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Warriors

Here&rsquo;s a bit of trivia for you: Which rookie from this <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-they-are-all-special-a-guide-to-the-best-rookies-of-the-2021-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stacked</a> 2021 NBA Draft class has played the most minutes in the Conference Finals?
Considering most of the top rookies didn't advance very far, surely the answer has to be the Golden State Warriors' heralded No. 7 overall pick, Jonathan Kuminga &mdash; the same player who earlier this postseason was <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/warriors-jonathan-kuminga-vows-learn-despite-historic-nba-playoff-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the youngest rookie to start a playoff game since 1971</a>, right?&nbsp;
Wrong!
The answer, with an impactful 64 minutes played over the course of five games, is none other than Golden State&rsquo;s other rookie: the No. 14 overall pick Moses Moody.
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Our story begins in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, where a 104-76 score prompted both the Golden State and Dallas coaches to empty their benches for the home stretch of the blowout series opener.
In response, Reggie Miller on the call proclaimed: &ldquo;I have a sneaky feeling. I think these minutes are going to be important for [Nemanja] Bjelica and Kuminga because, at some point, those two guys are going to have to play significant minutes in this series.&rdquo;
Unbeknownst to him, he made a glaring omission in his statement; the player who really needed these repetitions was Moody. And during that seemingly meaningless stretch, Moody flashed two features that would prove useful to Golden State later in the series &mdash; his play-finishing and defensive versatility.
Play-Finishing&nbsp;
Nowadays, NBA offenses are so prolific that even the most venerable defenses can&rsquo;t eliminate every piece on the board. This leads to teams having to strategically <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nba-playoffs-and-the-art-of-concessions-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concede</a> certain shots in order to hone-in on the player(s) they deem the most dangerous (see the Milwaukee Bucks' defense vs. the Boston Celtics in Round 2).
When you&rsquo;re going up against the Warriors, the Splash Trio receives the highest priority, and these standards lead to open looks for the group&rsquo;s least esoteric marksman.
As of this moment, Moody falls under this designation. And to his credit, he did an excellent job of burning the Mavericks for their negligence in defending him, draining 50% of his triples (albeit in a miniature sample size).
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Cutting and movement rule the day in Golden State's perpetual motion offensive system. Moody got the memo, and he did a great job of knowing when it was appropriate to shag back and maintain his spacing on the perimeter, and when it was time to fill the lane and shake the Golden Gate bridge with a <a href="https://streamable.com/k3xuy0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seismic eruption</a> at the rim.
Defensive Versatility&nbsp;
As Seth Partnow noted in his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/seth-partnow-qa-a-sitdown-with-the-author-of-the-midrange-theory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent book</a>, "The Midrange Theory," versatility is the key to playoff success &mdash; the ol' Carlos Boozer and Robert Horry paradigm.
This maxim reigns especially true in defense, where we&rsquo;ve already seen multiple playoff runs abbreviated due to a lack of scheme versatility. (I hope the folks in Utah are doing well on this fine Friday afternoon.)
Moody was far from the anchor out there, but the Warriors&rsquo; defense stayed afloat during his minutes, partially because of his ability to wear multiple hats on that end of the floor.
We&rsquo;ll start with his off-ball work and this snag-tastic reception:
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Moses Moody legit Odell Beckham-ed this ball. <a href="https://t.co/tC54YzUzhG">pic.twitter.com/tC54YzUzhG</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1530189122886897664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Along with that reception, Moody deflected two additional passes in that very same quarter, prompting Warriors writer Marcus Thompson to cite Moody&rsquo;s contributions as an <a href="https://theathletic.com/3332392/2022/05/25/warriors-mavericks-young-game-4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">integral part of the team&rsquo;s Game 4 comeback</a>.
Despite only authoring 2 steals the entire series, spurts like the one he demonstrated in Game 4 leave room for potential growth into a future defensive playmaker.
Moody also did surprisingly well navigating the <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/2-9-6fb93080023c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.9 spot</a> as a low-man. He was well attuned to his positioning, consistently swaying in and out of the paint to avoid garnering a three-second call, while also timing his re-entries in a manner that enabled him to wall off forays at the rim when the moment presented itself.&nbsp;
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Lastly, Moody even showed some chops as a man defender. On <a href="https://streamable.com/b6cjoa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this play</a>, he manages to stay attached to Jalen Brunson amid Jordan Poole&rsquo;s hedge endeavor, and then mirrors his movements before hindering his attempt at the rim.
Moody&rsquo;s point-of-attack prowess is more apparent when you understand the amount of leeway he was granted within the Warriors&rsquo; scheme. In my <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/05/western-conference-finals-can-the-golden-state-warriors-continue-to-slow-luka-doncic-and-the-dallas-mavericks/">recent article</a> on this series, I looked into how Golden State has specific principles for Luka Doncic ball screens. Well, Moody was one of the few players given the green light to switch onto him immediately.
He was also empowered by Steve Kerr to captain the ship of the Warriors' revered Box-and-1 alignment a few times during the third quarter of Game 3. And Moody even got the chance to moonlight as the team&rsquo;s defensive coordinator, <a href="https://streamable.com/a8geaq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling for a zone formation on defense</a> at one point in Game 4. (For the Warriors, you can tell it's a zone when the signal-caller executes a <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2022/5/21/23133463/warriors-mavericks-game-2-steph-curry-kevon-looney-luka-doncic-film-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised double fist</a>).
To conclude our tale, let&rsquo;s take a gander at Moody&rsquo;s best two-way sequence of the series, where he blocks Doncic and then proceeds to commandeer free-throw attempts at the other end of the floor. A perfect encapsulation of his imprint on this series.
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Nice.
In a class as talent-laden and promising as the 2021 draft pool, who would have guessed that the player picked last in the lottery would be the last rookie standing.
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Mat Issa gives props to Moses Moody for his finishing and defensive contributions to the Warriors when his number was called upon.

Moses Moody: The last rookie standing in the 2022 NBA Playoffs

The Golden State Warriors find themselves in familiar territory after failing to close out a series on the road and hope for familiar results when they return home.
For the third straight series, the Warriors lost their first chance to advance while playing on the road. But they can make it to their sixth NBA Finals in the past eight years by finishing off the Dallas Mavericks at home in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.
The Warriors managed to rebound after those slipups in the first two rounds against Denver and Memphis and are hoping for a repeat after losing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-luka-doncic-4a70ca4c9a8f0b1f9a786f97cba535a1">119-109 at Dallas</a> on Tuesday night when the Mavericks got off to a fast start and didn't slow down until the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good lesson learned,&rdquo; guard Stephen Curry said. &ldquo;You tip your hat to them because they made a lot of shots. We had a couple breakdowns in our zone that gave them easy looks, and they made us pay. We knew to close them out, it&rsquo;s going to be tough. So you&rsquo;ve got to strap up on defense. When we go home, Game 5 and figure out how to slow them down, especially in the first quarter.&rdquo;
STAYING ALIVE
The Mavericks have staved off elimination three times this postseason, winning Games 6 and 7 against Phoenix in the second round and then again against the Warriors in Game 4. None of the games have been particularly close, with Dallas outscoring the opponents by 70 points in the three wins. Luka Doncic has led the way with 98 points and 35 rebounds in the three wins but says the key has been aggressiveness on offense and more commitment to defense.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to believe,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;I think our defense was way better today, and I think we attacked the paint. Those two things are key, and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve got to bring to San Francisco.&rdquo;
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Warriors got back into the game in the fourth quarter thanks to a young lineup featuring 22-year-old Jordan Poole and 19-year-old rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. That trio, along with Nemanja Bjelica and Damion Lee, cut a 29-point deficit to eight points in the first 8:38 of the fourth quarter before Curry and the starters began to return.
The Mavericks closed it out from there but the flashes from the young group could earn them more time. Kuminga hadn't played at all the previous two games before scoring 17 points in just under 22 minutes in Game 4.
&ldquo;It was great because they had an opportunity to go out there and make their presence felt, impact the game, build some confidence and some experience in this series and what it feels like to be out there,&rdquo; Curry said.
ROLLER COASTER
It's been a up-and-down series for Dallas' Reggie Bullock and getting the best version of him will be key if the Mavericks want to stay alive. Bullock made six 3-pointers and scored 21 points in a Game 2 loss before becoming the fifth player since at least 1968 to take at least 10 shots and score no points in a playoff game.
Bullock responded in Game 4 by making 6 of 10 3-pointers and scoring 18 points. That took pressure off Doncic, along with bounce-back performances from Dorian Finney-Smith, who had 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and Maxi Kleber, who went 5 for 6 for 13 points after missing 12 of 14 shots the first three games.
&ldquo;We just made shots and we also was getting stops, so we got the chance to play a little faster, and we got them open shots early in the shot clock and not like end of the shot clock trying to shoot a bomb,&rdquo; Finney-Smith said.
TALL TASK
No team has ever rallied from 3-0 down to win a best-of-seven playoff series in NBA history and even getting it back to Dallas for Game 6 would be rare. Of the 146 previous teams to take a 3-0 lead, 90 finished off the series with a sweep with 42 more winning it in five. With a win Thursday, the Mavs would be the 12th team to force a Game 6 and only three teams have gotten to a Game 7 before losing.

The Warriors find themselves in familiar territory after failing to close out a series on the road and hope for familiar results when they return home.

Warriors look to close out Mavs and get back to NBA Finals

Everyone has seen the stat:&nbsp;The Memphis Grizzlies are 20-5 without Ja Morant.
It doesn't make sense... unless it does.&nbsp;
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Are we gonna have a discussion about the fact that many of these beatdowns have happened without Ja Morant? Is there a discussion to be had?
&mdash; Peter Edmiston (@peteredmiston) <a href="https://twitter.com/peteredmiston/status/1524591756901294086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The discussion is not about whether the Grizzlies are better without Ja Morant. They aren't.
They are different, and different in ways that give Memphis rightful hope that it has a puncher's chance at winning this series against the Golden State Warriors.
The Grizzlies have outplayed the Warriors for the majority of the series. Golden State is up 3-2 due to its experience closing out games versus <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-the-grizzlies-overcome-their-youth-against-experienced-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the youth of Memphis</a>. Game 4's ending is evidence that Memphis needs Morant, as the team could not create baskets down the stretch to stave off the Warriors' comeback.&nbsp;
So, without their superstar, how can the Grizzlies complete a 3-1 comeback? What's the formula?
Let's dig in.
DEFENSIVE INTENSITY AND FOCUS
The formula for Memphis in the regular season was defense leading to quick offense. The Grizzlies thrived on creating chaos and led the league in points off turnovers and fast-break points.&nbsp;
In Round 2, Memphis currently leads the NBA with 20.8 points off turnovers per contest. They are fourth in Defensive Rating (108.0), first in steals per game (10.6) and second in blocks per game (6.0). Another indicator of defensive intensity is a team's amount of deflections, a stat in which the Grizzlies lead the NBA with 16.0 per game in the second round as well.
In two games without Morant, Memphis has held the Warriors to an average of 98.0 points and forcing 19.0 turnovers per contest while amassing 32 total deflections during that span. Even more wild is the team's 94.7 DRTG without Morant in this series, holding the Warriors to a 49.1% Effective Field Goal percentage.&nbsp;
In the first two possessions of Game 5, the Grizzlies got exactly what they wanted from the Warriors &mdash; an Andrew Wiggins three and a Draymond Green three. Memphis is clearly forcing someone other than the Splash Brothers to try and beat them. In fact, the first five shots by the Warriors were by players not named Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson, and Curry did not take his first shot until there was 4:43 left in the first quarter.
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At this point in the game, Jordan Poole had been struggling with his shot. Since Kevon Looney isn't much of an offensive threat, Steven Adams plays drop coverage and allows De'Anthony Melton plenty of space to navigate the screen. Dillon Brooks face-guards Curry while Jaren Jackson Jr. is in help position due to the non-shooting threat of Green. Melton is a plus-defender off the bench. and his wingspan creats havoc for opponents, as Poole experienced on this possession.
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Memphis has made it quite clear that its game plan is to funnel the Warriors into the paint. When Green is playing on the perimeter, it allows Adams to cut off the backdoor plays, forcing Thompson into a baseline jumper rather than a layup while having the step on Tyus Jones.
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Jackson blitzes Curry on the screen, forcing Curry to get off the ball making a soft pass to a rolling Nemanja Bjelica. Jones gambles by leaving Thompson and gets the steal, but its the positioning of Desmond Bane and Adams that matters.
Again, Adams is 15 feet away from Green while Bane vacates Wiggins in the corner. Both are in help, and Memphis will either live with a Wiggins three or recover and rotate if the ball were kicked to Green on the perimeter.
In the two games without Morant, the Grizzlies have made life incredibly difficult for Curry, Thompson and Poole.
<ul>
<li>Curry: 14-of-35 (40.0%) and 6-of-22 from deep (31.8%)</li>
<li>Thompson: 13-of-32 (40.6%) and 3 of 3 from deep (23.1%)</li>
<li>Poole: 5-of-18 (27.8%) and 1 of 6 from deep (16.7%)</li>
</ul>
Meanwhile, Poole and Green have combined for 15 turnovers alone during the two games and 37 in the series. Green has more than doubled his total turnovers from the first round against the Denver Nuggets.
Memphis must continue creating chaos on defense and scoring off turnovers in order to have a chance without Morant.
JAREN JACKSON JR. 
Simply put, the Warriors do not roster a player who can guard Jaren Jackson Jr. when he is not settling for perimeter shots. It has been an interesting case study when it comes to the offense of JJJ with and without Morant.
The strength of Ja is getting downhill and attacking the rim; therefore, Jackson must not be occupying that space. JJJ floats around the perimeter for catch-and-shoot opportunities way too often when Morant is on the floor. So it makes sense that Jackson shoots 3.7% better when Morant is not playing, because he gets to the rim more often.&nbsp;
A contributing factor to the team's Game 4 loss was Memphis failing to get the ball to JJJ down the stretch, as he shot just four times in the final eight minutes. Jackson has to be the featured guy for this team to have any hope of advancing.&nbsp;
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Mismatch.
Just call it what it is for the Warriors attempting to guard him. Memphis obviously drew this up to look for Jackson early on a post-up on the young and undersized Jonathan Kuminga. A key to featuring a player is getting him looks early. Look for the Grizzlies to do much of the same in Game 6 (and potential Game 7).
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Thompson has certainly lost a step and is not the perimeter lockdown defender he once was; the 7-foot Jackson is able to get by Thompson on the perimeter, forcing a Klay foul to prevent an easy bucket. As long as JJJ does not resort to only going left when he is headed downhill, he can put immense pressure on the Warriors' defense.
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Memphis has run this action multiple times for both Jackson and Bane, and should continue to do so. When Jaren has it going from deep, it is a massive game-changer for the Grizzlies in any game. Memphis needs a repeat performance from Game 5 Jaren.
AUXILIARY OPTIONS
Bane has been dealing with a bulging disc in his back. The Warriors have obviously game-planned to render Brandon Clarke ineffective on the offensive glass. Melton is still a wild card, and Brooks has been a hot mess.
In order for the Grizzlies to survive and advance, Bane has to be lethal, Clarke needs to be active on the glass, Melton has to show up and Brooks needs to play within himself. In Game 5, those things happened for the most part.&nbsp;
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This should tell you that Bane is closer to 100%. In the previous meetings, he was mostly limited to spot-up shooting. His ability to put the ball on the floor and turn the corner is crucial for Memphis' offense.
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Clarke got loose in Game 5. After four games of focused boxing out on BC, the Warriors allowed him to make a massive impact on the offensive glass. Clarke was the biggest X-factor in the first round for Memphis, and will need the same level impact going forward.
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Melton can be very hit or miss offensively. If he hits his first shot, watch out, because he is about to go on a binge. If he misses the first few, his minutes get cut rather quickly. Melton is a player who thrives off chaos on the defensive end, constantly deflecting balls, blocking shots and racking up steals. His ability to defend off the bench is key for the Grizzlies.
Its a long shot, but the Memphis Grizzlies are capable of coming back from a 3-1 deficit &mdash; even without their superstar. Can the Grizzlies stay locked in and play exceptional basketball for two more games?
Obviously, many things have to go right &mdash; but they did in Game 5.
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Justin Lewis highlights what led to the Grizzlies' win in Game 5 over the Warriors and explains why Memphis can still take this series.

Despite missing Ja Morant, the Grizzlies can still defeat the Warriors

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Memphis Grizzlies routed the Golden State Warriors 134-95 on Wednesday night to avoid elimination and force a sixth game in the Western Conference semifinal.
Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Memphis. Ziaire Williams and Brandon Clarke had 11 apiece and De&rsquo;Anthony Melton 10. Steven Adams had 13 rebounds, six offensive.
The Grizzlies never trailed, turning in their best performance of this series to pull to 3-2 even with All-Star guard Ja Morant sitting out his second straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee. They improved to 4-11 when facing elimination.
Memphis scored 77 points in the first half, the most in franchise postseason history. The Grizzlies pushed their lead to 55 in the third quarter, threatening the three biggest postseason blowouts in NBA history. Their 52-point lead after three tied for the largest in a playoff game in the past 70 years.
When Memphis fans chanted &ldquo;Whoop That Trick! Whoop That Trick!&rdquo; early in the fourth, Stephen Curry laughed on the court laughing while Draymond Green swung a towel in unison with the crowd.
Game 6 is Friday night in San Francisco, where the Warriors have won five straight playoff games and their last seven overall.&nbsp;
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 19 points, Jonathan Kuminga added 17, Curry had 14 and Damion Lee and Moses Moody each had 10.
The Warriors lost for the first time with assistant Mike Brown filling in for coach Steve Kerr, who missed his second straight game since testing positive for COVID before Game 4.
The Grizzlies got back to doing the things that helped the post the second-best record during the regular season. They outrebounded Golden State and dominated on the offensive boards. They forced plenty of turnovers and got their best production from the bench of this series.
Golden State, thanks to Poole coming off the bench, had outscored Memphis&rsquo; reserves each of the first four games. Facing elimination, the Grizzlies had a 28-8 edge through the first two quarters and finished with a 52-35 margin.
Memphis led 38-28 at the end of the first quarter and continued a 24-8 run into the second quarter to go up 53-36t. They finished the second on a 20-4 run, including 14 straight, to outscore Golden State 39-22 for a 77-50 lead at halftime.
Then the Grizzlies opened the third quarter outscoring Golden State 20-6, prompting fans to start chanting &ldquo;Whoop That Trick.&rdquo; Memphis just pushing, outscoring Golden State 42-17 in the third for a 119-67 lead going into the fourth.
Brown benched most of his starters by 3:44 of the third, and Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins followed to start the fourth resting up for a flight to California and Game 6.
TIP-INS
Warriors: The 77 points allowed in the first half matched the most allowed all season. They also gave up 77 on Jan. 13 at Milwaukee. ... The Warriors also fell to 12-4 in Game 5s since 2015. ... Nemanja Bjelica started the third quarter in place of Jonathan Kuminga. Bjelica had played only four minutes in this series. ... Otto Porter Jr. played 12 minutes before being sidelined by a sore right foot.
Grizzlies: They matched their most first-half points, also scoring 77 against New Orleans on March 8. They did it by outscoring Golden State 24-5 on second-chance points with a 18-4 edge on the offensive boards.
POSTSEASON BLOWOUTS
The Bucks also led Philadelphia by 52 (124-72) on March 30, 1970. Denver beat New Orleans by 58 on April 27, 2009, matching the margin Minneapolis beat St. Louis on March 19, 1956. Golden State beat the Los Angeles Lakers by 56 on April 21, 1973.
GRIZZLIES&rsquo; D
Memphis scored 25 points off turnovers in the first half &mdash; most by any team in the 1st half over the last 25 postseasons. The Warriors had been averaging 19 turnovers a game in this series and had 14 by halftime and finished with 20.
BROWN&rsquo;S FIRST LOSS
Brown, the next coach of the Sacramento Kings, had been 12-0 coaching the Warriors in the postseason, winning 11 straight in the 2017 playoffs. He also won Game 4 when the Warriors took the lead for the first time with 45.7 seconds left to pull out a win for a 3-1 series lead.&nbsp;

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Grizzlies routed the Warriors 134-95.

Grizzlies rout Warriors to avoid elimination, force Game 6

Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points, Jordan Poole added 22 and the Golden State Warriors held off the Sacramento Kings 109-90 on Sunday night.
Nemanja Bjelica had season highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds to go with his six assists in the Warriors&rsquo; second straight win &mdash; something they hadn&rsquo;t done since early March.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing for seeding at this point and we really want to get as high as we can in the standings,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care how we got here, we got here. We&rsquo;ve had all kinds of injuries and adversity. Our guys have stuck together and competed, and here we are.&rdquo;
Harrison Barnes had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings, who were eliminated from playoff contention for an NBA-record 16th consecutive season.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been here the last two years and I can tell you in my opinion things are headed the right way,&rdquo; Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s some work to be done but everybody here is willing to put in the hours and put in the work and find a way to get the monkey off the back.&rdquo;
Sacramento lost all four games against Golden State this season.
One day after coming back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Utah Jazz and clinch a playoff spot, the Warriors nearly went the opposite way, letting a big lead slip away. Sacramento trailed by as much as 26 but got within 93-86 late in the fourth quarter following Damian Jones&rsquo; short jumper.
Draymond Green found Gary Payton Jr. cutting along the baseline for a layup and Wiggins followed with a 3-pointer for the Warriors. After Jones scored for the Kings, Green fed Jonathan Kuminga for a dunk and Wiggins hit another jumper.
Kuminga finished with 17 points as the Warriors won their 50th game of the season.
&ldquo;It was a huge weekend for us just getting back to playing our brand of basketball,&rdquo; said Green, who picked up his 14th technical this season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to be back where we are. Now we have to continue to build and try to roll into these playoffs.&rdquo;
The Warriors, already without Stephen Curry for the remainder of the regular season because of a left foot sprain, were also missing Klay Thompson, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala. Those three were held out because of the back-to-back.
Green, who has been nursing a lower back injury, convinced the coaching staff ti let him play in both games.
&ldquo;I need reps,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;I felt good. They gave me the option to play so I took the option.&rdquo;
HONORING SHOOTING VICTIMS
Before the game, the Kings held a moment of silence was held for victims of the mass shooting that occurred early Sunday morning three blocks away from the Golden 1 Center. Six people died and 12 were wounded. Police have said at least two shooters were involved.
Kerr and Gentry both called for stricter gun control regulations.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so, so sorry for the victims and their families,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just time. It&rsquo;s time for us to do something about it instead of have another moment of silence and then send thoughts and prayers.&rdquo;
Gentry called the shooting &ldquo;an incredible tragedy.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s unfortunate that something like that can still happen nowadays in an environment where everybody is really out having fun, just trying to have fun and have a good time,&rdquo; Gentry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a sad day. I hope this is not something that our city is remembered for because it&rsquo;s a great place with a lot of great people that live here.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State has won 50 or more games in eight of the last 10 seasons.
Kings: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (right hand) and Domantas Sabonis (right knee contusion) did not play.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host the Lakers on Thursday.
Kings: Host the Pelicans on Tuesday for the final home game of the season.

Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points, Jordan Poole added 22 and the Warriors held off the Kings to eliminate them from playoff contention.

Warriors win second straight, beat struggling Kings 109-90

Karl-Anthony Towns had 39 points and nine rebounds for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had their offense humming inside and out in a 129-114 victory over the sputtering Golden State Warriors in a potential playoff series preview on Tuesday night.
D'Angelo Russell pitched in 22 points, and Malik Beasley added 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range for Minnesota. The Timberwolves owned a 54-42 edge in points in the paint, too, with the banged-up Warriors mostly out of answers for slowing Towns down around the basket.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 34 points, but the league's career leader in 3-point shooting went just 5 for 16 from long range with several of his heaves way off the mark. Gary Payton II added 14 points for the Warriors, who have the NBA's second-best record but have lost six of eight games.
The Timberwolves (34-29), who entered the evening 3 1/2 games out of the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference with the play-in avoidance that comes with it, played without Anthony Edwards because of knee tendinitis. They still won their sixth straight game against the Warriors at home, never minding their 11-game losing streak to Golden State on the road for now, and moved a season-best five games above the .500 mark.
The Warriors (43-19), who are suddenly in quite the fight in trying to fend off Memphis (43-20) for second place, were without Klay Thompson for the second straight game because of an illness.
Nemanja Bjelica was held out with a bruised quadriceps, and Moses Moody &mdash; who started again at forward with Thompson sidelined &mdash; departed in the first quarter with a bruised left eye after a collision with Towns under the basket. Then there's the continued absence of Draymond Green and James Wiseman and the lack of depth to fill in the post.
Andrew Wiggins had eight points in the first 3:08 of the game against his former team, but he went quiet the rest of the way and finished with 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting.
This matchup of the two most frequent 3-point shooting teams in the league was mostly in Minnesota's control, starting with an 18-5 run to close the first quarter. Russell converted a three-point play for a 68-56 lead just before halftime, and the Timberwolves took a 14-3 spurt well into the fourth quarter before Towns checked back in for the final stretch.
ABSENT ANT
Edwards missed a game to injury for the first time in his two-year career, having been out for six games earlier this season due to COVID-19.
Coach Chris Finch said the team will have to manage the condition for the rest of the year and that &ldquo;everything is on the table&rdquo; in terms of an extended rest plan. Edwards went 3 for 28 from 3-point range and averaged only 10.4 points over the last five games.
&ldquo;Its affected him, for sure, no doubt,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t feel like he has the confidence or the explosion to do certain things in certain directions.&rdquo;
WOUNDED WARRIORS
Payton has been playing through shin pain. Thompson, who could rejoin the team for the next game, remains on a 30-minute restriction in his ramp-up from a torn Achilles tendon that kept him out of the entire 2020-21 season. Green is still several weeks from returning from his back injury. Wiseman has been practicing with the team but has yet to play in 2021-22 after knee surgery.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Jordan Poole, who was 0 for 7 and missed all four of his 3-point tries on Sunday, was again the first man off the bench and went 1 for 6 from deep and had 12 points in 27 minutes. ... Andre Iguodala missed his sixth straight game with lower back tightness.
Timberwolves: This was the 12th game this season for Towns with 30-plus points and the 90th of his seven-year career. ... Jarred Vanderbilt, who was listed as questionable with left shoulder soreness, played 24 minutes and had two points and eight rebounds.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Play at Dallas on Thursday night.
Timberwolves: Play at Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 39 points and 9 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who had their offense humming inside and out.

Towns has 39 points as Wolves surge past Warriors 129-114

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Klay Thompson is right back to knocking down timely shots that help decide games and playing stingy defense on the other end.
Thompson hit the biggest shot yet of his 2 1/2-year injury comeback, smoothly sinking a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to send the Golden State Warriors to a 110-106 victory over Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.
&ldquo;It felt amazing, it really did. I missed that feeling,&rdquo; Thompson said. &ldquo;It felt absolutely amazing.&rdquo;
Irving wasn't done and made a 3 of his own moments later and scored 32 points while hearing boos from the Bay Area crowd directed at the unvaccinated Nets star.
Thompson finished with 16 points. Stephen Curry hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:09 left and five free throws over the final 1:44 to score 19 points as Irving kept delivering on the other end without the injured Kevin Durant and James Harden.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important for Klay to feel those big moments. It&rsquo;s been 2 &frac12; years,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said.
Andrew Wiggins contributed 24 points and eight rebounds as the Warriors made key late stops, including Irving's missed reverse layup try with a minute left. Jordan Poole added 17 points and six assists off the bench.
Brooklyn's Patty Mills connected on three clutch 3-pointers in the final 9:46, tying the game at 96 with 4:42 remaining and finishing with 24 points.
After Wiggins missed a 3 with 30 seconds left, Mills converted two free throws after a foul.
Harden was a late scratch for the Nets with a strained right hand that flared up Friday shooting and lifting weights.
Irving gets to play in road games only given New York&rsquo;s vaccination requirement but was booed loudly by the Bay Area crowd during pregame introductions. With San Francisco&rsquo;s vaccination mandate for large indoor events, he should have been the lone unvaccinated person allowed inside Chase Center.
Curry went 6 for 10 from deep during Thursday's 124-115 victory over Minnesota after going 3 for 23 on 3s his previous two games. He was 3 of 10 from long range Saturday and added eight assists and seven rebounds.
Curry missed his first three 3s and had just two points after one quarter, when the Warriors got 14 points from Wiggins on 6-of-9 shooting to go ahead 31-20. Curry was 1 for 7 in the first half. He hit his first 3 21 seconds into the third as the Warriors went on a 20-9 run to go ahead 74-56 at the 5:51 mark.
Durant didn&rsquo;t make the trip as the 2017 and '18 NBA Finals MVP with Golden State nurses a left knee injury. Brooklyn won 134-117 at Chase Center on Feb. 13 last year in Durant's return.
Golden State was down to 10 players with injuries and rookie Moses Moody's assignment to the G League Santa Cruz Warriors but did enough to wrap up an impressive seven-game homestand at 6-1.
Still, the Warriors so appreciate Thompson's on-court presence again.
&ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m figuring out how to play well with these guys and vice versa,&rdquo; Thompson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to simulate that when you&rsquo;re on the sideline watching.&rdquo;
KYRIE FACTOR
Having Irving for only road games hasn't been that tough for coach Steve Nash to navigate given how many injuries Brooklyn has had.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great having him back. We&rsquo;ve had so many injuries and interruptions this year, availability issues, to add a player his caliber, even if it&rsquo;s just on the road has been much needed and been great for our group," Nash said. "Fortunately, the reality of the last 18 months for us is that we&rsquo;ve never had an extended run of health. So to have a player that plays on the road and at home is not that different than what we face week to week anyway.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Nets: Mills, who starred at nearby Saint Mary's College, began 0 for 5 before settling in. ... G/F Joe Harris is working back from left ankle surgery that has been a frustrating process. &ldquo;I'm hopeful that it will be resolved soon but again that's outside of my education,&rdquo; Nash said. ... Nash loves being back in the Bay Area, where he previously worked as a player development consultant with the Warriors. &ldquo;When I was here I wasn&rsquo;t planning on being a head coach,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So when I was here I was just trying to be a resource for everyone.&rdquo;
Warriors: Kevon Looney grabbed 15 rebounds. ... Andre Iguodala missed his fourth straight game managing a left hip injury and won't return during the upcoming two-game road trip through Texas as Kerr had initially hoped but perhaps for Thursday's home game with Sacramento. He will stay home to rehab as the team travels. ... F Nemanja Bjelica missed the game with back spasms.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
UP NEXT
Nets: At Phoenix on Tuesday night having won their last trip to the desert 128-124 on Feb. 16 last year but lost 113-107 to the Suns at home on Nov. 27.
Warriors: At Houston on Monday night having won five straight against the Rockets and two in a row on the road in the series.

Klay Thompson smoothly sank a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to send the Warriors to a 110-106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Klay Thompson, Warriors beat Kyrie Irving, Nets 110-106

Here on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>, we will be diving further into NBA betting content this season. Last week, we unveiled our newest podcast, "Nothing But Bets," which is a daily betting show hosted by yours truly. Along with Nothing But Bets, I will be writing out my picks and props each day alongside the audio format.
<iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/22vmOuw7ZUS8V9c2Uy54Fx?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="152" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into my picks on the six-game Sunday slate. All odds are provided by DraftKings:
Brooklyn Nets (-9.5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
This is going to vie a very entertaining matchup where a lot of points are produced. However, when it comes to picking the game, I&rsquo;m rolling with Brooklyn thanks to them having the two best players on the court in Kevin Durant and James Harden. LaMelo Ball and the Hornets could keep this closer than expected, which makes me hesitate on rolling with Nets -9.5 here. However, I love the straight-up moneyline bet at -450. If you wanted to juice the odds up a little higher to -170, here&rsquo;s a same-game parlay that seems very likely to hit: Nets moneyline, Durant 20+ points, Harden 20+ points. I love the Nets here, but not enough to lock in a total cover.
New York Knicks (-12) vs. Orlando Magic
It&rsquo;s a small sample size thus far, but Orlando looks well on its way to hitting the under on their projected win total this season. Thanks to having so much youth within their rotation, Orlando has fully embraced a massive rebuild attempt. When the Knicks played the Magic in Orlando a few days ago, it was a blowout win for New York. I envision the same thing happening again, but still, 12 points is a lot to cover. The moneyline bet on the Knicks is -850, so there&rsquo;s not a lot of winnings off of it. However, if you throw in a same-game parlay betting on another great outing from Evan Fournier, it boosts it up in a massive manner to +235. In a three-leg parlay on DraftKings, here&rsquo;s what would need to happen in order to cash: Knicks moneyline, Fournier 20+ points, Fournier 2+ three-pointers. I like those odds, especially with the hot start Fournier has gotten off to.
Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics (-5.5)
I have a feeling this spread will rise a little bit before tip-off, because this feels too low for Boston. Although the Celtics have struggled, they still hold a massive advantage against a Rockets team filled to the brim with unproven young talent. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should have monster games, one where I feel confident enough laying the points here at -5.5 on DraftKings. An easy same-game prop that could boost your odds revolves around Tatum scoring 20+ points with the Celtics covering the 5.5-point spread makes this a +115 wager. I like the chances of that cashing. Boston isn&rsquo;t getting enough love here, especially against the lowly Rockets.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Philadelphia 76ers (-7.5)
This is going to be a rout, folks. Even if Joel Embiid doesn&rsquo;t play, who is questionable with a knee injury, Philadelphia should still roll and easily cover the 7.5-point spread against the Thunder. OKC is a fun team to watch thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and so much young talent, but they are completely outmatched here on their home floor versus the Sixers. I love the possibility of Philadelphia covering the spread here, which will be one of my best bets during Sunday&rsquo;s slate. If Embiid plays, expect this one to be over by halftime. If Embiid sits this one out, Andre Drummond should fill in admirably and keep the ship from sinking against OKC.
Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors (-3)
If there&rsquo;s one player in the NBA who&rsquo;s the very early MVP favorite, it&rsquo;s Stephen Curry. So far in two games, Curry is averaging a career-high 33.0 points per game while hitting on 47.6% of his three-point attempts. I expect the Curry show to keep rolling with emphasis, especially against Sacramento. Even though the Kings have impressed early on, I don&rsquo;t see them matching up well with Golden State. Admittedly, I think I was too low on the Warriors entering the regular season. Once Klay Thompson is back, Golden State looks poised to enter back into the Western Conference&rsquo;s elite tier. An underrated pickup for the Warriors has been Nemanja Bjelica. You&rsquo;ll be hard-pressed to find a better Warriors big man option than Bjelica thanks to his floor-spacing and playmaking acumen. An enticing same-game parlay to roll with tonight revolves around an outstanding performance from Curry, on top of a Warriors victory: Golden State moneyline, Curry 30+ points, Curry 5+ three-pointers. At +125 odds, that&rsquo;s far too enticing to pass up on with how Curry has opened the 2021-22 campaign.
Los Angeles Lakers (-5) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
The Lakers look out of sorts right now, while the Grizzlies look to be a team taking a jump in the West. I had a hard time picking this game, but I&rsquo;m going to roll with the Lakers finding a rhythm and pulling off the W. I&rsquo;m not comfortable enough to go with L.A. to cover the 5-point spread, but the moneyline at -200 will suffice. Another same-game parlay involving both sides really stood out to me at +330 odds: Lakers moneyline, LeBron James 20+ points, Ja Morant 20+ points, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton 12+ points, LeBron 2+ three-pointers, Melton 2+ three-pointers. It&rsquo;s a six-leg parlay &mdash; a little more extensive &mdash; but I like the odds of this cashing. Los Angeles relies on LeBron to actually be a good three-point shooter at this juncture, especially with the lack of spacing within L.A.&rsquo;s starting lineup. Meanwhile, Melton has been one of my favorite players to watch in the opening week of NBA action. Melton is taking a jump, averaging 21.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists while shooting 57.1% on three-pointers. The backcourt duo of Morant and Melton is so fun to watch in Memphis. Look out for a deeper dive on Melton from me later this week on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>.
So, to recap, here&rsquo;s my picks for Sunday&rsquo;s NBA action: Nets ML, Knicks ML, Celtics -5.5, 76ers -7.5, Warriors ML, Lakers ML. Let&rsquo;s see how it ends up by the end of the night.

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

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 10/24/21

Just two days into the 2021-22 season, the NBA is already off and running. We've had a wild double-overtime finish at Madison Square Garden, a comeback thriller in Charlotte and we're seeing familiar faces in new places. (People have wasted no time in firing off their hot takes, too.) And there are still four teams who will make their season debut on Thursday evening too.
With our Evan Sidery debuting his <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Nothing But Bets" podcast</a> on the Basketball News Podcast Network, we decided to have some fun by predicting how some franchises will fare record-wise in the upcoming campaign, primarily using <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2021/8/17/22629137/nba-win-totals-odds-lines-2021-bulls-lakers-heat-jazz-knicks-warriors-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DraftKings' preseason NBA win totals</a>.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which team will hit its &ldquo;Over&rdquo; win total? 
Alex Kennedy: Last season, the Phoenix Suns finished with the second-best record in the NBA and went on an NBA Finals run despite relying heavily on their young core as well as incoming veterans (Chris Paul and Jae Crowder). This season, those young players should benefit greatly from that postseason experience, and the group should have improved chemistry thanks to their continuity. The Suns are bringing back largely the same roster, with a few excellent offseason additions such as JaVale McGee and Landry Shamet. Both role players fill a need for Phoenix and add to the Suns&rsquo; already impressive depth. Despite all of this, Phoenix enters this season with a projected win total of 51.5, meaning oddsmakers expect them to regress since they won 51 games last season while playing 10 fewer games (since the NBA had a 72-game season). I&rsquo;m hitting the over on the Suns.
Nekias Duncan: Sign me up for the Minnesota Timberwolves' over (34.5). The mind-meld between Karl-Anthony Towns and head coach Chris Finch seems like a perfect match. Anthony Edwards, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley should provide plenty of scoring support. Add in the fact that they're playing defense more aggressively, which fits their personnel much better than it did last season, and I'm ready to call my shot with the Wolves as a play-in team.
Spencer Davies: I think I've got to pick the Washington Wizards at 34.5. If you've been following along on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keepin-it-94/id1545629382" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keepin' It 94</a>, you'd have heard how much I loved their offseason. Not only did they address defensive areas of need, they also brought in a brand new head coach in Wes Unseld Jr. to have a clean slate going into 2021-22. Bradley Beal is still Bradley Beal, and he'll have some of the weight off his shoulders as a faciliator with Spencer Dinwiddie in the fold. I truly believe that Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can alter the attitude of that team from a defensive/hustle standpoint. And let's not forget Montrezl Harrell is going to play with a ridiculously large chip on his shoulder. Daniel Gafford just got paid and continues to grow too. This team won 34 games last season with less time; do we really think they've regressed? Not this guy.
Ethan Fuller: I'm extremely in on the Toronto Raptors to surpass a win total that most sites predict will be in the mid-30s (36.5 <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2021/8/17/22629137/nba-win-totals-odds-lines-2021-bulls-lakers-heat-jazz-knicks-warriors-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on DraftKings</a>). This is a playoff-caliber team with a certified star in Pascal Siakam, and when he returns from injury, Toronto has one of the most versatile defensive lineups in the entire league. OG Anunoby is everyone's favorite Most Improved Player candidate, Fred VanVleet continues to be underrated and Scottie Barnes should help open up the floor as a passer.
Jannelle Moore: It's early, but I'm inclined to believe that the Golden State Warriors will surprise folks and hit their over win total (48.5). Their defense is solid, and they have made acquisitions in the offseason such as Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica who seem to mesh well offensively in the areas of shooting and spacing. Jordan Poole is emerging as another perimeter threat too. After the season-opener and how they were able to withstand the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; runs &mdash; and finding a way to win despite an off night from Steph Curry &mdash; I'm getting &ldquo;Strength In Numbers&rdquo; vibes from this squad.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Washington Wizards. Depending on which book you&rsquo;re looking at, most people see them winning somewhere between 30 and 33 games &mdash; 34.5 on DK &mdash; and I think they have a chance to be much better than that. If Bradley Beal is healthy, he&rsquo;ll suddenly find himself surrounded by a capable cast of players, with those coming over from Los Angeles boasting championship experience. There&rsquo;s a decent amount of optimism that Washington may have gotten its hands on some players, and I&rsquo;m with it.
Evan Sidery: Even without Jamal Murray, I think this Denver Nuggets team has the chance to rack up 50-plus wins this season. They showcased on Wednesday night against Phoenix when Nikola Jokic gets hot and their role players make shots that they can beat anybody. Coming into the season, Denver&rsquo;s <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2021/8/17/22629137/nba-win-totals-odds-lines-2021-bulls-lakers-heat-jazz-knicks-warriors-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over-under was 46.5</a>. I'm hammering the over here.
Blake Hairston: After the preseason this may not be a surprise, but the Chicago Bulls. Caesars has them at 43.5 wins and DraftKings has them at 42.5, but if all falls right, a team with good talent and players with a bit of a chip on their shoulders could reach 45-to-48 wins in the Eastern Conference.
Alexander Cohen: If the Minnesota Timberwolves build on their solid play under Chris Finch, they will easily surpass their 35-game line &mdash; in spite of the turmoil in the front office. The Wolves were 7-25 before Finch coached, and they're 16-25 since he took the helm. There's no reason to expect they won't build off that. Their young core should continue to grow and find consistency, and Patrick Beverley is an underrated veteran addition to ensure that.
Mark Gunnels: I think the Toronto Raptors will win over 35 games this year. I know Kyle Lowry is gone, but I believe this allows guys like Malachi Flynn and Fred VanVleet to spread their wings. Also, look for OG Anunoby to be a serious MIP candidate.

Which team will hit its “over” win total? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Which team will hit its 'Over' win total?

Opening night in Hollywood went well for three quarters for Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
But it was a flop for their new supporting cast, including L.A. native and former league MVP Russell Westbrook.
Curry, a two-time MVP, had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Warriors, who rallied from 10 points down to stun the Lakers 121-114 in a season opener Tuesday night.
The Lakers went cold in the fourth quarter, and surrendered the lead halfway through the period.
James had 34 points and 11 rebounds, while Davis had 33 points and 11 rebounds. No other Lakers scored in double figures.
&ldquo;Those two guys were spectacular," coach Frank Vogel said. &ldquo;We're going to be pretty good if we get those type of performances. We just have to be better defensively. This is a team that is all new to each other, so everybody's finding their way a little bit.&rdquo;
Wesbrook shot just 4 for 13 for eight points in his Lakers debut.
&ldquo;Him more than anybody, it's going to be an adjustment period," Vogel said. &ldquo;He's coming into our culture, our system, he's the new guy, he's got to find his way. It's difficult, when you're used to being the guy that has the ball most nights, to be able to play off others like LeBron and A.D. It's just a little bit different for him. He's going to be great for us but it's going to be an adjustment period."
James and Davis said they helped console Westbrook afterward.
&ldquo;I told Russ to go home and watch a comedy,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;Put a smile on his face. Don&rsquo;t be so hard on himself.&rdquo;
The Lakers had an 84-74 lead late in the third quarter after a jumper by Kent Bazemore, but the Warriors slowly closed the gap.
&ldquo;We didn't finish quarters well the whole night," Vogel said. &ldquo;We gave up a 38-point fourth quarter. If you do that you're going to lose most nights. Our defense is just not on a string yet. I thought we did a good job being up on Steph, but the back side was much better in the first half than the second half.&rdquo;
Curry made three free throws in the closing seconds of the third quarter after he was fouled taking a 3-pointer, and Jordan Poole and Damion Lee hit 3-pointers early in the fourth.
Poole&rsquo;s layup with 9:17 left put the Warriors ahead for good at 91-90, and he finished with 20 points. The Warriors expanded the lead to 98-90 before the Lakers twice closed within two points.
But Curry and Nemanja Bjelica each hit 3-pointers to give the Warriors some breathing room. Bjelica had 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Lee also scored 15 points.
&ldquo;We kept our composure and didn't turn the ball over in the second half, which was a huge benefit to just maintaining the pace and giving ourselves some looks,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;But the fact that everybody who was on the floor contributed in a meaningful way kind of speaks to our depth and how we want to play going forward. We're excited about that and it's good to be 1-0.&rdquo;
Davis and James dominated for much of the game while welcoming a slew of new teammates, including Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan.
The Lakers, who won the NBA title in the bubble in October 2020, retooled after losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of last season&rsquo;s playoffs. They retained just three players &mdash; James, Davis and Talen Horton-Tucker, who&rsquo;s out with a thumb injury.
James and Davis made 3-pointers and fallaway jumpers. In one remarkable sequence, James saved an errant pass and flicked it to Davis, who slammed it home for a 68-61 lead with 7:51 to go in the third quarter.
The Lakers, who went 0-6 in the preseason, led 59-53 at halftime.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State remains without All-Star guard Klay Thompson, who continues to rehab an Achilles tendon injury that cost him the entire 2021 season. ... The teams last met on May 19 when Los Angeles beat Golden State 103-100 at home in the opener of the league&rsquo;s first play-in tournament.
Lakers: Howard welcomed fans with a short address just before the game, mentioning that it was the NBA&rsquo;s 75th anniversary and closed by saying, &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s get it!&rdquo; ... Jordan and Bazemore started alongside James, Davis and Westbrook. ... Anthony and Rondo got a nice hand when they subbed in together with 5:40 to go in the first quarter.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
Lakers: Host Phoenix on Friday.

The Warriors rallied from 10 points down to stun the Lakers 121-114 in the purple and gold's season opener Tuesday night.

Curry, Warriors stun James, Lakers 121-114 in opener

The 2021 NBA offseason featured plenty of surprises and quite a bit of player movement. While there has been plenty of discussion about the stars who changed teams, there were also many talented players who ended up signing for the veteran&rsquo;s minimum.
These are the kind of low-risk, high-reward moves that could end up being some of the biggest steals of the offseason. Some of these players will inevitably outperform their contract and become a huge bargain for their respective teams.&nbsp;
For example, when the Los Angeles Lakers won the championship in 2019-20, their roster featured quite a few minimum-contract contributors including Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Markieff Morris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Jared Dudley.&nbsp;
In the NBA, the veteran's minimum varies from player to player depending on their years of experience. For example, a rookie who signs a minimum deal will earn $925,258 this season. A second-year player on the minimum will earn $1,489,065. By the time a player has played 10 or more years in the NBA, their minimum contract is worth $2,641,691.
So while all of the players listed in this piece signed for the veteran minimum, they won&rsquo;t receive the same paychecks. However, their cap hit will be the same. <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/nba-minimum-salaries-for-2021-22.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luke Adams from Hoops Rumors explains</a>:
&ldquo;Because the NBA doesn&rsquo;t want teams to avoid signing veteran players in favor of cheaper, younger players, the league reimburses clubs who sign veterans with three or more years of experience to one-year, minimum salary contracts. Those deals will only count against the cap &ndash; and against a team&rsquo;s bank balance &ndash; for $1,669,178, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience.&rdquo;
So while Andre Iguodala will earn $2,641,691 this season, he&rsquo;ll only cost the Golden State Warriors $1,669,178, and the NBA will make up the difference.
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Across the board, minimum salaries increased by 3% over last year&rsquo;s numbers. Here&rsquo;s a look at some notable players who signed for the minimum:
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat: After earning $21,000,000 last season with the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets, Oladipo will make $2,389,641 this season with the Miami Heat. A significant quad injury impacted his stock entering free agency, which is why this two-time All-Star is on a minimum deal just three years after making an All-NBA team. Last year, Oladipo averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 threes and 1.3 steals in 29 total games with the Rockets and Pacers. If healthy, Oladipo could end up being a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/victor-oladipo-minimum-deal-may-become-nba-offseason-biggest-steal-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key contributor for Miami</a>.
Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers: Last season, Drummond averaged 14.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 46 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. The 28-year-old was earning $27,957,238 with the Cavs, but then he agreed to a buyout and joined the Lakers. He hoped to win a title alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Co., but Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns. Now, he&rsquo;ll serve as Joel Embiid&rsquo;s backup on the 76ers while earning $2,401,537.
Blake Griffin, Brooklyn Nets: Like Drummond, Griffin was bought out halfway through the 2020-21 season. With $75 million remaining on his contract, Griffin reportedly agreed to leave $13.3 million on the table in order to exit his deal with the Detroit Pistons and hit unrestricted free agency. Shortly after, he joined the Brooklyn Nets in pursuit of a ring. Still, he went from earning $32,670,565 last year to $2,641,691 during the upcoming campaign.
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Otto Porter Jr., Golden State Warriors: Porter received larger offers during free agency, but he decided to join the Warriors on a $2,389,641 salary (after earning $28,489,239 last season with the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic). He should fit perfectly alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and then he&rsquo;ll hit free agency again next offseason. Last year, the 28-year-old averaged 9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 threes in 28 games.
Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors: After spending five years with the Warriors (from 2013-14 to 2018-19), Iguodala joined the Miami Heat for a two-year stint. Now, he&rsquo;s returning to Golden State on a one-year deal. Last season, he averaged 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game, while also serving as a strong veteran leader in the locker room. After earning $15,000,000 last season, he&rsquo;ll make $2,641,691 in 2021-22.
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers: Last season, Jordan earned $10,375,678 from the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game. Recently, the Nets traded Jordan and four second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor. Shortly after, the Pistons bought out Jordan, and he signed a one-year, $2,641,691 deal.
Other Notable Minimum-Contract Players:&nbsp;
Carmelo Anthony, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Enes Kanter, Boston Celtics ($2,641,691)
Paul Millsap, Brooklyn Nets ($2,641,691)
Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Cody Zeller, Portland Trail Blazers ($2,389,641)
Malik Monk, Los Angeles Lakers ($1,789,256)
Nemanja Bjelica, Golden State Warriors ($2,089,448)
Rajon Rondo, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)

Alex Kennedy highlights key players who signed for the veteran's minimum this offseason after being on lucrative deals previously.

Examining minimum-contract bargains from 2021 NBA offseason

When you&rsquo;re an NBA lottery pick, chances are you likely aren&rsquo;t going to be told to wait your turn. There&rsquo;s a reason you were chosen in the draft as high as you were, as most teams that missed out on the playoffs would bring you in to address an immediate need and bolster their roster.
Oddly enough for Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, they&rsquo;re exceptions to the rule.&nbsp;
Taken at No. 7 and No. 14 overall (respectively) by the Golden State Warriors, who had an extra first-round pick thanks to the Andrew Wiggins-D&rsquo;Angelo Russell trade, the two rookies will probably not play a significant role from the jump in the Bay Area. It&rsquo;s not only because they might not be ready quite yet, but also because of the free agents that Bob Myers&rsquo; front office acquired.
The Warriors added Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica to the mix, and will welcome Andre Iguodala back for the first time since the team last appeared in the NBA Finals. And while those three were 2021 summer signings, we can&rsquo;t forget that Klay Thompson is set to return to action following back-to-back devastating injuries. This is a group that will be right back in the playoff picture if all goes according to plan.
So where does that leave the lottery guys? Unlike a good portion of their draft classmates, Moody and Kuminga probably won&rsquo;t consistently be in Steve Kerr&rsquo;s rotation this year. Golden State&rsquo;s vets will groom them into pro&rsquo;s pros because that&rsquo;s what this franchise does; however, expecting them to contribute to a win-now situation this quickly in a limited, fluid role would be a difficult ask.
With that being said, it doesn&rsquo;t mean we can&rsquo;t be excited about what they can become with the proper development, and NBA Summer League gave us some glimpses of the lottery duo working together.
"I feel like we had a pretty good 1-2 punch going on,&rdquo; Moody told reporters after his first game in Vegas. &ldquo;That's my guy.&rdquo;
Warriors summer league head coach Kris Weems also helms the team&rsquo;s G League affiliate Santa Cruz and actually coached against Kuminga when he was with the Ignite. Between seeing that talent and seeing Moody dominate as Arkansas&rsquo; best player, Weems recognizes both are confident in their abilities.
"I like them playing together. I think they already have a trust level coming in as [first-round lottery] draft picks,&rdquo; Weems said. &ldquo;They've been counted on with their previous teams. Now, I need them to play on and off the ball.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was telling them in the locker room, I said, 'Look, as a role player and somebody trying to figure out their spot next to Steph [Curry], Klay [Thompson], [Draymond Green], whoever it is &mdash; you're not gonna have the ball.' So just understand what it means to play 0.5, you have to make a decision in half a second. But then, also be ready to shoot, be ready to pass, be ready to take threes and make a play for somebody."
Weems further explained how he could help Moody and Kuminga find a balance between wanting to contribute and win, and understanding it&rsquo;ll take time to nail down a niche for each player.
"The message is always: you can't do it by yourself,&rdquo; Weems said. &ldquo;As long as you share the ball with your teammates on the offensive end... everybody runs and plays and screens and cuts harder when they get a chance to touch the ball. So just keep that in mind and stay connected on offense. &nbsp;And then defensively, that's trust. That's communication, that's knowing that your brother's gonna be there for you; then, finishing those possessions with rebounds, and then the transition from defense to offense is something that our young guys are gonna figure out really quickly. That's what makes the Warriors a really good team.&rdquo;
"I mean we're competitors, so anytime you step between those lines, winning is the main focus,&rdquo; Moody said. &ldquo;Development is another thing that's on your mind, but it's all about winning."
The pair of rooks ended up making quite the mark. Among rookies in summer league scoring, Kuminga (17.3 points per game) and Moody (17.0) finished seventh and eighth, respectively. The way they went about getting those opportunities? Totally different.
&ldquo;He does what he needs to do, gets to the cup, finishes around the rim,&rdquo; Moody said of Kuminga. &ldquo;And I'm gonna knock down those shots. So we play well off each other."
In a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-summer-league-player-impressed-you-the-most" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent BasketballNews.com roundtable</a>, I had to pick Kuminga as my standout in Vegas:
Though there were a number of young players who looked ready for the big stage, it&rsquo;s hard not to salivate over what Jonathan Kuminga can become. With the right development and a perfect situation among champions in Golden State, it&rsquo;s looking like he&rsquo;ll be a force to be reckoned with down the line. The jump shot is inconsistent and he comes off as a little overaggressive and reckless right now &mdash; particularly when running the floor &mdash; but the dribble moves he put on in isolation situations were eye-popping, as were his speed and strength when he finished at the rim. The 18-year-old forward has plenty of upside to be excited about. It just may take a little time before he puts it all together, and that&rsquo;s okay.
Looking at Moody, he&rsquo;s got a quick trigger. His catch-and-shoot prowess and understanding of the need to push the ball up the floor are going to perfectly fit the Golden State mold. In five games of summer league action, he shot just a hair under 39% from beyond the arc. He has potential of getting into that in-between area and pulling up as well.&nbsp;
Defensively, the InStat metrics look outstanding. Moody only allowed 0.6 points per possession each guarding against pick-and-roll handlers and shooters on the catch. Though there were only six isolations he defended, he allowed just one point in those scenarios, too.
Weems was short and sweet when discussing Kuminga&rsquo;s defensive abilities, relaying that he likes the 6-foot-8, 220-pounder matched up &ldquo;pretty much against anybody.&rdquo; As for Moody, Weems went into a little more detail.
&ldquo;I think the game is moving fast for him,&rdquo; Weems said after the team&rsquo;s second summer league contest. &ldquo;And it's not that he's not capable, but the guys are just bigger, stronger, faster, so you have to be thinking the game a little bit faster, and I think he can do that. He's a smart player, he'll figure things out. The more important thing is where's the physicality on the glass, using your length in the passing lanes and we've gotta finish possessions."
Making the transition to the pros differs for every rookie. How quickly guys pick concepts up while adjusting to the pace and spacing, and the schedule in general, depends on the situation. Kuminga might be ahead of the curve in terms of the off-floor aspect due to his experience with the Ignite, whereas Moody understands that it&rsquo;ll be a change of pace.
&ldquo;It's really just me trying to prepare &mdash; get in those actions, get in those game-time, late-game situations &mdash; so I know what to do when it's time, when it's really there...That's what the summer league is about. Preparing, getting in the atmosphere to really be who you need to be when the season starts.&rdquo;
Believe it or not, training camp is right around the corner. Moody and Kuminga assuredly will be learning from the best when that time comes.

Spencer Davies dives into the Warriors' two lottery picks and how Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody will learn from the best.

Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga can benefit from patience with Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are back.
After two years outside of the playoffs, the sleeping giant is about to wake up. And watch out, because this team in the Bay has scary potential, even though their three stars (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green) are all on the wrong side of 30 at this point. After signing Curry to a four-year, $215 extension this offseason, the Warriors' championship window remains wide open.
Let's not forget how potent the Warriors are at full strength. They made five-straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015-2019, resulting in three championships. Golden State's spaced-out offense changed the NBA forever, as teams tried their best to copy them following their historic success. However, no team has come close to the Warriors&rsquo; greatness.
Unfortunately, basketball fans have been robbed of Golden State&rsquo;s continued run of excellence with Klay Thompson missing the last two seasons in their entirety due to an ACL tear suffered in the 2019 Finals, then a torn Achilles in November of 2020. Two years of Thompson&rsquo;s prime were taken away, but with his return now imminent, his two-way brilliance will give the Warriors a much-needed boost as they attempt to return to the Western Conference&rsquo;s upper echelon.
Golden State will once again be led by the "Splash Brothers" and, assuming Thompson returns to form, the Warriors should have one of the best backcourts in the league. Last season, Curry averaged a career-high 32.0 points as the Warriors failed to reach the playoffs for a second-straight season largely due to Thompson missing time. Now, Curry&rsquo;s three-level scoring dominance should continue and defenses won't be able to zero in on him quite as easily. Last season, Curry attempted a career-high 21.7 field goals and 12.7 three-pointers per game since he didn't have much help offensively.
Golden State is trying to walk a tightrope between going all-in on pursuing a championship (potentially for the last time) and setting themselves up for future success with the high picks they've had at their disposal recently. The trio of Curry, Thompson and Green isn&rsquo;t going anywhere, but the arrival of four first-round prospects adds even more intrigue entering the 2021-22 season.
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James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Jordan Poole will all play a crucial role for the Warriors down the road, but also in the immediate future if they want to make a deep playoff run. Playing in the Warriors&rsquo; system and learning from the veterans should only help their long-term development.
Poole is the most experienced of the quartet, and he has already made a huge leap developmentally. In only 19.4 minutes per game last season, Poole averaged 12.0 points on a 58.1 True Shooting percentage. Extrapolate those numbers on a per-36-minute basis (22.3 points) and the former 28th-overall pick already looks the part of a microwave scorer who's capable of creating buckets with ease.
Wiseman had an up-and-down rookie season after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Wiseman began to create synergy with Curry as head coach Steve Kerr opened up the playbook to run more simple pick-and-roll concepts. However, Wiseman suffered a torn meniscus in the middle of Golden State&rsquo;s playoff push.
With two lottery picks in this year&rsquo;s draft (No. 7 and No. 14 overall), Golden State added two extremely high-upside prospects into their system: Kuminga and Moody. After forgoing college for the G League Ignite route, Kuminga flashes tantalizing two-way potential as a modern wing who can create for himself while holding his own on the other end. In NBA Summer League action, Kuminga is showing why he was talked about as a potential No. 1 overall pick entering the 2020-21 campaign, averaging 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 threes.
Meanwhile, Moody&rsquo;s 7-foot-1 wingspan (at just under 6-foot-5) and sharpshooting equity will allow him to immediately step into a 15-20-minute-per-game role in Golden State&rsquo;s rotation.
With an interesting blend of young prospects and battled-tested veterans, where do the Warriors stack up in the loaded Western Conference? Assessing their current rotation, it&rsquo;s going to be interesting how Coach Kerr distributes the minutes.
Starters: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, James Wiseman
Bench: Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Damion Lee, Jonathan Kuminga, Otto Porter Jr., Andre Iguodala, Nemanja Bjelica, Kevon Looney
With 13 players potentially deserving of minutes on opening night, it&rsquo;s going to be a true juggling act for Kerr early on. Should he sit some of these veterans who have contributed over the last few years or move slowly with rookies like Kuminga and Moody?
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Golden State&rsquo;s roster didn&rsquo;t lose much at all. Honestly, they improved all-around even when adding two rookies to the equation. Porter Jr. and Iguodala are instant contributors off their bench. Kelly Oubre Jr. didn&rsquo;t fit the Warriors&rsquo; system, but these two wings certainly do. Porter Jr. can provide excellent spacing as a three-point marksman, while Iguodala&rsquo;s previous experience in Golden State will matter in playoff situations. Also, having Iguodala as a mentor for Kuminga and Moody is excellent.
It&rsquo;s fair to peg the Warriors into the Western Conference's top tier. The Los Angeles Lakers brought in Russell Westbrook and plenty of floor-spacers to make his transition easier. The Phoenix Suns aren't going anywhere, running it back with their core while acquiring win-now role players for their second unit in Landry Shamet and JaVale McGee. The Utah Jazz will also continue to be a powerhouse, not losing any key pieces while adding Rudy Gay and second-round pick Jared Butler as scoring punches off their bench. Health-permitting, Golden State belongs alongside those three teams.
Once you get past the Lakers, Suns, Jazz and Warriors, there could be a drop-off in terms of staying power atop the conference. Don&rsquo;t rule out another leap from Luka Doncic, but do the Dallas Mavericks have enough around him to contend? Injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray have dampened expectations early on for the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
As we&rsquo;ve learned throughout the Warriors&rsquo; dominant run, you can never count out Curry. With him leading the way once again, now finally flanked by a healthy Thompson, Golden State&rsquo;s strong rotation should allow them to stay within striking distance among the Western Conference&rsquo;s elite. If all goes well for the Warriors, returning to the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight seasons is a possibility.
In the meantime, keep an eye on how exactly these pieces all fit together. With Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; bloated contract still on their books, plus intriguing young assets, Golden State could attempt to add another star. Imagine how scary the Warriors would be if they added a Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard or Pascal Siakam to their already-deep rotation?
Golden State has all the firepower to make another run in 2021-22. The question is: Will they return to juggernaut status or be stuck in the middle of the pack?

The Warriors have an interesting blend of young prospects and battle-tested veterans. Will they be a juggernaut again in 2021-22?

Will the Warriors return to the Western Conference's top tier?

Free agent F Nemanja Bjelica has agreed to a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, source tells ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1422586509224468481" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Bjelica was traded from Sacramento to Miami at last spring's deadline and played in 11 contests for the Heat. The 33-year-old has shot 38.7% on threes over his NBA career and should provide some spacing off the bench for the Warriors. <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1422587175736987652" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Slater of The Athletic</a> added that the deal is for the veteran minimum salary.

Bjelica was traded from Sacramento to Miami at last spring's deadline and played in 11 contests for the Heat.

Nemanja Bjelica agrees to one-year deal with Warriors

Sometimes, it feels like the reality of possessing cap space does not line up with the rainbows-and-unicorns world of possibilities that some people imagine.&nbsp;
Fans can daydream about their favorite franchise hunting for a star because they have enough cap space to offer a max contract. But even if their team is capped out, many fans still spend hours on their online trade machine of choice until the result pops up with a green "Success!" and they've cracked the financial code on a title-winning maneuver.
If every NBA team can still wheel-and-deal, what's the benefit to having cap space, especially with a free-agency class generally viewed as mediocre?
It helps a lot &ndash; and often in unsuspecting ways. Take a look at the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have absorbed undesirable contract after undesirable contract to help add to their war chest of draft picks. Or the Brooklyn Nets, who kept their books clean enough to eventually pull off the James Harden blockbuster. Same with the Atlanta Hawks, who picked up some key depth pieces in 2020 free agency en route to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Teams get rewarded for being smart with their money. This offseason, eight teams will have an easy path to meaningful cap space while the rest would have to jump through more hoops. These squads range from playoff hopefuls to aggressive rebuilders. Who should capitalize with a spending spree or headliner trade, and who should wait for the longer-term future?
Let's break down each team's situation, using cap numbers provided by <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/">Basketball Reference.</a>
Charlotte Hornets &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $27.4 million
This estimate means the Hornets let Devonte' Graham and Malik Monk hit restricted free agency. They'll also have Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo and Nick Richards as unrestricted free agents &ndash; notably, all bigs. Graham is probably the most coveted of the five, and if the Hornets re-sign him, they'd have a pretty nice guard rotation between Graham, LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier.&nbsp;
Charlotte barely missed out on the postseason, and that was with a rookie leading the way and clear improvement areas inside. They can absolutely make the necessary depth moves (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-mavericks-expected-to-pursue-richaun-holmes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richaun Holmes?</a>) to get close to playoff contention, and they have the No. 11 overall pick to help as well. Outside of Gordon Hayward's $120 million contract, Charlotte isn't tied down to too many deals right now.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Yes.
Miami Heat &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $34.5 million
The Heat would currently be over the cap, but that's before making a decision on team options for Goran Dragic ($19 million) and Andre Iguodala ($15 million). Those should probably be declined, and if they also ditch Omer Yurtseven's non-guaranteed deal, that suddenly gives Miami a ton of space.
However, the Heat would also have just five players on the team. They have to make re-signing decisions on Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson (RFA), Kendrick Nunn (RFA), Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica, Dewayne Dedmon, Udonis Haslem and the aforementioned players (Dragic, Iguodala and Yurtseven).
Miami is in a tough position. The Heat should be increasing their threat level as a playoff team, but first they simply have to worry about keeping the roster intact.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Yes.
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Memphis Grizzlies &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $24 million
The Grizzlies are in fantastic financial standing. With this estimate including Justise Winslow's $13 million team option being declined, only two players (Jonas Valanciunas and Dillon Brooks) will be making eight figures. Memphis will have 13 players, plus the No. 17 and No. 51 overall draft picks, at its disposal.
At the same time, the Grizzlies have been on the doorstep of the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, despite boasting one of the youngest rosters in the Association. There's no need to make a move simply to make a move. Everything should be purposefully built around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. &ndash; even if that means politely passing on splurging this summer.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Probably not.
Toronto Raptors &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $22 million
Perhaps the single biggest offseason decision, outside of some superstar player options, is Kyle Lowry's unrestricted free agency. Does the face of the Raptors make sense on an expensive contract as he approaches age-35? Or do the Raptors sign-and-trade him and take that gut punch? They also have to think about paying restricted free agent Gary Trent Jr.&nbsp;
Toronto can get to about $22 million in room prior to those decisions by renouncing Rodney Hood and Aron Baynes. Considering they're still very much a win-now team with long-term commitments to Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby, I think the franchise should pay up to keep both Lowry and Trent Jr. It's unlikely they can match that short-term value with another move.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Yes &ndash; to re-sign their own talent.
Dallas Mavericks &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $20.5 million
This is not a hot take by any means, but Luka Doncic desperately needs help on both sides of the ball. Dallas has to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/for-dallas-building-around-luka-doncic-is-only-going-to-get-harder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make something happen</a> after a pretty tumultuous start to the offseason. They get some space with Tim Hardaway Jr. and J.J. Redick hitting free agency.&nbsp;
While $20 million is not a max slot, it can assuredly net a secondary scorer or prominent 3-and-D player who can take some pressue off of Dallas' franchise cornerstone. The Mavericks should feel the most pressure to spend of any team here. Every season that they underwhelm, the "Free Luka" chants will get louder.
Should they spend?&nbsp;PLEASE Yes.
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Oklahoma City Thunder &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $38 million
Even with Kemba Walker getting $36 million next season, the Thunder are free and clear in cap contexts because their second-largest contract will be the approximately $6 million given to the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. That's simply amazing.
OKC should continue to lean on its staple move: taking on bad contracts paired with picks or prospects. The full-scale rebuild is still in effect, though pieces are quickly coming together. There's no need to get sidetracked with spending money when everything is going according to plan. With 11 current players and six picks in the 2021 NBA Draft (three first-rounders and three second-rounders), the roster will fill itself out.
Should they spend?&nbsp;No &ndash; except to take on contracts for young talent.
San Antonio Spurs &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $48 million
San Antonio is at a crossroads unlike any other team. Veterans DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Rudy Gay are unrestricted free agents, and the oldest player currently under contract is now 27-year-old Derrick White. After hanging on the fringes of contention since Kawhi Leonard departed, this feels like a real reset for the Spurs, who now have the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">youngest roster in the entire NBA</a>.
They should keep things that way. The Western Conference is as loaded as ever and even play-in spots will be a battle. Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell lead an intruiging young core that still appears well away from the playoffs.
San Antonio has been winning for decades, but they should not shell out larger deals to keep the team afloat when they can focus on developing something bigger long-term.
Should they spend?&nbsp;No.
New York Knicks &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $50 million
New York's playoff berth was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-teamplayer-surprised-you-most-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the biggest surprise of the season</a>, so many people are forgetting that this was supposed to be a youth-focused team. But now that the postseason is the expectation, there's no turning back, and the Knicks have the potential to build out a deep roster without sacrificing young talent.
Assuming New York picks up Julius Randle's team option, they still have a ton of room to add better-fitting parts around Randle, R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Immanuel Quickley. The franchise can choose to retain or bypass unrestricted free agents Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Nerlens Noel, Elfrid Payton or Alec Burks. They will also be the easiest financial facilitator for any blockbuster trades.&nbsp;
Obviously, they shouldn't get reckless, and unless the perfect storm comes, they shouldn't part with their youth. But otherwise, go crazy, Leon Rose and Scott Perry.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Yes.

Eight NBA teams have an easy path to meaningful cap space this summer. Which franchises should splurge on free agents or trades?

Which NBA teams have cap room this offseason, and should they use it?

The field for men&rsquo;s basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is set.
Following an unlikely victory over a Team Canada squad packed with NBA players, the Czech Republic defeated Greece and won a spot in Team USA&rsquo;s group in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament stage.
Canada&rsquo;s national team, which included Andrew Wiggins of Golden State for the first time, was eliminated by the Czechs 103-101 in overtime on Saturday night on a buzzer-beating game winner by Tomas Satoransky with 0.9 seconds left.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🇨🇿 <a href="https://twitter.com/satoransky?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@satoransky</a> banks it to give Czech Republic the win over Canada in OT and advance to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAOQT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAOQT</a> Final! <a href="https://t.co/b6rrI4SFuu">pic.twitter.com/b6rrI4SFuu</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1411451753271152640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Then on Sunday, the Czechs won 97-82 over Greece. The Greeks cut their deficit to five points in the third before the Czechs outscored them 29-7 during the rest of the frame. Jan Vesely had 26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.
The Czechs will be going to the Olympics for the first time since the formation of their country in 1993, and it's the first time it will be a part of the Games since 1980, when it was a part of Czechoslovakia.
"They're a veteran team that took advantage of us in a lot of different areas. They dominated us on the glass 35-23, their assists were 25-12. The effort was there, but the game wasn't. But that's due to the brilliance of the Czech Republic. They were just much better than us," Greece head coach Rick Pitino said.
Keep that upset in mind when the Olympic Games begin, because strange things happen in FIBA tournaments.
Slovenia, Germany and Italy also qualified for the Tokyo Games, which begin July 24. Gregg Popovich&rsquo;s loaded Team USA plays its first game July 25 against France. The Americans are locks to get to the knockout phase, set to play the Czech Republic and Iran in the Group Phase, and their side of the quarterfinal bracket will include opponents to be determined after a draw on Aug. 2.
Based upon the qualifying tournaments, Slovenia will be one of the toughest opponents simply because they have Luka Doncic. The Dallas Mavericks star took MVP honors in Kaunas, Lithuania on Sunday after putting up a triple-double of 31 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists in front of 11,561 fans at the Zalgiris Arena in a 96-85 victory over Lithuania.
"We're making history for our country," Doncic said. "We can just go up from here."
Slovenia is going to the Olympics for the first time, knocking out a Lithuania team that has been qualifying for the Olympics and the World Championship/World Cup with regularity for three-and-a-half-decades. Doncic&rsquo;s teammates carried him off the court on their shoulders following the victory, which was fueled by a 14-0 run after Lithuania closed to 71-69.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🎵 M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P! 🎵 A historic night for <a href="https://twitter.com/luka7doncic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@luka7doncic</a>, who helps 🇸🇮 book a ticket to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> with a triple-double performance! ✈️ 📊 31 PTS 11 REB 13 AST | 42 EFF <a href="https://t.co/QAXqv8AfwO">pic.twitter.com/QAXqv8AfwO</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1411765468545753092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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"I don't care about the MVP," Doncic said. "We won here. We're going to the Olympics, the first time in our country. It's amazing. I think every kid dreams about being in the Olympics. I did, too. So, here we are. We fought really, really hard, and I think we deserve to be here."
Slovenia will play Argentina on July 26, Japan on July 29 and reigning World Cup champion Spain on Aug. 1. The top two teams in each group, plus two wild cards, will make the Olympic quarterfinals.
The qualifying tournaments were played in Canada, Lithuania and Croatia, and all of the home teams failed to qualify. Croatia did not even make it to the final game, getting eliminated by Germany 86-76 on Saturday before Germany defeated Brazil 75-64 on Sunday in the Olympic qualification game.&nbsp;
Brazil, which qualified for London 2012 and hosted Rio 2016, won its first three games by 26, 27 and 28 points, but Germany got 28 points from Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic and several crucial defensive possessions in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset. Isaac Bonga of the Washington Wizards did not play. Germany will be grouped with Italy, Nigeria and Australia in Tokyo.&nbsp;
The Aussies, aka the &ldquo;Boomers,&rdquo; have added Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers to a squad that already includes NBA players Aron Baynes, Joe Ingles, Matthew Dellavedova and Patrick Mills.
In Belgrade, Achille Polonara, who plays for Fenerbahce in Turkey, picked up MVP honors after scoring 22 points with 12 rebounds, as Italy defeated home-team Serbia 102-95 in the final match. Italy will be heading to the Olympics for the 13th time, but the first since 2004 in Athens when it picked up the silver medal after losing to gold medalist Argentina.
The Serbians took the defeat hard.
"This is not a failure, this is a disaster. We wanted to make the people happy. I have to apologize for this. With this approach and this game, we do not deserve to go to the Olympic Games,&rdquo; said Nemanja Bjelica of the Miami Heat.
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, the MVP of the 2021 NBA season, opted not to play for the Serbian national team this summer.
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With the qualifiers over, here is the Olympic field:
<ul>
<li>Group A: United States, Iran, France, Czech Republic</li>
<li>Group B: Australia, Germany, Italy, Nigeria</li>
<li>Group C: Argentina, Japan, Slovenia, Spain</li>
</ul>
The Olympic men&rsquo;s basketball tournament begins July 24, and Team USA&rsquo;s first game will come against France at 8 a.m. EDT on July 25. The Americans play Iran on July 28 and the Czech Republic on July 31. The quarterfinals begin Monday, Aug. 2, and the gold medal game is Aug. 7 at the Saitama SuperArena.&nbsp;
Team USA opens training camp Tuesday with one of its <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/usa-basketball-announces-us-olympic-mens-basketball-team-2020-tokyo-olympics-games-japan-fiba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strongest rosters ever</a>. Alphabetically, it is Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls, Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blzers), Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jason Tatum (Boston Celtics). Gregg Popovich of the Spurs is the head coach.
On Saturday, Nigeria will play Team USA at 8 p.m. EDT at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in the first of five exhibition games before leaving for Japan. If Booker, Middleton and Holiday go to a Game 7 in the NBA Finals, they will be flown to Tokyo by the American federation in time to be ready for the first game, outgoing <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/boredom-is-one-enemy-team-usa-must-fight-at-2020-tokyo-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said last week</a>.

Chris Sheridan recaps this past weekend's qualifying round in FIBA men's basketball for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Team USA to face Czech Republic at Tokyo Olympics after stunner in Canada

NBA players from countries outside the United States are in the process of trying to qualify for the Olympics, and none had a better game in the first few FIBA qualifiers than Boban Marjanovic. And that includes Luka Doncic.
The Dallas Mavericks&rsquo; center had 25 points (on 12-for-18 shooting) and 10 rebounds in an 83-76 victory over the Philippines in front of a COVID-capacity crowd of 1,250 mostly home fans in Belgrade, Serbia. Coach Igor Kokoskov rested Miami Heat forward Nemanja Bjelica as Serbia had a 46-28 advantage on points in the paint.
"The Philippines played as a team, and I want to congratulate them on that. They fought,&rdquo; Kokoskov said. &ldquo;We will know more after the review. We have a lot of new names, and some guys were missing. We didn't react, we overthought. We defended instead of being in an attacking rhythm. It wasn't nice, again, but we won.&rdquo;
"At some point, we were relaxed. We played irresponsibly. That resulted in us playing an uncertain ending. We must not allow that,"&nbsp;said Milos Teodosic, Serbia&rsquo;s captain.
After trailing 74-73, Serbia closed with a 10-2 run and pulled out the victory, advancing to the semifinals where they will play either Puerto Rico or Italy.
Doncic had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in just 22 minutes of playing time as Slovenia defeated Poland, 112-77. Slovenia, Lithuania, Venezuela and Poland have already qualified for the semifinals.
Doncic was playing in a competitive international for the first time since helping Slovenia claim a historic win at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 as an emerging 18-year-old. Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat is not playing, but he made the trip and was in the crowd at Zalgirio Arena.
"For me, it's also a pleasure to play for the national team," Doncic said. "It's something I desire. I can't wait to play, so I&rsquo;m really happy to be here. Everyone is enjoying playing and everyone is having fun, and that is what we have to do out there."
Doncic also addressed Dragic's absence.
"Obviously, I wish he was playing with us... He was the guy at EuroBasket 2017. It's great that he came all the way here to support us. It means a lot, not just for me, but the whole federation."
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In Victoria, British Columbia, Canada started five NBA players &ndash; Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors, RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks, Cory Joseph of the Detroit Pistons, Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks and Trey Lyles of the San Antonio Spurs &ndash; and, after defeating Greece, rolled to a 109-79 victory over China.
Wiggins had 20 points on 5-for-9 shooting while Barrett shot 3-for-7 from three-point territory. He scored 16 points, but missed half of his six free throws. Among those coming off Canada&rsquo;s bench for Nick Nurse were Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the New Orleans Pelicans. Nicholson, who played last season in China, added 14 points off the bench.
"When you play together, the game comes easy. When you're in a good rhythm, everyone's going to get after it offensively, defensively. We have a lot of unselfish guys. We all want to see each other win, do good, and out there, we're just trying to play aggressive, play to win, play the right way. I feel like if we keep playing that way, keep playing together, then the sky is the limit for us,&rdquo; Wiggins said.
Canada advanced to the semifinals, as has Turkey. Greece, playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, is 0-1 heading into a Thursday night game against China.
In Croatia, the biggest upset of the qualifying process happened when the home team, led by Utah&rsquo;s Bojan Bogdanovic, was crushed by Brazil, 94-67. Brazil was led by 20 points from 35-year-old center Rafael Nettscheimeir. Bruno Caboclo, who was waived by the Houston Rockets in January, added 16 points, and NBA veteran Anderson Varejao scored 11. Brazil is coached, ironically, by a Croatian, Aleksandar Petrovic.
Despite that loss, Croatia, Germany, Brazil and Mexico have qualified for the semifinals at the tournament in Split, while Russia and Tunisia have been eliminated.
In Lithuania, the home team is 2-0 after defeating Venezuela and South Korea. Jonas Valanciunas and Domantas Sabonis are representing their homeland, which will play Poland in the semifinals and either Slovenia or Venezuela in the qualifying finale. Valanciunas is averaging 17.5 points and 12 rebounds in a little under 19 minutes per game.
"It would be amazing to go to Tokyo," Valanciunas said. "Another Olympics for Lithuania, as a country, would mean a lot to us.&nbsp;
"Our preparation has been a challenge, but I think that's the same for everybody. We are just getting together and trying to find that chemistry as soon as possible."
Lithuania won bronze medals at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics along with the 2010 World Championship in Turkey. If they qualify for the Olympics, they will be grouped with Spain, Argentina and Japan.
The winner of the tournament in Canada will be grouped with the United States and Iran, and the winners from the tournaments in Croatia and Serbia will be grouped with Australia and Nigeria. The Olympic men&rsquo;s basketball tournament begins July 25.

With the Olympics set to begin on July 25, NBA players from around the world are engaging in battle with their national teams.

Boban Marjanovic posts one of the bigger lines of Olympic qualifier

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Another game. Another blowout.
The Milwaukee Bucks have a chance to sweep the Miami Heat out of the playoffs, and they're making the task of dispatching the reigning Eastern Conference champions look very simple.
Khris Middleton scored 22 points, Jrue Holiday added 19 points and 12 assists and the Bucks took a 3-0 lead in their East first-round series with a 113-84 victory in Miami on Thursday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds for Milwaukee, which can finish the sweep and move into the East semifinals with a win Saturday afternoon.
&ldquo;The last two games haven't been easy," Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;Obviously, we were up 30, but it's not easy. ... I'll say this: I'll say by us doing our job, I'm not surprised that we're able to win a game because once we focus on ourselves, play together, have fun and be tough, good things are going to happen. And in these three games, good things have happened for us."
Miami has lost three games by 29 points or more this season &mdash; all against Milwaukee, two of them in the last two games of this series. The Bucks held leads of 51 and 36 points against Miami in games earlier this season; the margin got to 32 on Thursday night.
And as if Milwaukee needed another edge, there's this: No team in NBA history has ever squandered a 3-0 series lead.
&ldquo;We're not worried about that. We control what we can control, and that's how we play, that's how we prepare, how we compete," Miami forward Jimmy Butler said. &ldquo;Not too worried about what history says and all of that good stuff, but we've got our work cut out for us."
Butler scored 19 points and Bam Adebayo had 17 for Miami. Nemanja Bjelica &mdash; little-used by Miami this season, then called upon Thursday out of desperation for any sort of outside shooting &mdash; scored 14 points.
Milwaukee outrebounded Miami 56-41, held the Heat to 38% shooting and became the first team to top Miami by at least 29 points twice in the same playoff series. And that's after the Bucks beat Miami by 47, in Miami, back in December.
&ldquo;We've got to continue to work," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;They have so many weapons on the other side. They do a lot of things that are hard to guard. Defensively, our focus, our attention to detail has got to stay high."
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The biggest Miami crowd of the season, by far &mdash; 17,000 in a building that in pre-pandemic times called 19,600 a sellout &mdash; showed up, most of them in their seats by tip-off, hoping that they would see the start of a turnaround.
Instead, in the biggest game of the season, they saw Miami&rsquo;s slowest start of the season.
The Heat managed only eight points in the game&rsquo;s first nine minutes, the fewest they managed in such a game-opening span since last August and the fewest to open a game on their home floor since Nov. 14, 2018.
It was 26-14 Milwaukee after one quarter, then the lead swelled to as much as 19 &mdash; 44-25 late in the second before got to 49-36 at the half. That matched the fewest points allowed by the Bucks in a first half in more than three years.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re making shots and they&rsquo;re making tough ones,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;And the ball won&rsquo;t go in for us.&rdquo;
The margin swelled to 27 in the third quarter. More than a few of those 17,000 fans didn&rsquo;t stick around too much longer.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Donte DiVencenzo (left foot contusion) played nine minutes and was ruled out for the rest of the game. He missed all four of his shots. ... The last time Milwaukee allowed fewer than 36 points in a first half was April 22, 2018, when it gave up 35 in a playoff game against Boston. The Bucks gave up 36 at Indiana on Nov. 16, 2019.
Heat: NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and rapper Flo Rida were part of the crowd. ... Not only were the Heat offering fans the chance to get their first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the game, but further incentivized it by giving 10% off purchases at the team store. ... Heat fans, mindful that Antetokounmpo was called for a 10-second violation on a free throw in Game 1, screamed out a seconds count on his foul shots in the fourth quarter.
ONE-SIDED
Miami led more of Game 1 than Milwaukee did; the Heat were ahead for just over 22 minutes, the Bucks just over 21 minutes. Since then, it&rsquo;s been all Milwaukee. Out of a possible 96 minutes in Games 2 and 3, Milwaukee has led for 93 minutes, 49 seconds; it&rsquo;s been tied for 1:54 and the Heat have led for a total of 17 seconds.
SWEEPAGE
This is Miami&rsquo;s first 3-0 series deficit since a first-round matchup against Boston in 2010. The Heat lost that series in five games and haven&rsquo;t been swept since the 2007 first round against Chicago. Milwaukee is up 3-0 for the first time since sweeping Detroit in Round 1 of the 2019 playoffs.
FIVE-SHOT TRIP
No possession saw Milwaukee&rsquo;s rebounding dominance more apparent that one late in the first quarter, one in which the Bucks got four offensive boards before scoring. Portis and P.J. Tucker each had two offensive rebounds on the possession, which ended with a Portis putback.
LONG TIME
Miami&rsquo;s last postseason win on its home floor was May 13, 2016. Of the current Heat players, only Goran Dragic and Udonis Haslem remain from that team. Dragic scored 30 points in that win over Toronto; Haslem didn&rsquo;t play. They didn&rsquo;t make the playoffs in 2017 or 2019, were 0-2 at home in the 2018 playoffs and weren&rsquo;t at home for last year&rsquo;s run to the NBA Finals.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Bucks have a chance to sweep the Heat out of the playoffs, and they're making the task of dispatching Miami look very simple.

Bucks put Heat on brink, win 113-84 for 3-0 series lead

It's been hard to make sense of the Miami Heat this season.
The offense hasn't been as machine-like as it was last year. There's been a dip team-wide in shooting efficiency. Rim pressure has been inconsistent; the lack of availability has only accentuated that issue.
The defense is scrambling more by design. There's an added emphasis on pressure -- traps, full-court presses, aggressive fronting in the post -- though the high-risk nature of their scheme puts a strain on everyone.&nbsp;
This isn't the team that lit up the bubble. Between COVID, injuries, midseason transactions and opposing teams updating their scouting reports, the Heat have <a href="https://twitter.com/CoupNBA/status/1390758512591056899?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">constantly been in flux</a>.
It's fair to say the Heat have struggled to walk those tightropes consistently. That dynamic has kept them out of the East's upper echelon; yet, the can-they-get-it-together nature of their outlook also makes them an unappealing matchup option for teams in that upper echelon.
They may be starting to find that groove. They've won nine of their last 12 games dating back to April 18. The offense is humming at a top-three rate <a href="https://go.nba.com/l77z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during this stretch</a>; the defense has slipped, though an elite clip during third quarters (103.8, top-four) is a nice sigh of relief for the fan base.
It should come as no surprise that Jimmy Butler is balling during Miami's hottest stretch of the season. Frankly, he's been part of everything good for Miami. They're 31-19 (.620 win percentage) in games Butler has appeared in, and 6-12 in the games he's missed.
An MVP case may be a bit much -- we shouldn't overthink the Nikola Jokic thing -- but it's important not to lose sight of how good Butler has been, and how well the Heat have played with him.
DRIVING THE BUS
On a team featuring movement shooters (Duncan Robinson, Max Strus), pull-up artists (Kendrick Nunn, Tyler Herro, Goran Dragic) and more traditional spacers (Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica), it's Butler that provides the downhill juice to free them.
He ranks just outside the top-10 in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=DRIVES*GE*10&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drives per game</a> (15.9), and possesses one of the highest foul-drawn rates among volume drivers. His 8.1 average free throw attempts per game ranks No. 5 in the NBA; only five players <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/nba/player?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">draw more fouls on two-pointers</a> than Butler.&nbsp;
Butler does a tremendous job of getting his defenders off balance. While he doesn't possess some ankle-breaking dribbling package, he's able to shift the feet of his man from the triple-threat position. Ball fakes, jabs, and rip-throughs all aid Butler in his quest for paint touches.&nbsp;
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Once he gets downhill, Butler consistently dislodges defenders with elbows and shoulder nudges; his ability to gain inside leverage with his body, then power through defenders is a skill rivaled by few players in the league.
That consistent rim pressure opens the floor for everyone else. He's able to spray it out to corner shooters with simple kicks or jump-passes.
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Watch how Butler attacks the ICE coverage deployed by the Celtics here. The pacing is what matters; Butler probes a bit with the first dribble, then snakes inside of Jayson Tatum on the second. He's reading Kemba Walker on the weak side, waiting on him to tag Bam Adebayo on the roll. Once Walker makes contact with Adebayo, Butler flings a dart to Ariza.
When Butler engages rim protectors directly, he's able to slip in lay-down passes with ease.
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Butler goes to his should-be-patented shimmy-and-go to get Tatum off balance. Peep how low he gets on his second dribble to get under Tatum's chest and create an advantage for himself. Not only does Butler get to his spot with a favorable angle, he also compounds the advantage with an up-fake to get Luke Kornet in the air. From there, he's able to hit Dewayne Dedmon in the dunker spot for a lay-up.
It's amazing that Butler has been able to put up this sort of production -- 21.6 points (career-high 60.6 TS%) and a career-high 7.2 assists -- without a threatening three-point shot. A bounce-back season from mid-range covers some of the gap; his <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shooting/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;TeamID=1610612748&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">41.7% clip on middies</a> isn't an elite mark, but it's 10 percentage points higher than it was last season.
With the type of production Butler provides as a driver -- both as a finisher and passer -- he doesn't&nbsp;have&nbsp;to be an elite pull-up guy. All he needs to be is timely and competent. He's been that this season. When he's firing on all cylinders -- as he has been during this recent stretch -- there really isn't much you can do with him if you're an opposing defense.
PROVIDING HELP
I have a take.
At a minimum, Jimmy Butler is the best "nail" defender in the NBA. You could also make the argument that he's the best off-ball defender in the league, full stop.&nbsp;
Allow him to hover around the free-throw line, and he'll junk up everything you want to do. Timely digs on drives; playing between two when there's a trap elsewhere; calculated gambles against unsuspecting post-up threats. Nobody's safe when Butler is around.
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The dynamic with Butler and Adebayo is an interesting one. They wreck worlds together, with the Heat defending at a <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612748&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=202710,1628389&amp;OnlyCommonGames=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-five rate</a> when they share the floor. Running actions against those two are rarely fruitful endeavors.
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Adebayo rightfully is praised for his defensive versatility. Having a 5 that can not only hold his own against perimeter players, but can legitimately force stops against them is insanely valuable. What gets a little overlooked is the strain that places on the smaller players on the court.
If a big (Adebayo) is on a small, logic dictates that a small is on a big somewhere. Butler's able to hold his own against centers. He's a strong dude, but he's also a smart dude; he consistently positions himself in a way that: 1) Makes entry passes tough to make and 2) It's difficult for larger players to get comfortable.
Butler isn't a shot-blocker, but his combination of strength, positioning and hand speed makes big-on-small post-ups less automatic than they should be.&nbsp;
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Of course, Butler remains a strong perimeter defender. We're treated to less of the bleep-it-he's-mine-for-40-minutes assignments by virtue of Miami's switching principles. That doesn't mean he&nbsp;can't&nbsp;fight over screens and make life difficult for top-tier initiators.&nbsp;
The priorities have shifted, not just for Butler in Miami, but for what it means to be an elite defender. The fact that Butler is able to toggle between being a free safety, punching up on the block and funneling elite scorers into a swarm of arms is why he's one of the most impactful defenders in the sport.
To that point: the Heat's defense is roughly five points stingier with Butler on the floor, <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612748&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=202710&amp;OnlyCommonGames=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per PBP Stats</a>.&nbsp;
When you think of who the Heat are, or what they've struggled to consistently be this season, what comes to mind?
A grind-it-out group with a focus on meticulous decision-making. Aggressiveness, versatility, toughness.&nbsp;
They're Jimmy Butler, essentially.
The team is shaped in his image, down to the culture-filled comments in the postgame presser. It should come as no surprise that, as Butler has been more available, the team is looking more like who they want to be.
And that team isn't just one that nobody wants to play; that's a team that could beat just about anyone four times.

Nekias Duncan breaks down what makes Jimmy Butler dangerous, and how that impacts the Heat's playoff hopes.

Jimmy Butler is taking over at the right time

A bunch of really good players got traded to really good teams at the NBA trade deadline, and some of them are doing better than others.&nbsp;
Why is that?
...Dare we quote Allen Iverson?
Chatter around the NBA includes complaints that teams do not have enough time to conduct practices regularly, in part because they spend so much time adhering to COVID protocols and being tested. The condensed schedule doesn't help either.&nbsp;
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said teams have practiced anywhere from 15-to-40 times, declining to be more specific. It varies from team to team.&nbsp;
The Dallas Mavericks have practiced 25 times, spokesman Scott Tomlin said.
When asked how often the team has practice, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, "Rarely.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Mostly because of the schedule -- 29 some games in 30 or so days is hard," Cuban added. "So any days off are needed rest days... But sometimes you have to force-fit a practice. It's not that we can't. It's just that the physical toll of the schedule and the need for recovery by players make it difficult.&rdquo;
For teams that made midseason moves, it's tougher than ever to get new players acclimated. &nbsp; The Mavs acquired JJ Redick from New Orleans, but he has not yet played for Dallas, who had won five games in a row before dropping a 102-93 decision against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
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The best player in that game was Kelly Olynyk of Houston, who was acquired from Miami and is arguably Stephen Silas&rsquo; best or second-best player these days. Olynyk has averaged 17.4 points on 59.7% shooting since the trade.
But this column is about teams that are either in the playoff picture or in the hunt, so let&rsquo;s start with the best teams (listed by winning percentage), the player(s) they acquired and how things have been going since the March 25 deadline.&nbsp;
UTAH JAZZ (39-13): Acquired Matt Thomas from Toronto for a future second-round pick, but he has only seen spot minutes in four games and has done nothing of note.
PHOENIX SUNS (36-15): Acquired Torrey Craig from Milwaukee for cash, and he has been getting regular rotation minutes off the bench and scored in double figures in three of 11 games. He shot well, but was a minus-10 in 12 minutes in the Suns&rsquo; overtime victory over Utah on Wednesday.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers (35-16): Acquired George Hill from the Thunder and Ignas Brazdeikis from the Knicks. Hill has yet to play because of a thumb injury, but conceivably will help in the playoffs; Brazdeikis was waived Thursday. He played just eight minutes in one total game and missed all three of his shots.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (35-18): Acquired Rajon Rondo from Atlanta for Lou Williams and two second-round picks. Prior to going for 15 points and nine assists (and a plus-24) in 19 minutes against Phoenix last night, he had taken seven shots in two games and made two of them. But he plays that way from time to time every regular season, and then the playoffs come -- and we all know what happens. That&rsquo;s why he is known as &ldquo;Playoff Rondo.&rdquo; Nobody ever had that nickname, not even Robert Horry, so stay tuned.
DENVER NUGGETS (33-18): Acquired Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark from the Magic for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a future first-round pick; landed JaVale McGee from the Cavs for Isaiah Hartenstein and a future second-rounder. The Nuggets have not lost since Gordon arrived, and he has moved into the starting lineup in place of Paul Millsap. He has not been quite as proficient as teammate Michael Porter Jr., but he is shooting nearly 61% from the field while averaging 12.5 points. He was averaging 14.6 points in Orlando on 43.7% shooting. McGee has appeared only briefly in two games. Clark was waived on Thursday following the team's two-way contract signing of Shaq Harrison.
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MILWAUKEE BUCKS (32-18): Acquired P.J. Tucker and Rodions Kurucs from Houston for D.J. Augustin and D.J. Wilson, with some first-round picks and swaps changing hands, too. Tucker played in only three games, making one of four shots, before suffering a strained left calf that has sidelined him since March 24. Kurucs has not played.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (30-21): Acquired Norman Powell from the Portland Trail Blazers for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood. Powell was playing like the best player on the Raptors for all intents and purposes, and with Portland, he is logging heavy minutes as a starter and had a 32-point game in a loss to the Clippers on Tuesday night. Terry Stotts has a heck of a starting lineup, but in the end, it will all come down to the Blazers&rsquo; defense, as it always does. The Jazz outscored them 40-19 in the third quarter last night.
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CHARLOTTE HORNETS (26-24): The best team that nobody ever talks about (especially given the fact that LaMelo Ball went down) acquired Brad Wanamaker from Golden State for a second-round pick, and the Danny Ainge castoff has been solid (8.2 points, 3.2 assists), if not spectacular as the backup point guard in his 20-plus minutes per game.
ATLANTA HAWKS (27-25): They are 4-1 with former Sixth Man Award winner Lou Williams coming off the bench, and he has shot 60% from three-point range in 24 minutes per game. The Hawks gave up 131 points to the Memphis Grizzlies, which is not the sign of a good defensive team, but Lou was not acquired for his &ldquo;D.&rdquo; And the Grizzlies have been playing well lately.&nbsp;
MIAMI HEAT (27-25): Acquired Victor Oladipo from Houston for Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a pick swap; landed Nemanja Bjelica from Sacramento for Moe Harkless and Chris Silva; picked up Trevor Ariza from Oklahoma City for Meyers Leonard and a second-round pick. The East&rsquo;s most confounding team not named &ldquo;Celtics&rdquo; is 5-3 since the deadline passed, having just beaten the Lakers. Oladipo has shot only 23.5% from three-point range and has contributed relatively little. Now, Oladipo will miss the Heat's four-game road trip due to a right-knee injury. Ariza has moved into the starting lineup and has been hot and cold like a leaky faucet; and Bjelica has played six games, with his best performance coming in a win over the Cavs when he had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
BOSTON CELTICS (26-26): The team that got nothing in return for Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford picked up Evan Fournier from Orlando for Jeff Teague and two second-round picks; they also landed Moe Wagner and Luke Kornet from the Bulls for Daniel Theis and Javonte Green. The Celtics sit at seventh in the East. Fournier had an inglorious debut in green, going 0-for-10, but had a couple of very nice games since then, going a combined 11-for-16 from three in his two most recent games. He averaged 3 points in his first two games and 20 points in his next two. Kornet has proven serviceable, and Wagner has started in a game.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (24-25): Acquired an injured Marquese Chriss from Golden State, presumably so that somebody down the line could replace LaMarcus Aldridge (who eventually was bought out and signed with the Nets). This sinking ship has lost four in a row, including a 24-point defeat at the hands of the JuggerCavs; Chriss was released to make room for Gorgui Dieng, who they signed off the buyout market.&nbsp;
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CHICAGO BULLS (22-28): Acquired Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and a pair of first-round picks; landed Daniel Theis, Javonte Green and Troy Brown Jr. from Boston and Washington in a three-team trade. These moves made Billy Donovan the winner of the &ldquo;Figure It Out On The Fly&rdquo; award. Vucevic, an All-Star, has adapted quickly, going for 32 points and 17 rebounds against the Pacers on Tuesday; Aminu and Green have not been rotation players. Theis was okay before going for 14 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday, and Brown has come off the bench and provided depth as a defense-first, playmaking forward. Arturas Karnisovas perhaps earned the &ldquo;Executive of the Year&rdquo; award for getting Vucevic, who will be the best player on the court in every play-in game he participates in.&nbsp;
Donovan will eventually have to acclimate the new Bulls with the old Bulls through practice, and it&rsquo;ll be up to him how to make that happen.
Yes, Mr. Iverson, we are talkin&rsquo; about practice. NBA teams are averaging about 1.8 practices per week this year. Last year (pre-bubble), it was 1.9, and the year before it was 2.0.
Practice makes perfect, and nobody in the NBA is unbeaten. But somebody is going to emerge as a champion by the end of the season, and how to get there is every team&rsquo;s ongoing challenge.

Chris Sheridan checks in on the players who were dealt at the NBA trade deadline and how they've performed with their new teams.