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Warriors

The USA Men&rsquo;s National Basketball Team finished off its group stage play at the Paris 2024 Olympics on a strong performance by overpowering American neighbors Puerto Rico, 104-83, at the Pierre de Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.&nbsp;
Team USA quickly disposed of Puerto Rico with a barrage of three-pointers, fastbreak points, and tenacious defense to go undefeated in their group. Along with the largest point differential out of all teams in the competition, the Americans also secured the top overall seed and assured themselves of facing the worst +/- team in the quarterfinals.&nbsp;
After not seeing any playing time at all vs South Sudan, Joel Embiid returned to the starting lineup to score 15 points and block 2 shots. Embiid also had fun trolling the French fans who were constantly booing him all tournament long by shushing the boos when he scored and letting them hear it once Team USA had it going.&nbsp;
Anthony Edwards led the Americans in scoring with 26 points off the bench, and he treated the fans in Paris a huge highlight when he threw down a windmill dunk in the third quarter that left fans out of their seats to appreciate Edwards&rsquo; skill.&nbsp;
LeBron James was once again solid in manning Team USA with a solid 10-8-6 stat line while Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Davis each chipped in with 10+ points in Team USA&rsquo;s 21-point victory.
Team USA will have two days rest before starting their gold medal run in the knockout rounds when they face Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Team USA finished off its group stage play on a strong performance by overpowering American neighbors Puerto Rico, 104-83.

Team USA goes undefeated in pool play after overpowering Puerto Rico

The USA Men&rsquo;s National Basketball Team started off strong in its pursuit of a 5th straight gold medal after routing Serbia, 110-84, at the Pierre de Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.&nbsp;
Team USA cleared any first-game jitters that have plagued some of the best teams in the world with a blowout. Several Team USA players are playing in their first-ever Olympic Games, including legend Stephen Curry, NBA MVP Joel Embiid, and rising superstar Anthony Edwards.&nbsp;
Leading the way for the Americans were 4-time Olympians LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who led both in scoring and manning the entire team. James previously played in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Games while Durant appeared in 2012, 2016, and 2020 editions.&nbsp;
James had an all-around performance, scoring 21 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out a team-best 9 assists on a game-high 27 minutes played. Durant on the other hand looked really good in his first game back after missing all of Team USA&rsquo;s 5 exhibition games over the past month. Durant finished with a game-high 23 points on an impressive 8/9 shooting from the field, hitting 5/5 threes. He did all that in just 16 minutes after coming off the bench in this game.
Six players scored in double digits for Team USA in this overall team effort to dismantle reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Serbia.&nbsp;
Up next for Team USA is South Sudan who gave them fits in their exhibition game in London, winning by just one point, 101-100.&nbsp;

The USA Men’s National Basketball Team started off strong in its pursuit of a 5th straight gold medal after routing Serbia, 110-84.

Team USA opens Olympic journey with convincing rout of Serbia

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league&rsquo;s annual awards has officially ended. Here&rsquo;s a look at my picks of the NBA's award winners.
Most Improved Player: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
(Runner-ups: Coby White, Jalen Johnson)
Notes: In the end, Tyrese Maxey takes the award with the amount of burden and responsibility in a Philadelphia team reeling from the loss of James Harden to become a true No. 2 option behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. White improved a lot this year, increasing his averages both numbers and his shooting percentages. Johnson, like White, has also increased his usage and averages by a lot, featuring as the third option behind DeJounte Murray and Trae Young, or even as the second option without one of those two. A jumbo playmaking forward, Johnson showed improvements in his playmaking as well as his ability to score and had increased numbers in shooting as well. Ultimately, Maxey wins this award out because he was a guy who increased his usage and his role while playing most of the season without Embiid.
Sixth Man of the Year: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Malik Monk, Bobby Portis)
Notes: Naz Reid has been the best player off the bench this season with the way he has been an offensive spark plug for the Timberwolves this season. He&rsquo;s had a phenomenal season, and he had to start and fill in for Karl-Anthony Towns when he went down while still being an efficient scorer as he is. If you factor in all the stuff for these awards, you could actually make a case for Monk, for Portis, maybe even guys like Norman Powell for the Clippers and Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Hawks. But with Minnesota going 56-26 and having the second most wins in franchise history &ndash; ultimately ending up atop the three best teams in the West, this gives a little bit of boost to Naz Reid due to his importance to the team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis; Honorable mention: Bam Adebayo)
Notes: One of the hardest awards to figure out. Minnesota had the best defense in the league for a reason, and based on that Rudy Gobert would be a deserving winner of the award. When he&rsquo;s off the floor, the team does not perform defensively the way it does when Gobert is on the floor. This was hard because Wembanyama had a legitimate case, being the generational defender that he was. Davis also had a strong case with how he carried single-handedly the Lakers&rsquo; defense, while Adebayo had the immense burden of playing all the defensive schemes in Miami. Ultimately, it ended up with Gobert with the way he lifted a good defensive team to the best in the league, manning that paint and being that anchor that holds all of the pieces together.
All-Defensive Team:
1st Team - Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones
2nd Team - Derrick White, Jalen Suggs, Jaden McDaniels, Alex Caruso, Jonathan Isaac
Notes: Starting this year, the NBA&rsquo;s All-NBA teams and defensive teams were positionless so I had to cheat a little bit here, putting 4 bigs in the 1st team. Gobert, Wembanyama, Davis, and Adebayo are no-brainers considering their defensive impact for each of their teams, while Jones takes the last spot in the 1st team for his ability to disrupt offenses as well as guarding each team&rsquo;s best player night in and night out for the Pelicans.&nbsp;
The second team features White (most blocks for a guard), Suggs and Isaac (best defensive players for the 4th best defense in the league, helping to lead the Magic back to the playoffs), McDaniels (best wing defender for the best defense in the league), and the perennial all-defense player Caruso who brings it in defensively every game.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
(Runner-up: Chet Holmgren)
Notes: Despite Holmgren having far and away the better team success, there&rsquo;s no denying Wembanyama&rsquo;s greatness in his rookie year. The French phenom has transcended the game both figuratively and on the eye test &ndash; he is simply a generational talent who is going to take over the league soon. Holmgren got off to a hot start in the first two months of the season but since January, Wembanyama has locked up the award for himself with out-of-the-world numbers for a rookie. He was dubbed as the best prospect since LeBron James and now he is well on his way to being one of the greatest of all time if he remains healthy after a historic rookie season.
All-Rookie Team:
1st Team - Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., GG Jackson
2nd Team - Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Notes: There were several names to choose from here, and it felt hard to cut some of them here. Jordan Hawkins of the Pelicans has had a good start to the year when the team had all those injuries paving the way for him to play early into the season but has seen the bench since as NOLA got healthier and players came back; Cason Wallace had such a good shooting year off the bench for the No.1 seeded Thunder despite shooting being labeled by scouts as his biggest weakness coming into the NBA; Dereck Lively II being center that Luka Doncic needed and fit well with by catching all those lobs and helping the Mavs&rsquo; defense this season big time; No.2 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a good close to his rookie year.
All in all, these 10 rookies have felt like the best rookies in terms of production, opportunity, and narratives surrounding them. Of course, Wembanyama and Holmgren are automatic locks; Miller has been the best player in Charlotte without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams; Jaquez is a vital piece off the bench for Erik Spoelstra&rsquo;s playoff-bound Heat team; and GG Jackson becoming a legit NBA scorer despite being the youngest player in the league to round out the first team.
The Thompson twins have just been defensive monsters ever since stepping foot in the league; George playing point guard at Utah has turned some heads and he has stepped up with the opportunity given to him; while Podziemski and Jackson-Davis have arguably been rotational pieces to the Warriors despite being rookies and has contributed a lot to them finding a way to fit in a complex team.
Coach of the Year: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
(Runner-ups: Chris Finch, Jamahl Mosley)
Notes: There have been so many good coaches this season that have elevated their teams to good records, say Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks. But my Coach of the Year pick goes to Mark Daigneault of the OKC Thunder because this award tends to favor the expectations set for a team before the start of the season. The Thunder weren&rsquo;t supposed to be this good this season, but Daigneault catapulted them into one of the best teams not just in the West but the entire NBA. The evidence is written on the wall: No.1 in the West despite being the second youngest team in the league; having a top 5 ranking on both offense and defense and no.2 overall net rating. Finch and Mosley take the runner-up spots with the work they had to lift both the Timberwolves and the Magic to being top 4 seeds in their conferences as well as having top-rated defenses in the league.
Clutch Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
(Runner-ups: DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
Notes: Another tough and close race, but ultimately it goes to Curry. Despite the Warriors&rsquo; so-so record, Curry had the most clutch time points, shot 50% from the field, and 46% from three in clutch time. Curry had the most threes than anyone in crunch time &ndash; being just the incredible clutch-time performer that he is &ndash; and always been.
All-NBA Team:
1st Team - Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum
2nd Team - Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James
3rd Team - Stephen Curry, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton
Notes: With Jalen Brunson carrying the Knicks to a second seed in the East playing without Julius Randle since January, it was incredibly hard to leave him off the 1st team. However, by the slightest of margins, I gave the nod to Tatum for being the best player on the best team in the league by a wide margin.
All the other picks were pretty explanatory, with the top 4 in the MVP race in Jokic, Doncic, SGA, and Giannis all expected to be first-teamers. The second team kind of got tougher besides Brunson, with legends Durant and James making the list because of the seasons they had leading their team as well as playing their most regular season game in years. Rounding out the second team were Edwards and Davis, two stars with the biggest impacts on their teams in the tough Western Conference.
The third team is actually a toss-up with a lot of good cases from the league all around, but ultimately I went with Curry, Sabonis, Leonard, Booker, and Haliburton.
Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&nbsp;
(Runners-up: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic; Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo)
Perhaps the closest race out of all the awards, all three players here are each deserving with their narratives and the numbers that support each of their cases. You can never go wrong picking one over the other, so it came down to personal opinion on who I thought had the strongest case this season. His case?
-Leading the second youngest team in the league to No.1 in the West
-3-1 series vs Denver
-3-1 series vs Dallas
-First player since Steph and MJ to average 30/5/5 in a season with 2+ steals
-Second in defensive net rating for guards
One could make the argument for Nikola Jokic being the best player in the world having better numbers than his two MVP seasons while Luka Doncic had one of the best seasons statistically in all facets of the game, but there&rsquo;s no denying SGA&rsquo;s strong case as well given the expectations for this young Thunder team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is my MVP.

The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league’s annual awards has officially ended.

OPINION: Picking the 2023-2024 NBA Awards winners

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic got a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, Jamal Murray scored 26 points and the Denver Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Miami Heat on the way to a 104-93 win in Game 1 on Thursday night.
Jokic finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who waited 47 years to make the finals and didn&rsquo;t disappoint. Aaron Gordon added 16 points and Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 for Denver, which trailed for all of 34 seconds and eventually led by as many as 24.
Bam Adebayo finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which shot 41% for the game &mdash; 33% from 3-point range. Gabe Vincent scored 19, Haywood Highsmith had 18 and Jimmy Butler added 13 for the Heat.
Game 2 is in Denver on Sunday night.
Miami opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run, cutting an 84-63 deficit to start the final period down to 84-74. The Heat actually got within nine on a 3-pointer by Highsmith with 2:34 left, but no closer and there wasn&rsquo;t any doubt, either.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone gave his team a pop quiz in shootaround Thursday morning, peppering them with questions about the game plan and what had to be done in the most important game to date in franchise history.
They had all the answers then. Had them all at game time, too. They were the team with minimal NBA Finals experience, only two players having been to the title round before, and yet they looked right at home before the home crowd in Game 1.
Jokic became the second player in the last 25 years &mdash; LeBron James was the other, in 2017 &mdash; to have 10 assists by halftime of a finals game. He had 10 points and 10 assists by the break, and Denver was up 59-42 after the first two quarters.
That wasn&rsquo;t good for Miami. Nor was this: The Nuggets were in full control and Jokic had taken only three shots.
And this part was worse: The Heat just couldn&rsquo;t shoot. At all. Or at least, not until Denver was too far ahead to catch. Max Strus was 0 for 10 through three quarters, 0 for 9 on 3-pointers. Caleb Martin &mdash; who narrowly missed out on winning the MVP award of the Eastern Conference finals &mdash; was 1 for 7.
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami fell to 1-6 all-time in Game 1s of the NBA Finals. The Heat lost the series opener in each of their title years &mdash; 2006, 2012 and 2013 &mdash; and the only win came in 2011, a series they eventually lost to Dallas. &hellip; Adebayo&rsquo;s 25 shots were a career high. He became the third player to score at least 24 points for Miami in a Game 1 of a finals. James did it three times for the Heat and Dwyane Wade did it in 2006.
Nuggets: Jokic became the eighth player to have a triple-double in Game 1 of a finals. None of the others were accompanied by 27 points; Dave Cowens had a 25-point triple-double to open the 1976 finals. ... Bruce Brown, who played his college ball at Miami, scored 10. &hellip; Denver got to the foul line 20 times to Miami&rsquo;s two.
CELEB WATCH
Among those in the sellout crowd: Grammy winner H.E.R., NFL legend and former Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, current Denver quarterback Russell Wilson, Broncos coach Sean Payton and actor-comedian Ken Jeong.

The Denver Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Miami Heat on the way to a 104-93 win in Game 1 on Thursday night.

Jokic gets triple-double, Nuggets beat Heat 104-93 in Game 1 of Finals

DENVER (AP) &mdash; It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more &lsquo;yeah, buts&rsquo; than any city should have to stomach. Finally, 47 seasons into an entertaining, often frustrating and almost always overlooked journey in the NBA, Denver is at the center of the basketball world.
The Nuggets &mdash; yes, those&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nuggets-jokic-nba-playoffs-moe-english-issel-d9ad3489061168cedfd864113a02003f">sometimes-lovable and often-forgettable Nuggets</a>&nbsp;&mdash; are in the NBA Finals.
The way they made it says everything about their near half-century in the league, and just how different this team is from every Denver team, even the really good ones, that preceded it.
The Nuggets brushed aside their long-held irrelevance by completing their first sweep in 44 NBA playoff series. They&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-nuggets-lakers-9f7a28f73a56c431672d840c93185b60">did it against the Los Angeles Lakers</a>, the team that has caused them so much of their pain. Before the Western Conference finals, Denver was 0-7 in playoff series against the Lakers. Now, Denver is 1-7.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost like shock a little bit,&rdquo; Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said, echoing a sentiment certainly being felt across the franchise&rsquo;s long-suffering fan base. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re just like unsure, like, are you sure we don&rsquo;t have more time on the clock? Are you sure we don&rsquo;t have another quarter to play or another game to play?&rdquo;
With all due respect to Dan Issel, Alex English, Carmelo Anthony and everyone else who ever wore rainbows, Nikola Jokic is the best player to put on a Denver uniform. He recorded his eighth triple-double of the playoffs in Monday night&rsquo;s 113-111 win over LA, surpassing a record for a single postseason held by none other than Lakers great Wilt Chamberlain.
Jokic, who was 0.2 assists short of averaging a triple-double this season, got beat out for his third straight MVP this season by Philly&rsquo;s Joel Embiid. Fans see it all as par for the course in a city where the team that debuted in the ABA as the Denver Rockets &mdash; not the better-known, better-respected Denver Broncos &mdash; really put the town on the national sports map. That was in 1967. The Broncos were still a laughingstock but the local basketball team put out a good product right away.
It was good enough to make the Nuggets a no-brainer when the ABA folded in 1976 and the NBA went picking through the wreckage to invite a few teams to join.
Between then and now, the city has seen its share of the spotlight. John Elway brought two Super Bowl titles home and Peyton Manning another. The Colorado Avalanche, who share a home (Ball Arena) and an owner (Stan Kroenke) with the Nuggets, have won hockey&rsquo;s Stanley Cup three times, including last year. Even the Colorado Rockies have been to the World Series. The Nuggets only trip this close to the title came in 1976 when they lost in the last ABA final to Julius Erving and the Nets.
David Thompson; Larry Brown; Doug Moe; English; Issel; Anthony; George Karl; Allen Iverson; Chauncey Billups. All those coaches and players spent time in Denver. None ever got too close to that NBA title trophy while here. Before this week, Denver made the NBA conference finals four times, and lost all four.
It conspired to make the place little more than flyover territory &mdash; a city with high altitude that the schedule makers often tuck into other teams&rsquo; itineraries as part of long road trips with more exciting final destinations &mdash; LA, New York, Miami.
But Denver? It was a great place to take a night off &mdash; or, put more diplomatically, for teams to exercise the 21st-century NBA practice of &ldquo;load management&rdquo; for their best players.
While NBA titles, and the fanfare that comes with them, have been built on the shoulders of megastars for decades, the Nuggets never were part of that scene.
In fact, Jokic was the exact opposite of that when he arrived in 2014. Rather, he was a doughy second-round draft pick known only to the insiders who followed the Serbian hoops scene.
&ldquo;Everybody gets cracked up into his stats but I don&rsquo;t think a lot of people talk about, like, this part of his game,&rdquo; LeBron James of the Lakers said after the sweep, as he pointed toward his head, indicating Jokic&rsquo;s mastery of the cerebral part of hoops. &ldquo;Maybe it&rsquo;s not talked about it, because a lot of people don&rsquo;t understand it, but I do. He&rsquo;s special.&rdquo;
Great as Jokic has been, it&rsquo;s the addition of another under-the-radar player, guard Jamal Murray, and his return to full health that helped get this team over the top.
Murray was a lottery pick out of Kentucky in 2016, the year Ben Simmons was the top pick and considered the NBA&rsquo;s Next Big Thing. Murray blew up in the bubble during COVID, bringing Denver within a series of the finals, only to see the Lakers snuff out another season. He missed the next two playoffs due to a devastating knee injury. These playoffs, Murray is feeling great. He averaged 32.5 points in the four-game sweep of LA.
&ldquo;I think our chemistry is at an all-time high, the way we play, the way we read the game without even speaking,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We talk that language on the court.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just beautiful basketball, honestly.&rdquo;
With the Nuggets in their first NBA Finals after all these years, it will be hard to find anyone in Denver who would argue with that.

It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, but the Denver Nuggets are finally heading to the NBA Finals.

Nuggets make Denver a hoops town with first trip to NBA Finals

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for his second straight triple-double to lead the Denver Nuggets over the Memphis Grizzlies 105-91 on Tuesday night in a matchup between the top two teams in the Western Conference.
Jokic followed up his 40-point, 27-rebound, 10-assist performance Sunday night with his sixth triple-double of the season and 82nd of his career. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to put up those stats in a single game. Chamberlain did it four times.
Aaron Gordon had 24 points and Bruce Brown scored 16 for Denver. Rookie Christian Braun scored 13 points in the first start of his career.
&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t change much. You just got to be ready for the plays out of the huddle, but it didn&rsquo;t change anything,&rdquo; Braun said. &ldquo;Same mindset, I have come in to the same exact thing. So it&rsquo;s pretty easy.&rdquo;
Braun&rsquo;s defensive assignment was Ja Morant, who led Memphis with 35 points and 10 assists.
&ldquo;I thought I was doing a good job on Ja and I looked up in the third quarter and he had 30,&rdquo; Braun said.
The Grizzlies, now tied with the Nuggets in the standings, have lost two in a row following a seven-game winning streak.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re playing for first place in the Western Conference -- meaningless in the middle of December &mdash; but that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re playing for tonight,&rdquo; Denver coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;That team is a top five in offensive and defense, so we&rsquo;re going to have to bring our A game tonight. And I felt that Bruce, Christian, (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), Aaron and Nikola did that.&rdquo;
Denver, which never trailed, shot 59% and built a 21-point lead in the first quarter. Jeff Green&rsquo;s running dunk over Ziaire Williams made it 37-14 and prompted a Memphis timeout 22 seconds into the second.
&ldquo;Insane. His new nickname is Vino,&rdquo; Gordon said of the 36-year-old Green. &ldquo;Ages like fine wine.&rdquo;
Memphis got within nine in the third period, but the Nuggets went back ahead by 20 and led by 13 entering the fourth. The Grizzlies made it 92-84 midway through the fourth but Denver used a 13-3 run to put it away.
&ldquo;Two games in a row we don&rsquo;t come out in the first quarter and we pay the price for it,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;We were getting some good shots early, we just need to convert those and give ourselves a better start to the game.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: F Desmond Bane missed his 17th straight game with a sprained big toe on his right foot. ... Jaren Jackson Jr. had three blocks in his first nine minutes and finished with five, three shy of his career best set Dec. 12 against Atlanta.
Nuggets: Malone said Michael Porter Jr. is increasing his workload while rehabbing a heel injury and could return Friday against Portland or Sunday against Phoenix. ... Jamal Murray (sore left knee) was inactive. ... Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning and former wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders sat courtside. Both played on the Denver Broncos&rsquo; Super Bowl 50 title team.
&nbsp;

Nikola Jokic had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets over the Memphis Grizzlies 105-91.

Jokic's latest triple-double leads Nuggets past Grizzlies

This isn't the Boston Celtics offense that many have come to know and, at various points, loathe.
The Celtics wield the best offensive rating in basketball. They're off to a 10-3 start this season and have scored 110 or more points in 11-of-13 contests. And most impressively, in a year where transition play is on the rise and the leaguewide halfcourt offensive rating is actually down from the past two seasons, Boston has been historically unstoppable.
According to Cleaning the Glass, the C's are averaging 107.6 points per 100 possessions of halfcourt offense. That would be by far the highest number in the history of the site's database, which tracks back to 2003-04. The gap between Boston and second-place Dallas (101.7) is equal to the gap between the Mavericks and the 14th-place Chicago Bulls.&nbsp;
The Celtics are shredding opponents nearly every single night, even as their top-ranked defense from last season is still working out early-season kinks.&nbsp;
It's not like Boston completely overhauled its roster. Malcolm Brogdon was a key offseason signing, as was Sam Hauser (we'll touch on both of them), but the core of the rotation is the same. Payton Pritchard, the best shooter on last year's team, no longer receives regular minutes.&nbsp;
As far as passing &mdash; the Celtics hand out 275.5 passes per game, which ranks tied for 22nd in the NBA, according to Second Spectrum. They average 3.18 seconds per touch (ranked t-15th) and 2.41 dribbles per touch (ranked t-10th). So the ball isn't constantly buzzing around the court &mdash; instead, the Celtics are emphasizing purposeful ball movement with their spacing and driving.
&ldquo;We want to put pressure on the rim, we want to finish at the basket,&rdquo; Al Horford said <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/11/11/sports/celtics-set-tone-early-wire-to-wire-win-over-nuggets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after Friday's win against the Denver Nuggets</a>. &ldquo;At the same time, we have to have good spacing around [Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown] in case that doesn&rsquo;t happen. We play inside-out. We get those threes. It&rsquo;s just the way our lineups are. We have five shooters out there, so we&rsquo;re really spreading it out.&rdquo;
The success obviously starts with Jayson Tatum's career year. The 24-year-old is in the midst of his most efficient season ever, averaging a career-best 132.1 points per 100 shot attempts to power his 31.4 points per game. He's shooting 38.7% from long range and decreasing his turnover rate despite being a notoriously slow-starting player.&nbsp;
Tatum's most eye-popping statistic so far is his absurd 79% finishing rate at the rim. Most of those buckets are self-created, where he has taken yet another step forward as a decisive driver while adding hints of a floater game. However, I'd like to steer over to his assisted attempts at the basket. Tatum is 25-for-29 (86.2%) on shots within 10 feet where he held the basketball for less than two seconds. That's unsurprisingly a career-high, per PBP Stats, and it also comes on his highest frequency of attempts in the last four seasons.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/seac2c" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
It is always easier to accelerate without dribbling a basketball. Boston has used that knowledge by giving Tatum off-ball screens to let him loose and having him surprise teams with delayed cuts (Adam Taylor of CelticsBlog <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/11/9/23448847/why-the-boston-celtics-utilized-delayed-cuts-against-the-memphis-grizzlies-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown?_gl=1*dkhxh0*" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote a nice article about those</a>). You'll also see him work as a screen-and-slipper in the above reel.
The goal is to either manufacture a driving lane for Tatum or force a switch onto a bad matchup in bad positioning. Jaden Ivey doesn't stand a chance in his effort against a speeding Tatum. Help defenders aren't even prepared to rotate in some of the other clips.
You'll notice one possession where Marcus Smart feeds a cutting Tatum out of a post-up &mdash; leading us to the next hidden offensive development.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Marcus Smart up to 48 assists and just six turnovers in his last five games. Easily the best stretch of his career on that front.
&mdash; Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianTRobb/status/1591619131719270400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Smart's point guard wizardry has been on full display this season. Quietly, he's also become a post hub for the Celtics. According to Second Spectrum, Smart is posting up 1.6 times per game this season. That might not seem like much, but it it's actually 44th among all NBA players and second among all guards. Also, it's close to double his volume from 2021-22.&nbsp;
What's happening on those plays? In 21 total post touches, Smart has converted 6-of-8 shot attempts, passed the ball 11 times for four assists, and coughed up a single turnover. His 19.0% assist rate out of the post is third among all players with at least 10 total post-ups this season.
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Smart knows when to bully his way to the basket against weaker guards. He can then finish through them or turnaround and hit short jumpers. He's also more of a quarterback out of the post, directing cutters and disguising his true intentions, as shown when he hits Horford and Jaylen Brown for assists.&nbsp;
Speaking of Horford &mdash; his own marksmanship has made some of the spacing he spoke about particularly effective. He's taking over half of his shots from behind the arc and drilling them at a 48% clip. And, after scarcely shooting corner threes for most of his career, the 36-year-old has exploded to start the season:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">Year</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">Corner 3PT Frequency</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">Corner 3PT%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2018-19 (Celtics)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">3%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2019-20 (76ers)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">5%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2020-21 (Thunder)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">5%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">22%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2021-22 (Celtics)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">13%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">40%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2022-23 (Celtics)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">27%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">48%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
According to PBP Stats, the Celtics lead the NBA with 13.5 three-point assists per game. Horford headlines the beneficiaries. &nbsp;
&ldquo;Mentally, I&rsquo;m getting in that mindset of I&rsquo;m shooting more threes and that&rsquo;s just what it is," Horford told Bobby Manning of <a href="https://www.clnsmedia.com/al-horford-thriving-in-shooting-role-as-celtics-offense-soars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLNS Media</a>. "The game continues to change, and for me, it&rsquo;s just trying to find a way that I can change too.&rdquo;
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Boston's five-out sets turn Horford into a lethal corner weapon. The Celtics use guard and wing screens frequently (exemplified with Smart in the first clip) that give a plus passer the space to make reads in the middle of the floor. Defenses have to collapse to some degree, which means Horford gets more space.&nbsp;
Then, you have dynamic individual drivers like Tatum, Brown and Brogdon who can fold defenses on their own and make corner kick-outs to Horford. Even Tatum's off-ball gravity pays off for Horford; look at how he makes a mid-air exta pass off of his designed play to a Horford three-pointer in the third clip.
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Horford's success is a testament to Boston's ability to create open looks for their center, as well as his own improved consistency from long range. Brogdon's addition has helped generate those chances for Horford and others.
When the Celtics acquired Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers this summer, his swing skill for the franchise was his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/ethan-fuller?page=4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unstoppable driving prowess</a>. The trait has blended seamlessly into Boston's new-look offense. Brogdon leads the team in drives per game and is shooting a strong 53.8% on driving shot attempts. His 14.0% assist rate on drives places him eighth among 64 high-volume drives in the NBA (with at least eight drives per game).&nbsp;
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In these two examples, Brogdon draws in&nbsp;three&nbsp;Memphis Grizzlies defenders before making the appropriate kick-out. His physicality and ball control almost guarantees a paint touch. Then, he can get all the way to the basket if he has a lane, or send a pass back to the perimeter. Or option three: the Celtics continue to move well off the ball and he finds a cutter, like so:
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Malcolm Brogdon automatic paint touch ✔️ Jaylen Brown read and react cut into a lane ✔️ This is what the Celtics should love to see <a href="https://t.co/KRebKViDXE">pic.twitter.com/KRebKViDXE</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1589010044456079360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Brogdon and the rest of Boston's attacking players need perimeter threats to make a driving, swinging offense hum. Grant Williams is a surefire sharpshooter at this point, and guys like Tatum, Horford and Derrick White have also started hot. But the latter three have a streaky history and are likely to cool off.
Sam Hauser might just be legit.
The second-year forward was a two-way player for Boston who primarily spent last season with the Maine Celtics (long live the Red Claws!). The franchise expressed confidence throughout the offseason that he could make the leap, though, and he slid right into the rotation spot that would have presumably been occupied by Danilo Gallinari.&nbsp;
Hauser has silenced all doubters so far. He's hitting 45.6% of his three-pointers, good for 15th in the NBA, and has canned some spectacular difficult shots. One of the key weaknesses Boston stumbled upon in last year's playoffs was that, despite Grant Williams shooting the lights out, defenses rarely keyed in on Celtics role-players beyond the arc. No one threatened enough to pull attention from Tatum and Brown.&nbsp;
This year, Hauser can build a resume worthy of defensive attention.&nbsp;
The 24-year-old is averaging 1.54 points per possession on spot-up plays this season, which slots him seventh among 220 qualifying players. Hauser exudes confidence, barely appearing to think before he pulls the trigger (in a good way):
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He's not really a Duncan-Robinson-type who flies around screens or a Payton-Pritchard-type who steps into pull-ups. Hauser just constantly relocates and capitalizes on the space he receives while Boston's other players bend the defense. Notice how several of these attempts are open &mdash; for now, defenses still would rather contain Boston's star drivers instead of Hauser's three-ball.
That's going to change if he keeps lighting up the arc. If Hauser can remain a playable defensive piece and be enough of a threat to attack closeouts, in addition to his volume and efficiency from deep &mdash; look out. Defenses will have no choice to play the numbers game and focus more on Hauser, and that will in turn make driving the ball easier for the Celtics.
Boston ultimately has so many critical offensive developments compounding on top of each other. The Celtics' juggernaut vibe exists because the players recognize each other's strengths and have learned how to reverberate off each other. It's still very, very early; defenses will build up a film database and send counters, and the true test for this team will be how it adapts throughout the year.&nbsp;
But a hot start under a new coach is always welcome, and the stampede of complementary successes makes this Celtics offense appear built for the long haul.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>I barely even mentioned Grant Williams! He deserves a shout-out because he is averaging a ludicrous 155.7 points per shot attempt, according to Cleaning the Glass. That's the best mark among 229 NBA players who have logged at least 200 minutes this season.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Yesterday, we ran a stats-based check-in with our followers on Twitter, offering up neat numbers for players who have not received enough love this year. Here are two highlights:</li>
</ul>
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Romeo Langford is crushing it in the short mid-range 🔥 He&rsquo;s taken 28% of his shots there and made 62% of them. Both rank in the top 10% among wings, per Cleaning the Glass. <a href="https://t.co/Jp2csrcbnB">https://t.co/Jp2csrcbnB</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1591442747948515329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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46 NBA players have self-created over 50 shots within 10 feet of the basket, per PBP Stats. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox is the only one making more than 70% of those attempts 😳 <a href="https://t.co/0mrPzObsVl">https://t.co/0mrPzObsVl</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1591443447755726849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-the-sun-is-still-rising-on-anfernee-simons-portland-trail-blazers-damian-lillard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last week's NBA Stats Notebook about Anfernee Simons' hot start</a>!&nbsp;

Ethan Fuller breaks down some of the statistics behind the Boston Celtics' league-leading offense.

NBA Stats Notebook: A deep dive into the Celtics' dominant offense

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Northwest Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

FIBA EuroBasket is making a triumphant comeback this week after five years away from competition. Per ESPN, that's the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34457762/eurobasket-2022-scores-schedules-teams-news-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longest gap in the tournament since World War II</a>, so EuroBasket 2022 should turn out to be a remarkable celebration of basketball's growth across Europe.
A&nbsp;lot has changed in five years. Luka Doncic was the "chosen one" of European hoops in 2017 as an 18-year-old suiting up for Slovenia, Giannis Antetokounmpo had just won Most Improved Player with the Milwaukee Bucks and earned his first NBA All-Star appearance, and Nikola Jokic had yet to clear 30 minutes per game in an NBA season.
Today, the three international stars are among the faces of basketball in the NBA and around the world, and the trio will compete in EuroBasket 2022. That's just the tip of the iceberg as far as the immese talent slated to participate. We've already gotten a peek of what the action could look like via the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers that have taken place over the past week.
EuroBasket features 24 teams in four groups, with action beginning on Thursday and culminating in a gold-medal showdown on Sept. 18. Here's a rundown of the must-see NBA players (as of last season), international stars and top prospects (under age 23) in each group.
(Note: If a player is listed as "questionable," it is because their playing status is uncertain. Not all EuroBasket rosters have been finalized, so several countries' teams may look slightly different. <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/eurobasket/2022/news/roster-tracker-fiba-eurobasket-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here is a full roster tracker</a>.)
GROUP A: SPAIN, TURKEY, MONTENEGRO, GEORGIA, BELGIUM, BULGARIA
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Alperen Sengun against Serbia: 17 PTS | 13 REB | 2 AST | 2 BLK | 61 TS% Spearheaded the Turkey comeback in the third quarter 🔥<a href="https://t.co/faBFt2SQLe">pic.twitter.com/faBFt2SQLe</a>
&mdash; Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/JTGatlin/status/1563966082322468869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players: Juan Hernangomez (Spain), Willy Hernangomez (Spain), Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey), Cedi Osman (Turkey), Goga Bitadze (Georgia), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Georgia)
Top International Players: Rudy Fernandez (Spain), Lorenzo Brown (Spain), Shane Larkin (Turkey), Bojan Dubljevic (Montenegro), Retin Obasohan (Belgium), Sasha Vezenkov (Bulgaria)
Notable Prospects: Usman Garuba (Spain), Vrenz Bleijenbergh (Belgium), Alperen Sengun (Turkey), Marko Simonovic (Montenegro)
Spain and Turkey might not have quite the Tier 1 star power of some other countries, but both squads are fun and deep. Fernandez and Brown are stalwarts who have starred on their respective European teams for years. Then for Turkey, Osman and Korkmaz are NBA rotation players boosted by an electric point guard in Larkin.
We'll hopefully get to see the pair of Houston Rockets sophomore talents as well. Sengun impressed with his flashes last season and has already created highlights with Turkey over the summer. Garuba was quieter as a rookie, but has experience on a large Spanish stage with his time playing for Real Madrid.&nbsp;
GROUP B: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, FRANCE, GERMANY, HUNGARY, LITHUANIA, SLOVENIA
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Luka Doncic drops 25 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST in win over Estonian National team 🔥😭<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://t.co/4khnb7BEr3">pic.twitter.com/4khnb7BEr3</a>
&mdash; MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationMffl/status/1562897679155204098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players: Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Evan Fournier (France), Rudy Gobert (France), Timoth&eacute; Luwawu-Cabarrot (France), Daniel Theis (Germany), Dennis Schr&ouml;der (Germany), Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), Ignas Brazdeikis (Lithuania), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Goran Dragic (Slovenia), Vlatko Cancar (Slovenia)
Top International Players:&nbsp;Dzanan Musa (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Elie Okobo (France), Guerschon Yabusele (France), Thomas Huertel (France), Vincent Poirier (France)
Notable Prospects:&nbsp;Th&eacute;o Maledon (France), Franz Wagner (Germany), Rokas Jokubaitis (Lithuania), Ziga Samar (Slovenia)
Yeah, this group is absolutely loaded. Five of the six rosters could potentially boast multiple players with 2021-22 NBA experience. Slovenia, led by Doncic and Dragic, is considered a favorite to win EuroBasket. But France has a loaded roster (though no Victor Wembanyama), too. They'll be worth checking out additonally because Okobo has been balling in Europe since leaving the NBA.
New York Knicks fans might want to circle Lithuania as the team to watch. They'll receive a nostalgia injection in the forms of Brazdeikis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and they'll get a glimpse of the future with Jokubaitis, the team's 2021 draft-and-stash guard. Franz Wagner is one of the best young talents in EuroBasket too, making Germany a team to monitor.
GROUP C: CROATIA, ESTONIA, GREAT BRITAIN, GREECE, ITALY, UKRAINE
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Giannis Antetokounmpo <a href="https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Giannis_An34</a> dropped 26pts 7rebs in the <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBAWC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fibawc</a> Qualifiers win for Greece. Watch all the games of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAWC</a> Qualifiers on Courtside 1891 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForAll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForAll</a> <a href="https://t.co/t7JNIYvGgG">pic.twitter.com/t7JNIYvGgG</a>
&mdash; Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) <a href="https://twitter.com/swishcultures_/status/1564222344067010561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players:&nbsp;Bojan Bogdanovic (Croatia), Dario Saric (Croatia), Ivica Zubac (Croatia),&nbsp;Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tyler Dorsey (Greece), Simone Fontecchio (Italy), Alex Len (Ukraine), Svi Mykhailiuk (Ukraine)
Top International Players: Mario Hezonja (Croatia), Sacha Killeya-Jones (Great Britain, questionable),&nbsp;Nick Calathes (Greece), Georgios Papagiannis (Greece, questionable), Kostas Papanikalou (Greece), Kostas Sloukas (Greece, questionable), Nicolo Melli (Italy)
Notable Prospects:&nbsp;Karlo Matkovic (Croatia), Roko Prkacin (Croatia),&nbsp;Issuf Sanon (Ukraine), Nico Mannion (Italy)
Three of the Antetokounbros (the above two, plus Kostas, who is questionable at this time) could assemble for their home country. Greece also has a handful of international stars who might play; their roster has yet to be finalized. Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 40 points in a World Cup Qualifiers loss against Nikola Jokic and Serbia, so it's safe to say he's firing on all cylinders.
Croatia, however, might be my pick for most intriguing team in the tournament. They have a trio of NBA players, plus a former top-five pick in Mario Hezonja. Prkacin has been on NBA Draft radars for several years now, and Matkovic just went No. 52 overall in the 2022 Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans. This is a fun mix of talent at different stages and platforms.
GROUP D: CZECH REPUBLIC, FINLAND, ISRAEL, NETHERLANDS, POLAND, SERBIA
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
They call him the MVP for a reason 🃏 Deadly in so many ways, Nikola Jokic was in top form for Serbia during World Cup Qualifying 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAWC</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForSrbija?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForSrbija</a> 🇷🇸 <a href="https://t.co/1ZqvDPLQsi">pic.twitter.com/1ZqvDPLQsi</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1564286832510226436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players:&nbsp;Vit Krejci (Czech Republic), Tomas Satoransky (Czech Republic, questionable), Lauri Markkanen (Finland), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Nemanja Bjelica (Serbia, questionable),&nbsp;
Top International Players: Jan Vesely (Czech Republic), Vasilije Micic (Serbia, questionable), Nikola Milutinov (Serbia)
Notable Prospects: Deni Avdija (Israel), Yam Madar (Israel), Balsa Koprivica (Serbia, questionable)
Nikola Jokic instantly makes Serbia a frontrunner for the gold, but the nation could have several veterans backing him up in a potential deep run. Micic in particular should be on NBA fans' radars as a player who could immediately come over and produce in the league. The 28-year-old guard won two EuroLeague titles and was named MVP in 2021. Oklahoma City currently owns his draft rights, though he was mentioned frequently in offseason trade rumors.&nbsp;
Israel has a pair of notable young talents leading the way. Deni Avdija took a legitimate step forward in his second year with the Washington Wizards. Madar, meanwhile, has been playing overseas as a draft-and-stash prospect selected by the Boston Celtics in 2020.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic lead a stellar group of competitors in EuroBasket 2022.

FIBA EuroBasket 2022: Top teams, players and prospects to watch

Veteran NBA forward Semi Ojeleye has reached a two-year deal to play for Virtus Bologna in Italy, the <a href="https://www.virtus.it/news/semi-ojeleye-e-un-nuovo-giocatore-di-virtus-segafredo-bologna/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">team announced in a press release</a>.
Ojeleye was the 37th pick in the 2017 draft, playing his first four seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. In 2021, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks and was traded midseason to the Los Angeles Clippers before being waived.
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The 27-year-old has averaged 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in his five NBA seasons. He now joins the Virtus Bologna club that plays in Italy's LBA and the EuroLeague, a team that also includes former NBA players Marco Belinelli, Milos Teodosic, Nico Mannion, and Jordan Mickey.
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Veteran NBA forward Semi Ojeleye has reached a two-year deal to play for Virtus Bologna in Italy

Semi Ojeleye signs with Virtus Bologna on two-year deal

The energy in The Bay was palpable, a crowd starved for its team's first Western Conference Finals berth since 2019. The dominant rule of this Golden State dynasty had been rudely interrupted by a once-in-a-generation global pandemic, a slew of untimely injuries and a superstar migrating across the country to skyscraping lands. Even the Chase Center flooring glimmered in anticipation.
The only thing that gleamed more was the twinkle in the eye of the Warriors' team defense.
The Warriors faced a new challenge in the West Finals, going from containing the quick-twitch athleticism strewn across the Memphis Grizzlies' roster to now containing the pick-and-roll craftsmanship of Luka Doncic, arguably the best player of the 2022 postseason. Luka's a nightmare to deal with, to say the least. He can attack your bigs or smalls on switches in isolation. He makes passes that only a select few across the globe can make should he even gain the slightest bit of an advantage. Most of all, he's a true-blue three-level scorer, geared up with step-back threes, post-ups with Dirk Nowitzki-legged fadeaways, sikly floaters and elongated layups at his disposal.&nbsp;
Containing a player of that ilk is not as simple as just throwing one perimeter player his way and hoping for the best. And while Luka's primary defender, Andrew Wiggins, did an admirable job on Wednesday of holding Doncic to 4-of-10 shooting, it was Golden State's medley of defensive coverages that kept Dallas at bay during the 25-point evisceration.&nbsp;
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Steve Kerr's crew threw out six different coverages in the first half &mdash; blitzes, hedge-and-recovers, a shallow drop coverage, pick-and-roll switches, a 3-2 zone and even a Box-and-1 &mdash; to stifle Dallas' second-ranked playoff half-court offense to a crawl. Golden State's coordinated chaos worked effectively, as Dallas put up just 78.8 points per 100 possessions in the half-court during Game 1 (10th percentile, yikes!), well below the 101.3 Offensive Rating that Dallas normally averages in this setting.&nbsp;
We'll touch on a few of those coverages momentarily, but it was Golden State's zone looks that were particularly interesting. The Mavericks haven't seen a ton of zones this postseason, especially coming off a series against the Phoenix Suns that featured mostly drop coverage or the occasional switch with Deandre Ayton manning the middle.
Interestingly, Golden State aligned its 3-2 zone so that Stephen Curry was atop the formation, meaning that he was typically Luka Doncic's primary defender. This goes against conventional thinking; normally, you'd expect the Warriors to hide Curry in the corners on one of Dallas' non-threatening options (think: how Miami deployed Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro in the 2020 postseason) instead of guarding the best mismatch-hunter on the floor. The Warriors, however, felt confident about shuttling defensive possessions to Curry at the point-of-attack, trusting their superstar to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stephen-currys-defense-continues-to-shine-for-the-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">utilize his best defensive attribute</a> &mdash; his quick hands&mdash; to frustrate Maverick ball-handlers.
Of course, it helps with Wiggins and Draymond Green situated at the nearby wings, able to sink down and contain should Doncic bullrush his way past the slighter Curry. That's exactly what happened during this first-quarter possession below; Curry bothered Doncic's dribble by sticking in an arm, and when Doncic gathered himself and prepared his attack, Wiggins provided assistance at the nail to erase the driving lane and coerce the kick out. Jalen Brunson, of course, misses the spot-up three (a trend on Wednesday night), and Golden State gets its desired result from the 3-2 zone.
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There's some irony in the Warriors &mdash; the same team that once complained about Toronto's "junk defenses" in the 2019 NBA Finals &mdash; throwing out Box-and-1s to fluster Dallas' heliocentric offense. And yet, a minute later, Golden State busted out that janky look, with Curry, Jordan Poole, Green, and Otto Porter Jr. spread across the lane lines to form the "box," and Wiggins smothering Luka from basically the mid-court line.
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When Maxi Kleber comes to set a screen for Doncic, Poole and Wiggins trap Luka and use the sideline as a third defender to force the pass. Dallas hot-potatoes the ball across the perimeter, frantically searching for a vialble option, and eventually the Mavs are left with a 27-foot three from Kleber. A result the Warriors will live with.
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The Mavericks mustered up just 18 total points in the first quarter, which effectively set the tone for the rest of Game 1. Looking ahead after the brutal loss, it begs the question: Where can the Mavericks go next?
Well, there's the obvious answer, for one: Make more friggin' threes. Duh. The Mavericks whiffed on 37 of their 48 total outside looks, with some of those misses being <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT-vnjKYwf0&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pretty dang brutal</a>. But there's more to the game than just blindly hoping for better results.
Thinning Out the Hedges
As mentioned, one of the coverages that Golden State threw at Luka was hedging and recovering on pick-and-rolls. Typically, this was done when Doncic and the Mavericks looked to target Curry in screening actions. Dallas would have Curry's defender &mdash; Reggie Bullock in the first clip; Spencer Dinwiddie in the second&mdash;set a screen on Luka's defender, Wiggins.
Rather than having Curry switch outright onto Doncic, Steph would instead jump out toward the 6-foot-8 ball-handler to buy Wiggins time as he recovered back to his assignment. Though it goes in, a tightly contested step-back three &mdash; which Luka is shooting just 32.1% on in the postseason &mdash; is a result the Warriors can stomach, especially with one of its smallest defenders (Curry) involved in the play.
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Thus, going at Curry with a slew of straight pick-and-rolls wasn't particularly profitable in Game 1. Golden State is too experienced, too disciplined and too even-tempered to be caught off-guard by opponents repeatedly targetting its superstar. After all, that's been the game plan since, what, 2015? Steph is well-versed in evading such narrow offensive game planning.
But Dallas has some unexplored avenues.
One such way could be to mix in more slips to the rim. Below, after Golden State pre-switches to initially neutralize the Doncic-Bullock pick-and-roll, Luka calls for a second screen from Brunson to bring Curry into the fold. When Steph hedges, Brunson then cuts to the rim instead of flaring out to the perimeter. And although the possession is smothered by Draymond Green audibling a switch with Curry and playing some free safety (goodness was he ever incredible in Game 1!), Dallas was able to get two feet into the middle of the paint to make decisions.&nbsp;
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Flipping the angle of the screen at the very last second, which is something the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grizzlies-flattening-out-the-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grizzlies did against the Warriors</a> in the second round, is a counter yet to be tested by the Mavericks' offense. When Dallas did elect to re-screen in Game 1, it was only because the initial screen failed to connect.&nbsp;
Dallas could also add some intricacy to its pick-and-rolls by forcing Golden State to navigate secondary screens. Screen-the-screener (STS) plays were, once again, something the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/memphisminnesota-game-5-was-a-masterclass-in-playcalling-wizardry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grizzlies tinkered with</a> in the earlier rounds of the postseason, and forcing Curry to navigate an off-ball screen before being dragged into a ball-screen for Luka could put him behind the play, thus throwing off the timing of his hedge.
All Doncic needs is a moment of hesitation to create for himself or others, so mixing in each of the following&mdash; re-screens, slips to the rim, ram screens and/or STS plays and straight pick-and-roll&mdash;to keep the Warriors on pins and needles could prove to make the difference going forward.
Sniffing Out the Proper Switches
So yes, scoping out Curry on pick-and-roll-induced switches didn't go as planned for Dallas in Game 1 given his comfort level with hedging those plays into oblivion; but that's not to say that Dallas failed to get any sort of traction when Golden State swapped assignments after ball screens.
Here's something that should keep Mavericks fans up at night: Dallas was hunting the wrong Warrior guard. Poole was tested by both of Dallas' secondary and tertiary options (Brunson and Dinwiddie), and he looked like a fish out of water on switches. Collectively, Dinwiddie and Brunson went 2-for-3 from the field when defended by Poole in Game 1.
Dinwiddie is both too tall and too quick to be even slightly bothered by Golden State's prolific 22-year-old, and Brunson's veteran craft left Poole stumbling. Jalen's portfolio of pump-fakes, B-Boy dancer pivots and up-and-unders was one hell of a handful for the third-year player.
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Even when Golden State attempted to hide Poole with hedges, he just wasn't disciplined enough to masterfully pull off this coverage with regularity. Here, he "shows" (or hedges) way, way too high up the floor against Brunson, who has yet to burn Golden State with pull-up threes, and Poole ends up getting flamb&eacute;d in isolation.
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Dallas' one-two punch of Doncic and Brunson also got off some pretty clean looks when served up Kevon Looney on a platter. Look, Looney had himself one hell of a Wednesday evening and was maybe the Game 1 MVP, but his lateral mobility was tested by Dallas' lead options. Take a look for yourself:
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Dallas should continue to hammer this home in the series. Though it's admirable that Looney feels empowered to pick up individual creators of Doncic and Brunson's ilk so high up the floor, his hip flexibility doesn't afford him the requisite oomph when changing directions on either player's array of dribbling moves. Doncic found relative consistency in forcing Golden State rotations and passing to open shooters after beating Looney off the dribble; Brunson, meanwhile, danced and jitterbugged his way to his spots to go 3-of-4 when defended by the Warriors' starting center.
It's integral that Dallas continues to exhaust Curry by involving him in a never-ending loop of pick-and-rolls. The more mileage put on his body defensively, the better. But there's also some value in getting some easy ones against guys like Looney and Poole.
Other notes:
<ul>
<li>Testing Klay Thompson, still fresh off two major injuries, is inherently not a terrible idea. Doing so by posting him up and allowing him to use his strong base and 6-6 frame, however, is not so brilliant. Doncic wasn't able to gain any ground against Golden State's sturdy wing, and the Mavericks would be better suited having the bursty Dinwiddie or even the guileful Brunson go at Thompson in space.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Speaking of Brunson, how often he can make Golden State pay via pull-up threes should be a major theme in the West Finals. Golden State regularly went under ball-screens against Brunson, daring him to shoot, and he responded with a whole bundle of record-scratch moments. Brunson has shot a combined 30.4% on pull-up three-pointers in the regular season and the postseason on just 105 total attempts, and if he continues to feign at chucking them up when the defense drifts underneath screens, Dallas' offense will sludge itself to death.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>The Mavericks are one of those teams where you just wish they'd incorporate a little more movement into their offense. Dallas leaves food on the table with screening actions on the weak side of the floor, and it allows the low man to stay engaged when helping over should Doncic (or Brunson or Dinwiddie) discover a crack in the defense. That's particularly problematic against a team like the Warriors and Green, a hellish secondary defender to tangle with. Notice how Golden State preoccupies Luka, the low man in the clip below, with screening action between Wiggins and Thompson. When Looney slips to the rim, Doncic is late on his rotation because of the ensuing traffic on the weak side.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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It'd be great if Dallas could incorporate some of&nbsp;that&nbsp;stuff into their pick-and-roll heavy offense.
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Matt Brooks goes in-depth to break down what the Mavericks can improve on offensively against a stout Warriors defense.

How the Warriors' defense flummoxed Dallas, and where the Mavs go next

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant scored 38 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame Nikola Jokic's fourth straight triple-double to beat the Denver Nuggets 122-118 on Friday night.
Morant scored on floaters, runners, fadeaways, 3-pointers, an emphatic alley-oop and driving layups while slicing through a variety of Nuggets defenders. He set a career-high with 23 points in the first half and finished 15 of 26 from the field.
&ldquo;I was able to get to my spots on the floor, which I excel at,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;And once I get to my normal spots, it's pretty much buckets.&rdquo;
Morant was six points shy of his career high and also had six rebounds and six assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 points, including a 3-pointer on a feed from Morant with 41 seconds left after the Nuggets got within 115-111.
&ldquo;That was the play of the game,&rdquo; Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;It was a beautiful pass. He and Jaren have connected on a couple big game-winners this year.&rdquo;
De'Anthony Melton had 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench as the Grizzlies won for the second time in four games since snapping their 11-game winning streak.
Two days after his 49-point triple-double in an overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, Jokic had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. It was his NBA-best 11th triple-double of the season and 68th of his career.
Will Barton had 27 points and eight assists, but the Nuggets' bench let them down as the Grizzlies took control early in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;At times it felt like they were playing at a different speed than us,&rdquo; coach Michael Malone said.
Bryn Forbes, acquired by Denver from San Antonio in a three-team trade Wednesday, was the first player off the bench. He immediately hit a 20-footer but hit just 4 of 13 shots and scored nine points.
Malone said Forbes told him &ldquo;my bad&rdquo; as they headed to the locker room after the game.
&ldquo;I think probably because I know I&rsquo;m better than I played tonight,&rdquo; Forbes said. "It was kind of frustrating for me, just personally. I think I&rsquo;ve got a lot more in me than that.&rdquo;
Forbes and the second unit were on the floor as the Grizzlies scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to go ahead 104-92. When Morant checked back in with 7:18 left, the Grizzlies led 108-96.
About the only thing Morant did wrong was run the length of the floor, grab and hang onto the backboard, and pick up a technical foul after he was called for a foul on Jokic in the third quarter.
&ldquo;I know there are conversations about him being an All-Star. That's a for-sure thing," Jenkins said. "He's playing at an All-Star level. And I think he's playing at an MVP level.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies were 9 of 40 from 3-point range in Wednesday's loss at Milwaukee. They hit their first five from long range Friday and were 10 of 16 in the first half in building a 13-point lead.
The Nuggets added veteran center DeMarcus Cousins on Friday to a 10-day contract, but he didn't play after Malone said he was &ldquo;dealing with a slight, I wouldn&rsquo;t say injury, but just something where we&rsquo;ll kind of see how he feels pregame.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: F Dillon Brooks (left ankle sprain) is still expected to miss about a month after being injured Jan. 8. &ldquo;The swelling is going down and his mobility is starting to go up a little bit," Jenkins said. &ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t jumped on the court yet, so the timeline really hasn&rsquo;t changed." ... F Killian Tillie exited COVID-19 protocols but didn't play. ... Desmond Bane, Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones (COVID-19 protocols) remained out.
Nuggets: Malone and F Jeff Green picked up second-quarter technical fouls. ... G Jamal Murray, who is recovering from knee surgery, was placed in COVID-19 protocols. ... With Forbes' addition, G Austin Rivers was dropped from rotation and didn't play. ... Peyton Manning, who led the Broncos to their last Super Bowl title, sat behind Memphis' bench.
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BOOGIE'S BACK
Malone hopes he can boost the second unit when Jokic is resting.
&ldquo;I think DeMarcus makes it hard for other teams to say, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re going to switch from 1 to 5,&rsquo;&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;DeMarcus is a very effective low post player, and I hope you realize he&rsquo;s a hell of a playmaker.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Grizzles: Visit Dallas on Sunday night in the third stop of a four-game trip.
Nuggets: Conclude their season-long six-game homestand Sunday night vs. Detroit.

Ja Morant scored 38 points and the Grizzlies overcame Nikola Jokic's fourth straight triple-double to beat Denver122-118.

Morant scores 38, Grizzlies knock off Jokic, Nuggets 122-118

After a recent loss to No. 4 Purdue, the No. 17 Fighting Illini (13-5, 6-2 B1G) visited the Maryland Terrapins with hopes to rebound with a win. Illinois was without junior big man Kofi Cockburn, who has dominated the interior as one of the best centers in the country this season &mdash; averaging 21.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per contest. Cockburn was out due to concussion protocol.
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Maryland (10-9, 2-6 B1G) and interim head coach Danny Manning are led by senior Eric Ayala. The athletic wing is averaging 16.3 points per game, followed by Fatts Russell and Donta Scott who are both averaging 12.0 points per game. Coming into tonight, the Terps led the head-to-head matchup 12-7 all-time.
Scott scored 25 off the bench for the Terps, while the Illinois bench provided only 13 points as a unit. Russell, Hakim Hart and Qudus Wahab combined for 36 for Maryland.
Alfonso Plummer got started early for the Illini by scoring five of the team&rsquo;s first seven points. He flashed a nasty step-back three right off the bat, displaying the tough shot making that has him second in the Big Ten in three-point shooting. Ayala answered soon after with a deep pull-up triple of his own to give the Terps the 18-17 lead.
Maryland took a 37-35 lead into the break behind 10 points from Scott and 8 from Russell and Wahab. Plummer led all scorers at the half with 14, connecting on 4-of-6 from behind the arc.&nbsp;
The two teams started trading threes at the start of the second half, with the game tied 51-51 at the 13-minute mark. Illinois appeared to be gaining momentum, but Maryland never quit and fought their way to a lead with seven minutes to go behind a nice run from Julian Reese. The Terps held a 70-63 lead at the under 4-minute timeout, much thanks to Scott who was a menace on the inside all night &mdash; he led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field.&nbsp;
In the end, the Fighting Illini simply could not get stops when they needed them. Maryland pulled away down the stretch, securing an 81-65 victory. Coach Manning said, "We wanted to create paint touches. With Kofi being out it gave us an opportunity. Our guys continue to grind and work very hard."
Illinois remains winless against ranked teams this season, but the team is still in contention for the conference title. I believe their next game against Michigan State is a must-win.
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UPCOMING
Illinois will host No. 14 Michigan State on Tuesday.
Maryland will visit Rutgers on Tuesday evening.
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The Maryland Terrapins managed an upset at home, taking down Illinois 81-65 behind Donta Scott's 25 points.

Maryland knocks off Illinois behind Scott's big night

Kenny Atkinson always saw more in Jarrett Allen.
When Allen, drafted No. 22 overall by the Brooklyn Nets in 2017, hit a rookie wall the following March, the then-head coach of the Nets (and now Golden State Warriors assistant) pivoted to <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2018/3/29/17174070/whatever-the-plan-is-jarrett-allens-at-the-center-of-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying the near 7-footer&rsquo;s struggles will make him a better player</a>. When the towering Texan would show just a hint of touch in games and practices, Atkinson would tell us that he&rsquo;d hope Allen would <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1103428843317182469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expand his range to hit corner threes</a>. And while the Cleveland Cavaliers' center still hasn&rsquo;t quite adopted that, he hasn&rsquo;t needed to. He has a shot at being one of the league&rsquo;s only first-time All-Stars in 2021.
(Maybe now you&rsquo;re seeing why <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2879918-nets-deandre-jordan-denies-bulls-t-reports-after-kenny-atkinson-firing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people thought it was funky</a> that Allen was sent to the bench for DeAndre Jordan immediately after Atkinson and the Nets parted ways.)&nbsp;
But enough bringing up old sh**, for now.&nbsp;
Prior to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bam-adebayo-suffered-torn-ucl-in-thumb-monday-will-undergo-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffering a torn UCL last week</a>, Bam Adebayo was likely going to add the second All-Star bid of his career while manning the frontline of the Miami Heat, a team many deem as an NBA contender on some level. With Adebayo out for an undetermined amount of time &mdash; it&rsquo;ll be several weeks, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOytII_2m_8&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to 5 Reasons Sports</a> &mdash; he's likely knocked out of All-Star contention. In turn, that opens the door for other frontcourt players in the Eastern Conference, and in the spirit of showing centers the respect they deserve, why not Allen?
Since Collin Sexton &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/cavaliers-g-sexton-done-for-season-following-knee-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who's out with a torn meniscus for the rest of the season</a> &mdash; last played, the Cavaliers have gone 7-8, but still sit at 14-12 and would be a play-in team if the season ended today.
This season, Darius Garland&rsquo;s been All-Star worthy, and is now at 19.5 points and 7.2 assists per game on 47/39/89 shooting splits. Since Sexton went down, he&rsquo;s up to 21.9 points, and 7.0 assists on 47/37/90 shooting splits. But he&rsquo;s also a guard in the same conference as Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown, LaMelo Ball, Fred VanVleet, James Harden and &mdash; if counted as a guard instead of a forward, albeit unlikely &mdash; Jimmy Butler. (Shouts to Tyler Herro and Malcolm Brogdon as longshot possibilities, perhaps?)
Evan Mobley is the Rookie of the Year frontrunner, but at 14.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists per game, and 2.0 blocks per game on 48/33/79 shooting, he&rsquo;s a step or two away from the All-Star game. But Allen is not only cashing in on Atkinson&rsquo;s prior <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/forget-the-old-school-afro-nets-have-found-their-modern-center-in-rookie-jarrett-allen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beliefs in him as a franchise big man</a>; he just flat out has been one of the best centers in the league this season. (It also helps that, regarding All-Star voting, the frontcourt competition isn&rsquo;t as steep. We&rsquo;ll get to that momentarily, and, in part, it's why this case is being presented.)
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Allen is averaging 17.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game &mdash; the first two figures stand as career-high counting stats, as does his 70.4% shooting from the field. The Fro&rsquo;s 18.4 points per 36 minutes are easily the best of his career, and he currently leads the Cavs (by far) in Offensive Rating (129) and Defensive Rating (102) among qualified players. His 4.1 Box Plus-Minus, 1.2 VORP and .240 win shares per 48 minutes also lead the Cavaliers, the latter two by a safe distance. Furthermore, he&rsquo;s only doing this with an 18.4% usage rate, which is in the middle of the pack on the team. For reference, other bigs on the squad like Kevin Love (23.7%), Lauri Markkanen (19.5%), and Evan Mobley (19.0%) have a higher usage.&nbsp;
And lastly, his True Shooting percentage is at a ridiculously-high 71.7%. His commitment to efficient shooting this season has been as persistent as the will to keep his afro perfectly round. (Remember, this is a man who has <a href="https://twitter.com/bryanfonsecany/status/1035231134957928450?lang=bg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taken kids to get haircuts</a> while never even thinking about giving braids a chance.)&nbsp;
By some metrics people care about &mdash; and y&rsquo;all know a lot of them are not created equal &mdash; Allen is excelling beyond what many may have anticipated so far this season from a team standpoint. Here&rsquo;s how some of these numbers stack up around the NBA per Basketball-Reference:
<ul>
<li>70.4% field goal percentage &mdash; 3rd</li>
<li>71.7% True Shooting percentage (qualified players) &mdash; 3rd&nbsp;</li>
<li>11.3 rebounds per game &mdash; Tied for 7th</li>
<li>18.4% rebound percentage &mdash; Tied for 12th</li>
<li>.240 win shares per 48 minutes &mdash; 7th overall /4th among centers</li>
<li>1.2 VORP &mdash; tied for 12th overall /6th among centers</li>
<li>23.8 PER &mdash; 12th overall /6th among centers &nbsp;</li>
<li>4.1 BPM &mdash; tied for 12th overall /7th among centers</li>
<li>102.0 DRTG &mdash; tied for 3rd among centers</li>
<li>18.4% usage rate &mdash; Tied for 121st</li>
</ul>
(He&rsquo;s also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022_shooting.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second in dunks</a> with 77 &mdash; so put him in the contest!)
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When you comb through the numbers, Allen is popping up around All-Star-caliber centers such as Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokić, and Anthony Davis, among others, and those three are out west. When you watch Allen, he&rsquo;s constantly adjusting, opposing shots at the rim and seemingly always in the right spots. He is finding useful ways to play to his strengths, coloring within the lines as well as anyone on a fun Cavs roster.
Regarding his competition in the Eastern Conference frontcourt, it will be forward-heavy. Names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler (again, assuming he&rsquo;s a forward, which is likely) and DeMar DeRozan are shoo-ins, health prevailing. Though he hasn&rsquo;t been awesome, Jayson Tatum will likely 24-foot fadeaway himself into All-Star Weekend as well, *just* beating out the shot clock every single time.
The bubble Allen resides in includes guys like Miles Bridges, Julius Randle, Domantas Sabonis, John Collins and Jerami Grant. Along with numbers, this will also clearly be influenced by injuries, unfortunately. (Additionally, it serves as the case for 15-man All-Star teams, but we can discuss that closer to February.)
Allen&rsquo;s come a long way from fighting for minutes amongst a frontcourt including Timofey Mozgov, Tyler Zeller and current-free-agent Jahlil Okafor, that&rsquo;s for sure. (Good call by Atkinson, by the way... let&rsquo;s hope he doesn&rsquo;t settle for the Sacramento Kings.)
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Bryan Fonseca presents the case for Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen as an NBA All-Star among his peers.

Making the NBA All-Star case for Cavs big man Jarrett Allen

It&rsquo;s time for our latest picks against the spread with &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; our daily NBA betting show on the <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> podcast network. Each morning, we provide you the edge for the Association&rsquo;s slate of action. After a massive 13-game slate yesterday, Thursday has dipped down to only three total on tap.
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under prop bets are provided by PrizePicks. So far this season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is carrying an 88-67-2 record&nbsp; (56.7%).
Did you know we&rsquo;ve also made $7,000 on PrizePicks power plays over the last week? Without further ado, it&rsquo;s hammering time!
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Philadelphia 76ers (-3) vs. Toronto Raptors
Even though the Sixers are very shorthanded, I&rsquo;m leaning towards them to cover the spread in this matchup against Toronto. Philadelphia will be without all of the following players tonight in COVID-19 health and safety protocols (Tobias Harris has been upgraded to questionable): Joel Embiid, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe. In Philadelphia&rsquo;s last outing, Tyrese Maxey exploded for a career-high 31 points while running the show at point guard as well. Forecasting another big night from Maxey &mdash; plus Andre Drummond to continue his consistency manning the middle in place of Embiid &mdash; we&rsquo;re rolling with Sixers -3 and the following over/under power play prop on PrizePicks: Maxey over 16.5 points, Drummond over 15.5 rebounds, Scottie Barnes over 14.5 points, Maxey over 4.5 assists, Fred VanVleet over 2.5 threes.
Utah Jazz (-10) vs. Indiana Pacers
Indiana is coming off an embarrassing loss Wednesday night in Denver against the Nuggets, who were without Nikola Jokic (suspension), Michael Porter Jr. (back) and Jamal Murray (ACL rehab). There are no excuses for the Pacers losing that game, but it continues to follow a disappointing trend where this team goes up and down like a rollercoaster with no end in sight. Drawing Utah on the second night of a back-to-back is a nightmare scenario for the Pacers, who could be without Caris LeVert again after he missed yesterday&rsquo;s game due to back soreness. The Jazz are always a tough out at home, and more often than not they dominate in the cozy confines of Salt Lake City. I expect no different in this game against the maddeningly-inconsistent Pacers, so hammer with emphasis the Jazz to cover the big 10-point spread. On PrizePicks, we&rsquo;re loading in the following over/under power play: Donovan Mitchell over 25.5 points, Bojan Bogdanovic over 15.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Mitchell over 4.5 assists, Bogdanovic over 2 threes.
Los Angeles Clippers (-4.5) vs. Miami Heat
With Jimmy Butler expected to be sidelined for tonight&rsquo;s game after suffering an ankle injury against the Lakers on Wednesday, this feels like a golden opportunity for the red-hot Clippers to continue their winning ways. Los Angeles has won five games in a row, thanks in large part to Paul George reminding everyone around the league he&rsquo;s still a superstar-level player. Miami&rsquo;s loss on Wednesday against the Lakers also went to overtime, so fatigue could be a huge factor here too. For that reason, especially with Butler unlikely to suit up, we&rsquo;re hammering the home team here to cover the 4.5-point spread. Expect a big night from George, plus the role players to step in a fun matchup against Miami. On PrizePicks, we&rsquo;re submitting this Clippers-heavy power play: George over 25.5 points, Nicolas Batum over 10.5 points, George over 7.5 rebounds, George over 5.5 assists.
Recapping our picks here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Wednesday&rsquo;s slate: 76ers -3, Jazz -10, Clippers -4.5.
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Alongside our "Nothing But Bets" podcast on BasketballNews.com, our daily picks will be posted each day.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/11/21

It&rsquo;s not often that the team who has the defending MVP on its roster is flying well-under the radar heading into the following season &mdash; but that&rsquo;s exactly what is happening with the Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic epitomizes the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-the-nba-top-10-unicorns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unicorn mold</a> that is so valuable and transcendent within the modern NBA. As a 7-footer who can operate the offense and score efficiently from all three levels, Jokic manipulates defenses with rare savvy. Jokic is like Peyton Manning, thinking two or three moves ahead and putting defenders exactly where he pleases. The end result? Easy baskets for optimum offensive output. After averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists on an outstanding 64.7% True Shooting percentage, Jokic is just now reaching his top form on the basketball court.
Denver has magnificently built a team to strengthen his incredible gifts.
Jamal Murray is the perfect 1B to Jokic&rsquo;s 1A, a flamethrowing scorer who can erupt at will. In addition, Michael Porter Jr.&rsquo;s development as a scorer adds another wrinkle to the Nuggets&rsquo; long-term ceiling. Looking back on it, Porter dropping to No. 14 overall because of back concerns was a gamble that could have changed the fortunes of Denver&rsquo;s window with Jokic. Aaron Gordon is a bulky, uber-athletic big who can guard three positions and move effectively without the ball, capitalizing on easy cuts to the rim. To top it off, Will Barton and 2021 first-round pick <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nba-draft-prospect-nahshon-bones-hyland-demands-your-attention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nah&rsquo;Shon &ldquo;Bones&rdquo; Hyland</a> provide microwave scoring off the bench and can further supplement a continuous wave of offensive firepower.
Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, how does Denver stack up? With Murray&rsquo;s rehab moving forward from a torn ACL &mdash; a setback that really dampened Denver&rsquo;s high-end outcome last season &mdash; a potentially slow start could be in store. Murray&rsquo;s projected timetable for a return could last until around the All-Star break or later, which means Jokic and Porter will have to buoy the Nuggets&rsquo; output every night. We know what to expect from Jokic, but Porter having the opportunities to further his talented rise is a great scenario for Denver. From April 6 and on, Porter averaged 21.4 points while shooting 42.7% on three-pointers in 32 games. This was a preview of Porter&rsquo;s upcoming role as the top secondary option behind Jokic, one that will play such a critical factor to Denver maintaining its elite status without Murray.
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Porter has flashed immense potential as a scorer, but he still needs work as a defender and playmaker. During the Western Conference semifinals, Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams told his star backcourt duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker to continuously hunt Porter in switch opportunities. Once Phoenix figured this formula out, the team made Porter nearly unplayable while Denver was swept with emphatic fashion. If Porter is able to take strides forward as a passable defender &mdash; similar to the development we&rsquo;ve actually seen from Booker in Phoenix, actually &mdash; it will go a long way toward him reaching a potential star-level profile within the Association.
When you look outside of the Nuggets&rsquo; trio of Jokic, Porter and Gordon, it&rsquo;s an unproven bunch that will need to supplement well-rounded play in Murray&rsquo;s absence. Until the "Blue Arrow" returns to play Robin to Jokic&rsquo;s Batman, Denver will need more development from its young core. Hyland shined in the summer league, further hammering home the case that he should play an immediate role off the bench to alleviate the pressure off Jokic and Porter. However, question marks loom over the big-man duo behind Jokic: Bol Bol and Zeke Nnaji. Bol is a true wildcard, but he&rsquo;s never been utilized within the Nuggets&rsquo; rotation as he enters the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, Nnaji had a rough summer-league outing where he looked lost at points. If neither can step up, Jokic is in line to lead the NBA in minutes played this season.
Let&rsquo;s take a look at the Nuggets rotation without Murray for the 2021-22 campaign:
Starters: Monte Morris, Will Barton, Michael Porter, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Second Unit: Facundo Campazzo, Bones Hyland, Austin Rivers, P.J. Dozier, JaMychal Green, Bol Bol
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It&rsquo;s a lot of question marks and unproven depth behind a solid starting lineup, which maybe caps where Denver can go this season without a fully healthy Murray providing scoring fireworks. The Suns exposed the Nuggets in the playoffs, and surely many teams will test that theory to further extends early on. If Denver stumbles out of the gate, the team's ceiling could be a No. 4 seed. However, as we saw once Murray went down, Jokic can carry a roster single-handedly. If Jokic maintains MVP-level production, which should be a near-lock, Denver can stay afloat near the elite tier of the West. Are they better than Phoenix, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers and potentially even a Dallas team with a forthcoming superstar leap again from Luka Doncic? Probably not.
Denver will need Porter to produce Murray-esque levels of offensive production, while Gordon needs to be more assertive within the streamline of the Nuggets' free-flowing offense that runs through their jumbo-sized playmaker.
Once Murray returns, Denver has already shown how lethal it can be. If you add another dynamic scorer to the mix in Porter &mdash; whose confidence should reach all-time highs in Murray's absence &mdash; this team can go on a run. Murray&rsquo;s wildcard factor late into the regular season and playoffs will be the top factor to watch with Denver.
If Murray is back to Murray &mdash; soul-snatching, back-breaking moments as a deadly scorer &mdash; the Nuggets are ready to pounce as a dark-horse contender who can make a deep run. Jokic and Porter will need to keep the Nuggets afloat and within a solid positioning, and the Nuggets hope to have Murray provide the much-needed jolt of stability and star-power back into the equation.
We don&rsquo;t talk enough about the Nuggets heading into the 2021-22 season. But it&rsquo;s the Nuggets&rsquo; 1B to their MVP who truly holds the trump card for where they can go upon Murray's eventual return.

The Nuggets are flying under the radar. Will they be able to maintain elite status in the West as Jamal Murray rehabs from an injury?

Will Nuggets stay afloat in West without Jamal Murray?

76ers fan Marc Lamont Hill discusses the Ben Simmons situation, potential trade scenarios and whether a reconciliation is possible.

Marc Lamont Hill: The 76ers coddled Ben Simmons, then turned on him

The next NBA season is drawing nearer, and 95% of the offseason business is complete. We still await news on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-freeagency-destinations-for-lauri-markkanen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what team Lauri Markannen will play for</a>, and at a certain point, Sam Presti has to reduce his stockpile of draft picks over the next several years.
(The bet here is that he packages as many of them as possible to the team/teams most likely to be in the lottery next year, so that he can increase his chances of landing Gonzaga recruit Chet Holmgren with the No. 1 pick.)
With sports gambling now legal in roughly half of the United States, and coming soon to a bunch of remaining states, it is time for a look at what types of odds are out there on a bunch of different NBA wagers.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re going to take this team-by-team on this particular Monday, because summer is a time for hope, and hoping for the best is what gets us through all 30 in the NBA. So let's begin.
ATLANTA HAWKS: After the Hawks took a bow at Madison Square Garden following their takedown of the Knicks, we can only wonder what is next for Trae Young. His scoring average actually dropped last season by 4.3 points to 25.3 points per game, but we know he is capable of being a 30-point scorer. If he were to do that, and the Hawks were to improve significantly on last season&rsquo;s 41-31 record, the kid will be in the MVP discussion. Right now his odds range from (+1800) at DraftKings Sportsbook to (+2100) at FanDuel. Also, Nate McMillan is (+1500) to (+1600) to win Coach of the Year.
BOSTON CELTICS: With Brad Stevens now running the front office, Al Horford manning the middle again and Dennis Schroder coming in as a capable backup point guard &mdash; Marcus Smart reportedly is <a href="https://nesn.com/2021/08/celtics-reportedly-plan-to-start-marcus-smart-at-point-guard-and-they-should/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected to be the starter</a> &mdash; this is a transitional year for the Celtics, who are listed at 40-1 to win the championship after their .500 (36-36) finish last season. Ime Udoka has been named the 18th coach in the franchise&rsquo;s 75-year history, and coincidentally, he is 18-1 to win Coach of the Year. Jayson Tatum is among the MVP favorites, with the best odds (+3300) available at PointsBet.com.
BROOKLYN NETS: These guys are favored for just about everything, and with good reason. Kyrie Irving and James Harden are expected back healthy, Kevin Durant just won his third Olympic gold medal and Patty Mills has been brought aboard from the San Antonio Spurs. Steve Nash is the co-favorite along with Erik Spolestra for Coach of the Year, and Harden is favored to lead the league in assists. Cam Thomas, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/did-the-nets-get-a-steal-in-no-27-overall-pick-cam-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the co-MVP of Summer League</a>, has been added to the Rookie of the Year wagering slate with odds all over the board; 60-1 at FanDuel is quite enticing.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: The team with the reigning Rookie of the Year, LaMelo Ball, had somewhat of a quiet offseason, but made a deal on draft night to acquire Mason Plumlee. The 31-year-old slots in as Charlotte's new starting center. Plumlee was under the radar last season playing in Detroit, but was ranked 64th in VORP (Value Over Replacement Player), just behind Kelly Olynyk and ahead of Jarrett Allen. The Duke grad averaged 10.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Plumlee is 200-1 at PointsBet to lead the NBA in rebounding, and despite the addition of Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington can be found at 100-1 odds for Most Improved Player.
CHICAGO BULLS: We told you Saturday that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/over-chicago-bulls-win-total-getting-most-action-at-draftkings-sportsbook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bettors are pounding the Bulls on the season win total Over/Under</a> like no other NBA team, because big things are expected from the team that acquired Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. There are two enticing wagers here. Patrick Williams, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entering his second season</a> after averaging 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a rookie, is 100-1 for Most Improved Player at PointsBet.com. And Billy Donovan, about to enter his second season at the helm, is 10-1 for Coach of the Year at DraftKings, putting him just behind Steve Nash and Erik Spoelstra (both 9-1).
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Jarrett Allen ranked 13th in defensive rebounds and 10th in blocks last season. His defensive win share stats are low, but he will be playing a full season with the Cavs after signing long-term in the offseason, and a bump in rebounds from the 9.9 boards he averaged in 51 games for the Cavs last season could get him into the Defensive Player of the Year debate. He is 40-1 at PointsBet for Defensive Player of the Year and 30-1 to lead the league in rebounds.
DALLAS MAVERICKS: Perhaps Jason Kidd can find a way for Luka Doncic (the consensus MVP favorite) and Kristaps Porzingis to thrive together in a loaded Western Conference. Kidd is 15-1 to win Coach of the Year, but the most intriguing wager here is Moses Brown &mdash; who played with Oklahoma City last season before being traded this offseason to Boston and rerouted to Dallas &mdash; to lead the league in rebounding. Yes, Luka Doncic normally leads the Mavs in boards, so this is like the ultimate flyer bet. But if it hits, those who took Moses at (+7000) could name their new boat &ldquo;Mark Cuban bought me this yacht.&rdquo;&nbsp; (Clint Capela of Atlanta is the rebounding favorite, by the way). Doncic is second behind Bradley Beal to lead the NBA in scoring, and fourth behind James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Trae Young to lead the league in assists (+600).
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DENVER NUGGETS: Nikola Jokic is the defending MVP, but is not the favorite (Doncic is) to win Most Valuable Player this season. Michael Porter Jr. is the favorite for Most Improved Player; in my opinion, Porter should have received stronger consideration last year. If you like players with the same first and last name, Bol Bol is almost dead last on the futures page for Most Improved Player at PointsBet with odds of (+100000). Only Andrew Wiggins (+250000) has longer odds.
DETROIT PISTONS: For obvious reasons, Cade Cunningham is the top choice for Rookie of the Year. But that race is up for grabs, as a good young player on a terrible team can break out over the course of the regular season and outperform someone who was taken quite a few spots higher. This is one of the few awards where a team&rsquo;s final record plays little role in who wins the award. It is purely stat-driven. For that reason, look for players whose time on the floor is high. Signed by Detroit this summer, Kelly Olynyk was a beast for the Houston Rockets after they acquired him from Miami, and he should get lots of burn behind Isaiah Stewart at center and Jerami Grant at power forward. That makes him an enticing pick for Sixth Man of the Year at odds of 66-1 at PointsBet.com.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Before the NBA rechristened it Most Improved Player, the award was known as Comeback Player of the Year. And if that was still the case, all we would be discussing in this category would be Klay Thompson, who is two seasons removed from playing competitive hoops. None of the major U.S sportsbooks even list him in that category, but FanDuel has him at (+150000) for Most Valuable player. Nobody is listing odds on James Wiseman for Most Improved, and in Rookie of the Year odds, Jonathan Kuminga is listed highest at Fan Duel at (+3400). Moses Moody is (+6600) at PointsBet.com.
HOUSTON ROCKETS: Jalen Suggs is second behind Cunningham for Rookie of the Year, and Kevin Porter Jr. is on the board for Most Improved Player at various odds, the best of which are (+1400) at FanDuel and PointsBet. Christian Wood is (+9000) to lead the league in rebounding.
INDIANA PACERS: Rick Carlisle is the new head coach after the Nate Bjorkgren fiasco, and we shall see what he can do with one of the most underachieving teams in the NBA last season. He is (+1600) to win Coach of the Year, Domantas Sabonis is (+700) to lead the league in rebounding, Myles Turner is (+700) to win Defensive Player of the Year and Malcolm Brogdon is 130-1 for Most Improved Player at FanDuel. The best Rookie of the Year odds on Chris Duarte are (+4600) at FanDuel.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: LeBron James did not receive any votes from his peers for best NBA player, so that may just fuel him. He is not a favorite anymore for MVP, and the best odds you can find on him in that category are (+1500) at DraftKings, where Anthony Davis is also listed at (+2500). Kendrick Nunn is (+2000) on the board for Sixth Man of the Year, and Frank Vogel is (+1400) for Coach of the Year at BetMGM. One of the biggest line disparities involves Davis for Defensive Player of the Year. He is the (+350) favorite at FanDuel and the fourth choice (+1000) at BetMGM.com.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: With Kawhi Leonard likely out for most of the season with an ACL injury, there is just not a lot of buzz around the secondary tenants at Staples Center. Paul George is going to have to be the leader of this team, and his MVP odds are alluring. He is (+4000) at Caesars/William Hill and lower everywhere else. Keon Johnson is (+6600) at PointsBet.com for Rookie of the Year, but much lower elsewhere.
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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Theoretically, Memphis could do what Phoenix did last year and sneak up on everybody, and the Grizzlies are 50-1 to win the West. Individually, this very young team has one decent sleeper pick in Jaren Jackson Jr. for Most Improved after he played only 11 games last season. He is listed between 14-1 and 16-1 at various books. Ja Morant is in the 45-1 range for MVP.
MIAMI HEAT: We have already mentioned that Spoelstra is one of the heavy favorites for Coach of the Year, so if you really want an interesting flyer wager, you could do a lot worse than Jimmy Butler at 55-1 for MVP and Kyle Lowry at 300-1 &mdash; not a misprint &mdash; for the same award. The only player with somewhat of a chalk line is Duncan Robinson at 11-1 to lead the league in three-pointers made per game. (Steph Curry is a nutso favorite with a line of (-165)).
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: It is safe to say that Giannis Antetokounmpo is in the mix for a third MVP award if he can stay healthy and make free throws without setting the knee-knocking record, and he is on the board at odds of 8-1 pretty much everywhere. Defensive Player of the Year awards do not usually go to on-ball defenders, but we all got a close look at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jrue-holiday-is-the-final-piece-to-any-teams-puzzle-nba-finals-2020-tokyo-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how good Jrue Holiday is in that category</a> during the NBA Finals and the Olympics. Holiday is (+2700) in that category at FanDuel, and (+3000) everywhere else. Pat Connaughton, who had a nice postseason, is 100-1 for Sixth Man of the Year at PointsBet.com. Nobody has him listed for Most Improved.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: OK, we scrape the back of the brain for something nice to say. They did not have a first- or second-round draft pick, so Rookie of the Year is sort of out of the question. Karl-Anthony-Towns is (+9000) to win MVP, and that probably isn't happening unless he gets traded. And with that, we have run out of nice things to say.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: This revamped roster includes Devonte&rsquo; Graham as the team's new point guard, and if he gets extremely good at lobbing he ball to Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas &mdash; and finding Brandon Ingram &mdash; he might just lead the NBA in assists. If you think that is a realistic possibility, you seem to be alone. No sportsbook lists Graham among the contenders to lead the league in assists. The best you can do is (+6000) on him at PointsBet for Most Improved. Zion Williamson&rsquo;s MVP odds are 40-1 pretty much everywhere.
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NEW YORK KNICKS: Obi Toppin is coming off a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/new-york-knicks-youngsters-exceed-expectations-in-nba-summer-league-las-vegas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heck of a Summer League</a>, so he has to be in consideration for Most Improved Player if Tom Thibodeau believes in him. He was Player of the Year two years ago in college, so the talent is there. Problem is, the best MIP odds on him are nowhere to be found. He is not listed at any of the major U.S. sportsbooks. For true believers in the orange and blue, Kemba Walker is 400-1 for MVP at DraftKings.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may as well play 48 minutes per game and average 59 points per game until Sam Presti realizes he is damaging his tanking chances, he is a nifty flyer bet at 100-1 (DraftKings) to lead the NBA in scoring.
ORLANDO MAGIC: Do not bet on the Orlando Magic in the futures market, okay? Well, alright, we will give you one thing to consider. Markelle Fultz, back after missing all of last season, is (+8000) for Most Improved Player at DraftKings &mdash; though we'll see <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-6-nba-players-whose-roles-may-be-diminished-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what his role looks like</a> in a crowded backcourt.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers: A mystery team until we find out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what they plan to do with Ben Simmons</a>. Joel Embiid was a worthy runner-up for MVP last season, and he is again atop the list of favorites. Curiously, Embiid is 25-1 to lead the league in rebounds while his backup, Andre Drummond, is 20-1. Seth Curry is 80-1 for Most Improved Player, but is not on the board for most three-pointers made per game.
PHOENIX SUNS: The second-place finishers in the NBA Finals are <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">returning pretty much the same cast</a>, with Devin Booker (20-1) listed way ahead of Chris Paul (100-1) in MVP odds. One intriguing possibility is Deandre Ayton for Most Improved, because he did not receive enough of the credit last season for this team&rsquo;s success despite shooting 62.2% in his third NBA season. It's hard to see him improving on that percentage, but should Ayton get into the 70% territory (only Wilt Chamberlain, DeAndre Jordan and Mitchell Robinson have done so), Most Improved could be within his sights. The best odds on that are (+4500) at DraftKings.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Chauncey Billups has the same odds (30-1) as Willie Green of the Pelicans to win Coach of the Year. Both are being put in charge of taking their teams to the next level, and Billups has the better team, in my opinion. Damian Lillard is a top-six choice for MVP everywhere except PointsBet, where he is eighth at (+1600). Robert Covington, the Patrick Beverley of forwards, is 100-1 to win Defensive Player of the Year.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS: Nobody places odds on the first coach to be fired. Richaun Holmes has the longest odds of anybody on the board at DraftKings for Most Improved Player at 150-1.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Gregg Popovich is 50-1 to win Coach of the Year. New Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (45-1) and 22 other coaches have better odds. Thaddeus Young is a sneaky Sixth Man pick at 55-1 (provided he gets traded elsewhere).
TORONTO RAPTORS: Our staff loved <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/something-to-prove-og-anunoby-shot-creation-toronto-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OG Anunoby</a> for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-is-poised-to-break-out-next-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">player most likely to have a breakout season</a>, and he is on the board at just 25-1 at PointsBet but 66-1 at BetMGM. Following the offseason moves that left them a long way from looking like the team that went to the NBA Finals in 2019, it is difficult to find any other members of the Raptors on the boards anywhere.
UTAH JAZZ: If they do what they did last year, Donovan Mitchell is going to get a lot more MVP consideration than he did last season, when these guys snuck up on a lot of people. He is 30-1 for MVP pretty much everywhere, and Jordan Clarkson is the favorite to repeat as Sixth Man of the Year; the same goes for Rudy Gobert with Defensive Player of the Year. Also, Quin Snyder is right up there with the favorites for Coach of the Year. With pretty much the same roster, is it a little surprising to see them listed behind the Lakers, Warriors and Suns to win the West.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: The Wizards are another off-the-radar team following the trade of Russell Westbrook, but Bradley Beal is the favorite to lead the NBA in scoring and Kyle Kuzma is 40-1 for Most Improved. Curiously, PointsBet.com is the only book listing Montrezl Harrell for Sixth Man of the Year, where he is 20-1. He won the award two years ago and was sixth last season.

Chris Sheridan checks into the NBA's preseason odds and goes through the top wagers to make for all 30 teams.

Best bets: NBA team-by-team odds choices as 2021-22 season approaches

In discussing his new role as Managing Director of USA Basketball, seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill said a mouthful when looking back at what transpired this summer with the United States men's national team and the Tokyo Olympics. Also, he called Kevin Durant &ldquo;maybe the best offensive player of all-time.&rdquo;
That may not sit well with his old rivals in Michael Jordan and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal among others, but anyone who watched Durant lead the American team to the gold medal would at least say that Hill has a valid argument as he plunges into his newest job.
&ldquo;What is encouraging is that we had the best offensive player, maybe of all-time, wanting to be a part of it, along with a lot of our best young guys wanting to be a part of it,&rdquo; Hill told BasketballNews.com in his first interview since taking over the USA Basketball position previously held by Jerry Colangelo. &ldquo;I do believe there is a widespread excitement and desire to be a part of it.&rdquo;
Colangelo stepped down following the Olympics after being at the helm for 15 years and winning four Olympic gold medals. Now, Hill must first decide who will replace Gregg Popovich as head coach and who will play for the team that will have to qualify for the World Cup beginning in November. Jeff Van Gundy, who handled coaching duties when the Americans qualified for the 2019 World Cup in China and became the chief U.S. scout for the Tokyo Olympics afterward, would seem like a likely candidate if he can get clearance from his broadcasting duties at ESPN and ABC.
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The next competition for Team USA is the 2023 World Cup of Basketball, which will be contended in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan &ndash; the first time multiple nations have played host to the event. And though it may be a challenge to get a team of top American professionals to commit to playing in those far-flung locales, Hill said he will definitely field a team of NBA players, despite suggestions from some corners that the Americans should use a team that has already competed under the Team USA banner (such as the Under-19 team led by Chet Holmgren, a Gonzaga recruit who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft).
&ldquo;Every generation of players is different, so the challenge is what can we do to make it interesting and welcoming so that players will want to be a part of it,&rdquo; Hill said. &ldquo;I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and making it work.&rdquo;
Presumably, the coach who ends up leading Team USA at the 2023 World Cup will also be the head coach for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, when Durant &ndash; if he so chooses &ndash; will have a chance to go for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal. Whether that will happen is a long way from being determined, and Durant will have had two more seasons to try to bring the Brooklyn Nets franchise its first NBA championship.
What Hill expects to be difficult is keeping expectations in line with reality, something Popovich and his predecessor, Mike Krzyzewski, dealt with over the past decade-and-a-half. There is a segment of the basketball-viewing public that expects American teams to dominate the competition, but in reality the American teams have been challenged and defeated at numerous events, including the 2002 World Championship in Indianapolis, the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the 2006 World Championship in Japan and the 2019 World Cup in China. It even happened during training camp this summer when they lost exhibition games against Nigeria and Australia. That was, however, before the roster was tweaked and the team came together over the course of the Olympics, peaking at the end and defeating France 87-82 for the gold medal.
Hill was a member of the first U.S. team that was challenged &ndash; the 1996 Olympic squad that competed in Atlanta and had its hands full in the first half of the gold-medal game against Yugoslavia before pulling away in the second half.
&ldquo;What I remember most were the personalities on that team: Charles Barkley, Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal, Reggie Miller, Gary Payton," Hill recalled. "It was always fun to be together as a group, just constant laughs, and back then, guys did not know each other as well as they do nowadays because there was no social media and guys played on different teams, and they were just not as connected.
"But I remember the practices were incredible. I went up against Scottie Pippen every day, and all of us formed a bond and a connection that has lasted 25 years."
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Two years from now, and then again the following summer, similar bonds will be formed by players to be determined. Whether they return to the United States with gold medals remains to be seen, but Hill sounded a cautionary tone when he noted that last season&rsquo;s NBA Most Valuable Player, Nikola Jokic, and his runner-up, Joel Embiid, were non-Americans. This year's NBA Finals MVP (Giannis Antetokounmpo) and NBA Defensive Player of the Year (Rudy Gobert) were international stars as well.
Hill also spoke about his role as the secretary of the National Basketball Retired Players Association&rsquo;s Legends Care initiative, which earlier this year awarded five $10,000 scholarships to students who will be attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the fall.
&ldquo;I was very involved in picking the finalists,&rdquo; Hill said. "And in reading the essays and looking at the students' histories, you hate to narrow it down because they are all inspiring, all deserving in many ways. We look forward to doing this for years to come. We looked at everything from GPAs to hardships growing up, how some endured gun violence, some had low household income. When you see what they&rsquo;ve endured, it&rsquo;s wonderful to see who these students actually are."
Here are the "Starting Five&rdquo; of the Legends HBCU Scholarship and Legends Scholars program:
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">Damon Germaine Bryan Jr.</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="3">South Carolina State University, Class of 2022&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">Major: Criminal Justice&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">Born and raised in the projects of Charleston, SC, he plans to use his major to develop a youth center that would offer a safe space with services &ndash; such as mentoring &ndash; and college scholarships to help youth realize their potential and build for their future outside of their current constraints.</li>
</ul>
<li aria-level="2">Saniya Keeton&nbsp;</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="3">Tuskegee University, Class of 2023&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">Major: Animal Science&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">Only 2.1% of veterinary medicine professionals are people of color. She plans to use her major to become a veterinarian, adding to the diversity of the field and showing BIPOC &ndash; especially children and young adults &ndash; that this is a field for them.</li>
</ul>
<li aria-level="2">Tyrell Miller-Johnson&nbsp;</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="3">Central State University, Class of 2023&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">Major: Psychology&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">He enlisted into the U.S. Army in 2017 after his high school graduation, and has deployed on missions to help others affected by hurricanes, tornados, COVID-19 and other disasters/crises. One deployment involved his providing security for the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. He plans to use his major to help educate teens and high-school students that the entire world is open to them and to teach them about college-alternative pathways such as learning a trade, becoming an entrepreneur, military service, etc.</li>
</ul>
<li aria-level="2">Erin Foster&nbsp;</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="3">Spelman College, Class of 2024&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">Major: Political Science&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">Fewer than 5% of federal judges are women of color. She plans to use her major to go to law school, become a federal judge and start removing the gender and racial disparities in the field.</li>
</ul>
<li aria-level="2">Jayla Imani Thornton&nbsp;</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="3">North Carolina A&amp;T State University, Class of 2024&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">Major: Political Science&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="3">She currently interns for Congresswoman Kathy Manning, and plans to use her major to go to law school and become a civil rights lawyer to combat and eradicate systemic racism and the oppression of minorities in America.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</ul>
The five Legends Scholars will receive a $10,000 academic scholarship from the NBRPA for the 2021-22 school year. In addition to addressing the financial needs of Legends Scholars, a comprehensive scholars program will assist Legends Scholars in the areas of career preparation and development, job placement and mentoring both during and after their undergraduate years.
The Legends HBCU Scholarship and Legends Scholars program was created in 2020 under the NBRPA&rsquo;s Legends Care initiative as a way to honor the rich history of HBCUs and their alums while moving the legacy forward by supporting current HBCU undergraduates.

In his first interview since becoming USA Basketball's managing director, Grant Hill discusses what's next for Team USA.

Grant Hill shares widespread excitement surrounding USA Basketball

The Brooklyn Nets had all the shooting and scoring any team could ever want.
They just didn't have the health that every team needs.
Kevin Durant was spectacular in his first postseason in Brooklyn, but by the end of it a Big Three was down to 1 1/2. Kyrie Irving was on the bench and James Harden probably should have been.
That's the way it often went for Brooklyn after putting together its three superstars. On paper, it looked unstoppable.
On the court, it just wasn't seen all that much.
&ldquo;We gave it everything we had,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;Just having to deal with injuries throughout the course of the year set us back.&rdquo;
That contributed to an ending far earlier than the Nets anticipated. Brooklyn was eliminated with a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-7c1e79825d167e686b9c132c0c8634e0">115-111 overtime loss </a> to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Irving missed the final 3 1/2 games of the series with a sprained right ankle. Harden played only 43 seconds of Games 1-4 because of right hamstring tightness, then came back without much mobility to play the final three.
Things like that happened plenty for the Nets. Just as one All-Star would come back, another would go out. Durant, Irving and Harden played in the same game only eight times during the regular season and got only one round together in the postseason.
&ldquo;So much adversity this year,&rdquo; coach Steve Nash said. &ldquo;First year together. So many changes to the roster. So many injuries. COVID protocols. They couldn&rsquo;t have given us anything more.&rdquo;
The Nets went 48-24, the best winning percentage in franchise history and the second-best record in the East. They were second in the league in scoring and 3-point percentage, led the league in field goal percentage and reached 120 points 34 times, nearly half their games.
But that firepower was gone by midway through the second round. All the Nets really had left was Durant, and that was almost enough. He had 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 5 and then 48 points, most ever in a Game 7, while playing all 53 minutes.
The plan was for him to have more help and win more games.
&ldquo;We want to win,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;We want to win every game we play. We want to win a championship every year, just like every team.&rdquo;
They didn't get nearly close enough.
Things to know about the Nets as they begin their offseason:
DAZZLING DURANT
After missing a season recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Durant looked just as good as he did while winning four NBA scoring titles. He averaged 26.9 points and set career highs by shooting 53.7% from the field and 45% from 3-point range.
HURTING HARDEN
Harden said after Game 7 he was playing with basically a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He wasn't in shape to begin the season in Houston and perhaps that led to an injury-plagued finish in Brooklyn, where he missed 20 of 21 games in the second half with hamstring problems.
MANNING THE MIDDLE
The center spot is probably the biggest need for the Nets. DeAndre Jordan lost his starting role and eventually his place in the rotation entirely, LaMarcus Aldridge had to retire because of a heart condition and Blake Griffin ended up having to start despite being undersized. The Nets will have to determine if second-year big man Nicolas Claxton is the answer or if they need to look outside.
NASH'S STAFF
The Nets gave their rookie head coach an experienced staff. But there are currently seven teams looking for new coaches and some of Nash's assistants, such as two-time Coach of the Year Mike D'Antoni and Ime Udoka, could be candidates.
ROUNDING OUT THE ROSTER
With Durant, Irving and Harden all under contract, the Nets have made all their big moves and should need only to build around them. Veterans such as Griffin and Aldridge were happy to sign on cheap for a chance at a ring and the Nets should be able to interest more players like them.
___
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Kevin Durant was spectacular in his first postseason in Brooklyn, but by the end of it, a Big Three was down to one-and-a-half.