Crusaders

Heading into <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/traditional/?sort=PTS&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateTo=05%2F22%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this week's action</a>, Atlanta Dream rookie Rhyne Howard was leading the WNBA in scoring (20.5 points). It was an incredible feat for an incredible talent, one that we've talked about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-atlanta-dream-struck-gold-with-rhyne-howard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this space</a>.
Her jumper is pure, and she's able to get to it in a multitude of ways. To the Dream's credit, they've done a great job moving her around the chess board to stress defensess. Playing drop coverage against the Dream is practically begging for them to run a movement set for Howard.
They've run this doozy for Howard a few times this season. The decoy action may vary, but the goal for the Dream is to clear one side of the court before setting a flare screen for Howard to fill that empty space. The Los Angeles Sparks were ill-prepared for it earlier in the season.
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The options are endless. If the screen hits, Howard can flow into a jumper like she did in the clip above. If the screen navigation is a little better, she has plenty of space to attack off the bounce. She can reset and go iso. It can flow into an empty corner pick-and-roll with whoever set the initial flare screen. Heck, they can just flip the angle of the screen and have her come the other way.
On May 20, Howard came out of the gates firing. She was facing the red-hot Washington Mystics, but it didn't feel like they could keep track of her. Howard would score 15 of her 21 points in the opening frame, including a bucket off an all-too-familiar action.
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Backup big Tianna Hawkins (#21) sees it coming. Twice in the action--once while Aari McDonald (#2) is executing a handoff in the left corner, and again as Naz Hillmon (#0) is setting up the flare screen for Howard--Hawkins points toward the empty side. She knows Kennedy Burke has her work cut out for her, but she gets hung up on the screen anyway.
Howard wasn't able to shake loose like that for the rest of the game. Again, she scored 15 in the opening frame but just six points the rest of the way. After the Dream dropped 25 points in the first, they scored 19, 14 and 15 points the rest of the way.
That brings us to the Tuesday matchup, where the Dream wanted to exact revenge for their five-point loss. Where Howard wanted to make up for a quiet three-quarter stretch. The Mystics simply weren't having it, and it was evident from the opening tip.
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On the left side of the floor, you have Natasha Cloud (#9) blowing up the pindown and getting reattached to Kristy Wallace. Howard and Cheyenne Parker (#32) attempt to set screens in the middle of the floor to get the Mystics moving, but Ariel Atkins (#7) is able to navigate the muck and stay attached to Erica Wheeler (#17) as she clears the right side.
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From there, it's go time.&nbsp;
The flare for Howard is coming, but look at the prep work Alysha Clark (#22) does. She gets inside of Howard's jersey before the screen is even set:
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As Parker sets the pick, Clark is able to slow Howard up with a grab before she attempts to fly over it.
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Doing the homework early essentially blew up the first portion of the set. Howard and Parker attempt to go into a pick-and-roll with an empty side from there, but the Mystics had other plans. They sprang a trap on Howard, essentially pinning her in the right corner.
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That's good work on Howard from Clark and rookster Shakira Austin. Cloud has the Parker assignment. Atkins has Wallace. Elena Delle Donne is on the backside of the action, keeping tabs on two Dream players on the right side of the floor. In other words, there are no easy outlets here.
Howard is able to jump-pass her way out of it, but the Mystics are able to rotate behind that pass. Wallace gets the release pass and is immediately pressured. The Dream do a good job of countering with a pin-in screen on Delle Donne, but she fights over it and gets a late-clock contest on the three from Wheeler.
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Whew.
Things didn't get easier for Howard or the Dream. On the individual front, Howard would miss all nine of her field goal attemtps and end the game with [checks notes] zero points. It was easily her worst outing as a pro. Her scoring averaged dropped from a league-leading 20.5 to 17.6, a clip that ranks 10th in the league.
And without Howard getting buckets, the rest of the team faltered. The Dream scored 50 points on the evening as the Mystics racked up a 70-50 victory.
Because of that game, the Mystics now hold the WNBA's <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best defensive rating</a> at 92.3. Even before that game, the Mystics have impressed with their blend of ball pressure and activity on the backline.&nbsp;
If you want a not-so-hidden joy when watching this team, peep their activity whenever an offense tries to run a pick-and-roll from the wing. They attempt to "ICE" most of them, meaning the on-ball defender shades the ball handler toward the sideline. The fun really perks up from there, though.
Because they don't have a pure anchor in drop coverage, the pick-up points for their bigs are a little higher. And because&nbsp;all&nbsp;of their bigs--Austin, Delle Donne, Hawkins, Myisha Hines-Allen and freshly-in-the-fold Elizabeth Williams--are active with their hands, ball-handlers find themselves in trouble quickly.&nbsp;
Watching the Delle Donne-Austin frontcourt has especially been fun. There were questions about how Delle Donne would hold up defensively after her injury-riddled layoff. And it's always fair to wonder how quickly a rookie big like Austin can get acclimated to the big leagues. Both have embraced the challenge; in fact, the Mystics are allowing a defensive rating of 85 (!) when those two <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/lineups/advanced/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;GroupQuantity=2&amp;TeamID=1611661322&amp;sort=NET_RATING&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=MIN*GE*50" target="_blank" rel="noopener">share the court</a>.&nbsp;
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Getting ball pressure from Cloud and Clark--a pair of wings with All-Defensive team selections under their belts--or Rui Machida off the bench (she's fun) is one thing. Having active bigs can add another layer of mayhem. Combining that with opportunistic help defenders can make an offense feel like it's suffocating.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough is currently leading the team in steals (1.6), mostly off the strength of her off-ball prowess. Atkins (1.5 steals) isn't too far behind her, showcasing why she's also made multiple All-Defensive teams in her career.
I mentioned Burke getting burned by the flare action for Howard earlier in the piece, but she's already been a problem for offenses as a help defender.&nbsp;
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That activity has been important. The Mystics currently rank third in opponent turnover rate, with offenses coughing up 21.2 turnovers per 100 possessions. That's way up from last season (17.9), and not too far off the franchise record (21.6) set back in 2005.
(And on that note, team offenses were way worse back then; the league average opponent turnover rate in 2005 was 18.1, much higher than the 15.9 mark this season. And we're early in the year, so that number will likely fall as the season goes on.)
We know what a healthy Mystics team can do offensively. Delle Donne is one of the most versatile offensive talents in basketball history. Cloud is a dynamic slasher and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/natasha-cloud-shines-through-shooter-wnba-on-notice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confident shooter</a>. There's plenty of shot-making, shooting and driving equity on the roster.
The defense has been a pleasant surprise, though we may see regression at some point. Opponents are only shooting 31.4% from 3, and the multiple efforts needed to make their scheme work can create some openings on that front.
They may not be the&nbsp;best defense in basketball. But if they hover around 3rd or 4th, that's still much better than they were last season (104.4 defensive rating, 11th out of 12 teams). And if the defense can hang, we need to start talking about this team as a serious title contender.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down why the Washington Mystics' defense has been so successful to start the season.

How the Washington Mystics are winning with activity

Similar to when we discussed <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-combine-takeaways-from-anthro-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anthro testing</a>, the NBA Draft Combine provides opportunities for both fans and scouts alike to overreact. Some around the league put lots of stock into agility and strength testing, while others do not. The eye of the beholder takes each test into account in his or her own way.&nbsp;
Our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, Matt Babcock, weighs in: &ldquo;I can't say I put a ton of stock into the physical testing, but I certainly look at them. I'm usually not too surprised at the results, as I think a decently experienced scout can generally judge a player's athleticism relatively well by watching them play in person. However, seeing results like Kennedy Chandler jumping an impressive 41.5 inches on his max vertical and Patrick Baldwin Jr. jumping a Combine-worst 26.5 inches does sway my opinion of them some.&rdquo;
Here are a few of my takeaways from agility testing:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a>, Baylor
Kendall Brown leaped to a 41-inch max vertical in Chicago. This explosiveness, paired with being 6-foot, 7.5 inches and 201 pounds, gives insight into the physical athlete he really is. While there are concerns about some of Brown&rsquo;s perimeter skills, his athleticism and ability to impact the game on both ends will translate. He&rsquo;ll be a coveted player in next month&rsquo;s draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kennedy-chandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kennedy Chandler</a>, Tennessee
Although only measuring in at 5-foot, 11.5 inches without shoes, Kennedy Chandler posted the highest vertical leap of the day at 41.5 inches. Scouts and media alike were impressed with the athleticism, as he makes a strong case for himself as a first-round pick.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/jalen-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Williams</a>, Santa Clara
After registering tremendous numbers in the anthro testing, Jalen Williams then posted a 39-inch max vertical, giving real promise to how he'll fit on an NBA floor. His defense leaves a lot to be desired, but his shooting, offensive skill set and obvious athleticism may lead to a rise in his draft value.&nbsp;
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Terquavion Smith, NC State
It&rsquo;s been a solid week of measurements for Terquavion Smith as he continues to consider whether he'll stay in the 2022 NBA Draft. After measuring in at 6-foot, 2.25 inches without shoes, he then posted a 10.63 lane agility time and a 38.5-inch max vertical. He&rsquo;s twitchy and explosive, and has a chance to be a reliable guard in the NBA regardless of when he declares.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/david-roddy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Roddy</a>, Colorado State
Roddy is 6-foot-6 in his shoes, 260 pounds, has a 6-foot, 11.5-inch wingspan and registers a 35.5-inch max vertical. Not only would these be strong at an NFL Combine, they were in a solid tier in Chicago as well. Roddy has a real chance to be a first-round pick next month and has helped himself this week.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/patrick-baldwin-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Baldwin Jr.</a>, UW-Milwaukee
Baldwin Jr. recorded a 23.5-inch standing vert and 26.5-inch max vert. The 26.5-inch mark is the fourth-lowest number at the Combine since 2011, ahead of only Dakari Johnson, Dedric Lawson and Nikola Vucevic. While he shows incredible potential as a shooter at the NBA level, these numbers will likely be taken into heavy consideration around the league.
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Derek Murray highlights key observations from the agility testing portion of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.

2022 NBA Draft Combine: Takeaways from agility testing

We've reached the Conference Finals, which means that only four teams remain in the NBA Playoffs.
The Eastern Conference's top two teams, the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, will clash in what's sure to be a physical series, while the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks are set to square off in a highly-anticipated battle that will feature two incredible offensive talents.
With only those aforementioned franchises remaining, we asked our BasketballNews.com staff:
How would you rank the five best players remaining in the NBA Playoffs?
Alex Kennedy
This is tough, but I think I'll go:&nbsp;
1. Luka Doncic
2. Stephen Curry
3. Jayson Tatum
4. Jimmy Butler&nbsp;
5. Bam Adebayo&nbsp;
After what Luka has done through two rounds, I feel very confident putting him at No. 1. Curry and Tatum are a toss-up for me; if someone had Tatum at No. 2 and Curry at No. 3, I wouldn't be mad at it. Butler is a two-way force who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jimmy-butler-is-a-16game-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elevates his game a ton in the postseason</a>, so he's No. 4.
This is where it gets interesting. Adebayo, Jaylen Brown and Draymond Green each have a case, but give me Adebayo because of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bam-adebayo-stands-at-the-core-of-the-heats-secondround-dominance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how well he's played on both ends of the floor</a> so far during the playoffs. I think he's poised for a big series against the Celtics.
Spencer Davies
1. Jayson Tatum: In five seasons and as many consecutive playoff appearances, this man has played the elite of the elite at 19 years ol... okay, that joke will never get old, but in all honesty, we&rsquo;ve got to admit that the total package is consistently there for Tatum. He is in a place where he&rsquo;s just making his teammates better night-in and night-out. He&rsquo;s gone up against greats like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and has not flinched, matching them shot for shot. Because of those experiences and the steady manner in which he&rsquo;s played this postseason on both sides of the ball, I give Tatum the slight edge over the next guy...
2. Luka Doncic: The first time Luka doesn&rsquo;t draw the Los Angeles Clippers in the postseason, he gets to the Western Conference Finals, eh? Without the prisoner-of-the-moment thing, it speaks volumes about how Luka&rsquo;s just had that big-game mentality since he was overseas. He&rsquo;s just a little bigger and stronger now. Same confidence and everything; he has not changed his energy one iota. His offensive impact is so substantial that the defensive woes are cast aside. If he can figure out how to defend a lick, it won&rsquo;t be long before he tops this particular list.
3. Steph Curry: Don&rsquo;t let one off-series and a &ldquo;down&rdquo; shooting season blind you from the fact that Steph is Steph. He&rsquo;s constantly in motion, always making defenders stay attached to him, which in turn makes life easier for his teammates. Then, there&rsquo;s the way he always closes games and goes into that mode where he could shoot from the front row on the opposite side of the floor and it wouldn&rsquo;t touch iron. Until there&rsquo;s any sign of regression, I don&rsquo;t bet against Steph.
4. Jimmy Butler: I hate rankings because four seems so cruel. Butler&rsquo;s been a stone-cold killer in the playoffs except for last postseason. I&rsquo;ll refer you to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jimmy-butler-is-a-16game-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Fonseca&rsquo;s article about that specific stretch</a>. Otherwise, Jimmy&rsquo;s one of those guys who will rip your heart out in attack mode. He&rsquo;s damn gritty, plays the right way and leads by example &mdash; late-season war of words be damned.
5. Bam Adebayo: Five is probably the spot most up for debate. It&rsquo;s all love for Draymond Green, Jaylen Brown and Klay Thompson. But with Adebayo, he is a load to handle athletically on either end, presents all kinds of matchup problems and can impact the game in a multitude of ways, as ambigouous as that sounds. (Green&rsquo;s probably my runner-up here because of the way Golden State ticks when he&rsquo;s on the floor).
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Ethan Fuller
This is definitely a challenge.&nbsp;
1. Steph Curry: Even after a second-round slump, I still would take a red-hot Curry game over any other player remaining.
2. Jayson Tatum: Tatum gets the edge over Luka Doncic by gapping him on the defensive end.
3. Luka Doncic
4. Jimmy Butler
5. Draymond Green: I almost went with Bam Adebayo over Draymond Green, and I think you could make the case either way.
Bryan Fonseca
1. Luka Doncic: He's the best player left standing despite the fact that his team is the weakest. Maybe the Dallas Mavericks are a better version of the 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers and he's *that* LeBron James. Let's remember that Doncic was All-Tournament at EuroBasket at age-18, which Slovenia won for the first time ever. He also is responsible for leading Slovenia into the Olympics for the first time ever this past summer, where they nearly medaled. They jumped from barely top-20 to firmly top-five in the world. That man can lift a team like few others.
2. Steph Curry: He's still the best shooter in the world and still one of the best players in the league. He hasn't been as good as a couple others we're about to get to, but is still *that dude* more often than not. The Warriors are the title favorites now, and it starts with The Chef.
3. Jimmy Butler: He is the most underrated star in the NBA, and historically &mdash; outside of last season &mdash; is better in the playoffs going back to his days as a Chicago Bull. He was primarily responsible for the only non-Kevin Garnett-led Minnesota Timberwolves playoff berth until this season. Every team he left got worse, and every team he joined got better.
4. Jayson Tatum: After Luka, he's the man most knocking on the door of "next" left in the playoffs. The best four talents of these playoffs have been, up to now, Luka, Giannis, Butler and Tatum.
5. Bam Adebayo: This is with massive respect to Jaylen Brown. Bam is not only the best defender left in the playoffs but the most consistent. For all the talk about lack of aggression, he averages nearly 20 and 10 offensively as a third option. Yes, he's capable of more offensively than he's shown in the playoffs, but he typically does well against the Celtics. Expect more in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Matt John
1. Luka Doncic: He just eviscerated a 64-win team coming off a NBA Finals appearance in the most pivotal game of the season against multiple stingy wing defenders, including the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up. He played like he knew it too. He is the best player left in these playoffs until proven otherwise.
2. Steph Curry: He's the deadliest man from three in a league that values threes now more than ever. Now that his foot injury is firmly behind him, the Warriors will go as far as his deadly three-point accuracy will take them. Fun fact: This is Steph's first Western Conference Finals berth sans Kevin Durant in six years.
3. Jayson Tatum: He just went toe-to-toe with the most unstoppable player in the league and reigning champion, and came up victorious. Not only that, but he put the Celtics on his back when they were down for the count. The talent was always there. The growth in mental fortitude is what's eye-opening.
4. Jimmy Butler: What he doesn't have in talent compared to the other three he makes up for in grit. If there's one player in the league who's willing to get his hands dirty to get the win, it's Butler. All things considered, he provided a substantial return on investment for Miami, as this is their second Eastern Conference Finals berth in three years with him.
5. Bam Adebayo: The DPOY candidate has kept it going in these playoffs, having stopped the talented (albeit badly injured) Joel Embiid. Adebayo is the quintessential modern big in this league. He may not fill up the stat sheet like most stars do, but he makes up for it by winning games.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_16967711_lg.jpg" alt="" />
Evan Sidery
1. Luka Doncic: After what I just witnessed Luka do in-person against the Phoenix Suns, it felt like a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/luka-doncic-enters-into-next-tier-of-nba-superstars-following-western-conference-semifinals-comeback" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transformative career moment</a>. Doncic is a bona fide superstar now, and the way he's carried Dallas to this point is nothing short of incredible. The Mavericks&rsquo; hopes and dreams hinge upon Doncic continuing to be the best postseason player.
2. Steph Curry: After waffling back-and-forth on No. 2, I settle on Curry because doubting him feels unwise. Curry still provides vintage scoring performances as he continues to be the lifeblood of the Warriors&rsquo; offense. Curry versus Doncic is a matchup I can't wait to watch. Hopefully, it's a long a long series.
3. Jayson Tatum: After going toe-to-toe with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum more than held his own. Delivering a legendary Game 6 performance in Milwaukee, Tatum has propelled himself to superstar status like Doncic. If anything, the NBA conference finals showcase that the next generation of stars are taking the batons and running away for good.
4. Jimmy Butler: Don&rsquo;t doubt Jimmy Buckets, especially on this stage. Butler delivered against the Sixers, and I expect him to put on a show versus Boston. Butler&rsquo;s all-around game continues to shine on the postseason stage.
5. Klay Thompson: Playoff Klay is very, very real. The West Finals feel like the ideal breakout stage for Thompson post-injury. Klay is beginning to heat up each round, too. Vintage Klay showing up on that platform would be so fun to watch.
Justin Lewis&nbsp;
1. Luka Doncic: He's carried one of the lesser total rosters in the playoffs to the Conference Finals. He's generational.
2. Jayson Tatum: He could be considered "1A" because of his two-way play, but Tatum has been a problem for two months now.
3. Jimmy Butler: JB is that dude. He can carry the Heat to the Finals, but Tatum and Luka get the nod as guys who can carry their respective teams through the Finals.
4. Steph Curry: He's not been the same Steph, but the Warriors are still in the West Finals &mdash; and that's terrifying. If he returns to form, the Warriors may win another championship.
5. Jaylen Brown: He's the best No. 2 of any team left in the playoffs. His two-way prowess and ability to pick it up when Tatum is off is crucial for the Celtics.
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Sharon Brown
1. Steph Curry
2. Luka Doncic
3. Jimmy Butler
4. Jayson Tatum
5. Klay Thompson
Steph is the greatest shooter ever, and Luka is that dude. JB is a dawg, and I will always ride with him. Tatum's star power is rising, and Klay is still deadly even after his two-year absence.
Mark Schindler
This is a tough question!
1. Steph Curry
2. Luka Doncic
3. Jayson Tatum
4. Jimmy Butler
5. Bam Adebayo
The four best players left are for sure Steph, Luka, Tatum and Jimmy. I would have to go with Bam at No. 5, so there's a decent little drop-off from the top four. (Not a slight! There's just levels to this, like Meek said).
Nekias Duncan
1. Luka Doncic
2. Steph Curry
3. Jayson Tatum
4. Jimmy Butler
5. Bam Adebayo
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How would you rank the five best players remaining in the NBA Playoffs? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

Roundtable: Ranking the 5 best players remaining in the NBA Playoffs

Grant Williams scored a career-high 27 points and hit seven three-pointers, Jayson Tatum added 23 and the Boston Celtics set a Game 7 record with 22 three-pointers to eliminate the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks 109-81 on Sunday in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Boston will face the top-seeded Miami Heat beginning Tuesday in a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat beat the Celtics in six games in that series at Walt Disney World.
The Celtics trailed early but outscored the Bucks 61-38 in the second half to cruise to the victory. Boston used a whopping 54-point advantage from behind the arc to improve to 25-9 in decisive seventh games.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Boston Celtics made 22 threes against the Milwaukee Bucks, which is the most made threes in a Game 7 in NBA history. The previous record was 20 threes by the Los Angeles Clippers in their Game 7 win against the Dallas Mavericks on June 6, 2021. <a href="https://t.co/eX95eqTJ7S">pic.twitter.com/eX95eqTJ7S</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1525974530325458944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Bucks are now 3-9. They went 4-for-33 (12.1%) from the three-point line. That&rsquo;s the second-worst three-point percentage in a playoff game ever (minimum 30 attempts).
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 20 rebounds and 9 assists. But he was just 3-of-11 in the paint in the second half, including 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter. Jrue Holiday added 21 points and 8 assists. Brook Lopez finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Williams finished 7 for 18 behind the arc as the Celtics finished the comeback after dropping Game 5 at home to fall into a 3-2 hole.
Boston started the second half on an 11-4 run to open a 59-47 lead.
It was 63-53 when Tatum went to the bench after being whistled for his fourth foul. But the Celtics rallied without him, outscoring the Bucks 16-11 the rest of the quarter to take a 79-64 lead to the fourth.
The Bucks led the entire first quarter as Antetokounmpo scored or assisted on 24 of Milwaukee&rsquo;s 26 first-quarter points.
He ended the period with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to help the Bucks grab a 26-20 lead.
Boston began to claw back in the second quarter, drawing a third foul on Bobby Portis at the 8:49 mark. TV cameras showed him tossing his goggles as he went to the bench area. He&rsquo;d been wearing the goggles since suffering a right eye abrasion in Game 2 of Milwaukee&rsquo;s first-round series against the Bulls.
With Portis on the bench, the Celtics took their first lead of the game on a dunk by Al Horford that punctuated a 12-2 run.
Boston led 45-43 in the final minute of the half when Tatum was called for an offensive foul on Grayson Allen &ndash; Tatum&rsquo;s third foul of the game.
Following an unsuccessful challenge by Celtics coach Ime Udoka, the teams exchanged misses. But after Smart&rsquo;s steal near midcourt, Antetokounmpo fouled Smart as he attempted a last-second, three-point heave. Smart connected on each of his three free throws to give Boston the 48-43 halftime lead.
Celtics center Robert Williams III was available to play after missing three-straight games with soreness and a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee, but he didn&rsquo;t play.
TIP-INS
Bucks: There was a pregame moment of silence held for the victims of mass shootings this past week in Milwaukee and Buffalo. &hellip; Khris Middleton missed his 10th straight playoff game with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. &hellip; Milwaukee missed their final 11 three-point attempts of the first half.
Celtics: Were 9-of-22 from the 3-point line in the first half. &hellip; Patriots team owner Robert Kraft sat courtside, along with Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and receiver Kendrick Bourne.

Led by huge output from underrated role players, the Boston Celtics eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks from the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

Grant Williams has 27, Celtics make 22 threes in Game 7 rout of Bucks

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for May 18-20 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
The 2022 NBA Draft Combine is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.&nbsp;
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting drills and strength-and-agility drills from May 18-20. Coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. ET. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-field-of-44-draft-prospects-for-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 16-17 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.
Here is the complete list of expected attendees for this year's NBA Draft Combine (and check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> to see where each player is projected to go):&nbsp;
<table style="font-weight: 400;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="832">
Player (College/Club)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Marjon Beauchamp (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matthew Mayer (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Malaki Branham (Ohio State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Leonard Miller (Fort Erie Intl. Academy [Canada] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Braun (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Josh Minott (Memphis)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kendall Brown (Baylor)
</td>
<td width="442">
Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
John Butler Jr. (Florida State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Max Christie (Michigan State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
</td>
<td width="442">
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
</td>
<td width="442">
Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
JD Davison (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
</td>
<td width="442">
David Roddy (Colorado State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria [Spain] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Dereon Seabron (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jalen Duren (Memphis)
</td>
<td width="442">
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Tari Eason (LSU)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Keon Ellis (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matteo Spagnolo (Cremona [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
AJ Griffin (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
</td>
<td width="442">
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
</td>
<td width="442">
Peyton Watson (UCLA)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td width="442">
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Nikola Jovic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ismael Kamagate (Paris [France] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trevor Keels (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Mark Williams (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
</td>
<td width="442">
Trevion Williams (Purdue)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Koloko (Arizona)
</td>
<td width="442">
Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 18-20 in Chicago.

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

Yeah, the Minnesota Timberwolves' repeated shipwreckings in the first round might be tough to swallow for the next month. However, the blown leads and Karl-Anthony Towns trash talk undermine what was, in my estimation, one of the most promising seasons in recent franchise history.
Minnesota has made the playoffs twice since 2004. The only other time was a whimper of a first-round exit in 2018 that foreshadowed the collapse of a Jimmy Butler-led, Tom Thibodeau-coached roster. This season, Minnesota constructed a top-10 defense with the league's seventh-youngest roster, per RealGM, and went 30-17 in the 2022 calendar year.
Make no mistake: This franchise is on a positive trajectory, and is finally turning potential into production. Now, Minnesota has to make one of the most difficult leaps in basketball &mdash; going from a winning team to a true contender &mdash; at a time where the NBA wields some of the widest parity in recent memory.
The 2022 offseason can be a pivotal building block towards that leap. First, the franchise needs to secure its chief decision-maker.
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Sachin Gupta assumed interim duties as president of basketball operations following Gersson Rosas' departure last fall. The Wolves made all of five in-season acquisitions under his tenure (three of which were 10-day signings), and executed zero trades. It was a quiet season on paper for the creator of ESPN's Trade Machine.&nbsp;
According to the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/timberwolves-sachin-gupta-chris-finch/600169496/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minneapolis Star Tribune</a>, Gupta seems prepared to navigate the Timberwolves through the summer, though the franchise has not made any move towards announcing a permanent head of operations yet. Wolves head coach Chris Finch has voiced his support for Gupta.
"They know my feelings about Sach," Finch said. "They know that I think he's outstanding and he's been a huge reason that we have stability in this organization right now. He's very smart. We have complete alignment. The players love him. He's appropriate in his presence around the team. He's not heavy-handed with the coaching staff. He does his job.
"I'm a huge fan, and I've advocated for him to have his opportunity to be the guy to run this team. Nothing would make me happier than that."
So time will tell if the new ownership group, currently including Glen Taylor, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, feel the same.
Minnesota has most of its current roster contractually intact. The team holds $1.9 million team options on 2019 second round pick Jaylen Nowell and undrafted Naz Reid, who have both emerged as quality rotation-caliber players. Perhaps the biggest free agent name is Taurean Prince (UFA), who solidified a solid floor-spacing role off the bench in the regular season, but struggled in the playoffs.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, defensive-minded wing Josh Okogie enters restricted free agency after playing just 10.5 minutes per game this season. The former 2018 first-round pick has seen his playing time decrease in each of the last three years. Nathan Knight and McKinley Wright IV also enter restricted free agency, while Jake Layman and Greg Monroe hit the unrestricted open market.
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The Wolves likely won't have the salary cap room for flashy free agent acquisitions. According to Spotrac, Minnesota is all-but guaranteed to be over the cap before free agency even opens. Their best spending asset will be a $10.2 million non-taxpayer exception. Interestingly, Gupta has already commented on a potential team need.
"Defensive rebounding was obviously a big issue in this series and all year long," Gupta said. "That might be a more personnel thing and more size can certainly help. There's a mix for sure in terms of how we can address some of those areas and weaknesses just with development and internal growth and others that we may have to address with the roster."
Minnesota should have plenty of chances to fill this need with its exception. Purely spitballing, but some rebounding bigs who might fit in the $10.2 million exception include: Derrick Favors, Ivica Zubac, Thomas Bryant and Andre Drummond.&nbsp;
But if the front office feels a greater compulsion to act, they have the players and draft picks to create enticing trades. Minnesota holds the No. 19 pick in the first round of the NBA Draft, and Nos. 40, 48 and 50 in the second round. How many of these selections will stay in the Twin Cities with a roster nearly full already?&nbsp;
Our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock projects Minnesota to select Kennedy Chandler at No. 19, and then Ismael Kamagate, Jalen Williams and Hugo Besson in the second round of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his latest 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>. Chandler could develop into a steady backup point guard behind D'Angelo Russell, while the others profile as high-upside swings that Minnesota doesn't need to step into the game right now.
One more wrinkle to monitor is Leandro Bolmaro, the No. 23 pick from the 2020 NBA Draft. The Argentinian wing spent most of 2021-22 with the Iowa Wolves in the G League, and put up 12.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. Is Bolmaro ready to make an NBA impact?
The Timberwolves don't need to rush their franchise timeline. Anthony Edwards is only in his second season, and as we saw in the playoffs, still radiates untapped potential despite his ascendancy. Towns is the second-oldest player currently under contract, and even he's still just 26.&nbsp;
But there's no turning back once a young roster makes the NBA playoffs. Minnesota has set postseason play as the minimum standard for next season, and with youth comes expected improvement in each subsequent season.
Now Gupta, or whoever the next president of basketball operations is, must steer the franchise toward a path to greater heights this summer.
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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>!

A disappointing first-round series masked what was a breakout season for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Minnesota Timberwolves?

With March Madness behind us and the NBA Draft lottery odds set, we're now into the next phase of the scouting season.
BasketballNews.com Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock transitioned our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board into <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our first NBA Mock Draft of the year</a>. As teams, scouts and analysts gather intel, this mock serves as an early peek into what draft night could look like in June.
Babcock discussed his latest projections, some early storylines to monitor in the spring, prospects who shined in the NCAA Tournament, and more in the following Q&amp;A.
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What makes Jabari Smith the pick for the Rockets at No. 1?
The Houston Rockets only won 20 games this season, but it's not all doom and gloom. They're in rebuild mode, and they've already gotten a good group of young players together. In last year's NBA Draft, they selected Jalen Green with the second pick, and it looks as if he could emerge into a primetime scorer who they can build around. 
They also drafted Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher,&nbsp; selected KJ Martin with a late second-round pick the year before, and added Kevin Porter Jr. via trade. All of the players mentioned above are younger than 21 years old. They've struggled to win games up to this point, but they have a young nucleus to work with as they look to build for the future.
Regarding this year's draft, it's pretty close among the top prospects, and it seems as if everyone has their unique argument as to who are the top prospects and why &mdash; which I appreciate, as I think there usually tends to be too much groupthink in the draft space. Anyway, Jabari Smith Jr. is my No. 1 guy, and he has been for a while now. At 6-foot-10, Smith is an absolute sniper from the perimeter as a stretch four, and with time I think he will also prove that he has much more in his bag as a scorer. 
On the defensive end, Smith has a chance to be special. He's about as switchable as it gets, and he's tough. His versatility on both ends of the ball will provide a lot of lineup flexibility to whatever team selects him. In addition to possessing perhaps the most upside of any player projected to be in the 2022 NBA Draft, he can essentially co-exist with just about any group of players. Therefore, I believe that Jabari Smith Jr. would be the right pick for the Rockets if they indeed win the NBA Draft Lottery.&nbsp;
Which teams could shake up the draft selections if lottery luck lands them in the top-3?
My first tier includes Jabari Smith Jr., Jaden Ivey, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero this year. Of that group, Jaden Ivey is the only guard. Due to his style of play, I'm not sure he's a great fit with several teams potentially selecting towards the top, including Houston, Orlando, Indiana and San Antonio -- they're all pretty guard-heavy at the moment. If any combination of these teams lands in the top-3, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ivey sliding back a touch. 
Another thing worth noting is that I'm also not sure Paolo Banchero would fit well with teams like New York or New Orleans. On the flip side, Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren fit in pretty seamlessly with most teams. I think these are a few elements that could potentially dictate how the first few picks unfold.
What inspired Mark Williams' rapid rise to the No. 12 overall pick?
I'll admit the 12th pick is on the high side for Mark Williams, but I like the fit, and I don't think it's too much of a stretch. Williams had a terrific season at Duke this year, and he's continued to grow on me. His performance versus Gonzaga in Las Vegas in November was one of the best showings I saw in-person all season. I think he has a chance to develop into becoming a solid starting center as a rim running and rim-protecting 5-man. I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a long and productive NBA career. 
In our most recent simulated mock draft, Oklahoma City selected Paolo Banchero with the fourth pick and Mark Williams with the 12th pick, coincidentally Duke's frontcourt this past season. The Thunder have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander locked up on a long-term deal and Sam Presti's lottery selection last year, Josh Giddey, looks like a star in the making. So it seems their backcourt of the future is solid. Adding Bancero and Williams would bolster their frontcourt, giving OKC's roster shape moving forward.
Which other prospects benefited most from their March Madness performances?
He was already rated super high, but I think Paolo Banchero finished strong. Ochai Agbaji was terrific versus Villanova in Kansas' Final Four game. Benedict Mathurin had a couple of outstanding games in the tournament, and Kennedy Chandler was good for Tennessee. I think all of those players helped themselves in March.
What is one of your favorite later-round team-player fits?
A few picks in the second round that stand out are David Roddy from Colorado State to the Pacers, Jake LaRavia from Wake Forest to the Hawks, and Colin Gillespie from Villanova to the Pelicans. None of those players necessarily blow me away with their talent or tools, but I think all three could become excellent complementary players.
What makes G League Ignite prospects Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp and Jaden Hardy worthy of first-round status?
They're all very different players from one another, but they're all talented in their own right. Daniels and Beauchamp showed well this season and have moved up the ranks. Hardy came into the season projected to be a high pick and the highest of this group, but he didn't do quite as well as most people had hoped, myself included.&nbsp;
Daniels has terrific size and versatility on both ends of the ball, Beauchamp is very athletic, plays with a great pace, and makes a lot happen. Hardy might have struggled a bit this season, however, he still has a lot of raw talent as a scorer and shot-maker with deep range. I expect all three to be selected in the first round.
While many of us were focused on March Madness, have any draft-eligible international players made waves recently?
Ousmane Dieng, a player from France currently playing for the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian League, is the player that comes to mind in regards to someone who has been making waves recently on the international scene. Dieng has terrific size for an on-ball playmaker, and I think he possesses a lot of upside as a versatile point forward. He has a good chance of becoming a first-round pick.
After the success of last year's first Tampa Bay Pro Combine, what should we expect from the event this spring?
It's been great to see some of our guys who participated in the Tampa Bay Pro Combine last year find success quickly in their careers. I mean, Terry Taylor and Brandon Williams signed NBA contracts, but they also played significant minutes for their teams. Jordan Goodwin and Micah Potter had opportunities with NBA teams too. It was incredible to see!&nbsp;
We've changed the format this year. First, we cut the number of invited players from nearly 50 to 24 this year. Instead of just playing five-on-five games all week, we decided to host simulated NBA pre-draft workouts the first two days, where we'll have six players on the court at a time and 12 per day. The main reason for this change was to comply with NBA guidelines so that NBA scouts could attend. Anyway, we have another great group of guys set to fly out and compete. It should be a great week!
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Ethan Fuller checks in with Matt Babcock after the unveiling of his first 2022 NBA Mock Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Q&A with Matt Babcock on first mock, notable risers

The last time Ben Simmons appeared in an NBA game was June 20, 2021.&nbsp;
It was Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which the Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 103-96. Simmons contributed 5 points, 13 assists, 8 rebounds and a steal, but the most memorable play occurred with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter when he passed up a wide-open layup. The loss ultimately led to the Simmons saga, which culminated in a trade to the Brooklyn Nets. 
Simmons has yet to suit up for the Nets, but that may change very soon. ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-ben-simmons-targets-first-rounds-game-4-to-be-his-nets-debut" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Simmons is targeting Game 4 against the Boston Celtics to make his season debut. The 25-year-old has been dealing with a herniated disc in his back, but he's made progress this week.
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Based on Ben Simmons&rsquo; progress in practices this week &ndash; and the anticipation of him further accelerating in the coming days &ndash; Game 4 vs. Boston on Monday is looming as a realistic target for his Brooklyn debut, sources tell ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1516830553160527889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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If Simmons does get cleared, does it even make sense for Brooklyn to play him against Boston? Do the risks outweigh the rewards? We asked our BasketballNews.com writers to weigh in:
Mark Schindler: I'd probably lean toward not playing Ben. I understand the impact he&nbsp;could have, but the precedent of bringing players who haven't logged a regular-season minute into the middle of a playoff series makes me lean "no." I don't think it's as simple as, &ldquo;Well, he could just play 15-to-30 minutes&rdquo; because he needs rhythm. The players in the rotation already have a rhythm, and even then, it's still being sorted out. Brooklyn&rsquo;s rotation has been in flux and has varied all year, and it finally feels close to right. Given that, as well as Ben&rsquo;s injury timeline, it's murky for me.
Nekias Duncan: The Nets could use Simmons, particularly on the defensive end. They currently don't have a forward-sized player aside from Kevin Durant who is completely trustworthy. Considering the role Simmons would have to play on both ends, I don't think it'd be a crazy adjustment period for him. Defend, push after misses, execute some handoffs and hang around <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the dunker spot</a> otherwise.
Alex Kennedy:&nbsp;This is complicated. Simmons has been sidelined for nearly a year, so he's going to be rusty. It also seems unlikely that he'll be 100% healthy. A few weeks ago, Simmons needed an epidural because his herniated disc was causing him so much pain. Also, he hasn't played with any of these current Brooklyn players (aside from 49 games alongside Seth Curry in Philadelphia). He'll be trying to learn a new system, a new role and new teammates' tendencies on the fly; meanwhile, the other players will be trying to adjust to Simmons and the new rotation. If that wasn't tough enough, Simmons also has dealt with confidence issues and has struggled in high-pressure moments. This isn't throwing him into the deep end; it's tossing him into the Mariana Trench. I understand the temptation to play him since he's a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, and the Nets had the NBA's 15th-ranked defense this season (third-worst among the East playoff teams). There's no question that he'd help on that end, especially against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Still, I lean toward sitting him and focusing on next season. Playing him is the high-risk, high-reward move, but it feels like that could blow up in the team's face.&nbsp;
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Sharon Brown: I would play him in limited sets. Simmons' role with the Nets is different than it was with the Sixers. Defense comes naturally to him. He will be able to get rebounds, alter passing lanes, block shots and more. All the Nets need him to do is play defense and pass the ball to either Kyrie or KD. I don't see how that can hurt the Nets.
Bryan Fonseca: F**k no! You're really going to take a guy who had that playoff experience last year and &mdash; fresh off a back injury and alleged mental-health issues &mdash; just throw him into this series? How does that make sense? Can he help from a basketball standpoint on the floor? Sure. That's why Brooklyn made the trade, isn't it? And maybe the Nets are confident in how they've gotten him ready, his progress, their culture and things of that nature. Cool. But to throw him back in there after a year off, after the conclusion to last season and after all that's unfolded since, I'm not sure what sense this makes. Perhaps he's mentally and physically ready, but it feels like a desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures move.
Spencer Davies: Despite having the luxury of an All-NBA defender and All-Star-caliber threat in the open floor, it'd be wise for the Brooklyn Nets to ease Ben Simmons back into competition. If that means he plays 10 total minutes in short, separated stints, so be it. He'd likely be tasked with roaming off the ball on defense and trying to create pick-sixes, in addition to containing Jayson Tatum and/or Jaylen Brown directly. There's always an inherent risk with debuting a player who hasn't played with your team in a playoff setting, particularly one where you could be experimenting in a situation that needs to be concrete (pending the series score). Still, there's always room for a playmaking, athletic, rangy weapon in the postseason, no matter how little Simmons is out there.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_18078844_lg.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="500" />
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;m torn on this. I argued that the Nets <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/at-some-point-nets-may-be-wise-to-rule-ben-simmons-out-for-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">should shut Simmons down</a>, but I also recognize that Kevin Durant is no spring chicken. He and Kyrie don&rsquo;t necessarily have all the time in the world to bring a championship to Brooklyn, so you figure Simmons can help while they&rsquo;re both playing at a high level. Why not, right? At the end of the day, if you&rsquo;re Sean Marks, you have to trust your medical staff. If I&rsquo;m Brooklyn, I&rsquo;d let him run if everyone thought he was good to go. My major concern is that after a one-year layoff, coming back in the playoffs &mdash; especially against a team like Boston &mdash; is going from zero-to-100 pretty quickly. And let&rsquo;s keep in mind, medical staffs can be wrong. The Warriors probably didn&rsquo;t think Durant could do further damage to his &ldquo;calf strain&rdquo; by returning against Toronto in the 2019 NBA Finals. Wrong they were, obviously. I&rsquo;d let Simmons play, but I would slowly ramp him up. I also wouldn&rsquo;t be expecting him to be as effective as usual. At that point, you&rsquo;d have to wonder if he&rsquo;d even be a net-plus over the guy whose minutes he&rsquo;d be taking (Bruce Brown, in most instances)&hellip; But that&rsquo;s Steve Nash&rsquo;s problem.
Ethan Fuller: I don't think a mid-playoff-series toss into the teeth of the Celtics' defense is going to get Ben Simmons feeling confident and in rhythm after nearly a year on the sidelines. The Nets have already faced trials of team chemistry with the James Harden trade and Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s return to full-time play. Now they want to roll out Simmons and further disrupt a rotation that's finding its footing? Simmons is an All-World defender, and maybe that's what the Nets will need if they face elimination. But until then, I just can't logically picture him instantly clicking with the high stakes of the postseason.
Tommy Beer: I understand the hesitancy to introduce a new player into a heavily competitive series when he clearly hasn&rsquo;t had enough time to practice with his new teammates. However, I think throwing Ben Simmons into the mix is worth the gamble for Brooklyn, primarily because of the significant contributions he can make on the defensive end. Keep in mind, Simmons was named to the All-Defensive First Team for a second consecutive season in 2020-21 and was one of just two unanimous selections (along with Rudy Gobert). The Nets will need quality defenders if they hope to slow down a Celtics squad featuring Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Also, Simmons brings incredible versatility to the table. He is one of the very few players in the league capable of covering quick point guards (like Marcus Smart) as well as burly power forwards (like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/appreciating-a-brilliant-showing-from-al-horford" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Al Horford</a>). While the downside is obvious (expect Boston to send Simmons to the free-throw line early and often), the pros outweigh the cons for Brooklyn.
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Jesse Blancarte: I am guessing that most people think the Brooklyn Nets should not play Ben Simmons this postseason. I understand the arguments. He has not played in a long time. He has struggled mightily in past postseasons. His shooting is a problem. He is playing on a new team and will have to try and fit into their offensive and defensive systems on the fly. He could become a distraction if he clams up and the collective focus turns to his struggles like it did in Philadelphia. I still think the Nets should integrate Simmons immediately if he is healthy. Assuming Simmons is healthy, he is one of the most versatile defenders in the league. He has the length, mobility and strength to defend guards and forwards and can jump passing lanes to create easy fastbreak opportunities. Integrating him on offense will be more complicated, but a progressive ramp-up could pay off down the road, assuming the Nets can advance past the Boston Celtics (which is not a certainty at this point). If he doesn&rsquo;t look healthy, or if he is struggling, then bench him or scale back his minutes. But considering his skillset, his playmaking ability and the fact that he has Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to distribute the ball to, I think there is too much upside to not give him a chance. Without him, the Nets are viable contenders, but if Simmons is activated and plays well, the Nets could become the favorite to win it all.
Justin Lewis: The Nets clearly need a body to throw at Jayson Tatum and another playmaker to take some pressure off of Kyrie and KD. They don't need Simmons to score a single point. His defensive prowess and ability to start a fastbreak and make plays for his teammates are valuable enough to throw him out there despite the rust.
Drew Maresca: Simmons is a risky play at best. Back injuries are fickle, and proceeding without sufficient time to gauge how well he responds to contact is dangerous. Simmons may have caught a break in that he avoided surgery. Why tempt fate? If his back is re-injured in any way, surgery is all but guaranteed, and that would result in additional complications. As much as Brooklyn and its fans are dying to push their chips to the center of the table, I'd proceed with caution.
Matt John: There are just so many unknowns surrounding what Ben Simmons could do for the Nets. He hasn't played all season and he's playing for a new team that will put him in a different role from what he was accustomed to in Philadelphia. Simmons could be a game-changer for Brooklyn, but that remains in the abstract until further notice. He's a great passer, but he's not going to have the ball too much playing next to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He's a great defender, but there's only so much ground he can cover for a sub-par defensive team like the Nets. Right now, Brooklyn's problem is that they need guys who can help them on both ends of the floor outside of KD and Kyrie. Defensively, Simmons helps them immensely. Offensively, he may pose spacing problems. On paper, Simmons should help slow down Jayson Tatum, but since he's coming off a back injury, there's no telling if he's physically capable of covering one of the league's best players. If he comes back, he won't be eased in because the Nets will be throwing him to the wolves. If he thinks he's ready, he'll have to prove it right away.
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Ben Simmons is hoping to make his season debut in Game 4 against the Celtics. Should the Nets to play him? Our writers weigh in.

NBA Roundtable: Should the Brooklyn Nets play Ben Simmons right now?

In 2012, Kevin Esteves was hired by the NBA as a part of the digital content strategy team. He worked on various social-media projects and, at the time, the league viewed its socials as &ldquo;a very big marketing platform.&rdquo; Now, a decade later, Esteves is the NBA&rsquo;s associate vice president of digital strategy and analytics, and social media has become a top priority for the league.
&ldquo;Now, social drives just about every business objective that we have,&rdquo; Esteves said.
The NBA currently has the most followers of any pro-sports-league account on Instagram (66.2 million), Twitter (36.9 million), YouTube (18.2 million) and TikTok (14.9 million). Also, the NBA had the most-viewed and most-engaged pro-sports-league account on social media in 2021, driving 24 billion views and 2.3 billion engagements across all platforms (as we <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/an-inside-look-at-how-the-nba-became-a-socialmedia-juggernaut" target="_blank" rel="noopener">covered in this article</a> about the league&rsquo;s social strategy).
The NBA continues to grow at a rapid rate too, adding a combined 18 million followers across Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook &mdash; the most of any U.S. pro sports league.
&ldquo;[We&rsquo;re always] trying to understand where the content is going to work best, and that&rsquo;s where the data becomes so important,&rdquo; Esteves said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re pulling in data from each of these platforms and really getting granular about trying to understand what performs best on each platform. I think part of what has made us so successful is being open to the data and leaning in to the data, and understanding what&rsquo;s performing well versus what&rsquo;s not performing well.&rdquo;
Once the 2021-22 regular season concluded, the league received some more data to dissect.
This season, the NBA&rsquo;s social-media platforms generated 13 billion video views, which is up 7% from the 2020-21 campaign. The league saw massive growth on TikTok (driving 481 million video views, up 305% vs. last season) and Instagram Reels (driving 3.3 billion views, up 259% year-over-year).
Also, the NBA surpassed 66 million followers on Instagram, which makes them the ninth-most-followed brand account on the platform.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Which NBA players have generated the most video views across the <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a>&rsquo;s socials? The gap between Stephen Curry and everyone else is pretty wild. <a href="https://t.co/rXRicGtKNU">pic.twitter.com/rXRicGtKNU</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1499177631367016451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Part of Esteves&rsquo; job is translating the NBA&rsquo;s social-media success to ratings. This year, NBA viewership across ABC, TNT and ESPN was up 19% from 2020-21&rsquo;s full-season average.
In fact, this was the most-viewed NBA regular season since the 2018-19 campaign.
<ul>
<li>The NBA on ABC averaged 3.03 million viewers, up 13% vs. 2020-21</li>
<li>ESPN averaged 1.4 million viewers, up 17% vs. 2020-21</li>
<li>TNT averaged 1.4 million viewers, up 13% vs. 2020-21</li>
<li>NBA TV delivered its most-viewed regular season since 2017-18</li>
</ul>
On 65 of the 74 nights that NBA games aired on ESPN and TNT, the network airing the NBA game was the most-viewed cable network in primetime among males age-18 to age-49.
But it isn&rsquo;t just men tuning in to NBA games. Women now make up one-third of the NBA audience, with viewership among women up 23% this season over 2020-21&rsquo;s full-season average, and up 11% over 2019-20&rsquo;s full-season average.
In addition to ratings, Nielsen also tracks shares, which is the percentage of households watching a program among those with TVs in use. This season, the NBA&rsquo;s share was up 21% vs. last year. This season&rsquo;s average share is the NBA&rsquo;s highest since the 2010-11 campaign.
It&rsquo;s a great time to be an NBA fan, and people seem to be excited about the on-court product.
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Judging by the NBA's social-media engagement and ratings, the 2021-22 regular season was a success.

NBA generated 13 billion video views across socials in 2021-22

Zach LaVine has an Olympic gold medal. What he doesn&rsquo;t have is NBA playoff experience.
At last, that part is about to change.
No active NBA player has been in more regular-season games without making his playoff debut than LaVine, who has appeared in 478 games with the Chicago Bulls. He&rsquo;s expected to play in his first playoff game Sunday night when the Bulls visit Milwaukee.
Once LaVine makes his playoff debut, the title nobody wants &mdash; active player with most games and no playoff appearances &mdash; will fall to Buddy Hield. He&rsquo;s been in 468 games with Sacramento, New Orleans and Indiana.
If Hield appears in at least 32 games next season, he will become the eighth player with at least 500 regular-season appearances but zero playoff contests. He&rsquo;ll join Tom Van Arsdale (929), Otto Moore (682), Nate Williams (642), Omri Casspi (588), Sebastian Telfair (564), Popeye Jones (535) and Eddy Curry (527) in that club.
Curry has a ring from his time with the Miami Heat in the 2011-12 season, but didn&rsquo;t play in a game during that postseason run.
EIGHT IS (USUALLY) ENOUGH
Phoenix won eight games more than any other team this season. That usually means a championship.
Not always, though.
The last four teams to have at least eight more wins than any other team in the regular season have gone on to win a title. Those clubs are the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, the Chicago Bulls in 1992 and 1996, and the Boston Celtics in 1984.
The 1971 Milwaukee Bucks, 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, and both the 1960 and 1965 Celtics also ended seasons with such huge regular-season margins with championships. But the Celtics in both 1958 and 1973 did not, nor did the Washington Capitols in 1947 &mdash; the inaugural season of the BAA, which was the precursor to the NBA. The Capitols (49-11) won 10 more regular-season games than anyone else in 1946-47, but the Philadelphia Warriors (35-25) won that first season&rsquo;s championship.
PLAYOFF MONEY
The NBA has set this season&rsquo;s playoff pool at $17,317,334. All 16 playoff teams are guaranteed $258,449 just for making the field; most teams will make more, and the deeper teams go in the playoffs, they&rsquo;ll make much more.
Phoenix is already assured at least $1,194,952. The Suns would claim $5,077,456 if they win the NBA title.
Miami has secured $695,527 already. The Heat would get $4,578,031 if they win the championship.
Any team that makes the NBA Finals is guaranteed $3,106,286; any team other than the Suns or Heat that wins the championship would receive at least $4,140,953.
BEST EVERYWHERE
Phoenix had the NBA&rsquo;s best home record and the NBA&rsquo;s best road record this season &mdash; 32-9 in both instances.
Only four of the last nine teams to pull off that feat, including ties in the standings, went on to win the NBA title. Those clubs were Golden State in 2015 and 2017, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and the Chicago Bulls in 1996.
The most recent teams to be best at home, best on the road and still not win a title: Houston in 2018, Dallas in 2007, Seattle in 1994, Portland in 1991 and the Lakers in 1990.
MILESTONE WATCH
Philadelphia&rsquo;s Doc Rivers is on the cusp of becoming the fifth coach in NBA history to win 100 postseason games. The 76ers need just two wins in their first-round series against Toronto to get Rivers to the milestone.
The other coaches with 100 wins: Phil Jackson (229), Pat Riley (171), Gregg Popovich (170) and Larry Brown (100).
Miami&rsquo;s Erik Spoelstra can also get to 100 playoff wins this year &mdash; but the Heat would have to get to the NBA Finals, then win three games in the title round to get him there. Spoelstra enters these playoffs with 85 postseason victories.
Among players, Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kevin Durant is three points shy of matching Jerry West (4,457) for eighth on the all-time playoff list. Durant needs 307 points to tie No. 7 Karl Malone (4,761) on that list, meaning the Nets would likely have to get to at least the second round for that to occur this year.
FAVORED TEAMS
Utah was favored in more games than any other team this season, picked by oddsmakers 73 times in the 82-game regular season. The Jazz were followed by Phoenix (70), Milwaukee (66), Golden State (62), Boston (61) and Miami (59) on the most-favored list.
The team that covered a spread with the most regularity this season: Memphis, which rewarded its backers 64.6% of the time. Utah was tied for next-to-last in that department, covering at a 40.2% rate.
Oklahoma City was favored the fewest times in the league, just on three occasions. Portland was the worst at covering, doing so 37.8% of the time.
BACK TO BACK
If Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo wins his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award &mdash; now named for Bill Russell &mdash; he would join select company.
Only six players have won that award in consecutive years. Chicago&rsquo;s Michael Jordan won it back-to-back-to-back on two separate occasions, 1991 through 1993 and then 1996 through 1998. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal won three in a row for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 through 2002. Hakeem Olajuwon won for Houston in 1994 and 1995, Kobe Bryant did for the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, LeBron James did for Miami in 2012 and 2013, and Kevin Durant did it for Golden State in 2017 and 2018.
Jerry West was the award&rsquo;s first winner in 1969. It has been named for Russell since 2009.
THREE&rsquo;S WIN
As one might guess, it&rsquo;s difficult to make up a significant disparity in 3-pointers made.
Teams that were outscored by 15 or more points from 3-point range this season won only 20.8% of the time &mdash; going 94-348 in those contests.
IGUODALA&rsquo;S FAREWELL
Golden State&rsquo;s Andre Iguodala has said he is retiring when this season ends. He wanted to go back to the Warriors for a farewell, and the Warriors welcomed him back for many reasons &mdash; what he brings at this time of year among them.
No player in this year&rsquo;s playoffs has played, counting actual appearances only, in more postseason wins than Iguodala. He has appeared in 103 playoff wins, five more than Philadelphia&rsquo;s Danny Green, eight more than Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kevin Durant, 16 more than Miami&rsquo;s Udonis Haslem and 17 more than Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
THE REFEREES
Tom Washington is working the NBA playoffs for the 24th time and Scott Foster was selected as part of the postseason referee corps for the 22nd time. They&rsquo;re the senior members of a 36-person group that will work games in Round 1.
There are three playoff newcomers: Eric Dalen, Mitchell Ervin and Justin Van Duyne.
Foster has worked 201 playoff games, while Washington has worked 172. Other veterans in this year&rsquo;s playoffs include Tony Brothers and James Capers (163 games apiece), Marc Davis (161), Ed Malloy (121), Bill Kennedy (120), Zach Zarba (117) and John Goble (100).
The rest of the first-round officials are: Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Nick Buchert, Kevin Cutler, JB DeRosa, Kane Fitzgerald, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Rodney Mott, Gediminas Petraitis, Michael Smith, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Scott Twardoski, James Williams and Sean Wright.
The NBA also selected eight alternates &mdash; including Lauren Holtkamp, the only woman to make this season&rsquo;s list. If picked for a game, Holtkamp would join Violet Palmer as the only female referees to work a postseason contest.

The AP's Tim Reynolds ties a bow on the 2021-22 NBA regular season and prepares us for the playoffs.

Playoff time: 10 things to know about the NBA's postseason

Who are the notable prospects to keep an eye on during the 2022 NCAA Tournament? Here's a complete guide with scouting reports.

NBA Draft guide to March Madness: Notable prospects to watch

The Minnesota Timberwolves have rolled out an imposing offense all season long. They're seventh in the NBA with a 113.9 offensive rating, per Cleaning the Glass. We've chronicled their success along the way and written about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/on-the-block-minnesota-timberwolves-surging-post-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karl-Anthony Towns</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/we-should-give-dangelo-russell-more-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">D'Angelo Russell</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-high-can-anthony-edwards-fly-examining-the-20yearolds-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Edwards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jaylen-nowell-is-finding-his-rhythm-for-the-timberwolves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaylen Nowell</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-most-improved-player-candidates-who-have-no-shot-at-getting-your-consideration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jarred Vanderbilt</a>.
But the crazy part is: there's more to celebrate. Minnesota is 13-4 since Feb. 1, which happens to be the second-best record in that span. Over the past two weeks, the Wolves have gone 7-1 with a scorching 123.5 offensive rating that places second behind the Milwaukee Bucks. Minnesota's roster, loaded with capable perimeter marksmen, is collectively heating up at the right time.
Since Feb. 1, Minnesota is shooting 38.2% from long range as a team (fourth-best in the league) after making just 34.2% of their looks before then. That includes the current slump plaguing Edwards. Nearly everyone around the star trio is cashing in. Here's a look at the seven complementary players who regularly shoot threes and their sudden changes in efficiency over the past month-plus (scroll right to view full table on mobile):&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">Player</td>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">3PT% through Jan. 31</td>
<td style="width: 31.4642%;">3PT% since Feb. 1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">Jaden McDaniels</td>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">29.0%</td>
<td style="width: 31.4642%;">36.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">Patrick Beverley</td>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">31.2%</td>
<td style="width: 31.4642%;">37.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">Malik Beasley</td>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">34.1%</td>
<td style="width: 31.4642%;">48.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">Jordan McLaughlin</td>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">18.8%</td>
<td style="width: 31.4642%;">28.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">Taurean Prince</td>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">34.0%</td>
<td style="width: 31.4642%;">44.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">Naz Reid</td>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">32.4%</td>
<td style="width: 31.4642%;">48.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">Jaylen Nowell</td>
<td style="width: 31.4614%;">34.5%</td>
<td style="width: 31.4642%;">48.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Look at these spikes! McLaughlin is the only player who doesn't make defenses pay, and everyone else is ranging from above-average to simply lethal.
The logical next question: Is this smaller sample size a fluke? I actually don't think so.
Minnesota generates 20.1 "open" three-point attempts per game (when the closest defender is four-to-six feet from the shooter) and that has stayed consistent all season. That mark is tops in the NBA by a long shot; the 3.7-attempt gap between Minny and Utah (16.4) is nearly the same distance between Utah and 25th-ranked Sacramento. The Wolves also create wide-open threes (six or more feet from the closest defender) at about a league-average rate. More than 40% of their total field goal attempts categorize as either open or wide-open threes &mdash; and they take the most total threes per game (41.7) in the Association.
Open shots are obviously more desirable, but catch-and-shoot threes and corner threes are also generally considered to be higher-percentage attempts. Look at how things have changed for the Wolves since February:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">Season span</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">Open+Wide Open 3P%</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">Catch-and-Shoot 3P%</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">Corner 3P%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">Before Feb. 1</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">34.5%</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">34.5%</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">35.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">Since Feb. 1</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">39.1%</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">40.7%</td>
<td style="width: 23.1364%;">44.8%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
So Minnesota is experiencing some serious positive regression in the areas you'd want to see change. That's a great sign for sustainability. For accuracy's sake, it should be noted that these numbers include the entire team, not just the aforementioned seven players. However, the specialists are undoubtedly driving the shift.
Lastly: do we buy that the individual players are capable of staying hot? I'm inclined to say yes, and let's run through them.
Jaden McDaniels shot 36.4% from long range as a rookie and is at that exact clip during this recent stretch. Patrick Beverley is a 37.8% three-point shooter on his career and is close to that average now. Malik Beasley and Jaylen Nowell probably can't stay this&nbsp;hot, but they're both recognized for their marksmanship. Taurean Prince has made 39% of his catch-and-shoot threes in four of his six NBA seasons (including this year).
Naz Reid likely faces regression. But he still posted a 35.1% clip on threes last season, almost all on catch-and-shoot chances, and is at 36.5% on that shot type this year. You'd figure that in his third season and second with a stable role, Reid can further improve as a shooter.
To conclude: Be scared of the Timberwolves. They were a top-10 NBA offense&nbsp;before&nbsp;their specialist shooters collectively caught fire. Now they might be one of the most unstoppable units in the NBA and, as the numbers show, have the chops to sustain their torrid pace into the postseason.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I find in the void):
<ul>
<li>How are NBA teams performing by quarter in the new calendar year? Here's a graphic from Tom Bassine:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
An update on the team strength by quarter table. Restricted to games since Jan 1. <a href="https://t.co/KjLX8qiSty">pic.twitter.com/KjLX8qiSty</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1501682993546547203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>SIS Hoops is back at it with another great leaderboard. Give Jrue Holiday more love people!</li>
</ul>
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Efficient self-creation is a necessity for an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> star. Check out who is generating the most points on self-created looks this year: <a href="https://t.co/PuwR4NovwM">pic.twitter.com/PuwR4NovwM</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1501294622722584577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>According to NBA vice president and head of international basketball development Troy Justice, there were 121 NBA players who were born outside of the United States on opening-night rosters. That's a massive increase from just 23 international players 30 seasons ago. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/an-inside-look-at-how-international-players-are-taking-over-the-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy checked in with Justice</a> for more on the league's global growth.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
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Minnesota's complementary role players have caught fire from three-point range over the past month. Is this sustainable?

NBA Stats Notebook: The Wolves' perimeter shooters are on the prowl

In a game where emotions were high and tickets were going for just shy of $80,000, the North Carolina Tar Heels were able to walk in and come away the victors over their rival Duke Blue Devils, 94-81.
Behind a strong team effort on the offensive end, UNC's starters scored 92 of their 94 points, and Armando Bacot led the way with 23 of them.
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Armando Bacot 23 Pts (10-11 FG) 7 Rebs vs DUKE!!! Quick playing with bro and put him in the Lottery&hellip; ACC Player of the year!!! <a href="https://t.co/P1yNPVAQru">pic.twitter.com/P1yNPVAQru</a>
&mdash; Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) <a href="https://twitter.com/Frankie_Vision/status/1500288472329949194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Trevor Keels got the scoring started for Duke (26-5, 16-4 ACC), but the Tar Heels (23-8, 15-5 ACC) jumped out to an 11-4 lead. Bacot picked up a quick foul and was put on the bench, and Paolo Banchero responded by leading Duke on a 10-2 run. Jeremy Roach would contribute 6 quick points off the bench, as Duke took the 16-15 lead. UNC's Brady Manek answered with his second triple to make it 26-23.&nbsp;
The Blue Devils were up 41-39 heading into halftime, with Banchero leading the way with 15 points. RJ Davis led Carolina with 11, and Manek was 3 for 6 from deep with 9 points.
Duke extended the lead to 50-44 just minutes into the second half, but Bacot went on a run and cut the Tar Heels' deficit back to two. By the under-12 TV timeout, Duke held a 56-54 advantage.&nbsp;
The Tar Heels went on top 65-61 at the 8-minute mark in part to Bacot really getting things going, plus a tough bucket from Caleb Love. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski called a timeout at 2:58 after a Wendell Moore Jr. three cut the Blue Devils' deficit to 79-74.&nbsp;
Manek would connect on another triple following the timeout to make it 82-74 in favor of UNC, and things started to get tense. Leaky Black and Bacot quickly scored baskets of their own, and that about did it. The Tar Heels came into Cameron Indoor and spoiled Coach K&rsquo;s finale.
Love scored 22 for the visitors, while Manek hit 5 of 10 from deep for 20 points of his own. Davis had a great game for the Tar Heels with 21 points.&nbsp;
Banchero led Duke with 23 points. Blue Devils center Mark Williams posted 16 points and 13 rebounds. Roach had a strong showing, too, with 15 points off the bench.&nbsp;
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The Blue Devils rank No. 6 in the NET and No. 5 in Adjusted Efficiency, making them one of the favorites to win the National Championship. Banchero, the potential No. 1 overall pick in this coming NBA Draft, continues to play well with 16.9 points per game. AJ Griffin, Williams, Keels, and Moore also have strong cases as first-round picks.
The Tar Heels entered this one as winners of four straight, and have moved up to No. 8 in the NET Rankings. They have the No. 25 ranked offense in the nation behind Bacot (16.4 PPG), Love (15.5 PPG) and the Oklahoma transfer, Manek (14.2 PPG). They will need a positive showing in the ACC Tournament to ensure a visit to the Big Dance.
Next up for Coach K and the Blue Devils? It's time to refocus and gear up for the ACC Tournament, where Duke will enter as the top seed. In March Madness, the Blue Devils currently project as a No. 2 seed.
North Carolina sits on the &ldquo;Last Four Byes&rdquo; line and is considered a Bubble Team &mdash; although this win will play huge with the committee.&nbsp;
Pregame Celebration
While he ends his Duke career at home on a sad note, Mike Krzyzewski will be remembered for the game of basketball and his accolades, yes, but also for how he left his mark on people.&nbsp;
Krzyzewski entered this one with a career record of 1,196-365 (.766). His list of accolades includes:
<ul>
<li>35 NCAA Tournament appearances</li>
<li>12 Final Four appearances</li>
<li>5 NCAA Championships</li>
<li>Three-time Naismith College Coach of the Year</li>
<li>Five-time ACC Coach of the Year</li>
<li>An induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame</li>
</ul>
Before the game, there was a beautiful ceremony from over 80 former Duke players who made the trip to honor Coach K.
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Some of those former players spoke to our BasketballNews.com staff.
A couple of weeks ago, Luke Kennard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/luke-kennard-letting-it-fly-with-a-quicker-trigger-for-game-clippers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told our Spencer Davies</a>:
<blockquote>
He meant a lot [to my career]. Coach, he gave me an opportunity to play at the best university in the world, play for the best coach to ever coach the game," Kennard said. "It was a lot of fun. I mean without going there, [there's] no way I would be where I am today. He's great. He's such a family guy. Anytime I have a big game, he's always texting me like after the game. He keeps in touch with a lot of his players. I'm happy for him. He's done everything he's wanted to do while coaching the game. There's no better guy or coach for everything that's happened to him &mdash; he deserved it all. Happy retirement to him. He's gonna enjoy it now, he's gonna enjoy his family and grandkids. I'm happy for him though. I keep in touch with him all the time, and hopefully they can go out with a bang and try to get him a national championship this year. It's been fun to watch.
</blockquote>
Nolan Smith <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/duke-assistant-nolan-smith-on-coach-ks-retirement-jon-scheyer-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told our Chief Content Officer Alex Kennedy</a>:
<blockquote>
When a legend says "It&rsquo;s time," then it&rsquo;s time&hellip; His legacy comes down to winning. He consistently won in four different decades; that right there is unheard of. There are so many big-time coaches that have been in this game, but a lot of them most likely [won] in one or two decades. Not many have gotten to four decades and had the continued success that he&rsquo;s had. I think another part of that legacy is that he&rsquo;s created these relationships with players over and over again, so players continually wanted to play with Coach K. A lot of coaches get old; he never got old, he&rsquo;s still not old. Even heading into his last season, he stays up-to-date, he&rsquo;s adjusted to the times and he&rsquo;s adjusted to the game. I think that right there is part of his legacy, the fact that he&rsquo;s been able to change with the times of this game and not let it pass him up.
He&rsquo;s helped me tremendously in so many different ways. First, I&rsquo;ll start with basketball; he helped me be the best basketball player that I could be. The way he challenged me every day, the way he taught me to prepare every single day, how to approach the game every single day -- those were all lessons that helped me as a player. A lot of those lessons ended up helping me when I transitioned into my coaching career, too. All of those lessons that he was teaching are things that he does as a coach: he prepares better than anybody, he puts the time in, he watches film and he dedicates himself fully to his craft as a coach. That&rsquo;s probably something that a lot of people don&rsquo;t know about coaches: you put that same time in. And Coach puts in more time than anybody when it comes to his craft. Just being able to watch him and take notes... I&rsquo;ve made sure to have a notepad and a pen in every single meeting with him because he&rsquo;s always going to give you some kind of gem, some kind of lesson, that I can take with me and use in my coaching career when I deal with my players and, one day, have my own program.
</blockquote>
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In a game where emotions were high and tickets were going for just shy of $80,000, UNC was able to beat its rival Duke on the road.

North Carolina spoils Coach K’s last home game, beats No. 4 Duke 94-81

Which top rookie in the class of 2021 will end up being the best long-term? Mat Issa breaks down the case for each young stud.

Why they are all special: A guide to the top-five NBA rookies

Recently, a <a href="https://twitter.com/harrisonwind/status/1497303031133589506?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chart went viral</a> that showed each NBA team's local broadcast and how they have fared in terms of their average TV rating this season.
The Golden State Warriors (7.53 average rating), Cleveland Cavaliers (3.74), Philadelphia 76ers (2.72), Milwaukee Bucks (2.61) and Chicago Bulls (2.52) led the pack. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets (.19), Orlando Magic (.27) and Los Angeles Clippers (.55) finished in the bottom three.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/fmd9k2yvqaavvp1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="629" height="611" />
But which markets have delivered the highest ratings for national NBA games across ABC, ESPN and TNT? A league source shared that information with BasketballNews.com, so here are the top-10 highest-rated markets for nationally televised NBA games so far this season:
1. New Orleans
2. San Francisco
3. Memphis
4. Raleigh-Durham
5. Sacramento
6. Los Angeles
7. Atlanta
8. Norfolk
9. Birmingham
10. Richmond
It's interesting to see New Orleans at No. 1 in national viewership, especially since the Pelicans' broadcast ranks 16th in terms of local ratings. (Similarly, the same applies to Atlanta and the North Carolina areas.)
Also, it's surprising that Norfolk, Birmingham and Richmond are in the top-10 considering they don't have an NBA team in their respective state. Virginia is known for having avid college basketball fans, but it's shocking to see two different Virginian cities ranked this high. This isn't some fluke either. If you look at <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1116774114331701251" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the highest-rated markets for national NBA games during the 2018-19 season</a>, Norfolk was No. 1, Birmingham was No. 5 and Richmond was No. 8. These cities are consistently tuning in to NBA games.&nbsp;
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Here are ESPN and ABC&rsquo;s top 10 highest-rated local markets for the 2018-19 regular season, according to the NBA: 1. Norfolk 2. Oklahoma City 3. New Orleans 4. Memphis 5. Birmingham 6. San Francisco 7. Raleigh-Durham 8. Richmond 9. Houston 10. Los Angeles A LOT of surprises!
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1116774114331701251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2019</a></blockquote>

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It's also shocking to see how many smaller markets are listed here, including New Orleans (<a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-market-size-nfl-mlb-nhl-nielsen-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50th-largest sports market</a>), Memphis (<a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-market-size-nfl-mlb-nhl-nielsen-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">51st-largest sports market</a>), Raleigh-Durham (<a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-market-size-nfl-mlb-nhl-nielsen-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">24th-largest sports market</a>) and Sacramento (<a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-market-size-nfl-mlb-nhl-nielsen-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20th-largest sports market</a>).
Meanwhile, some of the biggest markets &mdash; such as New York (the largest market), Chicago (third-largest market), Philadelphia (fourth-largest market) and Dallas (fifth-highest market) &mdash; are nowhere to be found.
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Which markets have delivered the highest ratings for national NBA games this season? Some cities in the top-10 will surprise you.

Which markets deliver the highest ratings for national NBA games?

Nearing the end of the NCAA regular season, Derek Murray takes a dive into the state of the SEC.

State of the Conference: Evaluating the SEC

With the NBA trade deadline over and done with, the BasketballNews.com staff wants to share our thoughts on the moves that went down. Since Nekias Duncan thoroughly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graded each and every trade from the past week</a>, we wanted the rest of our team to react to the results of the ever-so-eventful week.
Our writers have discussed their <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-winners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winners</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losers</a> of the trade deadline. Now, in our latest Roundtable, we asked our writers the following question:
Which under-the-radar move from the NBA trade deadline is your favorite?
Alex Kennedy:&nbsp;Leading up to the trade deadline, I was really hoping that the Detroit Pistons would acquire Marvin Bagley III from the Sacramento Kings, because he seemed like the perfect buy-low addition for them. Bagley fits with Detroit's young core and this is the kind of low-risk, high-reward trade that I love. Bagley needed a change of scenery, and the Pistons only had to give up Josh Jackson, Trey Lyles and two future second-round picks to take a flier on the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Spencer Davies: It feels like Serge Ibaka to the Milwaukee Bucks could really pan out if the big man finds the footing he had last season prior to that untimely back injury. He&rsquo;s knocking down 38.7% of his triples, so he&rsquo;ll be able to stretch the floor. Defensively, he doesn&rsquo;t have quite the same lift as he did before, but he&rsquo;s a big body to get through on the interior. We should all remember that Ibaka is somehow still only 32 years old. Let&rsquo;s just hope he stays on the floor this time around and gets to play in the postseason. I&rsquo;m also a huge fan of what the Detroit Pistons did to snatch-up Marvin Bagley III. It wasn&rsquo;t that long ago that the young forward was making waves across the prospect world. It seemed he was stuck in purgatory in Sacramento, with no organizational continuity and different head coach after different head coach. Bagley is 22&hellip; Twenty-two. The Pistons acquired a potential long-term fit for free, essentially, next to Cade Cunningham. Treat it like a free draft pick.
Ethan Fuller: While the Celtics were one of my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-winners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade deadline winners</a>, I do also really like the Derrick White trade from the Spurs' perspective. White was a questionable fit on the timeline of a San Antonio team loaded with young guards. The Spurs received a first-round pick this summer for the rebuild and a first-round swap for 2028, which is always a good gamble. Romeo Langford is another interesting flier for them to take. Add in the first-round pick from Toronto in the Thad Young trade, and San Antonio has seriously started a stockpile of potential young talent without giving up major pieces.
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Moke Hamilton:&nbsp;It&rsquo;s hard to not be thrilled with the Los Angeles Clippers finding a way to walk away from the deadline with Norman Powell and Robert Covington. Assuming Paul George and Kawhi Leonard eventually return to form, they&rsquo;ll have an excellent two-way supporting cast that will have them considered among the NBA's favorites. As far as this season is concerned, I like the Bucks&rsquo; acquisition of Serge Ibaka. Serge is still trying to find himself after undergoing back surgery, but he&rsquo;s been showing signs lately. Bobby Portis has emerged as a starting-caliber center and Serge will give Milwaukee a very similar skill set coming off their bench. At this point, we don&rsquo;t know if Brook Lopez will be able to return to form, so Serge provides insurance in that regard as well.
Bryan Fonseca: Thaddeus Young to the Raptors. It'll be fun to watch him play regularly again, and he fits right into what Toronto does. They'll be even scrappier, somehow, and could win a playoff series against the right team.
Evan Sidery: Phoenix <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-running-it-back-with-torrey-craig-will-loom-large-in-postseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reuniting with Torrey Craig</a> was an underrated move on Thursday. Trading Jalen Smith, an unproven lottery pick who didn't pan out, plus their 2022 second-round pick to Indiana for Craig helps fill an immediate concern. The Suns will rely upon Craig&rsquo;s versatility as they try to go on another deep playoff run. JaVale McGee and Craig will bring havoc in the Suns' second unit, but another dimension is more small-ball possibilities. The Suns' second unit looks incredible on paper: Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Cameron Johnson, Torrey Craig and JaVale McGee. Phoenix can be so multiple now with their lineups &mdash; always a plus for a championship-chasing team.
Mat Issa: I think the Raptors came away like bandits snagging Thad Young for virtually nothing. He&rsquo;s always had a really additive and versatile skill set that has allowed him to morph himself into whatever role the team he plays on needs (energy guy, post scorer, playmaking hub, etc.) In Toronto, he&rsquo;ll provide some much-needed playmaking (he&rsquo;s probably already one of the five best passers on the roster) and add some more size to the mix.
Mark Schindler: I loved the Pistons adding Marvin Bagley III. They've truly lacked a real vertical threat around the rim on offense, and he adds that dynamic alongside Cade Cunnigham. He's made subtle improvements in his game this season &mdash; a change of environment could really be a boon for his further development.
Justin Lewis: Torrey Craig to Phoenix was nice. I was personally hoping that Memphis would snag him. The Suns look like the odds-on favorite to win it all, taking for granted the team's health. Adding Craig and Aaron Holiday to the mix just adds to their roster depth without messing with any of the chemistry.
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>!

Which under-the-radar move from the NBA trade deadline is your favorite? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Which under-the-radar trade is your favorite?

With the NBA trade deadline over and done with, the BasketballNews.com staff wants to share our thoughts on the moves that went down. Since Nekias Duncan thoroughly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graded each and every trade from the past week</a>, we asked the rest of our team to react to the results of the ever-so-eventful week.
Yesterday, our staff shared their <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-winners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winners of the 2022 NBA trade deadline</a>. Now, in&nbsp;our latest Roundtable, we asked our writers the following question:
Who are the biggest losers of the NBA trade deadline? 
Alex Kennedy:&nbsp;The Los Angeles Lakers feel like losers since they weren't able to make a trade when it's clear that changes were desperately needed. However, I'm not surprised that they weren't able to make a move given how their assets are perceived around the league. The Sacramento Kings stand out too. It&rsquo;s rare for a blockbuster trade to warrant such a one-sided response amongst people around the NBA, but every <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-decisionmakers-criticize-kings-trade-i-dont-get-it-at-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA decision-maker I spoke to questioned the Sabonis-Haliburton trade for Sacramento</a> &mdash; mainly because the Kings traded away a 21-year-old budding star and didn't seem to improve all that much.
Spencer Davies: While Josh Hart is fun... I, uh, got nothing for the Portland Trail Blazers. Why not try out Nickeil Alexander-Walker with Anfernee Simons instead of flipping him to Utah? Simons handled the ball alongside his partner Gary Trent Jr. (extra thumbs down for that one; do you see what the man&rsquo;s doing to teams in Toronto?) quite a bit. Kudos to those who are gaining valuable experience &mdash; shout out to C.J. Elleby and Greg Brown Jr., not your fault &mdash; and those former lottery picks who are trying to stick &mdash; Justise Winslow and Dennis Smith Jr. With that said: This is considered a win-now roster that is retooled? Not quite. We&rsquo;ll see what interim general manager Joe Cronin does (if he&rsquo;s in charge, that is) with the oodles of cap space the team has created. Surely Damian Lillard is watching, though he has already voiced his thoughts on staying in Portland.
Mark Schindler: It's hard for me to not view Utah as the biggest loser at the deadline. I like Nickeil Alexander-Walker as a prospect, but he's had a very rough season and is a negative-impact NBA player at the moment. There's an intriguing foundation with him that Utah could unearth more of and help him build upon, but the issue is where the Jazz are right now. They needed immediate help defensively at the point of attack and the wing, yet NAW is not really that guy right now. Perhaps Utah envisions him being squeezed into a honed-in role, more focused as a connector and less as a shot-creator; expecting a change in wiring mid-season before a playoff run when this team NEEDS a deep run to succeed, is questionable. I'm hopeful for NAW, doubtful for this season.
Ethan Fuller: Both sides of that Mavericks-Wizards trade... lost? Kristaps Porzingis is not the type of upgrade to sway Washington's playoff hopes or convince Bradley Beal the future is in good hands. It also creates a logjam of ill-fitting bigs with Porzingis, Daniel Gafford and Thomas Bryant. Meanwhile, the Mavericks added a questionable fit of their own in Spencer Dinwiddie and didn't address the resulting needs in the frontcourt. I don't get why either side was motivated to get this deal done, and I question if either team meaningfully improved.
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Moke Hamilton: I think there&rsquo;s enough of the pie to go around. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have gotta be somewhat disappointed that they weren&rsquo;t able to do anything of significance, but I think the Lakers are probably the &ldquo;winner&rdquo; here. With LeBron James continuing to advance in age, they came into the season with championship aspirations, but as of right now, would have to play their way into the playoffs. The team still doesn&rsquo;t seem to have an identity and Russell Westbrook and Frank Vogel obviously have some issues they need to figure out. To be honest, I&rsquo;m also not too enthused about the Kristaps Porzingis deal for Washington. If he can stay healthy for them, then I&rsquo;ll feel differently, but at this point, he has to prove that he&rsquo;s worthy of the hype and the big contract he got from Dallas. I know the Wizards wanted to get away from Spencer Dinwiddie, but drama has followed Kristaps in each of his previous two stops. Now, he&rsquo;ll be Dallas&rsquo; headache.
Bryan Fonseca: I'd like to say us since we were deprived of the theater scenario where Brooklyn and Philly don't make the James Harden-Ben Simmons swap, but I won't. This could be Dallas or Washington because of what they actually did, but since that was one trade, we'll let them cancel each other out. Let's go with the Knicks and Lakers. I don't know how those teams just stand pat. The Knicks should've moved off a couple of guys, like Alec Burks and Kemba Walker, to gain draft capital and free up minutes elsewhere. And the Lakers, well ... yanno.
Evan Sidery: Not many teams stand out here, but one obvious one is the Washington Wizards. What exactly were the Wizards thinking with Thursday&rsquo;s acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis? Hopefully the Wizards truly don't believe Porzingis can keep Bradley Beal around long-term, but here we are. Porzingis is a great talent, but he's simply proven to be unreliable due to continuous injury woes. In D.C., Porzingis plays next to Beal and a lot of young, raw talent. The team-player fit here is just so confusing.
Mat Issa: The Bulls and Jazz are the two biggest losers to me. For the Jazz, the need for an upgrade at the perimeter defensively was pretty apparent, but instead, they only came away with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is a fine young player, but probably not a bonafide playoff stopper. For the Bulls, their inactivity hurts them here, as pretty much every other top-nine team in the conference did something to bolster their roster for the stretch run.
Justin Lewis: The Charlotte Hornets didn&rsquo;t do anything to improve their atrocious defense. Portland is in absolute shambles, moving quality rotation pieces for hypotheticals. The Dallas Mavericks were making strides and they blew it up for what?
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>!

Who are the biggest NBA trade deadline losers? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

Roundtable: Who are the biggest losers of the NBA trade deadline?

With the NBA trade deadline over and done with, the BasketballNews.com staff wants to share our thoughts on the moves that went down. Since Nekias Duncan thoroughly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graded each and every trade from the past week</a>, we asked the rest of our team to react to the results of the ever-so-eventful week.
Here are our staff's thoughts on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losers of the 2022 NBA trade deadline</a>. Now, in our latest Roundtable, we asked our writers the following question:
Who are the biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline? 
Alex Kennedy: My trade deadline winners are the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. I was someone who believed that Daryl Morey should trade Ben Simmons sooner than later, because I thought Simmons' trade value would only decrease over time. I didn't think the 76ers would actually be able to land a star player for Simmons, but I was clearly wrong. Morey's gamble paid off and now he's reunited with James Harden. As for the Pacers, I love&nbsp;what they did over the last week. We all knew that they were going to make drastic changes, but I was really impressed with how much they were able to get back for Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert and Torrey Craig. I love the addition of Tyrese Haliburton, and I truly believe he's going to develop into a star in Indiana. I also liked the buy-low addition of Jalen Smith, who was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan deserve credit for pulling off some smart trades and assembling an impressive young core.
Spencer Davies: I&rsquo;m going to be contrarian here, but good for the win-now teams who aren&rsquo;t really in a position to contend this season, yet still went for a swing. I&rsquo;m talking about the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers. The Pels acquired a 20 point-per-game scorer in CJ McCollum to put next to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson (defense we&rsquo;ll worry about later; Herb Jones and his 10 arms have it all covered anyway). My thoughts on the Kings acquiring an All-Star such as Domantas Sabonis are well-documented, and now, they&rsquo;ve added an underappreciated two-way guard in Donte DiVincenzo, who&rsquo;s still finding his form since his playoff injury last year. Finally, as for the Clippers, Norm Powell and Robert Covington are championship-caliber veterans who will get acclimated the rest of the season as L.A. stays afloat &mdash; and fit like a glove in Tyronn Lue&rsquo;s rotation next year beside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Individually, I also have to give big-ups to Daryl Morey for sticking to his guns.
Ethan Fuller: The Celtics and Pacers each made the right moves for their franchise directions. Boston needed to find another ball-handling guard to fit with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and the team did exactly that by adding Derrick White. They also brought back a perfect third center in Daniel Theis while clearing roster space to pursue bench upgrades on the buyout market. Indiana is crushing its rebuild initiation. Tyrese Haliburton is obviously the headliner, but the Pacers also netted a first and second-round pick, plus a noteworthy flier in Jalen Smith and tradeable players like Buddy Hield. They also didn't overextend with any forced moves.
Bryan Fonseca: It would be silly to say Indiana, and as much as I do like Tyrese, I'm not a *full-blown* Haliburton hipster. He can be an All-Star, for sure, but Domantas Sabonis is already that. The deal isn't *that* one-sided. I could say Brooklyn or Philly for getting themselves out of a situation, but both teams might've just traded one set of problems for another. In fact, I'd say that's likely. So, you know what, I really enjoy what New Orleans did. You can't rebuild forever and Zion Williamson's already extension-eligible this summer. We'll have to see him again at some point, and with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, you should be competitive, especially next year &mdash; if you have mostly good health. To me, it's a diet version of the Chicago Bulls adding DeMar DeRozan.&nbsp;
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Evan Sidery: Exiting this year&rsquo;s trade deadline, it's rare to list both teams from the biggest transaction as winners. That's exactly what happened in the Sixers and Nets&rsquo; blockbuster when James Harden and Ben Simmons swapped places. Harden joins Joel Embiid forming a lethal, potentially transcendent one-two scoring combination. Philadelphia pushed the chips in as Embiid continues to display rare big man dominance. For Brooklyn, this situation was untenable with Harden&rsquo;s on-court pouting. The Nets&rsquo; Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden will be looked back on with so many questions down the road. Both teams shook it up, and in the end it's fair to say both teams made weaknesses a strength. Harden is Daryl Morey&rsquo;s big moment in Philly, but Simmons could finally be fully maximized alongside Durant.
Mat Issa: Of course, the 76ers are &ndash; any time you can end an annoying, eight-month-old saga by securing a top-12 player in the world, you&rsquo;ve won immensely. However, the team that really stands out to me is their counterpart in the deal, the Brooklyn Nets. Despite having their back against the wall with very little leverage (thanks to Harden&rsquo;s displeasure being confirmed the morning of the deadline), the team netted a pretty nice return. Say what you will about him, but Simmons was a solid All-Star in a suboptimal situation in Philadelphia. Next season, he&rsquo;ll be operating with the perimeter gravity that the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry (another valuable piece from the deal) afford you. Also, adding a solid backup center and some draft capital is always nice, as well.
Justin Lewis: The Brooklyn Nets, because they just became a better team. The Detroit Pistons paid next to nothing for a shot at Marvin Bagley. The Memphis Grizzlies because Dallas got worse and no one in the West really made a move to pull closer or further away from them.
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Who are your biggest NBA trade deadline winners? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

Roundtable: Who are the biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline?

If you&rsquo;re reading this, chances are, you&rsquo;re confused, too.
And if you caught <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/watch-basketballnewscoms-2022-nba-trade-deadline-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's NBA Trade Deadline Show on Thursday</a>, you saw that we were very bumfuzzled... among other things.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Here&rsquo;s <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSchindlerNBA</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BryanFonsecaNY</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@esidery</a> and I reacting to the Kristaps Porzingis trade in real-time. 😂 We definitely didn&rsquo;t see this coming: <a href="https://t.co/SmJQ5CZbWc">pic.twitter.com/SmJQ5CZbWc</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1491900027987546119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Can you tell I didn't know how to react to the Porzingis trade ??? 😂😂😂<a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/HH4seIoS2d">pic.twitter.com/HH4seIoS2d</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1491904699011944448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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But yeah, say that sh*t out loud: Kristaps Porzingis is a Washington Wizard. And Porzingis is a Wizard because Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertāns are now Dallas Mavericks.
Alright, now take a breath, and let&rsquo;s take a few minutes to attempt to understand this together.
It was clearer than Sweet Baby Ray&rsquo;s barbecue sauce being amazing that the Mavericks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kristaps-porzingis-renewed-confidence-leading-to-resurgent-season-with-mavericks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not want any more of the Porzingis experience</a>. When moved from the New York Knicks three trade deadlines ago, KP was thought to be a franchise star joining then-rookie sensation Luka Dončić to uplift the Mavericks into whatever stratosphere we were talking about at the time. Seriously, that feels like generations ago.
But in "KP Years" it kinda was.
Back then, Porzingis was in the midst of sitting out all of the 2018-19 season, his fourth in the NBA. But the previous year, <a href="https://www.nba.com/knicks/kp-all-star" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he had been named a first-time All-Star</a> in just his third season despite his Knicks being 21-27 on the day he was honored. Two weeks later, he tore his ACL, ending his season with averages of 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks on .439/.395/.865 shooting splits. In Dallas, he has come close at times, but hasn&rsquo;t been able to fully replicate his All-Star self &mdash; even as his numbers may suggest otherwise, especially on the boards.
If he was still Unicorn KP, he wouldn&rsquo;t have gotten dumped for Dinwiddie and Bertāns, the latter of whom is in the conversation for worst contract in the NBA. But to his credit, Porzingis was having a productive season.
In his tenure with the Mavs, Porzingis averaged 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks with a .448/.345/.831 slash line. He averaged 4.4 free throw attempts per contest and 5.0 in 2019-20; however this season, it was just 3.2 FTAs a night. Even so, his free-throw rate has progressively dropped every season in Dallas, from .260 to .247 to .240.
To this point currently, Porzingis stands at 19.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks on .451/.283/.865 shooting. The 28.3% from three is coming on 5.1 attempts per game (his lowest as a Mav), which is a drop from 7.1 to 6.0 in the two seasons previous.
Porzingis had been anchoring one of the league&rsquo;s best defenses at times. As of this writing, the Mavericks stand <a href="https://www.nbastuffer.com/2021-2022-nba-team-stats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third in fewest points allowed per game, fifth in defensive efficiency, and ninth in point differential</a>. Porzingis even had the team&rsquo;s second-best win shares per 48 minutes at .172, only behind Dwight Powell, and marking his personal career-high.
But as Tim Cato penned in <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/mavericks-trade-kristaps-porzingis-traded-to-wizards-for-spencer-dinwiddie-davis-bertans/c3MVzUwMssD0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a>, this has more to do about the direction of Dallas as a team.
Porzingis is eating $31.6 million this year, leaving little room for the Mavericks to maneuver this pffseason without financial creativity, which hasn&rsquo;t been their strong suit in previous offseasons if you haven&rsquo;t noticed. KP is also due $33.8 million next year with a $36 million player option for 2023-24, and you can guess how that one&rsquo;ll go.
By adding Dinwiddie and Bertāns, you&rsquo;re now eating those contracts, but they&rsquo;re <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1491860693129187342?s=20&amp;t=bJ9bGyu27yBE2xBObb-Sig" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not as taxing individually</a>. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-trade-destinations-for-spencer-dinwiddie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As ran through recently here</a>, Dinwiddie is due $17.1 million this year and $18 million next year, and has a partial guarantee for $18.9 million in 2023-24. Dinwiddie has $10 million guaranteed in '23-24, but the deal <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1491861580174151692?s=20&amp;t=_BekDW8CG7k7zzJ0C5ayPg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">becomes fully guaranteed if he plays 50 games each in the two seasons prior</a>; he's played in 44 this year, so he's only six games away from satisfying half of the criteria.
Bertāns will get $16 million again next year and $17 million in 2023-24, and has a partially-guaranteed $16 million in 2024-25.
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For Dallas, these two contracts are just easier to navigate with, and it breaks up the supposed tension-filled relationship we&rsquo;ve heard about between Dončić and Porzingis for multiple years now. Dinwiddie is also insurance for pending restricted free agent Jalen Brunson, whom the Mavericks still plan to keep, <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1491861113096523777" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN&rsquo;s Tim MacMahon</a>.
The move completely reshapes how the Mavs will build around Dončić this summer and beyond, which they already signaled post-trade by signing Dorian Finney-Smith to a well-deserved four year, $52 million extension.
This season overall, Dinwiddie is averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds on .376/.310/.811 shooting splits. Coming off his second ACL tear, his free throw rate is, at .240, the lowest of his career, which typically hovered between .252 and .270 in Brooklyn.
The big question with Dinwiddie will be how he&rsquo;ll fit next to Dončić, given that he wasn&rsquo;t his best next to another ball dominant guard in Bradley Beal; although, he did appear to play well without the Wizards' superstar, for what that&rsquo;s worth.
According to StatMuse, he averaged 10.2 points, 5.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds on .334/.271/.857 splits while <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/spencer-dinwiddie-stats-with-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">playing alongside Beal in 31 games</a>.
But <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/spencer-dinwiddie-stats-without-bradley-beal-2022">in 13 games without Beal?</a> Dinwiddie was damn near an All-Star, posting 18.5 points, 7.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game on a .441/.378/.746 slash line. Free throw percentage is down, sure, but he got there 4.5 times per contest versus the 2.7 he did when Beal was out there.
Now, in Dallas, you&rsquo;re hoping to find out that this was a not ball-dominant guard problem, as opposed to a Beal one. They did possibly snipe at one another <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/01/30/dinwiddie-said-he-tried-to-lead-wizards-spoke-up-but-it-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over that whole leadership thing</a> after all. For all we know, one day we could find out that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell weren&rsquo;t the only Wizards who <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/kentavious-caldwell-pope-montrezl-wizards-altercation/7taxzwsqlevs1r6c6ohhg3u5c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wanted to beat each other&rsquo;s asses</a>.
As for Bertāns...
He averages over 14 minutes per game in D.C., is just at 5.7 points per game and shooting a career low (by far!) 31.9% from three. He got this contract after shooting above 42% from deep in back-to-back seasons, and since then, he&rsquo;s fallen off a cliff. His major redeeming quality could be tapped into while stretching the floor with a virtuoso passer like Dončić, which we theorized for a fellow Latvian a few trade deadlines ago. (Spoiler: That was Porzingis, so we&rsquo;ll see, I guess.)
As for Washington, another big reason this trade was even on the table was because of Porzingis&rsquo; lack of availability. Even now, he&rsquo;s nursing a knee injury and hasn&rsquo;t played in nearly two weeks. In Dallas, not including the lost 2018-19 season, Porzingis played 144 of a possible 218 games, including the playoffs. If you do add the games he missed while recovering from a torn ACL, that&rsquo;s an additional 31 as a part of the Mavericks.
Porzingis, who turns 27 in August, likely has already seen his best days, and might even be years removed from them. In Washington, the franchise is still reportedly trying to reshape their own future around Beal, who is expected to miss the rest of the season due to wrist surgery and could sign an extension this summer worth well over $200 million.
If the Wizards plan on building around Beal and Porzingis, wouldn't that just look like a 75% or so version of what we saw with KP and Luka in Dallas?
Does having Porzingis bring them closer to keeping Beal? And, if so, is that even the direction they should go in?
Your hypothesis might be better than mine, but hey, at least you got rid of those other contracts, I guess.
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Bryan Fonseca tries to make sense of what the Wizards and Mavs were trying to accomplish at the 2022 NBA trade deadline.

Owen