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Thunder

Despite their recent playoffs ousting <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chris-pauls-masterclass-game-6-performance-the-latest-moment-of-greatness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at the hands of Chris Paul</a>, the future for the New Orleans Pelicans feels much brighter than most projected at the turn of the year. Three rookies combined to play 32% of Willie Green's rotational minutes, including lineups that contained all three. It's not often that a singular rookie plays positive minutes in a competitive playoff series, and it's near unheard of to have a trio doing the same.
Trey Murphy III, the 17th overall pick in last year's draft, and Jose Alvarado, the undrafted free agent signing who steadily garnered a cult following this year, had huge moments in this series.&nbsp;
Herbert Jones stood above the rest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Still thinking about this from Herb <a href="https://t.co/4SVi3fLkM0">pic.twitter.com/4SVi3fLkM0</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1520109239884292096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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If you follow me and my work, your timeline has been absolutely littered with clips and musings about the southpaw forward dating back to Summer League.
His defensive play has stood out since he was at Alabama, where he was the 2020-21 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and 2x SEC All-Defense, and that's what allowed him to make his mark for the Pelicans this season. How good was his defense? We had him on our Second Team All-Defense during our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive awards roundtable</a> with myself, Jackson Frank, and Nekias Duncan.
Jones is not just awesome for a rookie; he's awesome period and has legitimately staked his claim as one of the best defenders in basketball.
His help instincts are fantastic. He makes rotations and defensive slides with a consistent intensity that few can match. Jones is a stonewall at the point of attack and already might be the best screen navigator in the league. He's adept at utilizing his hands and feet simultaneously to keep the ball in front. What makes him special to me as a defender is his body control. Considering how much time he spends defending primary options, it's remarkable that he didn't have a higher foul rate: 4.1% was in the 25th percentile this year per Cleaning the Glass, but that doesn't take into account defensive responsibility.
Jones finished 6th in BBall Index's matchup difficulty ranking, which gauges the players guarded and adjusts their defensive metrics accordingly. Jones had the fourth-lowest foul rate out of the top six defenders in matchup difficulty. He ended behind Dorian Finney-Smith, De'Andre Hunter, and Luguentz Dort but just ahead of Dillon Brooks and Matisse Thybulle.
Defense is the foundation of Jones' game, but we've seen numerous defense-first prospects come into the league and struggle to establish a larger role on their respective roster. Jones became a full-time starter at the end of November, averaging 31.3 minutes per game from November 24th to the end of the regular season. He closed games for the Pelicans. He took on more ball-handling duties both in bringing the ball up the court and some secondary offensive actions.
How did we get here? How did Herb Jones go from, "He could be a useful rotation player," to viable NBA starter?
Oddly enough, Jones has shown a greater level of touch in the NBA than he ever did in four years at Alabama, which is a wild thing to ponder.
Let's pull back the covers here.
According to Instat Scouting, Jones shot 35.6% on drives as a senior at Alabama (104 attempts) and 34.5% for his career. As a rookie in the NBA, Jones shot 46% on drives according to Second Spectrum tracking data (137 attempts). That is an astounding growth!&nbsp;
For reference, if Herb had shot 35.6% in the league, that would've made him the fourth least efficient finisher of drives in the league (1.5 FGA on drives per game, at least 40 games played). While 46% is still a bit below average, it can't be undersold what an upgrade that is.
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As a driver at Alabama, Jones really struggled with decceleration. He was fantastic at getting to the rim, but he was equally adept at smothering himself once he got there. There was fairly minimal pacing to his delivery. There were a ton of awkward footing jumps. So many of his attempts at the rim just felt off before they even left his hand. The handle is quite solid for his size, but the exchange from the floor to the rim felt clunky.
In the NBA, Jones gets to attack off the catch more and benefit from stepping into downhill attacks, yet he's better even with the ball in his hands.
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He's thrown in more hesitation and stutters. He's using the rim more to protect some of his drives and attempts rather than trying to force up a tough touch shot after barreling into the paint. The footwork is a good deal more crisp than last season, and he seems better at getting skinny through tight spaces in traffic.
He still has some really rough misses. Late help or an eager low man can clean up his shots. He doesn't have a ton of counters right now. He was 3-for-21 on floaters this year on drives according to InStat, which is about where he was at Alabama. He still has some "Woah, what was that?" type misses, but it's hard to deny both in watching and via data that he has better touch. It's been one of the weirdest things to follow this year, and finally pulling the numbers was startling.
Let's peel back another layer.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 154px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">Season</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">3 Point Percentage</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">3 Point Attempts</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">Free Throw Percentage</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">Free Throw Attempts</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2017-18 (Freshman)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">26.9%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7/26</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">50%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">24/48</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2018-19 (Sophomore)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">28.6%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">6/21</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">49.5%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">52/105</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2019-20 (Junior)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7.1%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1/14</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">62.5%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">65/104</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2020-21 (Senior)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">35.1%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">20/57</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">71.3%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">92/129</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2021-22 (NBA)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">33.7%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">57/169</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">84%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">137/163</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Data courtesy of Basketball Reference and College Reference
Again, astounding development.&nbsp;
I'm not comfortable in saying what level of shooter he could be in time, but to go from where he was two years ago to now is an insane growth curve.
He was ignored as a shooter at Alabama last year, and while he eventually was in the playoffs most of the time this year, the growth in confidence was immense. His shot was a bit up and down, but Pels shooting coach Fred Vinson, along with Jones' work ethic, has seemingly been a Dragon Ball-Z esque fusion dance combination.
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At Alabama, he brings the ball across his face from right to left on the release, and while he's squared up, his feet are pretty close together with a notable valgus collapse (reverse "V" shape with knees).
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In the NBA, the ball isn't coming all the way across his body anymore. There's still the valgus collapse, but it's not as pronounced, giving him a much cleaner shot overall that's easier to replicate.
He has a very good feel for the game and excellent court vision, which he put on display throughout much of his amateur career, but his improved efficacy as a driver allows him to showcase more live dribble playmaking rather than strictly connecting plays. Drawing closeouts as a shooter and having the ability to run actions or spark plays as a secondary initiator allows him to flex those playmaking chops.
The gains he's made this season have arguably made him the most viable he's ever been as an offensive creator. He already has the basis to be a starter on a playoff team, because he was one this year. While every player has some sort of ceiling due to physical limitations or other limitations in their game, it's hard to put a cap on what his ceiling might be.
If you'd asked me last year whether or not I thought Herb Jones could be a starter in the NBA, I probably would've said it was unlikely barring some sizable growth. Well, that sizable growth has happened.
The level of defender that Jones is, along with an already solid baseline of offensive plays, will allow him something that many prospects struggle to get: playing time. Because he can already do impactful things on the court, he'll continue to get incredibly valuable in-game reps. The G-League is great, but getting to craft your game at the highest level is an entirely different developmental scenario.
Could Jones be an All-Star someday? I can't rule it out. He's already blown me away with his growth. I wouldn't bet on it happening, but I certainly wouldn't bet against it either.
Can he take more steps as a ball-handler or find some extra bend as a driver? I wouldn't call him a stiff driver, but he doesn't generate crazy power with his first step. If there's some added flexibility in his legs, maybe he gets an extra oomph of burst.
Can he find more with his touch outside of just his jump-shot from three? Herb took 53 jumpers inside the arc and hit 35.8% of them according to InStat. Is there some pull-up viability in time? Can he factor in more pacing and craft out of ball-screens? Can all these things compound into him becoming capable of carrying a larger creation burden?
Again, I'm not sure, but the point remains that higher pathways are within reach as he continues to develop. Herb Jones is already a star in his role, and there might be more there than meets the eye or that can be ascertained on paper when taking his full developmental journey into context.

After a remarkable rookie season from Herbert Jones, what can we take away from his play and project about his future?

Reassessing Herb Jones' upside

Although some top-tier players who were expected to hit free agency this coming summer have already signed extensions, the 2022 NBA free-agent class will feature quite a few stars.
After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top-10-guards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examining the best guards up for grabs in free agency</a>, let's rank the top free-agent forwards set to hit the open market this summer:
1. Miles Bridges &mdash; Charlotte Hornets &mdash; Restricted
Charlotte reportedly offered Miles Bridges a contract extension worth $60 million over four years this past summer, which was rejected. With Bridges exploding this season (averaging a career-high 20.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists), the Hornets' front office likely regrets not upping that offer, as the stud power forward is now in line for a massive pay raise. He is one of only five players in the NBA this season to have knocked down at least 125 three-pointers while also averaging at least 20/7/3. The other five players are LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns.
2. Luguentz Dort &mdash; Oklahoma City Thunder &mdash; Team Option
Lu Dort established himself as one of the league's elite young defenders early on in his career. This season, he has proven he is also capable of putting up points on the offensive end. Before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery earlier this month, Dort was averaging 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.5 made three-pointers. Over his final eight games, he averaged more than 23 points a night. The Thunder front office has an interesting decision to make. If OKC exercises its team option, Dort can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023. However, he would be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $58 million in that scenario. Dort would become a restricted free agent this July if the option is declined.&nbsp;
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3. Marvin Bagley III &mdash; Detroit Pistons &mdash; Restricted
A trade from Sacramento to Detroit has given Marvin Bagley a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-marvin-bagley-iii-shed-the-bust-label-with-the-pistons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much-needed opportunity to revive his career</a>. He has scored in double-digits in each of his last seven games for the Pistons, and is averaging 16.0 points (on 56.7% shooting), 7.3 rebounds and a steal during this current stretch. According to Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com, "the most plausible scenario &mdash; unless Bagley is completely sold on his long-term fit in Detroit &mdash; is to sign a one-year qualifying offer to make him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023."
4. Robert Covington &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Unrestricted
Robert Covington, who is now on his fifth team in the past four years following the trade that sent him from Portland to Los Angeles, has seen his production decline in recent seasons. However, the 31-year-old RoCo is still capable of contributing on both ends of the floor due to his 3-and-D skill set.
5. Jae'Sean Tate &mdash; Houston Rockets &mdash; Team Option
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Undrafted in 2020, Jae'Sean Tate earned his way onto the NBA's All-Rookie team last season by averaging 11.3 points, 5.3 boards, 2.5 dimes and 1.2 steals. Despite logging fewer minutes this season, Tate has increased his scoring (12.3 PPG), rebounding (5.5 RPG) and assist (3.0 APG) averages. The Rockets can retain Tate for the 2022-23 campaign by picking up a team option worth just $1.8 million.
6. Nicolas Batum &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Player Option
It seems as though Nic Batum has been around forever, but he's only 33 and has proven this season that he has plenty of treads left on his tires. Although his stats don't jump off the page, nearly everyone in the Clippers organization has raved about how much Batum brings to the table &mdash; both on the court and inside the locker room &mdash; as a respected leader. Los Angeles, playing without its two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, has greatly exceeded expectations this season, and Batum, one of LA's most valuable all-around players, is a significant reason why. He'll have plenty of interested suitors this summer. Expect him to opt out and cash in.&nbsp;
7. Chris Boucher &mdash; Toronto Raptors &mdash; Unrestricted
Chris Boucher is in the second season of a two-year, $13.5 million pact he signed in 2020. After averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 2020-21, his production and efficiency have dipped in 2021-22. He shot 38.3% from downtown last season, but that number has fallen below 29% this year, as his scoring average has dropped to 9.1 points per contest. However, it's worth noting that Raps are allowing just 105.3 points per 100 possessions with Boucher on the floor, and that his Net Rating of plus-4.9 is tops on the team, just ahead of Pascal Siakam (plus-4.5).
8. Thaddeus Young &mdash; Toronto Raptors &mdash; Unrestricted
Thad Young played well for Chicago in 2020-21 (averaging 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in just 24 minutes a night), but had spent most of this current season in and out of the Spurs' rotation prior to being traded to Toronto in February. A consummate professional who's well respected around the league, Young should draw plenty of interest from contenders looking for a reliable vet to bring off the bench.&nbsp;
9. Joe Ingles &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; Unrestricted
Unfortunately, in late January, Joe Ingles suffered a torn ACL in his left knee that ended his 2021-22 campaign. Over the past few seasons, he has been one of the league's more efficient long-range snipers (he averaged a career-high 12.1 points and 2.7 made three-pointers per game in 2020-21); however, the Aussie swingman will be 35 years old in October and working his way back from a major injury to boot. On the bright side, Ingles' game was never predicated on athleticism. He said last month he has "zero doubt" he'll be playing in the NBA again.
10. T.J. Warren &mdash; Indiana Pacers &mdash; Unrestricted
T.J. Warren was a beast in the Orlando Bubble at the end of the 2019-20 season, when he averaged 31.0 points, 6.3 boards and 3.7 made treys. That said, he played just four games last season, and hasn't set foot on an NBA court during the entire 2021-22 campaign. He'll have to provide medicals to any team interested, but he's still just 28 years old. Some team will likely roll the dice on a one-year, make-good contract in hopes of Warren resurrecting his career.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest:
Otto Porter, Kyle Anderson, P.J. Tucker, Derrick Jones Jr., Carmelo Anthony, Hamidou Diallo (team option), Al-Farouq Aminu, Andre Iguodala, Taurean Prince, Blake Griffin, Caleb Martin, Jeff Green, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Cody Martin
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Tommy Beer ranks the top forwards who could be available as a part of the 2022 NBA free-agent class.

2022 NBA Free Agency Preview: Ranking the top-10 forwards

Lu Dort, Oklahoma City's No. 2 scorer, will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to address a cartilage tear in his left shoulder.
Dort joins reserves Ty Jerome and Mike Muscala as Thunder players who had procedures on Tuesday, the team announced.
Dort, a well-established defensive guard, stepped up his offensive game this season and averaged 17.2 points per contest. The team said he is expected to return to full basketball activities before next season.
Muscala, a power forward and center, had procedures to repair his injured right ankle. The crowd favorite averaged 8.0 points in 43 games and shot 42.9% from 3-point range. He is expected to return to full basketball activities prior to the start of the 2022-23 season.
Jerome, who plays guard and small forward, had surgery to repair a sports hernia. He averaged 7.1 points in 48 games. He is expected to return to full basketball activities in approximately eight weeks.
The Thunder already were without starting point guard Josh Giddey (right hip) and don't expect him back for at least a few weeks.

Dort joins reserves Ty Jerome and Mike Muscala as Thunder players who had procedures on Tuesday, the team announced.

Lu Dort has season-ending left shoulder procedure

I have a particular affinity for whiteboards. My thoughts are pretty unorganized and the most random thoughts about Jalen Duren's potential as a short-roller or Chimezie Metu's face-up game will come to me at any odd hour of the day. Expo markers and whiteboards all around me are an absolute must and godsend. I have three in my room, one dedicated strictly to future story ideas and league wide trends I'm curious about. One constant on that board since mid-November; Why are the Oklahoma City Thunder good at defense?
The defense has been above league average for the majority of the season, they have length and athleticism, and a few defenders who routinely stand out in watching. Yet, I couldn't really point my finger as to&nbsp;why.
Due to the public plea from Alex Speers (listen to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/down-to-dunk-okc-thunder-podcast/id599740073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Down to Dunk</a>), I finally made it a mission to really get into the thick of it and get a better view of what makes the Thunder such an effective defensive team.
Per Cleaning the Glass, OKC is 12th in defensive efficiency on the season: Not bad, above average, but nothing crazy. Ultimately, better than I'd expect (They finished in 26th last season, but were above average prior to Al Horford sitting the remainder of the season).
Fine tune it a bit more; they're 10th in defense in 2022. Ok, we've got something here.
Flip through a few more lenses, choose between one and two, and cycle to the halfcourt: The Thunder have allowed 90.7 points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt since the turn of the year, the third best mark in the league. That's not just good, that's bordering on elite. For perspective, the Utah Jazz were first in halfcourt defensive efficiency last season and allowed 91.3 pp/100.&nbsp;
Ok man, what is going on here?! Where has this come from?
Oddly enough, the Thunder told us themselves early in the season in a 56 second video (Sidenote: How does this video only have ~300 views? It has great production value, a sick beat and what more could you want frankly?)
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As Darius Bazley tells us "If a guy's going for a layup or a dunk, that's a moment of truth, whether you're gonna take the charge or you're gonna go up to attempt to block it or verticality."
This is the first piece of the puzzle. The Thunder contest everything at the rim. While not necessarily an indicator of defense one way or another, the Thunder lead the NBA in contests per game according to Second Spectrum (partially because of something we'll hit on in a bit).
They don't generate steals or blocks at an above average rate, they lack a true defensive anchor at the five spot, and yet, they make it work. However, that's part of the charm in OKC's defense.&nbsp;
Legendary (and somehow underrated) rap duo, Gang Starr, had an incredible album called Moment of Truth, including a track of the same name. First of all, this is one of the few 20 track double-sided albums that's worth it. Secondly, I'd like to think Mark Daigneault is just a massive fan of Gang Starr and built this mantra with Guru's lyrics in mind, and Premo's beat as the foundation.
"Peep the language. It's universal, you play with fire it may hurt you."
The Oklahoma City Thunder simply do NOT play with fire. Everything about their defense is solid. Their whole identity is crafted around managing firepower. Gum up what the offense wants and force them into really difficult looks without gambling.
They allow the 2nd fewest attempts at the rim in 2022 (4th on the season), while holding opponents to 62.6% shooting at the rim over the same span (5th). They squeeze offenses to only 27.1% of all shots coming within four feet of the basket.&nbsp;
OKC's mission every possession is to shrink the floor, slow drives, take away the open lanes, and chew the clock.
This is the defense before the first action.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/start-of-set_lg.png" alt="" />
This is the defense after the first action hits.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/after-screen_lg.png" alt="" />
All five Thunder defenders shrink the floor; Aaron Wiggins cheats off Nikola Vucevic in help for Lu Dort if LaVine chooses to drive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander high tags off of Ayo Dosunmu to speed bumpo a Vucevic roll (below average above the break shooter), and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl pre-rotates as the low-man, another added line of defense.
They almost operate like a slinky, capable of consistently compressing and stretching to adapt to the action presented to them.
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Preventing quick rolls and neutralizing pick-and-rolls before they can fully develop puts out those fires before they can spread. The Thunder are willing to just stay solid and concede a contested pull-up two (2nd most allowed in 2022 per Cleaning the Glass), where they get torched in all fairness as opponents shoot an undgodly 53.3%, but part of that is shot luck/variance, and that's still a more difficult shot than anything at the rim.
"Nobody's invincible, no plan is foolproof."
You'd think a team that routinely plays without a true defensive five would switch a great deal, but that's not the Thunder's motive!&nbsp;
They can and do switch fairly often, but they're adept at late-switching with backend rotations in tandem to stem the tide. The communication and team trust is apparent.
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Dort gets stonewalled by an immaculate Bruce Brown screen. Wiggins is normally going to show high and recover to Brown on his slowed roll as JRE high tags with SGA pre-rotating backline.
However, Wiggins switches with Dort out of the picture, Dort recovers to take Day'Ron Sharpe under the rim as SGA closes back out to Kessler Edwards. A fantastic defensive possession all-around.
Opposing teams will mix-in different screening angles to try and force switches, and the Thunder again are adept at switching actively, but also under control.&nbsp;
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They time their switches well, they don't bite too hard, and they know their length, making it hard for opposition to take any sort of advantage out of the ballscreen.
So yes, no plan is foolproof, but the Thunder almost revel in that. Dort is an exceptional man to man defender, but their money is made working as one, holding a sort of defensive battle line in what they are and aren't willing to concede, and utilizing their strengths (length and communication) to ward off drives.&nbsp;
They rarely close-out hard to the perimeter, choosing instead to instill choppin feet out to shooters. There's no right or wrong way to close-out in my opinion, but the Thunder choose this seemingly to further embody their ethos of staying solid without allowing drives to the heart of the court. Some shooting luck has benefitted them from above the break misses (2nd in non-corner 3-point percentage allowed in 2022), but the plan is executed well.
"Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge."
One of the other aspects I love about the Thunder defense is their willingness to differentiate looks based on personnel.&nbsp;
They'll often play back-up five Mike Muscala in a short drop, but call quick blitzes based on the shot clock and ball-handler.&nbsp;
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They're selective with pressure, but when they do it, they're 100% committed.
If an offense starts to throw in Spain actions (pick and roll with a backscreen and replacement to the arc) or similar differentiations to throw off the regular defense, that's fine! The Thunder call out their screens incredibly well. They normally stick Dort on star players and fight to not give up the match-up, but they won't do it at the expense of jeopardizing a deep drive
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It seems simple, but that's part of the point. OKC makes the small things a point of emphasis. Consistent communication and five players all engaged, they can combat more complex actions that could throw off a less together group.
"Sometimes you gotta dig deep when problems come near. Don't fear, things get severe for everybody everywhere."
The Thunder are long, they're athletic, and man they seem irritating to play against. Again, they don't go out of their way to turn the ball over, but their length and ability to bother anything on the interior is hard to deny.
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SGA has some draw-backs and shortcomings as an on-ball defender, but he has really sharp hands in passing lanes and many unsuspecting ball-handlers have had their pocket picked or shot tipped by him.
The Thunder in general lack true lockdown ball-stoppers outside of Dort and Kenrich Williams.
Navigating screens isn't the strength of the Thunder, but they're tremendous at defending screens. It sounds like a paradoxical equation, but it comes back to communication.
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Dort is caught getting back still and the Hornets flow into some early offense. But, here comes JRE, calling out the play at first for Dort, but also operating as a middle linebacker, filling the gap and blowing it up before damage can be caused. Dort reconnects, and it's all settled down. It seems minute in the moment, but I can't speak highly enough of what JRE has done for Oklahoma City's defense.
His positioning and court-mapping as a defender are impressive. He knows how to get the most out of his length (or lack thereof) and size. He directs the defense with guile. If I'd never watched him or the Thunder, you could easily convince me he was already a 2nd or 3rd contract player.
That is such an easy bucket for the Hornets if the communication isn't there.
The Thunder actively have all players involved playing both sides of the screen. So often, defenders are strictly doing their sole purpose, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but the Thunder FIGHT those screens like a ship fighting an ocean storm. Some defenses will let screens happen and react, OKC attacks them.
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Dort and JRE are absolutely swarming that screen on the first possession, almost like an Oklahoma drill in football with two players actively defending Harden. They actively prevent the chance to roll from Griffin by interchangeably attacking the screen, while also negating Harden a chance to drive.
Consequently, they can be susceptible to screen slips, particularly from bouncy screeners. Playing this aggressively on screening action leaves you open to trickery.
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It is tough to stop a slipping Miles Bridges in open space without a top-notch rim protector.
"You got no hand skills, there's no security to save ya."
No defense is perfect, and OKC is no exception, with two vices that are extremely hard to understate.
Part of the difficulty in routinely not playing a traditional five: their rebounding is atrocious. It's not always for lack of trying, but they're not great at boxing out, often are just outmatched on the interior, and they give up a decent amount of long rebounds because of how willing they are to shrink the floor.
They're 18th in defensive rebounding percentage on the season, but a paltry 28th in 2022, and it is painstakingly obvious when watching. They sometimes make 3 or 4 stops in a row, but more possessions means more opportunities for the offense.&nbsp;
To say that the Thunder have a "bad" offense would be unkind to the other teams that are below average. They're 30th on the season in offensive efficiency, scoring 14.4 points per 100 possessions less than the league leading Utah Jazz. You've likely seen the Lakers play a few times this year and how rough their offense can be. They score 6.8 points per 100 possessions more than OKC, <a href="https://youtu.be/MpUWrl3-mc8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yeah it's that rough!</a>&nbsp;
They turn the ball over a great deal, miss a lot (30th in rim shooting percentage), and thus give up a ton of transition opportunities.
That makes the growing defense all the more impressive.
This team isn't good, but they're growing. There have been real flashes of potential. The roster is bought in and committed to the scheme, and while it doesn't gloss over the offensive shortcomings, it's something to hang their hat on.
There's a defensive backbone that could form the foundation of the next great era of Thunder basketball, not unlike the early Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka squads that sported numerous top 10 defenses.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on track for another top five pick during a clear tanking year, but don't be fooled by the record, a real identity is growing in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are top-10 in defense since the start of 2022. What makes the Thunder defense so effective?

The Oklahoma City Thunder's emerging defensive identity

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-sixers-and-nuggets-on-come-up-nets-sliding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics (thanks to their dominant defense) are three of the big climbers this week, while the Nets continue to head in the wrong direction.
1. Phoenix Suns (44-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Despite posting the NBA's best record, the Suns are reportedly looking to upgrade their roster. <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-james-harden-ben-simmons-caris-levert-collin-sexton-malik-beasley-thaddeus-young/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype</a>, Phoenix is one of two teams (the Minnesota Timberwolves being the other) that have expressed interest in trading for San Antonio Spurs veteran Thaddeus Young.
2. Golden State Warriors (41-13) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
It appears Klay Thompson is finding his groove, which is bad news for the rest of the NBA. Klay has scored over 20 points in back-to-back games and is averaging 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.6 made treys (while shooting 42.9% from downtown) over his last five contests. &nbsp;
3. Memphis Grizzlies (38-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 3
The Grizz just keep on winning. They've won 6 of their last 7 games and 19 of their previous 23. Memphis has not lost consecutive contests since before Christmas. Over their last 20 games, Ja Morant is averaging 29.9 points (while shooting over 51% from the floor), 6.7 dimes, 6.3 assists, 1.6 made triples and 1.1 steals. Those are jaw-dropping numbers for any player, let alone a 22-year-old kid in just his third pro season.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (35-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 9
Interesting statistical factoid from the Bucks 137-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. In that game, Milwaukee became the first team in NBA history to have each member of its starting lineup score at least 15 points, grab at least 5 rebounds and knock down at least 2 three-pointers.
5. Miami Heat (35-20) &harr;️ Last Week: 5
When the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, Miami clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through the end of last week, which means Erik Spoelstra and his staff will head to Cleveland later this month to coach Team Durant in the All-Star Game.
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6. Chicago Bulls (33-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 6
The Bulls, playing without two of their best perimeter defenders in Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, have lost 3 of their last 4. However, after playing Wednesday in Charlotte, Chicago begins a six-game homestand that wraps around All-Star weekend. Following the matchup with the Hornets, the Bulls don't play on the road again until Feb. 28.&nbsp;
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
The Cavs acquired Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for injured point guard Ricky Rubio and three draft picks over the weekend. "Very excited to add a dynamic young player of this caliber and experience," Cleveland president Koby Altman told reporters. "LeVert fits uniquely into our culture, and his Ohio roots bring an immediate connection to our community. We look forward to seeing what type of impact he can make on this roster." It's an excellent addition for the Cavs to supply them with the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reaction-caris-levert-fills-blended-need-for-cavs-as-pacers-reset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring wing they were looking for</a>, making Cleveland that much scarier come playoff time. LeVert is expected to be active for Wednesday's game against the Spurs.
8. Philadelphia 76ers (32-22) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The Sixers are 10 games over .500 and Joel Embiid is doing much of the heavy lifting. Over his last 10 games, the big man is averaging 36.0 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. In the process, he may have established himself as the odds-on favorite to take home the MVP award entering the All-Star break. &nbsp;
9. Dallas Mavericks (32-23) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
Reggie Bullock tallied 22 points (on 8 of 14 shooting with 6 made three-pointers), 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. He's been a big part of the Mavs success of late. Over Dallas' past seven games, Bullock is averaging 17.9 points (while shooting 50.0% from the floor), 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 treys, 1.3 steals and just 0.6 turnovers.
10. Utah Jazz (33-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 11
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Donovan Mitchell sealed the win for the <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@utahjazz</a> with 3 fourth-quarter steals, after GOING OFF for 21 points in the first half! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeNote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeNote</a> 🕷 <a href="https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@spidadmitchell</a>: 32 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL <a href="https://t.co/IiPsFfYDIu">pic.twitter.com/IiPsFfYDIu</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1490927965319970816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Donovan Mitchell racked up 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in Utah's victory over the Knicks on Monday night. Rudy Gobert (left calf strain) did not play in the win, but the Jazz are hoping he is cleared to return to the action later this week. They also just acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a three-team deal</a> to add some youth (and depth) to their backcourt.
11. Denver Nuggets (30-24) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
Nikola Jokic was at it again Sunday, registering another triple-double in Denver's 124-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Joker finished with 27 points (on 12 of 15 shooting), 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and just 2 turnovers in only 30 minutes. This one (his NBA-leading 14th triple-double) was notable because it was the second time in Jokic's career he's recorded a 25-point triple-double while also shooting above 80% from the floor. Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history with more than one such game.
12. Toronto Raptors (29-23) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
The Raptors, who are currently riding a six-game winning streak, have discussed a trade that would send Goran Dragic (and his $18 million expiring contract) to the Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953236-nba-trade-intel-cj-mccollum-has-become-best-player-likely-dealt-at-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>.
13. Boston Celtics (31-25)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 15
The Celtics have posted a 13-4 record dating back to New Year's Eve, and it's their defense that has turned Boston's season around. Over this 17-game stretch, the C's are allowing just 101.5 points per 100 possessions. To put that number in context: No team in the NBA other than Boston is allowing fewer than 106.5 points per 100 possessions over the past six weeks. Boston ranks first in Net Rating in 2022 as well. As usual, Marcus Smart has led the charge (pun intended) on the defensive front. He leads his team in pass deflections (64 more than any other Celtic) and charges drawn.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (29-25) ⬆️ Last Week: 17
In the 18 games this season in which Minnesota has been able to roll out its preferred starting five of D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley, the Wolves are 13-5.
15. Brooklyn Nets (29-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Nets have lost nine straight games. They are 12 games under .500 dating back to late December. Kevin Durant is still weeks away from returning to action after spraining the medial collateral in his left knee last month. James Harden looks puffy and is nursing a hamstring injury. Joe Harris suffered a setback in his recovery from left ankle surgery in late January and reportedly could need a second surgery. Of the 27 games remaining on the Nets schedule, 14 of them are on the road. However, four of those contests are against either the New York Knicks or Raptors, which means Irving will only be able to suit up for (at most) 10 games. But, yeah, other than that, everything is all good in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
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16. Charlotte Hornets (28-27) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953236-nba-trade-intel-cj-mccollum-has-become-best-player-likely-dealt-at-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> this week that the Hornets are one of several teams that have expressed interest in Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl. The Bulls and Raps have also been rumored to be interested in Poeltl.
17. Atlanta Hawks (26-28) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
The Hawks were just 1-3 in their previous four games prior to Tuesday (although that one win was impressive &mdash; a victory at home over the Suns last Thursday, which snapped their 11-game winning streak). Atlanta took advantage of a reeling Indiana Pacers squad Tuesday night, beating them 133-112.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (26-29) &harr;️ Last Week: 18
Over the Lakers' last four games, Russell Westbrook is shooting a putrid 27.5% from the floor, 15.4% from downtown and 55.0% from the charity stripe. Late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's victory over the Knicks, when Westbrook was alone with the ball in the corner, the home crowd shouted at him not to shoot. When New York forced overtime, head coach Frank Vogel benched Russ for Talen Horton-Tucker. Westbrook was also benched for the final 14 minutes in Tuesday&rsquo;s loss to the Bucks. Will the Lakers admit they made a mistake before the deadline and reroute Russ out of Los Angeles?
19. New Orleans Pelicans (22-32) ⬆️ Last Week: 23
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Brandon Ingram WENT OFF for 17 points in the 3rd quarter on his way to 33 points and the <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> win! <a href="https://twitter.com/B_Ingram13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@B_Ingram13</a>: 33 PTS, 12 AST, 3 STL <a href="https://t.co/3uT1ocPpgg">pic.twitter.com/3uT1ocPpgg</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1490683017949552641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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New Orleans, who won just one of their first 13 games this season, is now riding a four-game winning streak and has jumped up into 10th place in the Western Conference. And on Tuesday, the team <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-pelicans-pushing-chips-in-on-cj-mccollum-was-a-wise-investment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added a stud scorer to its roster</a>. The Pels acquired CJ McCollum along with Larry Nance and Tony Snell from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jason Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada and draft compensation. I love this deal for New Orleans.&nbsp;
20. Los Angeles Clippers (27-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
Last week, the Clippers made a shrewd trade, sending Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a second-round pick to the Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. It will help not only help them make a playoff push this year, but will also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-why-the-blazersclippers-deal-works-for-both-sides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">round out their roster next season</a> when they can count on both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returning to full strength. Powell looked great in his Clippers' debut on Sunday, tallying 28 points on 9 of 16 shooting in just 24 minutes. He followed that up with a 16-point night in a lopsided loss to the Grizz.
21. Washington Wizards (24-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 20
After the 2021-22 season started with plenty of promise, the Wiz have lost 8 of 9 heading into Thursday's matchup with the Nets. They will likely look to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-trade-destinations-for-spencer-dinwiddie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade the struggling Spencer Dinwiddie</a> before the deadline arrives.&nbsp;
22. New York Knicks (24-31) ⬇️ Last Week: 21
New York has lost 10 of its last 12 games, but Mitchell Robinson had been playing some of the best basketball of his career before sitting out Tuesday's loss due to a back injury. Over the last month, Mitch Rob is averaging 11.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. During this stretch, the only other players in the NBA also averaging double-digit points and rebounds to go along with at least 1.4 blocks are Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
23. San Antonio Spurs (20-34) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
Spurs fans learned Monday that Dejounte Murray will make his NBA All-Star Game debut after being named an injury replacement by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Murray is averaging 19.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals this season, and has a chance to become just the third player ever to average at least 8 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals per game over an entire season.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (20-36) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
The Kings shook up the league Tuesday afternoon, trading Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to Indiana for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick. It is stunning that Sacaremto would part ways with Haliburton. The 21-year-old has exceeded all expectations since being drafted in 2020. He is on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to average at least 5 assists and 2 made three-pointers per game while shooting over 40% from downtown in each of his first two pro seasons. (The only player to have accomplished this feat is Stephen Curry.)
25. Portland Trail Blazers (21-34) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
The Blazers made waves on Tuesday, trading away former franchise cornerstone CJ McCollum. It continued on Wednesday afternoon, as Portland rerouted Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Utah for Joe Ingles' expiring $14 million deal in a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-team trade</a>. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that "Portland plans to fully reshape the roster around Damian Lillard now... the plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat." The team's also created a ton of cap space in the process and has a $21 million trade exception at its disposal.
26. Indiana Pacers (19-37) ⬇️ Last Week: 25
The Pacers, who are just 5-18 since Christmas, began breaking down their roster by trading Caris LeVert to the Cavs on Sunday, and then <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-exit-blockbuster-trade-with-kings-as-huge-winners-thanks-to-tyrese-haliburton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipped off Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento</a>, as noted above. As our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-interested-in-trading-for-myles-turner-pacers-may-keep-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy reported</a>, Myles Turner is "a big fan of Tyrese Haliburton's game and is excited about the possibility of playing with the young guard." It appears Turner may stay in Indiana.
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27. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-36) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
The Thunder lost to the Warriors on Monday night, but Luguentz Dort had another strong outing, tallying 26 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. In the three games OKC has played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort is averaging 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 three-balls.
28. Houston Rockets (15-39) ⬆️ Last Week: 29
The Rockets would love to join this week's wheeling and dealing by exchanging veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon for draft capital. We'll see if they find a willing trade partner.&nbsp;
29. Orlando Magic (13-43) ⬆️ Last Week: 30
We know the Magic hope to flip Terrence Ross and Gary Harris in exchange for draft picks before Thursday's deadline. The question is whether they will also look to deal big man Mo Bamba. After struggling over his first three years in the NBA, Bamba is posting career-highs across the board this season. However, Orlando inked center Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million contract extension back in October. The Magic are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Bamba, who has a $10.1 million qualifying offer for 2022-23 and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
30. Detroit Pistons (12-42) ⬇️ Last Week: 28
Killian Hayes has played a bit better of late, but he has failed to live up to expectations since being selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. This season, Hayes is one of only two players in the NBA logging more than 20 minutes per game yet shooting below 38% from the floor and averaging fewer than 10 points per contest. For his career, he is just 50-of-179 from downtown (27.9%)... The Pistons have lost 9 of their last 10 contests.
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Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Bucks back into top tier, Mavs vault into top-10

In their first game since leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was injured, the Oklahoma City Thunder scrapped their way to a win.
Lu Dort had 18 points and the Thunder defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 98-81 on Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who averages 22.7 points per game, is out until after the All-Star break with a sprained right ankle sustained last Friday against Indiana. Without him, the Thunder trailed Portland by 18 in the second quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander has often been the catalyst when Oklahoma City has launched comebacks from large deficits. But this time, his teammates filled in and stepped up.
&ldquo;I said when he went out that we want to be a team that solves problems with five guys," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s like internal messaging we use with the guys pretty regularly. And not having a player like Shai is a problem. You know, we would love to have Shai. And I thought tonight ... we solved the problem with five guys."
Darius Bazley scored 15 points and Josh Giddey added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder.
CJ McCollum had 21 points and Norman Powell added 18 for Portland, which has lost four of five.
&ldquo;For the most part, this is one of those games where you couldn&rsquo;t make a shot," Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;Eighty-one points &mdash; anybody in the league scores 81 points, there&rsquo;s no way you&rsquo;re going to have a chance to win the game. But I thought we played the right way. Just couldn&rsquo;t make them.&rdquo;
Portland took charge early, leading 31-19 after one quarter and 40-22 early in the second before the Thunder rallied and trailed 47-39 at the break.
&ldquo;I thought early, especially, we were moving it, we were making the right play. But we were just like, not doing it in the rhythm that we&rsquo;re capable of and that we needed to,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;And then we, as the game went on, we kind of got our feet wet.&rdquo;
Oklahoma City started strong in the second half, and a 3-pointer by Dort cut Portland's lead to 51-49. A basket by Derrick Favors tied the score at 51, and the Blazers called a timeout. Ty Jerome's 3-pointer late in the quarter put the Thunder ahead 61-59, and a steal and floater in the lane by Dort as time expired in the third gave Oklahoma City a 65-61 lead.
A behind-the-back pass from Jerome to Kenrich Williams led to a dunk that put the Thunder up 73-65. It was part of a 15-0 run that gave the Thunder an 80-65 lead and control for good.
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t one person carrying a load, it was just a style and team orientation that allowed us to play off advantages," Daigneault said. &ldquo;And I thought the guys did a really good job of that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: F Trendon Watford twisted his ankle after landing on Thunder forward Mamadi Diakite's foot in the first quarter and left the game. Diakite was called for a Flagrant 1. Watford returned later in the game. ... Former Thunder coach Scott Brooks returned as an assistant with Portland. ... Top scorer Damian Lillard has been out for about a month with an abdominal injury.
Thunder: Outscored the Blazers 20-16 in the second quarter despite shooting just 26% from the field. Portland shot only 30%. ... Made 16 of 17 free throws. ... Held Portland to 7-for-38 shooting from 3-point range.
QUOTABLE
Daigneault, on what Billups said to him after the game: &ldquo;He was just very complimentary and classy. You know, it&rsquo;s one thing when you lose a game like that &mdash; to say something with that level of humility is impressive. I&rsquo;ve never met him before."
STAT LINES
In the second half, the Thunder shot 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 100% from the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Thunder: At the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
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Lu Dort had 18 points and the Thunder defeated the Trail Blazers 98-81 on Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.

Dort helps Thunder top Trail Blazers 98-81, end 7-game skid

Cam Johnson played some of the best basketball of his three-year career when All-Star teammate Devin Booker was out with a hamstring injury.
Now Booker's back, Johnson's still pouring in the points, and it has made the NBA-leading Suns even more dangerous.
&ldquo;It's just a fun team to play for," Johnson said. &ldquo;You see guys coming out, playing hard and when we win games, we're just excited to play basketball. It's like we were when we were kids. That's the beauty of it.&rdquo;
Booker scored 30 points, Johnson added 21 while making five 3-pointers on 7-for-7 shooting and Phoenix won its fifth straight game, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-101 on Thursday night.
Booker splashed home a long 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer to give the Suns an 82-69 lead after they trailed by three at halftime.
Booker &mdash; the two-time All-Star who was in his third game back since missing a few weeks with a hamstring injury &mdash; gave Phoenix some momentum midway through the third quarter when he grabbed an offensive rebound and drove the baseline for a dunk. Luguentz Dort was there to meet him at the rim but fouled Booker as the ball was deflected up in the air and still somehow fell through the hoop.
It was part of an 25-9 run that helped the Suns take control.
Deandre Ayton added 19 points &mdash; including an emphatic dunk in the final minute that earned a technical after he slapped the backboard &mdash; and 12 rebounds. Chris Paul had 16 points and seven assists.
Johnson was the catalyst for another great night from the Suns' bench. He made all seven of his shots from the field while grabbing a season-high nine rebounds.
&ldquo;He's been playing well for a while,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;I've said this a number of times &mdash; we look at Cam as a starter. To bring a guy off the bench who can shoot like that, attack the basket and go to the other end and defend. He puts the work in and he's more than just a shooter.&rdquo;
The Suns improved to 26-5 for the season and have won 25 of their last 27.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander had 29 points for the Thunder, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. The Thunder shot just 38.5% from the field and 26.8% from 3-point range.
The Thunder proved a tough opponent for much of the night and rallied for a 48-45 halftime lead after trailing by as many as 15 points. Oklahoma City closed the second quarter on a 24-8 run.
&ldquo;From where we have come from at the start of the year to now, 30 games later, you can definitely see improvements,&rdquo; Thunder guard Josh Giddey said. "Earlier in the year that 15-point lead would have gone to 30. Now we are able to kind of control those leads and weather the storm.
&ldquo;You've got to take positives out of games like this ... We fought our way back.&rdquo;
HOME SWEET HOME
The Suns are on a 15-game winning streak at home. It's the eighth time in franchise history that they've won 15 straight at home. They'll get a chance to stretch the winning streak to 16 against the Warriors on Christmas Day.
The 25-year-old Johnson said it's the first time he's played on Christmas at any point in his basketball career and said he has so many memories as a kid of eating a huge holiday meal and watching NBA games on TV all day and all night.
&ldquo;It's like a dream come true,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;Playing on Christmas, getting out there, super excited for that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Thunder: F Derrick Favors was out for rest. ... Dort played college basketball at Arizona State.
Suns: F/C Frank Kaminsky (knee), F Abdel Nader (knee) and F Dario Saric (knee) were all out. Kaminsky has missed the past 17 games while Nader has missed 15. Saric has been out since tearing the right ACL in his knee in Game 1 of last year's NBA Finals. ... The Suns are 22-0 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Host New Orleans on Sunday.
Suns: Host Golden State on Saturday.

Devin Booker scored 30, Cam Johnson added 21 while making five threes on 7-for-7 shooting and Phoenix won its fifth straight.

NBA-leading Suns win 5th straight, beating Thunder 113-101

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-warriors-and-suns-continue-to-battle-for-the-top-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The same two names remain at the top of this week's Basketball News NBA Power Rankings, but there is a bit of a shakeup in the back half of the top-10, as Cleveland and Memphis continue to win. &nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (22-5) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Stephen Curry couldn't break Ray Allen's all-time three-point record Monday night in Indiana, but the Warriors were able to walk away with a 102-100 victory. Steph has a chance to pass Allen on Tuesday night in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, against the team that was <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1470778720600403974?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one spot away from drafting him</a>: the New York Knicks.&nbsp;
2. Phoenix Suns (21-5) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
The Suns, playing without Deandre Ayton (non-COVID illness) and Devin Booker (left hamstring strain), were beaten badly by the Clippers on Monday night. The Suns still haven't lost consecutive games since before Halloween.&nbsp;
3. Utah Jazz (19-7) ⬆️ Last Week: 6
The Jazz, winners of seven consecutive contests &mdash; including four straight on the road &mdash; possess the league's longest active winning streak. Now, Utah returns home, where the team will commence a string of six straight home games beginning Wednesday. It's longest homestand this season for the Jazz.&nbsp;
4. Brooklyn Nets (19-8) ⬆️ Last Week: 5
Kevin Durant <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/durant-scores-51-in-nets-116104-win-over-slumping-pistons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poured in an NBA season-high 51 points</a> in the Nets' victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The NBA's leading scorer, KD is averaging 32.9 points over his last seven games. But it's also worth noting he is averaging over 40 minutes per game during this current stretch &mdash; truly remarkable considering he is just two years removed from a torn Achilles.&nbsp;
5. Milwaukee Bucks (18-11) ⬇️ Last Week: 3
Khris Middleton limped to the locker room in the third quarter of Monday's loss to the Boston Celtics and could not return. After the game, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/status/1470590960069488640?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Middleton suffered a hyperextended left knee, but stated that "initially there are positive indications" about the injury. However, the team will have a better idea of the severity of the hyperextension after further examination.&nbsp;
6. Chicago Bulls (17-10) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The NBA announced Monday that the Chicago Bulls' next two games (Tuesday's matchup with the Pistons and Thursday's game vs. the Toronto Raptors) will be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak within the locker room. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Troy Brown Jr., Coby White, Javonte Green, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Alize Johnson and Stanley Johnson are all currently in the league's health and safety protocols. These are the first two games postponed this season. Unfortunately, they may not be last.
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7. Memphis Grizzlies (17-11) ⬆️ Last Week: 13
Despite seeming to fly under the radar, the Grizzlies are one of the NBA's hottest teams, having won 8 of their last 9 games. This 8-1 surge is especially remarkable when you consider the Grizz are doing it without Ja Morant, who suffered a left knee injury in late November. Plenty of credit goes to Tyus Jones, who has been starting in place of Morant. Over his last seven games, Jones is averaging 11.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals. He has dished out 47 dimes during this stretch while committing just eight turnovers.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (17-12) ⬆️ Last Week: 15
Kevin Love scored all 23 of his points in the second half of Monday's win over the Miami Heat to help lead the surging Cavs to their fourth consecutive victory. Remarkably, the Cavs are now five games above .500 without LeBron James on their roster for the first time since December of 2000, when they were 15-10. Yes, incredibly, it's the first time this century!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"You don't get this often." No lip service when Kevin Love talks about *these* <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>. He's saying this team has something "bigger than ourselves" and "truly celebrate each other." <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJIf43fdLW">pic.twitter.com/MJIf43fdLW</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1470597707341479941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
9. Miami Heat (16-12) ⬇️ Last Week: 8
The Heat started their four-game road trip with a dud Monday night, falling to the Cavs. Miami has three road games left to close out the week, but after playing in Philly on Wednesday, they play the two worst teams in the conference (Orlando on Friday and Detroit on Sunday).&nbsp;
10. Los Angeles Clippers (16-12) ⬆️ Last Week: 12 
The Clips smashed the Suns on Monday night, despite playing without Paul George (right elbow sprain) and Nicolas Batum (ankle). Marcus Morris Sr. led the way for L.A., racking up 24 points on 10 of 16 shooting and ripping down a season-high 11 rebounds, two triples and one assist. We'll see if PG-13 is cleared to play Wednesday vs. the Jazz.&nbsp;
11. Philadelphia 76ers (15-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Sixers were forced to play without Seth Curry (right shoulder) and center Joel Embiid (rib soreness), and got hammered by the Grizzlies, 126-91. Memphis led by as much as 36 points in the final frame. "This is a burn-it film. Throw it away and move on to the next game," Philly head coach <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doc Rivers said</a> after the contest. Philly will look to bounce back Wednesday when they host the Heat.&nbsp;
12. Charlotte Hornets (15-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
Good news for the Hornets, as LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels and Mason Plumlee have all been cleared to return from health and safety protocols. The three players have been assigned to the Greensboro Swarm for conditioning purposes. Charlotte's next game is Wednesday vs. the San Antonio Spurs.&nbsp;
13. Washington Wizards (15-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 10
The slumping Wizards have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Their only win during this current stretch was against the lowly Pistons in overtime. Washington hasn't won a game in regulation since Dec. 1, and things won't get any easier for the Wiz in the near future. Monday's loss in Denver was the first game of a grueling six-game road trip that includes stops in Utah, Phoenix and Brooklyn.
14. Los Angeles Lakers (15-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 17 
Over in the NFL, 42-year-old Tom Brady has a chance to become the oldest MVP ever in any pro sport in North America. Not to be outdone, LeBron James &mdash; who will celebrate his 37th birthday later this month &mdash; is averaging 29.8 points, 8.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 made three-pointers over his last eight games, while logging more than 39 minutes per contest.&nbsp;
15. Boston Celtics (14-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 11
Jayson Tatum poured in 42 points Monday in Boston's victory over Milwaukee. Tatum was joined by his fellow Celtic star, Jaylen Brown, who returned to action after missing five games with a right hamstring injury and chipped in 19 points for Boston.
16. Denver Nuggets (14-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 18
Nikola Jokic was ejected from Monday's win over the Wizards after being hit with two technical fouls, but not before he tallied 28 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in 31 minutes. Over Denver's last six games, Jokic is averaging a mind-boggling 28.8 points (on 60% shooting), 13.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists in just 33.3 minutes per contest.
17. Dallas Mavericks (14-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
Kristaps Porzingis was dominant in Dallas' victory over the Hornets Monday. Playing without Luka Doncic, who is expected to miss multiple games due to left ankle soreness, KP shouldered the load vs. Charlotte, tallying 24 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. The Mavs host LeBron and the Lakers on Wednesday.&nbsp;
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18. Atlanta Hawks (13-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 14
Despite a 41-point, 9-assist performance from Trae Young, the Hawks blew a 19-point second-half lead Monday night in a bitterly disappointing home loss to the Houston Rockets. Atlanta has 4 four of its last 5 games and has lost five straight at home.&nbsp;
19. Toronto Raptors (13-14) ⬆️ Last Week: 21
After a disappointing and inconsistent start to the season, Chris Boucher is starting to turn it around for Toronto. Over the Raps past four games, Boucher is averaging 14.0 points (while shooting 56.8%) to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 22 minutes a night.&nbsp;
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-15) &harr;️ Last Week: 20
The Timberwolves welcomed back D'Angelo Russell to the lineup Sunday night in Portland after the point guard had missed three straight games due to a right ankle injury, and ended their five-game losing skid by beating the Portland Trail Blazers. Minnesota travels to Denver on Wednesday and then returns home to take on the Lakers.&nbsp;
21. Indiana Pacers (12-17) ⬆️ Last Week: 23
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Big double-double for Domantas Sabonis in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pacers</a> W 💪 30 PTS 11-15 FGM 10 REB 6 AST 3 STL 60 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/RD341JwbqV">pic.twitter.com/RD341JwbqV</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1468052587882721288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Monday, the NBA announced Domantas Sabonis as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging a team-high 25.0 points (on 75% shooting!) and 10.3 rebounds per game, to go along with 6.0 assists per game, as the Pacers went 3-0.
22. New York Knicks (12-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
The Knicks were forced to play Sunday vs. Milwaukee without RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin (who both missed the game because they are in the league's health and safety protocols), and Julius Randle and Evan Fournier combined for just 14 points. Unsurprisingly, the Knicks fell to the defending champs. It was New York's third straight defeat. The silver lining for New York was Quentin Grimes' performance in his first career start. Grimes poured in 27 points and knocked down seven three-pointers, the most ever by a Knicks rookie.
23. San Antonio Spurs (10-16) ⬆️ Last Week: 25
Dejounte Murray recorded his fourth triple-double of the season in Sunday's victory over the Pels. Murray has been playing extremely well over the past month, averaging 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.9 steals.
24. Portland Trail Blazers (11-16) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
Damian Lillard (lower abdominal tendinopathy) returned to action Sunday night and tallied 24 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, but it wasn't enough to get the Blazers back on track. Portland has now lost five games in a row and 8 of their 9 nine. And things don't get any easier for Portland this week, as they host the Suns on Tuesday night and take on the Grizzlies this Wednesday on the back-end of a back-to-back.
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25. Houston Rockets (9-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
After having their seven-game win streak snapped last week, the Rockets got back in the win column Monday in Atlanta. Houston is 8-2 over their last 10 games, which is tied for the best record in the league over that stretch.&nbsp;
26. Sacramento Kings (11-17) ⬇️ Last Week: 24
The Kings went 0-3 in their recently-completed three-game road trip. Sacramento coach Alvin Gentry <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360230" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> that his players held a closed-door meeting after Monday's embarrassing blowout loss to the Raptors.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
Luguentz Dort, who has been one of the bright spots during a disappointing OKC season, sprained his left ankle in Sunday's loss to the Mavericks. Over the Thunder's previous 15 games, Dort was averaging 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 made treys per contest.
28. New Orleans Pelicans (8-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 28
Just when it seemed the Pels' 2021-22 season couldn't get any more depressing, it was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/zion-williamson-foot-experiences-setback-will-be-shut-down-from-basketball-activities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Saturday that Zion Williamson "continues to experience soreness in his surgically-repaired right foot and is likely to be shut down from basketball activities for the time being," and that Williamson's bone "has not healed the way the team expected and he will take some time off before proceeding." It appears there is now a possibility that Zion doesn't log a single minute all season.
29. Orlando Magic (5-23) &harr;️ Last Week: 29
The Magic lost each of the five games they played on their recently completed five-game road trip, but Cole Anthony refuses to slow down. Over the three games Orlando played last week, Anthony averaged a whopping 25.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 made three-pointers while shooting 53.6% from downtown.&nbsp;
30. Detroit Pistons (4-22) &harr;️ Last Week: 30
It was revealed over the weekend that Jerami Grant suffered torn ligaments in his right thumb and will be out indefinitely. However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Grant is "one of the most sought-after players in a potential trade, with the Lakers and Trail Blazers among the teams pursuing the Pistons versatile forward." Shams adds that Grant's injury "is not expected to impact his trade market, as "dozens of teams call the Detroit front office about Grant each week, and sources said the team is open to a possible deal." Our own Evan Sidery looked at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible destinations for Grant</a> on Monday night.

NBA Power Rankings: Jazz vault into top-3; Grizz, Cavs keep ascending

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-warriors-and-suns-still-sit-at-the-top" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
Golden State and Phoenix split a pair of highly anticipated games last week, while the Bucks and Bulls continue to climb up the rankings.
1. Golden State Warriors (20-4) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
The Warriors were beaten by the Phoenix Suns last Tuesday, but bounced back and beat them in a rematch on Friday. Of note: Steph Curry is currently just 15 three-pointers away from tying Ray Allen as the NBA's all-time leader in made triples. Before embarking on a five-game road trip, the Warriors have one more home game: Wednesday vs. Portland. When asked if Curry could tie/break the record on Wednesday, coach Steve Kerr said it "absolutely" could happen. "He's Steph Curry, so anything's possible." Here's to hoping Kerr and the Warriors let Steph make a real run at the record by allowing him to attempt 25+ treys.
2. Phoenix Suns (20-4) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
Since the week of Halloween, the Suns have lost just once (the aforementioned defeat to the Warriors), compiling an absurd 19-1 record in their past 20 contests. Devin Booker strained his left hamstring in Phoenix's first matchup vs. Golden State and has missed each of his team's past three games.&nbsp;
3. Milwaukee Bucks (16-9) 🔼 Last Week: 4 
Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action on Monday after missing two games due to a sore right calf, and scored 27 points on his 27th birthday to help lead the Bucks to another victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Giannis is the only player in NBA history to tally at least 12,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 2,000 assists before turning 27. It's scary to think he is just now entering the heart of his prime.&nbsp;
4. Chicago Bulls (17-8) 🔼 Last Week: 5
On Monday afternoon, the Bulls learned that the team's leading scorer, DeMar DeRozan, would be forced out of actoin due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. Chicago is also without Alex Caruso, who is expected to miss at least a week due to a strained right hamstring suffered in Saturday's win at Brooklyn. However, the Bulls still found a way to beat the Nuggets on Monday night, notching their fourth consecutive victory. Ayo Dosunmu made his first career start in place of DeRozan and tallied 11 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.
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5. Brooklyn Nets (16-7) 🔽 Last Week: 3
The Nets have beaten up on lesser teams all season, posting a perfect 10-0 record against opponents with sub-.500 records. However, Brooklyn is 0-5 in the five games it has played against the top two teams in the West (Suns, Warriors) and the other two teams in the top three of the Eastern Conference (Bucks, Bulls).
6. Utah Jazz (16-7) &harr;️ Last Week: 6
The league announced Monday that Donovan Mitchell <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mitchell-derozan-earn-nba-player-of-the-week-honors-for-nov-29dec-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors</a>. Over three contests, he averaged 33.0 points while shooting 57.1% from the floor &mdash; including 43.3% from downtown, and 93.3% from the charity stripe &mdash; to go along with 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals to lead the Jazz to victories in each.
7. Philadelphia 76ers (13-11) 🔼 Last Week: 10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔔 <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoelEmbiid</a> joins Giannis Antetokounmpo and Charles Barkley as the only players in the last 40 years with 40+ points, 15+ rebounds and 5+ assists at least 75% shooting! 43 PTS 15 REB 7 AST 15-20 FGM<a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a> W <a href="https://t.co/TdvnQTfEtN">pic.twitter.com/TdvnQTfEtN</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1468207421805973507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It took a Herculean effort from Joel Embiid (a season-high 43 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 7 assists), but Philadelphia was able to go on the road and beat the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets on Monday. In the process, the Sixers secured back-to-back wins for the first time in more than a month.
8. Miami Heat (14-11) 🔽 Last Week: 7
On Monday, Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup after missing four games due to a tailbone contusion. Unfortunately, he couldn't finish the contest, as he re-injured his back after a hard fall. Butler "drew contact and got shoved and landed on his tailbone," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. "There could not have been a worst scenario for us to start the game. It is a contact sport. It's an unpredictable thing... But he definitely reaggravated it. You can tell from that point on he was not his usual self. So we'll reevaluate him (Tuesday) and see where we are."
9. ​​Charlotte Hornets (14-12) &harr;️&nbsp;Last Week: 9
Despite missing five players &mdash; including starters Lamelo Ball, Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee, due to NBA health and safety protocols &mdash; the Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and nearly knocked off the Sixers and the second night of a back-to-back Monday. After pouring in 28 points vs. Atlanta, Kelly Oubre Jr. racked up 35 points (on 13 of 24 shooting), 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, and made six treys in the Hornets' 127-124 overtime loss to the 76ers.
10. Washington Wizards (14-11) 🔽 Last Week: 8
The Wiz exceeded expectations early this season, winning 10 of their first 13 games. However, after falling to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, Washington has lost three in a row and 4 of its last 5. (In fact, the Wizards are just 3-6 in the nine games they've played since Kyle Kuzma made an interesting fashion choice. Could it be the <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1468058584625954818?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">curse of the oversized pink sweater?!?!</a>)
11. Boston Celtics (13-11) 🔼 Last Week: 14
The C's have won 3 of their last 4, but are entering a brutal stretch of their schedule. They play a back-to-back against the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers in L.A. on Tuesday and Wednesday, then travel to Phoenix on Friday to wrap up a five-game road trip. Boston then returns home, but has to take on the Bucks and Warriors in the team's first games back in Beantown.&nbsp;
12. Los Angeles Clippers (13-12) &harr;️ Last Week: 12
The Clippers had lost 4 of 5 before beating up on an undermanned Portland Trail Blazers squad Monday night. Encouragingly for Los Angeles, Marcus Morris is healthy and seems to be finding his rhythm. Morris is averaging 19.7 points and 4.3 treys while shooting 56.8% from the floor and 56.5% from downtown over his last three games.&nbsp;
13. Memphis Grizzlies (14-10) 🔼 Last Week: 20
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Dillon Brooks with the slickest of his career high-tying 8 assists, setting up Desmond Bane for the late slam in the <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> 5th straight W! <a href="https://t.co/H8waWUWIrr">pic.twitter.com/H8waWUWIrr</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1468060881598619651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Grizz have won five in a row, and I'm not sure what's more impressive: The fact that they've won all five games without Ja Morant (who is sidelined by a left knee injury), or the fact that Memphis has not trailed, even for a second, at any time during this five-game run!
14. Atlanta Hawks (13-12) 🔼 Last Week: 17
The Hawks had lost 3 of 4 and were missing Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill on Monday, but still found a way to push past the Minnesota Timberwolves. Trae Young scored 29 points despite shooting just 7 of 18 from the floor, as he was able to knock down 11 of his 13 free throws. After averaging 5.3 free-throw attempts per game over the Hawks' first 15 contests this season, Young is now averaging 7.0 attempts over his past 10 games.&nbsp;
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-12) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The Cavs had won four in a row before falling to the Jazz and Bucks in a torturous back-to-back set on Monday and Tuesday. Jarrett Allen has been a beast since returning to action in late November. Over his last eight games, Allen is averaging 22.6 points, 11.8 boards and 1.9 blocks while shooting 73% (!!) from the floor and 78% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
16. Dallas Mavericks (11-11) 🔽 Last Week: 11
The Mavs have lost 4 of their last 5, and 7 of their previous 9 contests. In Saturday's loss to the Grizzlies, they were forced to play without both Luka Doncic (left ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (left knee contusion). Fortunately for Dallas, Porzingis said he expects to play Tuesday night against Brooklyn, and both Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. (right knee contusion) have been upgraded to probable for Tuesday's matchup vs. the Nets.&nbsp;
17. Los Angeles Lakers (12-12)&nbsp;🔽 Last Week: 16
The Lakers host the Celtics on Tuesday, but then play 5 of their next 6 games on the road. Head coach Frank Vogel did say Monday that Trevor Ariza was able to participate in live-action practice for the first time since he underwent ankle surgery back in October, indicating Ariza's rehab is progressing in the right direction.
18. Denver Nuggets (11-12) 🔽 Last Week: 13
In their last 10 games, the Nuggets are just 2-8, but those defeats certainly can't be pinned on Nikola Jokic. Denver went 0-4 in the four games Jokic missed due to injury, and in the six games he's played in, Joker is averaging 26.0 points, 13.2 rebounds and 7.8 dimes. On Monday, he notched his 60th career triple-double, passing Larry Bird for eighth place on the all-time career list.
19. New York Knicks (11-12) 🔽 Last Week: 15
The 'Bockers have lost three in a row, and for the first time since Tom Thibodeau was hired as head coach, the Knicks have given up more than 110 points in three consecutive defeats. Part of the reason for their struggles of late has been RJ Barrett's nasty shooting slump. Over the last month (13 games), Barrett is shooting 32.9% from the floor (50-of-152), 22.4% from downtown (13-of-58) and 66.7% from the stripe (22-of-33).
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-13) 🔼 Last Week: 19
Karl-Anthony Towns (tailbone contusion) returned to the lineup Monday night and chipped in 31 points and 16 rebounds, but KAT couldn't prevent Minnesota from losing its third straight game. The Wolves host the Jazz on Wednesday.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
21. Toronto Raptors (11-13) 🔼 Last Week: 22
The Raps have won two games in a row and are finally showing some improvement on the defensive end. Toronto has held three consecutive opponents below 100 points for the first time all season.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (11-14) 🔽 Last Week: 21 
The Blazers were forced to play without Damian Lillard (abdomen injury), backup point guard Anfernee Simons (sprained right ankle) and CJ McCollum (rib contusion) Monday, and unsurprisingly fell to the Clippers. On Monday morning, The Athletic <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-damian-lillard-wants-to-play-with-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>: "In recent weeks, sources say Lillard has grown frustrated with the team's play and tension appears to be on the rise between the players and Billups."
23. Indiana Pacers (10-16) &harr;️ Last Week: 23
The Pacers secured a desperately needed victory Monday night over the Wizards. Indiana had lost four straight before Domantas Sabonis (30 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals) put the team on his back to lead them past the Wiz. Indy will look to maintain the positive momentum going Wednesday when they host the Knicks. It should be mentioned that the team is also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-moving-to-substantial-rebuild-listening-to-trade-calls-on-stars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mulling significant long-term changes</a> despite its latest win, per The Athletic.
24. Sacramento Kings (10-14) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/TerenceDavisJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TerenceDavisJr</a> had the hot hand in tonight's victory, with a season-high 28 pts (6-11 3PM) 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/nA9qo3Ckq0">pic.twitter.com/nA9qo3Ckq0</a>
&mdash; Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1467386806593146882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The Kings beat the Clippers twice last week to improve to 4-3 in seven games under Alvin Gentry, despite playing without Harrison Barnes (right foot sprain) in each of their past five contests. Terence Davis stepped up in the two wins over L.A., tallying a combined total of 51 points on 18 of 30 shooting, including 11 of 20 from behind the arc.&nbsp;
25. San Antonio Spurs (8-14) &harr;️ Last Week: 25
The Spurs had their four-game winning streak snapped by the red-hot Suns on Monday night. San Antonio will look to get back on track on Tuesday when they begin a five-game homestand by hosting the Knicks.
26. Houston Rockets (7-16) 🔼 Last Week: 28
Yes, the league's longest winning streak (six games) belongs to the Rockets, just as we all predicted before Thanksgiving &mdash; when Houston was riding a 15-game losing skid. After four straight wins against teams at least 10 games below .500, the Rockets get a much tougher test this week. They play the East-leading Nets Wednesday and the world-champion Bucks on Friday.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-16) 🔽 Last Week: 26
The Thunder had lost eight straight before overcoming a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Detroit Pistons on the road Monday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for OKC, pouring in 30 points and dishing out a career-high 13 assists, while Luguentz Dort scored 28 points, including five made three-pointers.&nbsp;
28. New Orleans Pelicans (7-19) 🔽 Last Week: 27
The Pels' record is still awful, but it seems they are headed in the right direction. New Orleans is 4-3 over their last seven games, with all four of those victories coming against teams at or above .500. Brandon Ingram was a beast last week, averaging 30.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.0 made treys over a four-game stretch.
29. Orlando Magic (5-20) 🔼 Last Week: 30 
Although Orlando has lost 9 of their last 10 , Wendell Carter Jr. has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-orlando-magic-are-finding-their-front-court-of-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to play well</a>. He's averaging 15.6 points and 11.4 rebounds over the Magic's past seven contests. And, on the season, he's shooting nearly 36% from downtown. Over his first three years in the league, WCJ was 27-for-112 from behind the arc. In 2021-22, he is 35-of-98 from deep.&nbsp;
30. Detroit Pistons (4-19) 🔽 Last Week: 29
The Pistons have lost nine in a row, but after a slow start to the season, Cade Cunningham is establishing himself as a Rookie of the Year favorite. Over Detroit's past three games, Cade is averaging 24.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and 4.7 made treys while shooting 55.8% from the floor and 60.9% from downtown.&nbsp;

NBA Power Rankings: Rockets, Grizzlies on unexpected winning streaks

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and 13 assists, Luguentz Dort scored 28 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied past the Detroit Pistons 114-103 Monday night in a battle of teams that entered with eight-game losing streaks.
&ldquo;I thought our team showed a lot of heart and fight in the second half,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;We've lost all these games, so it would have been easy to give up when they came out making everything. They didn't do that.&rdquo;
Detroit led by 16 in the third quarter and 12 early in the fourth, but the Pistons were outscored 25-8 in the final five minutes of their ninth straight loss.
&ldquo;We played a great first half, but we forgot how to take care of the ball in the third quarter and we didn't play defense in the fourth,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;We're a young team, but that's not an excuse. We have to learn to play 48 minutes a night.&rdquo;
Gilgeous-Alexander's layup with 3:46 left gave Oklahoma City its first lead of the game, and after Cade Cunningham's miss, Mike Muscala made it 101-97 with a 3-pointer.
Another empty possession by the Pistons led to a three-point play for Dort, giving Oklahoma City a 104-97 advantage with 2:43 to play.
&ldquo;We didn't focus on how far behind we were, we just tried to win the next possession,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &ldquo;I didn't know we were shooting (89.5%) for the quarter. I was just trying to get us a good look every time we had the ball.&rdquo;
Cunningham had 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, while Jeremi Grant added 20 points.
&ldquo;We talked before the game about how this was the night we were going to change this,&rdquo; Cunningham said. &ldquo;But we've got 19 losses now. We have to stop talking about fixing this and start doing something on the floor.&rdquo;
Cunningham scored nine points in the first five minutes and finished with 15 in the first half. The offensively challenged Pistons shot 49% from the floor, including 52.6% on 3-pointers, to take a 63-50 lead into the half.
&ldquo;They came out shooting that way, but we kept playing hard with the wind in our face,&rdquo; Daigneault said, &ldquo;That's the reason we were able to take advantage when we got the wind at our back down the stretch.&rdquo;
Detroit only scored 18 points in the third quarter, turning the ball over seven times, but played enough defense to hang on to a nine-point lead.
&ldquo;We stopped playing the way we are supposed to play,&rdquo; Cunningham said. &ldquo;Instead of following the game plan, we started freestyling."
Jordan Lyles opened the fourth with a 3-pointer, but the Thunder answered with a nine-point run. Casey called a timeout with 9:33 left and his team's lead down to 84-81.
&ldquo;We could smell the win at that point,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;We just had to keep up the effort.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Thunder: Oklahoma City, the fifth-best rebounding team in the NBA, was outrebounded 52-40. The Pistons had 16 offensive rebounds.
Pistons: Detroit came into the game ranked second in the league in bench scoring at 39.4 points per game. However, the Pistons only got 12 points from the bench in the first half.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Pistons: Host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Detroit led by 16 in the third quarter and 12 early in the fourth, but the Pistons were outscored 25-8 in the final five minutes.

Thunder rally, beat sliding Pistons to end 8-game skid

&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is here to go over another fun slate in the NBA for Monday&rsquo;s action. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is carrying a 160-125-3 record (56.1%). It&rsquo;s time to build upon some strong post-Thanksgiving momentum moving forward. Make sure to listen to &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; every single day on whatever your preferred streaming platform is!
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under power play prop bets are provided by PrizePicks.
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Philadelphia 76ers (-13.5) vs. Orlando Magic
Joel Embiid is finally back for Philadelphia, and he should be licking his chops for this matchup against Orlando. Also, Tyrese Maxey&rsquo;s emergence now gives the Sixers another reliable piece to the puzzle alongside Embiid. Even with the massive 13.5-point spread, I love Philadelphia in this spot to cover. Embiid should dominate inside, and Maxey and Tobias Harris hold advantages on the perimeter as well. Hammer Philadelphia and this fun power play prop bet on PrizePicks: Embiid over 23.5 points, Maxey over 16.5 points, Wendell Carter Jr. over 9 rebounds.
Miami Heat (-3.5) vs. Denver Nuggets
It&rsquo;s unfortunate we won&rsquo;t get the full experience of a potentially great battle due to injuries, which have run rampant on both sides. In South Beach, I&rsquo;m hammering Miami to win and cover the 3.5-point spread. Despite Nikola Jokic's return, Bam Adebayo should feast inside; plus, Miami&rsquo;s depth is just lightyears ahead of Denver. Tail me on Heat -3.5 and the following power play on PrizePicks: Adebayo over 19.5 points, Duncan Robinson over 11.5 points, Monte Morris over 4 assists.
Chicago Bulls (-4.5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
I&rsquo;m very much looking forward to this matchup tonight in the Windy City. The Hornets are one of my favorite teams to watch, plus I&rsquo;ve been investing stock all season long in Chicago. In this one, I&rsquo;m leaning toward the Bulls here because of their well-balanced attack on both sides of the court. If Charlotte is able to break through the Bulls&rsquo; defense, this could change. However, I have a hard time envisioning that scenario happening consistently, so let&rsquo;s ride with Bulls -4.5 and the following power play on PrizePicks: DeMar DeRozan over 24.5 points, Miles Bridges over 17.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 8 assists.
Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.5) vs. Indiana Pacers
I absolutely love Minnesota in this spot. Indiana is on the second night of a back-to-back, plus the Timberwolves&rsquo; scorers hold a serious advantage here. Expect Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards to put on a show, as the well-rested Timberwolves easily cover the 2.5-point spread and cruise to a big victory tonight over the Pacers. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m locking in for my power play: Towns over 21.5 points, Edwards over 21.5 points, Caris LeVert over 16.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 15.5 points.
Houston Rockets (-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
It&rsquo;s incredible at this point how we keep making serious coin on Oklahoma City covering as the underdog. Why go away from it at this point, especially against the Rockets? Hammer the Thunder to cover and win outright on the road in Houston. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander propels OKC to another solid outing, which ends in an impressive victory in the Lone Star state. On PrizePicks, tail me on this fun power play: Gilgeous-Alexander over 19.5 points, Christian Wood over 18.5 points, Luguentz Dort over 16.5 points, Kevin Porter Jr. over 15.5 points.
Dallas Mavericks (-6.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
This is another spot here where I love the home team, thanks in large part to its dynamic inside-out duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. (Be on the lookout tomorrow for my longform feature with Porzingis on BasketballNews.com, who sat down for 10 minutes with yours truly recently on a variety of topics.) In the meantime, hammer Dallas to win and cover the 6.5-point spread. Even though Evan Mobley is back for Cleveland, it won&rsquo;t be enough against Luka&rsquo;s Mavericks. On PrizePicks, let&rsquo;s lock in this power play: Doncic over 25.5 points, Porzingis over 18.5 points, Darius Garland over 17.5 points, Mobley over 12.5 points.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Washington Wizards (-3)
This is a rare spot for San Antonio to be in because I&rsquo;m actually betting on the Spurs to cover and win outright at home tonight. Dejounte Murray continues to blossom before our eyes in the Spurs&rsquo; system, which definitely clears up any long-term confusion about his spot in their organization. Murray&rsquo;s all-around brilliance helps lead the Spurs to an impressive victory against the resurgent Wizards. On PrizePicks, this is a very realistic power play that could fall our way: Bradley Beal over 24 points, Jakob Poetl over 9.5 rebounds, Murray over 7.5 rebounds, Spencer Dinwiddie over 1.5 threes.
Utah Jazz (-7.5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Utah has had some disappointing moments, like when the team lost at home to the lowly Pelicans. But more often than not, they are very reliable from a gambling point of view. We&rsquo;re not going off our stance of tailing Utah, which happens again tonight at home against Portland. Until Damian Lillard finds any sort of consistency, it&rsquo;s hard to trust Portland right now. Rudy Gobert will also be a menace in the paint on drive attempts for the Trail Blazers. Lock in Utah -7.5, plus the following prop bet on PrizePicks: Lillard over 24.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 23.5 points, CJ McCollum over 20.5 points, Bojan Bogdanovic over 2.5 threes.
Los Angeles Clippers (-7) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
It&rsquo;s never wise to bet on a team like New Orleans, especially with how the Pelicans have played so far this season. In Los Angeles, we are hammering with emphasis the Clippers to cover the 7-point spread as one of my best bets of Monday&rsquo;s slate. Paul George should feast against the Pelicans, plus Los Angeles&rsquo; depth is simply too much for a team like New Orleans. No question, I&rsquo;m hammering the Clippers -7 and the following power play no PrizePicks: George over 24.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 19.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 10.5 rebounds.
Recapping our picks against the spread for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s what is being lock in for Monday&rsquo;s slate: Sixers -13.5, Heat -3.5, Bulls -4.5, Timberwolves -2.5, Thunder +2, Mavericks -6.5, Spurs +3, Jazz -7.5, Clippers -7.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

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

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

&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; returns after Thanksgiving to provide the betting edge on NBA action. So far this season, we are carrying a 145-114-3 record (56.3%).
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under power play prop bets are provided by PrizePicks.
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Orlando Magic vs. Chicago Bulls (-9.5)
This is a huge spread on the road in favor of Chicago, but the Bulls are going to be a frustrated group after an embarrassing loss in Houston. Expect the Bulls to come out firing on all cylinders, not taking it easy once again against an inferior opponent. The Bulls should dominate from opening tip-off, which would lead to a huge double-digit victory on the road in Orlando. Tail me on this fun over/under power play on PrizePicks: Zach LaVine over 24.5 points, DeMar DeRozan over 23.5 points, Jalen Suggs over 13.5 points, Mo Bamba over 9.5 rebounds.
Charlotte Hornets (-2.5) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
I&rsquo;m all-in on the Hornets being a playoff team in the Eastern Conference this season, especially with the way LaMelo Ball is playing recently. The Hornets&rsquo; offense is so entertaining to watch, but their defense tends to give games away. In what should be one of the most fun games during Friday&rsquo;s massive 12-game slate, I&rsquo;m rolling with the home team in Charlotte. LaMelo puts together another big outing to propel the Hornets over another exciting team in the Timberwolves. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m going heavy on the over point totals: Karl-Anthony Towns over 22.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 22.5 points, Ball over 20.5 points, Terry Rozier over 17.5 points.
New York Knicks vs. Phoenix Suns (-3.5)
This Suns team is special, folks. Going for their 15th straight win, it&rsquo;s hard to see how it doesn&rsquo;t happen under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Devin Booker is averaging over 30 points per game in New York, which doesn&rsquo;t bode well for the Knicks to halt Phoenix&rsquo;s incredible streak. Hammer the surging Suns to win outright and cover the 3.5-point spread behind another monster outing from their 25-year-old superstar. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m locking in: Booker over 22.5 points, Julius Randle over 19.5 points, Chris Paul over 13.5 points.
Memphis Grizzlies (-1) vs. Atlanta Hawks
This smells like an upset special tonight in Memphis. Although the Grizzlies are favored, it&rsquo;s hard to envision how their maddeningly inconsistent defense can contain Trae Young on any level. We&rsquo;re going against the grain here and taking the underdog Hawks to win outright on the road. Behind a big performance from Young and John Collins, Atlanta gets it done to add an impressive win to its early-season resume. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m submitting for another eye-opening power play: Young over 24.5 points, Ja Morant over 23.5 points, Clint Capela over 11.5 rebounds.
Indiana Pacers (-4) vs. Toronto Raptors
With Toronto missing OG Anunoby, I love Indiana to win and cover the 4-point spread in this spot. The Pacers continue to be one of the most confusing teams to figure out, but they match up well here against the Raptors. Chris Duarte continues to be a long-term revelation for the Pacers&rsquo; future, plus Malcolm Brogdon is embracing the No. 1 scoring role. At home, I&rsquo;m locking in the Pacers over Toronto. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m rolling with for a fun game in Indy: Malcolm Brogdon over 18.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 17.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 15.5 points, Scottie Barnes over 12.5 points.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Washington Wizards (-7.5)
We continue to hammer the underdog Thunder, and they continue paying huge dividends. Again, we&rsquo;re jump on that train and projecting OKC to cover the 7.5-point spread as home underdogs against the Wizards. Although the Thunder are without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the pro-Thunder movement isn&rsquo;t stopping here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets.&rdquo; Tail me on this over/under power play on PrizePicks: Bradley Beal over 23.5 points, Luguentz Dort over 17.5 points, Spencer Dinwiddie over 13.5 points, Josh Giddey over 6.5 rebounds.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Boston Celtics (-4.5)
Until proven otherwise, another solid strategy that&rsquo;s paid off for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; listeners has been betting against the Spurs almost every game. Recently, San Antonio has been struggling to stay consistent. Going up against Boston, who has Jaylen Brown now back in the starting lineup, it could turn into a blowout victory for the Celtics. That&rsquo;s my forecast for this game &mdash; a huge outing from the Celtics&rsquo; one-two punch of Jayson Tatum and Brown helps them cruise to an easy victory in the Alamo. On PrizePicks, to no one's surprise, we&rsquo;re going over on points: Tatum over 26.5 points, Brown over 19.5 points, Dejounte Murray over 7.5 rebounds.
Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-3.5)
The Bucks are finally finding a groove after a rough start, but a lot of it can be traced to injury or COVID issues. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are back in the lineup for Milwaukee, once again thriving alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Nuggets so shorthanded in this matchup, this is another outing where the road team could roll to a double-digit victory. I think we&rsquo;re getting a bunch of value at Bucks -3.5, so we&rsquo;re hammering that line and the following power play on PrizePicks: Giannis over 24.5 points, Middleton over 15.5 points.
Utah Jazz (-13.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero, the top-two projected picks on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>, should be looking for houses in New Orleans right now. The Pelicans are well on their way to another top finish in the lottery, which is the exact opposite of what they had hoped for this season. Zion Williamson continues to miss time, and the rotation just isn&rsquo;t working right now. Wholesale changes should be on the horizon for the Pelicans, and this game is going to get ugly in Salt Lake City. Even with the massive spread, I&rsquo;m still rolling with the Jazz to cover. On PrizePicks, this is a strong power play option: Donovan Mitchell over 23.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 19.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Jonas Valanciunas over 10.5 rebounds.
Golden State Warriors (-6) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Don&rsquo;t bet against the Warriors until proven otherwise, please. Stephen Curry is the MVP favorite, and the Warriors look unstoppable right now. This is vintage Golden State basketball we&rsquo;re watching right now, which is only going to get better once Klay Thompson officially returns next month. At home, there&rsquo;s no way I&rsquo;m betting against the Warriors. Lock in the Warriors -6, plus the following power play on PrizePicks: Curry over 28.5 points, Damian Lillard over 25.5 points, CJ McCollum over 20.5 points, Draymond Green over 7.5 assists.
Los Angeles Lakers (-7) vs. Sacramento Kings
LeBron James is back for the Lakers, which is bad news for the Kings tonight. LeBron helped the Lakers claw back to an impressive overtime win on the road in Indiana earlier this week, which could act as a huge momentum-booster for them. Expect the good vibes for the Lakers to continue on as they easily cover the 7-point spread versus Sacramento. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m locking in an all-points power play: LeBron over 22.5 points, Anthony Davis over 22.5 points, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 20.5 points, Tyrese Haliburton over 12.5 points.
Recapping our picks against the spread for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s what is being lock in for Friday&rsquo;s slate: Bulls -9.5, Hornets -2.5, Suns -3.5, Hawks +1, Pacers -4, Thunder +7.5, Celtics -4.5, Bucks -3.5, Jazz -13.5, Warriors -6, Lakers -7.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/26/21

Last week, BasketballNews.com dished out its <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-golden-state-warriors-come-in-at-no-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first edition of NBA Power Rankings</a> for the 2021-22 season. Now, nearly one month into the campaign, Tommy Beer is back with his latest version.
The two top-rated teams in this week's ranking's square off against each other Tuesday night in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (11-2) &harr;️ Last Week: 1 
The Warriors had their seven-game winning streak snapped Sunday night in Charlotte, and head to Brooklyn on Tuesday evening in a matchup between the two best teams in the league thus far this season. Tuesday's contest also features a showdown between the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stephen-curry-kevin-durant-named-players-of-the-week-for-nov-8-14" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reigning Eastern Conference and Western Conference NBA Players of the Week</a>: Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who averaged 34.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game last week.
2. Brooklyn Nets (10-4) 🔼 Last Week: 6
Just how efficient has the aforementioned Kevin Durant been this season, you ask? Incredibly, KD has scored 415 points on just 263 field goal attempts. To put those numbers in perspective, consider this: Curry has scored 365 points on 265 FGAs. And Boston's Jayson Tatum has scored 109 fewer points (306) than Durant despite having attempted 28 more shots from the floor (291) this season. It's genuinely remarkable how well KD has played since recovering from his torn Achilles.&nbsp;
3. Phoenix Suns (10-3) 🔼 Last Week: 8
On Monday, the Suns welcomed back Deandre Ayton (who had missed five games due to a right lower leg contusion), and the big man racked up 22 points (10-of-14 shooting) and 12 rebounds to help carry Phoenix to its ninth straight win. That's the league's longest current winning streak, and the Suns' longest streak in over a decade (they won 10 in a row from March 14 to April 2, 2010).
4. Chicago Bulls (10-4) &harr;️ Last Week: 4
When the Bulls inked DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to big contracts over the summer, they envisioned them performing as well as the duo did in Monday's night's pounding of the Lakers. DeRozan converted 15-of-23 attempts and made all six of his free throws en route to a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/demar-derozan-says-he-nearly-joined-lakers-thought-it-was-done-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">season-high 38 points</a>. Lonzo shot 10-of-13 from the field and knocked down seven three-pointers for a season-high 27 points, to go along with 7 rebounds and 8 assists. The Bulls have won four of their last five, with those four wins coming against the Nets and Mavs, plus the Lakers and Clippers on a road back-to-back.&nbsp;
5. Washington Wizards (10-3) 🔼 Last Week: 7
The Wiz outlasted the Pelicans on Monday night to secure their fifth consecutive victory. Washington has won at least 10 of their first 13 games to start a season for the first time in over 40 years (they opened the 1974-75 season with an 11-2 record). Editor's Note: Our Spencer Davies <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-kuzma-montrezl-harrell-have-wizards-adopting-dog-mentality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently spoke with Wes Unseld Jr. and Kyle Kuzma</a> about Washington's developing defensive identity. 
6. Miami Heat (9-5) 🔽 Last Week: 3
Miami was forced to play without Jimmy Butler (sprained right ankle) and Bam Adebayo (bruised left knee) Monday night in Oklahoma City, but Tyler Herro scored 26 points to help propel the Heat past the Thunder. After a relatively disappointing sophomore season, Herro has bounced back in a big way this year. Through Miami's first 14 games, Herro is averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 made triples while posting an Effective Field Goal Percentage of 53.7%.
7. Dallas Mavericks (9-4) 🔼 Last Week: 11
Kristaps Porzingis followed up a 32-point explosion Friday with 29 more points in a 111-101 win over the Nuggets on Monday. However, unfortunately for Dallas, Luka Doncic limped off the court after Austin Rivers fell on his left ankle in the final minute of Monday's victory. The Mavs play the red-hot Suns twice this week.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kristaps Porzingis last 3 games: 27.7 PPG 10.0 RPG 55/50/90% Mavs won 5 of the last 6 UNICORN SZN <a href="https://t.co/xzBl1siz0K">pic.twitter.com/xzBl1siz0K</a>
&mdash; MFFL (9-4) (@Mavs_FFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mavs_FFL/status/1460453842022195202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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8. Denver Nuggets (9-5) 🔼 Last Week: 12
After capturing his first MVP award in 2020-21, Nikola Jokic might, somehow, be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/were-having-the-wrong-conversation-about-nikola-jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">playing at an even higher level this season</a>. Not only is The Joker averaging a mind-boggling 26/13/6 stat line to go with 1.7 made treys per contest, but he is also shooting a career-high 59.3% from the floor.
9. Utah Jazz (8-5) 🔽 Last Week: 5
Utah stormed out of the gates this season, winning 7 of its first 8 contests. However, the Jazz's defense has abandoned them of late, as they're allowing over 114 points per 100 possessions during a current five-game stretch. Utah will look to get back on track Tuesday night vs. Philadelphia.&nbsp;
10. Philadelphia 76ers (8-6) 🔽 Last Week: 2
If you were looking for a reminder of just how important Joel Embiid is to the success of the Sixers, last week was Exhibit A. Embiid entered the NBA's health and safety protocols last Monday after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19. Consequently, the big man missed all four games the 76ers played, and Philly lost each contest.&nbsp;
11. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-6) 🔽 Last Week: 9
Rookie sensation Evan Mobley entered Monday's matchup with Boston on a heater, averaging 19.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 triples and 2.0 blocks over Cleveland's five previous contests. However, the kid came crashing back to earth vs. the Celtics, missing all 11 of his field-goal attempts prior to exiting the game with a right elbow sprain. The Cavs then announced Tuesday afternoon that <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1460664697997438982?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mobley would miss 2-to-4 weeks due to the elbow injury</a>.&nbsp;
12. Los Angeles Clippers (8-5) 🔼 Last Week: 17
The Clippers were riding a seven-game winning streak into Sunday's showdown with Chicago before the Bulls handed L.A. its first loss since the Friday before Halloween. Still, Clippers fans got some encouraging news on Sunday from head coach Tyronn Lue. He told reporters that Marcus Morris has made progress in his recovery from a left knee injury, and that it may be possible Morris could travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip later this week.
13. Milwaukee Bucks (6-8) 🔼 Last Week: 16
The Bucks spanked the Nets by 23 points on opening night. That was the last time the team had all five of its starters healthy. Fortunately for Milwaukee, Khris Middleton (health and safety protocols) is reportedly expected to return Wednesday against the Lakers after missing eight consecutive contests. In addition, the Bucks begin their longest home stand of the season (five games) starting Wednesday vs. the Lakers.
14. New York Knicks (8-6) 🔽 Last Week: 10
The Knicks got <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/knicks-to-begin-an-important-three-game-home-stand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a much-needed victory</a> on Monday vs. the Pacers. It was their backup backcourt of Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickly that led the way. That combo has been, by far, New York's most effective two-man lineup this season; the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 89 points in the 183 minutes D-Rose and IQ have been on the floor together. In contrast, New York has been outscored by 75 points in the 290 minutes that the starting backcourt of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier have played together. Over the Knicks' last four games, Quickley is averaging 13.3 points and 3.0 made treys while shooting 51.5% from the floor, 60% from downtown and 87.5% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
15. Los Angeles Lakers (8-7) &harr;️ Last Week: 15
The Lakers lost on Monday in blowout fashion to the Bulls, but L.A. fans were once again treated to another impressive performance from Talen Horton-Tucker. THT started and racked up a career-high 28 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in 37 minutes. And, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there is "growing optimism" that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-optimism-lebron-james-could-return-friday-vs-celtics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LeBron James (abdominal strain) could return to action</a> on Friday in Boston.&nbsp;
16. Charlotte Hornets (8-7) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The surging Hornets put an end to the Warriors' seven-game win streak on Sunday. It was thanks in large part to another phenomenal all-around effort from LaMelo Ball, who racked up 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals to go with four triples. Despite turning 20 years old just a few months ago, Ball is averaging 19.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.7 made treys per game. Only three players in NBA history have ever finished a season averaging more than 15 points, 7 boards and 7 dimes before turning 21: Magic Johnson in 1979-80, LeBron James in 2004-05 and Luka Doncic in 2019-20. &nbsp;
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where does lamelo get his ideas <a href="https://t.co/IHyFafKDBY">pic.twitter.com/IHyFafKDBY</a>
&mdash; James Herbert (@outsidethenba) <a href="https://twitter.com/outsidethenba/status/1460055631524777996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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17. Boston Celtics (7-7) 🔼 Last Week: 23
In early November, Dennis Schroder was inserted into the starting lineup to replace Jaylen Brown (strained right hamstring), and Schroder has filled in admirably. He is averaging 24.0 points (on 51% shooting), 4.2 rebounds, and 3.8 dimes in his five consecutive starts. However, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said Schroder would return to the bench once Brown is back. "We like our regular starting lineup," Udoka said. "Dennis is a pseudo sixth starter for us, coming off the bench and finishing games."&nbsp;
18. Memphis Grizzlies (7-7) 🔽 Last Week: 14
After losing three straight games, all by double-digits, a matchup with the hapless Rockets was just what the doctor ordered for the Grizzlies. Memphis blew out Houston by 34 points on Monday night, 136-102.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (7-8) 🔼 Last Week: 20
After missing Sunday's game vs. the Nuggets, Damian Lillard (abdomen) was back in action on Monday and led the Blazers to a 118-113 home win over Toronto. Lillard recorded 24 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, a block and cashed-in three treys. Portland 6-1 at home, but just 1-7 on the road.&nbsp;
20. Toronto Raptors (7-8) 🔽 Last Week: 13
The Raps have lost 5 of their last 6 games, and things don't get any easier in the near future. Toronto is just beginning a six-game road trip that will include stops in Utah and Golden State later this week.&nbsp;
21. Atlanta Hawks (6-9) 🔽 Last Week: 19
The Hawks got a much-needed victory over the Magic on Monday, but received awful news over the weekend when they learned <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/hawks-f-deandre-hunter-out-2-months-with-wrist-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">De'Andre Hunter would have to undergo surgery on a tendon in his right wrist</a> that's expected to sideline him for roughly two months. And in Monday's victory, Kevin Huerter was forced to exit the game due to left hamstring tightness.
22. Indiana Pacers (6-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 22
On Monday, the Pacers were held to just 10 points in the fourth quarter in their loss to the Knicks. Remarkably, Indiana didn't convert a single field goal attempt in the final seven minutes of regulation. The Pacers will look to get back in the win column Wednesday vs. the Pistons.&nbsp;
23. Sacramento Kings (6-8) 🔽 Last Week: 21
The Kings snapped a four-game losing streak on Monday vs. the lowly Pistons, but coach Luke Walton is on the hot seat. Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-losing-streak-could-have-luke-walton-on-hot-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walton's job "will likely be in peril"</a> if the Kings don't turn things around soon.&nbsp;
24. San Antonio Spurs (4-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
The Spurs have faced a demanding schedule early on, with 9 of their first 15 games on the road. And, despite having a positive point differential on the season (+1), they find themselves five games below .500. San Antonio is expected to welcome back Jakob Poeltl this week once his conditioning improves, as he works his way back from COVID.
25. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 25
Karl-Anthony Towns poured in a season-high 35 points to go along with 13 rebounds and 2 assists, but also committed a season-high-tying 7 turnovers in Monday's 99-96 loss to the Suns. The Wolves have now lost 8 of their last 9.&nbsp;
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Karl Anthony Towns scored a season-high 35 points as the Wolves battled until the end with Phoenix but fell short 99-96. Full highlights ⤵ <a href="https://t.co/x8gU14LE8R">pic.twitter.com/x8gU14LE8R</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsNOR/status/1460454524863361024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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26. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-8) 🔼 Last Week: 27
OKC has lost two in a row, but Luguentz Dort has continued his impressive play. We know what he brings to the table on the defensive end, but over the Thunder's last four games, Dort is averaging 22.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 made treys, while shooting 56.9% from the floor, 37.9% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
27. Orlando Magic (3-11) 🔽 Last Week: 26
Jalen Suggs was unable to play Monday in Atlanta due to a right ankle sprain, which he suffered late in Saturday's home loss to the Wizards. However, Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley said the team was "just being cautious," adding that Suggs went through shootaround Monday morning and is considered "day-to-day." Orlando's next game is Wednesday vs. the Knicks.&nbsp;
28. New Orleans Pelicans (2-13) 🔼 Last Week: 30
Brandon Ingram returned to action over the weekend after missing seven straight games due to a hip injury. However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst <a href="https://twitter.com/EliotClough/status/1459240545679822850?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported last Friday</a> that he believes Zion Williamson (right foot surgery) is still "weeks away" from a return and won't be cleared to play until December.
29. Detroit Pistons (3-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 29
Pistons fans haven't had much to cheer about this season, but they did get to enjoy No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham pouring in a career-high 25 points while also tallying 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and five treys on Monday.
30. Houston Rockets (1-13) 🔽 Last Week: 28
The Rockets are riding an embarrassing 12-game losing streak. And it's not as if these contests have been nail-biters. During this 12-game slide, Houston has been outscored by a whopping 169 points.&nbsp;

NBA Power Rankings: Suns shining during winning streak

There are no expectations for the Oklahoma City Thunder entering the 2021-22 season, and that&rsquo;s just how they like it.
The Thunder are in the midst of one of the most extensive rebuilds in NBA history, possessing multiple future first-round picks each year through 2027. They have one entrenched building block who recently signed a rookie-scale max extension, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but everyone else within their rotation are high-upside swings of the bat courtesy of OKC general manager Sam Presti.
Once Thunder legend Russell Westbrook and his All-NBA sidekick Paul George officially asked out three years ago, it jump-started what&rsquo;s currently taking place within Oklahoma City. It&rsquo;s allowing Presti to build a team in his own image, from literally the ground up. Building each piece of the foundation methodically, the Thunder have now put together such an intriguing collection of talents within their current vision.
Alongside star combo guard Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC has all of the following players under 25 years old within its extensive test trial run of figuring out who fits the long-term puzzle: Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon, Aleksej Pokusevski, Tre Mann, Isaiah Roby, Ty Jerome, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins. Only one of these players was drafted in the lottery &mdash; Giddey, the 2021 No. 6 overall pick who has already flashed some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddey-ascension-to-top-nba-draft-prospect-happened-in-blink-of-an-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exciting potential as a jumbo-sized playmaker</a>, forming a fun backcourt duo with SGA.
The Thunder figure to be once again near the bottom of the barrel in the Western Conference standings this season. However, don&rsquo;t be surprised if Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s star equity wills this extremely raw core to unexpected heights early on. Last season, the team carried a 15-21 record into the All-Star break thanks in large part to his brilliance, as he averaged 23.2 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds on a fantastic 62.7% True Shooting percentage. Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s beautiful brand of basketball vaulted him into an elite category for lead guards who carried a high-usage rate.
SGA joined the following guards during OKC&rsquo;s surprising early run who had both above 62% TS and 27% usage percentage (min. 20 games played pre-ASB): Stephen Curry, James Harden, Zach LaVine. This shows the leap Gilgeous-Alexander showcased as the lone star-in-the-marking for the Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild, doing so even when teams blitzed him every game defensively.
Although the Thunder ranked last in offensive rating over that span, they were No. 10 overall in defensive rating, allowing only 109.8 points per 100 possessions. Once they officially pulled the plug on trying to win games, which included resting Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC fell off a cliff and finished with a 7-29 record post-All-Star break.
If everything clicks with the Thunder&rsquo;s young core, they are going to be a feisty team that competes on most nights. Gilgeous-Alexander is the straw that stirs the drink, but early preseason flashes from Giddey and Bazley could be foreshadowing their own regular-season performances. OKC is nowhere close to being a legitimate competitor, especially within a tough slate in the West, but this group could certainly qualify as an NBA League Pass team.
So much young talent is developing within the Thunder&rsquo;s player-friendly system put into place by head coach Mark Daigneault. Who&rsquo;s to say they won&rsquo;t at least surprise some people early, especially if teams treat OKC on their schedule like a layup win? And if Gilgeous-Alexander continues to blossom into one of the most exciting young prospects in the Association, OKC will compete each night thanks to his ascent to All-Star levels.
How does OKC&rsquo;s projected rotation look heading into the 2021-22 campaign? Let&rsquo;s examine it below.
Starters: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Derrick Favors
Second Unit: Tre Mann, Theo Maledon, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Isaiah Roby
As you can see, so much unproven talent is still on tap for the Thunder&rsquo;s lineup combinations. Gilgeous-Alexander is the stalwart for the backcourt, but everyone else alongside or behind him still has much more seasoning ahead in their development curves (Giddey, Mann, Maledon). Dort and Bazley are actually an intriguing wing combination, and Pokusevski is a true wildcard who saw a lot of playing time last season to accentuate his own raw aspects. Favors fills the veteran-big-man void left behind by Al Horford, who was shipped back to the Boston Celtics this offseason in the Kemba Walker trade.
Walker and the Thunder were never going to be a fit, especially with the longtime point guard&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/finally-home-kemba-walker-hopes-to-turn-back-clock-with-knicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">desire to play for his hometown Knicks</a> in Madison Square Garden. Luckily for the Thunder, he now is in New York, so no possessions will be zapped away from Gilgeous-Alexander in OKC.
Back to Favors: How long will he actually be on the roster, let alone within their rotation? It&rsquo;s doubtful Favors finishes the season in Oklahoma City; whether he's dealt at some point or if he enters the buyout market after February&rsquo;s trade deadline, we will see. However, in the short-term, Favors will provide a stable pick-and-roll partner for SGA and Giddey to showcase their talents. And if Favors performs well (he should gobble up nightly double-doubles), Presti could be in line to snatch up another future draft pick for his services.
Oklahoma City is still in the infancy of its historic rebuild attempt, but the flashes shown last season indicate that this can be a scrappy, competitive roster already. Add in another year of development for Gilgeous-Alexander, who seems poised for another leap, and Oklahoma City could soon escape the abyss into respectability ahead of its projected timeline.
The next step for the Thunder is finding their co-star alongside SGA, and that should soon come with Giddey or another top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Don&rsquo;t discount the Thunder in 2021-22, because they actually have the pieces in place to be an entertaining watch.

Although the Thunder are still in the beginning stages of their historic rebuild attempt, there's some exciting potential brewing together.

Thunder far away from competing, but pieces are coming together

The Oklahoma City Thunder aren&rsquo;t talking about the playoffs, wins or losses.
A franchise that had missed the playoffs just once in the previous 11 seasons ended last season in the draft lottery with a 22-50 record. General manager Sam Presti&rsquo;s focus is on helping a group of talented young players led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander flourish so the Thunder can be competitive again &mdash; eventually.
&ldquo;This year for us is as much about anything as getting a baseline of where we&rsquo;re at, now that we have a grouping of young players that will compete to figure out who will be here for the long term and who can help us cultivate the next era of Thunder basketball,&rdquo; Presti said. &ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s incredibly exciting, but I also think it&rsquo;s necessary.&rdquo;
Presti said fans need to be patient because Oklahoma City is not a prime free agent destination, and there are no quick fixes for medium- and small-market teams. He said immediately recreating the glory days with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook that included an NBA Finals appearance and four trips to the Western Conference Finals is unrealistic.
&ldquo;If you want to lower your expectations, you can change the way you build and be a little bit more short-term oriented,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But if you want to have high aspirations and high-performing teams of years upon years, you can&rsquo;t do that and think you can do it quickly or with shortcuts.&rdquo;
There is potential.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the team last season with 23.7 points and 5.9 assists per game. He shot 51% from the field and 42% on 3-pointers. He is healed from the torn plantar fascia that kept him out the final two months of last season. He signed a max deal in the offseason, and he&rsquo;s ready to show he deserves it.
&ldquo;It was a dream come true,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Super proud of it, super happy about it, obviously. But I know for me, the job is not done, work is not done. It&rsquo;s just one milestone I get to cross off my list, but I still have 90% of my list, so I won&rsquo;t stop.&rdquo;
Forward Darius Bazley averaged 13.7 points and 7.2 rebounds last season. Guard Luguentz Dort is a shutdown defender who emerged as an offensive player late last season and averaged 24.4 points and 5.3 rebounds on 46% shooting from the field in April.
Presti believes things are heading in the right direction.
&ldquo;I think ultimately, when we are playing really high level basketball in Oklahoma City and the arena is on fire and we&rsquo;re in the postseason and fans have witnessed the come-up and understand the time, they&rsquo;re going to look back on a few things,&rdquo; he said.
GIDDY FOR GIDDEY
Australian guard Josh Giddey, the sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, is a 6-foot-8 point guard who looked ready for the league in his debut. He scored 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and had seven rebounds and three assists in the preseason opener Oct. 4 against Charlotte.
&ldquo;The stats tonight didn&rsquo;t really worry me,&rdquo; he said after the game. &ldquo;It was more about just getting a feel for the NBA league, getting adjusted to the pace and physicality of the game.&rdquo;
DERRICK FAVORS
Favors, a 6-foot-10 big man, arrives wit a chance to provide leadership and steady play. The 12-year NBA veteran has career averages of 10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. The Thunder acquired him and a future first-round draft pick from the Jazz in July in exchange for a 2027 second-round draft pick and cash considerations. Favors gets a look at his immediate past right away: The Thunder season opener is Oct. 20 at Utah.
BULKIER BAZLEY
Bazley said he&rsquo;s been focused on adding strength in the offseason. He was slender his first two seasons, but now, he has some power to go with his exceptional leaping ability.
&ldquo;I took, like, two weeks off after the season ended and then got straight to it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Me and the strength coaches, we had a plan, and we stuck to it. ... It makes me feel good that the work is paying off. I definitely was in the weight room trying to get bigger and get stronger for this upcoming season.&rdquo;
YEAR TWO
Theo Maledon and Aleksej Pokusevski, who played significant minutes as rookies last year, are back.
Maledon, a point guard from France, started 49 games at point guard and averaged 10.1 points and 3.5 assists. Pokusevski, a 7-foot wing player from Serbia, averaged 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. He scored 29 points in his final regular-season game last season against the Los Angeles Clippers.
DECK&rsquo;S OLYMPICS
Forward Gabriel Deck played for Argentina at the Olympics. He averaged 11.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists for a squad that lost to Australia in the quarterfinals.

The Thunder aren’t talking about the playoffs, wins or losses. OKC ended last season in the draft lottery with a 22-50 record.

Sam Presti urges patience for Thunder fans used to winning

Several marquee players who were expected to hit the open market in 2022 have signed extensions, so next summer's free-agent crop isn't nearly as star-studded as other classes.
However, there are still plenty of quality players who may be up for grabs. In this three-part series, we&rsquo;ll examine the best players who will potentially enter free agency next July. Today, we start with the top-10 guards who could be available.
1. James Harden - Brooklyn Nets - Player Option
Harden is under contract through the upcoming 2021-22 campaign and holds a player option worth $47.4 million for the 2022&ndash;23 season. Considering the massive amount of assets the Nets parted with to acquire Harden (including Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, their 2022, 2024 and 2026 first-round picks, plus pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027), the Nets would undoubtedly love to lock up Harden long-term rather than risk losing him for nothing next year. Kevin Durant has already inked a max contract extension this summer; we'll see if Harden does the same. The most Brooklyn can offer is $161.1 million over four years.
2. Bradley Beal - Washington Wizards - Player Option
It seems as though the basketball world has been waiting for Beal to demand a trade out of D.C. for years now, yet the Wizards' star shooting guard has opted to remain patient despite the team's struggles. Washington would prefer to sign Beal to a four-year extension this offseason, worth roughly $181.5 million, but the three-time All-Star can earn more money if he waits until next offseason to ink a new deal. Beal has a player option worth $37.3 million for the 2022-23 season and he can become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he chooses not to exercise it. Should he go that route, the Wizards could still offer Beal a super-max pact worth around $235 million over five years.&nbsp;
3. Kyrie Irving - Brooklyn Nets - Player Option&nbsp;
Like his backcourt mate, Irving has a player option for the 2022&ndash;23 season (worth $36,934,550). At the press conference announcing Durant's extension last month, GM Sean Marks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/sean-marks-confident-irving-and-harden-will-sign-extensions-with-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the Nets were talking to Irving and Harden about contract extensions. Marks added that he is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/sean-marks-confident-irving-and-harden-will-sign-extensions-with-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"very confident"</a> that both deals will get done by the time training camp starts. Brooklyn can offer Irving a four-year extension that would pay the point guard approximately $181 million.
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4. Zach LaVine - Chicago Bulls - Unrestricted
LaVine is entering the final year of his current contract. It's widely assumed that he will choose not to sign an extension this offseason, as the most the Bulls can offer is $105 million over four years, which is well below LaVine's market value. Speaking to the media from the Tokyo Olympics in early August, the 26-year-old was asked about free agency and <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2021/8/2/22605846/bulls-zach-lavine-respect-contract-extension-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>, "I just want my respect. I think that's the main thing. I outplayed my [current] contract, I've been very loyal to Chicago, I like Chicago. I just want my respect. If it's now, later, it's something that we gotta work out internally and we'll go from there." If the Bulls don't extend LaVine this summer, he will hit the market as an unrestricted free agent. Chicago controls his rights, so they can offer him more money and years than any other team in free agency.&nbsp;
5. Russell Westbrook - Los Angeles Lakers - Player Option
Westbrook's player option for the 2022-23 season is worth a whopping $47,063,478, making it highly unlikely that he would decide to test his luck on the open market. However, last year at this time, most pundits felt close to 100% confident predicting that Chris Paul would exercise his $44.2 million player option for the 2021-22 season. Instead, after greatly exceeding expectations and helping lead the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals, CP3 opted out last month and inked a four-year deal that could be worth up to $120 million.&nbsp;
6. Dennis Schroder - Boston Celtics - Unrestricted
Schroder was burned badly in free agency, and his current situation highlights the perils of turning down a lucrative extension offer. During the 2020-21 season, Schroder <a href="https://www.espn.com/radio/play/_/id/31163904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> rejected a four-year, $84 million contract extension from the Lakers, as he was confident he'd be able to secure a deal worth close to $100 million in free agency. However, after a bout with COVID-19 and a subpar showing in the playoffs, Schroder didn't have nearly as many suitors as he'd hoped. Ultimately, he ended up settling for a one-year deal worth $5.9 million to join the Boston Celtics. Schroder will be looking to recoup some of those lost wages next summer.&nbsp;
7. Collin Sexton - Cleveland Cavaliers - Restricted
Sexton is a polarizing player. On the one hand, he's proven he is a potent offensive weapon. Last season, Sexton poured in 24.3 points per game and dished out 4.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 37.5% from downtown and 81.5% from the free-throw line. In the process, he became the second-youngest player in NBA history (behind only Kevin Durant) to average more than 24.0 points per game while shooting above 47% from the floor and 37% from deep. However, some critics will argue Sexton has put empty-calorie stats on bad teams. The Cavs are just 60-159 since drafting Sexton, and they have been outscored by 1,446 points with Sexton on the court over his first three seasons in the league. <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2021/06/25/nba-combine-notebook-post-lottery-cade-cunningham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports Illustrated reported</a> in June that the Cavaliers began to explore trade options involving Sexton, noting that there's a "belief around the league that Cleveland prefers to move on from Sexton, rather than sign him to a deal that would greatly inhibit their flexibility moving forward."&nbsp;
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8. John Wall - Houston Rockets - Player Option
Wall has a massive player option worth $47.4 million for the 2022-23 campaign. Thus, despite showing flashes of his former self last season (when he averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game for the Rockets), it's incredibly improbable that Wall would leave all of that guaranteed money on the table. Even if Wall had another strong season in Houston, his alarming injury history would significantly limit his free-agent appeal.&nbsp;
9. Victor Oladipo - Miami Heat - Unrestricted
Just three years ago, Oladipo was named the league's Most Improved Player after averaging 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists along with an NBA-best 2.4 steals. He was selected to the All-NBA Third Team in 2017-18, and he became a two-time All-Star. However, his career has since been derailed by injuries. Oladipo will not be ready for the start of the 2021-22 season as he recovers from surgery to repair a partially torn tendon in his right quad and he could reportedly be sidelined until the All-Star break or beyond. He re-signed with the Miami Heat on a one-deal worth the veteran&rsquo;s minimum last month (around $2.4 million). If he can prove he is healthy toward the end of the upcoming season, he'll be able to cash in next July. Miami will have Oladipo's Bird rights and will have the inside track on keeping him.&nbsp;
10. Gary Harris - Orlando Magic - Unrestricted
Harris, who was dealt from Denver to Orlando at the deadline last March, has one year remaining on the four-year, $84 million pact he signed in 2018. Harris has proven himself as a solid, versatile two-way player, but he hasn&rsquo;t been able to stay healthy in recent years. He has appeared in fewer than 58 games in each of the past three seasons. In 2020-21, Harris missed nearly two full months due to a left adductor ailment. If he can remain on the court in 2021-22 and put up solid numbers for the rebuilding Magic, Harris should be able to boost his stock in advance of his foray into free agency.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest
Tomas Satoransky, Ricky Rubio, Jalen Brunson, Goran Dragic, Patrick Beverley, Delon Wright, Patty Mills (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Malik Monk, Luguentz Dort (team option), Lou Williams, Facundo Campazzo (restricted), Bruce Brown

Tommy Beer ranks the top players who could be available as part of the 2022 free-agent class. Today, he examines the top-10 guards.

2022 NBA Free-Agent Rankings: Harden, Beal, LaVine among top-10 guards

The Oklahoma City Thunder are rebuilding, to say the least. Maybe you thought the Philadelphia 76ers &ldquo;Process&rdquo; under former GM Sam Hinkie was a full-on commitment, but those years have nothing on Sam Presti.
Once Paul George and Russell Westbrook were traded in a 24-hour span in the 2019 offseason, the switch flipped in Oklahoma City; extreme asset accumulation.
Before this past season, Oklahoma City made the playoffs 10 of the last 11 years. A fruitful era spearheaded by Kevin Durant, James Harden and Westbrook is now long gone. George was traded to Oklahoma City in 2017 to become Westbrook&rsquo;s new running-mate after Durant&rsquo;s departure to the Golden State Warriors, but it was a short-term partnership that yielded nothing significant and concluded after only two seasons.
Amazingly, the Thunder hold 35 draft picks over the next five years, and that doesn&rsquo;t include their massive haul in the 2021 NBA Draft &nbsp;(Josh Giddey - No. 6, Tre Mann - No. 16, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl - No. 32, Aaron Wiggins - No. 55). Oklahoma City has so many plate appearances, they're bound to eventually hit at least one home run.
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An average of seven picks per draft over a five-year span is absolutely absurd, and it&rsquo;s a huge credit to Presti going all-in with his strategy. As it stands, 12 teams in the Western Conference have real playoff aspirations next season, and Oklahoma City isn't likely to qualify. Presti can sit back and trust his scouts to find prospects and his coaching staff to develop their players.&nbsp;
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who the Thunder acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent George to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, has become the new face of the franchise. Recently signing a five-year max extension, the 23-year-old is the primary building block for the next great Thunder roster. Last season &mdash; his third &mdash; he took a massive leap forward, averaging 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists while converting 41.9% of his three-point opportunities (at a high volume of 4.9 per game).
Quickly, Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the most promising young prospects in the Association. Aside from him, though, the cupboard is relatively bare, but that all fits in with the master plan.
As mentioned, having so many chances to draft high-upside prospects allows Oklahoma City to take chances, such as the one the franchise took in drafting 19-year-old Aleksej Pokusevski. Although he was nowhere close to being NBA-ready, a lose-now roster allowed Pokusevski to see much-needed development time in live action situations. The results have been up-and-down for the Serbian big man: 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 blocks on a horrendous true shooting percentage of 43.0.
Pokusevski is a case study and shows how the Thunder plan on swinging the bat. Other players who fit the "high-ceiling, low-floor" category are Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon. Bazley skipped college altogether, while Maledon is another international prospect with boom-or-bust potential.
Giddey is a project, but the No. 6 overall pick is a strong long-term fit alongside Gilgeous-Alexander in the Thunder&rsquo;s backcourt. Standing at 6-foot-9, Giddey is a passing savant with a developing jump shot. The Australian point guard will be bringing flare to Oklahoma City&rsquo;s offense, even as an 18-year old. Thanks to the Thunder&rsquo;s extremely young and raw rotation, Giddey could immediately break through the rotation to run extensive test trials next to Gilgeous-Alexander.
Toss in bulky wing Luguentz Dort, who has turned into an undrafted gem since his arrival in 2019-20, and Oklahoma City&rsquo;s young core is littered with intrigue. Led by Gilgeous-Alexander, here&rsquo;s how the under-25 core looks for the Thunder:
Ball Handlers = Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, Maledon, Mann, Ty Jerome
Wings = Dort, Bazley, Wiggins
Bigs = Pokusevski, Robinson-Earl, Isaiah Roby
Right there are 11 players in Oklahoma City&rsquo;s projected 2021-22 rotation who are still developing. The remodeling is nowhere close to finished; the foundation is still being put into place on ground level.
Because Oklahoma City may never be a free-agency destination, Presti seems to be going all-in to build an entire roster around drafted talent.&nbsp;The most impressive part of what&rsquo;s occurring in Oklahoma City, though, is how Presti is seemingly thinking two or three steps ahead.
For example, take Al Horford&rsquo;s one-year stint with the team. Philadelphia sent Horford (and his bloated contract) to the Thunder, but in exchange, Oklahoma City received a 2025 first-round pick. At season&rsquo;s end, Presti then flipped Horford to the Boston Celtics for Kemba Walker, who was also on a big-money contract. Boston sent Oklahoma City the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft, plus a 2025 second-round pick for taking on Walker's obligation. On draft night, the Thunder traded the 16th pick (Turkish big man Alperen Sengun) to the Houston Rockets in exchange for two future first-round picks, likely to convey in 2023 (via Washington) and 2025 (via Detroit).
What began as a salary-dump for Philadelphia netted Oklahoma City three future first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2025) and a 2025 second-round selection. It&rsquo;s genius maneuvering.
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When looking back at all of their major moves since trading Westbrook, Oklahoma City is presenting a new model for rebuilding. Here is an accounting of what the team sent out and received in trades dating back to 2019:&nbsp;
Sent: Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Al Horford / Kemba Walker
Received: 2022 1st, 2022 1st, 2023 1st, 2023 1st, 2023 1st, 2023 2nd, 2024 1st, 2024 1st, 2024 2nd, 2024 2nd, 2025 1st, 2025 1st, 2025 2nd, 2025 2nd, 2026 1st, 2026 1st, 2026 2nd, 2027 2nd, 2023 + 2025 pick swaps; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ty Jerome, Aleksej Pokusevski, Theo Maledon, Tre Mann, Aaron Wiggins
All of the this wheeling-and-dealing &mdash; which also factored in other pieces sent to Oklahoma City re-routed for more future assets (ex: Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre Jr. in the Paul trade with the Phoenix Suns) &mdash; resulted in 11 first-round picks, seven second-round picks, multiple pick swap opportunities and seven young prospects.
It&rsquo;s jaw-dropping.
The Thunder are currently stuck on ground level, and probably will be for awhile. If this plan works out, though, its execution will be revered among NBA executives for decades to come, especially among small market teams.
Welcome to Rebuilding 101, hosted by Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are nowhere close to competing for a playoff spot, but that's all seems to be a part of their long-term plan.

Rebuilding 101: How the Thunder acquired a treasure trove of assets

NBA players from countries outside the United States are in the process of trying to qualify for the Olympics, and none had a better game in the first few FIBA qualifiers than Boban Marjanovic. And that includes Luka Doncic.
The Dallas Mavericks&rsquo; center had 25 points (on 12-for-18 shooting) and 10 rebounds in an 83-76 victory over the Philippines in front of a COVID-capacity crowd of 1,250 mostly home fans in Belgrade, Serbia. Coach Igor Kokoskov rested Miami Heat forward Nemanja Bjelica as Serbia had a 46-28 advantage on points in the paint.
"The Philippines played as a team, and I want to congratulate them on that. They fought,&rdquo; Kokoskov said. &ldquo;We will know more after the review. We have a lot of new names, and some guys were missing. We didn't react, we overthought. We defended instead of being in an attacking rhythm. It wasn't nice, again, but we won.&rdquo;
"At some point, we were relaxed. We played irresponsibly. That resulted in us playing an uncertain ending. We must not allow that,"&nbsp;said Milos Teodosic, Serbia&rsquo;s captain.
After trailing 74-73, Serbia closed with a 10-2 run and pulled out the victory, advancing to the semifinals where they will play either Puerto Rico or Italy.
Doncic had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in just 22 minutes of playing time as Slovenia defeated Poland, 112-77. Slovenia, Lithuania, Venezuela and Poland have already qualified for the semifinals.
Doncic was playing in a competitive international for the first time since helping Slovenia claim a historic win at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 as an emerging 18-year-old. Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat is not playing, but he made the trip and was in the crowd at Zalgirio Arena.
"For me, it's also a pleasure to play for the national team," Doncic said. "It's something I desire. I can't wait to play, so I&rsquo;m really happy to be here. Everyone is enjoying playing and everyone is having fun, and that is what we have to do out there."
Doncic also addressed Dragic's absence.
"Obviously, I wish he was playing with us... He was the guy at EuroBasket 2017. It's great that he came all the way here to support us. It means a lot, not just for me, but the whole federation."
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In Victoria, British Columbia, Canada started five NBA players &ndash; Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors, RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks, Cory Joseph of the Detroit Pistons, Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks and Trey Lyles of the San Antonio Spurs &ndash; and, after defeating Greece, rolled to a 109-79 victory over China.
Wiggins had 20 points on 5-for-9 shooting while Barrett shot 3-for-7 from three-point territory. He scored 16 points, but missed half of his six free throws. Among those coming off Canada&rsquo;s bench for Nick Nurse were Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the New Orleans Pelicans. Nicholson, who played last season in China, added 14 points off the bench.
"When you play together, the game comes easy. When you're in a good rhythm, everyone's going to get after it offensively, defensively. We have a lot of unselfish guys. We all want to see each other win, do good, and out there, we're just trying to play aggressive, play to win, play the right way. I feel like if we keep playing that way, keep playing together, then the sky is the limit for us,&rdquo; Wiggins said.
Canada advanced to the semifinals, as has Turkey. Greece, playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, is 0-1 heading into a Thursday night game against China.
In Croatia, the biggest upset of the qualifying process happened when the home team, led by Utah&rsquo;s Bojan Bogdanovic, was crushed by Brazil, 94-67. Brazil was led by 20 points from 35-year-old center Rafael Nettscheimeir. Bruno Caboclo, who was waived by the Houston Rockets in January, added 16 points, and NBA veteran Anderson Varejao scored 11. Brazil is coached, ironically, by a Croatian, Aleksandar Petrovic.
Despite that loss, Croatia, Germany, Brazil and Mexico have qualified for the semifinals at the tournament in Split, while Russia and Tunisia have been eliminated.
In Lithuania, the home team is 2-0 after defeating Venezuela and South Korea. Jonas Valanciunas and Domantas Sabonis are representing their homeland, which will play Poland in the semifinals and either Slovenia or Venezuela in the qualifying finale. Valanciunas is averaging 17.5 points and 12 rebounds in a little under 19 minutes per game.
"It would be amazing to go to Tokyo," Valanciunas said. "Another Olympics for Lithuania, as a country, would mean a lot to us.&nbsp;
"Our preparation has been a challenge, but I think that's the same for everybody. We are just getting together and trying to find that chemistry as soon as possible."
Lithuania won bronze medals at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics along with the 2010 World Championship in Turkey. If they qualify for the Olympics, they will be grouped with Spain, Argentina and Japan.
The winner of the tournament in Canada will be grouped with the United States and Iran, and the winners from the tournaments in Croatia and Serbia will be grouped with Australia and Nigeria. The Olympic men&rsquo;s basketball tournament begins July 25.

With the Olympics set to begin on July 25, NBA players from around the world are engaging in battle with their national teams.

Boban Marjanovic posts one of the bigger lines of Olympic qualifier

Stephen Curry scored 49 points in 29 minutes and matched his season best with 11 3-pointers and the Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-97 on Saturday night.
Curry shot 14 of 26 overall and 11 of 21 beyond the arc while fans serenaded him with chants of &ldquo;MVP! MVP!&rdquo; as they have ever since being allowed back in Chase Center. He made five 3s in the first quarter, one in the second and five more in the third before sitting out the entire fourth quarter.
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STEPH. BEING. STEPH. 🔥 Curry drains double-digit 👌's for the 7th time this season as he explodes for 49 PTS, 11 3PM and 60 FPTS in 29 minutes. <a href="https://t.co/vv9dAMULxl">pic.twitter.com/vv9dAMULxl</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1391257774286323714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;I appreciate the love,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;Nights like tonight, you want to get off to a good start knowing we should win this game. When you see the first two go down you start to find another level of confidence &hellip; and try to create an avalanche from there.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s the fifth time in the last 15 games and seventh game overall this season that Curry has had 10 or more 3s in a game, breaking his own single-season record of six set in 2018-19.
&ldquo;It seems like he&rsquo;s just always spectacular these days and tonight he topped it, like really spectacular,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;When he got going in the third, we had about 4,000 fans in the stands and you could hear ever one of them in anticipation of the ball going into the hoop. It&rsquo;s amazing. He&rsquo;s just an incredible player. In an era where the 3-point shot is king, Steph is the best one of them all.&rdquo;
Draymond Green had 15 points and 13 assists to help the Warriors to their second win over the Thunder in three days. Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points, and Jordan Poole had 16.
Golden State remained a half-game ahead of Memphis for eighth place in the West. The two teams play each other in the regular season finale May 16 at Chase Center.
Svi Mykhailiuk scored 17 points and Luguentz Dort added 16 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have lost six straight and 20 of 21.
&ldquo;(Curry) puts a ton of pressure (on), even if he starts 0 for 5,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what opens everything up for them. He had it going tonight. We didn&rsquo;t do enough.&rdquo;
Curry got hot early and never let up. He scored 24 points in the first quarter &mdash; one fewer than the Thunder had as a team &mdash; and went 7 for 7 on free throws.
That didn&rsquo;t include what was arguably Curry&rsquo;s most dramatic highlight on a shot he wasn&rsquo;t given credit for.
The 33-year-old dribbled behind his back at the top of the arc, drove near the key then flipped an off-balance, one-handed shot off the glass and in, but referees ruled that Curry had been fouled by Josh Hall before getting the shot off.
&ldquo;Steph puts on a show every night,&rdquo; Warriors center Kevon Looney said. &ldquo;Sometimes you take it for granted. It seemed like one play all five guys were holding him and he was able to get up a shot and make it.&rdquo;
After sitting out most of the second quarter, Curry made back-to-back 3s and added another as part of a 19-6 run to start the third.
TWO TWENTIES
In addition to scoring 24 points in the first quarter, Curry poured in 22 in the third. He is the first player in the NBA to have two 20-point quarters in the same game since doing it against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 24, 2018.
TEMPER, BOYS, TEMPER
Green and Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Isaiah Roby were assessed offsetting technical fouls coming out of halftime after both the two exchanged heated words at the end of the second quarter. Players from both teams were headed to their respective locker rooms when Green and Roby got into the verbal altercation.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Ty Jerome did not play after waking up with a calf strain. &hellip; This marks the first time Oklahoma City has been swept in the season series with Golden State since 2016-17.
Warriors: Curry has scored 40 or more in 10 games this season. &hellip; Eric Paschall has been able to scrimmage some with his teammates but remains doing mostly individual and conditioning drills as he works his way back from a left hip flexor strain. Paschall has missed 19 games because of the injury.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Take a short trip north to Sacramento on Sunday for the first half of a back-to-back against the Kings. The teams play again at Golden 1 Center on Tuesday.
Warriors: Face the Utah Jazz on Monday night. The two split a pair of games earlier this season, the home team winning each time.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Stephen Curry shot 14 of 26 overall and 11 of 21 beyond the arc while fans serenaded him with chants of “MVP! MVP!”

Curry has 49 points with 11 threes, tried to 'create an avalanche' in Warriors win

Referring to a contract as a "bargain" is saying that a player's talent overwhelmingly exceeds what they are paid. When you look around the NBA, plenty of these value deals exist, especially in the realm of rookie-scale contracts. But outside of that, there are teams that have gotten the best bang for their buck with the players they've signed.
Since a lot of the noise tends to be around the bigger contracts, BasketballNews.com wanted to take a different spin and look at some of the deals that teams were smart to negotiate, so we asked our staff:
 Which NBA contract is the biggest bargain?
Alex Kennedy: Back in 2019, Caris LeVert signed a three-year, $52.5 million extension with the Brooklyn Nets. That&rsquo;s why he's earning just $16,203,704 this season, despite being one of the league&rsquo;s rising stars. Eric Bledsoe, Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng are some of the players who earned more than LeVert this season. Now, as our Spencer Davies noted, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-indiana-pacers-caris-levert-has-not-lost-a-single-step-after-surgery-domantas-sabonis-malcolm-brogdon-edmond-sumner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LeVert is producing at a high level</a> (averaging 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.3 blocks this month) for the Indiana Pacers, who have to be thrilled about January&rsquo;s trade.
Spencer Davies: There are too many obvious rookie-scale players that come to mind for this topic, so let&rsquo;s stick to players with contracts that don&rsquo;t fall under that criteria. Even though he falls under a similar age group, Luguentz Dort went undrafted in 2019 and signed a two-way contract that summer with the Oklahoma City Thunder. From that point on, the burly guard shot up the depth chart, earned a four-year standard minimum deal in June 2020 and ended up giving James Harden all he could handle in the first round of last year&rsquo;s playoffs in the bubble. Last offseason, Dort signed a four-year, $5.4 million deal (and it was only partially guaranteed until recently!). He&rsquo;s earning $1,517,981 this season, and he'll make $1,782,621 next year. In 2022-23, he has a team option worth $1,930,681. That&rsquo;s a damn steal for an everyday starter who has made a marked improvement on the offensive side of the floor (did you *see* his career-night Tuesday?) and <a href="https://twitter.com/The_BBall_Index/status/1381766585463885827?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continues to be tasked with the most difficult assignments defensively</a>.
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Nekias Duncan: The easy answer would be someone Luka Doncic or Zion Williamson since they&rsquo;re still on their rookie contracts. That feels like cheating. Instead, I&rsquo;ll go with Julius Randle, an All-NBA caliber player this season while making a shade under $19 million.
Chris Sheridan: Easy. LeBron James. If there was not a salary cap, he would be making $150 million or more. Instead, he makes the max, just like a whole bunch of guys who have NOT been to 10 NBA Finals.
Ethan Fuller: Excluding rookie deals, I would say Jaylen Brown's four-year, $107 million contract is fantastic for the Boston Celtics. We're talking about a third overall draft pick who rapidly ascended the league's hierarchy and became a potential perennial All-Star. Brown's value as a two-way wing and long-term piece is tremendous. Most young players at his stage earn maximum rookie extensions, making this contract quite a bargain.
Mark Gunnels: If we're not including players on their rookie contract, then the obvious answer for me is Duncan Robinson. I mean, we're talking about one of the top five shooters in the world whose base salary is only $1.6 million this season. Unfortunately for the Miami Heat, Robinson is a restricted free agent this summer.
Jonathan Concool: Considering the state of today&rsquo;s NBA contracts, Jordan Clarkson gets my vote. He is making just $11.5 million this year, and he&rsquo;s having a career year with the Jazz. The current favorite to win the Sixth Man of the Year award is currently averaging 17.2 points. 3.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in just over 25 minutes per game. He&rsquo;s the second-leading scorer on the team with the best record in the NBA. Clarkson also leads the league in free-throw shooting percentage (95.5%), which is up from 78.5% last season. Tony Snell, Taurean Prince, Dion Waiters and Trevor Ariza are among the players who are currently making more money than Clarkson.
Who do you think has the NBA's biggest bargain contract? Tweet us your answer <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@basketbllnews</a>!

Which NBA contract is the biggest bargain? The BasketballNews.com staff weighs in.