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Jazz

The Tyrese Haliburton era is well on its way in Indianapolis, which means it&rsquo;s likely time to say adios to Malcolm Brogdon in an Indiana Pacers uniform. Brogdon is one of the more <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obvious trade candidates in the NBA this offseason</a> thanks to his consistent injury issues and Haliburton&rsquo;s quick emergence. Despite Brogdon's missed games, he will still attract interest from rival teams.
During Brogdon&rsquo;s three-year tenure with the Pacers, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game on a 55.3 True Shooting percentage. Brogdon always produced when he was on the court for Indiana, but his availability was an issue. Going forward, it&rsquo;s going to be hard for Brogdon to shed the &ldquo;injury prone&rdquo; label because it&rsquo;s been an issue dating back to his collegiate career at the University of Virginia.
Aside from injury concerns, Brogdon&rsquo;s market will be robust with playofff or championship-hopeful teams lining up for his services. As a versatile multi-positional defender, connective playmaker and secondary scorer, Brogdon can really help a team that's going in the opposite direction as the rebuilding Pacers.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into the most realistic trade packages Indiana could expect for Brogdon this offseason. As Indiana turns the page to Haliburton, it&rsquo;s time to extract some value from a potential Brogdon deal.
Phoenix Suns
Pacers receive: Landry Shamet, Dario Saric, 2024 1st-round draft pick (lottery protected)
Suns receive: Malcolm Brogdon, 2022 No. 31 pick
Phoenix&rsquo;s lack of guard depth was exposed throughout the playoffs. They simply can&rsquo;t rely on Cameron Payne anymore, who was a DNP-CD when it mattered most in the Western Conference Semifinals. Phoenix flirted with the idea of chasing Brogdon before signing Ricky Rubio back in 2019. Three years later, bringing Brogdon to the Valley as the Suns&rsquo; short-term backup and long-term fit alongside Devin Booker is a home run transaction.
Also, there has been some buzz that the Suns are trying to get into the 2022 NBA Draft. They have met with multiple players projected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round, including LSU&rsquo;s Tari Eason, Ohio State&rsquo;s E.J. Liddell and Duke&rsquo;s Wendell Moore. Adding any of those prospects will be impossible without adding a pick. The Suns could always buy an early second-round pick for $3 million, but that&rsquo;s never been their way of thinking.
Is this where Suns GM James Jones could get creative to snag a championship piece at discounted value? Brogdon and Chris Paul sharing minutes is a dream scenario for Phoenix since all 48 minutes at point guard would provide well above-average production. Also, we could see three-guard lineups galore thanks to Brogdon&rsquo;s versatility.
In this scenario, Indiana would add a shooter in Shamet who only has two guaranteed years left on his extension. Maybe Shamet could be their Buddy Hield replacement if they also decide to trade him soon. Adding a future first for Brogdon is the right risk for Indiana to take as well.
Utah Jazz
Pacers receive: Mike Conley, Jared Butler, 2025 2nd-round pick
Jazz receive: Malcolm Brogdon
The Jazz desperately need to shake things up. Stagnation is on the horizon in Salt Lake City, if it hasn&rsquo;t reached that point already. Utah may blow it up this offseason, but even if they don't, they need to do something in order to keep Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert happy long-term.
As we saw during the Jazz&rsquo;s quick postseason exit, Conley seems like a shell of himself. Looking back on that trade now, Utah has to be kicking themselves for surrendering so much for the veteran point guard.
Utah needs to get creative to avoid moving one of Mitchell or Gobert soon, so Conley going back home to Indianapolis makes a lot of sense here. Brogdon is a huge upgrade over Conley, and he helps address a dire need of perimeter defense.
Indiana would add a veteran mentor for Haliburton to lean on for a year since Conley&rsquo;s contract isn&rsquo;t fully guaranteed in 2023-24. Adding a young scoring guard in Butler alongside a future second-round pick might not be enough for the Pacers, but it's at least enough to start negotiations.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Pacers receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, 2023 2nd, 2025 2nd, 2027 1st (lottery protected)
Lakers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Goga Bitadze
This only makes sense if the Pacers are willing to take on the final year of Westbrook&rsquo;s contract, which would have any team second-guessing themselves beforehand. Surprisingly enough, Indiana is actually the betting favorite to land Westbrook if the Lakers offload him this offseason.
The Pacers would need a hefty return in order take on Westbrook while also relinquishing Brogdon and Hield. Adding Horton-Tucker, two future second-round picks and the Lakers&rsquo; next available first-round selection gets the job done. Los Angeles would hate to part with THT and even more draft capital, but Brogdon and Hield are perfect pieces to place alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Who knows, maybe Bitadze slides into the Lakers&rsquo; rotation as the backup center?
Indiana is embracing a full-scale rebuild, and pulling off a move like this would be consistent with that approach.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Pacers receive: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, No. 19 pick, No. 40 pick
Timberwolves receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Goga Bitadze, No. 31 pick, 2023 2nd (via San Antonio Spurs)
As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-dangelo-russell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Nekias Duncan recently wrote</a>, a D&rsquo;Angelo Russell departure from Minnesota feels imminent this summer. It&rsquo;s another unfortunate turn in the career for Russell, who continues to bounce around the Association, unable to find a long-term home. The fit in Minnesota alongside good friend Karl-Anthony Towns had its moments, but Russell&rsquo;s negatives popped up in the postseason when it mattered most. After being benched in crunch-time situations by head coach Chris Finch and not having his name mentioned in The Athletic&rsquo;s recent story on new executive Tim Connelly, it wouldn't be shocking to see Russell playing elsewhere in 2022-23.
Even with the Pacers already having Haliburton and Chris Duarte, this feels like a spot where they could take a year-long look at Russell as a potential long-term backcourt piece. As a former top-three pick, Russell would bring more fanfare to the Pacers&rsquo; rebuild. And if he meshes well alongside Haliburton, Russell could become a long-term piece in Indiana and finally find a home.
From the Timberwolves&rsquo; point of view, this makes a whole lot of sense. Brogdon is a much better fit alongside Towns and Anthony Edwards, as he's easily able to slide into the No. 3 scoring role while providing an ideal complementary low-usage skill set. Taking a flier on Bitadze, a former top-20 pick, is also interesting, and as he could back up Towns.
Miami Heat
Pacers receive: Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, 2023 1st (lottery protected)
Heat receive: Malcolm Brogdon
As we&rsquo;ve seen unfold late in the postseason, Miami needs to find another offensive creator. Simply put, the Heat need more weapons to compete with the NBA&rsquo;s current juggernauts. Luckily for Miami, some much-needed flexibility could be on the way.
The Duncan Robinson contract looks like a disaster, but what if they could use his bloated salary and some future draft capital to bring in an immediate impact piece? Brogdon feels like the perfect remedy for Miami since he can take playmaking pressure off of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Brogdon and Lowry could split minutes, which is a huge benefit for both players and would help keep them fresh and out of the training room.
For Indiana, they could be comfortable taking on Robinson&rsquo;s contract with all of their salary-cap space currently available. Adding Strus and a draft pick could make this deal worth it for the Pacers.
All of a sudden, Miami is now in a strong position to make another deep postseason push with Brogdon onboard for 2022-23 and beyond.
***
Every team in the NBA needs shooting, defensive versatility and playmaking. Even with his injury history, Brogdon would be well worth the risk for any team looking to take the next step forward.
If Brogdon is able to stay healthy, adding him at this price could be a coup for whichever team is next after Milwaukee and Indiana.
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With the Tyrese Haliburton era blossoming for the Pacers, Malcolm Brogdon is one of the most logical NBA trade candidates.

Examining potential trade destinations for Malcolm Brogdon

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo scored 31 points with 10 rebounds for the Miami Heat, who blew a 25-point, first-half lead and lost Jimmy Butler to a knee injury but held on to beat the Boston Celtics 109-103 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night.
Boston never led in the game, but erased almost all of the 62-37 deficit and came within one point, 93-92, with 2:40 to play on a 3-pointer from Jaylen Brown, who finished with 40 points.
Max Strus answered with a 3 and then Adebayo bounced off defender Al Horford and made a basket at the shot clock buzzer to give Miami a six-point cushion it held to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Game 4 is Monday night in Boston.
In a game that saw Butler and Boston&rsquo;s Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart leave with injuries &mdash; though both Celtics returned &mdash; Kyle Lowry came back from a four-game absence and scored 11 with six assists for the Heat. P.J. Tucker &mdash; like Lowry a game-time decision &mdash; scored 17 for the Heat.
Horford scored 20 points with 14 rebounds, and Smart scored 16. Tatum had 10 points on 3-for-14 shooting; he also had six turnovers and Brown committed seven of Boston&rsquo;s 24 turnovers &mdash; a 2022 playoff high.
After losing Game 2 at home by 25 points to cede home-court advantage to the Celtics, the Heat opened a 62-37 lead with under three minutes left in the second quarter and then watched Boston score the last 10 points of the half to claw its way back into the game.
Things got worse for the Heat when they announced at halftime that Butler, who scored 41 in the series opener, would not return with right knee inflammation.
Miami still led by 15, 87-72, after three, and made it a 17-point game on Adebayo&rsquo;s basket to start the fourth. But the Celtics ran off the next nine points to get within single digits for the first time since the first three minutes of the game. Trailing 93-80, the Celtics scored 12 straight points &ndash; 10 by Brown &ndash; to make it a one-point game with 2:40 left.
IN AND OUT
Boston opened the second with a basket to make it a 13-point game, but the building went silent when Smart, the Defensive Player of the Year, went down in a collision with Lowry while going for a loose ball and needed to be helped to the locker room.
Smart returned just five minutes later, drawing a huge cheer when the scoreboard showed him walking down the tunnel back toward the court. He checked back in with seven minutes left in the third and hit a 3-pointer that made it a 10-point game, 72-62, and forced the Heat to call timeout.
The situation was repeated when Tatum went down in obvious pain with five minutes left in the fourth. He went straight to the locker room, clutching his right side, but also returned to the cheers of the crowd.
Lowry missed eight of the Heat&rsquo;s previous 10 games with a right hamstring strain, last playing in Game 4 of Miami&rsquo;s second-round series with Philadelphia. Tucker had a sore left knee but was also in the starting lineup.
The Celtics played without center Robert Williams III, who missed three games in the second round against Milwaukee with soreness and a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee. Daniel Theis started in his place. Derrick White returned after missing Game 2 to be at the birth of his first child.
TIP-INS
The Celtics&rsquo; 24 turnovers led to 33 Miami points. The Heat had nine turnovers that led to nine Celtics points. ... Miami&rsquo;s bench outscored Boston&rsquo;s 26-16. ... The Heat shot 64% in the first quarter, but finished at 46.7%. ... Penn State coach and former Celtics assistant Micah Shrewsberry and Providence College coach Ed Cooley were both in attendance.

A hotly-contested, injury-riddled Game 3 ended with the Miami Heat taking a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Heat Alert: Miami beats Boston 109-103 for 2-1 series lead

With nearly a full month of NBA playoff action in the books, we've witnessed a handful of players surprisingly exceed expectations and drive their league-wide value to increasingly high levels. On the other end of the spectrum, several stars have seen their market price dip quite a bit.
So whose stock has soared? Whose has plummeted? Let's dive in with an in-depth breakdown.
Stock Up
Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks
Heading into the 2021-22 season, the Dallas Mavericks could have signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $56 million extension. However, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33801390/nba-playoffs-2022-jalen-brunson-star-turn-dallas-mavericks-massive-free-agency-implications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim MacMahon</a> reported that the Mavs chose not to make an offer and didn't even engage in negotiations with Brunson's representatives. You have to assume Dallas is now regretting that decision.
After averaging career-highs in scoring (16.3 points), assists (4.8), rebounds (3.9) and steals (0.8) during the regular season, Brunson has taken his game to another level in the playoffs. With Luka Doncic sidelined early on in the Mavs' first-round series vs. Utah, Brunson got off to a scorching hot start, tallying 96 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists over the first two games. He became just the third player in NBA history to tally at least 70 points and 10 assists while committing fewer than 2 turnovers over a two-game span in the postseason. Incredibly, Brunson led all players in total points scored in the first round (167).
After struggling a bit in the first two games of Dallas' first-round series vs. Phoenix, Brunson was again a crucial factor in the Mavs' victories at home in Games 3 and 4 over the weekend.&nbsp;
Through 10 postseason contests, Brunson is averaging 23.5 points, 4.6 boards and 3.9 dimes per game. He's done most of his damage by relentlessly attacking the rim. Among all postseason performers, Brunson ranks third in drives per game (behind only Ja Morant and Doncic) and third in points scored off drives.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WHAT A NIGHT FOR JALEN BRUNSON! 🔷 Career-high 41 PTS 🔷 6 3PM 🔷 8 REB 🔷 Gets the W in Game 2 <a href="https://t.co/GixvrcCqIM">pic.twitter.com/GixvrcCqIM</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1516250998607540229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It could be argued that no player has boosted his stock more over the past few weeks than Brunson. And it couldn't come at a better time for the versatile combo guard, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. We know the New York Knicks are interested in making a run at Brunson, and <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-slow-spinning-coaching-marketplace-1ce?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0MDU5OTIyOCwicG9zdF9pZCI6NTMyMjYzMDQsIl8iOiJscTRCVSIsImlhdCI6MTY1MTUyMjAxMywiZXhwIjoxNjUxNTI1NjEzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzkyMjA1Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.Tiw_7fovr2Ot5a6LeR_ujN2MyJCkgAuKahkQLnMBOMU&amp;s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Marc Stein</a>, Detroit and Indiana have shown interest as well. However, Mark Cuban has stated publicly he plans to re-sign Brunson &mdash; even if it has an outsized impact on Dallas' luxury tax bill.&nbsp;
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat
Due to a slew of serious injuries that limited him to only 88 games over the past three seasons, Victor Oladipo was forced to settle for a one-year deal with Miami on the veteran minimum back in August. The hope was he'd be able to show teams during the 2021-22 campaign that he was finally fully healthy. Unfortunately, Oladipo was sidelined for nearly all of the regular season as he recovered from a debilitating right quadriceps injury. 'Dipo didn't make his season debut until March 7.&nbsp;
After playing sporadically in late March and early April, Oladipo exploded for 40 points in the Heat's regular-season finale. Yet, he was a DNP-CD in each of Miami's first three playoff games. However, with both Jimmy Butler (knee) and Kyle Lowry (hamstring) ruled out for Game 5 of the Heat's first-round series vs. the Atlanta Hawks, Oladipo slid into the starting lineup. He finished that contest with 23 points (8 of 16 from the field, 4 of 4 on free throws), 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 triples in 36 minutes. Needless to say, 'Dipo has been a part of the Miami rotation since. In Game 2 of Miami's second-round matchup vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, he tallied 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 triples. He also chipped in 15 points off the bench in Game 4.&nbsp;
Oladipo will undoubtedly have plenty of interest on the free-agent market this summer.
Al Horford, Boston Celtics
Al Horford's 2022-23 salary is only partially guaranteed. And when the Celtics initially acquired Horford last summer in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, some pundits speculated that Boston might look to get out from under the $26.5 million owed to Big Al next season.&nbsp;
But with as well as he has played this postseason, that will no longer be a consideration. Horford has been a godsend for Boston, averaging 15.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest through the Celtics' first eight playoff games. In Game 3 vs. Milwaukee on Saturday, Horford became the first player in Boston's franchise history with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 made three-pointers in a single playoff game. Then, in Monday's Game 4 victory, he exploded for 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 triples and 3 assists.
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Stock Down
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Rumors of a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/expect-the-knicks-to-make-a-real-run-at-donovan-mitchell-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rocky relationship between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have been swirling for years</a>. Unfortunately for Utah, it appears the team will be forced to trade one of its two best players at a time when their respective values have depreciated.
The two pillars of the Jazz franchise played relatively well during the regular season, but the rumblings of toxicity in Utah grew louder as the year dragged on. Mitchell not sharing the ball with Gobert has become a topic of conversation in early April. Shortly thereafter, Gobert called out his teammates for not wanting to play physically and "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/03/30/triple-team-jazz-lost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get our hands dirty</a>." When asked about the perceived finger-pointing, Mitchell characterized it as "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/04/01/utah-jazz-vow-not-fall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">childish</a>."&nbsp;
Utah backed into the playoffs after losing five straight games in late March, but was hoping to take advantage of a Mavericks team playing without its best player, Doncic, who was sidelined by a calf injury for the first two contests. However, the Jazz lost Game 2 and lost the series in six games.
Over the six-game series vs. Dallas, Mitchell averaged over 22 field-goal attempts per contest, but shot just 39.8% from the floor and 20.8% from downtown. He became the first player in league history to attempt more than 20 field goals but shoot below 40% from the field and under 21% from three-point territory over a postseason run. And Mitchell's poor defense was arguably more problematic than his offense. Utah allowed over 115 points per 100 possessions vs. Dallas with Mitchell on the court. That number dropped to 104.5 with Mitchell on the bench.
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Here&rsquo;s video of Rudy Gobert talking about the defensive improvements he&rsquo;s seen from Devin Booker on January 14th&hellip; As well as the Donovan Mitchell responses to 2 separate questions a day later: <a href="https://t.co/irKTufQJ1L">pic.twitter.com/irKTufQJ1L</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1520538333482749952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Gobert averaged just 12.0 points per game on 5.5 attempts per game (a career-low in his six postseason appearances) and blocked a total of 6 shots in the six-game series. It was the first time in his career he averaged more turnovers than blocks and steals combined. The Mavs often attempted to take advantage of Gobert's difficulty covering the perimeter by going small and spreading the floor.&nbsp;
Dating back to the 2021 postseason (when they dropped four straight to a shorthanded Clippers team that lost Kawhi Leonard to an ACL tear), the Jazz have lost 8 of their last 10 playoff games. With Gobert, Mitchell, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Royce O'Neale locked into contracts that will pay them north of $133 million in guaranteed money next season, Utah won't be able to make any significant upgrades via free agency.&nbsp;
Last week, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/news/rudy-gobert-him-or-me-ultimatum-donovan-mitchell">it was reported</a> that Gobert had reached a "him or me" point with Mitchell and would demand one of the two be traded this summer. It's difficult to envision the Jazz entering the 2022-23 season with both <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gobert</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell</a> on the roster.
Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
As noted above, Oladipo has stepped in and stepped up for the Heat over the past two weeks. On the flip side of the coin, we have Duncan Robinson, who has gone from a crucial contributor to a non-factor.&nbsp;
Robinson started all 72 games for Miami in 2020-21, averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from beyond the arc (on 8.5 three-point attempts per game). The Heat rewarded him with a five-year contract worth $90 million. However, Robinson regressed during the 2021-22 regular season, as his production and percentages dipped. After starting 68 of the team's first 72 games, he was bumped to the bench in late March. Following a solid outing in Game 1 vs. Atlanta, coach Erik Spoelstra clearly didn't feel comfortable trusting his sharpshooter. Robinson averaged just 2.3 points in 10.7 minutes per contest in the final four games of the first round.&nbsp;
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Remarkably, Robinson has logged a total of just 55 seconds thus far in Round 2, and has been a DNP-CD in 3 of the 4 contests. This is obviously not what Pat Riley and company had in mind when they ponied up $90 million less than nine months ago.
With $74.5 million still owed to Robinson over the next four years, will Miami look to dump his contract this summer already?&nbsp;
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-nets-should-part-ways-with-kyrie-irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As I detailed in this space last month</a>, the Nets are on the precipice of a difficult decision.&nbsp;
Kyrie Irving has a player option worth $35,328,700 for the 2022-23 campaign. If he declines his option, he would be eligible to sign a new five-year deal with Brooklyn worth up to $248 million. While Kyrie is still capable of playing at an incredibly high level, the Nets have to decide how much he's worth considering his injury history (since signing with Brooklyn in 2019, Irving has appeared in just 103 of 216 regular-season games) and the off-court drama he brings to the table.&nbsp;
In the three years since Brooklyn added Kevin Durant and Kyrie, the Nets have won just one playoff series. This past season, Nets owner Joe Tsai spent $266 million in salary and luxury tax payments, the second-highest amount in league history. The Nets don't have a single playoff victory to show for it.
And over the team's final three games in the first round, Irving averaged just 15.3 points while shooting a putrid 37.2% from the floor and a frigid 18.2% from downtown.
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Whose stock in the NBA Playoffs has soared before this offseason? Whose has plummeted? Tommy Beer dives in.

Stock Up, Stock Down: NBA Playoffs edition

The Utah Jazz&rsquo;s 2021-22 season is officially over. The Jazz believed they were a championship contender, but this marks another season ending in disappointment and heartbreak. Now, looking ahead at what&rsquo;s to come in Salt Lake City, massive changes seem to be on the horizon. Whether it be Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert on the move, something&rsquo;s gotta give. Other veterans such as Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic could be on the move too.
While our Bryan Fonseca recently broke down <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible trade destinations for Mitchell</a>, it's seems likely that the Jazz will try to appease their young star shooting guard. Gordon Hayward already broke Utah&rsquo;s heart a few years ago when he left in free agency. If Mitchell requested a trade, it would send shockwaves throughout Utah. Unlike Hayward, Mitchell has star power that transcends Utah and he could potentially lead the team to heights they haven&rsquo;t reached since the 1990s with John Stockton and Karl Malone.
If the Jazz have to move their homegrown three-time Defensive Player of the Year in order to keep Mitchell, I'm almost certain it would happen. It&rsquo;s an unfortunate twist of fate for Gobert, but leaving the Jazz&rsquo;s system might be the best thing for him so he can truly blossom into a true two-way presence.
As seen throughout Utah's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, Gobert was ignored or simply used as a decoy more often than not. If Gobert is used on a more consistent basis in a different environment, who knows what he could accomplish as one of the NBA&rsquo;s premier lob threats?
Gobert hitting the trade market would result in a feeding frenzy around the Association. Whether it be title contenders or rebuilding teams who feel close to a massive leap, Gobert could be viewed as the missing piece to the puzzle.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into five realistic destinations for a Gobert blockbuster deal this offseason.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago knows they&rsquo;re in desperate need of a defensive jolt. Adding Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso in the backcourt already brought a new identity to the Bulls, who were seemingly allergic to defense before their arrival. Myles Turner has been mentioned as a possible target for Chicago, but the Indiana Pacers are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/despite-trade-talks-the-pacers-want-to-keep-myles-turner-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> expected to keep him long-term. Why not swing for the fences with Gobert? Acquiring the 29-year-old would be a crown-jewel moment for the organization.&nbsp;
Imagine the possibilities for Chicago with Gobert patrolling the paint with Ball and Caruso hawking the perimeter. It&rsquo;s the perfect complement to offensive dynamos Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago&rsquo;s new starting lineup of Ball, Caruso, LaVine, DeRozan and Gobert would seemingly have no holes in it from a two-way perspective.
I absolutely love this idea for Chicago, and they should be blowing up the Jazz&rsquo;s phone this summer if it seems plausible.
Jazz receive: Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White, draft compensation
Bulls receive: Rudy Gobert
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New York Knicks
The Knicks are bound to blow it up one way or another soon enough. Julius Randle feels like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most obvious trade candidates</a> to potentially hit the market this offseason. If the Knicks are done with Randle, could they parlay him and other young pieces to acquire Gobert? While <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York would love to land Mitchell</a>, the Knicks should seriously explore a Gobert trade since the organization needs some sort of game-changing move.
The 2022-23 season feels like a make-or-break year for the current Knicks regime. Head coach Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s seat is red-hot, plus the Knicks&rsquo; front office has to be itching to make some sort of move to change course from a stale build.
Gobert&rsquo;s arrival would signal New York is ready to finally ascend the Eastern Conference standings. Sure, Gobert isn&rsquo;t a true &ldquo;superstar,&rdquo; but he&rsquo;s far and away the most impactful player the Knicks could realistically reel in this offseason. Gobert being the adult in the room for an accelerated rebuild in the Big Apple is a fun scenario, especially as it provides a high-floor outcome immediately.
New York&rsquo;s current roster has ample flexibility to turn it all over again by 2023. If the Knicks clear out all of their contracts with team options and expiring deals, sans the young core, they will have a max slot open for the loaded 2023 free-agent class. Would Gobert and RJ Barrett be able to sell a star on New York? If Barrett takes the leap forward that many expect, that&rsquo;s a fun big/wing duo to build around long-term.
Utah will likely want at least another young asset or two in return as part of this projected blockbuster, but the framework is strong enough to build off it.
Jazz receive: Julius Randle, Alec Burks, Quentin Grimes, draft compensation
Knicks receive: Rudy Gobert
Atlanta Hawks
Want to find the perfect fit for Gobert outside of Utah? The Hawks are the ideal destination for Gobert, who would be able to shine outside of the Jazz&rsquo;s system. Trae Young pick-and-rolls with Gobert would simply be unfair to try to guard, and it would help insulate their star point guard in a better situation.
Atlanta also has the right amount of assets to make this compelling for Utah to pull the trigger. Whether it be John Collins or Bogdan Bogdanovic, either one could be the centerpiece to a Gobert deal. Also, Atlanta has an upcoming expiring salary in Danilo Gallinari with only $5 million guaranteed on his contract. If you throw together Collins, Gallinari and future draft compensation, it could be enough for the Jazz to take negotiations more seriously. Clint Capela could also be re-routed to another team to free up further cap flexibility as well.
For Atlanta, they are ready to win right now with Young leading the way. With Young, Kevin Huerter, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, they have a young core that's ready to take the next step. Gobert brings a star piece to an organization that has the urgency to compete right now in the East, and they'll want to bounce back after how they crashed and burned to end their 2021-22 season. Also, the Hawks had the NBA's 26th-ranked defense this season (allowing 112.1 points per 100 possessions), so adding a three-time Defensive Player of the Year could be just what they need.
It wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise to see a player of Young&rsquo;s caliber push for Gobert to join him in Atlanta too. With all the trade rumors swirling around Collins since he signed a five-year extension, this deal makes a lot of sense for both sides to explore further.
Jazz receive: John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, future draft compensation
Hawks receive: Rudy Gobert
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Golden State Warriors
Smoke is already forming around this possibility, if the Jazz indeed decide to blow it up in a few months. For the Warriors, it&rsquo;s an all-in move to create another dynasty in the final prime years of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. With so much young talent climbing the ladder in the reloaded Western Conference, the time is now for the Warriors to make a splashy move to keep themselves atop the standings.
This will be the last time the Warriors can explore potential deals revolving around Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; bloated salary as well. Next season, Wiggins will be on an expiring contract making $33.6 million. With Wiggins, Golden State can immediately enter the conversation for Gobert while also having some intriguing young pieces that could appeal to Utah.
Jonathan Kuminga is likely off limits from the Warriors&rsquo; perspective, flashing real two-way potential throughout this season. However, what about a combination of Moses Moody and James Wiseman? Instantly, Utah can replenish their young core with two immediate contributors to place alongside Mitchell long-term. Throw in some future draft picks and the Jazz might be the ones who are ready to press &ldquo;accept&rdquo; on this hypothetical trade.
Golden State&rsquo;s new-age lineup of dominance would simply be unfair. Take a look at the Warriors&rsquo; projected lineup with Gobert: Curry, Jordan Poole, Thompson, Green and Gobert. With all of the versatility on display here, it could vault Golden State into a different stratosphere entirely.
Jazz receive: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Moses Moody, future draft compensation
Warriors receive: Rudy Gobert, Rudy Gay
Detroit Pistons
Here&rsquo;s a surprise team that could become very aggressive in the Gobert sweepstakes if the chips fall their way this offseason. No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham flashed superstar potential for the Pistons during his rookie campaign, especially after the All-Star break.
If the Pistons get lottery luck once more with a top pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, could they decide to push some chips into the middle of the table for Gobert? Imagine if the Pistons had a trio of Cunningham, Gobert and a top prospect (Jabari Smith or Paolo Banchero?) to build around for the next five-plus years.
For the Pistons, acquiring stars via the draft or trades is the only realistic route to obtaining a game-changing talent. We already saw it on display with their former regime when they traded for Blake Griffin, which led to little progress long-term. Unlike Griffin, Gobert actually fits into the organization's long-term calculus.
From the Jazz&rsquo;s perspective, they would be asking for a heavy return from a team like Detroit. We&rsquo;re talking two key pieces to their core as well as veteran wing Jerami Grant. Would the Pistons feel comfortable moving Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart for Gobert? That may be Utah's asking price.
Jazz receive: Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Kelly Olynyk, future draft compensation
Pistons receive: Rudy Gobert, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
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Entering a pivotal offseason, will the Utah Jazz blow it up? If so, which teams make sense as a landing spot for Rudy Gobert?

Examining potential trade destinations for Rudy Gobert

Luke Doncic believes he can score on anyone. To advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time, he had to trust his teammates.
After previous postseasons filled with individual highlights, Doncic shared the ball and the Dallas Mavericks slipped past the Utah Jazz.
&ldquo;I like sharing the ball. If they&rsquo;re going to hit or blitz me, someone is going to be open,&rdquo; Doncic said.
Doncic and Jalen Brunson each scored 24 points and the Mavericks beat the Jazz 98-96 on Thursday night in Game 6 to wrap up the first-round series.
&ldquo;It was all about trust,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;Luka did an incredible job knowing they were going to try and take the ball out of his hands.&rdquo;
After Brunson hit a 3-pointer from the corner, Mike Conley was called for traveling with five seconds remaining, and Brunson made one of two free throws with 4.3 seconds to play.
&ldquo;Playing with Luka the past couple years, I should expect the ball when I&rsquo;m not expecting it. The ball found me,&rdquo; Brunson said of his clutch 3-pointer.
The Jazz got an open look for Bojan Bogdanovic on the left wing on the final play, but he came up short and the Mavericks moved on to face top-seeded Phoenix in the second round.
&ldquo;Bogey don&rsquo;t miss a lot of those. My heart stopped. It felt like that shot was 15 seconds in the air,&rdquo; said Doncic, who had nine rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals.
Spencer Dinwiddie added 19 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith had a playoff career high of 18 points as the Mavericks finally got the &ldquo;monkey off their back,&rdquo; as Kidd put it.
The Mavericks won in the first round for the first time since winning the 2011 NBA championship.
&ldquo;We have played a lot of games in the playoffs and still haven&rsquo;t got to the second round. But we feel like we can do something great this year, so we all expected to get this win,&rdquo; Finney-Smith said.
Donovan Mitchell had 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Utah.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m speechless,&rdquo; Mitchell said about failing to advance. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s on me. I put a lot pressure on myself, but I just wasn&rsquo;t who I needed to be. I need to be better.&rdquo;
Bogdanovic finished with 19 points, but couldn&rsquo;t the make the shot that would have won it.
&ldquo;Obviously, Bojan is as clutch a player there is. You see him hit big shot after big shot,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;I think everybody in the locker room would want him to have that shot.&rdquo;
Bogdanovic was crestfallen.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no excuse. I needed to hit that shot to force Game 7,&rdquo; he said.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Finney-Smith&rsquo;s 3-pointer gave the Mavericks their largest lead at 88-80 before the Jazz scored eight straight &mdash; many coming off hustle plays as Utah played with desperation &mdash; culminating with a Mitchell-to-Rudy Gobert dunk.
The Mavericks found their range in the third quarter as the Jazz tried multiple defenses but somehow seemed to consistently leave someone alone behind the arc. Doncic had 10 points and Dallas made 8 of 12 from 3-point range to outscore Utah 36-19 in the third quarter.
&ldquo;For guys like me, that&rsquo;s when I start smiling,&rdquo; Finney-Smith said about the ball movement to start the second half. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s when we get our spot-up shots. Luka causes so much pressure and then he finds guys.&rdquo;
The Mavericks shot 56% (14 of 25) from 3-point range after halftime, but several Dallas players credited their defense for the win.
Despite a height disadvantage and the fact that Utah had the NBA&rsquo;s most-efficient offense in the regular season, Dallas held the Jazz to just 99 points per game in the series.
D&Eacute;J&Agrave; VU FOR DALLAS?
Eleven years ago on the same date, Kidd was on the Dallas team that beat the Portland Trail Blazers and moved to the second round.
&ldquo;You make me feel old. It was a long time ago we won in Portland, and I just remember a lot of people didn&rsquo;t think we were going to get out of the first round,&rdquo; Kidd said.
The former point guard said this Dallas team is a special group, like the 2011 champions.
&ldquo;These guys aren&rsquo;t very big, but they find a way to win and they have fun doing it,&rdquo; Kidd said.
BRUNSON PROVES TO BE KEY
Jalen Brunson averaged 27.8 points in the series and kept the Mavericks ahead of the Jazz, including a 41-point game in Game 2, until Doncic returned from a calf injury.
&ldquo;We got everything we could out of JB. To start the series without Luka and have JB and Spencer carry us until he got back and then make to switch to play with Luka. He was really big for us,&rdquo; Kidd said.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dallas missed all 10 3-point attempts in the first quarter. &ldquo;Our shoulders were up by our ears we were so tense,&rdquo; Kidd said. The teams combined to start 1 for 17 from beyond the arc. &hellip; The Mavericks shot 11 free throws, a series low. &hellip; Dallas again had single-digit turnovers, with nine.
Jazz: Conley had eight assists by halftime, but none in the second half. &hellip; Utah outrebounded Dallas 48-37. &hellip; Utah assistant coach Keyon Dooling was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday after being added to a fraud case concerning the league&rsquo;s health and welfare benefit plan.
UP NEXT
The Mavericks and Suns will open the second round Monday night in Phoenix.

Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson each scored 24 points and the Mavericks beat the Jazz 98-96 on Thursday night in Game 6.

Luka Doncic, Mavericks beat Jazz to advance to second round

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Monday's postseason slate.
Philadelphia 76ers (-8) vs. Toronto Raptors
Without Fred VanVleet in Game 5, the Raptors&rsquo; chances of forcing another game in this series feel bleak. Joel Embiid is still putting up numbers, even with torn ligaments in his thumb. Also, with VanVleet out, the Sixers hold a massive backcourt advantage thanks to James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
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In the end, we&rsquo;re confidently hammering Philadelphia to wrap up this series on its home court. Behind big outings from their superstars, the Sixers move on to the second round while also covering the rather large 8-point spread.
Pick: Sixers -8
Player Props: Joel Embiid over 27.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 24.5 points, James Harden over 20.5 points, Gary Trent Jr. over 19.5 points
Dallas Mavericks (-2.5) vs. Utah Jazz
Outside of the battle between the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans, this has been my favorite series to watch this postseason. Luka Doncic being back for the Mavericks helps change their immediate and long-term postseason outlook, especially for this nip-and-tuck series ongoing with the Jazz. Utah needs to see Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley find some sort of offensive consistency soon, or they&rsquo;re in big trouble if Utah wants to advance further in the Western Conference.
Jalen Brunson continues to be a revelation for the Mavericks, and we&rsquo;re betting big on him stepping up again on Monday night. Hammer Dallas to cover the 2.5-point spread behind fun outings from Doncic and Brunson.
Pick: Mavericks -2.5
Player Props: Luka Doncic over 30.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 28.5 points, Jalen Brunson over 20.5 points, Bojan Bogdanovic over 2.5 threes
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Who are the best bets for Monday night's NBA playoff games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/25/22

Jalen Brunson scored 31 points playing with a bruised back and the Dallas Mavericks &mdash; without the injured Luka Doncic &mdash; beat the Utah Jazz 126-118 on Thursday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for Dallas, Maxi Kleber had 17 points and Dorian Finney-Smith added 14 points, hitting a 3-pointer with 1:56 left for a 10-point lead.
Doncic has missed all three of the games in the series with a strained calf, with signs pointing to his return for Game 4 on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Donovan Mitchell scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half for Utah. Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 and Mike Conley had 21. The Jazz had won 11 in a row at home against Dallas.
Conley got the Jazz to 103-102, but Dinwiddie made two baskets and Brunson scored six points on three straight possessions to make it 113-104.
Brunson appeared to hurt his back midway through the second quarter when Royce O&rsquo;Neale hit him full-speed from behind. He moved gingerly, rubbed his lower back and earned a technical on his way off the court complaining about a cheap shot.
But he shook it off and toyed with Jazz on a variety of drives to the baskets against several different defenders. Brunson now has 96 points in the three games of the series.
Once the Jazz finally matched the Mavericks and played without a center, the court opened up for Utah. Mitchell (18) and Bogdanovic (12) scored at will in the third quarter against a leaky Dallas zone. The Jazz made 14 of 18 shots and trimmed the lead to 97-91 entering the final period. The game was physical and chippy at times, featuring 60 fouls.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: After going 8 for 11 from 3-point range in Game 2, Kleber made three straight in his first two minutes on the court. &hellip; Tim Hardaway Jr. (foot surgery) is probably out for the playoffs unless Dallas makes a deep run.
Jazz: Olympic gold medalist skier Lindsey Vonn and boxer Floyd Mayweather sat courtside. &hellip; Clarkson made a three-quarter-court shot but it came just after the first-quarter horn. &hellip; Eric Paschall only played 10 minutes (at center) but scored six points and Utah outscored Dallas by nine points during that time.

Jalen Brunson scored 31 points playing with a bruised back and the Mavericks beat the Jazz 126-118 to take a 2-1 lead.

Brunson, Mavericks beat Jazz 126-118 to take 2-1 series lead

The Utah Jazz didn't have a good time on Monday night.&nbsp;
Things turned late in Game 2, with the Dallas Mavericks notching a win behind a 33-23 fourth quarter. The Mavericks posted a 157.1 Offensive Rating in the quarter &mdash; yes, you read that right &mdash; and a slightly-worse-but-still-absurd 144.4 ORTG during clutch time
That's a 12-minute and 5-minute sample size respectively, but the number matched the eye. It was a bit perplexing to watch the Luka-less Mavs carve up the Jazz to this degree. The breakdowns were constant, and the Mavs shot well enough to slam the door shut.&nbsp;
And it's not like this was a back-and-forth affair down the stretch; Utah's offense pretty much died (85.7 ORTG during clutch time) behind a bunch of one-pass, one-shot possessions. It was pretty bad, y'all.
In light of #discourse starting about Utah's problems on both ends, I'm here to state the obvious.
It's everyone's fault right now.
There is not a single player responsible for Utah's woes on either end. It's not just one side of the ball. There's plenty to be cleaned up; the last four-ish minutes of Game 2 is all the proof you need.&nbsp;
Let's take a look at the film in the fourth quarter.
4:30 REMAINING: THE PAIN OF REJECTION
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You have to give Jalen Brunson credit for doing his homework early. Brunson spinning away from Danuel House Jr. as he attempts to face-guard him sets everything in motion. After receiving the pass from Maxi Kleber, Brunson rejects the screen and drives left.
Rudy Gobert drops down to pick up the drive, though House is still trying to get reattached to Brunson. A late switch would've been a better in-the-moment read from House, but the scheme is the scheme. If they're in ICE coverage, Gobert is tasked with containing until House can get back.
(It is worth noting, though, that Gobert lets House&nbsp;have it after the basket. I'd assume he was upset with him getting burned on the reject and not executing a switch after getting burned.)
Beyond those two, the rotation from Bojan Bogdanovic stands out. Brunson has drawn two defenders &mdash; why the heck is he so late rotating over to Kleber?
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Bogdanovic stares the sucker down, but doesn't start moving towards Brunson until the pass is halfway there. It would be one thing if he was hugged up with Reggie Bullock; he had the Dorian Finney-Smith matchup.&nbsp;
4:10 REMAINING: FORCING THE ISSUE&nbsp;
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One screen, one shot. Donovan Mitchell receives a screen from Royce O'Neale to draw the Spencer Dinwiddie matchup. He gains a little leverage on the spin, but Dinwiddie recovers and challenges the shot well. There was a little bit of contact, but it's telling that Mitchell got right up and retreated on defense instead of arguing about a missed call.
4:00 REMAINING: POOR CONTAINMENT
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Whew, Donovan.
Mitchell sought Dinwiddie on one end, and Dinwiddie returned the favor (with no screen) on the other. Mitchell gets dusted, prompting Gobert to help down from the weak-side corner. That's objectively a fine decision &mdash; one that wouldn't be needed if Mitchell held up, but a fine decision nonetheless.
The issue, again, is Bogdanovic losing the plot as a helper.
He has Bullock this time, but is tasked with splitting the difference (zoning up between two players) after Gobert drops down. I won't call it gospel, but I'd say it's pretty common for the zoning defender to take away the corner pass first.
Dinwiddie deserves credit for both knowing that and using that knowledge to his advantage. He freezes Bogdanovic with his eyes, staring down Bullock before making the kick to Kleber.&nbsp;
3:18 REMAINING: MITCHELL BEAT AGAIN
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Following a tough turnaround jumper from Bogdanovic to pull things within two (a one-pass possession), Dinwiddie calls for a screen to draw the Mitchell matchup again. Dinwiddie wins the battle with a spin and finish, fading to his right.&nbsp;
2:35 REMAINING: STRONG-SIDE HELP
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After Bogdanovic gets another&nbsp;tough turnaround jumper to go, the Jazz find themselves pressing. House picks up Brunson full-court, but he's quickly erased by a screen from Bullock.
Mitchell has to pick up Brunson and... well, he gets beat off the bounce again. Gobert then helps down from the strong-side corner &mdash; generally a no-no on defense &mdash; and leaves Finney-Smith open in the process.
If help was going to come, it would've needed to come from O'Neale (what kind of dig was that???) or Bogdanovic. Neither did anything of substance in the possession.
2:15 REMAINING: HUNTING DINWIDDIE
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Mitchell once again calls for a screen to bring Dinwiddie into the action. The Mavs give up the switch, but then spring a double on Mitchell to force the ball out of his hands&nbsp;and&nbsp;scram Dinwiddie out of the matchup.&nbsp;
Mitchell promptly swings it to Bogdanovic, who calls for a screen in an attempt to attack Dinwiddie. The attack fails, so Bogdanovic flips it back to Mitchell. He tries attacking Finney-Smith off the bounce, and it goes about how you would expect.
Towards the end of the drive, you'll notice Gobert exchanging sides. He ends up sealing off Brunson, but there's no real angle for a pass with Kleber sitting in the paint. There was also a potential outlet pass to a drifting Bogdanovic if Mitchell didn't like what he saw &mdash; though that would've put Bogdanovic in a tough spot to create late in the clock.
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You'd think Gobert would either try to gain inside positioning on Kleber, or set a pin-in screen on Brunson to potentially set up a kick to the corner. But that effectively seals the game, because we got another one-pass possession&nbsp;after the dead ball.&nbsp;
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It's a pretty decent action to spring Bogdanovic free, but Finney-Smith helps off of Mitchell on the catch. There was 6 seconds on the shot clock when the jumper was fired, so there was technically room to kick the ball out for Mitchell for a better shot. That's probably too much Monday morning quarterbacking to tap into though.&nbsp;
The larger point is that the Jazz shouldn't have been that late in the clock to begin with.&nbsp;
Zooming out, the Jazz did a poor job of forcing the Mavericks into tough positions. On the other end, the Jazz once again failed to contain the ball, which not only forced help, but also exposed how shoddy their rotations behind the help can be.
We got Bad Mitchell, Bad Gobert, Bad Bogdanovic. Bad House. Mike Conley is probably the only guy who didn't make a mistake, but his presence wasn't felt near the end of the game either.
The series is shifting to Utah now, but the return of Luka Doncic looms pretty large. The Jazz better get it together, or the blame game is quickly going to shift into (even more) trade talk.
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There is not a single player responsible for Utah's woes on either end. Instead, everyone is to blame, writes Nekias Duncan

It's everybody's fault: Dissecting the Jazz's woeful end to Game 2

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

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

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

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I understood why the Cavs made the trade at the time, going in on this season to try and make a real playoff run without fully hindering their intermediate future and flexibility. I just really struggled to be into the move from a personnel perspective, and I'll have even more questions once/if Collin Sexton returns next year.
I have no idea what to think about Sexton's future in Cleveland. He is a really good player with some flaws that can be a bit exacerbated playing alongside another small guard. His numbers were down and his shot wasn't right to start the year, but he was playing some of the best team basketball of his career to start the year. I don't know what the answer is for Cavs president Koby Altman, general manager Mike Gansey and the front-office brain trust, but they have a lot of decisions to make over the next few months as they continue to shape this team.
Hard decisions are a good thing! To look at where the Cavs were two years ago at 19-46 with questions about their infrastructure to where they're at now... that's pretty good!
The way they handle those head-scratching conundrums over the summer will ultimately mold their future playoff aspirations and viability. The 2021-22 Cleveland campaign was one of the more unexpected and exciting runs that had some unfortunate road bumps.
But the point remains that the future of the Cavs is much brighter today than it was eight months ago, and where this team is at by this time next year will have been set up by the trials and tribulations of this year.
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The Cavaliers' season came to an end last night, but their year as a whole was one for the books.

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

The Indiana Pacers just wrapped up their worst season since 1989. Finishing with a 25-57 record, Indiana has decided upon a path it hasn't ventured down in decades.
On Christmas, the Pacers were in no man&rsquo;s land in the Eastern Conference sitting at 14-19. The frontcourt pairing between Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner was still working on occasion, but it didn&rsquo;t make any dent as a true competitor. Malcolm Brogdon was supposed to be Indiana&rsquo;s long-term answer as its primary floor general, but he could barely stay on the court due to injury woes. Speaking of injuries, Orlando Bubble superstar T.J. Warren didn&rsquo;t play in a single game this season due to a nagging foot injury; four total games over two full seasons for the former Phoenix Suns wing.
Indiana&rsquo;s vision for a sustainable contender just simply wasn&rsquo;t working. Running stagnant with a roster that was just competitive enough to sneak into the postseason, the Pacers finally pressed the rebuild button during the holiday season. From Dec. 25 and on, Indiana went on to an 11-38 finish.
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After trading away Sabonis and Caris LeVert, Indiana is now in an advantageous long-term position, even in spite of not conveying the first-round pick acquired via the Cleveland Cavaliers. (Cleveland will keep its first-round pick due to the loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, as the team misses the NBA Playoffs.)
The cupboard is anything but bare. Sending out Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings brought back a potential face of the franchise in Tyrese Haliburton. The second-year point guard from Iowa State continued to blossom in a more featured role away from De&rsquo;Aaron Fox in Sacramento. Haliburton averaged 17.5 points, 9.6 assists and 1.8 steals for Indiana, immediately planting himself as a primary pillar for the next great Pacers team.
Chris Duarte also made noise during his rookie campaign for Indiana before a nagging toe issue hampered his availability post-All-Star break. Showing a true scorer&rsquo;s mindset, Duarte displayed why he&rsquo;s another key piece to the Pacers&rsquo; puzzle.
Outside of the Haliburton and Duarte pairing, plus the exciting unknown ahead, the Pacers have one more young prospect that is so intriguing to project.
Isaiah Jackson, the No. 22 overall pick from the 2020 NBA Draft, has all the potential to take a massive sophomore jump in 2022-23.
Still a raw prospect, Jackson flashed tantalizing two-way talent in different spurts throughout the Pacers&rsquo; midseason downturn. The sample size for Jackson was small &mdash; 36 total games and 15 starts &mdash; but it&rsquo;s hard to ignore what the ceiling could look like for the former Kentucky Wildcat big man.
Over Jackson&rsquo;s final 18 games of the season, Indiana saw a glimpse of true two-way success. In only 21.6 minutes per game, Jackson averaged 12.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.2 blocks on an impressive 62.6% True Shooting percentage. When stretching those minutes to per-36 thresholds, Indiana&rsquo;s rookie was outstanding: 20.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 3.6 blocks.
The reason why Jackson is such a moldable piece of clay for Indiana is because of the uncertain future revolving around Myles Turner. Having been the subject of trade rumors for multiple years now, which again got red-hot back in February, Turner now enters the last year of his contract. If the Pacers were to decide to move off Turner this offseason, now would be the ideal time if it wasn&rsquo;t at the trade deadline, as it would allow Jackson to fully blossom.
Jackson showed already for the Pacers he can fill the Turner role seamlessly. Not only can Jackson rim-run and block shots at an above-average level, but the floor-spacing potential is certainly there as well. Also, unlike Sabonis and Turner, Jackson provides the Pacers an athletic lob threat that hasn&rsquo;t been present within the organization for years now.
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Sheesh Isaiah Jackson 😳 <a href="https://t.co/MxOHikwsXL">pic.twitter.com/MxOHikwsXL</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1513267754370953220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Indiana is in an ideal spot to choose any direction for Jackson&rsquo;s immediate future. Whether it be moved up into a starting role replacing Turner or slow-playing his development behind Turner one more season, Jackson&rsquo;s early trajectory is so promising. Jackson checks the rim-protection box with emphasis, plus the perfect pick-and-roll partner near the rim for Haliburton to execute with.
Entering arguably the most important offseason in franchise history, Indiana can continue to blow it all up and reset around an exciting core of young players. Haliburton, Duarte and Jackson are locked in. The future top-seven draft pick is cemented as well. Outside of that, anything is possible for the Pacers&rsquo; roster construction avenues.
Running in place for years at this point, the Pacers&rsquo; fresh start was much-needed. Now, it&rsquo;s time to see how all the new parts work together over an extensive long-term period. As far as the most interesting topics for the Pacers, Jackson&rsquo;s potential Year 2 jump could eventually change everything in Indianapolis.
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As the Pacers begin an extensive rebuild, don't forget about the potential long-term possibilities for big man Isaiah Jackson.

Isaiah Jackson provides Pacers ready-made Myles Turner replacement

Just when the Dallas Mavericks finally earned home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since winning the NBA title 11 years ago, they could face multiple games without their top player.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-san-antonio-spurs-nba-sports-jason-kidd-619222aa783a75cdbff2b01bf986cedb">Star point guard Luka Doncic strained his left calf</a> in the regular-season finale and didn't practice all week leading into the Western Conference first-round opener against the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Doncic is listed as doubtful for Game 1.
The Mavericks surged to the fourth seed by going 36-12 from New Year's Eve on after a 16-18 start. The fifth-seeded Jazz finished 4-7 to fall below the Mavericks.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-utah-jazz-dallas-mavericks-los-angeles-lakers-nba-e90d3f99d8bef8eda7c1814d4be27f0f">In a meeting that was crucial to Dallas catching Utah</a>, Doncic scored 32 points in a 114-100 win while defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert and 3-point threat Bojan Bogdanovic sat for the Jazz.
Now the only NBA player to average at least 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists could be sidelined while Utah, led by Donovan Mitchell, is close to full strength. Dallas hasn't won a playoff series since the title season, losing in the first round six times.
&ldquo;We prepared for Luka for this whole series,&rdquo; Jazz guard Mike Conley said. &ldquo;We prepared for what it would look like without him. They&rsquo;re a team with a deep roster of guys who can make plays. They&rsquo;ve shown they can do that over time.&rdquo;
FILLING IN
If Doncic doesn't play, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson figure to be the first two scoring options for Dallas.
Dinwiddie, acquired from Washington in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Wizards, had his highest-scoring game with the Mavericks (36 points) the first time he played without Doncic.
Brunson, drafted in the second round the same year Dallas traded up for third overall pick Doncic in 2018, has been starting alongside the three-time All-Star most of the season after being his backup their first three years together.
A year after his role diminished as the series went along in a seven-game loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Brunson could end up in a leadership position similar to his days at Villanova, where he won two NCAA championships in three years.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not really too worried about putting pressure on myself,&rdquo; said Brunson, who averaged career bests of 16.3 points and 4.8 assists in the regular season. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see it as pressure. I see it as opportunity.&rdquo;
PLAYOFF MODE
Mitchell's playoff prowess has been on display the past two years.
The three-time All-Star averaged a career-best 36.3 points on 52.9% shooting in a seven-game series against Denver two years ago. Last season, he averaged 32.3 points over 10 games against Memphis and the Clippers. Mitchell has averaged nearly five made 3s over his past 17 playoff games.
&ldquo;I can see the way he&rsquo;s working right now in practice, before practice, and after practice,&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;Everything he does is at a high level.&rdquo;
STARK CONTRAST
The home court would appear to matter quite a bit in this series. The Mavericks are 58-36 all-time at home against the Jazz, playoffs included. Utah is 73-25 against Dallas in Salt Lake City.
One of those road victories for the Mavericks, though, was a playoff breakthrough for young Dirk Nowitzki and company in 2001. Nowitzki was making his postseason debut when Dallas won 84-83 in the deciding Game 5.
HEALTHY AT LAST
The Jazz enter the playoffs healthy for a change.
Bogdanovic was sidelined against Denver two seasons ago after undergoing season-ending wrist surgery. Conley missed five games against the Clippers last season while rehabbing an injured hamstring.
Mitchell was hobbled by a serious ankle injury late in the LA series, when the top-seeded Jazz won the first two games at home before dropping four straight.
&ldquo;We got our guys focused on the right things and not what&rsquo;s going on outside,&rdquo; Conley said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re now able to lock ourselves in and just go after something we all want.&rdquo;
ALL RIGHT UNDER KIDD
In his Dallas coaching debut, Jason Kidd has led the Mavericks to their highest seed since he was the point guard on the 2011 title team led by Nowitzki.
Dallas last had the home court in a five-game victory over Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City in the West finals. The Mavericks beat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Just when the Mavericks finally earned home-court advantage in the playoffs, they could face multiple games without their top player.

Doncic injury looms over first-round Mavs-Jazz playoff series

In a game defined by its giants, being a big man has always carried a certain level of expectation.&nbsp;
And arguably no NBA franchise has this expectation looming more than the San Antonio Spurs.&nbsp;
From the early days of Artis Gilmore, to the "The Admiral" David Robinson's stint commanding the watchtower, to Tim Duncan&rsquo;s subtle dominance, to LaMarcus Aldridge&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-lt6/?Season=2017-18&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Aldridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surprisingly effective</a> repellent nature, the Spurs have always fielded an elite defensive big man.
And that makes Jakob Poeltl the perfect successor to this chain of iconic anchors.
This season, the human fly swatter is contesting shots at a <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle/?sort=CONTESTED_SHOTS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">higher rate</a> than anyone in the league, while also holding opponents to <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-lt6/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Poeltl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over eight percentage points</a> below their usual average.&nbsp;
Along with his eye-popping numbers, the sophisticated beauty of his game has been easy to admire year after year (even having said he was playing on one of the most <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/matissa/2022/02/05/why-jakob-poeltl-is-a-giant-bargain-for-the-spurs/?sh=1d90fdefeb12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">valuable</a> contracts in basketball).
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So, it was time to get inside the mind of one of the league&rsquo;s best defenders.
During training camp, Poeltl made it known that San Antonio's massive roster turnaround meant he needed to be more vocal, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. And considering <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/hidden-gems-jakob-poeltl-is-the-best-center-that-nobodys-talking-about/1acr9r7wz5mg913hug0jnr42sk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renowned analysts</a> are praising his communication skills, it&rsquo;s safe to say his mission has been accomplished.
&ldquo;First of all, [communication] is one of the biggest parts of being a big man in the NBA.&rdquo; Poeltl told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. &ldquo;If you are not good at communicating, your guards are going to keep running into trouble over and over again.&rdquo;
Here is a perfect example of his articulation skills at work.
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Turning up the volume is recommended here; if you listen closely, you can hear Poeltl instructing nearby help defenders to &ldquo;stay&rdquo; back on their man because he&rsquo;s going to offer the necessary backline support himself. This forces Steven Adams to make the weak-side corner pass (an easier pass for the defense to close-out on), and ultimately, Poeltl's reassurance results in a missed shot.&nbsp;
Then, Poeltl dove a little deeper into specific coverages. Being the mad scientist he is, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich loves throwing a good ol&rsquo; zone at opposing offenses.
Listen to this next clip to hear Poeltl break down what&rsquo;s going through his mind in these situations.
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&ldquo;[It] comes down to a lot of communication as well," Poeltl said. "The offense is going to try and exploit weak spots. I&rsquo;m just constantly on the lookout for what they are possibly trying to set up. And telling those guys around me to move over, overload one side, whatever it might be.&rdquo;
Poeltl also emphasized the importance of ball-screen coverage in today&rsquo;s constantly evolving pick-and-roll ecosystem.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of pick-and-rolls in this league because it&rsquo;s so efficient and you're creating a lot of 2-on-1 situations," he said.
As the big man who has handled the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/roll-man/?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TypeGrouping=defensive&amp;sort=POSS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth-most</a> ball-screens in the NBA, Poeltl knows his way around these spots.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really just trying to keep the offensive players guessing," he said. "And at the end of the day, play the percentages.&rdquo;
The next clip provides a prime example of what he&rsquo;s talking about:
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/surx68" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Poeltl intentionally sags off of Mike Conley because, while he&rsquo;s a good short mid-range shooter (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/695#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">45%</a>), he&rsquo;s a slightly better finisher (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/695#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">53%</a>). But even more important, by accounting for the roller, Jakob avoids Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s lob-finishing wrath (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/1310#tab-shooting_accuracy">77%</a>).
"Playing the percentages" became a recurring theme throughout this conversation, and Poeltl's appreciation of the mathematics of the game bears resemblance to another defensive tactician &mdash; Bill Russell.
Like Russell, Poeltl makes himself familiar with his opponent&rsquo;s moves and tendencies in order to lure them into their least efficient spots on the court.
&ldquo;I try to play [their] tendencies," Poeltl said. "I know which moves [they] like, which moves [they] might like a little less. I try to make [them] take lower percentage shots.&rdquo;
And his astuteness appears to be paying dividends, as Poeltl has held some of the best low-post bigs in the league to numbers below their usual outputs.
Poeltl Matchup Data (2021-22)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 324px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Player 
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
Partial Possessions*
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
FG% vs. Poeltl*
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
Season FG%*
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Valanciunas&nbsp;
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
146.8
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
52.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
54.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Gobert
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
93.8
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
54.5%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
71.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Embiid
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
76.7
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
42.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
49.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Ayton
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
75.4
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
46.7%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
63.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 19.5822%; height: 54px;">
Vucevic
</td>
<td style="width: 25.718%; height: 54px;">
74.7
</td>
<td style="width: 21.4783%; height: 54px;">
46.7%
</td>
<td style="width: 22.7776%; height: 54px;">
47.4%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Mobile users scroll right to view full table)
Poeltl's work against current MVP candidate Joel Embiid deserves further examination. Poeltl is holding Embiid to 42.9% from the floor on 35 shot attempts. But what&rsquo;s more, he&rsquo;s only allowed Embiid to take 6 free throws during the nearly 77 partial possessions he&rsquo;s spent on him. This is a far cry from the <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/embiijo01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">17.4 free throw attempts</a> Embiid typically averages per 100 possessions.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/7niqah" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Poeltl does two things well while guarding Embiid:
<ol>
<li>He baits him into taking a bevy of mid-range jumpers (the least efficient shot in Embiid&rsquo;s illustrious shot profile).</li>
<li>He avoids getting handsy with Embiid and falling prey to his infamous <a href="https://twitter.com/rich_hofmann/status/816337297910153216?s=20&amp;t=IZbWympJN3SijK8xXTdMWw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rip-through</a> maneuver.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
And like Hakeem Olajuwon, Poeltl is a master at navigating the <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/2-9-6fb93080023c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.9</a> position of the paint without getting called for a defensive three seconds. (Turn your volume up.)
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/48iivd" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
&ldquo;I think that has a lot to do with reputation as well, where just being around for a long time, you figure out these little things," Poeltl said. "I remember my first couple seasons in the NBA &mdash; first of all, I was a lot more paranoid to get called for defensive three seconds, and I probably actually was getting called on it a lot more as well. So, I think the biggest thing there that I had to figure out over the years is the timing of it. Like, being in the paint at the right moment when an offensive player &mdash; like a guard or somebody &mdash; is trying to attack. Not wasting those three seconds. Like, standing in there when there is nothing happening.
"Then, I have to go out [of the paint] to clear myself, and in that moment somebody starts driving, and then I&rsquo;m late for the rotation. So, again, it comes down to timing it well, [and] trying to read what the offense is trying to do.&rdquo;
In staying with the topic of great defenders, the best not only omit shots as they come, but also deter would-be trespassers from entering their hunting grounds entirely. Poeltl looks like he&rsquo;s trending towards no-fly-zone territory.
After peaking in January, his number of contests per game has gone downward &mdash; an indication that offensive players may have finally learned their lesson.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-04-08-at-11-03-22-am_lg.png" alt="" width="584" height="348" />
*Data Provided by NBA.com
Poeltl's presence on the interior is almost reminiscent to that of the Dark Knight in Gotham City. Both Batman and the Spurs' rim-protector serve as a cautionary symbol of what will happen when you cross the line.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;d call myself a vigilante.&rdquo; Poeltl joked. &ldquo;I pretty much always try to make the paint look as crowded as possible. Try to discourage the other team from driving in there. At the end of the day, contesting a shot is good, but if I can make it look crowded in the first place and discourage them from coming in the paint, that&rsquo;s already a win in my book.&rdquo;
With shades of the various all-timers painted all over his game, is there a particular player that Poeltl has consciously modeled his game after?
&ldquo;Not really, to be honest," Poeltl said. "I always tried to feel the game out for myself. I always tried to find my own way.&rdquo;
Stating that he&rsquo;s just trying to find his way is an undersell.
In fact, Poeltl has more than found his own way. He&rsquo;s an elite shot-blocker, a vocal defensive quarterback and a serious contender for an All-Defensive Team nomination.&nbsp;
But most important of all, he&rsquo;s San Antonio&rsquo;s newest watchful protector &mdash; the franchise's next great defensive big man.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Mat Issa goes one-on-one with Jakob Poeltl to discuss his defensive prowess and break down his film deterring the NBA's best.

Jakob Poeltl: The San Antonio Spurs' newest watchful protector

Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 21 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz clinched a playoff berth with a 121-115 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
Jordan Clarkson also finished with 22 points for Utah. Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Hassan Whiteside tallied 14 points and 10 boards off the bench.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points for the Grizzlies. Tyus Jones added 24 points and Desmond Bane had 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Memphis played without its top two scorers. Ja Morant (right knee soreness) and Dillon Brooks (right hip soreness) were both inactive. The same injury has sidelined Morant since mid-March. Their absence didn&rsquo;t stop the Grizzlies from producing big baskets as the fourth quarter wound down.
Jackson made a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation and Kyle Anderson put back Bane&rsquo;s airball on a 3-pointer before the buzzer to force overtime. Mitchell went 1 for 2 from the free throw line with 5.6 seconds on the clock and the Jazz leading 109-108.
Utah went ahead for good when Mitchell and Gobert scored on back-to-back possessions to help the Jazz carve out a 119-113 lead. Memphis was held without a basket for four minutes in overtime.
Utah built a 30-19 lead a minute into the second quarter after Clarkson and Mike Conley capped a 10-1 run with back-to-back 3s.
Memphis erased the double-digit deficit right before halftime. The Grizzlies tied it on a corner 3 from Bane and took a 50-48 lead on a pair of free throws from Jackson with 7.2 seconds left in the half.
Bane scored four baskets in 3 &frac12; minutes after halftime to help propel Memphis to a 68-57 lead. The second-year guard had 12 points in the third quarter alone. With Bane leading the way, the Grizzlies made six of their first nine shots in the second half.
Utah surged back ahead 91-83 early in the fourth quarter behind a 21-7 run fueled by three baskets and three assists from Clarkson. Danuel House, Jr. capped the surge with a four-point play and an alley-oop dunk.
TIP INS
Grizzlies: Jackson finished with three blocks, passing Pau Gasol for the franchise single-season record. Jackson has totaled an NBA-best 172 blocks this season. &hellip; Steven Adams led Memphis in rebounds (13) and assists (8). Adams&rsquo; assist total matched his season high.
Jazz: Clarkson beat the first-quarter buzzer with a reverse backdoor layup and Gobert beat the halftime buzzer with an alley-oop dunk. &hellip; Rudy Gay returned to Utah&rsquo;s rotation after recording a DNP-CD in back-to-back games. Gay played 13 minutes and finished with two points on 1-of-4 shooting. &hellip; Conley had a team-high eight assists.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Visit the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
Jazz: Host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 21 rebounds, and the Jazz clinched a playoff berth with a 121-115 overtime victory over the Grizzlies.

Jazz clinch playoff spot with 121-115 OT win over Grizzlies

The story of college basketball can be traced largely from the base of Mount Oread on the campus of Kansas, where the inventor of the game was also the school&rsquo;s first coach, and across the heartland and down Tobacco Road to North Carolina, where so much of its history has been made.
Among those coached by Dr. James Naismith, who famously tacked up those peach baskets at the Springfield YMCA, was an irascible youngster named Forrest Allen, who would later go simply by the nickname &ldquo;Phog.&rdquo;
Phog Allen would later take over the Jayhawks and coach a young man from southeast Kansas named Dean Smith, who delivered him a national championship before beginning his own coaching career.
Smith would become a Tar Heels&rsquo; legend during his tenure in Chapel Hill, leading North Carolina to a pair of national championships. And one of his disciples, that dadgum Roy Williams, would not only lead the Jayhawks to four Final Fours but the Tar Heels to three titles of his own.
On and on it goes, the ties binding two of college basketball&rsquo;s bluebloods forming a rich tapestry over time, and another layer to come Monday night when the schools square off for the national championship at the Superdome.
&ldquo;Both teams are as blue as you can get when you talk about bluebloods,&rdquo; said Kansas coach Bill Self, whose Jayhawks are chasing a third national championship. &ldquo;But to play a Carolina program that&rsquo;s intertwined with Kansas history, in large part because Coach Smith played at Kansas and won a national championship in &rsquo;52 and then he goes on and is thought to be as good a basketball coach that&rsquo;s ever coached the sport over a period of time &mdash; I think that&rsquo;s special. &rdquo;
Self has his own ties to the Tar Heels.
He was just an eager young college student trying to make a buck as a camp counselor at Kansas in the early 1980s when he caught the eyes of the Jayhawks&rsquo; coach. It turned out to be Larry Brown, who two decades earlier had played for Smith and the Tar Heels before embarking on his own coaching career as an assistant in Chapel Hill.
&ldquo;So I&rsquo;m very proud to be a part of this game,&rdquo; Self said.
So is his North Carolina counterpart, Hubert Davis, who also played for Smith in the late 1980s and early &lsquo;90s. After his own college career, and more than a decade spent in the NBA, Davis returned to North Carolina as Williams&rsquo; assistant, then was picked to take over the Tar Heels when the Hall of Fame coach retired last spring.
Davis ruefully remembers playing against Williams and the Jayhawks in the 1991 national semifinals, when he went 9 of 16 from the field and scored 25 points in a losing effort. Kansas later lost to Duke in the title game.
&ldquo;Prior to us winning the national championship in 2017, from 1991 to 2017, I had watched that game at least once every year. It was the best team I ever played with,&rdquo; Davis recalled Sunday. &ldquo;And we really felt like we had a chance to win the national championship and we came up short. And that was a game that Coach Smith got two technical fouls and got kicked out, and it was an emotional game and an emotional end to a season.&rdquo;
Davis still considers that 79-73 defeat in Indianapolis &ldquo;the toughest loss that I&rsquo;ve ever experienced in my entire life.&rdquo;
&ldquo;And playing at Carolina, the thing, for me, that I always wanted was to cut down those nets as a player,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and we were so close and weren&rsquo;t able to be able to have that experience.&rdquo;
Davis ultimately had that experience as an assistant coach, though never at the Jayhawks&rsquo; expense. Kansas has won four of their six meetings in the NCAA Tournament, including a second-round matchup in 2013 with Davis in his first year on the Tar Heels&rsquo; bench.
And then there&rsquo;s Williams, who retired a year ago Friday after a Hall of Fame career. His first 15 seasons came at Kansas, along with a very famous &ldquo;no thanks&rdquo; when his alma mater first came calling for him to come home in 2000.
Three years later, Williams couldn&rsquo;t disappoint Smith a second time and returned to save a program in turmoil. He spent the next 18 seasons in Chapel Hill and claimed the national titles that had eluded him in his stellar tenure in Lawrence.
&ldquo;I loved it, loved the people, loved the players, loved Allen Fieldhouse, and I wanted them to win every single game,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;But (Monday) night&rsquo;s a little different.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s been attending UNC games all season to support Davis and his former players after &ldquo;pushing so hard&rdquo; for Davis to be his successor. That includes Saturday&rsquo;s win against Duke here at the Superdome.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen people on Bourbon Street and they say &rdquo;Rock Chalk!&rdquo; and I&rsquo;ll say, &rsquo;Go KU&rdquo; because that is my love for that school, and that&rsquo;ll never change,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s a different story tomorrow night, and it&rsquo;s an uncomfortable one for me.
&ldquo;But at the same time, the connections with Coach Smith and myself and KU and the relationship we&rsquo;ve had over the years between those two great basketball program is something that&rsquo;s extremely special. And Roy Williams is extremely flattered to say that I was able to coach at both schools.&rdquo;
Despite their intertwined history and all the games they have played &mdash; 6,394 to be exact &mdash; Monday night will be just the 12th meeting between them. This will be the sixth postseason meeting to come in a regional final or later.
By comparison, the Jayhawks have played Kentucky 34 times.
The first meeting between the Tar Heels and Jayhawks was a triple-overtime NCAA title game in 1957, with UNC capping an unbeaten season by outlasting Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas 54-53. After Davis&rsquo; painful loss in &rsquo;91, the Tar Heels won a rematch in the national semifinals on the way to Smith&rsquo;s second championship.
But the Jayhawks have won the past three meetings, all in the tournament, most notably in the 2008 Final Four on the way to Self&rsquo;s lone national title.
Most of the players that ultimately will decide the latest showdown between the historic programs know only of the past through stories and memories. Some of them weren&rsquo;t even born when Williams was coaching at Kansas, let alone Davis playing for the Tar Heels, and it&rsquo;s been up to their coaches to instill upon them the importance of this moment.
Kansas and North Carolina for the national championship.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve told them this: The best experience that I have had as a player, hands down, was going to the Final Four,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;I told them, &lsquo;I played 12 years in the NBA and that was my finest as a basketball player, finest moment, just being part of the Final Four.&rsquo; I was trying to convey to them how special it is to be here. Now that they&rsquo;re being able to experience it is great.&rdquo;

There'll be another layer added to these school's rich histories when Kansas and UNC square off in the national championship in NOLA.

Tar Heels, Jayhawks enter NCAA title tilt with common roots

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 36 points and the Golden State Warriors erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Utah Jazz 111-107 on Saturday night.
Jordan Poole added 31 and Andrew Wiggins had 17 as the Warriors clinched a playoff spot and snapped a four-game losing streak. At 49-29, they hold a one-game lead over the Dallas Mavericks for the third seed in the Western Conference. Utah is tied with Denver for the fifth spot.
Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley each had 26 for Utah. It was an all-too-familiar storyline for the Jazz, who blew a 25-point lead in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. Utah has lost 15 games this season in which it held double-digit leads.
Trailing 103-87 with just under eight minutes remaining in the fourth, the Warriors rattled off an 18-0 run to take a 105-103 lead with 2:10 left. Thompson hit three 3-pointers during the stretch.
The Jazz had a chance to take the lead with 20 seconds remaining but Rudy Gobert threw a pass out of bounds after clearing a rebound. The Warriors put the game away at the free-throw line.
The Jazz led by as many as 21 in the first half and took a 58-45 lead into the locker room. Mitchell had 17 but he had plenty of help, as Utah’s bench outscored Golden State’s second unit 17-5 over the first two quarters.
Poole scored 19 in the first half for the Warriors, including 14 in the second quarter.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Conley scored 9 in the third quarter, which helped stem the tide for the Jazz as the Warriors tried eating into their lead. … Hassan Whiteside entered the game midway through the first quarter, his first action after missing the previous four games with a bone spur fracture in his right foot.
Warriors: Golden State committed 11 first-half turnovers that led to 17 Utah points. … Coach Steve Kerr said forward Andre Iguodala would sit out Sunday’s game at Sacramento in an effort to keep the veteran fresh for the playoffs. … The Oakland Tech High School girls basketball team, fresh off a Division III state championship, attended the game and received an ovation during a first-quarter timeout. 
UP NEXT
Jazz: Host Memphis on Tuesday to begin their final homestand of the season.
Warriors: Play at Sacramento on Sunday, looking to sweep the season series. 
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Behind Klay Thompson's 36 points, the Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Utah.

Warriors rally from 16 down to beat Jazz, get playoff spot

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

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

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

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

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

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

Give Marcus Smart the damn Defensive Player of the Year award

Paul George's return jolted the Los Angeles Clippers back to life.
The All-Star guard scored 34 points after missing three months with an elbow injury, helping his team rally from a 25-point deficit to beat the Utah Jazz 121-115 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big morale boost,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Guys were getting worn down and tired. We needed that.&rdquo;
Seeing George hit back-to-back 3-pointers in front of the Clippers bench was all Lue needed.
&ldquo;I was like, &lsquo;OK, he&rsquo;s good, he's ready,'" the coach said.
Reggie Jackson added 21 points for the Clippers, who snapped a five-game skid with a 39-point fourth quarter after trailing by 16 early in the period.
From there, the Clippers outscored Utah 34-12 to end the game. The Clippers took their first lead of the game, 110-109, on a jumper by Isaiah Hartenstein. During the spurt, George hit his sixth 3-pointer of the game.
George hadn't played since Dec. 22 while rehabbing a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
&ldquo;I feel good," he said. "There's no pain.&rdquo;
George initially wanted to have surgery after getting hurt, but the doctor told him that type of injury heals and the ligament would reattach itself to the bone.
&ldquo;Thankfully we went that direction,&rdquo; he said.
Assistant coach Brian Shaw had George running during rehab to the point where he felt more like a track and field athlete than a basketball player.
&ldquo;Unnecessary running,&rdquo; George said, smiling, &ldquo;but it paid off. I trusted him.&rdquo;
The Clippers have had multiple comeback wins when trailing by at least 20 points this season. Their 35-point comeback against Washington on Jan. 25 was the second-biggest in NBA history.
But George didn't enjoy seeing the holes they dug themselves while he was out.
&ldquo;Just always come out with energy,&rdquo; he counseled his teammates. &ldquo;Our intensity has to be there. The game completely changes when we give ourselves a chance.&rdquo;
It was in the fourth.
With George resting to start the period, Robert Covington drilled a 3-pointer from in front of his bench that left the Clippers trailing 103-94. It was their first single-digit deficit since the opening quarter, when they were held to 14 points.
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points and Mike Conley added 19 points for the Jazz, whose losing streak stretched to five.
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Mitchell tried to call a timeout on an inbounds pass along the baseline with 10 seconds left, but the Jazz had none left. Jackson shot the technical foul and made it, putting the Clippers ahead by five.
&ldquo;We turned the ball over eight times I think in the fourth quarter. We gave up, I want to say, 12, 14 second-chance points,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;Those are possessions we don&rsquo;t get a chance to score. That's 39 points around those two things.&rdquo;
The Jazz struggled at the line, making 17 of 29 free throws.
Utah led by 25 points early in the third on a basket by Rudy Gobert. George scored 20 points in the period, including 10 of their final 12 points to cut the deficit to 94-82 heading into the fourth.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Greg Monroe had four points in his debut after signing a 10-day contract on Monday. He's expected to help fill backup minutes with center Hassan Whiteside ailing. ... Their previous four losses also came on the road.
Clippers: They've won once in three meetings with the Jazz this season.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Host the Lakers on Thursday.
Clippers: Visit Chicago on Thursday.

After missing three months with an elbow injury, Paul George helped the Clippers rally from a 25-point deficit to beat the Jazz on Tuesday.

Paul George returns, scores 34 as Clippers rally to beat Jazz 121-115

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic knows the Mavericks haven't had home-court advantage in the playoffs since the young superstar came to Dallas.
Coach Jason Kidd might remember the last time the club did, since he was the point guard on the team that won the 2011 championship.
The Mavericks took an important step toward the elusive top half of the Western Conference playoff picture Sunday night.
Doncic scored 32 points and the Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100 for the inside track to the fourth seed in what could be a first-round playoff matchup.
The Mavericks (46-29) moved a game ahead of the Jazz (45-30) in the battle for the fourth and fifth seeds in the West and earned a split of the season series, with the home team winning all four games.
Dallas would have to finish a game ahead of Utah if the Jazz keep their Northwest Division lead over Denver. The Mavericks and Jazz have seven games remaining.
&ldquo;That's what we wanted, but it's a long way to go,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;We've still got to keep our composure, focus on the next opponent and try to win every game.&rdquo;
Rudy Gay scored 18 points for the Jazz, who lost their fourth in a row on a season-long, six-game trip that ends Tuesday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert was a late scratch for Utah because of the 7-foot-1 center's right leg contusion as another 7-footer, Hassan Whiteside, sat for the second consecutive game with a right foot sprain.
Bojan Bogdanovic was out for the ninth time in 10 games as he battles a right calf strain, and Utah had a scare in the third quarter when Donovan Mitchell left the game briefly after Dwight Powell landed on his lower right leg.
Mitchell stayed down in front of Utah's bench as play continued at the other end and limped to the bench when he finally got up. But Mitchell missed less than a minute and a half, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
&ldquo;Most of their team wasn&rsquo;t playing, so you can&rsquo;t judge,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We had a Christmas game out there without half our team. You only will be judged once the playoffs start. This wasn&rsquo;t a playoff game. No one&rsquo;s up 1-0.&rdquo;
Doncic beat the halftime buzzer with a longer 3-pointer to get the Mavericks within a point and set up a second-half surge as Dallas won for the 18th time in 22 home games.
Reggie Bullock connected on a season-high seven 3-pointers, finishing with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting beyond the arc. He had consecutive 3s in the middle of the fourth quarter to give Dallas its biggest lead to that point at 17.
&ldquo;I thought Bullock's 3s were really big 3s,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;You can't take all of them away. There's a few that were really impactful.&rdquo;
Jalen Brunson had 22 points while matching Doncic with 10 rebounds and five assists. They were the first starting Dallas guards to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the same game in franchise history.
Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points apiece for Utah.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Snyder said Whiteside has been playing through soreness and mentioned feeling it in a loss at Brooklyn last Monday. Whiteside played the next game in Boston. &ldquo;It's a hard thing to predict, how long or how quickly,&rdquo; Snyder said of the outlook for Whiteside.
Mavericks: F Davis Bertans scored six points after missing three games with right knee soreness. ... G Sterling Brown was out again after entering COVID-19 protocols during the trip to Minnesota, where Dallas lost Friday.
NCAA CONNECTIONS
On the same weekend Villanova reached the Final Four, Brunson shared the floor with Utah's Eric Paschall, his teammate when the Wildcats won their second title in three years in 2018. Paschall made his third start of the season with Gobert out and scored 10 points. Jazz rookie Jared Butler, who scored seven points, was the point guard on Baylor's championship team last year.
UP NEXT
Jazz: After finishing the road trip at the Clippers on Tuesday, Utah returns home against the Lakers on Thursday. The Jazz are 2-0 against the Clippers and 0-2 against the Lakers.
Mavericks: The Lakers visit Tuesday before Dallas starts its final road trip of the regular season (four games) at Cleveland on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back.
&nbsp;

Luka Doncic scored 32 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100.

Doncic, Mavs top Jazz 114-100 for inside track to home court

NBA shot charts are a bit like handprints.
Each player's shot chart has its own quirks, but for many examples, if you know the player, you can generally guess the outline of the chart when you look it up. Luka Doncic's heatmap will have a heavy dose of above-the-break threes and paint shots. Kevin Durant has two arcs around the three-point line and the elbows. P.J. Tucker is confined almost entirely to the corners, and Robert Williams III sticks to the restricted area.&nbsp;
Shot charts can also make you wonder. That happened for me this week when I checked in on Immanuel Quickley, who has surged in recent weeks even as the New York Knicks continue their bumpy season. Quickley is posting 14.4 points per game since the All-Star break and shooting 41.7% from long range with an eye-popping 64.2% True Shooting percentage. Here's how he's doing it (via Cleaning the Glass):
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/img_7134_lg.jpg" alt="" width="475" height="434" />
Rim pressure has been a question mark for Quickley dating back to his college days at Kentucky. He maneuvers into the paint with relative comfort &mdash; but look at the gap at the rim. The second-year guard rarely gets all the way to the hoop despite his length and apparent positioning. He has attempted just 56 shots within 4 feet of the basket this season, but has tried 137 shots in CTG's "short mid-range" zone (between 4 feet and the free-throw line).&nbsp;
This puts Quickley in very interesting company. He one of eight NBA players (min. 800 minutes) to attempt less than 15% of his shots at the rim, but more than 20% of his shots in the short mid-range, according to Cleaning the Glass (scroll right on mobile to view full table):
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Player</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">% of FGA at rim</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">% of FGA at short-mid</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">FG% at rim</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">FG% at short-mid</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">5%&nbsp;</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">33%</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">64%</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">53%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Marcus Morris</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">9%</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">28%</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">56%</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">48%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Immanuel Quickley</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">12%</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">25%</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">57%</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">42%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Mike Conley</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">14%</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">33%</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">52%</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Kevin Durant</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">14%</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">35%</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">75%</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">52%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Tyus Jones</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">14%</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">42%</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">62%</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">48%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Khris Middleton</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">15%</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">25%</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">65%</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">44%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1409%;">Devin Booker</td>
<td style="width: 17.0729%;">15%</td>
<td style="width: 22.5467%;">28%</td>
<td style="width: 14.4026%;">66%</td>
<td style="width: 18.5414%;">43%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
From a pure math perspective, it feels like these shot diets are inefficient. All eight see their shooting clips decrease with this slight movement away from the basket, and they post much better at-rim rates even while they're not elite finishers (except Durant). And unlike the whole mid-range vs. three-point discourse, there's no change in point value at stake.
Yet, Durant, Booker and Middleton are some of the best bucket-getters in the NBA. Paul and Conley have carved up opposing defenses for over a decade. Underwhelming rim pressure is clearly not a death sentence for scorers as long as they can maximize their chances. Quickley is starting to do that.
Since the All-Star break, the 22-year-old is hitting on 62% of his attempts at the rim and 49% of his short-mid-range shots without major changes in frequency. He's shooting 54.3% on drives to the basket, a respectable 15th out of 72 players with at least three driving shot attempts per game.
What's helping him is the almighty Immanuel Quickley Floater that he has practically trademarked.
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More pistol action, here we see that RJ/IQ chemistry. When RJ is the primary initiator IQ is able to revert to his more natural role; secondary creator/spacer. Look at the attention RJ draws. IQ pumps his way past a Danny Green close-out to set up his floater. Scope the Obi cut. <a href="https://t.co/V3c0ImA0h6">pic.twitter.com/V3c0ImA0h6</a>
&mdash; The Strickland (@TheStrickland) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheStrickland/status/1499437563785920517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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An effective floater is simply a deadly weapon in today's pick-and-roll-heavy game. If guards beat a switch or aggressive screen coverage, they have the floater at their disposal before help can arrive. The threat of a running shot can freeze roll-man defenders and open up lobs.&nbsp;
Quickley is knocking down 45.8% of his 131 floaters this season, according to NBA Stats, and is up to 57.6% post-All-Star break. Compare that to Trae Young (46.0% of 335 attempts in 2021-22), perhaps the most devastating floater assassin in the league. This shot helps Quickley compensate for a lack of downhill speed and strength.&nbsp;
The floater also points toward another high-IQ (heyo!) trait: foul-drawing. Quickley has become elite with this, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/in-defense-of-fouldrawing-a-gift-not-a-grift" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as Nekias Duncan detailed</a>, that's a good thing. He's been hacked on a whopping 19.9% of his shots coming out of the break per Cleaning the Glass &mdash; more than any other combo guard in the NBA. About half of those drawn fouls have come in the short-mid-range zones.
On the season, his 10.3% drawn-shooting-foul rate is in the 85th percentile at his position. It pays off; Quickley is canning 90.6% of his free throws.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Immanuel Quickley has been studying film on Trae Young, Steph Curry, and Chris Paul to help strategically get calls: "I'm not consciously trying, but if I see someone out of position, I try to get 'em" <a href="https://t.co/8NdSYpM2sO">pic.twitter.com/8NdSYpM2sO</a>
&mdash; Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/sny_knicks/status/1505026547434020867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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(Darth Sidious cackle)
Floaters and fouls don't mean Quickley is becoming the next Trae. He still has to improve his reads when he's in the paint, and attack instead of leaning on the floater as a crutch. But there's a blueprint here, and his blistering perimeter shooting only crescendos the excitement.
Much of the positivity surrounding Quickley's offensive fit was dampened earlier this season by his long-range slump. He shoulders a heavy load of pull-up attempts; over 30.7% of his total shots are pull-up threes. After some time off, Quickley has returned to a heat wave (scroll right to view full table):
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">Season Segment</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">Pull-up 3P Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">Pull-up FG%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">Above-the-break Freq.</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">Above-the-break 3P%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">Catch-Shoot 3PT Freq.&nbsp;</td>
<td style="width: 12.4388%;">Catch-Shoot 3P%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">Pre-All-Star</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">36.6%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">31.9%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">51.0%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">32.5%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">21.4%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4388%;">33.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">Post-All-Star</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">30.7%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">43.6%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">44.1%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">41.1%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4305%;">16.5%</td>
<td style="width: 12.4388%;">38.1%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Quickley is clearly locked in from beyond the arc, and those slight decreases in three-point frequency correspond to an approximate 10% rise in shot frequency within 10 feet of the basket. It's still not all the way at the rim, but it is more IQ Floater territory. Quickley has a history of shooting proficiency through various levels of his basketball career. Though I won't bank on him being one of the best pull-up threats in the game, I do think this is a sign of growth versus a flash in the pan.
Before we wrap this up, I'd like to highlight a great thread from Ben Ritholtz at Knicks Film School:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🎞🏀Knicks Film Thread🏀🎞 Featuring analysis by <a href="https://twitter.com/BenRitholtzNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BenRitholtzNBA</a>. Todays Lesson: Quick in the Paint Tracking IQs progress through the lens of his last 6 games. Roll the Tape! 1/12) The IQ from last year had one way to access the paint: PNR ➡️ get defender on back ➡️ floater. <a href="https://t.co/MEOAzTDRMO">pic.twitter.com/MEOAzTDRMO</a>
&mdash; Knicks Film School (@KnickFilmSkool) <a href="https://twitter.com/KnickFilmSkool/status/1506141343172767744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I recommend you watch all of the clips, but to summarize, Ritholtz is pointing out how Quickley is slowly improving his overall paint presence and outgrowing the reliance on the floater. It may be Quickley's go-to, but it can't be the standalone in his bag. Quickley has seriously fleshed out his handle, and can change direction at better speeds to get to his shot, catch a defender for a foul or create a lane. And I'm not even touching on the facilitation chops, which have flashed serious promise as Quickley continues to assume more on-ball responsibilities.
Quickley will regress at least slightly from his current scorching three-point rates. Would it be nice if he had a more forceful presence at the rim and a consistent mid-range jumper? Definitely. The point is his current shot diet &mdash; floaters, free throws and far-away threes &mdash; can be the foundation for a high-level scorer. As Quickley develops, those pillars should open up new ways for him to impact the Knicks' offense.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>How are the league's best offenses maximizing efficiency? Daniel Bratulic mapped out the top eight teams' playtype data. Transition and spot-up points seem to be popular:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
In the latest episode of <a href="https://twitter.com/AthleticNBAShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AthleticNBAShow</a>'s Nerder She Wrote, folks mentioned that the top teams are playing in a very diverse way. I tried to capture that through some radar charts displaying their preferences based on the play type. <a href="https://t.co/4SsJ6vZgRr">pic.twitter.com/4SsJ6vZgRr</a>
&mdash; Daniel Bratulić (@daniel_bratulic) <a href="https://twitter.com/daniel_bratulic/status/1506006295354171393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>SIS Hoops is back at it with another great informational table. Kevin Durant and DeMar DeRozan are taking full advantage of their green lights:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Some of the most confident players in the league, here&rsquo;s who has the greenest lights when it comes to getting shots off despite heavy defense early in the shot-clock: <a href="https://t.co/5U44nidVAJ">pic.twitter.com/5U44nidVAJ</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1506683542905962502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Going back to the leaders in driving FG% since the All-Star break &mdash; how about this top three: Jordan Poole (68.0%), Kevin Durant (67.3%) and Josh Hart (63.0%).&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Immanuel Quickley is averaging 14.4 points per game with a 64.2% True Shooting clip since the All-Star break.