Pirates

There are few certainties in life.
Death. Taxes. And Dorian Finney-Smith corner threes.
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Death, taxes&hellip;and a Dorian Finney-Smith corner three. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mavs</a> <a href="https://t.co/meTTIRgc18">pic.twitter.com/meTTIRgc18</a>
&mdash; Dorothy J. Gentry (@DorothyJGentry) <a href="https://twitter.com/DorothyJGentry/status/1501718770460602369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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When Finney-Smith entered the league six years ago, the Dallas Mavericks wing was told that the corner three is the easiest shot in the NBA and that he&rsquo;d &ldquo;make a lot of money" if he could knock it down consistently. &nbsp; &ldquo;I was already playing into the corner my rookie year, and once I realized how many corner threes I was going to get, I just worked on it,&rdquo; Finney-Smith told BasketballNews.com in a one-on-one conversation.
He laughs, as if he's just now realizing that it has become his trademark shot. Then, he shouts out the former teammate who helped his corner three become so deadly.
&ldquo;Wesley Matthews was a good vet for me. He was always telling me that I needed to get that (corner three) shot down pat if I wanted to be on the court," Finney-Smith said. "And I did!"
He would spend the next few years focused, head down, determined to prove he belonged in the league. He developed into a reliable shooter and perfected the corner three, just as Matthews advised.
This season, Finney-Smith shot 46.1% on corner threes &mdash; a huge improvement from his rookie year, when he shot just 26.3% from that spot. During the 2022 NBA Playoffs, he's been even better, knocking down 52.5% of his corner threes.
&ldquo;I had the confidence that I could shoot. I shot the ball well in college, it just ain&rsquo;t translated the first couple of years in the NBA,&rdquo; Finney-Smith said.
He knew there was only one way to get his shot back: stay in the gym and work.
&ldquo;Repetition builds confidence," Finney-Smith explained. "Also, I think my teammates seeing how hard I worked, it also built confidence in them. The ones who have been here with me throughout this journey &mdash; like Maxi [Kleber], Dwight [Powell], Luka [Doncic] &mdash; I think they see the work I put in and that also gives them confidence to give the ball to me in late-game situations.
&ldquo;Guys see the work you put in; they can tell if you've been in the gym or if you been BSing, and I built confidence with those guys, especially Luka, to pass me the ball in those clutch situations. They have trust in me, even when I miss it.&rdquo;
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Finney-Smith also earned the trust of Dallas' front office. After playing his best basketball and helping the Mavs win a lot of games (in the regular season and now in the playoffs), Finney-Smith is getting the recognition he deserves. The undrafted baller from Portsmouth, Virginia, was also rewarded with the biggest payday of his career.
In early February &mdash; six years after signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Mavs &mdash; Doe-Doe (as he is affectionately called) signed a four-year contract extension worth a reported $55 million. After earning $4,000,000 this season, he'll reportedly be paid $12,402,000 next year.
He has played his way into a starting role and into the hearts of MFFL&rsquo;s, becoming one of the fan favorites. Finney-Smith has established himself as an integral piece of the Mavs' future after averaging a career-high 11.0 points along with 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 threes, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals (while shooting 47.1% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range).
During the postseason, he has elevated his game to a higher level. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns, Finney-Smith finished with a playoff-career-best 24 points (on 8-12 shooting from three) and 8 rebounds. He became just the third player in Dallas' franchise history to make at least 8 three-pointers in game, joining Maxi Kleber (8 threes against the Utah Jazz on April 18, 2022) and Jason Terry (9 threes against the Los Angeles Lakers on May 8, 2011 &mdash; exactly 11 years to the day).
On Tuesday night, with the Mavs down 0-3 to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, he helped lead Dallas to victory with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 threes and 2 assists while shooting 69.2% from the field and 57.1% from three.
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The underrated 3-and-D specialist opened up to BasketballNews.com about this Mavs team, his happy place, his experience going undrafted, what talent he wishes he had and much more.&nbsp;
In your own words, how did the Mavs get here &mdash; to the Western Conference Finals?
Dorian Finney-Smith: "Just by staying together. Early in the year, we weren&rsquo;t shooting the ball as well as we wanted to. I feel like we just stuck with it. We didn&rsquo;t blame nobody else; we looked inward and we took accountability as a team. And shout out to the coaches: J-Kidd, he did a good job of making us hold each other accountable. All those close games that we were in the last couple of years, I feel like this year we made that step &mdash; finishing the game the right way."
After going undrafted, what allowed you to keep going mentally? And who's been in your corner?
Finney-Smith: "I have a big family. [The answer is] them. My kid&rsquo;s mom (Jasmine).
"I always felt like when I first made the team, I just wanted to get on the court. And once I got on the court, I just wanted to make sure I showed everyone I belonged. Once I started playing on the regular, I just always wanted my presence to be felt, even if I was making or missing shots."
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Did you ever think that playing in the NBA wasn&rsquo;t going to happen for you? Did you ever get down on yourself?
Finney-Smith: "Nah. Nah. Hell nah. I never got down. I was a little mad I didn't get what I wanted on my first deal. I played a whole lot, then I started&hellip; just me being&hellip; At times, it was a little frustrating just because I&rsquo;m human."
Who are you closest to on the team?&nbsp;
Finney-Smith: "Trey Burke, Reggie [Bullock]. Actually, we all pretty much hang out together. We are a close-knit team; even Luka comes and kicks it with us. This is probably the closest Mavs team I've been on. When I first got here, I had an older team: Devin Harris, JJ [Barea], Dirk [Nowitzki]."
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Finney-Smith: "Quiet. Or with the kids playing around. When I am not on the court, I am quiet."
What living person do you admire most?
Finney-Smith: "My mom because of her resiliency, and how she never let what she was going through show."
What talent would you most like to have?
Finney-Smith: "I wish I could sing. If I could sing, I probably&hellip; woo&hellip; I would sing all the time. I would sing myself out of trouble. (laughs)"
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?&nbsp;
Finney-Smith: "I don&rsquo;t know. God gave me everything I got for a reason, so nothing."
What drives you? What&rsquo;s your motivation?
Finney-Smith: "I would say fear of failure. Coming from where I came from, a small city, I always grew up around a whole bunch of 'I used to be' or 'what I could have done' stuff like that, so I am just trying to make the most of my opportunity because I know a lot of people may never get this opportunity or the chance to even get this opportunity."
Who is your favorite WNBA team and player?
Finney-Smith: "The (Dallas) Wings. Elizabeth Williams (of the Washington Mystics) is my favorite player. She is from Virgina; we both came out together in high school. She&rsquo;s a Virginia girl."
Who or what is the greatest love(s) of your life?
Finney-Smith: "My kids or my mom."
If you died and could come back as anything or anyone, what would it be and why?
Finney-Smith: "A lion. 'Lion King' is my favorite movie, and I love lions."
If you enjoyed this piece, be sure to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reggie-bullock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out Dorothy J. Gentry's exclusive interview with Dallas Mavericks wing Reggie Bullock</a> as well.
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Dorian Finney-Smith opens up about his breakout season, the Dallas Mavericks' playoff run, going undrafted, his happy place and more.

Dorian Finney-Smith Q&A: 'This is the closest Mavs team I've been on'

Luka Doncic didn&rsquo;t have another &ldquo;believe&rdquo; in him with the Mavericks facing a 2-0 deficit for a second consecutive series.
Not that the Dallas superstar doesn&rsquo;t believe. There&rsquo;s just a difference after&nbsp;losing a 19-point lead against title-tested Stephen Curry&nbsp;and the Golden State Warriors.
The Mavericks are headed home to try to stay in the Western Conference finals after they beat championship-less Chris Paul and Phoenix four times in five games, starting in Dallas, to get there. Game 3 against Golden State is Sunday night.
If Dallas is going to repeat what Doncic said he believed his team could pull off against the top-seeded Suns, it&rsquo;ll start with defense. The Mavericks got 42 points from their All-Star guard, but they quit defending the Warriors when the shots stopped falling.
Golden State shot 61% in the second half of a 126-117 victory &mdash; 79% in the fourth quarter, almost matching Phoenix from Game 2 in the West semifinals &mdash; as Dallas fell to 2-5 in Doncic&rsquo;s three playoff seasons when he scores at least 40.
&ldquo;We play defense when we play offense, and we play no defense when we can&rsquo;t score,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s something that we have to get better at this time of the year. You can get away with it in the regular season.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s a little something about offense Kidd wants the Mavericks to understand too. Always reliant on 3-point shooting, Dallas took its big lead because those shots were going in.
When the 3s stopped falling in the third quarter, Doncic and company kept shooting them. He missed a pair and Reggie Bullock was off on all three of his as Dallas ended up 2 of 13 from deep while a 14-point halftime lead was cut to two.
&ldquo;We got to attack the paint more, like they did,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;They attacked the paint a lot. They have two of the best shooters in the world, and they still attack the paint.&rdquo;
Curry did his thing with 32 points while fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson had another relatively quiet night with 15 points &mdash; except for two driving dunks after halftime.
When the Warriors didn&rsquo;t have free runs to the basket, center Kevon Looney was often waiting underneath. His career-high 21 points, regular season or playoffs, helped the Warriors to a 62-30 advantage in the paint, the most points the Mavericks have allowed inside in the postseason.
With 12 rebounds, Looney became the first Golden State center since Robert Parish in 1977 to have at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game, according to StatMuse.
&ldquo;Playing center for the Warriors, it&rsquo;s a different type of job from other teams,&rdquo; Looney said. &ldquo;A lot of the scoring and stuff, we don&rsquo;t really need us to do. I&rsquo;m going to remember that stat, so I can tell somebody else about it.&rdquo;
The Mavericks found a way to limit the efficiency of Deandre Ayton after a big game from the Suns center in the opener of that series.
The growing ineffectiveness of Dwight Powell (zero points, two rebounds in eight minutes in Game 2) has forced Dallas to go small. The Mavericks can&rsquo;t keep doing it if they can&rsquo;t limit Looney, who had five offensive rebounds and helped offset a dud from Draymond Green (minus-19 before fouling out with six points).
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the guys that no one writes about or talks about,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;But we understand the impact he has on the game of giving those guys second or third opportunities.&rdquo;
Golden State is 14-1 when leading a series 2-0 since Kerr took over in 2014-15. It is two wins from a return to the NBA Finals after the last of five consecutive appearances in 2019. The Warriors are in control because they won when trailing by as many as 19 for the first time in these playoffs.
&ldquo;Hopefully this is a game that we can kind of put in our back pocket and remember because there&rsquo;s a good chance we&rsquo;ll be in this situation again,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;This is a team that is explosive and you&rsquo;re dealing with one of the great players in the game who can create for himself and others, and it will be a hard series.&rdquo;

The Mavericks overcame an 0-2 deficit to beat the Suns in the last round. Can they do the same against the experienced Warriors?

Can the Mavericks climb out of an 0-2 hole once again?

The Milwaukee Bucks are in a sneaky-strange position after relinquishing their place as defending NBA champions.
They still have a core in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday that figures to keep Milwaukee in contention for several years. There's no major drama surrounding the team and no marquee free agent hitting the scene this summer. The Bucks have more stability than most of the recent ousted champions. In fact, I'd argue that you'd have to go back to the Kobe Bryant-era Los Angeles Lakers, Big Three Boston Celtics or early-dynasty San Antonio Spurs to find teams who gave up the title but still had promising outlooks.&nbsp;
Yet, the Bucks also seemed like they were playing from behind in most of the second round despite leading the series against the Boston Celtics multiple times. Their half-court offense was horrendous; Milwaukee averaged a putrid 81.9 points per 100 possessions on half-court plays, per Cleaning the Glass. Their defense was solid but solvable, as shown by the Grant Williams Game 7 extravaganza and Al Horford's explosion in Game 4.
How much failure can be atrributed to the loss of Middleton? How much can the Bucks stand pat as other Eastern Conference powers continue to make moves? How much will they weigh postseason failure against regular-season success and injuries?
These are the questions leadership will ask itself as Milwaukee approaches a murky offseason.
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The Bucks have their star trio locked down for the next two years (though Middleton holds a player option in 2023-24). However, they will have several smaller free agents to manage. Bobby Portis holds a $4.5 million player option, per Spotrac, and should command over twice that amount if he decides to hit the open market. Pat Connaughton ($5.3 million) and Thanasis Antetokounmpo ($1.8 million) also hold player options.&nbsp;
Wes Matthews, despite his low scoring numbers, was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wes-matthews-twoway-play-deserves-your-attention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most impactful Bucks in their playoff run</a>. His defense on Jayson Tatum in particular made the second round a slog for the Celtics' star, helping keep Milwaukee in contention. Matthews will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. At 35 years old, and with a limited offensive ceiling, he'll be an interesting player to watch this summer. I'm all for Milwaukee doing what they must to return Matthews, but will his age and injury history make them hesitant? If so, does another team pounce?
Serge Ibaka will also hit unrestricted free agency, and was not much of a factor in Milwaukee this season after being acquired at the 2022 trade deadline. Jevon Carter joins him and Matthews as an unrestricted free agent; his case might be more intriguing after he emerged as a rotation-caliber guard and shot the ball better than he ever has in his short career. Jordan Nwora and Lindell Wigginton will both be restricted free agents.
This free agency period ultimately forces Milwaukee to evaluate its supporting cast around the three stars. Giannis is the rudder for every decision the franchise makes for at least the next four years. Milwaukee has to reflect on which players best fit his strengths and needs, particularly on offense.
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Unfortunately, they won't have much free agent flexibility. The Bucks only have the $6.3 million taxpayer mid-level exception to go out and sign a complementary piece. They also hold a $1.5 million trade exception that has almost no functional value. So if they want to chase a player with more stature, they'll have to get creative with trades.
However, unlike many past champions, Milwaukee does still hold its first-round pick outright at No. 24 overall. The NBA Draft could be an easy way for them to add a rotation piece either by selection or with a trade. The franchise forfeited its second-round pick, however, in the fallout from the Bogdan Bogdanovic fiasco of the 2020 offseason.&nbsp;
Our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babock currently projects the Bucks to select Blake Wesley in his most recent <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft.</a>&nbsp;A 6-foot-5 freshman guard from Notre Dame, Wesley brings an enticing mix of length, slashing, scoring potential and defensive upside.
Does a seven-game sample dictate how the Bucks approach this offseason? It feels unfair to the larger roster and the shooters who ultimately went cold in a pivotal Game 7. But Milwaukee's expectations are now to win in these seven-game series, and when the offense looked as bad as it did in Round 2, running it back seems illogical.
It's not a call for Mike Budenholzer's ousting or saying that any particular player is holding the team back. The Bucks instead have to take a long, hard look at what team they want to be and what current players fit into that mold. They're still very much title contenders, but this season was a reminder that contention doesn't get you very far in the NBA.
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The Bucks have a stable foundation, but does a second-round exit force a change with the franchise?

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Milwaukee Bucks?

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

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

The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are top seeds in the NBA playoffs and at the moment they look like it, coming off impressive performances.
Both have a chance to take 2-0 leads in their respective series on Wednesday <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba">and are strong favorites to get it done, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>
In the Western Conference, the Suns have a 10-game winning streak against the Dallas Mavericks, counting regular season games, going into Game 2. Deandre Ayton scored 25 points, Devin Booker added 23 and Chris Paul had 19 in Game 1 in a balanced and mostly dominant performance.
The Suns were up 21 points in the fourth quarter before a Mavs rally made it a two-possession game in the final minutes. Phoenix <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-maxi-kleber-4da1f56c9b8ddb62fb07a60697831597">held on for a 121-114 win</a> and said the game taught them a valuable lesson.
&ldquo;Just break the dang gas pedal, that&rsquo;s it, just break it,&rdquo; Ayton said, referring to whether Phoenix lost its focus with the big lead.
As for the Mavericks, they need someone to help Luka Doncic, who scored 45 points, had 12 rebounds and eight assists in Game 1. Coach Jason Kidd said others need "to join the party&rdquo; if Dallas is going to make this a competitive series.
&ldquo;We have been here before,&rdquo; Dallas forward Dorian Finney-Smith said. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t overreact. We have to go back to the drawing board. We know how they are playing us now so we have to make our adjustment.&rdquo;
In the Eastern Conference, the 76ers used plenty of lineups against the Heat in Game 1, and will continue to seek the right mix without league scoring champion and NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid -- who will miss Game 2 with an orbital fracture and concussion.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-miami-heat-nba-sports-tyler-herro-91af7f05d5d2475750a2bfe3d4654ac8">Miami won Game 1 106-92</a>.
Going small worked at times for Philadelphia. When Miami figured out the counter, the game got away from the 76ers. But there were some elements that worked.
&ldquo;The biggest adjustment for us is taking care of the darn ball,&rdquo; Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s being organized, being in the right spots, running your offense correctly. ... To get in the game and let that pressure take us out of that, it&rsquo;s not disheartening but really troubling.&rdquo;
And a Game 1 loss certainly didn&rsquo;t hurt Philadelphia&rsquo;s confidence. Backup center Paul Reed made that clear after the game.
&ldquo;Honestly, I think we can definitely beat this team,&rdquo; Reed said. &ldquo;I think we go out there, be more physical than them and play more aggressive and keep them on their heels, they&rsquo;re going to fold.&rdquo;
76ERS AT HEAT
Miami leads 1-0. Game 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: Miami&rsquo;s Bam Adebayo was 8 for 10 from the floor in Game 1, Tyler Herro got his shooting stroke back and the Heat won without a big night from Jimmy Butler (15 points). But the 76ers found things that they liked; zone defense worked to a certain extent, though exposed Philadelphia a bit on the offensive glass. Tobias Harris -- who was great against the Heat in the regular season -- had a game-high 27 points. &ldquo;He killed us. We didn&rsquo;t handle him well,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Philadelphia G James Harden. Only four shots and four points in the second half (granted, he didn&rsquo;t play much of the fourth quarter) isn&rsquo;t enough right now for a 76ers team without Joel Embiid. Harden doesn&rsquo;t have to take 35 shots, but he and the 76ers need to find ways for him to try and score more.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Embiid (orbital fracture, concussion) remains out, though has taken the first steps toward escaping the concussion protocols. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s feeling a lot better. I don&rsquo;t want to give false hope, either, so I&rsquo;ll just stop there,&rdquo; Rivers said. Miami PG Kyle Lowry (hamstring) has not played since Game 3 of the first-round series against Atlanta and will not play Wednesday. Butler had an excused absence on Tuesday, but is no longer on the Heat injury report.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Miami. All the Heat have done is win a home game. If Philadelphia steals Game 2, it gets the home-court advantage for the series. That, combined with the possibility of Embiid returning at some point, would be a huge boost to the 76ers.
MAVERICKS AT SUNS
Phoenix leads 1-0. Game 2, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Suns were dominant for most of Game 1, looking much more like the team that led the NBA with 64 regular season wins. Deandre Ayton scored 25 points, Devin Booker had 23 and Chris Paul added 19. The Mavs hope they can take some confidence from a late-game run that made the score fairly close in the final few possessions. Mavs guard Luka Doncic was phenomenal with 45 points but needs help for the Dallas to get a road win.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Dallas G Jalen Brunson. Arguably the biggest reason the Mavs are still playing in this postseason is Brunson, who was had some big games when Doncic missed the first three contests of the Jazz series with a strained calf. Brunson struggled in Game 1, scoring just 13 points on 6 of 16 shooting. He'll need to be play better.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Dallas forward Maxi Kleber took a hard fall in the fourth quarter, landing on his upper back and neck after finishing a dunk. He stayed in the game to take his free throw but looked shaken. Kleber was a signficant contributor in Game 1, scoring 19 points and making five 3-pointers. Suns guard Devin Booker appeared to be at full strength in his second game back from a strained right hamstring, but he'll still be closely monitored.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Dallas. The Mavericks have lost 10 straight games against the Suns, counting regular season games. Doncic &mdash; as usual &mdash; has been fabulous but if the Mavs can't find him some help this could be a short series.
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

Both the Heat and the Suns have a chance to take 2-0 leads in their respective series on Wednesday.

Top-seeded Suns, Heat playing like the favorites in playoffs

Luka Doncic and his teammates remind Jason Kidd a little of the last Dallas Mavericks team to advance in the playoffs.
The coach now was the point guard then when the Mavericks had split the first four games of the 2011 playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers. He recalls people thinking Dallas might not even get out of that series.
Instead, the Mavericks won the next two games and never looked back. They swept the two-time defending NBA champion Lakers in the next round and ended up winning the title themselves by beating Miami in the NBA Finals.
This year, Dallas again started 2-2, then won two straight <a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-jazz-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-donovan-mitchell-fb5fd38fade2be4e78e6676d735f2eec">to get by the Utah Jazz with a 98-96 victory</a> on Thursday night. The current Mavericks don't have the experience and may not have the talent of his title team, but Kidd said they are a special group.
&ldquo;They truly believe, small or big &mdash; we&rsquo;re not very big &mdash; but they find a way to win and they have fun doing it,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;And hopefully this gives us confidence going against the best team in the NBA right now.&rdquo;
That would be the Phoenix Suns, the No. 1 seed after finishing 64-18 for the NBA's best record. They also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-suns-new-orleans-pelicans-nba-sports-playoffs-70682f2d4f433976ed229522060672a8">wrapped up their series with a Game 6 victory on Thursday in New Orleans</a> and will host the Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday.
&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re going to have to play our best basketball,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;They were in the finals last year, No. 1 team this year, so it&rsquo;s going to be really tough. The crowd really gets them going, so I think we&rsquo;re going to have to play our best basketball to beat them.&rdquo;
Doncic always plays well in the postseason, but it hadn't resulted in a series victory yet. The Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in each of the last two years, even though he averaged more than 31 points in both.
The Mavs had to open this series without their All-Star, who missed the first three games with a calf strain sustained on the final day of the regular season. Once he returned, he averaged 29 points and 10.7 rebounds.
Unlike those previous series, when it appeared sometimes Doncic had to do it all alone, he shared the scoring load against the Jazz. Jalen Brunson followed his best NBA season &mdash; and set himself up to cash in nicely in the offseason &mdash; by averaging 27.8 points.
That came after he didn't play in the 2020 series and played poorly in the final four games last year as the Mavs blew a 2-0 lead.
&ldquo;Pretty much I&rsquo;m over the past two years,&rdquo; Brunson said. &ldquo;This year is different for me and looking forward to continuing it and trying to help my team win.&rdquo;
With Doncic, Brunson and midseason acquisition Spencer Dinwiddie, the Mavs' strength is their three-guard lineup. Still, Dallas rarely looks explosive offensively.
Instead, it's a defense that allowed 104.7 points, just behind Boston for best in the NBA, that carried the Mavericks to a 52-30 record and the No. 4 seed in the West. Now they'll see what they can do against the Suns.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to be a fancy group,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have a lot of big names &mdash; Luka&rsquo;s the one that gets the majority of the attention &mdash; but JB, Dorian (Finney-Smith) and Reggie (Bullock) and those guys really, truly believe in team, and that&rsquo;s what helped us win this series.&rdquo;

“I think we’re going to have to play our best basketball,” Luka Doncic said of the Mavericks drawing Phoenix in the second round.

Mavs move on to Suns, reminding Kidd a bit of their past

DeMar DeRozan scored a career playoff-high 41 points and the Chicago Bulls outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks 114-110 on Wednesday night in Game 2 to tie their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Nikola Vucevic added 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Zach LaVine had 20 points as the Bulls beat the Bucks for just the second time in their last 19 meetings. The series now heads to Chicago for Game 3 on Friday.
The question facing the defending champion Bucks is whether they&rsquo;ll be close to full strength when the series resumes. Bobby Portis left Wednesday&rsquo;s game with a right eye abrasion after the first quarter and Khris Middleton exited with a sore left knee after slipping midway through the fourth quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 33 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, putting him one assist from his second career playoff triple-double. Antetokounmpo increased his career postseason point total to 1,715 to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,692) for the most in Bucks history.
Brook Lopez had 25 points for the Bucks. Middleton scored 18 and Jrue Holiday 15.
DeRozan scored eight points during a 13-0 run that began late in the third quarter and gave the Bulls a 96-80 lead with 9:47 remaining. The Bulls still led by 15 before Milwaukee rallied in the final 7 &frac12; minutes.
Lopez converted a three-point play to cut Chicago&rsquo;s lead to 112-109 with 56 seconds left. But after Alex Caruso and Vucevic got offensive rebounds on the Bulls&rsquo; ensuing possession, DeRozan&rsquo;s driving layup made it 114-109 with 18.2 seconds remaining.
After facing an early 16-point deficit in Game 1, the Bulls started much faster this time.
The Bucks committed three turnovers in the game&rsquo;s first 49 seconds and four in the first two minutes as the Bulls built an early 9-0 lead. The Bulls were ahead 29-28 at the end of a first quarter that featured six lead changes.
Chicago maintained a narrow lead before closing the second quarter on a 15-4 run to extend the margin to 65-49.
The Bulls extended the lead to 18 early in the third quarter, before the Bucks rallied with a small lineup featuring Antetokounmpo, Middleton and reserve guards Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton and Jevon Carter.
Antetokounmpo led the way as the Bucks went on a 15-2 run to cut the Bulls&rsquo; lead to three late in the third period. But the Bulls responded with 13 straight points and stayed in front the reset of the way.
TIP-INS
Bulls: After shooting a season-low 32.3% and going 7 of 37 from 3-point range in a 93-86 Game 1 loss, the Bulls shot 49.4% and went 12 of 25 from beyond the arc Wednesday. DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic shot a combined 21 of 71 overall and 4 of 22 from 3-point range in Game 1. They were a combined 33 of 62 overall and 7 of 14 on 3-point attempts in Game 2. ... Caruso had 10 assists to go along with nine points. ... Patrick Williams had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Bucks: George Hill missed a third straight game with an abdominal strain. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before Game 2 that Hill isn&rsquo;t expected back I the short term and that the team will monitor how the 35-year-old Hill guard progresses over the next &ldquo;handful of days or more,&rdquo; ... The Bucks had 15 turnovers to increase their season total to 36.

DeMar DeRozan's 41 points fueled the Chicago Bulls to a win in Game 2 of its series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

DeRozan scores 41 points as Bulls beat Bucks 114-110 to tie series

For the first time since the 2017-18 season, and just the second time since 2003-04, the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the NBA playoffs.
In a raucous game at Target Center in Minneapolis, the Wolves came back from down double-digits early in the fourth quarter to gut out a defensive showcase down the stretch in a very fun (but also <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1514071151890386947?s=20&amp;t=cOTx5ha_fVET44iT43U6Yw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very weird</a>) game.
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I added the Remember The Titans music to The Wolves winning the game. (Sound on) <a href="https://t.co/nYF9q9igAK">pic.twitter.com/nYF9q9igAK</a>
&mdash; Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) <a href="https://twitter.com/jga41agher/status/1514110660636033024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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First and foremost, celebrating is a good thing! I don't intend to straw-man; I'm sure it's a smaller group that's being vocal about the Wolves' post-game excitement, but it's worth hitting on. No, this team didn't win the NBA Finals and they're not on the way to doing that, but that loses the plot here. Other than maybe the Sacramento Kings, has there been a more frustratingly beleaguered franchise since the turn of the millenia?
Every turn this team has taken, including their one playoff appearance outside the Flip Saunders era, has come with consequences or at the expense of their future. I'm not a fan of the Timberwolves (or any team), but it's just awesome to see a team that has been resilient all year find their way and take the steps to be a solid team.
That's been special.
We don't need an entire halftime or postgame show clowning a team for enjoying themselves, rehashing history and talking about why a player wouldn't "make it in the 90s."
The game is different. What if we spent time talking about&nbsp;how the Los Angeles Clippers got Karl-Anthony Towns off his game? Or how KAT and the Wolves could scheme differently in the second half? I acknowledge that the TNT halftime show is not intended for me, and it did its job by drawing engagement, but if it's at the expense of the product they're dragging, what are we doing here?
JJ Redick gets it.
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Where&rsquo;s yours?
&mdash; JJ Redick (@jj_redick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jj_redick/status/1514118211674988546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The 109-104 final score is unsuitable as a descriptor of what this game was.
Let's dive in.
PATRICK BEVERLEY'S IMPACT
Early in the game, Kevin Harlan slid in that Patrick Beverley is "the most impactful player" for the Wolves right as the TNT broadcast went to commercial. I had to rewind to make sure I heard that right!
While I have to disagree with Harlan at large, my God, Pat Bev sure as heck made his case throughout the course of action.
There's a small handful of players who supersede the cliche "he-brings-energy-and-toughness-and-grit-that-can-change-the-game," emotional tropes, and Beverley continues to assert himself to that group. He does every little thing that can be done on the margins with consistency, and in a way that breeds both admiration and contention alike.
Timely tie-ups and steals, hounding switches, flying all over the place on close-outs. It cannot be undersold the amount of energy this man expended playing defense last night.&nbsp;
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He even had a momentum-saving block after a missed dunk that could've shifted the game.
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And he hit perhaps the most insane "WTF" shot I've seen from a non-star player in a while. Like, what is this?! A one-legged three while falling backwards as the shot clock expires is just nutty. In an elimination game!
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That was just a special special game from Beverley last night.&nbsp;
Whether he's the most impactful is up for debate (and probably wrong), but the impact he's had on this group is palpable and last night was a microcosm of his presence this season.
TAKING OUT TOWNS
As good of a game as it was from Beverley, it was the opposite for Karl-Anthony Towns, who fouled out with a little over half the fourth quarter remaining.
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The Clippers were 3-1 against the Wolves this year and they did the same things that allowed them to win the season series, putting a smaller player on KAT and bringing help late at the rim with Ivica Zubac. It's not fully on Jarred Vanderbilt, as he still played a pretty good game (particularly on defense), but part of the difficulty of having a player whose gravity comes from attacking the cracks of a defense is what happens when those gaps are tightened.
If he's in the dunker spot and KAT is driving the lane, the Clippers are okay helping off of him and mucking things up at the rim. It's also worth noting that Towns found Vando on a dump-off later in the game, and that's been part of their offense all season. This is going to be one of the very enticing chess matches to watch during the series with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Back to KAT: the Clippers played him well, but he also got in his own head and got out of his game, which was incredibly frustrating from a bystander and analysis perspective. He forced some of his attempts from outside and on drives. He felt rushed. He played into offensive fouls.
 It's okay and healthy to be emotional. Every person handles things in their own way. But teams have consistently used KAT's frustration against him. Towns has really put things together this year and shed a lot of those tendencies this season, but last night was a reversion to past years. He's the best player on this team and integral to their success, so they really need him to maintain composure again moving forward. Trying to replicate these kind of contributions up and down the roster going forward is asking for a lot. This single game is not a referendum on KAT, as he's a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/selecting-the-2021-22-all-nba-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deserving All-NBA</a> performer. Let's save the rash takes. Criticism for last night is warranted, but the overarching narratives are not.
D'LO AND ANT
D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards were fantastic last night in so many facets.&nbsp;
The Wolves came out extremely erratic and it seemed like the moment was too big for them to start the game. Their pace was quick but out of control. The defense was flying around, but almost too much.
The Clippers' defense struggled late as their offensive stagnation carried over, but the polarity of D'Lo and Ant gave the Clippers headaches throughout the night.
Russell's pacing was exquisite last night. It was by far one of the best games I've seen from him with regards to seeing the floor, picking his spots and attacking a defense. It felt like he hit every tough shot and pull-up last night, routinely never gaining separation, but it just didn't matter.
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Down the stretch, he masterfully pulled Los Angeles' defense apart, using some of their switching against them and orchestrating effective offense.
While Russell picked apart with pace and rhythm, Edwards was the overhand right coming off a jab. He set up his game early with a fluid contact finish over Marcus Morris and routinely found his way into the paint last night. Clippers defenders gave him an extra foot of space to try and wall off drives annnnd it was too much.
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He got to the line six times, nailed 5-of-11 threes, and hit shots off the bounce inside the arc if given the space.&nbsp;
When he doesn't make mistakes with the ball, it is so hard to defend Anthony Edwards. Do you give up the jumpers if he's hitting them at a high clip? Do you let him glide to the rim and hope help can bother him? It's a conundrum that many teams are finding harder and harder to solve as his game rounds out. He came ready for the moment last night off rip.
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"No one can guard him, and I keep preaching that to him" Patrick Beverley credits Anthony Edwards for his patience and hard work after the T-Wolves win to advance to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> presented by Google Pixel. <a href="https://t.co/SwD25thKCO">pic.twitter.com/SwD25thKCO</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1514117290803052546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Pat's whole rant on Ant is awesome, but Ant nodding his head the whole time in agreement like, "Yeah, I know. They can't guard me," is just priceless and awesome.
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When the lights come on, I show up. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Thurskii?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Thurskii</a>
&mdash; Anthony Edwards (@theantedwards_) <a href="https://twitter.com/theantedwards_/status/1514120995669524480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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QUICK-HITTERS
Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden McDaniels were so vital last night. The individual defense they played on Paul George was tremendous. He still got to his spots, but everything was well contested for the most part. He got to the line a good deal, but that happens against star players.
Last night, the Clippers were 12-of-28 in the paint with only 16 at-rim attempts and a large deal of that credit goes to that dynamic duo and their ability to crowd drives. By preventing full-on penetration, they were able to make some of the backline rotations just a little easier and cleaner for the Wolves. They went to a frontcourt of McDaniels and Vando at the 4 and 5 for a small stretch late in the game (which is not something that happened much this year) and they were able to hang tight before they brought in a true big. That was a really fun performance from them, and I can't wait to see how they perform in the playoffs.
The Clippers versus either the Pelicans or Spurs should be a fun match-up, and I can't wait to see that as well. The playoffs are almost here, and the postseason is already off to a fantastic start.

The Wolves are in the playoffs for the second time since 2004, earning their postseason trip after a terrific play-in performance.

NBA Play-In Tournament: Takeaways from Wolves-Clippers

There wasn&rsquo;t exactly a consensus about how the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; season would end, but it&rsquo;s probably safe to say that nobody foresaw this.
On Tuesday night, the Lakers saw their bleak playoff hopes reduced to zero when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets, and immediately thereafter &mdash; and rightfully so &mdash; Frank Vogel, Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were all in the news.
In the end, there&rsquo;s no single reason the Lakers turned in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history &mdash; there&rsquo;s enough blame to go around.
What Rob Pelinka needs to figure out is how to fix it.
The answer, ironically, would probably be to start thinking small.
This past season, the team managed to find some serviceable pieces to augment the star-studded core, but only Davis, James, Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves are under contract next season. The Lakers hold a team option on Stanley Johnson and Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn both have player options they are likely to pick up.
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The official 2021-22 Kendrick Nunn highlight reel 🎥 <a href="https://t.co/wDPehJyqpN">pic.twitter.com/wDPehJyqpN</a>
&mdash; Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersLead/status/1508967570560458762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Combined &mdash; thanks in large part to the commitments to Westbrook, James and Davis &mdash; the Lakers are in line to have about $148 million on their 2022-23 ledger, which is already about $26 million over the projected salary cap.
Said differently, outside of offloading one of Westbrook, James or Davis without taking much salary back in return, the team wouldn&rsquo;t be able to manufacture enough cap space to have a competent opportunity of improving via free agency. Obviously, the club could go the route it went this past season and hand out one-year, minimum salary contracts to aging veterans, but the players who could actually make a difference for the Lakers won&rsquo;t exactly be lining up to sign on the dotted line given the performance of this year&rsquo;s team.
To make matters even worse, the Lakers don&rsquo;t own a pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. Their first rounder was sent to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade, while their second-round pick is owned by the Spurs.
So how does a team with no cap space and no draft picks improve?
Simple: by thinking small.
Ask the Brooklyn Nets, and look toward the Miami Heat.
A historically frugal franchise, Miami has never necessarily found itself in the kind of salary cap hell the Lakers are in at the moment. Part of the reason why is because one of the constants during Pat Riley&rsquo;s tenure has been investing heavily in scouting and player development. The same rings true of most successful small market franchises.
Players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis may win you the championship, but throughout history, it&rsquo;s always been players like Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who get you there in the first place.
Contenders invariably unearth valuable and sometimes unknown role players and maximize those role players' talent. For example, this year's Miami team has enjoyed the combination of Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven combining to earn only about $7 million. That's about $3 million less than Talen Horton-Tucker alone. Strus and Yurtseven are far from household names, but Miami wouldn&rsquo;t be entering play on April 6 as the first seed out East without them, especially considering the injuries the team has dealt with this season.
Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn also go on a list that features the likes of Bam Adebayo, Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem as players drafted and developed by the staff in Miami.
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Some time ago, the Lakers had what looked like a competent core of young players. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine that just four years ago, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson were all teammates in Los Angeles. They&rsquo;ve all come and gone, most to facilitate the arrivals of LeBron, Davis and then Westbrook.
The Lakers do have a championship to show for that roster churn, but from this point forth, the way out might actually be to go back to the drawing board. Sean Marks and his Brooklyn Nets, another franchise that Lakers VP of Operations Rob Pelinka would be wise to mimic this summer, provide a blueprint for how to go about doing that.
When Marks took over the Nets in 2016, Brooklyn was not in a good place. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry had all come and gone, and the draft picks that became Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Collin Sexton were living their best lives elsewhere. The Nets had a bloated payroll, a team of scrubs and no future.
The NBA's Chicago Draft Combine was only two months after Marks was hired in Brooklyn, and despite not owning a first-round pick, he sent quite a contingent to the Windy City. Their directive was to do as much recon work as possible to find Marks some players who could help. Marks used Thaddeus Young to trade his way into the first round and came away from the draft with Caris LeVert and Isaiah Whitehead. Within the next six months, he signed two diamonds in the rough, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie.
One season later, Marks drafted Jarrett Allen and landed D&rsquo;Angelo Russell in a trade with the Lakers, and that was essentially the core that both got Brooklyn back on track and ultimately landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
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Highlights Kyrie Irving &amp; Kevin Durant 🆚 Sixers<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetsWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NetsWorld</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBATwitter</a> <a href="https://t.co/viw7ZzQQIZ">pic.twitter.com/viw7ZzQQIZ</a>
&mdash; Back2Back (@B2BFR) <a href="https://twitter.com/B2BFR/status/1502186067541307394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Obviously, that all took time to come to fruition, and time isn't something that LeBron James has. But the point is that no matter how daunting the situation, a competent NBA front office can build a team without having the most obvious assets readily available. That the Lakers have two superstars should actually make the task a bit less difficult.
In this league, there are generally two types of teams: those who rely on free agency and trades to build their contender, and those who build their programs organically, most often through the draft. Big-market teams tend to be the former, while small market teams usually go the other route.
If either Marks or Riley were put in charge of the Lakers&rsquo; front office, they would probably trade Horton-Tucker for draft capital after realizing he&rsquo;s not the right fit there. They&rsquo;d engage the Pelicans, Blazers, Thunder, Rockets, Pacers and Grizzlies &mdash; teams who may have multiple first-round picks &mdash; and find a way to come away from the draft with a young piece and at least one more promising player from the summer circuit. Only then would they go knocking on the doors of guys like Tristan Thompson, Semi Ojeleye and Victor Oladipo, all of whom could help and potentially be had for cheap.
By the time the 2022-23 season tips off, the team could be remade. Some names we&rsquo;d know, and many we wouldn&rsquo;t. But as we&rsquo;ve seen before, often, it&rsquo;s the names we don&rsquo;t know who end up making the biggest difference. Alex Caruso, anyone?&nbsp;
Neither DeMar DeRozan, Buddy Hield nor Kyle Lowry will be coming to save the day; Pelinka and James got themselves into their current mess, and they&rsquo;ll have to get themselves out.
With their season ending much sooner than anyone could have imagined, the Lakers will have plenty to address over their long summer.
But, at least in the NBA, small steps can lead to major strides.
With few options, the Lakers should be so wise.
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With the Los Angeles Lakers out of playoff contention, they must now focus on rebuilding like a small-market team.

Only fix for LeBron’s Lakers is to operate like a small-market team

It still feels like yesterday.
Boston Garden was going crazy because we knew the championship was ours. Guys started celebrating, Paul dumped that red Gatorade on Doc&rsquo;s head and we all celebrated like 10-year-old kids.
Somehow, it&rsquo;s already been 14 years since we beat the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, and even after all this time, I haven&rsquo;t forgotten those moments. It&rsquo;s like I have pictures ingrained in my head.
And going back to where it all went down to join my teammates to honor Kevin Garnett &mdash; even after all these years, man, Boston still feels like home.
I feel so blessed to have been able to play a part in such a great team accomplishing the ultimate goal. And we all felt like we played a small part in Ticket&rsquo;s jersey getting retired.
Last weekend, I was invited by the Celtics organization to attend Kevin Garnett&rsquo;s jersey retirement ceremony. It was scheduled to happen during Sunday&rsquo;s game against the Mavericks, and a bunch of the members of the 2008 team got together and spent the entire weekend in Boston. It was amazing.
It was like the band was back together. Just like old times, I was hanging out, cracking jokes and reminiscing with Paul Pierce, Big Baby Davis and Eddie House. I got to chop it up a bit and catch up with Danny Ainge. And of course, I got to not only catch up with Ray Allen and KG; I got to see them publicly, and once and for all, squash whatever beef they may have had.
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About last night. Appreciate the love as always <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> Great to be HOME<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KGweekend?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KGweekend</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vt5ZRqw8bP">pic.twitter.com/Vt5ZRqw8bP</a>
&mdash; James Posey (@James_Posey41) <a href="https://twitter.com/James_Posey41/status/1502702175775907840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Sometimes in life, one tiny decision you make ends up having such a huge impact. Before I signed with Boston, I really thought I was going to New Jersey to play with Jason Kidd and the Nets. But for a few reasons, I ended up heading to Boston instead.
One of the things I&rsquo;ll always remember about being a Celtic was the fact that when I came to Boston, I was the only player on the team who had already won a championship. Doc would sometimes ask me questions in front of the team and want to get my perspective. He&rsquo;d ask me about things that Pat Riley preached and habits that Dwyane Wade and Shaq had. He figured that I&rsquo;d gotten the top of the mountain, so I at least knew what the view looked like, you know?
But even though I had that experience, being around Ticket was just different.
He was so easy to rally around because he made it his personal duty to do all that he could to push everybody around him. And even after all these years, he still has the same unique energy.
When Ticket walks in the room, it&rsquo;s like you immediately get on guard. He just makes you want to be sharp and on point. He has the same energy today, but it was that times 10 when he was your teammate pushing you on the floor.
Everyone on the 2008 team just has a special love and appreciation for Ticket.
So being able to reconnect with guys that you won a championship with and doing it in honor of someone who helped to bring out the best in you, that just made the entire weekend in Boston all the more enjoyable.
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It felt like everywhere we went in the city this past Friday and Saturday, people loved us and respected us and knew us by name. With the Celtics organization itself, they treated us like first-class citizens and made sure we were taken care of.
Not only does Boston remember what we achieved, they will never stop showing us love. And we owe a lot of that to KG. It was nice to see him get the highest honor that an organization is able to bestow on one of its own.
What I&rsquo;ll remember most from that weekend &mdash; aside from Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1503106193102831620" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monstrous dunk</a> over Maxi Kleber &mdash; was KG shedding tears as he saw his jersey go up into the rafters.
A couple of us, including Big Kendrick Perkins, may have had one or two side bets about whether Ticket would cry. KG himself didn&rsquo;t think he would crack, but he obviously couldn&rsquo;t hold it all together, so we at least have something to tease him about the next time we see one another.
When I replay the weekend in my head, though, I kept finding myself thinking about Ray Allen. I was happy to see him there, but wasn&rsquo;t surprised that he attended.
I knew that everything that was said about him after he left for Miami would eventually become water under the bridge. But I knew that because I was a member of that team. The guys on that 2008 team simply loved each other too much and had too strong of a bond to let Ray&rsquo;s decision to leave ruin the bond forever. Even as words were exchanged over the years, I had all the confidence in the world that KG and Ray would bury the hatchet, and it unexpectedly happened during KG&rsquo;s moment.
While being interviewed during his jersey-retirement ceremony, out of nowhere, Ticket basically interrupted the interviewer just to say that it was good to see Ray there. Everyone started cheering before the two met at halfcourt and hugged.
As great as he was, Ticket was truly unselfish. So I guess it was fitting for him to share his moment in the spotlight with Ray and finally, publicly, squash the beef.
Nothing says &ldquo;brother&rdquo; more than that.
I think what most people don&rsquo;t really understand about being a pro athlete is how strong the relationship between teammates can become. The longer guys are together, the deeper the connection usually gets. And when you actually have success as teammates and when you win a championship together, it&rsquo;s almost as if the bond is solidified. And I speak from experience. Not only do you become members of an elite fraternity together, you helped one another get there.
Deep down inside, I think Ticket and Ray both had those feelings about each other.
After what&rsquo;s been said over the past few years, that was a beautiful thing to witness, and I&rsquo;m happy I was there in person to see it.
I&rsquo;ll never forget seeing KG and Ray hugging and jumping up and down at halfcourt at TD Garden back in 2008. It truly feels like yesterday.
In honor of Kevin Garnett &mdash; our leader and the engine that pushed that team &mdash; no other Celtic will ever wear No. 5.
I&rsquo;m proud to call him a friend and a teammate, and even prouder to see him receive the ultimate honor.
Fortunately, I have some new memories that I&rsquo;ll forever cherish.
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James Posey recounts his trip to Boston for Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement, which basically became a 2008 Celtics reunion weekend.

Even after 14 years, I was right at home with Kevin Garnett in Boston

From a mid-season blockbuster swap involving two disgruntled stars, to rumors that a former No. 1 overall pick wants a change of scenery in only his third season, the topic of player empowerment is front and center in the NBA. &nbsp;
Superstars wanting off their team isn't a new concept. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar forced a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. In recent years, superstars demanding to be dealt is so common that the term &ldquo;player empowerment&rdquo; established itself in our NBA lexicon.&nbsp;
But this season feels different, in that it is rife with unique trade demands. Like Ben Simmons' refusal to play a single minute for the Philadelphia 76ers while requesting a trade, with a whopping four years left on his contract. Or James Harden asking off of his second team in as many years. Even the Zion Williamson situation &mdash; rumored to be disgruntled in New Orleans after playing a total of 85 games &mdash; is unprecedented. With every new trade demand, it feels like stars are pushing the limits and boundaries of player empowerment.
Either the NBA's Mercury is in retrograde or we&rsquo;re witnessing the dawn of a new era.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Player empowerment&rdquo; was popularized in 2010 after LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh conspired to play with each other in Miami. Suddenly, players realized they could control their own destiny and team up to form super-teams.
Since then, player empowerment has largely come to mean trade demands from superstars. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Many executives have decried it as ruining the league's parity and even the sanctity of the game. &nbsp;
"Player empowerment is a catchall for the fact that the league has done a terrible job of empowering teams, the players have all of the leverage in every situation. I think it's the worst thing that ever happened to professional sports on all levels," an anonymous NBA general manager <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/06/07/lebron-james-agent-is-transforming-the-business-of-basketball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Isaac Chotiner of The New Yorker</a>.&nbsp;
Many fans view it as a win for laborers.&nbsp;
The NBA is, after all, the most progressive sports league. However, without even touching the racial undertones that weave throughout the narrative about the league, it is easy to see why the masses support the players. Fans have watched players lose the battle over the means of production &mdash; from owning 57% of league revenue in 2005 down to only 50% today &mdash; so witnessing players gain autonomy over their playing career by stripping control from owners is celebrated as a nice consolation prize.&nbsp;
As we become inundated with debate over the merits of player empowerment, we&rsquo;ve seemed to skip over what the term actually means and how it actualizes itself in the league.&nbsp;
There is no denying that some players have power and some of those players have controlled the make-up of the league for over a decade. The issue is that player empowerment is a term that poses as the league's players uniting, but instead, it is merely a select few exercising their power over everyone else.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s break this down.&nbsp;
Were the Los Angeles Lakers' young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart empowered when Anthony Davis forced his way to Los Angeles? Not likely.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s also impossible to imagine all six of Jarrett Allen (Brooklyn to Cleveland), Taurean Prince (Brooklyn to Cleveland), Caris LeVert (Brooklyn to Indiana), Rodions Kurucs (Brooklyn to Houston), Dante Exum (Cleveland to Houston) and Victor Oladipo (Indiana to Houston) felt empowered after being forced to uproot themselves midseason during a pandemic because Harden wanted to join the Nets.&nbsp;
Framing the whims of a small few that can disrupt the lives of many as player empowerment feels disingenuous. A better term would be &ldquo;superstar entitlement.&rdquo;&nbsp;
With the knowledge that player empowerment really means superstar entitlement, it&rsquo;s easy to understand how empowerment stories are often framed as prima donnas throwing tantrums until they get their way.
But maybe it should be framed as superstars earning power through loss of salary.&nbsp;
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With the advent of max salaries, stars are never fairly compensated. The bigger and brighter the star shines, the more they lose out &mdash; with their play forever eclipsing the money they make. Ergo, player empowerment is less about empowering all or even most players and more about compensating superstars in a salary-cap league.&nbsp;
Heliocentric is another popular term in our NBA vernacular; we&rsquo;ve heard the term &ldquo;heliocentric offense,&rdquo; and we&rsquo;ve heard stars described as heliocentric. But it&rsquo;s also a term that can refer to the league itself.&nbsp;
To briefly go back to the 1500s and Copernicus &mdash; heliocentrism is a cosmological theory that the Earth and planets revolve around the sun. And in the NBA, everything revolves around certain stars. The bigger and brighter the star, the stronger their gravitational pull &mdash; the LeBronicus Theory, if you will.&nbsp;
Superstars wield more power than ever. They influence nearly every aspect of an organization &mdash; from coaching hirings and firings, to player personnel and roster construction.
The Harden-for-Simmons swap is an interesting case to dissect, because it centers around two stars whom everything doesn&rsquo;t revolve around.&nbsp;
On one side, there&rsquo;s Harden, whose status as a heliocentric star diminished as soon as he left Houston for Brooklyn. And on the other side is Simmons, a player who could never cement himself into anything more than a secondary star in Philadelphia.
Though both players had leverage, Harden had more because of the status of his contract. Neither were in a place to force their teams to bend to their will &mdash; at least not in the same way Harden was able to back when he told Houston they had a problem.&nbsp;
In Brooklyn, Harden <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33259122/james-harden-wants-trade-philadelphia-76ers-formally-request-deal-due-concern-public-backlash-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly never voiced his desire to leave</a>, and 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey threatened to hold out on trading Simmons for the duration of his contract.
&nbsp;"You're going to think I'm kidding, I'm not. This could [go on for] four years... We're in the prime of Joel's career... Either Ben Simmons is playing for us, or we have to get back a difference-maker," Morey said.
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Morey on his timeline: "You're going to think I'm kidding, I'm not. This could (go on for) 4 years. ... We're in the prime of Joel's career...Either Ben Simmons is playing for us, or we have to get back a difference maker."
&mdash; Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerekBodnerNBA/status/1451288448875343872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It wasn't Simmons' refusal to play games or Harden&rsquo;s pouting that forced their teams&rsquo; hands.&nbsp; It was that Embiid&rsquo;s play pressured Morey to make a deal, and Kevin Durant <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953512-inside-kevin-durants-role-in-brooklyn-nets-james-harden-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly wanted one too</a>.&nbsp;
Ultimately, the deal came down to what was best for the biggest stars. While James and Ben were the players who used their leverage to request out, Durant and Embiid &mdash; being the heliocentric star of their respective teams &mdash; made the final call.&nbsp;
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What Harden lost in star power in moving to Brooklyn, KD gained by doing the same. Though Durant&rsquo;s play has always been stellar, it&rsquo;s clear he has more power within the Nets' organization than he did with the Warriors. It was Durant, after all, who <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953512-inside-kevin-durants-role-in-brooklyn-nets-james-harden-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly requested Kyrie Irving be allowed to play road games</a> despite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-say-kyrie-irving-cant-play-or-practice-with-team-while-unvaccinated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the stance Sean Marks and the Nets took</a> earlier in the season.&nbsp;
Who has power and how much they have is determined by a number of variables, like their standing in the league, their standing on their team, their health, the length of their contract and market size, etc. And this list of powerful players is still arguably fewer than 10 names long in any given season (with some variance).
The variables at play that make Durant&rsquo;s star shine brighter with the Nets than with the Warriors are as simple as the fact that there's another superstar in Golden State &mdash; and he was there first and couldn&rsquo;t be eclipsed.
Of course there are titans like LeBron James, who can completely shift the paradigm of the league with a flippant comment &mdash; like over All-Star Weekend when he hinted at a possible return to Cleveland.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The door&rsquo;s not closed on that&hellip; &nbsp;I&rsquo;m not saying I&rsquo;m coming back and playing, I don&rsquo;t know. I don&rsquo;t know what my future holds. I don&rsquo;t even know when I&rsquo;m free.&rdquo; James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-on-cleveland-return-the-doors-not-closed-on-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Athletic</a>.
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LeBron is back in Cleveland this weekend. His picture is on the building again. At first he said he hasn&rsquo;t thought about returning to play for the Cavs, but then we kept talking. &ldquo;The door&rsquo;s not closed on that,&rdquo; he said. LeBron had a lot to say today. <a href="https://t.co/cdg8RIoxZb">https://t.co/cdg8RIoxZb</a>
&mdash; Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByJasonLloyd/status/1495148179410591745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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LeBron&rsquo;s comments dominated the news cycle over the league&rsquo;s busiest weekend, and that's in large part because he will be a free agent in 2023. James signs short-term deals to maximize his leverage even though it means leaving long-term NBA money on the table.
Player empowerment isn&rsquo;t limited to team decisions &mdash; the NBPA also caters to the stars. With recent negotiations featuring superstars at the helm, contract negotiations often prioritize their needs.&nbsp;
Take for example the 2017 CBA. Superstar and NBPA president Chris Paul managed to help push forward the NBA supermax deal, given to players who have either won an MVP award, a Defensive Player of the Year award or earned an All-NBA selection in the previous season &mdash; or two of the previous three. The NBA supermax allows these stars to earn massive five-year deals with a starting salary of up to 35% of the cap.
Paul also helped change the "over-36" rule that prevented players from signing multi-year deals if they are to turn 36 or older over the course of the contract to "over-38." Not lost on anyone, Paul was set to be a free agent the summer of 2017, and pushing the rule back two years would have positively affected how much and how long he could have signed for.&nbsp;
In any collective bargaining, there&rsquo;s a give and a take &mdash; so both parties can walk away feeling like winners. So as collective bargaining agreements continue to reward those at the top, that leaves little for the rest.&nbsp;
Now, let's take a look at punishments. More often than not, disciplinary action comes in the form of fines. Technical fouls, for example, come with a fine of $2,000 for a player&rsquo;s first five offenses.&nbsp;
On Jan. 25 this season, the Sixers faced the New Orleans Pelicans. Embiid and rookie Jose Alvarado got into it and were each assessed technical fouls. That means Alvarado, who earns $462,629 this season, and Embiid, who's making $31.58 million, are meant to pay the same amount. Though Embiid generously offered to cover the fine for Alvarado, the benevolence of stars shouldn&rsquo;t make up for this obvious imbalance.&nbsp;
Fines are meant to disincentivize players from committing offenses, but when by setting these as a specific dollar amount as opposed to a percentage of their salary, they disproportionately&nbsp;hurt the lowest earners. And consequently, they allow the elite to do as they please.&nbsp;
Calling out NBA officials comes with a hefty $25,000 fine &mdash; this would be astronomical to rookies like Alvarado, but not to a superstar like Embiid who has been fined for doing just that. In Feb. 2019, Embiid told reporters the "referees f**king sucked" after a missed call in a close loss to the Boston Celtics. Though the fine undoubtedly hurt his pocketbook, it was a calculated risk he and other high earners like him have the freedom of taking.&nbsp;
From afar, superstar entitlement looks like stars picking their teams; a closer look unveils real inequities like financial penalties and disproportionate representation at the top of the players' union. A more granular look reveals that every scenario and every superstar is unique.&nbsp;
There is, however, one constant amidst the chaos in understanding power dynamics in the league, and that&rsquo;s team control. The NBA draft, rookie contracts, restricted free agency and good old-fashioned trades are just some of the ways in which teams have maintained ultimate control. The difference is when teams wield their power, it&rsquo;s not much of a news story.
We clutch our pearls at Kawhi Leonard demanding a trade but not at the Raptors for sending out DeMar DeRozan. We expect teams to make moves to better their situation, yet players who have become brands in their own right aren&rsquo;t given the freedom to do the same.&nbsp;
Any team would be over the moon to have a superstar play for them &mdash; we recognize this and they recognize this. So, they aren&rsquo;t going to sit back and wish upon a star for a trade. They ask, and if they're good enough, teams will acquiesce. It is a star-driven league, after all. So, we can&rsquo;t be surprised at who's steering the ship. And I&rsquo;d argue it&rsquo;s high time for the rest of the league to just grab on to their seats and hold on, because the era of player empowerment has only started taking off.&nbsp;
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Imman Adan details what "player empowerment" in the NBA truly entails and how it's been framed incorrectly.

The truth about 'player empowerment' in the NBA

The 2021-22 season is entering the homestretch, with roughly 20 games to go per team and the playoffs slated to start in less than two months (What?!).
Maybe it's just from the extended break, but the last few weeks have felt particularly rife with frustration and criticism from all parties in the league. It's important, for instance, to be critical, think in-depth and discuss the ins and outs of award voting. That's part of the media job and part of talking about the NBA! However, I've felt routinely bogged down by some of the discussions lately.
When it comes down to it, I just want to enjoy the league, get myself down into the minutiae, bask in the fleeting moments of this season and appreciate some of the things that have consistently brought a smile to my face or warmth to my heart this season.
So, without further ado, here are some things I've really enjoyed throughout the season that I want to give some shine!
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Isaac Okoro's quiet assertion
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the darlings of the NBA this season, stunning the majority of analysts and league personnel with their stellar play. Evan Mobley is going to be a star. Jarrett Allen rightfully earned an All-Star nod after some massive improvements across the board. Darius Garland stirs the drank like few in the league. Kevin Love has a claim to Sixth Man of the Year!
This team just jibes in so many ways. They've kept their heads above water through rough stretches with injury and difficult patches in their schedule. A good team!
Isaac Okoro, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, does not grab the headlines. His box score is roughly the same as last season.
Yet he is central to what the Cavs do. He papers over so much for Cleveland in a way that isn't always palpable, but when he's not on court, it's just kind of like "ohhh ok, I get it now."
Okoro isn't treated like a shooter, and rightfully so &mdash; he's shooting 30.2% from deep in his young career. Earlier in the season, he tried to gun his way through it at times, hoisting up open threes. At other times, he'd immediately drive an open look from the perimeter towards the rim. The balance never felt right. However, in 2022, he seems to have found that groove &mdash; becoming more comfortable toggling between driving and keeping defenses guessing. He's hitting 33% of his threes in 2022, on slightly over two per game. For where he's at right now, it's good enough.
To supplement that, he's been incredibly assertive as an off-ball player, timing cuts well when the defense helps off of him.
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He's a menace floating baseline, either off 45 cuts when the nail defender ball-watches, or flying in from the key to snag offensive rebounds.
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Isaac Okoro is so good at just being in the right place at the right time. He's really found his place in Cleveland's offense in spite of some limitations he has rn Quick screens, floating baseline, connective passing, a better balance in taking shots <a href="https://t.co/73ppW8SDoS">pic.twitter.com/73ppW8SDoS</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1497303529022763014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Okoro has such a great nose for the ball. He never seems to pause once the ball goes into action, and uses that advantageous extra split-second against the defense.
He's pushed the issue more in transition off of defensive rebounds to bring a different dynamic to the Cavs' offense (21st in transition frequency per Cleaning the Glass) and self-create easier baskets.
He's found ways to meaningfully impact winning as a second-year player in a way that most upper lottery picks aren't asked to do so early. I don't know what to think about his trajectory (a future article!), but it's clear that right now he's a vital cog in Cleveland's present and future. The playoffs will be a huge test for him and the Cavaliers, but I see it going well for him, as a guy who just makes it work.
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Dallas' rotation players
I really didn't enjoy watching the Dallas Mavericks play early in the season. I found their offense pretty drab, the defense was blah, and execution all-around felt off.
I was way too unfair and overly critical. Jason Kidd has really impressed me this season &mdash; the Mavs are a top notch defensive unit, and Luka continues to be one of the brightest stars in basketball. Jalen Brunson has taken another step and remains an absolute joy with his footwork and craft.
Often, it seems as though that's where the conversation ends (especially with Kristaps Porzingis now gone), and that's a shame!
Dallas does lack a true second star, but man, they have some incredibly effective and endearing role players &mdash; Dorian Finney-Smith is having a fantastic season! He's a very solid defender, both on and off the ball, but I've been more impressed with his offensive growth this season.
When he came out of Florida, he was a relatively shaky shooter and didn't shoot around league average until his fourth NBA season (38.1% on around 5 per game over the last three seasons). He started to put together more drives last season, attacking off the catch. Possessions could occasionally die if he was closed out on and then forced to put the ball on the deck.
Not the case anymore!&nbsp;
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He can hit the corner if the tagger comes, or find the dunker spot if the defender steps up. He's not going to ignite the offense, but he can keep it circulating.
Meanwhile, Maxi Kleber is always a delight as a defensive player &mdash; probably the best individual defender on the Mavs and a fringe All-Defense candidate.
He just defends everyone,&nbsp;and he does it with conviction. Per Basketball Index, he rates in the top 5% of their defensive role versatility metric and top 7% in positional versatility, a testament to his utility.
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He possesses great lateral quickness for his size, but his timing stands out even more. Kleber is adept at contesting shots, disrupting windows with gumption. He's solid on rotations and as a help side shot-blocker.
Jason Kidd has utilized Josh Green as a screener and more of a turnkey in the team's offense, letting him thrive on the margins rather than forcing him into a smaller role as a theoretical spacer just for the sake of theoretical spacing. He's brought a vertical element the team really lacks and his rugby background pops with his physicality. Small screeners can still screen effectively, and Green is living proof!
He has good court vision and ability to get off passes on the short-roll. He has decent touch on floaters, and while his jumpshot is mostly a pipe dream at the moment, I see the vision. Buy Green stock!
Dwight Powell has found some of the lift he lost and has been more serviceable in Dallas' revamped defensive system.&nbsp;
Reggie Bullock is such a quality defender and, after one of the worst shooting slumps I've witnessed in some time, he's shot 43% from deep in 2022.
The Mavs are certainly built around Luka Doncic, but the players around him are more than they tend to get credit for.
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Oshae Brissett: Off-ball savant
There are few players in the league I enjoy watching operate more than Oshae Brissett of the Indiana Pacers.
This one play may be the best 14 second summarization you'll ever find of a player.
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Brissett is a tremendous opportunistic scorer, always opening himself up to easy looks and as an outlet for teammates (The Haliburton-Brissett combo is ENTICING).&nbsp;
He times the cut as soon as help is committed, but Patrick Beverley makes a late rotation and recovers to tip the ball.
But wait, there's more!
Brissett tosses himself out of bounds to secure the ball and throw a mid-air pass back to Buddy Hield, who's wide open in the corner. Many a player makes this play and then floats under the rim, but Oshae immediately relocates to the corner.
The ball keeps moving around the perimeter. Swing-swing, and Oshae hits a wide-open three on a possession that wouldn't have already been over if he hadn't made an extra effort.
Keep him in mind when thinking about Indiana's future.
An appreciation of facial wear
Lu Dort is already one of the most revered point of attack defenders in basketball. Add on the mask and I'd like to think he gets a +4 to all defensive attributes, like when you put on new armor in a Bethesda game.
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Dort can never take the mask off ever again man, this is freakin sick <a href="https://t.co/08zAiZA3IA">pic.twitter.com/08zAiZA3IA</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1491090347380060160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Wendell Carter Jr. donned the goggles and hasn't looked back, ascending like the hybrid combo big that was promised.
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&ldquo;I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but BLINDING! The shadows betray you, because they belong to me!&rdquo; Wendell is now the chief member of goggle gang. <a href="https://t.co/YEVXzmOUYt">pic.twitter.com/YEVXzmOUYt</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1460616373558812676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Reggie Jackson: Starting point guard
I don't care what his true-shooting percentage is, he has literally never missed a jumper when he has glasses on.
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Pretty sure Reggie Jackson knew he wasn't gonna miss the game-winner 🚨 Clippers foil the Lakers comeback with a 1-point WIN 💯<a href="https://t.co/9NhHrvHBaK">pic.twitter.com/9NhHrvHBaK</a>
&mdash; ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1489471751767560193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I'm all in on eyewear, and players who feel the same have profited heavily this year!
Jeff Green, still dunking
Jeff Green is in the midst of his 14th NBA season, which is an absolute trip to type. Fun fact: he has never played less than 20 minutes per game in a season, and that doesn't look like it'll change this year. He's started the majority of the season with the Nuggets, and has continued to be a pretty darn solid pro.
His defense has ... uhh ... been lacking, but he continues to do what made me fall in love with his game as a kid: ripping the rim with dunks.
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He's second on the Nuggets this season in dunks with 48, his highest total mark since the 2017-18 season with the Cavs. His career dunk reel is insanely underrated if you have 10 minutes to kill.
Green has thrived in Denver's offense, playing off of Nikola Jokic as a cutter and roller.
The bounce he still has, the consistency with which he exhibits it, and some of the contact finishes he continues to put on tape are just absurd at this point. I've really enjoyed his season and the stability he's found as a role player later in his career.&nbsp;
Quentin Grimes sliding
I really liked Quentin Grimes at Houston and thought he had a real place in the NBA. That being said, I am routinely taken aback by his on-court impact in this, his rookie year.
On a team that's struggled to meet expectations, he's surpassed all of mine. The shot from deep has been money. He's intrigued attacking off the catch with some interesting flashes of live-dribble passing. 
The defense, oh man the defense.
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Obligatory tweet about Quentin Grimes' footwork and quickness <a href="https://t.co/31qIx3Fbqa">pic.twitter.com/31qIx3Fbqa</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1490035885089374216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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There just are not many players in the world who can move their feet the way Quentin Grimes does when he's sliding at the point of attack.&nbsp;
He sheds screens like mad, seemingly refusing to let the ball leave his area of effect. The way his feet move is rhythmic, a controlled-yet-maniacal pace that I find mesmerizing.
One of my favorite things to do at night is take a few minutes to tune into a Knicks game just to watch Grimes muck it up on the perimeter.&nbsp;
Fun and awesome things are happening all around us in the NBA. Sometimes, I really need to take a step back and go "hey, it's pretty cool the way Ziaire Williams just sprints to the corner," acknowledge the absurdity that is DeMar DeRozan's season without taking stock of his MVP odds, and appreciate the other great things that may have become commonplace. Basketball is a special sport. Reminding myself why I love it everyday makes me appreciate it even more.
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The regular season can be as log, and countless things big and small can get lost in the mix - so Mark highlights the little things.

Enjoying the NBA's little things so far this season

When the Golden State Warriors won the right to the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the prevailing sentiment was that the rich were getting richer.
And as he nears his 2021-22 season debut, Wiseman may end up being instrumental in determining whether the Warriors can truly hit the jackpot.
According to Dieter Kurtenbach of the Bay Area News Group, Wiseman <a href="https://twitter.com/LockedOnDubs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will return to the lineup</a> for the Warriors on March 1 when the team opens up a four-game road trip in Minnesota. For Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, the second-year big man will probably be a sight for sore eyes.
During his rookie campaign, Wiseman had some flashes of brilliance, but his first stint was cut short after he suffered a torn meniscus last April. Now, about 10 months later, Wiseman will be joining a club that has since seen Steph Curry return to being an MVP-caliber contributor and Klay Thompson return to its lineup looking as strong as ever.
Andrew Wiggins has become an All-Star, while Jordan Poole has become one of the league&rsquo;s most effective reserves. From Jonathan Kuminga to Gary Payton II to Otto Porter Jr., the Warriors have gotten consistent, high-level production across the board.
But what&rsquo;s even better for Wiseman is this: He represents what is perhaps the only glaring need on the club &mdash; depth up front.
For the sophomore, opportunity knocks.
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With Draymond Green still on the shelf due to a nagging back injury, Kerr has gone to smaller lineups, with Kevon Looney remaining the only true 5-man pivoting the paint for the club.&nbsp;
But as serviceable as Looney has been as the team&rsquo;s starting center, his lack of a scoring punch on the offensive end has been one of the few weaknesses that the team has had. Despite being one of the league&rsquo;s top defensive teams, the Warriors' relative mediocrity on offense has been apparent in some of the close contests they&rsquo;ve lost this season.
Fortunately for Golden State, that&rsquo;s the area where Wiseman has shown the most upside.
And fortunately for him &mdash; unlike during his rookie season &mdash; he will have the luxury of playing off of the likes of both Curry and Thompson. Wiseman won&rsquo;t be the focus of any opposing team&rsquo;s scouting report, and that is what will help him quickly become a difference-maker for the Warriors.
As a rookie, in just 21.4 minutes per game, Wiseman managed to score 11.5 points and grab 5.8 rebounds per contest. More impressive, though, was the fact that he connected on just under 39% of his shots that came from beyond 16 feet of the basket.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s hard to imagine him not being the beneficiary of more open looks playing with a relatively healthy club. With his size and athleticism, he will give Kerr a type of big-man weapon that hasn&rsquo;t been at his disposal during the Warriors&rsquo; dynasty run, and that&rsquo;s with all due respect to Andrew Bogut.
Looney is the only player on the team&rsquo;s roster to appear in all 59 Warriors games this season, and he&rsquo;s started each and every one of them. He himself admitted to being a little beat up and he, more than anyone else, was looking forward to the break.
In comes the 20-year-old savior.
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Some quick hitters from James Wiseman's presser Wednesday morning: -The 5on5 scrimmage -The procedure in December -Frustration of rehab -Weight room work -Value of patience -Staying off Social Media -Hobbies outside of hoops <a href="https://t.co/lpYJGagOnz">pic.twitter.com/lpYJGagOnz</a>
&mdash; Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDumasReports/status/1494031835369594883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As always, the Western Conference playoffs will be incredibly competitive. But the Warriors will enter play on Feb. 24 with the league&rsquo;s top Defensive Rating (104.8) and third-best Net Rating (plus-7.0). With only 23 games remaining on their regular-season schedule, they trail the Phoenix Suns by 6.5 games for the conference&rsquo;s top seed. It would take a relative collapse on the part of the Suns for them to yield the position to the Warriors, but with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chris-pauls-absence-could-actually-benefit-suns-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Paul set to miss the next 6-to-8 weeks</a>, the possibility can&rsquo;t be completely dismissed.
In most instances, the most highly-touted young players don&rsquo;t get drafted into situations where they&rsquo;ll be flanking future Hall-of-Famers still in their prime or joining rotations with championship aspirations. And when they have in the past, those players haven&rsquo;t usually been afforded the opportunity to play meaningful minutes during the chase.
Wiseman is original in that sense.
As a prospect, it&rsquo;s difficult to not be excited by his size and potential, and for the Warriors in particular, he fills one of the few needs on the team&rsquo;s roster.
Usually, teams that are 42-17 don&rsquo;t end up adding difference-making pieces with fresh legs this late in the season. Golden State, though, will soon receive that infusion.
Already considered the cream of the West, the rich will indeed get richer.
To the tune of a 7-foot big man with an impressive offensive repertoire, Steph Curry, Steve Kerr and the rest of organization remain hopeful that Wiseman can help them cash in.&nbsp;
After being selected with the No. 2 overall pick less than two years ago, the timing seems just right; he&rsquo;ll now have every opportunity to make good.
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Moke Hamilton writes on James Wiseman's impending return to the Warriors and how unique his opportunity will be.

Long-awaited return of James Wiseman will fill Warriors’ only void

If there&rsquo;s one thing the Brooklyn Nets aren&rsquo;t short on, it&rsquo;s basketball talent. For the team, that&rsquo;s a good thing.&nbsp;
For Paul Millsap personally? Not so much.
Now in his 16th year, after just 24 games in Brooklyn, the 36-year-old veteran big man is looking for a new opportunity.&nbsp;
Since he signed on in Brooklyn last summer, the Nets have seen Nicolas Claxton and Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe become reliable role players and LaMarcus Aldridge return from retirement. Meanwhile, 32-year-old Blake Griffin has maintained his place in the rotation, effectively leaving Millsap as the odd man out.&nbsp;
Of the five, he averages the fewest minutes per game (11.3 &mdash; a career low) and is the only one who hasn&rsquo;t started a single contest. Considering his pedigree, his unhappiness should come as no surprise.&nbsp;
Millsap effectively lost his job with the Denver Nuggets after the team acquired Aaron Gordon, and he chose to sign with Brooklyn because the team was perceived to have a shallow front court.&nbsp;
Surprisingly, though, it is Millsap who has drowned in the rotation.
With the NBA&rsquo;s Feb. 10 trade deadline approaching, there are a few teams which could both afford Millsap the opportunity to play meaningful minutes and contend for a championship. Whether the Nets trade him or buy him out, Millsap will eventually find a new home this season. If he&rsquo;s fortunate, it&rsquo;ll be with one of these clubs&hellip;
Milwaukee Bucks
After starting 70 games for the NBA champion Bucks last season, incumbent starter Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t appeared in a game since October. Currently recovering from back surgery, the Bucks are hopeful that Lopez can return before the playoffs begin, but as of now the team is rather thin up front.
Bobby Portis has filled in admirably since Lopez has gone down, and he&rsquo;s played well enough as a starter for head coach Mike Budenholzer to wonder whether Portis should retain the starting job even after Lopez returns. On the season, Portis is shooting a remarkable 41.4% from three-point territory. Although it&rsquo;s an appreciable decrease from the 47% he shot last season, that he&rsquo;s come close to maintaining his proficiency is an accomplishment, considering he&rsquo;s taking nearly twice as many attempts per game (4.5 this season compared to 2.4 last season).
It&rsquo;s not difficult to imagine a scenario where Millsap is able to give coach Budenholzer some minutes up front, especially considering the gaping hole that&rsquo;s been left in the team&rsquo;s rotation with Lopez&rsquo;s injury.
Phoenix Suns
Over the past 15 years, one of the constants in the NBA is that Chris Paul is going to find a way to maximize the players and the talent around him. We&rsquo;ve seen it since CP3 was suiting up in New Orleans, and we&rsquo;ve seen it most recently with Bismack Biyombo.&nbsp;
Unfortunately for the big man, Biyombo&rsquo;s career story &mdash; at least before arriving in Phoenix &mdash; has mostly been one about unfulfilled expectations. He was not re-signed by the rebuilding Charlotte Hornets after his contract expired last season and went unsigned for the first-half of this season.
Because of injuries to Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee, the Suns found themselves with a need in the frontcourt and, without fail, Biyombo has experienced quite the resurgence. Through nine games in Phoenix, he is averaging what would be a career-high 10.8 points per game on 70.2% shooting from the field. He&rsquo;s benefited greatly from playing alongside Paul, as well as with units that share the ball and play relatively fast.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, approximately 67% of Biyombo&rsquo;s field goal attempts come within three feet of the basket, with another 30% coming from 3-10 feet.&nbsp;
In other words, he&rsquo;s excelled by providing the team with an inside presence that the Suns are sorely missing without Ayton, and it&rsquo;s conceivable that Millsap could provide a similar interior offensive presence.&nbsp;
Dallas Mavericks
After hovering around .500 for the early part of the season, the Mavericks are 10-3 in 2022. Both Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have missed a fair share of games this season, but recent reports suggest that the Mavericks &mdash; who want to continue to build around their duo &mdash; are open for business.&nbsp;
In recent weeks, there have been reports citing Myles Turner and Dennis Schroder as players the Mavericks have some level of interest in, but Turner recently suffered a stress reaction in his left foot that may sideline him until after the trade deadline.
To make matters worse, Tim Hardaway Jr. fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot and is expected to be out for an extended period of time. Millsap won&rsquo;t necessarily help absorb any of the available minutes in the Mavericks&rsquo; backcourt, but he would help the team by providing another serviceable body who can help replace the 14.2 points per game they&rsquo;ll lose with Hardaway out of the lineup.
Along with Porzingis, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber have played most of the available big man minutes for Jason Kidd&rsquo;s team. It&rsquo;s difficult to imagine Millsap, even at 36 years old, not being able to provide value to a front line featuring those three.&nbsp;
With Turner potentially off the board and Hardaway on the shelf, Dallas will certainly have to find help elsewhere, especially with the team finally beginning to click after its season got off to a rough start.
Chicago Bulls
Patrick Williams was lost for the season back in October, and in January the Bulls have had players dropping like flies.&nbsp;
Zach LaVine only missed five games and returned to the lineup on Monday night after suffering a minor left knee injury, but neither Alex Caruso nor Lonzo Ball were as fortunate. Ball and Caruso will each miss the next 6-8 weeks, with Derrick Jones Jr. out for a similar time frame. Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic is battling left knee soreness.
The Bulls need bodies, and it would help if they happened to be big.
Enter Millsap.
Although there probably won&rsquo;t be many shots available for Millsap, he would provide immediate help to a Bulls front line that ranks 28th in the league in rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan has spent some time at power forward for Chicago this season, which isn&rsquo;t ideal. DeRozan &mdash; who has slowed down in recent weeks after being mentioned among MVP candidates earlier this season &mdash; would be better served by having another big in the lineup.
Although Chicago will be without Ball and Caruso for the foreseeable future, the team will need another big body or two if it hopes to challenge the likes of Milwaukee and Brooklyn for the Eastern Conference. Millsap could help.
Utah Jazz
Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside have proven to be a formidable tandem patrolling the paint for the Jazz, and they&rsquo;ve also proven that a team can still find success in today&rsquo;s NBA by playing traditional big men.
Although Millsap wouldn&rsquo;t provide the same spacing as Bojan Bogdanovic or Rudy Gay, he would provide the team with some needed insurance in the event that Gobert or Whiteside went down for an extended period of time.&nbsp;
Aside from the fact that Millsap began his career in Utah, he would also facilitate some offensive balance for the team &mdash; according to NBA.com, the Jazz score 38.6% of their points from three-point territory, which ranks third in the league. With respect to points scored in the paint, they rank 16th, with just 42.4%.
Millsap still possesses a back-to-basket game and could help Utah in one of the areas they need to improve.
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Moke Hamilton examines some of the teams that should take a close look at acquiring Paul Millsap from the Nets.

Five teams that could benefit from a Paul Millsap trade

I have a terrible habit of going to the grocery store without a list, something my mom's scowled at me for since I was in high school. I'd pick out all the coolest brands I could find, parse through the best produce, and by the time my mom was rummaging through the family's food for the rest of the week, I'd be getting an earful about how I spent $143 without actually being to construct a meal for four. Planning has never really been my thing.
"You bought rice, oyster sauce, and chicken, but no veggies or eggs to actually make stir fry!"
And that sentence my friends, sums up where I'm at with the Brooklyn Nets at the moment. Few contenders have flummoxed me more than Brooklyn this season, as I routinely feel a push-pull among the Nets' line-ups and roster construction that <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2021/10/will-a-deeper-frontcourt-lift-the-brooklyn-nets-to-the-top-in-2021-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I've found intriguing since free agency ended</a>.
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The Nets have shuffled their guys minutes a lot this year, with injuries and illness often forcing changes. Lately, rookies Kessler Edwards and Day'ron Sharpe have been getting an opportunity. <a href="https://t.co/xlwWKGSCwI">pic.twitter.com/xlwWKGSCwI</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1484939670802735112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Inconsistency is the new consistency for the 21-22 Nets, as Tom Bassine shows.
(He makes tremendous data visualizations and is a great dude, <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strongly recommend following him</a> if you don't already.)
The Nets are <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeVirayNBA/status/1484586445486850049" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tied for first</a> with the Lakers in total number of different starting lineups used this season (22), and while they have certainly been impacted heavily by injury and COVID absences, so have the majority of the teams in the league.
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NBA injury plot. Games missed by injured players versus team wins. Bubble size represents cumulative quality of players lost (Lost-ws metric) <a href="https://t.co/suz6bCvQy8">https://t.co/suz6bCvQy8</a> <a href="https://t.co/BznwVXNt84">pic.twitter.com/BznwVXNt84</a>
&mdash; Man Games Lost NBA (@ManGamesLostNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManGamesLostNBA/status/1483204710131814403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The struggles to blend the roster existed prior to Joe Harris' injury, which only complicated matters a bit further. With Kevin Durant now out for roughly the next month, things get a bit murkier.
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Brooklyn started the year winning with staunch defense, as they sought to work out the kinks of the offense and James Harden's post-injury rust. While shot-luck and variance was notably in Brooklyn's favor early in the year, their seventh ranked defense up until Christmas wasn't a mirage. Outside of the top two and sometimes three stars that Brooklyn hinges upon, the roster is built largely with a defensive-slant. However, with Kyrie Irving's return, and continued efforts to help James Harden find his rhythm, Brooklyn has leaned more heavily into some of their offensive role players and shifted rotations.
The Nets are second in offense since Dec. 26, but also have plummeted to 27th in defense over that same stretch per Cleaning the Glass.
So much of this revolves around their frontcourt. I wasn't fully sure what to make of the team prioritizing the 4 and 5 spot as much as they did, and in the way that they did this offseason, but I was intrigued nonetheless. They built out a big rotation full of utility, but the versatility seemed questionable and we've seen how that has played out.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-paul-millsap-agree-to-find-new-home-for-fourtime-allstar-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Millsap</a> never really got the run I was hoping for, but he also just didn't quite play well enough to warrant a bigger role. But, that's part of the issue. So many of the Nets' frontcourt players can play positive NBA minutes, but finding ways to play them together and get them all going &mdash; while maintaining a modicum of stability in lineups &mdash; has been an adventure.
Let's just run through some things that have been weighing heavily on my mind thinking about this team.
Blake Griffin not being last year's Blake Griffin really hindered this team early, and took away one of their few guys they could rely on as a short-roll playmaker, shooter, screener, and dribble hand-off operator. He's been better in the new year, but he's hitting 26% of his threes since entering the rotation again in early December, and defenses are playing him accordingly. He was absolutely scorching against Milwaukee in the playoffs &mdash; and they were still pretty comfortable sagging off or late contesting him. Without defenses giving him solid close-outs that he can attack, it's a lot harder for him to get the most out of his skill set at this stage, so TBD on Blake as part of the rotation.
Bembry and Brown
Starting the season without Kyrie and subsequently losing Joe Harris has been extremely destructive for Bruce Brown's role this season. His floater hasn't hit in quite the same way either, partially due to the spacing of the team. I'm not inside Steve Nash's head, but he has seemed overall a bit reluctant to rely on Brown as a release valve, do everything quasi-big &mdash; again influenced by the spacing issues already present. But really it's a confluence of events that have been both vexing and frustrating from a viewing perspective.
"Play Bruce Brown, he's good!"
"We don't have the spacing required to play him!"
"But, what about his defense and finding a way to get him going again?"
"We need to get three bigs on the roster going too!"
Outside of Harris, Irving, Durant and Mills, there is one player on the roster shooting above league average from three on one or more attempts per game (Kessler Edwards). Harden is shooting below average from three, but is still defended like he's shooting 45% from deep. Irving only plays in half the games, Harris is out as previously mentioned; the team routinely has two non-shooters on the court.&nbsp; More importantly, their players who aren't shooting well are guarded like it, which matters more than the percentages to a degree.
Last season, Bruce Brown was playing in lineups with Irving, Harden, Harris and one of Jeff Green or Blake Griffin (41% and 38% three-point shooters on volume). It was a much more inhabitable environment for a fringey, margins-based offensive player &mdash; and that environment just doesn't exist right now.
Add in Bembry who has had some really quality stretches, but largely brings the exact same things as Brown: ball-handling, some playmaking chops, perimeter defense and opportunistic scoring.&nbsp;
It's not as simple as saying "pick one," but to an extent, it feels like Brooklyn needs to prioritize which player they most believe in, in the rotation moving forward. The offense has opened up a bit more, and it's just so difficult to actually make the duo work together when there's really only room for one of them.
Rolling, Screening, and Lobs Oh My
One of the trends I've absolutely loved to follow over the past few weeks has been the budding chemistry between James Harden and rookie Day'Ron Sharpe. Sharpe is already the best and most dynamic screener on the team, in regards to his ability to screen open teammates, run DHO's and flow into the lane after setting solid screens.
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Despite it looking better and more consistent lately, James Harden's burst has just not routinely been what it was. Setting screens that actually generate separation and give him a runway are huge in the success of his pick-and-roll possessions. Sharpe is capable of that, making decisions on the roll with the ball, and is solid around the rim. However, he doesn't quite give Harden a lob threat (he can catch lobs, but he needs to load up first), which makes it easier for opposing bigs to get into his grill and play up on him in coverages.&nbsp;
It's a small gripe, but it's noticeable and makes me question a bit what his playoff utility might look like &mdash; if there is any this season for him. I've quite liked his defense and activity as well, just a really fun player, but again, his emergence makes things murky for Brooklyn again!
Nic Claxton had a really rough stretch to start the year, missing the entirety of November. Now he's out again with a hamstring injury. But he may be the most important big on the roster. His ability to not just switch on defense, but switch with purpose at a high level, unlocks what proved to be one of Brooklyn's most important looks in the postseason.
His offense has largely been lobs and putbacks, but he started to really put together intriguing stuff as a decision-maker in December and early January, looking the part of a starting center for Brooklyn. Claxton had 14 assists in 9 games from Christmas Day to Jan. 10 when he was injured, a small number and sample size. However, 14 assists is 22% of his career totals and tracked with what was visible on the court &mdash; much improved decision-making and some capability to dish the ball on the roll.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Another clip in the bag of short roll Nic <a href="https://t.co/Dc8VgD8vUr">pic.twitter.com/Dc8VgD8vUr</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1475119575704522765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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This is a minor showing in a major area, one that's vital for Claxton unlocking himself as a roller, and in helping to smooth out the offense when he's out there. Whether or not he can continue to execute in that area once he returns is huge for his ability to solidify his rotation spot, and paper over some of the roster inflexibility.
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Moving Forward
So where does that leave the Nets?&nbsp;
Durant, Harden and (sometimes) Irving are of course locks in the rotation. Patty Mills has cemented himself as has LaMarcus Aldridge, although his utility in the playoffs is probably going to be match-up dependent to a degree. Joe Harris is a lock when he returns from injury and Claxton likely is as well.
Kessler Edwards has already solidified his spot in my mind, as he's capable of linking together lineups in a way that very few players on the roster are capable of right now. He moves the ball, will take his threes (and make them at a high level), and plays very good defense with size at the 3 and 4 spots.&nbsp;
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Oh, hello Kessler Edwards! <a href="https://t.co/dDbCp3spAY">pic.twitter.com/dDbCp3spAY</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1481626183641047046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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His flashes have been extremely encouraging, and I'm not really sure how his blend of skill and size don't keep him from playing 20+ minutes per game the rest of the regular season. While I'm unsure how to feel about a rookie being a 7th or 8th man on a contender in the postseason, he's playing well enough at the moment to really make you go hmmmm.
Outside of that, I'm just not really sure what to make of this team's rotation, and I'm not sure Steve Nash does either considering how much tinkering he's been doing throughout the season.
(Not at all to discredit him, I think he's done a very good job this year; this is such a hard roster to figure out.)
Cam Thomas really looks to be a year or two away barring some substantial growth as he gets comfortable operating off the ball. James Johnson does wily veteran things and is a capable defensive option when switching everything, but he has similar offensive drawbacks to Brown and Bembry. I have loved the David Duke Jr. experience, but he's not there yet consistently as a contributor on offense. Outside of a stretch in November, Jevon Carter's jumper has just died and I have no idea what happened there.
 I'm just not really certain where the Nets go to figure out who they are as a playoff team. We know they can slant towards defense as Kevin Durant and James Harden shoulder the load at home. We know they can run opposing teams off the court with shot-making when Irving plays away games. How do they figure out a way to blend the two &mdash; and can they, given the personnel on the roster?
The best version of the Nets last year found themselves in the playoffs. It's fair to reason that the Big 3 will be more locked in and active defensively come playoff time yet again (James Harden, please move your feet, or contest, or something), but they need to find their backbone before then.
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The Brooklyn Nets are a contender, but their rotations are anything but cemented as they search for stabilization on an imperfect roster.

What exactly DO the Brooklyn Nets have?

You never want to see &ldquo;Damn Lonzo&rdquo; trending.
But, as is consistent with the rest of the season, a seemingly major injury has afflicted one of the NBA&rsquo;s aspiring contenders, and now that we&rsquo;re officially beyond the halfway point of the season, everything matters that much more.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported early Thursday that Lonzo Ball has a small meniscus tear in his left knee. Hours later, the Chicago Bulls <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-dealing-with-meniscus-tear-in-knee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed the injury</a>, relaying that Lonzo will undergo arthroscopic surgery with a recovery period of 6-to-8 weeks.
The Bulls are already missing Zach LaVine due to a left knee bone contusion, <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/nbcsports/bulls-zach-lavine-lonzo-ball-to-miss-road-trip-with-knee-injuries/2731931/?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_CHBrand">which will keep him out a least a few more games</a>. And while that&rsquo;s a short-term injury, Chicago suddenly has a thinning roster.
Patrick Williams is expected to be out for the season with a dislocated wrist. Derrick Jones Jr. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10023745-bulls-rumors-derrick-jones-jr-out-4-6-weeks-knee-injury-diagnosed-as-bone-bruise">may be out another month</a> with a bone-bruised knee suffered last week. Javonte Green is still <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32988184/chicago-bulls-guard-javonte-green-2-4-weeks-strained-groin">working his way back from a strained groin</a>.
Alex Caruso just returned after a month absence due to a mixture of leg, hamstring, and COVID issues, and even so, they&rsquo;re still very shorthanded at 28-15.
People are already throwing the Bulls around in trade rumors. Should they ask the Toronto Raptors about Goran Dragić? Would Caris LeVert coming from the Indiana Pacers be a helpful fit? Does acquiring Josh Hart from the New Orleans Pelicans make sense? Could they get any of the 6-foot-3 scoring guards from the Portland Trail Blazers not named Damian Lillard?
The Bulls do have <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/chicago-bulls/cap/">usable salaries to pair</a>, like Jones' $9.7 million, Williams&rsquo; $7.4 million and Coby White&rsquo;s $5.8 million. They <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Bulls.htm">also have draft picks</a>, including all of their own first-rounders after 2023 and a collection of second-rounders.
But we&rsquo;ve seen other contenders elsewhere not behave erratically and trust their own guys, at least in the interim. In the own-conference contender bubble, the Brooklyn Nets have turned to guys like Kessler Edwards, Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe, Cam Thomas and David Duke Jr. at different points, all of whom were a part of the 2021 draft class (though, Duke went undrafted and is on a two-way contract).
And, tied with Chicago, the Miami Heat have risen to the top of the East despite Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry having only played 14 games together this season. How&rsquo;s that possible? Just guys stepping up when called upon: Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker, Max Strus, Caleb Martin (a two-way), Gabe Vincent, Dewayne Dedmon and &Ouml;mer Yurtseven.
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Ball's obviously going to be a difficult replacement because of what he means to Chicago. His perimeter defense is elite, which is an especially deadly pairing when logging minutes next to Caruso. He's also developed into a sniper from deep, hitting 42.3% of his triples this season, the best of his career. And as the starting point guard, logging 34.6 minutes per contest, Ball is posting 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.
He's also accounting for a career-best .101 win shares per 48 minutes and is second in box plus-minus on the team behind Zach LaVine, and his 108 defensive rating ties Caruso for the best among Bulls guards. In no world is this level of two-way production easy to replace, moreso when it comes from your starting point guard.&nbsp;
For the Bulls though, as opposed to making any drastic changes, why not just use what you have? The aforementioned White is turning 22 years old next month, and lately, has been productive in his expanded role since returning from COVID protocols in December. In 16 games &mdash; and eight starts since Dec. 19 &mdash; White&rsquo;s averaged 16.4 points, and 3.1 assists on 50/45/86 shooting splits. In his last 11 games, he&rsquo;s up to 17.7 points and 3.0 assists per contest while slashing 54/51/91.
In other respects, the Bulls have turned to second-round rookie Ayo Dosunmu. Dosunmu, who just turned 22 on Jan. 17, was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ayo-dosunmu-ready-to-seize-the-moment-as-he-becomes-complete-player-nba-draft-prospects-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an All-American at Illinois</a>, a national championship favorite last season before losing to Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32.
A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Dosunmu is averaging 7.2 points while shooting 55.4% from the field and 45.7% from three in 21.3 minutes per game. He's also providing adequate defense, as expected when he was drafted at No. 38 overall.
Dosunmu is only at 1.7 assists per game, but has shown more playmaking ability across his last three outings, his best spurt as a rookie. Dosunmu&rsquo;s averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game over that stretch, shooting 76.7% from the floor and 70.0% from deep on 10.0 overall attempts per game. Continuing to unlock Dosunmu might be the best option for Chicago in the immediate.
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Dosumu, at least for now, could give you the spacing, playmaking and point-of-attack defense needed until Ball comes back. He won&rsquo;t be what Ball is consistently, but it&rsquo;ll be close enough for now without having to create mass roster upheaval.
The Heat are excellent at player development, but if you&rsquo;re the Bulls, you have to view what they&rsquo;re doing with undrafted talent and think you could sustainably get more-than-adequate production from your talented second-round draft pick in a similar fashion.

Bryan Fonseca weighs the Bulls' options with the news of Lonzo Ball having to miss time due to knee surgery.

Where the Bulls should turn with Lonzo Ball getting knee surgery

Bostonians need to breathe before reading this.
Things look bleaker than the ending of the Last Of Us II for some, but in totality, it&rsquo;s not really that bad.
The Boston Celtics are 21-21 halfway through the season and tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference with 40 games left. Even so, they&rsquo;re just three games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 5 seed. In this league currently, a two-week run could have you anywhere from eye-emojiing that conference championship or deciding to blow it up altogether. Just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.
That brings us to the Celtics, who have two All-Star caliber wings in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
With the same tandem many anointed as next in line, the Celtics lost in Game 7 to the LeBron James-led Cavs in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. (IBoston missing a sidelined Kyrie Irving didn't help either.)
Since then, the Celtics have imploded in the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals with Irving healthy, fallen to the Miami Heat in the East Finals in Kemba Walker&rsquo;s last All-Star season, and needed the Play-In Tournament to solidify their standing in the 2021 playoffs, where they were nearly swept by the Brooklyn Nets in the opening round.
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If you combine Boston's records following its 2020 East Finals run, the team is 57-57. So as a result, y&rsquo;all are trying to break up Tatum and Brown, who are still just 23 and 25, respectively.
Does that need to happen for the Celtics figure this out? Let&rsquo;s talk about it.
The Case To Keep&nbsp;
The case to keep is getting tougher to construct by the day because of public opinion and underwhelming results. Still, it&rsquo;s hard to have two All-Stars on your roster at 25 years or younger and to want to split them up, even if they could be offensively redundant. But let&rsquo;s compare this to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum&rsquo;s situation out in Portland, as a guide.
Lillard and McCollum are both 6-foot-3, score-first guards who are on the other side of 30 years old. Each rely heavily on creating with the ball in isolation or high screen-and-roll situations to generate offense, and generally occupy the same real estate on that side of the ball. Neither are defensive stoppers... at all... and both are on huge contracts through at least 2024. Lillard will make $39 to $49 million annually between now and 2024-25, whereas McCollum will bank $31 million, $33 and $36 million between now and 2023-24. Each deal will take them into their mid-30s.
Tatum and Brown are both on rookie extensions. Tatum could opt out of the fifth year of his, but even so, it&rsquo;s $37 million in 2025-26 &mdash; less than Lillard makes this year. Brown&rsquo;s number is $24.8 million this season, and he&rsquo;s only signed through 2023-24 &mdash; same as McCollum &mdash; where he&rsquo;ll see $28.6 million. Tatum and Brown are also wings between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-8, and have shown more defensive upside, while Lillard and McCollum are smaller guards who have dealt with more injuries in recent seasons than they had previously, for whatever that&rsquo;s worth.
A Tatum-Brown tandem is so damn hard to find and develop that it almost never happens, and &mdash; given where the projections stood after a quick turnaround from sending Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn &mdash; it&rsquo;s why people poke fun at the Celtics for being where they are. That's how Tatum and Brown got there in the first place.
But if you go the "keep both and make it work" route as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/celtics-have-no-interest-in-trading-jayson-tatum-or-jaylen-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston will reportedly choose</a>, you have to build it differently. If you want to keep the Jays together, a legitimate point guard should be there to run the show, not a dude who just plays the position; that would help Robert Williams significantly too. The problem is, the way guys are being encouraged to run the 1-spot now isn&rsquo;t conducive to that, so it&rsquo;s challenging. But hell, all of this is. Only four teams make a conference finals, and the Celtics have been to two in the last four seasons, so you could definitely talk yourself into keeping this going.
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The Case to Split
We don&rsquo;t definitively know what they are, but we&rsquo;ve heard rumors about friction and supposed off-the-court issues seemingly since these two became teammates. Not necessarily between them, but around them. This season alone, there was that time Brown and Al Horford didn&rsquo;t agree about whether or not the team <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-jaylen-brown-al-horford-werent-same-page-after-timberwolves-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">needed to look in the mirror</a> following a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Less than two months earlier, Marcus Smart called out Tatum and Brown <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDwk3qbgsxA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regarding their apparent selfishness offensively</a>. We could go on, but you get the point.
On the surface, you&rsquo;d just figure you&rsquo;d get more wins. It's easier said than done, especially knowing how much the league &mdash; the East, in particular &mdash; has improved since 2017. While Tatum and Brown have also become All-Stars in that time, we still have questions. &nbsp;
This also ties back into the redundancy on the court, which is discernable. There&rsquo;s something to be said for choosing one and dealing the other for a point guard with actual floor-general tendencies &mdash; or just better parts to fit around whoever&rsquo;s left &mdash; but given the level of whichever player is dealt, you&rsquo;d rather have the the former.
There&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/33034686/2022-nba-trade-deadline-watch-potential-deals-all-30-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Simmons smoke</a>, and he&rsquo;d make sense with either on the court. Off? Who the hell knows. Everyone&rsquo;s a wildcard in this hypothetical.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be fascinating, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-case-against-and-for-trading-shai-gilgeous-alexander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">though I think Oklahoma City should keep him</a>.
John Collins is interesting, particularly because he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hawks-emerging-as-a-potential-landing-spot-for-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may be available</a> and could conceivably play next to Time Lord down low; however, there&rsquo;s a world where that&rsquo;s clunkier than what Collins is already dealing with by sharing the floor with Clint Capela in Atlanta.
And there&rsquo;s Dejounte Murray, who would be the most appealing fit next to either if you&rsquo;re point guard hunting. A Brown for Murray framework, for example, works for both the Celtics and San Antonio Spurs on paper, at least. But, if I&rsquo;m the Spurs, it&rsquo;s a no from me dawg. For now, at least.
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The Verdict
Honestly, the East is too good for Boston this year, barring something more improbable than you out-trash-talking Dillon Brooks. There&rsquo;s something to be said for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/should-these-now-trade-eligible-candidates-be-dealt-this-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making a minor move to improve the roster a bit</a>. Still, this appears to be a one-and-done playoff team on the surface, with a deep evaluation of its future coming in a few months.
A trade wouldn&rsquo;t change your fortune a good deal either, so thugging it out until the summer is probably best for now, unless the locker room morale is worse than we know. In that case, it would be time for a meaningful shake-up.

Bryan Fonseca wrestles with the idea of what the Celtics should do with the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown duo.

The case against, and for, Boston splitting Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown

College basketball is just around the corner, and when the season tips off on Nov. 9, the scouting season will truly kick into high gear.
BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock and his team of scouts have already been watching prospects in U.S. professional programs (G League Ignite and Overtime Elite) as well as abroad, and have made stops at college pro days and exhibition games. So even though the collegiate season has yet to start, they have already been hard at work scouting some must-watch players.
I asked Babcock some questions about what he has observed in the collegiate preseason, what he expects from the early stretches of play, and more. Be sure to also check out the BasketballNews.com <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
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1. From a scouting perspective, how much do you take away from college basketball preseason?
Well, I evaluate hundreds of prospects every year. I&rsquo;m in the information-gathering business, and there is an extensive process to be able to gather enough information and come to a conclusive evaluation of a player prior to their draft. During the preseason &mdash; depending on who I&rsquo;ve seen before &mdash; I know some players better than others, how many times I&rsquo;ve seen them and in what setting. If I&rsquo;m seeing a player for the first time, it&rsquo;s the first step in my evaluation process.&nbsp;
In those cases, I&rsquo;m really just trying to get a feel for the player&rsquo;s skill set, body type, movements and personality &mdash; essentially creating a platform to work off in order to be able to do a deeper dive on the player. If I already know the player decently, I try to get a pulse of where they&rsquo;re at in their development. Both scenarios are important to me. I carefully put together my travel and my day-to-day efforts to make sure I gather enough information on all of the relevant prospects by draft night. To make a long story short, I value seeing prospects in all different types of settings, including practices and scrimmages during the preseason.
2. What were the most significant changes you made to your recently updated Big Board?
I&rsquo;d say the biggest change was including some additional freshmen who I&rsquo;m somewhat on the fence about. I recently included Max Christie from Michigan State, Moussa Diabate from Michigan, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield from Tennessee. Projecting how a true freshman will do right off the bat can be extremely challenging. I spend a lot of time evaluating high-school prospects in an effort to get a head start on the evaluation process.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m confident that all of the freshmen we currently have on our Big Board have the tools to be NBA prospects this year, but there are so many variables that can affect their imminent draft status: How will they adapt to their new setting? What role will they play for their team? Different things along those lines. I make it a point to track freshmen closely because oftentimes it can go either way.
3. What opening week games would you consider to be must-watch for scouts?
I&rsquo;m kicking the season off with a bang. I&rsquo;m heading to New York City for the State Farm Champions Classic to see Kansas versus Michigan State, and then Kentucky versus Duke at Madison Square Garden. Obviously it&rsquo;s great from a scouting standpoint because I&rsquo;ll see a bunch of top prospects. But even just as a basketball fan, I&rsquo;ll get to see some of the best coaches in the country go head-to-head: Bill Self versus Tom Izzo, and then John Calipari versus Coach K. It doesn&rsquo;t get any better than that.
4. After seeing Kentucky and TyTy Washington recently, what type of impact do you expect from him?
I&rsquo;ve spent a lot of time watching TyTy over the course of the last year. I feel like he&rsquo;s one of those players who I&rsquo;m constantly higher on than the consensus. My latest trip to Kentucky kept that idea intact. In fact, I walked away even higher on him than I was before. Kentucky had a brutal season last year, but I&rsquo;m expecting for them to bounce back this season &mdash; and I think TyTy is going to lead the charge for them. They&rsquo;ll go as TyTy goes. That said, I think he&rsquo;s going to be a star player for them and subsequently become a lottery pick come June.
5. Which prospects moved the needle the most this preseason?
There are a few guys in my book who have impressed me and helped themselves recently &mdash; Max Christie from Michigan State, Oscar Tshiebwe from Kentucky and MarJon Beauchamp from the G League Ignite.
6. What college freshman not currently on your Big Board could possibly be included sometime soon?
I&rsquo;ve got my eye on a few. Nolan Hickman and Hunter Sallis from Gonzaga, Harrison Ingram from Stanford, Trevor Keels from Duke and Bryce McGowens from Nebraska. There are some others too, but those are names that come to mind first.
7. How does this year&rsquo;s G League Ignite team compare to last year&rsquo;s?
Last year, the Ignite produced two lottery picks in Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga. This year, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/babcock-takeaways-from-the-g-league-ignites-season-opener" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I&rsquo;m expecting</a> Jaden Hardy to be a high lottery pick, but I don&rsquo;t expect any of the other guys to be taken quite that high. However, I think they have more depth and overall talent top-to-bottom. We are currently projecting that Dyson Daniels will be a first round pick, Michael Foster is not far off and MarJon Beauchamp is doing some really good things early for them too.
8. Which international prospects have risen for you in recent weeks?
One player to keep an eye on is Ismael Kamagate, who is playing for Paris. He&rsquo;s a big, athletic rim-protector and rim-runner. Our international scout, and a former NBA scout, Jason Filippi, recently watched Kamagate and had the chance to interview him. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-qa-french-big-man-ismael-kamagate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">His Q&amp;A is up on BasketballNews.com</a>. Jason walked away impressed with Kamagate. He&rsquo;s not currently on our Big Board but I wouldn&rsquo;t be surprised if we ultimately included him.

Ethan Fuller checks in with Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock ahead of the 2021-22 college basketball season.

2022 NBA Draft: NCAA basketball season preview with Matt Babcock

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Ismael-Kamagate/Summary/132958" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently playing for Paris Basketball</a>. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with the team.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
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Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tonight I had the opportunity to interview Ismael Kamagate following his breakout game vs Alba Berlin! Up &amp; coming prospect who comes from a good family and has a great attitude. <a href="https://twitter.com/_proinsight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_proinsight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BabcockHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BabcockHoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Agence_Comsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Agence_Comsport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JMedjana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JMedjana</a> <a href="https://t.co/a3ADzLuvEn">pic.twitter.com/a3ADzLuvEn</a>
&mdash; Jason Filippi (@JasonFilippi) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonFilippi/status/1437182233601839105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.

Jason Filippi chats with French center Ismael Kamagate about planning to declare in the 2022 NBA Draft and his aspirations with Paris Basket.

2022 NBA Draft Q&A: French big man Ismael Kamagate

At long last, we have meaningful NBA basketball to talk about, and it is glorious.
Opening week has begun with fireworks: epic collapses, eye-popping rookie performances and overtime games galore. Some teams have shaken off preseason worries with strong starts; others have only exacerbated the nerves of fan bases across the league. That's what makes our Sour Rankings so applicable.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher. Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well-under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and general underwhelming play will all be considered.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Some teams value wins this season and paths to a title, while others are looking down the road at long-term pieces. Let's get into some Week 1 overreactions, shall we?
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Washington Wizards (ranked No. 10 last week) and Minnesota Timberwolves (ranked fifth) both got off to impressive 2-0 starts. Washington won a huge 135-134 overtime game against the Pacers without Bradley Beal, and both Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma have wowed early. For Minnesota, a poor defense appears to be much improved, while Anthony Edwards has shredded opponents to start his second year.&nbsp;
10. Sacramento Kings (1-2)
The Kings nearly sneak out of the Sour Rankings. They pulled out an opening-night win over the Trail Blazers and fell in two competitive games with the Jazz and Warriors. Harrison Barnes reeled off 36 points in that 124-121 victory, and rookie Davion Mitchell continues to stake his claim as one of the best on-ball guard defenders in the entire league already. Sacramento still has yet to hold an opponent under 110 points, though, and the team defense remains an inflection point for the team.
(Last week: 6)
9. Los Angeles Clippers (0-2)
With matchups against two high-powered offenses in Memphis and Golden State, the Clippers understandably had tough defensive assignments. But they currently sit 26th in team defensive rating (117.2 opposing points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass) without Kawhi Leonard, and after trading Patrick Beverley. I'm banking on things turning around; it's just always difficult to get off to slow starts in the loaded West.
(Last week: Unranked)
8. Toronto Raptors (1-2)
Consistent offense is rapidly becoming a concern with this Toronto group. The Raptors are currently 29th in the NBA with 93.6 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. They've been held to under 100 points twice by two pretty bad defenses in Washington and Dallas. Sure, Toronto stomped the Celtics, but no player has consistently asserted himself in all three games yet. There are kinks to work out.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Portland Trail Blazers (1-1)
I'll be heavily tracking the Blazers' defense throughout the season; it's an area that was never good in the Terry Stotts coaching era and a side that could swing the fate of the team. First-year head coach Chauncey Billups has the group 23rd in defensive rating so far (per CTG). Portland also boasts the top offensive rating in the entire NBA, but as we've seen with past iterations, that hasn't exactly led to extended success.
(Last week: 4)
6. Indiana Pacers (1-2)
The Pacers have played very competitive basketball. Their two losses have been both one-point defeats, including an OT loss to the Wizards, as well as an OT victory over the Miami Heat. But it's the nature of those losses that stings.
Indiana held a 75-59 lead over the Hornets before being outscored 33-13 in the third quarter. Against the Wizards, it was a 33-23 third quarter that proved a difference-maker. And while the team beat Miami, Indiana scored only eight points in that third quarter. What's the message? Fix things out of halftime.&nbsp;
(Last week: 9)
5. Dallas Mavericks (1-1)
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A team with LUKA DONCIC sits 26th in offensive rating (per CTG) to start the 2021-22 season. This same team &mdash; which, again, has LUKA DONCIC &mdash; is 27th in rim frequency and 29th in transition points per play. We are talking about the greatest under-25 basketball player and perhaps a top-3 offensive engine in the entire world. And yet, the Mavericks have scored 87 and 103 points in their first two games.
(Last week: 3)
4. New Orleans Pelicans (0-3)
It's been a depressing start for the Zion-less Pelicans, who have the second-worst point differential in the entire NBA through the first six days. They are one of three teams, along with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic, with bottom-10 offensive and defensive ratings. Things are going to understandably take time to come together under first-year coach Willie Green. But for a team with sleeper playoff aspirations, things currently feel, well, sour.
(Last week: 8)
3. Phoenix Suns (1-2)
Deandre Ayton's contract situation has taken a jarring back seat to a new, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-reportedly-preparing-story-accusing-suns-owner-robert-sarver-of-racism-sexism-and-sexual-harassment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extremely serious report</a>. Jordan Schultz says the NBA is planning to unveil a massive case accusing owner Robert Sarver of sexual harassment, racism and sexism. The Suns have preemptively denied the allegations and the full story has not been released yet. Regardless, this is a significant situation to monitor.
Phoenix is also 1-2 with two blowout losses to the Nuggets and Trail Blazers with a win sandwiched in over the Lakers.&nbsp;
(Last week: 7)
2. Philadelphia 76ers (2-1)
Philly gets out of the "top" spot because the Sixers are winning games and looking good while doing so. Seth Curry has canned 13 of 17 triples to start the season. Joel Embiid is playing like Joel Embiid. And other young talents like Furkan Korkmaz and Tyrese Maxey have stepped up as scorers.&nbsp;
In contrast, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/an-open-letter-to-ben-simmons-from-etan-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Simmons drama</a> remains. Daryl Morey said this past week that he was fully prepared to wait four years to trade the young star. Morey added that he doesn't want to waste Embiid's prime... which is exactly what the team would be doing by not making a move and recuperating lost talent. Whether you believe Morey or not, this tension has shown no sign of release.
(Last week: 1)
1. Brooklyn Nets (1-2)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Through 3 games, James Harden has career-lows in rim frequency (17%), free-throw rate (.184), TS% (.519) and finishing (38%). He looks a lot less explosive and is not creating advantages with anywhere close to the consistency we're accustomed to seeing.
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1452668607268225025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
The Nets got steamrolled by their biggest competition in the East to open the season, snuck past the 76ers and then lost by 16 to the young (albeit super fun) Hornets. Multiple folks have observed that James Harden is struggling out of the gate. Want to know who isn't? Kevin Durant, whose way-too-early box-score line includes 33.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
It should be concerning that the Nets are losing while Durant plays in peak form. It should be concerning that Jevon Carter, not Kyrie Irving or another guard, started in the loss to Charlotte. Brooklyn appears to have had some hidden weaknesses already exposed by other teams.
(Last week: 2)

Ethan Fuller releases a new installment of the Sour Rankings after the first week of NBA action.