Lumberjacks

<p><strong>TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash;</strong> Jahvon Quinerly scored 24 points, Brandon Miller made the clinching free throws with six seconds left and No. 2 Alabama rallied from a 17-point deficit before beating archrival Auburn 90-85 in overtime Wednesday night.</p>
<p>The Crimson Tide (26-4, 16-1 Southeastern Conference) clinched outright their second regular-season SEC title in three years but continued to live on the edge over a troubling eight days that included courtroom revelations in a capital murder trial.</p>
<p>Miller rebounded teammate Jaden Bradley&rsquo;s missed dunk and drew a foul, making both free throws. Noah Clowney had blocked K.D. Johnson&rsquo;s layup attempt on the other end.</p>
<p>The Tigers (19-11, 9-8), who had three key players foul out, couldn&rsquo;t close it out after leading almost the entire way in regulation. They were up 17 with under 11 minutes left.</p>
<p>Alabama won its fourth straight but the past three have gone down to the wire since courtroom revelations tied freshmen Miller and Bradley to the scene of a murder. Neither has been charged or accused of a crime, but then-teammate Darius Miles and another man are facing capital murder charges.</p>
<p>Police said Miles texted Miller asking him to bring the gun.</p>
<p><strong>NO. 22 TCU 75, NO. 9 TEXAS 73</strong></p>
<p>FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; Damion Baugh scored a career-high 24 points, Emanuel Miller had 20 and TCU denied Texas a chance to play for a share of the Big 12 title in its upcoming regular-season finale.</p>
<p>Baugh scored on a breakaway layup off the opening tip and the Horned Frogs (20-10, 9-8 Big 12) never trailed. It was the second loss in a row and third in five games for the Longhorns (22-8, 11-6), who haven&rsquo;t won a regular-season conference crown since 2008.</p>
<p>Texas hosts third-ranked Kansas (25-5, 13-4) on Saturday. The Jayhawks had already clinched at least a piece of the Big 12 title Tuesday night, and now know they won&rsquo;t have to share it.</p>
<p>Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice scored 16 points for the Longhorns, and Tyrese Hunter had 15.</p>
<p><strong>NO. 10 GONZAGA 104, CHICAGO STATE 65</strong></p>
<p>SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 17 points in what&rsquo;s expected to be his final home game at Gonzaga, and the Bulldogs trounced Chicago State in a postseason tune-up.</p>
<p>Timme made his 99th start at Gonzaga. The senior forward ranks second on the school&rsquo;s career scoring list, 21 points behind Frank Burgess (1958-61).</p>
<p>The 6-foot-10 Timme has played four seasons at Gonzaga but could return for a fifth because of extra eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has not announced any definitive plans.</p>
<p>Fellow senior Rasir Bolton added 15 points for the Zags (26-5), who won their seventh straight game. Malachi Smith scored 14.</p>
<p>Jahsean Corbett led Chicago State (11-19) with 22 points and seven rebounds.</p>
<p>Gonzaga added the game to avoid going more than a week without playing before the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.</p>
<p><strong>NO. 11 KANSAS STATE 85, OKLAHOMA 69</strong></p>
<p>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Desi Sills flirted with a triple-double in his Bramlage Coliseum farewell and Kansas State held on to beat Oklahoma.</p>
<p>Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell also had big senior send-offs for the Wildcats. Sills finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Johnson had 16 points and Nowell added 11 points and 10 assists to help Kansas State (23-7, 11-6 Big 12) snap a three-game skid against the Sooners.</p>
<p>Nae&rsquo;Qwan Tomlin scored 19 points for Kansas State, which led by 20 early in the second half before the Sooners (14-16, 4-13) made a late run. Milos Uzan had 20 points to lead Oklahoma.</p>
<p><strong>NO. 14 UCONN 88, DEPAUL 59</strong></p>
<p>HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Adama Sanogo scored 26 points to lead five UConn players in double figures and the Huskies closed out their home schedule in emphatic style with an easy win over skidding DePaul.</p>
<p>Andre Jackson filled up the stat sheet for Connecticut (23-7, 12-7 Big East) with 11 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Tristen Newton added 12 points for the Huskies, who have won four straight and seven of eight.</p>
<p>Nick Ongenda tied a career high with 17 points for DePaul (9-21, 3-16), which has lost 11 in a row.</p>
<p>UConn put the game away early, opening on a 29-2 run.</p>
<p><strong>NO. 19 XAVIER 94, NO. 20 PROVIDENCE 89</strong></p>
<p>PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Souley Boum scored a season-high 33 points and Colby Jones added a career-best 29 to help Xavier beat Providence and clinch the No. 2 seed in the Big East Tournament.</p>
<p>Ed Croswell had 17 points with 13 rebounds, and Bryce Hopkins also scored 17 for Providence, which cut a 22-point first-half deficit to two in the second half.</p>
<p>It was the Friars&rsquo; first loss at home in 16 games this season.</p>
<p>With one game remaining, Xavier (22-8, 14-5 Big East) has a one-game lead over Providence (21-9, 13-6) and controls the tiebreaker, having swept their two regular-season matchups.</p>
<p><strong>OHIO STATE 73, NO. 21 MARYLAND 62</strong></p>
<p>COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Felix Okpara had 12 points and 12 rebounds to help Ohio State finish its home schedule with a win over Maryland.</p>
<p>Justice Sueing had 16 points to lead six Buckeyes in double figures. Ohio State (13-17, 5-14 Big Ten) jumped ahead early with a 12-0 run and didn&rsquo;t give up the lead the rest of the way.</p>
<p>Julian Reese had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Terrapins (20-10, 11-8).</p>
<p><strong>VANDERBILT 68, NO. 23 KENTUCKY 66</strong></p>
<p>LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Jordan Wright hit a go-ahead fall-away jumper in the lane with 2.6 seconds remaining to finish with 23 points, and Vanderbilt topped Kentucky for its first win at Rupp Arena since January 2007.</p>
<p>The surging Commodores (17-13, 10-7 Southeastern Conference) earned their seventh win in eight games and are 7-3 since losing to Kentucky 69-53 last month in Nashville.</p>
<p>Wright&rsquo;s drive tied the game with 42 seconds left, and Tyrin Lawrence grabbed Antonio Reeves&rsquo; missed jumper with 20 seconds to go.</p>
<p>Reeves&rsquo; 3-point attempt missed the rim altogether as time expired. Kentucky had won its previous four and re-entered the rankings on Monday for the first time in seven weeks.</p>
<p>Oscar Tshiebwe had 21 points and 20 rebounds for the Wildcats (20-10, 11-6).</p>
<p><strong>NOTRE DAME 88, NO. 25 PITTSBURGH 81</strong></p>
<p>SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Hammond and Cormac Ryan each scored 20 points as Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh to win longtime coach Mike Brey&rsquo;s final home game.</p>
<p>Nate Laszewski and Trey Wertz each added 14 points for the Fighting Irish (11-19, 3-16 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a seven-game losing streak.</p>
<p>Brey, stepping down at season&rsquo;s end, received warm ovations from the crowd before and after the game. He improved to 315-76 at Purcell Pavilion over 23 years as Notre Dame coach.</p>
<p>Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings and Nike Sibande all scored 19 points for Pittsburgh. Blake Hinson added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Panthers (21-9, 14-5), who lost for only the second time in 10 games. They were playing their first game since moving into the AP Top 25 for the first time in seven years.</p>

A recap of Wednesday's top-25 action in men's college hoops includes the Crimson Tide winning the regular-season SEC title.

No. 2 Alabama rallies from 17 down to top rival Auburn in OT

<p><strong>OXFORD, Miss. (AP) &mdash;</strong> Zia Cooke scored five of her 24 points in overtime to help No. 1 South Carolina remain unbeaten with a 64-57 victory over Mississippi on Sunday.</p>
<p>The defending national champion Gamecocks (27-0, 14-0 Southeastern Conference) got one of their biggest scares of the season before winning their 33rd straight game. The Rebels (20-7, 9-5) never trailed by more than six points in regulation and flirted with their first win over a No. 1 team in 46 years.</p>
<p>Cooke had six rebounds and four assists to help off-set a 7-of-18 shooting performance. Aliyah Boston added 13 points and 11 rebounds on 4-of-14 shooting and didn&rsquo;t score in the first quarter.</p>
<p>The deep Gamecocks didn&rsquo;t get their usual supply of scoring help for the two stars, though Kamilla Cardoso had eight points and 11 boards.</p>
<p>Angel Baker led Ole Miss with 17 points.</p>
<p><strong>No. 2 INDIANA 83, PURDUE 60</strong></p>
<p>BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 20 points, Grace Berger added 14 points and 10 assists and Indiana beat Purdue to clinch a share of its first Big Ten regular-season title in 40 years.</p>
<p>The Hoosiers (26-1, 16-1 Big Ten) won their 14th straight, matching the second-longest winning streak in school history, before cutting down the nets in front of the program&rsquo;s first home sellout. Indiana has broken the single-game attendance mark four times this season, this time celebrating its 18th straight home win in front of 17,222.</p>
<p>Lasha Petree led Purdue with 23 points and Abbey Elliss added 12. The Boilermakers (17-8, 8-7). have lost nine straight in this rivalry.</p>
<p><strong>No. 4 UTAH 74, ARIZONA STATE 69</strong></p>
<p>TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Gianna Kneepkens scored 22 points and Jenna Johnson added 15 to push Utah to a Pac-12 victory over stubborn Arizona State.</p>
<p>The Utes (23-3, 13-3), who had a seven-game winning streak stopped at No. 18 Arizona on Friday, struggled to put away Arizona State without post player Alissa Pili.</p>
<p>Pili, the Pac-12&rsquo;s leading scorer at 20.7 points per game, did not play after suffering an apparent right ankle sprain the final minutes of the loss at Arizona. Her ankle was re-taped on the bench after the first quarter but she never entered the game.</p>
<p>Sydney Erikstrup had 15 points, Treasure Hunt had 13 and Kayla Mokwuah had 11 for the Sun Devils (7-18, 0-16), who lost their 16th straight game despite leading most of the way.</p>
<p><strong>No. 5 LSU 90, FLORIDA 79</strong></p>
<p>GAINSVILLE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese had her ninth first-half double-double, Jasmine Carson had a career-high five 3-pointers before the break, and LSU raced past Florida.</p>
<p>Reese finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds for her 25th double-double of the season, two shy of Sylvia Fowles&rsquo; LSU single-season record. She also had five assists, three blocks and two steals.</p>
<p>Carson also scored 25 points, a career-high, as the graduate transfer from West Virginia went 7 of 14 behind the arc, helping the Tigers (25-1, 13-1 Southeastern Conference) to a season-best 11 3s on 20 attempts. The last time LSU had a player hit seven 3-pointers was in 1997.</p>
<p>KK Deans, a West Virginia transfer, matched her career high with 30 points, for the Gators (14-13, 3-11), who have lost five straight.</p>
<p><strong>No. 9 DUKE 56, VIRGINIA 52</strong></p>
<p>CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Elizabeth Balogun scored 12 points, Taya Corosdale had 10 and Duke survived a stern test from Virginia.</p>
<p>The Blue Devils (22-4, 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) led only 47-45 with just over eight minutes left, but Celeste Taylor hit a 3-pointer from right in front of the Duke bench to make it a five-point game, starting a 7-2 run that gave them some breathing room and they held on.</p>
<p>Taylor Valladay led Virginia (15-12, 4-12) with 19 points and McKenna Dale had 10. The Cavaliers had split their last six meetings with the Blue Devils after ending a 26-game losing streak in the series, but still lost for the 30th time in the last 33 meetings.</p>
<p><strong>No. 10 NOTRE DAME 83, PITTSBURGH 43</strong></p>
<p>PITTSBURGH (AP) &mdash; Maddy Westbeld and Sonia Citron scored 13 points each and Notre Dame used a huge first-quarter push to race by Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>The Fighting Irish (22-4, 13-3 ACC) went on an 18-3 burst over the final 6:47 of the opening frame to build a 16-point lead that the Panthers (10-17, 3-13) never really threatened.</p>
<p>Ten days after avoiding an upset at home against Pitt and three days after Olivia Miles hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to top Louisville, the Fighting Irish made sure no such heroics were necessary this time around.</p>
<p><strong>No. 11 VIRGINIA TECH 75, N.C. STATE 62</strong></p>
<p>BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Roommates Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore both had double-doubles and Virginia Tech won its fifth straight, defeating North Carolina State.</p>
<p>Kitley had 24 points and 10 rebounds for her 50th career double-double and had six blocks. Amoore had 15 points and 11 assists, which tied her career high.</p>
<p>Virginia Tech (22-4, 12-4 ACC) has won six straight, the previous three against ranked teams, starting with a 73-61 win over the Wolfpack. That marked the Hokies&rsquo; first-ever win in Raleigh and now they have their first-ever sweep of NC State.</p>
<p>Aziaha James scored 20 points in her first start for the Wolfpack (18-9, 8-8), who are out of the poll for the first time in 96 weeks dating to February of 2018.</p>
<p><strong>No. 15 OKLAHOMA 86, KANSAS 80</strong></p>
<p>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams scored 23 points, Liz Scott had a double-double, and Oklahoma held off Kansas.</p>
<p>A free throw by Zakiyah Franklin drew Kansas within 82-80 with 3:12 remaining. Neither team would score another field goal as Kansas missed its last nine shots and Oklahoma&rsquo;s last field goal came with 5:12 remaining.</p>
<p>Williams made two free throws with 37 seconds left and Ana Llanusa added two more with nine seconds left to wrap up Oklahoma&rsquo;s sixth consecutive victory.</p>
<p>Scott had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Sooners (22-4, 12-3 Big 12).</p>
<p>The Jayhawks got 73 of their 80 points from the trio of Franklin, Holly Kersgieter and Taiyanna Jackson. Franklin led with a career-high 30 points, Kersgieter added 24 and Jackson 19 for Kansas (16-9, 6-8). Jackson added 13 rebounds.</p>
<p><strong>No. 17 TEXAS 74, WEST VIRGINIA 48</strong></p>
<p>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Shaylee Gonzales had 18 points, Rori Harmon scored 16 and Khadija Faye added a double-double to power Texas to a romp over West Virginia.</p>
<p>Gonzales made half of her six 3-pointers and all seven of her free throws for the Longhorns (21-7, 12-3 Big 12 Conference). Harmon sank 10 of 12 fouls shots and added six rebounds and six assists. Faye finished with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds.</p>
<p>Ja&rsquo;Haiya Quinerly had 16 points before fouling out to pace the Mountaineers (16-9, 7-7). Madisen Smith hit three 3-pointers and scored 12. Jayla Hemingway pitched in with nine points and seven rebounds.</p>
<p><strong>No. 18 ARIZONA 61, No. 21 COLORADO 42</strong></p>
<p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Shaina Pellington scored 19 points with five assists and Arizona smothered Colorado, ending the Buffaloes&rsquo; five-game winning streak.</p>
<p>The Wildcats (21-6, 11-5 Pac 12 Conference) held the Buffaloes to their lowest total of the season and their worst shooting game, 28.3% overall (15 of 53), 1 of 12 from 3-point range (8.3%).</p>
<p>Esmery Martinez had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and seven rebounds for the Wildcats, who were coming off a 10-point win over No. 4 Utah and have won five of six.</p>
<p>Tameiya Sadler led the Buffaloes with 12 points and Quay Miller added 10 with 10 rebounds.</p>
<p><strong>No. 19 NORTH CAROLINA 71, WAKE FOREST 58</strong></p>
<p>CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Deja Kelly had 24 points, five rebounds and six assists to lead North Carolina to a victory over Wake Forest.</p>
<p>Destiny Adams added 11 points off the bench and Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 10 for the Tar Heels (19-8, 10-6 ACC).</p>
<p>North Carolina went up by 20 midway through the fourth quarter and cruised from there, making just two field goals and three free throws over the final 6 1/2 minutes.</p>
<p>Wake Forest (14-13, 5-11) shot 3 for 14 in the third quarter and was outscored 16-6. The shooting slump came after the Demon Deacons shot 50% in the first half and trailed just 40-36 at halftime.</p>
<p><strong>No. 24 FLORIDA STATE 80, GEORGIA TECH 66</strong></p>
<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Ta&rsquo;Niya Latson scored 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 9-of-10 free throws, leading Florida State to a victory over Georgia Tech.</p>
<p>Latson scored 24 points through three quarters and the Seminoles took a 63-57 lead into the fourth. Latson, a freshman averaging 21.8 points per game, had gone nine games without reaching 20 points.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech got within four points early in the fourth quarter, but the Seminoles responded with an 8-0 run that gave them a 73-61 lead with 4:11 remaining. Florida State added 3-pointers from Latson and Erin Howard to close out the victory. The Yellow Jackets made one of their last 12 shots from the field.</p>
<p>Sara Bejedi scored 14 points and O&rsquo;Mariah Gordon added 10 off the bench for Florida State (22-7, 11-5 ACC).</p>
<p>Cameron Swartz scored 17 points, Kara Dunn 16, and Kayla Blackshear 10 for Georgia Tech (13-13, 4-11).</p>
<p><strong>CALIFORNIA 81, No. 25 USC 78, OT</strong></p>
<p>BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Jayda Curry scored 27 points and Michelle Onyiah had six points in overtime as California upended USC.</p>
<p>The Trojans (19-8, 9-7 Pac-12), back in the rankings for the first time since 2016, had their chances to win this one after falling to No. 3 Stanford 50-47 on Friday.</p>
<p>From the final four minutes of regulation until Destiny Littleton hit a 3-pointer with 1:08 to go in overtime, USC missed eight straight shots. After Littleton tied the game at 78 and Leilani McIntosh put the Golden Bears (13-14, 4-12) on top with two free throws with 44 seconds to go, the Trojans came up empty on their next possession despite two offensive rebounds.</p>
<p>Onyiah made 1 of 2 from the line with eight seconds to go and Littleton&rsquo;s late 3 was off the mark.</p>

A recap of a busy Sunday in top-25 women's action includes a thriller between the Gamecocks and Rebels that had to go to overtime.

Top-ranked South Carolina edges Ole Miss in OT

<p class="p1">The Las Vegas Aces just shook the league.</p>
<p class="p1">Months after winning their first title in franchise history, and with the backdrop of multiple star talents &mdash; Jonquel Jones, Natasha Howard, Allisha Gray &mdash; changing teams via&nbsp;<em>trade&nbsp;</em>this offseason, the Aces have made the first free-agency splash.</p>
<p class="p1">Candace Parker, one of the best basketball players to ever grace the planet, announced <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn-cIIYyMde/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet">earlier today on Instagram</a> that she plans to join the reigning champions instead of returning to the Chicago Sky.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Full statement from Candace Parker on her decision to sign with the Aces. ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/ers2dP0l3h">https://t.co/ers2dP0l3h</a> <a href="https://t.co/rG1UePbqt9">pic.twitter.com/rG1UePbqt9</a></p>
&mdash; Khristina Williams (@Khristina) <a href="https://twitter.com/Khristina/status/1619463948776116224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<p class="p1">
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<p class="p1">Per <a href="https://twitter.com/alexaphilippou/status/1619481461521895425?s=20&amp;t=ZuSHUUU5BAE4LBe379txJw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Alexa Philippou</a>, Parker's deal with the Aces will be for one year. The signing won't become official until February 1 (Wednesday) at the earliest, which is when players are allowed to formalize new agreements.</p>
<p class="p1">In a perfect world, it would be easy to get excited about the prospect of Parker and A&rsquo;ja Wilson &mdash; she <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/35546744/wnba-free-agent-candace-parker-sign-las-vegas-aces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played a role in recruiting Parker</a>&nbsp;&mdash; playing together.</p>
<p class="p1">I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s going to be a better defensive frontcourt in The W, provided both stay healthy. Wilson won last year&rsquo;s Defensive Player of the Year award due to her work as a scheme-versatile anchor. Parker, the (controversial) 2020 DPOY, is still an elite defender in her own right. The amount of different looks the Aces will be able to throw at teams will be insane.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1">On the other end of the floor, Parker remains a star due to her ability to operate as a hub. She can pry folks open with handoffs and screens, or even initiate some pick-and-rolls if you want to have a guard screen for her. She isn't able to toast bigger defenders off the bounce with the same regularity as her prime years, but Parker can still get busy in the mid-post or lower.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">This is a slam dunk on the court, but the on-court stuff feels secondary right now. Frankly, it&rsquo;s hard not to think of Dearica Hamby in this situation.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1">I don&rsquo;t think trading Hamby, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/aces-trade-allstar-forward-dearica-hamby-to-the-sparks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in what can certainly be viewed now as a salary dump</a>, is a bad thing on its face. Heading into the offseason, the Aces had the least amount of cap space in the W, <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/salary-cap-sheet/wnba/summary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Her Hoop Stats</a>. In order to add reinforcements of any kind to the roster, there would have to be some sort of cap casualty &mdash; whether that was Hamby or Riquna Williams. Even after moving Hamby, the Aces ranked 12th out of 12 teams in available cap space.</p>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<p class="p1">It makes sense that the Aces would choose to move Hamby after winning a title without her being a major postseason contributor due to injury. Kiah Stokes filled in admirably, and the Aces ultimately won the title behind their small-ball lineups featuring Williams.</p>
<p class="p1">Sadly, it's hard to view this solely through a basketball context.</p>
<p class="p1">Not long after we learned about the trade, Hamby made a post on Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnsXXblSRPN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can read it in full here)</a> thanking her teammates and Aces fans... and leveling some uncomfortable-at-best allegations at the organization. Some of the accusations include:</p>
<ul>
<li class="p1">Being accused of signing her contract extension knowingly pregnant, without informing the team.</li>
<li class="p1">Not holding up "her end of the bargain," i.e. not getting pregnant during her two-year deal.</li>
<li class="p1">Not taking precautions to prevent pregnancy.</li>
<li class="p1">Not taking her offseason workouts seriously, in light of her pregnancy and availablity ahead of next season.</li>
</ul>
<p>The allegations were so serious that the WNBPA immediately released a statement, saying they would seek an investigation into the organization.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">WNBPA Statement <a href="https://t.co/JDVtmNgzkU">pic.twitter.com/JDVtmNgzkU</a></p>
&mdash; WNBPA (@TheWNBPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWNBPA/status/1616924611412897792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<p>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<p class="p1">The vast majority of players in the WNBA are black women. An allegation of a black woman being, in Hamby's words, "lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against" by management shouldn't be taken lightly.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">And if <em>any of this is true</em>, it's an especially bad look for the Aces. They rightfully made waves last offseason by hiring Becky Hammon and making her the highest-paid coach in The W. More pressing is the fact that the two most influential voices in the organization are black women: team president Nikki Fargas and general manager Natalie Williams.</p>
<p class="p1">How do you go about making things right in that scenario, much less recover from that kind of publicity?</p>
<p class="p1">Also, it's at least worth noting that Parker is a mother in her own right. She mentioned the importance of her family in her post, and how that factored into her decision to join the Aces. This isn't to suggest that Parker deserves any ire for signing with Vegas, because she doesn't; if there was foul play at hand, any criticisms should start and stop with the guilty parties within the Aces organization.</p>
<p class="p1">But how does Parker feel about the allegations? How much was she made privy to before agreeing to sign? It's fair to ask that much, though the opportunity to ask won't appear until next week at the earliest.</p>
<p class="p1">(Full disclosure: I plan to take part in Parker's introductory presser, either in person or on Zoom if that's an option. If I'm not able to ask Parker those questions, I'm certain another member of The W media will. At the very least, they should.)</p>
<p class="p1">Without the Hamby/Aces investigation being complete, there's only so much room to opine. What I will say is that this just feels... weird, man. There will be time for a deeper dive of the on-court fit, but I think we should make sure nobody was harmed first.</p>

Nekias Duncan gives his initial, complicated thoughts on the Aces signing Candace Parker.

Aces to sign Candace Parker, though it's hard to be excited right now

<p>Offenses have never been more lethal than they are in this era. With primary ball-handlers becoming larger, the collective shooting range expanding and teams leaning further into the importance of spacing, it&rsquo;s becoming even more difficult to keep the ball out of the basket.</p>
<p>With the game expanding, screening has become even more important. A well-placed off-ball pick can free a movement shooter for a triple or a catch-and-drive. On-ball screens can make shifty ball-handlers even harder to deal with in pick-and-roll and open the door for dump-offs, lobs and fruitful catch-and-shoot opportunities.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Screeners come in all sizes these days, ranging from the burly centers to mismatch-causing smalls. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/changing-of-the-guard-the-future-of-screening-is-here" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I can&rsquo;t overstate how important guard-screening has become</a>, especially late in games.</p>
<p>This season, I want to keep tabs on who is &mdash; and isn&rsquo;t &mdash; getting the job done as screeners. Every week, I&rsquo;ll be highlighting a handful of the most powerful (and shameful) screen-setters in the league.</p>
<p>Let&rsquo;s get into volume three.</p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">*All stats are through games played between November 19 and November 25, unless noted otherwise.*</span></em></p>
<p><strong>BIG OF THE WEEK: JUSUF NURKIC</strong></p>
<p>It can be easy to pick at some of the holes in Jusuf Nurkic's game &mdash; ask me how I know &mdash; but sometimes you have to get back to the obvious. There is value in being an incredibly large and strong human being.</p>
<p>The backcourt of Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons can win games with their filthy pull-ups. Josh Hart can puncture defenses with drives. Shaedon Sharpe is becoming an artist curling from the corner and flowing into pull-ups or taking an extra dribble to float towards the rim. All of that is made easier when Nurkic is the guy springing them free.</p>
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<p>Nurkic had "Brick Wall" on Gold this week, connecting on nearly 78% of his on-ball screens and 68% of his off-ball ones, per Second Spectrum. In both contexts, the Blazers generated well over 1.0 points per possession (PPP). The connection between Simons and Nurkic was particularly fruitful.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Keep an eye on them moving foward.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong>SMALL OF THE WEEK: JOSH GREEN</strong></p>
<p>Prying star players open is an important, but often thankless job. Being the mismatch-hunter guy is especially tedious; you know you're in the action because the opponent has put their weakest defender on you, and your star teammate wants to attack.</p>
<p>This phenomenon is even more prevalent for the Fightin' Lukas, where their games consist of countless ball screens and isolations aimed at weak links. No team has faced more switches against their pick-and-rolls than the Mavericks (534 total, 32.9 per 100 possessions) this season. Shockingly, Luka leads the NBA on the individual level (304, 25.9 per 100 possessions).&nbsp;</p>
<p>It would be easy to go through the motions &mdash;&nbsp;<em>let me just get in the way so Luka can get his matchup &mdash;&nbsp;</em>but I'd like to applaud the buy-in from Josh Green. He's still screening with juice, regardless of if he gets the ball or not. It warms my heart when he <em>does&nbsp;</em>get rewarded with a touch. I really enjoyed his work against Denver earlier this week.</p>
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<p>It's been a quietly-successful third-year campaign for Green, who looks more comfortable and confident on both ends of the floor. The (lack of) coverage he saw during the Mavs' first round series with the Utah Jazz must've weighed on him.</p>
<p><strong>WHAT'S GOING ON HERE: KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS</strong></p>
<p>It's still hard to get a feel for who these Wolves are. They wax between harmony, confusion, indifference, and dominance. That leads to sentences like "Huh, they're on a five-game winning streak" and "Wait, they lost to <em>those&nbsp;</em>Hornets???"</p>
<p>If there's one thing clear, this isn't a team that can afford to skirt past the little things. That includes screening, which brings me to Karl-Anthony Towns. For someone with his blend of shooting, driving power and overall footwork (offensively), I frankly never know what to expect when he trots up to D'Angelo Russell or Anthony Edwards.</p>
<p>Sometimes it's a well-placed screen. It could be a slip. It could be an illegal screen because he leaned in, or because his base was too wide. And then there are the possessions like this:</p>
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<p>Towns seems unsure if Austin Rivers is even going to use his pick, seems late to set one, and ultimately doesn't do any real damage. The action swings to the other side and Edwards jets downhill before Towns can really lay the lumber. Towns ends up with the ball and scores, but how do you grade the process?</p>
<p>Statistically, I don't even know if you can call it a bad week. The Wolves generated a solid 1.02 PPP on trips featuring an on-ball screen from Towns. He connected on a shade under 54% of his on-ball screens, a low mark (29th percentile), but one that makes sense considering his slip or flare usage when paired with Rudy Gobert. Like this:&nbsp;</p>
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<p>But even on those possessions, there's room for Towns to make contact before flaring out. Like most things Wolves-related right now, I just wish there was more consistency.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>WE SEE YOU TOO: JEREMY SOCHAN</strong></p>
<p>Not too much on the young buck, who the Spurs are allowing to do a little bit of everything to start the season. I do think there's some low-hanging fruit for him to grab when he's off the ball.</p>
<p>Sochan already maps the floor well for a guy his age. He buzzes off the ball and often makes himself available for cuts. He'll either get hit for easy shot attempts, or his well-timed cut will open an opportunity for another teammate. It's genuinely good stuff.</p>
<p>He also seems to recognize when flare screens or pin-in screens are appropriate to set. It would help if he ... actually&nbsp;<em>set them&nbsp;</em>more consistently. He had some notable whiffs or cancel-outs on film this week.</p>
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<p>Too many "get behind me" points, not enough contact being made. If a bozo like me can point this out, I'm sure it's been mentioned elsewhere. He should be fine.</p>
<p><em>Screen Time will be back next Saturday! <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/screen-time-vol4-highlighting-the-nbas-best-and-worst-screeners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out last week's edition of Screen Time here</a>.</em></p>

Nekias Duncan highlights Jusuf Nurkic and Josh Green, among others, for their screening successes this week.

Screen Time Vol. 5: Highlighting the NBA's best and worst screeners

<p>The WNBA Finals are here, and the matchup couldn't be more of a stylistic clash.</p>
<p>On one side, we have the top-seeded (26-10) Las Vegas Aces. It's a bit much to say they took the league by storm &mdash; they had the second-best record in the league last season &mdash; but their modernized approach (on both ends of the floor) was a stark shift from what we're used to. Their offensive firepower, headlined by <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/las-vegas-aces-star-aja-wilson-adds-second-wnba-mvp-to-her-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-time MVP A'ja Wilson</a>, is undeniable. There's a reason this team led the league in offensive rating (109.6), and posted the second-best offensive season in WNBA history.</p>
<p>On the other side, we have the third-seeded Connecticut Sun. They were once again a regular-season success, finishing a game behind the Aces and Chicago Sky in record (25-11) but actually leading The W in net rating. Their plus-9.5 clip was nearly two points higher than the second-ranked Aces (plus-7.7). The Sun are known for their second-ranked defense (96.3 defensive rating), but quietly ranked second in offensive rating this season (105.8) too.</p>
<p>Two elite teams. Two elite offenses. Two completely different methods of attack, driven by unique personnel.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Sun (63%) and Aces (62.2%) ranked fifth and sixth in the percentage of shots that came at the rim or from three this season, though they found themselves on different ends of the how-they-got-there spectrum. The Sun led the league in rim rate (36.9%) while finishing 11th (out of 12) in three-point rate (26.1%); the Aces were 11th in rim rate (24.6%) and third in three-point rate (37.6%).</p>
<p>A major battleground for this series will be generating good, comfortable shots in the half-court. They may not always be analytically friendly; the Sun are a heavy post team, and the Aces have made the Finals primarily behind insane mid-range shooting. I'm intrigued by how these teams will attack, and how they'll be countered defensively.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's not clear who has the larger margin for error in this series. Why worry about your process if you can clean the glass to the degree the Sun can? How much do the details matter if Chelsea Gray can just splash home pull-up jumpers in the faces of helpless defenders?</p>
<p>I do think it's worth investigating the Aces side of things. They've faced a team that attempted to muck things up (Phoenix Mercury), and the Seattle Storm were a stout defensive unit with enough mobility and off-ball smarts to bring the Aces into the mud. The Sun are a mix of both, with more size and physicality.</p>
<p>My biggest question of the series: what coverage will the Sun come out in?</p>
<p>During the regular season, the overwhelming answer was "we're going to put two on the ball and dare you to navigate it." It's an aggressive, high-risk scheme, but you can do that when Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones are your bigs.</p>
<p>Jones is massive and moves her feet well. There are things to poke at in space &mdash; she opens up too much for my liking, opening avenues for ball-handlers to split the hedge and get downhill &mdash; but your reward for beating a Jones hedge is dealing with Thomas behind it.</p>
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<p>It's a late-clock possession, but you see the issue. Jones forces Gray to string out the drive. Wilson rolls to the empty side, but Thomas peels <em>way</em> off Dearica Hamby (left corner) to play in the passing lane to take Wilson's roll off the board while Jones recovers. The result is a heavily contested pull-up jumper from Gray. She's been draining those all postseason, but it's not what she&nbsp;<em>wants&nbsp;</em>to feast on.</p>
<p>If Thomas is directly involved, you're not likely to have a good time. The "best-hedge-defender-in-the-league" debate is between Thomas and Candace Parker. Who you choose is your perogative, but just recognize that you're dealing with greatness either way. Thomas is a one-woman wrecking crew when defending ball screens. If you're able to make it past her, good look finishing over the outstretched arms of Jones.</p>
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<p>That's tremendous effort from the Sun on that possession, particularly from Jones on the closeout. They get the miss and the rebound, but allowing Wilson to roll into that much space doesn't seem to be ideal. The Aces were <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/shooting/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FG%20PCT&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">easily the best mid-range shooting team</a> in the league this season; Gray (50%) and Wilson (45.1%) were the best volume mid-range shooters in the league, and they've been <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/shooting/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Playoffs&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FG%20PCT&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=Mid-Range%20FGA*GE*2.5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even better</a> during the postseason.</p>
<p>To that point, this is going to be an important jump-shooting series for Wilson. If the Sun stick with their aggressive scheme, there will be opportunities for her to pop. This is a miss, but this shot is well within Wilson's wheelhouse.</p>
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<p>The Aces will have to decide which of the bigs are worth engaging directly, and how they'll counter the Sun showing aggressive help off of non-shooters. It's unclear if the Aces will keep Kiah Stokes in the starting lineup or go back to Hamby, but both players will likely get the same (non)treatment off the ball.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It'll be important to see where Hamby or Stokes will be spaced. Having them on the perimeter won't do much for spacing, especially if Thomas gets that assignment. She'll take that matchup as an opportunity to cause havoc as a helper. Wilson makes this shot, but look at how quickly she darts down to meet Wilson on her roll.</p>
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<p>As counterintuitive as it sounds, it may be worth going at Thomas directly. Getting into your offense may be tougher, but it could be easier to make plays on the back end. Again, Jones is pretty mobile for her size, but her comfort toggling assignments tends to decrease the further away she is from the rim. This possession seems instructive.</p>
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<p>The Aces go with a Gray-Hamby ball screen, which puts Thomas into the action. Jones is the Sun's last line of defense here, but she also has the Wilson assignment. Jones is locked into Gray's eyes, and Gray makes her pay with a nice feed to Hamby.</p>
<p>It's worth noting how Wilson is used here though. She isn't just off the ball; she's setting up a pindown for Kelsey Plum. It puts Natisha Hiedeman in a bind; she has to fight over and stay attached to Plum, or Gray has an easy outlet for a high-quality three. If Wilson pops to the corner after that screen, she'd have an open jumper considering where Jones is.</p>
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<p>Keep an eye on the Aces' off-ball screening in this series. That's going to be the hack for Stokes or Hamby if they're on the perimeter. If they're able to engage the Sun off the ball, their half-court offense will be more difficult to contain.</p>
<p>A fun wrinkle to keep an eye on: inverted ball screens to get the bigs downhill. We only saw it twice during the regular-season series, but the Aces experimented with a big-small pick-and-roll out of HORNS.</p>
<p>For those who aren't familiar, the HORNS alignment features a player in each corner, and two screeners at each elbow (or higher) to give the ball-handler an option of which screen to use.</p>
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<p>Don't be surprised if Becky Hammon pulls this out of her back pocket out of a timeout, or late when the Aces need a bucket.</p>
<p>The Sun also have fun flowing out of HORNS. When you have a frontcourt tandem as uniquely talented as Thomas and Jones &mdash; with reigning Sixth Player of the Year and All-Star Brionna Jones coming off the bench &mdash; it's hard not to stress out defenses.</p>
<p>A popular set for them involves one of their bigs setting a screen before diving to the basket, while the other big lifts and receives a pass to set up a high-low opportunity.</p>
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<p>That's a pretty tough action to defend, especially if you're putting two on the ball like the Aces did here. DeWanna Bonner and Courtney Williams are stashed in the corners, which means the help &mdash; either Jackie Young or Gray &mdash; would be small. Hamby could've sagged way off to bump Jones on the roll, but Thomas is Draymond-esque in her ability to snap into quick-hitting handoffs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Jones isn't just a diver; she's one of the best shooters in basketball. The Sun are comfortable spacing her or getting her looks off movement. Here's a quick example of HORNS Flare.</p>
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<p>You'll notice, again, that Hamby is put in a bit of a bind. Your mind says "stick with Jones no matter what," but the Other Jones may be the best big in the league at generating deep seals. Wilson is a tremendous defender, but she's still at a size and strength disadvantage with that matchup. Hamby hangs a beat too long, and that's all the space that Jones needs to fire from deep.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If Courtney Williams is in the left corner when they set up HORNS, don't be surprised if an Iverson cut is coming. It's a way to get Williams (and her defender) moving, and helps them set up ball screens with an empty corner.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>(I can't tell if it was scripted or a great read from Bonner, but her bump before clearing to the left side of the floor essentially turns this into an Elevator screen to trap Gray.)</p>
<p>The Sun have to be careful about where that screen is set. Setting it on Williams' right would force her baseline, and task the big with rolling toward the middle of the floor. That will make it easier for the Aces to load up their help. Williams will make the tough pull-up below, but keep an eye on Hamby and how she roams off Thomas to provide help on Jones' roll.</p>
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<p>I wonder what defensive scheme we'll see from the Aces. They went more switch-heavy in the second half of the season, and that's continued throughout the postseason. I'm not sure how much they can get away with that considering how much size the Sun have.</p>
<p>It wouldn't be a huge surprise for the Aces to play more drop coverage. They would be daring the Sun's guards to beat them with pull-ups, but having the bigs hang back would make it easier for them to contain the rolls and, more importantly, get a head start on boxing out to limit the Sun on the offensive glass.</p>
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<p>It may behoove the Sun to go more conservative as well. Going with more switching instead of hedging would eliminate a lot of the gaps the Aces want to create in the half-court, as we saw for large swaths of their series against the Storm.</p>
<p>Hammon and Curt Miller are two of the best coaches in The W. If nothing else, I'm excited to see what types of adjustments are made on each side. This may not be the Finals series many expected, but it's slated to be a darn good one.</p>

Nekias Duncan examines how the Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun will attack each other in the WNBA Finals.

WNBA Finals: How will Aces and Sun attack each other in half-court?

<p>The Las Vegas Aces just can't stop winning.</p>
<p>They finished the regular season with the best record in the WNBA (26-10). They snatched the Commisioner's Cup, an in-season tournament the league introduced during the 2021 season, in convincing fashion this year. Their playoff run has been a successful one thus far, with a two-game sweep over (what's left of) the Phoenix Mercury and a thrilling 3-1 series win over Breanna Stewart's Seattle Storm.</p>
<p>Then, there are the awards.</p>
<p>Kelsey Plum, who's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-playoffs-screen-time-kelsey-plum-las-vegas-aces-becky-hammon-aja-wilson-seattle-storm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">done a little bit of everything</a>, won All-Star Game MVP with a record-tying 30-point performance. Chelsea Gray, in the midst of one of the most ridiculous shot-making runs in <em>basketball </em>history, was named MVP of the Commisioner's Cup championship game. WNBA legend and first-time head coach Becky Hammon was awarded Coach of the Year earlier this month. Two-way forward Jackie Young, who <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1567559975261569030?s=20&amp;t=AhANKxl5GkIxjfNNRuqrkw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">came up huge</a> during the Aces' series-clinching 97-92 win on Tuesday night, won the Most Improved Player award.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Future Hall-of-Famer A'ja Wilson won her first Defensive Player of the Year award &mdash; she'd probably have my vote for Most Valuable Defender if the award existed &mdash; and was named to the All-Defensive First team (her second All-Defensive selection of her career).&nbsp;</p>
<p>And now, you can add another MVP to Wilson's trophy case.</p>
<p>Wilson &mdash; with per-game averages of 19.5 points (fifth), 9.4 rebounds (second), 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks (first) &mdash; received 31 first-place and 24 second-place votes for the award. She edged out Breanna Stewart and teammate Kelsey Plum to round out the top-three.</p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/image-4.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>With her second MVP award (first in 2020), she becomes the seventh player in WNBA history to win multiple MVPs. Look at the legends she finds herself in the room with now:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets (1997, 1998)</li>
<li>Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets (2000, 2002, 2005)</li>
<li>Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks (2001, 2004, 2006)</li>
<li>Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm (2003, 2007, 2010)</li>
<li>Candace Parker, Las Angeles Sparks (2008, 2013)</li>
<li>Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky/Washington Mystics (2015, 2019)</li>
</ul>
<p>It doesn't stop there. Wilson joins Jackson (2007), Leslie (2004), Swoopes (2000, 2002), and Yolanda Griffith (1999) as the only players to win MVP and DPOY in the same season. Suppose the Aces are able to finish the job against the Chicago Sky or Connecticut Sun in the Finals (we'll have the matchup late on Thursday night) &mdash; Wilson could join Swoopes (2000) as the only players to win MVP, DPOY and a championship (and possibly Finals MVP) in the same season.</p>
<p>Naturally, Wilson was the engine that made the Aces go on both ends of the floor. While it's easy to point to the Aces finally embracing modern basketball offensively &mdash; and Wilson played a role in that, shooting 37% from three on moderate volume &mdash; their spread, read-based offense wouldn't work without Wilson as a presure point.</p>
<p>Wilson's work as a roller and popper in ball-screens helped unlock Gray, Young and Plum. Her ability to self-create in the mid-post or lower put defenses in a bind. She could overpower smaller frontcourt players, or blow past larger ones. Defenses either had to let Wilson cook 1-on-1, or send help and open up opportunities for her teammates to attack tilted defenses in the process.</p>
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<p>The Aces posted a 109.6 Offensive Rating <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=OFF_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during the regular season</a>, the best mark in the league and second highest clip in WNBA history (112.9 by the 2019 Mystics). They were even more prolific when Wilson was on the floor, with their scoring efficiency <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/wnba?TeamId=1611661319&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1628932&amp;OnlyCommonGames=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising to 114.3</a>.</p>
<p>They were more diverse offensively, but their versatility really stood out defensively. They were comfortable playing at the level of ball screens, or outright trapping them. Zone was sprinkled in. Switching was something they went to often during the second half of the season. Drop coverage was utilized, but higher up to take away obvious pull-up pockets for opposing guards.</p>
<p>That versatility wouldn't have been possible without Wilson holding things down at the 5. With the departure of Liz Cambage, Wilson slid down a position and didn't see a meaningful hit in field goal percentage allowed at the rim (64% <a href="https://www.positiveresidual.com/shiny/wnba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last season</a>, 63% <a href="https://www.positiveresidual.com/shiny/wnba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this season</a>) or defensive rebound rate (75.8% <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DREB_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last season</a>, 74.5% <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DREB_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this season</a>). The box score stats &mdash; 7.6 defensive rebounds (second) and a league-leading 1.9 blocks per game &mdash; tell a bit of the story, but Wilson unlocked so much more than her basic stats would indicate.</p>
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<p>It's fitting that Wilson receives this award now. Though MVP is a regular season award, Wilson is on one heck of a postseason run. After a subpar Game 1 against the Storm, Wilson averaged 30.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 2.3 blocks in three straight victories to punch a ticket to the Finals. Oh, and Wilson played roughly 123 (122:44 for the nerds) of a possible 125 minutes during that stretch.</p>
<p>What. A. Baller.&nbsp;</p>

Nekias Duncan breaks down A'ja Wilson's MVP season with the Las Vegas Aces.

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson adds second WNBA MVP to her collection

<p><strong>SEATTLE (AP) &mdash;</strong> This time there were tears, on the court and in the stands. The finality of the situation finally hitting Sue Bird and the thousands that showed up hoping to see her career continue for at least 40 more minutes.</p>
<p>Chelsea Gray was simply too good, sending the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA Finals by beating the Seattle Storm 97-92 in Game 4 of their WNBA playoffs semifinal series Tuesday night.</p>
<p>It brought an end to Bird&rsquo;s illustrious career. With it came thanks from fans, tears and one last walk off the court in the same spot where Bird&rsquo;s career began more than two decades ago.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Kinda weird. Definitely surreal. I think initially ... I felt sad about the season and the game. And I then think as the emotions started to come to the surface that was also what I know deep down in that was my last game,&rdquo; Bird said.</p>
<p>Gray scored 15 of her 31 points in the fourth quarter and the Aces won the best-of-five series 3-1, all the games tense, pressure-packed and filled with spectacular shot-making. The Aces ended up making more, most notably Gray, who made five of six shots down the stretch and scored 12 of the final 20 points for the Aces.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone on planet Earth can guard her,&rdquo; Seattle coach Noelle Quinn said. &ldquo;She was unconscious.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It will be the third Finals appearance in franchise history for Las Vegas. The Aces lost to Seattle in 2020 in the WNBA bubble played in Florida, and the franchise reached the Finals in 2008 while still in San Antonio, losing to Detroit.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of like the girl that beat Serena (Williams). It&rsquo;s bittersweet,&rdquo; Aces coach Becky Hammon said. &ldquo;I know myself and our staff and team and organization have so much respect for Sue. She&rsquo;s had a fairytale career, one that kids dream of. She got to live it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Breanna Stewart tied the WNBA playoff record with 42 points, just the fifth player to score 40 or more in a postseason game, and Jewell Loyd added 29. But Seattle failed to find a third scorer and the Aces had an answer for every charge Seattle made after Las Vegas surged in front early in the second half.</p>
<p>The Aces will get the spotlight in the Finals. On this night, the aftermath of the result was all about Bird and the conclusion to her two decades as a pillar to the Storm franchise and the WNBA.</p>
<p>Bird stayed on the court after the final buzzer, receiving hugs from the entire Aces roster. She wiped away tears while the crowd cheered and cried along with her, and chanted &ldquo;Thank you, Sue.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I also wanted to kind of have one last moment to say thank you, to soak it all in because in some ways, it is a happy thing,&rdquo; Bird said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m proud of of everything we&rsquo;ve accomplished here.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The oldest player in the league at age 41, Bird started the year thinking she&rsquo;d retire, but brought finality to the decision midway through the regular season.</p>
<p>Las Vegas spoiled the party in Seattle&rsquo;s home regular-season finale when Bird was honored by the franchise and the league for her 21 seasons with the team and 19 as a player, missing two seasons with injury.</p>
<p>And it was the Aces that finally eliminated Bird and the Storm after four stressful games filled with big performances.</p>
<p>Bird closes out her career as one of the most decorated players of all-time: four WNBA titles, five Olympic gold medals, two collegiate titles at UConn, the WNBA all-time leader in assists and games played, and recognition as one of the great players during a golden generation for the league.</p>
<p>She&rsquo;ll also take into retirement the definition of being a floor leader and ultimately a winner. But she wasn&rsquo;t able to add a fifth title to that resume. Bird finished her final game with eight points and eight assists.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As sad as it is that we&rsquo;re we&rsquo;re not having the ability to compete for a championship, I think what&rsquo;s more devastating ... is just the fact that we&rsquo;re no longer going to be on the court with Sue,&rdquo; Stewart said.</p>
<p>Gray was the biggest thorn for Seattle with her clutch shooting often late in the shot clock. Seattle pulled even at 67-all, only to have Gray hit a 3 as the shot clock expired.</p>
<p>Gray scored consecutive buckets later in the fourth to keep the Aces ahead, but her miss and Gabby Williams&rsquo; three-point play gave Seattle an 83-82 lead with 2:40 left.</p>
<p>That was Seattle&rsquo;s last lead.</p>
<p>Wilson&rsquo;s three-point play put the Aces back ahead 85-83 and Gray wouldn&rsquo;t miss, her jumper with 30 seconds left giving the Aces a 92-87 lead. Wilson finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Gray finished as the first player in WNBA playoff history with 30 points and 10 assists in a game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When Chelsea is rocking and rolling my biggest thing is just getting the hell out of her way,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, you just got to get out of the way and let people rock.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>OTHER RETIREMENT</strong></p>
<p>Tuesday was also the final game for Seattle&rsquo;s Briann January after 14 seasons in the league. January played for four teams with most of her career spent in Indiana.</p>
<p><strong>RECORD HALF</strong></p>
<p>Stewart&rsquo;s 26 points in the first half was the most in the first half of a playoff game, topping the 24 points Angel McCoughtry had in the first half for Atlanta against Minnesota in 2011. McCoughtry finished that game with 38.</p>
<p><strong>UP NEXT</strong></p>
<p>Las Vegas will host either Connecticut or Chicago in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

Chelsea Gray sent the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA Finals by beating Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm 97-92 in Game 4.

Sue Bird’s career ends as Aces top Storm to reach to Finals

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

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

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

<p class="p1">The WNBA playoffs just started, and we've already had our fair share of unforgettable moments.</p>
<p class="p1">The New York Liberty boast a pair, with guard Marine Johannes' ridiculous Game 1 pass and her star teammate Sabrina Ionescu's five-point burst in five seconds. I'm still not over the overwhelming defensive possessions from the Chicago Sky to close out Game 3 against the Liberty. Chelsea Gray and the Aces set a three-point record in Game 2 of their series against (what's left of) the Phoenix Mercury; the tactical warfare of the Seattle Storm-Washington Mystics matchup was too good for a first round series.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">As if there isn't enough to talk about, regular season awards are beginning to drop. On Monday, Chicago Sky head coach and general manager James Wade was named Executive of the Year for his offseason work. We'll be getting word on the rookies &mdash; Rookie of the Year and the All-Rookie team &mdash; on Thursday. You can see the rest of the schedule for announcements <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/wnba-announces-new-process-for-selecting-all-wnba-teams-and-unveils-end-of-season-awards-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p class="p1">Before the official awards are announced, here's who I would've chosen on my fictitious ballot. Part I will be focused on first batch of awards: Rookie of the Year, the All-Rookie team, Coach of the Year, and Most Improved Player.</p>
<p class="p1">(If someone from The W's league office is reading this: Hi, hello, I'd love to vote next season if you'll have me!)</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (AUGUST 25)</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><em>Honorable Mention (HM): Rebekah Gardner &mdash; Chicago Sky</em></p>
<p>Gardner's averages (8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists) don't scream off the page, but she's one of the league's best role-players. She's a spirited driver with a blend of physicality and graceful footwork that allows her to bully weaker defenders. Her nose for the ball is uncanny for a guard; she's good for at least one "Where did she come from?" rebound in a crucial point of a game.</p>
<p>And then there's the defense.</p>
<p>She led all rookies in steals per game (1.4), but that honestly doesn't do her justice. Gardner is a&nbsp;<em>nasty&nbsp;</em>screen navigator, and she pairs that with an unrelenting motor. Turn on a Sky game and you'll see her hounding the opposing team's best perimeter player to the point of needing screens in the backcourt. Here's&nbsp;<em>some&nbsp;</em>of the work she did in the Liberty series &mdash; and note that the last clip is a&nbsp;<em>bad&nbsp;</em>foul call.</p>
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<p>Her quickness, aggression, and ability to anticipate help make her one of The W's best defenders. Spoiler alert: She got an All-Defensive First Team nod from me because of her work.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>3. NaLyssa Smith &mdash; Indiana Fever</strong></p>
<p class="p1">I don't begrudge folks for looking at the Indiana Fever's record (5-31) or their score differential (minus-11.1) and deciding to pass on watching 20-plus games of theirs. This was an incredibly young team that also went through an early season coaching change. They ended the season on an 18-game losing streak; trust me, I get it.</p>
<p class="p1">But man, there was some fun in there if you gave them a chance. The play of NaLyssa Smith was certainly one of the bright spots.</p>
<p class="p1">Though listed at 6-foot-4, Smith doesn't operate much like a true big. There's a fluidity and shiftiness present that makes her a matchup nightmare. Players her size shouldn't be able to use their handle to get to spots at a whim&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;</em>shoot from distance if given the space.&nbsp;</p>
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<p class="p1">Smith led all rookies in rebounds (7.9) and ranked second in scoring (13.5) behind Atlanta Dream wing Rhyne Howard (16.2). Smith racked up eight double-doubles on the season; the rest of the rookie class combined for <em>nine</em>.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>2. Shakira Austin &mdash; Washington Mystics</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Rookie bigs aren't supposed to be as good as Austin is defensively. To be a key cog as a rookie is wildly impressive; to be a key cog on the best defense in basketball &mdash; the Mystics had a sterling 96 defensive rating &mdash; is absurd, frankly.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Austin was tasked with banging with post brutes like Sylvia Fowles while also being asked to play multiple coverages against ball screens. Her activity and footwork pops in space. She was a shortlist All-Defensive team candidate for me (ultimately didn't make it) this season, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if she becomes a mainstay moving forward. She's <em>that&nbsp;</em>good already.</p>
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<p class="p1">The offensive flashes are intriguing. The same footwork she displays defensively allows her to be a productive roll threat offensively. She's already flashed the ability to make short roll reads, and she's comfortable putting the floor on the deck for a dribble or two. I'm not sure if the finishing or the jumper expands first, but growth in either area would take her to another level offensively. The fact that there's a pathway to&nbsp;<em>both&nbsp;</em>happening ... the Mystics have a good one on their hands.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>1. Rhyne Howard &mdash; Atlanta Dream</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Though I wouldn't be opposed to Austin winning the award, I think the answer is Howard.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Leading all rookies in scoring is an easy thing to point to. The efficiency numbers &mdash; 37.9% from two-point range, 34.3% from three, 48.9% True Shooting &mdash; are an easy counter for people who think Austin should win it. I think either argument is missing the forest for the threes.</p>
<p class="p1">In year one, Howard was good enough to be the number one option on a just-missed-the-playoffs team. She got the opposing team's best defender from day one while playing in an offense lacking multiple dribble-drive threats for most of the season.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">The context wasn't easy, and Howard found a way to score at a high clip, display in-season growth as a creator,&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;</em>be a plus-wing defender at the same time.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Howard is a pull-up artist, a moving target off the ball, a willing passer against aggressive ball screen coverages, and someone who closed the year getting to the rim at a high clip. Over her last seven games, she averaged 8.6 three-point attempts (35% efficiency) and 7.7 free throw attempts. That is <em>incredibly&nbsp;</em>difficult for someone in her position to do.&nbsp;</p>
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<p class="p1">I can't wait to see her with more offensive talent around her. The foundation for Howard is already strong.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>ALL-ROOKIE TEAM (AUGUST 25</strong>)</p>
<p class="p1">Rhyne Howard, Shakira Austin, NaLyssa Smith, Rebekah Gardner, Queen Egbo (Indiana Fever)</p>
<p class="p1">Egbo (and her frontcourt teammate Emily Engstler) got less attention than Smith, but it's hard not to be excited about the defensive prowess. Egbo has pretty wild timing as a shot-blocker. She generally leaves the floor after her opponent goes up, giving her a cleaner window to swat shots.</p>
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<p class="p1">I'm a fan of her mobility, and I think there's real potential for her to be a scheme-diverse weapon once she cleans up some of her technique. Foul trouble was a bit of an issue, and a large part of that was because she coudn't contain herself when asked to play more aggressively in PnR. She'd often run into the ball-handler when hedging out, or swipe down at the ball and get caught with her hand in the cookie jar.</p>
<p class="p1">A year of seasoning will do her some good, as would gaining some upper body strength to help with her finishing and post defense.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>COACH OF THE YEAR (AUGUST 26)</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><strong>3. James Wade &mdash; Chicago Sky</strong></p>
<p class="p1">You have to give Wade, The W's Elevator Emperor, his coaching chops, too.</p>
<p class="p1">The Sky led The W in assist rate (70.7% of field goals assisted) by a healthy margin and posted a top-three offensive rating (105.8). Their high-octane defensive system led to an elite mark once again (99.7 defensive rating). The only player on the roster to appear in all 36 games was new addition Emma Meesseman, and Wade made sure her versatility was highlighted in his inverted offensive attack.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>2. Becky Hammon &mdash; Las Vegas Aces</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Hammon will likely win the award, and it'll be <em>well&nbsp;</em>deserved if/when she does. Though there was plenty of talent on the Aces roster when she took over, it is&nbsp;<em>not&nbsp;</em>easy to implement drastic scheme changes on both ends of the floor. It takes a high-level of trust and buy-in to make that happen; for Hammon to garner that much respect in her rookie* season as head coach is outstanding.</p>
<p class="p1">The Aces went from a team that infuriatingly ignored the three-point line (ranked last in three-point rate in each of the past four seasons) to one that bombed away (4th this season). A'ja Wilson was&nbsp;<em>finally&nbsp;</em>empowered (I'm not mad, I promise) to fire from deep, and she answered the bell with a 37.3% clip on moderate volume. The freedom given to Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray was on full display all season long. Jackie Young was trusted with more responsibility.</p>
<p class="p1">Quietly, the defense arguably looked more different than the offense did. Gone were the consistent deep drops against ball screens as a way to encourage pull-ups and wall off the paint. The Aces ramped up the pressure this year.</p>
<p class="p1">To begin the year, their bigs were tasked with playing at the level of the screen. That shifted to more drop coverage towards the middle of the season, but the drop was maybe a step below the screen -- still much higher than last season.</p>
<p class="p1">We saw more switching, and scram-switching to get smaller guards out of mismatches. The result wasn't always clean, but we saw a level of versatility from this group that was nearly unheard of under the previous (and to be fair, pretty successful) regime.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>1. Tanisha Wright &mdash; Atlanta Dream</strong></p>
<p class="p1">It's hard to overstate just how much of a mess the Dream were last season. On the court, they were rough; they finished with the second-worst record in the league (8-24) while finishing ninth in offense (97.5 ORTG) and defense (104 DRTG). Off the court, it was even worse.</p>
<p class="p1">They cycled through multiple head coaches last season and faced front office turnover. There was a Chennedy Carter...suspension? Erasure? Placement in purgatory? We're still not 100% sure what happened. There was video of a fight posted that featured several members of the Dream roster. Last season was an absolute mess.</p>
<p class="p1">For Wright to come in and help establish structure and culture &mdash; on and off the floor &mdash; impressed the heck out of me. She was tasked with building an offense around a rookie (Howard), and managed to do so while also empowering Cheyenne Parker as a post hub. It's hard to stress how few rim threats Wright and the Dream had to work with; Aari McDonald, 11 games of Tiffany Hayes (who then left <em>during the playoff push</em>) and 15 games of AD Durr was the best she had.</p>
<p class="p1">I think there would be more of a groundswell of support for Wright's case if the Dream made the playoffs. Missing out by a game isn't enough to deter me, though.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>MOST IMPROVED PLAYER (AUGUST 29)</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><em>HM: Sophie Cunningham (PHX), Aari McDonald (ATL)</em></p>
<ul>
<li class="p1">Speaking of McDonald, she deserves flowers for her work as a driver, improved shooting, and fiesty point-of-attack defense. It's pretty hard to lose her because of her speed and ability to navigate screens. She's also (annoyingly) good at drawing fouls/selling contact. I'm excited for Year 3 Aari.</li>
<li class="p1">Cunningham saw her role change midway through the season. Suddenly slotted <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/sophie-cunningham-giving-phoenix-a-lift-at-the-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as a small-ball 4</a>, Cunningham thrived as a spacer, embraced on and off-ball screening, and punched above her weight defensively.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p class="p1"><strong>3. Sabrina Ionescu &mdash; New York Liberty</strong></p>
<p class="p1">I went back and forth with Cunningham and Ionescu for the third spot. Do you reward Ionescu's bump in production with a healthier campaign, or do you reward Cunningham's bump in production due to the heightened role?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">I landed on Ionescu, who saw increases in virtually everything; no, seriously, the only box score stat that didn't improve (or decrease, when it comes to turnovers) from last year was her foul rate (1.8 to 2.1 this season).&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">She was a first-time All-Star with averages of 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Spoiler: she was the only player in The W to average at least 17-7-6 this season, and only the second player in W history (Candace Parker, 2015) to accomplish the feat.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Ionescu is one of the most dynamic ball screen operators in the sport. She's a daring passer, aggressive driver, and fearless pull-up shooter. When the latter is going, there isn't much you can do with her.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>2. Ezi Magbegor &mdash; Seattle Storm</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Don't let the Seattle Storm's midseason addition of Tina Charles &mdash; and her insertion into the starting lineup eight games after her debut &mdash; throw you off the scent. Ezi Magbegor balled out this year.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Magbegor was a Day 1 starter for the first time in her career and flourished with more playing time. Her defensive prowess <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ezi-magbegor-cares-not-for-your-space" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was evident early on</a>, making life incredibly difficult for her foes. Because of her length and timing, teams didn't have much luck challenging her at the rim. And because of her mobility, attacking her in space &mdash; either with ball screens or in isolation &mdash; wasn't a fruitful endeavor, either. She was building out a legitimate DPOY case through the first month of the season.</p>
<p class="p1">That dwindled as the year went along. While she was and is more disciplined than she was last season, Magbegor still dealt with bouts of foul trouble. Bulkier centers can still move her on the block when given those matchups. Overall, Magbegor remains a high-level defedner that should be in DPOY or All-Defensive team talks for years to come.</p>
<p class="p1">What's gone under the radar is her growth offensively. She became a more willing jump-shooter, though the volume isn't at the point where teams have to worry altering her gameplan against her yet. I found myself floored by some of her self-created shots this season.&nbsp;</p>
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<p class="p1">Color me intrigued moving forward.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>1. Jackie Young &mdash; Las Vegas Aces</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Young's case is pretty straightforward -- her numbers <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/y/youngja01w.html#per_game0">jumped across the board</a>, she defended at an All-Defense level for a large chunk of the season, and she's turned herself into a reliable shooter. The latter point, her shooting growth, has spearheaded a lot of what she's now able to accomplish offensively. Aside from Sixth Player of the Year, this may be the slam dunk-iest award selection of the season.</p>
<p class="p1">For a deeper dive into her on and off-court growth, I'd highly <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/the-journey-of-jackie-young/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommend this piece</a> from my guy Mark Schindler of WNBA.com.</p>

Nekias Duncan gives his award picks for Rookie of the Year, the All-Rookie team, Coach of the Year, and Most Improved Player.

2022 WNBA Awards: ROTY, All-Rookie Team, COTY, Most Improved

<p>The intensity is turning up as the NBA Draft looms on June 23.&nbsp;With all combines and withdrawal deadlines behind us, the final steps to draft night will take place behind closed doors &mdash; apart from rumors and reports, of course.</p>
<p>On Monday, we saw the first pre-draft trade of the season go down. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/denver-trades-jamychal-green-to-oklahoma-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>, Oklahoma City dealt its No. 30 overall pick and two future second-rounders to Denver in exchange for JaMychal Green and a 2027 first-round pick. That should be just the start of one of the most chaotic newsbreaking stretches in basketball.</p>
<p>Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babock updated our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> on Tuesday. Jabari Smith remains the No. 1 overall pick, but movement later on in the lottery highlights his projections. Babcock discused the notable changes and gave his pulse on the pre-draft chatter.</p>
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<p><strong>Most mock drafts have either Jabari Smith or Chet Holmgren at No. 1 to the Orlando Magic, and you have not wavered from Smith yet. How close is the decision between these two?</strong></p>
<p>I have not wavered from having Jabari Smith as the No. 1 pick. However, at this point in the process, we've shifted our approach from being scouts and making our own picks to projecting what the teams will actually do. From my understanding, most teams are operating under the impression that Jabari Smith will be the first pick, but I have heard some teams think it could be Holmgren too. So we'll see what Jeff Weltman and John Hammond decide to do soon enough.</p>
<p><strong>What pick do you consider to be the first major inflection point for unpredictability in the draft?</strong></p>
<p>We currently have Chet Holmgren at No. 2, but I'm not overly confident that's how it will actually unfold. For starters, will Oklahoma City even stay put at this pick? Sam Presti is known to be a wheeler and dealer. Could the Thunder take Paolo Banchero or even Jaden Ivey? I also heard Holmgren has not provided his medical information to teams (at least most of them), and did not do the NBA's heart screening. That could suggest that his agents are trying to manipulate the draft and direct Holmgren to a specific spot, which is probably the most likely scenario. I don't know which team that would be though.</p>
<p><strong>Shaedon Sharpe continues to be one of the most mysterious players in this pre-draft process. How have things been going for him?</strong></p>
<p>Shaedon Sharpe has become a polarizing prospect for this year's draft. However, I don't think there is any denying that he has a lot of raw talent and upside. There have been some rumblings that he could slip a bit, but even with that said, he's still likely to go mid-to-late lottery.</p>
<p><strong>What has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jeremy-sochan-a-citizen-of-the-world-sets-his-course-for-the-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy Sochan</a> continuing to rise up your mock draft to No. 9?</strong></p>
<p>The San Antonio Spurs have a lot of young pieces on the perimeter, but I think they need to address their frontcourt. I've heard they do have interest in Sochan. I also heard earlier today that the Spurs could be a team on the hunt to move up, with Keegan Murray being their likely target.</p>
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<p><strong>Ousmane Dieng is slotted at No. 14 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Is it safe at this point to say he'll be the first international player selected?</strong></p>
<p>Rumors are flying that Ousmane Dieng has a guarantee, and he did receive an invite to the green room. Could that guarantee be coming from Cleveland? Maybe.</p>
<p><strong>Were you surprised by any of the players who pulled their names out, or kept their names in, at the final withdrawal deadline?</strong></p>
<p>I was a little surprised by some of the international players who decided to stay in the draft, as I expected guys like Yannick Nzosa, Ibou Badji and Matteo Spagnolo to pull their names out.</p>
<p><strong>Which prospects do you think possess higher upside than most anticipate?</strong></p>
<p>A few guys with a lot of upside that might not be getting a ton of attention are Max Christie from Michigan State, Moussa Diabate from Michigan and Josh Minott from Memphis. I'm not sure how much these players are ready to contribute right off the bat, but I wouldn't be surprised to see any or all of them establish themselves in the league over the next couple of years or so.</p>
<p><strong>Who is one player that you think teams have higher on their draft boards compared to the media and general public?</strong></p>
<p>At this point in the pre-draft process, I think teams and the media are generally pretty aligned. Of course, it only takes one team to take a player higher than expected to make all of our mock drafts look questionable. It just adds to the fun of the NBA Draft though.</p>
<p><strong>We've seen one pre-draft trade go down so far between the Nuggets and Thunder <em>(Note: Dallas also traded its No. 26 pick to Houston on Wednesday night)</em>. In general, do you expect a lot of movement or relative stability this year?</strong></p>
<p>Oh, of course I always expect there to be movement on draft night. It's part of the business, but has naturally became part of the event's appeal as well. I remember being a kid and freaking out anytime David Stern would walk up to the podium and say, "We have a trade." The NBA Draft is such a special part of the NBA and the basketball industry. I'm very fortunate to be involved in something that I have loved since I was a kid. And this year, I'll be in New York for the draft. See you soon!</p>
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Matt Babcock discussed his latest NBA Draft insights with Ethan Fuller after recently updating his 2022 NBA Mock Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Q&A with Matt Babcock on notable risers, latest intel

<p>The New York Knicks are one of the primary teams linked to a potential Donovan Mitchell blockbuster trade this summer.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Because Mitchell is currently in a Utah Jazz situation that is likely leading to a tear down and rebuild more than seemingly any other franchise in the NBA, conventional wisdom (along with some reporting) has suggested that the team will likely part ways with either him or Rudy Gobert &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/an-awkward-offseason-looms-for-the-jazz-as-they-try-to-avoid-rebuild" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potentially both</a> &mdash; to reshape their roster.</p>
<p>The Knicks have several ties to Mitchell. He&rsquo;s from Elmsford, New York, a six-minute drive from the Knicks&rsquo; training facility in Westchester. &nbsp;His father <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/donovan-mitchell-10-things-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">works for the New York Mets organization</a>. Both are fans of some New York sports teams, including the Mets and the Rangers, <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_NewYork/status/1526039997501022208" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whom Mitchell saw in this year&rsquo;s playoffs up close</a>. Mitchell is a CAA client, and the agency has fingerprints all over the Knicks organizationally. And, while he hasn&rsquo;t formally requested a trade publicly, the Knicks are <a href="https://twitter.com/gregsylvander/status/1482101290964504580?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on his list if he were to do so</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But the Knicks are honestly not a team ready for Mitchell. They&rsquo;d acquire him and do... what?&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is an Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks at the top. It's one where the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets are possibly an offseason away from joining the tier-one group.</p>
<p>And with the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets &mdash; all of whom were better than the Knicks last season &mdash; expected to build on successes within these last two seasons, acquiring Mitchell wouldn&rsquo;t elevate the Knicks enough. Unlike the Heat, where Mitchell would serve as a missing piece, the Knicks would be forfeiting much of their young talent and/or draft capital to make such a deal.</p>
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<p>And this is why New York should stay the course by trading up in the draft and grabbing dynamic Purdue guard Jaden Ivey.</p>
<p>At 6-foot-4, 200-pounds,&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-draft-why-jaden-ivey-with-comparisons-to-ja-morant-could-be-selected-no-2-overall-by-the-thunder-130042049.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ivey has often been compared to Ja Morant</a>. It feels like an easy comparison, but even their college careers have some parallels. (Not a ton, but some.) Morant was a starter as a true freshman with the Murray State Racers. While he was clearly good, he hadn&rsquo;t yet been considered a top-five NBA prospect, which he became throughout his breakout sophomore campaign. Ivey started more than half of his freshman-year games and similarly showed promise, but wasn&rsquo;t yet the top-five prospect he since grew into coming off this season's strong sophomore season.&nbsp;</p>
<p>BasketballNews.com Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock notes that, while Ivey is still in development, his ceiling can rival anyone in the 2022 NBA Draft class:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I don&rsquo;t think Jaden Ivey is a finished product, as he has room for improvement with his ball skills, feel for the game and consistency with his outside shooting. However, it&rsquo;s more than arguable that he possesses as much star potential as any other prospect in this year&rsquo;s draft, if not more. Ivey&rsquo;s athleticism, explosiveness and ability to get to the rim with the ball in his hands and raise above have drawn comparisons to star players like a young Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant.</p>
</blockquote>
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<p>More similarly, Morant and Ivey made leaps from All-Freshman (or All-Newcomer, in Morant&rsquo;s case) in their first college go-round to being Consensus All-Americans in their second years.</p>
<p>For the Knicks, here&rsquo;s why and how you do it, beginning with the latter.</p>
<p>Most mock drafts have had Ivey going No. 4 in recent weeks, including <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft">our own at BasketballNews.com</a>. The thinking is that the top three will be Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren in whatever order, with Ivey following up as the best of the next group. So, barring surprise &mdash; which always&nbsp;can&nbsp;happen &mdash; a team trading for No. 4 should be in a position to snag Ivey.</p>
<p>The Sacramento Kings currently hold No. 4. With De&rsquo;Aaron Fox already in place and having just traded for Domantas Sabonis (using Tyrese Haliburton), they&rsquo;re probably closer to &ldquo;win-now&rdquo; (at least, in theory). This should make No. 4 available. The current 1-to-3 slots are occupied by the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, all of whom are rebuilding and more likely to keep their picks by comparison.</p>
<p>The Knicks are currently at No. 11 in this draft lottery, with an additional selection at No. 42 in Round 2. They also hold their own first-round pick in every season going forward and most of their seconds. They also still have a top-10 protected first from the Dallas Mavericks in 2023. (We&rsquo;re anticipating that will head to New York as the last remnants of the Kristaps Porzingis deadline deal of 2019.)</p>
<p>So it&rsquo;s very easy for the Knicks to combine another first with their No. 11 selection to throw at the Kings in hopes of this hypothetical coming together. If you&rsquo;re Sacramento, maybe a No. 11 and an unprotected or barely-protected 2024 first-rounder is enough. If not, the Knicks do still have a collection of young players to dangle, be it Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Cam Reddish or Miles McBride, or a combination of these names. No. 11 and Quickley doesn&rsquo;t actually sound nuts as a starting point.</p>
<p>(Additionally, Knick fans, I know you&rsquo;d probably like it to be No. 11 and Julius Randle, but I question whether a Sabonis-Randle pairing fits. However, I get the idea &mdash; you don&rsquo;t think the Kings aren&rsquo;t above trying it out either, and I respect that.)</p>
<p>The last time a top-four pick was traded was in 2019 when De'Andre Hunter, picked No. 4 overall, was part of the three-team Anthony Davis deal, which sent Hunter from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Atlanta Hawks. The year before, the Hawks moved from No. 3 to No. 5, additionally acquiring another first in the famous Luka Dončić-Trae Young swap that also landed Reddish in the ATL.</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;re the Knicks, why do you do it? Simple &mdash; continuing to rebuild on the fly is the way to go.</p>
<p>And overnight, Ivey gives the Knicks their best point guard since Raymond Felton. If you fancy him as a combo guard, he&rsquo;d be their most dynamic backcourt player since... damn, is it <em>Stephon Marbury?</em> That far back?</p>
<p>Babcock shared his thoughts on Ivey's fit on the Knicks if they were to try it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Regarding his potential fit with the Knicks, I think it makes a lot of sense. The Knicks have some young budding players who have shown promise. However, they need more star power, and Jaden Ivey just might be that star in the making that the Knicks need to get over the hump.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Just keep the rebuild going and continue to get better. More importantly, think of the excitement guys like Ivey, Barrett and Toppin could generate?</p>
<p>I&rsquo;d name other guys on the roster, but you know 85% of the league is TBD right now.</p>
<p>Most of all, listen to Matt if you won&rsquo;t listen to me!</p>
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Bryan Fonseca insists the Knicks stay the course instead of going hunting for a big star, and that Jaden Ivey could be a perfect fit.

Why Knicks trading for Jaden Ivey, not Donovan Mitchell, makes sense

<p>In the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; 104-94 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals, a few themes prevailed, powering them one win shy of their fourth title in eight seasons. Broadly, the formula was an elite defense once again reminding everyone that Boston is not the lone menacing unit in the Finals, along with timely shot-making and star-powered contributions.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Rather than laser in on a singular storyline and highlight every play connected to it, let&rsquo;s touch on an assortment of different sequences that help summarize all of these prevailing themes.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>1. Draymond Green&rsquo;s renewed offense</strong></p>
<p>Draymond Green&rsquo;s offense has justifiably drawn prominent ire in this series. Prior to Game 5, he recorded 17 points on 26 shots and his lack of scoring prowess, particularly as a spot-up shooter, constantly bogged down the offense.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Yet on Monday, he scored 8 points on 6 shots, handed out 6 assists and committed only 2 turnovers. He&rsquo;d turned in some excellent defensive showings to this point, but Game 5 was easily his most well-rounded of the series.&nbsp;</p>
<p>His first assist of the night previewed the next couple hours. Sometimes, Green&rsquo;s dismal offensive performances are partially defined by erratic, undisciplined passing, but that wasn&rsquo;t the case in Game 5. To kick off the festivities, he lofted a perfect feed into Otto Porter Jr.&rsquo;s bread-basket for the bucket.</p>
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<p>Porter slipping the screen was emblematic of Golden State deciphering just enough openings in the crannies of Boston&rsquo;s fortress to complement its own imposing defense. A 107.5 offensive rating is quite poor, but this club&rsquo;s formula for a title has always been shepherded by the defense.</p>
<p>Al Horford hugging Stephen Curry along the baseline, removing him entirely from any chance of helping on the pass, laid the foundation for a game where the superstar&rsquo;s gravity regularly opened up chances for others. His own 7-of-22 line was unremarkable scoring-wise, though the manner in which the Celtics tethered themselves to him created space elsewhere instead.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong>2. Andrew Wiggins, the All-Star starter</strong></p>
<p>Three days after gobbling up a career-high 16 rebounds, Andrew Wiggins returned to score the second-most points of his playoff career with 26. With Curry marred in an uncharacteristic shooting slump and Boston still successfully limiting Klay Thompson&rsquo;s scoring volume, somebody had to prop up the Warriors&rsquo; attack.&nbsp;</p>
<p>That man was Andrew Wiggins, who repeatedly exposed the single coverage he faced, using his size and physicality to launch off the bounce.</p>
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<p>He particularly flourished in the final frame, when he scored 10 of his 26 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Wiggins&rsquo; handle can be robotic and leave him susceptible to stunts or digs. As the Celtics often face-guarded Curry and Thompson (look how they&rsquo;re defended in that clip), the Canadian wing enjoyed added space to operate and wield his self-creation chops. Nearly 70% of his baskets have been assisted during the playoffs, whereas that mark fell to 50% in Game 5.&nbsp;</p>
<p>All series, Boston's defense has appeared content funneling shots to Wiggins. He capitalized monumentally on Monday&rsquo;s pivotal stage.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>3. Jaylen Brown and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad offensive experience</strong></p>
<p>Overwhelmingly, Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s 2022 NBA Playoffs have been sensational. He&rsquo;s endured some hiccups, including Game 2 of the Finals, but they&rsquo;ve merely been hiccups and haven't become the norm. Monday was another hiccup.</p>
<p>He logged 18 points on 5-of-18 shooting and committed 4 turnovers. Golden State continually forced him left as a driver and pull-up scorer, which is assuredly not his preference. His handle and ball control are precarious as is, let alone when he&rsquo;s guided away from his dominant hand.</p>
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<p>To further eliminate the right side as a driving lane, both for Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Warriors loaded the gaps and invited middling shooters to bomb beyond the arc. Derrick White entered Game 5 drilling 50% of his triples in the Finals, yet Green helped one pass away and prevented Brown from frequenting the paint. The result is a midrange pull-up Golden State will likely accept, which occurred after Green initially walled off the middle for Brown around the screen.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>4. Golden State making Boston get comfortable with the uncomfortable</strong></p>
<p>At the point of attack, Golden State&rsquo;s most lucrative defensive approach in this series has been to apply pressure on the catch, and extend the Celtics&rsquo; offense well away from the hoop. Boston&rsquo;s scheme involves considerable side-to-side movement, with flare screens or other subtle actions designed to create small advantages that morph into sizable ones.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Warriors refused to let that be commonplace in Game 5, swarming virtually everyone immediately on the catch. Hardly anything Boston achieved felt seamless. Arduous was the defining term of their experiences. On a giveaway midway through the second quarter, Golden State&rsquo;s pressure arrived at every turn.</p>
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<p>Gary Payton II bothered Tatum on the inbounds. White hardly has room to collect himself before Curry is fastened to his hip. Horford caught the ball with Porter draped on him. Tatum generated a bit of space, but even if Horford&rsquo;s delivery wasn't errant, Green rotated over to complicate matters.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Celtics committed 18 turnovers in Game 5. Although some were unforced, many unfolded similarly to the one above, with Golden State&rsquo;s defense making every brief opening feel fleeting and spurring hurried decisions.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong>5. Succumbing to the orbit of Stephen Curry&rsquo;s gravity</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/StephNoh/status/1536455023214960641?s=20&amp;t=wC1_R7ObuwiuIpGVx1veHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the clinching possession of Game 4&rsquo;s defeat</span></a>, Boston twice brought two defenders to Curry. The second time, it led to a bucket that pushed the Warriors&rsquo; edge to five with roughly a minute remaining. In Game 5, the Celtics didn&rsquo;t necessarily blitz Curry each play, but their defense afforded him extra attention more often &mdash; on and off the ball.</p>
<p>Previously, they&rsquo;d predominantly stomached dropping and switching against him, but the coverage skewed more extreme Monday. This isn&rsquo;t to say Boston&rsquo;s defense was the culprit of its loss &mdash; the offense is the prevalent issue. Yet the game-plan clearly shifted and the burden of scoring responsibility didn&rsquo;t almost exclusively rest on Curry&rsquo;s shoulders anymore.<span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p>
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<p>As a response to that heightened concern, Curry countered with his finest playmaking production of the series, dishing out 8 assists to 1 turnover. Helping to ease the impact of Curry&rsquo;s cold shooting spell was Payton, who scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting to tie a playoff career-high.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Neither Green nor Kevon Looney can even approximate a similar finishing punch to Payton. He&rsquo;s not a roller the defense can entirely abandon and his screening induced favorable switches or opportunities for Golden State&rsquo;s offense.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Porter struggled defending in space, while Looney battled foul trouble all evening. So, Payton stepped up for a postseason-best 26 minutes and crafted necessary interior-scoring verve in addition to his steadfast defensive versatility.</p>
<p><strong>6. Jayson Tatum and his fourth quarter struggles</strong></p>
<p>Through three quarters, Tatum had 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-6 inside the arc. The last number was an absolutely welcomed sight for the 24-year-old superstar, who began Game 5 having converted a paltry 27.4% of his two-point attempts (14-of-51) in the Finals.</p>
<p>Twelve minutes later, he ended with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 5-of-11 inside the arc &mdash; a good, not great overall outing. The leading candidate behind the demise of a five-point, 1-of-5 shooting fourth quarter was Wiggins, whose length, mobility and physicality perturbed Tatum into plays like this.</p>
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<p>Golden State is closing off many drives to Tatum&rsquo;s right all series, so he aimed to take advantage of an early offense opportunity. Instead, Wiggins slid alongside him and swiped down *just* as Tatum began to gather for a finish. That swipe extinguished Tatum&rsquo;s rhythm, provoked an extra, illegal slide of the back foot and he was called for traveling.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>7. Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and a synergistic defense</strong></p>
<p>Green&rsquo;s Game 5 defensive brilliance extended beyond help on the perimeter and guiding Brown away from right-hand drives; he was sensational as an interior helper. During his 35 minutes, the Celtics&rsquo; took just six shots at the rim. When he sat for 13 minutes, they took four. Their rim frequency was 10.9% with him on the floor and 20% without him, according to NBA.com.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Boston could hardly score in the paint when he was involved. Shooting and passing near the hoop were chores around him.</p>
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<p>Tatum wiggled into the key, with Green awaiting him. Green jutted out his right arm to deter a drop-off to Robert Williams III, swiveled his left arm up and contested a challenging fadeaway jumper.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Wiggins and Payton gave help on the drive, which muddied Tatum&rsquo;s passing vision as he simply worked to avoid being stripped. Once Green committed to Tatum, Wiggins peeled into Williams, stuck a body on the bouncy big man and ensured any sort of lob would be incredibly challenging to execute or corral.&nbsp;</p>
<p>All 10 of Williams&rsquo; points came in the first half, largely due to Golden State neutralizing him as a release valve after intermission. He&rsquo;s Boston&rsquo;s lone aerial threat and best means of generating shots around the rim.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s simply scant space to function inside the arc against this harmonic Warriors defense. Those efforts grow increasingly laborious when Green and the entire unit are enforcing the rim like they did Monday.&nbsp;</p>
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Following the Warriors' Game 5 win over the Celtics, Jackson Frank breaks down the film and examines what worked for Golden State.

Breaking down 7 plays that define the Warriors' Game 5 victory

<p>One of the breakout stars of this year&rsquo;s NBA playoffs has been Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson. He&rsquo;s old-school, unconventional, talented, savy and up for a big pay day this summer. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard and Villanova alum was selected No. 33 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft and is one of the better second-round draft picks over the past few classes.</p>
<p>Last year, he was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, averaging 12.6 points and 5.5 assists on 52/41/80 shooting splits in this third season with the Mavericks. This season, as a full-time starter, while watching his minutes jump from 25.0 to 31.9 per game, his productivity increased to 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game on 50/37/84 shooting. In the playoffs (35.2 minutes per contest), Brunson jumped to 21.6 points and 3.7 assists per contest on 47/35/80 shooting.</p>
<p>His 2022 postseason included signature performances like a 41-point game in a win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2 without Luka Dončić and a 31-point effort against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. He also had a meaningful 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting in Dallas&rsquo; shocking Game 7 romping of the Phoenix Suns.</p>
<p>But now, he&rsquo;s an unrestricted free agent. Dallas has <em>a </em>lot of questions to answer. How can they best build around Dončić? What do they do with Tim Hardaway Jr.? If they want to upgrade at center, what's the best answer at that position?</p>
<p>Among the most important questions is: do they extend Brunson? Here are some teams to watch in the Brunson sweepstakes this offseason.</p>
<p><strong>NEW YORK KNICKS</strong></p>
<p>The New York Knicks haven&rsquo;t had a reliable point guard since Raymond Felton in their famed 54-win season back in 2012-13. Since then, it&rsquo;s largely been a revolving door of <em>meh</em> at the point of attack at Madison Square Garden. Jose Calderon was past his peak when he got to New York. Iman Shumpert, though very talented, wasn&rsquo;t a natural point guard. Frank Ntilikina is closer to a three-and-D wing than a true floor general. Jerian Grant never panned out. Neither has Kemba Walker. Derrick Rose has arguably been the best of the bunch.</p>
<p>Walker, Rose, Alec Burks, Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride make up the Knicks' point guard depth chart for 2022-23, in no particular order. Walker&rsquo;s health can&rsquo;t be trusted for an entire season. Burks isn&rsquo;t a true point guard and might be a trade chip. Quickley, if he starts, is probably better suited next to a natural point, and the same could be said for R.J. Barrett. And McBride is young, raw and inexperienced. Brunson is better than all of them, hard stop.</p>
<p>Because Brunson will be unrestricted, the highest-bidder has a chance. The bad news for the Knicks is that <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/new-york-knicks/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they&rsquo;re pretty much capped out</a>.</p>
<p>That means getting Brunson to New York would require a sign-and-trade. The good thing is that the Mavericks need a Mitchell Robinson type of center, and for about two years, I've been pushing for Brunson-Robinson swap. The Knicks should throw in something else, be it draft capital and or an additional young piece to make the deal work (for cap purposes too), but that&rsquo;s the framework that can come from this. Robinson gives Luka a lob threat, gives the team a higher upside defensively, and gives the coaching staff a player who can share the floor with just about anyone on the roster.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong>LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS</strong></p>
<p>If Brunson can play with Dončić and Spencer Dinwiddie, he can share a backcourt with Reggie Jackson. Kawhi Leonard has <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/10/19/report-kawhi-leonard-wants-clippers-to-add-point-guard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wanted a point guard</a>, but the Clippers still don&rsquo;t have one. It&rsquo;s Jackson, and that&rsquo;s it. Norman Powell, Luke Kennard and Terance Mann are guards, but they're all wings. 2021 second-round pick Jason Preston still hasn&rsquo;t played due to injury, and Xavier Moon was a two-way guy last year who played just 10 games. <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/10/19/report-kawhi-leonard-wants-clippers-to-add-point-guard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leonard&rsquo;s been wanting a point guard for two seasons</a>, and it&rsquo;s time for the Clippers to address that spot since both Leonard and Paul George are due back next season.</p>
<p>Given the Clippers' cap situation, this would most certainly be a sign-and-trade. Powell, Marcus Morris, Kennard and Robert Covington all make between $12 and $16 million next season, and any of them could make sense going to Dallas. Only one or two of them would probably need to go at most, among other compensation (i.e. young players and picks).</p>
<p>Brunson in L.A. would join the starting line-up alongside Jackson, Leonard, George and a center. Ivica Zubac is an expiring $7.5 million contract next season, and he could actually be a piece Dallas wants in return. Assuming he stays in Los Angeles, Zubac rounds out their starting five and gives Los Angeles a true point guard, which they&rsquo;re clearly missing.</p>
<p><strong>DALLAS MAVERICKS</strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>The Mavericks reportedly had multiple opportunities to sign Brunson to a four-year, $55.5 million deal before and during the season, <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/04/25/report-mavericks-didnt-offer-jalen-brunson-contract-extension-until-after-trade-deadline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per reports</a>, but did not. As a result, he could be looking at <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952513-latest-nba-trade-intel-lakers-realistic-targets-myles-turner-landing-spots?share=sms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">something in the $80 million range</a>, and possibly more after these playoffs.</p>
<p>Clearly, the offense works with him and Luka in the backcourt, blending in Dinwiddie in a natural role as a combo guard off the bench who can finish games. Dallas can keep their core together (those three and Dorian Finney-Smith) and work around the margins.</p>
<p>After losing to the Warriors in Game 5, Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban said that keeping Brunson is a priority, and damn near guaranteed that it&rsquo;ll happen.</p>
<p>"We can pay him more than anybody,&rdquo; Cuban said. "I think he wants to stay, and that's most important. I think [Jason Kidd] has a big part to play in that... JB blossomed as a player as much as anybody on this squad. From where he was last year to how far he came this year is a tribute to how hard he worked. And the support he got from his dad and his family and his girlfriend, but also, what he was able to learn from [Kidd]. I think he recognizes that, and I think he wants to stay."</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/mcuban?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mcuban</a> reflecting on the 2021-22 Dallas Mavericks season with Marc Stein. <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> | 📺 BSSW | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dALLasIN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dALLasIN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheSteinLine</a> <a href="https://t.co/YZROfVsnq0">pic.twitter.com/YZROfVsnq0</a></p>
&mdash; Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW/status/1530038560673435658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Brunson didn&rsquo;t have the exact same tone, but he&rsquo;ll cross that bridge when he gets there, it seems.</p>
<p>"When it&rsquo;s time, it&rsquo;s time. I&rsquo;m not worried about it right now," Brunson said, <a href="https://twitter.com/sixfivelando/status/1530037759955636242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via Landon Thomas of Mavs Fans For Life</a>. "I&rsquo;m just really happy I got to play with these guys and what we did this year. I&rsquo;ll think about that later.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For Dallas, this is probably the move. Keep Brunson and build around the margins, particularly on the interior. Four years in, we can now say, as long as you have Luka, you have a chance. You just have to nail what&rsquo;s around him, and Brunson is someone you should want back in Dallas.</p>
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Jalen Brunson was a breakout star for the Mavericks this postseason and is now an unrestricted free agent. Where will he end up?

Examining potential free-agent destinations for Jalen Brunson

<p>All year, it&rsquo;s been an abnormally frigid campaign beyond the arc for Stephen Curry.</p>
<p>He shot 38% from deep during the regular season, a career-low and the first time he&rsquo;s ever dipped below 41% (his five-game 2019-20 season notwithstanding). Through 12 playoff games, he&rsquo;s at 35.7% from three-point range &mdash; the worst mark of his eight postseason appearances.</p>
<p>Given his volume and degree of difficulty, neither mark is truly <em>bad</em>. But they are low based on his standard, and that&rsquo;s the barometer here. As a reminder, &ldquo;bad&rdquo; for Curry still means 26.4 points per game on 60% True Shooting. Just don&rsquo;t forget that. The decline is from supernova scorer to very good scorer.</p>
<p>Where Curry has maintained a widely rosy outlook, and what&rsquo;s helping him carry on as a superstar, is his playmaking and defense. Bouts of sloppy passes still arise intermittently. However, he&rsquo;s thrived as a facilitator and defender this season, perhaps enjoying the top campaign of his career in each regard.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Due to a month-long hiatus, the passing required a little rust to be shaken off before he began cooking again in the playoffs. What required virtually zero buffer period is his defense. Since Game 1 of the first round against the Denver Nuggets, Curry&rsquo;s defensive exploits have amplified the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; championship pursuits.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Steph Curry had the perfect reaction to being called a two-way player. 😅<br /><br />(🎥: <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBCSWarriors</a>)<br /><a href="https://t.co/PLHIgSGXk4">pic.twitter.com/PLHIgSGXk4</a></p>
&mdash; theScore (@theScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1526349023728254977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The caliber of assignments have bounced around, but he&rsquo;s crafting a highly versatile impact. He&rsquo;s often hedging on ball-screens to avoid mismatches in isolation, yet he&rsquo;s also held his own on numerous occasions to stymie creation attempts.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Will Barton, Austin Rivers and Monte Morris all struggled to commandeer offense against him in Round 1. Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane, the latter of which was hobbled by a back ailment for much of the series, also encountered difficulty. Even Luka Doncic didn&rsquo;t seamlessly chisel his way to the rim when Curry switched onto him in Game 1. The Warriors&rsquo; timely help contributed, but Curry offered notable resistance on Wednesday.</p>
<p>He&rsquo;s skinnying over screens to stay attached or prompting people to reject them altogether. Between his strength and lateral quickness, ball-handlers aren&rsquo;t turning the corner with routine success. Through two-plus rounds of playoff ball, he&rsquo;s absolutely been a very good on-ball defender.</p>
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<p>All of those clips don&rsquo;t even include his resume as a playmaker. Whether it&rsquo;s directly altering shots, ripping the ball from an opponent&rsquo;s clutches or poking the rock out of bounds, Curry&rsquo;s dexterity and stout center of gravity are flummoxing players.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Rivers and Brooks experienced the most significant issues, though they&rsquo;re hardly alone in this phenomenon.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>According to NBA.com, players are 46-of-117 for 122 points (49.7% TS) with 20 turnovers when Curry is the primary defender. On the 868.2 partial possessions he&rsquo;s been involved in as a primary defender, the opposition has scored 882 points these playoffs (101.6 offensive rating).&nbsp;</p>
<p>Despite wielding his strength and hands to disrupt actions, Curry is largely staying out of foul trouble. He is averaging 3.4 fouls per 100 possessions and, through 12 games, he has just one outing with more than three fouls.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On-ball sequences are far from his sole talent in the postseason. He&rsquo;s also a terror off the ball. Although Bane was hampered early on by a back injury last round, his foibles were exacerbated by Curry regularly detonating dribble handoffs or back-cuts to engulf the sweet-shooting wing.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Ball denial has been a reliable area of expertise for the three-time MVP, and his closeouts are following suit. He&rsquo;s scurrying to shooters under control and with high hands to delay, dissuade or influence jumpers. On help-the-helper scenarios inside, he&rsquo;s crashing down at the proper moment to eliminate passing angles.</p>
<p>His start-stop ability enables him to mirror off-ball motion and contain shooters off the catch; his strength complicates their aim to generate separation or an advantage.</p>
<p>Fixate on Curry for a defensive possession off the ball this round and you&rsquo;ll likely witness a sound rotation, closeout or ball denial. His defense is superb across numerous contexts right now.</p>
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<p>Curry is reading offenses like an elementary book these days. Not only is he honing in on his own assignments, his off-ball awareness is brilliant. He&rsquo;ll slide in to help on an unattended player in the paint and immediately toggle back to his responsibility when necessary. The timeliness with which he&rsquo;s functioning is laudable.</p>
<p>Truly absorb the impact of these clips and recognize what he&rsquo;s doing defensively. Look how many shots in the paint or potentially open threes he prevents.</p>
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<p>Selecting a favorite among that compilation is rather arduous, but the last one stands out. Klay Thompson and Otto Porter Jr. miscommunicate on a switch, leaving Dorian Finney-Smith open as he dives toward the rim.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Curry, playing the weak-side corner, is lurking off a middling shooter in Frank Ntilikina. He&rsquo;s monitoring the on-ball event the entire way. Once Thompson and Porter commit their mistake, Doncic slings a one-handed bullet to Finney-Smith. But Curry is prepared. He instantly sees Doncic readying for the dime, darts in and breaks up the pass to save two points.&nbsp;</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s how Curry is clicking defensively in the playoffs. He&rsquo;s not some All-Defensive stopper. Yet he&rsquo;s excellent nonetheless and doing a hell of a job for a defense that looks to be harmonizing at the ideal time.&nbsp;</p>
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Jackson Frank breaks down Stephen Curry's film and the outstanding defense he's playing during the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

Stephen Curry's defense continues to shine for the Warriors

<p>In the 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place in 2021 due to COVID, France matched up with Team USA in the men&rsquo;s basketball gold-medal game for the third time.</p>
<p>The first gold-medal meeting between the two nations took place was in 1948, with France <a href="https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/games-of-the-xivth-olympiad-1948.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing 65-21 in that final</a>.</p>
<p>Despite having been historically good since then, it took another 52 years for the Frenchmen to return to that stage for a second time; unfortunately, Team USA awaited again. The game was much closer in 2000 than in 1948, but the Americans &mdash; led by Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning and Ray Allen among others &mdash; outlasted Antoine Rigaudeau, Laurent Sciarra, Frederic Weis and France, 85-75.</p>
<p>(No, that wasn&rsquo;t the game Carter <a href="https://youtu.be/WihbbVEmppI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dunked on Weis</a>; <em>that </em>was earlier in The Games.)</p>
<p>And in last year&rsquo;s gold-medal game, in the countries' third meeting on that stage, France <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-olympics-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401347899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">got even closer</a>.</p>
<p>France's best Olympic team ever was defeated by the Americans, 87-82. Team USA started Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bam Adebayo, answering the French quintet of Nando De Colo, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Guerschon Yabusele and Rudy Gobert.</p>
<p>Contributions from the U.S. bench came from Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Draymond Green and Khris Middleton, while Timoth&eacute; Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntikilina, Thomas Heurtel and Moustapha Fall were key components of France's second unit. The Frenchmen trailed by as little as 3 points with just eight seconds remaining before Durant iced the game with two free throws.</p>
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<p>Now imagine that game with Joel Embiid... playing for <em>France</em>.</p>
<p>The 28-year-old NBA MVP candidate, who was born and raised in Cameroon and has never played for his home national team (despite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/things-to-monitor-as-the-next-fiba-world-cups-next-qualifying-window-arrives">coming close in 2017</a>), is reportedly <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/05/02/joel-embiid-could-change-nationality-play-french-national-team-report">eyeing an opportunity to suit up for France</a>.</p>
<p>Embiid has family in France, and is <a href="https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/basket/basket-joel-embiid-superstar-de-nba-se-rapproche-de-l-equipe-de-france_AV-202205020664.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering changing his nationality</a> in order to play for the Frenchmen in the 2024 Olympic Games, where they&rsquo;d enter as one of the favorites to challenge Team USA again for the gold. According to French basketball general manager Boris Diaw, Embiid is <a href="https://actucameroun.com/2022/05/03/boris-diaw-manager-general-de-lequipe-de-france-confirme-les-demarches-entamees-par-joel-embiid-pour-jouer-avec-les-bleus-en-vue-des-jo-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking the necessary steps</a>.</p>
<p>(Looks like we won't ever see the Embiid-Pascal Siakam tandem for Cameroon, unfortunately.)</p>
<p>In FIBA, each team is allowed one naturalized player on its roster. Current and recent instances of this include American-born players to suit up for different countries, such as Javonte Green (Montenegro), Matt Costello (Ivory Coast), Anthony Randolph (Slovenia) and Andray Blatche (Philippines). Non-American examples include Congolese center Serge Ibaka playing for Spain, Cuban native Ismael Romero playing for Puerto Rico and French-born Aaron Cel playing for Poland. Another famous occasion where this occurred saw Hakeem Olajuwon playing with Team USA in the 1990s.</p>
<p>Regarding American-born WNBA players, known examples include Bria Hartley representing France, Becky Hammon representing Russia and Leilani Mitchell representing Australia. Non-American examples in the women&rsquo;s game include Bahamian Jonquel Jones playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Senegal native Astou Ndour playing for Spain.</p>
<p>Now, it may be long before we see Embiid actually playing for France if this process gets finalized, or less than we think <em>if </em>he decides not to wait for the Olympics.</p>
<p>The next major European basketball tournament is EuroBasket 2022, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/eurobasket/2022">which will run from Sept. 1-18 later this year</a> across Italy, Germany, Georgia and the Czech Republic. France will be one of 24 teams competing, but seeing Embiid there would be surprising.</p>
<p>The 2023 FIBA World Cup, which France is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/where-things-stand-after-the-second-window-of-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers">currently attempting to qualify for</a>, will take place from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10, 2023. Qualifying for the World Cup will run through next February before the final pool of 32 teams gets decided.</p>
<p>And the 2024 Summer Olympics, assuming we avoid another global pandemic, is expected to actually run that summer. The host of the Games? France, who will automatically qualify for the tournament <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/pr-n34-brazils-national-teams-granted-automatic-places-at-2016-olympic-basketball-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by rule</a>. Embiid will be 30 years old by the next Olympics.</p>
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<p>Since Embiid is reportedly targeting the 2024 Games, let&rsquo;s look at some players who might be his teammates.</p>
<p>The oldest players from the silver-medal-winning squad last summer were De Colo and Batum, who&rsquo;ll be 37 and 35 by the 2024 Games, so expect many of the same players to run it back if possible. One name that could join the fray is Boston Celtics second-round pick Juhann Begarin, who is just 19 years old and was the No. 45 overall selection last summer. Isma&euml;l Kamagate and Hugo Besson, both of whom are 21, are in the 2022 NBA Draft pool; the same goes for 18-year-old Ousmane Dieng, who is quickly rising up draft boards. There's also plenty of hype surrounding fellow 18-year-old, ASVEL star and 7-foot-2 sensation Victor Wembanyama &mdash; a lock to be a high draft pick in 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft">BasketballNews.com Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock</a> has Dieng going No. 21 overall, Kamagate at No. 40 and Besson at No. 51.</p>
<p>But really, there&rsquo;s one question we need to answer, and it has to do with a three-time Defensive Player of the Year already on the roster who holds down the 5 position. Could an Embiid and Gobert frontcourt lead France over Team USA?</p>
<p>If you haven&rsquo;t realized, the American pool of bigs is slighter than you think.</p>
<p>Many of the best centers in the NBA aren&rsquo;t American and don&rsquo;t represent America internationally. Examples include Embiid, Gobert, Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Nikola Vučević (Montenegro), Kristaps Porziņģis (Latvia), Clint Capela (Switzerland) and Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania).</p>
<p>The best centers that have represented Team USA, and/or have Team USA eligibility, have been Adebayo, Green, Jarrett Allen and JaVale McGee. Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) is a player to watch <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/06/22/suns-big-deandre-ayton-ideal-team-usa-2024-summer-olympics-paris/5307682001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who could represent Team USA in the future</a>, along with younger bigs like Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren.</p>
<p>Assuming health, so the 2024 American team could start either Adebayo, Ayton or Allen, if not 2 of the 3. Team USA is generally harder to guess in advance, but your starting lineup could look like some combination of Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Booker, Tatum and Adebayo. Maybe, to match size, Ayton gets in there instead of Edwards.</p>
<p>Maybe a Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell sneak into the backcourt instead. Maybe someone we&rsquo;re not projecting to make another huge leap does &mdash; like Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro or Tyrese Maxey &mdash; or maybe Jaden Ivey or Jabari Smith are more ready than we think by 2024. Even so, you&rsquo;d throw, at best, Adebayo, Ayton, Allen, and Mobley at the Embiid-Gobert combo, and that tandem could be backed up by Dieng, Yabusele, and Vincent Poirier for France.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a lot to project, no doubt, but giving <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/rankingmen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the No. 4 team in the world</a> a top-four player in the world could be what it takes for someone to snatch the gold medal away from Team USA in the Olympics for the first time since 2004.</p>
<p>But a lot can happen in two years, so we'll table this... for now.&nbsp;</p>
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Bryan Fonseca looks at the potential of Joel Embiid joining France in international competition.

We’re not talking enough about Joel Embiid possibly playing for France

Jackson Frank breaks down the film and collaborates with Nekias Duncan and Mark Schindler to pick the 2021-22 All-NBA teams.

2021-22 All-NBA Teams: Praising this season's 15 best players

<p>In a domineering defensive showcase in the Elite Eight against the No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns, Stanford is on its way back to the Final Four, seeking to re-up its status as the NCAA national champion.</p>
<p>Cardinal junior forward Haley Jones put on an impressive showing, triggering Stanford's Princeton sets from the high post and slicing up Texas' defense with pocket passes and face-up drives if those actions were shut down. A likely top pick in the lottery in next year's WNBA Draft, she has the craft, fluidity and scoring chops as a point forward that just aren't easy to find.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oh Haley Jones is so smooth <a href="https://t.co/mrHb8MOgit">pic.twitter.com/mrHb8MOgit</a></p>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1508412949983121411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Texas had no answer for Jones, sending her to the line 11 times. Overplay her, and she's going to make the right pass. Put a big on her, and Jones will take it to the rim and use an array of post moves and her quickness at her size to create an advantage.</p>
<p>Senior guards Joanne Allen-Taylor (Texas) and Lexie Hull (Stanford), both projected 2022 WNBA Draft picks, punctuated play with their shooting prowess in and outside the arc.</p>
<p>Yet, the play of two young stars on their respective teams stood out.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Longhorns freshman guard Rori Harmon, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, had a rough game from the field going 6 of 18, but the flashes of her brilliance lend credence to an extremely bright future.</p>
<p>Harmon is an artist, and her preferred medium is paint touches.</p>
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<p>That's Anna Wilson, two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive team honoree and last year's Co-Defensive Player of the Year in her conference.</p>
<p>Harmon's shake is violent and explosive, but also controlled and reigned in just enough to make creative chaos lethal to a defense. She unleashes some slithery finishes and tight-space craft, allowing her to use her quickness and smaller size to her benefit against bigger defenders.</p>
<p>Lack of size can be a real detriment for paint attacks, but Harmon showcases some impressive ability to finish through contact.</p>
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<p>Continued development of her pull-up jumper will be key, as Stanford routinely went under on ball-screens employed for Harmon; her guile and pace are so exquisite that it doesn't matter at times. There are few things in prospects more revered than the ability to routinely break down a defense, and Harmon has the sauce.</p>
<p>Her defense at the point of attack can be menacing (Harmon was all over Wilson on both ends), as Harmon possesses elite lateral quickness and stout physicality as the tip of the spear.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Look at Rori Harmon's defense here. good lord <a href="https://t.co/T29gXmeYZk">pic.twitter.com/T29gXmeYZk</a></p>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1508417975824666633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>With three more years of development and experience left before she's eligible for the draft, she's gonna be a problem.</p>
<p><em>(Note: The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement states that a player isn't allowed to enter the draft until she turns 22 years old during the calendar year of the draft itself AND has either no remaining college eligibility or renounces her remaining college eligibility.)</em></p>
<p>Stanford sophomore center Cameron Brink stole the show, however. After a first half punctuated by foul trouble (a theme for her this year, but she's made real progress), she put together a flat-out dominant defensive second half with some intriguing offensive flashes smattered in.</p>
<p>She walled off post-ups and flexed her length and verticality to neutralize Texas' bigs.</p>
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<p>Her ability to lock-in, slide her feet, maintain her balance with the functional strength to not get backed into the rim and display the timing to swat away or stifle an attempt is absurdly impressive.</p>
<p>Brink finished with 6 blocks (including <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1508431909881319429?s=20&amp;t=70QKcFzE8cA3MXtF0gC1Eg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this devastating block on Harmon</a>) and a steal, but her ability to obliterate possessions extends outside the box score.</p>
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<p>It's just one possession, but it encapsulates so much of what makes Brink a tremendous defensive prospect. She has the length and size of a true 5 with the rim-protection to back it up, but she also has mobility and coordination that few possess at 6-foot-4, lending credence to the idea that she has some real viability at the 4 as well.</p>
<p>I mean, just look at this late switch onto Harmon.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Could Brink staple a speedy guard to the top of the arc for an entire possession? Probably not, but the wrinkle to smother a late shot-clock possession like this on a switch is absurd! Against most bigs, that's a quick J from Harmon as soon as she comes off the screen, but Brink's positioning and angling are just awesome here.</p>
<p>Thinking about Brink having the chance to roam off-ball at the next level alongside another post player and blowing up offensive actions is enamoring. She won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and it's easy to see why she'll be up for both awards again as a junior.</p>
<p>Yet, you can't really play the 4 without showing the skill to do it on the other end right?&nbsp;</p>
<p>Brink has taken 30 three-pointers this season (including March Madness), with 24 coming after February, including four against Texas &mdash; a huge development.</p>
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<p>The make was great; suave smooth, quick release, no hesitation. But, the misses also stand out!</p>
<p>A jab-step take off a head fake?!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Again yes, it's a miss, but the comfort and smoothness is impeccable. This is a good shot, and I want to see more volume.</p>
<p>The next shot, please have your volume UP, because I am dying. This is definitely a heat check, but it's an earned heat check! Again, the smoothness on this stepback really stands out. Will it ever be a massive part of her game to take self-created threes at the next level? I'm unsure, but the fluidity and confidence is so, so huge in projecting her as a viable shooter on volume and with variety.</p>
<p>Brink has a really good feel for the game and a pretty quality handle for her size. If that shot comes along, I envision even more of this opening up, which is just.... man.</p>
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<p>The shooting matters because of what it can unlock and how it can dictate a defense will defender Brink. Hitting shots? Great. Making the defense care that you're taking them? All the more important.</p>
<p>This dump-off is awesome. If you're driving baseline and the lane isn't really there and there isn't an angle, get your defender going backwards with their momentum, spin back and find the cutter. What's so impressive is that this isn't premeditated; it's a great cut by Fran Belibi to open an outlet, and Brink sees this ASAP, making an incredibly quick scan and read while spinning (?!). And don't get me started on the wrist flick to perfectly deliver that pass.</p>
<p>Brink is such a special prospect and player. And while we've got a great deal of time before we need to talk about Harmon and Brink's draft status, they deserve shine for some incredible performances and flashes enveloping their quality seasons.</p>
<p>Be sure to catch the next set of games, as the Final Four kicks off on Friday at 7 p.m. EST with South Carolina vs. Louisville. Later on, UCONN and Stanford will meet at 9:30 p.m. EST.</p>
<p>Aliyah Boston, Hailey Van Lith, Christyn Williams, Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers, Brink and Jones? There is some HEAT in this Final Four. Don't miss out.</p>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Stanford advanced to yet another Final Four, beatiing the University of Texas, but Cameron Brink and Rori Harmon both stood out.

Cameron Brink, Rori Harmon flash bright futures in Elite Eight

<p>In short order, Kyrie Irving is going to cross a defender out of his shoes, and Klay Thompson will begin raining threes like it&rsquo;s nobody&rsquo;s business.</p>
<p>The rich stand to get richer in Brooklyn and San Francisco while the Los Angeles Lakers live as paupers.</p>
<p>LeBron James has been incredible, and despite his best efforts, the Lakers brought in the New Year one game under .500. Worse yet, they haven&rsquo;t exactly looked like a team that knows what it&rsquo;s doing &mdash; neither on the basketball court nor in the front office.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Having ripped off three wins in a row, there&rsquo;s still a chance for them to turn things around. But until they do, the team&rsquo;s relative lack of success opens it up to plenty of second-guessing.</p>
<p>In an alternate reality, the Lakers could&rsquo;ve had Kyle Lowry and Buddy Hield, the latter of which was in town Tuesday evening. Perhaps they could still have Montrezl Harrell and Alex Caruso. Maybe, just maybe, they could&rsquo;ve still resembled the champion they once were.</p>
<p>Instead, they&rsquo;ve look every bit like puzzle pieces that don&rsquo;t fit.</p>
<p>Had Anthony Davis not gotten injured during last season&rsquo;s first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, there&rsquo;s no telling where the 2020-21 season would&rsquo;ve ended for LeBron and company.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>In most instances, a defending champion that saw one of its top players' season end early would exhibit a certain amount of patience and attempt to plug holes rather than blow the entire team up, but not in Tinseltown.</p>
<p>Between then and now, the team added talent without considering fit, playing an NBA version of supermarket sweep. A mad dash down the aisles, the Lakers have grabbed any and everyone they could, and they&rsquo;ve done so all at the expense of the identity and harmony that brought them a championship in 2020.</p>
<p>Aside from James and Davis, Dwight Howard and Talen Horton-Tucker are the only members of the championship team that remain. And although Avery Bradley was technically a member of the squad, he didn&rsquo;t play in the Orlando Bubble. In all, the team brought in nine new faces, not including replacement players.</p>
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<p>And to what end?</p>
<p>It would be foolish to believe that the Lakers would have reinvented themselves without James at least blessing the moves, if not downright advocating for them. But to this point, it&rsquo;s been more of a car wreck than a smooth drive down the I-110 freeway.</p>
<p>Russell Westbrook appears to have lost a step and hasn&rsquo;t exactly thrived alongside James and Davis. It&rsquo;s damning considering the fact that Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were sent to Washington along with Harrell. And it gets even worse when one considers that Westbrook&rsquo;s $44 million salary probably had something to do with the team deciding to let Caruso take his talents to Chicago.</p>
<p>According to Kuzma himself, a deal that would have <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/laker-news-kyle-kuzma-reveals-he-was-almost-previously-traded-to-the-kings-for-buddy-hield" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent him to Sacramento</a> in exchange for Hield &ldquo;was done,&rdquo; but the Lakers obviously opted to pursue the deal for the bigger-named superstar &mdash; not the piece that would have better augmented the team&rsquo;s core duo.</p>
<p>Last February, seeking an upgrade at point guard, the team pursued Toronto Raptors veteran Kyle Lowry. A deal failed to materialize because the Lakers reportedly <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused to include Horton-Tucker</a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>On. Jan. 5, with Los Angeles sitting one game over .500 at 20-19, one can&rsquo;t help but to wonder how a Lowry-Hield-James triumvirate would&rsquo;ve looked, particularly when Lowry and Hield possess the gifts that seem to be lacking around James in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Hindsight might be 20/20, but in the NBA, the best general managers can tell the future.</p>
<p>At the time the Westbrook trade was made, it wasn&rsquo;t completely unreasonable to believe that he could create for both Davis and James and relieve some of the pressure on James to play point guard. But Westbrook&rsquo;s poor decision-making and errant shooting has undercut his value to the team. That they sacrificed so much to bring him in can&rsquo;t be ignored.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Russell Westbrook 😬 <a href="https://t.co/rR7EHchRu3">pic.twitter.com/rR7EHchRu3</a></p>
&mdash; The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ActionNetworkHQ/status/1478579437968916480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Needing to build a core around Westbrook, James, Davis, Carmelo Anthony and Kent Bazemore, the Lakers would eventually re-sign Horton-Tucker and sign both Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn. Together, the three represented much-needed upside, but the moves that followed created logjams that only made Vogel&rsquo;s job more difficult.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>At least on paper, Trevor Ariza and Dwight Howard brought championship pedigree back to the team, as did Rajon Rondo. But each are over the hill, with Rondo, ironically, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cavs-smart-and-swift-to-acquire-backup-point-guard-but-is-rondo-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being traded to Cleveland</a> in a move that amounted to a roster spot-opening, cost-cutting measure for the franchise.</p>
<p>Brought in individually, when including DeAndre Jordan, the Lakers managed to add talented players to a core consisting of generational talents.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>But as a team?<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>They have left a lot to be desired. Someone watching from afar could fairly wonder whether the team has just been making it up as it went along.</p>
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<p>In the NBA, you&rsquo;re only as good as your record, not your past accomplishments. So as Kyrie&nbsp; prepares to suit up for Brooklyn and Klay prepares to write a new chapter in his story, we can&rsquo;t help but to look at the Lakers and wonder whether the team&rsquo;s moves will ultimately pay off.</p>
<p>Perhaps the team will find a way to trade for Hield; after all, he did showcase his unlimited range by knocking down seven threes last night. Maybe the likes of Jerami Grant can be had.</p>
<p>But if there&rsquo;s one thing the Lakers shouldn&rsquo;t have been looking for this season, it&rsquo;s a savior. Yet, that appears to be precisely where we are.</p>
<p>In an alternate reality, the team could&rsquo;ve kept its core together while still adding Anthony, Howard, Monk and Nunn.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Maybe they trade for Lowry, maybe they don&rsquo;t.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Maybe Hield is drilling three-pointers at Crypto.com Arena, or maybe he isn&rsquo;t.</p>
<p>But based on what the Lakers have done and the return yielded, there&rsquo;s reason to second-guess all that has transpired.</p>
<p>As we approach the halfway point of the season and the Lakers fail to resemble close to a championship contender, we can&rsquo;t help but to remember when they did.</p>
<p>We similarly can&rsquo;t help but to wonder what they will eventually become.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Unfortunately, the early returns don&rsquo;t suggest much.</p>

The Lakers haven't looked like a championship contender, and at this point, it's fair to wonder whether the current core ever will.

It’s hard to look at the Lakers' struggles and not wonder, 'What if?’

<p>More than anything else last year, the downfall of the New York Knicks could be tied to insufficient shot creation. They grinded their way to the league&rsquo;s fourth-best defense and the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s No. 4 seed in the regular season, but their 22nd-ranked offense was a house of cards waiting to be toppled come playoff time.&nbsp;</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s precisely what the Atlanta Hawks did in a 4-1 first-round victory, flooding Julius Randle&rsquo;s every touch, cornering him into a bevy of difficult looks and encouraging ill-suited secondary options to commandeer the offense. As a response to those postseason struggles, the Knicks inked Evan Fournier to a four-year, $78 million deal and will reportedly sign Kemba Walker to a two-year deal worth about $16 million.</p>
<p>Following an injury-riddled 2020-21 campaign where he showed obvious signs of decline, Walker is a bit of an enigma. He played in just 43 of 72 games and missed the final two playoff bouts against the Brooklyn Nets, but when he&rsquo;s on the floor, he will undoubtedly give the Knicks a substantial boost. Walker will mainly help with perimeter creation and options for stylistic variance, having averaged 19-5-4-1 on a true shooting percentage of 55.9 last season.</p>
<p><em>When he&rsquo;s on the floor</em> is, of course, a daunting caveat, given the knee issues that have hampered him since, approximately, the 2020 All-Star Break. Of further concern is the degree to which he may be relied upon in New York. Nonetheless, Walker represents a massive upgrade of the Knicks&rsquo; previous floor generals in Elfrid Payton and Derrick Rose. He still holsters a good bit of offensive juice and should help them improve upon their 22nd-ranked offense.</p>
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<p>From the jump, a point guard who&rsquo;s a legit pull-up threat is a massive shift. Since 2018-19, Walker has drilled 377 of his 1,057 (35.7%) off-the-bounce triples. Over that same span, Payton (53) and Rose (184) took a combined 237 pull-up threes. A staple of the Knicks&rsquo; early offense should be double drag. Walker is the handler, Mitchell Robinson dives to the paint and Randle drifts beyond the arc with Fournier (41.3% from three in 2020-21) and RJ Barrett (40.1%) stationed along the perimeter.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Walker&rsquo;s dynamism as a pull-up guy could invigorate that action, while Robinson&rsquo;s rim-running threat and Randle&rsquo;s jumper further stress defenders. Despite some athletic regression, Walker can still stop-and-pop on a dime to create space for open looks, which will prove fruitful in this action. Any set involving three strengths of New York&rsquo;s starters should be spammed. The Knicks need to find ways to lift the offense that caused their 2020-21 downfall. Double drag is a path toward growth.</p>
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<p>When the defense settles and the Knicks must organize in the half-court, Walker&rsquo;s ball-screen savvy will serve them well. According to Synergy, he ranked in the 66th percentile in pick-and-roll efficiency (0.923 points per possession) last season, a welcomed dimension to an offense that was 18th in pick-and-roll ball-handling PPP at 0.877.</p>
<p>Rostering a starter who can create his own shot off the dribble and get to his spot for pull-ups is critical. Last year, Rose, Alec Burks and rookie Immanuel Quickley were New York&rsquo;s guards who met this criteria. Walker is better than all of them by a comfortable margin, albeit with looming injury worries.&nbsp;</p>
<p>He remains superbly shifty, is a masterful decelerator and knows how to manufacture space for his jumper, despite his (perhaps graciously listed) 6-foot frame. His downhill burst has deteriorated, but he is nonetheless one of the most electric side-to-side athletes, shaking free of defenders and rising for pull-ups. New York needs this skillset. Walker brings it.</p>
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<p>With Walker at the helm as the guard who ties everything together, the Knicks should run more Spain pick-and-rolls next season. Walker offers the pull-up flair, Robinson is the roll man and Fournier, Barrett or Randle is the back-screener darting beyond the arc. Barrett&rsquo;s long-range prowess is best utilized in stationary contexts currently, so Fournier or Randle (likely Fournier) are the better choices. Even so, it&rsquo;s a level of optionality produced by the personnel absent last season.</p>
<p>There are counters to the traditional Spain pick-and-roll, too. Before actually making contact on his screen, <a href="https://streamable.com/co9b0m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fournier can leak out to the wing</a> and attack a titled defense. Randle or Barrett can replace Fournier as the back-screener before <a href="https://streamable.com/r6hkog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robinson flows into a pindown for Fournier</a> from the corner or wing. All of this is possible because Walker is a point guard who can play starter&rsquo;s minutes and forces the defense to respect him as a pull-up shooter. That wasn&rsquo;t the case last season for New York.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Head coach Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s track record as an offensive innovator isn&rsquo;t sterling, so it&rsquo;s plausible some or many of these choices fall to the wayside. At the very least, though, greater flexibility exists than it did before the acquisition of Walker (and Fournier) and that elevates the possibilities for this team.</p>
<p>Aside from health, which is a relevant and pressing worry, the primary concern could be the magnitude to which the offense banks on Walker&rsquo;s creation, especially in conjunction with his knee troubles. In Boston, Walker was a secondary handler. Jayson Tatum assumed the reins midway through 2019-20 and Jaylen Brown took a considerable step forward offensively in 2020-21, both of which enabled Walker to flank rather than lead them from the perimeter.</p>
<p>Randle will continue to be the team&rsquo;s offensive hub, but Walker will likely catalyze a ton of possessions. He did not prove capable of such a role with the Celtics. Instead, he&rsquo;s best as an ancillary creator. Walker eases the tension for his All-NBA mate, but the offensive infrastructure in place is worse than it was in Boston. He will&nbsp;help the Knicks, but it seems dubious to expect them to help him as much as his previous employer did and that probably mitigates some of his offensive contributions.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Even though he has maintained many of his principle athletic trails, his downhill burst is not of the same ilk from his prime. Because of his size, he demands every ounce of separation possible to find angles and room for shots. Some of those avenues have dried up. Wings or bigs with mobility who can alter his jumper and close off driving lanes pose hurdles. Navigating the paint or frequenting the paint is arduous. He doesn&rsquo;t torch switches like he used to, nor does he get the same level of lift off the ground, allowing defenders to contest more shots. As a result, the dribble-to-impact ratio can skew far too negative for stretches.</p>
<p>According to Cleaning The Glass, his rim frequency was a career-low 20% last season (23rd percentile among guards), down from 26% in 2019-20 and 31% his final year in Charlotte. His free-throw rate of .220 was also a career-low and well below his .287 mark from the first nine years.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a whole lotta tough shot-making in his arsenal these days, an MO of New York&rsquo;s offense and subsequent faltering. Because he&rsquo;s a stellar shooter, Walker is well-equipped to handle that diet, but there will be dry spells in his on-ball creation. His inability to comfortably turn the corner, separate downhill from defenders or consistently function in the paint are shortcomings that must be priced into the deployment and understanding of his game.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Despite the creation decline, Walker carries a great deal of offensive value via off-ball scoring. The Knicks must tap into that and avoid saddling him with improper usage. Use him as a screener in inverted pick-and-rolls for Randle. Run dribble handoffs between him and Randle that send him into motion, gaining a step over his man, and watch the space-creation and shooting acumen take over; if his pull-up gravity draws two defenders, he can wiggle in a pocket pass to Randle with Robinson in the dunker spot as an alternative.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A release valve who&rsquo;s converted 37.9% of his catch-and-shoot threes, is adept off-movement and can capitalize on advantages fashioned by Randle&rsquo;s interior gravity beyond mere spot-up volume is an apt partner for the All-Star forward.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Feature him in pick-and-pops where Fournier or Barrett are the handler. The guard-guard actions between Fournier and Walker, both on and off the ball, should be a routine means of leveraging their shooting gravity and involving two perimeter guys with creation equity. They established some connective actions together in Boston last season and Walker&rsquo;s chemistry with Tatum is another template of usage for New York. Plus, its starting big men, Robinson and Randle, are a noteworthy improvement over Boston&rsquo;s 2020-21 (unfortunately) revolving door in the front-court.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Let Randle facilitate actions and empower Walker to create off-ball advantages with his short-area quickness and manipulation of screens. If generally healthy and roughly the same player as last season, when he was certainly an above-average starter in the games he suited up, he provides the necessary potential to expand this uniform offense.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Another virtue of a retooled guard rotation is the offensive continuity among New York&rsquo;s three best ones in Fournier, Walker and Quickley. T.J. Ferrick explains the value of this concept in great detail <a href="https://twitter.com/tjferrick/status/1421134430224146432?s=20">here</a> as it pertains to Trae Young and Sharife Cooper, but it can be applied to the Knicks.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Last season, their perimeter fleet of Payton, Rose, Quickley, Barrett and Reggie Bullock did not enjoy much overlap in offensive repertoires. Stylistic diversity has its merits, but it also changes schemes and affects how the surrounding players interact and function with one another. Fournier, Walker and Quickley are somewhat synergistic in nature offensively, particularly the latter two, which simplifies responsibilities for others, both players and coaching staff.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Walker and Quickley each tout pull-up and off-movement chops, and struggle as drivers; these similarities could breed some offensive harmony across lineups and generally staggering their minutes seems prudent. The Knicks&rsquo; offense will benefit from Walker&rsquo;s pull-up gravity, which he parlays into facilitating and could impart upon Quickley&rsquo;s development. Robinson will also reap rewards from Walker&rsquo;s probing and interior passing when he does populate the lane, even if it&rsquo;s rarer than ideal for the fourth-year center.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Although not the All-NBA initiator of 2018-19 or the All-Star of 2019-20, Walker is an excellent player. Fretting over his availability is legitimate because last season did not inspire credence for a small guard who rarely missed games his first eight years and shouldered a hefty workload each of those years. Joining a team lead by Thibodeau might not portend well for careful minutes either.</p>
<p>Yet as long as he&rsquo;s out there, he bolsters the Knicks&rsquo; offense dramatically, malleably operating alongside their cornerstones and incorporating more dynamism. Eastern Conference rivals only grew stingier this past season. The acquisition of Walker may not bear another top-four finish, but New York&rsquo;s team quality improved and his arrival is the foremost reason.&nbsp;</p>

He may not be the same player he was a few years ago, but Kemba Walker will help the Knicks' offense in areas of great need.

An in-depth breakdown of how and why Kemba Walker will help the Knicks

<p>The bedrock of any fruitful offense is a player who generates advantages, and is either adept enough to capitalize individually or surrounded by teammates capable of doing so. As such, Spencer Dinwiddie, despite missing most of the 2020-21 campaign after tearing the ACL in his right knee, should be one of the most coveted free agents in the NBA this offseason.</p>
<p>Dinwiddie is a premier advantage creator. His 2019-20 showing underlined his value to an offense, as he averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds on 54% True Shooting percentage. Kevin Durant&rsquo;s year-long absence and Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s injury struggles left the Brooklyn Nets low on initiators. That thrust Dinwiddie into an outsized lead ball-handling role, though one that enabled him to exhibit the depths of his entire game and illuminate why he&rsquo;d provide considerable impact to potential suitors moving forward.</p>
<p>According to Synergy, only 11 players logged more isolation possessions than him in 2019-20. Despite the mammoth volume (205 possessions), he ranked in the 69th percentile in points per possession (0.951), which was seventh among the 12 players meeting that threshold. James Harden, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, Chris Paul and Jayson Tatum were the only players to finish above him. Dinwiddie blends both usage and production in a manner emulated by a select number of preeminent offensive orchestrators.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The foundation of his isolation excellence is a standstill burst accompanied by a mastery of pace. His 0-60 acceleration is elite. He regularly burns defenders with sudden tweaks of tempo and explodes out of dribble moves or changes in direction, while maintaining leverage by getting lower than opponents. Bigs caught on an island are ruthlessly exposed; by controlling the cadence in ball screens, he forces these desirable matchups. At 6-foot-5, he overwhelms opposing guards and varies his stride length to cover ground as he deems appropriate. He&rsquo;s technically savvy and athletically gifted, rendering him a high-level isolation scorer.</p>
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<p>Contriving buckets out of thin air is a rare and critical commodity in the NBA. Fitting that criteria is Dinwiddie, who also sat near the top of the league in pick-and-roll possessions two seasons ago. Over 48% of his offense came via pick-and-rolls and he was in the 61st percentile. (His 667 pNr possessions slated fifth overall behind Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, Lillard and Doncic).</p>
<p>Factor passes into the equation and his 1,286 possessions were fourth, good for the 62nd percentile at 0.974 PPP.</p>
<p>Using high ball-screens against a drop-coverage big is his forte. He loves side pick-and-rolls, and is particularly dangerous when rejecting the screen to scoot downhill with a head of steam. His footwork gifts him the shiftiness to shimmy around or perplex rim protectors and find space to finish. He&rsquo;s entirely comfortable embracing physicality, ramming into the chest of big men to score. The change of pace and quickness remain boons. He craftily primes screens with his handle, body angles and dexterity.</p>
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<p>Commandeering such substantial workloads and conserving relatively efficient numbers is a skill in itself. The volume signifies a malleable approach to creation that prevents defenses from keying in one certain tendency and eliminating it to curtail functionality in those actions. Pick-and-roll initiation is typically central to offense, as is individual creation. Dinwiddie offers both to many teams lacking those traits in a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-free-agency-ranking-kawhi-leonard-chris-paul-and-the-top-10-offseason-players-on-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free-agent class</a> short on star talent.</p>
<p>All of this works because he&rsquo;s one of the NBA&rsquo;s best downhill guards. According to Cleaning the Glass, his 38% rim frequency ranked in the 74th percentile, and he shot 60% around the basket (59th percentile). Not only is Dinwiddie manufacturing a ton of quality looks, but he&rsquo;s also converting at an above-average rate. It&rsquo;s one thing to create those shots; it&rsquo;s <em>immensely</em> more valuable to be equipped to score effectively there.</p>
<p>Part of what makes him such a multifaceted downhill threat in ball screens and isolation is his capacity for drawing fouls. Among 35 players to average at least 20 points per game in 2019-20, his .437 free-throw rate ranked eighth behind Joel Embiid, Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, Doncic and Young.&nbsp;</p>
<p>He seeks out and anticipates contact. An overzealous/poorly-timed stunt or brazen hand-check will be seen by the officials. Any misplaced limb is a death knell for defenders. He is unafraid to charge directly toward a big man, absorb the hit and draw a pair of foul shots. Sometimes, his tricks end poorly and the upshot is an errant heave toward the rim. But largely, he parades to the charity stripe with ploys emblematic of Young and Harden&rsquo;s chicanery.</p>
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<p>As a passer, he touts live-dribble faculty and marvelous placement on lobs, and probes in the paint for drop-off feeds. He can seamlessly rifle skip passes in pick-and-rolls, guide big men into space on alley-oops and instantly transition from dribble to pass. His advantage creation is amplified because he preserves those advantages, occupying defenders cognizant of his speed and pace manipulation.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Among the top-30 players in total assists in 2019-20, just Westbrook (93%) and Harden (92.4%) had a higher percentage of their assists resulting in threes or shots at the rim than Dinwiddie (92.1%), according to PBPStats. The dude catalyzes highly valuable shots for others, and does so through advanced means.</p>
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<p>There are, however, bouts of overly audacious lobs. In general, his decision-making can drift too much toward being premeditated. He&rsquo;ll zone in on a certain read, whether it&rsquo;s deciding between passing and shooting or different passing options, and not deviate from it when needed. Traps are prone to flustering him.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The premeditated tendencies, in conjunction with his poor off-the-bounce shooting, is the foremost factor standing between him and top-tier initiator status. He shot just 29.2% on pull-ups in 2019-20 and 33.7% the year prior. His willingness often skews too confidently or timidly. Defenders sag off to mitigate driving lanes.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As Dinwiddie hits the free-agent market, his struggles to scale into a larger off-ball role really blur things. Despite the passing, driving and self-creation intersection, he&rsquo;s not good enough to spearhead elite offense because of the shaky jumper. That wouldn&rsquo;t be much of an issue for his future employer if he was comfortable in a secondary role.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Theoretically, a 6-foot-5 guard with viable off-ball shooting, versatile passing, foul-drawing guile and burst should function well in a complementary spot. Dinwiddie, though, prefers to dictate the action on his terms. He&rsquo;s methodical when the ball swings his way and gun shy on spot-up chances, even though he&rsquo;s drilled a reasonable 37% of his catch-and-shoot triples (176-for-476) since 2017-18. That mark should be lucrative enough to provoke consistent close-outs and open lanes to the paint. Flashes of him puncturing a titled defense as a driver exist.</p>
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<p>Assessing his value through the prism of a new team -- the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards or New Orleans Pelicans, for example -- each franchise rosters a (super)star better qualified to be the No. 1 offensively. Dinwiddie in a condensed role is useful, but brings diminishing returns. An upgrade in offensive talent compared to the 2019-20 Nets could spur a retooled style from him. It&rsquo;d likely be necessary to maximize his opportunities.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The one team presenting a clear fit without a well-established, superior perimeter creator is the New York Knicks, a logical marriage for both sides. While the Knicks could stand to sign more shooting, what they truly require is a perimeter advantage creator who is better than Derrick Rose. Dinwiddie would be that.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Dinwiddie would help relieve Julius Randle&rsquo;s cumbersome usage by increasing the first-time All-Star's pick-and-pop or short-roll reps, while turning the latter's mid-post isolations into a feature rather than a staple. His slashing would empower RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to serve as practical second-side handlers against compromised defenses. He and Mitchell Robinson would harmonize in pick-and-rolls.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On the other end, New York should house much of the infrastructure to insulate Dinwiddie. He is not an abjectly terrible defender, but he is also not good, existing somewhere between those broad endpoints. Inactivity defines his imprint, and he has a habit of floating for long stretches. That is not necessarily bad on its own, but his impact is felt mostly through negative occurrences &mdash; though not abundantly.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Dinwiddie struggles around screens. Ball-handlers achieve dribble penetration against him because he&rsquo;s a bit weak, passive and slow laterally at the point of attack. When he plays with physicality, he can pose issues for creators and deny or top-lock assignments off the ball; those instances are irregular though.&nbsp;</p>
<p>He&rsquo;s also behind the curve with off-ball positioning and rotations. He will make many of the necessary decisions &mdash; a closeout, splitting the difference between weak-side shooters, stunt-and-recovers &mdash; but the execution might fall short. That dichotomy produces inconsistent outcomes. At other times, he&rsquo;s just harmful as an off-ball defender, losing sight of his assignments.</p>
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<p>Brooklyn&rsquo;s personnel tasked Dinwiddie with guarding an array of offensive stars. He&rsquo;s not a bottom-rung defender. Periods of physicality, while anomalous, transpire on and off the ball. A context conducive to off-ball deployment &mdash; shadowing guys with his size and physicality to neutralize screens or pinning him to the least threatening creator &mdash; would mitigate his shortcomings.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Knicks could probably provide that and enable him to remain the principal perimeter handler. They would vastly benefit from his offensive services and he would benefit from their defensive core. The pairing is sensible.</p>
<p>Dinwiddie is very good. Few free agents are better. Through pick-and-roll or isolation play, he checks many important boxes offensively: rim pressure, diverse passing and fashioning of easy scores.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Gauging a player is closely tied to discerning their strengths and weaknesses, recognizing the value of each and ranking them. Dinwiddie&rsquo;s most prevalent strengths &mdash; advantage creation and capitalization &mdash; are vital for team-building. His most prevalent weaknesses &mdash; offensive scalability and on-ball defense &mdash; are well down the list of damning issues.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Soon, a team will sign him. That team will almost assuredly improve offensively because of his addition and be quite satisfied. The gems of this free agency class are scarce, but Spencer Dinwiddie is one of them.&nbsp;</p>

Jackson Frank breaks down the isolation and pick-and-roll savviness of Spencer Dinwiddie and why NBA teams should go after him.

Keith