Mavericks

Victor Wembanyama had 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 blocks to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 118-105 win over the Portland Trail Blazers and rookie rival Scoot Henderson.&nbsp;
The No. 1 overall pick in this year&rsquo;s draft had this impressive statline in just 25 minutes, becoming just the second rookie since David Robinson in 1990 to record the same numbers.
This was Wemby and Scoot&rsquo;s first meeting since their memorable matchup in the Metropolitans 92 vs. NBA G League Ignite series last October in Las Vegas, where Wembanyama and Henderson scored 37 points and 28 points, respectively, with the latter taking the victory.&nbsp;
The Spurs secured their fifth win of the season, while Henderson scored a career-high 25 points in a rare start without Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe, as the Blazers dropped to 8-22. Both teams are currently last in the Western Conference.
Nuggets 142, Grizzlies 105
With Ja Morant out due to illness, the Denver Nuggets pounced on the Memphis Grizzlies early and got a 142-105 win.&nbsp;
Nikola Jokic had a triple-double (26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists) in a literal perfect game, going 11-of-11 from the field, 1-of-1 from three, and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
This was the first night of a back-to-back for the Grizz, and they expect Morant to be back tomorrow when they play the Los Angeles Clippers.&nbsp;
Heat 114, Warriors 102
The Golden State Warriors had seven players score in double figures, but they fell to the visiting Miami Heat, 102-114.&nbsp;
Stephen Curry struggled in 31 minutes, scoring only 13 points on 20% shooting.&nbsp;
With Jimmy Butler out, Tyler Herro led the charge for the Heat with 26 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. continued his strong showing as a rookie, registering 17 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds.
Bam Adebayo added 17 and 11 for Miami, who moved past the Orlando Magic for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 19-12 record.&nbsp;
Lakers 133, Hornets 112
Point LeBron James was on point today, handing out 11 assists while scoring 17 efficient points (7-of-11 from the field) in just 24 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to an easy win over the Charlotte Hornets, who were without star point guard LaMelo Ball for the 14th-straight game.
Anthony Davis contributed 26 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks for the now 17-15 Lakers squad.&nbsp;

Victor Wembanyama had 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 blocks in the Spurs' win over Scoot Henderson and the Blazers.

Victor Wembanyama fills stat sheet in win vs. Blazers, Scoot Henderson

When a generational talent like&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wemby-victor-wembanyama-nba-draft-f5be654cce544c675559bad526220a9e">Victor Wembanyama</a>&nbsp;comes along, it&rsquo;s clear that he would make any team that he&rsquo;s with better in a multitude of ways.
And the team that wins Tuesday&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wembanyama-nba-draft-spurs-ee1a9bd2232173666d3302bb491c7c5c">NBA draft lottery</a>&nbsp;in Chicago &mdash; and the right to draft Wembanyama next month &mdash; will be immediately improved. Here&rsquo;s a look at the 14 hopefuls in the lottery, and their odds of landing the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-las-vegas-6f4ac3d44f624ef36ddb00e314cf0401">7-foot-3 French teen phenom.</a>
DETROIT
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook: A new coach is coming, and if Wembanyama goes to the Pistons he&rsquo;d be teaming up with Killian Hayes &mdash; whose mother is French, so there would be some comforts of home at least.
Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey were&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-all-rookie-team-e70909b25b2ae3fabd26d3c380e4f07c">All-Rookie picks</a>&nbsp;this season. Cade Cunningham was one last season, after he was the No. 1 pick in 2021. It&rsquo;s hard to envision how exactly Wembanyama and Cunningham would play together, since there&rsquo;s still so much mystery about Cunningham&rsquo;s game, especially after he missed much of this season. But two great young talents surely would figure it out.
HOUSTON
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook:&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/rockets-udoka-e24d2a5ccedef68bf86faee4ba2b5917">Ime Udoka is in place as the new coach</a>, there&rsquo;s a belief around the league that the Rockets will change their roster considerably in free agency &mdash; bringing James Harden back, perhaps &mdash; and Wembanyama would energize the fan base in many of the same ways Yao Ming&rsquo;s arrival did.
It would take some shots away from Houston&rsquo;s young players and adjustments would have to be made. And the pairing of Wembanyama with Alperen Sengun would be so interesting on defense.
SAN ANTONIO
Odds: 14%, or about 7-1
Outlook: Gregg Popovich would get another incredibly talented big to build around, just as was the case with David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
The Spurs have flourished with international players, such as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs haven&rsquo;t won a playoff series since 2017 and haven&rsquo;t played in one since 2019. But all the losing, all the drafting, all the player development has built them for this &mdash; and Wembanyama would be the springboard to make San Antonio a playoff town again right away.
CHARLOTTE
Odds: 12.5%, or 8-1
Outlook: Maybe this would convince Michael Jordan to not sell the majority stake of the Hornets after all. (Or maybe it&rsquo;ll just raise his price.) Imagine &mdash; the most recognizable player maybe ever, with an iconic brand, getting to draft a kid who is surely going to be a global marketing dream.
As often is the case with top draft picks, much of the attention goes to Wembanyama&rsquo;s offensive game. But Charlotte is desperately in need of more defense, and Wembanyama will make an immediate impact on that end &mdash; which would only further endear him to Hornets coach Steve Clifford. And Wembanyama and LaMelo Ball together would be instantly something to watch.
PORTLAND
Odds: 10.5%, or about 10-1
Outlook: Damian Lillard is tired of waiting and wants the Trail Blazers to become a contender. This would be a great start to that plan.
There is a ton of talent in Portland, led by the all-world guard, and the Blazers packed it in early this season with an eye on the draft. And the ping-pong balls don&rsquo;t care about fairness, but after Sam Bowie and Greg Oden, it surely could be argued that Portland deserves a draft break.
ORLANDO
Odds: 9%, or about 11-1
Outlook: Now this would be spicy. If the Magic win the lottery again, the pairing of Paolo Banchero with Wembanyama would give Orlando an immediate shot in the arm.
The Magic were 5-20 and refused to tank. They went 29-28 the rest of the way, and the young core &mdash; Banchero, Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz, etc. &mdash; seems like it&rsquo;s poised for bigger things in the Eastern Conference already. Fultz, like Banchero, was a No. 1 pick as well.
INDIANA
Odds: 6.8%, or about 15-1
Outlook: With Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers want to play fast. And he would benefit greatly from an athletic big to play pick-and-roll with (as would plenty of other people in the NBA, of course).
There&rsquo;s a lot to like about Indiana as a landing spot. Championship coach in Rick Carlisle. One of the league&rsquo;s best atmospheres. Basketball is a religion in Indiana. Make no mistake, they&rsquo;d be good right away.
WASHINGTON
Odds: 6.7%, or about 15-1
Outlook: Two things immediately jump off the page with the Wizards. One, Bradley Beal would probably become an even better version with Wembanyama. And two, with Kristaps Porzingis, this might be the rare spot for Wembanyama to not be the tallest player on his own roster.
UTAH
Odds: 4.5%, or about 22-1
Outlook: Wembanyama is obviously familiar with the Jazz, given his relationship with former Utah center Rudy Gobert. It would be a unique parallel; the Jazz trade Gobert in 2022, fall into the lottery a year later, get Wembanyama to add to a good young cast led by Lauri Markkanen.
DALLAS
Odds: 3%, or about 33-1
Outlook: Dallas raised the NBA&rsquo;s ire by tanking at the end to protect its lottery odds. If the Mavericks win the lottery and can pair Wembanyama with Luka Doncic &mdash; and perhaps Kyrie Irving &mdash; the $750,000 tanking fine might end up as the best money Mark Cuban ever spent.
CHICAGO
Odds: 1.8%, or about 55-1
Outlook: DeMar DeRozan would be a great first vet for Wembanyama to open his NBA career with and learn from.
OKLAHOMA CITY
Odds: 1.7%, or about 60-1
Outlook: The Thunder were one of the best stories in the league this season with a budding star like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and last year&rsquo;s No. 2 pick &mdash; Chet Holmgren &mdash; set to make his NBA debut this fall. Put Wembanyama on the Thunder, and it&rsquo;ll be scary.
TORONTO
Odds: 1%, or 100-1
Outlook: The Raptors will have a new coach and nobody knows what direction they&rsquo;re going yet this summer. Wembanyama would surely change some of their plans.
NEW ORLEANS
Odds: 0.5%, or 200-1
Outlook: Everyone can see the Pelicans&rsquo; potential, even with the annual mystery of how durable Zion Williamson will (or won&rsquo;t) be. To overcome 200-1 odds would be just amazing luck, and as the city&rsquo;s motto goes, it would truly mean that the good times will roll in New Orleans.

Victor Wembanyama is one of the most hyped-up prospects in years. Tim Reynolds examines how he would impact each lottery team.

Wemby watch: How Victor Wembanyama may help each draft lottery team

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant each scored 32 points and the Nets extended their longest winning streak since moving to Brooklyn to nine games with a 125-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.
The Nets withstood a sensational 46-point performance by Darius Garland, who single-handedly kept the Cavs close in the fourth.
Brooklyn has won 13 of 14 and is beginning to look like an NBA title contender.
T.J. Warren added a season-high 23 points for the Nets, who handled one of the teams they&rsquo;re chasing in the Eastern Conference standings after beating Milwaukee by 18 last Friday.
Durant moved past Tim Duncan (26,496) into 15th place on the career scoring list.
Irving made a season-high seven 3-pointers &mdash; and two key free throws with 41.1 seconds left &mdash; while being booed nearly every time he touched the ball by fans who cheered him during six seasons with Cleveland.
CLIPPERS 142, PISTONS 131, OT
DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Paul George scored 32 points and Los Angeles overcame a 14-point deficit in the final 3:34 of regulation to beat Detroit in overtime.
Terance Mann hit a tying jumper with five seconds left in the fourth quarter to cap a closing 16-2 run for the Clippers, who trailed 126-112 with 3:34 remaining. Los Angeles then outscored the Pistons 14-3 in the extra period.
Ivica Zubac added 12 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles, which has beaten Detroit eight straight times. The Clippers had seven players score in double figures.
Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 23 points, including the Pistons&rsquo; only field goal of the last eight minutes. Isaiah Stewart added 21 points for NBA-worst Detroit.
HEAT 113, TIMBERWOLVES 110
MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Max Strus scored 19 points, Kyle Lowry added 18 points and nine assists, and Miami got back to .500 by holding off Minnesota.
Orlando Robinson scored 15 points and Tyler Herro had 14 for the Heat (17-17), who were without Jimmy Butler (ankle) and Bam Adebayo (illness).
Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 29 points for the Timberwolves (16-18). Naz Reid had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
ROCKETS 133, BULLS 118
CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Kevin Porter Jr. scored a season-high 36 points and Houston used a 17-1 run in the third quarter to beat Chicago, snapping a five-game losing streak.
Alperan Sengun added 25 points and Jalen Green had 24 for the Rockets, who scored the first 10 points of the game but blew an 18-point lead before their third-quarter spurt.
DeMar DeRozan scored 31 for the Bulls, who won their previous three games. DeRozan passed George Gervin for 44th place on the career scoring list with 20,727 points.
PELICANS 113, PACERS 93
NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Naji Marshall scored a career-high 22 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and short-handed New Orleans extended its winning streak to three games by beating Indiana.
CJ McCollum added 19 points for the Pelicans, who were missing top scorer Zion Williamson along with Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III.
Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 15 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Myles Turner scored 14.
SPURS 126, JAZZ 122
SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Devin Vassell had 24 points, Keldon Johnson added 21 and San Antonio fended off Utah in the final minutes.
The Spurs led 121-110 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. The Jazz scored seven points in 33 seconds, but could not complete the comeback.
Lauri Markkanen had 32 points and Jordan Clarkson added 25 for Utah.
Clarkson&rsquo;s 3-pointer cut it to 123-120 with 30.1 seconds left, but Tre Jones tossed in a floater 23 seconds later to seal the victory.
Jones had 11 points and Jakob Poeltl scored 16 for San Antonio.
TRAIL BLAZERS 124, HORNETS 113
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Jusuf Nurkic scored 27 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers, to go with 14 rebounds and six assists as Portland defeated Charlotte.
Jerami Grant led all scorers with 32 points for Portland. Damian Lillard had 17 points and nine assists on a night when he was honored for becoming the leading scorer in Trail Blazers history.
LaMelo Ball paced the Hornets with 25 points.
Portland trailed by 14 in the second quarter but Nurkic sparked the turnaround, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists after halftime.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A recap of Monday night's NBA slate includes an Eastern Conference showdown between two of the league's best.

Irving, Durant lead Nets past Cavs for 9th straight win

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 40 points and a career-high 27 rebounds in yet another triple-double to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Charlotte Hornets 119-115 on Sunday night.
Jokic also had 10 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season and 81st overall. He had 20 rebounds in the first half.
Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player with at least 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists in an NBA game. He did it four times, the last when he had 53 points, 32 rebounds and 14 assists for Philadelphia on March 18, 1968.
Jokic sealed the victory with two free throws with 13 seconds left. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he didn&rsquo;t realize the numbers Jokic was putting up during the course of the game, particularly the amount of rebounds. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know it was a 40-27-10 nightm but I knew he was having another Nikola Jokic stellar performance, efficient,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s not just about Nikola. It&rsquo;s about his ability to make every one of his teammates better. Yeah, Nikola is a generational talent.&rdquo;
Jokic&rsquo;s rebounds supercharged the other aspects of his game, helping the Nuggets get defensive stops and igniting Denver&rsquo;s transition game with quick outlet passes to teammates off the rebounds. But many of the rebounds also came from just happening to be in the right place at the right time, Jokic said.
&ldquo;To be honest, I think it&rsquo;s because of our defense and I was just in the right spot to rebound the ball,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that I was grabbing for them or whatever, chasing for them. It just happened, you know? I wish it could be every night, to be honest.&rdquo;
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 20 points and Aaron Gordon had 19 as the Nuggets sent the Hornets to their eighth consecutive loss.
LaMelo Ball had 31 points for Charlotte. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 16 points and Gordon Hayward had 15.
Up by three at the half, Denver stretched its lead to 94-80 going into the fourth quarter, fueled by Jokic&rsquo;s 11-point third period.
Charlotte fought back, though, getting to 107-104 on Ball's fadeaway jumper with 3:29 remaining. The Nuggets regained a cushion when Gordon went in for a reverse layup off a feed from Jokic before Jokic put in a hook shot on the Nuggets&rsquo; ensuing possession for a 111-104 lead with 1:57 remaining.
Jokic completed the triple-double with a pass setting up Bruce Brown&rsquo;s 3-pointer that gave Denver an eight-point advantage with 1:20 left.
But again Charlotte got back within two on a dunk by Washington before Jokic hit a pair of free throws and Charlotte could not get a shot off in the final moments after turning the ball over.
SMALL CLUB
Others have come close, but not matched the 40-27-10 stat line. Elgin Baylor had 52 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists on Dec. 13, 1961. DeMarcus Cousins had 44 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists on Jan. 22, 2018. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a 44-point, 20-rebound, 11-assist game on Feb. 26, 1972, and Oscar Robinson finished with 42 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in a game on Jan. 9, 1965.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: F Michael Porter missed a 12th straight game with a left heel strain but has made steady progress in his rehabilitation and is nearing a return, coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been doing more and more with the training staff,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;Maybe there&rsquo;s a chance in the next week to 10 days we can try to get him back and work him back into that rotation. We miss Michael Porter. He&rsquo;s a big part of what we&rsquo;re trying to do here.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Nikola Jokic had 40 points and a career-high 27 rebounds in yet another triple-double to help the Nuggets beat the Hornets 119-115.

Nuggets' Jokic has career-high 27 rebounds in triple-double

Cementing himself within an NBA rotation for the first time in his career, Charlotte Hornets big man Nick Richards is the only active Jamaican player in the league.&nbsp;
He joins only seven others from the country to have accomplished that, including the legendary Patrick Ewing (and his son Pat), Jerome Jordan, Samardo Samuels, Omari Johnson, Rumeal Robinson and Wayne Sappleton.
He looked up to Ewing for certain, but having competed in every sport when he was growing up, Richards idolized one of his countrymen in particular.
&ldquo;Usain Bolt,&rdquo; Richards told Basketball News at last Friday morning&rsquo;s shootaround in Cleveland. &ldquo;When I was younger, I played track and field.&rdquo;
A 7-foot, 245-pound behemoth of a man, Richards is taking his opportunity to show the NBA what he&rsquo;s made of and running with it &mdash; just like his hero.
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Entering last weekend, Charlotte&rsquo;s backup big came in as the league leader in Offensive Rating (137.4) on a strikingly efficient 68.2% True Shooting percentage over a career-high 19.0 minutes per contest.
Veteran center and Hornets teammate Mason Plumlee jokingly answered for him before Richards could respond to hearing those numbers: I want some more minutes!
&ldquo;Best vet in the world (laughs). I don't know how I feel about that honestly. Maybe Mase is right?&rdquo; a grinning Richards said, leaning back in his chair courtside.
&ldquo;It feels good to get some minutes, get some reps in. The past couple of games, [I&rsquo;ve] been getting into a good flow. Just feeling good. I'm contributing to my team in a positive way. But honestly, we should be able to get more wins under our belts. We should just learn from every single game and just try to get better from every single loss that we have so far. Just locking in on details, just getting better at playing for 48 minutes. As [Hornets head coach Steve Clifford] said, we don't want to play good for [just] 30 minutes and not 48.&rdquo;
(Note: Richards now ranks third in Offensive Rating [134.8] with a slight dip to 66.2% TS. He's increased his minutes average to 19.5 per game.)
An instant-impact player with the Hornets&rsquo; second unit, Richards has been making the most of his newfound opportunity. Over the last two seasons, his playing time was sporadic, honing his skills with the Greensboro Swarm in the G League as a rookie, then, observing the guys who&rsquo;ve been in front of him in the rotation with the big club.
&ldquo;Honestly I feel like the first two years were really good, were really more important years for me,&rdquo; Richards said. &ldquo;I sat back and learned from my vets that are in front of me. Just watched them and how they play on the floor, and just try to duplicate that.&rdquo;
Richards wasted no time doing it. To start the season, he put together two double-doubles in three games, collecting a combined 39 points and 21 rebounds as Charlotte started its campaign with a 2-1 record. Over his last two contests, he's produced 24 points and 24 rebounds in total, notching back-to-back double-doubles.
To this point, Richards is putting up 18.1 points and 12.0 rebounds per 36 minutes.
&ldquo;I think [it&rsquo;s] just his approach. Being consistent in this league is hard to achieve. For him, he's really been consistent for us. And I think as a teammate, you appreciate that, the staff appreciates that,&rdquo; Plumlee told Basketball News. "Obviously he had the games earlier in the year where he had incredible numbers, and I think he'll have more games like that, but just knowing what you're gonna get every night is a sign of maturity.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nick Richards said NO 🚫 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/HornetsOnBally?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HornetsOnBally</a>)<a href="https://t.co/7vRsIlwk16">pic.twitter.com/7vRsIlwk16</a>
&mdash; Dime (@DimeUPROXX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DimeUPROXX/status/1593778914496860163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

One aspect of Richards&rsquo; breakout that Plumlee enjoys is watching him take the mantle while taking a breather.
&ldquo;It makes me feel great, and for our team, it really gives us a chance,&rdquo; Plumlee explained. &ldquo;What's been fun is like... our rotation is consistent, but other teams do it differently. So to see him match up with the starting bigs too and do his thing has also been exciting.&rdquo;
Explosiveness plays a key part in Richards&rsquo; success. He is all over the glass to keep possessions alive, trailing only Steven Adams with his 16.6% Offensive Rebound percentage, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2023_advanced.html#advanced_stats::orb_pct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Basketball-Reference</a>. In addition, the Kentucky alum is scoring 1.42 points per possession on putbacks, <a href="https://basketball.instatscout.com/players/476499/playtypes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to InStat</a>.
&ldquo;I can get up, but I have to load a little more," Plumlee said of Richards' athleticism. "He's quicker. He's a quicker jumper. Some of his dunks are really impressive."
&ldquo;Honestly something Coach [Clifford] has been telling me is to try to gather myself more instead of just trying to get it up there quicker. But I'll probably focus on that,&rdquo; Richards explained. &ldquo;Instead of just going straight up, you just try to gather and try to dunk the ball.&rdquo;
Asked to elaborate why Charlotte is asking Richards to use that gather more, Clifford said it had to do with him getting his shot blocked too often.
"If he gets a little bit lower, he gets his eyes up, he can read the defense better to me and still make a quick move," Clifford said. "Or, you know what they say, 'Look up and look out.' If everybody's here [in the paint], just touch the ball out sometimes too. So I think that's part of his development also."
Richards&rsquo; screening and handoff abilities are helping his teammates too. Among <a href="https://go.nba.com/gj2gb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-man combinations that the Hornets employ</a> (min. 100 minutes), he and Terry Rozier lead the pack with a plus-20.4 Net Rating. Next is teaming up with a rejuvenated Dennis Smith Jr. (15.2), and then, the Richards-Kelly Oubre Jr. duo (7.2). There&rsquo;s also a great rapport with LaMelo Ball, though they&rsquo;ve only played three games together so far this year.
&ldquo;We have really, really good guys that play really well off the pick-and-roll. That's really what our offense is based around,&rdquo; Richards said of freeing his teammates up for good looks. &ldquo;So it's just more about knowing your role on the team and just also playing your game within that role."
"I think right now he's the 35th-best screener in the league, which is important to me," Clifford said on Friday. "I think for our team, when we get everybody back, we have three guys who have the potential to be really good pick-and-roll players, and you need a good screener. And he's a good screener and he's getting better. He's improving that way. His screening on the ball and off the ball."
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As a roller, Richards is seeing some progress as well. He is getting smarter when it comes to diving hard toward the bucket, and has begun timing his cuts at the right moments.
"I think he locks into the things that make him play well. He doesn't worry about the other things," Clifford added. "He runs, he rebounds, he brings physicality, he screens, and he's gonna develop into a good roller. And if he does those things, I think he understands that those are important skills to have in this league. It makes him unique."
As we approach the quarter mark of the NBA season, Nick Richards seems to be finding his niche, and Plumlee and Clifford both recognize that growth and potential in real time.
&ldquo;I think he's having a great year,&rdquo; Plumlee said. &ldquo;I think he's impacted the game every time he's in it, and he's impacted both ends. He's getting us second-chance points, he's defending the rim, he's running the floor hard and he's been a big boost for our bench.&rdquo;
"You look at Jarrett Allen, what's he do? He runs, he sprints to the rim, he protects the rim; he's a terrific player," Clifford said. "And I think Nick understands that he can become as good as he wants to be by getting good at those things. Those are skills that a lot of guys don't appreciate."

Spencer Davies sits down with Nick Richards to talk about his fast start with the Hornets, his incredible efficiency and more.

Nick Richards boasting solid screen skills while boosting Hornets bench

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; With All-Star guard LaMelo Ball out with a sprained left ankle, Terry Rozier stepped up with 24 points and six others scored in double figures as the Charlotte Hornets routed the San Antonio Spurs 129-102 on Wednesday night.
The Spurs opened their 50th season in San Antonio inauspiciously, losing a season opener for only the third time under Gregg Popovich.
&ldquo;You start with the fact that we got thumped and you don&rsquo;t avoid it, you don&rsquo;t hide from it,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;We got our butts kicked. And from there, you can look to improve.&rdquo;
This year&rsquo;s squad bears no resemblance to the veteran-led teams that won five NBA championships and appeared in a league-record 22 straight postseasons under Popovich.
Averaging 23.4 years, this is the youngest roster in Popovich&rsquo;s 27 seasons as San Antonio coach.
Charlotte took advantage of the inexperience.
The Hornets set franchise records in a season opener for points in the first half (68) and opening quarter (38).
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re going to have a good year, you need a lot of good players,&rdquo; Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. &ldquo;So, every guy that you have is comfortable in their role and playing with confidence gives you a better chance.&rdquo;
And Charlotte demonstrated their comfort against San Antonio, shooting 51% from the field and 45% on 3-pointers.
P.J. Washington had 17 points and Gordon Hayward added 15 as all five Hornets starters scored in double figures. Charlotte reserve center Nick Richards had a career-high 19 points.
Keldon Johnson had 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists to lead San Antonio in all three categories. Jakob Poeltl and Tre Jones added 14 points each.
Charlotte raced out to a double-digit lead in the opening five minutes as San Antonio missed its first seven 3-pointers and had more turnovers (three) than assists (one).
&ldquo;They missed a lot of open 3s in the first quarter,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s what I just shared with the guys: You&rsquo;ve got to be able to watch the film and you&rsquo;ve got to be able to say, &lsquo;What if they shot in the first quarter like they did in the third quarter?&rsquo; Because you want to be able to win and make progress or lose. We did do some good things. I thought our ball pressure was good. They&rsquo;re hard to guard, but I was feeling, watching them play, they missed a lot of open shots, too.&rdquo;
San Antonio thrilled the sell-out crowd with a 13-2 run capped by Johnson&rsquo;s 3-pointer in closing to 76-64 with 7 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Charlotte&rsquo;s lead never dipped below double figures in the second half, though.
The Hornets went on a 19-1 run after another Johnson 3-pointer pulled the Spurs within 85-75 with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Guard James Bouknight played 10 minutes hours after the Charlotte Mecklenburg County Police released details of his DWI arrest on Sunday morning. Bouknight was found intoxicated, unconscious and holding a gun with his vehicle in drive. Bouknight has a pending concealed carry permit, so he was not charged for possession of a gun. Bouknight was scoreless, going 0 for 3 from the field. ... San Antonio is 23-3 in its season openers under Popovich. &hellip; Jeremy Sochan is just the fifth rookie to start on opening night for San Antonio, joining Tim Duncan (&rsquo;97), David Robinson (&rsquo;89), Sean Eliott (&rsquo;89) and Willie Anderson (&rsquo;88).
MANU WHO?
San Antonio paid tribute to Manu Ginobili&rsquo;s Hall of Fame induction with a halftime ceremony.
Ginobili&rsquo;s retired jersey was updated to include the Hall of Fame designation. The sell-out crowd interrupted Ginobili&rsquo;s speech twice with shouts of &ldquo;Manu.&rdquo;
Still, Pop didn&rsquo;t miss the chance to playfully dig at Ginobili.
&ldquo;If I could have played him tonight, then I would care, but he doesn&rsquo;t play, so screw him,&rdquo; Popovich said with a wry grin. &ldquo;What has he done for us lately? Nothing.&rdquo;
ID REQUIRED
Popovich is widely known as sommelier, enjoying a bottle of wine while gathering with players, coaches and friends.
The menu is going to have to change this season since the Spurs have six players that are under the legal drinking age of 21.
&ldquo;I was at dinner with one of my players, which who will not be named, just the two of us. And I ordered a glass of wine, and he tried to order it too,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;Wait a minute, what is your mom and dad going to say if you went to dinner with Coach Pop and you are out there drinking? And it&rsquo;s illegal for you to drink. We can&rsquo;t do that.&rsquo; He said, &lsquo;Oh, yeah. OK.&rsquo; So, he had bubble water or sparkling water, whatever the hell that awful stuff is.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Friday.
Spurs: Open a three-game road trip Friday at Indiana.

With LaMelo Ball out with a sprained left ankle, Terry Rozier stepped up with 24 points and six others scored in double figures.

Rozier scores 24 as Hornets rout youthful Spurs, 129-102

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Duncan Robinson scored 29 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 111-108 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.
Robinson shot 7 for 11 from the field, including 5 for 7 on 3-pointers. Jamal Cain, an undrafted rookie who played his last college season at Oakland University, scored 19 points, and Nikola Jovic &mdash; the 27th overall pick in the draft &mdash; scored 13 points as the Heat played the game with their reserves.
Dillon Brooks led Memphis with 18 points, while Ja Morant and Desmond Bane each scored 17 with four assists.
The Heat, playing on the road for the second night of a back-to-back, sat their starters, including Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo.
Meanwhile, Memphis was at full strength, except for forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who is out for a couple of more months recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot.
While the Grizzlies played their regular starters, there were some reserves who took the night off, tightening the rotation. Bane played 28 minutes, while Morant and Brooks logged 26 minutes each.
The Heat took their lead with a rally spanning the second and third quarters and held on at the end when both teams had bench players in the game. Memphis missed a pair of 3-point attempts to tie the game in the closing 10 seconds
CELTICS 112, HORNETS 103
In Greensboro, North Carolina, Jaylen Brown scored 19 points, Derrick White finished with 18 points and six assists to lead Boston.
Justin Jackson added 16 for the Celtics, and Payton Pritchard scored 15. Noah Vonleh had 14 points and 13 rebounds.
LaMelo Ball had 23 points and nine assists to lead the Hornets, and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Terry Rozier added 14 points as Charlotte remained winless in three preseason games.
The Celtics sat some of their starters, including Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Marcus Smart. However, Blake Griffin &mdash; signed this week &mdash; finished with seven points and nine rebounds in 16 minutes in his Celtics debut.
MAGIC 110, MAVERICKS 105
Top draft pick Paolo Banchero scored 19 points and Terrence Ross added 16 to led visiting Orlando.
Banchero, the 6-foot-10 forward out of Duke, shot 6 for 13 from the field and had five rebounds. Mo Bamba had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Magic.
Christian Wood scored 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Luka Doncic had 16 points in 18 minutes, making 6 of 8 shots from the field, and also had five assists.
KNICKS 131, PACERS 114
Obi Toppin scored 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting to lead host New York.
Toppin was 4 for 7 on 3-pointers as the Knicks improved to 2-0 in the preseason. RJ Barrett scored 18 points, while Jalen Brunson and Immanuel Quickley finished with 17 points each.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20 points. Bennedict Mathurin, the sixth overall pick in last summer&rsquo;s draft, had 19 points and Buddy Hield added 13 points.
BULLS 131, NUGGETS 113
DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting to lead host Chicago.
Coby White and Javonte Green added 15 points each for the Bulls, while Nikola Vucevic finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Bones Hyland had 24 points for Denver, while Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 points. Aaron Gordon added 14 points.
ROCKETS 116, RAPTORS 100
Tari Eason, the seventh overall pick in last summer&rsquo;s draft out of LSU, had 24 points and eight rebounds to lead host Houston.
Jalen Green added 23 points for the Rockets, while Kevin Porter Jr. had 15.
Pascal Siakam scored 18 points for the Raptors. O.G. Anunoby scored 13 points, but missed all five of his 3-point attempts. Dalano Banton had 14 points. Gary Trent Jr., Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucer each scored 10 points in the game.
PELICANS 107, PISTONS 101
Jose Alvarado scored 28 points and Zion Williamson added 13 for host New Orleans.
Naji Marshall had 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting, including just 3 for 12 on free throws for the Hornets. Alvarado shot 12 for 18 from the field.
Saddiq Bey led the Pistons with 23 points, while Isaiah Steward and Jaden Ivey finished with 14 apiece.

Duncan Robinson scored 29 points to lead the Heat to a 111-108 victory over the Grizzlies on Friday night.

Duncan Robinson scores 29 as Heat beat Grizzlies 111-108

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

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

Well, it finally happened. The New York Knicks and a top-tier free agent have agreed to terms on a contract.
Barring any shocking, last-minute changes, Jalen Brunson will be the Knicks&rsquo; starting point guard on opening night in 2022-23, as he and the team came to terms on a whopping four-year, $104 million deal.
After entering the NBA following a successful three-year career at Villanova, Brunson was drafted and signed a partially guaranteed four-year, $6.1 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks before the 2018-19 season, meaning this marks his first big payday.
Even though the agreement was just recently announced, the presumed signing has already been scrutinized ad nauseum. And since he signed with New York, it&rsquo;s been even more polarizing.
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In light of this move, let&rsquo;s step back and examine the facts: Brunson signed a big deal that will pay him a lot of money in 2022-23 and beyond. Additional details about salary have not yet been announced, but regardless of the annual breakdown, is a deal like this warranted?
That depends on how you view value.
Objectively, the Knicks probably overpaid, as least in terms of production. In total, 13 point guards were scheduled to be paid more than $26 million next season as of June 30, 2022: Stephen Curry ($48 million), Russell Westbrook ($47 million), Damian Lillard ($42.5 million), Trae Young ($37 million), Luka Doncic ($37 million), Kyrie Irving ($36.9 million), Ben Simmons ($35.4 million), Jamal Murray ($31.6 million), D&rsquo;Angelo Russell ($31.3), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($30.9 million), De&rsquo;Aaron Fox ($30.3 million), Chris Paul ($28.4 million) and Kyle Lowry ($28.3 million).
For what it&rsquo;s worth, the players just behind Brunson are Mike Conley ($22.6 million), Malcolm Brogdon ($22.6 million), Terry Rozier ($21.5 million), Fred VanVleet ($21.2 million), Spencer Dinwiddie ($20.1 million), Lonzo Ball ($19.5 million) and Eric Bledsoe ($19.3 million).
Most NBA experts can find a few guys on that list that Brunson is probably better than, including Russell, Brogdon, Rozier, Bledsoe &mdash; and probably Ball too.
Considering that each team is at a different place in its development, it&rsquo;s harder to rank starting point guards. But it&rsquo;s fair to say that there are 11 point guards across the league who the Knicks would prefer over Brunson &mdash; Curry, Doncic, Lillard, Young, Jrue Holiday, Ja Morant, Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball, VanVleet, Darius Garland and Cade Cunningham. They might also prefer Dejounte Murray, Paul, Fox and Lowry as well, depending on who you ask.
So, an objective review of production from the point-guard position reveals that Brunson might not be an elite producer, yet. Granted, defining point guards is difficult, so bear with me.
In 2021-22, Brunson was tied for the 16th-highest scoring average among point guards (16.3 points per game). He was also 23rd among the position in assists per game (4.8), 16th in total rebounds per game (3.9) and 25th in Defensive Box Plus-Minus (-0.6).
Brunson&rsquo;s production was matched or bettered by a few point guards making less than he is set to earn, including Cole Anthony (rookie deal), VanVleet ($21.2 million) and Dinwiddie ($20.1 million).
But production is also about opportunity, and Dallas used Brunson in a specific way. The fact of the matter is that Dallas already has its lead guard, and it&rsquo;s a no-brainer when choosing who should be the primary creator between Doncic and Brunson. The idea that Brunson will have more opportunities in New York should be exhilarating to Brunson and his believers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Welcome to New York, Jalen Brunson! <a href="https://t.co/lISUdlwnOH">pic.twitter.com/lISUdlwnOH</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1542684979204919301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Further, it&rsquo;s easy to overlook the idea that teams invest in players&rsquo; futures. Sure, most fan bases celebrate signing proven players. But some of the best contracts are those given to players on the verge of breaking out, and that could be precisely where Brunson is in his career.
Brunson&rsquo;s contract was created by optimists who know and love him. Leon Rose, Brunson&rsquo;s former agent, simply believes that giving Brunson the keys to the castle will make him better; the adage of &ldquo;yesterday&rsquo;s price ain&rsquo;t today&rsquo;s price&rdquo; feels eerily relevant. It certainly is for the Mavericks, as they could have signed him for significantly less just a few months ago, and it could be for the Knicks too, if Brunson outperforms this contract.
This deal was also a must-have for the Knicks because not only have they failed to land a major free agent since 2010 &mdash; at which point Amar'e Stoudamire was more of a consolation prize than a home run &mdash; but they&rsquo;ve also been desperate for a starting-caliber point guard for what feels like ever.
Don&rsquo;t believe me? Here&rsquo;s a look at the Knicks&rsquo; opening-night starting point guards for the past 13 seasons: Chris Duhon, Ray Felton, Toney Douglas, Felton (again), Pablo Prigioni, Shane Larkin, Jose Calderon, Derrick Rose, Ramon Sessions, Trey Burke, Allonzo Trier, Elfrid Payton and Kemba Walker.
So, it&rsquo;s been a rough, rough stretch.
But that&rsquo;s not all. Brunson turns 26 in August, meaning he&rsquo;s an ideal match for the Knicks' young core. RJ Barret is just 21, Julius Randle is 27, Mitchell Robinson (a candidate to re-sign in New York) is 23, Obi Toppin is 23 and Immanuel Quickley is 22.
Now, back to that list of higher-paid point guards: Only seven of the 13 point guards set to make $26 million or more next year are under 30 years old.
Knicks fans are fractured over the idea of paying Brunson, but if not him, then who?
This league has proven time and again that market size does not explicitly matter, and the idea that free agents will be intoxicated by all that is New York is a dated concept. Culture and success matter more. And if that&rsquo;s the case, and you choose to forego signing Brunson because it&rsquo;s too much money, you&rsquo;ll be stuck in a chicken-and-the-egg situation pertaining to the team&rsquo;s culture and success for even longer.
And then, there&rsquo;s the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and salary cap to consider. Both the owners and players can technically opt out of the current CBA this December. More importantly, the NBA's television deals expire after the 2024-25 season, and the league is allegedly expecting a &ldquo;huge increase&rdquo; in rights fees, according to ESPN.
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CNBC reported last March that the league will seek a new television contract in the range of $75 billion, up from $24 billion, and league revenue obviously impacts the salary cap. This is relevant because, in 2022-23, the salary cap will be $123.6 million, with the tax level coming in at $150.2 million. Forbes&rsquo; Morten Jensen reported last September that the cap could jump to as much as $171 million by 2025, assuming no cap smoothing after a new rights deal and CBA.
Brunson&rsquo;s deal works out to an average annual salary of $26 million, or 17.3% of the full 2022-23 cap. If it does, in fact, jump to $171 million in 2025-26 (and assuming the Knicks have a team salary of $171 million), Brunson would represent only 15% of the team&rsquo;s cap in the final year of his deal &mdash; and the Knicks will have his Bird rights, allowing them to exceed the cap in re-signing him.
It's worth mentioning that Brunson's deal allegedly has a player option in its final year, meaning he can opt out before 2025-26. But at the very least, an increase in the salary cap in 2025-26 would offset re-signing him to a bigger deal, assuming he deserves one. For reference, Curry accounted for 28% of the Warriors' 2021-22 salary. Not that we're comparing Brunson and Curry, but $26 million per year isn't as harmful as it used to be.&nbsp;
So, as much as it may feel arbitrary, and even irresponsible, to hand out a deal like this to a non-All-Star, I ask you this: At what point should the Knicks give out a big contract? And who would agree to come to New York?
Brunson might not be Curry or Lillard, but he&rsquo;s the best player the Knicks have enticed to join them in a long time. And he might be even better than anyone knows.
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With Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have found their new floor general. Considering the price tag, will he live up to expectations?

What does Jalen Brunson's new contract mean for the New York Knicks?

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

It's not uncommon for high-profile athletes in New York to experience ups and downs throughout their careers. Yet, in just the three seasons Julius Randle has spent as a Knick, he's endured nearly unprecedented swings, from extreme lows to intense highs and everything in-between...
After making the difficult decision to trade away Kristaps Porzingis in February 2019, the Knicks inked Randle to a three-year, $63 million deal the following summer, hoping Randle could carry the team offensively and help them return to respectability.
However, Randle struggled to handle the bright lights of Broadway during his first year in NYC. After averaging over 21 points per game on 52.4% shooting during his sole season in New Orleans, Randle's scoring average dipped to 19.5 points per game on 46.0% shooting in 2019-20. And while his overall counting stats were solid (19/10/3), his inefficiency and defensive lapses contributed to the Knicks' putrid 21-45 record.
In an article he <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/reputation-julius-randle-new-york-knicks-basketball-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penned for the Players Tribune</a>, Randle acknowledged that he wasn't quite prepared for the pressures that came along with being the top dog in the Big Apple.
"To be honest, I don't think I realized everything that goes into being a No. 1 option in the NBA," Randle <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/reputation-julius-randle-new-york-knicks-basketball-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>. "Another problem, looking back, is that I think I was so focused on proving myself as a No. 1 option, that I lost sight of some of my other responsibilities to the team."
Randle added: "I know you only get one chance to make a first impression in a city &mdash; and I was so disappointed in myself for how that first season in New York had gone."
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Well, his second impression was incredible.&nbsp;
Randle wasn't just good during his second season in NYC; he authored one of the finest all-around seasons in Knicks franchise history.
The winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player, Randle finished the 2020-21 campaign averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, ranking in the top-20 in all three statistical categories. Prior that that, the only other players in NBA history to average at least 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists over an entire season were Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokić, Larry Bird, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.
Randle also averaged 2.3 made three-pointers and 0.9 steals while shooting 45.6% from the floor, 41.1% from downtown and 81.1% from the free-throw line. According to Basketball-Reference, Randle was just the second player ever to average more than 10 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting over 40% from three-point territory and over 80% from the charity stripe. (The only other player in this exclusive club is Bird, who posted those numbers in 1984-85 en route to winning the Most Valuable Player award.)
Knicks fans inside MSG would serenade Randle with boisterous "MVP" chants nearly every time he stepped to the free-throw line over the last two months of the season.&nbsp;
Randle would finish eighth in MVP voting and be named to the All-NBA Second Team alongside Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid and LeBron James.&nbsp;
Last summer, fresh off his career year, the Knicks inked Randle to a four-year contract extension worth up to $117 million.
Consequently, expectations were sky-high for Randle and his Knicks entering the 2021-22 campaign...
As we know, New York instead finished the year with a disappointing 37-45 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 10 years.
While Randle's counting stats were once again solid, his offensive inefficiency and porous defense were crippling. After shooting 41.5% on mid-range jumpers in 2020-21, he converted just 33.3% of his mid-rangers this past season. Of the 66 players who attempted more than 500 jump shots this past season, Randle was the least efficient. Every other player in the league who attempted more than three such shots per game converted over 35% &mdash; except for Randle.
Randle also struggled from long distance. After shooting over 41% from behind the three-point arc in 2020-21, that percentage tumbled all the way down to below 31% in 2021-22.
To put Randle's inefficiency in context, consider this: In 2021-22, Randle became the first and only player in NBA history to attempt more than 300 three-pointers and 300 free throws, yet shot below 42% from the floor, below 31% from downtown and below 76% from the charity stripe.
Oh, and his assist average decreased (from 6.0 to 5.1) while committing a career-high 245 turnovers.
Yet, if only his subpar production were an issue, the Knicks front office &mdash; led by team president Leon Rose &mdash; might be far more comfortable bringing Randle back in 2022-23 and hoping he can rebound from a rough year.
However, there are a number of concerns that complicate the situation.&nbsp;
The relationship between the burly power forward and Knicks fans turned toxic at various points over the past six months. During a home game against the Boston Celtics in early January, some New York fans inside Madison Square Garden booed Randle and his teammates after the Knicks fell behind by 25 points. Randle aimed a thumbs-down gesture at the crowd at one point in the fourth quarter. He acknowledged the gesture was directed at the fans after the game (which included a miraculous Knicks comeback, capped by RJ Barrett sinking a miraculous buzzer-beater).
When asked by reporters what it was for, Randle <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/06/julius-randle-gives-knicks-fans-thumbs-down-shut-the-f-k-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>: "To shut the f&ndash;k up."
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Unsurprisingly, the relationship remained rocky the rest of the way. As New York piled up losses and Randle continued to miss shots he had made a year earlier, the crowd continued to get on the team's highest-paid player. Making matters worse, <a href="https://tommybeer.substack.com/p/thibs-needs-to-send-a-strong-message?s=w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randle's lack of effort</a>, especially on the <a href="https://tommybeer.substack.com/p/thibs-needs-to-send-a-strong-message?s=w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive end</a>, drew the intense ire of the fan base.
Poor shooting or effort errors (such as giving up an easy bucket because you close out too hard) are frustrating but forgivable. However, New Yorkers won't tolerate consistently failing to box out or hustle back on defense. And, for long stretches this winter, Randle was guilty of such offenses.&nbsp;
Last month, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/julius-randle-could-be-forcing-way-off-knicks-in-james-harden-type-of-way/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Berman of the New York Post reported</a> that people around the league felt Randle was "acting in a 'James Harden type of way' that suggests he wants a new place of work next season."
Berman <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/julius-randle-could-be-forcing-way-off-knicks-in-james-harden-type-of-way/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that "some NBA sources believe the Knicks will shop Randle for a package revolving around a center if they lose Mitchell Robinson."
Randle has said publicly he wants to remain in New York, but has also stated that his wife and young son were forced to leave their courtside seats at some home games this season due to unwelcome comments from the crowd. Being traded to a new franchise could allow Randle to start fresh and hopefully re-establish himself as an All-Star.
The best resolution for both the player and the team may be parting ways this summer.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17643895-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="585" height="390" />
From the Knicks' perspective, trading away an All-Star less than a year after you ink him to a max extension is never ideal. The front office hoped Randle would be a foundational cornerstone for the remainder of his prime. However, New York must acknowledge that this past season was a mess in more ways than one.&nbsp;
Interestingly, one bright spot over the second half of the season was the awe-inspiring play of Obi Toppin. When a sore quad sidelined Randle in late March, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft stepped in and most definitely stepped up. Fans who had been begging for Toppin to see more minutes finally got their wish.
Toppin started each of the Knicks' final five games and averaged 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 made three-pointers, 2.8 assists and 1.0 blocks. He shot over 55% from the floor, over 46% from downtown and over 86% from the charity stripe. He was one of just seven players to average more than 27 points and 6 boards per game in April. The other six were Jokic, Embiid, LeBron, Luka Doncic, Pascal Siakam and Kevin Durant. (And of this group, Toppin and Doncic were the only players to knock down more than three treys a night.)
While it's foolish to make too much out of relatively meaningless games late in any season, it's impossible to watch Toppin and not recognize he possesses tantalizing upside. And remember, this is the same dude who was named the NCAA National Player of the Year in 2020 due to his dominant play at Dayton, where he averaged 20.0 points to go along with 7.5 rebounds while shooting a scorching 63.3% percent from the field and 39.0% from behind the arc.&nbsp;
Toppin will be due for a contract extension of his own soon, and the Knicks need to determine if he is worth a hefty investment. Trading Randle would open a spot in the starting lineup for Toppin, who is closer in age to the Knicks' young core of Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, etc.
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The issue for New York is that it would have to "sell low" on Randle relative to where his league-wide value was just six months ago. Would the Knicks be content to trade him away if they would only be able recoup around 70 cents on the dollar? On the other hand, would another team be willing to trade for the $100+ million remaining on Randle's contract?
My guess is that the all-around skill set Randle showcased in 2020-21 will be more than enough to entice a few general managers.
Keep in mind that even in a "down year" in 2021-22, Randle averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 boards and 5.1 dimes. The only players to exceed those numbers in each category this season were Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. In addition, although Randle's contract is certainly not a bargain, it's not an albatross by any means &mdash; even with its 15% trade kicker.&nbsp;
More than 50 players in the league will earn more than Randle next season. A contract averaging around $26 million a year is reasonable for a player with Randle's immense talent and proven durability (he's appeared in 207 of a possible 222 games over the last four seasons).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Also, the fact that Randle is under team control for at least three more years (he has a player option for 2025-26) would appeal to several teams, especially small-market clubs.&nbsp;
Furthermore, there are always other GMs looking to move their own high-priced players due to positional log jams or salary constraints.
For instance, <a href="https://theathletic.com/3243084/2022/04/11/whats-next-for-lakers-notes-on-nick-nurse-russell-westbrook-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple</a> league insiders have <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/indiana-intrigue?s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Indiana Pacers are "open to trade conversations around Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield this offseason." Brogdon, whose name has been bandied about in trade rumors since Indiana acquired Tyrese Haliburton in February, has three years left on his deal. He and Randle have nearly identical salaries for next season, meaning they could be swapped straight up for each other.&nbsp;
With the Knicks still in desperate need of a point guard, which side would say no to a potential Brogdon-Randle deal?
It's also worth noting that <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10032521-who-will-lead-lamelo-ball-and-promising-hornets-into-their-prime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a> recently reported Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward is "interested in a change of scenery this offseason." A swap sending Kemba Walker, who is still beloved in Charlotte, and Randle to the Hornets in exchange for Hayward works under the cap. Would Charlotte be willing to include draft capital to get a deal done?
We know the Los Angeles Lakers would love to rid themselves of Russell Westbrook, who has just one year left on his current contract. And if we're thinking outside the box, would the Knicks be willing to consider a reunion with Kristaps Porzings?
The point is, if New York is genuinely willing to make Randle available, the franchise will have plenty of interested parties, which could make for a very interesting offseason.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer analyzes what went awry for Julius Randle in his third season with the Knicks and ponders options for both parties.

Julius Randle and the Knicks should part ways this summer

For years, when people debated an NBA team's best players, they'd often focus on the squad's scoring hierarchy. However, over time, we&rsquo;ve seen players like <a href="https://www.one37pm.com/strength/sports/lamelo-ball-jason-kidd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Kidd</a> and Ben Wallace lead teams to great success by providing impact outside of the &ldquo;points&rdquo; section of the traditional box score.
So naturally, this got me thinking: in today&rsquo;s analytically friendly basketball world, how indicative is a rudimentary stat like points per game (PPG) of a team's best player?
To answer this question, I tracked each team&rsquo;s PPG leader for the last three seasons and matched that up against that team's leaders in five one-number metrics (<a href="https://backpicks.com/metrics/historical/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Backpicks BPM</a>, <a href="https://www.bball-index.com/lebron-database/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LEBRON</a>, <a href="https://dunksandthrees.com/epm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EPM</a>, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RAPTOR</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://app.cerebrosports.com/portal?tab=Players" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C-RAM</a>).&nbsp;For the sake of this study, the player who led the team in the most of these catch-all statistics in a given season was considered that team's best player.
All of the raw data can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12mQO4tf8E9fcldAQ-KqXZVxqvNsIJIRA8vyhjTNX7fQ/edit#gid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
GUIDELINES
For a player's season to be eligible for our exercise, said player must have started at least 45 games for that team during that particular season. That player also could not have been traded at any point during that year.
These restrictions disqualified five teams &mdash; the Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic &mdash; because they didn&rsquo;t roster a single player who fit this criterion and who averaged at least 13 PPG. I felt it would be best to remove them from the collection process to avoid any extra noise.&nbsp;
Before we dive deeper into what I found, there are a few caveats I want to make here. First, all the data was entered manually, and while it was done so meticulously, one must always account for human error. Two, one-number metrics are a useful tool but far from an end-all-be-all when it comes to player evaluation. For instance, I would say Pascal Siakam has been better than Fred VanVleet this year, but many of the metrics I cited would say otherwise. And lastly, the sample size is solid but could always be larger.
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RESULTS&nbsp;
Out of the 85 case studies (yeah, that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re calling them) from 2019-22, there were 57 (~67.1%) where a single player was listed as both the team&rsquo;s best player and overall leader in PPG. So, based on this sample, more often than not, a team&rsquo;s best scorer also doubled as their best player.
Here are several other interesting takeaways from the data:
&bull; Only six players have led their teams in all five of the one-number metrics in each of the last three seasons: Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
&bull; These metrics love Jonas Valanciunas, who scored higher than Ja Morant in all five of the advanced stats in their two seasons together. Plus, Valanciunas has scored higher than Brandon Ingram this season in Backpicks BPM, C-RAM, LEBRON and RAPTOR WAR.
&bull; All five of the one-number metrics had Mitchell Robinson as the Knicks' best player, offering a reminder that these metrics tend to love shot-blockers and aren't the end-all-be-all when it comes to talent evaluation.
However, what I found most interesting after all this digging was the circumstances surrounding the 28 examples that didn&rsquo;t fit in this paradigm. With the exception of the 2019-20 Pacers and the 2020-21 Kings (which is ironic given their recent trade), the other 26 case studies fit in at least one of three categories.&nbsp;
By keying in on these categories, we can better understand some of the variables that come into play when assessing who the best players are.
Category 1: Paired with a Two-way Big
Members: Cole Anthony (2021-22), Malcolm Brogdon (2020-21), DeMar DeRozan (2019-20), De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (2020-21), Darius Garland (2021-22), Brandon Ingram (2021-22), Donovan Mitchell (three times), Ja Morant (twice) and Trae Young (2020-21)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-03-31-at-7-13-48-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="601" height="234" />
This category is made up primarily of guards/lead initiators whose contributions on offense are not large enough to outweigh the (mostly) minimal value they offer on the defensive side of the floor. These players didn't bring enough to the table on defense in their respective seasons to outweigh the two-way impact of their big-men counterparts.
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Category 2: Paired with the Hybrid Playmaker/Scorer
Members: Devin Booker (twice), Miles Bridges (21-22), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19-20), Pascal Siakam (three times)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-03-31-at-6-53-21-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="600" height="141" />
I like to think about this category as the <a href="https://fansided.com/2022/03/15/phoenix-suns-pick-and-roll-defense/">Devin Booker/Chris Paul</a> category. Yes, Booker is the scorer, but Paul&rsquo;s playmaking combined with his scoring sets him over the top. No matter how good of a player you are, if you&rsquo;re playing in a good offense, the open shots you create for your teammates are always going to be more efficient. The players in this category are all flanked by guards who create advantages and make plays for others.
Category 3: Young Scorer on Bad/Injured Team
Members: Cade Cunningham (21-22), Spencer Dinwiddie (19-20), Jerami Grant (20-21), Reggie Jackson (21-22), and Kyle Kuzma (21-22)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-03-31-at-6-55-46-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="599" height="108" />
These players are all younger guys (or at least young to the world of being an offensive number one) who get a ton of scoring opportunities because more suitable offensive alternatives don&rsquo;t necessarily exist. Unfortunately, their inexperience in this new role and lack of gravity-bending teammates lead to them being relatively inefficient, which bogs down their overall impact on the floor.&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 83.6814%; height: 132px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 7.36986%; height: 22px;">Name</td>
<td style="width: 19.9016%; height: 22px;">Relative True Shooting</td>
<td style="width: 22.5898%; height: 22px;">Team Offensive Rating</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 7.36986%; height: 22px;">Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 19.9016%; height: 22px;">-5.9</td>
<td style="width: 22.5898%; height: 22px;">28th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 7.36986%; height: 22px;">Dinwiddie</td>
<td style="width: 19.9016%; height: 22px;">-2.4</td>
<td style="width: 22.5898%; height: 22px;">22nd</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 7.36986%; height: 22px;">Grant</td>
<td style="width: 19.9016%; height: 22px;">-1.6</td>
<td style="width: 22.5898%; height: 22px;">26th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 7.36986%; height: 22px;">Jackson&nbsp;</td>
<td style="width: 19.9016%; height: 22px;">-7.5</td>
<td style="width: 22.5898%; height: 22px;">26th</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 7.36986%; height: 22px;">Kuzma</td>
<td style="width: 19.9016%; height: 22px;">-1.7</td>
<td style="width: 22.5898%; height: 22px;">21st</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Overall, it's neat that foundational counting measures often provide a bit of a shortcut to identifying the best player on a given team. But one must not get lost in the sauce and forget to examine the circumstances surrounding each team's context because, after all, in our line of work, you can't afford to be wrong one-third of the time!
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How often is a team's scoring leader also their best player? Mat Issa looks back at data from the last three NBA seasons to find out.

NBA Study: Is the top scorer typically the best player on the team?

&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is here to go over another fun slate in the NBA for Monday&rsquo;s action. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is carrying a 160-125-3 record (56.1%). It&rsquo;s time to build upon some strong post-Thanksgiving momentum moving forward. Make sure to listen to &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; every single day on whatever your preferred streaming platform is!
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under power play prop bets are provided by PrizePicks.
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Philadelphia 76ers (-13.5) vs. Orlando Magic
Joel Embiid is finally back for Philadelphia, and he should be licking his chops for this matchup against Orlando. Also, Tyrese Maxey&rsquo;s emergence now gives the Sixers another reliable piece to the puzzle alongside Embiid. Even with the massive 13.5-point spread, I love Philadelphia in this spot to cover. Embiid should dominate inside, and Maxey and Tobias Harris hold advantages on the perimeter as well. Hammer Philadelphia and this fun power play prop bet on PrizePicks: Embiid over 23.5 points, Maxey over 16.5 points, Wendell Carter Jr. over 9 rebounds.
Miami Heat (-3.5) vs. Denver Nuggets
It&rsquo;s unfortunate we won&rsquo;t get the full experience of a potentially great battle due to injuries, which have run rampant on both sides. In South Beach, I&rsquo;m hammering Miami to win and cover the 3.5-point spread. Despite Nikola Jokic's return, Bam Adebayo should feast inside; plus, Miami&rsquo;s depth is just lightyears ahead of Denver. Tail me on Heat -3.5 and the following power play on PrizePicks: Adebayo over 19.5 points, Duncan Robinson over 11.5 points, Monte Morris over 4 assists.
Chicago Bulls (-4.5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
I&rsquo;m very much looking forward to this matchup tonight in the Windy City. The Hornets are one of my favorite teams to watch, plus I&rsquo;ve been investing stock all season long in Chicago. In this one, I&rsquo;m leaning toward the Bulls here because of their well-balanced attack on both sides of the court. If Charlotte is able to break through the Bulls&rsquo; defense, this could change. However, I have a hard time envisioning that scenario happening consistently, so let&rsquo;s ride with Bulls -4.5 and the following power play on PrizePicks: DeMar DeRozan over 24.5 points, Miles Bridges over 17.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 8 assists.
Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.5) vs. Indiana Pacers
I absolutely love Minnesota in this spot. Indiana is on the second night of a back-to-back, plus the Timberwolves&rsquo; scorers hold a serious advantage here. Expect Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards to put on a show, as the well-rested Timberwolves easily cover the 2.5-point spread and cruise to a big victory tonight over the Pacers. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m locking in for my power play: Towns over 21.5 points, Edwards over 21.5 points, Caris LeVert over 16.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 15.5 points.
Houston Rockets (-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
It&rsquo;s incredible at this point how we keep making serious coin on Oklahoma City covering as the underdog. Why go away from it at this point, especially against the Rockets? Hammer the Thunder to cover and win outright on the road in Houston. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander propels OKC to another solid outing, which ends in an impressive victory in the Lone Star state. On PrizePicks, tail me on this fun power play: Gilgeous-Alexander over 19.5 points, Christian Wood over 18.5 points, Luguentz Dort over 16.5 points, Kevin Porter Jr. over 15.5 points.
Dallas Mavericks (-6.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
This is another spot here where I love the home team, thanks in large part to its dynamic inside-out duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. (Be on the lookout tomorrow for my longform feature with Porzingis on BasketballNews.com, who sat down for 10 minutes with yours truly recently on a variety of topics.) In the meantime, hammer Dallas to win and cover the 6.5-point spread. Even though Evan Mobley is back for Cleveland, it won&rsquo;t be enough against Luka&rsquo;s Mavericks. On PrizePicks, let&rsquo;s lock in this power play: Doncic over 25.5 points, Porzingis over 18.5 points, Darius Garland over 17.5 points, Mobley over 12.5 points.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Washington Wizards (-3)
This is a rare spot for San Antonio to be in because I&rsquo;m actually betting on the Spurs to cover and win outright at home tonight. Dejounte Murray continues to blossom before our eyes in the Spurs&rsquo; system, which definitely clears up any long-term confusion about his spot in their organization. Murray&rsquo;s all-around brilliance helps lead the Spurs to an impressive victory against the resurgent Wizards. On PrizePicks, this is a very realistic power play that could fall our way: Bradley Beal over 24 points, Jakob Poetl over 9.5 rebounds, Murray over 7.5 rebounds, Spencer Dinwiddie over 1.5 threes.
Utah Jazz (-7.5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Utah has had some disappointing moments, like when the team lost at home to the lowly Pelicans. But more often than not, they are very reliable from a gambling point of view. We&rsquo;re not going off our stance of tailing Utah, which happens again tonight at home against Portland. Until Damian Lillard finds any sort of consistency, it&rsquo;s hard to trust Portland right now. Rudy Gobert will also be a menace in the paint on drive attempts for the Trail Blazers. Lock in Utah -7.5, plus the following prop bet on PrizePicks: Lillard over 24.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 23.5 points, CJ McCollum over 20.5 points, Bojan Bogdanovic over 2.5 threes.
Los Angeles Clippers (-7) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
It&rsquo;s never wise to bet on a team like New Orleans, especially with how the Pelicans have played so far this season. In Los Angeles, we are hammering with emphasis the Clippers to cover the 7-point spread as one of my best bets of Monday&rsquo;s slate. Paul George should feast against the Pelicans, plus Los Angeles&rsquo; depth is simply too much for a team like New Orleans. No question, I&rsquo;m hammering the Clippers -7 and the following power play no PrizePicks: George over 24.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 19.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 10.5 rebounds.
Recapping our picks against the spread for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s what is being lock in for Monday&rsquo;s slate: Sixers -13.5, Heat -3.5, Bulls -4.5, Timberwolves -2.5, Thunder +2, Mavericks -6.5, Spurs +3, Jazz -7.5, Clippers -7.
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Alongside our "Nothing But Bets" podcast on BasketballNews.com, our daily picks will be posted each day.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/29/21

&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is back to go over today&rsquo;s games on a fun-filled Saturday of NBA hoops. Every day, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; gives you the inside advantage before the games begin. So far this season, we are carrying a 124-99-2 record (55.6%).
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under power play prop bets are provided by <a href="https://www.prizepicks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PrizePicks</a>. Did you know we hit two power-play bets yesterday totaling $2,000? If you haven&rsquo;t tailed our bets yet, your wallet is missing out!
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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New York Knicks (-11.5) vs. Houston Rockets
New York is in desperate need of a get-right game, and I think it happens for them today at Madison Square Garden. The Rockets are on pace to finish with the worst record in NBA history, so the fact that they're coming to town could help the Knicks solve a lot of their recent issues. Hammer New York to cover the big 11.5-point spread, plus the following over/under power-play on PrizePicks: Julius Randle over 19.5 points, Christian Wood over 15.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 14.5 points, Jalen Green over 13.5 points.
Washington Wizards vs. Miami Heat (-1)
When Miami is fully healthy, they have shown why we should treat them as a serious NBA Finals threat. Jimmy Butler is playing at an MVP level. Meanwhile, new additions in Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker are fitting into the Heat culture perfectly. On top of that, we&rsquo;re seeing real developmental jumps from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Even on the road against an improved Wizards squad, give me the Heat to win outright and cover the 1-point spread. This feels like another statement outing from Butler, which propels Miami to another big victory. On PrizePicks, tail me on this fun power-play prop: Bradley Beal over 24.5 points, Butler over 23.5 points, Spencer Dinwiddie over 5.5 assists, Duncan Robinson over 2.5 threes.
Indiana Pacers (-7.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Both of these teams are just so confusing. Indiana continues to prove their core is stagnant and needs an extensive teardown. New Orleans continues to sink without Zion Williamson, although they pulled off an impressive victory last night against the Los Angeles Clippers. In Indiana tonight, I&rsquo;m actually going to go with the underdog Pelicans to cover the 7.5-point spread. Last game, head coach Rick Carlisle benched the Pacers&rsquo; starters for the final 20 minutes of regulation, which led to their second unit actually mounting a massive comeback attempt. I envision Indiana&rsquo;s struggles continuing as the Pelicans keep this one close throughout. On PrizePicks, this feels like a power-play winner: Brandon Ingram over 21.5 points, Malcolm Brogdon over 18.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 11.5 rebounds, Domantas Sabonis over 10.5 rebounds.
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Atlanta Hawks (-6.5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
I can&rsquo;t wait to tune into this matchup. Trae Young versus LaMelo Ball. Two super high-paced offenses squaring off. The over/under for this game feels like a lock, but foley betting on the point spreads, I&rsquo;m rolling with Atlanta to get the job done. Expect a huge outing from Young, plus the Hawks&rsquo; frontcourt duo of John Collins and Clint Capela should impose their will on Charlotte&rsquo;s bigs. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m locking in this power-play: Young over 23.5 points, Ball over 18.5 points, Miles Bridges over 18.5 points, Clint Capela over 12.5 rebounds.
Boston Celtics (-10) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Every time I bet on the Thunder, they pay off big-time. I&rsquo;m going back to that well again here, even with them on the second night of a back-to-back. Expect both teams to be fatigued, which could help the Thunder stay in this one throughout. Oklahoma City is closer than many expect to taking a jump forward in their rebuild. Stay tuned to <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> this weekend as I&rsquo;m currently working on an in-depth Thunder piece. I&rsquo;m rolling with the underdog Thunder to cover the 10-point spread in Boston, plus the following prop bets on PrizePicks: Jayson Tatum over 25.5 points, Dennis Schroder over 16.5 points, Josh Giddey over 6 rebounds, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 4 rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.5) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Another matchup where you should expect plenty of points to be scored throughout. Ja Morant is a dark-horse MVP candidate right now. Meanwhile, Minnesota&rsquo;s trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell are beginning to finally figure each other out. Tonight, I&rsquo;m riding with the Timberwolves to pull off the victory at home and cover the 2.5-point spread. This will be close throughout, but the star power on Minnesota outweighs Morant. On PrizePicks, tail me on this power-play: Morant over 26.5 points, Towns over 22.5 points, Edwards over 22.5 points, Steven Adams over 8.5 rebounds.
Milwaukee Bucks (-12.5) vs. Orlando Magic
I&rsquo;m forecasting a dominant bounce-back victory for the defending champions after they allowed Oklahoma City to keep it close last night. Against another tanking team in the Magic, I like the Bucks to roll in this spot thanks to strong outings from their dynamic scoring duo. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton put their foot on the gas early and don&rsquo;t let off as Milwaukee dominates the Magic from start to finish. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I locked in: Giannis over 23.5 points, Middleton over 17.5 points, Franz Wagner over 12.5 points, Mo Bamba over 9 rebounds.
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Portland Trail Blazers (-6.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Until Joel Embiid returns for Philadelphia, it&rsquo;s hard to trust the Sixers from a betting perspective. In Portland, I love the Trail Blazers&rsquo; backcourt combo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to go off here. Also, don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Sixers&rsquo; own backcourt in Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry also pour in some points as well. Tonight, I&rsquo;m locking in the Trail Blazers to cover the 6.5-point spread as one of my best bets for Saturday&rsquo;s slate. I don&rsquo;t know about you, but this feels like a perfect time for Lillard to snap out of his season-long cold stretch. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s a very realistic power-play that could cash: Lillard over 22.5 points, McCollum over 19.5 points, Maxey over 16.5 points, Curry over 14.5 points, Andre Drummond over 11.5 rebounds.
Utah Jazz (-8) vs. Sacramento Kings
This honestly feels like the last stand for Kings head coach Luke Walton. After getting embarrassed last night by the shorthanded Toronto Raptors at home, this could be Walton&rsquo;s swan song leading this team. Will the Kings put up an inspired effort or get demolished once again? I&rsquo;m going with the latter here, especially against a well-oiled machine like Utah. The Jazz easily cover the 8-point spread in Sacramento as Walton could be fired at the end of this game. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s another fun power-play option: Donovan Mitchell over 23.5 points, Harrison Barnes over 14.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton over 4 assists.
Recapping our picks against the spread for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s what is being lock in for Saturday&rsquo;s slate: Knicks -11.5, Heat -1, Pelicans +7.5, Hawks -6.5, Thunder +10, Timberwolves -2.5, Bucks -12.5, Trail Blazers -6.5, Jazz -8.
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For a fun Saturday slate, "Nothing But Bets" provides their picks against the spread plus over/under prop bets via PrizePicks.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/20/21

With the New York Knicks down double-digits late in the third quarter, their reserves entered the game and led a spirited comeback. Stop me if you've heard this one before...
Yes, a familiar script played out once again Friday night in Charlotte. And, once again, the movie ended with the Knicks on the losing side.&nbsp;
After the Hornets surged to a 12-point lead in the third quarter against a hapless Knicks starting unit that has been unable to get on the same page, the bench mob propelled New York back. The team eventually took a two-point lead halfway through the fourth, courtesy of a thunderous windmill dunk from high-flying sophomore Obi Toppin. However, Julius Randle replaced Toppin 90 seconds later, and the Knicks would be outscored 13-3 over the final five minutes of regulation.&nbsp;
The Knicks left Charlotte and limped home to New York having lost five of their last seven games. After jumping out of the gates with a 5-1 record, the 'Bockers now find themselves just a game over .500.
Many of the same problems that have plagued the Knicks during their recent swoon reared their ugly heads on Friday night.&nbsp;
Once again, despite a hot start and a great game from Kemba Walker &mdash; who scored 26 points &mdash; each member of the Knicks starting five posted a negative plus/minus, while the plus/minus of New York's reserves were all positive.&nbsp;
And, again, the Knicks were severely outplayed in the third quarter, as the Hornets poured in 34 points on 14-of-25 (26%) shooting over those 12 minutes.
Remarkably, over the Knicks' past four contests, they have been outscored 123-77 in the third quarter. That's a preposterous 46-point differential. &nbsp;
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Of course, much of the poor production can be directly attributed to the starters' struggles. As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/knicks-starters-sink-new-york-fail-to-protect-home-court-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed earlier this week</a>, Walker, Randle, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson have the worst cumulative plus/minus among all five-man units in the NBA. After another poor showing in Charlotte, this group is being outscored by 16.7 points per 100 possessions, according to <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleaning the Glass</a>. That's the worst of any qualifying lineup in the league.&nbsp;
In sharp contrast, the bench unit of Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Taj Gibson, Alec Burks and Toppin is outscoring opponents by a prodigious 27.6 points per 100 possessions.
While Rose continues to play at an extremely high level each night and Toppin brings his unique splash of athleticism and energy, IQ's confidence has surged recently (he's made 10 of his last 20 three-point attempts). &nbsp;
Conversely, Barrett is mired in a nasty slump. Over the Knicks past four games, Barrett is averaging 8.0 points while shooting just 26% from the floor, 16% from downtown and 60% from the charity stripe. He also has more turnovers (9) than assists (6). And for a player that talked earlier this season about establishing himself as an All-NBA defender, Barrett has had several lapses on the defensive end, and doesn't seem to be playing with the same tenacity. Offensively, he's been hesitant to attack the tin, having gone to the free-throw line a total of only five times in four games.&nbsp;
This is a concern because Barrett is at his best when he's playing downhill and getting to the line. In the games in which Barrett has attempted more than five free throws this season, he averages 26.0 points on 58% shooting. Conversely, when RJ has attempted fewer than five free throws, he averages 11.2 points on 33% shooting.
Barrett has not been listed on the injury report, but it wouldn't surprise me if we found out that he is currently dealing with a physical ailment. His body language has been off of late.&nbsp;
Randle has also struggled recently. Over the Knicks' last three losses, Randle is averaging 15.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 turnovers while shooting below 37% from the field, below 30% from behind the arc and below 55% from the FT line.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HoopIdea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HoopIdea</a> Knicks spot their opponents 15 points if the other team agrees to play just the 2nd and 4th quarters
&mdash; Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1459343333558468613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Thursday after practice, Evan Fournier was asked about coach Tom Thibodeau's angry comments following the team's loss to Milwaukee.
"I mean, sh**, I would be [angry], too. We don't need Tom to get mad at us," Fournier said. "We know we did not play well last game. We're all veterans. We all know what we're capable of doing, and it doesn't feel good when we don't play well."
On opening night, Fournier poured in 32 points and knocked down six triples. Over New York's last four games combined, Fournier has scored a total of 33 points and made four treys. Surprisingly, he hasn't logged a single minute in the fourth quarter in four of New York's last five contests. This is not what Leon Rose and company had in mind when they inked him to a 4-year, $78 million deal over the summer.&nbsp;
Zooming back out to look at the big picture, it's important to note we are only 11 games into an 82-game marathon. Each team played 72 contests last season; the Knicks still have 71 remaining on the schedule over the next five months. And, during the 2020-21 campaign, New York was three games under .500 (5-8) through the first three weeks of the season.&nbsp;
On the flip side of the coin, the reality is the Eastern Conference is much improved and uber-competitive. Last season's conference finalists, the Bucks and Hawks, are currently a combined 10-16. For this reason, next week takes on added importance for New York.&nbsp;
The Knicks play only three times over the next eight days. Each of the three contests is at home, and all are winnable. New York hosts the Pacers (5-8) at Madison Square Garden on Monday, the Magic (3-9) on Wednesday and the Rockets (1-11) on Saturday.&nbsp;
Thibs will be able to get a few quality practices, and this stretch gives the team a much-needed opportunity to reset and re-establish their identity.
Considering what lies ahead, it's almost imperative that the Knicks take care of business next week. Immediately following this three-game stretch, things could get ugly. Next Sunday, they travel to Chicago to play the up-and-coming Bulls on the second night of a back-to-back. The Knicks then play six games against some of the league's top teams (Lakers, Suns, Hawks, Nets, Bulls and Nuggets), before embarking on a three-game road trip, only to return home to host the Bucks and Warriors in the second week of December.&nbsp;
Knicks Notes:
- Speaking with reporters after the game, Thibodeau said Derrick Rose got "nicked up" in Friday's loss but that Rose was cleared to go back in the game late in the fourth quarter. Thibs didn't provide any specifics as to the nature of the injury, but it appeared Rose tweaked his ankle before checking out of the game in the fourth quarter. It's almost impossible to overstate Rose's importance to the Knicks this season, as he's been arguably the team's most consistent and most valuable player thus far. Remarkably, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 110 points in the 295 minutes Rose has played this season.&nbsp;
- Robinson exited Friday's game in the first half to have his left ankle taped, but returned to the contest. Mitch Rob is shooting a league-leading 82.9% from the floor this season. Nerlens Noel has missed each of the past two games due to a right knee sprain.&nbsp;
- The Knicks committed 19 turnovers vs. the Hornets on Friday, which led to 17 points for Charlotte. "There's no surprise into why you win or why you lose, to me, it's your defense," Thibodeau said. "Initially, the defense was good and the rebounding was good, then the problem became our turnovers."
- <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/opponent-shots-closest-defender/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;CloseDefDistRange=6%2B%20Feet%20-%20Wide%20Open&amp;sort=FG3M&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to NBA tracking data</a>, the Knicks allowed 23 wide-open three-point attempts vs. Charlotte (the Hornets only converted seven). On the season, New York is allowing 22.5 wide-open three-point attempts per game, the most in the NBA.&nbsp;
- Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lamelo-ball-leads-game-in-rebounds-steals-and-assists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grabbed 17 rebounds, dished out 9 assists and racked 5 five steals Friday night</a>. That's as many assists and steals as the entire Knicks starting five, and more three rebounds than Randle and Robinson combined.

Tommy Beer details the Knicks' recent stretch of struggles with the starting five and the opportunity ahead to right the ship.

Knicks must take advantage of important three-game home stand

Kicking off the written predictions regarding our daily NBA betting podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; we went 4-2 during <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nothing-but-bets-projecting-10-24-21-nba-slate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday&rsquo;s slate</a>. Over a 65% hit rate is a great start, so let&rsquo;s see if we can keep the upward trajectory rolling here for an even bigger batch of games on Monday.
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As a reminder, you can always find &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on any streaming platform each morning on the <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> Podcast Network. Without further ado, it&rsquo;s time to forecast what happens on Monday night with daily odds via DraftKings:
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-2)
This is going to be a very entertaining game. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks travel to Indiana to face a Pacers team who has been competitive in every game thus far. I&rsquo;m rolling with the Bucks here to win and cover the small 2-point spread thanks in large part to Giannis. However, don&rsquo;t be surprised if this one is close throughout. For those who listen to &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; you already know about the Sidery-Same-Game Parlays. It&rsquo;s something that really helps boost your winnings compared to just straight-up bets. In this one, we&rsquo;re riding with Milwaukee to cover at -110 odds, but here&rsquo;s a fun SGP to throw in as well boosting it up to +200: Bucks spread, Domantas Sabonis 15+ points, Giannis 25+ points. That feels like a winner right there.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics (-1)
Another game I&rsquo;m going to be glued to my seat watching throughout. What a matchup here between Charlotte and Boston, one in which I was waffling back-and-forth on all morning. The Hornets are 3-0 with such a fun brand of basketball, while the Celtics are still finding their footing. On the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, I&rsquo;m going to go out on a limb and ride the wave with Charlotte. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and the Hornets have me staring at the TV whenever they&rsquo;re on. Tonight will be no different, as I&rsquo;m taking the Hornets outright on the moneyline at -105. Here&rsquo;s an enticing same-game parlay to throw in as well for even more excitement: Hornets ML, LaMelo Ball 20+ points, Jayson Tatum 20+ points at +400 odds.
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls (-1.5)
The Bulls are clicking on all cylinders right now. Not only is the offense fun to watch, but the defense has been even more impressive. Adding Lonzo Ball to the mix in the Windy City has really helped stabilize a better team effort on that end. Heading into Toronto, though, I really could see this game go either way. However, I&rsquo;m staying on the hot start with Chicago covering the 1.5-point spread. If this keeps up for the Bulls, they are quickly going to climb into the ranks of legit playoff team within the reshuffled Eastern Conference. As always, another SGP to keep things interesting: Bulls spread, Lonzo Ball 13+ points, OG Anunoby 14+ points, Zach LaVine 20+ points at +425 odds.
Atlanta Hawks (-11.5) vs. Detroit Pistons
This one is going to be a blowout, folks. I&rsquo;d be stunned if the Cade Cunningham-less Pistons keep this close. However, the 11.5-point spread is just too much for my liking here. I&rsquo;m taking the Hawks moneyline at -675 on DraftKings. And for those who want to double their money at +110, Trae Young can do that for you if he accomplishes all of the following on top of a Hawks win: 20+ points, 7+ assists, 2+ three-pointers. That seems very feasible for Young, and one that could quickly boost your winnings up for an expected blowout tonight in Atlanta.
Brooklyn Nets (-6.5) vs. Washington Wizards
Brooklyn has continuously burned me so far in best bets. However, I just can&rsquo;t stay away from this team due to a slow start. Looking to avenge an embarrassing home loss to Charlotte on Sunday, the Nets should be able to notch a win against Washington. If not, it might be time to stay away from Nets-related bets for awhile. With how the Nets have played recently, even 6.5 points is too much for me. I will simply roll with Brooklyn outright with the moneyline currently at -260. If you feel comfortable enough rolling with an SGP, betting on Kevin Durant and James Harden to score 20+ points is always a good option for boosting those odds.
Miami Heat (-13) vs. Orlando Magic
The Magic shocked the world on Sunday when they went into Madison Square Garden and defeated the New York Knicks. Will that momentum continue? No chance, in my opinion. The Heat look legit through the first week of the 2021-22 season. Their defense has been fantastic, plus Tyler Herro is emerging as a real Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Add on top of that the talent gap in this matchup, and Miami should roll easily here. A 13-point spread is a little too much for me here, so I&rsquo;m going to side with the Heat moneyline at -1000, but toss in an SGP to boost that little value up to +210: Cole Anthony 12+ points, Jimmy Butler 15+ points, Bam Adebayo 14+ points, Duncan Robinson 11+ points, 3+ threes from Robinson. That&rsquo;s a lot that needs to happen, but the boost from -1000 to +210 was too hard to pass on.
Minnesota Timberwolves (-5.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
I expect this one to be the highest-scoring matchup of the Monday slate, so I&rsquo;m hammering the over already at 226 total points. And with how the Pelicans have started off painfully slow without Zion Williamson, Minnesota&rsquo;s moneyline -225 is an easy bet here. Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell have meshed very well so far, and I expect the positive momentum to keep flowing at home against New Orleans. A same-game parlay I&rsquo;m rolling with at +235 odds on DraftKings is as follows: Timberwolves ML, Over 226 points, Towns 20+ points, Edwards 15+ points.&nbsp; In the over/under roundtables last week, our own Nekias Duncan <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-will-hit-its-over-win-total" target="_blank" rel="noopener">picked Minnesota to eclipse their mark</a> and fight for a play-in spot. I&rsquo;m siding with Nekias on that notion, plus the Wolves as winners tonight as well.
Denver Nuggets (-9.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Welcome to the Nikola Jokic experience, Evan Mobley. Although Mobley has looked fantastic so far, likely the very early Rookie of the Year favorite, going up against Jokic for the first time is always a rough one for young bigs. I expect Mobley to follow the same trend tonight in the Denver altitude. The Nuggets&rsquo; moneyline at -525 odds is what I think is the best bet of the night here, plus expecting a huge outing from Jokic. Here&rsquo;s a same-game parlay that can boost your potential winnings to +185: Nuggets ML, Jokic 20+ points, Jokic 7+ assists, Jokic 1+ threes. The MVP is going to send a message tonight against the Cavaliers. If Mobley holds his own when matched up against Jokic, go ahead and hand over the ROY award to him now. This will be a very fun one to follow along with tonight.
Los Angeles Clippers (-3) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Portland has gotten off to a great start seeing improvements from its young core, on top of CJ McCollum adequately carrying the scoring burden alongside Damian Lillard. However, in the Staples Center, I&rsquo;m taking the Clippers to pull off the victory. Paul George is back in his element as the No. 1 option in Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s absence, and I think he's going to have a great game on Monday night. If you simply take the Clippers&rsquo; moneyline (-145) and George to score 25+ points, it rises up to double your money at +110. That&rsquo;s a really solid bet to wager on in what should be a very close back-and-forth contest throughout.
So, to recap, here&rsquo;s our picks for Monday&rsquo;s nine-game slate courtesy of &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on the <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> Podcast Network: Bucks -2, Hornets ML, Bulls -1.5, Nets ML, Hawks ML, Heat ML, Timberwolves ML, Nuggets ML, Clippers ML.

Alongside our newest podcast on BasketballNews.com, Nothing But Bets, our daily NBA picks will be posted each day.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 10/25/21

After rolling out my<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-the-top-150-nba-players-for-fantasy-basketball-in-2021-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Top-150 NBA Fantasy overall rankings</a> last week, I have broken down each position into tiers.
It is important to state that these rankings are based on a nine-category roto format (points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and turnovers). Also, please note position eligibility is based on Yahoo&rsquo;s fantasy settings and, as a result, many players qualify at multiple positions.
Guards
The two biggest question marks among all guards reside in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Ben Simmons has (awkwardly) returned to Sixers, but it is still unclear whether Big Ben plans to "merely report to the team or truly rejoin the team," <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-arrives-in-philly-takes-covid19-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>. Thus, Simmons is arguably the biggest boom-or-bust fantasy pick in the NBA this season.
Irving, on the other hand, is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/itll-be-difficult-for-kyrie-and-the-nets-to-come-back-from-this" target="_blank" rel="noopener">persona non grata in the borough of Brooklyn</a>. Although Kyrie is eligible to participate in the Nets' away games, Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said Tuesday that Irving will not be allowed to play or practice with the team at all until he gets vaccinated. &ldquo;He has a choice to make, and he made his choice,&rdquo; Marks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-say-kyrie-irving-cant-play-or-practice-with-team-while-unvaccinated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters Tuesday</a>. &ldquo;And my job here is to make what we deem is the best choices for the organization moving ahead and as a whole.&rdquo; There is certainly still a chance Irving gets his jab and is cleared to play, but it&rsquo;s too much of a risk to roll the dice until late in the draft, in my opinion.
Tier 1: James Harden PG, SG (BKN)&nbsp; Luka Doncic PG, SG (DAL) Stephen Curry PG, SG (GSW) Damian Lillard PG (POR)
Tier 2: Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) Trae Young PG (ATL) Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL)
Tier 3: Fred VanVleet PG, SG (TOR) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG, SG (OKC)
Tier 4: Jrue Holiday PG, SG (MIL) Chris Paul PG (PHO) &nbsp; Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI) Donovan Mitchell PG, SG (UTAH)
Tier 5: Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) De'Aaron Fox PG (SAC)&nbsp; Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO)
Tier 6: LaMelo Ball PG, SG (CHA) CJ McCollum PG, SG (POR) Russell Westbrook PG (LAL) Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU)&nbsp; Dejounte Murray PG, SG (SAS) Malcolm Brogdon PG, SG (IND)&nbsp; Terry Rozier PG, SG (CHA)
Tier 7: Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) Lonzo Ball PG, SG (CHI) Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) Ja Morant PG (MEM) Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) Darius Garland PG, SG (CLE) Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) Kyle Lowry PG (MIA) Tyrese Haliburton PG, SG (SAC) Derrick White PG, SG (SAS)
Tier 8: Mike Conley PG (UTAH) Jalen Suggs PG, SG (ORL) Spencer Dinwiddie PG, SG (WAS) Cade Cunningham PG, SG (DET) Ben Simmons PG (PHI) Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) D&rsquo;Angelo Russell PG, SG (MIN) Collin Sexton PG, SG (CLE) Marcus Smart PG, SG (BOS) Jordan Poole PG, SG (GSW)&nbsp;
Tier 9: Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW)&nbsp; Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) Devonte&rsquo; Graham PG, SG (NOP) Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC) Norman Powell SG, SF (POR) Kemba Walker PG (NYK) RJ Barrett SG, SF (NYK) Reggie Jackson PG, SG (LAC) Dennis Schroder PG (BOS) Jordan Clarkson PG, SG (UTAH) Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH) Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN) Kyrie Irving PG, SG (BKN)&nbsp;
Tier 10:&nbsp; De&rsquo;Anthony Melton PG, SG (MEM) Jalen Green SG (HOU) Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW) Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) T.J. McConnell PG, SG (IND) Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) Eric Bledsoe PG, SG (LAC) Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) Josh Giddey PG, SG, SF (OKC) Tyrese Maxey PG, SG (PHI)
Forwards
Looking for a potential sleeper at forward? I&rsquo;d suggest highlighting Pascal Siakam or Evan Mobley on your cheat sheet.&nbsp;
After a phenomenal 2019-20 campaign, in which he was named to the All-NBA Second Team, Siakam failed to live up to expectations last season; his scoring average, three-point makes and effective field goal percentage all decreased. In addition, Pascal is still working his way back from surgery on a torn labrum, which has forced his ADP (Average Draft Position) to plummet. However, earlier this week, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said his star forward has been &ldquo;going 100%&rdquo; without contact for about 4-6 weeks, and could return later this month.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Evan Mobley is going to be a special defender in the NBA. GMs believe that Mobley will be the best player from his draft class in five years 👀 (🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Schmitz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mike_Schmitz</a>) <a href="https://t.co/iPiaabn2Gu">pic.twitter.com/iPiaabn2Gu</a>
&mdash; NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1446161049753882629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Mobley&rsquo;s stock is soaring after impressive performances and extended usage for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the preseason (he&rsquo;s leading his team in playing time, logging 28.4 minutes per game). Mr. Mobley is probably worth the gamble, as his upside is emarkably enticing.&nbsp;
Tier 1: Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN)
Tier 2: Jayson Tatum SF, PF (BOS) Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C (MIL) Kevin Durant SF, PF (BKN) Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL)&nbsp; Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) Paul George SF, PF, SG (LAC)
Tier 3: Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL) Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) Michael Porter Jr. SF, PF (DEN Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI)
Tier 4: Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO) Myles Turner PF, C (IND) OG Anunoby SF, PF (TOR)&nbsp; Tobias Harris SF, PF (PHI)
Tier 5: Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) Brandon Ingram SF, PF (NOP) Christian Wood PF, C (HOU) Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL) John Collins PF, C (ATL) Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU)&nbsp; Zion Williamson PF (NOP)
Tier 6: Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR) Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM) Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR) Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS)
Tier 7: Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) Jerami Grant SF, PF (DET) Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) Miles Bridges SF, PF (CHA) Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET) Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC)&nbsp; Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET) Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW)&nbsp;
Tier 8: Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) Norman Powell SG, SF (POR) Kyle Anderson SF, PF (MEM) Jonathan Isaac SF, PF (ORL) Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) Harrison Barnes SF, PF (SAC) Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL) De&rsquo;Andre Hunter SF, PF (ATL) Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS)
Tier 9: Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH) Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE) Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; Keldon Johnson SF, PF (SAS) Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN) T.J. Warren SF, PF (IND) Jae'Sean Tate SF, PF (HOU) Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU) Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) Saddiq Bey SF (DET)\ Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW) Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) Al Horford PF, C (BOS)
Tier 10: Kyle Kuzma SF, PF (WAS) Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) Nicolas Batum SF, PF, SG (LAC) Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC) Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU) Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) Aaron Gordon SF, PF (DEN)
Centers
Centers take on added importance in fantasy hoops due to the scarcity. That&rsquo;s part of the reason why Jokic is viewed as the near-unanimous top overall selection in drafts this year.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Last season, Jokic authored a season for the ages. Not only did he score a career-high 26.4 points and rip down 10.8 rebounds per game, but he also dished out an average of 8.3 dimes each night, joining Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 boards and 8 assists over a season. Incredibly, Jokic tallied a total of 599 assists in 2020-21, which was the third-most in the entire league. Wilt Chamberlain, who led the NBA with 8.6 APG in 1967-68, is the only center to post a higher assist-average over a full season. As a fantasy cherry on top, the Joker proved incredibly durable, appearing in every game last season.
Tier 1: Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN)
Tier 2: Karl-Anthony Towns C (MIN)
Tier 3: Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C&nbsp; Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL)
Tier 4: Nikola Vucevic C (CHI) Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) Rudy Gobert C (UTAH)
Tier 5: Myles Turner PF, C (IND) Clint Capela C (ATL) Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) Deandre Ayton C (PHO) Christian Wood PF, C (HOU)&nbsp; Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL) John Collins PF, C (ATL)
Tier 6: Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM) Jusuf Nurkic C (POR) Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR) Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR)&nbsp; Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS) Jonas Valanciunas C (NOP) Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) Jarrett Allen C (CLE) Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET) Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET)
Tier 7: P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) Mitchell Robinson C (NYK) Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) Jakob Poeltl C (SAS) Wendell Carter Jr. C (ORL) Brook Lopez C (MIL) Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL)
Tier 8: Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS) Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE) Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU) Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) Ivica Zubac C (LAC) Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) Al Horford PF, C (BOS)
Tier 9: Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC) Mo Bamba C (ORL) Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) Thomas Bryant C (WAS) Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU)&nbsp;
Tier 10: Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) Andre Drummond C (PHI)&nbsp; Steven Adams C (MEM) Serge Ibaka PF, C (LAC)&nbsp; James Wiseman C (GSW) Naz Reid C (MIN) Marvin Bagley III PF, C (SAC) LaMarcus Aldridge PF, C (BKN) Nicolas Claxton PF, C (BKN) Kevin Love PF, C (CLE) Hassan Whiteside PF, C (UTAH)

Tommy Beer divides the top NBA fantasy guards, forwards and centers into 10 tiers each based on their value.

2021-22 NBA Fantasy Basketball Rankings: 10 tiers for each position

With the start of the season just three weeks away, here is my ranking of the top 150 players for the 2021-22 campaign.
It is imperative to note that this list is based on nine-category roto scoring formats (points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and turnovers) .&nbsp;
I've added comments to a handful of players to help explain the rationale behind some of their rankings.&nbsp;
So without further ado, let's get to it.
1. Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN) 2. James Harden PG, SG (BKN): The Beard was the top-ranked fantasy player in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He's healthy and ready to rock in Brooklyn. 3. Luka Doncic PG, SG (DAL) 4. Stephen Curry PG, SG (GSW) 5. Karl-Anthony Towns C (MIN) 6. Damian Lillard PG (POR): Dame is one of only two players in NBA history to record at least 1,500 points and 400 assists in each of their first nine seasons; Oscar Robertson is the other. 7. Jayson Tatum SF, PF (BOS) 8. Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C (MIL): There have been some mildly concerning signs regarding Giannis' left knee since the start of training camp. (The reigning NBA Finals MVP <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1445846786657112074?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assures us he's alright</a>.) He should be ready for opening night, but I fully expect the Bucks to rest their franchise cornerstone early and often to reduce wear-and-tear on the knee.&nbsp; 9. Kevin Durant SF, PF (BKN) 10. Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) 11. Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) 12. Paul George SF, PF, SG (LAC) 13. Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL): AD finished both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 season ranked second overall in nine-category fantasy formats. Yes, the injury issues are certainly a concern, but he's a steal in the second round due to his unmatched ceiling.&nbsp; 14. Nikola Vucevic C (CHI) 15. Trae Young PG (ATL) 16. Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) 17. LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL) 18. Fred VanVleet PG, SG (TOR): Last season, VanVleet joined Harden and Curry as just the third player in NBA history to average more than 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 made triples and 1.5 steals per game. 19. Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) 20. Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) 21. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG, SG (OKC): The Oklahoma City Thunder's max-man is primed for a breakout campaign. 22. Rudy Gobert C (UTAH) 23. Michael Porter Jr. SF, PF (DEN): MPJ shot over 40% from downtown in each of his first two seasons (42.2% and 44.5%). The only other active players to do that in each of their first two NBA campaigns (min. 100 three-point attempts) are the Splash Brothers: Curry and Klay Thompson. 24. Jrue Holiday PG, SG (MIL) 25. Chris Paul PG (PHO) &nbsp; 26. Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI) 27. Donovan Mitchell PG, SG (UTAH): In the 19 games he appeared in after the All-Star Break, Mitchell averaged 29.6 points per contest. The only player with a higher post-ASB scoring average was Curry. 28. Tobias Harris SF, PF (PHI) 29. Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) 30. Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) 31. Myles Turner PF, C (IND) 32. De'Aaron Fox PG (SAC): Over a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-can-deaaron-fox-save-the-sacramento-kings-postseason-play-in-tournament-playoff-hopes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12-game stretch late last season</a>, Fox averaged 30.6 points (on 53.4% shooting), 6.7 dimes and 4.2 boards. If he can improve his offensive efficiency and cut down on his turnovers, Fox has a chance to establish himself as a fantasy stud. 33. Clint Capela C (ATL) 34. Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) 35. Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO) 36. OG Anunoby SF, PF (TOR): In 2020-21, OG finished the year ranked 35th overall in nine-category leagues (one spot behind LeBron James). 37. Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) 38. Brandon Ingram SF, PF (NOP) 39. Deandre Ayton C (PHO) 40. Christian Wood PF, C (HOU)&nbsp; 41. LaMelo Ball PG, SG (CHA): I'm not nearly as high on LaMelo as the rest of the industry seems to be. He exceeded expectations as a rookie, but I'm worried about his effective field goal percentage (eFG%) dropping and his turnover rate increasing. 42. CJ McCollum PG, SG (POR) 43. Zion Williamson PF (NOP): Zion underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot early in the offseason. The team "hopes" he'll return by the start of the regular season, but this is a problematic injury for the high-flying big man. ​​44. Russell Westbrook PG (LAL) 45. Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL): If KP plays even 65+ games, he's a steal in the fifth round. 46. Dejounte Murray PG, SG (SAS) 47. Malcolm Brogdon PG, SG (IND)&nbsp; 48. Terry Rozier PG, SG (CHA) 49. John Collins PF, C (ATL) 50. Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU): KPJ is gonna get buckets and dimes (he averaged 17.2 PPG and 6.3 APG over the final two months of the 2020-21 season); my only concerns are his high turnover rate and poor percentages.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
25 PTS for <a href="https://twitter.com/Kevinporterjr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kevinporterjr</a> power the <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoustonRockets</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPreseason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPreseason</a> <a href="https://t.co/iDXezFBiBi">pic.twitter.com/iDXezFBiBi</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1445590596987482121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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51. Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) 52. Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM): Jackson is one of two active players averaging at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers per game for his career. The issue has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-gms-believe-jaren-jackson-jr-is-poised-for-a-breakout-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">staying on the floor</a>, as injuries have limited JJJ to a total of just 126 games in three seasons. 53. Lonzo Ball PG, SG (CHI) 54. Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) 55. Ja Morant PG (MEM): The upside is tantalizing, but Morant was the only player in the NBA last season to attempt more than 15 shots per game and shoot below 45% from the floor, below 75% from the FT and below 31% from downtown. 56. Jusuf Nurkic C (POR) 57. Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) 58. Darius Garland PG, SG (CLE) 59. Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR): Boucher finished last season ranked 40th overall in nine-category formats despite logging just 24.2 minutes a night. However, he just had surgery on his dislocated left middle finger and is expected to miss a "minimum" of 3-to-4 weeks.&nbsp; 60. Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) 61. DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) 62. Kyle Lowry PG (MIA) 63. Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR): Once fully healthy, I think Siakam will bounce back in a big way and inherit plenty of scoring opportunities with Kyle Lowry no longer in the picture. Still, Siakam had shoulder surgery in June and will likely miss at least the start of the season. 64. Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS) 65. Tyrese Haliburton PG, SG (SAC): He finished last season ranked 65th overall in nine-category fantasy formats, and I think he has a chance to crack the top-50 this year.&nbsp; 66. Derrick White PG, SG (SAS) 67. Jonas Valanciunas C (NOP) 68. Kyrie Irving PG, SG (BKN): Kyrie could end up missing every Nets home game <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kevin-durant-im-envisioning-kyrie-being-a-part-of-our-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">if he refuses to get vaccinated</a>. So many unknowns are swirling around him right now. I'll pass.&nbsp; 69. Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) 70. Mike Conley PG (UTAH) 71. Jalen Suggs PG, SG (ORL): My pick for Rookie of the Year. Suggs can do it all and should see all the minutes he can handle for a rebuilding Orlando Magic squad.&nbsp; 72. Spencer Dinwiddie PG, SG (WAS) 73. Cade Cunningham PG, SG (DET) 74. Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) 75. Jerami Grant SF, PF (DET) 76. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell PG, SG (MIN) 77. Collin Sexton PG, SG (CLE): Last season, Sexton became the second-youngest player in NBA history (behind only KD) to average more than 24 points per game while shooting above 47% from the floor and 37% from downtown. 78. Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) 79. Jarrett Allen C (CLE) 80. Miles Bridges SF, PF (CHA): Over his final 15 games last season, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 3.1 made three-pointers. He did so while shooting over 50% from the floor, 42% from downtown and 84% from the charity stripe. 81. Marcus Smart PG, SG (BOS) 82. Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET): Kelly-O averaged a whopping 19.0, 8.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.8 treys and 1.4 steals in the 27 games he played in Houston last season. The Pistons signed him to a big contract in August, hoping he can come close to replicating those numbers. 83. Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET) 84. Kemba Walker PG (NYK) 85. Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW): Now that he's vaccinated, we know he'll be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/andrew-wiggins-has-been-vaccinated-will-be-eligible-for-all-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleared to play</a> in all Golden State Warriors home games this season.&nbsp; 86. Devonte&rsquo; Graham PG, SG (NOP) 87. Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) 88. P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) 89. Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC): Dating back to the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Buddy has knocked down more triples (831) than any other player in the NBA (Harden, Lillard and Curry rank second, third and fourth, respectively). 90. Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) 91. NOPman Powell SG, SF (POR) 92. Kyle Anderson SF, PF (MEM) 93. Mitchell Robinson C (NYK): In 2018-19, Mitch Rob led all rookies in blocks (2.4) and field goal percentage (69.4%). As a sophomore in 2019-20, he made 74.2% of all field goals he attempted, setting the all-time NBA record for the highest single-season field goal percentage ever, passing Wilt Chamberlain. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/its-been-three-years-and-mitchell-robinson-still-has-a-lot-to-prove" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Can he stay healthy</a> in 2020-21? 94. Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) 95. RJ Barrett SG, SF (NYK) 96. Jakob Poeltl C (SAS) 97. Ben Simmons PG (PHI): Impossible to try and figure out this Simmons situation going forward. I'm not willing to roll the dice until the value starts getting ridiculous. 98. Jonathan Isaac SF, PF (ORL) 99. Wendell Carter Jr. C (ORL) 100. Reggie Jackson PG, SG (LAC) 101. Brook Lopez C (MIL) 102. Harrison Barnes SF, PF (SAC) 103. Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) 104. Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL) 105. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter SF, PF (ATL) 106. Dennis Schroder PG (BOS) 107. Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN): Beasley has appeared in just 51 games for the Wolves since being acquired at the trade deadline in 2020, but has averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 boards, 2.4 dimes and a whopping 3.5 made treys. A great late-round value pick if he can stay on the court.
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Malik Beasley 29 points in 32 minutes last night... averaging 20/5 on the season... time to starting giving him his flowers as a top young talent in the NBA <a href="https://t.co/wz7XnezAzf">pic.twitter.com/wz7XnezAzf</a>
&mdash; Ben Stinar (@BenStinar) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenStinar/status/1357329089997209602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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108. Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) 109. Jordan Clarkson PG, SG (UTAH) 110. Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH): He's not the sexiest pick, but Ingles will help in nearly every fantasy category and doesn't hurt you in any way. 111. Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE): The Cleveland Cavaliers have excess depth up front, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been raving about Markkanen during camp. He was a forgotten man in Chicago last season, but the dude is a 7-footer who can stretch the floor, is still just 24 years of age and averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds during his age-21 season. 112. Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS) 113. Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; 114. Keldon Johnson SF, PF (SAS) 115. T.J. Warren SF, PF (IND): Yes, Warren's injury history is undoubtedly concerning &mdash;&nbsp; and he is currently still recovering from a stress fracture in his foot &mdash; but this is a guy who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finished inside the top-50</a> overall back in 2019-20.&nbsp; 116. Jae'Sean Tate SF, PF (HOU) 117. De&rsquo;Anthony Melton PG, SG (MEM) 118. Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU): Theis ranked inside the top-100 overall when he logged starter minutes for the Boston Celtics in 2019-20. He could see 25 or more minutes a night for a Houston team that has little depth up front. Don't sleep. 119. Jalen Green SG (HOU) 120. Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) 121. Jordan Poole PG, SG (GSW): In the seven games Poole started last season, he averaged 21.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.8 made treys. With Klay still sidelined, Poole is expected to start early on this season. (And he's already off to a fast start, having <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/raptors-finally-return-to-toronto-as-lowry-begins-in-miami" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped 30 points</a> in Golden State's preseason opener.) 122. Saddiq Bey SF (DET) 123. Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW): I'm concerned that the Warriors will limit Klay's minutes and rest him often, even after he is cleared to return to game action (whenever that is). The Dubs have to think long-term, as Thompson still has three years and $120-plus million left in his contract. 124. Ivica Zubac C (LAC) 125. Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) 126. Al Horford PF, C (BOS) 127. Kyle Kuzma SF, PF (WAS) 128. Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) 129. Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) 130. T.J. McConnell PG, SG (IND): McConnell led the NBA in steal percentage last season at 3.4% and shot 55.9% from the floor. He was one of just eight players to record an assist rate above 34% and a True Shooting percentage above 58% (the other seven members of this elite club were Lillard, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Jokic.) 131. Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) 132. Nicolas Batum SF, PF, SG (LAC) 133. &nbsp;Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) 134. Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC): Mook will see an increased share of the offensive pie with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the first half of the season (and possibly more). 135. Mo Bamba C (ORL): This is a make-or-break season for Bamba. The Magic will give their former lottery pick every opportunity to earn playing time. If he plays significant minutes, he'll supply blocks and treys. (Bamba has looked sharp early on in the preseason.) 136. Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) 137. Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) 138. Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) 139. Thomas Bryant C (WAS) 140. Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; 141. Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU): Sengun looked fantastic in Vegas, averaging 14.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 dimes, 1.3 steals and 3.0 blocks in 25 minutes a night during summer league action. He'll have a chance to stuff the stat sheet for a Rockets team looking to play its youngsters.&nbsp; 142. Eric Bledsoe PG, SG (LAC) 143. Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) 144. Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) 145. Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) 146. Tyrese Maxey PG, SG (PHI): Maxey will be one of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-centered-on-getting-1-better-every-day-for-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primary beneficiaries</a> of Simmons' eventual departure from Philly. 147. Aaron Gordon SF, PF (DEN) 148. Andre Drummond C (PHI): If you draft Embiid early, you probably want to handcuff him with Drummond later on. 149. Steven Adams C (MEM) 150. Josh Giddey PG, SG, SF (OKC): Giddey started the Thunder's preseason opener and looked good, tallying 18 points (8-of-12 FGs), 7 rebounds, 3 assists and two triples. Considering his talent, the No. 6 overall pick is worth a late-round dart throw.&nbsp;
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⭐ 18 points (8-12 in the field inc. 2-4 from range) ⭐ 7 rebounds ⭐ 3 assists Josh Giddey looked at 🏠 at NBA level! FULL HIGHLIGHTS ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/Sw7U4nEjdT">pic.twitter.com/Sw7U4nEjdT</a>
&mdash; ESPN Australia &amp; NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ/status/1445211953421557767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Tommy Beer lists his best 150 fantasy basketball players available for the 2021-22 NBA season.

Ranking the top-150 NBA players for fantasy basketball in 2021-22

Nekias Duncan previews the Southeast Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Southeast Division

The next NBA season is drawing nearer, and 95% of the offseason business is complete. We still await news on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-freeagency-destinations-for-lauri-markkanen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what team Lauri Markannen will play for</a>, and at a certain point, Sam Presti has to reduce his stockpile of draft picks over the next several years.
(The bet here is that he packages as many of them as possible to the team/teams most likely to be in the lottery next year, so that he can increase his chances of landing Gonzaga recruit Chet Holmgren with the No. 1 pick.)
With sports gambling now legal in roughly half of the United States, and coming soon to a bunch of remaining states, it is time for a look at what types of odds are out there on a bunch of different NBA wagers.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re going to take this team-by-team on this particular Monday, because summer is a time for hope, and hoping for the best is what gets us through all 30 in the NBA. So let's begin.
ATLANTA HAWKS: After the Hawks took a bow at Madison Square Garden following their takedown of the Knicks, we can only wonder what is next for Trae Young. His scoring average actually dropped last season by 4.3 points to 25.3 points per game, but we know he is capable of being a 30-point scorer. If he were to do that, and the Hawks were to improve significantly on last season&rsquo;s 41-31 record, the kid will be in the MVP discussion. Right now his odds range from (+1800) at DraftKings Sportsbook to (+2100) at FanDuel. Also, Nate McMillan is (+1500) to (+1600) to win Coach of the Year.
BOSTON CELTICS: With Brad Stevens now running the front office, Al Horford manning the middle again and Dennis Schroder coming in as a capable backup point guard &mdash; Marcus Smart reportedly is <a href="https://nesn.com/2021/08/celtics-reportedly-plan-to-start-marcus-smart-at-point-guard-and-they-should/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected to be the starter</a> &mdash; this is a transitional year for the Celtics, who are listed at 40-1 to win the championship after their .500 (36-36) finish last season. Ime Udoka has been named the 18th coach in the franchise&rsquo;s 75-year history, and coincidentally, he is 18-1 to win Coach of the Year. Jayson Tatum is among the MVP favorites, with the best odds (+3300) available at PointsBet.com.
BROOKLYN NETS: These guys are favored for just about everything, and with good reason. Kyrie Irving and James Harden are expected back healthy, Kevin Durant just won his third Olympic gold medal and Patty Mills has been brought aboard from the San Antonio Spurs. Steve Nash is the co-favorite along with Erik Spolestra for Coach of the Year, and Harden is favored to lead the league in assists. Cam Thomas, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/did-the-nets-get-a-steal-in-no-27-overall-pick-cam-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the co-MVP of Summer League</a>, has been added to the Rookie of the Year wagering slate with odds all over the board; 60-1 at FanDuel is quite enticing.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: The team with the reigning Rookie of the Year, LaMelo Ball, had somewhat of a quiet offseason, but made a deal on draft night to acquire Mason Plumlee. The 31-year-old slots in as Charlotte's new starting center. Plumlee was under the radar last season playing in Detroit, but was ranked 64th in VORP (Value Over Replacement Player), just behind Kelly Olynyk and ahead of Jarrett Allen. The Duke grad averaged 10.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Plumlee is 200-1 at PointsBet to lead the NBA in rebounding, and despite the addition of Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington can be found at 100-1 odds for Most Improved Player.
CHICAGO BULLS: We told you Saturday that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/over-chicago-bulls-win-total-getting-most-action-at-draftkings-sportsbook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bettors are pounding the Bulls on the season win total Over/Under</a> like no other NBA team, because big things are expected from the team that acquired Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. There are two enticing wagers here. Patrick Williams, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entering his second season</a> after averaging 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a rookie, is 100-1 for Most Improved Player at PointsBet.com. And Billy Donovan, about to enter his second season at the helm, is 10-1 for Coach of the Year at DraftKings, putting him just behind Steve Nash and Erik Spoelstra (both 9-1).
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Jarrett Allen ranked 13th in defensive rebounds and 10th in blocks last season. His defensive win share stats are low, but he will be playing a full season with the Cavs after signing long-term in the offseason, and a bump in rebounds from the 9.9 boards he averaged in 51 games for the Cavs last season could get him into the Defensive Player of the Year debate. He is 40-1 at PointsBet for Defensive Player of the Year and 30-1 to lead the league in rebounds.
DALLAS MAVERICKS: Perhaps Jason Kidd can find a way for Luka Doncic (the consensus MVP favorite) and Kristaps Porzingis to thrive together in a loaded Western Conference. Kidd is 15-1 to win Coach of the Year, but the most intriguing wager here is Moses Brown &mdash; who played with Oklahoma City last season before being traded this offseason to Boston and rerouted to Dallas &mdash; to lead the league in rebounding. Yes, Luka Doncic normally leads the Mavs in boards, so this is like the ultimate flyer bet. But if it hits, those who took Moses at (+7000) could name their new boat &ldquo;Mark Cuban bought me this yacht.&rdquo;&nbsp; (Clint Capela of Atlanta is the rebounding favorite, by the way). Doncic is second behind Bradley Beal to lead the NBA in scoring, and fourth behind James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Trae Young to lead the league in assists (+600).
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DENVER NUGGETS: Nikola Jokic is the defending MVP, but is not the favorite (Doncic is) to win Most Valuable Player this season. Michael Porter Jr. is the favorite for Most Improved Player; in my opinion, Porter should have received stronger consideration last year. If you like players with the same first and last name, Bol Bol is almost dead last on the futures page for Most Improved Player at PointsBet with odds of (+100000). Only Andrew Wiggins (+250000) has longer odds.
DETROIT PISTONS: For obvious reasons, Cade Cunningham is the top choice for Rookie of the Year. But that race is up for grabs, as a good young player on a terrible team can break out over the course of the regular season and outperform someone who was taken quite a few spots higher. This is one of the few awards where a team&rsquo;s final record plays little role in who wins the award. It is purely stat-driven. For that reason, look for players whose time on the floor is high. Signed by Detroit this summer, Kelly Olynyk was a beast for the Houston Rockets after they acquired him from Miami, and he should get lots of burn behind Isaiah Stewart at center and Jerami Grant at power forward. That makes him an enticing pick for Sixth Man of the Year at odds of 66-1 at PointsBet.com.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Before the NBA rechristened it Most Improved Player, the award was known as Comeback Player of the Year. And if that was still the case, all we would be discussing in this category would be Klay Thompson, who is two seasons removed from playing competitive hoops. None of the major U.S sportsbooks even list him in that category, but FanDuel has him at (+150000) for Most Valuable player. Nobody is listing odds on James Wiseman for Most Improved, and in Rookie of the Year odds, Jonathan Kuminga is listed highest at Fan Duel at (+3400). Moses Moody is (+6600) at PointsBet.com.
HOUSTON ROCKETS: Jalen Suggs is second behind Cunningham for Rookie of the Year, and Kevin Porter Jr. is on the board for Most Improved Player at various odds, the best of which are (+1400) at FanDuel and PointsBet. Christian Wood is (+9000) to lead the league in rebounding.
INDIANA PACERS: Rick Carlisle is the new head coach after the Nate Bjorkgren fiasco, and we shall see what he can do with one of the most underachieving teams in the NBA last season. He is (+1600) to win Coach of the Year, Domantas Sabonis is (+700) to lead the league in rebounding, Myles Turner is (+700) to win Defensive Player of the Year and Malcolm Brogdon is 130-1 for Most Improved Player at FanDuel. The best Rookie of the Year odds on Chris Duarte are (+4600) at FanDuel.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: LeBron James did not receive any votes from his peers for best NBA player, so that may just fuel him. He is not a favorite anymore for MVP, and the best odds you can find on him in that category are (+1500) at DraftKings, where Anthony Davis is also listed at (+2500). Kendrick Nunn is (+2000) on the board for Sixth Man of the Year, and Frank Vogel is (+1400) for Coach of the Year at BetMGM. One of the biggest line disparities involves Davis for Defensive Player of the Year. He is the (+350) favorite at FanDuel and the fourth choice (+1000) at BetMGM.com.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: With Kawhi Leonard likely out for most of the season with an ACL injury, there is just not a lot of buzz around the secondary tenants at Staples Center. Paul George is going to have to be the leader of this team, and his MVP odds are alluring. He is (+4000) at Caesars/William Hill and lower everywhere else. Keon Johnson is (+6600) at PointsBet.com for Rookie of the Year, but much lower elsewhere.
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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Theoretically, Memphis could do what Phoenix did last year and sneak up on everybody, and the Grizzlies are 50-1 to win the West. Individually, this very young team has one decent sleeper pick in Jaren Jackson Jr. for Most Improved after he played only 11 games last season. He is listed between 14-1 and 16-1 at various books. Ja Morant is in the 45-1 range for MVP.
MIAMI HEAT: We have already mentioned that Spoelstra is one of the heavy favorites for Coach of the Year, so if you really want an interesting flyer wager, you could do a lot worse than Jimmy Butler at 55-1 for MVP and Kyle Lowry at 300-1 &mdash; not a misprint &mdash; for the same award. The only player with somewhat of a chalk line is Duncan Robinson at 11-1 to lead the league in three-pointers made per game. (Steph Curry is a nutso favorite with a line of (-165)).
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: It is safe to say that Giannis Antetokounmpo is in the mix for a third MVP award if he can stay healthy and make free throws without setting the knee-knocking record, and he is on the board at odds of 8-1 pretty much everywhere. Defensive Player of the Year awards do not usually go to on-ball defenders, but we all got a close look at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jrue-holiday-is-the-final-piece-to-any-teams-puzzle-nba-finals-2020-tokyo-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how good Jrue Holiday is in that category</a> during the NBA Finals and the Olympics. Holiday is (+2700) in that category at FanDuel, and (+3000) everywhere else. Pat Connaughton, who had a nice postseason, is 100-1 for Sixth Man of the Year at PointsBet.com. Nobody has him listed for Most Improved.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: OK, we scrape the back of the brain for something nice to say. They did not have a first- or second-round draft pick, so Rookie of the Year is sort of out of the question. Karl-Anthony-Towns is (+9000) to win MVP, and that probably isn't happening unless he gets traded. And with that, we have run out of nice things to say.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: This revamped roster includes Devonte&rsquo; Graham as the team's new point guard, and if he gets extremely good at lobbing he ball to Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas &mdash; and finding Brandon Ingram &mdash; he might just lead the NBA in assists. If you think that is a realistic possibility, you seem to be alone. No sportsbook lists Graham among the contenders to lead the league in assists. The best you can do is (+6000) on him at PointsBet for Most Improved. Zion Williamson&rsquo;s MVP odds are 40-1 pretty much everywhere.
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NEW YORK KNICKS: Obi Toppin is coming off a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/new-york-knicks-youngsters-exceed-expectations-in-nba-summer-league-las-vegas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heck of a Summer League</a>, so he has to be in consideration for Most Improved Player if Tom Thibodeau believes in him. He was Player of the Year two years ago in college, so the talent is there. Problem is, the best MIP odds on him are nowhere to be found. He is not listed at any of the major U.S. sportsbooks. For true believers in the orange and blue, Kemba Walker is 400-1 for MVP at DraftKings.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may as well play 48 minutes per game and average 59 points per game until Sam Presti realizes he is damaging his tanking chances, he is a nifty flyer bet at 100-1 (DraftKings) to lead the NBA in scoring.
ORLANDO MAGIC: Do not bet on the Orlando Magic in the futures market, okay? Well, alright, we will give you one thing to consider. Markelle Fultz, back after missing all of last season, is (+8000) for Most Improved Player at DraftKings &mdash; though we'll see <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-6-nba-players-whose-roles-may-be-diminished-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what his role looks like</a> in a crowded backcourt.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers: A mystery team until we find out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what they plan to do with Ben Simmons</a>. Joel Embiid was a worthy runner-up for MVP last season, and he is again atop the list of favorites. Curiously, Embiid is 25-1 to lead the league in rebounds while his backup, Andre Drummond, is 20-1. Seth Curry is 80-1 for Most Improved Player, but is not on the board for most three-pointers made per game.
PHOENIX SUNS: The second-place finishers in the NBA Finals are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-poised-to-be-one-of-the-nbas-best-teams-in-early-portion-of-202122-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returning pretty much the same cast</a>, with Devin Booker (20-1) listed way ahead of Chris Paul (100-1) in MVP odds. One intriguing possibility is Deandre Ayton for Most Improved, because he did not receive enough of the credit last season for this team&rsquo;s success despite shooting 62.2% in his third NBA season. It's hard to see him improving on that percentage, but should Ayton get into the 70% territory (only Wilt Chamberlain, DeAndre Jordan and Mitchell Robinson have done so), Most Improved could be within his sights. The best odds on that are (+4500) at DraftKings.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Chauncey Billups has the same odds (30-1) as Willie Green of the Pelicans to win Coach of the Year. Both are being put in charge of taking their teams to the next level, and Billups has the better team, in my opinion. Damian Lillard is a top-six choice for MVP everywhere except PointsBet, where he is eighth at (+1600). Robert Covington, the Patrick Beverley of forwards, is 100-1 to win Defensive Player of the Year.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS: Nobody places odds on the first coach to be fired. Richaun Holmes has the longest odds of anybody on the board at DraftKings for Most Improved Player at 150-1.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Gregg Popovich is 50-1 to win Coach of the Year. New Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (45-1) and 22 other coaches have better odds. Thaddeus Young is a sneaky Sixth Man pick at 55-1 (provided he gets traded elsewhere).
TORONTO RAPTORS: Our staff loved <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/something-to-prove-og-anunoby-shot-creation-toronto-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OG Anunoby</a> for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-is-poised-to-break-out-next-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">player most likely to have a breakout season</a>, and he is on the board at just 25-1 at PointsBet but 66-1 at BetMGM. Following the offseason moves that left them a long way from looking like the team that went to the NBA Finals in 2019, it is difficult to find any other members of the Raptors on the boards anywhere.
UTAH JAZZ: If they do what they did last year, Donovan Mitchell is going to get a lot more MVP consideration than he did last season, when these guys snuck up on a lot of people. He is 30-1 for MVP pretty much everywhere, and Jordan Clarkson is the favorite to repeat as Sixth Man of the Year; the same goes for Rudy Gobert with Defensive Player of the Year. Also, Quin Snyder is right up there with the favorites for Coach of the Year. With pretty much the same roster, is it a little surprising to see them listed behind the Lakers, Warriors and Suns to win the West.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: The Wizards are another off-the-radar team following the trade of Russell Westbrook, but Bradley Beal is the favorite to lead the NBA in scoring and Kyle Kuzma is 40-1 for Most Improved. Curiously, PointsBet.com is the only book listing Montrezl Harrell for Sixth Man of the Year, where he is 20-1. He won the award two years ago and was sixth last season.

Chris Sheridan checks into the NBA's preseason odds and goes through the top wagers to make for all 30 teams.

La'Mel