Fighting Saints

Which top rookie in the class of 2021 will end up being the best long-term? Mat Issa breaks down the case for each young stud.

Why they are all special: A guide to the top-five NBA rookies

Eight places.
The 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies' offense has improved eight places from its 15th-ranked placement last season. What&rsquo;s so different about this year&rsquo;s unit? Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillion Brooks, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson are all still here. Jaren Jackson Jr. is finally healthy, but he&rsquo;s still more of a defensively-calibrated player at this stage of the game.&nbsp;
What gives? Hmm...
Well, let&rsquo;s see what Cleaning the Glass has to say about this&hellip;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-07-at-1-20-21-am_lg.png" alt="" width="647" height="442" />
*Wipes tired eyes aggressively and looks again*
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-08-at-5-42-06-am_lg.png" alt="" width="585" height="267" />
Holy crap. It&rsquo;s none other than Steven Adams atop the offense points per possession differential.&nbsp;
Now, you don&rsquo;t need me to remind you that on/off data can be extremely noisy and that Adams is probably not the Grizzlies&rsquo; best offensive player. But if you do a little digging in the weeds, there is something to Adams being such a positive on that end of the floor. Since the 2016-17 season, Adams has finished in the <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/21/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">77th percentile or higher</a> in this category &mdash; despite playing on three different teams during this time frame.
On this current team, all of the Grizzlies I mentioned earlier (with the lone exception being Jackson) average higher True Shooting percentages with Adams on the floor than with him on the bench (per PBP Stats).
I know what you&rsquo;re thinking now: Is this guy some sort of wizard?
No, but what he is doing for this offense is pretty darn magical.
Offensive Rebounding
The worst kept secret in the NBA is that Adams is an elite offensive rebounder. He&rsquo;s ranked in the 91st percentile or higher in that avenue since 2017-18 (per Cleaning the Glass). You don&rsquo;t need film study to tell you that.&nbsp;
But you do need it to explain this:
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On the surface, this play looks like the typical Morant bull rush on the rim. However, look a little closer, and you&rsquo;ll see that center Thomas Bryant doesn&rsquo;t even attempt to contest Morant&rsquo;s shot &mdash; or go for the board on the miss &mdash; because he&rsquo;s too concerned with preventing this from happening again:
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That&rsquo;s right, six offensive rebounds in one quarter. Adams so thoroughly punctured the soul of his opponent that Bryant would rather invite Morant to the rim than leave Adams free to run wild in the box.
The best part about Adams&rsquo; work on the glass is that it doesn&rsquo;t bleed too much value from their transition defense. The Grizzlies still have the <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/team/15/team#tab-context_trans_defense">11th-ranked</a> fastbreak defense and the No. 7 defensive unit in those scenarios overall.
Screening
Advantage creation comes in many flavors (speed, strength, guile, etc.), and for Adams, his tool for power play initiation is the subheading of this section. This season, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle/?sort=SCREEN_ASSISTS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only three players</a> average over the 5.4 screen assists per game that Adams is good for on a nightly basis. And similar to how a boxer develops many different deliveries for landing a punch, Adams has schemed a handful of clever tricks for deploying his body shield without garnering an offensive foul.
His favorite move consists of him positioning himself for a screen and then, at the very last second, subtly jerking himself forward a half-step to latch onto the ball-handler&rsquo;s defender for an extra half-second.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Three baskets in the third quarter for Morant in part due to some great screens by Adams that help get the feisty Thybulle away from him momentarily. <a href="https://t.co/Rl4wTb2Hix">pic.twitter.com/Rl4wTb2Hix</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1490451694534246403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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When he&rsquo;s not spamming that nifty little parlor trick, Adams shows the other cards in his deck some love. He can be randomly hulking down the court, then suddenly stop on a dime and set a pick. He can execute the screen version of putting a defender in jail. And he&rsquo;ll even try setting up a barrier while he and his ball-handler are both in the paint.
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The hidden value that Adams&rsquo; screening provides permeates into his teams&rsquo; pick-and-roll numbers, as both the New Orleans Pelicans and Grizzlies improved in this department upon his arrival.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Check this out: Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler PPP Pelicans 19-20 (w/o Adams): 30th Pelicans 20-21 (w/Adams): 16th Pelicans 21-22 (w/o Adams): 28th Grizzlies 20-21 (w/o Adams): 25th Grizzlies 21-22 (w/Adams): 17th A lot of other variables at play in all of this, but wow🤯🤯
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1489639468835422212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Even more important for the Grizzlies is the effect he&rsquo;s having on their two offensive cornerstones in Morant and Bane.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">Player</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler ('20-21)*
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler ('21-22)*
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">
Morant
</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
41st percentile
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
74th percentile
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">
Bane
</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
11th percentile
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
52nd percentile
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Data provided by NBA.com
Again, not all this growth can be attributed to the arrival of Adams, but man has his solid frame sure made navigating ball-screens easier for those two.
Passing
The most shocking revelation I had during my analysis was that Steven Adams is a pretty darn good passer. His 8.5 passer rating gives him the seventh-highest score in the league and the third-highest score among big men behind passing savants Draymond Green and Nikola Jokic (per Backpicks).
This score, of course, by no means vaults him into the top tier of passing big men. It&rsquo;s fair to deduce that his high standing in that measure is, in part, due to his conservative passing style.&nbsp;
On this play, there&rsquo;s probably a split-second window available for Adams to hit Bane on his cut to the rim, but Adams opts against it and chooses to live to fight another day. Nothing wrong with that. He just won't be bending the defense too often with that sort of prerogative.
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Still, the passes he does choose to participate in are performed crisply. As both <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2021/12/20/22834086/the-balancing-force-of-steven-adams-nba-memphis-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parker Fleming</a> and Basketball News&rsquo; own <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2022/1/21/22888990/the-inverted-two-man-game-of-steven-adams-and-desmond-bane-jokic-draymond-wiggins-curry-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Lewis</a>, note in breakdowns for Grizzly Bear Blues, Adams has great synergy with the team&rsquo;s perimeter players, and he's no stranger to diming them up on cuts to the rim.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
You can see where Ziaire Williams has been watching that Desmond Bane tape! Really good off-ball movement here on the give-and-go. Steven Adams continues to be fantastic at hitting cutters <a href="https://t.co/fLWn8hJJaM">pic.twitter.com/fLWn8hJJaM</a>
&mdash; Parker Fleming (@PAKA_FLOCKA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PAKA_FLOCKA/status/1479501108284428290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;We've got a great relationship,&rdquo; Desmond Bane&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-cementing-himself-as-essential-part-of-nextgen-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said of Adams in a recent exclusive with BasketballNews.com</a>. &ldquo;He seems like he's always finding me &mdash; whether it's backdoor cuts or handoffs or whatever the case may be. Steve-O's a great teammate to play with... You obviously gotta use your mind and use your smarts to your ability. I watch a lot of film and study a lot of different players and just try to pick up on some of their tendencies that work [against] them."
What&rsquo;s more, Adams can fuse his other offensive superpowers with his passing.
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In this first play, he runs a dribble handoff action with Tyus Jones and gifts him a clean look by stonewalling his defender with a screen. In the second, instead of corralling the offensive board and restarting the possession, he has the presence of mind to volley the ball to an open shooter. Either way, Adams is creating great looks for his teammates.&nbsp;
The Grizzlies are the promising bunch &mdash; there is no question. What&rsquo;s equally without a doubt is the important role their overwhelmingly talented young core will play in the team&rsquo;s future success. That&rsquo;s a discussion for a later period in the timeline though.
Right now, let&rsquo;s relish the integral role Adams plays in the present-day version of this team. He&rsquo;s their possession extender, their pick-and-roll enforcer, and their sneakily solid two-man game playmaker.
But most importantly of all, he&rsquo;s their gatekeeper.
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Mat Issa breaks down Steven Adams' importance to the Grizzlies, his impact on the offensive end and more.

Steven Adams: The gatekeeper of the Grizzlies' offense

The New Orleans Pelicans believe that Jonas Valanciunas will play a crucial role for their team going forward, as he can help unlock Zion Williamson's game by making an impact inside (as a rebounder and shot-blocker) and out (as a three-point shooter who provides spacing). That's why the Pelicans agreed to lock up Valanciunas for two additional years via a $30.1 million extension earlier this week, ensuring that the 29-year-old will remain with New Orleans throughout his prime.
It isn&rsquo;t easy to find a center who can do everything the Pelicans are asking. After all, Valanciunas was the only player in the NBA to average at least 12.0 rebounds per game while shooting 35.0% from three-point range last year, which is why the Pelicans went out and traded for him this offseason.
New Orleans acquired the 29-year-old from the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a three-team deal where the Pels traded away Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe.
Valanciunas was dealt after a career-year in which he averaged 17.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 59.2% from the field, 36.8% from three and 77.3% from the free-throw line. His 12.5 rebounds ranked third-best in the NBA, and his average of 4.1 offensive rebounds per game was second-best in the league. He posted a career-high 49 double-doubles, and he grabbed his 5,000th career rebound on Dec. 30.&nbsp;
Now, the Pelicans are hoping he can provide the same kind of versatility and production over the next three years.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He can do a little bit of everything &mdash; post up, early entry, set great screens, great roller, he can shoot the ball,&rdquo; Kira Lewis Jr. said of Valanciunas. &ldquo;He really doesn't have any holes as far as a big man, so he's a big piece to our team&rsquo;s success, and I'm looking forward to how he keeps playing down the season."
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The big man won over head coach Willie Green with his effort and competitiveness during the preseason when he refused to take any plays off. He even got thrown out of the Pelicans&rsquo; exhibition against the Orlando Magic after picking up a pair of technicals.
&ldquo;He's a competitor,&rdquo; Coach Green said. &ldquo;Jonas, he gets in there and mixes it up. Look, he got two technicals in preseason! He got kicked out! I haven't seen that before. I'm not paying his fine, but I don't mind the fact that he's trying to set the tone."
Green is excited to have Valanciunas for the next three years, and he pointed out that JV can also provide veteran leadership (which is something New Orleans lacked last season). The 10-year vet made a similar impact last season in Memphis, where he helped the young Grizzlies win 38 games and make the playoffs.
&ldquo;Jonas brings a veteran presence to our team,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;He can post, he can shoot the ball from outside. More than that, he's a great guy to have around. He's done it for a number of years now and we need his know-how.&rdquo;
The Pelicans have a number of new faces including Valanciunas, Devonte&rsquo; Graham, Trey Murphy III, Tomas Satoransky and Garrett Temple among others. The team will need to develop chemistry as the year goes on &mdash; and Zion is currently out for a bit after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot &mdash; but there&rsquo;s no question that the Pelicans have a high ceiling once they get to full strength. 
&ldquo;There's a lot of new guys, [and] we all are trying to learn each other,&rdquo; Naji Marshall said. &ldquo;Just like Coach Green is trying to learn us, we're trying to learn him, so it's a chemistry thing. As the season goes on, we'll get better... It's all great vibes on and off the court. We just have to learn each other &mdash; how we like the ball, how we move and stuff, just some small chemistry things, easy fixes that come with time and reps."
New Orleans is hoping to end its three-year postseason drought and become a perennial playoff team, with Valanciunas playing a huge role on and off the court.

The Pelicans brought in Jonas Valanciunas for many reasons, but his veteran mentorship and competitive attitude stand out.

Pelicans made right decision to extend Jonas Valanciunas

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for January 12, 2021.
Deer in the Headlights 
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there is just no reason giannis should be taking a charge against anyone lmbo <a href="https://t.co/dnvCoTAEIT">https://t.co/dnvCoTAEIT</a>
&mdash; Karens In Paris (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1348812450695700481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It wasn't the most conventional poster of all time, but Aaron Gordon took flight and put it down over the Greek Freak. AG 1, Giannis 0.
Find the Cracks
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This was an absurd dish <a href="https://t.co/0ieoDjBFJW">pic.twitter.com/0ieoDjBFJW</a>
&mdash; Jake Paynting (@jakepaynting) <a href="https://twitter.com/jakepaynting/status/1348521218408734722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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D'Angelo Russell's Minnesota Timberwolves are having a rough go right now, but they did snap a seven-game skid against the San Antonio Spurs because of beautiful feeds like this one.
The Sunshine State 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Siakam coming alive during the road trip only furthers my theory that he&rsquo;s allergic to Florida.
&mdash; i. (@_nopename) <a href="https://twitter.com/_nopename/status/1348837593954349056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Wait, this tweet isn't about Kyle Lowry?
Is This a Video Game? 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
me <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLonFOX</a> 🤝 shooting video with low aperture <a href="https://t.co/wUQVPgka9h">pic.twitter.com/wUQVPgka9h</a>
&mdash; Shahbaz Khan (@ShahbazMKhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShahbazMKhan/status/1348819197409841152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Seriously, the quality of these cameras are... scary. We're already in the future, folks.
NO FOX GIVEN 
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De'Aaron Fox with the CLUTCH dunk: <a href="https://t.co/eWUcPqwssN">pic.twitter.com/eWUcPqwssN</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1348862986820194312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Easily the play of the night. Swipa was not to be denied on this play and his yell during the crucial jam let all of us know it.
Fun Guy 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I just realized once kawhi leonard retires, we will never hear from him or see him again <a href="https://t.co/ws2m95Flic">pic.twitter.com/ws2m95Flic</a>
&mdash; mink flow (@currypiston) <a href="https://twitter.com/currypiston/status/1348755797778571266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Post-retirement Kawhi will probably take up a random sport like tennis in his leisure time. Or maybe golf -- imagine his exuberance after getting a hole-in-one. Simply an amazing picture.
"Off the Grid"
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kyrie in the NBA tryna work remotely
&mdash; Playing PS5 mid pandemic (@TheyCallMeAzul) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheyCallMeAzul/status/1348819944507658243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Aren't we all at this point? And while there's nothing wrong with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-investigating-kyrie-irving-family-birthday-party-attendance-maskless-miss-week-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking some time off to celebrate some family birthdays</a>, there are protocols with the job.
Dean Dean! 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Knicks after losing 3 straight after their good start to the season: <a href="https://t.co/ubFAckUbuQ">pic.twitter.com/ubFAckUbuQ</a>
&mdash; 6 Seasons and a Moving Screen (@NBAGreendale) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAGreendale/status/1348818311782526976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Wait, there's a Community NBA Twitter account?! Why did nobody say anything?!
Chino Hills' Finest 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Lamelo Ball has an extremely bright future ahead of him. The real deal. <a href="https://twitter.com/MELOD1P?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELOD1P</a> 🌊🌊 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/artwork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#artwork</a> Playing around with different styles/concepts! Which version do you like? <a href="https://t.co/BPTGAoRu3r">pic.twitter.com/BPTGAoRu3r</a>
&mdash; ⚛Chelique☯ (@Che1ique) <a href="https://twitter.com/Che1ique/status/1348739697124716544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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This fan mock-up of LaMelo Ball with these backgrounds is as pretty as his full-court pass to Gordon Hayward on Monday night.
Oh, Commisioner
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Adam Silver addressing the Sixers before each game <a href="https://t.co/MQrqQeiVy6">pic.twitter.com/MQrqQeiVy6</a>
&mdash; Sixers in 6 (@SI6pod) <a href="https://twitter.com/SI6pod/status/1348699346066419721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The NBA is doing its best to strengthen the current health and safety protocols to fend off COVID-19, but it's just taking over the league right now. Mr. Silver, there's a whole second-half of a schedule for postponed games. You know, you designed it!
Happy Birthday, X! 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
RT to wish <a href="https://twitter.com/Rookiedunker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rookiedunker</a> a happy birthday 🎉 <a href="https://t.co/e5fFHTxohp">pic.twitter.com/e5fFHTxohp</a>
&mdash; Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz/status/1348986443356639232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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What better than a team win, chipping in eight points and blocking two shots to celebrate?
See a tweet that should be featured in tomorrow's Tweet of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our staff scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for Jan. 12, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: January 12, 2021

Nekias Duncan looks ahead to how the five teams in the Southwest Division will fare in the upcoming NBA season.

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

LeBron James had 33 points, 9 boards, 9 assists, Anthony Davis had 32 points, and the Lakers took a 2-0 lead over the Heat in the Finals.

Lakers beat Heat for 2-0 Finals lead

Here is the latest news on the Top 25 Free Agents in the NBA for the 2014-15 season, as ranked by Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.