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Magic

Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals will be played on Thursday, June 2. Remarkably, that date is the exact one-year anniversary of the Boston Celtics' announcing Brad Stevens had stepped away from head coaching duties to assume the role of president of basketball operations in place of the departing Danny Ainge.
Let's have a look back at what has been an extraordinary and almost unimaginable 12 months&hellip;
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During his eight seasons on the sidelines in Boston, Stevens was viewed as one of the league's better head coaches. He was regarded as an elite tactician and considered an important part of the Celtics' sustained success. Under his stewardship, Boston advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals three times in four years.
So when the club announced that its long-time top executive in Ainge was retiring and that Stevens would be promoted to team president last June, it came as a shock to most. Would Stevens be able to replicate the regular-season success he enjoyed as head coach? Could Boston get over the hump and advance all the way to the NBA Finals?
Although Ainge left a roster stocked with a budding superstar in Jayson Tatum, his All-Star caliber sidekick in Jaylen Brown, veteran stalwart Marcus Smart and a few promising youngsters, Stevens took control at a precarious juncture. Boston entered last summer capped out (with a directive from ownership not to incur a costly luxury tax bill) and lacking excess draft capital.&nbsp;
Stevens' first order of business was parting ways with Kemba Walker and his cumbersome contract. With two years and $73 million remaining on his deal, Walker was the team's highest-paid player. When healthy, the four-time All-Star Walker was highly productive on the offensive end for the C's, but his balky left knee had robbed him of his quickness. Some suggested the Celtics sit tight, hoping that an entire offseason of rest would allow Kemba to re-establish himself as a quality starter. If Boston wanted to trade Walker, Stevens would have to get creative.
The week before the 2021 NBA Draft, Stevens dealt Boston's first-round pick (16th overall) and a 2025 second-round draft pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford and a 2023 second-rounder.&nbsp;
At the time, Stevens' first significant move as team president was considered highly questionable.&nbsp;
Following the 2019-20 season, when Horford posted career-worst numbers for the Philadelphia 76ers after signing a monstrous four-year, $109 million pact, the veteran big man's contract was viewed as one of the worst in the league. In December 2020, the Sixers were forced to attach a future first-round pick and the draft rights to Vasilije Micic (who just won his second EuroLeague Final Four MVP) in a trade with OKC just to get out from under Horford's contract.
During his lone season in Oklahoma City, Horford appeared in just 28 games for the Thunder. After the trade deadline passed in February 2021, the Thunder shut him down for the rest of the season. At the time, it felt like Stevens was trading for a potentially washed-up 35-year-old center with two years and $53.5 million left on his contract ($41 million of it guaranteed).
But after struggling at times to find his groove in the regular season, Horford has been a crucial cog in the Celtics' run to the Finals. During these playoffs, he is averaging 11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 three-pointers,1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals per game, all while shooting 50.0% from the floor, a scorching 43.2% from downtown, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
Per Basketball-Reference, Horford is just the third player in NBA history (joining Draymond Green and Rasheed Wallace) to average more than 1.5 blocks and more than 1.5 made treys in a postseason (minimum 15 games played). Horford is also the first player ever over the age of 35 to tally more than 25 blocks and more than 25 three-pointers in a single postseason.
To say the Walker/Horford trade has worked out well for Boston would be a dramatic understatement.&nbsp;
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After acquiring Horford, Stevens' next critical decision would be choosing a new head coach. After interviewing several candidates, Stevens zeroed in on Ime Udoka and officially hired him in late June. Udoka was a bit of a gamble, as he had never been a head coach, having spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant with San Antonio (2012-13 to 2018-19), Philadelphia (2019-20) and Brooklyn (2020-21).&nbsp;
Udoka's job was made that much more difficult when the C's stumbled out of the gates this season. By the turn of the new year, there was some finger-pointing in the locker room with the Celtics losing too many winnable games. Three weeks into January, Boston was still below .500 with a 23-24 record.
However, Udoka remained stoically stern, providing a calm and reassuring presence in the locker room and on the sideline. His ability to outcoach opponents and his command of the X's and O's gained him the trust of his team. Over the second half of the season, Boston ranked in the top three in Defensive Efficiency, and led the league in Offensive Efficiency (122.6) and Net Rating (plus-12.7) by a wide margin.
Udoka earned Coach of the Month honors on multiple occasions, and would go on to finish fourth in the NBA Coach of the Year voting. The league-wide respect he's garnered has only increased as he's helped guide his team to the championship series.&nbsp;
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When the free agency frenzy commenced in July 2021, Stevens had to decide what to do with shooting guard Evan Fournier. Ultimately, Boston opted to let Fournier leave for New York.
The Celtics' only free-agent addition of note last summer was inking Dennis Schroder to a team-friendly, one-year deal for $5.9 million. However, Stevens signed Marcus Smart (four years, $76.5 million) and Robert Williams III (four years, $48 million) to lengthy extensions.
The Smart signing, in particular, looks genius in retrospect.&nbsp;
It had been rumored that Ainge was seriously considering trading away Smart in different deals in years past. However, Stevens made it clear that he was committing to Smart for the long term. Just as importantly, Stevens let it be known he would entrust Smart with the team's primary point guard duties. This may seem like an easy decision with the benefit of hindsight, but it's important to point out that entering this season, Smart had started in just 228 of the 449 games he had appeared in. And a large percentage of those starts were alongside point guards such as Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas.&nbsp;
The C's flourished with Smart installed as the floor general, especially on the defensive end. Smart, as we know, would be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996.
Starting in each of the 71 regular-season games he played, Smart finished the season ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.68), ranked fifth among all guards with a Defensive Rating of 105.2, and led the NBA with 1.1 loose balls recovered per contest. He was also near the top of the league in deflections, charges drawn and defensive rebounds. On the offensive end, he averaged a career-high 5.9 assists per game and posted an Effective Field Goal percentage above 50% for the first time.
Had Stevens not locked up Smart last summer, he would undoubtedly have been one of the most highly sought-after players on the free-agent market next month.&nbsp;
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Before being sidelined by a knee injury late in the season, Williams had also been enjoying a breakout 2021-22 campaign, averaging career-highs in points (10.0), rebounds (9.6), blocks (2.2), steals (0.9), field-goal percentage (73.6%) and free-throw percentage (72.2%). Like Smart, Williams' value now exceeds his salary.&nbsp;
In February, Stevens recognized Boston's backcourt needed an upgrade. Hence, he sent Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford and a top-four-protected 2022 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Derrick White at the trade deadline. Udoka, who was familiar with White having spent time as an assistant in San Antonio, asked him to sacrifice some of his offense. White would serve as a reserve, which meant fewer field goal attempts and fewer minutes. White embraced the role, supplied solid defense on the perimeter and knocked down a handful of big buckets during Boston's run to the Finals.
Ironically, of all the trades and signing Stevens has made over the past 12 months, arguably the most important and impactful are the ones he did NOT agree to. It sounds outlandish now because the C's are four wins away from the franchise's 18th championship, but plenty of pundits and fans in New England had been calling for the Celtics to break up the duo of Brown and Tatum.
While there was no denying their collective talent, many argued the roster was unbalanced, and that the skill sets Tatum and Brown brought to the table were a bit duplicitous. Thus, some folks contended that the best path forward was trading Brown (possibly in a package with Smart) for a pure point guard (such as Damian Lillard).
Pressure and the corresponding rumors reached a fever pitch in the dark days of December and January.&nbsp;
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Damnit I&rsquo;m holding everybody in Boston accountable, from the front office, to the coaching staff and down to Jaylen and Tatum. It&rsquo;s time to break them up! Carry on&hellip; <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FirstTake</a> <a href="https://t.co/2fNHMFavfd">pic.twitter.com/2fNHMFavfd</a>
&mdash; Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1479494503765524483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As noted above, Boston was below .500 for much of the season. On Jan. 15, the Celtics had a worse record than both the Knicks and Washington Wizards. Boston was 11th in the East, on the outside of the Play-in Tournament looking in.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But Stevens never budged, trusting in the roster he helped construct. And the results speak for themselves. Twelve months after he was hired, Stevens's squad is preparing for the NBA Finals.&nbsp;
Earlier this month, the NBA announced Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 Basketball Executive of the Year Award. Stevens came in sixth, receiving only one first-place vote. However, that award is based on regular-season accomplishments.
Given how well Boston has performed in the playoffs, there is little doubt about which executive's moves have looked best in the postseason.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer reviews Brad Stevens' first season as Celtics president with his one-year anniversary coinciding with NBA Finals Game 1.

Brad Stevens deserves massive credit for the Celtics' success

By appearing in the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks showed that they have collected some of the ingredients of an NBA title contender.
Prior to that, the Mavs had not made it out of the first round of the playoffs since winning the Finals in 2010-11, and had exited the postseason in the first round each of the last two years. Even this season, Dallas had its doubters in the first round against the Utah Jazz, and most of the national audience was against them versus the dominant Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
Then, the Mavericks won. Luka Doncic continues to ascend as one of the best basketball players on the planet. Several supporting cast members helped carry the load as well, whether it was Jalen Brunson in the first round, Maxi Kleber's Round 2 fireworks or Spencer Dinwiddie's production in the West Finals.
For so long, the narrative in Dallas had been: Does Luka have any help? After 2021-22, we at least know the Mavs have pieces to the puzzle. This summer presents the opportunity to shape the vision of a championship under Doncic and second-year head coach Jason Kidd.
The Mavericks boasted the sixth-best Defensive Rating (109.4) in the NBA during the regular season, per Basketball-Reference. That's impressive growth from a 20th-ranked unit in 2020-21 that didn't undergo massive roster overhaul. Our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan covered Dallas' defense back in January</a>, and it kept up the work even after trading Kristaps Porzingis away in the deal that returned Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.&nbsp;
No single, All-Defense-caliber player even stands out on the roster right now. Dorian Finney-Smith is very solid and so is Frank Ntilikina, though his minutes are too inconsistent currently. It's a true team-wide shift that significantly raises the team's floor come playoff time.&nbsp;
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With that being said &mdash; finding a true center to anchor the paint and provide stability on the glass remains a high priority. Dallas was 15th among the 16 playoff teams in offensive rebounding percentage (45.1%) and second chance points per game (9.0). They also gave up 14.2 second-chance points per game to their opponents, ranking fourth-highest in the postseason. The Mavs scored just 42.9 points in the paint per game during the regular season (ranked 29th of 30) and 35.4 in the playoffs (13th of 16) despite boasting two of the league's best driving threats in Doncic and Brunson.
Dwight Powell is a fine, rotation-caliber NBA player, but his minutes decreased in each subsequent series. Kleber is an awesome sharpshooting big and solid defender, but not an impactful interior presence.
Fortunately, there are several available free agents who Mavs president and general manager Nico Harrison could pursue in his second offseason with the team. Unfortunately, they have severely hamstrung themselves financially. According to Spotrac, they're a luxury taxpayer, which only leaves a mid-level exception worth just over $6.3 million to spend on a free agent. Dallas has virtually no path to cap space this season.
Jusuf Nurkic and Mitchell Robinson are the biggest names to hit unrestricted free agency as a center. They would almost instantly plug the rebounding hole, but are they the types of defenders and rim-runners who would thrive with Doncic? And is there a realistic way for the Mavericks to even sign them?
Other free agent centers who could fit in the mid-level exception include JaVale McGee, Andre Drummond and Bismack Biyombo, for some quick suggestions. Dallas does also hold a $10.2 million trade exception that it created when the team traded Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics. It expires on June 27, before free agency begins, but it provides another avenue to acquire a rotation-level player.
It might make more sense for the Mavs to pursue a sign-and-trade with a restricted free agent. Obviously, Deandre Ayton is the marquee man. Evan Sidery toyed with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential trade packages for the Suns</a>; could Dallas offer something in this ballpark?
I personally am intrigued by Mo Bamba's potential fit. The 2018 No. 5 overall pick had a solid developmental year in Orlando, but appears to be the odd man out in a crowded young locker room. Bamba feels like a worthwhile gamble as a rebounder and rim-protector with a bit more mobility and shooting than your traditional bruising center.
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Of course, all this free agency discussion will come after the Mavericks address their largest elephant in the room. Jalen Brunson broke out as a secondary scorer this season, culminating in his huge games that gave Dallas the edge against Utah. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-jalen-brunson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He's an unrestricted free agent</a> who deserves a bag this summer.
"It&rsquo;s the top priority,&rdquo; Harrison said about re-signing Brunson in his <a href="https://www.mavs.com/brunson-is-top-priority/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exit interview Friday</a>. &ldquo;We got to figure that out. Obviously, we&rsquo;re not in control of it. But he&rsquo;s definitely a priority. We want to re-sign him. He knows it. And we want him back. He&rsquo;ll be a big part of our future.&rdquo;
The Mavs' last route to improve is with their No. 26 overall draft pick. Dallas has been a mixed bag with drafting in recent seasons, but this is the first year Harrison will be at the helm after the franchise passed on the process in 2021. Most recently, the franchise selected Josh Green at No. 20 and Tyrell Terry at No. 31 in 2020. Green's development has been slow but notable through two seasons, while Terry is no longer in the organization.&nbsp;
Matt Babcock's latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> projects the Mavericks to select Max Christie, a freshman wing from Michigan State. Christie was a five-star high school talent who struggled to produce as a college freshman. But his tools as a shooter, scorer and on-ball defender have all flashed and can be sharpened in the right environment.&nbsp;
Aside from Brunson, reserves Trey Burke and Theo Pinson are the only other players entering free agency. However, Dallas notably has just four players under fully guaranteed contracts in 2023-24, per Spotrac: Doncic, Finney-Smith, Bertans and Tim Hardaway Jr. If the squad underwhelms next year, the 2023 offseason could open up a serious roster makeover.&nbsp;
Dallas is on the cusp of true title contention. This offseason is all about checking off some final boxes, keeping the successful core intact and adding depth to a team that persevered through several injuries during the season.
If the summer breaks right, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Mavericks emerging as everyone's favorite championship sleeper by October.
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The Mavericks exited the Western Conference Finals with a strong playoff run, but have several glaring needs.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Dallas Mavericks?

The Orlando Magic came out of Tuesday&rsquo;s NBA Draft Lottery as the big winners, winning the No. 1 overall pick for the fourth time in franchise history.
Winning the lottery is a big deal for any team, as it gives them a tremendous opportunity to add an elite young talent. The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 draft class</a> features a few &ldquo;can&rsquo;t-miss&rdquo; prospects who have already adequately separated themselves from the other top youngsters. Auburn&rsquo;s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga&rsquo;s Chet Holmgren and Duke&rsquo;s Paolo Banchero are easily the most electrifying players in the 2022 class.
All three of these prospects are versatile big men, which is a role that the Magic would be well-served in addressing. Orlando had two lottery picks in 2021, which they used on Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs and Michigan small forward Franz Wagner. If the Magic add a big man who grows into a superstar, their roster will be mostly set for the foreseeable future.
Of course, the allure of prospects wears off almost immediately after the draft. Ignoring the scouting process and all the work that goes into prosect evaluation, a look back at the last 10 NBA drafts reveals that first-overall picks are far from the sure things we make them out to be:
2012 NBA Draft: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Ten years ago, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Anthony Davis with the No. 1 pick. Davis grew into a superstar quickly, and his impact on the Pelicans was clear almost immediately. He led the Pelicans to the playoffs twice, in 2014-15 and 2017-18. The 2017-18 team was particularly good, winning 48 games in the regular season with a core of Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday. Cousins&rsquo; injury played a major role in Davis departing the Pelicans, as New Orleans failed to replace Davis&rsquo; friend and running mate. Had Cousins stayed healthy, who knows how good New Orleans could have been?
Still, Davis is clearly a great player who was absolutely worthy of the No. 1 pick. He has become an eight-time All-Star and earned a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. Davis helped the Los Angeles Lakers win a championship in 2020, and he has career averages 23.8 points, 10.2 rebounds 2.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.4 steals.
Verdict: Success, although not necessarily for New Orleans.
2013 NBA Draft: Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers 2014 NBA Draft: Andrew Wiggins, Cleveland Cavaliers 
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked first overall in 2013 and 2014. The strange thing about both picks is that neither Anthony Bennett nor Andrew Wiggins made an impact in Cleveland. Both were sent to Minnesota in a package for Kevin Love. Bennett played one uneventful season with the Cavaliers, and Wiggins was sent out prior to the start of his rookie season. So, which team do we assess? Cleveland or Minnesota? Let&rsquo;s review both.
Technically, getting two consecutive first overall picks and trading them to the Timberwolves helped Cleveland win their first championship in franchise history. That&rsquo;s a big win for the Cavaliers, even if it cost them both players. Cleveland&rsquo;s championship was more so a product of LeBron James (and Kyrie Irving to a lesser extent), but Love was impactful and the trade worked out.
Conversely, Minnesota did not fare well with Wiggins and Bennett. They qualified for the playoffs only once in Wiggins&rsquo; five-and-a-half seasons in Minnesota, and Bennett was off the team after only one season. Wiggins seems to have found a home in Golden State, but he's the team&rsquo;s fourth-best player, which is not what most people expect from No. 1 picks (especially one with Wiggins' hype).
Verdict: Both are failures relative to expectations, but Wiggins has become a significant contributor.
2015 NBA Draft: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Speaking of Minnesota, they fared so poorly following the aforementioned Love-for-Wiggins-and-Bennett trade that they received the No. 1 overall pick in 2015. Yes, that means they technically had the first overall picks from three consecutive drafts on their roster, at least for a short period of time.
The pick in 2015 turned out to be Karl-Anthony Towns, who has now played seven seasons in Minnesota. Until recently, the Timberwolves' front office failed to surround him with the talent needed to compete. Towns has led Minnesota to the playoffs only twice, but regardless how one views the lack of team success, Towns was a good pick. He's a career 20-and-10 guy who shoots an unbelievable 40% from three-point range. The 26-year-old is a perfect big man for today's NBA.
Verdict: The Towns pick is a relative success.
2016 NBA Draft: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers 2017 NBA Draft: Markelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers
We can&rsquo;t really discuss the first overall picks of the past 10 seasons without diving into Sam Hinke&rsquo;s Philadelphia 76ers. Hinke led the &ldquo;Trust the Process&rdquo; 76ers from 2013-2016, during which time he received significant scorn from the NBA, media and basketball purists who felt he was cheapening the game by blatantly losing to increase the odds of being awarded the first overall pick.
Thoughts on Hinke&rsquo;s philosophy aside, he picked first overall in two consecutive seasons. Philadelphia won the draft lottery in 2016, selecting Ben Simmons. Then, they traded up to No. 1 overall in 2017 to nab the rights to Markelle Fultz.
Neither Simmons nor Fultz fulfilled their potential in Philadelphia. Fultz had a misdiagnosed shoulder injury, which resulted in an awkward shooting motion. After two sub-par seasons in Philadelphia, he was traded to Orlando, where he&rsquo;s played better but still nowhere near what's expected from a No. 1 pick.
Simmons was better for the 76ers, co-leading them to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. But Simmons&rsquo; time in Philadelphia ended infamously last season, culminating with him forcing his way to Brooklyn after a lengthy holdout.
Verdict: Degrees of failure, though Fultz was considerably more disappointing than Simmons. At least Simmons became a three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year runner-up.
2018 NBA Draft: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns picked first in the 2018 NBA Draft, which is another strange case. Objectively, Deandre Ayton is a major piece on Phoenix&rsquo;s roster. In his fourth NBA season, he averaged an impressive 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Can we really analyze players in a vacuum though? Ayton was picked a few selections before Luka Doncic, who received serious first-overall-pick buzz that June. Imagine if the Suns had paired Doncic with Devin Booker? Like the Rockets and Trail Blazers both did in 1984, the Suns simply overthought this one.
2018 is too recent to accurately judge the long-term impact of this pick. Ayton could very possibly end up being a major contributor on a championship team. Still, this is a push at best, and if he ends up signing elsewhere this offseason, that makes the Ayton selection look even worse.
Verdict: Who the hell knows?
2019 NBA Draft: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans also picked first overall in 2019, selecting the electric athlete, Zion Williamson, who is the toughest first pick to grade in the last 10 years. In his lone injury-free season, he averaged 27 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 62% on two-point attempts.
But injuries make it far more difficult to grade him. Williamson has played in only 85 of a possible 202 career games, missing the entire 2021-22 season.
Verdict: Time will tell.
2020 NBA Draft: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is experiencing a major resurgence, and the credit belongs to Towns and the 2020 first overall pick Anthony Edwards. Edwards had a good rookie season, but he exploded in his sophomore campaign.
This season, he helped lead Minnesota to the playoffs, averaging 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.0 threes and 1.5 steals on 44.1/35.7/78.6 shooting splits. In the postseason, he took his game to another level, contributing 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.8 threes, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks on 45.5/40.4/82.4 shooting splits.
Verdict: After only two seasons, Edwards looks like a huge win for Minnesota.
2021 NBA Draft: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Last but not least, the Detroit Pistons selected Cade Cunningham first overall in 2021. Despite playing alongside less talent than most of his peers, Cunningham's rookie campaign was successful. He averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds, was named a unanimous All-Rookie First Team selection and placed third in Rookie of the Year voting.
One season is too small of a sample size to grade a young player, but Cunningham looks like the absolute right pick.
Verdict: Success (so far).&nbsp; &nbsp;
In the last 10 drafts, the first overall pick has clearly been one of the best players in the draft class just four times (2012, 2015, 2020 and 2021). He has been a complete dud twice (2013 and 2017), a good player twice (2014 and 2018), a malcontent once (2016) and an injury-prone player once (2019). Five of the last 10 first picks were traded too. If Ayton is allowed to leave this offseason, then six of the last 10 are no longer with the team that drafted them, erasing the benefit of player development.
For every franchise-changing No. 1 overall pick &mdash; such as LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar &mdash; there are a handful of players who didn't work out in the long run. Sometimes, there isn't a generational player on the board; other times, the team picking No. 1 overall just overthinks it or goes in the wrong direction.&nbsp;
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The Orlando Magic came out of Tuesday’s NBA Draft lottery with the first overall pick. How successful does history suggest they will be?

Examining the success of teams selecting No. 1 in the NBA Draft

The NBA announced the 10 players who made the NBA All-Rookie teams in the 2021-22 season.
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Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley were unanimously selected to the 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team. More ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/eqKb0CU5GU">https://t.co/eqKb0CU5GU</a> Voting results ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/sxxe12SfTu">pic.twitter.com/sxxe12SfTu</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1527080628625231875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The All-Rookie First Team features unanimous selections Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, and Evan Mobley, while Franz Wagner and Jalen Green rounded out the squad.
The All-Rookie Second Team features Herb Jones, Josh Giddey, Bones Hyland, Ayo Dosunmu and Chris Duarte.

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Other players received votes but did not make one of the teams including Jonathan Kuminga, Davion Mitchell, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Suggs, Ziaire Williams, Jose Alvarado, Austin Reaves, Josh Christopher, Trey Murphy III and Cam Thomas.

The NBA announced which players were named to the league's All-Rookie First Team and All-Rookie Second Team.

Barnes, Cunningham, Mobley headline NBA All-Rookie Teams

The Orlando Magic have won the NBA Draft Lottery and now have the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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LFG!! <a href="https://t.co/6xaKTDrtsp">pic.twitter.com/6xaKTDrtsp</a>
&mdash; Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1526721039090196480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Going into the lottery, the Magic had the best chance to win it at 14% along with the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It's the third time in franchise history that the Magic have the first selection in the draft. The previous times were in 1992 (Shaquille O'Neal), 1993 (Chris Webber) and 2004 (Dwight Howard).
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Magic now have its choice of talented players to add to its young core that includes Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs who just finished their first seasons in the league.
Those choices include Auburn forward Jabari Smith, Gonzaga forward/center Chet Holmgren, Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, Duke forward Paolo Banchero, and Iowa forward Keegan Murray.
BasketballNews.com currently has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/jabari-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smith ranked as the top selection</a> in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft.
&nbsp;

The Orlando Magic have won the Draft Lottery and now have the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Orlando Magic win draft lottery, get No. 1 pick in 2022 NBA Draft

It was the summer of 2001, and I had just finished my junior year of high school.
I received a phone call on my family's home phone in Milwaukee, Wisconsin &mdash; it was a representative from Adidas calling to invite me to be a participant at the famed ABCD Camp.
A prestigious camp held at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, the ABCD Camp was established in 1984 and would continue until 2006. The camp was sponsored by Adidas and run by legendary shoe company executive Sonny Vaccaro. His main claim to fame was his role in developing and executing Michael Jordan's Air Jordan brand with Nike. After leaving Nike, Sonny joined Adidas, where he was able to get the ABCD Camp rolling.
Each year, the camp was comprised of the top high school players in the country. In 2001, the NBA had not yet set the age limit restricting high school players from declaring for the NBA draft following their senior year. Because of this, not only was every prominent college coach at this event, but so were all of the NBA scouts and front-office personnel. At that point, the ABCD Camp was the mecca of high school basketball.
I was beyond excited to get invited, but I must admit, it was somewhat intimidating. Luckily I wouldn't be going alone, as several of my good friends received invitations to the camp too.
My roommate at the camp was Dan Grunfeld, who was, and still is, one of my best friends. Dan is the son of Ernie Grunfeld, who, at the time, was my dad's boss and the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks. Dan became a star player at Stanford and led the (then) Pac-10 conference in scoring his junior year, and had a successful career playing in Europe. In addition, our good friend and my high school teammate, Coby Karl, was also with us. Coby is the son of George Karl, who was the head coach of the Bucks at the time. Coby played a few years in the NBA after starring at Boise State.
The three of us were teammates as a part of the AAU program, Friends of Hoop.
Also with us from Milwaukee was Steve Novak, who has been a friend of mine since we were AAU teammates on the Wisconsin All-Stars all the way back when we were in middle school. Once Steve and I got to high school, we had some great battles during our freshman and sophomore years. (I was at Shorewood High School and he was at Brown Deer High School, one of our conference rivals. Steve went on to team up with Dwyane Wade at Marquette, and had a long successful career in the NBA.)
So there's no denying that Milwaukee was represented well at the ABCD Camp that year.
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For whatever reason, I didn't fly with my friends from Milwaukee. Instead, I flew by myself to La Guardia Airport in New York. When I landed, an Adidas representative was waiting and drove another player, DeAngelo Collins, and I to the hotel in New Jersey. It's probably not a name that will ring a bell for many people, but at the time, he was a well-known player. As soon as I saw him, I knew who he was &mdash; although we had never met before. DeAngelo was one of the top-ranked players in the country, became a McDonald's All-American and entered his name in the NBA Draft after his senior year of high school. (Unfortunately, he went undrafted and only had a short professional career overseas).
Anyway, as I was sitting next to DeAngelo in a van heading to the camp hotel, my nerves kicked up another notch. I knew that, at the end of that ride, the rest of the top high school players in the country awaited.
When I arrived at the hotel, my friends from Milwaukee were there. We had to sign in, collect a bag full of Adidas gear and take some photos. When Dan and I finally got to our room, we had a moment where we talked about how excited we were to be there. The whole experience was exciting and fun, but intense at the same time. Whether it was the top-ranked player in the country or the last guy invited, we all wanted the same thing &mdash; to improve our stock. The ABCD Camp was the biggest stage any of us had played on at that point in our careers. It was an opportunity to move up in the player rankings, which would subsequently lead to more scholarship offers or even interest from NBA teams, for some.
Coby, Dan and I had somewhat similar backgrounds, as we all grew up around the game, as our dads and families all had careers working in the NBA. As I was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-from-ray-allen-to-giannis-antetokounmpo-dave-babcock-remains-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing up</a>, my dad would often suggest that I "get some shots up" or do my "Pistol Pete" ball-handling routine instead of playing video games, but generally, my family never put a lot of pressure on me to be a great player. I never got the impression that Coby or Dan felt much direct pressure from their families either. However, I think I can speak for the three of us in saying that we all put a significant amount of pressure on ourselves due to our backgrounds. And at the ABCD Camp, I certainly felt the pressure. But I was motivated and determined to move the needle!
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The first night, all of the players went to the gym for Sonny's welcome speech. He spoke to our group to set expectations for the camp, and gave some general advice. We then split up to join our assigned teams and had a light practice. That allowed us to meet our teammates for the camp and our teams' coaches. The coaches tried to implement some basic offensive and defensive principles during that practice. However, the reality was the camp was "pick-up ball" with some freelance referees.
My team's head coach was Chris Grant, who worked for my uncle, Pete Babcock, the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks at the time. (I don't think that was a coincidence). Chris started his career as an intern for my uncle after playing in college at the University of San Diego. Years later, he worked his way up and became the Cleveland Cavaliers' general manager. The top player on our team was Josh Smith from Atlanta, Georgia. He was a year younger than me, but he was a high-profile prospect. A couple of years later, Josh was selected in the first round by the Hawks directly out of high school. He had a successful NBA career, and was one of the top players for the Hawks for years.
Following practice, we returned to our rooms for the night. Dan and I talked about our teams. He told me he had a player on his team that was good. I had never heard of him before &mdash; his name was Carmelo Anthony.
We had a few things to do the following day before live games began. First, there was a guest speaker, but not just any guest speaker; it was Kobe Bryant. He talked to us about some of his personal experiences going through a lot of the same things we were all going through as high school players. It was incredible to listen to a player who had been living the life that every one of us dreamed about for ourselves. To say Kobe's talk was inspiring would be an extreme understatement. Although just a young guy at the time, Kobe had such distinct confidence and determination. It was a privilege to meet Kobe and listen to him speak.
Following the session with Kobe, the players had to take prep ACT and SAT classes. We were seated at tables with about a handful of players per table. I remember sitting with Travis Outlaw, who was a hilarious, nice guy. Travis declared for the 2002 NBA Draft after high school, and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. He went on to play in the NBA and had a good career.
At the table directly next to me was a younger player that I did not know. Like most of us, he didn't seem interested in that class. Halfway through picking out his braids and leaving half of his hair in an afro, he decided he would lay his head down and take a nap. The teacher wasn't happy about that and kept lecturing him, saying things like, "This is important, your future depends on this" &mdash; something along those lines. Finally, the player sat up and said, "I'm going pro!" and put his head back down.
Soon after, I found out the player's name was LeBron James.
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Finally, when classes finished up, the real reason we came to town was about to begin. It was time to hoop.
The games started, and they were great! There was so much talent in each game. I had the opportunity to share the court with future NBA All-Stars like Carmelo, LeBron, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and many other soon-to-be standout pros. The gym was buzzing, and it was quite the scene. "Oohs and ahhs" could be heard left and right. The stands were filled with famous coaches, including Coach K, Lute Olson and Rick Pitino. NBA scouts and media members were busy taking notes and trying to find the next NBA star.
The actual gameplay was pretty sloppy, as expected. In most showcase types of events, players will play "to get their's." Also, there is not much of a game plan without much practice time, which usually results in poor ball movement and limited opportunities for lower-ranked players (like myself) to have the ball in their hands.
Despite the challenges, I played pretty well. I shot a high percentage, and even had one game where I scored 15 points and hit a handful of three-pointers. Because I had limited opportunities to have the ball in my hands, I made an extra effort to be as effective as possible without the ball. I noticed that the referees were quick to call offensive fouls during this camp, so I decided to get in the lane when players would drive to the hoop to draw charges. My strategy worked well, and I drew several charges.
However, I tried this tactic in one particular game and my plan backfired, as the player on the other end was LeBron. He laid one of his now-signature tomahawk dunks right on me. I flew back probably 10 feet, and the gym went crazy. That was my formal introduction to "King James."
It's been said that the 2001 ABCD Camp is when LeBron broke onto the scene and the whole media frenzy began for him. His legendary battle with the No. 1 player in my class, Lenny Cooke, happened at this camp. Dan and I were sitting together in the bleachers watching that game. I am happy to say that I was a "witness" to the making of one of the greatest stars our game has ever seen.
All in all, I did well at the camp, and I was able to generate more interest from schools, which was my goal. However, more than 20 years have passed since that ABCD camp, and the most valuable experience turned out to be the memories that I will cherish forever.
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
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Matt Babcock relives his experience at the 2001 ABCD Camp, where a number of high schoolers stood out before becoming NBA stars.

ABCD Camp: The mecca of high school basketball circa 2001

Ever since Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas and Marc Eversley took over the Bulls&rsquo; front office two years ago, Chicago has been one of the most aggressive teams in the NBA. Their fingerprints are all over this roster, with notable acquisitions such as DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
These moves have translated to on-court success, as the Bulls posted their best winning percentage since the 2014-15 season and ended their four-year playoff drought. This year, Chicago was 46-36 &mdash; more wins than they had in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons combined. (Zach LaVine and Coby White are the only remaining players from that 2019-20 squad).
The Bulls entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference while boasting the NBA's 11th-ranked offense (scoring 111.0 points per 100 possessions) and 23rd-ranked defense (allowing 111.1 points per 100 possessions).&nbsp;
While this season marked a step in the right direction, the Bulls&rsquo; first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks showed that there&rsquo;s still plenty of work to be done. Despite Milwaukee losing their second-best player, Khris Middleton, to a sprained MCL in Game 2, the Bucks completed a gentleman's sweep against the Bulls. Chicago wasn&rsquo;t at full strength either, with Ball sidelined due to a knee injury and LaVine (COVID-19) and Caruso (concussion) each missing Game 5. Still, the reigning champions were a good litmus test.
Entering the offseason, where does Chicago go from here? Are big changes coming?
RE-SIGNING ZACH LAVINE
Entering this offseason, Chicago&rsquo;s top priority should be re-signing LaVine, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency. The 27-year-old has emerged as a perennial All-Star, earning a spot on the Eastern Conference squad in each of the last two seasons.&nbsp;
This year, LaVine averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 threes, while reducing his turnovers to 2.6 per game and shooting 47.6% from the field, 38.9% from three and 85.3% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
LaVine will certainly expect a maximum contract from the Bulls, which would <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay him</a> $212.3 million over five years. The most he could receive from another team is $157.4 million over four years. This is a relatively weak free-agent class, so it seems very likely that LaVine will get a max deal from some team.&nbsp;
The Bulls would be wise to re-sign their star shooting guard, as replacing his production would be difficult, and the team would certainly take a step back if LaVine signed elsewhere.
"I plan to enjoy free agency," LaVine said recently. &ldquo;We're going to have to experience A through Z without making any fast decisions. I think that's something me and [Rich Paul] are going to go through and experience."
LaVine was asked if the Bulls are the front-runners to sign him, but he wouldn&rsquo;t say.
"You guys have been a really, really soft spot in my heart," LaVine said to the Chicago media. "I have to do this as a business decision, as a man, to not just be viewed one way and be like, 'I'm automatically coming back,' or, 'I'm automatically leaving.'"
In multiple interviews, LaVine has reiterated that he wants to be paid what he feels he deserves.
"I just want my respect. I think that's the main thing," LaVine <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/zach-lavine-prepares-olympic-quarterfinal-bulls-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last August. "I outplayed my contract; I've been very loyal to Chicago, I like Chicago. I just want my respect."
FREE AGENCY
Aside from LaVine, the bulk of Chicago's core is under contract for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;
The Bulls have $103,181,950 in guaranteed salaries on the books for next season, spread across nine players: DeRozan, Vucevic, Lopez, Caruso, White, Patrick Williams, Javonte Green, Ayo Dosunmu and Marko Simonovic. Projections set next year&rsquo;s salary cap at $122 million and the luxury tax at $149 million.
Derrick Jones Jr.,Tristan Thompson and Matt Thomas will be unrestricted free agents. Tony Bradley has a player option worth $2,036,318, so he could opt out and test the market as well.
The team will have three restricted free agents (assuming Chicago extends a qualifying offer to each): Troy Brown Jr. ($7,228,448 QO), Tyler Cook ($1,576,305) and Malcolm Hill ($1,576,305).
Last year, the Bulls were very aggressive in free agency, making splashy moves left and right. Given their cap situation, it seems unlikely that Chicago will be able to go star hunting, but they&rsquo;ll likely try to improve their depth and add certain specialists. For example, Chicago could use a rim protector, as they averaged just 4.0 blocks per game (which ranked 27th in the NBA). Can they afford Mitchell Robinson? Could they throw an offer sheet at or sign-and-trade for a restricted free agent like Nic Claxton or Mo Bamba? Can they add a veteran like JaVale McGee or Hassan Whiteside?&nbsp;
In addition to a rim protector, it would make sense to add other defensive reinforcements as well (especially if Jones signs elsewhere). Caruso and Ball give Chicago a strong defensive backcourt, but they need some help if the Bulls want to improve their 23rd-ranked defensive rating (113.2). Some of the top defensive role players who are hitting the market include Bruce Brown, Gary Payton II and PJ Tucker. Lu Dort and Jae'Sean Tate each have a team option, but it seems unlikely that either will be available given their bargain contracts.
The Bulls will look to add a contributor or two using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $10,349,000. Last offseason, that is how Chicago was able to sign Caruso to a four-year, $37 million deal, which ended up being a terrific addition. Other players who signed for the non-taxpayer MLE last offseason include McGee (Phoenix Suns), Tucker (Miami Heat), Reggie Bullock (Dallas Mavericks) and Khem Birch (Toronto Raptors).
It will be interesting to see what the Bulls do in free agency. However, keep in mind that some of Chicago&rsquo;s biggest additions in recent years were acquired through trades.
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TRADES
After watching the Bulls&rsquo; front office trade for Vucevic, DeRozan and Ball, fans are understandably thinking big when it comes to Chicago&rsquo;s trade targets entering the offseason.
Myles Turner has been mentioned as a possible target for the Bulls since he could solve their rim-protection issues, but the window on acquiring Turner may have slammed shut as a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/despite-trade-talks-the-pacers-want-to-keep-myles-turner-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a> suggested that the Indiana Pacers are now expected to keep the 26-year-old long-term.
Another dominant shot-blocker who may become available is Rudy Gobert. The Utah Jazz just had another season end in disappointing fashion, and there has already been a <a href="https://twitter.com/realOCsports/status/1521141215411941376" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that the Jazz will be forced to choose between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. If Utah opts to keep their young shooting guard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Defensive First-Team selection could suddenly be obtainable.
If that happens, the Bulls should at least reach out and start a conversation. Our Evan Sidery recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down potential destinations for Gobert</a> and listed Chicago as the top landing spot. Here&rsquo;s what he wrote:
Imagine the possibilities for Chicago with Gobert patrolling the paint with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso hawking the perimeter. It&rsquo;s the perfect complement to offensive dynamos Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago&rsquo;s new starting lineup of Ball, Caruso, LaVine, DeRozan and Gobert would seemingly have no holes in it from a two-way perspective. I absolutely love this idea for Chicago, and they should be blowing up the Jazz&rsquo;s phone this summer if it seems plausible.
Jazz receive: Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White, draft compensation Bulls receive: Rudy Gobert
It remains to be seen if either side would do this, but it&rsquo;s an intriguing idea.
With that said, if the Bulls are committed to Vucevic and don&rsquo;t want to trade for a new big man, HoopsHype&rsquo;s Yossi Gozlan <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">points out</a> that an extension for Vooch could make sense this offseason.
If that happens, perhaps Chicago just looks for a complementary shot-blocker who can play behind Vucevic like one of the free agents we mentioned above or more of a minor trade target such as New York&rsquo;s Nerlens Noel or Minnesota&rsquo;s Jarred Vanderbilt.
It&rsquo;s also worth noting that the Bulls have a $5,000,000 trade exception that expires on July 7, 2022, from their Daniel Theis deal.
DRAFT
The Bulls have the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. In BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>, our senior NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock has Chicago selecting Ohio State forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/ej-liddell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EJ Liddell</a>.&nbsp;
The 6-foot-7, 21-year-old junior is a well-rounded, NBA-ready player who makes sense for a Bulls team that wants to win now. Last season, Liddell averaged 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 blocks, 1.4 threes and 0.6 steals, while shooting 49.0% from the field, 37.4% from three and 76.5% from the free-throw line.
&ldquo;Although he is a bit undersized for the position, the Buckeyes often used Liddell as a 4 or 5 in their lineups,&rdquo; Babcock noted in his scouting breakdown. &ldquo;He is physical and versatile on both ends of the floor, scoring both inside and out. He appears more comfortable in the mid-range and paint, which works well for his college system but raises questions in regards to his translatability to the NBA. Liddell filled up the box score and played with great effort and toughness. He has certainly carved out a spot for himself in the 2022 NBA Draft.&rdquo;
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Other players who are projected to be available in that range are G League Ignite wing <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/marjon-beauchamp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MarJon Beauchamp</a>, Baylor forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a>, LSU forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/tari-eason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tari Eason</a>, Notre Dame guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/blake-wesley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Wesley</a>, G League Ignite guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/jaden-hardy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Hardy</a>, Serbian forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/nikola-jovic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikola Jovic</a> and Tennessee guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kennedy-chandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kennedy Chandler</a>.&nbsp;
If the Bulls aren&rsquo;t interested in any of these prospects, or if Karni&scaron;ovas and Eversley continue to be aggressive on the trade market, Chicago could look to deal the No. 18 pick as part of a win-now move.
It&rsquo;s worth noting that Chicago must forfeit their next-available second-round pick after an NBA investigation revealed that they contacted Ball prior to the start of the NBA&rsquo;s free-agency period. As it stands, the Bulls&rsquo; next-available pick is the team&rsquo;s 2026 second-rounder, but Chicago can&rsquo;t acquire a second-round pick before then because they&rsquo;d have to forfeit it.
***
After a few rough years, the Bulls seem to be back on the right trajectory, and there&rsquo;s no question that this team has the talent to be a perennial playoff squad in the East. Winning 46 games despite trying to get so many new players acclimated is impressive, especially when you factor in the injuries to Ball, Caruso, Williams, etc.
Even if the Bulls bring back largely the same roster, they will benefit from that continuity and improved chemistry. However, given what we&rsquo;ve seen from this front office in recent years, don&rsquo;t be surprised if they look to wheel-and-deal in order to take the roster to the next level.

After winning 46 games and losing in the first round, where will the Bulls go from here? Alex Kennedy previews Chicago's summer.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Chicago Bulls?

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

At around 6:00 pm on Sunday, June 30, 2019, word began to spread that free agents Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had decided to team up and join forces in Brooklyn. It was hailed as one of the most important and impactful days in the history of the Nets as a franchise.
Despite the fact that KD was recovering from an Achilles tear, expectations in Brooklyn were sky-high. Euphoric Nets fans were incredibly optimistic, dreaming of the imminent success this dynamic duo would enjoy.&nbsp;
Yet, with both KD and Kyrie sidelined by injury during the 2020 postseason, Brooklyn was swept out of the playoffs by the Toronto Raptors that first year.
Nevertheless, expectations ratcheted up even further once Nets fans watched Durant return fully healthy in 2020-21. And that optimism reached a fever pitch when the team added a third future Hall-of-Famer, James Harden, in mid-January 2021.
However, Kyrie injured his ankle in Game 4 of the Nets' second-round series vs. the Milwaukee Bucks last postseason, and Harden was nursing a hamstring injury that prevented him from playing at full strength. KD put the team on his back and played brilliantly, but the Nets eventually lost Game 7 at home to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the eventual NBA champions.
Still, the team and its fan base were incredibly hopeful heading into the 2021-22 campaign. And for good reason, as KD, Kyrie and Harden were all healthy. Brooklynites were convinced this would be the year their team would advance to the Finals and capture the Larry O'Brien trophy, and sportsbooks in Las Vegas agreed with them, installing the Nets as the heavy preseason favorite to win the NBA title.
Things got off to a rocky start.
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Irving decided to reject the advice of medical experts and refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. As a result, due to New York City vaccine mandates, Irving could not play in home games. Consequently, in early October, Nets general manager Sean Marks and team owner Joe Tsai informed Irving that he couldn't rejoin the team &mdash; for games or practices &mdash; until he was vaccinated.
"He has a choice to make, and he made his choice," Marks stated. "My job here is to make what we deem as the best choices for the organization moving ahead as a whole... We're looking at putting a group of people that are going to be able to participate fully. That's what this comes down to, and we're not looking for partners that are going to be half-time."&nbsp;
In November, Tsai told the New York Post: "Kyrie talks about it as a sort of personal choice issue, which I respect. But we all need to not forget our goal. A championship team needs to have everybody pulling the same direction."
Even without Irving, the Nets got off to a strong start, winning 21 of their first 29 games. Durant was playing at an MVP level over the first two months of the season, averaging 29.7 points (on 52% shooting), 7.9 rebounds and 5.9 rebounds. Brooklyn had the best record in the Eastern Conference through the first 30 games of the 2021-22 campaign.&nbsp;
However, in mid-December, a COVID outbreak decimated the Nets' depth. Durant, Harden De'Andre Bembry, Bruce Brown, Jevon Carter, LaMarcus Aldridge, James Johnson and Paul Millsap were all placed in health and safety protocols. Unnerved, the Nets front office relented and decided to welcome Irving back to the team.
With KD, Kyrie and Harden reunited, NBA pundits and oddsmakers once again predicted Brooklyn's immense collection of talent would carry them to a title.&nbsp;
However, the Nets' Big Three never seemed to get on the same page. In a Jan. 15 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Durant sprained the MCL in his left knee. The injury would sideline KD for six weeks. By late January, rumors began to surface that Harden was fed up with the circus-like atmosphere and wanted out of Brooklyn.&nbsp;
On Feb. 2, Brooklyn was beaten badly by the lowly Sacramento Kings, and Harden's effort (or lack thereof) was appalling. In what would be his final appearance in a Nets uniform, The Beard finished with 4 points on 2 of 12 shooting.&nbsp;
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On the day of the trade deadline, Brooklyn shipped Harden to the Sixers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks.
Following the blockbuster deal, the Nets remained the consensus favorites to win the 2022 NBA title. Caesars Sportsbook elected to keep the Nets' odds at 4-1 after the trade, ahead of the Golden State Warriors (9-2), Phoenix Suns (5-1) and Bucks (7-1).
In his introductory press conference with Brooklyn, Simmons said he was looking forward to returning to action.
"I feel physically pretty good," Simmons told reporters. "Mentally, I'm getting there, so it's an ongoing thing to stay on top of that. But I think I'm heading in the right direction."
As we now know, Simmons would not set foot on an NBA court all season. Drummond, who provided much-needed rebounding help for Brooklyn early on, was essentially unplayable by the time the playoffs arrived (he logged less than 4 minutes of action in the Nets' season-ending loss Monday night).
Once Durant returned from his knee injury, Brooklyn got back on track and went 6-1 over a seven-game span in mid-March. Kyrie hung 50 on the Hornets in Charlotte on March 8. KD poured in a season-high 53 points in Brooklyn's victory over the New York Knicks on March 13. Two nights later, Irving scored a franchise-record 60 points in a blowout win over the Orlando Magic.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Irving and Durant became the first pair of teammates in NBA history to score 50 points in consecutive games. KD and Kyrie are also just the second duo to record multiple 50-point games in a season, joining Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, who accomplished the feat for the 1961-62 Los Angeles Lakers.
Then, in late March, New York mayor Eric Adams altered the city's vaccine mandate, clearing the way for Irving to play in home games. Adams, who initially stated that "it would send the wrong message" to give Irving an exemption when the city's other employees were still subject to the same mandate, said the revised decision was "about putting New York city-based performers on a level playing field."
Thus, the Nets would enter the postseason with their two top guns available (and Irving fresh/well-rested after being a part-time player for most of the season).
Yet, as it turned out, the disjointed Nets were no match for a unified Celtics team that had spent the past three months building its chemistry on both ends of the court.
Boston swept Brooklyn out of the playoffs, effectively locking up both Kyrie and KD.
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Durant played well in Game 4, but disappeared in Game 3 on Saturday night. KD was shockingly passive the entire evening, finishing the must-win contest with just 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting; his lack of aggression and intensity was stunning. In that contest, the most important game of the Nets season, Durant &mdash; a four-time scoring champion and two-time Finals MVP &mdash; finished with 10 fewer points and 8 fewer field-goal attempts than Brown.&nbsp;
Incredibly, over Game 2 and Game 3 combined, Brown scored more points (49) and grabbed more rebounds (16) than both Durant (43 points/12 boards) and Irving (26 points/12 boards).
Irving closed out his season averaging 15.3 points while shooting just 37.2% from the floor and 18.2% from three-point territory over the final three games of the series.
Being swept out of the playoffs in the first round would have been considered almost unimaginable at the start of the season, or really at any point over the past 12 months, assuming KD and Kyrie were both healthy.&nbsp;
In fact, SportsBetting.ag confirmed to BasketballNews.com that the Nets are the first NBA team ever to enter a season as the favorite to win a title, yet fail to win a single playoff game.&nbsp;
It's not hyperbole to suggest that the 2021-22 Brooklyn Nets will go down as arguably the most disappointing team in the history of the National Basketball Association.
That's not the all-time legacy Brooklynites were anticipating this squad would be remembered for. Dating back to the 2021 postseason, the Nets are 1-8 in their last last nine playoff games...
The unforgettable Sunday afternoon in June 2019, when Durant and Irving revealed they were teaming up, was 1,030 days ago.
Imagine telling enthusiastic Nets fans back then that KD, Kyrie and company would win only one playoff series (and a grand total of seven playoff games) over the subsequent three seasons.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer reviews the Nets' latest playoff shortcoming and how they haven't gotten it done since Kyrie Irving and KD joined forces.

The 2021-22 Nets: Arguably the most disappointing team in NBA history

Karl-Anthony Towns roared back from two rough games with a career playoff-best 33 points and 14 rebounds, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves move past their Game 3 collapse and pull out a 119-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night to even the first-round series at 2-2.
Anthony Edwards scored 24 points and backup Jordan McLaughlin went 4 for 4 from 3-point range to pitch in 16 points as the Timberwolves relentlessly attacked the basket and went 31 for 40 from the foul line.
The series shifts back to Memphis for Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Desmond Bane, who hit his eighth 3-pointer at the buzzer to finish with 34 points, and Dillon Brooks with 24 points kept the Grizzlies going on another quiet night for star point guard Ja Morant. Morant went 4 for 13 from the floor, and had 11 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds.
Jaren Jackson Jr. fouled out with seven points, and 25 of the Grizzlies' 33 fouls were called their starters.
Towns, who took four shots and had just eight points in Game 3, hit 14 of 17 free throws and was the catalyst down the stretch with 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Patrick Beverley missed two free throws with 43 seconds left. With the Wolves leading 115-110, Morant answered with a layup and Edwards missed a pull-up 3. But Tyus Jones had his 3-pointer fall short with 10.5 seconds to go, and Edwards grabbed the rebound. He sank both free throws as the crowd chanted, &ldquo;Wolves in six! Wolves in six!&rdquo;
McLaughlin's first 3 put Minnesota in front in the second quarter to start a 17-1 run that maxed out with a 50-35 lead &mdash; the largest of the night that quickly got whittled by the Grizzles back down to single digits.
The Wolves might have been better off playing a tighter game this time, after their pair of 25-point advantages in Game 3 went for naught.
AMPED UP
Game 3 was an anomaly, considering the Timberwolves were just the ninth NBA team in 389 situations over the past 25 postseasons to lead by 25-plus points and lose the game, <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1517325199611469824" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN.</a>
And while it fits right into the Minnesota sports scene that has been filled for decades with such disappointment, the crowd didn&rsquo;t quit on creating a raucous advantage Saturday.
Troy Hudson and Wally Szczerbiak, standouts on the last Timberwolves team that captivated the town in 2004, were courtside with an endless supply of high-fives for fans seated nearby.
When Towns swished a 3 from the top of the key on the first possession, a jet-like roar followed.
Towns knew how critical the game was and came out with a ferocity suggesting he knew precisely how much criticism he'd been dealt for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-chris-finch-f5eecbb956912af32863cd408990434d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his Game 3 dud</a>. When he hit his opening 3, he looked down at his hands and yelled to no one in particular about the importance of passing him the ball.
BUMPS AND BRUISES
Bodies crashed to the floor on almost every possession in what was perhaps the most physical game of the series to date. Morant, who has been playing through nagging leg injuries, took several hard landings after layup attempts.
Grizzlies backup Ziaire Williams sustained an eye injury in the second quarter, when Morant drew a flagrant foul on D&rsquo;Angelo Russell as he drove to the hoop and caught a hand to the face.
Edwards left for a bit in the first quarter with an injury to his right knee unrelated to any contact, but after having trouble walking to the locker room for further examination he returned less than 3 minutes later without any trouble.
PROTEST, INTERRUPTED
Two more animal rights protesters attempted to interrupt the game in the third quarter. One woman <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1518074056339296256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaped over the courtside seats</a> of Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and his wife, Becky, before being tackled by security and carried away. Her companion remained behind the Taylors and next to the second row of Timberwolves assistant coaches, who helped security wrestle her out.
The group has been protesting the way that a chicken farm that's part of Taylor's enterprises has allegedly handled an avian flu outbreak. The highly contagious virus <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-environment-iowa-animals-d76524dace2b34e2cb0dc25925cead65" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has killed roughly 28 million poultry</a>.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Xavier Tillman started at center, the fourth player in the series for the Grizzlies in an opening-half lineup to join Jaren Jackson Jr. in the frontcourt as coach Taylor Jenkins continued to employ a variety of methods for trying to take Towns out of his element. Brandon Clarke, Kyle Anderson and Steven Adams have all taken turns. ... Brooks, who was listed as questionable to play with a sore left foot, shot 10 for 20.
Timberwolves: Beverley had 17 points. ... Jarred Vanderbilt had 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Minnesota Timberwolves moved past their Game 3 collapse and pulled out a 119-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

Timberwolves beat Grizzlies 119-118 to even series at 2-2

Four years ago, after winning a third title in four seasons, Draymond Green offered the Golden State Warriors' front office some advice before the 2018 NBA Draft, which included a directive to target &ldquo;16-game players.&rdquo;
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Larry Harris said Draymond Green's given the front office a piece of advice: "There are 82-game players, then there are 16-game players." Draymond's interested in the 16-game (playoff-type) players.
&mdash; Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1009170931254624257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2018</a></blockquote>

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And although people are sparring daily with FOX Sports personality Nick Wright over his thoughts on Nikola Jokić and LeBron James among others, he <a href="https://twitter.com/getnickwright/status/1516597337698840578" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drew the Green claim</a> as a reaction to Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s epic 45-point game performance Tuesday night in a 115-105 Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
If you polled a consensus of NBA Twitter, media, players or front-office people about whether Trae Young is the best player in this series, an educated guess would suggest that those largely outside of Miami (and New York) would vote &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
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Some people very flippantly said Trae Young was *easily* the best player in the series. And, yo, I get it ... What Jimmy Butler does on *both* ends isn't flashy, doesn't make highlights, but that dude is a flat-out winner and a star, and he proved it yet again tonight.
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1516598814643310592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And that&rsquo;s understandable, right? Young is a superstar offensive talent who projects to be a perennial All-Star and an All-NBA challenger, if healthy, for much of his prime. But also in doing so, perhaps it ignores what could be brought on the other end of the floor by Butler, who is at least a candidate to make an All-Defensive Team for a sixth time in nine seasons.
(I affectionately refer to Butler as the Ed Reed of the NBA because of his elite ability at playing free safety. His running mate Bam Adebayo is Darrelle Revis, for what it&rsquo;s worth.)
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Whether you prefer an offensive-production machine who routinely offers the league&rsquo;s most tantalizing highlights, or a two-way grinder with the grit of Stone Cold Steve Austin and immense impact that often goes overlooked as a result in a world of flashier, Rey Mysterio-types, whoever you think the actual best player in the series probably doesn&rsquo;t matter.
What matters is this: It bears reminding that Butler is a 16-game player. He&rsquo;s damn good in the regular season too, but time and time again, he&rsquo;s proven it in the playoffs, and it needs to be noticed.
(Before the NBA Twitter mob comes, this is not to say Young necessarily isn&rsquo;t, especially after last year&rsquo;s postseason run. We&rsquo;re just turning our focus to Butler now for the purposes of this piece).
In Game 2, Butler finished with 45 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a pair of steals, He subtly patrolled the Heat&rsquo;s defensive secondary, manipulating Atlanta's guards to lob seemingly-out-of-range alley-oops that were detected and slapped toward a Miami teammate to initiate a break. In addition, the 32-year-old star bullied his way to the free-throw line to tilt the power in his team&rsquo;s favor.
Still, this was a different type of contest-controlling outburst than one we&rsquo;re accustomed to seeing from the Tomball, Texas native.
Nah, man. <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1516600499759374351" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This sh*t was loud</a>.
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I read no lies <a href="https://t.co/LzHVYF274D">https://t.co/LzHVYF274D</a>
&mdash; DWade (@DwyaneWade) <a href="https://twitter.com/DwyaneWade/status/1516619165573935105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Butler shot 15 of 25 from the field, 4 of 7 from three and 11 of 12 on three throws. When the team needed a bucket, Butler delivered, solving the Heat&rsquo;s late-game issues for the night &mdash; a question that's made many hesitant on pegging Miami as a true contender despite being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
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🔥 45 POINTS for Jimmy Buckets 🔥 A new playoff career-high for <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmyButler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimmyButler</a> puts the <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiamiHEAT</a> up 2-0! Game 3: Friday, 7 PM ET, ESPN <a href="https://t.co/xAjzVassBk">pic.twitter.com/xAjzVassBk</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1516643329961771010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As the Hawks seemed to get hot from the floor, cutting the Heat lead to 64-62 with 8:59 to go in the third quarter, Butler drilled his third three of the game two possessions later. One minute after, he extended the lead to double figures with a lay-up following a defensive board, which prompted a Nate McMillan timeout. The Hawks would again come within single digits following 6-0 run late in the third, and Max Strus found Butler for a dunk with 1:48 to go in the period.
In the fourth, Butler produced 9 points, 2 assists and a steal, and he found Gabe Vincent (who himself had a fantastic two-way effort off the bench) for a triple with 6:12 left in the game; it was a key moment to stretch a narrowing four-point lead to seven.
As the Hawks again sliced it down again with 3:53 left, Butler came out of a timeout, penetrated the lane, drew in the defense and found an open Adebayo for a dunk &mdash; his easiest bucket of the playoffs so far. Not going away, the Hawks cut it to three, but Jimmy drove into a slam with 2:16 left to bring Miami's lead back up to five. And on the ensuing offensive possession, Butler drained a fourth three to make it 109-101 Heat with 1:36 remaining in the game, essentially the dagger.
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We know about what Butler did in the 2020 NBA Playoffs and <a href="https://youtu.be/dadoOIGSkx8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">those Finals in particular</a>. And in 2019, if it wasn&rsquo;t for his performance in the seven-game East semifinals series against the Toronto Raptors, there&rsquo;s no telling how long that Philadelphia 76ers team would&rsquo;ve lasted.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKid3520Ow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In that series</a>, Butler averaged 6.9 points per fourth quarter, totaling 12 of 24 shooting and 21 of 23 on free throws and leading the team with 8.6 minutes per fourth quarter.
Joel Embiid logged 7.8 minutes per fourth and averaged 4.0 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the field and 10 of 14 on free throws. Ben Simmons played 8.3 minutes per fourth and averaged 1.7 points on 4 of 6 shooting and 2 of 4 on free throws. (Simmons took 6 shots in 50 total fourth-quarter minutes and didn&rsquo;t play the fourth at all in Game 5). And Tobias Harris? 2.0 points through 8.1 minutes per fourth, shooting 5 of 22 in the final period overall. J.J. Redick? 2.0 points in 6.0 minutes per.
That summer, Simmons and Harris were maxed, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jimmy-butlers-threepoint-shooting-has-always-been-a-luxury-not-a-necessity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Butler landed in Miami</a>.
(And if you&rsquo;d like to hold up the 2021 playoffs to detract Butler, you can. But, you must also note that the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers had a seven-week offseason between the NBA Finals and training camp, and the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets had nine each; they all flamed out last spring for a reason.)
Tuesday night's performance capped an imperfect offensive display from Miami, who settled for too many jump shots in favor of attacking the rim with Bogdan Bogdanović, DeAndre Hunter and Kevin Huerter all being in foul trouble throughout, but every playoff game is its own experience.
As the Heat head into Atlanta with a 2-0 lead, Adebayo and Tyler Herro &mdash; who&rsquo;ve combined for 36 points through the first two games &mdash; have yet to leave their offensive imprint on the series. If you throw in Kyle Lowry in the mix, the number only grows to 55 points.
If at least one guy is able to have a breakthrough on the road, Miami will probably not need another 45-pointer from Butler, so long as the team defends to or near its capabilities.
And if that doesn't happen, one, it'd be a surprise, but two, who else is better suited to grind you to an ugly-but-effective-ass 81-77 road victory?
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Bryan Fonseca praises the playoff prowess of Heat star Jimmy Butler and his ability to elevate his game in crunch time.

Jimmy Butler is a 16-game player

It's not uncommon for high-profile athletes in New York to experience ups and downs throughout their careers. Yet, in just the three seasons Julius Randle has spent as a Knick, he's endured nearly unprecedented swings, from extreme lows to intense highs and everything in-between...
After making the difficult decision to trade away Kristaps Porzingis in February 2019, the Knicks inked Randle to a three-year, $63 million deal the following summer, hoping Randle could carry the team offensively and help them return to respectability.
However, Randle struggled to handle the bright lights of Broadway during his first year in NYC. After averaging over 21 points per game on 52.4% shooting during his sole season in New Orleans, Randle's scoring average dipped to 19.5 points per game on 46.0% shooting in 2019-20. And while his overall counting stats were solid (19/10/3), his inefficiency and defensive lapses contributed to the Knicks' putrid 21-45 record.
In an article he <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/reputation-julius-randle-new-york-knicks-basketball-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penned for the Players Tribune</a>, Randle acknowledged that he wasn't quite prepared for the pressures that came along with being the top dog in the Big Apple.
"To be honest, I don't think I realized everything that goes into being a No. 1 option in the NBA," Randle <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/reputation-julius-randle-new-york-knicks-basketball-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>. "Another problem, looking back, is that I think I was so focused on proving myself as a No. 1 option, that I lost sight of some of my other responsibilities to the team."
Randle added: "I know you only get one chance to make a first impression in a city &mdash; and I was so disappointed in myself for how that first season in New York had gone."
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Well, his second impression was incredible.&nbsp;
Randle wasn't just good during his second season in NYC; he authored one of the finest all-around seasons in Knicks franchise history.
The winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player, Randle finished the 2020-21 campaign averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, ranking in the top-20 in all three statistical categories. Prior that that, the only other players in NBA history to average at least 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists over an entire season were Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokić, Larry Bird, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.
Randle also averaged 2.3 made three-pointers and 0.9 steals while shooting 45.6% from the floor, 41.1% from downtown and 81.1% from the free-throw line. According to Basketball-Reference, Randle was just the second player ever to average more than 10 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting over 40% from three-point territory and over 80% from the charity stripe. (The only other player in this exclusive club is Bird, who posted those numbers in 1984-85 en route to winning the Most Valuable Player award.)
Knicks fans inside MSG would serenade Randle with boisterous "MVP" chants nearly every time he stepped to the free-throw line over the last two months of the season.&nbsp;
Randle would finish eighth in MVP voting and be named to the All-NBA Second Team alongside Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid and LeBron James.&nbsp;
Last summer, fresh off his career year, the Knicks inked Randle to a four-year contract extension worth up to $117 million.
Consequently, expectations were sky-high for Randle and his Knicks entering the 2021-22 campaign...
As we know, New York instead finished the year with a disappointing 37-45 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 10 years.
While Randle's counting stats were once again solid, his offensive inefficiency and porous defense were crippling. After shooting 41.5% on mid-range jumpers in 2020-21, he converted just 33.3% of his mid-rangers this past season. Of the 66 players who attempted more than 500 jump shots this past season, Randle was the least efficient. Every other player in the league who attempted more than three such shots per game converted over 35% &mdash; except for Randle.
Randle also struggled from long distance. After shooting over 41% from behind the three-point arc in 2020-21, that percentage tumbled all the way down to below 31% in 2021-22.
To put Randle's inefficiency in context, consider this: In 2021-22, Randle became the first and only player in NBA history to attempt more than 300 three-pointers and 300 free throws, yet shot below 42% from the floor, below 31% from downtown and below 76% from the charity stripe.
Oh, and his assist average decreased (from 6.0 to 5.1) while committing a career-high 245 turnovers.
Yet, if only his subpar production were an issue, the Knicks front office &mdash; led by team president Leon Rose &mdash; might be far more comfortable bringing Randle back in 2022-23 and hoping he can rebound from a rough year.
However, there are a number of concerns that complicate the situation.&nbsp;
The relationship between the burly power forward and Knicks fans turned toxic at various points over the past six months. During a home game against the Boston Celtics in early January, some New York fans inside Madison Square Garden booed Randle and his teammates after the Knicks fell behind by 25 points. Randle aimed a thumbs-down gesture at the crowd at one point in the fourth quarter. He acknowledged the gesture was directed at the fans after the game (which included a miraculous Knicks comeback, capped by RJ Barrett sinking a miraculous buzzer-beater).
When asked by reporters what it was for, Randle <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/06/julius-randle-gives-knicks-fans-thumbs-down-shut-the-f-k-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>: "To shut the f&ndash;k up."
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Unsurprisingly, the relationship remained rocky the rest of the way. As New York piled up losses and Randle continued to miss shots he had made a year earlier, the crowd continued to get on the team's highest-paid player. Making matters worse, <a href="https://tommybeer.substack.com/p/thibs-needs-to-send-a-strong-message?s=w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randle's lack of effort</a>, especially on the <a href="https://tommybeer.substack.com/p/thibs-needs-to-send-a-strong-message?s=w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive end</a>, drew the intense ire of the fan base.
Poor shooting or effort errors (such as giving up an easy bucket because you close out too hard) are frustrating but forgivable. However, New Yorkers won't tolerate consistently failing to box out or hustle back on defense. And, for long stretches this winter, Randle was guilty of such offenses.&nbsp;
Last month, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/julius-randle-could-be-forcing-way-off-knicks-in-james-harden-type-of-way/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Berman of the New York Post reported</a> that people around the league felt Randle was "acting in a 'James Harden type of way' that suggests he wants a new place of work next season."
Berman <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/julius-randle-could-be-forcing-way-off-knicks-in-james-harden-type-of-way/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that "some NBA sources believe the Knicks will shop Randle for a package revolving around a center if they lose Mitchell Robinson."
Randle has said publicly he wants to remain in New York, but has also stated that his wife and young son were forced to leave their courtside seats at some home games this season due to unwelcome comments from the crowd. Being traded to a new franchise could allow Randle to start fresh and hopefully re-establish himself as an All-Star.
The best resolution for both the player and the team may be parting ways this summer.&nbsp;
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From the Knicks' perspective, trading away an All-Star less than a year after you ink him to a max extension is never ideal. The front office hoped Randle would be a foundational cornerstone for the remainder of his prime. However, New York must acknowledge that this past season was a mess in more ways than one.&nbsp;
Interestingly, one bright spot over the second half of the season was the awe-inspiring play of Obi Toppin. When a sore quad sidelined Randle in late March, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft stepped in and most definitely stepped up. Fans who had been begging for Toppin to see more minutes finally got their wish.
Toppin started each of the Knicks' final five games and averaged 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 made three-pointers, 2.8 assists and 1.0 blocks. He shot over 55% from the floor, over 46% from downtown and over 86% from the charity stripe. He was one of just seven players to average more than 27 points and 6 boards per game in April. The other six were Jokic, Embiid, LeBron, Luka Doncic, Pascal Siakam and Kevin Durant. (And of this group, Toppin and Doncic were the only players to knock down more than three treys a night.)
While it's foolish to make too much out of relatively meaningless games late in any season, it's impossible to watch Toppin and not recognize he possesses tantalizing upside. And remember, this is the same dude who was named the NCAA National Player of the Year in 2020 due to his dominant play at Dayton, where he averaged 20.0 points to go along with 7.5 rebounds while shooting a scorching 63.3% percent from the field and 39.0% from behind the arc.&nbsp;
Toppin will be due for a contract extension of his own soon, and the Knicks need to determine if he is worth a hefty investment. Trading Randle would open a spot in the starting lineup for Toppin, who is closer in age to the Knicks' young core of Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, etc.
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The issue for New York is that it would have to "sell low" on Randle relative to where his league-wide value was just six months ago. Would the Knicks be content to trade him away if they would only be able recoup around 70 cents on the dollar? On the other hand, would another team be willing to trade for the $100+ million remaining on Randle's contract?
My guess is that the all-around skill set Randle showcased in 2020-21 will be more than enough to entice a few general managers.
Keep in mind that even in a "down year" in 2021-22, Randle averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 boards and 5.1 dimes. The only players to exceed those numbers in each category this season were Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. In addition, although Randle's contract is certainly not a bargain, it's not an albatross by any means &mdash; even with its 15% trade kicker.&nbsp;
More than 50 players in the league will earn more than Randle next season. A contract averaging around $26 million a year is reasonable for a player with Randle's immense talent and proven durability (he's appeared in 207 of a possible 222 games over the last four seasons).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Also, the fact that Randle is under team control for at least three more years (he has a player option for 2025-26) would appeal to several teams, especially small-market clubs.&nbsp;
Furthermore, there are always other GMs looking to move their own high-priced players due to positional log jams or salary constraints.
For instance, <a href="https://theathletic.com/3243084/2022/04/11/whats-next-for-lakers-notes-on-nick-nurse-russell-westbrook-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple</a> league insiders have <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/indiana-intrigue?s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Indiana Pacers are "open to trade conversations around Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield this offseason." Brogdon, whose name has been bandied about in trade rumors since Indiana acquired Tyrese Haliburton in February, has three years left on his deal. He and Randle have nearly identical salaries for next season, meaning they could be swapped straight up for each other.&nbsp;
With the Knicks still in desperate need of a point guard, which side would say no to a potential Brogdon-Randle deal?
It's also worth noting that <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10032521-who-will-lead-lamelo-ball-and-promising-hornets-into-their-prime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a> recently reported Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward is "interested in a change of scenery this offseason." A swap sending Kemba Walker, who is still beloved in Charlotte, and Randle to the Hornets in exchange for Hayward works under the cap. Would Charlotte be willing to include draft capital to get a deal done?
We know the Los Angeles Lakers would love to rid themselves of Russell Westbrook, who has just one year left on his current contract. And if we're thinking outside the box, would the Knicks be willing to consider a reunion with Kristaps Porzings?
The point is, if New York is genuinely willing to make Randle available, the franchise will have plenty of interested parties, which could make for a very interesting offseason.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer analyzes what went awry for Julius Randle in his third season with the Knicks and ponders options for both parties.

Julius Randle and the Knicks should part ways this summer

Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues is a man of many things.&nbsp;
He was the drink stirrer of one of the greatest high school basketball teams <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evrEKGZl_kQ">ever</a>, a victim of the Monstars' <a href="https://youtu.be/pbnyVj2iVlw">banditry</a> and, most notably, the <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/who-are-10-shortest-players-nba-history-mugsy-bogues-spud-webb-boykins/zjapq718gzek16uxepv5w284r">shortest</a> player to ever don an NBA uniform.&nbsp;
His professional life resembles the six degrees of Kevin Bacon in how intertwined it is with so many iconic players and moments in league history. He was on the Hornets when the <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/406279-the-vlade-divac-effect-analyzing-the-ground-breaking-trade">infamous</a> Vlade-Divac-for-Kobe-Bryant transaction went down. He was in the gym the day Latrell Sprewell got <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egvyGi61exo">physical</a> with Coach P.J. Carlesimo. And he had a backstage pass to the rise of one of the most <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq6AAD53_uM">transcendent</a> players in league history, Stephen Curry.&nbsp;
And now, he&rsquo;s finally decided to chronicle his tale in his upcoming book, "Muggsy: My Life from a Kid in the Projects to the Godfather of Small Ball."
&ldquo;I wrote [a book] early on in my life in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Land-Giants-My-Life-Basketball/dp/0316101737">1994, </a>&nbsp;but this one has a lot more substance. [It&rsquo;s] a lot more about the way I impacted some of the players I played with, as well as some of the current players that [are] playing today,&rdquo; Bogues said.
But time has a way of muddling our ability to recall the past, and those unfamiliar with Bogues&rsquo; game may not realize that he was far more than a funhouse mirror phenomenon. He was a damn good professional basketball player for almost a decade and a half.
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Many critics point to his existence as a referendum against the talent pool of the Jordan era, but Bogues&rsquo; skillset &mdash; a game predicated on pushing the pace, passing and hounding people on defense &mdash; actually makes him a solid fit for the way the game is played today.
When asked how he would fare in 2022, Bogues acknowledged the tendency of humans to overestimate their own individual abilities. &ldquo;I think any NBA player feels like they can play in any era.&rdquo;&nbsp;
However, even with that caveat, his conviction was unwavering, culminating his response with an emphatic, &ldquo;Oh, absolutely!&rdquo;
At his best, Bogues was the quarterback of one of the fastest offensive attacks of the early 1990s. Under his guidance, the Charlotte Hornets finished top-four in pace every season from 1991 to 1994, per Basketball Reference.&nbsp;
Bogues wasn&rsquo;t just a speed demon zooming down the court with his head cut off. He was a steadying force capable of maintaining a well-oiled machine (the Hornets were <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHH/1997.html">fourth</a> in offensive efficiency in 1996-97).
In terms of individual numbers, Bogues ranked top-nine in Cerebro Sports&rsquo; Floor General Skills metric, a metric that explores passing ability while also factoring in usage, athleticism and feel, and he did that every year from 1989 to 1995.&nbsp;
And for the creation stans out there, he ranked in the top-10 in Ben Taylor&rsquo;s <a href="https://backpicks.com/metrics/box-creation/">Box Creation</a> metric (an estimate of open shots created for teammates per 100 possessions) every year during that time, except for 1991, when he finished 11th.&nbsp;
In Bogues' new book, Charles Oakley said this of his playmaking abilities: &ldquo;[I]n the pick-and-roll, he could turn the corner, get into the paint and drive.&rdquo; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
In his heyday, Bogues leveraged his blink-and-you-might-miss-it speed to knife his way into the paint, force a collapse and ping-pong the ball over to his open teammates.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Penetration always hurts the defense," Bogues said. "I always had the understanding of how to get guys to think one way when I want to go the opposite.&rdquo;
That offensive aggressiveness was a big part of what made Bogues so valuable to his teams.
&ldquo;One of the things coaches always emphasized is that [they] don&rsquo;t want anyone getting in the heart of our defense. [So, as an offensive player], if you are able to do that, it puts your team at an advantage, and I was fortunate enough to be a penetrator my entire career."
An avid chess player nowadays, Bogues was playing a chess game of sorts on the basketball court long before he executed his first checkmate, treating his opponents like pieces on the board he could manipulate as he pleased:
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&ldquo;To me, it&rsquo;s just that simple. If I drive hard this way, I&rsquo;m going to make the defender have to collapse, and then that man right there is going to be open.&rdquo; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
His 4.75:1 Assist-to-Turnover ratio is sublime and gives him a <a href="https://twitter.com/RobKSports/status/1100866647055831051?s=20&amp;t=BTkD4d0h9AIxVE3htZzNsA">higher mark</a> in this category than many of the all-time great facilitators.&nbsp;
He managed this ratio without having the elevated sight lines of a Magic Johnson or Oscar Robertson. Instead, Bogues used his physical dimensions to create a different type of ocular advantage.
&ldquo;They say Magic sees over top. [Well], I see around and through.&rdquo;
Despite his stature, his defense may have been the perfect counter to today&rsquo;s pace-and-space era because his main goal was to evaporate as much space as possible. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;One thing about guards, they like a cushion. They don&rsquo;t like anyone crowding their space. I knew that drove folks crazy, so I became that pest on defense.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He likens his game on that end of the floor to Patrick Beverley in their shared ability to jam opponents up and annoy them for 94 feet:&nbsp;
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&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to see anyone out there of myself, but Patrick Beverley on defense is probably the closest. The way he irritates the players and gets all up in them, picking them up 94 feet and getting under their skin. He, defensively, is probably the only [comparison].&rdquo;&nbsp;
But like all people, Bogues is far more than his former job title. He is a multifaceted individual rich with layers of wisdom and life experience.&nbsp;
One thing that will dawn on readers is the candidness in Bogues&rsquo; storytelling approach. He never once holds back as he navigates readers through the various losses he&rsquo;s endured, the conflicts that persist in his most intimate relationships and his own most deep-seated insecurities.
Growing up in a low-income neighborhood in Baltimore with a father struggling to provide for his family as a stevedore in a dying industry, Bogues' early life runs parallel to many of the storylines discussed in the widely-popular Baltimore-based television show, "The Wire." Interestingly enough, his wife, Kim Bogues, later worked on the show and filled in as Kima&rsquo;s body double.&nbsp;
Bogues uses his narrative as an opportunity to outline the race dynamics that exist within American professional sports, highlighting all of its glaring hypocrisies.&nbsp;
&ldquo;How can they cheer me on the court and deride me off of it?&rdquo; Bogues asks in his book.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I always looked at this world as a human race as opposed to all the racial components that come with it. When you play sports, and you become teammates with people that don&rsquo;t even look like you, they become your brothers/sisters. You have the same goal/task at hand, and you're fighting the same fight. How can you have that affection for them and then not [have that same affection] for someone who is on the same side, just not in sports? A title should not be what makes a person like/accept you in the way you want to be accepted.&rdquo;
Even with his frustration, Bogues is optimistic about our potential as a society to correct the indifferences that have permeated from generation to generation.&nbsp;In the end, Bogues&rsquo; hope is that people will walk away from this novel with a thorough understanding of the power of resilience.
&ldquo;[In its essence], this book is about someone that had a passion and just chased it each and every day.&rdquo;
Through the name-calling, the physical limitations, the trades and the losses of loved ones, Bogues preserved and kept pushing forward.&nbsp;
&ldquo;In fifty-seven years of life, I&rsquo;ve had an opportunity to see quite a bit and experience quite a bit. [I] look at life in a light where we only get one, and we have to make the best out of it, each moment we have. Nothing is promised, nothing is given, and even if it was, we wouldn&rsquo;t want it anyways. We love earning it, we love working towards it and we love making it better, not only for [ourselves], but for others.&rdquo;
&ldquo;[It&rsquo;s about] having that resilience to where anything you feel you can accomplish, you should be able to go out there to accomplish. The only person holding you back is yourself. For me, being able to see it, and live it, and be a winner from it, I&rsquo;m always going to be able to embrace that and share that with others.&rdquo;
&ldquo;[I just want to] make sure we all know how important life is.&rdquo;
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Want to hear more from Muggsy Bogues? Check out his appearance on The Rex Chapman Show from June 2021. 
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Muggsy Bogues is most famous for his small stature, but in his new book, he discusses the journey that made him a huge star.

The Godfather of Small-Ball: Muggsy Bogues dishes out on new book

Featuring four sure-fire Hall-of-Famers, the Los Angeles Lakers flamed out and ended up not living up to the expectations.
Unfortunately, the additions of Karl Malone and Gary Payton just weren&rsquo;t enough to get it done.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal joined forces with the legends during the 2003-04 season, and sought to win a fourth title in five years, but the Lakers ultimately fell short against Larry Brown and his Detroit Pistons in what was one of the biggest NBA Finals upsets in history.
You know how they say history always repeats itself? It&rsquo;s true. So it should come as no surprise to recall that the ensuing offseason, the Lakers found themselves looking for a new head coach. The search led to Mike Krzyzewski&rsquo;s living room.
Coach K would famously turn down a five-year, $40 million offer from the Lakers, which would have amounted to an annual salary raise of about 700%.
After a lost season, the Lakers (and Kobe) would eventually patch things up with Phil Jackson, and Bryant would lead the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010.
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Unfortunately for Frank Vogel, that bit of history doesn&rsquo;t seem likely to repeat itself.
Now, in 2022, the Lakers find themselves on the lookout for a new head coach to lead their locker room. Let's take a look at five candidates who may fit the bill.
Juwan Howard
Before his February <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ray-jackson-i-was-afraid-juwan-howard-was-going-to-be-fired" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confrontation with Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard</a>, Juwan Howard&rsquo;s name was mostly mentioned in the press for the right reasons.
Since taking over for the Michigan Wolverines in 2019, Howard helped the university maintain its status as one of the premier basketball programs in the country &mdash; his Wolverines have reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2019 and 2022, as well as the Elite Eight in 2021.
Although it would be difficult to pull Howard from his alma mater, especially when he&rsquo;s enjoyed success thus far, the Lakers head coach job wouldn&rsquo;t be an easy one for a toiling coach to turn down. Despite all the Lakers have been through, it remains a dream job for many in the profession. Aside from that, Howard&rsquo;s connections to both Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and LeBron James is hard to ignore.
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Pelinka and Howard were teammates at Michigan for Howard&rsquo;s three seasons there, and although Howard and James' paths diverged, those two would eventually unite in Miami. They played three years together as teammates before Howard retired and immediately moved into an assistant coach role, the first of which coincided with LeBron&rsquo;s final season in Miami.
Howard spent the next five years alongside Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra before being tapped to assume the helm at Michigan.
Whoever the Lakers entrust with the tall task of getting them back on track, it would make sense that the candidate would need to have exhibited some level of success and also be able to earn the confidence of both Pelinka and James. It should also be noted that, in 2019, Howard was granted an interview for the Lakers&rsquo; head coach opening. The job, obviously, eventually went to Vogel.
Although Howard has been vocal in his love for his alma mater, he would appear to check the boxes. At a minimum, among the sea of potential candidates, he is one who should be watched closely.
Quin Snyder
Now in his eighth season with the Utah Jazz, Quin Snyder has overseen the organization's ascension after the departure of mainstay Jerry Sloan and three less-than-stellar years under Tyrone Corbin.
Although thanks in large part to the presence of Rudy Gobert, under Snyder&rsquo;s leadership, the Jazz have consistently ranked as one of the league&rsquo;s top-five defenses. His staff has also assisted the development and thriving of a number of young players who have found their way in the league.
As it stands, Utah is much closer to contention than the Lakers, but the Jazz themselves haven&rsquo;t exactly been trending upward. There has been consistent speculation as to whether Donovan Mitchell is destined to become the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/expect-the-knicks-to-make-a-real-run-at-donovan-mitchell-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">next superstar who lands on the trading block</a>, and according to veteran scribe Marc Stein, Snyder and his representatives have rebuffed Utah&rsquo;s attempts to extend his current contract.
If Snyder did sense that &mdash; as often reported &mdash; the marriage between Mitchell and Gobert wasn&rsquo;t one that would continue for the long term, he could be proactive about a fresh start elsewhere.
During the 2011-12 season, Snyder served as an assistant coach in Los Angeles under Mike Brown. At a minimum, he&rsquo;s no stranger to the franchise.
Mark Jackson
To this day, there are many who wonder if the Golden State Warriors could have fulfilled their dynastic potential if Mark Jackson remained coach. That&rsquo;s probably why there&rsquo;s a fair amount of people still hoping that one of the greatest point guards in NBA history gets another shot to lead an NBA team. There is another faction, however, that believes the Warriors may have actually been held back by their former coach.
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
What can&rsquo;t be argued, however, is that in his three seasons in Golden State, Jackson led the Warriors to a 121-109 record and brought the team to consecutive postseason berths for the first time in over 20 years. He at least helped to lay the foundation of the team&rsquo;s championship trajectory.
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It&rsquo;s also worth noting that LeBron has long been an advocate for Jackson. That may have something to do with the fact that Jackson &mdash; like LeBron and Anthony Davis &mdash; is represented by Klutch Sports, or it could be that LeBron just believes that he can coach.
Back in 2014, James reportedly pushed for Jackson as a candidate before the Cavs opted for Tyronn Lue to replace David Blatt, and according to The Athletic&rsquo;s Sam Amick, James could make a similar appeal on Jackson&rsquo;s behalf this time around. If he did, it could be quite meaningful.
John Calipari
If the Lakers are looking to make a splash, John Calipari would seem to fit the bill.
It&rsquo;s been more than 20 years since Coach Cal was head coach of an NBA team, but for the past 13 years, he&rsquo;s served as head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats &mdash; arguably the bluest of the blue-blood collegiate basketball programs. He led the Wildcats to the National Championship in 2012, and in that season, managed to unlock the potential of a talented freshman in Davis.
In all, Coach Cal has coached his teams to six Final Four appearances and has previously been linked to NBA openings, including with the New York Knicks.
The difficulty with pursuing collegiate coaches at big-time programs is stature. At the collegiate level, coaches are kings of their programs, particularly those with national championships and a track record of helping young players get to the NBA. In that regard, Calipari&rsquo;s record is unmatched.
According to CoachCal.com, Calipari is the only coach to have coached four No. 1 overall selections (Derrick Rose, John Wall, Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns) and the only coach to have five first-round selections in the same NBA Draft (2010).
In 2012, he also became the first coach to have two of his players go first and second in the draft. That year, Davis and teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist took that honor.
Cal probably knows that he can coach for as long as he wants to at Kentucky, just like Krzyzewski. But a 2021 report from Yahoo Sports cited Cal&rsquo;s believed ambition and wanting to prove that he can succeed at the NBA level as the thing that could push him back to the NBA.
That, and, of course, the right opportunity.
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Nick Nurse
It&rsquo;s hard to argue with Nick Nurse&rsquo;s success, and it&rsquo;s easy to see why a team like the Lakers could be interested. Nurse has earned a reputation for unorthodox methods and game planning, but it&rsquo;s impossible to argue with the success he&rsquo;s enjoyed as the head coach of the Toronto Raptors.
One of the biggest challenges that the Lakers face is with respect to its roster construction. If Russell Westbrook is to remain with the team, the franchise will need a coach who is capable of thinking outside the box and implementing systems and rotations that can maximize pieces that may not necessarily be an obvious fit.
It could be argued that these have been the hallmarks of his tenure in Toronto. That and, of course, winning. That may end up being the biggest obstacle for the Lakers if Nurse truly is the team&rsquo;s choice.
As the head coach who finally got Toronto over the hump, Nurse is beloved by the franchise, and the Raptors certainly seems to have more going for them than the Lakers do right now. Not the least of which is organizational leadership, which has proven to be competent and capable of developing players who can achieve at the highest level.
Leaving the Raptors for the Lakers in that regard would be a leap of faith for Nurse. Hailing from Iowa, Nurse isn&rsquo;t a natural-born Canadian, but he is currently serving as the head coach of the Canadian Men&rsquo;s National Basketball Team.
While that role wouldn&rsquo;t prevent him from making a jump to Los Angeles, it at least suggests a commitment to something bigger than simply being a coach. In the end, it may be a lot for the Lakers to overcome, especially since the Raptors&rsquo; ownership group has demonstrated it has deep pockets.
Nonetheless, it is possible that Nurse could view an opportunity to coach the Lakers as the one he has spent his entire career working toward. Having led the Raptors to a championship &mdash; similarly to Kawhi Leonard &mdash; he could perhaps be enthused about a new challenge.
----
Unfortunately for the community, we&rsquo;ve seen head coaches in the NBA become increasingly disposable. Just two years after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to its 17th championship in franchise history, Vogel was fired, and rather unceremoniously, at that.
If the Lakers are to win an 18th championship, it will be under new leadership.
Maybe one of the aforementioned five could be the answer.
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Moke Hamilton takes a look at five candidates who could make sense as the Lakers' next head coach.

Five head coaches who could make the most sense for the Lakers

The Orlando Magic finished another losing season singing a familiar refrain.
Despite dropping 60 games, posting the worst record in the Eastern Conference and missing the playoffs for the third time in five years, the club insists it&rsquo;s latest overhaul is headed in the right direction.
&ldquo;From when we walked into the building on Day One, we talked about how we were going to compete at a high level, defend at a high level, work every day and have fun doing it,&rdquo; first-year coach Jamahl Mosley noted Sunday. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve done.&rdquo;
The Magic dropped 27 of 32 games to start the season and never won three games in a row, yet Mosley said a young team that played most of the season without two of its best players never got discouraged.
&ldquo;Practice (Saturday) felt like Day One. There was an energy, an enthusiasm, a joy for being on the court with one another throughout the day,&rdquo; the coach said before Sunday night&rsquo;s finale against the Miami Heat.
&ldquo;And I think it was about what we&rsquo;ve talked about from the beginning. It&rsquo;s about us getting better every single day. Whether we win or lose, we&rsquo;re putting that work in every single day,&rdquo; Mosley added. &ldquo;These guys have embraced that, and they have embraced each other.&rdquo;
In a sense, this season was doomed from the start with Jonathan Issac and Markelle Fultz, two of the young players the Magic are trying to build around, on the mend from serious knee injuries.
Issac tore his left anterior cruciate ligament when the pandemic-interrupted 2019-20 season resumed in the Disney bubble. He&rsquo;s missed all of the past two seasons and only played 136 games since being drafted five years ago..
Fultz tore his ACL in January 2021 and was sidelined almost 14 months before returning late this season and playing well enough to gradually work his way back into a starting role.
Team president Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond remain committed to building through the draft after trading veterans Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon in March 2021 for future first-round picks in 2023 and 2025.
The current roster includes eight players selected in the first round of the past five drafts, including Fultz (No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in 2017) and Wendell Carter Jr. (seventh by Chicago in 2018).
Isaac (sixth, 2017), Mo Bamba (sixth, 2018), Chuma Okeke (16th, 2019), Cole Anthony (15th, in 2020), Jalen Suggs (fifth, 2021) and Franz Wagner (eighth, 2021) are Orlando picks.
Suggs and Wagner showed flashes of promise as rookies this season. The 6 foot-10 Carter looks like part of the future, too, after averaging a confidence-bolstering 15 points and 10.5 rebounds in 62 games.
&ldquo;All the young teams in the league &mdash; the Memphis Grizzlies, the Phoenix Suns, the Cleveland Cavaliers &mdash; I feel like we&rsquo;re right there,&rdquo; Carter said.
&ldquo;Especially with us being so young, it gives us the opportunity to really mold everyone,&rdquo; Carter added. &ldquo;I feel like we&rsquo;re in a perfect opportunity where everybody understands what everybody is capable of, and we all like each other.&rdquo;
WORK TO DO
Despite insisting there are signs of progress, this the seventh time in the past 10 seasons the Magic have won fewer than 30 games.
Orlando has had five different coaches and only posted one winning record (42-40 in 2018-19) during that span. The franchise hasn&rsquo;t won a playoff series since 2010.
MIXED REVIEWS
Suggs was the fifth pick in last year&rsquo;s draft out of Gonzaga. He earned a starting job right away, but would up missing 34 games due to various injuries. He shot just 36% and averaged 11.8 points and 4.4 assists in 48 games..
Wagner, the 8th pick out of Michigan, averaged 15.2 points in 79 games. He started the first 74 games before being sidelined by an ankle injury.
GET IN THE GYM
Mosley said one of the team&rsquo;s priorities is improving its perimeter shooting.
The Magic finished 28th in the NBA in field-goal percentage at 43.4, including 33.4 from 3-point range.
Fultz (23.5%, Suggs (21.4%) and Anthony (33.8%) all struggled from beyond the arc.
Without mentioning any names, Mosley said he wants everyone to return in September with better jump shots.
&ldquo;Being able to shoot the heck out of the basketball, and coming back with that conditioning level all the way up, I think those are going to be the big keys,&rdquo; the coach said.

The Magic dropped 27 of 32 games to start the season and never won three games in a row, yet Mosley said they remained upbeat.

Jamahl Mosley: Young, rebuilding Magic have promising future

In the NBA Playoffs, stars often shine the brightest, with the biggest names often delivering on the biggest stage. That's to be expected, but truthfully, games are often won and lost because of the production from key role players.
Throughout the regular season, coaches may roll out a 10- or 11-man rotation consistently, providing ample rest for everybody as the season goes, as well as ensuring the development of younger players. But as the postseason kicks off, that rotation shrinks down to about eight guys playing significant minutes.&nbsp;
For the Memphis Grizzlies, De'Anthony Melton is one of those essential bench pieces that has helped Memphis lock up the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. In fact, Memphis is now 22-4 when Melton scores 10 or more points off the bench; last season, Memphis was 16-5 in the games Melton scored double digits. So that's a pretty good indicator of the impact he has on the team's success.
The 23-year-old guard has earned a couple of nicknames over his time in Memphis. Bally Sports Southeast analyst Brevin Knight calls him "Mr. Do Something" because Melton is always contributing, even when he is not scoring. But when he is scoring, Melton has become known as "Microwave Melt."
Melton is the prime example of a binge scorer.
From November through January, De'Anthony shot 29.5% from deep on 169 attempts. He began to turn it around in February, shooting 43.8% on 48 attempts. During the month of March, Melton was on an absolute heater, shooting 47.1% on 87 attempts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
De&rsquo;Anthony is only the 8th NBA player since the 83-84 season to have 5 straight games with 4+ 3s without starting a a game during the streak. His 26 total 3s are one of the five highest totals by a bench player over any five game span since 83-84 as well.
&mdash; Shawn Coleman (@StatsSAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/StatsSAC/status/1508628215673368581?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Melton extended this 4-triple streak off the bench to six straight against the San Antonio Spurs on March 30. Even more impressive about this stretch is that he's shot 50% or better from deep in seven straight games and in eight of his last 10.&nbsp;
His ability to knock down the deep ball is crucial to the Grizzlies' spacing. With Steven Adams providing no ability to stretch the floor, and Ja Morant needing space to get downhill and continue his unbelievable paint scoring, Memphis needs someone other than Desmond Bane to make defenders think twice about helping.
Currently, this is how the team's three-point shooting lines up without its top two snipers (Bane and John Konchar).
<ul>
<li>Tyus Jones: 39.3%</li>
<li>Kyle Anderson: 32.4%</li>
<li>Jaren Jackson Jr.: 31.9%</li>
<li>Dillon Brooks: 30.3%</li>
<li>Ziaire Williams: 30.1%</li>
</ul>
Jones and Morant do not share the floor together often; however, their success in a small sample size this season may lead to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins playing them together in the postseason to take pressure off Morant and provide that aforementioned spacing. (Williams is likely to have his minutes diminished in the playoffs as well.) Come playoff time, Memphis is poised to run a nine-man rotation with Jones, Melton, Anderson and Brandon Clarke coming off the bench.
As the numbers suggest, the Grizzlies struggle to shoot the ball. They lead the league in a lot of categories, but simply cannot convert from downtown outside of Bane. So, quite frankly, Memphis needs Microwave Melt to carry over into the playoffs.&nbsp;
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Last season, Melton fell into one of his cold spells as the playoffs started. After winning the 9/10 game, and subsequently knocking off the Golden Warriors for the No. 8 seed, Memphis ran into a historically efficient Utah Jazz offense and simply could not keep up. Melton, at times, was unplayable due to his poor shooting in the series. Outside of Game 4 in Memphis, in which he went 3 of 6 from distance, Melton made just 3 of his 14 shots from deep and went 6 of 22 overall.
It was unexpected and certainly the worst case for the Grizzlies. In the months of March and April 2021, Melton shot 46.7% from deep on 107 attempts. But his frigid stretch hit right after. In the 10 games in May, Melton shot 30.8% on 3.9 attempts per game, and his streakiness reared its head at the wrong time.&nbsp;
For Melton, his shooting woes are almost always mechanical issues. Balance is crucial for jump shots. The ability to have a balanced base and rise straight up increases the likelihood of a made shot, so any lean towards the left or right then has to be accounted for on the trajectory of the ball.&nbsp;
Say your weight is evenly distributed (50-50 on each leg), and you rise straight up on the shot; no other adjustments on the shot must be made. If a right-handed shooter has a tendency to distribute his/her weight 60-40 in favor of the left leg &mdash; that slight lean left &mdash; it means the trajectory has to have a counter-adjustment to the right to compensate.&nbsp;
In an interview with DaMichael Cole of the Mempis Commercial Appeal, Melton <a href="https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2022/03/30/memphis-grizzlies-guard-deanthony-melton-nbas-hottest-shooter/7184297001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke about his own adjustment</a>. "I would say for me just making sure my base is wide. Make sure I got a solid, good foundation to start there because I used to bring my feet in too close," Melton <a href="https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2022/03/30/memphis-grizzlies-guard-deanthony-melton-nbas-hottest-shooter/7184297001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
A shoulder-width base is almost a sure-fire way to get as close to a 50-50 weight distribution as possible.
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There are a couple of things to look for on this first clip. In regards to his feet, this is what Melton had been doing for much of his career, bringing his right foot in too close to his left and fighting his own body for balance. Then, he receives the pass shoulder-high, but brings it below his waist to load, adding more action than needed. Finally, though his release does not seem to have the hitch it did in 2020-21, his timing at the apex of his jump is off a tick.
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This is another catch-and-shoot opportunity here for Melton, but it's in transition, so his momentum is carrying him forward. He overcompensates for the positive momentum, missing it on the front of the rim, attempting to take a little off of the shot. The timing of the release is better here, as he releases it just before the apex, but his knees are almost touching as he brings his right foot in too far once again.
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Fast forward to March 23 when Melton hit a career-high 6 threes against the Brooklyn Nets. This angle gives you a great picture of what his mechanics are focused on. Many coaches at the youth levels teach their players to have their "toes pointed towards the basket," or to be square. That actually complicates the shooting motion. Notice the slight left turn of the feet. This small mechanical adjustment allows for the shooting elbow to be more comfortably and naturally aligned with the rim.&nbsp;
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The adjustments with his feet are noticeable. Rather than having his left foot planted on the catch and bringing his right foot in to initiate the shooting motion, Melton receives the pass with a slight two-footed hop that centers his weight on a more even stance. This allows for him to rise straight up with a fluid release that is on time.
The playoffs are around the corner, and the Grizzlies should not expect 50% shooting on 6 to 8 attempts per game, but even 36% on 4 to 5 triple tries would go a long way throughout the gauntlet in the Western Conference.
De'Anthony Melton is an X-factor to watch when the postseason begins on April 16.&nbsp;
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Justin Lewis breaks down De'Anthony Melton's hot offensive stretch and why he'll be an X-factor for the Grizzlies this postseason.

What to make of De'Anthony Melton's recent play with the Grizzlies

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

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

Darius Garland had 25 points and 12 assists, leading Cleveland to a 107-101 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night in a game in which the Cavaliers lost rookie big man Evan Mobley to a sprained left ankle.
Mobley, the No. 3 overall pick, landed on the foot of Franz Wagner while defending under the basket in the second quarter. He limped to the locker room after briefly laying on the court and did not return to the game.
Lauri Markkanen scored 20 points, Kevin Love had 19 points and seven rebounds, and Isaac Okoro added 11 points for the Cavaliers, who snapped a three-game losing streak and remained seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 42-33 record.
Magic power forward Wendell Carter Jr. had 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, Ignas Brazdeikis scored 13 points and Wagner had 10 points and six assists. Orlando has the worst record in the East at 20-56.
The Cavaliers clinched their first winning season in four years. It is the first time they will finish above .500 without LeBron James on their roster since 1997-1998.
Mobley is averaging 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds, placing him squarely in the Rookie of the Year race with Toronto&rsquo;s Scottie Barnes and Detroit&rsquo;s Cade Cunningham.
Brazdeikis&rsquo; layup gave Orlando a 92-90 lead midway through the fourth, but Markkanen and Garland combined to score the next 12 points, putting Cleveland in front for good. It was capped by an alley-oop from All-Star point guard Garland to Markkanen.
All-Star center Jarrett Allen (left middle finger fracture) missed his 11th straight game for the Cavaliers. Point guard Rajon Rondo (right ankle sprain) has not played since March 12, and shooting guard Collin Sexton (left knee surgery) is out for the season.
Love had eight points in an 18-3 run to start the second that extended Cleveland&rsquo;s lead to 45-25. The Magic answered with a 20-4 spurt, fueled by six points from Carter to pull within two. Cavaliers carried a 60-53 lead into the break.
COMING UP EMPTY
The Cavaliers lost their two most important games of the season to date, 117-104 at Toronto and 98-94 to Chicago in a three-day span. As a result, Cleveland slipped to seventh in the East and now trails both teams. &ldquo;It was the magnitude of the moment and the (limited) experience level of our guys,&rdquo; coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;It hurts. It&rsquo;s painful. But you have to go through it and you have to take some lumps.&rdquo;
Four of the Cavaliers&rsquo; final seven games are on the road.
TIP-INS
Magic: Coach Jamahl Mosley watched the Oscars with Bickerstaff at his house. &hellip; Wagner, Detroit&rsquo;s Saddiq Bey and Phoenix&rsquo;s Mikal Bridges are the only NBA players to start every game this season. &hellip; Rookie G Jalen Suggs (right ankle bruise), the No. 5 overall pick, last played on March 13 against Philadelphia. &hellip; C Bol Bol (right foot surgery) and C Jonathan Isaac (left knee rehabilitation) are out for the season.
Cavaliers: Mobley needs one point to become the eighth rookie in franchise history with 1,000. &hellip; F Dean Wade (right meniscus tear) will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Wade, who made 28 starts, averaged 5.3 points in 51 games. &hellip; C Moses Brown&rsquo;s second 10-day contract runs through March 30. &hellip; Cleveland took a 59-58 lead in its series with Orlando, which entered the NBA in 1989.
UP NEXT
Magic: Visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Cavaliers: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

The Cavs clinched their first winning season in four years, and Evan Mobley, the No. 3 overall pick, didn't return to the game.

Cavaliers beat Magic 107-101, lose Mobley to sprained ankle

Spencer Dinwiddie looked a little puzzled at first over a question after a recent game about what changed when his scoreless first quarter was followed by 11 points in the second.
Once the Dallas guard had clarity, he flashed a quick smile. The answer was easy. Luka Doncic scored 16 points in that first quarter.
&ldquo;Oh, Luka was on a heater,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said. &ldquo;You get out of the man's way.&rdquo;
New to the Mavericks after a trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Wizards, Dinwiddie didn't need any time to figure out that part of the formula for a franchise with the 23-year-old Doncic shining as the brightest star &mdash; by far.
Dinwiddie says he also had no trouble understanding the more complicated dynamics that come with trying to find his way in a new locker room. The eight-year veteran was stung by reports suggesting he was a problem in his old one.
His effort to prove otherwise is boosting the playoff-bound Mavericks, who play at Minnesota on Friday night.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been very receptive to coaching and to his teammates, and they trust him,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s one of the hardest things is, how fast will the trust take place? I think you can see the trust is at a very high level when he&rsquo;s on the floor.&rdquo;
Dinwiddie signed a $54 million, three-year contract with the Wizards in the offseason despite his final season in Brooklyn ending after just three games because of a torn ACL in his right knee.
Washington started quickly, but faded almost as fast &mdash; and Dinwiddie's production did the same. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-washington-wizards-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-6f1f3dec69b9bcc857cc829835e817ea">After the deal with Dallas came together </a> a few hours before the Feb. 10 trading deadline, first-year Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. described his brief time with Dinwiddie as &ldquo;one of those things that you could say it didn't work.&rdquo;
Other reports weren't so kind, some suggesting his teammates didn't want to play with him.
&ldquo;I think that's what hurt the most,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said. "When the role changed and they wanted me to pass more, I did that. I took my foot off the gas scoring-wise because that's what the team felt like they needed.
&ldquo;To kind of get kicked out the door was a wild feeling. I hadn&rsquo;t really experienced that before. I still have nothing ill to say other than, yes, it hurt my feelings. Just like anything else, you become cautiously optimistic about your new situation.&rdquo;
Seven games into that new situation, Dinwiddie drew his first start when Doncic rested a sore foot. He scored a season-high 36 points in a 114-113 win over Sacramento.
Dinwiddie finished with 23 points in the game that included the scoreless first quarter, a crucial 111-103 victory over Utah.
When Doncic rested again Wednesday night, this time because of a sore ankle, Dinwiddie had his own heater. He scored 19 points in the first 16-plus minutes of a 110-91 win over Houston that pulled Dallas even with Utah for the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Among the nine games remaining for the Mavericks and Jazz is their final meeting of the regular season Sunday in Dallas. Utah holds the tiebreaker, and is in good shape to keep it even if the Mavericks win to split the four-game series.
Still, the Mavericks have a chance to go 2-0 against the Jazz since Dinwiddie arrived. The cautious optimism has turned to joy &mdash; something Dinwiddie expressed with in-person thanks to new general manager Nico Harrison moments after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-kevin-durant-11808bb6b26d5c7351dc1d5eaab2843d">hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer </a> in a 113-111 victory at Brooklyn, where his career blossomed two years ago.
&ldquo;You still just kind of approach the situation with kid gloves, see what&rsquo;s going on,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said of the days after the trade. &ldquo;Everything that&rsquo;s been said to me so far has been authentic and everybody has bought into doing what they need to do to win. They encouraged me to be aggressive.&rdquo;
Dinwiddie is averaging 18.2 points per game with Dallas, almost six more than with the Wizards. He's shooting 50% overall and 41% from 3-point range, compared to 38% and 31% in Washington. Dallas is 12-3 in games he has played.
&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t really talk about there,&rdquo; backcourt mate Jalen Brunson said. &ldquo;As soon as he came here, he just kind of talked about he just wanted to help us win. That was on his mind. That was what was most important. And he&rsquo;s doing it.&rdquo;
And he understands it's Doncic first and everything else second &mdash; except when Doncic isn't playing.
&ldquo;When I&rsquo;m with him, it&rsquo;s about being ready to shoot, being ready to catch and go and restart the blender as he kind of collapses the defense,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said. &ldquo;When he&rsquo;s out, it&rsquo;s kind of on me to start the blender.&rdquo;
And maybe go on a heater.

Dallas is 12-3 in the games that Spencer Dinwiddie has played in.

Dinwiddie thrives with fresh start, lifts playoff-bound Mavs

The Miami Heat were supposed to be peaking now.
After nearly one calendar year, Victor Oladipo returned earlier this month. Shortly thereafter, four months removed from <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1479485862962413574" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a neck injury via that Nikola Jokić incident</a>, Markieff Morris finally came back. Beginning on March 5, the Heat were engaged in a stretch that included seven-straight home games &mdash; of which they won five &mdash; before their current back-to-back losing streak, their worst of the season.
Still, despite holding first place in the Eastern Conference, it&rsquo;s felt like the Heat have needed a jolt &mdash; nothing more amplifying of that fact than their last two games. In Philadelphia, against the 76ers without James Harden and Joel Embiid &mdash; <a href="https://twitter.com/5ReasonsSports/status/1507045025296928776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whose broadcast apparently didn&rsquo;t want them to win</a> &mdash; defeated a mostly healthy Heat team. Miami was missing Oladipo and Gabe Vincent, but still had Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, all of whom were nearly 30-balled by Tyrese Maxey.
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Okay, road game, regular season, 1-of-82 &mdash; sh*t happens.
But Wednesday, with no Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, James Wiseman, Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II (or Baron Davis, Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway or Monta Ellis), the Golden State Warriors &mdash; led by a 30-ball from Jordan Poole &mdash; punked the Heat on their home floor, 118-104.
Look, these are still NBA players, sometimes that happens too.
What typically doesn&rsquo;t &mdash; in public &mdash; was the, &ldquo;<a href="https://twitter.com/LeBatardShow/status/1507040697219797000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kerfuffle, a hurly-burly, tomfoolery, a skirmish, a quarrel, a brouhaha, a dust-up, a hubbub or agree to disagree</a>.&rdquo;
You&rsquo;ve probably seen it by now, but here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jimmy Butler was HEATED in the Miami huddle after the Warriors went on a big run to start the second half <a href="https://t.co/6waBmHlL1r">pic.twitter.com/6waBmHlL1r</a>
&mdash; Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1506804574320955392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra picks up a clipboard just so he could throw it.</li>
<li>Butler and Udonis Haslem need to be separated.
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll beat yo ass,&rdquo; which we&rsquo;ll get to in a bit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Markieff Morris and PJ Tucker act like this is a regular Wednesday, and it might be.</li>
<li>Warriors rookie Moses Moody looks amazed and/or confused.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Haslem telling Jimmy Butler &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll beat your ass&rdquo; 😂 <a href="https://t.co/9AcQiNw6WY">pic.twitter.com/9AcQiNw6WY</a>
&mdash; Ted Buddwell 🏀🏈 (@TedBuddy8) <a href="https://twitter.com/TedBuddy8/status/1506806343402893315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After the game, and after joking that the team was heated about making dinner plans, Spoelstra offered his thoughts on the tense moment.
&ldquo;It was pretty clear. We have a very competitive, gnarly group; we were getting our asses kicked, for two straight games, we were not playing to the level that we wanted to play," Spoelstra said. "Every single person in that huddle was pretty animated about our disappointment in how we were playing...
&ldquo;... Everything has to be better across the board. It starts with our leadership &mdash; our veteran players have to lead. And then, we just have to play better. Play better to our identity, play more consistently, and that&rsquo;s really all the discussions were. I know how it can look to the outside, but as I mentioned before, that is more our language than playing without passion or without toughness or without multiple efforts and lifelessness.&rdquo;
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Tucker, along with Lowry and Adebayo, was one of the three Heat players to address the media after the game. He also downplayed the confrontation.
&ldquo;Something happened?&rdquo; Tucker <a href="https://youtu.be/A4T3AbNbufs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked with a smirk</a>. &ldquo;You put cameras on any NBA team, football team, any team, man. (We&rsquo;re) No. 1 in the East, finally got our whole team back, got our butts handed to us two games in a row by teams who don&rsquo;t even have their star players... emotions run high ... I laughed, man. I walked off the court laughing... This is part of the game.&rdquo;
Lowry acknowledged that "it&rsquo;s crazy,&rdquo; but quickly added that &ldquo;it&rsquo;s passion.&rdquo;
"We&rsquo;re in a situation where we have a lot of competitive guys. Our biggest competitor is our head coach. Jimmy and UD are tough competitive guys. It&rsquo;s good sometimes to get some anger and frustration out and just talk about it," Lowry <a href="https://youtu.be/ssv0jGhR50Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>. "We&rsquo;re gonna have situations that make people uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, as long as we&rsquo;re comfortable and we figure it out, it&rsquo;s all that really matters. And as long as we&rsquo;re still together, and we are.&rdquo;
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NBA players, veterans, reporters, veteran reporters, coaches, staff, referees, families and secret families would all tell you that this happens, and particularly with contenders. With the Heat specifically, it&rsquo;s an organization still run by the famously confrontational Pat Riley, who probably looks at this as a regular Wednesday despite the magnitude of social media amplification in 2022. Because this happened publicly, though, chances are this isn&rsquo;t the first time, just the most public. &nbsp;
Hardened personalities clash every now and then because they want the same goal and might have occasional philosophical differences on how to get there with their teammates. They can argue off of raw emotion because that&rsquo;s who they are, and the emotion itself mainly expresses that they care &mdash; care enough to argue over it, and are prideful enough to defend themselves publicly because of it. That&rsquo;s probably closer to what this actual is &mdash; the Heat, more than most teams and organizations &mdash; have probably earned that.
We&rsquo;ve heard his story, but it bares reiterating: Butler was homeless as a teenager and worked his ass off to become a first-round pick four years after being a JUCO-signee out of high school. Four years after being drafted, he won Most Improved Player, and has been a perennial NBA All-Star and All-Defensive player ever since while earning nine figures.
Just think. No, really, think about the self-belief that dude must have to pull that off? He never would&rsquo;ve went toe-to-toe with LeBron James in an NBA Finals without it.
Haslem is 41 years old, still in the league and has the respect of damn near everyone you could think of. He&rsquo;s a been through it all, seen it all and is an old-school dude who really values respect. Haslem went undrafted out of the Florida Gators program in 2002, played in France, came to the Heat in 2003 and has been there ever since.
Spoelstra was initially hired as the Heat&rsquo;s video coordinator in 1995 &mdash; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/sports/basketball/spoelstra-has-heat-right-where-it-wanted-to-be.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even predating Riley&rsquo;s tenure in Miami</a> &mdash; and worked his way up onto eventually becoming the head coach in 2008.
Remember last season when Haslem went at Dwight Howard? Notably, before even discussing this with teammate Duncan Robinson and podcast co-host David Reid on the Long Shot, Haslem notes how close he&rsquo;s been with Coach Spoelstra. We don&rsquo;t know what Butler said, but it might be fair to suggest Haslem felt someone was being disrespectful; sometimes, in the heat of battle, that happens too.
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&ldquo;Me and Spo been through a lot, man,&rdquo; Haslem said on the Long Shot in August. &ldquo;We done been through the bottom, we done been mad at each other, we&rsquo;ve been on the same team, we done evolved to now, we&rsquo;ve just got a great relationship. It&rsquo;s symbiotic, we don&rsquo;t have to say it, we can just feel it. I can look at him, and he can look at me.&rdquo;
Sometimes, these blowups are necessary &mdash; in a team environment, with your siblings, significant other, your bodega guy, your barber and/or your side piece. (Sometimes, you gotta get people to know their role, yanno?) Often, you just can&rsquo;t let failures fester, and there&rsquo;s a need to outwardly address them. Miami did that in a very "Heat" way, according to them.
For the Heat, it's very simple from here. This either invigorates you in time for the playoffs, or it derails your season at the worst possible time. It either really works or it really doesn&rsquo;t.
&ldquo;You can use moments during a season to catapult you,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You can galvanize together over frustration and disappointment. Teams can also go the other way; I don&rsquo;t see that with our group, I don&rsquo;t see that with our locker room. But we have needed a kick in the butt from these two games.&rdquo;
They did, and now, they&rsquo;ll also have one of the most essential things an organization could obtain this last in the year &mdash; clarity.
If this works, the Heat will be a legit contender, mixing it up in a loaded Eastern Conference dogfight with the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and 76ers.
If it doesn&rsquo;t, and they flame out of a second-straight post-season, they&rsquo;ll have clarity on what to do next this summer.
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Bryan Fonseca reviews Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra's tense moment and why it might've been beneficial for the Heat.