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Magic

As former Michigan State forward Gabe Brown goes through the NBA pre-draft process, he wants front offices to know one thing: he knows his role, and he's perfectly fine being a 3-and-D player.
"Usually when guys come in, they think they&rsquo;re going to take the world by storm and [become a star] and get the keys to the team, but that&rsquo;s not really how it works," Brown told BasketballNews.com. "There are already other players on the team who have paid their dues, and they may be All-Stars or champions. What I&rsquo;m looking to do is be a 3-and-D guy who looks to put the ball on the floor sometimes, but that&rsquo;s not always going to be my job. My job is usually going to be locking up guards, defending 1-through-4, [providing] athleticism and being consistent with my shot.&rdquo;
After spending four years with the Spartans, the 22-year-old has started working out for NBA teams (including the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks), and he recently participated in the G League Elite Camp in Chicago.
He has modeled his game after two other older prospects who spent at least four years in college: Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson and Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Harris.
&ldquo;I try to be myself as much as possible, but the guys that I really do look at are Cam Johnson and Joe Harris," Brown said. "They are guys who have been through four years of college and then made it and were successful in the NBA. And they played around [talented] guys and then worked their way into their role, so those are guys that I really try to pay attention to.&rdquo;
As a senior with the Spartans, Brown averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 threes, 1.1 assists and 0.7 steals, while shooting 38.2% from three-point range. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward believes that he can step in and immediately help an NBA team that's in need of a 3-and-D specialist.&nbsp;
BasketballNews.com caught up with Brown to discuss his skill set, how much he developed while in college, his experience at the G League Elite Camp, how he fell in love with basketball and more.
Throughout the pre-draft process, everyone talks about age. But there are also benefits to spending four years in college. Do you think staying at Michigan State for four years and gaining that experience helped you?
Gabe Brown: &ldquo;I just feel like my maturity level is higher than a lot of kids who come in earlier, and that&rsquo;s due to just being in college for so long and staying for four years. And I have to say: you learn the game more, you develop more when you&rsquo;re in college for four years. You know how to play NBA basketball when you get done with college, so I feel like my game will truly expand when I get to the next level."
How much have you grown as a player from your first day in college to where you&rsquo;re at now?
Brown: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a whole change for me&mdash;my maturity level, my work ethic, just everything has changed for me in a lot of positive ways.&rdquo;
The knock on older prospects is that they sometimes don&rsquo;t have as much potential or room to grow. What would you say to that and what do you think of your ceiling?
Brown: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe that&rsquo;s true. I believe that I&rsquo;m just getting started. I just turned 22 years old in March, so I&rsquo;m still very young. I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ve reached any of my potential yet, and I&rsquo;ve got a lot of time. [Giving me an opportunity] in the NBA is the perfect way to see.&rdquo;
Which teams have you worked out for so far? And who do you have scheduled?
Brown: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve worked out with the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks. And as for upcoming workouts, I basically have the whole league that I have to work out for, so I have about 12-to-14 more NBA workouts upcoming.&rdquo;
You participated in the G League Elite Camp. How did that go, and what was that experience like?
Brown: &ldquo;It was very fun to be out there. It was very fun, truly. Not a lot of kids get to be invited to these camps and take them in, and I was one of the kids who got invited to the G League one. It was a great experience. I went out there and I played two good games. I was looking for a call-up, but it&rsquo;s all good. I mean, my path, my journey is different. It was fun, though. The atmosphere was amazing.&rdquo;
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Which of your skills do you think will best translate to the NBA?
Brown: &ldquo;My defense, my length, my shooting ability, my size and my athleticism. That will all translate to me being out on the floor on an NBA court.&rdquo;
Off the court, what are some things you bring to a team?
Brown: &ldquo;I lead by example with my work ethic. I stay in the gym more and [come back] during the night. That&rsquo;s what I do. I feel like guys will respect me more just off of the way I work. And then, it&rsquo;s all about personality. I&rsquo;m a leader, I love to talk, I love to get guys going and I love to motivate people. That&rsquo;s no problem with me.&rdquo;
As you go throughout this pre-draft process, what are some of the things you&rsquo;re trying to showcase to teams&mdash;on and off the court?
Brown: &ldquo;On the floor, I&rsquo;m just trying to showcase my whole game&mdash;all of the things that I couldn&rsquo;t [show] at Michigan State or the things that I wasn&rsquo;t good at but that I really am good at that scouts didn&rsquo;t really get to see, like putting the ball on the floor, coming off ball screens, making reads, maintaining my consistent shooting level and being in tip-top shape. Off the floor, I just want to show them the person that I am. I&rsquo;ll always be myself. I&rsquo;ll always be Gabe Brown.&rdquo;
I read that growing up, your favorite player was Kobe Bryant.&nbsp;
Brown: &ldquo;I was a big Kobe fan. Just his mentality and the work ethic&hellip; I mean, everybody knows Kobe can score, and he&rsquo;s got championships, but nobody saw the work he really put in to get there. I think the motivating factor is just his work, what he did off the court, how he motivated guys and got guys going. And he always showed up when it was game time.&rdquo;
How did you initially fall in love with basketball?
Brown: &ldquo;It was my father. My dad put a ball in my hands at 3 years old and I haven&rsquo;t looked back since.&rdquo;
(Gabe&rsquo;s father, Charles Brown, passed away in 2016 after suffering a stroke.)
I&rsquo;m so sorry for your loss. You&rsquo;ve said that you considered quitting basketball after he passed away, and that it felt like &ldquo;there was no point in playing anymore&hellip; it felt like the game of basketball left me." How did you ultimately decide to continue playing and use basketball to honor him by wearing his No. 44?&nbsp;
Brown: &ldquo;It was a tough process. I still think about it to this day and it&rsquo;s never going to leave me. But I had my family behind me and they were totally supportive, and I had my coaches and everybody else being fully supportive. I just decided that I didn&rsquo;t want to give up on myself and give up on what I accomplished, so [I kept playing]. No. 44 was his number, and all of my brothers wore it, so it was my turn to wear it.&rdquo;
If an NBA executive asks, &ldquo;Why should I draft you?&rdquo; What would be your pitch?
Brown: &ldquo;I would have to say, 'I&rsquo;m gonna go hard, I&rsquo;m gonna give everything that I&rsquo;ve got and I&rsquo;m not gonna take the opportunity for granted.'&rdquo;
Check out BasketballNews.com's recent interviews with fellow 2022 NBA Draft prospects including <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-bennedict-mathurin-offers-unique-twoway-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dont-let-age-deny-keegan-murrays-tantalizing-nba-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iowa's Keegan Murray</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/johnny-davis-winning-intangibles-make-him-a-safe-bet-to-hit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin's Johnny Davis</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-qa-toledos-ryan-rollins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toledo's Ryan Rollins</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-prospect-qa-keon-ellis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alabama's Keon Ellis</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kofi-cockburn-wants-to-prove-everyone-wrong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois' Kofi Cockburn</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/preparation-competitive-spirit-fuel-izaiah-brockingtons-will-to-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iowa State's Izaiah Brockington</a>.
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Alex Kennedy spoke to Gabe Brown about his skill set, the G League Elite Camp, which players he modeled his game after and more.

2022 NBA Draft: Michigan State's Gabe Brown knows his role

The Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors couldn't be more different if they tried.
In one corner, you have the #BeautifulGame Warriors. Post splits and cuts galore. Glorious ball movement heightened by the hide-and-seek skills of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole. All three can boogie on you to varying degrees, but they're at their best when they're moving targets. You can't defend what you can't stay connected to.
The Warriors with Curry on the court blitzed the league to the tune of <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=201939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">116.0 points per 100 possessions</a> during the regular season, a mark that would've led the NBA. In the 129 minutes that Curry, Poole and Thompson <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=201939,202691,1629673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared the floor</a>, that number rose to 125.6.
On the other end, you have the methodical Mavericks. Luka Doncic leads the dance &mdash; he slightly trailed Joel Embiid for the NBA's usage rate title (37.5% to 36.8%), and is blowing away everyone this postseason (39.3%). While the Warriors dice you up with cuts and movement, the Mavericks make you pick your poison with countless ball-screens.
There&nbsp;is&nbsp;variety in the Dallas half-court attack. You'll see pindowns, stagger sets and Veer action for Reggie Bullock, for example. Even with those ball-screens, they'll flow between traditional high pick-and-rolls, Spain pick-and-rolls and sets that include an exit screen to further place strain on help defenders. A quick example:
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That's nasty stuff from Dallas. Bullock as the lone shooter on the weak side to stress Tyrese Maxey as a helper. Jalen Brunson receiving the exit screen from Dorian Finney-Smith to occupy Seth Curry and&nbsp;Tobias Harris. It's a tough scene.
Luka-led offense is elite in its own right. The Mavs generated 115.7 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor during the regular season &mdash; slightly below the Curry-led figure, but still a number that would've topped the NBA if extrapolated.
Both teams will need to find answers, obviously.
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Dallas found the right blend of switching, soft hedges and all-out traps to stifle the Phoenix Suns' vaunted half-court offense; the Warriors are a different challenge. Golden State has had to deal with a dynamic primary ball-handler already in Ja Morant, but Luka's size and passing ability throws a wrench into that equation.
While both teams approach offense differently, a common ground was found defensively during the regular-season meetings: Hunting the stars.
The Warriors were relentless. Doncic defended 65 picks (16.3 per game) in their meetings, with Golden State generating 1.05 points per possession (PPP) on those trips, per Second Spectrum. Only the Utah Jazz (23.3 per game), funny enough, went after him more frequently.
Curry "only" guarded 57 picks (14.3 per game) as the screener-defender during the regular-season series, with the Mavericks generating 1.00 PPP. The Clippers (12.3), Nets (11.0) and Heat (10.0, one game) were the only other teams to target him more than 10 times per contest.
Keep an eye on those Spain pick-and-rolls from the Mavericks. Well communicated switches are a way to contain the action, but how willing are the Warriors to do that when Bullock &mdash; Curry's likely matchup &mdash; is the back-screener?
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You can see the cat-and-mouse above. It's common for the two perimeter players &mdash; in this case, Curry and Wiggins &mdash; to switch. But because the Warriors don't want to give that, it's a quick stunt-and-recover from Curry. Doncic is able to string it out while maintaining inside leverage on Wiggins, thus drawing the foul on the drive.&nbsp;
If show-and-recover is going to be the move, it'll be up to the Mavs to counter that. Doncic is good enough to drive past or string out that hedge, but there are built-in scheme things to do. With Bullock being a good movement shooter, don't be surprised if we see flare screens for him.
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This is a poor rep, but the template is clear &mdash; make Curry work. If Dwight Powell is able to connect on the flare screen, Bullock should have a open three, especially with Kevon Looney in a drop. If Looney steps up, that should be a drive opportunity for Bullock, or, if Curry switches onto Powell, it should be an opportunity for the ball to swing back to Doncic to set up another ball-screen.
For the Warriors, they may be able to attack that matchup a little cleaner. Doncic was often in a bit of a drop, or outright switched when they went after him. That could open up rolls or slips, particularly if they empty the corner first.
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They may also opt to keep their flow going. Doncic switching onto Curry is one thing; doing so then asking him to track him off ball is another thing entirely. If there's a positive to take from the Suns series, it's that making him navigate multiple actions within a possession can generate some goodness.
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There's plenty to discuss about how these superstars will be defended. Bullock or Finney-Smith will see plenty of Curry. Andrew Wiggins will likely start on Doncic, but we may see some Klay or Draymond Green mixed in.&nbsp;
But the most important battleground of the series is shaping up to be how&nbsp;they&nbsp;guard &mdash; specifically, how they guard each other.&nbsp;
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Nekias Duncan previews this year's Western Conference Finals series between the Warriors and Mavericks.

Star hunting: How defense will determine Warriors-Mavs series outcome

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for May 18-20 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
The 2022 NBA Draft Combine is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.&nbsp;
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting drills and strength-and-agility drills from May 18-20. Coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. ET. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-field-of-44-draft-prospects-for-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 16-17 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.
Here is the complete list of expected attendees for this year's NBA Draft Combine (and check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> to see where each player is projected to go):&nbsp;
<table style="font-weight: 400;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="832">
Player (College/Club)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Marjon Beauchamp (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matthew Mayer (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Malaki Branham (Ohio State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Leonard Miller (Fort Erie Intl. Academy [Canada] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Braun (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Josh Minott (Memphis)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kendall Brown (Baylor)
</td>
<td width="442">
Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
John Butler Jr. (Florida State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Max Christie (Michigan State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
</td>
<td width="442">
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
</td>
<td width="442">
Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
JD Davison (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
</td>
<td width="442">
David Roddy (Colorado State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria [Spain] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Dereon Seabron (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jalen Duren (Memphis)
</td>
<td width="442">
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Tari Eason (LSU)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Keon Ellis (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matteo Spagnolo (Cremona [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
AJ Griffin (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
</td>
<td width="442">
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
</td>
<td width="442">
Peyton Watson (UCLA)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td width="442">
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Nikola Jovic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ismael Kamagate (Paris [France] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trevor Keels (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Mark Williams (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
</td>
<td width="442">
Trevion Williams (Purdue)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Koloko (Arizona)
</td>
<td width="442">
Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 18-20 in Chicago.

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

Kevon Looney had never missed a game before he came to Golden State. Not one.
He figures that's a couple of thousand consecutive games, all the way back to youth basketball as a boy in Milwaukee.
Looney's time with the Warriors has been far different, so it's no surprise how badly he wanted to play all 82 games this season to prove to himself and everyone else that he is healthy again. He promised coach Steve Kerr he would be honest if his body ever needed a break.
<a href="https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1513379503933833216">&ldquo;Iron Man Loon," as they call him, beamed when he received the game ball from</a> the Warriors' 128-107 victory at New Orleans on April 10 that wrapped up the regular season and the big man's quest to play the full 82. Only four other players in the NBA did so this season.
"It was just good for my psyche, good for my confidence,&rdquo; said Looney, who gifted the ball to mother Victoria. &ldquo;... I wanted to put that in my head that I&rsquo;m putting all the injury stuff in the past, that I made it to this point, that I can play every game, I feel good and I don&rsquo;t have to be playing in fear.&rdquo;
Looney's emergence as a model of consistency was something these Warriors desperately needed with stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson all missing significant time &mdash; and veteran Andre Iguodala sitting out for stretches with various injuries.
That durability could become even more critical in the Warriors' physical series with the Grizzlies. Golden State has already lost Gary Payton II, who <a href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-draymond-green-b49c8d89dc667ca4734df9bcb42c9621">suffered a broken left elbow early in Game 2 on Tuesday after a hard foul by Dillon Brooks</a>. Game 3 is Saturday in San Francisco, with the series even at one game apiece.
Looney's interior defense and rebounding have been keys to Golden State's latest playoff run.
For five games in the first round, he muscled in the paint with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. Looney realizes his role changes this round with smaller lineups used against the Grizzlies and he is coming off the bench, vowing to &ldquo;stay ready.&rdquo;
That's how he always did it during that remarkable run of playing every game before reaching the NBA.
There were approximately 1,015 AAU games over 10 years starting in second grade. Another 20 for Samuel Morse Middle School and 100 more at Alexander Hamilton High. Then, Looney played all 36 games during his lone season at UCLA in 2014-15, when he had an NCAA freshman-best 15 double-doubles and helped the Bruins reach the Sweet Sixteen.
Early on as a pro, Looney endured his share of hard luck. He underwent surgeries on both of his hips as a rookie in 2015-16 and played just five games.
&ldquo;Missing that first season for him was tough,&rdquo; said Looney&rsquo;s longtime youth coach, Shelby Parrish, who can't even recall a single missed practice &mdash; and he served on the high school staff, too.
Looney came back for his second professional season to appear in 53 NBA games for Golden State.
A hurt hamstring kept later him out of training camp and the preseason in 2019-20, then he returned only to be sidelined again with a nerve issue. In May 2020, Looney had surgery on an injured core muscle.
Through it all, Looney longed to shed this label he felt he owned as being the injured guy. He has done that.
&ldquo;He came into the league at 18, 19, back-to-back hip surgeries to start his career,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s worked like crazy to get himself in this position and his durability this year was a key to our regular season for sure.&rdquo;
Kerr, who still takes great pride in playing all 82 games over four straight years in his career, came close to resting Looney at Toronto on Dec. 18, but the 6-foot-9 center pushed to play. Each time thereafter, Looney reassured Kerr and Rick Celebrini, vice president of player health and performance: &ldquo;I feel great."
&ldquo;I told them I wouldn't push it and be stupid about it,&rdquo; Looney said. &ldquo;They gave me that trust and I appreciate them for that.&rdquo;
Curry, who has come close on a handful of occasions to playing all 82, witnessed Looney's determination day after day.
&ldquo;Only he can probably tell you some of those games he woke up in the morning and was probably feeling it more than others and had to really drag himself to the level of availability that he wanted," Curry said, "but the fact that he accomplished that goal is so impressive."

The durability and consistency of "Iron Man Loon" has been, and will be, critical for the Warriors in a physical series with the Grizzlies.

Kevon Looney becomes model of durability for Warriors

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?

Mat Issa raves over Jordan Poole regarding his three-level scoring and how his ceiling may be higher than once thought.

Jordan Poole is even better than we could've imagined

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid made a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 104-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night and a 3-0 lead in their first-round series.
After 76ers coach Doc Rivers called timeout to save the possession as the shot clock was running down, Embiid took an inbounds pass from Danny Green and hit a turnaround shot from near the sideline before running back to his bench in celebration.
Toronto&rsquo;s OG Anunoby couldn&rsquo;t get a shot off before the buzzer.
Embiid had 33 points and 13 rebounds, helping the 76ers rally from a 17-point deficit. James Harden had 19 points and 10 assists before fouling out in the closing seconds of regulation.
Tyrese Maxey scored 19 points and Tobias Harris had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Sixers, who can wrap up the series in Game 4 on Saturday.
Anunoby scored 26 points, Gary Trent Jr. had a playoff-high 24, and Precious Achiuwa had 20 for the Raptors.
Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet each had 12 points. VanVleet shot 3 for 13, going 2 for 10 from 3-point range.
Philadelphia never held a lead in regulation, finally grabbing a 99-97 edge on Maxey&rsquo;s shot with 3:27 left in overtime.
Anunoby&rsquo;s 3 briefly put Toronto back on top, but Embiid&rsquo;s basket with 2:36 left made it 101-100 for the Sixers.
Embiid fouled Anunoby with 26 seconds left, and the Toronto forward made the first but missed the second, knotting it at 101-all.
Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes sat for the second straight game because of the sprained left ankle that knocked him out of Game 1. Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Barnes is making progress and could return Saturday.
The 76ers, who shot at least 30 free throws in each of the first two games of the series, went 15 for 20 from the line in Game 3, with Embiid making six of nine attempts.
Trent was limited to 10 minutes of action in Game 2 because of illness, and didn&rsquo;t play in the second half Monday. He played 45 minutes Wednesday, shooting 9 for 19.
Ahead 75-74 through three quarters, Toronto held a 95-90 lead on Achiuwa&rsquo;s basket with 2:03 left.
Maxey scored to make it a three-point game, and Anunoby was called for goaltending on Harden&rsquo;s shot with 1:14 left, cutting it to 95-94. After missing at one end, VanVleet fouled Harden with 49 seconds to play, but the Sixers guard missed his first shot before tying it 95-all with his second.
Harden fouled out with 27 seconds left, sending Achiuwa to the line, but the Toronto forward missed both shots.
Philadelphia had two chances to win it in regulation, but Embiid missed a 3 and Harris couldn&rsquo;t convert after grabbing the rebound.
The 76ers played without guard Matisse Thybulle. Philadelphia&rsquo;s defensive specialist is not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, making him ineligible to cross the Canadian border. Thybulle also missed an April 7 regular-season loss to the Raptors.
The Raptors hosted a postseason game north of the border for the first time since Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals against Golden State. The Warriors won that game, but Kevin Durant injured his Achilles tendon and the Raptors won the series in Game 6.
TIP-INS
76ers: Green had to be restrained by teammates after he was called for a technical foul late in the second quarter. &hellip; Outscored 13-4 on fast break points. &hellip; Made 24 turnovers, leading to 27 points.
Raptors: C Khem Birch made his first start of the series, replacing Achiuwa. &hellip; VanVleet got a technical foul for arguing after he was called for pushing Embiid out of bounds in the second. &hellip; Trent&rsquo;s previous playoff high was 16, set Aug. 29, 2020 with Portland against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Joel Embiid's three-pointer at the end of overtime lifted the Philadelphia 76ers over the Toronto Raptors in Game 3.

Embiid hits winning 3 in OT, 76ers beat Raptors for 3-0 lead

Four years ago, after winning a third title in four seasons, Draymond Green offered the Golden State Warriors' front office some advice before the 2018 NBA Draft, which included a directive to target &ldquo;16-game players.&rdquo;
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Larry Harris said Draymond Green's given the front office a piece of advice: "There are 82-game players, then there are 16-game players." Draymond's interested in the 16-game (playoff-type) players.
&mdash; Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1009170931254624257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2018</a></blockquote>

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And although people are sparring daily with FOX Sports personality Nick Wright over his thoughts on Nikola Jokić and LeBron James among others, he <a href="https://twitter.com/getnickwright/status/1516597337698840578" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drew the Green claim</a> as a reaction to Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s epic 45-point game performance Tuesday night in a 115-105 Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
If you polled a consensus of NBA Twitter, media, players or front-office people about whether Trae Young is the best player in this series, an educated guess would suggest that those largely outside of Miami (and New York) would vote &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
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Some people very flippantly said Trae Young was *easily* the best player in the series. And, yo, I get it ... What Jimmy Butler does on *both* ends isn't flashy, doesn't make highlights, but that dude is a flat-out winner and a star, and he proved it yet again tonight.
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1516598814643310592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And that&rsquo;s understandable, right? Young is a superstar offensive talent who projects to be a perennial All-Star and an All-NBA challenger, if healthy, for much of his prime. But also in doing so, perhaps it ignores what could be brought on the other end of the floor by Butler, who is at least a candidate to make an All-Defensive Team for a sixth time in nine seasons.
(I affectionately refer to Butler as the Ed Reed of the NBA because of his elite ability at playing free safety. His running mate Bam Adebayo is Darrelle Revis, for what it&rsquo;s worth.)
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Whether you prefer an offensive-production machine who routinely offers the league&rsquo;s most tantalizing highlights, or a two-way grinder with the grit of Stone Cold Steve Austin and immense impact that often goes overlooked as a result in a world of flashier, Rey Mysterio-types, whoever you think the actual best player in the series probably doesn&rsquo;t matter.
What matters is this: It bears reminding that Butler is a 16-game player. He&rsquo;s damn good in the regular season too, but time and time again, he&rsquo;s proven it in the playoffs, and it needs to be noticed.
(Before the NBA Twitter mob comes, this is not to say Young necessarily isn&rsquo;t, especially after last year&rsquo;s postseason run. We&rsquo;re just turning our focus to Butler now for the purposes of this piece).
In Game 2, Butler finished with 45 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a pair of steals, He subtly patrolled the Heat&rsquo;s defensive secondary, manipulating Atlanta's guards to lob seemingly-out-of-range alley-oops that were detected and slapped toward a Miami teammate to initiate a break. In addition, the 32-year-old star bullied his way to the free-throw line to tilt the power in his team&rsquo;s favor.
Still, this was a different type of contest-controlling outburst than one we&rsquo;re accustomed to seeing from the Tomball, Texas native.
Nah, man. <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1516600499759374351" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This sh*t was loud</a>.
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I read no lies <a href="https://t.co/LzHVYF274D">https://t.co/LzHVYF274D</a>
&mdash; DWade (@DwyaneWade) <a href="https://twitter.com/DwyaneWade/status/1516619165573935105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Butler shot 15 of 25 from the field, 4 of 7 from three and 11 of 12 on three throws. When the team needed a bucket, Butler delivered, solving the Heat&rsquo;s late-game issues for the night &mdash; a question that's made many hesitant on pegging Miami as a true contender despite being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
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🔥 45 POINTS for Jimmy Buckets 🔥 A new playoff career-high for <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmyButler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimmyButler</a> puts the <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiamiHEAT</a> up 2-0! Game 3: Friday, 7 PM ET, ESPN <a href="https://t.co/xAjzVassBk">pic.twitter.com/xAjzVassBk</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1516643329961771010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As the Hawks seemed to get hot from the floor, cutting the Heat lead to 64-62 with 8:59 to go in the third quarter, Butler drilled his third three of the game two possessions later. One minute after, he extended the lead to double figures with a lay-up following a defensive board, which prompted a Nate McMillan timeout. The Hawks would again come within single digits following 6-0 run late in the third, and Max Strus found Butler for a dunk with 1:48 to go in the period.
In the fourth, Butler produced 9 points, 2 assists and a steal, and he found Gabe Vincent (who himself had a fantastic two-way effort off the bench) for a triple with 6:12 left in the game; it was a key moment to stretch a narrowing four-point lead to seven.
As the Hawks again sliced it down again with 3:53 left, Butler came out of a timeout, penetrated the lane, drew in the defense and found an open Adebayo for a dunk &mdash; his easiest bucket of the playoffs so far. Not going away, the Hawks cut it to three, but Jimmy drove into a slam with 2:16 left to bring Miami's lead back up to five. And on the ensuing offensive possession, Butler drained a fourth three to make it 109-101 Heat with 1:36 remaining in the game, essentially the dagger.
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We know about what Butler did in the 2020 NBA Playoffs and <a href="https://youtu.be/dadoOIGSkx8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">those Finals in particular</a>. And in 2019, if it wasn&rsquo;t for his performance in the seven-game East semifinals series against the Toronto Raptors, there&rsquo;s no telling how long that Philadelphia 76ers team would&rsquo;ve lasted.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKid3520Ow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In that series</a>, Butler averaged 6.9 points per fourth quarter, totaling 12 of 24 shooting and 21 of 23 on free throws and leading the team with 8.6 minutes per fourth quarter.
Joel Embiid logged 7.8 minutes per fourth and averaged 4.0 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the field and 10 of 14 on free throws. Ben Simmons played 8.3 minutes per fourth and averaged 1.7 points on 4 of 6 shooting and 2 of 4 on free throws. (Simmons took 6 shots in 50 total fourth-quarter minutes and didn&rsquo;t play the fourth at all in Game 5). And Tobias Harris? 2.0 points through 8.1 minutes per fourth, shooting 5 of 22 in the final period overall. J.J. Redick? 2.0 points in 6.0 minutes per.
That summer, Simmons and Harris were maxed, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jimmy-butlers-threepoint-shooting-has-always-been-a-luxury-not-a-necessity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Butler landed in Miami</a>.
(And if you&rsquo;d like to hold up the 2021 playoffs to detract Butler, you can. But, you must also note that the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers had a seven-week offseason between the NBA Finals and training camp, and the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets had nine each; they all flamed out last spring for a reason.)
Tuesday night's performance capped an imperfect offensive display from Miami, who settled for too many jump shots in favor of attacking the rim with Bogdan Bogdanović, DeAndre Hunter and Kevin Huerter all being in foul trouble throughout, but every playoff game is its own experience.
As the Heat head into Atlanta with a 2-0 lead, Adebayo and Tyler Herro &mdash; who&rsquo;ve combined for 36 points through the first two games &mdash; have yet to leave their offensive imprint on the series. If you throw in Kyle Lowry in the mix, the number only grows to 55 points.
If at least one guy is able to have a breakthrough on the road, Miami will probably not need another 45-pointer from Butler, so long as the team defends to or near its capabilities.
And if that doesn't happen, one, it'd be a surprise, but two, who else is better suited to grind you to an ugly-but-effective-ass 81-77 road victory?
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Bryan Fonseca praises the playoff prowess of Heat star Jimmy Butler and his ability to elevate his game in crunch time.

Jimmy Butler is a 16-game player

As he went through a 45-minute exit interview with media, a tumultuous season with the Los Angeles Lakers was officially put to rest for Russell Westbrook.
The 33-year-old veteran was candid throughout his closing press conference, leaving little doubt regarding how he felt about his situation.
When Westbrook was introduced upon his arrival in Los Angeles, his message was that he desired to be somewhere he was wanted. He was asked on Monday if he still felt wanted.
"When I first got here, I felt I was never given the fair chance just to be who I needed to be to help this team." Westbrook told reporters, mentioning preconceived notions as a major factor. "From top to bottom, just every aspect, because what I bring to an organization is not just basketball.
"I never felt like, coming in, I had a fair chance on the basketball front, on any front."
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Westbrook claims that those preconceived notions arose from false stories from the media, so coming to Los Angeles, he was fighting against this story and that story like no other stop in his career.
"Unfortunately, throughout the season &mdash; especially this season &mdash; the ability to be able to constantly create stories about myself, and things I may have and people thought I may be doing, it can jade people's perspective about me," Westbrook said. "The outside fan and the outside world (think), 'Oh, well maybe he is the problem, maybe he is the bigger issue,' and in actuality, there are so many issues going on internally that are actually, really happening."
One of those internal issues revolved around now-former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and the job he did this season with three All-Stars. Immediately following Westbrook mentioning internal issues, he was asked about Vogel.
"I have never had an issue with any of my coaches before, as much as people may assume," Westbrook said. "I have never had an issue with any coach, any players, any staff members, anybody actually... I'm not sure what his issue was with me, or I am not sure why... but I cannot really give you answer why we never really connected. That's something he has to answer.
"From the get-go, it felt like I was trying to prove myself to him."
As far as making adjustments was concerned, Westbrook said he knew he was going to have to make the biggest sacrifice coming to L.A, but "any situation I have been in, I have had to make the sacrifice. Whether it was in D.C. whether it was in Houston, whether it was in Oklahoma City. In actuality, I have always been able to make a sacrifice."
In terms of on-court adjustments by the coaching staff, Westbrook stated that he "just does what he's asked."
LeBron James, who addressed the media first for Laker exit interviews, offered his thoughts on his first season as Westbrook's teammate.
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One thing about Russ that I love and will always love, is just his competitive spirit, what he brings to the game every night. And when you&rsquo;re in a profession when so many injuries happen and so many things go on, to have a guy that&rsquo;s reliable, who can put on the uniform every single night, that&rsquo;s something I respect out of everything. I&rsquo;m not gonna sit here and make decisions for the front office and things of that nature, but I love being a teammate of Russ.
I mean, at the end of the day, the reason why we were not very good together is we weren&rsquo;t on the damn floor together. That is the No. 1 thing. I mean, how many games did we play together? We played, what, a quarter of the season together? ... I played more games with my high school teammates in a season, and we only played 27 games. So there it is.
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(For what it's worth, Westbrook and LeBron weren't great in those 21 games together this season, going just 11-10 with a minus-3.5 Net Rating.)
"Russ is a hall of fame player that gave everything he could to this organization this year... In terms of Russell Westbrook and his future, part of that is in his control," Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka added.
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"Russ is a hall of fame player that gave everything he could to this organization this year... In terms of Russell Westbrook and his future, part of that is in his control." -Pelinka, on Russ' player option and future. Says they will "look under every stone" for ways to improve.
&mdash; Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1513597954585554947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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For Westbrook himself, this was the first season in his career in which he was not in the 98th percentile or better in usage rate. Even beside Kevin Durant, James Harden or Bradley Beal, Westbrook had one of the top usage rates in the league. He recorded his second-lowest assist percentage (31.0%) and second-worst turnover percentage (15.4%) &mdash; both barely edging out his rookie season.&nbsp;
The 2021-22 campaign also saw Westbrook take his fewest amount of shots per game (15.3) on the lowest field-goal percentage of his career (39.8%). His minus-4.0 NET was a product of his second-worst Offensive Rating (107.5) and career-low Defensive Rating (111.5).&nbsp;
One point Westbrook repeatedly made was that he wasn't allowed to use his strengths on the floor to help make the team successful. The veteran's ability to score on the fastbreak and take advantage of his opponents' turnovers has always been one of his strengths, but this year, he had career-lows in points off turnovers and fastbreak points per game.
Whatever the reason may be &mdash; whether it was coaching style, roster fit or straight up regression &mdash; Westbrook was clearly not the same player we have seen throughout his career.
It is clear that a new fit should be on the horizon for the oft-misunderstood point guard, or else it'll be back to the drawing board for all parties involved.
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Justin Lewis reviews Russell Westbrook's candid exit interview with the Lakers heading into Los Angeles' offseason.

Westbrook: I 'never felt like I had a fair chance' to be myself in L.A.

For a third of the NBA, summer break comes early.&nbsp;
Though 10 teams didn't make the playoffs, it's not all doom and gloom. Several NBA bottom-feeders took tangible steps forward in their rebuilding efforts, while others &mdash; well, they're not supposed to be here.
Every franchise enters the offseason with summer plans. As teams get eliminated from the postseason, I'll be rounding up every team's offseason outlook and posing one question they must answer over the summer. You'll see each squad's 2022 NBA Draft chest, plus their potential free agents, along with the central question.&nbsp;
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Let's get started!
DETROIT PISTONS 
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick (via Brooklyn)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Marvin Bagley III (restricted), Cory Joseph (player option), Hamidou Diallo (team option), Frank Jackson (team option), Luka Garza (team option), Carsen Edwards (team option), Rodney McGruder 
Central question: How do the Pistons build an offense around Cade Cunningham?
This was a pretty solid season for Detroit as far as rebuilding efforts go. Cade Cunningham emerged as a Rookie of the Year front-runner and two-way centerpiece who has fans ecstatic about his ceiling. The Pistons finished a solid 10-14 after the All-Star break, and have shown flashes of an improving defense. They did still finish with the 28th-ranked offense, per Cleaning the Glass, and one of the worst shooting rates in the NBA.
Cunningham had to carry a ridiculous offensive load in the latter stages of the season. Detroit has the power to change that in 2022-23, starting with its high draft pick. Maybe Jabari Smith's lights-out scoring means he's an ideal secondary option? Perhaps Paolo Banchero thrives as an additional creator, or maybe Chet Holmgren makes sense as a finisher and spot-up threat? The fun part about Cunningham is that his versatility creates so many pathways for the Pistons in the draft &mdash; whether or not the ping pong balls fall their way.
Detroit wields a cap hold of approximately $28 million on Bagley, and once that lifts (either via a new contract or letting him walk), the Pistons should have a solid chunk of cap space to add to the supporting cast.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), better of Brooklyn/Miami first-round picks
Potential free agents: John Wall (player option), Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando (restricted), Jae'Sean Tate (team option), Anthony Lamb (qualifying offer), Trevelin Queen (qualifying offer)
Central question: How patient is the front office willing to be?
Houston's 2021 draft strategy of "draft talent, figure out the fit later" appears to be working out. Jalen Green demonstrated an Anthony Edwards-esque leap post-All-Star break, Alperen Sengun is already one of the NBA's best passing bigs, and guys like Josh Christopher and KJ Martin routinely hinted at upside. Houston gets another prime shot at a franchise cornerstone this draft cycle. We're approaching Stage 2 of the strategy, though: figuring out how the pieces fit.&nbsp;
The Rockets were one of two NBA teams with bottom-five ratings on offense and defense. They led the league in rim frequency and were fourth in three-point frequency, but posted mediocre shooting clips. Houston evokes memories of the rebuilding Nets, who played a similarly extreme brand of ball for a few years as the team slowly reshaped into a fun playoff squad. Does the front office have the foresight to let head coach Stephen Silas work things out with his roster of young guns?&nbsp;
INDIANA PACERS
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How is there a &ldquo;rebuild&rdquo; to afraid of if it isn&rsquo;t a rebuild? <a href="https://t.co/0pDD7E6Mss">pic.twitter.com/0pDD7E6Mss</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1512127632758001664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (10.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick (if 15-30, via Cleveland), Second-round pick (via Houston), Second-round pick (via Phoenix)
Potential free agents: Ricky Rubio, T.J. Warren, Jalen Smith, Lance Stephenson, Nate Hinton (restricted), Oshae Brissett (team option)
Central question: How extreme is the incoming rebuild, and what veterans mesh with the future vision?
Notably unlisted among the potential free agents are Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and T.J. McConnell. All range from solid starters to rotational complements, and 3 of the 4 (not Turner) will be 30 next season. The Pacers are clearly retooling, as evidenced by their trade-deadline fireworks and Tyrese Haliburton's subsequent high usage. They also have publicly flip-flopped regarding the direction of the team; see the above Tweet.
Indiana doesn't have the pure depth of talent to straddle the line. The Pacers can trade many of these talented players and build up a chest of draft picks and young pieces, or they can charge ahead, turn their picks into win-now players and hope Haliburton is ready for the playoff push. But a middle ground doesn't exist in an Eastern Conference where just about every team has solidified its direction.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Draft assets: None
Potential free agents: Russell Westbrook (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Austin Reaves (team option), Stanley Johnson (team option), Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, D.J. Augustin, Wenyen Gabriel, Mason Jones (restricted)
Central question: What does team-building around two injury-prone superstars look like?
LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-i-dont-have-a-cap-on-how-long-i-want-to-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turns 38 next season</a>, and has played 60-plus games just once in the past four seasons. Anthony Davis has now missed more than half the season in back-to-back years. Sure, the Lakers were a mess regardless of their stars' health, but going forward, is pursuing fits next to James and Davis even worthwhile if the two won't consistently be on the court?
With just three players under contract (the aforementioned stars, plus Talen Horton-Tucker), the Lakers enter another offseason of a roster overhaul. This time, I'd recommend almost entirely forgetting about James and Davis when building the squad and simply try to assemble units that make sense together.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, could change based on Play-In results), Second-round pick via Boston and Charlotte (if 56-60)
Potential free agents: Mitchell Robinson, Ryan Arcidiacono 
Central question: What's going to happen with the veterans?
The top six moneymakers for the Knicks next season are all 27 or older, and I think many fans would say that out of the group, only Julius Randle should have started &mdash; and he seriously regressed this season. The young Knicks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clearly showed they're ready to take the mantle</a>.
So what happens with Randle, Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker? Is Tom Thibodeau prepared to reduce their (their meaning Burks specifically in this case) minutes and usage, will trades be coming, or will Madison Square Garden burn when Immanuel Quickley opens the season by playing 16 minutes off the bench? New York has drafted extremely well in recent seasons, but the ceiling of the young core is capped if these youngsters don't get a chance to prove themselves in meaningful situations.
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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 
Draft assets: First-round pick (12.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via Clippers, First-round pick via Phoenix, Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Derrick Favors (player option), Mike Muscala (team option), Lu Dort (team option), Isaiah Roby (team option), Melvin Frazier (restricted)
Central question: What is the pathway in the frontcourt?
I've stanned Sam Presti's team-building strategy for years now, and I still think it's on track for a serious payoff. Josh Giddey slots in somewhere on your All-Rookie ballot, and draft classmates Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins flashed rotation-caliber play as well. It is simply a joy to watch a random young player have a breakout game on any given night, and OKC has already shown the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early stages of a prominent defense</a>.
Next up: Capitalize on a draft loaded with intruiging frontcourt players. Banchero, Holmgren and Smith are obviously the best of the best. But even if the Thunder slide in the lottery, they could pounce on an athletic shot-blocker like Jalen Duren, or use one of their later picks on a center like Mark Williams. I'm just spit-balling, but the point is that OKC has plenty of chances to find its big-man anchor and further flesh out its core.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Indiana
Potential free agents: Gary Harris, Robin Lopez, Bol Bol (restricted), Ignas Brazdeikis (restricted), Admiral Schofield (restricted)
Central question: How do the offensive pieces fit together?
Orlando quietly logged a 17th-ranked defense this season, and an 11th-ranked unit since Feb. 1. A dismal offense ultimately doomed the Magic, who were riddled with inconsistent shotmaking and poor team efficiency marks throughout the half-court. We don't need to sound any player alarms; it takes time for young guards in particular to grasp the responsibilities of running NBA offenses.&nbsp;
But what if I told you Orlando has wielded bottom-10 offensive ratings every season for the last decade?&nbsp;
Change can start in the draft, again with some of the top offensive forward options like Banchero or Smith. Adding another ball-dominant guard in Jaden Ivey might be overkill, but AJ Griffin and Bennedict Mathurin feel like good wing fits at first glance. Spotrac estimates the Magic could have up to $30 million in practical cap space, leaving plenty of room for veteran players to accentuate the young talent.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
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THE D IN DREW STANDS FOR DUNK DO NOT GOOGLE THIS <a href="https://t.co/2AojdAskYV">pic.twitter.com/2AojdAskYV</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1508636734900166659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (9.0% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via New Orleans (if 5-14), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Memphis
Potential free agents: Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Anfernee Simons (restricted), CJ Elleby (restricted), Elijah Hughes (restricted), Keljin Blevins (restricted)
Central question: Is Portland actually trying to win "now" or win soon?
Some really great development happened for the Blazers during the "wash" portion of the season in the form of players like Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson and Drew Eubanks. Add them to Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and the incomng draft picks, and Portland suddenly has... kind of a sneaky-deep prospect pool? There's real potential to mold this group into a rotation cast that gives Portland one of its deepest rosters in years.
That's why these <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant trade rumors concern me</a>. Giving up a possible lottery pick to try and piece together a short-term playoff team risks too much and keeps the Trail Blazers in the limbo they have lounged in for several years. Understandably, the franchise wants to build a contender while Damian Lillard is invested and in his prime. With some patience, Portland can without sacrificing sustainibility.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Draft assets: First-round pick (7.5% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick (via Chicago)
Potential free agents: Jeremy Lamb, Josh Jackson, Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Neemias Queta (restricted), Trey Lyles (team option)
Central question: How does Sacramento turn into a competitive NBA defense?
The Kings have trotted out lackluster defenses for as long as I can remember. In fact, they haven't ranked above 20th in Defensive Rating since 2005-06 &mdash; notably, the last time they made the playoffs.
And that didn't change under interim head coach Alvin Gentry. (Gentry will not return as head coach next season, but is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-alvin-gentry-no-longer-interim-coach-of-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in talks for a front-office role</a>, per ESPN.) However, the on-paper roster actually shines some hope. Davion Mitchell made highlight reels out of his "Off-Night" defense. Justin Holiday is a solid individual defender, as is Harrison Barnes, and even De'Aaron Fox has his sporadic moments.&nbsp;
Can Sacramento find a head coach who turns a group of intriguing players with defensive potential into even an average squad? What draft and free agency options exist? Of course, the Kings would like to end their NBA-leading playoff drought. That'll come with changing the culture on defense.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, depends on Play-In results), Second-round pick (via Dallas)
Potential free agents: Bradley Beal (player option), Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Anthony Gill (restricted), Cassius Winston (restricted)
Central question: What style of guard play is a feasible best fit?
Okay, so obviously the biggest question mark surrounds Bradley Beal's free agency. But from a conceptual standpoint, Washington has tried and failed over the past few seasons to find Beal's best-fitting partner in crime. John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Spencer Dinwiddie were each supposed to provide the downhill juice Beal lacks. The Wizards either did this at serious expense of another skill area (Wall, Westbrook), or it just didn't translate their at-rim ability (Dinwiddie). All battled injuries as well.
"I think we need bigger guards," <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-outlines-what-wizards-need-build-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said in March</a>. "We need more guys that can get in the paint for us, more ball-handlers, more guys that can really create and get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock down threes."
I mean, Beal's needs make total sense. The problem is that every other basketball team on Earth also wants this type of guard.
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Ethan Fuller sets the offseason stage for each team that missed the NBA playoffs.

Summer plans for the NBA's 10 non-playoff teams

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid made his closing argument for MVP votes and all but wrapped up the NBA scoring title, scoring 41 points while adding 20 rebounds and four assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 133-120 victory Saturday over the Indiana Pacers.
Embiid shot 14 for 17 from the floor, went 11 of 15 from the foul line and made both his 3-point attempts in a game that Philadelphia (50-31) needed to win to remain alive in the hunt for the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. It was the first time this season that an NBA player scored 40 or more points and had 20 or more rebounds in a game. It was the third time in Embiid's career it has happened &mdash; with all three times coming against the Pacers.
&ldquo;I've always said that every single night, I want to dominate,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;If you are dominating, things can show up in a lot of different ways &mdash; whether it is offensively or defensively. Sometimes, the numbers don't show it. But it's good, I guess.&rdquo;
Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said: &ldquo;It's methodical and historical. Whatever the calls you want to put on it, it's what's he's been."
James Harden had 22 points and 14 assists for Philadelphia, who also got double-digit point performances from Tobias Harris (18), Tyrese Maxey (18) and Danny Green (15).
&ldquo;We're getting better,&rdquo; Rivers said.
Oshae Brissett scored 20 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 19 for Indiana (25-56), which lost its ninth straight game. The Pacers fell behind by 21 points in the first half, then cut the deficit to five late in the third quarter before Embiid and Harden began to take control of the game.
&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen a guy like this in the history of the league who has this kind of power and skill,&rdquo; Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said of Embiid. &ldquo;He's able to score on all three levels effortlessly. He's an amazing player and it will be interesting to see what teams do in the playoffs to try to slow him down.&rdquo;
Embiid is now averaging 30.6 points for the season, which is just ahead of LeBron James&rsquo; 30.3-point-per-game clip for the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant&rsquo;s 30.1 average for the Brooklyn Nets.
But neither James nor Durant will play enough games to qualify for the statistical title; in an 82-game season, 58 games played is the minimum. That means the scoring race comes down to Embiid and Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who would need a miracle finish to grab the scoring crown. The last center to win a scoring title with a more than 30 ppg average was Bob McAdoo, who averaged 31.1 points in 1976-77.
Embiid also has been considered one of main contenders for league MVP, along with Antetokounmpo and Denver's Nikola Jokic. Saturday's game was Embiid's 13th scoring 40 or more points.
The Sixers can move up to the third seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Chicago with a victory over Detroit on Sunday and a Boston loss at Memphis. Otherwise, Philadelphia will face Toronto in the 4-5 matchup in the first round of the postseason tournament.
Embiid said no decision was made about his playing status for Sunday night's game, which takes place at the same time Boston faces Memphis.
&ldquo;I want to, but at the same time it's a back to back and we have to get ready for the playoffs,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;I want to play because we still need to work on my spacing and chemistry. Whatever we can get out of this last game, it will be good.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pacers: Indiana guard Malcolm Brogdon was ruled out with lower back soreness while Jalen Smith sat because of left groin soreness. Reserve forward Nate Hinton was ruled out for the final two games because of the NBA's health and safety protocols. &ldquo;He's in a van heading home,&rdquo; coach Rick Carlisle said.
76ers: For the second straight game, Philadelphia inserted veteran guard Danny Green into the starting lineup in the spot normally held by top defender Matisse Thybulle. Thybulle may not be able to play in a possible first-round series in Toronto because of his COVID-19 vaccination status. Canadian rules forbid cross-border travel to anyone not vaccinated; Thybulle has not said publicly whether he is vaccinated. He missed Thursday night's 119-114 road loss to the Raptors and was listed as &ldquo;ineligible to play." ... Guard Georges Niang missed Saturday's game with left knee soreness. Rivers said the move was precautionary. &ldquo;If this was a playoff game, he would be in there,&rdquo; the coach said in his pre-game meeting with the media.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Play at Brooklyn on Sunday to finish their season.
76ers: Host Detroit on Sunday night in regular-season finale.

Joel Embiid makes one last MVP push with 41 points and 20 rebounds in Philadelphia's season finale.

Embiid has 41 points, 20 rebounds as Sixers down Pacers

There wasn&rsquo;t exactly a consensus about how the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; season would end, but it&rsquo;s probably safe to say that nobody foresaw this.
On Tuesday night, the Lakers saw their bleak playoff hopes reduced to zero when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets, and immediately thereafter &mdash; and rightfully so &mdash; Frank Vogel, Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were all in the news.
In the end, there&rsquo;s no single reason the Lakers turned in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history &mdash; there&rsquo;s enough blame to go around.
What Rob Pelinka needs to figure out is how to fix it.
The answer, ironically, would probably be to start thinking small.
This past season, the team managed to find some serviceable pieces to augment the star-studded core, but only Davis, James, Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves are under contract next season. The Lakers hold a team option on Stanley Johnson and Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn both have player options they are likely to pick up.
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The official 2021-22 Kendrick Nunn highlight reel 🎥 <a href="https://t.co/wDPehJyqpN">pic.twitter.com/wDPehJyqpN</a>
&mdash; Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersLead/status/1508967570560458762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Combined &mdash; thanks in large part to the commitments to Westbrook, James and Davis &mdash; the Lakers are in line to have about $148 million on their 2022-23 ledger, which is already about $26 million over the projected salary cap.
Said differently, outside of offloading one of Westbrook, James or Davis without taking much salary back in return, the team wouldn&rsquo;t be able to manufacture enough cap space to have a competent opportunity of improving via free agency. Obviously, the club could go the route it went this past season and hand out one-year, minimum salary contracts to aging veterans, but the players who could actually make a difference for the Lakers won&rsquo;t exactly be lining up to sign on the dotted line given the performance of this year&rsquo;s team.
To make matters even worse, the Lakers don&rsquo;t own a pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. Their first rounder was sent to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade, while their second-round pick is owned by the Spurs.
So how does a team with no cap space and no draft picks improve?
Simple: by thinking small.
Ask the Brooklyn Nets, and look toward the Miami Heat.
A historically frugal franchise, Miami has never necessarily found itself in the kind of salary cap hell the Lakers are in at the moment. Part of the reason why is because one of the constants during Pat Riley&rsquo;s tenure has been investing heavily in scouting and player development. The same rings true of most successful small market franchises.
Players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis may win you the championship, but throughout history, it&rsquo;s always been players like Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who get you there in the first place.
Contenders invariably unearth valuable and sometimes unknown role players and maximize those role players' talent. For example, this year's Miami team has enjoyed the combination of Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven combining to earn only about $7 million. That's about $3 million less than Talen Horton-Tucker alone. Strus and Yurtseven are far from household names, but Miami wouldn&rsquo;t be entering play on April 6 as the first seed out East without them, especially considering the injuries the team has dealt with this season.
Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn also go on a list that features the likes of Bam Adebayo, Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem as players drafted and developed by the staff in Miami.
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Some time ago, the Lakers had what looked like a competent core of young players. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine that just four years ago, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson were all teammates in Los Angeles. They&rsquo;ve all come and gone, most to facilitate the arrivals of LeBron, Davis and then Westbrook.
The Lakers do have a championship to show for that roster churn, but from this point forth, the way out might actually be to go back to the drawing board. Sean Marks and his Brooklyn Nets, another franchise that Lakers VP of Operations Rob Pelinka would be wise to mimic this summer, provide a blueprint for how to go about doing that.
When Marks took over the Nets in 2016, Brooklyn was not in a good place. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry had all come and gone, and the draft picks that became Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Collin Sexton were living their best lives elsewhere. The Nets had a bloated payroll, a team of scrubs and no future.
The NBA's Chicago Draft Combine was only two months after Marks was hired in Brooklyn, and despite not owning a first-round pick, he sent quite a contingent to the Windy City. Their directive was to do as much recon work as possible to find Marks some players who could help. Marks used Thaddeus Young to trade his way into the first round and came away from the draft with Caris LeVert and Isaiah Whitehead. Within the next six months, he signed two diamonds in the rough, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie.
One season later, Marks drafted Jarrett Allen and landed D&rsquo;Angelo Russell in a trade with the Lakers, and that was essentially the core that both got Brooklyn back on track and ultimately landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
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Highlights Kyrie Irving &amp; Kevin Durant 🆚 Sixers<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetsWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NetsWorld</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBATwitter</a> <a href="https://t.co/viw7ZzQQIZ">pic.twitter.com/viw7ZzQQIZ</a>
&mdash; Back2Back (@B2BFR) <a href="https://twitter.com/B2BFR/status/1502186067541307394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Obviously, that all took time to come to fruition, and time isn't something that LeBron James has. But the point is that no matter how daunting the situation, a competent NBA front office can build a team without having the most obvious assets readily available. That the Lakers have two superstars should actually make the task a bit less difficult.
In this league, there are generally two types of teams: those who rely on free agency and trades to build their contender, and those who build their programs organically, most often through the draft. Big-market teams tend to be the former, while small market teams usually go the other route.
If either Marks or Riley were put in charge of the Lakers&rsquo; front office, they would probably trade Horton-Tucker for draft capital after realizing he&rsquo;s not the right fit there. They&rsquo;d engage the Pelicans, Blazers, Thunder, Rockets, Pacers and Grizzlies &mdash; teams who may have multiple first-round picks &mdash; and find a way to come away from the draft with a young piece and at least one more promising player from the summer circuit. Only then would they go knocking on the doors of guys like Tristan Thompson, Semi Ojeleye and Victor Oladipo, all of whom could help and potentially be had for cheap.
By the time the 2022-23 season tips off, the team could be remade. Some names we&rsquo;d know, and many we wouldn&rsquo;t. But as we&rsquo;ve seen before, often, it&rsquo;s the names we don&rsquo;t know who end up making the biggest difference. Alex Caruso, anyone?&nbsp;
Neither DeMar DeRozan, Buddy Hield nor Kyle Lowry will be coming to save the day; Pelinka and James got themselves into their current mess, and they&rsquo;ll have to get themselves out.
With their season ending much sooner than anyone could have imagined, the Lakers will have plenty to address over their long summer.
But, at least in the NBA, small steps can lead to major strides.
With few options, the Lakers should be so wise.
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With the Los Angeles Lakers out of playoff contention, they must now focus on rebuilding like a small-market team.

Only fix for LeBron’s Lakers is to operate like a small-market team

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid did plenty of damage on his own. The Cavaliers, though, felt the big man got some unwarranted help.
Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff was highly critical of the officiating after Embiid scored 44 points &mdash; and made 20 trips to the free throw line &mdash; in Philadelphia's 112-108 win over the Cavs on Sunday night.
&ldquo;That game was taken from us,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;We deserved to win it.&rdquo;
Embiid added 17 rebounds and James Harden had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his second triple-double with Philadelphia as the 76ers locked up a playoff spot.
Embiid was questionable coming into the game with a sore ankle. But not only did the 7-footer play, Embiid dominated down the stretch, scoring 12 points in a key sequence of the fourth quarter.
He also made 17 free throws, added five blocks, made three 3-pointers and had three assists in 38 minutes of another MVP resume builder.
Embiid won&rsquo;t allow himself to get caught up in the debate.
&ldquo;If it happens, great,&rdquo; he said of winning his first MVP. &ldquo;If it doesn&rsquo;t, I don&rsquo;t know what I have to do. I&rsquo;ll feel like they hate me. I feel like the standard for guys in Philly or for me is different than everyone else.&rdquo;
Bickerstaff wasn't taking anything away from Embiid or Harden, but he was upset with what he thought was a major discrepancy in fouls. Cleveland was called for 28 to Philadelphia's 19 in a physical game with playoff-level intensity.
&ldquo;The one thing you can't defend is the free throw line and that's absurd,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said, referring to the Sixers' 42 attempted foul shots. &ldquo;Our guys deserved way better than they got tonight.
&ldquo;They're great players and they understand how to play through the rules,&rdquo; he said of Philly's All-Stars. &ldquo;They know how to manipulate the rules. This is no knock or disrespect to those guys. But the game has to be consistent on both ends of the floor. We were searching for that consistency and we never found it.&rdquo;
Darius Garland scored 23 and Caris LeVert and Lamar Stevens had 18 apiece for the Cavs, who played without injured 7-footers Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen but battled one of the East's top teams to the finish.
Cleveland, which is trying to hang onto the No. 7 play-in spot, was within 107-106 when Bickerstaff felt Garland drew contact from Embiid while missing an off-balance layup with 15.2 seconds left.
&ldquo;Darius was fouled,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;He did his job and got to a spot and got fouled. No whistle.&rdquo;
The Cavs were only down 109-106 after Harden made two free throws with 11.2 seconds left.
But Kevin Love made a careless inbounds pass that was stolen by Matisse Thybulle, who then made a pass from a sitting position to a streaking Tobais Harris for a game-sealing dunk with 7.2 seconds left.
Nothing came easy on offense for the Sixers, who made 21 3-pointers and scored a season-high 144 in a win over Charlotte on Saturday.
&ldquo;Yesterday we couldn&rsquo;t miss,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Today, we couldn&rsquo;t make.&rdquo;
But Embiid bailed his teammates out with the kind of performance that has come to be expected of him, the kind made by an MVP.
&ldquo;I get to witness his greatness every night," Harden said. "Obviously, his offensive numbers tonight are self-explanatory. Defensively, he was very active blocking shots, changing shots and clogging the paint up was key.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
76ers: Finished 35 of 42 at the line. ... F Paul Millsap, a 15-year veteran, has only played eight minutes in the last five games. Millsap has only appeared in four games since DeAndre Jordan was signed on March 3. &hellip; Philadelphia plays three of its final four regular-season games on the road. ... Rivers had high praise for Cavs guard Rajon Rondo, who played for him in Boston. &ldquo;The brightest player I've ever been around,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;He kept us (coaches) on our toes.&rdquo;
Cavaliers: Rondo (ankle) played for the first time since March 12. ... Allen missed his 15th straight game and Mobley sat his fourth in a row. Bickerstaff did not say when &mdash; or if &mdash; either will be back before the regular season ends in a week.
EM(BIID)-VP TALK
Rivers has been campaigning for Embiid to win MVP honors this season among a group of worthy candidates. For the Sixers coach, Embiid's passing, defense and leadership are overlooked parts of his well-rounded game.
&ldquo;I know he's my guy, obviously,&rdquo; Rivers said pregame. &ldquo;He has just has done so many things.&rdquo;
Rivers credits Embiid for pulling the Sixers through &ldquo;the Ben Simmons saga.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He was our second-best player at the time and was out, and at the All-Star break when we made the trade, we were a game out of first place in the East,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;There's a lot to be said about that.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
76ers: Play at Indiana on Tuesday.
Cavaliers: Visit Orlando on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid scored 44 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in Philadelphia's win in Cleveland.

Cavs cry foul after Embiid scores 44 in Sixers' 122-108 win

The NBA playoffs are fast approaching and as the season winds down, there are a total of 21 teams fighting for 16 playoff spots across the two conferences.
Every game matters.
Injuries have had a major impact on this season. In the Western Conference, a number of potential playoff teams are missing key pieces, including the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry and James Wiseman), Denver Nuggets (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.), Los Angeles Clippers (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George), Memphis Grizzlies (Ja Morant), Los Angeles Lakers (Anthony Davis), New Orleans Pelicans (Zion Williamson) and Portland Trail Blazers (Damian Lillard).
There are fewer injured stars in the Eastern Conference, but Jarrett Allen (CLE), Ben Simmons (BKN), Lonzo Ball (CHI), Gordon Hayward (CHA) and Colin Sexton (CLE) are currently sidelined.
Between now and the start of the playoffs on April 12, some important players are expected to return to their respective teams, which could alter the NBA landscape in a major way.
<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
DENVER NUGGETS
On March 15, the Nuggets assigned Jamal Murray to their G-League affiliate (the Grand Rapids Gold) to get some additional work at practice. This sent waves through social media, as fans anticipated Murray's long-awaited return to the Nuggets' lineup. However, just a few days later, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that Murray is "not close" to suiting up.
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Denver Nuggets HC Michael Malone says Jamal Murray is "not close" to rejoining the lineup, per <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarrisonWind</a> <a href="https://t.co/7leLWbJe5W">pic.twitter.com/7leLWbJe5W</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1505676501303320576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It seems unlikely that Murray will be able to play during the regular season, but perhaps he'll be able to return at some point during the postseason.
Michael Porter Jr. is also on the mend, but the reports about his availability have been all over the place. There were rumblings that his rehab didn't go great and that he was further away than Murray. Then, there was a rumor that he's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3198516/2022/03/21/nuggets-hopeful-jamal-murray-and-michael-porter-jr-could-be-back-by-playoffs-but-no-immediate-return-on-the-horizon/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due back very soon</a>.

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A little over a week ago, Malone was asked about the possibility of Murray and Porter returning, and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/malone-michael-porter-jr-and-jamal-murrays-wont-be-back-soon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, "There is no immediate return on the horizon for either one of those players."
Denver is currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference, trying to stave off the Minnesota Timberwolves and avoid the Play-In Tournament.&nbsp;
Nikola Jokic has played at an MVP level (again) and the absence of these two stars has allowed for Bones Hyland to emerge as a legitimate rotation player as a rookie. Adding even one of these two players back into the fold would make the Nuggets a significantly more threatening first-round opponent for the Grizzlies, Warriors or Mavericks.&nbsp;
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Since the acquisition of CJ McCollum on February 8, the New Orleans Pelicans rank No. 10 in offensive rating and No. 6 in net rating. While the Pelicans won't be getting All-Star power forward Zion Williamson back at any point this season, they did just have another impact player return to their lineup.
Larry Nance Jr. was acquired as part of the McCollum trade and he made his Pelicans debut a few days ago. The 29-year-old is a seamless fit on the offensive end and he'll give New Orleans some defensive versatility.
Even though we all wanted to see how this team would look with a healthy Zion, they have a solid core with McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Herb Jones, Devonte' Graham, Nance and Co. &mdash; making them a scary opponent in the Play-In Tournament.

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New Orleans likely won't catch the Clippers for the eighth seed, but they could steal homecourt advantage in the 9-10 game against the Lakers, as they are currently a half game behind L.A.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
With LeBron James on roster, there always seems to be this lingering feeling that the Lakers will catch their stride and figure this thing out. But without Anthony Davis, it seems unlikely that Los Angeles will be able to escape the Play-In Tournament.
There has been no official word on a potential return date for Davis, but the Lakers would need him available if they hope to play beyond April 12.
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Anthony Davis continues to do on-court shooting, per Frank Vogel, and is progressing each day: &ldquo;Anthony has had a good week &hellip; He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1504943043669106699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The presence of Davis would inject a tiny sliver of hope that he and James could will this team to victory and into a revenge series against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Stephen Curry is expected to be out until mid-April at the earliest, which is a huge blow to the Warriors. Fortunately, Curry has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/warriors-curry-expects-to-return-by-start-of-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he should be back in time for the first game of the playoffs.
The team has reintroduced Klay Thompson back into the fold, and Draymond Green is back in the lineup too. While Golden State's star-studded trio has only played three games together this season, at least the Warriors should have all three vets together for the postseason (barring any setbacks or new injuries).
Unfortunately, Golden State won't be at full strength, as James Wiseman was recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-james-wiseman-ruled-out-for-remainder-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled out</a> for the remainder of this season. The sophomore is still recovering from a torn meniscus that he suffered last April. Wiseman's size and versatility would have helped the Warriors, especially when facing the likes of Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Golden State has been struggling without Curry, dropping four of their last five games (including surprising losses to the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks). Golden State surrendered the No. 2 seed to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Warriors could slip to fourth in the Western Conference, leading to a potential second-round matchup against Phoenix (instead of Memphis or Utah).&nbsp;
Still, assuming the Warriors have their Big Three, they will be dangerous in the playoffs.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Recently, Clippers head coach Ty Lue was asked about Kawhi Leonard and Paul George potentially returning prior to the playoffs, and he didn't shoot down the possibility.
"If guys are able to [return], they are gonna do it," Lue said. "But the most important part is making the sure the players are taken care of and making sure they're ready to go and fully healthy."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ty Lue says he&rsquo;ll keep the door open on Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and/or Norman Powell returning if it&rsquo;s less than a week until the playoffs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Clippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Clippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/iebGp2sRcp">pic.twitter.com/iebGp2sRcp</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1505958728125739011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Leonard has been sidelined since last postseason, and Clippers fans have been holding out hope for a late-season comeback. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Leonard may be able to return if the Clippers make it out of the Play-In Tournament.
George has been sidelined due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and there is no timetable for his return. Recently, he has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> made progress and been cleared for 4-on-4 and shooting drills, so a return still seems possible.&nbsp;
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<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
CHICAGO BULLS
The Bulls skyrocketed to the top of the East standings early in the season thanks to a supernova DeMar DeRozan and stellar defense. Two key cogs of that defense were Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, who have played just 35 and 36 games, respectively. Chicago also played most of the season without forward Patrick Williams, who's another important rotation player.&nbsp;
The absence of those two elite perimeter defenders caused the Bulls to slip to the East's five seed, and they are just one game ahead of the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors.&nbsp;
Caruso returned on March 12 and Williams returned on March 21. But if Ball is able to return to the starting lineup, that could significantly affect the outcome of a series against the Celtics or 76ers.
However, here's the bad news:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lonzo Ball will stop running on his knee for the next 10 days, per Billy Donovan. They&rsquo;ve been trying to ramp him up but he hasn&rsquo;t responded well
&mdash; Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1506033717608865798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Ball may not be needed for Chicago to avoid the Play-In Tournament, but his return is crucial in order for the Bulls to make a deep run in the playoffs.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Colin Sexton is not coming back this season. In fact, it's possible that he has played his final game as a Cavalier since he's set to become a restricted free agent.
However, one of the main reason that the Cavaliers have exceeded expectations this season is the play of Jarrett Allen. Ricky Rubio was also a key cog in the Cleveland machine, but his injury back in December led to the acquisition of Rajon Rondo... who is also currently out with an ankle injury.&nbsp;
Allen's presence defensively next to Evan Mobley is crucial to the success of the Cavs. Cleveland's opponents take the ninth-most shots at the rim in the league, but they shoot the worst percentage. Their perimeter defense funnels opponents to the rim because of the three 7-footers they have on the floor.&nbsp;
For Cleveland to pull off a first-round upset, Allen must be present and continuing his career-year.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game and oftentimes play a major factor in the postseason. This year is proving to be no different, as the field seems wide open due to injuries and the players who are returning could have a major impact on who is eventually crowned champion.
BROOKLYN NETS
After arriving in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons began ramping up his conditioning and preparing to make his season debut, but then his back started giving him trouble. Initially, it was being described as back soreness, but he was recently diagnosed with a herniated disc and he needed an epidural for the pain.
Nets head coach Steve Nash has said that surgery isn't currently being considered. Simmons is working with a physical therapist and trying to get healthy enough to make his Nets debut. Nash told reporters that he's "fully expecting" Simmons to play at some point this season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33520712/brooklyn-nets-hold-hope-ben-simmons-return-couple-regular-season-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Brooklyn hopes to have Simmons for a "couple" regular-season games so that he can start shaking off the rust and getting acclimated prior to the postseason.
Whenever he returns, the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year runner-up will provide a huge boost for the Nets. Last season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Several NBA playoff teams are hoping to get back key contributors in time for the postseason. Justin Lewis examines these situations.

Examining 11 impact players whose return could alter NBA playoffs

Kyrie Irving can play home games now, so the Brooklyn Nets might be good enough to win the NBA championship.
Or they might be flawed enough to miss the playoffs entirely.
The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-mlb-covid-nba-business-311c979d42e58737b981a9a656d216ec">exemption given by Mayor Eric Adams of the vaccine mandate</a> that made Irving eligible to play in New York City should make the Nets even more explosive, perhaps too potent to be stopped four times even by the toughest defensive teams. With Irving and Kevin Durant together, the Nets can pile up the points.
They also give them up in bunches.
Take Wednesday night <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-kevin-durant-46681760d405bfbbeae2b023ea0e9ea6"> in Memphis, for example. Irving poured in 43 points</a> and Durant had 35. Yet, the Nets lost because they surrendered a whopping 132 points to a Grizzlies team that didn't even have its best player, All-Star guard Ja Morant.
It's games like that which make the Nets, who hope to still add Ben Simmons to improve their leaky defense, the most intriguing team in the league in the final days of the regular season.
They could win it all. They could lose once in the Play-In Tournament and be eliminated.
&ldquo;If they can ever line it up man, where both dudes are playing and playing at a high level, it's going to be very, very scary, especially when Ben plays,&rdquo; Portland coach Chauncey Billups said.
&ldquo;If" is an apt assessment of the Nets.
An everyday Irving provides a big boost. But <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-brooklyn-new-york-0ef42065e80cafbffb9738b65087fa7f">Simmons still isn't even practicing because of a herniated disk in his back</a>, and who knows how much a player even of his ability can help after sitting out all season.
Irving has always been a spectacular offensive force, almost unmatched in his ability to create shots off his dazzling dribbling packages. His performance this season seems even more remarkable given how difficult it is to keep a rhythm with his inability to play at home. The game Wednesday was the first time he'd played in nine days since he had a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kobe-bryant-orlando-magic-brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-b1ea7c5a9d92f999988f0646bf4306aa">career-high 60 on March 15 in Orlando</a>.
Had the mandate remained in place, Irving would have been eligible to play in only two of the Nets' final nine games, with six scheduled at home and one across town against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
But his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 &mdash; in a league where 97% of players did &mdash; has left Brooklyn in a precarious position. The Nets are only eighth in the Eastern Conference, probably needing to advance out of the play-in to make the postseason. And if the current standings hold, they'd have their first game in that tournament in Toronto, where Irving wouldn't be eligible to play.
Even if they do advance, they are destined to be locked into one of the lowest seeds in the eight-team Eastern Conference playoffs, forced to open against a top team such as defending NBA champion Milwaukee, Miami or surging Boston.
And it seems reasonable that Irving's decision contributed at least somewhat to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-james-harden-2fea364a5cc35aa3515508d518cc08bc">James Harden's frustration with the Nets, which led them to trade the three-time scoring champion and former NBA MVP to Philadelphia in February in the deal for Simmons</a>. Brooklyn also got back Andre Drummond and Seth Curry in the trade and both players have become starters.
But by changing up their roster and having Irving only available occasionally to play, the Nets haven't built the continuity that contenders crave. They have used a franchise-record 41 different starting lineups and even coach Steve Nash concedes no matter how much talent his team has, it doesn't have time.
&ldquo;We've talked about it before but our runway is short here, so we've got to take advantage of these days," Nash said last week.
The Nets will never be able to have the team that was considered the favorite entering this season. Harden is gone and Joe Harris won't be back. The NBA&rsquo;s leading 3-point shooter two of the last three seasons had season-ending ankle surgery.
But they should no longer be the club that has often been a pushover in its own home. The Nets are just 16-19 at Barclays Center, where some teams recently have sent multiple defenders at Durant to make him pass the ball to teammates they don't fear.
Now, whenever the Nets play at home they will be better.
Time will tell if they will be good enough to win a title and not just games.

Kyrie can play home games, so the Nets might be good enough to win the title. Or they might be flawed enough to miss the playoffs entirely.

Analysis: Full-time Irving doesn't solve all Nets issues

Spencer Dinwiddie looked a little puzzled at first over a question after a recent game about what changed when his scoreless first quarter was followed by 11 points in the second.
Once the Dallas guard had clarity, he flashed a quick smile. The answer was easy. Luka Doncic scored 16 points in that first quarter.
&ldquo;Oh, Luka was on a heater,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said. &ldquo;You get out of the man's way.&rdquo;
New to the Mavericks after a trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Wizards, Dinwiddie didn't need any time to figure out that part of the formula for a franchise with the 23-year-old Doncic shining as the brightest star &mdash; by far.
Dinwiddie says he also had no trouble understanding the more complicated dynamics that come with trying to find his way in a new locker room. The eight-year veteran was stung by reports suggesting he was a problem in his old one.
His effort to prove otherwise is boosting the playoff-bound Mavericks, who play at Minnesota on Friday night.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been very receptive to coaching and to his teammates, and they trust him,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s one of the hardest things is, how fast will the trust take place? I think you can see the trust is at a very high level when he&rsquo;s on the floor.&rdquo;
Dinwiddie signed a $54 million, three-year contract with the Wizards in the offseason despite his final season in Brooklyn ending after just three games because of a torn ACL in his right knee.
Washington started quickly, but faded almost as fast &mdash; and Dinwiddie's production did the same. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-washington-wizards-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-6f1f3dec69b9bcc857cc829835e817ea">After the deal with Dallas came together </a> a few hours before the Feb. 10 trading deadline, first-year Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. described his brief time with Dinwiddie as &ldquo;one of those things that you could say it didn't work.&rdquo;
Other reports weren't so kind, some suggesting his teammates didn't want to play with him.
&ldquo;I think that's what hurt the most,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said. "When the role changed and they wanted me to pass more, I did that. I took my foot off the gas scoring-wise because that's what the team felt like they needed.
&ldquo;To kind of get kicked out the door was a wild feeling. I hadn&rsquo;t really experienced that before. I still have nothing ill to say other than, yes, it hurt my feelings. Just like anything else, you become cautiously optimistic about your new situation.&rdquo;
Seven games into that new situation, Dinwiddie drew his first start when Doncic rested a sore foot. He scored a season-high 36 points in a 114-113 win over Sacramento.
Dinwiddie finished with 23 points in the game that included the scoreless first quarter, a crucial 111-103 victory over Utah.
When Doncic rested again Wednesday night, this time because of a sore ankle, Dinwiddie had his own heater. He scored 19 points in the first 16-plus minutes of a 110-91 win over Houston that pulled Dallas even with Utah for the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Among the nine games remaining for the Mavericks and Jazz is their final meeting of the regular season Sunday in Dallas. Utah holds the tiebreaker, and is in good shape to keep it even if the Mavericks win to split the four-game series.
Still, the Mavericks have a chance to go 2-0 against the Jazz since Dinwiddie arrived. The cautious optimism has turned to joy &mdash; something Dinwiddie expressed with in-person thanks to new general manager Nico Harrison moments after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-kevin-durant-11808bb6b26d5c7351dc1d5eaab2843d">hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer </a> in a 113-111 victory at Brooklyn, where his career blossomed two years ago.
&ldquo;You still just kind of approach the situation with kid gloves, see what&rsquo;s going on,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said of the days after the trade. &ldquo;Everything that&rsquo;s been said to me so far has been authentic and everybody has bought into doing what they need to do to win. They encouraged me to be aggressive.&rdquo;
Dinwiddie is averaging 18.2 points per game with Dallas, almost six more than with the Wizards. He's shooting 50% overall and 41% from 3-point range, compared to 38% and 31% in Washington. Dallas is 12-3 in games he has played.
&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t really talk about there,&rdquo; backcourt mate Jalen Brunson said. &ldquo;As soon as he came here, he just kind of talked about he just wanted to help us win. That was on his mind. That was what was most important. And he&rsquo;s doing it.&rdquo;
And he understands it's Doncic first and everything else second &mdash; except when Doncic isn't playing.
&ldquo;When I&rsquo;m with him, it&rsquo;s about being ready to shoot, being ready to catch and go and restart the blender as he kind of collapses the defense,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said. &ldquo;When he&rsquo;s out, it&rsquo;s kind of on me to start the blender.&rdquo;
And maybe go on a heater.

Dallas is 12-3 in the games that Spencer Dinwiddie has played in.

Dinwiddie thrives with fresh start, lifts playoff-bound Mavs

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Spencer Dinwiddie knows it's up to Luka Doncic whether he takes the last shot.
Doncic is the man in Dallas, so Dinwiddie said he's well within his right to decide if he's going to be the one to determine whether the Mavericks win or lose.
Doncic passed it &mdash; and the way Dinwiddie is going, why wouldn't he?
Dinwiddie <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1504278964470169604?s=20&amp;t=TTmene7IM6Y9s3WSjooAkQ">made a 3-pointer at the buzzer</a> against his former team, giving the Mavericks a 113-111 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Dinwiddie hit the winning basket with nine seconds left Sunday in Boston and came through in the clutch again after Kevin Durant had given the Nets a one-point lead with a 3-pointer with 10 seconds to play.
&ldquo;Same as Boston,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it.&rdquo;
The Mavericks took time after Durant's shot and Doncic brought the ball up before Durant left Dinwiddie and ran toward the All-Star guard. Doncic passed to Dinwiddie, who nailed the jumper from the right side, right in front of Brooklyn's bench. He then ran across the court to the other sideline in celebration.
During his celebration, he thanked Nico Harrison, the Mavs general manager who acquired Dinwiddie from Washington last month after a rocky stint with the Wizards. Dinwiddie previously played in Brooklyn, resurrecting his career and playing his way into the big contract he earned from the Wizards.
He still has friends in Brooklyn, so he said this victory was more fun than revenge.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like sticking it to your cousin versus, like, being vengeful for an enemy,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said.
It's the first time in his career he has hit game-winners in consecutive games. The Mavericks said Chicago All-Star DeMar DeRozan is the only other player to do that this season.
Doncic finished with 37 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the Mavericks' eighth win in nine games. Dinwiddie scored 22 points, 15 in the fourth quarter.
Durant had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, but Brooklyn had its four-game winning streak snapped. Goran Dragic scored a season-high 21 points and Bruce Brown had 17. Andre Drummond had 14 points and 17 rebounds.
A night after a 150-108 romp in Orlando, when Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 60 points, the Nets were searching for offense with the guard unable to play because of New York City's coronavirus vaccine mandate. The Mavs often sent second and even third defenders to force Durant to give up the ball.
He beat that by quickly rising for the 3-pointer that gave Brooklyn the lead, but Dinwiddie again came through late for the Mavs and left Durant wondering if he'd made the right decision to double Doncic.
&ldquo;When you watch that last play, just regret, wondering what the game would have been like if I didn&rsquo;t go jump Luka right there, you know what I&rsquo;m saying?&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;So in hindsight I wish I would have made a different decision, but it is what it is.&rdquo;
Durant's basket to open the fourth quarter gave Brooklyn a 93-79 lead. But the Nets had only one basket in the next four minutes and a 15-2 run by Dallas trimmed it to one on Dinwiddie's 3-pointer with 7:53 remaining.
The Nets went back ahead by six midway through the period before the Mavs scored eight straight to take the 104-102 lead on Maxi Kleber's free throws with 3:08 to play
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Coach Jason Kidd said he hoped F Marquese Chriss (sore right knee) could play Friday or Saturday. ... With Reggie Bullock (personal reasons) out again, the Mavs stuck with a three-guard lineup with Doncic, Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson. Brunson scored 18 points.
Nets: Seth Curry (left ankle) missed his third straight game but coach Steve Nash said he expected the guard to play Friday against Portland. ... Nash thought C LaMarcus Aldridge (right hip) probably wouldn't be evaluated again until sometime next week.
WEEKLY WINNERS
The game featured both reigning players of the week in the NBA. Durant won the Eastern Conference award Monday and Doncic took it home in the West for the second time in three weeks.
COACHES IN A CLASSIC
The 150 points Tuesday were the second-most the Nets had scored in an NBA game, behind only their 161-157 double-overtime loss to Phoenix on Dec. 7, 2006, when Nash and Kidd went head-to-head as the point guards. Nash scored 42 points, while Kidd carried the Nets with 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists,
Asked what he remembered about the game, Nash joked: &ldquo;Just back in the day how I used to lock people down. Just keep the top guys under wraps.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Visit Philadelphia on Friday.
Nets: Host Portland on Friday.

Spencer Dinwiddie made a 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Dallas Mavericks a 113-111 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Dinwiddie hits 3 at buzzer, Mavericks beat Nets 113-111

CLEVELAND (AP) — Joel Embiid had 35 points and 17 rebounds, James Harden scored 21 points and added 11 assists and the Philadelphia 76ers edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-114 on Wednesday night.
Embiid was a game-time decision with a sore back, but showed no signs of the injury on his 28th birthday. The All-Star center and MVP candidate shot 13 of 19 from the field, including 1 of 3 from 3-point range, and was 8 of 10 from the foul line while adding five assists in 35 minutes.
Darius Garland had 22 points and seven assists for the Cavaliers, who lead Toronto by a half-game in the race for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. All-Star center Jarrett Allen missed his fifth consecutive game with a broken left finger.
Cleveland, which trailed by 17 in the second quarter, took a 104-103 lead on a 3-pointer by Lauri Markkanen with 3:47 remaining. Harden answered with a pair of free throws 27 seconds later to put the 76ers in front for good.
Tyrese Maxey’s 3-pointer extended Philadelphia’s lead to 110-106 with 1:19 left, and Harden and Maxey combined to make 6 of 6 free throws in the final 20 seconds to lock up the win. There were seven lead changes and four ties in the fourth quarter.
Maxey scored eight of his 25 points in the fourth. Isaac Okoro had 17 points and Evan Mobley added 13 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland.
The Cavaliers went ahead for the first time at 87-85 on a 3-pointer by Brandon Goodwin late in the third. Kevin Love’s 3 extended the advantage to 90-85 at the end of the period, completing a 12-0 run over 4:42.
The 76ers built a 52-35 lead midway through the second, then carried a 72-59 advantage into the break behind 20 points, 11 boards and four assists from Embiid. Harris scored 16 points and Harden had 10 points and five assists.
Philadelphia took command from the start, jumping ahead 19-4 and 26-10 as Embiid racked up 13 points and eight rebounds in the first. Cleveland missed its first 10 3-pointers.
POTENTIAL PREVIEW
The 76ers and Cavaliers are lined up to meet in the first round of the playoffs, but Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said it's “way too early to look at that with (13 regular-season games) left.” Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers praised the job Bickerstaff has done in cultivating chemistry. ”The Cavs play together and they like each other, which is rare for a young team," Rivers said. “That jumps right out when you watch them.”
TIP-INS
76ers: Harden dished out 84 assists in his first eight games after being acquired from Brooklyn on Feb. 10. “James knows when to be aggressive and when to pass,” Rivers said, chuckling. “You ingratiate yourself really quickly to new teammates when you pass to them.” ... Two-way G Myles Powell, C Charles Bassey and G Jaden Springer are on G League assignments with the Delaware Blue Coats.
Cavaliers: F Dean Wade (right knee soreness), who has started 28 games, missed his second straight contest. Bickerstaff said Wade was able to manage the injury until it became too painful to play. ... G Rajon Rondo (right ankle sprain) was inactive and has sat out 13 games with various right leg issues since being traded by the Lakers on Jan. 3. ... Cleveland plays eight of its final 13 games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
Cavaliers: Host the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Joel Embiid had 35 points and 17 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-114.

Embiid has 35 points, 17 rebounds as 76ers beat Cavs 118-114

Nekias Duncan dives deep into the rise of guard-screening in the NBA through the lens of NBA players, coaches and more.