https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/cha.png

Hornets

The Oklahoma City Thunder came out of last Tuesday&rsquo;s NBA Draft Lottery as the night&rsquo;s runner-up, taking home the No. 2 overall pick.&nbsp;
The Thunder have never received the first-overall pick in their franchise history, which technically goes back to 1967 when they were still the Seattle Supersonics. They have selected second on two occasions though, and both worked out really well (Kevin Durant in 2007 and Gary Payton in 1990).
The Thunder have a war-chest of draft picks in the coming years, but those picks are meaningless if they don&rsquo;t select a franchise-altering talent. Fortunately, the No. 2 pick should provide an opportunity to do so. The 2022 draft class features a few &ldquo;can&rsquo;t-miss&rdquo; prospects, including Auburn&rsquo;s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga&rsquo;s Chet Holmgren and Duke&rsquo;s Paolo Banchero. All three have their pros and cons, but adding any of them to the existing core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey should work out beautifully.
In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder made six selections, but they traded three of those players. They added Giddey (who was named to the 2021-22 All-Rookie Second Team), Tre Mann and Aaron Wiggins &ndash; none of whom are bigs. The Thunder did trade for a seven-footer in the 2020 draft (Aleksej Pokusevski), but he&rsquo;s still extremely raw and is not the same caliber of player as the top-three prospects.
Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done through the scouting process to effectively evaluate all three of this draft's most-coveted prospects, but a look back at the last 10 NBA drafts reveals a murkier history than one might assume. After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-the-success-of-teams-selecting-first-in-the-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examining the success of teams selecting No. 1 in the NBA Draft</a> last week, let's look at how recent No. 2 overall picks have fared.&nbsp;
2012 NBA Draft: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets
The Hornets bombed with the second pick in 2012. Kidd-Gilchrist had a fine career, averaging 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game across eight seasons in the NBA. The thing is, Bradley Beal was selected third and Damian Lillard was selected fifth, and both of those guys are All-NBA-caliber players annually. Comparatively, that&rsquo;s a huge miss for Charlotte.
Verdict: Failure.
2013 NBA Draft: Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
The Cavaliers certainly surprised many of us by picking Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick, but the Magic stuck to the script. Oladipo was universally seen as a top-three player in this draft, and he became the second-best player in the class before knee and quad injuries derailed his career.
As much as injuries have robbed much of what Oladipo was, he is still an intriguing player, and he&rsquo;ll probably command some decent free-agent offers this offseason. Obiously, CJ McCollumn (selected 10th) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (selected 15th) are better players, but neither was being considered by the Magic. Considering that Oladipo is a two-time All-Star, an All-Defensive selection and a one-time All-NBA selection, I&rsquo;d say the Magic did a fine job in picking Oladipo.
Verdict: Success
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H5-mCm7rAds" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
2014 NBA Draft: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
The 2014 draft was a weird one. Neither the first nor the second pick ended up being the best player from this draft class. Andrew Wiggins found a good role, even if he is far less successful than most thought he&rsquo;d be, but Jabari Parker really underwhelmed. Granted, Parker stuck around in the league for eight seasons, including some of the current one, but his career simply never materialized even if it&rsquo;s not his (nor Milwaukee&rsquo;s) fault.
Parker tore his ACL twice. He looked like he was becoming a pretty darn good player (even if he was a defensive liability) before the second ACL injury, averaging 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2016-17. However good Parker could have been, the fact of the matter is that Joel Embiid was intriguing enough as of draft night to be taken one pick later, and that stings.
Verdict: Failure
2015 NBA Draft: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
Here&rsquo;s an instance where a player actually was worth a top-three pick. The problem is that the Lakers had the second pick, and there&rsquo;s a big difference between Karl-Anthony Towns or Devin Booker and Russell. Making matters worse, the Lakers sent Russell to Brooklyn before he matured. His immaturity was part of the reason he was traded, but that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact that the Lakers picked him and moved on very quickly. Russell may or may not end up being a franchise-altering talent, but he hasn&rsquo;t realized his full potential yet, and he clearly won&rsquo;t do so for the Lakers.
Verdict: Failure
2016 NBA Draft: Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Ingram is one of the best No. 2 picks in the last 10 drafts. He&rsquo;s a true number one option on a playoff team, a career 18.5 points-per-game scorer and a one-time All-Star. It&rsquo;s debatable that Jaylen Brown (selected third) and/or Jamal Murray (selected seventh) are as good or better players, but both have played alongside more talented teammates throughout their careers.
Ingram has been the best player on the New Orleans Pelicans for a few years now, and we shouldn&rsquo;t take for granted the fact that Ingram led a playoff team this season. Sure, the Lakers didn&rsquo;t cash in on him specifically, but he was part of the package that led to Anthony Davis landing in Los Angeles. So, it worked out for them too.
Verdict: Success
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
2017 NBA Draft: Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers picked second overall again in 2017. They weren&rsquo;t as successful this time around. First, there&rsquo;s Jayson Tatum to consider. Tatum was selected third and is the best player in the 2017 draft class. Being selected by the Lakers wouldn&rsquo;t have changed that, and that should be enough. But there&rsquo;s also Ball&rsquo;s rough shooting mechanics to consider. Sure, he&rsquo;s grown into a good shooter, but the Lakers didn&rsquo;t benefit from that. It&rsquo;s hard to categorize Ball&rsquo;s selection as an outright failure because like Ingram, he helped facilitate Davis to the Lakers. Still, it's tough to classify his selection a success.
Verdict: Push
2018 NBA Draft: Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings
Bagley might be the worst second pick in the last 10 years. The 2018 NBA Draft will forever be remembered as the Luka Doncic class. The Kings could have drafted Doncic, as he was still on the board, but they chose to go with Bagley instead. Bagley isn&rsquo;t even on the Kings any longer, and his time in Sacramento was not memorable.
Bagley is a sub-par defender and three-point shooter. He&rsquo;s scored the ball at a decent pace, averaging 19.5 points per-36 minutes, but he&rsquo;s never earned a big enough role to demonstrate what he can really do, and he&rsquo;s exclusively been on losing teams. Comparatively, Doncic and Trae Young (selected No. 5 in 2018) have turned their franchises around.
Verdict: Failure
2019 NBA Draft: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Ingram was the best second pick in the last 10 years, until 2019. Morant stole that made-up accolade almost immediately in his rookie season. The thing is, the 2019 NBA Draft was supposed to be all about Zion Williamson. However, unlike Williamson, Morant has backed up all the hype and then some. So, while Williamson has dealt with injuries for much of his young career, Morant has brazenly become the face of his draft class.
Morant is drawing comparisons to numerous superstars, and he was named to the 2021-22 All-NBA Second Team. No one selected after him comes close to making the Grizzlies think twice about their decision.
Verdict: HUGE success
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/928PEn9h-J0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
2020 NBA Draft: James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
Unlike his brother Lonzo, LaMelo Ball was deserving of the second pick in 2020. Instead, the Golden State Warriors went with James Wiseman, though the logic behind the pick is clear, even in retrospect. The Warriors already had two All-NBA guards. The thing is, Jordan Poole looks pretty good alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, doesn&rsquo;t he? So, it&rsquo;s feasible to assume that Ball would have fit too.
After two seasons, Ball is a significantly better player, but he&rsquo;s also had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate that fact. Wiseman has had terrible health-related luck. He played in 39 of the Warriors' first 53 games in 2020-21, but he tore his meniscus in Golden State&rsquo;s 53rd&nbsp;game of the season and hasn&rsquo;t been seen since. Wiseman could still be a serious contributor, as his per-36 numbers were impressive for a rookie (19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 assists on .542/.316/.628 shooting). This is one we&rsquo;ll have to continue monitoring.
Verdict: Unclear
2021 NBA Draft: Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
Basing the success of a pick on only a rookie season is tough. Green posted an impressive rookie campaign, but his defensive deficiencies were clear. That&rsquo;s an understandable flaw for a rookie. Green was the assumed second-best player in the class. Having the luxury of hindsight, we now know that Scottie Barnes (selected fourth) and Evan Mobley (selected third) translated to the NBA incredibly well. But wing scorers have a tougher time making the jump, as they must shoot deeper three-pointers and compete against far more athletic competition. Green&rsquo;s floor may be lower than that of Barnes and Mobley, but I'd argue that his ceiling is still higher. Let&rsquo;s give him a little more time.
Verdict: Unclear&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
In the last 10 drafts, the second overall pick has clearly been one of the best players in the draft class just three times (2013, 2016 and 2019).&nbsp;
A deeper examination of No. 2 overall picks reveals a limited number of franchise-altering talents. For every Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Earl Monroe and Bill Russell, there are a number of players who didn't live up to expectations. Sometimes, there isn't a generational player on the board; other times, the team picking No. 2 overall just overthinks it or goes in the wrong direction. Either way, No. 2 hasn&rsquo;t produced as many all-time greats as you might expect, but there have been quite a few significant contributors.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Oklahoma City will pick No. 2 in the 2022 draft. A look back at the last 10 drafts reveals that there are no guarantees for No. 2 picks.

Examining the success of teams selecting No. 2 in the NBA Draft

Following the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; shocking postseason exit, all eyes are now on Deandre Ayton's free agency.
After the Suns declined to sign Ayton to a five-year, rookie-scale max extension before the 2021-22 season, restricted free agency is now on the horizon for the athletic big man. During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Ayton&rsquo;s agent Bill Duffy discussed Ayton's future on SiriusXM&rsquo;s NBA show.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re disappointed. We wanted a max contract,&rdquo; Duffy <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1527772160923619328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;He went out and was a solider the whole year, played well, improved his statistics. So, we&rsquo;re proud of him. A lot of guys handle things differently, but he was very mature about it. Things will work out for Deandre. He&rsquo;s a valuable player. There&rsquo;s other teams in the league as well. He&rsquo;s a restricted free agent, so we&rsquo;ll see how this process unfolds.&rdquo;
Ayton averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks on a career-high 65.6% True Shooting percentage during the 2021-22 campaign. Ayton was a key asset for the Suns on both ends of the court, especially around the basket as an easy lob threat and defensive anchor. Ayton has been a key piece for the Suns, but is he worth a max contract? Based on Duffy&rsquo;s comments earlier this week, it sounds like Ayton&rsquo;s camp won&rsquo;t settle for anything less than the max entering free agency.
From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, they saw improvement from the 2018 No. 1 overall pick this season before the team's disappointing postseason showing.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense,&rdquo; Suns owner Robert Sarver told <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> recently about Ayton. &ldquo;I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Taking all of this into consideration, what if Ayton's days in Phoenix are numbered? Here's a look at the most realistic sign-and-trade destinations for Ayton this summer.
Note: It's important to remember that sign-and-trade deals rarely return the same value as a traditional trade. The Suns have let it be known that they won't simply let an asset like Ayton walk for nothing. If Ayton&rsquo;s time in Phoenix is indeed over, the Suns won&rsquo;t be leaving the relationship empty-handed.
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones
San Antonio is one of the few teams this offseason with secured max-level cap space. All that needs to be done in order to chase Ayton is renounce the restricted rights to Lonnie Walker.
Being at the bottom of the NBA standings is new for the Spurs. After being one of the league's model organizations for over two decades, they have officially hit a playoff drought. San Antonio was hoping for some lottery luck, but now they have to try another plan to bring in a star.
San Antonio&rsquo;s dynamic young duo of Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson is so fun to watch, but the they need a third game-changer to take this rebuild back into playoff mode. Ayton would be an ideal solution, mainly because of his excellent two-way fit in the Spurs&rsquo; system. Dropping Ayton into the Spurs&rsquo; player-development program could make some in Phoenix worry about the long-term consequences of this deal.
For Phoenix, cooperating with a long-time rival would hurt. However, if the relationship between team and player becomes fractured, the Suns won&rsquo;t have much of a choice if he finds a max offer on the open market.
The Suns won&rsquo;t let Ayton leave Phoenix unless they receive strong assets in return. The Spurs can actually provide a solid package that helps in the short and long-term.
In this deal, Phoenix could land one of the most underrated big men in the Association as well as two young players who have shown flashes. The Jalen Smith experiment was a disaster for the Suns after taking him No. 10 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Vassell went one pick later. Phoenix can right that wrong while also obtaining an intriguing point guard to develop in Jones.
This feels like a win-win for both sides. San Antonio would have a new Big 3 in Ayton, Murray and Johnson, while the Suns could acquire their new starting center and two pieces to bolster the bench unit.
Charlotte Hornets
Hornets receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington and draft compensation
There might not be a team with a more dire offseason need than the Hornets and their hole at center. Charlotte was one of my NBA League Pass teams this season due to their fun offensive pace, but the defense often bordered on disastrous. Montrezl Harrell and Mason Plumlee aren&rsquo;t going to cut it, so it&rsquo;s time for Charlotte to get aggressive.
Given Charlotte&rsquo;s roster, they would have to move some salaries around to make an Ayton chase realistic. Offloading Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s contract is going to be a tough task and they may even have to relinquish one of their top-15 picks to do so, but it would have to happen in order for them to pursue Ayton. Hayward is due $61.6 million over the next two seasons, and Charlotte simply can&rsquo;t afford to keep biting that bullet with restricted free agent Miles Bridges due for a payday and LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s own rookie-scale extension on the horizon. Trading away Hayward and Mason Plumlee would give the Hornets max space.
Landing Ayton is Charlotte's dream scenario. Not only would Ayton continue to get spoon-fed easy looks from an elite point guard, he would help stabilize the Hornets' defense to respectable levels. Thanks to his freakish athleticism, Ayton would be able to cover up a lot of holes around him defensively.
Phoenix would love to pull off a double sign-and-trade to nab Bridges, but that seems unlikely. Instead, this deal allows them to find their long-term answer at point guard post-Chris Paul. While Terry Rozier is a shot-chucker, he has improved as a playmaker in Charlotte. In the short-term, Rozier could step in as the Suns&rsquo; sixth man and provide the exact boost that they need in offensive guard creation. PJ Washington is an interesting add because he could slide right into the small-ball 5 role played previously by Dario Saric.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/aytonturn.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="377" />
Indiana Pacers
Pacers receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Myles Turner, Chris Duarte, TJ McConnell
What&rsquo;s the next step for Indiana? Long gone are Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert. Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield could be the next Pacers veterans to be shipped out via trade as Indiana fully embraces a rebuild attempt. It&rsquo;s been long overdue for the Pacers to pull the plug on the core that continued to stagnate once the postseason arrived.
A year later, Indiana&rsquo;s future looks much brighter with a talented, new-look core of Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson and whoever is selected at No. 6 overall.
Ayton couldn't ask for a better pick-and-roll partner than Haliburton. Already making magic happen with CP3, Ayton&rsquo;s rolling ability would help accentuate Haliburton&rsquo;s biggest strengths. Also, Ayton&rsquo;s defensive versatility would be a welcome arrival for a team that nosedived in that category last season.
For Indiana, the price would be hefty. Not only would this trade require a four-year max contract for Ayton, but the Pacers would likely need to ship out a key piece of their young core via sign-and-trade (such as Duarte).
This trade would be a huge win for Phoenix, but it also looks great for the Pacers. The Suns would have a starting center who adds floor-spacing equity and elite rim protection, a capable veteran backup point guard who can spell Paul at times, plus one of the most impactful rookie wings in the Association. Having to include Duarte could leave the Pacers apprehensive, but they are reportedly enamored with adding another explosive piece via the draft, as Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky) and Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) have all been linked to Indiana early in the pre-draft process.&nbsp;
Detroit Pistons
Pistons receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart, Cory Joseph and draft compensation
Another team that has considered making a run at Ayton this offseason is the Pistons, and they can create max space very easily: trading away Kelly Olynyk&rsquo;s contract.
The Pistons struck gold with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey and they are helping usher in a new era in Detroit. Ayton&rsquo;s arrival would be the final piece to the puzzle for a team seemingly pushing their chips in on postseason play as early as 2023.
It would be best for Ayton to land with a capable lead guard who can feed him regularly. Already capable of tallying 20 and 10 most nights, Ayton would be set up for long-term success alongside Cunningham and Bey.
The question is, what would the Pistons need to send Phoenix&rsquo;s way in order for this sign-and-trade to go through? It&rsquo;s going to be a lot, and it would be a blockbuster-type transaction.
Blockbuster indeed, because Grant is now heading back to the Valley in this scenario. If the Suns and Pistons want to cooperate on a Ayton deal, I have to imagine one of Grant or Bey would have to be involved. Stewart is another enticing trade chip because he&rsquo;s shown the versatility to space the floor from three-point range. While he doesn't have the same touch as Ayton, Stewart brings nastiness and a tenacity on both ends of the court that Phoenix would absolutely love.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ayton1.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="373" />
Atlanta Hawks
Hawks receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic
No ifs, ands or buts about it, Trae Young would make Ayton an All-Star next season. What a fun inside-out duo this is to envision. While Atlanta is nowhere close to reaching the necessary cap space to absorb a massive Ayton deal on their own, a sign-and-trade becomes feasible with all of the talent that could fit into the Phoenix roster.
For the Hawks, Ayton represents another foundational building block to place alongside Young for the long-term. John Collins could be the guy, but he&rsquo;s been in trade rumors for the past year with no signs of those slowing down. Onyeka Okongwu could also grow into that role, but the Hawks signing Clint Capela to a long-term extension perhaps signals that they see him more as a piece to the puzzle rather than a true building block.
Ayton would arrive in Atlanta and instantly average around 23 points and 12 rebounds per game. On box-score fit alone, this would be the best landing spot for Ayton thanks to the greatness of Young.
If Phoenix had drafted Luka Doncic rather than Ayton at No. 1 overall in 2018, Phoenix may have considered adding Clint Capela to their frontcourt. Four years later, Capela being re-routed to Phoenix in an Ayton sign-and-trade is a plausible scenario to imagine. Capela would provide similar numbers to Ayton while requiring less of an offensive workload. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic might vault to the top the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year leaderboards in the near future. Bogdanovic and Cameron Johnson leading the Suns&rsquo; second unit? That&rsquo;s a filthy thought.
***
None of these trades are perfect, but they do illustrate how challenging it will be for Phoenix to find a home for Ayton while also returning the value they'd love to get back for him. Ultimately, it may be in the Suns' best interest to re-sign Ayton this offseason and trade him at some point down the road when his value isn't so depressed.
Whatever happens, Ayton&rsquo;s name will continue to pop up in rumors throughout the spring and summer until the Suns and Ayton's camp find common ground at the negotiation table. This situation could become awkward and dragged out, which would surely kick the trade rumors into high gear. This isn't the last we'll hear about Ayton and the possibility of him changing teams.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

With Deandre Ayton's future in Phoenix becoming murky, it's time to examine potential destinations for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Examining potential sign-and-trade destinations for Deandre Ayton

Mitch Kupchak has signed a multiyear contract extension to remain the Charlotte Hornets' general manager.
Kupchak&rsquo;s contract was set to expire this summer.
&ldquo;For better or for worse, I will be here for the next couple of years,&rdquo; Kupchak said Thursday on a videoconference call. He would not say when the contract expires.
The 67-year-old Kupchak will continue to lead the team&rsquo;s search for a coach.
He said the team already has interviewed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/portland-trail-blazers-charlotte-hornets-golden-state-warriors-milwaukee-bucks-nba-74054012ecbcf7f5e6534780b1bc9c1f">eight to 10 candidates</a> and could speak with a few more over the next week or so. He prefers to make a hire in the next two weeks and at the very latest before the June 23 NBA draft.
The Hornets <a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-nba-sports-business-7598f5e1c6a5948076d25e876d860a25">fired coach James Borrego last month</a> after a meeting with owner Michael Jordan in Florida. He said it was &ldquo;ultimately my decision&rdquo; to fire Borrego but that he had Jordan's support.
Charlotte went 43-39 this season and finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference before losing 132-103 to the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in tournament. It was the second straight year the Hornets were embarrassed in the play-in game.
Kupchak said the back-to-back lopsided play-in losses were a factor in the decision to part ways with Borrego after four years, but he refused to go into details regarding the other reasons for his dismissal.
He said the Hornets want to find a coach who can help the team &ldquo;take the next step.&rdquo;
He said the goal this past season was to make the playoffs, something the Hornets failed to do for the sixth straight season. Charlotte has not won a playoff series in more than two decades.
&ldquo;It was just time to go to another voice and look for another coach to bring us the same kind of improvement that coach Borrego did the first three years,&rdquo; Kupchak said.
Kupchak emphasized trying to stay the course and build around the team&rsquo;s nucleus that includes All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball and forward Miles Bridges.
He said one of the immediate goals this offseason is to re-sign Bridges, a restricted free agent, after a breakout season in which he averaged 20.2 points and seven rebounds per game.
&ldquo;Miles made a big jump,&rdquo; Kupchak said.
The Hornets have the 13th and 15th picks in the draft, and their most pressing need remains finding a big man, primarily for rim protection. Kupchak is hoping one of the team&rsquo;s younger players &mdash; they recently drafted Kai Jones and Nick Richards &mdash; might be able to step up and fill that role.
Regardless, it doesn't sound like the team will go overboard in trying to sign high-priced veteran free agents to compete for a title. Kupchak doesn't want this to be a one-year plan; rather, he said the focus should be on building a consistent winner.
&ldquo;The thing we have to be careful about is thinking that we&rsquo;re better than we really are,&rdquo; Kupchak said. &ldquo;We are not a team that is going into the NBA Finals. Although Atlanta got into the conference finals a year ago, I don&rsquo;t know how realistic that is. I&rsquo;d like to get us into the playoffs, and wouldn&rsquo;t it be great to win a round? And then anything after that would probably be gravy.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Mitch Kupchak has signed a multiyear contract extension to remain the Hornets' GM, and will continue to lead the team’s search for a coach.

Hornets GM Kupchak signs multiyear contract extension

On Friday night, Joel Embiid returned for the Philadelphia 76ers, contributing 18 points and 11 rebounds in the team's Game 3 win over the Miami Heat.
After the game, our Moke Hamilton spotted an interesting detail in <a href="https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2022/news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com's Game 3 recap</a>:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Very interesting&hellip; Joel Embiid may not have officially been named NBA MVP in real life&hellip; But it seems he was on the NBA Mobile App&hellip; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhoIsTheRealMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhoIsTheRealMVP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopPlayingBro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopPlayingBro</a> <a href="https://t.co/JaOi07QvPJ">pic.twitter.com/JaOi07QvPJ</a>
&mdash; Moke Hamilton (@MokeHamilton) <a href="https://twitter.com/MokeHamilton/status/1522758271181987840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

"Kia MVP Joel Embiid."
Now, it's possible that they meant to write "Kia MVP finalist," but it's an interesting error that's worth noting. Nikola Jokic seemed to be the MVP favorite after tallying the votes that were made public, but perhaps Embiid still has a shot?
This wouldn't be the first time that something like this happened: Back in January, the NBA app accidentally leaked that LaMelo Ball had been selected as an All-Star, which ended up being true.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Did the NBA just leaked LaMelo Ball as a first time All-Star? 👀 <a href="https://t.co/28yT6xFzcu">pic.twitter.com/28yT6xFzcu</a>
&mdash; League Alerts (@LeagueAlerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeagueAlerts/status/1487468042141540353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
UPDATE: NBA.com just updated the article to say "Kia MVP finalist Joel Embiid." When the MVP award is announced, we'll find out if it was an honest typo or an accidental leak.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/image-from-ios-3_lg.jpg" alt="" width="416" height="862" />

Did NBA.com accidentally leak that Joel Embiid is this season's NBA Most Valuable Player in their Sixers-Heat Game 3 recap?

Did the NBA accidentally leak that Joel Embiid is the 2021-22 MVP?

In the 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place in 2021 due to COVID, France matched up with Team USA in the men&rsquo;s basketball gold-medal game for the third time.
The first gold-medal meeting between the two nations took place was in 1948, with France <a href="https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/games-of-the-xivth-olympiad-1948.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing 65-21 in that final</a>.
Despite having been historically good since then, it took another 52 years for the Frenchmen to return to that stage for a second time; unfortunately, Team USA awaited again. The game was much closer in 2000 than in 1948, but the Americans &mdash; led by Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning and Ray Allen among others &mdash; outlasted Antoine Rigaudeau, Laurent Sciarra, Frederic Weis and France, 85-75.
(No, that wasn&rsquo;t the game Carter <a href="https://youtu.be/WihbbVEmppI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dunked on Weis</a>; that was earlier in The Games.)
And in last year&rsquo;s gold-medal game, in the countries' third meeting on that stage, France <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-olympics-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401347899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">got even closer</a>.
France's best Olympic team ever was defeated by the Americans, 87-82. Team USA started Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bam Adebayo, answering the French quintet of Nando De Colo, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Guerschon Yabusele and Rudy Gobert.
Contributions from the U.S. bench came from Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Draymond Green and Khris Middleton, while Timoth&eacute; Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntikilina, Thomas Heurtel and Moustapha Fall were key components of France's second unit. The Frenchmen trailed by as little as 3 points with just eight seconds remaining before Durant iced the game with two free throws.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8YSrNfcKvA0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Now imagine that game with Joel Embiid... playing for France.
The 28-year-old NBA MVP candidate, who was born and raised in Cameroon and has never played for his home national team (despite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/things-to-monitor-as-the-next-fiba-world-cups-next-qualifying-window-arrives">coming close in 2017</a>), is reportedly <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/05/02/joel-embiid-could-change-nationality-play-french-national-team-report">eyeing an opportunity to suit up for France</a>.
Embiid has family in France, and is <a href="https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/basket/basket-joel-embiid-superstar-de-nba-se-rapproche-de-l-equipe-de-france_AV-202205020664.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering changing his nationality</a> in order to play for the Frenchmen in the 2024 Olympic Games, where they&rsquo;d enter as one of the favorites to challenge Team USA again for the gold. According to French basketball general manager Boris Diaw, Embiid is <a href="https://actucameroun.com/2022/05/03/boris-diaw-manager-general-de-lequipe-de-france-confirme-les-demarches-entamees-par-joel-embiid-pour-jouer-avec-les-bleus-en-vue-des-jo-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking the necessary steps</a>.
(Looks like we won't ever see the Embiid-Pascal Siakam tandem for Cameroon, unfortunately.)
In FIBA, each team is allowed one naturalized player on its roster. Current and recent instances of this include American-born players to suit up for different countries, such as Javonte Green (Montenegro), Matt Costello (Ivory Coast), Anthony Randolph (Slovenia) and Andray Blatche (Philippines). Non-American examples include Congolese center Serge Ibaka playing for Spain, Cuban native Ismael Romero playing for Puerto Rico and French-born Aaron Cel playing for Poland. Another famous occasion where this occurred saw Hakeem Olajuwon playing with Team USA in the 1990s.
Regarding American-born WNBA players, known examples include Bria Hartley representing France, Becky Hammon representing Russia and Leilani Mitchell representing Australia. Non-American examples in the women&rsquo;s game include Bahamian Jonquel Jones playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Senegal native Astou Ndour playing for Spain.
Now, it may be long before we see Embiid actually playing for France if this process gets finalized, or less than we think if he decides not to wait for the Olympics.
The next major European basketball tournament is EuroBasket 2022, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/eurobasket/2022">which will run from Sept. 1-18 later this year</a> across Italy, Germany, Georgia and the Czech Republic. France will be one of 24 teams competing, but seeing Embiid there would be surprising.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup, which France is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/where-things-stand-after-the-second-window-of-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers">currently attempting to qualify for</a>, will take place from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10, 2023. Qualifying for the World Cup will run through next February before the final pool of 32 teams gets decided.
And the 2024 Summer Olympics, assuming we avoid another global pandemic, is expected to actually run that summer. The host of the Games? France, who will automatically qualify for the tournament <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/pr-n34-brazils-national-teams-granted-automatic-places-at-2016-olympic-basketball-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by rule</a>. Embiid will be 30 years old by the next Olympics.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Since Embiid is reportedly targeting the 2024 Games, let&rsquo;s look at some players who might be his teammates.
The oldest players from the silver-medal-winning squad last summer were De Colo and Batum, who&rsquo;ll be 37 and 35 by the 2024 Games, so expect many of the same players to run it back if possible. One name that could join the fray is Boston Celtics second-round pick Juhann Begarin, who is just 19 years old and was the No. 45 overall selection last summer. Isma&euml;l Kamagate and Hugo Besson, both of whom are 21, are in the 2022 NBA Draft pool; the same goes for 18-year-old Ousmane Dieng, who is quickly rising up draft boards. There's also plenty of hype surrounding fellow 18-year-old, ASVEL star and 7-foot-2 sensation Victor Wembanyama &mdash; a lock to be a high draft pick in 2023.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft">BasketballNews.com Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock</a> has Dieng going No. 21 overall, Kamagate at No. 40 and Besson at No. 51.
But really, there&rsquo;s one question we need to answer, and it has to do with a three-time Defensive Player of the Year already on the roster who holds down the 5 position. Could an Embiid and Gobert frontcourt lead France over Team USA?
If you haven&rsquo;t realized, the American pool of bigs is slighter than you think.
Many of the best centers in the NBA aren&rsquo;t American and don&rsquo;t represent America internationally. Examples include Embiid, Gobert, Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Nikola Vučević (Montenegro), Kristaps Porziņģis (Latvia), Clint Capela (Switzerland) and Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania).
The best centers that have represented Team USA, and/or have Team USA eligibility, have been Adebayo, Green, Jarrett Allen and JaVale McGee. Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) is a player to watch <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/06/22/suns-big-deandre-ayton-ideal-team-usa-2024-summer-olympics-paris/5307682001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who could represent Team USA in the future</a>, along with younger bigs like Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren.
Assuming health, so the 2024 American team could start either Adebayo, Ayton or Allen, if not 2 of the 3. Team USA is generally harder to guess in advance, but your starting lineup could look like some combination of Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Booker, Tatum and Adebayo. Maybe, to match size, Ayton gets in there instead of Edwards.
Maybe a Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell sneak into the backcourt instead. Maybe someone we&rsquo;re not projecting to make another huge leap does &mdash; like Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro or Tyrese Maxey &mdash; or maybe Jaden Ivey or Jabari Smith are more ready than we think by 2024. Even so, you&rsquo;d throw, at best, Adebayo, Ayton, Allen, and Mobley at the Embiid-Gobert combo, and that tandem could be backed up by Dieng, Yabusele, and Vincent Poirier for France.
It&rsquo;s a lot to project, no doubt, but giving <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/rankingmen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the No. 4 team in the world</a> a top-four player in the world could be what it takes for someone to snatch the gold medal away from Team USA in the Olympics for the first time since 2004.
But a lot can happen in two years, so we'll table this... for now.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Bryan Fonseca looks at the potential of Joel Embiid joining France in international competition.

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

On Friday, the NBA announced the best-selling jerseys and most-popular team merchandise for the second half of the 2021-22 regular season, tracking sales on NBAStore.com from Jan. 13 to April 10.
LeBron James had the most jersey sales, and the Los Angeles Lakers led all teams in merchandise sold.
Here are the top-15 best-selling jerseys:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/fq9fn1sxoaeuvxx_lg.jpg" alt="" width="555" height="694" />
Here are the top-10 teams in terms of merchandise sales:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/fq9f3x5xsaey_tv_lg.jpg" alt="" width="555" height="694" />

On Friday, the NBA announced the best-selling jerseys and team merchandise for the second half of the 2021-22 regular season.

NBA announces top-15 best-selling jerseys: LeBron James at No. 1

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

Jordan Poole is even better than we could've imagined

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."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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."
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WjTuTEQ4r-o" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!&nbsp;

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

France's Ousmane Dieng officially <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33746207/projected-lottery-pick-ousmane-dieng-enter-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;that he is entering the 2022 NBA Draft.
Dieng spent last season playing in Australia's National Basketball League, where he averaged 8.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as part of the NBL's Next Stars program that produced LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey and RJ Hampton.
"Playing in a tough league with really good players was really good for me," Dieng told <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33746207/projected-lottery-pick-ousmane-dieng-enter-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>. "I learned a lot. The transition was significant, going up against much better players than I saw in France. The game is faster. Everyone is more physical...
"I had to work on my body and I was lucky to have a great strength and conditioning coach. I improved my defense a lot this past year. The coaches had a big role in my improvement. I trusted them when I was struggling. I kept working and improved my game."
Matt Babcock, BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst, currently has Dieng projected to go No. 25 overall to the San Antonio Spurs in his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>.&nbsp;
"Projected to be one of the first international players selected in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ousmane Dieng has great positional size, length and mobility. He is a versatile playmaker on the offensive end and a tremendous live-dribble passer. Also, he is effective as a three-level scorer," Babcock <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/ousmane-dieng" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in his scouting report</a>. "Dieng&rsquo;s shot-making from both inside and out &mdash; paired with excellent vision and impactful, yet inconsistent, defense &mdash; has him high on our draft board. Dieng played for the NBL&rsquo;s New Zealand Breakers this season and is certainly a prospect to monitor closely."
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lSZ27i284Q" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Dieng spent last season in Australia's NBL as part of the Next Stars program that produced LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey and RJ Hampton.

France's Ousmane Dieng officially enters 2022 NBA Draft

While the Charlotte Hornets improved their win total by 10 games over last year&rsquo;s abbreviated 72-game season, the end result was the same: an embarrassing blowout loss in the play-in tournament.
Despite winning 43 games, the Hornets finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-charlotte-hornets-cleveland-cavaliers-atlanta-hawks-nba-3ecd373854232ff01332ae4f7cdd455b">lost 132-103 on Wednesday night to the Atlanta Hawks</a>. Charlotte lost by 27 points to Indiana in last year's play-in tournament as the 10 seed.
If the Hornets want to end that cycle, it'll have to start with defense.
Charlotte posted its highest offensive rating in franchise history and finished eighth overall in the NBA, but the defense continued to lag behind. Charlotte ranked 22nd in defense among the league&rsquo;s 30 teams.
The loss to the Hawks illustrated the dire need for a rim protector and better man-to-man defense on the perimeter.
&ldquo;We need to become more curious about how to guard," coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;We need to get better defensively by watching the best teams do it and learning from them and watching these (playoff) series.&rdquo;
Miles Bridges agreed with his coach, adding that he'd like to see the Hornets add an inside presence.
&ldquo;We have been saying this for the last few years, we have to get better on defense," Bridges said. "We can't keep saying it. We have to actually make it happen.&rdquo;
BRIDGES' FUTURE
The biggest personnel question heading into the offseason revolves around Bridges' future. He's a restricted free agent who's expected to command big money come July.
Bridges confirmed reports that he turned down a lucrative $60 million contract extension offer from the Hornets last year, hoping to prove he was worth even more with a big season. He did just that, averaging a career-high 20.2 points and 7 rebounds per game.
Borrego admitted he didn't foresee Bridges making this big of a leap.
The Hornets will have the option to match any offer made to Bridges by another team once he becomes a free agent, providing they make him a qualifying offer.
&ldquo;I anticipate him being back with us," Borrego said. "He&rsquo;s a major part of this core, we love him. He&rsquo;s a major part of this franchise.&rdquo;
Said Bridges: &ldquo;I mean I would love to come back, for sure. But I don't even worry about that stuff. I let my agent worry about it.&rdquo;
BALL WILL BE NO. 1
All-Star LaMelo Ball said he expects to be wearing a No. 1 jersey next season instead of the No. 2 he's donned the first two seasons in the league.
Ball petitioned the NBA for a number change, and said he's been told it has been granted.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s supposed to happen,&rdquo; Ball said. &ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t ever supposed to wear No. 2 again. If I see a No. 2 next year, I don&rsquo;t know what I&rsquo;m going to do, for real.&rdquo;
Ball took No. 2 coming into the league because Malik Monk was wearing No. 1 for the Hornets at the time. Ball attempted to change numbers last year, but missed the deadline.
Ball said he's always felt &ldquo;weird&rdquo; wearing No. 2.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t feel like you&rsquo;re playing for real,&rdquo; Ball said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know who this is. I don&rsquo;t know who No. 2 is.&rdquo;
PLUMLEE'S SHOT
Midway through his ninth NBA season, Hornets center Mason Plumlee abruptly and boldly decided to make a huge shift from free throws and shooting jump shots with his left hand instead of his right hand amid a tremendous slump.
Plumlee said he plans to continue shooting lefthanded next season &mdash; even though he looks extremely awkward doing so.
&ldquo;I'm going to stick with the left,&rdquo; Plumlee said. &ldquo;It feels good. I know the practice shooting is really good. I know it was an in-the-moment thing, but I'm happy with it."
HAYWARD'S STATUS
Gordon Hayward missed 22 games with a sprained ankle before returning for one game late in the season. But that return was cut short after Hayward experienced pain in the same left foot.
It turns out Hayward had a bone chip in the foot that was preventing him from getting back to full speed. He strolled into the press room on Thursday on a knee scooter, his lower left leg in a hard cast.
&ldquo;After talking to the doctors they felt like the best way to get this thing to heal would be to cast it and basically get off of it,&rdquo; Hayward said.
The 32-year-old small forward expects to be ready next season.
BIRD WATCHING
It turns out the Hornets can still have a chance to get a big win in the play-in tournament.
If Pelicans beat the Clippers on Friday night, Charlotte gets New Orleans' first-round draft pick this year (No. 15 overall) as part of the trade that sent Devonte Graham to the Big Easy. If the Pelicans lose, the Hornets get New Orleans' second round picks in 2022 and 2024 instead.

Charlotte posted its highest Offensive Rating in franchise history and finished eighth in the NBA, but the defense continued to lag behind.

Hornets need defense, rim protection to take the next step

Word has circulated amongst rival front offices that 32-year-old swingman Gordon Hayward would be interested in a change of scenery this offseason, although a source close to Hayward said that he's primarily focused on recovering from his injured foot, according to <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>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Charlotte Hornets enter tonight&rsquo;s play-in tournament battle in Atlanta with questions about Mitch Kupchak&rsquo;s future running the front office, Miles Bridges&rsquo; lucrative next contract and Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s status with the franchise. More at <a href="https://twitter.com/BR_NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BR_NBA</a>: <a href="https://t.co/rLM6pNl03p">https://t.co/rLM6pNl03p</a>
&mdash; Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1514243952915984392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It is unfortunate that it turned out this way for Hayward. He's had some of the worst luck imaginable in the past several years seeing how he seems to get injured just as the playoffs roll around these past few years. A change of scenery might be good for him if Charlotte ultimately decides their best course of action right now is to develop their young talent.

Gordon Hayward is reportedly interested in a change of scenery this offseason.

Report: Gordon Hayward interested in change of scenery

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514407986122219522">Trae Young</a> bounced back from a sluggish start to score 24 points and De'Andre Hunter led a third-quarter surge that carried the Atlanta Hawks to a 132-103 rout of the Charlotte Hornets in an Eastern Conference play-in game Wednesday night.
The Hawks, who finished ninth in the East after a surprising run to the conference final a year ago, will travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Friday night.
The winner claims the No. 8 seed in the East and will face the top-seeded Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
The season is over for the Hornets, who were overwhelmed in the 9-10 play-in game for the second year in a row and haven't made the playoffs since 2016.
All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures, as did Bogdan Bogdanovic off the bench. <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514406292911116290">It was Hunter</a> who came up big in the decisive third period, bursting out with 16 points after being held to 3 in the first half.
Hunter finished with 22 points, while <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514411937366380546">Danilo Gallinari</a> added 18 and Clint Capela 15. Kevin Huerter and <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514410586058072065">Bogdanovic</a> chipped in with 13 apiece.
The Hornets closed the regular season strong and felt like they had a good chance to win a couple of play-in games on the road. But those hopes came crashing down against their I-85 rival.
LaMelo Ball led with 26 points but made only 7 of 25 shots.
The Hawks led by as many as 13 in the first half before settling for a 60-52 advantage at the break. Charlotte had a bit of momentum in the closing minutes of the half, but it sure didn&rsquo;t carry over to the third.
The Hawks outscored the Hornets 42-24 during that 12-minute barrage, hitting 16 of 24 shots, and led 102-76 heading to the final period.
With the Hornets doubling at every opportunity, Young made only 1 of 9 shots in the opening quarter and 3 of 13 in the first half.
But his teammates found plenty of open looks and made the Hornets pay dearly.
Charlotte should've known what kind of night it would be on their way to State Farm Arena.
The Hornets' chartered bus was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-charlotte-hornets-nba-sports-james-borrego-57d6cb54deb7e6d31051a94eb3a86669">blocked by a freight train</a> that stopped on a crossing near the downtown sports complex. The bus had to turn around and take a different route to the arena, delaying Charlotte's arrival for pregame warmups.
It didn't get much better once the game tipped off.
The Hornets' frustration boiled over with about 6 1/2 minutes to go when <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514414068278255616">Miles Bridges</a> complained so vehemently about a goaltending call that he picked up two quick technicals and was ejected.
TIP INS
Hornets: Terry Rozier had 21 points. .... As a team, Charlotte shot 37.8% (37 of 90) from the field.
Hawks: F John Collins (sprained foot, sprained finger) has stepped up workouts but still wasn't able to play. His hasn't been in a game since March 11. ... G Lou Williams also was inactive with lower back discomfort.
UP NEXT
The Hawks went 3-1 against the Cavaliers during the regular season, splitting the two games in Cleveland.

Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks routed the Charlotte Hornets to advance past the play-in game in the NBA Playoffs.

Young, Hunter lead Hawks to 132-103 Play-In rout of Hornets

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI5735260596" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Wednesday's Play-In Tournament slate.
Atlanta Hawks (-6) vs. Charlotte Hornets
Betting against Trae Young and the Hawks in this spot is a dangerous game to play, which is why we&rsquo;re wagering on the favorite here. If you haven&rsquo;t been monitoring closely, Young has been putting up monster numbers while keeping Atlanta afloat post-All-Star break.
<blockquote class="q4-performance" data-sport="basketball" data-q4="468b73a5-3137-3f56-9619-fe3b3c5c708d" data-gid="6167e6b9-6a64-473b-90f3-9af2af05e8b3" data-server="api.quarter4.io">
&nbsp;
&mdash; Wednesday, April 13th Charlotte Hornets @ Atlanta Hawks</blockquote>

<script src="https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/quarter4.io-public-assets-ca/widget/v1/embed.js"></script>

On the other hand, Charlotte is such a feisty team. The Hornets have shown on multiple occasions that they can hang with anyone when they get hot offensively. Young against LaMelo Ball is going to be such a fun 1-on-1 matchup to follow along with as well. In the end, the postseason experience for Atlanta looms large. Hammer the Hawks in the Play-In as home favorites.
Pick: Hawks -6
Player Props: Trae Young over 30.5 points, Miles Bridges over 21.5 points, Clint Capela over 13.5 rebounds, LaMelo Ball over 8.5 assists
New Orleans Pelicans (-5.5) vs. San Antonio Spurs
Kudos to Pelicans head coach Willie Green, because this reminds me an awful lot of Phoenix&rsquo;s sudden turnaround under Monty Williams. Green learned under Williams for a few seasons, and now those same principles are being applied magnificently in New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram are a dynamite wing duo, but just imagine the possibilities once Zion Williamson eventually returns. If Williamson returns to form, the Pelicans have those same ingredients we&rsquo;ve seen surge with the Suns and Grizzlies.
The Spurs will be a tough out on Wednesday, especially with Dejounte Murray and their versatile two-way wings. However, we feel confident locking in the Pelicans to win and ultimately cover the 5.5-point spread.
Pick: Pelicans -5.5
Player Props: CJ McCollum over 26.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 23.5 points, Jakob Poeltl over 9.5 rebounds, Dejounte Murray over 9.5 assists
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA Play-In Tournament games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/13/22

The Atlanta Hawks never expected to be in this position.
Not after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">last summer's surprising run</a> to the Eastern Conference final.
But here they are, needing to win two play-in games just to make the playoffs.
First up: the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a matchup between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East.
&ldquo;Our destiny is in our hands," Hawks center Clint Capela said.
Atlanta was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 postseason, knocking off both the Knicks and the top-seeded 76ers before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a highly competitive conference final.
With a young core led by Trae Young, the Hawks set a goal of finishing in the top four in the East this season. Instead, after a year plagued by COVID issues, injuries and a strange lack of chemistry, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-d384100801dae1e50a25ac311eacbefa">they had to settle</a> for the next-to-last play-in spot.
&ldquo;We have to live in the moment,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We can't think about all of that. We have a game we have to win."
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-nba-f8aabc07c1007bb2717017faab063239">The Hornets</a> are in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they appear to be a franchise on the rise.
&ldquo;We feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs,&rdquo; guard Terry Rozier said.
The winner of the 9-10 game advances to a road contest Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
&ldquo;We've still got a chance to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to take advantage of it.&rdquo;
COLLINS UPDATE
The Hawks have been without one of their top players, John Collins, since March 11 because of a sprained foot and an injured finger.
Collins has stepped up his rehab in recent days, including some 4-on-4 workouts.
Coach Nate McMillan said he's not sure if Collins will be able to play limited minutes against the Hornets, but the Hawks are preparing to go without him.
&ldquo;He's been out for so long," McMillan said. "The focus is on the guys that we do have in uniform. If we're lucky enough to get him back, we'll talk about that and adjust to that.&rdquo;
PLAY-IN REDUX
The Hornets had 10 more victories than a year ago in the abbreviated 72-game schedule, but they still finished 10th in the East for the second straight season.
In the 2021 play-in game, Charlotte was routed 144-117 by ninth-seeded Indiana. Several Hornets players have talked about the sting of that loss providing momentum coming into this season.
Charlotte is healthier and playing much better than it was a year ago. The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 games.
&ldquo;Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed &mdash; most years &mdash; but this year the East was more competitive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;I am really proud of this group.&rdquo;
SMALL BALL
Led by guards LaMelo Ball and Rozier, the Hornets ranked fourth in the league in scoring (115.3 points per game) and have been especially effective when going with a small lineup.
Charlotte can really get out and run when 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington and 6-6 Miles Bridges are playing the center and power forward positions.
&ldquo;They play small and they play fast,&rdquo; said McMillan, whose own team ranked sixth in the league in scoring (113.9). &ldquo;They are a team that wants to get out in transition."
DOUBLING TRAE
Young had a historic season, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Tiny Archibald to lead the league in both total points (2,155) and assists (737).
The Hornets had good success against Young in their final regular-season matchup, using a wave of double teams to hold him to a season-low 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Young did manage to dish out 15 assists in that game.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let him breath,&rdquo; Rozier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pretty confident player, but we just have to make it tough for him.&rdquo;
HOME EDGE
The Hawks claimed the No. 9 seed on a tiebreaker with the Hornets, which is why this game is being played in Atlanta.
That's a big break for the Hawks, who were much better at home (27-14) than they were on the road (16-25).
The Hornets, by comparison, had virtually the same record in Charlotte (22-19) as they did away from home (21-20).
&ldquo;Whenever we play at home, we are much more confident, the energy is better, the focus is better,&rdquo; Capela said. &ldquo;To get that first game at home, it's a huge advantage for us.&rdquo;

The Hawks are set to square off against the Hornets, and need two wins to make back-to-back postseason appearances.

After run to East finals, Hawks face Play-In game vs. Hornets

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; The Charlotte Hornets looked like they had their sights set on something bigger while the Chicago Bulls delivered their worst effort in recent memory.
It added up to a game that got out of hand almost as soon as it started.
LaMelo Ball scored 24 points and Charlotte buried Chicago early in a 133-117 win on Friday night.
The Hornets tied Atlanta for ninth place in the Eastern Conference with one game left before the play-in tournament and secured their first winning season since 2015-16.
&ldquo;It's fantastic, for us to have a winning season this year,&rdquo; coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;There were a number of things that went against us. But we still have one to go and even more after that. ... I want us to stay hungry and stay aggressive.&rdquo;
Charlotte sure looked hungry and aggressive in this one, building a 79-51 halftime lead.
The Bulls had not allowed more than 78 points in a half this season. They trailed by 37 in the third quarter and came away with their fourth straight loss.
"I always try to be very uplifting and try to see the bright side," Zach LaVine said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m tired of talking. We say a lot of words and we say the right things. But we've got to figure it out. And we're not doing that, plain and simple. Everybody, top to bottom, coaching staff and everybody involved. We just have to do a better job. ... We can&rsquo;t let this happen. It&rsquo;s embarrassing."
Charlotte shot 60.5% and made 19 of 40 3-pointers, with Ball setting the tone. The All-Star point guard did all his scoring in the first half. He made 8 of 16 shots in the game, including 5 of 9 3-pointers, and finished with nine assists in 29 minutes.
Miles Bridges scored 20, and the Hornets snapped a five-game losing streak against Chicago.
BULLS STRUGGLE
The Bulls locked in the No. 6 seed in the East with what might be their most discouraging performance in coach Billy Donovan's two seasons. The crowd let the team hear it, too.
Donovan cited communication issues and put some of the blame on himself for the breakdowns on defense.
&ldquo;Some of the struggles that took place in the first quarter were things that we really tried to cover today at shootaround,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;To be quite honest with you, I didn't do a good enough job of creating maybe enough clarity for them on those situations. And I thought we had some blown coverages. We got hurt on some slip-outs. It was stuff that we knew that they were gonna do.&rdquo;
LaVine led the Bulls with 23 points. Coby White scored 19. DeMar DeRozan added 17 points. But coming off convincing losses to Miami, Milwaukee and Boston, the Bulls never put up a fight against Charlotte.
HOT HORNETS
They gave up uncontested shots at the rim and open 3-pointers, helping the Hornets get off to a blistering start.
Charlotte made its first 11 shots, including four 3-pointers, before Rozier missed badly from beyond the arc with 4:41 left in the first quarter.
Ball, meanwhile, hit his first five shots and buried three 3s before missing a driving finger roll in the final minute of the period. He made back-to-back 3s early in the second quarter to boost the lead to 50-32, and things didn&rsquo;t get better for the Bulls after that.
TIP-INS
Hornets: F Gordon Hayward (sore left foot) missed his third consecutive game, and coach James Borrego had no update on his status for the regular-season finale against Washington on Sunday or the play-in tournament. After missing 22 games with a sprained left ankle, Hayward returned to play 17 minutes against Philadelphia on Saturday. But he has since been sidelined. Hayward is averaging 15.9 points in 49 games.
Bulls: G Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery) will remain in Chicago for the remainder of the season as he rehabs his season-ending injury. Coach Billy Donovan said the plan, at least for now, does not call for more surgery. Ball&rsquo;s final game was Jan. 14, and he had surgery two weeks later. The Bulls hoped a recent 10-day shutdown in activities after he experienced discomfort would resolve the issue and allow him to return this season. But he felt pain again when he tried to ramp back up. The Bulls announced Wednesday he is out for the rest of the season. ... G Alex Caruso (bruised lower back) missed his second consecutive game, and Donovan wasn't sure if he will play in Sunday's regular-season finale at Minnesota.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host Washington on Sunday.
Bulls: Visit Minnesota on Sunday.
&nbsp;

The Hornets beat the Bulls 133-117 and are tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference with one game left before the play-in.

Ball scores 24, Hornets bury Bulls early in 133-117 win

Nine days.
I repeat, nine days until the NBA Playoffs are officially underway.&nbsp;
As I mentioned previously, to do my civic duty in aiding your preparation for basketball&rsquo;s second season, I have decided to spend the next month studying some of the NBA's biggest stars and (hopefully) prescribing some tips for how teams can try to slow them down this postseason. (Here are my linked breakdowns of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/slowing-giannis-the-wall-still-the-way" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Giannis Antetokounmpo</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-to-slow-down-kevin-durant-let-the-reaper-reap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Durant</a>.)
But remember, these suggestions are only for slowing these stars down &mdash; because you can never truly stop the best of the best.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Now, without further ado: Luka Doncic.
In the most recent episode of the Dunc&rsquo;d on Podcast, Nate Duncan said this of Doncic: &ldquo;[He] has an argument... to be the best playoff offensive player in the NBA.&rdquo;
When I heard that, I did the Tiger Woods fist pump to myself, because I knew at that moment I had the introductory hook to my article.&nbsp;
In all seriousness, though, he&rsquo;s got a point. This dude just might be unstoppable.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-to-slow-down-kevin-durant-let-the-reaper-reap">In my last article of this series</a>, I posited the idea of using a balancing scale (between scoring and playmaking) when thinking about star offensive players. Guys like Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo are naturally more inclined to score, while the scales&rsquo; of Nikola Jokic and Chris Paul lean more towards the playmaking side.&nbsp;
No such imbalance exists with Doncic.&nbsp;
Over the last two seasons, not one player has finished in the top-five in both points per possession and <a href="https://backpicks.com/metrics/box-creation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">box creation</a> (an estimate of open shots created for teammates). This means teams can&rsquo;t load up on his scoring attempts or try to isolate him (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/isolation/?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Doncic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90th percentile</a>) to defang his passing without suffering some harsh repercussions. &nbsp;
Although the sample is small (13 games), his achievement of the perfect chemical equilibrium puts him in rarified air as far as postseason scoring goes.
Career Changes in Scoring/Efficiency From Regular Season to Postseason
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 324px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 25.258%; height: 54px;">
Player 
</td>
<td style="width: 41.9226%; height: 54px;">
Points Per 100 Possessions*
</td>
<td style="width: 32.7389%; height: 54px;">
True Shooting*
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 25.258%; height: 54px;">
Kobe Bryant&nbsp;
</td>
<td style="width: 41.9226%; height: 54px;">
-1.1
</td>
<td style="width: 32.7389%; height: 54px;">
-0.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 25.258%; height: 54px;">
Luka Doncic
</td>
<td style="width: 41.9226%; height: 54px;">
+5.1
</td>
<td style="width: 32.7389%; height: 54px;">
+1.0%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 25.258%; height: 54px;">
Kevin Durant
</td>
<td style="width: 41.9226%; height: 54px;">
+0.3
</td>
<td style="width: 32.7389%; height: 54px;">
-1.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 25.258%; height: 54px;">
LeBron James
</td>
<td style="width: 41.9226%; height: 54px;">
+0.4
</td>
<td style="width: 32.7389%; height: 54px;">
-0.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 25.258%; height: 54px;">
Michael Jordan&nbsp;
</td>
<td style="width: 41.9226%; height: 54px;">
+2.9
</td>
<td style="width: 32.7389%; height: 54px;">
-0.1%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Mobile users scroll right to view the full table.)
*Data Provided by Basketball Reference&nbsp;
His offensive versatility (the key to postseason success) is highlighted when you look at his counters in the pick-and-roll game.&nbsp;
Similar to the Phoenix Suns (who I <a href="https://fansided.com/2022/03/15/phoenix-suns-pick-and-roll-defense/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotlighted </a>last month), the Dallas Mavericks run a ton of pick-and-rolls (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/ball-handler/?sort=POSS_PCT&amp;dir=1">No. 8</a> in frequency). However, their attack isn&rsquo;t pioneered by a two-headed serpent. Instead, it's quarterbacked by the human manifestation of the Old Testament&rsquo;s Leviathan.
If you opt for <a href="https://medium.com/thebasketballactiondictionary/how-to-identify-pick-and-roll-coverages-a1e8dffe54e9">drop coverage</a> against Doncic, he can hit you with his float game (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90th percentile</a> in the short midrange) or a lob over the top.
If you <a href="https://medium.com/thebasketballactiondictionary/how-to-identify-pick-and-roll-coverages-a1e8dffe54e9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hedge/show</a> against him, he&rsquo;s too big, too calm, too cool (Hand Luka) to not see over the top of you and find the weak point in the defense.
Lastly, you can&rsquo;t mitigate his impact with switches the way you could with the frailer Chris Paul/Devin Booker tandem. It's all thanks to his powerful frame (71st percentile or higher in post-ups from 2019-21), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHxTzCU3KKg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trusty stepback</a> and aforementioned isolation brilliance.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Also, as if that wasn&rsquo;t already enough, he&rsquo;s improved his efficiency on <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1512112939834261507?s=20&amp;t=qxvZzjOsRvwk7TutSRadNw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handoffs</a> to give his game an off-ball element.
Watching him for this article reminded me of an old Antonio Gramsci quote: &ldquo;Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.&rdquo;
We are all smart enough to know that Doncic is probably going to decimate any game plan we attempt to deploy against him, but we can&rsquo;t lose hope in our ability to slow him down. Here are three ideas Optimistic Mat came up with:
1. A little luck never hurt anyone!
Poor shooting has plagued his worst performances of the season. He&rsquo;s shooting a combined 9 of 46 from three (19.6%) in the six outings where he&rsquo;s posted a sub-10 <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/doncilu01/gamelog/2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Score</a>. But it&rsquo;s not really anything his opponents are doing that is slowing him down, as according to NBA.com tracking data, he&rsquo;s shooting 9 of 39 on open/wide-open threes (23.1%) during those contests.
On the surface, banking on him having an off-shooting night seems demoralizing, but when you account for the fact that he&rsquo;s fielded three months of <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1512122208461758479?s=20&amp;t=qiNoKstzbC5gFXVfNUv5BQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sub-29%</a> shooting this season, there&rsquo;s a decent chance you could catch him on a bad day.
2. Get yourself an Aaron Gordon.
I&rsquo;m partially joking here, but man, does <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/gordon-wasnt-the-player-the-magic-wanted-but-hes-exactly-who-the-nuggets-need" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gordon</a> have Doncic&rsquo;s number. This season, Doncic is shooting a mere 7 of 24 (29.2%) from the floor during the 97.5 partial possessions he&rsquo;s being shadowed by AG (per NBA.com). Widen those parameters a bit further, and for his career, Doncic is shooting a slightly better but still pedestrian, 22 of 73 (30.1%) throughout 287.3 partial possessions.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/4zdhth" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Gordon is strong enough that Doncic can&rsquo;t simply veer into him on finishes, quick enough to reattach to him after screens and long enough that, when he crowds him, he can blur his sightlines.
And while Gordon himself isn&rsquo;t cloneable (yet), players stemming from the same evolutionary branch have experienced some success of their own against the Slovenian. In the playoffs last season, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were the only players who could hold Doncic to under <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1629029/head-to-head?Matchup=Offense&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Playoffs&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=MATCHUP_FG_PCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">48% shooting </a>from the floor. This year, De'Andre Hunter has held him to 4 of 17 shooting during the two games their teams have squared off in.
The formula for (partial) success here is finding a lengthy wing who can match Doncic&rsquo;s unique blend of quickness and strength.&nbsp;
3. Throw the kitchen sink at him.
Despite not having a Gordon-esque body type on the roster (Jarred Vanderbilt is a little too lean), the Minnesota Timberwolves held Doncic to his lowest Game Score output of the season (4.5). And yes, some of it came from the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1629029/shots-dash?DateFrom=03%2F21%2F2022&amp;DateTo=03%2F21%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting luck</a> we talked about earlier, but the group also did a good job of throwing a ton of different matchups/coverages at Doncic.
During their March 21 showdown, I counted seven different Wolves guarding Doncic for at least a possession during the game. This revolving door of characters makes it so that Doncic can never fully figure out the cadence of his defender.
For instance, a smaller Patrick Beverely would probably get <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqyaO8G899k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bullied</a> if assigned to the larger Doncic for the entire night. But his pest powers become far more valuable when Doncic has just spent the past handful of possessions getting acclimated to the longer dimensions of a Taurean Prince.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ql9b1e" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The same logic applies to coverages. The Timberwolves are notorious for their aggressive approach to defending ball-screens. However, in this game, they coordinated their traps and blitzes with a steady diet of switches and drops, and this strategy ultimately befuddled the Mavericks' star for large portions of the game.
<a href="https://ezhoops.co/2021/01/04/feel-and-feel-accessories/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Feel-based</a> players like Doncic need to be kept on their toes by throwing new problems at them to identify and solve at all times.
Regardless of what option you choose to rely on, you better bring your A-game when you stand by for battle, because anything less will be the equivalent of playing with fire.&nbsp;
And when your dealing with quite possibly the best postseason weapon in the world, you will most certainly get burned.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Mat Issa attempts to find a way for opponents to best limit Luka Doncic's wizardry.

How to slow down Luka Doncic: Is it even possible?

Although it's likely that the Los Angeles Lakers will re-engage with the Houston Rockets in a potential Russell Westbrook-for-John Wall swap this summer, the Charlotte Hornets have appeared as a potential suitor for Russ, according to <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/trading-russell-westbrook?s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein</a>.
In Stein's own words, "All-Star guard LaMelo Ball is firmly ensconced as the Hornets' face of the franchise and on-the-ball star, but one scenario making the rounds is a belief that the Hornets could emerge with Westbrook interest in the name of creating some financial flexibility.
"Gordon Hayward has two seasons left on a four-year, $120 million contract and has appeared in only 49 of Charlotte's 79 games this season. Terry Rozier has performed well this season, with an above-average PER of 17.36, but next season is Year 1 of a four-year, $97 million extension... The Lakers, league sources say, have not ruled out simply parting ways with Westbrook via the waive-and-stretch provision."
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;For all that's gone wrong with the Russell Westbrook experiment in LA, the one saving grace is that his contract will expire after next season ends. That could help the Lakers acquire players who would fit better on paper like Gordon Hayward or Terry Rozier, with the one caveat being that their contracts would be on the books longer. In Charlotte's case, doing this could pay huge dividends for them if they're able to get some draft assets from acquiring Russ and clear some cap space after next season (especially with Miles Bridges up for an extension soon).

Marc Stein reports that Charlotte may pursue Russell Westbrook this summer via trade.

Stein: Charlotte may pursue Russell Westbrook this summer

After looking at how to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/betting-the-west-why-the-suns-being-heavy-favorites-makes-sense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bet the Western Conference</a> in the forthcoming NBA Playoffs, we now turn our attention to the Eastern Conference. Parity is of the essence atop the East, which includes five teams with a legitimate argument to win the conference and make a run to the NBA Finals. From a betting perspective, sportsbooks are all over the place when it comes to forecasting what&rsquo;s next in the East. How should the conference be divvied up before the postseason? Let&rsquo;s dive into the odds.
Tier 1: Milwaukee Bucks +270, Brooklyn Nets +330
I have this weird feeling building we&rsquo;re going to get Suns vs. Bucks Part II in a few months with another championship on the line. As of late, Milwaukee is finding a groove and rounding into form for their title defense. Giannis Antetokounmpo can break any defense apart, so another dominant run could cement his overall legacy. Considering the Bucks have such a strong rotation, the safest bet right now is to repeat last year&rsquo;s Finals matchup.
The one X-factor in the East has to be Brooklyn. Although James Harden is no longer there, Brooklyn still has two stars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving who can push an elite team like Milwaukee to the brink. As we&rsquo;ve seen this season, the Nets are nearly impossible to stop when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both going off offensively.
Last season saw Durant nearly beat the Bucks by himself in the Eastern Conference Finals. If Irving stays healthy, the main theme of top teams repeating could circle back around for an epic early-round clash.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Highlights from last night's OT WIN vs. Nets. ⚡️ <a href="https://twitter.com/we_energies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@we_energies</a> ⚡️ <a href="https://t.co/A8gHaMibWs">pic.twitter.com/A8gHaMibWs</a>
&mdash; Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1509923795028615197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Tier 2: Miami Heat +425, Boston Celtics +430, Philadelphia 76ers +500
Kudos to BasketballNews&rsquo; own Spencer Davies, because he called it on the first &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; podcast episode previewing the 2021-22 season. He said that Miami was going to surprise some people and was right on the money. Miami has the two-way versatility to compete with the East&rsquo;s elite. The leaps from Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have taken pressure off of Jimmy Butler, and it always helps to have a soothing veteran point guard presence in Kyle Lowry.
Miami has shown lockdown potential on both ends of the court, so if they have a hot shooting series, they can go toe-to-toe with anybody.
Losing Robert Williams due to injury is going to hurt Boston in the short-term, but this team has been scary good since the All-Star break. Jayson Tatum is one of the best scorers in the NBA, and Jaylen Brown is finding his spots within the flow of the offense. Any concerns related to Tatum and Brown&rsquo;s on-court fit have fizzled out. Boston has the star power to win big, but they also have some veterans who can be key in postseason pushes.
If I wanted to throw a dart at any of the odds presented on the board, Philadelphia gets my attention. The odds at +500 are simply too good to pass up. Betting on a historic postseason from Joel Embiid and James Harden, who continue to build chemistry together, has an extremely high ceiling. Tyrese Maxey has also begun to blossom, helping form a fun long-term trio in Philadelphia. I wouldn&rsquo;t be stunned if we saw the Sixers make the Finals, and I still feel there&rsquo;s a real shot there.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Tier 3: Chicago Bulls +2700, Toronto Raptors +3000, Cleveland Cavaliers +5500
Unlike the Western Conference&rsquo;s top Tier 3 team, the Utah Jazz (+950), Chicago kicks it off at +2700 odds. It&rsquo;s been disappointing to watch the Bulls lose steam over the last few months because the early potential was off the charts. DeMar DeRozan is a perfect fit within the Bulls&rsquo; system alongside Zach LaVine, but losing Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso for the majority of the regular season were massive blows. Maybe the Bulls can surprise in the first round, but betters shouldn't expect much beyond that, especially now that Ball is officially out for the season.
Second to Philadelphia on my favorite odds out East, Toronto at +3000 is very tempting to hammer. The Raptors have caught lightning in a bottle for a while now, and their blend of win-now veterans and exciting young players is fun to watch. Pascal Siakam deserves an All-NBA spot, and the trio of Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby provide ideal two-way balance. Versatility is off the charts in Toronto, and there&rsquo;s a reality where they could be playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. Don&rsquo;t sleep on the Raptors because they&rsquo;ve been quietly impressive since February.
In the opposite direction of Toronto, Cleveland checks in with long +5500 odds. The Cavaliers were rolling behind their dynamic young trio of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. When Allen, their two-way All-Star anchor, went down it knocked the wind out of Cleveland&rsquo;s surging sails. Garland taking the leap could help Cleveland become a frisky opponent out early in the postseason. I&rsquo;m excited to see what happens this offseason for a team ready to take another huge leap forward in 2022-23.
Tier 4: Atlanta Hawks +10000, Charlotte Hornets +18000
In Tier 4, the odds are bordering on impossible for an NBA Finals run. Atlanta has been one of the NBA&rsquo;s most disappointing teams this season after their surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. Trae Young is doing his best to carry a consistently short-handed Hawks squad, which is leading to some absurd individual numbers along the way. Maybe Young can help Atlanta push a team in the first round, but betting against another surprise run shouldn&rsquo;t be off the table.
Charlotte is one of my favorite teams to watch this season when they get humming offensively. LaMelo Ball running the show is so entertaining, plus they have a plethora of high-volume three-point shooters. Miles Bridges&rsquo; leap in a contract year makes him a pillar piece to Ball in Charlotte. It would be fun to have the Hornets in the postseason, but it may be a very quick exit for them. If Charlotte can add one more game-changing piece in the offseason (Myles Turner, perhaps?), they could take a huge leap in 2023.
Analyzing the betting odds in the Eastern Conference, the possibilities are endless. Five teams sit within the first two tiers of Finals probabilities, and it wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see a team with longer odds (Raptors, Hawks, etc.) make a surprise push further.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

With the NBA postseason drawing near, which teams have the best odds to come out of the Eastern Conference?

Betting the East: Possibilities are endless for NBA Finals contenders

Joel Embiid had 29 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 144-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Philadelphia tied its franchise record of 21 3-pointers, last set on March 1, 2020.
Tobias Harris added 23 points and had a season-high five three-pointers as the Sixers placed seven players in double figures and was able to play their bench for the majority of the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;We were able to move the ball well," Embiid said. &ldquo;I was extremely happy with the way that we played today because (of) the pace and how we moved the ball around and found our shooters.&rdquo;
James Harden had 12 points and 13 assists for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey had 19 points and four assists for the Sixers (47-30), who can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday against Cleveland.
Miles Bridges had 20 points for Charlotte, which has already wrapped up a berth in the East's play-in tournament. PJ Washington had 14 points while LaMelo Ball added 13 for the Hornets.
&ldquo;They made shots and you have to give them credit,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;They made shots. There were a few rotations where we could have been better with Embiid &mdash; the easy stuff at the rim with the rolls. Sometimes, you have to pick your poison when they hit their shots.&rdquo;
Philadelphia broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Charlotte by a 45-27 margin and hitting on 17 of 22 shots in the period, including 7 of 10 from beyond the 3-point arc to break open a 58-53 halftime edge.
&ldquo;We needed to come out in the third quarter with a lot more energy and we were able to do that,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;We were able to get out off our stops, get good looks and push the pace. When we found a good set that work, we were able to keep going to that. And we have to build off that momentum.&rdquo;
The Hornets struggled to defend the 3-point line, allowing the Sixers to shoot 21-for-43 (48.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;They made shots, but our turnovers helped give them some easy looks the other way,&rdquo; Borrego said.
Embiid scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half as Philadelphia's offense seemed to flow more through Harden, who was 4-for-15 from the floor in the Sixers' 102-94 loss at Detroit on Thursday night. Harden became more of a distributor, getting the ball to Embiid down low and Harris in the corner.
&ldquo;We're balancing everything game by game and possession by possession,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;When Tyrese and Tobi have it going on and they are being aggressive, we can put up 140. It's just me trying to make the right plays. There are nights when I'm going to have to be aggressive. It's just going possession by possession and seeing the game as it plays out.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Gordon Hayward returned to the Charlotte roster on Saturday for the first time after missing 22 games with a left ankle sprain on Feb. 7. The forward came off the bench as Hornets coach James Borrego tries to manage his minutes before Charlotte's appearance in the East's play-in tournament, scoring five points in 16 minutes.
&ldquo;The first time out of the gate, it's going to take a minute,&rdquo; Borrego said. &ldquo;He looked comfortable and I didn't see any hestitation or reservation from him. That's positive.&rdquo;
76ers: The Sixers set season highs in points (144), three-pointers made (21) and assists. ... Embiid showed reporters after the game that he has a cut at the bend point on his right middle finger that he says has been in place for a few months as a result of passing and dunking at different points. He did not indicate that the cut will force him to miss any time.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Play at Miami on Tuesday night. Miami has won the first three games between the two teams this season.
76ers: At Cleveland on Sunday. It is the first game of a three-game road trip that will serve as the final one of Philadelphia's regular season

Joel Embiid had 29 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Charlotte Hornets 144-114 on Saturday.

Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris lead 76ers to 144-114 rout of Hornets

One of Bam Adebayo&rsquo;s favorite plays of the season was during a game Miami played at Charlotte in early February, when most of the things that happened didn&rsquo;t show up on a stat sheet.
It was late in the first half. Adebayo started the possession guarding Mason Plumlee, then switched onto LaMelo Ball after a screen. Ball couldn&rsquo;t get past him, so he flipped the ball to Terry Rozier. Adebayo was waiting for him, too, so Rozier gave the ball up to Miles Bridges. With the shot clock running down, Bridges tried to drive on Adebayo.
Didn&rsquo;t work. Adebayo blocked the ensuing layup try with ease.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Bam Adebayo switched three times onto perimeter players this possession: He handled all of them. It ends with an emphatic rejection of Bridges followed by a slam on the other end. What. A. Player. Two-way monster<a href="https://twitter.com/hothothoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hothothoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HEATCulture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HEATCulture</a> <a href="https://t.co/c6XrHnRoRz">pic.twitter.com/c6XrHnRoRz</a>
&mdash; Matt Hanifan (@mph_824_) <a href="https://twitter.com/mph_824_/status/1490128662720512000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

&ldquo;I guarded three dudes in one possession,&rdquo; Adebayo said, forgetting that it was technically four. &ldquo;And a fan watching it would be like, &lsquo;OK, Bam got the block.&rsquo; They probably didn&rsquo;t see the rest of it. That&rsquo;s the thing with defense. It&rsquo;s more than who&rsquo;s got the most steals or the most blocks.&rdquo;
A panel of media voters will decide later this month on the NBA&rsquo;s awards for this season, and Adebayo isn&rsquo;t shy about saying that he thinks he merits consideration as the league&rsquo;s Defensive Player of the Year. It&rsquo;s a tough club to break into with perennial candidates like Utah&rsquo;s Rudy Gobert, Golden State&rsquo;s Draymond Green and the Milwaukee duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday all obviously worthy, plus with Boston&rsquo;s Marcus Smart and Phoenix&rsquo;s Mikal Bridges deservedly getting plenty of attention this season as well.
The Eastern Conference-leading Heat, who still try to prioritize defense even in this era of higher scores than a decade ago, say Adebayo is equally &mdash; if not more &mdash; deserving, with Miami coach Erik Spoelstra insisting that his center makes an imprint on the game &ldquo;like few can in this Association.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We want him to put his fingerprints on the game defensively in all different kinds of ways, in a lot of different schemes and guarding really every position, one through five,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s legit. That&rsquo;s not just a saying. Every single night at some point he will guard every single player ... and he&rsquo;s one of the few guys in the league that can do that.&rdquo;
Adebayo was one of three players with a first-place DPOY vote last year, with Gobert &mdash; the runaway winner &mdash; getting 84 and runner-up Ben Simmons, now with Brooklyn, getting 15. Adebayo got the other.
He finished fourth in the overall voting a year ago, after finishing fifth in 2019-20.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s in that mix now,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I think just the versatility that he brings, that&rsquo;s what separates, to me, the best defenders in the league &mdash; the versatility to guard multiple positions, multiple actions, to roam and protect teammates. He does all of that. He can guard one through five on switches. He is absolutely elite.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Adebayo is having his best season for the Heat, averaging 19.0 points and 10.3 rebounds, along with a career-best 1.5 steals per game and nearly one block per contest. The steals and blocks numbers aren&rsquo;t overwhelming, but that&rsquo;s also the point to Adebayo&rsquo;s argument.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s one of those things where, in our game, everybody looks at the final column &mdash; how many points did you score or just what&rsquo;s on that sheet,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like that dictates your total impact on the game. And that&rsquo;s not the way the game works. It&rsquo;s like defense doesn&rsquo;t matter, until it does.&rdquo;
Adebayo has a long list of players that he thinks are at the top of the top right now defensively. He says Holiday, Mikal Bridges, Green and his Miami teammate P.J. Tucker should all be among those in the conversation.
But he&rsquo;s also not afraid to state his case.
&ldquo;In my mind, I think I&rsquo;m the Defensive Player of the Year,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;To me, defense is all about pride. My teammates let me be who I am because they know that if I put my fingerprints on a game, good things can happen.&rdquo;

Bam Adebayo believes he deserves this season's Defensive Player of the Year award, and he explains his reasoning.