Chippewas

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

Since Halloween is just two-and-a-half weeks away, BasketballNews compiled a list of the best costumes worn by NBA players.

Which NBA players have rocked the best Halloween costumes?

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Destiny Littleton scored 18 points with six assists as Southern California pulled off a program-defining victory Sunday with a 55-46 upset victory over No. 2 Stanford.
Okako Adika scored 11 points with 11 rebounds, while Taylor Bigby and Kayla Williams added nine points each as the Trojans set the tone with their defense and held on late to end a 14-game losing streak against the Cardinal, who had won 51 straight against unranked opponents.
It was USC&rsquo;s first victory over Stanford (17-2, 5-1 Pac-12) since the 2014 conference tournament. Cameron Brink scored 11 points with 14 rebounds for Stanford, which saw its 12-game winning streak come to an end.
USC (13-4, 3-3) held Stanford to four points in the first quarter, its low for any period this season.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA 81, MISSOURI 50
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aliyah Boston had 20 points and 10 rebounds for her 71st career double-double and South Carolina won its 24th straight by beating Missouri.
Boston&rsquo;s 11th game with double-figure points and rebounds moved her with one of program-record holder Sheila Foster &mdash; and kept the Gamecocks perfect at 18-0 and 6-0 in the Southeastern Conference.
Zia Cooke added 16 points and Ashlyn Watkins 13 for the Gamecocks.&nbsp;
Missouri (14-5, 3-3) lost its third straight after opening SEC play with three consecutive victories. Lauren Hansen finished with 14 points to lead the Tigers.
NO. 4 UCONN 65, GEORGETOWN 50
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Aaliyah Edwards scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as UConn opened up a close game against Georgetown in the second half.
Huskies leading scorer Azzi Fudd left the game in the first half when she appeared to reinjure her right knee. Fudd was playing in just her second game back after missing the previous eight after hurting that knee in December.
Dorka Juhasz had 13 points for the UConn (15-2, 8-0 Big East), and Nika Muhl and Lou Lopez Senechal each added 12.
Brianna Scott led Georgetown (8-9, 1-7) with 11 points.
NO. 5 LSU 84, AUBURN 54
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese had 23 points and 15 rebounds to maintain her streak of double-doubles in every game this season, and LSU improved its program-record best start to 18-0 with a win over Auburn.
Jasmine Carson scored 18 points, and Alexis Morris had 12 points and 10 assists for LSU, which led the entire way to end up 6-0 in Southeastern Conference play &mdash; winning each of those by 19 or more points.
Precious Johnson scored 13 points and Kharyssa Richardson added 10 for Auburn (10-7, 0-5), which lost its fifth straight since opening SEC play.
NO. 6 INDIANA 93, WISCONSIN 56
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 29 points and Yarden Garzon added 19 to help Indiana run to a 93-56 win over Wisconsin.
Indiana (16-1, 5-1 Big Ten) shot 55% from the field, including 8-for-20 from beyond the arc, while its defense held Wisconsin (6-12, 2-5) to 35% shooting.
The Badgers had no answers for Holmes, who shot 11-for-15 from the field in her 26 minutes.
Wisconsin was led by Brooke Schramek&rsquo;s 13 points and Serah Williams&rsquo; 10.
NO. 7 NOTRE DAME 72, SYRACUSE 56
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) &mdash; Olivia Miles scored 13 of her game-high 23 points during the second half of Notre Dame&rsquo;s win over Syracuse.
Dara Mabrey chipped in 15 points for the Irish (14-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who were coming off a dominant 86-47 victory over Wake Forest on Thursday. Miles also had seven boards and seven assists.
Dyaisha Fair&rsquo;s 14 points led the way for the Orange (13-5, 4-3), who entered Sunday on a three-game winning streak.
NO. 8 UCLA 87, CALIFORNIA 70
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Freshman Londynn Jones had 18 points and Charisma Osborne added 17 to lead UCLA past Cal.
UCLA star freshman Kiki Rice had a double double with 15 points and a career-high 12 assists.
The Bruins (15-3, 4-2 Pac-12) trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter but came back. Cal played well on the road and kept it close until the fourth, when UCLA, trailing by two points, went on a 12-2 run.
Kemery Martin had a game-high 23 points for the Bears ((10-7, 1-5).
NO. 9 MARYLAND 80, RUTGERS 56
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) &mdash; Diamond Miller had 17 points, six rebounds and five steals, and Maryland forced 17 first-half turnovers in a victory over Rutgers.
The Terrapins (14-4, 5-2 Big Ten) rebounded from a loss at No. 6 Indiana earlier in the week. Brinae Alexander led Maryland with 20 points, surpassing 1,000 for her career, and Abby Meyers added 14 with three steals.
The Terps beat Rutgers (8-11, 2-5) for the second time in 14 days. The Scarlet Knights turned the ball over 22 times in the first meeting, and they had 23 on Sunday against Maryland&rsquo;s pressing defense.
Kaylene Smikle scored 21 points for Rutgers and Chyna Cornwell contributed 15.
NO. 10 UTAH 80, NO. 14 ARIZONA 79
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Alissa Pili scored 27 points, including the winning free throws with 0.3 seconds left, to lead Utah past Arizona.
Pili went 11 of 16 from the field, while Gianna Kneepkens finished with 20 points and seven rebounds for the Utes (15-1, 5-1 Pac-12). Issy Palmer added 10 points.
Cate Reese tallied 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Arizona (14-4, 4-3). Jade Loville finished with 17 points and Esmery Martinez and Shaina Pellington chipped in 10 apiece for the Wildcats, who lost their second straight game.
NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA 56, NO. 11 N.C. STATE 47
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Kennedy Todd-Williams scored eight of her 15 points in the fourth quarter, Destiny Adams scored all of her eight points in the final 4 minutes and North Carolina beat rival N.C. State.
Alyssa Ustby added nine points and a career-high 18 rebounds for North Carolina (12-5, 3-3 ACC).
Jakia Brown-Turner led N.C. State (13-4, 3-3) with 14 points and Camille Hobby scored 13 in a game that saw 10 lead changes and six ties through the first three quarters.
TEXAS 68, NO. 15 IOWA STATE 53
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; DeYona Gaston scored 17 points and Shaylee Gonzales had five of her 11 in a game-breaking 13-0 run in the fourth quarter and Texas defeated Iowa State.
Izzi Zingaro&rsquo;s layup to open the fourth quarter pulled the Cyclones within 52-49 but they went scoreless for the next 6:17, missing five shots with five turnovers as the Longhorns increased the defensive pressure.
Sonya Morris added 11 points for the Longhorns (13-5, 4-1 Big 12 Conference), who have won 10 of 11 since a 5-4 start knocked them out of the rankings.
Ashley Joens scored 21 points for Iowa State (11-4, 3-2) and grabbed six rebounds to become the Cyclones&rsquo; all-team leading rebounder.
NO. 16 DUKE 65, GEORGIA TECH 47
ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Celeste Taylor scored 13 points, Elizabeth Balogun added 12 and Duke overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Georgia Tech for its 11th straight win.
The Yellow Jackets managed only six of their 19 second-half points in the fourth quarter and Duke (16-1, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) did not allow a point in the final 5:45 of the game, outscoring Georgia Tech 9-0 down the stretch.
Kayla Blackshear led Georgia Tech (9-9, 0-7 ACC) with 14 points. She made 7 of 10 shots and grabbed eight rebounds. Tonie Morgan added 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
WEST VIRGINIA 74, NO. 18 BAYLOR 65
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) &mdash; Madisen Smith and Ja&rsquo;Naiya Quinerly scored 17 points apiece, Jayla Hemingway added 15 points and 14 rebounds and West Virginia&rsquo;s defense forced seven fourth-quarter turnovers in its win over Baylor.
West Virginia (12-4, 3-2 Big 12) has won three consecutive games and improved to 4-22 all-time against Baylor.
Sarah Andrews hit four 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs added 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Caitlin Bickle scored 10 points for Baylor (12-4, 3-1).
WASHINGTON STATE 85, NO. 21 OREGON 84, OT
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Bella Murekatete scored 20 points, Jessica Clark scored six of her career-high 14 in overtime and Washington State defeated Oregon for its first win over a ranked team since 1998.
Washington State won despite giving up a 14-point lead in the final four minutes, allowing the tying free throws with 0.1 left in regulation and surviving an Oregon shot in the closing seconds of overtime. The Cougars never trailed in the extra session, which started with a Clark layup for a 78-76 lead.
Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 17 points for Washington State (13-3, 3-3 Pac-12 Conference), Johanna Teder had 15 and Ula Motuga had 14 with 10 rebounds.
Endyia Rogers scored 33 points, making 6 of 8 3-point attempts, for Oregon (13-5, 4-3), Chance Gray added 22, Te-Hina Paopao 11 and Grace VanSlooten 10.
NO. 24 ILLINOIS 70, MINNESOTA 57
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Makira Cook scored 20 points, Genesis Bryant added 18 and Illinois celebrated its first game as a ranked team in 23 years with a win over Minnesota.
Brynn Shoup-Hill and Adalia McKenzie both added 13 points for the Illini (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten Conference), who haven&rsquo;t had a winning season since 2012-13, haven&rsquo;t made the NCAA Tournament since 2003 and were last ranked on Nov. 27, 2000.
Alanna Micheaux scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Golden Gophers (8-10, 1-6), who have lost five straight. Micheaux was 11-of-16 shooting, her teammates 12 of 46 (26%).

A recap of Sunday's top-25 action in women's college basketball includes the Trojans' first victory over the Cardinal in nine years.

USC topples No. 2 Stanford, its first vs Cardinal since 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Tyrese Haliburton scored 29 points, Buddy Hield made a 3-pointer three seconds into the game and added 25, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 135-126 on Thursday night.
Haliburton was 6 for 8 from 3-point range and Hield, who leads the NBA in 3-pointers, was 5 for 6. The Pacers finished 19 of 31 from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;You can't ask for much better shooting than that,&rdquo; said Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, who had 22 points. &ldquo;They shoot the ball like that, it's going to be tough to beat us any night.&rdquo;
Indiana trailed by seven early in the fourth quarter before rallying. Hield fed Nesmith for a go-ahead dunk to give the Pacers a 120-119 lead with 4:26 remaining.
&ldquo;This is the most fun I&rsquo;ve had playing basketball in a very long time,&rdquo; said Nesmith, a third-year pro acquired from Boston in the offseason.
Haliburton converted a three-point play on the next possession and the Pacers never surrendered the lead.
&ldquo;This game was about our defense, or the lack of it,&rdquo; said Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff, whose team ranks No. 1 in fewest points allowed at 105.5 per game. &ldquo;We decided we wanted to play Indiana Pacers basketball and that's their strength. We didn't play Cleveland Cavaliers basketball and play to our strength.&rdquo;
Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points and Myles Turner 14 as Indiana snapped a five-game losing streak against the Cavaliers, who have lost three in a row.
&ldquo;Any time the ball is going into the basket like that, you feel good,&rdquo; said Pacers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce, who took over after Rick Carlisle was ejected. "But (the Cavaliers) are capable of doing that. And that's scary for us.
&ldquo;When the ball goes into the basket, it makes you want to play that way. We have to play that way. And Ty is our leader. He's going to set the tone and the pace for us."
All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points to lead a balanced Cleveland offense with seven double-digit scorers. Mitchell sank five of the Cavaliers' 12 3-pointers.
&ldquo;We kept giving up 3s,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;The 3-ball is the way back into the game. It&rsquo;s personnel-driven, understanding the person you&rsquo;re guarding, being on high alert that that&rsquo;s what they are looking for. I just didn&rsquo;t think we had the focus on the defensive end of the floor because we were scoring points. We have to be able to do both."
Cleveland's Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen each had 19 and All-Star guard Darius Garland finished with 18 points and eight assists.
The 3-point barrage began just three seconds in as the opening tip was batted directly to Hield, who turned and swished a shot that was the fastest 3-pointer recorded since play-by-play began in 1996-97. In the first half, the Pacers hit 9 of 15 from beyond the arc and the Cavaliers 7 of 13. The Cavaliers led 68-64 at halftime.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Dropped to 6-10 on the road. ... Forward Cedi Osman (back) was a last-minute inactive and center Robin Lopez (illness) missed his second consecutive game.
Pacers: Carlisle was assessed two technicals and ejected with 1:29 remaining in the third quarter after arguing that an off-balance Mitchell threw the ball off the backboard to himself. ... Mathurin leads the league in bench scoring at 17.6 points per game.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Visit Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
Pacers: Host L.A. Clippers on Saturday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tyrese Haliburton scored 29 points, Buddy Hield added 25, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 135-126.

Haliburton, Hield combine for 11 3s, Pacers top Cavs 135-126

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Olivia Miles had 21 points and eight rebounds for No. 7 Notre Dame, and UConn star Azzi Fudd was injured in a collision with a teammate as the Fighting Irish handed the third-ranked Huskies their first loss of the season, 74-60 on Sunday.
Fudd, who came in averaging 24.0 points per game, exited in the final minute of the first quarter following a collision with teammate Aaliyah Edwards. She returned midway through the second period to play four minutes, but sat the rest of the day, going scoreless on two shots over 13 minutes.
Maddy Westbeld added a season-high 17 points and nine rebounds for Notre Dame (7-1), which bounced back from a 74-72 loss to No. 20 Maryland three days earlier.
Lou Lopez Senechal led UConn (6-1) with 21 points. Edwards added 14.
No. 2 STANFORD 84, No. 23 GONZAGA 63
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Cameron Brink had 14 points and a season-high 16 rebounds and Brooke Demetre made five 3s and scored 17 points, leading Stanford past Gonzaga.
The Cardinal (10-1) have now won five straight games after falling to top-ranked South Carolina in overtime on Nov. 20.
Hannah Jump hit four 3s and scored 14 points and Haley Jones had 12 points for Stanford.
Short-handed Gonzaga (7-2), limited to seven players because of illness and injuries, had won three in a row.
No. 4 OHIO STATE 82, RUTGERS 70
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Rebeka Mikulasikova scored a career-high 31 points and Taylor Mikesell added 30 to help Ohio State beat Rutgers, a day that the Scarlet Knights honored former coach C. Vivian Stringer.
The school dedicated the court to Stringer, who retired after last season.
Buoyed by the return of their Hall of Fame coach, Rutgers played its best game of the season against a ranked opponent. Ohio State (8-0) jumped out to a 20-6 lead after one quarter, but the Scarlet Knights (4-6) wouldn&rsquo;t go away.
They were down 18 near the end of the half before Kaylene Smikle hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to get within 43-28. Rutgers continued that momentum in the second half and made it 53-45 with 3:25 left in the third quarter.
Mikulasikova and Mikesell then scored the next six points for Ohio State to restore the double-digit advantage, and Rutgers couldn&rsquo;t recover.
Smikle led Rutgers with 21 points.
No. 5 INDIANA 65, ILLINOIS 61
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 23 points, including a go-ahead layup with 37 seconds left, and Indiana got past Illinois in their Big Ten opener.
Indiana (9-0) had not trailed in the second half of any game this season before going back and forth in the closing minutes with Illinois (3-7).
Makira Cook scored 33 points to lead the Illini.
The Hoosiers were coming off an 87-63 win over No. 6 North Carolina.
No. 9 VIRGINIA TECH 59, TENNESSEE 56
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Kayana Traylor scored 18 points and Virginia Tech held off Tennessee in a Jimmy V Women&rsquo;s Classic matchup.
Jordan Horston led Tennesssee (4-5) with 26 points and 11 rebounds, but missed a pair of late shots that would&rsquo;ve tied it.
Trailing 58-56 with 3 seconds left, Horston was off on a jumper. Down three with 1.1 seconds remaining, her 3-point try from the top of the key bounced off.
Cayla King scored 11 points and Georgia Amoore and D&rsquo;asia Gregg each had 10 for the Hokies (8-0).
Tennessee played without leading scorer and rebounder Rickea Jackson, who was absent because of a coach&rsquo;s decision.
No. 10 IOWA 102, WISCONSIN 71
MADISON, Wis. (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her seventh career triple-double to break the Big Ten record in Iowa&rsquo;s win over Wisconsin.
Clark surpassed the record of six career triple-doubles set by former Iowa player Samantha Logic, who achieved the feat from 2012-2015.
Iowa (6-3) stopped a two-game skid and beat the Badgers (3-7) for the 26th straight time.
No. 11 LSU 85, TULANE 72
NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds and Jasmine Carson scored 21 and LSU beat Tulane.
The Tigers (9-0) are off to their best since winning their first nine in the 2009-10 season.
LSU led 27-20 in a first quarter in which it made 11 of 16 shots and Tulane 9 for 17. The Tigers extended their lead to 40-27 at halftime before the Green Wave unloaded with a 30-point third in which it shot 12 for 16 including 6 for 7 from 3-point range. Dynah Jones scored 16 of her team-high 25 points for Tulane in the quarter and the Green Wave closed to 61-58.
Reese made 1 of 2 foul shots for the Tigers and Kahia Warmsley responded with a layup for Tulane to get it within two, but LaDazhia Williams made a layup and Carson a 3 and LSU kept Tulane at bay from there. Reese made two foul shots with 5:01 left to extend the lead to 73-62.
Marta Galic scored 21 points for Tulane.
ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 66, No. 13 CREIGHTON 62
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jayla Everett scored 20 points and St. John&rsquo;s remained unbeaten by handing Creighton its first loss.
The Red Storm had a 47-32 lead in the middle of the third quarter before the Bluejays got it down to a one-possession deficit in the final 90 seconds.
After Emma Ronsiek&rsquo;s basket pulled Creighton within 61-59 with 1:27 to play, the Bluejays had a possession to tie or take the lead but couldn&rsquo;t score.
Kadaj Bailey and Unique Drake had 13 points apiece for St. John&rsquo;s (8-0, 2-0 Big East Conference).
Lauren Jensen scored 21 points for the Bluejays (7-1, 2-1) but couldn&rsquo;t get the tying jumper to fall with 13 seconds to go.
No. 14 ARIZONA 77, NEW MEXICO 60
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) &mdash; Jade Loville made 10 of 13 shots, including a career-best six 3-pointers, and scored 27 points to lead Arizona to a win over New Mexico.
Shaina Pellington added 19 points for the Wildcats (7-0), who had their lowest output of the year and won by less than 20 for only the second time this season.
Paula Reus scored 14 points for the Lobos (4-4).
No. 17 MICHIGAN 77, NORTHWESTERN 66
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Emily Kiser and Laila Phelia scored 18 points each and Michigan shut down Northwestern with an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter.
Leigha Brown added 10 points and 11 assists for Michigan (9-0), which won its Big Ten opener.
Jillian Brown had 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals for Northwestern (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten). Caileigh Walsh had 12 points and four blocks, and Sydney Wood scored 10 points.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 67, No. 18 LOUISVILLE 49
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Savannah Wheeler had 23 points, six rebounds and five assists, Courtney Whitson added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Middle Tennessee beat cold-shooting Louisville.
Middle Tennessee (5-2) won its first home game against a ranked opponent since the Lady Raiders beat No. 6 Kentucky 70-58 on December 28, 2011.
Kseniya Malashka added 15 points for Middle Tennessee (5-2).
Olivia Cochran scored a season-high 14 points for Louisville (5-4).
NEBRASKA 90, No. 20 MARYLAND 67
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) &mdash; Jaz Shelley scored 29 points, Nebraska dominated the second half and the Cornhuskers surprised Maryland in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams.
Allison Weidner had 13 points and 15 rebounds for Nebraska (6-3). Isabelle Bourne had 18 points and Alexis Markowski added 14. Shelley had six 3-pointers, five assists and three steals.
Two free throws from Diamond Miller drew Maryland (7-3) to within 77-67 points with 4:03 remaining, but the Terrapins would not score again while Nebraska scored 13.
No. 21 BAYLOR 79, HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 35
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Freshman guard Bella Fontleroy came off the bench to score 17 points and grab 11 rebounds and Baylor romped to a victory over Houston Christian.
Fontleroy sank 6 of 10 shots with three 3-pointers for the Lady Bears (6-2) and notched her first double-double. Jaden Owens added 14 points and six assists. Kendra Gillispie scored 10 on 5-of-6 shooting.
Marilyn Nzoiwu was the lone bright spot for the Huskies (3-4). She finished with 13 points and five rebounds, sinking 6 of 9 shots from the floor. Her teammates made 8 of 40 shots, including 2 of 15 from beyond the arc.
The Lady Bears played a fifth straight game without injured leading scorer Aijha Blackwell.
No. 22 TEXAS 92, SOUTHERN 43
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Shaylee Gonzales scored 22 points, Sonya Morris added 20 points, and Texas routed Southern.
Aaliyah Moore scored 11 points and DeYona Gaston had 10 for the Longhorns (4-4). Rori Harmon had nine points and 10 rebounds.
Freshman guard Sirviva Legions led the Jaguars (2-5) with 13 points off the bench.
The Longhorns rolled to a 29-10 lead through the first quarter after making 10 of 14 shots. They scored 11 points off seven Southern turnovers. Texas went on to lead 46-16 at halftime.
SETON HALL 82, No. 24 MARQUETTE 78
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Lauren Park-Lane scored 17 of her 31 points in the fourth quarter, Sidney Cooks added 23 and Seton Hall knocked off Marquette.
Kae Satterfield added 12 points for Seton Hall (6-4, 2-0 Big East Conference), which has won four straight. The Pirates last beat a ranked team, No. 24 DePaul, in January 2019.
Chloe Marotta scored 30 points and had 12 rebounds for the Golden Eagles (7-2, 1-1). Jordan King added 14 points and Liz Karlen had 12 points and nine rebounds.
No. 25 VILLANOVA 79, PROVIDENCE 54
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Maddy Seigrist scored 20 of her 29 points in the first half and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Villanova past Providence.
Seigrist was 12-of-18 shooting, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. The Wildcats (7-2, 1-1 Big East Conference) made 12 of 28 behind the arc and shot 52% overall (33 of 63). Lucy Olsen added 14 points and Bella Runyan 10.
Janai Crooms led the Friars (6-4, 0-2) with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

A recap of Sunday's women's college basketball slate features a top-10 battle.

Notre Dame tops UConn as Azzi Fudd gets hurt

For the first time since suffering a left eye laceration in the team&rsquo;s season opener in Toronto, Darius Garland suited up for the Cleveland Cavaliers. And oh, did he ever deliver in his 2022 home debut.
Coming out of the gates smoking hot against the revenge-minded Boston Celtics, Garland took Donovan Mitchell&rsquo;s pregame advice and was taking shots from the jump, scoring 14 points to go along with 3 assists and a pair of takeaways in the first quarter. It was a sign of things to come. He finished the night with 29 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in a whopping 42 minutes.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Feels good. Got a win, I saw that," Garland quipped after the Cavaliers&rsquo; 114-113 overtime victory over the Celtics, the team&rsquo;s second over Boston in the last five days. "It wasn't really a man on a mission (in the first quarter), my teammates just told me be aggressive, go do what you do. They give you any wide open, shoot them. I know we've been out for a couple games, but he still wanted me to be aggressive. Really, Donovan told me, 'You've gotta go take the first six shots.' That's what he told me, so, I was like, 'Alright, I got you, bro.'"
&ldquo;He really set the tone tonight,&rdquo; added Mitchell, who meshed well with Garland in his first game back and had a fourth-quarter scoring barrage to swing momentum. "I can&rsquo;t speak for everybody else, I just didn&rsquo;t know what his rhythm was going to be like after being out a month, I think that&rsquo;s the biggest thing. When you have your legs, when you have your energy, you&rsquo;re excited, and he came out like he&rsquo;s been playing with us down this whole stretch. He&rsquo;s going to score the ball, and his passing, man, he&rsquo;s creating, finding guys, making the game look easy and really kind of sparked us, especially in that first half. Always under control. It&rsquo;s great to have him out there.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
According to both Mitchell and Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Garland&rsquo;s enthusiasm to play was extra noticeable at Cleveland&rsquo;s morning shootaround.
&ldquo;I mean, he was ready to go,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;I mean, like you could feel it... He was ready to contribute in a big way. And I mean, like, there was not any shyness to him. It was, &lsquo;I'm going out here and I'm gonna assert myself on this game,&rsquo; and his teammates followed him.&rdquo;
&ldquo;You could tell he was excited, just running around the gym, kinda just happy, a little bit of a different step to him,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re out for that long, and I&rsquo;ve been there, it can kind of take a toll on you. But he continuously was the best teammate when he&rsquo;s out, for us, for the guys. A night like tonight comes, it&rsquo;s really his first game of the season all over again. You saw the energy. I told him he&rsquo;s probably not going to be able to sleep for the next seven, eight hours. He probably won&rsquo;t sleep at all. That&rsquo;s what you get, man. It&rsquo;s great to see him. And when you saw him this morning, he just looked like a kid in a candy store, just happy as hell &mdash; and he&rsquo;s not a morning person, so that was impressive to see.&rdquo;
Postgame, Garland spoke to the media for the first time since the injury and detailed his reaction to his eye injury, which happened when Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. was going for a steal and caught him by accident. (Garland revealed his fellow Klutch-Sports-agency-member Trent apologized via text that night and insists there are no hard feelings about the play, saying &ldquo;that comes with the game.&rdquo;)
&ldquo;I was super scared,&rdquo; Garland said. &ldquo;When it first happened, I rolled over, I felt blood coming out of my eye. So that's when I got really nervous. And I was ready for surgery in Toronto. I was expecting that. I was expecting stitches and being out a couple months. But by the grace of God, I'm here with two eyes now and I'm back and I'm healthy.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A scary moment with a bleeding eye in Toronto, rehabbing for two weeks, light sensitivity and not being able to see dribbling to the right: Darius Garland details all of it for the first time after his sensational return to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/OoyrrL0qyz">pic.twitter.com/OoyrrL0qyz</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1588014506340409345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

When asked about the most difficult part of the recovery process, Garland responded that he couldn&rsquo;t see dribbling right. Mentally, watching his teammates pumped him up, but he also wanted to be a part of the fun and the success.
&ldquo;Super tough,&rdquo; Garland said. &ldquo;Everybody keep asking like, 'How you doing? How's your body?' I'm like, 'I'm perfectly fine, it's my eye.' And just sitting over there and just [having] to wait and just seeing everybody get loose warming up and going through full practice and stuff, it was just kinda aggravating. I just tried to stay high. My teammates, they were winning. They was doing well, so I was happy about that. But I just wanted to be on the floor with them. I wanted to feel that energy. But I'm happy to be back now...
&ldquo;...But I had a great time on the bench, I learned a lot, I seen a lot from our team and what other teams do to us, I mean, I have a lot of notes and stuff that I was writing down, so I'm ready for the next time we play those other teams.&rdquo;
When Garland approached the podium, the lights were beaming. He looked over at a Cavs staffer and almost asked for the sunglasses he&rsquo;d been wearing every game on Cleveland&rsquo;s sidelines while supporting the squad. It&rsquo;s clear that his eye is still sensitive to that kind of exposure. A source close to the team even told Basketball News that it&rsquo;s still only at 75-80%.
Still, when the ball tipped off and a national audience was watching, no lights were too bright for the All-Star point guard to handle.
&ldquo;I seen the first one go in, so it stopped bothering me to be honest with you,&rdquo; Garland said with a laugh. &ldquo;I'd seen that one go in, so I was like, alright I'm good. But yeah, the doctor said I didn't have to wear any goggles or anything. My eye was healing pretty good, so I just went out there and just took a chance.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Darius Garland looked right at home, and the Cavaliers finished off a perfect homestand going into their upcoming five-game road trip. If this momentum carries over, the NBA will take even more notice of a unit that is firing on all cylinders &mdash; top to bottom.
&ldquo;We fight really hard. We're really starting to try to put 48 minutes together just of playing Cavaliers basketball. And that's what I'd seen over the time I was sitting out &mdash; that we just don't back down from no one,&rdquo; Garland said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This group is just really hard-nosed, and any number is called, everybody's ready. From [Kevin Love] to Dean [Wade] coming to starting lineups, Cedi [Osman], Isaac [Okoro], RoLo (Robin Lopez) got some minutes tonight, played valuable to us. That's our group, and I love it about that for sure."

Darius Garland went into detail about his opening-night injury in Toronto and how he dealt with being sidelined.

Darius Garland details scary eye injury after dominant return to Cavs

Ever since Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas and Marc Eversley took over the Bulls&rsquo; front office two years ago, Chicago has been one of the most aggressive teams in the NBA. Their fingerprints are all over this roster, with notable acquisitions such as DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
These moves have translated to on-court success, as the Bulls posted their best winning percentage since the 2014-15 season and ended their four-year playoff drought. This year, Chicago was 46-36 &mdash; more wins than they had in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons combined. (Zach LaVine and Coby White are the only remaining players from that 2019-20 squad).
The Bulls entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference while boasting the NBA's 11th-ranked offense (scoring 111.0 points per 100 possessions) and 23rd-ranked defense (allowing 111.1 points per 100 possessions).&nbsp;
While this season marked a step in the right direction, the Bulls&rsquo; first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks showed that there&rsquo;s still plenty of work to be done. Despite Milwaukee losing their second-best player, Khris Middleton, to a sprained MCL in Game 2, the Bucks completed a gentleman's sweep against the Bulls. Chicago wasn&rsquo;t at full strength either, with Ball sidelined due to a knee injury and LaVine (COVID-19) and Caruso (concussion) each missing Game 5. Still, the reigning champions were a good litmus test.
Entering the offseason, where does Chicago go from here? Are big changes coming?
RE-SIGNING ZACH LAVINE
Entering this offseason, Chicago&rsquo;s top priority should be re-signing LaVine, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency. The 27-year-old has emerged as a perennial All-Star, earning a spot on the Eastern Conference squad in each of the last two seasons.&nbsp;
This year, LaVine averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 threes, while reducing his turnovers to 2.6 per game and shooting 47.6% from the field, 38.9% from three and 85.3% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
LaVine will certainly expect a maximum contract from the Bulls, which would <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay him</a> $212.3 million over five years. The most he could receive from another team is $157.4 million over four years. This is a relatively weak free-agent class, so it seems very likely that LaVine will get a max deal from some team.&nbsp;
The Bulls would be wise to re-sign their star shooting guard, as replacing his production would be difficult, and the team would certainly take a step back if LaVine signed elsewhere.
"I plan to enjoy free agency," LaVine said recently. &ldquo;We're going to have to experience A through Z without making any fast decisions. I think that's something me and [Rich Paul] are going to go through and experience."
LaVine was asked if the Bulls are the front-runners to sign him, but he wouldn&rsquo;t say.
"You guys have been a really, really soft spot in my heart," LaVine said to the Chicago media. "I have to do this as a business decision, as a man, to not just be viewed one way and be like, 'I'm automatically coming back,' or, 'I'm automatically leaving.'"
In multiple interviews, LaVine has reiterated that he wants to be paid what he feels he deserves.
"I just want my respect. I think that's the main thing," LaVine <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/zach-lavine-prepares-olympic-quarterfinal-bulls-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last August. "I outplayed my contract; I've been very loyal to Chicago, I like Chicago. I just want my respect."
FREE AGENCY
Aside from LaVine, the bulk of Chicago's core is under contract for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;
The Bulls have $103,181,950 in guaranteed salaries on the books for next season, spread across nine players: DeRozan, Vucevic, Lopez, Caruso, White, Patrick Williams, Javonte Green, Ayo Dosunmu and Marko Simonovic. Projections set next year&rsquo;s salary cap at $122 million and the luxury tax at $149 million.
Derrick Jones Jr.,Tristan Thompson and Matt Thomas will be unrestricted free agents. Tony Bradley has a player option worth $2,036,318, so he could opt out and test the market as well.
The team will have three restricted free agents (assuming Chicago extends a qualifying offer to each): Troy Brown Jr. ($7,228,448 QO), Tyler Cook ($1,576,305) and Malcolm Hill ($1,576,305).
Last year, the Bulls were very aggressive in free agency, making splashy moves left and right. Given their cap situation, it seems unlikely that Chicago will be able to go star hunting, but they&rsquo;ll likely try to improve their depth and add certain specialists. For example, Chicago could use a rim protector, as they averaged just 4.0 blocks per game (which ranked 27th in the NBA). Can they afford Mitchell Robinson? Could they throw an offer sheet at or sign-and-trade for a restricted free agent like Nic Claxton or Mo Bamba? Can they add a veteran like JaVale McGee or Hassan Whiteside?&nbsp;
In addition to a rim protector, it would make sense to add other defensive reinforcements as well (especially if Jones signs elsewhere). Caruso and Ball give Chicago a strong defensive backcourt, but they need some help if the Bulls want to improve their 23rd-ranked defensive rating (113.2). Some of the top defensive role players who are hitting the market include Bruce Brown, Gary Payton II and PJ Tucker. Lu Dort and Jae'Sean Tate each have a team option, but it seems unlikely that either will be available given their bargain contracts.
The Bulls will look to add a contributor or two using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $10,349,000. Last offseason, that is how Chicago was able to sign Caruso to a four-year, $37 million deal, which ended up being a terrific addition. Other players who signed for the non-taxpayer MLE last offseason include McGee (Phoenix Suns), Tucker (Miami Heat), Reggie Bullock (Dallas Mavericks) and Khem Birch (Toronto Raptors).
It will be interesting to see what the Bulls do in free agency. However, keep in mind that some of Chicago&rsquo;s biggest additions in recent years were acquired through trades.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/gobe_lg.jpg" alt="" width="685" height="400" />
TRADES
After watching the Bulls&rsquo; front office trade for Vucevic, DeRozan and Ball, fans are understandably thinking big when it comes to Chicago&rsquo;s trade targets entering the offseason.
Myles Turner has been mentioned as a possible target for the Bulls since he could solve their rim-protection issues, but the window on acquiring Turner may have slammed shut as a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/despite-trade-talks-the-pacers-want-to-keep-myles-turner-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a> suggested that the Indiana Pacers are now expected to keep the 26-year-old long-term.
Another dominant shot-blocker who may become available is Rudy Gobert. The Utah Jazz just had another season end in disappointing fashion, and there has already been a <a href="https://twitter.com/realOCsports/status/1521141215411941376" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that the Jazz will be forced to choose between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. If Utah opts to keep their young shooting guard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Defensive First-Team selection could suddenly be obtainable.
If that happens, the Bulls should at least reach out and start a conversation. Our Evan Sidery recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down potential destinations for Gobert</a> and listed Chicago as the top landing spot. Here&rsquo;s what he wrote:
Imagine the possibilities for Chicago with Gobert patrolling the paint with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso hawking the perimeter. It&rsquo;s the perfect complement to offensive dynamos Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago&rsquo;s new starting lineup of Ball, Caruso, LaVine, DeRozan and Gobert would seemingly have no holes in it from a two-way perspective. I absolutely love this idea for Chicago, and they should be blowing up the Jazz&rsquo;s phone this summer if it seems plausible.
Jazz receive: Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White, draft compensation Bulls receive: Rudy Gobert
It remains to be seen if either side would do this, but it&rsquo;s an intriguing idea.
With that said, if the Bulls are committed to Vucevic and don&rsquo;t want to trade for a new big man, HoopsHype&rsquo;s Yossi Gozlan <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">points out</a> that an extension for Vooch could make sense this offseason.
If that happens, perhaps Chicago just looks for a complementary shot-blocker who can play behind Vucevic like one of the free agents we mentioned above or more of a minor trade target such as New York&rsquo;s Nerlens Noel or Minnesota&rsquo;s Jarred Vanderbilt.
It&rsquo;s also worth noting that the Bulls have a $5,000,000 trade exception that expires on July 7, 2022, from their Daniel Theis deal.
DRAFT
The Bulls have the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. In BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>, our senior NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock has Chicago selecting Ohio State forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/ej-liddell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EJ Liddell</a>.&nbsp;
The 6-foot-7, 21-year-old junior is a well-rounded, NBA-ready player who makes sense for a Bulls team that wants to win now. Last season, Liddell averaged 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 blocks, 1.4 threes and 0.6 steals, while shooting 49.0% from the field, 37.4% from three and 76.5% from the free-throw line.
&ldquo;Although he is a bit undersized for the position, the Buckeyes often used Liddell as a 4 or 5 in their lineups,&rdquo; Babcock noted in his scouting breakdown. &ldquo;He is physical and versatile on both ends of the floor, scoring both inside and out. He appears more comfortable in the mid-range and paint, which works well for his college system but raises questions in regards to his translatability to the NBA. Liddell filled up the box score and played with great effort and toughness. He has certainly carved out a spot for himself in the 2022 NBA Draft.&rdquo;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/37mLYAneg7M" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Other players who are projected to be available in that range are G League Ignite wing <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/marjon-beauchamp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MarJon Beauchamp</a>, Baylor forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a>, LSU forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/tari-eason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tari Eason</a>, Notre Dame guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/blake-wesley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Wesley</a>, G League Ignite guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/jaden-hardy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Hardy</a>, Serbian forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/nikola-jovic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikola Jovic</a> and Tennessee guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kennedy-chandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kennedy Chandler</a>.&nbsp;
If the Bulls aren&rsquo;t interested in any of these prospects, or if Karni&scaron;ovas and Eversley continue to be aggressive on the trade market, Chicago could look to deal the No. 18 pick as part of a win-now move.
It&rsquo;s worth noting that Chicago must forfeit their next-available second-round pick after an NBA investigation revealed that they contacted Ball prior to the start of the NBA&rsquo;s free-agency period. As it stands, the Bulls&rsquo; next-available pick is the team&rsquo;s 2026 second-rounder, but Chicago can&rsquo;t acquire a second-round pick before then because they&rsquo;d have to forfeit it.
***
After a few rough years, the Bulls seem to be back on the right trajectory, and there&rsquo;s no question that this team has the talent to be a perennial playoff squad in the East. Winning 46 games despite trying to get so many new players acclimated is impressive, especially when you factor in the injuries to Ball, Caruso, Williams, etc.
Even if the Bulls bring back largely the same roster, they will benefit from that continuity and improved chemistry. However, given what we&rsquo;ve seen from this front office in recent years, don&rsquo;t be surprised if they look to wheel-and-deal in order to take the roster to the next level.

After winning 46 games and losing in the first round, where will the Bulls go from here? Alex Kennedy previews Chicago's summer.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Chicago Bulls?

On Saturday afternoon, the Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the Memphis Grizzlies 130-117 at FedExForum to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round, best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series.
The Timberwolves made it clear to the Grizzlies that they wouldn't be taking this series lightly.
After having a week off, Memphis was rusty and lacked energy to start. The Wolves exploited the rust, had more energy, gained momentum and snatched home-court advantage from a team that protected its home floor (30-11) in the regular season.&nbsp;
Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane said it best after the loss: "The game is going to be decided on 50-50 balls. Physicality is something that we felt like we addressed coming into the series... We&rsquo;re going to have to get grimy out there to win a playoff series."
The Grizzlies have had a habit of getting the better of opponents. In the regular season, Memphis defeated opponents a record 14 times by 25 points or more, and had been used to demoralizing teams early.
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies on Saturday, the plan backfired and the Wolves were up for the challenge.
"This game and this series is going to be decided on 50-50 balls and rebounding,&rdquo; Memphis wing Dillon Brooks said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the real grit-and-grind sh*t. So we have to figure out how to be in the right spots, and play with the physicality they played with."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
KEYS TO A BOUNCE-BACK GRIZZLIES VICTORY
DEFENSE HAS TO BE BETTER 
One of the top defenses in the league gave up 130 points. The Grizzlies became the first team since 1973-74 to lead the NBA in rebounding, steals and blocks as a result of their tenacious defense during the regular season.&nbsp;
What we saw in Game 1 wasn't the same Memphis defense that had been shutting down dynamic offenses since early December.
Return to the basics: Rebounding, steals and second-chance points are their bread and butter.
Minnesota outrebounded the Grizzlies by a total of 46 to 35. The Wolves also had the second-chance edge at 19 to 14. Minnesota was well prepared and beat the Grizzlies at their own game.&nbsp;
The Grizzlies also gave up 16 three-pointers while only connecting on 7 of their own.&nbsp;
&ldquo;They hit 16 threes. That&rsquo;s what they do,&rdquo; Brooks said. &ldquo;We got to fly out to shooters, know exactly what shooters are out there... We gotta be on that next game and bring our mentality, bring our swag into the arena. Put our hard cap on and get ready to go out there and bang with the big fellas.&rdquo;
Try to contain Anthony Edwards as much as possible with Brooks at the primary defender.
He spent most of the game locking down D'Angelo Russell, who was limited to 2 of 11 from the field. According to NBA.com matchup data, Edwards went 3 of 7 when Brooks was the primary defender on Saturday.&nbsp;
KEEP STEVEN ADAMS AWAY FROM KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS AND ANTHONY EDWARDS
Game 1 was Adams' worst contest since he's been with the team. He finished with 0 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists while getting cooked on both ends of the floor in his 24 minutes of play. Adams led the league in offensive rebounds at 4.6 per game, which usually equates to second-chance points for the Grizzlies. KAT went 6 of 8 when guarded by Adams, while Edwards lit the big man up on 4 of 5 shots.&nbsp;
The Grizzlies had better success defensively when Kyle Anderson and Brandon Clarke were on the floor together. The pairing had a Defensive Rating of 68.2 in its 10 minutes on the floor, and Memphis was able to make the game close when the two played together.
But will it be right to limit Adams' minutes? That's something Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and his staff have to figure out.&nbsp;
JAREN JACKSON JR. SHOULD FORGET "SH*TTY" PERFORMANCE 
On 4 of 13 shooting, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 12 points, had 7 blocks and grabbed 4 rebounds. Due to foul trouble, he played only 24 minutes. As a result of three costly fouls, he was limited to just eight minutes in the first half.
Jackson knows he has to do better. On Monday, he summed up his performance with harsh honesty.
"I was pretty shitty overall," Jackson said after practice. "I gotta be better &ndash; seven blocks don&rsquo;t mean nothing if we lose and they put up 130."
Jackson also lost his composure and picked up a technical foul after shoving Jaden McDaniels.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Karl Anthony Towns dunked on Jaren Jackson Jr so hard, JJJ pushed a different player that didn't dunk on him 😂😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/4Gcf3NmgQe">pic.twitter.com/4Gcf3NmgQe</a>
&mdash; Rob Lopez (@r0bato) <a href="https://twitter.com/r0bato/status/1515444740447166475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

He can&rsquo;t be baited into doing things out of character.&nbsp;Because of his proclivity for drawing fouls, JJJ expects the Wolves to make an effort to remove him from the game.
"That team takes a lot of charges, kind of like Boston" Jackson reiterated. "You've just got to move around them, Euro (step), make better moves. Can't fall into their traps because that's a good play by them."&nbsp;
It will be a first-round exit if the 22-year-old forward is in constant foul trouble and not producing on the offensive end. He has to be available, period.
According to a report from The Commercial Appeal&rsquo;s Damichael Cole, Jackson texted Ja Morant after Saturday&rsquo;s loss: "I got you."&nbsp;
Jackson says he will be ready.&nbsp;
LOOSEN THE ROTATION 
Jenkins needs to go with some of the scrappy guys who contributed all season off the bench. One such guy is John Konchar, also known as Jitty. Known for his hustle plays, he is somebody who gets all the 50/50 balls, deflections and is able to defend. Konchar would bring a spark off the Grizzlies bench that was lacking in Game 1.
The undrafted guard out of Purdue Fort Wayne was a problem for the Wolves on Jan. 13, when he gave Memphis a huge lift off the bench with 15 points (6 of 7 from the field, 3 of 4 from three) and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RiDJT-tm26I" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
It might be wise for Jenkins to have Konchar on the floor at some point during Game 2.&nbsp;
De'Anthony Melton, frequently called "Mr. Do Something," must do something to help his team win games. In just 14 minutes of play, the Grizzlies main disruptor had a less-than-memorable night with just 2 points along with a rebound, assist and steal each. Since the All-Star break, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-to-make-of-deanthony-meltons-recent-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melton has averaged nearly 13 points per game and 42.9% from beyond the arc</a>.
Melton also can guard multiple positions, infiltrate passing lanes and block shots. He averaged 4.5 deflections and 2.3 steals per 36 minutes in the regular season.
HAVE THE OFFENSE CLICKING
Their <a href="https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-commercial-appeal/20220416/281767042767616" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mantra</a> is "everybody eats." The Grizzlies were 18-1 this season when they had 30 or more assists. In the series opener, the Wolves assisted on 32 shots while Memphis only had 25. In the regular season, the Grizzlies set a mark of 41 assists twice.
Jenkins pointed out the struggles they had on offense.
"I felt like we missed plenty of opportunities to make the early pass... We&rsquo;ve got to have better balance," he said. "We scored great in the paint. We got to the free-throw line. It&rsquo;s going to be hard if we&rsquo;re giving up 16 made threes and we&rsquo;re only making seven. So, we&rsquo;ve definitely got to find a way to get more balance on the offensive end.&rdquo;
With that, Morant put the responsibility on himself for not finding his teammates for more three-pointers.
"I feel like that&rsquo;s on me though. Our offense was fine. The shots we missed were pretty much wide open threes, normally shots we make, and that&rsquo;s the difference maker of the game," the All-Star guard said.
"They made 16. We only made seven. My job is to... I&rsquo;m about to look at film and find ways for us to get those easier shots. And, that&rsquo;s pretty much my downhill attack, drawing the help and kicking out to my shooters.&rdquo;
Memphis becomes extremely difficult to beat when the team is able to distribute the ball effectively, create open looks and limit its offensive mistakes.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
To win Game 2, the Grizzlies should concentrate on the strengths that helped them win 56 games. It's do-or-die time, and they can't afford to go down 2-0. They've got to embrace the moment and play every possession as if it's their last when every loose ball provides an opportunity to get more chances.
With all that said, the Grizzlies remain resilient.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s a very long series. It&rsquo;s going to be a really long run here," Brooks said. "It&rsquo;s just about watching film as a team, getting back together, seeing what we&rsquo;ve got to do in the next game from here on out in this series. That&rsquo;s something that we&rsquo;ve done great the whole year.
"I think that we&rsquo;re going to be fine from here on out. We&rsquo;ve just got to watch some film together and learn from it."&nbsp;
The growl towel for Game 2 says "Ain't No Running in the M," a phrase made popular by Morant after a victory against the New York Knicks in early February. The Grizzlies are known for not backing down from any opponent, and the Wolves are not scared either
The litmus test begins at 191 Beale Street on Tuesday night. Will the Grizzlies be able to get back that swagger they had in the regular season?
<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;

Sharon Brown highlights what the Grizzlies can do to even the series with the Wolves through the eyes of the team itself.

Down, but not out: 5 keys to a bounce-back Grizzlies victory in Game 2

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-bucks-jump-into-top-5-suns-still-streaking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Milwaukee Bucks, now finally healthy, have vaulted further in the top-five, while the league's top two teams are set to square off in a much-anticipated duel, with potential historical implications, Tuesday night in Phoenix.&nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (18-2) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Today in "further proof that Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter that has ever walked the earth," over his last 10 games, Steph is averaging 31.8 points, 7.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 6.2 made three-pointers while shooting 50.7% from the floor, 46.6% from downtown and 91.7% from the charity stripe. Oh, and as if they needed it, the Warriors have reinforcements on the way. Both Klay Thompson (right Achilles surgery) and James Wiseman (right knee surgery) were assigned to the team's G League affiliate in Santa Cruz earlier this week, as they inch closer to a return to action.&nbsp;
2. Phoenix Suns (17-3) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
The Suns have a chance to notch their 17th consecutive victory Tuesday night, which would tie the franchise's all-time record. But they'll have to earn it, as they take on the Warriors in a showdown that will generate plenty of juice for a regular-season game played in November. It will be the first game in history in which both teams playing each other have a winning percentage of at least .850, and both teams are riding winning streaks of at least seven games.&nbsp;
3. Brooklyn Nets (14-6) &harr;️ Last Week: 3
The Nets got some bad news Monday when it was announced that sharpshooting guard Joe Harris would undergo surgery on his left ankle. Harris' agent said the guard is expected to miss 4-to-8 weeks, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that "there's optimism that Harris can return to the Nets on the shorter end of that timeline."
4. Milwaukee Bucks (13-8) 🔼 Last Week: 5
The Bucks have now won seven straight, and are still undefeated this season (a perfect 10-0) when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are all in the lineup. The Bucks have also added veteran big man DeMarcus Cousins, who will be available to play this week. "When you look at the depth chart and look at how we're subbing, depth at the big position is something that we could use," Budenholzer said over the weekend. Starting center Brook Lopez (back) has been sidelined since opening night.&nbsp;
5. Chicago Bulls (14-8) 🔼 Last Week: 6
Nikola Vucevic did it all in the Bulls' victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, tallying 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Alex Caruso also had another solid game, and has been a terrific addition for Chicago. Over his last five games, Caruso, who leads the NBA in steals, is averaging 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 53.8% from the floor.
6. Utah Jazz (14-7) 🔼 Last Week: 8
The Jazz have won 6 of their last 8 games, thanks largely to consistent excellence from Rudy Gobert. On the season, Rudy is averaging 15.1 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, while converting over 73% of his field-goal attempts.&nbsp;
7. Miami Heat (13-8) 🔽 Last Week: 4
After losing to the Nuggets on Monday night in Miami, the Heat are 2-3 in their last five games, with one of those wins coming against the lowly Detroit Pistons. Miami will look to get back on track Wednesday night when the team hosts the Cavs before heading to Indiana on Friday.&nbsp;
8. Washington Wizards (13-8) 🔽 Last Week: 7
After averaging 30.5 points per game in 2019-20 and 31.3 points in 2020-21, Bradley Beal has scored more than 30 points in a game just once this entire season. Over the Wizards' last six games, Beal is averaging 21.0 points per game. However, the Wiz are five games over .500 and sitting in fourth place in the conference.&nbsp;
9. Charlotte Hornets (13-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 9
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LaMelo continues to amaze. 28 PTS 13 REB 7 AST 3 STL 60.1 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/0Hi7yRXMa2">pic.twitter.com/0Hi7yRXMa2</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1463209482213859335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Remarkably, LaMelo Ball has dished out 13 assists in each of the Hornets past three games. According to Basketball-Reference, only four other players in NBA history have tallied at least 13 assists with double-digit points and over five rebounds in more than three consecutive games. Those four players are Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Roberston.&nbsp;
10. Philadelphia 76ers (11-10) 🔼 Last Week: 12
The Sixers were just 2-8 over their previous 10 games heading into Monday night when they secured a much-needed victory over Orlando. To make things even better, Joel Embiid has returned to action after missing over 20 days of action. Tyrese Maxey continues to impress on a nightly basis, making a solid case for the Most Improved Player award while buying time for the Sixers front office to patiently deal with the Ben Simmons saga. Over Philly's last 10 games, Maxey is averaging 22.1 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds.&nbsp;
11. Dallas Mavericks (10-9) 🔼 Last Week: 13
Luka Doncic missed all four free throws he attempted in Monday night's loss to the Cavs. Dating back to Nov. 3, Doncic is shooting just 59% from the charity stripe, and is at 65.2% for the season. It's befuddling considering Doncic's accuracy from long range, and that over the first two months of the 2020-21 season, Doncic was 178-for-224 (80%) from the free-throw line. In addition, Doncic's on/off splits this season are stunning. The Mavs have been outscored by 110 points with Doncic on the floor this season. The only player in the NBA on a winning team with a worse plus/minus is Kemba Walker (-122).
12. Los Angeles Clippers (11-10) 🔽 Last Week: 10
The Clippers' seven-game winning streak earlier this month seems like a distant memory, as L.A. has since dropped 5 of its last 7 contests. The Clips' defense had been solid all season, but they shockingly gave up 123 points to the undermanned Pelicans on Monday night.&nbsp;
13. Denver Nuggets (10-10) 🔼 Last Week: 14
The Nuggets were happy to welcome MVP Nikola Jokic back to the lineup on Monday after he missed four straight due to a wrist injury. However, Denver fans got some devastating news earlier in the day, when Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Michael Porter Jr. will undergo a surgical procedure on his back and will miss an indefinite period of time.
14. Boston Celtics (11-10) 🔽 Last Week: 11
The Celtics are about to endure a brutal three-week stretch. Boston hosts the Sixers on Wednesday before embarking on a five-game road trip against Utah, Portland, both LA teams and the Suns. Then, the C's return home to take on the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Sixers. Ten consecutive contests against teams at or above .500. Yikes.&nbsp;
15. New York Knicks (11-9) 🔼 Last Week: 20
There was some very surprising news courtesy from Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau on Monday, as he told reporters that not only was Alec Burks going to replace Kemba Walker in the starting lineup, but that Walker would be out of the rotation entirely &mdash; at least for the immediate future. It was surely a difficult decision for the coach to bench the veteran, but it was the right call. The Knicks have been outscored by a mind-boggling 122 points in the 441 minutes Walker has played this season.&nbsp;
16. Los Angeles Lakers (11-11) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The Lakers are 4-5 over their last nine games, which is concerning enough. But that record is even more troubling when you realize all four of those wins have come against teams far below .500. Conversely, Los Angeles is 0-4 in its last four games against teams with winning records.&nbsp;
17. Atlanta Hawks (11-10) 🔼 Last Week: 19
The Hawks had reeled off seven straight victories before the Knicks beat them in Atlanta over the weekend. The NBA announced on Monday that Trae Young was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/booker-young-earn-nba-player-of-the-week-honors-for-nov-2229" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named Eastern Conference Player of the Week</a> for his performance last week. Young averaged 31.3 points and 8.5 assists as the Hawks went 3-1 over four contests.&nbsp; &nbsp; 18. Cleveland Cavaliers (11-10) 🔽 Last Week: 15
Lauri Markkanen has been a beast for the Cavs since returning to the lineup after missing nearly three weeks due to COVID. In the four games he's played since rejoining the team, Lauri Legend is averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 made treys while shooting 50% from the floor, including 42.4% from behind the arc.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-10) 🔼 Last Week: 21
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Where would you rank the Anthony Edwards/Karl-Anthony Towns duo amongst the rest in the league. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBATwitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaisedByWolves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaisedByWolves</a> <a href="https://t.co/1VjhsN1SNc">pic.twitter.com/1VjhsN1SNc</a>
&mdash; Daily NBA Fantasy (@DailyNBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyNBAFantasy/status/1465511438965821446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The Wolves are rolling right now, and are winners in 7 of their past 8 games. During this eight-game stretch, sophomore Anthony Edwards is averaging 20.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 3.1 made triples. At just 20 years of age, the kid is starting to establish himself as a star already. &nbsp;
20. Memphis Grizzlies (10-10) 🔽 Last Week: 16
The entire city of Memphis held its collective breath when it saw superstar point guard Ja Morant crumble to the court in pain on Friday night, clutching his knee. However, Grizz fans got good news over the weekend, as coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant is only dealing with a left knee sprain. "He'll be out for a few weeks, and each week, we'll have a better idea as (things) unfold," Jenkins said Sunday. "We expect a full recovery, and this is nothing long-term that we're worried about."
21. Portland Trail Blazers (10-11) 🔽 Last Week: 17
The Blazers have lost three in a row, and Damian Lillard is mired in another shooting slump. During these three straight defeats, Lillard is shooting just 35.6% from the floor and 26.1% from downtown. Dame has never finished a season shooting below 34% from deep, but has converted just 30.2% of his triple tries in 2021-22. Lillard is expected to take a rest day on Tuesday vs. Detroit.
22. Toronto Raptors (9-12) 🔼 Last Week: 23
The Raptors have played without OG Anunoby (left hip) and Khem Birch (right knee) in each of their past six games, and are just 2-6 in their last eight. Fortunately for Toronto, the team has an excellent opportunity to jumpstart its season over the next few weeks, as they play 9 of their next 10 contests at home.&nbsp;
23. Indiana Pacers (9-14) 🔽 Last Week: 22
The Pacers lost to the Wolves on Monday, but the defeat can't be pinned on Domantas Sabonis, who was everywhere for the Pacers. He racked up a monstrous triple-double: 16 points, a career-high 25 rebounds and 10 assists. According to Basketball-Reference, Sabonis is the first player to grab 25 boards in a triple-double effort since Shaquille O'Neal in 1993.
24. Sacramento Kings (8-13) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
The Kings won back-to-back games last week, including a thrilling triple-overtime victory over the Lakers on Friday before getting blown out in Memphis in Sunday night. As we <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-bucks-jump-into-top-5-suns-still-streaking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted last Tuesday</a>, Marvin Bagley III has worked his way back into the Kings rotation. Over Sacramento's past three games, he's averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 boards in 24.1 minutes while shooting 71.4% from the floor.&nbsp;
25. San Antonio Spurs (6-13) 🔼 Last Week: 26
Break up the Spurs! They've won consecutive contests! For a Gregg Popovich-coached team, that is usually a meaningless accomplishment. However, by beating the Celtics last Friday and the Wizards on Monday night, San Antonio has a winning streak for the first time this season. According to the Associated Press, San Antonio has won back-to-back games 881 times under coach Pop since 1996, which is the most of any coach in NBA history. (Phil Jackson is second with 823.)
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-14) 🔽 Last Week: 25
OKC lost to the Rockets on Monday nightm but did get an encouraging performance from its young big man, Isaiah Roby, who tallied a season-high 17 points in 27 minutes. Tre Mann also notched his career-high with 17 points vs. Houston.&nbsp;
27. New Orleans Pelicans (6-17) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
Jonas Valanciunas erupted for a career-high 39 points along with 15 rebounds in Monday's victory over the Clippers. Valanciunas was a perfect 7-for-7 from downtown in the first half. Shockingly, Valanciunas now leads the NBA in three-point percentage this season, as he has knocked down 30 of his 58 attempts (51.7%).
28. Houston Rockets (4-16) 🔼 Last Week: 30
The Rockets young guns propelled them to a victory over OKC on Monday, which was Houston's third consecutive victory. Christian Wood poured in 24 points and grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds, while Kevin Porter Jr. notched the first triple-double of his career with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. At 21 years and 209 days old, KPJ became the youngest player in franchise history to record a triple-double.
29. Detroit Pistons (4-16) 🔽 Last Week: 28
The Pistons have lost six straight and sophomore Saddiq Bey, the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, continues to struggle with his efficiency. Bey has been asked to shoulder more of the offensive load for the rebuilding Pistons this season, but has not been able to locate his stroke. After posting a respectable 53% Effective Field Goal percentage as a rookie, Bey is shooting just 36.3% from the floor, including 29.4% from downtown and 73.2% from the free-throw line this season.
30. Orlando Magic (4-18) 🔽 Last Week: 29
Monday night was a bummer for the Magic. Not only did they lose to the Sixers, but they lost No. 5 overall pick, Jalen Suggs, for an "extended period of time," as he fractured his right thumb. Guards Michael Carter-Williams and Markelle Fultz are both also sidelined with injuries. (Editor's Note: Fultz <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rematch/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-39-markelle-fultz-talks-injuries,-dealing-with-criticism-his-love-of-the-game-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined "The Rematch" with Etan Thomas recently to discuss his recovery and more</a>.) Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said Monday there is no timeline for either player to return. Cole Anthony has missed six straight games due to an ankle injury to boot.

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Warriors, Suns still standing above the rest

One month into the 2021-22 NBA season, there's been no shortage of surprises. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are top-five teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture.
While it's still very early, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers:
Which NBA team is better than its record currently indicates?
Alex Kennedy: The Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious answer since the defending champs currently sit at 10th in the East with an 8-8 record. Injuries are largely to blame for Milwaukee&rsquo;s early struggles; several Bucks have missed multiple games including Khris Middleton (COVID-19), Jrue Holiday (ankle), Bobby Portis (hamstring), Brook Lopez (back), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and Rodney Hood (foot). Now that Milwaukee is healthy, I&rsquo;m confident that they&rsquo;ll climb back up the standings. I think the Toronto Raptors are better than their 8-9 record too. They were without their best player, Pascal Siakam, for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Now, he&rsquo;s back and beginning to look like himself again. I like Toronto&rsquo;s balanced attack, which features five players who average at least 16.0 points: OG Anunoby (20.1), Fred VanVleet (19.4), Siakam (17.0), Scottie Barnes (16.3) and Gary Trent Jr. (16.1). Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they are able to right this ship and make the playoffs.
Nekias Duncan: The Bucks are the easy one. It feels like their Big Three hasn't played since opening night. As they get healthier, they'll look like the title contenders that they are.
Spencer Davies: After the thrashing they put on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and their beatdown in Brooklyn on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be the answer. We can&rsquo;t just forget about Giannis Antetokounmpo because of this team&rsquo;s difficult, injury-riddled stretch; he&rsquo;s certainly given us every reason not to. Khris Middleton just got back on the court after missing eight games in the NBA&rsquo;s health-and-safety protocols, Jrue Holiday missed the first two weeks of the season essentially with a bum ankle and Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t suited up for a whole month in dealing with a bad back. Oh, and Donte DiVincenzo is still on the mend recovering from ankle surgery. These are explanations more than excuses, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Bucks go on a huge midseason run when the band gets back together.
Moke Hamilton: There are a few teams here that you could go with, and Milwaukee is probably most obvious. I&rsquo;d probably take Atlanta, though. These guys are a solid ball club, but their 0-4 Western road trip really sank them in the standings. Although they&rsquo;ll be without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter for the foreseeable future, I think they&rsquo;ll end up battling for a top-four seed in the conference.
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 8-9 and had been struggling with LeBron James sidelined. The roster was almost completely revamped this offseason and the team is still figuring out its rotations and how to play cohesively. Miscommunication and too much isolation on offense have been a problem, which may be smoothed over as we get deeper into the season and now that LeBron is back on the court.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ethan Fuller: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are 6-8, but a lot of that has to do with availability. Jrue Holiday only recently returned from injury, Brook Lopez and George Hill were both recently out with back injuries, and Khris Middleton was in the health-and-safety protocols. Milwaukee has gotten nice contributions from guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, but they can only do so much. This team will be fine once they get healthy.
Evan Sidery: Atlanta, because they&rsquo;re too talented not to be a top-five or six seed in the Eastern Conference. They&rsquo;ve gotten off to a slow start, plus De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is injured, but Trae Young should be able to steer the ship in the right direction in short order. Atlanta&rsquo;s depth is abundant, so once it all clicks, they should rise up the rankings significantly.
Blake Hairston: The easy answer is the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think many expected the reigning champion would start the season 6-8 after 14 games, but missing Khris Middleton for eight games, Jrue Holiday for six games and so on doesn't help. Let them get back to full strength and they'll be back in the mix for the top of the East.
Alexander Cohen: The Los Angeles Clippers sit at a 9-7 record, which isn't horrible, but it's not a representation of how good this Clippers team is, even without Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is having another terrific regular season thus far and he&rsquo;s surrounded by excellent role players including new acquisitions in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have both shined on their new team. The Clippers were finally having their great play reflected in the win column during their recent seven-game win streak, but then they dropped three of four games.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Drew Maresca: The Hawks and Bucks should both be much better than their respective records, but they&rsquo;re dealing with different situations. The Bucks have dealt with major injury woes. Through 14 games, Khris Middleton had missed eight games, Brook Lopez had missed 13, and Jrue Holiday had missed six &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not even all of their injuries. The Bucks will inevitably get healthy, and that should solve most of their problems. The Hawks, on the other hand, have simply faced a brutal schedule. They&rsquo;ve played the league-leading Warriors once (0-1), the East-leading Wizards twice (1-1) and the championship-favorite Nets once (0-1). They&rsquo;ve also had games against the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Bucks &mdash; and only four of their 15 games came against sub-.500 teams. Once their schedule eases up, the Hawks should be just fine too.
Jannelle Moore: To me, the Charlotte Hornets are a better team than their record currently indicates. This is a team that has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, plus they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a scare in overtime. They won those games thanks to an offense that can attack in different ways. They are a big away from making significant noise.
Check out our other roundtable discussions, where we asked our writers about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-has-surprised-you-in-the-first-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which player has surprised them the most</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-will-shake-off-a-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which star will be able to shake off their slow start</a>.

One month into the 2021-21 NBA season, which team is better than its record currently indicates? We our asked our writers.

NBA Roundtable: Which team is better than its record indicates?

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-hints-he-could-be-moving-on-to-a-new-team-in-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
Last year&rsquo;s championship run by the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo offered up the perfect blueprint of how to go all the way while remaining true to your team and fans. After all the disappointing playoff exits and questions, the Bucks would finally click and fulfill their potential.
Led by their drafted superstar, a homegrown core, their long-term head coach and several perfect additions, the Bucks finally pushed through and brought the Larry O'Brien trophy to Milwaukee after a 50-year drought &mdash; a historic moment, with their Antetokounmpo enjoying the spotlight. His loyalty and love for the city are well known, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean &ldquo;The Greek Freak&rdquo; will be a Buck for life.
Shaky start to the title defense
The ring ceremony and opening game versus Brooklyn looked like a statement that this team had returned even stronger and scarier. But then a series of unfortunate events would hit the Bucks. Most of their key players got sidelined with injuries and COVID cases, as guys like Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo and more missed (or are still missing) time.
Coach Mike Budenholzer has used this time to shuffle the rotations a bit and try out some new pieces. That has led to pretty inconsistent play from the Bucks, who are sitting at 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 7-8 record. Nobody is really panicking, but it is obvious they need to pick it up. The East is deep with plenty of quality teams this season, so coming out of the conference won't be an easy task.
Is the face of loyalty in the NBA moving on?
It is hard to find many NBA fans that had a problem with the Bucks winning it all. After all, it is rare in today&rsquo;s NBA to see a team persevere through numerous disappointing playoff exits, only to win it all with the superstar they drafted and developed into one of the best in the league. Also, from Giannis&rsquo; perspective, it was admirable to stick it out with his team in the small market of Milwaukee rather than joining other stars in a big market.
That earned Antetokounmpo immense respect among NBA fans, as he finally added that elusive championship to the numerous personal accolades on his resume and solidified his spot alongside the NBA's greats at just 26 years old. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine him playing anywhere else, but a recent interview with GQ could definitely spark your imagination.
In a huge piece, <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/giannis-antetokounmpo-athlete-of-the-year-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GQ presented us with an inside look</a> at Giannis&rsquo; life on and off the court, including fashion and his plans for the future. One interesting part that caught the attention of fans revolved around overcoming the challenge of bringing a championship to Milwaukee and looking for the next one, without ruling out the possibility of doing it somewhere else. Here is an excerpt from <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/giannis-antetokounmpo-athlete-of-the-year-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the piece</a>:
In the end, Giannis decided to stay in Milwaukee because it was difficult. And then, improbably, the Bucks won. 
&ldquo;One challenge was to bring a championship here, and we did,&rdquo; he told me. &ldquo;It was very hard, but we did. Very, very hard. I just love challenges. What&rsquo;s the next challenge? The next challenge might not be here.&rdquo; 
It&rsquo;s not that he doesn&rsquo;t love Milwaukee, he said. But he was always wary of things becoming too easy. 
&ldquo;Me and my family chose to stay in this city that we all love and has taken care of us&mdash;for now,&rdquo; Giannis said. &ldquo;In two years, that might change. I&rsquo;m being totally honest with you. I&rsquo;m always honest. I love this city. I love this community. I want to help as much as possible."
You can interpret this a number of ways, but I&rsquo;m pretty sure this is simply about Giannis&rsquo; insatiable desire to compete. Antetokounmpo is a different breed, as he simply doesn&rsquo;t take days off. After getting the taste of glory, Giannis now wants to win every year, as simply competing won&rsquo;t be enough to keep him happy for the rest of his career.&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo wants to be playing for a championship year in and year out, whether with the Bucks or some other team. With that said, if the Bucks surround their centerpiece with talent and put him in position to contend, he'll have no reason to leave.&nbsp;
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Giannis Antetokounmpo told GQ that he's looking forward to the next challenge, whether that's in Milwaukee or not.

Giannis loves Milwaukee, but hints next challenge 'might not be here'

How much should poor play be discounted by injuries?
It's one of the core philosophical questions of these Sour Rankings, and a layered thought that produces different answers in different viewers. Obviously, fans should feel distraught when a player gets hurt, especially when it results in a long-term injury. But if a team starts losing in the absence of key contributors, how much does that matter?
My answer is: It depends. This week (spoiler alert), the 5-5 Los Angeles Lakers make their Sour Rankings season debut in part due to LeBron James being sidelined. The Milwaukee Bucks, however, do not, with Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton out.
Milwaukee knows what it has in about 85% of its roster, and things should click when those players return. But the Lakers are still figuring things out, and when the centerpiece of all centerpieces goes down for an extended period, that severely impacts team development. You'll hear more about the Lakers below.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher. Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well-under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and general underwhelming play will all be considered.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Some teams value wins this season and paths to a title, while others are looking down the road at long-term pieces. Let's get going:
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Brooklyn Nets are cruising as winners of four straight, and have potentially outlived their place in these rankings for good. Portland continues to split weeks, but at 5-5, has room to grow once Damian Lillard rounds into form.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers used a 4-0 week to complete turn their early-season outlook around. And though I still loathe much about the Dallas Mavericks, they are 6-3, and Luka Doncic's buzzer-beater was perhaps the highlight of the past week,
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
10. Charlotte Hornets (5-6)
Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball may be lighting things up, but the Hornets have lost four games in a row thanks to some eye-sore defense. Charlotte ranks 29th in half-court points allowed per play, according to Cleaning the Glass, and has given up an average of 121.8 points during its four-game skid.
Opponents have been shooting a 56.1% Effective Field Goal percentage (second-highest) and taking 19.3 free throws per 100 shots (fifth-most). Charlotte has to clean things up with some high-powered offenses coming down the pipe.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Houston Rockets (1-9)
The Rockets have the longest losing streak in the NBA at eight games. That's not necessarily a huge issue given the team's rebuilding focus. But Houston has been difficult to watch at times as the backcourt of the future undergoes some serious growing pains.
Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green are averaging a combined 8.2 assists against 7.4 turnovers per game, while neither holds a True Shooting percentage over 48% (very bad). Houston turns the ball over more than any other team, and fans just kind of have to ride the wave at this point.
(Last week: 9)
8. Detroit Pistons (1-8)
Detroit's offense has been blindingly bad for most of the season. The Pistons sport a league-worst 45.2 eFG%, which is over three percentage points lower than the No. 29 Oklahoma City Thunder; for context, three percentage points separate OKC from the 19th-ranked Clippers. Cade Cunningham cannot buy a perimeter bucket to save his life (though he's still shown positive flashes early), and neither can most other Pistons players.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Cade Cunningham isn't super bursty, isn't an elite vertical athlete. He'll win with craft and power. Enjoying the way he's using his shoulder to create space -- no real need to push off and leave yourself susceptible to offensive fouls. <a href="https://t.co/pRg0Z2V0Lr">pic.twitter.com/pRg0Z2V0Lr</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1456767554718941185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

However, I'll concede a small positive: Killian Hayes has made 38.1% of his threes, albeit on just 21 total attempts. He's found some touch from the corners with a 40% clip. I'd feel a lot better if the rest of his scoring efficiency wasn't so abysmal.
(Last week: 8)
7. Indiana Pacers (4-7)
Even without Malcolm Brogdon, the Pacers found a nice little groove this week, going 3-1 with wins over the Spurs, Knicks and Kings. They're still middle-of-the-road for most basic metrics in classic Pacers fashion, but things were really getting scary, and maybe some positive momentum can get them out of the Sour Rankings next week.
I'm intrigued by this four-man group of Chris Duarte, Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. That's a lot of scoring and playmaking versatility in my mind, and it could flourish with Brogdon or TJ McConnell at point guard. The aforementioned group has outscored teams by 26 points per 100 possessions in 64 minutes together (smal sample size alert).
(Last week: 2)
6. Atlanta Hawks (4-6)
What's going on in Atlanta? The Hawks went 1-3 this week &mdash; though they were tough losses against Brooklyn, Utah and Phoenix &mdash; and are 1-5 in their last six games. Surprisingly, this group ranks 28th in three-point frequency, per Cleaning the Glass. That's despite John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari and De'Andre Hunter all shooting over 40% from downtown. Atlanta is also 23rd in rim-attempt frequency, but second in mid-range frequency. Weird.
(Last week: Unranked)
5. Los Angeles Lakers (5-5)
In a 1-2 week, L.A. lost and struggled to score against two pretty terrible Thunder and Blazer defenses. In fairness, the Lakers were without Anthony Davis against Portland, and Carmelo Anthony has really shined as a spark plug off the bench.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Russell Westbrook to a reporter asking about the final possessions: "You saw it. Don't ask me questions you know the answer to. You seen it. I lost the ball. I missed a three. There's nothing to it." <a href="https://t.co/7aeYFlwxFH">pic.twitter.com/7aeYFlwxFH</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1456603115403321353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

But this is all about LeBron James, who the Lakers said will miss at least a week with an abdominal strain. Los Angeles' former trainer thinks it <a href="https://theathletic.com/2940950/2021/11/07/lebron-james-could-be-out-much-longer-than-the-lakers-are-saying-can-they-survive-without-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be more like 4-8 weeks</a>. It's extremely ominous that the 36-year-old James is missing extended periods in multiple seasons after multiple shortened offseasons... and that the Lakers are struggling to win without him.
(Last week: Unranked)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-5)
This rapid downhill spiral feels all too familiar for Minnesota, who lost all three matchups this week by double digits. The Timberwolves take the most threes in the entire NBA, but make just 32.1% of their attempts. They're also making a mind-numbing 22.8% of their corner three attempts, nearly eight percentage points worse than any other team.
Quite honestly, I don't see how the latter rate improves looking at this roster. D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards, who are streaky in their own right, won't be chilling in the corner often. Outside of Malik Beasley, the rest of the team doesn't possess much perimeter upside, meaning it's on Beasley and Karl-Anthony Towns to carry the load.
(Last week: Unranked)
3. Boston Celtics (4-6)
What an absolutely wacky week for the Celtics. They were outscored in that 39-11 fourth quarter in the loss to Chicago (prompting a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-celtics-host-playersonly-meeting-prior-to-win-over-magic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">players-only meeting</a>), and then stomped the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat on a back-to-back before losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Now Boston will be without Jaylen Brown for 1-2 weeks due to a hamstring strain.
It feels like everyone, including myself, has been shouting at the team to attack the basket. The Celtics are 27th in the league in rim-attempt frequency despite being ninth in field goal percentage at the basket. The problem is they lack the consistent downhill players to apply more pressure outside of Dennis Schr&ouml;der.
(Last week: 4)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
2. Phoenix Suns (5-3)
Sure, the Suns are on a four-game winning streak. But that pales in comparison to the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/unpacking-espns-damning-allegations-against-suns-owner-robert-sarver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bombshell ESPN report on Robert Sarver's alleged racism and sexism</a> that was finally released this past Friday.&nbsp;
Obviously, due process exists, and the NBA will have to finish its full investigation before final judgement is passed. But this report didn't just contain one-off instances; there was a clear alleged pattern of discrimination and disrespect that began with Sarver and spread throughout Suns management. It's yet another reminder of how easily owners and teams can cover up toxicity in the workplace.
(Last week: 6)
1. New Orleans Pelicans (1-9)
Yeesh, the Pelicans are awful. They've lost six in a row, and the margin of defeat has increased with each subsequent contest. New Orleans isn't doing anything particularly well right now outside of rebounding, and that's essentially attributed to Jonas Valanciunas and his 14.1 boards per game. Pick a non-rebounding team stat, and you'll likely find the Pelicans near the bottom. I feel for Brandon Ingram right now.
(Last week: 1)

Ethan Fuller questions the impact of short-term injuries in this week's Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Championship contenders challenged

Before we dive into Tuesday&rsquo;s NBA picks against the spread for a five-game slate, we have some exciting news to announce here for &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; and <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>. Welcome aboard, <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prize Picks</a>! They are our new Daily Fantasy Sports sponsor for the entire site podcast network, and we&rsquo;re looking forward to working with them this year.
We also have a new sportsbook we will be using on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; called <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiA2t_C3PrzAhXiUN8KHeiaACoQFnoECAsQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twinspires.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw145kVDE2O0VQM47CqOwYUX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TwinSpires</a>! You know horse racing, and TwinSpires is located right in the heart of horse country placing bets for the Kentucky Derby. We have some exciting news about our partnerships with TwinSpires, which will be announced later on this season.
With a new format featuring a sportsbook and same-game parlay change, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is about to go to a whole new level. Make sure to subscribe on whatever streaming platform you&rsquo;re listening to and listen every morning to find your NBA betting edge.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI6572234373" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
In the meantime, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into our picks for Tuesday! Again, all odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook.
Detroit Pistons vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-4)
Although Khris Middleton is a late scratch for the Bucks, plus the looming injury concerns for Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez, we&rsquo;re projecting one of those special performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo as a one-man band. Cade Cunningham is back for Detroit, but if Giannis goes off his presence won&rsquo;t matter. I love the short-handed Bucks in this situation, and give me the point even as well on the 4-point spread. If you want to follow my lead on Prize Picks&rsquo; DFS plays, here&rsquo;s a Giannis-centric one I&rsquo;m investing in: Giannis over 31.5 points, over 12.5 rebounds, over 6.5 assists. Antetokounmpo as a one-man band is still a scary sight for defenses, and using this power play on Prize Picks can win you back $400 on a $100 bet. Tail me on the Bucks tonight thanks to Giannis going supernova on his own.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat (-2)
As I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/heat-showcasing-early-on-why-they-belong-in-the-nbas-elite-tier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote last week</a>, the Miami Heat are for real. They are one of the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s elite teams thanks to a perfectly balanced two-way attack. The veteran additions of PJ Tucker and Kyle Lowry have been outstanding. Tyler Herro is taking a Year 3 leap of his own. Everything is coming together right now for Miami, which eases the weight on Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s shoulders. In this matchup going one-on-one against Luka Doncic, I&rsquo;m rolling with Butler and the Heat to get this one done on the road. Miami should win by at least one possession against Dallas, who has struggled against good teams early on. On Prize Picks&rsquo; power play, here&rsquo;s a fun parlay to build: Butler over 21.5 points, Doncic over 24.5 points, Butler over 5.5 assists, Doncic under 3 threes, Butler over 0.5 threes. This bet you can wager $100 to win $1,000 on Prize Picks.
Utah Jazz (-9) vs. Sacramento Kings
The Kings have been one of the surprise stories early on this season, but this feels like a super tough matchup on the road against Utah. Sacramento will want to push the pace, while Utah will try to grind it out and force the Kings into submission. Even with the 9-point spread, I&rsquo;m riding with the Jazz to win outright and cover that margin. This is a great opportunity for Utah to flex its muscles as one of the NBA&rsquo;s top teams. The Jazz are so well-balanced on both ends of the court thanks to Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and a slew of valuable veteran depth pieces. Utah -9 is what I&rsquo;m betting on with a double-digit victory in store for the Jazz. On Prize Picks, here&rsquo;s a fun power play to build from this battle in Utah: Mitchell under 26.5 points, Gobert over 13.5 points, Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Mitchell under 3.5 threes, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox under 5 assists.
Phoenix Suns (-11.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans&rsquo; struggles have been severe without Zion Williamson, and now Brandon Ingram is doubtful to play in Phoenix tonight as well. Even if Deandre Ayton doesn&rsquo;t play for the Suns, who is questionable, Phoenix should roll here rather easily. Former Suns assistant coach Willie Green makes his return to the Valley, but it&rsquo;s hard to envision the Pelicans being competitive without their two best players on the court. Devin Booker and Chris Paul should feast easily on the Pelicans&rsquo; backcourt, plus Mikal Bridges has shown real improvements early on as potentially their new third-option offensively. Bridges has the green light to shoot, and right now he&rsquo;s averaging a career-best mark on attempts per game. Suns -11.5 is one of my favorite locks of the night, especially with no Ingram for New Orleans with a current doubtful status. On Prize Picks, here&rsquo;s a Suns-centric one at +400 odds: Booker over 24.5 points, Bridges over 12.5 points, Paul over 9.5 assists, Booker over 4.5 assists.
Los Angeles Lakers (-10.5) vs. Houston Rockets
The last time these two teams played, a horrible bad beat ensued, as the Rockets pulled off a miraculous backdoor cover when it was a blowout defeat. This time around on a lower point spread at 10.5, Los Angeles should cruise once more and actually finish the job covering as well. As we saw last week, the Rockets are no match for the Lakers&rsquo; star-studded trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. I&rsquo;m expecting a similar script to be followed here as well, where the Lakers dominate from start to finish and win by double-digits. On Prize Picks, a power play at +400 odds really stands out: Davis over 23.5 points, Davis over 10 rebounds, James over 6 assists, James over 3 free throws made.
Recapping our picks, here&rsquo;s what &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is riding with on Tuesday: Bucks -4, Heat -2, Jazz -9, Suns -11.5, Lakers -10.5.
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 11/2/21

After rolling out my<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-the-top-150-nba-players-for-fantasy-basketball-in-2021-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Top-150 NBA Fantasy overall rankings</a> last week, I have broken down each position into tiers.
It is important to state that these rankings are based on a nine-category roto format (points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and turnovers). Also, please note position eligibility is based on Yahoo&rsquo;s fantasy settings and, as a result, many players qualify at multiple positions.
Guards
The two biggest question marks among all guards reside in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Ben Simmons has (awkwardly) returned to Sixers, but it is still unclear whether Big Ben plans to "merely report to the team or truly rejoin the team," <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-arrives-in-philly-takes-covid19-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>. Thus, Simmons is arguably the biggest boom-or-bust fantasy pick in the NBA this season.
Irving, on the other hand, is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/itll-be-difficult-for-kyrie-and-the-nets-to-come-back-from-this" target="_blank" rel="noopener">persona non grata in the borough of Brooklyn</a>. Although Kyrie is eligible to participate in the Nets' away games, Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said Tuesday that Irving will not be allowed to play or practice with the team at all until he gets vaccinated. &ldquo;He has a choice to make, and he made his choice,&rdquo; Marks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-say-kyrie-irving-cant-play-or-practice-with-team-while-unvaccinated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters Tuesday</a>. &ldquo;And my job here is to make what we deem is the best choices for the organization moving ahead and as a whole.&rdquo; There is certainly still a chance Irving gets his jab and is cleared to play, but it&rsquo;s too much of a risk to roll the dice until late in the draft, in my opinion.
Tier 1: James Harden PG, SG (BKN)&nbsp; Luka Doncic PG, SG (DAL) Stephen Curry PG, SG (GSW) Damian Lillard PG (POR)
Tier 2: Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) Trae Young PG (ATL) Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL)
Tier 3: Fred VanVleet PG, SG (TOR) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG, SG (OKC)
Tier 4: Jrue Holiday PG, SG (MIL) Chris Paul PG (PHO) &nbsp; Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI) Donovan Mitchell PG, SG (UTAH)
Tier 5: Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) De'Aaron Fox PG (SAC)&nbsp; Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO)
Tier 6: LaMelo Ball PG, SG (CHA) CJ McCollum PG, SG (POR) Russell Westbrook PG (LAL) Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU)&nbsp; Dejounte Murray PG, SG (SAS) Malcolm Brogdon PG, SG (IND)&nbsp; Terry Rozier PG, SG (CHA)
Tier 7: Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) Lonzo Ball PG, SG (CHI) Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) Ja Morant PG (MEM) Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) Darius Garland PG, SG (CLE) Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) Kyle Lowry PG (MIA) Tyrese Haliburton PG, SG (SAC) Derrick White PG, SG (SAS)
Tier 8: Mike Conley PG (UTAH) Jalen Suggs PG, SG (ORL) Spencer Dinwiddie PG, SG (WAS) Cade Cunningham PG, SG (DET) Ben Simmons PG (PHI) Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) D&rsquo;Angelo Russell PG, SG (MIN) Collin Sexton PG, SG (CLE) Marcus Smart PG, SG (BOS) Jordan Poole PG, SG (GSW)&nbsp;
Tier 9: Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW)&nbsp; Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) Devonte&rsquo; Graham PG, SG (NOP) Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC) Norman Powell SG, SF (POR) Kemba Walker PG (NYK) RJ Barrett SG, SF (NYK) Reggie Jackson PG, SG (LAC) Dennis Schroder PG (BOS) Jordan Clarkson PG, SG (UTAH) Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH) Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN) Kyrie Irving PG, SG (BKN)&nbsp;
Tier 10:&nbsp; De&rsquo;Anthony Melton PG, SG (MEM) Jalen Green SG (HOU) Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW) Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) T.J. McConnell PG, SG (IND) Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) Eric Bledsoe PG, SG (LAC) Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) Josh Giddey PG, SG, SF (OKC) Tyrese Maxey PG, SG (PHI)
Forwards
Looking for a potential sleeper at forward? I&rsquo;d suggest highlighting Pascal Siakam or Evan Mobley on your cheat sheet.&nbsp;
After a phenomenal 2019-20 campaign, in which he was named to the All-NBA Second Team, Siakam failed to live up to expectations last season; his scoring average, three-point makes and effective field goal percentage all decreased. In addition, Pascal is still working his way back from surgery on a torn labrum, which has forced his ADP (Average Draft Position) to plummet. However, earlier this week, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said his star forward has been &ldquo;going 100%&rdquo; without contact for about 4-6 weeks, and could return later this month.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Evan Mobley is going to be a special defender in the NBA. GMs believe that Mobley will be the best player from his draft class in five years 👀 (🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Schmitz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mike_Schmitz</a>) <a href="https://t.co/iPiaabn2Gu">pic.twitter.com/iPiaabn2Gu</a>
&mdash; NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1446161049753882629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Mobley&rsquo;s stock is soaring after impressive performances and extended usage for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the preseason (he&rsquo;s leading his team in playing time, logging 28.4 minutes per game). Mr. Mobley is probably worth the gamble, as his upside is emarkably enticing.&nbsp;
Tier 1: Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN)
Tier 2: Jayson Tatum SF, PF (BOS) Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C (MIL) Kevin Durant SF, PF (BKN) Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL)&nbsp; Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) Paul George SF, PF, SG (LAC)
Tier 3: Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL) Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) Michael Porter Jr. SF, PF (DEN Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI)
Tier 4: Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO) Myles Turner PF, C (IND) OG Anunoby SF, PF (TOR)&nbsp; Tobias Harris SF, PF (PHI)
Tier 5: Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) Brandon Ingram SF, PF (NOP) Christian Wood PF, C (HOU) Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL) John Collins PF, C (ATL) Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU)&nbsp; Zion Williamson PF (NOP)
Tier 6: Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR) Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM) Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR) Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS)
Tier 7: Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) Jerami Grant SF, PF (DET) Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) Miles Bridges SF, PF (CHA) Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET) Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC)&nbsp; Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET) Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW)&nbsp;
Tier 8: Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) Norman Powell SG, SF (POR) Kyle Anderson SF, PF (MEM) Jonathan Isaac SF, PF (ORL) Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) Harrison Barnes SF, PF (SAC) Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL) De&rsquo;Andre Hunter SF, PF (ATL) Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS)
Tier 9: Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH) Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE) Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; Keldon Johnson SF, PF (SAS) Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN) T.J. Warren SF, PF (IND) Jae'Sean Tate SF, PF (HOU) Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU) Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) Saddiq Bey SF (DET)\ Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW) Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) Al Horford PF, C (BOS)
Tier 10: Kyle Kuzma SF, PF (WAS) Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) Nicolas Batum SF, PF, SG (LAC) Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC) Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU) Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) Aaron Gordon SF, PF (DEN)
Centers
Centers take on added importance in fantasy hoops due to the scarcity. That&rsquo;s part of the reason why Jokic is viewed as the near-unanimous top overall selection in drafts this year.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Last season, Jokic authored a season for the ages. Not only did he score a career-high 26.4 points and rip down 10.8 rebounds per game, but he also dished out an average of 8.3 dimes each night, joining Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 boards and 8 assists over a season. Incredibly, Jokic tallied a total of 599 assists in 2020-21, which was the third-most in the entire league. Wilt Chamberlain, who led the NBA with 8.6 APG in 1967-68, is the only center to post a higher assist-average over a full season. As a fantasy cherry on top, the Joker proved incredibly durable, appearing in every game last season.
Tier 1: Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN)
Tier 2: Karl-Anthony Towns C (MIN)
Tier 3: Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C&nbsp; Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL)
Tier 4: Nikola Vucevic C (CHI) Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) Rudy Gobert C (UTAH)
Tier 5: Myles Turner PF, C (IND) Clint Capela C (ATL) Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) Deandre Ayton C (PHO) Christian Wood PF, C (HOU)&nbsp; Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL) John Collins PF, C (ATL)
Tier 6: Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM) Jusuf Nurkic C (POR) Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR) Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR)&nbsp; Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS) Jonas Valanciunas C (NOP) Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) Jarrett Allen C (CLE) Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET) Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET)
Tier 7: P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) Mitchell Robinson C (NYK) Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) Jakob Poeltl C (SAS) Wendell Carter Jr. C (ORL) Brook Lopez C (MIL) Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL)
Tier 8: Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS) Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE) Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU) Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) Ivica Zubac C (LAC) Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) Al Horford PF, C (BOS)
Tier 9: Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC) Mo Bamba C (ORL) Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) Thomas Bryant C (WAS) Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU)&nbsp;
Tier 10: Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) Andre Drummond C (PHI)&nbsp; Steven Adams C (MEM) Serge Ibaka PF, C (LAC)&nbsp; James Wiseman C (GSW) Naz Reid C (MIN) Marvin Bagley III PF, C (SAC) LaMarcus Aldridge PF, C (BKN) Nicolas Claxton PF, C (BKN) Kevin Love PF, C (CLE) Hassan Whiteside PF, C (UTAH)

Tommy Beer divides the top NBA fantasy guards, forwards and centers into 10 tiers each based on their value.

2021-22 NBA Fantasy Basketball Rankings: 10 tiers for each position

With the start of the season just three weeks away, here is my ranking of the top 150 players for the 2021-22 campaign.
It is imperative to note that this list is based on nine-category roto scoring formats (points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and turnovers) .&nbsp;
I've added comments to a handful of players to help explain the rationale behind some of their rankings.&nbsp;
So without further ado, let's get to it.
1. Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN) 2. James Harden PG, SG (BKN): The Beard was the top-ranked fantasy player in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He's healthy and ready to rock in Brooklyn. 3. Luka Doncic PG, SG (DAL) 4. Stephen Curry PG, SG (GSW) 5. Karl-Anthony Towns C (MIN) 6. Damian Lillard PG (POR): Dame is one of only two players in NBA history to record at least 1,500 points and 400 assists in each of their first nine seasons; Oscar Robertson is the other. 7. Jayson Tatum SF, PF (BOS) 8. Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C (MIL): There have been some mildly concerning signs regarding Giannis' left knee since the start of training camp. (The reigning NBA Finals MVP <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1445846786657112074?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assures us he's alright</a>.) He should be ready for opening night, but I fully expect the Bucks to rest their franchise cornerstone early and often to reduce wear-and-tear on the knee.&nbsp; 9. Kevin Durant SF, PF (BKN) 10. Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) 11. Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) 12. Paul George SF, PF, SG (LAC) 13. Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL): AD finished both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 season ranked second overall in nine-category fantasy formats. Yes, the injury issues are certainly a concern, but he's a steal in the second round due to his unmatched ceiling.&nbsp; 14. Nikola Vucevic C (CHI) 15. Trae Young PG (ATL) 16. Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) 17. LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL) 18. Fred VanVleet PG, SG (TOR): Last season, VanVleet joined Harden and Curry as just the third player in NBA history to average more than 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 made triples and 1.5 steals per game. 19. Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) 20. Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) 21. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG, SG (OKC): The Oklahoma City Thunder's max-man is primed for a breakout campaign. 22. Rudy Gobert C (UTAH) 23. Michael Porter Jr. SF, PF (DEN): MPJ shot over 40% from downtown in each of his first two seasons (42.2% and 44.5%). The only other active players to do that in each of their first two NBA campaigns (min. 100 three-point attempts) are the Splash Brothers: Curry and Klay Thompson. 24. Jrue Holiday PG, SG (MIL) 25. Chris Paul PG (PHO) &nbsp; 26. Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI) 27. Donovan Mitchell PG, SG (UTAH): In the 19 games he appeared in after the All-Star Break, Mitchell averaged 29.6 points per contest. The only player with a higher post-ASB scoring average was Curry. 28. Tobias Harris SF, PF (PHI) 29. Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) 30. Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) 31. Myles Turner PF, C (IND) 32. De'Aaron Fox PG (SAC): Over a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-can-deaaron-fox-save-the-sacramento-kings-postseason-play-in-tournament-playoff-hopes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12-game stretch late last season</a>, Fox averaged 30.6 points (on 53.4% shooting), 6.7 dimes and 4.2 boards. If he can improve his offensive efficiency and cut down on his turnovers, Fox has a chance to establish himself as a fantasy stud. 33. Clint Capela C (ATL) 34. Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) 35. Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO) 36. OG Anunoby SF, PF (TOR): In 2020-21, OG finished the year ranked 35th overall in nine-category leagues (one spot behind LeBron James). 37. Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) 38. Brandon Ingram SF, PF (NOP) 39. Deandre Ayton C (PHO) 40. Christian Wood PF, C (HOU)&nbsp; 41. LaMelo Ball PG, SG (CHA): I'm not nearly as high on LaMelo as the rest of the industry seems to be. He exceeded expectations as a rookie, but I'm worried about his effective field goal percentage (eFG%) dropping and his turnover rate increasing. 42. CJ McCollum PG, SG (POR) 43. Zion Williamson PF (NOP): Zion underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot early in the offseason. The team "hopes" he'll return by the start of the regular season, but this is a problematic injury for the high-flying big man. ​​44. Russell Westbrook PG (LAL) 45. Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL): If KP plays even 65+ games, he's a steal in the fifth round. 46. Dejounte Murray PG, SG (SAS) 47. Malcolm Brogdon PG, SG (IND)&nbsp; 48. Terry Rozier PG, SG (CHA) 49. John Collins PF, C (ATL) 50. Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU): KPJ is gonna get buckets and dimes (he averaged 17.2 PPG and 6.3 APG over the final two months of the 2020-21 season); my only concerns are his high turnover rate and poor percentages.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
25 PTS for <a href="https://twitter.com/Kevinporterjr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kevinporterjr</a> power the <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoustonRockets</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPreseason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPreseason</a> <a href="https://t.co/iDXezFBiBi">pic.twitter.com/iDXezFBiBi</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1445590596987482121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
51. Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) 52. Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM): Jackson is one of two active players averaging at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers per game for his career. The issue has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-gms-believe-jaren-jackson-jr-is-poised-for-a-breakout-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">staying on the floor</a>, as injuries have limited JJJ to a total of just 126 games in three seasons. 53. Lonzo Ball PG, SG (CHI) 54. Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) 55. Ja Morant PG (MEM): The upside is tantalizing, but Morant was the only player in the NBA last season to attempt more than 15 shots per game and shoot below 45% from the floor, below 75% from the FT and below 31% from downtown. 56. Jusuf Nurkic C (POR) 57. Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) 58. Darius Garland PG, SG (CLE) 59. Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR): Boucher finished last season ranked 40th overall in nine-category formats despite logging just 24.2 minutes a night. However, he just had surgery on his dislocated left middle finger and is expected to miss a "minimum" of 3-to-4 weeks.&nbsp; 60. Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) 61. DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) 62. Kyle Lowry PG (MIA) 63. Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR): Once fully healthy, I think Siakam will bounce back in a big way and inherit plenty of scoring opportunities with Kyle Lowry no longer in the picture. Still, Siakam had shoulder surgery in June and will likely miss at least the start of the season. 64. Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS) 65. Tyrese Haliburton PG, SG (SAC): He finished last season ranked 65th overall in nine-category fantasy formats, and I think he has a chance to crack the top-50 this year.&nbsp; 66. Derrick White PG, SG (SAS) 67. Jonas Valanciunas C (NOP) 68. Kyrie Irving PG, SG (BKN): Kyrie could end up missing every Nets home game <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kevin-durant-im-envisioning-kyrie-being-a-part-of-our-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">if he refuses to get vaccinated</a>. So many unknowns are swirling around him right now. I'll pass.&nbsp; 69. Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) 70. Mike Conley PG (UTAH) 71. Jalen Suggs PG, SG (ORL): My pick for Rookie of the Year. Suggs can do it all and should see all the minutes he can handle for a rebuilding Orlando Magic squad.&nbsp; 72. Spencer Dinwiddie PG, SG (WAS) 73. Cade Cunningham PG, SG (DET) 74. Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) 75. Jerami Grant SF, PF (DET) 76. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell PG, SG (MIN) 77. Collin Sexton PG, SG (CLE): Last season, Sexton became the second-youngest player in NBA history (behind only KD) to average more than 24 points per game while shooting above 47% from the floor and 37% from downtown. 78. Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) 79. Jarrett Allen C (CLE) 80. Miles Bridges SF, PF (CHA): Over his final 15 games last season, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 3.1 made three-pointers. He did so while shooting over 50% from the floor, 42% from downtown and 84% from the charity stripe. 81. Marcus Smart PG, SG (BOS) 82. Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET): Kelly-O averaged a whopping 19.0, 8.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.8 treys and 1.4 steals in the 27 games he played in Houston last season. The Pistons signed him to a big contract in August, hoping he can come close to replicating those numbers. 83. Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET) 84. Kemba Walker PG (NYK) 85. Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW): Now that he's vaccinated, we know he'll be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/andrew-wiggins-has-been-vaccinated-will-be-eligible-for-all-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleared to play</a> in all Golden State Warriors home games this season.&nbsp; 86. Devonte&rsquo; Graham PG, SG (NOP) 87. Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) 88. P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) 89. Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC): Dating back to the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Buddy has knocked down more triples (831) than any other player in the NBA (Harden, Lillard and Curry rank second, third and fourth, respectively). 90. Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) 91. NOPman Powell SG, SF (POR) 92. Kyle Anderson SF, PF (MEM) 93. Mitchell Robinson C (NYK): In 2018-19, Mitch Rob led all rookies in blocks (2.4) and field goal percentage (69.4%). As a sophomore in 2019-20, he made 74.2% of all field goals he attempted, setting the all-time NBA record for the highest single-season field goal percentage ever, passing Wilt Chamberlain. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/its-been-three-years-and-mitchell-robinson-still-has-a-lot-to-prove" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Can he stay healthy</a> in 2020-21? 94. Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) 95. RJ Barrett SG, SF (NYK) 96. Jakob Poeltl C (SAS) 97. Ben Simmons PG (PHI): Impossible to try and figure out this Simmons situation going forward. I'm not willing to roll the dice until the value starts getting ridiculous. 98. Jonathan Isaac SF, PF (ORL) 99. Wendell Carter Jr. C (ORL) 100. Reggie Jackson PG, SG (LAC) 101. Brook Lopez C (MIL) 102. Harrison Barnes SF, PF (SAC) 103. Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) 104. Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL) 105. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter SF, PF (ATL) 106. Dennis Schroder PG (BOS) 107. Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN): Beasley has appeared in just 51 games for the Wolves since being acquired at the trade deadline in 2020, but has averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 boards, 2.4 dimes and a whopping 3.5 made treys. A great late-round value pick if he can stay on the court.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Malik Beasley 29 points in 32 minutes last night... averaging 20/5 on the season... time to starting giving him his flowers as a top young talent in the NBA <a href="https://t.co/wz7XnezAzf">pic.twitter.com/wz7XnezAzf</a>
&mdash; Ben Stinar (@BenStinar) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenStinar/status/1357329089997209602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
108. Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) 109. Jordan Clarkson PG, SG (UTAH) 110. Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH): He's not the sexiest pick, but Ingles will help in nearly every fantasy category and doesn't hurt you in any way. 111. Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE): The Cleveland Cavaliers have excess depth up front, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been raving about Markkanen during camp. He was a forgotten man in Chicago last season, but the dude is a 7-footer who can stretch the floor, is still just 24 years of age and averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds during his age-21 season. 112. Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS) 113. Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; 114. Keldon Johnson SF, PF (SAS) 115. T.J. Warren SF, PF (IND): Yes, Warren's injury history is undoubtedly concerning &mdash;&nbsp; and he is currently still recovering from a stress fracture in his foot &mdash; but this is a guy who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finished inside the top-50</a> overall back in 2019-20.&nbsp; 116. Jae'Sean Tate SF, PF (HOU) 117. De&rsquo;Anthony Melton PG, SG (MEM) 118. Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU): Theis ranked inside the top-100 overall when he logged starter minutes for the Boston Celtics in 2019-20. He could see 25 or more minutes a night for a Houston team that has little depth up front. Don't sleep. 119. Jalen Green SG (HOU) 120. Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) 121. Jordan Poole PG, SG (GSW): In the seven games Poole started last season, he averaged 21.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.8 made treys. With Klay still sidelined, Poole is expected to start early on this season. (And he's already off to a fast start, having <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/raptors-finally-return-to-toronto-as-lowry-begins-in-miami" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped 30 points</a> in Golden State's preseason opener.) 122. Saddiq Bey SF (DET) 123. Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW): I'm concerned that the Warriors will limit Klay's minutes and rest him often, even after he is cleared to return to game action (whenever that is). The Dubs have to think long-term, as Thompson still has three years and $120-plus million left in his contract. 124. Ivica Zubac C (LAC) 125. Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) 126. Al Horford PF, C (BOS) 127. Kyle Kuzma SF, PF (WAS) 128. Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) 129. Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) 130. T.J. McConnell PG, SG (IND): McConnell led the NBA in steal percentage last season at 3.4% and shot 55.9% from the floor. He was one of just eight players to record an assist rate above 34% and a True Shooting percentage above 58% (the other seven members of this elite club were Lillard, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Jokic.) 131. Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) 132. Nicolas Batum SF, PF, SG (LAC) 133. &nbsp;Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) 134. Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC): Mook will see an increased share of the offensive pie with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the first half of the season (and possibly more). 135. Mo Bamba C (ORL): This is a make-or-break season for Bamba. The Magic will give their former lottery pick every opportunity to earn playing time. If he plays significant minutes, he'll supply blocks and treys. (Bamba has looked sharp early on in the preseason.) 136. Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) 137. Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) 138. Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) 139. Thomas Bryant C (WAS) 140. Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; 141. Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU): Sengun looked fantastic in Vegas, averaging 14.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 dimes, 1.3 steals and 3.0 blocks in 25 minutes a night during summer league action. He'll have a chance to stuff the stat sheet for a Rockets team looking to play its youngsters.&nbsp; 142. Eric Bledsoe PG, SG (LAC) 143. Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) 144. Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) 145. Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) 146. Tyrese Maxey PG, SG (PHI): Maxey will be one of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-centered-on-getting-1-better-every-day-for-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primary beneficiaries</a> of Simmons' eventual departure from Philly. 147. Aaron Gordon SF, PF (DEN) 148. Andre Drummond C (PHI): If you draft Embiid early, you probably want to handcuff him with Drummond later on. 149. Steven Adams C (MEM) 150. Josh Giddey PG, SG, SF (OKC): Giddey started the Thunder's preseason opener and looked good, tallying 18 points (8-of-12 FGs), 7 rebounds, 3 assists and two triples. Considering his talent, the No. 6 overall pick is worth a late-round dart throw.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
⭐ 18 points (8-12 in the field inc. 2-4 from range) ⭐ 7 rebounds ⭐ 3 assists Josh Giddey looked at 🏠 at NBA level! FULL HIGHLIGHTS ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/Sw7U4nEjdT">pic.twitter.com/Sw7U4nEjdT</a>
&mdash; ESPN Australia &amp; NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ/status/1445211953421557767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Tommy Beer lists his best 150 fantasy basketball players available for the 2021-22 NBA season.

Ranking the top-150 NBA players for fantasy basketball in 2021-22

Nekias Duncan previews the Central Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

The Milwaukee Bucks are still riding their "championship high" for good reason. Thanks in large part to a perfect storm revolving around global superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee won the NBA title for the first time in 50 years.
In Game 6, Giannis put together arguably the greatest individual performance in NBA Finals history with a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/battle-tested-milwaukee-bucks-find-redemption-from-past-with-nba-championship-gold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50-point masterpiece</a>. Such a moment was a rubber-stamped seal of approval, especially after Giannis committed to Milwaukee for five more years by signing his supermax extension moments before the 2020-21 season began. Going all-in around Giannis with a top No. 2 option in Khris Middleton, plus Jrue Holiday and copious amounts of three-point shooters, worked out beautifully.
Now, entering the 2021-22 campaign, expectations are through the roof for an encore. With Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s metamorphosis into one of the most dominant forces in the league, Milwaukee will always be a top contender to make another deep postseason run. This could be the beginning of Giannis' reign in the Eastern Conference, even with the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-ready-to-flex-their-muscles-as-nba-alpha-dog-throughout-2021-22-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">juggernaut superteam based in Brooklyn</a> as the Bucks' top competition. Giannis is running roughshod through defenses <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-new-superman-giannis-antetokounmpo-is-the-modern-shaquille-oneal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similarly to Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</a> &mdash; dominance with sheer force. Since 2017, his playoff averages (27.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, 9.6 free throw attempts, 5.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, 1.2 steals per game) show he&rsquo;s nearly scheme-proof, and he&rsquo;s just now entering his prime years at 26 years old.
Giannis entered the league as a scrawny, unknown prospect from Greece. Now, he&rsquo;s a physical Adonis with one of the most impressive individual resumes at this stage of his career in NBA history.
Once Giannis added "NBA champion" to his resume, I posed a question about whether Milwaukee should embrace him becoming a full-time center. O&rsquo;Neal donned him the new Superman, and the comparison is certainly valid. When diving into the advanced metrics for lineups featuring Giannis at center, Milwaukee was dominating its competition. During the Bucks&rsquo; run to the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy, Giannis' minutes at the 5 had resounding success.
The two most-used lineups for jumbo-Giannis lineups carried a plus-32.5 and plus-18.0 net rating in 127 total minutes. And looking back to regular-season action, some lineups simply ran teams off the court. For example, in 41 minutes, the following combination carried an absurd plus-48.3 NET: Jrue Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
When the Phoenix Suns exploited the Bucks in the Finals and took a 2-0 series lead, the main adjustment was more minutes for Giannis at the 5. The end result was Milwaukee bulldozing through Phoenix for four consecutive games. He likely won't become the permanent, full-time 5-man as long as Brook Lopez remains under contract, but the next evolution for Giannis will be to embrace a Shaq-like role. Once that goes into full motion, Milwaukee&rsquo;s dominance could reach even higher levels than we&rsquo;ve already experienced.
How the Bucks have built their roster around a freakish talent such as Antetokounmpo is marvelous. Middleton and Holiday are the ideal secondary options who can hold their own on each end of the court at an above-average level. Meanwhile, everyone else within the Bucks&rsquo; rotation is a legitimate threat from three-point range to optimally space the floor for Giannis to cause his game-by-game reign of terror on opposing teams.
Looking over the Bucks&rsquo; 2021-22 rotation, there are three notable differences. PJ Tucker, Bryn Forbes and Jeff Teague are now out of the picture, and Semi Ojeleye, Grayson Allen and George Hill are taking their places. It&rsquo;s an upgrade at the reserve guard spot, but the jury is still out on whether Ojeleye can thrive within a Tucker-esque bench role of consistently hitting threes and defending bulky wing scorers.
The ecosystem Giannis will once again thrive within has eight players who can knock down the deep ball. It will allow Antetokounmpo to focus on what makes him one of the most decorated players in the Association. Take a look at Milwaukee's players in 2021-22 who were plus-37% three-point shooters in catch-and-shoot situations.
Bobby Portis (46.7%), George Hill (43.6%), Khris Middleton (43.1%), Grayson Allen (39.9%), Pat Connaughton (38.4%), Donte DiVincenzo (38.2%), Semi Ojeleye (37.6%), Jrue Holiday (37.2%)
The system head coach Mike Budenholzer has put into motion is built around elite floor-spacing with an MVP candidate doing everything within the three-point line. Add in Middleton and Holiday, who can go off at a moment&rsquo;s notice, and the Bucks have a formula in place that can reach unstoppable moments. It&rsquo;s why the Bucks are not moving off the top-tier of the East anytime soon. As long as Giannis is being Giannis, Milwaukee is a championship threat every single season.
Previewing the 10-man rotation for the Bucks, it&rsquo;s a well-balanced attack with very few holes to expose:
Starters: Jrue Hoilday, Donte DiVincenzo, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Second Unit: George Hill, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Semi Ojeleye, Bobby Portis
DiVincenzo is a major X-factor who figures to take another leap forward. Middleton and Holiday are 20-point per game scorers who flash star-like qualities. The second unit is well-balanced with ample amounts of three-point shooting. When you put everything under the lens, Milwaukee is poised to have a huge 2021-22 season. Giannis will continue to evolve, which is such a scary thought considering what his true ceiling could eventually become.
Ho-hum, another 55-60-plus win season with Giannis Antetokounmpo being a top name in the MVP race once again. It's the new normal for Milwaukee, and what a time it is for us to watch one of the best-constructed environments for a superstar to thrive within.

After winning their first NBA championship in 50 years, the Bucks are going nowhere. They're here to stay atop the NBA's hierarchy.

Bucks, Giannis prepared to continue their reign of terror on NBA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Khris Middleton sends Bucks past Suns to tie NBA Finals at 2-2

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo pointed to a pair of scratches, one on his forehead and the other on his cheek.
Those NBA Finals battle scars are proof, he figures, that the frustrated Phoenix Suns are indeed fouling him.
&ldquo;So they&rsquo;re making my pretty face ugly,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
The Suns may be hacking and whacking him, but they sure aren&rsquo;t stopping the Milwaukee Bucks star.
Coming off two straight 40-point performances, Antetokounmpo will try to help the Bucks even the series in Game 4 on Wednesday.
And whether playing with pain in his knee or shaking off hits to his face, the Suns know Antetokounmpo is going to keep attacking them.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s coming full speed every play, like a running back coming downhill,&rdquo; point guard Chris Paul said.
Antetokounmpo had 41 points and 13 rebounds in the&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pressure-points-how-the-bucks-torched-the-suns-in-game-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bucks&rsquo; 120-100 victory in Game 3</a>. That followed his 42 points and 12 rebounds in Game 2, making him just the sixth player with&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-basketball-nba-milwaukee-bucks-phoenix-suns-e35cdb9659f48c71d11768242585e265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consecutive 40-point games in the NBA Finals</a>.
The Suns have already faced LeBron James and Nikola Jokic during this run to their first NBA Finals since 1993, so they&rsquo;ve had to figure out ways to overcome MVP players.
But Antetokounmpo, with his end-to-end bursts that seem to take just two or three dribbles, is a different type of challenge. Paul said Suns coach Monty Williams&rsquo; instructions are just to try to get in the 6-foot-11 forward&rsquo;s way, but it&rsquo;s difficult to give too much attention because the Bucks have shooters such as Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez set up around the perimeter.
Paul said the Suns will just stick with their game plan.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to keep trying to build a wall,&rdquo; he said.
Antetokounmpo is used to that.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
He recalls it being about two years ago when teams started to employ that defensive strategy of packing multiple players in his path to the basket.
Antetokounmpo still doesn&rsquo;t enjoy playing against it &mdash; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to lie; I hate it,&rdquo; he said &mdash; but he&rsquo;s come to look at it as a compliment, adding that it&rsquo;s &ldquo;funny that there&rsquo;s a defense out there called the Giannis Wall.&rdquo;
Most importantly for the Bucks, he&rsquo;s learned how to beat it. Antetokounmpo believes he was already a good passer before teams started using the wall and he&rsquo;s willing to move the ball to open players when they do. He had six assists in Game 3.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of hard, because you want to be effective, you want to get downhill, you want to do everything, but now you also &mdash; you take it personal also,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a team that&rsquo;s building the wall of three people and two guys behind and trying to stop you. Now you have to not take it personal and make the right play, find the right guy.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo shot 17 free throws in Game 3, which Williams noted afterward was one more than the entire Suns team. Asked Tuesday why he chose to complain about it, one of NBA&rsquo;s most polite people suddenly turned testy.
&ldquo;They had one player with 17 free throws; we had 16,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not complaining. That&rsquo;s stating facts.&rdquo;
But Williams knew from watching the film that the Suns&rsquo; problems Sunday started way before any fouls. When Phoenix missed its first shot, Antetokounmpo grabbed the rebound and pushed the ball up the court. The Suns paid too much attention to him and lost track of Holiday, who drifted alone into the corner to take the two-time MVP&rsquo;s pass for an open 3-pointer.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a hard truth that you have to do both. You have to be able to show a wall, but also have the integrity of your defense intact on the other side,&rdquo; Williams said.
Antetokounmpo, two shy of Michael Jordan&rsquo;s record for consecutive 40-point games in the NBA Finals, could be even better in Game 4. The schedule has had the teams play just once in five days, giving him plenty of time to rest his injured left knee that forced him to miss two games in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Suns hope Devin Booker will also be better after his 3-for-14 shooting in Game 3. He averaged 29 points in the first two games.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great player, but he&rsquo;s human, also,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;But I think we&rsquo;re expecting we&rsquo;re going to have to be even better on him.&rdquo;

The Phoenix Suns may be hacking and whacking Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they sure aren’t stopping the two-time MVP.