack early on in his career: the actual moves don't have to change much if you alter the timing enough to throw defenders off. The stop-and-start nature of his game keeps his enemies off-balance; his finishing moves deliver the final blow.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the unique driving ability of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Stop and start: Taking a drive with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Once more, the Sacramento Kings are toiling in the NBA&rsquo;s version of no man&rsquo;s land. On the verge of missing the playoffs for the 15th straight season, when will a light finally shine at the end of this franchise's depressing tunnel?
After the Kings traded away very promising second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for All-Star center Domantas Sabonis at last month&rsquo;s trade deadline &mdash; a blockbuster deal for both sides &mdash; they decided the time was now to push some chips into the middle of the table. With the long-standing postseason drought still in full effect, the Kings are trying to capitalize on the new Play-In era of the Association. Although Sacramento is 20 games below .500 at 24-44, the team is within shouting distance of the final Play-In slot at No. 10 in the Western Conference.
The biggest beneficiary of jettisoning Haliburton and bringing aboard Sabonis has been the cemented face of the franchise, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox. Involved in trade rumors himself all season long before acquiring Sabonis, Sacramento&rsquo;s commitment to Fox has paid off in spades over the last month.
Since Feb. 9, the day Sabonis first put on a Kings uniform, Fox has put up some incredible numbers, averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds on an outstanding 59.2% True Shooting percentage. Functioning alongside a big man who can be the hub of an offense, plus creating for others around him, Fox is finally blossoming into an All-Star type of lead guard in Sacramento.
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When comparing Fox&rsquo;s stats before Sabonis, there&rsquo;s no wonder why the Kings decided to pull the trigger and take a real risk committing to Fox over Haliburton long-term as the No. 1 option.
Pre-Sabonis: 21.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 53.4 TS%, 27.7 USG%
Post-Sabonis: 28.2 points, 6.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 59.2 TS%, 28.7 USG%
As you can see, the difference for Fox is massive now playing next to a legitimate running mate who can take the pressure off him. Sabonis has allowed Fox to be fully weaponized within the Kings&rsquo; fast-paced offense, getting downhill to the basket with ease thanks to the new gravity now provided to do his damage.
Now becoming a real legitimate sample size spanning over a month, Fox is showing the goods as to why Sacramento committed a rookie-scale max extension when he was first eligible. Fox was the only hope for Kings fans, as the team otherwise operated within a discombobulated environment. Now, with Sabonis forming a lethal 1-2 offensive punch with Fox, there&rsquo;s at least a foundational idea in place to build further around them.
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Fox ➡️ Ox Sabonis is up to 15 points after sinking his first seven shots 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/qA12UGhFgK">pic.twitter.com/qA12UGhFgK</a>
&mdash; Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1500255932294434817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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What still remains an issue, though, with this tandem is the lack of defensive integrity. Sure, the offense has real potential to produce firepower on a consistent basis now, but it won&rsquo;t matter without getting stops on the other end.
Sabonis is the polar opposite of a defensive anchor, consistently worked by strong and aggressive bigs down low. Fox has also lagged behind in this department, really taking a step back the past couple of seasons with his effort as an on-ball defender. In the 299 total minutes Fox and Sabonis have shared the floor together, the Kings are still getting outscored by 2.4 points per 100 possessions. The sole reason for that is because of their horrific job of attempting to contain opposing offenses from doing whatever they want; it checks in at a 118.7 Defensive Rating. If you compare that to team-centric numbers on defense, Sacramento would rank last in the NBA for points allowed per 100 possessions.
Even if the Kings miss the play-in tournament, they are set up well in 2022-23 to finally make a real playoff push. Fox and Sabonis are already locked in, but so is versatile veteran forward Harrison Barnes. Davion Mitchell has flashed some promising potential in his rookie campaign playing on or off-ball alongside Fox. The cupboard is not completely barren in Sacramento, and one more swing of good lottery luck fortune could put them in position to add the much-needed third pillar to vault them into serious postseason discussions.
Just imagine how much better off the Kings would be long-term building a winning program around Fox and Sabonis if they brought in a tantalizing draft prospect like Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga. He&rsquo;s the ideal piece to the puzzle to place next to Sabonis, offsetting serious defensive concerns with a legitimate rim-protector. Very similar to the blueprint Sabonis already experienced with the Pacers, it seems necessary for this whole process to reach its max output down the road.
The Kings are not a laughingstock anymore, but trying to shed that label for over a decade has taken a toll on the organization. If the pendulum swings in the team's favor, Sacramento can finally escape proverbial basketball hell.
Fox&rsquo;s ascension since the arrival of Sabonis has brought clarity to how the Kings&rsquo; lead guard can operate next to a really talented secondary option. Some would argue Sabonis is a better player than Fox, but these flashes we&rsquo;re seeing on a more consistent basis from the former Kentucky Wildcat as of late are super promising for what&rsquo;s next regarding his career arc.
Although it seems far-fetched, the Kings are positioning themselves within their win-now window. The commitment has already taken place by shipping off arguably their most consistent player in Haliburton last month.
Sacramento&rsquo;s vision of building a dynamite offense with Fox and Sabonis is already showing positive results. Now, it&rsquo;s time to see whether it maintains for a last-chance play-in push or a full-on surge in 2022-23.
Fox is already benefiting from this new look in Sacramento, but what other pieces will soon fall into place for what will be a massive offseason once more for the playoff-starved organization?
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Since acquiring All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis, De'Aaron Fox is taking serious steps forward for the Kings as their No. 1 option.

De'Aaron Fox is blossoming alongside Domantas Sabonis, but what's next?

Julius Randle hit eight 3-pointers and scored 17 of his career-high 46 points in the third quarter as the New York Knicks rallied from a 20-point deficit and beat the Sacramento Kings 131-115 on Monday night.
One night after beating the Los Angeles Clippers in a win fueled mostly by New York&rsquo;s younger players, Randle rallied the Knicks with a phenomenal shooting display in the second half. He made 12 of 17 shots after halftime, going 7 for 11 from beyond the arc, and finished with 10 rebounds.
&ldquo;Julius got going and it was pretty terrific what he did,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;When he plays with that type of intensity it lifts everyone. He was attacking the basket, he was shooting the 3, he was making hustle plays. It was a great all-around game from him in so many different ways.&rdquo;
RJ Barrett had 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists to help the Knicks to their second consecutive win after seven straight losses. Immanuel Quickley added 27 points.
Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings before being ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving double technicals. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox scored 24 points, and Harrison Barnes had 23.
&ldquo;It was just a frustrating game,&rdquo; Sabonis said. &ldquo;We keep getting these leads playing the right way and we just can&rsquo;t come out in the second half and sustain it.&rdquo;
Held to 48 points in the first half, the Knicks nearly doubled their output in the third quarter when they outscored the Kings 44-24.
Randle opened the period with a 3-pointer and then made two more to give New York its first lead. Quickley scored four straight points, Fournier added two free throws and Randle made two free throws and a layup to put New York ahead 92-87.
The Kings got within 96-94 early in the fourth, before Quickley made a 3-pointer and Barrett scored on a layup. Randle followed with consecutive 3s to cap the 11-0 run.
&ldquo;No second-guessing,&rdquo; Randle said. &ldquo;Just open shot, shoot it. Sacramento plays a really high pace and we had to get our transition in order and get stops and get our rhythm. Once we got stops offense came a lot easier.&rdquo;
The Knicks had lost 11 of 13.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re up 17, 18 points, you can&rsquo;t have a couple of possessions that are bad possessions,&rdquo; Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry said. &ldquo;There are a ton of teams that have lost 20-point leads in the last couple of days. New York has lost four games when they&rsquo;ve been up 20. The way everything is played, 20 is just not that much.&rdquo;
The game was paused in the third quarter when Cam Reddish crashed hard to the court on his right shoulder and was taken to the locker room, further depleting an already shortened Knicks roster. Thibodeau said that Reddish was still being evaluated after the game.
DOESN&rsquo;T HAPPEN OFTEN
The Kings became the fourth team in the last 25 seasons to lose a game by 16 or more after leading by 16 or more after the first quarter, joining the Bulls (2019), Timberwolves (2003) and Clippers (2000)
TIP-INS
Knicks: Evan Fournier had 15 points and made three 3-pointers to give him 187 this season, third-most in franchise history. &hellip; Taj Gibson had five points and eight rebounds after sitting out Sunday because of an illness. &hellip; Jericho Sims picked up three fouls in his first six minutes on the court. &hellip; Obi Toppin (strained left hamstring) was held out a third consecutive game.
Kings: Alvin Gentry was whistled for his first technical foul this season in the second quarter. &hellip; Richaun Holmes (personal reasons), Moe Harkless (right ankle sprain) and Jeremy Lamb (left hip soreness) did not play.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Continue their seven-game trip against the Mavericks on Wednesday. New York has won four straight in Dallas.
Kings: Host the Nuggets on Wednesday. Denver is 3-0 against Sacramento this season.

Julius Randle hit 8 threes and scored 17 of his career-high 46 points in the third quarter as the Knicks rallied from a 20-point deficit to win.

Randle nets career-best 46, Knicks rally past Kings 131-115

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into the best NBA plays for Monday&rsquo;s slate.
Philadelphia 76ers (-7.5) vs. Chicago Bulls
James Harden is back in the Sixers&rsquo; starting lineup after being held out last game for injury maintenance (hamstring). With Harden&rsquo;s return, it&rsquo;s hard to envision Philadelphia not being able to cover the 7.5-point spread here. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine will put on a scoring show for the Bulls, but who will be able to stop both Harden and Embiid? The answer: Chicago won&rsquo;t, so hammer with emphasis Sixers -7.5.
Pick: Sixers -7.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 29.5 points, DeMar DeRozan over 28.5 points, Zach LaVine over 23.5 points, James Harden over 10 assists
Dallas Mavericks (-1) vs. Utah Jazz
Luka Doncic has been putting up jaw-dropping numbers for the Mavericks since the trade deadline. Averaging <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/will-luka-doncic-be-able-to-sustain-current-workload-for-potentially-deep-postseason-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">almost 40 points per game on a plus-40 usage rate</a>, can this amount of an offensive workload maintain without Doncic wearing down later on? It&rsquo;s a legitimate question to wonder long-term for Dallas, but not on Monday night. The Luka show keeps rolling with an emphatic, impressive win over the Jazz at home.
Pick: Mavericks -1
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 30.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 24.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 12.5 rebounds, Dorian Finney-Smith over 10.5 points
San Antonio Spurs (-2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers
I&rsquo;ve finally come around to where everyone else is on the Lakers from a betting perspective. Avoid the Lakers at all costs, until proven otherwise. Sure, LeBron James is still a fun PrizePicks Power Play option for player props, but everything else around Los Angeles right now is a nightmare. The Spurs are a very feisty team led by Dejounte Murray, and I think they get it done tonight as the home favorites.
Pick: Spurs -2
PrizePicks Power Play: LeBron James over 30.5 points, Keldon Johnson over 19.5 points, Malik Monk over 15.5 points, Dejounte Murray over 9.5 assists
Denver Nuggets (-7.5) vs. Golden State Warriors
No Stephen Curry tonight for the Warriors, which makes this task even more daunting in Denver. The Warriors not having Curry, Klay Thompson or Draymond Green available for this game against defending-MVP Nikola Jokic is a worst-case scenario. Jokic is going to terrorize the shorthanded Warriors from the opening tip and on, so we feel confident wagering big tonight on Denver to pull off the victory.
Pick: Nuggets -7.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Nikola Jokic over 24.5 points, Jordan Poole over 22.5 points, Kevon Looney over 7.5 rebounds, Aaron Gordon over 5.5 rebounds
Sacramento Kings (-3.5) vs. New York Knicks
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com later this week, because yours truly is diving deeper into the current situation in Sacramento. Since the Kings pushed some chips all-in on All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis, they haven&rsquo;t really gotten better in the standings. However, viewing it from a long-term lens, the pairing between De'Aaron Fox and Sabonis has been absolutely fantastic. Sabonis allows Fox to be fully optimized as a scorer, which should be on full display Monday night against the Knicks. We&rsquo;re rolling the dice, but Sacramento feels like the ideal pick to make in this spot.
Pick: Kings -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 25.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 24.5 points, Julius Randle over 9.5 rebounds, Domantas Sabonis over 5.5 assists
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily fantasy? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/7/22

The Sour Rankings are all about spotlighting disappointment, negativity and drama in the NBA. As the writer of this column, even I get a little bummed out after writing so many critical paragraphs.
So we're mixing up the agenda this week. You'll still receive the same Sour Rankings, but I'll additionally provide a positive development for each squad. Some will be obvious (LeBron James dropped 56 two nights ago), and others will hopefully surprise. For fans of these teams, the positivity should at least provide some much-needed comfort.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Milwaukee Bucks didn't stay long, now riding a four-game winning streak after picking up three statement wins against playoff competitors in the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. The New Orleans Pelicans also received some positive news on the Zion Williamson front to pair with their solid play, so they escape as well.
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10. Toronto Raptors (34-30)
The Raptors have come out from the All-Star break just 2-5, with both those wins coming versus the Brooklyn Nets. They're in somewhat of an Eastern Conference standings bubble at seventh, currently three games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and three games up on eighth place (a triple tie).
Unfortunately, Malachi Flynn is <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/raptors-malachi-flynn-out-at-least-10-days/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out at least 10 days</a> with a hamstring injury. But his post-All-Star run is worth highlighting because it was sneaky-unreal. Flynn averaged 12.5 points per game, shot 42.3% from long range and handed out 27 assists against a single turnover in six contests. Hopefully he can return from injury soon because he really appeared to be putting things together offensively.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Charlotte Hornets (32-33)
We're once again at the point of questioning a surprisingly successful Hornets defense. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-charlotte-is-buzzing-behind-a-weirdly-successful-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote a whole Stats Notebook on Charlotte's defense</a> over a month ago and the team responded by being abjectly terrible.&nbsp;
Well, now the Hornets are eighth in defensive rating since the All-Star break and one of five NBA teams with top-12 metrics on both sides of the basketball. Is this a real sign of progress or just another small-sample mirage? We'll find out pretty soon.
(Last week: 7)
8. Houston Rockets (16-48)
Jalen Green, man.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jalen Green SAUCE 🥫🔥<a href="https://t.co/ofdpU8YjRv">pic.twitter.com/ofdpU8YjRv</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1500663635160481792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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He's been leading all rookies with 18.1 points per game since Feb. 1. Green is attacking the rim with effort (79th percentile in frequency, per Cleaning the Glass) and finishing effectively (64.0% at the rim, in the 74th percentile). The highlights alone have breathed some life into Houston, which finally snapped a 12-game losing streak with Sunday night's victory over the Grizzlies.
(Last week: 6)
7. Golden State Warriors (43-21)
So Golden State is 2-8 in its last 10 games, and Andrew Wiggins has notably underwhelmed since his first All-Star appearance. Still, we're keeping things positive, and the best part of the Warriors' past month has been the rise of two lottery rookies.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-3-nba-prospects-who-are-quietly-figuring-things-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote about Jonathan Kuminga recently</a>, so I'd like to focus on Moses Moody here. He's played in 11 games for the Warriors since the start of February and knocked down an even 50.0% of his threes while averaging 17.1 minutes per contest. Regression is inevitable, but it's nice to see Moody's shot translating so far, as he moves up from the G League to a larger presence in the rotation.
(Last week: Unranked)
6. Washington Wizards (29-34)
Washington is about to hit a great stretch of its schedule despite heading out west. Just 3 of the next 8&nbsp; games are against teams over .500 (Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Warriors) and the other five matchups include the New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers (twice) and Rockets. This is a great opportunity for the Wizards to string together some wins as their closest East competitors struggle. Washington is still just two games back of a three-way tie for eighth place in the standings. With Kristaps Porzingis now healthy, it's go time for a playoff push.
(Last week: 5)
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5. Portland Trail Blazers (25-38)
After losing four straight games by 14 or more points (three of them by at least 30), Portland has entered the cliff-hanging window for its playoff hopes. But let's give Brandon Williams the name recognition he deserves.&nbsp;
The 22-year-old guard went undrafted this past season, tried out for the Westchester Knicks in the G League and promptly tore it up with the team this season. He's now earned a two-way deal with the Blazers, and is averaging 14.8 points in 21.4 minutes per game over his last four contests while making 42.9% of his threes. These types of stories never get old.
(Last week: 8)
4. Sacramento Kings (24-42)
The Kings scrounge up a couple of wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs to keep their postseason hopes barely alive. De'Aaron Fox is certainly doing his best to put any remaining ire about trading Tyrese Haliburton behind the team. Fox has put up a whopping 28.3 points per game since the start of February, and sports a 36.5% three-point clip. We've said this several times when Fox heats up, but if that jumper is even semi-legit, he becomes a wholly-different caliber of offensive player.
(Last week: 4)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (28-35)
LeBron James is just the fourth NBA player ever to score 50 or more points at over 37 years old. His 56-point outburst was historic on several fronts, and it reminded the city and the league that &mdash; when all else is failing &mdash; The King is still The King. In fact, LeBron's 29.4 points per game are the fourth-most he's had in any NBA season, and the most since the 2009-10 campaign in Cleveland. Level it out, and his per-36 scoring output of 28.8 points is the highest he's ever had.
(Last week: 1)
2. New York Knicks (26-38)
Ariel Pacheco is one of my favorite Knicks follows, so I'll let his Twitter thread do the talking after a great win over the Clippers:
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Knicks/Clippers - 6 things that stood out The Deuce, IQ, Cam, RJ, Mitch/Sims lineup held the Clippers scoreless for a 6 min stretch. Fun combo of ball pressure, timely switches, good contesting. Forced a couple of turnovers well. Multiple guys who can guard multiple positions <a href="https://t.co/6rWZ4lt0i6">pic.twitter.com/6rWZ4lt0i6</a>
&mdash; Ariel (@APachecoNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/APachecoNBA/status/1500850399464636416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I will beg for more Deuce McBride-Immanuel Quickley minutes as long as I live, but this small sample bodes well for the defense of the future. New York actually has the ninth-best defensive rating in the NBA since the All-Star break (small sample size alert), so there may be some good development happening.&nbsp;
(Last week: 2)
1. Brooklyn Nets (32-33)
So, the Nets do have the league's second-worst defense since the All-Star break and lost at full strength to the Boston Celtics in a huge Sunday matinee game to move to 3-13 since Feb. 1.
However! Let's talk about Bruce Brown.
The 25-year-old has made 50% of his three-pointers in that 16-game stretch. He's up to 37.7% on the season, which would be a major career-high clip. Brown isn't exactly a Joe Harris replacement; he takes just 1.1 threes per game and hasn't earned the full respect of the defense. But he is probably Brooklyn's best perimeter defender, and if he can be solid enough on offense, the Nets could really use someone of his style.
(Last week: 3)
&nbsp;
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Ethan Fuller provides some positivity for each team in this week's Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Look on the bright side

Dorian Finney-Smith hit a 3-pointer from the right corner with 3.3 seconds left and the Dallas Mavericks, playing without All-Star guard Luka Doncic, overcame a 19-point deficit for the second time this week to beat the Sacramento Kings 114-113 on Saturday.
Doncic was listed on the injury report as having a left toe sprain, and coach Jason Kidd wouldn&rsquo;t elaborate on the injury. It was the first game Doncic has missed since Jan. 7 and the 16th game overall.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored a season-high 36 points to go with seven assists in his first start for Dallas since being acquired from Washington on Feb. 10. Jalen Brunson added 23 points and assisted on the winning basket, passing from behind the basket to Finney-Smith for a 114-111 lead.
&ldquo;We want Luka playing, and it took us some time to get used to him not being on the floor,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;I thought the guys got their legs and got their rhythm without Luka out there. It helps us &ndash; makes us a better team &ndash; but hopefully Luka&rsquo;s back Monday.&rdquo;
The Kings had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds, but Harrison Barnes&rsquo; 30-footer went off the rim and Justin Holiday converted the miss for a layup for the final points.
Dallas trailed by 19 at Golden State last Sunday before rallying for a 107-101 victory. The Mavericks have won five straight and pulled within one game of fourth-place Utah in the Western Conference.
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox matched a career high with 44 points on 18-for-31 shooting, and Domantas Sabonis added 15 points and 10 rebounds &ndash; but only four points and three rebounds in the second half while often guarded by Finney-Smith &ndash; for the Kings.
&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve done an OK job so far,&rdquo; Fox said about establishing chemistry with Sabonis, who was acquired Feb. 8 from Indiana. &ldquo;I think we have a good ways to go, and we just want to bring our team wins.&rdquo;
Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry was upset about some of Fox&rsquo;s other numbers.
&ldquo;As much as De&rsquo;Aaron Fox drives the ball to the basket and as much as he is in the paint, I&rsquo;m a little bit miffed as to how he shoots six free throws,&rdquo; Gentry said.
Fox hit the second of two free throws to tie it at 111 with 12 seconds to play, and Dallas called a timeout. Finney-Smith asked Kidd if he could set up in the right corner. Brunson took the inbound pass and, guarded by Davion Mitchell, drove to the basket before whipping the ball to Finney-Smith.
Dinwiddie averaged 14.5 points in 27.3 minutes in his first six Mavericks games coming off the bench. He was 8 for 12 from the floor in the second half and overall has scored at least 20 in three of his last four games.
THE PARTY GOES ON
The Mavericks hosted Slovenia Night in honor of Doncic&rsquo;s homeland and scheduled the game for a 4 p.m. local start in conjunction with European television. The first 3,000 fans received Slovenia scarfs, and a group of fans traveled from there to attend the game.
Doncic watched the game from the end of the bench and met afterward with the visiting Slovenians. He came to the scorer&rsquo;s table once in the first half to chat with the officials during a timeout after the Dallas bench was particularly upset with multiple calls.
NOT-SO-SWEET SIXTEEN
With the loss, the Kings will finish with a losing record for the 16th consecutive season. Of their 37 seasons in Sacramento, they&rsquo;ve had winning finishes only in the eight seasons under Rick Adelman (1998-99 through 2005-06).
TIP-INS:
Kings: Richaun Holmes returned after missing five games because of back soreness. Holmes had six points and six rebounds in 16 minutes. &hellip; Guard Jeremy Lamb sat with left hip soreness.
Mavericks: Finney-Smith had 17 points, hitting 5 of 11 from 3-point range. &hellip; Dallas came in second in the NBA allowing only 10.8 3-pointers per game and held Sacramento to nine, three in the second half. &hellip; Power forward Maxi Kleber missed his second straight game with an ankle injury.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host New York on Monday night.
Mavericks: Host the Jazz on Monday night.

Dorian Finney-Smith hit a three from the right corner with 3.3 seconds left and the Mavericks, without Luka Doncic, rallied to win.

Mavericks overcome 19-point deficit to beat Kings 114-113

This week found me recalling an early-season article from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tom-thibodeau-isnt-the-only-reigning-coach-of-the-year-to-struggle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moke Hamilton on the Coach of the Year curse</a>. Moke wrote this when the Knicks were 12-12; they're now 11 games under .500 and the aura surrounding Thibodeau's first season in New York is all but gone.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Sixers feeling comfortable switching Maxey on Randle and not doubling feels like the Knicks season in a nutshell. <a href="https://t.co/1ws9NEhqbT">pic.twitter.com/1ws9NEhqbT</a>
&mdash; Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20/status/1498010231904813059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Julius Randle is nowhere near the All-NBA player he was last season, and the complementary players haven't challenged defenses consistently. Here we are with New York well out of the postseason race and once again figuring out a franchise direction for the season. There's a good quote from Evan Fournier hidden in this week's rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;Utah has won 8 of its last 9 games, and Donovan Mitchell is on fire. With two great wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, the Jazz break free of this list.
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10. New Orleans Pelicans (25-36)
The Zion Williamson saga was the dominant subject of NBA conversations last week. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/new-orleans-pelicans-zion-williamson-lack-of-transparency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler's recent piece</a> explains just how layered this situation is. Unfortunately, the off-court tension distracts and hampers the fact that this team has been really, really good out of the All-Star break. New Orleans steamrolled the Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans have the best defensive rating in this uber-small sample size, and have been much-improved on offense with CJ McCollum in the fold. I fully expect them to leave the Sour Rankings behind next week as long as there's no more Zion drama.
(Last week: 10)
9. Milwaukee Bucks (36-25)
So... the Bucks have not been very good recently? Milwaukee is 12-12 in the 2022 calendar year and has lost 4 of its last 5 games. Since Jan. 1, the team has the 18th-ranked defense in the NBA and the 27th-ranked defense over the past two weeks without missing any of their signature defensive studs for extended periods. The Bucks face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday but then have the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Suns on the schedule. They're still my pick to come out of the East, but I admittedly don't think the public sphere is showing enough concern.
(Last week: Unranked)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (25-36)
Portland opened up the post-All-Star stretch by getting its doors absolutely smashed with two 30-plus-point losses to the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets. The Trail Blazers are dealing with several serious injuries and simply don't have the depth to remain competitive at this stage. As much as we love Anfernee Simons and Josh Hart, they won't be the duo to lead Portland to Play-In games. Drew Eubanks is currently the only center in the rotation.
(Last week: 8)
7. Charlotte Hornets (30-32)
Gordon Hayward remains out with an ankle injury, but hopefully Charlotte is finding some of its footing amid a tense Eastern Conference playoff race. I'd like to shout out JT Thor, who has emerged as a rotation piece. The rookie second-round pick has played at least 10 minutes in each of the last five contests after not reach double-digit minutes since Dec. 13. I don't know how long this lasts, but I'm intrigued to watch more of him and see if he's grown comfortable enough to stay this season.
(Last week: 6)
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6. Houston Rockets (15-45)
Jalen Green had put together a really strong stretch prior to his dud in Houston's 99-98 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers. The rookie has a 57.2% True Shooting percentage in February, is hitting 38.6% of his threes and averaging 16.5 points per game &mdash; all monthly bests outside of a December in which he only played three games. While the Rockets flounder on their current nine-game skid, at least Green is showing the scoring promise he's been labeled with throughout his basketball career.
(Last week: 5)
5. Washington Wizards (27-33)
Kind of a radical return for the Wizards, who lost a crazy 157-153 double-OT game to the San Antonio Spurs and fell narrowly again on the second night of a back-to-back versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. We're in the sans-Bradley Beal, pre-Kristaps Porzingis purgatory world, so Washington expectedly has some tough sledding coming out of the All-Star break.&nbsp;
One small stat of note: Rui Hachimura is canning 48.8% of his three-pointers since rejoining the team. That's a 16% spike from last season, and hopefully a positive indicator of Hachimura expanding his range since he was drafted ninth overall in 2019.&nbsp;
(Last week: 4)
4. Sacramento Kings (22-40)
The Kings are 3.5 games out of a Play-In spot with 20 games to go, and are currently riding a four-game losing streak. It's desperation time for De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and the rest of this win-now-ish group. Sacramento began the stretch run with two understandable defeats to Denver, but the schedule gets easier.
Four of the next five contests are against teams well under .500 in New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and New York. It's imperative that the Kings find a groove over the next two weeks.
(Last week: 7)
3. Brooklyn Nets (32-29)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 38 points (14/26 FG) in a win vs the Bucks! Dragic: "When you watch Kyrie, it feels like he's in the video games. It's just crazy how he moves &amp; how he's making those tough shots."<a href="https://t.co/eLfonZsyWO">pic.twitter.com/eLfonZsyWO</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1497893361759444997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Man, was that a necessary win against the Bucks on Saturday. Brooklyn numbed the 129-106 thumping by the Boston Celtics early in the week and grabbed a win with Kyrie Irving back as Kevin Durant nears a return. Unfortunately, it appears Nic Claxton is getting the short end of the stick again with Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge taking place over him in the rotation. Sigh.&nbsp;
(Last week: 3)
2. New York Knicks (25-36)
&ldquo;I feel like sometimes we&rsquo;re looking at each other, second-guessing what play we&rsquo;re going to run, who we&rsquo;re going to go to... What is he going to do? We have no expectations right now from each other because we have no rhythm and no confidence in the fourth quarter. So again, as long as we don&rsquo;t fix that as players, things are not going to change.&rdquo;
That quote comes from Evan Fournier. It's not a great look at all for the Knicks, who have been outscored 252-161 in the fourth quarter and overtime over the past eight games, <a href="https://www.sny.tv/articles/evan-fournier-admits-knicks-no-confidence-late-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per SNY's Ian Begley.</a> Yikes.
(Last week: 2)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-33)
The Lakers are very much the viral laughingstock of the NBA right now after losing by 30 to the Pelicans. I'm not a fan of StatMuse and the way it uses its platform, but this was pretty funny:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Lakers are 6-14 since Desmond Bane said "Them footsteps ain't scaring nobody." Only the Rockets have fewer wins in that span. <a href="https://t.co/M3tQ0UbfQg">pic.twitter.com/M3tQ0UbfQg</a>
&mdash; StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1498354136605102082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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(Last week: 1)
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The Lakers and Knicks continue to dominate in the latest NBA Sour Rankings installment.

NBA Sour Rankings: Too much second-guessing

As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-wont-mortgage-future-for-lebron-this-is-the-bed-you-made" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramona Shelburne said</a> when she paraphrased the Los Angeles Lakers' front office stance: "You guys got yourselves into this; this is the bed that you made."
We're past the trade deadline and NBA All-Star weekend and into the season's stretch run. Aside from some leftover waivings and G League call-ups, teams have their rosters set. From here on out, it's about just playing with the guys you have.&nbsp;
For the teams in this week's Sour Rankings, there's still time to adjust season goals and find a measure of success. Young rosters might hope for promising player development instead of wins. Those on the fringe of playoff contention might have the Play-In Tournament or the traditional postseason as a benchmark. Disappointing title hopefuls can salvage positivity even if they don't go all the way.
I've listed a target for each squad on the list. It might not be the ideal outcome, but the bar can at least bring some level of satisfaction to a year gone awry.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Oklahoma City Thunder made a brief pit stop, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddeys-rise-make-thunders-rebuild-even-more-intriguing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Giddey's brilliance</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">team-wide budding defense</a> launched them right back out.
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10. New Orleans Pelicans (23-36)
Zion Williamson's general situation has once again made things sour. CJ McCollum <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cj-mccollum-on-zion-williamson-i-havent-had-conversations-with-him-directly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on TNT</a> that he has yet to speak with Williamson since being the blockbuster addition for the Pelicans at the trade deadline. The quotes raise serious questions about how Williamson and the Pelicans are handling his extended absence.
At this point, who knows if Williamson will return this season. New Orleans should be aiming to make the Play-In games behind Brandon Ingram and McCollum. The latter has gotten off to a hot start with his new team. The Pelicans are two games back of the Trail Blazers for 10th place in the Western Conference and have plenty of time to move up.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Utah Jazz (36-22)
The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns have asserted themselves as the favorites in the West. No other team, including Utah, is in a similar tier. The Jazz also didn't make any significant moves to inspire title hope at the trade deadline, and a recent five-game winning streak doesn't exactly turn the tables. Utah hasn't reached the conference finals since 2006-07, and that seems like a reasonable, yet valuable goal since the team will likely have to get through one of the two powers to get there.
(Last week: 8)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (25-34)
Anfernee Simons averaged 28.0 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 44.8% from long range over his last five games entering the break. He's been the breakout star of the 2022 calendar year, and has given a listless Trail Blazers team some life. Simons' development might be more important than any team outcome, especially if Damian Lillard does not return this season. If he can finish out the year as the dynamic offensive weapon he's becoming, Simons can show Portland why he's a long-term core piece for the next era.
(Last week: 6)
7. Sacramento Kings (22-38)
When the Kings swung on Domantas Sabonis (and to a lesser extent, Donte DiVincenzo), they basically set the goal: make the playoffs. Play-In exits won't do any good for a franchise that has not made a postseason appearance since 2005-06 and just dealt arguably its top young talent, however. Sacramento is tied with New Orleans and also two-and-a-half games out of 10th in the West. It's going to be a brawl for that last spot, but if the Kings do snag it and advance through the mini-bracket, that means the Sabonis-De'Aaron Fox pairing is worth building around.
(Last week: 5)
6. Charlotte Hornets (29-31)
Charlotte has a top-10 Defensive Rating over the past two weeks, part of this wild roller-coaster ride the Hornets' defense has been on throughout the season. The team's Offensive Rating, however, ranks 27th during that stretch. Gordon Hayward's absence dealt a tough blow to the lineup's synergy. Ultimately, this is still a young team growing into its potential. Remaining in Play-In and playoff contention is a given goal, but I'd also like to see the team find some consistency on both ends and shoot for league-average ratings or better for the rest of the schedule.
(Last week: 9)
5. Houston Rockets (15-43)
On a seven-game slide, Houston has give up a whopping 128.9 points per 100 possessions in February, nearly five points more than any other team. This is an extremely young roster that will take time to mesh on defense, but that's still extremely rough. Tanking outright is not a "goal," but record isn't exactly a concern at this stage.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
More of this, please. They&rsquo;re giving it to you. <a href="https://twitter.com/JalenGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JalenGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/zfRvLkunXL">pic.twitter.com/zfRvLkunXL</a>
&mdash; heypartner (@theheypartner) <a href="https://twitter.com/theheypartner/status/1495761190370353155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Jalen Green is averaging 16.5 points per game this month while canning 41.7% of his three-pointers. He's the face of the future in Houston, so his flashes are what the fans and front office should want to see. As long as Green demonstrates noteworthy growth this spring, things will look up for the Rockets.
(Last week: 7)
4. Washington Wizards (27-31)
Kristaps Porzingis has yet to make his Wizards debut. When he does, it marks the start of a desperate push for Washington to appease Bradley Beal and make the playoffs. The Wizards are in 11th place and currently out of the Eastern Conference postseason picture, but sit just a game back of Charlotte and the Atlanta Hawks. A Play-In appearance can't satisfy; but a playoff appearance is much easier said than done. If two of Toronto, Boston and Brooklyn don't make it to a top-six seed, making the traditional eight is going to be a tall order for the Wizards or any other team.
(Last week: 4)
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3. Brooklyn Nets (31-28)
The Nets sorely needed this All-Star break to put the drama of the James Harden trade and the stench of losing behind them. Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons are still out for an indefinite period, and Kyrie Irving is still unvaccinated, so this current ragtag bunch will have to keep Brooklyn in the playoff hunt. (They did also just ink Goran Dragic to a rest-of-the-season contract on Monday as well.) This is still a title contender on paper... but so was the pre-deadline iteration of the Nets. However, the East is wide open, and fans should expect a healthy roster to go at least two rounds in the postseason. 
(Last week: 2)
2. New York Knicks (25-34)
New York went 3-13 in a one-month span before the pause and promptly decided to forge ahead at the trade deadline with no changes. This doesn't bode well for a team with several veterans, but almost no hope of extending its season at this time.
Since Jan. 17, the Knicks have a 25th-ranked defense and a 22nd-ranked offense. The defense especially needs to improve for the sake of Tom Thibodeau's viability as a head coach. If it's not league-average or better the rest of the way, New York's direction will start to look a lot like the Thibodeau era in Minnesota.
(Last week: 3)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-31)
In the latest Hollywood drama, LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-on-cleveland-return-the-doors-not-closed-on-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kept things pretty wide open</a> when he chatted with The Athletic's&nbsp;Jason Lloyd about his future. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rob-pelinka-refused-to-trade-russell-westbrook-draft-pick-for-john-wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report also wrote</a> that Rob Pelinka refused to trade Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick for John Wall. So yeah, there's a very obvious disconnect within this franchise.
The Lakers cannot be satisfied with stumbling their way through a Play-In bracket that James himself has gone on record hating. They have to be a top-six seed for the sake of roster durability and image. But being six games behind sixth-place Denver right now, Los Angeles may have already run out of luck.
(Last week: 1)
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Ethan Fuller gives end-of-season benchmarks for success to the league's disappointing teams.

NBA Sour Rankings: Can teams in the dumps still salvage success?

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan's spectacular run is now one for the NBA record book.
DeRozan scored 38 points in breaking a mark set by Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Sacramento Kings 125-118 on Wednesday night.
DeRozan, who made 16 of 27 field goals, became the first player in NBA history to score 35 or more points and shoot 50% or better in seven consecutive games. Chamberlain did it in six straight twice &mdash; during the 1960-61 and 1962-63 seasons.
It was also DeRozan&rsquo;s eighth game in a row with 30 or more points. It&rsquo;s the longest such streak by a Bulls player since Michael Jordan did it in eight straight in January 1996.
DeRozan had difficulty describing just how locked in he is. And when it came to the record, he was &ldquo;speechless.&rdquo;
&ldquo;As a kid, as a fan of the history of the game, being in the league as long as I've been in this league &mdash; things like that continue to make me even more humble,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Being an NBA player and being able to have the privilege to be able to play this long and have these opportunities, man, it's something I never take for granted. And the crazy thing is I felt like I missed eight easy shots I normally would have made.&rdquo;
Coby White set a season high with 31 points and matched one with six 3-pointers. Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Bulls won their fifth straight.
They also moved a half-game ahead of Miami for the Eastern Conference lead even though Zach LaVine missed his third in a row because of soreness in his left knee. They are guaranteed at least a share of first place at the All-Star break, with the Heat visiting Charlotte on Thursday.
&ldquo;I'm just really appreciative of this group of guys from top to bottom &mdash; the way they come to work every day, how professional they are, how they try to keep themselves ready, how it's all about the team, it's all about winning and what each individual can do to impact and help in winning," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
KINGS FALL
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 33 points and nine assists. Domantas Sabonis added 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in his fourth game since a trade from Indiana.
Justin Holiday made six 3s and scored 18 points. Harrison Barnes added 17 points, but the Kings dropped their second straight after winning two in a row.
&ldquo;I know that stigma or whatever is out there, but being here with this team, that&rsquo;s not what this organization is about,&rdquo; said Holiday, acquired with Sabonis from Indiana. "They want to win.&rdquo;
BULLS PREVAIL
DeRozan hit the 30-point mark when he nailed a 15-footer off a crossover to make it 107-98 with 7:10 left. And he made several big shots down the stretch.
DeRozan hit a 3 with about 5:15 left after Sacramento pulled within two. He also converted a three-point play to bump the lead to 115-109 with 3:51 remaining, and the Bulls remained in control the rest of the way.
THOMPSON TO CHICAGO?
The Bulls apparently are about to sign Tristan Thompson.
Indiana coach Rick Carlisle announced the Pacers are waiving the veteran big man and that he is headed to Chicago.
&ldquo;He'll be joining a contending team in the East &mdash; a little bit north if anybody wants to tweet, starts with a C and ends with an O,&rdquo; Carlisle said after Thompson scored 17 points in the Pacers' win over Washington.
In case there was any doubt, Carlisle clarified: &ldquo;Chicago, if anybody didn't get that.&rdquo;
Thompson, in his 11th season, won a championship with Cleveland in 2016. He was traded to the Pacers last week as part of the deal for Sabonis.
The Bulls are looking for frontcourt help.
Donovan said he had not heard &ldquo;anything along the lines of that happening&rdquo; and said it was &ldquo;the first I'm hearing of it.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Kings: Interim coach Alvin Gentry said G Davion Mitchell (bruised right hand) has &ldquo;just a little contusion&rdquo; and wasn't sure if the No. 9 overall draft pick will play in the Rising Stars game in Cleveland on Friday during All-Star weekend.
Bulls: LaVine has been cleared medically to participate in All-Star festivities this weekend in Cleveland and return to the lineup after the break. LaVine got the OK after having his left knee drained and a lubricant injected in Los Angeles, Donovan said. LaVine can resume activities after about 48 hours. ... Donovan said he expected G Alex Caruso (broken right wrist) to start dribbling and shooting in a week to 10 days.
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UP NEXT
Kings: Host the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 24.
Bulls: Host the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 24.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DeRozan scored 38 points, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Sacramento Kings 125-118 on Wednesday night.

DeRozan breaks Wilt's record as Bulls beat Kings 125-118

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

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

Digging into the offensive strides of Davion Mitchell with the Kings

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-bucks-back-into-top-tier-mavs-move-up-into-top10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Phoenix Suns continue to cruise, while the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics have been grinding their way into the NBA's upper-echelon as of late.
1. Phoenix Suns (46-10) &harr;️&nbsp; Last Week: 1
The Suns have been, by far, the best and most consistent team in the NBA this season. They proved it once again last week by beating up on three of the Eastern Conference's best teams (the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks) in succession.
2. Memphis Grizzlies (40-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 3
The Grizz are currently riding another five-game winning streak and have won 21 of their last 25 contests. Memphis will look to make it seven in a row heading into the All-Star break by beating the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers this week.&nbsp;
3. Golden State Warriors (42-16) ⬇️ Last Week: 2
The Warriors have dropped 3 of their last 4 games, including an embarrassing home loss to the New York Knicks last Thursday and a 15-point shellacking by the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Golden State is now five games behind the Suns for the top spot in the Western Conference. "Our defense has just been bad for six, seven games now. It's hard to win in this league when you're looking like we are defensively, with so many holes," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after Monday's loss.&nbsp;
4. Miami Heat (37-20) ⬆️ Last Week: 5
The Heat welcomed Kyle Lowry back earlier this month, and have won each of the five games they've played with their point guard in the lineup.&nbsp;
5. Chicago Bulls (37-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 6
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
40 POINTS for <a href="https://twitter.com/DeMar_DeRozan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeMar_DeRozan</a>. 4 straight wins for <a href="https://twitter.com/chicagobulls?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chicagobulls</a>. <a href="https://t.co/zj9U5zwzYG">pic.twitter.com/zj9U5zwzYG</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1493464239973011459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Shockingly, DeMar DeRozan has pushed his name into the fringes of the MVP conversation of late due to his awe-inspiring play over the past few weeks. He has scored at least 30 points in seven consecutive contests, making him the first Bull with such a streak since Michael Jordan during the 1996-97 season. During this seven-game stretch, DeRozan is averaging 37.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists, while shooting 58% from the floor.&nbsp;
6. Utah Jazz (36-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
On Monday night, the Jazz wrapped up a perfect 6-0 homestand with an easy victory over the Houston Rockets. They also welcomed back Rudy Gobert in that contest, who had missed nine games due to a left calf strain. It was the first time Utah had its entire starting five on the floor together since Jan. 13.&nbsp;
7. Philadelphia 76ers (34-22) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
James Harden spoke with the media on Tuesday for the first time since his arrival in Philadelphia and said the Sixers were a "perfect fit" and his first choice. "Obviously, you got the best big man in the league in Joel [Embiid] and then obviously the coaching. Just from top to bottom, it made sense," Harden said. The Beard also seemed to take a swipe at a former teammate, stating, "I needed to be around guys that I know want to win and are willing to do whatever it takes to win."
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (35-22) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The NBA announced Monday that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jarrett-allen-named-nba-allstar-replacement-for-injured-james-harden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jarrett Allen would replace James Harden</a> (hamstring) in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Allen is averaging career highs in points (16.2), rebounds (11.1), assists (1.8), steals (0.76) and minutes (32.6) this season.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (35-23) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The Bucks' loss to the Suns in Phoenix last Thursday was understandable, if not acceptable &mdash; but Monday's defeat to the Blazers was demoralizing. Milwaukee's defense has been horrendous as of late. The team ranks 27th in the NBA in Defensive Efficiency dating back to late January.
10. Boston Celtics (33-25) ⬆️ Last Week: 13
The Celtics are riding the league's longest winning streak, having notched eight straight victories. They have been the best defensive team in the NBA in 2022, and added Derrick White prior to the trade deadline, who should help them on both ends of the floor.&nbsp;
11. Dallas Mavericks (33-24) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
On Monday, Luka Doncic was named the Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging a whopping 43.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists over Dallas' past three games. In the two games he played against the Los Angeles Clippers late last week, Doncic tallied 96 points, 24 rebounds, 14 assists and 13 made three-pointers. According to Basketball-Reference, he is the first player in NBA history with at least 96/24/14 and 13 treys over a two-game span.
12. Denver Nuggets (32-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 11
The Nuggets didn't make a major move at the deadline, but Denver fans are hoping two key contributors return before the playoffs arrive. Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said last week that he believes Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. will be physically cleared to return "hopefully in the not too distant future."
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (30-27) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
Anthony Edwards tallied 37 points with 7 threes, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in Sunday's victory over the Indiana Pacers. However, it was his very first bucket of the game that made history, as it was the 2,500th point of his career. At 20 years, 192 days old, Ant-Man is the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to reach that total. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are the only players to reach that milestone at a younger age.&nbsp;
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14. Toronto Raptors (31-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Raps had won eight straight games before losing to Denver over the weekend, and then shockingly, Toronto was pummeled by the Pelicans on Monday night, 120-90.&nbsp;
15. Brooklyn Nets (30-27) &harr;️ Last Week: 15
Although Ben Simmons has yet to suit up, the other players the Nets got in the Harden deal provided a much-needed spark Monday night, and helped snap Brooklyn's 11-game losing streak. Seth Curry racked up 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 32 minutes in his Nets debut, while Andre Drummond chipped in 11 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block in 24 minutes.
16. Los Angeles Clippers (29-30)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 20
The Clippers have registered two impressive victories in a row. They held off the Mavericks in Dallas on Saturday, despite a 45-point explosion from Luka Doncic. Then, on Monday, L.A. beat the Warriors, 119-104.&nbsp;
17. Charlotte Hornets (29-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
The Hornets have lost 7 of their last 8 games, and their only victory during this stretch has been over the hapless Detroit Pistons. Charlotte hasn't beaten a team with a winning record since defeating the Celtics back on Jan. 19.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (26-31) &harr;️ Last Week: 18
As BasketballNews.com <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-lakers-landed-here-a-stepbystep-look-at-how-la-managed-to-turn-a-championship-roster-into-a-sub500-mess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed earlier this week</a>, the Lakers have somehow managed to turn a championship-level roster into a team that finds itself six games below .500 with an outside chance of finishing the season on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.&nbsp;
19. Atlanta Hawks (26-30) ⬇️ Last Week: 17
Not only have the Hawks lost 4 of their last 5 games, but the team also learned over the weekend that forward John Collins &mdash; who injured his foot in Friday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; has been diagnosed with a right foot strain and will be sidelined through the All-Star break.
20. Washington Wizards (26-30) ⬆️ Last Week: 21
Washington head coach Wes Unseld Jr. told reporters Monday that there is a chance that the newly-acquired Kristaps Porzingis &mdash; who has been dealing with a bone bruise in his right knee &mdash; may be medically cleared to play this week. "He's doing a little bit more every day on the floor," Unseld said. "That's a positive sign, but we still have to be cautious with it. When the time's right, he's ready."
21. Portland Trail Blazers (24-34) ⬆️ Last Week: 25
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/AnferneeSimons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnferneeSimons</a> drops 31 PTS on the road to give the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a> their 3rd straight W! 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA75?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA75</a> <a href="https://t.co/AlS3oTWN8Q">pic.twitter.com/AlS3oTWN8Q</a>
&mdash; NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_Philippines/status/1493473746228711424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Break up the Blazers! After Portland busted up its core at the deadline, most pundits assumed the team would sink to the bottom of the standings. However, the Blazers are 3-0 since trading away CJ McCollum and Co., with shocking wins over the Lakers, Knicks and Bucks. During this three-game stretch, Anfernee Simons is averaging 30.0 points, 6.3 assists and 6.0 made treys, while slashing .486/.462/.800.
22. New Orleans Pelicans (23-34) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
On Monday, the Pels ended a brief two-game losing streak with an impressive blowout victory over the Raptors. CJ McCollum &mdash; who tallied 36 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists on Saturday &mdash; scored 23 points on an efficient 9 of 13 shooting in Monday's 120-90 win over Toronto.&nbsp;
23. New York Knicks (25-33) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
The Knicks have lost 9 of their last 12 games, and things don't get any easier over the next few weeks. After hosting the Nets on Wednesday, New York will play Miami and Philadelphia right after the All-Star Break before embarking on a brutal seven-game road trip (its longest of the season).&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (22-37) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
De'Aaron Fox has scored more than 25 points in each of the four games he's played since returning from an ankle injury after the trade deadline. Fox is averaging 27.0 points (on 49.4% shooting), 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 made three-pointers during this four-game stretch. &nbsp;
25. San Antonio Spurs (22-36) ⬇️ Last Week: 23
With their loss to the Bulls in Chicago on Monday, the Spurs are just 1-12 this season in the 13 games they've played against teams that are currently over .500.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-39) ⬆️ Last Week: 27
After tallying 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a loss to the Bulls on Saturday, Josh Giddey exploded for a career-high 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in OKC's victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Giddey is the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double in back-to-back games.
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27. Indiana Pacers (19-39)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 26
The Pacers' moves before the deadline have given Oshae Brissett a chance to step in, and the 23-year-old out of Syracuse has stepped up. Over Indiana's past three games, Brissett is averaging 18.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 2.3 made triples (on 43.8% shooting from downtown) in 34.7 minutes per contest.
28. Houston Rockets (15-41) &harr;️ Last Week: 28
The Rockets have lost 9 of their last 10 games, and have to travel to Phoenix to take on the league-leading Suns on Wednesday night.
29. Orlando Magic (13-46) &harr;️ Last Week: 29
In a season with few other bright spots for Orlando, Franz Wagner continues to impress. The rookie sensation stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in Monday's loss to the Nuggets.
30. Detroit Pistons (12-45) &harr;️ Last Week: 30
Marvin Bagley III, who the Pistons acquired from the Kings at last week's deadline, finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes in his Pistons debut on Monday. Bagley will compete for minutes with Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk over the second half of the season.
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Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Celtics break into top-10, Jazz heating up

We had a whopping <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15 NBA trades</a> go down in an eight-day span.
The league buckled down for one of the biggest fireworks shows in recent deadline memory. Front offices dealt All-NBA superstars and hammered out four-team mazes. By the time the clock struck 3 p.m. on Thursday, we saw some teams go all-in on a playoff push, others cash out and move towards rebuilding, and many surprisingly pass on the spectacle entirely. It's a perfect time to set the table ahead of the stretch run with a fresh Sour Rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;By most accounts, the Indiana Pacers crushed it with their trade deadline moves. Tyrese Haliburton instantly becomes the bedrock of the franchise's next era, and he's looked pretty good in limited time so far. Indiana also snuck in a solid flier by acquiring Jalen Smith and didn't trade away any of its veteran players just for the sake of making a move. The Detroit Pistons were also briefly in the Sour Rankings, but escape after acquiring former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III without giving up long-term pieces.
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10. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-39)
Of all the teams to hold their chips at this year's deadline, OKC might be the most surprising. The Thunder had several players worth trading for &mdash; including Kenrich Williams and Mike Muscala &mdash; and had oodles of salary cap room to take on guys with undesirable contracts. Instead, they only clocked-in one deal, trading a second-round pick to the Miami Heat for KZ Okpala, who was subsequently waived. Though it's not a colossal general-managing blunder, the Thunder may have missed some good opportunities to add to the stockpile.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Charlotte Hornets (29-29)
The Hornets added Montrezl Harrell to fill the backup center spot on paper, and he should help as a play-finisher. However, Harrell does little to address the returning defensive woes for a Charlotte team that is 3-7 in its last 10 games. The squad has also hit an offensive shooting slump while also ranking 22nd in turnover rate since the start of February. A seven-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday overshadowed a horrendous two-way performance in the first half that had me concerned.
(Last week: 10)
8. Utah Jazz (35-21)
The Jazz got involved in one minor three-team deal at the trade deadline, and it didn't do much to squelch the raised voices about their title pretender status. Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labeled them a loser of the week</a> despite acquiring a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-nickeil-alexanderwalker-fill-the-gaps-for-the-utah-jazz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prospect he liked in Nickeil Alexander-Walker</a>:
"There's an intriguing foundation with him that Utah could unearth more of and help him build upon, but the issue is where the Jazz are right now. They needed immediate help defensively at the point of attack and the wing, yet NAW is not really that guy right now."
Utah is on a five-game winning streak, however, which deserves some credit. The team stays where it is in these rankings for now.
(Last week: 8)
7. Houston Rockets (15-40)
Here's another rebuilding franchise that balked at the chance to capitalize on the rush of apparent buyers. Houston didn't need to trade Eric Gordon in my opinion, but he certainly could have returned value. I was more surprised that Christian Wood not only remains on the team, but also was barely brought up in public trade rumors. He has not been nearly the player he can or should be with the Rockets, and I don't know if anything he does in the next two months changes that outlook. Of course, John Wall is still on the roster too.
(Last week: Unranked)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (23-34)
The Blazers are a confusing team to nail down for me. They traded CJ McCollum to New Orleans in a move many expected, but didn't get a whole lot back (aside from a very solid rotation player in Josh Hart and a protected first-rounder). A couple days go by, and then, the aforementioned Alexander-Walker &mdash; the best young player in the first trade &mdash; heads to Utah for a second-round pick, an expiring and injured Joe Ingles and a more obscure flier in Elijah Hughes.
Nekias Duncan gave those two moves a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C-minus and D in his trade deadline grades</a>. I think I'd agree, because at the end of it all, I still don't know what Portland is doing other than clearing some cap room.
(Last week: 6)
5. Sacramento Kings (22-36)
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Sabonis and Fox will be a natural fit 👉🏽 That P&amp;R with a guard who can slash, pass and play in between with pace paired with a highly skilled big man who is great around the rim and can shoot comfortably from 15 feet. This is the co-star both guys needed. 🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/kings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kings</a> <a href="https://t.co/ngj5TdjPp0">pic.twitter.com/ngj5TdjPp0</a>
&mdash; Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) <a href="https://twitter.com/balldontstop/status/1491657233897119746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I'll give the Kings a little credit for the auspicious stretch they've had with Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox together since that big blockbuster move. A lot of people, myself included, probably overreacted to the deal and didn't give enough thought to what Sabonis can unlock for the players around him in Sacramento. They also did a sneaky-great job turning Marvin Bagley III into three players who can help the team win now at various levels.
I still have a hard time getting over the Kings trading Tyrese Haliburton, their most promising young player and a public advocate for turning a losing culture around.&nbsp;
(Last week: 4)
4. Washington Wizards (25-30)
Kristaps Porzingis was perhaps the most shocking name to be dealt this season; his name hadn't really popped up at all until Thursday morning. While it's fair that the Wizards needed to end the Spencer Dinwiddie-Bradley Beal experiment and Porzingis makes them better purely on paper, I don't love the fit. Will he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/so-how-does-this-kristaps-porzingis-spencer-dinwiddie-davis-bertans-thing-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make a meaningful difference for a Washington team</a> that is one of two NBA squads with bottom-five Offensive and Defensive Ratings over the past two weeks? I'm doubtful.
The Montrezl Harrell trade was also super weird because it brought back two players who probably should not be in the rotation. Washington's big mix is still backed up now with Porzingis, Daniel Gafford, Thomas Bryant and Vernon Carey Jr., plus larger forwards in Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura.&nbsp;
(Last week: 2)
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3. New York Knicks (26-31)
Whew, Saturday's blown lead to the Trail Blazers was a stinger. The Knicks led by 23 at one point before coughing up the game to a Portland team that just went through a widespread, trade-deadline fire sale. New York, meanwhile, didn't make any moves despite the glaring underperformance in recent weeks. The Knicks have two extremely winnable games against the Thunder and Brooklyn Nets before the All-Star break. If they can't find something, I'll have serious doubts about them even being close to a Play-In team.
(Last week: 5)
2. Brooklyn Nets (29-27)
In a vacuum, the Nets moved on from a disgruntled star in James Harden and returned three players who can instantly (once healthy) slot into a thin rotation. Ben Simmons makes a ton of sense as a defensive boost, Seth Curry can replace the shooting lost by Joe Harris' injury, and Andre Drummond at least gives Brooklyn a presence on the glass and center depth.
But they still gave up James Harden. Brooklyn's Big Three played 16 games together in total, and the Nets are still neck-deep in an 11-game losing streak. Things are most definitely bad.
(Last week: 1)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (26-31)
If a franchise arrives at a point in the season where <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33250361/los-angeles-lakers-feel-urgency-make-changes-trade-deadline-nears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the locker room itself wants trades to happen</a>, then the front office should listen. But Rob Pelinka had to go all Bumi from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and embrace neutral jing &mdash; a.k.a. doing nothing. The Lakers made zero trades this season. They are the most underwhelming team in the NBA and they made zero trades.&nbsp;
(Last week: 3)
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Ethan Fuller lines up the league's biggest underperformers, including teams who failed to maximize the NBA trade deadline.

NBA Sour Rankings: Reshuffling the deck post-trade deadline

Shortly after the Sacramento Kings traded Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick, fans and media (and even some <a href="https://twitter.com/HGiiizzle/status/1491118262570336257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">players</a>) rushed to social media to criticize the Kings&rsquo; decision and express confusion over the move.
Meanwhile, people in NBA circles were doing the exact same thing.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get it at all,&rdquo; said a Western Conference scout. &ldquo;How Tyrese was made available is beyond me. It&rsquo;s puzzling.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The Kings are the worst,&rdquo; texted a league source.
&ldquo;What are the Kings doing?&rdquo; asked an NBA trainer. &ldquo;There has to be another trade.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s rare for a trade to warrant such a one-sided response among people around the league, but every individual who spoke to BasketballNews.com questioned the move for Sacramento.
It&rsquo;s not a huge surprise that Sabonis landed with the Kings; after all, Sacramento and Washington were the two teams that had been linked to the big man the most, and it had become increasingly clear that the Wizards lacked the assets to complete a deal.
The shocking part was the inclusion of Haliburton. In the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, the Kings were shopping De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III among others, but Haliburton wasn&rsquo;t mentioned as a possible trade chip.&nbsp;
In fact, in an effort to silence some of the Fox trade rumors, Sacramento had <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/kings-have-no-plans-currently-to-trade-deaaron-fox-will-center-team-around-him-sources/k4SfP584UQrs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaked to The Athletic</a> that they had every intention of building around their backcourt of Fox and Haliburton going forward. Clearly, that was a lie in order to gain leverage in trade talks.
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The strong reaction has less to do with Sabonis and more to do with the fact that the Kings seemingly lack a long-term plan. After all, Sabonis is a two-time All-Star and he&rsquo;s clearly a very talented player; he&rsquo;s averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals this season. But what is the Kings&rsquo; ceiling with Sabonis? The eighth seed and a first-round exit?&nbsp;
Multiple executives said that it feels like Sacramento is mortgaging their future for minimal improvement, especially since they&rsquo;ll still likely miss the playoffs this year (they have the third-worst record in the Western Conference) and potentially next season too.
Also, many NBA executives expect the Kings to make another trade prior to Thursday's deadline.
Haliburton is a 21-year-old with seemingly unlimited upside, and he has a lot of fans around the NBA, so it&rsquo;s not a surprise that many league sources view this trade as a mistake. This season, he's averaging 14.3 points, 7.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 threes and 1.7 steals on .457/.413/.837 shooting splits.
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Kings Reddit is in shock (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/ActionNetworkHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ActionNetworkHQ</a>) <a href="https://t.co/KvGfbqyCpK">pic.twitter.com/KvGfbqyCpK</a>
&mdash; Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1491123100603551744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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While it seems unlikely, it&rsquo;s possible that this move will work out and the Kings will silence their critics. After all, the last time Sabonis was traded back in 2017, the Pacers were initially ridiculed for that move too.
When Indiana dealt Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Sabonis and Victor Oladipo, the Pacers were mocked for this return. However, the deal ended up working out since Oladipo and Sabonis emerged as All-Stars and George requested a trade from Oklahoma City after just two seasons.&nbsp;
Two years ago, I <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2020/01/24/nba-rumors-indiana-pacers-front-office-pritchard-buchanan-oladipo-brogdon-behind-the-scenes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke to</a> Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan and president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard about the backlash they received following their blockbuster trade.
&ldquo;I remember going back to my room probably around midnight and I was just exhausted. I turned on the TV before trying to fall asleep and we were just getting crushed for the trade,&rdquo; Buchanan recalled. &ldquo;I remember feeling like, &lsquo;Oh gosh.&rsquo; My wife called me and she was like, &lsquo;Uh, you guys really aren&rsquo;t getting much good press for your trade&hellip;&rsquo;"
&ldquo;After we did the trade, we were thinking, &lsquo;Okay, you ready for this avalanche?&rsquo;&rdquo; Pritchard added. &ldquo;I knew that there was going to be some harsh criticisms: &lsquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you get another pick? Why didn&rsquo;t you leverage longer? Why didn&rsquo;t you go [talk] to Boston? Why didn&rsquo;t you go to all these other teams?&rsquo; I knew it was going to come, but I didn&rsquo;t know it was going to come that hard. It came hard from the community, it came hard nationally.&rdquo;
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Pacers owner Herb Simon was very supportive of Pritchard and Buchanan during that time, which made them feel a lot better. Simon told Pritchard that they made the right move and stressed, &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not on an island.&rdquo;
&ldquo;When he said that, I could breathe,&rdquo; Pritchard recalled.
Two years later, the general consensus completely flipped, with the Pacers viewed as the clearcut winners of the trade. Perhaps the same thing will happen this time around, with Kings general manager Monte McNair and his staff getting the last laugh down the road.

As fans and media criticized the Kings' decision to trade Tyrese Haliburton, many NBA decision-makers were doing the same thing.

NBA decision-makers criticize Kings' trade: 'I don't get it at all'

The Sacramento Kings may end up keeping Harrison Barnes beyond the trade deadline in hopes of competing for a spot in the play-in tournament, according to Marc Stein.
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&lt; 24 hours to go until the NBA trade deadline: Sacramento has been sending more frequent signals that it plans to keep Harrison Barnes rather than trade him, league sources say, as it chases a playoff play-in spot. The Kings have missed the playoffs for 15 seasons in a row.
&mdash; Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1491509229097791492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2022</a>
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Barnes is a very good role player who positively impacts winning. The 29-year-old forward is averaging 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 2021-22. So, while he could fetch a decent return if dealt to a contender, he can also help re-establish a positive culture in Sacramento while its realigns behind Domantas Sabonis and (seemingly) De'Aaron Fox.&nbsp;
Barnes is signed to a four-year/$85 million deal that expires after next season. Therefore, if Sacramento insists on getting a longer-term piece back for Barnes, it can hold off on trading him until next year in hopes of breaking its 15-season playoff drought this season.&nbsp;

The Kings may end up keeping Harrison Barnes beyond the trade deadline in hopes of competing for a spot in the play-in tournament.