https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/uta.png

Jazz

The 2021-22 season wasn&rsquo;t supposed to end this way for the Phoenix Suns... not even close. After a shocking exit in the Western Conference semifinals, where do the Suns turn now? With how well-built Phoenix&rsquo;s roster is, there actually aren&rsquo;t many holes. However, the potential domino effects are franchise-altering and there are a number of different directions the team may go.
The future of Deandre Ayton is now <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/uncertain-future-of-deandre-ayton-becomes-top-topic-for-suns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murkier than expected</a> following Phoenix's shocking Game 7 blowout defeat on its home court against the Dallas Mavericks. Ayton only played 17 minutes, which included a verbal skirmish with Suns head coach Monty Williams.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s internal,&rdquo; Williams said of why Ayton was benched in Game 7.
Ayton will be a restricted free agent after the Suns decided not to extend a five-year, rookie-scale max offer his way before the regular season began. He was the NBA's first No. 1 pick since Anthony Bennett to not sign a contract extension before entering the final year of his rookie deal.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
There&rsquo;s a potentially awkward dynamic on the horizon between Ayton and the Suns. Ayton wants the highest possible dollar amount, but Phoenix&rsquo;s stance at this point is unknown. ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in October that the Suns didn&rsquo;t view Ayton as a max-level player who deserved a five-year contract. Is it possible that the Suns&rsquo; stance has changed after Ayton&rsquo;s 2021-22 campaign?
Suns general manager James Jones said Wednesday during his season-ending press conference that the team's main theme will be continuity, foreshadowing the likelihood of Phoenix running it all back with a core that set a new franchise record for wins.
&ldquo;We want to continue to keep our consistency, our continuity,&rdquo; Jones said.
Robert Sarver, the Suns' owner since 2004, also spoke on-record recently to BasketballNews.com about Ayton&rsquo;s future in Phoenix. It sure feels like Phoenix values the 2018 No. 1 overall pick, but at what cost?
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s so divisive here,&rdquo; Sarver told BasketballNews.com last month. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense. I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Whichever direction the Suns decide to go with Ayton will have a significant impact on this offseason. It could be relatively boring summer in the Valley, or Ayton&rsquo;s value could be parlayed into going all-out for a superstar.
Expect to see the Suns let Ayton test the open market in July. If he receives a max offer sheet, that&rsquo;s when the clock officially begins to tick on how explosive Phoenix&rsquo;s plans could become.
Another housekeeping note for Phoenix related to contracts is a massive one set to be signed this summer. Once Devin Booker officially is announced on an All-NBA team, he will become eligible for a four-year, $211 million supermax contract. It&rsquo;s an easy decision for Booker and the Suns, so a hefty new contract for Booker will keep him in Phoenix through at least 2027-28.
2022-23: $33.8 million
2023-24: $36.0 million
2024-25: $47.1 million
2025-26: $50.9 million
2026-27: $54.7 million
2027-28: $58.5 million
Add in the Ayton situation on top of a looming Booker supermax, and Phoenix is ready to fully commit to paying deep into the luxury tax. Don&rsquo;t forget that Cameron Johnson is another significant piece to the puzzle for Phoenix and he could be signing his own extension this summer that keeps him in Phoenix long-term through his prime years.
Running it back with this core feels like the route that will be traveled, and you can't blame the Suns for that line of thinking considering their immense success over the last two seasons after toiling in obscurity.
&ldquo;As your team improves, typically your payroll increases,&rdquo; Jones said Wednesday when asked about potential luxury-tax issues.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYJBdaBM-c8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
As mentioned, this builds upon what Sarver already confirmed to BasketballNews.com last month. For the first time since 2009-10, Phoenix will be paying the luxury tax and continue to do so for the next few years, too.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying we&rsquo;re a market that can be in it for 10 years in a row, 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, [you pay it],&rdquo; Sarver said. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re at that 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.&rdquo;
Committing to being a full-time tax team is a huge change of pace from years past for the Suns, but the time is now to compete for their first NBA title.
Outside of the contractual angles that cloud the current in Phoenix, what moves need to be made in order to improve their roster?
After witnessing the failures behind Chris Paul and Booker in the backcourt &mdash; mainly from backup point guard Cameron Payne, who finished the postseason with a ghastly 35.2% True Shooting percentage &mdash; finding more creators is of the utmost importance.
The Suns had a golden opportunity at the trade deadline to acquire Eric Gordon, but haggling over a future first-round draft pick ended those discussions. It&rsquo;s hard to deny how much a player like Gordon would&rsquo;ve helped Phoenix&rsquo;s offense when it began to sink against Dallas. If the Suns had a competent starting-level third guard, there&rsquo;s a good chance they'd be playing the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals instead of the Mavericks.
Whether it be signing a free agent or utilizing the trade market, some potentially available backup guard options who could help Phoenix immediately include: Jordan Clarkson (trade), Eric Gordon (trade), Derrick Rose (trade), Terrence Ross (trade), Ricky Rubio, Dennis Schroder, Tyus Jones, Delon Wright and Goran Dragic.
The Suns&rsquo; roster is already filled with quality depth pieces, but how can this team take the next step? Will Ayton be part of their long-term vision alongside Booker and Mikal Bridges? Can the Suns take advantage of their flexibility with $30-plus million in expiring contracts? Is star-hunting actually in the cards?
Following one of the most disappointing playoff performances in recent memory, how the Suns respond moving forward will show how resilient this group truly is.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After a shocking postseason exit for the Suns, what's next ahead? Evan Sidery previews an interesting offseason ahead.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Phoenix Suns?

Even as the Boston Celtics led in the first half of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it only felt like a matter of time before the scoreboard would catch up to the Miami Heat offense.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Miami basically has a 105 offensive rating in the half court and the halftime show was almost entirely about offensive concerns.
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1526743543942873088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Then, the Heat exploded in the second half, opening on a 22-2 run and never looking back. They steamrolled the Celtics on both ends and Jimmy Butler took over en route to 41 points. Miami finished with an impressive Offensive Rating of 112.2 on half-court possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. That ranks in the 88th percentile of playoff games this season; according to our Nekias Duncan, the league average is 95.6 points per 100 possessions.&nbsp;
The Heat's success transcends their normal half-court production. Even with the Game 1 win, Miami is still averaging just 95.0 half-court points per 100 possessions in the playoffs, and the team's regular season rating was similarly low (97.6). And even taking the scope back to a base level &mdash; how many people expected the Heat to drop 118 points in the first game against one of the league's best defenses?
Sure, the Celtics were missing two key cogs in Marcus Smart and Al Horford, but it was still an impressive effort. It also exposed the dilemma Boston has with Payton Pritchard.
The second-year guard is the Celtics' best shooter in a rotation that sometimes needs a perimeter lifeline, and simultaneously, their worst defender in a scheme that can't afford porous perimeter defense.&nbsp;
Nekias was all over this in his pre-series scouting report and had a noteworthy stat after Game 1:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Pritchard was targeted 16 times in PnR tonight, and the Heat scored well over 1.2 points per possession on those trips 😵&zwj;💫<a href="https://t.co/Sh3NLiMvTK">https://t.co/Sh3NLiMvTK</a> <a href="https://t.co/eTxYIQKXDI">pic.twitter.com/eTxYIQKXDI</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1526772020217798656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

The Heat went after Pritchard, who logged his postseason high with 30 minutes in the loss. They put him through the blender on screens and forced him to play chaser. At 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan, Pritchard just doesn't have enough length to overcome falling into recovery mode.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/641tsa" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Prtichard also just struggles fighting through screens despite being fairly built for his size (listed around 200 pounds). That fourth clip is telling; he's pretty powerless against Butler, and it leads to an easy Max Strus three-pointer. Pritchard and Jaylen Brown could have communicated better on that play and had Brown chase after Strus, but it seems the job was supposed to be Pritchard's.&nbsp;
Miami then attacked Pritchard on the ball during its second-half surge.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/yohy7m" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
When Butler found 1-on-1 chances against Pritchard, the Heat superstar was able to get into his bag with relative ease. In the second clip, Pritchard stays up tight against Butler, and it looks like solid defense. But even that effort appears meaningless. Butler made one basic spin move, didn't need to counter and rose high above the contest for a confident make.&nbsp;
This isn't to say Pritchard is the primary reason for Boston's loss by any means. But he is going to be a matchup Miami hunts throughout this series. The Heat have players who are unbothered by his defense (Butler, Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo) and players who can wreak havoc against him away from the ball (Strus, Gabe Vincent).&nbsp;
The Celtics are going to be challenged when Pritchard is defending. Their trade-off is that he is, in many cases, their spark and offensive savior from long range. Through the postseason, opponents have dared complementary players like Grant Williams, Derrick White, Horford and Smart to shoot as defenses load up on Jayson Tatum and Brown. The one supporting cast member they cannot forget about is Pritchard.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The 24-year-old has blossomed into one of the most efficient perimeter shooters in the entire NBA. Among all postseason players with at least 20 pull-up shot attempts, Pritchard ranks fourth with a 58.3% Effective Field Goal percentage. He ranked eighth among 171 players with at least 100 pull-up attempts in the regular season at 53.6%. Then, he turned around and made 42.8% of his catch-and-shoot threes in the regular season and finished 13th in overall three-point percentage (41.2%).
Pritchard has limitless range and enduring confidence. His threes came from 26 feet from the basket on average, according to The BBall Index, putting him in the 82nd percentile at his position. Aside from maybe Tatum, Pritchard is the only Celtic who could hoist up deep triples without inciting grimaces from fans.
His overall offensive game, though, is a bit more complicated.&nbsp;
Pritchard is a rock-solid passer. He's dished out 23 assists against just 3 turnovers in the playoffs so far; that 7.67 assist-to-turnover-ratio is the best among anyone who has been in at least eight playoff games. When he drives to the basket, he's able to make the right kick-out plays. The problem is his drives aren't threatening to opposing defenses.&nbsp;
Second Spectrum says that 221 players drove to the basket at least 150 times in the regular season. Pritchard passed out of his drives a whopping 60.7% of the time &mdash; the fourth-most of any such player. When he did attempt a shot, it didn't go so well; his 37.7% field goal percentage tied for 16th-worst. In his 173 regular-season drives, he scored 45 points. That 26.0% rate is, again, the fourth-lowest of the 221 qualifying players.
Pritchard has scarcely needed to drive the ball for most of the postseason, and had actually gone 4-for-4 on driving shots in the first two rounds. Then, we got to the conference finals, where he went 1-for-4 in Game 1.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/kdh54p" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The burst just isn't there for Pritchard, who pounds the ball hard and tries to lower his shoulder without much success. Caleb Martin is a solid defender who walled Pritchard up in the first clip. Herro wasn't fazed in the second clip, and on an empty-corner drive, Bam Adebayo has plenty of time to help. Without a strong first step, Pritchard can't use his shooting threat to successfully attack closeouts. He doesn't get the head start that others, even Williams and White, receive.&nbsp;
Speaking of White &mdash; he'll be out for Game 2. Smart's availability is still up in the air as of this writing. That's possibly two dynamic attacking guards that the Celtics won't have in a critical second game, which means even more responsibility falls on Pritchard's shoulders.
Boston needs Payton Pritchard in its rotation. The perimeter prowess and reliable passing help keep a volatile offense from falling off the rails. But Ime Udoka and the Celtics' coaching staff have to figure out how to keep Miami away from matchup-hunting Pritchard and keep him in advantageous offensive positions. He'll be an X-factor in Game 2 and a swing player for the remainder of this series.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>As I mentioned, Pritchard is fourth among postseason players in pull-up effective field goal percentage. Jordan Clarkson (60.9%) is first and Chris Paul (60.4%) is second, though both have been eliminated. But third place, at 59.3%, might surprise you: Marcus Smart.</li>
<li>We're in draft season!!! It's one of my favorite times of the year. Let's get excited. Here's an interesting graph of the careers of various draft picks throughout much of NBA history. There's more in the thread:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
1/ Since 1978, 2063 players were drafted (*Early draft selected more than 200 players) But, 401 draftee couldn't play a single game in NBA <a href="https://t.co/rXttO2xYRH">pic.twitter.com/rXttO2xYRH</a>
&mdash; TheNext23 (@TNext23) <a href="https://twitter.com/TNext23/status/1526959550624301056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>SIS Hoops just keeps on keepin' on with its sweet graphics. This one's interesting because it crosses over several different player archetypes:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
What can we learn from identifying who takes open shots most often in this year&rsquo;s playoffs? A combination of secondary creators, play finishers, and star initiators lead the way: <a href="https://t.co/U3LEd0LvKq">pic.twitter.com/U3LEd0LvKq</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1526986648499912704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Payton Pritchard was a defensive target for the Heat in Game 1, but if the Celtics hope to advance, they need his long-range shooting.

NBA Stats Notebook: The Celtics and the Payton Pritchard conundrum

With nearly a full month of NBA playoff action in the books, we've witnessed a handful of players surprisingly exceed expectations and drive their league-wide value to increasingly high levels. On the other end of the spectrum, several stars have seen their market price dip quite a bit.
So whose stock has soared? Whose has plummeted? Let's dive in with an in-depth breakdown.
Stock Up
Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks
Heading into the 2021-22 season, the Dallas Mavericks could have signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $56 million extension. However, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33801390/nba-playoffs-2022-jalen-brunson-star-turn-dallas-mavericks-massive-free-agency-implications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim MacMahon</a> reported that the Mavs chose not to make an offer and didn't even engage in negotiations with Brunson's representatives. You have to assume Dallas is now regretting that decision.
After averaging career-highs in scoring (16.3 points), assists (4.8), rebounds (3.9) and steals (0.8) during the regular season, Brunson has taken his game to another level in the playoffs. With Luka Doncic sidelined early on in the Mavs' first-round series vs. Utah, Brunson got off to a scorching hot start, tallying 96 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists over the first two games. He became just the third player in NBA history to tally at least 70 points and 10 assists while committing fewer than 2 turnovers over a two-game span in the postseason. Incredibly, Brunson led all players in total points scored in the first round (167).
After struggling a bit in the first two games of Dallas' first-round series vs. Phoenix, Brunson was again a crucial factor in the Mavs' victories at home in Games 3 and 4 over the weekend.&nbsp;
Through 10 postseason contests, Brunson is averaging 23.5 points, 4.6 boards and 3.9 dimes per game. He's done most of his damage by relentlessly attacking the rim. Among all postseason performers, Brunson ranks third in drives per game (behind only Ja Morant and Doncic) and third in points scored off drives.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WHAT A NIGHT FOR JALEN BRUNSON! 🔷 Career-high 41 PTS 🔷 6 3PM 🔷 8 REB 🔷 Gets the W in Game 2 <a href="https://t.co/GixvrcCqIM">pic.twitter.com/GixvrcCqIM</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1516250998607540229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

It could be argued that no player has boosted his stock more over the past few weeks than Brunson. And it couldn't come at a better time for the versatile combo guard, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. We know the New York Knicks are interested in making a run at Brunson, and <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-slow-spinning-coaching-marketplace-1ce?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0MDU5OTIyOCwicG9zdF9pZCI6NTMyMjYzMDQsIl8iOiJscTRCVSIsImlhdCI6MTY1MTUyMjAxMywiZXhwIjoxNjUxNTI1NjEzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzkyMjA1Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.Tiw_7fovr2Ot5a6LeR_ujN2MyJCkgAuKahkQLnMBOMU&amp;s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Marc Stein</a>, Detroit and Indiana have shown interest as well. However, Mark Cuban has stated publicly he plans to re-sign Brunson &mdash; even if it has an outsized impact on Dallas' luxury tax bill.&nbsp;
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat
Due to a slew of serious injuries that limited him to only 88 games over the past three seasons, Victor Oladipo was forced to settle for a one-year deal with Miami on the veteran minimum back in August. The hope was he'd be able to show teams during the 2021-22 campaign that he was finally fully healthy. Unfortunately, Oladipo was sidelined for nearly all of the regular season as he recovered from a debilitating right quadriceps injury. 'Dipo didn't make his season debut until March 7.&nbsp;
After playing sporadically in late March and early April, Oladipo exploded for 40 points in the Heat's regular-season finale. Yet, he was a DNP-CD in each of Miami's first three playoff games. However, with both Jimmy Butler (knee) and Kyle Lowry (hamstring) ruled out for Game 5 of the Heat's first-round series vs. the Atlanta Hawks, Oladipo slid into the starting lineup. He finished that contest with 23 points (8 of 16 from the field, 4 of 4 on free throws), 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 triples in 36 minutes. Needless to say, 'Dipo has been a part of the Miami rotation since. In Game 2 of Miami's second-round matchup vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, he tallied 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 triples. He also chipped in 15 points off the bench in Game 4.&nbsp;
Oladipo will undoubtedly have plenty of interest on the free-agent market this summer.
Al Horford, Boston Celtics
Al Horford's 2022-23 salary is only partially guaranteed. And when the Celtics initially acquired Horford last summer in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, some pundits speculated that Boston might look to get out from under the $26.5 million owed to Big Al next season.&nbsp;
But with as well as he has played this postseason, that will no longer be a consideration. Horford has been a godsend for Boston, averaging 15.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest through the Celtics' first eight playoff games. In Game 3 vs. Milwaukee on Saturday, Horford became the first player in Boston's franchise history with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 made three-pointers in a single playoff game. Then, in Monday's Game 4 victory, he exploded for 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 triples and 3 assists.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Stock Down
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Rumors of a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/expect-the-knicks-to-make-a-real-run-at-donovan-mitchell-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rocky relationship between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have been swirling for years</a>. Unfortunately for Utah, it appears the team will be forced to trade one of its two best players at a time when their respective values have depreciated.
The two pillars of the Jazz franchise played relatively well during the regular season, but the rumblings of toxicity in Utah grew louder as the year dragged on. Mitchell not sharing the ball with Gobert has become a topic of conversation in early April. Shortly thereafter, Gobert called out his teammates for not wanting to play physically and "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/03/30/triple-team-jazz-lost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get our hands dirty</a>." When asked about the perceived finger-pointing, Mitchell characterized it as "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/04/01/utah-jazz-vow-not-fall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">childish</a>."&nbsp;
Utah backed into the playoffs after losing five straight games in late March, but was hoping to take advantage of a Mavericks team playing without its best player, Doncic, who was sidelined by a calf injury for the first two contests. However, the Jazz lost Game 2 and lost the series in six games.
Over the six-game series vs. Dallas, Mitchell averaged over 22 field-goal attempts per contest, but shot just 39.8% from the floor and 20.8% from downtown. He became the first player in league history to attempt more than 20 field goals but shoot below 40% from the field and under 21% from three-point territory over a postseason run. And Mitchell's poor defense was arguably more problematic than his offense. Utah allowed over 115 points per 100 possessions vs. Dallas with Mitchell on the court. That number dropped to 104.5 with Mitchell on the bench.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-theme="dark">
Here&rsquo;s video of Rudy Gobert talking about the defensive improvements he&rsquo;s seen from Devin Booker on January 14th&hellip; As well as the Donovan Mitchell responses to 2 separate questions a day later: <a href="https://t.co/irKTufQJ1L">pic.twitter.com/irKTufQJ1L</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1520538333482749952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Gobert averaged just 12.0 points per game on 5.5 attempts per game (a career-low in his six postseason appearances) and blocked a total of 6 shots in the six-game series. It was the first time in his career he averaged more turnovers than blocks and steals combined. The Mavs often attempted to take advantage of Gobert's difficulty covering the perimeter by going small and spreading the floor.&nbsp;
Dating back to the 2021 postseason (when they dropped four straight to a shorthanded Clippers team that lost Kawhi Leonard to an ACL tear), the Jazz have lost 8 of their last 10 playoff games. With Gobert, Mitchell, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Royce O'Neale locked into contracts that will pay them north of $133 million in guaranteed money next season, Utah won't be able to make any significant upgrades via free agency.&nbsp;
Last week, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/news/rudy-gobert-him-or-me-ultimatum-donovan-mitchell">it was reported</a> that Gobert had reached a "him or me" point with Mitchell and would demand one of the two be traded this summer. It's difficult to envision the Jazz entering the 2022-23 season with both <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gobert</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell</a> on the roster.
Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
As noted above, Oladipo has stepped in and stepped up for the Heat over the past two weeks. On the flip side of the coin, we have Duncan Robinson, who has gone from a crucial contributor to a non-factor.&nbsp;
Robinson started all 72 games for Miami in 2020-21, averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from beyond the arc (on 8.5 three-point attempts per game). The Heat rewarded him with a five-year contract worth $90 million. However, Robinson regressed during the 2021-22 regular season, as his production and percentages dipped. After starting 68 of the team's first 72 games, he was bumped to the bench in late March. Following a solid outing in Game 1 vs. Atlanta, coach Erik Spoelstra clearly didn't feel comfortable trusting his sharpshooter. Robinson averaged just 2.3 points in 10.7 minutes per contest in the final four games of the first round.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Remarkably, Robinson has logged a total of just 55 seconds thus far in Round 2, and has been a DNP-CD in 3 of the 4 contests. This is obviously not what Pat Riley and company had in mind when they ponied up $90 million less than nine months ago.
With $74.5 million still owed to Robinson over the next four years, will Miami look to dump his contract this summer already?&nbsp;
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-nets-should-part-ways-with-kyrie-irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As I detailed in this space last month</a>, the Nets are on the precipice of a difficult decision.&nbsp;
Kyrie Irving has a player option worth $35,328,700 for the 2022-23 campaign. If he declines his option, he would be eligible to sign a new five-year deal with Brooklyn worth up to $248 million. While Kyrie is still capable of playing at an incredibly high level, the Nets have to decide how much he's worth considering his injury history (since signing with Brooklyn in 2019, Irving has appeared in just 103 of 216 regular-season games) and the off-court drama he brings to the table.&nbsp;
In the three years since Brooklyn added Kevin Durant and Kyrie, the Nets have won just one playoff series. This past season, Nets owner Joe Tsai spent $266 million in salary and luxury tax payments, the second-highest amount in league history. The Nets don't have a single playoff victory to show for it.
And over the team's final three games in the first round, Irving averaged just 15.3 points while shooting a putrid 37.2% from the floor and a frigid 18.2% from downtown.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Whose stock in the NBA Playoffs has soared before this offseason? Whose has plummeted? Tommy Beer dives in.

Stock Up, Stock Down: NBA Playoffs edition

Luka Doncic had 33 points and 13 rebounds in his first home playoff game coming off a calf injury and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Utah Jazz 102-77 on Monday night for a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Doncic made his series debut in Game 4 at Utah, when the Jazz scored the last five points in the final 31 seconds for a one-point win that evened the series.
After the first four games were decided by eight points or less, Game 5 was never really close, thanks to Utah&rsquo;s nearly six-minute scoreless drought in the second quarter that fueled a 22-4 Dallas run on the way to a 52-36 halftime lead.
Game 6 is Thursday night in Salt Lake City, with the Jazz regaining their formidable home-court edge, but facing the long odds of just 18% of teams winning a series after dropping the fifth game when the teams split the first four.
The Mavericks haven&rsquo;t advanced in the postseason since winning the 2011 championship. Utah is in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, but hasn&rsquo;t gone past the second round.
Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points and Rudy Gobert added 17 points and 11 rebounds in the lowest-scoring game for the Jazz since they lost by 50 at Dallas (118-68) on Nov. 14, 2018. They were 3 of 30 from 3-point range (10%) and shot 38% overall.
Donovan Mitchell, who averaged 30 points in the first four games, scored just nine and missed all seven of his 3-pointers before limping to the locker room holding the area around his left knee in the fourth quarter.
The frustration boiled over for Utah when Hassan Whiteside was ejected following a hard foul on Doncic in the fourth quarter.
Whiteside was assessed two technical fouls after shoving Dorian Finney-Smith and going nose-to-nose with Reggie Bullock as coaches from both sides frantically tried to keep players separated. Finney-Smith and Bullock also got technicals, and Bullock was ejected because it was his second of the game.
Jalen Brunson, who carried most of the offensive load for Dallas when Doncic was sidelined, scored 24 points. Finney-Smith added 13, and Dwight Powell got the crowd going early with all eight of his points on 4-of-4 shooting in the first.
Doncic, his left calf covered in a black wrap under white leggings, kept a raucous crowd rolling with several nifty moves and high-arcing 3-pointers.
The first highlight came late in the first half when Doncic drove all the way to the rim with Gobert guarding him, stopped and faked the 7-foot-1 center several times before turning his back to the basket and spinning a reverse layup off the glass and in as Gobert fouled him.
The exclamation point was in the third quarter, when Doncic hit consecutive 3s for a 74-46 lead, doing a shimmy in front of the fans to his left after the second one went in. The 23-year-old sensation swished another 3 for a 79-46 lead right after blocking Jordan Clarkson&rsquo;s shot from deep.
Doncic left to a standing ovation after committing a foul on purpose to stop the game with a 29-point Dallas lead in the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Gobert, who was fined $25,000 for using profanity in a live TV interview after Utah&rsquo;s Game 4, was serenaded by fans several times with a chant involving a less offensive profane word. One of the chants came during free throws, when Gobert made one of two. ... After dominating the boards in the first two games, Utah has slowly surrendered its edge as the series has progressed. The Mavs outrebounded them 49-40.
Mavericks: G Frank Ntilikina was available for the first time in the series after being out with a non-COVID-19 illness. ... NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Arizona&rsquo;s Kyler Murray were seven seats apart on the first row opposite the Utah bench. Troy Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl winner for Dallas in the 1990s, attended along with former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, who has an ownership stake in the Jazz.&nbsp;

Luka Doncic had 33 points and 13 rebounds in his first home playoff game coming off a calf injury and the Mavericks routed the Jazz.

Doncic scores 33, Mavs rout Jazz 102-77 for 3-2 series lead

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are struggling against Boston, and Ben Simmons won't be available to help them Monday night with the Brooklyn Nets' season on the brink.
His former teammate plans to play on, though. Joel Embiid is determined to stay in Philadelphia's lineup, no matter how much pain he has in his right thumb.
Now 2 1/2 months after their blockbuster trade, the Nets and 76ers are in decidedly different places. The 76ers can move into the second round with a victory in Game 5 against Toronto, while the Nets will be trying to avoid a sweep when they host the Celtics.
The idea of four straight losses in the first round seemed unimaginable before the season, when the Nets were an NBA Finals favorite with Durant, Irving and James Harden. But Irving didn't play at all to begin the season and then only on the road for most of it because he is not vaccinated against the coronavirus, making him ineligible in New York City. Then Harden was dealt to Philadelphia in a swap for Simmons at the trade deadline and Brooklyn never met those expectations.
Now even Durant doesn't look as expected. Boston had him second-guessing himself after he took only 11 shots Saturday in a 109-103 loss. Irving was 6 for 17, missing all seven 3-pointers, and the only people who don't seem surprised are the Celtics.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going exactly how we expected for the most part, just because we believe in ourselves more than anything,&rdquo; Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart said. &ldquo;We knew the task coming in was high against a really good team with two of the best players to ever do this. So for us, we also knew that our defense had the potential to do our best on those guys because of our length, our size and the way we play defense together.&rdquo;
Simmons hasn't played at all this season, sidelined by a herniated disk in his back after coming to Brooklyn, and was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-steve-nash-1bc623409719d0c145880d7e507ff1d5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled out of Game 4</a> after hoping to play during the series. Unable to play their best players on the floor often enough, the Nets don't have the chemistry of a Celtics team that started slowly but has kept getting better as the season went on.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all just trying to jell,&rdquo; Irving said, &ldquo;and usually you&rsquo;re jelling around the right time and that team in the other locker room is jelling at the right time. They&rsquo;ve been jelling since Christmas.
"So for us, we&rsquo;re just in a new experience as a group and we&rsquo;ve just got to respect that and just bring everything we can to this next game and just do one possession at a time. I don&rsquo;t want to be too clich&eacute;, but I don&rsquo;t have a lot of answers for how you make up time from October until now when usually teams would be jelling and things would be feeling good.&rdquo;
Embiid's thumb isn't feeling good after he hurt it in Game 3. He acknowledged being in pain when the 76ers dropped Game 4 on Saturday but will try to ignore it.
&ldquo;Like I always say, when I go out there I&rsquo;m not really worried about whatever that can happen,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;I just want to focus on whatever I can focus.&rdquo;
Monday&rsquo;s games:
CELTICS AT NETS
Boston leads 3-0. Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash;NEED TO KNOW: Durant had five more turnovers in Game 3 and has committed 17 thus far in the series.
&mdash;KEEP AN EYE ON: Jaylen Brown. He was 6 for 9 in the second half Saturday and the Nets don't have a good matchup for the guard if he comes out aggressively.
&mdash;INJURY WATCH: Celtics center Robert Williams came through well after returning from a nearly month-long absence with torn cartilage in his left knee Saturday. He played about 16 minutes and coach Ime Udoka said he probably could have gone more. He was no longer listed on the injury report for Game 4.
&mdash;PRESSURE IS ON: Durant and Irving, just as it's been the entire series. If they struggle the way they have in the last 1 1/2 games, the offseason probably begins Tuesday in Brooklyn.
76ERS AT RAPTORS
Philadelphia leads 3-1. Game 5, 8 p.m. EDT, NBA TV
&mdash;NEED TO KNOW: The 76ers won their two home games easily to begin the series, with a 131-111 victory in Game 1 followed by a 112-97 rout in Game 2.
&mdash;KEEP AN EYE ON: Embiid. The NBA's leading scorer was only 7 for 16 in Game 4 and shooting could be a struggle if he is limited much by the thumb.
&mdash;INJURY WATCH: Toronto All-Star guard Fred VanVleet was limited to just 15 minutes in Game 4 because of a strained left hip and is listed as questionable. But Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes had six points and 11 rebounds off the bench after missing two games with a sprained ankle.
&mdash;PRESSURE IS ON: Harden. Knowing Embiid is battling an injury, the 76ers could be in trouble if Harden can't do much better than the 5 for 17 he shot Saturday.
JAZZ AT MAVERICKS
Series tied 2-2. Game 5, 9:30 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash;NEED TO KNOW: The Jazz evened things up with a 100-99 victory on Saturday after the Mavericks had won the previous two games.
&mdash;KEEP AN EYE ON: Rudy Gobert. His go-ahead dunk on a lob from Donovan Mitchell with 11 seconds left in Game 4 capped a game in which the Jazz center was more involved in the offense that he had been previously in the series. Gobert took a series-high eight shots, finishing with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
&mdash;INJURY WATCH: Luka Doncic seemed fine in Game 4 after missing the first three games with a strained left calf. The All-Star guard had 30 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes.
&mdash;PRESSURE IS ON: Spencer Dinwiddie. After averaging 19.7 points as a starter the first three games, the Mavericks guard managed just five off the bench Saturday after Doncic returned. He needs to impact the game more, especially since the Jazz know they can count on Jordan Clarkson to come off their bench and do so.

On Monday night, there are three NBA playoff games. Here's a preview of the slate.

As Nets try to hang on vs. Celtics, Embiid and 76ers can move on

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Rudy Gobert gave Utah the lead with an alley-oop dunk with 11.0 seconds left and the Jazz held off the Dallas Mavericks 100-99 on Saturday in Game 4 to tie the first-round series.
Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Dallas.
Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points for Utah, Donovan Mitchell added 23 points and seven assists, and Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds &mdash; 10 off the offensive glass. Gobert was 3 of 8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and 9 of 18 overall.
Dallas star Luka Doncic scored 30 points, 10 rebounds four assists in his return from a three-game absence because of strained left calf. Jalen Brunson added 23 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Reggie Bullock had 11 points apiece.
Game 5 is Monday night in Dallas.
After going 3 1/2 minutes without a basket, the Jazz took a 95-94 lead on Mitchell's layup with 1:27 remaining. Doncic answered with back-to-back baskets to put Dallas up 99-95.
Mitchell converted a three-point play to bring Utah within one. Powell missed a pair of free throws with 19.8 seconds left, opening the door for Gobert&rsquo;s winner.
TIP INS
Mavericks: Finney-Smith scored all 11 of his points in the third quarter. &hellip; Brunson is averaging 29.8 points per game during the postseason. &hellip; Dallas went 5 of 24 from 3-point range in the first half. &hellip; Maxi Kleber fouled out with 4:19 left.
Jazz: Mitchell was held to three baskets over the final three quarters. He went 3 of 14 from the field in that stretch, &hellip; Utah outscored Dallas 35-13 in bench points.

A Rudy Gobert dunk in the closing seconds lifted the Utah Jazz over the Dallas Mavericks in a critical Game 4.

Jazz beat Mavericks to tie series, spoil Doncic's return

The NBA Playoffs can initially seem like a statistical nightmare littered with small sample sizes, outlier performances and a lack of context. Those challenges also make the postseason one of the most exciting sandboxes for analysis &mdash; a place to marvel at a player's career-defining games and wonder: Is this replicable?
That's what I thought as I watched Jalen Brunson's dynamic 41-point explosion unfold in Monday's 110-104 win over the Jazz in Game 2. Brunson was simply unstoppable, stepping up in the absence of Luka Doncic to turn a series that felt like a lost cause into a very winnable matchup. He's currently tied for the second-highest scoring outing in the 2022 playoffs with DeMar DeRozan.
More interesting to me, though, are Brunson's two games in attack mode. His mark of 24 drives to the basket per game leads all postseason players, and his average of 13.5 field goal attempts per game via drives ranks second behind Donovan Mitchell. Brunson toasted a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/utah-blues-whose-fault-is-it-anyway-jazz-fourth-quarter-game-2-mavericks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disjointed Utah defense</a> in Game 2, blowing by opponents 1-on-1 and dissecting them with his shifty ball-handling.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/xow3ag" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
So to my question: Is this sustainable enough to propel the Mavericks to the next round, with or without Doncic? Though 40-point games might be a tall ask, Brunson has already proven himself to be one of the premier driving threats in the entire NBA.
Let's travel back to the regular season. According to Second Spectrum, Brunson drove toward the basket 13.6 times per game, good for 17th in the NBA but well under his current playoff pace. However, Brunson was not the lead ball-handler or driving catalyst for most of the season. Those responsibilities belonged to Doncic, who was second at a whopping 22.2 drives per game.
That being said, Brunson's 13.6 drives were the second-most in the league among secondary options, behind only Caris LeVert, who split time with the Pacers and Cavaliers. So he did attack with high frequency relative to his role, and when Brunson did, he was extremely effective.
The 25-year-old drilled 56.7% of his driving field goal attempts, eighth among 112 players averaging at least 5 drives per game. His 4.5% turnover rate was the seventh-lowest in that group.&nbsp;
What makes Brunson so successful? Though he doesn't get all the way to the rim very often (40th percentile at his position), he is simply an elite finisher around the basket. This regular season, the 6-foot-3-inch combo guard finished 68% of his attempts within 4 feet of the cup, per Cleaning the Glass &mdash; fourth among all guards.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/cl5fly" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Brunson's acceleration and deceleration skills are eye-catching. He can use a quick crossover or between-the-legs dribble to instantly get up to speed and blow past defenders. Then, he gets the ball high early on his layup attempts, and has the strength to deal with contact from contesting opponents. There's nifty footwork in the above clips too, reinforcing that Brunson is not just a straight-line player.
While Brunson is strong at the rim, he is&nbsp;lethal&nbsp;just beyond it. A whopping 36% of his field goal attempts came in the "short mid-range" area between 4 and 14 feet from the basket. He knocked down 51% of those attempts, which is fifth among guards with at least 800 minutes played, per Cleaning the Glass.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/xztzii" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Here, you see the same on/off-speed changes, plus a methodical probing of the defense to find floaters and mid-range pull-ups.&nbsp;
These are some of the plays that stood out to me from the first two playoff games. Not all of the shots go in, but they demonstrate the confidence Brunson has in his ability to generate open looks. Brunson can turn the corner on opponents who switch or show aggressively on ball-screens, and pin defenders on his back and rock into a floater. He also has flashed a liking to attacking Rudy Gobert in deep drop coverage, getting the center on his heels and pulling back out for a mid-range jumper.&nbsp;
Utah can't really counter. Gobert is going to be a drop defender for the rest of the playoffs, and defenders like Mitchell, Jordan Clarkson, Royce O'Neale and Bojan Bogdanovic just don't seem to have the strength or lateral quickness to keep Brunson in front. That's especially devastating in pick-and-roll actions, where Brunson was frankly dominant in the regular season. Take a look at his numbers among the 99 players who logged at least 150 possessions as a pick-and-roll ball-handler:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.03%;">P&amp;R Stats</td>
<td style="width: 6.61578%;">Playtype Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 11.1552%;">Points Per Poss. </td>
<td style="width: 7.49058%;">eFG%</td>
<td style="width: 10.8284%;">TOV%</td>
<td style="width: 11.4959%;">FT Rate</td>
<td style="width: 14.9672%;">Score Freq.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.03%;">Number</td>
<td style="width: 6.61578%;">32.4%</td>
<td style="width: 11.1552%;">1.06</td>
<td style="width: 7.49058%;">54.3%</td>
<td style="width: 10.8284%;">9.2%</td>
<td style="width: 11.4959%;">9.2%</td>
<td style="width: 14.9672%;">51.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.03%;">NBA Rank</td>
<td style="width: 6.61578%;">39th</td>
<td style="width: 11.1552%;">T-1st</td>
<td style="width: 7.49058%;">7th</td>
<td style="width: 10.8284%;">6th (Best)</td>
<td style="width: 11.4959%;">39th</td>
<td style="width: 14.9672%;">3rd</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Mobile users scroll right to view full table
*Data via Synergy
Brunson is a poster child for reliability and soundly moves the ball, boasting an assist rate of 23.8% (75th percentile at his position) and an overall turnover rate of 9.4% (77th percentile). But that often overshadows his untapped upside as a scoring engine, which we saw in Game 2. Brunson did knock down 6 of his 10 pull-up attempts from long range in the victory. That likely won't sustain; he shot just 31.0% on pull-up threes on low volume in the regular season.
If Doncic returns soon, Brunson's life as a driver should become easier with the defense's focus shifted towards the Mavericks' superstar. Until then, Brunson has shown he's more than capable of holding down the fort as the top scoring option. Hopefully, offseason spenders recognize Brunson's malleability and pay the upcoming free agent accordingly.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>I'm going to throw some more super-small-sample early playoff stats at you that are nonetheless interesting. First: Pascal Siakam is leading the postseason in passes per game (69.3) and is second in touches per game (95.0).</li>
<li>Jayson Tatum (5.0) and Jaylen Brown (4.5) both rank in the top-five in deflections per game so far. Tatum in particular stood out to me as an individual and team defender in Boston's Game 2 victory.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-no-devin-booker-the-phoenix-suns-will-need-a-lift" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As our Nekias Duncan wrote</a>, the Phoenix Suns generated 1.5 points per possession on plays with Chris Paul utilizing a ball screen in Tuesday's loss to the Pelicans. CP3's pick-and-roll mastery will be a focal point for the Suns offense without Devin Booker.</li>
</ul>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Jalen Brunson's 41-point game Monday highlighted his prowess as a driver and pick-and-roll playmaker.

NBA Stats Notebook: Jalen Brunson is in the driver's seat

Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 41 points, Maxi Kleber had 25 with eight of Dallas&rsquo; playoff-record 22 made 3-pointers and the Mavericks, without superstar Luka Doncic, evened up their first-round series with a 110-104 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2 on Monday night.
The Mavericks, in danger of dropping the first two games after opening the playoffs with home-court advantage for the first time since their NBA title 11 years ago, overcame a 10-point deficit after halftime.
Kleber, who had made only 19% of his 3-point attempts since the All-Star break, was 8-of-11 from beyond the arc when the Mavs needed them the most. His 3-pointer with 4:21 put Dallas ahead to stay at 99-98, and he then added another on the next possession.
Game 3 is Thursday night in Utah, where Dallas has lost its last 11 games.
Brunson, the starting point guard with Doncic out, became the fifth Dallas player to score 40 points in a playoff game. Doncic was one of the previous four to do that.
Donovan Mitchell had 34 points for Utah, while Bojan Bogdanovic had 25 and Jordan Clarkson 21. Rudy Gobert had eight points and 17 rebounds.
A 3-pointer by Clarkson put the Jazz up 60-50 early in the third quarter, and the only time Dallas led in that quarter was when Kleber hit a 3 with two minutes left for a 74-73 lead. But Bogdanovic then hit a 3, and the Jazz led 81-74 at the end of the third after a basket by Mitchell.
Dallas didn&rsquo;t lead again until a 3 by Dorian Finney-Smith with 6:12 left.&nbsp;

Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 41 points and Maxi Kleber had 25 with eight of Dallas’ playoff-record 22 made threes.

Brunson scores 41 points, Mavs make 22 threes to beat Jazz in Game 2

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 of his 32 points after halftime, Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 26 and the Utah Jazz opened the playoffs with a 99-93 victory Saturday over the Dallas Mavericks, who were without injured All-Star guard Luka Doncic.
Bogdanovic had Utah's only two 3-pointers before halftime, in a 13-2 run over the final 3 1/2 minutes that put the Jazz ahead to stay. Mitchell, who always seems to step up in the postseason, came alive after the break.
The fourth-seeded Mavericks, starting the playoffs at home for the first time since their NBA title season 11 years ago, sorely missed their 23-year-old superstar. Doncic strained his left calf six days earlier in the regular-season finale. Coach Jason Kidd has said only that he is day to day.
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Monday night in Dallas.
Jalen Brunson, the starting point guard with Doncic out, had 24 points on 9-of-24 shooting with seven rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 22 points, Reggie Bullock added 15 and Dorian Finney-Smith 14.
With Doncic in a black hoodie on the bench, the Mavericks cut an 11-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to 92-91 on a 3-pointer by Maxi Kleber with 2:12 left. After Mitchell missed, the Mavs had the chance to take their first lead in the second half, but Kleber missed badly on another long-range shot.
Royce O'Neale then scored his only basket for the Jazz, a 3-pointer from the corner after he had first missed inside and then got a pass from Mitchell. Utah finished with a 20-7 edge in second-chance points.
Rudy Gobert had 17 rebounds for the Jazz.
The Jazz, who were second in the NBA with 14.5 made 3-pointers a game, missed their first nine shots from beyond the arc until Bogdanovic hit from the right corner in front of the Dallas bench to get them within 41-35 with 3:10 left in the second quarter.
Utah&rsquo;s only other 3 before halftime by Bogdanovic with 2.2 seconds left for a 45-43 lead after taking a pass back from Mitchell.
Doncic spent the game at the end of the Mavericks bench, at one point munching popcorn from a cup in his hand late in the first quarter. He was on the other side of owner Mark Cuban as both &mdash; along with much of the Mavs bench &mdash; acted in dismay with 31 seconds left in the first half after Kleber was called for a foul when Bogdanovic went hard into him to draw the call.
Bogdanovic made both of those free throws, and Bruson hit a tough shot at the other end, but the Utah forward made his half-ending 3 that put the Jazz ahead to stay.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Utah was called for a technical foul early in the fourth quarter for having six men on the court. Brunson missed the free throw for Dallas. It appeared that Mitchell was coming back in the game for Jordan Clarkson, who was running toward the sideline but was apparently still on the court when the ball was inbounded.
Mavericks: Guard Frank Ntilikina rejoined the team after undergoing a tonsillectomy, and will make a gradual return to basketball activities.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 of his 32 points after halftime and Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 26 and the Jazz opened the playoffs.

Mitchell, Jazz win opener 99-93 as Mavs play without Doncic

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

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

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

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

Obviously, that all took time to come to fruition, and time isn't something that LeBron James has. But the point is that no matter how daunting the situation, a competent NBA front office can build a team without having the most obvious assets readily available. That the Lakers have two superstars should actually make the task a bit less difficult.
In this league, there are generally two types of teams: those who rely on free agency and trades to build their contender, and those who build their programs organically, most often through the draft. Big-market teams tend to be the former, while small market teams usually go the other route.
If either Marks or Riley were put in charge of the Lakers&rsquo; front office, they would probably trade Horton-Tucker for draft capital after realizing he&rsquo;s not the right fit there. They&rsquo;d engage the Pelicans, Blazers, Thunder, Rockets, Pacers and Grizzlies &mdash; teams who may have multiple first-round picks &mdash; and find a way to come away from the draft with a young piece and at least one more promising player from the summer circuit. Only then would they go knocking on the doors of guys like Tristan Thompson, Semi Ojeleye and Victor Oladipo, all of whom could help and potentially be had for cheap.
By the time the 2022-23 season tips off, the team could be remade. Some names we&rsquo;d know, and many we wouldn&rsquo;t. But as we&rsquo;ve seen before, often, it&rsquo;s the names we don&rsquo;t know who end up making the biggest difference. Alex Caruso, anyone?&nbsp;
Neither DeMar DeRozan, Buddy Hield nor Kyle Lowry will be coming to save the day; Pelinka and James got themselves into their current mess, and they&rsquo;ll have to get themselves out.
With their season ending much sooner than anyone could have imagined, the Lakers will have plenty to address over their long summer.
But, at least in the NBA, small steps can lead to major strides.
With few options, the Lakers should be so wise.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

With the Los Angeles Lakers out of playoff contention, they must now focus on rebuilding like a small-market team.

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

Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 21 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz clinched a playoff berth with a 121-115 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
Jordan Clarkson also finished with 22 points for Utah. Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Hassan Whiteside tallied 14 points and 10 boards off the bench.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points for the Grizzlies. Tyus Jones added 24 points and Desmond Bane had 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Memphis played without its top two scorers. Ja Morant (right knee soreness) and Dillon Brooks (right hip soreness) were both inactive. The same injury has sidelined Morant since mid-March. Their absence didn&rsquo;t stop the Grizzlies from producing big baskets as the fourth quarter wound down.
Jackson made a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation and Kyle Anderson put back Bane&rsquo;s airball on a 3-pointer before the buzzer to force overtime. Mitchell went 1 for 2 from the free throw line with 5.6 seconds on the clock and the Jazz leading 109-108.
Utah went ahead for good when Mitchell and Gobert scored on back-to-back possessions to help the Jazz carve out a 119-113 lead. Memphis was held without a basket for four minutes in overtime.
Utah built a 30-19 lead a minute into the second quarter after Clarkson and Mike Conley capped a 10-1 run with back-to-back 3s.
Memphis erased the double-digit deficit right before halftime. The Grizzlies tied it on a corner 3 from Bane and took a 50-48 lead on a pair of free throws from Jackson with 7.2 seconds left in the half.
Bane scored four baskets in 3 &frac12; minutes after halftime to help propel Memphis to a 68-57 lead. The second-year guard had 12 points in the third quarter alone. With Bane leading the way, the Grizzlies made six of their first nine shots in the second half.
Utah surged back ahead 91-83 early in the fourth quarter behind a 21-7 run fueled by three baskets and three assists from Clarkson. Danuel House, Jr. capped the surge with a four-point play and an alley-oop dunk.
TIP INS
Grizzlies: Jackson finished with three blocks, passing Pau Gasol for the franchise single-season record. Jackson has totaled an NBA-best 172 blocks this season. &hellip; Steven Adams led Memphis in rebounds (13) and assists (8). Adams&rsquo; assist total matched his season high.
Jazz: Clarkson beat the first-quarter buzzer with a reverse backdoor layup and Gobert beat the halftime buzzer with an alley-oop dunk. &hellip; Rudy Gay returned to Utah&rsquo;s rotation after recording a DNP-CD in back-to-back games. Gay played 13 minutes and finished with two points on 1-of-4 shooting. &hellip; Conley had a team-high eight assists.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Visit the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
Jazz: Host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 21 rebounds, and the Jazz clinched a playoff berth with a 121-115 overtime victory over the Grizzlies.

Jazz clinch playoff spot with 121-115 OT win over Grizzlies

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Rudy Gobert had 25 points and 17 rebounds as the Utah Jazz snapped a five-game losing streak with a 122-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
&ldquo;It was huge to get a win,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;The negativity and the losses and all that pressure was more external, but it was not an ideal time to have a five-game losing streak. So it&rsquo;s nice to celebrate this one tonight.&rdquo;
Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points, Mike Conley added 18 and Bojan Bogdanovic 11 in his return from injury as the Jazz continued their fight to stay out of a Western Conference play-in game.
Utah led wire-to-wire, the fourth game of the season in which it never trailed. But, the Lakers stayed within striking distance until Gobert slammed down Mitchell&rsquo;s miss to make it 120-104 with 2:54 to play.
&ldquo;We were finding guys, making the right reads, getting switches, being able to break down the defense, get in the paint and make the extra pass,&rdquo; Mitchell said of the Jazz offense returning to its efficient ways with 51 percent shooting and only eight turnovers.
Russell Westbrook scored 24 points and Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who were without LeBron James (ankle sprain) and Anthony Davis (foot sprain). Howard even hit a step-back 3-pointer as he reached double figures for the second time in his last 12 games.
&ldquo;I know how important these games are down the stretch. I just wanted to get my body and my mind prepared for tonight. Felt really good out there. Just a little bit hurt about not winning the game,&rdquo; Howard said.
Lakers have dropped five of six and are 4-14 since beating the Jazz on Feb. 16. They played their 37th different starting lineup against Utah.
&ldquo;For me, personally, it&rsquo;s a big adjustment. You don&rsquo;t know who&rsquo;s playing and who&rsquo;s out. Who&rsquo;s starting and who&rsquo;s not. Something I&rsquo;m not accustomed to. But like I said, I make no excuses. I own whatever it is, play whoever is playing and try to make the best out of it,&rdquo; Westbrook said.
Utah&rsquo;s losing streak included a demoralizing defeat in which it blew a 25-point lead against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. The Jazz have lost 14 games this season in which they held double-digit leads.
When the Lakers closed to 113-103 on Talen Horton-Tucker&rsquo;s 3-pointer, an audible nervous buzz grew among the Jazz faithful as they anticipated another collapse. But, the Lakers couldn&rsquo;t consistently get enough stops to make it interesting.
&ldquo;I really like the way we were able to re-focus together and reconnect. We did a good job closing &hellip; and that&rsquo;s big for us,&rdquo; Gobert said.
Both teams have been weighed down by disappointing losses and unrealized expectations. Some of the dropoff has been due to injuries, as James has missed three of the Lakers&rsquo; last four games and Davis has been out for 18 games.
Utah&rsquo;s losing ways have corresponded with Bogdanovic&rsquo;s nine-game absence with a calf strain and House&rsquo;s knee bruise.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to have them back, just having that presence on the court &hellip; for spacing. You know guys have to think twice when they decide to help on the roll or drives and it opens the floor,&rdquo; Gobert said.
Hassan Whiteside has also been out with a foot sprain during three games of the skid and missed the Lakers game.
The Jazz were able to get into transition and outscored Los Angeles 14-2 on fast breaks. Not only did the Jazz stymie the Lakers on the move, they took away the perimeter shots as Los Angeles made just seven 3-pointers.
The Jazz are 28-11 on the season when they have their starting lineup of Conley, Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Royce O&rsquo;Neale and Gobert.
REFRAIN FROM POINTING FINGERS
When the losses were piling up and it didn&rsquo;t look like they were enjoying playing together, Mitchell knew they had to block the outside noise.
&ldquo;The biggest thing was just being able to stay together as a group,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;We have a group of guys who are seasoned and have been through ups and downs. So if a five-game losing streak is what breaks us, that&rsquo;s not who we think we are. I think we are a team that is locked in as a group.&rdquo;
Clarkson agreed and said the swoon actually helped the team communicate better.
&ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t a sense of panic with this team &hellip; a lot of it is looking at yourself and what you can do to help the team,&rdquo; Clarkson said. &ldquo;That takes out the finger-pointing if you hold yourself accountable.&rdquo;
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?
Lakers coach Frank Vogel liked how his team competed without his stars and hopes they can make a run when they return.
&ldquo;We have to stay in the fight and we have to give ourselves a chance. If we&rsquo;re able to get into the play-in game at full strength, we know we got a shot. &hellip; Tomorrow is even bigger obviously with the head-to-head with the Pelicans,&rdquo; Vogel said.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Trevor Ariza had a season-high two blocked shots. &hellip; The Lakers went 34 for 58 from 2-point range. &hellip; Malik Monk scored 14 and Carmelo Anthony added 12.
Jazz: Utah had one turnover in the first quarter, which came with 17.6 seconds left. &hellip; Gobert, who had been barking at the officials all game, finally got a technical in the third quarter. &hellip; The Jazz, who aim to get up 40-plus 3-point attempts a game, made 15 of 44 from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Jazz: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
&nbsp;

Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points as the Utah Jazz snapped a five-game losing streak with a 122-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Utah snaps five-game skid with 122-109 win over Lakers

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic knows the Mavericks haven't had home-court advantage in the playoffs since the young superstar came to Dallas.
Coach Jason Kidd might remember the last time the club did, since he was the point guard on the team that won the 2011 championship.
The Mavericks took an important step toward the elusive top half of the Western Conference playoff picture Sunday night.
Doncic scored 32 points and the Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100 for the inside track to the fourth seed in what could be a first-round playoff matchup.
The Mavericks (46-29) moved a game ahead of the Jazz (45-30) in the battle for the fourth and fifth seeds in the West and earned a split of the season series, with the home team winning all four games.
Dallas would have to finish a game ahead of Utah if the Jazz keep their Northwest Division lead over Denver. The Mavericks and Jazz have seven games remaining.
&ldquo;That's what we wanted, but it's a long way to go,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;We've still got to keep our composure, focus on the next opponent and try to win every game.&rdquo;
Rudy Gay scored 18 points for the Jazz, who lost their fourth in a row on a season-long, six-game trip that ends Tuesday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert was a late scratch for Utah because of the 7-foot-1 center's right leg contusion as another 7-footer, Hassan Whiteside, sat for the second consecutive game with a right foot sprain.
Bojan Bogdanovic was out for the ninth time in 10 games as he battles a right calf strain, and Utah had a scare in the third quarter when Donovan Mitchell left the game briefly after Dwight Powell landed on his lower right leg.
Mitchell stayed down in front of Utah's bench as play continued at the other end and limped to the bench when he finally got up. But Mitchell missed less than a minute and a half, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
&ldquo;Most of their team wasn&rsquo;t playing, so you can&rsquo;t judge,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We had a Christmas game out there without half our team. You only will be judged once the playoffs start. This wasn&rsquo;t a playoff game. No one&rsquo;s up 1-0.&rdquo;
Doncic beat the halftime buzzer with a longer 3-pointer to get the Mavericks within a point and set up a second-half surge as Dallas won for the 18th time in 22 home games.
Reggie Bullock connected on a season-high seven 3-pointers, finishing with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting beyond the arc. He had consecutive 3s in the middle of the fourth quarter to give Dallas its biggest lead to that point at 17.
&ldquo;I thought Bullock's 3s were really big 3s,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;You can't take all of them away. There's a few that were really impactful.&rdquo;
Jalen Brunson had 22 points while matching Doncic with 10 rebounds and five assists. They were the first starting Dallas guards to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the same game in franchise history.
Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points apiece for Utah.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Snyder said Whiteside has been playing through soreness and mentioned feeling it in a loss at Brooklyn last Monday. Whiteside played the next game in Boston. &ldquo;It's a hard thing to predict, how long or how quickly,&rdquo; Snyder said of the outlook for Whiteside.
Mavericks: F Davis Bertans scored six points after missing three games with right knee soreness. ... G Sterling Brown was out again after entering COVID-19 protocols during the trip to Minnesota, where Dallas lost Friday.
NCAA CONNECTIONS
On the same weekend Villanova reached the Final Four, Brunson shared the floor with Utah's Eric Paschall, his teammate when the Wildcats won their second title in three years in 2018. Paschall made his third start of the season with Gobert out and scored 10 points. Jazz rookie Jared Butler, who scored seven points, was the point guard on Baylor's championship team last year.
UP NEXT
Jazz: After finishing the road trip at the Clippers on Tuesday, Utah returns home against the Lakers on Thursday. The Jazz are 2-0 against the Clippers and 0-2 against the Lakers.
Mavericks: The Lakers visit Tuesday before Dallas starts its final road trip of the regular season (four games) at Cleveland on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back.
&nbsp;

Luka Doncic scored 32 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100.

Doncic, Mavs top Jazz 114-100 for inside track to home court

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 36 points and the Utah Jazz finished strong to start their road trip, beating the New York Knicks 108-93 on Sunday night.
Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to score 18 of his 23 points in the first half for the Jazz, who opened a six-game road trip with the first of two games in two nights in New York. Rudy Gobert and Royce O'Neale each had 14 points.
Mitchell, a New Yorker who got a nice ovation before the game, made seven 3-pointers and threw down a powerful dunk midway through the fourth quarter when the Knicks were getting back in the game.
RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Evan Fournier had 17 for the Knicks, who had won two straight and five of seven. Julius Randle was 6 for 21 for 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Knicks shot 37% from the field.
Missing some key offensive players, Utah controlled much of the game with its defense before New York trimmed it to 93-89 on Obi Toppin's dunk with 5:19 left. But the Jazz answered with a 12-0 run, holding the Knicks scoreless for nearly four minutes to pull away to a 105-89 lead with just under two minutes remaining.
Utah only had two baskets during that stretch, punishing the Knicks by getting inside and drawing fouls before Rudy Gay capped the stretch with a 3-pointer and Mitchell later added another.
Mike Conley rested his right knee ahead of the game Monday night in Brooklyn and Bojan Bogdanovic missed his fourth straight with a left calf strain. So the Jazz turned up their defense, allowing just 44 points combined in the middle two quarters of their third straight victory.
The Knicks led 31-26 after one, but Clarkson played the entire second and scored 10 points. He and Mitchell both had 18 at halftime as Utah led 60-53.
The Jazz held the Knicks to 24% shooting in the third quarter, blocking almost as many shots (5) as the Knicks had baskets (6).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
TIP-INS
Jazz: Mitchell missed the last game with bruised right calf. ... Hassan Whiteside returned after a one-game absence with an illness not related to COVID-19 but Trent Forrest missed his fifth straight game with a sprained right wrist.
Knicks: Immanuel Quickley scored 16 points. ... Coach Tom Thibodeau said he'd been using a nine-man rotation at the moment to allow plenty of minutes for players such as Obi Toppin and Quentin Grimes, though might extend at times for rookie Miles McBride. McBride did get in as the 10th late in the third quarter.
LONG ROAD AHEAD
Coach Quin Snyder was asked if there were any positives in having such a long road trip so late in the season. The Jazz don't play at home again until March 31.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. We&rsquo;re going to some cities that have great restaurants,&rdquo; Snyder said. &ldquo;We anticipated this stretch for a while obviously and we&rsquo;re not healthy right now. But sometimes when we&rsquo;ve gone on the road and we&rsquo;ve found adversity, whether it be internal or your opponent, I think there&rsquo;s opportunity there.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Jazz: Visit Brooklyn on Monday night.
Knicks: Host Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored 36 points and the Utah Jazz finished strong to start their road trip, beating the Knicks 108-93 on Sunday night.

Mitchell scores 36 points, Jazz beat Knicks to open trip

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell tries to keep his cool with the officials.
In a tie game against Chicago, Mitchell protested a non-call with an especially vocal and demonstrative outburst in the third quarter. He got a technical foul and the switch was flipped.
&ldquo;I was hot," Mitchell said about his anger.
Mitchell went on to score a Utah-record 25 of his 37 points in the third quarter, Jordan Clarkson added 26 and the Utah Jazz beat the Bulls 125-110 on Wednesday night.
Feeling nostalgic before the game, Mitchell was watching Game 6 of his first playoff series against Oklahoma City his rookie season. He remembered that level of confidence and how big the hoop seemed when he led the Jazz to the win. Then he replicated it against Chicago.
&ldquo;Once I saw the 3 on the wide pin go down, it was on,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;From there, I just started getting to my spots and do what I do. Sometimes you just gotta go to that place inside you.&rdquo;
Mitchell made a franchise-record seven 3-pointers in the third period on nine attempts. He broke Karl Malone&rsquo;s team mark of 22 points in a third quarter. Mitchell finished with nine 3-pointers, besting his previous career best of seven.
&ldquo;He just got really hot. That&rsquo;s the type of player he is. We know that. We could have tried to do a better job of trying to take him out of that (rhythm) and get the ball out of his hands,&rdquo; Zach LaVine said.
In the fourth quarter, Bulls coach Billy Donovan said &ldquo;we did trap him some to try to slow him down&rdquo; but that just opened the door for other players like the seldom-used Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Alexander-Walker, who came to Utah in a Feb. 9 trade from New Orleans, had only nine total points in his first seven games with the Jazz. So what happened?
&ldquo;Don happened! The gravity he pulled to himself because of the shots he was making &hellip; they were so hyper-focused on him,&rdquo; Alexander-Walker said.
LaVine, who has been affected by a sore left knee, made five 3s and had 33 points in tying his highest scoring output in four months. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points. The Bulls have dropped seven of nine.
&ldquo;We had a really hard time controlling the ball. Our guards could not get the ball under control at all from Clarkson and Mitchell and Conley. They kind of really had their way with (us) and they&rsquo;re great off the dribble,&rdquo; Donovan said on the Bulls&rsquo; second-half defensive struggles.
Ayo Dosunmu&rsquo;s layup trimmed Utah&rsquo;s lead to 103-99 before the Jazz responded with a clinching run.
Alexander-Walker had two 3-pointers from the corner in a 14-0 run that featured suffocating defense and floor-spacing offense. Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s free throws capped the run and lifted the Jazz to a 117-99 lead with 4:38 to play.
&ldquo;We raised our level and did a great job defensively, especially with the scorers they have,&rdquo; Gobert said.
Mitchell&rsquo;s huge third quarter pushed the Jazz ahead 89-81 entering the fourth quarter.
Gobert had 14 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks while Mike Conley had in 14 points and seven assists.
The Jazz played without second-leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic (left calf strain), along with key reserves Trent Forrest (right wrist sprain), Danuel House (left knee bone bruise) and Udoka Azubuike (right ankle sprain).
BREAKFAST CLUB
Alexander-Walker, Juancho Hernangomez (who got his first start with Utah) and other Jazz players who rarely get meaningful time in the games are the first ones to practice on game days.
&ldquo;I was really happy for Nickeil because people don&rsquo;t see that every morning before shootaround those guys are in there at 8 o&rsquo;clock working out and going hard too,&rdquo; Mitchell said.
Sometimes they get on the court again after the starters leave and then come early before the game starts. That makes three sessions whether they get game time or not.
&ldquo;Since being here, I can&rsquo;t even count the number of corner 3s and other stuff we have been working on in practice,&rdquo; Alexander-Walker said. &ldquo;That work with the Breakfast Club is paying off. Gotta trust it.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Bulls: Chicago had 22 fast-break points to seven for the Jazz. &hellip; DeRozan had seven of the Bulls&rsquo; 28 assists. &hellip; Dosunmu had 15 points and six assists.
Jazz: Mitchell picked up a technical in the third quarter. He was especially animated at a non-call and followed the official while shouting. &hellip; The Jazz reserves outscored their Chicago counterparts, 49-22.
UP NEXT
Bulls: At Phoenix on Friday night.
Jazz: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored a Utah-record 25 of his 37 points in the third quarter as the Utah Jazz beat the Bulls 125-110.

Mitchell scores 25 of 37 points in 3rd, Jazz beat Bulls

We're in the midst of a ridiculous scoring explosion.
Since the All-Star break, there have been 26 instances of a player scoring at least 40 points. Twenty different players have achieved the feat, ranging from superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, stars like Darius Garland, quality starters like Gary Trent Jr., gap-fillers like Josh Hart and bench assassins like Jordan Clarkson.&nbsp;
If the single-game excursions don't do it for you, consider that 11 players are averaging north of 30 points since the break. Only three pulled it off during the 2019-20 season &mdash; the infamous Orlando Bubble year &mdash; and that's the high mark of the past decade. We'll see what happens as the post-break sample grows, but we're in rare air right now.
The list of 11 is filled with single-name guys: LeBron, Jokic, Embiid, Giannis and Trae to point out a few. But then you get towards the bottom, and you see a pair of Kentucky Wildcats.
There's De'Aaron Fox, who is 11th in scoring (30.4 points per game) while dishing out nearly 8 assists per contest. His turbo-charged attacks &mdash; both on the ball or flowing into handoffs and cuts alongside his shiny new All-Star Domantas Sabonis &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/deaaron-fox-is-blossoming-alongside-domantas-sabonis-but-whats-next-for-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been fruitful</a>. It helps that the jumper (38.6% from three on 5.7 attempts) is falling right now.
And then, right above him on the list is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is quietly averaging 30.6 points over his last 10 games.
He isn't just getting buckets, but he's doing it efficiently. His 62.9% True Shooting percentage is one of the best marks in the league among high-usage players. The impressive part is that the bulk of his success has come in the interior.
Frankly, there's no driver in the league like SGA. There are numbers to quantify that; he's averaging the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;SeasonSegment=Post%20All-Star&amp;sort=DRIVE_PTS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth-most drives</a> since the break (22.9), ranks second in drive scoring (13.9) and is the only player converting more than half of his drive-based shots (51.5%) while attempting at least 10 of them per game.
While we're at it, here are how some notable names are faring on <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shots-general/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;SeasonSegment=Post%20All-Star&amp;sort=FG2A&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-point shots</a> since the All-Star break:
<ul>
<li>Brandon Ingram: 63.6% on 15.4 attempts</li>
<li>Giannis Antetokounmpo: 61.3% on 15.2 attempts</li>
<li>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 57.6% on 15.8 attempts</li>
<li>Ja Morant: 51.2% on 18.4 attempts</li>
<li>Joel Embiid: 45.9% on 15.0 attempts</li>
</ul>
Truly, you have to watch him. Despite having sub-elite burst, a sub-elite handle and a middling vertical pop, SGA consistently gets to his spots. Factor in his supporting cast (read: general lack of spacing), and his numbers become nonsensical. He simply shouldn't be this efficient within his context, but he's good enough to make it work.
He is a beacon of flexibility and deceleration. His ability to vary his stride length &mdash; some steps are quick and choppy, others are longer &mdash; is top-tier stuff. Gaining leverage is the name of the game, and SGA stops-and-slithers his way into it on a majority of his drives.
Defenders are rarely at risk of being blown by in a traditional sense, but they can never catch up to him. More accurately, they can never match his timing.
Take this play, for example.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;">
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/p41xu9" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
</div>
Cody Martin doesn't do anything wrong here. He's squarly in front of SGA when the drive starts. Even with SGA attacking his front foot, Martin is never out of position ... until the second step on the gather.
That second step is longer and more powerful than the first, allowing SGA to gain a little bit of an advantage when gliding through the air. That turns this:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_15_17_59_20_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Into this:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_15_17_59_33_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Watching SGA duck under defenders is a hidden joy. You don't have to be Allen Iverson-fast if you can get your shoulder into a guy's chest.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/jwd36h" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Martin reaches in space, but SGA counters with a behind-the-back dribble. With Martin upright, SGA crosses back to his left&nbsp;and sinks low&nbsp;to create the early advantage.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_15_18_11_21_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
He now <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1503721522053238785?s=20&amp;t=0mgvyxKROeC9qeB3tz4COw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has Montrezl Harrell (Micro Shaq???) on a patch of land</a>. He's able to get lower than him, too, then catch Harrell off guard with a Steve Nash-ian scoop. Harrell's barely off the ground by the time the shot's up.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_15_18_16_36_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
The gather timing is wild enough; SGA altering his level of explosion on the gather is some nasty stuff.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/7jw9ho" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Look at how silly he makes Mason Plumlee look. Plumlee goes with a full-blown vertical contest &mdash; typically the right thing to do! &mdash; but because SGA leads at 10% capacity, he's able to slide under Plumlee for an unbothered layup.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has seemingly found a hack early on in his career: the actual moves don't have to change much if you alter the timing enough to throw defenders off. The stop-and-start nature of his game keeps his enemies off-balance; his finishing moves deliver the final blow.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Nekias Duncan breaks down the unique driving ability of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Stop and start: Taking a drive with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; The Utah Jazz are reasonably healthy, hitting shots and reasserting themselves as a Western Conference powerhouse.
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 14 rebounds and the Jazz stayed hot with a 118-114 victory over the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
&ldquo;We've got so much talent, it's hard to lose when we play that way,&rdquo; Gobert said.
Utah has won eight of nine to improve to 38-22. Phoenix, at 49-12, has lost back-to-back games for the first time in two months. Before the two losses, the Suns had won eight straight and 19 of 20.
Utah's been a little inconsistent this season, but is playing well now that its deep roster is mostly healthy. Jordan Clarkson had 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting &mdash; part of the Utah second unit that played well and outscored Phoenix's bench 43-11.
It was the second straight impressive win for the Jazz, who also beat the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. Jazz coach Quin Snyder said the team's deep, unselfish roster allows him to be more creative with substitution patterns and allowing hot hands like Clarkson to stay on the floor in important situations.
&ldquo;We've got a group that's willing to accept that,&rdquo; Snyder said. &ldquo;... It's really important and I think it's unusual.&rdquo;
The Jazz used a 16-3 run late in the third quarter to take a 94-89 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. It stayed tight throughout most of the final minutes but the Jazz were able to keep their lead, helped by Mitchell's banked-in 3-pointer with 1:50 remaining that put them up 10.
The Jazz shot 17 of 40 (42.5%) from 3-point range. Mitchell made six of them.
&ldquo;More than the wins, it's our mindset,&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;The way we're competing defensively and the way we play together offensively, is really the thing we can take away. When we play that way, we're going to be in good shape every night.&rdquo;
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 30 points. Cameron Johnson and Deandre Ayton each added 23. Phoenix had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but Jae Crowder threw the ball out of bounds.
Suns coach Monty Williams took the blame, saying it was his fault for not calling a timeout, but Crowder said the miscue was also on him.
&ldquo;I have to be better at that situation,&rdquo; Crowder said. &ldquo;I have to know time possession, timeout situation, etc. I am the veteran on this team. I am a veteran basketball player. I should know what to do and what not to do in that situation.&rdquo;
Phoenix has played its past three games without All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who broke his thumb on Feb. 16 and could be out the rest of the regular season. The Suns have a 1-2 record in those games.
The Suns rallied for a 60-56 halftime lead after trailing for much of the second quarter. Ayton had 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting before the break while Mitchell scored 11 for the Jazz.
TIP-INS
Jazz: G Rudy Gay played Sunday after missing the previous six games with right knee soreness and a non-COVID illness. ... Gobert had a season-high eight offensive rebounds. ... Gobert blocked three shots.
Suns: Made 10 of their first 11 shots, scoring 24 points in the first six minutes of the first quarter. ... G Aaron Holiday returned after missing one game with a sprained ankle. ... Welcomed their 18th straight sellout crowd to the Footprint Center. ... Phoenix lost despite shooting 51% from the field, 46% from 3-point and 81% on free throws. ... Ayton was 11 of 15 from the field.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Houston on Wednesday night.
Suns: Host Portland on Wednesday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Rudy Gobert added 16 and 14 rebounds and Utah stayed hot with a 118-114 victory over the Suns.

Mitchell, Gobert lead surging Jazz over Suns, 118-114

The Utah Jazz have struggled with injury, teammate malcontent in the media and a porous defense (19th since the new year, per Cleaning the Glass) since the turn of the calendar. Donovan Mitchell has returned, helping to spark Utah's thus-far-undefeated February, but the problems that have persisted for multiple seasons loom large as the playoffs inch closer.&nbsp;
Prior to the NBA trade deadline last Thursday, the Jazz made their only in-season trade of the year, acquiring Nickeil Alexander-Walker as a part of a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-team deal with the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs</a>.
The Jazz really only had the flexibility to make one or two moves, as they're fairly locked into their roster with contention in mind. While Joe Ingles' season-ending injury likely impacted his trade value, the point stands that Utah's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">singular trade</a> was relatively confusing.
Alexander-Walker is an intriguing prospect &mdash; one that I hold in high regard &mdash; but he is not currently a player who routinely contributes positive on-court impact. In a vacuum, I love the Jazz adding a young player with upside to an aged roster (<a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/lakers-oldest-nba-teams-entering-season/1gvfecopluvy71rmj43y8ezgtf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third-highest</a> average-aged team prior to the trade). But, this is a squad that needs to make a deep run this season. They can't afford another second-round out organizationally, and recent reporting and rumblings further that notion &mdash; specifically this from <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/265668/Donovan-Mitchell-Rudy-Gobert-Relationship-Passively-Aggressively-Awkward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective</a>.
<blockquote>
"Donovan and Gobert, even though they're both under long-term contract, are under each other's skin. There's all kind of subtweeting and passive aggressive stuff going on."
</blockquote>
(Editor's Note: Mitchell has since denied that report. "No, no, no, no, no. We&rsquo;re good,&rdquo; Mitchell <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/02/04/donovan-mitchell-shoots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said via The Salt Lake Tribune's Eric Walden</a>. &ldquo;I saw that [report] coming in this morning. Nah, we&rsquo;re good. That&rsquo;s just not true. Blatantly not true at all. We&rsquo;ve never had this stretch of losses in a row, so now&rsquo;s the time for all these things to come out, I guess. But it&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;C&rsquo;mon, bro.&rsquo; Nah, we&rsquo;re good.&rdquo;)
The Jazz ideally needed a wing or combo forward who could defend at the point of attack and not muck up the offense. Alexander-Walker is a combo guard who can spend time on the wing for sure, but is much more of a big guard than a wing due to some of his physical attributes and style of play.&nbsp;
Can he adapt his game to fill the gaps for Utah this season?
Alexander-Walker had a 24.9% usage rate in New Orleans this season (24% for his career), which would rank third in Utah's regular rotation; I'd be shocked if that carries over even remotely with the Jazz. Given how reliant Utah is on bending the defense initially and then continuous ball movement, there isn't a ton of wiggle room for another shot-creator.
This is where the fit gets wonky.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Does Utah view him as a player who can become a connective, toolsy wing? Because I have questions if so! NAW hasn't been close to that role since his freshman year at Virginia Tech, the lowest-usage season in his last half-decade of basketball.&nbsp;
Offensively, he's much closer to Jordan Clarkson than Royce O'Neale.
He had a stretch last season that was easily the brightest of his career, showcasing the blueprint of his future offensive success. From March 21 to April 2 (7 games), he started for the New Orleans Pelicans and averaged 18.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 55.8% True Shooting. While the numbers were impressive, the on-court calculus to get there was telling.
<ul>
<li>54% at the rim (35th percentile per Cleaning the Glass)</li>
<li>56% from 4-to-14 feet (89th percentile)</li>
<li>41% from three (8.9 attempts per game)</li>
</ul>
Alexander-Walker really lacks much burst, so even with a hard closeout, creating separation can be an adventure.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/8ue4o7" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
During that aforementioned stretch, he was GUNNING from deep, which opened up cleaner driving lanes. That goes without mentioning that Zion Williamson played the majority of that stretch, and Alexander-Walker &mdash; as well as every other player in New Orleans &mdash; really missed Zion Williamson's gravity offensively.&nbsp;
At his best, he's using his length and handle to his advantage, crafting his way to floaters, touch shots and extension finishes.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/6nvdla" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
His below-the-rim nature can really cause problems for him at the rim as well. Even with a good break or separation on the ball, any contact or obstacle around the rim can throw him off.
The path forward for him is ideally through quality shooting (he'll have much better looks in Utah), but finding ways to lean into his limitations rather than fight against them is easier said than done.
In all honesty, getting to the rim less may be better for him. His herky-jerky style and lack of balance at the moment lead to really difficult restricted area attempts; using his handle and honing in on playing at his pace and focusing on creating paint touches with guile seem like the most ideal ways for him to find efficiency.&nbsp;
It sounds counter-intuitive to lean into a harder shot profile, but it's the profile that's most available and benficial to NAW's game at the moment. The off-kilter rim drives can lead to some really rough turnovers and bailout grenade passes. He feels so sped up even though he's often the slowest player on the court.
I really want to see Utah's development staff drive him towards playing weird, because by all accounts, that's what Alexander-Walker is built for!&nbsp;
Defensively, the fit is better, but it's kind of like if you asked your school nurse for a band-aid and they gave you an Advil instead. It helps, but dude, you still need a band-aid to stop the bleeding.
The Jazz are in desperate need of better defense at the point of attack and on bigger wings, which is far from NAW's calling card.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/8d8jda" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Bigger wings and forwards are not only unbothered by NAW, but easily shed him with any sort of power move. His high center of gravity is his nemesis on both ends of the hardwood.
I really enjoy Alexander-Walker's off-ball instincts and activity, but he has a tendency to overplay his hand and overhelp, leading to some off-kilter (a theme) close-outs. However, when he's able to use his length and crowd guards or smaller wings, he's adept at shading them to the rim. Giving ground isn't great, but if you have to, send the ball to help.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/mkr9w3" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Rudy Gobert is, uh, easily the best rim-protector and defensive player that NAW has ever played with. Merely staying solid on defense, making clean rotations, and slowing the ball even if not fully stopping it will help Utah's defense.
In a vacuum, I really like this trade for Utah. Taking a swing on a young player with intriguing flashes in need of a new environment is a fantastic idea. However, for a team that needed to refurbish its defensive identity and further cement itself as a true contender, the trade is confusing.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker should factor into the Jazz's main rotation, but barring significant change, it seems unlikely he makes a massive difference for them in the season when they arguably will need it most.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Utah Jazz added guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker prior to the trade deadline. Can he fill the gaps the Jazz have on either end?

Why the Jazz should lean into Nickeil Alexander-Walker's limitations

Nekias Duncan thoroughly grades every NBA trade from 2022 Deadline Week.

Grading every move from 2022 NBA trade deadline week

The Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs are the latest teams in the Western Conference to make deals ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. On Wednesday, a three-team transaction saw a lot of moving parts be shuffled around, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491489079451652100?s=20&amp;t=ob8kvMxJoZSwMngQCMHDPQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker heads to Utah from Portland in exchange for Joe Ingles' expiring contract. San Antonio also received Tomas Satoransky's expiring to make salaries work as Juancho Hernangomez joins Alexander-Walker with the Jazz. Portland continues to open up oodles of cap space for the upcoming summer, or a potential big-time trade within the next 24 hours.
This is an intriguing roll of the dice for Utah, especially with how Alexander-Walker fits within their backcourt depth. NAW could be a reliable bench piece, but how does he mesh alongside Jordan Clarkson? Meanwhile, San Antonio clears some future salary moving off Hernangomez for Satoransky.
What comes next for the Trail Blazers is the most interesting aspect to all of this. Will they make another aggressive move to appease superstar point guard Damian Lillard? Would Jerami Grant check boxes alongside Lillard?
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com as the deadline dominoes continue to fall as they may.

On Wednesday, a three-team deal between the Pelicans, Spurs and Jazz occurred. Which pieces are moving where?