https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/dal.png

Mavericks

By appearing in the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks showed that they have collected some of the ingredients of an NBA title contender.
Prior to that, the Mavs had not made it out of the first round of the playoffs since winning the Finals in 2010-11, and had exited the postseason in the first round each of the last two years. Even this season, Dallas had its doubters in the first round against the Utah Jazz, and most of the national audience was against them versus the dominant Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
Then, the Mavericks won. Luka Doncic continues to ascend as one of the best basketball players on the planet. Several supporting cast members helped carry the load as well, whether it was Jalen Brunson in the first round, Maxi Kleber's Round 2 fireworks or Spencer Dinwiddie's production in the West Finals.
For so long, the narrative in Dallas had been: Does Luka have any help? After 2021-22, we at least know the Mavs have pieces to the puzzle. This summer presents the opportunity to shape the vision of a championship under Doncic and second-year head coach Jason Kidd.
The Mavericks boasted the sixth-best Defensive Rating (109.4) in the NBA during the regular season, per Basketball-Reference. That's impressive growth from a 20th-ranked unit in 2020-21 that didn't undergo massive roster overhaul. Our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan covered Dallas' defense back in January</a>, and it kept up the work even after trading Kristaps Porzingis away in the deal that returned Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.&nbsp;
No single, All-Defense-caliber player even stands out on the roster right now. Dorian Finney-Smith is very solid and so is Frank Ntilikina, though his minutes are too inconsistent currently. It's a true team-wide shift that significantly raises the team's floor come playoff time.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
With that being said &mdash; finding a true center to anchor the paint and provide stability on the glass remains a high priority. Dallas was 15th among the 16 playoff teams in offensive rebounding percentage (45.1%) and second chance points per game (9.0). They also gave up 14.2 second-chance points per game to their opponents, ranking fourth-highest in the postseason. The Mavs scored just 42.9 points in the paint per game during the regular season (ranked 29th of 30) and 35.4 in the playoffs (13th of 16) despite boasting two of the league's best driving threats in Doncic and Brunson.
Dwight Powell is a fine, rotation-caliber NBA player, but his minutes decreased in each subsequent series. Kleber is an awesome sharpshooting big and solid defender, but not an impactful interior presence.
Fortunately, there are several available free agents who Mavs president and general manager Nico Harrison could pursue in his second offseason with the team. Unfortunately, they have severely hamstrung themselves financially. According to Spotrac, they're a luxury taxpayer, which only leaves a mid-level exception worth just over $6.3 million to spend on a free agent. Dallas has virtually no path to cap space this season.
Jusuf Nurkic and Mitchell Robinson are the biggest names to hit unrestricted free agency as a center. They would almost instantly plug the rebounding hole, but are they the types of defenders and rim-runners who would thrive with Doncic? And is there a realistic way for the Mavericks to even sign them?
Other free agent centers who could fit in the mid-level exception include JaVale McGee, Andre Drummond and Bismack Biyombo, for some quick suggestions. Dallas does also hold a $10.2 million trade exception that it created when the team traded Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics. It expires on June 27, before free agency begins, but it provides another avenue to acquire a rotation-level player.
It might make more sense for the Mavs to pursue a sign-and-trade with a restricted free agent. Obviously, Deandre Ayton is the marquee man. Evan Sidery toyed with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential trade packages for the Suns</a>; could Dallas offer something in this ballpark?
I personally am intrigued by Mo Bamba's potential fit. The 2018 No. 5 overall pick had a solid developmental year in Orlando, but appears to be the odd man out in a crowded young locker room. Bamba feels like a worthwhile gamble as a rebounder and rim-protector with a bit more mobility and shooting than your traditional bruising center.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfxEZ9a694c" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Of course, all this free agency discussion will come after the Mavericks address their largest elephant in the room. Jalen Brunson broke out as a secondary scorer this season, culminating in his huge games that gave Dallas the edge against Utah. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-jalen-brunson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He's an unrestricted free agent</a> who deserves a bag this summer.
"It&rsquo;s the top priority,&rdquo; Harrison said about re-signing Brunson in his <a href="https://www.mavs.com/brunson-is-top-priority/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exit interview Friday</a>. &ldquo;We got to figure that out. Obviously, we&rsquo;re not in control of it. But he&rsquo;s definitely a priority. We want to re-sign him. He knows it. And we want him back. He&rsquo;ll be a big part of our future.&rdquo;
The Mavs' last route to improve is with their No. 26 overall draft pick. Dallas has been a mixed bag with drafting in recent seasons, but this is the first year Harrison will be at the helm after the franchise passed on the process in 2021. Most recently, the franchise selected Josh Green at No. 20 and Tyrell Terry at No. 31 in 2020. Green's development has been slow but notable through two seasons, while Terry is no longer in the organization.&nbsp;
Matt Babcock's latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> projects the Mavericks to select Max Christie, a freshman wing from Michigan State. Christie was a five-star high school talent who struggled to produce as a college freshman. But his tools as a shooter, scorer and on-ball defender have all flashed and can be sharpened in the right environment.&nbsp;
Aside from Brunson, reserves Trey Burke and Theo Pinson are the only other players entering free agency. However, Dallas notably has just four players under fully guaranteed contracts in 2023-24, per Spotrac: Doncic, Finney-Smith, Bertans and Tim Hardaway Jr. If the squad underwhelms next year, the 2023 offseason could open up a serious roster makeover.&nbsp;
Dallas is on the cusp of true title contention. This offseason is all about checking off some final boxes, keeping the successful core intact and adding depth to a team that persevered through several injuries during the season.
If the summer breaks right, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Mavericks emerging as everyone's favorite championship sleeper by October.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Mavericks exited the Western Conference Finals with a strong playoff run, but have several glaring needs.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Dallas Mavericks?

There are few certainties in life.
Death. Taxes. And Dorian Finney-Smith corner threes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Death, taxes&hellip;and a Dorian Finney-Smith corner three. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mavs</a> <a href="https://t.co/meTTIRgc18">pic.twitter.com/meTTIRgc18</a>
&mdash; Dorothy J. Gentry (@DorothyJGentry) <a href="https://twitter.com/DorothyJGentry/status/1501718770460602369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

When Finney-Smith entered the league six years ago, the Dallas Mavericks wing was told that the corner three is the easiest shot in the NBA and that he&rsquo;d &ldquo;make a lot of money" if he could knock it down consistently. &nbsp; &ldquo;I was already playing into the corner my rookie year, and once I realized how many corner threes I was going to get, I just worked on it,&rdquo; Finney-Smith told BasketballNews.com in a one-on-one conversation.
He laughs, as if he's just now realizing that it has become his trademark shot. Then, he shouts out the former teammate who helped his corner three become so deadly.
&ldquo;Wesley Matthews was a good vet for me. He was always telling me that I needed to get that (corner three) shot down pat if I wanted to be on the court," Finney-Smith said. "And I did!"
He would spend the next few years focused, head down, determined to prove he belonged in the league. He developed into a reliable shooter and perfected the corner three, just as Matthews advised.
This season, Finney-Smith shot 46.1% on corner threes &mdash; a huge improvement from his rookie year, when he shot just 26.3% from that spot. During the 2022 NBA Playoffs, he's been even better, knocking down 52.5% of his corner threes.
&ldquo;I had the confidence that I could shoot. I shot the ball well in college, it just ain&rsquo;t translated the first couple of years in the NBA,&rdquo; Finney-Smith said.
He knew there was only one way to get his shot back: stay in the gym and work.
&ldquo;Repetition builds confidence," Finney-Smith explained. "Also, I think my teammates seeing how hard I worked, it also built confidence in them. The ones who have been here with me throughout this journey &mdash; like Maxi [Kleber], Dwight [Powell], Luka [Doncic] &mdash; I think they see the work I put in and that also gives them confidence to give the ball to me in late-game situations.
&ldquo;Guys see the work you put in; they can tell if you've been in the gym or if you been BSing, and I built confidence with those guys, especially Luka, to pass me the ball in those clutch situations. They have trust in me, even when I miss it.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Finney-Smith also earned the trust of Dallas' front office. After playing his best basketball and helping the Mavs win a lot of games (in the regular season and now in the playoffs), Finney-Smith is getting the recognition he deserves. The undrafted baller from Portsmouth, Virginia, was also rewarded with the biggest payday of his career.
In early February &mdash; six years after signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Mavs &mdash; Doe-Doe (as he is affectionately called) signed a four-year contract extension worth a reported $55 million. After earning $4,000,000 this season, he'll reportedly be paid $12,402,000 next year.
He has played his way into a starting role and into the hearts of MFFL&rsquo;s, becoming one of the fan favorites. Finney-Smith has established himself as an integral piece of the Mavs' future after averaging a career-high 11.0 points along with 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 threes, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals (while shooting 47.1% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range).
During the postseason, he has elevated his game to a higher level. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns, Finney-Smith finished with a playoff-career-best 24 points (on 8-12 shooting from three) and 8 rebounds. He became just the third player in Dallas' franchise history to make at least 8 three-pointers in game, joining Maxi Kleber (8 threes against the Utah Jazz on April 18, 2022) and Jason Terry (9 threes against the Los Angeles Lakers on May 8, 2011 &mdash; exactly 11 years to the day).
On Tuesday night, with the Mavs down 0-3 to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, he helped lead Dallas to victory with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 threes and 2 assists while shooting 69.2% from the field and 57.1% from three.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The underrated 3-and-D specialist opened up to BasketballNews.com about this Mavs team, his happy place, his experience going undrafted, what talent he wishes he had and much more.&nbsp;
In your own words, how did the Mavs get here &mdash; to the Western Conference Finals?
Dorian Finney-Smith: "Just by staying together. Early in the year, we weren&rsquo;t shooting the ball as well as we wanted to. I feel like we just stuck with it. We didn&rsquo;t blame nobody else; we looked inward and we took accountability as a team. And shout out to the coaches: J-Kidd, he did a good job of making us hold each other accountable. All those close games that we were in the last couple of years, I feel like this year we made that step &mdash; finishing the game the right way."
After going undrafted, what allowed you to keep going mentally? And who's been in your corner?
Finney-Smith: "I have a big family. [The answer is] them. My kid&rsquo;s mom (Jasmine).
"I always felt like when I first made the team, I just wanted to get on the court. And once I got on the court, I just wanted to make sure I showed everyone I belonged. Once I started playing on the regular, I just always wanted my presence to be felt, even if I was making or missing shots."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/dffs1_lg.png" alt="" width="430" height="374" />
Did you ever think that playing in the NBA wasn&rsquo;t going to happen for you? Did you ever get down on yourself?
Finney-Smith: "Nah. Nah. Hell nah. I never got down. I was a little mad I didn't get what I wanted on my first deal. I played a whole lot, then I started&hellip; just me being&hellip; At times, it was a little frustrating just because I&rsquo;m human."
Who are you closest to on the team?&nbsp;
Finney-Smith: "Trey Burke, Reggie [Bullock]. Actually, we all pretty much hang out together. We are a close-knit team; even Luka comes and kicks it with us. This is probably the closest Mavs team I've been on. When I first got here, I had an older team: Devin Harris, JJ [Barea], Dirk [Nowitzki]."
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Finney-Smith: "Quiet. Or with the kids playing around. When I am not on the court, I am quiet."
What living person do you admire most?
Finney-Smith: "My mom because of her resiliency, and how she never let what she was going through show."
What talent would you most like to have?
Finney-Smith: "I wish I could sing. If I could sing, I probably&hellip; woo&hellip; I would sing all the time. I would sing myself out of trouble. (laughs)"
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?&nbsp;
Finney-Smith: "I don&rsquo;t know. God gave me everything I got for a reason, so nothing."
What drives you? What&rsquo;s your motivation?
Finney-Smith: "I would say fear of failure. Coming from where I came from, a small city, I always grew up around a whole bunch of 'I used to be' or 'what I could have done' stuff like that, so I am just trying to make the most of my opportunity because I know a lot of people may never get this opportunity or the chance to even get this opportunity."
Who is your favorite WNBA team and player?
Finney-Smith: "The (Dallas) Wings. Elizabeth Williams (of the Washington Mystics) is my favorite player. She is from Virgina; we both came out together in high school. She&rsquo;s a Virginia girl."
Who or what is the greatest love(s) of your life?
Finney-Smith: "My kids or my mom."
If you died and could come back as anything or anyone, what would it be and why?
Finney-Smith: "A lion. 'Lion King' is my favorite movie, and I love lions."
If you enjoyed this piece, be sure to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reggie-bullock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out Dorothy J. Gentry's exclusive interview with Dallas Mavericks wing Reggie Bullock</a> as well.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1habvwh r-eqz5dr r-11rk87y r-1dye5f7 r-m611by r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Dorian Finney-Smith opens up about his breakout season, the Dallas Mavericks' playoff run, going undrafted, his happy place and more.

Dorian Finney-Smith Q&A: 'This is the closest Mavs team I've been on'

Changes are coming in Minnesota.
Fresh off a 46-36 campaign and competitive first-round exit, the Timberwolves have already gone swinging. There's a new sheriff in town, with former <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nuggets-tim-connelly-to-become-wolves-president-of-basketball-ops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly joining the team</a> in a similar role. The price was huge: a five-year deal worth north of $40 million and&nbsp; &mdash; and! &mdash; equity in the organization, per The Athletic. It's a monstrous deal with the potential for more &mdash; a deal, as my Dunker Spot co-host <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Jones Jr.</a> described on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our latest episode</a>, that the Nuggets weren't likely to match.
There's obvious intrigue in Connelly's move to Minnesota, namely him leaving a successful division rival that currently rosters a back-to-back MVP in Nikola Jokic to do so. But the interest for me has come with the reporting around the move. Take this passage from The Athletic's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3320881/2022/05/18/timberwolves-tim-connelly-president-basketball-ops/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania</a> as negotiations were heating up between the two sides.
<blockquote>
Leaving the two-time MVP for upstart Minnesota would be a bold move. But the Timberwolves do have a pair of building blocks in Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, promising young talent in Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt, a coach who is revered throughout the organization and an ownership group that appears to be motivated to invest in the organization.
</blockquote>
Hmm... notice anyone missing? Also, the "ownership group that appears to be motivated to invest" portion could be seen as subtle shade toward the organization that was on track to lose Masai Ujiri (killing it in Toronto since 2014) and Connelly due to being outbid.&nbsp;
And how about this one, from Krawczynski and Charania again, after the <a href="https://theathletic.com/3326241/2022/05/23/tim-connelly-wolves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deal was done</a>?&nbsp;
<blockquote>
There are reasons beyond financial for him to be optimistic about the situation in Minnesota. Connelly will be taking over a team with two stars in Towns and Edwards, promising young players in Jaden McDaniels and Vanderbilt and a top-notch coach in Chris Finch, who spent one season working with Connelly in Denver as an assistant on Malone&rsquo;s staff. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had a strong season before struggling in the playoffs and Patrick Beverley asserted himself as a tough, veteran leader for a young group.
</blockquote>
Ah,&nbsp;there's&nbsp;the name. But you see why my brow is raised, right? Towns and Edwards represent the core. McDaniels and Vanderbilt are the young pieces dubbed to grow alongside them. The 26 year-old Russell &mdash; one of Towns' best friends making north of $30 million this season &mdash; went from not being mentioned at all in the lead-up piece, to essentially getting a throw-in line with Beverley in the update five days later.
Oh, it doesn't help that Jordan McLaughlin was closing out playoff games while a healthy Russell watched in Round 1. Add in the fact that Russell's future has <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/05/03/report-timberwolves-will-attempt-to-trade-dangelo-russell-this-offseason/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already been questioned</a>, and I think it's fair to assume what the big&nbsp;roster&nbsp;swing for the Wolves will be.&nbsp;
Any team acquiring him will be on the hook for over $31 million next season, though that's the only&nbsp;year left on Russell's deal.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
WHAT RUSSELL BRINGS
Russell remains a smooth operator. He's a proactive passer, one who's able to see and&nbsp;fire into a gap before most players know what's happening. You'll see it with his transition hit-aheads, as well as some of the reads he'll make in pick-and-roll.
And about pick-and-roll: Not many players blend pull-up shooting and high-level passing like Russell does. You can't afford to duck under against him, or drop your big back too far. He will absolutely waltz into jumpers. Once he gets hot, you're forced to press up &mdash; and that opens up even more passing windows for him.
<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/ciwtjh" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Russell was one of 31 players to receive at least 1,500 on-ball picks this season, per Second Spectrum. Russell-led ball screens were good for nearly 1.03 points per possession (PPP), a top-10ish mark in NBA among high volume ball-handlers.
You can thank the jumper for that &mdash; Russell converted 37% of the pull-up threes he attempted out of pick-and-roll, per InStat tracking. For comparison, that put him in line with high volume pull-up artists like Stephen Curry (38.9%) and Trae Young (37.0%).
(Also: Shout out to Darius Garland for bombing away at a 42.5% clip. That guy's getting paid.)&nbsp;
LIMITATIONS
Russell is what I'd describe as a two-level scorer. He's comfortable firing from deep, and he's able to snake and hunt shots around the elbow area with the best of them. Rim pressure is... simply not his thing. Only 16% of Russell's shots came at the rim last season, a mark that ranks in the 16th percentile per Cleaning The Glass. (Not great!)
And as someone who rarely got to the rim, Russell didn't draw many shooting fouls either. The lack of "easy points" lends to a boom-or-bust nature in Russell's game. His pull-up jumper is a legit weapon, but things kinda crater for him if it isn't falling in a way that isn't helpful for your&nbsp;lead&nbsp;ball-handler.&nbsp;
I think a truth has become (more) clear &mdash; Russell needs to be paired with a ball-dominant rim threat to get the best out of him.
That was the intrigue around Edwards taking more of a lead role in the second half of the season. In theory, Edwards ability to touch the paint on any given possession would lead to easier catch-and-shoot &mdash; or catch-and-drive &mdash; opportunities for Russell. A team trading for Russell should have a similar infrastructure in place.
Defensively, Russell found his home as a middle linebacker. Most teams rely on their primary rim-protector to call out coverages and actions. For Minnesota, that responsibility was Russell's. It was an odd dynamic, but one that worked. He was often seen and&nbsp;heard barking out instructions while he zoned up behind the action.
<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/pjmqzl" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
I remained worried about him in more conservative defensive schemes. Russell isn't the quickest laterally. And while he's improved a bit from his rookie season (I'd hope so!), screen navigation remains an issue for him overall.
With the Wolves, Russell was blessed with the opportunity to roam off-ball (his ideal role) while having the screen navigation issues limited due to his big hedging ball-screens with him. If Russell's dumped into a drop scheme, the onus flips back on him to stay attached to ball-handlers. That could be a tricky bet.
LANDING SPOTS
Due to Russell's contract and the context needed to unlock him on both ends, it's hard to imagine 20+ teams blowing up the phones in Minnesota. There are a few teams that:
1) Make theoretical sense for Russell's game
2) Have the contracts to at least get conversations started
The New York Knicks have been searching for a calming presence at point guard for ages; at the very least, a guy that can grease the wheels of an offense with pick-and-roll play. While an in-house option is staring them in the face &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I'm with you, Knick fans</a> &mdash; it wouldn't shock me to see the Knicks take a flier on a talent like Russell, especially if it doesn't cost a core piece.&nbsp;
The contracts of Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Nerlens Noel get you in the ballpark of Russell's number. The Knicks have the Mavericks' first rounder in 2023 &mdash; a likely low 20s pick &mdash; to toss in if the Wolves don't think that's enough.
In theory, you'd have Russell playing off the rim-battering of RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. Maybe you get a more unlocked Randle with someone that can thread the needle on tight-window passes more consistently.&nbsp;
The Wolves would be able to bolster their depth, adding some rim pressure (Rose), movement shooting (Burks) and a big that can do work in an aggressive scheme (Noel). The Knicks losing the latter would be buffered by the retention of Mitchell Robinson and the likely growth from Jericho Sims.
Quick question: Who's the best passer for the Los Angeles Clippers? Follow-up question: How many names did you list before naming an actual guard? The combined deals of Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard get you in the door. I can hear arguments about that already being too much for L.A. I'd argue that Russell gives you more on the playmaking front, gives you more size in the backcourt and helps your defense without tapping into your wing depth. Again, there's at least a conversation to be had.
If you're looking to pair Russell with a ball-dominant rim threat, how about Luka Doncic and Dallas? At worst, Russell could serve as a buffer to Jalen Brunson signing elsewhere. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dwight Powell would give the Wolves the movement shooting, plus big-man depth combination to bolster their supporting cast. I'd argue the Mavericks may have to throw in a pick, though they're a little light on that front.
Lastly, would you rather have Russell or Cole Anthony? Actually, don't answer that.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Nekias Duncan looks at potential landing spots for Wolves guard D'Angelo Russell this offseason.

Examining potential trade destinations for D'Angelo Russell

Luka Doncic didn&rsquo;t have another &ldquo;believe&rdquo; in him with the Mavericks facing a 2-0 deficit for a second consecutive series.
Not that the Dallas superstar doesn&rsquo;t believe. There&rsquo;s just a difference after&nbsp;losing a 19-point lead against title-tested Stephen Curry&nbsp;and the Golden State Warriors.
The Mavericks are headed home to try to stay in the Western Conference finals after they beat championship-less Chris Paul and Phoenix four times in five games, starting in Dallas, to get there. Game 3 against Golden State is Sunday night.
If Dallas is going to repeat what Doncic said he believed his team could pull off against the top-seeded Suns, it&rsquo;ll start with defense. The Mavericks got 42 points from their All-Star guard, but they quit defending the Warriors when the shots stopped falling.
Golden State shot 61% in the second half of a 126-117 victory &mdash; 79% in the fourth quarter, almost matching Phoenix from Game 2 in the West semifinals &mdash; as Dallas fell to 2-5 in Doncic&rsquo;s three playoff seasons when he scores at least 40.
&ldquo;We play defense when we play offense, and we play no defense when we can&rsquo;t score,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s something that we have to get better at this time of the year. You can get away with it in the regular season.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s a little something about offense Kidd wants the Mavericks to understand too. Always reliant on 3-point shooting, Dallas took its big lead because those shots were going in.
When the 3s stopped falling in the third quarter, Doncic and company kept shooting them. He missed a pair and Reggie Bullock was off on all three of his as Dallas ended up 2 of 13 from deep while a 14-point halftime lead was cut to two.
&ldquo;We got to attack the paint more, like they did,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;They attacked the paint a lot. They have two of the best shooters in the world, and they still attack the paint.&rdquo;
Curry did his thing with 32 points while fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson had another relatively quiet night with 15 points &mdash; except for two driving dunks after halftime.
When the Warriors didn&rsquo;t have free runs to the basket, center Kevon Looney was often waiting underneath. His career-high 21 points, regular season or playoffs, helped the Warriors to a 62-30 advantage in the paint, the most points the Mavericks have allowed inside in the postseason.
With 12 rebounds, Looney became the first Golden State center since Robert Parish in 1977 to have at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game, according to StatMuse.
&ldquo;Playing center for the Warriors, it&rsquo;s a different type of job from other teams,&rdquo; Looney said. &ldquo;A lot of the scoring and stuff, we don&rsquo;t really need us to do. I&rsquo;m going to remember that stat, so I can tell somebody else about it.&rdquo;
The Mavericks found a way to limit the efficiency of Deandre Ayton after a big game from the Suns center in the opener of that series.
The growing ineffectiveness of Dwight Powell (zero points, two rebounds in eight minutes in Game 2) has forced Dallas to go small. The Mavericks can&rsquo;t keep doing it if they can&rsquo;t limit Looney, who had five offensive rebounds and helped offset a dud from Draymond Green (minus-19 before fouling out with six points).
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the guys that no one writes about or talks about,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;But we understand the impact he has on the game of giving those guys second or third opportunities.&rdquo;
Golden State is 14-1 when leading a series 2-0 since Kerr took over in 2014-15. It is two wins from a return to the NBA Finals after the last of five consecutive appearances in 2019. The Warriors are in control because they won when trailing by as many as 19 for the first time in these playoffs.
&ldquo;Hopefully this is a game that we can kind of put in our back pocket and remember because there&rsquo;s a good chance we&rsquo;ll be in this situation again,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;This is a team that is explosive and you&rsquo;re dealing with one of the great players in the game who can create for himself and others, and it will be a hard series.&rdquo;

The Mavericks overcame an 0-2 deficit to beat the Suns in the last round. Can they do the same against the experienced Warriors?

Can the Mavericks climb out of an 0-2 hole once again?

The Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors couldn't be more different if they tried.
In one corner, you have the #BeautifulGame Warriors. Post splits and cuts galore. Glorious ball movement heightened by the hide-and-seek skills of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole. All three can boogie on you to varying degrees, but they're at their best when they're moving targets. You can't defend what you can't stay connected to.
The Warriors with Curry on the court blitzed the league to the tune of <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=201939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">116.0 points per 100 possessions</a> during the regular season, a mark that would've led the NBA. In the 129 minutes that Curry, Poole and Thompson <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=201939,202691,1629673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared the floor</a>, that number rose to 125.6.
On the other end, you have the methodical Mavericks. Luka Doncic leads the dance &mdash; he slightly trailed Joel Embiid for the NBA's usage rate title (37.5% to 36.8%), and is blowing away everyone this postseason (39.3%). While the Warriors dice you up with cuts and movement, the Mavericks make you pick your poison with countless ball-screens.
There&nbsp;is&nbsp;variety in the Dallas half-court attack. You'll see pindowns, stagger sets and Veer action for Reggie Bullock, for example. Even with those ball-screens, they'll flow between traditional high pick-and-rolls, Spain pick-and-rolls and sets that include an exit screen to further place strain on help defenders. A quick 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/dd006p" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That's nasty stuff from Dallas. Bullock as the lone shooter on the weak side to stress Tyrese Maxey as a helper. Jalen Brunson receiving the exit screen from Dorian Finney-Smith to occupy Seth Curry and&nbsp;Tobias Harris. It's a tough scene.
Luka-led offense is elite in its own right. The Mavs generated 115.7 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor during the regular season &mdash; slightly below the Curry-led figure, but still a number that would've topped the NBA if extrapolated.
Both teams will need to find answers, obviously.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Dallas found the right blend of switching, soft hedges and all-out traps to stifle the Phoenix Suns' vaunted half-court offense; the Warriors are a different challenge. Golden State has had to deal with a dynamic primary ball-handler already in Ja Morant, but Luka's size and passing ability throws a wrench into that equation.
While both teams approach offense differently, a common ground was found defensively during the regular-season meetings: Hunting the stars.
The Warriors were relentless. Doncic defended 65 picks (16.3 per game) in their meetings, with Golden State generating 1.05 points per possession (PPP) on those trips, per Second Spectrum. Only the Utah Jazz (23.3 per game), funny enough, went after him more frequently.
Curry "only" guarded 57 picks (14.3 per game) as the screener-defender during the regular-season series, with the Mavericks generating 1.00 PPP. The Clippers (12.3), Nets (11.0) and Heat (10.0, one game) were the only other teams to target him more than 10 times per contest.
Keep an eye on those Spain pick-and-rolls from the Mavericks. Well communicated switches are a way to contain the action, but how willing are the Warriors to do that when Bullock &mdash; Curry's likely matchup &mdash; is the back-screener?
<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/hurirb" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
You can see the cat-and-mouse above. It's common for the two perimeter players &mdash; in this case, Curry and Wiggins &mdash; to switch. But because the Warriors don't want to give that, it's a quick stunt-and-recover from Curry. Doncic is able to string it out while maintaining inside leverage on Wiggins, thus drawing the foul on the drive.&nbsp;
If show-and-recover is going to be the move, it'll be up to the Mavs to counter that. Doncic is good enough to drive past or string out that hedge, but there are built-in scheme things to do. With Bullock being a good movement shooter, don't be surprised if we see flare screens for him.
<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/bzmn32" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
This is a poor rep, but the template is clear &mdash; make Curry work. If Dwight Powell is able to connect on the flare screen, Bullock should have a open three, especially with Kevon Looney in a drop. If Looney steps up, that should be a drive opportunity for Bullock, or, if Curry switches onto Powell, it should be an opportunity for the ball to swing back to Doncic to set up another ball-screen.
For the Warriors, they may be able to attack that matchup a little cleaner. Doncic was often in a bit of a drop, or outright switched when they went after him. That could open up rolls or slips, particularly if they empty the corner first.
<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/qaswbd" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
They may also opt to keep their flow going. Doncic switching onto Curry is one thing; doing so then asking him to track him off ball is another thing entirely. If there's a positive to take from the Suns series, it's that making him navigate multiple actions within a possession can generate some goodness.
<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/0097of" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
There's plenty to discuss about how these superstars will be defended. Bullock or Finney-Smith will see plenty of Curry. Andrew Wiggins will likely start on Doncic, but we may see some Klay or Draymond Green mixed in.&nbsp;
But the most important battleground of the series is shaping up to be how&nbsp;they&nbsp;guard &mdash; specifically, how they guard each other.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Nekias Duncan previews this year's Western Conference Finals series between the Warriors and Mavericks.

Star hunting: How defense will determine Warriors-Mavs series outcome

Over the past few seasons, perhaps the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; favorite way to catalyze rhythm for star guard Devin Booker has been a Chicago action.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBv686s3kCc&amp;t=24s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago action</a>, a player flows off a pindown screen into a dribble handoff and assesses the options from there.
With Booker flanked by viable spot-up shooters like Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges, a lob threat in Deandre Ayton and a creation release valve in Chris Paul, most opponents struggle mightily to contain the Suns&rsquo; offense out of this play.&nbsp;
The &ldquo;pick your poison&rdquo; adage comes into focus. Sell out to slow Booker on the catch, and he&rsquo;ll deliver a feed to one of the surrounding marksmen. Load up against Ayton&rsquo;s dive and Booker can burrow his way toward a mid-range pull-up. Stay home against shooters, and Booker will loft a pass to Ayton at the rim.&nbsp;
In Game 1 of the second round, the Dallas Mavericks experienced this confounding spectrum. Booker only scored 23 points on 7 of 20 shooting, but he dished 8 dimes to a single giveaway for a 121-114 victory. As Booker conducted possessions out of Chicago action, the Suns routinely carved up Dallas.
In Game 5, when Booker scored 28 points on 11 of 20 shooting in a 110-80 rout, the Mavericks endured similar troubles. Much of the series, whenever he faced single coverage or Dallas failed to neutralize Ayton on the roll, the Suns&rsquo; attack flourished. Letting Booker maneuver into space on those plays, particularly going to his right, is often a death knell for defenses.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/0yj49q" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Although Booker&rsquo;s 30-point Game 2 arose more so out of pick-and-rolls, isolations and transition opportunities, Dallas&rsquo; ability (or lack thereof) to slow him in Chicago action proved to be somewhat of a bellwether for its collective success.
Sending a crowd in Booker&rsquo;s direction and mucking up his passing windows can consistently throw him for a loop. The Mavericks tout considerable size, length and mobility on the perimeter, which they applied to flummox the three-time All-Star (and his teammates). His worst outings of the series all stemmed from Dallas barricading the paint, bringing multiple bodies his way and coaxing improvisation out of him.
Utilizing his 6-foot-5 frame, snappy elevation for jumpers and feathery mid-range touch, Booker thrives against single coverage. He&rsquo;s also prone to predetermined reads as a facilitator. By limiting both of those scenarios, Dallas bottled him up. He&rsquo;s developed into a good passer, but a buffer period exists when the opening he seeks out is not there. The Mavericks reliably took away his anticipated choice, and cornered him and the Suns into resetting the offense.
If the lob to Ayton is readily available, he makes it look second-nature; when the lob isn&rsquo;t, possessions begin sticking. In Game 3, Booker took just 13 shots (18 points) throughout his 40 minutes and compiled 6 assists to 5 turnovers. Across Games 6 and 7, he scored 30 points on 40.9% True Shooting and had 5 assists to 12 turnovers.&nbsp;
Dallas extended his initial touch further from the paint, sagged off the shooter to his left and made him reverse course. Rarely did he locate the open teammate on the wing. The Mavericks know that read is a gap in his passing vision and exploited it. Paul&rsquo;s aversion to spot-up triples aided, and likely factored into, their game plan&nbsp; too.&nbsp;
The scouting department and coaching staff deserve massive praise for those tweaks, as do Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith. The former two&rsquo;s mobility and dexterity agitated Booker on the catch and pushed him away from the hoop; the latter two constantly stayed connected amid his off-ball motion and shrunk open space.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/xz1oai" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
All this defensive precision is a subplot of fashioning an offense so reliant on Luka Doncic&rsquo;s superlatives. The risk is he falters down the stretch in crunch-time of a tight contest. Everyone acknowledges that, and has watched it occur at times.&nbsp;
The positive, though, is how Luka's heliocentric approach preserves energy for everyone else and enables the Mavericks to play the hellacious defense they did for much of the second round (and this year). Had they been tasked with loftier offensive responsibilities, the defensive connectivity and timing may have suffered. Instead, their jobs were straightforward, and the defensive nuances headlined their checklist each night.
In Game 7, Dallas threw the kitchen sink at Booker (as well as at other points in this matchup). Paul clearly lacked the verve to boogie in ball-screens like he customarily would, so Booker emerged as Phoenix&rsquo;s primary offensive creator &mdash; a storyline that bubbled over the course of the series.&nbsp;
To stymie the Suns&rsquo; offense, the Mavericks repeatedly blitzed or trapped Booker and funneled offense to unsuitable decision-makers. Players like Bridges, Crowder and Torrey Craig received passes with Dallas&rsquo; defense still slightly recovering after a show or double-team. None of them proved adept to burn the Mavericks for that gambit.
Booker is an excellent player and a deserving All-Star. He will rightfully make his inaugural All-NBA appearance this season. But Phoenix&rsquo;s offense generally functions at its peak when Paul is orchestrating. Through increasingly applying full-court pressure against the Point God and targeting him on switches defensively, the Mavericks wore him down and disrupted the Suns&rsquo; offensive hierarchy.
Paul and Ayton have fostered <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/there-are-no-good-answers-for-the-chris-pauldeandre-ayton-duo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delightful synergy in pick-and-rolls</a>, while Paul&rsquo;s historically great passing wizardry sets up Bridges, Crowder and Cameron Johnson to work off advantages. Booker is, of course, the superior scorer, yet Dallas quelled his trademark play. In doing so, it thrust his shortcomings under the microscope and dared him to win as an elite decision-maker.&nbsp;
He couldn&rsquo;t, and Booker, along with the 64-win, top-seeded Suns, were sent home far earlier than they envisioned this postseason.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Jackson Frank digs into what the Mavericks did to stifle Devin Booker and the Suns' offense.

How the Mavericks slowed Devin Booker by forcing him to improvise

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic scored 26 points and the Dallas Mavericks took advantage of foul trouble for Chris Paul to beat the Phoenix Suns 111-101 on Sunday, evening the Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2.
Paul was out of Game 4 early in the fourth quarter, the period when he often dominated the Mavericks during an 11-game winning streak that ended with consecutive home victories for Dallas. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Dorian Finney-Smith scored a playoff career-high 24 points on the most 3-pointers he's had, regular season or playoffs. He was 8 of 12 from deep, including consecutive 3s for a 14-point lead midway through the fourth.
Dallas matched its 20 3s (20 of 44) from a Mother's Day rout of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011, a win that completed on a four-game sweep in the second round on the way to the championship. The Mavericks are playing beyond the first round for the first time since then.
Devin Booker scored 35 points for the Suns, who dropped two straight on road with a 2-0 lead just as they did in last year's NBA Finals. Milwaukee won the last four to take the title. Top-seeded Phoenix lost consecutive games for the first time in the playoffs.
Turnovers were the story with Paul in Dallas' Game 3 win, when the 37-year-old had the most in any half for his playoff career with seven before halftime.
This time it was fouls, and it started when coach Monty Williams put him back in the game with three in the final minute of the first half. Paul picked up his fourth just before the halftime buzzer when he tried to rebound his own miss and bumped Doncic.
Just 2 1/2 minutes into the second half, Williams had no choice but to use his challenge when Paul stopped and backed into Jalen Brunson as Paul started bringing the ball up the court. The fifth foul was upheld on review.
The sixth also came against Brunson just a minute and a half after Paul had returned in the fourth. Paul finished with five points.
Booker kept the Suns close into the fourth quarter despite long stretched without his backcourt mate, but Doncic eventually wore them down with post-ups and other drives for buckets or assists. He had 11 assists.
TECH HAPPY
Official James Williams called three technicals in the first half. The first was on Doncic, who couldn't believe there wasn't a call when Ayton crunched him and Jae Crowder flung him to the floor in the same sequence. Doncic had words for Williams also before getting the tech.
Booker got one for keeping his elbow up in Dwight Powell's face when he jumped into Powell to draw a foul after the Dallas center fell for the pump fake. Powell picked up the third after he was called for an offensive foul on a rebound.
TIP-INS
Suns: Crowder kept Phoenix afloat early when the Mavericks were shooting better than 60% from 3, hitting a couple from deep. He finished with 15. Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Mavericks: Finney-Smith's five 3s in the first half were his most in any half in his career, regular season or playoffs. ... Brunson scored 18 points. Davis Bertans started 4 of 4 from 3 and finished with 12 points.

The Dallas Mavericks pushed their series even with the Phoenix Suns with a big-time Game 4 victory.

Doncic, Mavs beat foul-plagued Paul, Suns to even series 2-2

During the Miami Heat&rsquo;s first-round dispatching of the Atlanta Hawks, Bam Adebayo showcased precisely why he finished among the top-five in Defensive Player of the Year voting this year. His perimeter mobility, length and wide-ranging ground coverage walled off drives for Trae Young and rendered a top-three regular-season offense untenable.&nbsp;
In three of those contests though, Adebayo took nine or fewer shots, including two games with a combined 11 shots and 15 points. Miami didn&rsquo;t encounter much trouble coasting past Atlanta, but Adebayo surely wasn&rsquo;t casting his holistic All-Star-caliber imprint upon the series.
Against the Philadelphia 76ers, Adebayo has been the series&rsquo; best player en route to a pair of blowout victories. Through two games, the 24-year-old is tallying 23.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals on 80% True Shooting. He&rsquo;s averaging 10.5 shots and 9.5 free throws, notable leaps from the 8.4 shots and 4.4 free throws he averaged during Round 1.&nbsp;
With Joel Embiid sidelined, the Sixers&rsquo; other options at center &mdash; DeAndre Jordan, Paul Reed, Millsap and Tobias Harris &mdash; are ill-equipped to contain Adebayo offensively. Some are too slow to track him (Jordan, Millsap). Others are too small (Millsap, Harris). Another is too inexperienced as he garners his first extended trial of playoff basketball (Reed).&nbsp;
Jordan&rsquo;s idle nature as a drop defender exposes him in pick-and-rolls. Harris lacks the length to alter the Heat center&rsquo;s finishes. Reed, prone to overzealous tendencies, has fallen for quite a few pump-fakes and has sent Adebayo to the foul line. Together, they&rsquo;ve all proven incapable of neutralizing or slowing his interior scoring prowess.&nbsp;
Adebayo isn&rsquo;t doing anything radically different to generate these heightened scoring numbers. He&rsquo;s just flourishing against a greatly beneficial matchup and amplifying Miami&rsquo;s leading perimeter duo of Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/8s8wdq" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
His timing and discretion as a roller have been crucial too. He routinely picks the optimal angle or path from which to begin his dives and sets hulking screens. Butler, Herro, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus have all been recipients of his excellent screening, and his keen understanding of when to migrate toward the rim eases the burden for ball-handlers.&nbsp;
With seven screen assists through two second-round duels (per NBA.com), only Deandre Ayton (10), Giannis Antetokounmpo (10) and Dwight Powell (8) have more. Scoff at that statistic to your heart&rsquo;s desire, but there&rsquo;s a degree of utility in it. Adebayo&rsquo;s screening is integral to the prosperity of Miami&rsquo;s half-court offense, which is not flooded with standstill creators and requires him to aid perimeter scorers in their quest for space.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
He&rsquo;s also snagged six offensive boards in two games while also occupying the attention of defenders to spring free teammates to gobble up second chances instead. Not only is Adebayo excelling in the glamor category of scoring, he&rsquo;s checking the boxes of grunge-work like screening and rebounding.&nbsp;
The Sixers likely want nothing to do with him the rest of the series. While they can&rsquo;t control how he imposes himself offensively, they&rsquo;ve quickly made evident their intention to avoid him defensively.&nbsp;
Among the sporadic instances in which he&rsquo;s directly involved in a possession, the way he vibrantly and aggressively embraces switches has flustered Philadelphia. He&rsquo;s erased driving angles numerous times and omnisciently roamed in help. Tyrese Maxey has struggled to attack downhill against him (though Maxey, with 34 points, was stellar in Game 2). Adebayo consistently obstructs assignments from turning the corner against him.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/i8eo5b" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The All-Star&rsquo;s brightest defensive superlative in this series has been his deterrence. Philadelphia&rsquo;s clear preference is to exclude him from the action altogether. According to NBA.com, he&rsquo;s been a primary defender for ~184 possessions, and those players have only attempted 17 shots against him. As a team, the Sixers have scored 155 points, good for 84.2 points per 100 possessions.&nbsp;
Most often, when Adebayo switches onto someone, they hardly even look to create and remain far removed from any threatening scoring position. As such, he can retreat to a free safety role, complicating passing windows and disincentivizing driving lanes.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/wbp4kz" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Whether it&rsquo;s Jordan, Reed, Millsap or Matisse Thybulle, Philadelphia is playing someone (or multiple someones) that Miami feels comfortable disregarding to suppress whatever Maxey, Harris or James Harden are looking to do. Adebayo is the man often tasked as a helper to further suppress those efforts.
During Adebayo&rsquo;s 67 minutes in this series, the Heat have outscored the Sixers, 166-125. During his 29 minutes on the pine, Philadelphia has outscored Miami, 70-59. He&rsquo;s the biggest (available) differentiator between a competitive pair of games and two double-digit wins for Miami.&nbsp;
Embiid&rsquo;s unfortunate absence pervades across various angles of this matchup. But it&rsquo;s perhaps been most pronounced in Adebayo&rsquo;s play, given the multifaceted manner in which he&rsquo;s overwhelming the Sixers. Until or if the big fella returns, these problems will likely persist for Philadelphia and continue to behoove Miami.&nbsp;
With Adebayo at the heart of everything, the Heat are in control, two wins away from their second conference finals appearance in three seasons.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Bam Adebayo has been a difference-maker for the Miami Heat in Round 2, and Jackson Frank explains precisely why.

Bam Adebayo stands at the core of the Heat's second-round dominance

The top-seeded Phoenix Suns were braced for another fourth-quarter playoff fight on Wednesday night.
Chris Paul turned it into an early knockout.
The 12-time All-Star scored 28 points, including 14 in another spectacular final quarter, to lead the Suns over the Dallas Mavericks 129-109 for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Paul, a 12-time All-Star who turns 37 years old on Friday, almost single-handedly turned a tight game into a comfortable victory &mdash; the Suns' 11th win in a row against the Mavericks counting regular-season games.
&ldquo;You've just got to lean on the work," Paul said. &ldquo;It all goes back to the work. You can't cheat the game. You've got to do the strength and conditioning, you've got to lift, you've got to get your rest, you got to get your shots up.
"When you do that, you live with the results.&rdquo;
Suns guard Devin Booker said he's run out of ways to describe Paul's fourth-quarter heroics.
&ldquo;You guys tell me, you're watching the same thing,&rdquo; Booker said. "It impresses us every time we see it, but it doesn't surprise us. It's just the will to win.&rdquo;
The Mavs led 60-58 at halftime but the Suns quickly recaptured the lead after Booker hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third. The Suns took an 89-83 advantage going into the final quarter and it looked like a tough fight was coming.
But that's about the time Paul decided the game was his to control, hitting six shots in a row on everything from 3-pointers to mid-range jumpers to layups. The feisty Mavericks finally didn't have an answer. Booker hit a pair of 3-pointers midway through the fourth to give the Suns a 114-95 lead.
Booker led the Suns with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. The Suns shot 64.5% overall &mdash; which was a franchise record in the playoffs &mdash; and made 52% of their 3-pointers. They shot 84% from the field (16 of 19) in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;We have good players,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;I'd love to sit here and tell you I'm moving the chess pieces around, but we have good players who can knock down shots.&rdquo;
Game 3 is on Friday in Dallas.
The Mavericks will go home in a 2-0 hole, desperately needing contributions from someone other than Luka Doncic, who scored 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting two nights after a 45-point performance in Game 1.
&ldquo;He had a great game, but no one else showed,&rdquo; Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;We've got to get other guys shooting the ball better. We can't win with just him out there scoring 30 a night. Not this time of the year and playing the best team in the league.&rdquo;
Reggie Bullock added 16 points for the Mavs.
&ldquo;The mood is fine,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;I think a lot of players, it's the first time in this situation. They've got to win four, so it's not over yet. We are going to go back home, our crowd is amazing.&rdquo;
The Suns jumped out to a 9-0 lead for a second straight game, but the Mavericks had a better response than in Game 1.
Dallas slowly fought back and Spencer Dinwiddie hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 38. Davis Bertans followed with a 3-pointer with 7:56 left in the second quarter to give the Mavs a 41-38 advantage and their first lead of the series.
The Mavs took a two-point lead after a foul-filled first half. Doncic scored 24 before the break on 9-of-14 shooting, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Jae Crowder led the Suns with 15.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Bertans gave the Mavs good minutes in the first half, scoring nine points and going 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. ... Doncic briefly turned and stared down a Suns heckler late in the third quarter when he was walking off the playing floor into the tunnel. Doncic was quickly ushered away from the fan by Dallas team personnel.
Suns: Shot 64.7% from the field in the first quarter. ... Crowder picked up a technical foul in the second quarter. Ayton was called for a flagrant 1 foul after being called for an offensive foul, catching Dwight Powell in the face with his elbow. ... Phoenix hosted a sellout crowd for a 31st straight game.

Chris Paul scored 28 points, including 14 in another spectacular final quarter, to lead the Suns over the Mavericks 129-109.

Paul has another stellar fourth, Suns blow past Mavs 129-109

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Wednesday's postseason slate.
Miami Heat (-8) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Without Joel Embiid, Philadelphia is completely unrecognizable. After being blown out in Game 1, we&rsquo;re expecting more of the same tonight in South Beach. James Harden is already having a tough go of it against Miami&rsquo;s tenacious on-ball defense.
<blockquote class="q4-performance" data-theme="dark" data-sport="basketball" data-q4="c03195f8-eff1-3eb5-9e2c-2e83eea88219" data-gid="6167e6b9-6a64-473b-90f3-9af2af05e8b3" data-server="api.quarter4.io">
&nbsp;
&mdash; Wednesday, May 04th Philadelphia 76ers @ Miami Heat</blockquote>

<script src="https://api.quarter4.io/basketball/widget/embed/6167e6b9-6a64-473b-90f3-9af2af05e8b3/v1.js"></script>

With so much pressure on the Sixers&rsquo; backcourt to deliver, the Heat&rsquo;s all-around effort will simply overwhelm them in this spot. As a best bet for Wednesday&rsquo;s postseason slate, feel comfortable locking in the Heat to cover and eventually win by double-digits.
Pick: Heat -8
Player Props: James Harden over 22.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 19.5 points, Tyrese Maxey over 3.5 assists, Max Strus over 2.5 threes
Phoenix Suns (-6.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Somehow, Game 1 ended up being way closer than it should have been. Phoenix still covered, but there were stretches where the top overall seed was dominating Dallas on both ends of the court with ease. The Suns locked-in at that level are simply unstoppable, and it&rsquo;s hard to envision how the Mavericks can keep up with them throughout a long series.
Devin Booker is back to 100% following his strained hamstring, and he&rsquo;s due for a bounce-back performance from an inefficient game on Monday night. All roads are leading to the Suns winning by a wide margin, so lock it in with our projection.
Pick: Suns -6.5
Player Props: Luka Doncic over 33.5 points, Devin Booker over 25.5 points, Deandre Ayton over 18.5 points, Dwight Powell over 3.5 rebounds
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Who are the best bets for Wednesday night's NBA playoff games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 5/4/22

Luka Doncic had 33 points and 13 rebounds in his first home playoff game coming off a calf injury and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Utah Jazz 102-77 on Monday night for a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Doncic made his series debut in Game 4 at Utah, when the Jazz scored the last five points in the final 31 seconds for a one-point win that evened the series.
After the first four games were decided by eight points or less, Game 5 was never really close, thanks to Utah&rsquo;s nearly six-minute scoreless drought in the second quarter that fueled a 22-4 Dallas run on the way to a 52-36 halftime lead.
Game 6 is Thursday night in Salt Lake City, with the Jazz regaining their formidable home-court edge, but facing the long odds of just 18% of teams winning a series after dropping the fifth game when the teams split the first four.
The Mavericks haven&rsquo;t advanced in the postseason since winning the 2011 championship. Utah is in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, but hasn&rsquo;t gone past the second round.
Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points and Rudy Gobert added 17 points and 11 rebounds in the lowest-scoring game for the Jazz since they lost by 50 at Dallas (118-68) on Nov. 14, 2018. They were 3 of 30 from 3-point range (10%) and shot 38% overall.
Donovan Mitchell, who averaged 30 points in the first four games, scored just nine and missed all seven of his 3-pointers before limping to the locker room holding the area around his left knee in the fourth quarter.
The frustration boiled over for Utah when Hassan Whiteside was ejected following a hard foul on Doncic in the fourth quarter.
Whiteside was assessed two technical fouls after shoving Dorian Finney-Smith and going nose-to-nose with Reggie Bullock as coaches from both sides frantically tried to keep players separated. Finney-Smith and Bullock also got technicals, and Bullock was ejected because it was his second of the game.
Jalen Brunson, who carried most of the offensive load for Dallas when Doncic was sidelined, scored 24 points. Finney-Smith added 13, and Dwight Powell got the crowd going early with all eight of his points on 4-of-4 shooting in the first.
Doncic, his left calf covered in a black wrap under white leggings, kept a raucous crowd rolling with several nifty moves and high-arcing 3-pointers.
The first highlight came late in the first half when Doncic drove all the way to the rim with Gobert guarding him, stopped and faked the 7-foot-1 center several times before turning his back to the basket and spinning a reverse layup off the glass and in as Gobert fouled him.
The exclamation point was in the third quarter, when Doncic hit consecutive 3s for a 74-46 lead, doing a shimmy in front of the fans to his left after the second one went in. The 23-year-old sensation swished another 3 for a 79-46 lead right after blocking Jordan Clarkson&rsquo;s shot from deep.
Doncic left to a standing ovation after committing a foul on purpose to stop the game with a 29-point Dallas lead in the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Gobert, who was fined $25,000 for using profanity in a live TV interview after Utah&rsquo;s Game 4, was serenaded by fans several times with a chant involving a less offensive profane word. One of the chants came during free throws, when Gobert made one of two. ... After dominating the boards in the first two games, Utah has slowly surrendered its edge as the series has progressed. The Mavs outrebounded them 49-40.
Mavericks: G Frank Ntilikina was available for the first time in the series after being out with a non-COVID-19 illness. ... NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Arizona&rsquo;s Kyler Murray were seven seats apart on the first row opposite the Utah bench. Troy Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl winner for Dallas in the 1990s, attended along with former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, who has an ownership stake in the Jazz.&nbsp;

Luka Doncic had 33 points and 13 rebounds in his first home playoff game coming off a calf injury and the Mavericks routed the Jazz.

Doncic scores 33, Mavs rout Jazz 102-77 for 3-2 series lead

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Rudy Gobert gave Utah the lead with an alley-oop dunk with 11.0 seconds left and the Jazz held off the Dallas Mavericks 100-99 on Saturday in Game 4 to tie the first-round series.
Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Dallas.
Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points for Utah, Donovan Mitchell added 23 points and seven assists, and Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds &mdash; 10 off the offensive glass. Gobert was 3 of 8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and 9 of 18 overall.
Dallas star Luka Doncic scored 30 points, 10 rebounds four assists in his return from a three-game absence because of strained left calf. Jalen Brunson added 23 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Reggie Bullock had 11 points apiece.
Game 5 is Monday night in Dallas.
After going 3 1/2 minutes without a basket, the Jazz took a 95-94 lead on Mitchell's layup with 1:27 remaining. Doncic answered with back-to-back baskets to put Dallas up 99-95.
Mitchell converted a three-point play to bring Utah within one. Powell missed a pair of free throws with 19.8 seconds left, opening the door for Gobert&rsquo;s winner.
TIP INS
Mavericks: Finney-Smith scored all 11 of his points in the third quarter. &hellip; Brunson is averaging 29.8 points per game during the postseason. &hellip; Dallas went 5 of 24 from 3-point range in the first half. &hellip; Maxi Kleber fouled out with 4:19 left.
Jazz: Mitchell was held to three baskets over the final three quarters. He went 3 of 14 from the field in that stretch, &hellip; Utah outscored Dallas 35-13 in bench points.

A Rudy Gobert dunk in the closing seconds lifted the Utah Jazz over the Dallas Mavericks in a critical Game 4.

Jazz beat Mavericks to tie series, spoil Doncic's return

Luka Doncic will be able to play for the Dallas Mavericks in their regular-season finale after the NBA office rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season Saturday, wiping out an automatic one-game suspension.
The Mavericks, already guaranteed opening the playoffs at home, host San Antonio on Sunday night. They still have the possibility of moving up to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
It was the second time this season that the league rescinded a technical foul called against the All-Star guard.
Doncic got his latest tech at the end of the first quarter of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/portland-trail-blazers-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-dwight-powell-31232475634dbd80712fb1e410a0bc74">Mavericks' 128-78 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers</a> on Friday night. He was upset there was no foul called after he was undercut and knocked down when taking a shot from beyond midcourt.
Crew chief Tony Brothers, who issued the tech, told a pool reporter after the game that Doncic wouldn&rsquo;t stop complaining.
&ldquo;He started to complain to each of the officials. When I was walking toward the table, he was 15 feet in the backcourt still complaining, so he got a technical for continuously complaining,&rdquo; Brothers said, adding that there was no profanity used by Doncic.
Doncic, who had 39 points and 11 rebounds while playing only three quarters, <a href="https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1512633105198297090?s=20&amp;t=GWrr0FtZCDa_dxRLs_EXXA">said after the game that he was just asking how the play wasn't a foul</a> on the quarter-ending play.
After taking an inbound pass in the backcourt with 2.6 seconds left in the first quarter, Doncic moved by Elijah Hughes, who reached in and then appeared to stumble. That led to contact with Doncic, who was then in the air and fell on his rear end while the shot was no good.
As soon as he fell, Doncic extended both of his arms and pleaded his case to the referee closest to him. He then got up and went to talk to Brothers.

Luca Doncic had his latest technical foul rescinded, allowing him to play in Sunday's season finale.

Doncic can play in Mavs' finale after NBA rescinds 16th tech

Award talk is ramping up as the season winds down. We all love debating these topics, but that's also the bad news. We&nbsp;all love debating these topics. Fun conversations devolve into bad-faith arguments if you aren't careful.&nbsp;
(Are you even online, watching television, having conversations with friends, if you aren't being bombarded with "Player X is the obvious, no-questions-asked MVP" arguments?)
I won't act like I'm above the awards talk &mdash; <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a> will be having an awards episode later this week &mdash; but this also seems like a good time to go off the beaten path since everyone's talking about the major awards.
Basketball is a simple game in its own right, but it is ruled by microskills. Wins and losses are decided by which teams &mdash; which players &mdash; can fill their roles the best. It would only make sense, then, to dig deeper and highlight players who are excelling within those roles.
With that in mind, I elicited the help of resident smart guys Jackson Frank and Mark Schindler to hand out some skill-specific awards. Before digging in, let's do some housekeeping.
<ul>
<li>We do not hate your favorite players. If they are not mentioned, it is simply because they weren't held in as high of a regard as the players who are mentioned.</li>
<li>To that point, there will be honorable mentions listed. That doesn't mean they are the&nbsp;only&nbsp;players worthy of that distinction.</li>
<li>You're more than welcome to disagree with these choices! That's the fun of it. Heck, we&nbsp;didn't have the same guys or order for these awards, but we were able to whittle things down.</li>
</ul>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Now, let's hand out some awards.
BEST SCREENER: DOMANTAS SABONIS
Honorable mentions: Steven Adams, Rudy Gobert, Bam Adebayo, Nikola Vucevic
I'll never forget Caitlin Cooper's article on Domas <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2019/12/2/20991829/domantas-sabonis-indiana-pacers-art-of-screening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sabonis' screening</a> back in 2019. To that point, it was one of the first &mdash; if not the&nbsp;first &mdash; deep dive I've seen on someone's screening.
She touched on the sheer volume of screens Sabonis set; his sense of flipping the angle on screens to pry ball-handlers open. Knowing when to slip if defenses went with more aggressive coverages. Those astute observations remain true roughly three years later.
<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/x3m3e2" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Sabonis is more of a revolving door than a brick wall, but his ability to do both at a high level is what earns him this distinction. He only ranks <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle/?sort=SCREEN_ASSISTS&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third in screen assists</a> (5.5) this season, though he's led the NBA in each of the past two seasons.
It's worth pointing out the prowess of Rudy Gobert, who leads the NBA in screen assists (6.4). He's long been an underrated linchpin of Utah's offensive success. Heck, it feels like he's the reason screen assists have become part of the non-casual fan's vernacular.
Nobody has set more on-ball picks than Nikola Vucevic (3,167) this season, per Second Spectrum. His work with freeing Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan has been invaluable, especially at the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-demar-derozans-dagger-dime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">end of games</a>.
If you're a fan of bone-crushing screens, look no further than Steven Adams and Bam Adebayo. Second Spectrum tracks the percentage of screens that a defender "dies on"; it should come as no surprise that Adams leads the NBA by a solid margin (5.7%) among high-volume screeners, while Adebayo ranks third (3.9%). Quick hat tip to Kevon Looney (4.7%) for being sandwiched between those two; he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kevon-looney-the-warriors-unsung-hero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deserves more love</a>.
BEST SCREEN NAVIGATOR: HERB JONES
Honorable mentions: Alex Caruso, Mikal Bridges, Gary Payton II
The NBA is a pick-and-roll game. With the heightened emphasis on spacing and three-point shooting (linked, but not the same thing), elite ball-handlers have more room to operate. Add in the fluctuating scale of physicality allowed from defenders, and it's pretty darn hard to contain people.
The fact that Herb Jones, a second-round draft pick, is already among the NBA's elite defenders is flat-out insane. You simply can't keep this guy out of a play unless you have a crowbar present.&nbsp;
He does a phenomenal job of staying attached to ball-handlers. He's able to re-connect if he's bumped on screens, but also has the length to duck under picks and offer strong contests anyway.
<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/tnuxw8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
If you want a number, let's go back to the die-on-screen percentage. Among 28 players who have faced at least 1,000 picks this season, only Desmond Bane (0.6%) has been washed out less frequently than Jones (0.9%).
There's some context needed. Players in heavy switching schemes will naturally have a lower percentage than those who have to fight over screens while their big drops back. Even if you filter only for the screens being fought over, Jones has a top-five mark among high-volume defenders (minimum 300 picks fought over), per Second Spectrum.
Now, factor in Jones getting the opposing team's best perimeter option; because of that, Jones defends more picks per 100 possessions (29.7) than Bane does (22.4). He should be getting legit All-Defense love.
The same could be said for Alex Caruso before injuries derailed his season. During the Bulls' run as the East's top seed, Caruso set the table with his gnarly defense at the point of attack.
Mikal Bridges likely&nbsp;will&nbsp;make an All-Defensive team this year for his work. He doesn't miss games, he plays high minutes and he relishes the matchups he's tasked with.&nbsp;
There may not be a better point-of-attack defender than Gary Payton II on a per-possession basis, though he gets dinged a bit for his lack of workload.
BEST HELP DEFENDER: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Honorable mentions: Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, Evan Mobley
Here's a minute's worth of help rotations from Giannis this year. Hit me up on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@NekiasNBA</a>) and let me know which clip is the one that makes you laugh, because it will absolutely happen.
<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/26ovwa" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
It remains wild to me that this can be considered a down year for Giannis, and he's still been one of the most destructive forces in basketball. He's had to toggle more roles this year with the extended absence of Brook Lopez. When tasked with being an off-ball roamer &mdash; his best role &mdash; he's been able to blow things up.
It's been a pretty wild year for mess-cleaner Rudy Gobert. He is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defensive-impact/?sort=DEF_RIM_FG_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;CF=DEF_RIM_FGA*GE*4&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of three players</a> defending at least four shots at the rim (7.0) and allowing a field-goal percentage under 50% (49.9%); Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr. (4.8, 49.6%) and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-isaiah-hartenstein-is-the-clippers-secret-weapon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Hartenstein</a> (4.7, 47.6%) are the others.
The same can be said for Robert Williams III (get well soon!), whose deployment on weak shooters has unlocked his prowess as a shot-blocker. That hack has been a pretty big part of Boston's elite defense.
It feels like some of the shine is wearing off of Evan Mobley's campaign. He's been more of an anchor than helper since Jarrett Allen has gone down; don't sleep on what he's been able to do in the helper role though. His unique blend of size, length, mobility and discipline has allowed him to shut things down. Whether he's rotating from the weak side or causing havoc as part of the zone, he's already one of the most feared defenders in the league.
Kudos are in order for the work Draymond Green and Marcus Smart put in. They are two of the best communicators in the NBA, able to call out opposing sets and direct switches to flatten out actions. Neither are traditional weak-side rim-protectors, but Green wins with his positioning and verticality while Smart takes charges like he doesn't give a single [expletive] about his well-being.
SHORT-ROLL THREAT: NIKOLA JOKIC
Honorable mentions: Joel Embiid, Dwight Powell, Deandre Ayton
In normal circumstances, I'd call Jokic a basketball computer due to his ability to map the floor and make great decisions on a whim. In light of the banter around the MVP conversation, it's probably best to keep Jokic and "computer" out of the same sentence.
With no Jamal Murray, you don't see Denver ball-handlers get all-out trapped too often. But on the occasions that Jokic is able to face a 4-on-3, 3-on-2 or 2-on-1, the inevitablitity pops out. What do you with a player with Jokic's passing chops and intermediate scoring ability?
<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/c2ktxl" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
You pray. That's what you do.
His MVP-candidate counterpart in Joel Embiid doesn't exhibit the same skill as a passer, but he brings the funk as a scorer. Whether it's bullying smaller defenders at the rim, or slowing things down to sprinkle in pull-up jumpers, scrambling defenses don't have much of a shot.
Deandre Ayton has made real strides as a scorer in these situations. If we want to talk about intermediate scoring, you have to shine line on his career-high 59.0% clip on shots between 3 to 10 feet.
And then, there's Dwight Powell. He's generating well over 1.2 points per possession when shooting or passing out of a trapped ball-screen, a number sandwiched between Jokic and Embiid. He's long been one of the NBA's underrated roll men; his improvements as a passer have nearly made trapping Luka-led pick-and-rolls untenable.
BEST DRIVER: LUKA DONCIC
Honorable mentions: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ja Morant
Speaking of Luka, he narrowly edged out our candidates as the NBA's best driver. It's become commonplace to describe a lead ball-handler as one that plays at their own pace &mdash; oddly enough, sub-elite athletes seem to make up 100% of the list of those players. But Luka really does.&nbsp;
He doesn't blow past you; he freakin'&nbsp;bodies you while going 6 miles per hour, then contorts his body for rim finishes or dimes to open teammates.
<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/t83iuu" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Doncic ranks <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second in the NBA</a> in drives (22.4), leads the NBA in assists via drives (3.0) and is converting 55.3% of his shots off drives. That 55.3% clip ranks fifth among 53 players averaging at least 10 drives a game.
If Luka's style isn't your speed, I'd once again like to present Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the NBA's funkiest driver. Differing stride lengths, off-foot gathers, quicker-than-usual scoop shots against unsuspecting defenders. He's got the juice, man.
<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/2dme79" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
SGA's got the stats, too. He leads the NBA in drives and free-throw attempts drawn, and boasts a comically low turnover rate despite passing at a higher rate than Trae Young.
And then there's Ja Morant, who glides through the air like he belongs there. He's the NBA's leader in paint points for a reason.
<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/2rl8zi" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Three unique talents with contrasting driving styles. You truly love to see it.
BEST PASSER: TRAE YOUNG
Honorable mentions: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Chris Paul
While we're on Trae Young, there's nobody in the league doing what he's doing right now. He may just join Nate "Tiny" Archibald as the second player to lead the NBA in total points and assists. And to the latter point, he gets the "best passer" tag for being able to make every read in the book while being my size.
<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/h7q9gz" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Teams are geared to defend Young. They throw size on him. They trap him. They pre-rotate to take away his common reads, and yet, he counters all of your counters. He's the NBA's premier lob-thrower while being a skip-pass savant. He doesn't need to see over your defense because he already knows where everyone is.
If you do enjoy the advantage of looking over the top of defenders, it's hard to argue against Luka Doncic. There really isn't a coverage you can play that prevents him from dotting you up. A growing favorite: watching Doncic get trapped, only for him to casually string it out before tossing a dart.
<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/ox5dc5" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
I'm not sure there's much more to be said about Nikola Jokic at this point. Between his long distance hookups after boards and preternatural sense for finding cutters, it's been&nbsp;time to discuss where he ranks among the top passers of all-time, period. He's top five in my book, and that's probably conservative.
Oh, right, Chris Paul is leading the NBA in assists without really turning the ball over. Another year in the office.
BEST DUNKER: MILES BRIDGES
Honorable mentions: Giannis Antetokounmpo, KJ Martin, Obi Toppin, Jarrett Allen
It is hard not to enjoy the musical stylings of Miles Bridges. It is also hard not to enjoy the musical&nbsp;stylings of Miles Bridges.
I could bore you with the numbers, like him being one of four non-bigs to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022_shooting.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rank in the top 15</a> of total dunks (13th, 116). But honestly, just look at what this dude does with a runway. It's skillful violence.
<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/0c90xz" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The combination of power and pretty (he has some fire&nbsp;windmills in his film) gives him the edge over the inevitability of Giannis (third, 174) and Jarrett Allen (fourth, 164), as well as the suddenness of KJ Martin (15th, 111) and Obi Toppin (23rd, 93).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Nekias Duncan, Jackson Frank and Mark Schindler team up to hand out some skill-specific awards for the 2021-22 season.

Introducing the 2021-22 NBA Superlative Awards

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic continues to feel right at home when he&rsquo;s facing the Milwaukee Bucks, even when his Dallas Mavericks are on the road facing a fourth-quarter deficit.
Doncic scored 32 points and matched a season high with 15 assists to help the Mavericks defeat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks 118-112 on Sunday.
&ldquo;Obviously, when you play against superstars like Giannis today, you always have extra motivation,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a champion, a two-time MVP.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Milwaukee was essentially at full strength Sunday after resting all of its usual starters in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-amir-coffey-04314a6d25c3feecb162c802fbb5120e">153-119 loss </a> to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Doncic flirted with a triple-double before finishing with eight rebounds. In six career games against the Bucks, Doncic has averaged 26.8 points, 11.3 assists and 9.2 rebounds with three triple-doubles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the most talented players in the league, one of the most talented players probably ever to play this game,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo added that &ldquo;we tried to make it tough for him, but he played well.&rdquo;
Dallas&rsquo; Dwight Powell added 22 points and 13 rebounds &mdash; one off his career high &mdash; and the Mavericks bounced back two days after a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-washington-wizards-nba-sports-jason-kidd-77c63b8a4a0a560dca39ed8cd8dc0c58">135-103 loss</a> at Washington.
&ldquo;On the road against the champs, it&rsquo;s a hard place to win, especially after we had that performance in Washington,&rdquo; Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;This group in the locker room knows they can respond."
After a basket by Bobby Portis briefly gave the Bucks a one-point lead early in the fourth, Doncic led the Mavericks back by scoring or assisting on each of Dallas&rsquo; first 11 points in the final period.
Doncic hit a 3-pointer to put the Mavericks back ahead 93-91 with 9:04 left. He made a pair of free throws just over a minute later to make it 95-91. He capped the 8-0 run by finding Dorian Finney-Smith for a corner 3-pointer with 7:20 left.
Antetokounmpo made two free throws to cut the margin to five, but Doncic found Reggie Bullock for a corner 3-pointer that extended Dallas&rsquo; lead to 101-93 with 6:55 remaining.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s able to pick apart whatever a defense is throwing at him,&rdquo; said Jalen Brunson, who scored 15 points for the Mavericks.
Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday sank a 3-pointer to cut the Mavericks&rsquo; lead to 101-98 midway through the fourth quarter. Powell responded by converting a conventional three-point play to make it 104-98 with 5:52 remaining.
The margin didn&rsquo;t drop below five the rest of the way.
Bullock had 16 points and Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 each for the Mavericks. Holiday had 20, Portis 17, Brook Lopez 14, Pat Connaughton 12 and Khris Middleton 11 for the Bucks.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Maxi Kleber didn&rsquo;t play due to a sore right ankle. ... Mavericks coach Jason Kidd congratulated former Dallas coach Del Harris for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Saturday, but said it&rsquo;s about time another former Mavericks coach gets honored as well. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all excited for him and his family because he should have been in there a long time ago,&rdquo; Kidd said before the game. &ldquo;The next guy we have to try to get in is Dick Motta. He should be in, too, a coach that maybe didn&rsquo;t do the politic thing, but he came to work every day and so he&rsquo;s the one that should be in the Hall of Fame next. Hopefully we can get him in.&rdquo; ... This was Kidd&rsquo;s first game in Milwaukee as a visiting head coach since the end of his own Bucks tenure. Kidd, who&rsquo;s in his first season with Dallas, coached the Bucks from 2015-18.
Bucks: Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s season scoring average remained at 30.1 points. He entered the day ranked second in the league to LeBron James (30.3). Philadelphia&rsquo;s Joel Embiid was averaging 30.0 points. Antetokounmpo has never won the scoring title.
CLOSE CALL
The Mavericks were leading 106-101 with 4:47 left when Holiday was called for fouling Doncic on a 3-point attempt. The Bucks challenged the call, but officials determined after looking at the replay that Holiday had made contact with Doncic&rsquo;s head.
Doncic made all three of his ensuing free throws.
&ldquo;Jrue told me after the game, &lsquo;You&rsquo;re welcome for the haircut,'" Doncic quipped. &ldquo;But he got me a little bit, though. I think that&rsquo;s a foul.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Detroit on Wednesday. The Mavericks will be completing a four-game trip before finishing the regular season with two home games.
Bucks: At Chicago on Tuesday. The Bucks are 3-0 against the Bulls this season.

Luka Doncic scored 32 points to help the Mavericks defeat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks 118-112.

Doncic leads Mavericks to 118-112 victory over Bucks

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic knows the Mavericks haven't had home-court advantage in the playoffs since the young superstar came to Dallas.
Coach Jason Kidd might remember the last time the club did, since he was the point guard on the team that won the 2011 championship.
The Mavericks took an important step toward the elusive top half of the Western Conference playoff picture Sunday night.
Doncic scored 32 points and the Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100 for the inside track to the fourth seed in what could be a first-round playoff matchup.
The Mavericks (46-29) moved a game ahead of the Jazz (45-30) in the battle for the fourth and fifth seeds in the West and earned a split of the season series, with the home team winning all four games.
Dallas would have to finish a game ahead of Utah if the Jazz keep their Northwest Division lead over Denver. The Mavericks and Jazz have seven games remaining.
&ldquo;That's what we wanted, but it's a long way to go,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;We've still got to keep our composure, focus on the next opponent and try to win every game.&rdquo;
Rudy Gay scored 18 points for the Jazz, who lost their fourth in a row on a season-long, six-game trip that ends Tuesday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert was a late scratch for Utah because of the 7-foot-1 center's right leg contusion as another 7-footer, Hassan Whiteside, sat for the second consecutive game with a right foot sprain.
Bojan Bogdanovic was out for the ninth time in 10 games as he battles a right calf strain, and Utah had a scare in the third quarter when Donovan Mitchell left the game briefly after Dwight Powell landed on his lower right leg.
Mitchell stayed down in front of Utah's bench as play continued at the other end and limped to the bench when he finally got up. But Mitchell missed less than a minute and a half, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
&ldquo;Most of their team wasn&rsquo;t playing, so you can&rsquo;t judge,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We had a Christmas game out there without half our team. You only will be judged once the playoffs start. This wasn&rsquo;t a playoff game. No one&rsquo;s up 1-0.&rdquo;
Doncic beat the halftime buzzer with a longer 3-pointer to get the Mavericks within a point and set up a second-half surge as Dallas won for the 18th time in 22 home games.
Reggie Bullock connected on a season-high seven 3-pointers, finishing with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting beyond the arc. He had consecutive 3s in the middle of the fourth quarter to give Dallas its biggest lead to that point at 17.
&ldquo;I thought Bullock's 3s were really big 3s,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;You can't take all of them away. There's a few that were really impactful.&rdquo;
Jalen Brunson had 22 points while matching Doncic with 10 rebounds and five assists. They were the first starting Dallas guards to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the same game in franchise history.
Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points apiece for Utah.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Snyder said Whiteside has been playing through soreness and mentioned feeling it in a loss at Brooklyn last Monday. Whiteside played the next game in Boston. &ldquo;It's a hard thing to predict, how long or how quickly,&rdquo; Snyder said of the outlook for Whiteside.
Mavericks: F Davis Bertans scored six points after missing three games with right knee soreness. ... G Sterling Brown was out again after entering COVID-19 protocols during the trip to Minnesota, where Dallas lost Friday.
NCAA CONNECTIONS
On the same weekend Villanova reached the Final Four, Brunson shared the floor with Utah's Eric Paschall, his teammate when the Wildcats won their second title in three years in 2018. Paschall made his third start of the season with Gobert out and scored 10 points. Jazz rookie Jared Butler, who scored seven points, was the point guard on Baylor's championship team last year.
UP NEXT
Jazz: After finishing the road trip at the Clippers on Tuesday, Utah returns home against the Lakers on Thursday. The Jazz are 2-0 against the Clippers and 0-2 against the Lakers.
Mavericks: The Lakers visit Tuesday before Dallas starts its final road trip of the regular season (four games) at Cleveland on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back.
&nbsp;

Luka Doncic scored 32 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100.

Doncic, Mavs top Jazz 114-100 for inside track to home court

Isaiah Thomas is back.
Well, not&nbsp;back &mdash;&nbsp;this isn't the 2016-17 campaign in which Thomas carried a Boston Celtics offense to the tune of 28.9 points (on 62.5% True Shooting) and 5.9 assists per game. But Thomas has found a home for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/charlotte-to-sign-isaiah-thomas-for-the-rest-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rest of the season</a>, providing the currently-streaking Charlotte Hornets with a nice boost of offense.
Since joining the team three weeks ago, Thomas is averaging a shade under 10 points while draining 48.0% of his threes (3.6 attempts). During the Hornets' five-game winning streak, Thomas is averaging 10.8 points in 14 minutes per contest thanks to some insane shooting from deep (58.8% on 3.4 attempts).
Much like his peak days, Thomas is getting busy in the pick-and-roll.
He remains a pull-up threat, making any sort of "under" coverage nearly untenable. While not as bursty as he used to be, he's able to attack gaps and flow into floaters and push shots. His shot diet has altered since his last full-ish season with the Washington Wizards in 2019-20, with more of his shots coming at the rim or floater range (43% vs 34%) per Cleaning The Glass.
<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/9saino" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Hornets have scored 1.16 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Thomas-led pick-and-roll, per Second Spectrum. That number rises to 1.3 on trips where Thomas and Montrezl Harrell &mdash; a violent rim-runner with an intermediate touch he can use when the rim is cut off &mdash; team up.
That two-man game is the bedrock of Charlotte's second unit, with built-in secondary options if an advantage isn't created.
A favorite as of late: a high ball-screen with Thomas and Harrell that flows into an empty corner handoff.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;">
<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/125n67" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
</div>
Think about the options here. A switch would have Willy Hernangomez on an island against Thomas, and Jose Alvarado (fiesty!) on Harrell. Neither would be great options. Playing drop coverage would likely give Thomas a gap to pull-up into, though Alvarado is a stout on-ball defender that could make Thomas uncomfortable.&nbsp;
They instead opt to blitz, taking the ball out of Thomas' hands. But taking the ball out of his hands simply means putting it into the hands of LaMelo Ball, the Hornets' best player.&nbsp;
Giving LaMelo a roller like Harrell is a tough proposition; doing so with an empty side puts the defense in a bind like this:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_22_18_03_03_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Alvarado peels over to the nail to cut off Ball's drive, but that leaves Thomas open for a catch-and-shoot opportunity. Harrell, of course, is rolling into the empty side with no help present. On the weak side, PJ Washington is in prime position to screen off his man (Naji Marshall, No. 8) or Kelly Oubre's man (Trey Murphy III, No. 25) to create a shot.&nbsp;
The Hornets don't just flow into handoffs after Thomas-led ball-screens; they can pivot to off-ball screens for shooters as well.
<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/dif48j" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
This is nice movement set to get Terry Rozier a look. Jalen Brunson does a great job of staying attached, so it simply flows into a downhill attack with Mason Plumlee filling the lane.
Dwight Powell dropped back pretty far on the initial ball-screen, which ends up giving Rozier a runway to drive into. With Miles Bridges chilling in the left corner, Maxi Kleber is stuck between tagging Plumlee on the roll, or staying home on the shooter.&nbsp;
Having a threat like Thomas is incredibly annoying for defenses.
It's especially annoying when he's the first layer of a multi-pronged attack.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Nekias Duncan breaks down the ways Isaiah Thomas is impacting the Hornets' offense.

Explain one play: Isaiah Thomas as the Hornets' tip of the spear

A 15-minute rain delay in an arena before the game, another interruption during a tedious and wild finish for teams jockeying for playoff position in the Western Conference.
Reggie Bullock must not have minded either wait.
The Dallas guard scored 18 points with a clutch 3-pointer late after missing four games for personal reasons, and the Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-108 on Monday night.
Luka Doncic had 15 points and 10 assists, the final one setting up a 3 by Dorian Finney-Smith from the same right corner where Bullock connected moments later for a five-point lead with 40 seconds left.
Dwight Powell scored 22 points on 8-of-8 shooting as the Mavericks avoided their first three-game losing streak since December and pulled within a game of Utah for the fourth seed in a tight middle-of-the-playoff pack in the West.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points for the Timberwolves, who had a four-game winning streak stopped with just their second loss in 12 games. They missed a chance to pull within a half-game of Dallas for the fifth seed.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s mid- or late March, and we understand what&rsquo;s at stake,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;Minnesota's a very good team. They're hot.&rdquo;
The 15-minute delay at the start came from heavy rain that led to a leak from the rafters above the stands not far from the Minnesota bench.
Almost three hours later, coach Chris Finch stormed off that bench when Patrick Beverley was fouled going up for a 3-pointer and an official ruled it was before the shot. Beverley wasn't happy, either.
The Timberwolves were down 110-107 when that call came with 6.5 seconds left, and it meant Beverley got just two free throws.
&ldquo;It was wild, really,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;Just looking at the tape, I thought (Beverley) got fouled on the shot. He was clearly in the gather and the turn. I thought for sure that should have been a 3-point shot.&rdquo;
After missing the first free throw, Beverley missed on purpose and got the rebound when he threw the ball hard off the glass and it skimmed the rim.
Doncic was called for a foul as Beverley went up for a layup, and Dallas disagreed. The Mavericks won the challenge, resulting in a jump ball at midcourt after a lengthy delay for the review.
Towns won the jump and the ball bounced toward the left corner on Minnesota's offensive end, where Beverley ran it down. Before he could put up a 3 that went in, Doncic fouled him again with 2.5 seconds to go. Beverley made the first before missing the second on purpose again, but the Timberwolves couldn't secure the loose ball before the clock expired.
&ldquo;We talked about what we needed to do, and Luka executed the foul out of that jump ball,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;Because if he doesn't, the way things go, Bev makes the 3.&rdquo;
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 20 for Dallas while Jalen Brunson and Finney-Smith joined Doncic with 15 apiece. It was the first time since April 4, 1989, that the Mavericks had six players with at least 15 points in a game.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards scored 19 points and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell added 18. ... Former Baylor player Taurean Prince scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half, going 3 of 4 from long range.
Mavericks: F Davis Bertans didn't play after showing up on the injury report earlier in the day with right knee soreness. ... Maxi Kleber was 1 for 9 from the field and is 10 of 44 since missing two games with an ankle injury.
ANOTHER DELAY
The &ldquo;rain delay&rdquo; was the second time in less than two months a game in Dallas has been interrupted. The Mavericks&rsquo; 107-98 win over Philadelphia on Feb. 4 was delayed 44 minutes because of a rim malfunction.
Water from heavy rain could be seen dripping from the rafters. Arena workers had to dry the area around that bench as players stayed loose by continuing their pregame shooting. The leak stopped after storms moved through the area.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: West-leading Phoenix visits Wednesday. The Suns won the first two meetings and are going for their first season sweep of three or more games against Minnesota since 2010-11.
Mavericks: Houston visits Wednesday. The Mavericks are seeking their first season sweep of the Rockets since consecutive seasons in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Those were Kidd's final two seasons with Dallas as a player.

Reggie Bullock scored 18 points with a clutch three late after missing four games for personal reasons.

Bullock, Mavs hold on after delay, beat Timberwolves 110-108

Reggie Bullock scored 18 points with a clutch 3-pointer late after missing four games for personal reasons, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-108 on Monday night in a game delayed briefly because of a leaky roof.
Luka Doncic had 15 points and 10 assists, the final one setting up a 3 by Dorian Finney-Smith from the same right corner where Bullock connected moments later. Dwight Powell scored 22 points on 8-of-8 shooting for Dallas.
The Mavericks avoided their first three-game losing streak since December and pulled within a game of Utah for the fourth seed in a tight middle-of-the-playoff pack in the Western Conference.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points for the surging Timberwolves, who had a four-game winning streak stopped with just their second loss in 12 games. They missed a chance to pull within a half-game of Dallas for the fifth seed.
After the 15-minute delay at the start, there was a lengthy interruption in a wild finish.
Minnesota trailed 110-107 when Patrick Beverley was fouled going up for a 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds left. An official ruled the foul was before the shot, meaning just two free throws, with Beverley and coach Chris Finch disagreeing loudly.
After missing the first free throw, Beverley missed the second on purpose, got his own rebound and Doncic was called for a foul that was overturned on a Dallas challenge.
Beverley chased down the jump ball from midcourt near the left corner. Before he could put up a 3 that went in, Doncic fouled him again with 2.5 seconds to go. Beverley made the first free throw and missed the second on purpose again. The Timberwolves couldn't secure the loose ball before the clock expired.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 20 points for Dallas, while Jalen Brunson and Finney-Smith had 15 apiece.
Anthony Edwards scored 19 points and D'Angelo Russell added 18 for the Timberwolves.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Former Baylor player Taurean Prince scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half, going 3 of 4 from long range.
Mavericks: F Davis Bertans didn't play after showing up on the injury report earlier in the day with right knee soreness. ... Maxi Kleber was 1 for 9 from the field and is 10 of 45 since missing two games with an ankle injury.
ANOTHER DELAY
The &ldquo;rain delay&rdquo; was the second time in less than two months a game in Dallas has been interrupted. The Mavericks&rsquo; 107-98 win over Philadelphia on Feb. 4 was delayed 44 minutes because of a rim malfunction.
Water from heavy rain could be seen dripping from the rafters above the stands, not far from the Minnesota bench. Arena workers had to dry the area around that bench as players stayed loose by continuing their pregame shooting. The leak stopped after storms moved through the area.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: West-leading Phoenix visits Wednesday. The Suns won the first two meetings and are going for their first season sweep of three or more games against Minnesota since 2010-11.
Mavericks: Houston visits Wednesday. The Mavericks are seeking their first season sweep of the Rockets since consecutive seasons in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Those were coach Jason Kidd's final two seasons with Dallas as a player.

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-108 on Monday night in a game delayed briefly because of a leaky roof.

Bullock, Mavericks hold on after delay, beat Timberwolves 110-108

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Monday&rsquo;s slate.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Utah Jazz (-1.5) This is going to be a fun one on Monday night when the Nets and Jazz square off in Brooklyn. Utah is on the second night of a back-to-back after playing the Knicks, so fatigue could seriously play a factor if Kevin Durant gets hot early. Speaking of Durant, this feels like the perfect opportunity to make another emphatic statement. Durant carries the short-handed Nets to another impressive victory, this time against the surging Jazz.
Pick: Nets +1.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Kevin Durant over 29.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 26.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13 rebounds, Andre Drummond over 9.5 rebounds
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Chicago Bulls (-4) vs. Toronto Raptors Both of these teams are right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. In this matchup on Monday, we&rsquo;re siding with the home team. The Bulls&rsquo; dynamic scoring duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine is deadly, plus Nikola Vucevic should feast inside against the Raptors&rsquo; lack of big man depth. We feel confident locking in the Bulls to cover the 4-point spread versus Toronto.
Pick: Bulls -4
PrizePicks Power Play: DeMar DeRozan over 25.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 23.5 points, Nikola Vucevic over 10.5 rebounds, Fred VanVleet over 5.5 assists
Dallas Mavericks (-2) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
I can&rsquo;t wait to watch this game on Monday night. There are so many interesting angles, as far as young talent in the Association goes. Luka Doncic is a superstar for the Mavericks, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-the-wolves-perimeter-shooters-are-on-the-prowl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Timberwolves&rsquo; young core are all taking leaps together</a> as well. Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in basketball right now, but can they contain Doncic? That&rsquo;s the biggest key to the game, which we feel favors Dallas. Doncic is so tough to defend all game, so we&rsquo;re forecasting one of those special performances from the Slovenian phenom. Hammer the Mavericks in this spot.
Pick: Mavericks -2
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 30.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 20.5 points, Jarred Vanderbilt over 8.5 rebounds, Dwight Powell over 5.5 rebounds
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Make sure to <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Evan Sidery, host of the "Nothing But Bets" podcast, gives his picks for tonight's NBA games and offers some PrizePicks fantasy advice.