Buckeyes

Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis are already one of the best big men in the league with the variety of skills they offer on the basketball court. Both bigs are considered top 5 in the position by being the best of the best defensively along with a deep offensive bag. However, if there was one hole in their games that both needed to fill up, it is their three-point shooting.&nbsp;
Both Adebayo and Davis have demonstrated their shooting forms and technical abilities, suggesting they could excel as 3-point shooters. However, neither has historically attempted threes as often as their talent might allow. Now, entering the 2024-25 season, both stars are increasing their 3-point volume as seen in the preseason, and this shift could be the key to elevating their teams to new heights.
Bam Adebayo&rsquo;s ability to impact a game is undeniable. He is one of the best defenders in the league, being known for his defensive versatility and ability to guard all five positions. Adebayo brings value to the Heat with his offensive playmaking from the center position, and over the years he has been the main engine of Miami&rsquo;s offense. But what he&rsquo;s rarely done is consistently shoot from deep. In the 2023-24 NBA season, Adebayo averaged just 0.6 3-point attempts per game, preferring to stick to his mid-range game and finish inside.
However, Adebayo&rsquo;s shooting took a noticeable step forward during the 2024 Olympics, where he averaged 1.5 attempts per game from beyond the arc for Team USA. His confidence seemed to soar after the tournament, and that momentum has carried into the 2024-25 preseason, where he&rsquo;s now taking 3.3 3-point attempts per game.
This increase in volume shows that Adebayo is ready to fully integrate the 3-point shot into his game, something he&rsquo;s always been capable of given his shooting form. With his smooth mechanics and growing confidence, Adebayo&rsquo;s expanded range could be the key to unlocking the Miami Heat&rsquo;s full offensive potential.
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BAM-ing it from downtown 🎯 Bam Adebayo has significantly upped his 3-point attempts from last season to this preseason 😲 2023-24 season ➡️ 0.6 2024 Paris Olympics ➡️ 1.5 2024-25 Preseason ➡️ 3.3 Stretch Bam incoming? 👀 (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@statmuse</a>) <a href="https://t.co/OxX6yP8v72">pic.twitter.com/OxX6yP8v72</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1846751205386780929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2024</a>
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Similar to Adebayo, Anthony Davis has always had the ability to shoot from deep but hasn&rsquo;t consistently utilized it. Davis proved his 3-point prowess throughout the younger years of his career&mdash;but most notably during the 2019-20 season when he helped lead the Lakers to a championship by shooting 33% from beyond the arc. However, injuries and shifting roles have seen Davis shy away from shooting threes in recent seasons.
In the 2023-24 campaign, Davis averaged just 1.4 3-point attempts per game, a sharp drop from the 3.5 attempts he averaged during that 2020 title run. Like Adebayo, Davis has the form and touch to be a consistent 3-point threat but hasn&rsquo;t taken as many shots from deep as he&rsquo;s capable of.
For the Lakers, a healthy and confident Anthony Davis shooting more threes could be a game-changer. His ability to stretch the floor would open up the lane for LeBron James and the Lakers&rsquo; slashing guards, creating a more dynamic and less predictable offense. If Davis can regain his 3-point shooting form from his championship run, the Lakers will be far more difficult to defend.
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4 THREES FOR AD IN THE FIRST QUARTER 😱<a href="https://t.co/8PxKpnr4ZQ">pic.twitter.com/8PxKpnr4ZQ</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1847103115394535893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2024</a>
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<h3>Why Does Adebayo and Davis Increasing Their 3-Point Attempts Matter?</h3>
<ol>
<li> Floor Spacing and Offensive Flexibility Both Adebayo and Davis shooting more threes could radically improve their respective teams' floor spacing. For Miami, Adebayo&rsquo;s ability to pull opposing big men out to the perimeter will open up driving lanes for Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, giving the Heat more room to operate. For the Lakers, Davis stretching the defense would allow LeBron to work in a more open paint, while also freeing up shooters like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.</li>
<li> Deeper Pick-and-Pop Potential Adebayo and Davis could both become elite pick-and-pop players. Their ability to shoot from mid-range has already made them dangerous in these situations, but adding 3-point range would make them even more difficult to guard. Forcing defenders to decide between contesting their shot or stopping a drive could lead to easy points for their teams.</li>
<li> Defensive Dilemmas for Opponents With both big men capable of hitting threes, opposing defenses will be forced to make tough choices. Typically, teams like to sag off big men who are stationed at the perimeter, allowing them to pack the paint. However, if Adebayo and Davis can hit threes at a consistent rate, defenses will be stretched thin, making it harder to defend both the perimeter and the paint effectively.</li>
</ol>
It&rsquo;s important to note that neither Adebayo nor Davis are bad three point shooters. Both have had excellent shooting forms since early in their careers, but for various reasons&mdash;be it team strategy or personal preference&mdash;they haven&rsquo;t leaned heavily into their perimeter game and added it to their shot diets. Adebayo&rsquo;s shooting mechanics are smooth, and Davis has long been recognized for his soft touch from deep.
The difference now is volume and confidence. Both players have shown they can make threes, and now, with their respective teams needing more floor spacing and offensive versatility, the time is right for them to fully embrace their perimeter games.
While the increased 3-point attempts from Adebayo and Davis are promising, consistency here will be the major factor. Both players will need to prove that they can not only take more threes but also hit them at an efficient rate throughout the long NBA season. Shooting in the preseason or during international competition is one thing; doing so under the pressure of regular-season games and in the playoffs is another.
There&rsquo;s also the question of how this shift in offensive focus will affect their defensive roles. Both Adebayo and Davis are the anchors of their teams&rsquo; defenses, often patrolling the paint and protecting the rim. If they spend more time on the perimeter, it could pull them away from their defensive responsibilities, potentially impacting their teams on that end of the floor. They could also potentially exert more energy on offense when taking these types of shots, and could affect their games on the other end of the floor.
If Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis can fully integrate the 3-point shot into their games, the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers could be looking at major improvements in their offensive efficiency and flexibility. For Miami, Adebayo&rsquo;s ability to space the floor and create more room for Butler and Herro could make them a more dangerous and unpredictable team. For the Lakers, Davis hitting threes at a consistent rate would allow LeBron and the rest of the roster to play more freely and dynamically.
Both players have always had the skill to shoot from deep, but this season may finally be the year where they embrace it fully. And if they do, the Heat and Lakers could be poised for deep playoff runs, with their star big men leading the charge in this new era of positionless basketball.

Bam and AD are increasing their 3-point volume and this shift could be a key to elevating their teams to new heights.

Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis shooting more threes should elevate Heat, Lakers

PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES &ndash; Meralco Bolts&rsquo; guard duo Chris Banchero and Chris Newsome feel confident about their team&rsquo;s chances of going deep and winning it all in the 2024-2025 East Asia Super League (EASL) season.
Both Banchero and Newsome were key figures in Meralco&rsquo;s first win of the tournament against the Macau Black Bears. Newsome was the team&rsquo;s leading scorer with 18 points while Banchero was relentless in attacking the Black Bears&rsquo; paint, scoring 14 points, as the Bolts took the win 97-85.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re definitely in it [EASL] to win it,&rdquo; Banchero said post-game. Last year we [Meralco] underperformed but we&rsquo;ve got a much better team now &ndash; we got DJ [Kennedy], Ange [Kouame], and AD [Allen Durham]. We&rsquo;ve got a really good team and we&rsquo;ve got a good chance to play some really good basketball.&rdquo;
Meralco just finished with a measly 1-4 record in EASL&rsquo;s last season. Now, the league added a new rule of allowing 2 imports plus a naturalized player, hence the addition of the naturalized Filipino Kouame. The Bolts certainly feel good now with the level of basketball they are playing and they&rsquo;re hoping to take it all the way. However, Newsome says the team is still wary of what&rsquo;s more to come and the expectations that come along with it.
&ldquo;We wanna just take it one game at a time and get as many wins as we can,&rdquo; Newsome said. The goal is to get to the semifinals, and once you get to the semis you can focus on the Finals &ndash; but of course, you gotta rack it up one win at a time.&rdquo;
Meralco is in Group B of the EASL along with the aforementioned Macau, Japan&rsquo;s Ryukyu Golden Kings, Korea&rsquo;s Busan KCC Egis, and Taiwan&rsquo;s New Taipei Kings. Only the top two teams of each group move onto the Final Four round, with a crossover semifinal format set place against Group A&rsquo;s top two finishers.
&ldquo;We tied our win total from last season and we have five more games to try to get wins and try to get into the [top two] of our group, and that&rsquo;s the goal &ndash; just to get to the semifinals. It&rsquo;s gonna take more than one win, it&rsquo;s gonna take more than two wins &ndash; but all we can control is take it one game at a time,&rdquo; Newsome added.
Banchero affirmed Newsome&rsquo;s statements but also added Meralco has to play better than they did as they go up the champions and runner-up of each East Asian country, a staple of international hoops in the region.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited. I know we need to play better than we did so it&rsquo;s good to get that first win under our belt and take it onto the next &ndash; to try and get a win in Okinawa [against the Ryukyu Golden Kings,&rdquo; Banchero stated.
Watch the full interview here:
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(<a href="https://twitter.com/EASLofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EASLofficial</a>) Meralco Bolts&rsquo; guard Chris Banchero shares the team&rsquo;s expectations on this brand new EASL season: We&rsquo;re a much better team now &mdash; I&rsquo;m excited. We&rsquo;ve got a real good chance to play some really good basketball. <a href="https://t.co/G7tJKkKZFu">pic.twitter.com/G7tJKkKZFu</a>
&mdash; Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MorvalNBA/status/1842138442119164380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Teammate Chris Newsome echoed the same insights: &ldquo;We just wanna take it one game at a time. We have 5 more games and that&rsquo;s the goal &mdash; to try and get to the semis [of the <a href="https://twitter.com/EASLofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EASLofficial</a>]. // <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/PqTWZvV56C">pic.twitter.com/PqTWZvV56C</a>
&mdash; Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MorvalNBA/status/1842138551666003993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Meralco Bolts’ guard duo Chris Banchero and Chris Newsome feel confident about their team’s chances of going deep and winning it all.

EASL: Chris Banchero, Chris Newsome says Meralco’s in EASL to ‘win it all’

Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid has signed a huge max extension deal worth up to $192.9 million, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1837099208769196061">according to The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania.</a>
The former NBA MVP will now have a total of nearly $300 million in his current deal, and will include a player option in the contract&rsquo;s last year in 2028-2029.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5781843/2024/09/20/joel-embiid-sixers-extension-contract/">According to Charania</a>, Embiid will make $51.5 million in 2024-25 and $55.2 million in 2025-26, per the terms of his pre-extension contract. He then will make up to $59.54 million in 2026-27 &mdash; the maximum salary he can make if the salary cap, as expected, has the maximally allowed increases of 10 percent for each of the next two offseasons. Tack on eight percent raises of that amount in the following two seasons, resulting in salaries of $64.3 million in 2027-28 and $69.07 million in 2028-29.
Embiid&rsquo;s contract will now be the third-largest signed in NBA history, behind only Boston Celtics&rsquo; superstar duo Jayson Tatum ($314 million) and Jaylen Brown ($304 million). Embiid will join LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Paul George as the only players in NBA history to make more than $500 million in total career earnings.
Embiid announced his contract extension signing via a heartfelt Instagram post.
&ldquo;Philadelphia is home. I want to be here for the rest of my career,&rdquo; Embiid wrote. &ldquo;I love this community and everything you&rsquo;ve given me and my family. There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we&rsquo;re just getting started!&rdquo;
The Sixers recently made perhaps their biggest offseason moves since trading for Jimmy Butler when they signed free agent forward Paul George from the Los Angeles Clippers, giving Embiid his most talented Sixers roster since he was drafted by the team in 2014. Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers&rsquo; rising star, has also signed his contract extension this offseason after a strong playoff performance last season. With these set of moves, Philadelphia is banking all in on this roster to bring the franchise an NBA title, and it all starts and ends with their superstar center Embiid.
Despite averaging a league-leading 34.1 points per game last season, Embiid was only able to play 34 games after tearing his left meniscus that sidelined him for most of the regular season. He was able to come back at the tail end of the season and help the Sixers in the playoffs but their season was ended by the New York Knicks in 6 games.
After winning the gold medal with Team USA over the summer at the Paris Olympics, Embiid is poised to lead the Sixers in their quest for an NBA championship.

Sixers superstar Joel Embiid has signed a max extension deal worth up to $192.9 million, according to Shams Charania.

Joel Embiid signs $193 million max extension with Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers are in a state of dilemma right now.&nbsp;
As Philadelphia enters Game 2 in their best-of-7 series against the New York Knicks on the road at the Madison Square Garden, it has them wondering for adjustments and key plays with hopes of tying the series.
Although Nick Nurse&rsquo;s defensive scheme on the Knicks&rsquo; Jalen Brunson, his buddy Josh Hart happened and knocked down three crucial three-pointers in the 4th quarter of Game 1 to bury the Sixers. Brunson was held to 22 points on 8-26 shooting, but Hart had 22 points himself as well.
That&rsquo;s bad news for the Sixers. The Knicks star point guard have been playing at an all-NBA level this season thus far and it is clear that the game plan is to send guys at Brunson for him to see bodies and make him work for his points. However, when someone else has a performance as big as Hart&rsquo;s in Game 1, that would be difficult for the Sixers to overcome.
On offense, Tyrese Maxey shouldered most of the offensive load in the 4th quarter after reigning MVP Joel Embiid injured his knee in the first half. Embiid came to play in the second half, but was visibly not his usual self physically, missing his patented midrange jumpers and some layups around the basket. He ended up finishing the game with 29 points but shot an abysmal 8-22 from the field. Maxey himself scored 33 points but played a game-high 43 minutes for the game. This is something the Sixers should monitor because as young and spry as he is, Maxey is essential for them down the stretch especially if this extends down the line.
How could the Sixers bounce back? Heading into tonight&rsquo;s Game 2 and moving forward into the series, here are some of the things the Sixers could do to steal one on the road and possibly win the series.
Play Buddy Hield more
The Sixers&rsquo; midseason acquisition only played for 10 minutes and did not score at all. That is uncharacteristic for someone you brought in for this exact reason: to have more weapons around Embiid in the playoffs. Although a defensive liability at times, Hield&rsquo;s gravity as a shooter and threat from the outside is more than enough to compensate for those.&nbsp;
Hield is a proven knockdown shooter who can only help space the floor for Embiid when he&rsquo;s in the middle of the floor. If given the opportunity and he hits his shots, the paint will open up even more which will give Embiid and Maxey more room to operate.
&ldquo;Buddy [Hield] didn&rsquo;t get much of a chance last game,&rdquo; Nurse said on Sunday. &ldquo;He did have a couple of plays there. He didn&rsquo;t play good. It&rsquo;s a game where you can&rsquo;t extend minutes when a guy has three or four mistakes, but I do say this he&rsquo;ll be a factor in the series. He could have just as easily made that wide-open 3, and then hit another one the next time down the floor like he does, but he didn&rsquo;t. We kind of gave him this chance to impact it and we had to get back to somebody else, but he&rsquo;ll be a factor.&rdquo;
Involve Tobias Harris on more offensive actions and build up his confidence
As it stands right now, Tobias Harris&rsquo; confidence has looked to be cooked and nowhere to be found. He has been playing out of sorts over the past few games, oftentimes getting lost in translation within the flow of the Sixers offense at times. With Embiid demanding the ball and the attention most of the time and Maxey setting the offense up, this leaves Harris with little to no opportunities to have any sort of offensive rhythm.
Harris is also not the role player specialist like Kelly Oubre who brings defensive toughness, hits the occasional threes, and provides the timely cuts, or Nic Batum&rsquo;s lockdown one-on-one defense coupled with his three-point marksmanship. Harris is someone you make plays for to set him up. He has shown that capability over his career, being the third option on offense. Harris&rsquo; skill set allows him to attack off the catch, hit some catch-and-shoot threes here and there, and run some pick-and-rolls with certain guys.
If the Sixers want to have a chance to bounce back in Game 2, Harris should be more involved on offense no matter how Nick Nurse and his staff would do it. A 30-million-dollar player like Harris can&rsquo;t just camp in the corner or wings ball-watching and watch the ball come to him, he should be utilized in a way his strengths as a player can help the Sixers.
Bench production is a must
In Game 1, the Sixers only had 5 bench points. That can&rsquo;t happen again. Even though they are down two key rotation players in DeAnthony Melton and Robert Covington, both the coaching staff and the players themselves need to do a better job involving players on offense and stepping up to the plate. This is the playoffs and everyone has to contribute something. 
After scoring 20 points against Miami, Batum only had 3 points in Game 1. Hield wasn&rsquo;t even able to score a point. Backup big Paul Reed has to be more aggressive especially now that Embiid is not 100%. Cam Payne has to hit one or two shots when he comes in, just to change the complexion of the game a little bit. Maybe Nick Nurse could reach a bit deeper into his bag of tricks and activate someone like Ricky Council for an energy boost after the rookie played a good stretch to end the season. 
The bench has to help the starters at some point in the series. But it has to start in Game 2 &ndash; because it takes everyone to win a playoff basketball game.
&nbsp;

How could the Sixers bounce back? Here are some of the things the Sixers could do to steal one on the road and win the series.

2024 NBA Playoffs: 3 adjustments for Sixers to bounce back vs Knicks

Over the years, there are more and more American basketball players looking for opportunities overseas. There are only about 450 guaranteed spots in the NBA, plus a few two-way spots per team. If one can&rsquo;t crack an NBA roster, players often turn to playing abroad or in the NBA G-League.
For many players, going overseas is a sensible choice. There are many leagues to choose from, including the EuroLeague in Europe, NBL in Australia and Chinese Basketball Association in China.&nbsp;
Some Americans have found solace in the East Asia Super League &ndash; a rapidly growing tournament that is considered to be the "champions league" of East Asian basketball.&nbsp;
Jameel Warney, who plays for the Seoul SK Knights, has found success in Korea. After playing four years at Stony Brook and going undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, Warney established himself as one of the best American imports of all-time in the Korean Basketball League (KBL). Ever since arriving in Korea in 2019, the 6-foot-8 forward/center has amassed three MVP awards, three All-KBL teams and a KBL title.
Although Warney was not able to find NBA success, he has been thriving in Korea. Warney recently opened up about some of the differences between playing overseas and back home in the USA.
&ldquo;Well, it&rsquo;s a lot different,&rdquo; Warney said to BasketballNews. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of spacing in American play, but even here [Korea] and in Europe, it's kind of team-based [basketball]. You can clog the paint up in this side of the world and there&rsquo;s a lot of great shooting here, especially their big men&hellip; It&rsquo;s a lot of different stuff between these two things [like America and Korea], but I mean I enjoy both of them a lot and I love being here for the last five years."
Jamil Wilson, who played for Oregon and Marquette from 2009 to 2014 but went undrafted in the NBA, echoed Warney&rsquo;s statements.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just completely two different styles of basketball,&rdquo; Wilson said. "You get that everywhere you go. When I played here [in the Philippines], there was a different style of basketball played in Korea, where I am now. When I played in Europe, whether be it in Italy, Israel, Russia or anywhere like that in the past, it&rsquo;s just a different experience depending on where you are and how they play. Some countries like to play up-tempo, and some like to be really tactical with sets and things. So it just kinda depends on where you are and with the organization and the coaching staff as well.&rdquo;
Wilson has had stints in a lot of leagues in Europe before landing with the Korean side Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters this year. Wilson says he has enjoyed the journey of playing overseas thus far.
&ldquo;I enjoy everything. Everywhere you go, it&rsquo;s a unique experience &ndash; culture and basketball itself &ndash; so I&rsquo;ve been enjoying my journey abroad and Korea&rsquo;s no different,&rdquo; Wilson said.
In choosing the place where they want to go and play next, however, Wilson shared a rather unique yet wholesome moment that he considers for himself and his career.
&ldquo;All of my decisions revolve around my son and spending time with him," Wilson said. "So whatever is time-flexible and allows me to spend the most time with him, that&rsquo;s probably what I&rsquo;ll do or where I go.&rdquo;
For Warney, it&rsquo;s all about the fans and the people in the organization. He mentioned the relationships he's built over the past few years he has been with the team.
&ldquo;The people, obviously,&rdquo; Warney said to BasketballNews when asked about considering where to play. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been with the same people for like the last five years. My head coach, he was the assistant for my first two years, but now he&rsquo;s the head coach and we have a great relationship. I&rsquo;ve been with (teammate) Yang Ming for five years and my translator also. So a lot of guys I&rsquo;m familiar with over the past couple of years.&rdquo;
Warney adds that he considers his long-time teammates and coaches as family: &ldquo;I think other people like being with different teams, it&rsquo;s like a one-year pitstop or maybe two then they go to a different team. [But] it&rsquo;s not like a business to me, I guess it&rsquo;s more of like a family/personal basis for me.&rdquo;
For DJ Stephens, he's drawn to certain leagues and teams with a solid fanbase. After a lengthy career in Europe, Stephens is now with the Chiba Jets in Japan and he appreciates the love that the Japanese fans show each and every game.
&ldquo;Some of the best fans I&rsquo;ve ever played for,&rdquo; Stephens told BasketballNews. &ldquo;They are real supportive in every game that we have and the arenas are sold out. Our fans buy merchandise with our names on it. You see towels being waved with players&rsquo; names on it. The fans are really loyal and supportive, so that&rsquo;s a big thing for a basketball player, to have a lot of support.&rdquo;
Some players spend several years in the NBA and experience some success, but then transition to overseas basketball (like the EASL) as they get older. Austin Daye, who won an NBA championship in 2014, can attest to this His main reason for coming to Asia to play basketball is to enjoy the game before he hangs it up and create memories with his teammates.
&ldquo;The decision to come here was pretty simple &ndash; I played with the same team last year. The drive of the coaching staff and the players, I know that they&rsquo;re looking to get to a championship. And as you get older, it&rsquo;s not so much about numbers and things like that. It&rsquo;s more about just having fun and trying to enjoy time as your career winds down &ndash; which mine is,&rdquo; Daye said.&nbsp;
Daye values winning more than anything, and he&rsquo;d be fine putting up lesser stats if he has an opportunity to win at this stage of his career.
&ldquo;Winding down and winning is something I would rather do than wind down just getting numbers and losing. So I chose to come here for this year because I want to try and win a championship," Daye said. "And next year, who knows? The same factors apply to me &ndash; just try to win, have a great time with teammates, and try to enjoy the experiences overseas.&rdquo;

A number of American players are competing in the EASL, which is considered the "champions league" of East Asian basketball.

Get to know the Americans playing in the East Asia Super League (EASL)

The best basketball teams in the world now know their opponents in this year&rsquo;s Paris Olympics Games after the groups were determined in the Olympic Basketball Tournament Draw on Tuesday at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.
A total of 12 nations will compete in the <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=2aeb9ce7cc&amp;e=7d02dacd0c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament</a> in Paris, which is scheduled to run from July 27 to August 10. There are currently eight national teams from five different continents that have already qualified either as the host nation or based on their respective results at the <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=cc108e313f&amp;e=7d02dacd0c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup</a>.
The remaining four tickets will be punched by the winners of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs) that will be held between July 2 and 7 in <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=2f0cad3128&amp;e=7d02dacd0c">Piraeus</a> (Greece), <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=108dc70c0e&amp;e=7d02dacd0c">Riga</a> (Latvia), <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=5cac1dc6c1&amp;e=7d02dacd0c">San Juan</a> (Puerto Rico) and <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=a63d6170c3&amp;e=7d02dacd0c">Valencia</a> (Spain).
Aiming to win their fifth-straight Olympic Basketball gold medal, undisputed favorite Team USA is slated to be in Group C along with 2016 silver medallists Serbia, Africa&rsquo;s best finishing team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup South Sudan, and the winner of the OQT in Puerto Rico.
Host nation France was drawn into Group B with FIBA World Champions Germany, Asia&rsquo;s best-finishing team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Japan, and the winner of the OQT in Latvia.
Finally, 2021 bronze medallists Australia, 2023 FIBA World Cup bronze medallists Canada, and the winners of the OQTs in Greece and Spain are grouped in Group A.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/draw.jpg" alt="" width="518" height="518" />
Women&rsquo;s basketball legend Penny Taylor and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony helped in administering the draw.
The Olympic Basketball Tournament Draw had the teams divided into four pots based on the FIBA World Ranking. In each of the final three groups drawn, there was a minimum of two and a maximum of three teams from Europe. For Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, there had to be no more than one team per continent in each group.
You can watch the full draw below:
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The groups for the Paris Olympics Games were determined in the Olympic Basketball Tournament Draw on Tuesday.

2024 Olympics Basketball Tournament Draw: Team USA grouped with Serbia

Victor Wembanyama lurks in the paint, just beside the dunker spot, waiting for the drive. The Spurs rookie has done this all season long, gobbling up shots like no one else, using his seemingly alien-like wingspan and huge hands. Just when Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander thought he had a clear lane to the basket, Wemby comes along and swats it with two hands. On the other end of the floor, Wembanyama receives a pass from Tre Jones and casually pulls up from 34 feet, which splashes through.
On the next possession, Wembanyama works his way into another three-pointer off a pick-and-pop action from Devin Vassell and finds nothing but the bottom of the net. Following the made basket, OKC turned to Chet Holmgren &ndash; Wembanyama&rsquo;s rival and Rookie-of-the-Year competition. Holmgren goes through a series of dribbles trying to get by the freakish 7-foot-4 frame, but Wembanyama stays with him and blocks the shot.&nbsp;
Those back-to-back possessions pretty much sum up the kind of rookie season Wembanyama is having.
The French phenom is in the midst of one of the best rookie seasons of all time, averaging 20.4 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3.3 blocks per game. What&rsquo;s even more impressive is that he&rsquo;s doing this while playing just 28.8 minutes a night.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Night in and night out, the stuff that he does, the impact that he has on both ends of the floor. Big shot after big block after whatever the case may be &ndash; he doesn&rsquo;t even act like a rookie," Vassell said in disbelief. &ldquo;I mean, the shots that he shoots, the confidence that he has in his game &ndash; he&rsquo;s second to none, truthfully.&rdquo;&nbsp;
In that win over the Thunder, Wembanyama&rsquo;s numbers were out of this world: 28 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks, 5 threes and 2 steals. It was the first time in NBA history that a player recorded this stat line. Wemby has caught the eye of LeBron James, a fellow generational player who lived up to the insane hype from his rookie year and ultimately exceeded the wild expectations.
&ldquo;I have said it from the beginning, he&rsquo;s special,&rdquo; James said, smiling. &ldquo;He has an unbelievable coach that&rsquo;s gonna make sure that he does things the right way, play the game the right way and he&rsquo;s gonna continue to develop&hellip; He&rsquo;s already special and he&rsquo;s going to continue to get better and better and better each and every game, each and every year that he steps on this floor.
Head coach Gregg Popovich has been blessed with Hall-of-Fame big men like Tim Duncan and David Robinson throughout his tenure with the Spurs, but he has taken a more cautious and developmental approach with the 20-year-old Wembanyama. While Robinson and Duncan came into the league as grown men with a lot of basketball experience, Wembanyama stepped into the NBA as a teenager with areas to improve (such as his strength and filling out his body).&nbsp;
As the season progresses, Popovich has been satisfied with Wemby&rsquo;s development, citing his improvement in different aspects of the game. 
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s gotten more and more physical as games go along, understanding how many games it is,&rdquo; Popovich shared. "Now he knows what the rodeo road trip is like so you know, it&rsquo;s solid education for him. And he obviously did a good job [against OKC].&rdquo;
In the very next game against the Indiana Pacers, Wembanyama poured in 31 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 blocks in the win to join Robinson and Duncan as the only rookies in NBA history to post these stats. Wemby and reigning MVP Joel Embiid are the only players to tally such numbers this season. Popovich lauded Wembanyama&rsquo;s composure, especially in clutch moments &ndash; a rare sight for a rookie.
&ldquo;We all see the skills, whether it's blocking shots or making an important three, making a steal, whatever it might be. But the most, not surprising, but unique quality he has at his age is the composure," Pop said.
The Spurs recently had a nine-game road trip, their longest stretch of the season. Despite losing all but one game, Wembanyama saw his usage and minutes steadily increase. This has allowed him to be unleashed for longer stretches and deliver outputs like we saw against the Thunder and Pacers.
When the Spurs returned home, Wembanyama addressed the San Antonio crowd and expressed his excitement about playing in front of his home crowd again.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I missed this sh&ndash;,&rdquo; Wembanyama said with a huge grin on his face, as Robinson watched and nodded along like a proud father. &ldquo;I love it, I missed it. Enjoying the game, and we coming back from a long road trip with more than 16,000 people that I love &ndash; the best feeling. Go Spurs go!&rdquo;
Wembanyama has all of the tools &mdash; physically and mentally &mdash; to do big things for the Spurs, a proud organization that once had 20-straight playoff appearances.&nbsp;With Wembanyama in the fold, it looks like all the losing was worth it.

Victor Wembanyama is playing his best basketball for the San Antonio Spurs and soon, he may be unstoppable.

Inside Victor Wembanyama’s unprecedented start to his NBA career

For a team that has endured losing for almost a decade, the Minnesota Timberwolves sure are savoring the early-season success they&rsquo;re experiencing right now.
After a series of underlying factors such as bad management, poor roster construction and player fallouts, the Wolves' success has been unprecedented (and sweeter than ever).
They are currently 30-12 at the halfway point of the season, which is the best mark in the West. They are the first team in the Western Conference to reach 30 wins, trailing only the Boston Celtics for the best record in the NBA.&nbsp;
Minnesota is on a 60-win pace, and they have the easiest schedule remaining in the entire league.
They are also on pace to surpass the franchise record of 58 wins in a season, which occurred in 2004 when they were led by Kevin Garnett (the best player in franchise history), Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell.
The next goal for this Wolves team? Win their first playoff series since that 2004 season.
After two decades of struggles, what changed for the Wolves? Let's break down their turnaround.
DEFENSE
The Wolves currently have the best defense in the league by a wide margin, allowing 105.8 points per 100 possessions (the runner-up is allowing 108.3 points per 100 possessions). 
They guard opponents unlike any other team in the NBA led by three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert at the rim. Surrounding Gobert are potential All-NBA-caliber defenders at the wings in Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Anthony Edwards and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Although their offense is still suspect and a work in progress, the team knows how to lock down the opposition.
ALL-STAR-CALIBER TRIO PLAYING WELL
The Wolves' trio of Gobert, Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns have been terrific.
The team is led by Edwards, a charismatic and burgeoning young superstar who has drawn comparisons to all-time great shooting guards Dwyane Wade (due to their similar build and playing style) and Michael Jordan (due to some eerie resemblances in their aerial capabilities, footwork and bank shots).
Edwards constantly wows the crowd with highlight-reel plays, and he gives the Wolves a true alpha, leader and closer. He's someone they can count on in the clutch, delivering when it matters the most.&nbsp;
Bruce Brown, an adversary of the Wolves during their last playoff run when he was on the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, said that Edwards was the toughest guy he had to guard all postseason. He also added that Minnesota was the toughest team that Denver faced on their way to their championship.
The Wolves followed up this praise by beating the Nuggets in November and climbing to the No. 1 seed in the West.
The 22-year-old credited his stint with Team USA in the FIBA World Cup for being able to play in a system rather than just relying on isos all the time. Edwards was the leading scorer of the USA squad that finished just fourth, but the experience was invaluable for Edwards and prepared him for the season.
Gobert is thriving once again after a down season a year ago. The 31-year-old is turning heads and serving as the anchor of the best defense in the league. He is one of the front runners for the Defensive Player of the Year award, which would be his fourth (and tie him with Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo for most all-time).
It wasn't long ago that fans were dubbing Minnesota's deal for Gobert as one of the worst trades in NBA history, but Gobert has bounced back beautifully as the front office&rsquo;s vision of playing him with Towns came to fruition.&nbsp;
Like Edwards, Towns is building off a strong stint in the World Cup and has been rock solid for the Wolves. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft is taking a backseat to Edwards for the good of the team.&nbsp; After plenty of losing seasons, Towns will do whatever is takes to win. He set his ego aside and committed to being the best second option in the league, which has had a huge impact on the Wolves.
There have been times when Towns is asked to shoulder more of the offensive load (such as when Edwards was struggling or absent) and he's stepped up in those moments. He has also been incredibly efficient, averaging 21.6 points while shooting 51.1% from the field and 43% from three-point range.
HIGH-LEVEL ROLE PLAYERS
The Wolves' trio is surrounded by quality role players, including starters McDaniels and Mike Conley. Both are nice supplementary pieces, with Conley providing stability as a floor general and shooting to space the floor and McDaniels giving them elite perimeter defense as well as spot-up shooting and occasional shot-making.
Minnesota arguably has the best eight-man rotation in the league, likely rivaled by just Boston and Denver.
In the playoffs, where rotations shrink and coaches tend to play their most trusted players, that's usually seven or eight players.
Off the bench, the Wolves have big man Naz Reid, a 6-foot-9 super scorer who&rsquo;s become a Sixth Man of the Year candidate by providing instant offense. There&rsquo;s also Anderson, a reliable Swiss army knife and point forward who is a playmaker on offense. Alexander-Walker does a little bit of everything, serving as a back-up ballhandler to Conley, lockdown wing defender and three-point shooter.
COMPETENT ORGANIZATION
A huge credit for the Wolves' success this season goes to president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who is the engineer of this roster. His vision and willingness to swing for the fences have paid off in a major way.
Chris Finch, who was hired as the team's head coach in 2021, has done a terrific job and is currently garnering some Coach of the Year buzz for his efforts.
The same goes for new owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, who went all in and weren&rsquo;t afraid to spend for a win-now team that wants to win.&nbsp;
After years of mediocrity, the Timberwolves are finally heading in the right direction. A small-market team that has exceeded all expectations, Minnesota has been one of the feel-good stories of the season &ndash; and they are just getting started.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the best record in the West. What has changed for the Wolves and led to this turnaround?

The Wolves are reaching new heights, and they're just getting started

This season, there's no NBA team that seems poised to breeze through the postseason. However, there are a number of legitimate championship contenders and a multitude of organizations that are a single piece away from joining that tier.
As the NBA's Feb. 8 trade deadline approaches, the most intriguing target for these teams is Utah Jazz star forward Lauri Markkanen. The All-Star is averaging 23.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.2 threes on 49.4% shooting from the field and 38.5% from three-point range in 27 games this season.
The Jazz are reportedly willing to have conversations involving Markkanen, although their asking price is significant. Expect plenty of front offices to express interest in the forward over the next month.
If Utah decides to move Markkanen, the Oklahoma City Thunder would be a perfect landing spot. With the second-best record in the Western Conference, OKC is already seen as a contender, but the reigning Most Improved Player could put them over the hump. Their core is highlighted by superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, center Chet Holmgren and forward Jalen Williams. This trio fuels one of the highest-powered offenses in the league, ranking in the top five in many statistical categories. The addition of Markkanen would provide scoring and size to one of the NBA&rsquo;s biggest lineups. Not to mention, he fits their timeline perfectly since he's only 26 years old.
The Miami Heat could make sense as a trade partner for Utah as well. Miami&rsquo;s roster is filled with a mix of veterans and young talent. Forward Jimmy Butler is past his prime at 34 years old, while Bam Adebayo (26 years old), Tyler Herro (23 years old) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (22 years old) are significantly younger. Markkanen could balance their eras, excelling them into Eastern Conference contention with the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics this season while also fitting alongside Adebayo, Herro, Jaquez and Co. going forward. Pat Riley is constantly star hunting, so this kind of move wouldn't be a surprise.
There are quite a few contenders that could use Markkanen, as his skill-set allows him to fit seamlessly with virtually every team.
One non-playoff team that could be a fascinating destination for Markkanen is San Antonio, where he would be paired with No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama. The 20-year-old from France is one of the most exciting prospects in NBA history. He has not disappointed early in his career, as he is averaging 19.2 points and 10.1 rebounds. The Spurs have a history of developing big men into superstars, including Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Getting Wemby some help could speed up the Spurs' plan and allow them to maximize the final years of Gregg Popovich's coaching career.
Markkanen is a diverse offensive weapon who thrives on all three levels. His height allows him to finish inside the paint without a strength-based style of play. A minimal amount of his shots come in the mid-range, but he has the talent to knock them down efficiently. He's a 7-footer who can knock down threes at a near-40% clip, which is somewhat rare for someone his size.
He uses his various methods of scoring to his advantage by exhibiting a balanced approach on offense. This season, 41.7% of his points come from two-pointers, while 40.9% are three-pointers. Markkanen tends to perform better as an off-ball scorer, with 82.7% of his points coming off assists. This ability to play alongside other stars makes him even more attractive to playoff teams, as they already have studs who demand the ball in their hands.
While his stats have slightly decreased this year because of fewer minutes and a lower usage rate, it's worth pointing out that Markkanen still accounts for more than a fourth of Utah&rsquo;s made field goals.
It remains to be seen if the Jazz will seriously consider moving Markkanen, but plenty of playoff teams will pick up the phone if he's put on the trade block.

As the NBA's Feb. 8 trade deadline approaches, Utah Jazz star forward Lauri Markkanen is an intriguing target for teams.

Lauri Markkanen could be game-changing acquisition for NBA contender

The NBA today announced its celebrations of the first-ever World Basketball Day.&nbsp;
Established by the United Nations on August 23 during the FIBA World Cup, World Basketball Day will be observed annually on Dec. 21 &ndash; the day Dr. James Naismith first introduced the game of basketball at the Springfield YMCA in 1891.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The NBA family is thrilled to join the global basketball community in celebrating the first World Basketball Day,&rdquo; said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. &ldquo;More than 130 years after Dr. James Naismith invented the game at the Springfield YMCA, World Basketball Day is a reminder of basketball&rsquo;s ability to transcend borders, cultures and languages and unite people around the world.&rdquo;
Nearly 600 million people across the globe play basketball annually and basketball is the second-most popular sport in the world, while the number one team sport to play in the United States.&nbsp;
Alongside the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), USA Basketball and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the NBA family will honor the game and celebrate World Basketball Day through various programming such as youth clinics and respective social media campaigns &ndash; all demonstrating basketball&rsquo;s societal contributions.
This year the NBA will host the following global celebrations in observance of World Basketball Day:
Domestic
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>United Nations&rsquo; World Basketball Day Panel: As part of World Basketball Day, the Philippines will host a panel discussion to share the significance of the day and highlight the impact the game brings to everyone around the world at the United Nations on Dec 21.&nbsp; Panelists include Professor David Hollander, founder of World Basketball Day; a representative from the Philippine Embassy; John Doleva, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame President; and Julius Erving, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>United Nations&rsquo; World Basketball Day Diplomats Pick-Up Games: On Dec. 21, friendly games between 30 diplomats from 20 different countries at the Vanderbilt YMCA in New York City. </li>
<li>Jr. NBA Clinic: In celebration of World Basketball Day, the Jr. NBA will host a clinic at the Harlem PAL Center, uniting 80 youth participants, ages 6-14, to learn the fundamentals of the game at the Harlem Police Athletic League in New York City.</li>
</ul>
International
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>NBA Cares Packing Project: On Dec. 15, as part of the first-ever Republika ng NBA Month, the NBA hosted an NBA Cares packing project at the NBA Community Court presented by TITAN in Mandaluyong City.&nbsp; NBA staff and partners assembled care packages for high school students from select public schools around the NBA Community Court ahead of World Basketball Day.&nbsp; Each package included a "Republika ng NBA" t-shirt, a pair of socks and slippers, Gatorade bottle, and vivo-branded backpack and water bottle. </li>
<li>NBA Basketball School Virtual Conversation: On Dec. 15, NBA Basketball School, a network of basketball development programs around the world for youth ages 6-18, held a virtual conversation with former WNBA player Mery Andrade and former NBA player Zaza Pachulia, who spoke about how basketball has positively impacted their lives, why they are excited about the inaugural World Basketball Day, and answered questions from the attendees. </li>
<li>NBA Egypt Hoops: On Dec. 21 at the Al Sadat School Gharbia in Egypt, NBA Egypt is setting out to provide public schools with the basic infrastructure which would allow students to practice and experience basketball.&nbsp; This includes installing two basketball hoops, providing three basketballs and doing basic refurbishments in some of the courts where national school competitions take place.</li>
</ul>

The NBA today announced its celebrations of the first-ever World Basketball Day.

NBA joins celebration of first-ever World Basketball Day

Former NBA GM Pete Babcock opens up to Etan Thomas about how the media's false narratives can greatly influence NBA front offices.

Former NBA GM on how media coverage, false narratives impact players

This article was initially published by Basketball News on Nov. 4, 2020.
Every NBA team approaches their search for a head coach differently, and no two searches are the same. Here are a few things to consider or put into perspective when it comes to NBA teams&rsquo; coaching searches.
Some teams ask you to draw up plays you&rsquo;d run for their team on a chalkboard in the room before you even sit down. In some interviews, they just want to talk about your philosophies (as far as basketball and life in general). They might ask you what changes can be made to the roster. It all just depends on that team&rsquo;s way of doing things.
My interview with the Chicago Bulls was much different than my interview with the Los Angeles Clippers. They were totally different situations, and other interviews I&rsquo;ve been in were completely different than those. You&rsquo;re never sure what&rsquo;s going to happen until you walk into the interview. Sometimes, you don&rsquo;t even know who&rsquo;s going to be interviewing you.
Sometimes, it&rsquo;s just the front-office staff. Other times, the owner will be very involved. Some teams bring in their team psychologist, and they have a whole list of questions to ask you. They&rsquo;re going to want to know what kind of leader you are, and they&rsquo;re going to want examples -- not just of your successes, but of your failures as well. How did you adapt to change in these particular situations? How do you drown out the media noise? How will you work with the players and management? What is your overall level of commitment?
But it&rsquo;s not just the decision-makers that you have to sell yourself to, it&rsquo;s the players too. And you have to do that 24/7. You have to sell them on what you believe in if you want that give and take and if you want them to buy in. Also, you have to make them understand the standards that you&rsquo;ve set for the team.&nbsp;
Not every job is for every coach. Every coach has different standards, beliefs and teaching styles, and the team you&rsquo;re interviewing with might not share the same philosophy. You really have to know what you&rsquo;re getting into.&nbsp;
When you&rsquo;re interviewing for a head-coaching job, you talk about the roster and you have your own questions that you want answered too. Are they trying to build around a certain player? Are they willing to go into the luxury tax? How much will they involve their head coach in draft and free-agency decisions? For example, some teams want their coach to be very involved and present for every draft workout; others don&rsquo;t want them to focus on that at all.&nbsp;&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s way more research that goes into preparing for an interview than most people can even begin to imagine. You have to know as much as possible about the team. The more details you have, the better. Not only are you doing your homework about the roster, you&rsquo;re looking at how the team is situated going forward too. How many draft picks do they have in the years ahead? What does the team&rsquo;s cap situation look like? You have to research all pertinent information about the roster and the team&rsquo;s flexibility moving forward.
Also, it&rsquo;s important to understand the team&rsquo;s expectations (in the short-term and long-term). Continued team improvement is paramount. Does the team believe they can realistically contend for a playoff position that season? Is there a certain future championship window (depending on all of the talent assembled)?
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/vinny_d_lg.jpg" alt="" width="711" height="AUTO" />
Once a coach does get the job, that&rsquo;s when the real work starts. It&rsquo;s very difficult to win at a high level, and it&rsquo;s extremely difficult to win at a high level consistently.&nbsp; You have to lead, and not all personalities are the same or mesh well with certain leadership styles.&nbsp;
Everyone throws around the word &lsquo;culture&rsquo; like it&rsquo;s easy to create. The teams that have been able to create a consistent culture do so from the ownership to the front office, all the way down to the end of the bench.&nbsp;
The biggest keys to success in winning are talent and consistency. When you look at all of these winning organizations, what do they all have in common? They were all consistent with their decision-making. They may have been fortunate with draft picks that turned out much better than they expected or free agents that just needed a fresh start, but that&rsquo;s only part of the equation. 
You need to have a vision for how all of these players are going to fit together. Each player is a piece to the puzzle, and you&rsquo;re trying to emphasize the player&rsquo;s strengths and work with them on their weaknesses. The staff is always working on player development and focusing on the fundamentals, while also learning each player&rsquo;s personality and skill sets to put them in the best position for success. Building relationships with players is always the goal, which allows you to improve players&rsquo; skill sets and ensure that the work they&rsquo;re putting in is not only helping the team but also their individual career.
You can&rsquo;t let rumors about your team, your job security or yourself cloud your vision. You walked into that interview room with a plan and a goal, and you can&rsquo;t let anything or anyone distract you from it. However, it&rsquo;s also vitally important to be flexible and open to making adjustments as you move forward and receive new information.
You have your standards. You have your vision. And you have to be yourself.&nbsp;
Finally, here&rsquo;s something that I&rsquo;ve learned after being around the NBA for many years (as a player, executive and head coach): The most important thing for a coach is time. The more time a coach has, the more they can learn about their team - from knowing everyone&rsquo;s strengths and weaknesses to figuring out people&rsquo;s tendencies to seeing how certain guys play well together. Over time, a coach will build strong relationships with the players as well as others throughout the organization. Trust and loyalty is earned and, if earned, must be reciprocated. And everyone has to be pulling in the same direction in order to exceed expectations and align with the standards set forth.&nbsp;
Time is a coach&rsquo;s best friend.&nbsp;

Former NBA head coach Vinny Del Negro provides a behind-the-scenes look at the interview process for NBA head-coaching jobs.

An inside look at the interview process for NBA head coaches

Joel Embiid is the latest superstar to commit to Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
In recent weeks, Team USA managing director Grant Hill had been recruiting Embiid, who was born in Cameroon and also has French citizenship. Ultimately, Embiid decided to represent the United States.
"After talking to my family, I knew it had to be Team USA," Embiid <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid/status/1710067831339884793" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. "I want to play with my brothers in the league. I want to play for my fans because they&rsquo;ve been incredible since the day I came here. But most of all, I want to honor my son, who was born in the US. I want my boy to know I played my first Olympics for him.
"I&rsquo;m really proud and excited about this decision. It was not easy. I am blessed to call Cameroon, France and the USA home."
Embiid will join a star-studded squad that could also include Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Bam Adebayo, Donovan Mitchell and Jimmy Butler &ndash; all of whom have said that they will play for Team USA if selected.
"It's exciting for USA Basketball that Joel Embiid wants to represent the United States," Hill <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/38574625/joel-embiid-commits-team-usa-2024-olympics-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. "Joel and I have had several conversations about his goals and I'm looking forward to continuing that dialogue knowing that one of those goals is to represent USA Basketball next summer in Paris. As I've said before, I'm looking forward to the process of building the 2024 USA Basketball Men's national team roster over the next several months."
Team USA failed to medal at this summer's FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, and a major reason was their lack of size of rebounding. The only big men on the World Cup roster were Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler (who barely played), with Paolo Banchero and Josh Hart serving as small-ball 5s.
By the end of the World Cup, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr found himself turning to five-guard lineups that featured Hart at center. Hart led Team USA in rebounding with 5.1 boards per game, followed by Anthony Edwards' 4.6 rebounds per game.&nbsp;
Now, Team USA will be able to turn their biggest weakness into a legitimate strength after adding Embiid, who averaged an absurd 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.0 steal and 1.0 three per game last season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
It's worth noting that this is a huge blow to France, the reigning Olympic silver medalist. The French national team would have been much scarier if they entered the Paris Olympics with Embiid, Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Bilal Coulibaly and Evan Fournier among others.
To recap, Embiid's commitment means that Team USA added the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, filled their biggest need and kept him from joining arguably their biggest competitor in the 2024 Olympics.
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Joel Embiid is the latest superstar to commit to Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Joel Embiid is latest superstar to commit to Team USA for Olympics

All of the great one-name classical artists that share names with the Ninja Turtles had apprentices they held in high regard. Willie Green, now going into his third season as one of the NBA&rsquo;s youngest head coaches, has been shaping a vision with the New Orleans Pelicans but there was an obvious need for a reshaping of the assistant coaching staff this summer. The franchise&rsquo;s scaffolding was in place, but the young coach was working with old hands from previous artists; he needed to bring in a trusted apprentice.
New assistant James Borrego is no apprentice outside of this analogy. He is a well-traveled former head coach with a proven track record of building top-10 offenses, which Green admitted during media day will alleviate some burdens on the offensive end. The new assistant will also have plenty of freedom to have some experiments fail.&nbsp;
&nbsp;One of Bob Ross' most famous sayings is, "We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents." He encouraged artists to embrace unexpected turns and use them to their advantage. Like Ross cashing in on &ldquo;happy accidents,&rdquo; the Pelicans are betting on Borrego's schemes to raise their long-term offensive ceiling this season, and the missteps along the way are just learned experiences to be blended into the mosaic.
Green&rsquo;s focus on defense and deep personal connections took priority over offensive nuances the last few seasons, but there was an obvious need for some changes to the playbook and how the lessons learned are implemented. So, Green brought in Borrego.
Ross, with his trademark permed hair, paint brushes and soothing voice, often emphasized the importance of mastering the basics. Build creations from simple brushstrokes, with sound structures. Likewise, Borrego's offense is built on a foundation of fundamentals. He emphasizes ball movement, spacing and player movement to create scoring opportunities. Just as Ross began his paintings with a few basic elements, Borrego starts his offense with simple, well-executed plays.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZS_Hy01SYbs?si=jHTbRQiJkMiQCFFh" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Last season&rsquo;s formula was too simple. And basics? The Pelicans had problems just inbounding the ball in critical situations and often would not begin an action until there were under 10 seconds left on the shot clock. Then, it was predictable: Brandon Ingram methodical in the midrange. Zion Williamson rumbles to the rim off of actions with very little space or off-ball movement. CJ McCollum was mostly stationary and waiting on the perimeter when not having to bail out a short-handed team late in the shot clock. Jonas Valanciunas was frustrated with his role, while Herb Jones was still growing into his on offense.
Trey Murphy III continued developing but everything was a reset of the same few actions, and it all fell apart once the injury report started filling up. Still, the sketches of a championship contender are already on the canvas in New Orleans. Borrego just has to bring out the best features. It should be a welcomed change for a not-so-young-anymore roster looking to show they are serious about winning a championship. With structure, the team will have a better ability to adapt on the fly. This hallmark of Borrego's coaching style is also reminiscent of Ross turning mistakes into opportunities on his canvas.
While Ross often started his paintings with a simple sky and landscape, he gradually added layers of detail and complexity to create stunning compositions. Similarly, Borrego's offense is designed to be layered. It begins with basic actions but can evolve into intricate plays with multiple options. Just as Ross patiently added trees, mountains, and rivers to his paintings, Borrego's teams gradually added complexity to their offense as the players became more comfortable with the system.
Alvin Gentry was an abstract artist with not a lot of museum showcase pieces, constructing a portfolio that was an interesting smorgasbord of ill-fitting talents and philosophies. Sure, it sometimes produced good-looking, free-flowing hoops but not often was the end product something worthy of the NBA Playoff platform. Stan Van Gundy tried to implement structure but just wound up erasing almost all of the goodwill between the locker room and front office.
Willie Green has mended those fences, taped together the tapestry if you will, and has a team on the verge of a breakout season. They just need an offense that is a bit more unpredictably efficient and some injury luck. Just get repetitions and a spot in the playoffs, then see what happens. An accidental, out-of-nowhere championship is still a banner raised. Some teams have to take smaller steps to a title, but why not dream of a historical breakout season? Even eighth seeds have made runs to the NBA Finals.
It all starts with Ingram. He needs to step into a bigger No. 2 role more than CJ McCollum, who would be perhaps the best fourth option in the NBA should Murphy III make a jump. Borrego should be able to get Ingram into easier-to-read actions and the former All-Star's assists numbers should take a jump. The team said Ingram is expected to be more of a ball-in-hand offensive initiator this season. This draws attention away from Williamson, instead of the Point Zion experiment that sometimes induces ball-watching.
That&rsquo;s not to say Point Zion does not have artistic merits. Williamson is a great passer, draws the attention of all 20,000 in attendance, and can be a one-man wrecking ball when the rest of the offense is just not working. It&rsquo;s just that Williamson cannot be the only attraction, dominating the canvas at the detriment of the rest of the bigger picture. It puts too much pressure on internal relationships and makes the team too predictable.
No worries. The Charlotte Hornets finished in the top-10 in three-point attempts in three of four seasons under Borrego. Charlotte was a top-10 team in points (fourth), three-pointers made (fifth), three-pointers attempted (sixth) and three-point percentage (sixth) that season. They were 11th in field goal percentage and snatched the ninth-most offensive rebounds. Charlotte led the NBA with 28.1 team assists per game and had the 10th-fewest turnovers.
Work hard, keep moving to provide options, don&rsquo;t get caught looking and fight for extra opportunities. Build greatness on the back of the basics, just like Bob Ross taught. Borrego&rsquo;s clear directions during training camp should have everyone on the same page to start the regular season in a few weeks. They also understand a few messy mistakes early will not have much of an effect on how this season is eventually framed. It&rsquo;s how they adapt to those moments that matter most.
New Orleans was near the bottom in offensive rating, assist-to-turnover ratio and true shooting percentage last season. Borrego had a rebuilding franchise&rsquo;s mismatched roster eighth in offensive rating, third in assist percentage, second in assist-to-turnover ratio, second in assist ratio and ninth-best in turnover percentage. Those Hornets played with the sixth-quickest pace, were third in shots at the rim, and second in corner three-pointers.
&ldquo;For the first three-quarters of the game, I&rsquo;m drawing stuff up based on concepts that we already know. I&rsquo;m just adding a little tweak here to maybe a few sets to disguise it," <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/3/5/21166585/conversation-with-hornets-head-coach-james-borrego" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theringer.com/2020/3/5/21166585/conversation-with-hornets-head-coach-james-borrego&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1696693000595000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2zQ3C-l7Klu8y6hMOUbdD6">Borrego has explained</a>. "I think that&rsquo;s one of the things that we do as coaches. You&rsquo;re just trying to disguise a concept. You&rsquo;re running your sets, your flow, throughout a game. Your ATOs, you&rsquo;ve got to try to come up with something a little bit trickier. But the concepts are the same, you&rsquo;re just trying to disguise it. The tough ones, and they&rsquo;re getting tougher now, are the fourth quarter/end-of-game situations because these timeouts are so quick. I don&rsquo;t even have time to think. I&rsquo;ve already got to know what play I have in mind.&rdquo;
When things start shaping up where everyone can see the bigger picture, the tougher moments start to become easier. That philosophy and Borrego&rsquo;s style will help hide the flaws and accentuate the strengths of role players like Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr., Jones, Valanciunas, Dyson Daniels and Kira Lewis Jr.
Borrego was Green&rsquo;s NBA coach just over a decade ago. Now, the roles are reversed but cultural expectations and goals are the same. The Pelicans hope everything comes together in a way that looks like the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy.
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Can James Borrego's new offense bring out the best of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram for the Pelicans?

How James Borrego's offense could take Pelicans to next level

Paying customers and plenty of media members have loudly expressed their frustrations with how the New Orleans Pelicans have handled the injuries and updates regarding Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, to the point of calling the organization outright liars.
Sure, there were frustrations with injuries derailing the season, but the messaging did not come from a place of dishonesty. It came from the type of misunderstandings and miscommunications that can ravage any type of relationship.
The obvious friction within the team the last few seasons were publicly expressed through curt answers and solemn body language on gamedays. Executive vice president David Griffin even admitted last July that the Pelicans &ldquo;did a really bad job organizationally" in handling some situations, especially after Williamson&rsquo;s viral pregame dunk and vague comments to the media. It took a summer of reconciliation, but the most pressing relationship issues have been resolved. Everyone understands how to speak each other&rsquo;s basketball love language and approach expectations for the coming season.
It all started with listening sessions this summer, which were a reason Williamson stuck around town for the offseason. But go back and listen to how Williamson and Ingram talk about basketball in press conferences over the years. Examining how they speak about the game explains a lot in how they&rsquo;ve approached their careers thus far.
Ingram has been using the term "professional" and "basketball" while talking like a hardwood scientist since his rookie season. It would not be surprising for B.I. to break down film at 4 a.m., making calls to wake sleepy-eyed teammates. Specifically, Devonte&rsquo; Graham and Josh Hart have shared on record how Ingram&rsquo;s film studies helped their game. Even when Ingram was out with an injury, the deep film sessions to help his teammates improve remained part of his routine. His methodical game reflects his intense devotion to his craft, though Ingram&rsquo;s personality comes off as a bit more laid back.
Williamson &ldquo;just loves hooping&rdquo; by his admission this Monday and in past interviews. Both are highly talented and naturally gifted and, as one source put it, &ldquo;They both love the game, but show it in different ways. The game has loved them back in different ways.&rdquo; Organizationally, there have been some growing pains as perhaps some things got taken for granted along the way for a franchise shaping a new identity.
That&rsquo;s starting to change and it is a two-way street. This team knows it was in first place last December and Williamson&rsquo;s renewed commitment has been the theme of the offseason with those I&rsquo;ve spoken with.
"This was the first summer where we&rsquo;ve seen Zion take his profession seriously like that and invest in it off the court on his own in a way that, I think, is meaningful," Griffin revealed during media day.
This is a reassuring development considering the past four years. Now, Zion still loves to hoop. There is no doubt. No one shows up on an outdoor court in New Orleans to work up a mid-summer sweat with some high-school kids without loving to hoop. Roll a ball out on a court and a smiling Williamson is like an overeager puppy. At least Alvin Gentry got that right in Zion&rsquo;s rookie season.
However, Williamson has not had a healthy relationship with NBA basketball the last few years. The NBA Draft is a crap shoot and New Orleans was not exactly a prime location. The new front office had a few growing pains earlier than expect as a result. NBA HQ added some bumps and bruises to the process as well. The national-TV-heavy schedule as a rookie and through the COVID bubble was unwarranted, unnecessary attention; it was just premature pressure on someone who couldn't legally buy a drink.
Attention before production paired with injury setbacks put pressure on every strained relationship, which partly factored into the Pelicans parting ways with coaches Gentry and Stan Van Gundy after just a year each with Williamson on the roster. Zion even went to rehab in Oregon away from the team, returning to the bench just weeks before the team&rsquo;s playoff run.
Publicly and privately, it&rsquo;s &ldquo;all water under the bridge&rdquo; between the locker room and front office. Aaron Nelson is still with the team, but in an advisory role that&rsquo;s far more hands-off on the day-to-day. Newly-hired Amy Atmore, the team's physical/performance therapist and director of rehabilitation, has already made the players comfortable with the revamped staff and new "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" process. There are a few more full-time staffers to welcome into the group but by all accounts, head coach Willie Green has righted the ship culturally in the locker room. The leadership hierarchies and trust circle bonds are very strong and have been unanimously agreed upon.
In contrast to Williamson&rsquo;s on-court hooper mentality paired with a dozen endorsement deals, Ingram loves professional basketball and has been able to operate as an under-the-radar, one-time All-Star. This approach leads to multi-generational wealth that secures family futures. Ingram did not sign a contract extension this summer because "they handing a lot of people big money, [and] I&rsquo;m trying to get some big money&rdquo; next summer.
Ingram smiled while delivering that media-day-gold statement, but Zion was refusing to flash a grin for anyone to start training camp. This isn&rsquo;t just hooping anymore. This is serious, professional basketball and it would be a disservice to his talents and teammates to not approach this season as the opportunity of a lifetime. It&rsquo;s also a chance to win back all the fans and provide a return on the team&rsquo;s investment. Williamson loves to be loved. Ingram, especially after the FIBA experience, is after All-NBA respect before negotiating a contract extension.
The revamped player performance and medical staff changes were a direct result of the front office listening to player feedback. Williamson, who just signed a max-level extension, can see that.
"The Pelicans have put in a lot of things this offseason&hellip;" Williamson said. "I think what the Pelicans have done is add good structure and we'll see as the season goes&hellip; being on the same page with the personal trainers, really locking into every aspect of my body.''
Williamson also listened to feedback from the front office and the team&rsquo;s veterans. He got the message from CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr., who played through injuries last season, to set an example.
"I think [the changes] should help us," McCollum said. &ldquo;A lot of it is on us and how we prepare. Your staff can only do so much."
Off the court, Williamson&rsquo;s larger-than-life, crowd-pleasing ways mesh well with Ingram&rsquo;s reserved, low-key-funny, musically-inclined chill. Now, the Pelicans need them to make it work on the court when the stakes are highest. Like any relationship seemingly stuck running in place, huge consequences are resting on the next decision.
&ldquo;If this team can&rsquo;t take that next step, we need to know that as quickly as possible,&rdquo; Griffin stated straightforwardly at media day.
It&rsquo;s tough to hear for a young team, but at least the tough love is understood as coming from a place of caring about what&rsquo;s best for everyone.
Former NBA vet and Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon said he felt players have returned with a bitter taste in their mouths after the way last season ended and expects them to come into camp highly motivated to show their true potential. Griffin, who is passing off some of the medical-team-oversight responsibilities to Langdon, feels this group is &ldquo;really optimistic."
"We have pieces that can be really dynamic and win together," Griffin said. "They haven&rsquo;t done a lot of it and they know they have something to prove."
Williamson definitely has something to prove and has new motivations in life to live up to his potential. The expecting father with no more viable professional excuses or blame to be placed on youth ''wanted change."
"If I want change, I have to do something different so I sat down with the Pelicans and came up with a great plan," Zion said.
All public signs from the front office, All-Stars and those speaking behind the scenes point to a mended, healthy relationship between all parties as reason for future optimism. Reports of mutiny or group dissension are downright wrong according to what I&rsquo;ve been hearing. Hot takes to insinuate the franchise operates from behind a smoke screen miss the mark at best and at times show the worst of biases from people who wouldn&rsquo;t know which coach or player had a family sitting next to them in the arena.
There were no ultimatums. It was a remodel, not a revolt. The front office took feedback from their players and ran with it. That&rsquo;s a positive relationship. It&rsquo;s boring for offseason news but has long-term benefits for the team and it&rsquo;s fans.
"If we would have controlled the narrative, it would have made (the media&rsquo;s) jobs a lot more boring, but it would have put [Williamson[ in a better position to succeed," Griffin said last summer. "I feel like to a huge degree, I failed him in that sense."
The Pelicans and Williamson are now in a position to succeed with a clear narrative: Win and show the world their true capabilities. Williamson, who trained to be &ldquo;un-guardable&rdquo; this offseason, switched vocabulary halfway through the press conference with an admission that he is &ldquo;a basketball player."
"I simply want to win and impact the game. I train to impact the game from all areas&hellip; Griff, Trajan and Swin [Cash], those three have been really helpful," Williamson added. "They've supported me, they've had my back and we all got the same goal in mind, which I think is what family is about &ndash; people having your back no matter what and wanting the best for each other.&rdquo;
Williamson went further, going out of the way to declare his loyalty to New Orleans.
&ldquo;This is home for me. This is where I want to be&hellip;" he said. "If something were to happen to me where basketball wasn&rsquo;t there or my life is changed, who would be there for me? Realistically, who would be there for me? I had to come to that realization that when it comes to them, the family, and the city, it&rsquo;s always good so I focus on that.&rdquo;
Frankly, if that doesn&rsquo;t hit you right in the feels as a fan of the Pelicans, it might be time to re-examine your engagement with basketball and this team. Either way the franchise is moving forward with stronger relationships just as their championship window is truly opening. A great start to the season might even feel like a second honeymoon for fans with an open mind and little bit of hope for the future.
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

The New Orleans Pelicans are all on the same page and could be poised for a big season, writes Christopher Dodson.

Pelicans better understand love languages of All-Star relationships

After months of scrolling through countless Damian Lillard trade rumors, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-shock-nba-world-by-acquiring-damian-lillard-in-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news finally broke</a> on Wednesday afternoon that the Portland Trail Blazers' long-time franchise cornerstone was headed to the Milwaukee Bucks. In one of the more surprising blockbuster trades in recent memory, the seven-time All-Star guard will pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo to form one of the best duos in the league.&nbsp;
Now, the new big fish in the trade market is none other than the player Lillard was dealt for: Jrue Holiday. The Blazers' return featured Holiday, former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns second-rounder Toumani Camara, an unprotected Bucks 2029 first-rounder, and 2028 and 2030 first-round pick swaps from Milwaukee. The circumstances of Lillard&rsquo;s trade request and his desire to be dealt specifically to the Miami Heat dampened his trade value, but the Blazers were able to come away with a &ldquo;palatable&rdquo; return.
 However, Holiday is unlikely to stay in Portland for long as he does not fit their rebuilding timeline around core players Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1707100851880259810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks</a> graded Portland&rsquo;s trade return as &ldquo;incomplete&rdquo; pending the potential assets the team receives for Holiday when they flip him.
Many contending teams are reportedly rushing to the phones to make moves in reaction to the Lillard blockbuster, with several expressing serious interest in Holiday. These possible suitors include the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Heat. Teams must factor in Holiday's potential free agency next summer and the possibility of signing him to a long-term extension, which he becomes eligible for on Feb. 22. Perhaps the Blazers will have some urgency to deal Holiday prior to Media Day on Oct. 2 in order to avoid questions and logistics about bringing him in for training camp.&nbsp;
For any team over the luxury-tax apron ($171,294,000) to trade for Holiday, they need to trade away at least $33,175,536 (90% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in salaries in order to legally execute a trade. The rest of the league will only need to send out $27,646,280 (75% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in order to make a deal.&nbsp;
Another important CBA note with any Holiday trade is that his $36,861,707 salary cannot be aggregated with other contracts for two months. While Holiday is still eligible to be immediately rerouted elsewhere, he cannot be traded with other players. For example, just a few months back, Chris Paul was traded to the Washington Wizards and then quickly rerouted in a separate deal to Golden State. Because Paul was the only salary going back to the Warriors, he was legally allowed to be traded. This must be taken into consideration when proposing potential trade ideas.
With Holiday potentially on the move in the coming days, let&rsquo;s take a look at some potential deals for the 33-year-old.
Realistic Trade Destinations
BOSTON CELTICS
Celtics receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Al Horford, Dalano Banton (salary guarantee increased to $1,009,853 to satisfy trade rules), 2024 GSW top-4 protected first-round pick, 2025 BOS first-round pick, 2026 BOS first-round pick swap, 2024 CHI/DAL/NO (most favorable) second-round pick, 2026 MIN/NO/NYK/POR (most favorable) second-round pick
By trading away Marcus Smart this summer, the Celtics lost the key cog to their juggernaut defense. Despite not having a Defensive Player of the Year award, Holiday would probably serve as an upgrade to Smart on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, helping the Celtics compete against the new-look Bucks in the East. If they wish to enter the Holiday sweepstakes, they would need to trade Malcolm Brogdon ($22,500,000), whom they were close to dealing to the Clippers in July. Along with Brogdon, they would have to sacrifice either Al Horford ($10,000,000) or Robert Williams III ($11,571,429) to make the salaries work. They have all of their own draft picks to trade as well as the Golden State Warriors' pick in 2024, which they got from the Smart trade.
MIAMI HEAT
Heat receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, 2027 MIA first-round pick, 2029 MIA top-14 protected first-round pick, 2028 MIA first-round pick swap, 2024 MIA top-50 protected second-round pick, 2026 LAL second-round pick, 2027 HOU/IND/MIA/OKC/SA (least favorable) second-round pick
Missing out once again in their pursuit of a star third option to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami could use an upgrade like Holiday to their seemingly incomplete roster. Holiday would provide a must-needed scoring punch and would fit seamlessly in Miami&rsquo;s hard-working culture. While their Lillard trade package was highlighted by Tyler Herro, they likely wouldn&rsquo;t use him in any trade for Holiday. Their salary going out in a deal would come from Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s expiring salary ($29,682,540) and some combination of younger players like Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($3,510,533), Nikola Jovic ($2,352,000) and Haywood Highsmith ($1,902,137). While they are somewhat restricted in terms of draft assets, they can offer up to three first-round picks if they amend their 2025 first-round pick they owe the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have three second-rounders to offer as well.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Knicks receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Khem Birch, 2024 DAL top-10 protected first-round pick, 2024 DET top-18 protected first-round pick, 2024 WAS top-12 protected first-round pick
Spurs receive: Evan Fournier, 2026 MEM top-42 protected second-round pick, 2027 NO/POR (less favorable) second-round pick
The Knicks may be holding out for when the next superstar &ndash; i.e. Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell or Giannis Antetokounmpo (although maybe not anymore?) &ndash; asks for a trade. While New York may be focused on further down the line, acquiring a player like Holiday could allow them to boost their roster right now without giving up enough capital to harm their future superstar pursuits. A Knicks trade that would not harm their trove of draft assets would have to send out RJ Barrett ($23,883,929), who potentially fits Portland&rsquo;s rebuilding timeline. Jrue could line up as the team&rsquo;s starting shooting guard alongside Jalen Brunson, while Josh Hart would play more minutes at small forward to mitigate the loss of Barrett. Evan Fournier&rsquo;s large salary ($18,857,143) would also have to be in any deal for the Knicks to take in Holiday. Portland wouldn&rsquo;t want to acquire both Fournier and Barrett as that would push them over the luxury tax, therefore they would likely route Fournier to another team (like San Antonio).
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Clippers receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2030 LAC first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
The Clippers may have been given an olive branch with a player like Jrue Holiday becoming available, as he's an impact player at a price they can afford. It also provides an alternative for the Clippers to land a third star while avoiding the potential drama/issues that could come with acquiring a player like James Harden. The Clippers have a lot of high-salary veterans they could use to get to Holiday&rsquo;s number like Norman Powell ($18,000,000), Marcus Morris Sr. ($17,116,279), Nicolas Batum ($11,710,818) and Robert Covington ($11,692,308). They would probably like to keep Terance Mann, who they seem to not want to include in a potential Harden trade, although his $10,576,923 could be useful. Portland could view their unprotected picks in 2028 and 2030 as some of the best draft assets they could receive due to their aging stars and lack of postseason success.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
76ers receive: Jrue Holiday
Clippers receive: James Harden, 2024 NYK second-round pick, 2029 PHI second-round pick, 2030 PHI second-round pick
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed to satisfy trade rules), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2029 PHI first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
Amidst the James Harden debacle, Daryl Morey has remained steadfast in getting a formidable return if they choose to trade the disgruntled All-Star. A reunion with Jrue Holiday, who played in Philadelphia from 2009 to 2013, certainly should get Morey and the Sixers' attention. Holiday would certainly upgrade their defense while being a good support and influence on Tyrese Maxey. The Trail Blazers would have little interest in taking a direct package from Philadelphia, which would almost certainly be headlined by Harden ($35,640,000). Harden's desired destination, the Clippers, should still be interested in acquiring him, but may be more interested in trading for Holiday directly. Portland would likely get a similar package to what they would receive if they traded directly with the Clippers, potentially leaving Philadelphia out to dry. The Sixers would have to incentivize the Clippers by trading some draft capital to take Harden instead of Holiday.
Honorable Mentions
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors are a logical Holiday destination in terms of fit and trade assets. A trade package would have to send the newly acquired Chris Paul back to Portland or a third team along with a young player like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski, plus a draft pick. Given that coach Steve Kerr has talked all summer about bringing Paul into the fold, it would be pretty surprising if the team pivoted from the future Hall-of-Famer just before training camp. If the Warriors do choose to jump in the Holiday waters, they could quickly move to the front of the line.&nbsp;
TORONTO RAPTORS
Toronto was considered the favorite to acquire Lillard at one point, with a package that was likely headlined by OG Anunoby and draft assets. In order to acquire Holiday, they would need to use a similar package, albeit with less draft capital involved. It seems as though the Raptors were being coy about potentially dealing Anunoby for Lillard, according to <a href="https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/options-for-raptors-with-damian-lillard-trade-dream-done" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun</a>. If Masai Ujiri was unwilling to include Anunoby in trade discussions before, it&rsquo;s unlikely he will do so for a player like Holiday.&nbsp;
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Holiday would be a near perfect fit alongside Anthony Edwards in the Wolves' backcourt and would greatly improve their defense. However, Minnesota simply doesn&rsquo;t have the right salaries or draft assets to realistically get to Holiday&rsquo;s number unless they are willing to part ways with Karl-Anthony Towns. Even if Tim Connelly was willing to deal Towns for Holiday, the trade may not be what Portland is looking for with the 2015 No. 1 overall pick&rsquo;s five-year supermax extension beginning next season. The idea of paying supermax money to Towns will likely be a turn off for Blazers GM Joe Cronin.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando is probably the most fun dark-horse destination for Jrue. While Markelle Fultz has been a suitable lead guard when healthy, Holiday would bring a championship-level veteran presence that could be useful for Orlando&rsquo;s young squad. The question with the Magic is whether they would actually pursue a deal that would accelerate their timeline with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as well as whether they would part with draft capital that they could potentially use down the line in future trades.

With the Blazers looking to flip Jrue Holiday, Blake Stern breaks down several teams that make sense as a trade suitor.

NBA trade rumors: Examining potential destinations for Jrue Holiday

When San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich chose to rest four starters during a nationally televised game back in 2012, he likely didn't think much of it.
Little did he know, this decision to sit Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green would go on to create a massive ripple effect, with the NBA creating rules about resting players and terms like "load management" entering the lexicon.
At the time, NBA commissioner David Stern fined Popovich and the Spurs $250,000 and said this decision was "a disservice to the league and our fans."
Nearly 12 years later, the NBA is still trying to combat this issue, implementing a new Player Participation Policy in order to prevent teams from resting their best players.
This new policy could conceivably be named the Coach Popovich Rule, but it&rsquo;s not. The NBA&rsquo;s Player Participation Policy specifically governs how teams are allowed to rest their stars. Current NBA commissioner Adam Silver put a very fan-friendly spin on the new rule.
&ldquo;This is ultimately about the fans,&rdquo; Silver recently told reporters following two days of Board of Governors meetings in New York. &ldquo;And that we&rsquo;ve taken this [load management] too far. This is an acknowledgement that it has gotten away from us a bit.&rdquo;
The league&rsquo;s perceived intention seems fair: reverse the load-management trend, which has seen a rise in star players voluntarily missing games &ndash; an admittedly bigger problem now than in the recent past. During the 2022-23 season, the average games played by the league's top-10 scorers was 65 games per player. Comparatively, the average games played by the top-10 scorers in 2012-13 was 75 games!
Ultimately, this move will benefit the fans, but was this really done with the fans&rsquo; interests in mind? By limiting how often stars rest, the NBA&rsquo;s on-court product will inevitably be more compelling. While that's good for fans, it's also good for the NBA itself (but more on that in a moment). Stars sitting out nationally televised games was never a good look, so putting an end to that trend is important.
But digging a bit deeper, I believe it becomes clear that this move is more about business than fan satisfaction. Let's consider, for a moment, that the league&rsquo;s current broadcast rights deal expires following the 2024-25 season. The current TV deal is worth a total of $24 billion over 10 years. The NBA hopes to double &ndash; or even triple &ndash; that number in its next deal, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/22/nba-is-next-up-for-a-big-rights-increase-and-75-billion-is-the-price.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jabari Young of CNBC</a>. It is entirely possible that the league is looking to demonstrate increased value for its bidders, which will likely include the usual suspects like Turner Sports and ESPN as well as streamers like Amazon and Apple.
For what it&rsquo;s worth, Apple recently inked a deal with Major League Baseball, paying $85 million annually to air Friday Night Baseball games over the next seven years. Meanwhile, Amazon reached an agreement with the NFL to pay $1 billion annually for 10 years for exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football games. The NBA is trying to entice these same companies to bid for their broadcast rights.
It's important to note that the Player Participation Policy isn't the league&rsquo;s first attempt to improve its televised product. The NBA also recently announced its <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-details-for-inaugural-inseason-tournament-&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1695515248097037&amp;usg=AOvVaw0mEzpohBfg-49Qyl7iKxR6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inaugural in-season tournament</a>, conveniently beginning this season, which is likely to be marketed differently and, therefore, viewed more regularly. Furthermore, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was ratified in April 2023, dictates that players must participate in at least 65 games to qualify for in-season awards. In total, these are major changes in order to ensure that the NBA's best players are suiting up more often than not.
This could ultimately be a win-win for the league and its fans. Players will probably need more convincing. But if the league plans to continue with an 82-game season &ndash; which it should &ndash; star players must lead the way, meaning they need to be front and center as often as possible. Rest is, of course, an important part of the process, which is likely to be an area of frustration for star players. But the medical advancements, health-oriented amenities and teams of on-staff trainers should ultimately translate to more games played for modern players &ndash; not fewer.
And considering how aggressively maximum salaries have increased, stars will understand. In 2012-13, the highest salary in the NBA was $30.5 million (Kobe Bryant). In 2022-23, it was up more than 50% to $48 million (Stephen Curry). By 2026-27, the highest salary will be at least $63 million (Damian Lillard). Of course, a big reason for these monster salaries is the NBA's TV money. This was never more apparent than during the summer of 2016, when the NBA's new broadcasting deal caused the salary cap to spike and teams went on a spending spree (handing out massive contracts that some would quickly regret).
But for the league&rsquo;s TV partners to also benefit monetarily, star players must be available as often as possible as a means of driving interest &ndash; especially since more and more fans are pledging their allegiance to stars rather than teams. The league clearly understands this fact. Just look at how the NBA structures its Christmas Day games, which are normally among the most-viewed games of the season. Last year, we saw LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker and Ja Morant, who represent seven of the top-10 players in jersey sales.&nbsp;We also saw Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, the two finalists for 2022-23 NBA MVP award.
Like most major changes, the new Player Participation Policy will inevitably ruffle feathers, especially among some players. But it should also improve the NBA&rsquo;s viewership numbers and result in more competitive games. There will probably be some bumps along the way, but fans will benefit as much as anyone. I only wish the league would have referenced the TV deal in announcing the rule as a means of transparency. But regardless of whether the league, owners and players get richer, it&rsquo;ll be refreshing to see stars more frequently &ndash; and that&rsquo;s probably the point.

The NBA introduced rules to combat load management just as their TV deal is set to expire. That's no coincidence, writes Drew Maresca.

NBA’s new Player Participation Policy may lead to even larger TV deal

After yesterday's shocking 104-110 loss to Lithuania in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Team USA is facing some questions. Led by Jonas Valanciunas, Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Vaidas Kariniauskas, Lithuania bullied Team USA and took advantage of their lack of size.
Fortunately for Team USA, they have already clinched a spot in the Paris Olympics thanks to losses by Brazil, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
But entering the quarterfinals, is Team USA still favored to win the World Cup?
The United State squad is a 16.5-point favorite against Italy for Tuesday morning's matchup. And despite the loss to Lithuania, <a href="https://www.sportsbetting.ag/sportsbook/futures-and-props/world-cup-futures/winners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SportsBetting.ag</a> and <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/futures-and-props/world-cup-futures/winners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BetOnline</a> still have Team USA favored to win the gold medal.
It helps that France (which featured NBA players Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier and Frank Ntilikina) was upset after just two games &ndash; thanks to losses against Canada and Latvia. Entering the World Cup, France had the second-best odds (8/1) to win the tournament after Team USA (even odds).
Here's a look at the updated World Cup odds:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 29.5453%; height: 176px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 6.9537%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">USA</td>
<td style="width: 12.4044%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">-135</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 6.9537%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Canada</td>
<td style="width: 12.4044%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+450</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 6.9537%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Germany</td>
<td style="width: 12.4044%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+750</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 6.9537%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Lithuania</td>
<td style="width: 12.4044%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+900</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 6.9537%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Serbia</td>
<td style="width: 12.4044%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+1000</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 6.9537%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Slovenia</td>
<td style="width: 12.4044%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+1400</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 6.9537%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Latvia</td>
<td style="width: 12.4044%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+5000</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 6.9537%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Italy</td>
<td style="width: 12.4044%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+6600</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Through five games, Anthony Edwards is leading the team in scoring, with 20.8 points to go along with 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals, while shooting 48.1% from the field, 35.7% from three-point range and 75% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
Austin Reaves has been a major contributor as well, averaging 10.8 points, 3.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals on 52/46.2/91.7 shooting splits. Paolo Banchero (10.2 points, 3.4 rebounds) and Jalen Brunson (10.2 points, 3.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds) have also played well thus far.&nbsp;
Team USA's biggest weakness has been its lack of size and rebounding. The only big men on the roster are Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler (who has played just 6.2 minutes per game), with Banchero also playing as a small-ball five. Josh Hart is currently leading the US in rebounding with 6.2 boards per game, followed by Edwards (4.2) and Bobby Portis (4.0).
Through the last two games, Team USA has allowed 41 offensive rebounds, with Lithuania and Montenegro combining to outrebound the US by 34 boards.

Despite yesterday's shocking loss to Lithuania, Team USA is still favored to win the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Team USA still favored to win World Cup after loss to Lithuania

One of the most underrated honors in all of basketball is the NBA&rsquo;s Most Improved Player award. 
The league is full of young, developing talents, so being selected as the player who made the biggest strides is an incredible accomplishment. This award can also be a testament to getting your career back on the right track, as was the case with last year's recipient Lauri Markkanen. Many people were ready to give up on Markkanen becoming a star-caliber player, but a change of scenery allowed him to emerge as an All-Star and post career-highs across the board with the Utah Jazz. 
The race for this year's Most Improved Player award will be very interesting, as the last few drafts featured a plethora of talent. Here are my top-five candidates for the Most Improved Player award entering the 2023-24 NBA season:
1. Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets
Mikal Bridges' play became one of the most fascinating storylines during the second half of last season. Bridges was known as an elite second or third option, but he stepped up as the Brooklyn Nets' No. 1 scorer after they acquired him from the Phoenix Suns as part of the Kevin Durant blockbuster trade. Whenever a team is trading one of the best players of all-time, it's difficult to get equal value in return. However, this deal ended up being a win-win. As soon as Bridges was traded to Brooklyn, he made an immediate impact on both ends. The Nets were projected to fall in the standings and miss the playoffs. However, Bridges had something to say about that. 
In 27 games with Brooklyn, Bridges averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.5 threes and a steal, while shooting 47.5% from the field, 37.6% from three and 89.4% from the free-throw line. These are elite numbers. On the season, Bridges played 83 games and averaged 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists. These are still great numbers, but it's clear that he took his game another level during the small sample size we saw of him in Brooklyn. If he can produce at that level over a full season and continue to thrive as the Nets' first option, he will, without a doubt, win the Most Improved Player award. <a href="https://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/odds/most-improved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and BetMGM</a> currently have Bridges as the favorite to win the award.
2. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
One of the most underrated candidates for this award is the young Turkish star Alperen Sengun. In just two seasons, Sengun has become one of the better offensive centers in the league. The Houston Rockets big man was very productive in 28.9 minutes per game, and he could take a massive leap this season. He finished last year averaging 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists, which is already very solid for a young center. However, his per-36 averages were 18.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals &ndash; fantastic numbers for a second-year player. 
With his minutes likely increasing and Sengun continuing to develop, he could be in for a huge season. The Rockets are looking to climb up the Western Conference standings after adding Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks this summer, and Sengun could play a major role in their turnaround. Sengun has the fourth-best odds in the Most Improved Player race <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=player-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on FanDuel</a>.
3. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Despite entering last season as a role player for the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves has become a household name among NBA fans. Prior to his game being on display with Team USA as they compete for the World Cup, Reaves put on a show in the postseason for the Lakers. During the regular season, Reaves averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 threes on 52.9/39.8/86.4 shooting splits. 
Then, in the playoffs, Reaves made a huge leap and averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 threes on 46.4/44.3/89.5 shooting splits. He displayed abilities that were far beyond those of a role player, and he will prove to be a very important piece for this Lakers team next season. Reaves&rsquo; success didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed, as the Lakers signed him to a four-year, $53 million contract this offseason. Reaves has the fourth-best Most Improved Player odds <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/42648?category=awards&amp;subcategory=most-improved-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on DraftKings</a>.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/arr.png" alt="" width="731" height="442" />
4. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers
It&rsquo;s pretty rare to see a player win the Most Improved Player award in their second season. In fact, it has only happened seven times in NBA history, and the last sophomore to win the award was Monta Ellis back in 2007. That said, if any of this year's sophomores can do it, it&rsquo;s Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe. With all of the drama surrounding Damian Lillard's trade request this summer, the Blazers aren&rsquo;t exactly in the best position heading into next season. But Sharpe might be able to thrive in this environment, especially if the Blazers' impending rebuild leads to significantly more playing time. 
Sharpe played just 22 minutes per game last season, and his per-36 numbers were impressive for a rookie: 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 threes and 1.9 assists. Sharpe should absolutely play 30 minutes per game next season, and he will have an opportunity to join the 20 points-per-game club. He could make a leap similar to what we saw from Tyrese Maxey in his second season. Sophomores have a tough time winning this award, especially if they were drafted very high, since drastic improvements are expected in their second season. Sharpe was the No. 7 overall pick in last year's draft, so he'll need to really turn heads in order to win this award.
5. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
While Cade Cunningham has the second-best odds to win the Most Improved Player award <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=player-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on FanDuel</a>, he is a very hard player to evaluate in this context. Cunningham has already played elite basketball in his young NBA career, but he appeared in just 12 games last season, leaving us with a very small sample size to analyze. The Detroit Pistons have certainly made improvements to their roster, but it remains to be seen whether they'll help Cunningham's stats (since he'll be surrounded by more weapons to distribute to) or hurt them (since they'll take away some of his touches). 
That said, he will likely be an elite scorer regardless of his supporting cast. Having him listed this low isn&rsquo;t a slight; he'll very likely emerge as a star next season. It&rsquo;s just hard to imagine him showing more improvement than other players on this list, partially because he's already looked so good at times. It's also worth noting that just one No. 1 overall pick has won the Most Improved Player award in NBA history: Pervis Ellison in 1992. Cunningham&rsquo;s biggest concern in terms of improvement this season should be games played. 
Honorable Mention: Josh Giddey, Scottie Barnes, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Jordan Poole

Hunter Simpson shares his top-five candidates for the Most Improved Player award entering the 2023-24 NBA season.

5 NBA players to watch in the 2023-24 Most Improved Player race

As an NBA fan, there's a special thrill in discovering diamonds in the rough who exceed all expectations relative to their draft slot.
The NBA Draft isn't an exact science, and there are many examples of prospects who slip through the cracks and become franchise-changing players.&nbsp;
Today, let's look back on some of the biggest draft steals in NBA history.
Nikola Jokic, No. 41 overall in 2014
Coming from Serbia, Nikola Jokic was relatively unknown entering the 2014 NBA Draft. When the Denver Nuggets snagged the versatile big man with the No. 41 overall pick, nobody could have expected him to become a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP and one of most skilled centers of all-time. Jokic is the lowest-drafted MVP in NBA history and it isn't close, since every other Most Valuable Player was a top-15 pick. Just to give you an idea of how overlooked Jokic was entering the NBA, Nuggets GM Tim Connelly wasn't asked a single question about Jokic during his post-draft press conference back in 2014. Every question from the assembled media was about Jusuf Nurkic or Gary Harris, causing Connelly to comment, "So, no one wants to ask about our second-round pick Nikola Jokic? We are really excited about him.&rdquo; Perhaps the lack of buzz was due to the fact that Jokic was selected during a Taco Bell commercial.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
As the broadcast mentioned, Nikola Jokic was the No. 41 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. But let&rsquo;s not forget that Jokic was selected during a Taco Bell commercial. 😅 <a href="https://t.co/m8zm1kxZDt">pic.twitter.com/m8zm1kxZDt</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1667343901374521347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Giannis Antetokounmpo, No. 15 overall in 2013
Entering the 2013 NBA Draft, there was a bit of buzz about Giannis Antetokounmpo given his length and athleticism, but he was incredibly raw. Some scouts and executives had seen him play overseas, but the competition was deemed to be weak. Nobody knew what to expect from the young, lanky project from Greece. The Milwaukee Bucks decided to draft him with the No. 15 overall pick, and their gamble paid off spectacularly. Antetokounmpo developed into a generational talent, winning multiple MVP awards and leading the Bucks to their first NBA championship in decades. What makes Giannis slipping to No. 15 look even worse is the fact that many players who went ahead of him ultimately struggled, including Anthony Bennett (No. 1), Cody Zeller (No. 4), Alex Len (No. 5), Nerlens Noel (No. 6), Ben McLemore (No. 7), Trey Burke (No. 9), Michael Carter-Williams (No. 10) and Shabazz Muhammad (No. 14).
Kobe Bryant, No. 13 overall in 1996
In 1996, the Charlotte Hornets selected a teenage Kobe Bryant with the 13th pick and immediately traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac. This move was undoubtedly one of the biggest draft blunders in NBA history, as Bryant became one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. His work ethic, talent and competitive spirit allowed him to become a five-time NBA champion, an NBA MVP and one of the game's all-time greats. While <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/revisiting-the-starstudded-1996-nba-draft-kobe-bryant-ray-allen-steve-nash-allen-iverson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 1996 NBA Draft was loaded</a>, players like Todd Fuller, Samaki Walker and Vitaly Potapenko had no business being drafted before Kobe. It's worth noting that Bryant was the first guard to enter the NBA straight out of high school, which scared some teams off.
Draymond Green, No. 35 overall in 2012
Draymond Green slipped to the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft because he was viewed as a "tweener" without a clear-cut position. However, Green's success helped eradicate that term, as teams started seeing the value in versatile players who could fill multiple roles. Green's defensive prowess and basketball IQ have been instrumental during the Golden State Warriors' dynastic run. With his fiery leadership and two-way impact, Draymond is widely regarded as the Warriors' heart and soul. Also, his resume is incredible: four NBA championships, a Defensive Player of the Year award, four All-Star appearances, two All-NBA selections and eight All-Defensive Team nods.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/1232313350-0.jpg" alt="" width="743" height="447" />
Kawhi Leonard, No. 15 overall in 2011
One of the most shocking storylines during the 2011 NBA Draft was Kawhi Leonard slipping outside of the lottery. Finally, the Indiana Pacers drafted Leonard with the 15th overall pick and quickly traded him to the San Antonio Spurs for George Hill. It didn't take long for Leonard to make the teams that passed on him look foolish. Right away, Leonard made an impact with his lockdown defense and improved jumpshot. He played a huge role in the Spurs' 2014 title, taking home the Finals MVP award. Leonard just kept getting better and better until it became clear that he was a superstar and one of the game's most dominant two-way threats. Now, he's a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-NBA selection, as well as a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
Manu Ginobili, No. 57 overall in 1999
Manu Ginobili spent the first few years of his career playing overseas, where he was very successful. While he was drafted with the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Ginobili would ultimately remain abroad until the 2002-03 NBA season when he finally joined the Spurs as a 25-year-old. Ginobili's fearless style of play and exceptional basketball IQ turned him into a key cog in the Spurs' dynasty. Ginobili became a four-time NBA champion, an Olympic goal medalist, a Sixth Man of the Year and a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. Not bad for someone who was nearly Mr. Irrelevant!
Isaiah Thomas, No. 60 overall in 2011
Speaking of Mr. Irrelevant, Isaiah Thomas was the 60th and final pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. Thomas thrived in Sacramento and had a brief stint in Phoenix, but he played his best basketball in Boston. At the height of his stint with the Celtics, Thomas averaged nearly 30 points per game &ndash; becoming a two-time All-Star and a fan favorite. Thomas is the ultimate underdog, from his draft-day story to his 5-foot-9 frame. Thomas proved his doubters wrong and became one of the league's most exciting scorers before injuries impacted his game.
Gilbert Arenas, No. 31 overall in 2001
Gilbert Arenas slipped to the 31st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, where he was ultimately selected by the Golden State Warriors. Despite slipping into the second round, Arenas' terrific scoring ability allowed him to become one of the most exciting guards of his era. His time with the Wizards was particularly memorable, as "Agent Zero" was a three-time All-Star during his stint in Washington. It's worth noting that Arenas played so well as a second-rounder that the NBA added <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/03/hoops-rumors-glossary-gilbert-arenas-provision-4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Gilbert Arenas Provision</a> in the CBA, which made it easier for teams to keep talented second-rounders or undrafted players who hit restricted free agency after breaking out.
Steve Nash, No. 15 overall in 1996
Selected with the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash was not an immediate superstar. However, with his exceptional court vision and terrific work ethic, he transformed himself into one of the most skilled point guards of his generation. While leading the Suns' high-octane offense, Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006. In addition to being a two-time NBA MVP, Nash would become an eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, five-time assist champion, first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Alex Kennedy looks back on some of the biggest draft steals in NBA history, including Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more.

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