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Thunder

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today at NBA All-Star Weekend 2024 the selection of 14 finalists from the following committees: North American, Women&rsquo;s, Men&rsquo;s Veterans, Women&rsquo;s Veterans, International, and Contributors.
The finalists will then be put forward to the Honors Committee to be considered for election as members of the Class of 2024. The new class will be announced in Phoenix on April 6 at the NCAA Men&rsquo;s Final Four.
North American Committee Finalists (in alphabetical order):
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Chauncey Billups</li>
<li>Vince Carter</li>
<li>Michael Cooper</li>
<li>Walter Davis</li>
<li>Bo Ryan</li>
<li>Charles Smith</li>
</ul>
Women's Committee Finalists:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Seimone Augustus</li>
<li>Marian Washington</li>
</ul>
Men&rsquo;s Veteran Committee Finalist:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Dick Barnett</li>
</ul>
Women's Veteran Committee Finalist:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Harley Redin</li>
</ul>
International Committee Finalist:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Michele Timms</li>
</ul>
Contributors Committee Finalists:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Doug Collins</li>
<li>Herb Simon</li>
<li>Jerry West</li>
</ul>
"Being named a Finalist for the Class of 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is a testament to the highest echelons of achievement in the sport,&rdquo; said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. &ldquo;It's an honor that reflects not only individual greatness but also the long-lasting impact on the game itself. From the strategic brilliance of coaches to the unmatched abilities of players and the influential roles of a coach/broadcaster, an esteemed owner, and a dynasty-building executive, each Finalist embodies the pinnacle of basketball excellence. Their inclusion underscores the diverse contributions that have shaped and enriched the sport, making this recognition truly exceptional."
The Class of 2024 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass., on August 16-17. VIP packages for the 2024 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend are now available. Single-event tickets will go on sale on April 6, following the 2024 Class Announcement.
North American Committee Finalists:
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash; Nicknamed "Mr. Big Shot" for his ability to deliver crucial plays in pivotal moments, Billups was a five-time NBA All-Star and the 2004 Finals MVP after leading the Detroit Pistons to their third NBA championship. During his 17-year career, Billups&rsquo; averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, while his&nbsp; 89.4&nbsp; free throw percentage is sixth best in NBA/ABA history. Billups was drafted third overall in 1997 by the Boston Celtics after earning Second Team All-American honors at Colorado. He is the current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
VINCE CARTER&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash; Renowned for his high-flying dunks, the former North Carolina standout was an eight-time All-Star in his 22 NBA seasons (1998-2020). Carter, who won the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, was named the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year and is the only player in NBA history to play in four different decades. Carter averaged 16.7 points per game (21.3 as a starter) and also played a pivotal role in the success of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, clinching a gold medal with the U.S. Men's Basketball Team. He currently holds the single-season franchise scoring record for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.
MICHAEL COOPER&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Cooper was named to eight NBA All-Defensive Teams, taking home First-Team accolades five times and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1987. The former third-round draft pick (60th overall) out of the University of New Mexico spent his entire 12-year NBA career (1978-90) with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five championships while routinely matching up with the opponent&rsquo;s top shooter. Following his playing career, Cooper entered the coaching ranks and earned WNBA Coach of the Year accolades in 2000 with the Los Angeles Sparks before winning back-to-back WNBA titles in 2001-02.
WALTER DAVIS&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;The all-time leading scorer in Phoenix Suns&rsquo; history was a six-time All-Star (1978-81, &lsquo;84, &lsquo;87) during his 15-year NBA career with the Suns (1977-88), Denver Nuggets (1988-92) and Portland Trail Blazers (1991). Before Phoenix chose Davis with the fifth pick in the 1977 draft, the standout player from North Carolina won a gold medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics. He then averaged 24.2 points per game in his first NBA season and was named the 1978 Rookie of the Year. The late Davis had&nbsp;his No. 6 retired by the Suns, and in 2004, he was enshrined in the team's Ring of Honor.
BO RYAN&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash;&nbsp;Ryan went 747-233 (.762) in 32 seasons as a collegiate head coach with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1984-89), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1999-2001) and University of Wisconsin (2001-15), including a 364-130 (.737) ledger in 14-plus seasons in Madison. Ryan, honored four times as the Big Ten Coach of the Year, led Wisconsin to unprecedented success, clinching four Big Ten regular-season titles, winning three Big Ten tournament championships, and making back-to-back Final Four appearances (2014-15). The four-time Division III champion (1991, &lsquo;95, &lsquo;98-99) was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
CHARLES SMITH&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash; Smith is Louisiana's all-time winningest high school head coach, surpassing the previous mark of 1,071 in 2020. With eight state championships to his name, Smith&rsquo;s coaching tenure at Peabody Magnet High School began in 1985 after starting as a math teacher in 1975. He guided the Warhorses to a pair of perfect seasons, going 41-0 in 2004 and 2010 and earning national top-five rankings. Smith, ESPN&rsquo;s National Coach of the Year in 2010, was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021. In addition, Smith served as a head coach at the McDonald&rsquo;s All-American game in 2020.
Women&rsquo;s Committee Finalists:
SEIMONE AUGUSTUS&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Augustus, who was selected first overall in the 2006 WNBA Draft, was a four-time champion and eight-time All-Star during her 15-year WNBA career (2006-2020). The cornerstone player for the Minnesota Lynx, where she spent 14 of her 15 seasons, averaged 15.4 points per game and was named the 2006 Rookie of the Year and 2011 Finals MVP. At LSU, Augustus led the Tigers to three straight Final Four appearances and won the Naismith College Player of the Year and Wooden Awards in back-to-back campaigns (2005-06).
MARIAN WASHINGTON&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash; Washington led the University of Kansas women&rsquo;s basketball team for 31 seasons (1973-2004) and recorded a school-record 560 wins. The Jayhawks made 11 NCAA tournament appearances under her guidance, including two trips to the Sweet 16 (1996, &lsquo;97). Washington, who also served as Kansas&rsquo; director for women&rsquo;s athletics from 1974-79, was named her conference&rsquo;s Coach of the Year on three occasions (Big Eight: 1992, &rsquo;96; Big 12: 1997). She was a pioneer on the international stage, becoming one of the first two African American women to compete in basketball internationally at the 1971 World Championships and the first black woman to coach a United States team in international play at the 1982 R. William Jones Cup. Washington, who was the first female president of the Black Coaches Association, was inducted into the Women&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
Men&rsquo;s Veteran Committee Finalist:
DICK BARNETT&nbsp;[Player] &ndash;&nbsp;Barnett first gained prominence at Tennessee A&amp;I University, where he led the Tigers to three straight NAIA national championships (1957-59), the first historically black school to claim a men&rsquo;s basketball title. The &ldquo;Skull&rdquo; played 14 NBA seasons with the Syracuse Nationals (1959-61), Los Angeles Lakers (1962-65) and New York Knicks (1965-73), winning a pair of titles in the Big Apple (1970, &lsquo;73) and making his lone All-Star team in 1968. The Knicks retired his No. 12, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honored his 1957&ndash;59 Tigers squad in 2019.
Women&rsquo;s Veteran Committee Finalists:
HARLEY REDIN&nbsp;[Coach]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Redin went 431-66 in 18 seasons leading Wayland Baptist&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s basketball program and captured six AAU National Championships. He coached the Flying Queens to two undefeated women&rsquo;s seasons (1956, &lsquo;57), 17 top-five finishes, and went 110-2 during his first four campaigns at Wayland Baptist. Redin also coached the Women&rsquo;s U.S. National Team in 1959, the 1971 Pan-American Games, and the 1963 World Tournament in Peru. He was the recipient of the Jostens-Berenson Service Award by the Women&rsquo;s Basketball Coaches Association for his lifetime of service to women&rsquo;s basketball in 1992, inducted into the Women&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, and honored with the Naismith Award for Outstanding Contribution to the game of women&rsquo;s basketball in 2000.
International Committee Finalist:
MICHELE TIMMS&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;A trailblazer in Australian women&rsquo;s basketball, Timms became well-known as one of the best point guards in the world, representing the Australian national team throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Timms won a pair of Olympic medals with the Opals, winning bronze in 1996 and silver in 2000, and was the first Australian, male or female, to play professional basketball internationally when she suited up for Lotus M&uuml;nchen in Germany. In addition, Timms spent five seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, guiding the team to a berth in the 1998 WNBA Finals and earning an All-Star selection in 1999. The Sport Australia Hall of Fame inducted her in 2003, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. The Mercury retired her No. 7 jersey in 2002.
Contributor Committee Finalists:
DOUG COLLINS&nbsp;[Coach/broadcaster]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Collins' versatile career in basketball is marked by significant achievements in roles ranging from player to coach to broadcaster, underscoring his wide-ranging impact on the sport. Following an NBA career where he was a four-time All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers, he transitioned into coaching and accumulated over 400 wins with the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98), Washington Wizards (2001-03) and 76ers (2010-13). Collins, who coached Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in both Chicago and Washington,&nbsp;also served as an analyst for various NBA-related broadcasts for CBS, NBC, TNT, TBS, and ABC/ESPN, along with working for NBC at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
HERB SIMON&nbsp;[Owner] &ndash; Simon, the longest-tenured governor in the history of the NBA, purchased the Indiana Pacers, along with his late brother Mel, back in 1983. Under Simon&rsquo;s stewardship, the Pacers won numerous Central Division titles and made the franchise&rsquo;s first NBA Finals in 2000. Throughout his ownership period, the Pacers have been home to legendary players like Jermaine O&rsquo;Neal, Rik Smits, and Reggie Miller (Class of 2012). Beyond ownership, Simon's influence extends deeply into the heart of the Pacers&rsquo; organization, shaping its identity and impact both on and off the court through his philanthropic endeavors and civic engagement.
JERRY WEST&nbsp;[Executive] &ndash; Enshrined as a player in 1980, West then went on to establish himself off the court as one of the most successful executives in the sport&rsquo;s history. West played a pivotal role as the architect of a pair of Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; dynasties during the 1980s and 2000s, drafting key players like Magic Johnson and James Worthy, acquiring Kobe Bryant, signing free agent Shaquille O'Neal, and hiring head coach Phil Jackson. He totaled eight NBA championships in Los Angeles (1980, &lsquo;82, &lsquo;85, &lsquo;87-88, 2000-02) and was named Executive of the Year twice (1995, 2004). Following his time in the Lakers&rsquo; front office (1979-2000), West served as GM of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-07 before earning two additional NBA championships as an executive with the Golden State Warriors (2015, &lsquo;17).

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 14 finalists for the class of 2024 including Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces 14 finalists in class of 2024

The 2023-24 NBA season gets underway next month, with another highly anticipated year of basketball on the forecast. 
The NBA also happens to be one of the few sports where the offseason is just as exciting thanks to player movement and the soap-opera-esque storylines that can emerge. This can make it easy for fans to quickly move on from the previous season. 
However, each season deserves recognition, and last year was no exception. From historic accomplishments to jaw-dropping plays, there were a number of unforgettable moments worth discussing from the 2022-23 season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
De'Aaron Fox drains the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TissotBuzzerBeater?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TissotBuzzerBeater</a> for the win from BEYOND! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisIsYourTime?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisIsYourTime</a> <a href="https://t.co/BwYotIU2cA">pic.twitter.com/BwYotIU2cA</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1589042762686795777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
5. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox Hits Unreal Buzzer Beater
Last season saw the revival of the Sacramento Kings. Finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference, they clinched their first postseason berth in 16 seasons. Leading this resurgence was De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, who averaged 25 points per game on a career-best 51.2% from the field.&nbsp;
What really stood out about Fox's season was his play during clutch situations. He consistently showed up late, averaging 8.3 points in the fourth quarter &ndash; the second-best mark in the league behind only Kyrie Irving (9.8). Ending the season, he led the league in clutch points (194) and was recognized as the NBA's first-ever Clutch Player of the Year.
Fox had some incredible moments en route to winning the inaugural award. In November of last year, the Kings were involved in a tight contest with the Orlando Magic. Tied at 123-123 in overtime, Fox brought the ball up the court and drained a three-pointer from nearly half-court with no time left on the clock to stun the hometown fans in Orlando.&nbsp;
Fox and the Kings certainly made their mark on the league and will look to carry that momentum into the 2023-24 season.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Steph Gonna STEPHHHHH <a href="https://t.co/6R3Q7z1vro">pic.twitter.com/6R3Q7z1vro</a>
&mdash; Golden State Warriors (@warriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1616246949006528512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
4. Steph Curry Shows Off Against Former Finals Foe
Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry is familiar with long-distance threes. The NBA&rsquo;s all-time leader in three-point field goals utilizes his deep range often, making him dangerous at the end of quarters.&nbsp;
Curry notoriously takes shots from near half-court and beyond when quarters are coming to a close, and he doesn&rsquo;t shy away from showing his excitement when they go down. The one he hit in January of this year against the Boston Celtics had to feel good. It was the first time that Curry had been back in TD Garden since Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals, where he clinched his fourth NBA championship and earned first NBA Finals MVP award.
The last thing Boston needed is another reminder of Curry burying their hopes for a league-best 18th championship, but the sharpshooter did so in quite the fashion. Curry stripped Celtics forward Jayson Tatum just past half-court and attempted his patented logo three, sending the ball through the net as the first-half buzzer sounded.&nbsp;
Curry is heading into his 15th NBA season and has yet to show signs of slowing down, leaving the four-time champion looking to add even more unforgettable moments to his resume.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
OH MY GOODNESS JA MORANT 😱 DUNK OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE <a href="https://t.co/OQsyR28lKj">pic.twitter.com/OQsyR28lKj</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1614439270994919424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote>

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3. Morant&rsquo;s Ja-Dropping Dunk
The NBA is constantly evolving, and these days the league features arguably the most talented and athletic players of any era. Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant may be one of the best example of this, as the 6-foot-3 point guard has made a habit of posterizing taller players almost nightly. Morant makes an effort to try these nasty dunks over significantly larger defenders, keeping fans on the edge of their seat anytime he enters the paint.&nbsp;
Morant pulled off arguably his greatest dunk to date earlier this year. Facing the Indiana Pacers on the road back in January, the high-flying Morant would split a double-team and throw down a monster slam over forward Jalen Smith.&nbsp;
Unfortunately, Morant's multiple firearm-related incidents off the court will keep him off the court for some time, as he was suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. After the suspension, hopefully a refocused Morant will add more posters to his collection.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
UNREAL ENDING IN DALLAS 😱 LUKA (54 PTS) PUTS IN HIS OWN REBOUND TO TIE IT UP WITH 1 SECOND LEFT WE'RE GOING TO OT AFTER A 12-3 MAVS RUN IN THE LAST 30 SECONDS 📲 <a href="https://t.co/WjxYAo1gl0">https://t.co/WjxYAo1gl0</a> <a href="https://t.co/LKpwGgNbGU">pic.twitter.com/LKpwGgNbGU</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1607948900731883523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
2. Luka Doncic Hits Game-Tying Shot During Historic Performance&nbsp;
While the Dallas Mavericks had a forgettable 2022-23 season in terms of team performance, Luka Doncic certainly had his fair share of impressive moments. Doncic has already racked up a career&rsquo;s worth of highlights in just five seasons in the NBA. The 24-year-old has a very unique style of play, and the term "Luka Magic" was coined to describe his highlight-reel plays.
Magic was most definitely in the air on the night of December 27, 2022. Doncic and the Mavericks were taking on the New York Knicks. With 33.2 seconds remaining in the game, the Knicks held a nine-point lead over the Mavericks. According to ESPN Stats and Info, teams were 0-13,884 over the last 20 seasons when trailing by at least nine with 35 or fewer seconds remaining in regulation.&nbsp;
That record would become 1-13,884 by the end of the night.&nbsp;
The Mavs and Doncic would go on a miraculous 9-3 run, leading to a situation where Doncic was at the free-throw line with the Mavs down 115-112 with 4.2 seconds left. Doncic would convert the first free throw, then intentionally miss the second in an attempt to tie the game. After multiple bounces, the ball miraculously found its way back into Doncic's hands and he threw up a quick shot, getting it to go and tying the game with one second remaining. The game would go into overtime and the Mavericks would finish the job, defeating the Knicks 126-123.&nbsp;
This would go down as arguably Doncic's best performance since entering the NBA. He dropped a historic stat line of 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists &ndash; the first 60-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game ever in NBA history. This was an unprecedented performance on several fronts, and Doncic will look to add even more magical moments to his already-impressive resume this upcoming season.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
38,388 POINTS LeBron James hits the fadeaway jumper to become the NBA&rsquo;s all-time leading scorer! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ScoringKing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ScoringKing</a> <a href="https://t.co/P5LyTZAZn3">pic.twitter.com/P5LyTZAZn3</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1623185295481966592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>

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1. LeBron James Breaks All-Time Scoring Record
Heading into the 2022-23 campaign, many expected Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s all-time scoring record. Once the season got underway, the record-setting performance drew closer and closer with James scoring at his expected pace.&nbsp;
The fabled moment came to pass on February 7 of this year, with the Lakers taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles. James entered the game needing 36 points to pass Abdul-Jabbar, and The King made it apparent that he wanted to break the record that night, showing an eagerness to score that we typically don't see from the 38-year-old these days. 
James reached 34 points and, with just over 10 seconds left in the third quarter, Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s record was broken after a 39-year run. James backed down Thunder wing Kenrich Williams and hit a fadeaway jumper, officially putting his name No. 1 in the record books with 38,388 points.
The 2023-24 campaign will mark <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/revisiting-lebron-james-legendary-nba-career-as-he-enters-year-21">the 21st season of LeBron's legendary career</a> and if it's anything like his other campaigns, it will feature plenty of iconic moments.
<a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What were your favorite moments from the 2022-23 NBA season? Tweet us at @basketbllnews!</a>

From historic accomplishments to jaw-dropping plays, Jack Maguire looks back at five unforgettable moments from last NBA season.

Revisiting 5 unforgettable moments from the 2022-23 NBA season

The following is a press release via the Oklahoma City Thunder:
OKLAHOMA CITY, March 2, 2023 &ndash; The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that guard/forward Kenrich Williams suffered a scapholunate ligament rupture in his left wrist during Tuesday&rsquo;s game against the Sacramento Kings. &nbsp;The injury will require surgery and he is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season. &nbsp;
Williams has appeared in 53 games (10 starts) this season and averaged 8.0 points on 51.7% shooting from the field, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 22.8 minutes per game. &nbsp;His 26 charges drawn lead the NBA. &nbsp;
Williams is expected to make a full recovery, and further updates will be provided as appropriate.

Williams has appeared in 53 games this season and averaged 8.0 points on 51.7% shooting and leads the NBA in charges drawn.

Thunder: Kenrich Williams needs surgery on left wrist, out for season

As of Wednesday morning in late January, three games separate fifth place and 13th place in the Western Conference standings. We're more than halfway through the regular season and most of the West playoff spots are still completely wide-open.
Only one of those teams has put together a clean, inspiring month.&nbsp;
The Oklahoma City Thunder are 8-3 in 2023, and though they're tied for 10th in the conference at 23-24, they still sit just one game back of the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder join the Denver Nuggets as <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/league/fourfactors?season=2022&amp;seasontype=regseason&amp;start=01/1/2023&amp;end=01/25/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of two teams with top-five offensive and defensive ratings</a> (121.9/112.1) this month, per Cleaning the Glass, and they're up to the ninth-ranked DRTG (113.2) on the whole season.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
OKC is far removed from the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes and too good of a basketball team to throw in the towel. Meanwhile, the rest of the West has been riddled with inconsistency, as some of the projected top teams battle injuries, manage rest and, more plainly, underwhelm.
Sneaking into the Play-In Tournament might be selling the youngest team in the league short. Why can't OKC bypass the preliminary round entirely?
The franchise has its superstar. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has maintained his 30-point-per-game pace in every month this season on remarkable efficiency splits for a high-usage point guard.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Here&rsquo;s the complete list of point guards that have averaged 30+ PPG on 50% shooting for a season: - Steph Curry (unanimous MVP season) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (this season) That&rsquo;s it. <a href="https://t.co/dr1gn1H2r1">pic.twitter.com/dr1gn1H2r1</a>
&mdash; The Lead (@TheLeadSM) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheLeadSM/status/1617564856051437575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Gilgeous-Alexander has knocked down 57.9% of his two-pointers this month and is a certified Tier 1 driving threat across the Association. We know that already, though, and instead of rehashing the same points, I'd like to direct you to <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2023/01/shai-gilgeous-alexander-oklahoma-city-thunder-all-star-and-on-the-verge-of-superstardom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mat Issa's excellent breakdown of SGA's unique driving gifts over at The Analyst.</a>
And though SGA is a proven finisher and pull-up scorer, he's actually had some more help this month. According to Cleaning the Glass, 42% of his at-rim buckets have been assisted, up from his 27% rate on the whole season.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/8dml89" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
OKC has done a better job moving the ball around and kicking out to its centerpiece. In turn, he has made quicker decisions to catch and drive himself, which puts an all-world pressure point against a tilted defense. Josh Giddey has taken on more responsibility as a facilitator, but the help is really coming from everywhere, as shown above.
The results show in this table. Here's how often Gilgeous-Alexander has attempted shots at the rim with two dribbles or less, and his efficiency, per PBP Stats:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Season</td>
<td>FGM</td>
<td>FGA</td>
<td>FG%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Freq. (% of total FGA)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">64</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">100</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">64%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">13.99%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2019-20</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">93</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">155</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">60%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">15.33%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">21</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">37</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">56.76%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">6.56%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">55</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">79</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">69.62%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">7.52%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2022-23</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">59</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">82</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">71.95%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">9.47%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Those first two seasons, SGA was a complementary player with the Los Angeles Clippers and a second option in OKC next to Chris Paul. Then, he became one of the league's highest-usage No. 1 options. Now, in his third year with the role, Gilgeous-Alexander is having to create less with his dribble, and it's corresponding to an increase in efficiency.&nbsp;
You can even extend out to the mid-range, where he's taking 4.6% of his shots with two dribbles or less (highest of the past three years), and hitting a ridiculous 62.5% of those shots (by far a career-high). So though Gilgeous-Alexander is still doing the vast majority of his scoring work by himself, the supporting cast is starting to make life easier.&nbsp;
Giddey, as mentioned, has been a massive piece to the offensive improvement and the Thunder's overall rise. (Our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-josh-giddeys-rising-aggression" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan detailed what's working for the second-year guard</a> and I highly recommend you check out his breakdown.)
Now, let's slide over to two game-changing role-players: Isaiah Joe and Kenrich Williams.&nbsp;
I wrote last summer that OKC <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-okc-oklahoma-city-thunder-shai-gilgeous-alexander-josh-giddey-luguentz-dort-chet-holmgren-tre-mann-jalen-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">needed to improve on its league-worst 32.6% catch-and-shoot three-point clip</a>&nbsp;to really help its offense around Gilgeous-Alexander. The team is up to 15th with a very capable 37.2% hit rate so far this season. Several Thunder players have improved, including significant leaps from Giddey, Lu Dort and (when healthy) Aleksej Pokusevski.
But Joe and Williams have truly turned the tide. They lead the squad in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage and are among the 15 best off the catch in the entire league, per Second Spectrum.
Joe, after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in October, has increased his playing time in each subsequent month of the season. He's averaging 12.1 points in 21.1 minutes per game during January while canning 44.6% of his triples. I don't love playing the on/off stats game too often, but it's telling that the Thunder have been 19.9 points better than opponents per 100 possesssions with Joe on the court, per Cleaning the Glass. That ranks third among all NBA players.
The former Arkansas Razorback entered the NBA with perimeter marksmanship as his calling card, and it's unfortunate for the Sixers that they didn't see things through. Joe has very immediately become one of the best shooters in the league in his third season.&nbsp;
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These buckets might not look flashy, but they're invaluable to what OKC wants to accomplish. Gilgeous-Alexander will consistently draw help on his drives, and several other players like Williams and Darius Bazley can attack off the catch or leverage themselves on cuts. All Joe has to do is make the defense pay for helping by relocating and connecting. He's hitting 48.4% of his catch-and-shoot threes, good for fifth among all players with at least 75 such attempts.
Unlike Joe, Williams has not been quite the sure bet. He made 44.4% of his threes in 2020-21, but then just 33.9% in 2021-22, including 34.0% on catch-and-shoot attempts. This year, he's roared back with a 42.9% overall clip and is shooting an eye-popping 52.8% from distance in January.&nbsp;
Most of the resurgence comes via a massive bounce-back year from the corners. The 28-year-old is shooting 54.5% on corner threes after hitting just 35% last season. He's also a bigger threat than Joe to attack a closeout and make the right pass.
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Williams isn't some shifty advantage-creator, but he's confident in putting the ball on the floor to the point where he can compress sides of a defense. So far this month, Williams has 27 assists against just 5 turnovers, providing stability moving the ball in addition to his hot shooting.
It's fair to wonder about shooting regression for Williams, Joe and some of the other role-players on OKC's roster. But at the same time, this squad has a top-10 defense that builds on a solid 2021-22 year and gives some cushion if pieces of the offense hit a downturn.&nbsp;
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To reach a top-six seed, the Thunder would currently need to pass the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and at least one of the Mavericks or Clippers. That looks daunting on paper; most of those franchises are loaded with playoff experience and have proven themselves already.
The positive: According to Tankathon, Oklahoma City has the easiest remaining schedule in the NBA. The Thunder play the Houston Rockets three times and Los Angeles Lakers three times, plus the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors once each in their final 35 games. They only face one of the Tier 1 regular season squads in the Memphis Grizzlies. In addition, OKC has just three back-to-backs left and a massive six-game homestand at the end of February.&nbsp;
On top of that favorable schedule, those aforementioned foes in the playoff race have all been battling their own problems with injuries and inconsistent basketball. We don't need to wave Golden State or Phoenix or LAC through the regular season just because we know they'll be tough outs in the postseason. We also don't need to imagine what the youngest team in the NBA could be anymore.
The Thunder have a legitimate high-level defense, an arriving offense and a cast of supporters that is bolstering their superstar better than ever before &mdash; and they're still getting better.

Ethan Fuller explains why the Thunder have the pieces to bypass the NBA Play-In Tournament and make the postseason this year.

Making the Oklahoma City Thunder's case as a top-6 NBA playoff seed

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander banked in a decisive 8-foot jumper with 9.2 seconds remaining and finished with 34 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped Denver&rsquo;s league-leading nine-game win streak and beat the Nuggets 101-99 Sunday night.
After Denver&rsquo;s Zeke Nnaji hit two free throws to tie the game at 99 with 30 seconds left, Gilgeous-Alexander got the ball out of a timeout and hit the mid-range jumper to give the Thunder the lead. The Nuggets&rsquo; Jamal Murray missed a fadeaway 14-foot shot in the final seconds.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got some poise in those situations,&rdquo; Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander. &ldquo;The game slows down for him. He&rsquo;s got great confidence and he&rsquo;s always at his pace, even in the most pressure situations.&rdquo;
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s victory ended the Nuggets&rsquo; 16-game home win streak &mdash; the franchise&rsquo;s longest run in 10 years.
Josh Giddey had 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Thunder, who earned their seventh win in nine games.
Denver center Nikola Jokic missed his second straight game while dealing with tightness in his left hamstring. The two-time reigning NBA MVP had recorded a triple-double in five of his last six games. Nuggets acting head coach David Adelman said expects that Jokic&rsquo;s return is &ldquo;going to be very soon.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s much easier to switch one through five with us,&rdquo; Adelman said. &ldquo;When Nikola is on the floor, it&rsquo;s virtually impossible to do that and it&rsquo;s virtually impossible to zone us. They did those two things and they&rsquo;re smart things to do.&rdquo;
Forward Michael Porter Jr. also missed the game for &ldquo;personal reasons,&rdquo; leaving Denver without two of its top four scorers. Porter&rsquo;s younger brother, Coban, a sophomore guard at the University of Denver, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of vehicular homicide and reckless driving after he was involved in a fatal crash.
Without Jokic and Porter, Murray shouldered much of the offensive load, finishing with a team-high 26 points and nine assists, two nights recording his first career triple-double.
&ldquo;They doubled me,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We kind of expected that. We knew from what we went through in walk-throughs what they&rsquo;d most likely do. We prepared for it. We got what we wanted. We didn&rsquo;t finish like you&rsquo;re accustomed to seeing us finish. That&rsquo;s just on us. That hurts, knowing we did everything we could and we didn&rsquo;t get over the hump.&rdquo;
Denver made 51.5% of its free throws, losing out on precious points in a narrow loss. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, shot 87.5% from the line, with Gilgeous-Alexander going 7 for 8.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who entered averaging 30.6 points, shot 13 for 21 from the field.
&ldquo;It feels good,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve put a lot of work in, a lot of guys have been on the team for a little bit, and we try to enjoy wins as much as possible and not take them for granted. When we see guys make a play at the end of the game, the close ones are the most fun ones, the emotions are a little bit higher and it feels a little bit better.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Nuggets: G Bones Hyland was scoreless in 11 minutes after missing the second half of Denver&rsquo;s 134-11 victory Friday against the Indiana Pacers with a sprained left finger. &hellip; F Vlatko Cancar was scoreless in 10 minutes after missing Friday&rsquo;s game with a non-COVID illness.
Thunder: Oklahoma City had lost its previous three matchups against the Nuggets this season. &hellip; F Kenrich Williams had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Nuggets: At New Orleans on Tuesday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 101-99.

Gilgeous-Alexander hits winner, lifts Thunder past Nuggets

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe each scored 23 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Indiana Pacers 126-106 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight victory.
Joe, a reserve, tied a career high with seven made 3-pointers in just 22 minutes.
Lu Dort had 22 points and a career-high 11 rebounds and Kenrich Williams added 12 points and a career-best 10 assists for the Thunder. Oklahoma City shot 50.5% from the field and made 16 of 38 3-pointers.
All four of Oklahoma City's victories during the streak have been by double digits. The Thunder are 7-2 in 2023.
Andrew Nembhard scored 18 points for the Pacers, who lost their fifth straight. Buddy Hield, who entered the night averaging 18 points per contest, scored just three points on 1-for-4 shooting in 19 minutes. Indiana shot 41.5% from the floor.
The Pacers were without guard Tyrese Haliburton. The NBA's assist leader suffered sprains to his left knee and elbow last week and is expected to be out for at least another week.
The Thunder led 58-44 at halftime behind 17 points from Dort. Oklahoma City shot 68% in the period to lead 100-73 heading into the fourth.
TIP-INS
Pacers: Hield played college basketball at the nearby University of Oklahoma and was cheered when he was announced as a starter. ... Went nearly four minutes without a made field goal at the start of the game. ... Indiana's bench was issued a technical foul in the second quarter. ... C Myles Turner had six blocks.
Thunder: Had 11 assists on 12 baskets in the first quarter and 41 assists on 47 baskets overall. ... Shot 60% in the first quarter to take a 36-20 lead. ... G Josh Giddey fouled out with 16 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in 29 minutes.
&nbsp;

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe each scored 23 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Indiana Pacers 126-106.

Thunder beat Pacers 126-106 for 4th straight victory

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Tyler Herro made a career-high nine 3-pointers, hit the go-ahead jumper and scored 35 points in the Miami Heat&rsquo;s 110-108 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
Herro made a mid-range jumper to finish the scoring with 4.9 seconds left. &ldquo;The play was drawn up for me to shoot it,&rdquo; Herro said. &ldquo;It was one-on-one, so I felt like I had an advantage.&rdquo;
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a mid-range jumper, and Josh Giddey&rsquo;s putback rimmed out at the buzzer.
&ldquo;I thought I felt contact,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &ldquo;I guess the ref didn&rsquo;t think so. It was tough.&rdquo;
The Heat made a season-high 24 3-pointers &mdash; with Herro going 9 of 17 &mdash; in sending the Thunder to their fourth straight loss. Miami star Jimmy Butler sat out to rest his right knee.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s been a little bit more intent of getting to our actions and finding the open guy without missing the moment,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;We were finding our open shooters in those open windows that close very quickly in this league.&rdquo;
Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 27 points.
Herro began the second quarter with a personal 11-0 run to help Miami pull away. He capped the scoring spree with a corner 3-pointer.
Miami led by 21 points in the second quarter and was up 64-52 at the half.
Oklahoma City opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run and led 78-77 at the 3:42 mark. Miami regained control to take an 86-84 lead into the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;I thought the way we attacked in the second half was excellent,&rdquo; Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;Our defense was much better and more alert in the second half. It was not a perfect 48 minutes, but I thought our team really course corrected tonight and gave ourselves a great chance to win the game against a high-quality team.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Thunder: F/C Darius Bazley made his first start of the season. He scored 12 points. &hellip; F/C Jeremiah Robinson-Earl sat out with a sprained right ankle. &hellip; F Kenrich Williams missed his fifth straight game with a sprained right knee.
Heat: Duncan Robinson played after he missed the previous two games with a sprained left ankle. He scored 14 points.
&nbsp;

Tyler Herro made a career-high nine 3-pointers and scored 35 points in the Miami Heat’s 110-108 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Herro makes 9 3s, scores 35 points to lead Heat past Thunder

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Josh Giddey had 12 of his 17 points in the final period, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-114 on Monday night.
Dejounte Murray finished with 24 points and Trae Young had 23 points and 10 assists for the Hawks (13-11), who have squandered six double-digit leads this season. They began the night tied for second-most in the NBA in that category.
In winning its third straight, Oklahoma City (11-13) has outscored its last three opponents 106-68 in the fourth. The Thunder trailed 88-84 entering the final period.
Giddey&rsquo;s three-point play early in the fourth made it 91-90 for the Thunder&rsquo;s first lead since late in the first. They never trailed again as Gilgeous-Alexander, the league&rsquo;s third-leading scorer, kept hitting free throws down the stretch. He scored 12 points in the fourth and finished 15 for 15 from the foul line.
Oklahoma City went on a 23-8 run over an eight-minute span until the 2:53 mark of the fourth, putting too much distance for the Hawks to overcome. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a pair of free throws to make it 111-103 with 1:04 remaining to all but finish off Atlanta.
Young threw a backward pass over his right shoulder to feed Murray for a dunk that made it 63-54 early in the third, and Oklahoma City called timeout. A.J. Griffin later followed with a 3 that put the Hawks up 66-56, and Atlanta pushed the lead to 14 before the Thunder went on a 17-6 run to close within two on a pair of free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander.
Onyeka Okongwu&rsquo;s fastbreak jam put the Hawks up 41-31 for the game&rsquo;s first double-digit lead at the 7:40 mark of the second quarter.
Young was 0 for 5 from the field before his baseline runner gave Atlanta a 56-52 lead in the final minute before halftime. The Hawks were ahead 59-54 at intermission.
Before Giddey hit a layup and free throw early in the first, the Thunder had their last lead at 23-21 on Ousmane Dieng&rsquo;s dunk late in the first. Dieng, a rookie, scored a career-high 15.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Coach Mark Daigneault said swingman Kenrich Williams, who missed the game with a right knee sprain, isn&rsquo;t expected to be sidelined for long. ... Jalen Williams started instead F Aleksej Pokusevski and had 12 points in 31 minutes minutes. ... One game after seven players scored in double figures in Saturday&rsquo;s 135-128 win at Minnesota, Oklahoma City placed six players in double figures. ... The Thunder won in Atlanta for the first time since March 2018.
Hawks: Prior to the game, longtime TV announcer Bob Rathbun briefly lost consciousness on the court and was treated for dehydration. He was listed as stable, responsive and heading to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. ... Griffin has connected on at least one 3 in nine straight games, the longest such active streak among NBA rookies.
UP NEXT
Thunder: At Memphis on Wednesday.
Hawks: At New York Knicks on Wednesday.

In winning its third straight, Oklahoma City (11-13) has outscored its last three opponents 106-68 in the fourth.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 35 as Thunder rally past Hawks

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points in his return to action and the Oklahoma City Thunder took advantage of Rudy Gobert's early ejection to post a chippy 135-128 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
The teams were called for a combined eight technical fouls, five on Minnesota.
&ldquo;The frustrations boiled over,&rdquo; Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;It was not the most mature effort by us.&rdquo;
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, meanwhile, praised the team's &ldquo;poise." Gilgeous-Alexander was the catalyst for that.
&ldquo;He empowers the environment, he empowers the team and that&rsquo;s what you saw tonight,&rdquo; Daigneault said.
The NBA's third-leading scorer with a 31-point average, Gilgeous-Alexander sat out one game earlier this week with a bruised hip. But he had no trouble getting physical against Minnesota, making 10 of 17 shots and all 12 of his free throws.
&ldquo;Felt good playing basketball again,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Josh Giddey had 21 points and 12 assists for his eighth double-double of the season. Lu Dort scored 18 points as seven Thunder players reached double digits.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell led the Timberwolves with 27 points. Anthony Edwards added 26 points &mdash; he's scored more than 20 in nine of his last 10 games. Jaylen Nowell added 21 points.
Tensions flared in the second quarter when Gobert was ejected for tripping Kenrich Williams. The two got tangled up on the ground after both fell as Williams made a layup with 9:22 remaining in the quarter.
As Williams attempted to get up, Gobert lifted up his right foot and tripped the Thunder forward. Gobert was called for a flagrant-2 foul while Williams received a technical.
&ldquo;I trust that they got it right,&rdquo; Daigneault said of the officials' ruling.
Minus their center, the Timberwolves allowed the Thunder to shoot 51.6% from the field and score 66 points in the paint. The Timberwolves were also without Karl-Anthony Towns, who remains out with a calf strain.
Finch bemoaned his team's defensive intensity and its turnovers on the other end. Minnesota turned the ball over 23 times.
&ldquo;Sometimes we might have bonehead turnovers that we&rsquo;re better than,&rdquo; said Timberwolves center Naz Reid, who played a season-high 30 minutes and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds in Gobert's absence. &ldquo;Things like that cost us the game. We just got to be better moving forward.&rdquo;
The Thunder orchestrated an 18-3 run to go from trailing by one point to leading 125-113 with 4:14 to play.
&ldquo;The end of the third quarter it seemed like the wheels were coming off and we stabilized and closed the last minute well and then the group that started the fourth quarter built a nice little cushion for us,&rdquo; Daigneault said.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Center Mike Muscala (broken finger) was available off the bench for the first time since Nov. 21 but did not play. ... No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren went through a workout pregame as he recovers from a season-ending Lisfranc injury. Holmgren grew up five miles from Target Center.
Timberwolves: Gobert&rsquo;s ejection was the fifth of his career and first since arriving in Minnesota. ... Forward Jaden McDaniels (illness) returned from a three-game absence, started at power forward and scored eight points. ... Backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin (strained calf) also returned after a five-game absence and scored eight points. ... Forward Taurean Prince (shoulder) missed his fifth consecutive game.
UP NEXT
Thunder: At Atlanta on Monday night.
Timberwolves: Host Indiana on Wednesday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points in his return to action and the Thunder got a chippy 135-128 win over the Wolves on Saturday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder post physical win over T-Wolves

This is not a declaration that James Wiseman is a bust, or some irredeemable player. He is not the only issue with the Golden State Warriors, or even the Warriors' bench unit.
Conversely, this won't be a Warriors slander piece. If you were looking for either of those conclusions, you can close the tab (and thank you for the click).
Now that we have that out of the way: Wiseman being with the Warriors doesn't appear to benefit either party right now. A center with enough face-up and shooting flashes to raise your brow probably shouldn't be relegated to only screen-and-roll duties.
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And a win-now team spearheaded by one of the greatest players of all-time in Stephen Curry, who's still playing at an all-time level, shouldn't be tasked with being superhuman because the team bleeds points every time he sits.
It's important to note that point isn't solely on Wiseman; we're all waiting on Jordan Poole to regain his form (53.5% True Shooting, 59.8% TS last season) and confidence, for example. Head coach Steve Kerr has recently alluded to leaning on more experienced role players like [check notes] Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome instead of the trio of Wiseman, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"The thought process is when you're struggling, you don't have a rhythm, you don't have consistency, veteran players are going to be able to provide that more than young players are." -Steve Kerr on playing Anthony Lamb &amp; Ty Jerome more than Warriors youngsters. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DubNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DubNation</a>
&mdash; Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) <a href="https://twitter.com/KylenMills/status/1590455066267615232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

But think about who the Warriors are at their best. Quick, versatile, shape-shifting. It's a buzzsaw of cuts, relocations, ball-movement and switchability, We've seen how Moody fits into that. We've seen how Kuminga can fit into that, especially when he's able to log minutes at the 4 (or 5).
Have we really seen that from Wiseman? Part of the appeal was that he&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;fit snugly into that; his vertical presence and overall athleticism was a stark difference to what the Warriors had in their frontcourt room. In theory, being able to mix in his dynamic would make the Warriors even more difficult to deal with.
We've seen flashes of that: the Warriors generated 1.03 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Curry-Wiseman ball screen during Wiseman's rookie season, per Second Spectrum. It's easy to see how Wiseman's downhill juice could vibe with the flamethrowing of Curry.
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But in order for him to carve out a more consistent role, there had to be growth in the more "Warrior-like" elements. That growth hasn't happened at an ideal rate, mostly because Wiseman hasn't been able to stay healthy.
They rarely use Wiseman as the hub for their patented post-split action, mostly because he has limitations as a passer. That would be okay if he had more juice as an off-ball screener, but he's still trying to master the details of timing and angles. His results are spotty right now.
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Defensively, Wiseman is even more of a mixed bag. Because of his size and length, he can act as a true deterrent at the rim. He has legtimately good reps in drop on film. But because of his footwork, drop seems to be the only coverage he's truly comfortable in.
Add in the process of figuring out the gap in drop &mdash; how far he should play back, when to step up to ball-handlers, and not giving away easy reads in the process &mdash; and you get more messiness than positivity. Pull-up shooters can find pockets to attack; drivers often have space to chew up.
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He'll often find himself slightly out of position, which alters the strength of his contests. For a guy with his gifts, it's kinda wild how often you'll see ball-handlers driving through his chest &mdash; or drawing fouls.
The numbers aren't great. Opponents are generating over 1.2 PPP on trips featuring a ball screen defended by Wiseman. Among players defending at least three shots at the rim per game, Wiseman's efficiency allowed (70.3% FG) is one of the worst marks in the league. On top of that, he's averaging 6.8 fouls per 36 minutes &mdash; a mark higher than his rookie campaign (5.2).
The Warriors would operate better with a veteran 5; it's part of why they brought JaMychal Green into the fray over the offseason. And frankly, I'd like to see Wiseman with a team that can really prioritize his development without championship pressure.
I'd make a call if I were the Oklahoma City Thunder, just by virtue of having 1.5 true centers on the roster. With Chet Holmgren done for the year, you can afford to give Wiseman a bit of a runway. And for the Warriors, there are vets (hello, Mike Muscala and Kenrich Williams) worth inquiring about. Heck, there are also younger players (hello, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins) who may be better equipped for what they want to do than Wiseman is right now.
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There could be similar appeal in San Antonio, who may be willing to take another young flier in the frontcourt in light of the Zach Collins injury news. They've already spun the tires on Charles Bassey; I'd at least see what the interest level would be. There are vets to inquire about (Josh Richardson, Doug McDermott, Gorgui Dieng), though it's worth noting that the Warriors might have to add something minor to the pot to pry Richardson or McDermott out of there.
(This is likely a no-go because of how the draft went, but Wiseman under the tutelage of Steve Clifford in Charlotte would also intrigue me.)
Again: none of Wiseman's issues are impossible to overcome. With continued health, I'd honestly bank on him overcoming most of them. There's a good player in there; even the archetype he's been kinda pigeonholed into thus far &mdash; a rim-running dunkaholic who can man the fort in drop &mdash; has value on good teams.&nbsp;
Considering the Warriors are getting blitzed in his minutes &mdash; a <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1630164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minus-22.4 net rating</a> with opponents converting nearly 59% of their twos &mdash; I'm just not sure if the Warriors can give him the time to work through those growing pains while also trying to compete. It would behoove both parties to look for an alternative.

Should the Golden State Warriors and James Wiseman go their separate ways? It may benefit both parties, writes Nekias Duncan.

A James Wiseman-Warriors split would be best for both parties

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Rudy Gobert had 23 points and 15 rebounds in his Minnesota debut, and the Timberwolves recovered to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-108 on Wednesday in the season opener.
D'Angelo Russell had 20 points and Jaden McDaniels added 19 points for the Timberwolves, who turned a 16-point lead into a six-point deficit during the third quarter.
Gobert stepped up with a steadying hand on a night when Karl-Anthony Towns (12 points) and Anthony Edwards (11 points) shot a combined 6 for 27 from the floor. Jaylen Nowell, who had 13 points, put the Timberwolves ahead for good with his layup with 10:47 remaining.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-shai-gilgeous-alexander-a33b37160bb7493d5ab7fd7d0d3e3735">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</a> led the Thunder with 32 points and cut the lead to 105-103 with 4:04 left, but they didn't get any closer after that.
One of the most anticipated seasons for Timberwolves fans in the star-crossed history of their team, coming off a return to the playoffs and the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-entertainment-sports-30765f1caacff7e3e99aa0674dee7ffb">blockbuster addition</a> of Gobert in a summer trade with Utah, began with the 7-foot-1 Frenchman greeting the crowd during the pregame hype.
They had to work for this win against a pesky, young and fast Thunder team that&rsquo;s playing without injured No. 2 overall draft pick Chet Holmgren.
The Timberwolves won all four matchups with the Thunder last season by an average of more than 26 points and were in complete control of the first half, until a meltdown late in the third quarter left the Thunder an opening to make a game of it and then some.
After Minnesota went ahead by a game-high 16 points, the Thunder went on a 27-5 run. Eugene Omoruyi, who did fine work defending Towns during that stretch, knocked down a shot in the paint for Oklahoma City&rsquo;s first lead with 3:01 left in the period.
Gobert single-handedly cranked the crowd energy back up by stealing a bad pass by Mike Muscala, beating him to the loose ball and flipping in a one-handed runner ahead of the buzzer to tie it at 87. Gobert dunked on Josh Giddey for a 92-89 lead to give the fans another highlight.
The Thunder had a setback in the second quarter when rookie Jalen Williams &mdash; one of three 2022 lottery selections on the roster &mdash; injured his right eye while trying to defend a dunk attempt by McDaniels in the second quarter. Williams needed assistance to leave the floor and walk to the locker room and did not return, after scoring five points in six minutes.
The biggest question surrounding the Timberwolves is how effectively Gobert and Towns can <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-sports-rudy-gobert-8326697cf6a2a137825b0885958af7c9">play together</a>, a pair of 7-footers &mdash; albeit with distinct skill sets &mdash; in this age of long-distance shooting and position-less small ball across the NBA.
Gobert put his name on the first basket of the season, a put-back of his own miss, and the twin towers provided a glimpse of how well they can play off of each other with Towns twice flipping him top-of-the-key lob passes for dunks in the first half.
HOMECOMING FOR HOLMGREN
The luster was stripped off the opener for Oklahoma City's prized rookie when he ruptured a tendon in his right foot <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-faecc6fbc3fbe571e2dffb76033a7c90">in a pro-am game</a> that ended his first season before it began. Holmgren grew up in south Minneapolis, just a few miles from Target Center, and accompanied the Thunder on the trip so he could see family and enjoy some bonding time with his teammates. The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-draft-8c087d0afbe773f3d61b24753f35b713">rehab program</a> will take priority for Holmgren over traveling with the team over the course of the season.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Kenrich Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski were surprise starters in the frontcourt. The 7-foot Pokusevski had 11 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl started the second half in place of Williams.
Timberwolves: Newcomer Kyle Anderson was the first player off the bench. He had two points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. ... Eric Paschall, who played 58 games for Utah last season and was in camp on a two-way contract, was waived before the game amid lingering left Achilles trouble.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit Denver on Saturday night. Their home opener is against Minnesota on Sunday night.
Timberwolves: Host Utah on Friday night, when Gobert takes on his former team.

Rudy Gobert had 23 points and 15 rebounds in his Minnesota debut, and the Timberwolves recovered to beat the Thunder.

Gobert thrives in Wolves debut to lead 115-108 win vs. OKC

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Northwest Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

Oklahoma City Thunder and forward Kenrich Williams has agreed to a four-year, $27.2 million contract extension, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1549120673204797440" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
ESPN Sources: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams has agreed on a four-year, $27.2 million contract extension. The deal, negotiated by <a href="https://twitter.com/PensackSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PensackSports</a>, comes for an undrafted player who had no Division I offers out of high school.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1549120673204797440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams has agreed to a four-year, $27.2 million contract extension.

Thunder, Kenrich WIlliams agree to four-year, $27M extension

The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery was last night, so we now have our top-14 picks!
Unfortunately, many of these teams &mdash; like the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets &mdash; have grown accustomed to picking in the lottery year after year.
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Of those top-14 teams, some should try to win now. And no, that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean they have to trade their first-round pick, especially after observing how Rookie-of-the-Year winner Scottie Barnes and runner-up Evan Mobley impacted winning this season. But, for some teams, you could say that if they were better at development, they wouldn&rsquo;t be in the lottery this often.
But we digress. Here are some teams who should strongly consider using their lottery pick in a win-now trade so that they&rsquo;re not back in the same position next season in an increasingly wide-open NBA.
(Did we include specific trade ideas? No, we aren't firing up the trade machine here. It's May, and what do you want? 2,500 words? On the Lottery? During the Conference Finals?)
Sacramento Kings
The Kings, who were the only team to jump in the lottery last night, have picks No. 4 and No. 37 in the upcoming draft, <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Kings.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">along with all of their pending first-rounders</a> and many of their seconds.
Absolutely no team in the NBA needs to make the playoffs more than the Kings. The team was a perennial playoff participant from 1999 through 2006, which is hard to fathom since they haven&rsquo;t reached the postseason ever since. Their eight-straight playoff trips included four consecutive runs to at least the Western Conference Semifinals, with a Western Conference Finals trip in 2002. They have not made the playoffs since 2006; they&rsquo;ve only finished above 10th place in the West once, in 2019, when they went 39-43 &mdash; their best record in 16 years, and one of only two seasons in which they&rsquo;ve had more than 33 wins.
Last season, they made the now keystone Kings-Pacers trade, dealing Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristian Thompson for Domantas Sabonis (who represented them at the lottery), Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick. With the pairing of Sabonis (26 years old) and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (24 years old), it may make more sense to add a similarly aged starter who can help their 2022-23 presumed playoff push.
Also, expected on the roster next season is Davion Mitchell, who will enter his sophomore season but is already 23 years old and may earn an All-Rookie selection soon. Richaun Holmes saw his role take a hit once Sabonis arrived and missed much of the latter portion of the season <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/being-accused-ex-wife-domestic-010013091.html">dealing with a personal issue</a>. Otherwise, for now, Holmes, Harrison Barnes and Mitchell are among the players under contract for next season.
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Dealing the No. 4 overall pick could land them a damn good player. John Collins, Gordon Hayward, Julius Randle, Jerami Grant and Christian Wood are among those who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may find a new home this summer</a>. Could the Utah Jazz look to move on from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donovan Mitchell</a> or <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rudy Gobert</a>&nbsp;in the coming months?
The Kings will have to attach players to the No. 4 pick, but imagine if Sacramento could put another win-now piece alongside Fox and Sabonis? They should make some calls to see what a package built around the No. 4 pick could return.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Despite all of the draft picks the Thunder own, they simply can&rsquo;t draft everyone. In this year's draft, OKC owns No. 2, No. 12, No. 30 and No. 34. Over the next five years, they will have 17 first-round picks and 30 selections in total. This is something you do in NBA 2K when you plan on building a dynasty, but at some point, most virtual GMs realize that you need to start having actual players on your roster to win rather than just continually flipping players for picks while toiling at the bottom of the standings.&nbsp;
At some point, Oklahoma City needs to make its run. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is about to enter the first season of his five-year, $172 million extension, which will see him earn just under $30 million next year. SGA turns 24 years old this summer and is a cornerstone for the franchise as their best player at the moment. Last year's No. 6 overall selection Josh Giddey looks like a keeper who almost certainly will be on an All-Rookie team this season. Lu Dort, Tre Mann, Kenrich Williams, Darius Bazley, Ty Jerome and Aleksej Pokusevski are all under contractual control for next season.
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OKC could quickly assemble a package for a high-level starter or borderline star to join SGA and Giddey, particularly with whoever else is retained. They have more than enough draft capital and could probably get close to anyone they want as a result. In terms of their roster, they just need good two-way players who fit what they&rsquo;re trying to build culturally and schematically. Literally, anything goes here.
At some point, the Thunder will have to package some of these draft picks or prospects. We'll see when Sam Presti decides to flip that switch.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are in a tough spot with Damian Lillard, and what Lillard wants will factor in to their decision-making. He clearly wants to win but, by all accounts, he prefers to stay in Portland. It may be difficult to check both of those boxes with the Blazers as presently constructed. In the Lillard-CJ McCollum era, Portland made the playoffs every season and reached one Western Conference Finals in 2019. They were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-salute-to-the-defiance-of-damian-lillard-and-cj-mccollum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often failed by suboptimal roster construction around Lillard and McCollum</a>, and then the elite backcourt would be unfairly blamed for the team's struggles.
With the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and the assumption that Lillard remains, what&rsquo;s their next move as they once again attempt to win with their elite 6-foot-3 shot creator? Lillard is due over $42 million next season, the second season of a four-year supermax that will include a player option worth close to $49 million in 2024-25.
Eric Bledsoe&rsquo;s $19 million and Josh Hart&rsquo;s $12 million are the only other big salaries on the books for next season. A decision awaits on dynamic guard Anfernee Simons, who is reminiscent of the aforementioned McCollum, as he is up for an extension this summer as he enters restricted free agency. <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/25/restricted-free-agent-to-be-anfernee-simons-i-100-want-to-stay-in-portland/#:~:text=signed%20a%20three%2Dyear%2C%20%2451.8,board%20career%20highs%20this%20season." target="_blank" rel="noopener">He reportedly wants to stay in Portland</a>.
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Ultimately, if the Blazers decide to package the No. 7 overall with some combination of players, could they look to include Simons via a sign-and-trade? It depends how aspirational a supposed deal could get and who they are getting in return. Only $3.9 million of Bledsoe&rsquo;s deal <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/eric-bledsoe-6900/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is fully guaranteed until June 29</a>, making him a prime trade-and-waive candidate between now and the draft.
Here's the reality: Portland&rsquo;s roster requires a full rebuild, but if Lillard is going to remain, selecting a rookie at No. 7 might not be ideal. And given their history and Simons' fit alongside Lillard, you might want to look at a big.

Bryan Fonseca argues that there are three NBA teams who should look to trade their lottery pick for a win-now piece.

Which NBA Draft Lottery teams should make a win-now trade?

I have a particular affinity for whiteboards. My thoughts are pretty unorganized and the most random thoughts about Jalen Duren's potential as a short-roller or Chimezie Metu's face-up game will come to me at any odd hour of the day. Expo markers and whiteboards all around me are an absolute must and godsend. I have three in my room, one dedicated strictly to future story ideas and league wide trends I'm curious about. One constant on that board since mid-November; Why are the Oklahoma City Thunder good at defense?
The defense has been above league average for the majority of the season, they have length and athleticism, and a few defenders who routinely stand out in watching. Yet, I couldn't really point my finger as to&nbsp;why.
Due to the public plea from Alex Speers (listen to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/down-to-dunk-okc-thunder-podcast/id599740073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Down to Dunk</a>), I finally made it a mission to really get into the thick of it and get a better view of what makes the Thunder such an effective defensive team.
Per Cleaning the Glass, OKC is 12th in defensive efficiency on the season: Not bad, above average, but nothing crazy. Ultimately, better than I'd expect (They finished in 26th last season, but were above average prior to Al Horford sitting the remainder of the season).
Fine tune it a bit more; they're 10th in defense in 2022. Ok, we've got something here.
Flip through a few more lenses, choose between one and two, and cycle to the halfcourt: The Thunder have allowed 90.7 points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt since the turn of the year, the third best mark in the league. That's not just good, that's bordering on elite. For perspective, the Utah Jazz were first in halfcourt defensive efficiency last season and allowed 91.3 pp/100.&nbsp;
Ok man, what is going on here?! Where has this come from?
Oddly enough, the Thunder told us themselves early in the season in a 56 second video (Sidenote: How does this video only have ~300 views? It has great production value, a sick beat and what more could you want frankly?)
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As Darius Bazley tells us "If a guy's going for a layup or a dunk, that's a moment of truth, whether you're gonna take the charge or you're gonna go up to attempt to block it or verticality."
This is the first piece of the puzzle. The Thunder contest everything at the rim. While not necessarily an indicator of defense one way or another, the Thunder lead the NBA in contests per game according to Second Spectrum (partially because of something we'll hit on in a bit).
They don't generate steals or blocks at an above average rate, they lack a true defensive anchor at the five spot, and yet, they make it work. However, that's part of the charm in OKC's defense.&nbsp;
Legendary (and somehow underrated) rap duo, Gang Starr, had an incredible album called Moment of Truth, including a track of the same name. First of all, this is one of the few 20 track double-sided albums that's worth it. Secondly, I'd like to think Mark Daigneault is just a massive fan of Gang Starr and built this mantra with Guru's lyrics in mind, and Premo's beat as the foundation.
"Peep the language. It's universal, you play with fire it may hurt you."
The Oklahoma City Thunder simply do NOT play with fire. Everything about their defense is solid. Their whole identity is crafted around managing firepower. Gum up what the offense wants and force them into really difficult looks without gambling.
They allow the 2nd fewest attempts at the rim in 2022 (4th on the season), while holding opponents to 62.6% shooting at the rim over the same span (5th). They squeeze offenses to only 27.1% of all shots coming within four feet of the basket.&nbsp;
OKC's mission every possession is to shrink the floor, slow drives, take away the open lanes, and chew the clock.
This is the defense before the first action.
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This is the defense after the first action hits.
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All five Thunder defenders shrink the floor; Aaron Wiggins cheats off Nikola Vucevic in help for Lu Dort if LaVine chooses to drive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander high tags off of Ayo Dosunmu to speed bumpo a Vucevic roll (below average above the break shooter), and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl pre-rotates as the low-man, another added line of defense.
They almost operate like a slinky, capable of consistently compressing and stretching to adapt to the action presented to them.
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Preventing quick rolls and neutralizing pick-and-rolls before they can fully develop puts out those fires before they can spread. The Thunder are willing to just stay solid and concede a contested pull-up two (2nd most allowed in 2022 per Cleaning the Glass), where they get torched in all fairness as opponents shoot an undgodly 53.3%, but part of that is shot luck/variance, and that's still a more difficult shot than anything at the rim.
"Nobody's invincible, no plan is foolproof."
You'd think a team that routinely plays without a true defensive five would switch a great deal, but that's not the Thunder's motive!&nbsp;
They can and do switch fairly often, but they're adept at late-switching with backend rotations in tandem to stem the tide. The communication and team trust is apparent.
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Dort gets stonewalled by an immaculate Bruce Brown screen. Wiggins is normally going to show high and recover to Brown on his slowed roll as JRE high tags with SGA pre-rotating backline.
However, Wiggins switches with Dort out of the picture, Dort recovers to take Day'Ron Sharpe under the rim as SGA closes back out to Kessler Edwards. A fantastic defensive possession all-around.
Opposing teams will mix-in different screening angles to try and force switches, and the Thunder again are adept at switching actively, but also under control.&nbsp;
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They time their switches well, they don't bite too hard, and they know their length, making it hard for opposition to take any sort of advantage out of the ballscreen.
So yes, no plan is foolproof, but the Thunder almost revel in that. Dort is an exceptional man to man defender, but their money is made working as one, holding a sort of defensive battle line in what they are and aren't willing to concede, and utilizing their strengths (length and communication) to ward off drives.&nbsp;
They rarely close-out hard to the perimeter, choosing instead to instill choppin feet out to shooters. There's no right or wrong way to close-out in my opinion, but the Thunder choose this seemingly to further embody their ethos of staying solid without allowing drives to the heart of the court. Some shooting luck has benefitted them from above the break misses (2nd in non-corner 3-point percentage allowed in 2022), but the plan is executed well.
"Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge."
One of the other aspects I love about the Thunder defense is their willingness to differentiate looks based on personnel.&nbsp;
They'll often play back-up five Mike Muscala in a short drop, but call quick blitzes based on the shot clock and ball-handler.&nbsp;
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They're selective with pressure, but when they do it, they're 100% committed.
If an offense starts to throw in Spain actions (pick and roll with a backscreen and replacement to the arc) or similar differentiations to throw off the regular defense, that's fine! The Thunder call out their screens incredibly well. They normally stick Dort on star players and fight to not give up the match-up, but they won't do it at the expense of jeopardizing a deep drive
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It seems simple, but that's part of the point. OKC makes the small things a point of emphasis. Consistent communication and five players all engaged, they can combat more complex actions that could throw off a less together group.
"Sometimes you gotta dig deep when problems come near. Don't fear, things get severe for everybody everywhere."
The Thunder are long, they're athletic, and man they seem irritating to play against. Again, they don't go out of their way to turn the ball over, but their length and ability to bother anything on the interior is hard to deny.
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SGA has some draw-backs and shortcomings as an on-ball defender, but he has really sharp hands in passing lanes and many unsuspecting ball-handlers have had their pocket picked or shot tipped by him.
The Thunder in general lack true lockdown ball-stoppers outside of Dort and Kenrich Williams.
Navigating screens isn't the strength of the Thunder, but they're tremendous at defending screens. It sounds like a paradoxical equation, but it comes back to communication.
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Dort is caught getting back still and the Hornets flow into some early offense. But, here comes JRE, calling out the play at first for Dort, but also operating as a middle linebacker, filling the gap and blowing it up before damage can be caused. Dort reconnects, and it's all settled down. It seems minute in the moment, but I can't speak highly enough of what JRE has done for Oklahoma City's defense.
His positioning and court-mapping as a defender are impressive. He knows how to get the most out of his length (or lack thereof) and size. He directs the defense with guile. If I'd never watched him or the Thunder, you could easily convince me he was already a 2nd or 3rd contract player.
That is such an easy bucket for the Hornets if the communication isn't there.
The Thunder actively have all players involved playing both sides of the screen. So often, defenders are strictly doing their sole purpose, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but the Thunder FIGHT those screens like a ship fighting an ocean storm. Some defenses will let screens happen and react, OKC attacks them.
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Dort and JRE are absolutely swarming that screen on the first possession, almost like an Oklahoma drill in football with two players actively defending Harden. They actively prevent the chance to roll from Griffin by interchangeably attacking the screen, while also negating Harden a chance to drive.
Consequently, they can be susceptible to screen slips, particularly from bouncy screeners. Playing this aggressively on screening action leaves you open to trickery.
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It is tough to stop a slipping Miles Bridges in open space without a top-notch rim protector.
"You got no hand skills, there's no security to save ya."
No defense is perfect, and OKC is no exception, with two vices that are extremely hard to understate.
Part of the difficulty in routinely not playing a traditional five: their rebounding is atrocious. It's not always for lack of trying, but they're not great at boxing out, often are just outmatched on the interior, and they give up a decent amount of long rebounds because of how willing they are to shrink the floor.
They're 18th in defensive rebounding percentage on the season, but a paltry 28th in 2022, and it is painstakingly obvious when watching. They sometimes make 3 or 4 stops in a row, but more possessions means more opportunities for the offense.&nbsp;
To say that the Thunder have a "bad" offense would be unkind to the other teams that are below average. They're 30th on the season in offensive efficiency, scoring 14.4 points per 100 possessions less than the league leading Utah Jazz. You've likely seen the Lakers play a few times this year and how rough their offense can be. They score 6.8 points per 100 possessions more than OKC, <a href="https://youtu.be/MpUWrl3-mc8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yeah it's that rough!</a>&nbsp;
They turn the ball over a great deal, miss a lot (30th in rim shooting percentage), and thus give up a ton of transition opportunities.
That makes the growing defense all the more impressive.
This team isn't good, but they're growing. There have been real flashes of potential. The roster is bought in and committed to the scheme, and while it doesn't gloss over the offensive shortcomings, it's something to hang their hat on.
There's a defensive backbone that could form the foundation of the next great era of Thunder basketball, not unlike the early Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka squads that sported numerous top 10 defenses.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on track for another top five pick during a clear tanking year, but don't be fooled by the record, a real identity is growing in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are top-10 in defense since the start of 2022. What makes the Thunder defense so effective?

The Oklahoma City Thunder's emerging defensive identity

We had a whopping <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15 NBA trades</a> go down in an eight-day span.
The league buckled down for one of the biggest fireworks shows in recent deadline memory. Front offices dealt All-NBA superstars and hammered out four-team mazes. By the time the clock struck 3 p.m. on Thursday, we saw some teams go all-in on a playoff push, others cash out and move towards rebuilding, and many surprisingly pass on the spectacle entirely. It's a perfect time to set the table ahead of the stretch run with a fresh Sour Rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;By most accounts, the Indiana Pacers crushed it with their trade deadline moves. Tyrese Haliburton instantly becomes the bedrock of the franchise's next era, and he's looked pretty good in limited time so far. Indiana also snuck in a solid flier by acquiring Jalen Smith and didn't trade away any of its veteran players just for the sake of making a move. The Detroit Pistons were also briefly in the Sour Rankings, but escape after acquiring former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III without giving up long-term pieces.
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10. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-39)
Of all the teams to hold their chips at this year's deadline, OKC might be the most surprising. The Thunder had several players worth trading for &mdash; including Kenrich Williams and Mike Muscala &mdash; and had oodles of salary cap room to take on guys with undesirable contracts. Instead, they only clocked-in one deal, trading a second-round pick to the Miami Heat for KZ Okpala, who was subsequently waived. Though it's not a colossal general-managing blunder, the Thunder may have missed some good opportunities to add to the stockpile.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Charlotte Hornets (29-29)
The Hornets added Montrezl Harrell to fill the backup center spot on paper, and he should help as a play-finisher. However, Harrell does little to address the returning defensive woes for a Charlotte team that is 3-7 in its last 10 games. The squad has also hit an offensive shooting slump while also ranking 22nd in turnover rate since the start of February. A seven-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday overshadowed a horrendous two-way performance in the first half that had me concerned.
(Last week: 10)
8. Utah Jazz (35-21)
The Jazz got involved in one minor three-team deal at the trade deadline, and it didn't do much to squelch the raised voices about their title pretender status. Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labeled them a loser of the week</a> despite acquiring a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-nickeil-alexanderwalker-fill-the-gaps-for-the-utah-jazz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prospect he liked in Nickeil Alexander-Walker</a>:
"There's an intriguing foundation with him that Utah could unearth more of and help him build upon, but the issue is where the Jazz are right now. They needed immediate help defensively at the point of attack and the wing, yet NAW is not really that guy right now."
Utah is on a five-game winning streak, however, which deserves some credit. The team stays where it is in these rankings for now.
(Last week: 8)
7. Houston Rockets (15-40)
Here's another rebuilding franchise that balked at the chance to capitalize on the rush of apparent buyers. Houston didn't need to trade Eric Gordon in my opinion, but he certainly could have returned value. I was more surprised that Christian Wood not only remains on the team, but also was barely brought up in public trade rumors. He has not been nearly the player he can or should be with the Rockets, and I don't know if anything he does in the next two months changes that outlook. Of course, John Wall is still on the roster too.
(Last week: Unranked)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (23-34)
The Blazers are a confusing team to nail down for me. They traded CJ McCollum to New Orleans in a move many expected, but didn't get a whole lot back (aside from a very solid rotation player in Josh Hart and a protected first-rounder). A couple days go by, and then, the aforementioned Alexander-Walker &mdash; the best young player in the first trade &mdash; heads to Utah for a second-round pick, an expiring and injured Joe Ingles and a more obscure flier in Elijah Hughes.
Nekias Duncan gave those two moves a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C-minus and D in his trade deadline grades</a>. I think I'd agree, because at the end of it all, I still don't know what Portland is doing other than clearing some cap room.
(Last week: 6)
5. Sacramento Kings (22-36)
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Sabonis and Fox will be a natural fit 👉🏽 That P&amp;R with a guard who can slash, pass and play in between with pace paired with a highly skilled big man who is great around the rim and can shoot comfortably from 15 feet. This is the co-star both guys needed. 🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/kings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kings</a> <a href="https://t.co/ngj5TdjPp0">pic.twitter.com/ngj5TdjPp0</a>
&mdash; Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) <a href="https://twitter.com/balldontstop/status/1491657233897119746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I'll give the Kings a little credit for the auspicious stretch they've had with Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox together since that big blockbuster move. A lot of people, myself included, probably overreacted to the deal and didn't give enough thought to what Sabonis can unlock for the players around him in Sacramento. They also did a sneaky-great job turning Marvin Bagley III into three players who can help the team win now at various levels.
I still have a hard time getting over the Kings trading Tyrese Haliburton, their most promising young player and a public advocate for turning a losing culture around.&nbsp;
(Last week: 4)
4. Washington Wizards (25-30)
Kristaps Porzingis was perhaps the most shocking name to be dealt this season; his name hadn't really popped up at all until Thursday morning. While it's fair that the Wizards needed to end the Spencer Dinwiddie-Bradley Beal experiment and Porzingis makes them better purely on paper, I don't love the fit. Will he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/so-how-does-this-kristaps-porzingis-spencer-dinwiddie-davis-bertans-thing-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make a meaningful difference for a Washington team</a> that is one of two NBA squads with bottom-five Offensive and Defensive Ratings over the past two weeks? I'm doubtful.
The Montrezl Harrell trade was also super weird because it brought back two players who probably should not be in the rotation. Washington's big mix is still backed up now with Porzingis, Daniel Gafford, Thomas Bryant and Vernon Carey Jr., plus larger forwards in Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura.&nbsp;
(Last week: 2)
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3. New York Knicks (26-31)
Whew, Saturday's blown lead to the Trail Blazers was a stinger. The Knicks led by 23 at one point before coughing up the game to a Portland team that just went through a widespread, trade-deadline fire sale. New York, meanwhile, didn't make any moves despite the glaring underperformance in recent weeks. The Knicks have two extremely winnable games against the Thunder and Brooklyn Nets before the All-Star break. If they can't find something, I'll have serious doubts about them even being close to a Play-In team.
(Last week: 5)
2. Brooklyn Nets (29-27)
In a vacuum, the Nets moved on from a disgruntled star in James Harden and returned three players who can instantly (once healthy) slot into a thin rotation. Ben Simmons makes a ton of sense as a defensive boost, Seth Curry can replace the shooting lost by Joe Harris' injury, and Andre Drummond at least gives Brooklyn a presence on the glass and center depth.
But they still gave up James Harden. Brooklyn's Big Three played 16 games together in total, and the Nets are still neck-deep in an 11-game losing streak. Things are most definitely bad.
(Last week: 1)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (26-31)
If a franchise arrives at a point in the season where <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33250361/los-angeles-lakers-feel-urgency-make-changes-trade-deadline-nears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the locker room itself wants trades to happen</a>, then the front office should listen. But Rob Pelinka had to go all Bumi from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and embrace neutral jing &mdash; a.k.a. doing nothing. The Lakers made zero trades this season. They are the most underwhelming team in the NBA and they made zero trades.&nbsp;
(Last week: 3)
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Ethan Fuller lines up the league's biggest underperformers, including teams who failed to maximize the NBA trade deadline.

NBA Sour Rankings: Reshuffling the deck post-trade deadline

With one week to go before the 2022 NBA trade deadline, talks are heating up around the league. In a year that seems very wide open, many teams could be enticed to make a win-now move and push some chips to the middle of the table. According to the rumor mill, we could see deadline deals involving a number of significant contributors who can swing potential playoff series.
So, which teams and players make the most sense together? Let&rsquo;s go dive into the moves that could swing the Western Conference standings despite Phoenix already creating noticeable distance up top.
Phoenix Suns: Eric Gordon
Will the rich get even richer? Phoenix may try to make a bold move and remove all debate over who's the West's No. 1 seed. As I mentioned previously, it&rsquo;s no secret that the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-suns-are-an-underrated-team-to-watch-at-the-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suns have inquired about Eric Gordon and Thaddeus Young</a> as midseason upgrades. Gordon would be via trade, while Young could be scooped up via the buyout market if no trade happens in San Antonio.
If the Suns were to accomplish this, their rotation would be absurd heading into a postseason as title favorites:
Starting Lineup: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton
Second Unit: Cameron Payne, Eric Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Thaddeus Young, JaVale McGee
That right there is a dominant playoff rotation with no holes presented. On top of that, it&rsquo;s the type of trade teams make when they know how close they are to the ultimate goal. Phoenix checks all the boxes, and so do the fits of Gordon and Young in the Valley.
Gordon would immediately step in as a reliable third guard, with way less volatility than what Payne and Landry Shamet have presented this season. Gordon&rsquo;s versatility and sharpshooting would bring another boost to an already elite offense for the Suns.
Phoenix would have to send out Dario Saric, Jalen Smith and a cheap expiring contract (i.e. Elfrid Payton, Abdel Nader, Frank Kaminsky). The Houston Rockets have also let it be known they want a future first-round pick in any Gordon deal. Phoenix shouldn&rsquo;t feel concerned about relinquishing a protected 2024 first-round pick, especially with its championship window being right now.
Keep an eye on Phoenix, folks. They are positioned well to make a few notable splashes through different avenues.
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Dallas Mavericks: Myles Turner
Does Dallas really want to lock in this core around Luka Doncic? The answer should be "No," although Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith have provided strong chemistry alongside the Mavs&rsquo; young superstar point forward. Maybe the Mavs decide to keep Brunson around, but it&rsquo;s going to be a tough pill to swallow paying both him and Finney-Smith this summer.
With that being the case, now is the perfect time to strike on one of those assets to bring aboard a game-changing piece. Enter Myles Turner, who instantly jolts an already-recharged Dallas defense.
Turner instantly provides an elite rim-protector to take pressure off Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. The Mavs might take a small step back in rebounding with this move, but Doncic should be more than capable of taking on those duties.
The Indiana Pacers would receive Dwight Powell&rsquo;s salary, Finney-Smith as a looming restricted free agent and a first-round pick. With Turner&rsquo;s value down due to a foot injury &mdash; which could have him back on the court next month &mdash; this might be the best offer available for the Pacers.
With the sudden emergence of Isaiah Jackson and Terry Taylor, Indiana would be wise to move off Turner immediately. The Pacers are in a rare position to focus on the internal player development of their young core and simultaneously lose their way into a top draft pick. Focus on the young guys and take a flier on how Finney-Smith could fit next to Domantas Sabonis long-term.
Memphis Grizzlies: Kenrich Williams
One of the most underrated wings on the trade market resides in Oklahoma City. Kenrich Williams is a key glue guy for the Thunder, but imagine how much more valuable his presence would be on a real championship contender this postseason.
Williams is a name that checks a lot of boxes for wing-hungry contenders. I thought about sending Williams to Phoenix for this exercise, but settled upon how brilliant his fit would be in Memphis. The Grizzlies need another versatile wing to keep up in the West. Williams helps bring their strong start even more stability.
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Oklahoma City reportedly is looking for a future first-round pick in exchange for Williams. Memphis can provide that, plus an intriguing flier on a former lottery pick who hasn&rsquo;t panned out yet in Jarrett Culver.
It&rsquo;s not a star-type move, but Williams is one of those under-the-radar pieces that could thrive in the postseason.
Utah Jazz: Harrison Barnes
It&rsquo;s time for the Jazz to push those chips all-in, especially with their slump as of late with multiple core pieces out due to injury. Utah has fallen off its earlier pace trying to keep up with the Suns and Golden State Warriors. Now, they&rsquo;ve been leapfrogged by the Grizzlies, and multiple teams loom over the Jazz slipping even further in the standings.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert can&rsquo;t do everything by himself in Utah. The Jazz have been exposed on multiple occasions for not having more versatile defenders surrounding Gobert to make his job a little bit easier.
Now, with Joe Ingles out for the season with a torn ACL, Utah needs to find an immediate contributor on the wing who can help bring the team much-needed, two-way versatility. Harrison Barnes makes so much sense as what the Jazz need to make the jump. Barnes and Jerami Grant have both been linked to the Jazz, so this has some serious smoke behind it.
Barnes is an excellent floor-spacing option who wouldn&rsquo;t take touches away from Donovan Mitchell. Also, the veteran forward is versatile enough to handle tough assignments on the wing, especially envisioning how it would look against Phoenix and Golden State.
Swapping out Ingles&rsquo; contract, Royce O&rsquo;Neale and a first-round pick for Barnes would be an instant upgrade for the Jazz. It brings them back into the conversation as real Finals threats atop the West with the Suns and Warriors.
How would you grade this rotation for the Jazz if it actually came to fruition?
Starting Lineup: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gobert
Second Unit: Trent Forrest, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, Hassan Whiteside
That bench is a little thin for Utah, but the potency of the starting five completely outweighs that. Utah needs to make a big move, and the time is now.
Welcome to the Wild West, folks. This trade deadline is going to be a very interesting one for the Western Conference's true title contenders.
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The Western Conference feels wide open. How could the trade deadline have an impact? Here are four potentially massive moves.

4 potential NBA trade-deadline deals that would shake up the West

In their first game since leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was injured, the Oklahoma City Thunder scrapped their way to a win.
Lu Dort had 18 points and the Thunder defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 98-81 on Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who averages 22.7 points per game, is out until after the All-Star break with a sprained right ankle sustained last Friday against Indiana. Without him, the Thunder trailed Portland by 18 in the second quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander has often been the catalyst when Oklahoma City has launched comebacks from large deficits. But this time, his teammates filled in and stepped up.
&ldquo;I said when he went out that we want to be a team that solves problems with five guys," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s like internal messaging we use with the guys pretty regularly. And not having a player like Shai is a problem. You know, we would love to have Shai. And I thought tonight ... we solved the problem with five guys."
Darius Bazley scored 15 points and Josh Giddey added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder.
CJ McCollum had 21 points and Norman Powell added 18 for Portland, which has lost four of five.
&ldquo;For the most part, this is one of those games where you couldn&rsquo;t make a shot," Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;Eighty-one points &mdash; anybody in the league scores 81 points, there&rsquo;s no way you&rsquo;re going to have a chance to win the game. But I thought we played the right way. Just couldn&rsquo;t make them.&rdquo;
Portland took charge early, leading 31-19 after one quarter and 40-22 early in the second before the Thunder rallied and trailed 47-39 at the break.
&ldquo;I thought early, especially, we were moving it, we were making the right play. But we were just like, not doing it in the rhythm that we&rsquo;re capable of and that we needed to,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;And then we, as the game went on, we kind of got our feet wet.&rdquo;
Oklahoma City started strong in the second half, and a 3-pointer by Dort cut Portland's lead to 51-49. A basket by Derrick Favors tied the score at 51, and the Blazers called a timeout. Ty Jerome's 3-pointer late in the quarter put the Thunder ahead 61-59, and a steal and floater in the lane by Dort as time expired in the third gave Oklahoma City a 65-61 lead.
A behind-the-back pass from Jerome to Kenrich Williams led to a dunk that put the Thunder up 73-65. It was part of a 15-0 run that gave the Thunder an 80-65 lead and control for good.
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t one person carrying a load, it was just a style and team orientation that allowed us to play off advantages," Daigneault said. &ldquo;And I thought the guys did a really good job of that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: F Trendon Watford twisted his ankle after landing on Thunder forward Mamadi Diakite's foot in the first quarter and left the game. Diakite was called for a Flagrant 1. Watford returned later in the game. ... Former Thunder coach Scott Brooks returned as an assistant with Portland. ... Top scorer Damian Lillard has been out for about a month with an abdominal injury.
Thunder: Outscored the Blazers 20-16 in the second quarter despite shooting just 26% from the field. Portland shot only 30%. ... Made 16 of 17 free throws. ... Held Portland to 7-for-38 shooting from 3-point range.
QUOTABLE
Daigneault, on what Billups said to him after the game: &ldquo;He was just very complimentary and classy. You know, it&rsquo;s one thing when you lose a game like that &mdash; to say something with that level of humility is impressive. I&rsquo;ve never met him before."
STAT LINES
In the second half, the Thunder shot 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 100% from the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Thunder: At the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Lu Dort had 18 points and the Thunder defeated the Trail Blazers 98-81 on Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.

Dort helps Thunder top Trail Blazers 98-81, end 7-game skid

Physical length and height seem to be what NBA draft darlings are made of these days. Coming into the league as a part of the 2020 class, Desmond Bane didn&rsquo;t have either. At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, the former TCU standout was more chiseled and built than lanky and wide.
Heck, that still rings true today... but here&rsquo;s the catch: It hasn&rsquo;t mattered one damn bit, and those old concerns are being put to bed with each lights-out performance and accompanying Memphis Grizzlies win.
&ldquo;It was obviously a question mark coming in. But you can't measure somebody's heart,&rdquo; Bane told BasketballNews.com over the phone. &ldquo;You can measure wingspan, you can measure hand-width, vertical, all that stuff. But you can't measure how bad somebody wants to accomplish something. So for all the people out there that said I wouldn't make it because of whatever reason, that's just [adding] more fuel to the fire.
Taken with the No. 30 overall pick and traded away by the Boston Celtics in the 2020 NBA Draft, Bane recently <a href="https://theathletic.com/3049343/2022/01/06/were-talking-about-wingspan-desmond-bane-was-overlooked-now-he-and-ja-morant-are-leading-a-memphis-revival/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Athletic that he will not forget those that passed on him</a>. Following up on that, Basketball News asked him when he began counting.
&ldquo;Realistically, I didn't think that I'd be a top-10 pick,&rdquo; Bane said. &ldquo;We had a little bit of interest with Phoenix at 10; they had 10 or were going to trade back from 10 or whatever. But we had a little bit of interest there. So really once we started getting to 10 and a little bit beyond is when I started really taking notice."
Well, fast forward to now, and Bane isn&rsquo;t just on the verge of a breakout; he&rsquo;s already broken out. In one year&rsquo;s time, the bulky swingman has gone from a rookie figuring things out to an everyday starter, nearly doubling both his shot attempts (14.3) and scoring (17.7) averages. Somehow, someway, he&rsquo;s maintained an almost-identical 46.8% field-goal percentage despite a significantly increased usage rate (23.0).
"I learned a lot [from my first season]. I learned just how to be a pro first and foremost,&rdquo; Bane said. &ldquo;The schedule last year was grueling due to all the games being canceled and so forth, so I had to learn how to just continue my habits more than anything. Stack good habits on top of each other and let the good days stack up, and learn how to be a pro essentially.
&ldquo;I mean, last year I knew that I'd have a chance to play in the league for a while. I knew that I had a role that I could play in the NBA. But you know, after this year and how we've won and how I've played, I have different goals and a new mindset on how I can really impact not only our team, but the league."
Competing in his first game in nine days following a stint on the COVID health and safety protocol list on Wednesday, Bane scored 11 first-quarter points on 7 attempts and finished with 20 points total in a Grizzlies victory in San Antonio. However, despite that production, he noticed that his opponents were defending him a little differently than usual &mdash; a sign that he&rsquo;s gaining respect as a real nightly threat.
&ldquo;The Spurs were running a box-and-one on me. That's a testament to my hard work and how far I've come as a player,&rdquo; Bane said. &ldquo;Last year, I was a guy who was probably on the bottom of the scouting report, and [Wednesday night] teams are game-planning to take me out of the mix. So it's a good feeling, but also, new challenges ahead."
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The city of Memphis is fully embracing GRZ NXT GEN, and for good reason. The Grizzlies have built on their coming-out party a season ago with a 34-17 record, standing tall and in pursuit of the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns for top playoff positioning. Recognizing that he&rsquo;s contributing to that success on both ends, along with developing as an individual in the process, is &ldquo;hard to put into words&rdquo; for Bane.
&ldquo;I'm a kid from a small town in Richmond, Indiana with 30,000 people, and now I'm playing on one of the best teams in the Western Conference, and playing a big part in that. So it's definitely something to be proud of,&rdquo; Bane said.
"I think [why it clicks] has to do with our culture, with our locker room. We don't have any egos. I mean, I think it starts at the top with Ja Morant, Jaren [Jackson Jr.], Dillon Brooks, myself &mdash; we're all on one agenda, and that's winning basketball games. Nothing really gets in the way of that mentality and that mindset. It's always about winning."
That includes when Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant went down with a significant knee sprain in late November. While many on the outside were expecting Memphis to drop down without the face of its franchise, the team responded by going 10-2 in his absence.
&ldquo;It was on all of us. Obviously my role changed a bit with Ja going down, but it was on all of us,&rdquo; Bane said. &ldquo;That's what stays true with us. That's the reason why we're in the position that we're in is because it's been a next-man-up mentality all year long.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We've had guys who were on two-way contracts previous to the year beginning step up and even play big minutes and earn themselves a full contract. So it's been great to see. But honestly, it hasn't been too big of a surprise given the culture and the guys that we have here in this program."
At first glance, the first thing you notice about Bane is his willingness to let the three-ball fly. Dating back to his high school days and his run in college with the Horned Frogs, he&rsquo;s always tickled the twine from downtown as a high-volume sniper (career 43.3% perimeter clip over four years at TCU).
Nothing has changed on the big stage, as Bane is drilling 41.9% of his 6.8 triple tries per contest. He can spot up on either elbow (&ldquo;definitely one of my favorite spots&rdquo;) or pull up with a quick side-step when he&rsquo;s in rhythm &mdash; in transition or in halfcourt. As to why he&rsquo;s been able to nail down his jumper so consistently, it just comes down to reps in his eyes.
&ldquo;I just put the time in. There&rsquo;s no other way to explain it,&rdquo; Bane said bluntly.
Don&rsquo;t dare put Bane into a specialist category though. He&rsquo;s been able to put more tricks of his trade on display this year, as he&rsquo;s found a balance between firing away from distance and putting it on the deck. He points to the experience he had at NBA Summer League, where he was featured more on the ball, and that carried into training camp and on.
And off the ball, he&rsquo;s as cunning as he is dangerous, often using his Mountain Man teammate Steven Adams as a catalyst for easy looks. Bane tends to sit back ever-so-patiently... until he burns his assignment on a curl for a quick mid-ranger or finds a hole in the defense to zoom-in from the perimeter to create a point-blank look, to which Adams will feed him.
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Steven Adams- great pass Desmond Bane- great finish Memphis Grizzlies- great team <a href="https://t.co/5DAzDwq5D0">pic.twitter.com/5DAzDwq5D0</a>
&mdash; GRIZZ TIME&trade; (@WillisMemphis) <a href="https://twitter.com/WillisMemphis/status/1483184190518669313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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According to NBA.com, <a href="https://go.nba.com/24ypw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adams has the most assists to Bane</a> on the team with 58 helpers, and the second-year wing has made 58.1% of his shots off his passes.
&ldquo;We've got a great relationship,&rdquo; Bane said of Adams. &ldquo;He seems like he's always finding me &mdash; whether it's backdoor cuts or handoffs or whatever the case may be. Steve-O's a great teammate to play with... You obviously gotta use your mind and use your smarts to your ability. I watch a lot of film and study a lot of different players and just try to pick up on some of their tendencies that work [against] them."
There&rsquo;s also that Morant guy, who is right behind the Grizzlies big man with 52 assists to Bane. Those connections tend to be more of the draw-defenders-in-and-kick variety, which has worked like a gem almost instantly.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We've got a lot of chemistry,&rdquo; said Bane, who&rsquo;s also racked up a team-high 24 dimes to Morant in return. &ldquo;Last year, we just didn't really have those minutes on the floor together as much. We had Grayson [Allen], who was playing the majority of those minutes with Ja. But I feel like Ja and I's chemistry and relationship has evolved."
Morant&rsquo;s campaign to his first All-Star starter selection is well-deserved. He is the unequivocal head of the snake in Memphis, dancing, and spinning his way into crunch-time buckets like it&rsquo;s nothing. There is no taking away the magician-like capabilities of &ldquo;12&rdquo; when the chips are down, or when closing time arrives.&nbsp;
Believe it or not, however, it is Bane who leads the Grizzlies in clutch shooting by the league&rsquo;s standard metric (ahead or behind by 5 points with 5 minutes or less left in the game).
Albeit on less volume, the big-time shots from Bane fall 53.6% of the time. Going by those who have played at least 50 minutes and attempted at least 20 field goals total (min. 20 games), Bane <a href="https://go.nba.com/fufso" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranks fourth in clutch-time percentage</a> behind Patty Mills, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and, unsurprisingly, Chris Paul.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A career night for Desmond Bane! He came up clutch against the <a href="https://twitter.com/jazz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jazz</a> tonight to help the <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> pick up a great win ‼️ 28 Points (Career High) 4 Rebounds 4 Assists 4 3PTS 2 Steals 60% FG<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrzNxtGen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrzNxtGen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBATwitter</a> <a href="https://t.co/KGObN1zTsc">pic.twitter.com/KGObN1zTsc</a>
&mdash; Vendetta Basketball (@VendettaHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/VendettaHoops/status/1463043727694385159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Self-described as &ldquo;hungry,&rdquo; delivering when the team needs it most has become second nature.
&ldquo;It's just basketball,&rdquo; Bane said. &ldquo;I've played in so many games throughout my career, been in so many different situations. I think I would credit my four years in college and just all the basketball experience that I had coming into the NBA is what kinda made me ready for these moments."
Bane should be adding another moment to his list in a few weeks at All-Star Weekend. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/desmond-bane-believes-hes-most-improved-player-candidate-plans-to-win-3-point-contest-if-invited-190708203.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already expressed his desire to be in the Three-Point Contest</a> (and to win Most Improved Player), but participating in the Rising Stars game would &ldquo;mean the world to me and my city.&rdquo; His ambitions don&rsquo;t just end there.
"I'm not a guy that really has like concrete goals. But I mean obviously, I'm a team-first guy and I want to be a champion before anything&hellip; Maybe becoming an All-Star at some point in my career &mdash; those are all things that I think are possible,&rdquo; Bane said.
If (or when) Bane ends up in Cleveland on the weekend of Feb. 18, he&rsquo;ll have the chance to link up with his former TCU teammate R.J. Nembhard, who is currently on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers trying to carve his own path.&nbsp;
Both Bane and Nembhard were teammates of Kenrich Williams, and the former recently tweeted about him: Without this dude, ain&rsquo;t no way I&rsquo;m in the league.&nbsp;
"Just seeing somebody accomplish what I wanted to accomplish,&rdquo; Bane said of what Williams means to him. &ldquo;When you think about the NBA, you think about as being something that is almost unattainable just because so few people get to do it and get to attain that goal. Him doing it at a high level now, seeing that [he's] kinda making a name for himself, making a career for himself is huge for me and my confidence."
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Perhaps it&rsquo;s the fact that all three of these guys played four years of college ball in Fort Worth. Williams was the first of the trio to get to the NBA despite being undrafted, and now, teams are coveting him at the trade deadline. Nembhard is the most recent to make it to the next level, but he too was not selected in the draft and has had to earn his keep on a two-way contract.
Bane is the lone member of that group to have made it as a draft pick. For whatever reason, upperclassmen tend to take a backseat to blue-chip prospects with potential and one-and-dones when it comes to the current landscape.&nbsp;
He thinks that his immediate impact on a winning team should help those more experienced at the collegiate level with NBA aspirations earn some more love with organizations when it comes to the draft process.
&ldquo;Everybody's situation is a little bit different, but I don't see why not. It all depends on where the organization's going. Everybody has a different timeline. Some people want younger guys to develop them, and some people want guys who are more ready that they can kind of plug-and-play. I wouldn't necessarily say there's a bias, but it's all about preference.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Usually guys are looking to hit home runs in the draft rather than singles or doubles."
Looking at what Bane has done on a consistent basis as quickly as he has, it&rsquo;s time front offices start going for those base hits in addition to knocking one out of the park.
Zach Kleiman and the Grizzlies have found that happy medium, and judging by this trajectory, Bane is about to cross home plate anyways.
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Spencer Davies chats with Grizzlies swingman Desmond Bane about his breakout second year and what his next goals are.