Wildcats

With the 2024-25 NBA season just days away, the Western Conference is locked, loaded, and ready for battle. The offseason drama has settled, rosters are finalized, and every team is gearing up for what promises to be a fierce and competitive race. From reigning contenders to rising underdogs, the West is stacked with talent and ambition. Let&rsquo;s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season&mdash;no frills, just what you need to know.
<ol>
<li> Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves are turning a new page after trading away longtime cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo and are now fully embracing Anthony Edwards as the franchise cornerstone. The T-Wolves&rsquo; mix of young talent and veteran leadership gives them a balanced roster around Edwards. Rudy Gobert remains a defensive anchor as a 4-time DPOY, Edwards is primed for a superstar leap, and if the supporting cast, including Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, steps up, the Wolves could be ready to take the top spot in the West.</li>
<li> Oklahoma City Thunder The Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild is no longer a long-term project; they&rsquo;re ready to compete now. However, due to Isaiah Hartenstein&rsquo;s injury to start the season, we&rsquo;re placing the Thunder at no.2 for now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already an All-NBA guard and arguably a top 5 player in the league. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams figure out to be the dynamic inside-out duo around SGA. Add in Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, the two new acquisitions this offseason with their capable role players Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe, this young core is as versatile as it is exciting. OKC&rsquo;s depth and versatility on both ends of the floor could propel them into serious title contention.</li>
<li> Phoenix Suns The Suns have loaded up for a title run, and with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal leading the charge, Phoenix has one of the most dangerous offensive trios in the league. They have added their most significant hole which is the PG spot with a solid pick up in Tyus Jones, and they have one of the best offensive coaches in the league in Mike Budenholzer. The Suns&rsquo; questions lie in their depth and health, but if they can manage those concerns, they&rsquo;re built for a championship push. Their offensive firepower is unmatched, and if they click, the Suns will be a team no one wants to face.</li>
<li> Memphis Grizzlies Memphis has weathered their offseason storms and enters the season with a gritty identity intact. Ja Morant is back after his injury and suspension last year and he will now play with last season&rsquo;s addition Marcus Smart. Together with the continued growth of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies are primed to be competitive and come back from their prime two seasons ago where they won 50+ games. Memphis&rsquo; defensive dominance paired with offensive firepower ensures they can be one of the top teams in the West with a deep bench with solid role players.</li>
<li> Denver Nuggets After falling short to Minnesota in 7 games last playoffs, the Nuggets will enter the season with their core mostly intact. Nikola Jokić remains the most dominant center and the best player in the game. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. healthy, the Nuggets are poised for another deep run. But perhaps their biggest loss this season was losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency and that might be a hit so they&rsquo;re currently ranked at no.5 to start the year. It could be a lot to ask for young players like Christian Braun or Julian Strawther to fill the void left by KCP, so it will be interesting to see how Denver handles his loss this season.</li>
<li> Dallas Mavericks Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving experiment is back after a successful season last year, where Dallas entered the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 &ndash; when they won the title. The two stars can mesh to create one of the league&rsquo;s most potent offenses and with the continued internal development of young players like Dereck Lively, the Mavs can build on that Finals appearance. With newcomer Klay Thompson set to provide historic spacing for their dynamic duo, Dallas has the talent to climb the standings and challenge the top teams in the West.</li>
<li> New Orleans Pelicans The Pelicans&rsquo; fate will always hinge on Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health. When Zion plays, New Orleans is a force to be reckoned with. Now paired with newly-acquired point guard Dejounte Murray, they have a balanced attack capable of competing with any team in the conference with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum still on the fold. If Zion stays on the floor, the Pelicans could find themselves rising up the ranks, but his availability remains the biggest X-factor.</li>
<li> Golden State Warriors The Warriors are clinging to their championship window with Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level. The addition of capable veterans in Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and DeAnthony Melton gives them depth and personnel that can play in their offense to surround the core of Curry and Draymond Green for their foundation. Health and age are concerns, but if their veterans stay intact, Golden State can&rsquo;t be counted out.</li>
<li> Sacramento Kings The Kings struggled a bit last season after making their long-awaited playoff return two seasons ago, and they&rsquo;re looking to build on that momentum. They have signed DeMar DeRozan and he should bring a new wrinkle to their motion and three-hunting offense. DeRozan&rsquo;s mid range ability should be a welcome addition to Sacramento&rsquo;s offense. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis still lead an explosive offense, but defense remains a question mark. Sacramento&rsquo;s high-flying, fast-paced style makes them a regular-season juggernaut, but they&rsquo;ll need to tighten up defensively if they want to make a deep playoff run.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers are counting on LeBron James and Anthony Davis staying healthy for a full season. With the front office standing pat on making moves this offseason, the Lakers&rsquo; success will hinge on their superstar duo. If LeBron and AD can avoid injury, Los Angeles will be a formidable playoff team, but health is always a looming concern with this group.</li>
<li> Houston Rockets The Rockets added veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to guide their young core last season and this season could be the time for them to step up. They finished strong last year behind defensive minded coach Ime Udoka and the result could be a team that surprises many. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun have star potential, and younger players Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson add even more excitement. The Rockets also drafted Reed Sheppard with the 3rd pick and Houston is hoping to lay the foundation for success and could push for a Play-In spot this season.</li>
<li> San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama enters his second season, and the Spurs are fully embracing their rebuild around the budding star. While Wembanyama showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, San Antonio is still in the development phase. But with the addition of Chris Paul, the Spurs now have a capable PG to feed Wemby and the other guys, possibly unlocking a new level to their games. With their young core, the Spurs may not be a playoff team yet, but their future looks incredibly bright with Wembanyama leading the way.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers&rsquo; fortunes rest on the health of Kawhi Leonard&mdash;again. After losing Paul George for nothing, Leonard is left to fend LA off by himself in their new arena at Intuit Dome. Gone are the days when LA has the talent to compete with anyone as they&rsquo;re just but a shell of themselves. Leading the way for the injured Leonard will be a 34-year-old James Harden and that might be too much to ask of the aging superstar. However, if Kawhi can return healthy and he can avoid the injury bug, the Clippers will be in the playoff mix, but that&rsquo;s a big &ldquo;if&rdquo; for this squad.</li>
<li> Portland Trail Blazers With Damian Lillard long gone, the Blazers will fully commit another season to their rebuild. Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe form a promising young core, but Portland will likely spend this season focusing on player development. While they won&rsquo;t be in playoff contention, the Blazers are positioning themselves well for the future, with an eye on growth and improvement.</li>
<li> Utah Jazz The Jazz are continuing their rebuild, with Lauri Markkanen emerging as a cornerstone player. While they have some intriguing young pieces like Taylor Hendricks and Keyonte George, Utah isn&rsquo;t ready to compete just yet. This season will be about development and finding which young players can be part of their long-term plans. The Jazz may not win many games this year, but they&rsquo;re building toward a brighter future.</li>
</ol>

Let’s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season.

2024-2025 NBA Western Conference Power Rankings: A race at the top to start the year

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN&rsquo;s Seaport District Studios in New York. This will be the first time in NBA history that the draft will be separated into two days, with the first round being at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
Here are all the first-round selections courtesy of the NBA: (article to be updated with the second-round picks)
<ol>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zaccharie-risacher">Zaccharie Risacher</a> (JL Bourg-en-Bresse) to the Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/alexandre-sarr">Alex Sarr</a> (Perth) to the Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/reed-sheppard">Reed Sheppard</a> (Kentucky) to the Houston Rockets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/stephon-castle">Stephon Castle</a> (Connecticut) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ron-holland">Ron Holland II</a> (G League Ignite) to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tidjane-salaun">Tidjane Salaun</a> (Cholet Basket) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/donovan-clingan">Donovan Clingan</a> (Connecticut) to the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/rob-dillingham">Rob Dillingham</a> (Kentucky) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zach-edey">Zach Edey</a> (Purdue) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cody-williams">Cody Williams</a> (Colorado) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/matas-buzelis">Matas Buzelis</a> (G League Ignite) to the Chicago Bulls</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-topic">Nikola Topic</a> (KK Crvena Zvezda) to the Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/devin-carter">Devin Carter</a> (Providence) to the Sacramento Kings</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/carlton-carrington">Bub Carrington</a> (Pittsburgh) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kelel-ware">Kel&rsquo;el Ware</a> (Indiana) to the Miami Heat</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jared-mccain">Jared McCain</a> (Duke) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dalton-knecht">Dalton Knecht</a> (Tennessee) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristan-da-silva">Tristan da Silva</a> (Colorado) to the Orlando Magic</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jakobe-walter">Ja&rsquo;Kobe Walter</a> (Baylor) to the Toronto Raptors&nbsp;</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylon-tyson">Jaylon Tyson</a> (Cal) to the Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/yves-missi">Yves Missi</a> (Baylor) to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/daron-holmes-ii">DaRon Holmes II</a> (Dayton) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the Denver Nuggets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/aj-johnson">AJ Johnson</a> (Illawarra) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyshawn-george">Kyshawn George</a> (Miami) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pacome-dadiet">Pacome Dadiet</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dillon-jones">Dillon Jones</a> (Weber State) to the Washington Wizards &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/terrence-shannon-jr">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> (Illinois) to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ryan-dunn">Ryan Dunn</a> (Virginia) to the Denver Nuggets &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/isaiah-collier">Isaiah Collier</a> (USC) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/baylor-scheierman-2">Baylor Scheierman</a> (Creighton) to the Boston Celtics</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
<ol start="31">
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jonathan-mogbo">Jonathan Mogbo</a> (San Francisco) to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyle-filipowski">Kyle Filipowski</a> (Duke) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-smith">Tyler Smith</a> (G League Ignite) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-kolek">Tyler Kolek</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/johnny-furphy">Johnny Furphy</a> (Kansas) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/juan-nunez">Juan Nunez</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the Indiana Pacers &mdash; traded to San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bobi-klintman">Bobi Klintman</a> (Cairns) to the Minnesota Timberwolves &mdash; traded to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ajay-mitchell">Ajay Mitchell</a> (UC Santa Barbara) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylen-wells">Jaylen Wells</a> (Washington State) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/oso-ighodaro">Oso Ighodaro</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/adem-bona">Adem Bona</a> (UCLA) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kj-simpson">KJ Simpson</a> (Colorado) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-djurisic">Nikola Djurisic</a> (KK Mega Basket) to the Miami Heat &mdash; traded to the Atlanta Hawks (via Heat)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pelle-larsson">Pelle Larsson</a> (Arizona) to the Houston Rockets &mdash; traded to the Miami Heat (via Rockets)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jamal-shead">Jamal Shead</a> (Houston) to the Sacramento Kings &mdash; traded to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-christie">Cam Christie</a> (Minnesota) to the Los Angeles Clippers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/antonio-reeves">Antonio Reeves</a> (Kentucky) to the Orlando Magic &mdash; traded to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/harrison-ingram">Harrison Ingram</a> (North Carolina) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristen-newton">Tristen Newton</a> (Connecticut) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/enrique-freeman">Enrique Freeman</a> (Akron) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/melvin-ajinca">Melvin Ajinca</a> (Saint-Quentin Basketball) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to the Dallas Mavericks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/quinten-post">Quinten Post</a> (Boston College) to the Golden State Warriors &mdash; traded to Thunder, then to Blazers, then to Warriors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-spencer">Cam Spencer</a> (Connecticut) to the Detroit Pistons &mdash; traded to the Memphis Grizzlies (via Timberwolves)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/anton-watson">Anton Watson</a> (Gonzaga) to the Boston Celtics</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bronny-james">Bronny James</a> (USC) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kevin-mccullar-jr">Kevin McCullar Jr.</a> (Kansas) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.

2024 NBA Draft: Full results

NBA free agency has died down and the 2023-24 NBA season is nearly three months away. This is why August is known as the dog days of the NBA calendar.
However, NBA fans will be able to watch some of their favorite players in action very soon, as the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow.
From Nov. 2021 through Feb. 2023, 80 countries battled for a spot in the World Cup but only 32 national teams qualified. There are a ton of NBA players participating, as Team USA has a talented young roster and they'll be facing stars such as Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen and Rudy Gobert.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
WHEN IS IT?
World Cup games will be played Aug. 25 through Sept. 10. There have been a number of warm-up games in recent weeks, but the real action tips off tomorrow.
First Round (Group Phase): Aug. 25-30 Second Round (Group Phase): Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 Quarterfinals: Sept. 5-6 Semifinals: Sept. 8 Final: Sept. 10 Third-Place Game: Sept. 10
The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full schedule of games can be found here</a>.
WHERE IS IT?&nbsp;
For the first time ever, the FIBA Basketball World Cup will feature three host countries: the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
WHICH COUNTRIES QUALIFIED?
These are the 32 countries that will be participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup: Angola, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, United States and Venezuela.
These are the groups for the first round:
Group A:&nbsp;Angola, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Italy
Group B:&nbsp;&nbsp;South Sudan, Serbia, China, Puerto Rico
(Groups A and B will play their games at Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines)
Group C:&nbsp;Team USA, Jordan, Greece, New Zealand
Group D:&nbsp;Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, Lithuania
(Groups C and D will play their games at Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines)
Group E:&nbsp;Germany, Finland, Australia, Japan
Group F:&nbsp;Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela
(Groups E and F will play their games at Okinawa Arena in Japan)
Group G:&nbsp;Iran, Spain, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Brazil
Group H:&nbsp;Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, France
(Groups G and H will play their games at Jakarta Arena in Indonesia)
WHICH NBA PLAYERS ARE COMPETING?
There are quite a few NBA players participating in this tournament. The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-world-cup-roster-tracker-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full list can be found here</a>, but below are the national teams that feature notable NBA players:
Group A
Dominican Republic: Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Lester Quinones (Golden State Warriors)
Philippines: Jordan Clarkson&nbsp;(Utah Jazz)
Group B
China: Kyle Anderson&nbsp;(Minnesota Timberwolves)
Serbia: Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks), Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat)
Group C
Greece: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/gettyimages-1608113478-2.jpg" alt="" width="736" height="414" />
United States: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (New York Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)

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

Group D
Lithuania: Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans)
Montenegro: Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls)
Group E
Australia: Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder), Patty Mills (Atlanta Hawks), Matisse Thybulle (Portland Trail Blazers) Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks), Joe Ingles (Orlando Magic), Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans), Dante Exum (Dallas Mavericks), Jock Landale (Houston Rockets), Xavier Cooks (Washington Wizards)
Finland: Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
Germany: Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Dennis Schroder (Toronto Raptors), Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers),&nbsp;
Japan: Yuta Watanabe (Phoenix Suns)
Group F
Georgia: Goga Bitadze (Orlando Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (San Antonio Spurs)
Slovenia: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Group G
Brazil: Raul Neto (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Spain: Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies), Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)
Group H
Canada: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), R.J. Barrett (New York Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets), Lu Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves), Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks)
France: Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Evan Fournier (New York Knicks), Frank Ntilikina (Charlotte Hornets)
Latvia: Davis Bertans (Oklahoma City Thunder)
HOW TO WATCH
FIBA recently announced that all 92 World Cup games will be available across ESPN's platforms. Six games will air on ESPN2 (including Team USA's three first-round games), while the other 86 games will be available on ESPN+.
FIBA&rsquo;s official streaming service, <a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courtside 1891</a>, will also air the games live and on-demand. If you're interested in Courtside 1891, FIBA is offering our readers 20% off their World Cup bundle. Follow the instructions below if you'd like to use the 20% discount:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li><a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/choose-a-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click this link</a> and you&rsquo;ll get a prompt to register</li>
<li>You&rsquo;ll then be redirected to the choose-a-package page</li>
<li>Select the &lsquo;Max &ndash; World Cup Bundle&rsquo;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Use the discount code FIBAWCAK to get 20% off</li>
</ul>
Enjoy the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and hopefully the dog days of summer will fly by quickly!

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow. Here's everything you need to know about the tournament.

Everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

With the NBA&rsquo;s 2023 free-agency period pretty much wrapped up, why not take a look at how projecting next year's free-agent market? Obviously, a lot can change between now and then, but let&rsquo;s examine each team&rsquo;s cap situation and how much cap room they project to have next summer.&nbsp;
Next year&rsquo;s free-agency class could feature some big names, including Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Maxey (restricted), Paul George, LeBron James, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, OG Anunoby and DeMar DeRozan.&nbsp;
For the purposes of this exercise, I&rsquo;m going to separate teams into four spending-power tiers: Cap Space Teams, Non-Tax MLE Teams, Luxury Tax Teams and Second Apron Teams. Also, let's assume that the salary cap will be set at $149,623,000 and the luxury tax will come in at $181,823,000, the maximum 10% jump from this upcoming season set under the new CBA.
CAP SPACE TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to have cap space next summer. They have spending access to their cap space, Bird Rights, the Room Exception (projected at $8,495,000) and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
San Antonio Spurs ($77,195,776 under the cap) If Victor Wembanyama is 70% as good as he&rsquo;s hyped up to be entering this season, one would figure that the Spurs will spend big or at least make a meaningful impact on the free-agent market next summer. They project to have an enormous amount of cap space, so it&rsquo;s very possible we&rsquo;ll see San Antonio take on some more bad contracts in trades to give them even more draft capital. Also, they&rsquo;ll want to retain Devin Vassell, who will be a restricted free agent next offseason once the Spurs extend his qualifying offer.
Philadelphia 76ers ($73,034,842 under the cap) The Sixers are perhaps the most interesting team in terms of their 2024 offseason outlook. By letting Tyrese Maxey hit restricted free agency next summer rather than extending him this year, Philadelphia gave themselves serious cap flexibility. Tobias Harris and James Harden both have expiring contracts, so the Sixers will have to use their cap space to replace their production. A Harden trade would obviously change their projected cap room, but it remains to be seen what they&rsquo;ll get back for the former MVP and how much it&rsquo;ll impact their books.
Toronto Raptors ($60,339,034 under the cap) After losing Fred VanVleet, the Raptors are walking a tightrope when it comes to whether they&rsquo;ll compete or rebuild. They face some tough decisions. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are both set to hit free agency next summer, so Toronto needs to decide whether they want to extend or trade their best players. Not to mention, Precious Achiuwa and Gary Trent Jr. also need new contracts.
Orlando Magic ($58,010,944 under the cap) Orlando has a lot of options for next summer, but the Magic may start with retaining many of their own players. Franz Wagner will likely receive a big contract extension, while Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony will be up for new contracts. Given that Orlando has a logjam in their backcourt &ndash; with Fultz, Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black &ndash; it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see what they do with Fultz and Anthony. The Magic will still have plenty of room to add quality talent for yearly average values over the NTMLE.
Detroit Pistons ($57,781,166 under the cap) Detroit may approach the 2024 offseason similar to how Houston approached this summer, as a young team hoping to use its massive cap space on good veterans in order to take bigger steps toward playoff contention. With that said, the first priority for the team will be agreeing to a contract extension with Cade Cunningham.
Utah Jazz ($50,315,319 under the cap) The Jazz find themselves in a unique position where they could go in two directions. After committing a three-year deal to Jordan Clarkson, they can use their cap space to give 2023 Most Improved Player Lauri Markkanen a contract extension. If they want to have significant cap space for next summer instead, they can hold off on giving Markkanen an extension until free agency is settled.
Washington Wizards ($47,123,801 under the cap) Despite their cap space next year, don&rsquo;t expect Washington to be a big player in 2024 free agency. In the beginning stages of a rebuild, the Wizards will probably keep their sights on collecting more draft capital. They do have an interesting decision coming up with recent trade acquisition Tyus Jones, whom they&rsquo;ll likely want to keep long-term.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets ($41,300,515 under the cap)&nbsp; They may lose some 2024 cap space if they eventually re-sign PJ Washington this offseason, but watch out for Charlotte to be one of the many small-market teams with money to spend next summer. With LaMelo Ball in the first year of his max contract extension, Charlotte may cash in on a marquee player to keep their young star happy.
Brooklyn Nets ($33,048,185 under the cap) The Nets do have the potential to have significant cap space next summer if they choose not to re-sign most of their own free agents. However, the Nets will more than likely focus on exploring the trade market and retaining big man Nic Claxton before reaching next year&rsquo;s free agency. Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O&rsquo;Neale will also hit free agency next offseason.
Indiana Pacers ($20,488,005 under the cap) Indiana could get to an even higher number in cap space if they decline Bruce Brown&rsquo;s $23 million team option next season. If Brown has a good year, the Pacers would likely keep him on a long-term deal that would consume a good chunk of their space. Other impending free agents they might like to keep include Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith.
Oklahoma City Thunder ($10,264,814 under the cap) The Thunder will likely continue to utilize the strategy of taking on short-term, bad-money contracts in exchange for draft capital. As they inch closer to contention, they will be looking at some big-money extensions for many of their young pieces, including one for Josh Giddey next year.&nbsp;
NON-TAX MLE TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap but under the luxury tax. They have spending access to Bird Rights, the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (projected at $13,644,000), the Bi-Annual Exception (projected at $4,968,000) unless used in 2023-24, and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
Chicago Bulls ($19,465,689 under the cap) The Bulls could potentially operate as a cap-space team if they elect to let DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams walk in free agency, but that seems unlikely. In addition, the Bulls could potentially create more space if Lonzo Ball&rsquo;s knee injury is considered career-ending by an NBA/NBPA-appointed physician. (Ball would still be paid, it just wouldn&rsquo;t count against the cap).&nbsp;
Sacramento Kings ($210,669 under the cap) The Kings used up most of their cap space by signing Domantas Sabonis to a big four-year extension that ties him with the team through 2028. As long as they are competitive, they will likely pursue quality pieces with their Non-Tax MLE to support Sabonis and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox. They will also likely try to keep Malik Monk and look at extension options for Davion Mitchell.
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New Orleans Pelicans ($487,911 over the cap) The Pelicans are fairly set with their core of CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram under contract through 2025. Ingram and McCollum are both extension-eligible this offseason, but the Pelicans may wait on dishing out extensions to maintain flexibility under the tax. New Orleans must also monitor Jonas Valanciunas&rsquo; free agency and a possible extension for Trey Murphy III.&nbsp;
Atlanta Hawks ($1,658,172 over the cap) Similar to the Kings, the Hawks wiped away their cap space when they signed Dejounte Murray and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter to four-year, $120 million and four-year, $90 million extensions, respectively. Already pushing past the salary cap, the Hawks may face a money crunch as they broach the luxury tax line. Retaining restricted free agents Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey next offseason may be tricky.
Los Angeles Clippers ($5,018,261 over the cap) The Clippers are in an interesting spot with George and Leonard both needing new deals, which they will likely get despite their inability to stay on the floor. Many veterans with big salaries will come off the books next year, like Marcus Morris, Nic Batum and Robert Covington. The question is whether the Clippers will continue to commit significant capital to a roster that hasn&rsquo;t met its lofty expectations.
Miami Heat ($7,751,630 over the cap) The Miami Heat are in a holding pattern with their roster as they engage in a Mexican standoff with the Blazers on a Damian Lillard trade, which could see them skyrocket into the deep tax. Outside of the Dame situation, Jimmy Butler will likely look for another big extension this offseason, which will pay him max money deep into his late 30s. They will also have to contend with potentially losing Caleb Martin, who has a player option for 2024-25.
Houston Rockets ($8,734,919 over the cap) The biggest spenders of this past offseason, the Rockets made big moves for Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Houston could get back into the cap-space tier again if they choose to part ways with Kevin Porter Jr. and his non-guaranteed $15.9 million salary. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun will also be up for extensions.&nbsp;
Cleveland Cavaliers ($11,399,749 over the cap) The Cavs are pretty set going into the 2023-24 season and beyond with two max guys (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell) and key guys on fairly big deals (Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Max Strus). They will likely give Evan Mobley a big extension next offseason, which could push them into the luxury tax in the near future. For next offseason, their only notable free agent is Isaac Okoro.
New York Knicks ($11,400,861 over the cap) This morning, the Knicks inked Josh Hart to a four-year contract extension that pushed them over the cap for 2024-25. Their main concerns for next summer are Immanuel Quickley and Isaiah Hartenstein, who are both up for new contracts. They will likely be able to avoid the tax by declining their team option on Evan Fournier or trading his expiring contract for another expiring deal.
Dallas Mavericks ($13,566,153 over the cap) The Mavericks are not likely to seek pathways to cap space next summer after doubling down on their trade for Kyrie Irving by re-signing him to a three-year, $120 million deal. They should look to retain Josh Green, who will be a restricted free agent. Luka Doncic&rsquo;s happiness looms over all of the Mavs&rsquo; moves, as ESPN&rsquo;s Tim McMahon <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-fear-luka-doncic-may-request-trade-unless-they-build-contender">reported in April</a> that the Mavericks are worried about Doncic potentially seeking a trade elsewhere as soon as next year.
Los Angeles Lakers ($15,380,636 over the cap) The Lakers had a pathway to almost two max slots in the unlikely scenario that they decided to pivot from the LeBron-AD era. However, that option is out the window with them inking Davis to a three-year supermax extension that will keep him with the team through 2028. LeBron James&rsquo; decision to stay with the team or leave will ultimately dictate how the Lakers approach spending next offseason.
Portland Trail Blazers ($20,567,876 over the cap) Portland is in the midst of turning the page to a new era as they look to accommodate franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard&rsquo;s trade request. If they do end up trading Lillard, expect their cap numbers to come down slightly, but not enough to get any meaningful space. Whether Lillard is traded for the Miami package or something else, Portland shouldn&rsquo;t be a major player in free agency for a while.&nbsp;
LUXURY TAX TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap and luxury tax. They have spending access to Bird Rights, the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (projected at $5,500,000), and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
Minnesota Timberwolves ($14,474,085 under the tax) The Timberwolves have paid the luxury tax only once since 2007. They should be a tax team once again, with Karl-Anthony Towns' supermax extension and Anthony Edwards' max extension kicking in. In addition, Minnesota will need to use significant capital to keep players like Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson, all of whom will be free agents in 2024.
Golden State Warriors ($9,696,462 under the tax) While the Warriors are currently under the tax, they are likely going to re-sign 2024 free agent Klay Thompson to a long-term deal at a lower number or at least use his Bird Rights to acquire another piece at a similar number. Golden State can cut some costs by releasing Chris Paul after the season, as his $30 million salary for 2024-25 is non-guaranteed.
Milwaukee Bucks ($6,142,529 under the tax) The Bucks re-signed Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to big-money deals, committing to the players who won them the 2021 title. Another one of those players, Jrue Holiday, is set to reach free agency and will likely demand max money. In addition, Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes eligible for a supermax extension of up to three years in October and can sign a four-year supermax extension next offseason.
Denver Nuggets ($6,732,627 over the tax) The defending champs have their core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon locked in through the 2025 offseason. They&rsquo;ve already lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green this summer and will be forced to work around the edges with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope potentially heading for free agency next summer.
Boston Celtics ($7,306,800 over the tax) The trade for Kristaps Porzingis pushed the Celtics into the luxury tax for the first time since 2018, and that was before they signed Jaylen Brown to a five-year supermax extension. With Jayson Tatum&rsquo;s own supermax extension on the horizon next year, the Celtics figure to be a tax team, and potentially a second apron team, for the foreseeable future.
SECOND APRON TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap, luxury tax and second luxury tax apron ($17.5 million over the tax). They have spending access to just Bird Rights and the Veteran Minimum Exception. The second apron was introduced in the new CBA and prevents teams from using the Taxpayer MLE, trading first-round picks seven years away, signing buyout free agents and taking back more salary than they send out in trades among other restrictions.
Memphis Grizzlies ($13,829,477 over the tax) For the first time under owner Robert Pera, the Grizzlies will be paying the luxury tax. While Memphis probably won&rsquo;t reach the second apron, they are not likely to have enough spare capital to use their Tax MLE and be able to fill out their roster without going over it. Their core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are locked up to big money, long-term deals that will keep Memphis among the league's biggest spenders for likely the next decade-plus.
Phoenix Suns ($27,039,607 over the tax) Phoenix is by far the most limited team when it comes to spending, and they will be for the next few seasons after trading for Bradley Beal&rsquo;s behemoth contract. With four max contracts, including two supermax contracts, the Suns have blown through the second apron. Like this past offseason, the supporting cast around their core four will be mostly minimum-salary contracts.

How much cap room is your favorite NBA team projected to have next summer? Blake Stern breaks down where all 30 teams stand.

Which NBA teams project to have the most cap space in 2024?

On Tuesday afternoon, the NBA announced the 78 players who are expected to attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine, which will take place at the Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis in Chicago from May 15-21.
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games as well as shooting and strength-and-agility drills. Coverage of the 2023 NBA Draft Combine will begin May 17 on ESPN2 from 2-6 p.m. ET and continues May 18 from 4-8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The NBA Draft Combine will also be available on the ESPN App. Strength-and-agility drills and shooting drills will be broadcast live on the NBA App on May 15 from 3-5 p.m. ET.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-g-league-announces-45-draft-prospects-competing-in-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 13-14 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the NBA Draft Combine.
Unfortunately, projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama won't be in attendance at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine as he has yet to finish his season overseas with Metropolitans 92.
Below is a list of expected attendees for the 2023 NBA Draft Combine:
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Trey Alexander (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Seth Lundy (Penn State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Amari Bailey (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Kevin McCullar (Kansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Emoni Bates (Eastern Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Mike Miles Jr. (TCU)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Reece Beekman (Virginia)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brandon Miller (Alabama)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Anthony Black (Arkansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jordan Miller (Miami)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Adem Bona (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Leonard Miller (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Kobe Brown (Missouri)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Judah Mintz (Syracuse)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Dillon Mitchell (Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Toumani Camara (Dayton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Omari Moore (San Jose State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Kris Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jaylen Clark (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Grant Nelson (North Dakota State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Noah Clowney (Alabama)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
James Nnaji (Barcelona [Spain] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Ricky Council IV (Arkansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Julian Phillips (Tennessee)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Gradey Dick (Kansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Pickett (Penn State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Nikola Djurisic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Zach Edey (Purdue)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Adam Flagler (Baylor)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Rayan Rupert (New Zealand Breakers [Oceania] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Keyonte George (Baylor)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Adama Sanogo (Connecticut)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Marcus Sasser (Houston)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Coleman Hawkins (Illinois)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Ben Sheppard (Belmont)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Taylor Hendricks (UCF)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Slawson (Furman)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
DaRon Holmes II (Dayton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jett Howard (Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Andre Jackson Jr. (Connecticut)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
GG Jackson II (South Carolina)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Colby Jones (Xavier)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Tristan Vukcevic (Partizan [Serbia] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jarace Walker (Houston)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Arthur Kaluma (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Cason Wallace (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Mojave King (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jordan Walsh (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Bobi Klintman (Wake Forest)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Dariq Whitehead (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Cam Whitmore (Villanova)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Dereck Lively II (Duke)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Wilson (Kansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Chris Livingston (Kentucky)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Isaiah Wong (Miami)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The NBA announced the 78 players who are expected to attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine.

NBA announces 78 Draft Combine participants, but no Victor Wembanyama

On Friday afternoon, the NBA G League announced the field of 45 prospects from the 2023 NBA Draft who will participate in the 2023 NBA G League Elite Camp, which will take place May 13 and 14 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
The NBA G League Elite Camp gives draft prospects an opportunity to display their skills in front of NBA and G League scouts, coaches and front-office executives by playing in five-on-five games and participating in strength-and-agility drills.
Based on performance, select players from the NBA G League Elite Camp will be invited to participate in the NBA Draft Combine, which will be held May 15-21 at Wintrust Arena.
NBA players who have participated in past G League Elite Camps include New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, Indiana Pacers forward Oshae Brissett, Memphis Grizzlies forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. (who won the 2022-23 G League Rookie of the Year award), Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann and Miami Heat guard Max Strus.
Below is a list of attendees for the 2023 NBA G League Elite Camp (although its subject to change):
Bediako, Charles (Alabama) Black, Leaky (North Carolina) Bridges, Jalen (Baylor) Broome, John (Auburn) Bryant, Joe (Norfolk State) Burton, Tyler (Richmond) Campbell, Tyger (UCLA) Castleton, Colin (Florida) Da Silva, Tristan (Colorado) Davis, Antoine (Detroit) Davis, Johnell (FAU) Davis, Kendric (Memphis) Doss, Shaun (Arkansas Pine-Bluff) Evbuomwan, Tosan (Princeton) Fudge, Alex (Florida) Gortman, Jazian (Overtime Elite) Hall, PJ (Clemson) Hart, Hakim (Maryland) Hauser, Joey (Michigan State) Hodge, D&rsquo;Moi (Missouri) James, Josiah-Jordan (Tennessee) Jones, Dillon (Weber State) Kinsey, Taevion (Marshall) Larsson, Pelle (Arizona) Lawrence, Tyrin (Vanderbilt) Martin, Jaylen (Overtime Elite) Mayer, Matthew (Illinois) McConnell, Caleb (Rutgers) Miller, Emanuel (TCU) Murrell, Matthew (Mississippi) Newton, Tristen (Connecticut) Nkamhoua, Olivier (Tennessee) Nolley II, Landers (Cincinnati) Nowell, Markquis (Kansas State) Omier, Norchad (Miami) Omoruyi, Clifford (Rutgers) Peterson, Drew (USC) Reeves, Antonio (Kentucky) Rice, Sir&rsquo;Jabari (Texas) Rodgers, Spencer (Kennesaw State) Sears, Mark (Alabama) Sharavjamts, Mike (Dayton) Stevens, Isaiah (Colorado State) Tyson, Hunter (Clemson) Watson, Anton (Gonzaga)

The NBA G League announced the field of 45 prospects from the 2023 NBA Draft who will attend the 2023 NBA G League Elite Camp.

NBA G League announces 45 prospects competing in G League Elite Camp

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Xavier Tillman scored a career-high 22 points and had 13 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies tied their&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">first-round Western Conference series</a>&nbsp;at 1-1 Wednesday night by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 103-93 with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-ja-morant-grizzlies-lakers-2023-eacbc8e1614e6fcfd6bebfa30e610b69">All-Star guard Ja Morant sidelined by an injured hand</a>.
No. 2 seed Memphis sat Morant after he tested the right hand originally hurt April 7 in a win at Milwaukee and aggravated driving to the basket in the opening loss to the Lakers. He had more exams on the hand before being declared inactive and watched from the bench with his hand bandaged.
Morant&rsquo;s teammates more than made up for his absence. The Grizzlies led by as much as 20 and had fans waving their towels chanting &ldquo;Whoop That Trick&rdquo; with 30 seconds left with this series guaranteed a return to Memphis for Game 5. The Grizzlies were able to dribble out the final seconds for the win.
Jaren Jackson Jr., the NBA&rsquo;s Defensive Player of the Year, scored 18 points for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 17, while Tyus Jones had 10 points and eight assists filling in for Morant. Dillon Brooks added 12 points and Luke Kennard had 13.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Reserve Rui Hachimura had another strong performance with 20 points. Anthony Davis struggled mightily after posting a double-double in the opener, going 4 of 14 and finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds.
The Lakers, winners of 11 of their previous 13, had a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-grizzlies-nba-playoffs-b97a64fd11814378da7a37883e9997fa">four-game winning streak</a>&nbsp;snapped. Now they head home for Game 3 on Saturday night after never leading by more than three, and that came on the first points of the game.
Memphis took control in the first quarter with a 22-8 run, with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1648837906000228352" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">back to-back 3s in the span of 10 seconds</a>&nbsp;from rookie David Roddy, then Kennard, who also drew a foul for a four-point play.
With&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1648840182341287941" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bane scoring 10 points,</a>&nbsp;Memphis led 30-19 after the first. Jackson made his first 3 with 58 seconds left, and the Grizzlies went into the half up 59-44 after outscoring the Lakers 29-25 in the second.
Hachimura scored 11 in the third and helped the Lakers trim a Memphis lead that reached 66-46 to 73-67. The Grizzlies finished the quarter on a 10-4 run to push the lead to 83-71 going into the fourth.
The Lakers never got closer than 94-88 in the final quarter on a James&rsquo; layup with 3:10 remaining. Memphis scored five straight to push it back to double digits.
TIP-INS
Lakers: They wound up outrebounded 49-47, though they matched Memphis&rsquo; scoring in the paint at 50 apiece despite being outscored there 38-20 in the first half. ... Austin Reaves had 12 points after having 23 in the opener. He was 5 of 12 in this game. ... D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had five points, shooting 5 of 11 after having 19 in Game 1.
Grizzlies: Jackson was presented his trophy as the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/jackson-grizzlies-dpoy-nba-defensive-player-award-25780ba4e0e48bdc7bd9ba2707cbaf97">NBA Defensive Player of the Year before</a>&nbsp;tipoff. ... Injuries now have kept Morant out of four of the Grizzlies&rsquo; last five playoff games, dating back to last year&rsquo;s conference semifinals.
X FACTOR
Tillman had more points in the first quarter than he managed in all of the opening loss. He made his first six shots before missing his seventh, a 3 trying to beat the buzzer that hit off the right rim. He finished with a season high in rebounds.
Reserve John Konchar had his moment too,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1648844835682414594" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">going way up to block all ball on a shot by Davis</a>&nbsp;in the second quarter.
&nbsp;

The Grizzlies tied their first-round Western Conference series at 1-1 Wednesday night by beating the Lakers 103-93.

No Ja Morant, no problem as Grizzlies tie up Lakers at 1-1

After monitoring the NBA awards races all season, Nekias Duncan shares his final selections for DPOY, ROY, MIP, 6MOY and more.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award selections: DPOY, 6MOY, MIP, more

NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Herbert Jones scored a career-high 35 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 138-131 in overtime Wednesday night and clinch a play-in spot.
Jones&rsquo; fast-break dunk capped a decisive 10-0 run to open the extra period. The surge started with a pair of 3s by Trey Murphy III, who hit seven 3s in the game and finished with 30 points.
The Pelicans combined to hit 21 3s, including five by Jones, who is known more as a defender than a scorer and was left wide open on several of his perimeter baskets.
CJ McCollum hit six from deep and finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, while Brandon Ingram overcame a slow start and hit a slew of clutch shots to wind up with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
The victory guarantees the Pelicans at least a top- 10 finish in the Western Conference, good enough to get into the play-in. The question is what seeding they&rsquo;ll have after their final two games.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 40 points, nine rebounds and four blocks for Memphis, which led for most of regulation despite resting Ja Morant (left hip), Luke Kennard (right ankle) and Xavier Tillman (right ankle).
Despite those absences, Memphis surged in front by 19 late in the second quarter when Brooks hit a 10-foot turnaround fade to make it 69-50.
The Grizzlies led for most of regulation and were up 101-89 in the fourth quarter when the Pelicans stunningly turned the game on its head with a 22-6 run during which they made seven 3s &mdash; four by Murphy. That put New Orleans in front 111-107 and had the crowd roaring and out of their seats as Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout.
Ingram, who scored 10 in the last 3:39 of regulation, hit a 16-foot, pull-up jumper in the face of tight defense from Dillon Brooks to make it 123-118 with 14.3 seconds left, and Trey Murphy III made it 124-118 when he hit one of two free throws with 11 seconds to go.
Memphis then remarkably forced overtime with a 6-0 run in the last five seconds, starting with Brooks&rsquo; corner 3 as he was fouled by Jones.
Brooks missed the free throw, apparently on purpose in hopes of his team getting a rebound, but New Orleans got it and called timeout, only to turn the ball over on an offensive foul during and inbound.
New Orleans then fouled Desmond Bane on the dribble with 2.6 seconds left, and he hit one free throw before purposely missing the second. Jaren Jackson rebounded and was fouled as he tried to put the ball back up with 0.4 on the clock. Jackson hit two free throws to tie it at 124.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Brooks finished with 25 points, while Bane had 24. Tyus Jones had 13 points, 12 assists and four steals. ... Outscored the Pelicans 70-34 in the paint and outrebounded New Orleans 49-44.
Pelicans: Had three players with 30 points in a game for the first time in franchise history. ... Need one more victory in their last two games to finish with a winning regular season record for the first time since 2017-18, when they went 48-34. ... Shot 50% (44 of 88), including 21 of 39 (53.8%) from 3.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At Milwaukee on Friday night.
Pelicans: Host New York on Friday night.

Herbert Jones scored a career-high 35 points and the Pelicans overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Grizzlies 138-131.

Pelicans top Grizzlies 138-131 in OT, earn play-in spot

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Memphis star guard Ja Morant says he obviously made a terrible decision and many mistakes.
The two-time All-Star apologized again Tuesday.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m completely sorry for that,&rdquo; Morant said after practice, speaking publicly for the first time since concluding his eight-game suspension by the NBA. &ldquo;So, you know, my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter, and don&rsquo;t cause any of that no more.&rdquo;
The next question is when Morant is back on the floor for the Grizzlies. Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said he anticipates Morant playing in the Grizzlies next game &mdash; Wednesday night against Houston. Morant said his status is &ldquo;still in the air.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Once I feel like I&rsquo;m back in rhythm and in good condition to go back out there, I&rsquo;ll be back out there,&rdquo; Morant said.
The NBA suspended Morant eight games for brandishing a gun in a social media video post at a Denver-area strip club on March 4. The eighth game was Saturday&rsquo;s win over the Golden State Warriors.
Morant had been in counseling at a Florida facility while he served his suspension.
With an unusual number of reporters surrounding him Tuesday and microphones near his face, the 6-foot-3 guard said he &ldquo;never had an alcohol problem.&rdquo; He also plans to abandon social media and let his actions speak for him.
Asked if two weeks was enough to clear up his problems, Morant replied it is an &ldquo;ongoing process.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I went there to counseling to learn how to manage stress,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;Cope with stress in a positive way, instead of ways I&rsquo;ve tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes.&rdquo;
Morant, who signed a five-year supermax contract with Memphis last summer, said he&rsquo;s focused on growing as a leader as his stardom rises and he continues to garner business deals such as his own Ja1 shoe for Nike.
He was on the bench in street clothes Monday night when Memphis beat Dallas 112-108 with the Grizzlies giving him time to condition himself after two weeks away.
During his absence, Memphis went 6-3 and returned to the second spot in the Western Conference just 3 1/2 games behind Denver.
Forward Dillon Brooks said Morant &mdash; seeing how the team has played recently &mdash; offered to come off the bench when he returns.
Brooks vehemently rejected that suggestion.
&ldquo;I said; &lsquo;Hell, no.&rsquo; You&rsquo;re too good of a player,&rdquo; Brooks said of the conversation. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re the engine of this team, and I&rsquo;m going to need you out there getting reps and getting acclimated to who you are as that third quarter, fourth quarter closer.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s the consensus in the Memphis locker room, including Tyus Jones, who replaced Morant at point guard. They don&rsquo;t see the Grizzlies&rsquo; leading scorer needing to do anything to win back the trust of his teammates. Morant ranks ninth in the NBA still averaging 27.1 points per game.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking forward to getting him back on the court, not necessarily putting the past behind us, but learning from the past and continuing to improve moving forward &mdash; for him, for this team,&rdquo; Jones said.
When Morant came to the Grizzlies bench just before the tipoff of Monday&rsquo;s game, the Memphis faithful gave him a standing ovation, a cheer that built as fans recognized him emerging from the tunnel from the locker room. Brooks said that shows what Morant means to the team and the city.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the one who really put this city on the map,&rdquo; Brooks said. &ldquo;We were a low-market team just roaming around the NBA. Now, we&rsquo;re one of the most talked-about teams in the NBA. We have a pride and a chip on our shoulder every single game.
&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t have to prove nothing to us.&rdquo;

Memphis star guard Ja Morant says he obviously made a terrible decision and many mistakes.

Morant apologizes again after NBA suspension for mistakes

Stephen Curry offers a simple answer for all the back and forth between his four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors and the upstart Memphis Grizzlies over the past two seasons.
For Curry, it&rsquo;s not a feud or a bitter rivalry. The Warriors don&rsquo;t have the same history with the Grizzlies that they do with, say, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Or with LeBron James in whatever uniform he&rsquo;s wearing.
&ldquo;Just a team that is tough to beat,&rdquo; Curry said about the Grizzlies. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re really talented. ... Also a team that you&rsquo;re going to need to play well to beat, but the history isn&rsquo;t there yet.&rdquo;
Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. disagrees.
&ldquo;Every time we touch the floor, it&rsquo;s a rivalry,&rdquo; Jackson said. &ldquo;We saw this team many times. We feel like every single time we&rsquo;re out there with them, it&rsquo;s a rivalry for sure.&rdquo;
There always seems to be some drama, a little something extra when the teams meet: hard fouls, trash-talking or some other theatrics.
Warriors guard Jordan Poole said earlier this week: &ldquo;I guess some days you can call it a rivalry.&rdquo;
Whatever it is, the Warriors and the young, brash Grizzlies are usually must-see TV.
The bad blood between the two really began to percolate during last season&rsquo;s playoffs when Gary Payton II suffered a broken left elbow in Game 2 after a flagrant foul that that got&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-san-francisco-c76fd29fd389dc57194c175d04f13816" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis&rsquo; Dillon Brooks suspended for Game 3</a>.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Brooks crossed the line and &ldquo;broke the code&rdquo; of NBA conduct.
Ja Morant fired back after limping off in the fourth quarter of Game 3. Warriors guard Jordan Poole grabbed his knee while trying to strip the ball and Morant later posted, and then deleted, video of the play with the words &ldquo;broke the code.&rdquo;
And the ill will has carried over into their first three games this season:
&mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-ty-jerome-41a9de4ea17e5aa5d238b745d8c1e8f6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Klay Thompson drew a technical in that Christmas night win for standing over and taunting Dillon Brooks</a>&nbsp;as he was down on the court. Thompson called it &ldquo;some good old-fashioned trash talk.&rdquo; Poole was ejected, and even Kerr drew one of Golden State&rsquo;s six technicals in the game.
&mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-basketball-e5da616ca60fa9856fe50e69263c3770" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Curry was ejected from Golden State&rsquo;s 122-120 win</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 25 after tossing his mouthpiece in frustration, seemingly more with this teammates than with the Grizzlies.
&mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1634007790485110785?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooks and Green got up close and personal</a>&nbsp;after a steal and bucket in Memphis&rsquo; 131-110 wire-to-wire win a week ago, standing face-to-face with the 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Green said after the game Brooks was trying to bait him into a technical foul but that he only draws a tech when he wants.
&ldquo;One of us (is) baitable and one of us&rdquo; isn&rsquo;t, said Green, who had said on his podcast before that game that the Grizzlies&rsquo; dynasty would start only after they get rid of Brooks.
Brooks responded after the Grizzlies&rsquo; win: &ldquo;The fact that he was trying to pin my teammates against me. That was a low blow. But that&rsquo;s the type of player he is.&rdquo;
So, no the history isn&rsquo;t there and the Warriors downplay the matchup &mdash; it&rsquo;s clear the Grizzlies have Golden State&rsquo;s attention.
There should be playoff atmosphere Saturday in the teams&rsquo; final regular-season matchup, which has postseason implications.
Morant will still be sidelined as&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ja-morant-suspended-nba-gun-video-8cc82061f6465f96d6c5d0806d92d7d0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part of his now eight-game suspension by the NBA</a>&nbsp;for displaying a gun while at a Colorado strip club in the early hours of March 4. Though Memphis routed Golden State last week without Morant.
Golden State needs every road win it can steal down the stretch. The Warriors are 7-27 away from home this season. Curry, who is having another MVP-caliber season, understands the urgency and had&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/kawhi-leonard-stephen-curry-warriors-clippers-ab330413ab5eb55fb06b29e9351ab37a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50 points Wednesday night in a road loss</a>&nbsp;against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Grizzlies would like to extend the Warriors&rsquo; road woes, not that they need any extra incentives when playing Golden State.
&ldquo;We have all the motivation that we need playing this team just as is, just the history that we got with them,&rdquo; Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s always a battle. It&rsquo;s always an intense matchup.&rdquo;
Green made clear the standard that he uses to gauge whether or not the Warriors and Grizzlies becme a true rivalry: winning titles, not a game here or there.
&ldquo;Clearly we won four times, and I think their organization has zero championships, so I can&rsquo;t consider that a rivalry,&rdquo; Green said.
Maybe not, but their matchups have been very entertaining.

Whether Warriors vs. Grizzlies has become a full-blown rivalry or not, there's no question their match-ups are usually must-see TV.

NBA feud or rivalry? Warriors, Memphis drama is must-see TV

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant had 23 points and seven rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies raced to an early lead and coasted to a 112-94 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night in a matchup of the Western Conference&rsquo;s top teams.
Tyus Jones finished with 17 points, and Luke Kennard, Xavier Tillman and Dillon Brooks scored 12 apiece for Memphis, which trails Denver by six games in the conference race.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Jeff Green added 12 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Christian Braun each scored 11 points as Denver&rsquo;s four-game winning streak came to an end. Denver was hampered by a 40% shooting game. The Nuggets&rsquo; starters were 17 of 47 from the field in the game.
Denver&rsquo;s 94 total points was a season low.
&ldquo;One of the biggest priorities was transition defense,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;I thought our urgency was phenomenal.&rdquo;
The matchup of the West leaders had Denver entering while playing well and Memphis struggling, dropping six of its last 10 games and losing its grip on the second spot as the Sacramento Kings rose to third.
But Memphis came out with more intensity and defensive pressure, a continuation of the Grizzlies first post-All-Star break game &mdash; a last-minute loss at Philadelphia.
&ldquo;They just played more physical than us,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;They treated it like a playoff game. We didn&rsquo;t. We came out lackadaisical. They got a good lead, and we couldn&rsquo;t bounce back.&rdquo;
Nuggets coach Michael Malone added: &ldquo;I felt like going into this game that (the Grizzlies) were going to approach this as a playoff game. We approached it as a game 61 or 62.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies finished with 19 fast-break points and 60 points in the paint.
&ldquo;They ran off misses. They ran off makes. They were sprinting. We just didn&rsquo;t match that,&rdquo; Malone said.
Memphis converted 56% of its shots in the first half and was 9 of 21 form outside the arc. Meanwhile, the Nuggets offense struggled, shooting 38% from the field and making only 3 of 16 3-pointers. Ten turnovers added to the Nuggets&rsquo; misery.
Memphis led by as many as 29 points in the first half and carried a 66-42 advantage at the break.
Memphis opened the second half with eight straight points, pushing the lead to 32 points. That catapulted the Grizzlies to a 94-62 advantage through three quarters. At that point, Memphis was still shooting better than 53%.
With Denver facing the second half of a back-to-back Sunday, Malone sat his starters in the fourth quarter.
The win gave Memphis a two-game cushion over third-place Sacramento after the Kings&rsquo; 176-175 win over the Clippers in double-overtime Friday night. But despite the rout of the Nuggets, Memphis didn&rsquo;t consider the win a statement game.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s too early to say,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good win. They&rsquo;re a good team, but it&rsquo;s also one game. Don&rsquo;t try to look too much into it.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Denver&rsquo;s 42 points were a season low for the first half. The previous low was 43 against Minnesota on Feb. 5 ... The Nuggets defeated the Grizzlies 105-91 on Dec. 20 in Denver. The three-game season series wraps up March 3 in Denver.
Grizzlies: Tillman made all six of his shots in the game. ... C Steven Adams missed his 13th straight game with a right knee sprain. ...Desmond Bane had 10 points but was 4 of 13 from the field.
TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY
Morant had one of his highlight layups after a scramble for the ball at midcourt,. After he scored, he expressed his excitement. &ldquo;I kind of yelled,&rdquo; Morant said, &ldquo;and got light-headed. So I probably won&rsquo;t do that again.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Grizzlies: Entertain the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Ja Morant had 23 points as the Grizzlies raced to an early lead and coasted to a 112-94 victory over the Nuggets on Saturday night.

Ja Morant, Grizzlies beat Nuggets in matchup of West leaders

Sometimes, you just know it's good.
A well-timed joke in the middle of conversation. That screen pass you've been saving for the fourth quarter in Madden because your buddy's been spamming a run blitz on early downs. A perfectly placed bass run in the midst of a groove, for my musician friends reading this.&nbsp;
There's something about sensing an opening, taking advantage of said-opening and&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;knowing you made the right decision. Said the right thing, chose the right thing. It just feels&nbsp;good.
That had to be the Derrick White trade for the Boston Celtics last season.
For a team that wants to lock you down defensively &mdash; by erasing gaps with well-timed switching, or siccing its in-your-jersey defenders on unsuspecting ball-handlers while the big hangs back in a drop &mdash; White served as a perfect target.&nbsp;
There were a handful of players in the league that could navigate screens like White; close down on ball-handlers with pesky rearview contests; switch onto bigger players and swipe the ball away, or beat them to spots to draw timely charges. The Celtics were tough enough with Marcus Smart; to add another guy like that into the fold felt unfair.
And for a team trying to fully commit to moving the ball, as elementary as that sounds, White also served as the perfect target. The Celtics were just hitting their stride as an offense that could create and&nbsp;maintain advantages in the half-court without halting the show. White's ability to fit in &mdash; heck, his willingness to fit in &mdash; made him an easy fit.
He could initiate ball-screens, come off handoffs, set pin-in screens on the weak side, set pindowns for the stars to come off of, and act as an on-ball screener to force defenses into tough decisions. The shooting would serve as a bellwether of sorts, but White fit into just about everything the Celtics wanted to do on both ends.
White integrated well last season, though inconsistent three-point shooting &mdash; and waning aggressiveness &mdash; reared its ugly head during the playoff run.&nbsp;
This season, he's been even better. More comfortable, more aggressive. More efficient. For nearly a month now, he's just been more, period.
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The Celtics have been without Smart since Jan. 21, when he turned his ankle pretty badly towards the end of the first half of their matchup against the Toronto Raptors. White was already starting, but he's had to assume lead ball-handling duties since then.
To say White has been phenomenal in this recent run would be an understatement.
Over the past 11 games, White has averaged 20.1 points while converting 54.3% of his twos and 43.6% of his threes on high volume (7.1 attempts). He's dishing out 5.8 dimes (9.2 <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/passing?DateFrom=01/23/2023&amp;TeamID=1610612738&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=POTENTIAL_AST" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential assists</a>) per game while rarely turning the ball over (1.5 turnovers). He's helped on the glass (4.6 boards), and has continued to be a menace on the defensive end.
You can really have some fun with filtering White's run too.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Last eight games (6-2 record): 21.5 points, 6.3 assists (1.4 turnovers), 5.1 rebounds</li>
<li>Last five games (4-1): 25.0 points, 8.4 assists (1.8 turnovers), 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 blocks</li>
</ul>
White has racked up at least 25 points and 10 assists in each of his past three games &mdash; a streak he's never had in his career. He just won <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shai-gilgeousalexander-derrick-white-named-nba-players-of-the-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eastern Conference Player of the Week</a>, another feat he had yet to accomplish until this year.
What stands out about White's play is, again, how easy it feels. That isn't meant to diminish what he's doing, but to highlight how well he fits the Celtics' ethos. He's not pounding the ball to get assists or boogying against defenders to get his buckets. He's taking what the defense gives him, and doing so without hesitation.&nbsp;
Take this possession for example:
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/noyijc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Celtics flow out of HORNS and look to hit either Jayson Tatum or White with a cut. Both players are defended well, with Jaren Jackson Jr.'s ball pressure on Robert Williams III also hindering things. The second option &mdash; two-man game with Williams III and Sam Hauser, testing the screen navigation of Ja Morant &mdash; doesn't hit either. The ball swings to White, and the fun begins.
White receives a screen but doesn't take it; he just waits it out, and gets Xavier Tillman switched onto him. After swinging it to the corner, the ball finds him again with Tillman out of position after attempting a steal.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2023-02-15-at-11-37-58-am.png" alt="" width="576" height="325" />
White immediately attacks the basket, driving right at Jackson. Because Tatum is on the left wing, the left corner is empty &mdash; meaning Dillon Brooks can't help without giving up an open shot on the perimeter. And with Williams III rolling to the basket, Jackson now has to choose between halting White's drive or taking away the roll &mdash; with no help behind him. He chooses the former, opening up the easy lob.
Quietly, White has been one of the most productive drivers in the NBA over this stretch. He's been able to finish through contact, avoid it altogether with a funky floater he can get to at weird times and angles, and feed open teammates if the defense overreacts to him.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/futui9" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
During this 11-game run, possessions featuring a drive by White have generated 1.17 points per possession (PPP), per Second Spectrum. That ranks seventh among 45 players with at least 100 drives in that time frame, putting him in a virtual tie with James Harden and ahead of All-Stars like Morant (1.15 PPP), De'Aaron Fox (1.15 PPP), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1.09 PPP) and DeMar DeRozan (1.05 PPP).
White's work as a screener continues to be important for the Celtics. Because he naturally draws smaller matchups than Tatum or Jaylen Brown, his inclusion as a lead blocker forces defenses into tough situations.&nbsp;
Anything less than pristine screen navigation means giving one of the stars an opening to attack. Switching a smaller guy onto either of them is asking for trouble. Trapping or hedging simply opens up short-roll opportunities for White. You can get away with daring bigs to make quick decisions in space; you can't really do that with someone as smart as White is.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/zebcv2" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
And the defense. Whew, buddy, the defense.&nbsp;
You could make the case that White has been Boston's best defender this season &mdash; a massive feat on a roster featuring last year's Defensive Player of the Year in Smart. Brown remains a strong on-ball defender; Tatum, when locked in, can provide near-elite value on and off the ball. Williams III is still rounding into form, but remains a terrifying rim protector. Horford has been sturdy in drop, and still showcases comfort venturing out in space.&nbsp;
But yet it's White pestering folks and causing the most havoc on a nightly basis.
Among the 161 players to defend at least 300 pick-and-rolls, only Desmond Bane (0.22%) has been washed out by a screen at a lower rate than White has (0.26%), per Second Spectrum.
Put another way: Of the 760 screens that have been set on White, only 20 (!) of them have taken him out of the play.&nbsp;
That, my friends, is absurd.&nbsp;
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Because of White's ability to avoid being completely taken out of the action, he's almost always in position to affect the play. He'll fight to get back in front, mirroring ball-handlers before forcing them into tough looks &mdash; or passing the ball altogether.&nbsp;He'll get rearview contests if necessary, throwing off the rhythm of pull-ups and floaters.
Then, there are the action plays. He leads the team with 11 charges taken, tied with Kyle Lowry and Herb Jones (he's back, y'all) for 10th in the league.
No guard in the East has more blocks than White (53); only Gilgeous-Alexander (55) has more in the league (and has a two-inch height advantage). That White can get on-ball blocks and&nbsp;serve as a secondary rim protector is a rarity worth celebrating.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/sh0g5m" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The combination of productivity and availability &mdash; he's the lone Celtic to appear in all 58 games this season &mdash; should tilt the "Boston's best defender" argument in his favor this season. And for what it's worth, White leads all Celtics in Defensive Estimated Plus Minus (DEPM) this season (+1.5), edging out Smart (+1.3), Tatum (+1.2) and Horford (+1.2).
White has been everything the Celtics have needed him to be, on both ends of the floor. A quality role piece and a quality roll piece. A willing spacer. An All-Defensive level contributor &mdash; he and Jrue Holiday would be my First Team guards if I had a ballot.&nbsp;
And when more has been required, like this Smart-less stretch, White has stepped up in the equation. More buckets, more decision-making and roughly the same level of defense.
He's further proven to be one of the most valuable role players in the NBA. Not only can he slot into the Celtics' system on both ends, he can also scale up or down depending on who's available. That portion isn't true for most role players &mdash; even the good ones. He deserves his flowers for that.

Nekias Duncan puts the recent incredible performances of Celtics guard Derrick White in perspective.

Appreciating the scale of Derrick White's play for the Celtics

The trade deadline is fast approaching and the Memphis Grizzlies have to make an important decision.
Grizzlies general manager and executive vice president Zach Kleiman has been doing his best Marvel impression by living in a multiverse, attempting to walk out two timelines: contending and developing.
The core of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane is in its third year together and, when healthy, is one of the top trios in the entire NBA. More importantly, only Jackson is beyond his rookie contract, as Morant and Bane are both still on rookie deals. This fact has led to a polarizing debate surrounding the Grizzlies.
When Memphis knocked the Golden State Warriors out of the first NBA Play-In Tournament, everyone raved at the "ahead-of-schedule" nature of this team. Last season, the team traded away Jonas Valanciunas for Steven Adams and a shot at developing Ziaire Williams and Santi Aldama. Kleiman was trying to develop ancillary pieces while still putting a competitive product on the floor.
Morant and the Grizzlies surprised everyone, finishing with the second-best record in the league and pushing the eventual-champion Warriors to six games in arguably Golden State's toughest series last year. The "ahead-of-schedule" Grizzlies were still given a pass because they were young and overacheiving.&nbsp;
Memphis is still the second seed in the Western Conference despite losing eight of their last nine contests. Injuries have been a huge factor as Jackson (17 games), Bane (22), Adams (10) and Morant (8) have all missed time due to injury. With the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, the question is whether Kleiman will push the chips in and go for a title piece this year or continue on his multiverse timeline.
Re-signing Adams and Tyus Jones suggests Memphis is interested in contending. Trading away De'Anthony Melton, who struggled mightily in the postseason, suggests the same. Playing Ziaire Williams, David Roddy and Jake LaRavia is the organization attempting to sneak in development. It makes sense, as you have to find the right role players on affordable deals (in this case, rookie contracts) who can have winning impact around your big three.&nbsp;
But even if it makes sense, there is also the flip side. At some point, you are no longer ahead of schedule and overachieving. At some point, the schedule and timeline eventually readjust to the progress that has been made, and a new schedule begins. The Grizzlies are no longer up-and-coming. They are here and the league has adjusted, and so must Memphis.
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There have been social-media posts circling that the Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans both do not want their counterpart to land O.G. Anunoby, and that Memphis would be a perfect fit for OG. This Grizzlies front office has historically moved in silence, and nothing suggests it will overpay in a bidding war for a player who might&nbsp;move the needle toward a title.
Over the next few days, Kleiman will have to decide what is most important for the franchise entrusted to his leadership. The Grizzlies clearly need shooting (still) and perimeter defending &mdash; two things every team is looking for at all times.&nbsp;
Morant, Bane and Jackson are non-starters in any trade conversation (as they should be). They are a core that meshes beautifully. It's the pieces surrounding them that Kleiman has to be willing to part ways with.
One of the most polarizing players in the NBA is Dillon Brooks; you either hate him or you love him. He is on an expiring contract, with his days in Memphis possibly winding away. Brooks' antics on the court and refusal to accept his spot in the pecking order offensively at times have led many to wonder whether he is a long-term fit with the Grizzlies.
With Bane due for a near-max payday, Brooks could be traded at the deadline for assets or given the Kyle Anderson treatment, using his contributions for this run and letting his deal expire at season's end.
Then, there is Jones, who is often lauded as the best backup point guard in the NBA and basically a health-insurance policy for Morant. Memphis needs to send Tyus somewhere he can start and bring in a bigger combo guard who can help Bane run the non-Morant minutes.&nbsp;
Adams and Danny Green are the veterans on the roster who also have extremely tradeable contracts if Kleiman were to do some type of big-game hunting. Adams' presence has allowed Jackson to develop into the Defensive Player of the Year candidate he has become, but at some point, JJJ needs to become the full-time starting 5.&nbsp;
Williams and Xavier Tillman are pieces that Memphis should be willing to include to upgrade their roster. And as well as Memphis has done drafting the last few years, they should now be at the point in this process where first-round picks are on the table.&nbsp;
OUTLINING POTENTIAL TRADE IDEAS
I'm no trade-machine guru, but something along the lines of this framework makes sense for both teams:
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Memphis gets to keep its primary defender in Brooks while adding a 24-year-old scorer to come off the bench. If the Toronto Raptors begin a fire sale, they get an expiring contract, two second-round picks (<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjg0d7A8oP9AhVuFlkFHQ-iAGkQFnoECEQQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fhoopshype.com%2F2023%2F02%2F03%2Fgary-trent-jr-s-trade-value-at-a-protected-first-round-pick-or-two-good-second-rounders%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw2EDYmp9Yp1qneXxEEdRIt_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trent's reported projected value</a>) and a player who fits their mold of lenghty wings.
The Grizz bench unit is currently 12th in the NBA in scoring at 35.5 points per contest, but is a minus-313 in scoring for the season. They are also 25th in three-point percentage (32.4%) in the league. Adding Gary Trent Jr. could bolster a glaring weakness if Memphis is to be a legitimate contender.&nbsp;
In the interest of getting assets in return for Brooks, Kleiman would likely be choosing to remain on the course of developing players, as Morant, Jackson and Bane are not yet in their primes. Memphis can recoup cheaper, more controllable assets by moving Dillon:
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In this scenario, Memphis takes a shot on Cam Reddish while finding the eventual Jones replacement in Immanuel Quickley. The Knicks get a perfect-fit player to go with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle in Brooks as they attempt to make a run in the Eastern Conference this postseason, plus a lottery-protected first-rounder from the Grizzlies via the Warriors (from the Andre Iguodala trade in July 2019.)
Speaking of replacing Jones, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins could use a defensive upgrade in the backcourt as well someone with a little more size:
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The Chicago Bulls are at a crossroads, and if they decide to start rebuilding the makeup of their roster, bringing in Jones as their starting point guard would not be the worst idea. The Grizzlies get two combo guards in Alex Caruso and Coby White in this trade framework.
White is playing the least amount of minutes of his career this season, and could afford a change of scenery. Caruso is a perfect fit for Memphis, as an athletic guard who can defend on the perimeter. This move also fits Kleiman's desire to flirt with two timelines.
These three trades could be a sequence of moves done at once, but there's a next-to-zero chance Memphis makes multiple moves at the deadline, if any. However, there are peripheral moves to be made for Memphis because it seems clear that standing pat and riding it out is no longer the right choice for this franchise.&nbsp;

Justin Lewis explains how the Grizzlies have to move ahead with contention and suggests three possible trades that could help.

Proposing 3 potential trades that could spark the Memphis Grizzlies

Thursday night&rsquo;s matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies was a showcase of the brightest young talents the NBA has to offer.
Both teams were trading runs, as Ja Morant and Darius Garland took turns getting into the paint and finishing or finding their guys for great looks. Evan Mobley would not be denied on the offensive glass, and his aggressive ascent continued. Desmond Bane was firing on all cylinders from distance.
Then, the game abruptly came to a halt when Mobley blocked Dillon Brooks on a fastbreak opportunity. As Donovan Mitchell came up with the loose-ball rebound near the baseline, a grounded Brooks rolled into his ankle and, with his left hand, struck Mitchell in the groin.&nbsp;
Mitchell tossed the ball back at Brooks in disgust and promptly shoved him. Chaos ensued.
As both sides tried to de-escalate the situation, the two were separated. After a review of the play, Mitchell was ejected for a &ldquo;hostile act&rdquo; while Brooks was handed a Flagrant 2 penalty and also tossed.
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Spida and Dillon Brooks get CHIPPY 😳 <a href="https://t.co/jGhYHa8VAS">pic.twitter.com/jGhYHa8VAS</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1621333727543721984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote>

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With a five-point advantage at that point in the third quarter, the Cavs ended up going on a 23-11 run that bled over into the opening part of the fourth quarter. Cleveland did not relinquish the lead, and ended up victorious over Memphis by a final of 128-113.
After the contest, unplanned and knowing the financial ramifications to come, Mitchell requested to speak on the matter. When asked if he felt it was a cheap shot, the All-Star guard did not hold back his feelings about Brooks, whom he&rsquo;s encountered plenty of times.
&ldquo;Yeah. For sure. That&rsquo;s just who he is. We have seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I&rsquo;ve been busting his ass for years &mdash; playoffs, regular season. And the one game he does an alright job on me today, he decides to do something like that. No place for that in the game,&rdquo; Mitchell said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve gotta protect yourself at the end of the day. This has been brewing for years&mdash; with me, with other guys in the league. You all see it. This isn&rsquo;t new. Tonight was just the end of it. It&rsquo;s tough when you can&rsquo;t guard somebody and you can&rsquo;t do something with somebody, you&rsquo;ve got to resort to that. And that is what he has done to a lot of players. Off the top of my head, I think it&rsquo;s like Dame [Lillard] and Steph [Curry]. It&rsquo;s just one of those things you resort to and that&rsquo;s cool, but I&rsquo;m glad my guys held it down tonight and had my back throughout the whole thing.&rdquo;
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Mitchell continued to address the matter with Brooks.
&ldquo;We have been talking nonstop, but I wouldn&rsquo;t say [it's ever gotten] to this extent. There&rsquo;s always been talk. You can go back. I think it was like two years ago, regular season, 30 points a game (against him), it&rsquo;s nonstop talking back and forth. That was cool when we were just talking. But that right there, a line has to be drawn," Mitchell said. "The NBA has to do something about it. I&rsquo;m not the only person this has happened to, and there&rsquo;s no place for that in this game. I took matters into my own hands. But at the end of the day, that ain&rsquo;t it.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think it would be like that. Maybe the jawing back and forth, which is part of the game and it&rsquo;s cool or whatever, but when you have a cheap shot like that &ndash; there was no need to do that. I wasn&rsquo;t expecting that and then, that&rsquo;s just how I reacted. If you just can&rsquo;t guard somebody then just say that or just get a switch. You know what I mean? That&rsquo;s what it is. It is what it is.&rdquo;
In the Grizzlies&rsquo; locker room, with Morant coming to his teammate&rsquo;s defense and telling reporters to only ask his teammate about the game itself, Brooks didn&rsquo;t have much to say other than that his Flagrant 2 saved him a couple of technical fouls.
&ldquo;I just think people don&rsquo;t like me,&rdquo; Brooks said.
Morant denied any kind of previous tension or history regarding his team and Mitchell, and shared his opinion on the matter in a broader context of NBA teams.
&ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t gonna speak on the play. I&rsquo;mma just speak on pretty much everything. Anything when it comes to negative with the Grizzlies, we normally get the punishments. It ain&rsquo;t the same. They hate us... We don&rsquo;t like them. I&rsquo;m standing on that. That&rsquo;s how it is though. It&rsquo;s a little situation going on now, I ain&rsquo;t gonna speak on it yet, but if some sh** don&rsquo;t change, y&rsquo;all will gonna hear me speak on it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t got no history with nobody. We don&rsquo;t beef with nobody. They don&rsquo;t like us. We speak our mind, we put pressure on &lsquo;em, we talk to &lsquo;em. Some people ain&rsquo;t built for it. They don&rsquo;t like it, and I feel like that&rsquo;s why teams always get in that match with us. But every time, we&rsquo;re gonna stand on all 10, ride for our guys, gonna step. Whatever comes together... We&rsquo;re brothers. We put in the work each and every day together. So anytime we&rsquo;re out on that floor, we&rsquo;re out there battling together. Anything else comes, we&rsquo;re gonna do it together.&rdquo;
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While Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins was mum on the subject and praised the referees for how they handled the altercation, he said &ldquo;it was competitive and we try to stand for our teammates.&rdquo; Jenkins had a conversation with Brooks and kept the details private.&nbsp;
On the Cavs end, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn&rsquo;t appreciate what went down and didn&rsquo;t think Mitchell deserved to get tossed from the game.
&ldquo;If somebody makes a play like that, you should have the right to stand up for yourself. That was a cheap shot in multiple ways," Bickerstaff said. "You roll a guy's ankle and then obviously whatever was next out of there, a guy should have the right to stand up for himself. I thought Donovan did that. That's one thing, I'm proud of our guys; we don't have those guys that start sh**, but we got guys that don't run from sh**. You have to in this league, you have to stand up for yourself. That's what he did and that's why his teammates had his back."
&ldquo;I mean, it was a dirty play from the other dude over there. Tried to hit him in his groin area,&rdquo; Garland added. &ldquo;So, [Donovan] just had to project himself. Guys protect themselves. We just rallied behind him and protected our team. That&rsquo;s all it was. We&rsquo;re no sissies over here. We&rsquo;re not going for all the little cheap shots and stuff like that. Everybody's happy that Don did protect himself and everybody rallied behind him as well. So it was good team camaraderie right there.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not no sissies. We not just gonna back down.&rdquo; Darius Garland offers his perspective on the Donovan Mitchell/Dillon Brooks (&ldquo;the other dude over there&rdquo;) tussle. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/93ssUP6RDz">pic.twitter.com/93ssUP6RDz</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1621378544306720770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote>

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When asked to discuss Bickerstaff&rsquo;s comments about opponents mistaking Cleveland&rsquo;s kindness for weakness, Garland described the Cavs&rsquo; attitude in his eyes.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re some nice young men until you try to do some weird stuff like the dude did over there. We&rsquo;re still tough, though. We&rsquo;re a tough group. We&rsquo;ve got some guys that get after you and we&rsquo;re going to fight back if you try to push us first,&rdquo; Garland said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not soft or anything. We&rsquo;re still some dogs, as I always say, and we&rsquo;ll never back down from nobody, never lay down for nobody, especially those guys over there. We&rsquo;re two of the top young teams in this league, so whenever we battle out, it&rsquo;s going to be a tough one. And that goes for everybody else in this league, as well. We&rsquo;re not going to lay down for nobody.&rdquo;
Citing previous examples with others, Mitchell believes there should be some kind of punishment for Brooks&rsquo; actions.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, I think my reaction was honestly just for me was reacting to a cheap shot. You know what I mean? This has been a habit for years and this isn't new to anybody in this room. And if punishment doesn't come from that, he&rsquo;s just going to keep doing that. It&rsquo;s just dumb, to be honest with you. Just dumb. It's just dumb and I'm going to appeal (the ejection) because I don't think I should've gotten ejected for defending myself, to be honest.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to say like, &lsquo;Oh it should be this, it should be that.&rsquo; But it should be something. Like I said, this isn't just a Donovan thing. This has happened to other players throughout this league. And it's bullshit. If we're being honest with you, it's complete bullsh**. There's one thing, you&rsquo;ve got Ja, you&rsquo;ve got Bane, Jaren Jackson, those guys &mdash; they talk shit and that's fine. That's all part of basketball. We all grew up playing that way. But when you start doing little cheap sh** like that, that ain't it. That's honestly where my frustration lies. It's not about talking back and forth with us, that's whatever; the extra bumps, whatever, that's cool. But when you start doing little stuff like that, what are we really doing?&rdquo;
The Cavs and Grizzlies ended up splitting the season series with two highly intense meetings. Both teams are fighting in their respective conferences and making plenty of noise. After Thursday, it&rsquo;s clear that these squads are holding their ground.

Spencer Davies goes behind the scenes of Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks' altercation in the Cavs-Grizzlies game.

Donovan Mitchell, Dillon Brooks get into scuffle; Cavs, Grizzlies react

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Trey Lyles scored a season-high 24 points, Harrison Barnes had 15 of his 20 in Sacramento&rsquo;s record-tying first quarter and the Kings beat the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 133-100 on Monday night.
The Kings tied the NBA record with 12 3-pointers in the first quarter &mdash; in just 13 attempts &mdash; and scored 47 points. But Sacramento didn&rsquo;t put away the game until outscoring Memphis 33-10 in the fourth quarter.
Lyles was 6 for 8 from 3-point range for the Kings (27-19), who have won seven of their last eight games.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice,&rdquo; Lyles said. &ldquo;We have another game on Wednesday. Let&rsquo;s see if we can do it again.&rdquo;
Domantas Sabonis finished with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his sixth triple-double of the season. Sabonis leads the NBA in double-doubles with 36.
Keegan Murray also finished with 20 points and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 17 points and 10 assists.
&ldquo;Great team win,&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;I thought defensively in the second half, we were good.&rdquo;
Desmond Bane scored 21 points for Memphis (31-16), which played without Ja Morant and Steven Adams. The Grizzlies have lost three straight following an 11-game winning streak.
&ldquo;They shot the ball really well tonight,&rdquo; Brandon Clarke said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t have an answer.&rdquo;
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Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 19 points and Dillon Brooks scored 13 points and added six assists. The Grizzlies visit Golden State on Wednesday.
&ldquo;We have to focus on getting better and playing better against Golden State,&rdquo; Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;Just continue to play hard and play together and just try and find a groove.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Tyus Jones started in place of Morant and had 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Kings: Sacramento was without C Chimezie Metu because of a left knee bone bruise. &hellip;the Kings committed a season-high 25 turnovers.
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Trey Lyles scored a season-high 24 points, and the Sacramento Kings beat the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 133-100.

Kings use early 3s, big 4th quarter to top Grizzlies 133-100

In the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins had to turn elsewhere. Surprisingly, the Western Conference&rsquo;s second seed was outplayed by the upset-minded Minnesota Timberwolves in its own building in a Game 1 loss, and needed to pack a more powerful punch to ensure the series would be tied going back to Minneapolis.
Enter Xavier Tillman Sr., a then-second-year big man who had seen his playing time diminish from his rookie campaign. The Michigan State product rewarded the team&rsquo;s decision with a critical 13-point, 7-rebound effort, all the while holding Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns in check over 20 minutes in a Game 2 victory.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And then, it was kinda downhill from there. I didn't have a performance like that again in the playoffs,&rdquo; Tillman told Basketball News in a phone interview.&nbsp;
As for why that was the case, according to him, it ultimately came down to his approach. Tillman spent most of his second season in play groups in practice, participating in scrimmages and weight-lifting. Admittedly, he would save his legs on certain days because he figured he&rsquo;d need extra energy to perform on game days.&nbsp;
Tillman waited for his number to be called as the year progressed. He was certain it would happen, but it didn&rsquo;t&hellip; until the postseason. He was shocked, and, to him, it showed.
&ldquo;I didn't take advantage of it as much as I should have, and I knew it by the end of the season,&rdquo; Tillman said. &ldquo;I was like, &lsquo;Man, I could've been at least like five times better than what I finished the season out with in the playoffs,&rsquo; simply because I wasn't playing and it was a great opportunity for me to work on me. But I didn't see it as that.
&ldquo;I would just keep like stacking and wasting those days, day-by-day. Then, you have the same mentality. And eventually... maybe you could say it caught up with me?&rdquo;
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Entering Year 3, Tillman vowed to be proactive. Whether he forced his way into the Grizzlies&rsquo; rotation or not, he was determined to &ldquo;work my butt off&rdquo; this past summer and during the season.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm gonna get up early before we have team meetings and team shootarounds. I'mma get on the bike for 30 minutes and I'mma go 11-to-12 miles on the bike. I'm gonna lift every two days instead of every three days to take advantage of that. And (in) these play groups, I'm trying to win, I'm trying to make winning plays,&rdquo; Tillman explained of his mindset.
To this point, aside from a handful of games where he&rsquo;s played 20 or more minutes with the Grizzlies when they&rsquo;ve been shorthanded, it&rsquo;s been much of the same as far as his playing time is concerned. (In fact, he&rsquo;s averaging just over 11 minutes a night, a career-low). With that being said, it hasn&rsquo;t deterred him from trying different things.
At the beginning of the season, Tillman personally requested that the coaching staff allow him to play with the Memphis Hustle, the organization&rsquo;s G League affiliate, to stay fresh &mdash; especially with home games being only a 40-minute drive from the team&rsquo;s home arena.
&ldquo;If we don't have a game that day, I can definitely go down there and play and get some good minutes. And that's been a blessing for me to just, honestly, keep my flow of playing,&rdquo; Tillman shared. &ldquo;Because even in those play groups and those workouts, you can't get in the flow of boxing somebody out, grabbing a rebound, pushing it, being in help defense. 'Cause it's a workout, all you work on is offensive scoring.
&ldquo;So being in a Hustle game allowed me to just play and play in a real game. So when I got my opportunity called &mdash; like now due to injury &mdash; I was ready to go and ready to help the team in all ways.&rdquo;
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X is so inspirational man. <a href="https://t.co/uAnVhnf9dl">pic.twitter.com/uAnVhnf9dl</a>
&mdash; Memphis Hustle (@MemphisHustle) <a href="https://twitter.com/MemphisHustle/status/1603087828589711371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
Team-first is Tillman&rsquo;s M.O. Whatever his squad needs and asks of him, he does it. It&rsquo;s been that way from an early age, particularly when he was playing with current Phoenix Suns guard Duane Washington Jr. at Grand Rapids Christian High School in West Michigan.
&ldquo;We played high school ball together my junior and my senior year, and having him on my team, I knew that I didn't have to be a 20-point scorer for us to win these games. Especially 'cause he was a bucket-getter himself. I'm like, 'Okay, if I can get him shots and then fill the gaps on our team, we'll be great,&rsquo;&rdquo; Tillman said. "Start to try to fill the gaps instead of like, 'Hey, this is what I bring and then let everybody else fill it around me.' I've learned as I've gotten older. See the identity of your teammates and then work around that to help us win games.&rdquo;
If you&rsquo;re a teammate of his, it helps that Tillman can &ldquo;think the game&rdquo; the way he does. He&rsquo;s constantly one step ahead of his defender on offense and the opposing player when he&rsquo;s on the defensive end. If he gets an offensive rebound, it&rsquo;s either going up or going to a teammate. If he sees one of his guys getting doubled, he&rsquo;s freeing them up or cutting to the bucket.
Screens are precise, handoffs are well-timed, backdoor passes to cutters are on point and short-roll spray-outs to the corner are on target. There&rsquo;s a knack for the intangibles of the game and the little things that, when added up, become big.
&ldquo;I've always played on teams, for the most part coming up, where I've had shooters and scorers on my teams, but I didn't always have guys who cared about defense, who wanted to get blocks and steals and rebounds and stuff like that. So that was kinda the role I filled on my teams early on in life,&rdquo; Tillman said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The main skill part that I would bring to the table was me being able to bring the ball up after a rebound and then, make a play after that to pass it to somebody else. But early on in my career playing basketball, I had people on my team who could score the ball, so my job then at that time wasn't even that. So I guess I kinda always had that... I don't know if anything is truly, truly natural, but my experience has made it natural, I guess you would say.&rdquo;
Tillman&rsquo;s distribution prowess is impressive, whether he&rsquo;s pushing the ball up the floor on the fast break or searching for guys in space in the half-court. Being a Michigan State Spartan, the recently-turned 24-year-old looked up to Draymond Green as somebody with a comparable height, build and playstyle.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Being able to facilitate, being to able to lock up on defense, being able to rebound with the big 7-footers and stuff like that. So I just drew similarities from him for sure,&rdquo; Tillman said. &ldquo;I loved watching guys coming up like LeBron [James], and not necessarily like the athleticism and scoring aspects, but the same thing I was talking about (with Draymond) &mdash; the way he can find people, the way on defense he'll be on the back line communicating crazy to everybody and letting everybody know what's up. And then, in transition, being able to make the plays that he does.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So those two guys are two that I kinda looked up to as far as my game and how I could find similarities between them.&rdquo;
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When on a G League assignment, there is a noticeable difference in Tillman&rsquo;s focus areas. Unlike the role he plays for the Grizzlies, he is granted freedom to expand his game with the Hustle. In five games, Tillman is averaging 17.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per contest, taking 13.0 shots a game and converting on 52.3% of his total attempts.
Hustle head coach Jason March sends him out there for a predetermined allotment of minutes and draws up plays for the big man to take shots and score that don&rsquo;t usually come with the Grizzlies.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Him telling me stuff like that, it's like, 'Man, okay, I gotta shoot it.' So now when I catch the ball down there, I'm thinking, 'Okay, what's the best move I can make here to get a shot off?'&rdquo; Tillman explained.
&ldquo;When I'm on the Grizzlies, I got Des [Bane] on the court with me or I got Ja [Morant] on the court with me or I got DB (Dillon Brooks) on the court with me or I got JJ (Jaren Jackson Jr.) on the court with me or I got Tyus [Jones] on the court with me, and I'm like, 'These are our scorers. I need to find ways to get them open, and then if two people go to them, cool. I can finish the easy layup, I can finish my floater, whatever.'&rdquo;
For somebody like Tillman who has capabilities outside of the role he plays with the big club, those opportunities in the G League are helpful and reassuring.
&ldquo;It's always a balance. It's not easy, I will say that. The only part that's not easy is... I guess the ego side, the pride side of it,&rdquo; Tillman acknowledged. &ldquo;Because at the end of the game, everybody's looking at stats and you see like, 'Ah man, I only took 4 or 5 shots today and I played this many minutes? What's that about?' And then, you watch the film and you can watch the film and say, 'Damn, you're passing up all these shots.'
&ldquo;But in my head when I'm in the game, my mind is already set on, 'I need to get so-and-so open, I need to get so-and-so a shot here.' And so like, that's kinda the hard part is the aftermath when I watch film and I watch myself because I'm like, 'Man, I had way more shot opportunities than I took.' But then when I'm in the game, I'm like, 'Man, you played good out there. You got some assists, you got some rebounds. We went up 10 points while you were out there.' So it's just those things, trying to balance that for sure.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
X Gon' Give It To Ya<a href="https://twitter.com/Rookiedunker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rookiedunker</a> <a href="https://t.co/0SpoKi2FfU">pic.twitter.com/0SpoKi2FfU</a>
&mdash; Memphis Hustle (@MemphisHustle) <a href="https://twitter.com/MemphisHustle/status/1602843540048023552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
With Brandon Clarke back from a sore hip that sidelined him for six games, Tillman&rsquo;s playing time has started to diminish again.
But at 31-13, the Grizzlies are the hottest team in the NBA with 11 straight wins, a rung barely below the Denver Nuggets at top of the Western Conference ladder. Tillman&rsquo;s been a part of that and will continue to do whatever he can to help his team along throughout the rest of this campaign.&nbsp;
A young, hungry and deep group that continues to blossom with each passing season, Memphis poses a legitimate threat to the rest of the NBA &mdash; both right now and down the road.
&ldquo;It's definitely been awesome to see, especially this early in our careers,&rdquo; Tillman said. &ldquo;Being my third year, Des's third year, Ja's fourth year, JJ's fifth year. It's pretty cool to see the success happen so early in our career. But at the same time, we have to have that knowledge in the back of our heads that it is early in our careers. So when things don't pan out the way we feel like it should, we shouldn't freak out and blow up the bus. We should say, 'Hey, alright, we made mistakes.' But we're a super, super young team. Mistakes are bound to happen.
&ldquo;So, it's just awesome that we have the success that we have now and the camaraderie that we have because we'll ride for one another every night, making sure that everybody's good, is getting cared for. We'll play hard for one another. The success that we've had, I can't lie, it's been awesome. Especially because our fan base has been pretty amazing, on the road or at home, where people are just still rooting for us, and the energy's amazing.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies goes 1-on-1 with Grizzlies big man Xavier Tillman to discuss his mentality in Year 3, his games with the Hustle and more.

No wasted days: Xavier Tillman waiting in the wings for Grizzlies' call

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Ja Morant scored 38 points, Jaren Jackson added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies hung on to beat the San Antonio Spurs 135-129 Wednesday night for their season-high eighth straight victory.
Morant, who missed the previous two games with right thigh soreness, was 14 of 25 from the field, including 3 for 5 from outside the arc. He also had a right-handed hammer dunk over Spurs center Jakob Poeltl with 3:35 left to help preserve the Memphis lead.
“He was huge for us,” coach Taylor Jenkins said, adding that Morant had “a pop to him” from the rest. “When he gets to his spots, and he plays at that level, it’s really important to us.”
Desmond Bane finished with 18 points and Tyus Jones added 16 for the Grizzlies.
Morant had averaged 38.8 points over his previous four games against the Spurs.
“It’s just pretty much me getting to my spots on the floor,” he said. “I feel like that’s pretty much it. Obviously, the shooting around me helps a lot.”
Keldon Johnson, who missed the past two games with left hamstring tightness, led the Spurs with 24 points. Tre Jones had 22 points and six assists, while Poeltl added 17 points, 13 rebounds and a season-high five blocks.
Memphis, up 14 at halftime, maintained the lead through the third quarter before consecutive 3-pointers from Josh Richardson (12 points) early in the fourth helped get the Spurs within single digits. San Antonio trailed 130-127 after a floater by Richardson with 2:42 left, but the Grizzlies closed it out.
The late rally was indicative of what Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has seen from his team, an attitude of playing hard even when the deficit reaches double digits.
“They never quit,” Popovich said. “That’s a tribute to their character. You can’t coach that. I was really proud of them.”
TIP-INS
Spurs: Doug McDermott was 4 of 4 in the first half, including a pair of 3s. He finished with 15 points ... Poeltl blocked four shots in the first quarter.
Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks passed O.J. Mayo for 10th place on the franchise scoring list. Mayo had 4,584 points. ... The 76 first-half points matched a season high for Memphis. ... Jackson’s 12 rebounds matched his career high.
JA GIVES AFTER THIEVES TAKE AWAY
At Monday’s game against the Spurs, 11-year-old Grizzlies fan Ellie Hughes had an autographed ball stolen by two people as she tried to get Morant’s attention to sign it. Hughes, of Forrest City, Arkansas, had collected players' signatures on the ball for the past six years. Hearing of her plight through social media, Morant reached out to her family, invited her to the game and then gave her his game-worn jersey and his Ja 1 Nike shoes, which haven’t been released to the public yet.
“It’s something I pretty much love to do,” Morant said of the gesture. “You touch somebody’s heart like that. A big fan of the Grizzlies for years. It’s moments like that that mean the most to them. Something they will never forget.”
MORANT APPRECIATION
Morant didn’t play Monday in the opener of the two-game series, and it’s hard to believe Popovich would relish facing a player who came in averaging 27.8 points in 11 career games against San Antonio. But he was looking forward to the challenge.
“It’s good for our guys to go against that sort of thing,” the veteran coach said. “Every time he plays, he brings it. So, I’m looking forward to it. One of my coaches is going to try and get his autograph.”
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host the Golden State Warriors on Friday in the Alamodome.
Grizzlies: Travel to Indianapolis to face the Pacers on Saturday.
___
More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Ja Morant scored 38 points, Jaren Jackson added 21 points and the Memphis Grizzlies hung on to beat the San Antonio Spurs 135-129.

Morant scores 38 in return as streaking Grizzlies top Spurs

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Tyus Jones, filling in for Ja Morant, had 24 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 16 and the Memphis Grizzlies withstood a second-half San Antonio rally to beat the Spurs 121-113 on Monday night.
Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks finished with 15 apiece for Memphis, which played its second consecutive game without Morant, its leading scorer, who is nursing soreness in his right thigh.
&ldquo;Just sticking with it,&rdquo; Tyus Jones said of withstanding the Spurs late run. "We showed our poise in not letting their run kind of deter us from what we needed to get done.&rdquo;
Tre Jones, Tyus Jones' younger brother, led the Spurs with 18 points and seven assists, while Josh Richardson added 16 points. Romeo Langford and Jakob Poeltl finished with 13 points each as the Spurs lost their fifth in the last six.
The Spurs comeback fell short but was indicative of the tone Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is setting with his team. Popovich has continually noted how hard his team plays, and Tre Jones said that is a necessity.
&ldquo;It's definitely our mentality every night,&rdquo; the Spurs point guard said. &ldquo;How hard we are going to play. It's something we have to do to give ourselves a chance every single night. It's something we want to build on.&rdquo;
San Antonio, which trailed 72-61 at the half, made a dent in the Memphis advantage in the third quarter, pulling within six points on several occasions. The Spurs would erase the lead early in the fourth on consecutive baskets from Richardson. Turnovers were hurting Memphis as the Spurs extended the lead to five points. From there, the two teams exchanged leads.
&ldquo;We showed up in the second half,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;I thought the first half both teams were bored to death. It was the most boring basketball I&rsquo;ve seen all year.&rdquo;
After the game was tied at 109 near the midway point of the fourth, Memphis clicked off an 11-2 rally to create enough of a buffer for its seventh straight win.
&ldquo;Bad shot. Turnover. They make a 3, and all of a sudden, it's a six- or eight-point game. It's the story of (our) season so far,&rdquo; Popovich said
TIP-INS
Spurs: Keldon Johnson missed his second game with left hamstring tightness. ... Have lost six straight on the road.
Grizzlies: Have won eight straight in the series. ... Jackson had five blocks in the game.
BROTHERLY LOVE
The game marked the first time the Jones brothers &mdash; Tyus of the Grizzlies and Tre of the Spurs &mdash; started a game together in the NBA.
&ldquo;It's a moment you only dream about honestly,&rdquo; Tyus Jones said. &ldquo;It's surreal to come to that moment.&rdquo;
For Tre Jones, four years younger than Tyus, there were reminders of their days playing against each other as kids &mdash; in the back yard, playroom or playing Nerf basketball against each other.
&ldquo;It's probably my favorite basketball moment, I've ever been a part of,&rdquo; the younger Jones said. &ldquo;Getting a start against my brother at this level, it means the world to both of us.&rdquo;
SPURS TIME FOR DANNY GREEN
Grizzlies forward Danny Green, who played eight seasons with the Spurs, has not seen action this season as he recovers from left knee surgery after an injury suffered in last season's playoffs. Asked what he remembered about Green's time with the Spurs, coach Gregg Popovich replied: &ldquo;He played more then, that's for sure.&rdquo; Then he added that Green was the "consummate pro."
&ldquo;He was a big part of what we did,&rdquo; Popovich added of the time Green was in San Antonio. &ldquo;He was always one of the team favorites. ...He's easy to be around. Got a great sense of humor. Just a good guy."
&nbsp;

Tyus Jones had 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies withstood a second-half San Antonio rally to beat the Spurs 121-113.