Racers

<div>Every February, LeBron James has been wondering why he didn't participate in the Slam Dunk Contest for more than two decades, one of the NBA's great what-ifs. Fans have debated the topic in barbershops, on sports radio, and across social media.</div>
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<div>Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson's recent interview with former <a href="https://bookmaker-ratings.ru/tip/sport-types/tip-nba-tips/">NBA </a>forward and 1992 dunk champion Cedric Ceballos has given new life to the conversation, even though some parts of the past need to be addressed.</div>
<div>Ceballos didn't just suggest that LeBron skipped the contest because he wasn't interested.</div>
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<div>He defined it as something deeper: the preservation of the brand.</div>
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<div>&ldquo;He had a chance his rookie year and he didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; <a href="https://scoopb.com/2026/02/cedric-ceballos-talks-vince-carters-springs-anthony-edwards-rise-and-why-lebron-james-skipped-the-dunk-contest/">Ceballos told Robinson</a>. &ldquo;After that rookie year, anything after that would damage his credibility and his career. It&rsquo;s not really if he wins it &mdash; because he&rsquo;s supposed to win it &mdash; it&rsquo;s that if he loses it.&rdquo;</div>
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<div>According to Ceballos, the risk outweighed the reward. LeBron had already become too big, too famous, and too accustomed to dominating. Winning would be the standard operating procedure.</div>
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<div>Losing would be a headline that would follow him forever.</div>
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<div>To reinforce his point, Ceballos referenced LeBron's high school years.</div>
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<p data-start="1229" data-end="1478">&ldquo;He lost in the McDonald&rsquo;s All-American Game,&rdquo; Ceballos said, claiming that a then lesser-known Shannon Brown outshined LeBron in the dunk contest. &ldquo;Shannon Brown beat him, but he was a little bit not as famous as LeBron and they gave it to LeBron.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-start="1480" data-end="1599">The story fits neatly into Ceballos&rsquo; narrative: LeBron experiencing early proof that even one loss could dent his aura.</p>
<p data-start="1601" data-end="1646">The problem? It didn&rsquo;t quite happen that way.</p>
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<h2 data-start="1601" data-end="1646">What Ceballos Was Really Arguing</h2>
<p data-start="1480" data-end="1599">Ceballos' fundamental basketball critique was evident, even though his memory was spotty. According to him, LeBron is a powerful power dunker - one of the best in live action - but not a specialist in dunk contests.</p>
<p data-start="1480" data-end="1599">&ldquo;LeBron dunks on a lot of people,&rdquo; Ceballos implied, &ldquo;but trickery, suaveness &mdash; no.&rdquo;</p>
<div>LeBron's remarkable abilities are attributed to his speed, strength, timing, and rim violence, not to his choreographed creativity. In the past, the Dunk Contest has awarded both flair and force equally.</div>
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<div>The basketball argument is fair. Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, and Zach LaVine were legends of the contest, blending athleticism and innovation.</div>
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<div>Windmills, free-throw line glides, props, timing, and theatrical moments all play significant roles.LeBron's game has always been about efficiency and dominance, not pre-planned artistry.</div>
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<h2>The McDonald&rsquo;s Contest Reality</h2>
<p data-start="2532" data-end="2682">Officially, LeBron James won the 2003 McDonald&rsquo;s All-American Slam Dunk Contest in Cleveland. The other finalists were Shannon Brown and J.R. Giddens.</p>
<p data-start="2684" data-end="2712">However, the nuance matters.</p>
<p data-start="2714" data-end="2997">Many recaps from that night noted that LeBron&rsquo;s dunks were solid but relatively basic &mdash; powerful, clean, but not jaw-dropping. Brown, on the other hand, pulled off one of the most impressive single dunks of the event but missed multiple attempts afterward, hurting his overall score.</p>
<p data-start="2999" data-end="3072">LeBron benefitted from consistency, hometown energy, and others&rsquo; miscues.</p>
<p data-start="3074" data-end="3211">So while Ceballos is wrong that LeBron &ldquo;lost,&rdquo; he&rsquo;s not wrong that the perception afterward was more complicated than a dominant victory.</p>
<p data-start="3213" data-end="3356">Even as a teenager, LeBron was learning something crucial: when you&rsquo;re the most famous player in the building, expectations distort everything.</p>
<h2 data-start="3213" data-end="3356">The Real Risk for Superstars</h2>
<p data-start="3392" data-end="3462">This is where Ceballos&rsquo; brand argument actually lines up with reality.</p>
<p data-start="3464" data-end="3560">For a player like LeBron James, the Dunk Contest was always a high-risk, low-reward proposition.</p>
<p data-start="3562" data-end="3617">If he won? Fans would shrug and say he was supposed to.</p>
<p data-start="3619" data-end="3810">If he lost &mdash; especially to a smaller, less famous, more creative dunker like Nate Robinson, Gerald Green, or Zach LaVine &mdash; it would instantly become a meme, a punchline, a permanent footnote.</p>
<p data-start="3812" data-end="4018">History backs this up. Dwight Howard&rsquo;s loss to Nate Robinson still gets referenced. Aaron Gordon losing twice despite incredible dunks became a running joke about being &ldquo;robbed.&rdquo; The contest doesn&rsquo;t forget.</p>
<p data-start="4020" data-end="4096">And LeBron has essentially acknowledged this dynamic himself over the years.</p>
<p data-start="4098" data-end="4298">He&rsquo;s said repeatedly that if he ever did the Dunk Contest, he&rsquo;d &ldquo;have to win&rdquo; &mdash; otherwise it wouldn&rsquo;t be worth it. That mindset alone shows how much pressure and perception factored into the decision.</p>
<h2 data-start="4098" data-end="4298">LeBron&rsquo;s Own Explanation</h2>
<p data-start="4330" data-end="4423">Publicly, LeBron has always framed his absence in basketball terms rather than branding ones.</p>
<p data-start="4425" data-end="4538">He&rsquo;s emphasized that his goals <a href="https://x.com/ScoopB/status/1668247108309118977">were championships</a>, MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year awards &mdash; not dunk trophies.</p>
<p data-start="4540" data-end="4786">He&rsquo;s also consistently called himself an &ldquo;in-game dunker,&rdquo; explaining that he doesn&rsquo;t enjoy planning or practicing set-piece dunks. For him, dunking is about reacting in real time, attacking defenders, and finishing with force &mdash; not choreography.</p>
<p data-start="4788" data-end="4851">That explanation fits his personality and play style perfectly.</p>
<p data-start="4853" data-end="4901">But it doesn&rsquo;t exclude the brand reality either.</p>
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<source src="https://x.com/ScoopB/status/1668247108309118977?s=20" /></video></p>
<h2 data-start="5066" data-end="5370">So Was Ceballos Right?</h2>
<p data-start="4931" data-end="5008">Factually, no &mdash; LeBron didn&rsquo;t lose that high-school contest to Shannon Brown.</p>
<p data-start="5010" data-end="5064">Conceptually? He was tapping into something very real.</p>
<p data-start="5066" data-end="5370">From the moment LeBron entered the league as &ldquo;<a href="https://rg.org/news/basketball/phil-handy-jordan-kobe-lebron-goat-debate">The Chosen One</a>,&rdquo; every appearance became a referendum on greatness. The Dunk Contest, meant to be fun and experimental, would&rsquo;ve placed him in a situation where creativity mattered more than dominance &mdash; and where a single off night could live forever online.</p>
<p data-start="5372" data-end="5479">For a generational superstar with nothing to gain and everything to lose, skipping it made strategic sense.</p>
<p data-start="5481" data-end="5659">In that light, LeBron&rsquo;s absence doesn&rsquo;t look like fear or lack of interest alone. It looks like a calculated understanding of modern sports culture, expectations, and reputation.</p>
<h2 data-start="5481" data-end="5659">The Middle Ground</h2>
<div>LeBron James' Dunk Contest absence was not only framed as a branding decision by Cedric Ceballos, but also by an associate of James' <a href="https://landonbuford-com-488060.hostingersite.com/lakers-lebron-james-associate-reveals-real-reason-he-skipped-dunk-contest/">Rob MC in the Walklikeus room</a> a few years back.</div>
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<div>They said it did not fit LeBron's image at the time and pointed out that the contest was less exciting after the best players stopped participating in the early 2000s.</div>
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<div>He answered those who questioned LeBron's drive by citing his famous 3-1 Finals comeback, and also reminded everyone that many great players skipped the contest.</div>
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<div>LeBron stayed out of the Dunk Contest, not because he was scared, but because he thought it could hurt his reputation more than it could help, choosing his long-term legacy over a show, according to their comments.</div>
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Cedric Ceballos explains how branding, risk, and legacy factored into LeBron James's decision not to enter the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Ex-Laker Cedric Ceballos Weighs-In on Why LeBron Skipped the Dunk Contest

<p>With 6.8 seconds left in Game 1, the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces needed a bucket to stay alive.</p>
<p>Down three, 2022 Coach of the Year Becky Hammon drew up "Winner", a nifty end-of-game set most recently popularized by former Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, if you care about that kind of background.</p>
<p>The set calls for a big to receive a cross screen before receiving a long inbound pass from the opposite sideline. After the big receives the pass, a perimeter player is tasked with coming off a screen above the break. If timed and executed correctly, an open three-point shot should be created. <a href="https://youtu.be/c7i0Fs7QfgY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">When it's run well</a>, it looks like this:</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c7i0Fs7QfgY" width="578" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This is what happened when the Aces ran it.</p>
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<p>Jackie Young doesn't even set the cross screen for A'ja Wilson; she essentially "ghosts" the screen and jets to the corner. While that's being whiffed, Chelsea Gray -- one of the best passers on the planet -- throws the pass where Wilson is supposed to be. She wasn't, so that leads to some bobbling of the ball.</p>
<p>While&nbsp;<em>that&nbsp;</em>is happening, Kiah Stokes is setting the second of a pair of screens for Kelsey Plum. She sets one during the cross screen segment of the play to occupy Tina Charles (and bump Sue Bird), then flips the screen to the opposite side to free Plum for the actual shot. Stokes doesn't get a ton of contact on the first screen, and flat out misses on the second; the latter allows Bird to duck under Stokes and contest Plum's shot.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The look was still a solid one for Plum, a testament to how good the play call was. But the fact that it was a solid look instead of an open one speaks to a lack of thoroughness. The screening was off. The timing was off. Enough of the little things were mishandled to minimize the effectiveness of the play.</p>
<p>Would Plum have drained a three if the second screen from Stokes connected, allowing Plum to sip a cup of coffee due to being so open? We don't know. Great shooters miss great shots, and Plum very well could've missed it either way. It's just a shame that we didn't get a chance to find out.</p>
<p>Compare that to this clutch bucket by Jewell Loyd to give the Storm a 73-71 lead.</p>
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<p>The Storm set up a high ball screen because they know the Aces would switch the matchup. Once Breanna Stewart drives Young back and draws a double team, Stephanie Talbot cuts from the left wing to the right corner to distort Gray's help responsibilities. Sue Bird recognizes this and fires a pass to Talbot. She's able to attack a flustered Stokes from there, and the rotations to help on that drive free Loyd for a crucial shot.</p>
<p>Everything was done with intention.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The final score, a 76-73 win for the Storm, doesn't properly indicate how much better the Storm's execution was on both ends of the floor. That the Aces still had a chance to win is a testament to their talent and willpower. They'll simply need the execution and attention to finer details to turn things around in Game 2.</p>
<p>"I think the biggest thing we have to work on is our defense," Aces center Iliana Rupert said after practice on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"We made a lot of little mistakes, especially in transition. At one point, I think they scored six straight points, basically off of layups. When it comes to a game decided by a few points, you think about those actions."</p>
<p>Kiah Stokes offered similar sentiments.</p>
<p>"We only lost by three points, and we did&nbsp;<em>so&nbsp;</em>many things wrong," Stokes said.</p>
<p>"We gotta focus on cleaning up the little things, being a little sharper, and hopefully get rid of the stupid turnovers, fast break points, and things that we can control."</p>
<p>On the defensive front, the Aces never seemed to have a firm handle on the Storm's offense. They shot poorly, but their shot quality was pretty high. It especially stood out in the opening quarter, where the Aces reverted to their trapping style of ball screen coverage they displayed to begin the season.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"Our intention was to get the ball out of Jewell's hands when she was coming off a screen, but she did a great job of baiting the trap and getting rid of it early," Stokes told Basketball News.</p>
<p>"I think going forward, it's going to be more mixing things up and keeping her on her toes; keep her guessing between us trapping or short-hedging. Our focus point now is making the guards uncomfortable so they don't know what we're doing, make 'em think. It's easy, if you know we're going to trap, to one-dribble towards the screen, back away, kick it to Tina [Charles] and then they have open shots. Luckily for us, they missed those shots, but we don't want them to have those looks because they're a great team."</p>
<p>"They're smart players," Rupert told Basketball News.</p>
<p>"They know how to attack every defense, and I think they quickly understood the changes we made [to begin the game] and knew how to adapt. They had open looks -- luckily they didn't make them -- but that's why we changed a little bit [after the first quarter.]</p>
<p>You can get a feel for how quickly the Storm picked apart the Aces' aggressive scheme below. These aren't all makes, but they're all quality looks.</p>
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<p>Offensively, the Aces didn't have a ton of success. It's easy to point to their 6-of-23 clip from three and dub it as an anomoly. It may be, but the larger issue was the quality of those shots.</p>
<p>The offense as a whole didn't function particularly well. The Storm threw a wrench into the Aces' plans by flat-out ignoring Stokes away from the ball. That made it easier to load up on Wilson, who finished the game with eight points and a more-disturbing 10 shot attempts. Wilson only attempted one shot in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>"The dunker or short corner is where I'm going to get most of my open shots," Stokes told Basketball News.</p>
<p>"One thing we did notice was that my defender wasn't really guarding me; they were acting more as a helper. So if I continue to cut and at least occupy the defense, it's either going to give me an easy layup or it'll allow A'ja to go 1-on-1 instead of 1-on-2; Kelsey [Plum] will be able to get downhill against one [player] instead of one and the big coming over to help."</p>
<p>"For me, it's just continuing to space [correctly], continuing to cut, catching passes and finishing at the rim."</p>
<p>The opening possession of the game was a great example of the opportunities that were, and will be, available for Stokes.</p>
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<p>It's a good design from the Aces. They stack the right wing with Young and Stokes while Gray, Wilson, and Plum occupy the left side of the floor. A Gray-Wilson ball screen with Plum in the strong side corner -- and Wilson rolling to Plum's side -- is a great way to put Bird in a bind as a helper.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ideally, Bird would have to choose between tagging Wilson on the roll and leaving Plum open, or sticking with Plum and giving Wilson an open lane to roll into. It doesn't really work becuase Charles is parked at the free throw line to cut off a potential drive from Gray. Stokes does a great job of cutting behind the help, but misses the layup.</p>
<p>Stokes will have to capitalize on those openings. On a basic level, duh, you want players to make open shots. But Stokes has to nail those shots so the Storm aren't comfortable ignoring her. That will open the floor for everyone, which in turn will make life more difficult for the Storm.</p>
<p>Cutting will help. Flashing to the middle of the floor is another counter to keep an eye on. Stokes attempted a middle flash to set up a high-low with Wilson, but Stewart made a DPOY-level play by anticipating the entry pass and picking it off.</p>
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<p>It didn't work out, and it took a little long for things to set up for my liking. But it's more low-hanging fruit for the Aces to grab. If they're able to do so, we're going to have a fun series on our hands as things shift to Seattle.</p>

Nekias Duncan breaks down some of the little things that plagued the Aces in their Game 1 loss, including insight from players.

Aces must clean up 'little things' to regain control of series

<p>With NBA training camps open for business, teams are getting back in the swing of things. Since Sunday afternoon, the preseason has been in full swing, meaning the 2021-22 campaign is right around the corner.</p>
<p>Building a team is not an easy task without a dash of draft luck and a pinch of good chemistry. Once you find the combination that sticks, there's no telling how high your squad's ceiling can get. While we've seen a handful of organizations struggle with their inexperience year-after-year, we've also seen others soar and show that they'll be around for quite some time.</p>
<p>In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Which NBA team has the best young core?</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Alex Kennedy:</strong> This is tough. The New Orleans Pelicans&rsquo; young core has the most upside, with two potential superstars in Zion Williamson (21) and Brandon Ingram (24), plus talented prospects like Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23), Trey Murphy III (21), Kira Lewis Jr. (20) and Jaxson Hayes (21) among others. However, if we&rsquo;re talking about the &ldquo;best young core,&rdquo; I have to go with the Atlanta Hawks after what they showed during their Eastern Conference Finals run. Trae Young (23), John Collins (24), De'Andre Hunter (23), Kevin Huerter (23), Cam Reddish (22) and Onyeka Okongwu (20) is a very talented young nucleus that&rsquo;s already succeeding in the postseason. In a few years, this team could be a juggernaut.</p>
<p><strong>Nekias Duncan:</strong> Trae Young, John Collins, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter and Jalen Johnson are all 24 or younger. All but Johnson were contributors on a team that made the conference finals last season. I don&rsquo;t think I need to say much else.</p>
<p><strong>Spencer Davies:</strong> There are a number of teams that intrigue me around the NBA as far as a youth movement is concerned. If we're talking about a young core that contends for a championship &mdash; let's call 26-and-under the cutoff &mdash; I like the Denver Nuggets a lot. Nikola Jokic has already won the league MVP and continues to only get better. Jamal Murray, when healthy, is as electrifying as any guard in the NBA. Michael Porter Jr. just earned himself a maximum rookie contract extension due to his outstanding scoring capabilities and potential to expand his game. Aaron Gordon's athleticism and defensive abilities make him the ideal complement to all three. That's a fantastic four to build around for a number of years to come, and ultimately, compete for a title in the process. Throw Monte Morris and P.J. Dozier in there with rookie Bones Hyland and mystery-box Bol Bol, and that's just about the perfect mixture of youth and experience.</p>
<p><strong>Ethan Fuller:</strong> It's the Oklahoma City Thunder for me by a significant margin. Oklahoma City has the youngest roster in the NBA per RealGM, and those players are a mix of high-upside swings and crystal-clear NBA fits. The team has guys like Lu Dort, Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon, who are safe bets to be solid rotation players or elite specialists. Then, they have the potential game-changers like 7-foot wing Aleksej Pokusevksi and 2021 No. 6 pick Josh Giddey. Of course, OKC already has a rising star as well in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There's just so much to like across the board.</p>
<p><strong>Drew Maresca:</strong> Easily the Hawks. Atlanta advanced to Game 6 in the East Finals last season, way before anyone expected them to be competitive. And they did so without two key youngsters (Cam Reddish and Onyeka Okongwu). They&rsquo;ll only go as far as Trae Young takes them, but Young proved that putting him in any kind of a box is a fool&rsquo;s errand. The Hawks are going to struggle with expectations in 2021-22, but that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact that they&rsquo;ve arrived way ahead of schedule, and they&rsquo;ve done so with three starters who are 23 or younger.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ja gotta chill it&rsquo;s PRESEASON 🤣 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBAonTNT</a>)<a href="https://t.co/VdSPG66MvE">pic.twitter.com/VdSPG66MvE</a></p>
&mdash; Overtime (@overtime) <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1445547212516192259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Moke Hamilton:</strong> If I had to choose one, I&rsquo;d probably say Memphis. For a 22-year-old, Ja Morant is damn good, and the Grizzlies seem to be further along in their development than other contenders for this label such as New Orleans. Ditto for Minnesota. Now that I think about it... Who else is even a credible contender for this title?</p>
<p><strong>Jesse Blancarte:</strong> The Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker rose to a new level last season and led his talented team to the NBA Finals. With Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Landry Shamet and other young, talented players on the roster, the Suns are well-positioned to compete at the highest levels &mdash; this season and beyond.</p>
<p><strong>Jackson Frank:</strong> Young core is such an ambiguous term to define because everyone cuts off the &ldquo;young&rdquo; moniker at different thresholds. But I&rsquo;ll make 25 the high-end here and go with the Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young is a superstar. John Collins is a marvelous pick-and-roll/pop big, and tenable defender. When healthy last season, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter looked the part of a mighty fine two-way wing. Kevin Huerter took a leap last season as a 2-point scorer and defender. Onyeka Okongwu dazzled at times in the playoffs with his defense and finishing. Cam Reddish continues to hint at enticing on-ball defense and pull-up shooting; consistency and health are the vital pillars. Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper probably won&rsquo;t play much next season, but you saw their allure at NBA Summer League. Skylar Mays is even a useful combo guard. I hope I didn&rsquo;t miss any member of the Hawks&rsquo; young core, which is both deep and very good. There's a bright present and future for this team.</p>
<p><strong>Alexander Cohen:</strong> Best young core is always a tricky question unless it&rsquo;s quantified. Based on sheer young talent, it&rsquo;s the Dallas Mavericks alone for simply having Luka Doncic. But if we&rsquo;re focusing on true young core of players that have a chance to grow together, I&rsquo;ll take the San Antonio Spurs for Devin Vassell, Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, Keldon Johnson and even Tre Jones. There&rsquo;s not one player there that I would anticipate becoming an All-Star, but I&rsquo;d be shocked if any didn&rsquo;t turn into at least high-level role players.</p>

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

NBA Roundtable: Which team has the best young core?

<p>DENVER (AP) &mdash; Among the topics JaVale McGee considers himself well-versed: Netflix shows, cryptocurrency, investments and technology as it relates to the new iPhone.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really versed in the world of a lot of things,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>Go ahead and add winning NBA rings to that list, too. The 7-footer has been a part of three championship teams over the past four seasons.</p>
<p>McGee believes his newest Denver Nuggets castmates have that possible championship makeup, especially with the additions of athletic forward Aaron Gordon and himself at the trade deadline.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This team has all the pieces,&rdquo; McGee said Saturday as he prepares for his second stint with the Nuggets after being acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers. "A lot of things have to go right, but I feel like we have all the pieces for it to go right.&rdquo;</p>
<p>First order of business &mdash; meshing.</p>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<p>Time is of the essence, too, for McGee and Gordon to get on the same page with All-Star center and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, along with point guard Jamal Murray. It will have to be an adjust-on-the-fly deal since practices are scarce in this condensed season. The Nuggets (27-18) are currently fifth in the Western Conference standings.</p>
<p>"I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s going to take me long to get up to speed,&rdquo; said Gordon, who was acquired along with Gary Clark from Orlando for guard Gary Harris, rookie R.J. Hampton and a future first-round pick.</p>
<p>Ditto for McGee.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not really that complicated,&rdquo; said McGee, who was brought in from Cleveland for center Isaiah Hartenstein and two second-round picks. &ldquo;For me, it&rsquo;s easy to mesh with anybody.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Nuggets went to the Western Conference finals last season before losing to LeBron James and the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers, which also included McGee. Before that, McGee was part of two Golden State teams that won behind Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant &amp; Co.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to make sure that I bring that championship pedigree,&rdquo; McGee, 33, said. &rdquo;Just every day, make sure I'm doing the right things, just setting the example."</p>
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<p>This is a team that marches to the rhythm of Jokic, the big man who's having the finest statistical season of his career in averaging nearly a triple double (27.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists). The Nuggets didn't want to squander this sort of season in what appears to be a wide-open West.</p>
<p>&ldquo;At the moment he&rsquo;s the best player in the world. And he&rsquo;s a guy that should continue to raise all of our bars,&rdquo; said Tim Connelly, the Nuggets president of basketball operations. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re doing right by him because he&rsquo;s certainly doing right by the organization with his play.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There are a lot of teams that have the ability to go win it all and I&rsquo;d like to think we&rsquo;re one of them.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Before making moves that might disrupt team chemistry, Connelly consults not only with coach Michael Malone but Murray and Jokic. Connelly values their input.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s saved me several times from making mistakes,&rdquo; Connelly said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s important that they have ownership over that locker room.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Gordon brings another layer of athleticism to the roster, along with an ability to cover the best wing players in the game. It&rsquo;s a role he relishes &mdash; and one of many he will be asked to fill by the Nuggets.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We all have a mutual understanding &mdash; just to be an athletic slasher, runner, cutter, facilitator, spot-up shooter and tenacious defender,&rdquo; Gordon said.</p>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<p>As for blending in with Jokic, that's easy for Gordon: Simply break toward the rim and the Nuggets big man will find him.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I'm just here to make his job easy,&rdquo; the 25-year-old Gordon said. &ldquo;His passing ability is incredible. I think my passing ability is slept on.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This is definitely a different sort of team than when McGee was around the first time. He spent parts of four seasons in the Mile High City before being dealt to Philadelphia in February 2015.</p>
<p>The perceptions of Denver have certainly changed over the past six years.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I feel like now, on the scouting report it says, &lsquo;You better play hard or this team is going to destroy you,'" McGee said. "I feel like we got even better with the addition of me and Aaron, of being a team that people look on the calendar and they know this isn't going to be an easy game.</p>
<p>"I'm really excited of the things to come.&rdquo;</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP Sports Writer Arnie Stapleton contributed to this report.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</p>

The Denver Nuggets' newest additions, Aaron Gordon and JaVale McGee, opened up about being traded and how they can help the team.

Nuggets feel they can win it all after adding Aaron Gordon, JaVale McGee

<div>Jesse Edwards, Syracuse University's sophomore center, has been relegated to the end of Coach Jim Boeheim&rsquo;s bench for the majority of the season. Many, including myself, have been screaming from the mountaintops: "FREE JESSE!!!!"</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Our main center is injured and we're playing Marek Dolezaj out of position. He's a great player and incredibly important to this team, but is giving up size, strength and height to opposing centers on a nightly basis. For that reason, many Syracuse fans have been puzzled as to why a 6-foot-11 sophomore center like Edwards hasn&rsquo;t been utilized more. Thus, the chants and hashtags of #FreeJesse.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Despite the pleas from the fan base, every time Coach Boeheim has been asked by reporters why Jesse Edwards isn&rsquo;t getting a chance, he responds with a litany of excuses: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not strong enough," "He&rsquo;s too thin," "He doesn&rsquo;t rebound well enough," "I play the guys who play the best at practice," and his most consistent response, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not ready.&rdquo; &nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>On many occasions over the past two years, I&rsquo;ve personally messaged Jesse to offer some encouragement, telling him almost exactly what Syracuse legends Rosevelt Bouie, Coach Louis Orr, and the late Conrad McRae told me my freshman year. I wasn&rsquo;t playing and Coach Boeheim was similarly telling everyone I wasn&rsquo;t ready. I told Jesse that his time was going to come to make Coach Boeheim eat his words, to prove to everyone in the country that you have been ready all season and that he should continue to be mature, conduct himself professionally, have a good attitude, and be the ultimate team player.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>I also told Jesse to not sulk on the bench and to keep working hard in practice and be ready when his time comes. The worst thing that could happen is for Coach Boeheim to throw him in a game and he doesn't play well -- that would allow him to say to the media "See? That&rsquo;s why I can&rsquo;t play him. He&rsquo;s not ready."</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Those were the advices I got from the OGs my freshman year, and now, I've been able to give it right back to Jesse Edwards. It&rsquo;s an honor to be able to do that.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Then, on Saturday, it happened.&nbsp;Jesse finally got his chance against Georgia Tech.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>When Marek Dolajaj got into early foul trouble, Jesse's number was finally called, and he was ready.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>He was active, challenged shots, finished inside with dunks, got steals, altered shots and was a difference maker from the time he entered the game. I actually jumped out my seat and dunked right along with Jesse when Kadary Richmond set him up for the finish after a nice drive to the basket. It was kind of like in Rocky V when Rocky was watching Tommy Gun on TV and mirroring the moves of his protoge while punching the punching bag in his living room (I know I&rsquo;m dating myself with that reference).</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
</div>
<div>But man, I was so happy for Jesse. Did he play perfect? No. Did he make some mistakes? Of course. But did he show the entire basketball world that he was ready and able to contribute? Definitely.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Despite the strong performance, after the game, Coach Boeheim was <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2021/02/watch-jim-boeheims-news-conference-after-syracuse-loss-to-georgia-tech.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a little stingy</a> with the praise for Jesse.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&ldquo;I thought Jesse gave us some good minutes in there," he said. "He rebounded, but he still bobbles a lot of balls, but he got to play... He did a good job in the middle, but obviously there&rsquo;s balls he has to get to, so those are still some issues out there.&rdquo;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>It wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement from the coach, but, hey, it was kind of a compliment, I guess. You just had to listen really closely, but it was in there... Kind of.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Nonetheless, Jesse Edwards had shown everyone that he was at least ready to contribute. The real test, though, would be Monday&rsquo;s game against North Carolina, the team with one of the best, if not the best front courts in the ACC with 6-foot-10, 240-pound Armondo Bacot,&nbsp;6-foot-10, 240-pound Garrison Brooks and 6-foot-11, 265-pound Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Lo and behold, Coach Boeheim went to Jesse early, and this was show-and-prove time for the sophomore. This was the moment of truth. It was here where Coach Boeheim would be able to say "I told you so!" if Jesse performed poorly or where Jesse would show the world that the game against Georgia Tech was no fluke.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>He didn&rsquo;t disappoint, more than holding his own about North Carolina's talented bigs. Upon entering the game, he again had an immediate impact -- he fought for rebounds, challenged and altered shots and proved to be exactly what the famous 2-3 zone had been missing: an inside presence.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Although he fouled out in just 24 minutes, Jesse's presence was felt the entire game. He finished with six points and eight rebounds, helping Syracuse to a 72-70 victory. The performance left fans and media wondering what would&rsquo;ve happened if he'd been playing the entire season. Would Syracuse still be on the bubble? Most experts predicted the team's tournament hopes were flushed down the toilet after the last loss to Georgia Tech. Maybe Jesse could've helped the team prior to that point.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<div>The Post Standard's Donna Diota <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2021/03/kadary-richmond-jesse-edwards-play-huge-roles-in-syracuse-win-over-north-carolina-donna-ditotas-quick-hits.html">recognized his contributions</a> to the win after the game, as well:</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div style="padding-left: 40px;">&ldquo;Jesse Edwards.&nbsp;The sophomore big man was crucial for Syracuse on Monday against all that UNC size and length. He played 11 first-half minutes before exiting with three fouls. He&rsquo;s so long in there, he at least has a chance to contest those gigantic UNC guys. And in those 11 minutes, he grabbed five rebounds.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="padding-left: 40px;">"He was even better in the second half, walling up inside and rebounding the ball -- even going out of his area to track down misses. His play enabled Marek Dolezaj to move to the forward spot and helped the Orange with its backline defensive issues. And he produced some points, too.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
<p>Despite the strong performance, as tweeted by The Athletic's Matthew Guiterrez, Coach Boeheim still doesn't believe Jesse is "ready."</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Asked Boeheim if Jesse Edwards was capable of a performance like this earlier in the season when the NCAA tourney hopes were stronger. "What a question, jeez." Boeheim says Jesse still isn't "ready" despite performing well against the best frontcourt in the ACC.</p>
&mdash; Matthew Gutierrez (@MatthewGut21) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewGut21/status/1366574379459514368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
<p>It kind of makes you wonder what Jesse has to do to actually be "ready."</p>
<p>Does he have to be a mixture of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar all rolled into one?</p>
<p>While I will readily admit my Big Man bias, that's not why I believe in Jesse. Syracuse fans and media have all been singing his praises after his performances the last two games. He&rsquo;s finally been allowed to play and showed what he is capable of.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>Kudos to Jesse Edwards for staying professional and staying ready. He's proved to the entire college basketball world that he is ready to contribute.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>#FreeJesse&nbsp;</div>
</div>

When Jesse Edwards got his chance, he proved that he belongs.

Syracuse center Jesse Edwards answers critics with his play

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s always a good time when the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers come together.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Nuggets have a 10-6 edge in the win column since the 2018-19 season (playoffs included), though the average score (essentially 114-110, Nuggets) gives you an idea of how close the matchup has really been.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s easy to find the root of the fun: two superstars (Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard) are tasked with outsmarting great coaches (Mike Malone, Terry Stotts) that deploy an aggressive scheme with less-than-ideal personnel to run said-scheme.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tuesday night&rsquo;s TNT thriller was no different. The game was tied through three quarters before the Nuggets won the fourth quarter by 5 points, snagging a 111-106 victory. Dig a little deeper and you&rsquo;ll find the breaking point: from the 7:11 mark of the fourth to the 2:03 mark, the Nuggets outscored the Blazers 14-5 and essentially iced the game.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Nuggets leaned on Jokic (41-5-5) and Jamal Murray (24-5-8) to bring them home. Lillard (25-7-13) battled through a tough shooting night and, at least during that five-plus minute stretch, didn&rsquo;t get enough support to keep things within reach.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s simple (and correct) to say the Nuggets stars came through when it mattered. What was most interesting to me was </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">how </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">they came through. For the most part, they simply spammed the same action over and over again: a cut to clear out the left wing, followed by Murray and Jokic flowing into their two-man dance.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most of these possessions would begin the same. A secondary ball-handler would bring the ball up the floor while Jokic would set up shop on the left elbow. That ball-handler would pitch it inside to Jokic, then run off his left to give off the threat of an early dribble handoff or make himself available for one of those over-the-head lasers that Jokic routinely fires to cutters.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While those options technically exist, they&rsquo;re really decoys to set up the Murray-Jokic hookup. Murray lifts from the middle of the floor while the cut is happening. The simultaneous nature of the action accomplishes two goals: it distorts the attention of the defense and, more importantly, it allows the Murray-Jokic attack to be a </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">true </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">2-on-2 endeavor. If you can&rsquo;t send help at all, defending those two is nearly impossible.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let&rsquo;s look at an example from the beginning of the Nuggets&rsquo; run.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/nuggets-pitch-clear-handoff-1.gif" alt="" width="706" height="AUTO" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You see the pitch-cut-lift combo between Facundo Campazzo, Jokic and Murray. The Blazers do a decent job of staying attached; Lillard goes under Jokic as Campazzo cuts, and Derrick Jones Jr. does an adequate job of trailing Murray. Sadly, &ldquo;decent&rdquo; and &ldquo;adequate&rdquo; aren&rsquo;t good enough against these two.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Murray ultimately has an advantage as he curls off Jokic. Enes Kanter, noted comfortable-in-space defender, drops to help contain the Murray drive, leaving Jokic open on the pop. From there, the Blazers are pretty much dead.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I would imagine the Blazers are like, &ldquo;Okay, we can&rsquo;t play drop against this, so let&rsquo;s just switch it next time and keep things in front.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sure enough, the Nuggets run the same thing on their next possession. Murray gets a minor edge as he receives the ball from Jokic, but Kanter steps up and Jones Jr. executes a &ldquo;peel switch&rdquo; to cut off a potential pick-and-pop. On top of that, Carmelo Anthony rotates over early to give Kanter some relief in case he&rsquo;s blown by, while Lillard is tasked with zoning up the weak side.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/unnamed_lg.png" alt="" width="706" height="AUTO" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s a pretty smart counter. Take away the easy stuff, make them beat you with their second or third option. The problem is that, while the plan was sound, it&rsquo;s still Kanter on an island against Murray at the end of the day. That&rsquo;s a matchup the Nuggets will take.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/nuggets-pitch-cut-handoff-2.gif" alt="" width="706" height="AUTO" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Splash.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A little later in the quarter, the Nuggets altered their attack while maintaining their empty side mantra.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/nuggets-empty-pnr-reject.gif" alt="" width="706" height="AUTO" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can see early on that Michael Porter Jr. vacates the left corner and relocates to the right. While that clear-out is happening, Murray flies off a screen from Jokic at the elbow before attacking off the catch. It&rsquo;s a pick-and-roll instead of a handoff, but they put the Blazers in the same dilemma: should we play drop to take away the drive, or should we switch this?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Blazers drop against it, giving Jokic an elbow jumper if he wants it. He doesn&rsquo;t, waiting out the close-out from Jones and forcing a switch that way. It&rsquo;s a 1-on-1 with Murray and Kanter again, this time without the space. Murray lifts to the corner then cuts back, leaving Kanter in the dust before eventually drilling a short jumper.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s fun to peep chess matches like the one we saw in this game, though I&rsquo;m sure the Blazers weren&rsquo;t having much fun. A quiet theme from this stretch was how Jokic leveraged his scoring gravity to create these opportunities. He was cooking for most of the night and could&rsquo;ve opted to stay aggressive. Instead, he took a step back in crunch time to let Murray attack mismatches.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s a &ldquo;duh&rdquo; thing to say, but the Nuggets are incredibly tough to guard when those two are rolling.</span></p>

Nekias Duncan analyzes what Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic did late to break Portland's defense down in the Nuggets' victory.

Clear a side: How the Nuggets closed out the Blazers

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