Thunderbirds

This article is part of a two-part series preview for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs.
With the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs starting, all eyes will be on all teams competing for the championship as fans and players look on for a taste of postseason action. As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges. In this article, we take a closer look at the biggest question facing each Eastern Conference team heading into the playoffs, from injuries and roster changes to key matchups and strategic decisions.
<h3>Boston Celtics - Who&rsquo;s stopping them?</h3>
The Boston Celtics have been the best team in the regular season as evidenced by their 64-18 record. They have also been one of the most dominant regular season teams of all time, having the third-highest net rating in NBA history (11.8) which would rank just behind the 1996 and 1997 Chicago Bulls. If it were of any significance, those Bulls teams had 72-10 and 69-13 records and won it all in both years.
It&rsquo;s all written on the wall &ndash; the Celtics are in title or bust mode, which even just a conference finals appearance would probably be marked as a disappointment. Considering how dominant they have been throughout the season, a Finals appearance would be the minimum achievement.
This team is built almost as completely as they could ever be &mdash; offense, defense, bench, two stars that lift each other&rsquo;s game up, roster construction of players that complement them, and even the fans that are some of the most passionate in the league. These are things that are all you could ask for in a championship team, and with that being said &ndash; the pressure is on for Boston.
A big possible answer to that question is whether the Celtics would be the only ones who&rsquo;ll stop themselves from achieving and realizing their full potential &ndash; and there&rsquo;s only one way to find out.&nbsp;
The playoffs are a different story and looking at what we&rsquo;ve seen over the years, the Celtics have tendencies to underperform in the playoffs. With a new supporting cast featuring 2021 champ Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, a question lingers on the team: will it be different this time around?
They have had a history of flaming out in the past, and whether or not that continues this season remains to be seen. Time is the ultimate truth teller, and these Celtics hope to exercise their playoff demons when the time comes and their opportunities present themselves.
Will they be able to capitalize on a dominant regular season and take on the task at hand once and for all? They certainly hope with all the pieces they have now, they have enough to close it out and take it all the way and finish the job this time around to end the allegations against them once and for all.
<h3>New York Knicks - How far will they go without Julius Randle?</h3>
As we all know by now, health is the biggest factor in the playoffs. You always want to be complete and your best players to be healthy and ready to go when it matters most.
Unfortunately, this will not be the case for the New York Knicks this season, after losing all-star Julius Randle to a season-ending surgery to his injury.
Randle has been the Knicks&rsquo; best player for the past 3 seasons (before Brunson&rsquo;s ascension to King Knick this year). He brings that size and physicality along with that sneaky speed at the 4. On offense, Randle is a secondary creator and playmaker who can make plays for himself and his teammates. His improving three-point shot is now a weapon for teams not to sag off of him as much which could only help the Knicks in the playoffs.
Simply put, Randle is a matchup problem against traditional power forwards. Without him, the Knicks would not be able to tap on another gear that would only be possible with Randle out there on the floor.
Now, all eyes will be on Jalen Brunson as he tries to carry New York all by himself. It will be expected to see all possible defensive schemes thrown against him to try and contain the all-NBA caliber player in this season that he is.
<h3>Milwaukee Bucks - Can they hold the fort without Giannis?&nbsp;</h3>
The hits just keep on coming for the Bucks. After starting the season 30-13, they fired their head coach Adrian Griffin, and replaced him with Doc Rivers. They&rsquo;ve had their fair share of struggles with Rivers, losing to lottery teams like the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Raptors in one stretch, and they&rsquo;ve finished only a disappointing 19-20 the rest of the way to end the season.&nbsp;
Just recently, they received brutal news that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the beginning of their series against the Indiana Pacers after injuring his left calf with three games left in the regular season. The upstart and young Pacers have been 4-1 against them during the year and it will be a tough battle without one of the five best players in the world playing. Will Damian Lillard and Co. step up to the plate?
<h3>Cleveland Cavaliers - Is this the &lsquo;last hurrah&rsquo; for Donovan Mitchell as a Cavalier?</h3>
All eyes are on the Cavaliers&rsquo; playoff run this season to gain ground after a disappointing finish last year. Can they keep soon-to-be free agent Donovan Mitchell happy enough? Or will another disappointing playoff exit lead him to bolt out of town to find another opportunity to win elsewhere?&nbsp;
Much of this will be attributed to the growth of their current core to gauge their improvements from last season. Will Darius Garland have enough juice to handle the scoring load outside of Mitchell as well as holding his own defensively? Will Evan Mobley display or unlock another offensive level in his game to be able to contribute on the offensive end to complement his defensive capabilities? Will Jarett Allen beat the allegations of lights were too bright in the playoffs in his second time around and bounce back from what has been a bad series against the Knicks last year? And is Max Strus the answer for the Cavs to advance into the second round with his spacing and shooting at the wing to give space for Mitchell to attack?
With his impending free agency, Donovan Mitchell has a big decision to make during the offseason. Will he stay and extend with this Cavaliers team who gave up assets for him? The Cavaliers have made some strides from being a young team with potential to a top 4-5 team in the East when they acquired Donovan Mitchell two years ago from the Utah Jazz. Since then, Mitchell has elevated their play and in turn, they got back to their first playoffs without LeBron James on the team.
However, rumors have been swirling that Mitchell wants to achieve postseason success, whether in this team or not. Some of these reportedly said that if the Cavs do not make the Finals this season, he might find another home elsewhere to chase that goal. Throughout his career, Mitchell has been to the first round multiple times but has been in the second round just twice. He has yet to make a conference finals appearance, and this postseason with the Cavs will determine if he falls short of that goal again.
Helping Mitchell this time around are shooters that the Cavs lacked a year ago, with Max Strus, Sam Merill, and Georges Niang now in the fold for the team. Cleveland got exposed by New York in just five games last year and it was basically because of their inability to space the floor around Mitchell and point guard Darius Garland. Now with an improved Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen all having a year to work on their games for this stretch, the Cavs aim to make the conference finals &mdash; before Mitchell&rsquo;s impending big decision in free agency.
<h3>Orlando Magic - How far can their youth and inexperience take them in the playoffs?</h3>
Being the youngest playoff team in the East's playoff field, the Magic come in with no expectations at hand. This young group has overachieved for the season having the fourth-best defense despite them being the 4th youngest team in the league. Making the playoffs has already been a huge accomplishment, but winning a series would not be so bad and would be a welcome sight for the team.&nbsp;
Nobody expected them to be in the hunt for the top seeds in the East, but here they are in their first playoff experience as a group as the fifth seed. This is only year 2 and 3 for young stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and they could only get better as years progress. This is only the beginning for Orlando and they could be a difficult fixture in the East for years to come.
<h3>Indiana Pacers - How big of an impact will Pascal Siakam be in the postseason?</h3>
Right after the trade to bring Siakam to Indiana, fans and basketball analysts alike mentioned how the trade was a win for Indiana and that Siakam&rsquo;s value would be seen through in the playoffs. When the game slows down and teams are more equipped and prepared for their defenses, teams would need solid execution on their half-court offense.
This was where Siakam was supposed to come in, and now that it&rsquo;s here, will he be able to step up and lead the Pacers to a series win? The 2019 champion with the Raptors has played 41 games with Indiana this season after the trade, and he has averaged 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 55/39/70 shooting splits and he has given the Pacers a new dimension on offense. The Pacers who will go up against the Bucks for their first-round playoff series, have gone 4-1 against them &ndash; but it was all without Siakam. The question for them now is, how will they maintain the level of success they had vs the Bucks now that Siakam is in the rotation? Will Siakam end up being the ceiling-raiser for the postseason for them? Or could he end up disrupting the rhythm that the team had in the regular season vs the Bucks?
<h3>Philadelphia - Is this finally the year they advance with Nick Nurse at the helm?</h3>
The Sixers have had a lot of heartbreak over the years, from not being able to make the Conference Finals in Joel Embiid&rsquo;s career to choking multiple times in the playoffs, it's just disaster after disaster when it matters the most in the City of Brotherly Love.
However, they hope the outcome is going to come out differently this year due to one factor: Nick Nurse.
The 2019 champion coach has given the Sixers a lot to hope for with a breath of fresh air surrounding the team on offensive and defensive execution. This year, with Embiid being better than ever (being even better than last year&rsquo;s MVP campaign) and with the help of Nurse&rsquo;s diverse offensive sets, the Sixers&rsquo; title chances have increased significantly. Coach Nurse having the ability to make adjustments on the fly and push the right buttons will be a major weapon for the Sixers for their upcoming playoff run.
When healthy this year, Embiid has had one of the most dominant regular seasons in NBA history, averaging 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. The Sixers have a 31-8 record when he plays, which would equal the best win-pace mark in the league. He now has a dynamic sidekick in Tyrese Maxey who has been named an all-star this year, and general manager Daryl Morey has surrounded them with capable role players to complement their skill sets. Will Nurse be the final piece that puts all of the Sixers together?
<h3>Miami Heat - Can they rediscover their old magic against the Celtics, but this time without Jimmy Butler?</h3>
At this point, people got to understand and realize that playoff Jimmy is a real thing. The dude just turns it up when it matters the most and the lights are at their brightest, and has carried Miami every time in the postseason.
However, this year figures out to be an entirely different scenario with Butler being out with an injury. According to reports, Butler could be sidelined for multiple weeks due to an MCL sprain &mdash; devastating news for Miami ahead of their upcoming playoff matchup vs Boston.&nbsp;
The Heat have faced the Celtics three times over the past four seasons, and they have beaten them twice. All those games and series featured a lot of Butler carrying them to wins.
Without Butler though, things have changed dramatically fast. Now, the question stands: will they have enough to defeat their old nemesis (who&rsquo;s become the most dominant team in the league) sans their best player?

As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges.

2024 Eastern Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question heading into the playoffs

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; As the Celtics&rsquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/celtics-76ers-tatum-nba-playoffs-record-game-7-767dffb9877cfc54d55c9f58c8fa8866">112-88 Game 7 rout</a>&nbsp;of the 76ers began to crystallize late in the third quarter, a Boston fan toting a neon pink inflatable flamingo held up a sign that read, &ldquo;See you in Miami!&rdquo;
Celtics-Heat: The rematch is now officially set for the Eastern Conference finals.
Last season the Celtics had a 3-2 series lead over Miami in the NBA&rsquo;s version of the final four before losing in Game 6. Boston then came within a late missed jump by Miami&rsquo;s Jimmy Butler of seeing its season end in Game 7 before eventually holding on to advance to the NBA Finals.
Following a championship-round loss to Golden State, this season was themed &ldquo;Unfinished Business&rdquo; for this latest incarnation of the Celtics as they long to get another shot at the franchise&rsquo;s 18th title.
They&rsquo;re hoping to carry the momentum and lessons from Sunday&rsquo;s blowout win over Philadelphia into what they expect to be another slugfest with the Heat. The teams split their four regular-season matchups.
&ldquo;We had another opportunity today, as a team and for myself of just to kind of bounce back,&rdquo; said Jayson Tatum, whose 51 points were the most ever in a Game 7. &ldquo;I was relieved, I was happy about that, just to get another chance because our season could have been over in Game 6. Just being in another Game 7. ... I was really excited, just for the moment.&rdquo;
Tatum&rsquo;s heroics topped the mark set by the Warriors&rsquo; Stephen Curry in the Warriors first-round win over Sacramento just two weeks ago.
It also silenced critics who began to doubt Tatum following back-to-back games in which he had trouble locating the scoring punch that put him in the MVP conversation this season.
&ldquo;When he plays a well-rounded game, our team is different,&rdquo; Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
Boston entered just 7-9 in its last 16 home playoff games, but outscored Philadelphia 33-10 in the third quarter. That 23-point margin was the largest in any Game 7 quarter in league history.
The Celtics, who have played in more Game 7s than any team in NBA history, improved to 27-9 in those winner-take-all contests.
League MVP Joel Embiid, who became a force for the 76ers in the second half of the season after Tatum had been among the frontrunners in the first half, had nothing but praise for Tatum and the potential for the Celtics to represent the East again in the finals.
&ldquo;I think they&rsquo;re probably the best team in the league,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re so talented and they got a lot of guys who can play great basketball.&rdquo;
What might have been the most impressive about getting past Philadelphia was how the Celtics adjusted to claim the final two games of the series.
First, Boston benefitted from pleas from the players and the ultimate decision by Mazzulla to insert Robert Williams III into the lineup to play alongside fellow big man Al Horford. Then, the Celtics made tactical adjustment to use Williams as a third defender on the pick-and-rolls between Embiid and James Harden, forcing tougher looks for both in Game 7 in particular.
Now the Celtics will look to formulate a game plan to stop a Miami team that has fought its way back to the conference finals thanks to some epic performances by their biggest star in Butler.
It&rsquo;s a challenge Tatum said the team feels ready to embrace.
&ldquo;A team that we&rsquo;re extremely familiar with, third time in four years I think playing them in the playoffs,&rdquo; Tatum said. &ldquo;Very well-coached team. They compete with the best of them. They play hard. They defend. They make plays. And they figure out a way to win games. It&rsquo;s going to be fun. It&rsquo;s going to be highly competitive. And I&rsquo;m looking forward to it.&rdquo;

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will square off in the Eastern Conference Finals once again.

Run it back: Celtics to face Heat in Conference Finals rematch

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis knew he had to have a big game to help the Los Angeles Lakers snap a five-game losing streak.
After getting motivation from an unlikely source, he put together his best game of the season.
&ldquo;I was watching the Green Bay Packers game (against the Dallas Cowboys) and Aaron Rodgers threw a slant to Allen Lazard for 40 yards. He was flexing and that got me motivated,&rdquo; said Davis, who had a season-high 37 points and 18 rebounds in the Lakers 116-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Sunday night.
&ldquo;I knew I had to dominate to get this win. With LeBron (James) out, a lot of guys lean on me to get the job done.&rdquo;
Davis grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, which tied a career-high in a regular-season game, as the Lakers led throughout. Davis was averaging only 8.6 points in the second half, but had 21 against the Nets, including 15 in the third quarter.
&ldquo;I was trying to get to the paint and score inside knowing thCam Thomasey had limited shot blockers,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;If we put it on the rim then I had a guard on me and a chance to get an offensive rebound.&rdquo;
Davis was not only active inside on the boards, but in his shot selection as well. All but two of his 25 attempts were in the paint.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s been the plan and figuring out how to get him more touches and in rhythm. Everything was aggressive,&rdquo; Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.
Lonnie Walker IV added 25 points for Los Angeles, which was missing James for the second straight game due to an left adductor strain.
Kevin Durant led the Nets with 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Cam Thomas came off the bench to score 15 points and Edmond Sumner added 13.
&ldquo;We played in spurts tonight. It was a perfect storm for them. They made shots and got to the rim,&rdquo; Durant said.
The Lakers led by 16 with less than four minutes remaining in the third, but the Nets rallied to close to 91-87 on a two free throws by Durant with 8:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Lakers then blew it open with a 15-2 run, including seven points by Walker and four from Davis.
Los Angeles' largest lead was 18 with four minutes remaining.
Kyrie Irving missed his sixth straight game as part of a team suspension for refusing to say he had no antisemitic beliefs,
Los Angeles had a 55-46 lead at halftime. The Lakers extended their advantage to 77-61 with 3:56 remaining in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Walker before the Nets scored 11 straight points and closed the quarter on a 16-3 run.
&ldquo;I knew we expended a lot of juice from the Clipper game (a 110-95 win on Saturday). The guys gave what they had,&rdquo; said Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn after the Nets fell to 1-3 during the second game of back-to-backs.
TIP-INS
Nets: Nic Claxton suffered a left eye contusion during the third quarter and did not return. ... Markieff Morris made a crosscourt shot at the end of the first half, but it happened after the buzzer. ... Ben Simmons was declared out one hour before tipoff due to left knee soreness. ... Seth Curry (left ankle) sat out after playing 26 minutes on Saturday in a win over the Clippers.
Lakers: Austin Reaves had 15 points while Russell Westbrook had 14 points and 12 assists. ... Walker scored 11 of the Lakers' first 20 points.

Anthony Davis had a season-high 37 points and 18 rebounds as the Lakers beat the Nets 116-103 to snap a five-game losing streak.

Davis scores season-high 37, Lakers beat Nets to snap skid

The Atlanta Hawks are heading into training camp looking for a bit of a reboot.
First up: improving the communication between coach Nate McMillan and star guard Trae Young.
McMillan already got the ball rolling after&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Hawks were eliminated</a>&nbsp;in the opening round of the playoffs,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1309479d3c7f8fdef6159bbf924edbec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a bitter comedown</a>&nbsp;from their run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.
In June, the coach hopped on a flight to visit Young at his Oklahoma City home, wanting to make sure everyone was on the same page when camp began Saturday.
&ldquo;One of the big areas that I feel we need to improve on is the connection between the two of us,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;I think we need to be better at communicating with each other and what we want to do and how we want to go about doing it.&rdquo;
The coach also wants Young, who turned 24 less than a week ago, to claim more of a leadership role, both on the court and in the locker room.
"He&rsquo;s the face of the franchise and it&rsquo;s something that he has just inherited,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;He will have to work at it and become better.&rdquo;
Young brushed off any attempt to suggest a rift between the coach and his biggest star.
&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re trying to reach for something that isn&rsquo;t there. The relationship isn&rsquo;t rocky,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We can all be better in areas. We&rsquo;re all trying to get better. We&rsquo;re not trying to stay the same.&rdquo;
While there was plenty of speculation that the Hawks were headed for a major overhaul after their playoff flop, they decided to keep much of the roster intact.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-lakers-nba-sports-russell-westbrook-1848f98b0610b0de45f8336b9425d774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The big move</a>&nbsp;was a trade that landed All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs for three first-round draft picks.
Murray provides the Hawks with another ballhandling guard who can play the point, giving Young a chance to work more without the ball.
That is an element that McMillan wants to develop after watching the Miami Heat stifle Young in the playoffs, giving the Hawks few other options to get the offense rolling.
Murray also should help improve an atrocious defense that was perhaps the most significant factor in the team failing to live up to expectations. He led the league in steals a season ago and was a second-team member of the NBA&rsquo;s all-defensive team in 2018.
While everyone was all smiles during a photo shoot and interview session, it will be intriguing to see how Young &mdash; only the second player in NBA history to lead the league in both total points and total assists &mdash; adapts to Murray assuming some of the playmaking duties.
McMillan said the team was in constant contact with Young as the trade unfolded.
&ldquo;As I told him, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re bringing in another guard, and an All-Star guard. Do you know what that means for you? You&rsquo;ll be playing without the ball more than you probably ever have,&rsquo;&rdquo; McMillan recounted. &ldquo;He was really excited about the opportunity to play off the ball, learn to play off the ball, and play with Murray.&rdquo;
Murray expects it to be a productive relationship, though it may take a while to really click.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not trying to step on any toes,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They have a great thing going here. Trae earned the rights of who he is with this organization. I&rsquo;m coming to help.&rdquo;
McMillan wants his entire team to recapture some of the camaraderie that was clearly there during the unexpected playoff run two seasons ago.
To that end, the Hawks are taking an extended trip to Abu Dhabi, where are they&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-wizards-golden-state-warriors-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-89bb1e8f0e5a50f90a0709843fa04040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduled to play a pair of preseason games</a>&nbsp;against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Atlanta will depart next Friday and spend nine days in Middle East before returning to the States for their final two preseason contests.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity for our guys to bond. We are looking at trying to put them in position for that to happen,&rdquo; McMillan said &ldquo;We want our guys to spend that time together.&rdquo;
It should also give Young a chance to begin flexing his leadership qualities.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been a leader by example,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still learning how to be a leader vocally. It&rsquo;s not that I don&rsquo;t do it; it&rsquo;s just how can I be better at it. I think that&rsquo;s what Nate is talking about.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our relationship is great,&prime; Young added. &ldquo;My teammates love me, I love my teammates. Now we&rsquo;re going to try to win this championship.&rdquo;

Nate McMillan believes that he and Trae Young need to improve their connection and "be better at communicating with each other."

Hawks look to improve communication between Nate McMillan, Trae Young

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic was dominating, yelling in celebration and flexing his arms in Stephen Curry&rsquo;s house.
Then Curry and the Golden State Warriors delivered one of those signature third-quarter flurries that have defined so many of their postseason runs &mdash; with this one being sparked by Kevon Looney.
Just like that, they&rsquo;re two wins away from getting back to another NBA Finals.
Curry scored 32 points with six 3-pointers and eight more rebounds, Looney had a career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Warriors rallied past the Dallas Mavericks 126-117 on Friday for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
&ldquo;I feel honored just to be a part of the ride,&rdquo; Looney said.
Doncic scored 42 points and the Mavericks led most of the way before the Warriors took their first lead of the night on Otto Porter Jr.&rsquo;s 3-pointer 18 seconds into the fourth.
Doncic had 18 points in the first quarter &mdash; two shy of his 20-point Game 1 total. His 3-pointer with 13 seconds before halftime &mdash; the Mavs&rsquo; 15th of the first half &mdash; made it 72-58 at the break and gave him 24 points.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-150">
&ldquo;Against someone that good you&rsquo;re just trying to limit some of the easy stuff,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Doncic even got a Twitter shoutout from&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://twitter.com/MCHammer/status/1527835832458960898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oakland&rsquo;s own MC Hammer</a>: &ldquo;Ok young Luka &hellip; We see you.&rdquo;
But Golden State answered with a 25-13 third quarter to pull to 85-83 going into fourth &mdash; coming out of halftime with a performance reminiscent of those thrilling third quarters of past.
&ldquo;We know how good they are as a third-quarter team,&rdquo; Dallas forward Reggie Bullock said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just something that slipped away from us as the game continued to go on.&rdquo;
Doncic shot 12 for 23 and shined in a game of brilliant shotmaking &mdash; the Warriors finished 56.1% from the floor. In the first half alone, Dallas edged Golden State 52.3% to 51.2%, including a remarkable 55.6% to 53.3% from 3-point range.
The series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Sunday. Golden State is two wins from a return to the NBA Finals for the first time since making five straight trips from 2015-19.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re on the road against one of the best teams in the league. It happens. They held serve,&rdquo; Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen this in Phoenix so now we have to go back and just focus on Game 3.&rdquo;
Jordan Poole scored 23 points off the bench, Andrew Wiggins had 16 and Klay Thompson &mdash; held scoreless in the first half of the series opener &mdash; added 15 points for a second straight game. Golden State scored 62 points in the paint.
Jalen Brunson scored eight of the first 14 Dallas points on the way to 31. The Mavericks didn&rsquo;t have to see as much of Draymond Green, who picked up his fifth foul with 6:01 left in the third, then returned with 6:33 left before fouling out with 2:25 to go.
The teams tangled with 8:03 left in the second quarter in front of the Dallas bench. Warriors reserve Damion Lee closed out as Davis Bertans hit a 3-pointer from the corner and Bertans tripped Lee and sent him in a flip hard to the floor. Lee had to be held back by official Eric Lewis.
The players were issued double technicals.
In Game 1 two days earlier, Doncic faced smothering defense from Wiggins and shot just 6 for 18 and 3 of 10 from deep. Kidd expected a far better outing in Game 2.
Golden State continued to push the pace and committed 16 turnovers after 15 in the opener.
RELIABLE LOONEY
Moved back into the starting lineup for the clinching Game 6 of the semifinals against Memphis, Looney shot 10 for 14 after making all five of his field goals in Game 1.
He notched his second career postseason double-double.
&ldquo;Tonight was my night to make a big difference and I just stepped up,&rdquo; Looney said.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dallas led by as many as 16 in the opening quarter. ... The Mavs were outrebounded again at 43-30 after a 51-35 disadvantage in Game 1. They committed one fewer turnovers with 12 after Doncic had seven in the series opener. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to take care of the ball because the Warriors once you turn the ball over, they&rsquo;re gone, and a lot of times it&rsquo;s an open 3,&rdquo; Kidd said beforehand.
Warriors: G Gary Payton II &mdash; who broke his left elbow on a hard foul when Memphis star Dillon Brooks clobbered him May 3 on a fast break for a Flagrant 2, ejection and one-game suspension &mdash; is doing light individual work on court that includes shooting with his non-dominant right hand and will be re-evaluated in a week. ... F Andre Iguodala missed his ninth straight game with a disc injury in his neck is continuing his rehab with physical therapy and training in the weight room with some light on-court work. The Warriors said they will provide an update when he&rsquo;s cleared to practice. ... Golden State improved to 8-0 at home this postseason and is 18-5 in Game 2s dating to the 2015 title run. ... Green was voted to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
QUOTABLE
&ldquo;Steph is the best-conditioned athlete in this game, he never stops moving.&rdquo; -- Kidd
</div>

The Golden State Warriors rallied from an early deficit to take their second straight win in the Western Conference Finals.

Steph Curry, Warriors rally past Mavs for 2-0 lead in West finals

DENVER (AP) &mdash; The Denver Nuggets aren't fazed.
They realize no team has ever won four elimination games in a single postseason series. They also know they're the only team in league history to overcome back-to-back 3-1 playoff deficits.
That's where they find themselves after avoiding a sweep by the Golden State Warriors with a 126-121 win Sunday to send the rough-and-tumble series back to San Francisco.
&ldquo;Can I say we want them right where we want them? No, but we're alive," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;We live to fight another day.&rdquo;
Game 5 is Wednesday night.
Although none of the 143 other teams who faced a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs ever bounced back to advance, the Nuggets became the league's first team ever to overcome 3-1 deficits in consecutive series two years ago when they bounced the Jazz and Clippers in the Orlando bubble.
&ldquo;The odds are against us,&rdquo; said MVP favorite Nikola Jokic. &ldquo;But we've beaten the odds a couple of times, so why not?&rdquo;
Jokic scored 37 points and fed Will Barton for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 8.3 seconds left after Monte Morris' short jumper broke a 121-all tie and Austin Rivers stole Otto Porter Jr.'s pass.
It was a reversal of final-minute fortunes for the Nuggets, who faltered down the stretch in a five-point loss in Game 3.
&ldquo;We felt like it could have been 2-2 if we didn't drop that last game,&rdquo; said Rivers, who noted the Nuggets finally matched the Warriors' physicality, especially down the stretch.
Morris finished with 24 points. He hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter, the most in a quarter by any player in these NBA playoffs.
Aaron Gordon chipped in 21 points and helped stifle Jordan Poole, who came in averaging 28.7 points this series but was held to 11.
Steph Curry led the Warriors with 33 points despite missing 13 of 23 shots, going 3 for 11 from long range and missing four free throws for the first time in his career, whether in the playoffs or the regular season.
&ldquo;It's the worst feeling in the world, missed free throws,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;It's what I do really well.&rdquo;
Klay Thompson scored 22 of his 32 points after picking up his fourth foul in the final second of the first half. He finished with five fouls.
Behind flexing rookie Bones Hyland's three consecutive 3s, the Nuggets opened a 40-23 lead in the second quarter and they still had a nine-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter.
Curry's jumper gave Golden State a 121-119 lead, but Jokic's finger-roll layup tied it back up and Andrew Wiggins missed a dunk at the other end as the Warriors went scoreless over the final 80 seconds.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said it was still a &ldquo;great experience&rdquo; for the players on his team who haven't been in close-out playoff situations after Golden State missed the playoffs the last two years.
&ldquo;We needed that,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;I felt like we got completely away from the game plan tonight in the first half, because I think we were almost too anxious to win the series.
&ldquo;But the focus now goes to heading home and the back in front of our fans&rdquo; with a chance to close it out at home, Kerr said.
&ldquo;So, we're right where we need to be."
Thompson said the Warriors need to be loose ones in Game 5, playing as though their season was on the line, not Denver's.
&ldquo;We got to go with the attitude like all right, it's a must-win,&rdquo; Thompson said. &ldquo;We'd like to have some rest before the next series.&rdquo;
Thompson said the Warriors don't want to come back to Denver until next season &ldquo;because a win by them and anything's possible.&rdquo;
The Jazz and Clippers can attest to that.
&ldquo;Out of all teams in the playoffs," Malone said, &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re probably the most comfortable being down 3-1.&rdquo;
BACKDOOR BACKFIRE
The Nuggets took a 63-52 halftime lead after a move by Kerr backfired with less than a second left in the second quarter.
Kerr sent Thompson back into the game with six-tenths of a second remaining and Thompson executed the play to perfection, coming off the screen for the layup &mdash; only, he pushed Rivers on his way to the rim, so the basket was waved off and Thompson was whistled for his fourth foul.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Thompson was 7 of 11 from beyond the arc but his teammates were just 5 of 23 on 3-pointers. ... Draymond Green picked up his first foul 40 seconds into the game when he poked Jokic in the right eye. In the ensuing tussle, Gordon and Thompson were assessed a double technical.
Nuggets: Rivers had five steals. ... Hyland finished with 15 points. His final 3 was a 33-footer that capped a 14-2 run with Jokic catching a breather on the bench after scoring or assisting on 20 of Denver's first 23 points. &ldquo;Those big shots don't faze me,&rdquo; Hyland said.

The Denver Nuggets staved off a sweep on Sunday, toppling the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 and staying alive in the series.

Jokic, Nuggets avoid sweep with Game 4 victory over Warriors

Grayson Allen made five 3-pointers and scored 22 points and the Milwaukee Bucks dominated the Chicago Bulls 111-81 on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series without the injured Khris Middleton.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 18 points, Bobby Portis had 18 points and 16 rebounds and the defending champion Bucks made it look easy coming off two shaky performances at home.
Coming off two shaky performances at home, Milwaukee quieted a raucous crowd watching Chicago&rsquo;s first playoff game at the United Center in five years almost as soon as it started. The Bucks led by 24 in the second quarter and remained in control the rest of the way.
Middleton is expected to miss the rest of the series after spraining his left knee in Wednesday night in a loss. Game 4 is Sunday in Chicago.
Antetokounmpo scored all but two of his points after the first quarter. The two-time MVP finished with nine assists and seven rebounds.
Jrue Holiday added 16 points to help the Bucks beat the Bulls for the 18th time in 20 games.
Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 19 points. Zach LaVine had 15 and DeMar DeRozan finished with just 11 after setting a career playoff high with 41 in Game 2.
The Bucks had it going right from the start, racing out to a 60-41 halftime lead even with Middleton sidelined.
Allen helped squash the &ldquo;Let's go Bulls!&rdquo; chants, nailing four 3s and scoring 14 in the half. That had to make it even tougher for fans still upset about his hard foul that resulted in a broken wrist for Alex Caruso during a game in Milwaukee in January. They showered him with boos but couldn't throw him off his game.
Antetokounmpo started a 13-0 run early in the second quarter with a 19-footer and dunk. And Allen finished it with a driving layup that bumped the lead to 46-22.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Portis wore goggles after missing most of Game 2 with a right eye abrasion. He took a hit to the face from Chicago&rsquo;s Tristan Thompson late in the first quarter Wednesday as both players were going after a rebound. ... G George Hill (abdominal strain) missed his fourth game in a row. And coach Mike Budenholzer said he doesn't appear close to returning. ... Milwaukee has won 12 of 13 at the United Center dating to the 2016-17 season
Bulls: The Bulls have not won a home playoff game since beating Cleveland in Game 3 of the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals. Chicago lost that series in six games. ... Assistant coaches Chris Fleming and Damian Cotter were back with the team after missing the first two games because of COVID-19. Assistant Maurice Cheeks, however, was out because of a non-COVID illness, coach Billy Donovan said.

Grayson Allen's 5 three-pointers led the charge for Milwaukee in a redemptive Game 3 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Bucks rout Bulls 111-81, take 2-1 lead without Khris Middleton

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 16 rebounds, and the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks recovered after blowing a 16-point lead to beat the Chicago Bulls 93-86 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
Jrue Holiday sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:03 left as part of an 8-0 run that gave the Bucks an 85-78 edge. The Bulls got the margin down to one but could never regain the lead, as Zach LaVine missed a potential tying 3-pointer from nearly 30 feet away with 29 seconds left.
The Bucks have won 17 of their last 18 meetings with the Bulls, including all five matchups this season. The Bulls&rsquo; lone victory during this stretch came in the 2020-21 regular-season finale when the Bucks rested all their starters.
Milwaukee kept that pattern going Sunday by holding Chicago to the lowest single-game point total of any Bucks opponent this season. But the Bucks also continued their habit of struggling in opening games of series.
The Bucks won last year&rsquo;s title despite dropping Game 1 in three of their four series. They had lost the opening game in five of their last six playoff series before Sunday, the exception coming when Khris Middleton hit a 3-pointer in the final second of overtime against the Miami Heat last season.
Brook Lopez scored 18 points, Holiday had 15, Khris Middleton had 11 and Bobby Portis added 10. Portis also had 12 rebounds.
Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls, making their first playoff appearance in five years. LaVine had 18 points and 10 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
After the Bucks grabbed an early 32-16 lead and threatened to put this game out of reach early, the Bulls chipped away and finally pulled ahead by scoring 13 straight points late in the third quarter. Coby White scored the last five points of the run, including a 3-pointer that gave the Bulls their first lead at 67-64 with 3:11 left in the third.
White&rsquo;s layup made it 69-64, but the Bucks ended the third quarter with a 10-2 spurt to pull back ahead.
Vucevic&rsquo;s inside basket put Chicago back ahead 78-77 with 5:56 left. The Bucks regained the lead on Holiday&rsquo;s 3-pointer, which was just Milwaukee&rsquo;s second basket of the fourth quarter.
Lopez made it 83-78 with 4:34 left by converting a three-point play for his first points since the opening period. Holiday capped the 8-0 run by sinking a jumper with 3:58 remaining.
The Bulls cut the lead to 87-86 on Alex Caruso's layup with 1:36 left, but they wouldn&rsquo;t score again.
GOING BACK TO CHICAGO
With the two cities separated by only about 90 miles, the Bulls are heading back to Chicago after Game 1 before returning to Milwaukee for Wednesday&rsquo;s Game 2.
&ldquo;If we would have had to play Sunday-Tuesday, I think we would have definitely stayed here,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said before the game. &ldquo;But I think because we have two days, we have a chance to get home at a decent time, those guys can sleep in their own bed, practice tomorrow, practice Tuesday and then come back up.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Bulls: Caruso was in the starting lineup. Caruso had started just 18 of the 41 regular-season games he played. ... The Bulls were missing assistant coaches Chris Fleming and Damian Cotter, who had tested positive for COVID-19. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re still in protocols right now with the league,&rdquo; Donovan said before the game. Donovan added that &ldquo;they have never really been in a situation where either one of them has felt bad at all, so that&rsquo;s been a positive.&rdquo;
Bucks: Reserve guard George Hill (abdominal strain) and reserve forward Jordan Nwora (back soreness) were unavailable for Sunday's game. Hill also was held out of the Bucks&rsquo; regular-season finale. ... This is the Bucks&rsquo; sixth straight playoff appearance, which matches their second-longest such streak. They reached the postseason 12 straight times from 1980-91.
UP NEXT
Game 2 is Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo battled foul trouble to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a Game 1 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Bucks bounce back after blowing big lead to beat Bulls 93-86

After another showcase, flexing their dominance in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns are sick and tired of the disrespect. Before making the jaw-dropping leap to elite, practically overnight, upon the arrival of Chris Paul last season, Phoenix was nothing more than a laughingstock at the bottom of the standings.&nbsp;
Now, as Suns star Devin Booker rightfully pointed out following an impressive 140-130 victory on the road in Denver on Thursday, it&rsquo;s time for this team to rightfully &mdash; as he put it &mdash; earn their flowers on a national level. The team has sixty wins and is well on its way to comfortably finishing with the NBA&rsquo;s best record. That's simply something you can&rsquo;t overlook.
Oh, by the way, Booker bested the likely-MVP favorite in Nikola Jokic by putting up an absurd 49-point, 10-assist performance on the second night of a back-to-back. Forcefully, Booker and the Suns are putting themselves, again, squarely in the national conversation. And it&rsquo;s one that should&rsquo;ve already been brought up months ago.
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&ldquo;Honestly, it&rsquo;s people playing with my name, man. It&rsquo;s just too much for me,&rdquo; Booker said of his view of the national disrespect towards himself and the Suns. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been at it for a long time, and I&rsquo;m the type to see anything and take it as disrespect so that can get me going. The main objective is to win basketball games. They&rsquo;ve been telling me that since I was 18 or 19, so now that we have the No. 1 seed locked up, been winning basketball games for two years straight now. This teams need their flowers. Coach Monty (Williams) should&rsquo;ve been Coach of the Year last year. There&rsquo;s just so much that I feel doesn&rsquo;t get talked about on this team. We&rsquo;ve done a good job about not worrying what people say about us, but it needs some recognition.&rdquo;
Closing in on the best record in Suns franchise history, Booker is right on the money with his assessment. Toiling in mediocrity for the first five years of his career, it's obvious this was pent-up frustration finally spilling free from Booker. Early on in his career, Booker was viewed as a stat-padder who couldn&rsquo;t help elevate a team to win meaningful basketball games. Now, he&rsquo;s averaging 26.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists while carrying a 57.3 True Shooting percentage on the No. 1 team in the Association.
Ramping up for another potential deep postseason run, Booker is putting his game into high gear. Taking over games whenever he pleases, all the while talking back to the naysayers along the way. Booker&rsquo;s offensive explosion on Thursday against the Nuggets ranks high on the list for Suns head coach Monty Williams, as far as best performances under his guidance.
&ldquo;One of the best performances I&rsquo;ve seen him have since I&rsquo;ve been here, because of the variables and obstacles we had. To have 49 and 10 on a back-to-back, it not only backs up what I said pre-game, but the fact that he&rsquo;s not in the MVP conversation is just somewhat silly. When you can will your team to win like that, and do it in the fashion that he did it in tonight &mdash; says a lot about his work ethic, his individual ability, and a lot of other stuff I don&rsquo;t have time to talk about.&rdquo;
The MVP push is on in Phoenix for Booker, the rare young star who stayed when his organization was at its rock bottom a few short years ago. As the Suns organization itself pointed out, twelve players in NBA history have averaged at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on the NBA&rsquo;s best team. All 12 of those occurrences finished with said player winning MVP.
Can Booker actually make a legitimate case alongside the established top three candidates in Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo? It&rsquo;s doubtful at this stage, but there&rsquo;s no doubt that&nbsp;Booker deserves a spot on the All-NBA First Team.
If I had a ballot, here&rsquo;s how I would put together my All-NBA First Team: Ja Morant, Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid. Far and away, those five players have seemed to be the most consistent all season long. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant faded off the radar due to injuries. Luka Doncic received plenty of preseason hype, but he&rsquo;s yet to really elevate into the same category as Booker for MVP-type narrative.
Speaking of narratives, the aforementioned best player on the best team argument is hard to ignore. Booker showed in Chris Paul&rsquo;s 15-game absence that he can carry the load without any issues. During that span, Phoenix finished with an 11-4 record as Booker dominated all along the way.
Thursday saw the return of Paul to the Suns&rsquo; starting lineup, an immediate boost as the future Hall of Fame point guard finished with 17 points and 13 assists. What&rsquo;s so special and unique about the Paul-Booker backcourt pairing is they are wired the exact same way. Both are obsessed with honing their craft, but also crave success at all costs.
As Williams alluded to postgame on Thursday, having two stars who are open to receiving criticism from their coach is rare nowadays. On a team known for its lack of ego, the Suns have this trait in spades with Paul and Booker leading the charge.
&ldquo;When the best players allow themselves to be coached and called out, it means a ton,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;It's certainly not something I take for granted.&rdquo;
Simply put, this version of the Phoenix Suns is special. Not only did Williams echo that same thought after Phoenix&rsquo;s latest win, but Paul and Booker also made note of it as well. When a team has bought-in completely on all levels &mdash; driven more by team success than individual accolades &mdash; the hard part of the puzzle is already accomplished. The type of chemistry Phoenix has within their locker room is rare, and they&rsquo;re bottling up that energy on a run towards what should be another trip to the NBA Finals.
The Suns have an elite head coach, the most dynamic backcourt in the NBA, young players ascending towards their ceilings (Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton, Cameron Johnson), plus endless amounts of championship-worthy depth pieces (Jae Crowder, JaVale McGee, Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne, Bismack Biyombo).
After the Suns suffered massive heartbreak at the end of last season, folding their cards to the Milwaukee Bucks after taking a 2-0 series lead in the Finals, they&rsquo;ve come back as an even stronger group.
Phoenix still means business, even after notching win No. 60. The team is only a few more wins away from breaking the franchise record, and more boxes still need to be checked for a team chasing greatness.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure the Valley is going nuts right now,&rdquo; Williams said after the Suns clinched the Western Conference&rsquo;s No. 1 seed.
Indeed, Phoenix is host to a true rising from the ashes, into a new golden era of Suns basketball.
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After clinching the Western Conference's No. 1 seed for the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns want their propers.

Dominant Suns tired of disrespect, still taking care of business

Mark Schindler teams up with Nekias Duncan and Jackson Frank to create a consensus All-Defensive Team ballot and choose a DPOY.

Celebrating defense: Selecting the 2022 NBA DPOY, All-Defensive Teams

Eight places.
The 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies' offense has improved eight places from its 15th-ranked placement last season. What&rsquo;s so different about this year&rsquo;s unit? Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillion Brooks, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson are all still here. Jaren Jackson Jr. is finally healthy, but he&rsquo;s still more of a defensively-calibrated player at this stage of the game.&nbsp;
What gives? Hmm...
Well, let&rsquo;s see what Cleaning the Glass has to say about this&hellip;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-07-at-1-20-21-am_lg.png" alt="" width="647" height="442" />
*Wipes tired eyes aggressively and looks again*
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-08-at-5-42-06-am_lg.png" alt="" width="585" height="267" />
Holy crap. It&rsquo;s none other than Steven Adams atop the offense points per possession differential.&nbsp;
Now, you don&rsquo;t need me to remind you that on/off data can be extremely noisy and that Adams is probably not the Grizzlies&rsquo; best offensive player. But if you do a little digging in the weeds, there is something to Adams being such a positive on that end of the floor. Since the 2016-17 season, Adams has finished in the <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/21/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">77th percentile or higher</a> in this category &mdash; despite playing on three different teams during this time frame.
On this current team, all of the Grizzlies I mentioned earlier (with the lone exception being Jackson) average higher True Shooting percentages with Adams on the floor than with him on the bench (per PBP Stats).
I know what you&rsquo;re thinking now: Is this guy some sort of wizard?
No, but what he is doing for this offense is pretty darn magical.
Offensive Rebounding
The worst kept secret in the NBA is that Adams is an elite offensive rebounder. He&rsquo;s ranked in the 91st percentile or higher in that avenue since 2017-18 (per Cleaning the Glass). You don&rsquo;t need film study to tell you that.&nbsp;
But you do need it to explain this:
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/di6ugn" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
On the surface, this play looks like the typical Morant bull rush on the rim. However, look a little closer, and you&rsquo;ll see that center Thomas Bryant doesn&rsquo;t even attempt to contest Morant&rsquo;s shot &mdash; or go for the board on the miss &mdash; because he&rsquo;s too concerned with preventing this from happening again:
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/trs8m5" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That&rsquo;s right, six offensive rebounds in one quarter. Adams so thoroughly punctured the soul of his opponent that Bryant would rather invite Morant to the rim than leave Adams free to run wild in the box.
The best part about Adams&rsquo; work on the glass is that it doesn&rsquo;t bleed too much value from their transition defense. The Grizzlies still have the <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/team/15/team#tab-context_trans_defense">11th-ranked</a> fastbreak defense and the No. 7 defensive unit in those scenarios overall.
Screening
Advantage creation comes in many flavors (speed, strength, guile, etc.), and for Adams, his tool for power play initiation is the subheading of this section. This season, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle/?sort=SCREEN_ASSISTS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only three players</a> average over the 5.4 screen assists per game that Adams is good for on a nightly basis. And similar to how a boxer develops many different deliveries for landing a punch, Adams has schemed a handful of clever tricks for deploying his body shield without garnering an offensive foul.
His favorite move consists of him positioning himself for a screen and then, at the very last second, subtly jerking himself forward a half-step to latch onto the ball-handler&rsquo;s defender for an extra half-second.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Three baskets in the third quarter for Morant in part due to some great screens by Adams that help get the feisty Thybulle away from him momentarily. <a href="https://t.co/Rl4wTb2Hix">pic.twitter.com/Rl4wTb2Hix</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1490451694534246403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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When he&rsquo;s not spamming that nifty little parlor trick, Adams shows the other cards in his deck some love. He can be randomly hulking down the court, then suddenly stop on a dime and set a pick. He can execute the screen version of putting a defender in jail. And he&rsquo;ll even try setting up a barrier while he and his ball-handler are both in the paint.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ci56pl" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The hidden value that Adams&rsquo; screening provides permeates into his teams&rsquo; pick-and-roll numbers, as both the New Orleans Pelicans and Grizzlies improved in this department upon his arrival.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Check this out: Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler PPP Pelicans 19-20 (w/o Adams): 30th Pelicans 20-21 (w/Adams): 16th Pelicans 21-22 (w/o Adams): 28th Grizzlies 20-21 (w/o Adams): 25th Grizzlies 21-22 (w/Adams): 17th A lot of other variables at play in all of this, but wow🤯🤯
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1489639468835422212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Even more important for the Grizzlies is the effect he&rsquo;s having on their two offensive cornerstones in Morant and Bane.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">Player</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler ('20-21)*
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler ('21-22)*
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">
Morant
</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
41st percentile
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
74th percentile
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">
Bane
</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
11th percentile
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
52nd percentile
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Data provided by NBA.com
Again, not all this growth can be attributed to the arrival of Adams, but man has his solid frame sure made navigating ball-screens easier for those two.
Passing
The most shocking revelation I had during my analysis was that Steven Adams is a pretty darn good passer. His 8.5 passer rating gives him the seventh-highest score in the league and the third-highest score among big men behind passing savants Draymond Green and Nikola Jokic (per Backpicks).
This score, of course, by no means vaults him into the top tier of passing big men. It&rsquo;s fair to deduce that his high standing in that measure is, in part, due to his conservative passing style.&nbsp;
On this play, there&rsquo;s probably a split-second window available for Adams to hit Bane on his cut to the rim, but Adams opts against it and chooses to live to fight another day. Nothing wrong with that. He just won't be bending the defense too often with that sort of prerogative.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/2cwszn" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Still, the passes he does choose to participate in are performed crisply. As both <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2021/12/20/22834086/the-balancing-force-of-steven-adams-nba-memphis-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parker Fleming</a> and Basketball News&rsquo; own <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2022/1/21/22888990/the-inverted-two-man-game-of-steven-adams-and-desmond-bane-jokic-draymond-wiggins-curry-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Lewis</a>, note in breakdowns for Grizzly Bear Blues, Adams has great synergy with the team&rsquo;s perimeter players, and he's no stranger to diming them up on cuts to the rim.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
You can see where Ziaire Williams has been watching that Desmond Bane tape! Really good off-ball movement here on the give-and-go. Steven Adams continues to be fantastic at hitting cutters <a href="https://t.co/fLWn8hJJaM">pic.twitter.com/fLWn8hJJaM</a>
&mdash; Parker Fleming (@PAKA_FLOCKA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PAKA_FLOCKA/status/1479501108284428290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;We've got a great relationship,&rdquo; Desmond Bane&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-cementing-himself-as-essential-part-of-nextgen-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said of Adams in a recent exclusive with BasketballNews.com</a>. &ldquo;He seems like he's always finding me &mdash; whether it's backdoor cuts or handoffs or whatever the case may be. Steve-O's a great teammate to play with... You obviously gotta use your mind and use your smarts to your ability. I watch a lot of film and study a lot of different players and just try to pick up on some of their tendencies that work [against] them."
What&rsquo;s more, Adams can fuse his other offensive superpowers with his passing.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/6rz802" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
In this first play, he runs a dribble handoff action with Tyus Jones and gifts him a clean look by stonewalling his defender with a screen. In the second, instead of corralling the offensive board and restarting the possession, he has the presence of mind to volley the ball to an open shooter. Either way, Adams is creating great looks for his teammates.&nbsp;
The Grizzlies are the promising bunch &mdash; there is no question. What&rsquo;s equally without a doubt is the important role their overwhelmingly talented young core will play in the team&rsquo;s future success. That&rsquo;s a discussion for a later period in the timeline though.
Right now, let&rsquo;s relish the integral role Adams plays in the present-day version of this team. He&rsquo;s their possession extender, their pick-and-roll enforcer, and their sneakily solid two-man game playmaker.
But most importantly of all, he&rsquo;s their gatekeeper.
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Mat Issa breaks down Steven Adams' importance to the Grizzlies, his impact on the offensive end and more.

Steven Adams: The gatekeeper of the Grizzlies' offense

CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 25 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks for the second time in three nights, 131-117 on Wednesday.
The Bulls extended their winning streak to a season-high five games. The Hawks, who are playing without 15 players due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols and injuries, lost for the fifth time in six games.
The Bulls shot 61.9% and had a season-high with 38 assists. They beat the Hawks 130-118 on Monday night in Atlanta.
Trey Young scored 26 points for Atlanta, and Clint Capela added 18 in the opener of a six-game trip.
“We got three-fourths of our team out,” Young said. “I came to shoot around not knowing most of my teammates.”
LaVine punctuated his performance with a. 360 dunk that extended the Bulls’ lead to 119-96 with 6:44 left.
Nicola Vucevic had 16 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for Chicago. DeMar DeRozan scored 20 pointts, and guard Coby White had 17 points and 12 assists. Reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu converted 6 of 7 shots and finished with 14 points, as did Javonte Green.
“I think people realize how good (LaVine) is,” Bulls interim coach Chris Fleming said. “I think that secret is out. He’s been an All-Star and has played at an extremely high level.”
The Bulls made 40 of 43 field goal attempts in the first half (69.8%), including 6 of 10 three-point attempts.
The Bulls had an 18-1 run to end the first half with a 74-53 lead. They were credited with 24 assists in the first half without point guard Lonzo Ball, who is in health and safety protocols.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Chris Clemons and Cameron Oliver were signed to 10-day contracts. Wes Iwundu was activated from the NBA’s health and safety protocol. The Hawks have 12 players in protocols, which has caused coach Nate McMillan to play Young, Cam Reddish, Capela and Skylar Mays, a two-way guard, longer than he’d prefer. “We really don’t have subs for them,” McMillan said. “There are times we’re having to put four-five guys out there who don’t know our system. We’re giving them basic sets.”
Bulls: Marko Simonovic entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Simonovic is the 17th Bulls player to enter the protocols this season. F Patrick Williams (ligament tear) had pins removed from his left wrist, but Fleming didn’t know how this would affect Williams’ rehab schedule. Williams was expected to miss the regular season. With coach Billy Donovan currently in health and safety protocols, Fleming said he expects to remain as interim coach through at least the next two games.
UP NEXT
Hawks: At Cleveland on Friday night.
Bulls: At Indiana on Friday.

The Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks, extending their win streak to five games.

Bulls beat Hawks for 2nd time in 3 nights, run streak to 5

ATLANTA (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points, Zach LaVine added 30 and the Chicago Bulls won their fourth straight game, beating the short-handed Atlanta Hawks 130-118 on Monday night.
Cam Reddish finished with 33 points and Trae Young, cleared from health and safety protocols about 90 minutes before tipoff, returned to the starting lineup and scored 29 for Atlanta in the first game of a home-and-home set with the Bulls.
DeRozan was 14 for 20 from the field. LaVine, in his second game back after missing 15 days in protocols, went 11 for 21, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Nikola Vucevic got his 14th double-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds.
“We’re the veteran leaders of this team," DeRozan said. “That’s our job. We’ve got a couple of key guys out, and it was up to us to step up and play big, especially against an Atlanta Hawks team that was going to come out and play hard. The three main guys did what they were supposed to do and everybody else fell in line." 
Vucevic banked in a 3 with 3:15 remaining to make it a 10-point lead and essentially put the game out of reach after DeRozan’s 15-foot fadeaway jumper padded the lead at 126-116. Coby White’s 3 from the left corner ended it with 1:19 left.
Matt Thomas’ 3 gave the Bulls their biggest lead at 16 points in the closing minutes of the third, and the Hawks never really threatened the rest of the way, though two 3s by Reddish twice cut it to five early in the fourth. Reddish buried a 3 from the left wing to make it 108-105 before Vucevic hit consecutive 3s to push the lead to seven.
“Their big three, it seemed like everything they threw up went in," Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “They do a good job of executing, spacing the floor out and making plays. It seemed like every time we would get close they would stop that momentum with a made bucket."
Young, who ranks fourth in the NBA with a 27.3 scoring average and third with 9.3 assists per game, returned two negative tests to be eligible to return. He missed the last three games after a positive COVID-19 test, and the Hawks went 1-2 without him.
The Bulls improved to 21-10, second-best in the Eastern Conference. They began the day 10 games over .500 for the first time since January 2016.
The Hawks began the day tied for 10th in the East and dropped to 15-18, losing their eighth in a row at home.
White’s straightaway 3 gave the Bulls their first double-digit lead with 9:10 to go in the third. Vucevic's lay-in against Clint Capela made it 80-70, and Atlanta called a full timeout.
Young and Reddish combined for 23 points as Atlanta led 36-31 at the end of the first. DeRozan scored 15 in the period on 5-for-6 shooting.
The Bulls came back from an eight-point deficit to tie it at 46-all on Ayo Dosunmu’s dunk midway through the second before LaVine hit a free throw to give Chicago a 55-54 lead. LaVine’s 3 made it 58-56 and caused the Hawks to call timeout. 
The lead swelled to 11 on LaVine’s 3 and DeRozan’s finger-roll in the closing minute before halftime. LaVine beat the second-quarter buzzer with a jumper that put the Bulls up 69-63 entering the third.
Chicago went 9 for 18 beyond the arc, and DeRozan and LaVine combined for 44 points in the first half. Vucevic got hot in the second half with 19 points. 
“I think Vuc has found a way to fit with those other two guys and it's been nice to watch," acting Bulls head coach Chris Fleming said. “It's been a big part of our success these last two games."
TIP-INS
Bulls: Chicago had 22 assists and 10 turnovers. ... DeRozan had 10 assists and Vucevic chipped in six assists and four blocked shots. ... Fleming was pleased to hear that Young had been cleared to return. “You want to play against the best,” Fleming said. “That’s how we get better.”. ... Coach Billy Donovan missed his second straight game in the protocols. “He had some mild symptoms at the beginning,” Fleming said. “He sounds like himself now.”... Minutes leader Lonzo Ball, Tony Bradley and Alfonzo McKinnie are in the protocols. ... G Alex Caruso (left hamstring strain) and F Derrick Jones Jr. (left hamstring strain) were sidelined, too.
Hawks: Reddish went 8 for 12 on 3s. ... Atlanta had 12 players absent, including John Collins, forward Danilo Gallinari, guard Kevin Huerter, guard Lou Williams, swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot and reserve center Onyeka Okongwu in the protocols. ... The Hawks won the series with Chicago 3-0 last season. 
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Atlanta on Wednesday.
Hawks: At Chicago on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

The Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks, 130-118.

DeRozan, LaVine, Vucevic power Bulls past Hawks 130-118

Zach LaVine scored 32 points in his return from the NBA's health and safety protocols, DeMar DeRozan added 24 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers 113-105 on Sunday night.
Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 15 rebounds as the Bulls (20-10) won their third straight.
Caris LeVert scored 27 points and Domantas Sabonis had 14 points and 16 rebounds after missing a game with a right calf injury as the Pacers dropped their third straight game.
Chicago had a comfortable lead throughout most of the game before Indiana pulled within 108-100 on a 3-pointer by LeVert with 3:19 to play. LaVine answered with a 20-footer and, after a miss by the Pacers, added another basket to essentially put the game away.
It was LaVine's first game since Dec. 11. However, he missed just two games because the Bulls had three games postponed during his absence. He also missed time last season because of COVID-19.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m tired of getting COVID," LaVine said. "I feel like I just had it. ... But that&rsquo;s the world we&rsquo;re living in right now. We&rsquo;ve got to play with it. Everybody in the league and the world is dealing with it right now, so I&rsquo;m not doing a poor-me mentality.&rdquo;
Rookie Ayo Dosunmu, who also returned from the health and safety protocols, came off the bench to score six points in 24 minutes.
Chicago was without starter Lonzo Ball and reserves Alfonzo McKinnie and Tony Bradley, who entered health and safety protocols on Sunday. Ball was the only player to appear in all 29 games before Sunday.
The Bulls were also without coach Billy Donovan, who entered the protocols on Friday. Assistant Chris Fleming filled in.
The Pacers were without leading scorer Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) and Jeremy Lamb (wrist).
Indiana won 109-77 in the first meeting between the teams, on Nov. 22 at the United Center.
Chicago got off to a hot shooting start in the opening periods and led 63-48 at the half. The Bulls were 26 for 41 from the field (63.4 percent), including 6 for 12 on 3-pointers.
&ldquo;I thought we had a poor first half and a very good second half," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "That&rsquo;s not gonna cut it against a team like Chicago with two stars. They got rolling and we just didn&rsquo;t do enough in the first half to keep them from getting going.
&ldquo;I like our third quarter and I thought we did a lot of good things in the second half, but we&rsquo;re gonna have to put 48 minutes together instead of 24.&rdquo;
Indiana turned up the defensive pressure at the start of the second half and pulled within 83-75 with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Coby White hit a pair of free throws and DeRozan added a 14-footer to build the lead back to 87-75, but the Pacers scored the final four points of the quarter to make it 87-79 entering the fourth.
Tyler Cook opened the scoring in the final quarter with a dunk and DeRozan added a pair of free throws on the next possession to stretch the lead to 91-79. A short time later, DeRozan hit back-to-back mid-range jumpers to make it 95-81 with nine minutes to go.
The Bulls found a way to win, just as they have throughout the virus outbreak.
&ldquo;Everybody&rsquo;s been like, &lsquo;Next man up,&rsquo;" LaVine said. "Everybody&rsquo;s been staying ready, and when their name is called, there&rsquo;s no hesitation and they know what to do. We&rsquo;ve been good with guys out, and that&rsquo;s saying a lot.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Pacers: Have dropped four straight on the road, falling to 3-13 away from home this season. ... C Myles Turner had 19 points on 9-for-18 shooting, but was 0 for 4 from 3-point range.
Bulls: G/F Alex Caruso (left foot sprain) sat out after being injured early in the last game against Houston. Caruso is expected to be re-evaluated in about a week. ... F Derrick Jones Jr. missed his second straight game with a left hamstring strain.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
Bulls: At the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Zach LaVine scored 32 points in his return, DeMar DeRozan added 24 points and the Bulls beat the Pacers 113-105 on Sunday night.

Bulls win 3rd straight game, defeat Pacers 113-105

With his exciting style of play and big personality, it&rsquo;s only a matter of time until Denver Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland becomes a fan favorite. He has already started winning over Denver&rsquo;s fan base and soon, the 21-year-old will likely have fans across the country.
Hyland, the No. 26 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, looks like a potential steal for the Nuggets based on the flashes he has shown so far this season.
On Friday, Hyland dropped a career-high 24 points in 26 minutes (shooting 8-11 from the field and 4-5 from three), while also chipping in 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in the Nuggets' win over the Atlanta Hawks. Last week, Hyland had 16 points, 4 threes, 3 assists and 1 steal (while shooting 50.0% from the field and 44.4% from three) in 23 minutes, helping the Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs. In a win over the Miami Heat, he contributed 19 points and 5 threes (on 66.7% shooting from the field and 62.5% from three) in just 21 minutes. He's also had an 18-point, 3-assist, 3-rebound, 2-steal performance and a 15-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist outing &ndash; both of which came in wins.
With that said, you need to watch him play to fully appreciate the Bones Hyland experience. He pulls up from deep, crosses over opponents, dazzles in transition and hits stepback jumpers &ndash; all while talking trash, flexing at the crowd and pumping up everyone in the arena. And once he starts hitting shots and drawing defenders&rsquo; attention, he creates open shots for his teammates.
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&ldquo;That&rsquo;s honestly what I do,&rdquo; Hyland said when asked about winning over the fans in Denver. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting more and more comfortable being out there and, as you can see, I&rsquo;m showing a lot more. But that&rsquo;s what I do: I get the crowd involved. I&rsquo;m a fan favorite, I can already tell that. That&rsquo;s been me for my whole life! It&rsquo;s just going to keep happening as the season goes along.&rdquo;
Hyland doesn&rsquo;t lack confidence &ndash; on or off the court. For example, he started some of his meetings at the NBA Draft Combine by rapping for the decision-makers in attendance.
&ldquo;I rapped for some of the teams; I have some songs that I&rsquo;ve made and I did a little snippet of those for them, and they loved it!&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;Just right off the bat, from the rip, I was rapping. I ain&rsquo;t shy. They just loved me, honestly.&rdquo;
One of those teams was the Nuggets. Hyland said that he instantly felt a special connection with Denver&rsquo;s coaches. Of all his Combine interviews, he said his meeting with the Nuggets went the best.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I just want the world to know: I&rsquo;m that guy who&rsquo;s got the best personality,&rdquo; Hyland said. &ldquo;No matter what, I can light up a room. I can light up a locker room. I just want the world to know that&hellip; [People] love me! (laughs) Just my confidence, my personality... I&rsquo;m just so outgoing, and when I step into a room, it&rsquo;s like I&rsquo;ve known them for so long. It&rsquo;s like we knew each other already. That&rsquo;s the level of confidence that I have and that&rsquo;s the personality that I have. I can light up a room in seconds&hellip; I&rsquo;m a kid that you&rsquo;re gonna fall in love with.&rdquo;
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Hyland believes his ability to win people over and light up a room also makes him a great locker-room presence and leader.
&ldquo;You know how on some teams, they&rsquo;re with each other a little bit, but you can tell that there&rsquo;s a little bit of animosity within them? I feel as though I can come in and be that middle man and make everyone get on the same page and get everyone to respect me,&rdquo; Hyland said before the 2021 NBA Draft. &ldquo;Even though I&rsquo;m young, I&rsquo;m wise beyond my years. They will listen to me and hear where I&rsquo;m coming from, and I can help solve their problems... I&rsquo;m big on building relationships.&rdquo;
Where does Hyland&rsquo;s unlimited confidence come from?
&ldquo;Honestly, that confidence really came from, first of all, the man above &ndash; God gave it to me. But also it came from me trusting in my work,&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always lived by, 'Nobody works harder than me.' So, it came from that as well. I&rsquo;m always ready for the moment. I&rsquo;m never a step or two behind, I&rsquo;m always three steps forward.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Look at the moxie on this dude, Bones Hyland, a delightful player <a href="https://t.co/o579vulvgj">pic.twitter.com/o579vulvgj</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1459371193291575299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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As if Hyland wasn&rsquo;t likeable enough, he also has one of the coolest names of any player in the league. While his first name is actually Nah&rsquo;Shon, he&rsquo;s been going by Bones since he was a kid.
&ldquo;[I got the nickname] when I was younger. Her name is Chicken; she&rsquo;s a female, she was my best friend, and she gave me that name,&rdquo; Hyland explained. &ldquo;It was probably when we were, like, 10. It just stuck with me. Ever since then, I was like, &lsquo;Man, that&rsquo;s a nice name, I&rsquo;m gonna run with that!&rsquo; And ever since then, it&rsquo;s just been legendary. Everyone would always say both names because we would always be with each other. So, it was like, &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; and then it just went from there.&rdquo;
In college, Hyland proved that he could create his own shot from just about anywhere &ndash; pulling up from well behind the three-point line, scoring at the rim despite being undersized and everything in between. And like Hyland said, he&rsquo;s always been a fan favorite, and his two years at VCU were no exception. With his highlight plays and swagger, he was beloved.
During pre-draft workouts, he continued to display his ability to create instant offense, showing signs that he might eventually be the NBA&rsquo;s next great sixth man if given the right opportunity. Hyland says he watches a lot of Jamal Crawford, Trae Young, Ja Morant and streetball legend Hot Sauce. At one point prior to the draft, he described himself as a better Jordan Clarkson.
&ldquo;My game translates to the next level &ndash; more than a lot of these players in this draft class, honestly,&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m the type of kid who has the kind of scoring ability that a lot of teams need. I&rsquo;m that spark. You see guys like J.C. (Jordan Clarkson) of the Jazz and a lot of guys like that; I have that kind of scoring ability, but I can score in many more ways and I can do many more things than just the things that he does.&rdquo;
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Hyland&rsquo;s transition to the NBA has been pretty smooth, aside from a few rough outings where he struggled to knock down shots (which is to be expected for a rookie). As he continues to play more, he&rsquo;s getting comfortable and developing chemistry with his teammates.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really honestly slowing down for me. I&rsquo;m starting to get the reads more and just getting more comfortable out there,&rdquo; Hyland said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really slowing down for me. [Once it slows down more], that&rsquo;s when it&rsquo;s gonna get scary&hellip; 
"I&rsquo;m just continuing to learn everything and learn my teammates more out there on the floor. I&rsquo;m starting to get more comfortable calling the plays, telling guys [things] and bringing them to the huddle. I&rsquo;m getting more comfortable just being out there and understanding my teammates and what spots they like, and that allows me to get more comfortable [too].&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hyland has impressed his teammates and coaches with his strong play and work ethic. After practices, he&rsquo;s made a habit of sticking around and studying film with the assistant coaches. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has praised Hyland during several postgame press conferences.
&ldquo;My man Bones! &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s get Bizzy Bones!&rsquo;&rdquo; Malone exclaimed earlier this season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s hitting big shots, talking to the crowd, getting the place going crazy&hellip; You can't measure a young man just by his physical stature. Bones has a really big heart, and I think that's why the fans have come to fall in love with him so early: He plays with a flash, but he also plays his heart out&hellip;
&ldquo;Bones has extreme confidence, he shoots into a big basket and he&rsquo;s not afraid, and I think that&rsquo;s what the veteran players love about him. He&rsquo;s talented, he&rsquo;s young and he&rsquo;s still a work in progress, but he competes, he&rsquo;s not afraid and he&rsquo;s got big balls. He&rsquo;s gonna make big shots. How can you not, as a veteran, love a guy like that?!
&ldquo;What I love about Bones is when he gets into the paint and gets around the basket, he is not forcing tough shots. He is finding guys. He is playing with poise beyond his years&hellip; The best thing about Bones is that the guy is so young and he&rsquo;s only gonna get better. By game 82, he&rsquo;ll be a different player than he is right now and that&rsquo;s what really excites me.&rdquo;
It certainly seems like the Nuggets found a diamond in the rough with the No. 26 pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. And Hyland has a message for the teams that passed on him.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re gonna regret it in the next few years,&rdquo; Hyland said, &ldquo;because I&rsquo;m that golden child, I&rsquo;m that gem.&rdquo;

With his exciting style of play and big personality, it’s only a matter of time until Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland becomes a fan favorite.

Nuggets' Bones Hyland winning over fans: 'You're gonna fall in love!' 

Our newest podcast on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; is on fire when it comes to our daily picks. Over the last three days, we are hitting at a 65% clip. Will the hot streak continue on into a monster 10-game slate on Wednesday night? Let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into our predictions, including some same game parlays. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets (-5.5)
As I mentioned on Wednesday morning&rsquo;s podcast, I&rsquo;m officially all-in on the Hornets being a playoff team this season. LaMelo Ball is officially taking the star leap, plus Miles Bridges is jumping up another tier of his own thanks to some strong all-around shooting. If the Hornets are for real, these are the types of games this team should win. I&rsquo;m rolling with the Hornets moneyline at -225 odds. And as far as our same-game parlays go, this one feels like an easy winner: Hornets ML, LaMelo Ball 16+ points, Miles Bridges 15+ points at +130 odds. A quick way to double your earnings is betting on the Ball-Bridges duo to keep its hot start going in Orlando.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Atlanta Hawks (-5)
This is going to be a super entertaining game to follow along with during Wednesday&rsquo;s mega slate. Trae Young in the Bayou taking on Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans, who are still without Zion Williamson. Thanks to Atlanta&rsquo;s overall depth, I&rsquo;m hammering the Hawks straight-up here on the road. Expect a fun battle between Young and Ingram in the scoring department as well, which is what I&rsquo;m parlaying into our SGP at +200: Hawks ML, Young 20+ points, Ingram 20+ points, Young 7+ assists, Young 1+ threes, Ingram 1+ threes. In what should be a high-scoring affair, this one is another I feel very confident about hitting.
Brooklyn Nets (-3.5) vs. Miami Heat
The biggest blockbuster involves Brooklyn and Miami clashing at the Barclays Center. Miami looks the part of a team who could challenge the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks and join them in the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s top tier. Meanwhile, the Nets are off to a slower-than-expected start. With Brooklyn&rsquo;s star power, though, it&rsquo;s going to be hard to ever bet against them. Kevin Durant should have a huge night, plus James Harden should snap out of his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-isnt-james-harden-getting-to-the-free-throw-line" target="_blank" rel="noopener">current offensive funk</a>. I&rsquo;m hammering the Nets moneyline, plus the following player props to total +210 odds: Durant 25+ points, Harden 15+ points, Harden 2+ threes, Durant 1+ threes. I could easily see Miami making another massive statement on the road, but I&rsquo;m siding with Durant and Harden scorching the rims instead.
Boston Celtics (-4.5) vs. Washington Wizards
Whenever Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal square off, there&rsquo;s always fireworks that follow. The two St. Louis products always get competitive against one another, and that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m expecting once again at the TD Garden. I&rsquo;m going with the Celtics straight-up in a closely-contested game, but a simple St. Louis SGP can boost our odds from -180 to +275: Tatum 25+ points and Beal 25+ points. This is one of my best bets tonight with the Celtics pulling off the W, plus Tatum and Beal trying to one-up each other consistently in the stat sheet.
Toronto Raptors (-1) vs. Indiana Pacers
When &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; was recorded early Wednesday morning, Indiana was actually a 2-point favorite. So, we&rsquo;re seeing a sudden surge go towards Toronto here. Luckily for my bets, that plays right into a better-odds-booster. Indiana has been very fun to watch so far this season, which includes a surprising early Rookie of the Year candidate in Chris Duarte. In Caris LeVert&rsquo;s absence, Duarte has been the starting shooting guard alongside Malcolm Brogdon. With how much head coach Rick Carlisle trusts him, I have a hard time seeing the rookie leaving a prominent role in the rotation anytime soon. As new underdogs, I love Indiana with the plus moneyline here at -105 odds. An enticing same-game parlay is going to trail the two best players on the court as well, Domantas Sabonis and OG Anunoby: Pacers ML, Anunoby 20+ points, Sabonis 15+ points. If you trail that SGP, it&rsquo;s a monster payout of +425.
Milwaukee Bucks (-6.5) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
The defending champions are already dealing with injury concerns to two key contributors, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez. With that being said, I still love the Bucks to win outright at home tonight. Minnesota has been feisty early on, plus the Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards duo is so entertaining to watch. If you want to double your money, here&rsquo;s a fun SGP at +155 odds currently: Bucks ML, Giannis Antetokounmpo 20+ points, Towns 20+ points, Edwards 15+ points, Khris Middleton 15+ points. As far as point totals go, those all feel very solidly like locks. If you like the Bucks to win outright, that&rsquo;s one of my favorite SGPs to bankroll.
Los Angeles Lakers (-5) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
There has been so much movement on this spread already throughout the day. Originally opening at -9, it moved down to -3.5 before jumping back up to -5 for the Lakers. LeBron James is out again tonight, plus Anthony Davis is questionable. Even if neither play, I love the possibility of Russell Westbrook going nuclear on his former team. I&rsquo;m rolling with the Westbrook-led Lakers to cover the spread, but expect Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to go toe-to-toe with him as well. Here&rsquo;s a fun same-game parlay to ride the momentum on &mdash; if you&rsquo;re expecting a Westbrook-SGA duel in OKC: Lakers -5, SGA 15+ points, SGA 3+ assists at +200 odds. Although the Thunder are 0-4, they&rsquo;ve actually been very entertaining to watch. I&rsquo;ll be tuning in tonight to this one throughout.
Phoenix Suns (-8) vs. Sacramento Kings
The Suns have been one of the most disappointing teams after the first week of the 2021-22 season, but this is the exact same script they followed a year ago prior to rattling off an incredible Finals run. I envision this as a get-right game for Phoenix, which includes Devin Booker flexing his muscles on a porous Sacramento defense. I&rsquo;m not comfortable enough to go with the straight-up spread here, but hammer the moneyline for Phoenix as a lock and a best bet. At +250 odds to flip the script, here&rsquo;s a very realistic SGP to tail: Suns ML, Booker 25+ points, Mikal Bridges 1+ steals and 1+ threes.
Portland Trail Blazers (-2.5) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have been one of my favorite teams to watch this season, and a lot of it is due to Ja Morant taking the superstar leap. I wrote this morning about the Morant-De&rsquo;Anthony Melton backcourt, which is continuing to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grizzlies-backcourt-continues-to-thrive-with-exciting-chemistry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prove how valuable it is</a>. Melton&rsquo;s shooting and defensive versatility are huge weapons alongside Morant, which is allowing the Murray State product to focus on terrorizing defenses. However, I&rsquo;m rolling with the Blazers tonight to cover the spread. Damian Lillard has gotten off to a very cold shooting start, and I expect that to break tonight with a fun duel against Morant. At +150 odds, here&rsquo;s a very realistic SGP to cash: Blazers spread, Lillard 25+ points, Morant 25+ points. This will be another game you won&rsquo;t want to miss out on watching tonight.
Los Angeles Clippers (-8) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is a young squad on the rise, but I have the feeling Paul George is going to send a statement tonight. Coming off a super impressive blowout win against Portland, expect Los Angeles to continue riding its upward trajectory. Since Cleveland has been in each game, I&rsquo;m not comfortable with the 8-point spread. However, I will emphatically hammer the moneyline here. If you&rsquo;re betting on a solid game from George, plus No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley to do well back in L.A., here&rsquo;s a same-game parlay you can tail off of at +125 odds: Clippers ML, George 20+ points, Mobley 12+ points.
Recapping our regular picks, here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with during a mega slate of games on Wednesday: Hornets ML, Hawks ML, Nets ML, Celtics ML, Pacers ML, Bucks ML, Lakers -5, Suns ML, Blazers -2.5, Clippers ML.

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

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 10/27/21

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

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

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

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

The 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner, and the hottest names in the Most-Valuable-Player discussion are there for good reason: Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic, who's expected to take yet another leap.
However, with all of the elite talent throughout the NBA, there are a number of names that aren't currently in the top-tier of discussions who should also be mentioned.
Here are five under-the-radar players who could eventually be crowned the 2021-22 NBA MVP.
LEBRON JAMES
With a new superstar on board in Hollywood, the Lakers&rsquo; new Big Three featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook is expected to help the purple and gold soar back to the top of the Western Conference standings. If the Lakers get back to their winning ways, the &ldquo;Washed King&rdquo; narrative is going to die off quickly as it relates to LeBron. Although James is entering his age-37 season, he&rsquo;s undoubtedly still one of the best players in the Association.
Averaging 25.0 points, 7.8 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game last season, James was slowed down by a hamstring injury that caused the Lakers to slip into the No. 7 seed come playoff time &mdash; ultimately leading to the King&rsquo;s first defeat in an opening-round playoff series versus the Phoenix Suns. Now, with Westbrook onboard, the creation duties will substantially subside for LeBron. James can focus on bullying teams as a three-level scorer, conserving energy for attacking the basket with his well-known ferocity. This isn&rsquo;t prime LeBron, but he&rsquo;s not far away from those years.
From a narrative vantage point, no NBA player has ever won MVP above his age-35 season, let alone a couple of years later at 37. If James were to put up similar numbers as last season, maybe with a slight uptick in points per game, there&rsquo;s a legitimate argument to be made for James to be a top MVP candidate if the Lakers climb back to being the No. 1 seed in the West.
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DEVIN BOOKER
Booker has become a superstar following the Suns&rsquo; miraculous run to the 2021 NBA Finals, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks after taking a 2-0 lead. The soon-to-be 25-year-old is not a player to count out, though. Every single season of his professional career, Booker has taken a leap forward by improving weaknesses in his game.
Over the last three seasons, Booker has averaged at least 25.0 points per game while continuing to round-out his overall two-way profile. During the Suns&rsquo; first playoff appearance in 11 years, Booker displayed a newfound tenacity on the defensive end. And it carried over to the Olympics, which helped Team USA win the gold medal once again. Add in Booker&rsquo;s underrated playmaking and three-point shooting, and he could be one of the best dark-horse bets to make in the MVP race.
The Suns are going to be very good, even better than they were last season. Thanks to an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-poised-to-be-one-of-the-nbas-best-teams-in-early-portion-of-202122-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">easy start to their schedule</a>, there&rsquo;s a real opportunity for Phoenix to be atop the West standings around Thanksgiving and Christmas. An early-season buzz surrounding the Suns would only help Booker&rsquo;s case further, as Chris Paul is expected to rest some nights following the re-signing of Cameron Payne and Elfrid Payton&rsquo;s addition on a one-year deal.
As Paul continues to age like fine wine, Booker will take back more of the scoring burden as the other young-core pieces in Phoenix continue to develop further. Booker has proven time and time again that he&rsquo;s ready for the big stage, and his seventh NBA season figures to be no different.
If the Suns end up winning close to 60 games, which I think is a strong possibility, Booker showcasing his game on a national stage (34 nationally televised primetime games) will push his stardom to even higher levels.
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JAYSON TATUM
From March 1 and on, Tatum averaged 29.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 39.7% on three-pointers. Tatum is quickly climbing the ladder as one of the best three-level scorers in the entire league.
With the Celtics not making many splashes this offseason &mdash; outside of taking away a high-usage scoring option in Kemba Walker &mdash; it opens up even more opportunities for Tatum to score. He's a potential threat to lead the NBA in points per game next season.
When I noticed Tatum&rsquo;s MVP odds on DraftKings were at +2500, I did a double-take. Boston is likely to finish in the middle of the pack in an improved Eastern Conference, where many teams are pushing their chips all-in. But what if the Celtics overachieve with new head coach Ime Udoka? If they eclipse 50 wins, Tatum is going to receive sleeper MVP buzz due to his scoring binges. There&rsquo;s a plausible reality where Tatum averages 30-plus points per game next season. The Celtics have constructed a roster tailor-made for what Tatum does best &mdash; score the bucket relentlessly.
Keep an eye on Tatum, because those odds are way too good to pass up. Tatum is already a star, but the superstar jump should be expected from the former Duke Blue Devil in 2021-22.
PAUL GEORGE
The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard all of next season, or at least potentially not until the playoffs, due to a partially torn ACL. However, in Kawhi&rsquo;s absence late in the postseason, Paul George went supernova, putting the team on his back on the way to pushing Phoenix in the West Finals. At certain points, George was unconscious as a scorer, once again flexing his muscles that he can be a No. 1 scoring option whenever is necessary.
Well, the 2021-22 season is when the Indiana version of George is primed for a return. Now, with more seasoning under his belt as an improved three-level scoring engine, George is poised to become an -contender once more. If George returns to averaging 28 points per game as he did during his last season in Oklahoma City alongside Russell Westbrook, the Clippers are going to be comfortably in the playoff picture.
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George&rsquo;s offensive game is silky smooth, and his defense also has continued to be a mainstay calling card for him. If George taps back into the MVP discussions three years later, it will be one of the most impressive runs of any player next season.
Los Angeles has copious amounts of depth going over 10-deep, but George will be their Batman and Robin simultaneously carrying them up the proverbial mountaintop without Leonard around. That&rsquo;s a perfect recipe to generate noise around a potential MVP push.
ZION WILLIAMSON
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick is only entering his third season in the NBA, but it seems his brilliance at this stage of his career is truly flying under the radar.&nbsp; During his age-20 season, Williamson averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while carrying a ridiculously efficient 64.9% True Shooting percentage. And as Zion&rsquo;s sophomore season progressed, New Orleans felt more comfortable putting the ball in his hands more frequently as a point-forward creating everything for the Pelicans&rsquo; offensive attack.
After adding more perimeter shooting to space the floor &mdash; Devonte&rsquo; Graham, Tomas Satoransky and Trey Murphy III &mdash; plus the addition of Jonas Valanciunas in place of Steven Adams, Williamson will have more room to bully through defenses with regularity. Add in Brandon Ingram&rsquo;s star equity, and the Pelicans are cooking with gas to finally break through as a playoff team next season.
Don&rsquo;t underrate the addition of Willie Green either. The former Phoenix Suns lead assistant coach was instrumental in player development and defensive improvement. Green is one of the best young coaches in the Association, and his ability to mesh well with players will do wonders for Williamson and Ingram.
Although the Pelicans&rsquo; offseason has been questioned by some, it accomplished on the margins what needed to be done to make things easier on Williamson as a scorer. If Williamson was able to average close to 30 points per game with a clogged paint, imagine the possibilities for him when there&rsquo;s ample outside shooting gravity allowing him to make magic happen around the basket.
Williamson is a real threat to be near the top of the league in scoring next season, which is a scary thought for other organizations. If everything clicks into place for Williamson with a more polished roster around him, New Orleans will be a playoff team, which only strengthens an underdog case for the super-athlete big to make waves in the MVP discussion.

Who is flying under the radar for a potential MVP run? Here are five names to keep an eye on throughout the 2021-22 season.

5 under-the-radar NBA MVP candidates for the 2021-22 season

Metta World Peace opens up about Suns-Bucks, gambling in the NBA, why he wants a spot on Team USA and more.

Q&A: Metta World Peace on the Finals, Team USA, gambling in the NBA

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Khris Middleton is an All-Star with unwavering confidence in his shot, always believing that no matter how poorly he starts that he can turn things around.
&ldquo;Khris has no fear and he never has,&rdquo; Milwaukee guard Jrue Holiday said.
Middleton&rsquo;s big shots &mdash; and throw in Giannis Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s big block &mdash; may have turned around the course of these NBA Finals.
Middleton scored 40 points, including 10 straight for the Bucks down the stretch to send them past the Phoenix Suns, 109-103 on Wednesday night to tie the series 2-2.
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Khris Middleton came up big in the final minutes of Game 4 🔥 He led the Bucks in scoring with 40 Pts 💪 <a href="https://t.co/Gijd1XtGZp">pic.twitter.com/Gijd1XtGZp</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1415517579657965569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;We wanted this bad and the team showed it tonight,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
Middleton&rsquo;s hot hand and a big block from Antetokounmpo&nbsp;gave the Bucks their second-straight victory in the first close game of the series.
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Giannis' HUGE BLOCK helps seal the <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a> Game 4 win! 🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThatsGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThatsGame</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAFinals</a> tied at 2-2.. Game 5 is Saturday at 9pm/et on ABC. <a href="https://t.co/aanNuTUtlF">pic.twitter.com/aanNuTUtlF</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1415516905847283712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. His streak of 40-point games ended at two but the only number that matters for the Bucks is on the series scoreboard.
Devin Booker scored 42 points for the Suns, but his foul trouble cost them a chance to build a big lead in the second half. Chris Paul struggled through a 5-for-13 night, finishing with 10 points and five turnovers.
Game 5 is Saturday night in Phoenix.
&ldquo;This is a tough one but we&rsquo;ve got to bounce back,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why we fought all season to get home court.&rdquo;
Phoenix led by two with two-and-a-half minutes left before Middleton made the next two baskets to give Milwaukee a 101-99 edge with 1:28 to play. It appeared the Suns would tie it with a lob pass to center Deandre Ayton but Antetokounmpo swooped in to block it, flexing his muscles to the crowd behind the basket as the Bucks broke the other way on the fast break.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s an NBA Finals special moment right there, and we&rsquo;re going to need more of them,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.
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Middleton missed a couple of jumpersm but Paul lost the ball after the second one when he slipped and fell down while dribbling. That sent Middleton off for a layup and he followed with four free throws to make it 107-101.
&ldquo;Nobody caved,&rdquo; Middleton said. &ldquo;We stayed with it.&rdquo;
Brook Lopez had 14 points for the Bucks and Holiday added 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. He shot only 4 for 20, but his defense helped knock Paul off his game.
Before Middleton&rsquo;s run, it appeared it was going to be Booker&rsquo;s night. He bounced back in a big way from a 3-for-14 night in Game 3 with his third 40-point game of this postseason.
But he had to spend portions of the third and fourth quarters on the bench after picking up fouls and his teammates couldn&rsquo;t handle things without him.
With the leaders of their only title team in the arena, the Bucks improved to 9-1 at home in the playoffs. They are trying to overcome a 2-0 deficit for the second time in this postseason.
The Suns never got more than two wins in their two previous trips to the NBA Finals but it seemed they were finally headed there Wednesday. Booker had a big finish to the third quarter to send them to the fourth leading 82-76, but he picked up his fifth foul barely a minute into the period and sat for about five minutes.
The Bucks trimmed only three points off the lead before he returned midway through the fourth, but Middleton made sure they surged ahead when it mattered.
&ldquo;When you have that kind of lead in the fourth, if we can just hold on to the ball and get good possessions, you feel like you can at least hold it there,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said.
Antetokounmpo had dominated the previous game with his offense, but the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year made his biggest mark on this game on the other end of the floor.
Perhaps sensing the pressure, both teams fumbled the ball around in the early going, diving on the floor in desperate attempts to save it. The Bucks turned what looked like lost possessions into baskets that way in the first quarter, giving them a boost while their outside shooting was off.
The Bucks, who had a big second quarter in Game 3, had another nice stretch midway through this one with an 8-0 run. That gave them a four-point lead and the margin stayed right around there, with the teams trading the lead, until Middleton&rsquo;s 3-pointer made it 52-all at the break.
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TIP-INS
Suns: Booker has 542 points, most ever for a player in his first postseason. Rick Barry scored 521 in 1967. ... Jae Crowder scored 15 points.
Bucks: Milwaukee shot just 7 for 29 (24%) from 3-point range. ... Pat Connaughton had 11 points and nine rebounds.
BEST OF THE BUCKS
Bucks legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson sat next to each other and were given a loud ovation when shown during the first half.&nbsp;
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Jon McGlocklin from the 1971 Championship <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a> team are ready for Game 4 👏 <a href="https://t.co/pPsUZwnPYi">pic.twitter.com/pPsUZwnPYi</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1415482424771833857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Bob Dandridge and Jon McGlocklin were the other members of the Bucks&rsquo; only NBA championship team who were at the game. Marques Johnson and Michael Redd were also in attendance.

Khris Middleton scored 40 points to defeat the Phoenix Suns, 109-103, on Wednesday night in Game 4. The series is now tied at 2-2.