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Spurs

There is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/uncertain-future-of-deandre-ayton-becomes-top-topic-for-suns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plenty of speculation surrounding the future of Suns restricted free agent Deandre Ayton</a> heading into the offseason.&nbsp;
Last year, Phoenix decided not to offer Ayton the five-year, $170 million maximum contract that his representatives asked for. While there is a belief he will command that on the open market, the question is whether the Suns would match a max offer sheet. And if not, which team could land the center?
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036706-early-nba-free-agency-buzz-intel-on-deandre-ayton-zach-lavine-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">B/R's Jake Fischer is reporting</a> that the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers are teams who have been linked to Ayton the most. He adds that league executive believe the Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs could also be in the running for him.
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036706-early-nba-free-agency-buzz-intel-on-deandre-ayton-zach-lavine-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer adds</a> that if a team offers Ayton a maximum contract as expected that "there is skepticism among league executives the Suns would match such a lucrative offer." Plus, there is a belief around the league that "Phoenix brass simply does not view Ayton, or any center, as a player worth greater than $30 million annually."
The Suns already have a hefty payroll with Chris Paul making roughly $30 million in each of the next two years, Devin Booker on a max deal and Mikal Bridges starting a four-year, $91 million contract that he signed last October.&nbsp;
The Suns could work out a sign-and-trade deal with the aforementioned teams, with the Spurs' Jakob Poeltl and the Blazers' free-agent center Jusuf Nurkic as possible replacements.

A new report lists Atlanta, Detroit and Portland among the suitors for Suns restricted free agent Deandre Ayton.

Fischer: Atlanta, Detroit, Portland among suitors for Deandre Ayton

Following the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; shocking postseason exit, all eyes are now on Deandre Ayton's free agency.
After the Suns declined to sign Ayton to a five-year, rookie-scale max extension before the 2021-22 season, restricted free agency is now on the horizon for the athletic big man. During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Ayton&rsquo;s agent Bill Duffy discussed Ayton's future on SiriusXM&rsquo;s NBA show.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re disappointed. We wanted a max contract,&rdquo; Duffy <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1527772160923619328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;He went out and was a solider the whole year, played well, improved his statistics. So, we&rsquo;re proud of him. A lot of guys handle things differently, but he was very mature about it. Things will work out for Deandre. He&rsquo;s a valuable player. There&rsquo;s other teams in the league as well. He&rsquo;s a restricted free agent, so we&rsquo;ll see how this process unfolds.&rdquo;
Ayton averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks on a career-high 65.6% True Shooting percentage during the 2021-22 campaign. Ayton was a key asset for the Suns on both ends of the court, especially around the basket as an easy lob threat and defensive anchor. Ayton has been a key piece for the Suns, but is he worth a max contract? Based on Duffy&rsquo;s comments earlier this week, it sounds like Ayton&rsquo;s camp won&rsquo;t settle for anything less than the max entering free agency.
From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, they saw improvement from the 2018 No. 1 overall pick this season before the team's disappointing postseason showing.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense,&rdquo; Suns owner Robert Sarver told <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> recently about Ayton. &ldquo;I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Taking all of this into consideration, what if Ayton's days in Phoenix are numbered? Here's a look at the most realistic sign-and-trade destinations for Ayton this summer.
Note: It's important to remember that sign-and-trade deals rarely return the same value as a traditional trade. The Suns have let it be known that they won't simply let an asset like Ayton walk for nothing. If Ayton&rsquo;s time in Phoenix is indeed over, the Suns won&rsquo;t be leaving the relationship empty-handed.
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones
San Antonio is one of the few teams this offseason with secured max-level cap space. All that needs to be done in order to chase Ayton is renounce the restricted rights to Lonnie Walker.
Being at the bottom of the NBA standings is new for the Spurs. After being one of the league's model organizations for over two decades, they have officially hit a playoff drought. San Antonio was hoping for some lottery luck, but now they have to try another plan to bring in a star.
San Antonio&rsquo;s dynamic young duo of Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson is so fun to watch, but the they need a third game-changer to take this rebuild back into playoff mode. Ayton would be an ideal solution, mainly because of his excellent two-way fit in the Spurs&rsquo; system. Dropping Ayton into the Spurs&rsquo; player-development program could make some in Phoenix worry about the long-term consequences of this deal.
For Phoenix, cooperating with a long-time rival would hurt. However, if the relationship between team and player becomes fractured, the Suns won&rsquo;t have much of a choice if he finds a max offer on the open market.
The Suns won&rsquo;t let Ayton leave Phoenix unless they receive strong assets in return. The Spurs can actually provide a solid package that helps in the short and long-term.
In this deal, Phoenix could land one of the most underrated big men in the Association as well as two young players who have shown flashes. The Jalen Smith experiment was a disaster for the Suns after taking him No. 10 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Vassell went one pick later. Phoenix can right that wrong while also obtaining an intriguing point guard to develop in Jones.
This feels like a win-win for both sides. San Antonio would have a new Big 3 in Ayton, Murray and Johnson, while the Suns could acquire their new starting center and two pieces to bolster the bench unit.
Charlotte Hornets
Hornets receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington and draft compensation
There might not be a team with a more dire offseason need than the Hornets and their hole at center. Charlotte was one of my NBA League Pass teams this season due to their fun offensive pace, but the defense often bordered on disastrous. Montrezl Harrell and Mason Plumlee aren&rsquo;t going to cut it, so it&rsquo;s time for Charlotte to get aggressive.
Given Charlotte&rsquo;s roster, they would have to move some salaries around to make an Ayton chase realistic. Offloading Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s contract is going to be a tough task and they may even have to relinquish one of their top-15 picks to do so, but it would have to happen in order for them to pursue Ayton. Hayward is due $61.6 million over the next two seasons, and Charlotte simply can&rsquo;t afford to keep biting that bullet with restricted free agent Miles Bridges due for a payday and LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s own rookie-scale extension on the horizon. Trading away Hayward and Mason Plumlee would give the Hornets max space.
Landing Ayton is Charlotte's dream scenario. Not only would Ayton continue to get spoon-fed easy looks from an elite point guard, he would help stabilize the Hornets' defense to respectable levels. Thanks to his freakish athleticism, Ayton would be able to cover up a lot of holes around him defensively.
Phoenix would love to pull off a double sign-and-trade to nab Bridges, but that seems unlikely. Instead, this deal allows them to find their long-term answer at point guard post-Chris Paul. While Terry Rozier is a shot-chucker, he has improved as a playmaker in Charlotte. In the short-term, Rozier could step in as the Suns&rsquo; sixth man and provide the exact boost that they need in offensive guard creation. PJ Washington is an interesting add because he could slide right into the small-ball 5 role played previously by Dario Saric.
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Indiana Pacers
Pacers receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Myles Turner, Chris Duarte, TJ McConnell
What&rsquo;s the next step for Indiana? Long gone are Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert. Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield could be the next Pacers veterans to be shipped out via trade as Indiana fully embraces a rebuild attempt. It&rsquo;s been long overdue for the Pacers to pull the plug on the core that continued to stagnate once the postseason arrived.
A year later, Indiana&rsquo;s future looks much brighter with a talented, new-look core of Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson and whoever is selected at No. 6 overall.
Ayton couldn't ask for a better pick-and-roll partner than Haliburton. Already making magic happen with CP3, Ayton&rsquo;s rolling ability would help accentuate Haliburton&rsquo;s biggest strengths. Also, Ayton&rsquo;s defensive versatility would be a welcome arrival for a team that nosedived in that category last season.
For Indiana, the price would be hefty. Not only would this trade require a four-year max contract for Ayton, but the Pacers would likely need to ship out a key piece of their young core via sign-and-trade (such as Duarte).
This trade would be a huge win for Phoenix, but it also looks great for the Pacers. The Suns would have a starting center who adds floor-spacing equity and elite rim protection, a capable veteran backup point guard who can spell Paul at times, plus one of the most impactful rookie wings in the Association. Having to include Duarte could leave the Pacers apprehensive, but they are reportedly enamored with adding another explosive piece via the draft, as Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky) and Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) have all been linked to Indiana early in the pre-draft process.&nbsp;
Detroit Pistons
Pistons receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart, Cory Joseph and draft compensation
Another team that has considered making a run at Ayton this offseason is the Pistons, and they can create max space very easily: trading away Kelly Olynyk&rsquo;s contract.
The Pistons struck gold with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey and they are helping usher in a new era in Detroit. Ayton&rsquo;s arrival would be the final piece to the puzzle for a team seemingly pushing their chips in on postseason play as early as 2023.
It would be best for Ayton to land with a capable lead guard who can feed him regularly. Already capable of tallying 20 and 10 most nights, Ayton would be set up for long-term success alongside Cunningham and Bey.
The question is, what would the Pistons need to send Phoenix&rsquo;s way in order for this sign-and-trade to go through? It&rsquo;s going to be a lot, and it would be a blockbuster-type transaction.
Blockbuster indeed, because Grant is now heading back to the Valley in this scenario. If the Suns and Pistons want to cooperate on a Ayton deal, I have to imagine one of Grant or Bey would have to be involved. Stewart is another enticing trade chip because he&rsquo;s shown the versatility to space the floor from three-point range. While he doesn't have the same touch as Ayton, Stewart brings nastiness and a tenacity on both ends of the court that Phoenix would absolutely love.
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Atlanta Hawks
Hawks receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic
No ifs, ands or buts about it, Trae Young would make Ayton an All-Star next season. What a fun inside-out duo this is to envision. While Atlanta is nowhere close to reaching the necessary cap space to absorb a massive Ayton deal on their own, a sign-and-trade becomes feasible with all of the talent that could fit into the Phoenix roster.
For the Hawks, Ayton represents another foundational building block to place alongside Young for the long-term. John Collins could be the guy, but he&rsquo;s been in trade rumors for the past year with no signs of those slowing down. Onyeka Okongwu could also grow into that role, but the Hawks signing Clint Capela to a long-term extension perhaps signals that they see him more as a piece to the puzzle rather than a true building block.
Ayton would arrive in Atlanta and instantly average around 23 points and 12 rebounds per game. On box-score fit alone, this would be the best landing spot for Ayton thanks to the greatness of Young.
If Phoenix had drafted Luka Doncic rather than Ayton at No. 1 overall in 2018, Phoenix may have considered adding Clint Capela to their frontcourt. Four years later, Capela being re-routed to Phoenix in an Ayton sign-and-trade is a plausible scenario to imagine. Capela would provide similar numbers to Ayton while requiring less of an offensive workload. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic might vault to the top the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year leaderboards in the near future. Bogdanovic and Cameron Johnson leading the Suns&rsquo; second unit? That&rsquo;s a filthy thought.
***
None of these trades are perfect, but they do illustrate how challenging it will be for Phoenix to find a home for Ayton while also returning the value they'd love to get back for him. Ultimately, it may be in the Suns' best interest to re-sign Ayton this offseason and trade him at some point down the road when his value isn't so depressed.
Whatever happens, Ayton&rsquo;s name will continue to pop up in rumors throughout the spring and summer until the Suns and Ayton's camp find common ground at the negotiation table. This situation could become awkward and dragged out, which would surely kick the trade rumors into high gear. This isn't the last we'll hear about Ayton and the possibility of him changing teams.
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With Deandre Ayton's future in Phoenix becoming murky, it's time to examine potential destinations for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Examining potential sign-and-trade destinations for Deandre Ayton

Yes, the Toronto Raptors were eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers last week. They demonstrated potential in their first-round series but didn&rsquo;t have the chops to take down the 76ers.
While fan bases are generally indifferent about first-round eliminations, Raptors fans should be ecstatic. Not because they should perceive a playoff appearance as a success. That&rsquo;s nothing to write home about. No, Toronto fans should instead be happy about the quick rebuild from their 2019 championship team, and the underlying foundation they&rsquo;ve built.
Before we dive into exactly how Toronto accomplished their turnaround, let&rsquo;s take inventory of the other 29 teams&rsquo; recent successes, or lack thereof. There are 16 teams that haven&rsquo;t won a championship in 20 or more years and five that haven&rsquo;t won in 40 or more years. There are also 13 teams that haven&rsquo;t made the NBA Finals in 10 or more years and 14 teams that haven&rsquo;t won a playoff series in three or more years.
Juxtapose that with Toronto&rsquo;s situation. As I mentioned above, the Raptors won the 2019 championship in their 24th season in the league. They did so by being ultra-aggressive in adding Kawhi Leonard. While history could view the decision to swap DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick for only one year of Leonard negatively, the fact of the matter is that DeRozan and Kyle Lowry led Toronto as far as they could. The only way the Raptors were going to win big was by acting boldly, which is exactly what they did.
But bold moves like adding players on expiring contracts can backfire, as it did for Toronto with Leonard leaving. Leonard was a particularly risky gamble given that his desire to return to Southern California was a badly-kept secret. &nbsp;
As many expected, Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers as an unrestricted free agent in 2019. The Raptors' pursuit (and acquisition) of a championship cost them the ability to compete for the foreseeable future, or at least that&rsquo;s how it was initially perceived.
Surprisngly, 2019-20 went well for the Raptors. They received contributions from nearly everyone on their roster. The next season didn't go nearly as well, perhaps due to the loss of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka (or maybe something else entirely). Whatever the reason, the 2020-21 Raptors finished the season 27-45, good for the sixth-worst record in the league.
But those struggles were short-lived. The 2021-22 season started out well with victories in six of their first nine games. The Raptors miraculously ended this season with a 48-34 record, good for fifth-best in the Eastern Conference.
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Park Life - Ep.6 Thanks for riding with us all year long! We appreciate y&rsquo;all and can&rsquo;t wait to see you next season. <a href="https://t.co/EzK3bKK05L">pic.twitter.com/EzK3bKK05L</a>
&mdash; Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1520117178921537537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Rebuilds are tricky in the NBA. The 76ers underwent a painful rebuild from 2013-2018. The Knicks have arguably been stuck in a rebuild since 2001. So, how did Toronto accomplish it after just one year? Much of the credit is owed to their president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri.
Ujiri re-signed with the Raptors last Summer after joining Toronto in 2013. Before landing with Canada&rsquo;s only NBA franchise, Ujiri was the Denver Nuggets&rsquo; general manager from 2010 to 2013, where he won executive of the year in 2012-13.
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Ujiri&rsquo;s fingerprints are all over Toronto&rsquo;s roster. Ujiri&rsquo;s trade for Leonard was bold, but his moves since Leonard left Toronto are arguably more impressive.
Most notably, Ujiri and the Raptors convinced Fred VanVleet to stay in Toronto on a four-year/$85 million deal in November 2020. And they did so anti-climactically, with no free agent meetings or bidding wars.
VanVleet is a key example of Ujiri&rsquo;s brilliance. VanVleet was an undrafted rookie, signed by Ujiri and the team to a multi-year contract after a strong showing in the 2016 Summer League. He played well for the Raptors&rsquo; G-League affiliate, earning a place on the NBA team&rsquo;s roster. He&rsquo;s since become an All-Star.
But Toronto&rsquo;s success is about way more than just VanVleet. Ujiri also traded Norman Powell to Portland for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood last season. Powell signed a five-year/$90 million deal with Portland but was traded from the Trail Blazers to the Clippers this season. Conversely, Trent re-signed with the Raptors for a comparative bargain, three-years/$52 million. And Trent had a career year for the Raptors in 2021-22, with career-bests in points, assists and minutes per game.
Ujiri also drafted Scottie Barnes over Jalen Suggs. Barnes was seen as a gamble entering the draft. While some made comparisons to Draymond Green, others doubted his offensive ability, whereas Suggs was widely believed to be the fourth-best player in the draft. Barnes was recently named the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year.
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ROTY 4 SCOTTIE Open Gym: Moment presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/Bell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bell</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottBarnes561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottBarnes561</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZChgqo4nec">pic.twitter.com/ZChgqo4nec</a>
&mdash; Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1517922023137288192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Additionally, the Raptors agreed on a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat prior to 2021-22, sending Lowry to the Miami in exchange for Precious Achiuwa, Goran Dragic and a traded player exception (TPE). Lowry was an unrestricted free agent, but Miami didn&rsquo;t have the cap space to sign him outright. So, while this deal fell in Ujiri&rsquo;s lap, the fact that Toronto received Achiuwa, the 20th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, as part of it was slightly surprising. Achiuwa was sixth in minutes, seventh in points and third in rebounds for the Raptors this season.
Toronto continues to benefit from other moves made by Ujiri, too, including the drafting of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Siakam has grown into the team&rsquo;s best player and leading scorer, and Anunoby has proven himself a wildly versatile wing. Siakam and Anunoby signed extensions with the Raptors in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Team success is rarely, if ever, the product of one person, especially in basketball. Still, Ujiri has collected great talent and built an impressive culture. He&rsquo;s also developed and retained players better than most other executives. Credit whomever you&rsquo;d like, but the Raptors barely skipped a beat after losing a top-three player, and that is something to write home about.
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Despite losing a top-three player just a few seasons ago, the Raptors repositioned themselves for the future. How did they do it so quickly?

How Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors rebuilt after Kawhi Leonard

The NBA sent four teams home from its Play-In Tournament after Friday night, but all four are poised to contend next season.
Though the Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs exited early, their trio of All-Star guards and exciting young cores mean all three should be back in the hunt &mdash; provided they beef up their rosters in the offseason. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers weren't supposed to make it this far without their franchise cornerstones; that only creates more buzz surrounding a 2022-23 championship contender.
What can these franchises do this offseason to set themselves up for success? I've written up some summer plans for all four squads, including draft assets (via Tankathon), potential free agents (via Spotrac) and a central team-building question (via my deranged mind). If you missed last week, I did the same for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/summer-plans-for-the-nbas-nonplayoff-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 teams who did not crack the NBA postseason</a>.
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Let's dive in.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, First-round pick via Pelicans, Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Toronto (if 55-60)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Montrezl Harrell, Isaiah Thomas, Miles Bridges (restricted), Cody Martin (restricted), Arnoldas Kulboka (restricted), Scottie Lewis (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How can the Hornets construct an interior defense?
Charlotte's bottom-10 defense doomed the franchise several times in the regular season and, ultimately, in the Play-In loss to Atlanta. The Hornets gave up boatloads of at-rim attempts and three-pointers, and simply looked like turnstiles at times. Improvement is necessary across the board, but an on-paper view highlights a clear need for upgrades inside.
Mason Plumlee is a fine basketball player, but he's not anchoring a high-level NBA defense. Neither is Montrezl Harrell, and 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones barely touched the floor in Charlotte. The Hornets don't have a whole lot of salary flexibility with big-money deals in place for Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier. Miles Bridges' restricted free agency is also a key offseason focal point.&nbsp;
Though the Hornets likely can't throw outright money at a Deandre Ayton-level restricted free agent, perhaps they could work a sign-and-trade for a lesser-known young talent. Maybe Mo Bamba fits the bill from Orlando? Charlotte was tied to trade rumors surrounding Myles Turner before the trade deadline, and the front office could also elect to sign a veteran at a mid-level exception.
Regardless of the pathway, the Hornets have needed to address the center position for years now. With a playoff leap now the expectation in 2022-23, they can't afford to let another summer slip away.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, Second-round pick via Spurs, Second-round pick via Heat
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Ed Davis, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Goodwin, Collin Sexton (restricted), Moses Brown (restricted), RJ Nembhard (restricted), Dean Wade (team option)
Central question:&nbsp;What is Collin Sexton's future in Cleveland?
The Cavaliers may have slid out of the playoffs, but this was a banner year for the franchise's long-term trajectory. Darius Garland emerged as a cornerstone point guard, Evan Mobley might win Rookie of the Year, and the frontcourt pairing with Jarrett Allen looks to be a mainstay in the Eastern Conference. Injuries ultimately derailed what was a top-four seed. Most of the rotation is under contract and under 30, hinting at continued growth.
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Darius Garland -&gt; Jarrett Allen -&gt; Evan Mobley (Lob) <a href="https://t.co/nDQz7tkxbs">pic.twitter.com/nDQz7tkxbs</a>
&mdash; Jackson Lloyd (@JacksonLloydNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonLloydNBA/status/1515354588353728522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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This seaon's leap makes the situation with Sexton... difficult. Let's not forget that the combo guard is a season removed from a 24-point-per-game season as an efficient primary scorer, and that the Cavs were 19th in Offensive Rating this year. Sexton can meaningfully boost Cleveland simply as a bucket-getter, nevermind if he keeps improving as a playmaker.
What kind of contract do the Cavs offer to a 23-year-old who missed nearly a full season with a knee injury though? If a desperate team decides to throw money at Sexton to force the franchise to match, is there a limit to the front office's willingness? What would an extension mean for Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert?&nbsp;
Sexton is one of the biggest dominoes in the upcoming offseason, and arguably the most unpredictable.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Robert Covington, Rodney Hood, Isaiah Hartenstein, Amir Coffey (restricted), Xavier Moon (restricted), Ivica Zubac (team option), Nic Batum (player option)
Central question:&nbsp;What does a fully-healthy 10-man rotation look like?
Nobody expected the Clippers to be a playoff contender without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and they still almost cracked the postseason with the supporting cast chipping in. L.A. made a splash at the trade deadline by adding Norman Powell and Robert Covington, two players who conceivably make sense next to the franchise's two stars.
This roster is deep. It's a great problem to have, but it's still a problem with several rotation options potentially hitting free agency. Covington will likely command a solid new deal as one of the league's more reliable two-way complements, and Batum could easily decline his $3.3 million team option in search of a raise. Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein may both hit free agency; what would happen to the center rotation in that case?
The Clippers have Leonard, George, Powell, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Marcus Morris locked down for next season. That's already seven rotation-caliber players, and it doesn't account for leaps from young talents like Brandon Boston Jr., Jason Preston or Amir Coffey. A roster crunch is inbound, and the organization can't let a quality addition slip away as it positions itself for title contention next season.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, first-round pick via Raptors, first-round pick via Celtics, second-round pick via Lakers
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Lonnie Walker IV (restricted), Devontae Cacok (restricted), Joe Wieskamp (restricted), DJ Stewart Jr. (restricted), Robert Woodard II (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How do the Spurs toe the line between developmental patience and consolidation?
San Antonio valiantly fought to get to the Play-In Tournament before losing to New Orleans, but also had one of the more underrated developmental seasons across the roster. Dejounte Murray made his All-Star leap and Jakob Poeltl established himself as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jakob-poeltl-san-antonios-newest-watchful-protector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the league's better rim-protectors</a>; the Spurs collectively were just a tick under league-average on both ends of the floor, per Cleaning the Glass.
One of the NBA's youngest rosters is well on track and about to receive another influx of potential. San Antonio could use its three first-rounders (including its own lottery pick) to add to the frontcourt or find another lead guard. However, the Spurs already have 12 players locked down for next season under at least partial guarantees, and 11 of them are under 30. They have a pathway to over $24 million in salary cap space this summer should they move on from restricted free agents like Walker.&nbsp;
There's an avenue, with draft picks, young players and cap space, for San Antonio to make a serious splash. Is that in the programming for this franchise, though? San Antonio hasn't acquired a star via trade in several years, unless you want to count adding DeMar DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster. At the same time, there are only so many minutes to go around for the young guns, especially if the Spurs think they can compete for the playoffs.
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Ethan Fuller sets the stage for the NBA's four Play-In exits approaching the offseason.

Summer plans for the Spurs, Hornets, Cavaliers and Clippers

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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
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>

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

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

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI5735260596" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Wednesday's Play-In Tournament slate.
Atlanta Hawks (-6) vs. Charlotte Hornets
Betting against Trae Young and the Hawks in this spot is a dangerous game to play, which is why we&rsquo;re wagering on the favorite here. If you haven&rsquo;t been monitoring closely, Young has been putting up monster numbers while keeping Atlanta afloat post-All-Star break.
<blockquote class="q4-performance" data-sport="basketball" data-q4="468b73a5-3137-3f56-9619-fe3b3c5c708d" data-gid="6167e6b9-6a64-473b-90f3-9af2af05e8b3" data-server="api.quarter4.io">
&nbsp;
&mdash; Wednesday, April 13th Charlotte Hornets @ Atlanta Hawks</blockquote>

<script src="https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/quarter4.io-public-assets-ca/widget/v1/embed.js"></script>

On the other hand, Charlotte is such a feisty team. The Hornets have shown on multiple occasions that they can hang with anyone when they get hot offensively. Young against LaMelo Ball is going to be such a fun 1-on-1 matchup to follow along with as well. In the end, the postseason experience for Atlanta looms large. Hammer the Hawks in the Play-In as home favorites.
Pick: Hawks -6
Player Props: Trae Young over 30.5 points, Miles Bridges over 21.5 points, Clint Capela over 13.5 rebounds, LaMelo Ball over 8.5 assists
New Orleans Pelicans (-5.5) vs. San Antonio Spurs
Kudos to Pelicans head coach Willie Green, because this reminds me an awful lot of Phoenix&rsquo;s sudden turnaround under Monty Williams. Green learned under Williams for a few seasons, and now those same principles are being applied magnificently in New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram are a dynamite wing duo, but just imagine the possibilities once Zion Williamson eventually returns. If Williamson returns to form, the Pelicans have those same ingredients we&rsquo;ve seen surge with the Suns and Grizzlies.
The Spurs will be a tough out on Wednesday, especially with Dejounte Murray and their versatile two-way wings. However, we feel confident locking in the Pelicans to win and ultimately cover the 5.5-point spread.
Pick: Pelicans -5.5
Player Props: CJ McCollum over 26.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 23.5 points, Jakob Poeltl over 9.5 rebounds, Dejounte Murray over 9.5 assists
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA Play-In Tournament games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/13/22

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole each had 18 points and the Golden State Warriors won their fourth straight, beating the San Antonio Spurs 100-94 on Saturday night and strengthen their hopes for a top-three seed. 
Golden State is a game ahead of Dallas in the Western Conference and can secure the third seed with a victory Sunday at New Orleans in the season finale. If the Warriors lose, and the Mavericks beat the Spurs on Sunday, Dallas will finish third after going 3-1 in its season series with Golden State.
San Antonio will finish 10th in the Western Conference and must travel to ninth-seeded New Orleans for the opener of the play-in tournament Wednesday.
Lonnie Walker IV had 24 points to lead the Spurs. Walker was the only San Antonio player in double figures through the first 39 minutes. Tre Jones finished with 15 points, Josh Primo had 14 and Josh Richardson added 10.
After the Spurs pulled within two points with two minutes remaining, Poole made a pair of free throws with 47.9 seconds to put Golden State up 98-94 remaining after Jones missed a running layup.
Andrew Wiggins finished with 15 points and Draymond Green added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Golden State.
The Warriors were without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Spurs were without their entire starting lineup of Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell and Doug McDermott. 
Those absences led to a low-scoring affair with the teams combining to score 44 points in the opening quarter. The Spurs scored 36 points in the first quarter of each of their three previous games against the Warriors.
After trailing by as many as 17 points, the Spurs closed to 78-71 on a 3-pointer by Primo as time expired in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by rookie forward Joe Wieskamp and a 15-foot jumper by Primo cut the Warriors’ lead to 86-84 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining.
San Antonio outscored Golden State 17-12 in the opening seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Warriors were able to maintain their lead down the stretch with veterans Green and Wiggins leading the way.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State sat Thompson for the fourth straight game as part of the injury management for his right Achilles’ tendon, which he had surgery on in November 2020. Thompson was crisply working out and shooting prior to the game with no discomfort. … Curry remains out with a sprained left foot. The two-time MVP has not played since suffering the injury March 16 against Boston. … 
Spurs: San Antonio honored former owner Red McCombs during the game’s first time out. McCombs was member of the original ownership that bought the ABA’s Dallas Chapparals and brought them to San Antonio in 1973. He sold his interest in the Spurs in 1978 and later owned the Denver Nuggets from 1982 to 1985. McCombs returned to the Spurs in 1988 to become the team’s majority owner at a time when the franchise’s future in San Antonio was in question. … Murray sat out for reconditioning after missing four consecutive games with a non-Covid upper respiratory illness.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At New Orleans on Sunday night.
Spurs: At Dallas on Sunday night.

The Golden State Warriors maintained their hold on the three-seed with a win over San Antonio.

Warriors hold off Spurs and maintain hold on third seed

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.
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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.
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&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>
(Mobile users scroll right to view full table)
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.
<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/7niqah" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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.)
<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/48iivd" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
&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

Just two weeks ago, the San Antonio Spurs were 27-44, two-and-a-half games out of postseason positioning and three games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers' failures have been the dominant headline of this year's playoff race. However, their epic meltdown is overshadowing a Spurs team that capitalized on an easy stretch of schedule to go 6-1 in the past two weeks and surge to the No. 10 seed.
San Antonio boasts a fifth-ranked offense and defense over that time, according to Cleaning the Glass. Sure, three of the wins have come against the Portland Trail Blazers, and a fourth victory versus the Houston Rockets; however, the Spurs have also downed Golden State and New Orleans &mdash; and even fighting tooth and nail in a one-point loss against second-seeded Memphis is commendable. This roster features just two players over age-26 in Doug McDermott (30) and Josh Richardson (28).&nbsp;
For a team that has appeared well out of contention all season, the Spurs have displayed impressive resilience with this late run.
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Any praise starts with Dejounte Murray, who is simply a full-blown superstar. The 25-year-old kicked his All-Star season up another notch in March, putting up 25.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game with a 57.5% True Shooting percentage. Then, on defense, he led the NBA with 4.7 deflections per game.
Murray averaged 92.6 touches per game last month &mdash; third in the entire NBA &mdash; and sported a 33.5% usage rate, in the 81st percentile among point guards. His assist rate (39.3%) is in the 88th percentile post-February, and it underscores the success Murray is having with tremendous responsibility as an engine.
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Against the Pelicans, Murray racked up 13 assists against 2 turnovers. He often simply made the right pass, and on other plays, he showed off the vision and control that has come to define his methodical tempo.
Murray may be the fulcrum, but he isn't carrying San Antonio. The Spurs missed him for the past two games due to illness, yet still soundly thrashed Portland twice. They beat New Orleans on a night where Murray had those 13 assists but shot 4 of 19 from the field.
Tre Jones subbed into the starting lineup for Murray in those two wins against the Trail Blazers, handing out 16 assists without turning the ball over once. Jones has a scintillating 62.6% True Shooting percentage and a 6.40 assist-to-turnover rate during the seven-game run.
Keldon Johnson has shined as the team's second-leading scorer at 22.0 points per game. He has reasserted himself as a powerful driver while canning 47% of his corner threes over the past seven games. The drive-and-kick game has also shined.
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Johnson is already a reliable driver who continues to improve. Since March 1, his overall turnover rate has dropped to a pristine 7.0%, while his assist totals have gone up. The reads that the 22-year-old has made out of his attacks have been quite impressive.
It feels like the young core is rising collectively on the score sheet. Devin Vassell has knocked down 37.0% of his three-pointers since the All-Star break, showing off the pull-up savvy that made him a 2020 lottery pick. Zach Collins has returned from lengthy injury absences to back up Jakob Poeltl and help San Antonio post the second-highest offensive rebound rate in the NBA over the past seven games.&nbsp;
Even 19-year-old Josh Primo, the youngest player in the NBA, has stepped in as a starter over the past eight games. He hasn't been an efficient offensive contributor, but Primo is still playing 27.2 minutes per game for a Spurs team that is winning when it counts. That's meaningful development.
Seven different Spurs have logged a 15-plus-point outing during the 6-1 run. Five others have scored between 10 and 15 points at least once. Regardless of the context or competition, it's fun to see so many players impacting the point total.
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On defense, San Antonio has arguably played even better, and it starts with Poeltl. The 26-year-old has already faced the most at-rim shots in the league this season and performed admirably. During the recent winning stretch, Poeltl has faced 7.7 shots at the rim per game. Opponents are shooting just 45.7% on those attempts &mdash; the lowest rate against any player facing at least 5 attempts per game in that span.
Overall, the Spurs have held their opponents to just 54.1% shooting at the rim over the past seven games, per Cleaning the Glass, by far the league's lowest rate in that span. Teams have struggled to get out and run on San Antonio, and when stuck in a half-court game, the Spurs have allowed the fifth-fewest points per half-court possession.
In short: It's been a fantastic run, and it's placed all the pressure on the Lakers to change their fate.
L.A. is 4-16 since the All-Star break with the NBA's second-worst defensive rating. The Lakers still have to face Phoenix and Denver, two top-10 offenses on the season, along with the Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers must win at least two games to even have a mathematical chance at the No. 10 seed, and even if they somehow won out, San Antonio would then only need to win two games (the Spurs hold the tiebreaker).
The Spurs have a difficult road ahead against four West playoff teams in the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. Does San Antonio's recent hot stretch provide enough momentum to split the schedule? Do the Lakers have anything left in the tank to apply pressure?
Regardless of the outcome, Gregg Popovich and his staff should take pride in how the young Spurs have fought for their spot in the postseason.
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Dejounte Murray has helped lead the young Spurs into the Play-In Tournament picture, and a number of others are contributing as well.

The Lakers might be collapsing, but let's give credit to the Spurs

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Keldon Johnson scored 28 points and the San Antonio Spurs defeated the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 113-92 on Sunday night to strengthen their bid for a play-in berth.
Coupled with the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; loss to Denver, San Antonio&rsquo;s magic number for clinching 10th place in the Western Conference is two games. The Spurs (33-45) also hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers (31-47) with a better conference record.
San Antonio won a two-game weekend series with Portland to complete a four-game sweep of the Trail Blazers. It was the sixth win in seven games for the resurgent Spurs.
San Antonio's Zach Collins had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double. Tre Jones added 18 points and Keita Bates-Diop 12.
The Blazers struggled to maintain any consistency offensively without Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart, Eric Bledsoe, Anfernee Simmons and several other injured players.
Keon Johnson and Ben McLemore had 19 points each to lead Portland.
San Antonio was without Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl.
As they did Friday, the Trail Blazers took an early lead as the Spurs struggled to adjust without its missing starters.
Johnson responded with his sixth straight 20-point game.
San Antonio outscored Portland 34-16 in the third quarter to overcome a 13-point deficit.
The Spurs tied the game at 23 on a runner by Josh Richardson off a pair of offensive rebounds and then took the lead on Lonnie Walker IV&rsquo;s 3-pointer.
The Blazers regained the lead in the second quarter, much to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich&rsquo;s dismay. The veteran called a timeout with 7 minutes remaining after San Antonio allowed a 3-pointer that put up Portland up 43-37.
The Blazers were 6 for 10 on 3-pointers in the second quarter and shot 52% overall in the period. Portland finished 16 for 44 on 3-pointers and shot 40% overall.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland has lost four straight to San Antonio. The Trail Blazers' last victory at the AT&amp;T Center was May 8, 2021. ... Portland is 27-51, its first 50-loss season since going 32-50 in 2007. ... Rookie F Greg Brown III was assessed a clear path foul with 11:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. After committing a turnover, Brown began attempting to wrap up Tre Jones near midcourt on a fast break. ... G Kris Dunn received a flagrant foul 1 after hitting Johnson in the head on a layup attempt with 8 minutes remaining in the fourth. Initially ruled a common foul, the penalty was changed after video review. Johnson had to reinsert a contact lens before shooting free throws.
Spurs: San Antonio star Manu Ginobili received a standing ovation after the Spurs honored the Argentinian for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Spurs showed a video of Ginobili receiving a call from Hall of Fame president John Doleva informing him of the selection. San Antonio then cut to a live shot of Ginobili, who was in attendance &mdash; which drew another huge roar and standing ovation. ... Murray and Poeltl were both late scratches from the starting lineup. Murray is still battling a non-COVID upper respiratory illness. Poeltl has a back injury. ... Collins was a rebound shy of completing his first career double-double on Friday. ... C Jock Landale did not return after spraining his right foot 30 seconds into the second quarter. After writhing in pain on the court for about a minute, Landale walked back to the locker room unassisted. ... Romeo Langford played for the first time since March 7 after missing 12 straight games due to an injured hamstring.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Spurs: At Denver on Tuesday night.

Keldon Johnson led the San Antonio Spurs with 28 points in their play-in strengthening win against the Trail Blazers.

Spurs top short-handed Blazers to strengthen play-in hopes

NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Dejounte Murray could feel his annoyance building as San Antonio coaches repeatedly went back over video of the Spurs' blowout loss to New Orleans in the previous meeting between the two Western Conference play-in hopefuls.
Apparently, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the NBA's all-time leader in coaching victories, knows something about using bad memories to inspire better performances.
Murray had 15 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, Keldon Johnson punctuated his 21-point night with a breakaway dunk in the final seconds and the Spurs bolstered their postseason hopes with a 107-103 victory over the Pelicans on Saturday night.
&ldquo;Our two meetings today, I kind of was mad that we kept watching the film of that last game because they beat us really bad from tip all the way to the end of the game,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We all took that personal.&rdquo;
The Pelicans nearly wiped out a 10-point deficit in the final 3:43 and had the ball, down 105-103, in the final seconds. But the Spurs sent multiple perimeter defenders at CJ McCollum, who opted to pass to Jose Alvarado on the left wing. Alvarado, an undrafted rookie who scored a career-high 23 points, missed his final shot for the lead from the 3-point line.
Jock Landale rebounded and got to the ball to Murray, who found Johnson with a long cross-court pass for the put-away basket in a victory that pulled San Antonio (30-44) one game behind New Orleans (31-43) for the final Western Conference play-in spot.
Pelicans first-year coach Willie Green said that although Alvarado had &ldquo;a good look&rdquo; at his last shot, the coaching in that situation could have been better.
"In hindsight, that's a situation where I probably need to take a timeout and get us organized," Green continued. &ldquo;That's an area where I probably have to get a little better.&rdquo;
Green also sensed the Spurs were playing with the emotion and purpose of a team seeking redemption.
&ldquo;They remembered what happened the last time we played them and you could see they came out with a different force,&rdquo; Green said, calling the Spurs' 16 offensive rebounds and 22 second-chance points &ldquo;the biggest factor&rdquo; in the game.
&ldquo;Normally teams don't rebound the ball like that against us,&rdquo; Green added. &ldquo;It sort of negates what we do well.&rdquo;
Josh Richardson scored 18 points for the Spurs, who trailed 92-90 with less than nine minutes to play before stringing together a pivotal 12-0 run during which Landale scored eight on a pair of 3s and a layup set up by Zach Collins' shot fake and pass from underneath the basket.
&ldquo;We kind of all understood what this game meant to our record and the chase with those guys,&rdquo; Landale said. &ldquo;There was a different level of intensity in the locker room and walking out on the court. ... It was just good to see it all come together down the stretch.&rdquo;
McCollum scored 32 and Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans, which led most of the first half. The Pelicans were up by as many as 12 when Larry Nance Jr., in his second game back from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, tipped in Devonte' Graham's missed 3 early in the second quarter to make it 34-22.
The Spurs controlled the rest of the quarter, however, thanks in large part to Richardson, who scored 11 of his points in a four-minute span in the middle of the period.
Richardson's three free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt gave the Spurs a 50-46 lead with 4:30 left in the half.
New Orleans rallied to briefly take the lead when Herb Jones' forceful, fast-break two-handed jam and Alvarado's 3 made it 57-54. But Tre Jones' driving layup and Johnson's tip-in in the final seconds gave the Spurs a 58-57 halftime lead.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Jakob Poeltl and Jakob Primo each scored 12 points, while Landale and Collins each scored 10. ... Poeltl grabbed 11 rebounds. ... Made 22 of 25 free throws. ... Outrebounded New Orleans 49-42. ... Small forward Devin Vassell, who averages 11.9 points per game, was held out with a sore right Achilles tendon.
Pelicans: Brandon Ingram, who leads the Pelicans with 22.8 points per game, missed his 10th straight game with a sore hamstring after being listed as questionable coming in. ... Missed six of 19 free throws and missed 22 of 32 3-point shots. ... Pelicans forward Naji Marshall was called for a flagrant foul when his hand caught Collins in the face early in the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Visit Houston on Monday night.
Pelicans: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night in the last of three straight at home.

Dejounte Murray had a triple-double as the Spurs bolstered their postseason hopes with a 107-103 win over the Pelicans

Murray's triple-double lifts Spurs over Pelicans 107-103

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Sunday's slate.
New York Knicks vs. Utah Jazz (-3.5)
Very quietly, the Jazz are working their way back into the Western Conference&rsquo;s elite tier. After a nightmarish January, they are back to normal and dominating on both ends of the court. We feel there&rsquo;s great value to be had on the spread in favor of Utah, especially against one of the Association&rsquo;s most inconsistent teams. We&rsquo;re betting big on the Jazz&rsquo;s stars to put on a show in Madison Square Garden, so lock in the 3.5-point spread cover.
Pick: Jazz -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Donovan Mitchell over 25.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 23.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Julius Randle over 5.5 assists
Denver Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics (-3)
Nikola Jokic is well on his way to back-to-back MVP awards. At this rate, how can you deny Jokic? Not only is Jokic putting up even better numbers than last season, but he&rsquo;s doing it with less star talent around him. This feels like the perfect opportunity for the MVP to make another eye-opening statement as an underdog. Hammer with emphasis the Nuggets to win outright in the underdog role.
Pick: Nuggets +3
PrizePicks Power Play: Jayson Tatum over 29.5 points, Nikola Jokic over 24.5 points, Robert Williams over 8.5 rebounds, Aaron Gordon over 5 rebounds
Golden State Warriors (-6.5) vs. San Antonio Spurs
It&rsquo;s very unlikely Stephen Curry suits up tonight for the Warriors against San Antonio, but we still feel very confident in locking them as a best bet for Sunday&rsquo;s intriguing slate. Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole will be able to carry the scoring load in Curry&rsquo;s absence, plus the Warriors&rsquo; defense should be able to keep Dejounte Murray contained. Both teams are going in opposite directions as of late, and we don&rsquo;t expect that trend to end anytime soon. Hammer the Warriors here in this spot.
Pick: Warriors -6.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Klay Thompson over 23.5 points, Jordan Poole over 23.5 points, Jakob Poeltl over 8.5 rebounds, Dejounte Murray over 8.5 assists
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For a fun-filled Sunday slate in the NBA, "Nothing But Bets" drops off their favorite picks against the spread alongside enticing PrizePicks props.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/20/22

Karl-Anthony Towns had a career-high 60 points &mdash; the most scored in the NBA this season &mdash; and the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the San Antonio Spurs 149-139 on Monday night.
Towns shot 19 for 31 and grabbed 17 rebounds in surpassing his previous best of 56 points against Atlanta on March 28, 2018. Lakers star LeBron James and Hawks point guard Trae Young previously shared league-high honors this season with 56 points.
Minnesota&rsquo;s 7-foot All-Star capped his dazzling performance by draining a 3-pointer with 1:39 remaining, shortly after making one of two free throws to reach 57 points.
San Antonio has lost two straight since Gregg Popovich earned his 1,336th career victory to become the winningest coach in NBA history. The Spurs have dropped seven of nine and are 2-3 during a seven-game homestand, their longest of the season.
Spurs forward Keldon Johnson had 34 points, Dejounte Murray added 30 points and 12 assists, and Lonnie Walker IV scored 22.
The teams combined for 148 points in the first half, shooting 58 for 100 while playing at a frenzied pace.
San Antonio opened the game 4 for 5 on 3-pointers but Minnesota shot 75% from the field during the first seven minutes of the opening quarter.
Towns had 14 points and five rebounds while playing the entire first quarter against Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins.
The game got chippy in the third with Wolves guard Patrick Beverley getting entangled with Murray and Collins on separate possessions. The skirmishes fueled a 16-7 run for the Wolves that gave them a 112-99 lead with 2:30 remaining in the quarter.
Towns had 56 points through the first three quarters. He sat down with 6:34 remaining in the final period shortly after picking up his fourth and fifth fouls within 45 seconds, but returned to the floor with three minutes remaining to set his career high.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards had five points in 30 minutes after being listed as probable due to a tendinopathy. &hellip; Towns&rsquo; foul on Poeltl in the third quarter was upgraded to a flagrant 1 after video review. &hellip; Towns also inadvertently elbowed teammate Taurean Prince on the bridge of the nose late in the first quarter after both attempted to rebound a missed 3-pointer by Josh Primo. Prince sat on the court for a minute clutching at his nose but remained in the game following a timeout. &hellip; Beverley started the game and had 20 points in 30 minutes after being questionable due to an ear injury.
Spurs: Murray is the first player in franchise history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a single season. &hellip; Johnson joined Kawhi Leonard as the only players in franchise history with 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 125 3-pointers in a single season. &hellip; Doug McDermott missed the game after spraining his right ankle Saturday in the first half of San Antonio&rsquo;s 11-point loss to Indiana. Popovich is unsure how long McDermott will be sidelined, but said he is out &ldquo;for a while.&rdquo; &hellip; Keita Bates-Diop sat out with back soreness after playing eight minutes against the Pacers. He has missed four of five games. &hellip; Romeo Langford did not play due to a strained right hamstring.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
Spurs: Host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Karl-Anthony Towns had a career-high 60 points — the most scored in the NBA this season — and the Timberwolves outlasted the Spurs.

Towns scores NBA-high 60 points, Wolves top Spurs 149-139

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Monday's slate.
Philadelphia 76ers (-3) vs. Denver Nuggets
Who&rsquo;s ready for this clash of titans on Monday night when Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic square off in Philadelphia? These are the two leaders in the razor-thin MVP race at the moment. Which player will lead his team to victory? Expect both Embiid and Jokic to go off, but James Harden feels like the trump card here. If Harden gets going alongside Embiid, it&rsquo;s going to be hard for Denver to keep up without giving Jokic some reinforcements. Betting big on Embiid and Harden, we feel confident locking in the Sixers to cover the 3-point spread.
Pick: Sixers -3
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 30.5 points, Nikola Jokic over 26.5 points, Will Barton over 14.5 points, James Harden over 9.5 assists
San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (-3)
Minnesota continues to fly under the radar with its improvements as of late. Not only are the Timberwolves an elite offense when firing on all cylinders, but head coach Chris Finch has this group locked in defensively as well. San Antonio is a feisty team from a betting perspective, but we feel very confident wagering on the red-hot Timberwolves to keep up their momentum. Lock in Minnesota and don&rsquo;t think twice about it as a best bet of the day.
Pick: Timberwolves -3
PrizePicks Power Play: Karl-Anthony Towns over 23.5 points, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell over 18.5 points, Jakob Poeltl over 9.5 rebounds, Dejounte Murray over 9 assists
Utah Jazz (-2) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
How will the Bucks rebound after an embarrassing blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors? They'll make the trek to Salt Lake City to square off with a well-oiled machine in the Jazz. This game could go either way, but we&rsquo;re forecasting a monster outing from Giannis Antetokounmpo. If Giannis is able to get Rudy Gobert in early foul trouble, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine Utah keeping up here. Bet big on the Bucks&rsquo; bounce-back win because it&rsquo;s rare to see Milwaukee fall into the same hole two games in a row.
Pick: Bucks +2
PrizePicks Power Play: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 25.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 12.5 rebounds, Jrue Holiday over 6 assists
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily fantasy? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/14/22

Every day, <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Friday&rsquo;s fun slate.
Memphis Grizzlies (-9.5) vs. New York Knicks
Quietly, the Grizzlies continue to stay near the top of the Western Conference hierarchy. Ja Morant has taken the leap to superstar, plus their young core is all ascending simultaneously as well. In this matchup against the Knicks, who have to be one of the Association&rsquo;s most inconsistent teams, this is setting up well for a Grizzlies blowout win at home. If Morant gets going early, this isn&rsquo;t going to be close. Hammer with emphasis Memphis in this spot.
Pick: Grizzlies -9.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Ja Morant over 30.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 23.5 points, Steven Adams over 10 rebounds, Julius Randle over 9 rebounds
San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz (-6)
After a nightmare January stretch, the Jazz are bouncing back in the West as well. Thanks to such a well-balanced attack on both ends of the court, Utah is one of the more dangerous teams when they get rolling. On Friday in San Antonio, this is a great opportunity for Utah to flex their muscles. If Rudy Gobert is able to deter Dejounte Murray from doing damage around the rim, this feels like an ideal cover spot for the Jazz.
Pick: Jazz -6
PrizePicks Power Play: Donovan Mitchell over 26.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Jakob Poeltl over 8.5 rebounds, Dejounte Murray over 8.5 assists
Phoenix Suns (-5) vs. Toronto Raptors
The Suns are 40 games above .500 with a 53-13 record, which is absolutely incredible. Running away with the NBA&rsquo;s best record, Phoenix returns home to the Valley for an intriguing matchup against the Raptors. Although Phoenix is still without Chris Paul, we&rsquo;re forecasting a big game from his backcourt running mate in Devin Booker. At home, the Suns are so tough to beat. In this scenario, it&rsquo;s not different for our projection.
Pick: Suns -5
PrizePicks Power Play: Devin Booker over 25 points, Pascal Siakam over 21 points, Deandre Ayton over 10.5 rebounds, Fred VanVleet over 5.5 assists
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For an intriguing Friday slate in the NBA, "Nothing But Bets" drops off their picks and PrizePicks Power Play options.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/11/22

Gregg Popovich tied Don Nelson&rsquo;s NBA record with his 1,335th career victory as a coach in the San Antonio Spurs&rsquo; 117-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Popovich chose to ignore the achievement, as he has many others during his illustrious 26-year tenure leading San Antonio. He didn't mention it to players after the victory, and he didn't take any questions about the record during a brief, three-question session with reporters after.
&ldquo;You guys know Pop,&rdquo; San Antonio center Jakob Poeltl said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he really cares about stuff like that. It didn&rsquo;t even really get mentioned. I doubt it will get mentioned when we get the next win. It&rsquo;s just how he is.&rdquo;
Popovich will try to pass Nelson when San Antonio hosts the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to put into words how much of an impact he&rsquo;s had on the Spurs organization, USA Basketball and basketball in general," Spurs guard Josh Richardson said.
The only difference between this record-tying game and any previous was the 73-year-old Popovich&rsquo;s decision to get a little physical with players prior to the game.
&ldquo;He was trying to get us to play a little bit more aggressive,&rdquo; Poeltl said. &ldquo;In these last few games, we&rsquo;ve been pretty soft on defense. Shootaround this morning was a little bit more intense. I think that was just him trying to get a message across. He was pushing guys around, and then it kind of ended up in a huddle mosh-pit situation.&rdquo;
San Antonio needed the jolt, even with the struggling Lakers without LeBron James.
The Spurs had lost four straight with Popovich on the precipice of matching the record, and they were in danger of extending that skid with a late collapse as James sat the game out with a sore left knee.
Dejounte Murray had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Poeltl and Richardson each had 18 points. Richardson was making his first start with San Antonio.
Talen Horton-Taylor had 18 points to lead Los Angeles, and Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony added 17 points each.
Popovich has five NBA titles and is a lock for enshrinement in the NBA Hall of Fame after a career in which he&rsquo;s coached Spurs greats including David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Robinson sat courtside Monday, and Popovich jokingly told him to check into the game during a time.
These aren&rsquo;t the same Spurs from Robinson&rsquo;s prime. San Antonio is 25-40, already assured of a third straight losing season after 22 consecutive finishes over .500. Monday&rsquo;s game nearly got away, too.
The Lakers pulled within 108-105 on Horton-Taylor&rsquo;s jumper with 5:40 left, and the Spurs were scoreless for nearly four minutes before Poeltl&rsquo;s free throw with 37.4 seconds left. Los Angeles never got closer than three, though.
&ldquo;The just played a little smarter than us down the stretch,&rdquo; LA guard Malik Monk said.
The Lakers were without James and Anthony Davis. James was a late scratch Monday after scoring a season-high 56 points Saturday in a victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Los Angeles had lost four straight and seven of eight prior to James&rsquo; highest point total with the Lakers, which matched the third highest of his career.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of frustrating that we have a great win like we did against Golden State and Lebron&rsquo;s knee is a little sore and he&rsquo;s got to miss and we take a little step back,&rdquo; Monk said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to do a better job and figure things out as a team when he&rsquo;s out.&rdquo;
It marked the eighth straight game that the Lakers have faced a double-digit deficit.
The Lakers remained in the game by cutting to the rim without the ball for open layups, drives to the basket and the Spurs&rsquo; poor free-throw shooting. San Antonio was 16 for 30 on free throws, including 6 for 14 in the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Lakers: James has missed 17 games this season due to various injuries, including abdomen and ankle ailments. Los Angeles coach Frank Vogel is hopeful James will play Wednesday in Houston. ... Westbrook collected his third foul with 11:38 left in the first half. He finished with five fouls in 35 minutes.
Spurs: Devin Vassell, Lonnie Walker IV and Keita Bates-Diop all missed the game with an undisclosed illness. Popovich said it was not COVID-19 related. ... Poeltl picked up two fouls in the first 1 1/2 minutes and spent the remainder of the first quarter on the bench.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Houston on Wednesday.
Spurs: Host Toronto on Wednesday.

Gregg Popovich tied Don Nelson’s NBA record with his 1,335th career victory as a coach in the Spurs’ 117-110 win over the Lakers.

Spurs' Popovich ties Nelson for NBA career wins record

Terry Rozier scored 31 points and the Charlotte Hornets beat San Antonio 123-117 on Saturday night, leaving Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a victory short of the tying the NBA record.
San Antonio has lost four straight since beating Washington on Feb. 25 to move Popovich within one of Don Nelson's record of 1,335 regular-season victories.
LaMelo Ball added 24 points for Charlotte, P.J. Washington and Montrezl Harrell each had 15 and Mason Plumlee had 13 rebounds. The Hornets made 19 of their last 20 free throws.
Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 33 points, but was limited to five in the second half. Dejounte Murray had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Devin Vassell added 14 points.
Ball gave Charlotte a 117-113 lead with two free throws with 55.5 seconds left. Murray&rsquo;s layup drew San Antonio to 119-117 before Martin hit four foul shots on two trips to the line in the final 33.6.
With Charlotte ahead 115-111, Plumlee contended with Jakob Poeltl for a rebound. The two locked up on the ball, and Plumlee slung Poeltl to the floor in an effort to control the ball. Officials ruled it a jump ball and no foul on Plumlee.
TIP-INS
San Antonio: Johnson was perfect in the first period, making all seven of his shots &mdash; two of them 3-pointers &mdash; and his lone free throws. He had 17 of the Spurs' 30 points.
Charlotte: Gordon Hayward missed his fourth consecutive game with a left ankle sprain.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Hornets: Host Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

Terry Rozier scored 31 points and the Hornets won, leaving Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a victory short of the tying the NBA record.

Hornets top Spurs, leaving Popovich win short of NBA record

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into the best NBA plays for Saturday&rsquo;s slate.
Charlotte Hornets (-4) vs. San Antonio Spurs
This is going to be such a fun battle to watch on Saturday night when LaMelo Ball and Dejounte Murray square off 1-on-1. Expect both to go off, which will be key for their player props on the board. In what should be a very fast-paced, high-scoring matchup, we lean in the direction of Charlotte here. Not only will Ball be scoring, but his playmaking ability will loom large in setting up athletic wings like Miles Bridges and Kelly Oubre Jr. on a consistent basis. Hammer the Hornets as one of our best bets of the day.
Pick: Hornets -4
PrizePicks Power Play: Dejounte Murray over 22.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 19.5 points, Miles Bridges over 19.5 points, Jakob Poeltl over 10.5 rebounds
Miami Heat (-5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
James Harden is sitting this game out for Philadelphia, which is a big bummer for those looking forward to a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup a few months from now. With no Harden, the pressure ramps up on Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to maintain their excellent levels of play. We&rsquo;re betting on Embiid and Maxey to deliver, which keeps this game much closer than expected. Even without Harden, Philadelphia will make a statement tonight. Lock in the Sixers, as they continue to prove why they should be the favorites to make the NBA Finals.
Pick: 76ers +5
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 29.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 18.5 points, Gabe Vincent over 10.5 points, Tyrese Maxey over 4.5 assists
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors (-6)
Both of these teams are in real slumps right now, but the Lakers have sunk to levels we haven&rsquo;t seen in ages. Nothing is working right now for Los Angeles, which is not a good recipe when going up against Stephen Curry&rsquo;s Warriors. Curry and LeBron James will put on a show, but which star will have his complementary pieces step up along the way? We&rsquo;re wagering on the favorite in Golden State, who has proven it can get out of its own way a lot easier than the Lakers. Confidently hammer the Warriors to cover the 6-point spread.
Pick: Warriors -6
PrizePicks Power Play: LeBron James over 29.5 points, Stephen Curry over 24.5 points, Russell Westbrook over 16.5 points, Klay Thompson over 2.5 threes
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Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/5/22

I feel like I've learned a quarter of a million things this year as I've gotten deeper and deeper into basketball. Pace is critically important as a ball-handler, defense is way more complicated and complex than I grasped even last season, and development is about as linear and predictable as the stock market.
Add another detail to the list: We need to appreciate screening more! I keep coming back to this. It's an essential part of the game that tends to get overlooked and, in some ways, I've felt its impact more this season.
Sure, I've noticed a nice bone-crunching screen time and time again, the kind that makes you go, "How is that legal?!" Like, when Nikola Pekovic destroyed Brandon Knight simply for being Brandon Knight.
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This isn't the kind of screen we need to appreciate, but please don't tell Pek I said that!
Pick-and-roll has notably grown as an offensive staple and foundation over the last decade, but what's the first thing that you think of when someone says pick-and-roll? I don't mean to assume your thoughts, but I bet you probably thought about a ball-handler canning a pull-up three or getting downhill off the screen.
The action is all about creating an advantage, kickstarting the offense and either creating a shot directly or forcing the defense into rotation until a better opportunity presents itself. As the screen-and-roll has continued to dominate in relevance, something that seems to have gotten lost in the sauce is that the screening part is pretty darn important! It's a means of amplifying creation, exacerbating an advantage; the best screens are creating an even better advantage. In a way, the highest levels of screening could&nbsp;be viewed as a means of self-creation when factoring in other aspects.
Defenses have really adapted this season. Coverage versatility has become a must for the majority of teams, throwing some funk into the mix to make easy offense a bit harder. Teams are more comfortable blitzing ball-handlers &mdash; sending two to the ball against ball-screens &mdash; to try to negate the initial advantage and force secondary options to beat them.
The Minnesota Timberwolves built their defense on it (less recently), the Chicago Bulls routinely play with their 5-man high on screens and the Milwaukee Bucks have made it a near automatic response. It's hard to get by playing defense just being solid in one way because offenses are just that good.
Rudy Gobert, screen-assist royalty, is doing so much more as a roller than he gets credit for routinely. For starters, he sets hard screens. Defenders feel them and don't often get through them. While he doesn't necessarily roll fast, his downhill gravity is a key matchstick that ignites the Utah Jazz's offense.&nbsp;
More importantly, on top of that, he can make solid reads and decisions on the roll once he receives the ball.
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It's not perfect. Gobert can show some clunkiness if he has to put the ball on the deck, but he's threatening enough with his roll presence and capable enough of a decision-maker that defenses have to respect the process (don't ask about post-ups).
Gobert passes the threshold required of a screen-and-roll player, which has only risen over the past few years, and I feel, particularly, this season. If you can't make quality decisions off an action or finish the advantage efficiently yourself, that's a win for the defense. It's extremely hard to strictly be a finisher at the basket or a lob threat. You need more juice now! Even if you are capable of the decision-making, can you put the ball on the floor once or twice and craft an efficient look? More importantly, can you make the defense care?
We've hardly even gotten into the meat of the screening yet, but it's so important to point out just how difficult it is to be a big in the current NBA. There's often a train of thought along the lines of "screen-and-roll bigs grow on trees," and sure, it's reductive, but I guess not entirely incorrect. However, how many bigs can you just go pick up in the free-agency pool that can meet all the requirements? Being at least a neutral on both ends is extremely hard, especially as a starter!
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Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is one of the best screeners in the league, and shows his versatility and dynamic ability to loosen things offensively for both himself and others. While he's drawn ire from many a Chicago fan for his shooting inconsistency, this offense would not be what it is without Vucevic. We know he can score in a variety of ways, we know he can pass and we know he can screen. The way he blends the trio is what makes him a special offensive player and vital to the Bulls.
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While Vucevic doesn't screen Zach LaVine completely open for the action, watch how he tracks and moves with Jrue Holiday, toeing the line of legality. He screens initially and re-screens again before using his forward momentum and footwork to open himself on the roll.
So while LaVine isn't cleanly open &mdash; largely due to Holiday cheating the action and dodging the first screen from Javonte Green &mdash; Vucevic salvages space with screening. Holiday can't fully reconnect before LaVine starts his way downhill, occupying Serge Ibaka's attention before hitting Vucevic with the pocket pass; the Chicago big man then rumbles into a mesmerizing balletic hook shot. It's quick, Ibaka was already off-kilter and Vucevic takes advantage.
While you could reduce the possession down to a screen and a slow roll, so much more goes on in that space that makes it impressive.
Per Second Spectrum Tracking, Vucevic averages 1.58 seconds per touch, the third-lowest mark amongst players who receive 50 or more touches per game. He touches the ball often, but not for long. He gives the ball energy, adds zest to the possession and serves as a turnkey for the offense.
Send two to one of Chicago's All-NBA candidate guards, and Vucevic slips into space to quickly hit cutters as the defense adjusts to him.
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Or he'll throw in a timely slip when the drop defender is committed to the ball-handler, sure to use his arms to generate some contact with the defender, adding some slight oomph before flipping his hips into a lightning-quick touch shot or jumper. The quickness with which he gets his shots off along with the downhill threat of Chicago's drivers gives the defense headaches.
Speaking of slipping screens, look no further than John Collins!
Trae Young's threat as an elite pull-up shooter, terrifying downhill quickness and immaculate court vision are already a nightmare for defenses. Teams have to often sell out due to Young's advanced craft. Collins slips seemingly every ball-screen, and uses his own explosive downhill dynamism to put the low-man in a torture chamber.
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Rotations are extremely important to executing defense but, man, how do you stop someone like Collins coming down the lane full force even with a perfect rotation?
He creates sinkholes on the perimeter at times with even the mere thought of a slip, as a game has progressed. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, dear God please don't do it again.
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While this is largely a byproduct of bad defense and miscommunication, in the end it's happening because of Collins. Good defensive teams will try to find ways to neutralize the slip and more effectively handle the perimeter, but silencing the slip is easier said than done. Young needs but a sliver of space to be dangerous.
His verticality and touch are nutty. The ball skills have come along, and he's improved greatly on his passing reads.
Next up is one of my favorite possessions in basketball over the past year. Indiana Pacers rookie Terry Taylor screens Khris Middleton into the abyss and makes getting over a screen an absolute terror.&nbsp;
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Buddy Hield is a very good off-ball mover and one of the best shooters in basketball, but this shot is not clean without Taylor.
He screens Middleton just before Tyrese Haliburton passes the ball to Hield. He moves and re-screens with a flip of his hips, as Hield sets up Middleton to his right. He just stays active and makes Middleton work &mdash; which sounds simplistic, but that's the point... it's not. It's the continuous little efforts to open a half-foot of space that can make a significant difference acquiring said real estate.
Next up, the quintessential Jakob Poeltl possession!
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Dejounte Murray isn't a pull-up shooter like that, and the Orlando Magic know, so they go under the screen. But here's the nice subtlety &mdash; so does Jakob.
Like, of course he knows that teams don't go over on screens for Dejounte, but the quick flip and re-screen allows for the Murray snatch-back and an open lane. I can feel that thudding hip check through my laptop.
But we are not done yet folks!
Poeltl rolls and throws in some more trickery, sealing Mo Bamba with yet another "Is this legal?" (Jakob Poeltl, habitual line-stepper) screen. It's the Daniel Theis/Al Horford seal, but Jakob does it better, so it deserves a cooler name. (I'm not sure what, but think on it!)
Murray is a really nice player (an All-Star, of course), but without Poeltl there is no advantage being created here. He eases the burden of primary creation for Murray and amplifies the offense.
As good as Poeltl is as a dribble-handoff operator, there may not be a more explosive and fluid artist at the elbow and slot than Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo sprints into early offense DHO's with the Miami Heat's movement shooters.&nbsp;
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He's another non-stationary screener. He keeps his arms down to try and blur the lines of legality, making it harder to call a moving screen. I absolutely love it.
Try and sell out to stop the quick hitter? Well, Adebayo might have the most fluid hips and change-of-direction ability of any big in the NBA. He flips screens and thuds you for the audacity to try and cheat the action.
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If you're wondering why Miami had an open three even without Adebayo handling the ball &mdash; rewind, and look for the chaser who gets taken out along the way. He cracks back on off-ball defenders like a wide receiver excited to dole out punishment for a change.
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Ja Morant is one of the most punishing drivers in the NBA, with an absurd guile and vertical pop. His audacity is unfathomable.&nbsp;
While Steven Adams certainly has some drawbacks as an offensive player and limitations defensively, he's been a very nice fit for the Memphis Grizzlies. He paves wide open lanes for Morant in a way that few players can. Often when I watch the Grizz, I see Ja wide open in space, gunning towards the rim with a big on his heels and say to myself, "Where is the fifth defender?"
Well, Steven Adams might play a significant part in that!
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He just erases the defender from the picture with his frame.&nbsp;
More on those driving lanes &mdash; Adams will set interior screens on the roll as well, taking the rim-defender out of the picture, parting the sea in the paint for Morant and guiding to easy buckets at the rim.
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Don't forget about impromptu screens!
Oshae Brissett is a joy to watch, as he takes note of ball-watching defenders and sets up wide-open shots for teammates or generates an unwanted matchup for the defense.
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I don't quite know how to quantify screening, but it is&nbsp;something&nbsp;and it's so much more valuable and complex than it generally is made out to be. As the season winds down, take note and appreciate some of the really cool things happening both on and off the ball &mdash; the impact on play, and why it's happening.
I'm still learning more and more about the game each week, and that's awesome to me. Screening is a whole new world this season, and I can't wait until the next realization that opens my eyes even more about the game!
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As the NBA has continued to evolve on both ends, it's worth taking a minute to appreciate the art of screening, writes Mark Schindler.

An explanation of why we need to appreciate screening more

You know who's having a weird year? The San Antonio Spurs.
Consider this: They're currently 14 games under&nbsp;.500, yet have a Net Rating that is positive&nbsp;(plus-0.2) and higher than five teams currently in the Play-In (Brooklyn, Charlotte, Los Angeles x2, New Orleans).
You can blame that weird discrepancy on their late-game woes. Their 9-19 record (.321 win percentage) is the second worst in the league; they have&nbsp;the&nbsp;worst clutch offense in basketball (92.1 ORTG), and their average defense (106.9 DRTG, 15th) is offset by being the worst team &mdash; by far &mdash; <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/clutch-advanced/?sort=DREB_PCT&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at ending possessions</a> (57.9% defensive-rebound rate).&nbsp;
(San Antonio's clutch offense was 15 points per 100 possessions better last season; one might say having a closer like DeMar DeRozan can be helpful.)
But here the Spurs are, just 1.5 games out of the final Play-In spot. They have an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-landing-spots-for-dejounte-murray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All-Star in Dejounte Murray</a>, a massively <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jakob-poeltls-highfloor-play-brings-stability-for-spurs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">underrated interior force in Jakob Poeltl</a> (don't let Ja Morant spoil this for you) and a whole lot of athleticism around them.
Quietly on the rise is Lonnie Walker IV, a ridiculous athlete who has both fallen down the young prospect hierarchy, and has been prone to inconsistency throughout his career. (Murray, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Poeltl and rookie Josh Primo seem more valuable/important to the team moving forward.)
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At different points of his career, we've seen transition brilliance. A silky spot-up jumper. Unique passing flashes. Aggressive drives. A slick-enough handle to get into an array of pull-ups or stepbacks. Very, very, very&nbsp;rarely have seen Walker put these things together, but he's on a bit of a run right now.
He's averaging 20.3 points (.590/.382/.579 shooting splits, 59.0% True Shooting) off the bench over his past six games. His current streak of six games with 15 or more points is the longest of his career; heck, his longest streak of double-digit scoring games is eight, something he accomplished for the first time last season and has repeated earlier this year.
We can start with the easy stuff. Walker is a devastating transition weapon. He doesn't run &mdash; he glides. And he doesn't jump &mdash; he opts to activate his jetpack instead. He's generated a preposterous 1.46 points per possession in transition over his last six games, per the good folks at InStat.
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I'm not sure what you're supposed to do with that.
In the half-court, Walker is doing most of his work in a secondary role. The Spurs design some looks to get him on the move &mdash; mostly pindowns and staggered screens &mdash; since he's a threat to knock down shots or immediately attack off the catch. He's much better attacking a tilted defense than he is creating against a set piece.
There has been some growing comfort in pick-and-roll with Walker. He's been trusted to attack with drag screens in semi-transition, and has been the second (or third) option in San Antonio's set pieces. He's finding pockets to pull-up when faced with drop coverage, a boring-yet-vital piece to the creation puzzle. His recent outing against the Memphis Grizzlies was a nice snapshot of his growth.
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But even when he's playing off of Murray or others, he keeps light on his feet, constantly looking for space to fill. He roams around the perimeter to stay in a driver's line of sight; he's made 42.0% of his relocation threes during this stretch, per Second Spectrum tracking. Pay too much attention to the main action, and he'll cut to the rim for easy ones.
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Walker is at his most dangerous when he gets downhill. His <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612759&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1&amp;LastNGames=6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forays to the basket</a> are up during this stretch, and he's converting nearly 67% of his shots via drives.&nbsp;
What I've enjoyed are the passing flashes. There isn't real manipulation at play right now, but that's fine. What he&nbsp;is&nbsp;doing, however, is leveraging his driving chops to make easy reads to others. The video comp below will mostly feature missed shots &mdash; that'll affect the assist rate, some of his pick-and-roll metrics, all that good stuff &mdash; but you'll see where things are starting to come together for him.
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It probably isn't reasonable to expect Walker to be a 20-point guy the rest of the way. But the pathway to him being an effective option &mdash; transition buckets, attacking off screens, secondary ball-screens against drop coverage &mdash; is evident and realistic.
I'd keep an eye out for Walker moving forward. He didn't receive a contract extension before the season, setting him up to become a restricted free agent this summer... unless the Spurs &mdash; armed with the aforementioned guards, plus Romeo Langford (and Josh Richardson) &mdash; decide there's no room for him.
Walker is an interesting second-contract gamble that teams should be interested in making.&nbsp;
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the recent run of Spurs wing Lonnie Walker IV.