Yellow Jackets

Nekias Duncan breaks down the 2022 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Warriors from a multitude of angles.

2022 NBA Finals Scouting Report: How the Celtics and Warriors match up

What happens is the crux of any conversation. Results spur on ideology and conjecture. Wins, losses, box scores and stat lines invite slander and celebration.
Why?&nbsp;
Results are important for measuring goals, gauging success and resetting priorities or strategies. Why those results occur is what I find fascinating.&nbsp;
The 2022 Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics have been difficult to parse through, akin to a redux of the 2004 series between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. Only four of the players who played 10 minutes per game or more in that series shot 40% or better from the floor.&nbsp;
A series defined by restrained offense and amplified defense is rooted in the why. Yes, both the Heat and Celtics have exchanged slogging moments. Turnovers have been in abundance. There have been many free throws, as the physicality is ratcheted up to the 10th degree.
The Heat&rsquo;s offense is predicated on movement, screening, handoffs and maximizing their pressure points through shooting gravity to open up looks with their collective passing and intuitive play. Miami was 14th in the league in three-point attempts per game, but first in three-point percentage (37.9%). What made them more impressive was how those shots got off.&nbsp;
The Heat are chock-full of movement shooters with Max Strus, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry all capable of hitting shots off of a variety of movements and even self-created with their handles to varying degrees. Miami shot 42.9% from deep in Game 6, a far cry from the 29.2% (52/178) over the previous five games. Jimmy Butler hit four shots from distance after only hitting two all series. Tough shots fell in volume.&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/7w789c" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
To equate Miami&rsquo;s victory and invigorated offense strictly to shot variance would be unfair. Miami has thrived on those tough threes off movement or pull-ups all season, but they haven&rsquo;t hit the same. It&rsquo;s difficult to project another game like last night for Miami&rsquo;s shot-making, although one game throws sample size to the wind. Again, the why is so crucial here.&nbsp;
Miami&rsquo;s offense has been stuck in the mud much of the series as our own Nekias Duncan <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-heat-have-a-bigbig-problem-on-their-hands">recently wrote</a>. Boston&rsquo;s bigs have stifled the Heat in the paint and through their ability to toggle between the paint and perimeter. Stopping shots at the second and third level has been a large reason for Boston&rsquo;s defensive success. Miami,&nbsp; 27th in rim frequency during the regular season per Cleaning the Glass, is dependent on their ability to attack the gaps created by their shooting gravity.&nbsp;
They&rsquo;ve been constricted by their own shot profile at times this series, but mainly due to how Boston has been able shut off the release valves. Most of Miami&rsquo;s aforementioned premier spacing core, particularly the shooters off screens, has struggled throughout the series. We know the shots haven&rsquo;t fallen, but it&rsquo;s not simply a collective slump. Boston&rsquo;s defense as a whole has been swarming, but why have Miami&rsquo;s movement shooters struggled the most?
Through the lens of the Eastern Conference Finals and the league at large, few players epitomize the why quite like Derrick White. The results haven&rsquo;t always been there for White during the playoffs, although the post-baby bump has been real (congrats again to Derrick and his family).&nbsp;
Yet, so often when watching White, whether with the Spurs or Celtics, the why is consistently there. The consistency in process matters so much more than the consistency in production. That sounds counterintuitive, but it&rsquo;s strikingly true in basketball. There&rsquo;s a line in the sand that wavers among the grains, and White often has crossed the line in spite of his production simply due to his persistent process.
White has routinely neutralized Miami&rsquo;s release valves and shut off the water entirely for stretches. It&rsquo;s been like watching a naturally-rich land dry up after a dam is built up stream. That dam is Derrick White, and the Heat have employed any number and variety of players to try to take White out of the picture to free up shooters.
This play from Game 5 stood out.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;">
<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/plsipo" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
</div>
Notice the quick flip and pushoff from P.J. Tucker in a screening action that was masked with Oladipo setting up as a second screener. White immediately takes Oladipo, and Horford takes Tucker after Jaylen Brown switches onto Duncan Robinson. Brown navigates the screen well enough for the action to die out, and would you look at that... Derrick White still makes a play on the back side.
Already four games and roughly 10 minutes into the series, the Heat are throwing the kitchen sink at an off-ball chaser to free up their shooters. Whatever it takes to force switches, including some semi-illegal&nbsp; screens. Again, why?
Well, White immediately made his presence felt on Max Strus.
<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/nrp9d5" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He always shifts his body, scans the floor constantly, and his slight movements are impeccable. So often, chasers get beat off the ball because of too big a stride or a wrong step. White rarely crosses his feet up, and he can appear choppy at times, but it's because he's always on his toes, minimizing space given and maximizing his margins for error. Even with the majority of hard screens, White is making his recovery plays and finding his way back into the picture.
If he does get beat when running a shooter off the line, he's one of the best in the league with backtaps and strips.
<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/ym304b" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Press up that hard on a shooter, and the opposing team will try to use that against you as a pressure point. Lo and behold, Erik Spoelstra dialed up just that, using Duncan Robinson as a screener with White stapled to him, hoping to cause an error on the perimeter.
<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/j7suo8" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
White shoots that gap absurdly well. Not just well, like Julius Peppers is smiling somewhere watching that. White dips his shoulder back around Bam Adebayo's screen and is back in front of Herro by the free throw line. It's a ridiculous possession.
To say Max Strus hasn't had a fun series would be an understatement. Watch the way White starts to angle himself, immediately prepping to lock and trail as soon as he knew the movement was en route.
<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/kwi2cw" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
White seemingly always has at least one hand on the man he's trailing, making it that much harder to gain separation.&nbsp;
This play is a pinnacle "What else am I supposed to do?" moment. Strus hits White with a swim move, sends him careening into the Tucker screen, and Tucker thuds White. So clearly, Strus should be open, right? Right?
Once again, White comes flying around the screen and reattaches to Strus' hip without being overly physical or fouling, funneling him into the looming Horford.
<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/xywgt9" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That consistency has been unreal. While White isn&rsquo;t necessarily the player finishing possessions defensively (although he still forces his fair share of turnovers), the quietness is what stands out.&nbsp;
White&rsquo;s giving his best Darrelle Revis impression, shutting off options, isolated against the best deep threats in the game. You see Jimmy Butler struggling to find an opening, wading in the mid-range, but the why? Max Strus can&rsquo;t get separation. White&rsquo;s been glued to Duncan Robinson. Gabe Vincent is always seeing a rear contest on pull-up twos. Nothing is coming easy for Miami.&nbsp;
Derrick White has put on a masterclass of screen shedding and route mirroring. His off-ball defense and ability to make things difficult always&nbsp;is a large reason for why Nekias Duncan, Jackson Frank and I had <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White making an All-Defense team</a>. It's not hyperbole to say that White is among the most consistent defensive players in basketball, something that tends to go underappreciated. Regardless of whether or not the Celtics win Game 7 tomorrow and make their first NBA Finals since 2010, Derrick White's consistent ability to make things difficult deserves shine.

Derrick White has put on a defensive masterclass during the Conference Finals, shutting down Miami's shooters.

Derrick White: Eliminating release valves and shutting off the water

A perfectly orchestrated out-of-bounds set is a thing of beauty.&nbsp;
Plays ran after timeouts, or ATOs as they're commonly referred to, are by far the most intricately designed sets in any NBA game.
We hear the phrase "read and react" quite frequently, but that's truly the best way to describe the typical flow of NBA offenses. Possessions in the half-court without any sort of stoppage regularly feature some sort of pick-and-roll or handoff action, maybe with 1-to-2 additional tinkerings depending on the team you're watching. But the point is: There is a great deal of freelancing going on out there. These guys are pros for a reason &mdash; they don't need a guy in a suit telling them exactly&nbsp;what to do for every second of the game.
ATOs, however, are quite different. They allow head coaches to step in, sit down with their players for a full minute and 15 seconds, precisely rehearse and recall a scripted action from practice, and, most of all, tactically prey on the weaknesses of an opponent.&nbsp;
And when they're executed well? Sheesh, there's truly nothing better.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Now, just for size, imagine watching two back-to-back successful ATOs in the final eight seconds of a playoff game. That'd be crazy, right? Huh?! For all my play-by-play geeks out there?
Alas, that is what happened during Tuesday's Game 5 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Let's set the stage a little bit: This contest was not a gorgeous showing of pristine execution. It was a back-and-forth, frenetic affair, with both teams streaking up-and-down the floor like the Gatorade coolers had been spiked with C4 pre-workout. All of that speed didn't necessarily equate to production; collectively, both teams turned the ball over a ghastly 39 total times, and Memphis couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from deep at just 25.0% (7 of 28).
Minnesota controlled the tempo for most of Tuesday's game, building a lead as large as 13 in the second half. The Grizzlies looked dead in the water on their home floor, unable to get much of anything going in the halfcourt. Then, Ja Morant did this, and the mood completely changed...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Chasing History -Episode 12 🏆 A jaw-dropping dunk&hellip;.a clutch late 3&hellip;.a game-winning shot. Ja Morant did it all in game 5, leading the Grizzlies to victory over the Timberwolves to take the 3-2 series lead. <a href="https://t.co/pKbwxriEws">pic.twitter.com/pKbwxriEws</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1519677816828313601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

(Seriously, it's tough to get enough of this freakin' dunk. BBN's Mark Schindler even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ja-morants-jadropping-dunk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote an entire article on it</a>! I mean, what the actual HECK, Temetrius Jamel Morant.)
That audacious poster lit something inside of Morant, who went on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-grizzlies-helped-ja-morant-find-himself-as-a-scorer-in-game-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an absolute tear in the final period of the game</a>, eventually boosting his fourth-quarter point total to 16 after a pair of free throws. This put Memphis up by 3 with just eight seconds remaining.
With the first-round series hanging in the balance at 2-2, Minnesota needed a three-pointer more than ever to even things up at 109 apiece. And gosh darn it, Wolves head coach Chris Finch delivered.&nbsp;
Minnesota sets things up with Jordan McLaughlin inbounding, its two strongest offensive players &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards &mdash;on the strong side of the floor and D'Angelo Russell and Jaden McDaniels on the weak side.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-04-27-at-4-24-57-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="699" height="373" />
McLaughlin inbounds the ball to Towns at the left slot to initiate things. All the while, McDaniels streaks toward the left dunker spot and Russell brushes a backscreen for McDaniels. Then, Russell proceeds to "ghost" or fake a secondary back-screen for Edwards cutting up from the low block to the right slot.
Here's a video of that specific action involving that trio of players:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cIxs0UZKxKU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
In the end, it was a simple exchange of positioning; McDaniels had replaced Russell in the right dunker spot, Edwards had taken McDaniels' place as the lifted shooter on the weak side of the floor, and Russell was now in Edwards' spot on the strong side. But most importantly, Brandon Clarke, the largest Grizzly available, was now tasked with manning rim-protection duties as the "low man."
Now, let's zoom out a bit. Minnesota inbounds the ball to its most dangerous offensive player, Towns, who at this point has scored a team-high 28 points on the night. Yet as the inbounder, it's McLaughlin who is technically the most dangerous player on the floor, and so Towns immediately returns the rock to give the zippy backup a running start. As such, McLaughlin gains a step on his defender, Kyle Anderson, and this causes Clarke to hesitate for a second, unsure if he's supposed to protect the rim or track the weak-side shooters.
Because Clarke decides to hold his ground in the paint, Morant then becomes responsible for "zoning up" and guarding the two weak-side offensive players, Edwards and McDaniels. So, Edwards drifts down to the baseline for deep positioning to create a brutally tough angle of recovery, and McDaniels sets a back-screen on Edwards' man (Morant).
This specific screening setup is known as "exit" action, where one offensive player pins the "zoned-up" defender with a screen to generate a corner three for his teammate. (Finch loves&nbsp;his exit-screen plays, I tell ya.)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-04-27-at-5-03-55-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="699" height="360" />
McLaughlin flicks a ridiculous bounce pass to the corner like he's skipping rocks across a pond, and Edwards&mdash;quietly shooting ~42% on catch-and-shoot threes in the regular season and postseason&mdash;nails the corner jumper over an excellent closeout from Clarke.
Here's Finch's pi&egrave;ce de r&eacute;sistance in full:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qxrbo9dRmFw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Tie game at 109.
Which meant it was Taylor Jenkins' time to cook for the Grizzlies' response.
Unlike Minnesota, Memphis set up by overloading one side of the floor with Desmond Bane, Anderson and Morant all sharing the strong side, and Tyus Jones on the weak side.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-04-27-at-5-24-36-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="700" height="376" />
Morant sets a cross-screen for Jones to cut across the paint, only to have Ja then come off a pindown screen from Desmond Bane. This specific action is known as "screen the screener," in which a player (Morant here) sets a screen for one teammate (Jones) and then receives a screen from another (Bane). Meanwhile, Anderson cuts across the paint from the left corner to the right slot to drag Minnesota's only rim-protector, Towns, completely out of the play.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lm0aeup-Pe8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Memphis' screen-the-screener setup, or STS, forces Morant's defender (Edwards) to navigate not one, but two&nbsp;off-ball screens while tracking the hottest player on the floor. Edwards falls slightly behind the lightning-quick Morant, and exasperates things by gambling for the steal. Ant giveth, Ant taketh.
Now, Morant has the advantage with a free lane to the rim and Clarke in the right dunker spot. Jarred Vanderbilt rotates over to the stop the drive, and Towns inexplicably (??) turns his body away from the ball instead of rotating down to Clarke. This effectively leaves Vanderbilt in no man's land, forced to defend perhaps the best downhill dude in the league and&nbsp;a premier lob-threat... and, well, you know the rest.
Let's see the full play.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wNWz6GWXyjE" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Game. Set. Match. The Grizzlies went on to win Game 5 by a final of 111-109, and took an emphatic 3-2 lead in the series all behind Morant's 18 fourth-quarter points.
And sure, the night was dominated by the highlights (again, whew, that dunk), but it's sequences like the final eight seconds that make this NBA game what it is &mdash; great.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!
&nbsp;

Matt Brooks gives kudos to both Chris Finch and Taylor Jenkins for their ATOs in the crucial moments of Game 5 in Memphis.

Applauding Chris Finch and Taylor Jenkins' ATO play-calling wizardry

It appears as though the New Orleans Pelicans are playing harder and more aggressively, and with a greater sense of urgency and more passion, than the Phoenix Suns are at this point of their playoff series.
Herb Jones is putting on a Superman cape to leap tall buildings in a single bound and block three-point attempts. The scrappy Jose Alvarado forced Chris Paul into an eight-second violation in the backcourt, something that very rarely happens to the veteran point guard. The bench is fired up for the entire game, and the team is playing with a passion that hasn&rsquo;t been seen in New Orleans for quite some time.
Nobody outside of that city could&rsquo;ve imagined that this series would be tied at two games apiece with the highly-favored, 62-win, defending-Western-Conference-champion Suns.&nbsp;
Having said that, there seems to be a feeling of disrespect from the national media for a team that has exceeded the expectations of so many in the sports world.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
I spoke with Pelicans color analyst Antonio Daniels about his assessment of the team and that national media disrespect toward New Orleans.
Etan Thomas: First, how great is it to see the Pelicans prove a lot of people wrong who didn't even give them a chance?
Antonio Daniels: "Oh, man. Well, for me, it's not even about it being great, proving people wrong. The great part is what I've seen this team accomplish. People are going to doubt no matter what. I don't care who you are, or what you've ever done, how good you are. People are always going to doubt. But you can't allow people's doubts to actually affect the way that you think about yourself. I have said this about this team from Day 1, and I actually have it bookmarked in my Twitter feed; Nov. 5, I said at this time, 'This team gets healthy, they're a playoff team. If they get healthy, they're a playoff team.' And I remember I was doing the pregame show and David Wesley, who's a good friend of mine, turned and faced my way and was almost like to say, 'Whatever.' You know what I mean?
Etan: Right.
Daniels: "Here's the thing, Etan. When you're talking about success in this league, it's not going to [happen] if you don't have a culture of overachievement. It doesn't happen. You have to have guys that overachieve, guys that are outplaying the expectation. You can go all the way back to the Golden State Warriors. What they did with Steph Curry and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson and those guys. They all overachieved. Did you think when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were coming out that they would be the best shooting backcourt in history? Or when Draymond Green was coming out, at this point in his career, he would be a Hall-of-Famer? No. But they created a culture of overachievement.
"What you have here in New Orleans is, a lot was going on early on in the season, new pieces trying to fit in along with head coach Willie Green. And that's a lot to take on early; 1-12, 3-16 is what this team started. And now, at that time, the talk was, 'Let's tank. There's no Zion.' Fans all said they should just tank the season. Even when you acquired CJ McCollum. I remember Stephen A. Smith saying, 'Oh, I don't know what they're doing. Why would CJ McCollum want to go there? New Orlenas ain't going anywhere anyway.'
"The disrespect from the national media is, I think, what guys really pay attention to. And I think they do somewhat use that as motivation. But to be a part of this journey, Etan, from Day 1 of training camp, to Zion being hurt [and] not being available throughout the course of this team's season, being without your best player and seeing what this team has been able to accomplish, climbing out of that 3-16 start, it's been special."
Etan: Talk about the addition you mentioned of CJ McCollum and how much that has helped the entire team.
Daniels: "I'll say this first: What people forget about in that addition is that Larry Nance was in that [trade] as well, and people aren't talking about that. People are talking about CJ, and CJ's been fantastic. But I'll tell you what, I don't think that the Pelicans are at this point without Larry Nance Jr. He was the difference in the Play-In game against the Clippers because what he offers you is versatility at the 5 spot that you didn't have prior to him. Versatility and experience. When teams go small, like you see a lot of the NBA doing now, and they're basically playing five forwards like the Toronto Raptors, it&rsquo;s problematic for opposing teams. You need a big that is experienced, knowledged, but understands strengths and weaknesses [and] also has the skill set to compete. Larry Nance Jr was great. And people don't talk about him enough."
Etan: Great point.
Daniels: "But to get to CJ &mdash; CJ's playing the best basketball of his career. And from his words, he's a servant leader. And I love it because he's not very vocal, but he leads by example. He came in and he said, 'You know what, man? I want Brandon Ingram to be the best version of himself' on Day 1. Because if B.I.'s the best version of himself, that will allow me (meaning CJ McCollum) to be the best version of myself. And I remember asking CJ, when I sat down and I interviewed him, talking about, 'How do you develop chemistry between you and B.I.?' And he said, 'You know what? I'll do the same thing with him that me and Dame [Lillard] did. We sat down and we watched films together. I want to know where he wants to ball. I want him to be vocal with me. I want to know where his hotspot is, what plays he likes, when he needs me to back down and allow him to be the best version of himself.' The communication between those two from Day 1 was at an all-time level.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
𝙋𝙀𝙇𝙎 𝙒𝙄𝙉 ⚜️ Brandon Ingram : 30 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST ⚜️ Jonas Valanciunas : 26 PTS, 15 REB, 4 AST ⚜️ Cj McCollum : 18 PTS, 9 REB Les <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> l'emportent 118-103 et reviennent &agrave; 2-2 face &agrave; Phoenix ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WBD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WBD</a> <a href="https://t.co/zbghiMm2fU">pic.twitter.com/zbghiMm2fU</a>
&mdash; NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFRANCE/status/1518469593290919937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

"But, Etan, what really helped this team was the All-Star break. Because if you look at what this team has done post-All-Star break, that was the chemistry between CJ and B.I. really starting to take off. We opened up in Phoenix. First game at the All-Star break, we opened up in Phoenix. And they talked at length about the dinner that they had in Phoenix the night before, where they just got an opportunity to connect to one another and to communicate with one another. This team has been rolling ever since when those two are on the floor together with a healthy starting five."
Etan: I want you to talk a little bit about Coach Willie Green. I actually posted and tweeted the clip of <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1515310682945855488?s=20&amp;t=jxzjmwJgR9FJ3SYvF7c53w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">him motivating the guys</a>. It made me feel like I want to go out there and lace them back up and get ready to go play. Talk about how great he has been for this team.
Daniels: "Listen, Etan, I can't put it into words the respect that I have for Willie Green from Day 1. You know it's funny. Because when you're losing, people don't want to hear about it. People don't want to hear about the positives when you're losing. They only want to hear about the positives when you start playing well. And when this team was 1-12, and then, when they were 3-16... I'll tell you, Etan, we've both played on bad teams; you know what a shootaround is like walking into the gym when you're 3-16. This was not it. I have never seen more spirited shootarounds from, at the time, what seemed to be a bad basketball team. And that started with Willie Green. He never blinked. He never allowed this team to lose confidence. His faith in this team never wavered, and he stands on his faith as a whole.
"I'll give you a quick example. You know how many coaches have the open-door policy where you can come in and talk? I meet with Willie Green from time-to-time. We'll go into his office. We'll talk or sit or chat or go out to dinner. Etan, our meetings ended with prayer. How many coaches have you ever gone in to meet with and talk about the team or whatever it may be and, when it's all said and done, you guys are at his desk praying together? That speaks to the man that Willie Green is. He is one of those guys that is so inspiring because he makes you want to be a better version of yourself. I don't hoop no more, Etan. If that's how he makes me feel, I can imagine how he makes players feel. When you have guys like Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy and Herb Jones, Jaxson Hayes &mdash; all these guys, when their number was called, they were ready to go. Because when they weren't playing, Willie Green was still speaking grace, life and confidence into them. And I had an opportunity to see it up close and personal. I am at every practice, at every shootaround. I've traveled with the team. I eat with the team. To see his communication with them, his ability to relate to them [is incredible].
"And I'm a proud believer, Etan, that the best coaches in this league are role players. You know why? Because they can relate to everybody from 1-to-15. If you're a star player, you can't relate to the guy who hasn't played in six games or the guy who's major inconsistent. Willie Green has started in this league, he's been a sixth man, he's been in situations where his minutes weren't guaranteed and he's also been in a situation where he hadn't played at all. Tell me who on that bench he cannot relate to! And there's nothing more important in today's NBA than a coach's ability to relate to his players. I don't care about your defensive schemes, I don't care about your X's and O's. If the players feel like you can't relate to them, they will not play as hard for you. But the moment that they feel like you care about them as men, as fathers, as husbands &mdash; they will run through a wall for you. And I'm telling you, Willie Green has that locker room so engaged, because of the way that he handles himself throughout adversity."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Etan: Wow. That's great to hear, and I thought that about him already, just from knowing who he is. But it's great to hear you say that. Let me ask you one more thing. I know you don't worry about the haters and the noise and social media, all that stuff, but they keep bringing up the fact that because Devin Booker isn't there, that's the reason why the Pelicans are in this series. I was like, 'Well, wait a minute. Y'all forget that Zion isn't there either?' I'm like, y'all forgot about that part.
Daniels: "Here's the thing. Has there ever been an NBA champion where there's not a 'What if?' attached to it? Let's just go back to a year ago. Remember when Trae Young got hurt against Milwaukee? Remember when Kyrie Irving got hurt against Milwaukee? Remember James Harden had to come back as a shadow of himself with half of a hamstring versus Milwaukee? Remember a couple years back when Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson got hurt, and then Toronto won the championship? Look, ain't nobody tripping on that. This is the league full of injuries. You get certain things that are out of your control. So If people say, 'Oh man, the only reason that the Pelicans won is because (fill in the blank), well, okay.' But you are not going to find an NBA champion, a NFL champion where breaks don&rsquo;t go somebody's way.
"But I'll tell you this, there are two teams in the NBA who have yet to play with their best player. I'm talking about not even one practice. Not even one practice this year with their best player. It's the L.A. Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans. Kawhi [Leonard] literally practiced one time. But let me tell you the difference. The difference is, Kawhi Leonard has practiced with Tyronn Lue before. He's practiced with him before, last year. Zion does not have one practice with Coach Willie Green. Not one. The last that Zion has been on the floor is when he was averaging 26 points per game and shooting 61% from the field under Coach Stan Van Gundy.
"So people can sit here and say, 'Oh, well, the only reason is, because...' So what? So what? Your job is to go out and your job is to play. Plain and simple. Look at the playoffs now. Khris Middleton is sidelined. Luka [Doncic] was sidelined. Kyle Lowry is sidelined. You get guys that are injured all the time. What are the Pelicans supposed to say? 'Ah, you know what man? Devin Booker's not there. Let's wait. Let's wait until they have help and then come back to finish this series.' No. Your job is to take advantage of the situation that's given."
Etan: That&rsquo;s absolutely correct.
Daniels: "And I'll tell you this, Etan, it goes along with the national narrative of the lack of respect that's given to the Pelicans. It goes right along with it. It doesn't matter. You know this better than anybody. It doesn't matter what people think about you. 'You ain't never believed in me as long as I believe in myself.' And this is a team, right now, that believes in themselves."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/violalogo1_lg.png" alt="" width="690" height="345" />
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Etan Thomas speaks with former teammate and Pelicans color analyst Antonio Daniels about NOLA's playoff surge vs. Phoenix.

Antonio Daniels: Pelicans have been disrespected by national media

This year&rsquo;s MVP race has been a rollercoaster ride all season long. It started with lofty preseason expectations for Luka Doncic, and then an early Stephen Curry takeover was eventually derailed due to the Warriors&rsquo; countless injuries. More recently, we&rsquo;ve seen a historic battle ensue between three of the most special international players in modern NBA history: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Any one of them could be named this year's NBA Most Valuable Player.
When examining the numbers for Jokic, Embiid and Antetokounmpo in their back-and-forth race over the last month, it&rsquo;s absurd how dominant they truly have been:
Jokic: 32.2 points, 13.6 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks; 68.8 TS%, 33.2 USG%
Embiid: 33.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.6 blocks; 61.4 TS%, 38.5 USG%
Antetokounmpo: 31.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.3 blocks; 65.2 TS%, 33.9 USG%
Thanks to these three titans, this year's MVP race has been among the most enjoyable in years. Many years, the MVP is all wrapped this late in the spring, but the 2021-2022 season saw truly nip-and-tuck moments occur that helped bend the direction of who could capture the crown. Even this late in the process, there was national surge toward Devin Booker, who certainly deserves his flowers. However, these three generational big men have been incredible on a nightly basis. One of them will almost certainly win the award, and if justice is served, that person will be Nikola Jokic.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nikola Jokic score 38 points, 18 rebounds highlights vs. La Lakers! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAPRIL032022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAPRIL032022</a>. <a href="https://t.co/gV9U41DAKr">pic.twitter.com/gV9U41DAKr</a>
&mdash; NBA BASKETBALL (@DejoseMark) <a href="https://twitter.com/DejoseMark/status/1510854793459286017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Another virtuoso performance by Jokic on Thursday night &mdash; 35 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists on 16-of-24 FGA &mdash; officially pushed me to 100% confidence that he should be chosen for the accolade. What Jokic has done all season, carrying a short-handed Nuggets team without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., is nothing short of incredible. With even more defensive focus thrown onto Jokic&rsquo;s plate, he&rsquo;s continued to excel and stuff the stat sheet with authority. Even within the wild, resurgent Western Conference, Jokic is keeping Denver above water all by himself.
Incredibly enough, Jokic is putting up even better traditional and advanced metrics than he was last season's MVP campaign, when he had more help around him. A head-to-head comparison of Jokic&rsquo;s last two seasons speaks volumes to the true caliber of player we are witnessing in Denver.
2020-21 Jokic: 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists; 64.7 TS%, 8.8 VORP, 29.6 USG%
2021-22 Jokic: 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists; 66.1 TS%, 9.8 VORP, 31.9 USG%
What Jokic is accomplishing is pure sorcery, continuing his surge to being the curveball star within the Association. Jokic's archetype is rare: A non-explosive, slower-paced big man who is a special passer that can run an offense around him,. As a former second-round pick, Jokic singlehandedly changed the Nuggets&rsquo; long-term trajectory overnight. Now, he&rsquo;s on the verge of becoming a back-to-back MVP.
In the process of doing whatever he wanted on the court Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies, even after Jaren Jackson Jr.&rsquo;s elbow caused a deep head cut, Jokic showcased exactly how valuable he is. Whenever Jokic went out of the game, Denver folded, nearly blowing two double-digit leads in short order. The Nuggets are not at a level right now to survive without Jokic, especially since the other two-thirds of their offensive production are on the sidelines indefinitely.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Becoming the first player in NBA history to amass at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season, Jokic&rsquo;s all-around brilliance simply can&rsquo;t be denied anymore. A generational talent who is one of the most special offensive weapons in the NBA, Jokic instantly takes average ceilings to elite.
Many have tried to drum up narratives away from Jokic, but honestly, he was the right one to push all along. As the most valuable player, Jokic proves on a nightly basis how the entire operation sinks or swims based on his performance. More often than not, it leads to jaw-dropping production and a Nuggets victory.
Nine players in the NBA carry at least a +60% True Shooting percentage on a +25% usage rate. Here&rsquo;s how they rank from highest TS% to lowest:
<ol>
<li>Nikola Jokic: 66.1 TS%</li>
<li>Karl-Anthony Towns: 64.0 TS%</li>
<li>Kevin Durant: 63.5 TS%</li>
<li>Giannis Antetokounmpo: 63.2 TS%</li>
<li>LeBron James: 61.9 TS%</li>
<li>Joel Embiid: 61.2 TS%</li>
<li>Zach LaVine: 60.4 TS%</li>
<li>Trae Young + Stephen Curry: 60.1 TS%</li>
</ol>
Whether it be on-court value or diving into the advanced metrics, there are few, if any, flaws to the argument for voting Jokic as the 2021-22 NBA MVP. If anything, this year&rsquo;s production has vaulted Jokic into all-time historic territory.
Jokic might not be the flashiest superstar, but don&rsquo;t take his greatness for granted. There's a good chance that his greatness is about to be rewarded with an MVP trophy for the second year in a row.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

In a historically-close MVP race, here's why Nikola Jokic deserves to win the award once again.

Why Nikola Jokic deserves back-to-back MVPs

The nail was finally put into the Los Angeles Lakers' coffin on Tuesday night in Phoenix, as the purple and gold's postseason hopes are no more following the team's 121-110 loss to the Suns.
Even after a splashy offseason, headlined by Hollywood&rsquo;s newest Big Three in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, it was an unmitigated disaster on multiple levels in L.A. Due to injuries, the Lakers&rsquo; star trio only played 21 total games together; it's far too little time to have an extended viewpoint on the subject, but even the small glimpses occasionally provided nightmare fuel.
Westbrook turned out to be an extremely poor fit next to Davis and LeBron, because none of them could adequately space the floor at a consistently above-average clip. Also, the role players for Los Angeles simply didn&rsquo;t get it done. The all-in bet on veterans backfired for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
Now, the pressure cooker has turned up to a whole new level for the Lakers entering an offseason with massive long-term ramifications.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
At points during the 11-point loss to the Suns on Tuesday, the Lakers looked shell-shocked, which eventually turned into a complete lack of energy once hit with a massive counter run in the second half. Just like that, Los Angeles folded at the first sign of resistance.
Already knowing of their postseason fate at halftime when the San Antonio Spurs upset the Denver Nuggets on the road, the Lakers' effort turned into an all-out embarrassment. Devin Booker was easily getting whatever shot he pleased. Chris Paul was bending the Lakers&rsquo; defense to his will, as the future Hall-of-Famer usually does.
Overall, the sense throughout was a team knowing its season was already over. Without James, the 2021-22 Lakers were toast long before their latest shellacking.
&ldquo;Extremely disappointed,&rdquo; Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said postgame. &ldquo;Disappointed for our fan base. Disappointed for the Buss family, gave us all this opportunity. And we want to play our part in bringing success to Laker basketball. We fell short, we were eliminated tonight. I can say it&rsquo;s not due to a lack of effort. We have all put in the work. All of our guys stayed fighting right until the end.&rdquo;
Reminiscing on one of the most disappointing seasons from any title contender in recent memory, the Lakers&rsquo; main theme was how injuries mangled a team with NBA Finals hopes.
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t take the injuries out, but championship,&rdquo; Davis said of the Lakers&rsquo; potential entering this season. &ldquo;When we first put the team together our goal was to win a championship. I feel like we had the pieces, but injuries got in the way of that. That&rsquo;s the difference in our season.&rdquo;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wPytyjBN5_U" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Davis is correct on how injuries charted the Lakers off their path into rocky waters over the last few months. Davis himself missed 42 games while James missed 26. When you&rsquo;re missing the two foundational building blocks for at least one-third of the regular season, the game of catch-up will be seemingly impossible at the end. That&rsquo;s exactly what happened here with the Lakers, but the issues run deeper than simply injury issues.
&ldquo;When we put this team together we had championship aspirations. Once again, injuries kind of got in the way of that," Davis added. "The world love to see, we would love to see, what this team would look like if healthy for a full 82 (games).&rdquo;
Zooming out for a moment: Where exactly would the Lakers have finished in the Western Conference standings with a fully healthy AD and LeBron? It&rsquo;s an interesting question, but one that has holes. Westbrook looked like a deer in the headlights trying to mesh his game within the Lakers&rsquo; system. And without any real three-point threats from the outside, opposing teams could simply stack the paint to prevent real interior damage.
It was a flawed roster from the beginning, seen through purple-and-gold-shaded glasses in Los Angeles thanks in large part to two superstars covering gaps all over the place.
Realistically, based off the pedigree with LeBron alone, you could place the Lakers within the same tier as the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. All three teams could win a round or two in the postseason, but the ceiling is eventually capped. Even with a dynamic one-two punch, it&rsquo;s not enough without the right pieces to cook with on the basketball court.
&ldquo;I mean that&rsquo;s the plan, but nothing is promised,&rdquo; Russell Westbrook said when asked about playing alongside James and Davis again next season. &ldquo;You kind of got to take it one day at a time each day. And like I said all season long, you play the cards you [are] dealt. We want to be able to see what that looks like, what it entails over the course of an 82-game season. We not sure that&rsquo;s guaranteed either, so hopefully we&rsquo;re able to do something in the future.&rdquo;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kqqO_dsCp0s" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
If the Lakers truly are in run-it-back mode &mdash; and use injuries as the main excuse with Vogel as the scapegoat &mdash; they&rsquo;re in deep trouble for next season and beyond.
With the greatest player in the NBA&rsquo;s modern era on their roster, Los Angeles is back at the same spot it was when LeBron first arrived. And that&rsquo;s saying something when the roster is chock-full of current and former heavy-hitters past their prime years. The excuses are running thin in Los Angeles, and now it&rsquo;s time to see what all the issues under the hood truly are.
With the Lakers&rsquo; playoff plans officially dashed, Carmelo Anthony put what I believe to be a succinctly perfect bow on their disappointing campaign.
&ldquo;I would say this was a season we just didn&rsquo;t get it done,&rdquo; Anthony said. &ldquo;We had the tools. Some things we could control, some things we couldn&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s nothing else more than we didn&rsquo;t get it done. You can&rsquo;t make no excuses about it. We didn&rsquo;t get it done.&rdquo;
No excuses, so what&rsquo;s next in Hollywood? The possibilities truly are endless &mdash; whether you view it from a positive or negative perspective.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

With the Lakers' postseason hopes officially finished, what's next? It's time to look in the mirror.

Are the Lakers truly ready to look in the mirror this offseason?

Right before officially clinching their seventh Final Four berth this past weekend, the Villanova Wildcats lost junior guard Justin Moore, who had to be helped off the floor after a freak injury while dribbling to kill the clock with less than 45 seconds to go.
'Nova beat Houston 50-44 in the Elite Eight to become one of the last four standing teams in the Big Dance for the first time since 2018. However, it was announced days later that Moore &mdash; Villanova&rsquo;s second-leading scorer at 14.8 points per game on .397/.356/.750 shooting splits &mdash; ruptured his right Achilles tendon, prematurely ending his season.
Much of the basketball world united in comforting Moore during an excruciatingly awful time to receive such news, including Kevin Durant, who ruptured his own Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals.
&ldquo;I texted Kevin; he called me,&rdquo; Wright recalled <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/college-sports/villanova/justin-moore-achilles-kevin-durant-villanova-20220331.html">to the Philadelphia Inquirer</a>. &ldquo;And Kevin said, &lsquo;I was watching that, and it looked just like &mdash; I knew it when he went down; it looked just like mine.&rsquo; So we talked for a while about it.
&ldquo;What was so impressive to me was, Durant said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;d like to talk to [Justin], talk to the parents about the process. I want to tell him that.&rsquo; He listed himself, Klay Thompson, a couple other guys I can&rsquo;t remember &mdash; he goes, 'Look, these guys had it in the NBA.' And people in the NBA know now that you can come back from that.&rdquo;
Moore wasn&rsquo;t just 'Nova&rsquo;s second-best scorer throughout the 2021-22 season, but the 6-foot-4 guard earned Second Team All-Big East honors and All-Big East Tournament honors earlier this month. Moore&rsquo;s been a starter in all three of his seasons at Villanova, and has seen his scoring averages jump from 11.3 to 12.9 to 14.8 points per game. This season, he netted a career-best 17.1 points per 40 minutes while also being the Wildcats&rsquo; best rebounding guard, pulling down 4.8 boards per contest.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/18hTfjoEEqE" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
According to FiveThirtyEight, there have been six major injuries to Final Four bound teams in the Men&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament since 2010. Using the qualifier of players logging at least 20 minutes in an NCAA Tournament, these players include Kalin Lucas of Michigan State in 2010, Darryl Bryant of West Virginia that same year, Louisville&rsquo;s Kevin Ware (do not Google it if you&rsquo;re reading this during lunch) in 2013, Willie Cauley-Stein of Kentucky in 2014, Auburn&rsquo;s Chuma Okeke in 2019, and now Moore.
Lucas <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5017721" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruptured his Achilles against Maryland</a> in Round 2, and the Spartans subsequently lost in the Final Four. Oddly enough, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5022928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryant broke his foot in the same round</a>, and his Mountaineers were also eliminated in the Final Four. Ware had a gruesome injury against Duke in the Elite Eight, and his Cardinals are the only team of this specific group that became national champions so far. Cauley-Stein <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2014/3/28/5559920/willie-cauley-stein-injury-kentucky-vs-louisville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffered a left ankle injury in Round 1</a>, and his Wildcats lost in the title game. And Okeke <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2019/3/29/18287843/chuma-okeke-injury-bruce-pearl-crying-auburn-sweet-16-ncaa-tournament-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tore his ACL in the Sweet 16</a>; Auburn reached the Final Four round before having its season end.
So, how does 'Nova piece together the production and minutes to replace Moore? He&rsquo;s logged 35.9 minutes per game since the beginning of the Big East Tournament, and has led the Wildcats with 34.6 minutes per contest this season.
Collin Gillespie &mdash; the 2022 Big East Player of the Year, Big East Tournament MVP and Third-Team All-American &mdash; will likely be keyed in on that much harder against Kansas this weekend. (I mean, that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;d all do if you were in charge of the Jayhawks' defense, right?)
Gillespie&rsquo;s dropping a team-best 15.6 points and 3.3 assists per game on .431/.409/.905 shooting splits. Team sixth-man Caleb Daniels, a 6-foot-4 guard like Moore, has averaged 10.2 points on .427/.377/.851 in 27.3 minutes per contest this season.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Though the Villanova-Houston offense resembled the (lack of) effectiveness of the Brock Lesnar-Goldberg match at WrestleMania 20, Daniels came up big with 12 points in 35 minutes, even as it came on 4 of 16 shooting. Every point matters against Houston, who had become a tournament favorite with sportsbooks due to its defensive run to the Elite Eight.
Jermaine Samuels, who led the game with 16 points, is 'Nova&rsquo;s leading non-guard scorer at 11.1 points per contest. The 6-foot-7 big also pulls down a team-high 6.5 boards per contest while shooting 47.4% from the field and 77.3% on free throws. Eric Dixon and Brandon Slater are the other two starting forwards, and there, you have 'Nova&rsquo;s main minute-eaters.
Moore, Gillespie, Slater, Samuels, Daniels and Dixon are the only Wildcats averaging at least 10 minutes per game this season, ranging from 34.6 to 25.1 in the order they&rsquo;re listed.
At least one of the following two guys will have to step up going forward to really alleviate the non-Moore minutes. The first would be Bryan Antoine, a junior who has come off the bench for three seasons with the Wildcats and wasn&rsquo;t one of the seven players to log minutes against Houston. Antoine hasn&rsquo;t played more than 11 minutes in a game since Jan. 25 and has scored 2 points since Feb. 12 (seven games, 35 minutes), but has battled injuries of his own, which is why he didn&rsquo;t appear until December.
He <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/march-madness-justin-moore-injury-gives-bryan-antoine-big-chance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently told the New York Post</a> that &ldquo;I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m pretty confident. I&rsquo;ve had the same mindset from Day 1. It hasn&rsquo;t really changed for me. Obviously with the injuries, I have been set back, but I&rsquo;m still the same player from high school.&rdquo;
Three years ago, Antoine was a five-star, top-20 recruit and McDonald&rsquo;s All-American who <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/24575439/bryan-antoine-commits-villanova-wildcats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chose Villanova over Duke, Florida, Kentucky, and Kansas</a>. The 6-foot-5 guard should have a chance to prove he can still resemble that as the Wildcat rotation now has to expand beyond six.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ipcGWcUJOzQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The other guard in waiting is fellow 6-foot-5 junior Chris Arcidiacono, the brother of the Ryan. The younger Arcidiacono did log two minutes against Houston but hasn&rsquo;t cracked 10 since March 5, which is the only other time he&rsquo;s scored in a game since Feb. 22. <a href="https://villanovan.com/20381/sports/with-moore-out-its-time-for-arch-madness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Per the Villanovan</a>, Arcidiacono downplayed his potentially increased role with a boring quote.
&ldquo;Really, nothing changes,&rdquo; Arcidiacono said. &ldquo;My role is I come off the bench, bring energy, and just make sure we&rsquo;re playing Villanova basketball for 40 minutes. So whenever I&rsquo;m in, I&rsquo;m going to help our team play Villanova basketball.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s downplaying it here, but no doubt that it&rsquo;s possible both Antoine and Arcidiacono receive increased roles against Kansas this Saturday.
Villanova will need to squeeze everything they can out of their non-regulars in hopes of finding something unexpected to help their championship quest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Villanova played one game this season without Justin Moore --- an 85-74 win over UConn on February 5th in South Philadelphia. Chris Arcidiacono had nine points in 26 minutes off the bench. The Wildcats don't have what they had, but they still have enough. <a href="https://t.co/DckgK3BJyi">https://t.co/DckgK3BJyi</a>
&mdash; Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1508236981083553793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Bryan Fonseca looks at who 'Nova can turn to with Justin Moore sidelined for the rest of the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova will have to survive without Justin Moore in the Final Four

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?p=BNI5375362196" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Friday's slate.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Utah Jazz (-3.5)
This is one of the best matchups for Friday&rsquo;s NBA action, especially from a stylistic perspective. The Jazz are a well-oiled machine, and so efficient on both ends of the court. Meanwhile, Charlotte is one of my favorite teams to watch thanks to its insanely fast pace led by LaMelo Ball. In this one, we&rsquo;re leaning to the road favorite. Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s defense will be the ultimate trump card here, preventing the Hornets from doing much damage around the basket. Confidently hammer the Jazz to cover the 3.5-point spread.
Pick: Jazz -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Donovan Mitchell over 27.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 20.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 14.5 rebounds, Miles Bridges over 6 rebounds
Minnesota Timberwolves (-3.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Another fun matchup where so much young star power is going to be on display. Luka Doncic is back in the Mavericks&rsquo; lineup, so his presence will be much-needed on the road in Minnesota. For the Timberwolves, you will be hard-pressed to find a more consistent team as of late, sans the Phoenix Suns. Minnesota is another team that feels right on the cusp of taking another leap. Friday night feels like the perfect statement opportunity to beat Doncic and the Mavericks at home.
Pick: Timberwolves -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 29.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 19.5 points, Jalen Brunson over 15.5 points, Jarred Vanderbilt over 7.5 rebounds
Atlanta Hawks (-3) vs. Golden State Warriors
Trae Young is putting the Hawks&rsquo; entire operation on his back right now, carrying them forward to a likely Play-In Tournament berth in the Eastern Conference. Against the Warriors, who are still without Stephen Curry, we&rsquo;re forecasting another monster outing from Young. Golden State is barely above water right now without Curry, and going up against Young is a bad matchup at the moment. Lock in the Hawks as a &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; best bet of the day.
Pick: Hawks -3
PrizePicks Power Play: Trae Young over 27.5 points, Jordan Poole over 23.5 points, Clint Capela over 10.5 rebounds, Kevon Looney over 5.5 rebounds
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Make sure to&nbsp;<a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a>&nbsp;and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily fantasy? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/25/22

It still feels like yesterday.
Boston Garden was going crazy because we knew the championship was ours. Guys started celebrating, Paul dumped that red Gatorade on Doc&rsquo;s head and we all celebrated like 10-year-old kids.
Somehow, it&rsquo;s already been 14 years since we beat the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, and even after all this time, I haven&rsquo;t forgotten those moments. It&rsquo;s like I have pictures ingrained in my head.
And going back to where it all went down to join my teammates to honor Kevin Garnett &mdash; even after all these years, man, Boston still feels like home.
I feel so blessed to have been able to play a part in such a great team accomplishing the ultimate goal. And we all felt like we played a small part in Ticket&rsquo;s jersey getting retired.
Last weekend, I was invited by the Celtics organization to attend Kevin Garnett&rsquo;s jersey retirement ceremony. It was scheduled to happen during Sunday&rsquo;s game against the Mavericks, and a bunch of the members of the 2008 team got together and spent the entire weekend in Boston. It was amazing.
It was like the band was back together. Just like old times, I was hanging out, cracking jokes and reminiscing with Paul Pierce, Big Baby Davis and Eddie House. I got to chop it up a bit and catch up with Danny Ainge. And of course, I got to not only catch up with Ray Allen and KG; I got to see them publicly, and once and for all, squash whatever beef they may have had.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
About last night. Appreciate the love as always <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> Great to be HOME<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KGweekend?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KGweekend</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vt5ZRqw8bP">pic.twitter.com/Vt5ZRqw8bP</a>
&mdash; James Posey (@James_Posey41) <a href="https://twitter.com/James_Posey41/status/1502702175775907840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Sometimes in life, one tiny decision you make ends up having such a huge impact. Before I signed with Boston, I really thought I was going to New Jersey to play with Jason Kidd and the Nets. But for a few reasons, I ended up heading to Boston instead.
One of the things I&rsquo;ll always remember about being a Celtic was the fact that when I came to Boston, I was the only player on the team who had already won a championship. Doc would sometimes ask me questions in front of the team and want to get my perspective. He&rsquo;d ask me about things that Pat Riley preached and habits that Dwyane Wade and Shaq had. He figured that I&rsquo;d gotten the top of the mountain, so I at least knew what the view looked like, you know?
But even though I had that experience, being around Ticket was just different.
He was so easy to rally around because he made it his personal duty to do all that he could to push everybody around him. And even after all these years, he still has the same unique energy.
When Ticket walks in the room, it&rsquo;s like you immediately get on guard. He just makes you want to be sharp and on point. He has the same energy today, but it was that times 10 when he was your teammate pushing you on the floor.
Everyone on the 2008 team just has a special love and appreciation for Ticket.
So being able to reconnect with guys that you won a championship with and doing it in honor of someone who helped to bring out the best in you, that just made the entire weekend in Boston all the more enjoyable.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
It felt like everywhere we went in the city this past Friday and Saturday, people loved us and respected us and knew us by name. With the Celtics organization itself, they treated us like first-class citizens and made sure we were taken care of.
Not only does Boston remember what we achieved, they will never stop showing us love. And we owe a lot of that to KG. It was nice to see him get the highest honor that an organization is able to bestow on one of its own.
What I&rsquo;ll remember most from that weekend &mdash; aside from Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1503106193102831620" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monstrous dunk</a> over Maxi Kleber &mdash; was KG shedding tears as he saw his jersey go up into the rafters.
A couple of us, including Big Kendrick Perkins, may have had one or two side bets about whether Ticket would cry. KG himself didn&rsquo;t think he would crack, but he obviously couldn&rsquo;t hold it all together, so we at least have something to tease him about the next time we see one another.
When I replay the weekend in my head, though, I kept finding myself thinking about Ray Allen. I was happy to see him there, but wasn&rsquo;t surprised that he attended.
I knew that everything that was said about him after he left for Miami would eventually become water under the bridge. But I knew that because I was a member of that team. The guys on that 2008 team simply loved each other too much and had too strong of a bond to let Ray&rsquo;s decision to leave ruin the bond forever. Even as words were exchanged over the years, I had all the confidence in the world that KG and Ray would bury the hatchet, and it unexpectedly happened during KG&rsquo;s moment.
While being interviewed during his jersey-retirement ceremony, out of nowhere, Ticket basically interrupted the interviewer just to say that it was good to see Ray there. Everyone started cheering before the two met at halfcourt and hugged.
As great as he was, Ticket was truly unselfish. So I guess it was fitting for him to share his moment in the spotlight with Ray and finally, publicly, squash the beef.
Nothing says &ldquo;brother&rdquo; more than that.
I think what most people don&rsquo;t really understand about being a pro athlete is how strong the relationship between teammates can become. The longer guys are together, the deeper the connection usually gets. And when you actually have success as teammates and when you win a championship together, it&rsquo;s almost as if the bond is solidified. And I speak from experience. Not only do you become members of an elite fraternity together, you helped one another get there.
Deep down inside, I think Ticket and Ray both had those feelings about each other.
After what&rsquo;s been said over the past few years, that was a beautiful thing to witness, and I&rsquo;m happy I was there in person to see it.
I&rsquo;ll never forget seeing KG and Ray hugging and jumping up and down at halfcourt at TD Garden back in 2008. It truly feels like yesterday.
In honor of Kevin Garnett &mdash; our leader and the engine that pushed that team &mdash; no other Celtic will ever wear No. 5.
I&rsquo;m proud to call him a friend and a teammate, and even prouder to see him receive the ultimate honor.
Fortunately, I have some new memories that I&rsquo;ll forever cherish.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

James Posey recounts his trip to Boston for Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement, which basically became a 2008 Celtics reunion weekend.

Even after 14 years, I was right at home with Kevin Garnett in Boston

The 2021-22 season is entering the homestretch, with roughly 20 games to go per team and the playoffs slated to start in less than two months (What?!).
Maybe it's just from the extended break, but the last few weeks have felt particularly rife with frustration and criticism from all parties in the league. It's important, for instance, to be critical, think in-depth and discuss the ins and outs of award voting. That's part of the media job and part of talking about the NBA! However, I've felt routinely bogged down by some of the discussions lately.
When it comes down to it, I just want to enjoy the league, get myself down into the minutiae, bask in the fleeting moments of this season and appreciate some of the things that have consistently brought a smile to my face or warmth to my heart this season.
So, without further ado, here are some things I've really enjoyed throughout the season that I want to give some shine!
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Isaac Okoro's quiet assertion
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the darlings of the NBA this season, stunning the majority of analysts and league personnel with their stellar play. Evan Mobley is going to be a star. Jarrett Allen rightfully earned an All-Star nod after some massive improvements across the board. Darius Garland stirs the drank like few in the league. Kevin Love has a claim to Sixth Man of the Year!
This team just jibes in so many ways. They've kept their heads above water through rough stretches with injury and difficult patches in their schedule. A good team!
Isaac Okoro, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, does not grab the headlines. His box score is roughly the same as last season.
Yet he is central to what the Cavs do. He papers over so much for Cleveland in a way that isn't always palpable, but when he's not on court, it's just kind of like "ohhh ok, I get it now."
Okoro isn't treated like a shooter, and rightfully so &mdash; he's shooting 30.2% from deep in his young career. Earlier in the season, he tried to gun his way through it at times, hoisting up open threes. At other times, he'd immediately drive an open look from the perimeter towards the rim. The balance never felt right. However, in 2022, he seems to have found that groove &mdash; becoming more comfortable toggling between driving and keeping defenses guessing. He's hitting 33% of his threes in 2022, on slightly over two per game. For where he's at right now, it's good enough.
To supplement that, he's been incredibly assertive as an off-ball player, timing cuts well when the defense helps off of him.
<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/z1rrz9" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He's a menace floating baseline, either off 45 cuts when the nail defender ball-watches, or flying in from the key to snag offensive rebounds.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Isaac Okoro is so good at just being in the right place at the right time. He's really found his place in Cleveland's offense in spite of some limitations he has rn Quick screens, floating baseline, connective passing, a better balance in taking shots <a href="https://t.co/73ppW8SDoS">pic.twitter.com/73ppW8SDoS</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1497303529022763014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Okoro has such a great nose for the ball. He never seems to pause once the ball goes into action, and uses that advantageous extra split-second against the defense.
He's pushed the issue more in transition off of defensive rebounds to bring a different dynamic to the Cavs' offense (21st in transition frequency per Cleaning the Glass) and self-create easier baskets.
He's found ways to meaningfully impact winning as a second-year player in a way that most upper lottery picks aren't asked to do so early. I don't know what to think about his trajectory (a future article!), but it's clear that right now he's a vital cog in Cleveland's present and future. The playoffs will be a huge test for him and the Cavaliers, but I see it going well for him, as a guy who just makes it work.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Dallas' rotation players
I really didn't enjoy watching the Dallas Mavericks play early in the season. I found their offense pretty drab, the defense was blah, and execution all-around felt off.
I was way too unfair and overly critical. Jason Kidd has really impressed me this season &mdash; the Mavs are a top notch defensive unit, and Luka continues to be one of the brightest stars in basketball. Jalen Brunson has taken another step and remains an absolute joy with his footwork and craft.
Often, it seems as though that's where the conversation ends (especially with Kristaps Porzingis now gone), and that's a shame!
Dallas does lack a true second star, but man, they have some incredibly effective and endearing role players &mdash; Dorian Finney-Smith is having a fantastic season! He's a very solid defender, both on and off the ball, but I've been more impressed with his offensive growth this season.
When he came out of Florida, he was a relatively shaky shooter and didn't shoot around league average until his fourth NBA season (38.1% on around 5 per game over the last three seasons). He started to put together more drives last season, attacking off the catch. Possessions could occasionally die if he was closed out on and then forced to put the ball on the deck.
Not the case anymore!&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/5f5bhp" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He can hit the corner if the tagger comes, or find the dunker spot if the defender steps up. He's not going to ignite the offense, but he can keep it circulating.
Meanwhile, Maxi Kleber is always a delight as a defensive player &mdash; probably the best individual defender on the Mavs and a fringe All-Defense candidate.
He just defends everyone,&nbsp;and he does it with conviction. Per Basketball Index, he rates in the top 5% of their defensive role versatility metric and top 7% in positional versatility, a testament to his utility.
<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/6pzlml" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He possesses great lateral quickness for his size, but his timing stands out even more. Kleber is adept at contesting shots, disrupting windows with gumption. He's solid on rotations and as a help side shot-blocker.
Jason Kidd has utilized Josh Green as a screener and more of a turnkey in the team's offense, letting him thrive on the margins rather than forcing him into a smaller role as a theoretical spacer just for the sake of theoretical spacing. He's brought a vertical element the team really lacks and his rugby background pops with his physicality. Small screeners can still screen effectively, and Green is living proof!
He has good court vision and ability to get off passes on the short-roll. He has decent touch on floaters, and while his jumpshot is mostly a pipe dream at the moment, I see the vision. Buy Green stock!
Dwight Powell has found some of the lift he lost and has been more serviceable in Dallas' revamped defensive system.&nbsp;
Reggie Bullock is such a quality defender and, after one of the worst shooting slumps I've witnessed in some time, he's shot 43% from deep in 2022.
The Mavs are certainly built around Luka Doncic, but the players around him are more than they tend to get credit for.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Oshae Brissett: Off-ball savant
There are few players in the league I enjoy watching operate more than Oshae Brissett of the Indiana Pacers.
This one play may be the best 14 second summarization you'll ever find of a player.
<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/dd2oh4" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Brissett is a tremendous opportunistic scorer, always opening himself up to easy looks and as an outlet for teammates (The Haliburton-Brissett combo is ENTICING).&nbsp;
He times the cut as soon as help is committed, but Patrick Beverley makes a late rotation and recovers to tip the ball.
But wait, there's more!
Brissett tosses himself out of bounds to secure the ball and throw a mid-air pass back to Buddy Hield, who's wide open in the corner. Many a player makes this play and then floats under the rim, but Oshae immediately relocates to the corner.
The ball keeps moving around the perimeter. Swing-swing, and Oshae hits a wide-open three on a possession that wouldn't have already been over if he hadn't made an extra effort.
Keep him in mind when thinking about Indiana's future.
An appreciation of facial wear
Lu Dort is already one of the most revered point of attack defenders in basketball. Add on the mask and I'd like to think he gets a +4 to all defensive attributes, like when you put on new armor in a Bethesda game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Dort can never take the mask off ever again man, this is freakin sick <a href="https://t.co/08zAiZA3IA">pic.twitter.com/08zAiZA3IA</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1491090347380060160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Wendell Carter Jr. donned the goggles and hasn't looked back, ascending like the hybrid combo big that was promised.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but BLINDING! The shadows betray you, because they belong to me!&rdquo; Wendell is now the chief member of goggle gang. <a href="https://t.co/YEVXzmOUYt">pic.twitter.com/YEVXzmOUYt</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1460616373558812676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Reggie Jackson: Starting point guard
I don't care what his true-shooting percentage is, he has literally never missed a jumper when he has glasses on.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Pretty sure Reggie Jackson knew he wasn't gonna miss the game-winner 🚨 Clippers foil the Lakers comeback with a 1-point WIN 💯<a href="https://t.co/9NhHrvHBaK">pic.twitter.com/9NhHrvHBaK</a>
&mdash; ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1489471751767560193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I'm all in on eyewear, and players who feel the same have profited heavily this year!
Jeff Green, still dunking
Jeff Green is in the midst of his 14th NBA season, which is an absolute trip to type. Fun fact: he has never played less than 20 minutes per game in a season, and that doesn't look like it'll change this year. He's started the majority of the season with the Nuggets, and has continued to be a pretty darn solid pro.
His defense has ... uhh ... been lacking, but he continues to do what made me fall in love with his game as a kid: ripping the rim with dunks.
<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/uild86" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He's second on the Nuggets this season in dunks with 48, his highest total mark since the 2017-18 season with the Cavs. His career dunk reel is insanely underrated if you have 10 minutes to kill.
Green has thrived in Denver's offense, playing off of Nikola Jokic as a cutter and roller.
The bounce he still has, the consistency with which he exhibits it, and some of the contact finishes he continues to put on tape are just absurd at this point. I've really enjoyed his season and the stability he's found as a role player later in his career.&nbsp;
Quentin Grimes sliding
I really liked Quentin Grimes at Houston and thought he had a real place in the NBA. That being said, I am routinely taken aback by his on-court impact in this, his rookie year.
On a team that's struggled to meet expectations, he's surpassed all of mine. The shot from deep has been money. He's intrigued attacking off the catch with some interesting flashes of live-dribble passing. 
The defense, oh man the defense.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Obligatory tweet about Quentin Grimes' footwork and quickness <a href="https://t.co/31qIx3Fbqa">pic.twitter.com/31qIx3Fbqa</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1490035885089374216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

There just are not many players in the world who can move their feet the way Quentin Grimes does when he's sliding at the point of attack.&nbsp;
He sheds screens like mad, seemingly refusing to let the ball leave his area of effect. The way his feet move is rhythmic, a controlled-yet-maniacal pace that I find mesmerizing.
One of my favorite things to do at night is take a few minutes to tune into a Knicks game just to watch Grimes muck it up on the perimeter.&nbsp;
Fun and awesome things are happening all around us in the NBA. Sometimes, I really need to take a step back and go "hey, it's pretty cool the way Ziaire Williams just sprints to the corner," acknowledge the absurdity that is DeMar DeRozan's season without taking stock of his MVP odds, and appreciate the other great things that may have become commonplace. Basketball is a special sport. Reminding myself why I love it everyday makes me appreciate it even more.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The regular season can be as log, and countless things big and small can get lost in the mix - so Mark highlights the little things.

Enjoying the NBA's little things so far this season

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast "Nothing But Bets" on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, "Nothing But Bets" is 55% against the spread, plus we're up hundreds of dollars on PrizePicks.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into Tuesday&rsquo;s enticing slate of action from a betting perspective.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics (-2)
It&rsquo;s tough to bet against Joel Embiid, but that&rsquo;s exactly what we&rsquo;re doing here. Boston has been red-hot as of late, and it&rsquo;s tough to deny how perfect of a fit Derrick White is as well. The Celtics are pushing all the right buttons lately, so let&rsquo;s hammer Celtics -2 before James Harden officially joins the lineup with Embiid in Philadelphia.
Pick: Celtics -2
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 31.5 points, Jayson Tatum over 25.5 points, Jaylen Brown over 23.5 points, Tyrese Maxey over 16.5 points
Atlanta Hawks (-1) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
This feels like the perfect opportunity to hammer the underdog on the road. Cleveland&rsquo;s frontcourt has simply been dominant on defense throughout this season. Trae Young will have a hard time consistently finding driving lanes with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen around the rim. Led by the Cavaliers&rsquo; twin towers, we&rsquo;re locking in Cleveland.
Pick: Cavaliers +1
PrizePicks Power Play: Trae Young over 27.5 points, Evan Mobley over 13.5 points, Clint Capela over 12.5 rebounds, Jarrett Allen over 11 rebounds
Miami Heat (-4) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic has been on fire throughout the month of February, but will his magic run out in Miami? We&rsquo;re not betting against Luka magic, especially as the enticing 4-point underdog. Doncic is single-handedly carrying the Mavericks&rsquo; offense, but he seems more than okay handling a monster workload. The Mavericks are a smart wager here at +4.
Pick: Mavericks +4
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 29.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 19.5 points, Kyle Lowry over 7.5 assists, Jalen Brunson over 4.5 assists
Minnesota Timberwolves (-6) vs. Charlotte Hornets
This qualifies as one of &ldquo;Nothing But Bets'&rdquo; best wagers for Tuesday&rsquo;s slate. The Timberwolves have been a pesky team all season long who is tenacious on both ends of the court. Meanwhile, the Hornets are sliding at the most time before the All-Star break. Hammering Minnesota here is a best bet, mainly because the Hornets&rsquo; impossible task of stopping Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards from each scoring 25-plus points.
Pick: Timberwolves -6
PrizePicks Power Play: Karl-Anthony Towns over 25.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 23.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 8.5 assists, Terry Rozier over 3.5 threes
Milwaukee Bucks (-14) vs. Indiana Pacers
This is a guaranteed hit, folks. The Indiana Pacers are in full-on tank mode, plus Giannis Antetokounmpo is available for Milwaukee tonight. Expect Giannis and the Bucks to make quick work of the shorthanded Pacers, who are garnering some long-term hope with point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Hammer the Bucks with no hesitation, even at the 14-point spread.
Pick: Bucks -14
PrizePicks Power Play: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 28.5 points, Khris Middleton over 19.5 points, Tyrese Haliburton over 16.5 points, Buddy Hield over 3.5 threes
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Memphis Grizzlies (-4.5)
I absolutely love the Grizzlies in this spot, especially with the Pelicans on the second night of a back-to-back. Ja Morant should easily slice through the Pelicans&rsquo; defense, but expect a very fast-paced game on both sides. In the end, it&rsquo;s not a wise idea to bet against Morant and the Grizzlies right now.
(No Grizzlies props available on PrizePicks currently, but we love Morant&rsquo;s points and Steven Adams&rsquo; rebounds to go over.)
Pick: Grizzlies -4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Brandon Ingram over 21.5 points, CJ McCollum over 20.5 points
Phoenix Suns (-13) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
This is another guaranteed blowout you should take full advantage of. The Suns close their pre-All-Star-break schedule taking on the Clippers and Houston Rockets on back-to-back nights. This is the perfect opportunity for Phoenix to make one big, final statement before a break in action. Devin Booker and Chris Paul are going to easily do work against the Clippers; plus, Mikal Bridges&rsquo; growth on offense continues to catch more attention nationally. Hammer Suns -13 as another &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; best bet for tonight&rsquo;s slate.
Pick: Suns -13
PrizePicks Power Play: Devin Booker over 25.5 points, Reggie Jackson over 18.5 points, Marcus Morris over 15.5 points, Chris Paul over 11.5 assists
Make sure to <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA Picks and Fantasy Advice for 2/15/22

For multiple years now, reported tension has been bubbling under the surface between the Utah&rsquo;s Jazz superstar duo in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Whether it be pointed remarks via media scrums or passive-aggressive remarks to one another, many teams have been eyeing Salt Lake City as the next place to watch for a potentially disgruntled All-Star.
Mitchell is one of the most promising age-25 and under scorers in the NBA. Possessing unreal athleticism and three-level scoring capabilities, Mitchell has shown on multiple occasions what his ceiling outcome could look like. Meanwhile, Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner. The way Gobert&rsquo;s presence simply impacts one side of the court is truly incredible, which is why he&rsquo;s changing the game for defensive-related accolades.
This week, Mitchell sat down with <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/posted-donovan-mitchell-addresses-reported-200000454.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Sports&rsquo; Chris Haynes on his Posted Up podcast</a> to go over his relationship with Gobert, plus countless other topics.
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; background: transparent;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/donovan-mitchell-addresses-his-relationship-with-rudy/id1446252794?i=1000551176734" width="100%" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
&ldquo;I think it's interesting that &mdash; first of all, we're good. I just want to go on record of saying that,&rdquo; Mitchell <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/posted-donovan-mitchell-addresses-reported-200000454.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said when asked about his relationship with Gobert</a>. &ldquo;But I think it's interesting that that stuff happens and him and I have never played at this high of a level together since we've been here. So I make the joke &mdash; for a group that hates each other, man, we're playing pretty well. And we can be even better.
"So for me, it's like we're good, we're focused on winning, we're working towards a common goal, and like I said, it starts at me and big fella. If we want to get to ultimately win a championship, it's going to start with us. And reports are going to be reports, people are going to say what they want to say and if we win a championship, then there's really nothing to be said. So that's the goal. And we're good. As teammates we're good, we're ready to try and find ways to win. Because we've made it to the first round or second round since we've both been here and we're looking to do bigger things.&rdquo;
After a surprising slump last month due to injuries ravaging their roster in the short-term, the Jazz have caught fire as of late. Winners of six straight in relatively emphatic fashion, Utah is catching momentum at such an ideal time to rebound back in the Western Conference standings. Currently, the Jazz check in as the No. 4 seed with a 36-21 record.
As Mitchell alluded to Haynes, though, going much further than before and winning something much more are the most important goals right now. Utah wants to get over the proverbial playoff hump, one that keeps getting in its way every time. This could be the main reason why many believe there&rsquo;s tension within the Jazz&rsquo;s locker room between their two most important pieces.
&ldquo;I mean, I said it in the conference. People have their own way of expressing things,&rdquo; Mitchell <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/posted-up-with-chris-haynes/id1446252794?i=1000551176734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said about Gobert</a>. &ldquo;I think the bigger way would have been just do it in house, but it's water under the bridge for me now, for us as a group. That's just how he chose to address it. Like, whatever.
"And like I said, we have a common goal, Chris. So look, I'm not going to let anything take &mdash; especially for myself, when I speak for &mdash; I&rsquo;m not going to let anything take me off my course. I'm trying to find a way to be the best leader, the best teammate possible, and go out there and elevate and be the best that we can be.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Mitchell-Gobert dynamic has been fizzling for a few years, which led to Haynes&rsquo; questioning on the situation. With two players taking up a good chunk of their salary cap, would the Jazz's potential issues lead to choosing one over the other down the road? Mitchell put it simply as two hyper-competitive stars who want to take the Jazz to new heights. In this year&rsquo;s hierarchy in the West, they have to make up ground with true championship contenders like the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.
&ldquo;I think so. I think it's good. I think it's cool where we're at,&rdquo; Mitchell <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/posted-donovan-mitchell-addresses-reported-200000454.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;I think &mdash; like I said, when you work with someone and you have something that you want to get to and you have people who are competitive around you, you have people that are competitive &mdash; when I say around, I mean our teammates and coaching staff. When you have people that &mdash; two people that are competitive, you want to ultimately be the best.
"I would take that as opposed to two dudes who just want to sit on their ass and do nothing. You know what I mean? You have two guys who are going to go out there and compete. He's a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, I'm a three time All-Star, we're going to find ways to get better individually and collectively as a group. [David] Locke told me this, we're top five in pick-and-roll together because we understand each other, we understand each other's tendencies and habits and finding ways to get better.&rdquo;
For the Jazz to break through their ceiling and finally hoist the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy, they will have to see Mitchell and Gobert iron out these longstanding moments of tension. Although Mitchell is saying everything is fine, these murmurs have been out in league circles for years now. Where there&rsquo;s smoke, there&rsquo;s usually fire. Is that the case with Mitchell and Gobert in Utah?
On the court, Utah fits right into the middle of potential winners of the West. Phoenix and Golden State sit up top. The Memphis Grizzlies have leapfrogged Utah and others for the No. 3 seed, leading this tier of playoff competitors.
Behind Memphis, all of the following teams feel like they&rsquo;re in the same position for chasing a championship in 2021-22: Utah, the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. And honestly, it feels like the Nuggets and Mavericks could both jump ahead of the Jazz depending on how the season finishes.
If Jamal Murray returns, Denver is going to be such a tough out with defending MVP Nikola Jokic playing at an unreal level once again. After Dallas traded Kristaps Porzingis, Luka Doncic is going to play a James Harden-esque role from a usage perspective. Can Doncic singlehandedly carry the Mavericks past a team like Utah?
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Jazz are in such an interesting position not only this season, but over the next few years as well trying to capitalize on their championship window with Mitchell and Gobert. If Utah continues to go nowhere in the postseason, serious questions will eventually need to be raised about its inside-out duo.
In the meantime, everything remains under the surface, as eyes continue to wander out towards Salt Lake City checking in on the long-term futures of Mitchell and Gobert.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Donovan Mitchell says everything is okay between him and Rudy Gobert. How long will these questions continue to be asked though?

Mitchell says everything is okay with Gobert, Jazz — but for how long?

Don&rsquo;t look now, but the Philadelphia 76ers are 10 games above .500 after their 18-point blowout victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. Checking in with a 29-19 record, Philadelphia continues to weather the storm as it relates to the ongoing Ben Simmons saga. Both Simmons and the organization are dug into their positions, and this stalemate could extend even past this season&rsquo;s trade deadline.
The main reason Philadelphia is staying well above water &mdash; only two games back of the top seed in the Eastern Conference &mdash; is their franchise cornerstone Joel Embiid. What Embiid has been doing over the last six weeks has been nothing short of magnificent, firmly placing him within the MVP race.
Since Dec. 16, Embiid is averaging 33.8 points, 11.9 free throw attempts, 10.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 blocks on an elite 64.2 True Shooting percentage.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
However, Embiid is getting proverbially run into the ground from a usage perspective. This six-week run of prime Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal-esque dominance has Embiid bookmarked at an outrageous 40.2% usage rate.
Comparing Embiid&rsquo;s 40.2 USG% to the other ball-dominant superstars in the Association since mid-December, he&rsquo;s creating some distance in this metric: Giannis Antetokounmpo is at 37.3 USG%, Trae Young &mdash; 34.2 USG%, Luka Doncic &mdash; 34.3 USG% and Devin Booker &mdash; 32.6 USG%.
As Embiid continues his reign of terror on opposing defenses, one constant thought continues to linger. How long will this actually last before *knock on wood* Embiid goes down with an injury?
We all know Embiid&rsquo;s checkered injury history, and the Sixers right now are playing a very dangerous game with the soon-to-be 28-year-old big man. A 7-foot, 280-pounder carrying over 40% of a team&rsquo;s usage is cyborg-like. That&rsquo;s simply not sustainable for the entire slog of an 82-game regular season slate.
With that being said, it&rsquo;s time for Sixers GM Daryl Morey to blink first as it relates to the off-court melodrama with his disgruntled point-forward. Trade Simmons for the best possible package before this run from Embiid ends with no positive benchmark resulting from it.
On Friday, ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Sacramento Kings were the latest team fed up with the Sixers&rsquo; stance on trading Simmons. Sacramento bowed out of the Simmons sweepstakes, which further thins out the potential destinations Philadelphia can send the former No. 1 overall pick from the 2016 NBA Draft.
Sacramento stood out as one of the most realistic organizations for a Simmons blockbuster, thanks in large part to the players on their roster who fit around Embiid: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes.
Now, Philadelphia is backing out and reassessing who exactly wants to get their hands dirty and potentially waste their time over the next two weeks before the trade deadline?
Philadelphia is legitimately in a great spot to make a push in the second half of the regular season because of Embiid&rsquo;s brilliance. It will be all for not if Morey and Co. continue to sit on their hands and don&rsquo;t find their superstar big man some immediate help, though.
The Eastern Conference is wide open. Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s part-time status as an unvaccinated player has thrown a wrench into the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; hopeful title run. The Chicago Bulls have found some magic with their dynamite scoring duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, but who on their roster could guard Embiid over a seven-game series?
Last season&rsquo;s defending champions in the Milwaukee Bucks have their own legitimate argument to make a repeat Finals run. Even though they&rsquo;ve dealt with countless injury issues, the Miami Heat sit atop the East and control their own destiny for home court advantage once the calendar hits mid-to-late April.
Philadelphia slots right into the mix because of Embiid. The big question is how will Embiid hold up over the next three-plus months before the playoffs even begin? What if the Sixers don&rsquo;t trade Simmons and decide to hope and pray for an unlikely James Harden sign-and-trade this offseason involving Simmons? It&rsquo;s not the right move, especially when realizing exactly what Embiid is accomplishing for Philadelphia right now.
It&rsquo;s time for the Sixers to push those chips all-in to take some much-needed pressure off Embiid, conserving him for when it really matters most in win-or-go-home scenarios. Simmons is the chip to push into the middle of the table, and the time is ticking fast to utilize that chip at peak value.
Imagine what Philadelphia could do if they added multiple win-now pieces in return for a player who&rsquo;s not even around the team right now? It changes not only the entire calculus for Embiid and the Sixers, but it causes a seismic shift for what could potentially happen in the Eastern Conference this postseason.
Particularly for big men, their primes are not something to just play around with. Embiid is showcasing exactly why he&rsquo;s one of the best players in the NBA, one who could singlehandedly bully his way through defenses to a miraculous Finals appearance.
It would be such an unfortunate circumstance if the Sixers&rsquo; front office decided to punt on this golden opportunity, sitting in front of them right now.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Joel Embiid has become an MVP favorite. Now, it's time for the Sixers to bring their superstar big man some much-needed help.

The time is now for the 76ers to trade Ben Simmons to help Joel Embiid

Betting on the NBA is a great way to invest yourself into the action, literally. Around 35% of the way through the 2021-22 NBA regular season, I thought it would be an interesting time during the holidays to check in on how teams are faring against the spread.
For those wondering, what exactly is a spread? Well, it&rsquo;s how much sportsbooks predict a team to win in that game. For example, the Utah Jazz were favored to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves by at least 11 points on Thursday night with the spread at -10.5. (Since the Jazz won that game by 12, they covered.)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Here on BasketballNews.com, yours truly runs a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/nothing-but-bets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">daily NBA betting podcast</a> called &ldquo;Nothing But Bets.&rdquo; If you haven&rsquo;t already, make sure you check it out as I provide you the betting edge before tip-off with picks against the spread, plus over/under player props via PrizePicks.
When putting the whole league under a betting-related microscope, there are a few eye-opening takeaways. Here are teams' records against the spread as of Dec. 24, 2021:
Cleveland Cavaliers: 24-8
Oklahoma City Thunder: 20-11
Golden State Warriors: 20-11-1
Charlotte Hornets: 20-13-1
Chicago Bulls: 19-11
Miami Heat: 19-14
Memphis Grizzlies: 19-15
Sna Antonio Spurs: 18-13
Boston Celtics: 18-14
Phoenix Suns: 17-14
Utah Jazz: 16-15
Indiana Pacers: 16-16-1
Minnesota Timberwolves: 16-16
Houston Rockets: 16-16-1
Detroit Pistons: 15-16
Dallas Mavericks: 15-17
New Orleans Pelicans: 15-18
Milwaukee Bucks: 15-20
Toronto Raptors: 14-15
Washington Wizards: 14-17-1
Philadelphia 76ers: 14-18
Los Angeles Clippers: 14-18
Orlando Magic: 14-19
Sacramento Kings: 14-19
Brooklyn Nets: 13-17
Atlanta Hawks: 13-18
Denver Nuggets: 13-18
New York Knicks: 13-19
Portland Trail Blazers: 12-20
Los Angeles Lakers: 11-21-1
First off, hello Cleveland. The Cavaliers are well ahead of the pack as it relates to their record against the spread at a dominant 24-8 mark. They have a full four-game lead on second place, which says a lot not only about Cleveland&rsquo;s eye-opening improvements this season, but also how often betting prognosticators continue to doubt the team's legitimacy.
Incredibly enough, the Oklahoma City Thunder are right behind Cleveland at No. 2 in the ATS standings. Before losing in Phoenix last night, OKC was 6-point underdogs at home against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday evening. The Thunder not only covered the spread, but won outright in blowout fashion. This says a lot about the progress they&rsquo;re making in their rebuild attempt. Somehow, someway, the Thunder are 27-36 overall when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has started for them over the last two seasons.
On the other hand, at the bottom of the list, it's no surprise who ranks last. There were NBA Finals hopes for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but they continue to get in their own way constantly. What were high hopes in terms of adding Russell Westbrook and ample floor-spacing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis have now turned disastrous. Not only has the Westbrook fit been clunky at best &mdash; which was a worry once the blockbuster trade happened during the 2021 NBA Draft &mdash; but the lack of depth is also startling compared to actual contenders within the league. Checking in with a 11-21-1 record against the spread, Los Angeles continues to lose cash for those who bet on the purple-and-gold at a rapid rate.
A good indicator of this list, as hinted at above, is how these teams rank in record are really based off preseason expectations. Alongside the Lakers at the bottom are the Trail Blazers, Knicks, Hawks and Nuggets, four teams who also got off to very slow starts. Atlanta and Denver are finally climbing out of their ruts, but Portland&rsquo;s lack of aggressiveness to make a true contender around Damian Lillard continues to be a major problem. Meanwhile, New York&rsquo;s magic from last season is wearing off, as Tom Thibodeau's crew seems stuck in the lower portion of the reloaded Eastern Conference.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
At the top, Cleveland is going to stay at No. 1 for awhile unless it completely nosedives before the All-Star break. Next to the Cavs are the aforementioned Thunder, Warriors, Hornets and Bulls. Chicago and Golden State were expected to improve during the 2021-22 campaign, but not many thought they would reach these levels already; both teams seem settled into the top tiers of their respective conferences. I was high on the Hornets&rsquo; potential entering this season thanks to LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s expected sophomore leap, but the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-embarrassing-defense-sinking-their-enticing-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defense has collapsed</a> to the point where it&rsquo;s hard to even trust them to stop opposing teams from scoring 125 points on a nightly basis. (Last night's 115-107 win in Denver was a step in the right direction at least.)
The rest of the standings within the middle are jumbled up together, which should come as no surprise with the unpredictability of the NBA from a betting perspective. However, that&rsquo;s what makes it so fun. Current betting trends like this not only showcase the winners and losers to stake wagers on, but also&nbsp; paint a clearer picture of how teams are valued in a different manner.
Stay tuned for more NBA betting content on BasketballNews.com throughout the season, and make sure to subscribe to &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on our own podcast network featuring 12 excellent shows.

Looking at the NBA from a different viewpoint, how do teams stack up against the spread so far this season?

How NBA teams are stacking up against the spread this season

At just 14 years old, Kristaps Porzingis knew he was destined for a different path in life, when he realized he was taller than his older brother, Martins, who had a 10-year age gap on him.
Little did Kristaps know, the life ahead of him would be a topsy-turvy one as a professional basketball player in the NBA, one so polarizing that he single-handedly turned the term &ldquo;Unicorn&rdquo; into a buzzword.
Now, at 26 years old &mdash; and after plenty of ups and downs &mdash; the 7-foot-3 Porzingis is once again one of the most intriguing players in the league. Porzingis spoke exclusively with BasketballNews.com recently about his career, playing with Luka Doncic, his "ugly" breakup with the New York Knicks and more.
And after speaking with Porzingis, it's clear that he's happier and more confident than he's been in some time, which helps explain why he's playing his best basketball in years.
Porzingis is averaging 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while carrying a career-best 23.7 PER. Although the numbers are right on par with what we&rsquo;ve seen from Porzingis since his arrival in Dallas, mentally he&rsquo;s beginning to find what made him great before his catastrophic ACL injury four years ago. Porzingis is finally looking like a true co-star counterpart to his superstar teammate Luka Doncic, which has the Mavericks internally buzzing about their long-term future.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Porzingis admitted that as the injuries piled up, it took a toll on him mentally and that caused his career to take a turn. He compared it to being dehydrated in a desert and&nbsp;searching for water. Finally, he tapped into that water source this past offseason, when he put in the hard work that&rsquo;s allowed him to start living up to the lucrative extension he signed with Dallas upon his arrival nearly three years ago.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s good. I put in a lot of work this summer. It&rsquo;s not something that I&rsquo;m kinda surprised by. All of the work that I put in, it&rsquo;s coming back to me now,&rdquo; Porzingis told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;A lot of times, it&rsquo;s like walking in the desert. Injury, working back from injury, trying to get a rhythm. And I&rsquo;m still working trying to get my way back in a rhythm, still working on my body too. I still don&rsquo;t feel [100%]; I&rsquo;m nowhere near 100%. So, still have a lot of work to do and I&rsquo;ll keep working, but it&rsquo;s good to see I&rsquo;m back again at that high level, playing high-level basketball.&rdquo;
With a player like Porzingis &mdash; who showed rare, sky-high upside when he was the biggest piece in the New York market prior to his ACL tear &mdash; it's scary to think that he's putting up these numbers despite the fact that he's still not back to his pre-injury level. As he further strengthens his body and finds the right balance mentally and physically to stay on the court, he should be able to tap back into the All-Star upside that was on full display with the Knicks. Still just 26 years old, there&rsquo;s still plenty of time for Porzingis to grow and emphatically put his stamp on the Association once again.
Joe Abunassar, who has helped train Porzingis back from injury in the past at Impact Basketball, stressed that if Porzingis stays healthy and continues to find his rhythm, it could lead to a star rebirth in Dallas.
&ldquo;Right before he got injured in New York, he was a machine &mdash; he was a double-double machine and putting up big numbers,&rdquo; Abunassar <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-alex-kennedy-podcast/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-28-nba-trainer-joe-abunassar-on-the-evolution-of-player-development,-training-kyle-lowry,-demar-derozan,-kevin-garnett-and-more-ep-28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said recently on The Alex Kennedy Podcast</a>. &ldquo;Then, he got hurt and that&rsquo;s a tough injury and it takes a long time to recover. I think with him, it&rsquo;s just about staying healthy. People ask me all the time, &lsquo;What did you do with Kevin Garnett after training him for 10 years?&rsquo; And I say, &lsquo;We just kept him healthy.&rsquo; I mean, we did other things, but that was our primary focus. I think with Kris, keeping him healthy [is the most important thing]. For Kris, it&rsquo;s just about staying healthy and finding his rhythm in games, and I think he&rsquo;ll be fine.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17269043_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
Porzingis admitted that the non-stop cycle of injury, rehab, injury, rehab that he was in really tested his mental toughness. But keeping his positive mindset and staying present helped him push through it. Now, Porzingis hopes his body's maturation coupled with his regimented plan will allow him to escape the darkest depths of his career.
&ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m getting to a point physically where my body is mature enough now and I think I&rsquo;ll be able to stay healthy. That&rsquo;s the main thing for me,&rdquo; Porzingis said. &ldquo;Honestly, injuries suck. It just sucks. You&rsquo;re out, you can&rsquo;t play, you have to rehab everyday without seeing many results. It&rsquo;s like I said &mdash; a walk in the desert trying to find the water. That&rsquo;s how it feels like many days, but that&rsquo;s where that discipline, that mental toughness comes in.
"You have to push through it. You have to try to have a positive mindset and go day-by-day, practice-by-practice. Get better day-by-day. Once you are finally able to get on the court, get some shots up, everything starts to feel good. That&rsquo;s when you&rsquo;re getting those positive emotions out of it and you feel like you&rsquo;re actually getting closer to getting back on the court.&rdquo;
Porzingis' exit from the Knicks became a melodrama that played out in the New York media. It&rsquo;s something that Porzingis never wanted to happen, but it unfortunately reached that point due to what he described as miscommunication by both sides. Between his injuries and the miscommunication, he admitted that the situation got &ldquo;ugly&rdquo; behind the scenes.&nbsp;The two sides didn't agree on an extension once his rookie-scale contract ended and Porzingis ultimately asked for a trade.
&ldquo;I learned a lot from the situation. Obviously, it&rsquo;s not the best situation,&rdquo; Porzingis told BasketballNews.com about his stint with the Knicks. &ldquo;I loved my time in New York, but in terms of getting hurt, being out for such a long time and then a lot of stuff going on, [there were] a lot of mistakes on both parts. A lot of miscommunication, I would say. And the situation just kinda got ugly.
"It is what it is, it&rsquo;s in the past already. I&rsquo;m grateful for all the good memories I had in New York for all the people there. For the organization, for Phil Jackson for drafting me, putting his faith in me. At the end, there&rsquo;s no bigger stage than playing for the Knicks, you know? So, I enjoyed it, every single game at Madison Square Garden. Those are going to be memories forever for me.&rdquo;
Before Porzingis encountered his first serious injury issues in New York, he was once one of the most polarizing players in the Association. Gracefully running down the court, splashing threes, posterizing players, protecting the rim with All-Defensive-Team upside and swatting shots with reckless abandon, it was a player archetype that really hadn't been seen before. Becoming the &ldquo;Unicorn&rdquo; of the NBA boosted Porzingis' star power, and many believed he could eventually be on the path to MVP-type production.
Averaging a career-high 22.7 points and 2.4 blocks while shooting 39.5% on three-pointers, Porzingis was well on his way to an All-NBA season in 2017-18 before the worst-case scenario occurred.
Playing against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in early 2018, Porzingis cut to the basket and was fed an easy opportunity for a dunk. Porzingis slammed it down over Giannis as Madison Square Garden exploded in jubilance. But one second later, Porzingis landed...
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1lbl_c9_fi0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The impact on his knee was too much to handle. Porzingis fell over, immediately grabbing at his left knee as he writhed in pain in front of the Knicks&rsquo; bench. As he slammed his fist against the court, he knew the injury was serious.
Soon after, the Knicks were hesitant to pay him a lucrative contract, which contributed to the conflict behind the scenes. When asked what went wrong and what was miscommunicated toward the end of his tenure in New York, Porzingis says, "Many things, many things."
There may be a time and place down the road when Porzingis divulges more about his &ldquo;ugly&rdquo; breakup with the Knicks, but he doesn't feel that this is the right time.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to go into too much detail. I think it&rsquo;s not the right moment,&rdquo; Porzingis told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;I think there will be a moment where I maybe talk about it more, but, for now, there&rsquo;s many new people in the organization. I really wish them well. They&rsquo;re doing well, they&rsquo;re doing better. I wish for the Knicks to be great, because that just makes all of us look great. New York City is always hyped for good-level basketball. I think they&rsquo;re on the way there.&rdquo;
That chapter is now closed, and he's focused on looking forward. Before the trade to the Mavericks, Porzingis knew about a fellow European who was taking the basketball world by storm &mdash; Doncic, a then-18-year-old multipositional superstar who can do just about everything at an elite level when he steps on a basketball court.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
When Porzingis was traded to Dallas during Doncic's rookie season, he couldn&rsquo;t hold back his excitement. He was still stunned that Doncic hadn't been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
"I knew he was the MVP of the EuroLeague. And I was looking at the rest of the class, the rest of the rookies, and I&rsquo;m thinking &lsquo;There&rsquo;s not one guy that would be able to go to Europe and get the EuroLeague MVP at that moment,'" Porzingis said. "So, I knew he was the best player out of that class. There are many great players, but Luka is just a different type of talent."
Instead of being the face of the Knicks and trying to recruit Doncic to New York someday, the roles were reversed. Instead, they teamed up in Dallas and now the Mavericks&rsquo; future is bright as a result.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was hoping he would come to New York somehow, but we ended up playing together [anyway]. I knew it..." Porzingis told BasketballNews.com. "He&rsquo;s one of the most talented players I&rsquo;ve ever seen. He&rsquo;s just a natural-born talent. He was born for this. To see the things that he&rsquo;s capable of doing on a basketball court is just insane, and it&rsquo;s not something he thinks about. He just plays instinctively and [it] comes natural to him, so it&rsquo;s really cool to play with a high-level basketball player like him.&rdquo;
Even though they'd played together since 2019, Porzingis is still amazed at Doncic's incredible passes and how he sets up all of his teammates for easy scoring opportunities. Luka's magic is real, and Porzingis can&rsquo;t get enough of it.
&ldquo;You always gotta be ready [when Luka has the ball],&rdquo; Porzingis said. &ldquo;He can score the ball at the same time, then at the last second, he could pass it to you and you didn&rsquo;t expect it and you could be wide-open. He&rsquo;s that type of generational talent.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
KP and Luka fuel the <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> comeback 🔥 Porzingis: 29 PTS, 10 REB, 51 FPTS Doncic: 19 PTS, 11 AST, 47.7 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/mbGK1AEjTM">pic.twitter.com/mbGK1AEjTM</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1460448732596641792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

With the next chapter of his career taking place in Dallas, that also means Porzingis is the Mavericks' first star big man since Dirk Nowitzki. Doncic received the title of the Mavericks' next superstar from Nowitzki, but Porzingis is the next seven-footer in line to potentially become an All-Star for Dallas. But taking the proverbial baton from a legend like Nowitzki isn't easy.
&ldquo;Yeah, I don&rsquo;t like [it],&rdquo; Porzingis chuckled when asked about following Nowitzki. &ldquo;Those shoes are way too big to fill. Not just me, but also Luka. [Dirk is] a legend of the game. To come after him, it&rsquo;s not easy at all, but the city of Dallas has welcomed us with open arms and showed us so much support since Day 1 since I got here. I know they expect high achievements from us. That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m here for, that&rsquo;s what Luka&rsquo;s here for. We want to win it all at the end. That&rsquo;s the main goal. We have a mission, until we get that done.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking ahead further into the 2021-22 season, the Mavericks are right in the middle of the pack in the reloaded and extremely competitive Western Conference. With Doncic running the show and Porzingis slowly but surely finding his groove once again, Dallas has the pieces to make a deep playoff run. The question is: will the team be able to make it happen this season?
"Why not us?" Porzingis asks.
Why can&rsquo;t the Mavericks make serious noise and compete for a championship?
&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re the dark-horse in the league,&rdquo; Porzingis told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;I think we have a lot of talent. I think we have more talent than many teams. It&rsquo;s just a question of us growing as a team, getting experience. We got some experience the last couple of years in the playoffs and taking that next step. Hopefully, we can surprise many people. I feel like we have the potential to do that.&rdquo;
When the Mavericks acquired Porzingis, the hope was for him to form a lethal one-two punch with Doncic to vault Dallas into the NBA's top tier. Doncic is there already, emerging as one of the best players in the NBA, but Porzingis is the true X-factor to it all coalescing. If Porzingis becomes an elite No. 2 option alongside Doncic and can also take over at some points and take pressure off the Slovenian phenom (which is much-needed), the Mavericks are set up beautifully for a fruitful future.
Porzingis knows the pressure is on, but after exiting a painful cycle of injuries and rehab, he's extremely confident and has regained hope for what&rsquo;s next in his career.
We could soon see Porzingis return to form as the NBA&rsquo;s &ldquo;Unicorn," which would change the entire calculus for the West's hierarchy this season and long-term.

Kristaps Porzingis talks to Evan Sidery about his bounce-back year, playing with Luka Doncic, the "ugly" split from New York and more.

Kristaps Porzingis' renewed confidence leading to resurgent season

It&rsquo;s time for another installment of our NBA picks against the spread via &ldquo;Nothing But Bets.&rdquo; Every single day, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; gives you the inside advantage on the slate of action before opening tip-off. So far this season, the results are in our favor carrying a 110-87-2 record (55.8%).
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under prop bets are provided by PrizePicks.
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI6172652069" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Detroit Pistons vs. Indiana Pacers (-6.5)
Detroit is not a team you should feel comfortable picking to win, let alone covering the spread. In this matchup against Indiana at home, we&rsquo;re siding with the road team. Indiana has a serious size advantage down low, and I expect the team to abuse it throughout. Also, Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert should have their way on all three levels of the court. Outside of Cade Cunningham&rsquo;s improvement, there&rsquo;s nothing really interesting to follow along with right now in Detroit. Hammer the Pacers -6.5, plus the following over/under power play on PrizePicks: Brogdon over 19.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 15.5 points, Sabonis over 10.5 rebounds, Cunningham over 13.5 points, Brogdon over 1.5 threes.
Charlotte Hornets (-1) vs. Washington Wizards
Climb back aboard the Hornets playoff train, folks. What an impressive win recently over the Golden State Warriors. Now, they face off against the very much improved Wizards in Charlotte. This is going to be a super fun matchup to follow along with, but it&rsquo;s hard not to roll the dice on the Hornets. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges make for such an exciting duo, while Gordon Hayward is the perfect third option. If defense ever clicks for the Hornets, which seems doubtful, watch out. I&rsquo;m locking in the Hornets to win and cover the spread, plus the following power play on PrizePicks: Bradley Beal over 23.5 points, Ball over 18.5 points, Bridges over 18.5 points, Ball over 6.5 rebounds, Ball over 2 threes.
Atlanta Hawks (-4.5) vs. Boston Celtics
Both of these teams have been so inconsistent kicking off the 2021-22 season, but expect each one to eventually round into form around the holidays. However, I&rsquo;m projecting the underdog Celtics to cover the 4.5-point spread tonight in Atlanta. In what should be a closely-contested battle throughout, Jayson Tatum vs. Trae Young is already enough reason to watch; hedge your lean towards Boston from a wagering standpoint. On PrizePicks, I&rsquo;m locking in this superstar power play with a strong possibility of cashing: Tatum over 24.5 points, Young over 23.5 points, Young over 7.5 assists, Tatum over 7 rebounds, Young over 2 threes.
Brooklyn Nets (-9.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Losing Evan Mobley for multiple weeks with an elbow sprain is a massive blow to the Cavaliers. Mobley has been instrumental to the Cavaliers&rsquo; rapid rise, especially on the defensive end. Even though the Nets are on the second night of a back-to-back following an embarrassing blowout loss to the Warriors, I&rsquo;m emphatically hammering them to cover the 9.5-point spread. Kevin Durant is going to have a field day against Cleveland, which is what we&rsquo;re parlaying into our prop bet on PrizePicks: Durant over 26.5 points, Durant over 7.5 rebounds, Harden over 7 rebounds, Harden over 8.5 assists.
Milwaukee Bucks (-9) vs. Los Angeles Lakers
I&rsquo;m living dangerously with this prediction, but let&rsquo;s roll with the Lakers to cover the 9-point spread as underdogs on the road in Milwaukee. This could easily burn me later on tonight, but the spread here for two inconsistent teams is too high. The Bucks still haven&rsquo;t found a groove, while the Lakers are a disaster without LeBron James. Anthony Davis vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be a fun battle inside, but I like Los Angeles to keep this one closer than many expect. Lock in the Lakers +9 with the following AD and Giannis power play on PrizePicks: Giannis over 25.5 points, Davis over 23.5 points, Davis over 10.5 rebounds, Giannis over 10 rebounds.
Miami Heat (-8) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
What can we say about the Pelicans at this point? They&rsquo;re coming off a defeat in D.C. where they blew a 17-point halftime lead. It&rsquo;s incredible how New Orleans continues to lose games in this manner. I expect a similar tune tonight against the Heat. Even if the Heat are shorthanded, I think they roll against the Pelicans. This is one of my best bets of the night, with the Heat taking early control over New Orleans and not lettiing up throughout. Miami wins by double-digits, and we now pivot over to an enticing prop bet on PrizePicks: Brandon Ingram over 20.5 points, Kyle Lowry over 14.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 11.5 rebounds, Valanciunas over 0.5 threes.
New York Knicks (-12) vs. Orlando Magic
The last time these two teams squared off in Madison Square Garden, Orlando shocked the NBA world by defeating the Knicks outright. This time around, I&rsquo;m expecting the polar opposite result where New York rolls to the tune of a near 20-point victory, as Julius Randle and Co. dominate from opening tip. Orlando is so young and inconsistent that these types of matchups could get ugly quickly. Hammer the Knicks to cover the 12-point spread, plus the following PrizePicks props: Randle over 20.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 12.5 points, Randle over 8.5 rebounds, Randle over 4.5 assists.
Oklahoma City Thunder (-2.5) vs. Houston Rockets
Oklahoma City is on a roll when &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; wagers on them, so we&rsquo;re going back to that idea against the lowly Rockets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is our cash cow tonight on PrizePicks as well, because our whole power play bet is centered around him dominating. (Be on the lookout for a Thunder story from yours truly this week on BasketballNews.com because they continue to impress me.) Surprisingly, OKC is closer than we all expected to taking a leap. Lock in OKC -2.5 at home, plus the following SGA props: Gilgeous-Alexander over 20.5 points, Gilgeous-Alexander over 4.5 rebounds, Gilgeous-Alexander over 4.5 assists, Gilgeous-Alexander over 1.5 threes.
Minnesota Timberwolves (-2) vs. Sacramento Kings
Kings head coach Luke Walton is already on the hot seat, which isn&rsquo;t a good sign for his long-term future in Sacramento. On the road in Minnesota, I&rsquo;m hammering the Timberwolves to cover the small 2-point spread. Minnesota almost dethroned the red-hot Suns this week, so projecting a bounce-back win with emphasis is a solid wager. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re rolling with for a realistic over/under power play prop: Karl-Anthony Towns over 23.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 22.5 points, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell over 19.5 points, Towns over 2.5 threes.
Portland Trail Blazers (-1.5) vs. Chicago Bulls
As a road underdog, Chicago has been crushing bettors this season. This time around, I&rsquo;m not falling for a projected loss. The Bulls winning outright and covering the 1.5-point spread in Portland is too enticing not to roll with here. Chicago has been so awesome to watch this season. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are a dynamic scoring duo. Meanwhile, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso are locking up the perimeter as two potential All-NBA defenders. Give me the Bulls at +1.5 against the Trail Blazers, plus the following power play on PrizePicks: LaVine over 23.5 points, DeRozan over 22.5 points, Ball over 5.5 rebounds, Ball over 4.5 assists, LaVine over 2.5 threes.
Phoenix Suns (-8.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic is out for tonight&rsquo;s game in Phoenix, so this game heavily leans in favor of the Suns. Kristaps Porzingis will have to carry the load for Dallas, which he&rsquo;s shown he can do more consistently recently. However, there are not many avenues in which the Mavericks can upend the Suns from winning their 10th straight game. Hammer the Suns to cover the 8.5-point spread at the Footprint Center, and tail me on this Suns-heavy power play on PrizePicks: Devin Booker over 22.5 points, Porzingis over 18.5 points, Deandre Ayton over 13.5 points, Ayton over 9.5 rebounds, Chris Paul over 8.5 assists.
Recapping our picks on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Wednesday&rsquo;s slate: Pacers -6.5, Hornets -1, Celtics +4.5, Nets -9.5, Lakers +9, Heat -8, Knicks -12, Thunder -2.5, Timberwolves -2, Bulls +1.5, Suns -8.5.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

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

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/17/21

Just three days into the 2021-22 season, the NBA is already off and running. We've had a wild double-overtime finish at Madison Square Garden, a comeback thriller in Charlotte and we're seeing familiar faces in new places. (People have wasted no time in firing off their hot takes, too.) Steph Curry even went off for a classic performance on Thursday night to spoil another team's season-opener.
With our Evan Sidery debuting his <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Nothing But Bets" podcast</a> on the Basketball News Podcast Network, we decided to have some fun by predicting how some franchises will fare record-wise in the upcoming campaign, primarily using <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2021/8/17/22629137/nba-win-totals-odds-lines-2021-bulls-lakers-heat-jazz-knicks-warriors-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DraftKings' preseason NBA win totals</a>.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which team will hit its &ldquo;Under&rdquo; win total?
Alex Kennedy: The Los Angeles Lakers' projected win total is 52.5, but that seems high to me. Yes, this team is very talented, but given the age of this roster, I feel like they are going to do everything they can to make sure their veterans are ready for the postseason &mdash; even if that means sacrificing a few regular-season games here and there. The Lakers&rsquo; goal is to win a championship, not compete for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Nekias Duncan: I'm just not feeling it with the Pelicans this year. It's hard to believe in the defense with some of the moves they made this off-season, and it's hard to trust Zion Williamson &mdash; still recovering from a foot surgery we didn't know about until media day &mdash; to stay on the court long enough to drive consistent winning. (DraftKings <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2021/8/17/22629137/nba-win-totals-odds-lines-2021-bulls-lakers-heat-jazz-knicks-warriors-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preseason win total was 38.5</a>.)
Spencer Davies: Like most of the general NBA public, I've bought my ticket to take the "Pelicans are a mess" train. They're down Zion Williamson, who can't buy a break injury-wise and, as a result, can't stay physically prepared. They don't really have an identity quite yet, which makes sense with a new head coach in Willie Green; however, trying to figure things out while battling in the West is not exactly something you can be patient with if you're looking for immediate success. Brandon Ingram will likely continue to keep balling out. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is due for a big jump. Naji Marshall is an underappreciated piece to the puzzle. Kira Lewis Jr. intrigues me. Rookie Trey Murphy III is a sniper. They even have a number of acquired respectable vets to help those guys along &mdash; it just won't be enough to eclipse 38.5 wins (or make the postseason, for the record, in my opinion).
Ethan Fuller: I just don't see how an Indiana Pacers squad that treaded water this summer will be able to keep pace in an Eastern Conference with a much-improved middle tier. The team is missing their top-two wing options in T.J. Warren and Caris LeVert due to injuries and didn't add substantial talent outside of lottery pick Chris Duarte. Indiana will have to storm out of the gates to stay in the playoff picture, and I worry that time is running out on the current rotation. (42.5 <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2021/8/17/22629137/nba-win-totals-odds-lines-2021-bulls-lakers-heat-jazz-knicks-warriors-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on DK</a>,)
Moke Hamilton: Tough call, but I think I&rsquo;ll take the New Orleans Pelicans. I&rsquo;ve seen most books have them around the 39-win mark, and although that&rsquo;s probably been adjusted with Zion missing the first couple weeks of the season (at least), I think NOLA is going to disappoint this season. I like some of their acquisitions, including Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte&rsquo; Graham, but the West has is just so much better around them. I think they&rsquo;ll end up closer to 30 wins than 40, unless newly-instilled head coach Willie Green has an ace or two up his sleeve.
Evan Sidery: I&rsquo;m going to roll with the Indiana Pacers here at under 42.5. Although they have a solid roster and a great head coach in Rick Carlisle, injuries have consistently gotten in the way of improvement for them. It's already happening with Caris LeVert and T.J. Warren. I see Indiana struggling to make the play-in tournament as some potentially massive roster changes could be in store next offseason.
Alexander Cohen: The Charlotte Hornets will continue to have buzz around them with the expected improvement of LaMelo Ball, but I would be surprised to see the Hornets win 39 or more games (38.5 on DK). While their consistency in play and availability was sporadic, they lost solid players in Devonte' Graham, Malik Monk, and Cody Zeller over the offseason. They will have to rely on the health of Gordon Hayward and the continued exceptional shooting of Ball and Terry Rozier, which could regress. Kelly Oubre Jr. could fit in beautifully as a stretch-4 with Ball, but if he's not played in that role or doesn't buy into it, they could be in trouble. (And for what it's worth, Oubre suited up at shooting guard and small forward in Wednesday's debut.)
Blake Hairston: Until the Ben Simmons saga is resolved, the Philadelphia 76ers may be hitting under 50.5 wins projected by Caesars (same number at DK). Not having an All-Star caliber player in your lineup is going to hurt. You can only hope the Sixers find a deal for Simmons and get a solid player(s) to fill the void left by Simmons. I have a couple others in mind, but the Sixers are first to mind today.
Mark Gunnels: The Boston Celtics won&rsquo;t win more than 46 games (46.5 <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2021/8/17/22629137/nba-win-totals-odds-lines-2021-bulls-lakers-heat-jazz-knicks-warriors-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on DK</a>). Aside from acquiring Josh Richardson and bringing back Al Horford, this team didn&rsquo;t do much to improve their roster in the offseason, and the East continues to get better and better. They&rsquo;re relying on Robert Williams to be their lone rim-protector, but he&rsquo;s yet to prove he can consistently be that guy.

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

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

I was asked to be a guest on Marc Lamont Hill's "Black News Tonight" program to discuss Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s Instagram Live address.
I don&rsquo;t think the conversation went exactly how it was planned, and I know that a lot of people may take issue with the comparisons I made throughout this discussion, but I stand by every word I said.&nbsp;
Watch the full segment of our exchange below:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a2Kvz7YQhKQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Here's the transcription of the conversation in its entirety.
Marc Lamont Hill: The Brooklyn Nets have barred Kyrie Irving from all team activities. This was in response to his unwillingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine. They also will not be extending his contract at the end of the season. The point guard decided to go to Instagram live last night. He had some stuff to say, take a listen.
Kyrie Irving on B-roll: "It's just really about being true to what feels good for me. I'm still uncertain about a lot of things that, and that's okay. If I'm going to be demonized for having more questions and taking my time to make a decision with my life, then that's just what it is."
Joining me now is former NBA player Etan Thomas. He is the author of "We Matter," "Athletes and Activism." Etan, thank you for of joining me. How do you feel about this Kyrie situation? I mean, this is something that obviously has never happened in NBA history before. You got a guy who, maybe at the peak of his powers, helped put together one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled, and he's not going to play because he doesn't want to get the vaccine. And the NBA is beholden to the New York state laws or New York city laws that say that he can't play unless he gets vaccinated as a New York employee. So he's sitting this one out for so far. What do you make of it?
Etan Thomas: I mean, it's interesting. I've been listening to a lot of commentary and reading articles over the last week or two, discussing Kyrie. And there's a lot with it. It's interesting. I noticed that a lot of the same people who praised athletes for using their platform and using their positions to stand up for what they believe in, now are sounding a little bit like "the right." They sound a little Laura Ingraham-ish. You know what I mean? To be honest with you, a lot like Tucker Carlson almost, in the ridicule part. Now, we don't have to agree with Kyrie, but just the description [of him]... I've been kind of amazed to see the way in which people are using words like stupid and foolish and ignorant and everything. And I'm like, "Wait a minute."
That's what Sean Hannity does; we don't do that. So, that's one of the main things I've seen, I've really been disappointed in. We expect it from the right; that's what they did with Colin Kaepernick. Or they purposely misrepresented what Kyrie Irving's stance was, what Jonathan Isaac's stance was, Bradley Beal &mdash; all the people who said that they were hesitant to take the vaccine. And you heard Kyrie say it in the clip, demonized them. I've got to tell you honestly, Marc, I was kind of disappointed to see that because again, that's what the right does. That's what I expect from Fox News, not from a lot of the people that I heard it from.
Hill: So specifically, the Laura Ingraham reference you're talking about is when she told LeBron to shut up and dribble. And so the idea is: Don't speak about politics, don't talk about anything, just play basketball. And we said, "Oh, wait a minute. That's wrong. Players have a right to use their platform and talk." But to your point, Kyrie's using his platform to talk. We just don't like what he's saying. Some people and myself included, I don't like what he's saying, but I wouldn't call him stupid, I just don&rsquo;t agree with him.
So he goes to IG Live and he says: I'm not going through the media, I'm not going to go call up Stephen A. Smith, I'm not going talk to Jemele Hill. No, I'm going to do my IG Live directly, people are going hear from me. He said, because he's been &ldquo;demonized,&rdquo; he wants to be heard and understood. Did he make his point on IG Live? Did he say the things that needed to be said?
Etan: I mean, he said that he wasn't retiring, which was reported all throughout the media. They said that he was going to quit and hang it up rather than take the vaccine. And he said, no, that's not true. The thing that I like about the players nowadays is &mdash; because it's not like when I was playing, we didn't have social media &mdash; they can go right to their own platform like Kyrie Irving did and say: No, everything that person reported is untrue. All of their anonymous sources, I don't know where they got them from, but that is not how I feel. And that's the part that I respect about this generation, because they're doing this so much more often. Now again, do we have to agree with what Kyrie Irving is saying? No, but do we have to demean him and belittle him and demonize him because of that? That's the part that we can't fall into that category.
And like I said, that's the Laura Ingraham category. That's the Bill O'Reilly category. And I've seen too many... I mean, we expect certain things from Stephen A. Smith. Since you brought him up, you mentioned Stephen A. Smith. We expect certain things from him. He's performative, he's going to talk very loudly. And ESPN is going to pay him even more money to talk even more loudly. That's what he does. But, Stephen A. Smith aside, why would Kyrie Irving go to some of these same reporters who've been demonizing him? I don't see why he would. So now people are saying, "Well, what is his clear message? What is his clear stance?" Well, if you really want to make somebody's stance or what they're saying seem really doubtful or demean them or discredit them, you'll do what is happening a lot in media today, all day on all different talk shows after Kyrie made his statement on Instagram Live. But the point is what he said is: I am not retiring. I'm not anti-vaccine, I'm still working through this process. I would like to play. Those are the main key points that should be the main takeaways out of everything that he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Former <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> player and author <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@etanthomas36</a> joins <a href="https://twitter.com/marclamonthill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marclamonthill</a> to discuss <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KyrieIrving?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KyrieIrving</a>. "A lot of the same people that praised athletes for using their platforms and using their positions to stand up for what they believe in now are sounding a little bit like the right." <a href="https://t.co/0hhPm6NwEi">pic.twitter.com/0hhPm6NwEi</a>
&mdash; Black News Channel (@BNCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNCNews/status/1448847849958133761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Hill: So, and again, you raised some important points here, Kyrie Irving absolutely clarified it. He's not retiring. That was something we'd heard if he was going to retire. If he got traded, some people said he was going to retire not to get vaccinated. He took that off the table. He said he is not anti-vaccine, meaning he's open to the possibility of being vaccinated. That's an important point. But there were some other things he said that weren't clear.
He said he was doing his research, he expressed that he was vaccine hesitant, but it's not entirely clear to me. What will lead him to make a different choice? In other words, what does he need to find out in order to feel comfortable getting the vaccine? If he is willing to get one. Wouldn't training camp be the time? Wouldn't the preseason be the time? The season starts in [four] days. If he hasn't gotten it yet, when is he going to get it? These are the types of questions I think he didn't answer very clearly. I mean, did you walk away with a sense of whether or not he's going to get the vaccine or not?
Etan: I walked away thinking that he was still working through the process, like a large portion of this country is still working through it. You look at the vaccination numbers per state, they&rsquo;re somewhere in the 50s, some are in the 60s; we have a large portion of society who are still working through that process. I just think it's interesting that we... okay, so right now the NBA is 95% vaccinated. 95%. So you look at different states all across the country. Nobody's at 95%, but we expect the NBA to be at 100%? Why? Because we want our basketball? The only thing that matters is for NBA games to start and for everybody to be vaccinated, I think that's a little bit of an unfair expectation to have for NBA players. They're working through the vaccine concerns and questions just like the rest of the country.
But one of the things I do want to say Marc, is I want to hear more criticism toward the different people and demonization toward the different groups who are unvaccinated &mdash; like the NYPD, like the LAPD, like the Chicago Police Department. All these police departments all across the country that have said not that they're not working through their research, not that they're working through the process. They said, "We are not getting the vaccine *period*." And those are at high numbers. You have only 60-something percent of the NYPD who are actually vaccinated, but we're worrying about Kyrie? And these are people who literally are coming into contact with Americans every single day, and a lot of them, they don't want to wear masks. So, just to put it into perspective, we're making a lot over, what, one player per team that isn't vaccinated in the NBA? I mean, I know people want basketball, but we got to put it into perspective.
Hill: Well, I think it's about basketball, but it's also about what it means for a public figure and a celebrity to advance a position, or seem to be advancing a position, that some people find troublesome. So I think it's both. I think there's some selfish basketball stuff going on, then I think there's the public platform piece of it. We're going to keep this kind going about Kyrie Irving, about vaccine hesitancy and what it all means for the Black community.
Y'all, Kyrie confuses me. I mean, I'm going to start with you [Amin], since we're bringing you into the convo. In the IG Live, he said that he was being "a voice for the voiceless." Who is the voiceless in this analysis? I'm not disagreeing, this is a sincere question. Who is the voiceless here? What is his thought process? And why is he doing it?
Amin Elhassan: Your guess is as good as mine, as to who the voiceless are. He talks about people who are losing jobs because of a vaccine mandate, but that represents a sliver of the population. Also, when he says I'm a voice for the voiceless, this was a man two weeks ago, who had an opportunity on NBA Media Day; they call it "Media Day" because you have the attention of all the media. And there are questions about his availability, whether he was going to play or not due to this municipal regulation, it's not an NBA regulation. This is a New York City regulation.
And when asked about it several times, his response was, Well, this is a private matter. I don't want to discuss a private matter. Brother, you can't talk about "I didn't have an opportunity to speak for myself. They spoke for me. I didn't say anything," when there was a day dedicated for you to speak on this matter. And you chose to opt-out. You chose to say, I have nothing to say, because this is my own private business, when you knew damn well it wasn't your private business. Regardless of whether everyone else was going through it, we knew the NBA said, "Hey, if your local municipality says you cannot play in these games if you are unvaccinated." Instantly, that ceased to be a private matter and became at the very least an NBA public matter. A matter of the media had a right to ask about, a matter that he had an opportunity to expound upon. He chose not to. So when he chooses several weeks later to dress up this whole, "I really didn't have a chance. And they spoke for me." It kind of screams ingenuous.
Hill: So Etan, what do you say to that? I know you've been somewhat generous in your reading of the Kyrie Irving situation. Whether you agree with him on vaccines is a different issue. You're saying he's being somewhat unfairly assailed. that he's being demonized by folk and that some people on the left have been treating him with the same animus at the right treat black athletes telling him to shut up and dribble. But what Amin is saying is, "Wait a minute, he had an opportunity to talk. He was coy. He was difficult to reach. He bucked at the reporter's questions." He said, It's a private matter. It's a personal matter. Are you going to play? It's a personal matter. Are you going to get vaccinated? It's a personal matter, etc. What do you say to that? Has he been forthcoming? Has he even been a voice for the voiceless?
Etan: Well, I have a little bit of a different take on it. I did see where he said it was a personal matter. And I think he does have the right to be able to say that because they wanted specifics that he was not able to give them at that time, because he was still working through his process or whatever that process was in order to be able to either take the vaccine or not take the vaccine. And that's what he said. He said he was working through that. So when the reporters tried to ask in different ways about a timetable ("When do you think, by training camp?"), he just cut it off and said, It's a personal matter. But I don't think that that gives the media the right to fill in the blanks.
And that's what happened after that. Then, they had anonymous sources that were all incorrect. Then, they had reporters, journalists, commentators saying on-air and writing, "Okay, he's going to retire. He's going to refuse the vaccine. He's anti-vax." Now, I will agree that he didn't specifically answer those questions the first time, but he had to go and correct people this last time because of all of the incorrect reporting that was done. Now, the thing that happens is, when a lot of the media gets called out for reporting something that was incorrect, they immediately take offense. And we don't have to talk about the specific reporters because he was very specific on the people who said that he was going to retire&nbsp; and misreported that over and over again; he made it clear that was incorrect. The people who said that he was anti-vax, and he said that they were incorrect. And so, a lot of times when there's different things coming out and different narratives coming out, then it does kind of muddy the waters. Then, people are like, "Okay, well, where is he then?" Well, he's been where he's always been. He didn't say any of those things. He's just answering the incorrect things that were put out. And for that, I don't fault him at all.
Hill: But, just in fairness as a journalist, I can tell you there's been times where... I've done backgrounds. I've done one-on-ones. I've done off-the-records. I've done all kinds of interviews with athletes, politicians, etc. And they say one thing to me in my face, then they go out to the press conference and say they've been misrepresented, they've been lied on, etc. So I don't want to assume that because Kyrie said he didn't say it, that means he didn't say it. I also don't want to assume that the media's right, because the media also misrepresent the players say all the time.
But I don't want to take Kyrie's word as gospel. Before we go y'all, Stephon Marbury was all up in the comments on the IG. And one of the things he did was compare Kyrie Irving to Muhammad Ali. What do you make of that comparison? Is he doing something bigger than himself? Is he making a sacrifice for the people? Amin, I'll let you answer anytime, and give the last word.
Amin: I'll go real quick on this one. Muhammad Ali fought against an unjust war against other colored people in another country that had nothing to do with him or other people of color in this country, who were treated like trash, who were called all sorts of names and then expected to defend this country on behalf of its stellar background or resume. Kyrie Irving is standing up for people who are scared of science. I mean, even if you have questions about whether or not this vaccine is good or applicable or whatever, the idea that this could be compared to forcing people to go to war against people who have no quarrel with them. To me, that was one of the biggest face-palm moment, that Stephon Marbury would ever compare what Muhammad Ali did to what Kyrie is doing here...
&mdash;
This is what I didn&rsquo;t get a chance to say because we ran out of time.
Kyrie Irving is neither Muhammad Ali nor is he Candace Owens, he is Kyrie Irving. Everyone wants to make him something and lay claim to him, and I get that. The Right is working tirelessly to co-op his message and all of the NBA players' messages. (I wrote <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/oct/13/jonathan-isaac-vaccine-covid-nba-orlando-magic-basketball-fox-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an open article to Jonathan Isaac</a> a few days ago warning him of this.)
But Kyrie is just Kyrie, and I really wish people would stop trying to turn him into something else. No, we don&rsquo;t have to agree with him, and yes, if there is a mandate &mdash; which there is in New York &mdash; it&rsquo;s either he takes it and plays, or he doesn&rsquo;t take it and doesn&rsquo;t play. Only certain people like the NYPD get exceptions. That&rsquo;s unfortunate, but that is the society we live in.

Etan Thomas joined Marc Lamont Hill on "Black News Tonight" to discuss Kyrie Irving's Instagram Live post and the reaction to it.

Many are sounding Laura Ingraham-ish with criticisms of Kyrie Irving

Some moments are so amazing, so breathtaking, that it feels like time just... stops.
And then, there was Thursday's preseason game between the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat, in which time literally stopped.
Not even two minutes into the action, the game was halted due to clock issues. The shot clock and game clock were frozen, then out completely. The delay lasted a few minutes, and play resumed with the PA announcer tasked with counting down when the would-be shot clock reached 10.
That may have been the most complicated portion of this one; the Hawks jumped out to a lead early, then proceeded to blow the shorthanded Heat out of the water in a 127-92 victory.&nbsp;
The result should come as no surprise. While the Heat only had seven players available (well, six and Udonis Haslem), the Hawks ran the gauntlet, treating the outing as a final dress rehearsal.
You don't want to take too much stock from preseason action &mdash; especially when the roster availability is this drastic between the two teams. But if there was one thing that caught my eye, it was the Hawks going small.
Late in the first quarter, we saw one of their possible Death Lineup configurations: Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, DeAndre Hunter, and John Collins.
Midway through the third quarter, they went to another version, with starter Bogdan Bogdanovic in place of Reddish in the lineup. Regardless of the wing combo, the real intrigue came from Collins logging minutes at the 5.
That alignment was a marginal success last season; <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612737&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1628381,203991,1628981,1630168" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per PBP Stats</a>, the Hawks outscored opponents by 1.2 points per 100 possessions in nearly 700 minutes with Collins as the lone big. The offense was predictably great (118.6 offensive rating), while the defense left plenty of room for growth (117.5 defensive rating).
Looking into preseason on/off splits is irresponsible for obvious reasons. Doing so for Thursday's contest would be even more irresponsible considering the Heat's depth chart. But... there's nothing wrong with peeping the process. Within that context, a little excitement is okay.
I found myself impressed with Collins' work on the backline. The Hawks mostly switched 2-through-4, which left him with "drop" responsibilities in ball-screens. He walked the tightrope well, never committing too much (or too early) to the ball-handler, and never dropping back too far and conceding a good shot in the process.
When faced with post-ups, Collins wouldn't budge. Tasked with help duties instead of navigating the initial action, Collins rotated in a timely manner to provide assistance.
This is the vision.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;">
<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/jd9w93" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
</div>
It's an on-time rotation from Collins, regardless of whether you feel the block was clean or not. He's then able to set up shop above the break, directing traffic before receiving a pass and cashing home the triple.
About the offensive end: I'm not sure what you do with Collins if he's the only big on the floor. He's a legitimate spacer, having knocked down 39.3% of his above-the-break threes in his career. Higher volume is needed to put him in the, say, Jaren Jackson Jr. class, but he's not a guy you can leave open.
And since he can't be left open, fleet-of-foot bigs have to stretch themselves thin to stay attached. That opens up driving opportunities for him.
<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/7c9hrf" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The threat of his jumper also unlocks driving lanes for everyone else. Of course, the spacing element is secondary to the havoc he creates as a roller in ball screens.&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/404s9d" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Empty-corner actions are difficult enough to deal with; doing so with Collins at the 5 is pretty evil. You think Max Strus is disrupting that lob as the low-man?
Absolutely the heck not.
The offensive advantages are pretty clear, but they can be muted if Collins can't hold his own defensively. We'll need to see more once the games start counting, but Thursday night's showing was a step in the right direction.

Nekias Duncan breaks down John Collins' success in small-ball units in the Hawks' blowout win over the Heat.

John Collins shines at the 5 for Hawks in dress rehearsal vs. Heat

Here on BasketballNews.com, we&rsquo;re going to be putting even more of a focus on the betting side of the NBA as it becomes more mainstream and legalized throughout the United States.
Are you intrigued about the possibility of potentially betting on the NBA once the 2021-22 regular season begins next week? Below, I will be introducing an NBA betting guide that any of our readers can use. Another valuable tool will be our daily podcast, "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nothing But Bets</a>," which debuts on Oct. 19.&nbsp;
Below, I will examine different terms for those who want to take the plunge into the NBA betting realm. Let&rsquo;s take a look:
Spread
What does it mean when the Brooklyn Nets are -1 favorites over the Milwaukee Bucks on opening night? Well, that is what&rsquo;s called the "point spread." It means that sports betting prognosticators analyzed the matchup from all angles and believe Brooklyn should be favored by 1 point against Milwaukee.
If you take Nets -1, it means they have to win the game by over 1 point for you to cash. For example, if the Nets beat the Bucks 113-111, you will cash. If they win by exactly 1 point, it&rsquo;s called a "push." In sports betting, a push means you and the sportsbook &ldquo;tied,&rdquo; so to speak. If you bet the Nets -1 and they only win by that total, you don&rsquo;t win any money and it&rsquo;s refunded back into your account for future use.
So, when it comes to point-spread betting, you need to believe the team you&rsquo;re wagering on can "cover" that total. If you bet on the underdog, for example the Bucks at +1, you have to hope Milwaukee wins outright or loses by only 1 point to get the total refunded back into your account with a push situation once more. When you see the plusses and minuses followed by how much a team is favored (or an underdog) by, that&rsquo;s officially the point spread.
Over/Under
This is a simple one, and it&rsquo;s a fun way to keep the game interesting throughout even if it&rsquo;s a blowout. For example, the Los Angeles Lakers are favored by 5 points over the Golden State Warriors on opening night, but the projected total is 230.5 points combined between the two teams. It&rsquo;s the sportsbook putting the decision in your hands: Do you believe the Lakers and Warriors will score over or under 230.5 points when you add each team's total score?
This strategy is a good way to make some solid amounts of cash, which almost always falls on -110 "moneyline" odds. Speaking of moneylines, let&rsquo;s go over what that means right now.
Moneyline
This is the simplest way to bet on basketball, and sports in general. Moneyline simply means betting on a team to win or lose &mdash; no point spread or Over/Under attached.
For example, the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets open their season at the Footprint Center on Oct. 20. Phoenix is favored by 5.5 points with the O/U point total landing on 224.5. However, the moneyline odds are what we&rsquo;re focusing on here since it&rsquo;s a straight up, win-loss bet. The Suns&rsquo; moneyline is -255, while the Nuggets slot in with +205 odds to win outright.
For those wondering about what the minuses and plusses mean, it&rsquo;s what you need to bet in order to win $100. So, for Suns -255, you would need to bet $255 on Phoenix to profit $100 in this scenario (and the favorites would obviously have to win for that to happen).
(And vice versa, looking at Nuggets +205: If you were to place $100 on Denver, you would profit $205, plus your money back, if the underdogs win. A total of $305 in winnings for you.)
Using the moneyline method is the simplest way to bet on basketball, and you&rsquo;ll be hearing a lot about it everyday on "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nothing But Bets</a>" on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com Podcast Network</a>.
Player Props
These are really fun to be involved with, because it again keeps you involved throughout the entire 48 minutes. A "player prop" simply means a player needs to hit an individual Over/Under in order for you to cash. For example, let&rsquo;s say the O/U point total for Kevin Durant in a game is 26.5 and you think he'll beat that number. That means Durant needs to score 27 points in order for you to win the bet. Player props can be simple, or even in-depth where they can go across the board in statistical categories.
Parlay
If you have heard about &ldquo;bad beats,&rdquo; it usually involves a parlay loss. A parlay is betting on multiple teams or multiple props simultaneously on a single wager slip.
Let&rsquo;s say you submit a three-leg parlay on NBA opening night where you bet altogether: Nets -1, Lakers moneyline and Over 230.5 points to hit in Los Angeles vs. Golden State. This is a parlay, where everything needs to hit in order to win your bet. It can also be a simple way to boost your winnings as well. You can bet on multiple teams in the same slate of NBA games that night to simply win outright with moneylines. (Nets moneyline + Lakers moneyline, for example.)
Parlays keep it interesting, while also being riskier with multiple things needing to go your way to pull off the victory over the sportsbook. It keeps you on the edge of your seat all night while watching the NBA.
Futures
These are long-term investments where you wager to see if you can cash-out big later on in the season. Currently, Luka Doncic is the MVP favorite this season at +380 odds. If you bet on Doncic to win the award and it actually happens, you win $480 on a $100 wager. If you&rsquo;re comfortable waiting awhile on bets to potentially hit, futures are a solid way to go in making some money.
It can involve not only individual players, but teams as well. The Nets are the current 2021-22 NBA championship favorites at +200 odds. If you wagered $100 on Brooklyn to bring home the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy, it wins you back $300 in total. So, if Luka wins his first ever MVP, plus the Nets win the championship, you just profited $580 on in long-term investment betting by putting down $200 in wagers.
(For a breakdown on how we got that number: $380 won on Doncic as MVP, plus $200 won on Nets as NBA champions &mdash; each on separate $100 bets.)
Well, there you have it NBA fans. This is an easy way to remember what terms mean, and how you can maneuver the board when potentially betting on NBA action.
If you want to get in on the fun, make sure to check out "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nothing But Bets</a>" every single day on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com Podcast Network</a> throughout the season, starting on Oct. 19!

With sports betting becoming more mainstream, here's a one-stop shop for how to learn about wagering on the NBA.

Noah