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Nets

Let's start here: Kyrie Irving is an incredible basketball player.&nbsp;
Nobody in the league has a better handle, and he probably possesses the best layup package of all-time. He hit one of the <a href="https://youtu.be/ORqiqbJYl0w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biggest and most memorable shots</a> in NBA history. Irving has earned a spot on the All-NBA team three times in his career. He'll presumably be inducted into the Hall of Fame five years after hanging up his Nikes.
During the 2021-22 regular season, Irving averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and a career-high 3.4 made three-pointers per game. At age 29, he was named an All-Star for the seventh time.
Earlier this year, Portland Trail Blazers head coach and former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups called Irving the "<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33038306/former-finals-mvp-chauncey-billups-brooklyn-nets-kyrie-irving-most-skilled-pg-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the most skilled player</a>" ever to play the point guard position. Last month, following a 60-point explosion from Irving in a victory over Orlando, Knicks shooting guard Evan Fournier tweeted, "Kyrie really the most skilled player ever." The next day, Kendrick Perkins, a former player and current NBA analyst, concurred with Fournier, <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1518989460406370304?s=20&amp;t=dHe_pd4xPTwNZ-7DTar1OA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declaring, "no disrespect to Michael Jordan</a>&hellip; but Kyrie is the most skilled player to ever play the game."
So, when Irving exercises his player option this summer and becomes an unrestricted free agent, the Nets should immediately offer him a max contract and hope he signs it, right?&nbsp;
Wrong.&nbsp;
Make no mistake, as the aforementioned stats demonstrate, Irving is deserving of a lucrative contract based on his ability. However, the issue is that he's often been either unable or unwilling to step onto the court and prove his worth.&nbsp;
Since signing a $136.5 million contract with the Nets in 2019, Irving has appeared in just 103 of 216 (47%) regular-season games, including only 29 of 82 this past season. During this three-season span, he's missed games due to injuries to his left hamstring, ankle, right shoulder, groin, right knee, quad, left hip, back and left thigh. He also famously sat out most of this past season after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and, in January of 2021, missed two weeks during an unauthorized leave of absence <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/01/08/kyrie-irvings-nets-absence-a-reaction-to-dc-riot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> due to trauma caused by "the attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump."
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"I felt like I was letting the team down at a point when I wasn't able to play...it became a distraction at times" Kyrie Irving talks about the challenges the Nets faced this season <a href="https://t.co/e4y702Miyy">pic.twitter.com/e4y702Miyy</a>
&mdash; Nets Videos (@SNYNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1518779899825332225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Kyrie has appeared in more than 60 games just once over the last five seasons. He's averaged fewer than 51 games played per season in the previous seven years.
That was during the heart of his prime. Irving now finds himself on the wrong side of 30.&nbsp;
Even more troublesome, in recent years, Irving's presence has not resulted in postseason success. In the summer of 2017, when Irving was a teammate of LeBron James in Cleveland, a team that reached the Finals in each of the prior three seasons, Kyrie demanded to be traded.
Here's a look at how each of Irving's seasons have ended after Cleveland shipped him to Boston that August:
2018: Injured&nbsp; 2019: Beat by the Bucks 4-1 in Round 2&nbsp; 2020: Injured (Raps sweep Nets in Round 1) 2021: Injured (Bucks beat Brooklyn in Round 2) 2022: Swept by the Celtics in Round 1&nbsp;
This summer, Irving has a decision to make. He has a player option worth $35,328,700 for the 2022-23 campaign. If Irving declines his option, he would be eligible to sign a new <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/33812380/why-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-relationship-fuel-undermine-brooklyn-nets-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five-year deal with Brooklyn worth up to $248 million</a>.&nbsp;
After the Nets' season-ending loss to Boston in Game 4 on Monday night, Irving bombastically declared he planned to remain in Brooklyn for the long haul. "I don't really plan on going anywhere," Irving said. "When I say I'm here with [Kevin Durant], I think that it really entails us managing this franchise together alongside Joe [Tsai] and Sean [Marks]."&nbsp;
(It's also worth noting that after Steve Nash was hired in September of 2020, <a href="https://netswire.usatoday.com/2020/10/01/kyrie-irving-i-dont-really-see-us-having-a-head-coach/">Irving stated</a>, "I don't really see us having a head coach. You know what I mean? KD could be a head coach. I could be a head coach.&rdquo;)
Last month, the NBA informed franchises that the projected salary cap for the 2022&ndash;23 season would be $122 million, <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/nbas-projected-2022-23-salary-cap-luxury-tax-higher-than-expected-sources/r8em7FbiVamW/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> a report from The Athletic. Under the CBA, because Irving has 10+ years of NBA experience, the Nets can offer him a max contract starting at 35% of the cap and can include 8% raises each year for up to five years.&nbsp;
Here's an annual breakdown of the five-year max pact Irving is eligible to ink:
2022-23: $42.7 million 2023-24: $46.1 million 2024-25: $49.8 million 2025-26: $53.8 million&nbsp; 2026-27: $58.1 million&nbsp;
Irving would be 35 years of age by the end of the '26-27 campaign.
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It's obvious why Kyrie would prefer to stay put, but would re-signing Irving to a max deal be in Brooklyn's best interest?
This past season, owner Joe Tsai spent $266 million in salary and luxury tax payments, which was the second-highest amount in league history. The Nets don't have a single playoff win to show for it.&nbsp;
Despite his abundant talent, Irving was a major factor in Brooklyn's disappointing performance this year. Prior to the start of the season, when Irving informed the front office that he was refusing to get vaccinated, Nets management banished him from the practice facility and team premises.&nbsp;
At the time, general manager Sean Marks declared, "We're not looking for partners that are going to be half-time." Owner Joe Tsai said the Nets needed the entire roster "pulling the same direction."
Although the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-202122-nets-are-arguably-the-most-disappointing-team-in-nba-history-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nets 2021-22 campaign will go down as one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history</a>, Brooklyn actually got off to a fantastic start despite Irving's non-compliance with New York City's vaccine mandate. Powered by MVP-caliber play from Kevin Durant, the Nets posted a .724 winning percentage over the season's first two months. On December 18th, which was the day the Nets announced that Irving would be welcomed back to the club, Brooklyn was 21-9 and owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference. Following Irving's return, the Nets struggled mightily, posting a 23-29 record (.442 winning percentage) over the final three months of the regular season.
Late in the year, with Brooklyn in danger of slipping out of the playoffs and the play-in tournament altogether, head coach Steve Nash was forced to lean heavily on Durant as soon as KD returned from his knee injury. Over the final 15 games of the regular season, Durant logged more total minutes (588) than any player in the NBA, averaging a whopping 39.2 minutes a night.&nbsp;
Durant averaged a league-high 44 minutes per game in the postseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In Brooklyn's embarrassing defeat to Boston in the first round, Irving averaged just 15.3 points while shooting a putrid 37% from the floor and a frigid 18% from downtown over the final three games of the series. Irving was, at best, the fifth-best/most impactful player in the series.
In some respects, this two-second clip sums up Irving's and the Nets' season:
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1.4 seconds left in the half. Plenty of time to take a dribble and get up a heave from half court. In what is, quite literally, a must-win game for his team. Where every point is crucial. And Kyrie Irving decides not to even attempt a shot. Disgraceful. <a href="https://t.co/3TDzx1Dzpq">pic.twitter.com/3TDzx1Dzpq</a>
&mdash; Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1518743786960080898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Based on how the last three games, three weeks, three months and three years have played out, do the Nets want to remain in a long-term partnership with this man? Do they want to pony up $250 million for the privilege to do so?&nbsp;
Because the Nets are over the salary cap even without Irving on the books, letting him go for nothing would be nonsensical. However, working out a sign-and-trade would likely lead to a better allocation of the team's assets.&nbsp;
Considering the current construction of the Nets roster around Durant (and the team's lack of depth), might it make more sense for Brooklyn to pursue a defensive-minded, pass-first point guard to play alongside KD, Joe Harris, Ben Simmons, etc.? One which is far more affordable than Irving?&nbsp;
Keep in mind that Brooklyn has nine potential free agents this summer: Patty Mills (player option), Andre Drummond, Nic Claxton, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, Kessler Edwards (team option), David Duke Jr. and, most notably, Bruce Brown.&nbsp;
It's worth noting that over Games 2 and Game 3 vs. Boston, Brown scored nearly twice as many points as Irving (49 vs. 26, respectively) and grabbed six more rebounds. Brown is also a far superior defender and five years younger. Not to mention he's not nearly as much of a distraction.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Even though they are capped out, Brooklyn has a trade exception worth $11.3 million to utilize and will be able to spend their mid-level exception in free agency.
Tyus Jones, who again led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio this season, will be a free agent this summer. Gary Payton II is also set to hit the open market.&nbsp;
If Irving were open to a sign-and-trade, Brooklyn wouldn't necessarily have to get a point guard back in such a deal. Sean Marks and company could simply move Irving for the best packable available, whether that be a combination of players or draft capital.
The big "if" is whether Irving would agree to such a scenario. Could he be convinced that his relationship with Brooklyn has run its course and that breaking up is best for both parties? Would Durant co-sign such a decision?&nbsp;
If Irving refuses a sign-and-trade, the Nets have to play hardball in negotiations. Agreeing to commit $200+ million to a player as injury-prone and untrustworthy as Irving would be organizational malpractice. Brooklyn should only guarantee a fraction of Irving's salary and should include as many incentives as possible (such as 65+ games played per season, etc.)
Ultimately, attempting to predict future decisions from Kyrie Irving, a man who once proclaimed the earth was flat and later forfeited $17 million because he refused to get a shot in his arm, is a fool's errand.&nbsp;
One thing is certain: It will be fascinating to see how this all plays out.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer breaks down why it would be "organizational malpractice" for Brooklyn to extend Kyrie Irving this summer.

Why the Nets should part ways with Kyrie Irving

After everything the Brooklyn Nets went through this season, they still entered the playoffs with the third-best championship odds (+600), which is a testament to this team's talent on paper. However, though they were considered a favorite to hoist the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy and boasted the NBA&rsquo;s second-highest payroll ($174,811,922), the Nets failed to win a single playoff game. &nbsp;
Multiple players blamed Brooklyn&rsquo;s lack of continuity. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving played just 17 games together this season after playing only 27 games together last year. Irving couldn&rsquo;t suit up in home games until late March due to New York City&rsquo;s vaccine mandate. A number of key contributors were acquired halfway through the campaign, including Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic, making it even tougher for the team to get everyone on the same page.&nbsp;
Injuries also impacted the team&rsquo;s ability to play at full strength and develop chemistry, as Durant missed 27 games with a sprained MCL, Joe Harris suffered a season-ending ankle injury in November and Ben Simmons dealt with a herniated disc in his back after being traded to Brooklyn as the centerpiece of the James Harden blockbuster.
Now, after being swept by the Boston Celtics on Monday night, what&rsquo;s next for the Nets?
&ldquo;This summer is gonna be a very, very important summer for our organization,&rdquo; Durant said after the Game 4 loss. &ldquo;We'll see where we go next year."
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Durant is correct, as the Nets will be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason, and it&rsquo;s possible that their roster could look very different entering the 2022-23 season.
The Nets have only six players with guaranteed contracts for next season: Durant, Simmons, Harris, Curry, Cam Thomas and Day'Ron Sharpe. Brooklyn already has $144,555,667 in guaranteed money on their books for 2022-23. Next year&rsquo;s salary cap is projected to be $122 million and the luxury tax is expected to be $149 million, so they&rsquo;ll likely have one of the NBA&rsquo;s most expensive payrolls once again.
The Nets are already close to being a tax-paying team before factoring in any of their potential free agents such as Irving, Drummond, Dragic, Bruce Brown, Patty Mills, Nic Claxton, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kessler Edwards and David Duke Jr.&nbsp;
Irving has a player option worth $35,328,700. On Monday night, Irving was asked about his future and said, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really plan on going anywhere... There's no question where I'm going: I'm here with 7 (Durant)."
Either Irving will opt-in and cost quite a bit, or he&rsquo;ll opt-out and potentially cost even more if he signs a new, multi-year deal with the Nets.
Mills also has a player option, which is worth $6,184,500. He could opt-in, but it&rsquo;s also possible that the 33-year-old will prioritize his long-term security and try to ink a multi-year contract elsewhere. He's coming off a productive season, averaging 11.4 points, 2.8 threes and 2.3 assists while shooting 40.0% from three, so he will likely have other suitors.
Claxton and Duke will hit restricted free agency, assuming the Nets extend qualifying offers to both players ($2,228,276 for Claxton and $1,576,305 for Duke). Also, Edwards has a team option worth $1,563,518.
The rest of Brooklyn's players are unrestricted free agents including Brown, Drummond, Dragic, Aldridge, Griffin and Johnson.&nbsp;
Brown earned $4,736,102 this season, but he's going to get a significant raise after his career-year, averaging 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks on .506/.404/.758 shooting splits. He was one of the Nets' most dependable and versatile players all season long. He stepped up in the playoffs, averaging 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks on .568/.429/.800 shooting splits. This is a relatively weak free-agency class, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if some team makes a big offer to the 25-year-old.
When asked about the possibility of re-signing with the Nets, Brown responded, &ldquo;Yeah, hopefully. The season just ended. I&rsquo;m not thinking about it. If there's a chance to stay, we'll talk about it. But we'll see."&nbsp;
It remains to be seen if Drummond, Dragic, Aldridge and Griffin will return.&nbsp;
Drummond played well as the Nets' starting center, averaging 11.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 block and 0.9 steals (while shooting 61.0% from the field) in 22.3 minutes per game. When Drummond signed a one-year deal last offseason, it seemed like he wanted to showcase his value and then ink a larger contract this summer, so if he gets the kind of offer he&rsquo;s anticipating, he&rsquo;ll likely be too expensive for Brooklyn to retain.
In a shockingly candid moment back in March, Drummond <a href="https://twitter.com/krisplashed/status/1506663720931500046" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a>: "If we're all being honest, I'm only here &lsquo;til the rest of the season. Who knows what&rsquo;s gonna happen in the offseason? So they need a guy like [Claxton].&rdquo;
Last season, the NBA world was outraged that a super-team like the Nets was able to add Griffin and Aldridge for nothing via the buyout market, putting them alongside their Big Three of Durant, Irving and Harden. At one point, Brooklyn&rsquo;s roster had a combined 41 All-Star appearances and 32 All-NBA selections. However, it didn't translate to postseason success. It remains to be seen if Griffin, Aldridge or Dragic will return. It&rsquo;s possible that Brooklyn will be able to attract other ring-chasing veterans to take their places.
After all, despite their first-round flameout, the Nets will once again enter next season as a top contender. If Simmons is able to return his All-NBA, Defensive-Player-of-the-Year-candidate form, it would be a huge addition that makes the Nets much scarier. And the more Durant and Irving play together, the more dangerous they&rsquo;ll become as a duo. Also, with Harris and Curry, the Nets will have two outstanding shooters to put around their Big Three. If this team is able to stay healthy and develop chemistry, Brooklyn has the talent to go on a deep postseason run.
Using the taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum deals, Brooklyn shouldn&rsquo;t have trouble surrounding its core with decent veterans.
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When asked specifically about who might be back and what the Nets need to add to their roster in order to contend, Durant shrugged.
"We just got done playing. You know I don't know the answer to that question right now,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;I don't know the situations with the contracts. I just don't know. Obviously when you lose in the playoffs, you&rsquo;re looking toward next year and who may be on the team, and there's a lot of high expectations around the Nets so people want to have some hope of what may happen in the future. But at this point, an hour after the game, it's hard for me to say.&rdquo;
Another avenue for the Nets to improve is through the 2022 NBA Draft, where they&rsquo;ll have the No. 23 overall pick via the Philadelphia 76ers. In <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's latest 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>, Brooklyn is projected to take Jaden Hardy of the G League Ignite with its late-first-round selection.
The Nets can try to find a diamond-in-the-rough with that selection, or they can attempt to trade that pick for a win-now piece. Since the Nets will be above the luxury tax and the rookie will be a relatively cheap contributor, it may make sense to keep the pick. Remember, this year&rsquo;s roster featured four rookies: Thomas, Sharpe, Edwards and Duke.
In recent years, players such as OG Anunoby, Darius Bazley and Rodney Hood have been selected at No. 23 overall. Other notable players drafted at that spot include Tayshaun Prince, A.C. Green, Wesley Person, Wilson Chandler, Bobby Jackson, Trevor Booker, DeShawn Stevenson and Tyronn Lue.
While the roster could look very different, don&rsquo;t expect the Nets to make a coaching change. Steve Nash expressed that he hopes to return as the team&rsquo;s head coach, and Durant got annoyed and shot down a question about whether Nash is still the right coach to lead the Nets.
&nbsp;&ldquo;Come on, man. Yeah,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;Steve has been dealt a crazy hand the last three years. He&rsquo;s had to deal with so much stuff as a first-time head coach &mdash; trades, injuries, COVID, just a lot of stuff he had to deal with. I&rsquo;m proud of how he just focused and of his passion for us. We'll all continue developing over the summer and see what happens.&rdquo;
Durant did express that he wants to have some input over this offseason&rsquo;s personnel decisions.
&ldquo;Yeah, of course! I want to know who I'm playing with out on the floor. I want to know what we're thinking,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;[Nets general manager] Sean [Marks] and the front office, we all just talk basketball regardless because we all enjoy basketball; sometimes our team may come up and what we need and what I see from a player&rsquo;s perspective. We always have conversations and that&rsquo;s what makes great organizations.&rdquo;
Irving made it clear that he wants to be involved in &ldquo;managing this franchise&rdquo; as well.
&ldquo;When I say I&rsquo;m here with Kev, it really entails us managing this franchise together alongside [Nets governor] Joe [Tsai], Sean and our group of family members that we have in our locker room and organization,&rdquo; Irving said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just about me and Kev. We're cornerstones here, but we have Ben and a few other guys who are under contract [too]. I think we've just gotta make some moves this offseason and really talk about it and really be intentional about what we&rsquo;re building, and have some fun with it and make it enjoyable.&rdquo;
After a disappointing season, all eyes will be on the Nets to see how their decision-makers attempt to right the ship.
If the last year has been any indication, there won&rsquo;t be a dull moment.&nbsp;
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After getting swept by the Celtics, the Nets are poised for a very interesting offseason. What's next for the team?

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Brooklyn Nets?

The Brooklyn Nets waived veteran forward James Johnson on Thursday, opening a roster spot ahead of the postseason.
The move would allow the Nets to convert Kessler Edwards' two-way contract to a standard NBA deal, making him eligible for the postseason. The second-round pick has become a regular part of the rotation.
Johnson signed with the Nets last summer and averaged 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 62 games, including 10 starts. He had missed the past two games with what the team said was an illness unrelated to COVID-19.
The Nets have two home games left before the play-in tournament begins next Tuesday. They will need to emerge from that to earn one of the final two seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The move allows the Nets to convert Kessler Edwards' two-way contract to a standard NBA deal, making him eligible for the playoffs.

Nets waive James Johnson, open roster spot before postseason

Kyrie Irving scored 42 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Houston Rockets 118-105 on Tuesday night to improve their position in the race for play-in seeding.
Irving had 17 points in the fourth quarter. Kevin Durant added 18 points, Bruce Brown had 15 and Cam Thomas 13 for the Nets. Andre Drummond finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
With Cleveland, Atlanta and Charlotte all losing, the Nets climbed into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, just 1 1/2 games behind the Cavaliers. The No. 7 seed hosts a game to open the tournament.
Kevin Porter Jr scored a season-high 36 points and Jalen Green added 30 for the Rockets.
The Nets led by as many as 21 points late in the third quarter, but a 15-0 Houston run brought the Rockets within 90-84. Irving scored the game&rsquo;s next eight points and Brooklyn held a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
The Nets led by nine early, but a 12-2 Houston run capped by Alperen Sengun&rsquo;s breakaway dunk gave the Rockets their only lead of the game, 18-17.
Brooklyn scored the next eight points and led 30-25 after the first quarter.
After the Rockets tied the game at 32, the Nets went on a 10-0 run. They increased their lead to 51-37 on Kessler Edwards&rsquo; short jumper with 5:14 left in the half and went into halftime up 64-47 following Irving's 3-pointer with 44 seconds remaining.
Porter&rsquo;s 3-pointer cut it to 77-65 midway through the third quarter but the Nets scored the next seven points and took their biggest lead at 90-69 on Thomas&rsquo; short jumper with 1:21 remaining in the quarter.
But those were the last points Brooklyn scored until Irving&rsquo;s jumper with 8:33 left in the game snapped that 15-0 Houston run.
Sengun added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who have lost five straight games and have the worst record in the NBA.
TIP-INS
Rockets: No Houston player has seen action in each of the team&rsquo;s 80 games this season. Kenyon Martin Jr. has played in the most (77), while Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate (75) has the most starts.
Nets: Seth Curry (left ankle soreness), Goran Dragic (health and safety protocols) and James Johnson (non-Covid illness) were all out of the Brooklyn lineup. &hellip; LaMarcus Aldridge played for the first time since March 6.
UNFAMILIAR FACES
Brooklyn debuted a new starting five on Tuesday (Durant, Brown, Drummond, Patty Mills, Irving). They became the 43rd different starting lineup in Brooklyn&rsquo;s 79 games. Overall, 19 players have made at least one start for the Nets this season.
PASSING OF A FRANCHISE FIXTURE
Herb Turetzky, who was the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-nyc-state-wire-new-jersey-919f9ac84293b2d378c26397f159de3a">Nets&rsquo; official scorer for 54 years</a> across multiple leagues and states, died Monday at 76. Turetzky was a senior at Long Island University when he scored the first game in franchise history &mdash; when the New Jersey Americans of the American Basketball Association hosted the Pittsburgh Pipers on Oct. 23, 1967, in Teaneck, New Jersey. He went on to score more than 2,200 games, a record for pro basketball games that was certified in the Guinness Book of World Records.
&ldquo;He was a beloved figure within the organization and beyond,&rdquo; coach Steve Nash said. &ldquo;We want to make sure his family recognizes how important he was to the franchise and how our thoughts are with them at this time.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Rockets: Houston visits Toronto on Friday.
Nets: Brooklyn visits New York on Wednesday.

Kyrie Irving scored 42 points and the Nets beat the Rockets 118-105 to improve their position in the race for play-in seeding.

Irving scores 42, Nets beat Rockets 118-105 to move to 8th

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.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/start-of-set_lg.png" alt="" />
This is the defense after the first action hits.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/after-screen_lg.png" alt="" />
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

When Ben Simmons was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the hope was that he could potentially be next in the line of generational, all-around superstars. LeBron James was even uttered as a comparison by some national prognosticators before Simmons suited up at LSU for his lone collegiate season.
The Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Draft Lottery that year and paired Simmons with Joel Embiid, a duo that formed instant chemistry and helped Philly shoot up the Eastern Conference standings soon after. Simmons had his faults, especially well-documented on the offensive end, but his unique strengths as a jumbo-sized playmaker and two-way engine made a potential ceiling outcome immense.
After a tumultuous ending to his five-year stint in Philadelphia &mdash; being <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-deserves-criticism-but-not-to-be-thrown-under-the-bus-by-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly called out by Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers</a> in the East semifinals &mdash; Simmons can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.
To properly optimize the talent of Simmons on the court, the Brooklyn Nets are the best fit on-paper to bring out his special two-way potential. Alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Nets, Simmons will enter as a moldable ball of clay who can play a multitude of roles. Simmons can not only run an offense setting up his superstar teammates, but he can also operate as a pick-and-roll threat rolling to the basket. On top of that, his speed for a near-seven-footer makes him a lethal weapon to deploy in transition opportunities, which will be plentiful in Brooklyn.
Picture Draymond Green during the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; championship years. He was the glue that kept it all together, as he still does today during their resurgent comeback. In Brooklyn, Simmons can be the fulcrum of the Nets' system next to Durant and Irving. Not only can Simmons defend at an All-NBA level, but he can start scoring opportunities off the rebound with reckless abandon. Irving will quickly mesh with Simmons as well in three-man spots where pick-and-roll situations, plus a moving Durant, is on the table each possession.
It&rsquo;s an exciting thought exercise to finally envision Simmons at his max levels, especially when two of his newest teammates are some of the greatest scorers ever.
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In the playoffs against teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers (ironically enough), Simmons will present real tangible issues consistently thanks to his new environment. Durant and a part-time Irving are going to make Simmons&rsquo; life a whole lot easier. Blending in with a pair of three-level marksmen compared to Embiid will finally place Simmons in a more palpable situation to tap into his multi-tooled impacts on a basketball court.
Thursday&rsquo;s blockbuster involving James Harden and Simmons will always be remembered not only as a pivotal point in each of their careers, but for these respective franchises as well. With the Sixers going all-in to maximize a title window, Brooklyn remains on a similar path long-term, simply swapping out a high-usage guard for a low-usage superstar who can thrive in a unique role.
Let&rsquo;s take a look now at the Nets&rsquo; potential new rotation, one that brings aboard more shooting and two-way versatility:
Starters: Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, LaMarcus Aldridge
Bench: Patty Mills, Cam Thomas, Bruce Brown, Kessler Edwards, James Johnson, Blake Griffin, Nic Claxton
When the Nets are in the postseason, I'd expect them to flip Simmons into a full-time center role, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see head coach Steve Nash utilize Aldridge at center with his floor-spacing capabilities.
Simmons is only 25 years old, and his true upside has fallen under the radar since his postseason disappearance. Buying into a more complementary role and admitting he&rsquo;s not the star of the show will do wonders for him. Simmons has reportedly already spoken to Durant and is excited about his future in Brooklyn.
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Through his five years on the court in Philadelphia, Simmons filled up the stat sheet, averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 steals on a 57.9% True Shooting percentage. The warts are instantly acknowledgeable in his game, but Simmons joining the Nets&rsquo; ecosystem could be a huge turning point that we look back on in the Association's history books.
If Simmons recaptures his All-NBA form and settles in perfectly as Durant&rsquo;s sidekick in his new home, the Nets will have made themselves a more chameleon-like team that's able to adapt in all-or-nothing postseason play.
Simmons has yet to reach his ceiling, and Brooklyn was forced to roll the dice with Harden&rsquo;s malcontent; both moves could be a blessing in disguise down the road.
Not only will Simmons help the Nets in the near future by racking up triple-doubles and contributing on both ends, perhaps he can become Brooklyn's franchise cornerstone and eventually usher in a new, fruitful era post-Durant.
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After being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons' career-defining moment has finally arrived on a silver platter.

Nets provide Ben Simmons a golden opportunity to maximize his game

I have a terrible habit of going to the grocery store without a list, something my mom's scowled at me for since I was in high school. I'd pick out all the coolest brands I could find, parse through the best produce, and by the time my mom was rummaging through the family's food for the rest of the week, I'd be getting an earful about how I spent $143 without actually being to construct a meal for four. Planning has never really been my thing.
"You bought rice, oyster sauce, and chicken, but no veggies or eggs to actually make stir fry!"
And that sentence my friends, sums up where I'm at with the Brooklyn Nets at the moment. Few contenders have flummoxed me more than Brooklyn this season, as I routinely feel a push-pull among the Nets' line-ups and roster construction that <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2021/10/will-a-deeper-frontcourt-lift-the-brooklyn-nets-to-the-top-in-2021-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I've found intriguing since free agency ended</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Nets have shuffled their guys minutes a lot this year, with injuries and illness often forcing changes. Lately, rookies Kessler Edwards and Day'ron Sharpe have been getting an opportunity. <a href="https://t.co/xlwWKGSCwI">pic.twitter.com/xlwWKGSCwI</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1484939670802735112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Inconsistency is the new consistency for the 21-22 Nets, as Tom Bassine shows.
(He makes tremendous data visualizations and is a great dude, <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strongly recommend following him</a> if you don't already.)
The Nets are <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeVirayNBA/status/1484586445486850049" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tied for first</a> with the Lakers in total number of different starting lineups used this season (22), and while they have certainly been impacted heavily by injury and COVID absences, so have the majority of the teams in the league.
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NBA injury plot. Games missed by injured players versus team wins. Bubble size represents cumulative quality of players lost (Lost-ws metric) <a href="https://t.co/suz6bCvQy8">https://t.co/suz6bCvQy8</a> <a href="https://t.co/BznwVXNt84">pic.twitter.com/BznwVXNt84</a>
&mdash; Man Games Lost NBA (@ManGamesLostNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManGamesLostNBA/status/1483204710131814403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The struggles to blend the roster existed prior to Joe Harris' injury, which only complicated matters a bit further. With Kevin Durant now out for roughly the next month, things get a bit murkier.
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Brooklyn started the year winning with staunch defense, as they sought to work out the kinks of the offense and James Harden's post-injury rust. While shot-luck and variance was notably in Brooklyn's favor early in the year, their seventh ranked defense up until Christmas wasn't a mirage. Outside of the top two and sometimes three stars that Brooklyn hinges upon, the roster is built largely with a defensive-slant. However, with Kyrie Irving's return, and continued efforts to help James Harden find his rhythm, Brooklyn has leaned more heavily into some of their offensive role players and shifted rotations.
The Nets are second in offense since Dec. 26, but also have plummeted to 27th in defense over that same stretch per Cleaning the Glass.
So much of this revolves around their frontcourt. I wasn't fully sure what to make of the team prioritizing the 4 and 5 spot as much as they did, and in the way that they did this offseason, but I was intrigued nonetheless. They built out a big rotation full of utility, but the versatility seemed questionable and we've seen how that has played out.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-paul-millsap-agree-to-find-new-home-for-fourtime-allstar-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Millsap</a> never really got the run I was hoping for, but he also just didn't quite play well enough to warrant a bigger role. But, that's part of the issue. So many of the Nets' frontcourt players can play positive NBA minutes, but finding ways to play them together and get them all going &mdash; while maintaining a modicum of stability in lineups &mdash; has been an adventure.
Let's just run through some things that have been weighing heavily on my mind thinking about this team.
Blake Griffin not being last year's Blake Griffin really hindered this team early, and took away one of their few guys they could rely on as a short-roll playmaker, shooter, screener, and dribble hand-off operator. He's been better in the new year, but he's hitting 26% of his threes since entering the rotation again in early December, and defenses are playing him accordingly. He was absolutely scorching against Milwaukee in the playoffs &mdash; and they were still pretty comfortable sagging off or late contesting him. Without defenses giving him solid close-outs that he can attack, it's a lot harder for him to get the most out of his skill set at this stage, so TBD on Blake as part of the rotation.
Bembry and Brown
Starting the season without Kyrie and subsequently losing Joe Harris has been extremely destructive for Bruce Brown's role this season. His floater hasn't hit in quite the same way either, partially due to the spacing of the team. I'm not inside Steve Nash's head, but he has seemed overall a bit reluctant to rely on Brown as a release valve, do everything quasi-big &mdash; again influenced by the spacing issues already present. But really it's a confluence of events that have been both vexing and frustrating from a viewing perspective.
"Play Bruce Brown, he's good!"
"We don't have the spacing required to play him!"
"But, what about his defense and finding a way to get him going again?"
"We need to get three bigs on the roster going too!"
Outside of Harris, Irving, Durant and Mills, there is one player on the roster shooting above league average from three on one or more attempts per game (Kessler Edwards). Harden is shooting below average from three, but is still defended like he's shooting 45% from deep. Irving only plays in half the games, Harris is out as previously mentioned; the team routinely has two non-shooters on the court.&nbsp; More importantly, their players who aren't shooting well are guarded like it, which matters more than the percentages to a degree.
Last season, Bruce Brown was playing in lineups with Irving, Harden, Harris and one of Jeff Green or Blake Griffin (41% and 38% three-point shooters on volume). It was a much more inhabitable environment for a fringey, margins-based offensive player &mdash; and that environment just doesn't exist right now.
Add in Bembry who has had some really quality stretches, but largely brings the exact same things as Brown: ball-handling, some playmaking chops, perimeter defense and opportunistic scoring.&nbsp;
It's not as simple as saying "pick one," but to an extent, it feels like Brooklyn needs to prioritize which player they most believe in, in the rotation moving forward. The offense has opened up a bit more, and it's just so difficult to actually make the duo work together when there's really only room for one of them.
Rolling, Screening, and Lobs Oh My
One of the trends I've absolutely loved to follow over the past few weeks has been the budding chemistry between James Harden and rookie Day'Ron Sharpe. Sharpe is already the best and most dynamic screener on the team, in regards to his ability to screen open teammates, run DHO's and flow into the lane after setting solid screens.
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Despite it looking better and more consistent lately, James Harden's burst has just not routinely been what it was. Setting screens that actually generate separation and give him a runway are huge in the success of his pick-and-roll possessions. Sharpe is capable of that, making decisions on the roll with the ball, and is solid around the rim. However, he doesn't quite give Harden a lob threat (he can catch lobs, but he needs to load up first), which makes it easier for opposing bigs to get into his grill and play up on him in coverages.&nbsp;
It's a small gripe, but it's noticeable and makes me question a bit what his playoff utility might look like &mdash; if there is any this season for him. I've quite liked his defense and activity as well, just a really fun player, but again, his emergence makes things murky for Brooklyn again!
Nic Claxton had a really rough stretch to start the year, missing the entirety of November. Now he's out again with a hamstring injury. But he may be the most important big on the roster. His ability to not just switch on defense, but switch with purpose at a high level, unlocks what proved to be one of Brooklyn's most important looks in the postseason.
His offense has largely been lobs and putbacks, but he started to really put together intriguing stuff as a decision-maker in December and early January, looking the part of a starting center for Brooklyn. Claxton had 14 assists in 9 games from Christmas Day to Jan. 10 when he was injured, a small number and sample size. However, 14 assists is 22% of his career totals and tracked with what was visible on the court &mdash; much improved decision-making and some capability to dish the ball on the roll.
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Another clip in the bag of short roll Nic <a href="https://t.co/Dc8VgD8vUr">pic.twitter.com/Dc8VgD8vUr</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1475119575704522765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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This is a minor showing in a major area, one that's vital for Claxton unlocking himself as a roller, and in helping to smooth out the offense when he's out there. Whether or not he can continue to execute in that area once he returns is huge for his ability to solidify his rotation spot, and paper over some of the roster inflexibility.
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Moving Forward
So where does that leave the Nets?&nbsp;
Durant, Harden and (sometimes) Irving are of course locks in the rotation. Patty Mills has cemented himself as has LaMarcus Aldridge, although his utility in the playoffs is probably going to be match-up dependent to a degree. Joe Harris is a lock when he returns from injury and Claxton likely is as well.
Kessler Edwards has already solidified his spot in my mind, as he's capable of linking together lineups in a way that very few players on the roster are capable of right now. He moves the ball, will take his threes (and make them at a high level), and plays very good defense with size at the 3 and 4 spots.&nbsp;
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Oh, hello Kessler Edwards! <a href="https://t.co/dDbCp3spAY">pic.twitter.com/dDbCp3spAY</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1481626183641047046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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His flashes have been extremely encouraging, and I'm not really sure how his blend of skill and size don't keep him from playing 20+ minutes per game the rest of the regular season. While I'm unsure how to feel about a rookie being a 7th or 8th man on a contender in the postseason, he's playing well enough at the moment to really make you go hmmmm.
Outside of that, I'm just not really sure what to make of this team's rotation, and I'm not sure Steve Nash does either considering how much tinkering he's been doing throughout the season.
(Not at all to discredit him, I think he's done a very good job this year; this is such a hard roster to figure out.)
Cam Thomas really looks to be a year or two away barring some substantial growth as he gets comfortable operating off the ball. James Johnson does wily veteran things and is a capable defensive option when switching everything, but he has similar offensive drawbacks to Brown and Bembry. I have loved the David Duke Jr. experience, but he's not there yet consistently as a contributor on offense. Outside of a stretch in November, Jevon Carter's jumper has just died and I have no idea what happened there.
 I'm just not really certain where the Nets go to figure out who they are as a playoff team. We know they can slant towards defense as Kevin Durant and James Harden shoulder the load at home. We know they can run opposing teams off the court with shot-making when Irving plays away games. How do they figure out a way to blend the two &mdash; and can they, given the personnel on the roster?
The best version of the Nets last year found themselves in the playoffs. It's fair to reason that the Big 3 will be more locked in and active defensively come playoff time yet again (James Harden, please move your feet, or contest, or something), but they need to find their backbone before then.
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The Brooklyn Nets are a contender, but their rotations are anything but cemented as they search for stabilization on an imperfect roster.

What exactly DO the Brooklyn Nets have?

Picture this. You&rsquo;re in your early 20&rsquo;s, fresh out of college, living in the big city. It&rsquo;s the first time out on your own, so trivial tasks feel as insurmountable as Hunger Game trials &mdash; meal-prepping in lieu of busy days, keeping up with the bills (ugh, so many bills!) and, wait&hellip; how often do people typically do their laundry?
New York itself can be a daunting place. Smooth travel is but a game of misguided faith; subway lines go down at a moment&rsquo;s notice, there&rsquo;s almost always traffic if rideshare is your transit of choice, and you better learn how to use that Maps app... it&rsquo;ll be your closest ally in a hectic time crunch. Silence &mdash; heck, even just a solitary second to gather one&rsquo;s thoughts amidst the kinetic busyness on the avenues and boulevards &mdash; is fleeting in a city that&rsquo;s ritualistic about pulling all-nighters, its citizens moving in cohesion at the pace of the Road Runner on a 24 oz. Monster Energy drink.&nbsp;
For most of us who migrated into the five boroughs from outside lands, the first six months are a rude awakening. Take it from me, now four years into living in NYC &mdash; all of this can be a lot to deal with initially.
Now, imagine balancing everything I just mentioned while acclimating to the unforgiving rigors of the NBA&rsquo;s travel schedule (and lordy has it been relentless yet again), and all the while getting thrown out to the famished wolves on a contender with a Prospect Park-sized target on its back.&nbsp;
Oh, and let&rsquo;s just add in the outlandish challenge of guarding the likes of MVP-candidate DeMar DeRozan in your ninth NBA game, no biggie. That is what the Nets&rsquo; rookie 3-and-D forward Kessler Edwards &mdash; now six months into his Brooklyn tenure &mdash; was staring at with a mere 128 professional minutes under his belt.
He didn&rsquo;t balk.
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That&rsquo;s been a trend for Edwards, who is no stranger to feeling like the odds against him are stacked like Jenga towers, with one false move causing a swift collapse. Ranked as just a 3-star prospect in high school by 24/7 Sports, he committed to Pepperdine University and spent three full seasons expanding his skill set. Still, Edwards didn&rsquo;t hear his name called until the middle of the 2021 NBA Draft's second round last June; he was taken at No. 44 due to concerns about his creation prospects. His role was anything but a given on a Nets team that&rsquo;s never been more "title or bust."
COVID-19 protocols forced Brooklyn&rsquo;s hand to play the kiddos, and after some impressive play in the middle of December, Edwards was eventually given his shot with the full squad on Jan. 10. There, he earned a start alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden against the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls, and his assignment was to thwart the Bulls' incendiary wing tandem. Stuck inside what most would consider a pressure cooker, Edwards emerged from the steam and mist to serve up a truly scrumptious feast for fans to sink their teeth into.
Brooklyn&rsquo;s rookie stopper held DeMar DeRozan to just <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1630556/head-to-head/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1-of-3 shooting</a> that night. Three days later, he bothered Brandon Ingram into an uncharacteristic 2-of-8 showing. Then, it was Evan Mobley, who mustered a mere 3-of-7 outing while defended by the Glendale, California native.&nbsp;
So what has allowed the rookie to hang ten with such a vastly different cast of opponents?&nbsp;
Well, for one, his 6-foot-8 stature and 8-foot-10 standing reach provide him with the requisite length to ace the standardized test of becoming a wing-stopper. He&rsquo;s proficient at flipping his hips and moving backward to track drivers as they bob and weave to the rim, his calves, quads and hamstrings laced with a not-too-shabby 37-inch vertical to wipe away airspace on his contests. Moreover, Edwards has noticeably bulked up since being drafted by the Nets, allowing him to absorb and rebuke opponents&rsquo; jabs in the post with Tempurpedic sponginess. Altogether, he&rsquo;s blocking 1.5% of his enemies&rsquo; shot attempts, good for the <a href="https://www.cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4907#tab-defense_rebounding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">81st percentile</a> at his position.
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Yet, in spite of adding all that weight, Edwards is still able to navigate screens with the malleability of a 6-2 slender guard. Seriously, it&rsquo;s highly unusual to see a player of his build tactically evade screens, especially at such a young age. But Kess doesn&rsquo;t just figure skate over and under picks like a seasoned vet; he&rsquo;s also well-versed with his routes of recovery to <a href="https://www.polygon.com/mario-kart-8-deluxe-guide/2017/4/28/15458834/tips-drifting-ultra-mini-turbo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turbo-drift</a> to the front of his assignment and contest.
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Kess isn&rsquo;t without his flaws as a defender. He&rsquo;s prone to biting hard on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJOtKVfjkh4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ball fakes and pump fakes</a>. He&rsquo;ll get a little too eager when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MurV0ZwFmIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digging down on post threats</a>, opening up space for his man to tiptoe out of the picture. He&rsquo;s also gotten his wires crossed on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Uot7PhcBU&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pick-and-pops</a>, unsure if he&rsquo;s supposed to switch or stay glued to the trigger-happy screener. His <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjsVhgx_Qc&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">closeouts will vary in diligence</a>, and frenetic fly-bys tend to crop up against threatening long-range detonators. Wholistically, he needs to trust his length more &mdash; it&rsquo;ll help him avoid crowding his assignments and should reduce shooting fouls.
None of these areas for improvement are anything out of the ordinary. The precision of NBA offense is an exhaustingly-daunting learning curve for many young players. If he applies himself, there&rsquo;s All-Defense potential sitting in there somewhere.
Oh, but it gets more enticing.
We&rsquo;ve thoroughly covered the &ldquo;D&rdquo; part of his 3-and-D billing, it&rsquo;s time we take a look at what the 21-year-old can do behind the arc. Edwards entered the draft as a 39.5% specialist from the college three-point line, though his shooting portfolio wasn&rsquo;t without its faults. He had this strange habit of splaying his legs on his release &mdash; his feet basically perpendicular upon landing like he was hitting yoga poses. It was unclear if this mechanical quirk would affect Edwards&rsquo; capacity to relocate and shoot on the move.&nbsp;
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After some time with Brooklyn&rsquo;s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, Kessler&rsquo;s idiosyncratic landing mechanics appear to have been wiped clean. Now, his feet travel in unison throughout the entirety of his jump shot. His release point is high, and he shoots on the way up. The elevation on his jumper is majestic; he seemingly hovers for a second with hawk-like composure as the ball leaves his hands. There&rsquo;s a sense of solidarity in Edwards&rsquo; energy transfer, a common goal of producing highly-efficient marks.
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&ldquo;It feels like he&rsquo;s refined his mechanics,&rdquo; Nets head coach Steve Nash told me and fellow Brooklyn reporters. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what my eye says. It had quite a pronounced motion to it ]before], and now, he seems to have really streamlined the motion and taken a lot of that out. Most importantly, he looks confident.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Confident&rdquo; is definitely one way to describe it. Edwards has nailed 43.2% of his big-league threes, good for the <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4907#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">96th percentile at his position</a>. Leaving him alone on the perimeter is basically a death wish &mdash; he&rsquo;s 12 of 23 on uncontested long balls. Canning <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HQ3PM3GRuM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transition threes</a> after a full sprint is certainly within Kess&rsquo; wheelhouse.&nbsp;
Brooklyn&rsquo;s confidence in the 21-year-old&rsquo;s shooting acumen appears to be growing by the game. Against the Pelicans, the Nets ran a set play in the second quarter to have Edwards scamper from the left corner to the left slot by means of a stagger screen. The rookie passed his first pro-level relocation test with flying colors, catching, turning and squaring up to the rim for an all-twine connection.&nbsp;
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Edwards is also one of the few only wing-sized players not named Kevin Durant who can proficiently execute a pick-and-pop. Kess and Irving have showcased early chemistry, in particular. Thanks to his refined mechanics, he&rsquo;s far more apt at shooting while moving to his left. (Popping to his right is obviously a more natural motion). Again, it&rsquo;s early, but he&rsquo;s graded out as <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/roll-man/?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*edwards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">88th percentile roll man</a> without really, well, ever rolling to the rim. I guess that&rsquo;s what happens when you average 1.5 points per pick-and-pop possession (according to Synergy).
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Kessler&rsquo;s true ceiling will be dictated by how much he can ascend beyond that 3-and-D label. Self-creation remains a point of emphasis for the 21-year-old, though he&rsquo;s shown some competence when run off the line. He&rsquo;ll rise up for two-dribble pull-ups after aggressive closeouts (which he warrants!), and he&rsquo;s yet to miss from outside 14 feet. He&rsquo;s also flashed a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpvR1o5IpMc">rather nifty runner</a> at 42% accuracy, placing him in the 65th percentile at his position from the short mid-range. Just 12 games in, Edwards appears ready-made with a pair of built-in counters for when defenses force him to put it on the floor.
Things get a little harrier when he&rsquo;s forced to make decisions in the restricted area; like, Chewbacca or Cousin Itt hairy. Edwards&rsquo; handle is rigid... no, better yet, it can appear almost arthritic. He&rsquo;s prone to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5QnsVyUWiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swipe-down</a> steals due to his high dribble, and he&rsquo;s mostly a straight-line driver. When he does attempt moves that are even slightly complex, the results... erm, you&rsquo;ll see for yourself.
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Kess doesn&rsquo;t have to transform into The Professor overnight to be clear, but some ball control must be cultivated in order to transcend into the Mikal Bridges <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4447#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">realm of operations</a>. For now, Edwards is a big wing-sized player shooting just <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4907#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">45% at the rim</a>, a paltry fifth-percentile ranking. Sheesh.
It&rsquo;d help if he could produce literally any force at the basket. As such an explosive two-foot leaper on his closeouts, it&rsquo;s strange to see him hop off one leg with such frailty on his drives. Springing off two would generate actual power, allow him to play through contact and increase his body control. He&rsquo;d have more ease changing directions to evade shot-blockers and a higher likelihood of successfully stretching out for finishes. Most of all, it&rsquo;d slow him down. For now, he works at 2.75-times the usual player's speed on his layups, his brain outpacing his body&rsquo;s ability to function.
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To say that Edwards has had some nice moments for the Nets would be quite the understatement, like calling He-Man a &ldquo;pretty strong dude with decent hair.&rdquo; Kess can already shoot the dang ball at an elite rate while guarding opposing stars at an NBA level, and he&rsquo;s got plus-size at his position. He&rsquo;s basically the exact type of player the Nets have long been searching for, dating all the way back to the D&rsquo;Angelo Russell days.&nbsp;
Expectations have never been higher in Brooklyn. There are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-james-harden-open-to-relocating-this-summer-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murmurs of Harden wanting out</a>, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/nets-star-irving-steadfast-on-vaccine-despite-durant-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Irving&rsquo;s vaccination status remains a dark, ominous cloud</a> that hangs over Brooklyn&rsquo;s season, ready to rain on the championship parade. The Nets' rotation feels diverse, yet still unfinished. Far too often do Nash&rsquo;s amalgamations of players feature the spacing of a mall parking lot on Black Friday.&nbsp;
Kessler Edwards offers something different than his contemporaries. On one end, he&rsquo;ll fill the corners while Harden runs the pick-and-roll; on the other, he&rsquo;ll screech around screens like Tokyo Drift to bother brash scorers that dare try him.
Altogether, the Nets have stumbled upon a very special player. They&rsquo;d be foolish to not put him to the test in the playoff crucible.
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Matt Brooks details how Nets rookie Kessler Edwards has been a bright spot for the team and the ways he's impacted the game.

The Nets may have stumbled on something with Kessler Edwards

You never want to see &ldquo;Damn Lonzo&rdquo; trending.
But, as is consistent with the rest of the season, a seemingly major injury has afflicted one of the NBA&rsquo;s aspiring contenders, and now that we&rsquo;re officially beyond the halfway point of the season, everything matters that much more.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported early Thursday that Lonzo Ball has a small meniscus tear in his left knee. Hours later, the Chicago Bulls <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-dealing-with-meniscus-tear-in-knee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed the injury</a>, relaying that Lonzo will undergo arthroscopic surgery with a recovery period of 6-to-8 weeks.
The Bulls are already missing Zach LaVine due to a left knee bone contusion, <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/nbcsports/bulls-zach-lavine-lonzo-ball-to-miss-road-trip-with-knee-injuries/2731931/?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_CHBrand">which will keep him out a least a few more games</a>. And while that&rsquo;s a short-term injury, Chicago suddenly has a thinning roster.
Patrick Williams is expected to be out for the season with a dislocated wrist. Derrick Jones Jr. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10023745-bulls-rumors-derrick-jones-jr-out-4-6-weeks-knee-injury-diagnosed-as-bone-bruise">may be out another month</a> with a bone-bruised knee suffered last week. Javonte Green is still <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32988184/chicago-bulls-guard-javonte-green-2-4-weeks-strained-groin">working his way back from a strained groin</a>.
Alex Caruso just returned after a month absence due to a mixture of leg, hamstring, and COVID issues, and even so, they&rsquo;re still very shorthanded at 28-15.
People are already throwing the Bulls around in trade rumors. Should they ask the Toronto Raptors about Goran Dragić? Would Caris LeVert coming from the Indiana Pacers be a helpful fit? Does acquiring Josh Hart from the New Orleans Pelicans make sense? Could they get any of the 6-foot-3 scoring guards from the Portland Trail Blazers not named Damian Lillard?
The Bulls do have <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/chicago-bulls/cap/">usable salaries to pair</a>, like Jones' $9.7 million, Williams&rsquo; $7.4 million and Coby White&rsquo;s $5.8 million. They <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Bulls.htm">also have draft picks</a>, including all of their own first-rounders after 2023 and a collection of second-rounders.
But we&rsquo;ve seen other contenders elsewhere not behave erratically and trust their own guys, at least in the interim. In the own-conference contender bubble, the Brooklyn Nets have turned to guys like Kessler Edwards, Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe, Cam Thomas and David Duke Jr. at different points, all of whom were a part of the 2021 draft class (though, Duke went undrafted and is on a two-way contract).
And, tied with Chicago, the Miami Heat have risen to the top of the East despite Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry having only played 14 games together this season. How&rsquo;s that possible? Just guys stepping up when called upon: Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker, Max Strus, Caleb Martin (a two-way), Gabe Vincent, Dewayne Dedmon and &Ouml;mer Yurtseven.
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Ball's obviously going to be a difficult replacement because of what he means to Chicago. His perimeter defense is elite, which is an especially deadly pairing when logging minutes next to Caruso. He's also developed into a sniper from deep, hitting 42.3% of his triples this season, the best of his career. And as the starting point guard, logging 34.6 minutes per contest, Ball is posting 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.
He's also accounting for a career-best .101 win shares per 48 minutes and is second in box plus-minus on the team behind Zach LaVine, and his 108 defensive rating ties Caruso for the best among Bulls guards. In no world is this level of two-way production easy to replace, moreso when it comes from your starting point guard.&nbsp;
For the Bulls though, as opposed to making any drastic changes, why not just use what you have? The aforementioned White is turning 22 years old next month, and lately, has been productive in his expanded role since returning from COVID protocols in December. In 16 games &mdash; and eight starts since Dec. 19 &mdash; White&rsquo;s averaged 16.4 points, and 3.1 assists on 50/45/86 shooting splits. In his last 11 games, he&rsquo;s up to 17.7 points and 3.0 assists per contest while slashing 54/51/91.
In other respects, the Bulls have turned to second-round rookie Ayo Dosunmu. Dosunmu, who just turned 22 on Jan. 17, was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ayo-dosunmu-ready-to-seize-the-moment-as-he-becomes-complete-player-nba-draft-prospects-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an All-American at Illinois</a>, a national championship favorite last season before losing to Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32.
A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Dosunmu is averaging 7.2 points while shooting 55.4% from the field and 45.7% from three in 21.3 minutes per game. He's also providing adequate defense, as expected when he was drafted at No. 38 overall.
Dosunmu is only at 1.7 assists per game, but has shown more playmaking ability across his last three outings, his best spurt as a rookie. Dosunmu&rsquo;s averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game over that stretch, shooting 76.7% from the floor and 70.0% from deep on 10.0 overall attempts per game. Continuing to unlock Dosunmu might be the best option for Chicago in the immediate.
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Dosumu, at least for now, could give you the spacing, playmaking and point-of-attack defense needed until Ball comes back. He won&rsquo;t be what Ball is consistently, but it&rsquo;ll be close enough for now without having to create mass roster upheaval.
The Heat are excellent at player development, but if you&rsquo;re the Bulls, you have to view what they&rsquo;re doing with undrafted talent and think you could sustainably get more-than-adequate production from your talented second-round draft pick in a similar fashion.

Bryan Fonseca weighs the Bulls' options with the news of Lonzo Ball having to miss time due to knee surgery.

Where the Bulls should turn with Lonzo Ball getting knee surgery

Late in the third quarter, the Portland Trail Blazers look to set up shop against a surprisingly-good Brooklyn Nets defense.
Nassir Little brings the ball up the left side of the floor, patiently awaiting a screen from Cody Zeller. The latter is knocked off his rocker a bit; Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant are able to switch the action without Little threatening things.&nbsp;
The ball swings to the opposite side of the floor to Anfernee Simons, chilling around the right hash while Robert Covington acts as a matchup-dictating shield. It's Simons versus Kessler Edwards now.
Edwards begins his defense attempting to shade Simons towards the sideline, but Simons boogies a bit and shifts Edwards' weight. He eventually drives to his left, not quite blowing by Edwards, but doing enough to gain inside leverage on the attack. Griffin, now defending Little, provides relief around the free throw line to protect the middle of the floor. Simons counters with a left-hand dart to Little, who then cashes the open triple.
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My initial thought when watching that possession: What the heck am I watching?
It's not that the possession is a bad one; it simply isn't supposed to be happening.
Late third-quarter offense is supposed to be spearheaded by either Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum while the other gets a breather. Instead, it's Simons being forced into a new role. He's gone from sixth man to starter; from hired gun to lead initiator.
It isn't supposed to be like this, this soon. But the circumstances are the circumstances. Luckily for Portland, Simons appears to be more scalable than advertised.
Simons has started eight games now, including all five games the Blazers have played in 2022. He's been pretty darn good.
<ul>
<li>Starter numbers: 20.9 points (58/41/96 split), 3.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists (2.1 turnovers) in 32.4 minutes</li>
<li>2022 stats: 27.8 points (61/45/95 split), 3.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists (2.8 turnovers) in 37.0 minutes</li>
</ul>
The silky smooth guard has seemingly taken the role shift in stride. Dock him for not facing an elite defensive assignment in the calendar year if you'd like &mdash; between games against the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets, Kyle Lowry might be his stingiest foe &mdash; but it's hard not to be impressed with what Simons has done.
The three-ball remains his most powerful weapon, though he's forced to get those looks in a more difficult fashion. On the season, Simons is averaging more catch-and-shoot triples (3.4) than off-the-dribble bombs (2.7). Over the last five games, that story has flipped &mdash; of the 11.2 threes he's attempting, 6.2 of them have been off the bounce.
Only three players (Fred VanVleet, Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell) are <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/pullup/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=01%2F01%2F2022&amp;sort=PULL_UP_FG3A&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking more pull-up threes</a> per contest than Simons in 2022; none of them are doing it at better efficiency than Simons (41.2% on those shots). It's a 10-day sample, of course, but even this snapshot of high-volume pulling should be respected.
Give the Portland coaching staff a little bit of credit; it has done a good job of leveraging Simons' talents and simplifying his reads at the same time.
The Blazers have spammed pick-and-rolls with an empty corner during this stretch. No guard has received more picks with an empty side than Simons in 2022, per Second Spectrum; in terms of volume, the Simons-Jusuf Nurkic combo is lapping the field.&nbsp;
They've also been wildly efficient with those actions; the Blazers are generating well over 1.2 points per possession on trips featuring a Simons-Nurkic empty corner ball screen since the turn of the calendar.
It's easy to see why. Playing drop coverage allows Simons to flow into pull-ups if his defender can't stay attached. Against ICE coverage &mdash; the cue is the on-ball defender aggressively shading Simons towards the sideline &mdash; Simons is able to get into his shot if the screen hits, or string out the play to the baseline to unlock pocket passes, hit the pop or force a switch.
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While the shooting has been impressive, Simons' work on drives may be even more encouraging. He's averaging a <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=01%2F01%2F2022&amp;TeamID=1610612757&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shade under 12</a> per game in the new year while converting 62.5% of his shots.
While he isn't Morant-level fast, there's a suddenness about him that work. His dribble combos shift his defender's weight on the regular, then he sinks juuuust&nbsp;low enough to create an angle for himself. Combine that with impressive touch, and you have the makings of an interesting finisher.
More than anything, he's pretty insistent on touching the paint. It doesn't always look smooth, but getting into a threatening area of the floor still forces the defense to react.
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That shooting and driving aggression has opened up passing windows for Simons. There have been some solid corner skips on his film as of late, but he's mostly a run-the-set or slip-it-inside initiator right now. That's perfectly okay. The fact that he's showcasing more comfort on pocket passes &mdash; and getting a little more daring with them &mdash; is a welcome improvement.
Some of these numbers will regress. That's how sample size works, and we'll likely see a shift in the quality of defenders thrown at Simons while the stars remain out. But it's hard not to be impressed with the work that Simons has done with more responsibility.
The Blazers have been firm believers in Simons' upside since they drafted him. They slow-played him in Year 1, and have slowly given him more responsibility in the years since. This was their vision: a combo guard that can play off their stars, or take over the show when called upon.
Vision's looking pretty good right now, huh?

Nekias Duncan breaks down the recent play of Anfernee Simons in the absence of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

With more responsibility, Anfernee Simons is stepping up in Portland

Kyrie Irving is back.
Kinda.&nbsp;
The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania dropped the first bomb, reporting that the Brooklyn Nets star was ramping up for a return. The news sent shockwaves through the online NBA community, but it also raised questions.
Chief among them: if Kyrie&rsquo;s ramping up for a return, what changed?
ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski answered that question not too long after the Shams tweet. He reported that Kyrie has still refused to be vaccinated, though the Nets were going to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyrie-irving-progressing-towards-nets-return-as-parttime-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allow him to return as a part-time playe</a>r as a response to the Nets&rsquo; current roster situation.&nbsp;
They&rsquo;re missing a chunk of folks right now, highlighted by fellow star guard James Harden, due to a mix of injuries (get well soon, Joe Harris) and players in the league's health and safety protocols. The Nets needed reinforcements, and they specifically wanted to take some of the creation load off of Kevin Durant&rsquo;s shoulders.
Steve Nash has shown worry about Durant&rsquo;s workload as of late &mdash; he hasn&rsquo;t averaged this many minutes (37.0) since his age-25 season (38.5 in 2013-14) &mdash; and it makes sense. You need Durant&rsquo;s brilliance for the postseason; burning him out as a high-minute, high-usage, high-volume leader of eight-man rotations is not the ideal path.
But folding to Irving&rsquo;s reluctance to fully commit to the team? It&rsquo;s shameful.&nbsp;
No.
It&rsquo;s shameless.
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The roster is gutted in large part because of COVID. Cases are spiking right now, with multiple teams &mdash; across multiple sports, for whatever that&rsquo;s worth to you &mdash; dealing with mass breakouts. Not only have the Nets decided that bringing an unvaccinated player into the fray makes sense, they&rsquo;re contradicting themselves in the process.
&ldquo;Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability.&rdquo;
These are the words of Sean Marks, the Nets&rsquo; general manager. A general manager that has done a fantastic job of rebuilding the Nets after the Billy King era. He&rsquo;s saved, then transformed the roster since he took the job in 2016. Beyond that, he has established &mdash; by many accounts &mdash; one of the best cultures in the NBA. It&rsquo;s part of what made Durant and Kyrie interested in signing with the Nets in the first place.
You can&rsquo;t build any sort of culture or relationship without an element of trust. You can&rsquo;t establish trust without a baseline of respect. A baseline of honesty. Your name &mdash; your word &mdash; is all you have when you strip the extra curriculars away.&nbsp;
What kind of message is Marks &mdash; are the Nets &mdash; sending with this decision?
To fold to this degree, smack dab in the middle of a COVID breakout, is a massive red mark on the resume. It doesn&rsquo;t seem smart. It doesn&rsquo;t seem safe for anyone involved. And honestly, it doesn&rsquo;t even seem totally necessary.
Bless Woj for doing his job, but to frame the decision with the kind of woe-is-Nets fluff he put out there is disingenuous at best, dangerous at worst.
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There are hardship exemptions available for short-term help; Langston Galloway just provided solid minutes last night, for example. For a contending team like the Nets, hitting on the margins of the roster is important in the short- and long-term. 
You don&rsquo;t want it to come under these circumstances of course, but it&rsquo;s probably a good thing that your draft class (Cam Thomas, Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe, Kessler Edwards and David Duke Jr.) is getting regular-season reps. You&rsquo;re going to need those guys down the line &mdash; to extend the contention window, or to intrigue other teams enough to make them tradeable to acquire guys that can extend the window.
And as rough as the Nets have had it in terms of roster luck, they have the best record in the East by 2.5 games. It&rsquo;s not like they made this decision because they were sliding in the standings and desperately needed a star-punch; they&rsquo;ve won four straight with a relatively soft slate leading into their Christmas Day matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.
They have a great record and a cushion, and the four teams behind them (Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Miami) are all dealing with their own COVID/injury issues.&nbsp;
There was just... no real need to make this move.

Nekias Duncan condemns the hypocritical Nets for allowing Kyrie Irving to come back into the fold.

The Nets should be ashamed of themselves

NEW YORK (AP) — Patty Mills made a 3 to force overtime, Kevin Durant had 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 131-129 on Tuesday night.
Durant was upgraded from questionable just before the game because Brooklyn has seven players in the NBA's health and safety protocol, including starters James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre' Bembry. He responded to the last-minute add with his 14th triple-double of his career. 
“I felt like it was something I could play on, so I knew I was going to play this morning,” Durant said. “I hate that my teammates are out. I wish everybody was playing.”
Brooklyn won its third straight, with Mills adding 30 points. It was the fourth career 30-point game in Mills’ career, and his first since Nov. 1, 2019, when he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs. The Nets also got 17 from Kessler Edwards, 16 from Nic Claxton and 13 from Blake Griffin before he fouled out in overtime. 
The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Toronto (12-15). Fred VanVleet led the Raptors with 31. Gary Trent Jr. and Pascal Siakam each finished with 25.
“We know how good of a team we can be when we are clicking and doing what we are supposed to do,” Siakam said. “Every time we haven't done that in season we pay for it.” 
Scottie Barnes had 23, but missed what would have been a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3 in overtime.
“I feel like we're right there as a team,” Barnes said. “We'll get this thing really going as a unit.” 
Trailing by 10 entering the third quarter, Toronto outscored Brooklyn 44-25 to take a 100-91 advantage going into the fourth. But Brooklyn outscored Toronto 26-11 over the first 7:18 of the fourth quarter, regaining the lead, 109-108, on a Mills 3 with 7:12 left. Another Mills 3 from the left side with 4:43 left extended the lead to 117-111.
It didn’t last. Barnes knocked down two 3s to tie the game, and Trent made a 3 with 1:21 left to give the Raptors a 120-117 lead. That held until Mills’ 3 with 13 seconds left forced overtime.
“I like how we responded throughout the whole game,” Durant said. "Hitting them first and taking their punch — 44-25 in the third — then turning it up in the fourth quarter and overtime, man. ... I'm so proud to just be a part of this group and play with these young dudes.
“Man, it was amazing to be out there.”
TIP-INS:
Raptors: Barnes has at least one very important fan: Coach Nick Nurse. During his pregame session with reporters, Nurse raved about Barnes, who entered the game averaging 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. “I’m really happy with the type of person he is,” Nurse said. “He’s really progressing nicely. … He’s just got good energy and passion to play, and I think there’s a real youthful enthusiasm (that) shows itself and sometimes when we need it.”
Nets: Brooklyn was significantly shorthanded as six players were put in the COVID-19 protocols prior to game — Harden, Aldridge, Bembry, Bruce Brown, Jevon Carter and James Johnson. Paul Millsap went into protocol Monday. “It’s unfortunate, for sure,” Nets coach Steve Nash said, who also noted “a couple coaches and a couple staff (members)” were in protocol. 
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host Golden State on Saturday night.
Nets: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The shorthanded Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors in OT, 131-129.

Short-handed Nets force overtime, beat Raptors 131-129

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Playing minus suspended coach Bruce Pearl, No. 18 Auburn made 16 steals and routed Nebraska 99-68 on Saturday.
Pearl began his two-game suspension imposed by the NCAA on Friday. Auburn was placed on probation for four years for unethical conduct involving former associate head coach Chuck Person. Pearl was penalized for failing to monitor his assistant and adequately promote compliance.
Assistant coach Wes Flanigan served as acting coach.
Center Walker Kessler and guard Zep Jasper each had five steals and Auburn scored 30 points off 20 turnovers. Jabari Smith had 21 points to lead the Tigers (8-1).
Auburn held Nebraska (5-6) without a basket for a stretch of almost seven minutes in the first half. The Tigers took control with a 13-0 run at the start of the Cornhuskers&rsquo; cold-shooting stretch.
Nebraska trailed by 21 points in the first half and again in the second half before cutting the deficit to 55-41 with a 7-0 run.
Auburn put the game away with a 14-0 burst that made it 76-47. The run included three 3-pointers by Wendell Green Jr., who scored 19 points.
Smith, a 6-foot-10 freshman from Fayetteville, Georgia, showed off his versatility by making three 3-pointers while also taking advantage of his height with two second-half jams.&nbsp;
Green had a steal before leading a fast break he capped by throwing the ball off the backboard to set up a crowd-pleasing jam by Smith.
C.J. Wilcher led Nebraska with 17 points. Bryce McGowans had 14.
Auburn led 12-9 before pulling away with a 13-0 run. Jaylin Williams sank a 3-point and added a three-point play during the stretch.
The matchup was the first of four games in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event at State Farm Arena.
BIG PICTURE
Nebraska: Guards Keon Edwards and Sam Holberg did not travel after being held out of practice with a viral infection. Edwards is a part-time starter. Freshman Wilhelm Breidenbach, hurt his knee in Tuesday&rsquo;s 102-67 loss to Michigan and also did not travel with the team.
Auburn: The Tigers showed impressive offense depth, with ample support for Smith and Green. Devan Cambridge scored 14 points. K.D. Johnson had 12 and Williams added 10.
UP NEXT
Nebraska plays Kansas State on Dec. 19.
Auburn plays North Alabama on Tuesday night.

Playing minus suspended coach Bruce Pearl, No. 18 Auburn made 16 steals and routed Nebraska 99-68 on Saturday.

Minus suspended coach Pearl, No. 18 Auburn routs Nebraska

Naturally, the focus on the Brooklyn Nets in the upcoming season will be their superstar trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. But when it comes to achieving their ultimate goal, there are four new 30-something-year-old players who will give Brooklyn a level of experience greater than any team in the Eastern Conference.
Patty Mills, Paul Millsap, LaMarcus Aldridge and James Johnson have joined the Nets, who were ousted by the eventual-NBA-champion Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the playoffs last season. (Brooklyn dropped Games 6 and 7 after holding a 3-2 lead.)
Aldridge and Millsap are both 36, Johnson is 34 and Mills is 33. Put them together along with Durant (32), Harden (32), Blake Griffin (32), Joe Harris (30) and Irving, who will turn 30 in March, and the Nets have one of the most experienced rosters ever to compete for an NBA title.
And make no mistake, a title is what the Nets are after &ndash; something they made clear in no uncertain terms Tuesday as coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks met with the media in advance of the opening of training camp later this month.
&ldquo;Our goal is to be the last team standing,&rdquo; said Marks, adding that a couple of the Nets players &ndash; he would not name exactly which ones &ndash; are not yet in compliance with new NBA COVID protocols that will impact teams in New York and California.&nbsp;
The NBA reportedly informed teams in early September that new laws in both New York and San Francisco regarding vaccine requirements will be enforced for members of the Knicks, Nets and Golden State Warriors unless there is an approved medical or religious exemption. The NBPA has refused to budge on its demand that players not be required to take the vaccine, and any proposal that mandates vaccination remains a "non-starter,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjN7MaD_5DzAhUmTt8KHTZsBosQFnoECAQQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fnba%2Fstory%2F_%2Fid%2F32208394%2Fsources-nba-players-required-get-covid-19-vaccination&amp;usg=AOvVaw0kBp4VdTVE-NthM8rFdAio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN</a>.
Marks, without getting into specifics, says he expects to have all 19 players available when camp opens, and a decision will be made over the next week on whether to bring in a 20th player to compete for a roster spot or to sign a two-way contract.
Marks also said he is engaged with representatives for Irving and Harden on contract extensions, which would allow the Nets to have their superstar trio signed for the long-term after Durant <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kevin-durant-signs-multiyear-contract-extension-with-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a four-year, $198 million extension over the summer</a>.
What will make the Nets different this season &mdash; aside from health issues, which impacted the team considerably last regular season and postseason &mdash; is the veteran depth they have added through the signings of the four seasoned free agents; arguably the most notable is Aldridge, who joined the Nets last season before issues with an irregular heartbeat forced him to retire and miss the team's playoff run.
Aldridge has now been cleared by a cardiologist and is gung-ho to resume his career. &ldquo;I tried to talk him out of it,&rdquo; Marks said. &ldquo;He stated, like several of our guys, that there was unfinished business here. He was fighting to be back to be on the last team standing, and he wants to be a part of it.&rdquo;
As a practical matter, Nash will have to seek ways to find a rotation that both incorporates all of the new players (along with the returning players) and keeps everyone satisfied with their roles. The Nets already had three ball-dominant players in Harden, Irving and Durant. Mills has the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/patty-mills-ecstatic-to-be-competing-for-championship-in-brooklyn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">capability of being a microwave type</a> as well, as he showed with the Australian national team's bronze-medal run; he averaged 23.3 points and 6.3 assists per contest, and scored 42 points in the Aussies&rsquo; final game of the Tokyo Olympics.
Mills, a 12-year veteran, spent the past 10 seasons in San Antonio and has played in a total of 90 career playoff games. Aldridge, a 15-year veteran, played in five games for Brooklyn last season before his heart condition forced him to step aside; he has appeared in 72 career playoff games. Millsap, who was with Denver the past four seasons, is a 15-year veteran with 129 career playoff games. And Johnson, who was with Dallas and New Orleans last season, is a 12-year veteran who will be playing with his 10th NBA team; he has appeared in 24 career postseason games.
The presence of all of those veterans will make it difficult for Nash to find playing time for his rookies, which include first-round picks Cam Thomas and Day&rsquo;Ron Shape and second-round picks Kessler Edwards, RaiQuan Gray and Marcus Zegarowski.
It is the type of &ldquo;abundance of riches&rdquo; problem that other coaches would love to have. For Nash, it is a matter of managing those players&rsquo; expectations. To illustrate that, Nash explained when he was a first-round pick (15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1996), he played only 10-and-a-half minutes per game before going on to a Hall-of-Fame career.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve added a lot to our collective IQ and experience,&rdquo; Nash said.

Chris Sheridan details how the Nets' additions over the offseason could be the perfect complement to their Big Three.

Nets hopeful that veterans help championship formula with Big Three

With the 2021 NBA Draft just days away, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has put together a list of the top available prospects by position. He recently listed the draft's top&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-point-guards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-shooting-guards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-small-forwards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small forwards</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-centers-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">centers</a>.
Here are the best small forwards in this year's class:
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Johnson, Duke</a>
Although he had a disappointing freshman season at Duke (in which he left his team early), Jalen Johnson possesses an intriguing combination of strength, athleticism, and playmaking skills. Considering his abilities as a ball-handler, distributor, and finisher at his size, he&rsquo;s one of the more talented forwards in this year&rsquo;s draft class and he has a ton of upside.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/kai-jones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kai Jones, Texas</a>
At 6-foot-11, Jones teased with his athleticism and offensive tools this past season at Texas. He will need to develop his physical strength and add polish to become a high-level NBA player; however, his long-term ceiling is extremely high. At the end of the lottery, he might be worth the risk.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/isaiah-jackson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Jackson, Kentucky</a>
<span data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Due to his length and leaping ability, Isaiah Jackson is a premier rim protector. He will need to add physical strength, but his presence in the interior is felt on both ends with his mobility and explosion. A bit raw on the offensive end, he's flashed decent touch and the ability to play above the rim. Jackson could serve as an effective rim protector, rim runner, and roaming big.&quot;}" data-sheets-userformat="{&quot;2&quot;:6847,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;4&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:13756105},&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;6&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;7&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;8&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;10&quot;:2,&quot;12&quot;:0,&quot;14&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0},&quot;15&quot;:&quot;Arial&quot;}">Due to his length and leaping ability, Isaiah Jackson is a premier rim protector. He will need to add physical strength, but his presence in the interior is felt on both ends with his mobility and explosion. A bit raw on the offensive end, he's flashed decent touch and the ability to play above the rim. Jackson could serve as an effective rim protector, rim runner, and roaming big.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/trey-murphy-iii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trey Murphy III, Virginia</a>
A sniper as a shooter and an effective defender, Trey Murphy III came into his own at Virginia after transferring from Rice. He doesn't excel in creating for himself, but as a movement and spot-up shooter, he can be incredibly valuable to just about any NBA offense. Considering his size, length, mobility, defense, and ability to stretch the floor, Murphy is a viable option in the first round.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/usman-garuba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Usman Garuba, Real Madrid</a>
Known mostly for his defensive prowess, Usman Garuba causes problems for opponents all over the floor with his length and explosiveness. He is instinctual at the rim, as both a protector and play-finisher. Aside from his positive contributions on the defensive end, his offensive abilities have been somewhat of a concern for some time now. This past season in Spain, Garuba&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/international-basketball-fiba-europe-euroleague-real-madrid-usman-garuba-progressing-as-shooter-trending-upward-2021-nba-draft-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-point shooting improved greatly</a>, providing real hope that his game might translate to the NBA better than initially expected.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jt-thor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JT Thor, Auburn</a>
Thor is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing prospects in this class. He's long, rangy, and fluid for his size. He also has the ability to shoot the deep ball and protect the rim. Thor is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jt-thor-could-be-2021-nba-draft-diamond-in-the-rough-auburn-tigers-prospect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a potential diamond-in-the-rough</a> who could make a great impact at the next level if it clicks. He likely won't be ready to contribute early in his career, but the physical tools and skill set are worth betting on.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/j-robinson-earl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova</a>
Although he isn't the flashiest player in the class, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl projects to be a reliable contributor. He averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds this past season, showing that he's willing and able to do the little things necessary for team success. He's a strong rebounder, screen-setter and passer, and he has flashed the ability to stretch the floor as well.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/kessler-edwards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kessler Edwards, Pepperdine</a>
Kessler Edwards is a proven shot-maker who excels in both three-point shooting and scoring in the post. He has good size at 6-foot-7 and a knack for doing all the little things well. Edwards is a disciplined and active team defender who can provide a decent amount of switchability. While he doesn't have a ton of upside, he looks to provide solid value on both ends of the floor in versatile roles.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/isaiah-todd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Todd, G League Ignite</a>
Isaiah Todd is an impressive athlete with good physical tools that he uses to his advantage, making him a difficult assignment for defenders. Todd averaged 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 15 games this past season for the G League Ignite. He has good length at 6-foot-10 and has shown the ability to stretch the floor, as he shot 36.2% from deep. If he is able to improve his decision-making and discipline, Todd could likely tap into his significant potential.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/greg-brown-iii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greg Brown III, Texas</a>
Greg Brown III is arguably the most explosive athlete in the draft. His leaping ability off one or two feet is incredible, which led to many highlight plays at Texas this past season. He has a high motor and a knack for attacking the offensive glass. He has shown flashes of being able to shoot from outside and make plays on the offensive end. However, his basketball IQ and self-awareness as a player seem to be lacking. Considering his level of athleticism, overall physical tools and raw talent, Brown should still be selected somewhere in the first round.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/isaiah-livers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Livers, Michigan&nbsp;</a>
Isaiah Livers is one of the best shooters in this draft, especially off movement. He has NBA size for a wing at 6-foot-6 and he was a career 41.2% three-point shooter at Michigan. He likely won't be relied upon to create much offense at the next level, but his ability to stretch the floor will likely provide him an opportunity.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/sam-hauser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Hauser, Virginia</a>
Hauser projects as a stretch big at the NBA level due to his impressive shot-making ability. He excelled at Virginia shooting off movement and the standstill, and has shown he can hit big-time shots from the mid-range as well as from deep. Hauser is one of the older players in this Draft cycle at 23 years old, but his skillset is one that organizations covet. Look for him to get a good NBA opportunity next season.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/matthew-hurt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Hurt, Duke</a>
Hurt was one of the best three-point shooters in the country last season, knocking dow 44.4% of his 126 attempts. After being ranked No. 12 in the 2019 RSCI, he had an underwhelming freshman season at Duke. As a sophomore, he came into his own as a scorer and showed that he can contribute on the interior as well as the perimeter. He's tough on the glass, has good size, and projects as a stretch four at the NBA level.
To see BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has put together a list of the top power forwards in the 2021 NBA Draft.