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76ers

Nekias Duncan breaks down the 2022 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Warriors from a multitude of angles.

2022 NBA Finals Scouting Report: How the Celtics and Warriors match up

Here&rsquo;s a bit of trivia for you: Which rookie from this <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-they-are-all-special-a-guide-to-the-best-rookies-of-the-2021-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stacked</a> 2021 NBA Draft class has played the most minutes in the Conference Finals?
Considering most of the top rookies didn't advance very far, surely the answer has to be the Golden State Warriors' heralded No. 7 overall pick, Jonathan Kuminga &mdash; the same player who earlier this postseason was <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/warriors-jonathan-kuminga-vows-learn-despite-historic-nba-playoff-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the youngest rookie to start a playoff game since 1971</a>, right?&nbsp;
Wrong!
The answer, with an impactful 64 minutes played over the course of five games, is none other than Golden State&rsquo;s other rookie: the No. 14 overall pick Moses Moody.
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Our story begins in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, where a 104-76 score prompted both the Golden State and Dallas coaches to empty their benches for the home stretch of the blowout series opener.
In response, Reggie Miller on the call proclaimed: &ldquo;I have a sneaky feeling. I think these minutes are going to be important for [Nemanja] Bjelica and Kuminga because, at some point, those two guys are going to have to play significant minutes in this series.&rdquo;
Unbeknownst to him, he made a glaring omission in his statement; the player who really needed these repetitions was Moody. And during that seemingly meaningless stretch, Moody flashed two features that would prove useful to Golden State later in the series &mdash; his play-finishing and defensive versatility.
Play-Finishing&nbsp;
Nowadays, NBA offenses are so prolific that even the most venerable defenses can&rsquo;t eliminate every piece on the board. This leads to teams having to strategically <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nba-playoffs-and-the-art-of-concessions-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concede</a> certain shots in order to hone-in on the player(s) they deem the most dangerous (see the Milwaukee Bucks' defense vs. the Boston Celtics in Round 2).
When you&rsquo;re going up against the Warriors, the Splash Trio receives the highest priority, and these standards lead to open looks for the group&rsquo;s least esoteric marksman.
As of this moment, Moody falls under this designation. And to his credit, he did an excellent job of burning the Mavericks for their negligence in defending him, draining 50% of his triples (albeit in a miniature sample size).
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Cutting and movement rule the day in Golden State's perpetual motion offensive system. Moody got the memo, and he did a great job of knowing when it was appropriate to shag back and maintain his spacing on the perimeter, and when it was time to fill the lane and shake the Golden Gate bridge with a <a href="https://streamable.com/k3xuy0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seismic eruption</a> at the rim.
Defensive Versatility&nbsp;
As Seth Partnow noted in his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/seth-partnow-qa-a-sitdown-with-the-author-of-the-midrange-theory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent book</a>, "The Midrange Theory," versatility is the key to playoff success &mdash; the ol' Carlos Boozer and Robert Horry paradigm.
This maxim reigns especially true in defense, where we&rsquo;ve already seen multiple playoff runs abbreviated due to a lack of scheme versatility. (I hope the folks in Utah are doing well on this fine Friday afternoon.)
Moody was far from the anchor out there, but the Warriors&rsquo; defense stayed afloat during his minutes, partially because of his ability to wear multiple hats on that end of the floor.
We&rsquo;ll start with his off-ball work and this snag-tastic reception:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Moses Moody legit Odell Beckham-ed this ball. <a href="https://t.co/tC54YzUzhG">pic.twitter.com/tC54YzUzhG</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1530189122886897664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Along with that reception, Moody deflected two additional passes in that very same quarter, prompting Warriors writer Marcus Thompson to cite Moody&rsquo;s contributions as an <a href="https://theathletic.com/3332392/2022/05/25/warriors-mavericks-young-game-4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">integral part of the team&rsquo;s Game 4 comeback</a>.
Despite only authoring 2 steals the entire series, spurts like the one he demonstrated in Game 4 leave room for potential growth into a future defensive playmaker.
Moody also did surprisingly well navigating the <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/2-9-6fb93080023c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.9 spot</a> as a low-man. He was well attuned to his positioning, consistently swaying in and out of the paint to avoid garnering a three-second call, while also timing his re-entries in a manner that enabled him to wall off forays at the rim when the moment presented itself.&nbsp;
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Lastly, Moody even showed some chops as a man defender. On <a href="https://streamable.com/b6cjoa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this play</a>, he manages to stay attached to Jalen Brunson amid Jordan Poole&rsquo;s hedge endeavor, and then mirrors his movements before hindering his attempt at the rim.
Moody&rsquo;s point-of-attack prowess is more apparent when you understand the amount of leeway he was granted within the Warriors&rsquo; scheme. In my <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/05/western-conference-finals-can-the-golden-state-warriors-continue-to-slow-luka-doncic-and-the-dallas-mavericks/">recent article</a> on this series, I looked into how Golden State has specific principles for Luka Doncic ball screens. Well, Moody was one of the few players given the green light to switch onto him immediately.
He was also empowered by Steve Kerr to captain the ship of the Warriors' revered Box-and-1 alignment a few times during the third quarter of Game 3. And Moody even got the chance to moonlight as the team&rsquo;s defensive coordinator, <a href="https://streamable.com/a8geaq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling for a zone formation on defense</a> at one point in Game 4. (For the Warriors, you can tell it's a zone when the signal-caller executes a <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2022/5/21/23133463/warriors-mavericks-game-2-steph-curry-kevon-looney-luka-doncic-film-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised double fist</a>).
To conclude our tale, let&rsquo;s take a gander at Moody&rsquo;s best two-way sequence of the series, where he blocks Doncic and then proceeds to commandeer free-throw attempts at the other end of the floor. A perfect encapsulation of his imprint on this series.
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Nice.
In a class as talent-laden and promising as the 2021 draft pool, who would have guessed that the player picked last in the lottery would be the last rookie standing.
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Mat Issa gives props to Moses Moody for his finishing and defensive contributions to the Warriors when his number was called upon.

Moses Moody: The last rookie standing in the 2022 NBA Playoffs

The Phoenix Suns gave Evan Sidery a behind-the-scenes look at the their organization and what it takes to run an NBA franchise.

Inside look at the Suns' rise: The making of an elite NBA organization

As the NBA pre-draft process chugs along, the NBA Draft Combine marks the next milestone in prospects' journey to draft day.&nbsp;
The league announced that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-76-prospects-who-will-attend-2022-nba-draft-combine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">76 players have been invited to this year's combine</a>, which runs from May 16-22 in Chicago. Scouts and teams will receive an up-close look as prospects undergo physical testing and compete in five-on-five scrimmages. The NBA Draft Lottery takes place on May 17, adding more clarity to the draft board.
Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock answered some questions about the combine process, prospects to monitor in the events and more as the pace picks up in this scouting season.&nbsp;
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1. How do you approach scouting the NBA Draft Combine, and what events are most valuable to your scouting process?
The NBA Draft Combine is an excellent opportunity to see a large bulk of the draftable prospects all at once. Unfortunately, most top players don't participate in competitive play. Still, it allows us to evaluate players looking to move the needle or establish their draft standing. The NBA Draft Combine is also critical for prospects who are weighing out whether to stay in the draft or return to school.
2. Which prospects do you think could stand out in the athletic testing portions of the combine?
A few of the better athletes in this draft would be Jaden Ivey from Purdue, Shaedon Sharpe from Kentucky, Bennedict Mathurin from Arizona and Kendall Brown from Baylor. I'm looking forward to seeing their test results, as that group of players is about as athletic as they come.
3. Which prospects do you think could shine in the 5-on-5 scrimmages?
Well, let's see who decides to play. I've been talking to some agents who are in the proccess of deciding whether to have their clients participate in the live-play or not. Last year, Bones Hyland was the big winner of the live play. He was terrific. His play at the combine led to him becoming a first-round pick. So to me, Bones Hyland is a perfect example of why it makes sense for a player to bet on himself and play in front of the entire NBA. 
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4. Who do you think has the most to gain or lose in the combine process?
I think some of the younger players that possess significant upside but might not have had the opportunity to fully show their stuff throughout the year have the most to lose. A few guys that come to mind are Peyton Watson from UCLA, Josh Minott from Memphis, JD Davison from Alabama and Leonard Miller from Canada. I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these players go in the first round due to their raw talent despite not being overly productive this past season.
5. Are there any draft entrants you could see surprising people by returning to school or overseas? 
Everything has been changing so dramatically recently with the emergence of NIL deals, and I think there could be some good players who elect to return to school partially as a result of that. For example, I heard some rumblings that one player is likely to return to school if he doesn't get a guarantee that he'll be selected in the first round. I also heard another player is interested in returning to school if his NIL income gets to a certain level. I worked as an agent for more than ten years, and I think a lot of the dialogue between agents, players, parents and coaches is changing quite a bit. The pros and cons for players deciding to go pro or stay in school are very different. However, I think it's all for the better in the long term.
6. How do players prepare for the NBA Draft Combine? Do they specifically train for certain events?
Every trainer has their own strategy, but generally, players are doing workouts comparable to what they'll do at the NBA Draft Combine and at workouts when they visit teams.
7. Is it possible for prospects' stock to rise or fall between the end of the college season and now? If so, why?
Between the college season and now, there hasn't been much action on the court, so you might be asking what would cause a player's stock to rise or fall during that time. Well, I'll tell you: intel. NBA scouts, executives and people like myself spend a lot of time talking to folks on the phone, trying to learn more about draft prospects. We're trying to learn more about players' character, work ethic, habits on and off the court and things like that on these calls. I think some teams value intel and certain traits differently than others, but overall, intel certainly plays a part, and sometimes a significant part, in players' draft value and stock.
8. Aside from the combine, what other important procedures are involved in the pre-draft process during the month of May?
My process is a little different from a team's, as I don't have to follow NBA rules or guidelines. During May and June, I typically travel all around the country to watch prospects work out and get a chance to sit down and talk with them. It's an essential part of my evaluation process, but it's also my favorite part. I spend years watching most of these guys develop. So it's just neat to get an up-close look at the players and get a chance to speak to them right before their dreams of being drafted come to fruition. It's something I don't take for granted. It's certainly a fun part of my job.
Be sure to check out BasketballNews.com's full <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>, with profiles for each prospect selected.
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Matt Babcock sets the stage for the NBA Draft Combine, which begins Monday.

2022 NBA Draft: Q&A with Matt Babcock on the NBA Draft Combine

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for May 18-20 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
The 2022 NBA Draft Combine is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.&nbsp;
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting drills and strength-and-agility drills from May 18-20. Coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. ET. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-field-of-44-draft-prospects-for-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 16-17 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.
Here is the complete list of expected attendees for this year's NBA Draft Combine (and check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> to see where each player is projected to go):&nbsp;
<table style="font-weight: 400;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="832">
Player (College/Club)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Marjon Beauchamp (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matthew Mayer (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Malaki Branham (Ohio State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Leonard Miller (Fort Erie Intl. Academy [Canada] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Braun (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Josh Minott (Memphis)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kendall Brown (Baylor)
</td>
<td width="442">
Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
John Butler Jr. (Florida State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Max Christie (Michigan State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
</td>
<td width="442">
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
</td>
<td width="442">
Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
JD Davison (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
</td>
<td width="442">
David Roddy (Colorado State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria [Spain] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Dereon Seabron (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jalen Duren (Memphis)
</td>
<td width="442">
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Tari Eason (LSU)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Keon Ellis (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matteo Spagnolo (Cremona [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
AJ Griffin (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
</td>
<td width="442">
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
</td>
<td width="442">
Peyton Watson (UCLA)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td width="442">
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Nikola Jovic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ismael Kamagate (Paris [France] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trevor Keels (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Mark Williams (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
</td>
<td width="442">
Trevion Williams (Purdue)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Koloko (Arizona)
</td>
<td width="442">
Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 18-20 in Chicago.

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

During the regular season, Ja Morant was one of the league&rsquo;s most prolific and productive downhill adventurers.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He averaged 20.9 drives per game</a> (third-most in the NBA) and shot 51.0% on those drives. Despite playing just 57 games, his 828 points resutling from drives led all players.
Once he mounted a head of steam, containing his powerful acrobatics was an incredibly arduous task for defenses. That prowess fueled Morant's scoring leap, as he averaged 27.4 points on 57.5% True Shooting en route to winning the Most Improved Player award.
Yet from Games 2-4 in the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Morant&rsquo;s profits attacking the rim dried up, which subsequently hampered his overall scoring numbers.&nbsp;
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During that span, <a href="https://streamable.com/me9rj6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morant thrived as a playmaker</a>, delivering 35 assists to 11 turnovers and amplifying the divergent off-ball scoring chops of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/brandon-clarke-is-slipping-through-the-cracks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Clarke</a> and Desmond Bane. But Minnesota&rsquo;s tactic had clearly flustered his individual success.
In those games, Morant averaged just 16.7 points on 45.9% TS and shot 38.7% on 62 drives. After 20 free-throw attempts in Game 1, he had just 17 total over the ensuing three outings. Halfway through Game 5, Morant had 6 points and 7 dimes (although, an uncharacteristic 2 of 7 showing at the line helped stymie him as well). Another pass-heavy approach was percolating.&nbsp;
With the Timberwolves loading help in the paint and at <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2013/12/19/5227374/nba-defense-breakdown-nail-spurs-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the nail</a>, Morant&rsquo;s passing grew in importance, and his scoring suffered. They sagged off Memphis&rsquo; cast of generally timid, unthreatening floor-spacers, and directed focus to the star guard in front of them.&nbsp;
On most of his drives, a defender confronted Morant at the nail as three, sometimes four, bodies awaited him near the rim. Stunts from the strong side (usually a no-go for defenses) were commonplace. His once-dynamic finishing was better classified as erratic.
The Grizzlies ranked just 28th in three-point rate (.346) and 17th in percentage (35.3%) in the regular season. So, Minnesota dared them to convert beyond the arc and refused to offer Morant runways for his trampoline-bounce to shine.
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Pause those clips above. Process the positioning of Minnesota&rsquo;s help defenders and how much room Memphis&rsquo; shooters are granted. On the final play, both Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt tag the roller, likely in case Morant wiggles around Karl-Anthony Towns&rsquo; hedge and explodes to the hoop. That&rsquo;s a whole lot of attention on one dude.
To Memphis&rsquo; and Morant&rsquo;s credit, Game 5 was full of experimentation to open driving lanes for him. Whether he initiated offense from different spots (top of the key vs. the wings), he began possessions off the ball to operate as a screener/second-creator or the floor-spacing was rearranged, everyone involved worked to find him some breathing room.&nbsp;
In the second half, those efforts were rewarded and the dam broke, particularly amid Memphis&rsquo; fourth-quarter, 13-point comeback. Morant scored 24 points after intermission, including 16 over the final seven minutes, when the Grizzlies closed with Morant, Bane, Clarke, Tyus Jones and Dillon Brooks once Jaren Jackson Jr. fouled out.
That lineup didn&rsquo;t record a single minute together in the regular season and debuted for two minutes in Game 4. By surrounding Morant with four ball-handling/play-finishing threats, Memphis provided him with more space and complicated Minnesota&rsquo;s "contain Ja at all costs" approach.&nbsp;
When bigs like Jackson or Xavier Tillman occupy the dunker spot, the Timberwolves are content helping off because neither is a particularly adept scorer around the basket. When Clarke is there, abandoning him to help on Morant is riskier, given Clarke&rsquo;s premier finishing and Morant&rsquo;s interior passing genes.
Minnesota has also routinely aimed to avoid involving Towns in ball-screens against Morant, which continued in the fourth quarter. That strategy gave Morant increased space as a driver and cleaner finishing angles over the top, while also forcing the Timberwolves&rsquo; defense into rotation more often.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/26syia" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Small-ball was not the Grizzlies&rsquo; only avenue to springing free Morant and their collective offense. They really emphasized emptying the wings to muddle Minnesota&rsquo;s aggressive stunt-and-recovers. Rotating to the nail/elbows is much tougher when someone&rsquo;s assignment is stationed in the corner.
They also utilized double ball-screens for Morant out of a Horns alignment. Doing so removed a big man from the dunker spot altogether, and empowered Ja to work off the ball rather than needing to spearhead every action. Without help looming around every ball-screen, the third-year guard slalomed into the paint and gained traction to bring his squad a crucial Game 5 victory.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/uy9381" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
By night&rsquo;s end, Memphis was plus-14 with the Morant-Jones-Bane-Brooks-Clarke quintet on the court. Morant scored 16 of its 21 points, headlined by a 9 of 10 performance at the free-throw line in the fourth.&nbsp;
Both in the half-court and transition, he repeatedly shimmied downhill and scored or drew fouls. His driving acumen also repopulated. Across his 45 minutes, he tallied 31 drives, shooting 50.0% (7 of 14) on them, taking 10 free throws and scoring 19 points. His pair of assists post-halftime were also emblematic of renewed scoring comfort.
Aside from Game 2, Memphis and Minnesota have been tangled in close battle after close battle. Morant&rsquo;s struggled in certain aspects throughout these contests and amended his approach to still fashion positive contributions. On Tuesday, though, the team amended its approach to unlock the effervescent 22-year-old.&nbsp;
Now, the Grizzlies sit one win away from their first playoff series victory since 2014-15, with their franchise star guiding them and enjoying his finest stretch of postseason basketball this year.
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Jackson Frank analyzes how the Grizzlies were able to get Ja Morant going on offense after struggling to find scoring comfort.

How the Grizzlies helped Ja Morant find himself as a scorer in Game 5

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Duncan Robinson couldn't miss shots. Trae Young couldn't make shots.
In simplest terms, that's how Game 1 went for Miami and Atlanta.
Robinson came off the bench to set a franchise playoff record with eight 3-pointers, and the top-seeded Heat forced Young into matching the worst-shooting game of his career on the way to a 115-91 win over the eighth-seeded Hawks in the opener of an Eastern Conference first-round series Sunday.
&ldquo;It's always nice to throw the first punch," Robinson said. &ldquo;But in the grand scheme of things, it's just winning one game."
Robinson scored 27 points on 9-of-10 shooting for the Heat, 8 of 9 from 3-point range. Jimmy Butler scored 21, P.J. Tucker added 16 and Kyle Lowry had 10.
But this wasn't about offense for Miami. It was about defense, so much so that even Heat coach Erik Spoelstra &mdash; a former point guard himself &mdash; spent some possessions in a defensive stance, clapping his hands and imploring his team to dig a little bit deeper on that end of the floor.
&ldquo;You have to be on edge," Spoelstra said.
The edge, for Miami, was razor sharp. Young went 1 for 12, matching his effort against Chicago on Jan. 23, 2019.
&ldquo;You've got to give them credit," Young said. &ldquo;They came out aggressive."
Danilo Gallinari led Atlanta with 17 points. De'Andre Hunter scored 14 for the Hawks and John Collins added 10.
Game 2 is Tuesday.
&ldquo;I thought Miami played at another level," Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We talked about that in our locker room, that in the playoffs, there's another level you have to get to. ... They showed us tonight there's another level we have to get to in order to compete in these playoffs."
Robinson broke the record of seven 3s that he previously shared with Damon Jones and Mike Miller.
He sizzled. The Hawks fizzled.
Young &mdash; who saw everything from traps to full-court pressure &mdash; was 0 for 7 from 3-point range and finished with just eight points, a season-low. Bogdan Bogdanovic missed all eight of his shots, and the Hawks never led outside of a brief edge in the opening minutes.
Butler revealed the Heat game plan when it comes to defending Young: &ldquo;Just make it physical on him, challenge every shot, keep him off the free throw line and make him pass," he said.
It worked.
&ldquo;I'm very confident we're going to turn this around," Young said.
Atlanta went 3-0 in Game 1s last year, all three of those wins on the road, coming by two, four and three points, respectively.
That was then.
This was one-sided by halftime. The Heat set the tone by forcing Atlanta into a 1-for-11 start from the field &mdash; free throws were the only thing keeping the game close for much of the first half &mdash; and Miami took a 59-40 lead into the break.
A 3-pointer from Kevin Huerter early in the second got Atlanta within 26-20. A 15-6 Heat run, capped by a 3-pointer from Lowry, pushed the lead out to 41-26, and another 3 from Lowry later in the quarter made it 53-34.
Gallinari made a 3-pointer to open the second half, getting the Hawks within 16. And that was as close as the Hawks got. Miami controlled the rest of the third, turning things into a complete runaway.
It was 86-60 after three, the Hawks managing only one more point through 36 minutes than Miami had through 24, and the outcome was decided. A four-point play from Robinson with 8:54 left was probably the official end to all Atlanta hope, as Miami fans waved their white giveaway rally flags in earnest after the Heat won a home playoff game &mdash; excluding the bubble run in 2020, which obviously wasn't at home &mdash; for the first time since 2016.
&ldquo;I came here for this." Tucker said.
TIP-INS
Hawks: The 19-point halftime deficit was Atlanta&rsquo;s second-largest of the season. Atlanta trailed Chicago by 21 at the break on Dec. 29. ... Atlanta was playing less than 36 hours after arriving in Miami following its play-in victory at Cleveland on Friday. The Hawks got settled in Miami around 3 a.m. Saturday, and Sunday had a 1 p.m. start.
Heat: Butler &mdash; one of the best free-throw shooters in the NBA &mdash; started 0 for 3 from the line, the first time he&rsquo;s done that in his first three Heat seasons. ... Tucker, Lowry and Max Strus all got their first Miami playoff starts. There have now been 69 players all-time to start a playoff game for the Heat.
ROBINSON'S DAY
Robinson's eight 3s were the second-most in NBA playoff history by a reserve. Jason Terry had nine for Dallas in a 2011 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. J.R. Smith had eight for Cleveland in a 2015 game, also against Atlanta.
GAME 1 HISTORY
Miami improved to 26-22 all-time in Game 1s, including 20-7 at home &mdash; and 12-2 at home when playing host to a Game 1 in Round 1. Atlanta fell to 37-41 all-time in Game 1s, a figure that includes a handful of one-game playoffs from the league&rsquo;s early days.
COLLINS PLAYS
Collins (foot, finger injuries) played for the first time in 19 games. He was 4 for 6 in 21 minutes, with the Hawks needing extra depth inside with Clint Capela out with a right knee injury.
UP NEXT
Game 2 is Tuesday in Miami.

Duncan Robinson and the Miami Heat made easy work of the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of their playoff matchup.

Robinson makes eight 3s, Heat top Hawks 115-91 in Game 1

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledges there is pressure in the NBA playoffs and after the winning the first title, &ldquo;your mind wants to win a second time or a third time.&rdquo;
A leading MVP candidate again this season, Antetokounmpo likes to compare playing basketball to creating a work of art and he'll try to produce another postseason masterpiece this weekend.
His last time on the playoff stage, Antetokounmpo <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-milwaukee-bucks-phoenix-suns-64e76fe1b9f0851dbcf46ad66d90d6de">scored 50 points in a Game 6 victory over the Phoenix Suns that gave the Bucks their first championship in a half-century. </a>
Antetokounmpo and the third-seeded Bucks face the sixth-seeded Chicago Bulls in an Eastern Conference first-round series starting Sunday in Milwaukee.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, the mindset doesn&rsquo;t change,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said this week. &ldquo;Enjoy the game as much as possible because we worked hard for this moment. We can&rsquo;t take this moment for granted.&rdquo;
On the surface, it appears that winning a title last year took a weight off the 27-year-old's shoulders.
Having been there, done that, Antetokounmpo appears more relaxed.
The father of two has begun several postgame news conferences <a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-milwaukee-bucks-miami-heat-nba-sports-8b670f96b14955e42665b0c9feb79de6">by making &ldquo;dad jokes,&rdquo;</a> a practice he continued this week while getting ready for the playoffs.
&ldquo;What do you call a cow on a rollercoaster?&rdquo; Antetokounmpo asked reporters who gathered around him. &ldquo;A milkshake.&rdquo;
But the postseason is no laughing matter for Antetokounmpo. The Bucks leader insists he feels just as much pressure now as he did before he&rsquo;d won a title.
&ldquo;Obviously a lot of people think once you win a championship and you succeed in life, there&rsquo;s no pressure,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really agree. Obviously I do not try to focus on the pressure as much. I try to focus and enjoy the game. But at the end of the day, your mind always is going to find something to replace that.
&ldquo;Almost like, &lsquo;OK, you won one time.&rsquo; Now your mind wants to win a second time or a third time.&rdquo;
That attitude reflects Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s artistic approach to the game
He believes a player enters each contest with a new opportunity to create, as if he&rsquo;s an artist staring at a blank canvas.
&ldquo;If you play well and you hold on to the past, it prevents you from playing well again,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;If you had 40 the previous game, you&rsquo;re like, &lsquo;OK, I had 40 the previous game. Today I can just be sloppy with the ball.&rsquo; That was that art that was created.
&ldquo;Today I reset. I get a new canvas and try to create new art.&rdquo;
The approach helped Antetokounmpo follow up the Bucks&rsquo; championship with one of his finest NBA seasons.
He enters the playoffs as the Eastern Conference player of the month for March and April. Antetokounmpo averaged a career-high 29.9 points &ndash; behind only Philadelphia&rsquo;s Joel Embiid &ndash; along with 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
He became the first player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in four separate seasons. Oscar Robertson did it three times.
&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t settle,&rdquo; Bucks guard George Hill said. &ldquo;One thing I do know about him: Him winning a championship doesn&rsquo;t define who he is. He&rsquo;s still in there every day, every morning, every night working his butt off to get better. He still feels like he has a lot to prove.&rdquo;
Teammate Jrue Holiday argued late in the season that Antetokounmpo merits consideration for the NBA&rsquo;s most improved player award because of the way the 6-foot-11 forward diversified his game.
Antetokounmpo said he liked the idea of &ldquo;changing the narrative&rdquo; about his game by showing he could shoot effectively and wasn&rsquo;t merely a guy who capitalized on his size and athleticism by scoring on dunks and drives to the basket.
Although he made fewer than 30% of his 3-point attempts this season, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-kevin-durant-1a0734f03a711826d4e4f725957d2ffe">Antetokounmpo passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the Bucks&rsquo; scoring record by sinking a game-tying 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation in an overtime victory at Brooklyn. </a> He made 72.2% of his free-throw attempts, his highest percentage since the 2019-20 season.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s dominated and perfected one part of his game, and now he&rsquo;s going to grow and extend that range to the 3-point line,&rdquo; said Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who coached Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee from 2014-18. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what he says he&rsquo;s going to do, and that means he&rsquo;s going to do it.&rdquo;
And that means realizing what he accomplished last year won&rsquo;t necessarily play any part in whether the Bucks are able to repeat.
&ldquo;Last year&rsquo;s last year,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;Last year we were able to go through ups and downs in the playoffs and end up with the championship. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean nothing.&rdquo;
For now, it's just another blank canvas.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks face the sixth-seeded Bulls in an Eastern Conference first-round series starting Sunday.

Antetokounmpo, Bucks eager to win title a 'second time, third time'

This year&rsquo;s MVP race has been a rollercoaster ride all season long. It started with lofty preseason expectations for Luka Doncic, and then an early Stephen Curry takeover was eventually derailed due to the Warriors&rsquo; countless injuries. More recently, we&rsquo;ve seen a historic battle ensue between three of the most special international players in modern NBA history: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Any one of them could be named this year's NBA Most Valuable Player.
When examining the numbers for Jokic, Embiid and Antetokounmpo in their back-and-forth race over the last month, it&rsquo;s absurd how dominant they truly have been:
Jokic: 32.2 points, 13.6 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks; 68.8 TS%, 33.2 USG%
Embiid: 33.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.6 blocks; 61.4 TS%, 38.5 USG%
Antetokounmpo: 31.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.3 blocks; 65.2 TS%, 33.9 USG%
Thanks to these three titans, this year's MVP race has been among the most enjoyable in years. Many years, the MVP is all wrapped this late in the spring, but the 2021-2022 season saw truly nip-and-tuck moments occur that helped bend the direction of who could capture the crown. Even this late in the process, there was national surge toward Devin Booker, who certainly deserves his flowers. However, these three generational big men have been incredible on a nightly basis. One of them will almost certainly win the award, and if justice is served, that person will be Nikola Jokic.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nikola Jokic score 38 points, 18 rebounds highlights vs. La Lakers! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAPRIL032022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAPRIL032022</a>. <a href="https://t.co/gV9U41DAKr">pic.twitter.com/gV9U41DAKr</a>
&mdash; NBA BASKETBALL (@DejoseMark) <a href="https://twitter.com/DejoseMark/status/1510854793459286017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Another virtuoso performance by Jokic on Thursday night &mdash; 35 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists on 16-of-24 FGA &mdash; officially pushed me to 100% confidence that he should be chosen for the accolade. What Jokic has done all season, carrying a short-handed Nuggets team without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., is nothing short of incredible. With even more defensive focus thrown onto Jokic&rsquo;s plate, he&rsquo;s continued to excel and stuff the stat sheet with authority. Even within the wild, resurgent Western Conference, Jokic is keeping Denver above water all by himself.
Incredibly enough, Jokic is putting up even better traditional and advanced metrics than he was last season's MVP campaign, when he had more help around him. A head-to-head comparison of Jokic&rsquo;s last two seasons speaks volumes to the true caliber of player we are witnessing in Denver.
2020-21 Jokic: 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists; 64.7 TS%, 8.8 VORP, 29.6 USG%
2021-22 Jokic: 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists; 66.1 TS%, 9.8 VORP, 31.9 USG%
What Jokic is accomplishing is pure sorcery, continuing his surge to being the curveball star within the Association. Jokic's archetype is rare: A non-explosive, slower-paced big man who is a special passer that can run an offense around him,. As a former second-round pick, Jokic singlehandedly changed the Nuggets&rsquo; long-term trajectory overnight. Now, he&rsquo;s on the verge of becoming a back-to-back MVP.
In the process of doing whatever he wanted on the court Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies, even after Jaren Jackson Jr.&rsquo;s elbow caused a deep head cut, Jokic showcased exactly how valuable he is. Whenever Jokic went out of the game, Denver folded, nearly blowing two double-digit leads in short order. The Nuggets are not at a level right now to survive without Jokic, especially since the other two-thirds of their offensive production are on the sidelines indefinitely.
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Becoming the first player in NBA history to amass at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season, Jokic&rsquo;s all-around brilliance simply can&rsquo;t be denied anymore. A generational talent who is one of the most special offensive weapons in the NBA, Jokic instantly takes average ceilings to elite.
Many have tried to drum up narratives away from Jokic, but honestly, he was the right one to push all along. As the most valuable player, Jokic proves on a nightly basis how the entire operation sinks or swims based on his performance. More often than not, it leads to jaw-dropping production and a Nuggets victory.
Nine players in the NBA carry at least a +60% True Shooting percentage on a +25% usage rate. Here&rsquo;s how they rank from highest TS% to lowest:
<ol>
<li>Nikola Jokic: 66.1 TS%</li>
<li>Karl-Anthony Towns: 64.0 TS%</li>
<li>Kevin Durant: 63.5 TS%</li>
<li>Giannis Antetokounmpo: 63.2 TS%</li>
<li>LeBron James: 61.9 TS%</li>
<li>Joel Embiid: 61.2 TS%</li>
<li>Zach LaVine: 60.4 TS%</li>
<li>Trae Young + Stephen Curry: 60.1 TS%</li>
</ol>
Whether it be on-court value or diving into the advanced metrics, there are few, if any, flaws to the argument for voting Jokic as the 2021-22 NBA MVP. If anything, this year&rsquo;s production has vaulted Jokic into all-time historic territory.
Jokic might not be the flashiest superstar, but don&rsquo;t take his greatness for granted. There's a good chance that his greatness is about to be rewarded with an MVP trophy for the second year in a row.
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In a historically-close MVP race, here's why Nikola Jokic deserves to win the award once again.

Why Nikola Jokic deserves back-to-back MVPs

In a game defined by its giants, being a big man has always carried a certain level of expectation.&nbsp;
And arguably no NBA franchise has this expectation looming more than the San Antonio Spurs.&nbsp;
From the early days of Artis Gilmore, to the "The Admiral" David Robinson's stint commanding the watchtower, to Tim Duncan&rsquo;s subtle dominance, to LaMarcus Aldridge&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-lt6/?Season=2017-18&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Aldridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surprisingly effective</a> repellent nature, the Spurs have always fielded an elite defensive big man.
And that makes Jakob Poeltl the perfect successor to this chain of iconic anchors.
This season, the human fly swatter is contesting shots at a <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle/?sort=CONTESTED_SHOTS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">higher rate</a> than anyone in the league, while also holding opponents to <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-lt6/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Poeltl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over eight percentage points</a> below their usual average.&nbsp;
Along with his eye-popping numbers, the sophisticated beauty of his game has been easy to admire year after year (even having said he was playing on one of the most <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/matissa/2022/02/05/why-jakob-poeltl-is-a-giant-bargain-for-the-spurs/?sh=1d90fdefeb12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">valuable</a> contracts in basketball).
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So, it was time to get inside the mind of one of the league&rsquo;s best defenders.
During training camp, Poeltl made it known that San Antonio's massive roster turnaround meant he needed to be more vocal, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. And considering <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/hidden-gems-jakob-poeltl-is-the-best-center-that-nobodys-talking-about/1acr9r7wz5mg913hug0jnr42sk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renowned analysts</a> are praising his communication skills, it&rsquo;s safe to say his mission has been accomplished.
&ldquo;First of all, [communication] is one of the biggest parts of being a big man in the NBA.&rdquo; Poeltl told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. &ldquo;If you are not good at communicating, your guards are going to keep running into trouble over and over again.&rdquo;
Here is a perfect example of his articulation skills at work.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/29utb9" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Turning up the volume is recommended here; if you listen closely, you can hear Poeltl instructing nearby help defenders to &ldquo;stay&rdquo; back on their man because he&rsquo;s going to offer the necessary backline support himself. This forces Steven Adams to make the weak-side corner pass (an easier pass for the defense to close-out on), and ultimately, Poeltl's reassurance results in a missed shot.&nbsp;
Then, Poeltl dove a little deeper into specific coverages. Being the mad scientist he is, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich loves throwing a good ol&rsquo; zone at opposing offenses.
Listen to this next clip to hear Poeltl break down what&rsquo;s going through his mind in these situations.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/2xzbv7" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
&ldquo;[It] comes down to a lot of communication as well," Poeltl said. "The offense is going to try and exploit weak spots. I&rsquo;m just constantly on the lookout for what they are possibly trying to set up. And telling those guys around me to move over, overload one side, whatever it might be.&rdquo;
Poeltl also emphasized the importance of ball-screen coverage in today&rsquo;s constantly evolving pick-and-roll ecosystem.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of pick-and-rolls in this league because it&rsquo;s so efficient and you're creating a lot of 2-on-1 situations," he said.
As the big man who has handled the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/roll-man/?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TypeGrouping=defensive&amp;sort=POSS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth-most</a> ball-screens in the NBA, Poeltl knows his way around these spots.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really just trying to keep the offensive players guessing," he said. "And at the end of the day, play the percentages.&rdquo;
The next clip provides a prime example of what he&rsquo;s talking about:
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/surx68" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Poeltl intentionally sags off of Mike Conley because, while he&rsquo;s a good short mid-range shooter (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/695#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">45%</a>), he&rsquo;s a slightly better finisher (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/695#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">53%</a>). But even more important, by accounting for the roller, Jakob avoids Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s lob-finishing wrath (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/1310#tab-shooting_accuracy">77%</a>).
"Playing the percentages" became a recurring theme throughout this conversation, and Poeltl's appreciation of the mathematics of the game bears resemblance to another defensive tactician &mdash; Bill Russell.
Like Russell, Poeltl makes himself familiar with his opponent&rsquo;s moves and tendencies in order to lure them into their least efficient spots on the court.
&ldquo;I try to play [their] tendencies," Poeltl said. "I know which moves [they] like, which moves [they] might like a little less. I try to make [them] take lower percentage shots.&rdquo;
And his astuteness appears to be paying dividends, as Poeltl has held some of the best low-post bigs in the league to numbers below their usual outputs.
Poeltl Matchup Data (2021-22)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 324px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Player 
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
Partial Possessions*
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
FG% vs. Poeltl*
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
Season FG%*
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Valanciunas&nbsp;
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
146.8
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
52.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
54.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Gobert
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
93.8
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
54.5%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
71.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Embiid
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
76.7
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
42.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
49.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Ayton
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
75.4
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
46.7%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
63.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Vucevic
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
74.7
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
46.7%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
47.4%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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Poeltl's work against current MVP candidate Joel Embiid deserves further examination. Poeltl is holding Embiid to 42.9% from the floor on 35 shot attempts. But what&rsquo;s more, he&rsquo;s only allowed Embiid to take 6 free throws during the nearly 77 partial possessions he&rsquo;s spent on him. This is a far cry from the <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/embiijo01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">17.4 free throw attempts</a> Embiid typically averages per 100 possessions.
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Poeltl does two things well while guarding Embiid:
<ol>
<li>He baits him into taking a bevy of mid-range jumpers (the least efficient shot in Embiid&rsquo;s illustrious shot profile).</li>
<li>He avoids getting handsy with Embiid and falling prey to his infamous <a href="https://twitter.com/rich_hofmann/status/816337297910153216?s=20&amp;t=IZbWympJN3SijK8xXTdMWw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rip-through</a> maneuver.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
And like Hakeem Olajuwon, Poeltl is a master at navigating the <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/2-9-6fb93080023c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.9</a> position of the paint without getting called for a defensive three seconds. (Turn your volume up.)
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&ldquo;I think that has a lot to do with reputation as well, where just being around for a long time, you figure out these little things," Poeltl said. "I remember my first couple seasons in the NBA &mdash; first of all, I was a lot more paranoid to get called for defensive three seconds, and I probably actually was getting called on it a lot more as well. So, I think the biggest thing there that I had to figure out over the years is the timing of it. Like, being in the paint at the right moment when an offensive player &mdash; like a guard or somebody &mdash; is trying to attack. Not wasting those three seconds. Like, standing in there when there is nothing happening.
"Then, I have to go out [of the paint] to clear myself, and in that moment somebody starts driving, and then I&rsquo;m late for the rotation. So, again, it comes down to timing it well, [and] trying to read what the offense is trying to do.&rdquo;
In staying with the topic of great defenders, the best not only omit shots as they come, but also deter would-be trespassers from entering their hunting grounds entirely. Poeltl looks like he&rsquo;s trending towards no-fly-zone territory.
After peaking in January, his number of contests per game has gone downward &mdash; an indication that offensive players may have finally learned their lesson.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-04-08-at-11-03-22-am_lg.png" alt="" width="584" height="348" />
*Data Provided by NBA.com
Poeltl's presence on the interior is almost reminiscent to that of the Dark Knight in Gotham City. Both Batman and the Spurs' rim-protector serve as a cautionary symbol of what will happen when you cross the line.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;d call myself a vigilante.&rdquo; Poeltl joked. &ldquo;I pretty much always try to make the paint look as crowded as possible. Try to discourage the other team from driving in there. At the end of the day, contesting a shot is good, but if I can make it look crowded in the first place and discourage them from coming in the paint, that&rsquo;s already a win in my book.&rdquo;
With shades of the various all-timers painted all over his game, is there a particular player that Poeltl has consciously modeled his game after?
&ldquo;Not really, to be honest," Poeltl said. "I always tried to feel the game out for myself. I always tried to find my own way.&rdquo;
Stating that he&rsquo;s just trying to find his way is an undersell.
In fact, Poeltl has more than found his own way. He&rsquo;s an elite shot-blocker, a vocal defensive quarterback and a serious contender for an All-Defensive Team nomination.&nbsp;
But most important of all, he&rsquo;s San Antonio&rsquo;s newest watchful protector &mdash; the franchise's next great defensive big man.
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Mat Issa goes one-on-one with Jakob Poeltl to discuss his defensive prowess and break down his film deterring the NBA's best.

Jakob Poeltl: The San Antonio Spurs' newest watchful protector

Whether Orlando Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. is retweeting praise for Duke basketball's March Madness run or hyping up his girlfriend, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, during her own tourney run as a senior at UConn, one thing is a constant part of Carter's social media presence: the hashtag #ABC.&nbsp;
Accept, believe and confess.
"Accept that whatever happens happens, believe that it happens for a reason," Carter said. "If you did something good, confess that. If you did something bad, confess that too. It's allowing yourself to think on certain things that happened in your life, but not allow them to dictate what's going to happen next."
It's his life mantra, instilled in him by his mother, Kylia. He credits Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski for continuing to build those qualities in him, reinforcing the importance of enjoying the moment and remaining present.
Carter is a spiritual person, having grown up in the church. As such, confession as a concept is essential to him, and it comes through in his honesty as a speaker and openness about his development. The work speaks for itself, but he's transparent in the time and energy that's gone into a career-year, crediting those who have been key in finding his game in Orlando.
Acceptance was a key element for Carter at the 2021 trade deadline, when he was traded from Chicago to Orlando in the deal for Nikola Vucevic. He thought Chicago was going to be his home as a professional and couldn't fathom being traded.
"I thought I was going to be there forever," Carter said.
The move took him by surprise and hurt in the moment, but he was quick to shift and reframe his mindset.
"I felt what happened," he said. "I believed that one person didn't want me, but the next person does."
Carter says that the confession aspect of things didn't really factor in, but anyone who has watched him this season knows he's confessed every night on the court with his play.
He's averaging career-highs across the board both in per-game and per-minute queries. It's not just the production but also how he is producing that's been the difference. His aggression is staggering compared to his first three seasons, which has resulted in his creating more shots for himself.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 89.5856%; height: 66px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 16.9718%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Time Frame</td>
<td style="width: 13.2375%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2 point %</td>
<td style="width: 16.1731%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2 point assisted %</td>
<td style="width: 20.0959%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Pull-up 2s taken and %</td>
<td style="width: 15.5609%; text-align: center;">True-shooting %</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 16.9718%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">First 3 seasons</td>
<td style="width: 13.2375%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">53.4%</td>
<td style="width: 16.1731%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">74.7%</td>
<td style="width: 20.0959%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">61 (26.2%)</td>
<td style="width: 15.5609%; text-align: center;">56.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 16.9718%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 13.2375%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">61.5%</td>
<td style="width: 16.1731%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">60.9%</td>
<td style="width: 20.0959%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">60 (55%)</td>
<td style="width: 15.5609%; text-align: center;">60.1%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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To put into perspective how remarkable that two-point percentage is, Carter is on the verge of breaking Orlando's single-season record previously held by Dwight Howard (who shot 61.7% from two in 2009-10).
Carter is launching more from three, and while the percentages have dipped as the season has gone on, he's no longer hesitating from behind the arc like in past season. According to <a href="https://dunksandthrees.com/player?player_id=1628976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dunks and Threes</a>, Carter has a career-high in Offensive Estimated Plus-Minus (+1.2) after not posting a neutral mark any of the prior three seasons.
Carter's handle is also noticeably tighter. He's more fluid off the bounce and has real verve in face-ups and isolation. He's flashed these skills throughout his career, but he has emboldened and exacerbated them this season.
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He's finishing better through contact and has more control and counters near the basket, shooting 75% at the rim this season, per Cleaning the Glass. That's a near 10% uptick compared to his career rate from 0-4 feet (65.9%).
Furthemore, he's played more at the four this season than he has his entire career, and his skill growth has made that much more viable and realistic than in prior years.&nbsp;
Carter gives a great deal of credit to Orlando's coaching staff for their belief in him, but also for empowering him to be this player every day. He had three different head coaches in Chicago, and it was difficult to find a consistent footing with so much in flux. That changed in Orlando, where he has found stability.
"They've kind of instilled in me like, 'Man, you're a great player. We've seen plenty of flashes. We know what Wendell can really be. Can we see you do this for a whole 48-minute game? Can we see you play like those little spurts we'll see every now and then? Can you do that more often?'"
He says they didn't put pressure on him but rather enabled his upside and fostered his development. He credits head coach Jamahl Mosley, associate head coach Nate Tibbets and assistant coach Dale Osbourne with helping him start to realize his potential.
"Coach Mos, Nate, Os, they all really helped me, and they all believe that there's something special in the kind of player I am," Carter said.
Carter also works out with video coordinator Randy Gregory every night.
"That's a guy I definitely trust and have a lot of respect and love for," Carter said.
That in-season work coupled with his offseason training set the table for his career-year. He notes that conditioning was the biggest thing he tackled over the summer, putting in the work to keep up with smaller and quicker players on defense. In order to tighten his handle and hone his shot, he worked on them each day, fine-tuning them with repetition and mental imagery, repeating scenarios in his head and replicating in-game scenarios.
The process has helped him find his "swagger," which oozes on-court with his play and intensity.
"The work shows up at some point," he said. "I'm grateful that I'm able to display that each night."
He laughs that it's a cliche statement, but it resounds in truth, cliche or not. The consistency he's displayed this season shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt, as the reps he put in have instilled that confidence and augmented his game, allowing him to become one of the better up-and-coming players in the NBA.
Carter has always possessed a good feel for the game and playmaking chops, but he's put it all together this season. Orlando has a great deal of ball-handlers and players who can soak up some on-ball usage, including Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz and others. The Magic run an offense predicated on motion and flow, so without a true primary option, they rely on advantage continuation buffering from smaller actions to open up better looks.
Dribble handoffs are a staple of this offense, and Carter is the main vessel for stabilizing the offense through DHOs. At times with the Bulls when he'd run these actions, he could get stuck and hesitate if the offensive player coming to the ball was denied. Not anymore. He's reading, reacting and taking what the defense gives him with gumption.
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Another part of his offseason and in-season prep has been a heavy dose of breaking down tape and segmenting the game. He's looked to find new ways to process the game. Slowing things down off the court has allowed him to speed up his on-court activity.
"I've been training my mind and looking at film and doing the little things," Carter said. "Now when I get in those situations, it's not that I'm overthinking, but that's literally just what I see."
If his defender leans one way, he knows he has the crossover and can take it to the rack. If the incoming defender goes under the DHO, he has the throwback to his man outside the arc.
He's a bonecrushing screener, capable of creating separation at a high level to screen open a ball-handler. But it's not just the strength; he's adept at flipping and angling his screens and adjusting for each individual handler on the team.
"Certain guards like for screens to be set at certain angles and come up with their left hand," Carter said. "Some like to come up with the right hand. Some like the pick to be flat so they can come off either way to create their own advantage for themselves."
There's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explaining-why-we-need-to-appreciate-screening-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a lot more that goes into setting a screen</a> than meets the eye, and Carter is a master of of it. His amalgamation of strength, playmaking and ferocity as a roller afford him the blend of skills necessary to create offense at a high level with and without the ball.
"I think there's so many ways in which he can go," Jamahl Mosley said when asked about Carter's growth and future development. "He&rsquo;s shown the ability to finish at the rim and to step out and make the three. The next step is continuing to make his teammates better by making those decisions and getting guys open and good looks.&rdquo;
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Carter has a wide array of passes in his bag. He can make a pocket pass, put good touch on a post-entry, paint the corners or slot on the short roll, hit cutters out of the mid or high post and even throw in some enamoring one-handers off the dribble. The consistency has improved, but as Mosley notes, there's even more for Carter on the table.&nbsp;
The passing and processing strides this season are notable and play out routinely on the court, but one of Carter's most sizable gains have been as a leader of Orlando's young core.
"His growth is not just on the floor, it&rsquo;s off the floor as well," Mosley said. "His voice in that locker room, keeping guys up, keeping guys accountable. Our group is a group of that, just tied together, continuing to communicate and working on and off the floor."
While that growth in leadership isn't fully visible to an outside observer, the communication comes through on the court, and not just from Carter. The Magic have struggled offensively like any young team still searching for more consistent and efficient modes of creation, but they're building a rock-solid defensive foundation.
Since the All-Star Break, the Magic are second in the NBA in defensive efficiency (allowing 109.9 points per 100 possessions) behind only the Memphis Grizzlies, per Cleaning the Glass. They're 7-11 in that time frame, including quality wins (over the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans) and close games against some top-notch competition (such as the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers). Widen the lens, and the Magic are eighth in defense since the turn of the calendar. There's something here, and Carter is central to Orlando's growth as a defensive unit.
Carter has been among the league's best rim protectors this season, capable of operating in a deep drop, higher up in centerfield or helping off the weak-side as a secondary rim protector alongside Mo Bamba. According to Second Spectrum Tracking, opponents shoot 11.2% worse than expected when Carter is defending the rim, a mark that puts him in the upper tier of paint protectors in the league and comfortably in the top 10 of that metric. He doesn't block an outlier number of shots, but don't let that fool you. Come at the king, and you best not miss because he's going to be in the right spot with extremely well-timed contests and verticality, getting the most of his 7-foot-3 wingspan.
In a pinch, he can switch onto smaller players and hold his own on the perimeter, something Carter mentions he focused on as he prepared for the season. 
"I had to kind of tackle that this past offseason, being able to keep up with a lot of these 4s and 3s," he said.
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"He&rsquo;s taken on the defensive challenge of playing some of these big-time bigs," Mosley said. "He&rsquo;s guarding 1-through-5 in situations, being able to step into big moments as he has."
Orlando's game against Philadelphia earlier in March was a showcase of Carter's growth on both ends, as he matched up with top-notch competition. He went right at Joel Embiid all night off the dribble, attacking from the outside in and finishing with 23 points and 12 rebounds. He defended Embiid most of the night, and while Embiid scored 35 points, it was on mediocre efficiency (49.3% TS), buoyed by trips to the line. Carter defended the MVP candidate one-on-one better than just about anyone has this season while giving him work on the other end. 
There's a short list of players in the world who can put together that sort of game, and those performances are becoming more of a regularity. Carter recently set a new career-high in scoring (30) against Oklahoma City, and he has scored fewer than 10 points just once in 2022.
The foundation is set, and the seeds of the next hopeful era of Magic basketball have been sown over the course of the regular season. Orlando's year will end in roughly a week after the final buzzer sounds out at Amway Center on April 10, closing out against the Miami Heat at home. In spite of a losing record, the future seems much brighter in Orlando than recent years. Carter's strides underscore the budding potential of a young and talented organization.
He wants to be an All-Star someday. He says he wants to make All-Defensive teams and earn a First-Team All-NBA selection in the future.
"On a deeper level, I feel like just turning up Orlando to the levels that Shaq and Penny had this place rockin' &mdash; sold-out games every night, don't matter who we play, because they come to see us," Carter said.
He loved the 30 for 30 "This Magic Moment" about the '90s Magic and says that documentary and "The Last Dance"&nbsp;got him hyped and motivated about the future in Orlando.
He details the process, which involves taking the next steps as a competitive team, getting to the playoffs, winning rounds and developing the confidence as an organization to eventually win a championship.
"That's the game within the game that I'm looking at," Carter said. "If we get that swag, that feeling, you know we've got the whole city behind us, rocking with us. I feel like that's just such a dope feeling to have."
Hitting higher grounds as an individual clearly means a lot to Carter, but he lit up in an entirely different way when talking about revitalizing Magic basketball. He wants it bad. He's spearheading Orlando's youth movement with his play and development this season, showing his commitment to the process and growth while building upon and unsheathing his potential. As the Magic continue to take steps forward, Carter has cemented himself as a franchise cornerstone as they carve out a more auspicious horizon.
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Wendell Carter Jr. has made leaps across the board and is primed for more, foreshadowing a bright future for himself and the Magic.

Wendell Carter Jr.: Turning up his game and 'turning up Orlando'

In recent NBA Draft history, there's been a common theme with potential lottery picks &mdash; standing about 6-foot-6 with a near-7-foot wingspan, having an &ldquo;NBA-ready&rdquo; frame and being athletically gifted.
Those players often have all the natural gifts but, to some extent, lack the ball skills or jump shot to make a high-level impact on the offensive end early in their NBA careers. Nevertheless, the physical tools are usually too intriguing to pass up, which results in their eventual lottery selection.
The early careers of those players see their teams utilize them as athletic defenders who are deployed as cutters and drivers on offense, while their jump shot flashes potential, and offseasons are spent tightening their handle and tweaking their shot form. Sound familiar?
We&rsquo;ve seen the successes of Jaylen Brown, the struggles of Stanley Johnson and the work-in-progress of Isaac Okoro.&nbsp;While his physical measurements may fit the previously stated description, Adrian Griffin Jr. &mdash; a.k.a. AJ &mdash; is creating his own narrative.
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The Duke Blue Devils' freshman is averaging 10.4 points and 3.8 rebounds on 50.2% from the field and 46.7% (!) from three going into the NCAA Tournament. Griffin was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, but missed most of his junior and senior seasons with injury. He also began his first year at Duke with a knee sprain, which set him back at the start of the season.
After a limited first four games of the season, Griffin played his first 20-plus-minute contest against Lafayette that prompted his rise back up draft boards, finishing with 18 points on 70.0% from the field and 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Although the following three games resulted in limited minutes for AJ, the South Carolina State matchup once again reminded scouts of how high-level a draft prospect he is; Griffin had a 19-point, 7-for-8 showing.
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From then on, Griffin&rsquo;s minutes increased, as it seemed he was getting stronger and more comfortable on the court post-injury. The freshman had notable road performances at Wake Forest (22 points, 8 of 11 FG), Louisville (22 points, 8 of 11 FG, 5 of 5 from three) and North Carolina (season-high 27 points, 11 of 17 FG) that secured Duke major wins in the ACC.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s so interesting about Griffin as a prospect is the fact that his athleticism was his calling card in high school, yet he hasn&rsquo;t been reliant on it to be successful in college. He&rsquo;s found success with his impressive shooting outings. When watching him shoot the ball, his wide base is a bit unorthodox, but the top of his release is fluid, and you can&rsquo;t argue with the results. If Griffin faces a hard close out, he utilizes side steps, step backs and various dribble combinations to freeze his defender or create enough space to get off a smooth release.
When run off the three-point line, Griffin has flashed an ability to get into the mid-range and convert. He finishes around the basket well because of his strength, but may leave something to be desired considering the athletic pedigree he had in high school. This could be a result of his injury history but, a 58.0% field goal percentage around the rim (per InStat) could provide confidence that, as he gets stronger, he&rsquo;ll continue to improve his ability to finish against NBA defenders.
At this point, Griffin has a strong foundation as a prospect that profiles as a powerful and versatile wing with the potential to comfortably score the ball on all three levels. He has a solid handle that continues to improve, and upside as a long-armed defender who projects to guard 2-through-4.
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It&rsquo;s no surprise that NBA scouts never hesitated after Griffin&rsquo;s slow start, even if injuries will remain a question mark. BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock never lost sight of Griffin&rsquo;s major upside, and provided his thoughts on the Blue Devils swingman as we enter the NCAA Tournament:
<blockquote>
I saw Duke on opening night at Madison Square Garden when they played Kentucky. Griffin scored 2 points in 11 minutes. Then I saw Duke again a few weeks later in Las Vegas when they played Gonzaga. He didn't even score in that game and only played 6 minutes. To say that he started the season off slow would be an understatement. Despite Griffin's lack of production or playing time, I was able to watch him work out before both of those games. The combination of his physical profile and shooting ability was undeniable. I knew it was just a matter of time before it clicked for Griffin, but I was beginning to question if he would be able to get things rolling in time to enter the 2022 NBA Draft. But then, it clicked, and although he's been a little up-and-down.
He's put together some huge games where he has shot the ball incredibly well. He also can create his own shot as he has a sweet step-back move. Although Griffin's freshman season has been a roller coaster, he has established himself as a likely lottery pick in this upcoming NBA Draft. We currently have him ranked No. 7 on the BasketballNews.com 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
</blockquote>
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Tournament Outlook
March Madness is a time where the best players can shine the brightest, and there have been times this season where Griffin has been the most impressive player on the floor for the very talented Blue Devils. If Duke is going to make a deep run in this year&rsquo;s tournament, the team's going to continue to need Griffin&rsquo;s floor-spacing to shoot them into games &mdash; or to put games out of reach.
With the added context that this will be Mike Krzyzewski's final March Madness, there will be a heightened pressure on the Blue Devils to produce a strong run for Coach K. This tournament is also going to be important for Griffin to solidify his draft positioning, as he did end the ACC Tournament championship with his worst volume-shooting performance of the season in a loss to Virginia Tech (10 points, 1 of 8 from three). Duke&rsquo;s potential matchup against Michigan State in the second round could be a game to watch, as Griffin may line up against the Spartans&rsquo; rangy wings in Gabe Brown and fellow freshman Max Christie.&nbsp;
Griffin&rsquo;s quiet start to the year hasn&rsquo;t matched how important he became to Duke this year.
But on the game's biggest stage, Griffin is preparing for his grand crescendo.
AJ Griffin is currently ranked No. 7 on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
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Blake Hairston analyzes how important AJ Griffin has become for Duke this season and why he's risen up 2022 NBA Draft boards.

2022 NBA Draft: Pre-NCAA Tourney look at Duke's AJ Griffin

March Madness is underway!
Across the country, teams are competing in conference tournaments and trying to punch their ticket for the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is almost here, and then the tourney starts next Tuesday.
If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down on Thursday.
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Games of the Day
Indiana def. Michigan 74-69 &mdash; B1G Second Round
With 11:03 remaining, Michigan led 60-43 and appeared to be in complete control. The Hoosiers would go on a 20-2 run and took the life right out of the Wolverines, completing the comeback by winning 74-69. Trayce Jackson-Davis led all players with 24 points and 4 blocks in a stunner. Indiana faces No. 1 Illinois next.
Texas A&amp;M def. Florida 83-80 in OT &mdash; SEC Second Round
This one was wild. The Aggies dominated all afternoon and held a 9-point lead with 1:07 to play, but the Gators went on a 12-3 run of the next 50 seconds to tie it at 70-70, forcing the game into overtime. They stayed deadlocked at 78-78 with 1:10 left in overtime when Hassan Diarra hit a triple with one second on the clock to win 83-80. A huge win for a true Bubble Team in A&amp;M.
Arizona def. Stanford 84-80 &mdash; Pac-12 Quarterfinals
The largest lead either way today was 7 points &mdash; in a game where Stanford was given a whopping 5% chance of victory. The Cardinal took a 75-74 lead with just over three minutes to go, but the Wildcats had answers. Kerr Kriisa exiting with injury is important to monitor, but Christian Koloko led the team with 24 points as Arizona survives and advances.
Miami (FL) def. Boston College 71-69 in OT &mdash; ACC Quarterfinals
Kam McGusty led the Canes with 16 points in the nail-biter, as they avoided the upset in overtime. Only one basket was scored in the final 2:30 of the contest &mdash; a Jordan Miller layup that sealed the deal. A big save by Miami.&nbsp;
Villanova def. St. John&rsquo;s 66-65 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
The Red Storm let a 17-point second half lead slip away to end their season. Villanova was carried by its starting five, with only 7 points coming from the bench unit. Caleb Daniels led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Justin Moore added 15 points of his own.&nbsp;
Toledo def. Central Michigan 72-71 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
In a game where the largest lead was 7 points for each team, Toledo held on for the 1-point win. Harrison Henderson scored with 20 seconds remaining to make it 71-70 Central Michigan, but a RayJ Dennis layup with 10 seconds left would seal the deal. Setric Milner Jr. led the way with 22 points for the Rockets. It's a big win for Toledo who currently projects a No. 13 seed.
Providence def. Butler 65-61 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
This one was back-and-forth from the tip, as the teams traded leads the entire contest. Tied at 55 with 3:06 remaining, Simas Lukosius hit a big pair of free throws for Butler to take the lead, but Al Durham hit a huge triple with 43 seconds to go for the Friars to take a 61-59 lead. Durham would follow with a dunk at the end of the game to seal the deal at 65-61. Despite the loss, it was a hard-fought game by the Bulldogs.&nbsp;
Wyoming def. UNLV 59-56 &mdash; Mountain West Quarterfinals
The Cowboys held a 9-point lead in the second half, but allowed the Rebels to fight their way back into it. Xavier DuSell hit a huge three with 30 seconds, and then, Brendan Wenzel iced the game with a pair of free throws. A great game from UNLV&rsquo;s Bryce Hamilton comes up just short.&nbsp;
Akron def. Buffalo 70-68 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
This was a fight from start to finish. Led by Ali Ali&rsquo;s 19-point effort and a pair of Greg Tribble free throws with four seconds remaining, the Zips survive and advance. They will face No. 1 seed Toledo on Friday afternoon in the MAC semis.
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The Upsets, the Madness
Oklahoma def. Baylor 72-67 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Sooners took the lead with 11:51 to play and never gave it back. With a balanced offensive attack of five players in double-digits, Oklahoma shocked the Bears. Jacob Groves led the way with 15 points, while Marvin Johnson provided 12 off the bench.&nbsp;
Vanderbilt def. Alabama 82-76 &mdash; SEC Second Round
Bama led by 10 points at the break but Scotty Pippen Jr. and Co. had other plans. Vandy roared back to take a 68-67 lead with 4:26 to play, and was able to hold the Crimson Tide off the rest of the way. Jordan Wright hit a pair of free throws late to ice the game, and the Commodores advance. Pippen Jr. ended with 26 points and 7 assists.
TCU def. Texas 65-60 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Horned Frogs had a win probability of 29.3% entering this one, and that&rsquo;s all they needed. After being down 40-20 in the first half, TCU did a complete 180 and outscored the Longhorns 45-20 the rest of the way. Mike Miles and Co. are setting themselves up well, and will take on the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 semis.
Penn State def. Ohio State 71-68 &mdash; Big Ten Second Round
The Nittany Lions were given a 24.2% chance of winning today, and they did just that behind Sam Sessoms' 18 points off the bench. Jalen Pickett also had a huge game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Penn State moves on to play No. 3 Purdue.&nbsp;
Grambling def. Southern 60-58 &mdash; SWAC Quarterfinals
Led by Tra&rsquo;Michael Moton&rsquo;s 12 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, Grambling took the lead with 10 minutes left in the game and never gave it back. The Tigers will face Texas Southern next.&nbsp;
Tulsa def. Wichita State 73-67 &mdash; American First Round
The Golden Hurricane had four players with 10 or more points, including two with at least 20. After an 11-19 season, this was a nice win for Tulsa as it tries to make a late push in the conference. Tulsa will move on to face No. 2 SMU.&nbsp;
Portland State def. Southern Utah 77-65 &mdash; Big Sky Quarterfinals
The Vikings entered this game under .500 on the season, but put up 77 points on 51.9% shooting from the floor. They held Southern Utah to a lowly 36.8% from the floor and are able to advance.
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Standout Performers
Noah Fernandes (UMass): 29 points, 7 assists
Spencer Jones (Stanford): 28 points, 8 rebounds
Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse): 28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Grant Sherfield (Nevada): 25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
Joel Murray (Long Beach State): 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana): 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 10-17 FG
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
Nate Watson (Providence): 26 points, 7 rebounds, 9-14 FG
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt): 26 points, 7 assists
Tristen Newton (East Carolina): 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists
Jordan Walker (UAB): 26 points, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Dillon Jones (Weber State): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Prentiss Hubb (Notre Dame): 23 points, 5 assists
Zyon Pullin (UC Riverside):&nbsp;23 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
Amadou Sow (UC Santa Barbara): 21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Bryce Hamilton (UNLV): 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Mahki Morris (Abilene Christian): 22 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Chuba Ohams (Fordham): 20 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals
Darien Jackson (Tulsa): 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Brady Manek (UNC): 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Malique Jacobs (Kent State): 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Kowacie Reeves (Florida): 21 points, 6 rebounds
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2022 NBA Draft: Prospect Watch&nbsp;
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Tari Eason (LSU): 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Justin Lewis (Marquette): 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas): 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Trevor Keels (Duke): 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Jabari Walker (Colorado): 18 points, 16 rebounds
Iverson Molinar (Miss. State): 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Collin Gillespie (Villanova): 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
David Roddy (Colorado State): 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
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March Madness is underway! If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down during Thursday's games.

March Madness: Conference tournament Thursday recap

Coaching in the NBA has an infinite number of aspects.
From scheduling practice to maintaining travel routines to managing numerous personality types throughout the staff and team to drawing up defensive schemes, team-specific game plans and a plethora of offensive sets, a lot goes into it.
On top of all that, there's also deciding on rotations that work for everybody.
Rotations are an ideal. If everything goes right in this game, this is how I want to sub and play this team. They are trying to balance minutes and rest; it is just a plan. But plans can change depending on each particular game, such as flow and the magnitude of the deficit or lead at any certain point.&nbsp;
That brings us to the biggest rotation killer: Fouls.
Fouls present a conundrum for each and every coach. Do you sit the player who's in "foul trouble" to protect him/her from picking up another foul too soon? Or do you allow the player to remain on the court and hope that he/she can defend without fouling to preserve your set rotation?
The theory of protecting players is this:&nbsp;If I leave this player in, he/she may foul out and be unavailable for the end of the game when I need him/her most. Therefore, I will pull the player out of the game to protect him/her from another foul, so they are available down the stretch.
(On this episode of "Mythbusters" ...)
The theory is valid... until it's not.
Here are three scenarios where this strategy has bitten NBA coaches in the behind, all of which have played out since the beginning of 2022.
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Case Study No. 1 
LaMelo Ball vs. Memphis (2/12/22)
LaMelo Ball is easily the most important player for the Charlotte Hornets on offense. His defensive shortcomings are excused by his ability to lead a team on the other side of the ball. Not having him in the game would most likely be a disaster for Hornets head coach James Borrego.
Charlotte was getting run out of the gym against the Memphis Grizzlies in this specific contest when Ball picked up his fourth foul with 10:32 remaining in the third quarter. Memphis was up 78-45, and Borrego opted to leave LaMelo in the game.
The Hornets ended up cutting into that 33-point lead, bringing the game within 24, when Ball picked up his fifth foul with 7:18 remaining in the third quarter. He remained in the game, hitting two free throws, for another 23 seconds of game play. His team was +11 since picking up his fourth foul.
The theory of protection would dictate that Ball should return anywhere from four-to-six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Coach Borrego decided to start Ball in the fourth quarter. He played every minute, did not foul out and the Hornets were +25 since his fourth foul, cutting a 33-point deficit down to a seven-point loss.&nbsp;
Granted the massive point differential probably made this an easier decision, but the point remains. He played more than 12 minutes without fouling out, and his floor time was not in garbage minutes, as his Hornets were fighting their way back.&nbsp;
Case Study No. 2 
Pascal Siakam v. Brooklyn (3/1/22)
Pascal Siakam has been on an absolute tear during the second half of the season for the Toronto Raptors. He is another player of extreme value for his team, and arguably Toronto's best player alongside Fred VanVleet. He is a two-way player who maintains a positive defensive plus-minus despite a large usage rate north of 25%.&nbsp;
With his team down 89-81 at the 10:51 mark in the fourth quarter, Siakam picked up his fifth foul; a pivotal decision was coming for Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. Could Toronto survive a six-minute stretch without one of their stars? Or was it time to roll the dice and get as much out of Siakam as possible?
The Nets were in the middle of a 10-4 run, so Nurse determined that having Siakam in the game right then was more important than saving him for the final four minutes. After all, had the run continued, the final four minutes would not have mattered, and protecting Pascal would not be protecting the team.&nbsp;
With 2:40 remaining in the game, Siakam fouled out, but his team had a four-point lead (100-96). In those eight minutes, Siakam contributed 2 points, 2 rebounds and an assist &mdash; but more importantly, his defense helped his team go on a 19-7 run. Although he fouled out in clutch time, the decision to leave Siakam on the floor had a direct impact to Toronto's eventual one-point victory over the Nets.&nbsp;
Case Study No. 3 
Jaren Jackson Jr. vs. Houston (3/6/22)
The NBA leader in stocks (steals and blocks) is Jaren Jackson Jr., and he's currently the defensive anchor of the team with the third-best record in the NBA. His presence on the back-end blocking shots &mdash; as well as his ability to switch and guard on the perimeter &mdash; has made him the most important defensive player for the Grizzlies.
Jackson's season has truly been an outbreak defensively, as he is well on his way to an All-Defensive Team honor; part of that has been his ability to stay on the floor due to cutting down on fouls. Yes, he is second in the NBA in total fouls, but his improvement compared to his past seasons should scream how maddeningly frustrating his defense was at the start of his young career.
He has blossomed. Jackson has described the timing of his block attempt, which takes an insane hyperfocus, as the biggest factor in his improvement. However, he is still prone to cluster-fouling at times. When he fouls, he fouls in bunches.
In Sunday's game, JJJ picked up his second foul at the 10:21 mark in the second quarter with the Grizzlies up, 36-31. Just over a minute later, he picked up his third foul and was subsequently subbed out with Memphis still up five, 41-36.
Memphis played well against the lowly Houston Rockets the remainder of the second quarter, taking a 10-point lead into the locker room at halftime. When the Grizzlies returned to the floor, Jackson was on the court for a brief two minutes before picking up his fourth foul and being yanked out again.&nbsp;
When he was put back into the game with three-tenths of a second remaining in the third, Memphis had surrendered its lead, trailing 92-90. He remained in the lineup upon the start of the fourth quarter only to be pulled at the 9:39 mark, as Memphis was still down 96-99.&nbsp;
Jackson, carrying five fouls, never saw the floor again. The Rockets would score 24 points in the final nine minutes of the contest, including 14 in the paint.
The Grizzlies held the second-best record in the NBA heading into this game, only to lose to the worst team in the Western Conference. Defensively, they could not get a stop, and Jackson's absence had a direct impact on that. Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins opted to protect JJJ from a sixth foul, so that when the game mattered in the end, he could have him.&nbsp;
This result has deemed Coach Jenkins' decision quite the foolish one. Sometimes, the game matters before the final four minutes. Sometimes, you have to roll the dice and either let the player foul out or hope the player defends without fouling. Either way, this crucial decision within a game is one of the many chess moves that a coach is responsible for.&nbsp;
In the end, I would argue that "protecting players" is a passive chess move that often leads to defeat. Sure, JJJ could have picked up his sixth foul within the next minute or two... or, he could have remained on the floor as an impact player and altered the course of the game.
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Justin Lewis argues against keeping players out when they're in foul trouble and why it can be costly.

Why protecting players from foul trouble is a mythical strategy

Haven't you heard? The Philadelphia 76ers are running roughshod over the NBA.
They're 3-0 since James Harden's debut, with a pair of wins over the New York Knicks and an opening dub against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Quibble about the competition level if you'd like, but the early returns are hard to ignore. Harden's on-ball brilliance has made life easier for his Cameroonian pal &mdash; and the inverse is true &mdash; while also slotting Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris into beat-the-tilted-defense roles.
The wildcard has always been Matisse Thybulle. He's earned his keep as a defensive menace &mdash; a jumpy lad with the ability to teleport whenever a pass or shot attempt is near. But he's been a ghastly offensive player throughout his career. He doesn't run ball-screens and isn't an isolation or post threat, and his perimeter shooting has given enemies the leeway to Tony Allen him off the ball.&nbsp;
The push-and-pull of his minutes &mdash; we need that defense, but good lord does he give opposing defenses an easy help outlet &mdash; has been, and is a story to track with the Sixers. Luckily, the early returns have been good on that too.
Thybulle is averaging 9.7 points during the Harden era, a modest number until you realize that the 29 points he's scored in this stretch is the second-best three-game mark of his season.&nbsp;
He's drilled nearly 38% of his threes (3 of 8), which is cool, but not nearly enough to shift how defenses refuse to guard him. What I've appreciated during this small sample, is how he's made himself useful &mdash; or if we want to give ol' Glenn credit, how the Sixers have used Thybulle &mdash; beyond three-point shooting.
Thybulle is doing his own work as a cutter. Whether it's 45 cuts from the slot, darts from the corner or roaming around the dunker spot (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscribe!</a>), Thybulle has made defenses pay for diverting their attention elsewhere.&nbsp;
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(Brief aside: I remain on the hill that cutting is a form of shot creation. It requires a read, it requires timing, it requires spatial awareness. I get that it takes two &mdash; which is why on-ball creation is more valuable &mdash; but there's something to be said about seeing space for the taking and, well, taking it.)
The real funky stuff is what Thybulle has done as a screener. Teams have toggled between hiding weak defenders or elite off-ball guys (wings or bigs) on Thybulle in an act of safety (weaker defenders) or cruelty (using elite roamers to muck up actions elsewhere).
To the former point, Thybulle's willingness to screen &mdash; and growing comfort as a roller or slip artist &mdash; is becoming a weapon. Harden has no trouble calling Thybulle into the fray to force a switch; Thybulle is beginning to learn the cadence of slipping in case the defense cracks.
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In terms of set pieces, the Sixers have been shredding teams with Chicago action &mdash; a pindown that flows into a handoff. If you want to get even more granular, they've been going with a variation of Chicago action &mdash; expertly dubbed <a href="https://halfcourthoops.substack.com/p/doc-rivers-steals-a-set-for-james?utm_source=url&amp;s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Delay Turn Chicago"</a> by Gibson Pyper (<a href="https://twitter.com/HalfCourtHoops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HalfCourtHoops</a>) &mdash; to get the Harden/Embiid two-man game going.
Thybulle is the "Turn" piece in this action, as his abrupt flip-and-screen kicks off the set.
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It's been three games, and it's a small sample, but the Sixers are scoring 1.88 points per possession on trips featuring a Thybulle screen per Second Spectrum. The Sixers also have a 128.6 Offensive Rating with the Harden-Embiid-Thybulle trio on the floor, <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612755&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=201935,203954,1629680&amp;OnlyCommonGames=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per PBP Stats</a>.
Yes, you read those numbers correctly.
As long as Thybulle can make lemonade (effective screens, timely cuts) out of his lemons (poor shooting, lack of ball skills), he'll slot in just nicely in this offense. And if he can find a role on offense, he'll definitely make his money on the defensive end.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the ways Matisse Thybulle is making an impact on offense in Philadelphia since the big trade.

Making the cut: 76ers' creativity elevating Matisse Thybulle's offense

Every day, we take certain things for granted. We fail to consider what life would be like without these items. A lot of humanity even does this with the loyal, dependable people in their lives.&nbsp;
In the lives of the Memphis Grizzlies, Tyus Jones is that constant. His teammates and coaching staff surely appreciate him, but outside of the organization, he is often overlooked and underappreciated.&nbsp;
There are 30 starting point guards in the NBA, and Tyus is a top-30 point guard playing behind a top-two player at his position.&nbsp;To understand just how good Jones has been this season, let's see how he stacks up to other guards who have played 30+ games while averaging at least 20 minutes.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Jones is in the 92nd percentile in assist percentage, which is the percentage of made shots by his teammates that come from an assist by Tyus (28.4%). He is in the 94th percentile in turnover percentage, turning it over just 7.7% of the time he has the ball. Finally, he is in the 95th percentile in assist:usage rate, which is how often he gets an assist when the ball is in his hand.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; His assist percentage is 17th amongst NBA point guards and second only behind Ricky Rubio off the bench. For anyone who has not been paying attention, Tyus is leading the NBA, again, in assist-to-turnover ratio at an absurd 6:1 rate. The second closest is Chris Paul at 4.5:1.&nbsp;
Even more absurd is the fact that Jones is 10th amongst qualifying point guards in the Player Impact Estimate on NBA.com. PIE is simply a measure, considering most box-score components, to determine a player's impact on a game. He's not 10th amongst bench guards, he is 10th amongst all point guards in the NBA.&nbsp;
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While Jones is known for his intense care of the basketball, the aspect of his game that is most important for Memphis and that goes largely unnoticed is his ability to hit the floater. Among guards in the NBA who attempt at least one shot per game in the five-to-nine-foot range (floater territory) Jones ranks fifth amongst qualifying players in shooting percentage (50.7%), only trailing Paul, Jalen Brunson, Darius Garland and Derrick Rose.
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Part of Jones' value is his ability to keep the ship steady when Ja Morant is off the floor for rest, or not playing at all due to injury. Jones stepped in for an injured Morant against the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 15 to the tune of 27 points and nine assists.&nbsp;
In this clip, Tyus and Steven Adams run a side pick-and-roll with Adams slipping the screen and Jones hitting him with a pocket pass for the assist.&nbsp;
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Later in the game, Jones and Adams are back in the side pick-and-roll, but this time Jones takes the screen for one of his patented floaters.
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Here the Grizzlies get in a Horns set, which often sees the point guard go off Jaren Jackson Jr.'s screen while Jaren flares out for a three. This time, Tyus comes off Adams' screen and, due to his ability to hit in the paint and the threat of Adams as a roller, Jones is able to find Ziaire Williams in the corner for a three.
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Later in the first half, the Grizzlies get into another Horns set, but this time Tyus catches Jonas Valanciunas too deep in his drop coverage. The help defense is hesitant to help off of Williams in the corner, giving Tyus enough of a window to hit a mid-range jumper.
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Jones is the type of player that every team would like to have. He shares the ball, plays within himself and rarely hurts the team. He is consistent and always reliable for Memphis.&nbsp;
He is also in the final year of his first free-agent contract, and both Memphis and Jones will have a decision to make this offseason. Is there a market for Jones to be a starter, if that's even something he desires? In Memphis, a lot of the talk is about the vibes, and Tyus is a massive part of that. Would he take a little less to stay with this growing Memphis team, or is he seeking a pay day and a starting job for a team likely worse than the Grizzlies?
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Justin Lewis writes on the consistent play that Tyus Jones brings to the Grizzlies, and why he should not be taken for granted.

The steadiness of Tyus Jones

I'd like to get a quick thought off my chest.
Why do we dub the post-All-Star break games as the second half of the NBA season? It's an 82-game season, and every team in the league has played north of 50 games. That's simply not how math works?
Anyway, we&nbsp;are ramping up for the postseason push. As such, most of the storylines will center around the top of each conference. Contender talk, flaws, favorable matchups, buyout targets &mdash; all that Jazz.
We'll focus in on the Play-In races. As of now, the Washington WIzards (0.5 games back) and New York Knicks (3.5) are a mini-run away from overtaking the 10th-seeded Atlanta Hawks (or No. 9 Charlotte Hornets) in the Eastern Conference. The San Antonio Spurs (2.0), New Orleans Pelicans (2.0) and Sacramento Kings (3.5) are all within striking distance of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The teams at the bottom &mdash; firmly outside of the Play-In race, likely to jostle for better lottery odds &mdash; are going to get lost in the grand scheme of things. I get it from a "winning matters/is more fun" perspective, but you'll miss a lot of cool things if you completely disregard those teams.
Remember, for example, that Darius Garland averaged 18.8 points and 6.3 assists with a 57.0% True Shooting percentage after the All-Star break last season before getting shut down. The hints of his growth &mdash; slick interior feeds and a more aggressive trigger from deep (40.4% on 5.4 attempts vs. 38.4% on 4.5 attempts before the break) &mdash; were present if you peeped those games.
Related: We just watched him in&nbsp;the All-Star game.
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Every team at the bottom doesn't have an All-Star in waiting, but this is my plea to keep an eye on them. I'm here to give you a brief guide.
INDIANA PACERS &mdash; TYRESE HALIBURTON'S ON-BALL GROWTH
Haliburton serving as the blue-chipper to bring Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento wasn't on my bingo card. The early returns have led to super-charged offenses on both sides, so I'm not sure either team is too upset right now.
On the Haliburton front, he's enjoyed a near-unquestioned run as a primary ball-handler. He's averaging 20.8 points (.519/.452/.813 shooting splits) and 11.0 assists (3.5 turnovers) through his first four games as a Pacer, but even that undersells it a bit.
He has completely transformed how the Pacers play; their pace with Haliburton on the floor is roughly four possessions faster than their regular-season mark (97.95, 20th). You have to take that with a grain of salt &mdash; it's been a four-game sample &mdash; but watching this team blaze up the floor after misses&nbsp;and&nbsp;makes has been a startling shift.
The heightened pace makes it a little easier for Haliburton create advantages. Against an unset defense, he's able to manipulate his defender into screens, and reads second- and third-level defenders with ease. He's a darn&nbsp;good passer, and his ability to shoot off the dribble &mdash; he's <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1630169/shots-dash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">converting north of 40%</a> of his pull-up twos (44.1%) and&nbsp;threes (41.7%) this season &mdash; makes him a pretty dynamic weapon.
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There are some areas of growth present though. He's not particularly bursty, so he does occasionally require a re-screen (or two, or three) against top-notch defenders. His shooting has gotten good enough to where ducking under probably isn't a good idea; he still has some questions to answer against switches though.
Beyond that, keep an eye on how consistently Haliburton accesses the paint. His film is (still) littered with reps where he'll come off the screen and find an outlet once he reaches the free-throw line, versus taking an extra dribble or two in order to engage the big.
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STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>Isaiah Jackson seems fun! He's already a dynamic roller and pairs well with Haliburton; the very, very early returns have been good &mdash; a whopping 1.4 points per possession on direct hookups, per Second Spectrum.</li>
<li>Buddy Hield is averaging 5.0 assists (1.8 turnovers) since becoming a Pacer. And this isn't of the "find a guy in transition" or "pass it to an open guy as part of a set play" variety. He's making, like, live-dribble reads. If that proves real, we need to start rethinking his offensive value (and how he fits a contender).</li>
<li>As someone who genuinely wasn't familiar of him until a couple of weeks ago, I want to see more of Terry Taylor. He's 6-foot-5 and stocky, and has averaged 13.6 points and 9.5 rebounds (!) since joining the regular rotation nine games ago.</li>
</ul>
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER &mdash; TRE MANN'S SHOT CREATION
Tre Mann is fun.
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No, I mean&nbsp;really&nbsp;fun.&nbsp;
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You generally don't get this blend of ball-handling, shooting touch and footwork from a rookie guard. It's easy to get caught up in the aesthetic of this kind of shot creation, but I'm keeping an eye on it.
His shot profile is already wild. To this point, only 69.4% of his threes and 24.7% of his twos have been assisted on. It makes his overall three-point percentage (36.5%) a little more impressive; it also makes his two-point percentage (39.9%) wildly concerning. But hey, I'm interested in seeing if he can leverage his pull-up shooting into cleaner driving lanes.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>He's overqualified for the stray thoughts section, but good lord is Josh Giddey good. Similar to Haliburton, how intentional he is about generating paint touches vs. early kick-outs is going to be key to his development as a high-level initiator. The fact that's been able to create (and rack up triple-doubles) to this degree with that question mark is a testament to how good he is.</li>
<li>Hey, the Thunder have the third best half-court defense in the NBA in 2022. My pal Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently wrote about it</a>. Let's see if it holds after the break.</li>
<li>I just... don't want Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shut down for the year like he was last season. I hope we see plenty of him, provided the ankle sprain isn't too severe. Provided he plays, have fun laughing at his weird drives and hope the jumper comes around. He's your "Garland to watch for" in this exercise.</li>
</ul>
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HOUSTON ROCKETS &mdash; KEVIN PORTER JR.'S PG EXPERIMENT
Porter's transition to point guard was something I wrote about as part of my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/something-to-prove-kevin-porter-jr-at-point-guard-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Something To Prove</a> series before the year. It's worth checking in on that.
First 13 games: 13.2 points (.375/.301/.644 shooting splits), 5.2 assists (4.4 turnovers)
Next 13 games: 11.6 points (.344/.360/.556), 6.5 assists (3.4 turnovers)
Last 13 games: 16.6 points (.481/.477/.600), 6.9 assists (2.8 turnovers)
Two quick things on that.&nbsp;
For starters, that second section of games is pretty split up due to him being in and out of the lineup. A poor roster context, plus inconsistent burn (in a new role!), is going to lead to some shoddy play.
Second, look at the relationship between assists and turnovers! The dimes are up, the giveaways are down. Beyond the numbers, you could see the gradual progression of Porter's processing.
The simpler reads were (and are) being made more quickly. He isn't as interior-focused, as he's gotten more reps reading the second level. Nearly 46% of Porter's assists have come via threes this season, way up from his 35.6% clip last year.
He's finally looking for the corners! About 14% of his assisted threes came from the corner in his first two seasons; that's up to 22.7% this year.
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Hopefully Porter is able to stay healthy so he can continue to get these reps. Even if he doesn't prove to be point guard material, this experience should make him deadlier in a secondary role moving forward.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>Keep an eye on Jalen Green's progress as a downhill threat. A larger share of his shots have come at the rim since the turn of the year (34% in 2021, 42% so far in 2022, per Cleaning The Glass). His turnover rate on drives has been cut in half (14.1% to 7.0%)... but he's also passing at a less-frequent rate on drives (41.1% to 31%) during the same time period. It's gonna be fun watching him find that balance.</li>
<li>Can Stephen Silas find a way to supplement the Christian Wood/Alperen Sengun frontcourt he's been running with lately? The early returns haven't been great (minus-12.9 Net Rating in 523 possessions, per Cleaning The Glass). The most used trio around that pairing &mdash; Porter, Green and Jae'Sean Tate &mdash; has a pretty solid defense (108.1 DRTG) and a ghastly offense (96.0 ORTG) in 126 possessions. Keep an eye on this group with Garrison Mathews in place of Tate; it's only 25 possessions, but there *are* positive (plus-10.1) returns.</li>
<li>KJ Martin is fun, man. I'd just like to see him get more burn so we can see if the jumper is real. If he isn't the best weak-side rim-protector under 6-6 in the league, he has to be top-five.</li>
</ul>
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DETROIT PISTONS &mdash; CADE CUNNINGHAM'S FREE THROWS
Stop me if you've seen this scene play out.
Cade Cunningham runs a high ball-screen. His defender either gets caught on the pick, or tries to duck under, but fails to cut off the driving angle. Cunningham gains inside leverage, absorbs a blow, puts up a shot that rolls off the rim, and the play goes the other way.
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There are <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;sort=DRIVE_FTA&amp;dir=-1&amp;CF=DRIVES*GE*10:DRIVE_FGA*GE*5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">32 players</a> currently averaging at least 10 drives and 5 field-goal attempts on drives. Cunningham's 1.2 free-throw attempts via drive rank 25th; the players below him on the list:
1) Are point guards, with the exception of Tyler Herro (1.1 FTA)&nbsp;
2) Average fewer attempts at the rim than Cunningham does.
Cunningham has had to figure out how to win with drives &mdash; the pace + bump + shoulder nudge seems to be his ideal method of madness. But now he's up against the "rookies don't deserve calls" thing. It's as hilarious (for non-Piston fans) as it is perplexing when watching live.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>It should be noted that Saddiq Bey is averaging 18-5-3 while shooting 37.4% from three on 8.4 attempts in 2022. He's absolutely&nbsp;flinging&nbsp;it and mixing in post-ups against smaller guys. Teams are very &mdash; almost disrespectfully &mdash; comfortable with switching against the Pistons since they don't have pure blow-by or deadly pull-up threats right now. That's led to a lot of mismatch hunting, and thus, Bey getting to put his shoulder into people. It makes for a rough watch at times, but the reps should matter down the road</li>
<li>Will Isaiah Stewart get back to shooting? Please? At least try it? Me and my homies miss second-half-of-2021 Beef Stew.</li>
<li>Killian Hayes is a good defender, darn it. Don't sell all your stock on him yet.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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ORLANDO MAGIC &mdash; DOUBLE BIG LINEUP
This possession is going to live in my head for a long time.
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This is the Magic attempting to use their talented big-man duo of Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba together. It's a Double Drag look that flows into another screening action for Bamba to shoot off of.
In theory, opposing bigs should have trouble tracking across screens. It should be a unique way to stress defenses out. Instead, we get LUKA DONCIC playing DROP COVERAGE because he is not at all worried about the initial pop in Double Drag. Even with Doncic eventually fighting over and contesting the shot, the rest of the defense stays at home.
And this, my friends, is the center (you laughed, it's fine) of my intrigue with this group. Defensively, you see the upside. Two very good rim-protectors with enough mobility (especially in Carter's case) to switch up your schemes. Want to go back to the Chicago Bulls/Jim Boylen days trap with Carter? That's cool, because Bamba and his tree limbs are behind the action. Want to show Bamba high? That's cool, because Carter can clean up messes too.
The Magic are holding teams to 94.1 points per 100 half-court possessions with Carter and Bamba on the floor together, a mark that ranks in the 56th percentile. Their starting unit &mdash; Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Carter and Bamba &mdash; is holding teams to an 87.3 offensive rating in the half court, a ridiculous figure.
But then there's the half-court offense, which is awful in that lineup (83.1) and generally awful with those bigs on the floor together (88.5). While Bamba (34.4% on 3.7 attempts) and Carter (32.1% from 3.6 attempts) are willing shooters from deep, teams don't fear them. They're able to shrink the floor, which is a bit problematic considering Suggs' shooting woes and Anthony's size issue.
I want to see if they can figure the offense out, because they are a joy to watch defensively.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>On-Ball Franz has arguably been the most surprising development of this draft class; at the very least, it's the most suprising among rookies playing in the United States. He's a mean driver with plus-passing chops to boot.</li>
<li>You know who's still delightful? Robin Lopez and his array of sweeping hooks. Perfectly capable third big. I have no clue if he's going to get bought out, but he'll give you some low-post funk.</li>
<li>Aside from the shooting, keep an eye on Suggs defensively. I touched on it <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dont-forget-about-jalen-suggs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in an earlier piece</a>, but he's a few on-ball tricks-of-the-trade away from being a gnarly defender.</li>
</ul>
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Nekias Duncan gives a guide for what to watch for among the non-playoff teams during the second half of the season.

Views from the bottom: What to look forward to from NBA non-contenders

We've seen many claims for the East's best team this season.&nbsp;
The Bucks are last year's champions, and have won over 80% of their games when their Big Three (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton) is available this year.&nbsp;
The Nets, Bulls and Heat have all had runs as the East's top seed despite myriad injuries &mdash; and in the case of the Nets, vaccine &mdash; absences. Even now, Miami and Chicago have the same record (37-21), with the Heat holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.
We can't forget the Cavaliers, an upstart bunch that had the East's best net rating through December 31. The Sixers have the best win percentage (72%) in the East since Christmas; related, Joel Embiid is averaging a league-leading 33.1 points (63.1 True Shooting percentage), 11.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists during that stretch.
For those counting, that's six teams that have or had "we're-playing-better-than-anyone-in-the-conference" arguments this season. Since the turn of the calendar, the Boston Celtics have submitted a strong case to be the seventh.
The Celtics have a conference-best 17-6 record in 2022. Their plus-13.2 net rating doesn't just top the conference &mdash; it's nearly three points better than the Phoenix Suns for the league's top mark.
Their defense, both overall (100.4 defensive rating) and filtered for half-court situations (85.9), is roughly&nbsp;four&nbsp;points better than anyone else's this year. The offense, once maligned for its lack of movement and underwhelming shot profile, is hovering around the top 10 in 2022.
There are caveats to throw out if you want to discount some of their statistical dominance. Chief among them are the key absences some of their opponents have faced. And trust me, the irony of dropping this piece after they mollywhopped the Sixers by 48 without their new addition, James Harden, isn't lost on me.
To that I counter:
<ul>
<li>You can only play who's in front of you.</li>
<li>Surely we're not pretending this Celtics group has been a beacon of health.</li>
<li>Even if you concede that they've gotten some&nbsp;injury luck, particularly in early/mid January, there are still structural things to be excited about with this team.</li>
</ul>
This is why the East should be on notice.
THE JAYS ARE ROLLING
Kinda has to start here, right?&nbsp;
A large part of the offensive clunkiness has boiled down to these two. Jayson Tatum went the first couple months of the season missing more jumpers than an abandoned trampoline park. Jaylen Brown staked his claim as the best Celtic early on, but tunnel vision still happened to hit him at inopportune times.
It was an odd problem; both players were good enough to be the focal point of defensive game plans, and both struggled to lift the guys around them &mdash; including each other. The flashbulb moment came when Marcus Smart (more on him later) essentially called them out for <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32530325/marcus-smart-calls-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-pass-ball-celtics-lose-third-straight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not being willing ball-movers</a>.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
"Every team knows we're trying to go to Jayson and Jaylen," Smart said after the 128-114 loss to the Bulls. "Every team is programmed and studied to stop Jayson and Jaylen. I think everybody's scouting report is to make those guys pass the ball. They don't want to pass the ball."
</blockquote>
He did express optimism toward the end, capping his thoughts with this:
<blockquote>
"That's something that they're going to learn," Smart said. "They're still learning. We're proud of the progress they're making, but they're going to have to make another step and find ways to not only create for themselves but create for others on this team to open up the court for them later down in the game. It's something we've been asking them to do, and they're learning. We just gotta continue to help those guys do that to help our team."
</blockquote>
But the message was clear: we're not going to hit our level unless we can work together.
To that point, there's been a commitment to unselfishness by The Jays and&nbsp;a better environment being fostered by those around them. As my co-host Steve Jones Jr. has pointed out on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a>, the Celtics are doing a better job of leveraging their talents together to grease the wheels of the offense.
Sets like this have become more frequent.
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Smart sets <a href="https://medium.com/thebasketballactiondictionary/ram-13a8dc5f8f4e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a ram screen</a> for Al Horford, who then ghosts a screen for Tatum. With Julius Randle in a drop, that's a shot (or a pump-and-drive) for Horford if he wants it. Instead, the Celtics flow into an empty corner handoff with Brown to put further strain on the defense. RJ Barrett provides help at the nail, so Brown kicks it to Tatum. With Barrett off-balance on the recovery, Tatum is able to drive by and get a layup.
Another fave of mine: a Double Drag look with Brown or Tatum as the popper. Depending on the coverage, it either allows them to dictate a switch, or open up something with the roll man (Robert Williams III, Horford) since helping off of Tatum or Brown is typically a bad idea.
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Individually, we've seen passing growth from the Jays. Tatum is starting to thread the needle between being patient and decisive. He's slowing up enough to engage the big more in pick-and-roll, but firing darts outside if extra help appears. He's leading the Celtics in three-point assists (54) by a wide margin in 2022.
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For Brown, he's leveraging his scoring gravity to create open looks. He's more comfortable making interior reads right now &mdash; 51 two-point assists (34 at the rim), 35 three-point assists in 2022 &mdash; but that's okay. That his comfort and willingness (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/passing/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612738&amp;sort=POTENTIAL_AST&amp;dir=1&amp;DateTo=12%2F31%2F2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5.5 potential assists</a> through Dec.31, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/passing/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612738&amp;sort=POTENTIAL_AST&amp;dir=1&amp;DateFrom=01%2F01%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7.2 in 2022</a>) are growing is all that matters.
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THE GAP FILLERS
It would be one thing if Smart simply called for more ball movement earlier in the year. The (valid) criticism has aged well because he's taken more of that responsibility into his own hands.
He's done it in the traditional sense, using ball screens early in the clock to get downhill and get the defense scrambling. Smart has long been an underrated passer, so shifting him from off-ball spacer to tip of the spear has been productive.
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The Celtics are generating nearly 1.03 points per possession on trips that feature a Smart-led pick-and-roll in 2022 &mdash; a mark sandwiched between Devin Booker (1.03) and Darius Garland (1.01 PPP), per Second Spectrum.
What's fun is the inverse; that number rises to 1.23 (!!!) on possessions featuring Smart as a screener. That is the best mark in the NBA among 164 players that have set at least 75 picks this year. He's a rugged dude that can spring The Jays free or help them get mismatches, but he's also a good enough playmaker to make things click as a short-roll threat.
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Employing a similarly versatile skill set is newcomer Derrick White. The longtime Spur has fit in nicely so far, averaging 13-4-3 through three games as an overqualified sub.
He can kick off possessions with ball screens and create for himself or others. Off the ball, he can find cracks to attack as a cutter. He doesn't mind being used as a (ghost) screener.&nbsp;
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Robert Williams III has been a godsend for this Celtics group. He's their best athlete, making him a tremendous roll threat or offensive glass cleaner when he's locked in. Beyond that, Williams operates as a connector in Boston's half-court attack.
He isn't just a hand-it-off-to-the-top-dawg placeholder; the Celtics legitimately use him as a hub in Delay or Elbow sets. He's one of the league's best passers from the center position, opening the door for half-court randomness when necessary. And friends, the short-roll playmaking is coming along.
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Similar things can be said about Al Horford, sporting north of a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio since the year began. He toggles between roles: an elbow hub out of HORNS on one possession, a pick-and-popper on the next, then a pure spacer in the corner while his teammates get busy.&nbsp;
His on-ball usage has decreased as of late; after averaging <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612738&amp;sort=FRONT_CT_TOUCHES&amp;dir=1&amp;DateTo=12%2F31%2F2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly 12 more frontcourt touches</a> per game than Williams through December 31 (34.2 to 22.4), Williams has <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612738&amp;sort=FRONT_CT_TOUCHES&amp;dir=1&amp;DateFrom=01%2F01%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">usurped him in 2022</a> (26.1 to 25.8). But the beauty of Horford is that he can scale up when necessary.
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FLIPPING THE SWITCH
Alas, there's the defense &mdash; the lone constant of this group as they tried to find themselves.&nbsp;
To restate things from earlier, they have the best defense (100.4 defensive rating) by a wide margin in 2022. During this nine-game winning streak, that number has dropped to 95.5. If you want to go old school, they've held their opponents under 100 points in seven of their last nine games.
Scheme-wise, this is a switchy unit. They switch 26.9 picks per 100 possessions, the second-highest rate in the league behind the Miami Heat (27.2), per Second Spectrum. And on possessions featuring a Celtics switch in 2022, opponents are scoring just 79 points per 100 poss- SEVENTY-NINE POINTS PER 100 POSSESSIONS.
Between the Smart/Brown/Tatum triumvirate, the Celtics have three players who can defend up and down the positional scale. Horford has been surprisingly steady in space, and Williams has some fun tape in that regard. The other Williams, Grant, has been defending at a high level for most of the season too. Adding White to this group gives the Celtics a terrifying top-seven.
It's a unique blend of athleticism, length, strength and IQ. To the latter point, one of the joys of this team is watching them navigate mismatches. If, by some chance, you get them in a matchup they don't like, they're able to scram-switch their way out of it, or shrink the floor and dare you to beat them with skip passes.
Peep the early scram-switch here from Smart:
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Got the Payton Pritchard-on-Tobias Harris switch? No problem. You aren't getting a clean look.
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That's a pretty aggressive pinch on Harris, which highlights another strong suit of the Celtics: they absolutely strangle your half-court attack if you have a non-shooter on the perimeter.
Tatum is fine with helping at the nail because he doesn't fear Shake Milton from deep. White is tasked with "splitting the difference" between Milton and Matisse Thybulle, but sinks to pick up Paul Reed once Daniel Theis leaves to contest the shot because Thybulle doesn't scare anyone either.
Both Tatum and Smart thrive as off-ball roamers if they're "defending" a non-shooter. As The Ringer's <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin O'Connor</a> pointed out <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/2/14/22932897/james-harden-ben-simmons-trade-76ers-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a recent piece</a>, they've experimented with Williams III doing the same thing.
This is a team that keeps the initial action in front. If it isn't a switch, they're going to be in drop. They've blitzed 13 screens in 2022, the lowest figure in the NBA. If they're going to send an extra guy to the ball, they're going to do it on their terms.
There are things to keep an eye on with this Celtics team. The ball and body movement has improved, but you won't confuse their half-court attack with the Suns'. Things can still bog down for them in fourth quarters.
Zooming out, the Celtics aren't stocked with great shooters. If all else fails, opponents can still attempt to muck things up for the Jays and dare The Others &mdash; Smart, White, WIlliams, Horford &mdash; to beat them from deep.
But for now, this a team that's humming &mdash; figuring things out offensively and restricting airspace defensively. Ultimately, they're a team other East contenders should start keeping tabs on.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the Boston Celtics' hot run in 2022, and why they've been so effective on both ends.

The Celtics are humming, and East contenders should keep tabs on them

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/suns-eclipse-warriors-for-the-top-spot-in-nba-power-rankings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
Golden State leapfrogs Phoenix to once again ascend to the top of the BasketballNews.com Power Rankings, while the Memphis Grizzlies continue to creep their way into the league's upper echelon this season. &nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (27-6) ⬆️ Last Week: 2
The Warriors beat the Suns on Saturday in a much-anticipated Christmas Day showdown despite playing without Andrew Wiggins, Damion Lee and Jordan Poole, who were all in health and safety protocols. As expected, Steph Curry led the way, knocking down five three-pointers en route to a game-high 33 points; however, it was Otto Porter Jr. who surprisingly sealed the deal for the Dubs, scoring 7 of his 19 points in the closing minutes.&nbsp;
2. Phoenix Suns (26-7) ⬇️ Last Week: 1
After falling to the Warriors on Christmas, the Suns were tripped up by the Grizzlies on Monday night as well. It's the first time Phoenix has lost consecutive contests since the season's first week. The Suns will look to get back on track Wednesday when they host the Thunder.
3. Brooklyn Nets (23-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 3
Reports of James Harden being "washed" may have been a bit premature. After racking up 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Lakers on Christmas, Harden was back it Monday vs. Clippers, finishing with 39 points and a season-best 15 assists. Harden's final assist on Monday was the 6,000th of his career. He is just the 10th player in league history to tally 20,000 career points, 5,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists. After sweeping their two-game Los Angeles road swing, the Nets are an NBA-best 13-3 on the road this season.&nbsp;
4. Utah Jazz (24-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 4
The Jazz were missing Donovan Mitchell (lower back strain) but continued to roll along Monday night, securing their fourth straight victory by beating the Spurs. Mitchell tweaked his back during Saturday's win over the Mavericks and is expected to miss at least one more game.
5. Milwaukee Bucks (22-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 6
The Bucks are finally starting to get healthy, which is bad news for the rest of the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo made his return to action in the Bucks' victory over the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day, suiting up for the first time since entering the health and safety protocols on Dec. 12. Giannis was joined by Bobby Portis, who had missed the previous four games due to COVID, and Donte DiVincenzo, who hadn't played since injuring his left foot during the 2021 playoffs.
6. Chicago Bulls (21-10) ⬆️ Last Week: 7
After a brief slump earlier this month, Nikola Vucevic is once again beasting for the Bulls, who have won four in a row. Vooch tallied a combined total of 40 points, 32 rebounds, 9 assists, 6 blocks and 6 made three-pointers in a back-to-back set against the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and Monday.&nbsp;
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-13)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 5
While many pundits and fans league-wide continue to wait for the Cavs to come crashing back down to earth, Cleveland <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/from-lovable-underdog-to-unforgiving-bully-how-the-cavs-got-here" target="_blank" rel="noopener">keeps on winning</a> (and often dominates in the process). Over the last month, the Cavs lead the NBA in Defensive Rating (they are the only team in the league allowing fewer than 100 points per 100 possessions during this stretch). Cleveland also leads the league in Net Rating (+15.8) over the past month. Remarkably, each of the Cavaliers' last 11 wins has been by double digits.
8. ​​Memphis Grizzlies (21-14) ⬆️ Last Week: 9
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Ja Morant drives, hangs, switches hands and gets it to on his way down, FOR THE <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> WIN! <a href="https://t.co/GnTl4RbAEJ">pic.twitter.com/GnTl4RbAEJ</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1475686020079407104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Ja Morant made a contested layup with 0.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Grizzlies an impressive 114-113 victory over the Suns on Monday night. Morant's backcourt mate, Desmond Bane, remained red-hot (as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dissecting-desmond-bane-role-memphis-grizzlies-offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profiled by our Jackson Frank</a> over the weekend), scoring a career-high 32 points. Over his last seven games, Bane is averaging 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 made treys while shooting over 50% from the floor and behind the arc.
9. Miami Heat (21-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 8
With rosters around the league decimated by COVID, depth has become a crucial asset. On Sunday, the Heat needed important contributions from a handful of role players to pull out a victory over Orlando, and they got just that. Caleb Martin tied for the team-high with 17 points off the bench; Omer Yurtseven scored 16 points and grabbed 15 boards in his first start, while Gabe Vincent and Max Strus chipped in 13 points apiece.&nbsp;
10. Philadelphia 76ers (17-16) &harr;️ Last Week: 10
The Sixers had lost 4 of 5 entering Sunday's matchup with the Wizards, but Joel Embiid (36 points and 13 rebounds) put Philly on his back to carry his squad to a much-needed victory, pushing the team back over .500. Philadelphia has a chance to secure back-to-back wins on Tuesday when it takes on the injury-depleted Raptors, who are fresh off a 45-point drubbing in Cleveland.
11. Denver Nuggets (16-16) &harr;️ Last Week: 11
The Joker is running wild. Over the Nuggets' last two games, Jokic has racked a ridiculous 55 points, 43 rebounds and 13 assists. He is the first player to tally at least 25 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists in back-to-back games since Charles Barkley in 1988. Jokic is the first player ever with 25/20/5 and a three-pointer in consecutive contests.&nbsp;
12. Charlotte Hornets (18-17) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
The Hornets won their second straight game Monday by beating the Houston Rockets. Terry Rozier knocked down seven three-pointers on his way to a game-high 27 points vs. Houston. Mason Plumlee also provided a significant lift, registering a season-high 15 points to go along with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in Monday's 123-99 win.
13. Los Angeles Clippers (17-17)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 12
Paul George complained of soreness in his right elbow last week, and soon after underwent an MRI, which revealed a ligament tear. The Clippers, who have lost 5 of their previous 6, announced PG-13 would miss 3-4 weeks before being re-evaluated. However, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski ominously reported that the Clips will "see if rest can get him on a pathway to recovery, but he's gonna be out certainly a significant period of time and there's no real sense of when, or if, he'll be back this year." Yikes.&nbsp;
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14. Dallas Mavericks (16-17) ⬆️ Last Week: 18
In addition to franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic, the Mavs were forced to play without Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock and Trey Burke on Monday, but still whooped the Portland Trail Blazers. Kristaps Porzingis led the way for Dallas, knocking down 12 of 21 field goal attempts and three treys en route to a season-high 34 points, along with 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and no turnovers.&nbsp;
15. Washington Wizards (17-16) ⬆️ Last Week: 16
The Wizards travel to Miami on Tuesday night but afterward return home for a four-game homestand. Then after a quick two-game road swing in early January, Washington will play eight straight games in D.C. All told, the Wiz will play 12 of their next 14 at home, which is a golden opportunity to make a push up the standings. However, it was announced that Montrezl Harrell entered the league's health and safety protocols on Tuesday. Harrell is the seventh Wizard in protocols.
16. Los Angeles Lakers (16-18) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
LeBron James is averaging 35.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks, while shooting over 58% from the floor and 80% from the free-throw stripe over the Lakers' last four games, but L.A. has lost each one. With Anthony Davis (knee) still weeks away from returning to action, it will be fascinating to see if the Lakers' front office seriously considers shaking up their roster by trading away Russell Westbrook.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-17) ⬇️ Last Week: 15
Despite playing without their top three scorers (Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell), the Wolves found a way to beat the Celtics on Monday night. Nathan Knight tallied 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Jaylen Nowell scored a game-high 29 points for Minny. Greg Monroe signed a hardship contract over the weekend and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/greg-monroe-and-the-brief-case-for-us-to-see-more-nba-veterans-this-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chipped in 13/9/6 off the bench</a>. After the game, he admitted he wasn't overly familiar with his teammates. "Not gonna lie, Jaylen Nowell played awesome tonight, but I had no idea who that was," Monroe said.
18. Toronto Raptors (14-16) ⬆️ Last Week: 19
The Raptors have eight players in the health and safety protocols, including Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes, and only had eight players active for Sunday night's game vs. Cleveland. It showed, as the Raps were blown out by by the Cavs, 144-95. Fortunately, Toronto plays 7 out of their next 8 games at home, which could allow them to right the ship. And luckily, Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. have been cleared to return off the COVID list.
19. New York Knicks (15-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 22
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Quentin Grimes has a beautiful jump shot. Good work here, <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyknicks</a>. <a href="https://t.co/KNAA5vLsjK">pic.twitter.com/KNAA5vLsjK</a>
&mdash; SLAM (@SLAMonline) <a href="https://twitter.com/SLAMonline/status/1475542501914300420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Quentin Grimes is slowly but surely making a case for consistent, extended minutes in the Knicks' rotation. After 27 points in his first start before entering COVID protocols, Grimes chipped in 15 in his return to action in Saturday's victory over Atlanta. Grimes is shooting 45.5% from three-point territory this season, which leads all rookies. In fact, among rooks that have made at least 20 three-pointers this season, Grimes is the only one shooting above 37% from behind the arc.
20. Boston Celtics (16-18)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 17
On Monday, Celtics fans got some good news as both Grant Williams and Al Horford cleared COVID protocols. However, Boston faithful was also walloped with some bad news, as fans learned Jayson Tatum was forced to enter the league's health and safety protocols. It is worth noting that Tatum contracted COVID last season as well, and revealed he had to use an inhaler to help his breathing before games for months due to the lingering effects of the virus.
21. Atlanta Hawks (15-18) ⬇️ Last Week: 20
The Hawks welcomed Trae Young back to the lineup on Monday, and he scored 29 points, but it wasn't enough to beat the Bulls. However, Cam Reddish provided another encouraging effort in the loss to Chicago, as he hit a career-high eight three-pointers and finished with 33 points. Since being inserted into Atlanta's starting lineup, Reddish is averaging 23.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 made treys while shooting over 44% from downtown and 87.5% from the charity stripe.
22. San Antonio Spurs (14-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 25
The Spurs had their season-high three-game winning streak snapped Monday night by the Jazz, 110-104. Coming into the contest, San Antonio had scored at least 110 points in 10 straight games (their longest such streak since March of 1984). The Spurs rank seventh in Offensive Rating on the season, averaging 110.6 points per 100 possessions.
23. Indiana Pacers (14-20) ⬇️ Last Week: 21
The Pacers have been inconsistent all season, but Caris LeVert has finally found his groove. Over the Pacers' last four games, LeVert is averaging 24.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.0 treys and 1.5 steals.&nbsp;
24. Portland Trail Blazers (13-20)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 23
Playing at home and matched up against a shorthanded Mavs team, the Blazers were three-point favorites on Monday night but ended up losing by 15. The Blazers' defense was atrocious, as they allowed 132 points while Dallas shot above 57% from the floor. According to StatMuse, no team has scored that many points and shot that well in Portland since 1987. Portland has lost 12 of their last 15 games.&nbsp;
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25. Sacramento Kings (13-21) ⬇️ Last Week: 24
Kings interim head coach Alvin Gentry did not mince words after his team's embarrassing 25-point loss to the Grizzlies at home on Sunday. "It's the most disappointed I've been in 34 years in the NBA, I can honestly say that," Gentry told reporters. "That performance was absolutely ridiculous. We didn't play hard, we didn't compete. We didn't guard the ball, we didn't guard screen-and-rolls. We didn't follow the game plan. No competitiveness whatsoever. They basically toyed with us. I'm totally disappointed and everybody in this building should be disappointed." Tell us how ya really feel, coach. &nbsp;
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (12-20) &harr;️ Last Week: 26
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/gilgeousalexander-walker-named-players-of-the-week-for-dec-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named the Western Conference Player of the Week</a> on Monday after leading OKC to a 3-1 record last week. SGA averaged 27.5 points, 7.0 dimes, 6.3 boards and 1.3 blocks in those four games.&nbsp;
27. New Orleans Pelicans (12-22) ⬆️ Last Week: 28
Brandon Ingram had been posting incredibly impressive stats before being ruled out Sunday's game against the Thunder due to left Achilles soreness. Ingram, who is listed as doubtful for Tuesday's game vs. the Cavs, has averaged 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.8 treys and 1.2 steals over his previous 10 appearances.&nbsp;
28. Houston Rockets (10-24) ⬇️ Last Week: 27
It's been a wild, roller-coaster ride of a season for the Rockets. After losing 15 in a row over the first month of the season, Houston bounced back by somehow winning seven straight games. However, since that unexpected win streak, the Rox are just 2-8 and have lost each of their last four.&nbsp;
29. Orlando Magic (7-27) ⬆️ Last Week: 30
The Magic have won just 7 of their first 34 games this season, tying the franchise mark for their worst record at this point in a season. How hard has Orlando been hit by COVID and injuries this season, you ask? Hassani Gravett, an undrafted 25-year-old rookie out of Pensacola State, has averaged 25 minutes per game for the Magic over the past two weeks.&nbsp;
30. Detroit Pistons (5-27) ⬇️ Last Week: 29
The Pistons have five players in COVID protocols, including Cade Cunningham, and are missing injured bigs Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk. Detroit, which has had 12 different starting lineups this season, has lost 17 of its last 18 contests. They host the Knicks on Wednesday night. &nbsp;

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

NBA Power Rankings: Bulls are hot, Warriors reclaim top spot from Suns

At 17 years old, Scoot Henderson is making history. Spencer Davies spoke with the prodigy and those close to him to find out how.