Pride

Following last year's inaugural Tampa Bay Pro Combine, several participants &mdash; including Terry Taylor, Brandon Williams, Micah Potter and Jordan Goodwin &mdash; turned their dreams into reality by signing deals and playing in the NBA in their rookie season.
Now, the Tampa Bay Pro Combine is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tampa-bay-pro-combine-returns-with-24-nba-draft-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back for another year</a>, and our new group of participants is looking to find the same level of success. The TBPC will be held from April 26 to April 29 at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel, Florida.
We are providing 24 draft-eligible prospects an opportunity to audition in front of NBA scouts, compete in a slam-dunk contest and three-point shootout on April 28, and play in a doubleheader on April 29.
NBA scouts and personnel will be allowed to attend workouts on April 26 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST and April 27 from 9:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. EST.
Here is the list of participants:
Alex Barcello, BYU
Evan Battey, Colorado
Luka Brajkovic, Davidson
Savion Flagg, Sam Houston State
Michael Flowers, Washington State
John Fulkerson, Tennessee
John Harrar, Penn State
Noah Horchler, Providence
Nate Johnson, Xavier
Abu Kigab, Boise State
Kimani Lawrence, Arizona State
Kalob Ledoux, Santa Cruz Warriors
Davion Mintz, Kentucky
Taze Moore, Houston
Justyn Mutts, Virginia Tech
Tyler Polley, UConn
Taz Sherman, West Virginia
Jaylen Sims, UNC Wilmington
Mark Smith, Kansas State
Amadou Sow, UC Santa Barbara
Au'Diese Toney, Arkansas
Davion Warren, Texas Tech
Marcus Weathers, SMU
Jacob Young, Oregon
In addition to the 24 invitees, we will also be welcoming 12 additional draft-eligible prospects who will participate in workouts and games. Our video partner, <a href="https://event.veo.co/">Veo</a>, will record the action and distribute it via BasketballNews.com's YouTube channel, and <a href="https://instatsport.com/basketball">InStat</a> will also provide video and data from the event.
The 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine is presented by Florida's Sports Coast.

The 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine will be held from April 26 to April 29 at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine announces list of participants

In a dynamite defensive performance, the New Orleans Pelicans stifled the San Antonio Spurs, 113-103, advancing to the second round of the Play-In Tournament toward a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. The final score indicates a close game, and while there were moments down the stretch after a Devin Vassell heater, the Pelicans largely controlled the game.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-how-the-pelicans-are-blending-their-big-three-together" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The trio of</a> Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas combined for 81 of New Orleans' points, all putting forth stellar performances.
Yet, if there was one takeaway (for me) from last night's game, it was that Herb Jones is HERE.
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HERB JONES <a href="https://t.co/JDJuaQLCDT">pic.twitter.com/JDJuaQLCDT</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1514421185051779074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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If you've followed the NBA season and come across the Pels for even a modicum of time while perusing NBA League Pass, you probably know about Jones, as he's done this all year. But he dominated in primetime, and Mark Jones' silky voice peppered the broadcast with varying intonations of "HERB JONES" as many different points of the night.
There are moments and games where it becomes recognized that a player is a star. Last night, Jones put his stamp on the national stage, emphatically punching his ticket as a defensive star. That's such a wild statement. A defensive star. It's not easy to cement yourself as a bucket-getter or primetime scorer, and it's that much harder to play defense with the ferocity, efficacy and splendor required to captivate an audience. Jones fits the bill and then some, and as a rookie, that's absurd.
(Nekias Duncan, Jackson Frank and I unanimously voted Herb Jones to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the All-Defensive Second Team</a> about a month ago.)
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Jones took first time All-Star guard Dejounte Murray as his main assignment, and man, he had him in purgatory. Murray finished 5 of 19 from the field Wednesday night. Jones' hands were everywhere and on everything, reminiscent of a <a href="https://youtu.be/voTxE2U8aYc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Naruto montage</a>.
The opening possession of the game was indicative of what the night would be for Murray. It was akin to watching a world title fight open up, and the challenger unloads the first jab and immediately it's like "Oh, this is way different than I thought." And as the viewer, you quickly find out that this isn't a tune-up fight.
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This is one of my favorite things about Herb, and a part of what makes him a special defender. He uses his hands and his feet in tandem with regularity. It sounds minute, but it's a sizable difference. So much of defense is about consistency, and Jones embodies that.
His hands never come off of Murray; just enough to bother, but also possessing the deftness to not foul. Even with a pretty solid screen from Jakob Poeltl, Murray can't shake free. The Pels maintain their shell, and it's a turnover.
The Pels run a great deal of ICE coverage, forcing ball-handlers to the sidelines to prevent middle penetration. Valanciunas is a quality defender, but he has some limitations with his mobility. Plays like this allow New Orleans to stay solid and maintain a strong base. (I'm super interested to see how this plays out against a more dynamic offensive team in the Clippers, because it's much harder to play ICE against a team that can thrive on five-out lineups).
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Jaxson Hayes comes up with the double drags to ICE along with Jones, calls out the coverage and Murray catches him going downhill. While this isn't a perfect defensive possession from Herb, it's a reflection of the tools that allow him to supersede technique at times (he's an incredible technique defender, don't get it twisted). Even if he does take a wrong step, he has impeccable recovery skills and the ability to still contest what would otherwise be an easy finish at the rim against most defenders.
Run Jones through the ringer of screens and try to grease the context for an off-ball scorer? Not on Herb.
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Try to initiate the offense with a kick-ahead to one of the best downhill drivers in the game in Keldon Johnson? Not so fast. I am not a fan of the charge, but man, Jones makes me want to be. This is just a clean standing of ground, and I love it. It would be so easy to let that be a quick lay-in with a decent enough contest, but again, this is what separates Jones from the rest.
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Jones also emphatically closed the half, shutting down a sideline out-of-bounds play leading to a Johnson three-point attempt.
The block, the staredown. YES.
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Even in moments when Jones did get overly physical and was called for fouls, those are plays you live with. I'm not a huge believer in tone-setting; it can be cliche and attributed to non-basketball plays that really don't do much but stop the clock. (Although, what do I know? Glue Girl <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1514075112059727874?s=20&amp;t=su-bpBBT0mwo3mSQsH7Y-A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was a game-changer</a>.)
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That rotation to block Vassell is fantastic; the communication and vision stands out. That reconnection on Murray after the screen is all you can ask for, even if ideally a foul is not attached. Jones constantly made multiple Spurs players feel him.
Then, there are the "crown jewel" plays &mdash; the pinnacle defensive highlights that you watch in amusement and giggle because those things just shouldn't be able to happen on the court.
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Incredible performance.
There aren't enough words to describe what a fun and enjoyable defensive player and prospect Jones is. This isn't just a "rookie defenders" shouldn't be able to that type beat. This man is legitimately already one of the best defenders on planet earth regardless of age.
While the Pelicans still need to win against the Clippers on Friday night to secure another week or two of guaranteed basketball, Herb Jones' play should be cemented in your cerebrum moving forward.
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The Pelicans secured a matchup with the Clippers after beating the Spurs, and it was sparked by Herb Jones' defense.

Not on Herb: Pelicans rookie Jones punches ticket as defensive star

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

The San Antonio Spurs made their immediate intentions known as this year&rsquo;s trade deadline when they sent Derrick White to the Boston Celtics for some notable future draft capital. White was a key cog in the Spurs&rsquo; puzzle, but the entire show revolves around the recent surge in development from Dejounte Murray. Becoming known for his stat-stuffing performances, Murray&rsquo;s rise to All-Star-level player helps further contextualize where exactly the Spurs are along in their rebuilding process.
Hoping for lottery luck, San Antonio seems only one big foundational move away from taking a needed step up in the Western Conference. In the meantime, though, one player&rsquo;s growth has added intrigue around the Spurs with Murray.
Once added to the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster trade with the Toronto Raptors alongside DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl has become a real reliably steady presence in San Antonio. This season, Poeltl is averaging 13.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 blocks per game while carrying a 60.6% True Shooting percentage.
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While Poeltl certainly won&rsquo;t blow you away with an athletically-based profile, he does all the little things at such a high level. Whether it be delivering tone-setting screens, operating offense as a tertiary hub, well above-average rim-protection ability or efficient pick-and-roll scoring, Poeltl has a checkmark next to a lot of boxes for a functional big man in today&rsquo;s NBA.
There&rsquo;s no wonder why the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls reportedly put compelling trade offers on the table earlier this month for the Spurs&rsquo; well-rounded 7-footer. Poeltl offers a unique spin for what traditional bigs can offer &mdash; a high-floor, low-ceiling player, but one that&rsquo;s necessary for successful teams. Being able to spread his wings further in San Antonio this season has brought more interest from the outside, but Poeltl seems like the ideal third or fourth-best player on a sustainable contender.
Poetl has played such an integral role in the Spurs staying afloat, and a competitive West team with a Play-In scenario still remains possible. Thanks to his gravity and efficiency brought within the pick-and-roll operation, San Antonio&rsquo;s offense operates at elite levels with Poetl on the floor. The Spurs&rsquo; fun inside-out duo of Poeltl and Murray joins the Denver Nuggets (Nikola Jokic-Monte Morris) and Atlanta Hawks (Clint Capela-Trae Young) as the only point guard-center combinations to score at least 116 points per 100 possessions (minimum 1,000 minutes for two-man lineups).
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The Dejounte Murray/Jakob Poeltl two man game has gotten fun. <a href="https://t.co/xsrgMqmvsL">pic.twitter.com/xsrgMqmvsL</a>
&mdash; Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20/status/1453191745336971264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Since Christmas, Poeltl is averaging 14.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.0 blocks and 0.8 steals on 62.9% TS. A big enough sample size at 25 games exiting the All-Star break now, Poeltl stands out as one of the more intriguing players to follow over the next few months. While San Antonio figures not to be a contender, the next chapter of Spurs basketball is an intriguing thought with Murray, Poeltl and multiple other young prospects experiencing internal development.
An interesting scenario that could unfold is the Spurs exploring trade opportunities once more with Poetl this offseason. On one of the best bargain contracts in the league, Poetl would be able to fetch a nice return on investment via trade as a $9.4 million expiring deal. Whether it be as a starter or first sub off the bench, Poeltl&rsquo;s winning attributes bring immediate impact.
Let&rsquo;s say the Bulls actually nabbed Poeltl to pair with Nikola Vucevic at the deadline. Poeltl would provide Chicago another big body to throw against the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. In postseason play, every possession becomes heightened. As a change-of-pace big, Poeltl holds value without any chance of a sinking cost.
If the Spurs jump in the lottery and are in position to land Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren, ranked No. 3 overall on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>, Poeltl could be redundant long-term. Whether it&rsquo;s in San Antonio or elsewhere, Poeltl&rsquo;s game has grown on me the more I&rsquo;ve watched him closely taking in Spurs games. He&rsquo;s not going to put together dominant flashes that shine all over SportsCenter highlights, but Poeltl is a consistently good player who allows the Spurs to bring together a pesky squad most nights. An anchor-setting presence on defense, coupled with inside scoring and playmaking chops in the short-roll, allows for endless possibilities.
With Poeltl, we&rsquo;re now able to see how he could be utilized throughout his next contract set to pay up in 2023-24. While the ceiling might not be robust in possibilities, the floor is one that&rsquo;s consistently strong enough to make a multi-pronged impact.
&ldquo;He was a star,&rdquo; Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said of Poeltl&rsquo;s recent 20-point, 17-rebound performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I told him after the game you were a star tonight. We don&rsquo;t win the game without what you did tonight. Without a doubt.&rdquo;
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Lost in the Spurs' downturn, Jakob Poeltl has become one of the NBA's most consistent big men, writes Evan Sidery.

Jakob Poeltl's high-floor play brings stability for Spurs

No. 12 Illinois defeated No. 19 Michigan State 79-74. llinois&rsquo; last road win in East Lansing was in February of 2015, but that changed with a big-time win today. The Illini withstood a comeback from the Spartans, as Trent Frazier hit a dagger pull-up triple with 25 seconds to play. Kofi Cockburn led all players with 27 points. Tyson Walker had a phenomenal game for Michigan State off the bench, scoring 26 points.&nbsp;
Illinois (19-7, 12-4 Big Ten) entered this one projected a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, slipping a bit after losses to Purdue and Rutgers. Cockburn continues to be one of the most dominant forces in the country, averaging 21.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Alfonso Plummer and Frazier have been reliable all season and will need to keep things up for their team during the homestretch.
The Spartans (18-8, 9-6 Big Ten) came in having lost three of their last four contests, desperately needing to get back on track. They rank 24th nationally in Adjusted Efficiency, but simply haven&rsquo;t been able to score consistently recently. Gabe Brown leads the team with 12.1 points per game, but potential first round pick Max Christie will be an x-factor during the last few weeks of the season.&nbsp;
Illinois jumped out to a 7-2 lead after a Da&rsquo;Monte Williams steal and transition bucket. Brown answered with a corner three as he scored the first five points for Sparty. The Illini stretched the lead to 17-8 as Brown picked up his second foul at the 12:00 mark and Michigan State hit only 3 of their first 14 attempts from the field.&nbsp;
The visitors took a 34-22 lead into the break and quickly extended it to 40-24 early in the second period. Illinois remained in control for a good while until Tyson Walker and AJ Hoggard cut it down to 67-59. Walker then connected on a three at the 3:47 mark while, at the same time, a whistle under the basket sent Julius Marble II to the free-throw line. Cockburn was then called for a 3-second violation and the momentum completely shifted, revving the crowd up again.&nbsp;
Cockburn and Walker traded buckets as Illinois held a 71-69 lead with 1:57 to go. Frazier stole the ball with 1:02 to go and finished a tough transition layup. Walker converted an and-1 to make it 76-74 with 47.7 on the clock. Frazier hit a deep pull-up triple with 0:25 on the clock, which all but ended the game, as Illinois would get the ball back and run out the clock.&nbsp;
Jacob Grandison scored 24 points on 6 of 10 from behind the arc. Frazier finished with 12 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. Joey Hauser posted 11 points for the Spartans. Hoggard finished with 15 points and 8 assists in a strong outing.&nbsp;
Michigan State started this season 14-2, but are 4-6 since.
Tom Izzo remains one win from tying Bob Knight for the most overall wins at B1G schools, at 662.&nbsp;
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UPCOMING
Illinois hosts Ohio State on Thursday night.
Michigan State visits Iowa on Tuesday.

Illinois’ last road win in East Lansing was in February of 2015, but that changed with a big-time win Saturday.

No. 12 Illinois defeats No. 19 Michigan State 79-74, Cockburn scores 27

Civil Rights attorney Lee Merritt discusses the power and influence the NBA has, and can continue to have &mdash; if the NBA continues using its platform, voices and resources to fight for justice.&nbsp;
Lee Merritt is one of the attorneys for Ahmaud Arbery&rsquo;s family &mdash; a 25-year-old black man who was murdered while on a run near Brunswick, in Glynn County, Georgia. A verdict of life imprisonment was just announced in the case, in which three men were convicted of murdering Arbery. While Lee Merritt is definitely relieved about the verdict, we discuss the long road ahead to achieve justice and equality for all. Merritt is running for attorney general in Texas and I would love to see the NBA duplicate what the WNBA did, when they threw their support behind Raphael Warnock, an Atlanta-area pastor who was running as a Democrat at the time for (and would eventually win) one of Georgia&rsquo;s seats in the U.S. Senate.&nbsp;
This was a great discussion.
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Etan Thomas: So this time last year, I interviewed a group of WNBA players, [including] Renee Montgomery and Elizabeth Williams, who both played for the Atlanta Dream at the time, [as well as] Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Angel McCoughtry &mdash; and Eric Garner's daughter, Emerald. And <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-nba-kelly-loeffler-atlanta-dream-renee-montgomery-elizabeth-williams-swin-cash-etan-thomas-activism-black-lives-matter-activist-movement-vote-warnock-shirts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we discussed what the WNBA did to galvanize support for Raphael Warnock, and ultimately get him in office and Kelly Loeffler out of office</a>. And it was really amazing. Because for one, Raphael Warnock was polling at 9% before the WNBA got involved. And he won &mdash; in Georgia, of all places.&nbsp;
So I want to see how we can galvanize the NBA to duplicate that with you, as you're running for attorney general in the state of Texas. So that's why I reached out to you to have this interview with you. I've been following you for a long time and I'm a big fan of the work that you do. And so, I'm going to send this interview to the NBA, to the <a href="https://www.thesocialchangefund.org">NBA Social Change Fund</a>.
Which, for those that aren't familiar, it was birthed out of the Bubble season. After the NBA players went on strike, after Jacob Blake was shot multiple times in broad daylight, in front of his children. The NBA Social Change Fund was formed by Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, and is aimed to support critical issues in the black community.
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So that's why after speaking to Allisa Charles-Findley, who is Botham Jean's sister &mdash; and I actually interviewed her for my new book, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/police-brutality-and-white-supremacy-the-fight-against-american-traditions/">Police Brutality and White Supremacy: The Fight Against American Traditions.</a>&rdquo;
She was one of the people I interviewed, along with Atatiana Jefferson's family, who I know that you work with as well &mdash; so we came up with the idea of conducting this interview with you, to try to galvanize that support from the NBA. Some people are like, "Alright, you usually do basketball stuff. Why are you interviewing a politician right now?" But that's the reason why. So thank you for taking this time.
Lee Merritt: "Sure, I really appreciate that. During most of my career, I've enjoyed the support of the National Basketball Association. I can recall in 2017, a young man named <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2018/08/29/jordan-edwards-made-the-case-against-roy-oliver-unlike-any-murder-trial-dallas-had-ever-seen/">Jordan Edwards </a>was slain in Balch Springs, Texas.&nbsp;
"It was in the middle of the NBA playoffs &mdash; and Steve Kerr, who had suffered family tragedy as well, identified with that family, reached out, invited them to the playoff games [and] got his brothers to take their mind off of it for a bit.
"I actually used to coach basketball myself. I was a coach down at South Atlanta High School. I coached Derrick Favors, I coached against Cousins and Walls* when they were high school students. And I enjoy a relationship with them today, continuing to give back to the community of Atlanta.
"And yeah, the names that you mentioned that you work with, Chris Paul has supported the work and the families I represent. Dwyane Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, [have] been major, major supporters over the course of my career.
"And, just as I transition away from representing one family at a time and start talking about representing larger groups of people and going towards policies, I certainly think the NBA can play a major role &mdash; in not only the success of the campaign, but championing some of those issues that we're fighting for on a case-by-case basis, and taking it to one of the biggest states in the country and really impacting national policy."
Etan: So, let me ask you to review some of the cases that you've worked with before, and the people that you've represented. We could start off with Ahmaud Arbery.
Merritt: "Sure. I came to represent the Ahmaud Arbery family before the video was released of his brutal slaying in South Georgia. Many [...] will recall that he was a South Georgia jogger. On February 23, 2020, he was targeted by three white men who have now been each <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/jury-reaches-verdict-ahmaud-arbery-death-case/story?id=81353504">convicted of murder</a>, and are facing life sentences in the state of Georgia, as well as federal hate crime charges.
"I've also represented... Unfortunately, the list of families that I've represented is quite extensive. I represent over 67 families who have suffered misuse of force, that lost a loved one, as a result of the deadliest police culture in the world. Some of the names that your viewers may have heard of.
"You mentioned [...] <a href="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article236198028.html">Atatiana Jefferson</a>.&nbsp;
"Of course, that case is ongoing. <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/death-innocent-man-timeline-wrong-apartment-murder-trial/story?id=65938727">Botham Jean</a>, who was an accountant eating a bowl of ice cream in his own apartment complex.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-illinois-police-shooting-guard-20181112-story.html">Jemel Roberson</a> was a security guard in Chicago. Had just stopped a mass shooting, and was shot in the back by a police officer who must have mistook him for a gunman.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/13/us/california-attorney-general-sean-monterrosa-shooting/index.html">Sean Monterrosa</a> in California.
"But the bulk of my work has been in Texas. I represent <a href="https://foxsanantonio.com/news/local/damian-daniels-family-responds-to-no-indictment-for-deputy-that-killed-him">Damian Daniels</a>, a veteran shot to death in his home.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Family-of-woman-killed-by-Baytown-officer-13872709.php">Pamela Turner</a> in the Houston area.&nbsp;
"And like I said, we could probably spend the rest of this podcast going through the list of names."
Etan: Wow! So now you're running for attorney general in Texas. And for those that don't know, what exactly are the responsibilities of an attorney general?
Merritt: "The attorney general of Texas, and an attorney general in any state, is the legal voice for the people. They're supposed to serve as the spokesperson for what justice is in a municipality. And so we've seen it, in cases like Breonna Taylor, where we had a really bad attorney general interfere with accountability in that case, in the form of Daniel Cameron. We've seen the opposite end of that spectrum with Keith Ellison and the work that he's done in Minnesota. Prosecuting the officers responsible for the death of George Floyd and, most recently, Daunte Wright.
"But even beyond the criminal justice aspect, the attorney general&rsquo;s office, particularly in the state of Texas, impacts virtually every aspect of Texas life. So property taxes, school protection. And we've heard a lot recently in the news about the CRT [Critical Race Theory] scam, where they're trying to erase entire portions of our history in the name of not getting anyone upset.
"From the border crisis, to really economic empowerment in our schools. There's so many businesses that are attempting to get off the ground, but don't have access to the kind of governmental loans and support that our white counterparts do.
"All of those things run through the attorney general's office. It's a very, very influential office. More or less the second-in-command in the state of Texas."
Etan: Now, Ken Paxton, [is] who you would be running against, and who is the current attorney general &mdash; and has been since 2015. I want to talk about the stark differences between the two of you, because it's really night and day.
But I want to start off with this, because the Jan. 6 insurrection [anniversary] is upon us. And you know, I'm looking at him, looking at the footage, and I see him at a rally right before the insurrection, almost like leading the charge. Explain to me, let's start off with there, about the stark differences between you and Ken Paxton.
Merritt: "Well, there is a clear contrast. You know, Texas was in the national news because of [its] unique voter suppression laws. They passed some laws that would make it more difficult for the black and brown people in the state, people with disabilities and marginalized communities to vote.
"It was so upsetting that certain members of the Texas legislature left the state and went to DC &mdash; refused to participate in that session in order to fight for voting rights. Now, I was present with them. I thought that was a fight worth standing with people for, providing both legal advice and strategies, working with the labor community and others to take on voting issues in Texas.
"By contrast, the last sort of infamous trip of the attorney general, the current attorney general, to our nation's capital was on Jan. 6. And we don't know exactly what he did there, because he has not participated in an ongoing investigation in terms of his potential criminal liability for helping to incite a riot.
"But he was very publicly on camera, encouraging the soon-to-be riders and insurrectionists that the election was stolen, that they had a responsibility to fight. And he invoked the name of Texas when he did it. He said, "You all should fight, because Texans fight." And he laid out that he had fought to overturn the results of the free and fair election. And yeah, that's our top legal position in the state, advocating for the overthrow of our government."
---------------
We then went on to discuss particular differences between him and Ken Paxton such as his position on education, police reform, border, gun training before owning a gun, and we cleared up the misconceptions on CRT, being anti-police vs. anti-police brutality, Second Amendment rights, etc.
---------------
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Etan: So let's go to the NBA, and how important it is for the NBA to continue to promote, to continue to use their platforms, to be able to &mdash; I mean, this is the thing. It's important to do that part. But now we have to take it a step further.
And I think the NBA has been doing a great job of promoting, raising awareness. You saw it all especially during the Bubble season, after the entire country was promoting and demonstrating and protesting what happened with George Floyd, what happened with Breonna Taylor [and] Ahmaud Arbery.
You saw John Wall and Bradley Beal here in D.C. leading protests. You saw all the Ball brothers, you saw Russell Westbrook in L.A. You saw Jaylen Brown and Enes Kanter Freedom too, in Boston &mdash; of course everything that LeBron was always doing.
But now it's like, it needs to be a step further, like the next step. And I think that you, with what you are trying to implement in Texas as the attorney general, is that next step. Because you have to be able to have someone in place that's on the right side of wanting to be able to create something that functions properly. So just talk about that, how this is like the next step that should happen. Along with [...] raising awareness and protesting and everything like that.
Merritt: "Yeah. I can recall, we were in the middle of the NBA playoffs when Jacob Blake was repeatedly shot in his back by a Milwaukee police officer. And I was watching the game, and Chris Paul had just gone off, sort of a historic performance.
"And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxcNbbyg0ZI">they interviewed him</a> right after the game. And they said, 'You know, Chris, you were playing...' I think he was playing his old team, the Houston Rockets. He was with the Oklahoma City Thunder [...], where Derrick Favors is currently.
"And they said, 'Tell us about this performance against your old team. You had a chance to really show them that you still got it.' And he said, 'Yeah, I don't really care about that. That's cool. And that's what I'm paid to do. But a law enforcement officer in my community has just shot someone in their back several times. He was unarmed and nonviolent. Let's talk about that.'
"I think it's on the players to stand up like Chris Paul did, and like you said, like people have done, in a systemic way across the National Basketball Association &mdash; where the pundits and the media might tell you, 'Could you just shut up and dribble.' We've heard that refrain before.
"It's important for the players to say, "No, actually I won't. This is my community. What's going on in our community, it's urgent. It's a crisis. It's not something that we want to put off for a later conversation or for the offseason. But where it happens, I'm going to stand up to it. And I will get involved in elections. And I will use my resources and time and attention to shine a light on these issues that must be addressed."
Etan: You know, it's interesting. In my book, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/we-matter-athletes-and-activism/">We Matter: Athletes and Activism</a>&rdquo; I interviewed Jahvaris Fulton, who is Trayvon Martin's brother. And in the interview, he told me how &mdash; and when he said this, it kind of threw me,&nbsp; because I didn't expect him to say it &mdash; he said that if it weren't for NBA players and celebrities and everybody like that, talking about his brother, he didn't think that anybody would know his name. And I was like, "Wow, that's kind of strong. Why do you say that?"
So then he explained to me how, when Trayvon Martin was first killed, his family was trying to get the local news people to cover it and they didn't want to cover it. They said, "Okay, another young black man was killed. That's not newsworthy."
And I was like, "That's what they told you?" He said, "Yeah," he was like, "We don't have no evidence. We don't have no video of it. Just your word saying that he [was] killed, that's not newsworthy." And he gave a shout-out to Roland Martin and some of the black news people, who were covering it. But he said, "But no local news people wanted to cover it."
So then he said, "But then, LeBron James started talking about it. And Dwyane Wade started talking about it. And then the entire Miami Heat team posed in the hoodies." So then he said, "So then you had everybody like, 'Okay, what is this that LeBron James is discussing? And why is Dwyane Wade feeling so passionate about this, and talking about his kids, and about this case?' Then everybody started to gravitate towards it and cover it and everything like that."
But he said [...] before, they couldn't get anybody to cover it. And that's just... It's unfortunate that it is that way, because people should have a regard for human life anyway, without an athlete having to speak about it. However, the athlete speaking about it is what drew the attention &mdash; and that just shows where athletes have to continue to do that, continue to use your voice and your platform to be able to speak to these causes.
And also to take it a step further by having laws being changed, and people who are in positions to fight for laws being changed, like [you are]. You know what I mean? And running for attorney general &mdash; [who] are in positions to actually implement some things so these things don't just continue to keep happening.
Merritt: "Yeah. I can remember in 2016, we saw two high-profile officer-involved shootings back-to-back, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. It was the same weekend, and it was almost like a dark cloud being hanged over impacted communities. And if you and I saw each other on the street, we would make eye contact and say, 'You know, man, this is becoming too much.'
"Dallas had a protest &mdash; I was living in Dallas at the time. And they had a protest downtown, where we marched and we discussed what happened, and started to talk about organizing police reform. And at the end of that protest, a vigilante named Micah Xavier Johnson, targeted law enforcement officers and shot five police officers and a couple of civilians as well. And you could imagine the national outcry about Black Lives Matter, and how they put law enforcement lives at risk.
"And everyone began to ignore the fact that people were there for protesting peacefully about police violence &mdash; that was back-to-back and overwhelming. And while it was a tragedy for our entire community that law enforcement officers were targeted by Mr. Johnson, there was also an ongoing crisis in our community, that was the reason that all those people had gathered and made targets of themselves.
"And it was Dwyane Wade. LeBron was still, I think, in 2016, with the Miami Heat. So it was Wade and LeBron who came forward at the ESPY Awards that weekend and re-centered the conversation. And said, 'That's terrible what happened in Dallas, and we back the blue. We stand for the law enforcement officers.'
&ldquo;But understand that our community is also under attack. And it's two sides of the same coin. We don't tolerate violence directed at law enforcement officers. And we cannot continue to tolerate violence directed at our community.
And it saved the national conversation so that we could get back to what had brought us all there in the first place. And so, yeah, members of the NBA have the opportunity, in [the] state of Texas, but [also] throughout the country, the voices of the NBA are critically important to that."
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Etan Thomas is joined by Lee Merritt on "The Rematch" to discuss social justice and the NBA's role in societal change.

Lee Merritt: The NBA could impact public policy and elections

The San Antonio Spurs are confronting basic questions they have not faced in decades.
Who is taking the last shot of the game in a critical situation? Which player will provide the team with leadership?
It&rsquo;s a dilemma Gregg Popovich has not had in 25 seasons while coaching players like David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge DeMar DeRozan with the Spurs.
All the uncertainty has the 72-year-old absolutely stoked.
&ldquo;I have no idea who I&rsquo;m going to give it to or what play we&rsquo;re going to run,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s something we&rsquo;re going to figure out as we move along, and to me, that&rsquo;s exciting as hell.&rdquo;
San Antonio went all in on its youth movement this season, allowing DeRozan and veterans Patty Mills and Rudy Gay to leave through free agency. The franchise is now fully entrusted to 20-somethings like Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker IV and Devin Vassell.
&ldquo;We all love to be around each other on and off the court,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;There is a lot of opportunity on the court as teammates. We have a lot to prove.&rdquo;
At 25 and in his sixth season, Murray is the most tenured player on the roster. He has taken a leadership role since supplanting Parker as the team&rsquo;s starting point guard in 2017.
&ldquo;Leading by example,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;I feel like me, (Dejounte) and Derrick, we stay in the gym trying to perfect our craft. Everybody else does the same. That&rsquo;s all you can ask for. I feel like for such a young group, we&rsquo;ve got a really strong bond.&rdquo;
The Spurs also return Jacob Poeltl and Drew Eubanks at center along with free-agent addition Jock Landale from Australia.
The Spurs brought back Bryn Forbes, who won a championship last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, and added Doug McDermott, Zach Collins, Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu for 3-point shooting and a veteran presence.
Still, the Spurs are willing to let their youths run wild.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled with this group,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;They are basically young, energetic, have got a lot of speed. There is no need to pace yourself. Nobody is going to play 39 minutes a game, don&rsquo;t have to worry about stats or individual honors or anything like that. These guys are just going to have a ball playing. It&rsquo;s going to be simple, simple stuff at both ends of the court. We want a lot of activity and a lot of pace. Just play fast. Hopefully smart along with fast, but the pace should be really enjoyable to watch.&rdquo;
The Spurs open the season at home Oct. 20 against Orlando.
WELCOME BACK
While the Spurs have fresh faces on the court, Popovich was ecstatic the franchise welcomed back a familiar one for the front office: Ginobili returned as a special adviser after retiring in 2017 following a 16-year career with the team. The 44-year-old will assist throughout the franchise.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to do everything,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to help Brian (Wright, Spurs general manager) with management. He&rsquo;s going to help me with coaching. He&rsquo;s going to help the players with development, probably going to scout some people. I think he&rsquo;s probably going to figure out a two-week trip to Italy to scout foreign players. I might go with him.&rdquo;
ALL THAT GLITTERS
Johnson has been proudly wearing the gold medal he won at the Tokyo Olympics as a member of the U.S. Men&rsquo;s National Team all summer. Johnson&rsquo;s teammates said they don&rsquo;t mind.
&ldquo;I think I got a little part of that,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in the practice gym with him, I&rsquo;ve been working out with him. I&rsquo;ll say I get at least .01% of that gold medal.&rdquo;
PARING THE ROSTER
The Spurs waived former first-round pick Luka Samanic on Monday. Drafted 19th overall in 2019, Samanic spent two seasons moving between the team&rsquo;s G-League affiliate in Austin and the Spurs&rsquo; bench. He appeared in 36 games, averaging 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.9 minutes.

The Spurs franchise is now fully entrusted to Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker IV and Devin Vassell.

Spurs facing unknown with youth replacing its veteran past

This summer, there were a handful of teams that got better through the NBA Draft and free-agency period. Recently, our staff discussed the organizations that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-best-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had the best offseason</a> as well as the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most underrated moves of this summer</a>. But who didn't take advantage of this window to add to their roster?
Today, we asked our writers:
Which NBA team had the worst offseason?
Nekias Duncan: I&rsquo;m just not a fan of what the Portland Trail Blazers did. Their coaching hire of Chauncey Billups was mired in controversy. There&rsquo;s been no major swing on the roster, with their best free agent acquisition being Cody Zeller. They got virtually nothing from the draft, then followed that up by building a summer league roster that frankly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/nekias-duncan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn&rsquo;t make much sense</a>. I can&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;m a fan of how things have been handled.
Jackson Frank: It&rsquo;s the Dallas Mavericks for me. They didn&rsquo;t get substantially better in an offseason when they touted lots of cap space and resemble a very similar team to last year. They still need a secondary creator to aid Luka Doncic. The wing defense is lackluster. The center rotation is worrisome. This just felt like a considerable misstep, given Luka&rsquo;s superstardom and the financial flexibility drying up moving forward.
Alex Kennedy: In one of the most important offseasons in the Portland Trail Blazers' history (given what's at stake with Damian Lillard's future), Neil Olshey and Co. dropped the ball. The team lost Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter and Zach Collins, and their only notable moves were re-signing Norm Powell and adding Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore. Entering this offseason, Lillard said: "I think if you look at our team as it is going into next season, I don&rsquo;t see how you can say, &lsquo;This is a championship team. You just need a new coach.&rsquo;" He's 100% right, and now the roster is arguably worse than when he made that comment. When asked about Portland's free-agency moves, Lillard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/damian-lillard-not-unhappy-with-blazers-despite-losses-in-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was honest</a> and said, "We weren&rsquo;t able to go out there and get some of the guys that we would have liked."&nbsp;
Spencer Davies: Surprisingly, I am asking myself what the San Antonio Spurs are doing with their money. Bringing in veterans like Thaddeus Young, Doug McDermott, Zach Collins, Bryn Forbes and Al-Farouq Aminu would make more sense if they were contending for a postseason spot... but that almost certainly won&rsquo;t be the case. From a developmental standpoint, it should be good to have these guys around to mentor Dejounte Murray, Derrick White and Keldon Johnson. Still, it kind of takes time away from Lonnie Walker Jr. and Devin Vassell, and that&rsquo;s the last thing you want for a team that&rsquo;s going to reset after losing DeMar DeRozan and a slew of vets who had been around for years. That said, taking Josh Primo as a take-your-time project is intriguing... just maybe not so much for the other young players who play that position. Oh, and Jakob Poeltl signed an extension not too long ago too, yet R.C. Buford decided to invest in Collins. This summer just seemed like an interesting, maybe not-so-smart way to use cap space for one of the best-run organizations in sports.
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Imman Adan: The New Orleans Pelicans. They went all in, giving up two future first-round picks in the Memphis Grizzlies deal for Jonas Valanciunas, and a pick swap. They also didn&rsquo;t re-sign Lonzo Ball, moved off of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams' money and gave up Wes Iwundu with very little to show for it. I&rsquo;m all for big swings, but this didn&rsquo;t feel all that calculated. It's hard to understand what they&rsquo;re trying to accomplish, and they certainly took a step back.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Evan Sidery: I have no idea what the Spurs are doing. Why sign Doug McDermott to a big contract, while also signing Bryn Forbes? Zach Collins on a multi-year deal was another head-scratching move. The Spurs <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-veterans-moving-on-san-antonio-spurs-would-be-wise-to-hit-the-reset-button" target="_blank" rel="noopener">should be trying to tank this year</a>, but that might not be their plan internally. Give those minutes opened by veteran departures to your young core, not new free agents. Now, players like Devin Vassell and Lonnie Walker are still stuck to the bench.
Ethan Fuller: Portland could win this off of the Chauncey Billups hiring (and subsequent fallout) alone, and I'm sure some of our fellow writers picked the Trail Blazers. So I'll add another team in the Dallas Mavericks, whose offseason <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-gm-donnie-nelson-agree-to-mutually-part-ways-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consisted of a front-office blowup</a>, three minor roster additions <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reggie-bullock-mavs-agree-to-threeyear-deal-worth-305m">headlined by Reggie Bullock</a> and the hiring of Jason Kidd as head coach. Kidd not only was convicted of domestic abuse in 2001 &mdash; and has done little publicly to atone for it &mdash; but he also has a 183-190 record as the head coach of talented teams. And there is <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/book-jason-kidd-held-christmas-163516649.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anecdotal evidence of a problematic past</a> in Milwaukee. It's hard for a team to regress with a rising star, but that seems to be what the Mavs are doing despite Luka Doncic's ascension.
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Jesse Blancarte: In an offseason where the Portland Trail Blazers are at risk of superstar Damian Lillard demanding to be traded, the franchise failed to make any moves that would quell the situation. Re-signing Norman Powell was a good move. However, Portland lost notable players like Enes Kanter, Carmelo Anthony and Zach Collins. The only other additions so far include Cody Zeller on a minimum contract, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore. Unless Portland has a few tricks up its sleeves, it seems likely Lillard and C.J. McCollum are going to lack the support they need on the court to take Portland on a deep playoff run next season.
Drew Maresca: I was on the fence between the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers, but Doncic&rsquo;s re-signing made the difference for me. Ultimately, Dallas is now where Portland was two years ago. The Blazers needed to do something to impress Damian Lillard, and they failed. Lillard is insanely loyal, but even the most loyal among us has limits. Lillard will end up giving Portland an ultimatum at some point in the near future, and the Blazers might find themselves stonewalled into trading Lillard instead of building around him. Who knows, it might already be too late.
Chris Sheridan: That is a tough one because the summer is a time of hope for all 30 teams. But the Orlando Magic are the winners of this category. They added Robin Lopez and head coach Jamahl Mosley, but little else outside of their draft picks. I hated the Nikola Vucevic trade when they made it. I hated it even more when Khem Birch was waived and outplayed his replacement Wendell Carter Jr. with the Toronto Raptors late last season. I do not see much hope here for an Orlando win total north of the teens.

Which team did the worst job during the 2021 NBA offseason? Our writers share their thoughts.

Roundtable: Which NBA team had the worst offseason?

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; The Houston Rockets say that guard Sterling Brown was assaulted by unknown individuals after the team arrived in Miami late Sunday night, suffering cuts to his face.
Brown was not playing Monday against the Heat, though the team said that was because of a recent knee injury that has kept him out for a total of five games and not the altercation.
&ldquo;Last night, Sterling Brown was the victim of an assault,&rdquo; the Rockets announced in a statement issued Monday evening. &ldquo;He had no prior knowledge of or interaction with the assailants. He suffered facial lacerations but will make a full recovery.&rdquo;
The team did not divulge any other details. It was not immediately known if any incident reports were filed with police.
Brown sued officials in Milwaukee after getting taken to the ground, shocked with a Taser and arrested during an encounter surrounding a parking violation with police in 2018, contending in that lawsuit that police used excessive force and targeted him because he is Black.
Brown illegally parked in a disabled spot outside a store and was talking with a group of officers while waiting for his citation when the situation escalated. He did not immediately remove his hands from his pockets, as ordered, and officers used a stun gun. Brown and the city agreed on a settlement where he would receive $750,000 plus an admission from the city that his civil rights were violated was agreed to last November.
Brown was among a small group of NBA players invited to the Vatican last fall to speak with Pope Francis, who hailed them as &ldquo;champions&rdquo; for social justice. Brown told the pope about what he and the Milwaukee Bucks went through in the NBA&rsquo;s restart bubble &mdash; particularly when they decided to sit out a playoff game against Orlando in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas said he spoke with Brown on Monday and was relieved that he would be fine.
&ldquo;Heart-wrenching. Rips your heart out,&rdquo; Silas said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s one of your guys, someone on your team that you care about, someone that you&rsquo;re with every day. As far as how I&rsquo;m feeling and how the team is feeling, we&rsquo;re all just thankful, No. 1, that he&rsquo;s going to be OK &mdash; and also down about what happened.&rdquo;
Brown is averaging a career-best 8.2 points this season, his fourth in the NBA and first with the Rockets. He spent his first three NBA seasons with Milwaukee.

The Rockets say that Sterling Brown was assaulted by unknown individuals in Miami late Sunday night, suffering cuts to his face.

Rockets say Sterling Brown was attacked, injured in Miami

Ethan Fuller gauges which NBA teams should be zeroing in on Cade Cunningham.

NBA Sour Rankings: Cade-O-Meter 2.0

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for February 26, 2021.
Make It Make Sense
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Hennessy becoming the &ldquo;official spirit of the NBA&rdquo; when JR Smith is out of the league seems unjust.
&mdash; refiloeseiboko (@GoldenHoops_) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldenHoops_/status/1364911302334947330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2021</a></blockquote>

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A championship contender needs to sign JR Smith for the remainder of the season. It's only logical.
Actually, I&rsquo;m Okay Thanks!
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Philly: look at out wonderful earned jerseys with the liberty bell on the front Lowry: <a href="https://t.co/Wxrd2cYMvs">https://t.co/Wxrd2cYMvs</a>
&mdash; Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) <a href="https://twitter.com/vivekmjacob/status/1365111996740472835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Kyle Lowry to Philly rumors were squashed the second they released that atrocious liberty bell jersey. The King of the North deserves better than to look like a bargain store Christmas ornament.
Invisible Shield
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Nuggets have a 3 on 1 fast break down 2 in the final seconds and **FART NOISE** <a href="https://t.co/sq7RUZU458">pic.twitter.com/sq7RUZU458</a>
&mdash; Fastbreak Breakfast (@fastbreakbreak) <a href="https://twitter.com/fastbreakbreak/status/1365155215528312833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Nothing about this play makes sense. Every player on the floor for the Nuggets appears to just stop beyond the arc for no reason whatsoever. Had anyone attempted a rebound there would have been an opportunity to either get the rebound or possibly be fouled. I don&rsquo;t know. I've watched it about a hundred times and still don&rsquo;t understand what happened. Miscommunication? The floor was lava? Someone saw a spider?
Accurate
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Zion is like if a Gummi Bear was made out of titanium and bad intentions
&mdash; Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) <a href="https://twitter.com/YourManDevine/status/1365145917754597387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Imagine getting your entire body broken by being on the receiving end of a dunk from a man whose demeanor and appearance closest resemble a gummy bear or one of those Costco-sized teddy bears?
Are They?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
All 7 Clipper fans are real quiet right now <a href="https://t.co/XDZT59YlBn">pic.twitter.com/XDZT59YlBn</a>
&mdash; David Portillo (@D_Portillo_0) <a href="https://twitter.com/D_Portillo_0/status/1365141254829314053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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...Or do they just not take up enough space to be noticeable because you could fit the entirety of them on a school bus? How many Clippers fans, other than <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/The-Follow-Through-podcast-with-Clipps-and-Drew" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our very own Clipps</a>, do you know in real life?
Couldn&rsquo;t Be Me
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I see NBA Twitter is arguing today. Not me tho my team is in last place. Y'all be easy.
&mdash; The Big Chillin' (@Kofie) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kofie/status/1364991085509029895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2021</a></blockquote>

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~No playoff aspirations, no competitive spirit, just vibes.~
See a tweet that should be featured in Monday's Tweet of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our Kelsea O'Brien scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for Feb. 26, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: All About Awareness

Ethan Fuller breaks down the NBA landscape with over half the league hovering close to a .500 record.

NBA Sour Rankings: How to understand the spectrum of mediocrity

Ethan Fuller analyzes the NBA landscape amid a period of astounding parity.

NBA Sour Rankings: When do we panic?

Nearly 11 months after the 2019-20 NBA G League season was suspended and ultimately canceled, the league has formulated a plan for 2021. Here is everything you need to know about the new G League season.
The Location:
The success of the NBA bubble set the precedent for the G League's return. Like the NBA, all G League games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL (just outside of Orlando).
The Teams:
Not every NBA team decided to send their G League affiliate to the new bubble. This will give the newly-formed G League Ignite team (which features top NBA prospects who are part of the professional path program) a chance to play their very first season alongside the following 17 teams:
Agua Caliente Clippers (Los Angeles Clippers affiliate) Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs affiliate; formerly Columbus Riverdragons, Austin Toros) Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers affiliate; formerly Huntsville Flight, Albuquerque Thunderbirds, New Mexico Thunderbirds) Delaware Bluecoats (Philadelphia 76ers affiliate; formerly Utah Flash, Delaware 87ers) Erie BayHawks (New Orleans Pelicans affiliate) Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers affiliate)&nbsp; Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets affiliate) Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves affiliate; formerly Iowa Energy) Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic affiliate; formerly Erie BayHawks) Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets affiliate) Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies affiliate) Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder affiliate; formerly Asheville Altitude, Tulsa 66ers) Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors affiliate) Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets affiliate) Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz affiliate; formerly Idaho Stampede) Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors affiliate; formerly Dakota Wizards) Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks affiliate)
The following teams have opted OUT of the G League bubble:
Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards affiliate) College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta Hawks affiliate; formerly Erie BayHawks) Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons affiliate; formerly Anaheim Arsenal, Springfield Armor) Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics affiliate) Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns affiliate; formerly Long Beach Jam, Bakersfield Jam) Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat affiliate) South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers affiliate; formerly Los Angeles D-Fenders) Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings affiliate; formerly Reno Bighorns) Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks affiliate; formerly Colorado 14ers) Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls affiliate) Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks affiliate)
NOTE: The Mexico City Capitanes, formerly of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, were slated to begin the five-year experiment of having a G League team outside of Canada or the U.S. The bubble format has pushed this timeline back, and the Capitanes will not be playing with the G League in Florida.
The Format:
Each of the 18 participating teams will play a minimum of 15 games. The top eight teams will advance through single-elimination playoff rounds until a champion is named for the season.&nbsp;
The Rules:
With the inability to have two-way players safely transition between the parent and affiliate teams -- or to send players from the parent team down on assignment -- the G League has implemented new rules to ensure a smooth and simple season that still produces maximum benefits for its players.
Two-Way Players:
Rather than the previously allotted 45-day maximum, two-way players will now be eligible to spend 50 of the 72 regular-season games with their parent team. This ensures that the days are not &ldquo;used up&rdquo; without the player ever stepping on the court. The salary for two-way players was adjusted for the 2021 season, and is now a flat $449,155 rather than a prorated salary dependent on days of service.&nbsp;
Teams that do not have an active affiliate participating in the G League bubble will be allowed to send both two-way players and roster players on assignment to the G League bubble.&nbsp;
The Jeremy Lin Rule:
After an attempt to acquire NBA champion Jeremy Lin fell through for the Santa Cruz Warriors due to his FIBA clearance, the NBA and G League created a new rule that allows NBA teams to fill one G League roster spot with an NBA veteran who has at least five years of experience. This rule allows Lin to sign with the G League itself (instead of a specific designated team) and to be assigned to a roster where he would fill a need -- in this case, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Lin is not the only former NBA player to take advantage of the newly created loophole, as Nik Stauskas has signed with the G League via the same avenue in order to play for his hometown Raptors 905.&nbsp;
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Health and Safety:
The health and safety protocols of the NBA bubble were so successful that they are being implemented in their entirety into the G League bubble. Mask wearing, social distancing, enhanced cleaning and sanitization methods -- plus regular COVID testing -- should ensure the bubble and everyone in it is kept coronavirus free.&nbsp;
The Draft:
The G League draft will be held on Monday, Jan. 11. Only the 17 teams participating in the bubble, excluding the Ignite, will be eligible to draft players. The draft is three rounds and will be conducted via Zoom. G League teams who already have a complete roster or have used the Jeremy Lin Rule will not be required to use their available draft picks and can forego all remaining picks in the draft. Players signed using the Jeremy Lin Rule will not be required to enter the draft pool.&nbsp;
Notable players who have declared for the G League draft include: Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley, Emeka Okafor, Terrence Jones, Shabazz Muhammad, Mario Chalmers, Festus Ezeli, Vander Blue, Marquis Teague, Allonzo Trier, Admiral Schofield, Antonio Blakeney, Justin Patton, Kenny Wooten, Jacob Evans, Tyler Ulis, Cat Barber, Isaiah Briscoe, Phil Booth, Terry Armstrong, Diamond Stone, Quincy Pondexter, Shawne Williams, Freddie Gillespie, Dusty Hannahs, Hollis Thompson, Jemerrio Jones, Cory Jefferson, Deonte Burton, Charles Cooke, CJ Fair, Gary Payton II, Shamorie Ponds and Chris Walker among others.&nbsp;
Players that were waived by a team prior to the new season are also draft eligible. Like the NBA, once a player is waived, his rights no longer belong to his former team -- thus becoming a G League free agent. Players who have signed overseas with rights still held by their former G League teams are also eligible to rejoin that team and circumvent the draft.&nbsp;
The Date:
The G League schedule has not been released yet, but teams have been given a tentative start date of Feb. 8. While this would usually be at the same time as the NBA All-Star Break, the late start to the NBA season moved the All-Star break back to the beginning of March.&nbsp;
All NBA G League games are streamed on Twitch and <a href="https://gleague.nba.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the G League's website</a>.

Kelsea O'Brien dives into the details of the NBA G League's upcoming 2021 campaign inside of the Florida bubble.

Everything you need to know about the 2021 NBA G League season

Nekias Duncan looks ahead to how the five teams in the Southwest Division will fare in the upcoming NBA season.

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

Paul Watson Jr. has been here before. He&rsquo;s played in front of empty crowds, while the walls of isolation felt like they were steadily closing in around him. He&rsquo;s stepped off the team bus at hotels filled to the brim with fellow players, some he knows, some he doesn&rsquo;t - the air thick with excitement and anticipation. He&rsquo;s seen firsthand the way a change in environment can alter a team&rsquo;s chances of winning, where an upset becomes the norm. He has sat patiently, waiting for his number to be called and wondering if any of this was even worth it.&nbsp;
Though years removed from the circuit, Watson&rsquo;s arrival in the NBA bubble was immediately met with the sense of nostalgia that smelling your grandmother&rsquo;s cooking would bring.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It gave me a lot of AAU vibes,&rdquo; Watson told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like going to camps when I was a kid. Being around everybody everyday and going to practice in the hotel, it definitely felt like AAU all over again. It felt like a giant tournament.&rdquo;
Teams that were usd to only seeing their opponents before the initial whistle blew were now sharing elevators, meals and living quarters. There was no escape from a team that may have shaken you the night before, or from a team keen to prove that they too belong in the bubble.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was actually pretty chill and laid back,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;Everybody was like, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re here, so let&rsquo;s just do our thing.&rsquo;&rdquo;&nbsp;
Watson may be quiet in nature, but underneath his shy exterior is a man with an ability to find the positive in every situation, which is rivaled only by Wenyen Gabriel <a href="https://lebronwire.usatoday.com/2020/08/19/wenyen-gabriel-couldnt-believe-lebron-gave-him-his-first-nosebleed/">ecstatically announcing</a> that LeBron James gave him his very first nosebleed.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I stuck to myself a little bit and hung out with Oshae [Brissett] a lot,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;There were a few guys I knew (from) before that were already in the league and I would catch up with them. But for the most part, I kept to myself and hung around the (Toronto) guys.&rdquo;
Perhaps his time overseas better prepared him for a secluded playing atmosphere than that of his straight-to-the-NBA counterparts? He described his four-month stint in Germany as &ldquo;a big culture shock.&rdquo; He recognizes that, although the circumstances were different, the insulating feelings were the same.&nbsp;
&ldquo;There were similarities in having to adapt to a new situation, something that&rsquo;s never been done before, and just trying to perform under weird or different circumstances,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;The city that I was in, they were really big on their basketball. It was almost like a college-town environment. They really value basketball in the city that I was in.&rdquo;
Eating, sleeping and breathing in constant, close proximity to your teammates is the norm in the G League, with players often residing in the same condo and sharing rooms on the road. Some NBA players take their five-star hotels and personal space for granted, but not Paul, who finally landed in the NBA after his three seasons in the G League.
The unusual circumstances forced those unfamiliar with them to adapt. For a newcomer like Watson, it was an opportunity to bond with his teammates and get to know them.
&ldquo;I got to talk with guys a lot more,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Before this happened, I was only up with the team so many times before the whole pandemic happened. I definitely learned some new things about guys and they definitely learned a lot about me. They kind of figured out that I&rsquo;m not the most talkative person, I&rsquo;m pretty kept to myself. They got me to open up a little bit more and got to learn more about me as well.&rdquo;
Not only had the G League prepared Watson for the close proximity in which he would live with his teammates, but for the empty arenas at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Raptors 905 are one of the best-selling franchises in the developmental league, but their attendance is a drop in the bucket compared to that of Scotiabank Arena, where their parent-club Raptors sell out every single home game.&nbsp;
&ldquo;At first, it was a little weird, but then once the ball is rolled out there and you&rsquo;re just playing, you don&rsquo;t really pay attention to it,&rdquo; Watson said of the lack of fans. &ldquo;Everything you&rsquo;re focused on is what&rsquo;s going on on the floor and what needs to be done and what needs to be executed.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The inability to feed off of the energy exerted from the crowd seemed to affect some players and teams more than others.
&ldquo;Home-court advantage plays a big part in a lot of things,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;Just being at home in general and having that fan base, I think that plays a huge part in how things can go. I think everybody is looking forward to going back to somewhere, a better life, when we have those fans in our home arena. It goes beyond basketball and is what everybody wants and is looking forward to.&rdquo;
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Watson was as surprised as anyone at the NBA Finals matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. Or rather, he was shocked at the teams that failed to live up to expectations.
&ldquo;Obviously I expected us (Toronto) to be there. I expected probably us and Milwaukee, and probably the Lakers and the Clippers, honestly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I figured. But like I said, it&rsquo;s a new environment, new situation, changes, anything can happen, and that showed (in) this whole playoffs.&rdquo;
The time between Watson&rsquo;s last game -- a 19-point, four-rebound performance in a victory over the College Park Skyhawks on Mar. 11-- the go-ahead from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBPA to resume the season was months of stagnant development. He had the itch to play the game he loves, but he couldn&rsquo;t scratch it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I feel like we had a little bit more knowledge about what could potentially happen before anyone else, but it was a lot of unknowns and [things were] up in the air for us as well,&rdquo; Watson said.
When the plan for an NBA restart was finally set in stone, Watson, like he had been in every way leading up to his Toronto Raptors debut, was ready.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was down to finally get to go play basketball, get an experience with the team, learn as much as possible,&rdquo; he said.
The rumblings of understandable discontent from players who were hesitant to restart the season were at the forefront of every article, but in the bubble -- and the days leading up to it -- the general consensus was to play.
&ldquo;For the most part, everybody was pretty much on board with it and ready to go play ball. After a while of just being in the same area and same situation and just seeing the same things, it can wear on you mentally,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;But for the most part everyone was pretty sane.&rdquo;
Still, Paul doesn&rsquo;t blame any player who was hesitant to make the journey to Orlando.
&ldquo;I can say that everybody is different,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Everybody is going to react to things a certain way. Some guys need their space. Everybody has their own life off the court and how to unwind, whether that&rsquo;s just kind of getting away to clear their head or doing something. Everybody is different.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t necessarily say that being around each other is healthy. There are definitely some benefits to it, but everybody is different and everybody is going to react to it differently.&rdquo;
The Raptors were the first team to arrive in Orlando; though as prepared as they could be, they began to feel the loneliness that anyone removed from their loved ones would feel.&nbsp;
&ldquo;After a while, it got to that point,&rdquo; Paul admits. &ldquo;A big thing for me, and I think a big thing for everybody that helped, was that after a while, family [and close ones] were allowed into the bubble. So I was allowed to bring my girlfriend out and spend time with her -- that was big for me. She helped me stay focused, and it was kind of refreshing to see new faces and new life.&rdquo;
The comfort that the arrival of family into the bubble brought was quickly draped in a fog of helplessness as the NBA -- a league that had promised to use its platform to highlight the fight against racial injustice and the treatment of Black men and women by law enforcement officials -- learned of yet another instance of police brutality. The shooting of Jacob Blake by Rusten Sheskey, a police officer in Wisconsin, had many players questioning their decision to play.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was kind of weird,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t necessarily know what was going to happen or what was going to go on. Everything kind of hit at once, and the world was just kind of in shock. It was a little strange. It was kind of like, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re just kind of hanging out right now and we&rsquo;ll see where things go.&rsquo; That&rsquo;s the only way I can describe it -- weird.&rdquo;
The decision to stop all games league-wide was not an easy one. Players were tired, both mentally and physically. Some wanted to carry on, while some didn&rsquo;t feel it was worth it. Ultimately deciding to resume play, the NBA, and Paul, persisted, though not without innominate emotions.&nbsp;
&ldquo;There was some tension, and there was some unity at the same time. It was a little of both,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;There were guys who felt certain ways about everything. Everyone was there for different reasons, but I feel like, at the end of the day, collectively, everybody was able to come together and be like, &lsquo;Look, this is what we need to do. This is what we need to get done, let&rsquo;s just go and handle our business.&rsquo;&rdquo;
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/pw2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="597" height="AUTO" />
For Watson, an NBA rookie, handling business involved a lot of waiting, and even more watching. There was no frustration on the Phoenix native&rsquo;s part, as his career has taught him the importance of the journey before the destination.&nbsp;
Watching from the socially-distanced bench may wear on the players who, for the first time, are finding their minutes and roles reduced; but for Paul, the learning on the bench is on par with the learning on the court.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You kind of try to learn what to do and what not to do, what mistakes not to make and just where you can help,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And when your time comes, just take full advantage of it. That&rsquo;s what I try to do.&rdquo;
Paul was not alone in living on standby, as former Raptors 905 teammate Justin Anderson was in a similar position. There was no love lost when the two met in the first round of the playoffs. Instead, there was a bond that could only be understood between previous teammates.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That was pretty cool. We would text back and forth and talk about what was going to happen in the series and how we both were on this stage and the hard work we&rsquo;ve each put in to get to this point, so it was pretty cool to have that experience with him and see him there too,&rdquo; Watson explained.
While Anderson had a few NBA stints before, this was Watson&rsquo;s first opportunity, and it almost didn&rsquo;t happen at all.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I kind of hit that low point after my second season,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;Things weren&rsquo;t really going the way I wanted them to. I really wasn't that happy with my situation in New York [on the Westchester Knicks]; I wasn&rsquo;t really getting the opportunity to show what I was fully capable of and I just really wasn&rsquo;t happy with how my season went.&nbsp;
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s that stigma -- you [play] so many years in the G League and it gets harder and harder [to make it to the NBA], but I knew I just needed that chance to really show what I was capable of. That summer, I put in a lot of work. It was a little draining on me, wondering if I was going to get an opportunity and where it was going to come from. All of that unknown, it does kind of wear on you. But I stayed the course and tried to work, and it got me where I am.&rdquo; That opportunity, in Watson&rsquo;s case, didn&rsquo;t emerge because of NBA preseason games or G League scouting reports. Instead, it was thanks to his strong play in a country halfway across the world.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was in Uruguay with (905 head coach) Jama (Mahlalela) and (assistant coach Charles) Kissi and when I was down there, I did my thing,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just hooped and that was really about it. Jama and Kissi took a liking to my game. I liked the system they ran; we ran the same thing in Uruguay that we did with the 905 and I really enjoyed the way they played and offense and stuff like that. After that trip, I got with my agent and he got (in touch) with 905 and we just kind of went from there.&rdquo;
He may have doubted his situation, but never himself.&nbsp;
&ldquo;At the end of the day, I trust my work,&rdquo; Watson said. &ldquo;I continue to just work on my game. I know it will get me where I want to be, and that&rsquo;s just continuing to grind and get a full-time roster spot. That's the way I look at it; there&rsquo;s never really any pressure. I just need to keep doing what I do at a high level and the rest will take care of itself.&rdquo;
Watson&rsquo;s path to the NBA, and his first season in it, may have been unusual, but his approach to it is a testament to a maturity that is beyond his 25 years. His ability to cut to the basket with ease has seen him realize his dream, but his patience, persistence and willingness to learn are what will keep him there.&nbsp;
In a league, and a world, where not much is certain anymore, Paul Watson Jr. is here to stay.&nbsp;

Toronto Raptors shooting guard Paul Watson Jr. opens up about his experience in the NBA bubble, the Finals match-up and more.