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

Kings

With the 2022 NBA Draft less than a month away, BasketballNews.com will have you covered from top to bottom. The NBA Draft Combine in Chicago began the pre-draft process for a number of hopeful prospects as they try to break into the league.
I had the opportunity to catch up with Ohio State swingman Malaki Branham, who averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in his lone season with the Buckeyes. We discussed his start in basketball, playing in his home state, his second-half surge and how he'll translate to the next level.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jk4gJDnecZo" width="100%" height="325" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Let's start with your background. What's your hometown?
Malaki Branham: "My hometown is Columbus, Ohio, where I was born and raised."
Could you tell me a little bit about your family background?
Branham: "I have a small circle. It's my mom, my little brother, my uncle, my auntie and my grandma. That's about it. My trainer is also like family. I've been working with him for seven-plus years, so he became family."
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Branham: "No, not really. When I was younger, I played soccer and baseball, but basketball has always been everything to me."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
When did you first start getting into organized basketball?
Branham: "Probably when I was 8 or 9. I started playing AAU early on, and things just took off from there."
At what point in your development did it start to click that you might have a bright future in basketball?
Branham: "It was my eighth-grade year. I dunked on somebody; that was my first in-game dunk but my first "poster" too. I thought, 'If I keep working, I can do something with this.'"
How tall were you when that happened?
Branham: I was around 6-2, 6-3. And I'm 6-5 now, so I've grown a few inches.
Being from Ohio, what was it like to be able to stay home and play at Ohio State?
Branham: "It meant everything to me, getting to play for my hometown school. I loved every second I was there on campus with the coaching staff and everyone. It was a good feeling to play for my hometown and have my family watch me too."
In our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> on BasketballNews.com, we have you projected to the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 14. How would you feel if that ended up being the case?
Branham: "It would be cool! Many people back home want me to stay and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's just a blessing to be in this position."
I saw you early on in the season at the Fort Myers Classic. At that point, you were starting, but not getting a lot of shots. Then, midway through the season, you started to explode. From your perspective, what began to click for you to elevate your game so dramatically?
Branham: "I didn't have the biggest role on the team to start. In the beginning, I was trying to fit in. Then, when we played Wisconsin at home, I had 0 points and 4 turnovers. I texted Coach [Chris] Holtmann after the game and thanked him for letting me play through the mistakes that I was making. I was just frustrated with myself, I looked in the mirror and said, 'We need to get to work.'
"From that point, the Nebraska game came, and I kept that in the back of my head and wanted to make sure that the game wasn't just a fluke. I just wanted to be consistent the rest of the year, and I feel like I did that."
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kwcsfuG753k" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Big Ten was stacked this year. I stayed in Indianapolis to watch the entirety of the conference tournament. Who do you think was your toughest matchup this year?
Branham: "The toughest 1-on-1 matchups that I had to guard, I'd probably say Fatts Russell from Maryland; he's a smaller guard, but he's so quick and shifty. I'd also have to say Johnny Davis and Jaden Ivey as well.
"That quick first step that lets [Jaden] get to the rim with ease (makes him a tough matchup). Also, he gets up in the air and gets his shot off from anywhere he wants. With him, I feel like it's him being more explosive than everybody. Johnny is just smooth. He's a bigger guard as well. He gets to the mid-range just like me, so making it tough on him is hard to do. I feel like he plays through a lot of contact.
"Those guys were both a year ahead of me, so they had a feel for Big Ten basketball. I just had to get a feel for how they moved, but I felt like I matched up with them pretty well."
What was your driving force for going all-in on the draft?
Branham: "Really, it was just getting good feedback. I kept working and put my head down, and after, I kept getting good news. I felt like it was too good of an option for me to pass up. I feel like entering the draft with two feet is what I wanted, so I'm just excited to be in this process."
Can you describe yourself as a player?
Branham: "I would say that I'm aggressive. I'm always in attack mode. When I'm between those four lines, I'm in attack mode and aggressive. In the second half of the season, I was aggressive, looking for my shot. I'm also always trying to facilitate for my team too."
Are there any specific aspects of your game that you're looking to improve?
Branham: "Probably tightening my handle. I will be on the wing against bigger and older guys, so I need a tight handle. I'd also like to work on my defensive abilities as well. I'm not going to be a guy who is handling the ball all the time right away, so I need to get some stops on the defensive end to earn that trust on the offensive end."
Are there any current or former players that you model your game after?
Branham: "I watch a lot of Khris Middleton, Devin Booker and those types of guys that can get to the mid-range and are three-level scorers. Those are the guys I model my game after."
If you had to use one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Branham: 'I'd go with resilient. There will always be tough times in life, but I'm always pushing through. This year was a good example of me being resilient. At the beginning of the year, I wasn't playing as well as I could have, and in the second half, I found a way to push through and get through it."
Let's pretend I'm an NBA general manager. What is your elevator pitch to me as to why I should select you?
Branham: "I live and breathe basketball. I'm a hard worker. So many people say that, but I am genuinely a hard worker. I wake up at 5 a.m. every day and put the work in to perfect my craft. You should select me because I do that and want to get better every day to become the best I possibly can become."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Matt Babcock speaks with Ohio State wing Malaki Branham about his second-half surge, how he'll translate to the NBA and more.

2022 NBA Draft Q&A: Ohio State's Malaki Branham leans on resilience

Similar to when we discussed <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-combine-takeaways-from-anthro-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anthro testing</a>, the NBA Draft Combine provides opportunities for both fans and scouts alike to overreact. Some around the league put lots of stock into agility and strength testing, while others do not. The eye of the beholder takes each test into account in his or her own way.&nbsp;
Our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, Matt Babcock, weighs in: &ldquo;I can't say I put a ton of stock into the physical testing, but I certainly look at them. I'm usually not too surprised at the results, as I think a decently experienced scout can generally judge a player's athleticism relatively well by watching them play in person. However, seeing results like Kennedy Chandler jumping an impressive 41.5 inches on his max vertical and Patrick Baldwin Jr. jumping a Combine-worst 26.5 inches does sway my opinion of them some.&rdquo;
Here are a few of my takeaways from agility testing:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a>, Baylor
Kendall Brown leaped to a 41-inch max vertical in Chicago. This explosiveness, paired with being 6-foot, 7.5 inches and 201 pounds, gives insight into the physical athlete he really is. While there are concerns about some of Brown&rsquo;s perimeter skills, his athleticism and ability to impact the game on both ends will translate. He&rsquo;ll be a coveted player in next month&rsquo;s draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kennedy-chandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kennedy Chandler</a>, Tennessee
Although only measuring in at 5-foot, 11.5 inches without shoes, Kennedy Chandler posted the highest vertical leap of the day at 41.5 inches. Scouts and media alike were impressed with the athleticism, as he makes a strong case for himself as a first-round pick.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/jalen-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Williams</a>, Santa Clara
After registering tremendous numbers in the anthro testing, Jalen Williams then posted a 39-inch max vertical, giving real promise to how he'll fit on an NBA floor. His defense leaves a lot to be desired, but his shooting, offensive skill set and obvious athleticism may lead to a rise in his draft value.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_18295573_lg.jpg" alt="" width="547" height="400" />
Terquavion Smith, NC State
It&rsquo;s been a solid week of measurements for Terquavion Smith as he continues to consider whether he'll stay in the 2022 NBA Draft. After measuring in at 6-foot, 2.25 inches without shoes, he then posted a 10.63 lane agility time and a 38.5-inch max vertical. He&rsquo;s twitchy and explosive, and has a chance to be a reliable guard in the NBA regardless of when he declares.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/david-roddy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Roddy</a>, Colorado State
Roddy is 6-foot-6 in his shoes, 260 pounds, has a 6-foot, 11.5-inch wingspan and registers a 35.5-inch max vertical. Not only would these be strong at an NFL Combine, they were in a solid tier in Chicago as well. Roddy has a real chance to be a first-round pick next month and has helped himself this week.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/patrick-baldwin-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Baldwin Jr.</a>, UW-Milwaukee
Baldwin Jr. recorded a 23.5-inch standing vert and 26.5-inch max vert. The 26.5-inch mark is the fourth-lowest number at the Combine since 2011, ahead of only Dakari Johnson, Dedric Lawson and Nikola Vucevic. While he shows incredible potential as a shooter at the NBA level, these numbers will likely be taken into heavy consideration around the league.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Derek Murray highlights key observations from the agility testing portion of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.

2022 NBA Draft Combine: Takeaways from agility testing

Every year, the NBA Draft Combine rolls around and offers opportunities for both fans and scouts alike to overreact to physical testing. Some around the league put a lot of stock into measurements, while others do not. The eye of the beholder takes each test into account in his or her own way.&nbsp;
Our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock is in Chicago at the NBA Draft Combine, and he shared his thoughts on the testing process: &ldquo;I certainly value the anthro testing and learning the basic measurements of draft prospects, as possessing positional size is an essential part of a player's typical recipe for success. I was particularly impressed by the measurements of Duke's Mark Williams and Mega Basket's Nikola Jovic.&rdquo;
Here are a few of my own takeaways from anthro testing:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams</a>, Duke
Mark Williams measured in at 7-foot without shoes and added a 7-foot, 6.5-inch wingspan. These, along with his 9-foot-9 inch standing reach put him in some rare air among past prospects. Don&rsquo;t expect him to be on the board too long next month.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/walker-kessler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walker Kessler</a>, Auburn
Similar to Williams, Walker Kessler measured in at 7-foot and 1.25 inches without shoes and posted a 7-foot, 4.25-inch wingspan. His 9-foot-5 inch standing reach was shorter than Williams', but his rim-protection is still a simple projection to the next level, as he was one of the best in the country.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/nikola-jovic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikola Jovic</a>, Mega Basket
Nikola Jovic is a skilled, confident teenager who shows <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/former-nba-scout-breaks-down-nikola-jovic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">great promise in the NBA</a>. He measured in at 6-foot-9, 0.25 inches without shoes with a 7-foot wingspan. These are great measurables for the wing/forward as he looks to solidify himself as a first-round pick this week.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jalen-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Williams</a>, Santa Clara
Jalen Williams led the day in wingspan differential at +9.75. He stands 6-foot, 4.5 inches without shoes and has a 7-foot, 2.25-inch wingspan. Along with his pick-and-roll potential and shooting prowess, he&rsquo;s a fascinating prospect to track this week.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/moussa-diabate-michigan-wolverines-on-the-rise-2022-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moussa Diabate</a>, Michigan
It remains to be seen if Moussa Diabate will stay in the 2022 NBA Draft, but after measuring in at 6-foot, 9.25 inches without shoes and posting a 9-foot, 1.5-inch standing reach with 2.7% body fat, the confidence in him as a prospect is solid regardless of when he declares.
Leonard Miller, Fort Erie International Academy
Leonard Miller is a fascinating, talented, mostly-unknown prospect as we head into the draft. He&rsquo;s skilled and shows great promise as a two-way player, and measured in at 6-foot, 8.5 inches without shoes to go along with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. Solid numbers from the young Canadian. Certainly one to follow this week.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/collin-gillespie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collin Gillespie</a>, Villanova
Collin Gillespie recorded the shortest wingspan of the day at 6-foot-4, and also measured in at 6-foot, 1.5 inches without shoes. While he&rsquo;s a proven winner and projects well as a reliable backup guard at the next level, these numbers are worth noting.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Derek Murray highlights key observations from the anthro testing portion of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.

2022 NBA Draft Combine: Takeaways from anthro testing

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

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

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

The Atlanta Hawks had to face the burden of expectations in 2021-22.&nbsp;
Fresh off a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, Atlanta entered the season as a picturesque franchise with a mixture of realized star power and unrealized potential. Unfortunately, not every young team progresses linearly.&nbsp;
On Jan. 14, the Hawks were seven games under .500. As late as Jan. 27, they were 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. And despite a spectacular rally to 43-39 and a successful Play-In Tournament run, Atlanta still looked hopeless for most of its first-round series against the Miami Heat.
And yet, the Hawks still finished with the second-best Offensive Rating in basketball, per Cleaning the Glass. Trae Young took the next step as a bona fide superstar. Onyeka Okongwu arrived after an injury-plagued rookie year. Even though Atlanta did underachieve, they still have several talented young players with room to grow. So how can the franchise get back on the right track?
Hawks principal owner <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/hawks-owner-ressler-says-team-wont-stand-pat-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Ressler has hinted at a possible offseason overhaul</a>.
&ldquo;I think if you asked our front office they would say that we thought based on last season&rsquo;s visit to the Eastern Conference finals, that we could bring back predominantly the same team and get better and expect it to be better,&rdquo; Ressler said. "I don&rsquo;t think that worked out the way we thought.
"So yes, I think we should have tried to get better rather than bring back what we had. That won&rsquo;t happen again, by the way. It was a mistake, in my opinion."
Atlanta first has to answer The John Collins Question.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_0PAXreaa8Y" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Hawks signed Collins to a massive five-year, $125 million contract extension last summer, essentially locking him in as Young's partner in crime. His first year under the new deal went woefully off-script.
The 24-year-old appeared in just 54 games this past season, and just four after the All-Star break, due to injuries. He posted the worst True Shooting percentage of his career (still a pretty nice 61.0%) and saw his lowest usage rate in four seasons. In January, Collins went on record voicing his displeasure about his role, and as of that moment, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-has-john-collins-role-with-the-hawks-really-changed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he had statistical evidence to back him up.</a>
Collins possesses undeniable on-court synergy with Young, but is that enough for him to want him to stay, and for the front office to keep faith?
Ressler also made two other notable comments that could pertain to Collins. One is that he's not afraid of spending into the luxury tax to make the Hawks a championship contender. Perhaps this means Atlanta values Collins regardless of his salary and wants to fortify other areas. But Ressler also added:&nbsp;"I think every team in the NBA should add a superstar whenever they can, and I promise you we&rsquo;re no exception.&rdquo;
Collins would surely help Atlanta chase a superstar if he were included in a trade. We'll see if he's on the table for Atlanta.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Hawks don't have many major in-house free agency questions to address. Their most notable upcoming free agent is probably Delon Wright, who assumed duties as a backup point guard as the season went on and provided solid play on low usage. Other free agents who did not lock down a rotation spot include: Lou Williams, Kevin Knox, Gorgui Dieng, Skylar Mays and Sharife Cooper.
Cooper should expectedly be re-signed. The rookie point guard was one of the surprise fallers of the 2021 NBA Draft and showed promise in the G League, averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 assists per game with the College Park Skyhawks.
The relative roster security does mean, however, that Atlanta is strapped for cap space. Spotrac estimates that the franchise won't even come close to achieving any sort of practical cap space for the summer with Young, Collins, Danilo Gallinari, Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic each making more than $18 million next season. The best they'll have to work with is the taxpayer mid-level exception, valued at about $6.3 million. Any significant addition will have to be via trade.
Atlanta will also have just its own draft picks at Nos. 16 and 44. These are quality chances for the Hawks to beef up their bench or add a defense-first piece, and as they know from last year with Cooper, there's always a chance to grab a steal in the second round.
Our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock projects the Hawks to select Ohio State wing Malaki Branham with the 16th pick in his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest NBA Mock Draft</a>. Branham is a dynamic scorer already as a freshman and could pack a punch off the bench with his ability to pull up and get to the rim. At No. 44, Atlanta is projected to select Wake Forest's Jake LaRavia, who has been a recent draft riser (at least in the podcasts I listen to!).
Whatever moves the Hawks decide to make, they need to positively impact the defense. Atlanta ranked 26th in Defensive Rating this season and was abjectly awful for most of the year. De'Andre Hunter only appeared in 53 games due to injuries, but his presence can't be the sole supporting beam for the perimeter defense.&nbsp;
With an owner itching to make trades and a roster still full of optimism and question marks, the Hawks should be a must-watch team as the offseason approaches.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Hawks underachieved in 2021-22, setting the stage for some major potential offseason moves.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Atlanta Hawks?

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1523643566639108096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA&rsquo;s Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive season, sources tell ESPN. A formal announcement is expected this week.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1523643566639108096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

ANALYSIS: It was another massive season for the Nuggets star, averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists. He also showed considerable improvement on the devensive end of the court where he averaged 0.9 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.
He also became the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season.
Jokic lead the Nuggets to a 48-34 record and the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference without its other two stars in Jamal Murray &ndash; who miseed the entire season &ndash; and Michael Porter, Jr. who only played in nine games.
We'll see how close the voting was later in the week when the NBA makes the official announcement with Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo who were both finalists for the award.
AP Story by Pat Graham:
DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic put up numbers never seen before in NBA history. Not from Wilt. Not from Kareem. Not from &ldquo;Air Jordan.&rdquo; Not from LeBron.
With a historic season, the Denver Nuggets big man earned his second straight Most Valuable Player award, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The NBA was preparing to make the announcement in the coming days, likely this week, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the voting results have not been announced.
ESPN, citing sources, first reported that Jokic would be named MVP again.
The 7-foot center became the first player in league history to eclipse 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season. And that sort of dominance by the player nicknamed &ldquo;Joker&rdquo; helped convince voters that he should be the 13th player of the NBA&rsquo;s exclusive MVP back-to-back club.
The other finalists &mdash; who will finish second and third in some order &mdash; were Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who led the league in scoring average, and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks.
The 27-year-old Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists on a team that was missing two max players in Jamal Murray (ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. (back). Required to carry the load night in and out, the big man from Sombor, Serbia, answered the call and guided the Nuggets to a 48-win season. They earned the No. 6 seed in the West before losing in five games to the Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just remarkable what he&rsquo;s done,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone recently said of Jokic. &ldquo;I know that I&rsquo;m very biased, I admit it wholeheartedly &mdash; the MVP isn&rsquo;t even a competition. There&rsquo;s other great players, I&rsquo;m not saying they&rsquo;re not great players, but what Nikola Jokic has done this year, with this team, with everything that we&rsquo;ve had to go through, is incredible.&rdquo;
The award is likely the start of a huge offseason for Jokic, who is eligible for a supermax extension that could guarantee him nearly $254 million over five seasons starting with 2023-24. He&rsquo;ll make $32.4 million next season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing more important&rdquo; than keeping Jokic, Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly recently said.
Jokic joins rarefied company in winning for a second straight season. The other players to win two in a row include Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, LeBron James (twice), Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (twice). Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell each won the award in three straight seasons.
Next year, Jokic will have his chance at a threepeat as well.
The award comes as no surprise to his teammates. They had a front-row seat to his performance every night.
Guard Bones Hyland posted on Twitter: &ldquo;Man.. All year I&rsquo;ve been saying it, I just woke up happier then ever like I won the award!! I&rsquo;m so proud of my boy man!! Great Player but a even better Leader &amp; Great Role model! Thanks for showing me the ropes this year Jokey! Congrats Ma Brother.&rdquo;
Former Nuggets coach George Karl posted: &ldquo;Incredible Jokic! He earned it. He was better this year than last and carried his team all season.&rdquo;
Known for his pinpoint passing as much as his soft touch, Jokic finished with a league-leading 19 triple-doubles. The 41st pick of the 2014 draft now has 76 in his career, which trails only Chamberlain (78) among centers.
After being knocked out of the playoffs &mdash; he averaged 31 points, 13.2 rebounds &mdash; Jokic was asked how he might celebrate should he win MVP.
&ldquo;Probably with some music, beer, friends around, family,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Like how you&rsquo;re supposed to do probably.
&ldquo;But if I don&rsquo;t get it, I&rsquo;m not going to die. I&rsquo;m just going to keep playing, keep trying to play the right way like I did my whole life.&rdquo;
There was a time when the Jokic was maligned for his game. More specifically, his defense and not being able to jump. His once-pudgy frame &mdash; Spurs coach Gregg Popovich good-naturedly ribbed him about it &mdash; has more strength to it.
Ever bother him that his game doesn&rsquo;t seem to generate the level of respect as other standout players?
&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t care less, brother,&rdquo; Jokic said.
He sees the court with the clarity of a point guard and has an arsenal of shots that includes smooth baby hooks around the rim and a soft 3-point touch.
Popovich had the apropos answer when asked if it was more important to take away Jokic&rsquo;s shot attempts or passes: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anybody has figured that out,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great one.&rdquo;
Jokic cares immensely about winning &mdash; games, not hardware. He&rsquo;s not one to lobby on his own behalf, just letting his numbers do his talking. Last season when he won, he averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 boards and 8.3 assists. This season, he took his game to another level in making his fourth straight All-Star team.
&ldquo;If that&rsquo;s enough, it&rsquo;s enough,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If not, you cannot control that.&rdquo;
Funny story about his MVP trophy from a season ago: A few weeks ago, he said he wasn&rsquo;t exactly sure where it was as his family moves.
&ldquo;It is here in Denver,&rdquo; Jokic recently cracked.
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds, AP Sports Writer Arnie Stapleton and freelance writer Michael Kelly contributed to this report.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season,

Report: Nuggets' Nikola Jokic wins MVP for second straight year

In Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors, Dillon Brooks committed a flagrant foul that caused Gary Payton II to fall and fracture his left elbow. Brooks was ejected and suspended one game, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr blasted Brooks after the game.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a code that players follow. You never put a guy&rsquo;s season or career in jeopardy by taking someone out in mid-air and clubbing him across the head and ultimately fracturing Gary&rsquo;s elbow... He broke the code. Dillion Brooks broke the code."
Now, after a Ja Morant injury in Game 3, the Grizzlies have accused the Warriors of breaking the very same code.
Morant had to exit Game 3 with a knee injury, and the replay showed Jordan Poole grabbing and pulling Morant&rsquo;s knee. Is that what ultimately caused Morant's injury? Ja seems to think so, as Morant tweeted (and later deleted) the following video with the caption, &ldquo;broke the code."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ja Morant reacted to Jordan Poole grabbing his knee. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JaMorant</a>) <a href="https://t.co/9XhvkPfYxG">pic.twitter.com/9XhvkPfYxG</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1523148192551899136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Poole told reporters that he hadn&rsquo;t gotten a chance to see the replay. After watching the video, he defended himself.
&ldquo;Yeah, it was a basketball play when we doubled him, and I hit the ball and I was going for the ball,&rdquo; Poole said. &ldquo;I mean, obviously you don't want to see anybody get hurt. I'm not even that type of player. I respect everybody. So I mean, obviously, hopefully he gets better, and we can see him out there next game. I don't even play like that, for real. That's not my type of game.&rdquo;
When asked specifically about Morant&rsquo;s &ldquo;broke the code&rdquo; tweet, Poole refused to engage.
&ldquo;We've got another game on Monday,&rdquo; he said.
Some Grizzlies players and coaches were frustrated and felt this was a dirty play.
&ldquo;We just watched the replay: He was going after a dribble and Jordan Poole actually grabbed his knee and yanked it, which kind of triggered whatever happened, so I'm actually going to be very curious to see what happens after that,&rdquo; Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;There was a grab. I'm just curious what happened.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
&ldquo;It's unfortunate. Ja is obviously having a great series,&rdquo; Desmond Bane added. &ldquo;For something like that to happen, something that is somewhat controllable... Jordan Poole reached out and grabbed his knee and kind of put him in an awkward position. It's unfortunate.&rdquo;
Jaren Jackson Jr. brought up &ldquo;the code,&rdquo; just like Kerr did following Payton&rsquo;s injury.
&ldquo;We're going to ride for our own. You know our mentality&hellip;&rdquo; Jaren Jackson Jr. said. &ldquo;It's unfortunate. You never want to see that type of stuff. No one is out here [playing] dirty. No one is out here like that. But it's just unfortunate. You know the code. We&rsquo;ll talk about the code all series at this point.&rdquo;
The Warriors argued that the play wasn&rsquo;t intentional or dirty, with Klay Thompson even laughing when asked about Morant&rsquo;s tweet (and taking another shot at Brooks).
&ldquo;That's playoff talk,&rdquo; Thompson said. &ldquo;Me personally, I've been through a tough knee injury, and I don't think there's any malicious intent from Jordan. I don't even think he's strong enough to affect somebody's knee. But we're not out there trying to hurt people or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fastbreak. We play the game the right way and I'm going to have his back.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
If you think Poole&rsquo;s tug is what caused Ja&rsquo;s knee injury, stop. Not nearly enough force to cause it &amp; seconds prior Poole&rsquo;s knee hits the outside of Ja&rsquo;s which can cause medial (inner) stress on the knee. That&rsquo;s where Ja &amp; the training looked to be examining.
&mdash; Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT (@3cbPerformance) <a href="https://twitter.com/3cbPerformance/status/1523153717553352707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

&ldquo;It's unfortunate that that's a conversation right now because obviously nobody wants to see anybody get hurt,&rdquo; Stephen Curry added. &ldquo;But there's nothing malicious about what Jordan did. There's no comparison to what Dillon did or Draymond [did], nothing in that vein. So it's not a joking matter that Ja is hurt, but all the rest it is total BS in terms of the conversation right now. I remember <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/steve-kerr-jokes-about-nbas-hot-stove-contact-ruling-steph-curry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that term they came up with</a>: &lsquo;hot-stove contact.&rsquo; That's what it felt like. Keep it moving.&rdquo;
Draymond Green thought they bumped knees, then added: &ldquo;No, [we&rsquo;re] not going to sit here and go tit-for-tat. We've got a basketball game to try to win on Monday.&rdquo;
Morant has been incredible during this series, averaging 38.3 points, 8.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 threes and 3.0 steals on .518/.451/.797 shooting splits. If he&rsquo;s forced to miss any time, that would be a huge blow to the Grizzlies.
However, Memphis is a very well-rounded, deep team that managed to go 20-5 without Morant this season. His teammates know that he&rsquo;s going to do whatever he can to take the court on Monday night.
&ldquo;I mean, we've seen Ja, he's like Wolverine out there,&rdquo; De&rsquo;Anthony Melton said. &ldquo;He could be limping one day, the next day be fine. He's a warrior. He's a competitor. He's just a hooper. Who knows what his level of injury is at? He understands his body, and he understands what the team needs, so he'll make the best decision.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He's good,&rdquo; Jackson added after speaking to Morant. &ldquo;He's going to do whatever he's got to do. War mentality. He has the same mentality he always has. Yeah, we'll bounce back, play great. We've got to finish the game.&rdquo;
Game 4 between the Grizzlies and Warriors is tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET. Golden State leads the series 2-1.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1habvwh r-eqz5dr r-11rk87y r-1dye5f7 r-m611by r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div>
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1habvwh r-eqz5dr r-11rk87y r-1dye5f7 r-m611by r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Did Jordan Poole try to hurt Ja Morant by grabbing his knee in Game 3? The Grizzlies and Warriors shared their thoughts after the game.

Did Jordan Poole 'break the code' and hurt Ja Morant in Game 3?

This year has been a great reinforcer of the enjoyment of the process. The NBA season is 82 games, far more than many fans and observers alike would like there to be, and I can't blame them. (For the sake of player health and longevity, I'd love to see the season shortened.)
After a close loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in the Play-In Tournament, the Cleveland Cavaliers were ousted from the playoffs entirely, meaning their season had come to an end.
"End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take." 
- <a href="https://youtu.be/Rag_9J1ZC2g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gandalf</a> 
- Me watching the Cavs
Pull up Basketball-Reference, and you'll find the Cavs with a 44-38 record and the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. A solid record at the end of the season. A good one even, if taking the past year into account. I was of the opinion that the Cavs might jockey with Play-In positioning at points this year, but ultimately would fall short of being a playoff team and take a meaningful few steps as a young squad.
That's what makes the regular season so precious to me. Watching the game-to-game, week-to-week evolution of this group was a special endeavor this year. I relish growth, persistence and consistency; the Cavs met all three needs with gumption. This is not a "watch the games bro" take, but rather an "I'm so thankful I got to watch the games bro" exclamation. Deducing what this team was this season down to its final record is a disservice.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Just 11 games in, the Cavs lost Collin Sexton for the season. A month-and-a-half later, they lost sixth man and backup point guard Ricky Rubio as well. You might look at his efficiency or lack thereof and question his impact, but Rubio gave the Cavs' bench a verve that they were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mulling-over-6-options-for-the-cavs-with-ricky-rubio-out-for-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never able to replicate</a>.
All three frontcourt starters missed significant stretches of time, with Jarrett Allen's finger fracture throwing the team into a tailspin shortly after the All-Star Break
None of the primary starters this season played 70 games.
This was a team that was 35-21 a week before the break festivities in Cleveland, legitimately fighting for (and maintaining) home-court advantage in the playoffs for a significant stretch of the regular season.
The way the Cavs got there was even more enticing.
The first time I saw that J.B. Bickerstaff was starting Lauri Markkanen at the 3, I was vexed. I understood why, but thoroughly questioned its viability. Even prior to that, I was extremely critical of the Markkanen sign-and-trade in the offseason. Well, I was just flat-out wrong!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Big to Big to Big <a href="https://t.co/5WlMaBYmoe">pic.twitter.com/5WlMaBYmoe</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1460317639629234180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The three-7-footer lineup the Cavs started and leaned upon as their bread and butter all year was a delight. The big-to-big-to-big passing was joyous and impactful. It will be interesting to find out whether teams try to replicate a jumbo lineup without capturing the essence of why it worked. Having three players who all have size, mobility and skill is not an easy combination to find.&nbsp;
Markkanen's offense was up and down at times this year, but his defense should be lauded. He was a very rough defender his whole time in Chicago, and I was taken aback early this season by his effort and attentiveness &mdash; which never really waned by my eye. His game against Atlanta was phenomenal, even if marred by a late game turnover. Again, process, process, process.
Jarrett Allen earned an All-Star nod through his all-around improvements, becoming a legitimately switchable big man and the anchor of the Cavs' defense in the paint as their primary rim-protector. The offense really suffered without his gravity as a roller and his screening ability when he was out. He found new levels of aggression that he flashed late last year, and made it a consistent staple this year.
Allen's presence and Markkanen's strides allowed Evan Mobley to assert himself. His ground coverage is breathtaking, and it enabled a ridiculously aggressive, effective and quirky 3-2 zone to bend the court dimensions to the the Cavs' will.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Evan Mobley <a href="https://t.co/hN41CbufIb">pic.twitter.com/hN41CbufIb</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1452408998926376968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

It should not be possible to cover the rim to the arc the way he does, but Mobley just does.
The flashes he showcased throughout the year as a face-up scorer and passer were wild, and lend credence to his exciting future as one of the brightest young stars in basketball.
I won't quibble with anyone who voted for another first-year player as Rookie of the Year; there are so many different ways to view, appreciate and evaluate the game. This <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-fighting-narratives-in-the-rookie-of-the-year-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rookie class is incredible</a>. I am still there with Mobley winning it.
Darius Garland quite literally was Cleveland's offense at points this year when the team was depleted. His off-the-dribble ease and marksmanship open up his game as one of the best passers in the sport. In spite of the finish to the year, he and Allen were rightful All-Stars at the time. Garland's growth over the past two years, along with Mobley's ascension, provides the foundation of one of the more intriguing young cores in the NBA. There's still a great deal for the pair to grow both individually and together!
Kevin Love had an awesome bounce-back season, warranting Sixth Man of the Year buzz before the Cavs (and he) tailed off down the stretch. Cedi Osman is still an absolute bundle of chaos, but Cleveland was better because of him, putting together his most efficient season since his rookie year.
The Cavs will keep their first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (14th-best odds), as the pick will not convey to Indiana due to lottery protections (part of the Caris LeVert trade). Given how the season ended, this is a silver lining. Cleveland needs wing depth and more shot creation.&nbsp;
I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/enjoying-the-little-things-of-the-nba-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about Isaac Okoro</a> and his impact earlier this season, highlighting the little things he honed in on to imprint himself on both ends. He played 34 minutes combined in the two Play-In matchups and took 6 shots. I don't have an answer now &mdash; it's something I want to dive into further in the offseason &mdash; but the Cavs really need Okoro to make significant strides as an offensive player.
I do think some have been too quick to cast off the positive things he has done and what he can provide, but Okoro's current limitations were put on display in those contests. If he runs ball-screens, the defense goes under and forces a pass-out-and-reset or a shot off the dribble. If he's spaced off the ball, he's left open in the corner. The defense is really, really good, but the offense needs to come along.
Speaking of offense, the Caris LeVert trade was made with the purpose of bringing in another shot-creator and offensive engine. I am so interested to see what happens between LeVert and the Cavs this off-season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Caris LeVert on the importance of a contract extension with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>: "Yeah, this is where I want to be. They know that. The front office knows that, my teammates know that. So I don't know what's gonna happen with that contract extension, but I know where my heart is."
&mdash; Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) <a href="https://twitter.com/kelseyyrusso/status/1515360464263385098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I understood why the Cavs made the trade at the time, going in on this season to try and make a real playoff run without fully hindering their intermediate future and flexibility. I just really struggled to be into the move from a personnel perspective, and I'll have even more questions once/if Collin Sexton returns next year.
I have no idea what to think about Sexton's future in Cleveland. He is a really good player with some flaws that can be a bit exacerbated playing alongside another small guard. His numbers were down and his shot wasn't right to start the year, but he was playing some of the best team basketball of his career to start the year. I don't know what the answer is for Cavs president Koby Altman, general manager Mike Gansey and the front-office brain trust, but they have a lot of decisions to make over the next few months as they continue to shape this team.
Hard decisions are a good thing! To look at where the Cavs were two years ago at 19-46 with questions about their infrastructure to where they're at now... that's pretty good!
The way they handle those head-scratching conundrums over the summer will ultimately mold their future playoff aspirations and viability. The 2021-22 Cleveland campaign was one of the more unexpected and exciting runs that had some unfortunate road bumps.
But the point remains that the future of the Cavs is much brighter today than it was eight months ago, and where this team is at by this time next year will have been set up by the trials and tribulations of this year.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Cavaliers' season came to an end last night, but their year as a whole was one for the books.

Recognizing the Cavs for who they were, could've been and may soon be

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

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

Hornets need defense, rim protection to take the next step

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

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

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

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

Draft assets: First-round pick (9.0% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via New Orleans (if 5-14), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Memphis
Potential free agents: Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Anfernee Simons (restricted), CJ Elleby (restricted), Elijah Hughes (restricted), Keljin Blevins (restricted)
Central question: Is Portland actually trying to win "now" or win soon?
Some really great development happened for the Blazers during the "wash" portion of the season in the form of players like Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson and Drew Eubanks. Add them to Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and the incomng draft picks, and Portland suddenly has... kind of a sneaky-deep prospect pool? There's real potential to mold this group into a rotation cast that gives Portland one of its deepest rosters in years.
That's why these <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant trade rumors concern me</a>. Giving up a possible lottery pick to try and piece together a short-term playoff team risks too much and keeps the Trail Blazers in the limbo they have lounged in for several years. Understandably, the franchise wants to build a contender while Damian Lillard is invested and in his prime. With some patience, Portland can without sacrificing sustainibility.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Draft assets: First-round pick (7.5% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick (via Chicago)
Potential free agents: Jeremy Lamb, Josh Jackson, Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Neemias Queta (restricted), Trey Lyles (team option)
Central question: How does Sacramento turn into a competitive NBA defense?
The Kings have trotted out lackluster defenses for as long as I can remember. In fact, they haven't ranked above 20th in Defensive Rating since 2005-06 &mdash; notably, the last time they made the playoffs.
And that didn't change under interim head coach Alvin Gentry. (Gentry will not return as head coach next season, but is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-alvin-gentry-no-longer-interim-coach-of-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in talks for a front-office role</a>, per ESPN.) However, the on-paper roster actually shines some hope. Davion Mitchell made highlight reels out of his "Off-Night" defense. Justin Holiday is a solid individual defender, as is Harrison Barnes, and even De'Aaron Fox has his sporadic moments.&nbsp;
Can Sacramento find a head coach who turns a group of intriguing players with defensive potential into even an average squad? What draft and free agency options exist? Of course, the Kings would like to end their NBA-leading playoff drought. That'll come with changing the culture on defense.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, depends on Play-In results), Second-round pick (via Dallas)
Potential free agents: Bradley Beal (player option), Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Anthony Gill (restricted), Cassius Winston (restricted)
Central question: What style of guard play is a feasible best fit?
Okay, so obviously the biggest question mark surrounds Bradley Beal's free agency. But from a conceptual standpoint, Washington has tried and failed over the past few seasons to find Beal's best-fitting partner in crime. John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Spencer Dinwiddie were each supposed to provide the downhill juice Beal lacks. The Wizards either did this at serious expense of another skill area (Wall, Westbrook), or it just didn't translate their at-rim ability (Dinwiddie). All battled injuries as well.
"I think we need bigger guards," <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-outlines-what-wizards-need-build-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said in March</a>. "We need more guys that can get in the paint for us, more ball-handlers, more guys that can really create and get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock down threes."
I mean, Beal's needs make total sense. The problem is that every other basketball team on Earth also wants this type of guard.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller sets the offseason stage for each team that missed the NBA playoffs.

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

It&rsquo;s the most wonderful time of the year. We've reached the end of another NBA regular season, and the playoffs are just around the corner. Good teams are prepping for their matchups, bad teams are looking forward to next season, and media types are debating awards.&nbsp;
From Most Valuable Player to Defensive Player of the Year to Sixth Man of the Year, end-of-the-season awards are meant to honor players, coaches and executives for a remarkable season. And yet, despite a failed season, one man keeps finding his way onto people&rsquo;s All-NBA ballots: LeBron James.&nbsp;
Now, let me preface this by saying: I do believe there&rsquo;s a case to be made for LeBron earning All-NBA honors. I just also believe that for the first time in a long time, there&rsquo;s also a case to be made that he should be left off of the ballot.&nbsp;
All-NBA slots are awarded to the top 15 players of a given season, divided by positions: six guards, six forwards and three centers. James is certainly one of the six best forwards in the league, but I&rsquo;d argue that he isn&rsquo;t having a top-six season and that's a demarcation that should nudge James off of anyone&rsquo;s ballot.&nbsp;
As the old NBA saying goes, "If you believe someone should make a roster, you must name who they would replace." So, if I don&rsquo;t believe LeBron is All-NBA worthy, I should name the forwards who ought to make it ahead of him.
In my opinion, those slots should be reserved for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler. All six forwards listed are on winning teams.&nbsp;
LeBron's case for All-NBA appears to be twofold &mdash; one is his statistical dominance, and the other is his legacy.
This season, many point to his scoring proficiency to bolster his All-NBA case. James is the second-leading scorer in the league, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 boards and 6.2 assists on 61.9 TS%.&nbsp;
These are gaudy numbers that are certainly hard to ignore. But let&rsquo;s take a closer look.
LeBron leads all forwards in points per game and assists per game. However, because he only played 56 games this season, Tatum, Antetokounmpo and DeRozan all scored more total points than James.&nbsp;
Still, LeBron would finish with 144 more total points than Siakam. But if we dig a little deeper into these numbers, we&rsquo;ll see that James also leads forwards in total points scored while their team is trailing big, per NBA.com. LeBron scored 189 points this season when his team was down by more than 16 points. By comparison, only 35 of Siakam&rsquo;s points came when his Raptors were trailing big.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/bron2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="690" height="352" />
It&rsquo;s easy to poo-poo LeBron&rsquo;s scoring as having happened in low-leverage moments. In fact, James has been criticized quite a bit this season for chasing statistical milestones when his team had no hope of winning. His defenders would argue the Lakers needed every point, rebound and assist to have a chance in the game, and detractors would point to the times he&rsquo;s hunted for baskets even after the game was out of reach.&nbsp;
This isn't to say LeBron is scoring maliciously and padding his stats. The question I ask is: if much of his case is bolstered by his scoring prowess, should we not question how much of his scoring was done in low-leverage moments or why it didn't translate to wins?&nbsp;
Despite being in contention for the scoring title, LeBron would not have qualified because he didn&rsquo;t meet the requisite number of games. A player must play in 58 games to qualify, and LeBron only suited it up for 56.&nbsp;
Though there aren&rsquo;t similar benchmark requirements for an All-NBA selection, this is also something that voters should take into account. The best ability is availability, and LeBron would have played the second-fewest games of all potential All-NBA forwards, only ahead of Kevin Durant (who will finish one game shy of LeBron).
I can already hear you asking: does that mean Durant should also be written off All-NBA ballots? I don&rsquo;t think so, and that&rsquo;s because of one key factor: wins.&nbsp;The Nets are 44-38 and in the Play-In Tournament as the East's seventh seed. The Lakers are 32-50 and are the 11th seed.&nbsp;
Though it&rsquo;s easy to point to the Lakers&rsquo; roster flaws for their bad record, a similar argument could be levied at the Nets. Without LeBron, the Lakers are 7-19. Without Durant, the Nets are 8-19 &mdash; similarly bad records on par with the worst teams in the league.&nbsp;
But, with Durant, the Nets are 36-19 in contrast to LeBron&rsquo;s record of 25-31, so it&rsquo;s easy to see how a case can be made that Durant&rsquo;s presence elevated one of the worst teams in basketball to contention. And this season, LeBron simply has not.&nbsp;
In fact, LeBron has a negative net rating (-2.5) for the first time since his rookie season. For the first time in nearly two decades, James&rsquo; team is not winning the minutes he&rsquo;s on the court.&nbsp;And though that isn&rsquo;t entirely his fault, it&rsquo;s hard to mount an argument that you&rsquo;ve had one of the six-best seasons at your position when your team loses with you on the court.&nbsp;
LeBron has celebrated more birthdays than he has celebrated wins this season. I&rsquo;m not sure if that&rsquo;s more a testament to his greatness and longevity or an indictment on the Lakers' poor season.
However you choose to see it, remember that only one of those numbers matter when honoring a player for end-of-the-year awards, and that&rsquo;s wins.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Many seem to marvel at his superhuman ability to play at this level in year 19 and at 37 years old, and rightfully so. It&rsquo;s incredible, a true testament to his greatness, and it will surely matter in the greatest of all-time debate.
But it doesn&rsquo;t hold up in this debate. All-NBA doesn&rsquo;t grade players on an age curve; you&rsquo;re not rewarded more for your ability to excel in spite of something believed to be holding you back.&nbsp;
It is more than just wins and losses, it&rsquo;s about meaningful basketball. The Lakers haven&rsquo;t played a meaningful basketball game in weeks, and you could argue that they haven&rsquo;t won one in months. LeBron has only led them to four wins since the All-Star break. In that span, they have a worse record than the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have been actively tanking.&nbsp;
For years, guys have been derided for putting up showy stats on poor-performing teams. We&rsquo;ve used terms like &ldquo;empty calories&rdquo; to describe racking up counting stats in relatively meaningless games. In 2019-20, Bradley Beal missed out on All-NBA honors while also being the NBA's second-leading scorer (averaging a similar 30.5 points per game) on the ninth-seeded Wizards.&nbsp;
While it&rsquo;s easy to dismiss the Beal comparison and point to LeBron&rsquo;s better efficiency and rebounding rate, the point remains that players with showy numbers on poor-performing teams have a history of being ignored come award season, and for good reason. &nbsp; &nbsp; Why should LeBron&rsquo;s season be any different? I get it. He&rsquo;s LeBron James and he has a history of impacting winning. This will mark the first time in over a decade that he will miss back-to-back Finals. No one has won more or impacted winning more over the last two decades. But this isn&rsquo;t a legacy award; this isn&rsquo;t about who we know LeBron James to be. This is about the 2021-22 season and though it feels sacrilegious to type, LeBron is a high-usage guy on a bad team, racking up numbers as quickly as he racks up losses.&nbsp;
Like many high-usage players on bad teams before him, LeBron has also been absolutely horrid on the defensive end. He has a 113.5 defensive rating and though that&rsquo;s not a number that can capture the entire story, tune in to any Lakers game and you can catch multiple instances of LeBron simply not getting back on defense. His defensive rating is the lowest of the bunch &mdash; a far cry from the defense he was playing en route to the Lakers' last championship.&nbsp;
James' individual numbers are remarkable. This season, he catapulted Karl Malone for second all-time on the NBA's all-time scoring list and Oscar Robertson for seventh on the all-time assists list. LeBron&nbsp;has been exceptional this season, but unlike in previous seasons, it hasn&rsquo;t translated to wins.&nbsp;
And if you&rsquo;re not winning, and others are, why should you be rewarded over them? After all, the point is to win games. He isn&rsquo;t impacting winning, he has ignored the defensive end and he is scoring a ton in low-leverage moments for a team that couldn&rsquo;t even crack a top-10 seed. It seems harsh, but I believe the All-NBA teams should represent the players who mattered most that season. Despite his best efforts, James and the Lakers did not matter in 2021-22.
Yes, James has been a staple on All-NBA ballots since his sophomore season. But as Laker fans have come to learn this season, staples change, word to Crypto.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Does LeBron James deserve a spot on one of the All-NBA teams this season? Imman Adan shares her thoughts.

A closer look at LeBron James' All-NBA case

Anthony Edwards set a career high with 49 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves hung on for a 127-121 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.
Edwards&rsquo; big output came on 16-of-28 shooting and 6 of 14 from 3-point range. He found multiple ways to score, including a highlight-reel dunk and a game-high 11 free throws.
With the ball in his hands late in the game and a chance at 50 points, Wolves fans rose to their feet as Edwards shot from deep. He missed four times from long range in the final minutes but made two free throws with 9.1 seconds remaining to finish with 49.
Keldon Johnson had 20 points and Devin Vassell scored 18 for San Antonio. Eight players scored in double figures for the Spurs.
It was Edwards who gave the Wolves a spark early, scoring 15 of Minnesota&rsquo;s 30 first-quarter points. But the second-year guard took over in the second half, making big shot after big shot to fend off the Spurs.
Minnesota (46-35) led by 18 in the third quarter but let it slip to seven before Edwards hit another shot from deep to stop a run by San Antonio (34-46). Edwards remained a calming presence as Towns&rsquo; frustration grew in the third and ultimately resulted in a technical foul.
The last time these teams played, Towns set a team record with 60 points. Edwards scored just five in that game.
Edwards connected from deep in the closing seconds of the third, giving Minnesota a 15-point advantage entering the fourth.
Malik Beasley got hot from long range in the third period for Minnesota. Beasley hit three 3-pointers after being held to two points in the first half, helping the Wolves build an 18-point lead.
Minnesota guard D&rsquo;Angelo Russell did not play. Russell was sidelined with bilateral hamstring soreness after scoring 17 points and adding 11 assists in Tuesday&rsquo;s loss to Washington.
TIP-INS
Spurs: San Antonio was without leading scorer Dejounte Murray, who missed his fourth straight game with an illness. Murray leads the Spurs with 21.2 points per game.
Timberwolves: Minnesota signed C Greg Monroe for the rest of the season. Monroe has played in 12 games for four NBA teams this season, including three with the Timberwolves in December. He&rsquo;s averaged 5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds this season.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host the Golden State Warriors on Saturday before Sunday&rsquo;s regular-season finale at Dallas.
Timberwolves: Finish the regular season Sunday at home against Chicago.

Anthony Edwards set a career-high with 49 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Edwards scores 49 as Timberwolves hold off Spurs, 127-121

DENVER (AP) &mdash; The Minnesota Timberwolves are still polishing their playoff credentials and Karl-Anthony Towns gave a sneak peek Friday night of just what type of challenge they'd present in the postseason.
Towns scored 32 points and the Timberwolves overcame Nikola Jokic's 38-point, 19-rebound performance in a 136-130 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
D'Angelo Russell added 24 points and Anthony Edwards scored half of his 18 points on a trio of clutch 3-pointers in the closing minutes to help the Wolves fend off Denver's comeback, snap a two-game skid and halt the Nuggets' three-game surge up the standings.
&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve shown multiple times we&rsquo;re a playoff team and I think we also shown that we&rsquo;re not a joke,&rdquo; Towns said. "This is the real deal Holyfield. Tonight was just another night with the chips all on the table &mdash; and for both teams. They even played their MVP 44 minutes.
&ldquo;I think both teams showed that we were all into winning this game and we both understood the magnitude of this game and the importance. We just came out and found a way to win in their home.&rdquo;
Aaron Gordon scored 24, including a <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1510077384757682176?s=20&amp;t=IJilCuwV_V4cHIczzPwdJA">reverse alley-oop dunk</a>, and Monte Morris had 23 for Denver. But what did in the Nuggets were the 36 free throws they allowed and the 30 points they gave up off 18 turnovers.
&ldquo;We had some stupid turnovers,&rdquo; said Jokic, who finished two assists shy of a triple-double.
The Timberwolves (44-34) still are long shots to avoid a play-in scenario but they gave themselves a shot by taking three of four in the season series with Denver (46-32), which fell a half-game behind Utah in the Northwest Division.
Taurean Prince sank a pair of free throws with 19.8 seconds left after the Nuggets, who trailed by as many as 15, had pulled to 133-130 on Will Barton's 3-pointer, and Edwards added a free throw to cap the scoring.
The Timberwolves took a 70-65 lead into the locker room after Edwards blocked Morris, who bypassed open teammates in both corners to take it to the hoop against two defenders, and Prince scored at the other end.
Before tip-off, Nuggets coach Michael Malone was blunt about how his team has been pulling out games in which they played poorly.
They weren't so fortunate against the Wolves.
HOOPS HOPE
The Nuggets have been without stars Jamal Murray (ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. (back surgery) most of the season, but Malone insisted the team hasn't ruled out Murray's return down the stretch.
Asked what he would say to fans pining for Murray, who hasn't played since getting hurt last April 12, Malone said, &ldquo;Keep hope alive.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We're not shutting down Jamal Murray. This is not a black and white issue,&rdquo; Malone said. "We're not running a race with a definitive finish line. Who knows what the season is going to look like after these (last) four games? Are we going to be in the playoffs? Are we going to be in the play-in? Who knows? That's to be determined.
&ldquo;Jamal is getting better every day. Trust me, we all want him back. I want him back. We're a better team with Jamal Murray. And he wants to be back. He's making great progress. But I can't sit here and say that he's going to play in any of the last four games. But I also can't say that he won't.&rdquo;
While Morris said Murray looks ready to return, Jokic said he admonished his star point guard not to rush back.
&ldquo;I told him, &lsquo;If you&rsquo;re not 100% ready then don't come back. It's stupid," Jokic recounted. "'You risk (getting re-injured) if you're not 100% ready to go, especially in the playoffs.'"
What about Porter, who appeared to be ahead of Murray in his rehab until a recent setback in his recovery from back surgery?
&ldquo;Uh, no comment,&rdquo; Malone said.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: G Malik Beasley returned after missing two games with an ankle injury. ... Minnesota was 20 of 22 from the free throw line in the first half. ... The Timberwolves hit 12 of their first 16 shots. ... Towns (6 for 6) and Russell (4 for 4) were perfect from the field in the first quarter and each swished both of their free throws in the opening quarter as well.
Nuggets: F JaMychal Green returned to action after missing two games with a wrist injury. ... Jeff Green raced through the tunnel and out the arena early in the third quarter because of a personal matter. ... Jokic didn't grab his first rebound until the 3:09 mark of the first quarter. ... DeMarcus Cousins picked up four fouls and a technical in just 2 minutes, 6 seconds spanning the first and second quarters.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Wrap up their road schedule at Houston on Sunday night before finishing with three home games.
Nuggets: Visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon before finishing up with three home games.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves scored a 136-130 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Towns, Edwards lead Timberwolves to 136-130 win over Nuggets

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Rudy Gobert had 25 points and 17 rebounds as the Utah Jazz snapped a five-game losing streak with a 122-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
&ldquo;It was huge to get a win,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;The negativity and the losses and all that pressure was more external, but it was not an ideal time to have a five-game losing streak. So it&rsquo;s nice to celebrate this one tonight.&rdquo;
Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points, Mike Conley added 18 and Bojan Bogdanovic 11 in his return from injury as the Jazz continued their fight to stay out of a Western Conference play-in game.
Utah led wire-to-wire, the fourth game of the season in which it never trailed. But, the Lakers stayed within striking distance until Gobert slammed down Mitchell&rsquo;s miss to make it 120-104 with 2:54 to play.
&ldquo;We were finding guys, making the right reads, getting switches, being able to break down the defense, get in the paint and make the extra pass,&rdquo; Mitchell said of the Jazz offense returning to its efficient ways with 51 percent shooting and only eight turnovers.
Russell Westbrook scored 24 points and Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who were without LeBron James (ankle sprain) and Anthony Davis (foot sprain). Howard even hit a step-back 3-pointer as he reached double figures for the second time in his last 12 games.
&ldquo;I know how important these games are down the stretch. I just wanted to get my body and my mind prepared for tonight. Felt really good out there. Just a little bit hurt about not winning the game,&rdquo; Howard said.
Lakers have dropped five of six and are 4-14 since beating the Jazz on Feb. 16. They played their 37th different starting lineup against Utah.
&ldquo;For me, personally, it&rsquo;s a big adjustment. You don&rsquo;t know who&rsquo;s playing and who&rsquo;s out. Who&rsquo;s starting and who&rsquo;s not. Something I&rsquo;m not accustomed to. But like I said, I make no excuses. I own whatever it is, play whoever is playing and try to make the best out of it,&rdquo; Westbrook said.
Utah&rsquo;s losing streak included a demoralizing defeat in which it blew a 25-point lead against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. The Jazz have lost 14 games this season in which they held double-digit leads.
When the Lakers closed to 113-103 on Talen Horton-Tucker&rsquo;s 3-pointer, an audible nervous buzz grew among the Jazz faithful as they anticipated another collapse. But, the Lakers couldn&rsquo;t consistently get enough stops to make it interesting.
&ldquo;I really like the way we were able to re-focus together and reconnect. We did a good job closing &hellip; and that&rsquo;s big for us,&rdquo; Gobert said.
Both teams have been weighed down by disappointing losses and unrealized expectations. Some of the dropoff has been due to injuries, as James has missed three of the Lakers&rsquo; last four games and Davis has been out for 18 games.
Utah&rsquo;s losing ways have corresponded with Bogdanovic&rsquo;s nine-game absence with a calf strain and House&rsquo;s knee bruise.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to have them back, just having that presence on the court &hellip; for spacing. You know guys have to think twice when they decide to help on the roll or drives and it opens the floor,&rdquo; Gobert said.
Hassan Whiteside has also been out with a foot sprain during three games of the skid and missed the Lakers game.
The Jazz were able to get into transition and outscored Los Angeles 14-2 on fast breaks. Not only did the Jazz stymie the Lakers on the move, they took away the perimeter shots as Los Angeles made just seven 3-pointers.
The Jazz are 28-11 on the season when they have their starting lineup of Conley, Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Royce O&rsquo;Neale and Gobert.
REFRAIN FROM POINTING FINGERS
When the losses were piling up and it didn&rsquo;t look like they were enjoying playing together, Mitchell knew they had to block the outside noise.
&ldquo;The biggest thing was just being able to stay together as a group,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;We have a group of guys who are seasoned and have been through ups and downs. So if a five-game losing streak is what breaks us, that&rsquo;s not who we think we are. I think we are a team that is locked in as a group.&rdquo;
Clarkson agreed and said the swoon actually helped the team communicate better.
&ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t a sense of panic with this team &hellip; a lot of it is looking at yourself and what you can do to help the team,&rdquo; Clarkson said. &ldquo;That takes out the finger-pointing if you hold yourself accountable.&rdquo;
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?
Lakers coach Frank Vogel liked how his team competed without his stars and hopes they can make a run when they return.
&ldquo;We have to stay in the fight and we have to give ourselves a chance. If we&rsquo;re able to get into the play-in game at full strength, we know we got a shot. &hellip; Tomorrow is even bigger obviously with the head-to-head with the Pelicans,&rdquo; Vogel said.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Trevor Ariza had a season-high two blocked shots. &hellip; The Lakers went 34 for 58 from 2-point range. &hellip; Malik Monk scored 14 and Carmelo Anthony added 12.
Jazz: Utah had one turnover in the first quarter, which came with 17.6 seconds left. &hellip; Gobert, who had been barking at the officials all game, finally got a technical in the third quarter. &hellip; The Jazz, who aim to get up 40-plus 3-point attempts a game, made 15 of 44 from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Jazz: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
&nbsp;

Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points as the Utah Jazz snapped a five-game losing streak with a 122-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Utah snaps five-game skid with 122-109 win over Lakers

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=BNI6125493101" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Thursday's slate.
Atlanta Hawks (-5.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
If you haven&rsquo;t had the chance to watch Trae Young carry the Hawks recently, you&rsquo;re missing out on a show. Young is putting the Hawks&rsquo; entire offense on his back, which is leading to a late surge in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Against a Cleveland team missing their two young bigs in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, we love the Hawks as a best bet for Thursday&rsquo;s underrated slate. Don&rsquo;t bet against Young and the Hawks with the way they&rsquo;re playing right now.
Pick: Hawks -5.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Trae Young over 28.5 points, Darius Garland over 24.5 points, Clint Capela over 12.5 rebounds, Lauri Markkanen over 6 rebounds
Chicago Bulls (-2) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles is finally getting healthy with superstar wing Paul George back on the court. With George&rsquo;s return, the immediate playoff hopes for the Clippers rise exponentially. Thursday&rsquo;s battle with the Bulls will be an intriguing one to watch. In the end, our forecast predicts an outright win for Chicago. Even if George gets going, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine could be too much for the Clippers to handle.
Pick: Bulls -2
PrizePicks Power Play: DeMar DeRozan over 26 points, Paul George over 24.5 points, Zach LaVine over 22.5 points, Reggie Jackson over 4.5 assists
Utah Jazz (-13.5) vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are in huge trouble, especially tonight in Salt Lake City against the Jazz. With no LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a Russell Westbrook-led Lakers squad is ripe for the picking to get destroyed. The Jazz have found a better rhythm lately on both ends of the court, which could easily spell disaster for Los Angeles. In the end, this is an easy hammer in favor of Utah even with the monster 13.5-point spread.
Pick: Jazz -13.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Donovan Mitchell over 25.5 points, Russell Westbrook over 20.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 14 rebounds, Malik Monk over 2.5 threes
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Make sure to&nbsp;<a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a>&nbsp;and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For a loaded Thursday slate in the NBA, "Nothing But Bets" provides their favorite player props and bets against the spread.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/31/22

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic flirted with another triple-double with 37 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, helping the Denver Nuggets hold off the Indiana Pacers 125-118 on Wednesday night.
The Nuggets led by as many as 31 points in the second quarter before the Pacers stormed back. Indiana led 102-100 with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter before the Nuggets scored seven straight points to regain control.
Jokic made his first nine shots in the first half and finished 15 of 19 from the field for Denver. He fell one assist shy of his 20th triple-double of the season after getting one Monday night at Charlotte. Bones Hyland scored 20 points and Will Barton added 18 for the Nuggets, who shot 62.5% for the game.
"My frustration is we get bored with success," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;I hate when we get up 31 points early."
Hyland said Malone told the team a win is a win.
&ldquo;We pulled it out," Hyland said. &ldquo;It may have been ugly. We have to clean things up. We could have won the game by a lot of points, but the biggest thing is we came out with a win.'&rdquo;
The Nuggets had 19 turnovers, 11 more than the Pacers.
&ldquo;We had too many turnovers, I had seven of them,&rdquo; Jokic said.
Malone said the important thing is the Nuggets are going back home as the No. 5 seed.
Seven of the nine Pacers who played scored in double figures, led by Buddy Hield with 20 points, Terry Taylor with 18 and Goga Bitadze 17. The Pacers shot 45.4% for the game.
After trailing big early in the first half, Indiana cut the deficit to forge a 91-all tie after three quarters. Indiana shot 62.5% to hold a 38-22 edge in the third quarter.
&ldquo;Give Indiana credit, they got back in the game,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;They turned up the heat, the intensity, the pressure. They became the attacker until the last six or seven minutes. You want guys that are going to fight and not sit there and take it. You want guys that will fight for every inch and I think we have had bunch of guys like that.&rdquo;
With the Nuggets leading 100-98 with 8:41 left in the fourth quarter, Denver&rsquo;s Austin Rivers shoved Lance Stephenson after he felt Stephenson hit him while guarding him. Both players were called for technicals.
Rivers was ejected later after a second technical because he faked throwing an elbow at Stephenson, but didn&rsquo;t make contact. Malone said referee Tony Brothers said it was malicious act by Rivers. Malone said he would talk to the league about the ejection.
The Nuggets shot 68% in the first quarter to take a 43-15 lead. The 28-point margin was the largest by any team in the league after the first quarter this season.
The Pacers were able to trim the deficit to 69-53 at halftime by holding a 38-26 edge in the second quarter.
&ldquo;Obviously a bad start,&rdquo; said Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had 15 points and 12 assists. "The crowd got involved, and that&rsquo;s what got us going. We've just got to figure out how to bottle up that third and fourth quarter and second half and sustain it.&rsquo;
TIP-INS
Nuggets: JaMychal Green missed his second consecutive game with a wrist injury. ... Jamal Murray, who hasn&rsquo;t played this season after ACL surgery, did strength training in the hallway and had a workout on the court before team workouts.
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson remains out. He missed two games because of a concussion. He tried to play March 23 against Sacramento, but left after a short stint with a headache. ... Oshae Brissett missed his second consecutive game with a sore back. However, Duane Washington Jr. returned after missing the past two games with a hip injury.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Hosts Minnesota on Friday.
Pacers: At Boston on Friday.
&nbsp;

Nikola Jokic had 37 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists, helping the Denver Nuggets hold off the Indiana Pacers 125-118.

Jokic has 37 points to lead Nuggets past Pacers 125-118

TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam had 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 13 assists for his second career triple-double, Gary Trent Jr. scored 29 points and the Toronto Raptors strengthened their hold on sixth place in the Eastern Conference by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-102 Wednesday night.
Toronto (44-32) moved two games ahead of Cleveland for sixth after the Cavaliers lost to Dallas.
OG Anunoby scored 22 points, Scottie Barnes had 17 and Precious Achiuwa 13 as the Raptors overcame a 17-point second-quarter deficit to complete a 4-0 homestand.
Fred VanVleet scored 12 points and Thad Young had 10 as Toronto matched idle Chicago for the fifth-best record in the conference. The Bulls hold the tiebreaker on the Raptors after winning three of four meetings.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Edwards scored 24 points as the Timberwolves (43-34) lost for the fourth time in five games and dropped three games behind sixth-place Denver in the Western Conference after the Nuggets beat Indiana.
Sixth place is the last guaranteed postseason spot, with teams finishing in the Nos. 7-10 spots headed for the play-in tournament.
Minnesota has five games left, while Toronto has six games remaining.
D’Angelo Russell scored 13 points, and Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley each had 10 as all five Timberwolves starters reached double figures.
The Raptors trailed 40-23 with 9:42 left in the second quarter but closed the gap with a 19-6 spurt. Toronto shot 8 for 12 from 3-point range in the second, and VanVleet’s buzzer-beating 3 at the end of the half gave Toronto a 62-60 lead.
Trent scored 14 points in the third, connecting on 3 of 4 attempts from distance, as Toronto took a 97-82 lead to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: G Malik Beasley (sprained left ankle) sat for the second straight game. ... Coach Chris Finch said F Jaden McDaniels (sprained left ankle) has been cleared to resume basketball activities and will be evaluated again in one week. ... Minnesota had 11 turnovers in the first quarter. They finished with 23, leading to 25 points.
Raptors: C Khem Birch returned after sitting out Monday’s win over Boston because of a sore right knee. ... Achiuwa started the second half in place of Barnes, who returned with 5:02 remaining in the third. ... Toronto improved to 17-4 when at least six players score 10 or more points.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Visit Denver on Friday night.
Raptors: Visit Orlando on Friday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Pascal Siakam logs a triple-double with career-high assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Siakam has triple-double, Raptors rout Timberwolves 125-102

Here&rsquo;s a short list of NBA players who were born since the last time a guard won Defensive Player of the Year: Devin Booker, Dejounte Murray, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo and Brandon Ingram. Hold that thought &mdash; you can bet your life savings we&rsquo;ll get back to it.
We can do the heavy analytical dissection, but if we&rsquo;re being honest, advanced metrics haven&rsquo;t appropriately caught up to or captured how we watch defense, specifically on the perimeter.
This isn&rsquo;t going to be anti-film or anti-analytics; it's just that, sometimes, you gotta throw that sh** out the window and just make your points. You should still sound reasonable and informative while doing it &mdash; not just hot-taking for the sake of it &mdash; but even Kevin Durant famously said, &ldquo;<a href="https://twitter.com/kdtrey5/status/1184140634208329728?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who the f*** wants to look at graphs while having a hoops convo?</a>&rdquo; While many of you might not agree, there&rsquo;s at least a time and place to put this into practice. Now&rsquo;s that time.
The Boston Celtics were 25-25 on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 29. It was the day Marc Gasol turned 37, the day <a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/winter-noreaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a number of us experienced a Nor&rsquo;easter</a> and the day the C's beat the New Orleans Pelicans 107-97. Boston got a combined 69 points from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Some would call it a nice win.
But that day also marked the beginning of what is now a two-month Celtics run of Oscar-smacking the piss out of teams, riding a record of 47-29 ahead of their showing Wednesday night against the Miami Heat &mdash; another Eastern Conference contender.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Oh yeah, we generally weren&rsquo;t calling Boston a contender two months ago &mdash; some weren&rsquo;t positive the team would totally avoid the Play-In Tournament. If you&rsquo;re keeping score at home, the Celtics have won 22 of their last 26, holding opponents under 100 points (in this NBA) 12 times &mdash; almost half of the time &mdash; and winning 15 of those games by 10 or more points.
The Celtics, right now, have the league&rsquo;s best defense. They&rsquo;ll experience some drop-off with Robert Williams out due to a torn meniscus, and even if we do see him again this season, he&rsquo;ll likely be less than 100%. That&rsquo;s unfortunate, but Boston should still be elite on that end, especially on the perimeter.
In 2022, we&rsquo;d like to think we&rsquo;re too sophisticated to use opposing points per game, but it bares mentioning that the C&rsquo;s are first in the league, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2022_games.html">allowing just 104.0 points per game</a>. <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1">They&rsquo;re also first in Defensive Rating at 105.9</a>.
Basic stuff, right? Yeah, I know. But if you keep going through defensive metrics, you&rsquo;ll find the Celtics at or near the top of many key statistics.
Now, go and look at Marcus Smart&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smartma01.html">Basketball-Reference page</a>, and we&rsquo;ll be here when you get back...
Did you know Smart has only been on an All-Defensive Team twice in his eight-year career? Surely, we can expect a third appearance this season, but still... that&rsquo;s it? (Note: Yes, this is also a case for three All-Defensive Teams for those of us who value that 50% of the game.)
When were those two All-Defensive years? The 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, where Smart cracked the First Team in back-to-back campaigns. We&rsquo;ve lauded his defense for years, and rightfully so. He&rsquo;s one of the best perimeter defenders you may have ever seen &mdash; definitely over the last 10 years. Advanced numbers don&rsquo;t always benefit perimeter defenders; in fact, they favor bigs all the time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🗣 Marcus Smart is the DPOY <a href="https://t.co/XVJFmYKbn2">pic.twitter.com/XVJFmYKbn2</a>
&mdash; Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) <a href="https://twitter.com/StoolGreenie/status/1508617595179585537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Smart&rsquo;s been amazing on defense this year. He&rsquo;s been as good as anyone on the perimeter, but even so, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022_leaders.html">he&rsquo;s only 20th in DRTG</a>, per Basketball-Reference. Wanna guess the positional breakdown of the 19 ahead of him?
There are nine centers, and six guys who play power forward. All but one, Jae Crowder, are considered bigs. Only three are considered guards: Chris Paul, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Luka Dončić. Would you say any of them, as good as they&rsquo;ve been, have been better than Smart defensively this year with a straight face?
(By the way, Smart is fourth on his own freaking team behind Williams [first], Al Horford [fourth] and Tatum [15th] somehow.)
Smart&rsquo;s tied for 11th in Defensive Box Plus-Minus. Wanna play the positional breakdown game again? No need. Only one guard is ahead of him, and that&rsquo;s Paul, who&rsquo;s on the best team in the league &mdash; the rest all play the 3, 4 or 5&mdash; especially the latter two.
Defensive Win Shares? Smart&rsquo;s 12th. Wanna do it again? All bigs except for Dončić and his teammate Tatum, who actually leads the league.
This isn&rsquo;t to say that these metrics (and ones that are alike) have been the only thing to influence voting throughout the DPOY award&rsquo;s history, but the award itself basically crowns whoever voters think is the best defensive big man. Sometimes you can crunch numbers, other times you can compare charts, but all in all, you still need to watch the m*****f*****. From there, it&rsquo;d be nice to recondition your thinking so we don&rsquo;t wind up in the same place all the time.
No guard has won DPOY since 1995-96, and that was Gary Payton &mdash; one of the best to ever do it. The most recent guard before Payton was Michael Jordan in 1988. That&rsquo;s two guards that have won DPOY since Mike Conley was born, and he&rsquo;ll turn 35 in October.
We don&rsquo;t even need to do the positional breakdown. We can do it like this: the last non-big to win DPOY was Kawhi Leonard in 2016 &mdash; the second season of back-to-back award wins. The last non-big before him? Ron Artest in 2004. And before that? Payton in &rsquo;96, then Jordan in &rsquo;88.
That&rsquo;s five DPOY Awards to non-bigs over the last 34 seasons, not including this year, where I&rsquo;m bracing for the voters to give it to Rudy Gobert a fourth time.
Smart&rsquo;s awesome, but even just on principle, just give the award to a (insert expletive here) guard. This is a guard- and wing-driven league offensively and Smart defends all those dudes, putting the clamps on several &mdash; and he's done this since being drafted in 2014. He&rsquo;s the best perimeter defender &mdash; arguably best, period &mdash; on the league&rsquo;s best defensive team. As the longest-tenured Celtic since 2017, this team has taken on his identity. Without Smart &mdash; even with Williams, Tatum, Brown, Horford and Derrick White &mdash; the Celtics wouldn&rsquo;t be this. His point-of-attack defense, switchability and leadership are immeasurable.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4IgtAFqtvYQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
And to the voters &mdash; y&rsquo;all are media members, many of whom grew up admiring the Celtics (let&rsquo;s keep it real, it&rsquo;s why we haven&rsquo;t stopped hearing about this run since it began) &mdash; so you know Smart&rsquo;s been as good as anyone. And if you&rsquo;re not going to give it to Mikal Bridges for his awesome work defensively on the NBA&rsquo;s best team, or Bam Adebayo for being the most versatile clamper in the league (<a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1503811583067271176" target="_blank" rel="noopener">games missed don&rsquo;t matter</a>), then give it to Smart.
He&rsquo;s earning it, he&rsquo;s deserving of it, and y&rsquo;all just need to do something different.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Bryan Fonseca shares the history of the NBA DPOY award in reference to guards and believes Marcus Smart should win it.

Give Marcus Smart the damn Defensive Player of the Year award

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night with Los Angeles missing LeBron James because of an ankle issue while anticipating the return of long-injured Anthony Davis.
James and Davis didn't play after being listed as doubtful, which was actually an upgrade for Davis. The eight-time All-Star hasn't played since Feb. 16 because of a right mid-foot sprain. His first full practice since the injury was Monday in Dallas.
The question is when the superstars return. The Lakers (31-44) are tied with San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with seven games remaining for both teams. Coach Frank Vogel was non-committal before the game.
Los Angeles finishes a three-game road trip in Utah on Thursday before returning home Friday to complete a back-to-back against New Orleans. The Pelicans are ninth in the West, a game ahead of the Lakers and Spurs.
&ldquo;With those guys out, we&rsquo;re at a talent deficit, so the focus and execution has to make up for it,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;This is just the latest dose of adversity that this year&rsquo;s team has faced. When you lose &rsquo;Bron, OK, you have to adjust yet again throughout a season of setbacks.&rdquo;
Malik Monk scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook had 25 for the Lakers, who dropped their third straight for their fifth losing streak at least that long in the past two months as part of a steady slide away from .500 for the 2020 champs.
Doncic had 25 points in the first half as Dallas scored a season-high 82 for a 26-point lead. He finished with 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
The 23-year-old star secured his first triple-double in almost two months and 10th of the season with an <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1508973213480497153?s=20&amp;t=1oiVTgbr4YMZ7HtyrqQYJg">offensive rebound for a layup</a> that gave him 32 points and put Dallas up 101-65 with 6:58 left in the third quarter. Doncic sat the fourth.
Maxi Kleber capped an 11-0 run in the final 84 seconds of the first quarter with a coast-to-coast layup just before the buzzer. Dallas shot 64% for a 43-25 lead.
One of the few times LA tried to defend the 3-pointer, Spencer Dinwiddie was fouled on a 3 that put Dallas up 63-33 in the second quarter. He missed the free throw. Dallas was 11 of 19 from 3 after Dinwiddie's make and finished with a season-high 20 in 46 attempts.
&ldquo;We respect who they are,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re dangerous. (Monk) played well. Russ played well. We took care of business from the start. I think those guys set the tone. Three great quarters of basketball.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: The other meeting in Dallas this season was one of the 21 games James and Davis have played together. The Lakers won it 107-104 in overtime on Austin Reaves' 3 with a second remaining on Dec. 15. Reaves missed all four of his attempts from deep in his return and scored three points. ... Stanley Johnson matched his season high with 16 points.
Mavericks: G Brandon Knight signed his second 10-day contract of the season under the COVID-19 allowances after G Trey Burke joined G Sterling Brown in the health and safety protocols. ... Reggie Bullock scored 17 points and was 5 of 8 from 3, putting him at 12 of 19 over two games after going 1 of 12 in the previous two.
DALLAS IN THE WEST
The Mavericks (47-29) moved within a game of Stephen Curry and Golden State for the third seed in the West. Dallas owns the tiebreaker.
The victory also assured the Mavericks of staying at least a game ahead of Utah for No. 4, the final spot with home-court advantage in the first round. The Jazz will have that tiebreaker if they maintain their Northwest Division lead over Denver.
HOWARD BENCHED
Dwight Howard didn't play again for the Lakers after coming out five minutes into the game. &ldquo;We got down 25 points very early in the game so I was looking for somebody else to get something done,&rdquo; Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Lakers: LA can sweep the season series against Utah for the second time in three seasons after going the previous 34 years without doing it.
Mavericks: The second night of the final back-to-back of the regular season is Wednesday in Cleveland. It opens the last road trip (four games) as Dallas completes a stretch of 15 of 23 games away from home,

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night.

Mavs rout Lakers 128-110 with LeBron sitting, AD near return

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Celtics coach Ime Udoka has his priorities set for the final push to the playoffs, and trying to figure out Boston's best matchup isn't among them.
&ldquo;Teams manipulate where they want to play. We&rsquo;re not concerned about that,&rdquo; the rookie head coach said on Sunday after the Celtics cruised past the Minnesota Timberwolves 134-112 and climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s too much closeness to try to manipulate things and pick an opponent," Udoka said. &ldquo;Home court advantage is the main thing, and let the chops fall where they&rsquo;re going to fall.&rdquo;
Jayson Tatum scored 34 and Jaylen Brown had 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead Boston to its sixth straight win. The Celtics won for the 24th time in their last 28 games and, combined with the 76ers loss to Phoenix, took over the No. 1 spot in the East.
Boston and Miami have the same record at 47-28. The Celtics have beaten the Heattwice this season, and the teams meet again Wednesday.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a journey,&rdquo; Tatum said. &ldquo;We had to find our identity. Lost some teammates; got some new guys. We&rsquo;ve had to battle, but it&rsquo;s been fun. We had some tougher times, but we&rsquo;ve benefited from it, and made us better."
This win came at the expense of the team that until recently had been the one of the hottest in the NBA: Minnesota is 12-5 since the All-Star break, winning 10 of 11 before back-to-back losses to Phoenix and Dallas this week.
Anthony Edwards scored 24 and Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 as the Timberwolves opened a four-game road trip with a loss &mdash; their third in four games.
The Celtics scored 13 of the first 15 points in the second quarter to open a double-digit lead they never relinquished. It was 72-49 at halftime.
By that point, the only question was whether Tatum would move into the NBA lead in scoring. He did, finishing the day with 1,923 points to pass Atlanta's Trae Young (1,915) for the top spot.
The Celtics star already has one of the top 15 scoring seasons in Celtics history and has seven games left to become the seventh player in franchise history to top 2,000 points in a season. He would join John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, Sam Jones.
OUT
The Celtics were without forward Al Horford, who missed the game for undisclosed personal reasons and is unlikely for Monday night in Toronto. Minnesota missed Malik Beasley, who left Friday night&rsquo;s game with a sprained ankle.
Brown and Tatum both tested their sore knees before the game and were cleared to play. Robert Williams III, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds, limped off the court at the end of the third quarter with the Celtics up 26, and did not return.
The team said he had a left knee sprain. Udoka said Williams had &ldquo;quite a bit of pain&rdquo; but the team would know more after seeing a scan on Monday.
Udoka said some players might sit out against Toronto in the second game of a back-to-back on Monday night &mdash; even with the East's top four seeds within a half-game of each other. (Boston and Miami were 47-28, with Milwaukee and Philadelphia at 46-28.)
&ldquo;As far as rest goes, that&rsquo;s the main thing,&rdquo; Udoka said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got some guys who&rsquo;ve got some nicks now and you have to be smart about it.&rdquo;
FINED
The NBA fined Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince $15,000 on Sunday for making an obscene gesture on the court in their 116-95 win over Dallas. At end of the third quarter of Friday night&rsquo;s game, Prince and Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic both got technical fouls for exchanging words.
TIP-INS
Towns was removed for a substitute late in the third quarter. He walked off the court and straight to the locker room. ... It&rsquo;s the seventh time this year Tatum and Brown have scored at least 30 apiece.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: At Toronto on Wednesday night.
Celtics: At Toronto on Monday night.
&nbsp;

Jayson Tatum scored 34 as the Celtics beat the Timberwolves 134-112 and climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference.