Anteaters

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; The Brooklyn Nets finished the same way without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as they did with them.
The Nets were&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nets-embiid-nba-playoffs-2023-1af8f663fe3c8af10138dcf461762a9d">swept out the playoffs</a>, the first team sent home for the summer for the second straight year.
The team that took the floor against the Philadelphia 76ers struggled to score, couldn&rsquo;t rebound and is miles away from title contention. But that team probably won&rsquo;t be around next season.
Brooklyn got back plenty of draft picks in the trades of Durant, Irving and James Harden, and will have options to quickly get to a better place than they are now &mdash; or were with their superstars.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many teams, many organizations I think have ever blown up a superstar-studded group that possibly was in championship contention in one year and have the possibility of championship contention again the very next season,&rdquo; guard Spencer Dinwiddie said Sunday.
Only three teams own more first-round picks than the Nets between now and 2030, general manager Sean Marks said, giving them flexibility to draft players or package picks in a trade for an established star. He wouldn&rsquo;t predict a quick rise in the standings, but it can&rsquo;t be ruled out.
&ldquo;We have a young group here that is wanting to compete, so we&rsquo;re going to be going after it every year,&rdquo; Marks said.
It wasn&rsquo;t like this last summer, and Marks said the Nets have &ldquo;a bright pathway.&rdquo;
The Nets were as high as second in the Eastern Conference before Durant got hurt&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-dolphins-heat-nba-sports-kevin-durant-20e5ed9c2ce3b02eaa075fde1cb8d751">in early January</a>. After&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-basketball-3932b34f477549895cce131490bec86d">Durant</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-new-york-knicks-dallas-mavericks-clippers-nba-ea90e45174274a917654448db9554dfc">Irving</a>&nbsp;were traded within days of each other in February, Brooklyn hung on to finish sixth.
With four new starters who were together only two months, the Nets knew they were fighting inexperience and a tough veteran team like Philadelphia in the postseason.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s part of the business and I think situations like we were put in this year prepare us for anything that can come up this summer, no matter what it is,&rdquo; said Cam Johnson, who will be a restricted free agent.
Dinwiddie was on the Nets team that lost to the 76ers in the first round in 2019, then watched as Brooklyn looked to rebuild by signing Durant and Irving. He came back to the organization from Dallas in February in the deal for Irving, just days before Durant was dealt to Phoenix in the deal that brought back Johnson and Mikal Bridges.
&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re looking at a team that kind of mirrors a Milwaukee without Giannis. So if you think you can go get a Giannis, then are you probably a very, very good team at that point? Likely,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said of the current Nets structure. &ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t, you do have a bevy of draft picks and probably several guys that can net you more draft picks. So, I mean, really, they can go either route. And I mean, shoot they could also choose to stand pat and roll the dice.&rdquo;
Bridges, last year&rsquo;s runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, showed star potential as the No. 1 scoring option in Brooklyn. Center Nic Claxton had by far his best season. Johnson looked like a keeper in his first season as a starter. Marks said Ben Simmons, shut down early again because of back problems, is expected to be ready by September.
They will certainly be joined by newcomers. After that, Claxton hopes the Nets can be stable for a time and let the next group find success.
&ldquo;Especially going into a playoff series, I mean teams have been together, they&rsquo;ve been in the trenches together for maybe five-plus years, and then you throw in a whole new team,&rdquo; Claxton said. &ldquo;But, not making no excuses, just it would be nice going forward if we could maybe just start to build something here.&rdquo;

The Nets were swept, but they have a nice core and plenty of draft picks from trading Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

Despite sweep, Nets can build quickly after Durant, Irving deals

Spencer Davies speaks with Taqwa Pinero about his life journey and how he's preparing both the future and current hoop generations.

Taqwa Pinero's knowledge is its own currency, and he's paying it forward

Few people probably expected the NBA at large to be focused on a Reddit conspiracy theory for most of Saturday, but here we are.
Reddit user u/AdMassive6666 posted <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/10nbau4/memphis_grizzlies_scorekeeper_posting_fraudulent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an elaborate investigation</a>&nbsp;into the validity of Jaren Jackson Jr.'s block totals at home so far this season. The SparkNotes: This poster essentially accused the Memphis Grizzlies' scorekeeper of artificially inflating Jackson's block counts at home, leading to a massive chasm between his home and away stats. They cited examples they believed backed up the claim and then tossed out accusations of personal bias or financial motive.
The conspiracy spread like wildfire Saturday morning and the post had over 44,000 upvotes by the afternoon. Meanwhile, NBA media members across Twitter were fact-checking the claim, which looks more and more like a&nbsp;theory&nbsp;than an actual conspiracy under further scrutiny.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I watched every block by Jaren Jackson Jr. in slow motion from alternate angles to investigate the NBA Reddit thread claiming the Grizzlies scorekeeper is "posting fraudulent numbers." But only 3 of his 66 home blocks are incorrectly labeled, a completely insignificant amount. <a href="https://t.co/84ZiE1rPVD">pic.twitter.com/84ZiE1rPVD</a>
&mdash; Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1619400282953359360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

There are already a&nbsp;lot&nbsp;of videos and threads like Kevin O'Connor's breakdown, including this one from <a href="&lt;blockquote%20class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;%20data-theme=&quot;dark&quot;&gt;&lt;p%20lang=&quot;en&quot;%20dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;THEY%20ARE%20LYING%20ABOUT%20JAREN%20JACKSON%20JR.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The%20Hoop%20ReView%20presents%20a%20full%20stat%20audit%20on%20Jaren%20Jackson%20Jr&amp;#39;s%20home%20block%20numbers&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;spoiler%20alert:%20HIS%20BLOCKS%20ARE%20VERY%20REAL&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I%20went%20through%20every%20block,%20at%20most%20there%20were%204%20questionable%20or%20lacking%20video%20evidence.&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://t.co/w12jBHI8w6&quot;&gt;https://t.co/w12jBHI8w6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash;%20A:A%20(@Swarlayzers)%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Swarlayzers/status/1619379441364533250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;January%2028,%202023&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;%20&lt;script%20async%20src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot;%20charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@swarlayzers</a>, this one from <a href="&lt;blockquote%20class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;%20data-theme=&quot;dark&quot;&gt;&lt;p%20lang=&quot;en&quot;%20dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Did%20some%20&amp;#39;investigative%20journalism&amp;#39;%20this%20morning%20into%20the%20Jaren%20Jackson%20Jr.%20scorekeeper%20saga%20(from%20this%20Reddit%20thread%20alleging%20his%20stats%20are%20padded%20at%20home:%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://t.co/XH6X5muYkP&quot;&gt;https://t.co/XH6X5muYkP&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Here%20are%20some%20of%20the%20more%20questionable%20blocks/%20steals%20JJJ%20is%20credited%20for%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://t.co/oeVKSJoImt&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/oeVKSJoImt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash;%20The%20Box%20and%20One%20(@TheBoxAndOne_)%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://twitter.com/TheBoxAndOne_/status/1619351079371829249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;January%2028,%202023&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;%20&lt;script%20async%20src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot;%20charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Spinella</a>, this response from former stat-checker&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/findingneema23/status/1619365149902798848?s=20&amp;t=dHOSgXZXmSBeIIoZGaqgqw">Neema Djavadzadeh</a>.&nbsp;Most of the follow-ups reach the same conclusion: The initial poster either cherry-picked some narrative-suiting examples or was just plain wrong about their claims.&nbsp;
Furthermore, the post painted a picture that some corrupt mastermind is at the center of Jackson's absurd defensive season when that simply is not how NBA statskeeping works.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This post is making its way around the league now, not just the internet. For what it's worth, I checked in, and the Grizzlies use the same official scorer this season as they used last season. <a href="https://t.co/DViGP4JMxO">https://t.co/DViGP4JMxO</a>
&mdash; Fred Katz (@FredKatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1619369038202953729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Fred Katz of&nbsp;The Athletic&nbsp;gets the ball rolling with this thread, explaining that recording stats is not a one-person job anymore. In 2018, <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/2018/04/how-nba-scorekeepers-track-player-stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Lund of </a><a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/2018/04/how-nba-scorekeepers-track-player-stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Complex</a>&nbsp;took a peek at the life of an NBA statistician and the evolution of the process. This segment offers a brief explanation of gameday protocols:
"The four-man statistics crews is divided into primary and secondary inputters and callers. The primary caller does just that: calls out each play using numbers instead of names. The primary inputter marks 'a touch screen of a basketball court,' the Brooklyn statistician says. That screen is connected to the screen of the secondary inputter, who edits mistakes and double checks iffy plays. The secondary caller works the DVR, and they&rsquo;re connected to NBA headquarters in Secaucus, NJ. That connection to Secaucus during the game is new this year, as is the mandate that every arena have four statisticians for a game.
Despite that connection, it&rsquo;s still up to the discretion of the statisticians to decide an assist. The primary inputter makes the first read, but if the stat is unclear 'it&rsquo;s kind of a consensus, majority rule,' the Nets&rsquo; statistician explains. The NBA says that they audit every stat, and they&rsquo;ve always done it that way since they went digital in the late ​&rsquo;80s; this season they&rsquo;re just connected during the game."
The NBA backed this up in its own counter to the Reddit post:
&ldquo;In order to ensure the integrity of our game statistics, auditors, independent of the statisticians on-site, review all plays and stats decisions in real-time during NBA games,&rdquo; <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2023/01/28/nba-refutes-viral-reddit-post-claiming-conspiracy-to-pad-jaren-jackson-jr-s-stats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">league spokesman Tim Frank told NBC Sports.</a> &ldquo;If changes are necessary, they are made at that time or following a postgame review. All of the plays questioned in the post on Memphis games were scored consistently within the rules set forth by the NBA statisticians manual.&rdquo;
Today's technology also puts the NBA light-years ahead of the human error from a single set of eyeballs. "Using cameras installed in the catwalks of every NBA arena, Second Spectrum software tracks the movements of every player on the court and the basketball 25 times per second," <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/help/faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the league's statistics database says on its tracking data.</a>&nbsp;
Still, some categories will involve judgement calls by nature. Even if some of Jackson's blocks are debatable, this isn't the first time the NBA fandom has questioned the integrity of the numbers. Matthew van Bommel and Luke Bornn <a href="http://www.lukebornn.com/papers/vanbommel_dmkd_2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conducted a massive study about scorekeeper bias in 2016</a>.&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Seth Partnow has pointed out repeatedly how the frequency of shot attempts at the rim are unusually low at Golden Warriors home games, while the volume just outside the restricted area is much higher, for both teams competing. It's not a result of some ulterior motive; there just appears a tendency by the Warriors' record-keepers to judge shot locations differently.
Assists are notoriously subjective. Folks often wonder if John Stockton really&nbsp;racked up his all-time record of 15,806 assists, and <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2019/05/17/its-an-nba-urban-legend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Larsen looked into the total</a> for the Salt Lake Tribune in 2019.&nbsp;Larsen's work supports Stockton, but at the same time, he noted that the very definition of an assist leaves gray areas. <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/1/21/21074724/nba-home-court-assist-advantage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zach Kram wrote for The Ringer&nbsp;in 2020</a> about how even generous assist-crediting has changed in recent years.
So why is this suddenly captivating the league again? Three words: legalized sports betting.
Most basic NBA counting stats are now linked to video via the league's official database, with help from Second Spectrum. That opens up record-keeping to public eyes, including Redditors and people with money on the line.
Professional sports leagues, in marrying themselves to sports gambling, will face barrages of criticism about judgement calls because the stakes are higher than ever for viewers. The accuracy of block counts shouldn't be that big of a deal, nor should it factor so heavily into awards consideration as it is implied with Jackson. But it does now because millions of dollars can swing sides.
Maybe technological innovation renders human statskeeping obselete one day, and computers can track literal touches of a basketball with perfect precision. We're not there yet, though (and doesn't that get kind of creepy at a certain point?).
Defining assists and steals more clearly is one obvious pathway for improved transparency. For example, I firmly believe basketball should credit assists almost like hockey. Remove any subjective time measure or scoring difficulty component and automatically give an assist to the last passer of the score, provided the pass landed in the frontcourt. That's straightforward, and "good" assists are already up for debate anyway, so what would really change?
In general, today should really challenge the NBA fan base and betting base to understand the rulebook. At most, the major league analysts settled on 3-5 Jackson home blocks that were categorized questionably. The league itself backed up every swat. Amplifying a conspiracy theory like this one not only wastes a ton of time, but it means more ears will ignore future complaints, even if they do end up having merit.
It's great to hold pro sports leagues accountable, but you better be right when you do.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>For the record, <a href="https://twitter.com/SethPartnow/status/1619447671407738882?s=20&amp;t=V5yQjofyh8QAY1bsYGNRTQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaren Jackson Jr. is as good a defender as any and all numbers say.</a></li>
<li>Another data point for this season's ridiculous NBA scoring:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The number of players with a 30-point game in each NBA season. <a href="https://t.co/ur04gbctPu">pic.twitter.com/ur04gbctPu</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1617260889497047040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>Caitlin Clark is one of the most mind-boggling scorers in the world:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The longest range shooters in women's college hoops: <a href="https://t.co/b5x7zc4FVV">pic.twitter.com/b5x7zc4FVV</a>
&mdash; Synergy Basketball (@SynergySST) <a href="https://twitter.com/SynergySST/status/1617691933945782278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>This is just over a week old now, but a really interesting graphic from SIS Hoops. Lauri Markkanen stands out to me:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A player's shot diet can shift meaningfully from year to year. Here's a look at the players who have experienced the largest changes in median shot distance this year compared to last: <a href="https://t.co/OK8BLRqwt0">pic.twitter.com/OK8BLRqwt0</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1616461874622513153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>

Ethan Fuller breaks down the realities of the Jaren Jackson Jr. stats conspiracy theory and its implications.

NBA Stats Notebook: What happens if you don't believe the stats?

For the second year in a row, Monte Morris has earned his position as a starting point guard in the NBA. However, his surroundings look a little different.&nbsp;
After Morris logged a successful campaign as a full-time starter with the Denver Nuggets, the organization traded the 27-year-old this past summer to the Washington Wizards. It&rsquo;s the first time he&rsquo;s experienced being dealt in this league, but he&rsquo;s taking it in stride.
&ldquo;We got good vibes, good energy right now. It's still a new system for me, new teammates, so every day it's something new and getting better,&rdquo; Morris told Basketball News at the team&rsquo;s pregame shootaround in Cleveland on Sunday.
Luckily for him, there are some friends of his to ease the change. For one, Wes Unseld Jr. &mdash; who worked with Morris in Denver for the first four years of his career as an assistant to Michael Malone &mdash; is the head coach in D.C.
&ldquo;I would assume it's quite challenging,&rdquo; Unseld explained. &ldquo;When you kinda come up in one system and you go from G League to rotation [player] to starter, you've been with that team for quite some time, [and] to make that adjustment it's gonna take a bit of time. New teammates, new system &mdash; some of it's very similar, but certainly, different components.&rdquo;
To make matters even more comfortable, well-respected veteran swingman Will Barton was also involved in the move, which sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith to the Nuggets.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That's my guy,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;I told 'em, I've been knowing 'em in Denver, so he's been my teammate on every team I've been on in the league. So the transition's definitely easy 'cause he was one of my vets when I was a rookie, and me and him [are] close, so it's good to have that guy, a familiar face here with you to get through everything.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Sometimes when players are sent away in trades, their roles can change at the drop of the hat. That&rsquo;s not the case here. In his lone season as the lead floor general in Denver, Morris averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 assists over 75 contests. He turned it up in the postseason even more with 14.0 points and 5.3 dimes on average while shooting a healthy 42.3% from distance.
Boasting 48 total games of playoff experience and an impressive run as a top guard in Denver, Morris became a sought-after talent for Washington's backcourt.
&ldquo;Grind,&rdquo; Morris said of what it took to get to this point as a starter. &ldquo;I mean, just grinded every day and just turning it into work. Good or bad days, just trying to string 'em together and just learn as much as I can. Also, just opportunity, getting a chance to showcase and show what I could do, so I was able and fortunate to get a starting job here.&rdquo;
Now the elder statesman, Bradley Beal has been holding down Washington&rsquo;s guard room for a decade. Kristaps Porzingis has been a Wizard for just 20 games, but is building chemistry and looking sharp out of the gate on both ends. Referring to them as &ldquo;two high-IQ guys,&rdquo; Morris feels he&rsquo;s been establishing a good rapport with each.
&ldquo;I mean, it's been real easy,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;They can score a ball at a real high clip, so I'll get 'em in spots and stuff and get 'em good looks."
While numbers are quite noisy in small sample sizes this early, it&rsquo;s worth noting that the trio has a <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612764&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1628420,203078,204001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Rating of plus-19.3 together in 72 minutes</a>, and while Morris is off the floor, the Beal-KP combo is a NET minus-17.3 (per PBP Stats).
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just trying to figure out what works best for Brad, what works best for KP, learning the offense inside and out so he can kinda quarterback us,&rdquo; Unseld added.
Morris showed plenty of love to Delon Wright, too &mdash; another fresh face with the Wizards who offers a different feel at the 1.
&ldquo;Delon, it's his eighth year in the league this year. I'm going on Year 6, so I think it's good to bring in two point guards who kinda play (an) older-school game, get guys involved,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;Delon&rsquo;s a little longer than me, so he comes in and changes up the game in a different way and I impact [the game] in a different way [than] Delon.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Monte Morris doesn't care if Delon Wright gets minutes in crunch time, he just wants to win. <a href="https://t.co/6BEvAVbQxZ">pic.twitter.com/6BEvAVbQxZ</a>
&mdash; NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWizards/status/1583645143785418752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

With each passing night, Morris is growing more comfortable. Despite a losing Wizards effort in an overtime battle with the Cavaliers, Washington battled throughout the way, and he scored 13 points to go with 6 assists and a team-high plus-6 in the box score.
&ldquo;I think he's doing a great job,&rdquo; Unseld said. &ldquo;There's no way to fast-track that &mdash; the game reps, practice, as many minutes and reps that they can get together I think helps. But for where we are right now, I think he's done a terrific job leading in from the preseason to a short [three-game] window."
If this were a younger version of himself, Morris would&rsquo;ve had a harsher reaction to Sunday&rsquo;s result. Now a veteran in his own right, he&rsquo;s taking a more positive, forward-looking approach.
&ldquo;I just think, like, [I'm] not trying to dwell on games too much,&rdquo; Morris said Sunday morning. &ldquo;Just knowing at midnight, you've got another top guard or somebody you're going against. I used to dwell on games so heavy. I would just, like &mdash; if I had a bad game, I would let it sit on me. I still think about 'em if I do have a bad game, but I just know we've got 80 more and I've just gotta be the best version of me the next day. I think that's the biggest thing I've done in my career, is just maturing on that level.
&ldquo;It's hard [to take it day-by-day], so I just try to stay [as] even-keeled as possible. We're in the best league, got the best job in the world, wake up and play basketball. So I can't get too high or get too low. It's gonna be sunny days, it's gonna be beautiful days, it's gonna be days where it ain't going my way, that night where I'm like 1-for-13 or some sh** like that, and didn't impact the game how I impacted it [usually]. But like I said, God&rsquo;s got a plan for me. He always has. Just try to live and die by that."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
With the Detroit Pistons visiting the nation&rsquo;s capital Tuesday night, Morris and the Wizards will quickly turn the page. In this long season, he aspires to accomplish two feats in particular.
&ldquo;Just show everybody I can win with a different team, beat the odds as sleepers,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;They don't really believe in us, so that's it.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies sits down with Monte Morris to discuss his transition to the Wizards, earning his starter status and more.

Monte Morris poised to prove he can win with new Wizards team

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes how Chris Webber's decision-making unlocked the Kings' revolutionary offense.

Blazing the Trail: Chris Webber, the read-and-react king

Welcome to Basketball News' 10-part mini-series, Blazing the Trail, where Mat Issa breaks down the most revolutionary players of the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout this series, we'll examine how these players changed basketball and pioneered their respective skills.
In this third installment, Mat goes in-depth on two-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection Shane Battier and his role as a next-generation defender on the "Moreyball" Houston Rockets. It features insights from his former coach in Miami, David Fizdale, his high school coach, Kurt Keener, and Battier himself.&nbsp;
<iframe style="border-radius: 12px;" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/1UxHtLuiL63XIkKyw0W49H?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="152" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
"One of these pieces doesn&rsquo;t fit."
A statement commonly elicited from viewing the <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1546891748433084420?s=20&amp;t=Adu5q3cY1tX3H88KopKNig" target="_blank" rel="noopener">list of players</a> featured in our "Blazing the Trail" series.&nbsp;
"Shane Battier was a fine defender. But revolutionary? I&rsquo;m not sure someone who only made two All-Defensive Teams can be considered revolutionary."
Even after New York Times writer Michael Lewis famously dubbed him the "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No-Stats All-Star</a>" in Feb. 2009, outside observers have failed to accurately appraise Battier's unique value.
But what if Lewis' moniker for Battier wasn&rsquo;t just a clever name? What if the captain of data impacted the game in a way we couldn&rsquo;t measure at the time? And what if, through his courtship with Daryl Morey, Battier became the most groundbreaking trailblazer of them all?
Let's find out.
What Made Battier Special&nbsp;
On offense, Battier was the quintessential role player. He could shoot, maintain spacing and make quick decisions, and he hardly ever committed turnovers &mdash; the perfect piece to pair with elite scorers and creators. But that&rsquo;s not why we&rsquo;re discussing him.
Battier made his bones on the defensive end.&nbsp;
There, he possessed an unorthodox toolkit for a player of his archetype. He was a &ldquo;3-and-D&rdquo; wing without picking players' pockets too often. From 2006 to 2011, his steal rate never eclipsed the 50th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.
However, Battier did create positive events through his weak-side shot-blocking and timely charge-drawing. And he also refrained from causing negative sequences by avoiding fouls (remember, preventing free throws &mdash; the most efficient shot in the game &mdash; is an immensely valuable skill).
&ldquo;He was always on time when the <a href="https://medium.com/thebasketballactiondictionary/low-man-f3db4d20f4ea">low-man</a> was required,&rdquo; said David Fizdale, Battier&rsquo;s former coach in Miami and now-associate general manager for the Utah Jazz.
&ldquo;Whether it was to take a charge, steal/deflect a pass, discourage [a driver], trap the box &mdash; he was going to be there every single time. He was the king of the charge.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Battier's game was basketball minutiae, predicated on the intricate subtleties that make or break a possession. He fronted goliaths in the post, swiped at the ball when it was still low to bypass challenging shots vertically and utilized the hand-in-the-face contest to hinder his adversaries' efficiency even further.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/n7mp96" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
With that said, he didn&rsquo;t reach his full innovator form until he crossed paths with a data wizard in July 2006 &mdash; then-Houston Rockets assistant general manager Daryl Morey, who assumed full-GM duties the following season in May 2007.
&ldquo;The Rockets were the first team in basketball to adopt a data-centric philosophy,&rdquo; Battier explained to Basketball News. &ldquo;Daryl had a thesis that [he] wanted to run his entire organization based on what the data says.
&ldquo;I was their first major acquisition when Daryl became the general manager because the algorithms they used identified me as a player that provided outsourced value at a very reasonable price,&rdquo; recalled Battier, who was acquired by the Rockets just months after Morey's hiring.
(In exchange for Battier, the Memphis Grizzlies received Stromile Swift and Rudy Gay)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Nash</a>, Battier&rsquo;s approach made him the perfect test subject for his mentor&rsquo;s dissertation.
&ldquo;He was just curious about how everything worked,&rdquo; said Kurt Keener, Battier's high-school coach at Detroit Country Day in Oakland County, Michigan. &ldquo;In basketball, he was curious about, 'If I do X, Y, and Z, can I improve in ways that make a big difference?'"
&ldquo;When I got there, I was very curious about how they thought about data,&rdquo; Battier said of the Rockets. &ldquo;And I really became enamored with it. This is like having the answers to the test before taking the test.&rdquo;
In Houston, Battier &mdash; a player accustomed to surface-level scouting reports that were commonplace at the time &mdash; was exposed to more nuanced, data-driven preparatory materials.
&ldquo;Before analytics, [the scouting report] would read, &lsquo;Kobe Bryant: Great first step, capable three-point shooter, will attack the rim, fadeaway shot in the post and a great competitor.' It&rsquo;s like, yeah, thanks. I don&rsquo;t need a scouting report to know that Kobe is a great competitor,&rdquo; Battier laughed. &ldquo;It was completely qualitative. With the quantitative report that the Rockets produced for me, I knew who exactly a player was down to the percentile.
&ldquo;Instead of saying, 'Kobe Bryant has a great right hand,' I knew that Bryant drives right 65% of the time, and when he does, it&rsquo;s basically a 62% shot. When he goes left, he only goes there 35% of the time, and it&rsquo;s a 42% shot.&rdquo;
Here are a couple of illustrations of that data in practice:
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/kndgmp" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
On-Court Production
These insightful scouting-report nuggets became dangerous weapons in the capable hands of Battier. Similar to "Revis Island" &mdash; a desolate wasteland that star wide receivers were banished to <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/379511-where-is-revis-island" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when they faced the New York Jets in the late-2000s</a> &mdash; Battier&rsquo;s stomping grounds became a torturous venue for the superstars who occupied his position.
From 2006 to 2009, every All-Star small forward/shooting guard who played primarily on-ball saw a sizable dip in efficiency when matched up against Battier (with the lone exception being Josh Howard):
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/battier-chart.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="520" />
Visual Created by Daniel Bratulić
&ldquo;The secret for all these volume scorers: the places those guys absolutely crushed you were at the rim and the free throw line,&rdquo; Battier revealed.
&ldquo;As long as I did two things &mdash; kept them out of transition and didn&rsquo;t foul them &mdash; I could live with any other shot those guys would take. Where a lot of people go wrong is they get caught up in the results. I don&rsquo;t care about results. I just care about the process.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
With Volume 3 of Blazing the Trail coming out tomorrow over <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a>, I figured I'd do a thread of some of my favorite Battier plays from some of the games I watched. These clips are mostly from his 07-08 matchups against DEN, ATL, CLE, and NJN. <a href="https://t.co/HTDCmeEVEH">pic.twitter.com/HTDCmeEVEH</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1554950928184365057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Battier&rsquo;s process consisted of seducing his opponents into a high volume of mid-range shots. From 2006 to 2008, the Rockets surrendered the highest frequency of mid-range jumpers in the league (per Cleaning the Glass).
&ldquo;The mid-range jump shot is actually a really hard shot to hit,&rdquo; Battier said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a sub-50% shot; a good mid-range jump shooter, like 45%. That&rsquo;s not great. You&rsquo;re not going to win a ball game by making that shot a ton.&rdquo;
And although he didn&rsquo;t emphasize the results, the ones his methods yielded were fruitful. Going back to the &ldquo;No-Stats All-Star&rdquo; designation we alluded to earlier, it felt like an All-Star-caliber performer was occupying the court whenever Battier graced the hardwood.
From 2004 to 2009, Battier's teams finished top-five in Defensive Rating (both in Memphis and Houston). And there&rsquo;s reason to believe he was the driving force behind those machines, despite being a non-big man (centers typically have the largest footprint on defense because of their ability to protect the paint).
In 2005-06, the Grizzlies finished second in the league in DRTG. When Battier was traded to Houston the following season, they plummeted to dead-last, despite returning all their coaches and best defenders (except Lorenzen Wright).
Meanwhile, after finishing nearly three points below the league average on defense in 2005-06, the Rockets improved to almost six points below the league average in 2006-07 when Battier arrived.
(Note: The more points below average the better when it comes to defense. For context, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors were only five points below the league average this season, per Basketball-Reference.)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
What&rsquo;s more, in 2007-08 &mdash; when the Rockets&rsquo; primary rim protector Yao Ming missed the final 26 games of the season with a foot injury &mdash; Houston's DRTG remained the same, so you can&rsquo;t chalk up Battier's success to great backline help.
Fizdale agreed with the sentiment that Battier&rsquo;s data-driven style made him his team&rsquo;s most important defender, and enabled him to contribute at an All-Star level.
&ldquo;Back then, when you&rsquo;re looking at All-Stars, [people] just looked at Shane as a pest. But for the guys that were on his team, he was an All-Star," Fizdale said. "For us, we saw him as an All-Star."
Weaving the Thread
Keener speculates that Battier's selflessness may have developed from hearing tales of the great egalitarian himself, Magic Johnson.
During practice, Battier's high-school coach would tell fables of Magic from his days in East Lansing at Michigan State University. They were stories about how, during scrimmages, Johnson would intentionally select his least talented teammates to prove that great teamwork could usurp deficiencies in other areas. These narratives had a substantial effect on Battier.
&ldquo;With Shane, he didn&rsquo;t have the flair of Magic, but he understood the importance of getting your teammates involved,&rdquo; Keener reminisced. &ldquo;[Like Magic,] Shane was tremendous at making sure the other guys on his team were successful.&rdquo;
A Michigan native, Battier also credits his precious Detroit Pistons for playing a role in his formative years.
&ldquo;For me, the Pistons were the ultimate team. My dad grew up in a blue-collar job. If you live in Michigan, you understand the importance of the assembly line and teamwork,&rdquo; Battier reminisced.&nbsp;&ldquo;For me, it wasn&rsquo;t about what I did. It was about what did we do. Being from Detroit impacted how I thought about sports and basketball, and was the hallmark of my entire career.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Coincidentally, the Pistons team he&rsquo;s referencing once famously concocted their own <a href="https://youtu.be/NLv2F33snCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carefully curated</a> strategy for <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1554554706483101696?s=20&amp;t=ghbmH8N4W0CTQAwSSSfovg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreasing the potency</a> of a prolific superstar. That set of instructions is known as "The Jordan Rules.&rdquo;
Due to in-depth game plans he leaned on with regularity, Battier had a leg up on his idols. But while teams like the Pistons only resorted to these tactics in dire situations, Battier prepared for every game like it was the postseason.
&ldquo;The cool part about Shane is he gets into those layers in the regular season,&rdquo; Fizdale explained. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough to play teams on a one-day prep&hellip; but when you have a guy like Shane Battier, he prepares every game like it's a playoff game.&rdquo;
Impact on Today&rsquo;s Game
&ldquo;Draymond [Green] is probably the ultimate example of modern-day Shane Battier,&rdquo; Fizdale said.&nbsp;"They both could guard everyone, could switch on everyone, could guard post-ups, could guard guards. They were [both] most likely the smartest person on the court most nights.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I love watching Draymond. Draymond is great," Battier agreed. "He sees the defense and plays two or three passes ahead, which I always thought I could do.&rdquo;
Battier will be the first to point to Green&rsquo;s superior passing and paint protection as major distinctions between their games. However, the two bear a resemblance to one another in that they are both <a href="https://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/shane_battier_vs_draymond_green.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">career 8-point-per-game scorers</a> whose impact often can't be quantified by traditional box scores.
PJ Tucker is another obvious descendant. Tucker is an elite man defender who shares Battier&rsquo;s process-over-results philosophy (see: Tucker's defense on Kevin Durant in the 2021 playoffs). Also, both players suited up for the Rockets and Heat.
Battier even sees a bit of himself in the human defensive vortex that is Matisse Thybulle: &ldquo;Defensively, his instincts are amazing, and when he figures out his shot, he&rsquo;s going to be a handful.&rdquo;
Putting one-to-one comparisons aside, Battier&rsquo;s true legacy is that there&rsquo;s a little bit of him buried inside of most modern NBA players.
&ldquo;Today, every team has an analytics department. Every team is looking for a player who jumps off the charts analytically,&rdquo; Fizdale said.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The "Moreyball" movement that Battier helped pioneer in Houston has become common practice in today&rsquo;s ever-changing NBA landscape. Hell, even the 2022 NBA Finals were determined by a quantitatively-informed decision on the part of the Warriors.&nbsp;
After the Celtics scored <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/06/nba-finals-golden-state-warriors-boston-celtics-points-in-the-paint/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">52 points in the paint</a> in Game 3, Golden State regained control of the series in part by borrowing one of Battier&rsquo;s old tricks for defending Bryant.
As Battier did with Bryant, the Warriors realized that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were less effective when driving to their left, so they <a href="https://streamable.com/qpu89i" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced the tandem to do just that</a>.&nbsp;
For reference, here are Tatum&rsquo;s numbers for the regular season and postseason driving from his left and his right (and <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/13Ig3U3hGeeXcdJSrYSs4_pIzIjMQPSN95p8R0M9yYs0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here are Brown&rsquo;s</a>):
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/tatum-right.gif" alt="" width="550" height="349" />
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/tatum-left.gif" alt="" width="550" height="349" />
Data Provided by InStat
Even this level of tendency awareness was mincemeat for Battier. He knew not only which direction to push you, but how many dribbles to make you take in the process.&nbsp;
Regardless, the point remains the same: Battier influenced not only the way the game is played, but also its preparation &mdash; a feat that few players in NBA history have ever attained.
It looks like the piece fits, after all.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/battiertree_720.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="550" />
Tune in for Part IV of Blazing the Trail on Aug. 17, which focuses on Reggie Miller &mdash; the moving target.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-rashard-lewis-all-star-stretch-four-orlando-magic-stan-van-gundy-dwight-howard-hedo-turkoglu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part II: "Rashard Lewis, the All-Star stretch 4."</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part I: "Steve Nash, the magician who danced in the paint."</a>

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa focuses on two-time All-NBA defender Shane Battier and his role as a next-gen defender.

Blazing the Trail: Shane Battier, the data-ball defender

For the first time in his soon-to-be-six-year professional basketball career, Derrick Walton Jr. will not be suiting up for an NBA team come training camp. Instead, in three weeks, he will pack his bags and head to Australia, where he&rsquo;ll begin to get acclimated with the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League.
&ldquo;It is new. I kinda came to grips with it probably about two weeks ago,&rdquo; Walton told Basketball News in a phone interview. &ldquo;This is different. I'm usually not really geared all the way up back until September or so. But it's a good setup, I have no complaints. Whatever the situation [or] the schedule is, just know I'mma go in with a wide smile and be ready to go for real.
&ldquo;Overall, just the good things I've heard [from] a lot of people that have already experienced it and just the love that they showed me, I couldn't not acknowledge it. It was very prevalent, and [the Kings] put it on display. So [what I&rsquo;m looking forward to] for the most part, just obviously the style of play, the lifestyle I've been told about and then just people that value me. And we've got a complete, good understanding, so [the decision] was kind of easy for me to be honest.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Walton officially inked a one-year deal with the NBL&rsquo;s reigning champions on July 4 after hearing nothing but good things about the Aussie league from people he&rsquo;s close with and trusts.&nbsp;
R.J. Hunter, a former NBA first-round pick in 2015 by the Boston Celtics who played for Sydney last season, direct-messaged him a while ago about it. Friends from the Detroit area such as Brandon Jenkins and Walton&rsquo;s longtime trainer, Jermaine Jackson, have also given the stamp of approval, while Louisville hero Peyton Siva has done the same.&nbsp;
Walton&rsquo;s motivation to make the move across the world is simple, and not about boosting his stock just to get back to the NBA. He wants to be wanted.
&ldquo;I think, being transparent, I feel like obviously I know I'm an NBA player. I feel like I would be a really good backup point guard. But at this point, I just want to go somewhere where I'm valued,&rdquo; Walton said. &ldquo;And if that comes back full circle, then I would take it. But as far as now, I want to just make sure I'm enjoying the game as much as possible, being in the best situation every single chance I get a chance to be and then overall, I let stuff take care of itself.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I would be lying if I said that's not in my wheelhouse, that I wouldn't be drawn to that, but honestly when I go to Australia, that's my main priority. I don't really want to put my mind anywhere else."
This offseason has been all about staying in the gym to become &ldquo;as dynamic as possible&rdquo; for Walton, who has spent the majority of his career setting up others primarily first and foremost.
&ldquo;Being a floor general is cool, but I think I'mma try to just be a little more diligent and trying to display how I can score the ball,&rdquo; Walton said. &ldquo;I've been working on that a lot more, just trying to be more aggressive for the most part."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Still 🖤 <a href="https://t.co/BuHsqmjKxY">pic.twitter.com/BuHsqmjKxY</a>
&mdash; Derrick Walton (@DerrickWalton10) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerrickWalton10/status/1529290265877520384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

"There's a time in some people's careers that they just go play. I mean, just go play. And I think being in Australia is going to give him that opportunity to just go run a team, 'cause he's as good as there is at running a team," Pistons senior player development advisor and former Michigan head coach John Beilein told Basketball News. "And he can analytically build up some stats that may make him very appealing as he comes back because he's still young. He did it in the G League and he really proved himself while in the G League.&nbsp;
"Roster spots are so rare. And so, he's gonna go over there [to Australia] and make the most of this opportunity. And who knows where it'll lead. It may lead to 10 more years overseas, or it may put him right back to the NBA in a stronger position."
Though forward-looking, Walton appreciates his time in the NBA. For him, being blessed enough to live out a dream he set out for himself as a child is something he is grateful for. Having had stints with the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons in different capacities, he appeared in 45 regular-season games and drew four starts. (He also averaged 15.9 points, 8.0 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals across 59 career games in the G League.)
"Everything comes with growing. The older I got and each time I dealt with a different situation, I handled it with a little more maturity,&rdquo; Walton said. &ldquo;Probably earlier in my career, I was a little more 'reactive,' but overall I just think I'm a very even-keeled guy for everything I've been through. So it's not too much that's gonna throw me off or knock me off my square now...
"...Be where your feet are and then just try to have as much fun with it. I know me, I'm a completely different player when I feel like the outside factors outside of the court [are] handled. So as much as I just get to focus on what I do on a day-to-day basis, I think my performance only rises. So that's what I pretty much learned for myself."
Three of those NBA starts came with his hometown Pistons last season between Dec. 26 and New Year's Day, when Walton amassed a total of 19 points, 21 assists and 7 blocks on a 10-day contract.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was dope,&rdquo; Walton said of playing for his city. &ldquo;My family, we all went to my mother's house to eat afterwards. That's a dope feeling. It more so was really dope for me to see my family get to experience it more so than myself, to be honest... As a Detroiter, we're just prideful of our city. I can say I'm prideful to be from here.&nbsp;
"It kinda made me who I am. They show me ridiculous love. And then, it's home. People love me here. It gave me love, so I show love back."
Having a familiar face around the franchise also helped with Beilein being in Detroit. Together, the pair won the Big Ten Tournament twice &mdash; Walton was the 2017 B1G Tourney MVP &mdash; and took home regular-season honors once too.&nbsp;
&ldquo;[Michigan] pretty much allowed me to be a professional before I was,&rdquo; Walton said. &ldquo;Just how to carry myself, the edicate and overall just the ins and outs of being a pro every single day.&nbsp;&ldquo;[John]&rsquo;s a guy that knows my game in and out, so if he'd watch the game or anything, just the nuances or like little, small stuff... It was always good to just get back to home and just know a guy that had seen me at the very purity of the game with being collegiate, just knowing he got my best interest at heart was always dope. And then, we got a good relationship. We won a championship together, so it's always good to see somebody that you raised the banner with."
"There are so many moments with him," Beilein said. "He was the one, of all those guys (former Michigan point guards), I think we had the most fun. But it was also &mdash; we held each other accountable. He wouldn't let me get too programmed. And I wouldn't let him get away with anything but believing in himself and playing with great confidence."
Beilein outlines how amazing Walton played and led the Wolverines during that 2017 conference tourney, particularly after a <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2019/03/07/michigan-basketball-plane-crash/3095406002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">frightening plane crash prior to takeoff on the way to Washington D.C</a>.
"That should tell you everything you need to know about Derrick Walton. He's helping others get off the plane before he dove out the window and cut his knee (and got six stitches). And then, to get up the next day and lead us for four days of incredible basketball. [Everybody needs to see] how special he was for those four days," Beilein said.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wASKoSSVIIU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
"So there's times when leadership is taken for granted. That one was not what it was &mdash; like, so needed, and he knew it. And he stepped up. He was the best guard in the country for those four days without question. He did the same thing to Louisville, to Donovan Mitchell and people like this. We're playing [against] Louisville; [Walton] commanded that whole game, Oklahoma State, same thing. And then, we lost with real adversity at the buzzer with Oregon in the Sweet 16, so he put on a show there. That was incredible. And he's capable of doing that. He's so unselfish that he'll pass up shots that he can make. But everybody loves coaching him. I know Coach [Dwane] Casey loved coaching him. We won a game or two with him as our point guard last year."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Now, Walton is poised to hang another in Sydney with a squad looking for back-to-back NBL titles. Despite the new challenge, Walton is not worried about transitioning into a new league. He feels at this point of his career that he can get along with anybody when he makes the move to the Land Down Under.
&ldquo;It's all about me just sitting and getting around the guys for probably days at a time. I'm an easy-going guy, man,&rdquo; Walton said. &ldquo;I'm a point guard first, I'm good with people. I'm not really too nervous about adjusting. It's just more so just trying to get down everyday life quick. It's not really a huge adjustment, just a different scenery for me I would just say."
(That change of environment also includes Australia&rsquo;s large habitat of snakes, to which Walton will have to reluctantly get used to: &ldquo;Wait what? They need to keep that away from me! Don&rsquo;t put me near no snakes! Hell nah!&rdquo;)
With so many players going to and from the NBL, Walton is eager to be the next transfer that makes a big impact.
&ldquo;I'm a winner man. I put winning before all,&rdquo; Walton said. &ldquo;I want to win. I want to be a part of winning. I want to be a pivotal part of winning. And I feel like everything else will take care of itself. Individual goals fall in line with winning for me honestly...
&ldquo;... Some situations like this one (that) presents itself, you just can't turn down. So it's like, everybody's situation is different and then, the basketball (competition level) being what it is always makes it better. But I think it's a good combination of both for me."

Spencer Davies speaks with Derrick Walton about the motivation behind his decision to head overseas to the NBL and more.

Wanting to be valued, Derrick Walton Jr. makes no-brainer move to NBL

The Boston Celtics entered the 2022 NBA Finals with zero games of championship-stage experience on their active roster. Between Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney, the Golden State Warriors had made 123 game appearances combined.
First-year head coach Ime Udoka never appeared in the NBA Finals as a player, and made it there for 12 games as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs. Steve Kerr had already spearheaded 21 Finals games and three titles as Golden State's head coach, in addition to his 27 games as a player.
Boston looked like a deer in the headlights during its three consecutive losses in part because it had never been here before. Pushing one of the great dynasties in basketball history to six games may not have been the desired achievement, but it's still a notable one. And getting to Game 6 of the NBA Finals after sitting 11th in the East standings as late as January? Count me as somebody who was a doubter.
More importantly: This playoff run is neon, flashing proof that this Celtics core, headlined by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, is capable of winning a championship. All the chatter about their viability as a duo, Marcus Smart's status as point guard, Udoka's capability as a coach and so on, is now unequivocally just chatter.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Obviously, the franchise shouldn't be satisfied with a loss. Of course it can tweak the roster and players can improve their individual skills. But Boston found an identity in the regular season, tested it against some of the toughest teams in the league and proved it can propel this team to basketball's ultimate stage.
"Nobody even had us being here, let alone in the playoffs,&rdquo; Celtics guard Marcus Smart said postgame following the Finals defeat. &ldquo;It definitely is tough. But it&rsquo;s definitely one of those things we&rsquo;ve been through hell to get here, and you take that. You know what I&rsquo;m saying? We&rsquo;ve got to use that.&rdquo;
Those dejected by the final outcome will point to Tatum's dismal Game 6 performance, in which he scored 13 points, shot 6-for-18 from the floor and coughed up five turnovers. They'll roll out his 100 total giveaways in these playoffs, the most by any player ever in a single postseason run. And they'll be right that his handle and decision-making fell short against one of the league's best defenses.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jayson Tatum had 13 assists last night - the most ever in an NBA Finals debut. Here's what stood out to me about them (thread) ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Early on Golden State is really watching driving/rolling lanes. Draymond is sitting on the low block which means Smart can get open. AST 1 <a href="https://t.co/sCSnNwUxuj">pic.twitter.com/sCSnNwUxuj</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1532766760277098500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

What about his 13 assists (the most ever in a Finals debut) against two turnovers in Game 1 though? Or his 6.2 assists per game in the postseason? Tatum had to lead Boston through 24 playoff games, including two seven-game series, to set that undesirable and meaningless total turnover record. He became the first Celtic to crack the All-NBA First Team since Kevin Garnett in 2007-08 and the second to do it since Larry Bird in 1987-88. There's no more debate over Tatum's playmaking ability or his star power.
Brown similarly struggled with turnovers in Games 5 and 6, posting five in each contest with some painful moments late where he simply lost a handle on the ball. But he also did his best to carry the scoring load with 34 points in the last defeat. Brown ended up shooting 51.0% on drives to the basket with an 11.7% assist rate and 7.8% turnover rate in the Finals &mdash; all great clips.&nbsp;
If you're still doubting Brown's ability to improve on the ball, just <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/appreciating-how-far-jaylen-brown-has-come" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read Mark Schindler's retrospective</a> on the star's polish versus his lone college season. Which two-man Celtics pairing had the highest plus-minus per 100 possessions in the regular season? Brown and Tatum, through all the ups and downs, at plus-14.3. They were also third on the team (plus-4.3 per 100 possessions) in the postseason. The discussion over this duo's long-term cohesion is settled by the numbers and by its achievements this season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Here's that gorgeous Marcus Smart touch pass in slow motion. The spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination needed to make this pass is ridiculous. What a spectacular player/decision-maker he is. <a href="https://t.co/vVI2HDKHCK">pic.twitter.com/vVI2HDKHCK</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1537820480622714886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Smart set a career-high in assists per game (5.9) for the third consecutive season and maintained that rate throughout the playoffs. In Game 6, while some folks still somehow questioned his merit as a floor general, Smart dished out 9 assists. He actually ranked eighth among all potseason players in passes per game, and while that doesn't shield him or the Celtics from criticism about their offense, he certainly moves the ball.
I have questions about how the Celtics used Smart in the Finals &mdash; why they didn't post him up more often, and why they kept him off the ball when Tatum and Brown were struggling (both of them). But we're well past wondering about Smart's "true point guard" acumen and using him as the go-to piece in trade machines. Smart is a keeper because he's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/marcus-smarts-versatile-playmaking-has-proven-vital-to-the-celtics-offensive-resurgence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a core part of Boston's&nbsp;offense</a>, nevermind also being the first guard in over 25 years to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Then, we get to some pivotal contributions from other players that underscore Brad Stevens' <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/brad-stevens-deserves-massive-credit-for-the-celtics-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slam dunk of a first year as president of basketball operations</a>. Al Horford obviously headlines the success. I thought he was no longer a starter at the beginning of the season; instead, the longtime, familiar veteran was everything Boston needed in a low-usage big and so much more, and he battled in all 24 playoff games at 36 years old.&nbsp;
Robert Williams III had the healthiest regular season of his career and reinforced his status as one of the most fearsome shot-blockers in basketball. He was visibly struggling with mobility in the Finals, but fighting valiantly, considering he played the series on an injured, swollen knee. Grant Williams didn't impact the Finals in the same way as his regular season, but he was instrumental in series wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. Derrick White fit right in as a defensive cornerstone who gave Stephen Curry &mdash; one of the sport's transcendent offensive weapons &mdash; all he could on screens and on the ball.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Udoka certainly won't, but he should gloat about this defense. In one year at the helm, he overhauled Boston's entire scheme, made mid-season adjustments, took on new players and molded a unit that ranked first in regular-season Defensive Rating (106.9) and second in the playoffs (107.6). It frequently kept Boston in games and series as the offensive output waxed and waned.&nbsp;
Now, Udoka and Stevens have a full offseason to further their vision after proving it will work in their first year together. They don't have many available pathways to move, though.
The Celtics only have the No. 53 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign players outright. They do, however, have several trade exceptions, headlined by a $17.1 million TPE from dealing Evan Fournier.
The entire main rotation is under contract for next season (Horford's deal is non-guaranteed, but there are already indications <a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/05/al-horford-increases-salary-guarantee-by-5-million-for-next-season-after-celtics-clinch-nba-finals-spot.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston will guarantee it)</a>.&nbsp;Nik Stauskas and Malik Fitts have non-guaranteed contracts. Matt Ryan and Brodric Thomas are restricted free agents, and Boston holds team options on Juwan Morgan and Sam Hauser. They might all be on the outs this summer.
Stevens has room to merely fine-tune the roster ahead of the 2022-23 season. Fortunately, that's all he needs to do.&nbsp;
For several years, Boston wondered if the Celtics would be able to break down the door of the NBA Finals after falling in the conference finals three times in five years. This core proved it can reach the pinnacle without any requisite experience.
So yes, a loss in the Finals always stings. But the way the Celtics arrived there, and even the way they lost, should provide their fan base with hope.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Celtics lost in the NBA Finals, but by getting there, they showed they have the core of a title contender.

Celtics' season a successful proof of concept despite NBA Finals loss

In basketball, physicality is often akin to tug of war. Both sides are putting forth all their might, but one side has to topple the other into exhaustion &mdash; that&rsquo;s the nature of things. It doesn&rsquo;t mean one party didn&rsquo;t try as hard as the other. Sometimes, previous battles leave a deeper impact for one more than the other, and the next game is swiftly decided.
Amid these NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors are engaged in a tug of war of physicality.
Game 1 went to Boston, who stymied Golden State&rsquo;s off-ball attack and applied its size to generate paint touches or open looks offensively.&nbsp;
Game 2 went to Golden State, who pressured Boston on the catch, extended its offense far away from the rim and sprung open shooters with hard-nosed picks.&nbsp;
Game 3 went to Boston, who chiseled itself into a 116-100 victory and snagged a 2-1 series lead, halfway from its first title in 14 seasons.&nbsp;
Physicality is a broad term, one that&rsquo;s been present through each of the first three Finals games. When teams say the opponent was more physical, that may sound cliche and coy, but there are nuances behind the ambiguity that provide a road map toward finer details. They reveal themselves through trends, statistics and on-court results.&nbsp;
Among those concepts for the Celtics in Game 3 was a revival of consistent driving and interior scoring. In their Game 2 loss, per NBA.com, they registered just 6 attempts in the restricted area (7.5% frequency), talled 47 drives and shot 15-of-43 (34.9%) on twos. On Wednesday, they tallied 26 attempts at the rim (29.2% frequency), recorded 61 drives and shot 30-of-54 (55.6%) on twos.
The leading proponents behind those contrasts were Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, who combined for 48 of the 61 drives, three days after logging just 27.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Boston wields a notable strength advantage on the perimeter over the Warriors, whose point-of-attack defense is susceptible to breakdowns. Limiting dribble penetration stems from Golden State's synergistic help and active rotations, not a cast of staunch isolation stoppers. The Celtics exploited that on Wednesday, with Andrew Wiggins, Stephen Curry and Otto Porter Jr. regularly the targets of this approach.&nbsp;
Whether the edge stemmed from speed, strength or a marriage of the two, Boston ball-handlers dependably fashioned successful downhill forays. Improved spacing compared to Game 2 aided their efforts; multiple teammates were no longer parked in the lane or cutting inside on drives. Robert Williams III also camped a bit farther from the hoop rather than directly in the dunker spot, and floated around to occupy help defenders.
The Celtics did well to move both Kevon Looney and/or Draymond Green away from the hoop during their stints, which left Golden State incapable of properly enforcing the paint. While Klay Thompson had some noteworthy moments of weak-side rim-protection in Game 2, those two bigs are the lone rotation players who reliably protect the basket for the Warriors. They were often not in position to do so during Game 3.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/x89lui" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Contributing to Boston&rsquo;s massively-heightened rim frequency was Williams III playing 26 minutes, his most of the series, and nearly double his 14 minutes in Game 2. Aside from a few riveting moments in the second half of Game 1, Williams&rsquo; inaugural Finals have been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-robert-williams-find-a-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headlined by troubles</a>: poor pick-and-roll coverage, erratic decision-making as a helper and a struggle to discern his optimal defensive assignment.&nbsp;
Game 3 was easily his finest of the three thus far, notching 7 total steals/blocks, collecting 10 boards and scoring 8 points on 5 shots. His presence is indispensable for the Celtics. They need to play him and surf through the waves of frustration. That&rsquo;s why him being good feels imperative. Nobody else on the roster provides vertical spacing as a lob threat or inhabits the offensive glass like him.&nbsp;
When he survives defensively, as he did Wednesday, he poses grand issues for Golden State as an interior release valve and putback option. His length and explosiveness can overwhelm the Warriors&rsquo; undersized front line. Boston producing paint touches with Williams in the dunker spot has left Golden State in conflicting situations, unsure of whether to help on the drive and leave him open or stay back and risk an easy finish. The dimensions of his skill set are novel and critical.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/s9saia" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
In the first half, the Celtics scored 68 of their 116 points and posted a sterling 136.0 Offensive Rating. Renewed driving profits were the headlining component, but they also functioned at a quicker pace. During the first two games, they averaged 95.5 possessions per night, while Thursday&rsquo;s first half saw the pace rise to 100.&nbsp;
Pushing the tempo to force cross-matches, typically with Al Horford against smaller defenders, seemed to be an emphasis &mdash; even if it was mostly confined to the opening 24 minutes. Horford&rsquo;s post-ups in the half-court throughout Game 2 were pretty fruitless. So, quick duck-ins prior to the defense organizing itself became the counter, and it yielded some welcomed possessions.&nbsp;
Clearly, Boston wants to deploy Horford&rsquo;s size in the paint. It merely needed a shrewder tactic. Empty-corner sets initiated early in the clock to highlight the size discrepancy between these clubs were also periodically featured.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/tindsb" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Boston winning the dance of physicality commenced almost immediately. Smart&rsquo;s screening was a weapon much of the night, beginning with a gnarly pick on Wiggins during its first offensive possession. The pick allowed Tatum to feed him and induced a shoddy stunt from Thompson, enabling Brown to knock down an open triple.&nbsp;
All night, the Celtics seemed to shrug off Golden State&rsquo;s potentially imposing pressure and spur defensive rotations. Smart&rsquo;s first crunching screen would not be his last, either. Boston spun its knack for dishing out and handling physicality into offensive advantages.&nbsp;
Physicality on its own is not inherently valuable. It has to do something and mean something; it needs purpose. The Celtics&rsquo; physicality very much had purpose in Game 3.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/fl9xgg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
(Side note: The last Tatum bucket in that montage is filthy stuff. Looney tries to disrupt his handle multiple times and funnel him to Jordan Poole&rsquo;s help on the left wing. But Tatum spins away from all of it, keeps the 6-foot-9, 220-pounder on his hip and converts a contested layup. The way he's navigated physicality this season has taken a vital jump and really stands out over the past three series.)
Much like Golden State&rsquo;s Game 2 offensive flurry, a combination of adjustments and uncharacteristic breakdowns from a stingy defense was responsible for the Celtics&rsquo; 116 points. On both occasions, the former was more salient, though the latter remained relevant.&nbsp;
Defense is a wildly fickle undertaking. One slight step in the wrong direction or incorrect shift of body weight can radicalize everything. A slightly improper angle around a screen or to cut off a drive reorients the possession. The same goes for how physicality manifests itself.
The best defenses minimize those events, but these Finals are underscoring that even elite units are susceptible to such ebbs and flows. Both teams embrace physicality. One isn&rsquo;t running away with the mantle of &ldquo;more physical.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s been a fluid title.&nbsp;
For now, thanks to refined driving, spacing and screening, Boston&rsquo;s the current keeper of that fluid title.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Jackson Frank breaks down how the Celtics were able to win the battle of physicality with smarts in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Celtics' physicality revitalized their offense in NBA Finals Game 3

It&rsquo;s the most wonderful time of the year. The days are long, the nights are warm and the NBA Finals have come back around.
The Finals stage is where legacies are made. The entire season leads up to this series.
But with the good comes the bad; such is the nature of life. For those with allergies, like myself, June also brings about itchy eyes and a runny nose. And for basketball purists, the bad comes in the form of recycled cliche talking points that, at times, dwarf the discourse surrounding the game itself.
The Finals are where we finally find the answers to season-long, and sometimes career-long, questions.
Can Dirk Nowitzki lead a team to a title?
Did Kobe Bryant need Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal?
Is LeBron James clutch?
This season is no different.
Today's question du jour: Does Stephen Curry need a Finals MVP and another championship sans Kevin Durant to shore up his legacy as one of the 10 best to ever play the game?
One might think the Golden State Warriors would be impervious to these conversations. After all, they won an NBA championship in 2015, the same year they entered the upper echelon of the league before questions could even emerge. And yet, here we are &mdash; eight years, six Finals runs and three titles later &mdash; questioning Curry&rsquo;s greatness and ultimate legacy.
So, what is the answer to that aforementioned question?
First, let&rsquo;s take a look at Curry&rsquo;s legacy. In short, he is an all-time great who's responsible for revolutionizing the Three-Point Era.
It is too simple to reduce Curry to just "the greatest shooter of all-time&rdquo; and limit his skills to only one facet of his game. Because not only is Curry the greatest shooter ever, he is also an elite finisher with both his right and left hand, and he sports one of the best handles we&rsquo;ll ever see. And yet, despite all of his on-ball skills, he is even deadlier off the ball.
In the words of Warriors president and general manager Bob Myers, who joined The Morning Roast on 95.7 The Game on June 7: &ldquo;This guy is a made-man. Forget about this Finals; it's already been done. He's already done it. He's already proven it. I don't know what else he has to continue to prove.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Bob Myers believes Steph Curry has nothing left to prove in the NBA Finals 🐐 <a href="https://t.co/JXkLpiRj4b">pic.twitter.com/JXkLpiRj4b</a>
&mdash; 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) <a href="https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1534234887221219328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Myers is correct. Curry has cemented himself as an all-time great.
But all titles matter, and winning this one is important for Curry&rsquo;s legacy. Just as the fourth title mattered to LeBron. Just as the fourth and fifth mattered to Kobe. Just as the fifth and sixth mattered to Michael Jordan.
They all matter when cementing your legacy.
And that&rsquo;s because, unlike other accolades, championships are not debatable. Being the last team standing is a matter of fact, and not decided on by a select group of media.
Players aren't awarded titles. They win them. Curry&rsquo;s greatness is shown by reaching this objective season after season. With each new ring, it cements what should never be up for debate.
Finals MVP, however, is a subjective award. And when it comes to subjectivity, Curry&rsquo;s greatness regularly gets called into question. Being a pioneer in any industry means having your name etched into the history books, but with that comes some bad: you&rsquo;re ahead of your time. And, as a result, people often can&rsquo;t keep up with your greatness as it happens.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Take the 2015 NBA Finals, for example, Curry&rsquo;s impact was not immediately visible on the box score; although, he was no slouch there either. Curry finished the series averaging 26.0 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game on .443/.385/.885 shooting splits. (An efficiency dip from the regular season, where he averaged 23.8 points, 7.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game on a .487/.443/.914 slash line.)
They were numbers that paled in comparison to LeBron, who finished the series with averages of 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per contest, leaving many to believe Curry failed in the role of a superstar on the biggest stage.
Dominance in the form of counting stats is easy to quantify, but dominance in creating an ecosystem that benefits those around you &mdash; is not. Thus, the true value of Curry is hard to measure.
And that&rsquo;s why, of the 11 votes for Finals MVP, LeBron received four, Andre Iguodala received seven and Curry received headlines calling Matthew Dellavedova his kryptonite.
That&rsquo;s right. Curry received no votes, and Iguodala won the 2015 Finals MVP.
Many voters point to the tides turning after Game 3. The Cleveland Cavaliers had taken a 2-1 series lead, and the Warriors adjusted by swapping Iguodala in for Andrew Bogut in the starting lineup &mdash; a rare move that offered major benefits on both sides of the ball.
At a distance, the case for Iguodala over Curry for Finals MVP is such:
Iguodala guarded the best player in basketball and limited LeBron&rsquo;s impact to sub-40% shooting, the Warriors never lost a game once he entered the starting lineup, and, as a starter, he averaged 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He also shot 47.8% from the floor and 40.9% from three, numbers that closely resembled Curry&rsquo;s with much better efficiency.
Take a closer look, and we can see how that&rsquo;s all the more reason Curry deserved the Finals MVP. Without taking anything away from Iguodala, who was a valuable piece that allowed the Warriors to unlock this lineup, Steph made it unstoppable.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0-dxPX4njxI" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Introducing Iguodala into the starting lineup in place of Bogut allowed the Warriors to play a five-out lineup with passing.
Curry, being the best shooter ever, gets the most attention, and the way he moves off-ball &mdash; constantly in motion and always a threat to shoot &mdash; opens the floor up for all of his teammates in ways that are not yet quantifiable. Curry running by two defenders and pulling them towards him is not a screen assist, but it still opens up a driving lane or a shot in a similar way.
Iguodala directly benefited from that gravity. According to NBA.com, 46% of the shots Iguodala took were considered &ldquo;wide open&rdquo; with the closest defender at least six feet away, and 20% were considered open with a defender four-to-six feet away.
With Bogut on the floor, the Cavs could tilt their defense toward Curry without any blowback. With Iguodala&rsquo;s passing and shooting in Bogut&rsquo;s place, the Cavaliers' defense was forced to make a choice. More often than not, their decision was to dare Iguodala to shoot, and to his credit, he knocked them down.
Curry&rsquo;s court vision and decisive actions create excellent opportunities for teammates, as he led the Warriors in assists. Iguodala was the prime beneficiary, accounting for nearly 40% of his points as a starter in catch-and-shoot situations, according to NBA.com. (That includes all of his made field goals in the deciding Game 6.)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Decades from now, when people think back on the Warriors&rsquo; first championship, losing Finals MVP to Iguodala won&rsquo;t be an indictment on Curry and his game, but instead on our ability to appreciate what doesn&rsquo;t show up in the box score.
It&rsquo;ll be a capsule in time, defined by our limited scope.
The predicament is similar to the NBA's 2007 Defensive Player of the Year award.
Marcus Camby won the award, given to the best defender in a season, over Tim Duncan, who finished third behind San Antonio Spurs teammate Bruce Bowen.
Despite being one the greatest defensive anchors of all time, Duncan never won the honor &mdash; a gaffe on the part of voters and a result of our limited ability to measure defense.
In 2007, after finishing with his second blocks title in what would be a three-year reign, Camby was awarded Defensive Player of the Year instead.
Over time, we&rsquo;ve come to learn that blocking shots, though flashy and easily quantifiable, is far less a marker of a great defender than one who deters opponents from even attempting a drive.
NBA.com can track how well opponents shot against you in various areas on the court, and despite Camby&rsquo;s higher blocks-per-game average of 3.3 to Duncan&rsquo;s 2.4, players shot 8.3% worse when met by Duncan over Camby in the restricted area.
Blocks per game also remains the sole stat that favors Camby over Duncan defensively. The Denver Nuggets even performed better defensively with Camby on the bench.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 67.1558%; height: 132px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 29.0771%; height: 22px;">Defensive Metric</td>
<td style="width: 16.18%; height: 22px;">Marcus Camby</td>
<td style="width: 13.7594%; height: 22px;">Tim Duncan</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 29.0771%; height: 22px;">Defensive Efficiency</td>
<td style="width: 16.18%; height: 22px;">105.6</td>
<td style="width: 13.7594%; height: 22px;">96.5</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 29.0771%; height: 22px;">Defensive Win Shares</td>
<td style="width: 16.18%; height: 22px;">5.1</td>
<td style="width: 13.7594%; height: 22px;">6.8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 29.0771%; height: 22px;">Defensive Box Plus-Minus</td>
<td style="width: 16.18%; height: 22px;">3.9</td>
<td style="width: 13.7594%; height: 22px;">3.2</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 29.0771%; height: 22px;">Opponent FG% in RA</td>
<td style="width: 16.18%; height: 22px;">60.5%</td>
<td style="width: 13.7594%; height: 22px;">53.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 29.0771%; height: 22px;">Defensive Pts Per Poss.</td>
<td style="width: 16.18%; height: 22px;">+2.5</td>
<td style="width: 13.7594%; height: 22px;">-8.8</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
And though not one of these stats alone is a clear indicator of which player is a better defender, all of them together make it pretty obvious that Duncan was better than Camby in 2007.
Then, there are other factors that can&rsquo;t be measured, like how often the presence of a defensive force such as Duncan prevents teams from even passing to a guy guarded by the stalwart.
Defensive Player of the Year awards began in 1982-83. Ten of the first 28 winners led the NBA in blocks. Since then, no player who led the league in blocks has gone on to win DPOY. Nowadays, it would be laughable to base a defensive argument on something as basic as blocks.
I think this is how we&rsquo;ll understand Curry not winning a Finals MVP in his first three chances, namely in 2015. The Finals MVP is supposed to highlight the most valuable player during the most important stretch of basketball all year. That was undeniably him.
The mark of a great offensive player is that teams would prefer to play 4-on-3 versus 1-on-1, and in 2015, Iguodala benefited from being the man open. But that&rsquo;s entirely thanks to the gravity of Stephen Curry.
Because, at the end of the day, every NBA defense is trying to get the ball out of Steph's hands.
And, in the words of Max Kellerman, they want Iguodala.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Imman Adan details how Stephen Curry's impact can't be quantified by looking back on the 2015 NBA Finals.

Understanding Stephen Curry's gravity and a 2015 NBA Finals MVP gaffe

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.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/draft22_lg.jpg" alt="" width="365" height="457" />
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.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-18-at-10-51-04-am.png" alt="" width="650" height="402" />
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.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-18-at-11-44-38-am.png" alt="" width="650" height="435" />
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>.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-18-at-11-45-07-am.png" alt="" width="650" height="494" />
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?

If you had Frank Kaminsky scoring a career-high 31 points in the year 2021 on your bingo card, go ahead and pick out your lottery numbers for an automatic winner. Kaminsky&rsquo;s performance on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, propelling the Phoenix Suns to a 119-109 win, was awe-inspiring.
Kaminsky was upfront about his recent stretch in the NBA during his postgame media availability. He&rsquo;s known the opportunities for him in Phoenix, and anywhere else, have been sparse at best. When Kaminsky&rsquo;s team option from the Suns was declined after the 2019-20 season, he signed a veteran-minimum deal with the Sacramento Kings and was cut during preseason play. Kaminsky thought this could be it for his career &mdash; a disappointing result for a former lottery pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
However, the Suns had one open roster remaining and decided to use it on Kaminsky, who they claimed on waivers immediately after his release from Sacramento. Kaminsky sparingly played last season, but he did have that familiarity with the Suns&rsquo; system that head coach Monty Williams desired for a reserve big man. Kaminsky even started a stretch of games for the Suns last season alongside Deandre Ayton, actually thriving within that role.
Wednesday was the latest example where Kaminsky&rsquo;s &ldquo;stay ready&rdquo; mentality has continued to pay off in The Valley. Now, Kaminsky is forcing Williams&rsquo; hand once Ayton returns from a leg contusion suffered last week.
Excluding the game on Nov. 4 against the Houston Rockets where he only logged four total minutes, Kaminsky has become a vital rotation piece for Phoenix over the last week-plus. Take a look at the four games he&rsquo;s been relied upon off the bench for Phoenix:
Nov. 2 vs. Pelicans: 17 points, 4 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 assists on 5-of-8 FGA in 29 minutes
Nov. 6 vs. Hawks: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block on 7-of-10 FGA in 29 minutes
Nov. 8 vs. Kings: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block on 4-of-9 FGA in 22 minutes
Nov. 8 vs. Trail Blazers: 31 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block on 12-of-18 FGA in 32 minutes
It&rsquo;s a mind-boggling rise for Kaminsky, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.8 blocks while shooting 62.2% over those four contests. When Kaminsky&rsquo;s number has been called upon by Williams, he&rsquo;s delivered with authority every single time. It&rsquo;s a factor his head coach continues to notice consistently from the veteran big.
&ldquo;I just found that out when we [were] bringing it in and the guys told me that was a career-high for Frank. [I'm] excited for him,&rdquo; Williams said on Wednesday night. &ldquo;I felt like a kid in there just cheering for him, because to do what he does every single day, he&rsquo;s a pro. His ability to mentally stay locked-in, emotionally stay even-keeled and understand that he may not get the call, he may get the call &mdash; to do that day-after-day-after-day, come back in the next day get his work in and go home, have a great attitude. It says a lot about him to see him have a night like that when we needed it.&rdquo;
Without Kaminsky&rsquo;s scoring explosion, the Suns don&rsquo;t win that game vs. Portland. In clutch situations, Kaminsky continued to take the game over and do it all for Phoenix. Whether it was scoring inside or out, grabbing key boards or making crucial passes to the perimeter out of traps, Kaminsky showcased why he could deserve extended run within the Suns&rsquo; rotation moving forward.
&ldquo;I still don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s really hit me yet, but like I said last time it&rsquo;s just a mindset,&rdquo; Kaminsky said of his career-best outing. &ldquo;Go out there and play as hard as you can and be ready for anything. [You] never know when your opportunities are going to come, so you gotta make the most of them. I&rsquo;m just trying to make the most of my opportunity here. It just goes into preparation and staying ready and keeping the same mental approach everyday. Try to stay level &mdash; never too high, never too low. Just keep going with that.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Good morning to everyone. But especially to Frank Kaminsky. <a href="https://t.co/yYCcpJFkM8">pic.twitter.com/yYCcpJFkM8</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/BALLYSPORTSAZ/status/1458823210343018499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

When the Suns lost Dario Saric in Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals to a torn ACL, likely sidelining him for all of the 2021-22 season, they were missing that underrated and valuable reserve off the bench. The Suns did go out sign JaVale McGee to a one-year deal; however, his role wasn&rsquo;t as a connector who can facilitate the basketball in &ldquo;0.5&rdquo; situations, but more of a version closer to Ayton as a rim-rolling big who can defend the paint.
Kaminsky has taken on the role that opened with Saric's absence and run with it recently, becoming a must-use piece to the puzzle in the second unit. Also, as seen over the last week, Kaminsky can play a vital role alongside Phoenix&rsquo;s starters as a stretch big who can facilitate from the top of the key, finding cutters or trailing shooters in the corners.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s one thing specific, he just knows how to play,&rdquo; Chris Paul said postgame.
Paul is right on the money with his short and sweet statement. Kaminsky is just a high-IQ basketball player who can seamlessly fit within the role asked upon. Sure, he has some flaws, but within the right system, those can be canceled out by surprisingly-strong strengths.
Williams mentioned to the media that once Ayton returns from his leg contusion, he will try to keep Kaminsky within the Suns&rsquo; rotation. Coach will have him potentially split minutes with McGee and keep their former No. 1 overall pick more fresh throughout games with a lighter workload.
Many thought the Suns needed to make one more move for a win-now piece to bolster their bench and playoff rotation to an even higher level. Who knows, they may have just stumbled upon their solution to losing Saric with Kaminsky.
From where Kaminsky was to where he is now, his confidence is reaching entirely new heights we haven&rsquo;t seen since his days leading the Wisconsin Badgers to the Final Four. It&rsquo;s a new mentality Kaminsky has honed-in on, and the results over a small sample size have been nothing short of fantastic.
&ldquo;So proud of Frank,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;Glad to be a part of his journey. He&rsquo;s a pro.&rdquo;

Frank Kaminsky has taken on the Dario Saric role and thrived for the Suns. Evan Sidery breaks it down.

Frank Kaminsky becoming surprisingly key cog for Suns

Nekias Duncan previews the Central Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

Alex Kennedy examines which NBA players could have played professional football if they had seriously pursued it.

Which NBA players could have realistically played in the NFL?

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Lou Williams was on the training table when his coach walked up to deliver some rather startling news.
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young would not be able to play Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals because of an injury.
Williams would be getting the first playoff start of his long career.
&ldquo;OK,&rdquo; he replied.
That's it.
No big deal.
&ldquo;It's not like a &lsquo;Remember The Titans&rsquo; thing happens in the locker room, I can promise you that," Williams said with a wry smile. &rdquo;That was the extent of our conversation, and then we had to get ready for the game."
Boy, was he ready.
Williams stepped into Young's enormous shoes and guided the Hawks to a 110-88 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks, evening the Eastern Conference Final at two wins apiece Tuesday night.
Williams led the way with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, dished out eight assists and had just one turnover in 35 minutes of playing time &mdash; his most extensive outing since the 34-year-old guard was acquired by the Hawks at the trade deadline.
Long one of the NBA's best players off the bench (he's a three-time Sixth Man of the Year), Williams started for the first time in the 87th postseason game of his career.
&ldquo;I haven't been able to enjoy the moment,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I'm stuck in it. I just want to ride this thing until the wheels fall off.&rdquo;
Williams never could've imagined being in this position after the Los Angeles Clippers dealt him to Atlanta for Rajon Rondo.
Williams was stunned by the trade and briefly considered retirement, even though he grew up in suburban Atlanta and had played for the Hawks from 2012-14. He was comfortable with the Clippers and considered himself a big part of their championship drive.
Now, he's two wins away from the NBA Finals with the Hawks.
&ldquo;This wasn't a team I was paying attention to,&rdquo; Williams conceded. &ldquo;With the Clippers, we were on the hunt for a championship run. I was focused solely on that. But once I was able to get around these guys, get around the organization, get a good feel for what's going on around here, I felt like there could be some great potential here.&rdquo;
Young, who has been a breakout star of the Hawks' improbable postseason run, was injured <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/all-eyes-on-trae-young-ankle-after-freak-encounter-with-ref-atlanta-hawks-nba-east-finals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a freak accident</a> during&nbsp;Game 3. While turning to run up court, he stepped on a referee's foot along the sideline and twisted his right ankle.
After being diagnosed with a bone bruise, Young had hoped to return for Game 4. The Hawks held off until about an hour before game time before ruling out their best player.
Williams made sure they didn't miss him a bit.
&ldquo;Lou is always the same. He's always even-keeled, steady Lou,&rdquo; teammate Kevin Huerter said. &ldquo;He's kind of a legend. He just has this way about him... He comes in here and drops 21 like he's been playing 40 minutes the whole playoffs."
Indeed, Williams brought a sense of calm to a young team that easily could've panicked when everyone learned that Young couldn't play.
&ldquo;He gives us another level of confidence in the locker room,&rdquo; said Bogdan Bogdanovic, who broke out of his series-long long slump with 20 points. &ldquo;To play the game with him is so easy. Communicating with him is so easy. He's been in the league so long. He's seen everything. He knows how to make the game easier for everyone.&rdquo;
The Hawks aren't sure if Young will be able to play Thursday night, when the series returns to Milwaukee for Game 5. Coach Nate McMillan said it will likely be a game-time decision.
If Williams gets the call for his second playoff start, he'll be ready.
Hey, he's already gone much farther than he ever could have expected.
&ldquo;Did I look ahead and say we were going to be a championship contender from day one?&rdquo; Williams asked rhetorically. &ldquo;Probably not. But we're two wins away (from the Finals) like everybody else. You've got to feel good about it.&rdquo;

Lou Williams stepped into Trae Young's enormous shoes and guided the Hawks to a 110-88 rout of the Bucks, tying the series at 2-2.

Sweet Lou: Williams shines while filling in for injured Trae Young

In this series, Matt Babcock, the son of a longtime Milwaukee Bucks executive, shares his family's journey to the NBA. He also provides an inside look at the rise and fall of the Bucks during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Most people know me as someone who comes from a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-nba-draft-analyst-matt-babcock-let-me-introduce-myself" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family with an extensive NBA background</a>.
My uncle, Pete Babcock, began working in the NBA in 1974 and went on to become a long-tenured general manager for several NBA teams. My other uncle, Rob Babcock, began working in the NBA in 1987, became an NBA general manager, and served in a multitude of front-office roles for many years. My dad, Dave Babcock, is in his 23rd year working in the Milwaukee Bucks&rsquo; front office. My two cousins, Chris and Nate Babcock, both work as coaches for NBA teams. As for me, I worked in the NBA-agent business for over 10 years, and I am now a media member covering the NBA.
Perhaps a surprise to some, I epitomized the role of a college &ldquo;coach&rsquo;s son&rdquo; way before I was ever an &ldquo;NBA kid," as my dad was a college coach until I was 12 years old. Throughout my childhood, my dad coached for the University of San Diego, San Diego State, Phoenix College, Northern Arizona and Arizona Western, and I was along for the ride. My home away from home was my dad&rsquo;s office. I practically lived on the team bus and, chances were, you could find me on the court, or somewhere nearby, during practices and games. I served as a water boy, stat keeper and self-proclaimed assistant coach. I was a regular sidekick to my dad on recruiting trips and in his day-to-day business.
To say I had an exciting childhood would be a huge understatement. I lived for basketball, and I wanted to learn as much about the game as I could &mdash; I still do!
In 1996, my dad was hired as a regional scout by John Calipari and the New Jersey Nets. This meant goodbye to me being a college coach&rsquo;s son and hello to the NBA. Conveniently, this job moved our family back to where we are originally from &mdash; Phoenix, Arizona &mdash; but we should not have unpacked our bags just yet.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In the fall of 1997, my life changed forever. I had just started the eighth grade. I came home from school one day, and my parents sat me down with my little sister, Suzanne, to let us know that my dad had been offered a job in the Bucks' front office. The position required our family to move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and they wanted to know our thoughts. My first thoughts were: "Ray Allen? Glenn Robinson? Oh man, this is awesome! But where in the heck is Milwaukee?"
My parents flew out to meet with the general manager of the Bucks, Bob Weinhauer, and the owner of the team, Senator Herb Kohl. Before we knew it, the movers came, and we were off to this unknown place. We moved to a suburb right outside of the city named Shorewood, a very nice place. Admittedly, I had quite a bit of culture shock initially. We had moved a lot by this point, but we had only ever lived in cities in California and Arizona; Milwaukee was different.
First off, we arrived in the fall, and it was freezing! Then, I thought everyone spoke funny. And there are these things called cheeseheads &mdash; "Huh?" Brett Favre was in his prime and the Green Bay Packers had just won the Super Bowl the year before. It was undeniably Packers territory.
The Bucks were in a big transitional period (and when I say big, what I really mean is brutal).&nbsp;They had suffered years of losing. They hadn't seen consistent winning since Del Harris&rsquo; teams of the late '80s and early '90s.
However, the future finally started to look bright. Before my dad was hired, the Bucks drafted Glenn &rdquo;Big Dog&rdquo; Robinson with the No. 1 pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and subsequently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/revisiting-the-starstudded-1996-nba-draft-kobe-bryant-ray-allen-steve-nash-allen-iverson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drafted Ray Allen in the 1996 NBA Draft</a>. The movie "He Got Game," starring Ray Allen and Denzel Washington, was set to release in May. Ray and Big Dog were coming into their own as stars, and together formed a one-two punch that would promisingly be an offensive juggernaut moving forward.
Former Boston Celtics player and coach Chris Ford was the head coach for the Bucks. His assistant coaches were Jim Todd, Dick Versace and Mike Woodson. My dad worked under Weinhauer, who was the one that decided to hire him, for which my family will be forever grateful. Weinhauer and my dad had a long, lasting relationship that began when Bob interviewed my dad for an assistant coaching position on his staff at Arizona State in 1983, although he was not hired at that time.
Larry Harris, the son of veteran NBA coach Del Harris, worked with my dad in the front office. Larry began working for the Bucks in the video room early in his career, and would eventually work his way up to being the general manager of the Bucks years later. Jim Paschke was, and still is, the team's TV broadcaster (He&rsquo;s retiring after this season). John Steinmiller was the team president. Senator Kohl was the owner. And I served as a ball boy. All in all, a lot of great people. That season was my immediate family&rsquo;s real introduction to the NBA. We were settling into Milwaukee, and the Bucks were our newfound family.
Despite the rise of Allen and Robinson, the Bucks only improved their on-court production minimally, winning an underwhelming 36 games that year. That offseason, Senator Kohl decided to part ways with Chris Ford and his coaching staff.
Ford's replacement? None other than former Seattle SuperSonics head coach, George Karl. In hindsight, that first season with the Bucks was certainly &ldquo;the calm before the storm.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-george-karl-arrives-in-milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read Part 2 of this series: &rdquo;Growing up a Buck: George Karl Arrives in Milwaukee."</a>
Also, check out Matt Babcock and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>.

Matt Babcock shares his family's journey to the NBA and provides an inside look at the rise and fall of the Bucks during the late '90s and early 2000s.

Growing up a Buck: My family's introduction to the NBA

Following the Philadelphia 76ers&rsquo; Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the basketball world is wondering: What does the future hold for Ben Simmons?&nbsp;
During the series, Simmons averaged 9.9 points, 8.6 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks (while shooting 60.0% from the field). However, he was extremely passive, particularly in the fourth quarter (taking just three shots in seven games). He seemed scared of the big stage and he even passed up an open dunk in crunch time of Game 7, which Joel Embiid described as the contest&rsquo;s &ldquo;turning point.&rdquo;
When head coach Doc Rivers was asked if Simmons can be the point guard on a championship team, he replied: &ldquo;I don't know the answer to that question right now.&rdquo;
Clearly, there are people within the organization that are frustrated with the 24-year-old, who signed a five-year max extension with Philadelphia back in 2019 that&rsquo;s worth roughly $167 million (or 25% of the Sixers&rsquo; cap room).
While Simmons&rsquo; struggles are obviously concerning, it&rsquo;s worth noting that he is a three-time All-Star and one of the best defenders in the league (finishing as the runner-up for the 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year award). With all of that in mind, we asked our writers:
What should the Philadelphia 76ers do with Ben Simmons?&nbsp;
Spencer Davies: You ever hear of the phrase buy low, sell high? Well, there should be teams lining up at the gate for Ben Simmons after what just happened in the Philadelphia 76ers' second-round loss. The Aussie point guard appears to be mentally shot, unwilling to shoot and unconfident heading into this offseason, and after the team's postgame comments following their winner-take-all loss to the Atlanta Hawks, it is all but certain that Simmons will be headed elsewhere for his fifth season. But there's something about mailing it in on a 24-year-old who's not even near his prime to this point that seems like a knee-jerk reaction. Some other ballclub should be able to take advantage of dealing for this three-time All-Star with incredible defensive chops, and they might not have to give up a haul in order to do so. Leverage is at its lowest for Daryl Morey and Elton Brand, with the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-deserves-criticism-but-not-to-be-thrown-under-the-bus-by-philadelphia-76ers">on-the-record comments</a> and a lowly performance hurting Simmons&rsquo; trade value. When thinking of destinations, the Oklahoma City Thunder is a popular guess considering their recent acquisition of Kemba Walker, although I don't know if I like the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/Ben Simmons tandem on the offensive end. Plus, would Philly be willing to roll the dice on an oft-injured Walker with less burst than in years past? The Portland Trail Blazers seem logical, but again, are the Sixers comfortable with CJ McCollum as their primary playmaker? The Indiana Pacers make some sense if Malcolm Brogdon was the centerpiece of the deal. And while the Sacramento Kings would probably ask for a king's ransom regarding their franchise face De'Aaron Fox, I do get the feeling that an established, slightly more experienced player with a defensive mentality such as Simmons' could be enticing for them in some way, shape or form. It could be that none of these work, but it's pretty clear that Simmons won&rsquo;t be in Philadelphia come 2021-22.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Alex Kennedy: While I think the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons are approaching an inevitable break-up, I wouldn&rsquo;t trade him just yet. I&rsquo;ve always been adamantly opposed to dealing a player when their value is at an all-time low. Even if the Sixers are determined to move Simmons, it would make more sense to hold onto him for now and let him start next season in Philly. If this postseason was a wake-up call, perhaps he puts in the necessary work this offseason and shows improvement (which would drastically improve his trade value). Even if that doesn&rsquo;t happen, at least he could show teams that he&rsquo;s still the same player who averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals and finished as the runner-up in Defensive-Player-of-the-Year voting this season. Showcase him and let him intrigue some teams again, and then move him sometime before the trade deadline. If they try to move him now, the Sixers likely won&rsquo;t get much in return. They shouldn&rsquo;t trade Simmons just to trade him.
Chris Sheridan: They should secure a verbal and/or written commitment from him, if permitted by CBA rules, explaining how exactly he is going to work on his free throw shooting, jump shooting and three-point shooting in the offseason. That "deal" would include a specific number of hours he plans to practice each day, an exact time commitment, the number of shots, the distance of those shots, etc. This would be a way to put Simmons and his people "in charge" of the process, but the Sixers would also need to be able to check in on his progress from time to time. It&rsquo;s sort of like summer school for a student who just failed his final. He&rsquo;ll lose some free time, but it&rsquo;s absolutely necessary to get to the next level. Simmons' trade value is very low right now because of the size of his contract and his sustained inability to improve in his worst areas.
Ethan Fuller: I don't think Philadelphia should necessarily rush a Ben Simmons trade, but after four years of playoff disappointment culminating with Sunday's loss, it's time to move on. Simmons is clearly not fitting on the court, and he probably needs a change of scenery to act as a reset button for his own mentality. A trade with Portland jumps out as sensible for both sides. The Trail Blazers crave some defensive stability and Philly needs a shot-maker to take pressure off Joel Embiid. Portland can afford to move C.J. McCollum since they have Norman Powell and Anfernee Simons waiting in the wings. This feels like a move that could help two teams who simply must shake things up this offseason.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ben Nadeau: The Philadelphia 76ers&rsquo; best course of action with Simmons is to have patience. Of course, it wasn&rsquo;t that long ago that the point guard was the centerpiece of a potential James Harden trade, but now his value is at an all-time low. Although his shortcomings were glaring in the 76ers&rsquo; elimination, selling him for pennies on the dollar won&rsquo;t help their current championship-or-bust standards. If a great fit presents itself in a trade &ndash; like Bradley Beal or C.J. McCollum &ndash; then they should consider making the move. But Simmons is an elite playmaker that&rsquo;ll be just 25 years old in 2021-22, so the 76ers would be remiss to move on from a once-foundational piece at a cut rate. There&rsquo;s a time and place to make a big, roster-altering move like this, so they&rsquo;ll need to wait for the right move to come along instead of panicking.
Moke Hamilton: If I&rsquo;m the Sixers, I think I&rsquo;d lean toward keeping him. I can understand everyone&rsquo;s frustration with Simmons, and I myself was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/joel-embiid-can-only-carry-sixers-are-far-as-ben-simmons-will-let-him">critical of him</a> long before the Sixers got knocked out by Atlanta, but there are two things to consider. First, what if Simmons and the Sixers coaching staff simply dedicate themselves to turning him into a more complete player? Becoming a better shooter, honestly, is one of the easier things to do as an NBA pro. You can&rsquo;t teach instincts or height, for example; but shooting 2,000 shots a day can work wonders. If Simmons can develop a 15-footer, it would change everything. Second, and more importantly, is that the Sixers probably wouldn&rsquo;t be able to get comparable value back for a player with Simmons&rsquo; impact. Trading him to the Thunder in exchange for Kemba Walker and plenty of draft capital would make sense if Kemba was healthy, but that&rsquo;s not seeming to be the case. A sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry, on its face, makes sense, but Lowry is 11 years older than Simmons, so Toronto would have to find other compensation to send to the Sixers, and who knows if they could (or would). I certainly couldn&rsquo;t trade Simmons for Lowry straight up if I&rsquo;m Philadelphia. If I&rsquo;m Daryl Morey, I&rsquo;d probably put some feelers out to get an overall idea of Simmons&rsquo; market, but I think I&rsquo;d rather try to continue developing him than trade him for pennies on the dollar. My priority would be maximizing Joel Embiid&rsquo;s potential and trading Simmons for expiring contracts and draft picks (for example) wouldn&rsquo;t exactly help the Sixers accomplish that, so I&rsquo;d default to keeping him at this point.
Jonathan Concool: The process is over, and I 100% expect Ben Simmons to be moved by GM Daryl Morey before next season begins. Joel Embiid&rsquo;s window to win is now and it&rsquo;s becoming increasingly smaller as he continues to pile up injuries to his knees. Philly certainly won&rsquo;t be able to get as much for Simmons as they could&rsquo;ve last season, but the 24-year-old All-Star can still warrant a solid return. Boston stands out as a team that could trade for Simmons, considering they just dealt their starting point guard in Kemba Walker to OKC. And I don&rsquo;t hate the fit of Simmons on the Celtics. If new GM Brad Stevens can land Simmons without giving up Jaylen Brown, I think a trio of Jayson Tatum, Brown, and Simmons could work. Simmons will be a third option to Tatum and Brown, so he can focus more on his instinctive point-guard duties and lock in on the defensive side. This situation will take a lot of offensive pressure off of Simmons.

Following the 76ers’ loss to the Hawks, everyone is wondering: What does the future hold for Ben Simmons? Our writers weighed in.

NBA Roundtable: What should the 76ers do with Ben Simmons?

NBA discourse has shifted with the growth of social media. Sports shows are all about debates, and the louder you are, the more persuasive your argument seems. The only way to win is by going viral on Twitter and the only losers are those of us in search of nuance.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With virality being the goal, sports takes have become akin to hit TikTok songs. Substance is lost in favor of something attention-grabbing, memorable and not too complicated (otherwise it&rsquo;s no longer memeable on Instagram).
This form of media taints the discourse as we&rsquo;re left with polarizing, hyperbolic takes devoid of any nuance. Intricate analysis is hard to come by in favor of snappy nicknames like Pandemic P or obviously outrageous takes like Max Kellerman of ESPN saying that with the fate of the universe on the line, he&rsquo;d pick Andre Iguodala (a career-33% three-point shooter!) to take the shot over the likes of Stephen Curry, the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Hot takes like these are especially prevalent in the NBA Playoffs.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re an audience that&rsquo;s been fed a narrative (meant to draw in views) that the NBA Playoffs are where amazing happens, where we weed out the greats from the very-goods and not-good-enoughs. And we don&rsquo;t take kindly to losing.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Though entertaining, this is a flawed way to analyze the playoffs. The playoffs are about matchups, with a dash of luck for shooting variance. Teams that fare well are versatile, making them difficult to scheme for and affording them the ability to go toe-to-toe with just about any squad.
When a team lacks versatility, what should be a criticism on the roster becomes a critique of the superstar, especially ones who have just won regular-season awards (like Nikola Jokic).
Jokic, the NBA&rsquo;s 2021 Most Valuable Player, was more than deserving of his regular-season award after averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. His team losing was not an indictment on his performance, but a result of the injuries the Nuggets sustained, losing playmaking and shot creation, leaving them with little offensive firepower to combat the Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
The attacks on Jokic are about how he was destroyed defensively. And I&rsquo;m not going to try and defend Jokic&rsquo;s defense; instead, I&rsquo;ll drop back, and let you fire away. Lord knows, that&rsquo;s what he did.&nbsp;
My argument is that we knew that Jokic in drop coverage against the best pick-and-roll guard in the league was going to be a struggle for the Nuggets defensively, so why fault him for it now?&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
There are arguments to be made that Nuggets head coach Michael Malone should have adjusted, or that Jokic should not have continuously fallen so deep in the drop, affording Chris Paul the luxury of taking every mid-range shot available or kicking it out for three. And though those arguments are valid, and rich debate can be had, the internet so often widdles it down to catchy and easily repeatable slogans like, &ldquo;Is This Your MVP?&rdquo; or, &ldquo;#NotMyMVP&rdquo;, discrediting how spectacular Jokic was offensively throughout the series and all year long.&nbsp;
In our (very online) modern era, everyone has space to voice their opinions and only the hottest takes survive. Our attention spans have gotten shorter and our memories rival that of goldfish. We only hold space for the most polarizing and outrageous takes&hellip; or slander. Slander lives forever.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-theme="dark">
Nba fans don&rsquo;t like anything about the nba and it&rsquo;s weird
&mdash; Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1376187247461023746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The internet can be a vicious place, with many NBA players saying they have to log off throughout the playoffs.&nbsp;
Log on to Twitter and you&rsquo;d think most people tuned in to berate and defame the league&rsquo;s biggest stars, and not because they actually wanted to enjoy the show.&nbsp;
Jokic seems unperturbed by it. However, Rudy Gobert has been going back and forth with trolls online as people question the validity of his 2021 Defensive Player of the Year award.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
3 of em and they all real, more to come also. <a href="https://t.co/HEDrRR6sQn">https://t.co/HEDrRR6sQn</a>
&mdash; Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) <a href="https://twitter.com/rudygobert27/status/1406774669479333888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Gobert struggled against the Los Angeles Clippers, not because he&rsquo;s a fraud undeserving of his award, but because the Clippers posed a unique matchup problem for him when they go small with Marcus Morris Sr. and Nicolas Batum at the 5.&nbsp;
The playoffs are about matchups and beating the team in front of you. It&rsquo;s about solving your opponent before they can solve you. The Clippers&rsquo; small-ball, five-out lineup proved to be unsolvable for a team that&rsquo;s built their entire defense on the back of the best rim protector in the league, a defense that routinely forces teams into the shots the Clippers will gladly take.
Kristaps Porzingis, nicknamed the Unicorn for his unique skill set as a big man, was tasked with facing a team whose own unique skill set perfectly exploits said big man. Once again, we&rsquo;re talking about the small-ball Clippers.&nbsp;
Completely unfazed by his size, they attacked Porzingis on defense and often ignored him on offense, as he struggled to effectively post-up smaller guys. They rendered Porzingis invisible on defense and he was relegated to the corners on offense (for spacing purposes), which is a far cry from the role your second option and highest-paid player should have.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
And while it&rsquo;s fair to criticize players like Porzingis for underperforming, it&rsquo;s important to not lose the context with which these series happen. The playoffs do not exist in a vacuum; 82 games are played beforehand in which we learn each team&rsquo;s (and each player&rsquo;s) strengths and weaknesses. It&rsquo;s unfair to everyone involved to pretend as though the regular season does not matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Whether it&rsquo;s praise like ESPN&rsquo;s Stephen A. Smith calling Devin Booker &ldquo;Kobe Bryant&rdquo; on First Take because of 11 playoff games against teams missing Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard or criticism levied at Gobert for his failure to contain Terance Mann, reactionary takes will always take precedence over long-form analysis.&nbsp;
I didn&rsquo;t write this to be the &ldquo;old-man-yells-at-cloud&rdquo; meme. I take part in slandering players as much as anyone, but there needs to be a clear demarcation where we understand what&rsquo;s a joke and what&rsquo;s a measured take. And when talking heads blur the lines, it muddies the waters for everyone.
Takes then become facts, soundbites become referendums and suddenly, like a watered-down TikTok dance, you&rsquo;re left with a take devoid of the substance the originator intended. 
Welcome to the modern NBA.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
NIKOLA JOKIC DID TIKTOK <a href="https://t.co/4i3UwOl0vj">pic.twitter.com/4i3UwOl0vj</a>
&mdash; Ali (@hanafire_) <a href="https://twitter.com/hanafire_/status/1229307363733016576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2020</a></blockquote>

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

The criticism of Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic and Kristaps Porzingis is being driven by hyperbolic takes devoid of nuance, writes Imman Adan.

The NBA Playoffs: Where hot takes and overreactions happen

New York Knicks 2020-21 Report Card: Guards And Wings&nbsp;
With the New York Knicks' 2020-21 campaign now concluded, we'll have plenty of time to look ahead toward the draft and free agency over the next few weeks and months. However, let's first take a look back on what was an unexpectedly entertaining season.&nbsp;
Before handing out a grade, I'll provide a statistical sketch of each player's production. This first installment will focus on the guards and wings, and then we'll conclude with the forwards and centers in a separate column.&nbsp;
R.J. Barrett&nbsp;
Julius Randle's breakout season was the most significant factor in New York's resurgence in 2020-21, but Barrett's dramatic improvement across the board was also crucial to the Knicks' shockingly successful season, which resulted in them qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in eight years.&nbsp;
Barrett posted relatively solid stats as a rookie in 2019-20 but was remarkably inefficient offensively, shooting just 32% from three-point territory and 61.4% from the free-throw line. He also posted an unimpressive 2.6-to-2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Coming into his sophomore season, Knicks fans were hoping for considerable improvements from the youngster, yet he exceeded even the most optimistic of expectations.&nbsp;
First and foremost, the Duke product proved durable, appearing in all 72 contests, finishing second in the NBA in minutes played (trailing only his teammate, Randle). And, after starting the season in a shooting slump, Barrett caught fire in mid-January and remained extremely efficient for the remainder of the year.&nbsp;
Starting on January 15, over the Knicks&rsquo; final 60 regular-season games, Barrett knocked down 44.7% of his three-point attempts (114-for-255) and 75.8% of his free throws. There were 173 players in the NBA that attempted at least 150 three-pointers over that four-month span, and only five shot a higher percentage from downtown than Barrett.&nbsp;
It's also important to note that RJ is still just 20 years old. He will be younger than several of the kids selected in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft. Factoring in his age, the numbers Barrett has posted since entering the league place him in exclusive company. Consider this: Barrett is one of only eight players in NBA history to tally more than 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists before celebrating his 21st birthday. You've probably heard of the other seven guys on this list: Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Kevin Durant.&nbsp;
Barrett finished the 2020-21 season averaging 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Per Basketball-Reference, only four other players have matched or exceeded those averages over a full season before turning 21 years old: Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson. Among those four, only Doncic made more three-pointers, and none had fewer turnovers (Barrett averaged just 1.9 turnovers per game).&nbsp;
Obviously, certain aspects of his game need improvement, such as finishing at the rim, shooting off the dribble and growing as a defender to name a few. Still, Barrett's all-around production was incredibly encouraging.&nbsp;
Grade: A&nbsp;
Reggie Bullock
Coach Tom Thibodeau placed tremendous trust in Bullock throughout the season, often singing his praises to the media and highlighting the shooting guard's effectiveness on both ends of the floor.&nbsp;
On the season, Bullock averaged 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 made treys, while shooting 44.2% from the floor, 41% from behind the arc and 90.9% from the charity stripe. He joined Carmelo Anthony as just the second player in Knicks franchise history to make more than 160 three-pointers and shoot above 40% from downtown. Bullock was also just one of three qualified players in the NBA this season to shoot better than 40% from deep and 90% from the free-throw line. Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving were the other two.&nbsp;
Bullock earned $4.2 million in 2020-21, which was a tremendous value considering his contributions. The Knicks finished tied for second in the NBA in three-point percentage this past season, and Bullock was a major reason why. Also, he often guarded the opposing team's best perimeter scorer.&nbsp;
On the flip side of the coin, Bullock's liabilities got exposed in New York's first-round match-up with the Hawks, as Trae Young dominated the Knicks, and Bullock averaged fewer than nine points a night while shooting below 39% from the floor.&nbsp;
Grade: B&nbsp;
Alec Burks
For a team that often had trouble scoring, Burks frequently provided an offensive spark off the bench and supplied plenty of big buckets in big moments. He joined John Starks and J.R. Smith as just the third Knick reserve to make more than 100 three-pointers in a single season.&nbsp;
Over a critical stretch in April, he scored 20-plus points in five consecutive contests. In three must-win games to close out the regular season, Burks averaged 20.3 points (on 52.4% shooting), 8.3 rebounds and 4.0 made triples. And then he poured in 27 points in Game 1 vs. Atlanta.&nbsp;
However, Burks was streaky and sometimes ran cold at inopportune times. For instance, over the final four games of the Hawks series, he averaged 10.8 points while shooting 35% from the floor and 26% from behind the arc. Burks will enter free agency this summer, and it will be very interesting to see how much the Knicks are willing to offer to bring him back to New York.
Grade: B&nbsp;
Derrick Rose
At the trade deadline in February, the Knicks acquired Rose for the bargain-basement price of Dennis Smith Jr. and a future second-round draft pick. Remarkably, Rose ended up being one of New York's most consistent, productive and impactful players over the second half of the season.&nbsp;
Over 2020-21's final 20 contests, Rose averaged 17.4 points,&nbsp; 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 28 minutes a night off the bench while shooting a scorching 54% from the floor, 41.7% from behind the arc, and 93.2% from the free-throw stripe. Only two other players in the NBA averaged more than 15 points and shot 50/40/90 over the final six weeks of the season: Kevin Durant and Chris Paul.&nbsp;
Rose also posted the best plus/minus on the team, with New York outscoring their opponents by 204 points in the 937 minutes he logged. Once the playoffs arrived, he somehow took his game to an even higher level. Over the first four games of the Knicks-Hawks first-round series, Rose averaged 22.8 points, 5.0 dimes and 4.3 boards, while shooting over 50% from the floor, 50% from downtown and 100% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
Grade: A&nbsp;
Immanuel Quickley
The Knicks were heavily criticized for drafting Quickley with the 25th overall pick last summer, but IQ and New York had the last laugh. Because he spent the season coming off the bench, 15 rookies logged more minutes than Quickley, but he still finished the season ranked sixth among all first-year players in total points, second in made free throws, fourth in made three-pointers, and 12th in assists. He also did a great job taking care of the basketball, which is rare for a rookie. Quickley committed more than two turnovers in a game just twice all year. And his advanced analytics are even more impressive. According to NBA.com, Quickley led all qualified rookies in Offensive Rating, Defensive Rating, and Net Rating.&nbsp;
Quickley knocked down 1.8 treys a night, the most by a rookie in Knicks franchise history. Per Basketball-Reference, IQ joined Stephen Curry as just the second rookie in NBA history to average more than four three-point attempts per game while shooting above 38% from downtown and above 88% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
The Knicks found themselves a keeper.&nbsp;
Grade: B+&nbsp;
Elfrid Payton
Installed as the team's starting point guard in December, Payton began the 2020-21 campaign on a high note. Over the first 11 games of the year, he was efficient offensively, averaging 14.5 points on 46% shooting while chipping in 4.5 dimes and 4.3 boards.&nbsp;
However, as the season wore on, Payton's shooting numbers sagged, as did his confidence. By mid-April, he was a shell of himself. Over the team's final 15 games, Payton averaged 4.8 points and 2.4 assists while converting less than 35% of his field-goal attempts. Coach Thibodeau, who remained loyal to him all year, finally pulled the plug on Payton in Game 3 of the postseason. He did not see the floor over New York's final three contests. Payton, a pending free agent, is highly unlikely to re-sign with the Knicks this summer.&nbsp;
Grade: D&nbsp;
Frank Ntilikina
On the bright side, Ntilikina performed well defensively in spurts and shot a career-high 47.9% from behind the arc this past season. However, he was incredibly inefficient from everywhere else on the court, converting just 19.4% of his two-point attempts and making only 44.4% of his free throws (which was shocking, considering he shot 86.4% from the charity stripe in 2019-20).&nbsp;
It's worth noting that Ntilikina only logged more than 25 minutes in a game once the entire season, so it was difficult for him to develop any sort of rhythm in a limited and unpredictable role. And Thibodeau is the fourth coach he has played for during his four seasons in the league.&nbsp;
Nonetheless, Ntilikina has been unable to prove to any of those four coaches that he deserved consistent minutes. He will be a restricted free agent this summer, which means Ntilikina may have already played his last game in a Knicks uniform.&nbsp;
Grade: C-
Check back for part two of this series, where we&rsquo;ll be grading the forwards and centers.

Now that the Knicks' 2020-21 season is over, Tommy Beer is handing out individual grades -- starting with the guards and wings.

New York Knicks 2020-21 Report Card: Guards and Wings

Back in March, smaller-school Colgate University blew an early first-half lead and lost to a Power-5 program in Arkansas, 85-68, in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. But viewers might have noticed one Raider guard whose game conjured up thoughts of an NBA superstar.
Despite a cold touch that afternoon, Jordan Burns scored 13 points -- an uncharacteristic low for the 2021 Patriot League Player of the Year -- and put his eye-popping handles and range on display. The broadcast crew applauded one step-back as Damian Lillard-esque, and others took notice on social media.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jordan Burns with the deep 3 from Dame range!!! <a href="https://t.co/DD8RU56yJ3">pic.twitter.com/DD8RU56yJ3</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1372973366928404481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
It meant the world to Burns, who feels the impact of Lillard's collegiate rise at Weber State and professional dedication to the Portland Trail Blazers.&nbsp;
"A lot of people were texting me after the game... it was nice," Burns told BasketballNews.com with a laugh. "It definitely makes you feel good to be compared to a guy like that."
Burns, Javion Hamlet of North Texas and Ohio's Jason Preston make up a trio of prospects taking a shot at the 2021 NBA Draft process. Like Lillard, the three guards made names for themselves at the mid-major level, captivated their respective conferences with the way they played and took pride in sticking it out with the school that recruited them, despite the opportunity to play on bigger stages.
Videographers and recruiting analysts didn't follow these players around in high school. They carved paths that had scarcely been walked before, and through an unflinching resolve, forced the spotlight to shine on them.
Colgate is traditionally more synonymous with toothpaste than basketball; the school has produced a single NBA player (Adonal Foyle) since 1965. But the Raiders were the only Division I program that offered a scholarship to Burns out of high school, and the 6-foot guard enrolled in 2017, intending to put the New York liberal arts university on the map.&nbsp;
He did just that. Colgate made two NCAA Tournament appearances in four years with Burns as the team's floor general. In 2021, the shifty senior averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting over 39 percent from long range. Along the way, Burns flashed "Dame Time" moves, and worked to exemplify one of his favorite players.
"[Lillard] has become one of the better guys shooting from 30-plus feet," Burns said. I think that's something I've tried to experiment with. The further you shoot out -- a lot of those shots are more open... being a smaller guard, that has helped my game tremendously, watching a guy like Dame Lillard."
When Burns played a post-grad year at Kent School in Connecticut, he turned down a late flurry of offers because of his commitment to Colgate. After his junior season with the Raiders ended in a loss to Boston University in the Patriot League title game, Burns tested the NBA Draft waters in 2020 and had the chance to transfer. But he chose to return to Hamilton, NY for this season's tourney-bound run.
"Loyalty is a big thing to me. Since I was a kid, that was something that was always stressed to me by my parents," Burns said. "...For me, I was okay with not going to a big school and staying at Colgate. That was where I had chosen to go, so I think I resonated a lot with him staying in Portland, and deciding that these are the people who invested in me, loved me and brought me in before anybody else believed I was who I was."
Glance at Javion Hamlet's pinned Tweet. He shows a similar conviction:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I&rsquo;m not going nowhere I&rsquo;m getting drafted from North Texas ⏳
&mdash; J hamlet (@javion_hamlet) <a href="https://twitter.com/javion_hamlet/status/1248001163544465408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2020</a></blockquote>

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

Hamlet's winding college basketball journey included two stops at the JUCO level and knee surgery before he finally reached North Texas (Sam Blum wrote an <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/unt-mean-green/2021/03/16/ive-always-been-the-underdog-how-javion-hamlet-led-north-texas-to-ncaa-tournament-after-long-being-overlooked/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insightful feature on Hamlet for the Dallas Morning News</a>). Then, the 6-foot-3 guard promptly won Conference USA Player of the Year in 2019-20, and this season, averaged 15.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. Hamlet's 24 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists led the Mean Green to a 78-69 upset of Purdue in March Madness.
"You gotta believe it before anyone else believes," Hamlet told BasketballNews.com. "You just gotta keep going, even if it doesn't work tomorrow, today, the next day or the next couple of months. You just gotta stay true to yourself. Just keep working. The hard work does pay off."
He's got a mantra -- "Doubt the Doubters" -- that has fueled his work ethic and driven him to the doorstep of the NBA.
"I don't get caught up in the hype," Hamlet said. "I ain't [ever] had the hype. I've always been the underdog all my life. I just feel like me doing it is going to motivate other people to be like, 'Man, if he did it from there, I can do it, too.'"
Hamlet said he also had opportunities to transfer to high-major programs after that first year at North Texas. Instead, he adhered to the words of his pinned Tweet.&nbsp;
"I know it's harder for [North Texas] to get to the NCAA Tournament," he said. "[My mindset was] just go there and change the culture -- change it into a championship school."
Like millions of basketball fans around the world, Burns and Hamlet hear the narratives surrounding Lillard in Portland. They hear analysts and critics berate the six-time All-Star for choosing a small market over the flashy cities and super-teams around the league. But Burns and Hamlet know what Lillard knows -- that when you find a team and place that feels like home, you cherish it.&nbsp;
"It's all about staying true to you," Hamlet added. "Dame's trying to do something that hasn't been done in a long time, and I respect him for it. I'm kind of the same way -- big on loyalty. The people that gave you a chance, and stuck with you through your ups and downs -- you can't leave nobody like that."
Jason Preston knows it, too. The Ohio University guard's <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/college-hs/jason-preston-ohio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">improbable hoops journey</a> inspired thousands when it went mainstream during this past college season.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This attitude right here 👇🏾 by <a href="https://twitter.com/Treballjay11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Treballjay11</a> 👊🏾 will get you all you ever need! <a href="https://t.co/m83F1h0aRf">https://t.co/m83F1h0aRf</a>
&mdash; marcus smart (@smart_MS3) <a href="https://twitter.com/smart_MS3/status/1332750556532789250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
Despite layers upon layers of tragedy and turmoil, Preston tirelessly worked his way to two Division I offers, and from there, helped the Bobcats beat Illinois in the regular season and Virginia in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.7 points, 7.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds as a junior.
The 6-foot-4 guard is now testing the NBA Draft process while maintaining college eligibility. He loves to watch LeBron James and Chris Paul, but also appreciates the standard Lillard has set as a leader.
"I love his approach towards the game," Preston said. "If something bad happens to his team -- something good or bad -- he has mostly the same reaction throughout the whole game. CJ [McCollum], too. They're both very even-keeled and have a nice manner towards the game."
McCollum and Stephen Curry are a few of the other mid-major products that Preston, Burns and Hamlet applauded. Ja Morant has also <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/trailblazers/news/mutual-respect-between-damian-lillard-and-ja-morant-keeps-growing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly praised Lillard</a> for his role as a beacon for this next generation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
say dat 🗣 paved the way for guys like me . RESPECT 🤝 <a href="https://t.co/ddW69YjcFR">https://t.co/ddW69YjcFR</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1387621541643423751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
Every mid-major star, from Lillard to this trio, as well as Oral Roberts' Max Abmas, carries a relentless passion for basketball and personal growth. But as Preston emphasized, every player's story is unique -- and to inspire others with it is a blessing.
"I think the most valuable thing you can give someone is inspiration," Preston said. "For people to hear about my story and to get motivated to do something themselves -- I think that's that's everything. I'm very happy that I can do that for certain people."

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


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

Lillard's rise to fame and loyalty to the Blazers coming from a small school has inspired Jordan Burns, Javion Hamlet and Jason Preston.