Bulls

The Milwaukee Bucks clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs Wednesday, but they had to do so without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the second night of a back-to-back.
No problem &mdash; Bobby Portis exploded for 27 points and 13 rebounds, Jrue Holiday racked up 20 points and 15 assists, and Brook Lopez tossed in 26 points to handle the Chicago Bulls. One neat postgame statistic from ESPN's Kane Pitman caught my eye:
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Brook Lopez now has 26 games with 20+ points this season. He had 26 games with 20+ points across his first four regular seasons in Milwaukee. He will be a DPOY finalist but his scoring has wound back the clock during his age 35 season.
&mdash; Kane Pitman (@KanePitman) <a href="https://twitter.com/KanePitman/status/1643788843479621635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Lopez is putting up 15.9 points per game, his highest since his All-Star days with the Brooklyn Nets, at the most efficient scoring clip of his career. He's helped the Bucks retake the top of the conference while remaining square in the middle of the Defensive Player of the Year race.
The award's front-runner, Jaren Jackson Jr., has also quietly ascended on the offensive end. Jackson is averaging a career-high 18.3 points per game (20.9 since the All-Star break) with a career-best 58.5% two-point shooting clip. He dropped 40 in Wednesday's overtime loss to the Pelicans and has helped the Grizzlies go 12-4 since March 9.&nbsp;
While the two bigs are duking it out for DPOY, their steps forward as scorers have put each team in the championship conversation.
Starting with Lopez, his output this season hasn't come with increased touches. A cursory glance through PBP Stats' tracking data shows the 35-year-old is hovering at similar rates in touches and volume touch time relative to his entire Milwaukee tenure. His low 16.7% usage rate follows the same trend. But Lopez has received a significant green light; his mark of 11.5 field goal attempts per game is the most in the last six years.
Those extra shots have been distributed relatively evenly across different spots on the floor, but Lopez's paint presence is perhaps the most notable change. Here's a look at his impact of scoring inside since joining the Bucks in 2018, using data from PBP Stats (scroll right to view full table on mobile):
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 154px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 10.2766%; height: 44px;">Year</td>
<td style="width: 15.2376%; height: 44px;">Touches/100 poss.</td>
<td style="width: 18.501%; height: 44px;">Paint touches/100 poss.</td>
<td style="width: 16.4124%; height: 44px;">Paint touches FG% </td>
<td style="width: 15.1069%; height: 44px;">At-Rim FGA/game</td>
<td style="width: 13.5403%; height: 44px;">At-Rim FG%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.2766%; height: 22px;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 15.2376%; height: 22px;">59.6</td>
<td style="width: 18.501%; height: 22px;">2.8</td>
<td style="width: 16.4124%; height: 22px;">65.3%</td>
<td style="width: 15.1069%; height: 22px;">1.8</td>
<td style="width: 13.5403%; height: 22px;">75.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.2766%; height: 22px;">2019-20</td>
<td style="width: 15.2376%; height: 22px;">57.5</td>
<td style="width: 18.501%; height: 22px;">5.2</td>
<td style="width: 16.4124%; height: 22px;">61.7%</td>
<td style="width: 15.1069%; height: 22px;">2.5</td>
<td style="width: 13.5403%; height: 22px;">66.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.2766%; height: 22px;">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 15.2376%; height: 22px;">49.4</td>
<td style="width: 18.501%; height: 22px;">7.0</td>
<td style="width: 16.4124%; height: 22px;">70.3%</td>
<td style="width: 15.1069%; height: 22px;">2.7</td>
<td style="width: 13.5403%; height: 22px;">74.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.2766%; height: 22px;">2021-22*</td>
<td style="width: 15.2376%; height: 22px;">51.3</td>
<td style="width: 18.501%; height: 22px;">9.7</td>
<td style="width: 16.4124%; height: 22px;">62.8%</td>
<td style="width: 15.1069%; height: 22px;">3.4</td>
<td style="width: 13.5403%; height: 22px;">77.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10.2766%; height: 22px;">2022-23</td>
<td style="width: 15.2376%; height: 22px;">54.2</td>
<td style="width: 18.501%; height: 22px;">9.1</td>
<td style="width: 16.4124%; height: 22px;">71.2%</td>
<td style="width: 15.1069%; height: 22px;">3.6</td>
<td style="width: 13.5403%; height: 22px;">74.7%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Note that Lopez played just 13 games in 2021-22 due to injury.
Lopez's current paint diet builds off of his abbreviated 2021-22 campaign, and this time, he's consistently converting on his greatest volume as a Buck. In addition to the strong marks at the rim, Lopez is also hitting a blistering 56% of his short-mid-range shots, per Cleaning the Glass.
The 35-year-old scored his 26 points on Wednesday despite a quiet 0-for-2 night from distance. He made 10 of 17 attempts inside the arc. Some were confident driving layups where he powered through Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond. But this play highlights how his roll (heyo!) is changing:
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With the amount of drop coverage in today's NBA, plus the different downhill playmakers Milwaukee employs, Lopez has windows available as a roller. Here he stays in the passing lane during Joe Ingles' drive, seals off Derrick Jones Jr. and finishes the layup.&nbsp;
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This earlier bucket was the second of two near-identical makes in a row. Chicago sets its drop early in the action, but Vucevic is tighter on Holiday given the guard's threat to pull up. The window is open quicker for a short-roll pass that Holiday easily makes. Lopez then knocks down the soft-touch floater that the smaller DeMar DeRozan can't really contest.
According to play-type data from Synergy, Lopez is spending 21.2% of his possessions this season as a roll man. That's the highest frequency of his Bucks career, and it's steadily increased in each subsequent year from 14.1% in 2018-19. "Roll man" in Synergy terms can also include pick-and-pop plays, where Lopez often thrives, but he's also adding more classic rolls.
Tack on a career-high 37.4% clip from beyond the arc, and Lopez has found the pockets for him to excel within Milwaukee's offense without taking on a significantly larger workload.
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Lopez is making teams pay for how they defend guys like Holiday and Antetokounmpo. His buckets still mostly come via assists. Jackson, meanwhile, is stepping up as a self-creator.&nbsp;
The 23-year-old has cleared the 60% True Shooting mark for the first time in his five-year career. Yet, he's not shooting threes particularly well (34.4%) and his volume of attempts is down (4.5 per game). Jackson has instead boosted his two-point percentage to a career-best 58.5%. He can attribute that spike to a consistent assertion of getting to the basket.&nbsp;
According to PBP Stats, more than 40% of Jackson's total shots this year have been self-created twos within 10 feet of the basket. His 53.2% conversion rate on those looks is a whopping nine percentage points better than last season. Jackson's overall 67% clip at the rim is a serious bounce-back from a dreadful 2021-22, and his 47% mark in the short-mid-range area is another career high.
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In his monster 40-point outing, Jackson showed off how he's leveraging his length and strength with confidence. He posted up Larry Nance Jr. twice for scores, and was unfazed even when plowing into Nance on the above drive. Jackson still had the balance to turn the moment into a floater. There are also these Giannis-esque moments with Jackson where he uses his long strides and length to glide past defenders. The overall quick decision-making has elevated his attacks.
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The lanky forward has traded in some perimeter looks for more aggressive attacks. In fact, Jackson ranks third in points per drive (0.94) among 180 high-volume drivers this season. He's scoring at a decent 50.5% clip and drawing fouls on 18% of his drives, which also ranks third.
Jackson didn't shoot particularly well (13-for-28) en route to his 40-burger on Wednesday, but did draw nine fouls and made 11 of 12 free throws.
Perhaps the most surprising stat: Jackson is one of 100 NBA players who have logged 50 or more isolation possessions this season, per Synergy. He's drawn shooting fouls on a whopping 32.1% of those possessions; that is the highest in the eight-year history of Synergy's play-type tracking.
With his foul-drawing and reliable free-throw shooting, Jackson has created a floor-raiser with his length and athleticism against opposing bigs. As his scoring efficiency comes along, he's looking more and more like a matchup nightmare.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Two extremely important concepts in today's NBA: Creating and preventing advantages. From SIS Hoops:</li>
</ul>
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In the stretch run of the MVP race, Joel Embiid has stepped up his advantage creation to separate himself as the favorite for the award. <a href="https://t.co/6lThkqTKVC">pic.twitter.com/6lThkqTKVC</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1644003730205843458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Post-NCAA men's tournament reflection. FAU baby!
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</li>
</ul>
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Take good shots ✅ Force tough shots ✅ Win more games ✅ <a href="https://t.co/xHczgYjpfo">pic.twitter.com/xHczgYjpfo</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1643379899129040897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>A few league-wide notes I saw as this season is wrapping up:</li>
</ul>
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Some NBA leaguewide trends as we approach the end of the season 🧵 - The NBA is shooting a base 47.5% from the field, which is its highest since 1989-90 - eFG% is 54.5%, which is the highest ever - 114.8 offensive rating is a massive all-time high, 2nd place is 112.3 (2020-21)
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1644020710753333249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Jackson and Lopez are leading the Defensive Player of the Year race, but have also made important offensive strides.

NBA Stats Notebook: Lauding Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brook Lopez's offense

On Monday, Nike announced that it officially cut ties with Kyrie Irving due to him sharing a link to the documentary "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America," which many have labeled antisemitic. The news comes after Nike had suspended Irving and canceled his signature sneaker line.&nbsp;
The relationship between Irving and Nike began to deteriorate prior to the recent controversy. Last July, Irving said that the Kyrie 8 sneakers were "trash" and that he had "nothing to do with the design or marketing" of the shoe, but that "Nike plans to release it without my okay."
However, Nike co-founder Phil Knight specifically mentioned Irving's scandal as the reason the company was parting ways with him.
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&ldquo;Kyrie stepped over the line, it&rsquo;s kind of that simple,&rdquo; says Nike co-founder Phil Knight. &ldquo;He just made some statements we can&rsquo;t abide by and that&rsquo;s why we ended the relationship.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/VWWAEbsIku">pic.twitter.com/VWWAEbsIku</a>
&mdash; CNBC (@CNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNBC/status/1590741070018641931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After nearly a decade-long run of success with Nike, Irving is officially a sneaker free agent.
In response to this, during Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, Irving wore the Kyrie 3s with the Raygun colorway, but employed black tape to cover the Nike Swoosh logos. Additionally, he handwrote in marker the messages "I AM FREE" and "Thank you God... I AM" and "Logo Here" on the side of his shoes.
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Kyrie Irving covered up the Swoosh on his Nike Kyrie 3 with some messages following his official split with the company. Irving is a sneaker free agent <a href="https://t.co/xyKS4qN1qd">pic.twitter.com/xyKS4qN1qd</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1600692264774287360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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(The Brooklyn Nets also won 122-116, with Irving leading all scorers with 33 points and finishing one assist shy of a double-double.)
Irving&rsquo;s agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/05/business/nike-kyrie-irving.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The New York Times</a> that the sides &ldquo;mutually decided to part ways and we just wish Nike all the best.&rdquo;
On my radio show, "The Collision: Where Sports And Politics Collide,&rdquo; my guest was Torraine Walker, the <a href="https://twitter.com/TorraineWalker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">founder of Context Media Group</a>. We examined what Nike&rsquo;s decision to break ties with Irving means in the grander scheme of things, what actually constitutes antisemitism and if an ADL-style punishment is the answer. This was a great discussion.
Etan Thomas: What was your response to Nike dropping Kyrie and his response to being free? Were you surprised they did that?
Torraine Walker: "No I wasn&rsquo;t really surprised. I know once this controversy blew up that there was going to be some type of corporate response to it. I didn&rsquo;t think it would go to this extreme, but at the same time, I can&rsquo;t really say that I&rsquo;m surprised. Whether we like it or not, sports and politics are often divisions, and anything that looks like it&rsquo;s going to affect the brand, the bottom line, is going to be dealt with harshly when you&rsquo;re dealing with corporations.
"But the one thing I think this really lays out is, it shows the difference between ownership and sponsorship. A lot of times, we get caught up in the idea that someone who is the face of a brand has some type of bargaining power to the level that they can make contractual decisions. So this 'Hebrews To Negroes' controversy was so big that Nike could not ignore it.
"The other side is this &mdash; I think this is a great opportunity for Kyrie and also other athletes to look at basically creating their own brand and basically having some ownership in the products they are endorsing and have their faces on. Now, the question is, will the public get on board with that? Let&rsquo;s be honest, Nike has such a stronghold on the market and such strong brand loyalty and brand recognition that it&rsquo;s going to be difficult for someone who is coming into the market to do that. But I&rsquo;m not surprised at all that Nike did what they did."
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Thomas: What role did the media have in really magnifying this issue and controversy?&nbsp;
Walker: "The media had the primary role in keeping this 'controversy' going as long as it did. I can see the point where the posting of the documentary may have ruffled some feathers, or it made some people feel like it was an antisemitic thing. But usually when something like this happens, if an athlete or celebrity does something that people take offense to, people get offended, the athlete releases a statement, there&rsquo;s usually a cooling off period and, then, it goes away.
"But for some reason, there was this drive in the media to make this thing bigger than it was. They took a two-day story and made it into a month story, and I still don&rsquo;t fully understand the motivation behind that. I know a lot of organizations were pushing this. And I wonder if people inside the Nike organization was pushing this as well because, if I&rsquo;m not mistaken, Kyrie&rsquo;s contract is coming up anyway.
"But I think with the media, this was just the an opportunity for them to jump on an antisemitic angle with Black people and a Black man specifically, and they can run with it. So they saw a hot story and narrative that they could really push, and that&rsquo;s why we are where we are with this situation with Nike dropping him today. So to answer your question, the media had a huge role in this."
Thomas: What do you think about Kyrie and what he did with his shoes on Tuesday night &mdash; putting the tape over the logo and writing "I Am Free." What was your reaction to that?&nbsp;
Walker: "I was in favor of it, and I&rsquo;m glad he did it that way. My question is, how long will this be sustainable? It&rsquo;s easy to create a moment, it&rsquo;s easy to get people&rsquo;s attention, but can you direct that attention into something that will then be tangible for you to really be 'free?' And what does 'freedom' look like? Freedom looks like something different to everybody. Does this mean he is free from having to hold his tongue on issues he is concerned about? Does this mean he is free to create his own sneaker line? Does this mean he is free psychologically? I would love get clarification on that. I think it was a powerful statement, especially the timing, but would love to see it turn into something tangible."
Thomas: You mentioned something before, and it's the question that I continued to ask throughout this entire process: what is considered "antisemitic?" I think right now, there is a wider and wider bucket of what is being casted as antisemitic. On my show, "The Rematch," I spoke with an actual Rabbi, Harry Rozenberg, and we talked about this. He said, "Well, I may have a different opinion than your's, and feel very strongly and emotionally about my different opinion, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean your's is antisemitic." So I&rsquo;m asking you, in your opinion, what exactly is antisemitic?
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Walker: "Well, in my opinion, being antisemitic means you are making hateful statements about Jewish people, or you are calling for their extermination &mdash; which is what a lot of white supremacists and neo-Nazis call for. I don&rsquo;t believe that having questions about Judaism or having questions or issues as a Black man in America with the relationship between Black people and Jewish people is necessarily 'antisemitic.'
"And what&rsquo;s happening now is, any questioning of anything having to do with Jewish people or the state of Israel is being seen as antisemitic, and I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s fair and it doesn&rsquo;t make for a rational conversation. It has become this thing where even if you mention it, you are labeled as antisemitic, and that shuts down any conversation. So to answer your question, my definition of antisemitism is violent hatred of any person who is Jewish. That&rsquo;s my definition of it."
Thomas: Well, I couldn&rsquo;t agree more. I had a debate with Dave Zirin, my regular co-host on The Collision, when he guested on The Rematch, and we disagreed for literally the entire interview. We just had a different view of everything that had occurred, and this is when everything first happened.
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I mentioned my debate with Harry Rozenberg and we disagreed at times &mdash; we definitely disagreed when it came to discussing Palestine and Israel &mdash; but we also agreed that everything isn&rsquo;t in the "antisemitic" bucket. I think one of the things that happens is, when you label something as "antisemitic," it&rsquo;s kind of a lazy argument because it shuts down all conversation. Once you say something is antisemitic, then there is no conversation. But I think there are different things that can and should be discussed without the label of "antisemitic."
Walker: "Absolutely, and like I said earlier, when you are an African-American, your ideas on what 'antisemitism' means and what discrimination feels like is very different than what someone else from a different demographic may be familiar with. And this is not to say that people who are Jewish have not dealt with discrimination and bigotry in Europe and America &mdash; they definitely have &mdash; but that conversation has to change a little bit when we&rsquo;re talking about Black people.
"Because, we have to be honest: Black people are still collectively at the bottom of the economic ladder in America. And our relationship with someone who may be a landlord or someone who is exploiting them, it may be coming from an attitude of pushing back against exploitation. It doesn&rsquo;t mean that it&rsquo;s antisemitic, and a lot of times that gets lost in this conversation.
"But I do think that one thing that has come out of this conversation with Kyrie and Nike and Kanye [West] and [Dave] Chappelle, to an extent, is that these conversations are beginning to happen and they have to happen in order for any meaningful, impactful dialogue to take place. You can&rsquo;t just label something as antisemitic and then shut down the conversation and punish anyone who brought it up like Nike did with Kyrie."
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Thomas: I agree 100%. And yes, Nike&rsquo;s decision to drop Kyrie in the wake of him sharing the documentary "Hebrews To Negroes" has actually made them become part of the problem we&rsquo;ve seen with the ADL. Punishment over dialogue. Labeling over discussion and understanding.&nbsp;
Van Jones also took it upon himself to apologize to the Jewish community on behalf of the entire Black community for statements made by Kanye West &mdash; even though I don&rsquo;t know who appointed him as spokesperson for the Black community. But before we finish, let me make this point clear: a lot of people are, and have been, conflating Kanye West a.k.a. Ye and Kyrie Irving, but they are two COMPLETELY separate issues. One is NOT like the other and should NEVER be lumped together in any way, shape or form.
Walker: "I definitely agree."
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Etan Thomas speaks with Torraine Walker to discuss Nike parting ways with Kyrie Irving, how he responded and what it could mean.

Nike employs ADL tactics as it officially drops Kyrie Irving

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant said Friday the Brooklyn Nets could have handled this tumultuous week a bit differently &mdash; a week in which his coach was fired and teammate Kyrie Irving was suspended for posting a link to an antisemitic work.
Then Durant clarified on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1588549639191818240?s=20&amp;t=WSOsLWtBWyk3WhGm45cMyw">that he doesn't condone hate speech</a> and &ldquo;is about spreading love always.&rdquo;
Durant spoke Friday at the Nets' shootaround in Washington ahead of the evening's game against the Wizards. When asked what he thought of Irving&rsquo;s recent conduct, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-basketball-9967fe0a7d519ec88bb69653903269a3">which landed the guard a suspension of at least five games</a>, Durant said: &ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t here to judge nobody or talk down on nobody for how they feel, their views or anything. I just didn&rsquo;t like anything that went on.
"I felt like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization.&rdquo;
Within an hour, Durant followed up <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1588549639191818240">via a tweet</a>.
&ldquo;Just wanna clarify the statements I made at shootaround, I see some people are confused,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t condone hate speech or anti-semetism (sic), I&rsquo;m about spreading love always. Our game Unites people and I wanna make sure that&rsquo;s at the forefront.&rdquo;
Irving did apologize in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckhj8iIu0HN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">an Instagram post</a> for not explaining the specific beliefs he agreed and disagreed with when he posted about the documentary.
Nets general manager Sean Marks said Friday that the team has had some dialogue with Irving, but not enough given the circumstances.
&ldquo;The organization has made multiple attempts to get with Kyrie and his representation and to have them clarify his feelings and put out a sense of remorse for this, and that obviously didn&rsquo;t happen, and he refused to disavow that until his tweet last night,&rdquo; Marks said.
Marks said Irving&rsquo;s apology was a step, but actions will speak louder than words. He also said the team is not considering releasing Irving at this time.
&ldquo;There is going to be some remedial steps and measures that have been put in place for him to obviously seek some counseling ... from dealing with some anti-hate and some Jewish leaders within our community,&rdquo; Marks said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to have to sit down with them, he&rsquo;s going to have to sit down with the organization after this, and we&rsquo;ll evaluate and see if this is the right opportunity to bring him back.&rdquo;
Irving's reluctance to apologize came hours before the FBI said it had <a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-new-jersey-46e3d27517e58fffb3ec446e8cbf2d88">received credible information about a &ldquo;broad&rdquo; threat</a> to synagogues in New Jersey, Irving&rsquo;s home state.
In Florida on Saturday, the phrase &ldquo;Kanye is right about the jews&rdquo; was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kanye-west-aaron-donald-brooklyn-nets-new-england-patriots-nfl-b77fc5d2a9196b3b9f5992f139d4915a?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_medium=AP_Sports&amp;utm_source=Twitter">projected on the outside of one of the end zones</a> at the TIAA Bank Field stadium in Jacksonville during the Florida-Georgia football game &mdash; a reference to recent antisemitic comments that the music mogul formerly known as Kanye West has made on social media and in interviews. The incidents come four years after the deadliest attack on American Jews, when 11 people were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kanye-west-entertainment-music-religion-dfaf38656f6e50469d353c8af10e4b41">killed at a synagogue</a> in Pittsburgh.
The Nets also parted ways with coach Steve Nash this week and despite the star tandem of Durant and Irving, the team has a 2-6 record. Durant said the team has the ability to tune out all the turbulence.
&ldquo;It's just the way of the NBA now. So many outlets now and their stories hit pretty fast now. That's where all the chaos is coming from," he said. "Everybody's opinions, everybody has an opinion on the situation, we're hearing it nonstop, but once the ball starts bouncing and we get into practice, none of that stuff really seeps into the gym.&rdquo;
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister

Durant clarified on Twitter that he doesn't condone hate speech and “is about spreading love always.”

Durant: Nets 'could have kept quiet' about Irving, tumult

Compared to a grind-it-away offseason last summer that helped earn him a huge payday, Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen has been traveling and spending much more time with family this go-round.
Allen's latest adventure? Canberra, Australia, where the 24-year-old is participating in the Basketball Without Borders Asia program as a coach for the first time in his career.
"I've been trying to come here to BWB for a while, but things just never lined up,&rdquo; Allen told Basketball News over the phone. &ldquo;I just liked the idea of the world-life travel, the connecting basketball globally, expanding the NBA globally. I just think it's a great opportunity to share the game.&rdquo;
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Working alongside Chicago Bulls guard Coby White, Dallas Mavericks swingman Josh Green and Phoenix Suns forward Cam Johnson, Allen&rsquo;s been appreciative to get to know the guys he competes against. Together, the four NBA players are providing their best knowledge and advice to the next generation of hoopers to ensure the game of basketball continues to thrive.
&ldquo;That's who's coming after us. That's literally the future of the game, both globally and in the States,&rdquo; Allen explained. &ldquo;We have to share our knowledge to the people coming after to just make things better for the future."
Part of the reason Allen feels so strongly about this is that he had the proper guidance when he was in these campers&rsquo; shoes.
&ldquo;I don't remember the names well. But just growing up, [during] my summer workouts when I was their age [at Texas], I used to practice against some college and NBA players,&rdquo; Allen said. &ldquo;They would always take the time to help me, to show me little tips about how they played the game, how they played their position, and just helped me get my game to the next level. So that's what I'm trying to do with these kids.&rdquo;
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With BWB Asia Camp wrapping up on Aug. 10, Basketball News spoke with Allen about his involvement, his offseason, the Cavs&rsquo; upcoming year and more.
I'm sure Matthew Dellavedova told you good things about Australia. Have you been there before?
Allen: "This is my first time, but so far so good (laughs)."
Did you get any good coaching tips from J.B. Bickerstaff?
Allen: "Ah, no! Actually, I could've asked him (laughs). Honestly, I've been meeting great coaches out here, great people. It's been an amazing experience."
Have you gotten any kinds of unique questions from the campers?
Allen: "The kids didn't really ask me questions. They were kinda shy. But one of the kids just asked about leadership and how to become a better leader, which is surprising. I bet you none of us would've asked that growing up. But it goes to show the kids are trying to be the best they can."
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How&rsquo;s the offseason gone for you?
Allen: "Offseason's going pretty well. It's been kinda just a normal offseason, honestly."
Is your finger feeling alright?
Allen: "The finger's completely healed, not even like I broke it anymore."
Are you eager to start back up again at your own training camp in Cleveland?
Allen: "Aw yeah. I mean, it feels like the season's been done for eight months. Around this time of the year, I get itching to play, I get ready to get back on the court. But the good thing [is] it's about two months away."
You and Darius Garland are going into your second-and-a-half season together basically. Why do you think you guys have meshed so well as a tandem, and how would you like to build on that this coming year?
Allen: "Things really clicked for us as soon as I got to Cleveland. Obviously, we all know he's an amazing point guard. But the thing that I don't think people realize is just how willing he is to learn the game, how willing he is to work with myself to try to figure out the best position for me to catch the ball and to just finish a lob. And I see it expanding even further.
"Just every single year, especially with him and I, we've improved our games together, improved our chemistry, improved how we play the game together. And I think we still have a long way to go."
What did you think of the team bringing in Robin Lopez? 
Allen: "I'm happy with the Robin [addition]. I know him from just playing against him on the court. He's a great dude. The Lopez brothers altogether, just the things beyond social media battles, great guys. Especially defending [Robin], [he's a] great player &mdash; Captain Hook (laughs). He has the best hook shot in the league."
Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s back in the fold too. The locker room&rsquo;s gotta be thrilled about that.
Allen: "It's so good to have Ricky back. Off the court, great guy. He was a glue guy for us, to be able to keep us together. [He] came in with a positive attitude every day, willing to work. And even especially on the court, he ran the offense, he got us to where we needed to be."
Are we going to see more of that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WVdTvfC2ik" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-low action</a> with Evan Mobley?
Allen: "Oh absolutely, that's not going anywhere (laughs). I mean hey, we've got Lauri [Markkanen] too. We've got all three levels of scoring."
Is anybody coming into the paint after what you two did last year?
Allen: "(Laughs) You know, if they do, they're gonna know what happens."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kevin Love: 22 PTS, 6 REB, 6 3PM Jarrett Allen: 19 PTS, 11 REB, 5 BLK Evan Mobley: 17 PTS, 11 REB, 4 BLK The <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cavs</a> big men put in work in their win 💪 <a href="https://t.co/jSdNxx5rAl">pic.twitter.com/jSdNxx5rAl</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1466414382519398417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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You were right there in the thick of it before the injuries hit. Do you feel you guys would&rsquo;ve gotten further/made more of a run had everybody been healthy?
Allen: "You know, with that, you never can say for sure. I don't like saying if we could've made it or not because what happened, happened. But the possibility is definitely there, and the question is there, of just how far could we have made it."
Being sidelined had to sting, especially with the timing. You guys were surging before the All-Star break.
Allen: "Yeah, we were. It was the whole timing of the injury, right? When we were rolling and then, things started to not go where we wanted to go toward the end of the season. So this year, coming out, I think we're all full-steam ahead."
What&rsquo;s the vibe been with the guys?
Allen: "We have our own little group chat. We share memes, check in on each other every now and then. We're all [ready] to play again."
I'm sure the pictures from Kevin Love and Cedi Osman's weddings made it in there.
Allen: "(Laughs) I'm super excited for them."
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Here&rsquo;s something I always wanted to ask you &ndash; how did you get so invested in anime? Those likes pop up on the Twitter feed quite a bit! 
Allen: "(Laughs) I just think it's a fun thing to do. People have things that they like, have different types of hobbies, different things. That's just who I am. It's the things I like to do, things I don't mind sharing that I like."
Have you ever gotten fan art before?
Allen: "Some. Normally, me as <a href="https://www.funimation.com/shows/afro-samurai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afro Samurai</a> (laughs). But other than that, nothing too crazy."
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Background on Basketball Without Borders
<ul>
<li>Basketball Without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program that has been conducted annually since 2001.</li>
<li>The first-ever BWB camp took place in Europe in July 2001: Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Toni Kukoc (Croatia), together with former teammates from the Yugoslavia national team, reunited in Treviso, Italy to work with 50 children from the former Yugoslavia.</li>
<li>Since then the NBA and FIBA have staged 65 BWB camps in 42 cities in 30 countries on six continents with more than 3,700 participants from 133 countries and territories.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The NBA typically hosts four regional BWB camps over the summer (Africa, Europe, Asia, Americas), and in 2015 created the BWB Global camp, which is held annually at NBA All-Star for the top prospects from the previous summer&rsquo;s camps.</li>
<li>More than 310 current and former NBA/WNBA players have joined more than 240 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to share their expertise and knowledge with participants.</li>
<li>More than 100 former BWB campers have made it to the NBA or WNBA, including Marc Gasol, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Nicolas Batum, Jonas Valanciunas, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Danilo Gallinari</li>
<li>A record 41 former BWB campers were on opening-night rosters for the 2021-22 season.</li>
<li>The highest-drafted former BWB campers are:
<ul>
<li>No. 1 overall: Deandre Ayton (Bahamas; 2018), Andrea Bargnani (Italy; 2006)</li>
<li>No. 3 overall: RJ Barrett (Canada; 2019), Joel Embiid (Cameroon; 2014), Enes Kanter Freedom (Turkey; 2011)</li>
<li>No. 4 overall: Dragan Bender (Croatia; 2016)</li>
<li>No. 5 overall: Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania; 2011)</li>
<li>No. 6 overall: Josh Giddey (Australia; 2021); Danilo Gallinari (Italy; 2008); Bennedict Mathurin (Canada; 2022)</li>
<li>No. 7 overall: Killian Hayes (France; 2020), Lauri Markkanen (Finland; 2017), Jamal Murray (Canada; 2016)</li>
<li>No. 8 overall: Frank Ntilikina (France; 2017)</li>
<li>No. 9 overall: Deni Avdija (Israel; 2020) and Rui Hachimura (Japan; 2019)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies chats with Jarrett Allen about his involvement with BWB Asia, his offseason, the Cavs’ upcoming year and more.

Jarrett Allen Q&A: Cavaliers' offseason, Basketball Without Borders

Zach LaVine has an Olympic gold medal. What he doesn&rsquo;t have is NBA playoff experience.
At last, that part is about to change.
No active NBA player has been in more regular-season games without making his playoff debut than LaVine, who has appeared in 478 games with the Chicago Bulls. He&rsquo;s expected to play in his first playoff game Sunday night when the Bulls visit Milwaukee.
Once LaVine makes his playoff debut, the title nobody wants &mdash; active player with most games and no playoff appearances &mdash; will fall to Buddy Hield. He&rsquo;s been in 468 games with Sacramento, New Orleans and Indiana.
If Hield appears in at least 32 games next season, he will become the eighth player with at least 500 regular-season appearances but zero playoff contests. He&rsquo;ll join Tom Van Arsdale (929), Otto Moore (682), Nate Williams (642), Omri Casspi (588), Sebastian Telfair (564), Popeye Jones (535) and Eddy Curry (527) in that club.
Curry has a ring from his time with the Miami Heat in the 2011-12 season, but didn&rsquo;t play in a game during that postseason run.
EIGHT IS (USUALLY) ENOUGH
Phoenix won eight games more than any other team this season. That usually means a championship.
Not always, though.
The last four teams to have at least eight more wins than any other team in the regular season have gone on to win a title. Those clubs are the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, the Chicago Bulls in 1992 and 1996, and the Boston Celtics in 1984.
The 1971 Milwaukee Bucks, 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, and both the 1960 and 1965 Celtics also ended seasons with such huge regular-season margins with championships. But the Celtics in both 1958 and 1973 did not, nor did the Washington Capitols in 1947 &mdash; the inaugural season of the BAA, which was the precursor to the NBA. The Capitols (49-11) won 10 more regular-season games than anyone else in 1946-47, but the Philadelphia Warriors (35-25) won that first season&rsquo;s championship.
PLAYOFF MONEY
The NBA has set this season&rsquo;s playoff pool at $17,317,334. All 16 playoff teams are guaranteed $258,449 just for making the field; most teams will make more, and the deeper teams go in the playoffs, they&rsquo;ll make much more.
Phoenix is already assured at least $1,194,952. The Suns would claim $5,077,456 if they win the NBA title.
Miami has secured $695,527 already. The Heat would get $4,578,031 if they win the championship.
Any team that makes the NBA Finals is guaranteed $3,106,286; any team other than the Suns or Heat that wins the championship would receive at least $4,140,953.
BEST EVERYWHERE
Phoenix had the NBA&rsquo;s best home record and the NBA&rsquo;s best road record this season &mdash; 32-9 in both instances.
Only four of the last nine teams to pull off that feat, including ties in the standings, went on to win the NBA title. Those clubs were Golden State in 2015 and 2017, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and the Chicago Bulls in 1996.
The most recent teams to be best at home, best on the road and still not win a title: Houston in 2018, Dallas in 2007, Seattle in 1994, Portland in 1991 and the Lakers in 1990.
MILESTONE WATCH
Philadelphia&rsquo;s Doc Rivers is on the cusp of becoming the fifth coach in NBA history to win 100 postseason games. The 76ers need just two wins in their first-round series against Toronto to get Rivers to the milestone.
The other coaches with 100 wins: Phil Jackson (229), Pat Riley (171), Gregg Popovich (170) and Larry Brown (100).
Miami&rsquo;s Erik Spoelstra can also get to 100 playoff wins this year &mdash; but the Heat would have to get to the NBA Finals, then win three games in the title round to get him there. Spoelstra enters these playoffs with 85 postseason victories.
Among players, Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kevin Durant is three points shy of matching Jerry West (4,457) for eighth on the all-time playoff list. Durant needs 307 points to tie No. 7 Karl Malone (4,761) on that list, meaning the Nets would likely have to get to at least the second round for that to occur this year.
FAVORED TEAMS
Utah was favored in more games than any other team this season, picked by oddsmakers 73 times in the 82-game regular season. The Jazz were followed by Phoenix (70), Milwaukee (66), Golden State (62), Boston (61) and Miami (59) on the most-favored list.
The team that covered a spread with the most regularity this season: Memphis, which rewarded its backers 64.6% of the time. Utah was tied for next-to-last in that department, covering at a 40.2% rate.
Oklahoma City was favored the fewest times in the league, just on three occasions. Portland was the worst at covering, doing so 37.8% of the time.
BACK TO BACK
If Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo wins his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award &mdash; now named for Bill Russell &mdash; he would join select company.
Only six players have won that award in consecutive years. Chicago&rsquo;s Michael Jordan won it back-to-back-to-back on two separate occasions, 1991 through 1993 and then 1996 through 1998. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal won three in a row for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 through 2002. Hakeem Olajuwon won for Houston in 1994 and 1995, Kobe Bryant did for the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, LeBron James did for Miami in 2012 and 2013, and Kevin Durant did it for Golden State in 2017 and 2018.
Jerry West was the award&rsquo;s first winner in 1969. It has been named for Russell since 2009.
THREE&rsquo;S WIN
As one might guess, it&rsquo;s difficult to make up a significant disparity in 3-pointers made.
Teams that were outscored by 15 or more points from 3-point range this season won only 20.8% of the time &mdash; going 94-348 in those contests.
IGUODALA&rsquo;S FAREWELL
Golden State&rsquo;s Andre Iguodala has said he is retiring when this season ends. He wanted to go back to the Warriors for a farewell, and the Warriors welcomed him back for many reasons &mdash; what he brings at this time of year among them.
No player in this year&rsquo;s playoffs has played, counting actual appearances only, in more postseason wins than Iguodala. He has appeared in 103 playoff wins, five more than Philadelphia&rsquo;s Danny Green, eight more than Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kevin Durant, 16 more than Miami&rsquo;s Udonis Haslem and 17 more than Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
THE REFEREES
Tom Washington is working the NBA playoffs for the 24th time and Scott Foster was selected as part of the postseason referee corps for the 22nd time. They&rsquo;re the senior members of a 36-person group that will work games in Round 1.
There are three playoff newcomers: Eric Dalen, Mitchell Ervin and Justin Van Duyne.
Foster has worked 201 playoff games, while Washington has worked 172. Other veterans in this year&rsquo;s playoffs include Tony Brothers and James Capers (163 games apiece), Marc Davis (161), Ed Malloy (121), Bill Kennedy (120), Zach Zarba (117) and John Goble (100).
The rest of the first-round officials are: Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Nick Buchert, Kevin Cutler, JB DeRosa, Kane Fitzgerald, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Rodney Mott, Gediminas Petraitis, Michael Smith, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Scott Twardoski, James Williams and Sean Wright.
The NBA also selected eight alternates &mdash; including Lauren Holtkamp, the only woman to make this season&rsquo;s list. If picked for a game, Holtkamp would join Violet Palmer as the only female referees to work a postseason contest.

The AP's Tim Reynolds ties a bow on the 2021-22 NBA regular season and prepares us for the playoffs.

Playoff time: 10 things to know about the NBA's postseason

In case you missed it, Markieff Morris had this to say last night.
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Ain&rsquo;t shit wild about it! It&rsquo;s a real injury! Imagine having a 300 pound sloppy fat boy run full speed and make direct contact with your spine! I&rsquo;ll be back soon like I said. <a href="https://t.co/jMdySrLxuw">https://t.co/jMdySrLxuw</a>
&mdash; Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) <a href="https://twitter.com/Keefmorris/status/1479276725292830723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a>
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</blockquote>
Yeah, so, about that.
It&rsquo;s been 60 days since Markieff Morris last played an NBA game. The reason... we all know by now, don&rsquo;t we?
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It was common to hear reactions from NBA Twitter, "Inside The NBA" and others&nbsp;that suggested Jokić was in the right and/or Morris deserved it. While Morris can&rsquo;t entirely be absolved because of the needless take foul beforehand, the entire ordeal and aftermath are worth revisiting precisely two months later.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s preface the rest by saying, coming from someone who also covers combat sports and asks for&nbsp;your favorite kerfuffles on his profile for this website, I think fighting in non-combat sports isn&rsquo;t as bad as the pearl-clutchers think. It honestly shouldn&rsquo;t even always warrant a suspension &mdash; depending on the context &mdash; but I understand why it often does. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOAEz9uK6GY">Some sh*t goes too far</a>, but more than often,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmAMCFAugKc&amp;t=27s">guys don&rsquo;t even want to fight to begin with</a>. (Kenyon Martin even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-kenyon-martin-enforcer-toughness-physicality-league-kevin-garnett-fight-fighting-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed that here on BasketballNews.com in an article</a>.) 
And there&rsquo;s shared blame here, which we&rsquo;ll navigate through as one, big, happy-ass family.
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First of all, the video of the fight itself: Bleacher Report having as their headline, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L06009FEQRs&amp;t=27s">Nikola Jokic INJURED Markieff Morris &amp; ALMOST ENDED HIS CAREER 👀</a>&rdquo; is pretty wack. Eyeball emojis shouldn&rsquo;t come after ALMOST ENDED HIS CAREER in all caps &ndash; that&rsquo;s mad insensitive to still have up there after two months.
Secondly, the comments embody what we&rsquo;re talking about. People saying a variation of Morris getting what he deserved, applauding Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and Charles Barkley for defending Jokić&rsquo;s right to obliterate Morris from behind &mdash; we&rsquo;ll get to that momentarily.
Not too many combinations of jokes were directed at Morris, who apparently was faking his injury, right? So much so that he still hasn&rsquo;t played since.&nbsp;
Now, the "Inside" guys.&nbsp;
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The first thing Charles Barkley said was, &ldquo;I love this.&rdquo;
Less than a minute later, O&rsquo;Neal added, &ldquo;I like what The Joker did.&rdquo;
Asked by Ernie Johnson to expand, Barkley emphatically interjected, rhetorically asking, &ldquo;What did Joker do?&rdquo;&nbsp;
Johnson replied, &ldquo;Gave him (Morris) a shot in the back and whiplashed him.&rdquo;
And Shaq contributed, &ldquo;First of all, Ernie, it&rsquo;s called retaliation. When you hit me, don&rsquo;t turn around. Don&rsquo;t turnaround, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM1V1D1r_PU">Brad Miller, because I&rsquo;m swinging</a>,&rdquo; with a laugh.
Kenny Smith attempted to provide a more levelheaded take, saying, &ldquo;We would hope that Joker could have some self-restraint.&rdquo; He was then immediately shot down by O&rsquo;Neal and Barkley, and the segment continued.
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There&rsquo;s absolutely something to what O&rsquo;Neal and Barkley said regarding retaliation, self-defense and sending a message. Additionally, there&rsquo;s some arrogance in leveling someone and immediately turning around, thinking you&rsquo;re untouchable as a result. Not great from Keef, there.
And as bad as the neck injury has been for Morris, it could&rsquo;ve been worse &mdash; a stretcher was even brought out as a precaution. Luckily, he was able to walk off.
And, look, we&rsquo;ve all been to an emotional point where the subsequent actions we took were regrettable, so this ain&rsquo;t finger-wagging more than an observation and reevaluation.
Jokić, at 6-foot-11, 284 pounds, has a distinct size advantage over Morris' listed <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/morrima02.html">6-foot-9, 245-pound frame</a>, so throwing his entire body weight into an unsuspecting Morris from behind is especially threatening. You&rsquo;d probably say Morris put himself in that danger, but even Jokić &mdash; clearly not being in his right mind at the time &mdash; has to know that he can&rsquo;t charge into Morris from behind like that, which he admitted after. It isn&rsquo;t like the foul was from behind, either.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a stupid play,&rdquo; Jokic said, seemingly with regret. &ldquo;I feel bad. I&rsquo;m not supposed to react that way, but it&rsquo;s in the middle of the game. I got hit, I saw him, but I just thought it was gonna be like a take foul... I thought [what Morris did] was a dirty play, and I just needed to protect myself. I fouled him bad, and I&rsquo;m not supposed to react that way.&rdquo;
He later added, insisting his feelings were genuine, &ldquo;No, I felt bad, for real... his head snapped back, so I feel really bad.&rdquo; &nbsp;
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In regards to the unusually physical Morris take foul, that was mad unnecessary at that point of the game, and when NBA games are out of reach, that&rsquo;s typically when things like this happen. As many people have indicated, Keef has a history of NBA dust-ups &mdash; including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBZ4Al-zAQU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with DeMarcus Cousins</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ-azSxV-oE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OG Anunoby</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlWOv0HEYlk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Ennis</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9WUBR3e7H8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whatever this was with Buddy Hield</a> among others.&nbsp;
But if his reputation preceded him, Jokic&rsquo;s should too.
Just four months earlier, Jokić was ejected for a reckless-ass frustration foul against 6-foot-1, 180-pound Cameron Payne, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bHAc-BU8oE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">then going head-to-head and exchanging words with Devin Booker</a>. Two months before that,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bQgHLt59NM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jokić punched Terrence Ross in his arm</a>&nbsp;out of anger for not getting a call he felt he deserved. Ross gave him a receipt later in the half, but not an overly rough one.
In the Orlando Bubble, and in similar fashion, Jokić was upset about a non-call against 6-foot Patrick Beverley, and frustration fouled him on a break by... <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmftuUeYLHk">trying to Rick Flair chop him</a>? In the Nuggets-Blazers 2019 playoff series,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhndn_k-6G0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he elbowed the sh*t out of Enes Kanter</a>. (Depending on who you ask, he might&rsquo;ve been ahead of his time. Lots of people would, and I.... I understand.)
Jokić also had a bumping/shoving match with Marcus, Keef&rsquo;s twin, two years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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This isn&rsquo;t to say Jokić is a bad dude or an a**hole. Things happen, and different athletes have different ways of expressing themselves. But if people are going to hold up Morris&rsquo; past, this should go both ways. And all of these things can co-exist &mdash; this doesn&rsquo;t have to be some tribal, side-taking nonsense.&nbsp;
Revisiting all this is not to say we should retroactively ban Jokić for an extended period, but we should reevaluate how we process these things both in the moment and afterward. Morris still hasn&rsquo;t played. I don&rsquo;t care how much you don&rsquo;t like the dude and the misguided, non-productive nature of his foul &mdash; he didn&rsquo;t deserve to get hurt and obviously hasn&rsquo;t been faking an injury. (In the moment, I thought Jokić would get suspended 3-to-5 games, so one game appeared light at the time, for what it&rsquo;s worth.)
A question lingers in my mind: How would people have reacted if this were reversed? I&rsquo;m not even going to Black and white, but more specifically: What if Morris did this to Jokić? Clearly, people would&rsquo;ve been coming for Morris&rsquo; head since he&rsquo;s a role player, Jokić is a superstar, and plenty of y&rsquo;all don&rsquo;t like the Morris twins to begin with.
On Christmas Eve,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Keefmorris/status/1474434182575185922" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morris said he was "coming soon."</a> He said it again last night.
Well, it&rsquo;s been eight weeks since the encounter with The Joker. At 32 years old, hopefully, he&rsquo;ll be able to reclaim what he established earlier, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/morrima02.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which has turned out to be his best season in three years</a>. And ideally, Jokić could, as he himself indicated, collect himself a tad better before endangering someone else in this fashion.

Two months later, Bryan Fonseca analyzes the aftermath of the Nikola Jokic-Markieff Morris incident, with the latter still injured.

60 days later: Revisiting the Nikola Jokić-Markieff Morris incident

Enes Kanter Freedom opened up to Etan Thomas on "The Rematch" on being a U.S. citizen, his Fox News interview, LeBron and more.

Q&A: Enes Kanter Freedom on U.S. citizenship, Fox interview, LeBron

The Charlotte Hornets identified the center position as their focus area this offseason.
They traded for Mason Plumlee, a solid rim roller and passing hub from the high post. They let longtime &mdash; and long-underrated &mdash; big man Cody Zeller go in free agency; he's off to Portland to screen for, and catch lobs from, Damian Lillard. Charlotte locker room favorite Bismack Biyombo is also out.
In the draft, the Hornets took a long-term swing on super-athlete Kai Jones. He's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/selfaware-kai-jones-is-an-unfinished-product-and-wont-stop-learning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ridiculously explosive with unreal physical traits</a>, but is likely a year or two away from being a positive impact guy. He joins Vernon Carey Jr. and Nick Richards in the Hornets' young stable of centers we're not quite sure what to expect from.
But what if the answer to the center question isn't a traditional center? What if it's third-year forward PJ Washington?
After rarely playing center in his rookie campaign, Washington nearly split his time between the 4 and 5 last season: a 54/46 split; let the good folks at <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/washipj01.html#pbp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball-Reference</a> tell it. The Hornets had a plus-3 net rating in nearly 900 minutes when Washington was on the floor without a center, per <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612766&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1629023,203469,202687,1630176" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PBP Stats</a>.&nbsp;
That's a pretty solid sample of positive minutes. It's even more impressive considering the up-and-down nature of Washington's season, at least from a shooting perspective.
The Hornets aren't in "prove it" territory as a whole; they're a young group that caught a lot of teams off guard last season with their breakneck pace and funky mixture of defensive coverages. It is fair, however, to say that the surprise element likely won't exist for them this year.
With the team's core being as young as it is, there is room for linear improvement, and thus another year of playoff contention. But because the shine has worn off a bit, and because the rest of the conference has improved, they'll need&nbsp;a step forward from their core to keep pace.
That may start with Washington.&nbsp;
THE FOUNDATION
I won't bore you by completely quoting myself from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/something-to-prove-jaren-jackson-jr-at-center" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaren Jackson Jr. piece</a>, but the same "All Unicorn bigs are not created equal" point remains. Washington isn't a unicorn, but his skill set is robust enough to make you raise your eyebrow when watching him.
Like Jackson, the intrigue begins from the outside with Washington. He got off to a slow shooting start last season (roughly 33% from deep over his first 24 games), then completely turned it around to close things out (nearly 41% on 5.3 attempts).&nbsp;
He doesn't possess Unicorn-like shot versatility, at least not yet. Washington only made four (4) threes coming off screens last season, per InStat tracking, and those were of the "receive a random pin-in and spot-up behind it" variety.
He does knock down spot-up looks with ease, and displays solid footwork on pick-and-pops. The foundation is there for him to do more movement stuff, and I'm intrigued by some of the self-created threes he took last season.
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That doesn't look like someone that can't get busy, that's for sure.
Teams can't afford to leave him open from deep. He invites aggressive close-outs on spot-up and pick-and-pop opportunities, then counters them with quick drives.
The best thing to say about Washington right now on that front is that he's a quick decision-maker off the catch. He's firing the shot, or immediately branching into a drive to keep the chain moving. For a Charlotte team that doesn't have a title-level number one option, maximizing windows with timeliness is key.&nbsp;
As a finisher, Washington has a solid feel for defender positioning. He attacks scrambling defenders well, pinpointing their front foot and sliding past with aggressive drives. He's a low driver, able to gain inside leverage with his shoulders to create some semblance of space. Counters are being added &mdash; he's gaining comfort with a spin move &mdash; but he's not all the way there yet.
His passing chops are also trending upward, particularly on drives. His pass percentage on drives jumped nearly five percentage points from last season (34.6 to 39.0), while his turnover rate rose marginally (7.9 to 9.5), per <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612766&amp;sort=DRIVE_TOV_PCT&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Spectrum tracking data</a>. The path from chain-mover to playmaker is there.
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A big man that can legitimately shoot the ball while possessing the ball skills to get downhill and create for himself or others... that's a hard needle to thread. The guys that can do that have, or will, get paid handsomely.
The fact that Washington can provide plus-impact at the 5 while some of his skills are still unrefined (more on that shortly) bodes well for him and the Hornets as a whole.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
While it's perfectly okay that a big man on his rookie deal doesn't have it all together, it is&nbsp;important to note that Washington isn't there yet.
There are areas of refinement, like Washington's passing, where you squint but still feel okay about things overall. He's a quick decision-maker and generally makes the right reads. After going through his film, I struggle with calling him a good&nbsp;passer because the ball placement just isn't there.
The stationary stuff is fine. Once you incorporate movement &mdash; drive and kicks, or short-roll opportunities &mdash; the bag becomes a bit mixed. His tape is littered with high and/or wide dishes that take shooters out of rhythm. While it's nice to (quickly) identify a window, you ultimately have to hit the sucker. He doesn't do that enough right now.
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The more pressing issue is Washington on the interior, on both ends of the floor.
Offensively, a lack of vertical pop hinders him quite a bit as a finisher. Among 97 players to take at least 200 shots at the rim last season, Washington ranked 93rd in field goal percentage (54.6%) and 95th in the percentage of rim attempts he had blocked (15.8%), per <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/nba/player?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PBP Stats</a>.&nbsp;
It's great that he understands how he has to win: with positioning, with craft and with a little bit of touch. It's a bit concerning that he needs those traits to the degree he does. If he isn't able to win a pure scramble drill, his attempts become infinitely more difficult.
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On the other end of the floor, Washington doesn't bring enough punch to operate as the primary big. Lateral mobility is his greatest strength defensively. It's necessary considering how often the Hornets switched last year, and how much ground he occasionally had to cover when they went to their many variations of zone.
He can legitimately hold his own against forwards and wings, and survive against sub-elite guards in a pinch. As a weak-side rotator, Washington is generally on time and on target.&nbsp;
Put Washington in a drop as the primary defender, and you'll see inconsistencies in his technique and depth, and the lack of vertical pop will rear its ugly head.
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On the stat side: 27 players defended at least five shots at the rim per game last season (min. 40 games played), <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defensive-impact/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;sort=DEF_RIM_FG_PCT&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=DEF_RIM_FGA*GE*5:GP*GE*40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Second Spectrum</a>. Washington ranked 25th in field goal percentage allowed (65.2%), besting only Enes Kanter (65.3%) and Nikola Jokic (66.3%).&nbsp;
Jokic is probably the closest analog, oddly enough: a big man with squishy traits as a rim protector who makes up for it with activity. Both are high-steal guys for the position, but Jokic can also clean the glass at a high level (26.1% defensive rebound rate last season). Washington lags behind in that area (18.3%).
There is context to be added to both of those numbers. Washington has his flaws as a defender, but he was also tasked with covering for some of the worst point-of-attack defense in the league. There's a reason the Hornets experimented as much as they did defensively last season.
It's also difficult to post a high rebound rate when defending on the perimeter as much as Washington had to, and baked into all of this is that Washington split time between the 4 and 5 to begin with.&nbsp;
But if he's to log more minutes at the 5 specifically, he has to become a stronger presence inside. He isn't a bad defender on balance, but there's a step that needs to be taken.
If he's able to get there defensively, his offensive strengths will be accentuated. His shooting becomes even more deadly when he's removing a center from the paint. Driving lanes will become wider, opening more passing opportunities.&nbsp;
The Hornets only got 53 minutes out of the Ball-Rozier-Hayward-Bridges-Washington lineup last season; considering it was a positive (<a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612766&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=202330,1626179,1628970,1629023,1630163" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plus-5.4</a>), it's certainly worth exploring as a closing lineup this year. Washington being able to man the middle would allow that to happen.
Beyond the team success, Washington will be extension-eligible next offseason. A strong showing on both ends could wind up being fruitful for him.

Nekias Duncan continues his Something To Prove series by breaking down the film of Hornets big man PJ Washington.

Something To Prove: PJ Washington at center

The 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner. One month from now, training camps will get underway. This season, BasketballNews.com will be covering the NBA from every possible angle, including ramped-up sports-betting content.
After providing some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/5-best-bets-on-future-nba-awardwinners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interesting future bets on the NBA award races</a>, let's take a look at the 2021-22 playoff odds. Many teams went all-in this offseason, determined to make the playoffs and go on a run.
After examining the 2021-22 playoff odds, seven teams stand out as worthy fliers. Let&rsquo;s dive into which organizations have intriguing odds that you can capitalize on before it&rsquo;s too late.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: +575 odds to make playoffs
Realistically, the team that could make you a lot of money by the end of the regular season resides in Minnesota. Although the Western Conference is still loaded &ndash; with as many as 12 teams having realistic playoff aspirations &ndash; don&rsquo;t sleep on the Timberwolves finally making a push.
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most gifted scorers in the Association and a consistent 40% three-point shooter. Last year's No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-will-anthony-edwards-surge-lead-to-nba-rookie-of-the-year-award-minnesota-timberwolves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a leap in the second half</a> of his rookie season, averaging 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.9 threes and 1.4 steals in 36 games after the All-Star break. He should build off of that during his sophomore campaign, and he could crack 25.0 points per game. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell has struggled with injuries during his year-plus stint in Minnesota, but he&rsquo;s another offensive weapon that Minnesota can utilize. The Timberwolves&rsquo; roster features a lot of youth and a lot of subpar defenders, but a whole lot of points will be scored. Minnesota is hoping to out-race teams in "track-meet" style matchups where reaching 130-plus points each night is the primary objective.
Here's another underrated reason why you should take a flier on Minnesota at +575 playoff odds: the Ben Simmons rumors. Minnesota is reportedly the one team who has continually kept a dialogue going with Philadelphia. Now, after acquiring big expiring contracts in Taurean Prince and Patrick Beverley this offseason, the Wolves can make a deal work cap-wise while also throwing in a sweetener like up-and-coming prospect Jaden McDaniels. Philadelphia&rsquo;s asking price is absurd, but Minnesota can offer picks plus Prince, Beverley, McDaniels and Josh Okogie to make the salaries work. The Sixers will likely want a third team to get involved to create a more appealing package, but don&rsquo;t rule out Minnesota as Simmons&rsquo; eventual destination. If that happens, you&rsquo;ll be lucky to have chased these +575 odds before they might break even within a few months time.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: +500 odds to make playoffs
The 2021-22 season may be the Wizards&rsquo; last chance to impress Bradley Beal. Entering the final year of his contract, Beal could become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. The Wizards will <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-will-be-eligible-extension-wizards-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> offer him to a max extension this summer, but it remains to be seen if he's interested in signing it.
Regardless, give Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard some credit. Once Russell Westbrook asked out, he retooled Washington&rsquo;s roster on the fly and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wizards-retooling-led-to-a-competent-roster-surrounding-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">built a competent rotation</a> best suited to fit Beal&rsquo;s special skillset. Spencer Dinwiddie is the perfect backcourt partner alongside Beal. Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope add more scoring punch. Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert are talented prospects who provide versatility. Davis Bertans should have a bounce-back season beyond the arc and provide elite shooting. Daniel Gafford, Montrezl Harrell and Thomas Bryant is an intriguing trio of big men. Overall, Washington now has a deeper rotation that should fit together better than last year's group.
If everything clicks for the Wizards, they should push for a playoff spot (perhaps with a second-straight appearance in the play-in tournament). Although Westbrook is gone, Beal should be able to lead a more well-rounded roster to a record above .500. If that&rsquo;s the case, betting on Washington right now at +500 odds seems like a smart investment.
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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: +200 odds to miss playoffs
Damian Lillard seems to have one foot out the door in Portland. Fed up with the Blazers&rsquo; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack of urgency to build a contender around him</a>, nothing has really changed since he vented about how additional changes were needed. GM Neil Olshey re-signed Norman Powell (who fits well alongside Lillard) on a five-year deal and added Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore to improve Portland's second unit. The Blazers also traded Derrick Jones Jr. and a future lottery-protected first-round pick to bring in Larry Nance Jr., who is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-larry-nance-jr-brings-to-the-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a perfect complementary piece that should help on both ends</a> of the floor.
Aside from Nance, the additions are pretty underwhelming, and the team lost Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter and Zach Collins. Considering what's at stake, it's surprising that the Blazers didn't make more moves to show Lillard that the organization is committed to winning. Olshey and Co. are playing a very dangerous game here, especially if the Blazers stagnate in the standings next season.
If teams like Minnesota, New Orleans and Memphis see a big leap from their young cores, Portland could find themselves outside of the playoff picture. And if that&rsquo;s the case, Lillard will be gone next offseason.
At +200 odds to miss the playoffs, it&rsquo;s a worthy gamble when you realize the Lillard situation hangs over the organization. If the Blazers get off to a slow start, could Lillard ask out mid-season? At the moment,&nbsp; it's hard to feel comfortable about Portland&rsquo;s playoff hopes.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: +175 odds to make playoffs
Charlotte <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-ready-to-fly-up-standings-following-strong-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quietly had one of the best offseasons</a> in the Association. Not only did they re-sign Terry Rozier on a four-year deal, they also brought in Kelly Oubre Jr. to add some more scoring potency off their bench. Mason Plumlee, who has been a steady starting center over the years, was acquired pretty much for free. Add in the draft picks of James Bouknight and Kai Jones, and Charlotte will be one of the most fun teams to monitor throughout the 2021-22 season.
LaMelo Ball is poised to take another leap in his sophomore campaign, which should help bolster Charlotte&rsquo;s playoff probabilities even further. The Hornets&rsquo; rotation is now 10-11 players deep, which hasn&rsquo;t been the case in years. With a nice blend of win-now veterans alongside promising high-upside prospects, Charlotte could be one of the best bets to make off this list.&nbsp;
Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s health will also play a factor here. The Hornets were above .500 before Hayward went down with a season-ending injury. Despite Hayward's injury and Ball being sidelined for a significant stretch, the Hornets still earned a spot in the East's play-in tournament last year. If Hayward can stay healthy throughout the regular season and their offseason additions fit in, Charlotte could comfortably finish in the East's top-eight for the first time since 2015-16.&nbsp;
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: +170 odds to make playoffs
It's always fun to bet on Zion Williamson, who has already reached superstardom. After averaging 27.0 points during his sophomore season, Williamson could realistically average 30.0 or more now that the new-look Pelicans will have better floor-spacing. A smart head-coaching hire (Willie Green) and roster upgrades around the margins should lead to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/by-making-zion-williamsons-job-easier-the-pelicans-should-finally-have-real-playoff-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a boost in performance from New Orleans</a>.
Brandon Ingram is flying under the radar as well. If Ingram continues to be one of the most promising two-way wings in the Association, New Orleans is cooking with gas in 2021-22.
It will be tough to break through in a loaded Western Conference, but Williamson is a generational talent. If the Pelicans find success early in the regular season, they could ride that wave of momentum toward a play-in appearance. With Williiamson in a win-or-go-home situation for a playoff spot, I&rsquo;m betting on New Orleans.&nbsp;
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INDIANA PACERS: +145 odds to miss the playoffs
Everything went wrong for the Pacers last season. Nate Bjorkgren was an awful head coach who failed to relate to players and whose scheme didn&rsquo;t match the roster. Rick Carlisle&rsquo;s return to Indiana is a huge deal for an organization that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-face-makeorbreak-202122-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">needs to succeed in a make-or-break 2021-22 season</a>. If the Pacers fail to make significant headway, big changes are in store for this roster.
Again, the Eastern Conference looks to be very much improved. Chicago may have leapfrogged Indiana in their division. Charlotte and Washington might be doing the same thing with solid rosters that could immediately fit together well. Meanwhile, Indiana has questions. Will Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">find success with their jumbo-sized frontcourt</a>? Will T.J. Warren <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stay healthy in a contract year</a>? What can we expect from the backcourt of Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, which barely played together last season due to separate injuries?
On paper, the Pacers have a solid squad. However, if they get off to a slow start, they could be one of the teams ready to sell-high around the trade deadline. They have a number of attractive pieces and rival executives have been circling like vultures for a while (just look at how often Turner has surfaced in trade rumors). At +145 odds, this seems like a flier worth taking.
NEW YORK KNICKS: +125 odds to miss the playoffs
After a really solid offseason, it's clear that the Knicks are banking on continuity. Also, bringing aboard Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker should help bolster a rotation that was already impressively deep. However, could the Knicks be the team that regresses the most in 2021-22? It&rsquo;s a realistic possibility, especially with how many young squads in the Eastern Conference are on the rise.
What if Julius Randle stagnates and doesn&rsquo;t improve? They'll need him to continue playing at a high level, while R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and their 2021 rookie class must hit the ground running early in the regular season too.
New York finished as the No. 4 seed last season, but for the first time in years, there will be real drama surrounding the East's playoff picture.
Tom Thibodeau helped the Knicks overachieve last season. The question is, can this team do it again? It's possible they take a step forward and once again earn homecourt advantage in the playoffs. But it truly could go either way for the Knicks, making this a worthy bet at +125.

Which NBA teams could win you some money come playoff time? Evan Sidery looks at 7 teams whose postseason odds stand out.

2021-22 NBA playoff odds: 7 teams worth betting on

This summer, there were a handful of teams that got better through the NBA Draft and free-agency period. Recently, our staff discussed the organizations that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-best-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had the best offseason</a> as well as the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most underrated moves of this summer</a>. But who didn't take advantage of this window to add to their roster?
Today, we asked our writers:
Which NBA team had the worst offseason?
Nekias Duncan: I&rsquo;m just not a fan of what the Portland Trail Blazers did. Their coaching hire of Chauncey Billups was mired in controversy. There&rsquo;s been no major swing on the roster, with their best free agent acquisition being Cody Zeller. They got virtually nothing from the draft, then followed that up by building a summer league roster that frankly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/nekias-duncan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn&rsquo;t make much sense</a>. I can&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;m a fan of how things have been handled.
Jackson Frank: It&rsquo;s the Dallas Mavericks for me. They didn&rsquo;t get substantially better in an offseason when they touted lots of cap space and resemble a very similar team to last year. They still need a secondary creator to aid Luka Doncic. The wing defense is lackluster. The center rotation is worrisome. This just felt like a considerable misstep, given Luka&rsquo;s superstardom and the financial flexibility drying up moving forward.
Alex Kennedy: In one of the most important offseasons in the Portland Trail Blazers' history (given what's at stake with Damian Lillard's future), Neil Olshey and Co. dropped the ball. The team lost Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter and Zach Collins, and their only notable moves were re-signing Norm Powell and adding Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore. Entering this offseason, Lillard said: "I think if you look at our team as it is going into next season, I don&rsquo;t see how you can say, &lsquo;This is a championship team. You just need a new coach.&rsquo;" He's 100% right, and now the roster is arguably worse than when he made that comment. When asked about Portland's free-agency moves, Lillard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/damian-lillard-not-unhappy-with-blazers-despite-losses-in-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was honest</a> and said, "We weren&rsquo;t able to go out there and get some of the guys that we would have liked."&nbsp;
Spencer Davies: Surprisingly, I am asking myself what the San Antonio Spurs are doing with their money. Bringing in veterans like Thaddeus Young, Doug McDermott, Zach Collins, Bryn Forbes and Al-Farouq Aminu would make more sense if they were contending for a postseason spot... but that almost certainly won&rsquo;t be the case. From a developmental standpoint, it should be good to have these guys around to mentor Dejounte Murray, Derrick White and Keldon Johnson. Still, it kind of takes time away from Lonnie Walker Jr. and Devin Vassell, and that&rsquo;s the last thing you want for a team that&rsquo;s going to reset after losing DeMar DeRozan and a slew of vets who had been around for years. That said, taking Josh Primo as a take-your-time project is intriguing... just maybe not so much for the other young players who play that position. Oh, and Jakob Poeltl signed an extension not too long ago too, yet R.C. Buford decided to invest in Collins. This summer just seemed like an interesting, maybe not-so-smart way to use cap space for one of the best-run organizations in sports.
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Imman Adan: The New Orleans Pelicans. They went all in, giving up two future first-round picks in the Memphis Grizzlies deal for Jonas Valanciunas, and a pick swap. They also didn&rsquo;t re-sign Lonzo Ball, moved off of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams' money and gave up Wes Iwundu with very little to show for it. I&rsquo;m all for big swings, but this didn&rsquo;t feel all that calculated. It's hard to understand what they&rsquo;re trying to accomplish, and they certainly took a step back.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Evan Sidery: I have no idea what the Spurs are doing. Why sign Doug McDermott to a big contract, while also signing Bryn Forbes? Zach Collins on a multi-year deal was another head-scratching move. The Spurs <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-veterans-moving-on-san-antonio-spurs-would-be-wise-to-hit-the-reset-button" target="_blank" rel="noopener">should be trying to tank this year</a>, but that might not be their plan internally. Give those minutes opened by veteran departures to your young core, not new free agents. Now, players like Devin Vassell and Lonnie Walker are still stuck to the bench.
Ethan Fuller: Portland could win this off of the Chauncey Billups hiring (and subsequent fallout) alone, and I'm sure some of our fellow writers picked the Trail Blazers. So I'll add another team in the Dallas Mavericks, whose offseason <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-gm-donnie-nelson-agree-to-mutually-part-ways-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consisted of a front-office blowup</a>, three minor roster additions <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reggie-bullock-mavs-agree-to-threeyear-deal-worth-305m">headlined by Reggie Bullock</a> and the hiring of Jason Kidd as head coach. Kidd not only was convicted of domestic abuse in 2001 &mdash; and has done little publicly to atone for it &mdash; but he also has a 183-190 record as the head coach of talented teams. And there is <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/book-jason-kidd-held-christmas-163516649.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anecdotal evidence of a problematic past</a> in Milwaukee. It's hard for a team to regress with a rising star, but that seems to be what the Mavs are doing despite Luka Doncic's ascension.
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Jesse Blancarte: In an offseason where the Portland Trail Blazers are at risk of superstar Damian Lillard demanding to be traded, the franchise failed to make any moves that would quell the situation. Re-signing Norman Powell was a good move. However, Portland lost notable players like Enes Kanter, Carmelo Anthony and Zach Collins. The only other additions so far include Cody Zeller on a minimum contract, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore. Unless Portland has a few tricks up its sleeves, it seems likely Lillard and C.J. McCollum are going to lack the support they need on the court to take Portland on a deep playoff run next season.
Drew Maresca: I was on the fence between the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers, but Doncic&rsquo;s re-signing made the difference for me. Ultimately, Dallas is now where Portland was two years ago. The Blazers needed to do something to impress Damian Lillard, and they failed. Lillard is insanely loyal, but even the most loyal among us has limits. Lillard will end up giving Portland an ultimatum at some point in the near future, and the Blazers might find themselves stonewalled into trading Lillard instead of building around him. Who knows, it might already be too late.
Chris Sheridan: That is a tough one because the summer is a time of hope for all 30 teams. But the Orlando Magic are the winners of this category. They added Robin Lopez and head coach Jamahl Mosley, but little else outside of their draft picks. I hated the Nikola Vucevic trade when they made it. I hated it even more when Khem Birch was waived and outplayed his replacement Wendell Carter Jr. with the Toronto Raptors late last season. I do not see much hope here for an Orlando win total north of the teens.

Which team did the worst job during the 2021 NBA offseason? Our writers share their thoughts.

Roundtable: Which NBA team had the worst offseason?

NBA free-agency activity fizzled out after many teams spent all of their available cap space. However, there's one situation that may not be resolved anytime soon: Lauri Markkanen and the Chicago Bulls are in a stalemate over his impending future.
Markkanen&rsquo;s restricted free agency has been a nightmare for the seven-foot Finnish big. Many teams pivoted to other options once Markkanen overvalued his worth on the open market. The fact that the Bulls could match any offer sheet for the 24-year-old likely scared some teams away too.
The Charlotte Hornets were very interested in Markkanen, reportedly preparing an offer sheet for the Bulls&rsquo; power forward. At the last minute, Charlotte went in a different direction and signed Kelly Oubre Jr. to a two-year deal. The San Antonio Spurs also poked around and inquired about Markkanen, but decided against bringing him onboard in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade with Chicago.
During the 2017-18 season, Markkanen flashed as one of the best rookies in the 2017 NBA Draft class. Averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in just under 30 minutes per game, while shooting 36.2% on three-pointers, Markkanen looked the part of an eventual long-term building block for the Bulls. However, over the last three years, the former No. 7 overall pick hasn't shown much else.
His averages over the last three seasons have been nearly identical to his rookie year: 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 36.9% from three in 29.3 minutes. Although the former Arizona Wildcat finally improved his three-point efficiency in 2020-21 (shooting 40.3% from deep), he's become stagnant everywhere else. Is Markkanen worth over $15 million per year as a floor-spacing stretch big who is a subpar rebounder and even worse defender? The quick answer is no, and teams seem to agree judging by how they've approached the early stages of Markkanen's free agency.
Chicago is willing to let Markkanen exit, but they&rsquo;re playing hardball. The Bulls want a future first-round pick while also not taking salary back in a potential sign-and-trade scenario. This not only limits the pool of teams, but it also requires the franchise that wants Markkanen to give up additional draft capital they may not want to relinquish.
At this moment, a return for Markkanen to the Windy City for his fifth season is certainly on the table. Markkanen&rsquo;s qualifying offer is $9 million, so this could be a scenario where he signs the dotted line, then becomes an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
However, if Markkanen eventually gets his wish with a fresh start elsewhere, which teams make the most sense for him? Let&rsquo;s explore several possible landing spots.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
If a team wants to get involved in a sign-and-trade for Markkanen, they need to have one of these two things: a traded player exception (TPE) or salary-cap space. At this point, there are very few teams with enough wiggle room to give Markkanen an annual salary above $10 million, so the TPE could be the best bet to make a move occur.
Dallas certainly fits the billing, as they own a $10.9 million TPE. Does Markkanen want to sign a three-year deal that pays just $1.9 million more than his qualifying offer? Unless he's dead set on never returning to Chicago, it&rsquo;s not the best financial move for Markkanen.
If the Mavericks want to acquire Markkanen while saving their TPE, they would need to offload Dwight Powell&rsquo;s $11 million salary for 2021-22 plus another piece. For example, to meet the Bulls&rsquo; own demands, Dallas sends Chicago a heavily protected future first-round pick, while a team willing to absorb big salary (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) takes on Powell, plus whatever else, while also receiving their own draft compensation for the courtesy.
In terms of fits for Markkanen, Dallas certainly stands out as the best one remaining. With the potential to start alongside Kristaps Porzingis at power forward, Markkanen would play a low-usage role as a floor-spacing big who can open up the floor even further for Luka Doncic. The defensive fit between Markkanen and Porzingis is potentially horrific, but the offense could be bolstered even further with the Finnish product&rsquo;s arrival.
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
New Orleans currently possesses the largest traded player exception in the NBA after offloading Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe in a draft-day trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, and they can use their $17.1 million TPE to absorb Markkanen for a price that works for both sides.
The Pelicans need to keep adding perimeter shooters alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Right now, there&rsquo;s not enough. Although they acquired Devonte&rsquo; Graham via sign-and-trade, plus drafted sharpshooting wing Trey Murphy III at No. 17 overall, they need to keep adding more to their arsenal. Markkanen would certainly provide fit in that role, coming off the bench in the Bayou for around 25 minutes per game.
Jonas Valanciunas will be the starter alongside Williamson in the Pelicans&rsquo; frontcourt, but Markkanen could be primed to slot in as an eventual starter down the road. The fit between Williamson and Markkanen is actually really solid, especially if the Pelicans&rsquo; former No. 1 overall pick is able to emerge as a rim protector like he showed in college.
BOSTON CELTICS
Markkanen in Boston would certainly be an intriguing scenario. Operating as a floor-spacing reserve big, Markkanen would provide another scoring punch to a retooling Celtics roster that's banking on further internal development from their fortified young core.
Boston only has a $9.7 million TPE at their disposal, which means they would need to get creative to fit Markkanen on their books. Josh Richardson, who was recently acquired from Dallas, best fits the salary-matching requirement to make a complicated Markkanen sign-and-trade work. Richardson is eligible to be traded again on August 19.
Adding Richardson&rsquo;s $11.6 million alongside another piece on their roster, for example Grant Williams at $2.6 million, gives Markkanen close to his desired annual value. Dumping Richardson and Williams onto a team like Oklahoma City makes this three-team scenario work for all sides. (However, it remains to be seen if Boston would be willing to part with Richardson and Williams to land Markkanen.)
If Boston decided to pull the trigger, the rotation would look like this after adding Markkanen:
Starters: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams
Second Unit: Dennis Schroder, Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith, Lauri Markkanen, Enes Kanter
That&rsquo;s a legitimate 10-man rotation, including a nice mix of versatility off the bench for the Celtics. Keep an eye on Boston as a dark-horse destination for an eventual Markkanen sign-and-trade.
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MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
How ironic would it be for Markkanen to end up with the organization that initially drafted him? When Markkanen walked across the stage on draft night, he donned a Timberwolves hat, and then he and Zach LaVine were dealt to the Bulls as part of the Jimmy Butler blockbuster trade. Maybe we'll see a pseudo reunion in the cards soon? Minnesota has reportedly showed interest in the 24-year-old.
Minnesota possesses no TPE, so they would need to offload salary to a third team to meet Chicago&rsquo;s negotiation price. Luckily for the T-Wolves, they have a few different scenarios to make a Markkanen sign-and-trade occur. The first one revolves around Taurean Prince&rsquo;s $13 million expiring, which is eligible to traded again on August 18. Another example features Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez, combining to make $12.4 million next season.
Whichever direction Minnesota decides to go, they can make a Markkanen deal happen (defense be damned). Adding Markkanen alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards would give Minnesota quite possibly the worst quartet ever assembled defensively.
There&rsquo;s a chance Markkanen could start for the Timberwolves or come off the bench behind ascending prospect Jaden McDaniels, who's a better complement alongside Towns in frontcourt combinations. Markkanen would provide a nice scoring boost for Minnesota, likely sliding in as their sixth man of the future.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Mentioned multiple times already in this exercise as a potential dumping ground to make complicated sign-and-trade scenarios work, would the Thunder actually be interested in Markkanen themselves? It&rsquo;s an interesting thought, especially when you realize they can outright sign him without issue or use their $12.8 million TPE in a trade. With 35 draft picks over the next five years, maybe they value Markkanen enough to relinquish one to pair him alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
The Thunder are creating an all-in scenario revolving around high-upside swings in the draft featuring boom-or-bust prospects like Aleksej Pokusevski, Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon and Josh Giddey. Bringing at least an established presence on board could provide a win in the short and long-term for Oklahoma City. If Markkanen is able to reach his near-ceiling outcome eventually, Oklahoma City would have a nice scoring combination in their starting lineup.
Does Thunder GM Sam Presti even want to get involved in the Markkanen sweepstakes, though? That&rsquo;s the big question. The more likely scenario involves Presti adding more picks to his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tanking-101-how-the-thunder-built-their-asset-treasure-trove-for-a-hopefully-bright-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ever-growing collection of future draft capital</a> thanks to Markkanen being shipped off elsewhere.

Lauri Markkanen is the biggest name remaining in free agency. Let's examine some possible destinations for the former No. 7 overall pick.

Examining potential free-agency destinations for Lauri Markkanen

Damian Lillard has watched from afar as Carmelo Anthony left for Los Angeles, Enes Kanter departed for Boston and Norman Powell stuck around.
As he takes part in the Olympics with Team USA and prepares for the gold medal game against Team France, he is neither happy nor upset with what has gone down this week concerning his Portland Trail Blazers.
&ldquo;Honestly I haven&rsquo;t really dove too deep into it. I&rsquo;ve really been focusing on here,&rdquo; Lillard said Friday on a USA Basketball conference call.
&ldquo;There are a lot of things that are out of my control. When you go into free agency and things like this, you never know what&rsquo;s going to happen. You never know where guys are going to end up and why they go there. You just try to have conversations and try to convince guys to be a part of our team.&rdquo;
None of the major free agents signed with Portland, which was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in six games by the Denver Nuggets. It was the second straight first-round departure for the Trail Blazers after advancing to the Western Conference Finals in 2018, and it has fueled speculation that Lillard will ask for a trade from Portland at some point during the upcoming season.
The Blazers fired head coach Terry Stotts at the conclusion of the postseason and have hired Chauncey Billups as head coach and former Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks as an assistant, so there will be a new bench regime in Portland when the 2021-22 season gets underway.
The marquee players who found new homes &mdash; a group that included Kyle Lowry, Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Spencer Dinwiddie, P.J. Tucker, Kemba Walker and Otto Porter Jr. &mdash; chose teams that are not based in Oregon.
The Blazers landed Cody Zeller and Tony Snell while also inviting Michael Beasley, Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay &mdash; all of whom played in China last season &mdash; to play for its summer league team.
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&ldquo;Obviously, this go-round, we weren&rsquo;t able to go out there and get some of the guys that we would have liked,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;You know, you go down the list and you go through the guys you like that are out there and haven&rsquo;t committed to another team or that was a part of your plans in free agency and you get the ones that want to be a part of what you are doing, and I think that&rsquo;s what we did.&rdquo;
Barring any trades over the remainder of the summer, Portland figures to go into training camp with Lillard and C.J. McCollum as the starting guards, Powell as the small forward, Robert Covington as the starting power forward and Jusuf Nurkic and Zeller as the centers. Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and Ben McLemore are among their reserves, and 6-foot-9 Greg Brown of the University of Texas is the only rookie after the Blazers, who did not have any of their own picks, acquired the No. 43 pick from the Pelicans in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick.
That certainly does not make the Trail Blazers the winners of the offseason, an award that may end up going to the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets or Detroit Pistons.
But Lillard sounded anything but upset. More like matter-of-fact.
What next season brings is among the many, many unknowns that everyone in the NBA and around the world must deal with as 2021 rolls along.
For now, Lillard&rsquo;s focus is on getting a gold medal against France. By the time Saturday arrives in the United States, we will all know whether that particular goal was accomplished.

Portland lost Carmelo Anthony and Enes Kanter while not making any high-profile acquisitions. Lillard is taking it in stride, though.

Damian Lillard not unhappy with Blazers despite losses in free agency

DAYTON, August 3, 2021 - Boeheim&rsquo;s Army, the Syracuse alumni team, defeated Team 23 69-67 in The Basketball Tournament&rsquo;s 2021 championship game, a thrilling contest that ended with a Keifer Sykes game-winning three during the Elam Ending&reg;.&nbsp;
(Editor's Note: Learn more about the Elam Ending in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-elam-ending-q-and-a-nba-all-star-game-2021-the-basketball-tournament-tbt-ncaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Davies' exclusive Q&amp;A with its creator, Nick Elam</a>)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
KEIFER SYKES FOR $1 MILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/BoeheimsArmy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BoeheimsArmy</a> IS YOUR TBT 2021 CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! <a href="https://t.co/tgAwO8tMpa">pic.twitter.com/tgAwO8tMpa</a>
&mdash; TBT (@thetournament) <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament/status/1422755324507787269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Boeheim&rsquo;s Army, a TBT entrant since 2015, won its first seven-figure prize and TBT championship in what was also its first trip to the championship game. This year&rsquo;s roster was composed of six Syracuse alumni, including former NBA first-round picks Chris McCullough, Malachi Richardson, and Tyler Lydon, as well as legendary former Orange guard Eric Devendorf. The team also added D.J. Kennedy and DeAndre Kane, previously members of four-time champion Overseas Elite, as well as former UW-Green Bay star guard Keifer Sykes.
With Boeheim&rsquo;s Army down 67-66 and the Target Score&trade; set at 69 points, Sykes hit a stunning 25-foot three to give Boeheim&rsquo;s Army the championship and $1M prize. Shortly after the game, it was announced that Sykes agreed to a contract with the Indiana Pacers, his first NBA deal since 2015. The 27-year-old, two-time Horizon League Player of the Year led all scorers in TBT&rsquo;s championship game with 21 points.&nbsp;
Fellow Boeheim&rsquo;s Army guard Tyrese Rice earned 2021 TBT MVP honors. Rice was joined by Marcus Keene (Sideline Cancer), Raphiael Putney (Team 23), Dominique Jones (Florida TNT), and Nick Perkins (Blue Collar U) on TBT&rsquo;s All-Tournament Team.
Sykes, as well as each of his nine teammates, earned $80,000 for winning TBT, with the coaching staff and front office splitting the remaining $200,000. The entire $1M prize was distributed via Zelle&reg; at the conclusion of the game.
With the victory, Boeheim&rsquo;s Army became the eighth champion in TBT&rsquo;s eight-year history, and the fourth alumni team to take home TBT&rsquo;s grand prize.

Boeheim’s Army defeated Team 23 69-67 in The Basketball Tournament’s 2021 championship game, a thrilling contest that ended with a Keifer Sykes game-winning three.

Boeheim’s Army defeats Team 23 to win TBT Championship, $1M prize

The Oklahoma City Thunder have acquired Derrick Favors and a future first-round pick from the Utah Jazz in exchange for a future second-round pick, according to ESPN's <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1421079624092733447" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski</a>. These trade talks were first reported by <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1421015459017732098" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic</a>.
Favors will earn $9,720,900 in 2021-22 and he has a $10,183,800 player option for 2022-23, so the Jazz were willing to package a first-round pick with Favors in order to free up some cap space.
By now, every team knows that Thunder GM Sam Presti is who to call if you want to dump salary and are willing to attach a pick. This is how Oklahoma City has added many of the draft picks they've stockpiled; counting last night's selections, they could have as many as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/when-nba-teams-have-hoarded-draft-picks-has-it-paid-off" target="_blank" rel="noopener">41 picks over the next seven drafts</a> (including 21 first-rounders).
It's possible that the Thunder could get an additional pick out of this, if they're able to flip Favors to a playoff team prior to the trade deadline. Presti has pulled this off with several veterans recently.
In the meantime, Favors could provide some much-needed veteran leadership for this young Thunder team. In last night's 2021 NBA Draft, OKC acquired 20-year-old big man Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (No. 32) from the New York Knicks by sending out picks No. 34 and 36. Oklahoma City also has young bigs such as Aleksej Pokusevski (age-19), Darius Bazley (age-21) and Isaiah Roby (age-23).
Back in April, Rudy Gobert <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-qa-jazzs-title-hopes-nba-top-shot-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told BasketballNews.com</a> that facing off against Favors in practice helped him become the player he is today.
&ldquo;In my first year, when I first got here, I remember being in practice against Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, and I knew I was going to have to get stronger because those guys were pushing me around," Gobert said. "I was fighting back because I had some heart, but I needed more than that! (laughs) I really spent a lot of extra time in the weight room [after that], and my body became an emphasis; every year, I tried to get stronger. And it not only helped me increase my impact on the court, but also to stay healthy."
The 30-year-old averaged 5.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and a block for Utah in 15.3 minutes per game last season. Between the regular season and playoffs, Favors appeared in 79 contests in 2020-21.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz have agreed to trade involving the 30-year-old big man and future picks.

Thunder acquire Derrick Favors, future first-rounder from Jazz

Nekias Duncan breaks down the battles that could swing each first-round series of the NBA Playoffs.

Pressure points: Battles that will decide the first round of the NBA Playoffs

Good to hear from James Harden last night, who returned as brash as he left.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Not to brag or anything, but I&rsquo;m like really, really good at this game,&rdquo; Harden said after returning from an 18-game absence for the Brooklyn Nets, who may end up being the best team in New York... or may not.
If we have all learned anything in the past 14 months, it is to expect the unexpected. Today&rsquo;s rules are not necessarily tomorrow&rsquo;s rules, although one rule is the same from year to year when it comes to choosing the winners of the NBA&rsquo;s annual awards: Vote with your conscience.
When the NBA sends out ballots to official voters, it entrusts them with making informed decisions and giving credit to the most deserving. There is nothing in the instructions about &ldquo;embracing the narrative&rdquo; or rewarding the unsuccessful, yet some voters do exactly that when casting their ballots. Eventually, they have to answer to the public if they cast an outlier ballot.
There will be no such blowback here because these decisions were made with the utmost care and concern. When you are a basketball journalist lifer, you try to stick with what has worked in the past &ndash; even in a season in which there was no in-person access to players, coaches, scouts and various team officials who can usually be used as a sounding board when deciding who to vote for on these awards.
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The ballot below is organized in the same manner as an official ballot: Five choices for MVP, ranked first through fifth, and three choices for all of the other awards except All-NBA. So let&rsquo;s have at it.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER 
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets 
Unlike every other superstar on a winning team, he has been there from the get-go and has killed it statistically, sitting just outside the top 10 in points (26.5), and in the top 10 in both rebounds (10.8) and assists (8.4) for the team that has the best winning percentage leaguewide since March.
Julius Randle, Knicks: Not a ton of people are going to rank him this high in the MVP race (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-king-of-new-york-why-julius-randle-belongs-in-nba-mvp-conversation-ny-knicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other than Tommy Beer</a>) but Randle has not only been an All-NBA First-Team talent, but he has also been dominant against the Eastern Conference teams that New York may see in the playoffs.
Joel Embiid, 76ers: His injury absence probably will cost him this award. Doc Rivers has him playing with a passion and a controlled aggressiveness that Brett Brown could never summon. Embiid is third in scoring (29.2) and 11th in rebounding with 10.7 boards per contest.
Chris Paul, Suns: A pair of recent losses will prevent them from winning the West, and although Devin Booker might be the most consistent player for Phoenix, Paul gets the credit on the ballot for changing the culture.
James Harden, Nets: Harden is a victim of a prolonged injury absence as well. That will keep him out of the running for this award, but he merits a spot on this ballot because of how well he has run the Nets when he has played. He was almost a lock for this award before getting hurt.
Honorable mention: Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Rudy Gobert
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15599793_lg.jpg" alt="" />
Edwards' finishing kick has been something, and this ballot was going to include Ball at the top until the Hornets decided to play the final month of the season like it was the first month. Edwards&rsquo; 19.0 points per game ranks first among his draft class, along with ranking seventh in rebounds (4.7) and eighth in assists (2.8), clinches it.
LaMelo Ball, Hornets: LaMelo is going to be a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-mitch-kupchak-wait-3-4-years-before-judging-lamelo-ball-charlotte-hornets-michael-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heck of a player down the road</a>, but he needs to put in more work over the summer on his strength and his defense. Going 1-for-10 and 1-for-9 in two of his past four games -- including going 2-for-17 from three, in addition to turning the ball over frequently -- while returning from a wrist injury did not help his case.
Desmond Bane, Grizzlies: Among those who play more than 20 minutes per game, Bane leads rookies in three-point shooting at 44% for a playoff team, which gets him the third-place nod over Saddiq Bey of Detroit.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Before getting into this award, a disclaimer: I believe Julius Randle will win this award, but to me he is not quote-unquote &ldquo;improved&rdquo; because he was already a terrific player for the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, and he shot 52.4% two years ago. I will be in the minority there, but I am okay with that.
Zach LaVine, Bulls 
LaVine is averaging career-highs in points (27.5), rebounds (5.0), assists (4.9) and in all three shooting percentage categories. 50.4% overall ain&rsquo;t too shabby, but the above-41% perimeter clip with over eight attempts per game (back-to-back years of this volume, by the way) is what stands out.
Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets: This fellow was red-flagged by his injury history and a bad back two seasons ago when the Nuggets took a chance on him in the draft. Denver waited a whole year before implementing him into this team's rotation; it was worth the wait. Porter is averaging 19.4 points per game in his second season and shooting just under 55% from the field, including 45% from long distance.
Enes Kanter, Trail Blazers: In my honest opinion, Kanter is the most underappreciated player in the league. Good things happened whenever he entered playoff games for the Celtics last year, and they let him go. Half of the league&rsquo;s general managers dismiss him as a bad defender, but he had 33 double-doubles. This season, Kanter is averaging 11.2 points and 11.0 rebounds on a career-high 60% shooting, and he filled in for an ailing Jusuf Nurkic as a starter for 35 games. He's been one of four NBA ironmen to have played every game to this point in the season.
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR 
Jordan Clarkson, Jazz 
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_16000953_lg.jpg" alt="" />
Clarkson may get this award unanimously after averaging 18.2 points per game in just under 27 minutes for a Jazz team that appears poised to finish first in the West.
Joe Ingles, Jazz: He made 28 starts because of injuries, most recently the one to Mike Conley, but has a vastly superior assist-to-turnover ratio than Clarkson and is sixth in the league in three-point percentage at a 45.6% clip as a volume long-range shooter (min. 30 games).
Derrick Rose, Knicks: Rose has made only three starts for the &lsquo;Bockers, but he has been their unquestioned floor leader over the second half of the season. It was a great pickup early in the trade market; he will be a difference-maker in the postseason.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rudy Gobert, Jazz 
Gobert probably deserves more MVP consideration than he is going to receive, but the Utah big man still is deserving of this award for his 2.7 blocks per game and being second in the NBA in rebounding with 13.4 boards a night -- and he is the only player in the league averaging at least 10 defensive rebounds.
Jimmy Butler, Heat: The league leader in steals, Butler is from the Patrick Beverley-Robert Covington-Marcus Smart school of lockdown defenders. The league needs more of these guys.
Julius Randle, Knicks: Randle ranks second in the league behind Gobert in defensive win shares while playing for a coach, Tom Thibodeau, whose team locks down fairly consistently on the defensive end.
COACH OF THE YEAR 
Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_16005109_lg.jpg" alt="" />
Only the folks who are married to basketball, as Thibs is, can appreciate his work ethic and his ability to connect with his players. The long postseason drought in Manhattan is about to end, and Thibs did it with Randle and Rose leading the charge.
Doc Rivers, Sixers: So it turns out there actually is someone on the planet who can motivate both Embiid and Ben Simmons. But Doc has a lot of playoff work to do to make up for last year.
Quin Snyder, Jazz: Not leaving Snyder off the ballot because Utah is still in the catbird seat in the East. Apologies to Monty Williams, but Jazz &gt; Suns.
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ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM: James Harden, Chris Paul, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic
ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM: Stephen Curry, Bradley Beal, Luka Doncic, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert
ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM: Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, Zach LaVine, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum
ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Desmond Bane, Saddiq Bey
ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM: Immanuel Quickley, Isaac Okoro, Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman
ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM: Marcus Smart, Jimmy Butler, Robert Covington, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert
ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM: T.J. McConnell, Ben Simmons, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Draymond Green

With the 2020-21 season winding down, Chris Sheridan picks all of his NBA award-winners.

NBA awards: Nikola Jokic for MVP, Tom Thibodeau for Coach of the Year

Bradley Beal is currently leading the NBA in scoring, with Stephen Curry having a chance to catch him when the Golden State Warriors face the resurgent Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.
Beal, who plays tonight at home against the Los Angeles Lakers, has a slight lead over Curry, 31.4 points per game to 31.2. That race figures to go down to the wire, at which point we will start hearing about David Thompson vs. George Gervin on the final day of the 1977-78 season.
The rebounding (Clint Capela), assist (Russell Westbrook), block (Myles Turner) and three-point titles (Curry) are all but decided. But we still have the scoring title to keep us riveted.
Because of COVID protocols and rules as well as a plethora of injures, a total of 529 players have suited up for NBA teams this season. Let's take a look at some of the stat leaders:
<ul>
<li>Clint Capela leads the league in offensive rebounds (261), followed by Enes Kanter of Portland (257) and Steven Adams of New Orleans (212). </li>
<li>Russell Westbrook (11.0) is averaging the most assists per game and it isn&rsquo;t particularly close; runner-up Trae Young (9.6) won&rsquo;t be able to catch him. </li>
<li>Jimmy Butler has the most steals per game (2.1), but T.J. McConnell has the most total steals this season (101). Butler has 95 total steals. </li>
<li>Rudy Gobert leads the league in total blocks (168), with nine more than Turner. However, Turner is averaging 3.4 blocks to Gobert&rsquo;s 2.8 because he&rsquo;s played 13 fewer games. </li>
<li>Danilo Gallinari of Atlanta (.935) is one of nine players shooting 90% or better from the free throw line. Until last week, Jordan Clarkson of Utah (.924) was leading the league in free-throw percentage, but he has dropped to fourth;. Chris Paul of Phoenix is second at .929. </li>
<li>Joe Harris of Brooklyn has taken over the three-point accuracy lead (.481). Joe Ingles of Utah, the leader last week, is now third at .477. Bobby Portis of Milwaukee is in second (.479). </li>
<li>Rudy Gobert leads the NBA in field-goal percentage (.676) by a large margin. Runner-up Richaun Holmes is shooting 64.4%. Kelly Olynyk leads the NBA in two-point field goal percentage (.688). </li>
<li>DeAndre Jordan leads all players in true shooting percentage (.753) and effective field goal percentage (.779). Rounding out the top-three in both stats are Robert Williams and Ingles. </li>
<li>Nikola Jokic leads all players in field goals (625), win shares (13.3), win shares per 48 minutes (.298) and Value Over Replacement Player (7.3). </li>
<li>Julius Randle of the Knicks ranks first in minutes per game (37.5) and second in defensive win shares (3.7).</li>
</ul>
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A few other distinctions:
<ul>
<li>Montrezl Harrell of the Lakers has attempted the most three-pointers without a make. He is 0-for-10, while the Lakers&rsquo; Andre Drummond and the Nets&rsquo; Theo Pinson are each 0-8. Last season, Harrell went 0-18 from three-point range. </li>
<li>Dillon Brooks of Memphis and Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate of Houston have the most personal fouls (195). </li>
<li>In addition to leading the NBA in assists, Westbrook also leads all players in turnovers (272). </li>
<li>Dwight Howard of the 76ers leads the league in technical fouls (15). His next one will draw an automatic suspension and a $5,000 fine. Luka Doncic and Westbrook are tied for second with 13. </li>
<li>J.B. Bickerstaff of the Cavaliers leads all coaches with 8 technical fouls. </li>
<li>Howard, C.J. McCollum and Alex Len are tied for the league lead in flagrant fouls (4). </li>
<li>No player has drawn more than one flop violation; LeBron James, LaMelo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, D.J. Augustin, Gary Trent Jr., Kristaps Porzingis and Mason Jones each received a warning.</li>
</ul>
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There are eight players who have played this season without scoring a basket: Jared Harper of the Knicks, Kris Dunn of the Hawks, Ashton Hagans (who was cut by the Timberwolves), Will Magnay (who was cut by the Pelicans), Ignas Brazdeikis (who was cut by the 76ers), Anzejs Pasecniks (who was cut by the Wizards), Noah Vonleh (who was cut by the Nets), and Greg Whittington (who was cut by the Nuggets).
Hagans, 21, appeared in two games and played two minutes while recording one lone statistic: a turnover. He spent two seasons at Kentucky before going undrafted in 2020, then was waived by the Wolves in February for violating the G-League&rsquo;s COVID protocols. His rookie season will end with all zeroes except for that lone turnover (unless someone takes a chance on the Kentucky product who earned the SEC&rsquo;s Co-Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019).
A total of 21 NBA players are averaging less than 1.0 point per game, the oldest being Jared Dudley of the Lakers.
There are 39 players averaging between 1.0 and 1.9 points per game, including:
<ul>
<li>Last season&rsquo;s NCAA scoring champion, Markus Howard of the Nuggets (1.1 PPG).</li>
<li>Cristiano Felicio of the Bulls (1.1 PPG), who is on the final season of a four-year, $32 million contract.</li>
<li>Jahmi&rsquo;us Ramsey of the Kings (1.4 PPG), who has played five games and was perfect from the field (1-for-1) in three of them.</li>
<li>Rodions Kurucs of the Bucks (1.5 PPG), who has the distinction of being involved in both the trade for James Harden (going from Brooklyn to Houston) and the trade for P.J. Tucker (going from Houston to Milwaukee).</li>
</ul>
The season is far from over, and while 529 players have suited up thus far, that number is likely to increase as more players are signed.

Chris Sheridan takes a look at the NBA's stat leaders, as well as some other interesting numbers from the 2020-21 season.

A deeper dive into the NBA's interesting statistics

One month from now, we will all be enjoying the NBA play-in tournament, a precursor to the postseason.
But until then, we are enduring what is known in the Association as &ldquo;dog day&rdquo; games, in which there is no telling exactly what will be compelling.&nbsp;
So tonight, we aim to change that by making every team interesting. Every single NBA team has something interesting going on, from the very best to the very worst. So let&rsquo;s have a look at all 30 of them, starting with the East before tackling the West.
Consider this a reset/refresher column as we all prepare for the final 24 days of the regular season.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
PHILADELPHIA 76ers (39-19): A home loss to Phoenix last night kept them from picking up a game on the Brooklyn Nets, who remain a half-game behind the Sixers. Ben Simmons (illness) was not available to defend Stephen Curry on Monday or Chris Paul on Wednesday, and those missed games won't help his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy. The team has a measuring stick game against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight.
BROOKLYN NETS (39-20): It has now been more than two weeks since they put together back-to-back wins, which is understandable because their big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden have not been together on the court since the dead of winter. Mike James of CSKA Moscow was released from his contract and will be joining them next.&nbsp;
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MILWAUKEE BUCKS (35-22): They and the 76ers have lost back-to-back games, but one of those skids will end tonight after they play each other in Milwaukee. This is their second game of the season vs. Philly, and the teams end their season series on Saturday afternoon. If the Bucks win both home contests, they will be only one game back of Philly in the loss column. But that seems to be asking a lot of a Milwaukee team that has allowed 128 points in each of its last two games.
NEW YORK KNICKS (33-27): They are the hottest team in the NBA right now with an eight-game winning streak, which means it is time to resume the conversation of Tom Thibodeau as the leading candidate for Coach of the Year. The Knicks have the NBA&rsquo;s stingiest defense (allowing 104.7 points per game) and have the likely Most Improved Player, Julius Randle, who has scored 32 or more points in five of the last six games. The seven-year playoff drought is ending. They have not won a second-round series in 21 years.
ATLANTA HAWKS (32-27): Nate McMillan is 18-7 since taking over for Lloyd Pierce, Clint Capela has shot no worse than 65.8% in the past 12 games and is leading the league in rebounds per game (14.7), and Bogdan Bogdanovic is averaging 21.6 points per game this month while shooting 49.1% on threes. There's a big stretch upcoming: Miami, Milwaukee and two vs. Philadelphia among Atlanta's next five games.&nbsp;
BOSTON CELTICS (31-27): Eight wins in nine games seemed to straighten them out before they lost Wednesday night to Chicago, but entering the playoffs with a head of steam is a tried-and-true formula for success. Last night&rsquo;s loss was excusable given the absences of Marcus Smart, Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker and Robert Williams. The Celtics have two games left vs. Charlotte and two vs. Miami. Fourth place is within reach.
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MIAMI HEAT (31-28): Let&rsquo;s not forget that nobody saw them coming last season, so doubt them at your own risk. We go into Thursday night&rsquo;s games with one game separating the No. 4 to No. 7 teams in the loss column, and let&rsquo;s not forget that these guys were 11-17 a little more than two months ago. The Heat's schedule is easy until four of their final five are against Boston (twice), Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (28-29): The Hornets franchise has not won a playoff series since 2001-02, but is currently the eighth seed in the East. Terry Rozier is not being discussed in the Most Improved Player debate, but he is averaging a career-high 20.7 points and his field goal percentage is up four-and-a-half points to 46.8%. The best news for Charlotte? LaMelo Ball is expected to return very soon.
INDIANA PACERS (27-31): They are looking like a play-in game team, and they are 0-1 against their likely (as of now) No. 10 opponent, Washington, although they have two games remaining against the Wizards. Caris LeVert is getting up a lot of shots, but not making them at a particularly good clip. Except for his field goal percentage, Malcolm Brogdon is having a solid April production-wise, most notably with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.0.&nbsp;
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (25-33): At least we can always count on Russell Westbrook filling up the stat sheet, and Bradley Beal, when healthy, showing why everyone always wants to trade for him. They are going to have to hold off Chicago and Toronto for the No. 10 spot, and the Raptors have suddenly strung together four-straight wins. The Wizards have won six in a row and eight of nine, so keep that &ldquo;head-of-steam&rdquo; thing in mind.
TORONTO RAPTORS (25-34): They have an absolutely brutal schedule the rest of the way, playing the Clippers (twice), Nuggets, Jazz, Lakers, Knicks, Nets, Grizzlies and Mavericks. The Raptors have played every single one of their games on the road, having temporarily relocated to Tampa from the still-on-lockdown province of Ontario, so making the top 10 will be especially difficult. Their end-of-winter stretch of 15 losses in 17 games was a killer.
CHICAGO BULLS (24-34): Billy Donovan is tasked with assimilating several newly-acquired rotation players into the lineup on the fly, and the Bulls are 5-10 since the trade deadline. The No. 10 spot is the goal, and Washington is only one game ahead of them in the loss column. But 13 of their final 14 are against East teams with better records. They will not play any more West teams.&nbsp;
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (21-37): Out of the rotation with a fluctuating role, Cedi Osman has scored in single digits in nine of his last 10 games and has missed 27 of his last 30 three-point shots over that span. That, to use a nice word, is peculiar. In addition to the first season of his contract, will make roughly $31 more million by the time his contract expires, unless whoever he plays for in 2023-24 declines the $6.7 million option in the final season.
ORLANDO MAGIC (18-40): They are 3-11 since the fire-sale/trade deadline, and there is not a lot to be positive about when looking ahead to next year (aside from the hope that Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac recover successfully from their injuries). At least the players can ditch their winter clothes for a while. The Magic have only one cold-weather city road game ahead, and that's May 11 in Milwaukee.
DETROIT PISTONS (18-41): Troy Weaver got rid of all the dead money, which is Step 1 in a rebuild. Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes are the main building blocks, and the Pistons will have a very good lottery pick. Weaver has his work cut out for him.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
UTAH JAZZ (44-15): &nbsp;Nobody makes this argument, but a guy who studies this stuff believes Joe Ingles is a better Sixth Man of the Year candidate than Jordan Clarkson. He cites Ingles' superior three-point numbers (49.4% to 35.0%), double the assists (4.4 to 2.2) and better overall field goal percentage (52.5% to 42.4). On a broader note, the Jazz are ahead in the West by one-and-a-half games over Phoenix, with one game against the Suns remaining. Phoenix is 2-0 against Utah and owns the tiebreaker.
PHOENIX SUNS (42-16): They are 31-7 since Feb. 5, and nobody in the league can touch that type of stretch over that long of a period. (The Jazz have lost 10 games over that span). So why exactly are we not talking about Monty Williams for Coach of the Year? Nobody on this team is in the MVP conversation because none of them are doing the type of night-in, night-out spectacular things that Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Steph Curry do, but doubt the Suns at your own risk. They could have the No. 1 seed.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (42-19): They are 16-3 in their last 19 games, and are 25-10 against Western Conference teams &ndash; tops in the West in terms of winning percentage. They are 11-1 in the second half of back-to-back games, winning again last night with Amir Coffey in the starting five, as Ty Lue used his 22nd different starting lineup. The Clippers would lose the tiebreaker with the Jazz and win the tiebreaker with the Suns; still, they are almost locked into the No. 3 seed. They have litmus-test games left vs. the Suns, Lakers and Nuggets.
DENVER NUGGETS (38-20): With Steph Curry having a bad shooting game last night, perhaps the &ldquo;Steph-for-MVP&rdquo; bandwagon lost a wheel. Nikola Jokic is two-tenths of an assist away from averaging a triple-double this month, as the Nuggets have gone 9-2. Denver still must play road games against the Clippers, Jazz, Lakers and Blazers, but for now seem locked into a No. 4 seed with a likely first-round matchup against a Lakers team that is getting Anthony Davis back on Thursday and LeBron James soon after.&nbsp;
LOS ANGELES LAKERS (35-23): Their regular-season record means absolutely nothing, because there have been a total of zero games in which Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Andre Drummond have been on the court together. The Lakers have alternated wins and losses in their past 12 games, and they&rsquo;ll probably be at full strength for their final 10 or so games to figure each other out prior to the playoffs. One would imagine that Drummond, Davis and Montrezl Harrell can combine to contain Jokic in the first round.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (32-26): They'll want to hold off the Mavericks for sixth to avoid the play-in tournament &ndash; unless they would prefer a first-round matchup with Phoenix instead of the Clippers. The Blazers have the tiebreaker over the Mavs from winning the season series 2-1, and the schedule-makers have given them three of their next four games against the Memphis Grizzlies. The two components that they did not have a year ago -- when Jusuf Nurkic was hurt -- are a rebounding machine at backup center (Enes Kanter) and a stud perimeter defender (Robert Covington).
DALLAS MAVERICKS (31-26): They are only .500 (14-14) at home and .500 (17-17) against Western Conference teams. Kristaps Porzingis has only 15 double-doubles after having 21 in his rookie season under Derek Fisher, when Phil Jackson was running the New York Knicks franchise. Assuming they are a play-in team, Luka Doncic will still make it a must-watch No. 7 - No. 8 game, even for casual fans. The Mavs have already clinched the season series against Memphis.
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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (29-28): If only they played in the East... The Grizzlies are 17-8 against teams from the opposite conference, 12-20 against the West. There are enough cupcakes left on their schedule to keep them safe, so it is probably a matter of whether they finish No. 8, 9 or 10. Oh, and welcome back, Jaren Jackson Jr. Eight of their players are averaging double figures in points, and Desmond Bane is 0.5 points per game away from making it nine. Jonas Valanciunas has missed a double-double in two straight games after doing it in 16-straight, and missing the last two contests with a concussion.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (29-30): Steph Curry&rsquo;s streak of 30-point games ended last night at 11, but one would imagine that he will have another good game sometime soon. His MVP odds were 100-1 last Sunday and are 17-1 today. Whether the Warriors end up in the No. 7 - No. 8 game or the No. 9 - No. 10 game in the play-in tournament, we will not want to miss it. The Warriors' final regular-season game is against Memphis, and it could be a tiebreaker game. The Grizzlies are 1-1 vs. GSW.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (28-29): Gregg Popovich will eventually get a haircut... we think. But in all seriousness, Pop has done quite well with a team that will likely undergo a roster overhaul in the offseason, and presumably, he and San Antonio CEO R.C. Buford will address a position other than point guard. They have lost 8 of 12 and 13 of 19, but eight of their final 15 games are against East teams. They will not play a West team at home until a home back-to-back vs. Phoenix to end the regular season.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (25-33): If not for their current four-game losing streak, they would have caught the Spurs by now.&nbsp; The Pelicans have a must-win game Saturday against San Antonio because it would clinch the season series, but four games in the loss column is a lot of ground to cover over the remainder of the season. The schedule is packed with road games, and there are only two easy opponents: Orlando on Thursday and Minnesota on May 1.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS (24-35): They have lost 10 of 12, so it would take a miracle for them to climb to No. 10. Buddy Hield is only a shade above 40% from the field, which is not what you want from your shooting guard who just signed a huge extension. A massive offseason overhaul seems likely, as the playoff-free streak probably reaches 15 years in late May.&nbsp;
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (20-39): When you have nothing to do, Google &ldquo;McLovin&rdquo; and &ldquo;Aleksej Pokusevski&rdquo; and see if that looks like a match. Jeff Sherman of LV Sportsbook says the Thunder have a power rating worse than the tanking Sixers from back when Sam Hinkie was running the team, but they certainly will be entertaining on draft night when general manager Sam Presti (presumably) starts packaging multiple future first-round picks for better first-round picks and/or players.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (16-44): They have a new ownership group coming in that will keep the team in its current location, which means expansion is coming to Seattle and a second city (Las Vegas? Kansas City? Louisville?). Those expansion teams will help the current owners mitigate the financial losses they have sustained the past two seasons during the pandemic.&nbsp;
HOUSTON ROCKETS (15-44): They are a pleasure to watch when the only alternative is the Home Shopping Network. The Victor Oladipo thing really did not work out, and they are now stuck with John Wall for the next two seasons. It'll be a long rebuild for the Rockets.

Chris Sheridan checks in with every team in the league as we prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.

All 30 NBA teams have interesting situations as season hits home stretch

Hi, hello, and welcome to yet another edition of Roaming The Baseline! This will be a weekly endeavor where I point out some things that caught my eye: a hot or cold streak from a player, a developmental flash, a well-run play, a funny tweet, who knows? There will be film -- it&rsquo;s me, so of course there will be film -- but this will also be a bit looser. It&rsquo;s an extension of my Twitter feed, if you will.&nbsp;
With that said, let&rsquo;s roam the baseline.
PAUL GEORGE, IN ATTACK MODE
Don't look now, but the Clippers have won six in a row, and 12 of their last 14 games. They're getting a little bit of everything from everyone, though we should probably be paying more attention to Paul George's recent run.
He's tossing flames, averaging 28.3 points with a 51/54/97 shooting split. A 54 percent clip from deep on nearly seven attempts is absurd; the 5.2 free throw attempts in that stretch, as modest as that number looks on the surface, is the more important number to note.
We know what George can do as a shooter. He can kill drop coverage with pull-up triples. He's a monster off of corner pindowns or free-throw-line curls. Any semblance of space is an invitation to be picked apart with his quick trigger and high release point.
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What's more encouraging is that George has tuned his attack method. The volume of his drives hasn't changed much -- breaking it down monthly, he's been floating between 12.2 and 13.1 drives per game since the turn of the year, per <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;Month=7&amp;TeamID=1610612746&amp;sort=DRIVE_FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Spectrum tracking.</a> George has been more forceful and more intentional with those looks.
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The number of drives may not have risen, but his shot attempts have. He's putting up nearly seven shots on drives in April, and converting those at a 56.1 percent clip. The free throw attempts have risen in tandem with his aggressiveness.
While the Clippers have been an elite offense all year long, the lack of rim pressure has been a question mark with serious playoff implications. That's gotten better as of late -- the Clippers rank 12th in the percentage of shots at the rim (33.6) since March 17, per Cleaning The Glass -- and George has been a major reason for that.
THE MONSTER MASH
"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."
- Mark Twain, allegedly
- Kim Jung Un, allegedly
- Post-up offense
The post-up ain't dead; the bar for success is just higher. The increase in weak side zoning, the added length and athleticism of digging defenders and a shift in developmental priorities for young big men have been key factors in the rate of post-ups going down across the league. That doesn't mean we don't still have practitioners.
Jonas Valanciunas is one of my favorite players to watch on the block. It's akin to a bear doing ballet -- a grizzly bear, if you will. He's a massive human, but a massive human with superb footwork and a slow-but-effective over-the-head fake that helps him get defenders off balance. The way he can dislodge dudes with his shoulder is high comedy, and a welcomed change-up from the Memphis floaterfest.
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Valanciunas has been on fire as of late, averaging 22 points on 68.4 percent shooting from the floor in April. He's converted 12 of 22 shots (54.5 percent) on post-ups this month per Synergy, identical to his season average. Among 33 players that have logged at least 75 post-up possessions this season, Valanciunas ranks seventh in field goal percentage.
HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT
T.J. McConnell just keeps doing it. He can't keep doing it.
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Allowing McConnell to get to the baseline is a cardinal sin at this point. He's become one of the NBA's best Nashers, circling around the baseline to hunt dump-offs, kick-outs or quick-hitting turnaround jumpers.&nbsp;
It's especially criminal to toss lazy passes in the backcourt against him. After going through all of McConnell's steals this season, he's racked up 14 steals in the backcourt after dead balls this season -- 15 if you count this one.&nbsp;
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Whether it's 14 or 15, I'm just going to assume that mark leads the NBA by a wide margin.
A question to ponder: Is there a player better at an obscure skill than McConnell is at pilfering after the inbound?
I'm open to hearing your suggestions.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM"
<ul>
<li>155 players have logged at least 100 possessions as the pick-and-roll ball handler (passes included), per Syngery. Pascal Siakam ranks No. 6 (!) in points per possession generated (1.13 PPP). Pick-and-rolls only account for 17.1 percent of his offensive possessions. If you're looking for a way to unlock a next level for him offensively, maybe it's leaning into more of that? Inverted ball screens since the guard room (Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet) is so good at setting them? Just spit-balling.</li>
<li>More Synergy fun: the NBA's most efficient isolation player (including passes, min. 100 possessions) is, you guessed it, Andrew Wiggins (1.27 PPP). Zach LaVine (1.23), Paul George (1.18), Giannis Antetokounmpo (1.15; come back, king) and Kyrie Irving (1.15) round out the top five. Do with that information as you will.</li>
<li>There are 11 players averaging at least 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. Eight bigs, two forwards and Matisse Thybulle, who is the only player on the list doing so in fewer than 20 minutes per game. Just a ridiculous event creator, and his work off the bench might <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612755&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1627732,1629680&amp;OnlyCommonGames=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skew the on-off numbers</a> enough to kill Ben Simmons' DPOY case.</li>
<li>Very quietly, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is on a heater: 42.7 percent from deep since the beginning of March, and a 51.2 percent clip on nearly six attempts in April. The Lakers have struggled to shoot all year long; getting KCP going, especially on the type of movement looks he feasts on, is wildly important as they get closer to the postseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>I know I mentioned him last week, but Clint Capela is averaging 20 &amp; 15 with nearly three blocks per game in April (7-0 with him). Him good, him real good.</li>
</ul>
PLAYS I LIKED
Cutting Loose
Karl-Anthony Towns has been unleashed since the hiring of Chris Finch -- higher usage, more elbow touches, better numbers almost across the board. The high-post touches are key, as they allow the Wolves to maximize his scoring gravity and passing ability to unlock opportunities for others.
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This is a beautiful switch-beater from the Wolves. After the pitch to Towns, D'Angelo Russell gives the illusion of screen setting. Jaden McDaniels instead ghosts the screen -- the best way to beat a switch is with a slip, folks! -- and jets to the basket. This puts Marcus Smart behind the play and causes Grant Williams to offer some help. The sink from Williams ultimately opens up a wider window for another cut, this time for Anthony Edwards.
Sheesh.
Reversing Course
If you're looking to find some fun in Magic games, as a fan or a neutral observer, try to track the way they generate looks for Terrence Ross. Always a gunner, he's become even more important to their offense due to his ability to bend defenses with movement.&nbsp;
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We get some Iverson action at the beginning of the play (Ross running off the two elbow-area screens), though he cuts it short to set up a pick-and-roll...or so we think. A cross-screen underneath the basket frees Chuma Okeke (he's fun and&nbsp;good!) for a low-post touch. Mo Bamba then flips his screen to free Ross for a corner look.
It would've been nice if the Bamba screen was better -- a theme for him at this stage -- but it's essentially an empty corner with built-in counters depending on the way it's defended. I like the design.
The Power of Gravity 
There are players that force extra attention due to their on-ball prowess. There are players that strike fear in the heart of defenders off the ball because of their shooting ability. Then, there are guys like Damian LIllard, who can fill both roles at an elite level.&nbsp;
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A double-stagger look for Lillard ends with an Enes Kanter layup. How?&nbsp;
It all boils down to the Heat being terrified of what Lillard can do with the ball in his hands. As he begins to come off the first screen, he cuts his path short to screen for Robert Covington. Against normal humans, the Heat would simply switch it. But because Lillard is the screener, Jimmy Butler outright refuses to give up the assignment to Duncan Robinson.
This kicks off the chain of events. Covington comes off the screen, forcing Bam Adebayo to leap out to prevent an open triple. Kanter slips to the rim and gets a layup because Butler is behind the play. Despite not touching the ball, the two points scored are a direct result of Lillard.
THE READING LIST
There is plenty of high-level basketball content out here if you know where to look. I wouldn&rsquo;t be where I am as a writer without reading a ton of Zach Lowe or Chris Herring or Caitlin Cooper or Mirin Fader or, well, you get the point.&nbsp;
Anyway, here are some -- not all, but some! -- of the stories I&rsquo;ve read this week (since April 7) that I think you should check out. Their Twitter handles will be linked under their names, so click and follow if you don&rsquo;t already.
A double dip from <a href="https://twitter.com/wtevs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katie Heindl</a> (please follow her) -- a research-heavy piece on the <a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/nba-soft-tissue-injuries-2020-2021-season-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rise of soft-tissue injuries</a> in the NBA this season, and a dope feature on <a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/kevin-huerter-atlanta-hawks-interview-feature-profile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hawks guard Kevin Huerter</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MarcoRomo_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marco Romo</a> gives some <a href="https://uptempo.substack.com/p/terance-mann-through-the-wreckage?r=1fb9n&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=copy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">love to Terance Mann</a> for becoming an important role player on a title contender.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler</a> goes deep on <a href="https://premiumhoops.org/2021/04/11/rj-barrett-is-controlling-the-driving-lanes-on-both-ends/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RJ Barrett's development</a> on both ends.
<a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackson Frank</a> on the <a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/michael-porter-jr-denver-nuggets-2020-2021-analysis-breakdown-videos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">development of Michael Porter Jr.</a> on both ends.
<a href="https://twitter.com/Herring_NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Herring</a> on <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2021/04/08/jalen-brunson-mavericks-offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Brunson operating</a> as a great complement to Luka Doncic.

In Nekias Duncan's weekly notebook, he shares things that have caught his eye. He breaks down players, teams, plays, stats and more.

Roaming the Baseline: Paul George, Jonas Valanciunas, T.J. McConnell, more

With each rebound that Enes Kanter added to his new Portland record, his teammates on the bench wildly cheered.
Kanter had 24 points and a franchise-record 30 rebounds, and the Blazers beat the Detroit Pistons 118-103 on Saturday night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Enes Kanter recorded the third 20+ point/30+ rebound game in the last 20 years last night! 👏 24 PTS - 30 REB - 2 BLK - 68 FPTS<a href="https://t.co/kruaM8P79y">pic.twitter.com/kruaM8P79y</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1381260755115286534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Kanter bested Sidney Wicks' Portland record of 27 rebounds set in 1975. Kanter also surpassed his own career-high of 26 set while with the Knicks in 2018.
The raucous sideline cheers were a fitting tribute to Kanter, who has served as both a backup and a starter this season as needed.
&ldquo;I was so happy when I looked at the bench and everybody was up, everybody was cheering, everybody was smiling, everybody was supporting their teammates. That's what we're all about," Kanter said. "That's what Blazers basketball is all about, just supporting each other.&rdquo;
Damian Lillard had 27 points and 10 assists and CJ McCollum added 26 points for the Blazers, who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Josh Jackson had 21 points for the Pistons, who trailed by as many as 24 points. Frank Jackson finished with 17 points
Center Jusuf Nurkic was not available for the Blazers because it was the first of a back-to-back. The starting center had knee swelling that kept him out of a game earlier this week against the Clippers.
Blazers coach Terry Stotts said before the game that Nurkic would be available for Sunday night's game at home against Miami. Kanter started in Nurkic's place.
&ldquo;When you look at the effort that it takes to rebound, the persistence at both ends, the beating that you have to take, all of those things are tough to do,&rdquo; Stotts said. &ldquo;And the fact that Enes is such a great guy &mdash; you can tell by the benches' reaction, how happy the team was for him &mdash; but to get a rebound record speaks a lot about the person's will and drive.&rdquo;
Nurkic gave a shoutout to Kanter on Twitter following the game: <a href="https://twitter.com/bosnianbeast27/status/1381101201639436291"> &ldquo;The Turkish Tank&rdquo; </a>
The Pistons, also playing the first of a back-to-back, rested Wayne Ellington. Mason Plumlee returned after missing Thursday night's victory at Sacramento because of concussion protocol.
Carmelo Anthony's jumper put the Blazers up 43-27 in the second quarter, but the Pistons closed the gap with a 14-2 run to get to 45-41.
Portland led 59-50 at the break. Kanter had 11 points and 16 rebounds, while Lillard led all scorers with 14 points.
CJ McCollum's floater put the Blazers up 74-59 in the third quarter and they stretched the lead to 97-76 early in the final period on Derick Jones Jr.'s tip shot.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to be a consistent 3-point shooting team. You saw how easy it was for those guys tonight. They didn&rsquo;t even shoot it well and they still shot 45%,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;That and the rebounding that led to 24 second chance points was the difference in the game tonight.&rdquo;
Detroit made just nine of 26 attempts from beyond the arc.
TIP INS
Pistons: Jerami Grant sat out of the second straight game because of a sore right knee. ... &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a tough league. It's competitive as heck so you&rsquo;ve just got to be ready for your moment when you&rsquo;re number is called,&rdquo; Frank Jackson said about his performance off the bench.
Trail Blazers: It was the second and last meeting between the two teams. The Blazers won the first, 124-101, in Detroit on March 31. ... It was Kanter's team-high 29th double-double this season.
KANTER TO START?
After the game Stotts was asked whether he'd consider starting Kanter, given Nurkic's issue with his knee. The coach said he'd consider it.
&ldquo;I don't know what Nurk's minute restrictions are going to be (Sunday),&rdquo; Stotts said. &ldquo;If Nurk continues to be at a 20-minute limit, I think it's something I would consider.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
The Pistons visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday for the first of a two-game set. The second is Wednesday.
The Trail Blazers host Miami in the second of their back-to-back on Sunday.

Kanter bested Sidney Wicks' Portland record of 27 rebounds set in 1975. He also surpassed his own career-high of 26 set while with the Knicks in 2018.