Warriors

Through two weeks of the WNBA season, where does each team stack up and what are some prime takeaways?

WNBA Power Rankings 5/22

Las Vegas Aces point guard Kelsey Plum gave one teammate a ringing endorsement following the team's win on Friday night: "A'ja Wilson. Let's start the campaign now, people. Defensive Player of the Year."
The Atlanta Dream lept out to a surprising 2-0 start to the season, their best start since 2017, spurred on by <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-atlanta-dream-struck-gold-with-rhyne-howard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the play of rookie Rhyne Howard</a>. Their defense has been cohesive, transition play has sparked their offense and the veterans they brought in via trade and free agency in the off-season have provided a rock-solid foundation.
The Aces simply had other plans Friday night.
Vegas flattened out much of what the Dream wanted to do out of ball screens, switching the majority of actions not involving the five spot, something they've done routinely this year. With former starting center Liz Cambage now a member of the Los Angeles Sparks, the Aces have restructured and shifted to Wilson as a member of the starting five.
The Aces are certainly smaller, but they've made up for it with activity and aggression on ball screens. If Wilson is facing a good interior presence, the weak-side defender digs into the post, and the rest of the defense rotates accordingly. It's a more strenuous brand of basketball, but the Aces are embracing it, something head coach Becky Hammon pointed out after last night's win.
"We're small, [Wilson[ is at our five, so we gotta scrap, and they've all really bought into not making anything easy, especially post catches," Hammon said. "Her alertness as to what's going on in the paint has been sensational. I told her, she's gotta be Tim Duncan for us, she's gotta be Draymond Green for us, where she's talking constantly and sniffing out anything that comes through her paint, and she's bought in and done a fantastic job... she's been senasational
Wilson often plays up to the level on screens, making it difficult to dice up the defense from the middle of the floor. Seemingly half of Wilson's blocks have been on jump shot contests when she plays at the level.
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Through four games in 2022, Wilson has 15 blocks, a stellar mark, and the league leader by a longshot. She blocked 55 shots her rookie season in 2018, the most she has in her career, and she did that over 33 games. She's been expert not just at getting the rejections, but at keeping the ball in play. After going back through all her swats, roughly half of them directly resulted in a transition opportunity. It sounds minor, but it's a minute skill that can make a significant difference.
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It would be unfair to expect her to keep up this pace all season, but the hot start is a notable and palpable change in her defensive approach. Hammon repeatedly has mentioned Wilson's "buy-in" on the defensive end. The activity is ratcheted up and setting the tone for the Aces.
"We've got to scrap. We're scrappers, and that's something we missed against DC (The Mystics)," said guard Kelsey Plum. "That was something that needed to be in the forefront tonight, so I was really proud initially when we came out. We had a ton of energy, we're rotating, boxing out, we're getting in transition, and that's when we're at our best."
They're getting out in transition and playing with pace often. Per HerHoopStats, the Aces are 7th in pace at 84.5 possessions per 40 minutes, right around average. Don't let that fool you, however, as the league-high pace in 2021 was 83.8 possessions per 40 minutes by the New York Liberty. That would rank only 9th this current year. It'll be interesting to see how that does or doesn't level out as the year goes on, because teams are flying.
The Aces' ability to get stops and create turnovers (they are 1st in blocks per game) has been essential in kickstarting their already potent offense.
This possession is such a great example of the Vegas defense and Wilson's impact. There aren't many bigs in the W who provide the coverage versatility and instincts that she does, allowing the Aces to get a little funky and aggressive.
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A'ja shows and recovers on the first pick and roll, allowing Jackie Young to release from her high tag early to get back out to Sue Bird in the slot.&nbsp;Bird calls for the ball screen in an empty corner from Ezi Magbegor. Wilson angles herself well to both recover or contest the shot as Young chases overtop and Magbegor quickly rolls off the brief screen. Bird throws the pocket pass, Wilson recovers and gets the block with her off hand before taking the ball up in transition herself.
In the event that a screen is more solid and it's harder to chase over for the point-of-attack defender, Wilson shows and recovers once the chaser regains connection, or she will outright peel switch if it's called for. The communication from the Aces in general has been impressive.
While the offense of the Aces has taken the league by storm early, the defense is tethered to its success. How Vegas continues to mesh and workshop on that end will be fascinating to keep up with throughout the season. Can they keep playing such a small rotation with this frenetic play style? How will it hold up against more stout post presences? Right now, it's hard not to feel good about the state of the Aces' defense, due in part to the improved defensive play of star A'ja Wilson.
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The Las Vegas Aces smothered the Atlanta Dream on Friday night, highlighted by the stellar defensive play of A'ja Wilson.

A'ja Wilson's defense takes a step forward early in Aces' season

We saw glimpses late in the regular season. We saw more flashes in the Round 1 series against the Atlanta Hawks. Then, in last night's 120-85 drubbing of the Philadelphia 76ers, we were given yet another view of what Victor Oladipo can provide the Miami Heat when healthy and in rhythm.
With Kyle Lowry hobbled and in and out of the lineup, Gabe Vincent struggling from the field and an overall lack of half-court shot creation outside Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, Oladipo finding his groove is proving essential for the Heat.
Oladipo played only eight games in the regular season, which is still mind-boggling. He hasn't even played in 20 contests with Miami since the trade from Houston last season, though he'll hit the mark on Thursday when he sees the court during Game 6.
Returning from injury multiple times and trying to find his way on the court as a player has certainly been a process for Oladipo. He fell out of Erik Spoelstra's rotation entirely near the end of the season, accruing five DNP (Coach's Decisions) in a six-game stretch.
When Oladipo did play, he never quite found his role. The flashes were there, but the cohesiveness wasn't, which was understandable given the context. That's what makes his current play all the more impressive.
Some of the clunkiness in the offense remains, but the process is clicking.&nbsp;
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Here, Oladipo throws a lob when Caleb Martin isn't on the same page, and even with the failed outlet, Oladipo quickly makes himself available.&nbsp;
Selling the at-rim attempt to get Paul Reed in the air before hitting Bam Adebayo with a dumpoff is the kind of verve and creativity the Heat really need in half-court settings. Turning nothing into something was Oladipo's specialty in Indiana. Being able to do it flowing in the offense alongside Butler was highlighted in Game 5, and it had me doing the Leonardo DiCaprio Once Upon a Time in Hollywood&nbsp;point at the screen from my desk.
Off this baseline out-of-bounds play, we hardly even get to see it (much like Joel Embiid!), and that's part of the point:
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His suddenness and stealth as a cutter collapsing the defense creates easy points for the two-man play with Jimmy Butler.
A few possessions later on another broken play, Butler misses the jumper and gets his own board. Oladipo makes himself available in the corner, and when Maxey flies in to pick him up, Oladipo jets to the rim to keep the outlet open for Butler.
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With how demonstrative Butler has been getting into the lane and collapsing the defense in the playoffs, Oladipo finding his timing as an off-ball player is an absolute boon.
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But, the Heat have a multitude of players who can flow off the ball. What makes this so notable is what Oladipo has been able to bring as both a pick-and-roll operator and late clock shot-taker/maker.
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When Oladipo draws close-outs the way he's capable of when his shot is falling, he creates havoc with his secondary attacks. If the shot clock is winding down, he's good at drawing contact and finding his way to the free throw line, averaging four trips to the line in the series and 3.4 in the seven games he's played in the playoffs.
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Finding his balance toggling on and off the ball opens up new line-up constructions and modes of play that elevate who the Heat can be.
So much depends on his shot falling on volume, which has been a sticking point since his initial injury in Indiana. Drawing the defense on the weak-side and getting to the rim to keep revving the engine of the offense, or gliding into his pull-up twos or floaters is predicated on defenses respecting his shot. He still doesn't quite have that standstill burst he did in 2017-18, but stepping into the catch off the second side is legitimately devastating from him.
A side note: I'm not even sure it's about his legs not being back. He certainly doesn't have the same first step he once did. However, it feels like his handle and his lower body haven't gotten back into sync. Injuries suck, but I think it makes me appreciate Oladipo and the work he's put in to get back even more. It's been a really difficult few seasons for him, and seeing him find his footing is awesome.
This snippet from Game 2 is the quintessential vision of who Victor Oladipo can be in Miami:
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He exhibits consistent cycling of the offense. He makes himself available and shifts on and off the ball.
The ground coverage has been awesome. Watch the way he shuts down Tyrese Maxey's drive and the way he's able to crunch in to help in the paint before closing back out, getting his hand in the cookie jar and getting away scot-free with a turnover.
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He's absolutely hounded James Harden when he's matched up with him, often pressing Harden for 94 feet. It sounds minute, but just go back through and watch the possessions where Oladipo presses Harden.
Furthermore, look how consistently the Sixers are starting their possessions with a third of the clock drained. Even without a turnover caused (and many have been!), applying pressure has smothered Philly's offense.
Oladipo is so active on screens, and his play this series reminds us why he was All-Defense a few seasons ago. He engulfs offensive players on switches and chokes the gaps to make it more difficult to slip (a great part of Miami's overall defensive ethos). I hate charges with a passion, but Oladipo draws contact as the low man with charisma. I don't know how else to explain it!
He sheds screens and uses his probing arms so well to spear ball-handlers and make his presence felt. James Harden is not having a good time with Oladipo!
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What he's brought defensively is unquestionable. Pairing his aptitude and skill on that end with his growth in comfort as a more complimentary player makes me more optimistic about the postseason upside of this team.
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Miami's 120-85 win over Philadelphia last night was punctuated by Victor Oladipo's play, which amplified the Heat.

Victor Oladipo is finding his verve with Miami

Year 26 of the WNBA is finally here! There will be plenty of storylines to follow this year: Swan songs for long-time legends (Sylvia Fowles, Sue Bird), highly anticipated returns (Elena Delle Donne), new faces in new places (Tina Charles and Liz Cambage among others), and plenty of young stars looking to make leaps. It's a great time to get invested in the W if you haven't already.
Opening night was a doozy: four games featuring eight teams with wildly different expectations. Every game got my brain churning in some capacity, and the same can be said for my pal <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler</a>.
So, naturally, we decided to team up and share our takeaways from each game. Let's dig in!
INDIANA FEVER VS WASHINGTON MYSTICS
THE SCORE: 84-70 MYSTICS
THE STORY: MYSTICS' OFFENSE SCARY HOURS
This was a weird game to say the least, something that will likely be the norm for an extremely young Fever team that started three rookies and had five who played significant rotation minutes last night.
The youth was apparent, but so was the budding potential. NaLyssa Smith finished her first game in the pros with a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double while showcasing the footwork, fluidity and athleticism that make her a remarkable prospect.
Destanni Henderson carved up the floor with passes, hitting cutters with ease and operating out of ball screens with the guile that made her a joy to watch at South Carolina.
Most importantly, seeing a healthy Elena Delle Donne back was just awesome. She's gone through an insane amount medically in the past few seasons, and to come in without a minutes restriction was great.
The 84 points scored by the Mystics last night undersells the brilliant flashes they put together offensively. While noting again that this Fever team is of course inexperienced, Washington put them through the ringer. They threw so many actions and looks at the wall in the first game that impressed, and it felt like a playoff gameplan at times. The second Crystal Dangerfield checked into the game, sets were called to run lead guard Natasha Cloud off screens or cuts to post the much smaller Dangerfield up and draw a foul or easy bucket.
Cloud saw the court extremely well last night, and her control of the offense and ability to shift east and west to find better angles to attack was impressive.&nbsp;
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For a roughly five-minute stretch in the second quarter, the Mystics went to Delle Donne at the 5 with Cloud, Ariel Atkins, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Tianna Hawkins. All five players can shoot, pass, handle and attack the floor. While it's not a look that the Mystics can fully embrace for large chunks of the game, the run they went on (outscoring Indiana by 8 in a 4:47 stretch, per InStat scouting) showed glimpses of a potent lineup.
With Delle Donne up screening this high and three shooters fanned out, Fever rookie big Queen Egbo has to play at the level. Cloud is capable of hitting a pull-up two against drop. Delle Donne is too good of a shooter from *checks notes* everywhere to give her any modicum of space. It's hard to draw help from any of the off-ball defenders given the personnel the Mystics are employing.
Washington went repeatedly to a 5-out look with this group. Space Delle Donne and use Hawkins as a popper off a pick for Cloud, as she can drive to the basket off a hard close. This is a stout group defensively as well! There's length and mobility. While they'd likely struggle against a true post, the offense feels like it could be so good that it can dictate matchups and opposing lineups.
This Mystics team has a chance to really pop, and it's great to see them whole again. - Mark
STRAY THOUGHTS
-&nbsp;I was a bit surprised by how straight-up the Fever defended the Mystics in this one. Pick-and-rolls were defended two-on-two, often allowing Delle Donne to pop into open space or, if the Fever executed a late switch, drivers to get one-on-ones against bigs. Delle Donne saw plenty of single coverage on post-ups, including a notable up-and-under against NyLyssa Smith. Bless her heart.&nbsp;
- On the pick-and-roll front, I'm curious to see how teams defend the Cloud-Delle Donne duo moving forward. Drop is a non-starter, and switches aren't ideal considering the scoring ability of both. Do you really want to give Delle Donne short-roll opportunities with traps? Good luck.
- The post-up bullying aside, it was nice to see Dangerfield scooting around out there. I'm still a little shellshocked by the Lynx waiving her, especially considering the struggles they had generating offense in their game against the Storm. - Nekias
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LOS ANGELES SPARKS VS CHICAGO SKY
THE SCORE: 98-91 (OT), SPARKS
THE STORY: DANA EVANS!!!!
The most competitive game of the evening was also a cagey affair! Both teams have new faces in prominent roles, and it was clear that both coaching staffs were trying to pinpoint these new areas early to test the waters of their personnel.
Chennedy Carter had great flashes as a scorer out of transition and in the halfcourt, but she was also on a very different rhythm than the rest of the team, which was to be expected in her first game in LA. Derek Fisher rode with Jordin Canada down the stretch, as she cut up the Sky in the halfcourt on drives and set up her teammates extremely well. They don't win the game without her shotmaking (and that call on the last shot).
Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike were both fantastic &mdash; Parker with her playmaking and defensive freneticism, Ogwumike with her aggression on offense and defense as well. It was great to see Nneka look this fluid and fully healthy.
The story of the game for me was backup guard Dana Evans. A member of the Sky's title team as a rookie last season, Evans shined bright, going for a career-high 24 points, easily surpassing her 14-point outing that paced her scoring last season.
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Evans toggled on and off the ball, which made her performance all the more impressive. She got to her pull-up and operated well as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll. She canned some deep threes, which opened up even more for her off the catch. She was great intiating sets and then relocating and making herself involved in play, which is essential playing alongside star players.
Evans was great drawing contact, finishing through it and making herself a weapon as a secondary scorer and advantage attacker last night, feasting off of initial plays in sets.&nbsp;
With Julie Allemand (part of the Diamond DeShields trade in the offseason) coming over from overseas to play soon, it'll be interesting to see how the backup guard rotation shapes up in Chicago. Allie Quigley was out last night and Kahleah Copper (who is also finishing up overseas play) is really the only true wing on the roster. As <a href="https://twitter.com/5outbasketball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Kilkelly</a> pointed out last night, we should expect a lot of 3-guard sets from the Sky this season. This was a special, special performance from Dana that perhaps signified even more reason for excitement this season. - Mark
STRAY THOUGHTS
-&nbsp;Consider me intrigued with Chicago's frontcourt. Starting big with Parker, newcomer Emma Meesseman, and Azura Stevens is sure to pose problems for everyone. That combination of size and ball skills can only be matched by... two other teams? Maybe three? To the three-guard point, I'm excited to see more of the Parker-Meesseman duo. They already showcased some high-low chemistry in the opener.
- How about Jordin Canada, Starting Point Guard? It's about darn time! She's been one of the W's best drivers and point-of-attack defenders for quite some time. Watching her direct the offense and call her own number down the stretch was pretty fun. I don't think she's a 21-and-8 player, but there's clearly more in the bag than she was able to show in Seattle.
- Chennedy Carter is playing basketball again! Her shot creation should pop in this bench role. One might say she'll provide a Spark. - Nekias
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LAS VEGAS ACES VS PHOENIX MERCURY
THE SCORE: 106-88, ACES
THE STORY: OFFENSIVE FREEDOM
Let's get the caveats out of the way early. It's one (1) game. The Mercury, in particular, were missing a ton of talent. There was no Brittney Griner (GET BRITTNEY HOME) as she's still detained in Russia. Brianna Turner, one of the best young frontcourt players in the W, is still playing overseas. The same is true for Diamond DeShields, one of the most athletic wings in the W. That's a pretty large chunk of the Mercury's defensive infrastructure missing.&nbsp;
With that said:&nbsp;whew, buddy, did the Aces put the ball in the basket.
Not only did they drop 106 points, a mark they eclipsed just twice last season, the way they went about it was encouraging.&nbsp;
With A'ja Wilson starting alongside Dearica Hamby, there was more space to operate with. The pace was pushed more frequently &mdash; they won the fastbreak points battle, 15-6 &mdash; and the tempo was up in the half-court. More pace and space means Wilson and Hamby getting busy as screeners or post hubs. Actions with an empty corner have a little more juice now.
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Ah, and then there were the threes.&nbsp;
The Aces were the league's most efficient offense last season, but did so in the most predictable, traditionalist way. They fed the block and brutalized opponents inside. This wasn't a team that shot threes often; their 13.5 attempts last season ranked last in the league by a pretty decent margin.&nbsp;
The tide seems to be turning for the group under new head coach Becky Hammon. They attempted 23 triples in their lone preseason game. They took 21 on Friday night, making 11 of them. It was, per the broadcast, the third time in&nbsp;franchise history&nbsp;that they made 11 or more threes in a game.&nbsp;
Between Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray bombing away from deep (hitting a combined 6-of-11 from three), and the complementary play styles (and general mobility) of Wilson and Hamby, it should come as no shock that Jackie Young (20 points on 8-of-10 shooting) was also&nbsp;able to shake loose.
Good freaking luck with this group. - Nekias
STRAY THOUGHTS
- I've already started the Kelsey Plum All-Star campaign, and Kelsey has done so accordingly with her play!
- I was so so impressed by Las Vegas' ball movement and connective passing. While it's important to note that the Mercury were pretty depleted heading into game one, the Aces exacerbated all the advantages they could find and make.
- Jackie Young!!! Entering her fourth season, I have really high expectations for who Jackie can be. With a new coach and system, I think Friday night was a glimpse of her bright spots from past years as well as how beneficial pacing and an even more spread floor benefits her game. She's so strong on her power-drives to the rim and such a fantastic mid-range shooter on a variety of self-created looks. Her defense on Diana Taurasi was extremely fun and effective as well, really sticking to her off the ball. - Mark
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SEATTLE STORM VS MINNESOTA LYNX
THE SCORE: 97-74, STORM
THE STORY: GABBY WILLIAMS IS BACK
It's been a tumultuous stretch from Gabby Williams, a UConn standout turned gap-filler for the Chicago Sky. She had her contract suspended for roster-spot reasons &mdash; you can get a breakdown of that ordeal <a href="https://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/hc-sp-uconn-women-gabby-williams-explainer-20210508-20210507-gtqqe5sspjdrfncall7kpcxzm4-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> &mdash; and was then traded from the Sky to the Los Angeles Sparks before the 2021 season began.
She was traded again over the offseason, this time to the Seattle Storm for Katie Lou Samuelson and the pick (#9 overall) that became Rae Burrell.
We're only a game in, but this is already looking like one of the best moves of the offseason for the Storm.
Wiilliams can do just about everything but shoot from deep (as she's a career 24.8% from three), which bodes well for a Storm team as active as this one.&nbsp;
Offensively, she's able to get the machine churning with her passing ability. Whether it's making entry passes, making kicks off the dribble or running the occasional ball screen, Williams can find her teammates. Off the ball, she's a willing screener and heady cutter. You can't really afford to "gap" her because she'll make herself &mdash; or a teammate &mdash; a threat.
The real appeal comes on the other end. Williams is a true multi-positional defender. She has the mobility to slide with guards, can deal with virutally any wing you throw at her, and is pesky enough to bother bigger players as well. Watching her slither across screens and mirror ball-handlers is a joy.&nbsp;
For people who aren't familiar or needed the reminder of what she can do defensively, look no further than her work in the second quarter of this game. These are just&nbsp;three&nbsp;examples of her versatility.
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You get it all here. Active hands, timely rotations off the ball, switchability, contesting without fouling. She's a beast. - Nekias
STRAY THOUGHTS
- I'm super intrigued by who Jessica Shepard could be for this team. Her shot was there and she looked confident in it. She displayed some really fun and tantalizing ball skills and court vision as a DHO operator and high-post playmaker. With the Lynx this depleted to start the season, they'll need as much as she can offer as well.
- The Storm miss Mercedes Russell's post presence without a doubt, as Sylvia Fowles bodied them early (a norm for W frontcourt players the past decade-and-a-half). Yet, their ability to rotate backline and flash recovery skills and communicate as a defense throughout the game was impressive. Williams and Briann January bring extra pop at the point of attack and this team shows real capability early to be a more stout defense. - Mark
<a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler contributed to this article.</a>
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Nekias Duncan and Mark Schindler team up to give their observations from the opening night of the 2022 WNBA season.

2022 WNBA season: Thoughts from each opening-night game

Some years, the NBA MVP is unmistakable.
It's when voters, fans, coaches and pundits everywhere unite in agreement that one player has proven himself more valuable than all others. For instance, Shaquille O'Neal fell one vote shy of being the first-ever unanimous MVP in 2000. In 2013, LeBron James received 120 of the 121 first-place votes cast, and a short three years later in 2016, Stephen Curry became the first player ever to receive the MVP award via a unanimous vote.
This year is NOT one of those years, one where voters could make a compelling, cogent and convincing argument for several different players to take home the league's most prestigious individual award. It seems possible that the 2021-2022 season could gives us the closest vote in NBA history.
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So after plenty of deliberation, here's how my ballot would look.
MVP Ballot
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Put simply, Nikola Jokic is in the process of authoring one of the greatest statistical seasons the NBA has ever witnessed. He is averaging a mind-boggling 26.3 points (on 57.6% shooting), 13.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks in just 33.2 minutes per game. He leads the Nuggets in each of those statistical categories, and is on pace to become just the fifth player in league history to finish a season ranking in the top 10 in points, boards and dimes. (The other four are Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.)
Despite playing without star guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr., the Nuggets are currently 14 games above .500. The team's second-leading scorer is Will Barton. Monte Morris is second on the team in assists. Aaron Gordon is Denver's second-best rebounder. Yet, thanks to Jokic's all-around brilliance, the Nuggets trail the Northwest Division's first-place Jazz by just a half-game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nikola Jokic dropped his 19th triple-double of the season to propel the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> to the win! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MileHighBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MileHighBasketball</a> 🃏 26 PTS | 19 REB | 11 AST | 2 STL <a href="https://t.co/bTAQyRvwxD">pic.twitter.com/bTAQyRvwxD</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1508650095620898818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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When it comes to advanced metrics, Jokic's production is even more prolific. He leads all players in RAPTOR, LEBRON and ESPN's RPM this season. Oh, and he's on track to record the highest single-season PER (32.68) and best Box Plus-Minus (13.83) in NBA history.
To help put Joker's 2021-22 stats in context, consider this:
<ul>
<li>He is averaging more rebounds than Tim Duncan or Hakeem Olajuwon in their MVP seasons.</li>
<li>He is averaging more assists than Stephen Curry or Derrick Rose in their MVP seasons.</li>
<li>He is averaging more points than Charles Barkley or Julius Erving in their MVP seasons.</li>
<li>He is shooting a higher percentage from the floor than Shaquille O'Neal or Moses Malone during their MVP seasons.</li>
<li>He is shooting a higher percentage from three-point range than LeBron James in either of his first two MVP seasons.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Make no mistake, Joel Embiid is worthy of winning the MVP Award. The Sixers were seemingly skidding out of control in the weeks and days leading up to the start of the 2021-22 campaign, all due to the drama and uncertainty surrounding the Ben Simmons saga. But , Embiid put the team on his back and got them off to a good start, and they haven't looked back.
The big man's overall numbers are jaw-dropping: 29.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 made three-pointers per game. He currently ranks second in the league in scoring (just 0.2 points per game behind LeBron James), and Philly is just a game behind the Heat for the best record in the Eastern Conference. (Each of the last four players to lead the NBA in scoring on a team that finished the year with the league's best record went on to win MVP that season: Curry, James Harden, Shaq and Michael Jordan.)&nbsp;
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🔔 35 PTS, 16 REB, 7 AST, 2 BLK 🔔 Down by 12 points at the half, <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoelEmbiid</a> led the <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a> to a comeback pouring in 23 points in the second-half &amp; OT! <a href="https://t.co/HRQYxhskAF">pic.twitter.com/HRQYxhskAF</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1503355378846904321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Like Jokic's Nuggets, the Sixers are wholly dependent on Embiid to carry them each night, as evidenced by Philly's 6-11 record when he sits or scores fewer than 18 points. The team averages 114.4 points per 100 possessions when he is on the floor, and that number plummets all the way down to 106.8 when he is on the bench.
It's also crucial to note that Embiid has been at his best in big moments. According to NBA.com, he leads the NBA in total points (147) scored in the clutch this season (Jokic ranks second). In crunch time, Embiid is shooting 48.9% from the floor and a scorching 45.5% from downtown.&nbsp;
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo has seemed to fly under the radar this season. That may be because he is just a year removed from winning back-to-back regular-season MVPs, and less than 10 months removed from capturing NBA Finals MVP for his otherworldly performance that led Milwaukee to its first title in 50 years. However, let's not take for granted the fact that this man is averaging a career-high 29.7 points on 55.0% shooting to go along with 11.6 boards, 5.8 dimes 1.1 treys, 1.4 blocks and a steal per contest. He's on pace to become the first player in over 30 years to average more than 29 points while shooting above 55% from the floor and 70% from the free-throw line.
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Giannis scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half tonight &amp; tied a season-high with 4 blocks. 30 PTS | 11 REB | 4 AST | 4 BLKS <a href="https://t.co/ZPdhuJv4VR">pic.twitter.com/ZPdhuJv4VR</a>
&mdash; Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1507918078180413441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And as we know, Giannis is also dominant on the defensive end. In fact, he's currently ranked No.1 on NBA.com's latest ranking of the league's top defenders. The only players to ever finish in the top-three in scoring and win the Defensive Player of the Year in the same season were Hakeem Olajuwon (during his MVP campaign in 1993-94) and Michael Jordan (during his MVP season in 1987-88). In most other years, Giannis would be a heavy favorite to take home the hardware.&nbsp;
4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
The Celtics were sitting at .500 in mid-January, but Jayson Tatum has played at an MVP-caliber level in the three months since, catapulting Boston up to the No. 1 seed in the East for a brief moment this past weekend. During this 30-game stretch, he has averaged 29.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.7 made triples, while slashing .495/.394/.880.
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Jayson Tatum is a scoring machine, he dropped 44 points to log his 4th-straight game with 33+ points, and lift the <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> to their 4th-straight win! <a href="https://twitter.com/jaytatum0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaytatum0</a>: 44 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL, 6 3PM <a href="https://t.co/hIgVphSaWp">pic.twitter.com/hIgVphSaWp</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1501924597440131078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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On the season, the Celtics have outscored their opponents by 608 points with Tatum on the floor, which is the highest individual plus/minus in the entire league. On Monday, he was named the East's Player of the Week for the third time in March. The only other player in NBA history to win the award three times in the same month is LeBron James in January 2012.
5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
After a slow start to the season for both Doncic and Dallas, Luka has been a beast, and the Mavs have climbed up to fourth place in the Western Conference standings. Dating back to late December, Dallas has won 30 of its last 41 games, and is 17 games above .500. Since New Years, Luka has averaged 29.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per contest.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/luka7doncic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@luka7doncic</a> drops 32 PTS as Dallas moves 2 games behind Golden State for the West&rsquo;s 3rd seed! ✨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA75?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA75</a> <a href="https://t.co/cEM4sml4Eb">pic.twitter.com/cEM4sml4Eb</a>
&mdash; NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_Philippines/status/1508339338689794048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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He has led the Mavericks in points, rebounds and assists in the same game 28 times in 2021-22. Although he'll likely finish outside the top three in MVP voting this season, Doncic continues to establish himself as one of the most prolific young players the league has ever seen.&nbsp;
Just Missed the Top 5 
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Good tidbit via StatMuse: Devin Booker is on pace to become just the 10th player in NBA history to average 25/5/5 on a team that finishes a season with a winning percentage above .800. Eight of the previous nine players in the exclusive club went on to win the MVP.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant has posted dazzling numbers whenever he's been on the floor. The fact that he leads the NBA in points in the paint this season is almost unimaginable. And the Grizz have been arguably this season's most pleasant surprise. However, Morant has missed 20 games, and Memphis is 18-2 (!!) without him in the lineup.
Best of the Rest: Kevin Durant, Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMar DeRozan, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Trae Young, Chris Paul
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With the NBA season coming to a close, Tommy Beer shares his ballot for the league's 2021-22 MVP.

2022 NBA MVP Rankings: Jokic edging out Embiid, Antetokounmpo chasing

As every regular season inches toward its end, things tend to get wonky for the teams south of .500. Being somebody who always searches for progress or development, it makes things murkier when Josh Hart has a 25% usage rate (10% higher than his career usage). Shout out to Hart and his season, though, because he's been absolutely on one.
Yet, that's kind of the point of trying to sift through post-All-Star break basketball: Is Hart a primary option moving forward? Nah, but I do think he's shown some stuff in Portland (which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-hart-offensive-funk-and-firepower" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has flashed in NOLA</a>) that further solidifies that he can handle more on-ball reps and ball-screens than previously thought. Trying to extrapolate what a more normal competitive situation could look like without overdoing it is something I'm definitely trying to get a better grasp of. So much is context-dependent.
The man had 44 points!
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Justise Winslow has played some really quality ball for the Blazers when healthy and in the lineup, but we're here for the purposes of the man who grabbed the mic.
I have absolutely no idea what to make of Trendon Watford's play.
In March (10 games), Watford's played 29 or more minutes in every game, averaging 15.6 points per game on 57.2% True Shooting (right about league average); he's expanded upon his intriguing ball skills and passing flashes he's shown since entering the rotation. The defensive flashes of upside give me pause as well.
That said, the Blazers have also lost by double digits in six of their March games with a minus-19.2 point differential per Cleaning the Glass. The Thunder have the second-worst point differential in March... at minus-13.8. Yeah, it's been rough in PDX.
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So again, there are wrinkles in judgment and evaluation (and woooo boy, that is A WRINKLE). However, I must admit that I'm pretty bullish on what I've seen from Watford, the undrafted rookie.
It's been a wild ride for me, as I was lower on him coming out of LSU and really wasn't sure what to make of his environment there and some of his inconsistencies, but he's repeatedly drawn me in with his play and improvements this season. No, I'm not there with a starting spot, but the flashes have been on full display, and he's starting to string them together with more regularity. I can see the vision of Watford on a solid team, adding an element as a bruising dribble-handoff operator, short-roller and potentially versatile defender in time.
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Watford opts more for brush screens, which can seemingly be frustrating and go against conventional screening wisdom, but he's so good at opening himself up to attack the basket while drawing the attention of the man he's screening. I would definitely like to see him set screens with more impact, but it's worth noting that screening without contact is an art in and of itself, and man, Trendon's pretty effective with it. He's solid at slipping and is fantastic at flipping his hips into a roll/into space.
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He's not a crazy explosive leaper as a roller, with most of his value coming from his touch in the intermediate areas and his ability to open lanes for the ball-handler. He's shooting 49% from 4 to 14 feet, per Cleaning the Glass (72nd percentile amongst bigs), which teeters on the line of danger for opposing defenders. If he does sell out for contact to screen the handler open, his slow roll and the potential for a pocket pass or toss back can scratch an itch for his defender. Even if it's not as effective or efficient as a layup, there's a legitimate annoyance factor to having a floater or push shot hit right in front of you just out of your reach.
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It's worth noting, however, just how difficult this diet can be as a player. Watford has made it work, but as we've seen with other touch-based rollers like Bruce Brown for instance, a drop in that floater efficiency or confidence can belittle impact and make it much easier for the defense to sell out at the rim on drives. Watford's got solid craft around the rim and touch, but he struggles with length around the basket &mdash; especially if he doesn't have a head of steam or an angle to use to his advantage.
That makes the development of his jumper and pick-and-pop game even more intriguing and instrumental to his maturation. His shot is pretty slow right now; there's inconsistency in his shot prep (feels most comfortable with a hop step in my viewings), and he can be hesitant at times, but he's been more willing as of late. An offseason with shooting work and more instilled confidence in taking his shot off the pop could do wonders for him. His ability to attack off the catch with a coordinated handle and legit counters while getting downhill have been quite impressive.
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More of this.
He's getting to the line 4.2 times per game according to Basketball-Reference, and the majority of those trips have come from getting fouled as he batters towards the rim. He's not bursty per se, but he has a pretty violent and quick motion into his downhill drives at times that can really take 5s by surprise. My vision for him (and it seems Portland feels similarly) is being a combo big who can make the most of himself as a mismatch 5, attacking with his skill in a spread-out offense; so, the shot is key to keep his best attributes sustainable.
His playmaking is solid, as he displays quality court vision and ball placement on passes. His best reads come out of DHOs or on a quick roll &mdash; although, I do think ironing out the speed with which he makes reads and passes will be important in his development &mdash; but he's already made strides in that regard since college! If the defense is lacking, he'll find the open man more often than not.
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Defensively, much of Watford's intrigue comes from what he could be rather than what he's doing now. It cannot be undersold just how bad Portland's defense has been the last month. He makes rookie mistakes and can get back cut against. He doesn't always make the right rotation, and he can be too aggressive overplaying on the perimeter.
However, I'm really encouraged by the flashes. Portland has opted for more switching and playing their bigs closer to the level of the screen with backline rotations. Watford has shown agile feet and the ability to use his length on the perimeter to deter ball-handlers. He's got pretty good hands, even if they're hyperactive at times! He can foul, like, a lot (4.2 fouls per game in March), but I tend to think it's easier to reign in defensive aggression than to instill it.
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He's had solid moments rotating as the low man. He certainly needs to clean up his footwork, technique and timing, but so do the majority of rookie-scale players.
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The foundation of mobility, coordination, length and instincts is there, and honestly, it's a lot better than I saw or expected last year.
Overall, I'm really impressed with how Watford's game has come along. I don't know exactly how I would project him moving forward, but I feel more confident today than I did in the past that he can contribute to winning play and flourish in a role. He's doing things, and while it's hard to quantify what it means in this context, it's still meaningful.
Trendon Watford is an immensely talented player, and he's putting in the work to put it together. In time, I can't wait to see what he looks like on a team that's more cohesive and he looks to further establish himself in the league.
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Blazers undrafted rookie Trendon Watford is on a tear in March, showcasing his upside and potential for more.

Trendon Up: Trail Blazers rookie Watford is coming along

The NBA Draft is a thrilling and captivating night for everyone interested in basketball. From players rising and dropping from their projected slots to the blindsiding blockbuster trades, the variables of the night are intoxicating each and every year.
Leading up to the big night, there are numerous mock drafts and big boards created by several draft experts. BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock is our resident draft expert who puts together a phenomenal draft preview each season.
Prior to the 2021 NBA Draft, Babcock and his team had Ziaire Williams being selected at No. 18 by the Oklahoma City Thunder, which was one pick behind the Memphis Grizzlies' original draft position before their trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Here was Babcock's analysis of Williams:
<blockquote>
Having struggled with his consistency at Stanford, Ziaire Williams has become a somewhat polarizing prospect. Overall, his freshman season was underwhelming. Although his slim build and ability to finish at the rim have drawn concerns, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ziaire-williams-eager-to-take-his-next-developmental-steps-in-the-nba-2021-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his upside is worth noting</a>. A 6-foot-8 wing who is capable of creating space and hitting tough, contested shots, Williams has the potential to be a versatile scoring wing at the next level.
</blockquote>
Babcock obviously goes beyond the numbers and dives into every aspect of a prospect with his evaluations, but if you were to just look at the box scores from Williams' freshman season at Stanford, you would probably be scratching your head as to why the Grizzlies moved up to take him at No. 10.
(Memphis dealt the No. 17 pick, No. 51 pick and Jonas Valanciunas to the Pelicans for the No. 10 pick, No. 40 pick, a top-10-protected 2022 first-rounder, Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams.)
Needless to say, Williams struggled in his lone collegiate season with the Cardinal. Most believed he would have been available at No. 17 and that Memphis gave up too much in order to get him. There is a sense that the Grizzlies had some intel that Ziaire could have been taken anywhere from 13th to 15th, and in order to get him, they felt they needed to jump ahead of the field. Other rumblings indicated Memphis actually moved up to snag Josh Giddey at the 10th spot and settled on Williams as its Plan B.
As draft night played out, most in Memphis were in love with the idea of Moses Moody from Arkansas, and before the 10th pick was announced, the expectation was that the Grizzlies were choosing between Moody and James Bouknight.
However, it turned out to be Williams.&nbsp;
"Who?" echoed around the city of Memphis, but the quiet California kid had a new basketball home. Little did Grizzlies fans know, Williams was the player that Memphis executive president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman wanted all along &mdash; Plan A.
So why did Kleiman move up to get a prospect that many believed would be there at No. 17?
What did the Grizzlies see?
Who is Ziaire Williams?
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Stanford associate head coach Adam Cohen knows quite a bit about the young man who calls LeBron James his uncle. When asked about who Williams is as a person, Cohen said the magic words that make prospect evaluators grin from ear to ear.
"Ziaire is a high-character individual who is going to do the right thing on the court and off the court," Cohen told BasketballNews.com in a Zoom interview. "He is going to work hard and wants to be a part of a great culture, which is obviously being developed in Memphis. He is the type of person that you want around your team, your families and your community."
Furthermore, he spoke about how difficult it was for the Cardinal to integrate Williams into the team due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the nation.
"Ziaire was the highest-ranked recruit we ever had come in, and it was a unique situation where we thought we could bring a young guy along with some older guys and have a great situation, but unfortunately COVID put us all in a bad spot," Cohen said. "Schools not in California were able to have their players on campus the summer before to train, but we never had them on campus prior to Ziaire's freshman year. We did not get our players until Sep. 15. When they got here, they could not be in a gym; we had to practice and shoot on outdoor courts."
Cohen shared that the team took off for the Maui Invitational &mdash; which was moved to Asheville, NC, due to the ongoing pandemic &mdash; and had everybody returned to campus, they would have had to quarantine for two weeks. So the team stayed in North Carolina and practiced at Chapel Hill for a few weeks before flying to Los Angeles to face off with Southern California. The game against the USC Trojans was canceled due to COVID, but Stanford's team was not allowed to return to campus until Christmas.
Unable to see their families or return home, members of the team set up shop in a Santa Cruz hotel. The Cardinal had access to a high-school gym for about an hour per day.&nbsp;
Just imagine going from living in the gym and working to perfect your craft to being granted a measly hour-a-day access as you attempt to prepare for Division I basketball games and the possibility of playing at the next level. That kind of disruption would certainly carry over to games.
"For Ziaire, being a young guy, not being able to spend as much time as he usually did in the gym, the weight room, treatment, the whole deal... it wasn't great for his development while at the same time, [he] made the best of the situation and did what he could," Cohen said.
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Transitioning from the college experience, Cohen discussed how Williams has been able to adapt to the NBA game with Memphis trusting him to learn and grow as a part of the rotation.
"The question about Ziaire is his strength because, physically, he is just not that strong. However, his IQ is super-high and he has been put in a perfect position," Cohen said. "He is not a guy on that team that has to go make plays for everyone else; he has Ja [Morant] who can do that for him, so he can just go out there and do his job and fill his role. In a lot of ways, I am not surprised [at how he has adjusted to the league] because his IQ is really high and he is being put in a position to suceed."
The Grizzlies handled Desmond Bane similarly last season by not handing him a heavy load during his rookie year, allowing him to adjust and grow his game. Bane stepped in and played his role in his first season, and now, has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-cementing-himself-as-essential-part-of-nextgen-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exploded in his second season</a>. Perhaps Kleiman has found a formula for player development that works while his team still competes at a high level.
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Perseverance must coexist with patience, and that patience not only comes from Williams, but his coaching staff, teammates and fans.
Coach Cohen absolutely nailed what's been taking place in Memphis in regards to the rookie's development: Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is putting him in a situation to succeed. Dillon Brooks has only played 21 games this season due to injury, and Jenkins has opted to start Williams in his place, forcing the rookie to learn on the job.
Williams looked every part the project early on this season, shooting an abysmal 24.6% from deep on 3.8 attempts, which ranked 37th among qualifying rookies through the end of January; he was also 25th in Net Rating at minus-1.6. His lack of physical strength and loss of a developmental year were clear with an occasional flash of upside at times.
Down one point against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 31, Morant drove to the rim looking for a game-winner only to be met by a wall of defenders. Rather than forcing up a tough shot, he found Williams in the corner, wide open. He trusted the rookie to knock down the shot. When asked about the decision to pass it, Ja had this to say:
"[Ziaire was] open. His man came to help. It was the right play. I wouldn&rsquo;t change it. If it happens again, I&rsquo;ll make the same pass. I passed because I believe in him and know he is capable of making that shot. If that play comes again, I&rsquo;ll pass it again," Morant said.
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Since this shot, Williams leads all qualifying rookies in three-point percentage at 45.6%. In fact, among all NBA players since Feb. 1 who have played 15 games and attempted 3.0 or more threes per game, Ziaire has the eighth-best shooting clip from deep. For a month-and-a-half, he has been a top-10 shooter in the NBA. He has also improved to third among rookies in NET at plus-9.6, trailing only Jose Alvarado and Dalano Blanton.&nbsp;
For now, Williams is filling his role as a spot-up shooter and lengthy defender who disrupts passing lanes. What the Grizzlies have not unleashed is the Z who can facilitate as well as put someone on a poster at any given moment. Memphis is simply building his confidence now, just to unleash him in the future.&nbsp;
For years, the Grizzlies have sought the missing piece on the wing. They looked for it in Rudy Gay and Chandler Parsons to name a couple, but the search has always come up empty. But now, the organization has identified Williams as a high-character, high-IQ player with plenty of length and skill to fit between Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. As the rookie continues to work and progress, growing with this young Grizzlies core, the sky could actually be the limit for both Williams and his team.&nbsp;
Ziaire Williams may not be the flashy name in his draft class and likely won't go down as a top-five talent, but the Grizzlies snuck up and stole a gem who was overlooked due to specific circumstances &mdash; and they will reap the rewards for years to come.&nbsp;
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Justin Lewis speaks with Stanford associate head coach Adam Cohen about Ziaire Williams and breaks down his recent success.

Quiet perseverance of Ziaire Williams paying off for the Grizzlies

On March 18, 1995, Michael Jordan shocked the sports world by announcing that he was coming out of retirement and returning to the Chicago Bulls with a short-and-sweet fax that read: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m back.&rdquo;
Almost exactly 27 years later, Tom Brady gave us the 2022 version of this fax, announcing that he was coming out of retirement and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a short-and-sweet tweet that concluded: &ldquo;Unfinished business LFG.&rdquo;
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These past two months I&rsquo;ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it&rsquo;s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I&rsquo;m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG <a href="https://t.co/U0yhRKVKVm">pic.twitter.com/U0yhRKVKVm</a>
&mdash; Tom Brady (@TomBrady) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomBrady/status/1503147141795045378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Jordan sent his fax on a Saturday afternoon, taking attention away from the 1995 NCAA Tournament that had tipped off two days earlier. Brady sent his tweet on a Sunday afternoon, stealing the spotlight from the 2022 NCAA Tournament's Selection Sunday.
Rather than leaking the news anonymously or holding a press conference, both players took breaking the news of their return into their own hands. Jordan&rsquo;s agent, David Falk, has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12501628/michael-jordan-famous-back-fax-25-years-later" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he wrote up several different press releases for Jordan to choose from, but MJ &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t like the feel of them... He said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;ll do it myself.&rsquo;
Email wasn&rsquo;t popular yet, so Alyson Sadofsky, Falk's director of media services, couldn&rsquo;t send out a mass message; each fax had to be sent individually (which entailed making a cover sheet, sending the fax and waiting for a confirmation receipt). The fax was sent to local media in Chicago as well as national outlets such as the Associated Press, ESPN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, and it took two hours to inform every publication.
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Last month, Brady was frustrated when reporters leaked news of his (short-lived) retirement before he could announce his plans, so it&rsquo;s no surprise that the seven-time Super Bowl champion chose to speak directly to his fans when it came time to announce his return. Using his iPhone, Brady posted the message on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, racking up more than 3.2 million likes combined. Immediately, it became the top story on ESPN. And just like Jordan&rsquo;s announcement transcended the sports world, Brady&rsquo;s tweet was covered by basically every major media outlet (including <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/tom-brady-returning-tampa-play-23rd-season-nfl-83427086" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/sport/tom-brady-returns-tampa-bay-buccaneers/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/tom-brady-coming-return-tampa-bay-weeks-after-retirement-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/13/sports/football/tom-brady-returning-buccaneers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/14/1086395502/tom-brady-called-an-audible-and-is-not-retiring-after-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/60185291" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/f6d646a9109b591183836fbf593c0f2b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Associated Press</a>).
Jordan was retired for 528 days, missing the entire 1993-94 NBA season and most of the 1994-95 campaign as he played minor league baseball for the Birmingham Barons. Brady was retired just 40 days, and he started dropping hints about a possible comeback less than a week after he announced that he was hanging up his cleats.&nbsp;
Neither comeback announcement came as a complete surprise. After all, Jordan had resumed practicing with the Bulls in the weeks before his fax, and there had been rumblings about a possible comeback. Brady was asked about the possibility of playing again on his <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-go-with-tom-brady-larry-fitzgerald-and-jim-gray/id1584409759" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast</a> and responded: &ldquo;You never say never.&rdquo; This led to rampant speculation about a possible return, but it was far from certain. Even Bucs head coach Bruce Arians <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/bruce-arians-would-be-shocked-if-tom-brady-returned-to-nfl-in-2022-i-dont-see-it-happening/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn't think</a> Brady was coming back just a few weeks ago, saying, &ldquo;That would shock me&hellip; I don&rsquo;t see it happening.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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All things considered, Brady&rsquo;s news was probably more shocking. Not only was his retirement so short-lived, but he&rsquo;s also 44 years old, whereas Jordan was 31 when he walked away. Like Brady, Jordan found it difficult to remain retired. After sitting out three seasons (from 1998 to 2000), a 38-year-old Jordan came out of retirement for a second time to join the Washington Wizards for two seasons.&nbsp;
In both sports, we&rsquo;ve seen that it's very difficult for legends to walk away from the game they love. In the NFL, Brady joins Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Deion Sanders, Reggie White, Ricky Williams, Randall Cunningham and his buddy Rob Gronkowski as players who came out of retirement. In the NBA, that list includes Jordan, George Mikan, Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Sidney Moncrief, Brandon Roy, Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Johnson among others.
On Sunday, Bucs fans got a taste of how Bulls fans must have felt in 1995. Few individuals have the ability to completely reverse a team&rsquo;s fortunes, but Jordan and Brady are obviously on that short list. Tampa fans were trying to talk themselves into Kyle Trask or Blaine Gabbert under center, but now they get a bonus year from the greatest quarterback of all-time and one more shot at a championship.&nbsp;
Following Brady&rsquo;s announcement, Tampa Bay&rsquo;s odds of winning the Super Bowl&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/gregauman/status/1503156153794113543" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went from</a> 25/1 to 8.5/1, giving the Buccaneers the third-best odds in the NFL behind only the Buffalo Bills (7/1) and Kansas City Chiefs (7.5/1). In 2021, Brady and the Bucs defeated the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, becoming the first team in NFL history to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in their own stadium.
Last season, Brady was the NFL MVP runner-up, and he finished the year with 5,316 passing yards, 45 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He led the Bucs to a franchise-best 13-4 record and nearly pulled off a miraculous 24-point comeback win against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs. However, the Rams kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired and went on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl.
This will be Brady&rsquo;s age-45 season and his 23rd year in the NFL, as if this situation didn&rsquo;t have enough ties to Jordan. Now, Brady gets his own version of The Last Dance.
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Alex Kennedy explores the similarities between Tom Brady's comeback tweet and Michael Jordan's legendary "I'm back" fax.

Tom Brady’s comeback tweet is modern version of MJ’s ‘I’m back’ fax

Dave Roberts received one of the NBA&rsquo;s biggest rebuilding jobs last August. Instead of being tasked with turning around a team, it was getting ESPN&rsquo;s studio shows and coverage back on track.
As the league comes out of the All-Star break and the push toward the playoffs intensifies, Roberts is pleased with the early results. Game viewership on ESPN is up 10%, and the new &ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; studio show has seen a 35% increase.
&ldquo;I think that we&rsquo;re on the right track,&rdquo; Roberts said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not all the way there but the teams, both in the studio and on the game side, have done a good job of working together and being a cohesive group. And I think that the early results are pretty positive.&rdquo;
Last August, Roberts was named ESPN&rsquo;s senior vice president for NBA and studio production. The move came one month after it was reported Rachel Nichols was accidentally recorded while in the Orlando bubble suggesting colleague Maria Taylor&rsquo;s promotion to host the 2020 NBA Finals was diversity-related.
The New York Times report came two days before last year&rsquo;s NBA Finals detailed the comments. It also came less than three weeks before Taylor&rsquo;s contract was set to expire with ESPN and after she rejected an extension.
Nichols was pulled from NBA Finals game coverage. After the championship series concluded, Taylor signed with NBC.
Nichols&rsquo; &ldquo;The Jump&rdquo; also ended its run after Roberts took over. It was replaced with &ldquo;NBA Today.&rdquo;
Roberts took over after the Finals and met with the network&rsquo;s NBA unit during the Vegas Summer League with a simple message &mdash; he would be accessible and involved, but wouldn&rsquo;t micromanage.
Roberts&rsquo; goal with &ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; was to make sure it wasn&rsquo;t &ldquo;The Jump 2.0&rdquo;.
&ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; has thrived with Malika Andrews as host. Andrews has been one of ESPN&rsquo;s rising stars for the past two years and took over as the sideline reporter for the Finals last year in place of Nichols.
Andrews &mdash; who also does sideline reporting during some games &mdash; has been a quick study in getting commentators on set involved in conversations and quickly pivot when news develops. Roberts lauded Andrews&rsquo; performance during the Feb. 10 trade deadline special. That was the most-watched &ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; episode with 544,000 viewers.
&ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; overall is averaging 334,000 viewers.
&ldquo;She&rsquo;s poised, she&rsquo;s prepared, and she&rsquo;s committed to the journalism part of what we&rsquo;re doing,&rdquo; Roberts said. &ldquo;She can operate as an excellent point guard, if you will, to make everyone else on that set better. That commodity is central to doing those types of ensemble programs. It also has to be insightful, fun and entertaining.&rdquo;
Roberts turned to familiar faces for &ldquo;NBA Countdown.&rdquo; After Taylor&rsquo;s departure, Mike Greenberg took over as host, and Stephen A. Smith received a more prominent role with Michael Wilbon and Jalen Rose.
Besides working with them on NBA, Roberts oversees Greenberg and Smith&rsquo;s morning shows and ESPN&rsquo;s Audio Network.
&ldquo;We wanted to get the biggest brand names that we have covering the NBA together,&rdquo; Roberts said. &ldquo;And then you have Mike, who I believe is one of the best hosts of any content in the industry who can corral all of those big personalities to make a cohesive high-impact program.&rdquo;
Roberts has also been pleased with the development of analysts JJ Reddick and Vince Carter, and getting most of the network&rsquo;s key announcers, and analysts signed to long-term contracts.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m proud of our team&rsquo;s efforts to reimagine NBA coverage this season under Dave&rsquo;s strong leadership,&rdquo; said Jimmy Pitaro, the chairman of ESPN and sports content. &ldquo;We have built upon our solid foundation by adding distinctive content and dynamic personalities, and it&rsquo;s resonating with fans.&rdquo;

Game viewership on ESPN is up 10%, and the new “NBA Today” studio show has seen a 35% increase.

Roberts pleased with changes, progress of ESPN's NBA shows

Picture this. You&rsquo;re in your early 20&rsquo;s, fresh out of college, living in the big city. It&rsquo;s the first time out on your own, so trivial tasks feel as insurmountable as Hunger Game trials &mdash; meal-prepping in lieu of busy days, keeping up with the bills (ugh, so many bills!) and, wait&hellip; how often do people typically do their laundry?
New York itself can be a daunting place. Smooth travel is but a game of misguided faith; subway lines go down at a moment&rsquo;s notice, there&rsquo;s almost always traffic if rideshare is your transit of choice, and you better learn how to use that Maps app... it&rsquo;ll be your closest ally in a hectic time crunch. Silence &mdash; heck, even just a solitary second to gather one&rsquo;s thoughts amidst the kinetic busyness on the avenues and boulevards &mdash; is fleeting in a city that&rsquo;s ritualistic about pulling all-nighters, its citizens moving in cohesion at the pace of the Road Runner on a 24 oz. Monster Energy drink.&nbsp;
For most of us who migrated into the five boroughs from outside lands, the first six months are a rude awakening. Take it from me, now four years into living in NYC &mdash; all of this can be a lot to deal with initially.
Now, imagine balancing everything I just mentioned while acclimating to the unforgiving rigors of the NBA&rsquo;s travel schedule (and lordy has it been relentless yet again), and all the while getting thrown out to the famished wolves on a contender with a Prospect Park-sized target on its back.&nbsp;
Oh, and let&rsquo;s just add in the outlandish challenge of guarding the likes of MVP-candidate DeMar DeRozan in your ninth NBA game, no biggie. That is what the Nets&rsquo; rookie 3-and-D forward Kessler Edwards &mdash; now six months into his Brooklyn tenure &mdash; was staring at with a mere 128 professional minutes under his belt.
He didn&rsquo;t balk.
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That&rsquo;s been a trend for Edwards, who is no stranger to feeling like the odds against him are stacked like Jenga towers, with one false move causing a swift collapse. Ranked as just a 3-star prospect in high school by 24/7 Sports, he committed to Pepperdine University and spent three full seasons expanding his skill set. Still, Edwards didn&rsquo;t hear his name called until the middle of the 2021 NBA Draft's second round last June; he was taken at No. 44 due to concerns about his creation prospects. His role was anything but a given on a Nets team that&rsquo;s never been more "title or bust."
COVID-19 protocols forced Brooklyn&rsquo;s hand to play the kiddos, and after some impressive play in the middle of December, Edwards was eventually given his shot with the full squad on Jan. 10. There, he earned a start alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden against the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls, and his assignment was to thwart the Bulls' incendiary wing tandem. Stuck inside what most would consider a pressure cooker, Edwards emerged from the steam and mist to serve up a truly scrumptious feast for fans to sink their teeth into.
Brooklyn&rsquo;s rookie stopper held DeMar DeRozan to just <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1630556/head-to-head/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1-of-3 shooting</a> that night. Three days later, he bothered Brandon Ingram into an uncharacteristic 2-of-8 showing. Then, it was Evan Mobley, who mustered a mere 3-of-7 outing while defended by the Glendale, California native.&nbsp;
So what has allowed the rookie to hang ten with such a vastly different cast of opponents?&nbsp;
Well, for one, his 6-foot-8 stature and 8-foot-10 standing reach provide him with the requisite length to ace the standardized test of becoming a wing-stopper. He&rsquo;s proficient at flipping his hips and moving backward to track drivers as they bob and weave to the rim, his calves, quads and hamstrings laced with a not-too-shabby 37-inch vertical to wipe away airspace on his contests. Moreover, Edwards has noticeably bulked up since being drafted by the Nets, allowing him to absorb and rebuke opponents&rsquo; jabs in the post with Tempurpedic sponginess. Altogether, he&rsquo;s blocking 1.5% of his enemies&rsquo; shot attempts, good for the <a href="https://www.cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4907#tab-defense_rebounding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">81st percentile</a> at his position.
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Yet, in spite of adding all that weight, Edwards is still able to navigate screens with the malleability of a 6-2 slender guard. Seriously, it&rsquo;s highly unusual to see a player of his build tactically evade screens, especially at such a young age. But Kess doesn&rsquo;t just figure skate over and under picks like a seasoned vet; he&rsquo;s also well-versed with his routes of recovery to <a href="https://www.polygon.com/mario-kart-8-deluxe-guide/2017/4/28/15458834/tips-drifting-ultra-mini-turbo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turbo-drift</a> to the front of his assignment and contest.
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Kess isn&rsquo;t without his flaws as a defender. He&rsquo;s prone to biting hard on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJOtKVfjkh4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ball fakes and pump fakes</a>. He&rsquo;ll get a little too eager when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MurV0ZwFmIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digging down on post threats</a>, opening up space for his man to tiptoe out of the picture. He&rsquo;s also gotten his wires crossed on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Uot7PhcBU&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pick-and-pops</a>, unsure if he&rsquo;s supposed to switch or stay glued to the trigger-happy screener. His <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjsVhgx_Qc&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">closeouts will vary in diligence</a>, and frenetic fly-bys tend to crop up against threatening long-range detonators. Wholistically, he needs to trust his length more &mdash; it&rsquo;ll help him avoid crowding his assignments and should reduce shooting fouls.
None of these areas for improvement are anything out of the ordinary. The precision of NBA offense is an exhaustingly-daunting learning curve for many young players. If he applies himself, there&rsquo;s All-Defense potential sitting in there somewhere.
Oh, but it gets more enticing.
We&rsquo;ve thoroughly covered the &ldquo;D&rdquo; part of his 3-and-D billing, it&rsquo;s time we take a look at what the 21-year-old can do behind the arc. Edwards entered the draft as a 39.5% specialist from the college three-point line, though his shooting portfolio wasn&rsquo;t without its faults. He had this strange habit of splaying his legs on his release &mdash; his feet basically perpendicular upon landing like he was hitting yoga poses. It was unclear if this mechanical quirk would affect Edwards&rsquo; capacity to relocate and shoot on the move.&nbsp;
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After some time with Brooklyn&rsquo;s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, Kessler&rsquo;s idiosyncratic landing mechanics appear to have been wiped clean. Now, his feet travel in unison throughout the entirety of his jump shot. His release point is high, and he shoots on the way up. The elevation on his jumper is majestic; he seemingly hovers for a second with hawk-like composure as the ball leaves his hands. There&rsquo;s a sense of solidarity in Edwards&rsquo; energy transfer, a common goal of producing highly-efficient marks.
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&ldquo;It feels like he&rsquo;s refined his mechanics,&rdquo; Nets head coach Steve Nash told me and fellow Brooklyn reporters. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what my eye says. It had quite a pronounced motion to it ]before], and now, he seems to have really streamlined the motion and taken a lot of that out. Most importantly, he looks confident.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Confident&rdquo; is definitely one way to describe it. Edwards has nailed 43.2% of his big-league threes, good for the <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4907#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">96th percentile at his position</a>. Leaving him alone on the perimeter is basically a death wish &mdash; he&rsquo;s 12 of 23 on uncontested long balls. Canning <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HQ3PM3GRuM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transition threes</a> after a full sprint is certainly within Kess&rsquo; wheelhouse.&nbsp;
Brooklyn&rsquo;s confidence in the 21-year-old&rsquo;s shooting acumen appears to be growing by the game. Against the Pelicans, the Nets ran a set play in the second quarter to have Edwards scamper from the left corner to the left slot by means of a stagger screen. The rookie passed his first pro-level relocation test with flying colors, catching, turning and squaring up to the rim for an all-twine connection.&nbsp;
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Edwards is also one of the few only wing-sized players not named Kevin Durant who can proficiently execute a pick-and-pop. Kess and Irving have showcased early chemistry, in particular. Thanks to his refined mechanics, he&rsquo;s far more apt at shooting while moving to his left. (Popping to his right is obviously a more natural motion). Again, it&rsquo;s early, but he&rsquo;s graded out as <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/roll-man/?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*edwards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">88th percentile roll man</a> without really, well, ever rolling to the rim. I guess that&rsquo;s what happens when you average 1.5 points per pick-and-pop possession (according to Synergy).
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Kessler&rsquo;s true ceiling will be dictated by how much he can ascend beyond that 3-and-D label. Self-creation remains a point of emphasis for the 21-year-old, though he&rsquo;s shown some competence when run off the line. He&rsquo;ll rise up for two-dribble pull-ups after aggressive closeouts (which he warrants!), and he&rsquo;s yet to miss from outside 14 feet. He&rsquo;s also flashed a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpvR1o5IpMc">rather nifty runner</a> at 42% accuracy, placing him in the 65th percentile at his position from the short mid-range. Just 12 games in, Edwards appears ready-made with a pair of built-in counters for when defenses force him to put it on the floor.
Things get a little harrier when he&rsquo;s forced to make decisions in the restricted area; like, Chewbacca or Cousin Itt hairy. Edwards&rsquo; handle is rigid... no, better yet, it can appear almost arthritic. He&rsquo;s prone to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5QnsVyUWiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swipe-down</a> steals due to his high dribble, and he&rsquo;s mostly a straight-line driver. When he does attempt moves that are even slightly complex, the results... erm, you&rsquo;ll see for yourself.
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Kess doesn&rsquo;t have to transform into The Professor overnight to be clear, but some ball control must be cultivated in order to transcend into the Mikal Bridges <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4447#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">realm of operations</a>. For now, Edwards is a big wing-sized player shooting just <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4907#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">45% at the rim</a>, a paltry fifth-percentile ranking. Sheesh.
It&rsquo;d help if he could produce literally any force at the basket. As such an explosive two-foot leaper on his closeouts, it&rsquo;s strange to see him hop off one leg with such frailty on his drives. Springing off two would generate actual power, allow him to play through contact and increase his body control. He&rsquo;d have more ease changing directions to evade shot-blockers and a higher likelihood of successfully stretching out for finishes. Most of all, it&rsquo;d slow him down. For now, he works at 2.75-times the usual player's speed on his layups, his brain outpacing his body&rsquo;s ability to function.
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To say that Edwards has had some nice moments for the Nets would be quite the understatement, like calling He-Man a &ldquo;pretty strong dude with decent hair.&rdquo; Kess can already shoot the dang ball at an elite rate while guarding opposing stars at an NBA level, and he&rsquo;s got plus-size at his position. He&rsquo;s basically the exact type of player the Nets have long been searching for, dating all the way back to the D&rsquo;Angelo Russell days.&nbsp;
Expectations have never been higher in Brooklyn. There are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-james-harden-open-to-relocating-this-summer-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murmurs of Harden wanting out</a>, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/nets-star-irving-steadfast-on-vaccine-despite-durant-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Irving&rsquo;s vaccination status remains a dark, ominous cloud</a> that hangs over Brooklyn&rsquo;s season, ready to rain on the championship parade. The Nets' rotation feels diverse, yet still unfinished. Far too often do Nash&rsquo;s amalgamations of players feature the spacing of a mall parking lot on Black Friday.&nbsp;
Kessler Edwards offers something different than his contemporaries. On one end, he&rsquo;ll fill the corners while Harden runs the pick-and-roll; on the other, he&rsquo;ll screech around screens like Tokyo Drift to bother brash scorers that dare try him.
Altogether, the Nets have stumbled upon a very special player. They&rsquo;d be foolish to not put him to the test in the playoff crucible.
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Matt Brooks details how Nets rookie Kessler Edwards has been a bright spot for the team and the ways he's impacted the game.

The Nets may have stumbled on something with Kessler Edwards

With hubris, he declared victory before the first battle.&nbsp;
Intoxicated by his hopes and aspirations, on that day in Miami, LeBron James defiantly counted, laughing at five and scoffing at six.&nbsp;
With Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh flanking him, he envisioned two hands worth of championship rings and predicted that the actual games would be &ldquo;the easy part.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Eventually, though, the young King would learn the valuable lesson that many of his predecessors did: assembling the talent is the easy part. Convincing Lady Luck and Father Time to bless you at the same time &mdash; that&rsquo;s the true challenge.
The Brooklyn Nets are learning that, firsthand.
It&rsquo;s been a long 30 months since Kyrie Irving walked across the Brooklyn Bridge with Kevin Durant in tow. Remarkably, it&rsquo;s already been a full year since James Harden found his way to Barclays Center to join them.
And just as remarkable is the fact that the trio has played together a grand total of just 15 times &mdash; eight times during the 2020-21 season, five games in last year&rsquo;s postseason and a grand total of twice in 2021-22.
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It&rsquo;s not exactly a good sign.
Whether it be a busted Achilles, a hamstring, an ankle, an MCL or refusal to get vaccinated, Brooklyn simply hasn&rsquo;t been able to consistently field its trio.&nbsp;
In pro basketball, chemistry and the ability to work together is just as important as talent. Maybe the tide will turn and Durant, Irving and Harden will have the opportunity to develop the cohesion necessary to thrive and accomplish something great. But it&rsquo;s far from a given at this point; there just always seems to be something standing in their way.
The latest bump in the road is a sprained MCL suffered on the part of Durant, who the team has only declared to be out &ldquo;indefinitely.&rdquo; While it&rsquo;s entirely possible that Durant could return to action soon, it&rsquo;s equally possible that he could be sidelined for as many as six weeks, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/17/nets-have-no-timeline-on-kevin-durants-knee-injury/">the New York Post</a>. And considering Durant&rsquo;s age and the Nets&rsquo; conservative approach with its star, we&rsquo;d be wise to take the over.
Six weeks from the day Durant suffered the injury would bring us to Feb. 26, the date on which the Nets coincidentally happen to be in Milwaukee to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks.
Including that game, the Nets will have just 10 road games remaining. That&rsquo;s obviously important considering Irving remains ineligible for home games because of his vaccination status. And he&rsquo;s not any closer to getting jabbed now than he was at the beginning of the season.
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Said differently, it&rsquo;s entirely possible that Brooklyn&rsquo;s Big 3 will enter the 2021-22 postseason having played together about 25 times, and that&rsquo;s essentially a best-case scenario based on what we currently know.&nbsp;
At this point in their partnership, we&rsquo;re somehow still able to easily keep count of the number of games that they&rsquo;ve played together, and teams that end up winning championships don&rsquo;t typically have that problem. If anything, it&rsquo;s the opposite.
Sure, there will always be teams like the 2008 Boston Celtics, but most other teams who manage to win-out are teams like the Bucks, the Toronto Raptors and the pre-Durant Golden State Warriors. Champions typically are built, brick-by-brick and one day at a time. Guys don&rsquo;t typically show up to the gym, build a bomb squad and then achieve at the highest level. It just doesn&rsquo;t usually work like that. Teams scratch and claw their way to championships.
The Nets are trying to glide their way there.
Obviously, Brooklyn has enough talent to buck the trend, but the other things that are required &mdash; chemistry, cohesion, synergy and good fortune &mdash; have simply been missing from their equation. And it&rsquo;s a shame.&nbsp;
Through the first half of the 2021-22 season, Kevin Durant has somehow managed to make us all forget that he&rsquo;s human. At 33 years old, with the mileage on his odometer and an injury that&rsquo;s caused the sun to set on his predecessors, he&rsquo;s had no problem helping us forget.
Ironically, as he, Harden and Irving have been cycled in and out of the lineup, Sean Marks has managed to find difference-making supporting players. Whether it be Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert or Joe Harris and Nicolas Claxton, the Nets always seem to have the infantry ready. They&rsquo;ve been missing the captains.
Perhaps what&rsquo;s most frustrating is the fact that no amount of basketball talent will carry you through if the stars don&rsquo;t align for you. And after so long, it&rsquo;s fair to wonder whether they&rsquo;ll ever align in Brooklyn. Especially as Durant heals and Irving and Harden each play out what could be &mdash; in theory &mdash; their final season in Brooklyn.
When it was all said and done for LeBron in Miami, the Heat had won the Eastern Conference four consecutive times and had two championships to show for it.&nbsp;
It wasn&rsquo;t seven, but on the route from pre-championship pep rally in Miami back to Cleveland, LeBron learned a valuable lesson: winning in the NBA is no accident. Getting talented teammates is the easy part.&nbsp;
Everything else &mdash; including the things you can&rsquo;t control &mdash; is what makes it really tough.
Sadly, through the lens of Kevin Durant and his star-crossed union with Kyrie Irving and James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets are learning that firsthand.

Moke Hamilton discusses the fortune (or lack thereof) of the Brooklyn Nets' Big 3, who can't manage to stay on the court.

Star-crossed: In Brooklyn, good fortune remains missing ingredient

The Atlanta Hawks have been disappointing so far in 2021-22, winning only 17 of their first 40 games &mdash; a major step back after advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals just last season. With that kind of a start, moves are inevitable.
So late Thursday morning, Atlanta reportedly sent Cam Reddish, Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick (via Brooklyn) to the New York Knicks for Kevin Knox and a protected 2022 first-round pick via Charlotte, per <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hawks-trading-cam-reddish-solomon-hill-to-knicks-for-two-draft-picks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
Let's take a look at how this affects both teams involved.
KNICKS
This move is a major win for New York. The Knicks had in interest in the 6-foot-8 Reddish leading up to the 2019 NBA Draft. They ultimately selected Reddish&rsquo;s teammate, RJ Barrett, third overall. Reddish was taken by Atlanta with the No. 10 pick.
Considering that Barrett and Reddish played together for a season at Duke, cohesion should not be an issue. Somewhere in or around New Orleans, Zion Williamson is probably jealous that his two former teammates are reuniting without him. Be on the lookout for Zion-to-New York rumors heating up, especially if Reddish and Barrett are both in New York long-term.
But Reddish-to-New York isn&rsquo;t a pure reunion. Reddish&rsquo;s game has grown a lot since 2019. He&rsquo;s playing the best basketball of his career this season, scoring a career-high 11.9 points per game on a career-best 37.9% on three-point attempts. He&rsquo;s done that while playing a career-low 23.4 minutes per game. He&rsquo;s been more aggressive as of late, putting up two 30-plus point games in late December, and his defensive prowess is still noteworthy too.
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Welcome to New York, Cam Reddish! <a href="https://t.co/eE1sVzYKsO">pic.twitter.com/eE1sVzYKsO</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1481676359697145863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Reddish&rsquo;s versatility should solidify New York&rsquo;s already-capable second unit, adding a true wing to a lineup that needed one &mdash; a role that was tailor-made for Knox, who never won the trust of head coach Tom Thibodeau. Alternatively, Reddish could replace Fournier in the starting lineup. Reddish will almost certainly take on the limited minutes Knox received, as well as probably taking some from rookie Quentin Grimes and Alec Burks. Reddish's presence should also enable Thibodeau to rest Julius Randle, Barrett and Fournier a bit more too. 
Reddish is eligible for a contract extension following this season. If a deal isn&rsquo;t reached, the 22-year-old will become a restricted free agent in 2023. As alluded to above, Reddish will likely receive more playing time in New York to showcase what he can do before the summer.
The Knicks are presently 21-21, slotting in at No. 11 in the Eastern Conference. New York is in a similar position to where it was last season the team traded for Derrick Rose. Rose helped power the Knicks into the 2021 NBA Playoffs. If Reddish can have a similar impact, look for negotiations to commence this offseason.
Hill is unlikely to receive a significant role in New York, and could be waived depending on how Thibs views his fit with a crowded frontcourt room.
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HAWKS
The cost of adding a versatile wing was a no-brainer for the Knicks. On the other hand, it seems as though Atlanta could have returned more for a young player like Reddish.
But that doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;s a bad deal for the Hawks. Firstly, Atlanta has struggled establishing and sticking to lineups, which has been further complicated by injuries and protocols. While the 10th pick in an NBA Draft is certainly a considerable investment, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter &mdash; the fourth overall pick of the same draft &mdash; is obviously more of a priority; Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic are too, and that left Reddish among the odd men out.
We should also hold off on judging Atlanta&rsquo;s decision to move Reddish until at least the trade deadline (Feb. 10). The Hawks could very easily be working on a follow-up deal that makes this move sensible. It also could be as simple as Atlanta striking before word leaks that the franchise possibly did not anticipate opening contract negotiations with Reddish, which would've hurt his trade value.
It&rsquo;s worth mentioning that the pick used on Reddish originally belonged to the Dallas Mavericks, and was sent to Atlanta as part of the Luka Doncic-Trae Young trade &mdash; meaning that ultimately, in a web, Atlanta received Young, Kevin Knox and a 2022 protected first-rounder for Doncic.
Ironically, the Hawks are struggling this season too, just one spot behind New York in the Eastern Conference. A shake-up was imminent, as was foreshadowed recently by Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk on an <a href="https://www.audacy.com/929thegame/podcasts/the-morning-show-w-john-and-hugh-8/travis-schlenk-its-on-me-if-this-doesnt-get-turned-around-1108640535">Atlanta-area radio show</a>. Rumors have also circulated about the availably of veteran wing Danilo Gallinari.
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Ultimately, this deal was a home run for New York. It may or may not help catapult the Knicks into the playoffs, but more importantly, it gives them another reliable and versatile young player around whom they can continue building.
It&rsquo;s a little less clear what this accomplishes for Atlanta. Knox's inability to consistently contribute means he'll probably play a very limited role, similar to that which he had with the Knicks. But stay tuned for subsequent deals regarding the Hawks.

Cam Reddish is being sent to the New York Knicks for a 2022 protected first-round pick and Kevin Knox. Drew Maresca reacts.

Instant reaction: Cam Reddish trade a no-brainer for Knicks

The NBA Sour Rankings took a month-long hiatus due to the wild world of playing through the peak (on league rosters, at least) of a pandemic. With COVID-induced absences dwindling down, it's back to reassess the state of desperation as we approach the season's halfway mark.
Several presumptive playoff contenders are spiraling, and at this stage of the season, it's reasonable to begin panicking. The league's middle tier is as crowded as ever.
With that being said, we're also going to trot out the Tank-O-Meter this season and update it occasionally over the next few months. The Tank-O-Meter measures how much an NBA franchise should be considering throwing in the towel and embracing its younger players while pursuing a high draft pick. It was called the Cade-O-Meter last year, but with no surefire No. 1 pick yet, it takes on a generic nickname.
You'll get Tank-O-Meter readings for each team in the Sour Rankings, rated 1-10 (10 being a full commit to the tank), plus the usual explanations for why each team has earned its undesirably place on this list.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
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The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
10. Los Angeles Lakers (21-20) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 1/10
LeBron James has been an absolute monster for the Lakers over the past month, but the team itself is still 6-7 since we last updated these rankings. Things are looking up, though; L.A. is 5-2 in the past two weeks with the third-ranked offense in the league. Malik Monk has emerged as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/malik-monks-offensive-versatility-is-helping-fuel-the-lakers-resurgence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the scoring weapon the franchise hoped for</a> when they added him this offseason. The Lakers could very easily break out of the Sour Rankings by next week.
And no, in no universe should a team with LeBron James active and dominant as ever consider tanking.
9. Houston Rockets (11-30) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 10/10
Houston is fully invested in a youth movement and has been since the season began, so a Tank-O-Meter rating isn't even necessary. But the sailing hasn't been as smooth as some of the other bottom-feeding NBA franchises.
The recent halftime incidents with Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood both led to one-game suspensions for each. Both are concerning for different reasons; Porter has a history of locker-room altercations, and Wood is a veteran in a leadership role on the team. Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. had a great discussion about this on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-70-new-year,-same-vibes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last Tuesday's Dunker Spot podcast</a>. This season is as much about building a culture in Houston as it is getting prospects playing time, and that hasn't been easy.
8. Los Angeles Clippers (20-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 4/10
Injuries continue to attack the Clippers. Paul George is out at least several weeks with an elbow injury and Isaiah Hartenstein has no timetable on his hurt ankle. L.A. is thus 3-6 since Christmas and 4-9 since the last Sour Rankings, dropping to ninth in the West.&nbsp;
There's a sneaky case to be made for a tank here. Young players like Terance Mann, Amir Coffey and Brandon Boston Jr. continue to flash promise. With George and Kawhi Leonard out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kawhi-leonard-knee-ahead-of-schedule-strong-chance-he-returns-this-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for now</a>, the Clippers' ceiling is capped. It's probably still too early for a veteran-heavy roster to be shuffled around, but the situation is worth revisiting around the trade deadline.
7. Indiana Pacers (15-25) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 7/10
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CAREER-HIGH ON 18-22 SHOOTING FOR DOMANTAS SABONIS 🪣 42 PTS 6 REB 56.7 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/xjCYy7l9YC">pic.twitter.com/xjCYy7l9YC</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1480002848532410371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Domantas Sabonis dropped a career-high 42 points on the Utah Jazz in the Pacers' Saturday win, and he's been on fire as of late. Indiana, however, had lost six straight games prior to that victory, and continues to flounder with a mediocre offense and below-average defense.&nbsp;
It's been over a month since the initial reports about Indiana embracing a rebuild, but hopefully the front office is still on that track. The Pacers lack upside outside of whatever Sabonis can muster up, even when Caris LeVert and Malcolm Brogdon have their good days. Indiana is 13th in the Eastern Conference with several better teams ahead in the Play-In battle. There's no sense in pushing for a whimper of a postseason exit.
6. Washington Wizards (20-20) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 2/10
Despite sitting at .500, Washington is one of six franchises with bottom-10 offensive and defensive ratings, per Cleaning the Glass. Those other teams are all at least 10 games below .500. The Wizards have gone 5-9 in the past month and are fading fast.&nbsp;
However, unless some roster overhaul occurs at the trade deadline, Washington isn't in a position to tank. The biggest franchise domino is still Bradley Beal's upcoming free agency, and if the organization has any hope of keeping him, it should continue to focus on the playoffs. The Wizards currently sit ninth, but are still only two games out of sixth in the East. There's time to right the ship.
5. Sacramento Kings (16-26) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 4/10
The Kings are on a four-game losing streak, are 3-7 in their last 10, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-kings-open-to-trading-deaaron-fox-tyrese-haliburton-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Philly Voice's Kyle Neubeck</a>, have been open to making De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton available in trade talks. Altogether, that signals desperation. Sacramento should shake things up because the defense is still horrendous (ranked 27th) and the offense is disappointing (24th).&nbsp;
Does the state of the Kings really call for another tank though? For a young franchise used to losing, postseason experience &mdash; even Play-In exits &mdash; might have extra value. But there still is not enough overall talent or cohesion to pull off the appearance of a playoff contender. The rating stays low, for now.
4. Boston Celtics (19-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 2/10
Friday's loss to the New York Knicks on an RJ Barrett buzzer-beater underlined a disastrous stretch for the Celtics that included second-half collapses, stalling offense and disappointing results against inferior opponents. Once again, the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown pairing has been called into question by fans, along with Ime Udoka's coaching and the point guard situation. And while I think much of the blame game is misguided, the fact that it exists is a concern in itself.
Boston holds the last Play-In spot, and a postseason appearance should wholeheartedly remain the sole goal. A tank in any form would symbolize a lack of confidence in the current direction, a.k.a. a team led by Tatum and Brown. There is no legitimate reason to be hesitant in rostering what is still one of the best wing duos in basketball, and fortunately, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/celtics-have-no-interest-in-trading-jayson-tatum-or-jaylen-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston seems to know this</a>.
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3. New York Knicks (19-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 3/10
The Knicks may have gotten that buzzer-beater win, but it was quickly erased by a resounding 99-75 loss to the same Celtics on Saturday. This team is dreadfully inconsistent, starting at the top with Julius Randle and Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley's growth hasn't dispelled the frustration. As of right now, New York loses the tiebreaker with Boston and is actually out of the postseason entirely.
Like the Celtics, though, a Knicks tank is an admittance that the current franchise direction is an error and that one glorious 2020-21 season was a fluke. New York should not miss out on the Play-In Tournament. They do have an interesting group of young talent, and a high-lottery prospect would surely help. But the lack of star power at the top compared to the previous draft class makes a risky move like that less enticing.
2. Portland Trail Blazers (15-24) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 4/10
The Trail Blazers have a terrible defense that continually costs them games, and have fallen to 12th in the West amidst a chaotic fight (is it a fight?) for postseason spots. Every loss makes fans worry more about the future of Damian Lillard, and Lillard himself remains out with an abdominal injury.&nbsp;
This franchise is in such a weird place. They aren't a destination, and they aren't near true playoff contention. Portland is two games out of top-four lottery odds... which could be the best way of acquiring someone with star upside to join Lillard. But is that the tone Lillard wants to set, and does his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/damian-lillard-wants-2year-extension-which-could-shape-blazers-gm-search" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will carry the same weight anymore</a>? It's all incredibly confusing for the Tank-O-Meter.
1. Atlanta Hawks (17-22) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 2/10
What a mess things have been in Atlanta. The Hawks are 2-5 in the last two weeks with the worst defense in the NBA. They lost a game in which Trae Young scored 56 points. Atlanta is currently 12th in the East standings. General manager <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/hawks/news/atlanta-hawks-general-manager-hints-at-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Travis Schlenk even went on record</a> wondering if he should lower expectations for the team. John Collins is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-john-collins-frustrated-by-role-with-hawks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly frustrated by his role</a>. Yikes.
The Hawks should be done with their prospect stockpiling. They absolutely need to make a major move at the trade deadline, but going back to the draft for help won't solve the team's problems. Atlanta has loads of young talent from Young, to Kevin Huerter, to Collins, to Onyeka Okongwu, to De'Andre Hunter, to Cam Reddish and more. It's time to turn that back into winning either via trade or growth.

As the NBA season reaches the halfway point, some teams need to make a decision on their direction.

NBA Sour Rankings: Welcoming back the Tank-O-Meter

If you haven't noticed by now, there are many superstars with dramatically lower free-throw attempt numbers. Since the NBA implemented rule changes to discourage disingenious foul-drawing on the offensive end, there have been both complaints and words of support in regards to the new policy from players and media alike.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes and how they've impacted the on-court product?
Alex Kennedy: I love the changes. The NBA recognized that unnatural foul-baiting had gotten out of hand, so they closed some of the loopholes that many of today&rsquo;s stars had learned to exploit. This season, teams are attempting just 20.0 free throws per game &mdash; the fewest in NBA history. I like that there are fewer breaks in the action and games go by quicker too. Also, since players no longer have to worry that every little thing will result in a foul call, defenders are suddenly being more physical and aggressive (which has been fun to watch). This must be so frustrating for stars like James Harden and Trae Young since they are being forced to adjust on the fly and change their entire offensive approach, but I think this had to be done.
Nekias Duncan: I'm mostly fine with the rule changes. I think weeding out some of the non-basketball foul-drawing was a step in the right direction. Allowing a little more physicality defensively has been fun for me. I do think the foul/physicality emphasis may be too far on the other side right now. Instead of just eliminating the tricky stuff, it seems like refs are allowing guys to get mauled in the paint. There's a balance to be found, and hopefully they find it soon.
Spencer Davies: Well, I loved seeing the box score in the high 90s and low-to-mid 100s in the opening weeks. That seems to have changed a little already though. Offense is extremely fun, but there&rsquo;s a happy medium to be found. (We&rsquo;re even seeing some hand-checking allowance?) Taking away the obvious &ldquo;looking for a foul-call because I can&rsquo;t figure out the defense&rdquo; hacks has been appropriate. You know whether or not one is genuine. What I don&rsquo;t like seeing is officials forgetting that defenders leaving their feet to contest a shot is illegal and should be called a foul. In addition, contact on a drive is still contact. Not everybody is trying to trick you. That said, deciphering between the two must be difficult full-speed. It&rsquo;s a vast improvement, though, I think.
Ethan Fuller: I'm in agreement with most people that the game has given defenders a more level playing field and forced teams to get more inventive on offense. It's good for basketball to reward creativity and keep the ball in play as much as possible. I would add that I think people are unreasonably connecting the changes to an increase in physicality. Unless the officials were told to just keep a tighter whistle in general, I don't know how the rule changes would change the game on that great a scale.
Moke Hamilton: I love it. On the decisive miss in the Timberwolves-Suns games on Nov. 15, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell got Devin Booker in the air, but would&rsquo;ve had to launch himself into Booker to draw contact on the game-tying three-pointer. Russell avoided the contact, obviously realizing that he might not get the call. He missed the shot, and the Wolves lost the game by three. But I&rsquo;m all about games being decided like that. It also encourages defenders to play harder and contest those important shots. I&rsquo;m happy.
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Evan Sidery: It&rsquo;s been a little hit and miss for me. I love how they&rsquo;ve taken away the blatant foul-baiting. However, they are also missing some obvious calls now as well. I imagine it will all get figured out as the season goes on, but it&rsquo;s something to monitor moving forward.
Blake Hairston: I've liked the rule changes, particularly considering the viewing experience because it's maintained the flow of the game instead of having way too many stoppages throughout it. While some of these changes have been frustrating for scorers like James Harden and Trae Young, I also look forward to watching the adjustments they'll make to continue to be highly effective players.
Alexander Cohen: I think, in general, the rules to limit fouling and increase the pace of play are terrific. Those are genuine criticisms held by many that prevent casual fans from watching (or even diehard fans from watching full games). However, I think the NBA needs to adapt the NFL's challenge policy if the league is going to eliminate reviews in the last two minutes. Pace of play is important, but fairness is too, and coaches should at least be awarded an extra challenge if they correctly overturn a call with the first.
Drew Maresca: Love it. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-nba-is-trying-to-eliminate-unnatural-foulbaiting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about this rule change before the season began</a>, and it&rsquo;s played out even better than I thought it would. Last season, we reached a real inflection point. Offensive players had been getting calls when they were initiating contact, but last year saw more of those calls than usual when the offensive player was in a completely unnatural shooting motion (e.g., jumping backwards). This season, unnatural-shooting-motion fouls have been mostly eliminated, which represents a major upgrade. Games are smoother, and there are less breaks in the action. One downside is that refs may have went too far the other way, leading to situations like Damian Lillard is currently facing; Lillard is attempting a career-low 4.7 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. Still, I believe this will work itself out, and the game will be better for it.
Jesse Blancarte: This may not be a popular opinion, but I like the changes. Scoring may be down across the league, but I have grown tired of watching players jump sideways into defenders and hooking opponents while driving to the rim. It still happens and the top players will still get calls, but there seems to be less gamesmanship in years past, and I, for one, am happy about it.

What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

Roundtable: What are your thoughts on the NBA's rule changes?

I'm going to give you a moment to prepare your eye roll.
Go on. Take a few seconds. Get it together.&nbsp;
You ready?
[Clears throat]
Houston, you have a problem.
The losers of 15 straight games, the Rockets currently hold the worst record in the NBA at 1-16. Their 0-11 record on the road seems like a typo.
While it's understood that this was supposed to be ground zero of the post-Harden era, I'm not sure anybody expected things to look like this. Chief of among the "anybody" group: Rockets management.&nbsp;
Per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, head coach Stephen Silas is <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2950751-sources-houston-rockets-weighing-future-of-head-coach-stephen-silas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firmly on the hot seat</a>. From Fischer:
Now, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation have indicated to B/R that Rockets brass are weighing the future of Stephen Silas, who may become the league's next coach to be terminated, following Luke Walton's exit in Sacramento last weekend.
It would be a tough break for Silas, whose first head coaching gig has been the literal opposite of what he expected.
He beat out candidates like Jeff Van Gundy for the job heading into last season, with the reward being James Harden and Russell Westbrook as a star backcourt duo. Instead, Westbrook was traded before the year began; Harden was later flipped to the Brooklyn Nets for a bounty of picks.
Shifting from "dark-horse contender" to "let's kick off the rebuild" isn't an easy transition. With the roster trending much younger &mdash; the primary goal being to foster the development of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. &mdash; it would make sense that the losses would pile up this season. Silas is not the&nbsp;reason the Rockets are awful right now.
It is fair, however, to acknowledge that he has a role to play in the rough start.
If you looked at the Rockets' roster heading into the season, you'd likely assume they'd be a poor defense and a below-average offense. A bad team, of course, but one in which you'd see a little more cohesion on the offensive side of the ball.
That just hasn't happened.
The Rockets rank dead last in offensive rating (97.3) despite having the most efficient shot profile in the NBA. Per PBP Stats, the Rockets (and Blazers) have an expected Effective Field Goal percentage of 55%; put another way, based on where they get their shots from, they should be blowing teams out of the water offensively.
Put&nbsp;another&nbsp;way: roughly 80% of the Rockets' shots come at the rim or behind the arc, easily tops in the league.
But this reminds me of last year's Timberwolves before the Chris Finch hire. They had a similar share of shots from fruitful areas of the floor, but&nbsp;how&nbsp;they got those shots &mdash; and who took those shots &mdash; made their profile fool's gold.
The Rockets have a double-whammy in this regard. Their starting backcourt of Porter and Green, when healthy, is a combined&nbsp;40 years old. On top of the two needing experience to effectively lead an offense, neither of them are natural playmakers.
On top of&nbsp;that,&nbsp;and this is where Silas deserves some blame, their offense is pretty static from a scheme standpoint. They're a drag-screen-or-bust group in early offense, with middle ball-screens (that devolve into isolations if they don't work) making up the largest chunk of their half-court attack.
They often empty a side to stress the defenders of the ball screen &mdash; and simplify reads for their young backcourt. With no real weak-side movement, or at the very least some decoy action to set up that empty corner action, you get a lot of possessions that look like this.
<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/ud10f4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
There are hints of goodness in there. Go back to the Warriors game earlier in the month and you'll find some flavor. A Spain pick-and-roll here:
<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/wh1t47" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
A middle pick-and-roll, but with David Nwaba (love that guy) attempting to set up a flare behind him (don't mind the miss).
<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/a37ela" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
More often than not, though, it's a bunch of bland. The young guys are often left to make a dollar out of 15 cents.
And about that youthful exuberance: they make mistakes. They try things. They turn the ball over, and boy, does this Rockets team turn it over. Their 18.2% turnover rate not only ranks last in the league by a wide margin, it's the worst mark since the Process Sixers back in the 2014-15 season (18.3%).
(That might be the biggest reason Silas doesn't trust Alperen Sengun with more minutes yet, though I &mdash; and probably 80% of Rocket fans &mdash; would argue his injection of randomness is worth it from a development&nbsp;and&nbsp;give-me-something-fun-to-watch standpoint.)
When the personnel isn't great, there's a limit to how effective you can be. Another benefit of empty corner pick-and-rolls, for example, is to generate an extra pocket of space; the Rockets kinda have&nbsp;to spam that to a degree because of the lack of shooters available. That isn't completely on Silas.
He certainly isn't helping himself right now, though. Playing Tate, Theis and Christian Wood together just hasn't worked out. Whatever benefit they're getting from the defensive insulation Tate and Theis provide is throughly erased by the lack of spacing the trio brings.&nbsp;
Houston's two most-played five-man linups <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612745" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feature those three</a>; those groupings have an 80.9 and 67.0 offensive rating respectively.
The third unit &mdash; Porter, Green, Eric Gordon, Tate and Wood &mdash; has a 106.0 Offensive Rating, and plus-13.3 Net Rating overall. It might&nbsp;be worth exploring that one a little more when everyone's available.&nbsp;
Defensively, it's easier to explain. They're an absolute mess at the point of attack with Porter, Green and D.J. Augustin logging most of the guard minutes. Porter and Green are even messier off the ball &mdash; typical young guy stuff &mdash; which further forces Silas into a tough spot.
There are defenders on this team that can help &mdash; Tate, Theis, Nwaba, KJ Martin (weak-side rim-protecting GAWD), and rooksters Josh Christopher (fiesty at the point of attack) and Usman Garuba &mdash; though none of them help the spacing issue in a real way.
In short (shut up), the Rockets don't have a Stephen Silas Problem. They have an Everything Problem. The organizational goal shifted underneath Silas' feet. The roster is young and flawed. Silas has failed to implement a system with any real juice, and his handling of the ill-fitting roster has been poor.
It's hard to imagine a Silas firing fixing everything, as a good chunk of this is out of his control. But there are certainly improvements that could be made. Drawing back to the Timberwolves example from earlier, if the Rockets feel their version of Finch is available on the market, it makes some sense to get that guy in place.
It would be an unfair shake for Silas, but such is life as an NBA coach.

Nekias Duncan breaks down what's going on in Houston, and why head coach Stephen Silas is on the hot seat in year two.

The Rockets' problems extend beyond Stephen Silas

Along the lines of which NBA player <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has suprised the most</a>, there is a curiosity surrounding who will actually take home a trophy for taking that next step from good to great.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? 
Alex Kennedy: Miles Bridges has been sensational and I can absolutely see him winning the award if he keeps this up. He increased his scoring average by 8.9 points, and he&rsquo;s currently posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4), steals (1.4), blocks (0.8), threes (2.4), player efficiency rating (18.9) and box plus/minus (+2.0). While some players get off to a hot start and then inevitably fizzle out, Bridges&rsquo; terrific play may just be sustainable. After all, he had a similarly impressive stretch toward the end of last season. Over the final 20 games of the 2020-21 campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 threes, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers (while shooting 51.1% from the field, 43.5% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line). Bridges&rsquo; production isn&rsquo;t some fluke, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if he continues to shine and takes home Most Improved.
Nekias Duncan: Ja Morant has given me pause, but I'm rolling with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/og-anunoby-is-putting-an-early-stamp-on-mip-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my preseason pick</a> &mdash; OG Anunoby. He's taken on much more on-ball responsibility and is holding his own. To become a 20-point scorer on a whim without sacrificing the defense &mdash; he's still hounding dudes at an All-Defensive team level &mdash; is wildly impressive.
Spencer Davies: Despite the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; inconsistencies as a team, Ja Morant is probably leading the charge. He&rsquo;s on track to make his first All-Star team with the kind of production he&rsquo;s putting forth &mdash; 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and a career-best 5.9 rebounds per contest. Adding the three-ball and willingly pulling up from distance, that makes him an entirely different threat as an offensive player. If the opposition begins to respect that outside shot and defends him too closely, with the agility and quick decision-making Morant possesses, it&rsquo;s going to be a long night for them. The Grizzlies really need to shore up that defense first, but No. 12 is on a tear.
Ethan Fuller: Miles Bridges is the leading scorer on a Charlotte Hornets team loaded with offensive firepower. That's a testament to his improvement creating for himself off the dribble. Bridges has produced more as a passer and rebounder, and is taking on a much larger role than the pure shooter and cutter he was in years past. As he acclimates to the increased responsibility, Bridges should see his efficiency go up and only solidify his MIP case.
Jannelle Moore: Miles Bridges is my early favorite for MIP. He has consistently stepped up as the Hornets' first scoring option. He's improved his shot and improved defensively, and has been more consistent than other players that have been up for consideration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Career-high for Miles Bridges 🔥 35 PTS | 10 REB | 50.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/IJXfKPXogI">pic.twitter.com/IJXfKPXogI</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462257951822032898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Moke Hamilton: It&rsquo;s a two-man race between Miles Bridges and Jordan Poole, right? I lean Bridges. He&rsquo;s been more productive, and is also being relied upon a bit more heavily than Poole. I'm not sure who else could rightfully claim to be pushing those two right now.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going with Miles Bridges because his all-around growth has been so impressive to me. Ja Morant is likely the consensus favorite, but we all knew he had superstar upside. On the other hand, who expected this leap from Bridges? He&rsquo;s established himself as a primary core piece alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges is the first to mind. The jump he's made from last season to this season is impressive, and he's really exuding confidence on a team that's looking to make some noise this year. If he can maintain 20-plus points per game on relative efficiency and career-highs in numerous statistical categories, then it's got to be his award.
Alexander Cohen: Miles Bridges has always been capable of having explosive games, but him scoring over 21 per game after scoring 13 a night the last two seasons has caught me off guard. He's been a great scorer in the early season, and just when it looked like he was cooling off, Bridges dropped a career-high 35 points in Atlanta. He had three 30-plus point games in his three-year career coming into this season and has five already in just 18 games. If Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Hornets' future becomes much brighter, and Bridges should run away with Most Improved.
Drew Maresca: It has to be between Miles Bridges and Ja Morant. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 45.8% from the floor for the surprise Hornets (10-8). That&rsquo;s up from 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a 2.2 assists per game last season. Bridges' jump to stardom is impressive. But it's not quite as impressive as Morant&rsquo;s entry to superstardom. Though just 8-8 through 16 games, Morant has has averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.8% on three-point attempts. Last season, Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 30.3% on three-pointers. Both of these guys will remain on radar for the foreseeable future.
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant's leap has been extremely fun to watch.

Who is your early favorite for the Most Improved Player award? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Who is your early favorite for Most Improved Player?

A month is only a fraction of the NBA calendar, but it does set a tone for teams as they find their groove. Some franchises have burst out of the gate, while other have underwhelmed to start.
While it's still a small sample size, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers earlier this week:
<h3>One month into the season, which team are you most concerned about?</h3>
Alex Kennedy: It has to be the New Orleans Pelicans, right? The team is 3-15 and they rank in the bottom-five both offensively (26th) and defensively (29th). Zion Williamson will likely miss a few more weeks as he recovers from a fractured right foot; he&rsquo;ll be re-evaluated on Nov. 24 to determine whether he can start participating in full team workouts. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-exec-david-griffin-on-hot-seat-after-slow-start-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a> due to the team&rsquo;s struggles. Things are ugly behind the scenes too, as Griffin and former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recently got into an ugly altercation at Smoothie King Center and had to be physically separated. But wait, there&rsquo;s more! There are some big-picture concerns too: Back in June, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2656520/2021/06/17/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic reported</a> that some of Zion&rsquo;s family members &ldquo;want Williamson on another team" and have "voiced their displeasure with the organization." Yikes.
Nekias Duncan: It has to be the Atlanta Hawks for me. They've looked disjointed on both sides of the floor, a troubling sign for a team fresh off a Conference Finals berth. The defense has fallen off a cliff; the offense doesn't generate enough paint touches. Lineups have fluctuated, and now De'Andre Hunter is expected to miss time with a wrist injury. Hopefully they'll find some semblance of rhythm soon.
Spencer Davies: Before the season, even before the Zion Williamson injury news, the New Orleans Pelicans were kind of trending downward for me. There just seems to be a disconnect somewhere from the top on down. Add in Brandon Ingram &mdash; who&rsquo;s having a career year, in spite of NOLA&rsquo;s issues &mdash; missing some time in early November, and this team has had to rely on a lot of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham to push them forward. The former is having a great individual season statistically, but the Pels just can&rsquo;t seem to A) play with leads or B) keep games close. Two wins in 16 games is hardly going to do you any favors in the Western Conference. You have to feel for Willie Green, and it almost is reminiscent of what Stephen Silas went through (and is still going through) in Houston.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting gate with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Now they've lost De'Andre Hunter for two months due to a wrist injury. It also concerns me that, per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 26th in rim frequency and 28th in three-point frequency but 2nd in mid-range frequency. It doesn't seem like the offense is maximizing its talent, and the defense is giving opponents an advantage.
Jannelle Moore: The Los Angeles Lakers, at this point, are the most concerning. Granted, LeBron James was out of the lineup for most of the start. But that doesn't explain their struggles on defense. They have AD and Russ; they shouldn't be struggling to this degree.
Moke Hamilton: Portland, without question. Personally, I feel like it&rsquo;s time for everyone to move on, including Damian Lillard. It looks like, many times, they&rsquo;re just going through the motions and don&rsquo;t really have the look of a team that believes it&rsquo;s actually playing for something. As much as I like Dame and have advocated for everyone to leave him alone, it&rsquo;s time to send him elsewhere, along with CJ McCollum.
Evan Sidery: New Orleans, not only because Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues, but also because of the lack of depth. Brandon Ingram is an All-Star talent. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid starting center. Outside of that, there&rsquo;s not much else to bank on consistently. The Pelicans&rsquo; slow start has put them into a deep hole that Zion likely won&rsquo;t be able to dig them out of. New Orleans is on the fast track to a top draft pick.
Blake Hairston: The Boston Celtics have been the team I've been concerned about for a few years now. Each season they're good but not good enough, and now the teams around them have gotten better. It just feels like each season we question what this team's ceiling is and this year that question got a little murkier.
Alexander Cohen: Despite Ja Morant picking up from where he left off in the playoffs, averaging a career-high 26 points per game, the Grizzlies are in trouble. They own the NBA's worst defensive rating and their offense isn't much better, ranked 20th. While Dillon Brooks returning from injury could help shore up their defense, it wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing double-digit loss to 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans in his second game back. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they need to exhibit improvement in Ja Morant's third season after a massive Jaren Jackson Jr. extension, not take a step backwards.
Drew Maresca: Selfishly, the New York Knicks. As far as their record is concerned, New York is right where you&rsquo;d expect. But there are a number of problems. Generally, the Knicks have the 18th-best defensive rating, down from third last season. That&rsquo;s worrisome. Even more alarming is their starting unit&rsquo;s defense, which had the worst defensive rating of any five-man rotation ever entering play last Monday night, according to StatMuse. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for defense, so there is reason to believe this will right itself. But if it doesn&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s going to get significantly uglier. The Knicks play the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Jesse Blancarte: The Bucks. Key players have been sidelined, but the reigning champs are struggling more than I would have imagined to start this season. There are several teams missing key players that are managing better than Milwaukee, but it&rsquo;s still only November. There is time for the Bucks to turn things around and climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-is-better-than-its-record-indicates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams are better than their record shows</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks are among the most concerning teams to start the season.

NBA Roundtable: Which team are you most concerned about?

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
There have been more than a handful of players who have put their stamp on the league already.
So in our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? 
Alex Kennedy: When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall, I was a big fan of the pick because of his long-term outlook. I loved that he landed in Toronto since they do a fantastic job of developing prospects and helping them realize their full potential. I was on the Barnes bandwagon, but I expected it to be a slow ride that picked up steam after a year or two. Instead, Barnes is already barreling down the tracks. In his second game, the kid had 25 points and 13 rebounds (on 64.7/50.0/100.0 shooting splits) in a win over the Boston Celtics! He&rsquo;s not &ldquo;raw&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; like I expected; he&rsquo;s an absolute beast who can already impact a game in so many ways, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal. Now, after watching the first month of Barnes&rsquo; NBA career, I&rsquo;m even more excited about what the future holds.
Nekias Duncan: I recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-is-taking-the-reins-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about his second-year bump</a>, but I had no idea Tyrese Maxey was ready for this type of usage. He's grown tremendously as a shooter and processor, and has looked like the long-term answer at guard during his most recent stretch of play.
Spencer Davies: Can we show Cole Anthony a little love? This is a guy whose team drafted a point guard in Jalen Suggs, traded for another backcourt player in R.J. Hampton midseason and is a part of a Magic squad with many at his position &mdash; and yet, he's been the star of the show. The former No. 15 overall pick from 2020 is balling out, and nobody's batting in eye because of where the team sits in the standings. He's been a supremely confident scorer this year from the mid-range and outside, and has involved his teammates to boot. He's averaging just under 20 points a night and knocking down 37.3% of his 7.9 (!) triple tries per contest. His usage rate has also increased by almost 5%, as head coach Jamahl Mosley continues to roll with him as Option A. Among players taking at least five pull-up attempts per contest, Anthony's 56.9% Effective Field Goal Percentage ranks second in the NBA.
Ethan Fuller: It's honestly Evan Mobley. I knew he had a high ceiling coming out of USC, but the No. 3 overall pick is already an impact defender and finisher who doesn't appear to be as bothered by NBA strength as I expected. He has demonstrated some excellent craft around the basket and serious promise with his touch in the mid-range and from beyond the arc. I thought Mobley was much more of a long-term play for Cleveland; he's easily in the lead for Rookie of the Year. Hopefully, he gets healthy and recovers from his elbow injury soon.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with Cole Anthony, who I know well. I watched him in person in high school, did a few stories on him and interviewed his father Greg. I got a lot of love for my fellow New Yorkers. Sure, the Magic are dead last out East, but I didn&rsquo;t think Cole Anthony would be averaging 20 points per game in the NBA in just his second season. I didn&rsquo;t see it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
shoutout <a href="https://twitter.com/The_ColeAnthony?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_ColeAnthony</a> 29 PTS | 11 AST | 58% FG | 4 3PM <a href="https://t.co/LBKgaUxoiJ">pic.twitter.com/LBKgaUxoiJ</a>
&mdash; Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1460595415858954244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Evan Sidery: Miles Bridges is my answer. The way he&rsquo;s reinvented himself into the Hornets&rsquo; primary scorer has been so impressive to watch. Now, Bridges is positioning himself to secure a massive payday from Charlotte or elsewhere as a top restricted free agent. Bridges becoming a more consistent perimeter threat changes his offensive ceiling entirely.
Blake Hairston: Miles Bridges becoming a real offensive threat has been surprising. I do think he's been building up towards production like this, but the jump he's made to start this season has been impressive &mdash; and it's great timing for him financially.
Alexander Cohen: It's surprising to see how much Damian Lillard has struggled, especially after coming out and saying that he will not be asking out (again?), showing some signs of a player motivated to carry his team as usual. Instead, he's still having the worst season of his career 14 games in. And while All-Stars go through slumps, this is certainly prolonged. While he's been battling an injury that is now holding him back, it is still shocking to see a bona fide superstar and one of the greatest shooters and scorers of all time struggle so mightily in his prime.
Drew Maresca: There are a few major surprises, including a 48-point outburst by Anthony Edwards; but for me, it has to be Ricky Rubio. Rubio is averaging a career high 15.3 points per game, connecting on a career best 38% of his three-point attempts. His previous best was 36%, and he&rsquo;s shot over 35% in just 2 of his 10 seasons. While his marksmanship is impressive, the fact that he&rsquo;s getting up as many shots as he is, is equally impressive. Rubio is hoisting 5.8 three-point attempts per game; last season, he attempted just 3.1. Who said you can&rsquo;t teach old dogs new tricks?
Jesse Blancarte: Ja Morant. We all knew Morant was special and would work his way to the top of the league. I don&rsquo;t think many expected Morant would do it this early in his career. Morant has been shredding defenses and imposing his will on opponents on a nightly basis.

Over the first month, which player has surprised you most and why? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Which player has surprised you in the first month?

We are nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, and the standings are beginning to take shape. There have been a number of standout performances from well-known stars, a stacked rookie class and a handful of breakout players making a leap.
However, there are more All-Stars than usual who haven't been performing up to the ridiculously high standards that they've set for themselves over the course of their respective careers. It's been a bit of an unusual occurrence, but chances are that those talents will find their way eventually.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which player will shake off a slow start? 
Alex Kennedy: Damian Lillard hasn't looked like himself this season, averaging 20.3 points per game (his lowest scoring average since his rookie season). However, I&rsquo;m not too concerned about the six-time All-Star. It's clear that he's adjusting to the NBA's rule changes &mdash; and attempting a career-low 3.2 free throws per game has certainly affected him &mdash; but he&rsquo;s also missing the kinds of shots that he always makes. Lillard has acknowledged that he&rsquo;s in a strange shooting slump, as he&rsquo;s currently shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. Lillard has had slumps before and they've never lasted very long. Knowing Dame, he&rsquo;ll probably hang 50 points on someone within the next week.
Nekias Duncan: I think people are sleeping on the offensive season Donovan Mitchell is having, mostly because the three-ball isn't falling for him yet. He's converting a career-high 54.8% of his twos behind a 69% mark inside of three feet. He's essentially traded mid-range shots for triples, but they're only falling at a 32% clip. He has a pull-up heavy diet, but his catch-shoot numbers are uncharacteristically low. After converting north of 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes in every season of his career, he's down to 31% so far this year. That's going to course-correct.
Spencer Davies: Since the Washington Wizards are doing it with defense this season and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, nobody's really noticed that Bradley Beal is mired in a ghastly shooting slump. He's currently only made 40.7% of his attempts, and is converting on a career-low 25% from long distance. Digging deeper into the early returns, he's had the most success on pull-up mid-rangers (42.6%). But when you look at the catch-shoot stats, Beal is converting barely over 20% of his triple tries. Luckily for the Wizards, the team isn't entirely dependent on him having to be a scoring champion in order to compete. Plus, he has upped his playmaking alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to get others involved. At some point, Beal is going to get it going, and if Washington keeps pressing on as it has, the East will have an even bigger problem to deal with.
Ethan Fuller: Jayson Tatum is shooting just 54.5% within three feet of the basket and 31.6% from long range. Both are extremely low numbers, and Tatum has developed a track record as one of the most efficient wing scorers in the entire league. I expect him to find his touch as the Celtics try to get him easier attempts. Both of those numbers should fly back up.
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JAYSON TATUM WITH THE CLUTCH BUCKET! <a href="https://t.co/p5XvU1fFm4">pic.twitter.com/p5XvU1fFm4</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1459722121547063296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Moke Hamilton: James Harden would seem to be a safe bet. Aside from the drubbing at home vs. the Warriors on Tuesday, the Nets have been looking pretty good lately, so it&rsquo;s easy to overlook Harden&rsquo;s futility. But he is averaging just 19.8 points per game &mdash; his lowest output since he wore a Thunder uniform. He&rsquo;s also shooting just over 42% from the field, which is his worst mark since his rookie season. In the long run, though, I think he&rsquo;ll be just fine.
Evan Sidery: It feels like the easy answer here is Damian Lillard. He&rsquo;s having a rough adjustment to the new Wilson ball right now, but you have to imagine he&rsquo;ll be consistently back to his All-NBA level in short order. Once that happens, Portland should jump up another tier in the Western Conference playoff race.
Blake Hairston: Damian Lillard. I'm a big fan of Lillard's game, and 20.3 points per game and 27.9% from beyond the arc isn't the Dame we know. I'm not sure if it's the new ball or new rules, but it feels like it's only a matter of time until we see a streak of big scoring games from Lillard.
Alexander Cohen: The Dallas Mavericks sit at 9-4 thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić &mdash; or so you'd think. The Mavericks are a team-worst staggering 27.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka on the court <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Cleaning The Glass</a>. While that may oversell how poorly he's played, the young star is having the least efficient season of his career, averaging "just" 24.9 points just a 52% True Shooting percentage after 28 points per game on 59% his his prior two terrific seasons. It won't last, though. Dončić is a generational talent, and not even Jason Kidd can stop him. With a 32-point triple double against the Spurs a couple nights ago, it seems he's already on-track to put his poor play behind him. Of course, he'll have to kick a recently-suffered left ankle injury first.
Drew Maresca: Damian Lillard is posting more-than-respectable numbers so far. But they&rsquo;re not Lillard-esque. He&rsquo;s connecting on only 27% on his three-point attempts; Lillard&rsquo;s lowest three-point percentage for an entire season is 34.3%, followed by 36.1%. He&rsquo;s also connecting on a career low percent of attempts from three-10 feet (25%), while posting the third-worst field goal percentage of his career at the rim (54.7%). What&rsquo;re more, Dame is attempting a career-low 3.4 free throws per game, down from 7.2 last season. But Lillard is a proven commodity. He&rsquo;s playing under a new coach (Chauncey Billups), and under a tweaked officiating style that allows for more defensive intensity. Lillard is too young (31) to experience this type of a precipitous drop. And he&rsquo;s too good to keep playing like this. He&rsquo;ll snap back into form in due time.
Jesse Blancarte: James Harden. The NBA&rsquo;s new rules regarding fouls have impacted Harden&rsquo;s production early this season, but I expect he will adjust his game and get back on track. Harden may never get to the free-throw line as easily as he used to, but he is too gifted offensively to let that derail his offensive production.

Which player will shake off a slow start? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Which player will shake off a slow start?

Night after night, NBA fans are spoiled by watching these talented, skilled and athletic players grace the court, rewrite the record-books, and put their greatness on display.
That is why this 75th season should not only be a season of appreciation, but one of celebration.
A celebration of how the game has evolved, with past greats giving current stars their well-deserved bouquet of flowers and watching in awe of their envelope-pushing feats and accomplishments. Celebrating those next in line and being optimistically bullish on where they will carry the league next.
The opening weeks of the NBA season did not disappoint, so here are six aspects that have stood out so far.
The Not-So-Curious Case of James Harden
The Brooklyn Nets as a collective group have struggled in the early goings of the season. Their 2-3 record isn&rsquo;t what&rsquo;s been expected of them at all. In these five games, despite his 7.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game, James Harden is averaging just 16.6 points per game with 35.9/33.3/93.3 shooting splits. Even with the season being only two weeks old, there is a notion out there that Harden&rsquo;s struggles are &mdash; or should be &mdash; cause for concern. (Our Nekias Duncan recently did a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-isnt-james-harden-getting-to-the-free-throw-line" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deep dive on The Beard's early offensive slump</a>.)
Nets head coach Steve Nash refutes that, and affirms his confidence in Harden: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s still an excellent player even if he&rsquo;s not at peak form and we still believe in him. And he will get there in the next few weeks."
After the Nets&rsquo; 106-93 loss to the Miami Heat, Harden insinuated that he isn&rsquo;t fully recovered from his hamstring injury.
"As much as I want to get back to 30 and 40 points, I can&rsquo;t do that. As much as I want to, as much as I would love to. I didn&rsquo;t have any opportunities to play pickup. It was all rehab,&rdquo; Harden said.
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Harden is the type of player who plays himself into shape. If he wasn&rsquo;t 100% healed from the hamstring injury, he couldn&rsquo;t participate in runs, so the reasoning here is plausible. Plus, it&rsquo;s also fair to say that Harden is having to, once again, adjust his game. Last season, Harden began to facilitate more to accommodate Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, and provided an extra scoring punch when needed. While Harden won&rsquo;t drop 30 to 40 points on a consistent basis, he will have to pick and choose his moments between deferring and being aggressive in order for the Nets to succeed.
Live From Buzz City
The Charlotte Hornets are a fun watch, but that&rsquo;s not all they are. At 4-1, Charlotte is off to its best start in franchise history. Last Sunday's upset over the Brooklyn Nets served as the perfect example of what this team is trying to be this season &mdash; an athletic, up-tempo and gritty team with the potential to slide into the playoffs. (Our Spencer Davies <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pj-washington-buying-into-being-hornets-super-sub-5-man" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sat down with PJ Washington</a> to discuss the team's start.)
The Hornets won that game with grit and tenacity on both sides of the ball. Kevin Durant was going to score and impact the game regardless. The Hornets just limited everyone else defensively, stuck with ball movement and made quality shots.
Again, this is a very athletic squad with chemistry that&rsquo;s getting stronger by the game. While five contests is a small sample size, it doesn&rsquo;t make what the Hornets are doing any less impressive. What&rsquo;s interesting to monitor as the season progresses is how this chemistry is tested. &nbsp;Can the Hornets keep the same camaraderie, bond and energy regardless of the record? Can they find multiple ways to win and carry that into a playoff berth instead of a play-in? We'll see if the League Pass darlings have it in them.
Leading By Example?
To further complicate matters in Philadelphia, the Sixers&rsquo; Joel Embiid is having a slow start in the earlygoing of the season. His struggles should be attributed to a right knee injury he sustained in the season opener-against the New Orleans Pelicans. In Tuesday&rsquo;s loss to the New York Knicks, Embiid was limited to 14 points on 2-of-7 from the field. According to ESPN&rsquo;s Ramona Shelburne, Embiid is playing through pain for a reason. He wants the establish leadership &mdash; on the floor and off of it.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing because Ben Simmons is not playing and they need one of them on the court. He wants to show leadership at this moment, because as you say, you don&rsquo;t want to fall behind where to where you cannot come back,&rdquo; Shelburne said.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ramonashelburne</a> on Joel Embiid playing through injuries (via NBA Today). "He told me after this game in New Orleans, he couldn't walk for two days." 😳 (via NBA Today) <a href="https://t.co/yuq6fdbfDN">pic.twitter.com/yuq6fdbfDN</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1453444356149596167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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While Embiid&rsquo;s reasoning for playing through his pain is admirable and noble, it may be best for him to sit a few games to give his knee a chance to heal. It&rsquo;s only the opening weeks of a new season, five games out of 82. An injured Embiid being out there wouldn&rsquo;t make matters any better for an embattled Sixers team.
Chef Board-ar-dee
What Stephen Curry does on the court shouldn&rsquo;t surprise anyone anymore. But still, he somehow manages to surprise and continues to push the limits of what&rsquo;s possible on the floor. Despite poor shooting percentages for his standards (43% from the field, 40% from three), Curry is averaging 30.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. Grabbing eight boards a night &mdash; which includes the 10-rebound outings he had to start the season against the Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers &mdash; has been a surprise that was very unexpected. When it comes to the impact that Curry&rsquo;s rebounding has on the Warriors, it can be looked at as a good or a bad thing.
On one hand, it is well known that Golden State is a small team, and rebounding is an area of concern and point of emphasis. It will take an all-hands-and-bodies-on-deck approach for the team to fight for control of the glass, and seeing that Curry is hustling for boards and doing his part is encouraging. On the other hand, a 6-foot-3 point guard shouldn&rsquo;t be leading the team in rebounds. Others will have to put forth more of an effort on the glass. As a collective unit, however, the Warriors have been rebounding well enough to contribute to their 4-1 record.
The Bulls&rsquo; Market?
For the first time since the Michael Jordan era, the Chicago Bulls began the season undefeated. That was, of course, before losing to the New York Knicks at home on Thursday night. The caveat to this rapid start is that Chicago opened the season with a very soft schedule, playing the Detroit Pistons twice, the Toronto Raptors and the New Orleans Pelicans. However, the schedule does not negate the admirable and noteworthy job the team has done so far.
Right now, the Bulls are third in team plus-minus (+7.8), fourth in defensive rating (100.2) and 10th in assists per game (24.6). The additions of Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso have been proven to be solid, as all three have fit right in. Each player&rsquo;s skill set complements the other, and just like the Hornets, their chemistry and cohesiveness is growing with every game. The progression of this team, regardless of wins and losses, will be interesting to watch as the season goes on.
Let Them Play
The new rules to limit non-basketball moves used to draw fouls, for the most part, have been a welcome change to the game. While the rules neutralized the flopping, it also empowers defenses in other ways. They can be more physical, bumping guys off the perimeter and wearing them down by getting in their jerseys a bit. It also forces those who once benefited from what was neutralized to ball out and open up their bags a bit. What I&rsquo;m looking forward to seeing is the adjustments offenses will make in response throughout the season, and to see how diverse the tools in the arsenal of skills are &mdash; especially with the ones that have been struggling to begin the season. I&rsquo;d like to see how they will adjust.

Jannelle Moore shares six takeaways from the opening weeks of the NBA season.

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