Eagles

One of the breakout stars of this year&rsquo;s NBA playoffs has been Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson. He&rsquo;s old-school, unconventional, talented, savy and up for a big pay day this summer. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard and Villanova alum was selected No. 33 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft and is one of the better second-round draft picks over the past few classes.
Last year, he was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, averaging 12.6 points and 5.5 assists on 52/41/80 shooting splits in this third season with the Mavericks. This season, as a full-time starter, while watching his minutes jump from 25.0 to 31.9 per game, his productivity increased to 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game on 50/37/84 shooting. In the playoffs (35.2 minutes per contest), Brunson jumped to 21.6 points and 3.7 assists per contest on 47/35/80 shooting.
His 2022 postseason included signature performances like a 41-point game in a win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2 without Luka Dončić and a 31-point effort against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. He also had a meaningful 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting in Dallas&rsquo; shocking Game 7 romping of the Phoenix Suns.
But now, he&rsquo;s an unrestricted free agent. Dallas has a lot of questions to answer. How can they best build around Dončić? What do they do with Tim Hardaway Jr.? If they want to upgrade at center, what's the best answer at that position?
Among the most important questions is: do they extend Brunson? Here are some teams to watch in the Brunson sweepstakes this offseason.
NEW YORK KNICKS
The New York Knicks haven&rsquo;t had a reliable point guard since Raymond Felton in their famed 54-win season back in 2012-13. Since then, it&rsquo;s largely been a revolving door of meh at the point of attack at Madison Square Garden. Jose Calderon was past his peak when he got to New York. Iman Shumpert, though very talented, wasn&rsquo;t a natural point guard. Frank Ntilikina is closer to a three-and-D wing than a true floor general. Jerian Grant never panned out. Neither has Kemba Walker. Derrick Rose has arguably been the best of the bunch.
Walker, Rose, Alec Burks, Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride make up the Knicks' point guard depth chart for 2022-23, in no particular order. Walker&rsquo;s health can&rsquo;t be trusted for an entire season. Burks isn&rsquo;t a true point guard and might be a trade chip. Quickley, if he starts, is probably better suited next to a natural point, and the same could be said for R.J. Barrett. And McBride is young, raw and inexperienced. Brunson is better than all of them, hard stop.
Because Brunson will be unrestricted, the highest-bidder has a chance. The bad news for the Knicks is that <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/new-york-knicks/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they&rsquo;re pretty much capped out</a>.
That means getting Brunson to New York would require a sign-and-trade. The good thing is that the Mavericks need a Mitchell Robinson type of center, and for about two years, I've been pushing for Brunson-Robinson swap. The Knicks should throw in something else, be it draft capital and or an additional young piece to make the deal work (for cap purposes too), but that&rsquo;s the framework that can come from this. Robinson gives Luka a lob threat, gives the team a higher upside defensively, and gives the coaching staff a player who can share the floor with just about anyone on the roster.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
If Brunson can play with Dončić and Spencer Dinwiddie, he can share a backcourt with Reggie Jackson. Kawhi Leonard has <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/10/19/report-kawhi-leonard-wants-clippers-to-add-point-guard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wanted a point guard</a>, but the Clippers still don&rsquo;t have one. It&rsquo;s Jackson, and that&rsquo;s it. Norman Powell, Luke Kennard and Terance Mann are guards, but they're all wings. 2021 second-round pick Jason Preston still hasn&rsquo;t played due to injury, and Xavier Moon was a two-way guy last year who played just 10 games. <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/10/19/report-kawhi-leonard-wants-clippers-to-add-point-guard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leonard&rsquo;s been wanting a point guard for two seasons</a>, and it&rsquo;s time for the Clippers to address that spot since both Leonard and Paul George are due back next season.
Given the Clippers' cap situation, this would most certainly be a sign-and-trade. Powell, Marcus Morris, Kennard and Robert Covington all make between $12 and $16 million next season, and any of them could make sense going to Dallas. Only one or two of them would probably need to go at most, among other compensation (i.e. young players and picks).
Brunson in L.A. would join the starting line-up alongside Jackson, Leonard, George and a center. Ivica Zubac is an expiring $7.5 million contract next season, and he could actually be a piece Dallas wants in return. Assuming he stays in Los Angeles, Zubac rounds out their starting five and gives Los Angeles a true point guard, which they&rsquo;re clearly missing.
DALLAS MAVERICKS&nbsp;
The Mavericks reportedly had multiple opportunities to sign Brunson to a four-year, $55.5 million deal before and during the season, <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/04/25/report-mavericks-didnt-offer-jalen-brunson-contract-extension-until-after-trade-deadline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per reports</a>, but did not. As a result, he could be looking at <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952513-latest-nba-trade-intel-lakers-realistic-targets-myles-turner-landing-spots?share=sms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">something in the $80 million range</a>, and possibly more after these playoffs.
Clearly, the offense works with him and Luka in the backcourt, blending in Dinwiddie in a natural role as a combo guard off the bench who can finish games. Dallas can keep their core together (those three and Dorian Finney-Smith) and work around the margins.
After losing to the Warriors in Game 5, Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban said that keeping Brunson is a priority, and damn near guaranteed that it&rsquo;ll happen.
"We can pay him more than anybody,&rdquo; Cuban said. "I think he wants to stay, and that's most important. I think [Jason Kidd] has a big part to play in that... JB blossomed as a player as much as anybody on this squad. From where he was last year to how far he came this year is a tribute to how hard he worked. And the support he got from his dad and his family and his girlfriend, but also, what he was able to learn from [Kidd]. I think he recognizes that, and I think he wants to stay."

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/mcuban?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mcuban</a> reflecting on the 2021-22 Dallas Mavericks season with Marc Stein. <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> | 📺 BSSW | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dALLasIN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dALLasIN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheSteinLine</a> <a href="https://t.co/YZROfVsnq0">pic.twitter.com/YZROfVsnq0</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW/status/1530038560673435658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Brunson didn&rsquo;t have the exact same tone, but he&rsquo;ll cross that bridge when he gets there, it seems.
"When it&rsquo;s time, it&rsquo;s time. I&rsquo;m not worried about it right now," Brunson said, <a href="https://twitter.com/sixfivelando/status/1530037759955636242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via Landon Thomas of Mavs Fans For Life</a>. "I&rsquo;m just really happy I got to play with these guys and what we did this year. I&rsquo;ll think about that later.&rdquo;
For Dallas, this is probably the move. Keep Brunson and build around the margins, particularly on the interior. Four years in, we can now say, as long as you have Luka, you have a chance. You just have to nail what&rsquo;s around him, and Brunson is someone you should want back in Dallas.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Jalen Brunson was a breakout star for the Mavericks this postseason and is now an unrestricted free agent. Where will he end up?

Examining potential free-agent destinations for Jalen Brunson

During the regular season, Jaren Jackson, Jr. fouled out three times in 78 games. Aside from his brief 2020-21 stint, those three foul-outs represented the lowest mark of his four-year career.
During the first eight games of the 2021-22 playoffs, Jackson matched that number.&nbsp;
This is not a random occurrence. Jackson improved his discipline and technique this year, but he also was the beneficiary of enjoying a ton of time alongside Steven Adams. The Kiwi center was benched after Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, then entered health and safety protocols before returning in Game 4 of the second round.&nbsp;
Adams&rsquo; presence has rippled across Memphis&rsquo; entire team. Despite Ja Morant being sidelined for Games 4 and 5, the Grizzlies narrowly lost Game 4 in San Francisco and rollicked the Warriors, 134-95, in Game 5 to extend their season. The grandest impact of Adams&rsquo; return, though, has been enabling Jackson to stay on the floor and wield his tantalizing two-way portfolio.&nbsp;
His 34 minutes in Game 4 matched a playoff career-high, while he only picked up three fouls in 25 Game-5 minutes, tying his low-water total of this postseason. His 21 points in back-to-back contests are his second- and third-highest scoring clips.
With Adams on the floor during the regular season, Jackson averaged 5.1 fouls per 100 possessions. Without his veteran running mate, that spiked to 6.9 fouls. The disparity has heightened in the playoffs, falling to 4.5 and then vaulting to 8.8, respectively. When Adams exits the floor in the playoffs, Jackson&rsquo;s True Shooting percentage tumbles from 61.1 to 52.9.
Although the Grizzlies still typically flanked Jackson with a big in Adams&rsquo; absence, whether it was Xavier Tillman or Brandon Clarke, Adams is a dependable backstop defensively in ways the other two are not.&nbsp;
Jackson thrives as a roamer, soaring into events with his mobility, length and awareness. Yet he also struggles to control his movements when only afforded a moment&rsquo;s notice, which leads to gaudy foul outputs.&nbsp;
Adams&rsquo; deterrence and delaying of actions, given the size and strength advantage he holds over the other two big men, provides Jackson the time he needs to properly diagnose plays and influence them without fouling. Precision is everything as a rim protector and helper. Adams helps ensure Jackson&rsquo;s rotations are precise.&nbsp;
In amplifying Jackson&rsquo;s defensive talents, Adams also invites him to play more. Because Jackson only had four fouls until 10 seconds remaining (after entered the fourth with two), Memphis closed with him at the 5 in Game 4. Golden State missed a ton of triples, but encountered mighty trouble targeting him on switches or attacking him around the basket much of the night.
Whenever he&rsquo;s stayed on the court this postseason, his defense has been superb. Per NBA.com, opponents are shooting 12% worse than their average on shots within 6 feet of the rim against Jackson. The problem has been staying on the court. Adams is remedying that problem.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/exzobm" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Not only is Adams elongating Jackson&rsquo;s run of playing time and heightening his defensive value, he&rsquo;s unlocking his scoring chops. Draymond Green was generally toggling across frontcourt assignments whenever Clarke or Tillman shared the court with Jackson. During minutes with Adams, in an aim to neutralize him on the glass, Green has predominantly tethered himself to Adams rather than Jackson.
That&rsquo;s a welcomed plotline for Jackson. He is 4-of-18 for 14 points (35.4% TS) with Green on him, struggling to fire jumpers cleanly, finish in the paint or draw fouls. When any other member of the Warriors has guarded him, he&rsquo;s 28 of 64 for 89 points (59.3% TS), applying his length, touch and size to generate compelling shots.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s not a coincidence that his three best scoring performances of the series have occurred when Green was ejected early (Game 1) and Games 4-5, when Green isn&rsquo;t seeing many minutes against the fourth-year big.
Jackson&rsquo;s long ball is more subject to variance than anything else, but in the three games Adams has suited up for rotation minutes, Jackson is 13 of 26 (50%) on 2-pointers. In eight games without Adams, Jackson is 15 of 46 (32.6%). Mismatch-hunting is his most reliable form of interior scoring, and Adams is best equipped among his frontcourt mates to produce those mismatches.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/s0jr2y" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Adams&rsquo; mere existence as a slingshot for Jackson&rsquo;s game isn&rsquo;t the sole manner in which he&rsquo;s cast his shadow upon the series. His offensive rebounding, screening and high-post playmaking are all enhancing the Grizzlies, who have outscored the Warriors by 45 points during his 49 minutes.&nbsp;
One of Memphis&rsquo; best traits is their ability to bounce between play styles with and without Morant. When he&rsquo;s unavailable, they scale up Tyus Jones&rsquo; role, increase dribble hand-offs for Desmond Bane and crash the offensive glass even more. Adams factors into all three components, and that&rsquo;s remained the case in Games 4 and 5. He has chiseled openings as a screener, preserved possessions on the boards and set up teammates with his facilitating.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/1baczm" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He also possesses an aura of deterrence and attention that the 6-foot-8, 245-pound Tillman does not. At 6-foot-11, 265 pounds, Adams occupies substantial concern from offensive and defensive players. It&rsquo;s by no means the headlining facet of his value, but it&rsquo;s nonetheless apparent on both sides of the ball and a boon to the Grizzlies.
Golden State is already a limited interior scoring team, and Adams exacerbates that flaw. When he&rsquo;s on the court, the Warriors are shooting 66.7% in the restricted area with a rim frequency of 11.8%. When he&rsquo;s off the court, they&rsquo;re shooting 73.7% with a rim frequency of 29%.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/42aors" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Every year, the playoffs reveal themselves to be matchup-dependent festivities. Round 1 against the Timberwolves, with the mobile, sweet-shooting Karl-Anthony Towns, was not necessarily a favorable context for Adams. But Round 2, against an undersized Warriors team short on rim pressure, has proven to be his platform.&nbsp;
By easing responsibilities for Jackson, complementing Memphis&rsquo; primary ball-handlers sans Morant and exploiting Golden State inside, he&rsquo;s quickly demonstrated why this is his matchup to flourish.&nbsp;

Steven Adams has proven to be an important cog for Memphis in their series against Golden State, and will do so again in Game 6.

Steven Adams' return has upsized this series for the Grizzlies

During the regular season, Ja Morant was one of the league&rsquo;s most prolific and productive downhill adventurers.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He averaged 20.9 drives per game</a> (third-most in the NBA) and shot 51.0% on those drives. Despite playing just 57 games, his 828 points resutling from drives led all players.
Once he mounted a head of steam, containing his powerful acrobatics was an incredibly arduous task for defenses. That prowess fueled Morant's scoring leap, as he averaged 27.4 points on 57.5% True Shooting en route to winning the Most Improved Player award.
Yet from Games 2-4 in the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Morant&rsquo;s profits attacking the rim dried up, which subsequently hampered his overall scoring numbers.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
During that span, <a href="https://streamable.com/me9rj6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morant thrived as a playmaker</a>, delivering 35 assists to 11 turnovers and amplifying the divergent off-ball scoring chops of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/brandon-clarke-is-slipping-through-the-cracks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Clarke</a> and Desmond Bane. But Minnesota&rsquo;s tactic had clearly flustered his individual success.
In those games, Morant averaged just 16.7 points on 45.9% TS and shot 38.7% on 62 drives. After 20 free-throw attempts in Game 1, he had just 17 total over the ensuing three outings. Halfway through Game 5, Morant had 6 points and 7 dimes (although, an uncharacteristic 2 of 7 showing at the line helped stymie him as well). Another pass-heavy approach was percolating.&nbsp;
With the Timberwolves loading help in the paint and at <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2013/12/19/5227374/nba-defense-breakdown-nail-spurs-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the nail</a>, Morant&rsquo;s passing grew in importance, and his scoring suffered. They sagged off Memphis&rsquo; cast of generally timid, unthreatening floor-spacers, and directed focus to the star guard in front of them.&nbsp;
On most of his drives, a defender confronted Morant at the nail as three, sometimes four, bodies awaited him near the rim. Stunts from the strong side (usually a no-go for defenses) were commonplace. His once-dynamic finishing was better classified as erratic.
The Grizzlies ranked just 28th in three-point rate (.346) and 17th in percentage (35.3%) in the regular season. So, Minnesota dared them to convert beyond the arc and refused to offer Morant runways for his trampoline-bounce to shine.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/sws55r" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Pause those clips above. Process the positioning of Minnesota&rsquo;s help defenders and how much room Memphis&rsquo; shooters are granted. On the final play, both Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt tag the roller, likely in case Morant wiggles around Karl-Anthony Towns&rsquo; hedge and explodes to the hoop. That&rsquo;s a whole lot of attention on one dude.
To Memphis&rsquo; and Morant&rsquo;s credit, Game 5 was full of experimentation to open driving lanes for him. Whether he initiated offense from different spots (top of the key vs. the wings), he began possessions off the ball to operate as a screener/second-creator or the floor-spacing was rearranged, everyone involved worked to find him some breathing room.&nbsp;
In the second half, those efforts were rewarded and the dam broke, particularly amid Memphis&rsquo; fourth-quarter, 13-point comeback. Morant scored 24 points after intermission, including 16 over the final seven minutes, when the Grizzlies closed with Morant, Bane, Clarke, Tyus Jones and Dillon Brooks once Jaren Jackson Jr. fouled out.
That lineup didn&rsquo;t record a single minute together in the regular season and debuted for two minutes in Game 4. By surrounding Morant with four ball-handling/play-finishing threats, Memphis provided him with more space and complicated Minnesota&rsquo;s "contain Ja at all costs" approach.&nbsp;
When bigs like Jackson or Xavier Tillman occupy the dunker spot, the Timberwolves are content helping off because neither is a particularly adept scorer around the basket. When Clarke is there, abandoning him to help on Morant is riskier, given Clarke&rsquo;s premier finishing and Morant&rsquo;s interior passing genes.
Minnesota has also routinely aimed to avoid involving Towns in ball-screens against Morant, which continued in the fourth quarter. That strategy gave Morant increased space as a driver and cleaner finishing angles over the top, while also forcing the Timberwolves&rsquo; defense into rotation more often.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/26syia" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Small-ball was not the Grizzlies&rsquo; only avenue to springing free Morant and their collective offense. They really emphasized emptying the wings to muddle Minnesota&rsquo;s aggressive stunt-and-recovers. Rotating to the nail/elbows is much tougher when someone&rsquo;s assignment is stationed in the corner.
They also utilized double ball-screens for Morant out of a Horns alignment. Doing so removed a big man from the dunker spot altogether, and empowered Ja to work off the ball rather than needing to spearhead every action. Without help looming around every ball-screen, the third-year guard slalomed into the paint and gained traction to bring his squad a crucial Game 5 victory.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/uy9381" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
By night&rsquo;s end, Memphis was plus-14 with the Morant-Jones-Bane-Brooks-Clarke quintet on the court. Morant scored 16 of its 21 points, headlined by a 9 of 10 performance at the free-throw line in the fourth.&nbsp;
Both in the half-court and transition, he repeatedly shimmied downhill and scored or drew fouls. His driving acumen also repopulated. Across his 45 minutes, he tallied 31 drives, shooting 50.0% (7 of 14) on them, taking 10 free throws and scoring 19 points. His pair of assists post-halftime were also emblematic of renewed scoring comfort.
Aside from Game 2, Memphis and Minnesota have been tangled in close battle after close battle. Morant&rsquo;s struggled in certain aspects throughout these contests and amended his approach to still fashion positive contributions. On Tuesday, though, the team amended its approach to unlock the effervescent 22-year-old.&nbsp;
Now, the Grizzlies sit one win away from their first playoff series victory since 2014-15, with their franchise star guiding them and enjoying his finest stretch of postseason basketball this year.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Jackson Frank analyzes how the Grizzlies were able to get Ja Morant going on offense after struggling to find scoring comfort.

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

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

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

This seaon's leap makes the situation with Sexton... difficult. Let's not forget that the combo guard is a season removed from a 24-point-per-game season as an efficient primary scorer, and that the Cavs were 19th in Offensive Rating this year. Sexton can meaningfully boost Cleveland simply as a bucket-getter, nevermind if he keeps improving as a playmaker.
What kind of contract do the Cavs offer to a 23-year-old who missed nearly a full season with a knee injury though? If a desperate team decides to throw money at Sexton to force the franchise to match, is there a limit to the front office's willingness? What would an extension mean for Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert?&nbsp;
Sexton is one of the biggest dominoes in the upcoming offseason, and arguably the most unpredictable.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Robert Covington, Rodney Hood, Isaiah Hartenstein, Amir Coffey (restricted), Xavier Moon (restricted), Ivica Zubac (team option), Nic Batum (player option)
Central question:&nbsp;What does a fully-healthy 10-man rotation look like?
Nobody expected the Clippers to be a playoff contender without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and they still almost cracked the postseason with the supporting cast chipping in. L.A. made a splash at the trade deadline by adding Norman Powell and Robert Covington, two players who conceivably make sense next to the franchise's two stars.
This roster is deep. It's a great problem to have, but it's still a problem with several rotation options potentially hitting free agency. Covington will likely command a solid new deal as one of the league's more reliable two-way complements, and Batum could easily decline his $3.3 million team option in search of a raise. Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein may both hit free agency; what would happen to the center rotation in that case?
The Clippers have Leonard, George, Powell, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Marcus Morris locked down for next season. That's already seven rotation-caliber players, and it doesn't account for leaps from young talents like Brandon Boston Jr., Jason Preston or Amir Coffey. A roster crunch is inbound, and the organization can't let a quality addition slip away as it positions itself for title contention next season.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, first-round pick via Raptors, first-round pick via Celtics, second-round pick via Lakers
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Lonnie Walker IV (restricted), Devontae Cacok (restricted), Joe Wieskamp (restricted), DJ Stewart Jr. (restricted), Robert Woodard II (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How do the Spurs toe the line between developmental patience and consolidation?
San Antonio valiantly fought to get to the Play-In Tournament before losing to New Orleans, but also had one of the more underrated developmental seasons across the roster. Dejounte Murray made his All-Star leap and Jakob Poeltl established himself as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jakob-poeltl-san-antonios-newest-watchful-protector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the league's better rim-protectors</a>; the Spurs collectively were just a tick under league-average on both ends of the floor, per Cleaning the Glass.
One of the NBA's youngest rosters is well on track and about to receive another influx of potential. San Antonio could use its three first-rounders (including its own lottery pick) to add to the frontcourt or find another lead guard. However, the Spurs already have 12 players locked down for next season under at least partial guarantees, and 11 of them are under 30. They have a pathway to over $24 million in salary cap space this summer should they move on from restricted free agents like Walker.&nbsp;
There's an avenue, with draft picks, young players and cap space, for San Antonio to make a serious splash. Is that in the programming for this franchise, though? San Antonio hasn't acquired a star via trade in several years, unless you want to count adding DeMar DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster. At the same time, there are only so many minutes to go around for the young guns, especially if the Spurs think they can compete for the playoffs.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller sets the stage for the NBA's four Play-In exits approaching the offseason.

Summer plans for the Spurs, Hornets, Cavaliers and Clippers

Do you know that Joe Johnson will turn 41 in June?
Do you think he knows?
Do you think he cares?!?
Well, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/things-to-monitor-as-the-next-fiba-world-cups-next-qualifying-window-arrives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as noted last week</a>, Joe Jesus is back on Team USA this week. You may or may not remember that Johnson was part of the 2006 World Championship American-squad that won a bronze medal. (The redeem team was still two years away.) Additionally, Johnson suited up for Team USA one year ago, playing in two FIBA AmeriCup 2022 qualifiers last February. Seven months later, he won his second BIG3 MVP Award in as many seasons, since the 2020 campaign was canceled due to COVID. Johnson even signed a 10-day NBA deal in December with the Boston Celtics, and scored <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrH_zCL9xts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a garbage time bucket in his only appearance</a>.
We saw Johnson play again last night for the first time since, and he led Team USA to a <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualifiers/game/2402/USA-Puerto-Rico#tab=boxscore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">93-76 victory over Puerto Rico in Washington D.C.</a> last night, beginning the second-window of round one for the FIBA World Cup 2023 qualifiers with a win. Team USA had trailed Puerto Rico 44-42 at halftime, but flipped the game on its head with a 32-14 third-quarter outburst. Johnson, who played about 23 minutes, led the way with a team-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, also making 4-of-6 free throws, and collecting four assists.
And he looked &hellip; like Joe Johnson!
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CKWFzDTYlpY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
0:38 &ndash; Maybe a travel, maybe not, but off the screen, catches, triple threats, puts the spin on Luis Hern&aacute;ndez, and creates just enough space to rise for the mid-range jumper. Vintage Joe Johnson, as Michael Cole would annoyingly say. &nbsp;
0:58 &ndash; Former Kent State and Christ The King standout Christopher Ortiz knew what was coming. He played fine defense but still couldn&rsquo;t stop Johnson from posting-up, dribbling four times, fading away, and drilling in the well-contested turnaround. Elite full-court run in August type of bucket.&nbsp;
1:22 &ndash; Johnson gets a pass from Langston Galloway, quickly drives baseline on Ortiz, and floats one in over 6-foot-9 Ismael Romero after just one dribble.
1:42 &ndash; Receives a pass on the right wing, pump fakes gets Jonathan Rodriguez to bite, takes two dribbles, sees that both Romero and Tyquan Rolon won&rsquo;t commit, so Johnson rises up for the open leaner.&nbsp;
That bag is still there. His game is still gorgeous, and he didn&rsquo;t need a three-point make the entire night to pull away from a fellow top-20 team in the nation, and one of the best in the Americas. (As a Puerto Rican, it was also 20% hurtful.)
Let&rsquo;s also shoutout former Golden State Warrior center Jordan Bell, currently of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League, who played a great enough game to get his own highlight reel (!!) afterward. Bell finished with eight points, eight rebounds, three blocks, three steals, and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench, and was a game-best +21 for the night. Puerto Rico was led by Javier Mojica (Northeast Conference shoutout!), who led with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while former West Virginia point guard Gary Browne Ram&iacute;rez added 16 points and four assists.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8QCkf4tpCEs" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The W improves Team USA to 2-1, and drops Puerto Rico to 1-2, both of whom will return to action to close the Group D second-window on Sunday. In Washington D.C., Team USA will face 3-0 Mexico, who&nbsp;defeated them in Chihuahua City in November, and in Havana, Cuba, Puerto Rico will play against Cuba, who&nbsp;they beat in November, as well. Mexico defeated Cuba 82-72 on Thursday, and the rest of the Americas will begin play on Friday the 25th or Saturday the 26th.
In the African region, South Sudan defeated Rwanda 68-56 and the Democratic Republic of Congo outlasted Kenya 66-56, both on Friday morning, in what were the first games played of any kind in Groups B and D in the African Region. By the time you read this, other games might&rsquo;ve been played, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/african-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which you can follow here</a>. Again, as outlined last week, especially keep tabs on Cameroon vs. Tunisia, which&rsquo;ll begin at 4 p.m. EST/1 p.m. PST.
In Asia, South Korea reportedly withdrew from qualifiers this window <a href="https://www.spieltimes.com/news/south-korea-withdraws-from-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due to COVID protocols</a>, forfeiting Thursday&rsquo;s game to the Philippines, which officially goes down as a 20-0 final. That matters because point differential could help break a tie if needed, and South Korea is currently last in Group A, where they&rsquo;re the only winless team in the group. The Philippines, who&rsquo;ll host the 2023 World Cup along with Japan and Indonesia, are 2-0 after also beating India 88-64.
So, Indonesia is 0-3, and their automatic World Cup bid &ndash; which is usually the case for hosts &ndash; is <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171213161459/http:/www.philstar.com:8080/sports/2017/12/13/1767946/learning-2019-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provisional due to their lack of international success</a>. So far, they&rsquo;ve lost to Lebanon 96-38, and again 110-64, before having a slightly better loss against Saudi Arabia, 95-66. In Group C, not only are Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon each 2-1, but Indonesia is dead last with a -133 point differential, the worst out of anyone in World Cup qualifiers at the moment. Do with all that what you will. For more updates on Asian qualifiers, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/asian-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go here</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
And, in Europe, Lithuania, now 3-0, remained undefeated after a narrow 78-77 win over Bosnia; as did Spain after winning 88-74 against Ukraine; and Russia, who won 80-69 over the Netherlands. Czech Republic, who stunned many and finished sixth in the 2019 World Cup, is now 0-3 after losing to Bulgaria, 79-70 on Thursday. Currently, they're last in Group F, and on pace to not even return to the World Cup without a substantial turnaround. Europe is the busiest of the regions and will spawn the most qualifiers, so the bulk of their games are from Friday through Sunday. For more on Europe, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here you go</a>.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s a lot else worth getting to, but we&rsquo;ll leave some on the table for when we reconvene on Wednesday. By then, this window will be over and we could see where things stand before round one finishes over the summer.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Bryan Fonseca reviews the action from Joe Johnson and Team USA, keeping the updates coming about the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Joe Johnson’s game and more notes from FIBA World Cup qualifiers

The construction of an NBA roster is a puzzle for each front office to put together, but at the end of each season, only one franchise ultimately finishes the puzzle successfully &mdash; only to start over again the following summer. Sure, some teams may feel they have all the pieces on the table and someone was injured or unavailable, but most teams find themselves looking for the missing puzzle piece that they just can't find in the heap of pieces available.
Every franchise also has their own approach to team building. The Lakers, for instance, rely on the draw of living in Los Angeles and the allure of past success and legendary predecessors. The Pelicans shipped off their stars in exchange for assets in hopes of building something special, while the Nets and Mavericks have mortgaged their futures in exchange for star players.&nbsp;
Then, there are teams like San Antonio, who has a system and culture in place that the front office has stuck with and followed for years. Their talent evaluation and drafting has been superb for the better part of two decades. Couple that with having one of the best basketball coaches of all-time, and you become relevant for a long, long time.&nbsp;
The small markets need to have a combination of exquisite team building and pure dumb luck with ping pong balls. Milwaukee correctly identified Giannis Antetokounmpo and put the proper pieces around him. Portland struck gold with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, just as Oklahoma City did with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, but they struggled to fit all the pieces together.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Enter the Memphis Grizzlies.&nbsp;
After the debacle that was selecting Hasheem Thabeet over guys like Stephen Curry and James Harden, the basketball gods smiled on the Grizz, allowing them to take Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, despite having the eighth-best odds to secure that selection.&nbsp;
The year before that, Memphis was gifted Jaren Jackson Jr. as the Kings whiffed on Marvin Bagley over Luka Doncic and Trae Young. After seven-straight years in the playoffs, the Grizzlies parted ways with the Grit N' Grind era as Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley all moved on, ushering in Grizz: NextGen.
Very few teams can have a seven-year run of success, move on from the entire core responsible for the success, and be better than they ever were &mdash; all in just four seasons. The Suns just ended a 10-year playoff drought with last season's NBA Finals trip, while the Kings are still spiraling on a 15-year run of not making the playoffs.&nbsp;
Fortune has played a role. Who knows what this team would look like today if Morant had not fallen into the team's collective lap. However, fortune must be accompanied by a plan, and the plan in Memphis has been nothing short of remarkable.&nbsp;
Before this current front office took over, Memphis took a massive swing in free agency in an attempt to find that final puzzle piece, signing Chandler Parsons to a four-year, $100 million contract. Despite Parsons' knee issues, it was the risk Memphis general manager Chris Wallace felt he had to take, being the smallest market in the NBA and hardly an attractive free-agent destination.&nbsp;
New GM Zach Kleiman has taken a different approach. The front office has identified a type of player they want to be a part of this franchise, and they go out and get them. From Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke to Xavier Tillman and Killian Tillie, the Grizzlies aren't interested in draft narratives about age and wingspan &mdash; rather, it's all about what kind of person and player is coming aboard.&nbsp;
From Morant down to the Memphis Hustle in the G League, the Grizzlies organization is deep. It could perhaps be the deepest team in the league, indicated by their 10-2 record when Morant was out due to injury this season.&nbsp;
They didn't trade seven first-round picks and pick swaps for a superstar. They didn't break the bank for a free agent. No, the Memphis Grizzlies drafted the right guys, snagged guys in trades (like De'Anthony Melton and Steven Adams), and signed Tyus Jones in free agency. They got their guys, they executed their plan. Now, for the plan to work, the players must do the same.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
welcome to the dark 🥷🏽
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1441494484861308929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

"Welcome to the Dark." That has been Morant's mantra all season. The dark was the offseason work he put in when no one was watching. But Ja also knows who is and isn't watching.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-10-at-11-47-13-am_lg.png" alt="" width="565" height="343" />
If you know Ja, you know he read this and took it personally. Being ranked the 15th-best player <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/31198084/nba-best-25-25-ranking-young-stars-future-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under the age of 25</a> is not something he is likely to ignore. Morant takes the court on a nightly basis to prove that he is "a top-five point guard in the league," as he's said. He has left little doubt where he stands, and the 22-year-old has taken the league by storm.
But the dark didn't apply to just Ja. The Grizzlies have developed from within. Look at the statistical jump that key contributors have made from last season to now:&nbsp;
Ja Morant: 26.5 PPG (+7.4) 49.3% FG% (+4.4%) 34.4 3P% (+4.3%) 5.9 REB (+1.9)&nbsp;
Desmond Bane: 17.5 PPG (+8.3), 2.8 3PM (+1.1) 3.3 +/- (+3.1)
Jaren Jackson Jr.: 16.8 PPG (+2.4) 2.2 BLK (+.6) 3.7 +/- (+9.5)
These three players have come together to form the Grizzlies' new core for years to come. Jackson has already inked his rookie extension, with Morant due to sign his max deal this summer, followed by Bane's extension the following year.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The improvement and massive leaps by these three is accompanied by Clarke's return to his rookie form, as well as the steadiness of Jones and Adams. Now, headed into this offseason, Memphis has created the ability to take a massive swing with a trade, all while Morant has made Memphis a potential free-agent destination.
Kleiman has been the middle man in some deals, such the Andre Iguodala acquisition and subsequent moves &mdash; he has also gained assets in trades involving players the front office doesn't view as long-term fits with the team. Memphis got Utah's 2022 first-round pick for Mike Conley and the Lakers' protected 2022 first-round pick, sending Jonas Valanciunas to New Orleans. With those assets, plus expiring deals and future expiring deals in Adams and Dillon Brooks, the Grizzlies have set themselves up with a slew of assets to find their final piece.&nbsp;
The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-cementing-himself-as-essential-part-of-nextgen-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">development of Bane</a> eliminates the hunt for someone like Bradley Beal. The development of JJJ removed Memphis from a Domas Sabonis sweepstakes at the deadline. The development of Melton turns him into a trade asset. So whether it is trading the draft capital and few of the young, developed pieces for a star on the wing this offseason, or shopping the free-agent market in 2023, Memphis has done it their way, and so far it's working.&nbsp;
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1habvwh r-eqz5dr r-11rk87y r-1dye5f7 r-m611by r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Justin Lewis looks back on how Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman built the team's core and how it has developed over time.

Welcome to the Dark: The Memphis Grizzlies' development story

Civil Rights attorney Lee Merritt discusses the power and influence the NBA has, and can continue to have &mdash; if the NBA continues using its platform, voices and resources to fight for justice.&nbsp;
Lee Merritt is one of the attorneys for Ahmaud Arbery&rsquo;s family &mdash; a 25-year-old black man who was murdered while on a run near Brunswick, in Glynn County, Georgia. A verdict of life imprisonment was just announced in the case, in which three men were convicted of murdering Arbery. While Lee Merritt is definitely relieved about the verdict, we discuss the long road ahead to achieve justice and equality for all. Merritt is running for attorney general in Texas and I would love to see the NBA duplicate what the WNBA did, when they threw their support behind Raphael Warnock, an Atlanta-area pastor who was running as a Democrat at the time for (and would eventually win) one of Georgia&rsquo;s seats in the U.S. Senate.&nbsp;
This was a great discussion.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0QPt67zE6KE" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Etan Thomas: So this time last year, I interviewed a group of WNBA players, [including] Renee Montgomery and Elizabeth Williams, who both played for the Atlanta Dream at the time, [as well as] Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Angel McCoughtry &mdash; and Eric Garner's daughter, Emerald. And <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-nba-kelly-loeffler-atlanta-dream-renee-montgomery-elizabeth-williams-swin-cash-etan-thomas-activism-black-lives-matter-activist-movement-vote-warnock-shirts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we discussed what the WNBA did to galvanize support for Raphael Warnock, and ultimately get him in office and Kelly Loeffler out of office</a>. And it was really amazing. Because for one, Raphael Warnock was polling at 9% before the WNBA got involved. And he won &mdash; in Georgia, of all places.&nbsp;
So I want to see how we can galvanize the NBA to duplicate that with you, as you're running for attorney general in the state of Texas. So that's why I reached out to you to have this interview with you. I've been following you for a long time and I'm a big fan of the work that you do. And so, I'm going to send this interview to the NBA, to the <a href="https://www.thesocialchangefund.org">NBA Social Change Fund</a>.
Which, for those that aren't familiar, it was birthed out of the Bubble season. After the NBA players went on strike, after Jacob Blake was shot multiple times in broad daylight, in front of his children. The NBA Social Change Fund was formed by Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, and is aimed to support critical issues in the black community.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/img_7183_lg.jpg" alt="" width="501" height="282" />
So that's why after speaking to Allisa Charles-Findley, who is Botham Jean's sister &mdash; and I actually interviewed her for my new book, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/police-brutality-and-white-supremacy-the-fight-against-american-traditions/">Police Brutality and White Supremacy: The Fight Against American Traditions.</a>&rdquo;
She was one of the people I interviewed, along with Atatiana Jefferson's family, who I know that you work with as well &mdash; so we came up with the idea of conducting this interview with you, to try to galvanize that support from the NBA. Some people are like, "Alright, you usually do basketball stuff. Why are you interviewing a politician right now?" But that's the reason why. So thank you for taking this time.
Lee Merritt: "Sure, I really appreciate that. During most of my career, I've enjoyed the support of the National Basketball Association. I can recall in 2017, a young man named <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2018/08/29/jordan-edwards-made-the-case-against-roy-oliver-unlike-any-murder-trial-dallas-had-ever-seen/">Jordan Edwards </a>was slain in Balch Springs, Texas.&nbsp;
"It was in the middle of the NBA playoffs &mdash; and Steve Kerr, who had suffered family tragedy as well, identified with that family, reached out, invited them to the playoff games [and] got his brothers to take their mind off of it for a bit.
"I actually used to coach basketball myself. I was a coach down at South Atlanta High School. I coached Derrick Favors, I coached against Cousins and Walls* when they were high school students. And I enjoy a relationship with them today, continuing to give back to the community of Atlanta.
"And yeah, the names that you mentioned that you work with, Chris Paul has supported the work and the families I represent. Dwyane Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, [have] been major, major supporters over the course of my career.
"And, just as I transition away from representing one family at a time and start talking about representing larger groups of people and going towards policies, I certainly think the NBA can play a major role &mdash; in not only the success of the campaign, but championing some of those issues that we're fighting for on a case-by-case basis, and taking it to one of the biggest states in the country and really impacting national policy."
Etan: So, let me ask you to review some of the cases that you've worked with before, and the people that you've represented. We could start off with Ahmaud Arbery.
Merritt: "Sure. I came to represent the Ahmaud Arbery family before the video was released of his brutal slaying in South Georgia. Many [...] will recall that he was a South Georgia jogger. On February 23, 2020, he was targeted by three white men who have now been each <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/jury-reaches-verdict-ahmaud-arbery-death-case/story?id=81353504">convicted of murder</a>, and are facing life sentences in the state of Georgia, as well as federal hate crime charges.
"I've also represented... Unfortunately, the list of families that I've represented is quite extensive. I represent over 67 families who have suffered misuse of force, that lost a loved one, as a result of the deadliest police culture in the world. Some of the names that your viewers may have heard of.
"You mentioned [...] <a href="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article236198028.html">Atatiana Jefferson</a>.&nbsp;
"Of course, that case is ongoing. <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/death-innocent-man-timeline-wrong-apartment-murder-trial/story?id=65938727">Botham Jean</a>, who was an accountant eating a bowl of ice cream in his own apartment complex.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-illinois-police-shooting-guard-20181112-story.html">Jemel Roberson</a> was a security guard in Chicago. Had just stopped a mass shooting, and was shot in the back by a police officer who must have mistook him for a gunman.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/13/us/california-attorney-general-sean-monterrosa-shooting/index.html">Sean Monterrosa</a> in California.
"But the bulk of my work has been in Texas. I represent <a href="https://foxsanantonio.com/news/local/damian-daniels-family-responds-to-no-indictment-for-deputy-that-killed-him">Damian Daniels</a>, a veteran shot to death in his home.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Family-of-woman-killed-by-Baytown-officer-13872709.php">Pamela Turner</a> in the Houston area.&nbsp;
"And like I said, we could probably spend the rest of this podcast going through the list of names."
Etan: Wow! So now you're running for attorney general in Texas. And for those that don't know, what exactly are the responsibilities of an attorney general?
Merritt: "The attorney general of Texas, and an attorney general in any state, is the legal voice for the people. They're supposed to serve as the spokesperson for what justice is in a municipality. And so we've seen it, in cases like Breonna Taylor, where we had a really bad attorney general interfere with accountability in that case, in the form of Daniel Cameron. We've seen the opposite end of that spectrum with Keith Ellison and the work that he's done in Minnesota. Prosecuting the officers responsible for the death of George Floyd and, most recently, Daunte Wright.
"But even beyond the criminal justice aspect, the attorney general&rsquo;s office, particularly in the state of Texas, impacts virtually every aspect of Texas life. So property taxes, school protection. And we've heard a lot recently in the news about the CRT [Critical Race Theory] scam, where they're trying to erase entire portions of our history in the name of not getting anyone upset.
"From the border crisis, to really economic empowerment in our schools. There's so many businesses that are attempting to get off the ground, but don't have access to the kind of governmental loans and support that our white counterparts do.
"All of those things run through the attorney general's office. It's a very, very influential office. More or less the second-in-command in the state of Texas."
Etan: Now, Ken Paxton, [is] who you would be running against, and who is the current attorney general &mdash; and has been since 2015. I want to talk about the stark differences between the two of you, because it's really night and day.
But I want to start off with this, because the Jan. 6 insurrection [anniversary] is upon us. And you know, I'm looking at him, looking at the footage, and I see him at a rally right before the insurrection, almost like leading the charge. Explain to me, let's start off with there, about the stark differences between you and Ken Paxton.
Merritt: "Well, there is a clear contrast. You know, Texas was in the national news because of [its] unique voter suppression laws. They passed some laws that would make it more difficult for the black and brown people in the state, people with disabilities and marginalized communities to vote.
"It was so upsetting that certain members of the Texas legislature left the state and went to DC &mdash; refused to participate in that session in order to fight for voting rights. Now, I was present with them. I thought that was a fight worth standing with people for, providing both legal advice and strategies, working with the labor community and others to take on voting issues in Texas.
"By contrast, the last sort of infamous trip of the attorney general, the current attorney general, to our nation's capital was on Jan. 6. And we don't know exactly what he did there, because he has not participated in an ongoing investigation in terms of his potential criminal liability for helping to incite a riot.
"But he was very publicly on camera, encouraging the soon-to-be riders and insurrectionists that the election was stolen, that they had a responsibility to fight. And he invoked the name of Texas when he did it. He said, "You all should fight, because Texans fight." And he laid out that he had fought to overturn the results of the free and fair election. And yeah, that's our top legal position in the state, advocating for the overthrow of our government."
---------------
We then went on to discuss particular differences between him and Ken Paxton such as his position on education, police reform, border, gun training before owning a gun, and we cleared up the misconceptions on CRT, being anti-police vs. anti-police brutality, Second Amendment rights, etc.
---------------
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Etan: So let's go to the NBA, and how important it is for the NBA to continue to promote, to continue to use their platforms, to be able to &mdash; I mean, this is the thing. It's important to do that part. But now we have to take it a step further.
And I think the NBA has been doing a great job of promoting, raising awareness. You saw it all especially during the Bubble season, after the entire country was promoting and demonstrating and protesting what happened with George Floyd, what happened with Breonna Taylor [and] Ahmaud Arbery.
You saw John Wall and Bradley Beal here in D.C. leading protests. You saw all the Ball brothers, you saw Russell Westbrook in L.A. You saw Jaylen Brown and Enes Kanter Freedom too, in Boston &mdash; of course everything that LeBron was always doing.
But now it's like, it needs to be a step further, like the next step. And I think that you, with what you are trying to implement in Texas as the attorney general, is that next step. Because you have to be able to have someone in place that's on the right side of wanting to be able to create something that functions properly. So just talk about that, how this is like the next step that should happen. Along with [...] raising awareness and protesting and everything like that.
Merritt: "Yeah. I can recall, we were in the middle of the NBA playoffs when Jacob Blake was repeatedly shot in his back by a Milwaukee police officer. And I was watching the game, and Chris Paul had just gone off, sort of a historic performance.
"And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxcNbbyg0ZI">they interviewed him</a> right after the game. And they said, 'You know, Chris, you were playing...' I think he was playing his old team, the Houston Rockets. He was with the Oklahoma City Thunder [...], where Derrick Favors is currently.
"And they said, 'Tell us about this performance against your old team. You had a chance to really show them that you still got it.' And he said, 'Yeah, I don't really care about that. That's cool. And that's what I'm paid to do. But a law enforcement officer in my community has just shot someone in their back several times. He was unarmed and nonviolent. Let's talk about that.'
"I think it's on the players to stand up like Chris Paul did, and like you said, like people have done, in a systemic way across the National Basketball Association &mdash; where the pundits and the media might tell you, 'Could you just shut up and dribble.' We've heard that refrain before.
"It's important for the players to say, "No, actually I won't. This is my community. What's going on in our community, it's urgent. It's a crisis. It's not something that we want to put off for a later conversation or for the offseason. But where it happens, I'm going to stand up to it. And I will get involved in elections. And I will use my resources and time and attention to shine a light on these issues that must be addressed."
Etan: You know, it's interesting. In my book, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/we-matter-athletes-and-activism/">We Matter: Athletes and Activism</a>&rdquo; I interviewed Jahvaris Fulton, who is Trayvon Martin's brother. And in the interview, he told me how &mdash; and when he said this, it kind of threw me,&nbsp; because I didn't expect him to say it &mdash; he said that if it weren't for NBA players and celebrities and everybody like that, talking about his brother, he didn't think that anybody would know his name. And I was like, "Wow, that's kind of strong. Why do you say that?"
So then he explained to me how, when Trayvon Martin was first killed, his family was trying to get the local news people to cover it and they didn't want to cover it. They said, "Okay, another young black man was killed. That's not newsworthy."
And I was like, "That's what they told you?" He said, "Yeah," he was like, "We don't have no evidence. We don't have no video of it. Just your word saying that he [was] killed, that's not newsworthy." And he gave a shout-out to Roland Martin and some of the black news people, who were covering it. But he said, "But no local news people wanted to cover it."
So then he said, "But then, LeBron James started talking about it. And Dwyane Wade started talking about it. And then the entire Miami Heat team posed in the hoodies." So then he said, "So then you had everybody like, 'Okay, what is this that LeBron James is discussing? And why is Dwyane Wade feeling so passionate about this, and talking about his kids, and about this case?' Then everybody started to gravitate towards it and cover it and everything like that."
But he said [...] before, they couldn't get anybody to cover it. And that's just... It's unfortunate that it is that way, because people should have a regard for human life anyway, without an athlete having to speak about it. However, the athlete speaking about it is what drew the attention &mdash; and that just shows where athletes have to continue to do that, continue to use your voice and your platform to be able to speak to these causes.
And also to take it a step further by having laws being changed, and people who are in positions to fight for laws being changed, like [you are]. You know what I mean? And running for attorney general &mdash; [who] are in positions to actually implement some things so these things don't just continue to keep happening.
Merritt: "Yeah. I can remember in 2016, we saw two high-profile officer-involved shootings back-to-back, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. It was the same weekend, and it was almost like a dark cloud being hanged over impacted communities. And if you and I saw each other on the street, we would make eye contact and say, 'You know, man, this is becoming too much.'
"Dallas had a protest &mdash; I was living in Dallas at the time. And they had a protest downtown, where we marched and we discussed what happened, and started to talk about organizing police reform. And at the end of that protest, a vigilante named Micah Xavier Johnson, targeted law enforcement officers and shot five police officers and a couple of civilians as well. And you could imagine the national outcry about Black Lives Matter, and how they put law enforcement lives at risk.
"And everyone began to ignore the fact that people were there for protesting peacefully about police violence &mdash; that was back-to-back and overwhelming. And while it was a tragedy for our entire community that law enforcement officers were targeted by Mr. Johnson, there was also an ongoing crisis in our community, that was the reason that all those people had gathered and made targets of themselves.
"And it was Dwyane Wade. LeBron was still, I think, in 2016, with the Miami Heat. So it was Wade and LeBron who came forward at the ESPY Awards that weekend and re-centered the conversation. And said, 'That's terrible what happened in Dallas, and we back the blue. We stand for the law enforcement officers.'
&ldquo;But understand that our community is also under attack. And it's two sides of the same coin. We don't tolerate violence directed at law enforcement officers. And we cannot continue to tolerate violence directed at our community.
And it saved the national conversation so that we could get back to what had brought us all there in the first place. And so, yeah, members of the NBA have the opportunity, in [the] state of Texas, but [also] throughout the country, the voices of the NBA are critically important to that."
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/violalogo1_lg.png" alt="" width="666" height="333" />

Etan Thomas is joined by Lee Merritt on "The Rematch" to discuss social justice and the NBA's role in societal change.

Lee Merritt: The NBA could impact public policy and elections

Jaren Jackson Jr. didn't play last season.
Well, at least it felt that way.
He appeared in just 11 regular-season games last year following his longer-than-expected recovery from a torn meniscus suffered during the 2020 Bubble. Not only was there a natural adjustment period to be had physically, Jackson was thrown into the middle of a playoff push, further complicating matters. The Memphis Grizzlies would eventually beat the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in consecutive play-in games to earn the eighth seed. Their reward: taking on the top-seeded Utah Jazz.
There were flashes from the Lanky Fella, but he was ultimately playing catch-up from his late-season debut. Asking a big to find or regain chemistry with players he hadn't gotten real reps with in the middle of a playoff push, then throwing him into the fire against the Jazz &ndash; which means dealing with Rudy Gobert on one end and schematic wizardry on the other &ndash; is a combination that predictably led to failure.
The Grizzlies are in an interesting spot, having made the playoffs and opting to shuffle the deck a bit around their core. They have their Guy in Ja Morant and plenty of youth with room for growth. But in order for them to make that next step, they won't just need a resurgence from Jackson &ndash; they'll likely need a leap. Ideally, that leap leads to him filling more minutes at center.
THE FOUNDATION
Jackson got draft buzz &ndash; top-three draft buzz, for that matter &ndash; due to his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-the-nba-top-10-unicorns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Unicorn" potential</a>. That phrase is generally overused in prospect discourse; all big people who can shoot and dribble without tripping over themselves are not unicorns (hi, Myles Turner), but it was (and is) hard not to be excited about Jackson.
There are big men who can shoot, and then there are the Karl-Anthony Towns and Jackson type of big men who can shoot.&nbsp;That means with volume, from multiple platforms, and with accuracy. After a modest rookie campaign as a three-point shooter (35.9% on 2.4 attempts), Jackson more than doubled his volume (2.4 to 6.5) while improving his stroke (39.4%).&nbsp;
Again, these weren't just spot-up looks. He operated as the trailer in transition, got busy on pick-and-pops, occasionally came off screens, and flashed the ability to get it off the bounce. Jackson shot poorly last season, but that shot versatility remains. It's wild watching a guy his size be able to set his feet as quickly as he does.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/z00wc6" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The threat of the shot is what opens up everything else for Jackson. You can't afford to sell out completely, because he has the ball skills necessary to get to the rim. He has a couple of gnarly posters on his resume already, but craft is the way he likes to win. The way he alters his stride length and timing is almost wing-like, which is a scary proposition for a 6-foot-11 man.
Even during last season's stretch, Jackson was able to get to the line more (3.8 attempts) and maintain his at-rim efficiency from the year prior (70.8% inside of three feet). There will be missed shots in the video below, but the process should be the focus here. Look at the way Jackson generates looks for himself.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/oaw1tg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Jackson presents a unique challenge for defenses when he's upright. He is too stretch-y for fleet-of-foot bigs to deal with, and combines that with the ball skills and quickness necessary to beat those behemoths off the bounce.
You can't afford to stash a wing on him to take away the stretch element of his game; he's good about using his frame to keep those wings away, then using his combination of touch and length to sprinkle in shots over their headtops.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
While he can make hay at the 4 &ndash; he's had to alongside Jonas Valanciunas, and the combination of Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman will likely necessitate some forward minutes next year &ndash; his offensive advantages are maximized at the 5. He's too slithery, and shoots the ball too well for traditional bigs to handle.&nbsp;
Basic spread pick-and-rolls/pops, or popping as part of Double Drag or HORNS double looks become more stress-inducing. When the Grizzlies go to HORNS Flare, a common set in which one of the players at the elbow flies off a flare screen set from the second player, Jackson can be used as the man coming off the flare.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/k94da4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That's Tyus Jones running point on that possession, and Kristaps Porzingis &ndash; another uNiCoRn who's best used at the 5 &ndash; defending Jackson. Well, "defending" him. The Mavericks are in drop, which allows Jackson to glide into an open triple.
Imagine Ja Morant in place of Jones there, and the decisions that would force a dropping center to cycle through. Drop too far in anticipation of a Morant drive, and Jackson pops free. Track Jackson too aggressively and you'll either give Morant a lane, or you'll open up a pump-and-drive opportunity for Jackson. Get caught in No Man's Land, and you're susceptible to giving up any of those options.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Frontcourt-rotation caveat aside, there are some issues within Jackson's control that prevent him from being a full-time 5 &ndash; or at least playing it more often.
There's some physical stuff at play. Listed at 242 pounds, Jackson may not technically be light, but he's certainly built that way. As such, heftier centers are able to move him on the block. Powerful wing drivers are able to dislodge him in his backpedal when playing drop coverage. Length only means so much when players are able to get into, and ultimately disrupt, your core.&nbsp;
On a related note: Jackson fouls a lot.
A lot.
A lot.&nbsp;
A large chunk of that boils down to his strength limitations. He struggles to maintain&nbsp;verticality when absorbing a blow, and jostling underneath the rim for rebounds is a problem for him.&nbsp; Add in the fact that he was getting used to NBA basketball again following his recovery, and it's easy to see why he averaged nearly eight fouls per 100 possessions last season.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
He also has typical <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young-Big-Man stuff working against him</a>. He's handsy when defending drives, and picks up too many swipe-at-the-ball-after-giving-up-a-rebound fouls for my liking. He's fearless as a shot challenger, the hallmark of every great shot-blocker, but he's still working on his discernment.
Pump fakes still get him in the air a good bit, and there are some wild chasedown attempts in his film. I mean, some not-even-on-2K type stuff.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/t90o8n" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The tools are still there for Jackson to be a very good defender. He has the mobility necessary to switch in a pinch. If nothing else, he's a candidate for to-the-level screen coverage as well as drop, giving him a decent amount of scheme versatility.
As he gets stronger, the hope is that he'll be able to absord contact better, thus challenging rim attempts without fouling as much. Boxing out won't be such a chore: less arm-grabbing, fewer instances of being bumped out of rebounding positioning.&nbsp;
Seriously, a dude with his length and athleticism should not have a career defensive rebound rate of 14.4%, otherwise known as the ninth-highest total of Russell Westbrook's career.
(There's some obvious strategic context to be added, but you get my point. Chris Paul's at 12.9% for his career for crying out loud. At a certain point...)
To survive at the 5, you're going to need to challenge shots effectively. You're going to have to end possessions effectively. You can't do either of those things if you're on the bench with foul trouble.
The Grizzlies need him to be able to shoulder those minutes when presented, especially if they're closing minutes. Jackson's ability to space the floor travels &ndash; he's that good of a shooter &ndash; but it's more devastating when matched up against opposing 5s. Pulling them away from the paint will make life easier on Morant, and Jackson is a nightmare in his own right.
Jackson being able to play 5 more often won't just maximize the on-court product, it'll unlock team-building avenues for the Grizzlies. Valanciunas and now Adams are quality bigs in their own right, but their value to the roster is in part due to Jackson's limitations. Needing a brute to cover for his deficiencies further hinders the spacing of a team that led the NBA in floaters by a country mile.
Getting the best version of Jackson will help bring out the best in Morant. Bringing out the best in Morant will bring out the best in everyone else. And with so many good basketball players (hey, you should draft those if you can) on the Grizzlies' roster, that could spell trouble for the West moving forward.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan continues his "Something To Prove" series with a breakdown of Jaren Jackson Jr. and how he can take the next step.

Something To Prove: Jaren Jackson Jr. at center

With the 2021 NBA Draft approaching, BasketballNews.com is breaking down the best prospects from its <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mock Draft</a>. The Big Ten was one of the top conferences in college basketball last season, and it has a number of pro hopefuls. Here are five players from the Big Ten to keep an eye on.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/franz-wagner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Franz Wagner, Michigan</a>
STATS: 12.4 PTS, 6.5 REB, 3.0 AST, 1.2 STL
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-jytAz_1_Tg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
With versatility being the name of the NBA game, Franz Wagner is the archetype many NBA teams covet in 2021. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward makes his presence felt by being a menace on the defensive end, using a strong lateral ability and long wingspan to defend up to four positions on the floor. An intriguing point of emphasis for Wagner is his projection as a secondary ball-handler/facilitator, as there were many times he was operating on the wing and finding his teammates in scoring positions.&nbsp;
While his three-point shooting numbers leave something to be desired in today&rsquo;s NBA at 34%, the positives come from his shooting form not being broken; but it will need some tweaks to be ironed out. His 83% from the free-throw line has been consistent over his two college seasons, and it suggests that the touch is there to at least become a league average shooter from beyond the arc. Hours of repetition to find more consistency in his shot will benefit Wagner tremendously.&nbsp;
Wagner has times where he looks brilliant and times that leave you scratching your head. He&rsquo;s had notable trouble when driving with his non-dominant hand, and essentially looks like a less confident player when attacking that side of the floor. If a team puts time into developing him over the course of his first years in the league, it&rsquo;s not difficult to see a time where those moments of trouble will be few and far between.&nbsp;
The best part about Wagner is his willingness to do what&rsquo;s needed for the team to be successful. On-ball, he creates opportunities through his facilitating, or by using his size and length to get past defenders and to the rim. Off-ball, his movement keeps the offense flowing, and he finds many easy baskets as a result. Defensively, he is always willing to get down in a stance and lock-in or provide weakside rim protection from time to time. He&rsquo;s the ultimate glue guy that you can stick into an NBA lineup, and he&rsquo;ll find his way to fit in. Just as Wagner was a great player on one of the best teams in the nation, it&rsquo;s very easy to see Wagner as a high impact role player/starter on a championship contender in the future.
Franz Wagner is currently projected as the No. 12 pick to the San Antonio Spurs in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/ayo-dosunmu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois</a>
STATS: 20.1 PTS 6.3 REB 5.3 AST 48% FG
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dDIbxHXnPpY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Ayo Dosunmu was the engine that ran one of the top teams in the nation, the Illinois Fighting Illini. A combo guard with elite size -- standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 200 pounds -- Dosunmu can affect the game in multiple ways, and proved that as a triple-double threat for most of the season. Described as a &ldquo;gym rat&rdquo; by scouts, Dosunmu has shown improvement in each of his collegiate seasons so far. As he transitions into the NBA, he projects as a real bucket-getter with secondary playmaking abilities that can defend up to three positions.&nbsp;
As a scorer, he has potential to fill it up from all three levels, but his strengths lay specifically with attacking the rim and mid-range scoring. Although he&rsquo;s not a freak athlete, on drives and in transition, Dosunmu has a fluid athleticism to showcase tremendous body control and touch to convert around the basket or over the top of the defense. In isolation, he deploys a bag of crossovers and hesitations to beat his defender to the rim, or to get into comfortable spots in the mid-range to then unleash a pull-up jump shot that he seems to favor. Dosunmu shot above 48% from within the arc in each of his three college seasons, and finished this past season at 51% on more than 12 attempts per game.
One of Dosunmu&rsquo;s swing skills will be his three-point shooting. While his percentage improved to 39% on the season, this result came on the lowest volume of three-point attempts in his collegiate career, as it&rsquo;s clear he relied on those aforementioned strengths to score. While not a natural shooter, if Dosunmu can prove to scouts he has more consistency in his release and can hit spot-up threes, his projections to play consistent NBA minutes will rise.&nbsp;
Billed as a point guard coming into college and playing many lead guard minutes for the Illini during his career, Ayo Dosunmu&rsquo;s scoring abilities have outshined his ability as a primary facilitator to the point that he would be better weaponized as a shooting/combo guard in the NBA. Dosunmu was able to create a lot of opportunities out of pick-and-roll situations for himself and his teammates, which should warrant some possessions as a facilitator on the next level. However, at times, he struggled with turnovers from forced passes and poor ball security from pressure as a result.&nbsp;
If Dosunmu can improve his shooting, handling and ability to read defenses on the offensive end, his ceiling as a player will continue to rise through the early years of his NBA career. Defensively, his elite size and wingspan paired together will allow him to guard both backcourt positions and some bigger wings. With the rate he&rsquo;s improved since high school, it is not out of the realm of possibility he could be one of the best two-way role players to contribute to winning basketball in the future.&nbsp;
Ayo Dosunmu is currently projected as the No. 37 pick to the Detroit Pistons in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/aaron-henry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aaron Henry, Michigan State</a>
STATS: 15.4 PTS 5.6 REB 3.6 AST 45% FG
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MPKOXaVM6ZQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Aaron Henry is a 6-foot-6 junior wing from the college basketball powerhouse of Michigan State University. While the Spartans ended an uncharacteristic year with an early exit in the NCAA Tournament, Henry wanted to use this year to solidify himself as an NBA Draft pick after testing the waters in last year's draft cycle. His role expanded after Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman&rsquo;s departure for the NBA, and Henry was able to show some improvements to his game that continued to intrigue scouts regarding his projections at the next level. However, MSU&rsquo;s bumpy year may have hindered him from reaching a late first-round grade as some scouts may have expected.&nbsp;
What scouts liked about Henry in 2020 was his major two-way potential as a long, athletic wing that is active on both ends of the floor and willing to do what it takes to win. Playing with Winston kept him off the ball, but it displayed his cutting and ability to attack close-outs to finish around or over the top of defenders at the rim. This season, Henry was given more on-ball opportunities, with his usage jumping from 19.7% to 27.2%, as it seemed he was probably the most trusted with the ball in his hands this year. Part of this is because he developed a herky-jerk style of handle during the last three years that allowed him to flash some off the dribble creativity in his expanded role.
Similar to Dosunmu, Henry relies on getting to the rim and pull-up mid-range jump shots to do his damage on offense, but right now almost exclusively converts on the left side of the court -- aligning with this dominant hand. His long-range jump shot is his swing skill that could still use some work (especially to quicken the release), but the evidence in his improved mid range jump shot and free-throw percentage do provide optimism that he&rsquo;ll improve his three-point shot over time.&nbsp;
Aaron Henry still holds intrigue as a valuable role player who is a plus athlete that can play off of a primary creator, but this season showed that he has the ability to leverage his own strengths on the ball at times. Also, with increasing his steal and block rate to 2.4% and 4.1%, respectively, during his junior season, Henry has doubled down on scouts' confidence that he will make an impact on the defensive end, as he projects to guard up to three perimeter positions on the next level.&nbsp;
Aaron Henry is currently projected as the No. 51 pick to the Detroit Pistons in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/luka-garza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luka Garza, Iowa</a>
STATS: 24.1 PTS 8.7 REB 1.6 BLK 55% FG
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k5fEXh4wQzo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Luka Garza was one of the most prolific and accomplished players in all of college basketball that is looking to prove he belongs in the NBA. His track record speaks for itself, earning various honors, including the Wooden and Naismith awards, All-American status and multiple Big Ten awards to go along with his Iowa Hawkeyes team finishing as the No. 8 team in the country with a 22-9 record. Garza&rsquo;s blend of size and touch are reflected by his impressive 55% from the field and 44% from three this past season. However, scouts have concerns about Garza&rsquo;s adjustments to the quicker, faster and more athletic play of the NBA.
Offensively, there are things to like with his projections as a stretch five. At 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds with a career average of 37% from three, Garza could be a strong pick-and-pop threat, as he possesses a sturdy frame to give guards and wings trouble to get around on screens. As a roller, he has the touch around the rim to convert open looks. Where he may have issues is going against the best interior defenders in the league, as many of them will be quicker, longer, stronger and more athletic than many of the defenders he faced in college. Garza could be a situational weapon if the team that drafts him wants to play with a change of pace or "four-out, one-in" for parts of a game to take advantage of the more wiry centers around the league. Garza also takes advantage of his large frame on the boards, as he uses his size and strength well to create the space to get rebounds on the offensive and defensive end.
On the defensive side of the ball, the same concerns are apparent, though. Garza&rsquo;s physical attributes could be limiting, as his lack of verticality wouldn&rsquo;t provide tremendous resistance against better athletes at the rim. He also has a slower footspeed than most successful NBA big men that could give him trouble when he&rsquo;s put on an island in switches. NBA spacing will do him a disservice on how he can impact the game defensively.
A strength for Garza is the motor that he plays with throughout the course of a game. In an MSU-Iowa matchup I was able to see live in the 2019-20 season, Garza was a workhorse the whole game vs. Xavier Tillman. Playing all 40 minutes, I was very impressed with how he was able to carry his frame the whole game without looking overly tired. He ran the floor, never seemed to take plays off and always looked to go through defenders in the paint, and finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds against a tough Michigan State team. Even with his physical attributes possibly limiting his translation to the NBA, what could help him see the floor is his work ethic. To this point, Garza&rsquo;s pedigree as a college basketball player does deserve attention on the NBA level, and it is tough to see him not selected come July 29.
Luka Garza is projected as the No. 57 pick to the Charlotte Hornets in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/isaiah-livers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Livers, Michigan</a>
STATS: 13.1 PTS 6.0 REB 2.0 AST 43% 3FG
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qO9k6c66ReE" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
After testing the draft waters in 2020, Isaiah Livers returned to campus with some additional confidence about his potential in the NBA. However, an unfortunate foot injury that required surgery ended his campaign before a deep postseason run for the Michigan Wolverines. Throughout this year&rsquo;s draft process, Livers will need to ease the injury concern of scouts, especially after two seasons of missing fairly significant time.
Fitting the modern combo forward archetype, Livers (6-foot-7, 230 pounds) has what it takes to step in on day one and provide immediate floor spacing and defense all around the court. Before his injury, he was seen as an effective shooter in catch-and-shoot situations, averaging 41% from beyond the arc over his four-year career. While his release could be quicker, his form is fluid, and he shoots an easy ball that projects well to deeper range. With Michigan&rsquo;s pro-style of play, Livers will have one of the smoother transitions to finding open spaces on the floor to shoot the ball. Pre-injury, Livers was also a sneaky athlete, and if he had space to take off, highlight dunks or chasedown blocks would follow. He also showed some flashes of off-the-dribble skills, but he's not a guy you want with the ball in his hands for too long -- since his jump shot off the catch is his greatest weapon. In addition, he could improve with his finishing at the rim, as he&rsquo;s not the strongest at converting in traffic; although, he takes contact very well.&nbsp;
On the defensive end, Livers has been effective on the perimeter and in the paint at times. He had strong sequences of locking down guards in one-on-one situations, and chasing wings around the screens with good contests to force tough shots. He&rsquo;s also been able to use his 230-pound frame to body up 4's and 5&rsquo;s when needed. While he&rsquo;s not the quickest player laterally, he moves very well to stay in front of smaller players, and uses his length to gather blocks and deflections, which makes his switchability very interesting to scouts. Ultimately, he projects to guard big wings while having the potential to not lose ground on quicker guards when switched.
A lot will be riding on Isaiah Livers&rsquo; health going into the draft process, and scouts will want to know how he&rsquo;s progressing. Losing lateral quickness or athleticism could be a major hindrance to his NBA future.&nbsp;
Isaiah Livers is projected as the No. 60 pick to the Indiana Pacers in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.

Blake Hairston breaks down the top NBA draft prospects to keep an eye on from the Big Ten Conference.

2021 NBA Draft: Analyzing the Big Ten's top prospects

Looking around the NBA, there are quite a few teams with a talented, up-and-coming nucleus. But of all these teams, which franchise has the best young core? We asked our BasketballNews.com writers to share their thoughts.&nbsp;
Which NBA team has the best young core?
Alex Kennedy: Give me the New Orleans Pelicans' young core. Zion Williamson (20 years old) and Brandon Ingram (23) are both All-Stars with insane upside. Williamson could become the face of the NBA if he realizes his full potential. Lonzo Ball (23) is another franchise cornerstone who continues to make huge strides. However, this young core is also deep, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker (22), Jaxson Hayes (20), Kira Lewis Jr. (20), Naji Marshall (23), Wenyen Gabriel (24) and Didi Louzada (21). Steven Adams (27) and Josh Hart (26) aren't as young as the others, but they are great complementary pieces. The Pelicans project to have a top-10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, so they'll likely add another top prospect to this core; plus, they'll receive multiple first-rounders from the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks over the next few years (due to the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades).
Nekias Duncan: I&rsquo;d go with the Phoenix Suns, narrowly edging out the Memphis Grizzlies for me. Devin Booker is a foundational talent. Mikal Bridges is one of the best wing defenders in the league, while also providing value as a shooter and cutter. Deandre Ayton has serious two-way potential. Those three plus Cam Johnson give you a pretty darn good quartet under 25.
Spencer Davies: If we&rsquo;re talking about the here and now, my answer would be the Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collins (if he returns) is a solid core and they're about to get their first taste of playoff basketball. They&rsquo;re all guys with four years of experience or less. This goes without mentioning Cam Reddish, a defensive-minded wing with size who was out for a good part of this year with an injury, and Onyeka Okongwu, the No. 6 overall pick from this past draft who has shown signs of his development with big second-unit minutes. Even Clint Capela just turned 27, and he was one of the most underrated centers in the NBA this season, serving as a perfect partner for Young on lobs and a menace on the glass.
Ethan Fuller: The Oklahoma City Thunder, without any hesitation. OKC has already locked in a surefire star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The franchise boasts budding role-players and specialists (Lu Dort, Kenrich Williams, Theo Maledon, Svi Mykhailiuk), athletic upside swings (Darius Bazley, Isaiah Roby, Moses Brown) and one player who's in his own tier due to his game-changing potential in Aleksej Pokusevski. That doesn't even account for the 2021 NBA Draft; the Thunder could nab a top prospect with their own pick, and then get another if Houston's pick lands outside the top-four. This is a masterclass in asset accumulation.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Sharon Brown: Memphis. I believe this team hasn't quite tapped into its potential just yet. Granted, they have exceeded expectations for two years in a row. But I believe veteran leadership on the roster -- plus another go-to player to complement Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, Jr. -- could put them over the top in the tough Western Conference.
Moke Hamilton: For the sake of this question, I am going to define &ldquo;young&rdquo; as 25 or under. So Joel Embiid (27), Nikola Jokic (26) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (26) don&rsquo;t factor in. I boil this down to the Celtics and Pelicans, and although New Orleans failed to qualify for the postseason, I'll take them. That does assume they re-sign Lonzo Ball this summer, which is no certainty. With Ball, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, you&rsquo;d be hard-pressed to find another trio that&rsquo;s this young and has that high of a ceiling. The Celtics get an honorable mention here, with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams giving me similar feels, but New Orleans is my easy pick.&nbsp;
Chris Sheridan: If 28 if not considered "old," I will give it to the Atlanta Hawks, whose only 28-year-old player is Bogdan Bogdanovic. Younger than him are Clint Capela (27), John Collins and De'Andre Hunter (23), Kevin Huerter and Trae Young (22), and Cam Reddish (21). They will get their feet wet in the postseason against a decent New York Knicks team with a similar lack of playoff experience among young key players, and it'll serve them well going into next season.
Jonathan Concool: The Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis has the league&rsquo;s youngest team and they have essentially closed the door on the rebuilding process after competing in the league&rsquo;s play-in tournament for the second-consecutive year. With a young core of Ja Morant (21 years old), Jaren Jackson Jr. (21), Brandon Clarke (24), Desmond Bane (22), Dillon Brooks (25), De'Anthony Melton (22), Xavier Tillman (22) and more, Memphis fans must be feeling pretty optimistic about the future. The Grizzlies have nailed their past three draft classes (with some help from the lottery, of course). But finding Bane in the late first round and Tillman in the second round of last year's draft were big wins for the Grizzlies. Memphis finished 38-34 this season, beating out their Vegas win prediction for the second-consecutive year.

Which NBA team has the best young core? BasketballNews.com's writers share their thoughts.

Roundtable: Which NBA team has the best young core?

If your game warrants the spotlight early in your career, chances are the lights will gleam brighter, and with that comes expectations. Some college players lived up to the hype that surrounded them at the next level, but there are quite a few whose success didn't translate to the NBA.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Who is the best college player that never became a star in the NBA?
Alex Kennedy: Jimmer Fredette became a household name while at BYU, averaging 28.9 points and 4.3 assists. In 2011, he was the Consensus National College Player of the Year and led the nation in scoring. His games were must-watch TV due to his seemingly unlimited three-point range. He even transcended the sports world and briefly became part of the pop culture lexicon; for example, at the height of Jimmer Mania, Lil Wayne name-dropped him in a song (&ldquo;I got a chopper and a trimmer shootin&rsquo; like Jimmer&rdquo;). He was the 10th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft (ahead of Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Nikola Vucevic, Jimmy Butler, etc.), but he never averaged more than 7.6 points in the NBA. Fortunately for Jimmer, he&rsquo;s thriving in China, where he&rsquo;s dropped 75 points, averaged 37.6 points and made three All-Star appearances.
Spencer Davies: In my lifetime, I&rsquo;m picking two: Michael Beasley and Emeka Okafor. People have to understand just how dominant Beasley was in his lone season at Kansas State, collecting accolade after accolade as a freshman for the Wildcats, as he averaged over 26 points and 12 rebounds per game on 53% from the field! He showed flashes of greatness in the NBA early in his career, but not the kind of superstardom that followed him in the NCAA. As for my other pick, it&rsquo;s crazy remembering how the big question in 2004 was who would be the No. 1 pick: Okafor or Dwight Howard? While the latter was a high-school phenom, the former outworked every big man on the national stage for Jim Calhoun&rsquo;s UConn Huskies en route to an NCAA championship in his junior year prior to entering the draft. Okafor had imposing size and was a walking double-double who blocked every freaking shot in sight. In the NBA, he had his moments; none like Howard, though, who now has an NBA championship on his laundry list of achievements and just passed Walt Bellamy to move up to No. 11 on the league's all-time rebounding list.
Chris Sheridan: The best college player who never became a star in the league was Hank Gathers, who died while playing for Loyola Marymount. He was the No. 1 draft prospect and one of just three players in NCAA history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season (the others were Xavier McDaniel and Kurt Thomas). He averaged 32.7 points and 13.7 rebounds. He once had 48 points and 13 rebounds against LSU&rsquo;s Shaquille O'Neal and Stanley Roberts. He collapsed after dunking in a game and passed away due to a heart issue.&nbsp;
Jannelle Moore: The best college player who never became a star in the NBA is, tragically, Len Bias. He had the athleticism and skill. He gave Michael Jordan fits in college and would have been his biggest rival in the pros.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_2079728_lg.jpg" alt="" />
Imman Adan: Compared to Larry Bird entering the league and described as a &ldquo;very good scorer with [a] complete offensive repertoire,&rdquo; Adam Morrison was none of that in the NBA. In college, the 6-foot-8 forward out of Gonzaga was a star, averaging 28 points on 43% from three in his final year, making him a finalist for the Naismith Trophy. The NBA did not come as easily to the slow-footed Morrison, who struggled to adapt to the speed of the league. The effortless shooting stroke he had in college seemed to dissipate as well, as he never averaged more than 11 points or shot better than 34% from deep. After tearing his ACL in his left knee and missing his entire sophomore year, what little burst of athleticism he did have vanished, making his NBA career a short (but eventful) one, winning two rings while riding the Lakers&rsquo; bench before retiring at 28.
Ethan Fuller: I'm going to play with a looser definition of "star" for this one and rule out guys like Christian Laettner and Marcus Camby, who did win NBA league awards. Instead, let's go with Joe Smith, who won Naismith Player of the Year at Maryland in 1995. The 6-foot-10 Smith obliterated teams, averaging 20.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game as a sophomore. He then went first overall to the Golden State Warriors in the 1995 NBA Draft. But Smith never found his footing and ended up playing for 11 NBA teams.
Jonathan Concool: Adam Morrison. Morrison averaged over 28 points per game as a junior at Gonzaga University, and led the Bulldogs to the Sweet 16 before suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Bruins in the final seconds. Morrison took home five awards that season with Gonzaga, including WCC Player of the Year, but that&rsquo;s just about where the positives stop for Morrison&rsquo;s basketball career. He went on to get drafted third overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2006 and was out of the league by 2010, with career averages of 7.5 points per game on 37.3% shooting from the field.
Nekias Duncan: I&rsquo;d go with Jimmer Fredette. He absolutely lit it up for BYU &mdash; Mormon Steph, if you will &mdash; and almost none of it translated to the NBA across multiple stints.
Kelsea O&rsquo;Brien: People forget just how small the NBA is, and how good the end-of-bench players were in college and high school. These guys were monsters. They still are! Their only downfall is that they are playing against and alongside even bigger monsters. I&rsquo;m going to go in a different direction here, though, and choose Cheryl Miller. One of the greatest women&rsquo;s basketball players of all-time, and because of ACL injuries, she never got the chance to go pro. Her professional career will always be one of the biggest &ldquo;what ifs&rdquo; in sports history.

Who is the best college player that never became a star in the NBA? We asked our BasketballNews.com staff to weigh in.

Roundtable: Who's the best college player that never became a star in the NBA?

Syracuse University&rsquo;s magical Sweet 16 run may have ended on Saturday night against the No. 2 seed Houston Cougars, but this is what March Madness is made of: the story of Jim and Buddy Boeheim, a coach and his son making a tournament push, warmed everyone&rsquo;s heart.
Interviewed on countless shows, laughing and joking, the duo was everywhere. The two talked about everything, from who was the better player to Buddy forgetting his electric shaver and having to run to Jim&rsquo;s room to borrow one before the game. It was March Dad-ness, and the world couldn&rsquo;t get enough of it.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UOfiIhdCsx8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Of course, this was a dramatic turnaround from the original reaction. Just two seasons ago, the consensus was that Buddy was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-ncaa-syracuse-orangemen-the-pressure-of-being-son-of-coach-jim-q-and-a-buddy-boeheim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only on the team because his daddy was the coach</a>, but he definitely shut all of his critics up as he morphed into Buddy Buckets right before everyone&rsquo;s eyes.
However, when the dancing stopped, it really stopped. Coach Boeheim broke the news that he expected four-to-six players to transfer this season, and the Orange Nation took a collective gasp.
One by one, he's been absolutely right.&nbsp;
First, the news came about Bol Ajak, a freshman who only appeared in 10 games this season, entering the transfer portal. He was recruited as a forward and converted to the center spot, and was never able to crack the rotation.
Then came Robert Braswell, who saw his playing time really increase toward the end of the season. In fact, Braswell averaged 7.4 points per game over the last five games of the campaign (including the ACC and NCAA Tourney). He received endless praise from Coach Boeheim, although the praise did appear to be more of continuous jabs at Alan Griffin, who appeared to be in Jim's dog house and was never able to get out.
Griffin went from 30 minutes a game -- and at times carrying the offensive load almost single-handedly -- to being consistently yanked out of the game just minutes after tip-off. It was almost as if Coach Boeheim was waiting for him to make a mistake so he could snatch him out. It wouldn't be suprising to see Griffin as another player to enter his name into the transfer portal, but I&rsquo;m sure he will do well wherever he goes. He&rsquo;s a very good player and handled a difficult situation with maturity and professionalism.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In <a href="https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/basketball/predicting-players-leave-stay-syracuse-basketball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an article on SI.com</a> predicting who will stay and go, Mike McAllister said he expected freshman guard Kadary Richmond to continue his career with the Orange.
"Richmond is young, extremely talented and has an NBA ceiling," McAllister wrote. "Syracuse knows how good he is. My prediction is that the coaching staff communicates all of that during exit interviews, reiterating he will play a lot of minutes next season, and Richmond stays."
Unfortunately, that didn&rsquo;t happen. Tuesday morning, Richmond <a href="https://verbalcommits.com/players/kadary-richmond" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entered his name in the transfer portal</a>, officially exiting Syracuse to join his former teammates in looking for a new direction.
How did we get here? How did a point guard who has shown the potential to be included in the upper echelon of Syracuse greats end up transferring after his freshman year? Well, let&rsquo;s take a look back at what transpired this season.
All season long, Syracuse fans screamed from the mountain tops for Richmond to receive more playing time. It&rsquo;s been kind of a rallying cry for one and all. (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/syracuse-center-jesse-edwards-answers-critics-with-his-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Along with "Free Jesse</a>," but for the purpose of this article, we&rsquo;ll focus on Kadary.) Orange Nation would watch Richmond on the bench, puzzled.
Why would a person who is that much of a difference-maker not play more minutes?&nbsp;
Now, this is no knock on starting point guard Joseph Girard, who is capable of shooting the ball from Steph Curry land, as his endless range makes defenses extend their pressure. When he comes off of a screen, catches the ball and goes up to shoot, most onlookers expect it to go in. He has a James Harden-like sidestep or stepback that has proven extremely difficult to guard.
Girard is very good at what he is good at -- but on the flip side, the things that are not his strengths seem to all be Richmond&rsquo;s strengths.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
For example, the end of the game against West Virginia seemed like it was headed for disaster. Syracuse was having trouble inbounding the ball (multiple times) under the opposing basket. They ran scheme after scheme: lined up all four guys across the front, had one person cut one way, had the other set a pick the opposite way, called a timeout to regroup. But each inbound attempt resulted in the team getting trapped in the corner and almost turning the ball over. It happened three or four times in a row in less than a minute.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VAX8qIFaxxw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Then, Coach Boeheim inserted Richmond to save the day. He casually cut open to receive the ball, and broke the press by himself. That play symbolized what happened the entire season. Kadary would be inserted almost when all other options ran out to save the day, and he would repeatedly deliver, yet never earned the starting position.&nbsp;
Richmond&rsquo;s ability to handle pressure was simply far beyond his years. Opposing teams would smell blood in the water when they would see Girard alone in the backcourt. Teams that didn&rsquo;t even typically press would all of a sudden start blitzing him because every scouting report on Girard read: "Doesn&rsquo;t handle ball pressure well." Even in the half-court, you would see teams bump him, apply pressure and make him put the ball on the floor, which more times than not would result in turnovers for Girard.&nbsp;
They couldn&rsquo;t do that with Richmond. He would almost invite the pressure, calmly crossing over from left to right a few times and knifing down the lane to effortlessly lay it in or find someone wide open for an assist. In fact, if you adjusted his playing time to 40 minutes per game, Richmond would almost lead the ACC in assists per game (trailing only Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Xavier Johnson).&nbsp;
Richmond got everyone involved. He is the type of point guard anyone, including myself, would&rsquo;ve loved to play with. Players know that if they set a pick for him and roll hard to the basket, he will find them. If he drives and they get to an open spot and have their hands ready, the ball will just magically appear in their grasp. If they run the floor hard on a fastbreak, Richmond won&rsquo;t keep it to try to go 1-on-3 or Eurostep into traffic and force up a shot like so many players do today; he will make the right play and hit the open man. If you spot up behind the three-point line, he will find you. (I&rsquo;m still not a big fan of all these threes, but I understand that&rsquo;s just the new age of basketball, and I have morphed into the grumpy old get-off-my-lawn former player in some sense, and I&rsquo;m okay with that...but I digress).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The point is, what Richmond brings to the game is invaluable.&nbsp;
On the defensive end, Richmond was clearly the best perimeter defender on the team, and it wasn't even close. Multiple times, he would get back-to-back steals as soon as he was inserted into the game. The careless and lazy passes that the opposing team were able to get away with doing when he was on the bench would no longer work. Richmond&rsquo;s lengthy wingspan, physicality, lateral movement, mobility, basketball IQ, anticipation and ability to pick-off ball carriers would be on full display game after game. He would have an immediate impact on both ends of the floor.&nbsp;
Coach Boeheim then gave excuses to the media and writers, who were also wondering why Richmond wasn&rsquo;t seeing more playing time.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s learning. He has his conditioning. I&rsquo;m not sure he can play any more minutes than 20. He could play a few (more) maybe,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2021/02/the-case-for-kadary-can-jim-boeheim-and-su-fans-find-common-ground-in-a-backcourt-battle.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeheim said</a>.
That statement left all of Syracuse Nation completely puzzled -- including myself.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I&rsquo;ve said it before and I&rsquo;m going to keep saying it, Kadary Richmond should play as many minutes as he can possibly play (and that&rsquo;s a lot more than 20) We are a completely different team with him on the floor. Offensively and defensively it&rsquo;s night and day<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeWoodyNewton?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeWoodyNewton</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cuse?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cuse</a> <a href="https://t.co/wgpbiW7PSO">pic.twitter.com/wgpbiW7PSO</a>
&mdash; Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1363241007568084996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
The point guard is the most important position on the floor. Yes, everyone knows he should&rsquo;ve been playing more, but what needed to be communicated to him was that what he brings to this team is invaluable, appreciated, cherished, recognized and respected, and that he would not be hampered by remaining in a Syracuse uniform. I&rsquo;m sure other teams have been whispering in his ear all season that he won&rsquo;t have these issues at their school, that he would flourish at their programs and that they would value him.
Coach Boeheim and the entire staff should have started recruiting him all over again, and all of that should have been communicated to him. Maybe it was, and Kadary was just didn&rsquo;t believe them because of what actually transpired this season. At any rate, it wasn&rsquo;t enough to convince him to stay.
And as the tragic reality settles in on Orange Nation that Kadary Richmond will no longer be with the Syracuse program, we have to come to grips with the fact that we have squandered away a special talent.

Etan Thomas looks back at the Orange's Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament and how Kadary Richmond's exit will hurt the team.

Losing Kadary Richmond is a tragedy for Syracuse University

To say the Memphis Grizzlies are undermanned would be an understatement.
Ja Morant is out with an ankle injury, neither Jaren Jackson Jr. nor Justise Winslow has made their season debut yet to this point and even rotational piece John Konchar has missed a chunk of games. Despite those circumstances, the Grizzlies have won three games in a row and are 4-1 on the road.&nbsp;
Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins has had to look toward Kyle Anderson, Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas for production during this time; however, it&rsquo;s a pair of rookies who are standing out and taking advantage of this opportunity.
With key players down, Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman have seen their roles increase, and they have provided a spark off the Grizzlies&rsquo; bench in a massive way.&nbsp;
Bane is a bulky wing with plenty of athleticism, unafraid to take on whatever man he is assigned to. He&rsquo;s not bashful on the offensive end either, as he&rsquo;s taking a healthy seven shots per game, four of which have been from long distance -- and the TCU product is knocking down 46 percent of his threes.
Tillman is a versatile big man who fits the current NBA mold. He goes out there and does his job with physicality, opening up shots for his teammates and being a switchable defender who makes his money with the fundamentals -- just ask Tom Izzo, his old head coach at Michigan State. In the last six games, Jenkins has played Tillman around 18 minutes per night, and a good chunk of those have come in the fourth quarter.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/bane333_lg.jpg" alt="" width="791" height="AUTO" />
As a duo, Bane and Tillman have the <a href="https://go.nba.com/6pjk">highest offensive rating on the team</a> and the second-best net rating among those combinations who have played at least 90 total minutes. More importantly, in the 274 minutes without those two on the floor, <a href="https://go.nba.com/9ail">Memphis is a net minus-6.8 with a ghastly effective field goal percentage of 48.3 percent</a>, per NBA's Impact data. Jenkins is very impressed with the rookies, especially considering they were thrown in at the deep end.
&ldquo;I mean, it&rsquo;s huge for those two guys to jump in,&rdquo; Jenkins said after Monday&rsquo;s victory in Cleveland. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve talked about it before, not having a normal offseason... they&rsquo;ve just attacked every opportunity to work and get better. A lot of credit goes to those two guys. I think a lot of credit goes to our coaching staff and our performance staff to make sure that they&rsquo;re getting physically ready.&nbsp;
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re also learning the game; the NBA game&rsquo;s completely different from college basketball -- the terminology, nuances, speed of the game. These guys have just really dove into their work -- individual work, getting the extra sessions early in the season and now they&rsquo;re getting even more reps, so they&rsquo;re having to learn from that...&rdquo;
Dillon Brooks sees the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-rumors-desmond-bane-qa-prospect-2020-tcu-predraft-training-interviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confidence that Bane exudes every time</a> he steps onto the court, and the Grizzlies veteran can sense how hungry the rookie swingman and Tillman truly are.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re on the airplane watching film, they&rsquo;re asking questions and they&rsquo;re always into the details, and that&rsquo;s what you need to do as a rook to figure it out early and sustain," Brooks said after the win in Cleveland. &ldquo;Those guys are gonna be in the league for a while and I&rsquo;m proud of them, but there&rsquo;s more we can get out of them. They&rsquo;re playing really well right now.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s been plenty of talk surrounding the possibility of elevating Bane to the starting five, including from Jenkins. The way he&rsquo;s consistently bringing it, that might not be a bad idea. Just don&rsquo;t split him from Tillman.
The man whom Memphis refers to as &ldquo;X&rdquo; is in a real groove right now. On Wednesday night, he scored a career-best 12 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. The Sparty alum appreciates the consistency of Jenkins&rsquo; offensive system, sticking to principles and living with the results.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really nice to see game-in and game-out &lsquo;cause I&rsquo;m getting the same opportunities, whether I take them or not,&rdquo; Tillman said following a win in Minnesota. &ldquo;In this game (against the Wolves), I was looking at the rim, I was feeling my floaters and I just kept letting them go. That&rsquo;s one thing that&rsquo;s really good about this organization and Coach Jenkins and how we operate.&rdquo;
Tillman has observed the difference between screening angles in college and in the NBA. He calls them &ldquo;peculiar and particular,&rdquo; citing the importance of locking in on how he&rsquo;s setting them to get his guards open. It&rsquo;s just another example of his attention to detail, and it's clear why Memphis is enamored with him.
For those who appreciate plus-minus, Tillman has yet to record a game with a negative plus-minus. Since Jan. 3, the same goes for Bane. The Grizzlies' rookies are proving to be NBA-ready and capable of delivering.
&ldquo;They just relish every opportunity. It&rsquo;s great development for them to take advantage of these opportunities and [they] have just been extremely solid,&rdquo; Jenkins said. &ldquo;Two guys that are ultra-competitive, two guys that can play-make.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I love how they just let the game come to them, seem to always make the right play and I just love the activity that they&rsquo;re playing with on the defensive end. They&rsquo;re great, impactful players for us, and that&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re so excited to have them.&rdquo;

With Memphis on a three-game winning streak, Spencer Davies looks into the strong play of rookies Xavier Tillman and Desmond Bane.

Grizzlies' rookies Tillman, Bane are ready and delivering

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

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

Ethan Fuller breaks down the state of each NBA franchise and ranks the most frustrating teams ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.

NBA 'Sour' Rankings: Preseason Prelude

This is an excerpt from Jon Finkel's new book "Hoops Heist: Seattle, the Sonics, and How a Stolen Team&rsquo;s Legacy Gave Rise to the NBA&rsquo;s Secret Empire" (which was published by Slow Grind Media, 2020). <a href="https://bit.ly/HHBasketballNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You can pre-order the book here.</a>
&ldquo;I was born in 1980 but the 1979 championship still resonated while I grew up,&rdquo; Jamal Crawford says. &ldquo;The Sonics were everything to me. In elementary school I remember Dana Barros and Xavier McDaniel coming to our school to be involved in the community. I was lucky that I was able to see these guys growing up. They were like superheroes to me. I remember listening to Barros at school and he&rsquo;d say, &lsquo;We have to leave now because we play Charles Barkley later,&rsquo; and it was just amazing. They had an aura about them.&rdquo;
By the time Crawford was in middle school, the torch had been passed from Barros and the X-Man to Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp in the early &rsquo;90s. This was the Sonics squad that made the deepest impression with Crawford. These were his guys. He watched endless highlights of Kemp posterizing fools on the court and Payton talking trash while picking someone&rsquo;s pocket. Like most kids in Seattle he dreamed of being on the floor and tossing lobs to the Reign Man or draining a three off a dime from the Glove. But unlike most kids in Seattle, by the time Crawford was old enough to get his driver&rsquo;s license, his basketball talent was able to turn most kids&rsquo; fantasy into his reality.
&ldquo;I was invited to the pro-am games as a high schooler and I&rsquo;d be playing in the men&rsquo;s pro league,&rdquo; Crawford said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s when I think I first jumped on the bigger basketball radar. I played for George Karl&rsquo;s Friends of Hoops team. Then I played in tournaments that Nate McMillan sponsored. I played on Gary Payton&rsquo;s teams. I remember playing against guys like Detlef [Schrempf] when I was only 16 or 17 years old.&rdquo;
In the 1990s, while the Sonics were emerging as an iconic NBA team, the Washington basketball scene was still under-appreciated nationally in terms of recruitment to big-time schools and in representation throughout the NBA. It was through the tournaments that Karl and Payton ran that Seattle basketball began to draw the spotlight and the attention it deserved. Crawford says that most people don&rsquo;t realize how instrumental George Karl was in getting Seattle high school basketball known nationally through his camps and teams. Same with Payton.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/sea_lg.jpg" alt="" width="794" height="AUTO" />
Bobby Jones, who grew up in Compton, California, but played basketball for the University of Washington and calls Seattle his second home, says that at that time among West Coast hoopers, Seattle was largely overlooked.
&ldquo;Being a guy from LA, the biggest basketball scene out west, I had my typical thoughts that our city is better than yours, mainly because Seattle wasn&rsquo;t known as a basketball city,&rdquo; Jones says. &ldquo;I mean, we knew about Grunge music and the space needle, but that was it. Seattle was nowhere near as big as Los Angeles, so I just knew LA was better. As the years added on and I met more guys and played with more guys, I got to see that the city has a good basketball culture. I mean, it looks like it might rain every day, so guys are always in the gym working.
&ldquo;I started college in 2002, and for me, there was no big name that I heard of from Seattle until Jamal Crawford. When he went to Michigan and then the NBA right away, that put Seattle on the map. And when I saw how many camps Gary Payton and George Karl ran in the community, it had such a big impact. They helped jumpstart the basketball scene there.&rdquo;
The camps and teams sponsored by the Sonics and their players were long-term investments in the local basketball community. Each initiative was like planting a new hoops seed for the future, and as more and more kids fell in love with the game throughout the &rsquo;90s and had access to NBA-level coaches and players willing to give instruction (and had sponsors donating high-quality gear) the talent began to improve and be nurtured at the grade school level. By the time these kids reached high school, there was a crescendo of All-Americans and Division I talent ready to roll across the country or stay home and attend the University of Washington.
&ldquo;When I was younger, I remember thinking that more people were getting football scholarships than basketball scholarships,&rdquo; Crawford says. &ldquo;If you played football you had a much better chance at going to a bigger school somewhere else. But George Karl took us to tournaments and helped us get seen. And I&rsquo;d pick his brain. I remember we were at a Vegas tournament once and we were just talking about what made John Stockton great and what made Magic Johnson great, and I just filled up on knowledge from him.&rdquo;
Gaining access to tournaments and knowledge from Sonics icons was one huge part of why the Seattle basketball scene began to grow exponentially. Another major reason was due to the snowball effect of the individual athletes from the area taking their responsibilities as role models and mentors seriously. Case in point: the bond shared between Christie and Crawford.
&ldquo;Doug Christie impacted my life so much. He showed me everything. He taught me how to prepare, how to eat right, how to train right, and even how to fix your shoes and socks so you were ready to go,&rdquo; Crawford says. &ldquo;I remember one time we played one-on-one before practice, and I was so tired from that I could barely get through our workout afterward. I knew then, man, there&rsquo;s another level I need to get to. I knew that since he was taking the time to show me the ropes that I was going to do the same thing for the next generation.&rdquo;
A common theme when talking to Christie or Crawford or Jason Terry or any of the Seattle area ballers is how much they say they owe each other for their success. Yes, they&rsquo;re playing for their families and their community, but they&rsquo;re also playing for each other. It&rsquo;s a special camaraderie that brings to mind the three musketeers&rsquo; slogan: all for one and one for all.
&ldquo;I am so proud of what Jamal has done,&rdquo; Gary Payton says. &ldquo;He has taken his Summer League and turned it into something really big. He gets everybody together and brings all these pros in and it&rsquo;s special for the community. It keeps the basketball tradition alive.&rdquo;
Crawford describes the scene in Chicago with the Bulls as one where guys would work out together but not necessarily hang out together. They were doing their own things in the community or in their own lives. He was determined to make sure his Seattle basketball brotherhood back home was different.
&ldquo;When I am back home, I want everybody to be together,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;If Nate Robinson has an event, or Isaiah Thomas has a backpack giveaway, or I have a charity game, or Spencer Hawes is doing something for an organization, we&rsquo;re all going to be there. We&rsquo;re all going to be there for each other. It&rsquo;s a brotherhood.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/hh_slow-grind_2560x1600_green-01_lg.jpg" alt="" width="190" height="305" />
For much of this brotherhood&rsquo;s history, the athletes were linked by two things: basketball and their love for the Sonics. With the Sonics gone, a gaping hole exists in the city. Crawford says it still doesn&rsquo;t feel real.
&ldquo;When I first heard rumors that Seattle might lose the team, I didn&rsquo;t believe it,&rdquo; Crawford says. &ldquo;Knowing the city and the fans and how great they are for the Seahawks and the Storm and the Sounders and the Mariners&hellip; I just couldn&rsquo;t believe we wouldn&rsquo;t have the Sonics. Maybe I didn&rsquo;t want to believe it. And then when it happened it was so hard. That last year they were kind of like a lame duck team. You knew it was happening. You knew it was inevitable. You knew they were leaving. And it&rsquo;s still such a bitter feeling.&rdquo;
And yet, without any men&rsquo;s professional basketball team in the area, the collection of NBA stars who remain involved in the city have become a de facto professional team in their own right&mdash;they sponsor community events, hand out their numbers to high school players, speak to grade schools and middle schools and high schools, put on camps, and sponsor teams. The Sonics are gone, sure, but the men who grew up on their legacy make sure it lives on.
&ldquo;In a weird way, we kind of fill that void of not having the Sonics anymore,&rdquo; Crawford says. &ldquo;Without the Sonics, the closest kids can get to NBA players is through our group or a ride to Portland or the television. So, when we put on our pro-am, which I think is needed now more than ever, I ask young kids who they want to see. They might say Kevin Durant or Blake Griffin and I understand that&rsquo;s the bigger picture. I never ask people for anything, and to be honest, I&rsquo;m uncomfortable doing it, but this is the only chance the kids in Seattle will get to see these guys. I remember what it meant to me growing up, so I want to do the same for them. So, I&rsquo;ll reach out and ask players to attend on their behalf. And I&rsquo;m grateful when they can help out. It means so much. We&rsquo;re the men&rsquo;s pro basketball players in the community. It&rsquo;s on us now.&rdquo;
Hoops Heist is the first publication from two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas&rsquo;s Slow Grind Media and it's available wherever books are sold. <a href="https://bit.ly/HHBasketballNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You can buy it on Amazon today</a>.
Jon Finkel is the award-winning author of "The Life of Dad," "Jocks In Chief," "The Athlete," "Heart Over Height," &ldquo;'Mean' Joe Greene," "The 'Greatest Stars of the NBA' Series" and other books about sports, fatherhood, fitness and more. His work has been endorsed by Spike Lee, Kevin Durant, Tony Dungy, Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban and Chef Robert Irvine. Follow Jon on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Jon_Finkel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Jon_Finkel</a>
Photographs by Dean Rutz of The Seattle Times. Check out <a href="https://deanrutz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dean's site</a> and follow Dean on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/deanrutz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@DeanRutz</a>

An excerpt from Jon Finkel's book (Hoops Heist: Seattle, the Sonics, and How a Stolen Team’s Legacy Gave Rise to the NBA’s Secret Empire).

How the Sonics helped Seattle become a hoops hotbed

It was a masterclass in fear mongering.&nbsp;
They crowded the paint against Portland, keeping the Blazers out where their long shots -- even what came expertly sniped by Damian Lillard -- weren&rsquo;t enough to keep the eighth-seed around. The Rockets, already the self-proclaimed savants of the small-ball approach, were not hard to squash underfoot. Against Denver, even with Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s unhurried and imperious presence at both ends, all they had to do was tire him out. And with everyone tired by the NBA Finals, Miami was a challenge -- and the dumb mistakes you make against the Heat will be promptly dealt right back in your face by their speed and efficiency, plus the thumping zeal of Bam Adebayo and the conviction of Jimmy Butler.
But when the Lakers won the title and stood shoulder-to-hulking-shoulder in a hushed, fan-less arena, it was their size -- turned stark by the shrinking sideline reporters angling in from six feet away -- that stood out. With all the talk around whether or not the bubble's title team would have an asterisk slapped beside them, the discourse never caught on to the real-time terraforming that was taking place, the fallout of which would have an effect on the league for seasons to come. 
In the triumphant, bullying shadow of the Lakers, the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy made diminutive in the hands of Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, Markieff Morris, JaVale McGee and LeBron James, big was suddenly in.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/lakers_big2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="787" height="AUTO" />
We have the Lakers to thank for this new, hulking landscape, and for the premium that was placed on centers in this condensed free-agency period. With every playoff series they advanced from, the team was able to show: No matter the volume or accuracy of an opponent&rsquo;s outside shooting, the creative range of offensive schemes from smaller lineups stacked against them, or the doubling and tripling of the their best and biggest players, all the Lakers had to do was hold their ground -- and one by one, teams would tire, then fall.
Because really, even if a team was able to slip past Davis, trip up Howard or if James &mdash; omniscient as he is &mdash; eventually took a break from being everywhere at once, and made it to the paint for close points, the effort of getting there again and again was plain and plainly unsustainable. Rebounding went out the window. The Lakers turned the glass into a table and ate up every second chance, at both ends. Blocks by Davis, McGee or Howard hardly ever seemed emphatic, even against teams with some matching magnitude, all the Lakers had to do was reach. 
As the playoffs went on and smaller, faster teams fell out, or teams with better chemistry fizzled, the Lakers winning it all became -- like everything they were doing on the floor -- a kind of brooding eventuality. And they did it all with size.
The NBA already has a short memory. Trades that feel seismic or tear apart the fabric of a franchise are patched over in a season. Possible standings, and narratives of good and evil, exhaust and reorder in months. It&rsquo;s hard to remember what the league even looked like two offseasons ago, let alone before COVID-19 so quickly warped the traditional timelines of the season. For all its upheaval, the league and its fan have learned to be fluid, the side effect of which is a kind of communal zen that settles after short bursts of shock.
Given that, and a truncated offseason bookended by the draft and training camps, this free-agency period was going to feel especially rife. But it&rsquo;s hard to look at the state of things as the dust settles, days before team training camps start, and not see the imposing shadow that the Lakers cast over nearly every move made by teams looking to stay competitive or get into contention.
For starters, it was a bigs market, but the selection was short. For months, this offseason&rsquo;s free-agency window paled even in conversation, with most preferring to look ahead to 2021 when more of the league&rsquo;s superstar contracts will come due. If the Lakers hadn&rsquo;t won the way they did, it&rsquo;s likely a handful of teams&rsquo; current rosters would still be intact.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_14078483-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
The Toronto Raptors lost two championship-caliber centers in Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol. The Raptors, hoping to keep their options and books clear for Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021, weren&rsquo;t willing to offer Ibaka or Gasol two-year deals -- the length of contracts both signed with the Clippers and Lakers, respectively. Left in the lurch, Toronto scrambled to make up for lost size by signing Aron Baynes and Alex Len, while renewing Chris Boucher. But against who was lost, a still-developing Boucher doesn&rsquo;t entirely stack up. Baynes and Len play a more physical game and post up players, rather than the defensively-cerebral capabilities of Gasol or the evolving skill set of Ibaka, who recently added a capable three-point shot to his repertoire.
This demand for standalone size, not necessarily size and versatility, was evident in either conference. The Celtics added Tristan Thompson, who, while a capable defender, doesn&rsquo;t offer the same dexterous stat line as Davis or Adebayo -- players who are evolving the position. But for Thompson, going from a non-contender to a top-three team in the East, the move has instantly improved his own competitive prospects and likely future career trajectory, proof that this abrupt need for bigs will be just as far-reaching for some player&rsquo;s individual careers as well. 
The Sixers made a slightly more lateral adjustment, hastily grabbing Dwight Howard, who now represents a larger and more dominating backup than the team previously had in Kyle O&rsquo;Quinn. With a far less substantial contract than Al Horford&rsquo;s, Howard&rsquo;s presence, even if he&rsquo;s only asked to enforce and help the Sixers' shooter-heavy lineup, is a steal.&nbsp;
A team that felt first-hand the hulking implications of losing to a tyrannically-sized Lakers lineup was Portland, and subsequently, the Blazers have bulked up. Enes Kanter comes back to the team easily, <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2020/11/26/nba-blazers-enes-kanter-damian-lillard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">citing the chemistry</a> he had alongside Lillard and CJ McCollum his first time around with the team -- and that Lillard texted him, &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go out there and win a championship,&rdquo; when he learned Kanter was returning. Add the 3-and-D versatility of Robert Covington and length and passing of Harry Giles, and the team&rsquo;s primary big in Jusuf Nurkic will get the relief he was missing against the Lakers' imposing menace. Rotationally, Portland&rsquo;s options have also grown; if Zach Collins continues to develop as a rangy defender, then the Blazers will have the option of going big with all three in the lineup at once.&nbsp;
Even rosters that already had size padded it with more, and the teams currently sitting at the top of the free-agency heap that have come out ahead opted to fine tune their lineups without sacrificing stature. 
The Pelicans -- whose star player in Zion Williamson is a first of his kind in the league in terms of outright imposition and, in his own physics-warping way, grace -- brought in Steven Adams and Willy Hernangomez, plus the squarely-built and defensively tenacious Eric Bledsoe, to line it all up. 
The Clippers, still lacking a clear leader, have at least made an attempt to shore up where games slipped away from them in the restart at the defensive end. They drafted for size in Daniel Oturu, and while Ibaka thrives alongside a capable playmaker, as he did with Kyle Lowry, he also knows how to space the floor for Kawhi Leonard, who looked increasingly stifled in the bubble.
The list goes on: Memphis drafted Xavier Tillman, a stretch forward closer in court presence to Jonas Valanciunas, but fits in with the length and floor flexibility of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke, and can act as a counterweight to the team&rsquo;s explosive tendencies. Jae Crowder brings the Suns a swing forward with the kind of solid size that can withstand some hacking in the paint, who alongside Deandre Ayton and Dario Saric grows the teams rotational options and stature. The Bucks added Torrey Craig and Bobby Portis; and Robin Lopez, who left Milwaukee to test free agency, found a fast fit with the Wizards (and earned a raise from his 2019-20 salary).
The Lakers, responsible for this big man bonanza in the first place, have further stacked themselves by bringing in Montrezl Harrell; the team&rsquo;s smallest possible lineup could have Harrell at center and still be capably hulking with James and Morris on the floor. And Gasol&rsquo;s addition is going to make everything run intuitively cleaner at the defensive end by virtue of his game IQ and incessant communication, without requiring him to be as athletically dominating.
Tangible league shake-ups like the forced reckoning the Lakers instilled this offseason also have the ability to derail basketball&rsquo;s more aspirational conversations. The discussion around positionless play, let alone the probability of it, seems all but impossible when looking at a roster as colossal the Lakers. As rare as it is for a player with the size, strength and playmaking capacity as Adebayo, or Toronto&rsquo;s OG Anunoby to come along, those ambitious and stretch capabilities are all but swamped against a team that presents more as a wall without any possible windows to sneak through. Whether the demand for size becomes a lasting trend or, perhaps unwieldy in the long-term, it's something the Lakers chose to capitalize on in the accelerated run up to the 2020-21 season. 
This year is going to be one rife with giants looking to rattle and subdue whoever gets in their way.

Katie Heindl details the league's overwhelming reaction to the Lakers' big-man strategy that led to an NBA championship.

Did the Lakers scare the NBA away from small ball?

The 2020 NBA Draft forged ahead on Wednesday night with a rapid-fire second round that saw a bevy of smaller trades go down.
But one move stuck out from the rest. The Philadelphia 76ers dealt two-way wing Josh Richardson to the Dallas Mavericks, along with pick No. 36, in exchange for sweet-shooting bench guard Seth Curry. Dallas ended up with two picks in the 30s, leading off the round by drafting Stanford guard Tyrell Terry and then taking Colorado forward Tyler Bey at pick No. 36.&nbsp;
In a draft that lacked star power, but fields fantastic depth, franchises had plenty of chances to find quality rotation players in the second round. My five favorite selections, with a breakdown of their team fits, are below:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Pick 31. Dallas Mavericks: Tyrell Terry (G), Stanford
The Mavericks' next step to title contention is surrounding Luka Doncic with outlet sharpshooters. Frankly, Terry would have been a great selection at No.18 for the Mavs. Instead, they land him 13 picks later, making the Stanford guard a clear steal.
Terry drilled 40.8 percent of his three-pointers at Stanford and is one of the best pure shooters in the class. He'll play off the ball in the NBA, but Terry can make quality reads as a passer. Though he's undersized at 6-foot-3, Terry makes up for his slight frame with tenacious effort and awareness.
Pick 35. Memphis Grizzlies (from SAC): Xavier Tillman (C/F), Michigan State
Memphis now boasts a Swiss Army Knife of a frontcourt. The Grizzlies have a bruiser in Jonas Valanciunas, a lengthy shot-maker in Jaren Jackson Jr. and an athletic marvel in Brandon Clarke.&nbsp;
In his own dimension, Tillman brings defensive versatility, leadership and NBA-ready court awareness. Unlike most second-round picks, the Michigan State big man could feasibly bypass the NBA G League and earn a spot on the Grizzlies' roster right away. Memphis is nearing playoff contention, and the exciting young franchise needs steady basketball minds such as Tillman.
Pick 40. Sacramento Kings (from MEM) : Robert Woodard (F), Mississippi State
Everything about modern basketball is packaged into Robert Woodard. He possesses valuable physical attributes as a 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and underrated hops. Woodard also knocked down over 42 percent of his triples as a sophomore, albeit on a small sample size. He can realistically defend positions 2-through-4 at the NBA level and is the prototypical 3-and-D forward. Sacramento nailed this selection.
Pick 49. Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Joe (SG), Arkansas
At long last, the 76ers addressed their shooting woes with a venegance on Wednesday night. But the success extends beyond acquiring Seth Curry. Philly also nabbed a premier long-range threat in Isaiah Joe. Though he was less efficient as a sophomore, Joe lit up the arc for the Razorbacks, canning over 200 threes across two years.&nbsp;
The concerns with Joe center on his healthy and fragile frame at approximately 165 pounds. If he can put on more muscle, the young shooter can be a dynamic weapon for Ben Simmons and other Sixers' playmakers.
Pick 60. Milwaukee Bucks: Sam Merrill (PG), Utah State
Merrill fits seamlessly with what the Bucks have valued as guard sparks. He plays a similar game to Donte DiVincenzo; both can score are all levels, play with pace and hustle on both ends. Merrill may not have the upside to be a safety valve for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he can certainly come off the bench and give the Bucks an offensive boost.
The Utah State product has limited upside at age-24. But with the Bucks all-in on a title, Merrill is yet another roster-ready piece to bolster the team's depth.&nbsp;

A number of NBA teams found serious value in the second round, from Tyrell Terry to Sam Merrill.

2020 NBA Draft: Recapping the second round's best value picks

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul and Dallas Mavericks forward-center Dwight Powell have received the 2019-20 End-of-Season NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of their continued commitment to positively impacting their communities through sustained efforts over the course of the season, the NBA announced today.&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s end-of-season award recognizes five players whose exemplary work advanced social justice and provided COVID-19 relief and support, reflecting the longstanding passion of NBA players to give back to their communities and stand up for the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion.
The five recipients made concerted efforts throughout the 2019-20 season &ndash; which extended nearly a full calendar year including the league&rsquo;s hiatus and restart &ndash; to leverage their platforms and voices to engage, empower and support different communities amidst the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic and social justice movement following continued incidents of racialized violence against Black men and women.&nbsp; Each winning player will receive $10,000 to their charity of choice, a donation from the NBA and Kaiser Permanente.
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings
Barnes has provided meaningful support to youth, families and frontline workers in Sacramento, Dallas and Ames, IA.&nbsp; Barnes and his wife, Brittany, donated $40,000 to deliver weekly groceries for families and senior citizens in Sacramento and contributed an additional $40,000 to Hunger Busters, a local non-profit that provides daily meals for Dallas Independent School District students, and $10,000 to the Boys &amp; Girls Club of Greater Dallas.&nbsp; Barnes provided nearly $200,000 for refurbishments to his alma mater Ames High School to assist with safe and healthy learning.&nbsp; He continues to take a leadership role in fighting for meaningful change to combat racial and social inequities, speaking about the importance of civic engagement and voting at a peaceful protest in downtown Sacramento in support of Black Lives Matter following the tragic murder of George Floyd.&nbsp; As part of the season restart, Barnes dedicated each Kings game to a different organization, including the Trayvon Martin Foundation, The Botham Jean Foundation, The Atatiana Project, Mothers Against Police Brutality, The Michael Brown Foundation, Tamir Rice Foundation, Champion in the Making and the African American Policy Forum, contributing $25,000 to each non-profit created by the families of victims of police brutality and gun violence.&nbsp; Barnes has selected the African American Policy Forum as the recipient of his donation.
&ldquo;It is a great honor to be named among the winners of the NBA Community Assist Award, which I proudly share with my wife, Brittany,&rdquo; said Barnes.&nbsp; &ldquo;Brittany and I remain committed to helping the communities we are connected to, specifically showing our support for families affected by police brutality.&nbsp; We dedicate this award to the legacy of Breonna Taylor and we stand with organizations such as #SayHerName with African American Policy Forum to shine a light on Black women and girls who have been victims of police brutality.&nbsp; We cannot forget them, and the Black men senselessly killed.&nbsp; Our efforts are not done, and we will continue to make a difference to fuel racial and social justice.&rdquo;
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Brown has continuously demonstrated leadership in Boston and Atlanta and throughout the hiatus and restart, organizing action and advocating for racial and educational equity.&nbsp; Following the killing of George Floyd, Brown drove 15 hours to his native Atlanta and organized a peaceful march on May 30.&nbsp; Brown&rsquo;s impassioned advocacy towards social justice inspired the Boston Celtics United for Social Justice campaign, a multi-focus commitment to addressing racial injustice and social inequities in the greater Boston area.&nbsp; In response to the pandemic, Brown made a significant contribution to the Boston Resiliency Fund, a city-led effort to assist communities most impacted by the pandemic.&nbsp; His generous donation provided meals for senior citizens and families most in need, new technology for students as they transitioned to remote learning as well as continued support for first responders.&nbsp; Brown has selected the 7uice Foundation as the recipient of his donation.
On receiving the 2019-20 End-of-Season NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, Brown shared, &ldquo;There is so much more work to be done.&rdquo;
George Hill, Milwaukee Bucks
Hill and his teammates were instrumental in encouraging members of the NBA family to leverage their collective platforms to advance social justice. &nbsp;Electing not to play on Aug. 26, Hill and the Bucks organized a call with Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes&nbsp;to discuss meaningful measures to address criminal justice reform.&nbsp; In April, he partnered with Represent Justice for a conversation with Xavier McElrath-Bey, who was formerly incarcerated, about the criminal justice system following the Bucks&rsquo; Play for Justice game at Racine Correctional Institution in December.&nbsp; Particularly focused on education, Hill collaborated with community leaders in his hometown of Indianapolis to open Him By Her Collegiate School for the Arts, preparing underserved students for college entry and postgraduate success, and created a youth mentorship program to help Milwaukee Public School students stay engaged during the pandemic called George&rsquo;s Gentlemen.&nbsp; To support those impacted by COVID-19, Hill donated meals to health care workers and contributed to the Bucks Emergency Relief Fund to provide financial relief to Fiserv Forum employees.&nbsp; Hill has selected Represent Justice as the recipient of his donation.
&ldquo;Every day we have to live our lives with greater respect and purpose.&nbsp; This isn&rsquo;t a one-person battle, it&rsquo;s a battle for the entire world,&rdquo; Hill said.&nbsp; &ldquo;Now is the time for us to come together as one and embrace each other, love one another and grow together.&nbsp; Humanity is something we&rsquo;re lacking, and I will continue to do my job to bring back those attributes that we lack today in every community.&rdquo;
Chris Paul, Oklahoma City Thunder
As President of the National Basketball Players Association, Paul played an integral role in ensuring the goal of the season restart would be to take collective action to combat systemic racism and promote social justice, working in partnership with the NBPA and NBA to create social justice messages on jerseys and the court, provide on campus programs and resources for players and use the game&rsquo;s platform to increase awareness around civic engagement.&nbsp; Paul, Portland&rsquo;s Carmelo Anthony and NBA legend Dwyane Wade launched the Social Change Fund in July dedicated to addressing social and economic justice issues facing Black communities and breaking down the discriminatory barriers to success.&nbsp; In March, he collaborated with Live Nation to launch an internship program at North Carolina A&amp;T State University, providing students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities with an opportunity to gain experience in the music industry.&nbsp; As part of the Chris Paul Family Foundation&rsquo;s efforts to strengthen communities, Paul donated meals to feed more than 200 hospital workers in North Carolina during the pandemic.&nbsp; Paul&rsquo;s foundation also partnered with State Farm and Spalding in January to renovate a 30-year-old court at Family T.R.E.E, an organization dedicated to renewing and reunifying families in Oklahoma City, and hosted 100 children from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma on a holiday shopping spree, teaching children how to budget their money and give during the holidays.&nbsp; Paul has selected the Chris Paul Family Foundation as the recipient of his donation.
&ldquo;The community assist award is such an honor to me any year, but this year in particular,&rdquo; said Paul.&nbsp; &ldquo;Given everything 2020 has thrown our way, it&rsquo;s important that we the players continue to use our NBA platform to be the voice of the voiceless.&nbsp; I will continue to amplify and support the front-line organizations fighting for racial and economic justice as well as the tireless efforts of the health care workers keeping us healthy and safe during the COVID-19 health crisis.&nbsp; I am so thankful for this acknowledgement as it is one of the proudest accolades an NBA player can receive.&rdquo;
Dwight Powell, Dallas Mavericks
During the pandemic, Powell organized immediate support for families and frontline workers in Dallas.&nbsp; He joined teammate Luka Dončić, Mavericks governor Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks Foundation in donating $500,000 to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital to assist with childcare for frontline workers and provide meals from local restaurants for more than 11,000 health care workers and first responders at the City of Dallas&rsquo; Emergency Operations Center, COVID-19 testing sites and local hospitals.&nbsp; Powell also lifted the spirits of youth during periods of physical distancing, participating in children&rsquo;s hospital virtual room visits, delivering congratulatory messages for 2020 graduates, and making personal phone calls and videos encouraging positivity.&nbsp; He continues to support cancer patients and their families through the Dwight Powell Children and Family Support Fund and as part of NBA restart, orchestrated the entire Mavericks roster to select &ldquo;Equality&rdquo; to wear on their jerseys. Powell has selected Champions of Discovery as the recipient of his donation.
&ldquo;In my opinion, being a member of a community means lending your neighbor a hand whenever needed and searching for ways to help make your community a better place for all who live there,&rdquo; Powell stated. &ldquo;Furthermore, this year has presented us all with challenges that I feel should have reminded us that we are part of a much larger community than our NBA market.&nbsp; The issues at hand regarding public health and equality are far reaching and demand all of our attention.&nbsp; So it goes without saying we as NBA players have felt the need to step up in whatever way we can to try and find ways to help keep people safe, fight for racial justice and urge everyone to register to vote so they too can use their voices. As members of the greater community I feel that&rsquo;s all of our duties.&rdquo;
The NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities, and honors the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece.&nbsp; The monthly award recipients in the 2019-20 NBA season included Gorgui Dieng of the Memphis Grizzlies, Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, DeAndre Jordan of the Brooklyn Nets, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Langston Galloway of the Detroit Pistons.&nbsp;

Harrison Barnes, Jaylen Brown, George Hill, Chris Paul and Dwight Powell received the 2019-20 NBA Cares Community Assist award.