Panthers

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBA Finals is not too big of a stage for him.
The 21st pick in the draft last summer, Braun has made the most of his minutes off the bench, sinking 10 of 12 shots, grabbing a half dozen rebounds and collecting four steals against the Miami Heat while giving teammates an extended breather.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a rare rookie right here,&rdquo; Aaron Gordon said. &ldquo;From Day 1 he&rsquo;s been on top of it. This is a real winner right here. I say that because he&rsquo;s always in the right spot. He&rsquo;s in the right place at the right time, and he&rsquo;s been doing that all year.&rdquo;
Braun has a chance to become just the fifth player in NBA history to win an NBA title a year after winning the NCAA championship, joining Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Henry Bibby and Billy Thompson.
Braun gave the Nuggets a much-needed lift in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-miami-heat-denver-nuggets-6410e66b0dc6f50f2bbed3b6b7a178b4">Denver&rsquo;s Game 3 rout of the Heat</a>. With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray making history with the first dual triple-double in the NBA Finals, Braun scored 15 points in 19 minutes on a night starters Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggled again.
Braun&rsquo;s remarkable resume includes three state championships at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and a national title with the Jayhawks last year.
Most rookies who cap their college careers with championships have to bide their time in the pros until it&rsquo;s, well, their time. Braun is two wins away from an incredible fifth championship in seven years.
And one of those years without a title came in 2020, when the pandemic shuttered sports and society at a time the Jayhawks were entering the NCAA tournament as the nation&rsquo;s No. 1 team.
&ldquo;Getting shut down, we feel like we were definitely held back from something,&rdquo; said Braun, who helped Kansas win the national title two years later when he had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Jayhawks&rsquo; 72-69 win over North Carolina in the national championship.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m definitely blessed,&rdquo; Braun said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not necessarily an individual accomplishment. I&rsquo;ve been a part of some really good teams with really good coaches and really good players.&rdquo;
Like on the court, he&rsquo;s been in the right place at the right time his whole life.
&ldquo;All year long the one thing I&rsquo;ve talked about with Christian is that he&rsquo;s a winner,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;The guy has won at every level, and here he is in the NBA Finals. It&rsquo;s kind of staying true to form for Christian Brawn.&rdquo;
Malone said he knew Braun&rsquo;s addition was going to be big when the 6-7 shooting guard whose last name is pronounced &ldquo;Brown,&rdquo; helped Denver to a 128-123 win at Golden State in the second game of the season with Murray in street clothes as he worked his way back from a torn ACL.
&ldquo;For a young player playing against the defending world champions on the road, he wasn&rsquo;t afraid,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;That really stuck out to me. Most young kids, they get in a situation or environment like that, they&rsquo;re going to be a little bit over their head, and he wasn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Braun&rsquo;s attitude is that if he&rsquo;s only going to get minutes here and there, then he&rsquo;s going to hustle from the second he checks in to the moment he&rsquo;s summoned back to the bench.
&ldquo;The last two months of the year he was a rotational player for the No. 1 team in the West,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s done his job in the playoffs. He&rsquo;s gone out there and defended, rebounded, ran the floor, moved without it. He&rsquo;s never afraid of the moment, which you have to appreciate for such a young kid.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Obviously, the Final Four kind of helped me with that,&rdquo; Braun said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve kind of been here before.&rdquo;
Several times even.

Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBA Finals is not too big of a stage for him.

Nuggets’ Braun seeking NBA title a year after winning NCAA championship

It's January 6, and Damian Lillard sits in the corner of the visitor's locker room.
He's absorbing the questions that are being tossed his way concerning another tough loss, toeing the line between urgency and understanding; it's not a lack of effort, he says, but maybe too much&nbsp;effort and desire leading to pressing at the wrong times.&nbsp;
The result is the result: A 108-99 loss to the Indiana Pacers headlined by poor shooting. Lillard wasn't himself, dropping just 19 points on 7-for-24 shooting (6-for-16 from two, 1-for-8 from three). As a whole, the Portland Trail Blazers scored a paltry 17 points in the fourth quarter. They missed their last 13 field goal attempts in the game.
"You're not gonna win if you can't make a field goal," Lillard says, matter-of-factly.
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It would appear that statement, and that game, represented something. It'd be too strong, too narrative-y, to consider it a turning point. But Lillard hasn't fallen under 20 points since then. To be frank, he's been absurd in the 21 games since.&nbsp;
We're in the midst of the most impressive stretch of Lillard's career. Not only is he scoring at a high clip (38.7 points per game), but he's also doing so on otherworldly efficiency.&nbsp;
The three-point shooting immediately stands out with Lillard. The basic numbers &mdash; 40.1% on 12.0 attempts a night during this stretch &mdash; are ridiculous on their own. He's one of five players taking at least eight threes and hitting them at a 40% clip, joining Klay Thompson (44.7% on 11.6 attempts), Buddy Hield (41.7% on 9.0), the currently-injured Steph Curry (41.2% on 10.9) and Michael Porter Jr. (40.4% on 8.1).
But the way Lillard is going about it is what makes this run special.
He's been <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203081/shots-dash?DateFrom=01%2F07%2F2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">torching the nets on spot-ups</a> (44.6% on 3.1 attempts), getting busy off movement &mdash; an absurd 16-for-22 (72.7%) on threes off screens, per InStat tracking &mdash; and doing a ton of damage off the bounce (38.6% on 8.8 attempts).
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No player has taken (35) or made (16) more threes from 30 or more feet than Lillard during this stretch. His 45.7% clip on those bombs leads the NBA among the 23 players who have attempted at least five (5!) of those shots.
Think about that. The only players aside from Lillard to make at least 40% of those attempts are Desmond Bane and Talen Horton-Tucker &mdash; and they're a combined 4-for-10.
It's insane.&nbsp;
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What has continued to go somewhat under the radar is the work Lillard has done inside. He's converting 64.3% of his two-pointers &mdash; the third-best mark among the 50 players averaging <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shots-general?CF=FG2A*GE*10&amp;DateFrom=01/07/2023&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FG2_PCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least 10 attempts inside the arc</a>. The two players ahead of him are centers &mdash; the somehow-underrated Jarrett Allen (70.8% on 10.1 attempts) and MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic (70% on 12.2 attempts).
Lillard's been the best driver in the league over the past month. He's fifth in volume (376) and, again, has made good things happen when attacking. On trips featuring a Lillard drive at any point of the possession, the Blazers are generating a blistering 1.29 points per possession (PPP) per Second Spectrum.
That's the best mark in the NBA among 114 players with at least 100 drives under their belt. Beyond that, the difference between Lillard and second-place James Harden (1.222 PPP) is larger than the gap between Harden and 13th-ranked Tyler Herro (1.158 PPP). He isn't just leading &mdash; he's kinda lapping the field right now.
If you limit the parameters to direct plays &mdash; meaning Lillard finishes the possession, or passes it to someone who immediately finishes the possession &mdash; that number rises to 1.39 PPP. That, again, leads the NBA by a wide margin.&nbsp;
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There's no real way to defend Lillard. Give him too much space, and he's proven comfortable to pull from quite literally anywhere. Press up too much, and he's fine gaining inside leverage and finishing through contact, around contact or absorbing enough to get to the free throw line. Oh, right: He's averaging 11.4 free throw attempts during this run, too.&nbsp;
That duality has made Lillard the most dangerous scorer in the league as of late.
He's fresh off a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/damian-lillard-has-71-points-and-13-threes-blazers-beat-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">71-point performance</a> against whatever the Houston Rockets are. He converted 9 of his 16 shots inside the arc, drilled a career-high 13 triples and made all 14 of his free throw attempts. The 80.4% True Shooting mark made his outburst the most efficient 70-plus-point game in NBA history.
And this is roughly a month removed from Lillard dropping 60 points on the Jazz on 89.8% TS. This may shock you, but that happens to be the most efficient 60-plus-point game in NBA history.
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Lillard has been cooking <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-damian-lillard-is-flying-off-the-ball-and-under-the-radar-portland-trail-blazers-all-star-voting-anfernee-simons-jerami-grant-josh-hart-steph-curry-marcus-smart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for most of the season</a>, but this 21-game stretch is something else entirely. Through Jan. 6, Lillard ranked 14th in the league in scoring (27.1). Because of this run, he now ranks third (32.3) with a realistic chance at passing Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic (33.1) for the top spot.&nbsp;
Lillard (+8.4) has also shot past Jokic (+7.9) for the lead in Offensive Estimated Plus-Minus (OEPM). He may not be the playmaker Jokic is &mdash; and that distinction is probably what gives the edge to Jokic as an overall offensive force when you zoom out &mdash; but Lillard deserves his flowers in that regard too.&nbsp;
To have a 35.4% assist rate and a turnover rate under 10 (9.8) while carrying this sort of usage (36.3%) is almost unheard of. In fact, only two players &mdash; Michael Jordan and Tracy McGrady &mdash; have recorded seasons with an assist and usage rate over 30%, and a turnover rate below 10.
Lillard isn't just efficient as a scorer; he's just doing efficient work with the ball in his hands.

Nekias Duncan puts Damian Lillard's month-and-a-half-long scoring binge and the most dominant stretch of his career into perspective.

Damian Lillard making claim as NBA's most dangerous offensive player

DENVER (AP) &mdash; The peach-colored coordination between Jamal Murray (shoes) and Nikola Jokic (suit) was purely by accident.
This wasn't: Murray turning in his best Jokic imitation.
Murray got his first career triple-double and the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to nine games by routing the Indiana Pacers 134-111 on Friday night without Jokic.
The two-time reigning NBA MVP sat out due to hamstring tightness.
Murray finished with 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds to replicate the kind of production usually seen from Jokic, who leads the league in triple-doubles. Jokic had a courtside seat for the Jamal Murray Show and congratulated his point-guard teammate after the feat.
&ldquo;I was just playing our game, playing aggressive,&rdquo; Murray explained. &ldquo;We were just having fun out there. The ball was hopping.&rdquo;
About their color-coordinated ensemble: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know he was going to come in looking like a peach,&rdquo; Murray cracked.
About emulating Jokic in getting into the triple-double department: &ldquo;He steals a lot of my triple-doubles,&rdquo; Murray cracked again. "It was nice to finally get one on the board.&rdquo;
Aaron Gordon scored 28 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 19 as the Western Conference-leading Nuggets ran their home win streak to 16 games. They haven't lost at Ball Arena since Dec. 6 against Dallas.
Nuggets acting head coach David Adelman improved to 3-0. Michael Malone remains out after entering the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols.
A stat line Malone will certainly appreciate &mdash; a season-high 38 assists. This, too &mdash; 16 steals.
&ldquo;It was really fun to see our guys continue to play the way we play regardless of who&rsquo;s on the court,&rdquo; Adelman said. &ldquo;It was fun because a lot of guys contributed. Those are special nights.&rdquo;
Adelman was especially pleased for Murray, who's been working his way back from a torn ACL that kept him out all last season.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s already had such a storied career here as a Nugget and everything he&rsquo;s been through,&rdquo; Adelman said. &ldquo;So it&rsquo;s very cool to see that.&rdquo;
Bennedict Mathurin had 19 points and Chris Duarte added 18 for the Pacers, who dropped their sixth straight game. Indiana went 8 of 32 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re making a lot of mistakes. We&rsquo;re not taking care of the ball, including me,&rdquo; Duarte said. &ldquo;We just have to cut that down. I feel if we cut the turnovers down we&rsquo;re going to be there with the other teams.&rdquo;
Denver had a back-to-back-to-back dunk sequence in the third quarter that drew thunderous applause from the crowd.
The Nuggets were jamming along all night with 16 dunks. That was tied for their most since 1996-97 (against Washington on March 20, 2009), according to the team.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re very unselfish,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t really care who scores. We&rsquo;re just playing free.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pacers: Indiana has lost six in a row to Denver. ... Indiana center Myles Turner had 15 points.
Nuggets: F Vlatko Cancar missed the game because of an illness not related to COVID-19. ... F Jeff Green was back after sitting out 14 games with a broken hand. He finished with six points. ... G Bones Hyland didn't play in the second half. He had six points.
INJURY UPDATE, PART I
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton participated in some shooting contests with his teammates Friday. Haliburton has missed the last five games (sprained knee/elbow).
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know exactly when he&rsquo;ll play, but he&rsquo;s doing well,&rdquo; coach Rick Carlisle said.
INJURY UPDATE, PART II
Adelman said Jokic sitting out was more of a precaution.
&ldquo;He just had a little discomfort,&rdquo; Adelman said. &ldquo;If he&rsquo;s not the best player in the world he&rsquo;s close, so if he&rsquo;s feeling discomfort, we&rsquo;re not going to take a chance.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

The Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to nine games by routing the Indiana Pacers 134-111

Murray gets 1st career triple-double, Nuggets rout Pacers

It's admittedly fun to ride the small-sample-sized wave of early NBA seasons.
We've already witnessed 58 individual 30-plus-point performances in eight days of action from dozens of different players. The Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies atop the Western Conference standings. And early breakout games have dotted the league's landscape, making fans of all 30 teams (well...) hopeful for what could be on the horizon.
But while it's encouraged to enjoy success in the moment, as analysts, how do we temper expectations and forecast the future? Some players are bound to return to earth, while for others, this first week might truly be the start of something special.
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Here are five players who have caught fire so far, and whose environments make sustaining these heat waves a plausible reality:
LAURI MARKKANEN, UTAH JAZZ
We start with everyone's favorite "What the heck is happening right now?" team in the Jazz, who are 4-1 despite being a projected basement-dweller/Victor Wembanyama suitor/whatever you'd like to tactfully call a bad basketball team.
Markkanen is leading the charge in the box score with his 22.0-point, 8.8-rebound, 3.0-assist per-game averages. Two of those would be career highs (he averaged 9.0 rebounds per game in 2018-19), and his 64.2% two-point clip would be a career best by far. That's also despite him canning just 24.2% of his threes.
Markkanen turned heads at the end of the summer with his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/6-players-who-stood-out-from-eurobasket-2022-lauri-markkanen-alperen-sengun-lorenzo-brown-sasha-vezenkov-dzanan-musa-simone-fontecchio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EuroBasket onslaught for Finland</a>. We saw the 25-year-old in a primary scoring role during the tournament, and that's sort of translated to Utah. Markkanen's usage rate (22.6%) and drives per game (6.0) are his highest figures since 2018-19. He's making a stunning 68.4% of his shots when he drives to the basket &mdash; bound to recede, but definitely a positive sign when you look at the above footage.
And yet! He's also been used creatively without having to be individually creative, as highlighted by Mat Issa:
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Reason #1: Lauri Markkanen (cont.) And while he has made some strides as a self-generated scorer, he's doing a lot of his damage playing off of his teammates as a shooter, roller, and cutter. 71 of his 86 shot attempts (82.6%) have come off 2 dribbles or less. <a href="https://t.co/xrAUBCbGGm">pic.twitter.com/xrAUBCbGGm</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1585651902473068544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Regardless of how the Jazz progress as a team, Markkanen is going to be a featured player barring any sort of trade. He's also an easy bet to return to form as a perimeter shooter. Markkanen currently sports a 29.2% clip on catch-and-shoot threes; he typically hovers around 35%.
There's no one standing in the way of Markkanen leading the Jazz in shot attempts, and he's shown signs that he can take on such a responsibility.
TREY MURPHY III, NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
A literally perfect, 22-point, 8-for-8 shooting effort from Murphy helped the Pelicans win a game against the Dallas Mavericks without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones. The second-year forward is shooting a lights-out 68.4% from long range and re-establishing himself as a premier young shooting talent in the league.&nbsp;
However, it's been his aggression attacking closeouts that has really helped Murphy propel his offensive game forward.
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We all know Trey Murphy is an amazing shooter. But him attacking closeouts like this is going to make him incredibly deadly <a href="https://t.co/AmJd9RiGfw">pic.twitter.com/AmJd9RiGfw</a>
&mdash; Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/FearTheBrown/status/1585139430259855360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/trey-murphy-iii-wants-to-announce-presence-new-orleans-pelicans-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Murphy explained to me this summer</a> that he's really worked on anticipating and absorbing contact. That showed up in NBA Summer League, and it's manifesting so far as you can see in the above clips. Murphy is only 3-for-8 on driving attempts so far, but that's already better than his abysmal 21.4% rate as a rookie. He's also been one of the most frequent transition finishers in the NBA, and is even averaging a league-best 1.92 points per possession in transition.
New Orleans hasn't gotten out and running too much, but they project as a team that can capitalize on fast breaks. Murphy is an improved at-rim finisher and can always leak out for threes. It makes him yet another unique weapon for the Pelicans' offense.
JAYLEN NOWELL, MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Want to talk about a dark-horse candidate for Sixth Man of the Year? Nowell is putting up 16.2 points in just 21.8 minutes per game for the Timberwolves and has effectively filled Malik Beasley's spot in the rotation. The 23-year-old is knocking down just 32.1% of his threes, but he's a proven threat from distance who I expect to improve.
Mark Schindler has been all over the Jaylen Nowell breakout for practically the entire calendar year, so both deserve their flowers:
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Jaylen Nowell Hooper <a href="https://t.co/kIKFnyToFn">pic.twitter.com/kIKFnyToFn</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1584985123782811648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The third-year guard is prolific in the short-mid-range areas like above; this year, he's made a ridiculous (and unsustainable) 62% of his total mid-range looks. But he's been trading some of those shots in and getting even closer to the basket. Per Cleaning the Glass, Nowell's short-mid-range shot frequency has dropped by 12%, while his at-rim rate has climbed by 13%. That's a great sign since he's a capable scorer in both zones.
Nowell's per-game scoring average is fourth among NBA players with multiple games off the bench. The three in front? Christian Wood (a probably eventual starter), Bennedict Mathurin (a rookie and probable eventual starter) and Keegan Murray (same boat as Mathurin). It's entirely plausible that by the end of the year, this three-level bucket-getter emerges as a leading contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
NICK RICHARDS, CHARLOTTE HORNETS
A third-year center and former second-round pick, Richards has grinded away as a reserve for a Hornets team desperately in need of stopgaps in the frontcourt. Through four contests, he's averaging 13.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game on a crisp 71.4% field goal clip (all twos).
According to Second Spectrum, Richards has either grabbed an offensive board or tipped one to a teammate on two-thirds of his offensive rebound chances &mdash; tied for fourth-best in the NBA among high-volume rebounders.
Within that pristine field goal percentage, Richards is 8-for-9 in scoring chances as a roll man. Now, we're really digging into some small samples here. But he's shooting 78% at the rim in total, which lines up with 75% from last year, and some of the plays look promising. Nothing too crazy, but Richards has finished with soft touch and some power over two of the better interior defenders in the league in Clint Capela and Jakob Poeltl:
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Richards' success is the most extreme small-sample-size bet in this notebook. He just has barely seen an NBA floor, so even looking at past seasons gets sketchy. I'm optimistic for two reasons: Charlotte has an obvious hole he is filling at center, and the team has some elite guard playmakers in LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier who he can work off of.
DEVIN VASSELL, SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Like Markkanen and the Jazz, Vassell and the Spurs are unburdened by expectations, which hopefully gives them the freedom to experiement throughout the season. Fans of the 2020 No. 11 pick have waited for Vassell's glimpses of pull-up prowess and overall scoring to coalesce, and 2022-23 might be the year.
Vassell is putting up 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while firing threes at a career-high volume (8.3 per game) and efficiency (39.4%). The long-range marksmanship has come and gone in waves, and yes, it's probably too early to assume Vassell has fully arrived as a pull-up powerhouse.
However, there's still a lot to love about his start &mdash; especially that assist number.
Vassell's 19.6% assist rate more than doubles either of his prior two seasons, while his 5.2% turnover rate is actually a career-low. There are 72 NBA players averaging more than 8 drives per game this season; Vassell's 15.9% assist rate on drives ranks ninth.
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He's not some highlight-reel passer, but Vassell displays some really impressive floor vision. He can enter a drive in attack mode and still have the wherewithal to monitor how the defense shifts and how his own teammates get open.
Vassell is off to a shaky start as a driving scorer &mdash; he's made just 28.6% of said shots &mdash; but he has a past history with better efficiency. I bank on that returning, and, coupled with his improving vision and enticing perimeter scoring, Vassell could really terrify opposing defenses as a young playmaking engine.
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THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Bennedict Mathurin has been electric as a rookie for the Indiana Pacers, and if you're wondering why his start feels unusually great, that's because it is:</li>
</ul>
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Bennedict Mathurin is only the fifth NBA player since 1980 to score at least 72 points in his first three career games&mdash;and the first since 1995: Isiah Thomas Dominique Wilkins Michael Jordan Jerry Stackhouse Bennedict Mathurin
&mdash; Zach Kram (@zachkram) <a href="https://twitter.com/zachkram/status/1583998848946827265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Synergy's Todd Whitehead has posted a ton of these starting lineup visualizations on his Twitter, and this one in particular caught my eye:</li>
</ul>
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17 teams in the league had 2 or 3 "homegrown" starters in their opening game last week. 6 teams had 4. 3 teams had 0. There are 8 players who made their NBA debut with the Lakers who are starting for somebody else this year, more than any other team. <a href="https://t.co/Kl9Qg0Oa0j">pic.twitter.com/Kl9Qg0Oa0j</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1584621844522729472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>This week's check-in on the Los Angeles Lakers (technically missing one game, but they shot 26.7% as a team, so I doubt this visual changes much):</li>
</ul>
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Dorktown: Los Angeles Lakers! <a href="https://t.co/c3JvICgyJm">pic.twitter.com/c3JvICgyJm</a>
&mdash; Secret Base (@secretbase) <a href="https://twitter.com/secretbase/status/1584584367283654662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Lauri Markkanen, Devin Vassell and Nick Richards are among the players Ethan Fuller believes can sustain their early success.

NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who can sustain their early breakouts

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes Chauncey Billups' dual-threat nature and impact on the next generation of point guards.

Blazing the Trail: Chauncey Billups, the basketball cheat code

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes Penny Hardaway as a dual threat and how he stood out from other point guards.

Blazing the Trail: Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway, the floor giant

Alex Kennedy goes 1-on-1 with Tyrese Haliburton, who opens up about getting traded, the Pacers' future, his offseason training, etc.

Tyrese Haliburton won’t let trade 'resentment' define new Pacers era

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

On Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. ET, former Maryland and Georgetown men&rsquo;s basketball players will look to rekindle a local rivalry when they face off in an alumni game at the Xfinity Center in College Park.
This will be the first event under the Alumni Basketball League, which was co-founded by former Missouri and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kareem Rush. In his three years at Missouri, Rush was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year, a two-time selection on the All-Big 12 First Team and even Missouri&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s basketball player of the decade for the 2000s.
I sat down with Rush to discuss how this league came about, how the Alumni Basketball League differs from other established leagues (such as The Basketball Tournament and the BIG3), their plans moving forward as far as other historic rivalry games and what fans can expect on Aug. 6 when Georgetown faces off against Maryland.
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Etan Thomas: So tell me about the Alumni Basketball League and how it all came about.
Kareem Rush: "Sure, The Alumni Basketball League is the first professional league exclusively for college alumni teams. So back in 2017, I was watching the TBT tournament and looking at the roster, I saw that 27 of these teams were alumni teams, and I was like, 'Man, why not just create a league specific for alumni teams?' Also, I was a part of the first year of the BIG3, so I understood when I went through that try-out, it was literally hundreds of guys with tons of NBA experience vying for 20 spots. So I was like, 'Man, I know guys are always looking for an opportunity to play.' The NCAA is really the only entity that's capitalizing on the collegiate marketplace, so I was like, 'Man, why not just create a league specifically for those guys?' So 2018, being a Mizzou guy, and my younger brother being a KU guy, which is a huge rivalry in Kansas City...
Etan Thomas: Right.
Kareem Rush: "So, the first game, centered around a charity, we were doing it for The Boys and Girls Club, but the response was amazing. We had over 2,500 people there. I was like, 'This could be something.' So, the following year, we wanted to expand the concept. We had Kansas State and Arkansas scheduled to come in, but ended up running into some scheduling conflicts because of the TBT and the BIG3. So we put the second year on the shelf. And then COVID hit, so it sat there for two years. Fast forward to March of this past year, I'm down in Missouri for our 20-year reunion and one of my buddies and former teammates, Jack Jackson, who's now a big DMV guy, asked me what I've been up to. I told him a little bit about the concept, he's like, 'Man, I love it.' So he decided he was going to back it, then the last three months, we've been pushing forward.
"We ended up bringing another former teammate, Jason Conley, aboard and he's based in the DMV area. We asking him like, 'What can we pull off for a couple exhibition games in this first year?' And so, he knew the guys over at Georgetown and Maryland and really led that charge to get the game going. We've been just going as we go for the last month, brought in a couple of the guys, Ricky Goings and Marc Stern, added to our organization and now, here we are a month later; we got this game scheduled for August 6. Our plan is to do another one here in Kansas City in late August or early September to get two proof-of-concept games under our belt. And then, really zero in on identifying teams for the 2023 season where we play between eight-to-16 games. Ideally, having between 16 and 32 of these teams put together."
Etan Thomas: Word traveled fast about this. People are really excited about it in the DMV.
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Kareem Rush: "I know, and that&rsquo;s mostly just from the initial marketing through social media and me reaching out to some of these GMs on some of these TBT teams who already got these teams established. The response has been great from players. Being a former player, I understand that guys just want an opportunity to stay in shape, make a little money. Our target guys are those guys either fresh out of college, guys who play overseas. You come back in town, you want to stay in shape, make a little money. This is the league for them. Then another unique aspect of what we're doing, all these leagues are built off the back of these players but very few have actual ownership. So another piece that we're doing is once we get the model established and we can really see what we're doing, we want to allow these guys to be able to buy in and own their own franchises.
"So you see these former NBA guys or current NBA guys who still have huge events for their colleges may want to come in and buy a franchise and operate and run it like the businessmen they are today. So, we believe we have a good starting point. Like I said, the response has been great. We&rsquo;re just looking forward to getting these first two exhibitions off the ground, really focusing in on that 2023 season where we launch media partners, streaming, eventually gambling. So we got a lot of things that we're working on."
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Etan Thomas: I really like the player-empowerment part. You don't see that in most of these leagues. The people who are usually benefiting the most are people outside of the player boundaries. How did you decide to add that component to everything that you're doing?
Kareem Rush: "Being a former player and really seeing that first year in the BIG3, where a lot of those guys &mdash; you got Baron Davis, the Junkyard Dog, Al Harrington, all those guys &mdash; where that little per-game check was not really moving the needle for them; they really want to own some things. And now today, as you see what LeBron and KD and all these guys are doing business-wise, I was like, 'Man, a lot of these guys are really business savvy, so why not give them an opportunity to be on the ground level of a league where they lend their celebrity and influence to the league and they grow with the league?' And so, that's where the concept came from. Like I said, as a former player, I would love to have some ownership in what I'm doing and as we see how much these franchises are worth, why not give the opportunity back to the players who build the league?"
Etan Thomas: So you're planning on taking this show on the road in 2023. Do you already have teams in mind? People are buzzing about the different possibilities or potential rivalry games that we could see. Have you keyed in on the other possible rival games?
Kareem Rush: "I&rsquo;m glad you asked that and yes, we actually have. Once the TBT started putting out their schedule, I was able to literally just reach out to some of those GMs from those teams and have initial conversations. This is a few months back before we started having some development and shape into our league. So we got a pretty good list of teams that we want to target. A lot of these teams are already established, so it's really just about getting the scheduling on our end. But I would say we probably talked to 12-or-16 teams at this point who all have shown interest. And I think for the first part of the league, our first couple of years, we really want to zero in on those historic college rivalries where we can build the concept around those fan bases and that madness and hoopla that build around those rivalries.
"Think of a Duke/North Carolina or a KU/MU or UCLA/USC. From my playing days, I still got connections to a lot of those teams and I think once the concept is out there and marketed properly, we're going to have guys reaching out to us, beating down our door to be a part of it."
Etan Thomas: And correct me if I&rsquo;m wrong, but your model differs from TBT because you offer an actual per-game salary for the players, correct?&nbsp;
Kareem Rush: "I see you did your homework, that&rsquo;s exactly correct. So, unlike TBT, where one team gets all the money and the other teams who come out and prep for months and months on end don't really see anything on the back end. So we're allowing guys to make a decent amount of money in the summertime, stay in shape, and then, once the overseas season goes, 'Go ahead and go back over there,' we want to be that league where you come home and play in front of your fans. You can really tap into that network."
Etan Thomas: Could the players also benefit from NIL deals or sponsorships as well?&nbsp;
Kareem Rush: Definitely. Now with the NIL, we can actually present some of the current players that come back [with deals] because I don't see any university that doesn't want to keep that connection with their former alumni. So bridging the gap there, allowing these guys to come back and play on campus is beneficial for everyone involved."
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Etan Thomas: So for this game in Maryland, you got the Xfinity Center. That shows right there that it&rsquo;s beneficial for the college. It's not like y&rsquo;all are playing at the YMCA or something.
Kareem Rush: "Exactly, I was actually surprised I was able to get the Xfinity Center for this first game in Maryland. We originally had Georgetown Prep scheduled. So that shows you that the schools will eventually want to jump on board and be a part of this because we have between eight-to-16 former legends coming back to be a part of the game. So we're excited about it, man. Like I said, we think we've got some legs. We're looking forward to pushing it full scope in 2023."
Etan Thomas: Sounds great. Don't forget to throw Syracuse in that mix when you&rsquo;re moving forward!
Kareem Rush: "Oh definitely, I already talked to the Boeheim Army guys so we got you! (laughing)"
Etan Thomas: Great, great. Yeah, because especially from that Big East, there are some great rivalries &mdash; I mean the original Big East. Now, of course, the conference is all messed up. Don't even get me started on that. But yeah, the original Big East rivalries, there's Syracuse/Georgetown, Syracuse/St. John's, Villanova/UConn. Those are classic Big East rivalries. But let's talk about this one that's coming up with Maryland and Georgetown and what everybody can expect. Both Maryland and Georgetown have a huge fan base here. I live here in Maryland, so I see it. Everybody was excited when you put out the roster of players, and they get more excited every time they announce another alumni who's going to be in attendance. I saw Georgetown legends like JYD, Michael Graham, Mark Tillmon, Gene Smith and Maryland legends like Joe Smith, Walt Williams, Duane Simpkins, Tony Massenburg. Every name creates more buzz, but talk about what everybody can expect for this game coming up on the 6th.
Kareem Rush: "We just want to put a good product on the court. Like I said, we have a nice mix of young and older players, because we always want to tap into those older fans who saw Juan Dixon, Steve Blake, Lonny Baxter and that group when they won the championship. So trying to get those guys to come up for those people who love the University of Maryland and Georgetown from top to the bottom. Come out, expect a good time! And as this concept grows, we plan on having a family night when we can come in and do some networking events with the guys, interacting with the former alumni and all that type of stuff. So we plan on building much more than just a game. It's going to be more of an entertainment-and-networking event component for them to do moving forward. So just come out, see some old players, have a good time, get a chance to honor and meet-and-greet some of the legends and then, just get ready for 2023!"
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Kareem Rush speaks to Etan Thomas about the Alumni Basketball League and the first matchup between Maryland and Georgetown.

ABL: Maryland, Georgetown alum set to battle Aug. 6 at Xfinity Center

It's been nearly one month since the NBA's free-agency period got underway, and most of the notable players have already been signed. However, there are still a handful of available players.
Here's a look at the remaining free agents:&nbsp;
COLLIN SEXTON, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Collin Sexton injured his left knee last November, and an MRI revealed a torn meniscus that required season-ending surgery. The market has dried up for Sexton, and his best bet may be re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers on the qualifying offer (worth $7.2 million) and then hitting unrestricted free agency next summer. During the 2020-21 season, Sexton averaged 24.3 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 37.5% from downtown and 81.5% from the free-throw line. However, he struggled defensively, and the Cavs registered a league-worst 60-159 record over the first three years of his career. With Sexton out of action last season, Darius Garland emerged as an All-Star and the 44-38 Cavs made the Play-In Tournament.
MILES BRIDGES, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Miles Bridges is coming off a breakout season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 threes and 0.9 steals. It seemed like the forward was due for a massive pay raise and Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak even said that the team was going to re-sign him. However, that was before Bridges was arrested for domestic violence on the eve of free agency. Bridges' wife, Mychelle Johnson, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1542723880619581440/photo/4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently spoke out</a> about Bridges' alleged abuse and documented her serious injuries. Not only has this situation understandably scared teams away, it's also very possible that the NBA will suspend Bridges.
MONTREZL HARRELL, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Montrezl Harrell just delivered another productive and efficient season as a reserve, averaging 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.1 minutes, while shooting 64.5% from the field. Harrell started the season with the Washington Wizards and then got traded to the Charlotte Hornets prior to the deadline. However, it's worth noting that the 28-year-old is facing felony drug charges after officers claimed to find three pounds of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop back in May. That's likely why the former Sixth Man of the Year is still available.
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DENNIS SCHRODER, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last offseason, Dennis Schroder signed with the Boston Celtics at a significant discount. After struggling during the first half of the season, he was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Daniel Theis. He finished last season averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 threes per game, while shooting 43.1% from the field, 34.4% from three-point range and 85.3% from the free-throw line.
HASSAN WHITESIDE, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Hassan Whiteside is a solid backup center who protects the rim. Last season, while backing up Rudy Gobert on the Utah Jazz, he averaged 8.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game. In eight starts, the 33-year-old averaged 11.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 63.5% from the field.
CARMELO ANTHONY, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, 37-year-old put up 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 threes, 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals in 26.0 minutes per game with the Los Angeles Lakers. In recent years, he has shot the ball much better from three-point range, knocking down 37.5% of his three-point attempts last year and 40.9% from deep the year before. Anthony has been working out with his son, Kiyan, at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas as he prepares for next season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Carmelo Anthony (<a href="https://twitter.com/carmeloanthony?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carmeloanthony</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> in Las Vegas: <a href="https://t.co/Rnz8Bam7EO">pic.twitter.com/Rnz8Bam7EO</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547693404414365702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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DEMARCUS COUSINS, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Cousins became a key contributor after joining the Denver Nuggets in February, averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per contest. He looked great at times during the playoffs too, scoring an efficient 19 points in 15 minutes during Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors. The 31-year-old can still help a team.
&ldquo;I belong in this league,&rdquo; Cousins said after Denver was eliminated. &ldquo;I was given the opportunity; I'm thankful for Mike Malone. I spoke with him before. A lot of doors closed for me. Mike looked out, gave me an opportunity. I just tried to take the best advantage of it as I could. That's what I did.&rdquo;
JEREMY LAMB, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, the Indiana Pacers traded Lamb to the Sacramento Kings as part of the Domantas Sabonis deal. In 56 games, Lamb averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 three in 16.7 minutes a night. The 30-year-old struggled with his shot, knocking down just 38.3% of his attempts from the field and 32.4% of his threes (after shooting 45.1% from the field and 40.6% from three the previous year).&nbsp;
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TRISTAN THOMPSON, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, Thompson suited up for the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls, averaging 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game. At this stage of his career, the 31-year-old is a solid backup big man who can provide frontcourt depth.
ANDRE IGUODALA, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, Iguodala rejoined the Golden State Warriors, averaging 4.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in 19.5 minutes across 31 games. At this stage of his career, the 38-year-old is mainly a veteran leader and strong locker-room presence, but he can still produce in limited reserve minutes. Don't be surprised if he re-signs with Golden State.
HONORABLE MENTION: LaMarcus Aldridge (UFA), Wayne Ellington (UFA), Blake Griffin (UFA), Markieff Morris (UFA), Isaiah Thomas (UFA), DJ Augustin (UFA), Sharife Cooper (UFA), Dwight Howard (UFA), Rajon Rondo (UFA), Jordan Nwora (RFA), Lou Williams (UFA), Eric Bledsoe (UFA), Juan Hernangomez (UFA), Josh Jackson (UFA), Duane Washington Jr. (UFA), Paul Millsap (UFA), Eric Paschall (UFA), Moses Brown (UFA), Jarrett Culver (UFA), Rodney Hood (UFA), Avery Bradley (UFA), Kent Bazemore (UFA), Michael Carter-Williams (UFA), Brandon Goodwin (UFA), Tony Snell (UFA), Ben McLemore (UFA), Langston Galloway (UFA), Elfrid Payton (UFA)

Nearly one month into the NBA's free-agency period, which players are still available?

2022 NBA Free Agency: Which players are still available?

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

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

Riding the momentum of a return to the NBA playoffs, the leaders of the Minnesota Timberwolves are determined to further elevate a franchise long mired among the dregs of the league.
Tim Connelly is the first big catch. They're counting on more players to follow.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a reason these coastal cities have a leg up, but what you can help develop and help add credence and definition to is your culture and the organization and the wins and losses,&rdquo; said Connelly, who was formally introduced Tuesday as president of basketball operations after nine seasons in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-nuggets-minnesota-timberwolves-nba-sports-16f98c5297d23a083e6eb360043048ad">that role in Denver</a>. &ldquo;Hopefully word spreads that this is where you're going to come if you want to be treated right.&rdquo;
Connelly agreed last week to a <a href="https://theathletic.com/3326241/2022/05/23/tim-connelly-wolves/">reported five-year, $40 million contract;</a> Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor confirmed it includes bonuses for team performance. Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who are in the process of incrementally purchasing the club for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-nba-baseball-glen-taylor-alex-rodriguez-7068cd7eecf8fbd07023255059fc8901">$1.5 billion</a> from Taylor, made it a priority to aggressively pursue one of the NBA's most accomplished and respected leaders.
&ldquo;We have full confidence and trust in Tim, and he&rsquo;s going to be empowered to build a first-class, world-class organization. Full stop,&rdquo; Lore said.
The 81-year-old Taylor initiated the sale in 2021 with the intention of staying on as sort of a mentor to the incoming owners, who plan to finish the purchase in 2023.
&ldquo;We feel like we&rsquo;ve made good decisions together as a group," Lore said. "We just feel really good about the partnership and where we&rsquo;ve been and where we&rsquo;re going.&rdquo;
Connelly left behind a Nuggets team who has the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-nuggets-nba-sports-nikola-jokic-6b7dc34c311b6810ec67c76ee2208c2d">back-to-back NBA MVP</a>, Nikola Jokic, and a still-promising roster that went 48-34 in the regular season &mdash; two games ahead of the Timberwolves &mdash; without injured standouts Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Connelly also had to uproot his young family.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t looking for this. It was such a unique opportunity that was presented to me. The last nine years for me have been the best nine years professionally I could have ever imagined,&rdquo; Connelly said. &ldquo;As you had those sleepless nights, it makes you dig even deeper internally, even more introspective, and ask yourself if it&rsquo;s something you want to do. It&rsquo;s a leap of faith, certainly.&rdquo;
With Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards emerging as elite players and Chris Finch drawing rave reviews for his guidance in his first full season as coach, the Timberwolves pushed No. 2 seed Memphis hard over <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-9d7a219a489c09c76fcd763eeed7041d">six games in the first round</a>.
Minnesota also became the first team in NBA history to lose multiple games in a series with double-digit fourth-quarter leads, doing so a staggering three times.
&ldquo;I hope that as we continue to build a winning foundation and develop, this is a place that you want to come to win,&rdquo; Connelly said. "It&rsquo;s not about the weather. It&rsquo;s not about having some of these flashier markets. You&rsquo;re going to come here to win, to be treated fairly and have a lot of fun.&rdquo;
Connelly has become the seventh person in nine years to oversee the basketball side, since Flip Saunders returned for his second run. When Saunders died of cancer in 2015, Milt Newton filled in for one season. Then Tom Thibodeau was handed the top job in the now-outdated dual role of head coach and lead executive.
After Thibodeau was fired midway through the 2018-19 season, his deputy, Scott Layden, was the interim replacement. Three years ago, Gersson Rosas was hired but after a sudden dismissal, Sachin Gupta was put in charge. He's expected to remain in the front office under Connelly.
Finch was an assistant with the Nuggets in 2016-17 before being hired away by New Orleans. Connelly called him &ldquo;Finchy&rdquo; throughout his news conference Tuesday &mdash; a sign of the relationship they've already built and the relative security Finch will have under the new boss.
&ldquo;He has great faith in us and what we&rsquo;re doing here, me in particular, and he has a lot of existing relationships with people on our staff and in this building. That always helps,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;He is first and foremost about people. Doesn&rsquo;t take himself too seriously. Fits right in with our culture.&rdquo;

Tim Connelly is the first big catch to elevate the Wolves. They're counting on more players to follow.

Connelly wants to push Timberwolves into NBA upper echelon

When Rick Carlisle was hired as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, the hope was that he could take the team to the next level. With veterans such as Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, Indiana hoped to "become relevant in the East again," as Carlisle put it on media day.
This season didn't go as planned, as the Pacers are currently 25-55, which is the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Indiana has the NBA's 18th-ranked offense (109.1 points per 100 possessions) and 28th-ranked defense (113.5 points per 100 possessions). The team became sellers prior to the trade deadline, dealing away Sabonis, LeVert, Aaron Holiday and Jeremy Lamb.
Now, the Pacers' goals have changed. They are rebuilding around their young core, which features Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson, Goga Bitadze and Oshae Brissett among others. Even though the team is now focused on the future, Carlisle stressed that he isn't going anywhere.
&ldquo;Let me be absolutely clear: I&rsquo;m here to coach this team and coach this team for the long-haul," Carlisle said, per <a href="https://twitter.com/preston76/status/1512118135658319877" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacers' VP of Basketball Communications Michael Preston</a>. "I&rsquo;m not afraid of any aspect of a rebuild one bit. Not one single bit.&rdquo;
He also shot down speculation that he might move to a front-office role.
"I came here to coach&hellip; I want to put this to rest once and for all," Carlisle said, per <a href="https://twitter.com/preston76/status/1512116680742350858" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Preston</a>.
Since becoming a head coach, Carlisle's career record is 836-689. He led the Dallas Mavericks to a championship in 2011, and he won the NBA's Coach of the Year award in 2002. Prior to this stint with the Pacers, he worked in Indiana as an assistant coach (from 1997-2000) and a head coach (from 2003-2007).

Even though the Pacers are rebuilding, head coach Rick Carlisle stressed that he isn't going anywhere or moving to the front-office.

Rick Carlisle says he'll coach rebuilding Pacers 'for the long haul'

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

Butterfly effects impact everything around them. That is as true in the NBA as it is anywhere &ndash; and it&rsquo;s especially true with administrative moves like trades. For example, would the Milwaukee Bucks have won the 2021 NBA championship without trading for Jrue Holiday? Probably not.
So, while new additions are discussed ad nauseum, trades also often result in diminished roles &ndash; or subsequent trades &ndash; for existing players who were firmly in a team's rotation. And with that in mind, I can&rsquo;t help but turn my attention to the Indiana Pacers.
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Indiana was lauded for a deadline deal that swapped Domantas Sabonis for Tyrese Haliburton. But lost in the shuffle of this major deadline deal is Malcolm Brogdon. It&rsquo;s understandable that Haliburton, a 21-year-old averaging 20.7 points and 10.0 assists per game in only his sophomore season, attracts serious attention. But as recently as last season, it was Brogdon who was seen as the team's future point guard.
The former Rookie of the Year is quietly averaging 18.5 points, 5.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. Granted, he&rsquo;s shooting poorly (31% on three-pointers), but he leads the Pacers in assists, and he&rsquo;s their third-leading scorer (prior to the trade) &ndash; not too shabby.
The Pacers have made it abundantly clear that they are rebuilding on-the-fly. They have a young core of Haliburton, Chris Duarte and Jalen Smith. Add in their 2022 first-round pick, as well as Cleveland&rsquo;s 2022 first, and they are off to a good start.
Never mind Buddy Hield &ndash; although if the Pacers are serious about a rebuild, he should expect to be traded, too &ndash; but all of a sudden, Brogdon is probably feeling unwanted and underappreciated &ndash; and rightfully so. According to HoopsHype&rsquo;s <a href="https://hoopshype.com/author/michaelascotto/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto</a>, the Pacers may be open to moving Brogdon this summer.
If I&rsquo;m being honest they should, but not due to production issues. As previously mentioned, Brogdon was playing good basketball this season prior to suffering an Achilles injury in December; Brogdon returned on Friday, Feb. 25, collecting 15 points (on 3 for 8 shooting on three-pointers), 4 assists and 4 rebounds in 31 minutes.
Instead, Brogdon should be moved because he simply doesn&rsquo;t align with a rebuild. He&rsquo;ll turn 30 in December, meaning he&rsquo;ll be past his peak when the younger Pacers enter theirs. And while that may be moot given the unlikely nature of a team remaining together for five or more years in the modern era, it&rsquo;s still probably unwise to waste a talented player like Brogdon on a team that won&rsquo;t compete for a championship with him &ndash; especially when you can swap him for additional assets, allowing less valuable veterans to show Indiana&rsquo;s youngsters the ropes. &nbsp;
For better or worse, Brogdon is under the Pacers&rsquo; control. He just signed a two-year, $45 million extension last summer, which means he&rsquo;s signed to Indiana through 2025 with no player option. Given the bad press Ben Simmons received for his hold out in Philadelphia, Brogdon is unlikely to go that route &ndash; and it may be out of the plan altogether for Brogdon, anyway, who seemed excited to play alongside the younger Haliburton.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited to play with him. I think he&rsquo;s honestly similar to me,&rdquo; Brogdon told the media on Feb. 23. &ldquo;Just the way he plays the game, the way he thinks [of] the game. He&rsquo;s a great young player.&rdquo;
Still, what&rsquo;s good for the goose isn&rsquo;t always good for the gander. So, how can Indiana extract the most value for Brogdon while continuing to build? The Pacers will have to look to engage teams that hope to compete in the near future in trade talks &ndash; but those without well-stocked backcourts will be especially interested. So, who does that leave?&nbsp;
New York Knicks
Of course, New York will be mentioned as a destination for Brogdon, as they haven&rsquo;t had a consistent and legitimate starting point guard in decades. Further, after experiencing success in 2020-21, New York is starving for more.
The benefit of dealing with the Knicks is that they have a good deal of draft capital and lots of short-term and/or expiring deals. To achieve $22.6 million in outgoing salary, New York would probably like to include Evan Fournier &ndash; although that&rsquo;s unlikely give the length of his contract. From a salary perspective, an Alec Burks-Kemba Walker-Immanuel Quickley deal is probably more likely. Remember, Walker will be expiring next season. The Knicks will probably be hesitant to move Quickley, but they&rsquo;ll have to give up something to get Brogdon.
But those three alone won't get it done. Indiana will demand draft picks, too. Fortunately, the Knicks have all of theirs and then some. If the Knicks are willing to part with two future picks (at least one of which being a first-rounder), that probably gets it done &ndash; especially if that first-rounder is their own 2022 first-round pick.&nbsp;
Consensus &ndash; it could happen.
Los Angeles Lakers 
It&rsquo;s way harder to find a deal that works for the Lakers. Technically, though, if things fall their way, Los Angeles could offer something.
First of all, the Lakers need Kendrick Nunn to pick up his player option &ndash; although that&rsquo;s not out of the question as Nunn has yet to play this season. And remember the hype around Nunn just a year or so ago? While he&rsquo;s far from a sure thing, Indiana could view the 26-year-old as a possible rotation piece.
But Nunn&rsquo;s option is worth only $5 million. The Lakers would also have to include Talen Horton-Tucker, who will make approximately $10 million in 2022-23 &ndash; and they still need to add another $7 million. If they pick up Stanley Johnson&rsquo;s option ($2.3 million) and include him and other minimum guys, technically that gets them there.
But is that enough value to return Brogdon? I can speak for Indiana here &ndash; no, it&rsquo;s not. Making matters worse, the Lakers draft pick situation is murky. They can&rsquo;t trade a future first-rounder with certainty until 2027. That&rsquo;s probably too undefined for Indiana.
Consensus &ndash; won&rsquo;t work unless a third team is involved
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Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are in a similar spot as the Lakers in terms of draft picks &ndash; they can really only offer the 76ers' 2022 first-rounder, and they might not have enough promising youth to get a deal done.
Brooklyn can offer Seth Curry ($8.5 million), Cam Thomas ($2.1 million) and Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe ($2.1 million) &ndash; but they&rsquo;re still about $10 million away from matching salaries. They can potentially work in a sign-and-trade deal including Nic Claxton, too, who will be a restricted free agent &ndash; but that becomes far more complicated.
Still, would a deal involving Curry, Thomas, Sharpe, Claxton and a Philadelphia first-rounder be enough for Brogdon? It&rsquo;s not a bad haul &ndash; but Indiana would have to be confident that at least one of those players is a long-term starter, and I&rsquo;m not sure that&rsquo;s the case.
Consensus &ndash; unlikely, but it&rsquo;s possible
Washington Wizards
It might surprise folks to see Washington on this list, but remember, the Wizards are still trying to convince Bradley Beal to remain in Washington. They're hoping to compete with Beal and (probably) Kristaps Porzingis. A big three of Beal, Porzingis and Brogdon is actually a pretty good core that seemingly complements each other.
But Indiana will be doing their Eastern Conference rivals no favors. So, what&rsquo;s in it for the Pacers? Well, the Wizards have a pretty decent war chest of assets. They can send out Rui Hachimura ($6.2 million) Deni Avdija ($4.9 million) and Kyle Kuzma ($13 million). Both Hachimura and Avdija are former lottery picks, and they are only 24 and 21, respectively. Alternatively, if Washington is intent on keeping Kuzma, they can send a combination of Corey Kispert ($3.5 million), Vernon Carey Jr. ($1.7 million), Cassius Winston ($1.5 million qualifying offer) and others.
But the Wizards lack draft capital &ndash; the next first-rounder Washington can include is their 2028 pick. So, Indiana would have to be really high on Hachimura and Avdija &ndash; which is possible, but the Pacers might not view them favorably as others do.&nbsp;
Consensus &ndash; could happen
Ultimately, the Pacers must decide to move on from Brogdon before any trades can be examined, but it&rsquo;s in their best interest to do so. And while the teams that are most likely to be interested don&rsquo;t necessarily have the right assets to make Indiana jump at a deal, most of them have interesting pieces that should at least make Indiana consider a move. &nbsp;
Where Brogdon plays the 2022-23 season and beyond is still anyone&rsquo;s guess &ndash; but it shouldn&rsquo;t be with Indiana. And that&rsquo;s in the best interest of Brogdon and the Pacers.
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The Pacers and Malcolm Brogdon are headed in different directions. Will Indiana continue to rebuild this summer by moving Brogdon?

The Indiana Pacers and their Malcolm Brogdon conundrum

The NBA announced the Clorox Rising Stars challenge rosters after undergoing a four-team draft, coached and headlined by captains and NBA legends - Jon Barry, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas and James Worthy.
Here is the official release from the NBA:
"The 2022 Clorox Rising Stars rosters have been announced following a player pool draft conducted by 75th Anniversary Team members and Rising Stars coaches Jon Barry, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas and James Worthy. The 2022 All-Star Weekend event will be highlighted by some of the league&rsquo;s best young talent, including leading Kia Rookie of the Year candidates Evan Mobley and Cade Cunningham and sophomore stars LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards.
In a new format, 28 players &mdash; comprising 12 rookies, 12 sophomores and four members of the NBA G League Ignite developmental squad; see roster below &mdash; were drafted onto four teams to compete in three games on Friday, Feb. 18 (9 p.m. ET, TNT).
Each game will be played to a Final Target Score, ending with a made basket or free throw instead of with the clock running out. It will be a &ldquo;Race to 75&rdquo; to celebrate the league&rsquo;s 75th anniversary season &mdash; Games 1 and 2 will be played until a team reaches 50 points; Game 3 will be played until a team reaches 25 points."
Clorox Rising Stars Rosters:
 TEAM BARRY
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons Dyson Daniels, G League Ignite Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate, Houston Rockets Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
 TEAM ISIAH
Precious Achiuwa, Toronto Raptors Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings Jaden Hardy, G League Ignite Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons
 TEAM PAYTON
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves Davion Mitchell, Sacramento Kings
 TEAM WORTHY
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic MarJon Beauchamp, G League Ignite Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder Jalen Green, Houston Rockets Herbert Jones, New Orleans Pelicans Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
 Tournament Bracket
&nbsp; &nbsp; Game 1: Team A vs. Team B &nbsp; &nbsp; Game 2: Team C vs. Team D &nbsp; &nbsp; Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
"In addition, a timed shooting competition called the Clorox Clutch Challenge will take place between Games 2 and 3 of Clorox Rising Stars. A total of eight NBA and NBA G League Ignite players will be divided into four teams of two and compete to make shots from five locations on the court tied to iconic shots made in the NBA Playoffs.
&bull; Teams will break down as follows:
&mdash; Desmond Bane/Tyrese Haliburton &mdash; Scottie Barnes/Chris Duarte &mdash; Josh Giddey/Evan Mobley &mdash; Michael Foster Jr./Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
&bull; Each team will compete with one shared ball and its players must alternate shots so no player shoots two times consecutively. Team 1 is given 1 minute and 30 seconds (1:30 counting down) to make a shot from each of the five locations in any order. Team 1&rsquo;s time is then the marker for Team 2. If Team 1&rsquo;s time is 1:15, then Team 2 will have a 1:15 countdown clock to complete the competition. Each team that establishes a new standard sets the clock for the next team competing, and the fastest finisher will win the Clorox Clutch Challenge."

The Clorox Rising Stars challenge has been set after the conclusion of a 4-team draft.

Clorox Rising Stars rosters set after 4-team draft

The&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/dwyane-wade-on-goat-discussions-theyre-gonna-forget-about-jordan-like-we-forget-about-kareem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
"Greatest of All Time" debates change from era to era, and that&rsquo;s the natural course of things, according to Dwyane Wade. The retired great claims there will be a new set of GOATs for the younger generation as time passes.&nbsp;
Passing of the Torch
Fans often wage war over who&rsquo;s the best player of all time, but there will always be the passing of the torch as time goes by. Bill Russell had to pass it to Wilt Chamberlain, who had to pass it down to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The process went on to Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have fans who say MJ passed it to their favorite of the two.
If they can keep up and play long enough, there will be the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić making their respective cases. A new set of names will be included in the discussion in another five years, and so on.
For Wade, who grew up in Chicago and idolized Jordan, he believes there will come a time that the fans will no longer remember MJ or Kareem as the best ever to do it.
&ldquo;These GOATs, these names that we throw out, it&rsquo;s not gonna just be a lot of those players. But the game continues to keep moving forward. And so we are gonna continue to see things that we have never seen before. And the eyes are gonna get younger and younger,&rdquo; Wade <a href="https://youtu.be/ISENOkL6Gho" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard</a>.
&ldquo;We are not going to have a conversation about the GOATs. Now it&rsquo;s going to be the younger, younger, younger generation. And they&rsquo;re gonna forget about Jordan like we forget about Kareem.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s the beauty of this game. It evolves as players come and go. Records are meant to be broken, and sooner than later, these achievements by special players once thought to be untouchable will soon go down, and a new set of records will be established.&nbsp;
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Player of the Decade
Many factors are needed for a player to be considered the NBA's GOAT. First, he has to have a productive career with titles to boot. There&rsquo;s also health, luck and fan support. What makes MJ the standard and the generation-defying GOAT is that he had to earn everything. He willed his team to win and helped basketball reach international viewership. MJ played before social media, but his name always comes up in the current era. His presence can still be felt in the league, and his business ventures continue to speak of how great he is.&nbsp;
If the GOAT debate never ends, maybe there should be a Player of the Decade instead. These are for the players whose achievements and dominance lasted a decade (or an era). That way, every great player would get the respect he deserves. Of course, we all have different meanings to greatness and other criteria to determine the greatest of all time. Unless the NBA releases some type of official criteria, fans will always indulge in friendly banter on the real GOAT.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

As the game evolves over time with new names, Dwyane Wade thinks MJ will mistakenly be forgotten in the GOAT conversation.

Wade: 'They’re gonna forget about Jordan like we forget about Kareem'

It&rsquo;s time for our latest picks against the spread with &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; our daily NBA betting podcast hosted by yours truly. Each morning, we provide you the edge when canvassing the daily market for a fun slate of action. On Wednesday, a monster 13-game slate is in store, and we have you covered from all angles.
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under prop bets are provided by PrizePicks. Over the last two days, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is 9-2 against the spread, including an undefeated 3-0 mark on Tuesday. Overall this season, we&rsquo;re carrying an 81-63 record (56.3%).
Did you know we&rsquo;ve also made $7,000 on PrizePicks power plays over the last week? If you haven&rsquo;t tailed yet, it&rsquo;s time to do get in on the over/under action. Without further ado, it&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Orlando Magic vs. Brooklyn Nets (-9)
It&rsquo;s hard to envision a scenario where the Magic win this game, let alone cover the 9-point spread against Brooklyn. Kevin Durant is in the MVP race right now playing at an extremely high level. Also, James Harden is working his way through the new foul rules and beginning to find his footing. Orlando has a fun young core, but that group is no match for the Nets on Wednesday night. Tail this over/under power play on PrizePicks: Durant over 28.5 points, Harden over 20.5 points, Cole Anthony over 18.5 points, Joe Harris over 2.5 threes, Durant over 2 threes.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards (-3)
It will be interesting to see <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-collin-sexton-sidelined-whos-next-man-up-for-cavs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how the Cavaliers maneuver their offensive production with Collin Sexton out with a meniscus injury</a> suffered at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. Expect to see Ricky Rubio take on an increased role, plus Darius Garland to have an ultra green light to shoot from deep. However, in this matchup, we&rsquo;re rolling with the road favorite in Washington. The Wizards&rsquo; well-balanced rotation around Bradley Beal has been paying huge dividends so far. For that reason, we&rsquo;re rolling with Washington against the Sexton-less Cavaliers. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s another enticing over/under power play: Beal over 26.5 points, Garland over 19.5 points, Evan Mobley over 17.5 points, Jarrett Allen over 12.5 rebounds, Rubio over 6.5 assists.
Houston Rockets (-3.5) vs. Detroit Pistons
In a battle between the two top picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, this should be a matchup where you sit on the couch and grab some popcorn for the entertainment value. Sure, it&rsquo;s two tanking teams going nowhere, but Cade Cunningham vs. Jalen Green is box office material on its own. For the first time this season, we&rsquo;re going with the Pistons to cover the 3.5-point spread on the road. In Round 1, give me Cunningham over Green. No surprise, on PrizePicks we&rsquo;re locking in a rookie-heavy prop: Jerami Grant over 20.5 points, Christian Wood over 19.5 points, Cunningham over 15.5 points, Green over 13.5 points, Cunningham over 5.5 rebounds.
New York Knicks (-4) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee looks to get revenge after it blew a 20-point lead at home against the Knicks last week. This time around, New York is the 4-point favorite with the Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back. Even as the underdog, give me the Bucks in this matchup. I&rsquo;m expecting a monster outing from Giannis Antetokounmpo under the bright lights of MSG to get this one done. Lock in Bucks +4 and the following power play on PrizePicks: Giannis over 27.5 points, Grayson Allen over 13.5 points, Giannis over 10.5 rebounds, Giannis over 5 assists.
Boston Celtics (-2) vs. Toronto Raptors
I&rsquo;m forecasting a huge night from Jayson Tatum, which should propel the Celtics over Toronto. Jaylen Brown is out tonight, but I get the feeling that we'll see one of those special outings from Tatum. Toronto has been a feisty team against the spread, especially with its fun, young wing duo in OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes. On PrizePicks, we&rsquo;re banking on Tatum to lead us to a power play win: Tatum over 26.5 points, Anunoby over 17.5 points, Barnes over 12.5 points, Barnes over 6.5 rebounds, Tatum over 3 threes.
Memphis Grizzlies (-5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets&rsquo; defense is a dumpster fire right now, and it&rsquo;s hard to see how they escape it anytime soon. Charlotte is in desperate need of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-facing-a-key-decision-point-later-on-with-chris-duarte-early-emergence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making a trade for an elite rim-protector</a> (*cough* Myles Turner *cough*), which could finally lift them to being a legitimate playoff contender. On the road in Memphis, though, I&rsquo;m hammering the Grizzlies to cover the 5-point spread. It&rsquo;s going to be a shootout, but I trust the Grizzlies way more to get a few stops when it matters compared to Charlotte. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m rolling with the idea of a very high-scoring game for the over/under power play: Ja Morant over 23.5 points, Miles Bridges over 20.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 19.5 points, Desmond Bane over 13.5 points, Morant over 1.5 threes.
Chicago Bulls (-3.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Even though the Mavericks have the best player on the floor in Luka Doncic, it&rsquo;s hard to trust them against an above-average opponent. Dallas has feasted on the bad teams, but struggled against ones who are actually consistent. That&rsquo;s no different for my prediction tonight, locking in Chicago to cover the 3.5-point spread. Expect huge outings from Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to send the Bulls to victory. Let&rsquo;s ride with this prop on PrizePicks: Doncic over 25.5 points, LaVine over 25.5 points, DeRozan over 23.5 points, DeRozan over 0.5 threes.
New Orleans Pelicans (-4.5) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Hop on board of the Thunder being a fun team to actually cover spreads this season. They&rsquo;ve already busted so many parlays this season, and tonight should be no different. How in the world are the Pelicans 4.5-point favorites over OKC? Right now, the Pelicans are in a complete tailspin. Betting on New Orleans is not a wise investment, so we&rsquo;re hammering the Thunder to cover +4.5. It&rsquo;s tailing time on this fun PrizePicks power play: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 22.5 points, Josh Giddey over 10.5 points, Gilgeous-Alexander over 4.5 rebounds, Gilgeous-Alexander over 4.5 assists.
San Antonio Spurs (-1) vs. Sacramento Kings
The underdog theme continues for today&rsquo;s picks, as I&rsquo;m betting on the Kings to win outright in San Antonio. Sacramento has been a tad inconsistent, but I think it is just the better team overall here against the Spurs. After almost pulling off a 24-point comeback late on Monday versus the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento is showing some real resilience. Hammer the Kings at +1 and the following over/unders via PrizePicks: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 21.5 points, Harrison Barnes over 18.5 points, Fox over 6 assists, Barnes over 2 threes.
Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers (-3)
There will be no Nikola Jokic tonight for Denver, as he serves his one-game suspension for<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nikola-jokic-markieff-morris-ejected-after-back-and-forth-altercation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> hitting Markieff Morris from behind Monday</a>. Also, the Nuggets will be without Michael Porter Jr. for the foreseeable future due to a back injury. Denver is without its top three scorers, so we&rsquo;re betting on Indiana to get the job done at altitude. (If you haven&rsquo;t already, go check out my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-facing-a-key-decision-point-later-on-with-chris-duarte-early-emergence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacers story from earlier today</a> as well in regards to Chris Duarte's emergence.) Here are our over/under leans on PrizePicks for this matchup: Will Barton over 18.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 16.5 points, Sabonis over 10.5 rebounds, Sabonis over 4.5 assists.
Phoenix Suns (-5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Deandre Ayton is out once again for the Suns tonight against the Trail Blazers, but the momentum is very much in their favor right now. As the winners of five straight, it&rsquo;s hard to envision the Suns losing this one against the very inconsistent Blazers. When will Damian Lillard snap out of his shooting funk? Until he snaps that stretch, it&rsquo;s hard to bet on Portland. Hammer Phoenix to cover the 5-point spread and the following props on PrizePicks: Devin Booker over 24.5 points, Jusuf Nurkic over 10.5 rebounds, Chris Paul over 9.5 assists, Booker over 2 threes.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat (-4.5)
Miami is going to be super-charged up after what happened in Denver on Monday. Against the LeBron James-less Lakers, who continue to struggle without the best player of this generation, we&rsquo;re hammering the Heat to cover the 4.5-point spread. This feels like a statement game opportunity for Jimmy Butler, so we&rsquo;re leaning heavily in his direction for our PrizePicks over/under power play here: Butler over 23.5 points, Carmelo Anthony over 16 points, Bam Adebayo over 9.5 rebounds, Butler over 6.5 rebounds, Butler over 6 assists. Miami is a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/heat-showcasing-early-on-why-they-belong-in-the-nbas-elite-tier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">real threat to make it out of the Eastern Conference</a> this season, so this is another chance to notch a huge win.
Golden State Warriors (-7.5) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Hammer this spread all the way in favor of Golden State. Stephen Curry is the early MVP favorite, and I expect another huge outing from him against Minnesota&rsquo;s backcourt. The Warriors are clicking on all cylinders, and they&rsquo;re only going to get better once Klay Thompson is back later on. Golden State landed at No. 1 in the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-golden-state-warriors-come-in-at-no-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com Power Rankings</a> this week, so we&rsquo;re riding that momentum and taking the Warriors to cover. Tail this over/under power play on PrizePicks, too: Curry over 30.5 points, Karl-Anthony Towns over 23.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 22.5 points, Curry over 6 assists, Curry over 5.5 assists.
Recapping our picks here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Wednesday&rsquo;s slate: Nets -9, Wizards -3, Pistons +3.5, Bucks +4, Celtics -2, Grizzlies -5, Bulls -3.5, Thunder +4.5, Kings +1, Pacers -3, Suns -5, Heat -4.5, Warriors -7.5.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

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

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/10/21

Alex Kennedy examines which NBA players could have played professional football if they had seriously pursued it.

Which NBA players could have realistically played in the NFL?

MONTVALE, N.J. &ndash; The rest stop on the Garden State Parkway was almost completely empty early Sunday morning as a man and a dog pulled up in a Toyota Camry with $20 and an idea.
Why not take a chance on the possibility that a $20 bill could become $6,000 by the time June arrives, if Kyle Lowry can become the NBA's Most Valuable Player next season?
Improbable, yes. Impossible? No.
Heck, the dog liked the idea, so we did it.
And with that premise, the sinkhole that is the legalized U.S. sports gambling market claimed another $20, this one going to BetMGM, which currently has 66 players listed with MVP odds for the upcoming season, with Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks the 4-1 (+400) favorite.
Nobody outside of the Lowry household has probably used his name and the phrase MVP together in the same sentence in the three-and-a-half weeks since the Toronto Raptors executed a sign-and-trade with Miami that sent Lowry to the Heat for Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa.
Lowry, 35, is about to enter his 17th NBA season and will be playing for his fourth team. He is coming off a lost season of sorts in which the Raptors were forced to play their home games in Tampa, Fla. And Lowry played in only 46 contests because of a back injury and several games in which he was rested. His spectacular moments were few and far between, but he did have a 37-point, 11-assist output in his final game of the regular season on May 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Pat Riley and Erick Spoelstra have brought him in to replace the tandem of Dragic and Kendrick Nunn that handled the point-guard duties for the Heat over the past two seasons. The thinking is that despite his advanced age, Lowry still has plenty in the tank. He was not all that bad last season, shooting 39.6% from three-point range while averaging 17.2 points (down from a career-high 22.4 points in 2016-17) and 7.3 assists.
For Lowry to even sniff the MVP discussion, a bunch of things would need to happen:
&bull;&nbsp;The Heat would need to seriously outperform expectations (their over/under win total is 48.5);
&bull; Lowry would need to become a 20-point scorer for just the third time in his career while also outscoring teammate Jimmy Butler, who has averaged 20.0 or more points in six of the past eight seasons;
&bull; He also would need to be among the top-three in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, while also being among the league leaders in steals because MVP candidates always have their success quantified statistically;
&bull; A series of unfortunate events would take out all of the other top MVP contenders, sort of like what happened last year when Nikola Jokic was the last man standing.
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Again, all of these things happening together are unlikely. But at 300-1, and with only $20 wagered, we file this one under the &ldquo;nothing ventured, nothing gained&rdquo; department. And with that, let&rsquo;s have a look at the other player-award future markets, and where $20 flier bets might bring some extra anticipation as we count down the longest month&hellip; the one that snakes along before training camps open.
Other odds at BetMGM.com:
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Listed behind Doncic are Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant at +700, Giannis Antetokounmpo at +800, Steph Curry at +900, Damian Lillard at +1100, LeBron James at +1400 and Trae Young and Jokic at +1600. Intriguing prices include James Harden at +2500, Julius Randle at +6600 and Zach LaVine at +8000.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rudy Gobert is co-favored at +350 along with Ben Simmons, who is still a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and might actually win this award if he comes back to Philly and simply gives up on the idea of being anything other than a distributor and a dunker (especially when open) on the offensive end. Gobert has won the award in three of the past four years, so we are due for a perimeter player to take this one, as Giannis Antetokounmpo did two years ago and Kawhi Leonard did in 2014-15 and 2015-16 before Draymond Green won the award the following season. With that in mind, interesting prices are available on Jrue Holiday (+2000), Jimmy Butler (+4000) and Robert Covington (100-1).
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons is favored at +250, and we should all remember that a team&rsquo;s win-loss record typically impacts voting on this particular award less than all others. So this will be a stat-based race, which may or may not work in Cunningham&rsquo;s favor due to his workload, which should be heavy. The same goes for No. 2 pick Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets (+300), as nobody else had odds lower than 7-1 at this point. A player from outside the top-three in the draft has not won Rookie of the Year since Malcolm Brogdon (No. 36) in 2017, and before that it was Michael Carter-Williams in 2014. If it is to happen this year, might it be Chris Duarte of the Indiana Pacers? Despite being a rookie, he is much older (24) than his draft classmates &ndash; the same age as Brogdon during his rookie year. He is on the board at +3500, and undrafted center Jock Landale of the San Antonio Spurs (who Patty Mills was raving about last week) is 125-1.
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SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Incumbent Jordan Clarkson is the +500 favorite ahead of his Utah Jazz teammate Joe Ingles (+1200). The newest Brooklyn Net, Patty Mills, is at +100 along with Kevin Huerter of the Atlanta Hawks. This is a guessing-game category to a large degree if you take into consideration that aside from Lou Williams in 2017 and 2018, nobody has won this award in back-to-back years since Detlef Schrempf did it in 1991 and 1992. Dragic is +1400 in his new home city of Toronto (for now), and Alex Caruso is +3000 with the Chicago Bulls. Thaddeus Young (San Antonio) and Kelly Olynyk (Detroit) are +6600 with their new teams, and Dwight Howard of the Lakers is in a group of players at 100-1.
COACH OF THE YEAR: This award will go to someone who outperforms expectations, so is it out of line to suggest that Tom Thidodeau of the New York Knicks (priced at +2500) is a serious contender to become the first coach to win this award in consecutive seasons since Hubie Brown (who shared the award with Gregg Popovich In 2003 and then won it outright in 2004)? The books have set the Knicks&rsquo; over/under at just 41.2, which basically is setting them up to be a .500 team after they finished fourth in the East last season, 10 games over .500 at 41-31. Steve Nash of Brooklyn (+850) is the favorite, just ahead of Miami&rsquo;s Erik Spoelstra (+900). Jahmal Mosley of Orlando has the longest odds (+8000).
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City is co-favored (+700 along with Zion Williamson), perhaps because he is just about the only NBA-caliber player suiting up for the Thunder in the upcoming season. Intriguing long-odds players include <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-is-poised-to-break-out-next-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com favorite</a> OG Anonudy (+6600) and Seth Curry at +8000.
STAT LEADERS: Bradley Beal (+275) is favored to lead the league in scoring. Clint Capela (+125) is the favorite in rebounding, while James Harden (+120) is tops for assists and Steph Curry (+125) is expected to make the most three-pointers (of course).

In this notebook, Chris Sheridan explains his long-shot MVP bet and takes a look at some interesting odds on the 2021-22 NBA awards.