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Pelicans

After a long four-month offseason, the 2023-24 NBA season officially kicks off on October 24. Preseason action is currently underway, with teams evaluating their roster and getting ready for the start of the regular season.
There were a few roster rule changes of note this offseason that were introduced as part of the new CBA. Now, each team can sign up to three two-way players (up from two) who are able to play up to 50 games with their NBA team and spend the rest of their season in the G League. Also, offseason rosters were originally limited to 20 players but have since increased to 21.&nbsp;
Each team needs to be at 15 standard contracts prior to the start of the season, which means a few players on guaranteed deals will have to be cut prior to the season. While some teams have a pretty set roster, others (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) will be forced to part ways with talented players to reach their roster limit.&nbsp;
Looking at the Atlantic Division, let's see how each team&rsquo;s lineup is shaping up and what questions they may need to answer before the start of the season.
(This is part one of a six-part series, with more divisional previews coming soon).
<h1>BOSTON CELTICS</h1>
Outside of the top-six players, who will be the most reliable depth option?
After acquiring Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics may have the best top-six of any team in the league. While we can add the Holiday trade to their list of aggressive offseason transactions, their depth has taken somewhat of a step back.&nbsp;
They will have to replace four rotation players from last year&rsquo;s Conference Finals team with a few players who don&rsquo;t have much experience in playoff situations. Three players who should definitely see more minutes are Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet. Pritchard has played well on both ends of the floor when given an opportunity, notably shooting 40% from three-point range over his first three seasons. The Celtics rewarded him with a team-friendly extension that should see him take up about 5% of the salary cap over the next four years. Hauser has also been a stellar three-point shooter, knocking down 42% since coming into the league.&nbsp;
The frontcourt is probably the most notable weakness on the team&rsquo;s depth chart. Joe Mazzulla has expressed confidence that <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/10/7/23907608/boston-celtics-depth-sam-hauser-luke-kornet-payton-pritchard-joe-mazzulla-blake-griffin-bus-one-boys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kornet should be successful on both ends of the floor and will be their go-to backup center to start the season.</a> The preseason will be important in determining who else (i.e. Oshae Brissett, Jordan Walsh, Svi Mykhailiuk, etc.) may stand out for Mazzulla and get an opportunity for playing time behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Celtics have the least amount of players on guaranteed contracts in the league (10). However, their roster for opening night is likely set unless they want to open up flexibility to sign other veteran players or buyout candidates later this season. If they choose to cut someone, it would very likely be a player on a non-guaranteed deal. Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton each have a partial $200,000 guarantee that increases to over $1,000,000 if they make the roster. Kornet, Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens all have non-guaranteed contracts.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 19 players (10 guaranteed, 2 partially guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 1 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jrue Holiday, G/F Jaylen Brown, F Jayson Tatum, F/C Al Horford, F/C Kristaps Porzingis
Projected Rotation Players: G Derrick White, G Payton Pritchard, C Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed), F Sam Hauser, F Oshae Brissett
Projected Reserves: F Jordan Walsh, G/F Svi Mykhailiuk ($200K guaranteed), F Wenyen Gabriel (non-guaranteed), G Dalano Banton ($200K guaranteed), F Lamar Stevens (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-Way Players: C Neemias Queta, G JD Davison, G Jay Scrubb (Injured)
Projected Roster Cuts: G DJ Steward (Exhibit-10)
<h1>BROOKLYN NETS</h1>
What is Ben Simmons' role?
Ben Simmons has only played 42 games since being acquired by the Nets in February 2022, dealing with physical and psychological hurdles that have made him somewhat of an afterthought. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has expressed confidence that Simmons is now 100% healthy and ready to contribute again at a high level.&nbsp;
He seems to be penciled in as the team&rsquo;s starting point guard, starting in the Nets&rsquo; first preseason game. Though it was just a small 14-minute sample size, Simmons looked a lot like his former All-Star self. Having not played since February 15, he looked athletic, aggressive and confident before sitting out the second half.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He attacked the rim, I think he played with pace, looked pretty natural out there getting up and down the floor, communicating with guys into the flow of the game,&rdquo; Vaughn said, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/ben-simmons-passes-eye-test-in-nets-preseason-opener/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising his $38-million man</a>. &ldquo;Really good to see.&rdquo;
Vaughn has some options when it comes to starting lineups where he could go smaller, with a backcourt of Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie, or decide to start Dorian Finney-Smith and use Mikal Bridges as a big two-guard.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
Darius Bazley, Harry Giles and Trendon Watford are all on non-guaranteed deals and are vying for the final two roster spots. The Nets also have an open two-way spot, which I believe they could potentially use on a player like <a href="https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/mens-basketball/kennedy-chandler-starring-in-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League standout</a> and former Memphis Grizzlies second-rounder Kennedy Chandler.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 18 players (13 guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 2 two-way)
Projected Starters: G/F Ben Simmons, G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Mikal Bridges, F Cameron Johnson, C Nicolas Claxton
Projected Rotation Players: F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Royce O&rsquo;Neale, G Cameron Thomas, G Dennis Smith Jr., C Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe
Projected Reserves: G/F Lonnie Walker IV, C Noah Clowney, F Dariq Whitehead, F Darius Bazley (Non-Guaranteed), C Harry Giles (Non-Guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: G Armoni Brooks, F Jalen Wilson, G Kennedy Chandler* (Projected Signing)
Projected Roster Cuts: F Trendon Watford (Non-Guaranteed)
<h1>NEW YORK KNICKS</h1>
Who will be the first option off the bench?
New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has his fair share of options to headline his second unit. In his third year, Immanuel Quickley had his best season to date, finishing as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award behind Malcolm Brogdon. Quickley was the primary scorer for the second unit, but he shouldn&rsquo;t have to carry the entire load on offense with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo.&nbsp;
DiVincenzo impressed last season with the Golden State Warriors as a reliable bench shooter and should spot minutes for Quentin Grimes and R.J. Barrett when offensive pushes are needed. Josh Hart could also be the team&rsquo;s sixth man, just like he was during the Knicks&rsquo; playoff run. After being traded from Portland, Hart averaged 30 minutes per game despite coming off the bench most of the time. It is worth noting the Knicks-Villanova connection between Hart, DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson, who should fit seamlessly together on the floor thanks to their pre-existing chemistry. While unlikely to be the first off the bench, Isaiah Hartenstein also deserves mention since he has been one of the league&rsquo;s better backup centers and could see more time if Mitchell Robinson gets in foul trouble. In terms of rotation issues, Thibodeau should see this as a good problem to have regardless of who he brings off the bench first.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Knicks have three spots up for grabs between Ryan Arcidiacono, DaQuan Jeffries, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr. All are on non-guaranteed deals that won&rsquo;t be fully guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date on January 10.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (12 guaranteed, 4 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jalen Brunson, G Quentin Grimes, G/F R.J. Barrett, F Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson
Projected Rotation Players: G Josh Hart, G Immanuel Quickley, G Donte DiVincenzo, C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Miles McBride
Projected Reserves: G Evan Fournier, C Jericho Sims, F Isaiah Roby (non-guaranteed), G Ryan Arcidiacono (non-guaranteed), G/F DaQuan Jeffries (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: F/C Nathan Knight, G/F Dylan Windler, F Jaylen Martin
Projected Roster Cuts: G Duane Washington Jr. (non-guaranteed), G Charlie Brown Jr. (Exhibit-10), F Jacob Toppin (Exhibit-10)
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<h1>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h1>
Will Tyrese Maxey become more of a creator and how can that adjust the rotation?
The Sixers&rsquo; ceiling is contingent on how much Tyrese Maxey can improve this season. Maxey hasn&rsquo;t needed to be the team&rsquo;s primary distributor since James Harden joined the team, allowing him to blossom into a reliable 20-PPG scorer. Regardless of whether Harden&rsquo;s trade situation is resolved, Maxey will need to become a better creator and distributor if he wants to take his game to the next level. Prior to Harden&rsquo;s arrival, Maxey had an impressive 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio despite his small frame and risk-averse tendencies.&nbsp;
Interestingly, team president Daryl Morey has held off on giving Maxey an extension this offseason, electing to wait until next summer to pay his budding young guard. Maxey will likely demand near max-level money that could harm Philly&rsquo;s flexibility to go after star players next offseason. If he can improve his ball-handling and distribution tendencies, the Sixers&rsquo; offense should benefit tremendously, helping the offensive output of players like P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed and easing the reliance on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Patrick Beverley.
Roster Decisions
Two players will likely be fighting for the Sixers&rsquo; final roster spot. The team re-signed veteran Danny Green, who played for the team from 2020 to 2022, to a non-guaranteed deal. They also brought over young big Filip Petrusev, who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2021. Petrusev signed a multi-year deal that was partially guaranteed for $559,782 this season and non-guaranteed next year. Although unlikely, the 76ers could also elect to waive Montrezl Harrell despite his deal being fully guaranteed, as he should miss this season with a torn ACL.
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (14 guaranteed, 1 partially Guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Tyrese Maxey, G James Harden, F P.J. Tucker, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Projected Rotation Players: G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, G Patrick Beverley, F/C Paul Reed, F/G Kelly Oubre Jr., F Danuel House
Projected Reserves: C Mo Bamba, F Furkan Korkmaz, G Jaden Springer, G/F Danny Green (non-guaranteed), C Montrezl Harrell (injured)
Projected Two-way Players: G Terquavion Smith, G Ricky Council IV, F Azuolas Tubelis
Projected Roster Cuts: F/C Filip Petrusev ($559,782 guaranteed), G David Duke Jr. (Exhibit-10), G Javonte Smart (Exhibit-10)
<h1>TORONTO RAPTORS</h1>
What style does Darko Rajakovic bring to Toronto and who will benefit the most?
New coach Darko Rajakovic inherits an interesting Raptors team with plenty of talent, but they may be facing a crossroads in terms of how successful they can be as a group. Rajakovic is in his first NBA head coaching gig after three seasons as an assistant with the Grizzlies and is known around the league as a pick-and-roll guru.&nbsp;
The idea of the Raptors being a primary pick-and-roll team became less appealing when they were unable to retain Fred VanVleet in free agency, replacing him with a less reliable shooter in Dennis Schr&ouml;der. Instead, Rajakovic will likely rely on Schr&ouml;der and his newly paid center Jakob Poeltl for more ball movement and playmaking. Rajakovic compared Poeltl to Domantas Sabonis before the Raptors&rsquo; preseason win over the Sacramento Kings on October 9 and could use him in a similar role. If Poeltl can be 70% of what Sabonis was last season, it can be a huge boost to an inconsistent offense.
Roster Decisions
The Raptors have 15 players on guaranteed deals going into the season, but also carry Jeff Dowtin Jr. on a non-guaranteed deal. Dowtin played on a two-way contract with Toronto last season, appearing in 25 games. With the roster full, Dowtin is unlikely to make the regular-season roster but he has still <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-praise-jeff-dowtin-jr-as-roster-decisions-await" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressed the coaching staff this preseason</a>. If any player is in danger of losing their roster spot to Dowtin, it would likely be former first-round pick Malachi Flynn. Dowtin&rsquo;s deal becomes guaranteed for $900,000 on October 21, four days before the team&rsquo;s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I would expect the Raptors to make a decision on Dowtin before then.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (15 guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Dennis Schr&ouml;der, F/G Scottie Barnes, F OG Anunoby, F Pascal Siakam, C Jakob Poeltl
Projected Rotation Players: G Gary Trent Jr., F Precious Achiuwa, F/C Chris Boucher, F Jalen McDaniels, G/F Gradey Dick
Projected Reserves: F Thaddeus Young, G Malachi Flynn, F Otto Porter Jr., C Christian Koloko, G/F Garrett Temple
Projected Two-way Players: G/F Ron Harper Jr., G Markquis Nowell, G Javon Freeman-Liberty
Projected Roster Cuts: G Jeff Dowtin (non-guaranteed), F Mouhamadou Gueye (Exhibit-10), C Makur Maker (Exhibit-10)
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Blake Stern previews the Atlantic Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and a burning question entering the season.

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; With All-Star Julius Randle back in New York, the Knicks needed someone to step up.
Jalen Brunson did that, and more.
New York&rsquo;s point guard scored a career-high 48 points and the Knicks moved closer to a playoff berth while waiting for Randle to get healthy, outrunning the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-116 on Friday night.
&ldquo;There is nothing that Jalen does that surprises you,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s so mentally tough. He&rsquo;s nicked up a little bit, but he&rsquo;s a machine. He just keeps going.&rdquo;
Brunson credited his teammates and coaches for his big night, which included seven 3-pointers and nine assists. He finished 18 of 32 from the floor.
&ldquo;They had confidence in me and the ball just went through the hole,&rdquo; said Brunson, who scored 44 in a loss to Milwaukee on Jan. 9. &ldquo;I just kept shooting with confidence and that&rsquo;s just how it went.&rdquo;
The Knicks reduced their magic number to one in their first game without Randle, who sprained his left ankle Wednesday and will miss the rest of the regular season. New York hopes he&rsquo;ll be back for the postseason and a potential first-round matchup against the Cavs.
New York won the season series 3-1 and denied Cleveland a chance to lock up home-court advantage in the first round.
&ldquo;This loss hurts,&rdquo; said Donovan Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 42 points. &ldquo;We need to feel it and be ready to use it when the time comes. Obviously, we control our destiny and we&rsquo;ll probably see these guys in two weeks.
&ldquo;There is a lot of film to go through. But if we let this affect us, we have no chance in the playoffs.&rdquo;
Leading by three, the Knicks outscored the Cavs 14-2 to open the fourth and get some breathing room in a game played at a frenetic pace. The teams combined for 89 points in the first quarter and 151 in the first half.
The Cavs got within 123-116 before Brunson put the Cavs away with a layup following a timeout and then a 3-pointer. He missed a floater in the final seconds that would have given him 50 points.
Did he want 50?
&ldquo;Who wouldn&rsquo;t?&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was going to hold the ball out, but they doubled and I guess that means keep playing. No disrespect to them. They played to the buzzer. I have the most respect in the world for that coaching staff. You got to keep playing.&rdquo;
Brunson, who averages 23.6 points, scored 33 in a wild first half without much defense.
The teams combined for 89 points in the first quarter, tying the third most in the first 12 minutes of a game in NBA history. The record of 91 is shared by Utah and Denver (1982), and Miami and Washington (2021).
Also, Cleveland&rsquo;s 47 points in the first quarter were the most in the franchise&rsquo;s 53-year history.
The Cavs were without two of their top defenders, center Jarrett Allen (groin) and Isaac Okoro (knee).
TEMPER TEMPER
The Knicks had a moment of drama.
During a timeout in the third quarter, New York starters RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin got into a shouting match and had to be separated.
Thibodeau downplayed the conflict.
&ldquo;The cameras are everywhere and it probably happens more than people realize,&rdquo; Thibodeau said. &ldquo;It was the heat of the moment. Sometimes, there is a difference of opinion, but those guys are fine with each other. These things happen.&rdquo;
Later, in the locker, Toppin had his arm around a smiling Barrett.
&ldquo;This is my brother,&rdquo; Toppin said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re good.&rdquo;
RANDLE UPDATE
The Knicks will re-evaluate Randle in two weeks, ahead of the playoffs, which start on April 15 or 16.
Thibodeau said the 30-year-old forward, who started the Knicks&rsquo; first 77 games, is in good spirits and working toward his return.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s done all he can to prepare himself to play in every game, which is a credit to him. He doesn&rsquo;t miss practice. He doesn&rsquo;t miss games. I&rsquo;m actually surprised it doesn&rsquo;t happen more than it does,&rdquo; Thibodeau said.
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York is one of five East teams &mdash; and four in the Atlantic Division &mdash; with a winning road record. ... G Derrick Rose (illness) was unavailable for the third consecutive game. The 14th-year veteran fell out of the rotation in December and has only played 141 seconds in 2023.
Cavaliers: Mitchell has 11 games of at least 40 points, breaking the previous team record for one season held by LeBron James (2005-6). ... Allen, who averages 9.9 rebounds, missed his second straight game. He recently sat out four games with a bruised right eye. ... Cleveland remains two shy of its first 50-win season since 2018.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host Washington on Sunday.
Cavaliers: Host Indiana on Sunday.

Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 48 points and the Knicks moved closer to a playoff berth after beating the Cavs 130-116 on Friday.

Brunson scores 48, Knicks down Cavs 130-116 without Randle

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; As a kid growing up in New York, Donovan Mitchell idolized LeBron James. On Tuesday night, he upstaged him.
Mitchell scored a season-high 43 points and Jarrett Allen returned from injury to add 24, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in James' only visit home this season.
With <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-los-angeles-lakers-nba-entertainment-health-c94c2bd4d11364e7f3d4c098bceccfb3">Anthony Davis missing the final three quarters</a> because of illness, the Cavs improved to an NBA-leading 11-1 on their floor, their best start at home since 2015-16, when James led them to a championship.
Mitchell, who has Cleveland fans dreaming of another title run, took over in the second half and scored 29 points with the kind of performance James had routinely during his 11 seasons for the Cavs.
&ldquo;You always want to spoil the homecoming,&rdquo; Mitchell said with a smile.
With Cleveland leading by 12 in the fourth, Mitchell buried a 3-pointer from the left wing to finish the Lakers. After dropping the shot, the All-Star guard strutted around the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse floor nodding his head as James helplessly watched.
&ldquo;He's Mitchell,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;He's a special kid.&rdquo;
Darius Garland added 21 points and 11 assists for Cleveland.
James finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds, losing for just the third time in 20 games against the Cavs.
Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook added 16 points apiece as Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak stopped.
Davis went out after eight minutes with flu-like symptoms. The eight-time All-Star had scored 99 points in his previous two games and had been playing as well as he has in several seasons after being plagued by injuries.
Davis didn't attempt a field goal and scored just one point before leaving.
&ldquo;It got progressively worse as the day went on,&rdquo; Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "His temperature was 101 and some change. A-D wanted to try to play, but he felt too weak. He&rsquo;s drained and dehydrated.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a huge loss, obviously, with the way he&rsquo;s been playing lately.&rdquo;
Without Davis clogging the middle, Allen, who missed the last five games with a bruised back, made his first 10 shots and helped the Cavs take a 57-49 halftime lead.
&ldquo;Next man up,&rdquo; James said when asked how he reacted to losing Davis. &ldquo;That's a tall task &mdash; literally and figuratively.&rdquo;
The Cavs welcomed James back with a video tribute during an early timeout. After a montage of clips, including some from 2016, James waved to the crowd and then blew kisses to show his appreciation.
The warm scene was in contrast to what happened almost exactly 12 years ago, when he came back with the Miami Heat and was met with boos and worse on a night James has said he'll never forget.
James said he was caught off guard by the tribute.
&ldquo;It's always love coming back here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The memories I have here will never be forgotten.&rdquo;
GRUDGE MATCH
Ham wasn't aware of James' dominance over the Cavs until it was brought up during his pregame availability.
Ham has two theories on why James takes it out on Cleveland.
&ldquo;Either he likes to put on a show or he really doesn't like (Cavs owner) Dan Gilbert,&rdquo; Ham joked.
James and Gilbert had a famous falling out when the four-time champion left for Miami as a free agent in 2010.
TIP-INS
Lakers: James' 17 rebounds are his most in a road game. ... Davis was limited to just 76 games over the previous two seasons due to injuries. ... Los Angeles has not won a game that it did not lead at halftime, losing all nine. The Lakers are 0-10 when trailing after three quarters. ... Shot 6 of 36 on 3-pointers.
Cavaliers: Mitchell's 17 field goals are a career high. ... Kevin Love came in leading the league with 13 charges drawn. ... Competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut scarfed down more than 40 pierogies at halftime to defeat three fans who couldn't beat him while combining their totals.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Continue six-game trip in Toronto on Wednesday.
Cavaliers: Host Sacramento on Friday.

Mitchell scored a season-high 43 points and Jarrett Allen returned from injury to add 24, leading the Cavaliers to a 116-102 victory.

Mitchell upstages LeBron at home, Cavs down Lakers 116-102

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; The flu shut down Anthony Davis. That's the only thing that has stopped him lately.
Davis was forced to leave Los Angeles' game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after the first quarter on Tuesday night and the Lakers struggled without their All-Star center in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-sports-d480266a1ca2ba969b0e7ad409a774c4">a 116-102 loss</a>.
Davis had scored 99 points in his previous two games and had been on a tear over the past 10 as the Lakers went 8-2 to erase most of a horrible start this season. He scored just one point in eight minutes before he was forced to leave.
Davis didn't attempt a shot while adding three rebounds and two assists before being forced to call it a night.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Davis' symptoms gradually got worse during the course of the day.
&ldquo;His temperature was 101 and some change," Ham said. "A-D wanted to try to play, but he felt too weak. He&rsquo;s drained and dehydrated. That&rsquo;s a huge loss, obviously, with the way he&rsquo;s been playing lately.&rdquo;
Ham said Davis is unlikely to play on Wednesday in Toronto. He also stressed Davis had not tested positive for COVID-19.
&ldquo;Because of COVID, people forget that there is a common cold and a common flu out there," Ham said. "That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re dealing with here.&rdquo;
The eight-time All-Star, who has played just 76 games over the past two seasons due to injuries, was chosen Western Conference player of the week on Monday after averaging 37.8 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.3 blocks in four games.
In his previous 10 games, the 29-year-old averaged 34.2 points and 15.4 rebounds. He also shot 63% from the floor and 86% from the free throw line.
Davis scored 55 points in Sunday night's win at Washington, adding 17 rebounds and three blocked shots. He dropped 44 points in the previous game against Milwaukee.
Without him, the Lakers lacked an inside defensive presence and Cavs center Jarrett Allen scored 24 points, 22 in the first half on 10-of-11 shooting.
LeBron James tried to pick up the slack, grabbing 17 rebounds &mdash; his most ever in a road game. Reserve Thomas Bryant replaced Davis and scored a season-high 19 points in 28 minutes but Los Angeles couldn't offset the loss of Davis.
&ldquo;That's a tall task,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;Literally and figuratively.&rdquo;

Darvin Ham said Davis is unlikely to play on Wednesday in Toronto. He also stressed Davis had not tested positive for COVID-19.

Lakers lose star Davis with flu-like symptoms, fall to Cavs

Myles Turner had season highs of 37 points and 12 rebounds, and the Indiana Pacers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 129-122 on Monday night for their fourth win in five games.
&ldquo;That was one of his most impactful games since I've been here,&rdquo; Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Turner. &ldquo;But a big point night should not be what this is about. This should be about the team. He scored all those points to help our team win.&rdquo;
Tyrese Haliburton added 20 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, making six 3-pointers. Buddy Hield had 20 points with five 3-pointers. Jalen Smith added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Turner had been averaging 13.8 points in five games after missing the season's first four starts with a sore ankle.
&ldquo;My biggest thing is just trying to stay healthy and keep my rhythm going,&rdquo; Turner said. &ldquo;It was a great individual performance, great team performance. All eyes forward.&rdquo;
The Pacers made 22 3-pointers, seventh-most in franchise history, compared to the Pelicans&rsquo; 14.
&ldquo;This was just an unbelievable game, really spirited from start to finish,&rdquo; Carlisle said. &ldquo;A lot of guys contributed. We just had a real connected spirit tonight.&rdquo;
Brandon Ingram scored 29 points and Zion Williamson had 26 for the Pelicans, who like the Pacers are 5-5 but have lost two in a row for the first time.
Pelicans coach Willie Green was displeased about his players' lack of effort.
&ldquo;We know we have an opportunity to do something special,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;But we can't just roll the balls out and beat teams. We have to work at it. We have to compete. We have to play hard. I just didn't think we did it up to our level tonight.&rdquo;
Green pointed a finger at himself for the Pelicans not being better prepared &mdash; &ldquo;I promise we will be better.&rdquo;
The Pacers scored the game&rsquo;s initial nine points, but the Pelicans gradually trimmed the deficit to 32-30 by the end of the first quarter. Both teams came out shooting from long range, as the Pelicans made 7 of 10 from beyond the arc and the Pacers hit 6 of 13.
Turner made all five of his first-quarter shots including a pair of 3s for 12 points.
Haliburton, rookie Andrew Nembhard and Hield hit 3s near the end of the first half as the Pacers closed on a 9-4 run to take a 58-55 halftime lead. Both teams had 10 3s at the break, although the Pacers attempted 26 of their 42 shots from 3 while the Pelicans had 19 attempts.
&ldquo;When Buddy and me came here in a trade, we just brought a lot of energy and I think guys feed off that,&rdquo; Haliburton said, referring to a February trade that brought them to Indiana.
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 13 points midway through the third quarter. All five Pacers starters had scored in double digits compared to just three Pelicans. Turner closed the third with a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 100-91 lead.
&ldquo;We just have to play 48 minutes (and) right now, we're not," Green said. &ldquo;That's why we're losing some of these games that we're capable of winning.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Have not started a season 6-4 or better since 2014. ... Next game will be eighth out of 11 on the road before a six-game homestand. ... Reserve G-F Garrett Temple missed the game for personal reasons.
Pacers: Nembhard started for SG Chris Duarte, who is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a sprained left ankle suffered Friday. Nembhard, who had 15 points, made his first NBA start because the Pacers want rookie 18.6-point scorer Bennedict Mathurin to continue as the sixth man. ... Are two games into a four-game homestand.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Chicago on Wednesday.
Pacers: Host Denver on Wednesday.

Myles Turner had season highs of 37 points and 12 rebounds, and the Pacers beat the Pelicans 129-122.

Myles Turner has 37 points, 12 rebounds, Pacers beat Pelicans

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

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

NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson said little to temper the expectations of those eagerly anticipating his return to an NBA court.
The 2019 first overall draft choice out of Duke &mdash; who has missed more games than he's played in his first three pro seasons because of knee and foot injuries &mdash; didn't request patience as he re-integrates his unusual combination of size, explosiveness and skill back into New Orleans' lineup for the first time in more than a year.
Rather, the 22-year-old Williamson portrayed his physical well-being, mental focus and sense of purpose as enhanced to their highest levels yet.
&ldquo;The best way to describe it is I found true resolve through the game of basketball," Williamson said Monday while discussing his two-month training stint in south Florida this summer, after he'd signed his five-year, $193 million contract extension.
&ldquo;Something mentally in me shifted, changed. And the game of basketball &ndash; that&rsquo;s it for me. That&rsquo;s my love. That&rsquo;s what I want to do,&rdquo; Williamson continued. "I&rsquo;m just excited to get out there and show the world what I can do.&rdquo;
Pelicans players were dressed in their home white jerseys as they took part in promotional photos, videos and interviews for the the club's media day. Williamson, who is listed at 6-foot-6, 284 pounds, appeared fit and jocular as he interacted with team personnel, photographers and reporters inside the Smoothie King Center, the club's home stadium.
&ldquo;He looks great. His mentality&rsquo;s great,&rdquo; veteran forward Larry Nance Jr. said. "Now I&rsquo;ve got to put on some padding to deal with this beating I&rsquo;m going to take (while trying to guard Williamson) in training camp.&rdquo;
Williamson mentioned Nance as one of the veterans upon whom he leaned for guidance about how to approach staying healthy. Nance said he basically told Williamson that Lamborghini drivers don't fill up with cheap gas, and that he should treat his body the same way.
&ldquo;I feel like I&rsquo;m at my best right now, moving faster, jumping higher. I just &ndash; I feel great,&rdquo; said Williamson,
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s one of those feelings where I&rsquo;m in the gym ... and I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Oh, man! I can really do that! That&rsquo;s different,&rsquo;" Williamson said. "I learned a lot from a nutrition standpoint, from a working out standpoint, how long I need to be in the gym and the most efficient way to work out.&rdquo;
Much has changed since last winter, when Williamson was away from the team, rehabilitating his foot on his own in Oregon, while the Pelicans were trying to salvage a season in which they'd gotten off to a 1-12 start under first-year coach Willie Green.
It was unclear whether Williamson or the Pelicans envisioned a long-term future together &mdash; no promise of an extension.
But the Pelicans acquired veteran, high-scoring guard CJ McCollum shortly before last season's trade deadline, and he helped wing player Brandon Ingram and center Jonas Valanciunas lead a cast of feisty, young players into the playoffs.
Now, Williamson is contractually tied to New Orleans for the long term, and the Pelicans are eager to see how much more of a contender he can make them.
&ldquo;We talked throughout the playoffs about what could have been if he was healthy," guard Garrett Temple said. &ldquo;So, now we have that chance, and we&rsquo;re ready to attack it.&rdquo;
While Williamson has played in just 85 games, he has averaged 25.7 points and seven rebounds. And he was an All-Star in his second season, when he played 61 games and averaged 27 points.
But he has yet to play under Green or alongside McCollum, Valanciunas or second-year pro Herb Jones, who emerged as a starter last season because of his strong defensive play.
&ldquo;You add a guy like Z and you have to change some things in terms of how you play," McCollum said. "It takes time to develop basketball chemistry. We can kick it and go to dinner, but now we&rsquo;ve got to figure out how to make it work on the court &mdash; and I think we will.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a force to be reckoned with. I think his production speaks for itself on how consistent he&rsquo;s been when he&rsquo;s played,&rdquo; McCollum added. "His input and his impact on the game will be felt every night and he should make the game easier for all of us. I think that&rsquo;s what great players do.&rdquo;
Notes: David Griffin, the Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations, said guard Kira Lewis Jr., the club's 2020 first-round draft choice, has made significant progress in his recovery from reconstructive right knee surgery last season, but is not yet ready for full-speed, five-on-five work.
&nbsp;

The New Orleans Pelicans are eager to become contenders with a physically and mentally healthy Zion Williamson.

Pelicans' Williamson touts his physical, mental well being

Chris Paul turns 37 years old next week, but you would have no idea that&rsquo;s the case with the way he slammed the door shut on the New Orleans Pelicans potentially forcing a Game 7.
The Phoenix Suns&rsquo; future Hall-of-Fame point guard put together a masterclass performance, dropping 33 points and 8 assists on 14-of-14 shooting. Paul is the only player in NBA postseason history to attempt at least 14 field goal attempts without a miss, once again putting the Suns on his back when it mattered most.
Paul was the Suns&rsquo; only reliable offensive threat in Game 6, and he was totally okay with that. Easily slicing and dicing through New Orleans&rsquo; aggressive on-ball defense, Paul was able to get to his spots on the floor with no issue.
What was most remarkable is the fluidity and ease with which he disposed of New Orleans' defense. The Pelicans threw a hailstorm at Paul, toying with matchups, personnel, pressure and coverages.
As the game wore on, Paul eradicated each barrier set in front of him.&nbsp;
Jaxson Hayes struggled much of the series to remain an on-court neutral, and Game 6 was a microcosmic view of why (he ended up playing 12 minutes in spite of starting, playing only 13.8 minutes per game for the series).
Jae Crowder didn't shoot well last night, but he was dominant as a screener for Phoenix's offense. He set an absurd number of early offense screens to force inopportune switches and dicatate play immediately in the halfcourt.
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Crowder makes contact with CJ McCollum before five seconds have leaked off the clock, and that was a regularity. Deandre Ayton sets his screen further in to make it difficult for Hayes to recover quickly to the perimeter and switch on the screen; Ayton was demonstrative as a screener last night, an obelisk on the court, always ready to shift the dynamics of the court in a moment's notice.
Ayton flips the screen to open a pocket for Paul, Hayes tries to fight back under as Jonas Valanciunas keeps things in front in drop coverage, and Paul cashes the jumper.
The Pelicans started to prioritize length and mobility as the game went on, pressing Paul tight with Naji Marshall, Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado. Larry Nance Jr., a force in this series, played close to the level of screens as the defense worked to shrink those pockets near the elbow.
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Let's just note how many things the defense does here that they weren't off rip.
We have the three quarters pressure. The big is playing at the level. Ingram is fighting to deny the switch and keep Naji Marshall in front of Paul, as Marshall darts under the Ayton screen. Paul breaks right and jams Marshall into a well-placed rescreen from Ayton. Brandon Ingram stunts off Crowder to jab at the ball, but Paul is unfazed as he switches hands, crossing to his left before pulling up on a dime. Paul starts into his shot prep and Jones stunts from the strongside corner... and it just didn't matter.
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New Orleans did everything they could to stay solid while attacking Paul in every which way, a culmination of adjustments they'd made throughout the first half, and yet Chris Paul still rendered it ineffective. That's soul crushing.
Perhaps the shots he&nbsp;didn't take did an even better job of showcasing how absurd his play was.
Watch this play. The control is unreal. Paul is having his Neo-taking-over-the-Matrix moment. Every dribble is precise, calculated and surgical. He's shifting Ingram constantly.
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The second Ingram's hips turn, Paul flips the ball to Ayton for a quick rise and fire as he was in the midst of his own absurd shooting performance, as he went 10-of-12 from the field on a variety of finishes.
The late-game lob to take the lead was killer. The synergy between Paul and Ayton made a broken possession heartbreaking for New Orleans.
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Just when you think Paul's kept in front and smothered, you're getting yammed on with a well-disguised lob.
If Chris Paul had taken 27 shots last night, I'm not sure he misses. He just hit everything, and some of the bounces he got were ridiculous, displaying his otherworldly touch.
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A triple bounce on the rim after a high-arcing tear drop?
The ball flipping over the rim after hitting the front for the game-sealing bucket?
Just an absurd display of shot-making that felt willed on by divine intervention of some sort. It was one of the greatest offensive performances I've ever seen.
Throughout the Suns&rsquo; hard-fought first-round series against the Pelicans, Paul showcased brilliant moments on multiple occasions. In the end, Paul averaged 22.3 points, 11.3 assists and 1.8 steals on a 66.3% True Shooting.
As Suns head coach Monty Williams mentioned after the Suns&rsquo; close-out victory, this is just an expectation for players with the greatness of Paul.
&ldquo;I just know that great players have a knack for that,&rdquo; Willams said. &ldquo;They know when to and when not to. The game slows down for them, slower than it does for everybody else.&rdquo;
Williams even alluded to how Paul's outing is up there with the greatest performances (if not the greatest) he&rsquo;s witnessed from his superstar point guard. And doing it back where it all started for Paul in the Association made this moment even more special. The roots in New Orleans are still entrenched for Paul, and closing it all out in this manner was simply a breathtaking experience.
&ldquo;Unbelievably special,&rdquo; Paul said of his historical game in New Orleans. &ldquo;You have no idea what it&rsquo;s like for me to walk in here. Everybody that works back here, these people part of my family. &hellip; Chris (an arena security guard), he been here since I was here. Pound him before every game here back when I played in New Orleans, and did the same thing this entire series. My older brother sitting on the baseline. All of these people, it&rsquo;s my family. People sitting courtside been here since I was here.
"There&rsquo;s nothing like playing in this city, man. There&rsquo;s nothing like it. I went to other teams and all that, but the energy here, the way they show much love to the players, to your family. When I walked in, they asked if my parents were here and all that. And then Willie [Green], so many different ties to this team. [Garrett] Temple, Gary Clark was in my AAU program. &hellip; There&rsquo;s so many different ties to New Orleans and there always will be.&rdquo;
While sitting next to Paul, Devin Booker even mentioned how he and his father, Melvin, would drive down from Moss Point, Mississippi, to watch Paul and the New Orleans Hornets in the postseason. This full-circle experience for Paul is one he will never forget, and this trend of becoming an upgraded version of the &ldquo;Point God&rdquo; in close-out situations for the Suns continues to hold true.
Whether it be Paul&rsquo;s historical Game 6 in the Western Conference Finals last season against another former team in the Los Angeles Clippers, or what he just pulled off another year older in New Orleans, there&rsquo;s simply no more denying the greatness of CP3.
BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler</a> contributed to this article.
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Chris Paul's unbelievable Game 6 performance was the point guard's latest masterclass that put his greatness on full display.

Chris Paul's Game 6 masterclass is his latest moment of greatness

Throughout Wednesday&rsquo;s contest between the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans, the Smoothie King Center&rsquo;s atmosphere swelled to unconscionable decibels. Pelicans fans, overwhelmingly clad in red T-shirts, roared in support of their team, one that controlled much of the contest and dispatched the Spurs, 113-103.&nbsp;
They had many reasons to cheer, all of which draw back to the Pelicans&rsquo; remarkable turnaround without superstar Zion Williamson the entire way. After opening the year 14th in the West with a record of 3-16, New Orleans is now 37-46 and stands just 48 minutes away from a first-round series with the Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
Since this 34-30 run commenced, the Pelicans have been a true joy to watch. The beauty of this club is that its frenzied, impassioned fans could&rsquo;ve been delighted for any number of reasons Wednesday. There is not one singular storyline to embrace. The splendor rings up and down the roster. It&rsquo;s like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, and every endpoint is a feel-good tale.&nbsp;
Wednesday&rsquo;s stars were abundant and a matter of a perspective, the resolute theme of this five-month resurgence.&nbsp;
CJ McCollum slithered, shot and boogied to 27 first-half points and finished with 32 on the day. Before being traded from Portland, McCollum would sometimes dissolve in the shadows of Damian Lillard, always a year behind the experience of his backcourt mate and outmatched for individual honors. In New Orleans, McCollum is the elder statesman. Only Garrett Temple is older, and nobody touts more playoff game appearances.&nbsp;
This is his opportunity to be the veteran star, and he&rsquo;s seized it, averaging 24 points, 6 assists, 4&nbsp; rebounds and a steal on 58.0% True Shooting in 26 regular-season games as a Pelican.&nbsp;
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CJ MCCOLLUM LIGHTING THE SPURS UP ⚡️ <a href="https://t.co/JQxecBRX2g">pic.twitter.com/JQxecBRX2g</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1514435528359219203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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His 32-7-6-1 (63.5% TS) performance against San Antonio, punctuated by deft dribbling sequences into drives and silky pull-up jumpers, along with a 7-of-7, 19-point second frame, summarized everything he&rsquo;s brought the last two months. By night&rsquo;s end, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8iu88pq9Rk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he made it clear, he&rsquo;s &ldquo;at home,&rdquo;</a> and he illuminated that comfort during the biggest game of the season.&nbsp;
McCollum&rsquo;s shot-making partner, Brandon Ingram, glimmered Wednesday to the tune of 27-5-5 on ~62% TS. Over the past few months, Ingram has evolved his game, growing as a decision-maker, facilitator and off-ball defender. He&rsquo;s established himself as a bona fide star and one whose impact stretches well beyond scoring, while continuing to pour in buckets at a reliable rate.
After the Spurs jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first quarter, Ingram played the role of stabilizer, tallying 11 points and two dimes over a seven-minute span and fueling an 18-8 run. To open the second half, he displayed his defensive maturation and helped stymie numerous possessions as a helper.&nbsp;
When San Antonio trimmed the deficit to six with just under five minutes remaining, Ingram snapped a five-minute drought by scoring 6 of New Orleans&rsquo; next 8 points and pushing the lead back to double-digits. For stretches, the Spurs doubled him off of screens, and he seamlessly played the role of a waiter by finding teammates for quality shots.&nbsp;
Ingram's full complement of skills was evident, some of which he rapidly incorporated and were integral to the Pelicans&rsquo; renaissance. He thrived amid his first swim in the waters of postseason basketball.&nbsp;
If McCollum and Ingram were the offensive standouts, Herbert Jones is the unabashed, brilliant defensive standout of the night. Wiggling around screens and applying his 7-foot wingspan to disrupt shots, <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1514462137208356873?s=20&amp;t=exiOaJHeGESmdkeCybEMEQ">he hounded All-Star Dejounte Murray</a> en route to a 5-of-19 shooting game.&nbsp;
When opportunities arose offensively, he snagged them, knocking down a pair of triples and disappearing behind the defense as a cutter. Once a second-round rookie who played just three minutes in his NBA debut, Jones has, six months later, proven to be a legitimate All-Defensive Team candidate. He finished this game with 12 points, 5 boards, 3 dimes, 2 steals and 2 blocks. An All-Rookie nod awaits him and might come while he&rsquo;s starring defensively in a first-round series, justifiably playing heavy minutes for a team on the rise.&nbsp;
The tone-setters alongside Jones&rsquo; All-Defense exploits were stalwart big Jonas Valanciunas and undrafted rookie Jose Alvarado, who definitively declared that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBPHnGviVI">yes, he can shoot</a>, in the grandest game of his life.
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With Jones discarding screens like second nature, Valanciunas&rsquo; astute positioning and strength as a drop defender further frustrated Murray in pick-and-rolls. He wielded active hands to disrupt the point guard&rsquo;s rhythm and when the contexts ventured outside of pick-and-rolls, Valanciunas influenced shots around the rim.
As the tension inside eased for him offensively, Valanciunas scored 12 of his 22 points in the third quarter and exited the period with New Orleans leading by 21. He was the Pelicans&rsquo; bedrock this season, playing 2,240 minutes (second-most on the team) and routinely buoying them on both sides of the ball.&nbsp;
When Ingram was sidelined, Valanciunas&rsquo; efficiency as a face-up and post hub carried the offense. If defenses loaded up against him, he sprayed passes to cutters and shooters. He molded his game to fill the shape of whatever holes existed on the roster, something he&rsquo;s done for years. Only a handful of NBA centers are better than Valanciunas. New Orleans does not reach this point without his steady, multifaceted contributions.&nbsp;
The Pelicans didn&rsquo;t just close Wednesday with one rookie in the lineup. They closed with two, as Alvarado usurped Jaxson Hayes for the final spot. He scored 12 points, splashed in three triples, blended in well off the ball offensively and snagged a steal, which led to perhaps the most dynamite portion of the first half.
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Electric sequence from the Pelicans. This team is a joy <a href="https://t.co/bqOCB4YJ1l">pic.twitter.com/bqOCB4YJ1l</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1514434151897726977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Formerly a two-way player who didn&rsquo;t crack the rotation until January, Alvarado signed a four-year contract last month (with team options for the last three seasons, unfortunately). His point-of-attack chops defensively and downhill zeal offensively have ignited the Pelicans&rsquo; rotation.&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s emerged as their most important reserve guard. Advanced metrics adore him, and rightfully so. Head coach Willie Green&rsquo;s decision to roll with him down the stretch was a culmination of his play the past three months. Jose Alvarado won&rsquo;t just stick in the closing lineup Wednesday. He&rsquo;ll stick around the NBA for a while.
Collectively, Wednesday&rsquo;s game should be a celebration of the Pelicans' players and coaching staff. A 3-16 start with a remade roster and new coaching staff could bury a team. But everyone involved practiced fortitude. Whatever message Green preached to his players and staff resonated.&nbsp;
They climbed out of the 14th spot, in part because a first-year coach had the moxie and belief to tab two rookies as vital parts of the rotation. Not every coach would embrace that decision, especially one whose imprint is yet to solidify.&nbsp;
Regardless of how Friday&rsquo;s duel with the Los Angeles Clippers concludes, the Pelicans&rsquo; season is a success. Wednesday encapsulated the wide-ranging factors for that success. Everywhere you look, a different fan probably had a different reason to jubilantly clap their hands and voice their approval. It&rsquo;s why this New Orleans team is an absolute charm.&nbsp;
Basketball should be fun in a multitude of ways. That&rsquo;s exactly what these Pelicans are.&nbsp;
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The New Orleans Pelicans did not start the season looking like a playoff team, which is why their success is something to celebrate.

Wednesday was a celebration of how far the Pelicans have come

Every All-Star break, the discourse around the NBA explodes in one way or another without League Pass to fill the void &mdash; NBA 75 debates (please, we need to chill about Tony Parker), <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/is-there-even-a-quick-fix-to-reviving-the-nba-slam-dunk-contest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dunk-contest disappointment</a>, pretty much <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rob-pelinka-refused-to-trade-russell-westbrook-draft-pick-for-john-wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anything related to Lakers drama</a>, and eventually settling in on Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.
CJ McCollum's interview with TNT's Inside the NBA crew <a href="https://twitter.com/cclark_13/status/1495203700964569089?s=20&amp;t=OSF7W4Bxm0C4o0bkp4nxqA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">absolutely blew up</a>, as it came out that he and Williamson had yet to speak (they have <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33348507/zion-williamson-ripped-former-new-orleans-pelicans-teammate-jj-redick-not-being-better-teammate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoken since</a>) after New Orleans traded for McCollum ahead of the trade deadline to bolster its roster.
There's a lot to unpack here in a multitude of layers.
To me, this comes down to transparency from every party involved.
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To recap Zion news: - Sept. 27: Says he&rsquo;ll be ready for season opener - Dec. 2: Team says he&rsquo;s dealing w/ soreness - Dec. 16: Has injection to promote healing, per team - Jan. 5: Pelicans say he&rsquo;s rehabbing away from team - Feb. 10: Griff says he doesn&rsquo;t know when Zion returns
&mdash; Christian Clark (@cclark_13) <a href="https://twitter.com/cclark_13/status/1495223791773011972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Pelicans' front office has been... uhhh... lacking in transparency since the start of the season. Here's the thing, though: What else are they supposed to say?
Yeah, we're not that tight with Zion, and he's rehabbing away from the team. We'll let you know when we find out more.
It doesn't work like that. Say something publicly like that, and you risk further alienating your star player.&nbsp;
This consistent approach to injuries has become rather commonplace. For example, the Indiana Pacers have routinely stated that T.J. Warren was hopefully "weeks not months" away from return due to a foot injury, a message they've been giving since media day, and Warren has yet to suit up for a game.
I don't care about the injury report from a betting perspective (although that's becoming a growing topic of intrigue/concern). I just want guys to be healthy. Selfishly, I want to know where a player is at physically so I can properly evaluate a team and have some sort of timetable for a return.
Williamson is rehabbing away from the team in Portland. From a professional standpoint, I get the frustration that he hadn't reached out to McCollum. However, that's part of what's odd to me. He's rehabbing and getting right from a significant injury. He hasn't been around the team and what they're doing day-in and day-out. You can call that bad leadership (not wrong), but at the same time, it's just wonky because... What is he supposed to say?
I would do it differently in the same spot, but I'm not in the same spot. I don't know everything behind the scenes. I don't intend to excuse his lack of reaching out. I think we're past the point of questioning Zion's commitment to the organization, as he's made it pretty clear without stating the obvious in any medium. If Zion were fully committed to this team and their direction, then yes, I'd be entirely perplexed at his not having spoken to McCollum immediately.
This speaks to the larger issue on transparency all around. I don't intend to come off as though I know Williamson's every waking thought, but the rumors and whispers have been out there for some time about his interest in New Orleans. His actions, or lack thereof, have all but solidified the merit to them.
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Perhaps I'm being naive to the way that things work, but I just wish we could be more concrete. Much akin to the situation with James Harden wanting to leave Brooklyn, we'd known for a while that The Beard wanted out. The silence was absolutely deafening. Would a direct quote saying, "I don't want to be here anymore," help? I don't know man, but I'd like to think the fallout would've been better without absurd build-up.
Social media and immediate reactions to small chunks of information often foregoing the entirety of the story is a very real factor. An aggregated quote is still something one said, but shedding so much of the nuance and context. In the era of mass communication, actually communicating has somehow become more difficult, and I think we see that on a micro-scale with free agency and trades in the league.&nbsp;
I can't speak on how well Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has or hasn't connected with Zion, or attempted to. I think some have been a bit too quick to throw the organization under the bus. I haven't abided by every move Griffin has made, but this team is on an upward trajectory.
Read anything from Will Guillory, Christian Clark or Andrew Lopez (three fantastic NOLA beat reporters), and it's so apparent the impact that head coach Willie Green has had on this team. After a disastrous 3-16 start &mdash; in part due to missing Zion and one of the hardest early season schedules &mdash; New Orleans has gone 20-20.
The turnaround has been drastic. Brandon Ingram <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/brandon-ingram-has-evolved-his-game-to-become-the-best-version-of-himself" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has adapted his game</a>, improved as a passer and is now impacting winning at the highest level he ever has. Starting a second-round pick in Herb Jones has paid dividends for this squad, and was an ambitious move early in the year. My only real gripe remains with Garrett Temple's minutes.&nbsp;
Look no further than Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Josh Hart sticking around after being traded to watch one last Pelicans game from the sideline; that just doesn't happen. It sounds cliche, but Green is building something real in New Orleans and impacting the culture in a way that's been palpable much of the year if you've tuned in.
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The entire Pelicans squad just went over to say their goodbyes to Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker including coach Willie Green. <a href="https://t.co/Umy7IlnCZJ">pic.twitter.com/Umy7IlnCZJ</a>
&mdash; Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) <a href="https://twitter.com/_Andrew_Lopez/status/1491252547482697728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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That's my main frustration with this whole situation. This team has a real foundation and footing. I've constantly said to myself "Man, when Zion comes back," while watching this team play. Selfishly, I just want to see it, or at least know if he is or isn't coming back. That's unfortunately overshadowed the really fun and intriguing developments the team has made throughout the year on a national scale.
Building relationships is arguably the most important part of running an organization, but if the star player you drafted with the first overall pick isn't that interested in being there, what are you supposed to do? Yes, it's on Griffin to sell the team to anyone he brings in, but again, he can only do and say so much. At some point, you're just shouting at someone with headphones on.
No, Zion hasn't put the city on his back or fully embraced New Orleans, and in many ways he's done the opposite of what Ja Morant has done in Memphis. That's not to pit them against one another, but when comparing the two situations of small-market teams taking franchise-altering stars back-to-back in the same draft, it's worth noting.
Can we just admit how crazy it is that we're asking someone to come in at 19 years old and be the face of a multi-million dollar franchise? Zion is not wired like Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but that is such a wild standard to set that sheds so much nuance. He gets paid a ridiculous amount of money, but that's not the pressure-release valve we like to paint it as.
This is where one of my larger issues pops up as well. If I were Zion, I'd like to say that I'd go to bat for New Orleans and want to lead the organization that drafted me, but he quite seemingly doesn't want to. I guess I can't entirely fault him for that as a person and his want to be somewhere else.
The everlasting "abolish the draft" calls have come out in force, and I get it. I think we need to transition sports in the United States to a different model, but the point remains that we're not there yet (but please, we can still brainstorm even if we don't have an answer). I don't know a way to allow players to choose wherever they want to go without totally damaging league balance and small markets, but this is another tally on the docket that the draft is inherently flawed. I'd really love to see a shift towards the European soccer model, with a prioritization on youth development and professional organizations down to the grassroots, but again, that would take years to move towards. Talking about it is a start.
Zion Williamson is deserving of some heat for how he's gone about his tenure in New Orleans, as does the front office to a lesser degree. Hopefully, both sides can find a way to to come to terms one way or another and bring at least a modicum of transparency.
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Zion WIlliamson made waves over the All-Star Break without uttering a word. What's going on in New Orleans?

Trasparency lacking, the Zion-Pelicans saga is difficult to read

The 2021-22 NBA season has presented us all with its share of surprises &ndash; chief among them is the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago&rsquo;s 2020-21 season was messy. The Bulls ended the season 31-41, good for 11th in the Eastern Conference. The 2021 NBA draft marked Chicago&rsquo;s fourth consecutive lottery appearance, and the fact that none of their recent lottery picks appeared on track to lead a playoff team resulted in limited optimism. But, as is often the case, looking too far ahead results in incorrect assumptions.
Chicago had a surprising 2021 offseason centered around three key additions &ndash; DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso. Ball, the first to sign, was a highly sought-after 2021 free agent. Chicago was forced to relinquish their next second-round pick for violating league rules while solidifying a sign-and-trade deal for the guard. Prior to suffering a recent knee injury that will cost him between six and eight weeks, Ball was averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals (career high) per game, shooting 42.3% on three-point attempts. Caruso was playing well, too, averaging career-highs (or near career-highs) in points, rebounds, assists and steals. But like Ball, Caruso is also out for between six and eight weeks with an injury of his own.
The loss of Ball and Caruso will certainly hurt the Bulls, a team that has been playing its best basketball in years; but they are still projected to be an East leader, thanks in no small part to DeRozan. DeRozan is an enigma, in that he&rsquo;s produced everywhere he&rsquo;s been, and yet he&rsquo;s still looked over when discussing the best players in the league.
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DeRozan entered free agency hoping to head home to Los Angeles. A sign-and-trade was being discussed by the San Antonio Spurs and the Lakers, but the latter decided on adding Russell Westbrook instead. Thus, DeRozan landed in Chicago, where he is averaging a career-high 26.4 points per game.
The Bulls have won 30 of their first 47 games thanks in part to their offseason additions. But Chicago&rsquo;s success is obviously about more than just three players. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are both playing excellent basketball, as are Coby White, Patrick Williams and Ayo Donsunmu. Vucevic is another recent addition, having been added via trade at the deadline last season.
Much of Chicago&rsquo;s recent maneuvering was about keeping LaVine in Chicago. LaVine will enter free agency this upcoming offseason, and the Bulls knew they had to convince him that he could compete soon. And while LaVine and Vucevic are foundational pieces, they&rsquo;re not enough to compete without other stars around them. So, what if Ball, Caruso and/or DeRozan chose to sign elsewhere?
As far as All-Star caliber players go, only Chris Paul, John Collins, Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry hit free agency, meaning Chicago&rsquo;s options were limited last offseason. Of those four, only Lowry changed teams &ndash; and Lowry-to-Miami was the worst kept secret in the NBA for some time.
Had Ball not signed with Chicago, the Bulls probably would have pursued Spencer Dinwiddie or Dennis Schroder. Dinwiddie was immediately linked to Washington, whereas Schroder had fewer suitors. Schroder eventually signed with Boston on a one-year $5.9 million deal, making it fathomable that Schroder was an option.
The Bulls could have also pursued Victor Oladipo, who signed with Miami for the veteran&rsquo;s minimum. But Oladipo is still recovering from a torn quadricep. And while he&rsquo;s projected to return sometime in February, that type of addition tells a very different story to potential free agents. Adding Schroder and Oladipo wouldn&rsquo;t have had nearly the same impact as Ball, Caruso and DeRozan on the Bulls&rsquo; play, thus jeopardizing their ability to retain LaVine.
Who else would remain in Chicago? Obviously LaVine, Vucevic, White, Williams and Donsunmu would still be around. The Bulls dealt Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu to San Antonio for DeRozan; Tomas Satoransky and Garrett Temple to New Orleans for Ball &ndash; and finally Lauri Markkanen to Cleveland for Derrick Jones. Young, Aminu and Satoransky were still under contract, but Temple and Markkanen signed new contracts with their new teams after being traded. Markkanen was an RFA in 2021, whereas Temple was a UFA.
Ultimately, the lack of difference-maker free agents means that if the Bulls hadn&rsquo;t signed Ball, Caruso and DeRozan, their roster would look eerily similar this season to that of last season &ndash; and as we established above, last season&rsquo;s roster was flat-out ineffective.
Without Ball, Caruso and DeRozan, the Bulls would be mediocre at best. Their roster would be inferior to that of Miami, Cleveland, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Charlotte &ndash; and they would be in the same class as disappointing teams like Boston, Washington and New York. They would probably still qualify for the playoffs (or at least the play-in tournament), but they would struggle to compete with a top-four seed.
Talking longer term, LaVine would inevitably test free agency, taking meetings with teams with the requisite cap space or creativity to shape a deal. DeRozan joined, partially, because he wasn&rsquo;t prioritized as an elite free agent. But let&rsquo;s be clear, established superstars don&rsquo;t join teams without a clear path to compete, like DeRozan did last offseason. That means the Bulls would be under intense pressure to perform with no alternate courses of action.
Like the rest of the league, the Bulls had limited options last offseason. Fortunately for Chicago, the Bulls made the absolute best of a bad situation, signing the crown jewel of free agency in DeRozan. Free agency, and the 2021-22 season, could have gone significantly worse for Chicago. As it is, it couldn&rsquo;t really be much better.
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The Chicago Bulls made a splash in free agency, adding three impact players. What if they chose a different path forward?

What if the Bulls didn't go all-in this past offseason?

At 27 years old and in his sixth season as a pro, Willy Hernangomez is still searching for a solidified situation in the NBA.&nbsp;
Generally, a consistent role and consistent playing time will lead to consistent production. In his second season with the New Orleans Pelicans, he hasn&rsquo;t often had the opportunity to show what he&rsquo;s capable of, registering eight straight DNPs &mdash; and it&rsquo;s not the first time.
&ldquo;Many times it's hard, it can be frustrating, but for me being able to train every day, even on game days is my way of always being prepared and always wanting to improve,&rdquo; Hernangomez told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;When you really love what you do, you always find a small way to forget your frustrations and focus on the ultimate goal.
&ldquo;I see it as an extra way of motivation for me, knowing that in small minutes you have to give your best so that the team notices your presence and thus make the most of every minute. My mentality every game is to always be prepared, because for me, every game is an opportunity to show my team, the league and myself that I can be a great player here.&rdquo;
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When Hernangomez has gotten the chance to be NOLA&rsquo;s man in the middle, he has exhibited positive results. According to Basketball-Reference, he is sporting the best PER of his career thus far (23.1), and it&rsquo;s the best on his Pelicans team.&nbsp;
In the five games he&rsquo;s received between 20-29 minutes, Hernangomez is averaging 14.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. If you want to take it further into a career sample size, the Spanish big man has put up 12.5 points and 10.3 rebounds across the 78 total games in which he&rsquo;s played 20 or more minutes. And since he&rsquo;s entered the league, Hernangomez has put together 35 career double-doubles to boot.
&ldquo;The way I understand the game, the experience, and the energy with which I always try to play I think it helps me to be very effective in the minutes I am on the court,&rdquo; Hernangomez said.
And yet, despite that resume, he&rsquo;s had a whopping 86 games where he&rsquo;s played fewer than nine minutes, and those are predominantly scenarios where he hasn&rsquo;t been in teams&rsquo; rotations.&nbsp;
But Hernangomez doesn&rsquo;t wait for the game to come to him when he does hit the floor; he&rsquo;s instant offense and a boardmonger. Positioning is a specialty of his, establishing a low-post presence after setting middle-of-the-floor screens off the ball and sealing to open lanes. He sets quality picks for his teammates on the ball at the elbows as well, and times his roles impeccably, receiving the ball back for slams and easy-glass lay-ins &mdash; or one more feed to a teammate with a better look.
&ldquo;It is one of the favorite actions for me, I feel very comfortable playing pick-and-roll,&rdquo; Hernangomez said. &ldquo;For me, putting a good screen [on], a strong screen is something very important, so that your teammate and your team can have an advantage, or so that you yourself can be free in the roll or in the pop.
&ldquo;I always try to think about the next action before it happens, I try to read the defenders, where they are positioned and make the best possible decision, whether it's shooting, or giving an extra pass to a released teammate.&rdquo;
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Great sequence from Willy Hernangomez. He forces Giannis into a stepback and then runs in transition and gets an early seal on Holiday which opens up the lane for Garrett Temple. If Zion was playing this Pelicans team is in a way better place. <a href="https://t.co/ukEhFzg6Ze">pic.twitter.com/ukEhFzg6Ze</a>
&mdash; Matthew Ho (@matthewkjho) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewkjho/status/1477445311282827266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2022</a></blockquote>

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In addition, Hernangomez tracks down misses on both ends with proficiency. His rebounding rate of 22.1% is <a href="https://go.nba.com/7z907" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tied with Atlanta&rsquo;s Clint Capela for third in the entire league</a> (min. 10 minutes). Only Andre Drummond and Rudy Gobert top that high of a percentage.
Considering the NBA evolving into positionless basketball with floor-spacing becoming a priority in modern offenses, Hernangomez does relay that he&rsquo;s put a large focus on bettering his outside shot and versatility in general, mentioning his handle in particular.&nbsp;
Lest we forget that the 6-foot-11 center is just now entering his prime years with less tread on the tires than most players at his age and with his experience. There&rsquo;s plenty of road ahead for Hernangomez, who wants to achieve a lot by the time he hangs it up.
&ldquo;I still think I have a lot of things to improve, and that my best version as a player is yet to come,&rdquo; Hernangomez said. &ldquo;I am a very competitive person and I like to win. I want to compete and win a ring, to be able to play and get to the top of the playoffs for my team.&rdquo;
It has been anything but easy for Hernangomez to this point in his NBA life. You could argue that his little brother Juancho has shared the same sentiments and similar experiences in the league. When you&rsquo;ve shared the successes and spotlight that both have as a part of Spain&rsquo;s national team, there&rsquo;s a hunger that stems from it. While neither has been able to satisfy such an appetite in the Association, each has been able to lean on the other.
&ldquo;Having a brother who is also your best friend in the league is something incredible,&rdquo; Willy said. &ldquo;We came to the NBA in the same year and we have been through everything together, very good moments and others not so much; he is a great support [system], a great psychologist too, and I think we can continue to give many joys and medals to our team in the future.&rdquo;
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Willy Hernangomez has learned quite a bit over his stay in the league. One lesson sticks out specifically though: Enjoy the day-to-day.
&ldquo;The NBA is something unique, many kids and players dream of being here, it is my sixth year and I still have the same [vision] as in my rookie year. I love the NBA, and I feel that the best Willy is yet to come.&rdquo;
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Spencer Davies goes one-on-one with Pelicans big man Willy Hernangomez to address his fluctuating role, career and more.

Willy Hernangomez: 'My best version as a player is yet to come'

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and rookie Aaron Wiggins added a career-high 24 as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat New Orleans 117-112 Sunday night, snapping the Pelicans&rsquo; four-game win streak.
Wiggins, who had never scored in double figures this season, eclipsed his previous season best by halftime when he led the Thunder with 11 points.
Recently inserted into the starting lineup for his defense, the second-round draft pick from Florida said there was nothing magical about his unexpected offensive outburst.
&ldquo;I just think I did a really good job of trying to find open spots,&rdquo; Wiggins said. &ldquo;When I&rsquo;m on the bench, when I&rsquo;m not in the game, I watch those guys who are really good at playing off ball. I try to make sure when I&rsquo;m on the court, I&rsquo;m doing those little things that can help the team get going. My guys found me in open spots and I was just trying to make plays.&rdquo;
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Wiggins' performance shows growth.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been trying to give him confidence and become an offensive player, but to do it inside the role that he&rsquo;s in and inside the team, which is a hard balance,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;This was the cumulative effect of a lot of development and a lot of process and growth for Aaron.&rdquo;
In his third season with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander passed James Harden on the Thunder's all-time scoring list. He scored eight points down the stretch when Oklahoma City was trying to close out the victory.
&ldquo;What it really comes down to is me being aggressive whenever I get the opportunity,&rdquo; said Gilgeous-Alexander. &ldquo;I saw a few things on how they were playing defense when I was on the bench. I just wanted to come back in and attack those things. But for sure, I want to assert myself.&rdquo;
Josh Hart had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pelicans. Garret Temple came off the bench to score 22 points, including 15 in the first half.
Oklahoma City grabbed a 17-3 lead just four minutes into the first quarter, scoring 15 straight points after Josh Hart gave the Pelicans their only advantage of the first three periods with an opening-minute 3-pointer. Oklahoma City held a 14-point edge, 32-18, at the end of the first quarter.
The Thunder expanded the lead to 17 early in the second period before cooling off. The Pelicans cut their deficit to 57-49 at intermission. New Orleans scored eight straight early in the third to make it 60-58 before the Thunder countered with a 10-2 run over the next two minutes and went on to lead 89-81 heading into the fourth.
New Orleans outscored the Thunder 11-2 to start the fourth quarter and took a 92-91 lead with 8:10 left on a dunk by Willy Hernangomez. Kenrich Williams hit a 3-pointer at the other end as the Thunder regained the lead and held on the rest of the way.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Rooke Tre Mann went through pregame warmups, but was placed in the health and safety protocol midway through the first quarter. He had tested negative Sunday morning, but felt symptoms near tipoff and Thunder doctors elected to put him in the protocol. ... Dort wasted no time extending his streak of consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 44, hitting his first attempt two minutes into the opening period. His current mark is second in the league to Steph Curry. He missed his next six 3-point attempts and finished 1 of 7.
Pelicans: Center Jonas Valanciunas missed his second straight game with a non-COVID illness. ... Ingram left the game after the first quarter with Achilles soreness. He was scoreless in nine minutes, missing all three of his shots. Temple replaced him in the lineup to start the second half. ... Pelicans had started the four-game win streak in OKC on Devonte Graham&rsquo;s 61-foot basket at the final buzzer.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host Cleveland on Tuesday.
Thunder: Visit Sacramento on Tuesday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and rookie Aaron Wiggins added a career-high 24 as the Oklahoma City beat the Pels.

Thunder beat New Orleans 117-112, end Pelicans' 4-game run

For the umpteenth season in a row, Buddy Hield is on the trade market and actively being shopped by the Sacramento Kings <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article256556286.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee</a>.
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One source said the Kings are still shopping a package including Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III in hopes of getting a good player in return.&nbsp;
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With Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s emergence and Davion Mitchell&rsquo;s initial pop, Sacramento has consistently relied upon three-guard lineups &mdash; four of the top five players in minutes played for the Kings this season are guards.&nbsp;
While I wouldn&rsquo;t argue that Hield is the most replaceable of the guards, he is the oldest by a wide margin and the only guard on a non-max or rookie-scale contract, likely making him the easiest to trade without tearing apart the team structure in its entirety (hence why he&rsquo;s been in trade talks for multiple years).
The initial $24 million hit on his four-year contract, inked during the 2019 off-season, likely played into reticence or difficulty to trade for Hield. A descending scale on his deal and looming <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mortenjensen/2021/09/19/with-new-tv-deal-looming-nba-teams-could-spend-big-on-extensions/?sh=51344fc73e85" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cap spike</a> could potentially temper trade discussions to the right degree.
While Hield has had a slow start to the season, he&rsquo;s caught fire the past two weeks, indicating a return to form. He's shooting 47% from three over the last 10 days on 9.4 attempts per game.
Buddy Hield is undoubtedly a specialist, but the level to which he specializes as a shooter brings much more value than that &ldquo;shooter&rdquo; label may imply.&nbsp;
Per Stathead, no player has hit more threes since the 2018-19 season than Hield, nailing just shy of a thousand in that span (950) with the next closest player, James Harden, nearly 100 behind (862).&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s an elite shooter off-the-catch and from a standstill, but his shooting variety is what makes him such a remarkable offensive player. An elite combination of movement, flexibility, and footwork open up his arsenal.
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He maintains balance and can start and stop on a dime, which allows him to create the slivers of space necessary to garner clean looks. Basketball Index uses NBA tracking data to contextualize data and create metrics to track overarching aspects of the game. For instance, Buddy Hield is in the fourth percentile of openness rating this season, which combines numerous factors to estimate how open a player is on average when they shoot. In essence, Hield is almost never open, which tracks with the eye test &mdash; defenses swarm him.
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One of my favorite aspects of Hield's game is his utility as a screener. The Sacramento Kings run "Spain" pick-and-roll a great deal, mostly with Hield as the back-screener in the action, flaring up after making contact to fly out for an open shot.&nbsp;
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Hield&rsquo;s proficiency as a movement shooter out of these sets has allowed the Kings to create a sort of gravity well between De&rsquo;Aaron Fox&rsquo;s downhill drive and Hield&rsquo;s shooting threat. It has created constant headaches for defenses for multiple seasons now. I cannot stress enough how rare it is for a player to be able to replicate this kind of action and hit that shot with consistency.
On the subject of the ridiculous number of difficult shots in his diet, he&rsquo;s particularly an artist as a pull-up shooter &mdash; especially on pick-and-roll actions.&nbsp;
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Hield is hitting 35.3% of his 3.7 pull-up three-point attempts per game, well above the league average (~31%). Putting that into context, this is actually the worst he&rsquo;s shot on threes off-the-dribble since his first full year in Sacramento (35.9%).&nbsp;
That prolific ability as an off-dribble shooter makes it nearly impossible to go under on-ball screens involving Hield. He doesn&rsquo;t possess great accuracy or court vision as a passer, but the windows provided to him by his scoring gravity are consistently there, and his playmaking out of the pick-and-roll has blossomed the past few years.
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No, Buddy Hield is not a perfect player, and his shortcomings as an athlete and defender do require gameplanning and proper roster construction to amplify what he does well. However, the right team could get the most out of his skill set moving forward if he is traded.
Which teams around the league should be looking into a deal for Buddy Hield and what would it take for a trade to work?
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Orlando Magic
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/tradenba-snap-1640110737868_lg.png" alt="" width="685" height="289" />
Orlando is currently 10th in three-point attempts but only 26th in three-point percentage &mdash; spacing has been an issue across the majority of the Magic&rsquo;s lineups. Hield would immediately be the best shooting threat on the team, and could be an intriguing off-ball partner to Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner as they continue to grow on-the-ball.
Terrence Ross&rsquo; career-low shooting has played a part in Orlando&rsquo;s spacing issues, and he seems ripe for a new opportunity for a myriad of reasons.
The main purpose of the deal for Sacramento is to add depth via Ross and potentially Michael Carter-Williams (whose timetable for return <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/08/24/magic-michael-carter-williams-to-miss-start-of-season-with-ankle-injury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is still indefinite</a>), while also adding an intriguing young player in Chuma Okeke on the wing. Okeke missed the beginning of the season recovering from injury after a solid close last season, and he has struggled to find his footing offensively. He hasn&rsquo;t looked quite the same post-injury in general, and the budding potential of Franz Wagner &mdash; along with the looming return of Jonathan Isaac to an already loaded frontcourt &mdash; makes it appear that Okeke could be on the outside of the lineup looking in.
I probably wouldn&rsquo;t be ready to move on from Okeke if I was in charge of the Magic's front office but, all things considered, there&rsquo;s sensibility to this deal on both sides &mdash; but it may need evening out in the way of draft capital from Orlando.
Memphis Grizzlies
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/tradenba-snap-1640110776777_lg.png" alt="" width="684" height="390" />
The Grizzlies have been in need of a consolidation trade for a few seasons now, and this is probably not the one! But it's an intriguing look for both sides nonetheless.&nbsp;
Memphis is two years away from new contracts hitting the cap sheet for Ja Morant (presumably) and other members of the core rotation. While Hield isn&rsquo;t the star likely envisioned as the next player to tip the scales in Memphis, he could be someone who does push the needle while smoothing out a jammed rotation. He'd also provide shooting and spacing to a team that&rsquo;s relatively average in that area, and lacks the elite dynamic that few players can add to an offense like Hield.&nbsp;
In a year and a half or two years from now when the Grizz need to re-up, Hield will be on an expiring deal and maybe part of the consolidation trade that does net Memphis a third star. Regardless, he offers a skill set that&rsquo;s intriguing to ponder alongside Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Kyle Anderson&rsquo;s role has decreased in Memphis after starting all of last year, and he would likely slide back into a starting role with Sacramento. His defense, along with his connective passing and positive decision-making on both ends, could do wonders for the Kings. While he is on an expiring deal, perhaps trading for him could give them a better path to re-signing Anderson than would be available if he were on the open market.
Jarrett Culver has looked like an NBA player in his short time in Memphis, which has been awesome to see. Admittedly, that would make me wary of trading him to Sacramento, but in the reality of this trade, the Kings would love to add a young player at a position of need. John Konchar is a solid role player who would likely factor into the back end of the rotation &mdash; that's a spot the Kings need more consistent play from.
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Detroit Pistons
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This is my favorite deal with regards to potential for both sides. Jerami Grant has grown as a player in Detroit, but has been overtaxed in his role. Shams Charania of The Athletic <a href="https://theathletic.com/3011544/2021/12/13/optimism-for-a-kyrie-irving-return-the-latest-on-ben-simmons-trade-talks-and-more-nba-news-and-notes-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently reported</a> that the Pistons are fielding calls for Grant.
I do wonder what it would look like, and particularly if there would be growing pains if Grant tried to return to a reduced role after high-usage play and some success with the Pistons. However, he would fit pretty well on this team. Ideally, both he and Harrison Barnes are fours, but Grant is a better option at the three-spot than anyone the Kings have employed there since&hellip; Rudy Gay? (Bogdan Bogdanovic was a two-guard)
While the Kings would miss Hield&rsquo;s powers as a spacer, Grant can and will shoot, albeit at a lesser level &mdash; but adding size and athleticism on the wing would be a boon for this team.
On the other hand, Hield to Detroit intrigues me a great deal. The Pistons are the worst shooting team in the league, and while part of that is explained by a slow start from pretty much everyone, it&rsquo;s largely held up. Cade Cunningham and Frank Jackson have both shot well over the past month and a half and Saddiq Bey has come on in the past week, but this is just a bad shooting team regardless of shot luck.
Imagining "Spain" actions with Hield, or even Hield as a direct screener for Cade is so enticing. The best way to get the most out of a young player and bolster his development is to surround them with veterans who can maximize their best skill sets, or ease the load they carry. Hield would do wonders for Detroit&rsquo;s offense (though he couldn't possibly fix them), and could be a quality running mate for Cunningham as he grows as an initiator.
None of these deals are perfect, but most trades aren&rsquo;t &mdash; there are some merits for both sides making these moves. While it&rsquo;s unlikely that any of these deals end up ultimately being made if the Kings do finally move Hield, they provide an interesting framework for viewing his fit within some of the organizations that are reportedly active in the trade market. Regardless, Buddy Hield is one of the higher profile players that&rsquo;s been in reported trade talks in the young season, and he could alter a team&rsquo;s identity prior to the trade deadline.

Buddy Hield is on the trade block again. Mark Schindler writes on what he brings and some possible landing spots that make sense.

Examining potential trade destinations for Buddy Hield

Earlier this week, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/celtics-expected-to-listen-to-trade-talks-surrounding-dennis-schrder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania reported</a> that the Boston Celtics are expected to listen to trade discussions surrounding Dennis Schr&ouml;der.
It makes sense. Schr&ouml;der is entering the prime of his career and producing with the Celtics to the tune of 17.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. He also signed a one-year contract in the offseason for just $5.89 million, and logic signals that he's intending to turn that into a much larger payday next summer.&nbsp;
Dealing Schr&ouml;der while his value is high before he could leave next offseason seems like proper asset management for Boston. And though I think Schr&ouml;der provides a unique flavor with his rim pressure and pure speed, I get the reality that, with the Celtics likely not on the path to title contention this season, there's a good chance Schr&ouml;der gets thrown into the trade carousel.&nbsp;
The questions to ask: What teams could use a potential one-season rental, and what would the Celtics want back? To answer these, let's quickly log Schr&ouml;der's primary skills shown this season.
The 28-year-old has shifted between a high-usage bench role and a starter for Boston as the team deals with injuries. Schr&ouml;der can get downhill with impressive burst when he wants to. Per Cleaning the Glass, he's making 64% of his at-rim attempts, in the 78th percentile at his position.
Schr&ouml;der has also canned an impressive 56% of his corner threes and been a better off-ball option than I initially anticipated. He still seems more comfortable on the ball, where he can dictate the pace and facilitate. Schr&ouml;der is hitting 33.6% of his overall threes this season, which is right at his career average. He's a streaky but capable long-range shooter who can also pull up in the mid-range with some success. Ultimately, the speed and finishing ability are his signature skills.
In this situation, Schr&ouml;der is one of the perfect acquisitions for a team needing that last piece to push for a title or get over the hump into the playoffs. But the Celtics are in this weird middle ground; they have plenty of intriguing young players and a first-year head coach, but also plenty of veterans who can support a win-now run... Except they aren't doing enough of the "winning now" part.&nbsp;
What does Boston want back in a trade in general? They could opt to add to their pool of prospects or find more experienced players to fill needs. I truly don't know the best route, so I've chosen a few of each. Below are five trades that make sense for the Celtics, the hypothetic partner and Schr&ouml;der himself.
<a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All are NBA Trade Machine-approved</a>.
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UTAH JAZZ
Celtics receive: Royce O'Neale, Jared Butler
Jazz receive: Dennis Schr&ouml;der
In this scenario, the Celtics return a low-usage 3-and-D player, which fills a shooting need and takes pressure off of Ime Udoka to put too much responsibility on Aaron Nesmith. O'Neale would be an excellent fit in Udoka's switch-heavy defense as a 6-foot-6 wing, and he's currently knocking down over 40% of his three-pointers. Perhaps the Celtics can get an intriguing guard prospect like Butler out of this too since Utah won't be slotting him in the rotation this season.
For the Jazz, it's all about pushing for a title. They're on the cusp, and Schr&ouml;der could benefit from playing next to or behind Donovan Mitchell. He wouldn't need to be a defensive fulcrum, and could slot in as the primary facilitator off the bench. That would make life much easier for a currently struggling Jordan Clarkson.
ATLANTA HAWKS
Celtics receive: Cam Reddish, Gorgui Dieng, 2022 second-round pick
Hawks receive: Dennis Schr&ouml;der, 2022 first-round pick (lottery-protected)
It's pretty ironic that the Hawks' search for a backup point guard could take things back to where they all began with Schr&ouml;der. Under a new regime, maybe it makes sense for Schr&ouml;der to try again. He'd instantly be second on the depth chart behind Trae Young. The Hawks are 24th in rim frequency and 18th in accuracy, so Schr&ouml;der can absolutely help collapse the defense.
It's been reported that the Hawks want to move Reddish in exchange for a first-round pick, and they can do so here. The Celtics can take a swing on a high-upside prospect who is only 22 in Reddish while maintaining a team option for the following season. They also get back Gorgui Dieng, who I've always been a personal fan of, to slot in as a sensible third big man.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
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Celtics receive: Pat Connaughton
Bucks receive: Dennis Schr&ouml;der
The second George Hill era has not been as kind in Milwaukee. Hill, at age-35, is shooting just 32.4% from long range and has missed time due to injuries. With Donte DiVincenzo on his way back, Grayson Allen shooting the lights out and Jordan Nwora waiting for more minutes, Milwaukee has a plethora of sharpshooting guard/wing hybrids to work with. They can give one up in exchange for some added rim pressure off the bench.
Boston takes on Connaughton, who can operate as a mircowave scorer and cutter while fitting better with Marcus Smart should the two share the backcourt. Connaughton also graduated from St. John's Prep in Massachusetts, so you have some nice local ties there. He's making $5.3 million over the next two seasons.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Celtics receive: Garrett Temple, Naji Marshall, 2023 first-round pick (via Lakers)
Pelicans receive: Dennis Schr&ouml;der
The Pelicans are reportedly going to be buyers this trade season, which is... something. But if that's true, Schr&ouml;der is a good bet for them as a team whose guard signings have largely underwhelmed (and who just lost Kira Lewis Jr. for the season due to a torn ACL). Schr&ouml;der could start for this team and be the downhill threat missing from the current rotation.
Naji Marshall still doesn't get nearly enough love from the Pelicans, so he hopefully would in Boston. The Celtics also add a likely late first-rounder in a draft that could be loaded, and acquire a rock-solid veteran in Temple. None of this severely impacts the all-powerful cap flexibility Brad Stevens is likely hoping to preserve.
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INDIANA PACERS
Celtics receive: Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday
Pacers receive: Dennis Schr&ouml;der, Romeo Langford, Robert Williams III, Josh Richardson, 2022 first-round pick (top-10-protected)
Our Nekias Duncan labeled the Celtics as an intriguing fit in his piece on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/exploring-trade-destinations-for-domantas-sabonis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential destinations for Domantas Sabonis</a>. This is my best attempt at formulating a Sabonis trade without including Jaylen Brown. Boston would certainly love this; it gets a third star-caliber player and ball-moving center, plus a low-usage complementary wing I love in Holiday.
It's trickier to sell this for the Pacers. Part of the appeal is flipping Schr&ouml;der or Richardson for more prospect pieces. But neither of them comes with significant long-term cap hits, which is a plus. Should Indiana opt for the competitive pseudo-rebuild, both veterans are at least capable rotation pieces.
Romeo Langford is an awesome young player and an Indiana native, and Robert Williams (note: he cannot be traded until after Jan. 30) is another awesome young player on a steal of a contract. Maybe some additional draft capital gets this done.

With the Celtics reportedly expected to field offers for Dennis Schröder, where could the speedy point guard end up?

Examining potential trade destinations for Dennis Schröder

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-suns-shining-during-winning-streak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. 
The Warriors are still sitting atop our updated power rankings, but the red-hot Suns are coming for the No. 1 spot!
1. Golden State Warriors (15-2) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
How special has Steph Curry's start to this season been, you ask? Consider this: During the 1985-86 season, Larry Bird led the NBA in made three-pointers, knocking down 82 triples that year. Curry made 85 three-pointers over the first 15 games of this 2021-22 campaign. And, even when he has an off night (as he did Sunday, scoring just 12 points), the Warriors still spanked the Raptors behind 33 points from Jordan Poole and 32 points from Andrew Wiggins. Oh, and if that already wasn't enough offensive firepower, we learned last week that Klay Thompson has been cleared for full practices and is "<a href="https://theathletic.com/news/warriors-klay-thompson-cleared-to-practice-fully-could-return-within-week-of-christmas-sources/iEKeYCOtl4px/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trending toward</a>" a return the week before Christmas.
2. Phoenix Suns (14-3) 🔼 Last Week: 3 
The Suns knocked off the Spurs on Monday night to notch their 13th consecutive victory. That's tied for the third-longest winning streak in Suns history. The all-time franchise record for Phoenix is 17 straight victories, which they accomplished during the 2006-07 season.&nbsp;
3. Brooklyn Nets (13-5) 🔽 Last Week: 2
Kevin Durant returned to action Monday night after missing one game with a sprained right shoulder, and he scored 27 points to help lead the Nets to a victory over Cleveland. Brooklyn also got an excellent lift from LaMarcus Aldridge (21 points and 11 rebounds off the bench) and first-round pick Cam Thomas, who scored a career-high 11 points vs. the Cavs.&nbsp;
4. Miami Heat (11-6) 🔼 Last Week: 6
The Heat have won 4 of their last 5 games, and have been efficient all season on both ends of the floor. They rank in the top-five in both Offensive Rating (scoring 111.7 points per 100 possessions) and Defensive Rating (allowing less than 105 points per 100 possessions).
5. Milwaukee Bucks (10-8)&nbsp;🔼 Last Week: 13 
The Bucks whooped the Orlando Magic on Monday night, entering halftime with a monstrous 77-36 advantage, the largest halftime lead in franchise history. The Bucks have won four in a row and remain undefeated this season (6-0) when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are all healthy and active.&nbsp;
6. Chicago Bulls (12-6) 🔽&nbsp;Last Week: 4
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have carried the Bulls offensively this season. They both scored at least 25 points 11 times over the first 15 games of 2021-22. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, DeRozan and LaVine are the fastest pair of teammates to record 10 or more 25-point games since Elgin Baylor and Jerry West did so in 11 games for the LA Lakers back in 1962-63.
7. Washington Wizards (11-6) 🔽 Last Week: 5
Washington is struggling of late, having lost 3 of its last 4 games. However, the Wizards will get some reinforcements up front in the near future, as both Rui Hachimura (personal) and Davis Bertans (left ankle sprain) were assigned to the team's G League affiliate Capital City Go-Go on Monday. Hachimura, who missed training camp and has been sidelined for the Wizards' first 17 games for unknown personal reasons, has been doing individual work at the Wizards' practice facility since early October and is inching closer to a return. (For what it's worth, I was tempted to knock the Wiz a bit further down the rankings due solely to the oversized sweater Kyle Kuzma wore to Monday's game, but decided to hold off.)
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When you're off to one of the best starts in franchise history, you get to wear whatever you want😂<a href="https://twitter.com/kylekuzma?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kylekuzma</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCAboveAll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCAboveAll</a> <a href="https://t.co/2drVu8PpGg">pic.twitter.com/2drVu8PpGg</a>
&mdash; NBC Sports Washington (@NBCSWashington) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWashington/status/1462916705387175947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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8. Utah Jazz (11-6) 🔼 Last Week: 9
Utah had won three in a row before blowing a lead in the closing seconds to the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night. Fortunately for the Jazz, they have three winnable games this week, as they play the Thunder on Wednesday and host the Pelicans for a pair of games this weekend.&nbsp;
9. Charlotte Hornets (11-8) 🔼 Last Week: 16
The Hornets have won 6 of their last 7 contests, thanks largely to the production from sophomore star LaMelo Ball. Over the team's past eight games, Ball is averaging a whopping 19.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.6 made three-pointers.&nbsp;
10. Los Angeles Clippers (10-7) 🔼 Last Week: 12 
With Kawhi Leonard (ACL surgery) out indefinitely, Marcus Morris Sr. sidelined by a knee issue of his own and Nicolas Batum placed into health and safety protocols for at least 10 days, Paul George has put the Clippers on his back this season. He's averaging 26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.1 made triples. He's currently on pace to join James Harden (2016-17) as just the second player in NBA history to average more than 26 points, 7 boards, 5 dimes and 3 treys per game over an entire season.&nbsp;
11. Boston Celtics (10-8) 🔼 Last Week: 17
It appeared the Celtics were teetering and in some trouble early in the season, but Boston has won 8 of their last 11 and is currently riding a three-game win streak. Jayson Tatum has scored at least 30 points in each of his last four games, and is averaging 33.5 points, 8.5 boards, 3.8 assists and 4.0 made treys during this four-game span. However, Boston is about to enter a brutal stretch. After hosting the division-leading Nets on Wednesday, the C's play 6 of their next 7 games on the road.&nbsp;
12. Philadelphia 76ers (10-8) 🔽 Last Week: 12
Despite being forced to play without Joel Embiid (Health and safety protocols), Ben Simmons (personal), Tobias Harris (left hip) and Seth Curry (back tightness), the Sixers were still able to beat the Kings Monday night in Sacramento. Tyrese Maxey has been a beast for Philly of late, averaging 25.4 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 three-pointers over his last seven games, while shooting a blistering 53.2% from the floor, 41.9% from downtown and 93.9% from the free-throw stripe.
13. Dallas Mavericks (9-7) 🔽 Last Week: 7
Luka Doncic has missed three straight games because of a sprained left knee and ankle, but the Mavs are hoping he'll be able to return to action Tuesday vs. the Clippers. Encouragingly, Kristaps Porzingis has been playing much better. Over his last five games, KP is averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 2.5 made treys while slashing 52/40/92%
14. Denver Nuggets (9-8) 🔽 Last Week: 8
The Nuggets have lost four straight games, with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic missing each of the last two contests due to a sprained right wrist. Worse yet, Mike Singer of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/michael-porter-jrs-season-in-jeopardy-due-to-potential-nerve-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denver Post reported</a> on Monday that Michael Porter Jr. is dealing with a nerve issue that could potentially require another back surgery, which would sideline him for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-9) 🔽 Last Week: 11
After a terrific start to the season, the Cavs have now lost four straight games. And things won't get any easier this week, as they host the scorching-hot Suns on Wednesday night and then embark on a three-game road trip next week against three teams with winning records (Heat, Wizards and Mavs).&nbsp;
16. Memphis Grizzlies (9-8) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The Grizzlies notched one of their most impressive victories of the season Monday night by beating the Jazz in Utah. Desmond Bane poured in a career-high 28 points vs. the Jazz to go with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 triples, while Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 26 points, including a game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds. On the season, Memphis is 7-2 when JJJ scores more than 13 points; conversely, the Grizz are just 1-5 when Jackson scored 12 points or less.&nbsp;
17. Portland Trail Blazers (9-8) 🔼 Last Week: 19
The Blazers have won 4 of their last 5 games, including three consecutive victories at home last week. After a slow start, Damian Lillard is heating up. Just named as the Western Conference Player of the Week, Dame is averaging 28.3 points and 8.3 assists while shooting over 39% from downtown during this three-game stretch. He has made all 22 of the free throws he's attempted.
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Damian Lillard is named Western Conference Player of the Week! 28.3 PPG 8.3 APG 2.7 RPG 1.7 BPG 48.4 FPPG <a href="https://t.co/uNZ3ytGfbz">pic.twitter.com/uNZ3ytGfbz</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1462891134162808835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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18. Los Angeles Lakers (9-9) 🔽 Last Week: 15
The Lakers have lost 3 of 4, and will have to play without LeBron James on Tuesday night vs. the New York Knicks after he was suspended for one game due to hitting Isaiah Stewart in the face last Sunday.
19. Atlanta Hawks (9-9) 🔼 Last Week: 21
It turns out all the Hawks needed to get healthy was some home cooking. Atlanta capped a perfect five-game homestand with their fifth straight victory Monday over OKC. On the season, the Hawks are 8-1 at home and just 1-8 on the road.&nbsp;
20. New York Knicks (9-8) 🔽 Last Week: 14
After a 5-1 start, the Knicks are just one game above .500, and RJ Barrett's nasty slump is a primary reason. Over the Knicks' last eight games, Barrett is attempting more than 13 field-goal attempts per contest, but is shooting a paltry 28% from the floor and 17.5% from three-point territory. Of the 215 players with more than 50 field-goal attempts over their team's last 10 games, Barrett is the only player in the league shooting below 32% from the floor and below 21% from downtown.
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-9) 🔼&nbsp;Last Week: 25
At this time last week, the Wolves were languishing with a 4-9 record. However, Minnesota has reeled off four straight wins. Unsurprisingly, Karl-Anthony Towns has led the way. Over his last four games, KAT is averaging 26.2 points (on 55.4% shooting), 9.2 boards and 3.0 dimes.&nbsp;
22. Indiana Pacers (8-11) &harr;️ Last Week: 22
By following up a blowout victory over the Pels this weekend with another lopsided win over Chicago Monday night, it looks like the Pacers are starting to get on track. "It feels like we're getting our footing," Pacers coach <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360081" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rick Carlisle said</a> after beating the Bulls. "We're a team that's not going to get any free lunch from anybody. We've got to embrace that fact, and it's got to be something that brings us closer and closer together."
23. Toronto Raptors (8-10) 🔽 Last Week: 20
The Raps are just 2-7 in their last nine games, due in large part to their surprisingly sieve-like defense. Toronto is allowing more than 116 points per 100 possessions during this nine-game stretch. To put that in context, no other team in the NBA is giving up more than 114.7 points per 100 possessions.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (6-12) 🔽 Last Week: 23
The Kings fired head coach Luke Walton on Sunday. Alvin Gentry, who most recently served as head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans, has stepped in as the interim coach. The Sixers spoiled Gentry's debut Monday night. Interestingly, Marvin Bagley III has logged double-digit minutes in 4 of the Kings past 5 games.&nbsp;
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-11) 🔼 Last Week: 26
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first game of the season Monday night due to a sprained right ankle. OKC ended up losing in Atlanta, but rookie Josh Giddey was impressive, stepping in for SGA as the team's primary playmaker, as he nearly triple-doubled; Giddey finished with 15 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks.
26. San Antonio Spurs (4-12) 🔽 Last Week: 24
The Spurs, who have lost five straight, are just 2-8 over their last 10, and have lost 12 of their first 16 games in a season for just the second time in franchise history. One bright spot for San Antonio has been Dejounte Murray, who recorded his third triple-double of the season Monday night, tallying 18 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals with just one turnover in a close loss to the Suns.
27. New Orleans Pelicans (3-16) 🔼 Last Week: 28
The Pels are already 13 games under .500 and about to enter a tough stretch in their schedule. They host the Wizards on Wednesday, and they play a back-to-back in Utah on Friday and Saturday before heading to Los Angeles. Hopefully, we get some good news about Zion Williamson (right foot surgery) sooner rather than later.&nbsp;
28. Detroit Pistons (4-12) 🔼&nbsp;Last Week: 29
The Pistons blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead to the Lakers on Sunday night. Still, Detroit fans did get to enjoy a breakout performance from No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham, who racked up 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to become the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cade-cunningham-becomes-youngest-piston-to-record-triple-double" target="_blank" rel="noopener">youngest player in Pistons franchise history to record a triple-double</a>.
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5 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pistons?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pistons</a> scored in double-digits in last night's home game against the Lakers. <a href="https://twitter.com/JeramiGrant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeramiGrant</a> recorded his 2nd 30+ performance of the season &amp; a season-high 5 from beyond the arc. <a href="https://twitter.com/CadeCunningham_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CadeCunningham_</a> achieved his 1st triple-double in his 11th career game (13 PTS, 12 REB, 10 AST). <a href="https://t.co/zNNBpGm5zt">pic.twitter.com/zNNBpGm5zt</a>
&mdash; Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) <a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1462805678007930884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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29. Orlando Magic (4-14) 🔽 Last Week: 27
After an impressive victory over the Knicks at MSG last Wednesday, the Magic lost three straight games to Eastern Conference powerhouses Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Cole Anthony, who is enjoying a breakout season and is the team's leading scorer, has missed two straight games. Unfortunately, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said there is "no timetable as of right now" regarding Antony's return to action. "We're just going to keep seeing how he progresses as he goes through rehab," Mosley said Monday.
30. Houston Rockets (1-16) &harr;️ Last Week: 30
The Rockets are reeling, having lost 15 straight games. Since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, the only longer losing streak in the NBA belongs to... last season's Houston squad, which lost 20 consecutive contests.&nbsp;

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Bucks jump into top-5, Suns still streaking

WASHINGTON (AP) — Moments after being serenaded with chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” at the free throw line, fan favorite Montrezl Harrell drew a foul on the other end of the court and pounded his chest as the home crowd roared in approval.
It took a big comeback, but Washington is off to the franchise's best start in nearly half a century.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, and the Wizards erased a 19-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 105-100 Monday night for their fifth consecutive victory. At 10-3, it’s their best start since the Bullets opened the 1974-75 season 11-2.
“We just woke up — I think we flipped a switch,” said forward Deni Avdija, who scored 11 and contained New Orleans' Brandon Ingram in the fourth quarter. “When we play together and we have that right energy, it’s very hard to stop us."
The Wizards have done this with and without All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who missed a second consecutive game mourning the death of his grandmother. They're 3-0 with Beal out last season after going 2-10 in such games last season.
“We never want to be without Brad,” said first-year coach Wes Unseld Jr., who expects Beal back this week. “No one wants to be without their best player. But the fact that we can withstand some stretches is great.”
Aaron Holiday, who took Beal's spot in the starting lineup, scored 12 points. Dinwiddie made his first three 3-point attempts in the third quarter to start the climb back from down 60-41, cutting the Pelicans' lead to five before a series of fouls and missed free throws temporarily stalled the comeback bid.
Trailing by seven entering the fourth quarter, it took until Kyle Kuzma's 3 with 5:18 left for the Wizards to pull even at 92 for the first tie since 33-all. Avdija's fast-break layup put Washington up with under four minutes left, and the second-year pro from Israel grabbed a defensive rebound on the next Pelicans possession to help ensure Washington wouldn't fall behind again.
"They just turned it up," New Orleans coach Willie Green said.
The Wizards pulled away on jumpers by Avdija and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, while the Pelicans missed 11 consecutive attempts from the field to let the game slip away.
“We shot 34 free throws, so we tried to put our heads down and be aggressive," Green said. "We just couldn't sustain it.”
New Orleans lost for the 13th time in 15 games this season, all without Zion Williamson because of a broken right foot. Ingram led all scorers with 31 points in his second game back from a hip injury, and Jonas Valanciunas added 16.
RUI EVENTUALLY
The Wizards have been playing without Rui Hachimura because the forward was granted a leave of absence for personal reasons. They know they'll need to integrate him into the rotation at some point but don't yet know what that looks like or when it will happen.
“It’s going to be a challenge," Unseld said. “Obviously we’re playing pretty well. Sometimes as coaches we overthink it, and you’re worried about upsetting the balance. There’s another part of me that says, ‘You know what, just rip the band aid off and go for it, see how it looks.’"
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Josh Hart, who Green has praised for becoming a better leader, had 13 points and 12 rebounds. ... Former Wizards guard Garrett Temple scored eight points. ... Ingram had missed seven consecutive games before coming back Saturday against Memphis. ... Devonte Graham finished with 14 points.
Wizards: Held an opponent at 100 or fewer points for the sixth time in 13 games. They only did that five times last season. ... Caldwell-Pope finished with 18 points and hit four 3s. ... Dinwiddie also had nine assists. ... Harrell has scored in double figures in every game. ... Forward Davis Bertans, who has been out with a sprained left ankle, continues to practice and could play next week, according to Unseld.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Wrap up their two-game road trip at the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. 
Wizards: Visit the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Wizards continue to win, and are off to their best start since the 74-75 season after beating the Pelicans, 105-100.

Wizards stay hot, erase 19-point deficit to beat Pelicans

The NBA season is an arduous marathon that stretches out over 82 games and more than six months. Thus, it's unwise to put too much stock into one of the first ten contests of the year.
Nonetheless, some games end up meaning more than others, even if they take place in early November. Friday night's matchup with the defending champs in Milwaukee felt like such a game for the Knicks.&nbsp;
New York entered the evening riding a two-game losing streak after being badly beaten by the Pacers and Raptors earlier in the week. Prior to taking on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the mighty Bucks, coach Tom Thibodeau discussed how important it was for New York to get off to a solid start. However, Milwaukee jumped out to a massive lead early on, knocking down uncontested three-pointers from all over the court. Ten minutes into the game, Bucks' shooting guard Grayson Allen (14 points) had outscored the Knicks (13 points) by himself. When the first quarter ended, the Knicks slinked back to their bench with their shoulders slumped, down 21 points (38-17).
However, that's when Derrick Rose, playing just an hour away from his hometown of Chicago, sparked a furious comeback. On the Bucks' first offensive possession of the second quarter, Rose, who was extremely active on the defensive end all night, stole the ball from Pat Connaughton. Rose floated in a bucket from five feet two minutes later, followed by another runner in the paint and a driving layup. On the next possession, the point guard found Mitchell Robinson underneath for a dunk. The Knicks had life. They would slice the lead down to six near the end of the first half.&nbsp;
Feeding off Rose's energy on both sides of the ball, along with the boost provided by Julius Randle playing like the All-NBA version of himself, the Knicks continued to chip away at the Bucks' advantage until they seized the lead with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter.&nbsp;
Once New York grabbed the lead, they never looked back. With three minutes left in the contest, the Knicks had built a 20-point lead of their own. The key to their second-half domination was ratcheting up their defensive intensity. In the first quarter, the Knicks allowed 38 points, as they watched the Bucks shoot 13-of-26 from the floor. In contrast, in the third and fourth quarters combined, the Knicks allowed just 35 points, limiting the Bucks to 11-of-33 shooting.&nbsp;
It marked the first time in franchise history that the Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to record a double-digit victory since the NBA began tracking play-by-play in boxscores during the 1997-98 season.
Again, you don't want to place too much importance on a regular-season game played less than a week after Halloween, but there are certain inflection points in every NBA season.
At the end of the first quarter Friday night, the Knicks had been outscored by a whopping 49 points over their previous seven quarters, dating back to the start of the second half vs. Toronto. The tension was palpable among the always calm contingent of fans on #KnicksTwitter, with folks calling for Julius Randle to be shipped out of town and pleading for Thibs to make wholesale rotation changes.
By the end of the evening, the temperature had been turned down considerably. Speaking with reporters afterward, you could sense the pride and renewed confidence among many of the players.
"It says a lot about the character of our team," said Julius Randle, who outplayed Giannis and stuffed the stat sheet with 32 points (11-of-22 FGs), 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and three made three-pointers. "NBA games are long. What's special about our team is we fight. We have a lot of high-character guys."
Ask coaches and players, and they'll tell you the same: Good, contending NBA teams avoid lengthy losing streaks. That's what was at stake Friday night against the Bucks. (As an aside, one of the most remarkable stats in recent NBA history was during the decade of the 1990s, Michael Jordan's Bulls - excluding his retirement and half-season comeback - never lost three games in a row. Yes, in over 626 combined regular-season and playoff games, Chicago never lost three consecutive contests with MJ in uniform.)
"We needed that one," said RJ Barrett. "We found our defense. We kept going, kept pushing."&nbsp;
It will be interesting to see if the Knicks can build some positive momentum from this statement victory. They have a winnable game against the Cavs at home on Sunday before traveling to Philadelphia on Monday to take on the Sixers, who boast a conference-best 7-2 record. New York then hosts the Bucks on Wednesday, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and his troops undoubtedly looking for revenge.
Knicks notes:
- Incredibly, in the 30 minutes Derrick Rose was on the floor Friday night, the Knicks outscored the Bucks by 31 points.
- On the season, Rose has posted an extraordinary cumulative plus/minus of +95 in his 198 minutes. That's the highest net rating in the NBA this season. Utah's Donovan Mitchell is the only other player in the league with a +/- higher than +79. &nbsp;
- Barrett once again reached the 20-point plateau for New York. Over his last four games, Barrett is averaging 26.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.8 made treys, while shooting a scorching 51.4% from the floor and 51.7% from downtown.&nbsp;
- Barrett has tallied at least 20 points, five boards and multiple three-pointers in each of the Knicks' previous four games. At just 21 years of age, he's the youngest player in Knicks franchise history with such a streak.&nbsp;
- Reminder: The following players were named to the 2020 All-Rookie team ahead of Barrett: Brandon Clarke (Grizzlies), Kendrick Nunn (Heat), Eric Paschall (Warriors), Terence Davis (Raptors), PJ Washington (Hornets) and Rui Hachimura (Wizards).

Tommy Beer describes how last night's comeback win against the Bucks could be an inflection point for the Knicks.

Is Friday's big win vs. the Bucks an inflection point for the Knicks?

The New Orleans Pelicans believe that Jonas Valanciunas will play a crucial role for their team going forward, as he can help unlock Zion Williamson's game by making an impact inside (as a rebounder and shot-blocker) and out (as a three-point shooter who provides spacing). That's why the Pelicans agreed to lock up Valanciunas for two additional years via a $30.1 million extension earlier this week, ensuring that the 29-year-old will remain with New Orleans throughout his prime.
It isn&rsquo;t easy to find a center who can do everything the Pelicans are asking. After all, Valanciunas was the only player in the NBA to average at least 12.0 rebounds per game while shooting 35.0% from three-point range last year, which is why the Pelicans went out and traded for him this offseason.
New Orleans acquired the 29-year-old from the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a three-team deal where the Pels traded away Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe.
Valanciunas was dealt after a career-year in which he averaged 17.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 59.2% from the field, 36.8% from three and 77.3% from the free-throw line. His 12.5 rebounds ranked third-best in the NBA, and his average of 4.1 offensive rebounds per game was second-best in the league. He posted a career-high 49 double-doubles, and he grabbed his 5,000th career rebound on Dec. 30.&nbsp;
Now, the Pelicans are hoping he can provide the same kind of versatility and production over the next three years.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He can do a little bit of everything &mdash; post up, early entry, set great screens, great roller, he can shoot the ball,&rdquo; Kira Lewis Jr. said of Valanciunas. &ldquo;He really doesn't have any holes as far as a big man, so he's a big piece to our team&rsquo;s success, and I'm looking forward to how he keeps playing down the season."
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The big man won over head coach Willie Green with his effort and competitiveness during the preseason when he refused to take any plays off. He even got thrown out of the Pelicans&rsquo; exhibition against the Orlando Magic after picking up a pair of technicals.
&ldquo;He's a competitor,&rdquo; Coach Green said. &ldquo;Jonas, he gets in there and mixes it up. Look, he got two technicals in preseason! He got kicked out! I haven't seen that before. I'm not paying his fine, but I don't mind the fact that he's trying to set the tone."
Green is excited to have Valanciunas for the next three years, and he pointed out that JV can also provide veteran leadership (which is something New Orleans lacked last season). The 10-year vet made a similar impact last season in Memphis, where he helped the young Grizzlies win 38 games and make the playoffs.
&ldquo;Jonas brings a veteran presence to our team,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;He can post, he can shoot the ball from outside. More than that, he's a great guy to have around. He's done it for a number of years now and we need his know-how.&rdquo;
The Pelicans have a number of new faces including Valanciunas, Devonte&rsquo; Graham, Trey Murphy III, Tomas Satoransky and Garrett Temple among others. The team will need to develop chemistry as the year goes on &mdash; and Zion is currently out for a bit after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot &mdash; but there&rsquo;s no question that the Pelicans have a high ceiling once they get to full strength. 
&ldquo;There's a lot of new guys, [and] we all are trying to learn each other,&rdquo; Naji Marshall said. &ldquo;Just like Coach Green is trying to learn us, we're trying to learn him, so it's a chemistry thing. As the season goes on, we'll get better... It's all great vibes on and off the court. We just have to learn each other &mdash; how we like the ball, how we move and stuff, just some small chemistry things, easy fixes that come with time and reps."
New Orleans is hoping to end its three-year postseason drought and become a perennial playoff team, with Valanciunas playing a huge role on and off the court.

The Pelicans brought in Jonas Valanciunas for many reasons, but his veteran mentorship and competitive attitude stand out.

Pelicans made right decision to extend Jonas Valanciunas

With NBA training camps open for business, teams are getting back in the swing of things. We are just two days away from the first preseason game between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers (Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET), meaning the 2021-22 campaign is right around the corner.
While these two teams are commanding the spotlight more than any other squads around the league, there are plenty of franchises that would love to knock them right off their pedestal, or at least have some of that light shone on them.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Who is your favorite dark-horse team entering the 2021-22 season? 
Alex Kennedy: The Washington Wizards are my dark-horse team because I really liked their offseason moves. They acquired Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Corey Kispert, Aaron Holiday and Isaiah Todd among others. Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal should form a terrific one-two punch in the backcourt, and it&rsquo;s very possible that Deni Avdija (20 years old), Rui Hachimura (23), Daniel Gafford (23) and Thomas Bryant (24) will make significant strides as they take the next step in their development. Suddenly, Washington has some nice depth and a very solid supporting cast around Beal. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they exceed expectations.
Nekias Duncan: Do the Milwaukee Bucks count here? It&rsquo;s hard to think of a title-winning team that&rsquo;s been disregarded quite like this one. I get the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; optimism, I do, but the Bucks feel pretty slept on at large.&nbsp;
Ethan Fuller: The Toronto Raptors are going to massively exceed expectations after they faced arguably the most challenging circumstances of any team in 2020-21. They're back in Toronto with a team that screams positive regression. Pascal Siakam is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-player-will-have-a-major-bounceback-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a prime bounce-back candidate</a>, Fred VanVleet continues to fly under the radar and the young core might be one of the more underrated groups in the NBA. I'm excited to see guys like OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn take their next steps.
Spencer Davies: I can't just land on one in particular. There's so much love (and rightfully so) for the Lakers and Nets that the possibility of any other teams making it to the NBA Finals would be a shock to many. In the Eastern Conference, watch out for the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. It seems that the Heat like to sneak up on people when they least expect it, and uh, that shouldn't be the case considering they were in the Finals at this time one year ago in the NBA Bubble. Kyle Lowry's going to prove to be a tremendous pickup if he can stay healthy, and Jimmy Butler seems to perform at his best when he's not being paid attention to. There's also that Bam Adebayo guy, who's somehow a Swiss Army knife with room for growth. As for the Celtics, a new head coach has the potential to inject a sense of freshness into the air. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have already been unleashed, but Ime Udoka may just be the one to kick the door open further. Plus, those contract worries over the last couple of seasons have been put to rest with Marcus Smart. Oh, and Al Horford's back with gang green, too &mdash; never a bad thing to see a familiar face.
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Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Denver Nuggets. It&rsquo;s tough to pick a dark horse from the Western Conference because there are a ton of teams out there that are worthy of the respect of being called a credible contender... But I think most people are looking at the Lakers, Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns as the teams to beat. Denver often gets left out of the conversation, especially since Jamal Murray is still on the shelf. Nonetheless, I like them. If Murray can return to form and Michael Porter Jr. continues to grow, they&rsquo;ll be formidable.
Jackson Frank: Before the injury bug caught them in recent weeks, I would&rsquo;ve loved to slot the Indiana Pacers here, but my pick is the New Orleans Pelicans. I&rsquo;m not sure this means much more than competing for a low playoff seed &mdash; still an improvement, comparatively &mdash; but they seem a bit discounted among preseason projections. The acquisitions of Devonte&rsquo; Graham and Jonas Valanciunas should really help this team approach elite offense territory. Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoransky are steady veterans who can contribute in the rotation. The Pelicans house a bevy of young dudes, and while it&rsquo;s unlikely all of them will experience substantial strides, banking on a few of them to do so is prudent. Jaxson Hayes had an encouraging second half of 2020-21. Nickeil Alexander-Walker fared quite well as a shooter and complementary handler in his 19 starts. Naji Marshall brings versatile defense, playmaking and slashing. Zion Williamson&rsquo;s exploits speak for themselves. Brandon Ingram is a very good second scorer. To cap it off, new head coach Willie Green is an excellent offensive mind, and should serve as a general upgrade over Stan Van Gundy&rsquo;s struggles on the sidelines. I like the Pelicans to take a notable step forward and compete for a playoff spot &mdash; or a little better.
Drew Maresca: What exactly constitutes a dark-horse team? Technically, everyone is a dark-horse team except for the Lakers and Nets. As it relates to the question though, I really like the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic is going to pick up right where he left off, Michael Porter Jr. should immediately begin earning the five-year, $207 million extension he just signed and Aaron Gordon is the same cat he&rsquo;s been for the past few seasons. If Jamal Murray can return at nearly full strength at any point this season, the Nuggets are going to be scary.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Clippers. With Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, the Clippers are no longer considered a championship contender for the upcoming season. However, the Clippers are bringing back their core players and have plenty of wing depth to keep the ship level during the season. With Leonard sidelined, I predict Paul George will have a big season, while other players like Marcus Morris, Terance Mann and Justise Winslow could help fill the void. If Leonard can return in time for the postseason, the Clippers may have a shot at advancing deep into the postseason. &nbsp;
Chris Sheridan: The Charlotte Hornets. If they can get a full healthy season from Gordon Hayward, that will be the key. I love the pickup of Mason Plumlee at center, and we all learned last season what LaMelo Ball can do. They play way under the radar because of their market size.
Alexander Cohen: My favorite dark-horse (and also NBA League Pass) team is easily the Pelicans. David Griffin has received a great deal of mostly-warranted slack for his offseason due to asset management, but I think New Orleans has a good team here. While I&rsquo;m not a fan of letting Lonzo Ball walk, moving on from Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe should both be additions by subtraction. Bringing on Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham &mdash; two dark horses in their own right as top players on their former teams despite LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant being understandably more publicized &mdash; should also be instrumental additions. They provide scoring presences the Pelicans lacked last season, with Graham and Valanciunas being worlds more aggressive than Ball and Adams. The two-man combo of Willy Hernangomez &mdash; who has a similar skill set to Valanciunas &mdash; and Zion Williamson had a staggering net rating of plus-11.9 last season. Factor in those changes with the anticipated improvement of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes and Kira Lewis, and the Pelicans should be a thrilling team this year with a healthy Williamson.

Who is your dark-horse team to watch entering the 2021-22 NBA season? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.