Aggies

The Memphis Grizzlies have seen significant contributions this season from two unexpected sources in guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and center Jay Huff. Once teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; bench and in the G League, Huff and Pippen Jr. have now found a place to thrive in Memphis, proving to be reliable pieces for the Grizzlies off the bench.&nbsp;
Jay Huff, a 7-foot center, first made his mark at the University of Virginia. Known for his shot-blocking abilities and efficient shooting from the outside, Huff helped anchor Virginia&rsquo;s defense, contributing to their reputation as one of the toughest defensive teams in the NCAA. Despite these strengths, he went undrafted in 2021, eventually signing a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Huff spent much of his time with the Lakers&rsquo; G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, where he continued to develop his rim protection and shooting touch. He also spent some time with the summer league team of the Orlando Magic, where he had a solid outing that led Memphis to pick him up in the offseason.
Scotty Pippen Jr., son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, also found his path through the G League after going undrafted out of Vanderbilt. At Vanderbilt, he displayed his playmaking skills, leading his team in scoring and assists. However, like Huff, he wasn&rsquo;t initially picked in the NBA draft and signed with the Lakers on a two-way contract, also playing for the South Bay Lakers.&nbsp;
Both players took full advantage of their time in the G League, honing their skills and awaiting a chance to make a larger impact in the NBA. However, both sides did not pan out and LA chose to release both guys.
Now with the Memphis Grizzlies, both Huff and Pippen Jr. are seizing their opportunities. Huff&rsquo;s defensive presence has been particularly impactful, providing Memphis with a much-needed shot-blocker off the bench. His ability to protect the paint has been a welcome addition, especially with injuries affecting some of Memphis&rsquo;s key frontcourt players. Huff&rsquo;s height and defensive instincts make him a tough matchup in the paint, where he averages close to 2 blocks per game (1.9). 
He&rsquo;s also shown an impressive shooting efficiency, both from the field and beyond the arc, allowing Memphis to space the floor even with a big man on the court. Huff is a scorching hot 48 percent on his threes, as he became one of the best shooting big men in the league this early into the season. One of his standout performances included an 18-point game, underscoring his scoring potential when given the opportunity.
Pippen Jr., meanwhile, is thriving in his role as a playmaker and secondary ball-handler. His passing has helped stabilize Memphis&rsquo;s second unit, and he has displayed the ability to score in bursts when needed. Recently, he logged a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 11 assists&mdash;a testament to his growth as a floor general. Pippen Jr. is averaging career highs across the board with 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. His court vision, combined with his knack for finding open teammates, has made him an essential part of Memphis&rsquo;s bench rotation, providing valuable relief minutes and keeping the offense fluid while the starters rest.
Both Huff and Pippen Jr. have found in Memphis what they couldn&rsquo;t quite establish in Los Angeles&mdash;a defined role that plays to their strengths. Huff&rsquo;s defensive skill set and shooting from the 5 position complements Memphis&rsquo;s hard-nosed, physical style on defense and a driving, paint-oriented style on offense as he spaces the floor well, while Pippen Jr.&rsquo;s playmaking and scoring ability off the bench provide depth to the Grizzlies&rsquo; backcourt. This fit speaks to the patience and persistence both players exhibited in the G League and in limited NBA minutes until their breakthrough moments arrived.
Their success also highlights the value of the G League as a development pipeline. Both Huff and Pippen Jr. used their time in the G League to fine-tune their skills and stay prepared for NBA call-ups. Now that they have regular minutes, they are proving that their time in the development league wasn&rsquo;t wasted; it prepared them to thrive when the moment finally came. Huff&rsquo;s ability to anchor the paint and contribute scoring when needed, along with Pippen Jr.&rsquo;s floor leadership, are assets Memphis has needed this season.
Their journeys reflect the resilience and adaptability required to break through in the NBA, going from college standouts to the G League, and now to productive roles in the league. They found themselves fighting for recognition, and have now established themselves as reliable and effective pieces in Memphis&rsquo;s rotation. This is a reminder of how hard work can translate to real NBA success. For the Grizzlies, Huff and Pippen Jr. are proving that sometimes, the best additions come from players who just needed a chance to shine.

Former Lakers Jay Huff and Scotty Pippen Jr. are making an impact off the bench for the Grizzlies, excelling in defined roles.

Former Lakers Huff, Pippen Jr. thriving in roles at Memphis

The Oklahoma City Thunder has made NBA history this season, becoming the first team to open 7-0 with an average winning margin exceeding 10 points. This impressive start has been fueled by a groundbreaking defensive strategy: an innovative 5-guard lineup. This approach prioritizes speed, versatility, and relentless switching, allowing the team to disrupt opponents in ways that go against traditional defensive methods.
One key factor in OKC&rsquo;s early dominance has been their exceptional play in the fourth quarter. The Thunder are not just building leads; they&rsquo;re closing games in commanding fashion. Across their seven wins, they&rsquo;ve consistently outperformed their opponents in the final period. In several games, they&rsquo;ve maintained or extended leads in the fourth quarter with clutch defensive plays and quick scoring bursts. 
For instance, in a recent victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the Thunder outscored their opponents by 21 points in the final quarter, sealing a 128-104 win. This ability to finish games has allowed OKC to consistently earn their double-digit margins of victory.
The defensive intensity ramps up at times in game, as the Thunder bring their unique 5-guard defensive setup into high gear, forcing turnovers and pushing the pace, leaving little room for opponents to make a comeback.
The foundation of OKC's success lies in their creative defensive scheme, where size is replaced with speed and agility. The 5-guard defense allows the Thunder to switch on nearly every play, minimizing mismatches that often arise from pick-and-rolls. Without traditional big men occupying the paint, the Thunder focus on positioning, quick rotations, and high basketball IQ. Alex Caruso, known for his defensive prowess, plays a key role as a perimeter stopper, using his length and quick hands to disrupt opposing offenses.&nbsp;
Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams also thrive in this system, as they both possess long wingspans and the ability to guard multiple positions. Williams is particularly effective at disrupting passing lanes and using his quickness to stay in front of ball handlers. Aaron Wiggins, another versatile guard, rounds out the lineup, providing both perimeter defense and additional length. Together, these four guards, along with the defensive-minded Lu Dort and superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, create a defensive wall that is difficult to penetrate, especially in transition.
OKC&rsquo;s defense isn&rsquo;t just about stopping opponents&mdash;it&rsquo;s about creating offense from their defensive stops. The Thunder are among the league leaders in fast-break points, capitalizing on turnovers to get out on the break before defenses can set. With players like Gilgeous-Alexander, Caruso, and Wallace leading the charge, the Thunder can push the ball upcourt quickly and attack before opposing teams can recover. This high-speed transition game has been a critical factor in their 10+ point average margin of victory, as they use turnovers and missed shots to fuel easy scoring opportunities.
The ability to turn defense into offense has allowed OKC to put pressure on opposing teams throughout the game, not just when the score is close. Their quick strikes in transition often lead to open 3-pointers or alley-oops, and their ball movement creates wide-open looks on the perimeter.
Furthermore, the Thunder&rsquo;s guards play with an aggressive edge that allows them to make up for any potential rebounding shortcomings, often by crashing the boards as a unit and using their length to block or alter shots.
Of course, one of the biggest reasons for the Thunder&rsquo;s impressive defense to start the season is because of Chet Holmgren. The second-year player has provided rim protection, currently averaging 3 a game. His quickness and high defensive IQ allow OKC to disrupt offensive schemes, as well as his well-timed rotations to close out on shooters and contest shots in the paint.
The Thunder&rsquo;s defensive scheme is only going to get stronger with the eventual return of Isaiah Hartenstein. Although he has yet to play this season due to an injury, Hartenstein&rsquo;s presence in the paint will give the Thunder another body at center, which adds vital depth to the team&rsquo;s frontcourt. His size, rebounding ability, and shot-blocking will provide a crucial safety net for the Thunder&rsquo;s defense. 
Once he is cleared to play, Hartenstein will be able to contribute both in the post and in helping to protect the rim, giving OKC more flexibility in how they approach matchups with larger lineups. His return will bolster an already strong defense and add another dimension to their overall game plan, with two-big lineups with Holmgren already being schemed upon.

The Thunder has made NBA history this season with their defense and this has been fueled by an innovative 5-guard defensive lineup.

OKC Thunder’s defense powers historic 7-0 start

Every NBA hooper&rsquo;s dream is to be able to meet and have a wholesome exchange with the players they have looked up to since they were kids. It is one of the most fulfilling things a player can achieve entering the NBA, and a moment like that could make that player&rsquo;s day.
For some however, that would be their lifelong wish granted and more.
Lakers guard Quincy Olivari just had that time of his life when he met Warriors superstar Stephen Curry after their preseason game on Friday night. The Lakers lost big against the Warriors 74-132 as they sat out their starters. In their place, Lakers head coach JJ Redick started Olivari and he delivered, scoring 22 points on 8-16 shooting including 5-9 from three with 7 rebounds. Olivari was all over the floor for the Lakers, providing energy and picking up full court against the Warriors&rsquo; ball handlers.
Although the Lakers&rsquo; lost, Curry took notice of the young guard&rsquo;s performance and chatted with him post-game. The two dapped up and had a brief moment, with Curry talking to Olivari about the game, giving him some advice.
When asked by the reporters in the post-game press conference, Olivari could not help but tear up at that wholesome instance.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s crazy &lsquo;cause I liked him since like I was in 6th grade,&rdquo; said a teary-eyed Olivari. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t even know what to say, man &ndash; that&rsquo;s like my favorite player ever. The first thing he told me was like &lsquo;I&rsquo;m a big fan of your game.&rsquo; And truth be told, I&rsquo;m a big fan of him &ndash; I had his jersey, he signed it twice and I used to sleep on that jersey. I just want to be like him so bad.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"Just to be able to meet him, he be able to have some respect for me... it means a lot." &mdash; Quincy Olivari got emotional about meeting his idol Stephen Curry 🥹 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/SpectrumSN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpectrumSN</a>)<a href="https://t.co/4LmOP5tcJb">pic.twitter.com/4LmOP5tcJb</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1847521000378020200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2024</a></blockquote>

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

Although Olivari is not guaranteed a roster spot with the Lakers having only an Exhibit 10 contract, his story is easily one of the best moments of the preseason. Having that moment with the player you idolized means the whole world for a young player like Olivari.
&ldquo;Just to be able to meet him and him being able to have some respect for me &ndash; and he gave me a pair of his shoes and signed them. Like, that meant the world to me &ndash; my dad knows, my mom knows. It just means a lot.&rdquo;

Lakers guard Quincy Olivari just had that time of his life when he met Warriors superstar Stephen Curry after their preseason game.

Undrafted Lakers’ guard Quincy Olivari gets emotional after exchange with Stephen Curry: “That’s my favorite player ever”

The New York Knicks have acquired forward Bojan Bogdanovic and guard Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons for guards Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacono and two second round picks, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
Acquiring veteran pieces in Bogdanovic and Burks strengthens the Knicks&rsquo; core as they hope to embark on a deep playoff run this season. New York is currently tied with the Milwaukee Bucks in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 33-18 record.
New York is the first contender in the East to make a splashy move as they feel like this core, led by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, could contend the East.&nbsp;
Bogdanovic, 34, is averaging 20.2 points while shooting 41.5% from three-point range this season. Bogdanovic will likely start at power forward as Randle recovers from a shoulder injury and he'll provide scoring alongside Brunson, giving the Knicks additional firepower.
Burks, 32, returns to New York after spending two seasons with the team from 2020 to 2022. He&rsquo;s currently averaging 12.6 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 40% from three in 43 games this season. Burks gives the Knicks a secondary ball handler and bucket-getter off the bench.
Detroit receives two future second-rounders and four guards (Grimes, Fournier, Flynn and Arcidiacono). Grimes, the 25th overall pick in 2021, was moved to the bench this season in favor of Donte DiVincenzo. Fournier and Arcidiacono didn't get many minutes in Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s rotation, while Flynn just recently arrived from Toronto as part of the OG Anunoby trade and never established himself in the lineup.

The New York Knicks have acquired forward Bojan Bogdanovic and guard Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons.

Knicks acquire Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks from Pistons

In today&rsquo;s NBA, the league is undeniably dominated by big men. 
The last five MVPs went to Giannis Antetokounmpo (two), Nikola Jokic (two) and Joel Embiid. Rookies Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren stand at a towering 7-foot-4 and 7-foot-1 respectively, and both are starting to make their mark in the NBA.
As the league embraces this new era filled with giants, it is awesome to see the two sub-6-foot guys match up against each other: New Orleans&rsquo; Jose Alvarado and Minnesota&rsquo;s Jordan McLaughlin.
Alvarado and McLaughlin, who are both listed as 5-foot-11 without shoes, have each carved out a role on their squad. The two provide different valuable skills off the bench, and they have been vital pieces to their team&rsquo;s success. 
Alvarado impacts the game on the defensive end by suffocating and pestering ball-handlers. He also comes up with his signature blindside steals, which earned him the nickname Grand Theft Alvarado (GTA). McLaughlin, on the other hand, is a crafty playmaker who sets up the Wolves' offense off the bench and serves as a reliable backup for Mike Conley.&nbsp;
In a league where there are 34 players who are 7-feet or taller this season alone, Alvarado and McLaughlin remain outliers and part of a dying breed.
There are only 12 players who are listed at 6-feet or below in the NBA this season, with the shortest being Markquis Nowell at 5-foot-7 and Jacob Gilyard at 5-foot-8. Together, they represent only 3% of the league population &ndash; which means small guards are largely going extinct in the NBA.
Unless you&rsquo;re an established point guard like Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry or Chris Paul, there has been little to no room for these shorter players on NBA rosters.&nbsp;
The current trend of positionless basketball and do-it-all forwards has certainly hurt these smaller guards. Whether it be less reliance on traditional point guards to set up an offense or getting hunted out for switches defensively, teams have been shifting away from said player prototypes. Even a former All-NBA teamer and super scorer like Isaiah Thomas was virtually driven out of the league mainly because of his unfortunate trait of getting exploited on defense due to his height.
Given this, it&rsquo;s impressive how Alvarado and McLaughlin are staying in the league. This could be attributed to their specific skill-sets. Both guys show that short players still have a place in the NBA as long as they provide value and play a certain role effectively and efficiently. In a league where height is often equated to success, it&rsquo;s refreshing to see two sub-6-foot players hold their own on the court.

As sub-6-foot players, New Orleans’ Jose Alvarado and Minnesota’s Jordan McLaughlin are the last of a dying breed.

Jose Alvarado, Jordan McLaughlin are the last of a dying breed

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

After a long four-month offseason, the 2023-24 NBA season officially kicks off on October 24. Preseason action is currently underway, with teams evaluating their roster and getting ready for the start of the regular season.
There were a few roster rule changes of note this offseason that were introduced as part of the new CBA. Now, each team can sign up to three two-way players (up from two) who are able to play up to 50 games with their NBA team and spend the rest of their season in the G League. Also, offseason rosters were originally limited to 20 players but have since increased to 21.&nbsp;
Each team needs to be at 15 standard contracts prior to the start of the season, which means a few players on guaranteed deals will have to be cut prior to the season. While some teams have a pretty set roster, others (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) will be forced to part ways with talented players to reach their roster limit.&nbsp;
Looking at the Atlantic Division, let's see how each team&rsquo;s lineup is shaping up and what questions they may need to answer before the start of the season.
(This is part one of a six-part series, with more divisional previews coming soon).
<h1>BOSTON CELTICS</h1>
Outside of the top-six players, who will be the most reliable depth option?
After acquiring Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics may have the best top-six of any team in the league. While we can add the Holiday trade to their list of aggressive offseason transactions, their depth has taken somewhat of a step back.&nbsp;
They will have to replace four rotation players from last year&rsquo;s Conference Finals team with a few players who don&rsquo;t have much experience in playoff situations. Three players who should definitely see more minutes are Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet. Pritchard has played well on both ends of the floor when given an opportunity, notably shooting 40% from three-point range over his first three seasons. The Celtics rewarded him with a team-friendly extension that should see him take up about 5% of the salary cap over the next four years. Hauser has also been a stellar three-point shooter, knocking down 42% since coming into the league.&nbsp;
The frontcourt is probably the most notable weakness on the team&rsquo;s depth chart. Joe Mazzulla has expressed confidence that <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/10/7/23907608/boston-celtics-depth-sam-hauser-luke-kornet-payton-pritchard-joe-mazzulla-blake-griffin-bus-one-boys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kornet should be successful on both ends of the floor and will be their go-to backup center to start the season.</a> The preseason will be important in determining who else (i.e. Oshae Brissett, Jordan Walsh, Svi Mykhailiuk, etc.) may stand out for Mazzulla and get an opportunity for playing time behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Celtics have the least amount of players on guaranteed contracts in the league (10). However, their roster for opening night is likely set unless they want to open up flexibility to sign other veteran players or buyout candidates later this season. If they choose to cut someone, it would very likely be a player on a non-guaranteed deal. Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton each have a partial $200,000 guarantee that increases to over $1,000,000 if they make the roster. Kornet, Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens all have non-guaranteed contracts.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 19 players (10 guaranteed, 2 partially guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 1 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jrue Holiday, G/F Jaylen Brown, F Jayson Tatum, F/C Al Horford, F/C Kristaps Porzingis
Projected Rotation Players: G Derrick White, G Payton Pritchard, C Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed), F Sam Hauser, F Oshae Brissett
Projected Reserves: F Jordan Walsh, G/F Svi Mykhailiuk ($200K guaranteed), F Wenyen Gabriel (non-guaranteed), G Dalano Banton ($200K guaranteed), F Lamar Stevens (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-Way Players: C Neemias Queta, G JD Davison, G Jay Scrubb (Injured)
Projected Roster Cuts: G DJ Steward (Exhibit-10)
<h1>BROOKLYN NETS</h1>
What is Ben Simmons' role?
Ben Simmons has only played 42 games since being acquired by the Nets in February 2022, dealing with physical and psychological hurdles that have made him somewhat of an afterthought. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has expressed confidence that Simmons is now 100% healthy and ready to contribute again at a high level.&nbsp;
He seems to be penciled in as the team&rsquo;s starting point guard, starting in the Nets&rsquo; first preseason game. Though it was just a small 14-minute sample size, Simmons looked a lot like his former All-Star self. Having not played since February 15, he looked athletic, aggressive and confident before sitting out the second half.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He attacked the rim, I think he played with pace, looked pretty natural out there getting up and down the floor, communicating with guys into the flow of the game,&rdquo; Vaughn said, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/ben-simmons-passes-eye-test-in-nets-preseason-opener/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising his $38-million man</a>. &ldquo;Really good to see.&rdquo;
Vaughn has some options when it comes to starting lineups where he could go smaller, with a backcourt of Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie, or decide to start Dorian Finney-Smith and use Mikal Bridges as a big two-guard.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
Darius Bazley, Harry Giles and Trendon Watford are all on non-guaranteed deals and are vying for the final two roster spots. The Nets also have an open two-way spot, which I believe they could potentially use on a player like <a href="https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/mens-basketball/kennedy-chandler-starring-in-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League standout</a> and former Memphis Grizzlies second-rounder Kennedy Chandler.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 18 players (13 guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 2 two-way)
Projected Starters: G/F Ben Simmons, G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Mikal Bridges, F Cameron Johnson, C Nicolas Claxton
Projected Rotation Players: F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Royce O&rsquo;Neale, G Cameron Thomas, G Dennis Smith Jr., C Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe
Projected Reserves: G/F Lonnie Walker IV, C Noah Clowney, F Dariq Whitehead, F Darius Bazley (Non-Guaranteed), C Harry Giles (Non-Guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: G Armoni Brooks, F Jalen Wilson, G Kennedy Chandler* (Projected Signing)
Projected Roster Cuts: F Trendon Watford (Non-Guaranteed)
<h1>NEW YORK KNICKS</h1>
Who will be the first option off the bench?
New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has his fair share of options to headline his second unit. In his third year, Immanuel Quickley had his best season to date, finishing as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award behind Malcolm Brogdon. Quickley was the primary scorer for the second unit, but he shouldn&rsquo;t have to carry the entire load on offense with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo.&nbsp;
DiVincenzo impressed last season with the Golden State Warriors as a reliable bench shooter and should spot minutes for Quentin Grimes and R.J. Barrett when offensive pushes are needed. Josh Hart could also be the team&rsquo;s sixth man, just like he was during the Knicks&rsquo; playoff run. After being traded from Portland, Hart averaged 30 minutes per game despite coming off the bench most of the time. It is worth noting the Knicks-Villanova connection between Hart, DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson, who should fit seamlessly together on the floor thanks to their pre-existing chemistry. While unlikely to be the first off the bench, Isaiah Hartenstein also deserves mention since he has been one of the league&rsquo;s better backup centers and could see more time if Mitchell Robinson gets in foul trouble. In terms of rotation issues, Thibodeau should see this as a good problem to have regardless of who he brings off the bench first.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Knicks have three spots up for grabs between Ryan Arcidiacono, DaQuan Jeffries, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr. All are on non-guaranteed deals that won&rsquo;t be fully guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date on January 10.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (12 guaranteed, 4 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jalen Brunson, G Quentin Grimes, G/F R.J. Barrett, F Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson
Projected Rotation Players: G Josh Hart, G Immanuel Quickley, G Donte DiVincenzo, C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Miles McBride
Projected Reserves: G Evan Fournier, C Jericho Sims, F Isaiah Roby (non-guaranteed), G Ryan Arcidiacono (non-guaranteed), G/F DaQuan Jeffries (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: F/C Nathan Knight, G/F Dylan Windler, F Jaylen Martin
Projected Roster Cuts: G Duane Washington Jr. (non-guaranteed), G Charlie Brown Jr. (Exhibit-10), F Jacob Toppin (Exhibit-10)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/embiid332.jpg" alt="" width="672" height="440" />
<h1>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h1>
Will Tyrese Maxey become more of a creator and how can that adjust the rotation?
The Sixers&rsquo; ceiling is contingent on how much Tyrese Maxey can improve this season. Maxey hasn&rsquo;t needed to be the team&rsquo;s primary distributor since James Harden joined the team, allowing him to blossom into a reliable 20-PPG scorer. Regardless of whether Harden&rsquo;s trade situation is resolved, Maxey will need to become a better creator and distributor if he wants to take his game to the next level. Prior to Harden&rsquo;s arrival, Maxey had an impressive 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio despite his small frame and risk-averse tendencies.&nbsp;
Interestingly, team president Daryl Morey has held off on giving Maxey an extension this offseason, electing to wait until next summer to pay his budding young guard. Maxey will likely demand near max-level money that could harm Philly&rsquo;s flexibility to go after star players next offseason. If he can improve his ball-handling and distribution tendencies, the Sixers&rsquo; offense should benefit tremendously, helping the offensive output of players like P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed and easing the reliance on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Patrick Beverley.
Roster Decisions
Two players will likely be fighting for the Sixers&rsquo; final roster spot. The team re-signed veteran Danny Green, who played for the team from 2020 to 2022, to a non-guaranteed deal. They also brought over young big Filip Petrusev, who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2021. Petrusev signed a multi-year deal that was partially guaranteed for $559,782 this season and non-guaranteed next year. Although unlikely, the 76ers could also elect to waive Montrezl Harrell despite his deal being fully guaranteed, as he should miss this season with a torn ACL.
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (14 guaranteed, 1 partially Guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Tyrese Maxey, G James Harden, F P.J. Tucker, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Projected Rotation Players: G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, G Patrick Beverley, F/C Paul Reed, F/G Kelly Oubre Jr., F Danuel House
Projected Reserves: C Mo Bamba, F Furkan Korkmaz, G Jaden Springer, G/F Danny Green (non-guaranteed), C Montrezl Harrell (injured)
Projected Two-way Players: G Terquavion Smith, G Ricky Council IV, F Azuolas Tubelis
Projected Roster Cuts: F/C Filip Petrusev ($559,782 guaranteed), G David Duke Jr. (Exhibit-10), G Javonte Smart (Exhibit-10)
<h1>TORONTO RAPTORS</h1>
What style does Darko Rajakovic bring to Toronto and who will benefit the most?
New coach Darko Rajakovic inherits an interesting Raptors team with plenty of talent, but they may be facing a crossroads in terms of how successful they can be as a group. Rajakovic is in his first NBA head coaching gig after three seasons as an assistant with the Grizzlies and is known around the league as a pick-and-roll guru.&nbsp;
The idea of the Raptors being a primary pick-and-roll team became less appealing when they were unable to retain Fred VanVleet in free agency, replacing him with a less reliable shooter in Dennis Schr&ouml;der. Instead, Rajakovic will likely rely on Schr&ouml;der and his newly paid center Jakob Poeltl for more ball movement and playmaking. Rajakovic compared Poeltl to Domantas Sabonis before the Raptors&rsquo; preseason win over the Sacramento Kings on October 9 and could use him in a similar role. If Poeltl can be 70% of what Sabonis was last season, it can be a huge boost to an inconsistent offense.
Roster Decisions
The Raptors have 15 players on guaranteed deals going into the season, but also carry Jeff Dowtin Jr. on a non-guaranteed deal. Dowtin played on a two-way contract with Toronto last season, appearing in 25 games. With the roster full, Dowtin is unlikely to make the regular-season roster but he has still <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-praise-jeff-dowtin-jr-as-roster-decisions-await" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressed the coaching staff this preseason</a>. If any player is in danger of losing their roster spot to Dowtin, it would likely be former first-round pick Malachi Flynn. Dowtin&rsquo;s deal becomes guaranteed for $900,000 on October 21, four days before the team&rsquo;s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I would expect the Raptors to make a decision on Dowtin before then.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (15 guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Dennis Schr&ouml;der, F/G Scottie Barnes, F OG Anunoby, F Pascal Siakam, C Jakob Poeltl
Projected Rotation Players: G Gary Trent Jr., F Precious Achiuwa, F/C Chris Boucher, F Jalen McDaniels, G/F Gradey Dick
Projected Reserves: F Thaddeus Young, G Malachi Flynn, F Otto Porter Jr., C Christian Koloko, G/F Garrett Temple
Projected Two-way Players: G/F Ron Harper Jr., G Markquis Nowell, G Javon Freeman-Liberty
Projected Roster Cuts: G Jeff Dowtin (non-guaranteed), F Mouhamadou Gueye (Exhibit-10), C Makur Maker (Exhibit-10)
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Blake Stern previews the Atlantic Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and a burning question entering the season.

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

For all the things&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/OvertimeElite/status/1633301223494303745?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Thompson Twins</a>&nbsp;share &mdash; middle name, appetite for burgers, dynamic basketball skill sets &mdash; matching suits on draft night won&rsquo;t be one of them.
Amen and Ausar Thompson are dressing for success in their own unique style as they prepare to go in their own separate directions for really the first time. The 6-foot-7 guards out of Overtime Elite are projected&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mock-draft-wembanyama-c9dfd3d19592e1de44f5957ea2aa8b48">in the AP mock draft</a>&nbsp;to be selected in the top 10 Thursday night in New York.
That means, barring a daring move by a team, they will wind up in different cities.
It&rsquo;s a situation that&rsquo;s still hard to fully fathom for the 20-year-olds from California. It&rsquo;s also a situation that reveals another shared trait: Their sense of humor.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll just constantly text each other,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/OvertimeElite/status/1658629641861562369?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">explained Amen, who&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;the older twin by a minute.
&ldquo;But you don&rsquo;t check your phone,&rdquo; Ausar quickly countered.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s lying,&rdquo; Amen responded.
Kidding aside, their aim is to live up to their shared middle name of &ldquo;XLNC&rdquo; (pronounced excellence), which was bestowed on them to convey a sense of power.
&ldquo;Just so with every time you&rsquo;re saying their name, there&rsquo;s that power behind it,&rdquo; their dad, Troy, said. &ldquo;Excellence, greatness &mdash; we always use all these power words and so do they, in their own expressions, so they&rsquo;re always thinking on that high note.&rdquo;
The Thompsons moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Florida when the twins were in eighth grade to enhance their basketball careers. The playmakers shined at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, leading the team to a state title. They received offers from several traditional Power Five basketball programs.
Instead, they pivoted.
The twins took the road less traveled to the NBA draft by signing with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://overtimeelite.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Overtime Elite</a>, a professional basketball league based in Atlanta that&rsquo;s opening another door to the pros for talented young players.
It was a chance to focus on basketball full-time and build up their strength. They did, too, adding 25 pounds of muscle over their two-year tenure with the league. An opportunity at a paycheck, too &mdash; Overtime Elite, which launched in 2021, compensates players with annual salaries of at least $100,000.
Their first year, the twins played on different Overtime Elite teams.
This past season, they combined &mdash; and dominated.
Amen (rhymes with &ldquo;a pen&rdquo;) averaged 17.2 points, 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the playoffs&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://overtimeelite.com/players/e763b02b-3045-4a91-a078-7140899327d0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">to lead the City Reapers</a>&nbsp;to the championship.
Not to be outdone, Ausar (rhymes with &ldquo;a car&rdquo;), had a postseason&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://overtimeelite.com/players/cbb0c3ec-f9f2-43e6-bb6e-6e4ef5702d92" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in which</a>&nbsp;he averaged 21 points, 4.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds.
When it came&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://overtimeelite.com/articles/b66abb33-0079-4dc0-9858-7f6933f9a54a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">time to vote for the</a>&nbsp;league&rsquo;s regular season MVP award, it was no surprise who voted for whom.
Ausar for Amen.
Amen for Ausar.
Ausar earned MVP (along with the postseason version, too).
&ldquo;It would have been funny&rdquo; if Ausar won by one vote, Amen joked. &ldquo;I would&rsquo;ve taken mine back.&rdquo;
They enjoy teasing one another &mdash; and pushing each other. They&rsquo;re always in the gym, hoisting up shots or working on their footwork. They&rsquo;re competitive, too, whether it be in friendly games on the court or in the video game NBA 2K, where they&rsquo;re in agreement &mdash; Ausar reigns supreme on the video-game controller in hoops.
Their go-to meal comes from In-N-Out Burger. Ausar prefers a double cheeseburger with lettuce and special sauce, maybe grilled onions. Amen likes the same, just hold the cheese.
Amen&rsquo;s scouting report reads like this: Explosive athleticism, with exceptional court vision. Can break down defenders with his ball-handling skills and elite first step.
Ausar&rsquo;s report: Essentially the same as his brother.
Ausar projects as more of a combo guard and Amen as a ball handler in the NBA. Amen is predicted to go fourth overall to Houston and Ausar sixth to Orlando.
Their dad saw a path to the twins being elite when they were around 8 and going against players three, sometimes four, years older.
&ldquo;You knew that their forward trajectory was going to be fast, because they were already improving at such a high rate,&rdquo; Troy said. &ldquo;From here on, I just want to enjoy watching them continue to grow into this dream and just achieve the greatness they always talked about.&rdquo;
They describe their bond as &ldquo;twin telepathy,&rdquo; which Ausar said comes in handy not only on the basketball floor but in life.
Don&rsquo;t ask for specifics, though, because that&rsquo;s top secret.
&ldquo;It would be bad for the world if everybody knew how to do it. I just know where he&rsquo;s going to be at all times,&rdquo; Ausar said.
Leading into the draft, they&rsquo;ve been traveling to work out for interested teams. In Portland, they met Damian Lillard. A year ago, they were introduced to Golden State Warriors great Stephen Curry at his camp.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s super cool meeting them,&rdquo; Ausar said.
Amen and Ausar said they&rsquo;ve competed against many of the big names in the draft class with the exception of&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-2023-wembanyama-396be2a8eeb0be8e3323bb509405695c">Victor Wembanyama, the French star who is expected to go No. 1</a>&nbsp;to the San Antonio Spurs.
The twins are bracing for the likely separation and distance between them. They&rsquo;re even planning for the big moment when both meet on the same NBA court at a soon-to-be-determined spot.
&ldquo;That,&rdquo; Amen said, &ldquo;is going to make for one cool picture.&rdquo;

The 6-foot-7 guards out of Overtime Elite are projected to be selected in the top 10 in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night.

Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson set to be taken in top-10 of NBA Draft

Heading into the weekend, I figured I'd followed the same script as the other two award pieces. Fill out and&nbsp; complete my (fake) ballot, sprinkle in some extra details or stray thoughts to account for questions that may pop up, then go about my business.
I dropped my "final rough draft" on Friday's episode of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a>, though I gave myself a weekend's worth of wiggle room to make any last-second changes. In typical fashion, I watched, researched and ultimately thought myself into a headache. The result of that is this piece: A separate article detailing where and how I landed on the 2022-23 NBA Most Valuable Player, with a follow-up article coming to reveal the rest of my (fake) ballot.
Throughout MVP discourse, many people &mdash; voters or people like me who wish they could vote &mdash; have made it a point to mention how tough it is. To highlight how the top three &mdash; Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo &mdash; are all worthy candidates to win, and that we shouldn't be all that upset by who wins. There's truth to that.
(You, savvy reader and/or listener, can also tell when someone is genuinely perplexed vs. when they're throwing in that platitude in an effort to avoid smoke for his/her opinion. We can be real here.)
I landed in the former camp. To refresh your memory, this is where I landed at the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-award-picks-mvp-dpoy-rookie-sixth-man-most-improved-all-league-defensive-teams-volume-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beginning of March</a>:
Previous order (through Mar.1): 
<ol>
<li>Nikola Jokic (Previously No. 3)</li>
<li>Giannis Antetokounmpo (Previously No. 2)</li>
<li>Joel Embiid (Previously Honorable Mention, Record)</li>
<li>Jayson Tatum (Previously No. 1)</li>
<li>Luka Doncic (Previously No. 5)</li>
</ol>
This is where I am right now on April 11 with the regular season over:
<ol>
<li>Joel Embiid (Previously No. 3) </li>
<li>Giannis Antetokounmpo (Previously No. 2)</li>
<li>Nikola Jokic (Previously No. 1)</li>
<li>Jayson Tatum (Previously No. 4)</li>
<li>Domantas Sabonis (Previously Honorable Mention, Not As Good As Luka Doncic)</li>
</ol>
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With all due respect to Tatum and Sabonis, there isn't much to discuss with their placements.
Tatum was a two-way ironman for a team that flirted with the best record in the NBA. At full tilt, the Boston Celtics may very well be the best team in the league. Tatum became the first Celtic to average over 30 points per game for a season &mdash; a mind-blowing stat considering their history. Career-high averages in rebounds (8.8) and assists (4.6) are also nice. If you'd like to use Tatum's availability (and overall malleability) to argue for him to be higher, you can; it just wouldn't be my&nbsp;case.&nbsp;
Sabonis was the best player on the Western Conference's most (surprisingly) consistent team, acting as the hub of the NBA's most dangerous offense. He became just the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 19 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in a season; add in his 61.5% clip from the field (63.9% on twos, 37.3% on a low volume of threes), and the list shrinks to him and Wilt Chamberlain.&nbsp;
The battle for MVP ultimately became a three-man race in 2023 &mdash; if you recall, Tatum was my MVP <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-early-season-award-picks-mvp-dpoy-rookie-sixth-man-most-improved-all-league-defensive-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in my first check-in</a> from mid-December &mdash; between Embiid, Giannis and Jokic.
There's more to discuss with Jokic, who nearly became the first center in NBA history to average a triple-double. Even that sells his season short; Jokic just logged the most efficient season in NBA history among players to average at least 20 points.
If Jokic and the Denver Nuggets hadn't, by their standards, sputtered to the finish line, he likely would've maintained the lead he had in my second check-in and gotten my fictitious vote. That he was already having a (much) worse defensive season than Embiid and Giannis and managed to go backwards over this recent stretch &mdash; particularly the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-concerned-should-we-be-about-the-denver-nuggets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">middle portion of March</a> &mdash; made it tough for me in a race this close.
There was even a quieter dip in Jokic's production offensively, though he was still absurd overall.
<ul>
<li>Dec. 14 through Feb. 28 (32 games): 25.2 points on 71.2% True Shooting, 10.7 assists (3.7 turnovers)</li>
<li>From March 1 onward (14 games): 24.0 points on 69.6% True Shooting, 9.1 assists (3.6 turnovers)</li>
</ul>
That being said, it was a ridiculous season from Jokic. He was still the best offensive player in the league for me. The Nuggets showcased, on multiple occasions, that they didn't quite know how to function without him. Even with the recent "slippage," he paced the league in many advanced metrics. A worthy choice, just ultimately not my choice.
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From here, let's talk about Embiid vs Giannis for a bit. Here are a handful of Embiid's stat lines since the beginning of March:
<ul>
<li>52-13-6 (plus 2 blocks) in a win vs. the Celtics</li>
<li>46-9-8-2-1 in a loss vs. the Warriors</li>
<li>36-18 (plus 4 blocks) in a win vs. the Cavaliers</li>
<li>31-6-10 in a win vs. the Bucks</li>
<li>39-7-4-1-3 in a win vs. the Timberwolves</li>
</ul>
This ignores the 37 and 16 against Chicago; the 42-on-16-shots affair against the Pacers; the 38-14-5 he slapped up against the Hornets. Of the 18 games Embiid played during this stretch, he scored 30 or more 12 times and the Philadelphia 76ers went 12-6 in those contests. He fell below 20 points once &mdash; 12-7-7 in 16 first-half minutes against the Bulls before sitting the second half of that blowout for precautionary reasons. There's a rule about assuming, but it'd be fair to project him putting up a nutty stat line in that game had he played the second half.
There just hasn't been a consistent answer for this guy all year. Crowding the paint only does so much when he's willing to shoot over you &mdash; and do so at a high clip. Doubling can only do so much when he's grown as a passer &mdash; the Sixers scored at an elite rate on possessions that Embiid passed out of a post-double team (1.17 PPP) or isolation double (1.14 PPP), per Second Spectrum &mdash; and can <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2023/3/31/23664110/joel-embiid-76ers-mvp-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brow-beat them</a> when necessary.&nbsp;
He's taken over half of his shots from mid-range this season and drilled them at a 49% clip. He drew 104 fouls in the mid-range area, per Cleaning The Glass; do you know how hard it is to have Embiid's shot profile and manage to get fouled as often as he does? It's insane stuff and speaks to the guard-like ability he has in this range.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/kymug6" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The defense has waxed and waned over the closing stretch, but the Sixers ended the year with a 94.5 half-court defensive rating with Embiid on the floor, per Cleaning The Glass; that's equivalent to the second-best half-court D in the NBA, and is a mark that shouldn't be that high considering Philly's overall roster construction.
Even "Lax Embiid" can goad opponents into pull-ups &mdash; though that's something worth keeping an eye on as the postseason hits. Engaged Embiid &mdash; the guy that can blow stuff up at the level of the screen and still strut back to challenge shots at the rim &mdash; is, and has been, a world-ender.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/cot2l0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The TLDR summary: Embiid had a heavy load to carry on both ends of the floor, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-feature-philadelphia-76ers-sixers-joel-embiid-mvp-race-james-harden-tyrese-maxey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dominated offensively and anchored a high-level defense while flashing an even higher level when fully locked in</a>. Having a 65% win rate in his games helped; the advanced metrics also paint him in a favorable light.
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Of course, we can't lose sight of the work Giannis did in a less-than-ideal context at the beginning of the year. He was without his best pick-and-roll partner in Khris Middleton and didn't always have Jrue Holiday by his side. It's not a coincidence that, once those two were in the lineup with Giannis more consistently, the Milwaukee Bucks (and Giannis) took off.
Giannis remained a battering ram at the rim, drawing shooting fouls on a career-best 24.6% of his shot attempts this year, per Cleaning The Glass. His mark of 12.3 free throw attempts per game led the NBA. Giannis' downhill passing also remained a legitimate weapon; his rate of kick-out passes rose to career-high levels (17.1 per 100 possessions), while his turnover rate on total passes (1.57%) was his lowest in three seasons, per Second Spectrum.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/gu65qp" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
There was an obvious gap between Embiid and Giannis in points (33.1 vs. 31.1) and a larger one in efficiency (Embiid's 65.5% TS vs. Giannis' 60.7% TS). Again, it's hard to overstate the difference in shooting ability that the two displayed. Embiid was a monster from mid-range compared to Giannis' clip (31.8%), knocked down a higher percentage of threes (33.0% vs. 27.5%) and shot much better from the line (85.7% vs. 64.5%).
Milwaukee faithful would likely point to the context for the two, particularly what Giannis dealt with at the beginning of the year sans Middleton &mdash; and at times, with no Holiday. There's some credence to that.&nbsp;
How's this for a did-you-know: The Sixers logged a paltry 111.4 offensive rating in 333 minutes with Embiid on the floor without James Harden and Tyrese Maxey; the Bucks were slightly better &mdash; a 113.8 offensive rating in nearly double the sample (643 minutes) &mdash; with Giannis on the floor without Holiday and Middleton.
The scoring breakdown in those minutes:
<ul>
<li>Giannis: 608 points (34.0 points per 36 minutes), 57.7% on twos, 26.2% on threes, 60.3% TS</li>
<li>Embiid: 302 points (32.6 per 36), 51.4% on twos, 22.2% on threes, 58.4% TS</li>
</ul>
The playmaking still leans towards Giannis:
<ul>
<li>Giannis: 145 assists (8.1 per 36), 94 turnovers (5.3 per 36)</li>
<li>Embiid: 63 assists (6.8 per 36), 44 turnovers (4.8 per 36)</li>
</ul>
If you only filter for the minutes the two played with and without their primary ball-handler &mdash; <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612755&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203954,201935" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harden for Embiid</a>, <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612749&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203507,201950" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Holiday for Giannis</a> &mdash; some fun stuff is revealed, namely:
<ul>
<li>The Bucks' offense burned a little brighter with Giannis and Holiday (123.9 ORTG) compared to the Sixers pairing (123.2 ORTG).</li>
<li>The Sixers still operated at a top-10 rate when Embiid played without Harden (117.8, would rank No. 7); the same could not be said for Giannis without Holiday (113.0, would rank No. 26).</li>
</ul>
Zooming out, the defense is where things got tight for me.
Full disclosure: On Friday's pod, I listed Embiid as my choice. By Sunday morning, I was ready to flip to Giannis. And that was before Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1645111264623095808?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped his exclusive sit-down interview</a> with the 2021 NBA champion, surprisingly (and honestly, refreshingly) dipping into his, "Let's not get carried away, I still do this" bag. The Sixers tailing off defensively over the past couple of weeks really opened the door.
Giannis has been elite this year, an omnipresent deterrent lurking around the weak side. When challenged at the rim, opponents haven't had much success; they converted just 55.4% of their shots at the rim against Giannis, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defensive-impact?CF=GP*GE*49:DEF_RIM_FGA*GE*4&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RIM_FG_PCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which ranks 10th among 51 players</a> to defend at least four shots per contest.
But of that 51-player group, Giannis ranked 40th in shots defended per game. Embiid was third and Jokic was fourth; that obviously speaks to how willing teams were to attack the latter, but the discrepancy is at least kinda funny when considering the scheme differences between the two.&nbsp;
Embiid ranked 12th in contested shots per game (10.3). Giannis ranked 44th (6.6); his teammate, Brook Lopez, was first (17.5) by a comically large margin.
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That led me down the Giannis-at-the-5 rabbit hole, which revealed that the Bucks were a middling defense (114.2 DRTG, would rank 13th) with Giannis on the floor without Lopez, per Cleaning The Glass. When you also&nbsp;remove Bobby Portis from the equation, however, that drops to a would-be-league-leading 104.5 DRTG in nearly 850 possessions.
There were other searches I did that I won't bore you with, such as Giannis without Holiday and Lopez (116.7 DRTG in 1,034 possessions) compared to Embiid without De'Anthony Melton and PJ Tucker (111.8 DRTG in 561 possessions).
(It's worth noting that such a query left the Jevon Carter minutes on the table for Giannis, as it did the pre-trade Matisse Thybulle minutes for Embiid.)
Ultimately, the fundamental question became this: Do you value Giannis being better in a secondary rim-protecting role than Embiid with his primary responsibilities, or do you give Embiid the edge for having to carry more responsibility on that end?
You're more than welcome to disagree, but I landed on the responsibility angle.
Embiid getting this&nbsp;team to a top-10 finish defensively was impressive. Having the offensive year he had, on the shot diet he lived on, was also wildly impressive. Only Stephen Curry and 22 games of 1982-83 Adrian Dantley have posted more efficient 30-point seasons than Embiid, and the Sixers big man averaged more points than both of them.
I geniunely don't think you could go wrong with any of these three. Jokic's team performed better with him on the floor than Giannis or Embiid; Giannis paced both guys in wins and win percentage in addition to his excellence.
The combination of production, efficiency, winning and responsibility gave Embiid the narrow win for me.

Nekias Duncan narrows down his final candidates for the 2022-23 NBA MVP and picks the league's most valuable player.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award selections: Who wins MVP?

The Memphis Grizzlies will likely be missing a key piece during this year's playoffs.
Grizzlies center Steven Adams is expected to miss the entire postseason as he recovers from a right knee injury, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1644754411028365312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
Adams received a stem cell injection last month and was trying to get back on the court, but the PCL sprain that has kept him sidelined since late January needs more time to heal.
This season, Adams appeared in 42 games, averaging 8.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 59.7% from the field. Adams' impact goes beyond what shows up in the stat sheet, and there's no question that Memphis has missed him over the last few months.
In an effort to add some frontcourt depth for their postseason run, the Grizzlies waived guard Kennedy Chandler (whom the Grizzlies selected with the No. 38 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft) and signed two-way rookie Kenny Lofton Jr. to a four-year, $7 million contract, per Wojnarowski.
Lofton was the G League's Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 54.1% from the field. He has also appeared in 23 games with the Grizzlies since he was on a two-way deal.
The Grizzlies are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 51-30 record. Memphis has the NBA's second-best defense (allowing just 108.3 points per 100 possessions) and 13th-ranked offense (scoring 112.4 points per 100 possessions).

Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams is expected to miss the entire postseason as he recovers from a right knee injury.

Steven Adams likely to miss playoffs, Grizzlies sign Kenny Lofton Jr.

After gaining a dominant lead over the Western Conference over the past couple of months, the Denver Nuggets have come back down to earth.
They've lost five of their last seven games, including a four-game skid featuring the Chicago Bulls at home, an 8-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs on the road, a tightly contested home loss to the Brooklyn Nets and a road loss to the Toronto Raptors, who dropped 49 first-quarter points on the Nuggets' head.
That four-game losing streak was their longest of the season, and only the second time they've lost three straight.
The big problem has been their defense. The Nuggets logged a defensive rating of 125.2 during the losing streak, with that dropping to 120.5 when accounting for the entire seven-game run. Either mark would easily be the worst in the league if extrapolated across the entire season.
The defense has almost always been the reason they've lost games this year; their defensive rating is nearly 13 points worse in losses (122.4) than wins (109.5), representing the sixth-largest gap in the NBA.
(Brief aside: Cleveland &mdash; at 16.6 points worse in losses &mdash; is kinda lapping the field in that stat. When the defense gets hit, it gets hit.&nbsp;Worth keeping an eye on, at least.)
WHAT'S UP WITH THE DEFENSE?
Before digging in, let's set the appropriate framing for the struggles of the Denver Nuggets: they may be recent, but they're not new.
Naturally, we have to start with Nikola Jokic here. I hate most of the conversations around his defense because I feel it devolves into &ldquo;HE SUCKS!&rdquo; a little too quickly. But I don&rsquo;t think his defense can be at the level it was in the Bulls game, and it especially can&rsquo;t be at the level it was in the Spurs game.
Jokic doesn't offer much scheme versatility; at the very least, he isn't&nbsp;effective&nbsp;at multiple coverages. He's at his best &mdash; and, in turn, the Nuggets are at their&nbsp;best &mdash; when he's operating at the level of the screen or higher.&nbsp;
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Because of that, they absolutely can't afford slippage within that coverage.
Heading into this stretch, the Nuggets were allowing 0.916 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a ball screen defended by Jokic at the level or higher, per Second Spectrum. That was in the vicinity of guys like Jarrett Allen (0.898 PPP) and Draymond Green (0.905 PPP), and better than Joel Embiid (0.927 PPP) on much higher volume.
During this stretch, that number has risen to 1.018 PPP &mdash; a below-average mark.&nbsp;
It's inherently a higher-risk style of defense, which was covered <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-examining-the-denver-nuggets-poor-defense-nikola-jokic-michael-malone-bruce-brown-michael-porter-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earlier this year</a>. The margin for error is smaller because of the rotations required. It's even harder to pull off if Jokic doesn't do&nbsp;his&nbsp;job by getting to the level on time and serving as a deterrent to the ball-handler, or if he takes his sweet time recovering.
Possessions like this can't happen:
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On top of the timing and rotations being off, teams have also attempted to mess with Denver's rotations by sprinkling in cuts and relocations as the ball screen occurs.
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The slippage at the level feels worse because of how vulnerable they've been with Jokic in a drop this season. He's shown growth within that coverage over the past two seasons, but still remains a negative overall. His contests don't bother attackers all that much &mdash; and that's if he's actually contesting shots versus swiping down in hopes of getting a strip.
It's worth noting that, surprisingly enough, the drop with Jokic has been much better statistically (0.887 PPP) during this stretch of games. I'd attribute that more to the point-of-attack defense perking up over the past three games than anything Jokic is doing. That's not to say he's made no adjustment &mdash; it feels like he's picking up ball-handlers a little higher within the drop, for example &mdash; but he's getting real help up top.
Bruce Brown, in particular, has stepped up.
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It's unlikely that Denver's drop is as good as the numbers reflect during this stretch &mdash; one littered with teams without elite&nbsp;pull-up chops. But it's at least encouraging that the point-of-attack defense has looked a little better.
There also seems to be more intention with insolating Jokic.&nbsp;
The Nuggets have seen their "ICE" or "weak" calls &mdash; forcing the ball-handler down the sideline (ICE) or shading them towards their off-hand (weak) &mdash; increase from 12.3 picks per 100 possessions (18th) before this run, to 15.5 per 100 over the past seven, a mark that would rank fifth in the NBA if extrapolated across the entire season.
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Keeping things 2-on-2, with Jokic picking up the ball-handler around eight feet or so, is Denver's way of trying to limit the amount of shots they give up from the corners and directly at the rim. It's worth keeping tabs on.&nbsp;
WHAT'S UP WITH THE OFFENSE?
It's&nbsp;mostly&nbsp;been business as usual here. They've logged a 116 offensive rating over the past seven games &mdash; off their world-beater path, but a mark that would still rank seventh in the league.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The largest issue doesn't involve Jokic. Literally: this team is scary (derogatory) without Jokic on the floor.&nbsp;
They've gotten very little from their midseason additions, Reggie Jackson and Thomas Bryant. Jackson hasn't been able to knock down shots, while Bryant's defense has been harmful enough for head coach Michael Malone to call on Jeff Green's number more consistently.&nbsp;
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Jamal Murray has been tasked with spearheading non-Jokic lineups, but it's a lot of pressure on him. And as my Dunker Spot cohost Steve Jones has noted, the Nuggets don't have pressure points aside from Murray in those lineups to truly bend&nbsp;defenses. It turns into "Murray save us" too frequently for my sensibilities.
There are adjustments to be made, like flanking Murray with another starter whenever Jokic gets rest. They're already doing that by keeping Murray and Aaron Gordon together &mdash; I'm a little intrigued with Gordon-at-5 minutes. Maybe keeping Murray and Michael Porter Jr. together would work. It could have the secondary benefit of unlocking Brown as a screener again.
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Ultimately, the goal should be to take some pressure off Murray. The Nuggets need his shotmaking once playoff time comes; they can't afford for wear-and-tear to get to his knee while trying to carry second units during the regular season. It's concerning that he's only made 39.7% of his shots over the past seven games, with only 23% of those coming at the rim.
If there's a Jokic-related thing to poke at, I'd keep an eye on who&nbsp;gets the Jokic assignment moving forward. It's something that really popped for me during the Sixers-Nuggets showcase game late in January, but PJ Tucker drew the Jokic assignment, allowing Joel Embiid to lurk around the rim and muck things up.&nbsp;
Other teams have tried it. The Wolves have given Kyle Anderson that assignment. The Raptors, as they tend to do, tossed OG Anunoby on Jokic with Jakob Poeltl nearby. The Nets threw forwards at Jokic in their first meeting, with Nic Claxton roaming around.&nbsp;
There's no way to&nbsp;stop&nbsp;Jokic, really, but using mobility to stifle some of the juicy stuff he creates on the perimeter is worth trying. Per Second Spectrum, the Nuggets have seen a dip in efficiency with dribble handoffs and ball screens when Jokic is defended by a forward instead of a center.
<ul>
<li class="p1">Jokic handoffs (center defender): 541 handoffs, 1.073 PPP</li>
<li>Jokic handoffs (forward defender): 241 handoffs, 1.058 PPP</li>
<li>Jokic PnR screener (center defender): 722 picks, 1.12 PPP</li>
<li class="p1">Jokic PnR screener (forward defender): 354 picks, 1.026 PPP</li>
</ul>
Not everyone has the personnel to pull it off, but the Nuggets may want to find counters regardless. It may be as simple as&nbsp;Gordon knocking down enough shots, or creating enough openings as a handoff hub or screener, to render the crossmatch obsolete. We'll have to see.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the Denver Nuggets' recent struggles and how Nikola Jokic and Co. can get back on track.

What's up with the Denver Nuggets, and should we be concerned?

Since the NBA All-Star break, the Philadelphia 76ers have kicked it into an extra gear.&nbsp;
With a record of 8-3 since that point, they have ripped off six straight wins and are only one game back of the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference. Despite inconsistent defensive efforts at the beginning of the month, the team has scored at least 112 points in each of its eight March contests.
Translation: The offense is rolling.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The consistency that this Sixers' offense is operating at right now is truly absurd. This stretch includes the #1 defense, #3 defense, and #6 defense in the league. <a href="https://t.co/y8epwrbUZl">pic.twitter.com/y8epwrbUZl</a>
&mdash; Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerekBodnerNBA/status/1636374907050426374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Reason No. 1? Joel Embiid.
On Wednesday evening in Cleveland, just before his March 16 birthday, the now-29-year-old fittingly celebrated with yet another commanding performance to continue the downright dominant stretch he&rsquo;s on.
Sure, he might've gotten away with a momentum-shifting charge (that he feels was the correct overturned call), but does that really change the fact that there were no answers for his game?
It&rsquo;s not just the Cavs who felt the hurt (36 points, 18 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 assists to be specific). Typically this writer is not somebody who says check the box scores, but CHECK THE BOX SCORES:
<ul>
<li>March 12 vs. Wizards: 34 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 assists</li>
<li>March 10 vs. Blazers: 39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks</li>
<li>March 7 at Wolves: 39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks</li>
<li>March 6 at Pacers: 42 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block</li>
<li>March 4 at Bucks: 31 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds</li>
<li>March 2 at Mavericks: 35 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals</li>
<li>Feb. 27 vs. Heat: 27 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists</li>
<li>Feb. 25 vs. Celtics: 41 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks</li>
<li>Feb. 23 vs. Grizzlies 27 points, 19 rebounds, 6 blocks, 6 assists</li>
</ul>
&ldquo;I've yet to see the scheme that has stopped Joel Embiid, whether it's double teams, triple teams,&rdquo; Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before Wednesday&rsquo;s loss to Philly.
&ldquo;When he has the ball in his hands, I mean, he's extremely difficult to deal with because of the pressure he can put on individuals, but (also) how crafty he is in playing in small spaces. I think he's shooting close to 14 free throws a game since the All-Star break. And that's because it is so crowded and he does such a great job of maneuvering and moving the ball to create contact and draw fouls.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s what Embiid does. He imposes his will with brute strength, draws multiple bodies and operates from there. When he isn&rsquo;t getting doubled, he is patient with his dribble and can hurt anybody with the pull-up mid-range game. He can also shoot over the top of your doubles and go with the old-school, back-to-the-basket game to force his way into the paint.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
7'0" 280 LBS &amp; these handles! HBD (MVP?) Joel Embiid <a href="https://t.co/G11IVG8Q52">pic.twitter.com/G11IVG8Q52</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1636359995745763328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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And if that&rsquo;s not enough, there&rsquo;s James Harden &mdash; who&rsquo;s having arguably his cleanest and most efficient season since his Houston days &mdash; working the high pick-and-roll with him in the pocket, where the 7-foot, 280-pound monster of a man can catch the ball and tiptoe around defenders with the gliding finesse of a small guard.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why he&rsquo;s one of the best bigs to ever play the game. I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve seen a big like it &mdash; well, I haven&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Harden told Basketball News after Philly&rsquo;s 118-109 win in Cleveland. &ldquo;He can handle the ball, he can shoot it, he can be powerful when you need him to be.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So I&rsquo;m just grateful he&rsquo;s on my team, that we&rsquo;re on the same team. But just trying to find ways every single game to make his job easier, to make our job easier, and he&rsquo;s doing a great job of leading us."
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Embiid told Basketball News that it&rsquo;s as simple as being aggressive.
&ldquo;My mindset is always to score first, and there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with that. If I get doubled, I&rsquo;m gonna pass it. It&rsquo;s all about making the right plays,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not so much about just scoring the ball and passing. It&rsquo;s about just making the right plays, and I think that&rsquo;s where the game has really slowed down.&nbsp;
&ldquo;(I&rsquo;m) just trying to take advantage of what&rsquo;s given to me. A couple plays, they hard doubled me, and that&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve seen a lot, whether it&rsquo;s Toronto&hellip; a lot of teams try to do the same things, but it&rsquo;s something that I&rsquo;ve figured out and you&rsquo;ve just gotta keep making the right plays.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s just something about the pairing of Harden and Embiid that clicks. When you have a ball-handler with the former&rsquo;s patience and the latter&rsquo;s ability to toggle between when to use his strength and when to use his touch, there&rsquo;s little opposing squads can do to stop it. Throw in the way the two get to the line, and the task gets taller.
"I was with James for four years in Houston, and he's a master at manipulating the rules, and Joel does the same," Bickerstaff said. "So you have to be extremely disciplined, but even then, they find a way to create that contact and draw a foul."
Harden is enjoying the hottest three-point season of his career at 39.6% from distance, and it&rsquo;s been a consistent shot the whole campaign. (Post-injury, he&rsquo;s been even better.) He&rsquo;s leading the NBA with 10.8 assists per game too, and over his last five contests has dished out almost 13 dimes a night, including a 20-assist performance in Indiana. Engineering one of the hottest offenses in the league on a nightly basis deserves just as much recognition as Embiid.
Correct decisions and impeccable timing have staples of this incredible one-two punch, but what does it look like when both stars are at their best?
&ldquo;Trouble for the other team, &lsquo;cause we&rsquo;re scoring the ball and then you&rsquo;re getting the other guys involved, just dominating the game,&rdquo; said Harden, who vouched for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/joel-embiid-has-surpassed-nikola-jokic-as-oddson-nba-mvp-favorite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embiid as MVP</a> following his game-winner vs. Portland a week ago. &ldquo;And if we can do that as many times each quarter and then each game, then it&rsquo;s gonna be tough for teams to beat us.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m at my best yet. I think I&rsquo;m trending towards that. I think I&rsquo;ve got a lot more to give,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;Defensively, I&rsquo;m getting there. I&rsquo;m getting back to myself. Usually, I take another step in the playoffs. The last couple games, (it&rsquo;s) been a huge focus for me, especially since All-Star break. So like I said, I&rsquo;ve got a long way to go, but getting better every single day. And for him, same thing. Try to get better every single day. But it&rsquo;s not about just us, it&rsquo;s about the team. It&rsquo;s about, &lsquo;How do we bring everybody together to make sure everybody&rsquo;s successful?&rsquo;&rdquo;
(Special shout out to Tyrese Maxey, who's been terrific since reentering Philly's starting five. He shows no lack of confidence when receiving the ball in the half-court, speeds down the floor in transition and puts daggers in opposing fans' hearts.)
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After the win in Cleveland, Philly will remain on the road for six of their next seven games. Embiid and Harden mirrored each other&rsquo;s thoughts regarding how to approach the stretch run toward the postseason: focusing on one game at a time.
&ldquo;Try to find ways to win, what works offensively, what works defensively. We&rsquo;re in a pretty good spot,&rdquo; Embiid said.
&ldquo;Continue to get better. Hitting the peak at the right time,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;We got 14 games left, so every game&rsquo;s gonna be critical for us, whether it&rsquo;s seeding or whether it&rsquo;s just our confidence as a group. (Wednesday) was a good win for us.&rdquo;
The Sixers' dynamic duo recognizes what point of the season this is. If Philly can ride this wave going into mid-April as a team, this group will be a tough out.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to go,&rdquo; Embiid. &ldquo;Playoffs are around the corner. We&rsquo;ve still got a lot more games to go. But you want to go to the playoffs with the right mentality, and that&rsquo;s to be great defensively and try to find ways to dominate offensively.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies speaks with the Sixers' duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden about helping Philly find its groove in the stretch run.

For Joel Embiid, James Harden and the 76ers, it's go time

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Jamal Shead scored 16 points, including the winning basket as time ran out, and top-ranked Houston won its 11th straight game, escaping a second-half rally to beat Memphis 67-65 in the teams&rsquo; regular-season finale.
Shead beat the buzzer with his jumper from just inside the 3-point line. Nine seconds earlier, Memphis&rsquo; Kendric Davis drove to the basket and tied the game at 65. Houston chose not to call timeout, and Shead gave the Cougars (29-2, 17-1 American Athletic Conference) the win.
Tramon Mark matched Shead&rsquo;s 16 points, while Marcus Sasser finished with 13 for Houston.
Davis led Memphis (23-8, 13-5) with 26 points, while Chandler Lawson added 10.
NO. 5 PURDUE 76, ILLINOIS 71
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Newman scored 19 points, Zach Edey added 17 and Purdue held on to beat Illinois and become the first team to win the Big Ten title by three or more games since 2014.
Braden Smith added 15 points for the Boilermakers (26-5, 15-5), who led by 24 early in the second half before the Illini rallied.
Matthew Mayer led the Illini (20-11, 11-9) with 16 points, followed by Terrence Shannon Jr. with 13, Sencire Harris with 11 and Luke Goode with 10.
The Boilermakers shot 62% for a 47-26 lead at halftime, but cooled to 29% in the second half. Mayer tied the game at 67 with 1:17 to go, but Edey&rsquo;s layup gave Purdue a 69-67 edge.
NO. 15 INDIANA 75, MICHIGAN 73, OT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Trayce Jackson-Davis had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists in his final home game, and Indiana forced a steal on Michigan&rsquo;s final possession of overtime.
The Hoosiers (21-10, 12-8) clinched a double bye in Friday&rsquo;s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals by rebounding from their most lopsided home loss since 2017.
Hunter Dickinson had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Michigan (17-14, 11-9). Kobe Bufkin added 19 points and six rebounds, but the Wolverines wound up getting swept in the season series. It was the second straight overtime loss for Michigan.
Seniors Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson and Miller Kopp scored all six Indiana points in overtime.
PENN STATE 65, NO. 21 MARYLAND 64
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) &mdash; Camren Wynter made a layup with less than a second remaining to lift Penn State over Maryland.
Jalen Pickett scored 16 points, Andrew Funk had 14 and Myles Dread had 11 for the Nittany Lions (19-12, 10-10 Big Ten), who trailed by as many as 16 late in the first half.
Jahmir Young scored 14 of his 26 points in the second half for the Terps (20-11, 11-9), who entered the afternoon looking to earn the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament. Julian Reese had 12 points for the Terps, while Don Carey and Ian Martinez added 11 each.

A recap of three games in top-25 men's action Sunday includes a game-winner from the top team in the country.

No. 1 Houston nips Memphis 67-65 for 11th straight win

Reaching the top of the mountain is a difficult endeavor. Staying atop the mountain is even harder, and eventually, there will be a taller one to scale.
Such is life for Scottie Barnes, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year who&rsquo;s in his second season with the Toronto Raptors and has found his rhythm over the last couple of months after a slow start to the campaign.
When teams in this league can pinpoint tendencies, it can be tough to adapt. Opponents figure out your spots, where you like the ball and how you process the game, and they try to exploit any weaknesses in your game that pop on film. That can be especially daunting for somebody who burst onto the scene the way Barnes did.
To his credit, Barnes has fought through it, and it's led to results for not only him, but also his team.
&ldquo;He is playing really well right now. He's on probably a good six-week stretch where he's looked like he was a year ago and improving from that,&rdquo; Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told Basketball News. &ldquo;He had probably a little bit of a rocky start; at times, some of those things you talked about probably weighed in. Who knows, man?&rdquo;
Barnes downplays the notion of teams figuring him out early, and that it&rsquo;s solely been on him to adjust.
&ldquo;It's all about me, for sure. I don't think it's nothing else. It's all about me,&rdquo; Barnes told Basketball News following Toronto&rsquo;s loss in Cleveland on Sunday. &ldquo;I feel like I can control the game in the way I want to control it. Every game is different, every team is different, every team is gonna scheme you a different way, play you a different way. It's just about how I attack the game.&rdquo;
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A lot has been asked of Barnes. There have been games where he&rsquo;s been the primary ball-handler when Fred VanVleet has missed time. In November, there was a stretch where All-Star forward Pascal Siakam went down and he had to step in as a go-to scorer. When both have been healthy, he&rsquo;s had to go right back into his Swiss-Army-knife role without a hiccup.
Barnes has suited up anywhere from shooting guard to small forward to power forward to center. The Raptors knew he had this versatility when they drafted him, and in many ways this year, it&rsquo;s been much-needed.
Comparing the first half of the season to the new year thus far, he has clearly been more aggressive and the breakthrough is evident.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
Scottie Barnes
</td>
<td>
Post-Jan. 1 (Per-Game Avg.)
</td>
<td>
Pre-Jan. 1 (Per-Game Avg.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Games Played
</td>
<td>
27
</td>
<td>
32
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
No. of Possessions
</td>
<td>
81.11
</td>
<td>
74.22
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Points
</td>
<td>
16.59
</td>
<td>
14.44
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
True Shooting Percentage
</td>
<td>
54%
</td>
<td>
51%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Net Rating
</td>
<td>
+5
</td>
<td>
-1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Fouls Drawn
</td>
<td>
3.70
</td>
<td>
2.25
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Free Throws Made/Att.
</td>
<td>
3.52/4.63
</td>
<td>
1.84/2.41
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Catch &amp; Drives Made/Att.
</td>
<td>
0.89/1.56
</td>
<td>
0.38/1.09
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
C&amp;D Percentage Made
</td>
<td>
55%
</td>
<td>
34%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Post-Ups Made/Att.
</td>
<td>
1.04/1.92
</td>
<td>
0.75/1.88
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Post-Up Percentage Made
</td>
<td>
57%
</td>
<td>
40%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Secondary Assists
</td>
<td>
1.37
</td>
<td>
0.59
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Screen Assists
</td>
<td>
2.04
</td>
<td>
1.34
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Scroll right to view full table on mobile)
In addition to the figures on this chart (courtesy of InStat), Barnes has cut his isolation possessions in half while boosting his efficiency by 10%. Asked where he&rsquo;s made the most strides offensively as a sophomore, Nurse pointed to his comfortability with letting it fly from three.
&ldquo;He's really shooting it &mdash; on the catch-and-shoots, anyway, he's really shooting it pretty good, pushing up towards over 36%, which is right there with about any decent shooter in the league; that's a pretty good number. I'm trying to get him to take more of 'em. I'm trying to get 'em to always take more of everything,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;That's a big thing. He's a good free-throw shooter, he's getting a little better there. Again, he still uses his size and physicality getting to the basket.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Definitely more in the pick-and-roll, trying to make those reads, trying to play out of the pick-and-roll,&rdquo; Barnes responded. &ldquo;I feel like that's something that in the future I'll probably be really good at. As long as I just keep getting more and more reps &mdash; I feel like I'm pretty solid at it now, but I feel like as time goes on, I'll be in that more. It'll be a part of my development, for sure.&rdquo;
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Once January hit, it felt like the 21-year-old made a forceful attempt to up the ante. During that month, Barnes averaged 18.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals across 16 games. In seven of those games, he scored 20-plus.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Probably my body felt a little bit better,&rdquo; Barnes explained. &ldquo;I feel like that was one thing that was really affecting me early, little tweaks that was going on. But my body felt better. Just playing well. We was probably playing better as a team as well, so that's probably why. Of course, if we play better as a team, everybody else individually will probably look better as well.&rdquo;
Barnes&rsquo; comment raises a good point, as the Raptors (31-32) have been on the rise for the last month-and-a-half and are now winners of eight out of their last 10 games. Tussling with a couple of other squads, they&rsquo;re nipping at the heels of the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;
Shaking off the rust of a heavy-legged loss in Cleveland, Toronto bounced back with a home win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday &mdash; and it can't be understated considering the standings battle and the fact that a five-game road trip is ahead of the team.
"Every game is a must-win," Barnes said postgame Tuesday.
Aptly nicknamed "Fourth Quarter B," Barnes came up huge once again in the final period on both ends. He had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks, including an incredible sequence where he served up two swats on Coby White and Andre Drummond, rebounded it himself, drove the floor in transition and found a streaking Siakam for a slam.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LET'S GOOOOOOOO 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottBarnes561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottBarnes561</a> ➡️ <a href="https://twitter.com/pskills43?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pskills43</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ps5ME4zFeZ">pic.twitter.com/Ps5ME4zFeZ</a>
&mdash; Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1630756969941196801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;It&rsquo;s special, man," said VanVleet, who returned following a three-game hiatus due to personal reasons. &ldquo;He made a couple plays not many guys in this league can make &mdash; blocks to push the break, the and-one. He was talking. He was keyed in.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a big boost, especially (with) a lineup out there without me and Pascal for him to carry that in the fourth and get us some separation. That really won us the game ultimately was his defense and his playmaking and just putting pressure on the rim. We need him to keep making those strides. We know how special of a player he can be, and he shows us that at times.&rdquo;
In addition, Barnes took on the responsibility of guarding Nikola Vucevic. Nurse knows that he is big enough to body up centers and laterally savvy enough to stay with opponents on the perimeter. Nurse referred to Barnes' competition level and defensive effort as &ldquo;inspirational to the other guys.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I was just trying to come out and bring energy throughout the entire game,&rdquo; Barnes t<a href="https://twitter.com/theshift_sports/status/1630766246252691458?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">old TSN Sports reporter Kayla Grey after the victory vs. Chicago</a>. &ldquo;The fourth quarter, I was playing big man, so I was just trying to protect the rim, be that energy guy, just try to do everything right, and it worked out well."
&ldquo;He was amazing,&rdquo; O.G. Anunoby added. &ldquo;He was everywhere &mdash; making blocks, getting the rebound, pushing, passing, finishing. He was doing everything. He&rsquo;s a great player.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Add that performance to a gutsy 13-point frame in a Feb. 5 win over the Memphis Grizzlies and a number of switch-flips he&rsquo;s done seemingly out of thin air on the attack in critical moments, and it&rsquo;s clear that he has a knack for closing games out strong.
&ldquo;Just the really competitive side of him really starts emerging in the fourth,&rdquo; Nurse said following the team&rsquo;s latest win. &ldquo;He just starts playing really physical and really tough.&rdquo;
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Entering March, VanVleet, Siakam and Anunoby are finally healthy together, and Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher bring a jolt off the pine. Jakob Poeltl has given the team a rim-altering, protective presence it had been lacking for quite some time. Plus, the organization just signed veteran swingman Will Barton for the rest of the year for even more of a boost too.
This battle-tested and unique Raptors group filled with versatile players has a real chance to continue ascending the standings during this stretch run &mdash; and Scottie Barnes can play with any of them.
&ldquo;Just being able to come out there and play with super joy and enthusiasm every night like you did your rookie season, I think he's back to that,&rdquo; Nurse said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He's really having fun playing right now.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies looks into the increased aggressiveness of Scottie Barnes since the turn of the new year with the Raptors.

Scottie Barnes rediscovering rookie-year joy as Raptors round into form

A list of 12 of the top talents in modern NBA history to have never appeared in an All-Star Game.

The 12 best modern-history players to never make an NBA All-Star team

Sometimes, you just know it's good.
A well-timed joke in the middle of conversation. That screen pass you've been saving for the fourth quarter in Madden because your buddy's been spamming a run blitz on early downs. A perfectly placed bass run in the midst of a groove, for my musician friends reading this.&nbsp;
There's something about sensing an opening, taking advantage of said-opening and&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;knowing you made the right decision. Said the right thing, chose the right thing. It just feels&nbsp;good.
That had to be the Derrick White trade for the Boston Celtics last season.
For a team that wants to lock you down defensively &mdash; by erasing gaps with well-timed switching, or siccing its in-your-jersey defenders on unsuspecting ball-handlers while the big hangs back in a drop &mdash; White served as a perfect target.&nbsp;
There were a handful of players in the league that could navigate screens like White; close down on ball-handlers with pesky rearview contests; switch onto bigger players and swipe the ball away, or beat them to spots to draw timely charges. The Celtics were tough enough with Marcus Smart; to add another guy like that into the fold felt unfair.
And for a team trying to fully commit to moving the ball, as elementary as that sounds, White also served as the perfect target. The Celtics were just hitting their stride as an offense that could create and&nbsp;maintain advantages in the half-court without halting the show. White's ability to fit in &mdash; heck, his willingness to fit in &mdash; made him an easy fit.
He could initiate ball-screens, come off handoffs, set pin-in screens on the weak side, set pindowns for the stars to come off of, and act as an on-ball screener to force defenses into tough decisions. The shooting would serve as a bellwether of sorts, but White fit into just about everything the Celtics wanted to do on both ends.
White integrated well last season, though inconsistent three-point shooting &mdash; and waning aggressiveness &mdash; reared its ugly head during the playoff run.&nbsp;
This season, he's been even better. More comfortable, more aggressive. More efficient. For nearly a month now, he's just been more, period.
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The Celtics have been without Smart since Jan. 21, when he turned his ankle pretty badly towards the end of the first half of their matchup against the Toronto Raptors. White was already starting, but he's had to assume lead ball-handling duties since then.
To say White has been phenomenal in this recent run would be an understatement.
Over the past 11 games, White has averaged 20.1 points while converting 54.3% of his twos and 43.6% of his threes on high volume (7.1 attempts). He's dishing out 5.8 dimes (9.2 <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/passing?DateFrom=01/23/2023&amp;TeamID=1610612738&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=POTENTIAL_AST" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential assists</a>) per game while rarely turning the ball over (1.5 turnovers). He's helped on the glass (4.6 boards), and has continued to be a menace on the defensive end.
You can really have some fun with filtering White's run too.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Last eight games (6-2 record): 21.5 points, 6.3 assists (1.4 turnovers), 5.1 rebounds</li>
<li>Last five games (4-1): 25.0 points, 8.4 assists (1.8 turnovers), 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 blocks</li>
</ul>
White has racked up at least 25 points and 10 assists in each of his past three games &mdash; a streak he's never had in his career. He just won <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shai-gilgeousalexander-derrick-white-named-nba-players-of-the-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eastern Conference Player of the Week</a>, another feat he had yet to accomplish until this year.
What stands out about White's play is, again, how easy it feels. That isn't meant to diminish what he's doing, but to highlight how well he fits the Celtics' ethos. He's not pounding the ball to get assists or boogying against defenders to get his buckets. He's taking what the defense gives him, and doing so without hesitation.&nbsp;
Take this possession for example:
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The Celtics flow out of HORNS and look to hit either Jayson Tatum or White with a cut. Both players are defended well, with Jaren Jackson Jr.'s ball pressure on Robert Williams III also hindering things. The second option &mdash; two-man game with Williams III and Sam Hauser, testing the screen navigation of Ja Morant &mdash; doesn't hit either. The ball swings to White, and the fun begins.
White receives a screen but doesn't take it; he just waits it out, and gets Xavier Tillman switched onto him. After swinging it to the corner, the ball finds him again with Tillman out of position after attempting a steal.
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White immediately attacks the basket, driving right at Jackson. Because Tatum is on the left wing, the left corner is empty &mdash; meaning Dillon Brooks can't help without giving up an open shot on the perimeter. And with Williams III rolling to the basket, Jackson now has to choose between halting White's drive or taking away the roll &mdash; with no help behind him. He chooses the former, opening up the easy lob.
Quietly, White has been one of the most productive drivers in the NBA over this stretch. He's been able to finish through contact, avoid it altogether with a funky floater he can get to at weird times and angles, and feed open teammates if the defense overreacts to him.&nbsp;
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During this 11-game run, possessions featuring a drive by White have generated 1.17 points per possession (PPP), per Second Spectrum. That ranks seventh among 45 players with at least 100 drives in that time frame, putting him in a virtual tie with James Harden and ahead of All-Stars like Morant (1.15 PPP), De'Aaron Fox (1.15 PPP), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1.09 PPP) and DeMar DeRozan (1.05 PPP).
White's work as a screener continues to be important for the Celtics. Because he naturally draws smaller matchups than Tatum or Jaylen Brown, his inclusion as a lead blocker forces defenses into tough situations.&nbsp;
Anything less than pristine screen navigation means giving one of the stars an opening to attack. Switching a smaller guy onto either of them is asking for trouble. Trapping or hedging simply opens up short-roll opportunities for White. You can get away with daring bigs to make quick decisions in space; you can't really do that with someone as smart as White is.
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And the defense. Whew, buddy, the defense.&nbsp;
You could make the case that White has been Boston's best defender this season &mdash; a massive feat on a roster featuring last year's Defensive Player of the Year in Smart. Brown remains a strong on-ball defender; Tatum, when locked in, can provide near-elite value on and off the ball. Williams III is still rounding into form, but remains a terrifying rim protector. Horford has been sturdy in drop, and still showcases comfort venturing out in space.&nbsp;
But yet it's White pestering folks and causing the most havoc on a nightly basis.
Among the 161 players to defend at least 300 pick-and-rolls, only Desmond Bane (0.22%) has been washed out by a screen at a lower rate than White has (0.26%), per Second Spectrum.
Put another way: Of the 760 screens that have been set on White, only 20 (!) of them have taken him out of the play.&nbsp;
That, my friends, is absurd.&nbsp;
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Because of White's ability to avoid being completely taken out of the action, he's almost always in position to affect the play. He'll fight to get back in front, mirroring ball-handlers before forcing them into tough looks &mdash; or passing the ball altogether.&nbsp;He'll get rearview contests if necessary, throwing off the rhythm of pull-ups and floaters.
Then, there are the action plays. He leads the team with 11 charges taken, tied with Kyle Lowry and Herb Jones (he's back, y'all) for 10th in the league.
No guard in the East has more blocks than White (53); only Gilgeous-Alexander (55) has more in the league (and has a two-inch height advantage). That White can get on-ball blocks and&nbsp;serve as a secondary rim protector is a rarity worth celebrating.&nbsp;
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The combination of productivity and availability &mdash; he's the lone Celtic to appear in all 58 games this season &mdash; should tilt the "Boston's best defender" argument in his favor this season. And for what it's worth, White leads all Celtics in Defensive Estimated Plus Minus (DEPM) this season (+1.5), edging out Smart (+1.3), Tatum (+1.2) and Horford (+1.2).
White has been everything the Celtics have needed him to be, on both ends of the floor. A quality role piece and a quality roll piece. A willing spacer. An All-Defensive level contributor &mdash; he and Jrue Holiday would be my First Team guards if I had a ballot.&nbsp;
And when more has been required, like this Smart-less stretch, White has stepped up in the equation. More buckets, more decision-making and roughly the same level of defense.
He's further proven to be one of the most valuable role players in the NBA. Not only can he slot into the Celtics' system on both ends, he can also scale up or down depending on who's available. That portion isn't true for most role players &mdash; even the good ones. He deserves his flowers for that.

Nekias Duncan puts the recent incredible performances of Celtics guard Derrick White in perspective.

Appreciating the scale of Derrick White's play for the Celtics

Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman is typically one of the NBA's busiest executives when the trade deadline comes around. In fact, since taking over for David Griffin as the Cavs' general manager in July 2017, there hadn&rsquo;t been a single deadline where he stood pat.
On Thursday, that changed, as the Cavaliers decided not to make a trade.
&ldquo;My guys over there, they said, 'Koby I'm proud of you,' for not [making a move],&rdquo; Altman said with a grin at Cleveland Clinic Courts in his first media appearance this season. &ldquo;Because you could make deals. You can. There's things you can land the plane on. Don't just do something to do something. Let's be very, very intentional with what we're doing. It's different when you're in asset collection mode. It's different when you're trying to accumulate picks. That becomes a different motivation. I think where we are now is being very, very intentional [with] how you're going to help this young core grow and set them up for success. And if the move wasn't there to do it, don't do it. I guess we sat this one out.
&ldquo;I think there's value in continuity. I think there's value in giving this group a runway. And sometimes as a GM, you just say to yourself, 'Don't mess this up.' And I think that was a big key for us this deadline. [That's] not easy for me; you guys know I'm volume-heavy. But to take a step back and realize the growth we've seen already, mixed with the results... I didn't see anything that was appreciably gonna make us better and put us over the top. And so, I'm really happy with where we are and where we're going.&rdquo;
We all know the NBA community abides by a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately code, but remember Donovan Mitchell? The 26-year-old first-time All-Star starter who&rsquo;s already stamped his name in the Cavs history books and helped lead Cleveland to a torrid start? One of the best shooting guards in the league who&rsquo;s already won two Player of the Week awards and has brought 39 games worth of playoff experience with him to the team? The dude who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-breaking-news-donovan-mitchell-scores-nbaseasonhigh-cavs-franchisebest-71-in-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped 71 freaking points in one night</a>?
Lest we forget that Altman already launched his full-court heave on the first day of September, prior to the frenzy that was this past week.
&ldquo;I'm really glad we did what we did in the summer, to bring in a Donovan Mitchell, because it's so competitive &mdash; hyper-competitive in the trade market, hyper-competitive in the standings. And so, that was our big move to really lift our ceiling,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;I knew that we weren't going to top that move come trade deadline (laughs). I think it's been a seamless fit. I think it's been some really exciting basketball... I think we had a great future without Donovan, and I can't imagine not having him right now.
&ldquo;We don't need to take swings. We don't need to take these &lsquo;find this incredible talent that you have to build around&rsquo; (approaches). I think we've found that, which is the hardest part. And now, does it work within the group and does it make the team better?&rdquo;
Altman&rsquo;s reasoning behind this approach is logical in short-term and long-term lenses. First and foremost, he brought up the delicate nature of a rare, connected locker room. That&rsquo;s why, though he&rsquo;ll leave open the idea of scouring the buyout market with an open roster spot available, everything will be about fit and skill set when it comes to any addition.
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The Cavs are in a position that they haven&rsquo;t been in during his tenure. They boast the fifth-best record in the NBA while employing the second-youngest starting five (average age of 23.2 years old) in the league, and a majority of that core still has yet to experience postseason basketball.
&ldquo;There's no trade I could've accomplished that was going to account for Darius Garland playing in his first playoff series, Evan Mobley playing in his first playoff series, Isaac Okoro playing in his first playoff series. We have to go through that as a team,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;We're gonna have to go down the stretch here and battle for our position. We're gonna have to go in, hopefully, knock on wood, to a playoff series and see what that feels like, and I'm excited about that.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And that's the growth, that's the maturation that I wanna see from this group down the stretch, and really take a step back and let them experience this kinda basketball that's very, very new for us, and give them the runway to achieve, have setbacks and grow from those experiences. But it's a really, really exciting place to be... Give this group what they deserve [with] what they've already accomplished.&rdquo;
Given his expiring contract situation, there were a lot of questions surrounding Caris LeVert, a hot name on the trade front. Multiple teams inquired about his status with the Cavs and what it&rsquo;d take for the franchise to part ways with him. Altman instead revealed that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s a lot of interest to keep him here,&rdquo; and explained his rationale behind sticking with LeVert.
&ldquo;We acquired Caris last year in vastly different circumstances. If you remember, we had Darius Garland and no other ball-handlers; Ricky [Rubio] was out for the year, we had lost Collin [Sexton] for the year. And so, we brought Caris in under vastly different pretenses. I think what he's done this year is try to adapt his game to two ball-dominant, all-world guards," Altman said. "He's gotten better at his spot-up shooting; he's at a career-high this year at 37% in terms of shooting, and that's not even his real piece. He's just a really good basketball player, and I think he's embraced the challenge of being a defensive stopper.
&ldquo;The thing that really speaks to me too is, and I'm a softy for this, but guys that really want to be here. Guys that show up every day to work, that have a great attitude, that whatever their role is &mdash; and he had to take a substantial step back, be a sixth-man type when he could be starting in the NBA on a lot of different teams &mdash; and being like, 'I want to make this work. I want to be here.' That's meaningful to me, that's meaningful to this organization and it's a big reason why he's here. The other thing too is, let's be honest, we're not playing guys 82 games a year anymore. And to be able to spot start Caris at times is an absolute luxury. We learned that last year we can't have enough ball-handlers. We'll see in the playoffs. I know it's been a few years now, [but] to break your man off the dribble when everything else breaks down and your set play is not working, you're gonna need guys to go get some stuff for you and manufacture some runs. He remains a very important part of what we're doing. He's just a really good basketball player. I know he's thrilled to still be here, and we're happy that he's here as well.&rdquo;
As per usual, Kevin Love&rsquo;s name surfaced in rumblings for another year. This time around, it made sense because he&rsquo;s recorded five straight DNP-CDs and missed action in the three previous games due to a bothersome thumb injury. Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stated Wednesday night that the veteran big man is healthy and available, but wants to see what this new, healthy iteration of the team can do.&nbsp;
Asked about Love, Altman responded by saying that he&rsquo;s never had conversations with him or his representation about a buyout and doesn&rsquo;t anticipate it happening. He did however share that he and the 35-year-old have talked about making a sacrifice and staying ready when his chance to play comes again. Altman feels he&rsquo;ll have that opportunity at some point this season.
After striking a rhythm over the last week, Altman is pleased with what he&rsquo;s seen from this current Cavs rotation that&rsquo;s added some bodies off the injured list. Ricky Rubio &mdash; whom he considers midseason acquisition-like &mdash; came back in the fold less than a month ago and is rounding into form with the bench bunch, and Dean Wade has been getting his legs back under him since returning on Jan. 21, providing meaningful spacing and defensive chops.
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Are the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> finding stability? J.B. Bickerstaff, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade weigh in (with hand signals and all 🎢). <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/oTD1TBWkyl">pic.twitter.com/oTD1TBWkyl</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1623719182910070786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

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When the franchise pulled the trigger on the Mitchell blockbuster, it created a significant void left by now-Utah-Jazz-All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen. For much of the season, the wing has been anything but consistent and a point of contention around town. A whopping 18 different starting lineups is an obvious indication of that, which has included starts at small forward from LeVert, Okoro, Wade and Lamar Stevens. (That&rsquo;s due to injury and mixing and matching.)
However, to Altman&rsquo;s point of internal additions, Cleveland has seen a fresh version of Okoro emerge since the turn of the new year. From Jan. 4 and on &mdash; when &ldquo;Ice&rdquo; reentered the starting five &mdash; the burly third-year swingman over 19 games has averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest on 58.5% from the field, including a scorching 49.0% clip beyond the arc.&nbsp;
Coupling his already-stout defense with the threat of knocking down triples in the corner &mdash; and playmaking for teammates off the catch when closed out on &mdash; has helped Okoro earn the Cavs&rsquo; trust.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy for Isaac, who puts the most work in that now he deserves that sorta 3-and-D position that we drafted him as, that can guard 1-through-4, that really puts pressure on the defense,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;I think what you're seeing from us and from Isaac specifically is a dude that, right away, you feel that defense as soon as you get across half-court, or you want to take a shooter out and he's making you catch 40 feet out. That sets the tone for your defense, and he does that remarkably well. And now, he's hitting the three-ball and giving space to our guards, which we really need.&rdquo;
It also played a factor in Altman avoiding a potential disruption in Okoro&rsquo;s rhythm.
&ldquo;Obviously, everybody wants more shooting. It's something I looked at. But I also know... where are those minutes gonna go to?&rdquo; Altman argued. &ldquo;And that starting five, which has been really good with Isaac Okoro, who are you taking off the floor there when that group as a starting five is a plus-7.3 net rating with a substantial size now? Who are you taking off the floor there, right?
&ldquo;Between him, Dean, Cedi [Osman], we always wanted to hopefully have that be internal and not use more assets to go outside and hope it works. That's the other part too is, at the deadline, you're making these deals and hoping that it fits. You're ingratiating a new person into this system, everybody has to adapt around this person, you have to change the way you play a little bit to accentuate their positives. Keeping the continuity and letting the internal growth happen, I think, was a big part of (standing pat). And seeing those signs certainly gave us pause to... Isaac's only 22 years old, and he's getting better every single day. Let's let that play out.&rdquo;
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Flexibility is still present in Cleveland&rsquo;s books despite being over the salary cap. Altman noted how Mobley still being on his rookie-scale deal will allow the Cavs to re-sign LeVert and Love and use their mid-level exception if they choose. There are also second-round picks at their disposal, and if Thursday taught us anything, it&rsquo;s that they can be quite valuable.
Mitchell and Garland are meshing well with one another as the games pass, Mobley and Jarrett Allen have not shown signs of slowing down and Okoro is coming into his own. Rubio, LeVert, Wade and Osman have had their moments individually and are looking to put it all together to bolster the bench production. As long as the team can stay away from the injury bug, with a softer schedule in the second half of the season, there&rsquo;s no reason to expect any kind of decline. &nbsp; The overlying theme of the Cavs' strategy at this point? If it ain&rsquo;t broke, don&rsquo;t fix it.

Spencer Davies summarizes Cavaliers president Koby Altman's first press conference of the season after a quiet trade deadline.

Koby Altman counting on Cavaliers' continuity, growth from within

Only 18 times in NBA history has a player averaged 20-plus points, 10-plus assists and 5-plus rebounds per game across an entire season. James Harden and Nikola Jokic are on pace to join the list this year.
Three NBA players &mdash; Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas &mdash; have put up at least 20 points and 10 assists per game over four or more separate seasons in their career. Harden is on pace to be the fourth.
Harden missing out on his 11th NBA All-Star appearance is simply a travesty. Maybe it's because the scoring volume is down, or because he's no longer the top bucket-getting option on his team. Whatever the case may be, he deserves applause for the way he has adapted with age and in a new role to help Philadelphia reinvent its path to contention.&nbsp;
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6 threes for <a href="https://twitter.com/JHarden13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JHarden13</a> and call it a SZN HIGH! <a href="https://t.co/OZF4WCWR1i">pic.twitter.com/OZF4WCWR1i</a>
&mdash; Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1620969675780935684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a>
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Harden is currently posting 21.0 points, 10.9 assists and 6.4 rebounds per contest. His mark of 14.9 field goal attempts per game is the lowest since his days on the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his overall efficiency is on par with his prime years in Houston &mdash; albeit in different forms. And with a dominant scorer in Joel Embiid by his side, Harden has reached new heights as a table-setter.
At 33 years old, Harden doesn't attack the basket with the same ferocity as his peak years. Only 24% of his shot attempts are coming at the rim (career-low), per Cleaning the Glass, and he's driving the basketball 13.3 times per game (lowest since 2013-14), according to Second Spectrum. They're still high numbers for most NBA players, but low by Harden's standards. His straight-line speed, probably still underrated in his heyday, has been sapped a great deal.
That's okay. Harden has been&nbsp;relatively&nbsp;confined to the perimeter, and he's made it work with a 38.8% three-point clip, his best since 2011-12. One key reason for the jump: Harden is canning a red-hot 47.7% of his attempts off the catch, which make up over one-eighth (12.7%) of his total shot diet, according to PBP Stats. That's the largest share of catch-and-shoot treys he's logged since 2016-17 and almost double last year's frequency.&nbsp;
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James Harden&rsquo;s reaction to making three catch-and-shoot 3s was pretty funny. And then, more serious: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been working on it, so that&rsquo;s pretty exciting. You don&rsquo;t do too much, just catch-and-shoot it. You put the work in, I work on it every day.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/bH9p2iGTNX">pic.twitter.com/bH9p2iGTNX</a>
&mdash; Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/rich_hofmann/status/1620982628995448832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a>
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This isn't to say Harden has completely disavowed his iso-ball ways. According to Synergy, he takes the third-most isolation possessions per game (6.2) in the NBA. But those possessions are less taxing because he has a co-superstar beside him; Embiid actually logs a slightly higher isolation volume (6.3). And Harden doesn't have to will himself to the basket at his age &mdash; Embiid is also collapsing defenses.
The Harden-to-Embiid assist combination is the most popular connection in the league this season. The Beard has hit up The Process 150 times, per PBP Stats, including 71 Embiid buckets at the rim. Their 40-assist lead on the second-most prominent combo of Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield (110) is as large as that duo's edge between it and the 31st-ranked coupling (a tie between Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett, Killian Hayes and Bojan Bogdanovic, and Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton).&nbsp;
Meanwhile, though much less often, Embiid is the most frequent passer when Harden picks up an assisted bucket. They've teamed up 19 times this season, including 11 Harden makes from beyond the arc.
The Embiid-Harden pick-and-roll has boosted their ascension to perhaps the most dynamic two-man action tandem in the league. But Harden's comfort in Philly is also boosting the supporting cast &mdash; most exemplified in Tobias Harris.&nbsp;
Harris, now 30 years old, has quietly settled into an efficient complementary role while Harden, Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton initiate most offensive possessions. He's shooting a career-best 58% from two-point range. Harris' at-rim frequency (34%), field goal percentage (69%) and assisted-make rate (62%) are all the highest of his four-plus seasons with the Sixers, according to Cleaning the Glass.
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Less than a minute into the second half, James Harden records his 71st career triple-double with this dime to Tobias Harris 🔥<a href="https://t.co/uC4MpbmmYv">pic.twitter.com/uC4MpbmmYv</a> <a href="https://t.co/VEgsAzQYG2">https://t.co/VEgsAzQYG2</a>
&mdash; ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1612200618436730880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The scoring opportunities get easier with Harden on the floor. The former MVP sends 18.1% of his passes to Harris, who in turn makes 59.2% of his ensuing twos and 37.7% of his threes. Harris has typically averaged 8-10 drives per game over the course of his prime years vs. his 6.7 drives this season. The creation burden has been lessened and the efficiency has increased.
It helps that the Sixers added De'Anthony Melton to space the floor and act as a secondary ball-handler, and Maxey certainly gives them another sharp driving punch. But Harden has made everyone, including Harris and Embiid, better since finding his comfort level on the team.
Harden's average of 92.7 touches per game ranks third in the NBA and is still on par with his typical touch rate throughout his career. He's still the ignition for Philly's ninth-ranked offense and a matchup nightmare when he's on the floor, even if the picture looks a little different.&nbsp;
Whether it's the lack of All-Star recognition or the general lack of buzz, Harden's superstardom has taken a back seat in the national consciousness. Don't make that same mistake.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>A cool blocked shot locations graphic from Edoardo Vergani. Look at Bol Bol!</li>
</ul>
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NBA: Blocked shot location of the 12 players with most blocks during this season! What pops out? Let me know! <a href="https://t.co/shFXLWFonW">pic.twitter.com/shFXLWFonW</a>
&mdash; Edoardo Vergani (@ed_vergani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ed_vergani/status/1621863738931400705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Brandon Miller is such a fascinating NBA Draft prospect:</li>
</ul>
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Brandon Miller is putting up unprecedented versatility and efficiency in his jumpshot diet for a college big wing. Here's how he compares to some other 6'7+ shooters - Jabari Smith, Keegan Murray, Saddiq Bey, Brandon Ingram, and Khris Middleton. <a href="https://t.co/DUNsKNXfb4">pic.twitter.com/DUNsKNXfb4</a>
&mdash; Mark (@MarkC_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkC_NBA/status/1621229412091039744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>The Pacers are an absolutely chaotic basketball team, as shown in this table from Tom Bassine:</li>
</ul>
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Net rating in each quarter. Best by Q: 1 - Nuggets 2 - Pacers 3 - Thunder 4 - Cavs <a href="https://t.co/0dKf9ChDbI">pic.twitter.com/0dKf9ChDbI</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1622230703017525249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2023</a></blockquote>

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James Harden is on pace to be the third player to average 20 points and 10 assists in five seasons. Ethan Fuller praises his play.

NBA Stats Notebook: Giving James Harden the flowers he deserves

Trust me, I know.
Following the blockbuster trade that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-owner-mark-cuban-breaks-silence-on-kyrie-irving-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks</a>, much of the conversation surrounding the deal focused on risk &mdash; how Irving's presence may affect the Mavericks' locker room, and especially, Luka Doncic; how the Mavericks would (struggle to) pivot if Irving were to walk in the offseason; how Kevin Durant is feeling in Brooklyn, seeing his co-star total drop from two to zero in a calendar year.
All of those concerns are valid.
There's a reason we immediately got a report from Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes saying the Phoenix Suns &mdash; who offered a package headlined by Chris Paul for Irving &mdash; are ready to push their chips in for Durant if he becomes available again.
The Mavericks absolutely should be keeping an eye on Doncic's long-term happiness. And with Irving, he hasn't been the beacon of reliability or availability. (That's putting it conservatively, for the sake of this piece and this piece only.)
Let's put that to the side for just a moment.&nbsp;
From an on-court perspective, the Mavericks have added a really good basketball player. The entire reason they made this gamble is because of the ceiling-raising that Irving's talent signifies. Let's take a look at what things could look like.
ON-BALL USAGE
Frankly, this should be pretty seamless.
Irving is one of the best isolation scorers of the modern era. His free-verse handle allows him to get wherever he wants to, whenever he wants to get there. He's quick enough to speed past off-balanced defenders, mixes in deceleration to keep defenders off balance (and flow into pull-ups on a dime) and has the body control and dexterity to create finishing angles out of mid-air.&nbsp;
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Over the past four seasons, trips featuring an Irving isolation have generated 1.12 points per possession (PPP). That's first in the NBA among 38 players with at least 1,000 isolations during that time frame. Drop the requirements to 500 isolations, expanding the field to 81 players, and Irving barely trails Zion Williamson (724 isolations, 1.123 PPP) despite having 463 more reps.
This season alone, trips featuring an Irving isolation have produced an absurd 1.21 PPP &mdash; third in the NBA among 88 players with at least 100 clear-outs under their belt. It's worth noting that the two players ahead of Irving &mdash; Lauri Markkanen (1.22 PPP) and D'Angelo Russell (1.213 PPP) &mdash; have combined for 214 isolations, while Irving is at 328 by himself.&nbsp;
I start with pure isolations because that's what the Mavericks have leaned into this season. They lead the NBA in isolations in whatever way you'd like to measure it: Total (1,397), per game (25.8) or per 100 possessions (26.9). Naturally, Doncic paces the league in total isolations (673) on elite efficiency to boot (1.14 PPP).
Even if you project this to be the most blatant my-turn-your-turn pairing in the leauge &mdash; and I don't, but we'll get into that shortly &mdash; these two are good enough to make that offense fruitful.&nbsp;
Irving's scoring chops also help him in ball-screens. Drop coverage is untenable because of his ability to chew up space. He's also, quietly, a pretty creative interior passer. Diverting too much attention to him can lead to a nice mix of pocket passes, dump-offs and lobs.
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Irving made sweet music with Nicolas Claxton in pick-and-roll this year (1.09 PPP). There shouldn't be a steep learning curve receiving screens from Dwight Powell or Christian Wood, assuming the latter is on the roster.&nbsp;
Also, prepare yourself to watch Doncic screen for Irving sometimes. Doncic is setting nearly three on-ball picks per 100 possessions this year, a career-high for him, though pretty low overall. If I had to guess, that number should perk up.
On-ball screens from Doncic have mostly been used to manufactor favorable matchups. That was more of a given when screening for Spencer Dinwiddie since they're close to the same size. Switching was, per Second Spectrum, easily the most common coverage that two-man pairing saw.&nbsp;
With Irving, that could shift a bit. Irving's defenders tend to be smaller than Dinwiddie's; this is an imperfect measure, but per NBA.com's matchup data, Irving has been <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/202681/by-position?Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended by guards</a> roughly 69% of the time, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203915/by-position?Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slightly higher</a> than Dinwiddie's 61.8% clip.
At almost 6-foot-6, it would make sense that teams would feel more comfortable stashing wings and forwards on the latter. While throwing size on Irving makes sense in theory, even asking traditional wings to navigate screens or mirror Irving in space is a tall task.
(Yes, the joke was intentional.)
By the way, it's worth keeping an eye on how Irving deals with blitzes. To say he gets overwhelmed is overselling it, but there can be a bit of catch-hold-read-then-pass to those situations that may not vibe well with how slowly the Mavericks play. The short-roll playmaking on this roster continues to be a subplot worth following.
Because Irving can generate high-level offense, the Mavericks should be able to breathe easier in non-Luka lineups. Prior to the trade, the Nets were outscoring opponents by 44 points (plus-4.2 net rating) in the 676 minutes Irving played without Durant this season, <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy/nba?Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;TeamId=1610612751&amp;Type=Team&amp;0Exactly1OnFloor=202681&amp;1Exactly1OffFloor=201142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per PBP Stats</a>. The Mavericks have <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612742&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203915,1629029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost the Dinwiddie on/ Doncic off minutes</a>, though you can shoot some bail based on the sheer volume of talent missing in some of the games Doncic hasn't been available.&nbsp;
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OFF-BALL VALUE
This is where the on-court hand-wringing begins offensively, and honestly, I'm not sure where the major concern comes from.
It's very much true that Irving and Doncic like the ball in their hands. It's especially true for Doncic, who <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches?CF=GP*GE*30&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=TIME_OF_POSS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leads the NBA</a> in average time of possession (9.6 minutes) and seconds per touch (6.39), ranks second to Trae Young in dribbles per touch (5.59) and fourth in touches per game (90.5) overall.
Irving isn't close to any of those marks. Would it shock you to learn that the Dribble Gawd himself ranks 22nd &mdash; in a tie with Dinwiddie, oddly enough &mdash; in time of possession (5.7), 41st in seconds per touch and 53rd in dribbles per touch (3.77)? You're welcome, friends.
But seriously, it feels like people are extrapolating some of Irving's iso exploits and turning him into a heliocentric nightmare that can't fit alongside Doncic. It couldn't be further from the truth.
On a basic level, Irving's ability to shoot &mdash; and opponents treating him like a top-of-the-line threat, which can't be said for Dinwiddie &mdash; should open up the floor for other Mavericks.&nbsp;
Jason Kidd isn't the NBA's Andy Reid, nor should he be confused as such; he won't be drawing up fancy screen designs to confuse defenses. It became a running joke in Dunker Spot watch parties (<a href="https://www.playback.tv/thedunkerspot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rock with us, folks</a>) that fan pleas for more off-ball movement led Kidd to essentially respond with, "Here's a stagger for Tim Hardaway Jr. &mdash; enjoy!"
As bland as the movement stuff for Dallas can be, Irving can operate within those concepts. The Mavs love "Chicago" action, a common set in the league where a player receives a pindown before flowing into a handoff.
Josh Green misses the assignment in the first clip, but you can see the Nets run it for Irving in the second.
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That basic stagger for Hardaway? They'll run it for Dinwiddie too, in order to get him a head start downhill. With Irving's downhill funk and pull-up chops, it's easy to envision him cooking more in that setup.
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What stands out about Irving is how smart of a cutter he is. That bodes well considering the amount of double-teams Doncic draws in the post. But even in off-ball actions designed for him, he's fine going off script to find a better opening.
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And speaking of Doncic: Get ready for Irving to set screens for Doncic too, particularly during clutch time.
Irving has plenty of experience screening for bigger ball-handlers. He's done so for LeBron James during their Cleveland years together. The Nets were generating good looks out of the Durant-Irving inverted ball screen this season, even if the numbers behind it (0.88 PPP) were underwhelming. Screening for Doncic should be money.
As mentioned earlier, Irving likely being defended by smaller players may make it less enticing for defenses to switch that action. If teams opt to throw two defenders at Doncic, that'll open up short-roll opportunities for Irving. That doesn't seem ideal.
Off rip, Doncic is a&nbsp;much&nbsp;better passer than Durant, meaning Irving should have earlier, more fruitful short-roll opportunities than he saw in Brooklyn. Beyond that, Irving's best traits &mdash; pull-up mid-range shooting, rim finishing, dump-off passes &mdash; are highlighted in this setup.
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Have fun dealing with that.&nbsp;
The cloud hovering over all of this is, of course, how often we'll see Irving, period. Beyond that, it's fair to wonder what the defense will look like.
Irving is a more stout on-ball defender than Dinwiddie by my eye, though that isn't the highest bar. For whatever it's worth to you, Irving grades out as a slight positive (plus-0.2) according to DunksAndThree's Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) metric, while Dinwiddie is firmly negative (minus-1.9). The size difference may hurt, especially once teams get into mismatch-hunting mode as the postseason nears.&nbsp;
But in a Western Conference that feels up in the air, I understand why the Mavericks made the gamble. When examining the on-court fit, I'd argue it's a pretty good one.

Nekias Duncan analyzes how Kyrie Irving will mesh with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks following the trade from Brooklyn.

Examining Kyrie Irving's basketball fit with the Dallas Mavericks

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is just a few days away!
Teams have between now and Thursday at 3 p.m. ET to wheel and deal. For some teams, there's a bit more urgency to make a trade. We asked our Basketball News writers:
Which NBA team desperately needs to make a trade?
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors have been one of the biggest disappointments this season, as they are currently 24-30 (which is the 12th-best record in the Eastern Conference). They have a number of talented individuals on their roster, but the pieces just aren't fitting together. Recent reports have indicated that Toronto isn't sure whether to be a buyer or seller prior to the trade deadline, but it's clear that standing pat isn't an option.
Will the Raptors part ways with O.G. Anunoby, who's been one of the top players surfacing in trade rumors? Will they move Fred VanVleet and/or Gary Trent Jr. before they can opt out and hit unrestricted free agency this summer? Will Masai Ujiri try to restart talks with the Brooklyn Nets on a potential Kevin Durant blockbuster? All eyes will be on the Raptors over the next few days.
Nekias Duncan: I think the Toronto Raptors are the obvious answer here, so I&rsquo;ll set them to the side. It&rsquo;d be nice if the Miami Heat could do something here. It may not be big-game hunting &mdash; they&rsquo;ve been mentioned on the periphery of the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes &mdash; but more reliable depth would help them.
Caleb Martin is in the midst of a career-year, but it hasn&rsquo;t hit like it could because he&rsquo;s a bit overtasked at the 4. The depth behind Bam Adebayo has been shaky; I&rsquo;ve liked the play from Orlando &ldquo;Big Lando&rdquo; Robinson, but his play being *this* important underscores how dire it&rsquo;s been for the Heat. Any deal that could land them a bigger 4 could balance things out, especially if that 4 could moonlight as a 5 in small-ball lineups.
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Brian Fritz: Despite LeBron James continuing to play at an unbelievable level at 38 years old and in his 20th NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves at No. 13 in the Western Conference standings with a 25-29 record. Everyone knows that this team desperately needs to make a trade. The Lakers need to do something &ndash; anything &ndash; or else they are just wasting another season of LeBron&rsquo;s greatness. And he&rsquo;s starting to voice his frustrations again; after a recent loss, James said, "Playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA.&rdquo; Even if it's just a deal to improve around the edges, something needs to be done.
Ethan Fuller: The Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors are probably popular answers here, so I'll throw in the Portland Trail Blazers as well. Damian Lillard is leading the league in scoring since January 1 (34.9 PPG) and is playing absolutely out of his mind right now. But Portland is only 7-9 in that span and continues to be weighed down by its atrocious defense, even with some capable individual pieces.
The West is wide open and ripe for a team to capitalize. This is less about keeping Lillard happy (just take him at his word, please) and more about maximizing a career-year from a 32-year-old, high-usage point guard. If the Trail Blazers can rally and form something near a league-average defense, their chances to make a surprise postseason run suddenly skyrocket.
Spencer Davies: The Dallas Mavericks desperately need to get Luka Doncic another ball-handler and/or a better shooter. It is clear and obvious that Jalen Brunson's departure has made things twice as difficult on the Slovenian sensation, yet he's still delivering. I previously mentioned Terry Rozier, DeMar DeRozan, Fred VanVleet, D'Angelo Russell, Kyle Kuzma, Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson as possible targets. Now, Kyrie Irving is also a potential solution to Dallas' biggest problem.
The Mavericks have contracts to float around, none more obvious than Tim Hardaway Jr.'s &nbsp;deal. They could also fetch a valuable player with Dorian Finney-Smith's four-year, $55 million extension that is in Year 1. In addition, Reggie Bullock is another veteran option who's earning $10,012,800 this season and $10,489,600 next season. And if you need a filler for a bigger contract coming back, Davis Bertans is making a boatload on money ($16 million, then $17 million and an ETO in 2024-25).&nbsp;
[UPDATE: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-acquire-kyrie-irving-from-nets-in-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving shortly after this was published</a>.]
On Thursday, the Basketball News staff will be reacting to every rumor and completed trade during our 2023 NBA Trade Deadline Show! Tune in from 1 p.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET!

Which NBA team desperately needs to make a move before the Feb. 9 trade deadline? We asked our Basketball News writers to weigh in.

Jay Jay