Fighting Illini

Today, the NBA announced the 28 players who have earned spots to compete in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as part of NBA All-Star 2024. The annual showcase of premier young talent, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games, will air live at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
The player pool consists of 11 NBA rookies, 10 second-year NBA players and seven NBA G League players. The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, will be drafted onto three seven-player teams. The seven NBA G League players, selected by the league office, will comprise the fourth team.
Six-time NBA All-Star and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Pau Gasol will return as one of the four honorary head coaches after leading his team to the Rising Stars championship last year. Joining Gasol as honorary head coaches are Indiana Fever legend and 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings and former Indiana Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf.
Catchings, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, led the Fever to the 2012 WNBA championship. Rose helped the Pacers reach the 2000 NBA Finals and was the Kia NBA Most Improved Player that season. Schrempf, a three-time NBA All-Star, won back-to-back Kia NBA Sixth Man Awards with the Pacers in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Gasol (Team Pau), Catchings (Team Tamika) and Rose (Team Jalen) will select their teams through the Rising Stars Draft, which will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. ET and stream live on the NBA App.&nbsp; Schrempf (Team Detlef) will coach the team of NBA G League players.
All three games in Panini Rising Stars will be played to a Final Target Score, meaning each game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of with the clock running out. The semifinal games will be played to a Final Target Score of 40. The championship game will be played to a Final Target Score of 25.
Team A will face Team B in the first semifinal (Game 1), and Team C will play Team D in the second semifinal (Game 2). The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the championship (Game 3).&nbsp; The semifinal matchups will be announced at a later date.
In selecting the NBA players for Panini Rising Stars, each NBA team submitted one ballot per coaching staff. Each coaching staff selected four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players at either position, in order of preference, for the rookie ballot and the sophomore ballot. Coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team.
The NBA participants for Panini Rising Stars were determined by the total points each player received from the ballots. Points were awarded based on where a player was ranked on each ballot. The player pool includes one more rookie than sophomore based on total points received.
Assistant coaches from the NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs will join the honorary head coaches in coaching the Panini Rising Stars teams. The NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs for both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference have yet to be determined.&nbsp;
Tickets for Panini Rising Stars are available at NBAEvents.com and through the NBA Events App, which can be downloaded in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nba-events/id1488976283" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nba-events/id1488976283&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1706738146537000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3KdgVz_lJtn5rLaTz7eq7b">Apple Store</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greencopper.nbaallstar&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US&amp;pli=1" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id%3Dcom.greencopper.nbaallstar%26hl%3Den_US%26gl%3DUS%26pli%3D1&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1706738146537000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0-CV5jwdxEhFcuZ8BRrarV">Google Play Store</a>.
Below is the player pool for the 2024 Panini Rising Stars.
<table style="width: 719px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="607">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 704.431px;" colspan="3">
PANINI RISING STARS: NBA PLAYERS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 358.75px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
NBA Rookies
</td>
<td style="width: 324.604px; text-align: center;">
NBA Sophomores
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 362.625px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Bilal Coulibaly (Guard | Washington Wizards)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.271px; text-align: center;">
Paolo Banchero (Frontcourt | Orlando Magic)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.59px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Keyonte George (Guard | Utah Jazz)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.701px; text-align: center;">
Dyson Daniels (Guard | New Orleans Pelicans)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.826px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Jordan Hawkins (Guard | New Orleans Pelicans)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.812px; text-align: center;">
Jalen Duren (Frontcourt | Detroit Pistons)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.875px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Scoot Henderson (Guard | Portland Trail Blazers)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.847px; text-align: center;">
Jaden Ivey (Guard | Detroit Pistons)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Chet Holmgren (Frontcourt | Oklahoma City Thunder)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.854px; text-align: center;">
Walker Kessler (Frontcourt | Utah Jazz)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Frontcourt | Miami Heat)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Bennedict Mathurin (Guard | Indiana Pacers)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Dereck Lively II (Frontcourt | Dallas Mavericks)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Keegan Murray (Frontcourt | Sacramento Kings)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Brandon Miller (Frontcourt | Charlotte Hornets)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Shaedon Sharpe (Guard | Portland Trail Blazers)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Brandin Podziemski (Guard | Golden State Warriors)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Jabari Smith Jr. (Frontcourt | Houston Rockets)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Cason Wallace (Guard | Oklahoma City Thunder)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Jalen Williams (Frontcourt | Oklahoma City Thunder)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Victor Wembanyama (Frontcourt | San Antonio Spurs)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="height: 454px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="438">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
PANINI RISING STARS: NBA G LEAGUE PLAYERS
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Izan Almansa (Frontcourt | G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Matas Buzelis (Frontcourt | G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Ron Holland (Frontcourt | G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Mac McClung (Guard | Osceola Magic)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Tyler Smith (Frontcourt | G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Oscar Tshiebwe (Frontcourt | Indiana Mad Ants)*
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Alondes Williams (Guard | Sioux Falls Skyforce)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Two-Way Player

The NBA announced the 28 players who have earned spots to compete in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars.

NBA announces 2024 Rising Stars participants

Kansas and Alabama are no strangers to playing for national championships.
For the Jayhawks, another high-expectations trip to March Madness is a rite of spring. For the Crimson Tide, well, this path to glory travels through some unfamiliar ground &mdash; the basketball court.
Alabama rolls in as the top overall seed in an NCAA Tournament that feels both familiar and foreign this season. Yes, there are plenty of heartwarming stories and unbelievable upsets to come when the action begins Tuesday with the first of four play-in games.
But this was also a season clouded with police blotters at Alabama and Texas, injuries at Houston and UCLA, some unsightly losses at Kansas, and enough twists and turns at the top of the field to make this as unpredictable a bracket as ever.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure we would&rsquo;ve predicted this,&rdquo; Alabama coach Nate Oats said of the top seeding that belongs to the Crimson Tide for the first time.
Alabama&rsquo;s ability to set aside distractions &mdash; namely, the inevitable questions that will be directed at its star, Brandon Miller, and others about an ongoing murder case against a former member of the team &mdash; could have as big an impact on the Crimson Tide&rsquo;s chances as anything.
But all these teams, especially at the top, have their issues.&nbsp;
It starts with Houston, the 1 seed in the Midwest, which was cruising along until Saturday, when its star guard, Marcus Sasser, fell awkwardly and left the game with a groin injury.
Sasser didn&rsquo;t play in his team&rsquo;s conference title game and Houston lost. How quickly he gets back to form could dictate whether the Cougars make the Final Four, which will take place at NRG Stadium, not far from their home arena.
Or take the Jayhawks, who looked like the top overall seed for a time. Two double-digit losses to Texas knocked them down a few notches. They are top seeded, but will play in the West, not the Midwest &mdash; one of those rare teams that might have preferred a possible trip down the road to Kansas City over a flight to Las Vegas for the Sweet 16. Not helping the situation was the recent illness of coach Bill Self, who was feeling chest tightness and checked himself into the hospital before the Big 12 Tournament. He was released Sunday and is expected to be with the Jayhawks this week.
&ldquo;They mark it how they feel and we&rsquo;re just going to do what we need to do to get where we need to be,&rdquo; Kansas forward KJ Adams said.
There are issues one notch down the bracket, too.
No. 2 UCLA has been dealing with injuries all season. Most recently, guard Jaylen Clark (Achilles) and big man Adem Bona (shoulder) have gone down. Clark won&rsquo;t be back; Bona might. It takes a hunk out of a team that still has the core of a roster that lost to Gonzaga on a buzzer-beater from near midcourt at the Final Four two years ago.
Another 2 seed, Texas, has had months to bounce back from the firing of coach Chris Beard, whose fiancee called in a domestic dispute that led to the coach&rsquo;s arrest. Charges were eventually dropped. By then, Rodney Terry had taken over the team and it found its footing, though the ugliness of the episode is bound to be rehashed during basketball&rsquo;s biggest month.
Back among the No. 1 seeds, Purdue has a 7-foot-4 playmaker, Zach Edey, leading the way and also has a little baggage of its own. Coach Matt Painter&rsquo;s program has now made the tournament 14 times in his 18 years but has advanced as far as the Elite Eight only once. This is the first time one of Painter&rsquo;s teams has come in as a top seed, though.
The coach is as aware as anyone how a trip to the Final Four might just cover up a lot of those old blemishes.
&ldquo;Obviously, I know,&rdquo; Painter said, &ldquo;you get judged on what you do in the tournament.&rdquo;

Despite their successes to get to this point, there are a number of top-seeded teams with issues heading into the NCAA Tournament.

March Madness top teams bring talent and, for some, baggage

Basketball News highlights the reporting, analysis and podcasts that defined a year of basketball in 2022.

Best of Basketball News: Spotlighting our top content from 2022

The NBA has announced a new original series through NBA Entertainment called "Pass the Rock," which will stream exclusively on the NBA App beginning Thursday, Dec. 15.&nbsp;
The series will provide fans with behind-the-scenes access to the next generation of NBA stars throughout the course of the season, as they "prepare their minds and bodies for competition, establish themselves as leaders and spend time with their friends and family," reads the press release.
The first episode will feature New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who reflects on the difficult journey he faced after suffering a foot injury prior to the 2021-22 NBA season that sidelined him for more than a year. The 22-year-old forward opens up about his triumphant return, shares his excitement about the chemistry of the 2022-23 Pelicans and discusses what it&rsquo;s like competing against fellow NBA stars.
Future episodes will spotlight Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić and Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, with more players to be added to the lineup throughout the season.
Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow is the executive producer of the series.
The second episode with Jaylen Brown will premiere on Dec. 23, ahead of the Celtics&rsquo; Christmas Day matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks at 5 p.m. on ESPN and ABC.
Details regarding future episodes and additional players will be announced throughout the remainder of the season.

The NBA announced a new original series called "Pass the Rock" that will stream exclusively on the NBA App beginning Dec. 15.

NBA announces new series 'Pass the Rock' that follows star players

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 12 of his 16 points in overtime, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining, and No. 17 Illinois rallied to hand second-ranked Texas its first loss of the season, 85-78 on Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic.
Jayden Epps added 11 points, including the final five points of regulation &mdash; a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left and two tying free throws with 8 seconds remaining. Epps then blocked Marcus Carr&rsquo;s jumper in the lane just before the buzzer to force overtime in an entertaining showdown at Madison Square Garden.
Matthew Mayer, who faced Texas several times at Baylor, tied a career high with 21 points as he made his first seven shots and finished 8 of 10.
Shannon, who missed eight of nine shots in regulation, took over in the extra period to help Illinois (7-2) beat a ranked foe for the second time this season.
Timmy Allen scored a season-high 21 points for Texas (6-1), which failed to open 7-0 for the first time since 2014-15. Tyrese Hunter added 10 points but Carr was held to nine points on 3-of-14 shooting as Texas had 12 shots blocked and shot 42%.
NO. 1 HOUSTON 76, NORTH FLORIDA 42
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Ja&rsquo;Vier Francis scored 14 points, star Marcus Sasser had 12 points in the first eight minutes before leaving with a cut over his eye, and Houston coasted past North Florida.&nbsp;
Sasser, who entered the game averaging 17.5 points, made two 3-pointers early but got hit in the face and left with a cut that required stitches.
Jarace Walker had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Houston (9-0), and Tramon Mark scored 10.
Jarius Hicklen led the Ospreys (2-6) with 12 points.
NO. 3 VIRGINIA 55, JAMES MADISON 50
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Kihei Clark scored 17 points, Jayden Gardner had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Virginia beat its feisty in-state rival.
The Cavaliers (8-0), who lost starting guard Reece Beekman to a right leg injury early in the first half, prevented the Dukes (7-3) from winning a second straight December game in Charlottesville. James Madison beat Virginia 52-49 last Dec. 7.
Takal Molson scored 20 points for James Madison, including a 3-pointer that tied the game at 42-all with 7:47 to play. Gardner responded for Virginia by scoring five straight points in a 9-1 run.
The Cavaliers kept the Dukes in the game by missing eight of 13 free throws over the last six minutes.
NO. 9 ARKANSAS 65, UNC GREENSBORO 58
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Standout freshman Nick Smith Jr. scored 22 points in just his third game as Arkansas overcame a sluggish offensive showing to beat North Carolina-Greensboro.
The Razorbacks (8-1) shot 33.3% and trailed for a majority of the game.
Makhi Mitchell had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Arkansas, Davis had 10 points and 10 boards, and Black scored 11 points.
Donovan Atwell led UNC Greensboro (4-6) with 12 points and Dante Treacy added 11.
NO. 12 BAYLOR 80, TARLETON STATE 57
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Freshman Keyonte George scored 22 points, redshirt freshman Langston Love added 20 and Baylor beat Tarleton State.
The Bears (7-2) had trouble early pulling away from the Texans, led by former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, but finally took a double-digit lead not long after halftime.
Shakur Daniel scored 13 points for the Texans (5-4), who were playing Baylor for the first time since 1986 and the ninth time overall.
WISCONSIN 64, NO. 13 MARYLAND 59
MADISON, Wis. (AP) &mdash; Chucky Hepburn scored 13 points and Steven Crowl added 12 as Wisconsin handed Maryland its first loss under coach Kevin Willard.
Wisconsin (7-2, 1-0 Big Ten) opened a 58-45 lead with a 13-point run, capped by Crowl&rsquo;s two free throws with 3:46 remaining. The Badgers hung on despite making just 15 of 25 free throws in the second half and no field goals over the final 4:03.
Jahmir Young scored 17 points and Julian Reese had 10 for Maryland (8-1, 1-1), which entered averaging 80.8 points per game and outscoring opponents by 19.8.
NO. 15 DUKE 74, IOWA 62
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jeremy Roach tied a career high with 22 points and No. 15 Duke led virtually the entire way against Iowa in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
The Blue Devils (9-2) won their third straight since a 19-point loss to Purdue last month in the championship game of the Phil Knight Legacy.
Mark Mitchell added 13 of his 17 points in the second half. Kyle Filipowski had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double.
Patrick McCaffery led the Hawkeyes (6-2) with 12 points in a game that had special meaning to him. The junior forward was 13 when he was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid.
NO. 24 TCU 78, JACKSON STATE 51
FORTH WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; JaKobe Coles scored a career-high 21 points, Damion Baugh had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, and TCU won its fifth straight.
Coles matched his career high with 15 points by halftime. He then had the final six points of an 8-0 run early in the second half for a 54-34 lead. Shahada Wells added 14 points and Chuck O&rsquo;Bannon Jr. scored 11 for TCU (7-1).
Coltie Young made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points for Jackson State (1-7). Romelle Mansel had eight points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.&nbsp;

The Jimmy V Classic started with a bang on Tuesday evening, including a top-tier upset.

Shannon shines in OT, No. 17 Illinois tops No. 2 Texas 85-78

Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s first press conference after returning from his suspension was met by a barrage of reporters seemingly throwing a series of questions at him that could have potentially resulted in him being suspended again.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The media smh <a href="https://t.co/6ZsGU5llll">pic.twitter.com/6ZsGU5llll</a>
&mdash; Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1594830463675375620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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One interpretation is that the reporters were just doing their job in asking Kyrie the questions that inquiring minds would like answered. However, another interpretation is that Kyrie asked (very politely) if the reporters could simply stick to questions about the actual game, and they seemingly ignored his request and continued to ask questions that could potentially get him in hot water once again &mdash; an intentional attempt to set him up.
I wanted to delve deeper into this topic, so I reached out to journalist Chuck Modiano, who is a senior writer for Deadspin and has also written for the New York Daily News.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/chuck1_690w.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="409" />
Etan Thomas: Does it seem like the media is now picking on Kyrie?
Chuck Modiano: Let me first say that you have been doing a great job on social media covering this.
Thomas: Oh, I appreciate that.
Modiano: No problem. Well, there are definitely a couple of members who keep harping on it, but the problem is, they don&rsquo;t do that to other athletes. I don&rsquo;t think Jerry Jones is going to be peppered the same way. I know initially they asked him, but I doubt the questions will continue. I could be wrong, but we&rsquo;ll see. But the double standard always exists with Black athletes and it always has, and part of that double standard is the makeup of the press &mdash; and what the press finds noteworthy and not noteworthy to pursue. So yeah, it&rsquo;s definitely there and will continue to be there and we have to keep calling it out.
Thomas: I agree, but I don&rsquo;t see enough people calling it out and that&rsquo;s the part that frustrates me. It seems like it&rsquo;s just accepted. And let&rsquo;s take the actual content of everything that happened with Kyrie out of the discussion for a moment, and just compare this to how, say, Brett Farve was dealt with in the media. I mean, he didn&rsquo;t have to do anything &mdash; he didn&rsquo;t have to apologize or nothing?
Modiano: I think Brett Favre is a great recurring example. With Kyrie, it goes so far beyond the initial discussion of anti-semitism. It goes to something greater in media. The Black athlete is profitable and the Black athlete&rsquo;s perceived misbehavior is profitable. And we know this when a discussion should shift and it does not. So I&rsquo;ll give you an example. So there was a period of time where the discussion moved from Kyrie Irving to Jeff Bezos &mdash; let&rsquo;s hold Amazon accountable. He&rsquo;s making all this money off "Hebrews To Negroes." And let&rsquo;s form a petition, etc. And there were some famous actors joining in the charge. Rolling Stone actually had pictures of those actors, but most publications, even if the article was focused on Jeff Bezos and Amazon, still had the cover picture of Kyrie. So I said, "Well, that&rsquo;s not about perceived anti-semitism, that&rsquo;s about anti-Blackness." Because, again, the whole article was about Jeff Bezos and Amazon, so why is Kyrie on the cover picture? That was an editorial choice and that&rsquo;s when you have to examine the fact that anti-Blackness will get you more clicks and there is more profit in anti-Blackness.
Thomas: That&rsquo;s interesting. Now that you say that, I definitely noticed that as well. And to your point, there are a lot of Black media that participate in that as well. Right now, there are a lot of people trying to give Jerry Jones a pass. I just saw Stephen A. Smith and Jason Whitlock both defending him today. I actually tweeted about it.
Modiano: It&rsquo;s completely ridiculous. And listen, I am someone who has marched with former Nazis who are now against Nazis and are now on the anti-racism side and it&rsquo;s their life mission to flip other Nazis. So I am someone who believes to the greatest extent that reform is possible. But let&rsquo;s take Jerry Jones here, and put aside the fact that probably 95% of white people in Arkansas in 1957 more than likely shared a certain belief about Black people, I think we can safely say that. But not everyone joined a mob to terrorize Black students, so there is a difference between racist thoughts and racist actions. And it&rsquo;s important to remember that in 1954, the Brown vs. Board of Education was put into law, and the one of the ways white people would fight against that law was through mob action, and Jerry Jones was a part of that. So if you&rsquo;re going to tell me he&rsquo;s changed, I need to see it. I see his comments about [Colin] Kaepernick. I see the fact that he has never had a Black head coach. I see him donating half a million to Governor [Greg] Abbott&rsquo;s campaign. This doesn&rsquo;t sound like he has changed too much since 1957.
Thomas: And the same with Brett Favre. I haven&rsquo;t seen anything where he's tried to make amends after this $77 million Mississippi state-welfare-fund scandal or any evidence that he has changed. They say it&rsquo;s always something with Kyrie; well, it&rsquo;s always something with Brett Favre, right?
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JerryJones?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JerryJones</a> <a href="https://t.co/kpy9G3XaFU">pic.twitter.com/kpy9G3XaFU</a>
&mdash; Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1596296501747228674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<div>
<div>Modiano: Oh, don&rsquo;t get me started on Brett. He has a long, ugly history and I&rsquo;m not just talking about outwardly supporting Donald Trump at the height of his racism and Charlottesville and Jan. 6th, or the inappropriate messages and nude pictures he sent to New York Jets game day host Ms. Sterger, but yes there is definitely enough history for there to be much more upheaval of outrage from the media. So we have to ask, why is the Brett Favre scandal not given the same attention and scrutiny as Kyrie? The answer could be simply that Brett Favre is not going to produce the amount of clicks that Kyrie will. But then you have to ask: why is Kyrie going to produce more clicks? Because Brett is retired and Kyrie is an active player? I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s it. I think it&rsquo;s because of anti-Blackness. We have a white customer service base that likes to see Black athletes being denigrated and will use Black media talking heads, like the ones you named before, to do the actual denigrating. That&rsquo;s the bottom line. So some will say, "No, it&rsquo;s the anti-semitism that is a much bigger issue." Well, if that were the case, all forms of perceived anti-semitism would garner the same reaction that Kyrie did, and it doesn&rsquo;t.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: And to your point, let me read this <a href="https://twitter.com/shaunking/status/1596184440513777665" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet from Shaun King</a> that read: &ldquo;So we now know that Donald Trump just had dinner with one of the most explicit bigots and Holocaust-deniers in the world right now, Nick Fuentes. I need to see if Trump and the people who support him get the Kyrie Irving treatment now. I seriously doubt it." Now they can&rsquo;t say that Kyrie has more power and influence than Trump, so will there be a big outrage about Trump?&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Modiano: We already know the answer to that. Of course there won&rsquo;t and Nick Fuentes is a proud white supremacist and racist. He is an actual Holocaust denier and has spewed actual anti-semetic rhetoric out of his mouth. And Trump has himself said a lot of perceived, I&rsquo;ll say, antisemitic statements. So in comparing the reaction of that to Kyrie, you&rsquo;re right; it&rsquo;s not the same outrage.&nbsp;A few years ago, I wrote an article with the New York Daily News asking, "Why are we not critiquing white athletes?" Whether it&rsquo;s Tom Brady with the Trump hat in his locker or Brett Favre posing in a picture with him on the golf course, where were those same reporters who pressed Kyrie then? Where were the pointed questions that we are seeing repeatedly with Kyrie? So if we are going to have a media that is critiquing athletes the way they are with Kyrie, ok that&rsquo;s fine, but let&rsquo;s do it with the white athletes too.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: So, how can Kyrie navigate through this? Because it seems like the media is going to continue to press him on topics where they&rsquo;re almost trying to play GOTCHA with him. He has to meet with the media, or he&rsquo;ll get fined. So should he just keep repeating the phrase, "Can you please only ask me basketball questions?" Or do the Marshawn Lynch ("I&rsquo;m just here so I won&rsquo;t get fined")?</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Modiano: I&rsquo;ll tell you what, I thought he turned the Thanksgiving question on its head pretty nicely. I thought it was brilliant how he navigated that. He ended positively, he wished everyone a happy holiday, and he did it with a smile, but he also made the point clear: I&rsquo;m not personally celebrating Thanksgiving. And I think that&rsquo;s great because it now brings the much larger discussion that is not going on about the actual history of Thanksgiving and the treatment of indigenous people of this country, so I thought he navigated that question brilliantly.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: But do you think the media was again trying to pick at him? I tweeted about this and it got a very strong response. Anyone who has been even remotely following the NBA knows about Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s connection to his Native American heritage. When I saw that, I was like, "Are they just trolling Kyrie now?" They could&rsquo;ve asked any other player on the team that, but they ask him in particular? I just don&rsquo;t think they would&rsquo;ve asked Deni Avdija (the Washington Wizards forward who is Jewish) if he would like to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas; I just personally don&rsquo;t think they would.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
They know Kyrie Irving doesn&rsquo;t celebrate Thanksgiving and they know exactly why because he has explained his connection to his Native American heritage and the celebrated slaughter of his people. The media is being very intentional right now with Kyrie <a href="https://t.co/RCKWhaJn0I">https://t.co/RCKWhaJn0I</a>
&mdash; Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1595784312359624707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Modiano: So, I&rsquo;m leaning toward what you&rsquo;re saying. I don&rsquo;t know who the particular reporter was, I don&rsquo;t know the history, and we have to look at media collectively, not just this one person.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: Oh yeah, it wasn&rsquo;t particular to Meghan Triplett, the Nets new sideline reporter; I wasn&rsquo;t saying that. I was just using this one instance as yet another example, not her in particular. &nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Modiano: Right, but I think collectively, it&rsquo;s no question the media has a double standard with Kyrie. It&rsquo;s abundantly clear. So I&rsquo;ll say it like this: I can&rsquo;t say definitively that it&rsquo;s a racial double standard, but I will say that it&rsquo;s worthy of an investigation of a possibly racial double standard. And it&rsquo;s not just Kyrie, there has been a racial double standard historically with Black athletes for decades.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: So let me ask you this: People like Shaq and Charles Barkley were very direct with their critique of Kyrie. I actually tweeted about this as well.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Immediately they got <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharlesBarkley?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CharlesBarkley</a> to go live and condemn <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KyrieIrving?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KyrieIrving</a> and I know he hadn&rsquo;t actually watched <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HebrewsToNegroes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HebrewsToNegroes</a> to even know what he was talking about. But Barkley is one of the go to Black Media used to condemn Black People and it&rsquo;s sad<a href="https://t.co/58aGoedJo8">https://t.co/58aGoedJo8</a> <a href="https://t.co/XC1kdKqKXi">pic.twitter.com/XC1kdKqKXi</a>
&mdash; Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1595022874901090311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Modiano: I&rsquo;m telling you, you&rsquo;ve been on it on social media. And your interviews have been great too. Different perspectives. You even got a Rabbi! I haven&rsquo;t seen anyone go to the length to actually sit down with a Rabbi and discuss this.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: (Laughing) Well, there&rsquo;s been a lot to cover, but it seems like people like Charles Barkley and those of his ilk are just not willing to move past it. He brought it up again last night, saying he was disappointed that more NBA players didn&rsquo;t come out and speak against him. I&rsquo;m just like... he has apologized, served his suspension, went through the entire ridiculous six-step criteria they laid out for him, met with Adam Silver, met with Joe Tsai, and they all gave him the stamp of approval that he is not anti-semitic (although he never said anything out of his mouth that was anti-semitic). He went through all of those steps, so how long will it be before the media as a collective whole stops trolling him?&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Modiano: My response to the many problematic things that come out of Charles Barkley&rsquo;s mouth is: Why is he being uplifted as this voice of Black America or something? I remember a few years ago, CNN did this series called Race In America, led by Charles Barkley. What qualified him to lead that series?&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
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</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: They could&rsquo;ve gotten Craig Hodges, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Colin Kaepernick, John Carlos, Tommie Smith or if they wanted contemporary athletes, they could&rsquo;ve gotten LeBron James, Eric Reid, Jaylen Brown, the Olympian Gwen Berry, Swin Cash... There are so many combinations of athlete activists they could&rsquo;ve gotten. And I interviewed most of them in my book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Matter-Athletes-Activism-Sports/dp/1617755915/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=66c9a448-2d15-42b5-ad8b-555bf1229604" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"We Matter: Athletes And Activism.&rdquo;&nbsp;</a></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Modiano: Right, but they didn&rsquo;t want any of them, they wanted Charles Barkley. Why? The same reason he was on CNN being the spokesperson of Black America, which I believe you tweeted about too.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: Yes, <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1594710024969912322?s=46&amp;t=DudNOqBBO4hPI-A58FFLUg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I did actually.</a>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Modiano: I told you, you&rsquo;ve been on it! (laughing) But why Charles Barkley? Because they know what his position will be on the topic, so it doesn&rsquo;t matter that he doesn&rsquo;t have a rich history of social justice like all the athletes you mentioned before and interviewed in your book. They like the positions he takes so that will trump his actual qualifications. Same with Herschel Walker. But just think about it, they don&rsquo;t do that with white athletes; they don&rsquo;t turn them into the spokespersons for white America on race relations. Anybody know where Larry Bird stands on anything? Kevin McHale? Dirk? Jerry West? Chris Mullin? We have to question these networks who continue to put the mic in Charles Barkley&rsquo;s face but at the same time, we know the answer. It&rsquo;s because he is saying what they want to hear a Black person say. Anti-Black is anti Black whether it&rsquo;s on Fox News, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, Jason Whitlock or Charles Barkley.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Thomas: So basically, a lot of people in the media are pawns like Kyrie said&hellip; You don&rsquo;t have to answer that. Like you said, we already know the answer.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Check out these related episodes of "The Rematch."</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf:</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Rabbi Harry Rozenberg:</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
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<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Dave Zirin:</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
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</div>

Has the media treated Kyrie Irving fairly? Etan Thomas sits down with journalist Chuck Modiano to discuss the coverage of Irving.

How long will the media continue to troll Kyrie Irving?

Before every season, I do my best to predict how I think the season will unfold &mdash; where teams will finish and who&rsquo;ll win each individual award. Heck, I even try my hand at predicting the All-NBA/Rookie/Defensive Teams.
Those efforts are generally meaningless; you can never truly account for injuries or transactions, for example, which makes it nearly impossible to truly nail these things down. Still, it&rsquo;s incredibly fun to take a look at the landscape of the league and make educated guesses.
Normally, I&rsquo;d thread my predictions on Twitter since it&rsquo;s a quick and easy way to get those thoughts out into the world. The issue is explaining controversial picks with a character limit; if you&rsquo;ve been on the app for any amount of time, you know how quickly discussions can go left.
Instead, I&rsquo;ve turned my predictions into an article. It&rsquo;ll be easier to track my predictions, and I have the space to explain my reasoning in a more thorough manner.&nbsp;
If you want to laugh at last year's edition &mdash; in which I had the Milwaukee Bucks beating the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals &mdash; you can do so <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202122-nba-season-and-award-predictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
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If you want deeper thoughts on your favorite team, read our season previews for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-atlantic-division-boston-celtics-brooklyn-nets-new-york-knicks-philadelphia-76ers-sixers-toronto-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atlantic Division</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-northwest-division-denver-nuggets-minnesota-timberwolves-oklahoma-city-okc-thunder-portland-trail-blazers-utah-jazz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northwest Division</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-central-division-chicago-bulls-cleveland-cavaliers-detroit-pistons-indiana-pacers-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central Division</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202223-nba-season-preview-pacific-division" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacific Division</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202223-nba-season-preview-southeast-division" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southeast Division</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202223-nba-season-preview-southwest-division" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southwest Division</a>.
Without further ado, here&rsquo;s how I see things going this season.
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Joel Embiid (PHI)
Defensive Player of the Year:&nbsp;Bam Adebayo (MIA)
Rookie of the Year: Paolo Banchero (ORL)
Sixth Man of the Year: Jordan Poole (GSW)
Most Improved Player: Precious Achiuwa (TOR)
Coach of the Year: Ty Lue (LAC)
- This kinda has to be the year for Embiid, no? Back-to-back second-place finishes set the stage for him to grab one if he proves healthy. This is arguably the most talented cast he's had around him. If he's healthy and commits defensively like he said he wants to, an MVP-DPOY combo isn't out of the question.
- Adebayo is the&nbsp;switch big in the NBA, one of a handful of players that can legitimately defend all five positions. Missed games hurt his case last season, but I think the award is his if he plays 65-plus games.&nbsp;
- Banchero should lead all rookies in scoring &mdash; well, unless Bennedict Mathurin pulls it off. The bucket-getting, plus playmaking chops, on a team that I think will be better than most people expect should give him a clear pathway to the award.
- I have a couple of sleepers-that-aren't-sleepers; keep an eye on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-feature-intreview-bruce-brown-feeling-secure-in-new-role-denver-nuggets-nikola-jokic-jamal-murray-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruce Brown</a> and Brandon Clarke. Ultimately, Poole should lead all bench players in scoring &mdash; and do so efficiently &mdash; while racking up wins on one of the best teams in the league.
- Lue's been a top-three coach for a while now. Getting a 10-plus win improvement (even if it's health-related) while sorting out the rotation of a roster with 13 NBA-level talents would be a pretty strong case.
Team Awards
ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM:&nbsp;Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid
ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM:&nbsp;Trae Young, Ja Morant, Paul George, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic
ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM:&nbsp;Devin Booker, Jimmy Butler, Pascal Siakam, LeBron James, Bam Adebayo
ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM: Marcus Smart, Mikal Bridges, Draymond Green, Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid
ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM: Jrue Holiday, Herb Jones, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert
ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM: Jaden Ivey, Bennedict Mathurin, Keegan Murray, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero
ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM:&nbsp;Jalen Williams, Jake LaRavia, Jeremy Sochan, Tari Eason, Jalen Duren
- For the All-NBA Teams, apologies are due, but not limited to: Kawhi Leonard (rest days, deep class), Rudy Gobert (deep class), Karl-Anthony Towns (deep class), Anthony Davis (injury, deep class), Chris Paul (deep class, likely regression), Kyrie Irving (deep class), Brandon Ingram (deep class), Zion Williamson (missed time), Bradley Beal (team record), Jaylen Brown (deep class) and Anthony Edwards (deep class).
- Until the ballot becomes positionless &mdash; or at least until they give us two backcourt and three frontcourt options like the All-Star ballot &mdash; a center will get screwed. I think Embiid gets MVP this year, so Jokic falls to the Second Team. They aren't forwards, and won't be played as forwards. I'm not goin'.
- This will be the Herb Jones year if he's healthy. Should've been last year, but I'll save that rant for another day. While we're on second-year players, it wouldn't shock me at all if Evan Mobley makes serious noise in this regard too.
- The All-Rookie First Team seems pretty straightforward. A solid mix of talent and opportunity on the board.
- The LaRavia pick might be spicy, especially if the defense doesn't come along quickly enough. I do think there's enough shooting and connective playmaking there that he could earn consistent ticks in Memphis.
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Eastern Conference
TOP SIX
<ol>
<li>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</li>
<li>BOSTON CELTICS</li>
<li>MILWAUKEE BUCKS</li>
<li>MIAMI HEAT</li>
<li>CLEVELAND CAVALIERS</li>
<li>TORONTO RAPTORS</li>
</ol>
- This should be a darn good year for the Sixers. Talented top-four &mdash; I'm really here for this decisive version of Tobias Harris &mdash; and more defensive talent on the roster.
- I get the depth/age concerns for the Bucks, but, like, Giannis. Top-10 offense and defense should be in play for them.
- Questions at the 3 aside, the Cavs should be incredibly annoying to deal with. All that size defensively, then the pull-up chops on the other end from Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell? Whew.
PLAY-IN TERRITORY
<ol start="7">
<li>BROOKLYN NETS</li>
<li>ATLANTA HAWKS</li>
<li>CHICAGO BULLS</li>
<li>NEW YORK KNICKS</li>
</ol>
- Seventh feels right for Brooklyn considering the strength of the conference and the early absences of Joe Harris and Seth Curry. I must say, though, I like what they're establishing scheme-wise. A top-four seed wouldn't surprise me at all.
THE REST
<ol start="11">
<li>ORLANDO MAGIC</li>
<li>WASHINGTON WIZARDS</li>
<li>DETROIT PISTONS</li>
<li>CHARLOTTE HORNETS</li>
<li>INDIANA PACERS</li>
</ol>
- I'm prepared to take my L, but I'm high on the Magic this year. There's so much skilled size on the roster. The defense should be solid, and there's enough playmaking and shot creation to make things interesting offensively.
- Already making a change from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-145-southeast-division-preview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southeast Division preview pod</a>; I think the Hornets will be worse than the Wizards. Post-pod, I felt I was too harsh on Washington. Since then, we've gotten a LaMelo Ball ankle turn and a James Bouknight arrest, and we've still heard nothing on the Miles Bridges front (he shouldn't be there). They're closer to the bottom for me now.
- I entered training camp ready to plant the "Pistons make the Play-In" flag, but I feel really uneasy about their switching scheme. That, and the half-court offense is going to take some time to come together. Next year, though!
Western Conference 
TOP SIX
<ol>
<li>GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS</li>
<li>PHOENIX SUNS</li>
<li>DENVER NUGGETS</li>
<li>LA CLIPPERS</li>
<li>MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES</li>
<li>DALLAS MAVERICKS</li>
</ol>
- An uptick of shooting from Curry, a healthier version of Klay Thompson and growth from the youth should lead to bundles of regular-season wins.
- Despite the ugly postseason ending and offseason hoopla, the Suns have a formula (and talent, obviously) to churn out regular-season wins. Let's not overreact.
- Early spoiler: I think the Clippers have the most talented roster in the league. I think star maintenance and lineup tinkering have them closer to No. 6 than No. 1 in the standings.
PLAY-IN TERRITORY
<ol start="7">
<li>MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES</li>
<li>NEW ORLEANS PELICANS</li>
<li>LA LAKERS</li>
<li>PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS</li>
</ol>
- The Pels! They should be electric offensively. Defensively, they have pieces I like &mdash; hello Mr. Jones, Jose Alvarado and Larry Nance Jr. &mdash; but we'll see how they hold up as a unit.
- I have some real questions about the Lakers' shooting talent and the Westbrook fit &mdash; and how long he'll even be there. There's an obvious upside for more if things break right.
- It hasn't been from a lack of effort, but trying to build a defense around a Damian Lillard-Anfernee Simons-Jusuf Nurkic core is just a tough thing to do.&nbsp;
THE REST
<ol start="11">
<li>SACRAMENTO KINGS</li>
<li>HOUSTON ROCKETS</li>
<li>OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER</li>
<li>UTAH JAZZ</li>
<li>SAN ANTONIO SPURS</li>
</ol>
- If the Fightin' KZs Kings are able to defend well enough &mdash; and by that, I mean, like 21st in Defensive Rating &mdash; don't be surprised if they nab 10th. The offense should be good enough to make a push.
- The Rockets are a year of development (and roster consolidation) away from making a Play-In push, I think.
Eastern Conference Playoffs
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
Nets &gt; Hawks for 7th.
Bulls &gt; Knicks for 9th.
Hawks &gt; Bulls for 8th.
- A sad end for the Bulls here, but this is simply the strength of the conference. It'll be tremendous fun watching Young try to create space against Alex Caruso or Ayo Dosunmu at the point of attack.
FIRST ROUND
(1) Sixers &gt; (8) Hawks in 5.
(4) Heat &gt; (5) Cavs in 6.&nbsp;
(2) Celtics &gt; (7) Nets in 7.
(3) Bucks &gt; (6) Raptors in 6.&nbsp;
- With the Sixers adding to their defensive personnel and the Hawks looking a little worse in the shooting department, I think the chances of an(other) upset are pretty slim.
- The Nets fare better the second time around against Brooklyn, but I still don't think they have enough defenders to deal with Boston. Should be the best series of the first round, though.
- Bucks-Raptors will be a slugfest; ultimately, I don't know if the Raptors will have the half-court juice to pull things out.&nbsp;
SECOND ROUND
(1) Sixers &gt; (4) Heat in 6.
(3) Bucks &gt; (2) Celtics in 7.
- A pair of second-round sequels with the results flipped! Having Khris Middleton back &mdash; and a little more size, shooting and playmaking with Joe Ingles &mdash; gives the Bucks the boost they need to squeeze by. If Philly's healthy, I struggle to see Miami containing all three of Embiid, Harden and Maxey.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
(3) Bucks &gt; (1) Sixers in 6.
- Bucks steal home court in Game 1 and close the deal at home in Game 6. They have the size to make Embiid think and a defender in Holiday to either hound Maxey or absorb some of Harden's strength-based drives.
Western Conference Playoffs
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT&nbsp;
Pelicans &gt; Wolves for 7th.&nbsp;
Lakers &gt; Blazers for 9th.&nbsp;
Wolves &gt; Lakers for 8th.
- I went back and forth on the Lakers-Wolves game. Still don't feel great about it, but I think the Wolves take care of business at home.
FIRST ROUND
(1) Warriors &gt; (8) Wolves in 4.
(4) Clippers &gt; (5) Grizzlies in 6.
(3) Nuggets &gt; (6) Mavericks in 6.
(2) Suns &gt; (7) Pelicans in 6.
- Clippers-Grizzlies feels like Storm-Mystics from this year's WNBA playoffs; there's no way one of these teams should be knocked out of the first round. I'd worry about the Grizzlies' half-court offense against LA's defense.
- Sign me up for all the half-court goodness Luka and Jokic would provide. Denver's just better if they're healthy.
-&nbsp;I wouldn't be shocked at the Suns/Pelicans result being flipped, but I have too many questions about New Orleans' defense right now to give them a series win.
SECOND ROUND
(4) Clippers &gt; (1) Warriors in 6.
(3) Nuggets &gt; (2) Suns in 7.
- Might be the most controversial pick on the board, but I trust the Clippers' length and switchability to make life a little difficult in the half-court. With Kahwi in the fold, they should be able to mismatch hunt late and eke out a close series.
- Deandre Ayton has defended Jokic well in the past; I think the added/healthy firepower around him may make the Nuggets' offense too much to deal with.
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
(4) Clippers &gt; (3) Nuggets in 6.
- A bubble rematch! Jokic likely wrecks havoc, but I think the depth and shooting of the Clippers shine through.
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NBA Finals
(3) Bucks &gt; (4) Clippers in 6.
- Deepest team in the league facing an experienced group headlined by the best player in basketball. I think interior size swings it for Giannis and the Bucks.

Nekias Duncan gives his way-too-early predictions for the 2022-23 NBA season.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA season and award predictions

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Central Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Northwest Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Atlantic Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

Welcome to Basketball News' 10-part mini-series, Blazing the Trail, where Mat Issa breaks down the most revolutionary players of the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout this series, we'll examine how these players changed basketball and pioneered their respective skills.
In this third installment, Mat goes in-depth on two-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection Shane Battier and his role as a next-generation defender on the "Moreyball" Houston Rockets. It features insights from his former coach in Miami, David Fizdale, his high school coach, Kurt Keener, and Battier himself.&nbsp;
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"One of these pieces doesn&rsquo;t fit."
A statement commonly elicited from viewing the <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1546891748433084420?s=20&amp;t=Adu5q3cY1tX3H88KopKNig" target="_blank" rel="noopener">list of players</a> featured in our "Blazing the Trail" series.&nbsp;
"Shane Battier was a fine defender. But revolutionary? I&rsquo;m not sure someone who only made two All-Defensive Teams can be considered revolutionary."
Even after New York Times writer Michael Lewis famously dubbed him the "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No-Stats All-Star</a>" in Feb. 2009, outside observers have failed to accurately appraise Battier's unique value.
But what if Lewis' moniker for Battier wasn&rsquo;t just a clever name? What if the captain of data impacted the game in a way we couldn&rsquo;t measure at the time? And what if, through his courtship with Daryl Morey, Battier became the most groundbreaking trailblazer of them all?
Let's find out.
What Made Battier Special&nbsp;
On offense, Battier was the quintessential role player. He could shoot, maintain spacing and make quick decisions, and he hardly ever committed turnovers &mdash; the perfect piece to pair with elite scorers and creators. But that&rsquo;s not why we&rsquo;re discussing him.
Battier made his bones on the defensive end.&nbsp;
There, he possessed an unorthodox toolkit for a player of his archetype. He was a &ldquo;3-and-D&rdquo; wing without picking players' pockets too often. From 2006 to 2011, his steal rate never eclipsed the 50th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.
However, Battier did create positive events through his weak-side shot-blocking and timely charge-drawing. And he also refrained from causing negative sequences by avoiding fouls (remember, preventing free throws &mdash; the most efficient shot in the game &mdash; is an immensely valuable skill).
&ldquo;He was always on time when the <a href="https://medium.com/thebasketballactiondictionary/low-man-f3db4d20f4ea">low-man</a> was required,&rdquo; said David Fizdale, Battier&rsquo;s former coach in Miami and now-associate general manager for the Utah Jazz.
&ldquo;Whether it was to take a charge, steal/deflect a pass, discourage [a driver], trap the box &mdash; he was going to be there every single time. He was the king of the charge.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Battier's game was basketball minutiae, predicated on the intricate subtleties that make or break a possession. He fronted goliaths in the post, swiped at the ball when it was still low to bypass challenging shots vertically and utilized the hand-in-the-face contest to hinder his adversaries' efficiency even further.
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With that said, he didn&rsquo;t reach his full innovator form until he crossed paths with a data wizard in July 2006 &mdash; then-Houston Rockets assistant general manager Daryl Morey, who assumed full-GM duties the following season in May 2007.
&ldquo;The Rockets were the first team in basketball to adopt a data-centric philosophy,&rdquo; Battier explained to Basketball News. &ldquo;Daryl had a thesis that [he] wanted to run his entire organization based on what the data says.
&ldquo;I was their first major acquisition when Daryl became the general manager because the algorithms they used identified me as a player that provided outsourced value at a very reasonable price,&rdquo; recalled Battier, who was acquired by the Rockets just months after Morey's hiring.
(In exchange for Battier, the Memphis Grizzlies received Stromile Swift and Rudy Gay)
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Like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Nash</a>, Battier&rsquo;s approach made him the perfect test subject for his mentor&rsquo;s dissertation.
&ldquo;He was just curious about how everything worked,&rdquo; said Kurt Keener, Battier's high-school coach at Detroit Country Day in Oakland County, Michigan. &ldquo;In basketball, he was curious about, 'If I do X, Y, and Z, can I improve in ways that make a big difference?'"
&ldquo;When I got there, I was very curious about how they thought about data,&rdquo; Battier said of the Rockets. &ldquo;And I really became enamored with it. This is like having the answers to the test before taking the test.&rdquo;
In Houston, Battier &mdash; a player accustomed to surface-level scouting reports that were commonplace at the time &mdash; was exposed to more nuanced, data-driven preparatory materials.
&ldquo;Before analytics, [the scouting report] would read, &lsquo;Kobe Bryant: Great first step, capable three-point shooter, will attack the rim, fadeaway shot in the post and a great competitor.' It&rsquo;s like, yeah, thanks. I don&rsquo;t need a scouting report to know that Kobe is a great competitor,&rdquo; Battier laughed. &ldquo;It was completely qualitative. With the quantitative report that the Rockets produced for me, I knew who exactly a player was down to the percentile.
&ldquo;Instead of saying, 'Kobe Bryant has a great right hand,' I knew that Bryant drives right 65% of the time, and when he does, it&rsquo;s basically a 62% shot. When he goes left, he only goes there 35% of the time, and it&rsquo;s a 42% shot.&rdquo;
Here are a couple of illustrations of that data in practice:
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On-Court Production
These insightful scouting-report nuggets became dangerous weapons in the capable hands of Battier. Similar to "Revis Island" &mdash; a desolate wasteland that star wide receivers were banished to <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/379511-where-is-revis-island" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when they faced the New York Jets in the late-2000s</a> &mdash; Battier&rsquo;s stomping grounds became a torturous venue for the superstars who occupied his position.
From 2006 to 2009, every All-Star small forward/shooting guard who played primarily on-ball saw a sizable dip in efficiency when matched up against Battier (with the lone exception being Josh Howard):
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/battier-chart.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="520" />
Visual Created by Daniel Bratulić
&ldquo;The secret for all these volume scorers: the places those guys absolutely crushed you were at the rim and the free throw line,&rdquo; Battier revealed.
&ldquo;As long as I did two things &mdash; kept them out of transition and didn&rsquo;t foul them &mdash; I could live with any other shot those guys would take. Where a lot of people go wrong is they get caught up in the results. I don&rsquo;t care about results. I just care about the process.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
With Volume 3 of Blazing the Trail coming out tomorrow over <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a>, I figured I'd do a thread of some of my favorite Battier plays from some of the games I watched. These clips are mostly from his 07-08 matchups against DEN, ATL, CLE, and NJN. <a href="https://t.co/HTDCmeEVEH">pic.twitter.com/HTDCmeEVEH</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1554950928184365057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Battier&rsquo;s process consisted of seducing his opponents into a high volume of mid-range shots. From 2006 to 2008, the Rockets surrendered the highest frequency of mid-range jumpers in the league (per Cleaning the Glass).
&ldquo;The mid-range jump shot is actually a really hard shot to hit,&rdquo; Battier said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a sub-50% shot; a good mid-range jump shooter, like 45%. That&rsquo;s not great. You&rsquo;re not going to win a ball game by making that shot a ton.&rdquo;
And although he didn&rsquo;t emphasize the results, the ones his methods yielded were fruitful. Going back to the &ldquo;No-Stats All-Star&rdquo; designation we alluded to earlier, it felt like an All-Star-caliber performer was occupying the court whenever Battier graced the hardwood.
From 2004 to 2009, Battier's teams finished top-five in Defensive Rating (both in Memphis and Houston). And there&rsquo;s reason to believe he was the driving force behind those machines, despite being a non-big man (centers typically have the largest footprint on defense because of their ability to protect the paint).
In 2005-06, the Grizzlies finished second in the league in DRTG. When Battier was traded to Houston the following season, they plummeted to dead-last, despite returning all their coaches and best defenders (except Lorenzen Wright).
Meanwhile, after finishing nearly three points below the league average on defense in 2005-06, the Rockets improved to almost six points below the league average in 2006-07 when Battier arrived.
(Note: The more points below average the better when it comes to defense. For context, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors were only five points below the league average this season, per Basketball-Reference.)
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What&rsquo;s more, in 2007-08 &mdash; when the Rockets&rsquo; primary rim protector Yao Ming missed the final 26 games of the season with a foot injury &mdash; Houston's DRTG remained the same, so you can&rsquo;t chalk up Battier's success to great backline help.
Fizdale agreed with the sentiment that Battier&rsquo;s data-driven style made him his team&rsquo;s most important defender, and enabled him to contribute at an All-Star level.
&ldquo;Back then, when you&rsquo;re looking at All-Stars, [people] just looked at Shane as a pest. But for the guys that were on his team, he was an All-Star," Fizdale said. "For us, we saw him as an All-Star."
Weaving the Thread
Keener speculates that Battier's selflessness may have developed from hearing tales of the great egalitarian himself, Magic Johnson.
During practice, Battier's high-school coach would tell fables of Magic from his days in East Lansing at Michigan State University. They were stories about how, during scrimmages, Johnson would intentionally select his least talented teammates to prove that great teamwork could usurp deficiencies in other areas. These narratives had a substantial effect on Battier.
&ldquo;With Shane, he didn&rsquo;t have the flair of Magic, but he understood the importance of getting your teammates involved,&rdquo; Keener reminisced. &ldquo;[Like Magic,] Shane was tremendous at making sure the other guys on his team were successful.&rdquo;
A Michigan native, Battier also credits his precious Detroit Pistons for playing a role in his formative years.
&ldquo;For me, the Pistons were the ultimate team. My dad grew up in a blue-collar job. If you live in Michigan, you understand the importance of the assembly line and teamwork,&rdquo; Battier reminisced.&nbsp;&ldquo;For me, it wasn&rsquo;t about what I did. It was about what did we do. Being from Detroit impacted how I thought about sports and basketball, and was the hallmark of my entire career.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Coincidentally, the Pistons team he&rsquo;s referencing once famously concocted their own <a href="https://youtu.be/NLv2F33snCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carefully curated</a> strategy for <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1554554706483101696?s=20&amp;t=ghbmH8N4W0CTQAwSSSfovg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreasing the potency</a> of a prolific superstar. That set of instructions is known as "The Jordan Rules.&rdquo;
Due to in-depth game plans he leaned on with regularity, Battier had a leg up on his idols. But while teams like the Pistons only resorted to these tactics in dire situations, Battier prepared for every game like it was the postseason.
&ldquo;The cool part about Shane is he gets into those layers in the regular season,&rdquo; Fizdale explained. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough to play teams on a one-day prep&hellip; but when you have a guy like Shane Battier, he prepares every game like it's a playoff game.&rdquo;
Impact on Today&rsquo;s Game
&ldquo;Draymond [Green] is probably the ultimate example of modern-day Shane Battier,&rdquo; Fizdale said.&nbsp;"They both could guard everyone, could switch on everyone, could guard post-ups, could guard guards. They were [both] most likely the smartest person on the court most nights.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I love watching Draymond. Draymond is great," Battier agreed. "He sees the defense and plays two or three passes ahead, which I always thought I could do.&rdquo;
Battier will be the first to point to Green&rsquo;s superior passing and paint protection as major distinctions between their games. However, the two bear a resemblance to one another in that they are both <a href="https://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/shane_battier_vs_draymond_green.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">career 8-point-per-game scorers</a> whose impact often can't be quantified by traditional box scores.
PJ Tucker is another obvious descendant. Tucker is an elite man defender who shares Battier&rsquo;s process-over-results philosophy (see: Tucker's defense on Kevin Durant in the 2021 playoffs). Also, both players suited up for the Rockets and Heat.
Battier even sees a bit of himself in the human defensive vortex that is Matisse Thybulle: &ldquo;Defensively, his instincts are amazing, and when he figures out his shot, he&rsquo;s going to be a handful.&rdquo;
Putting one-to-one comparisons aside, Battier&rsquo;s true legacy is that there&rsquo;s a little bit of him buried inside of most modern NBA players.
&ldquo;Today, every team has an analytics department. Every team is looking for a player who jumps off the charts analytically,&rdquo; Fizdale said.
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The "Moreyball" movement that Battier helped pioneer in Houston has become common practice in today&rsquo;s ever-changing NBA landscape. Hell, even the 2022 NBA Finals were determined by a quantitatively-informed decision on the part of the Warriors.&nbsp;
After the Celtics scored <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/06/nba-finals-golden-state-warriors-boston-celtics-points-in-the-paint/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">52 points in the paint</a> in Game 3, Golden State regained control of the series in part by borrowing one of Battier&rsquo;s old tricks for defending Bryant.
As Battier did with Bryant, the Warriors realized that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were less effective when driving to their left, so they <a href="https://streamable.com/qpu89i" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced the tandem to do just that</a>.&nbsp;
For reference, here are Tatum&rsquo;s numbers for the regular season and postseason driving from his left and his right (and <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/13Ig3U3hGeeXcdJSrYSs4_pIzIjMQPSN95p8R0M9yYs0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here are Brown&rsquo;s</a>):
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/tatum-right.gif" alt="" width="550" height="349" />
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/tatum-left.gif" alt="" width="550" height="349" />
Data Provided by InStat
Even this level of tendency awareness was mincemeat for Battier. He knew not only which direction to push you, but how many dribbles to make you take in the process.&nbsp;
Regardless, the point remains the same: Battier influenced not only the way the game is played, but also its preparation &mdash; a feat that few players in NBA history have ever attained.
It looks like the piece fits, after all.
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Tune in for Part IV of Blazing the Trail on Aug. 17, which focuses on Reggie Miller &mdash; the moving target.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-rashard-lewis-all-star-stretch-four-orlando-magic-stan-van-gundy-dwight-howard-hedo-turkoglu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part II: "Rashard Lewis, the All-Star stretch 4."</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part I: "Steve Nash, the magician who danced in the paint."</a>

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa focuses on two-time All-NBA defender Shane Battier and his role as a next-gen defender.

Blazing the Trail: Shane Battier, the data-ball defender

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Collin Sexton remain deadlocked on a new contract for the restricted free agent and it's not likely that a resolution will come any time soon.
<a href="https://theathletic.com/3446562/2022/07/25/celtics-offer-jaylen-brown-package-for-kevin-durant-the-latest-on-donovan-mitchell-and-more-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a> writes that talks could extend into training camp and his representation -- Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul -- "have shown so far that they won&rsquo;t settle in negotiations".
Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor said on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1usPEofz8jc3484cPFhBb0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wine &amp; Gold Talk Podcast</a> that the Cavs offered him close to $40M over three seasons but Sexton has been looking for "starting guard money". Now that most teams have spend any money they had available in free agency, there is no market or potential bidding war for Sexton.
The Cavs would like to get a contract extension done but aren't interested in going into the luxury tax to do so with the team about $15M below the projected tax line.
Sexton has a $7.2 million qualifying offer for the 2022-23 season. If he accepts that, he would be come an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The Cavaliers and Collin Sexton remain deadlocked on a new contract with a resolution not likely to come any time soon.

Cavaliers' talks with Collin Sexton remain at impasse

LeBron James has once again caused a stir throughout the sports world.
No, I&rsquo;m not talking about his 42-point performance at The Drew League, or the rumors of him being in favor of a reunion with Kyrie Irving with the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, I'm referencing the apparent outrage he caused for the city of Boston and its sports fan base
During the most recent episode of UNINTERRUPTED&rsquo;s The Shop, LeBron was asked, &ldquo;Why do you hate Boston?&rdquo; He responded, &ldquo;Because they&rsquo;re racist as f**k."
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Upon hearing news of LeBron&rsquo;s statement, many people didn&rsquo;t exactly consider this &ldquo;breaking news," as Boston has historically had a rich history of being exactly what LeBron described. However, there were a large amount of Boston fans who took to social media to take exception to LeBron&rsquo;s generalization of the entire city. But was he wrong?
You don&rsquo;t have to get Dr. Emmett Brown to fire up his <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjhoPPz5YL5AhUDhIkEHS9JCd4QwqsBegQIAxAB&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DI5cYgRnfFDA&amp;usg=AOvVaw3yzsh2Y3Z5nk0s22_1_2pU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DeLorean time machine with the 1.21 gigawatts</a> to revisit the 1960s, as Bill Russell has long described his racist encounters with Boston fans. And over time, plenty of professional athletes from every sport have made their racist encounters in Boston publicly known.&nbsp;
Let's look at some of those examples.
In his rookie season with the Celtics, Dee Brown was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/a34620ecfa0605c35908d7f1b858b427" target="_blank" rel="noopener">physically snatched out of his car and ordered to lay on the ground with a gun pointed at him by Boston police</a> while driving in a white neighborhood. The police later claimed that he &ldquo;resembled a suspect."
This falls right in line with <a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2020/06/12/black-people-made-up-70-percent-of-boston-police-stops-department-data-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent data collected from the Boston Police Department</a> in June 2020. It unveiled that "70% of people stopped by Boston police officers through the department&rsquo;s 'Field Interrogation and Observation' program throughout were Black &mdash; even though Black residents comprise less than one quarter of the city&rsquo;s population."
In May 2014, Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban of the National Hockey League was vocal about <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/news/habs-bruins-denounce-fans-who-made-racist-comments-towards-subban-on-social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">racist tweets and comments from Boston fans on social media</a> after his double-overtime game-winning goal in a playoff win over the Bruins. This wasn&rsquo;t a case of fans simply being upset that their team lost; these were racial epithets being specifically targeted against a Black player.
Over in Major League Baseball, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones told reporters in May 2017 that Boston fans <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/05/01/orioles-adam-jones-berated-racist-taunts-fenway-park-peanuts/101187172/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurled racial epithets at him for an entire game</a>.
&ldquo;A disrespectful fan threw a bag of peanuts at me,&rdquo; Jones said via <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/05/01/orioles-adam-jones-berated-racist-taunts-fenway-park-peanuts/101187172/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA Today&rsquo;s Bob Nightengale</a>. &ldquo;I was called the N-word a handful of times tonight. It&rsquo;s unfortunate that people need to resort to those type of epithets to degrade another human being. I&rsquo;m trying to make a living for myself and for my family.&rdquo;
Former Celtic and current Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has been vocal about various encounters he has had with the fans of Boston. Irving didn&rsquo;t give any specific examples to reporters, but rather imported fans at TD Gardens to keep it &ldquo;strictly basketball."
Further, Celtics guard Marcus Smart seemingly supported Irving&rsquo;s comments. Back in October 2020, he <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/marcus-smart-nba-boston-celtics-covid-racial-injustice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penned an article for The Players' Tribune</a>, detailing an encounter with a white woman in Boston.
Smart wrote about a time he attempted to be a good Samaritan and told a white woman, who was actually wearing a Celtics jersey, to be careful walking in the street as she was in the direct line of oncoming traffic. Instead of thanking him, the woman turned around and hurled a racial epithet directly at Smart.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard a couple of them,&rdquo; Smart <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj66pnd9IL5AhXskIkEHX_ECb0QtwJ6BAgcEAI&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyE0VVQova78&amp;usg=AOvVaw0jg8MlJ31eU3VDMJsz0FAs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in the middle of the Celtics-Nets playoff series in May 2021</a>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of sad and sickening because even though it&rsquo;s an opposing team, we have guys on your home team that you&rsquo;re saying these racial slurs and you&rsquo;re expecting us to go out there and play for you.&rdquo;
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So to those who were unaware, yes, racism is definitely alive and thriving in the city of Boston &mdash; but is it fair to label the entire city of Boston as racist?&nbsp;
I interviewed Celtics legend Bill Russell for <a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/we-matter-athletes-and-activism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my book</a>, "We Matter: Athletes And Activism," to try to answer that question, and this is what he told me:
"Well, one thing you have to always remember is that the majority of the country are decent folks. The majority of white people are decent folks. And I was always very careful not to stereotype people based on the actions of a few, or a little more than a few, as was the case in Boston," Russell said. "... A lot of the stuff that went on, I knew they were individual acts and not a reflection of everybody in Boston. I see many people today who who really believe that Black folks are responsible for all of the actions of other Black folks, and that&rsquo;s just ridiculous. And it&rsquo;s just as crazy for me to think that all white people were responsible for the ones that treated me and my family so poorly, broke into my house and destroyed my property for no reason at all...
"But just because I said that I don&rsquo;t put all white people in the same boat doesn&rsquo;t mean I don&rsquo;t still recognize that too many white people looked at me as less than, and no matter what they thought, I wasn&rsquo;t about to allow them to treat me as less than."
Powerful words by a giant in NBA history and one of the great athlete-activists the game has ever seen.&nbsp;
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown has addressed Irving&rsquo;s comments as well, but also brought light to the fact that racism extends far beyond the borders of athletics in Boston. During Brown&rsquo;s media availability prior to Game 3 against Brooklyn in May 2021, he <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31529162/boston-celtics-jaylen-brown-spotlights-systematic-racism-says-bigger-basketball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke about systemic racism in the city of Boston and, to Russell&rsquo;s point, that every Boston fan isn&rsquo;t racist</a>.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we should have to put up with that, and I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s okay," Brown said. "I think that racism should be addressed, and systemic racism should be addressed in the city of Boston and also the United States... The constructs of racism in our school system, inequality in education, lack of opportunity, lack of affordable housing, lack of affordable health care, tokenism &mdash; the list goes on.
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&ldquo;I know that every Celtics fan in our arena is not a racist. We have people of all walks of life, ethnicities, colors, that are die-hard Celtics fans. So I think painting every Celtics fan as a racist would be unfair. However, Boston, we&rsquo;ve got a lot of work to do, no question.&rdquo;
So, in conclusion, yes, Boston has a very long history &mdash; past and present &mdash; when it comes to racism, but it&rsquo;s not everybody.
Hopefully, the non-racist white people of Boston will be inspired to prove LeBron wrong, displaying the moral courage and feeling obligated to no longer remain silent in the face of being surrounded by prevalent racism (both systemically and on a personal level, such as Boston fans yelling racial epithets at players).
Hopefully, the non-racist white people of Boston will become agents of change, equality, justice and unity.
As Angela Davis said, &ldquo;In a racist society, it&rsquo;s not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/violalogo1_690w.png" alt="" />

Etan Thomas reacts to LeBron James' latest comments on "The Shop" about city of Boston and its sports fan base.

LeBron isn’t wrong about Boston fans' racist history — past or present

To those who were paying attention, Brad Stevens shut down the Boston Celtics' pursuit of a Kevin Durant-type superstar long before Durant set the NBA world on fire with his reported trade request.&nbsp;
After the Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, Stevens turned his focus quickly to the offseason, and laid out a vague, yet detailed outline of how things would look in his second offseason as the team's president of basketball operations.
&ldquo;I think we have to walk a fine line a little bit. I think teams are fragile,&rdquo; Stevens said <a href="https://theathletic.com/3376940/2022/06/21/celtics-brad-stevens-offense-playmaking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via The Athletic's Jared Weiss</a>. &ldquo;I think the way teams work together and operate together are fragile. And I think your identity as a team, when you find one that&rsquo;s successful &mdash; which we did this year on the defensive end of the floor and when we were at our best sharing the ball offensively &mdash; those things are fragile. So just to add doesn&rsquo;t mean that you&rsquo;re not taking something away from the group. And to change significant pieces in the group doesn&rsquo;t mean that that might not totally take your identity and shift it in a direction that&rsquo;s not as successful.&rdquo;
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Steve later added further perspective:
&ldquo;With our group in particular, it&rsquo;s not as much about blindly acquiring talent as it is fitting a team together. We&rsquo;ve got some very, very talented guys, and they are young. So it&rsquo;s about how do we fit together, bring our strengths together to accentuate each other.&rdquo;
It's the approach that landed Derrick White (and Daniel Theis, in some respects) this past trade deadline, and the same theme is underlining Boston's two splashes this NBA offseason.
Last Friday, the Celtics reportedly acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts, Nik Stauskas and a 2023 first-round pick &mdash; essentially one rotation player, several reserves and a draft asset. According to several reports, they also intend to ink Danilo Gallinari to a two-year contract following a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs.
Observers have lauded both moves in consensus, and I'd join the chorus. Boston barely subtracted from its 2021-22 rotation while adding two veterans who have averaged at least 24 minutes per game in each of their respective seasons since Gallinari's 2008-09 rookie year. Brogdon and Gallinari add 821 combined NBA games started to the shuffle, and to have both off the bench is a testament to the depth of a title frontrunner.
But even if the on-paper trade-off was minimal, this is still a serious bet that Stevens and Ime Udoka know how to straddle that aformentioned fine line &mdash; how to avoid complacency without upsetting the fragility of a team's identity. Brogdon and Gallinari bring strengths that the Celtics sorely lacked in their Finals loss &mdash; and concerns that could undermine their fit with the rest of the roster.
Here's how I painted Boston's offseason needs:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Three most notable needs for the Celtics to address this offseason: - Movement shooting/shooters who force defensive attention - Third big who can switch in postseason - Bench scorer who can get to second level of defense
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1541795815160700934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

And here's another nugget from Stevens:
&ldquo;I think we need a little bit more playmaking. I think that&rsquo;s real,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;I think we need more playmaking, but I don&rsquo;t think we can be stagnant. We have to make sure that we continue to play with pace. When we are at our best we play with pace, and when we create one advantage the ball whips around the court and I just thought we played pretty slow in that last series.&rdquo;
An idealized Malcolm Brogdon hits my third bullet point and Stevens' quote.&nbsp;
In his smaller, 36-game sample size from an injury-plagued 2021-22 season, Brogdon finished fourth in the NBA with 18.3 drives per game. He's steadily increased that volume throughout his NBA career, and has kept up some impressive numbers on those attacks. Here's how he ranked in several metrics when driving the ball last season, among 83 players who drove at least seven times per game across at least 30 games:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">Category</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">Number (NBA Rank) </td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">Drives/Game</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">18.3 (4th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">FG%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">54.1% (12th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">FTA/Game</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">2.2 (t-17th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">AST%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">12.9% (t-15th)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 28.6186%; height: 22px;">TOV%</td>
<td style="width: 34.3628%; height: 22px;">4.2% (1st)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
What does playmaking mean? It's an amoebic term that people use... creatively, throughout basketball. To me, a good "playmaker" can create an advantage and make the high-efficiency play, whether it be a bucket or a pass, out of that advantage. Brogdon successfully play-makes when he hits these driving lanes.
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It's impressive how he can generate quality looks without an eye-popping first step or vertical leap. Brogdon can use a quick dribble move to get his legs running, and he's great at creating extra space with his opposite arm and shoulder without fouling. Then, he can get the ball to his extended finishing hand so quickly that even longer defenders can't recover in time (look at that drive on Jaylen Brown). Brogdon doesn't have the best natural touch at the rim, but all of these smaller tricks of the trade help him clear the obstacles.
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Brogdon isn't passing players open, but he has the requisite court vision to read help defense and sense where his shooters are. Brogdon notched upper-echelon assist rates in each season as a Pacer without sacrificing too many turnovers, and should continue to do so in a smaller role.
I read and listened to some Brogdon season-ending reviews from Caitlin Cooper and Mark Schindler. One notable critique they alluded to was his tendency to lean into the drive, particularly on a mismatch.
<a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2022/7/1/23179429/pacers-trade-malcolm-brogdon-to-celtics-continue-rebuild" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cooper noted</a> one play against the Detroit Pistons where Brogdon charged at a switching Isaiah Stewart without any threat of a pass or pull-up. It's noteworthy because one of the biggest criticisms of the Celtics all season long was their late-game tendency to fall into isolation mismatch-hunting, gunking up the ball movement. That overlap does give me pause.
Schindler elaborated on an <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2022/4/12/23021238/player-reviews-malcolm-brogdon-buddy-hield-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April episode of the Indy Cornrows</a> podcast that Brogdon demonstrated a concerning hesitancy to shoot in search of drives. He shot just 31.2% from beyond the arc last season, the worst percentage of his career and far off from his 38.8% clip in 2020-21. It further strained the synergy between Brogdon and Tyrese Haliburton, who, as Caitlin and Mark both emphasized, did not mesh particularly well in a tiny eight-game sample.
Fitting Brogdon into Boston's guard rotations should be smoother.&nbsp;
Firstly, it's reasonable to expect shooting improvement. Brogdon was in and out of a jumbled Pacers lineup last season, and again, played only 36 games. He made just 33% of his catch-and-shoot threes last season after hitting on 44% of those shots the prior year. Brogdon isn't the 50-40-90 player he was in 2017-18, but he's also just a better knockdown shooter than his 2021-22 numbers indicate.
He won't be playing the same minutes with the same responsibility, and a change of scenery can always act as a confidence reset. Tatum, Brown, Smart and White can all orchestrate offense with a base level of comfort, meaning Brogdon receives more time as a spot-up perimeter threat.&nbsp;
Boston desperately needed another player who could collapse defenses in the Finals, particularly as Brown and Tatum grew fatigued from high usage. Boston drove to the basket 52 times per game in the Finals. Tatum, Brown, Smart and White combined for 91% of those drives. Tatum and White struggled immensely against Golden State's defense, shooting 31.0% and 27.8% from the field, respectively.
Brogdon should feast on reps as an initiator off the bench or as an off-ball threat to shoot or drive next to Boston's other primary creators. His presence should particularly help White &mdash; who is used to playing as a "1B" attacker from his days in San Antonio &mdash; speed to the basket with more freedom as Brogdon draws some defensive eyeballs away.
Payton Pritchard is another beneficiary, though I wonder what the trades mean for his playing time. He's the best shooter on the Celtics, but one of the least threatening drivers in the entire league. Now, he won't have to worry about pressuring a defense, and in theory, he can turn into a floor-spacer while Brogdon and White do the heavy lifting with the ball.
On defense, Boston simply needs its cast to hit a threshold of individual switchability and team communication. Brogdon won't make an All-Defensive Team next season, but at 6-foot-5 and nearly 230 pounds, he's an above-average defender who should hold his own on most guards and leaner wings. Brogdon will rarely have to exhaust energy as a point-of-attack defender as long as Smart and White are healthy, and he seems capable of acclimating to the high-pressure world of Celtics scrams and switches.&nbsp;
All of these visualizations hinge on two additional question marks. First, Brogdon has to settle into his role. Multiple reports from Boston-area outlets have repeated that, barring some stunning change, he will be used off the bench. This shouldn't be a serious concern; Brogdon might stay healthier with a lesser workload, and he's indicated he knows what he has to sacrifice.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking to win a championship, that&rsquo;s actually it,&rdquo; Brogdon said to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3395726/2022/07/01/celtics-trade-malcolm-brogdon-pacers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jared Weiss of The Athletic</a>. &ldquo;In the past, I&rsquo;ve worried about stats and numbers and all that. I&rsquo;m going to Boston and not worrying about that.&rdquo;
Health is an entirely different topic.
Brogdon has not played more than 65 regular-season games in a single season since his rookie year. He's never had one serious long-term injury like an ACL or Achilles tear, but has fought through numerous ailments all over his body throughout his career (<a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nba/malcolm-brogdon-player-injuries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here's a list</a>). I won't speculate on what we can expect for availability, and the Celtics doctors know far more than we do. It's still worth monitoring for a guard who turns 30 this winter.
But as long as Brogdon is healthy, he's one more supporting beam for Boston's offense as it tries to create the consistency worthy of an NBA championship.&nbsp;
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Ethan Fuller breaks down how Malcolm Brogdon fits the Celtics' rotation.

How does Malcolm Brogdon fit with the Boston Celtics?

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

As the Atlanta Hawks try to retool around superstar point guard Trae Young following a very disappointing postseason appearance, they have been very aggressive in trade talks as of late.
&ldquo;With the Hawks, they&rsquo;re as motivated as any team in the league to make a significant deal or deals to improve their team and try to find a co-star for Trae Young,&rdquo; <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039377-woj-hawks-as-motivated-as-any-team-in-nba-want-trade-for-co-star-with-trae-young" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski said last week on SportsCenter</a>. &ldquo;I think very likely John Collins is going to be part of any of those deals. I think he&rsquo;s very likely on the move somewhere this week as they try to do something big in Atlanta.&rdquo;
The Hawks were reportedly dangling Collins and Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings in hopes of moving up to No. 4 in the 2022 NBA Draft for Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/34121058/2022-nba-mock-draft-projecting-all-58-picks-based-latest-intel-scouting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony</a>.
Although Atlanta didn&rsquo;t move Collins on draft night, the athletic forward could be on the move soon. <a href="https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/2022-nba-draft-live/vwppvqcjn6UR/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to The Athletic&rsquo;s Sam Amick</a>, Collins was also linked to the Kings in talks that didn't include the No. 4 pick, while also drawing interest from the Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards.
Atlanta&rsquo;s desire to improve their roster isn't going unnoticed, and now there appears to be a golden opportunity for Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-draft-postmortem-and-fa-preview-with-seth-partnow/id1618992995?i=1000567653282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Jake Fischer originally reported</a>, the San Antonio Spurs are showing a willingness to trade All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray, but the price would be significant. It would take a &ldquo;Jrue Holiday-like&rdquo; package of three future first-round picks for San Antonio to even consider dealing Murray, and the Hawks might be a willing trade partner.
Fischer added this bombshell related to Murray and the Hawks on the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-draft-postmortem-and-fa-preview-with-seth-partnow/id1618992995?i=1000567653282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest episode of Please Don&rsquo;t Aggregate This</a>: &ldquo;I know that Dejounte and Trae want to play together, or at least have interest in doing it."
It's worth noting that Murray and Young are both represented by the same agency, Klutch Sports. Suddenly, this starts to make a lot of sense from all angles.
Why would the Spurs be open to this? Murray&rsquo;s trade value is at an all-time high right now coming off a breakout season, and he has two years, $34.3 million remaining on his current contract. If the Hawks are willing to meet their asking price, the return package would be significant for San Antonio. It's possible the Spurs want to bottom out for potential generational prospect Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Murray averaged 21.1 points, 9.2 assists, 8.3 rebounds and a league-leading 2.0 steals per game for San Antonio during the 2021-22 campaign. In his first season with a usage rate above 25%, Murray thrived with more responsibilities on his plate. Murray, who doesn&rsquo;t turn 26 years old until September, is about to enter the prime of his career. It's very possible that he has yet to play his best basketball, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
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The right system could accentuate Murray&rsquo;s strengths. For the Hawks, Murray would be the ideal yin-yang combination alongside Young. With Murray&rsquo;s tenacious defense and ability to create havoc in all areas of the game, Young can conserve his energy and focus on running Atlanta&rsquo;s offense at an efficient rate. With an ability to get downhill better than most players around the Association, Murray would benefit immensely playing next to the gravity thief that is Young. In one-on-one situations, Young&rsquo;s floor-spacing acumen would make Murray&rsquo;s role so much easier.
Perhaps San Antonio had a realization about where they truly stand right now. After adding three first-round prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft &mdash; Baylor&rsquo;s Jeremy Sochan, Notre Dame&rsquo;s Blake Wesley and Ohio State&rsquo;s Malaki Branham &mdash; the Spurs are clearly committed to their youth movement. This rookie trio joins Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Josh Primo, Tre Jones and Romeo Langford as foundational pieces in San Antonio. Next year, the Spurs project to have 11 players who are age-22 or younger on their roster.
San Antonio seems focused on stockpiling prospects and developing their young core. There&rsquo;s no denying that Murray is a star-level player, but the two sides may be going in different directions soon enough. Since Murray is about to turn 26 years old and will want to be in a winning situation soon, perhaps he doesn't fit the team's timeline and that's why the Spurs are weighing their trade options.&nbsp;
The Hawks actually have a solid amount of assets that could be appealing and make the Spurs seriously consider dealing Murray. Collins would be the centerpiece of the package for salary purposes, but the Hawks also own two first-round picks in next year&rsquo;s draft along with all of their own first-rounders going forward. Even No. 16 overall pick AJ Griffin, who worked out for the Spurs during the pre-draft process, could be a potential trade chip used in a Murray blockbuster.
It's worth noting that Collins is a year younger than Murray, and San Antonio has been linked to him since last offseason when he was a restricted free agent.
&ldquo;The Spurs are definitely doing intel on John [Collins], like I know that,&rdquo; <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-draft-postmortem-and-fa-preview-with-seth-partnow/id1618992995?i=1000567653282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer said on the latest episode of Please Don&rsquo;t Aggregate This</a>. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re calling around, asking about him.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s rare to find a potential blockbuster where all the dots begin to connect in rapid succession. If the Spurs are serious about listening to offers on their All-Star point guard, the Hawks won't be the only team making an aggressive push for Murray &mdash; plenty of other star-starved organizations will do the same. Thanks to his versatile skillset, Murray is an elite connecting piece for any potential win-now franchise.
In Atlanta, one could argue that Murray would be in the best situation of his career. Forming a one-two punch alongside Young in the backcourt while also being flanked defensively by De&rsquo;Andre Hunter and Clint Capela, Atlanta would have the chance to make serious noise next season if this happens.
This could be a win-win trade, but we'll see if the Hawks are willing to meet the Spurs' asking price. But given the recent rumors, don't be surprised if Murray is playing in Atlanta by the start of next season.
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Could Dejounte Murray actually join the Atlanta Hawks soon? Evan Sidery says it makes a lot of sense after connecting the dots.

The Hawks are the perfect trade destination for Dejounte Murray

Things could get messy with the Brooklyn Nets.
Most of the chatter surrounds Kyrie Irving's future. He's up for new money &mdash; either on an opt-in-and-extend deal, or by opting out and testing the free agent market. The Nets are reportedly willing to play ball, but not in the way Irving wants. That <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2022/6/25/23182609/woj-negotiations-between-nets-and-kyrie-irving-have-turned-acrimonious-as-lakers-loom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranges from</a> a shorter-term deal, to an opt-in-and-prove-it type scenario.&nbsp;
Irving, of course, wants long-term security. He's one of the most talented guards to lace up a pair of sneakers, and balled out in (self-imposed) limited action to the tune of 27.4 points on 59.2% True Shooting, and a shade under six assists per game. If he and the Nets aren't able to come to agreement, he's reportedly <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34138693/sources-kyrie-irving-sign-trade-wish-list-no-deal-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ready to find a new home</a> via sign-and-trade.
That's enough to flip this summer on its head. But the domino effect could lead to an even bigger shift: Kevin Durant wanting his Brooklyn exit too.
The Athletic's Shams Charania <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1540064142555496452?s=20&amp;t=vNPqKF6zRYFSv1rv_KLiuw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has reported</a> that Durant is monitoring the Irving situation and mulling his own options. On the most recent episode of The Lowe Post, ESPN's Zach Lowe said that teams are already setting up contingency plans for a potential Durant pursuit.
We're less than a week out from Irving's opt-in decision, which means it's more than possible he and the Nets are able to find common ground and we laugh about all of this. But if they aren't, and Durant actually becomes available, there isn't a team in the league that won't inquire.
And why would any team skip over the possibility to acquire a top-15 player of all-time? This is a player who just slapped up 30-7-6 on 63.4% True Shooting this season, and was in the thick of the MVP race before suffering an MCL injury in mid-January.
Though Durant doesn't have the threat of free agency as leverage &mdash; he just&nbsp;signed a four-year extension last August &mdash; you have to assume he'll have some say in his next stop, if it gets that far. The Nets will want to do right by him. And with him heading into his age-34 season, it's fair to assume he'll want to land somewhere he'd have an immediate chance to win.
The challenge from there will be finding teams that have enough to offer the Nets to appease them &mdash; because you're not getting equal value for Kevin freaking Durant &mdash; while also having enough of a supporting cast to pursue a title with.&nbsp;
The first team that came to mind was the Phoenix Suns.
They have a trio of young pieces &mdash; Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and the oddly-wasn&rsquo;t-given-a-max Deandre Ayton &mdash; they could theoretically offer up. Between Ayton&rsquo;s max in a sign-and-trade, Bridges&rsquo; extension kicking in and Johnson&rsquo;s team option, the Suns could easily get to north of $40 mililion in salary to make it work.
(There could be some haggling for Johnson. The Suns do have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Suns.htm">all their picks</a> from 2023 and onward &mdash; and it's not like they're <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/34126111/how-phoenix-suns-plan-nail-nba-draft-mostly-ignoring-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fans of the draft anyway</a> &mdash; so maybe they'd be willing to sub in future firsts in an effort to keep Johnson.)
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I can hear Boston Celtic fans yelling now because of the age gap, but using Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece of a deal for Durant is feasible. They'd love to form a Big Three with Durant, Jayson Tatum and Brown of course, but it's hard to picture a package of Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard and picks getting it done. Starting with Brown would get them in the room pretty quickly.
Then there are the Miami Heat, who would try to use Tyler Herro as the blue chip piece to build a deal around. With Herro's question marks as a lead-dog &mdash; can he get to the rim enough? &mdash; and defensive shortcomings, on top of him being extension-eligible this offseason, I don't know if that would be enough. Herro and Duncan Robinson wouldn't be enough salary anyway, and it's hard to imagine the Heat toss Kyle Lowry into a deal considering a) what it cost to bring him in and b) his relationship with Jimmy Butler.
And to that point, a Durant pursuit could serve as a fork-in-the-road moment for this franchise. Whose timeline is most important: Butler's or Bam Adebayo's? Because like the Celtics with Brown, the Heat could put themselves in the room easily by offering up Adebayo in an effort to maximize Butler's window. I'd be shocked if they went that route, but it's something to keep in mind.
There are funkier options that intrigue me. Lowe already touched on it in his most recent pod, but Zion Williamson (and other stuff) for Durant is something to think about. The New Orleans Pelicans have enough young prospects (that may not even have room to crack the rotation, as things currently stand) to raise Brooklyn's brow. Even with the health concerns for Williamson, it's hard to pinpoint a trade headliner with his kind of potential.
The other issue with a Zion-led package is his current cap number, a little over $13 million. Him plus other young pieces sound nice in theory, but it'd be hard to cobble up the salary to match Durant's number from there. At best, it would cost them Jonas Valanciunas, who Brooklyn could use or ask to be rerouted to a third team. One way to make all of this easier would be to swap out Zion and use Brandon Ingram as the headliner instead. New Orleans would have to decide if they'd want to push that button following the postseason run Ingram just had.
The Toronto Raptors could offer up Scottie Barnes as a headliner, though I'm sure they would try to keep him (and Pascal Siakam) out of talks. Would three of Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. or Precious Achiuwa plus pick equity get it done? The Raptors do own their first-round picks moving forward.
The Memphis Grizzlies have enough non-Ja Morant pieces &mdash; Jaren Jackson Jr and Desmond Bane in particular &mdash; to put something together if they want. If the on-court potential of Morant and Durant isn't enough, they'd easily be the most prolific Twitter duo in the league. But the "if they want" looms large in this regard. They may not want to give up on JJJ considering his importance to their defense. And as good as Bane is offensively, it's at least fair to question what his potential as a legit primary guy is.&nbsp;
Oh, hey, the Golden State Warriors could...
Nevermind.
If there's one other team worth monitoring here, it would be the New York Knicks. Between Julius Randle or RJ Barrett &mdash; offering up both would defeat the "having something for Durant when he gets there" point &mdash; they have something to build a deal around. Immanuel Quickley would likely be involved regardless of which headliner the Knicks choose.
Beyond that, the Knicks have the mid-tier salaries necessary to match Durant's number, as well as an influx of future picks due to their draft-night moves. If their cards are played right, there exists a world where they could cobble a deal together for Durant, have at least one young(ish) guy they like, and meaningful enough cap space to make another splash.&nbsp;
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Nekias Duncan looks into potential trade packages for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant if their situation turns dire.

What would a Kevin Durant trade look like?

The 2022 NBA Draft is one day away, and rumors are surfacing left and right.
Which teams have been the most aggressive in trade talks? Will any notable players be on the move? Which draft picks could be dealt? BasketballNews has compiled all of the biggest rumors:
Malcolm Brogdon &ldquo;significantly likely&rdquo; to be traded
All signs point to the Indiana Pacers trading Malcolm Brogdon this week. Not only has Brogdon surfaced in trade rumors more than any other player, ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that teams like the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks are expected to pivot to Brogdon trade negotiations if they can&rsquo;t move up to No. 4 for Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey.
The Ringer&rsquo;s Kevin O&rsquo;Connor reported that the Pacers were throwing the veteran guard into every trade discussion they were having.
On <a href="https://www.espn.com/radio/play/_/id/34125407" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lowe Post,</a> ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony mentioned that the Los Angeles Lakers offered the following package for Brogdon: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker and a future first-round pick in 2027. Givony said that the Pacers immediately declined the Lakers&rsquo; offer. Lowe also threw in that he&rsquo;s heard Brogdon and Myles Turner are &ldquo;coveted&rdquo; around the league.
During ESPN&rsquo;s NBA Mock Draft Special on Tuesday night, Wojnarowski reiterated that it&rsquo;s &ldquo;significantly likely&rdquo; that Brogdon is moved before the 2022 NBA Draft begins.
Hornets shopping Gordon Hayward
The Charlotte Hornets are prioritizing salary-cap flexibility in order to re-sign Miles Bridges, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. The Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons are also worth monitoring as potential suitors for Bridges, per <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039350-latest-nba-intel-the-divide-between-kyrie-irving-and-brooklyn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer</a>.
With the Hornets prioritizing Bridges, Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s future in Charlotte is certainly in flux. Windhorst said that the Hornets are looking to find a team that's willing to take on the final two years of Hayward&rsquo;s contract. As an incentive, Charlotte is reportedly willing to throw in one of their first-round picks (No. 13 or No. 15). We'll see if any teams pounce at the opportunity to land Hayward and a lottery pick.
Fischer notes that Charlotte is also gauging the trade market on Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington and Mason Plumlee.
With the hope of shedding salary to keep Bridges alongside LaMelo Ball, the Hornets seem poised to make a big move this week.
Hawks have been aggressive
There have been a ton of Hawks-related rumors of late. On Monday night, Wojnarowski appeared on SportsCenter and said that Atlanta has been aggressive in trying to find a star to pair with Trae Young.&nbsp;
John Collins has surfaced in a number of trade rumors as well. The Hawks have had talks with the Sacramento Kings about a potential Collins deal, according to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-hawks-engaged-in-john-collins-trade-talks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>.
Versatile wing Bogdan Bogdanovic is also drawing interest from teams, per&nbsp;Windhorst. Atlanta has offers on the table for Collins and Bogdanovic.
Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Jake Fischer also shared an interesting Hawks nugget during his <a href="https://www.callin.com/episode/2022-nba-draft-preview-with-jeremy-woo-AojmeoFMXL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">live podcast</a> on Tuesday: Atlanta is trying to move up from No. 16 overall into the lottery, with their primary target being G League Ignite playmaker Dyson Daniels. Fischer said that the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7 could be a potential team to monitor as Atlanta continues to pursue Daniels.
It's possible we could see an explosive draft night from the Hawks. They are weighing multiple moves, and the front office views Young and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter as the only untouchable assets, per Woj.
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Tucker, Gordon reuniting with Harden on 76ers?&nbsp;
The Philadelphia 76ers could be a team to watch this offseason. Not only do they have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/signing-james-harden-to-a-max-contract-could-cripple-the-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an important long-term decision to make</a> on James Harden, they also have a number of players who could be viewed as available. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-pj-tucker-nba-draft-free-agency-20220621.html?utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_campaign=edit_social_share_twitter_traffic&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;int_promo=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped multiple tidbits on the Sixers&rsquo; plans</a>.
After PJ Tucker declined his player option with the Miami Heat, Philadelphia and the veteran forward have mutual interest. In order to create cap space, the Sixers are looking to deal Matisse Thybulle and the No. 23 pick in a three-team deal.&nbsp;
Pompey <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-pj-tucker-nba-draft-free-agency-20220621.html?utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_campaign=edit_social_share_twitter_traffic&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;int_promo=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that Philadelphia is trying their best to offload Tobias Harris&rsquo; large contract, but it's been tough to find any potential suitors.
Finally, there's another Houston Rocket who could potentially reunite with Harden in Philadelphia. The Sixers and Phoenix Suns have expressed interest in Eric Gordon, per Windhorst on NBA Today.
It sounds like Daryl Morey is trying to get the band back together, with Gordon and Tucker running it back with Harden in the Eastern Conference.
Knicks have been very active
As previously mentioned, the New York Knicks are showing interest in Brogdon. In addition to Wojnarowski's report, we've seen similar intel from The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania and SNY&rsquo;s Ian Begley. Outside of Brogdon, are there any other targets on the board?
Begley <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MxXPLPlNRM&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported on KnicksFanTV</a> that New York recently offered the Sacramento Kings multiple future first-round picks to move up to No. 4 for Jaden Ivey. The Knicks view Ivey in a high regard, and are willing to pay a steep price to move up seven spots in the draft.
The Knicks have also had talks with the Detroit Pistons about acquiring the No. 5 overall pick, and Cam Reddish was included in those discussions, per <a href="https://www.sny.tv/articles/knicks-pistons-touched-base-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Begley</a>.&nbsp;
It certainly seems like New York is trying to make a splash.
Hawks, Pistons are top suitors for Deandre Ayton
According to <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/33LDGb6QNc9VQor8CJVWoL?si=55021b96146147f5&amp;nd=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">O&rsquo;Connor on The Mismatch</a>, the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are the main teams to monitor as it relates to Deandre Ayton&rsquo;s upcoming restricted free agency. Ayton could still stay with Phoenix, but Detroit and Atlanta will be among the teams pursuing the 23-year-old center.
Do the Suns actually view Ayton as a max-level player? If not, perhaps the Suns will try to get creative and explore sign-and-trade packages revolving around Ayton. Detroit and Atlanta have some intriguing assets that could make a deal worth it from the Suns&rsquo; perspective (although the Pistons could also try to sign Ayton using <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/which-nba-teams-have-the-most-cap-space-entering-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their cap space</a>).
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Timberwolves inquired about Rudy Gobert, Clint Capela
During <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/33LDGb6QNc9VQor8CJVWoL?si=55021b96146147f5&amp;nd=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tuesday&rsquo;s episode of The Mismatch</a>, O'Connor also mentioned that the Minnesota Timberwolves have registered interest in Rudy Gobert and Clint Capela. This lines up with a previous report from Charania that Minnesota had inquired about Capela.
Where there&rsquo;s smoke, there&rsquo;s usually fire. So, are the Timberwolves really about to make Karl-Anthony Towns a full-time power forward? If the plan is to make a big move for a veteran center, moving one of the best shooting bigs of all-time further to the perimeter is an interesting thought.
According to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/townska01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball Reference</a>, Towns played 100% of his minutes at center last season. In fact, the only time he has played power forward throughout his NBA career was during his rookie season in 2015-16, when 2% of his minutes came at the 4.
The more you think about it, the more a Towns-Gobert frontcourt is certainly intriguing though.
John Wall expected to get bought out?
The Houston Rockets and John Wall will work toward finalizing a buyout before free agency begins, according to Fischer on his <a href="https://www.callin.com/episode/2022-nba-draft-preview-with-jeremy-woo-AojmeoFMXL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest podcast</a>.
After Wall opted in to his $47.3 million player option, there were questions about what's next for the point guard. This is the final year of Wall's contract, which could make it easier for the two sides to reach a buyout agreement.
If Wall hits the open market, could regain his form on a contender (potentially signing for the mid-level exception or less)? Wall averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists for Houston during the 2020-21 season, but he hasn't set foot on an NBA court since April of 2021.
Cavaliers open to trading No. 14 pick
According to <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-bradley-beal-bobby-portis-nicolas-batum-lakers-nets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto</a>, the Cleveland Cavaliers are open to trading back from the final slot in the lottery at No. 14 overall. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams who have already called the Cavs about the pick, per Scotto.
It's interesting that the Grizzlies and Bucks &mdash; two legitimate contenders &mdash; trying to move up 10-plus spots on Thursday night. It's unclear who these teams are targeting, but our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock currently has Ousmane Dieng projected at No. 14 overall. Rumors have been flying that Dieng has a guarantee, per Babcock, and he did receive an invite to the green room.
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Heat expressing interest in Jerami Grant
According to SNY&rsquo;s Ian Begley, the Miami Heat have checked in on the availability of Jerami Grant. The Detroit Pistons have been openly shopping Grant for a while, so perhaps a deal will finally go down this week.
Does Miami make sense as a potential trade partner for the Pistons? It's unclear what the Heat would be giving up in return for Grant, who averaged 19.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.9 threes, 1.0 block and 0.9 steals this season, while shooting 42.6% from the field, 35.8% from three-point range and 83.8% from the free-throw line.
Grizzlies attempting to move up
Reaffirming the Grizzlies&rsquo; desires of trading up on Thursday, Zach Lowe mentioned on <a href="https://www.espn.com/radio/play/_/id/34125407" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lowe Post</a> that Memphis' executives are &ldquo;calling in every direction.&rdquo;
If that&rsquo;s not a sign that the Grizzlies are expected to be very active on Thursday, I don&rsquo;t know what to tell you. Memphis has a history of being active on draft night, and it seems this year won&rsquo;t be any different.
Are the Suns willing to pay the luxury tax?
Recently, many national pundits have suggested that the Phoenix Suns are hesitant to go deep into the luxury tax. However, Suns owner Robert Sarver recently told BasketballNews that Phoenix has no qualms about paying up in order to keep this team together long-term.
&ldquo;My position for a market like us with the tax is, if you get yourself where you can compete at the highest level, then you pay it and you go for it,&rdquo; Sarver said.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying we&rsquo;re in a market that can be in it 10 years in a row," Sarver added. "But when you get to a certain level where you have a chance to compete and you&rsquo;re a top-four, top-six, top-eight team, if you&rsquo;re at the level where you have a legitimate chance to compete &mdash; get to your Conference Finals and maybe win a championship &mdash; then I think you go in the tax, you pay and you do what you gotta do."
Sarver knows that the Suns&rsquo; championship window is in the here and now. Barring a change of heart, it seems that he's willing to spend to keep this core together.
&ldquo;You just can&rsquo;t take success for grant,&rdquo; Sarver said. &ldquo;It can come and go.&rdquo;
Also, keep an eye on the Suns trying to add a pick in Thursday's draft. While they have no picks at the moment, Phoenix is making calls and trying to buy a second-round selection, according to 98.7 FM&rsquo;s John Gambadoro. Gambadoro said that the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors are teams who are open to trading their second-rounders.
Dyson Daniels rising up draft boards?
Dyson Daniels has one of the biggest risers during the NBA pre-draft process. On BasketballNews' latest mock draft, Babcock has Daniels being selected No. 8 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans.
&ldquo;After being at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, Dyson Daniels had a terrific season for the G League Ignite," Babcock said of Daniels. "The 6-foot-7 positionless Swiss army knife, Daniels excels at getting downhill and attacking the basket, relying on his athleticism and body control for finishing while occasionally employing a floater. Daniels&rsquo; outside shooting is still a work in progress, but he is a disruptive defender with quick feet and instincts. Daniels&rsquo; progression as a playmaker was also notable during the G League season. He seems to have a bright future ahead of him.&rdquo;
According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3372868/2022/06/20/indiana-pacers-nba-draft/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Bob Kravitz</a>, Daniels blew away the Indiana Pacers&rsquo; front office in his recent workout in Indianapolis.
&ldquo;I was told Dyson Daniels had one of the greatest workouts a lot of people in the Indiana organization have ever seen,&rdquo; Kravitz said on ESPN 107.5 FM on Tuesday.
With the Pacers selecting at No. 6 overall, their hope is that somehow one of Jaden Ivey or Keegan Murray slips. If not, Kravitz said the Pacers will be deciding between Daniels and Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin.
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com for all the latest NBA news and rumors during what could be a crazy offseason. Also, check out our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft page</a> for all of our in-depth draft coverage.
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On the eve of the 2022 NBA Draft, rumors are surfacing left and right. Evan Sidery compiles the latest rumblings around the NBA.

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2022 NBA Finals Scouting Report: How the Celtics and Warriors match up

Changes are coming in Minnesota.
Fresh off a 46-36 campaign and competitive first-round exit, the Timberwolves have already gone swinging. There's a new sheriff in town, with former <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nuggets-tim-connelly-to-become-wolves-president-of-basketball-ops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly joining the team</a> in a similar role. The price was huge: a five-year deal worth north of $40 million and&nbsp; &mdash; and! &mdash; equity in the organization, per The Athletic. It's a monstrous deal with the potential for more &mdash; a deal, as my Dunker Spot co-host <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Jones Jr.</a> described on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our latest episode</a>, that the Nuggets weren't likely to match.
There's obvious intrigue in Connelly's move to Minnesota, namely him leaving a successful division rival that currently rosters a back-to-back MVP in Nikola Jokic to do so. But the interest for me has come with the reporting around the move. Take this passage from The Athletic's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3320881/2022/05/18/timberwolves-tim-connelly-president-basketball-ops/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania</a> as negotiations were heating up between the two sides.
<blockquote>
Leaving the two-time MVP for upstart Minnesota would be a bold move. But the Timberwolves do have a pair of building blocks in Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, promising young talent in Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt, a coach who is revered throughout the organization and an ownership group that appears to be motivated to invest in the organization.
</blockquote>
Hmm... notice anyone missing? Also, the "ownership group that appears to be motivated to invest" portion could be seen as subtle shade toward the organization that was on track to lose Masai Ujiri (killing it in Toronto since 2014) and Connelly due to being outbid.&nbsp;
And how about this one, from Krawczynski and Charania again, after the <a href="https://theathletic.com/3326241/2022/05/23/tim-connelly-wolves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deal was done</a>?&nbsp;
<blockquote>
There are reasons beyond financial for him to be optimistic about the situation in Minnesota. Connelly will be taking over a team with two stars in Towns and Edwards, promising young players in Jaden McDaniels and Vanderbilt and a top-notch coach in Chris Finch, who spent one season working with Connelly in Denver as an assistant on Malone&rsquo;s staff. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had a strong season before struggling in the playoffs and Patrick Beverley asserted himself as a tough, veteran leader for a young group.
</blockquote>
Ah,&nbsp;there's&nbsp;the name. But you see why my brow is raised, right? Towns and Edwards represent the core. McDaniels and Vanderbilt are the young pieces dubbed to grow alongside them. The 26 year-old Russell &mdash; one of Towns' best friends making north of $30 million this season &mdash; went from not being mentioned at all in the lead-up piece, to essentially getting a throw-in line with Beverley in the update five days later.
Oh, it doesn't help that Jordan McLaughlin was closing out playoff games while a healthy Russell watched in Round 1. Add in the fact that Russell's future has <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/05/03/report-timberwolves-will-attempt-to-trade-dangelo-russell-this-offseason/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already been questioned</a>, and I think it's fair to assume what the big&nbsp;roster&nbsp;swing for the Wolves will be.&nbsp;
Any team acquiring him will be on the hook for over $31 million next season, though that's the only&nbsp;year left on Russell's deal.&nbsp;
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WHAT RUSSELL BRINGS
Russell remains a smooth operator. He's a proactive passer, one who's able to see and&nbsp;fire into a gap before most players know what's happening. You'll see it with his transition hit-aheads, as well as some of the reads he'll make in pick-and-roll.
And about pick-and-roll: Not many players blend pull-up shooting and high-level passing like Russell does. You can't afford to duck under against him, or drop your big back too far. He will absolutely waltz into jumpers. Once he gets hot, you're forced to press up &mdash; and that opens up even more passing windows for him.
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Russell was one of 31 players to receive at least 1,500 on-ball picks this season, per Second Spectrum. Russell-led ball screens were good for nearly 1.03 points per possession (PPP), a top-10ish mark in NBA among high volume ball-handlers.
You can thank the jumper for that &mdash; Russell converted 37% of the pull-up threes he attempted out of pick-and-roll, per InStat tracking. For comparison, that put him in line with high volume pull-up artists like Stephen Curry (38.9%) and Trae Young (37.0%).
(Also: Shout out to Darius Garland for bombing away at a 42.5% clip. That guy's getting paid.)&nbsp;
LIMITATIONS
Russell is what I'd describe as a two-level scorer. He's comfortable firing from deep, and he's able to snake and hunt shots around the elbow area with the best of them. Rim pressure is... simply not his thing. Only 16% of Russell's shots came at the rim last season, a mark that ranks in the 16th percentile per Cleaning The Glass. (Not great!)
And as someone who rarely got to the rim, Russell didn't draw many shooting fouls either. The lack of "easy points" lends to a boom-or-bust nature in Russell's game. His pull-up jumper is a legit weapon, but things kinda crater for him if it isn't falling in a way that isn't helpful for your&nbsp;lead&nbsp;ball-handler.&nbsp;
I think a truth has become (more) clear &mdash; Russell needs to be paired with a ball-dominant rim threat to get the best out of him.
That was the intrigue around Edwards taking more of a lead role in the second half of the season. In theory, Edwards ability to touch the paint on any given possession would lead to easier catch-and-shoot &mdash; or catch-and-drive &mdash; opportunities for Russell. A team trading for Russell should have a similar infrastructure in place.
Defensively, Russell found his home as a middle linebacker. Most teams rely on their primary rim-protector to call out coverages and actions. For Minnesota, that responsibility was Russell's. It was an odd dynamic, but one that worked. He was often seen and&nbsp;heard barking out instructions while he zoned up behind the action.
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I remained worried about him in more conservative defensive schemes. Russell isn't the quickest laterally. And while he's improved a bit from his rookie season (I'd hope so!), screen navigation remains an issue for him overall.
With the Wolves, Russell was blessed with the opportunity to roam off-ball (his ideal role) while having the screen navigation issues limited due to his big hedging ball-screens with him. If Russell's dumped into a drop scheme, the onus flips back on him to stay attached to ball-handlers. That could be a tricky bet.
LANDING SPOTS
Due to Russell's contract and the context needed to unlock him on both ends, it's hard to imagine 20+ teams blowing up the phones in Minnesota. There are a few teams that:
1) Make theoretical sense for Russell's game
2) Have the contracts to at least get conversations started
The New York Knicks have been searching for a calming presence at point guard for ages; at the very least, a guy that can grease the wheels of an offense with pick-and-roll play. While an in-house option is staring them in the face &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I'm with you, Knick fans</a> &mdash; it wouldn't shock me to see the Knicks take a flier on a talent like Russell, especially if it doesn't cost a core piece.&nbsp;
The contracts of Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Nerlens Noel get you in the ballpark of Russell's number. The Knicks have the Mavericks' first rounder in 2023 &mdash; a likely low 20s pick &mdash; to toss in if the Wolves don't think that's enough.
In theory, you'd have Russell playing off the rim-battering of RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. Maybe you get a more unlocked Randle with someone that can thread the needle on tight-window passes more consistently.&nbsp;
The Wolves would be able to bolster their depth, adding some rim pressure (Rose), movement shooting (Burks) and a big that can do work in an aggressive scheme (Noel). The Knicks losing the latter would be buffered by the retention of Mitchell Robinson and the likely growth from Jericho Sims.
Quick question: Who's the best passer for the Los Angeles Clippers? Follow-up question: How many names did you list before naming an actual guard? The combined deals of Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard get you in the door. I can hear arguments about that already being too much for L.A. I'd argue that Russell gives you more on the playmaking front, gives you more size in the backcourt and helps your defense without tapping into your wing depth. Again, there's at least a conversation to be had.
If you're looking to pair Russell with a ball-dominant rim threat, how about Luka Doncic and Dallas? At worst, Russell could serve as a buffer to Jalen Brunson signing elsewhere. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dwight Powell would give the Wolves the movement shooting, plus big-man depth combination to bolster their supporting cast. I'd argue the Mavericks may have to throw in a pick, though they're a little light on that front.
Lastly, would you rather have Russell or Cole Anthony? Actually, don't answer that.
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Nekias Duncan looks at potential landing spots for Wolves guard D'Angelo Russell this offseason.