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Thunder

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

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

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

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

Although some top-tier players who were expected to hit free agency this coming summer have already signed extensions, the 2022 NBA free-agent class will feature quite a few stars.
After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top-10-guards">ranking the best guards</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top10-forwards">forwards set to hit the open market</a>, let's complete this series by highlighting the top-10 big men up for grabs this summer. &nbsp;
1. Deandre Ayton &mdash; Phoenix Suns &mdash; Restricted
Deandre Ayton is the crown jewel of this year's free-agent center crop. Although the Suns surprisingly chose not to offer him a max extension last offseason (worth approximately $173 million over five years), Phoenix is still in the driver's seat, as the franchise can match any offer the former No. 1 overall pick receives this summer. Expect them to do just that for a young, improving player who is a foundational cornerstone of a team with championship aspirations.&nbsp;
2. Jusuf Nurkic &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; Unrestricted
After a disappointing 2020-21 campaign, Jusuf Nurkic bounced back impressively this season, averaging 15.0 points, a career-high 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 53.5% from the floor. Nurkic has been sidelined by plantar fasciitis for the past month, and will likely miss the rest of the season. However, he'll likely be ready to rock by the start of training camp next September. Due to Nurk's tight bond with Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, many pundits expect Portland to re-sign the big man to a multi-year deal.&nbsp;
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3. Mitchell Robinson &mdash; New York Knicks &mdash; Unrestricted
The Knicks technically have until June 30 to ink Mitchell Robinson to an extension worth up to $48 million over four years. However, the two sides have not yet reached an agreement, so it appears Mitch Rob will be able to test the market for his services. While he has flashed All-NBA Defense upside in short spurts throughout his four-year career, Robinson has battled numerous injuries and baffling inconsistency. His regression at the free-throw line (he's shooting below 50% in each of the past two seasons) is obviously worrisome as well. Nevertheless, few big men can supply the type of high-flying athleticism and rim-protection he brings to the table.
4. Bobby Portis &mdash; Milwaukee Bucks &mdash; Player Option 
With Brook Lopez sidelined for most of the 2021-22 season, Bobby Portis stepped in and stepped up for the Bucks, starting 57 of the team's last 58 games. He is averaging career-highs in scoring (15.1 points), boards (9.1), steals (0.8), blocks (0.8) and made three-pointers (2.0). Portis is currently one of only two players in the NBA averaging at least 9 rebounds and 2 made treys per game. (Luka Doncic and Karl-Anthony Towns are the other two members of this club.) Portis' player option for 2022-23 is only worth $4.6 million, so he is expected to opt-out and search for a significant raise.
5. Ivica Zubac &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Team Option 
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Zubac is a bonafide firefighter for LAC. In one possession he 1) traps Trae 28 ft out 2) sprints towards Capela hands up to dissuade the pass to the roller 3) checks Capela and stops the Collins drive 4) gets in front of Capela as the shot goes up and wins the glass battle <a href="https://t.co/OjS3dxuz4P">pic.twitter.com/OjS3dxuz4P</a>
&mdash; Justin W. (@LAClippersFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAClippersFilm/status/1503470104041861120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ivica Zubac's team option for next season is $7.5 million, so it's an easy decision for the Clippers to pick it up. He just turned 25 years old last week and continues to improve steadily. Zubac is posting career-highs in just about every statistical category this season.
6. Montrezl Harrell &mdash; Charlotte Hornets &mdash; Unrestricted
Montrezl Harrell has had another productive and efficient season off the bench, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while shooting 63.9% across 62 games for both the Wizards and Charlotte Hornets (following a midseason trade).&nbsp;
7. Mo Bamba &mdash; Orlando Magic &mdash; Restricted
After struggling mightily over his first three years in the NBA, Mo Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, is enjoying the best year of his pro career. He is on pace to become the first player in Magic franchise history to average more than 1.5 blocks and 1.0 made three-pointers per game over an entire season. However, the Magic inked center Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million contract extension back in October and have Mo Wagner (brother of their prized rookie, Franz) under contract next season as well. In addition, lineups with both WCJ and Bamba have not performed well. Thus, Orlando will likely let the former lottery pick walk if another team offers a contract the team is uncomfortable matching.&nbsp;
8. Nic Claxton &mdash; Brooklyn Nets &mdash; Restricted
Nic Claxton continues to impress in limited playing time off the bench for Brooklyn. His per-36 minute averages this season are outstanding: 15.2 points (on 65.1% shooting), 9.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. The Nets have limited depth due to the high salaries of their top players, and billionaire owner Joe Tsai is unafraid of paying the luxury tax, so Brooklyn is expected to match any reasonable offer Claxton receives.&nbsp;
9. Andre Drummond &mdash; Brooklyn Nets &mdash; Unrestricted
Andre Drummond has increased his value following the trade that sent him from Philadelphia to Brooklyn. He has started all 14 games he's played as a Net, and is averaging 11.4 points (on 62.5% shooting), 9.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks for Brooklyn. Drummond can boost his value significantly with a strong showing in the playoffs.&nbsp;
10. Thomas Bryant &mdash; Washington Wizards &mdash; Unrestricted:
Thomas Bryant inked a three-year, $25 million deal back in 2019 and played very well for the Wiz during the first year of that pact, averaging 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in under 25 minutes a night. He also started the following season impressively before tearing his ACL in early 2021. Bryant returned to action in January, but has seen his minutes reduced following Washington's acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis. Still just 24 years old, Bryant could be a worthwhile investment for a team in the market for a young big.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest:
LaMarcus Aldridge, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, Isaiah Hartenstein, Hassan Whiteside, Derrick Favors (player option), Tristan Thompson, Kevon Looney, JaMychal Green, Frank Kaminsky, Mike Muscala (team option), Bismack Biyombo
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Tommy Beer ranks the top centers who could be available as a part of the 2022 NBA free-agent class.

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

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

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

Lu Dort has season-ending left shoulder procedure

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

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

The Oklahoma City Thunder's emerging defensive identity

We had a whopping <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15 NBA trades</a> go down in an eight-day span.
The league buckled down for one of the biggest fireworks shows in recent deadline memory. Front offices dealt All-NBA superstars and hammered out four-team mazes. By the time the clock struck 3 p.m. on Thursday, we saw some teams go all-in on a playoff push, others cash out and move towards rebuilding, and many surprisingly pass on the spectacle entirely. It's a perfect time to set the table ahead of the stretch run with a fresh Sour Rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;By most accounts, the Indiana Pacers crushed it with their trade deadline moves. Tyrese Haliburton instantly becomes the bedrock of the franchise's next era, and he's looked pretty good in limited time so far. Indiana also snuck in a solid flier by acquiring Jalen Smith and didn't trade away any of its veteran players just for the sake of making a move. The Detroit Pistons were also briefly in the Sour Rankings, but escape after acquiring former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III without giving up long-term pieces.
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10. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-39)
Of all the teams to hold their chips at this year's deadline, OKC might be the most surprising. The Thunder had several players worth trading for &mdash; including Kenrich Williams and Mike Muscala &mdash; and had oodles of salary cap room to take on guys with undesirable contracts. Instead, they only clocked-in one deal, trading a second-round pick to the Miami Heat for KZ Okpala, who was subsequently waived. Though it's not a colossal general-managing blunder, the Thunder may have missed some good opportunities to add to the stockpile.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Charlotte Hornets (29-29)
The Hornets added Montrezl Harrell to fill the backup center spot on paper, and he should help as a play-finisher. However, Harrell does little to address the returning defensive woes for a Charlotte team that is 3-7 in its last 10 games. The squad has also hit an offensive shooting slump while also ranking 22nd in turnover rate since the start of February. A seven-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday overshadowed a horrendous two-way performance in the first half that had me concerned.
(Last week: 10)
8. Utah Jazz (35-21)
The Jazz got involved in one minor three-team deal at the trade deadline, and it didn't do much to squelch the raised voices about their title pretender status. Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labeled them a loser of the week</a> despite acquiring a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-nickeil-alexanderwalker-fill-the-gaps-for-the-utah-jazz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prospect he liked in Nickeil Alexander-Walker</a>:
"There's an intriguing foundation with him that Utah could unearth more of and help him build upon, but the issue is where the Jazz are right now. They needed immediate help defensively at the point of attack and the wing, yet NAW is not really that guy right now."
Utah is on a five-game winning streak, however, which deserves some credit. The team stays where it is in these rankings for now.
(Last week: 8)
7. Houston Rockets (15-40)
Here's another rebuilding franchise that balked at the chance to capitalize on the rush of apparent buyers. Houston didn't need to trade Eric Gordon in my opinion, but he certainly could have returned value. I was more surprised that Christian Wood not only remains on the team, but also was barely brought up in public trade rumors. He has not been nearly the player he can or should be with the Rockets, and I don't know if anything he does in the next two months changes that outlook. Of course, John Wall is still on the roster too.
(Last week: Unranked)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (23-34)
The Blazers are a confusing team to nail down for me. They traded CJ McCollum to New Orleans in a move many expected, but didn't get a whole lot back (aside from a very solid rotation player in Josh Hart and a protected first-rounder). A couple days go by, and then, the aforementioned Alexander-Walker &mdash; the best young player in the first trade &mdash; heads to Utah for a second-round pick, an expiring and injured Joe Ingles and a more obscure flier in Elijah Hughes.
Nekias Duncan gave those two moves a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C-minus and D in his trade deadline grades</a>. I think I'd agree, because at the end of it all, I still don't know what Portland is doing other than clearing some cap room.
(Last week: 6)
5. Sacramento Kings (22-36)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Sabonis and Fox will be a natural fit 👉🏽 That P&amp;R with a guard who can slash, pass and play in between with pace paired with a highly skilled big man who is great around the rim and can shoot comfortably from 15 feet. This is the co-star both guys needed. 🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/kings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kings</a> <a href="https://t.co/ngj5TdjPp0">pic.twitter.com/ngj5TdjPp0</a>
&mdash; Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) <a href="https://twitter.com/balldontstop/status/1491657233897119746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I'll give the Kings a little credit for the auspicious stretch they've had with Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox together since that big blockbuster move. A lot of people, myself included, probably overreacted to the deal and didn't give enough thought to what Sabonis can unlock for the players around him in Sacramento. They also did a sneaky-great job turning Marvin Bagley III into three players who can help the team win now at various levels.
I still have a hard time getting over the Kings trading Tyrese Haliburton, their most promising young player and a public advocate for turning a losing culture around.&nbsp;
(Last week: 4)
4. Washington Wizards (25-30)
Kristaps Porzingis was perhaps the most shocking name to be dealt this season; his name hadn't really popped up at all until Thursday morning. While it's fair that the Wizards needed to end the Spencer Dinwiddie-Bradley Beal experiment and Porzingis makes them better purely on paper, I don't love the fit. Will he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/so-how-does-this-kristaps-porzingis-spencer-dinwiddie-davis-bertans-thing-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make a meaningful difference for a Washington team</a> that is one of two NBA squads with bottom-five Offensive and Defensive Ratings over the past two weeks? I'm doubtful.
The Montrezl Harrell trade was also super weird because it brought back two players who probably should not be in the rotation. Washington's big mix is still backed up now with Porzingis, Daniel Gafford, Thomas Bryant and Vernon Carey Jr., plus larger forwards in Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura.&nbsp;
(Last week: 2)
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3. New York Knicks (26-31)
Whew, Saturday's blown lead to the Trail Blazers was a stinger. The Knicks led by 23 at one point before coughing up the game to a Portland team that just went through a widespread, trade-deadline fire sale. New York, meanwhile, didn't make any moves despite the glaring underperformance in recent weeks. The Knicks have two extremely winnable games against the Thunder and Brooklyn Nets before the All-Star break. If they can't find something, I'll have serious doubts about them even being close to a Play-In team.
(Last week: 5)
2. Brooklyn Nets (29-27)
In a vacuum, the Nets moved on from a disgruntled star in James Harden and returned three players who can instantly (once healthy) slot into a thin rotation. Ben Simmons makes a ton of sense as a defensive boost, Seth Curry can replace the shooting lost by Joe Harris' injury, and Andre Drummond at least gives Brooklyn a presence on the glass and center depth.
But they still gave up James Harden. Brooklyn's Big Three played 16 games together in total, and the Nets are still neck-deep in an 11-game losing streak. Things are most definitely bad.
(Last week: 1)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (26-31)
If a franchise arrives at a point in the season where <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33250361/los-angeles-lakers-feel-urgency-make-changes-trade-deadline-nears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the locker room itself wants trades to happen</a>, then the front office should listen. But Rob Pelinka had to go all Bumi from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and embrace neutral jing &mdash; a.k.a. doing nothing. The Lakers made zero trades this season. They are the most underwhelming team in the NBA and they made zero trades.&nbsp;
(Last week: 3)
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Ethan Fuller lines up the league's biggest underperformers, including teams who failed to maximize the NBA trade deadline.

NBA Sour Rankings: Reshuffling the deck post-trade deadline

Chris Paul has been to the All-Star Game 11 times in his NBA career and &mdash; barring a mammoth snub &mdash; is headed there for No. 12 next month.
Now coach Monty Williams will get to join him for the first time.
Devin Booker scored 28 points, Mikal Bridges added a season-high 26 and the Phoenix Suns overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the San Antonio Spurs 115-110 on Sunday night.
The NBA-leading Suns became the first team in the league with 40 wins &mdash; against only nine losses. The victory ensured that Phoenix will have the best record in the Western Conference at the All-Star break, which means Williams and his staff get to lead Team LeBron in Cleveland on Feb. 20.
Paul said getting Williams the All-Star head coaching honor has been top of mind for the players over the past week or two.
&ldquo;Over the course of the long season, there's nothing wrong with having a little benchmark, a little goal,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;I'm just happy for Monty, happy for our staff. That's cool."
Booker hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the fourth to turn a two-point deficit into a 112-108 lead with 1:18 left. He finished 12 of 24 from the field, going 4 of 9 from 3-point range.
The Spurs took a 91-79 lead into the final quarter, but the Suns erased that advantage in less than 3 1/2 minutes. They used a 14-point run &mdash; highlighted by Cam Johnson's powerful one-handed jam &mdash; to take a 96-93 lead.
The game stayed tight from that point forward until Booker's two big shots pushed the Suns ahead for good. Booker didn't have a particularly great shooting game until that point, but was clutch when needed.
&ldquo;I just know he's not afraid to take the shot,&rdquo; Williams said.
Paul had another huge game with 20 points, 19 assists and eight rebounds, just two nights after he had his 18th career triple-double. Bridges shot 11 of 16 from the field.
Williams said he appreciated how his players wanted him to receive the All-Star honor.
&ldquo;It's a huge blessing to be in this position where you can be the caretaker of an organization and represent the city, the team, your family,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I'm mindful of all the sacrifices that people make so I can be in this position. It's a team effort for sure.&rdquo;
Doug McDermott led San Antonio with 24 points. Lonnie Walker IV added 22 off the bench.
JaVale McGee returned to the Suns after missing two games with left knee soreness. Starters Deandre Ayton (right ankle sprain) and Jae Crowder (left wrist contusion) and key backup Cameron Payne (right wrist sprain) remained out.
The Spurs were missing three starters, guards Derrick White (rest) and Dejounte Murray (left knee contusion) and forward Jakob Poeltl (low back soreness). Even so, San Antonio pushed the NBA's best team until nearly the final buzzer.
&ldquo;There was nobody that played badly,&rdquo; Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;They played together, we were physical, we had great pace. They played with confidence against a hell of a team. Sure, I want fewer mistakes and I want a win, but it is hard to ask for more than what they gave tonight."
San Antonio shot 54% in the first quarter to take a 31-23 lead and had a 55-50 advantage at halftime.
Tre Jones led the Spurs with 13 points before the break while McDermott added 12. Booker had 15 points for the Suns, who shot just 3 of 19 (15.8%) from 3-point range.
WAINRIGHT'S TIME
In the closing minutes, the Suns had an unfamiliar face on the floor &mdash; forward Ish Wainright.
The muscular 6-foot-5, 235-pound rookie finished with a career-high 10 points, including a bucket late in the fourth. He hit two 3-pointers, grabbed two rebounds and blocked two shots. Wainright's received more playing time in recent weeks since the Suns have had several players out with injuries.
&ldquo;It was fun, real fun,&rdquo; Wainright said. &ldquo;To have a coach that trusts you every single game, that means a lot.&rdquo;
Wainright has a football frame and played both basketball and football in college at Baylor. He finally broke into the NBA with the Suns this season at 27 years old.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Guard Josh Primo, a rookie who recently turned 19 years old, finished with 13 points, which was two from his career high.
Suns: Hosted a sellout crowd at the Footprint Center for an 11th straight game. ... F Bismack Biyombo had his 64th career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. ... G Landry Shamet left the court in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury. He finished with three points in 17 minutes.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host Golden State on Monday night.
Suns: Host Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Mikal Bridges added a season-high 26 and the Suns overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

NBA-best Suns rally for 10th straight win, top Spurs 115-110

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his second career triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 108-94 on Wednesday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander had the first triple-double by a Thunder player at home since Russell Westbrook in the 2018-19 season.
Darius Bazley had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Lu Dort had 15 points and rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City claimed its largest margin of victory this season and improved to 5-3 since a 73-point loss at Memphis on Dec. 2.
Nikola Jokic had 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Nuggets. The reigning league MVP entered the game averaging 26.3 points, 13.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists.
Denver had won three of four, but hadn’t played since Dec. 17. The Nuggets' game against the Brooklyn Nets scheduled for Dec. 19 was postponed because the Nets didn’t have enough available players due to health and safety protocols and injuries.
Gilgeous-Alexander had nine points and two assists in the final four minutes of the first half to help the Thunder take a 60-52 lead. He had 19 points at the break. Jokic and Aaron Gordon each scored 10 points for the Nuggets.
The Thunder extended their lead to 16 points on a 3-pointer by Dort with just under five minutes left in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Josh Giddey pushed Oklahoma City's lead to 21. The Thunder led 88-66 at the end of the period.
Denver cut its deficit in the fourth with Jokic, Gordon and the other starters out of the lineup, but never got closer than eight points in the final period.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Rookie guard Bones Hyland limped off the court in the second quarter, and returned in the third. He finished with five points on 2-for-7 shooting. He was coming off a career-high 24 points against Atlanta. ... Forward JaMychal Green played after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury. He had three points and seven rebounds.
Thunder: Mike Muscala, one of Oklahoma City’s most steady players this season, rested. ... Held the Nuggets to 27% shooting in the first quarter to take a 28-18 lead. ... Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 points in the second quarter. 
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
Thunder: Visit the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>
___
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded a triple-double, and the Thunder beat the Nuggets at home on Wednesday night.

Gilgeous-Alexander's triple-double leads Thunder past Denver

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Devonte' Graham's 61-foot heave at the buzzer gave the New Orleans Pelicans a 113-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just hit an off-balance 30-footer to tie the score with 2.3 seconds remaining. The Pelicans inbounded to Graham, who <a href="https://twitter.com/briancmahoney/status/1471327339090960390?s=20">launched the ball</a> from near the 3-point arc on the other end of the floor to win it. 
Brandon Ingram scored 34 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Pelicans. Graham finished with 15 points and eight assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 33 points. Josh Giddey and Kenrich Williams each scored 17 points and Mike Muscala added 16 for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City led 102-100 in the fourth quarter before three straight baskets by Ingram put the Pelicans in front.
Gilgeous-Alexander banked in a 3 with 28 seconds remaining to cut New Orleans' lead to 106-105, but Ingram hit a contested mid-range jumper on the other end with 7.2 seconds left to push the Pelicans' lead back up to three.
The Pelicans fouled Gilgeous-Alexander intentionally to prevent him from shooting a 3. Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws with 5.6 seconds left to cut New Orleans' lead to 108-107.
Ingram was fouled with 4.5 seconds left, and he made two free throws to make it a three-point game, setting up the final sequence.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Turned the ball over six times in the first quarter. ... Ingram scored 10 points in the second quarter. ... Made just 24 of 36 free throws.
Thunder: Guard Lu Dort sat out with a sprained left ankle. ... Shot just one free throw in the first half. ... Rookie guard Tre Mann fouled out after a Thunder coaches' challenge took a foul away from Gilgeous-Alexander and transferred it to him. Mann scored nine points in 23 minutes.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host Milwaukee on Friday.
Thunder: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>
___
More AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA">https://apnews.com/hub/NBA</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on a 61 foot buzzer beater from Devonte' Graham.

Graham's 61-footer at the buzzer leads Pelicans past Thunder

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

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

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

It&rsquo;s been three years and it still feels like we barely know Mitchell Robinson.
His athleticism has been off the charts since Day Zero. Nimble-footed, at his size, his timing and defensive instincts helped him make an immediate impact. His presence was felt from the moment he checked into an NBA game.
Selected by the New York Knicks with the 36th overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Robinson quickly made a name for himself. Although a footnote at a time, he wound up being the only thing of substance the Knicks got for trading Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Along with Kristaps Porzingis, the pair of big men quickly became the pride of Madison Square Garden.
But three years later, if it feels like we still don&rsquo;t know much about Robinson, it&rsquo;s because we don&rsquo;t.&nbsp;
To this point, he&rsquo;s been less of a star and more like a shooting star &mdash; gone in an instant.
And when he met with reporters as the Knicks prepared to begin training camp, he was upbeat. Noticeably more muscular, Robinson looked nothing like the scrawny kid that was drafted by the team a few years ago.
&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Robinson answered matter-of-factly when asked if he&rsquo;s been hitting the weights. Smiling and flexing for the camera, he didn&rsquo;t mince any words.
&ldquo;See? I think I&rsquo;m stronger,&rdquo; he said while flexing. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in the weight room like crazy... I feel like it&rsquo;s gonna increase my game. I ain&rsquo;t gonna be getting pushed around like that [anymore].&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Asked on Thursday if he&rsquo;s stronger this year, Mitchell Robinson flexes for the cameras: <a href="https://t.co/zrZ7d0U9SN">pic.twitter.com/zrZ7d0U9SN</a>
&mdash; Ian Begley (@IanBegley) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanBegley/status/1443647329798664201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Hopefully, for the Knicks, it&rsquo;ll make a difference when it counts. Gaining 60 pounds since he was a rookie, his body's come a long way. The same can't be said of his game.
In just the 12th game of his NBA career &mdash; at just 20 years old &mdash; Robinson recorded 9 blocked shots against the Orlando Magic. He hasn&rsquo;t accomplished such a feat since, and in a nutshell, that&rsquo;s been the story of his career.
In the end, he just might be the most interesting man in New York basketball. Or, at the very least, the most unknown quantity.
The Knicks, in Julius Randle, know themselves to have a budding All-Star who&rsquo;s ascending, while RJ Barrett is coming into his own with a credible shot at becoming an All-Star himself. There are tons of positive things to say about the likes of Kemba Walker, Derrick Rose and Alec Burks.
But if the Knicks are truly to make something of themselves and continue to ascend in the Eastern Conference &mdash; if they&rsquo;ll ever have a chance to challenge the likes of the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls, much less the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets &mdash; they&rsquo;ll need Robinson to make good on his promise.
Whether he can will depend on when he&rsquo;s able to get back on the court, if he can stay on it and what he&rsquo;s able to do with the time he&rsquo;s given. Especially as the team&rsquo;s promising young players &mdash; including Obi Toppin &mdash; fight for minutes.
In the NBA, great general managers are able to tell the future. Rookies are handed bags of money simply based on when they&rsquo;re selected in their draft, while rookie extensions are often handed out because of a belief that a still-toiling youngster will one day have the opportunity to become great.
As he enters the 2021-22 season on the shelf, Robinson has had the benefit of neither &mdash; by virtue of being a second-round pick in 2018 and accepting a three-year deal from the Knicks, his $4.7 million in career earnings will trail the second-year $5.4 million salary of Toppin, a sophomore.&nbsp;
Although Robinson&rsquo;s abilities can&rsquo;t be denied, the Knicks&rsquo; front office decided it wouldn&rsquo;t bid against itself, and has opted to take a patient approach with respect to a potential extension.
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It certainly is the prudent course of action, but for New York, it comes with significant risk. Teams that are in acquisition mode &mdash; ones that believe themselves to have solid building blocks and a want to ascend &mdash; cannot afford to lose players like Robinson. But at some point, the reward must be earned, and whether due to his own fault or that of the organization around him, Robinson is still trying to put it all together.
To this point, the big man has missed about 28% of his career games, which is alarming. And while the majority of those missed contests came as a result of two injuries that Robinson sustained last season, the fact remains that even in the contests he&rsquo;s played, he hasn&rsquo;t been able to stay on the floor long enough to maximize his impact potential.
As head coach, David Fizdale made questionable decisions with his rotation and substitution patterns, but Robinson&rsquo;s lack of defensive discipline and poor decision-making &mdash; two things that veteran Taj Gibson has been in the 23-year-old's ear about &mdash; are completely within his own control.
Even in the games in which he&rsquo;s played, Robinson hasn&rsquo;t been able to stay on the court. Over the course of his three-year career, he&rsquo;s averaged 4.9 fouls per 36 minutes, though that number has trended downward since he was a rookie. Still, he&rsquo;s played as many as 35 minutes in a single game only five times in three seasons. For a player who seems capable of anchoring a defense and providing finishing potential, that&rsquo;s unacceptable.
Fortunately, for both Robinson and the Knicks, there&rsquo;s plenty of time left to arrange a long-term marriage, and in Robinson&rsquo;s case, to prove he&rsquo;s deserving of the proposal.
Along with point guards, it&rsquo;s often <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">difficult for young big men to find their footing in the NBA</a>. In many instances, the bigs tend to be late-bloomers.
Perhaps Robinson is.
Presumably sharing the floor with Walker, Robinson will be playing alongside an attack guard who should, in theory, make the game much easier for him. Already among the league&rsquo;s more efficient players, though, the challenge for the fourth-year center will be to become more effective outside of the paint. Randle, Barrett and Walker each already pursue a fair amount of their scoring opportunities on the interior, so there needs to be at least some threat of floor-spacing from the 5-man.
With Mitchell Robinson, there are a lot of &ldquo;ifs,&rdquo; and general manager Scott Perry&rsquo;s challenge is to determine how much the answers to the many questions are worth.
At a certain point, potential needs to yield results. Three years since being drafted, there&rsquo;s still quite a bit for Robinson to prove.
He&rsquo;ll have his chance, and both Robinson&rsquo;s bank account and Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s Knicks hope he&rsquo;s able to take full advantage of it.

Mitchell Robinson is preparing for the most important season of his NBA career, and the Knicks are hoping he's ready for the challenge.

It’s been three years, and Mitchell Robinson still has a lot to prove

Nekias Duncan previews the Northwest Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

It&rsquo;s not often that an aspiring professional basketball player makes their debut on the big screen and the NBA hardwood simultaneously, but Michael Foster is right on track.
Projected as a first-rounder in the 2022 NBA Draft, the burly 18-year-old power forward is set to appear in Adam Sandler&rsquo;s upcoming Netflix film, "Hustle," in a small role. There's no concrete release date, so it&rsquo;s conceivable that Foster will kick off his NBA and acting careers in the same year.
&ldquo;That opportunity really came out of nowhere,&rdquo; Foster told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. &nbsp;&ldquo;I was at a tournament when my guy Avery [Smith] had told Chianti [Clay Sr.] about it, and then Chianti told me that I had to do a little audition. I'm like, 'I gotta do an audition?'&nbsp;
&ldquo;It seemed so simple. I had to just dunk the ball, turn around, say a couple lines. But it's tough once you've got two phones recording you, flashlight on. It's like, 'Aw, you've got to say it like you really mean it.&rsquo; It's tough, but I got through it and they liked it and now I'm there."
Before either happens, however, Foster has the task of spending the next season preparing in Walnut Creek, California with the G League Ignite. Though it won&rsquo;t technically be on the top stage, this will still be his introduction to the pro level. He&rsquo;ll be competing in games against former NBA players scattered throughout the G League, as well as practicing against former pros and other top prospects on the Ignite (including Jaden Hardy, Scoot Henderson, Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp and Fanbo Zeng).
Foster already got a taste of what that will be like. While he was in Los Angeles in early August, he participated in scrimmages with players from the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons for a few days prior to NBA Summer League. He played with a number of guys who were a part of the 2021 draft class as well, so he got a little bit of a head start before the Ignite start camp for the upcoming campaign.
&ldquo;It's pretty fun [knowing I&rsquo;m getting ready for my first pro season]. It motivated me a lot to get up every morning, go extra hard in the gym, push myself,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;Of course I've never played an NBA game, but I've been hooping with a couple professional basketball players... I'm an open book for anything. I know the game's gonna be different &mdash; the speed of the game, the physicality, all things like that &mdash; so it's just a mental state I've gotta keep myself in."
It always helps to have an NBA-ready body before you get there. At 6-foot-10 with an imposing 220-pound muscular frame, Foster has that part taken care of &mdash; and he might not be done.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm growing by the month actually,&rdquo; he said with a laugh.
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<a href="https://t.co/Zl3ewRLRSU">pic.twitter.com/Zl3ewRLRSU</a>
&mdash; Michael Foster (@MichaelFoster__) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelFoster__/status/1391575734427082753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Foster believes that his strength separates him from the pack, but he knows that this alone won't get him very far.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know everybody be like, 'He got a pro body already,' but people don't understand that one of the major things on the next level is being able to control your body, be able to guard bigger, better players, faster,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;You go in there &mdash; and it's no offense to the skinnier and little guys &mdash; but at some point, you're gonna have to hit that weight room... unless you leap like Kevin Durant, and it ain't that many people like that."
When asked if he feels he'll be able to beat up players at the next level, Foster doesn't hesitate.
"Ain't no question. Playing against a couple pros, everybody be like, 'Oh my God, his strength is on another level.' But I'm still learning to control my strength and my body control and things like that..." he said, before adding that he wants to be a multi-dimensional player.
"I probably look at the game differently... Once you're bigger &mdash; 6-foot-8, 6-foot-10, 6-foot-9 &mdash; everybody wants to be that forward that can do it all, [like] Kevin Durant or LeBron James. I'm pretty sure everybody's mimicking their game after them too."
Foster believes his best attributes are "my strength, my speed, the way I move [despite being] this big of a guy." He&nbsp;is extremely confident in his scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. He additionally insists that he&rsquo;s a good defender who can guard 1-through-5 and play positionless basketball. As for aspects he needs to improve on, Foster points to his outside stroke and decision-making with the ball in his hands.
&ldquo;My shot selection. Like, take the first one instead of taking the hard one, turning to a stepback, doing fades when I don't got to," Foster said when asked of what he's got to get better at. "And overthinking sometimes, for sure.&rdquo;
BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock is a big believer in what Foster brings to the table, especially after watching Foster work out a few weeks ago.
Michael Foster&rsquo;s physical profile and athleticism are intriguing as he is 6-foot-9 and possesses extreme power and explosiveness. He also has a solid skill set, including an ability to shoot the ball from outside. This year while he is with the G League Ignite, I&rsquo;d like to see him simplify his game. If Foster limits how much he tries to do off of the dribble, improves his shot-selection, and uses his physical tools more effectively, I think he will elevate his game and draft stock exponentially.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
It was great to see Michael Foster before he heads out to join the G League Ignite. Foster possesses big-time physical tools and major upside. I&rsquo;ll certainly be tracking him closely this season in preparation for the 2022 NBA Draft. <a href="https://t.co/w381xbDtNO">pic.twitter.com/w381xbDtNO</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1428014146235240452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Ignite&rsquo;s roster features plenty of future NBA talent for Foster to develop alongside. Aside from the highly-talented Jaden Hardy (whom he&rsquo;s gone head-to-head with in high school), Foster doesn&rsquo;t have previous relationships with his new teammates. &nbsp;He keeps in touch with Hardy and Scoot Henderson over texts here and there, and they've all been getting to know one another while taking a financial literacy class together via Zoom.
In late July, it was announced that Jason Hart would be taking the Ignite's head-coaching reins from Brian Shaw, who took an assistant coaching job under Tyronn Lue with the Los Angeles Clippers. During the the team's mini-camp last month, Foster said that Shaw informed the group of his plans to pursue an NBA coaching opportunity that he'd been chasing. The message? That this is a business and when chances like that come along, you&rsquo;ve got to do what&rsquo;s best for your family.
Foster said that he&rsquo;s had some brief conversations with Hart, whom he met in Los Angeles while working with NBA shooting specialist Chris Matthews, known as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lethalshooter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Lethal Shooter"</a> on social media.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a cool guy,&rdquo; Foster said of Hart. &ldquo;He understands that the game is evolving. He understands he's got young guys going against older, stronger guys. He told us that they're gonna want to play on their [own] level. They're gonna try to slow the game down, this and that. But he said we've got to do our best to speed 'em up and keep our composure."
As we saw in this most recent NBA Draft, the Ignite program helped elevate its inaugural prospects into top-tier picks. Foster relays that seeing Jalen Green go No. 2 to Houston and Jonathan Kuminga go No. 7 to Golden State on draft night only solidifies his trust in the Ignite and what they can do for him.
Foster is quite familiar with both of those guys, as well as Isaiah Todd (No. 31 to the Washington Wizards). He and Green were on the same Team USA junior squad, and the two shared Co-MVP of the 2019 Chick-Fil-A Classic. And before Kuminga reclassified, he and Foster were in the same class.
&ldquo;We was debatable; they had me I think like fifth [overall] and he was No. 1, but we was always the two cats... [Like], 'Okay, them pros. It ain't too many people like that in our class of 2021,&rsquo;" Foster said of Kuminga. &ldquo;He went there [to the Warriors]. He boosted my confidence by that. The G League did a great job making him who he is today. That right there just made me like, 'Okay, they're really over there wanting better for the kids.'
&ldquo;We always had that competitive edge, being debated as the two best in the class. Of course we're going at each other every time we'd see each other. So [I&rsquo;m] pretty sure that he knows about me; we for sure know about each other.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/michael2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="729" height="412" />
As he&rsquo;s embarked on this journey from his hometown of Milwaukee to Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix to the West Coast, Foster has leaned on his strong support system. Chianti Clay Sr. (his coach and mentor) and Chianti Clay Jr. (his coach's son and former teammate, who's a great prospect in his own right) have been by Foster&rsquo;s side since his middle-school days. Avery Smith and Josh Williams are &ldquo;his guys&rdquo; who work out with him and help motivate him. Foster&rsquo;s mother, sister, brother and father support and pull for him too.
&ldquo;In my inner circle, I've got them wanting me to be the greatest I can be. And that's also my mindset. My mindset is the main thing,&rdquo; Foster said.
Clay Sr. told Foster that he's different from any of the other players he's taken under his wing.
&ldquo;He had plenty of guys that could've made it out of Milwaukee, but they decided to do anything that got theirself put in a different situation. But me, see, I'm just different. I'm more low-key of a guy,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;I've got one goal in life, and that's to become an NBA player and take care of my family. Ain't nothing gonna stop me from getting there. God forbid I get injured or anything like that, but I feel like I can bounce back from anything if I really put my mind to it.&rdquo;
At Hillcrest Prep, Foster averaged 32.2 points and 18.4 rebounds per game during his senior season. He was an All-American who tore up the high-school scene as the No. 7 prospect in the 2021 class before becoming the Ignite&rsquo;s first commit for the 2021-22 season. The school hadn't seen that kind of dominance from a big man since Deandre Ayton.&nbsp;
In an <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/01/21/hillcrest-preps-michael-foster-aspires-better-than-7-footayton/4235442001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview last winter with The Arizona Republic</a>, Foster sternly spoke about being associated with the Phoenix Suns star: &ldquo;I want to be better than him.&rdquo;
That sentiment has not changed, and now a year away from achieving his NBA dream, his objectives extend beyond himself.
&ldquo;Being the best I can be, that's one goal,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;I don't know what the [Ignite] record was last year, but the team goal is to have a better record [than 8-7]. Go for the championship for the G League or being a better playoff seed than the previous year.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Of course, I want to get my numbers up, but you know, you've got to do what you've got to do first. To get your numbers up, you've gotta play team ball, you've got to play more games. So that's the goal, be a better team than last year."

G League Ignite forward Michael Foster speaks with Spencer Davies about his game, his goals for the upcoming season and more.

G League Ignite's Michael Foster won't let anything stop his NBA dream

Bojan Bogdanovic knew the Jazz would look to him to take a leading role with three of Utah's primary players out.
Bogdanovic scored 23 points and Donovan Mitchell added 22 as the Utah Jazz beat the struggling Oklahoma City Thunder 106-96 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;We had guys out on this back-to-back, so we&rsquo;re ran way more sets of fences for me so I was able to get to the basket and draw the fouls,&rdquo; Bogdanovic said.
Luguentz Dort scored a career-high 42 points and Moses Brown had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Thunder, who have lost seven in a row and 10 of 11.
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CAREER NIGHT FOR LUGUENTZ DORT ‼️ 42 PTS (career high) 7-11 3PM (career high) 7 REB 4 STL 64.9 FPTS (career high) <a href="https://t.co/YoNdQkKtcQ">pic.twitter.com/YoNdQkKtcQ</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1382176643041665034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Bogdanovic, who scored a season-high 33 points in his last game, left his familiar spot on the perimeter and repeatedly took the ball to the basket. He finished with a season-high 10-for-10 shooting from the free throw line.
&ldquo;I knew I had to be more aggressive these last two games,&rdquo; Bogdanovic said.
In pain, Bogdanovic held his right wrist after getting knocked to the floor in the third quarter. Surgery on that wrist ended his season before the bubble last season. Bogdanovic kept playing and was a key to Utah&rsquo;s 66-38 scoring advantage in the second and third quarters.
Mitchell, who averaged over 40 points in his previous four games, didn&rsquo;t need to be nearly as dominant against the Thunder.
Rudy Gobert had 13 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks for Utah, which held the Thunder to 38.7% shooting.
The Jazz used a 12-0 run after a 55-53 halftime edge to blow open a close game. Mitchell made consecutive 3-pointers to cap the run.
The Thunder never got within single digits until the final couple minutes, as Utah pushed the lead to as many as 25 points.
Mike Conley, who rested the first half of the back-to-back when the Jazz had their 24-game home win streak snapped, had 15 points and a season-high 14 assists for league-leading Utah (41-14).
Georges Niang made his first start of the season and the second of his five-year career for the short-handed Jazz and scored 18 points, including six 3-pointers. He had a season-high 10 rebounds.
&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t get outside of himself. That&rsquo;s what he&rsquo;s been doing. He just got more opportunity, more minutes, and sometimes when that happens, guys try to do more, but in George&rsquo;s case, what he did was plenty. I thought he really let the game come to him,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said.
Coming into the game, The Thunder&rsquo;s point differential over their six-game losing streak was 28.5 points per loss, the worst mark for any team in 17 years. They seemed determined to change that right from the tip.
Known for his defensive prowess rather than his shooting, Dort scored 18 points &mdash; a career-high in a quarter &ndash; to power the Thunder to a 31-14 lead in the first period.
&ldquo;He was sensational. And the thing that goes really unnoticed with him is he guarded Mitchell the whole night. There are guys who get 40 in the NBA on certain nights, but I&rsquo;m not sure many have guarded a guy like Mitchell as effectively as Lu did,&rdquo; OKC coach Mark Daigneault said.
Dort looked unstoppable in his second game after missing seven contests in the concussion protocol. The Jazz paid more attention to him in the middle quarters, but he finished with a flurry to make the margin respectable.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve just have been working on my game a lot. To have the opportunity every day to showcase my game and just to prove and show that I&rsquo;m improving, it felt good tonight,&rdquo; Dort said.
The game was the third in four nights for the Jazz, who have won nine straight on zero days rest and are 10-1 overall on the second game of back-to-back sets.
&ldquo;They blitzed us so our backs were up against the wall. We had to respond and we have a great group of guys that are resilient, so we got back to playing Jazz basketball,&rdquo; Niang said.
IT&rsquo;S NOT JUST THE BLOCKS
Whether Gobert, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, has one block or seven, his value on defense is making opponents uncomfortable.
&ldquo;I just try to do the same thing that I always do, which is: make sure the other team doesn&rsquo;t score. &hellip; I want them taking shots that are not comfortable taking and contested. Tonight, they kept attacking the rim, so I kept being there,&rdquo; he said.
As the game went on, it took an obvious toll on the Thunder&rsquo;s effectiveness.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why he&rsquo;s good. He can make you timid and you can&rsquo;t play like that against them. You can&rsquo;t play scared of your own shadow down there,&rdquo; Daigneault said.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Aleksej Pokusevski (sore arm), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (sore foot) and Mike Muscala (sprained ankle) missed the game. &hellip; Dort scored his previous career high of 26 points against the Jazz in December. He went 9 of- 1 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range in that game. &hellip; At Bazley&rsquo;s urging, Daigneault successfully challenged a foul on Bogdanovic&rsquo;s 3-point shot.
Jazz: Royce O&rsquo;Neale (rest), Joe Ingles (sore knee) and Jordan Clarkson (sprained ankle) were Utah regulars who sat out. &hellip; Jarrell Brantley had a season-best 10 points. &hellip; Gobert had four blocks in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
Jazz: Host the Indiana Pacers in a rare day game on Friday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Jazz used a 12-0 run after a 55-53 halftime edge to blow open a close game.

Jazz deal Thunder seventh straight loss despite Dort's career-high 42

The NBA trade deadline is now nine days away, and while we can safely assume that all 30 teams want to get better, we must proceed expecting two teams --the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks -- to play big roles in dictating what the market will look like.
There are lots of big men available, and anybody who tells you that Andre Drummond or Hassan Whiteside or JaVale McGee would not make a difference in an Eastern Conference playoff series has not been paying attention. Or as Gregg Popovich would say: &ldquo;Living in a phone booth.&rdquo;
Also, those who assume the Knicks (with $15.7 million in cap space) are not in win-now mode do not understand Tom Thibodeau. The guy is married to a basketball, and he is anxious to do in New York what he was unable to do in Minnesota and, to a lesser degree, in Chicago.
And then we have the Celtics, who are sitting on the largest trade exception ($28.5 million) in NBA history and are worse off that they were a year ago when they made the Eastern Conference Finals. Danny Ainge cannot stand pat and expect to get past the Nets, Sixers, Bucks or Heat.
The rumor mill will be churning between now and March 25, and every contending team in the East will be scheming to make an addition that attacks the weaknesses of Brooklyn and Philadelphia, while every Western team will try to find a way to compete with the three-point shooting of the Utah Jazz and the depth and experience of the Los Angeles Lakers.
So let&rsquo;s go through the league alphabetically and assess each team&rsquo;s needs, expectations and expendables.
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ATLANTA HAWKS: Nate McMillan is 5-0 as head coach, and the most active team in the weeks leading up to training camp remains built (if fully healthy) to advance if all of the pieces can fit together with almost zero practice time. John Collins is entering restricted free agency and is not as productive as he was a year ago, but he makes just $4.1 million. Put him in a deal with Tony Snell, though, and those combined salaries equal $16.3 million, which can get you a nice player.
BOSTON CELTICS: What made them special a year ago was the ability to get offensive production from three All-Star caliber starters: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward. But Hayward is gone, Enes Kanter is doing big things in Portland (remember how he was a game-changer for Boston in the postseason a year ago?) and Kemba Walker is shooting 38% in his 10th season. Standing pat is not an option.
BROOKLYN NETS: At some point they will need a third center to join DeAndre Jordan and Nicolas Claxton, but the buyout market or the China market (the CBA season ends before the NBA playoffs) may be the easiest way for Sean Marks to add an extra big body if they cannot get a big man whose contract fits into their $5.7 million disabled player exception. Spencer Dinwiddie is the only superfluous player on the roster, but he is out for the remainder of the season, and the Nets have no future draft picks to throw into a deal. They used them all in the Harden trade.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: Michael Jordan&rsquo;s team is 100-1 to win the East despite having the lock for Rookie of the Year, a four-game winning streak and a roster chock full of young and hungry players who, for the most part, lack postseason experience. At a certain point, they have to realize they could have done better than Cody Zeller ($15.4 million) with the fourth pick of the 2013 draft. It might be time to sacrifice a future first-round pick or two to upgrade at center. Malik Monk has been playing well lately, otherwise, we would predict his imminent departure. The Hornets have an open roster spot and $4 million in cap room.
CHICAGO BULLS: It would be delusional of them to think they can advance beyond the first-round of the playoffs, which is why they have to consider getting a good young player from a contender in exchange for Thaddeus Young ($13.5 million), who is the leading candidate to finish a distant second to Jordan Clarkson in Sixth Man of the Year voting. &nbsp;Tomas Satoransky ($10 million this year and next year) is 29 years old and could be combined with Young to bring in a good young player. Here is an idea:
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Who says no? <a href="https://t.co/Pc61DX8jQV">pic.twitter.com/Pc61DX8jQV</a>
&mdash; Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/sheridanhoops/status/1371826941804883973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Aside from the inevitable Drummond and McGee moves (best offers arrive at 2:59 p.m. on deadline day), Koby Altman will probably keep quiet after acquiring Jarrett Allen from the Nets and sending Kevin Porter Jr. to the Rockets. Kevin Love is going to be dead money for two more seasons and Cedi Osman is looking like he will be in the same category, though not quite as expensive. It&rsquo;ll be a long road back.
DALLAS MAVERICKS: They should be better than their record (20-18), but the West is tough. Dwight Powell ($11 million this season and the next two) is not worth what he is being paid and could be packaged with more future No. 1 picks (the Mavs can&rsquo;t trade their own first-round draft pick until 2025 because they owe the Knicks their 2021 and 2023 picks), if mortgaging the future is something Mark Cuban is cool with. Powell and James Johnson for Drummond works cap-wise.
DENVER NUGGETS: A rumor is out there that the Nuggets have spoken to the Magic about acquiring Aaron Gordon, and the price would include Bol Bol. They currently do not look like they have enough to come out of the West, and JaMychal Green has not been an adequate replacement for Jerami Grant. To a lesser degree than Boston, standing pat does not seem like the most prudent option. They have a $9.6 million trade exception, so expect them to make some sort of acquisition that improves the roster. They are one player away from being one player away.
DETROIT PISTONS: Troy Weaver might have already made his &ldquo;deadline deal&rdquo; in getting Hamidou Diallo from the Thunder. Wayne Ellington is superfluous, and one would think teams might like a 14-year veteran who shot 42% from three-point range with a manageable $1.6 million salary&hellip; But the Knicks couldn&rsquo;t find a taker for him a year ago.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Limbo sucks, but Klay Thompson will be back next season. In the meantime, the best they can do is hope that the Wolves&rsquo; pick is not top three and they can get another high lottery pick to put next to James Wiseman for the years ahead. Kelly Oubre Jr., Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker and Marquese Chriss are all on expiring contracts. Their combined salaries total $20.6 million. The Warriors can acquire a player into Thompson&rsquo;s $9.25 million disabled player exception.
HOUSTON ROCKETS: We are seeing a flurry of Victor Oladipo trade rumors, which is strange because he was the biggest piece they got in the Harden trade. If they are disappointed in him (and his expiring $21 million contract) they must not have been watching Pacers playoffs games the past few seasons. Kevin Porter Jr. was a nice pickup, and Rafael Stone is probably on the hunt for another player who has worn out his welcome for non-basketball reasons. P.J. Tucker is headed somewhere. Dante Exum (expiring $9.6 million contract) didn&rsquo;t quite work out for a fifth overall pick, eh?
INDIANA PACERS: Acquiring Caris LaVert for Oladipo as part of the Harden trade will go in Kevin Pritchard&rsquo;s trophy case, so the question now becomes &ldquo;What next?&rdquo; aside from waiting for T.J. Warren&rsquo;s broken foot to heal. They are in 10th place, which wasn&rsquo;t exactly what they had in mind for this season. Still, Indiana has a nice mix of players in their mid-to-late 20s. Doug McDermott (expiring $7.3 million) and T.J. McConnell (expiring $3.5 million) could be a useful shooter and pest duo for a playoff team willing to give up a draft pick and a matching expiring salary. Indiana is probably better off keeping both and rolling the dice in the play-in postseason.
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LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: They have everything they need except the Lou Williams they had gotten used to over the past three seasons. His scoring average is down almost six points. Serge Ibaka (scoring average down 4.5 points) is showing his age at 31 and has a 15% trade kicker. Both still have plenty of playoff experience, but Jerry West likes to make trades when he can find the right ones. The Clippers are an interesting team to watch at the deadline because they have an open roster spot, but they are also within a $500,000 of the hard cap, which limits their options.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: They need nothing except for Anthony Davis to be healthy, so the Lakers are the winner of the &ldquo;Most Unlikely To Make A Trade&rdquo; award. They are option No. 1 for pretty much everybody getting a buyout after the deadline.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: More than a year later, we are still trying to figure out the Justise Winslow acquisition. Taylor Jenkins&rsquo; rotation goes 10 deep, not including the team&rsquo;s highest-paid player in Gorgui Dieng -- $17.2 million. They are young and they are not a good team, yet they are still in contention for a play-in spot, so that incentivizes them to get creative.
MIAMI HEAT: The rule of thumb used to be &ldquo;Pat Riley hates making midseason trades,&rdquo; but he went out and got Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder last season and built an NBA Finals team. So you would think they would be predisposed to tinker despite their recent run of 11 victories in 12 games. Kelly Olynyk ($12.6 million) and Moe Harkless ($3.6 million) are on expiring deals, and Avery Bradley is gathering dust. They can take on long-term money if the incoming player is worthy of it, but that would likely involve trading a starter (Olynyk). They also have a $7.5 million trade exception but owe Oklahoma City two first-round picks.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: Veteran Bucks writer <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-sheridan-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-16-gery-woelfel-on-milwaukee-bucks-chances,-possible-trade,-other-east-contender">Gery Woelful said on my most recent podcast</a> that he fully expects the Bucks to try to find an upgrade from Donte DiVincenzo at shooting guard. The salaries of DiVincenzo and D.J. Wilson add up to $7.5 million, and it is hard to see Jon Horst moving anyone else on this roster. They are not last year&rsquo;s Bucks, but they theoretically have enough to get to the NBA Finals. They are very close to the hard cap and cannot trade any more picks after using so many in the Jrue Holiday acquisition.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: The team is for sale, so do not expect Gersson Rosas to take on any long-term money. They have already changed coaches, and they have nothing anybody would want except for Karl Anthony-Towns, who isn&rsquo;t going anywhere. Okay, they have Ed Davis, who may be somebody&rsquo;s consolation prize as contending teams search for bigs. Nominations for the Dumpster Fire Award are now closed.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are not available. You can safely assume that everyone else is, and David Griffin does not need to hold anybody else up because he already did that to Horst. This was not supposed to be a throwaway season, but it is. The Pelicans would like to get J.J. Redick closer to his family, who live in Brooklyn. Exactly how close? Well, when Redick played for the Sixers, he commuted to Philadelphia. So &ldquo;close&rdquo; is a relative term. Boston is drivable from Brooklyn.
NEW YORK KNICKS: As mentioned above, they are the team to watch most closely. They can take on long-term money if the incoming player is someone who can tolerate Thibodeau&rsquo;s coaching style, and they would bring in a player on an expiring contract if they believed that player&rsquo;s Bird rights would be of value over the summer. Leon Rose is one year away from having a top-three team in the East if he plays his cards right a week from Thursday.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Sam Presti likely has George Hill, Trevor Ariza and Mike Muscala available to the highest bidders. Hill was an important piece of the Bucks last season and could help a playoff team needing a bench shooter and veteran voice in the locker room. At a certain point, Presti is going to have to package together some of the 20 extra first and second-round picks he has accumulated through trades, but that point is probably a couple of years away as the rebuild runs its course. Important: If Houston&rsquo;s pick is in the top four, the Thunder get it. Also, Presti has three trade exceptions; the largest is $27.6 million.
ORLANDO MAGIC:&nbsp; Aaron Gordon trade rumors are everywhere, which makes sense because the time to cash in on their seven-year investment is now. They need to get younger and acquire assets to build around Markelle Fultz, Nikola Vucevic and Jonathan Isaac. Their ceiling should not be the kind of first-round exits they have been producing the past two seasons, and they have not won a single playoff series since 2009-10. So, it would be shocking to see them keep Gordon, who is only 25 years old and can bring a lot in return. Gordon is a good guy who needs a change of scenery and deserves one. Same goes for Evan Fournier.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: They wanted James Harden and did not get him, and Doc Rivers still somehow kept Ben Simmons committed to the team. That is pretty huge, because players who know they have been shopped usually resent it. They are in first place in the East and have a roster with the proper pieces to match up with Brooklyn. Mike Scott&rsquo;s expiring $5 million deal and the Knicks&rsquo; 2021 second-round pick are Elton Brand&rsquo;s most movable trade assets, but Scott has been playing well lately. Terrence Ferguson, Vincent Poirier and Tony Bradley are on expiring contracts but would bring little in return.
PHOENIX SUNS: Acquiring Chris Paul checked the &ldquo;monster trade&rdquo; box, and the NBA&rsquo;s most overachieving team will likely abide by the &ldquo;If It Ain&rsquo;t Broke, Don&rsquo;t Fix It&rdquo; rule. That being said, if an on-the-ball defender capable of defending LeBron James is out there somewhere, you kick the tires on just about anything that does not include Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul. Ariza would seem to be a fit.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Like Dallas, they should be better than their record&hellip; and would be if C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic had not gotten injured. At full strength, they are going to be a tough out in the postseason. Gary Trent Jr. is on an expiring contract and they may fear losing him, so keep that in mind with these guys. They are sleepers.
SACRAMENTO KINGS: What they can get for Whiteside will be interesting to see, because he was killing it for the Blazers last season. Then, Nurkic returned in the bubble. Whiteside does not exactly have the best reputation around the league, which is why he played in Lebanon and China before resurrecting his career. There are also a lot of Harrison Barnes rumors out there, and like the Magic and Gordon, it may be time for the Kings to cash in on the three-year investment they made in Barnes after acquiring him from Dallas. He makes $22.2 million. Does Nemanja Bjelica have any value? Same question has to be asked of Jabari Parker.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: The LaMarcus Aldridge era is in its final days, and you have to wonder if the Patty Mills era is, too. Derrick White is signed long-term and Dejounte Murray is damn good. The expiring contracts of Aldridge and Mills add up to $37.2 million, and if you include Rudy Gay&rsquo;s expiring deal that number becomes $51.2 million. They are 20-16, yet, as currently constituted, not good enough to do much in the postseason. R.C. Buford wins the award for the league executive most overdue to make a trade.
TORONTO RAPTORS: The name that is out there now is Kyle Lowry, who has spent nine seasons of his 16-year career playing for the team that now calls Tampa its home. Having lost five in a row and sitting in 11th place in the Leastern Conference, Masai Ujiri must determine whether it is time to turn Lowry&rsquo;s expiring $30.5 million contract into something of value. At 35 years old, Lowry can still play and, percentage wise, is hitting threes, twos and free throws better than he has over the past four seasons. But this would not be a giveaway, and a sign-and-trade in the offseason is still possible.
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UTAH JAZZ: Like Phoenix, the &ldquo;If It Ain&rsquo;t Broke , Don&rsquo;t Dix It&rdquo; rule applies. They are in first place in the West, are making threes better than anybody and have Rudy Gobert finding new and incredible ways to never, ever be mentioned in the MVP debate. None of their nine rotation players is going anywhere, and no one else on the roster has either a big contract or much trade value. Still, someone on the team could be a giveaway because the Jazz are $1.9 million over the luxury tax line. They have already traded five of their next seven second-round picks (they don&rsquo;t have one until 2025).
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: You&rsquo;ve got to feel bad for Tommy Sheppard, one of the best guys and better GMs in the league -- he was able to turn John Wall into Russell Westbrook but then lost Thomas Bryant and had his team put on ice because of COVID issues. They are now playing the busiest second-half schedule of any Eastern Conference team, and they theoretically have a puncher&rsquo;s chance against practically anyone in the conference if Westbrook keeps triple-doubling (he leads the league with 11). But they have lost four in a row and rank 12th. Robin Lopez and his expiring $7.3 million contract is their best trade asset. If they combined Lopez with Ish Smith&rsquo;s expiring contract, that totals $13.3 million.

With one week before the NBA's trade deadline, Chris Sheridan previews what could be in store for all 30 of the league's teams.

What to expect from all 30 NBA teams ahead of the Trade Deadline

Ethan Fuller resets the NBA landscape at the season's midway point.

NBA Sour Rankings: Setting second-half expectations

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been in so many close games in February that you don&rsquo;t even need a calculator to figure out their total margin of defeat and victory. Over their last 10 contests, the team has gone just 3-7, yet they're coming up 6.5 points short on average, even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the sidelines for half the time. And in the first six games of that stretch, every outcome was decided by three possessions or fewer.
Clutch time is defined as a game being within five points, ahead or behind, with five minutes or fewer left in the game. According to NBA.com, OKC has racked up 40 minutes of clutch time since Feb. 5, only trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves (41) in said scenario. It should come as no surprise that both ball clubs, two of the youngest rosters in the NBA, <a href="https://go.nba.com/q4vn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggle during these moments</a>.&nbsp;
Along with the Wolves, the Thunder have recorded a sub-90 offensive rating, a true shooting percentage below 51% and a turnover percentage exceeding 18% in clutch time. What seems worse is the aforementioned poor results.
It&rsquo;s a bottom-line business when all is said and done, but the truth is that the Thunder are in a development stage of a rebuild, one that, for all intents and purposes, is clearly off to a successful start. When you&rsquo;ve had the sixth-hardest strength of schedule to this point and a significantly low net rating, having a 12-18 record in spite of both is a positive sign.
In addition to the foundation -- starting with rising star Gilgeous-Alexander, brimming-with-potential Darius Bazley and fast-learning Luguentz Dort -- there are still plenty of pieces to be added down the line via the draft, all thanks to the cunning brilliance of general manager Sam Presti.
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Yet in the present, there&rsquo;s been something much more valuable than roster upgrades can provide for OKC: meaningful experience.
&ldquo;First of all, it&rsquo;s great," said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. "At the end of the day, most teams in the league are gonna play half their games where [there&rsquo;s] five minutes left in the game and it&rsquo;s still gonna be a really competitive game. A skill that I think every player and every team has to develop is the ability to execute on both ends of the floor in a possession game like that. When you get to the highest-stakes games, even if the playoffs, the window of time that the game is like that is even more evolved. It&rsquo;s huge to be able to go through those situations and to see how guys respond and teach from those moments.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve handled them pretty well. I think we&rsquo;ve put ourselves in positions to win some, and even the ones that we haven&rsquo;t come out on top, I think our execution in a lot of those [games] have been good. Our guys have taken the lessons and evolved forward and we&rsquo;re a more confident team when it comes to executing in those moments.&rdquo;
Daigneault concedes that the Thunder took their share of thumpings earlier in the season, as pretty much all of the NBA has this season already due to the nature of the campaign. However, the first-year head coach credits his players for keeping their heads up and fighting through it, which is why OKC has been involved in so many recent tight encounters.
&ldquo;We just kinda keep playing. As of late, we&rsquo;ve been really, really competitive. We keep playing through the schedule and we keep playing through the game,&rdquo; Daigenault said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a group of guys that see adversity as a challenge, so when they get knocked down they dust themselves off and they get back up -- especially when the competition is still going on. Competitiveness is a learned skill, and we&rsquo;ve got a group of guys who have that type of makeup and have sharpened that blade and have found energy from competing together in those moments. We&rsquo;re certainly fortunate to be able to coach these guys.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I don't give a damn that OKC's lost 4 out of 5. This team is fighting tooth &amp; nail &amp; will benefit long-term from these close losses. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThunderUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThunderUp</a> Subscribe to Keepin' It 94 🎙️ Apple 🍏: <a href="https://t.co/RrwjmQqEaV">https://t.co/RrwjmQqEaV</a> Spotify: <a href="https://t.co/fcdTWlK2Bz">https://t.co/fcdTWlK2Bz</a> Stitcher: <a href="https://t.co/Sdq8uPiD3f">https://t.co/Sdq8uPiD3f</a> <a href="https://t.co/jDNwKBmShE">pic.twitter.com/jDNwKBmShE</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1362181691608096768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Every talking point Daigneault gets across with his group comes back to the word &ldquo;compete,&rdquo; and the players follow suit. Upstart rookie Theo Maledon and breakout third-year swingman Hamidou Diallo relay that the close losses have taught them how important it is to maintain their energy for a full 48 minutes of a game. Mike Muscala, a veteran stretch big man in his seventh season, went into more detail on this concept.
&ldquo;It just comes down to treating each possession like it matters -- being focused offensively, defensively, staying aggressive,&rdquo; Muscala said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s gonna be nights, periods of the game, periods of the season where shots are falling and things are good and vice-versa. So it comes down to having good habits, being there for each other, supporting each other, playing good defense and resting our hat on that on the effort side of it. Coach is preaching it a lot; we can always control how much we&rsquo;re competing. If you do that throughout the course of the season, you can live with the results.
&ldquo;...I think if you treat it that way, it humbles you and it balances things out so it&rsquo;s not so up-and-down. If you&rsquo;re focused on that current possession... you can look back on the film after the game and see what went well and what didn&rsquo;t. But if you&rsquo;re focused on each possession, you don&rsquo;t have as much time to dwell on what happened in the past or look too far into the future. And I think throughout this season being 72 games [with] all the COVID-related uncertainties and whatnot, just finding some solace in the game and in the present moment. Coach Mark does a great job of that, making sure we stay grateful for the opportunity to play and try to get lost in the game being there for each other.&rdquo;
Needless to say, Daigneault has been grateful for Muscala and the other veterans on his team for their commitment since the 2020-21 campaign tipped off. Guys like Al Horford, George Hill, Darius Miller and Muscala have been not only coachable, but also teachers to Daigneault himself and the team as whole when they need a guiding hand.
&ldquo;The most important thing in what they do is in terms of &lsquo;walking the walk.&rsquo; When you have a young team in the locker room, these guys are trying to figure out where they fit in, figure out how to act, how to prepare, how to play,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;Their eyes are opened, especially with guys like Al and George and Mike and Darius. We have a lot of impressionable players because they&rsquo;re really young in their careers, so those [veteran] guys really are an unbelievable walking example of professionalism, of preparation, of maturity and then going out there and playing winning basketball. They have winning habits, they&rsquo;re highly fundamental, they&rsquo;re ruthlessly consistent. Fortunately, we never prompt guys to feel like they have to take a vocal role on, but those guys have offered that up.&nbsp;
&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve really tried to put their arm around guys. They&rsquo;re especially good in huddles in the games -- because the games can be emotional and especially for a younger team, the emotion of the game can get kinda volatile at times -- and they&rsquo;ve been through so many battles that they&rsquo;re a real calming influence in the huddles and on the court. That&rsquo;s been a secondary benefit to the fact that they&rsquo;re also really good players.&rdquo;
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There&rsquo;s been an encouraging domino effect to come out of this latest string of games. While Maledon can recollect times where he&rsquo;s been pulled aside by one of his vets for a lesson, he instead chooses to put the spotlight on how there&rsquo;s not one singular group or person who is the leader of the Thunder.
&ldquo;The good thing about this team is everyone is doing it, no matter if it&rsquo;s Al or the guy that&rsquo;s not a veteran that only has a couple years in the league,&rdquo; Maledon said. &ldquo;Every time we see something, we talk to each other, we hold ourselves accountable for mistakes... That helps us move forward and correct the things that we made mistakes on and do the right thing after.&rdquo;
Even Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC&rsquo;s superstar in the making, has to agree with that notion.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been fun. I don&rsquo;t really see myself as the lone leader of this team,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s so many guys that step up, whether it be verbally or on the court. I think we have a group of guys that are so selfless that there&rsquo;s no designated leader. We just all want the best for each other, and we all do the right thing in the right moment.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And that&rsquo;s one of the things that Coach says. A leader&rsquo;s not the oldest guy or the most talented player, it&rsquo;s the guy that&rsquo;s doing the right thing at the right time. And we have so many guys that are like that, it doesn&rsquo;t really put pressure on me to be the leader or the vocal leader or whatever it may be.&rdquo;
This rebuild is right on schedule.

Spencer Davies looks into the Oklahoma City Thunder's tendency to keep games close and how it's going to help the team in the long run.

A propensity to out-compete and keep games close sum up OKC's attitude

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Andre Drummond have come to a mutual decision to keep the All-Star center inactive until the team finds a trade for him, league sources confirmed to BasketballNews.com. The news was first reported this morning by <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1361341496461586434" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a> and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30905655/sources-cleveland-cavaliers-play-andre-drummond-try-trade-star-center-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>.
"Nothing is imminent on the trade front, though," the source told BasketballNews.com.
According to the source, a buyout is off the table between the Cavs and Drummond, as Cleveland searches for a landing spot for the 27-year-old big man prior to the NBA trade deadline on March 25.
Per <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/02/cleveland-cavaliers-to-sit-andre-drummond-while-looking-for-trade.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor</a>, the situation hasn't been easy on the veteran, who's in the prime of his career. Drummond reportedly didn't want to move on, but the team envisioned a different future after bringing Jarrett Allen into the fold.
The Cavs view Allen as one of their cornerstones moving forward and they are prioritizing his growth and chemistry with his new teammates. Cleveland is set on Allen as the long-term answer at the five, so splitting minutes between he and Drummond wasn't going to benefit either party.
Drummond will still be with the team, and the decision to move forward in this manner was a mutual agreement. Constructing a trade will not be easy, as Drummond makes roughly $28.7 million. The Cavaliers will need to take back at least $23 million in salary in order to execute a deal.
We also have to remember that the Cavaliers acquired Drummond at last season's trade deadline for little-used Brandon Knight and John Henson, plus a future second-round pick. A potential trade involving Drummond likely won't be focused on the haul back, but more about opening more minutes for Allen and getting something in return for the impending free agent.
So as he watches from the sidelines until Cleveland finds him a new home, let's take a look at potential fits and possible deals that could work.
Toronto Raptors
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Cavaliers have engaged in trade talks with the Toronto Raptors about Drummond. It makes sense considering the defensive woes that have plagued the Raptors, who have begun climbing out of the Eastern Conference basement and back into the postseason hunt. Drummond's rim protection and activity on defense this season have been arguably the best of his career to this point, something that's been missing for Nick Nurse and his crew.
To match salaries, Toronto would have to include Norman Powell, Aron Baynes and Patrick McCaw, plus one more player (Matt Thomas, Terence Davis or Paul Watson could work). With the resurgence of Stanley Johnson and the role DeAndre' Bembry has carved out, it's unlikely the Raptors would give them up. Knowing Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster, it's possible that the Raptors will try to get a third team involved, which could help from a salary-matching standpoint.
We also have to keep in mind that Cleveland would have to get creative with its roster. By waiving Dean Wade prior to his Feb. 24 guarantee date, it would allow the Cavs to take back three players for one (Drummond). Fitting a fourth would take some roster tinkering.
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Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs were recently mentioned as a possible suitor on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keepin-it-94/id1545629382" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Keepin' It 94 podcast</a>. Beyond missing shots (although they're finding a rhythm now), Dallas' problem is that there's absolutely zero resistance in the paint for their opponents. Watch how Damian Lillard waltzed right to the cup in this possession. (It's not pretty).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
DAME DUNK <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dame_lillard</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/3V8glwkmz7">pic.twitter.com/3V8glwkmz7</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1361117856998567936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Mavs have the contracts to get a trade done, but are they really willing to give up a starter? James Johnson has an expiring $15.7 million salary. Include Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Burke and it almost gets you there, which would probably be very suitable. Substitute Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the hearts of that team, for Burke and <a href="https://tradenba.com/trades/PBVwpjcGz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it does work</a>. Tim Hardaway Jr. has a sizable salary, but would the Mavs be open to either of those things? Another option: Cleveland deals Drummond and JaVale McGee for Johnson and Dwight Powell in a bigs-for-bigs swap? Otherwise, again, there'd probably have to be a four-player deal. Just thinking out loud here.&nbsp;
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Brooklyn Nets
While there's a feasible way for the Nets to trade for Andre Drummond, it would come at a price. Spencer Dinwiddie, the face of the one of the most beloved franchise turnarounds we've seen in the NBA in recent years and an amazing talent, would have to be included in the deal along with DeAndre Jordan. Let's not forget that DJ came to town with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the latter's request. If you toss in Tyler Johnson with those two, the framework checks out.
Joe Harris cannot be traded until March 3 because he re-signed with Brooklyn and got a raise using his Bird Rights, but a Dinwiddie-and-Harris-for-Drummond trade would work as well when the time comes -- although, who in the world would give up a 50-percent three-baller on a team that thrives off drive-and-kicks? They're better off waiting to see if the Cavs can't find a trade partner and buy him out post-deadline. If Drummond hits the buyout market, Brooklyn has to be considered the frontrunner to land him.
Sacramento Kings
Here's an idea that hasn't been mentioned yet. The Kings are in the hunt for the playoffs in the Western Conference. Yes, Richaun Holmes has been busting his tail off at the 5 and it shouldn't be necessary to fix something that's not broken. However, who knows what Kings general manager Monte McNair is thinking. Is it possible he wants to strike while the iron's hot?
A potential framework that could get Drummond in a Kings uniform is simple. There are two guys out of the rotation in Nemanja Bjelica (who wants out) and Jabari Parker (who hasn't played a game yet). Throw in Cory Joseph and have Cleveland send back Damyean Dotson, who's had spotty minutes since the team's primary guards returned from injury. I don't think this idea is that far-fetched, but again, Holmes is playing out of his mind this year.
New York Knicks
With $15 million in cap room, the Knicks don't have to match salaries exactly to acquire Drummond. With Mitchell Robinson out for the next month or so due to a broken hand, they could try to strike a deal while still in contention for the postseason.
A package of Nerlens Noel and out-of-rotation reclamation projects Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox would make a ton of sense for Cleveland and it would keep New York in the hunt. Before we talk about Robinson's effectiveness, we know how much Tom Thibodeau loves his veterans. The Knicks just traded for Derrick Rose and seem interested in win-now moves. Also, by acquiring him now, the Knicks would have Drummond's Bird rights, which would make it easier to re-sign him this offseason if they are interested in him as more than a rental.
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Boston Celtics
We'll see if Celtics president Danny Ainge has any interest in Drummond. Boston holds a massive $28.5 million trade exception from this past offseason's Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade, but here's the caveat: Drummond's $28,751,774 salary is still too much for the Celtics to flat-out absorb.
The only chance they'd have at a deal is one that includes Marcus Smart, which is not going to happen. A Drummond-for-Kemba-Walker deal would work too, but that also isn't happening. It has been reported that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-boston-celtics-searching-for-upgrades-to-wing-big-positions-danny-ainge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston is looking for upgrades,</a> but unless a third team gets involved, it'll be very difficult for the Celtics and Cavs to figure out a trade for Drummond. Perhaps Boston is an option if he is bought out.
Charlotte Hornets
There's a way for Cleveland to get a four-player return for Drummond and Wade from Charlotte, but it involves the Hornets dealing Cody Zeller, Malik Monk and Bismack Biyombo. Aside from that, any other deal would require Charlotte to move All-Star candidate Terry Rozier or PJ Washington and that isn't going to happen. Unless the Cavs want even more centers in the locker room, this isn't a great fit (unless they can find a third team).
Oklahoma City Thunder
Sam Presti is a patient man who is trusting his rebuilding process, so this is nothing more than an idea. But if the Thunder sent Trevor Ariza, Darius Miller and Mike Muscala to Cleveland, they could theoretically bring in Drummond.
As you can plainly see, there a number of possibilities when it comes to trade partners for Cleveland. However, it's going to take some creativity to get a deal done with Drummond's massive contract.

Spencer Davies looks into a number of destinations that could work for Andre Drummond as Cleveland searches for his new home.

Where could Andre Drummond land? Here are possible destinations

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NBA Sour Rankings: Introducing the Cade-O-Meter

Michael Frazier opens up to Spencer Davies about how locked in he's been this offseason to continue chasing his NBA dream.

Michael Frazier doesn't have an ounce of quit in his body

When a team hits the reset button, there is no singular goal.&nbsp;
The obvious focal point is development, as their young talent gains invaluable experience on the floor against legitimate professional competition and an unfamiliar roster jells with one another. Wins are few and far between usually because of it, which means it&rsquo;ll more-than-likely take a bit of time to build winning habits back up and get back into (or stay in) the postseason hunt.&nbsp;
Unlike many teams after moving on from (multiple) star players, the Los Angeles Clippers didn&rsquo;t really have to go through a rebuild; the franchise simply retooled. First, in the summer of 2017, they shockingly traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets for seven players, including Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley. Then, they brought in Danilo Gallinari from the Denver Nuggets. Finally, before the following season&rsquo;s trade deadline, LA dealt Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Avery Bradley.
Just like that, Lob City was out and a new breed was in. Under the same coaching staff led by Doc Rivers, 2017-18 and 2018-19 saw perhaps the most enjoyable year-and-a-half of Clipper basketball than we&rsquo;d seen in quite some time. Guys were just on the same page. Williams enjoyed All-Star-caliber efforts as the league&rsquo;s best sixth man. Harris and Gallinari put together the best scoring campaigns of their respective careers. Harrell broke out as a ferocious competitor who only needed an opportunity, and Beverley set the tone as far as the culture. Not to mention, they had a then-blossoming rookie in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was impressing in all facets with his mature skill set. It was all clicking.
But with a star-studded free-agent class then on their minds, the Clippers began to change things around in the middle of that 2018-19 season. Tobias Harris was in a contract year and expected to be paid for the best year of his career (did he EVER), so the team traded him, Marjanovic and Mike Scott to the Philadelphia 76ers for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala.&nbsp;
That would be the first of many dominoes to fall in LA. With plenty of roster room and cap space, Jerry West and Lawrence Frank went to work by signing reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and acquiring an All-Star in Paul George to pair with him. They had to part ways with Gilgeous-Alexander, Gallinari and an unheard-of amount of first-rounders to acquire George (and land the package deal), completely mortgaging any kind of future they had; but to their credit, the job got done to give Steve Ballmer&rsquo;s ball club a win-now, championship roster&hellip; on paper.
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Pick things up on Dec. 3, 2020 -- that joyous, tight-knit Clipper group seems like a distant memory. The team parted ways with Rivers and will continue his career in Philadelphia, while his lead assistant and 2016 NBA champion head coach Tyronn Lue will take over the reins of a reportedly divided bunch. Harrell hopped to the other locker room and will play at Staples Center in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. JaMychal Green jumped at the opportunity to sign with the Denver Nuggets, who stormed back from a 3-1 playoff deficit to defeat the Clippers just a few months ago, citing that their heart made it an easy decision to choose them over his former team. The Athletic&rsquo;s Jovan Buha wrote<a href="https://theathletic.com/2222210/2020/12/02/kawhi-clippers-chemistry-nba-title/?source=user-shared-article&amp;redirected=1"> an article</a> about how the Clippers&rsquo; culture eroded due to preferential treatment that Leonard and George received (such as letting them determine the practice schedule and when to sit out games, giving them personal security and trainers, etc.).
It all seems like a mess in Clipperland right now, and by no means is the story over with; Year 1 rarely goes swimmingly when a team of stars links up for the first time, and I firmly believe they&rsquo;re going to be better this upcoming year. However, when considering what happened to the Clippers, is it possible we could see a similar situation arise with the Brooklyn Nets?
Hear me out.&nbsp;
We all know how awful it got for the Nets after the early 2010s. Aside from late-round firsts and seconds they would acquire later, there was no path to a rebuild once the post-Boston Celtics holdover era was over because every draft pick was essentially out of the picture. It was damn near impossible for the Nets to not only bring in NBA talent, but also develop their own since there wasn&rsquo;t a whole lot of promise outside of Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams (Lopez lasted the longest and was gone after the 2016-17 campaign). For a significant period of time, Brooklyn&rsquo;s roster was filled with journeymen, cast-offs and undrafted young guys. They simply had no chance.
Until head coach Kenny Atkinson came along.&nbsp;
Then-newly-acting general manager Sean Marks found a way to bring in some fresh faces without draft capital to help Atkinson as much as he could in the 2016 offseason.
In exchange for Thaddeus Young, Brooklyn got a rookie Caris LeVert back from the Indiana Pacers. The franchise took a shot by signing Joe Harris (who had played just 56 total games) to a multi-year contract. Trevor Booker was a well-respected veteran who brought toughness to the locker room. In December of that season, the Nets brought in a recently-waived Spencer Dinwiddie, who hadn&rsquo;t been able to stick with the Detroit Pistons or Chicago Bulls.&nbsp;
That set the foundation for the next offseason, when they traded for D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov on draft night, ending Lopez&rsquo;s career in Brooklyn and sending Kyle Kuzma with him to the Los Angeles Lakers; the team also selected Jarrett Allen at No. 22 in 2017 with a pick that used to belong to the Washington Wizards. DeMarre Carroll was acquired from the Toronto Raptors to provide leadership and a steady presence on both ends of the floor; Allen Crabbe came aboard via a separate trade with the Portland Trail Blazers soon after.&nbsp;
Regardless of the talent on the roster, Atkinson always got the most out of his squad. While you can look at the Nets&rsquo; record over his first two seasons with a perplexed expression as much as you want to (48-116), those players bought into what he was selling. They were playing hard, they were playing tough and they were playing together.
Like the Clippers, maybe the most fun seasons we saw in Brooklyn happened almost organically in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Russell ascended to All-Star heights and consistently ignited Barclays Center, firing off clutch shot after clutch shot and taking a major step with his vision. Harris took a massive leap, becoming the NBA&rsquo;s top three-point shooter in the second year of his contract. Dinwiddie exploded onto the scene with his aggressiveness as the Nets&rsquo; second-highest scorer. LeVert showed us flashes of brilliance before (and after) his foot was dislocated. Allen wowed the world with his hops and refusal to let the opposition score in the paint. Treveon Graham earned playing time with his hustle and commitment on the defensive end of the floor. Unsung heroes like Carroll, Crabbe, Shabazz Napier, Ed Davis and Jared Dudley (acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the summer of 2018) really set a great example for the team to follow. Brooklyn made it to the postseason that second year, which was the culmination of a long road back.
When I thought of the Nets, I didn&rsquo;t think of a team that tanked its way back to relevancy; I thought of a team that kept digging itself out of a never-ending hole and refused to falter -- regardless of the position it was originally left in. But things changed in the blink of an eye when the 2019 offseason came about.
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With the team environment and outlook revamped -- and plenty of cap space to boot -- Brooklyn struck gold, landing Kyrie Irving as a free agent and Kevin Durant in a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors (Russell, Napier and Graham went back in the deal). They added DeAndre Jordan as well. They also acquired Taurean Prince from the Atlanta Hawks for Crabbe and then-rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who was flipped to the New Orleans Pelicans). In came more veterans at small prices afterward: Wilson Chandler, Garrett Temple, Lance Thomas and Iman Shumpert a few weeks into the season.
The team at its core was completely altered, unarguably for the better from a talent standpoint -- however, a far cry from what Atkinson was used to and a whole lot more pressure, despite Durant&rsquo;s Achilles injury keeping him out for all of last season. He still had Irving (albeit a banged up one) who only played 20 games in his debut campaign with the Nets. But true to his nature, Atkinson trudged along with the newer pieces, trying to make it work; it just didn&rsquo;t. On March 7, Marks announced that Atkinson had mutually agreed to part ways with the team.&nbsp;
Now, on Dec. 3, the Nets have brand-new leadership in the building. Steve Nash, a respected Hall-of-Fame player and basketball mind, is going to take hold of a roster full of high expectations. He&rsquo;ll have his former Suns coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni and teammate Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire with him to help the transition, as well as long-time NBA assistants Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughn (who coached the team at the end of last season).
With a recovered Durant and a fresh Irving, there shouldn&rsquo;t be any major issues with the roster; it&rsquo;s literally built to win. For all intents and purposes, this Brooklyn team has a good mix of veteran specialists and up-and-coming players and big-named staff&hellip; on paper. We get so excited about these colossal transactions because it&rsquo;s like a video game, where you can pair up your favorite superstars with each other and stack a bunch of 90-overall guys. It works in a simulation scenario every time, but in reality you have to factor in chemistry and personal relationships, and that takes a while to establish. This isn&rsquo;t to say it can&rsquo;t work (look what the new-look L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat were able to do in Year 1 last season); this very well could be the next great team in the league in due time. But the Nets should take heed because those Clippers were in almost this same exact spot last year.
Which brings me to my point: I know you&rsquo;re supposed to cash-in on assets and young guys can only get you so far in this league. You&rsquo;re in this business to win championships and put fans in the stands. It&rsquo;s run by stars who make the show worthwhile on the court. With that, though, comes sacrifice, right or wrong; it can range anywhere from accepting lesser roles to destroying what you built to get there to handling stars who want preferential treatment.
Should Jarrett Allen be coming off the bench for DeAndre Jordan? All due respect to DJ, who&rsquo;s paid his dues, but no -- not at the expense of an athletic, developing big man who could start for literally any team in this league. But Allen knows what&rsquo;s coming because of where the team is at now.
You&rsquo;re probably thinking, &ldquo;Who cares how Allen feels? He&rsquo;s not a star,&rdquo; and you&rsquo;re correct with the second statement.&nbsp;
My gripe is with the first question, one that most franchises forget to ask when they enter the spotlight with their big acquisitions -- leaving behind the players who got them there.

The Clippers' culture attracted Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to LA but their arrival ultimately changed things. The Nets should take heed.