Delta Devils

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

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It's almost play-in and playoff time, folks!
This season has felt more jumbled than ever, which has led to more teams in some sort of contention. Naturally, most conversations around the league will focus on the contenders and the various seeding battles still happening.
It's easy for the teams at the bottom to get lost in the shuffle. They generally reach a point where lottery odds take precedence; in some instances, important young pieces are getting shut down like veterans.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/views-from-the-bottom-young-players-to-keep-an-eye-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Much like last year</a>, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some players who are likely flying under the radar. You have to take post-All-Star break stretches with at least two grains of salt, but this is a time for unheralded players to stretch themselves. In a best-case scenario, they wind up showing you something that transfers to the next season.
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Here are a few players &mdash; just a few! &mdash; who have caught my eye recently.
All stats are updated through games played on April 4.
JALEN GREEN, HOUSTON ROCKETS
The Stats: 23.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists (2.2 turnovers) since the All-Star break&nbsp;
The Skill: Foul-Drawing Craft
For the second year in a row, Jalen Green is popping off the screen after the All-Star break.&nbsp;
He represents a rare blend of athleticism &mdash; slippery and explosive &mdash; and skill. Watching him try to harness that has been equal parts fun and frustrating, depending on how invested you are in his growth.&nbsp;
Drives from Green have been an adventure since he set foot in the league. He's blessed with a handle that can get him most places, a first step that only a handful of guys can slide with and vertical pop that nobody can really deal with if he has a launching pad.&nbsp;
Green hasn't had much issue accessing the paint in his career. How he's gotten there, and what he does once there, has been the work in progress.
Quietly, he's become a little more selective with the turbo button when putting his head down. He's taking advantage of defenders scrambling to stay attached to him. He's feeling out the defender more in a literal sense; if he senses a defender out of position or leaning towards him, he's going right into their shoulder or chest, absorbing the blow and getting a shot up.&nbsp;
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Green is living at the line these days. He's averaging nearly seven free throw attempts per game since the break. Per Cleaning The Glass, Green is drawing fouls on 14.5% of his shot attempts during this stretch, a mark that ranks in the 97th percentile among his position group.
Filter specifically for drives, and Green is still drawing shooting fouls on 14.5% of them &mdash; 10th among 100 players with at least 100 drives, per Second Spectrum.
There's still growth to be had inside the arc. There's a little Anthony Edwards there, where he feels like he can defeat anyone &mdash; or any amount of bodies &mdash; at the rim when easier kicks are available. There's more comfort to be developed as an inside-out passer versus the interior feeds he likes.&nbsp;
But, man, being able to generate freebies at this rate is a welcomed sight. We're not that far away from teams not having a real answer for him as a scorer.
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SVI MYKHAILIUK, CHARLOTTE HORNETS
The Stats: 16.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists (1.5 turnovers), 1.3 steals over last six games&nbsp;
The Skill: Avoiding Danger
Mykhailiuk is in the midst of one of his most productive stretches. He's provided a healthy dose of shooting, converting 44.4% of his threes (6.0 attempts) over his last six games. Due to the injuries around him, he's gotten to do more with the ball in his hands. Nothing particularly wild on the playmaking front, but he's proven compentent as a second-side creator.&nbsp;
None of the offensive productivity surprises me. The fact that we're even getting to see it to this degree speaks to his work on the other end. I am not here to argue that Mykhailiuk is an elite defender; in fact, most of the numbers I'd use to highlight defensive growth don't paint him in a favorable light. As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-film-breakdown-charlotte-hornets-defense-steve-clifford-dennis-smith-jr-theo-maledon-gordon-hayward-jt-thor-mark-williams-nick-richards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote recently</a>, the Hornets aren't afraid to switch-and-double against matchups they deem unfavorable to them; they've done so with Mykhailiuk.
I'd just like to say that man is&nbsp;working&nbsp;defensively. He's had to take up defensive assignments well above his pay grade as of late: Zach LaVine, Scottie Barnes, some Luka Doncic possessions during their two-game series and it hasn't been a disaster.
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The shift from "obvious weak link" to "best option to attack available" is a subtle, yet important mark of growth. It feels like he's starting to land in the latter camp. All the Hornets, or any team moving forward, needs from him is for him to hold his own. If he can do that, he'll have more opportunities for the shooting and ball skills to pop.&nbsp;
SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI, SAN ANTONIO SPURS
The Stats: 13.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists (1.9 turnovers), 2.8 steals over last eight games&nbsp;
The Skill: Passing Chops
I am an absolute sucker for tall players with passing ability. I gravitate towards playmaking wings, and I especially enjoy watching actual big men dice up defenses with nifty feeds.&nbsp;
Insert Mamu, whom the Spurs have thankfully given room to do stuff with the ball in his hands.
That simply wasn't going to happen in Milwaukee, who needed Mamu to either space or defend &mdash; preferably both, of course &mdash; at a certain level in order to garner consistent playing time. He isn't there yet on either end, and the rest of the roster was too good to justify letting him run things with the second unit.
Because that isn't the case with the Spurs, we've gotten to see stuff like this:
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For those keeping track at home, that was:
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<li>a transition push after a board, then a kick to a three-point shooter on the move</li>
<li>a slip against a switch, followed by a no-look pass to the corner in an attempt to manipulate Steph Curry's weakside responsibilities</li>
<li>a leaping lay-down pass to Zach Collins</li>
<li>a quick feed to Collins versus a fronting defender, conveniently timed as Talen Horton-Tucker is leaning the wrong way</li>
<li>A pass fake into a skip to Tre Jones for a three</li>
<li>A pump-and-drive, followed by a Haliburton-esque jump-pass for a dunk</li>
<li>A baseline drive against&nbsp;Brook Lopez,&nbsp;puncutated by a kick to the corner</li>
</ul>
There's still plenty of work to be done, particularly on the non-glamour end of the floor. The Spurs, or whoever commits to him moving forward, has to find a coverage for him, have a strong defensive infrastructure around him or both.&nbsp;
If nothing else, though, there's some Hartenstein-lite potential here as a second-unit hub. The passing pops. The screens are good. Being able to credibly drive as a 5 is valuable stuff. More Mamu, please!
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MARKELLE FULTZ, ORLANDO MAGIC
The Stats: 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists (2.4 turnovers), 1.5 steals since the All-Star break&nbsp;
The Skill: Big Man Things
It's been a joy watching Markelle Fultz graduate from the "really good redemption story" arc to the basic reality that he's good at basketball. Period. Full stop.
A smooth operator in ball screens; a crafty finisher at the rim; he's quietly reliable as a pull-up option inside the arc &mdash; did you know he's canned <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628365/shots-dash?Season=2022-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">45.1% of his pull-up 2s</a> this season? He remains a dogged point-of-attack defender.
&nbsp;What's popped for me in a few matchups &mdash; against the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards, in particular &mdash; is his willingness to do the little things. Or rather, the "big" things. Both teams stashed their centers on Fultz &mdash; the Jazz with Walker Kessler, the Wizards with Kristaps Porzingis &mdash; in a way to keep them near the basket.
Fultz countered by setting screen, after screen, after screen, creating opportunities for his teammates and himself.&nbsp;
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Fultz has set 131 on-ball screens this season, after setting 77 over his first five seasons combined, per Second Spectrum.&nbsp;
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>Though the Jazz are techincally still in the play-in hunt, It's worth noting the heater that Talen Horton-Tucker has been on since becoming a starter after the All-Star break. He's averaging 31-5-7 over his past four games, shooting 36% from deep on a heavy diet of pull-ups and getting to the line nearly nine times per contest. It's still hard to have faith in the jumper, and he remains a little tunnel vision-y for my sensibilities, but this has been a nice stretch for him. </li>
<li>Corey Kispert has slotted in nicely as a starter. I've enjoyed his usage under Wes Unseld Jr., running him <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1638566356005146626?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">through staggers</a> or, when spaced, often being the <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1638567273832095747?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only player on his side of the floor</a> to stress out help defenders. It helps that Kispert's been shooting the leather off the ball too: 21.3 points while converting 49.1% of his threes (9.2 attempts) over his last six games is nothing to sneeze at.&nbsp; </li>
<li>Hawks legend Skylar Mays is averaging 17 points and 7.3 assists across three starts with the Blazers. Not quite sure what it means, but I've enjoyed his pacing inside the arc. I also don't think I've seen him miss a floater or a pull-up middy, so that's fun.</li>
</ul>
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Before focusing on the NBA playoffs, Nekias Duncan breaks down young players on lottery teams who have caught his eye lately.

Views from the bottom: 5 young NBA players to keep an eye on

Spencer Davies tells the complex story of Eban Hyams, the first Indian-born international professional basketball player.

Setbacks and bouncebacks: On Eban Hyams, India's first pro ballplayer

The most important word in NBA All-Star break might actually be "break."
For one week, the entire league recalibrates itself for the home stretch of the regular season and catches up on the aches, pains and more significant injuries that stem from competing hard every single day. Rookies can also breathe after being thrown into the fires of their first year as a pro.
Young talent can thrive coming out of the break. Bottom-feeding teams are ready to turn minutes over to those with less experience and more upside after the trade deadline. Contenders have a better understanding of how rookies could slot into a playoff-seeking rotation. And regardless of the ethics, a stellar final impression can heavily impact All-Rookie narratives.
So who might surprise us with a strong close to the season?
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Here are five under-the-radar rookies worth monitoring for a leap forward &mdash; "under-the-radar" excluding lottery draft picks and players already firmly in the Rookie of the Year conversation (i.e. Walker Kessler):
Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs
Malaki Branham is barely under the radar at this point; he's leading all rookies with 18.1 points per game in February. But he is one of my favorite players in this rookie class, and since he fits my criteria, I'm seizing the chance to spotlight him.
According to PBP Stats, 136 players have attempted at least 50 "self-created" mid-range shots this season (attempts after possessing the ball for at least two seconds). Branham is converting on a ridiculous 56% of those shots, ranking third behind only Kevin Durant and Seth Curry.
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Malaki Branham logged his sixth consecutive start Monday at Cleveland and played well, scoring 18 points on 8-of-11 in the loss. Branham is a natural shot-creator who is also excellent moving off-ball. He&rsquo;s going to be a very good NBA player and an important piece for the Spurs. <a href="https://t.co/kbfm5KivkL">pic.twitter.com/kbfm5KivkL</a>
&mdash; Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/UsherNBA/status/1625337236152799232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
The No. 20 overall pick hardly wastes time and effort when he attacks off the dribble. While Branham has showcased his chops as an on-ball scorer, he's also 26-for-29 on assisted shots within 10 feet of the rim this season, per PBP Stats, and Synergy says Branham is shooting 76.5% on cutting field goal attempts.&nbsp;
Branham's relatively low output from the perimeter at Ohio State drew question marks around the NBA Draft. Could he stretch his mid-range prowess beyond the arc? This season, Branham has made just 33.3% of his catch-and-shoot threes, but since February, he's at a scorching 18-for-41 (43.9%) on 4.6 &nbsp;attempts per game.&nbsp;
Right now, he's purely been a bucket. We're still waiting to see a bit more of the off-dribble playmaking, which I believe was underrated in college. Branham also is, well, a contributor to the Spurs' league-worst defense. But the 6-foot-5-inch wing is playing in a low-stakes environment by NBA standards and is clearly growing more comfortable with each passing game. If you told me he would lead rookies in post-All-Star scoring, I'd believe you.

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Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets
The No. 21 overall selection in this past year's draft hung around the back end of the Nuggets' rotation for most of the season, but has received 23.3 minutes per game this month. Christian Braun is averaging 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals across nine February contests on a scintillating 64.5% True Shooting clip.&nbsp;
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Holy crap Christian Braun! The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nuggets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nuggets</a> rookie summoning his inner Nikola Jokic, on the baseline cut takes the entry pass from Joker and instantly dishes it back out to Michael Porter Jr. for the corner 3-pointer. Such a damn impressive heads up play.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MileHighBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MileHighBasketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/p01V1g6PIi">pic.twitter.com/p01V1g6PIi</a>
&mdash; Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelRushNBA/status/1625539664571699201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Braun is a quintessential connector for the Nuggets right now. Over 53% of his shots have come at the rim, mostly off of secondary drives or cuts, and he'll also spot up from the corners frequently. He's not a lead playmaker, but he'll keep the ball moving; plus, he's had just six bad-pass turnovers all season, per PBP Stats.&nbsp;
The Nuggets also like to use Braun's size at 6-foot-7, 218 pounds to guard up the lineup. According to BBall Index, the Kansas product has spent over 62% of his playing time defending point guards and shooting guards. And, while he's not the point-of-attack defender, he's useful in taking away complementary options and being an additional pest.
Denver's lack of trade-deadline additions on the wing (and top billing in the West) means Braun is expected to contribute to a deep playoff run. A stable three-point shot would go a long way (46.7% in February, 37.1% on the season), along with continued growth on defense. But Braun is the rare rookie on a pressure-packed team, and thriving would say a lot about his impact.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
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Per Cleaning the Glass: only 5️⃣ NBA players have block and steal rates both above 1.5% 🏀 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) - Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM) - Larry Nance Jr. (NOP) - Kyle Anderson (MIN) - Tari Eason (HOU) <a href="https://t.co/Fi0pGOHnbL">pic.twitter.com/Fi0pGOHnbL</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1628828512206348291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Tari Eason's 1.5% block rate and 2.2% steal rate place him in an elite group of defensive havoc-wreakers this season. He's averaging 4.52 bad-pass steals or deflections per 75 possessions, per BBall Index, which puts him in the 95th percentile at his position.
Eason is already a unique event-creator on defense with his length and mobility. He also inhales rebounds on both ends of the glass. The former LSU forward secures offensive boards on 10.6% of Houston's misses, a rate that ranks second among all non-bigs in the league.&nbsp;
Those two impact areas carry the weight for Eason's All-Rookie case; he's still finding his niche on offense. He has to create more for himself than expected, and he's making a paltry 40.7% of his unassisted shots at the rim. The Rockets' offense has been a mess all season long. Ideally, Eason could start his career capitalizing on more cuts, lobs and spot-ups, but it's unclear if he'll find that balance this season.
Still, his defensive impact and rebounding activity warrant a prime spot in the rotation of a young, losing team, and Eason is talented enough to make it work.
Jaylin Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
The pesky Thunder continue to stick around in the playoff race, and Jaylin Williams &mdash; not to be confused with Jalen &mdash; has been the most recent young head-turner with his charge-taking. Check out this graphic from Dom Samangy:
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Former Razorback, Jaylin Williams, is currently LEADING THE NBA in charges drawn per minute played and has the highest charge rate in 7 years since the NBA started tracking &ldquo;hustle stats&rdquo; in 2016. He currently draws a charge every 22 minutes of play! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProHogs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProHogs</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/Jay_MWilliams_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jay_MWilliams_</a> <a href="https://t.co/bOM9XcqynU">pic.twitter.com/bOM9XcqynU</a>
&mdash; Dom Samangy (@DSamangy) <a href="https://twitter.com/DSamangy/status/1628448922770329601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Williams is such a fun, unique player. He's not racking up blocks or steals as a rim-protector, but he rebounds, takes charges and positions himself well on defense for a rookie.
Then, on offense, he's warped his impact from the pre-draft projections coming out of Arkansas. Williams' perimeter shot-making was more of an intriguing developmental pathway than a bread-and-butter skill entering the 2022 NBA Draft. The second-rounder is shooting a red-hot 47.7% from long range this season, including (checks notes) 55.6% since Jan. 1. In contrast, he's barely scoring around the rim; just 29% of his shots are coming within 4 feet of the basket.
Add in an 11.1% assist rate (66th percentile among bigs) and 3.1 screen assists per 75 possessions (80th percentile), and Williams is upending a lot of the traditional images for low-usage young centers.&nbsp;
OKC moved on from Mike Muscala and forward Darius Bazley at the trade deadline. Williams' playing time has fluctuated this season, but he's averaging 21.8 minutes per game in February and has started 11 of 17 games in the new year. He'll be a big part of this stretch run for a Thunder team capable of contending.
Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
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mark williams size blk + lob radius, good stuff <a href="https://t.co/8lVqlyksUH">pic.twitter.com/8lVqlyksUH</a>
&mdash; ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) <a href="https://twitter.com/bjpf_/status/1627041357041897472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The Hornets traded away Mason Plumlee and are well out of the playoff picture. It's time to give the young guys some runtime, and that begins with Mark Williams, who has started the last four contests. The No. 15 overall pick is averaging 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 15.9 minutes per game this season.
Williams has thrived in more of the traditional finishing-center archetype. He's tallying 4.4 screen assists per 75 possessions (88th percentile) and posting a monster 3.7% block rate and 2.0% steal rate. (He missed the minute qualifier for Eason's previously mentioned stat). The 7-foot-1-inch center takes 78% of his shots around the rim, the majority via assists, and he makes 70% of those attempts.&nbsp;
Let's expand on the interior defense a bit because Williams' small-sample impact numbers are insane. Pulling from BBall Index's data, here's a look at how he's affecting shots around the basket.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">Category</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;">Value</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;">Percentile rank (among C's)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">% of teams' at-rim shots contested by Williams</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.4714}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0.00%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}">47.14%</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.96}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=percentrank('Data Pull'!C[134]:C[134],R[0]C[-1])">96th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">At-rim contests per 75 poss.</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10.82}">10.82</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.987}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=percentrank('Data Pull'!C[135]:C[135],R[0]C[-1])">99th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">Blocks per 75 poss.</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:2.63}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0.0&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}">2.6</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.97}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=percentrank('Data Pull'!C[136]:C[136],R[0]C[-1])">97th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">% of Williams' contests that become blocks</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.2429}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0.00%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}">24.29%</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.857}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=percentrank('Data Pull'!C[137]:C[137],R[0]C[-1])">86th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.6251%; height: 22px;">Opponent FG% at rim vs. expected FG%</td>
<td style="width: 16.3185%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:-0.116}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;+#,##0.00%;-#,##0.00%&quot;}">-11.60%</td>
<td style="width: 35.0481%; height: 22px;" data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.987}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;0%&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1}" data-sheets-formula="=1-percentrank('Data Pull'!C[138]:C[138],R[0]C[-1])">99th</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Scroll right to view full table on mobile)
These are massive data points for any player, much less a rookie.
When Williams is on the court, Charlotte allows 6.6 fewer points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. He's already changing the tone for a squad that has historically had issues fortifying the floor. Hopefully we get to see more of that in this stretch run.
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THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Not a stat, but I do want to give honorable mention shoutouts to AJ Griffin of the Atlanta Hawks and AJ Green of the Milwaukee Bucks. Both are talented rookies ready to join their team's rotations; I just wonder what minutes are available. Griffin now has to compete with Saddiq Bey in Atlanta's wing room in addition to the other established talents on the roster. Green seems to take a back seat when the Bucks are fully healthy.</li>
<li>Synergy's Todd Whitehead made these neat visualizations of pick-and-roll defense that I highlighted at the beginning of the year, and he's got some interesting takeaways now:</li>
</ul>
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When I made this chart back in November, I was interested to see that the teams with the best process (ones taking away opponents rolls/cuts to the rim, corner 3s, and shooting fouls) weren't necessarily the ones with the lowest PPP allowed (👀Boston, for example). <a href="https://t.co/5VVpnVCyYW">https://t.co/5VVpnVCyYW</a> <a href="https://t.co/aWBfcmOA9T">pic.twitter.com/aWBfcmOA9T</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1626670052769669120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Another post-All-Star stats check-in courtesy of Tom Bassine:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Updated starter and bench majority lineup team strengths. Denver still builds their leads through starter lineups with Jokic. Chicago bench stands out. <a href="https://t.co/1Uh8HSWSfs">pic.twitter.com/1Uh8HSWSfs</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1629102353210126336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Ethan Fuller highlights five under-the-radar rookies who could make an impact in the NBA season's final months.

NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who could break into the All-Rookie race

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aliyah Boston had 11 points and 10 rebounds for her 68th career double-double to keep No. 1 South Carolina undefeated with a 102-39 victory over Coastal Carolina on Wednesday.
Boston, who played just 13 minutes, moved four games away from matching the program&rsquo;s all-time mark for double-doubles held by Sheila Foster established four decades ago.
Freshman Ashlyn Watkins had a career high 16 points and Zia Cooke 14 as the defending national champs improved to 12-0 for a second straight season and fourth time in Dawn Staley&rsquo;s 15 years as coach.
This figured to be a challenge for the Chanticleers (5-6), who have just two players 6 feet or taller while South Carolina had 10.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 84, NO. 16 OREGON 67
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Rebeka Mikulasikova scored 27 points, Taylor Mikesell added 25 and Ohio State remained undefeated to win the San Diego Invitational.
Ohio State (13-0) is off to its best start since 2011-2012, when the Buckeyes won their first 15 games
Oregon (10-2) was led by forward Grace VanSlooten, who scored 29 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Freshman teammate Te-Hina Paopao, who grew up in Oceanside, California, just outside San Diego, added 17.
NO. 4 INDIANA 67, BUTLER 50
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 17 of her 21 points in the first half, and Indiana completed an unbeaten nonconference schedule with a win over Butler.
Yarden Garzon added 13 points and Sydney Parrish 10 for the Hoosiers (12-0).
Rachel McLimore scored 13 and Sydney Jaynes 11 for Butler (5-7).
Indiana is nearing the program record for most successive wins to open a season: 15-0 in 1972, the first year for women&rsquo;s basketball at the school. The Hoosiers were 14-0 in 2013-14.
NO. 5 NOTRE DAME 85, WESTERN MICHIGAN 57
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Maddy Westbeld scored 10 points in four minutes and Notre Dame started the second half on a 17-0 spree en route to a big win over Western Michigan.
The Fighting Irish (10-1) led 38-30 at the half, but scored on seven of their first eight possessions during the third quarter with a trio of 3-pointers. Westbeld scored a season-high 23 points, including 15 in the third quarter, and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
The Broncos (5-6) missed their first nine shots from the field in the period and saw their three-game winning streak snapped. Lauren Ross led Western Michigan with 15 points.
NO. 8 VIRGINIA TECH 86, HIGH POINT 66
HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Elizabeth Kitley scored 25 points and dished out a career-best seven assists as Virginia Tech captured a road victory over High Point.
Kitley, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, shot a season-high 78.5% from the floor, making 11-of-14 field goals, and had seven rebounds and four blocks for the Hokies (11-1). Taylor Soule added 24 points and Kayana Traylor chipped in 22 for Virginia Tech.
Claire Wyatt led High Point (2-8) with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point land. Callie Scheier added 11 points and Nakyah Terrell had 10.
NO. 9 UCONN 98, SETON HALL 73
STORRS, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Aaliyah Edwards had 23 points, leading six players who scored in double figures for UConn in its rout of Seton Hall.
Caroline Ducharme and Nika Muhl each had 16 points and were a combined 8 of 11 from 3-point range. Lou Lopez Senechal had 14 points, Aubrey Griffin added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Dorka Juhasz had 10 points and 10 rebounds for UConn (9-2, 2-0 Big East).
Sidney Cooks had 18 points and Lauren Park-Lane finished with 17 for Seton Hall (9-4, 2-1), which had its seven-game winning streak snapped.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma missed his second straight game due to illness. Associate coach Chris Dailey ran the team and improved to 15-0 when filling in for Auriemma.
NO. 13 IOWA 92, DARTMOUTH 54
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark&rsquo;s 20 points tied her for the quickest men&rsquo;s or women&rsquo;s Division I player to reach 2,000 career points since at least 1999-2000, and Iowa beat Dartmouth for its fifth straight victory.
Clark hit the career scoring mark in her 75th game, tying Elena Delle Donne for the quickest DI player to hit the mark, according to ESPN Stats &amp; Info. And Clark did it in style with her 242nd career 3-pointer.
Clark also had 10 rebounds and six assists. Teammate Monika Czinano, who entered with 1,969 career points in 98 games, also scored 20 points for Iowa (10-3).
Iowa scored 34 points in the first quarter and held Dartmouth to just five points in the second quarter.
Allie Harland led Dartmouth (2-11) with 11 points.
NO. 15 MARYLAND 88, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 51
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Shyanne Sellers scored 18 points, Diamond Miller had 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocks and Maryland beat Purdue Fort Wayne in the final nonconference matchup for the Terps.
Abby Meyers added 14 points and Brinae Alexander had 13 off the bench for Maryland (10-3).
Shyanne Sellers, Miller, Meyers and Alexander were all in double figures by the end of the third quarter when Maryland led 71-35. Amellia Bromenschenkel led Purdue Fort Wayne (4-8) with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
SOUTH FLORIDA 66, NO. 17 ARKANSAS 65, OT
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Elena Tsineke scored all four of South Florida&rsquo;s points in overtime and finished with 23 points lifting the Bulls over Arkansas in the San Diego Invitational.
Maria Alvarez forced overtime against Arkansas by making three free throws with 17 seconds left to tie it at 62-all. Arkansas was trapped in the corner at the other end and wasn&rsquo;t able to get a shot off before the buzzer.
Fankam Mendjiadeu finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for South Florida (11-4).
Erynn Barnum scored 21 points and Daniels added 20 for Arkansas (13-2).
NO. 18 ARIZONA 78, UT ARLINGTON 59
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) &mdash; Esmery Martinez scored 13 points and was part of dominating Arizona rebounding performance with nine boards in a win over UT Arlington.
Lauren Fields, Shaina Pellington, and Cate Reese scored 10 points apiece for Arizona (10-1), which won its third straight game. Maya Nnaji grabbed nine rebounds to go with six points before fouling out at the start of the fourth quarter.
Arizona outrebounded the Mavericks 47-26, including 17-7 on the offensive glass resulting in a 22-4 bulge in second-chance points.
Starr Jacobs scored 15 points, Kayla White 13 and Taleya Jones 12 for the Mavericks (6-6), who lost their first home game this season after four wins.
NEBRASKA 85, NO. 20 KANSAS 79, 3OT
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Jaz Shelley scored 24 points, hitting two of Nebraska&rsquo;s three 3-pointers in the third overtime, and the Cornhuskers handed Kansas its first loss of the season.
Alexis Markowski had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cornhuskers (10-3), who are now 2-2 against ranked teams with their next two games against ranked Big Ten rivals. Sam Haiby had 12 points in just her third game after an offseason injury and Isabelle Bourne scored 10.
Zakiyah Franklin finished with a career-high 27 points in 54 minutes for Kansas (10-1). Taiyanna Jackson had 18 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, Holly Kersgieter had 12 and 11. Ioanna Chatzileonti had 10 points and Chandler Prater had 10 rebounds as Kansas had a 68-46 advantage on the boards, including 25 offensive rebounds.
NO. 22 GONAZAGA 82, MONTANA 67
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Brynna Maxwell scored 23 points and Kaylynne Truong added 18 and the pair combined to hit nine of Gonzaga&rsquo;s 12 3-pointers to lead the Bulldogs over Montana.
Maxwell made 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 9 from 3-point range and Truong finished with five rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Yvonne Ejim had 15 points and nine rebounds, Eliza Hollingsworth scored 13 points and McKayla Williams finished with 11 points, five assists and two steals for Gonzaga (12-2).
Carmen Gfeller had 22 points and eight rebounds for Montana (4-7) and Sammy Fatkin added 21 points and five steals. Libby Stump scored 14.
NO. 23 OKLAHOMA 95, FLORIDA 79
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams had had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Taylor Robertson added 18 points on six 3-pointers, and Oklahoma defeated Florida at the Jumpman Invitational.
Robertson made 6-of-7 3-pointers and matched her own Big 12 record of 53 consecutive games with a 3-pointer. It marked the 14th time during the current streak that she has made at least five 3-pointers.
Skylar Vann had 15 points and Nevaeh Tot scored 12 for the Sooners (10-1), who have won seven in a row.
Florida&rsquo;s KK Deans made a career-high seven 3-pointers, scored 28 points and had nine assists. Ra Shaya Kyle had 16 points and 13 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double, the fifth in her career. Nina Rickards added 15 points for the Gators (11-2).
NO. 24 BAYLOR 73, LONG BEACH STATE 52
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Bickle scored 17 points, Sarah Andrews missed a triple-double by one point and Baylor pulled away for a win over Long Beach State.
Andrews had career highs of 14 assists and 12 rebounds to go with nine points on 2-of-11 shooting. Je&rsquo;Mee Asberry and Bella Fontleroy both had 11 points for the Bears (9-3).
Tori Harris scored 14 points for the Beach (5-5) and Ma&rsquo;Qhi Berry and Kianna Hamilton-Fisher had 10 each.
NO. 25 ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 80, WAGNER 51
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jayla Everett scored a season-high 24 points to lead St. John&rsquo;s over Wagner and its best start in program history.
St. John&rsquo;s (12-0), ranked for the first time in almost seven years, surpassed the 11-0 start of the 2004-05 team for the best in the history of the program&rsquo;s 48 years.
Kadaja Bailey added 14 points for the Red Storm, who had 11 of 12 players reach the scoring column.
Lina Loceniece scored 13 points for Wagner (5-6) and Zhaneia Thybulle had 10.

A recap of Wednesday night's women's college hoops slate includes Aliyah Boston notching another double-double for South Carolina.

Boston four double-doubles from tying Gamecocks’ all-time mark

Nekias Duncan takes an early look at this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through mid-December.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award front-runners: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aliyah Boston missed the second half of No. 1 South Carolina&rsquo;s game against Hampton on Sunday with her right foot in a walking boot, but reserves Bree Hall and Ashlyn Watkins scored 14 points each in an 85-38 win.
Kamila Cardoso added 11 points and 14 rebounds for South Carolina. It was the 6-foot-7 forward&rsquo;s eighth career double-double.
Boston, the reigning Associated Press Player of the Year, took a hard fall on a drive to the basket late in the second quarter and needed several moments to stand up. Soon after, she headed to the locker room before the period ended.
Boston did not come out for the start of the third quarter, returning to the bench midway through the period with a walking boot on her right foot. Boston spent the rest of the game cheering on her teammates, who improved to 6-0 this season and 5-0 all-time against the Pirates.
No. 2 STANFORD 68, HAWAII 39
HONOLULU (AP) &mdash; Ashten Pretchel scored 12 of her season-high 17 points in the first half to help Stanford easily defeat Hawaii on the final day of the Rainbow Wahine Showdown.
The Cardinal (7-1) erased an early deficit and held the Rainbow Wahine (1-6) to a season-low scoring output.
Pretchel came off the bench and shot 6 of 10 from the field, including hitting five 3-pointers. She also grabbed 11 rebounds.
Lily Wahinekapu led Hawaii with 12 points.
NO. 3 UCONN 86, NO. 9 IOWA 79
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Azzi Fudd scored 24 points to rally UConn past Iowa in the championship game of the first Phil Knight Legacy women&rsquo;s tournament.
Fudd had plenty of help, with Aaliyah Edwards (20 points, 13 rebounds) and three other Huskies (5-0) scoring in double-figures. Edwards was named MVP of the tournament.
Iowa (5-2) star Caitlin Clark had 25 points, and Kate Martin added 20.
Edwards got UConn off to a strong start, scoring 10 points while the Huskies built a 20-14 edge.
Clark and the Hawkeyes then surged with a 13-2 run to begin the second quarter and led 41-35 at halftime. Clark scored 17 points in the first half.
NO. 4 OHIO STATE 105, NORTH ALABAMA 67
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Rebeka Mikulasikova scored 23 points and Cotie McMahon added 20 to lead Ohio State past North Alabama.
The Buckeyes (6-0) shot 58.6% from the field as all five starters reached double figures in scoring.
North Alabama (3-3) trailed by eight points with less than eight minutes to go in the second quarter, but Ohio State extended its lead on an 11-0 run keyed by five points from Madison Greene.
The Buckeyes held a 59-37 lead at halftime and stretched it to as large as 39 with less than three minutes remaining.
No. 8 NORTH CAROLINA 73, No. 5 IOWA STATE 64
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Deja Kelly scored 29 points to power North Carolina to a 17-point comeback over Iowa State and win in the championship game of the Phil Knight Invitational tournament.
Kennedy Todd-Williams added 17 points to help the Tar Heels (6-0) complete the comeback and remain undefeated on the season. Alyssa Ustby contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Stephanie Soares led the Cyclones (5-1) with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Ashley Joens had 18 points and nine rebounds as Iowa State suffered its first loss of the year.
NO. 11 VIRGINIA TECH 89, LONGWOOD 28
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Elizabeth Kitley had a double-double, Kayana Traylor added a double-double off the bench, and Virginia Tech rolled over Longwood.
Kitley had 23 points and 14 rebounds for the Hokies. Traylor had 11 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Ashley Owusu scored 21 points, making 4 of 5 3-pointers.
The Hokies established a program record by holding South Carolina Upstate to 24 points on Nov. 14. Longwood passed 24 points when Adriana Shipp-Davis made a layup with 4:44 remaining.
Shipp-Davis had seven rebounds for Longwood (1-5). The Lancers shot 16.7% overall, which was also their 3-point percentage (3-for-18).
NO. 14 MARYLAND 87, PITTSBURGH 63
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Abby Meyers scored 12 of her 23 points in Maryland&rsquo;s 36-point third quarter and the Terrapins rolled past Pittsburgh to finish the Ft. Myers Tip-Off.
Brinae Alexander hit three 3-pointers in the Terps&rsquo; biggest quarter of the season and was 5 of 7 from distance to finish with 17 points. Lavender Briggs contributed 10 points as the three transfers had their biggest outputs of the season for Maryland. Shyanne Sellers added 13 points for the Terrapins (6-2), who went 2-1 in the tournament.
Maryland went 7 of 10 behind the arc and shot 55% in the second half.
Maliyah Johnson had 15 points for the Panthers (5-2), who only had one less 3-pointer but was outscored by 13 at the foul line where Maryland was 20 of 23.
No. 18 OREGON 86, MICHIGAN STATE 78
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Endyia Rogers scored 19 points, including critical back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, Phillipina Kyei had a double-double with career highs and Oregon held off Michigan State in the third-place game of the Phil Knight Invitational.
The Ducks led 29-12 when Rogers scored the opening basket of the second quarter but the Spartans slowly came back behind Kamaria McDaniel, who had a season-high 28 points. McDaniel hit a 3-pointer and Matilda Ekh had a steal and layup and Michigan State tied the game with 7:17 to play.
That&rsquo;s when Rogers, who had a career-high five 3-pointers, scored from distance, the first coming after a timeout and the Ducks regained control.
Isaline Alexander scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Ekh 12 for the Spartans (6-2).
NO. 19 TEXAS 74, PRINCETON 50
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Sonya Morris scored 15 points, Taylor Jones notched a double-double and Texas breezed to a victory over Princeton.
Morris sank 5 of 10 shots from the floor with two 3-pointers for Texas (3-3). Jones finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Rori Harmon had 11 points and Aaliyah Moore scored 10.
The Longhorns picked up their second straight win after a three-game losing streak. Texas fell 16 spots in the AP poll.
Kaitlyn Chen topped Princeton (3-2) with 15 points. Julia Cunningham added 10 points. Ellie Mitchell came into the game leading the nation with 16.2 rebounds per game. She didn&rsquo;t score and had seven boards.
No. 22 MICHIGAN 84, No. 21 BAYLOR 75
ESTERO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Emily Kiser scored 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, Laila Phelia added 20 points and Michigan scored the final 11 points to beat Baylor in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Maddie Nolan scored seven of her 12 points in a 20-5 run over the final 4-plus minutes and Leigha Brown finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists forMichigan (7-0).
Ja&rsquo;Mee Asberry scored inside to give Baylor a 75-73 lead with 2 minutes to go but Brown made a layup and, after a missed 3-point shot on the other end, grabbed her own offensive rebound and kicked it out to Phelia for a 3 that gave the Wolverines the lead for good with 48 seconds to go.
Jaden Owens scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the Bears.
NO. 23 TENNESSEE 105, EASTERN KENTUCKY 71
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Rickea Jackson scored 15 points to lead a balanced attack and Tennessee coasted to a win over Eastern Kentucky.
Jordan Horston added 14 points for the Lady Vols (4-4), Jillian Hollingshead and Tamari Key 13 each and Karoline Striplin 10. Jackson and Horston both had five assists and joined Hollingshead with eight rebounds.
Antwainette Walker scored 18 points for the Colonels (4-3).
NO. 23 VILLANOVA 72, SOUTH FLORIDA 50
ESTERO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Maddy Siegrist scored 25 points to surpass 2,000 for her career and Villanova used a hot start to beat South Florida in the third-place game at the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Siegrist scored 13 points in the first half and 10 in the third quarter as the Wildcats (6-1) took a 58-36 lead. Lucy Olsen scored 10 of her 13 before the break.
Siegrist became the third player in Villanova history to reach the 2,000-point plateau when she hit a jumper at 3:46 of the third quarter to put the Wildcats up 50-31.
Sammie Puisis scored 17 points for the Bulls (7-2). Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu had 14 points with 17 rebounds &mdash; matching her career high, and Elena Tsineke scored 11.

Boston, the reigning Associated Press Player of the Year, took a hard fall on a drive to the basket late in the second quarter.

Boston hurt in No. 1 Gamecocks’ win; No. 3 UConn tops Iowa

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; The NBA made its voice heard during the 2020 election cycle. LeBron James&rsquo; &ldquo;More Than A Vote&rdquo; initiative, formed after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked a national protest movement, was everywhere. Players were leading get-out-the-vote marches and rallies, making themselves more visible politically than ever before.
This year, the approach is of a more grassroots variety.
All 30 teams are doing various things in advance of Tuesday&rsquo;s midterm election, like airing public service announcements, leading registration drives and having employees volunteer at polling locations. The league won't play any games on Election Day.
But the volume is lower than two years ago. The &ldquo;More Than A Vote&rdquo; campaign is dormant, <a href="http://morethanavote.org/">its URL says the site can't be reached</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/morethanavote/status/1480240992745885697?s=20&amp;t=2YCPWi0mHQ1lbdCS746MoA">its last tweet coming in early January</a>.
That said, Golden State guard Stephen Curry&rsquo;s still has a clear message: All elections, including Tuesday's that will decide control of Congress, very much matter.
&ldquo;I think the message has been broadcast loud and clear for a decade now in terms of how important these moments are,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;Athletes can leverage their platforms to different politicians, different communities that are important to them, different causes, and that&rsquo;s happening.&rdquo;
Curry&rsquo;s 17 million Twitter followers have seen him post multiple times in recent weeks about voting &mdash; &ldquo;our future is on the ballot,&rdquo; he said. He also promoted a summit for young voters in California.
If there is a trend in the NBA in this election cycle, it&rsquo;s just that &mdash; getting young voters involved.
Francesca Pierre-Michel, an 18-year-old high school student in Miami, just voted for the first time last week.. She was with about 500 other students at an event organized by the Miami Heat that brought them all to an early voting location to cast ballots. They came in on a caravan of buses, the line snaking around the outside of the building.
The significance of the Heat getting involved wasn&rsquo;t lost on Pierre-Michel.
&ldquo;For me, that&rsquo;s not the reason why I went to go vote,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But I feel like for the rest of my peers, seeing the Heat or their favorite basketball team being involved and encouraging young adults, that helps. I wanted to vote because I wanted to get my voice heard. I&rsquo;m 18. My vote really counts now.&rdquo;
The Heat arranged for the new voters to celebrate with pizza for lunch. Pierre-Michel also got the &ldquo;I Voted&rdquo; sticker, which has become her prized souvenir.
&ldquo;I put it on my binder,&rdquo; she said.
Boston guard Grant Williams also promoted &mdash; and participated in &mdash; early voting, flying home to North Carolina to make sure his ballot got cast last month.
&ldquo;I encourage everyone to go out and make a difference!! Our state and local elections are just as important if not more than the presidential so let&rsquo;s use that right for the better!!&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/Grant2Will/status/1584961396176867329?s=20&amp;t=NgigKrquZYvovQmMXKYJxA">he tweeted.</a>
Taking a regular-season day off is a rarity for the NBA, which typically does not play on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and tries to avoid scheduling games on the day of the NCAA men&rsquo;s basketball championship game. It also has a few days off built around the All-Star Game, which takes place in February.
All 30 NBA teams are in action Monday, the night before Election Day, and there will be voting-themed messaging at many of those game sites.
In Chicago, the Bulls will have a player speak to fans about getting out to vote, and their opponent, the Toronto Raptors, will be wearing shirts encouraging voting, even though there is no national election in Canada on Tuesday.
Atlanta will encourage <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-race-and-ethnicity-atlanta-political-parties-5ca73a0e7aaa2022038281394e1ee6ea">Georgia voters to go to the polls</a> in a state where the race between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker will help decide which party controls the U.S. Senate. In Dallas, the Mavericks partnered with several nonpartisan organizations to promote voter registration in a state where the governor's seat is on the ballot, as well as with Black churches to support &ldquo;Souls to the Polls&rdquo; efforts.
Curry believes that even if it's not as apparent as 2020, things are getting done.
&ldquo;Everybody has to do their part and you might not understand the ramifications of it in the moment but I think the trickle-down effect is really presenting itself in a loud way every year,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if it&rsquo;s because I&rsquo;m getting older, but it&rsquo;s more on my radar, front of mind, way more than it ever was. That matters.&rdquo;

All 30 teams are doing various things in advance of Tuesday’s midterm election. The league won't play any games on Election Day.

NBA teams' approach to Election Day more muted than 2020

If this month has given us any indication, the 2023 NBA Draft could be special.
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson went head-to-head in two thrilling showcases to start October, exemplifying the potential greatness that could headline this prospect group.
Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has Wembanyama atop <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his initial 2023 Big Board</a>, with Scoot Henderson at No. 2. But they're just the headliners. Amen and Ausar Thompson, twin uber-athletes, are carving up the court with Overtime Elite. Then you get to the collegiate standouts, led by Villanova's Cam Whitmore and Arkansas' Nick Smith Jr.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
New on <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a>: this season's first 2023 NBA Draft Big Board.👇 Link: <a href="https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2">https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2</a> <a href="https://t.co/d6UEUTsjip">pic.twitter.com/d6UEUTsjip</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1584921955357990912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Babcock broke down the top names to monitor as the scouting season gets rolling. He also dove into his own scouting process and the challenges that come with criss-crossing the globe to watch basketball's best young talents.&nbsp;
How much did Victor Wembanyama's dominance in Las Vegas change his reputation as a generational prospect compared to before the exhibitions?
In my role as an NBA Draft Analyst, I do my best not to go too high or too low on guys based on individual performances. But to be in Las Vegas in person, sitting courtside to see Victor Wembanyama, an 18-year-old that's 7-foot-4 and has an 8-foot wingspan do the things that he did &mdash; it was remarkable. The combination of his length, coordination, and skill level is unbelievable. I don't know if we'll ever see a prospect quite like Victor Wembanyama again. He's so incredibly unique and has about as much upside as possibly imaginable.
What do you want to see from Wembanyama over this next season before making the likely leap to the NBA?
Although this may seem obvious, I'd like to see Victor stay healthy and out on the court this season. Considering that he has such a unique body type, I think that is very important. He's such an incredible prospect, but he needs to get stronger and take care of his body to maximize his potential.
How does Scoot Henderson compare to some of the dynamic guard prospects we've seen over the past decade?
Suppose we look at the top-tier guard prospects from recent years' drafts. In that case, we'd be talking about guys like LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, Darius Garland, Trae Young &mdash; and I guess you could put Luka Doncic in that group, too, since he's essentially a big point guard.&nbsp;
Well, I'm comfortable saying I'm just as excited about Scoot Henderson as I was about all those guys at the same stage. But, of course, Scoot needs to take care of his business to get to those players' levels. However, my point is I do think he has that type of talent and potential.
What makes Amen and Ausar Thompson special, and could the twins also be franchise-altering talents?
Although the Thompson brothers are identical twins, I do see differences in their games. For example, Amen seems to have better ball skills and a feel for the game, and Ausar is wired more as a scorer. However, they're both incredible athletes with so much versatility on both sides of the ball. Outside shooting is their swing skill, and their development in that area will likely determine how much career success they'll find. It seems as if both guys are about all of the right things and are serious about their craft, which tells me they'll continue to improve. I think they're both big-time prospects and worthy of being high lottery picks.
Wembanyama, Henderson and the Thompson twins come from unconventional pathways. How does that change your scouting process?
Well, first of all, I take a compartmentalized approach to evaluating prospects regardless of whether they take an unconventional pathway or not. Each evaluation presents unique challenges, so I don't think it changes things for me too much.&nbsp;
Players taking unconventional pathways sometimes allow me more direct access to them. For example, with these players, as mentioned earlier, it's been more advantageous for me because I have unique connections to them. Victor Wembanyama's agent, Bouna N'Diaye, is a good friend, and I collaborated with him and his agency, Comsport, for years when I was an agent.&nbsp;
Scoot's mentor in Atlanta, Desmond Eastman, aka "The General," has been my guy since I played high school ball in Atlanta. The General, Scoot, and his family invited me out to their family's gym, Next Play 360, a couple of years ago to watch Scoot work out, and I got a chance to spend some time with all of them. And I've kept in touch with them since then.&nbsp;
I've also had opportunities to spend some time with the Thompson Twins. Before Overtime Elite was publicly launched, I spent about six months as an advisor for them; I assisted in setting up their scouting operations. So naturally, I'm close with all of the folks out there. A little while back, Overtime Elite invited me to come to Atlanta to speak to their players about scouting, intel, and the business of the NBA. Of course, I'm not always connected to top prospects like I am with those guys, but my background and experience in hoops does tend to serve me well regarding access, which I certainly don't take for granted.
Which other 2023 draft-eligible players do you think have a chance at putting themselves in that Tier 1 prospect conversation?
I'm not sure if any other players will be able to crack that first tier. Still, I am excited to track some college freshmen like Cam Whitmore at Villanova, Nick Smith at Arkansas, Dariq Whitehead at Duke, Dillon Mitchell at Texas, and Keyonte George at Baylor, to name a few. I could list off a handful or so more, too, as I think the freshman class this year has a bunch of talented prospects.
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We hit the Main Line for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BIGEASThoops?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BIGEASThoops</a> Preseason Freshman of the Year, <a href="https://twitter.com/NovaMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NovaMBB</a>'s Cam Whitmore! Cam was the Most Outstanding Player on <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usabasketball</a>'s FIBA U18 Americas Championship squad this past summer &amp; was the Gatorade Maryland POTY at Archbishop Spalding! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoNova?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoNova</a> <a href="https://t.co/s0JUUeqIPn">pic.twitter.com/s0JUUeqIPn</a>
&mdash; BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGEASTMBB/status/1582344744449019904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As a scout, how do you make sure you're being fairly critical of top prospects without overanalyzing their flaws?
My process for evaluating prospects is to ask questions constantly, whether by asking myself questions internally or blowing up my right-hand man, Derek Murray's phone, to ask him questions. A comprehensive evaluation or conclusion of the evaluation of a prospect before their draft ultimately comes down to the concept of the sum of all its parts.&nbsp;
Experienced scouts can gather comparable information on prospects, evaluating the players' on-court talent and gathering intel on their background, character, and personality. Generally, we all know a prospect's strengths, weaknesses, and questions that need to be raised at a certain point in the process. The most challenging part is how one weighs out all the different variables within the evaluation.&nbsp;
For example, maybe a player lacks physical strength, has character flaws, or is an inconsistent shooter. How big of a problem are specific players' "issues" compared to how much talent and upside they have, and how much could their issues limit their ability to maximize their potential? It's all about balancing out the risk versus the reward. It's certainly a juggling act, but you know what? I love it. I live for it. I wake up as a scout everyday seeking more information on prospects in hopes of figuring out the big puzzle, which is the NBA Draft.
Which top returning college players are you most excited to see make improvements in their games?
There are many returners I'm hoping will make a big jump in their development. Some players that come to mind first are Terquavion Smith from NC State, Marcus Sasser from Houston, Kris Murray from Iowa, Harrison Ingram from Stanford, Oscar Tshiebwe and Daimion Collins from Kentucky, Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton, Terrence Shannon and Coleman Hawkins from Illinois, and Caleb Love from North Carolina. 
Honestly, I could list off a bunch of guys. I love to see guys return to school and keep grinding. Having a front-row seat to watch young players' stories unfold as they chase their dreams is perhaps the best part of my job. I love it!
Beyond Wembanyama, what does this year's international prospect landscape look like?
Of course, Wembanyama is the big name this year. Some other internationally-born prospects that are playing overseas that I'm excited to track are Rayan Rupert with the New Zealand Breakers, Nikola Djurisic with Mega in Serbia, and James Nnaji and Ousmane NDiaye with Barcelona and Baskonia in Spain, respectively.
How do you set a roadmap for the early scouting season &mdash; do you prioritize geography, teams or specific players at first?
I first get my initial player rankings and priority watch list together, which helps me prepare and organize who I need to see. Secondly, I identify "must-see" games and events. For example, early this college season, I plan to attend the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis, including Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Then I plan to attend the Phil Knight Invitational and Legacy events in Portland, which include many talented teams. There are some other double-headers and unique matchups in neutral locations I have penciled in too.&nbsp;
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From there, I look at "low-hanging fruit" games. This would include games and events with NBA prospects that I can travel to cheaply and easily. I live in Denver, Colorado, so the drivable spots for me are mainly the University of Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force, and I drive to Wyoming here and there too. I also pencil in high-priority high school events into my schedule, like the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, City of Palms in Fort Myers, Florida. My tentative schedule is planned through March already. I still need to squeeze in a couple of trips overseas, and I will likely make some adjustments as we go, but I like to prepare ahead of time.
What are some of the challenges when it comes to planning scouting trips for a draft class that could have several special players at the top?
Having "special players" doesn't change scheduling much, or at all, honestly. However, I will say this; I generally go extremely hard in November and December to get my bases covered regarding scouting the higher-rated prospects. This is because I like to get a head start so that I can pick and choose my spots later.&nbsp;
Injuries can be a significant disruptor. It's impossible to predict who will be healthy throughout the season. Fortunately, my processes have served me well at times. For example, I went to see Vanderbilt play USC in LA a few years back for their season opener, and I'm sure glad I did because I got to see Darius Garland, who was terrific. Unfortunately, he got hurt shortly after and only played five games that entire season before becoming a high lottery pick.&nbsp;
Similarly, I watched Patrick Baldwin Jr. several times before him missing the bulk of the season with a foot injury. He only played in 11 games the entire season. Anyway, I don't underestimate seeing a top prospect while I can; you never know how things will unfold.
What under-the-radar college teams should NBA Draft enthusiasts make sure to watch?
Although they're ranked high, we don't usually see Houston and Creighton mixing it up with the blue bloods and top programs. However, I think both teams have a chance of doing big things this season.
Coach Kelvin Sampson has done a terrific job building up that program in Houston. I was a bit surprised that their stud guard, Marcus Sasser, decided to return to school after doing so well at the NBA Draft Combine, but I'm happy he did. I think he's poised for a breakout year. They have a lot of other talented players too. Most specifically, I'm excited to see five-star recruit Jarace Walker. I have had the chance to watch Walker many times at various high school events. His physical tools, toughness, and versatility are interesting.
I usually head out to Omaha, Nebraska, once or twice yearly to see Creighton games. It's an easy flight to Omaha for me coming from Denver, there is a fantastic Marriott hotel right across from Creighton's arena, and they take great care of the media, as they have always given me a seat courtside. I've seen some terrific games there in the last few years. I remember watching teams like Villanova, including Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Eric Paschall, and then a stacked Gonzaga team featuring Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke.&nbsp;
I will likely try to see Villanova play Creighton this season because they have highly touted freshman Cam Whitmore, who is projected as a lottery pick. Still, I will also focus on Creighton's prospects this year, as Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Baylor Scheierman have been generating some buzz.
Has the success of some of last year's rookies changed your scouting philosophies at all?
The biggest thing for me recently is not necessarily adjusting to how individual players have performed but just keeping the pulse on the trends and how the game continues to evolve. For example, the idea that the NBA is moving towards a positionless game is becoming more apparent each year. Subsequently, players with decent size, well-rounded skill sets, and versatility on both ends of the ball have never held so much value.&nbsp;
On the flip side, undersized guards and traditional big men are not carrying as much value across the board as they once did. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules, but it has certainly changed how I look at specific prospects.
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What is the most enjoyable part of this first month of college scouting for you?
I will be a little cliche here, but I just love getting back in the arena.&nbsp;
I'm a member of the staff for Damian Lillard's Formula Zero, a group of top high school and college prospects. One exercise we do as a group is having everyone take a turn to share one thing they have been doing well and one thing they have been struggling with or would like to improve on. It got me thinking about that recently regarding myself; I've gotten to a point in my career where I've developed to become very organized, detail-oriented, and prepared, which hasn't always been the case. Over time, I've turned these areas from my weaknesses into strengths. And I'm proud to be able to say that.&nbsp;
Alright, now my weakness. Of course, the offseason is a great opportunity to spend time with my family, which I do, and I love having that time! But the fact is, I don't have any real hobbies, and I essentially am obsessed with the game and what I do. So I get impatient and uneasy when I don't have a lot of basketball in my life &mdash; it happens every year. So naturally, when the season starts, it puts me at ease. There is so much great basketball to see in November and December, and I'm just ecstatic to get back out there and start chipping away, trying to figure out this year's NBA Draft.

Ethan Fuller previews the 2023 scouting season with BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock.

2023 NBA Draft: Previewing top prospects to watch with Matt Babcock

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Kelsey Plum came out of the gates hot on Tuesday night.
No, this isn't a reference to the 4 three-pointers she made in the opening frame against the Chicago Sky; though, it probably could be. Plum's fourth triple of the quarter gave the Las Vegas Aces a 25-4 advantage, and they led by as many as 22 in the first quarter &mdash; a deficit the Sky ultimately were unable to overcome.
Plum came out firing after the game. After the scoreboard flashed a 91-83 final score. After her backcourt mate Chelsea Gray was named Commisioner Cup MVP for her 19-point, 5-assist, 4-rebound stat line.
There was competition for that award. Plum led the game in scoring (24 points) and tied for the game lead with 6 assists. Their MVP teammate A'ja Wilson scored 17 points, grabbed 17 boards and blocked a career-high 6 shots. Heck, Jackie Young quietly put up 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, with timely pull-up middies, fiesty drives and airtight defense along the way.
It's that dynamic &mdash; the brighter-shining star talent with gaudier numbers &mdash; that allows Gray to fly under the radar.
Wilson and Plum are MVP candidates and All-Stars, primed to grace the All-WNBA First Team together. Young is the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award, was an All-Star and has a strong chance to make an All-WNBA and All-Defensive team this season. Dearica Hamby (9-3-5, +12 in roughly 23 minutes on Tuesday night) joined the starting lineup this season after winning two of the last three Sixth Woman of the Year awards; she was an All-Star this year too.
Gray, a four-time All-Star in her own right, was the only starter to not make the team this season. She's somehow been lost in the fold &mdash; a testament to how good the Aces are, but a disservice to Gray's talent.
No more, says Plum.
"I just, for the record, want to set things straight," <a href="https://youtu.be/sj-SySVTZI0?t=341" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plum began</a> after being asked about Gray's CC MVP designation.
"She's the best point guard in the world. She's the starting point guard on the Olympic team; she's an All-Star; she's an All-WNBA player. She's the clutchest player in the WNBA. Ask anyone, any GM, head coach, player. She got snubbed [from the All-Star team] this year, and it sucks because I felt like we deserved five All-Stars."
Plum wasn't done.
"I know that was tough for her, because she's a competitor. She leads our team. When we need big plays down the stretch, Chelsea consistently makes big plays. At the end of the day, you can talk about the numbers and this-and-that, but she wins games. That, to me, should be the most important thing. That's 'MVP' tonight, but she's been leading our team for the whole season. I feel like she doesn't get the love and credit she deserves, so I'm really, really glad people saw that tonight."
Gray's had a phenomenal July, averaging 13.6 points (56.9% from two, 40.9% from three) and 6.1 assists (2.0 turnovers) per contest. Those averages have perked up over her last five games: 14.0 points (48.6% from two, 42.1% from three), 7.0 assists (1.8 turnovers) and nearly 3 steals per game.
Gray's box score contributions just seem to hit differently.
Some of that is the timing. Half of Gray's made baskets on Tuesday night came in the third quarter, with those shots quelling the comeback effort of the Sky. They chipped the deficit down to 8 points, but Gray was right there to respond.
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That's 7 timely points and a near full-court dot to Young in the span of three minutes.
Most of it is the nature of what Gray does. She bullies smaller guards &mdash; and sometimes like-sized ones &mdash; off the bounce or on the block. Her intersection of ball-handling and strength allows her to get to her spots without blinding speed. She's converting nearly 73% of her shots inside the restricted area this season, which ranks third among guards who have taken at least 40 shots at the rim this season.
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She will sprinkle an array of pull-up, step-back and turnaround jumpers in your face. <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/shooting/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;DateFrom=07%2F01%2F2022&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just this month</a>, Gray has converted nearly 62% of her mid-range jumpers. No, that's not a typo.
Her awesome footwork and high-release point make her a tough cover for defenders. You never quite know where she's going or when she's going to stop on a dime.
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And it's hard to get past the passing. The list of passers more audacious than Gray is a short one &mdash; in the WNBA or otherwise. Her film is filled with all kinds of nonsense: full-court bombs, no-look bounce passes through traffic, flick-tastic lead passes and over-the-head feeds to shooters. It's insane stuff.
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I still haven't gotten over the falling-down bounce pass from the Los Angeles Sparks game.
Quibble if you'd like about the "best point guard" comment from Plum &mdash; Skylar Diggins-Smith would certainly like a word &mdash; but it's hard to deny the general sentiment.
Gray is an absolute baller and should be respected as such.

Nekias Duncan highlights the play of Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray stemming from Kelsey Plum's passionate comments.

Why we can't forget about Chelsea Gray, leader of the Las Vegas Aces

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Many college students &mdash; even Division I basketball players &mdash; have a window of time around Christmas to travel home, see their families and press pause on the motion and stress of life at school.
Baylor freshman Jeremy Sochan did not have that luxury.&nbsp;
Sochan's mother, stepfather and brother live in Milton Keynes, a medium-sized city in the United Kingdom. Between the short break (Baylor men's basketball played on Dec. 20 and Dec. 28), the long flight and the surging COVID-19 pandemic, a homecoming simply was not feasible.
Instead, the highly-touted prospect bought a ticket to finally see his first NBA regular-season game, tagging along with Baylor assistant coach Bill Peterson and a couple of Peterson's friends to watch the Dallas Mavericks host the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 23.
The freshman was enthralled. He lingered in the American Airlines Center well after the game ended, soaking up the atmosphere.
"Afterwards he just kept saying, 'Coach, I can't thank you enough,'" Peterson told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. "He just had a different appreciation for it. Because he was from another country, going to an NBA game wasn't something he did all the time."
Soon, Sochan will live those moments almost every day. The 6-foot-9-inch forward is headed to the 2022 NBA Draft as a sure-fire first-round pick and a possible lottery selection. Sochan's journey to June 23 includes crisscrossing the globe for basketball, and in his NBA Draft Combine interview, he aptly proclaimed himself a "citizen of the world."
"My family's from all over the place &mdash; Poland, America, and I lived in England most of my life &mdash;&nbsp;and it's hard to answer the question when someone says: Where are you from?" Sochan told BasketballNews.com over the phone. "Because you don't really have one specific place. So I try and explain it that way."
In the past five years alone, Sochan has suited up for five different elite basketball programs, beginning from his home in England and traversing through Poland, the United States (twice) and Germany. But the takeoff started in his hometown of Milton Keynes, where Sochan grew up after being born in Oklahoma and living briefly in Southampton.
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Where it all started 💙 <a href="https://twitter.com/ItchenBball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ItchenBball</a> <a href="https://t.co/MIZHcS6llo">pic.twitter.com/MIZHcS6llo</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Sochan (@SochanJeremy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SochanJeremy/status/1455881532934086658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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After playing for his local club, the Milton Keynes Trojans, Sochan spent one season at Itchen College in Southampton as a high-school-age freshman. (Sixth-form colleges in the UK are somewhat like private high schools in the U.S.). Sochan adamantly states that basketball is on a serious rise at the youth level in England, and he might be right.
According to an article from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/author/vithushan-ehantharajah">Vithushan Ehantharajah</a><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/us-sport/nba/british-basketball-teams-players-b1825787.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;of The Independent</a>,&nbsp;basketball ranked as the second-most popular sport at the recreational level behind only soccer, and over 1.3 million people said they hooped at least once a week in a study between 2018 and 2019. Per the same 2021 article, the United Kingdom is ninth in the world and first in Europe for NBA League Pass subscriptions.
In Sochan's estimation, the problem is a lack of funding that limits the ceiling of player development. It's part of the reason he moved on from UK programs.
"Unfortunately, I feel like it's not funded well enough, and there's not a lot of exposure or resources for basketball," Sochan said. "So at times, it's difficult. It's difficult to rent a court. It's expensive, and you'd have to have a massive group of people... But there's a lot of potential, and it's a country with a lot of immigrants [and] a lot of people around the world. So if they put money in it, and resources, it's gonna be a great place for basketball, for sure."
As Sochan made waves in England, his mother, Aneta Sochan, was leveraging her connections abroad. Aneta is Polish and played Division II basketball at Oklahoma Panhandle State University before her own professional stint with Polonia Warszawa in Poland. She moved to England with Sochan's late biological father, Ryan Williams, as Williams pursued a professional career, and later settled in Milton Keynes with her current partner, Wiktor Lipiecki. Sochan's holidays were typically spent with Aneta's extended family in their home country.
Aneta sent emails and film to the Polish Basketball Association, looking for inroads for her son. Eventually, they came in the form of development camps in Poland and Spain, and persuading Dawid Mazur to allow him to compete for a spot on the Poland U16 National Team.
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Sochan exploded in his second year with the program. He put up 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 3.0 assists per game in the summer of 2019, leading Poland to the European Class B title and winning MVP honors in his tour de force through the continent.
Sochan had proven himself on one of the largest European stages. But as his name reached scouting circles in the United States, Sochan transferred to La Lumiere High School, a national powerhouse program in Indiana. It featured a loaded roster that fielded some of the country's top prospects, including draft classmate Jaden Ivey and Louisville commit Kamari Lands. Sochan's third high-level team in three years &mdash; and three countries &mdash; tested his resolve as a young talent.
"It was interesting because I feel like there's differences, of course, between European basketball and American basketball," Sochan said. "In America, I feel like the players are a lot more confident... just more confident and free, and at first, it was a little bit difficult for me to understand that. But I feel like as time went on, [me] building confidence and my teammates believing in me, it got a lot easier."
A barrier to entry exists whenever an athlete joins a new team. For international players like Sochan, that barrier can feel thicker and taller, particularly with the stereotypes that persist surrounding European hoops.
Later on at Baylor, Peterson wanted Sochan to challenge the narrative.
"I would joke with him a lot about [how] one of the monikers in the NBA is that European guys are soft, or they're wusses. That goes around the NBA," Peterson said.
"So he would say to me, 'I do not want to be a wuss. I'm not a wuss,' he would always say, and I said, 'I know.' Sometimes when guys hit you, you gotta hit 'em back. You gotta stick 'em on an offensive or defensive boxout. You gotta hammer 'em on a screen. It sends a message."&nbsp;
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Time and again, Sochan demonstrated his physical toughness and determination. He did it by solidifying himself as a four-star high school recruit at La Lumiere in 2019-20, becoming the youngest player in Poland men's senior national team history in 2021 and smothering opponents with the Bears in 2021-22. Sochan also charted his own course when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his basketball plans.
Sochan returned home for school vacation in the spring of 2020 as a high school junior at La Lumiere. Then, the school told Sochan to stay in Milton Keynes for an extra week as activities paused. One week became two weeks, then a month. Sochan ultimately never returned. As the United States reeled from the impact of the virus, Sochan pivoted back to Europe and settled on Orange Academy, a development program under German pro team Ratiopharm Ulm.
"Germany was pretty good with the COVID situation, and also, they were one of the only clubs to offer me no contract, so I could be eligible for college," he said. "So it was a great opportunity."
Sochan verbally committed to Baylor in the summer of 2020 before he headed to Germany. But the pandemic and travel hurdles kept him from visiting campus after he committed; all of his conversations with coaches came via phone and Zoom. And after never seeing his family while at La Lumiere, Sochan had to leave them again for another year when he took off for Orange Academy.
"Of course it's difficult; you can be a little homesick," Sochan said. "But I think, as of an early age, I always used to go to camps in Spain and Poland on my own. It was an easy adjustment for me. Personally, I am confident, just knowing the reason I'm leaving home. [It] helped me stay on course and keep on working every day. I'm doing this for my family, of course, and myself &mdash; to get better. I feel like that motivated me to keep on going,"
Peterson recalls receiving a video from Sochan while the then-17-year-old was at Orange Academy. It was 30 seconds of Sochan alone on an outdoor court in Germany, laughing and smiling while drilling himself on ball-handling exercises that Peterson had recommended.&nbsp;
"Coach, I'm working on this. How do I look?" Sochan would ask him. "Am I getting better?"
The grind has powered Sochan through those lonely nights away from home. He celebrated his 19th birthday on May 20 with dinner at an Italian restaurant &mdash; and by working out in front of teams on the final day of the Combine. Though he may be surrounded by new teammates, new coaches, new audiences and new cultures, he knows he has two constants: family and basketball.
"I feel like it's just understanding where you came from &mdash; your family &mdash; and just being able to stay present," Sochan said. "Just being able to get better every day is what I feel like grounds me. And I think it's important for me to just get better every day and just keep on learning &mdash; whether it's through basketball on the court, off the court, mentally, physically."
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Many Polish goods, are things that I will be missing on the 24th for the 3rd time in the row. More importantly I will be missing the physical presence of my family, I&rsquo;ve had it far from perfect but nobody has so I&rsquo;m just like you. We all sacrifice something for the greater good. <a href="https://t.co/KmlRBIVmG7">pic.twitter.com/KmlRBIVmG7</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Sochan (@SochanJeremy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SochanJeremy/status/1474444438042783744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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At Baylor, Sochan and Peterson developed a bond over their travels. The 65-year-old Peterson made several stops at the college and NBA level before arriving at Baylor in 2017. He served as a player development coach and scout for the Dallas Mavericks from 1999-2000, coached six seasons as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2007-13 and spent three seasons at the helm of the Erie Bayhawks in the G League (formerly known as the D-League). With those positions, plus other coaching roles in the collegiate ranks, Peterson collected experiences and stories from his trips across Europe and China.
The two met frequently for lunch around the Baylor campus. They'd chat about Premier League soccer (Sochan is a noted Arsenal fan) and EuroLeague basketball. Peterson learned that Sochan's grandmother lived about an hour from a clinic he once hosted in Poland.&nbsp;
"It was fun because he could relax and realize, 'Hey, Coach Peterson has been over there and kind of knows where I'm from [and] some of my background anyway, because he's traveled there a lot more than maybe some of the other coaches on the staff,'" Peterson said.
As Sochan acclimated to his fifth elite program, his confidence started to shine. He formed close friendships on the Baylor team, specifically with fellow draft prospect Kendall Brown and promising injured freshman Langston Love. Fans saw Sochan's energy radiate from his colorful hairstyles and powerful slam dunks. Meanwhile, in practice, he wowed Peterson with his quick and willing inclination to move the ball around, displaying the court awareness of someone who had played with and against veterans &mdash; which Sochan had, of course, in Poland.
"He has a great understanding of how to play for a kid [who's] 18 years old &mdash; like, really understands offense, how to move the ball and make the next pass, and do it in limited dribbles," Peterson said.
"He plays like a pro. I mean, he plays like a guy that's 10 years older than his age."
If a teammate withheld a pass, Sochan wasn't afraid to call him out or ask the coaches about the play afterward.&nbsp;
"Occasionally he'd go, 'Hey, come on, man. Let's move the ball.' You would expect a senior to be saying that, not a freshman," Peterson said. "He has that instinct about him to feel that and help that happen on the floor."
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Along with his quick processing on offense, Sochan's defensive toughness and versatility have not just pushed back on his European stereotypes &mdash; they've become hallmarks of his game and a sales pitch as a prospect. BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock remembers watching Sochan on Jan. 29 against Alabama, when the forward posted 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals for the Bears.&nbsp;
"During that game, Sochan displayed his defensive versatility and potential," Babcock said. "He also showed flashes as a player that could stretch the floor and be an effective slasher."
Sochan has steadily risen on draft boards throughout the spring; Babcock most recently slotted him in at No. 15 overall to the Charlotte Hornets in his latest <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com NBA Mock Draft.</a>&nbsp;Babcock said that the lottery is definitely within reach for Sochan, and that he likely won't stick around past the teens of the draft order. He noted that, in addition to wielding an archetype built for today's NBA, Sochan carries a journey that should favorably position him for the professional lifestyle.
"Similar to the advantages that experiences on the court create, off-the-court experiences also provide learning opportunities. It's all a part of growing up, and from the sounds of it, Sochan has seen and done a lot, which I think will help him transition to the NBA," Babcock said.
Peterson believes that playing for five programs in five years doesn't just help Sochan on the court; it also teaches him how different team cultures can each be uniquely successful.
"If you work at IBM, and everybody in IBM wears a suit and coat and a tie, and then you move and you go work for a grocery store chain [like] Kroger, H-E-B or whatever, and everybody there just wears a polo shirt and nice slacks, you're not going to keep wearing suits when you go work at Kroger or you're gonna look like an idiot," Peterson said. "That's not the culture they have. You have to adjust somewhat to what their culture is and what their program's about. And he's had to do that five different times."
The NBA has a small but noteworthy history of English and Polish talent. James Donaldson, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Michael Olowokandi and OG Anunoby are players with English ties who have played over 300 games in the league. Marcin Gortat is the lone Poland native with over 100 appearances.
Sochan aims to be a beacon for both countries.
"I think it's really exciting," he said. "I think it's a great opportunity for me, personally, to connect these communities to the NBA again."
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Jeremy Sochan speaks with Ethan Fuller about his twisting, turning, worldwide basketball journey heading into the 2022 NBA Draft.

Jeremy Sochan, a 'citizen of the world,' sets course for the NBA

Mikal Bridges flying under the radar isn't a new development.&nbsp;
He's typically the fourth name you think about when it comes to these Suns. His defensive prowess may still be undersold; it remains baffling that he's on track to make his first&nbsp;All-Defensive team this season. We gotta watch more games, folks.
His Game 4 showing, however, was one of the rare times that his quiet nature was objectively a bad thing. With Chris Paul being pressed into oblivion, more was needed from the perimeter options. It would've been nice to see Bridges step up in the moment, especially since his defense &mdash; primarily on Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum &mdash; was well below his usual level. You can't have the off night defensively and&nbsp;score 8 points in the same outing.
To Bridges' credit, he completely flipped the script in Game 5. His defense was otherworldly: insane screen navigation, timely help, strong contests and 5 stocks (4 blocks and a steal) to boot. NBA.com's tracking data had Ingram and McCollum shooting a combined 2 of 15 &mdash; 2 of freakin' 15! &mdash; when defended by Bridges.&nbsp;
But then, there was the offense. A playoff career-high 31 points while knocking down all four of his threes, and converting 8 of 13 (61.5%) shots inside the arc.
That kind of two-way dominance is impressive enough, but doing so while playing all but [checks notes] one minute and six seconds is phenomenal stuff. There are players with the "iron man" tag, and then there's Mikal Bridges. Dude doesn't miss games &mdash; no, he literally hasn't missed one in his career &mdash; and can scale up the minutes when necessary.
Baller.&nbsp;
The scoring from Bridges was fun to track because the Pelicans clearly couldn't track him. There were on-ball reps sprinkled in from Bridges, and you'll see some clips of them, but Tuesday night's showing was a masterclass in staying light on your feet &mdash; reading the floor, moving with your teammates and sliding into spaces that defenders have either vacated or simply can't get to.
He was a moving target.
Take Bridges' second bucket for example.&nbsp;
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Bridges has been doing that all year &mdash; listen to <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Jones Jr.</a>, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen to The Dunker Spot</a>, folks.
After forcing a miss, the ball finds Aaron Holiday, who pushes down the right side of the floor and is tasked with attacking or setting up an early offense look. Bridges steps up for a screen, then slips that sucker. McCollum does his best to rotate down from the opposite corner, but there's only so much he can do with the size difference.
In the half-court, Bridges is one of the NBA's deadliest players from the corner. He's a darn good shooter &mdash; he's converted roughly 42% of his corner threes over the past three seasons &mdash; but he's also an instinctual mover. 
He knows when to slide down into the corner to stress a help defender, like here:
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Herb Jones is one of the best defenders in the sport already. The Pelicans trust him with tough on-ball assignments, but he's also a menace off the ball. His combination of length and awareness allows him to be two places at once sometimes. Bridges burns him here, though, sliding deeper into the corner at the same time that Jones provides help on the drive.
Bridges can also backdoor you if your attention is elsewhere. Ingram found that out the hard way.
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And then, there are the lifts from the corner. It's a weapon to complement a pick-and-roll when Bridges is isolated on a side. In theory, that puts his defender in a pick-your-poison situation: Do I tag the roller and leave Bridges open for a shot, or do I stay home and allow the big man to rumble into an open lane?
It's a tough choice, and Bridges compounds that with his growing ability to create off the bounce. You're not guaranteed to shut him down if you take away a three-point opportunity anymore.&nbsp;
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Bridges is isolated on the right side, putting Ingram in that pick-your-poison spot. But with Paul snaking the screen, Bridges stays home. Jones does a great job of sticking with Paul and forcing the retreat, but there's Bridges running into a handoff and flowing right into an elbow middy.
If that isn't annoying enough to account for, Bridges can also lift to the wing&nbsp;then&nbsp;backdoor you when necessary.&nbsp;
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That's a fun cat-and-mouse game between Paul, Jose Alvarado, and Larry Nance Jr. to kick things off. But look at the strain Bridges puts on Ingram.
Bridges lifts to the right wing around the same time that Deandre Ayton slips to the free throw area. Then, he begins his cut as soon as Ayton catches the ball.
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Ingram thinks Bridges is still at the wing, so he jumps towards that area when Ayton begins to survey the floor. Bridges is... not in that area anymore.
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I'm cracking up, man.
There may not be 31 points for Bridges every night, but it also doesn't have to be that way. His level of activity and aggression was a much-needed boost to the Suns' offense. They'll need it in Game 6 and beyond.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the career night of Mikal Bridges for the Suns in Game 5.

Mikal Bridges is the Suns' moving target

On April 7, 2003, the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team won the NCAA championship, defeating the Kansas Jayhawks 81-78 at the Superdome in New Orleans.&nbsp;
While Carmelo Anthony received the majority of the praise following that title, two key factors on that championship team were Hakim Warrick and Billy Edelin.&nbsp;
BasketballNews.com's Etan Thomas caught up with them to discuss the current Syracuse team, how they compare to their championship squad, playing for Jim Boeheim and more:&nbsp;
Hakim Warrick&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/img_7364-1_lg.PNG" alt="" /> 
Etan Thomas: One of the most glaring differences between your championship team and a lot of the Syracuse teams post-2003 is the way Coach Boeheim utilized your bench. You all really went eight-or-nine deep.&nbsp;
Hakim Warrick: Coach did a really good job of using our bench. Guys like Billy Edelin, Josh Pace, Jeremy McNeil, we just had a really nice rotation and everyone knew their roles. And all of the guys I mentioned were good enough to be starters, we just had a deep team. We trusted each other and everyone was ready when their number was called. If 'Melo was struggling or I was struggling or G-Mac (Gerry McNamara) was struggling, guys would come in and do what we weren&rsquo;t doing well. Or we would simply utilize their attributes that differed from the starters. And again, Coach did a great job of strategizing and using us as a complete team.
Etan: But it seems like you&rsquo;re the only &mdash; or one of the only &mdash; groups he did that with, and you&rsquo;re the only group that won the championship. So &nbsp;after you all left, the philosophy switched to five iron men and people who would come in for a few spot minutes, but that&rsquo;s really it. I&rsquo;m watching the team now, and I&rsquo;m seeing the starters get tired, start slowing down, shooting tired three-pointers, making tired mistakes, and guys on the bench who could help are sitting on the bench. So what was different about y&rsquo;all that made him utilize the bench the way he did?&nbsp;
Hakim: That&rsquo;s a good question. I know we all trusted the guys coming off the bench, just as much as we trusted the starters. But you&rsquo;re right, there is definitely a different strategy he took with us. We wouldn&rsquo;t have won without our bench. We wouldn&rsquo;t have beaten Oklahoma State if Jeremy McNeil didn&rsquo;t take over that game. Josh was the glue guy all year. And Billy was the floor general when he came in. We wouldn&rsquo;t have won without them.
Etan: Here in the DMV, we all know what an incredible talent Benny Williams is and everyone is scratching their heads about why he's not playing and not part of the rotation, especially when athleticism is something that we lack. What advice would you give to Benny Williams?
Hakim: I would say: I&rsquo;ve definitely been there. My freshman year was rough. But he just has to keep working and always be ready when your number is called, and never lose confidence because lack of talent is definitely not the reason why you&rsquo;re not playing. I worked out with him prior to him going to Cuse. I am very well aware of what he can do. But just stay ready. Coach is going to have no choice but to play you eventually, just be ready.
Etan: This team has had some tough stretches. The game against Duke was ugly &mdash; there's no other way to say it. Do you see the team being able to come together, restructure and turn this thing around? What are some adjustments that need to be made?&nbsp;
Hakim: They&rsquo;ve been playing games pretty tough, other than the last game against Duke. Like you've said before, they live by the three and die by the three. This is probably one of the best all-around shooting teams that Syracuse has ever had, but it&rsquo;s also probably one of the [least] athletic teams as far as perimeter guys as well. And you&rsquo;re right, we need the athleticism off the bench. We do. But we gotta execute down the stretch; we&rsquo;ve seen that be an issue. We&rsquo;ve shown that we can play with anybody in the ACC, and I think with a few adjustments that we&rsquo;ve mentioned, we&rsquo;ll definitely be able to turn things around. And it&rsquo;s happened with Syracuse teams [before] when everyone thought we were out, and next thing you know, we go on a run in the tournament and make it to the Elite Eight or Final Four. It can happen.&nbsp;
Billy Edelin&nbsp;
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Etan Thomas: I didn&rsquo;t know that you trained Buddy Boeheim, Symir Torrence and Joseph Girard III. Tell me about that.
Billy Edelin: Since 2007, I&rsquo;ve been doing skill development &mdash; mostly working with guys from the DMV area. So when I got up here, I saw the tremendous talent in this area: Mika Adams-Woods (he&rsquo;s at Cincinnati), Buddy, Frankie, Paul Gacetti, and a few other guys.&nbsp;
Joe Girard was with the City Rocks and we beat them as freshmen, so I actually got to coach him one time with the City Rocks. We had Mika on point and him off the ball and he looked really good, so that&rsquo;s kind of what I always thought he was best at. I thought Symir was always good at facilitating, perimeter defense, quick to the ball, great lateral movement and being more of a natural point.&nbsp;
Etan: It&rsquo;s interesting because a lot of people around Syracuse have the same observation watching them this year. I think when Symir checks in the game, the entire flow is different on both ends of the court. And that&rsquo;s not a knock on Girard; I think his shooting is absolutely elite, but they have different attributes they bring to the table.&nbsp;
Billy: I was watching Chad Ford and another commentator a few days ago and they were saying that from an analytics standpoint, having three shooters on the floor would be better for us scoring wise. Then he said, "But the thing that makes Syracuse good is the same thing that makes them bad," and it&rsquo;s difficult to disagree with his assessment. Yes, we&rsquo;ll have more outside shooting than some teams and the numbers can look a certain way, but I&rsquo;m old school and my question is: what&rsquo;s the best way for us to win? And I think you have to find some type of balance and play to your strength regardless of what the &ldquo;analytics&rdquo; suggest.
Etan: Very well said. And I don&rsquo;t want to bring up old stuff, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ncaa-basketball-news-losing-kadary-richmond-tragedy-for-syracuse-university-orange-transfer-portal-jim-boeheim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I&rsquo;m still not happy that Kadary Richmond isn&rsquo;t with us</a> because I really felt he could&rsquo;ve helped us tremendously. I mean, he&rsquo;s a pass-first point guard who can break any press by himself and run the team. Look what he&rsquo;s doing with Seton Hall now! Imagine how we would look with him running the point and having all those shooters spotted up?
Billy: I was trying to avoid that topic, but yes, you&rsquo;re 100% correct. That&rsquo;s such a tough pill for me &mdash; and I think everyone in Syracuse &mdash; to swallow, seeing how well he is playing and thinking what could&rsquo;ve been and what should&rsquo;ve been.&nbsp;
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Etan: Ya'll were a special team in 2003, the only championship team for Syracuse. You were the general, you ran the show. Yes, you had G-Mac who was shooting all the threes and lighting it up, but in my opinion and in your teammates' opinion, it wouldn&rsquo;t have worked without you in particular because of the way you ran the show. Now, relating it to this current team, the reason I brought up Kadary and Symir is because they are Billy-Edelin-type point guards who can run the show.
Billy: Yeah, I know exactly what you&rsquo;re saying. I definitely give Coach Boeheim a lot of credit because I had to sit out a year and he reintegrated me back into the rotation, and [he had me] working with Coach Hop every day to get right. I remember one game in particular &mdash; I had 13 and 7 in limited minutes, and it was against Seton Hall ironically. And then I had like 18 points and 9 assists against West Virginia in, like, 18 or 19 minutes and Coach literally said after the game, "Billy Edelin has arrived." So what he was telling the guys and all of Syracuse was that he was going to give me a bigger role, and I give the team a lot of credit because they embraced that. No friction, no disgruntled people about minutes, it was all embraced by G-Mac and by everyone. I knew I could score, but I did what was best for the team and if that was setting up 'Melo, kicking it out to Kueth Duany for the fastbreak, getting Jeremy McNeil a few touches down low (which would translate to him playing better on the defensive end and blocking even more shots), that&rsquo;s what I would do. But to your point, yes, I thought that&rsquo;s definitely the role Kadary could&rsquo;ve played and the role Symir could play now. The exact same role.&nbsp;
Etan: Yeah, the point guard is the most important position on the floor.
Billy: Yeah, you&rsquo;re right. Can&rsquo;t disagree with that, and that&rsquo;s both ends of the floor, [with] Symir being a whole different dimension on the defensive end. And Kadary, we don&rsquo;t even have to talk about his defensive ability, it&rsquo;s off the charts. And he&rsquo;s taller and longer, so yes, that&rsquo;s definitely a big loss. But I still think we could turn it around. We have the pieces. I love how the big fella Jesse [Edwards] is playing in the middle. We can definitely turn this season around. Just gotta take it one game at a time, and I think Coach Boeheim will figure it out. He&rsquo;s a Hall-of-Fame coach for a reason.
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Former Syracuse stars Etan Thomas, Hakim Warrick and Billy Edelin break down this year's team and what adjustments need to be made.

Hakim Warrick, Billy Edelin, Etan Thomas discuss current Syracuse team

Speaking with reporters after practice on Tuesday, Julius Randle, the New York Knicks' All-NBA forward, was asked what he and teammates were expecting in their season-opener at Madison Square Garden.
"Chaos," Randle replied. "We're expecting chaos. The city's excited to get basketball back."
Randle was referring to the much-anticipated chaotic atmosphere inside MSG, which welcomed back its full allotment of 19,000-plus fans for the first time since before the COVID pandemic shut down sports arenas across the globe.
What Randle, who has only been in New York for a relatively short spell, didn't realize is that Knicks fans had, unfortunately, grown far too accustomed to chaos &mdash; and not the kind that results from fans enthusiastically and passionately cheering on their hometown team. No, New Yorkers have been deluged with turmoil and chaos off the court for the better part of the past two decades. There was beef between former franchise greats and the team's owner, embarrassing trades, countless off-court controversies, tension between the owner and numerous fans, free-agency disappointment year after year, wasted draft picks and anything else you can think of.
Not to mention the losses. Many, many losses. Over the first 20 years of the 21st century, the Knicks lost 962 basketball games, more than any other team in the NBA. More often than not, New York was a league-wide laughing stock, trapped in the basement of the Atlantic Division.&nbsp;
However, a funny thing has happened over the past year-and-a-half since the Knicks hired former player-agent Leon Rose as team president, and Rose hired Tom Thibodeau as his head coach: the Knicks stopped making headlines for the wrong reason. They started winning basketball games.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the drama and controversy that tormented the Knicks for so long seemed to wander across the bridge to Brooklyn and drive down the Jersey turnpike to Philly.
The Nets, while uber-talented and the odds-on favorites to capture the Larry O'Brien trophy this season, are playing without their superstar point guard. Players on the Knicks and Nets, who play their home games in New York City, are prohibited from entering their team's home arena unless they are vaccinated against COVID-19. All Knicks have been immunized, but Irving has refused to follow the advice of medical experts, and says he is unwilling to get his shot. While Irving is eligible to participate in the Nets' away games, Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks has declared that Irving will not be allowed to play or practice with the team at all until he is vaccinated.
"He has a choice to make, and he made his choice," Marks told reporters earlier this month.&nbsp;
Down in Philadelphia, the situation with the Sixers and Ben Simmons has devolved into a circus. The latest incident involves Simmons being booted from the team's training facility a day after he was filmed practicing in sweatpants. (Despite speculation about him practicing with a cell phone in his pocket, The Athletic's Shams Charania clarified that it was a crumpled up practice jersey.)
As far as the other teams in the Atlantic are concerned, the Raptors &mdash; who won a title in 2019 &mdash; had been remarkably successful and consistent, winning more than 50 games in five straight seasons... until they surprisingly finished 18 games below .500 last year. After losing franchise cornerstone Kyle Lowry via free agency over the summer, Toronto was blown out by the lowly Wizards in its season-opener Wednesday night. The Raps scored just 83 points, the least among all teams that have played over the first two days of the season.
Up in Boston, the Celtics failed to finish above .500 last season for just the second time in the past 15 years, and as a result parted ways with team architect Danny Ainge over the summer. Head coach Brad Stevens left the bench and went upstairs to the executive suite.&nbsp;
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The Knicks, however, flew under the radar all offseason. After finishing 10 games above .500 in 2020-21, they had a solid draft and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/for-a-change-a-successful-free-agency-period-propels-knicks-forward-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were praised by pundits</a> for revamping and upgrading their backcourt in free agency, while also locking up Randle to a long-term contract extension on a team-friendly deak. The team didn't generate any headlines on Media Day, which used to be one of the few days a year the Knicks would land on the back page of the NYC tabloids.&nbsp;
It was the Celtics who were matched up with the Knickerbockers in their home-opener. As it turned out, Mr. Randle was proven prophetic. Chaos consumed Wednesday's contest.
New York fell behind early. but fought back to take what appeared to be an insurmountable lead in the closing seconds, only to inexplicably allow the Celtics to tie the game on a Marcus Smart three-pointer at the buzzer in regulation.&nbsp;
Yet, somehow, after two exhausting overtime sessions, the Knicks found a way to win. This was a game the "LOL same-old Knicks" surely would have fumbled away after that backbreaking dagger by Smart. Yet, these new Knicks, nearly all of them in great shape following a month in camp with Drill Sergeant Thibs, kept fighting. Eventually, they won.
"We didn't close out the game the way we should have," Thibodeau said afterward. "We'll learn from that. The good thing is we got the win. We know we have a lot of work to do."
And that's what the topic of conversation will be around the ball club this week. No needless drama, no controversy. Just discussions about how the team won a basketball game and what they can do to improve and win some more. Imagine that...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
💥 35 points for <a href="https://twitter.com/J30_RANDLE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@J30_RANDLE</a> 💥 8 boards, 9 dimes, 3 blocks Julius Randle GOES OFF in the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyknicks</a> 2OT win to open the 2021-22 season! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KiaTipOff21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KiaTipOff21</a> <a href="https://t.co/TILicyIhZB">pic.twitter.com/TILicyIhZB</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1451163884262469646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Knicks notes:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">What an effort from Randle, who is determined to prove his All-Star campaign last season wasn't a fluke. He finished with 35 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/2022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to</a> Basketball-Reference, the only other player in NBA history to tally at least 35 points, 9 dimes and 8 boards in his team's season opener is Oscar Roberston.</li>
<li aria-level="1">In the first half, RJ Barrett was invisible on the offensive end (it was the first time in his career he attempted at least three FG's and two FT's in the first half, yet failed to score a single point). However, Barrett certainly made his impression felt in the third quarter, pouring in a team-high 14 points to push the Knicks back in front. And while Jayson Tatum missed a handful of wide-open jumpers, Barrett certainly deserves credit for his defensive effort on Taum, who finished the game shooting an abysmal 7-of-30 from the floor.&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle also deserves credit for helping reintegrate Barrett into the offense and sparking his teammate's third-quarter resurgence. Over one 2-minute stretch, Randle twice drew double teams and kicked the ball out to a wide-open Barrett, who knocked down a triple. Randle carried the Knicks offensively, but also passed up some good shots for great shots to get Barrett going.&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Obi Toppin's contributions on Wednesday were critical. The second-year pro sparked the Knicks, scoring a career-high 14 points. Toppin's electric game energizes the Garden in a way few players can. "I thought he changed the pace of the game," Kemba Walker said of Obi. "He's a very special talent, and he can run. He can really run and get out in the open floor."</li>
<li aria-level="1">Some fans and pundits out there argued over the summer that Evan Fournier wasn't much of an upgrade over former shooting guard Reggie Bullock. Well, it's probably worth noting that Bullock has played 366 games in his career and never tallied more than 20 points and more than 5 rebounds in the same game. On Wednesday, Fournier had 32 points, 6 boards, 6 made treys, 4 steals and 3 assists in his first game as a Knick.&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Some 10 minutes after the buzzer sounded in the second overtime, Knicks rookies Quentin Grimes and Miles "Deuce" McBride were on the Garden floor getting shots up, as MSG janitorial staff were cleaning the rest of the arena. This was something last season's neophytes, Toppin and Immanuel Quickley, would often do after games in which they didn't get much run. Yet another example of Thibs, his staff, and the players efforting to build a culture that can sustain success throughout the organization.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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Knicks rookies McBride and Grimes getting up shots less than 10 mins after the marathon game is over <a href="https://t.co/Ip1Ll8b0lA">pic.twitter.com/Ip1Ll8b0lA</a>
&mdash; Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1451019123924799493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Knicks and their fans have experienced a different kind of chaos than they've been used to over the last year-and-a-half.

Knicks continue to make headlines for the right reasons — wins

With NBA training camps open for business, teams are getting back in the swing of things. We are just two days away from the first preseason game between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers (Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET), meaning the 2021-22 campaign is right around the corner.
While these two teams are commanding the spotlight more than any other squads around the league, there are plenty of franchises that would love to knock them right off their pedestal, or at least have some of that light shone on them.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Who is your favorite dark-horse team entering the 2021-22 season? 
Alex Kennedy: The Washington Wizards are my dark-horse team because I really liked their offseason moves. They acquired Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Corey Kispert, Aaron Holiday and Isaiah Todd among others. Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal should form a terrific one-two punch in the backcourt, and it&rsquo;s very possible that Deni Avdija (20 years old), Rui Hachimura (23), Daniel Gafford (23) and Thomas Bryant (24) will make significant strides as they take the next step in their development. Suddenly, Washington has some nice depth and a very solid supporting cast around Beal. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they exceed expectations.
Nekias Duncan: Do the Milwaukee Bucks count here? It&rsquo;s hard to think of a title-winning team that&rsquo;s been disregarded quite like this one. I get the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; optimism, I do, but the Bucks feel pretty slept on at large.&nbsp;
Ethan Fuller: The Toronto Raptors are going to massively exceed expectations after they faced arguably the most challenging circumstances of any team in 2020-21. They're back in Toronto with a team that screams positive regression. Pascal Siakam is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-player-will-have-a-major-bounceback-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a prime bounce-back candidate</a>, Fred VanVleet continues to fly under the radar and the young core might be one of the more underrated groups in the NBA. I'm excited to see guys like OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn take their next steps.
Spencer Davies: I can't just land on one in particular. There's so much love (and rightfully so) for the Lakers and Nets that the possibility of any other teams making it to the NBA Finals would be a shock to many. In the Eastern Conference, watch out for the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. It seems that the Heat like to sneak up on people when they least expect it, and uh, that shouldn't be the case considering they were in the Finals at this time one year ago in the NBA Bubble. Kyle Lowry's going to prove to be a tremendous pickup if he can stay healthy, and Jimmy Butler seems to perform at his best when he's not being paid attention to. There's also that Bam Adebayo guy, who's somehow a Swiss Army knife with room for growth. As for the Celtics, a new head coach has the potential to inject a sense of freshness into the air. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have already been unleashed, but Ime Udoka may just be the one to kick the door open further. Plus, those contract worries over the last couple of seasons have been put to rest with Marcus Smart. Oh, and Al Horford's back with gang green, too &mdash; never a bad thing to see a familiar face.
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Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Denver Nuggets. It&rsquo;s tough to pick a dark horse from the Western Conference because there are a ton of teams out there that are worthy of the respect of being called a credible contender... But I think most people are looking at the Lakers, Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns as the teams to beat. Denver often gets left out of the conversation, especially since Jamal Murray is still on the shelf. Nonetheless, I like them. If Murray can return to form and Michael Porter Jr. continues to grow, they&rsquo;ll be formidable.
Jackson Frank: Before the injury bug caught them in recent weeks, I would&rsquo;ve loved to slot the Indiana Pacers here, but my pick is the New Orleans Pelicans. I&rsquo;m not sure this means much more than competing for a low playoff seed &mdash; still an improvement, comparatively &mdash; but they seem a bit discounted among preseason projections. The acquisitions of Devonte&rsquo; Graham and Jonas Valanciunas should really help this team approach elite offense territory. Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoransky are steady veterans who can contribute in the rotation. The Pelicans house a bevy of young dudes, and while it&rsquo;s unlikely all of them will experience substantial strides, banking on a few of them to do so is prudent. Jaxson Hayes had an encouraging second half of 2020-21. Nickeil Alexander-Walker fared quite well as a shooter and complementary handler in his 19 starts. Naji Marshall brings versatile defense, playmaking and slashing. Zion Williamson&rsquo;s exploits speak for themselves. Brandon Ingram is a very good second scorer. To cap it off, new head coach Willie Green is an excellent offensive mind, and should serve as a general upgrade over Stan Van Gundy&rsquo;s struggles on the sidelines. I like the Pelicans to take a notable step forward and compete for a playoff spot &mdash; or a little better.
Drew Maresca: What exactly constitutes a dark-horse team? Technically, everyone is a dark-horse team except for the Lakers and Nets. As it relates to the question though, I really like the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic is going to pick up right where he left off, Michael Porter Jr. should immediately begin earning the five-year, $207 million extension he just signed and Aaron Gordon is the same cat he&rsquo;s been for the past few seasons. If Jamal Murray can return at nearly full strength at any point this season, the Nuggets are going to be scary.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Clippers. With Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, the Clippers are no longer considered a championship contender for the upcoming season. However, the Clippers are bringing back their core players and have plenty of wing depth to keep the ship level during the season. With Leonard sidelined, I predict Paul George will have a big season, while other players like Marcus Morris, Terance Mann and Justise Winslow could help fill the void. If Leonard can return in time for the postseason, the Clippers may have a shot at advancing deep into the postseason. &nbsp;
Chris Sheridan: The Charlotte Hornets. If they can get a full healthy season from Gordon Hayward, that will be the key. I love the pickup of Mason Plumlee at center, and we all learned last season what LaMelo Ball can do. They play way under the radar because of their market size.
Alexander Cohen: My favorite dark-horse (and also NBA League Pass) team is easily the Pelicans. David Griffin has received a great deal of mostly-warranted slack for his offseason due to asset management, but I think New Orleans has a good team here. While I&rsquo;m not a fan of letting Lonzo Ball walk, moving on from Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe should both be additions by subtraction. Bringing on Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham &mdash; two dark horses in their own right as top players on their former teams despite LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant being understandably more publicized &mdash; should also be instrumental additions. They provide scoring presences the Pelicans lacked last season, with Graham and Valanciunas being worlds more aggressive than Ball and Adams. The two-man combo of Willy Hernangomez &mdash; who has a similar skill set to Valanciunas &mdash; and Zion Williamson had a staggering net rating of plus-11.9 last season. Factor in those changes with the anticipated improvement of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes and Kira Lewis, and the Pelicans should be a thrilling team this year with a healthy Williamson.

Who is your dark-horse team to watch entering the 2021-22 NBA season? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Who is your dark-horse team for the 2021-22 season?

On the dais, his shoulders looked awfully broad for a point guard who's fairly miniature in stature.
But anyone who knows Kemba Walker &mdash; as a Rice High School standout or as a young prep coming of age in the Soundview section of the Bronx &mdash; has always known the truth.
He makes up for his size with his fight. For a long, long time, that&rsquo;s been obvious.
&ldquo;The last couple years have been tough for me,&rdquo; Walker said as he looked upon the sea of reporters who attended the New York Knicks&rsquo; media day.
What an understatement.&nbsp;
In two years, Walker went from having a career-year and being named to the All-NBA Third Team, to being a player who had to have a first-round pick attached to him in order to be traded.
In some ways, the end is fitting, though. Walker&rsquo;s journey &mdash; from the Sack-Wern housing projects to the University of Connecticut &mdash; ended up being circuitous, after all.
Entering his 11th season, at 31 years old, Walker finally comes home. One of the city&rsquo;s own, he joins a Knicks team that has put itself on the radar in relatively short order. Led by reigning Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau and Most Improved Player Julius Randle, New York will attempt to ride the talents of Randle, RJ Barrett and the rest of the club that few around the Association believe is for real.
A team that's still obviously a work in progress, the hope among those who are rooting for the Knicks is that Walker&rsquo;s tough two-year stint in Boston was a bump in the road, not a sign of what&rsquo;s to come.
Way back on draft night in 2011, when Walker became an NBA player, he hosted a post-draft party at one of Lower Manhattan&rsquo;s hotspots. Everyone from his fellow draft mates to Chris Paul was in attendance. The league and its players' union knew that the most likely outcome was that the 2011 season would be delayed due to a lockout, and the incoming class of rookies knew it too.&nbsp;
But Walker didn&rsquo;t let that dampen his mood. He'd made it. And he was especially appreciative of Michael Jordan for &ldquo;taking a chance on him.&rdquo;
It seems like ancient history, but back then, there were many who wondered whether Walker would be able to supplant D.J. Augustin as the lead guard for then-Charlotte Bobcats. In his run up to the NBA Draft, Walker heard it all &mdash; he was too small, his game wouldn&rsquo;t translate, his weaknesses were too great to overcome.&nbsp;
Those questions resulted in less-proven players being taken ahead of him, and he then realized that neither his unprecedented five wins in five nights in the Big East Tournament, nor the ensuing national championship he won at UConn would cause the questions to cease.
He had to do it in the NBA. And in the end, that&rsquo;s exactly what he did.
All his life, Walker has been proving his doubters wrong, and now, he&rsquo;ll attempt to do it in his hometown.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m home,&rdquo; he said on Monday.&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m already focused.&nbsp;Last couple years have been kinda rough for me, obviously with my knee, [but] I&rsquo;m locked in, ready to go, ready to play at a high level.&rdquo;
The Knicks will need every bit of it.
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"I'm home. I'm from here, born and raised. And it feels like it. I'm getting a lot of love." - Kemba Walker <a href="https://t.co/eYGG9QJ3h1">pic.twitter.com/eYGG9QJ3h1</a>
&mdash; Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/sny_knicks/status/1442504749723443206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Coming off of a disappointing loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of last season&rsquo;s playoffs, general manager Scott Perry saw Atlanta&rsquo;s growth up close and personally. He then saw a great many of the conference&rsquo;s teams improve this past summer.&nbsp;
The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets are obviously entering the season as the favorites, while the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are expected to be greatly improved.&nbsp;
The Philadelphia 76ers are obviously <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/philadelphia-76ers-trade-seems-certain-but-we-havent-heard-last-of-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dealing with the Ben Simmons saga</a>, but even without getting a king&rsquo;s ransom in return for what appears to be an eventual trade, they should be one of the top teams out East. Even the Washington Wizards are entering the season with some optimism.
The question for the Knicks this season is whether they&rsquo;ve done enough to keep up. And they&rsquo;ll be counting on Walker to provide the answer.
During their run last season, New York was ultimately undone by their lack of depth from the point guard position. Their hope is that Walker&rsquo;s ability to attack the basket and create space against his defenders &mdash; assuming he still can &mdash; will be tools that should allow him to get easy looks for his teammates. That&rsquo;s not something the Knicks got against Atlanta, and both Randle and Barrett stand to benefit from allowing Walker to create off the dribble.
Perhaps it&rsquo;s fate that now, at 31 years old and with the deck stacked against him, is when Walker will be charged with the task.
Since taking over in New York, Perry&rsquo;s modus operandi has been to buy low on players whose perceived potential was greater than the results they were believed to be able to produce as pros. Randle ended up being buried treasure. They struck oil with Rose. But Bobby Portis, Mario Hezonja and Elfrid Payton? Not so much. 
Nonetheless, overall, the strategy has worked. But at this point, we obviously don&rsquo;t know which bucket Walker will end up in.
Fittingly now, only two years removed from being an All-NBA selection, the four-time All-Star will come back to the city where it all began for him in an attempt to recapture past glory.
Peddled by Brad Stevens, the former Boston Celtics coach-turned-team-president admitted defeat. Boston made a mistake by signing Walker to a four-year, $141 million contract in 2019. At least, that was the message. Stevens attached a first-round pick to him in order to get the Oklahoma City Thunder to agree to take Walker&rsquo;s pact in return for Al Horford &mdash; a player that Boston coincidentally let go in 2019. Stevens wanted a mulligan.
Truth be told, Oklahoma City isn&rsquo;t high on any player&rsquo;s list of cities to spend the latter stages of their career. But still, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine any player not feeling a bit slighted to learn that a team would rather pay him $50 million to go away than keep him around.&nbsp;
Walker, though, obviously wasn&rsquo;t complaining. When Oklahoma City bought him out, according to the Bronx native, New York was the only option he&rsquo;d considered.&nbsp;
The upstart club, for a change, had a duo of budding stars that just led an overachieving group to a playoff berth that didn&rsquo;t seem certain a year ago. With other young players showing promise &mdash; Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin among them &mdash; any observer can truly see the Knicks from afar and wonder what they can be.
And when Walker looked around and realized he wasn&rsquo;t wanted, he probably did too.
As the Knicks began their 2021-22 season, he sat in his orange and blue jersey. The threads were unfamiliar, but ironically, he looked quite comfy.
&ldquo;I'm from here, born and raised,&rdquo; he said.
And in the end, needing one another, Walker and the Knicks united at the right time.
Defying the odds from the beginning, Kemba Walker &mdash; New York City&rsquo;s own &mdash; went back to where it all began. 
And there, in New York, a city and a franchise starved for a winner, he hopes that he can do it once again.

Kemba Walker has defied the odds his entire life. The Knicks hope that he can continue to do exactly that, writes Moke Hamilton.

Finally home, Kemba Walker hopes to turn back clock with Knicks

In recent years, the NBA has seen a wave of superstar point guards come in and command the spotlight right away &mdash; no matter their size. Ja Morant, Trae Young and Darius Garland are a few names that come to mind, and they're setting the tone for those who want to follow suit and be next in line.&nbsp;
As the top point guard in his class, University of Tennessee commit Kennedy Chandler is determined to cut in and join them, and he happens to know all three talented pros personally.
&ldquo;Ja and Trae and Darius, they came from being unknown to being top players in the world,&rdquo; Chandler told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. &ldquo;Trae, everybody thought he was small, wouldn't be able to make it. Ja, same way, too skinny; nobody knew who Ja was. Just the hunger, I feel like we have a lot in common from being nobody to being one of the top players in the nation, I feel like I can do the same thing they did."
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A recently-turned 19-year-old five-star recruit out of Eads, Tennessee just east of Memphis, Chandler has befriended each at different points in his life. In his younger years, he was a part of &ldquo;We All Can Go,&rdquo; an AAU program that featured Garland and Marvin Bagley III headlining the eighth-grade squad. During that time, Chandler grew close to the Garland family, particularly Darius&rsquo; father, Winston.
&ldquo;His dad and my dad talk probably every day,&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s when [WACG] were <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3m1DmlHzTE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">competing against a team called Izod</a>. And ever since then, we just built the relationship, my family and his family built the relationship, and I just call him for any advice I [need]. His dad told me I can ask him any questions. His dad was a great basketball player, and I've got a great relationship with him and his family.&rdquo;
The Garlands have told Chandler the amount of work that is required if he wants to make it to the league. (&ldquo;If you really want to do it, you&rsquo;ve got to do it.&rdquo;) They&rsquo;ve also told him about the differences in the level of competition between high school, college and the pros. Winston was a seven-year NBA player, so Chandler has soaked in the knowledge he&rsquo;s been presented.
When he reached eighth grade himself, Chandler began to realize that he could make a career out of basketball. After his first session at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League with MOKAN Basketball, the offers flooded in.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was like, 'I really could take this basketball [thing] to a higher level,'&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;And from that point on, I just changed who I was and changed how I needed to work and my work ethic. I just changed everything.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I had a great work ethic from my eighth grade year, but it wasn&rsquo;t how it was after my first EYBL session. Because at first, nobody really knew who I was. I had maybe one offer, two offers. And, you know, it was just me continuing trying to work to prove everybody wrong. From that point on, I picked up more offers after my first game. That made me really think about who I was and what I could do with this game of basketball. And MOKAN helped me be the player I am today.&rdquo;
Part of the reason Chandler came aboard the MOKAN program was because of Young&rsquo;s influence. (Chandler was so committed to MOKAN that he'd actually fly out to Kansas City to practice on the weekends there when he was still at Briarcrest Christian School before he transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita.) He&rsquo;s also taking a page out of the Atlanta Hawks star&rsquo;s book by playing for a college in his home state.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing. Nothing wrong with playing at your home state &mdash; notice how he played at Oklahoma, I&rsquo;m playing in Tennessee,&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;Knoxville, Tennessee, it&rsquo;s about six hours away from home. So, for me to play here&hellip; the fan base is crazy here. They love basketball and football. And I just can&rsquo;t wait to put on a show for Knoxville.&rdquo;
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This is different Lil bro.... I LOVE IT!!! Ain&rsquo;t nothing like reppin the home state, trust me🙏🏽💯 Go Crazy! <a href="https://t.co/fcIm848v0L">https://t.co/fcIm848v0L</a>
&mdash; Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1294347799048392704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2020</a></blockquote>

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It just so happens that he&rsquo;ll share the Volunteer state with Morant, whom Chandler is closest with out of the point-guard trio. When the Memphis Grizzlies favorite was drafted, he followed Chandler on Instagram after IMG Academy assistant coach Trey Draper suggested the two connect. Morant then sent Chandler a direct message asking where he could get some sessions in.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I texted him back,&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;I was just shocked, you know? I didn&rsquo;t think that he even knew who I was. Ever since then, we've played together in the hoop runs, played against each other, and ever since then, our bond has gotten closer and closer.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I call him anytime. They&rsquo;re like family to me, his family is like family. His dad gives me great advice all the time. He&rsquo;s like a big brother to me.&rdquo;
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my brother 🖤 <a href="https://t.co/EVRmhFCss6">https://t.co/EVRmhFCss6</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1294284090057908224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2020</a></blockquote>

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Continuing the theme of looking up to guards like him, Chandler mentions that he actually models his game after Chris Paul. His film sessions focus on how the All-Star maestro gets inside and gets players open. At the moment, Chandler is confident in his finishing around the basket and using his speed and vision to find open teammates. He trusts in his jumpshot and is looking to progress it and extend his range.
Chandler was able to showcase those talents this past summer on Team USA&rsquo;s U-19 World Cup gold medal squad headed by Jamie Dixon. Boasting a roster full of potential and collegiate studs &mdash; Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey, plus Mike Miles Jr. and Kenneth Lofton among others &mdash; the Americans jelled overseas in Latvia; however, it didn&rsquo;t come as easily as anticipated.
&ldquo;That was a great experience. That was my first time going across the country,&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;I'd say for my sake, it's more physical over there. They let you play. Them teams there, their chemistry's really good. So for us, we didn't have the chemistry. I don't think nobody really knows, we lost our first scrimmage to Australia. So we had to get used to playing with each other, knowing what each other does, knowing that it's not for us [individually]; it's about what we're wearing on our chest.&nbsp;
&ldquo;For me to win gold was a dream come true as well. I learned a lot from playing over there and coming back over here, me playing for USA and going across to Latvia really helped me."
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Riding that momentum coming into this year, Chandler will have the opportunity to be under the tutelage of Rick Barnes, a well-respected coach in the basketball world who&rsquo;s worked with a number of notable players over the course of his career. Before Barnes came to Tennessee, he made waves with the Texas Longhorns. He coached quite a few guards who were shorter in size, including a highly-touted prospect in 2001 who made his way to the next level: T.J. Ford.
&ldquo;He thinks I'm just like T.J. the way I act. It's kinda funny,&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;I didn't even know who T.J. Ford was, to be honest with you. I didn't know who he was once I committed there, and I started looking to watch his highlights; he was a great player. T.J. texted me and told me he was gonna be down here soon and talk to me 'cause I know he's a trainer down in Houston. So I know T.J. told me he'll come down here soon, work with me. I'm looking forward to meeting him, talking to him.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Coach Barnes had other guards like D.J. Augustin, a small guard. So that's why I came here as well, 'cause Coach Barnes knows what he's doing with his point guards."
Barnes already sees how intense Chandler is in practice. The Vols head coach is keying in on his newest point guard valuing possessions and getting into his assignments defensively. Chandler already has a set of goals for himself going into the season, and Tennessee fans will love to hear his high aspirations.
&ldquo;For me to come in, lead the team. Even though I'm a freshman, being able to lead the team and just bring a different dog,&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;Bring a competitive player, for me, which he knows I am. Bring defense, bring anything to the table as well. But for me, as a small guard, just bringing the hustle... I want to have a great assist-to-turnover ratio. That's what I want to do, and lead the team to somewhere Tennessee's never been, as far as I can...
&ldquo;I just think I'm about to surprise people [with] how well I do this year."
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Basketball News Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock happens to agree with Chandler:
Kennedy Chandler may be on the smaller side, but he possesses elite speed and quickness, which allow him to be a dynamic scorer and playmaker. Since I first watched him a couple of years ago, he&rsquo;s continued to improve his game all the way around. I&rsquo;ve gotten to know Kennedy on a personal level, and in doing so, I&rsquo;ve come to find Kennedy to be a hard worker that is very driven. I&rsquo;ve also been impressed with his eagerness to seek advice and his ability to accept constructive criticism. After a season at Tennessee with veteran head coach Rick Barnes, I&rsquo;m expecting Kennedy to be one of the first point guards selected in the 2022 NBA Draft, if not the very first one.
Chandler&rsquo;s already felt the level increase in the short time he&rsquo;s been in the gym with the Vols. He felt that his lone year at Sunrise Christian Academy was competitive, but he quickly realized that college is a step up. He feels blessed to be playing at a Power Five Division I school, welcoming the challenge that awaits. He can&rsquo;t wait to take on the best that the SEC &mdash; and NCAA as a whole &mdash; has to offer.
Being as notable of a prospect as he is, the bright lights and attention come with it. Chandler doesn&rsquo;t treat it any differently than when he was off the radar, though. He&rsquo;s keeping his head down and staying humble because his journey is still ongoing. He's also fully invested in his studies of Communication &mdash; he'd like to be a basketball commentator when he's finished with his career. It's a big reason he went to school in lieu of going a separate route. (Rod Strickland and the G League Ignite reached out to him when Chandler was a junior, but he was focused on getting an education).
Still, right now, reaching the NBA is the primary goal, and this upcoming campaign with the Vols is critical to achieving that. When asked if he believes that he&rsquo;s the top point guard in his class, the answer is a confident &ldquo;yes&rdquo; because of his work ethic.
&ldquo;I was nothing at first. Nobody knew who I was,&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;My hard work really paid off, and people started recognizing who I was. And my hard work just showed who I really was and that I deserve my respect, you know? That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;ll continue to do, and I&rsquo;ll continue to work hard every single day.&rdquo;
Underestimate Chandler at your detriment. While he doesn&rsquo;t let the perception around his size get to him, he absolutely takes it as a slight. Not only does he have the desire to outwork everybody, he also has a chip on his shoulder.
&ldquo;I don't think it's fair at all,&rdquo; Chandler said. &ldquo;People, they consider me a small guard, but I'm playing against all big guards you can name that are freshmen now in college that are 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3. Size is just nothing to me. I play as [if] I'm a big guard. I don't believe me saying I'm a small guard really should affect me being [able] to play at the level of the NBA or just wherever I want to play at. I just take that as... it makes me work harder. It just makes me work harder every day 'cause I know me being 6-foot has nothing to do [with] me to play against [anybody] at any level.
&ldquo;That's not gonna bother me, them being taller than me, being this height. 'Cause I know I'm gonna get stronger as I am in college, which I am right now. I'm getting stronger and stronger every single day. So for people to consider me a small guard really doesn't bother me 'cause I've seen lots and lots of small guards that are in the league right now. I know if they can do it, I know I can do it as well.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies chats with Tennessee point guard Kennedy Chandler about his NBA relationships, high aspirations and more.

Tennessee's Kennedy Chandler intent on showing size isn't everything

NBA teams can typically anticipate where most of their production will come from and, barring injury, most are usually correct. But sometimes, players surprise us, taking a leap that suddenly changes their career trajectory. Sometimes, it&rsquo;s a relatively unknown veteran who establishes himself as a dependable role player. Other times, role players or young prospects grow into stars.
No matter the cause, breakout seasons are fun. They keep us on our toes and lead us to question how we assess talent. As is the case every season, there will inevitably be breakout players in 2021-22 &ndash; but who? Let&rsquo;s look around the Association to identify&nbsp; the five most likely candidates to have breakout seasons, ranked in order of likelihood.
ODDS: VERY LIKELY
OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors, 24: As was alluded to above, there are different types of breakout campaigns. Some guys make a name for themselves, while others escalate their existing profile. Anunoby is absolutely a case of the latter. He seized the opportunity created when Kawhi Leonard left for Los Angeles in 2019, averaging 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 29.9 minutes per game in 2019-20. Anunoby made another relatively big jump last year, averaging 15.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in his fourth NBA season. He&rsquo;s gone from an average, low-volume three-point shooter to a moderate-volume, above-average shooter, connecting on 39.8% of his deep attempts last season. His ball-handling is also worlds better than it was when he first came in the league, and so is his defense.
Still, there&rsquo;s a case to be made that Anunoby is not done demonstrating growth. Anunoby came on strong toward the end of last season, averaging 18.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 33 minutes per game across his final 20 contests, while scoring 20 or more in six of his final seven. If he continues performing like that, he will be in the All-Star conversation. And there&rsquo;s no reason to think he won&rsquo;t take <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-is-poised-to-break-out-next-season">the next step in his development</a>. staff&nbsp; Anunoby doesn&rsquo;t turn 25 until July and while he&rsquo;s been given a little more opportunity with each professional season, the departure of Kyle Lowry, the first full season without Normal Powell and the fact that Pascal Siakam will miss the first month or so of the season should result in even more production. So, get ready for your close up, Mr. Anunoby.&nbsp;
Kevin Porter Jr., Houston Rockets, 21: Porter, like Anunoby, already took a relatively big step between his rookie and sophomore seasons. The former USC Trojan averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 assists per game last year, his first with the Rockets. He even put the league on notice with a 50-point outing. But Porter hasn&rsquo;t been nearly efficient enough to warrant mass praise&hellip; yet. Porter shot just 31.1% on three-point attempts, posting a 49.3 effective field goal percentage last season. He&rsquo;ll look to improve on his sub-par defensive numbers too; ESPN&rsquo;s defensive RPM stat ranked him last in the entire NBA.
But Porter is entering his third season &ndash; one that talent evaluators widely agree is a make-or-break season for young pros &ndash; with a lot of momentum. He was always seen as a top-tier talent, league executives just weren&rsquo;t sure if he was mature enough to handle the NBA. The guard, who was once traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers for nothing more than a heavily protected second-round pick, could make a lot of teams regret not selecting or trading for him. And that could happen as soon as this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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ODDS: LESS LIKELY, BUT STILL A GOOD BET
Devonte&rsquo; Graham, New Orleans Pelicans, 26: Graham already had a breakout year, but he can really make a name for himself this season. Graham was in an interesting situation in Charlotte, where he was obviously the odd man out. But even before the arrival of LaMelo Ball, it wasn&rsquo;t an ideal situation for Graham. Sans Ball and Gordon Hayward, the Hornets just weren&rsquo;t talented enough for Graham to prosper and starting alongside Terry Rozier meant one of the two undersized guards would have to guard a shooting guard.&nbsp;
New Orleans offers Graham a far better situation to flourish. Less will be asked of him and he&rsquo;ll play alongside a more balanced lineup with Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who is a true shooting guard), Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas &ndash; and this is the most talented roster he&rsquo;s been on. Graham will be able to take what the defense gives him without having to force production, and he&rsquo;ll be able to play freely without looking over his shoulder, which was probably an issue to some degree last season. While nothing is guaranteed, I believe in the Pelicans roster this season, and believe that Graham will look even in New Orleans.&nbsp;
ODDS: LONG SHOTS
Malik Monk, Los Angeles Lakers, 23: Monk has had a disappointing start to his career since being selected No. 11 overall pick in 2017. He was never an ideal fit in Charlotte, and he didn&rsquo;t really begin carving out a role for himself until last season (his fourth in the league). If you look closely, though, Monk did begin to realize some of his potential last season. Specifically, he averaged 14.6 points in 23.5 minutes per game on 47/42/83 shooting splits between January 27 and March 26, notably torching the Miami Heat for 36 points on February 2 and again for 32 points on March 26.
Monk will play a very different role for the Lakers, playing alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. The Lakers will get Monk far more easy looks and while he&rsquo;ll battle for minutes with Wayne Ellington, Kendrick Nunn and Talen-Horton Tucker, his shot-making ability should be a differentiator. Considering Monk has only received an average of 17.8 minutes per game across four seasons, he already understands how to impact a game in a limited role. He should be able to thrive as an under-the-radar option and get his career back on track.
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Obi Toppin, New York Knicks, 23: Toppin is shooting at an entirely different basket than any of the aforementioned players, figuratively speaking. Toppin enters his second NBA season as an older-than-normal sophomore, and his rookie season was certainly less successful than he would have liked. But it wasn&rsquo;t all his fault. Head coach Tom Thibodeau loves veterans and he was slotted behind breakout star Julius Randle. What&rsquo;s more, Toppin couldn&rsquo;t play in Summer League last season because there wasn&rsquo;t a Summer League thanks to the pandemic, and he was slowed down by a calf injury suffered in the very first game of the season.&nbsp;
Last season, Toppin looked lost at times. But this summer, he proved that he is a different player when healthy and confident. Toppin dominated in Summer League, averaging 21.0 points and 8.3 rebounds with 45/34/89 shooting splits. Granted, the competition is less accomplished than what it will be night-in and night-out in the regular season (and the playoffs), but Toppin demonstrated all the skills that led to the Knicks selecting him eighth overall in 2020. He certainly won&rsquo;t enter the All-Star discussion this season, but he is primed to take a profound step forward &ndash; even if it&rsquo;s in a reserve role. And as much as the third season is the one that front offices look to for evidence of growth and star potential, most players build off momentum from their sophomore seasons &ndash; and Toppin should be in a prime position to have a strong second year.&nbsp;
Predicting breakout players is never easy, but Anunoby, Porter Jr., Graham, Monk and Toppin seem like solid bets.

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