Boston Celtics

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; The transfer portal. Name, image and likeness deals. Sixth-year seniors. Conference realignment. The ever-shifting prospects of the one-and-done rule.
The once semipredictable ground that underpinned college basketball has been changing at lightning speed over the past 24 months, leaving coaches and their bosses scrambling to adjust to whatever comes next.
The NCAA Tournament closes out Monday when UConn plays San Diego State, and will go down as one of the most unpredictable ever. Unanswered is the question of whether the shifting landscape in college sports was the reason for all bracket madness or simply background noise for an event that is always hard to handicap.
Either way, things are changing and coaches are trying to adjust on the fly.
&ldquo;These might be some of the greatest challenges we&rsquo;re facing with the portal and NIL and just lack of direction and rules and regulations,&rdquo; said Mark Few of Gonzaga, a perennial powerhouse that has reached the Sweet 16 in eight straight seasons.
The four teams that made it to Houston &mdash; Florida Atlantic and Miami saw their seasons end Saturday &mdash; got here in part because they adapted quickly. All four added players from the transfer portal, some of whom were given an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, and some of whom were lured by the promise of sponsorship money under the loosely regulated NIL system.&nbsp;
Very few coaches want to go on record saying that allowing players to earn money through NIL or to freely move around in a billion-dollar business that imposes no such restrictions on the coaches themselves is a bad thing.
Few also want to touch on the bottom line of conference realignment, which is placing familiar schools in strange places &mdash; Texas in the Southeastern Conference and UCLA and USC in the Big Ten &mdash; in the service of generating more revenue.
And none want to be painted as dinosaurs who don&rsquo;t believe players should share in the game&rsquo;s considerable financial windfall.
Some, however, concede they are uneasy about the implications of all this.
&ldquo;I wish someone would understand the effect of the system,&rdquo; Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. &ldquo;The story is the number of kids who have been adversely affected by the climate as it is today.&rdquo;
Hamilton is not the only coach concerned by a recent NCAA study that showed 43% of Division I athletes who enter the transfer portal &mdash; taking advantage of their newfound ability to switch schools without having to sit out a year &mdash; end up without a place to play.
&ldquo;Is it great that 43% of young people decided to remove themselves from an experience of a lifetime?&rdquo; said UMass coach Frank Martin. &ldquo;People talk about a lot of the great things happening for young students now, but nobody really talks about that.&rdquo;
Now, the one-and-done rule, which used to be considered one of the biggest destabilizers in college sports, is barely a blip on the radar. For most of the past year, the NBA had made it a priority to eliminate the 17-year-old rule from the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. But that got scuttled at the last minute, and the rule will remain.
&ldquo;However it all shakes out, what I want is whatever is best for the kids,&rdquo; said Kentucky coach John Calipari, who for years has embraced the one-and-done system.
Calipari said he&rsquo;s more concerned about &ldquo;27-year-olds playing against 19-year-olds.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s an issue that we&rsquo;re going to have to deal with that we&rsquo;re totally avoiding,&rdquo; he said.
The extra year of eligibility granted because of COVID-19, combined with redshirt years being handed out for varying reasons, has, indeed, extended some players&rsquo; careers into their mid-20s.
Exhibit A: Since the NBA trade deadline last month, the Houston Cougars, who came into the tournament as a No. 1 seed and were ousted in the Sweet 16, had a starting five that was older than the starters for NBA&rsquo;s rebuilding Houston Rockets.
Exhibit B: Including 25-year-old guard Adam Seiko, San Diego State has four key contributors who are in their fifth or sixth year of college.
The NCAA is taking somewhat of a passive approach to all of the issues. It has largely refused to get into the regulation of NIL deals, instead leaving it to state governments to decide. Last week, Congress held the latest in a series of hearings that resolved nothing, even as the NCAA asks for a national standard.
&ldquo;I think one athletic director said that the only truth about NIL is that everybody lies,&rdquo; the NCAA&rsquo;s new president, Charlie Baker, said in a brief interview at the Final Four.
Baker would like to see the creation of a registry of contracts, financial literacy programs for families, a certification process for agents and a uniform standard contract for NIL deals.
For now, though, NIL and the portal have produced a free-for-all.
It played out at FAU, where coach Dusty May said some of his players were being approached while the team was in the middle of its run.
In another instance, after a run to the Sweet 16 last season, Maryland&rsquo;s women lost five players, including two who made it to the Final Four with their new teams this year. (The Terps still made the Elite Eight this year.)
Before the tournament started, Belmont women&rsquo;s coach Jamey Givens, whose Bruins missed the tournament after upsetting Oregon in the first round, last year put a fine point on it, tweeting good luck to all the teams in the tournament &mdash; &ldquo;except for those who have been actively recruiting off our roster all spring.&rdquo;
Martin, a former high school math teacher who got fired at South Carolina five seasons after reaching the Final Four, has long leaned into the importance of athletes getting an education. He is also a realist and an optimist, trying to thread the needle in a rapidly changing landscape.
&ldquo;For the most part, we tend to be fairly intelligent people who adapt,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll figure it out, and we&rsquo;ll adapt, and we&rsquo;ll grow.&rdquo;

The once semipredictable ground that underpinned college basketball has been changing at lightning speed the last two years.

As Final Four closes, basketball on unpredictable ground

In his 27th season as the head coach of one of the most prolific franchises in pro sports, Gregg Popovich has seen a lot of talent come through the San Antonio Spurs&rsquo; doors. But his first impression of 19-year-old rookie Dominick Barlow before the season is one he&rsquo;ll not soon forget.
&ldquo;I look at this guy, I say (to the Spurs staffers), 'Where'd you find this guy? Was he a bag boy at HEB or was he working at the gas station?'&rdquo; Popovich recalled to Basketball News. &ldquo;He looks like he never played basketball before. He's just this long, stick sorta guy. He looks almost uncoordinated in a way.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I said, 'Who is this guy?' And they said, 'Just watch him, just watch him. This guy is raw. It's a blank slate, but he's got really quick feet, he's long, he's eager (and) he's really smart.'&rdquo;
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Signed to a two-way contract on July 11, 2022, Barlow's pro career is in its infancy.
Considering there are players ahead of him in the Spurs' development pecking order, as well as more experienced individuals who are higher on the depth chart, the 6-foot-9, 221-pounder has only recently gotten the chance to get his feet wet at the NBA level. Now, having 10 games under his belt, he&rsquo;s eligible to appear in the rest of the team&rsquo;s 33 contests. Up until the trade deadline, he had played under 40 minutes across six total games.
San Antonio felt more comfortable with a gradual maturation via the G League, where the undrafted two-way forward is averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 26.3 minutes a night across 32 games played with the Austin Spurs. Chop that down to the <a href="https://go.nba.com/y5v8t" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last four contests</a> &mdash; &nbsp;25.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals on .603/.571/.929 splits &nbsp;&mdash; and it helps explain why the big club called Barlow's number to see more.
Between Feb. 10-13, Barlow played 17.0 minutes a night over three games on San Antonio&rsquo;s lengthy road trip, including significant stints in the fourth quarter. It was his first real exposure to the NBA level, and there are going to be more opportunities coming his way.
&ldquo;Everything he's doing now is just like a freebie. He's gonna get these minutes and he's gonna play and we're gonna get to take a look at him,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;But he's been one of the team favorites because of his personality and his sort of wildness on the court. 'Cause he doesn't really know much yet. He's just got these athletic skills and he's like a whirling dervish, so to speak.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Just stay patient and stay with what I'm doing,&rdquo; Barlow told Basketball News when asked what he&rsquo;s learned during his rookie season. &ldquo;Obviously, I think the organization is seeing something &mdash; some of the stuff that I'm doing often and allowing me to play some more minutes when some guys are hurt, which I want to just keep proving myself and proving I can play at this level.&rdquo;
Barlow understands what it&rsquo;s going to take to keep him on the floor at this stage of his career. It&rsquo;s the simple things: Playing hard, running the floor, getting rebounds, finishing at the rim and, most importantly, locking in on <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1631230/head-to-head?dir=D&amp;sort=SECONDS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defense</a>.
&ldquo;Everybody wants to become a good offensive player, but I think defensively is the way to get out on the court," Barlow said. "So just trying to read that and understand that certain guys can score. As long as you're keeping them in spots where they're uncomfortable and they have to make tough shots, you kinda sometimes have to limit that. So just trying to learn.
&ldquo;Don't get too frustrated if a guy scores; you know you did what the scouting report says. You kinda just have to trust that sometimes. It's hard playing defense in the NBA. It's hard. There's so many different looks that you see, so you kinda have to just trust your coaches, trust yourself and just give effort. Effort, at the end of the day, will trump some of the other stuff.&rdquo;
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While he has yet to put a stamp on this league, he is already a trailblazer for another.
Barlow is the first player to make it to the NBA from Overtime Elite, a rising professional basketball league focused on preparing the top high-school prospects in hoops around the globe, giving amateur athletes an alternative path to the highest level of competition with proper preparation.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I take pride in representing Overtime Elite. I feel like as a brand and as a group, they helped me a lot [with] just learning how to lock in and work on my game, and [I] became a student of the game,&rdquo; Barlow said. &ldquo;So I take those values that they brought me and I try to bring 'em into here and be a pro and do the same thing every day. Regardless of what's gonna happen game-wise, just try to be a professional. So I take a lot of pride in that.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;I loved coaching Dom. He worked hard every day, was dedicated and determined, and it finally paid off,&rdquo; OTE Cold Hearts head coach Ryan Gomes told Basketball News. &ldquo;He's where he always thought he would be, the NBA, and he's a perfect example of what putting in the work can do.&rdquo;
A solid pro in his own right, Gomes spent eight years in the NBA and also had stints in the then-D League, Germany and Spain. He started many games and learned from a lot of great players, and he&rsquo;s passed on his knowledge to Barlow.
&ldquo;Prepare for the daily grind, watch film, study yourself and your opponents, re-watch your games, keep your focus on staying there &mdash; not just making it,&rdquo; Gomes said. &ldquo;Punch the clock every day.&rdquo;
Gomes sees many parts of his student&rsquo;s game translating to the NBA level. Barlow had a 40% clip beyond the arc with OTE. He also put positional versatility on display as a ball-handling playmaker at the 4 and as a two-way defender at the 3.
We&rsquo;ve seen a lot of those tools being used in Barlow&rsquo;s games in Austin, and some of them are coming to the surface with San Antonio. He&rsquo;s a get-down-the-court, lengthy, athletic player with long strides who can feast in transition when given the chance. He'll block shots with either hand and tip a lot of passes too.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
❌ DOM BLOCK ❌<a href="https://twitter.com/Dominickbarlow_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dominickbarlow_</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/austin_spurs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@austin_spurs</a> <a href="https://t.co/bIZmLEWL9F">pic.twitter.com/bIZmLEWL9F</a>
&mdash; San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1625296715447148544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote>

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While in Atlanta with the program, Barlow admitted not everything in OTE&rsquo;s first year went perfect. What that did, though, was force him to adjust &mdash; which is the biggest lesson he could&rsquo;ve learned.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You're one of like, 30 people, so there's not too many other people that have that experience. So everybody kinda came in there last year not knowing how it was gonna go or what was gonna happen; they told us the plan, but obviously some things had to be changed on the fly,&rdquo; Barlow said. &ldquo;You just learned how to be adaptable and, whatever happens, you just kinda come in and really work on your game and just try to keep getting better every day.&rdquo;
Already, Barlow has set an example for the next wave of OTE players &mdash; such as projected high-first-round picks Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson &mdash; to follow. It's an accolade to especially to be proud of, and Gomes is beaming over that fact.
&ldquo;I think it brings respectability for us as a program and league for a player like Dom (to accomplish this),&rdquo; Gomes shared. &ldquo;More under the radar, but able to apply the daily routine and have a focus and determination to achieve his goals of getting drafted.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And with the daily regimen that all student-athletes are on, him being first gives everyone &mdash; current and those who will come to OTE in the future &mdash; someone to look at and say to themselves, &lsquo;I can get there too.&rsquo;&rdquo;
OTE gave Barlow his first taste of the resources other prospects might have had long before him. Remember, he was only identified as recently as two-and-a-half years ago before entering this tier of pro prospect. Now that he's got access to the best strength training to help him work on his body and on-court guidance to help him work on his skills, it's going to be a game-changer.
"Dominick has an it-factor about him that, when his story is written a few years from now, it's gonna be that much more amazing," a source who's worked with Barlow in the past told Basketball News. "His basketball IQ and his obsession with basketball is at the highest level &mdash; his ability to take in information and apply it very quickly, his knowledge of the game, the way he studies the NBA and the game and other players. He takes in all the coaching advice. He lives it and breathes it and applies it.
"The fact that he's 6-foot-10 and 19 and still growing, he's only gonna get stronger. He's got great feet. He's got good instincts that are getting better. He could be a poster boy for development long-term."
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Every rookie experiences a classic rite of passage in Year 1 &mdash; the welcome-to-the-NBA moment. Coincidentally, it happened in the same city where he made all that noise in OTE.
&ldquo;When I came down the lane in Atlanta, Clint Capela, he blocked my shot. Pretty crazy,&rdquo; Barlow admitted. &ldquo;I was just like, 'In the NBA, naw. I can't lay the ball up like that here.' So that was definitely a moment where I was like, 'Okay, yeah, this is definitely something different.'"
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Barlow made sure to acknowledge and show appreciation to everybody in the Spurs locker room for their encouragement. He also pointed to well-seasoned big man Gorgui Dieng as one of the players who has taken the young forward under their wings.
&ldquo;One of the veteran leaders in here, he's helped me a lot in game moments,&rdquo; Barlow said. &ldquo;If we have a timeout, just talking real quick, telling me, 'Hey do this,' or 'You're doing well, just keep doing what you're doing.' So it kinda just gives me confidence to keep playing hard and try to help this team win some games.&rdquo;
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That fact that he's an NBA player is still sinking in for Barlow. Growing up in the early-to-mid 2010s, he was glued to the television watching the Spurs and Miami Heat duke it out in the 2014 Finals. That series featured the superstar trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili completely dominating LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the help of a championship breakout performance from Kawhi Leonard.&nbsp;
Popovich was in charge of the team then, and he&rsquo;s in charge of the team now. Knowing that, and how he&rsquo;ll be taking the same lessons that the Spurs' legend taught Hall-of-Famers, Barlow is grateful.
He won&rsquo;t be taking this for granted.
&ldquo;It's definitely kind of a surreal experience knowing that the man who was coaching in those games is now my coach,&rdquo; Barlow said. &ldquo;The organization has faith in me and I want to keep making them feel like they made a smart investment in taking me in and just treating me with respect and demanding good things from me.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm hoping to keep living up to those expectations and trying to go past that.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies talks to Spurs two-way rookie Dominick Barlow about his season and being OTE's first NBA representative.

Dominick Barlow proud to be Overtime Elite's NBA trailblazer with Spurs

Nekias Duncan takes an early look at this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through mid-December.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award front-runners: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

Offenses have never been more lethal than they are in this era. With primary ball-handlers becoming larger, the collective shooting range expanding and teams leaning further into the importance of spacing, it&rsquo;s becoming even more difficult to keep the ball out of the basket.
With the game expanding, screening has become even more important. A well-placed off-ball pick can free a movement shooter for a triple or a catch-and-drive. On-ball screens can make shifty ball-handlers even harder to deal with in pick-and-roll and open the door for dump-offs, lobs and fruitful catch-and-shoot opportunities.&nbsp;
Screeners come in all sizes these days, ranging from the burly centers to mismatch-causing smalls. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/changing-of-the-guard-the-future-of-screening-is-here" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I can&rsquo;t overstate how important guard-screening has become</a>, especially late in games.
This season, I want to keep tabs on who is &mdash; and isn&rsquo;t &mdash; getting the job done as screeners. Every week, I&rsquo;ll be highlighting a handful of the most powerful or shameful screen-setters in the league.
Let&rsquo;s get into volume two.
*All stats are through games played between October 30 and November 4, unless noted otherwise.*
BIG OF THE WEEK: DWIGHT POWELL
Dwight Powell, or "DP" (we're still consulting with the judges), is once again flying under the radar. Part of it is his visibility; he logged just seven minutes in the Mavericks' first four games, including three DNPs. That's gone up as of late, with him playing a season-high 26 minutes during Friday night's win over the Toronto Raptors.
The most substantial part of his (lack of) status is what he's tasked with doing. Screen hard, roll hard and stay solid within whatever the defensive scheme calls for him to do. He isn't fed post touches, doesn't offer much as a stretch option and doesn't even have the "hey, he's a post hub sometimes!" tag going for him.
And yet, the Mavs have won his minutes in every game he's appeared in. Spencer Dinwiddie gave Powell all of the flowers following a three-point win over the Utah Jazz.
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Dinwiddie talks about Powell's work ethic and character. He digs into the value of Powell's rolls, and how his consistency in that area forces the big and weak side defenders into tough positions, creating opportunities for himself and Luka Doncic.
I'd like to add that, in addition to the forcefulness of Powell's rolls, he does his homework early by setting effective screens. He angles his body in a way to consistently hit a defender's hip; that puts them behind the play &mdash; and on the hip of Doncic or Dinwiddie &mdash; which further stresses out the defense. If you're allowing Doncic or Dinwiddie to lead the dance, you're in trouble.
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To that point: the Mavs generated 1.36 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Powell on-ball screen, the fourth-best mark in the NBA this week among 73 players to set at least 25 picks, per Second Spectrum. Powell created contact on nearly 82% of those picks, a rate trailing only Bulls forward Patrick Williams (92.86) in the same span.
Keep up the good work.
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CAUGHT YOU SLIPPIN': MIKAL BRIDGES
We're adding a category, because this is my thing and I do what I want.&nbsp;
In all seriousness, it felt weid to consider Bridges for "Small of the Week" considering he isn't a guard, but he obviously isn't a big either. This is a healthy middle ground for the two-way wing. I've really enjoyed his work as a screener thus far.
Dating back to last season, Bridges was used as a drag-screen partner for Chris Paul in transition or early-offense situations. Teams weren't equipped for the push-and-pivot from Bridges, often leading to fruitful opportunities for him or breakdowns elsewhere.&nbsp;
The Suns haven't just rolled that over; they've started to involve him more in half-court situations.
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After setting 6.4 on-ball screens per 100 possessions last year, that number has risen to 9.6 this season. Possessions featuring a Bridges screen were fruitful this week, with the Suns generating an absurd 1.56 PPP. They should keep going to the well.
SMALL OF THE WEEK: ALEX CARUSO
There isn't anything Alex Caruso won't do if you ask him.
Run the offense? Sure. Roam the dunker spot for dump offs? Cool! Act as a spacer? Doesn't mind. Hound guards defensively? You got it. Need him to defend Giannis? He ain't scared.
That kind of gap-filling from a guard is valuable, especially in a league that's becoming less position-bound in terms of roles. Caruso happens to be a gnarly screener on top of everything else, with a strong understanding of angles and timing &mdash; how long to hold a screen (78.3 contact rate this week), and where to release.&nbsp;
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Off the ball, I crack up at how much joy he takes in setting cross screens for Nikola Vucevic. Just look at this lead blocking!
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He might be happier setting the pick than Vucevic is getting a play called for him.&nbsp;
The Bulls generated good offense with Caruso as an on-ball screener (1.00 PPP), and his off-ball work has been even better (1.13 PPP).
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YOU SHOULD HAVE THE FACILITIES FOR THIS, BIG MAN: RICHAUN HOLMES
It's a bit weird in Sacramento.
Holmes proved himself as a capable starter, evidenced by a three-year stretch (2020-22) where he averaged 12.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in roughly 27 minutes a night. Holmes' minute load has never been lower (13.7) due to Domantas Sabonis being much better, and their skill-sets not being complementary enough to play together.
It will take an injury or roster change to dramatically shift things, but Holmes could stand to help himself by setting better screens. There's a line to walk between setting a screen to help your guard and setting one to get yourself open. Doing the former will likely cover both bases; doing the latter can lead to some ugly reps.
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The numbers back it up; the Kings performed poorly on possessions featuring an off-ball (0.5 PPP) or on-ball (0.67 PPP) screen from Holmes this week. He connected on less than half of his on-ball screens (46.8 contact rate).
He simply has to be better than that.&nbsp;
WE SEE YOU TOO: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Not too much on the MVP frontrunner right now, who's been excellent in just about every non-shooting category you can think of. With his workload and the physicality he plays with as a scorer, it's understandable that he isn't on 10 literally all of the time.
But dawg, for an offense that could use a little juice in the half-court, it would be a little helpful if Giannis didn't make it blatantly obvious that an off-ball action was a preamble for something else.
Friday night's game against the Wolves was pretty glaring when I went back through it.&nbsp;
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On the week, the Bucks generated just 0.89 PPP on trips featuring an off-ball screen from Giannis;&nbsp;
He doesn't have to be Steven Adams (hope he's alright) when prying guards open around the elbow (clips 1 and 4), nor does he have to be Draymond Green when guards are flying off baseline screens (clips 2, 3 and 5). Just ... get in the way. It'll help sell some of the action, make defenses work a little harder and thus open up cleaner scoring opportunities.
Screen Time will be back next Saturday!

Nekias Duncan takes a look at some of the best — and worst — screeners in the NBA this week.

Screen Time Vol. 2: Highlighting the NBA's best and worst screeners

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

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

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NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

As we officially put the finishing touches on &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on BasketballNews.com, NBA over/under win total projections have been released for every team.
Which numbers stand out most to hammer one way or another from a betting perspective? In this piece, I unveil my over/under predictions for every team in the Western Conference. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Phoenix Suns: Over 52.5 (-110)
Even if the Suns don&rsquo;t acquire Kevin Durant, they remain in an advantageous position to finish near the top of the Western Conference standings. Phoenix still has a stacked rotation, with the biggest difference being Dario Saric&rsquo;s return to the backup big role in place of JaVale McGee. If Devin Booker and the Suns&rsquo; formidable young core continue taking steps forward, it&rsquo;s hard to envision much of a drop-off occurring in the win-loss column.
Phoenix&rsquo;s postseason exit was one of the ugliest we&rsquo;ve seen in recent memory, but a loss like that could rattle this group enough to come back similarly to the team's Finals experience in 2021. I&rsquo;m hammering the over here, as the Suns remain one of the most dangerous squads in the Association. If Durant comes, that&rsquo;ll be the ultimate cherry on top.
Los Angeles Clippers: Over 52.5 (-110)
A fully healthy Clippers squad with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will always stay in the conversation among the league's elite tier. Last season, we were all robbed of seeing this dynamic duo in action together, but all the time off leads me to believe we should see them play more than usual. If so, the over/under of 52.5 wins is one I&rsquo;m comfortable placing the over wager upon.
Los Angeles not only has a loaded rotation similar to Phoenix, but it has a historically potent wing tandem ready to go on a revenge tour. As one of my favorite bets in the West, lock in the Clippers&rsquo; over with the utmost confidence.
Golden State Warriors: Over 51.5 (-115)
The defending champions check in third in the West, which feels like an undersell of what they just accomplished. Stephen Curry is still playing at an all-time level, and Klay Thompson began to find his footing throughout the Warriors&rsquo; run to a championship.
Feeling confident in the over also has to do with the development of the team's younger, up-and-coming players. Though dependent upon how much more Golden State will go into the luxury tax long-term, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins look to be entrenched long-term pieces. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are the ultimate wildcards for Golden State. Even if only one takes off from a development perspective in 2022-23, 51.5 wins is a number to hit the over on.
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Denver Nuggets: Over 49.5 (-140)
Nikola Jokic enters this season as a trendy dark-horse selection for MVP as the back-to-back award winner, which is incredible to even think about. The Nuggets have stayed competitive amidst their countless injury issues because of Jokic&rsquo;s greatness.
Now, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. eventually expected back at 100%, Denver is a team many bettors are hammering the over on with -140 moneyline odds on 49.5 wins. Frankly, I&rsquo;m in lockstep with the sportsbooks because Denver was a team that sneakily improved on the margins this offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was an underrated acquisition from the Washington Wizards, and he&rsquo;s earned a new multi-year extension upon his arrival.
If Murray and Porter&rsquo;s health cooperate alongside the all-world talent that is Jokic, 50 wins for the Nuggets just feels right to say. Even above that mark is an appropriate projection, because Jokic elevates the floor that much on his own.
Memphis Grizzlies: Under 48.5 (+105)
Ja Morant qualified as our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-for-202223-nba-most-valuable-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under-the-radar MVP selection</a> during &ldquo;Bet Week,&rdquo; but the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. early on looms large for the Grizzlies. Although he flies under the radar a little bit too often, JJJ is an anchor to a defense that&rsquo;s done a complete 180 over the last year.
A lot will be on the plate of Morant, which he won&rsquo;t have a problem with, but what about the rest of the West? The Clippers and Nuggets are healthy now, plus the Suns and Warriors will remain in the title race as well. If Morant can carry the Grizzlies in similar territory without JJJ, his MVP argument could become very valid.
I&rsquo;m going to tread lightly on Memphis and select the under here with plus-money value. Morant will put up spectacular numbers once more, and Desmond Bane should continue to emerge in the backcourt. For my current projection, the Grizzlies will slot in as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
Dallas Mavericks: Under 48.5 (-105)
The argument against the Mavericks is almost identical to the one I just presented for Memphis. Luka Doncic enters as the heavy betting favorite for MVP, but will he alone be enough to lift Dallas into truly elite territory? That&rsquo;s one of my biggest questions entering 2022-23, because players like Doncic and Morant fit the billing of talents who can lift teams all on their own.
Months away from it now, it&rsquo;s still stunning to think back to the Mavs&rsquo; Game 7 shellacking of the Suns in the West semifinals. Once Doncic figured out Phoenix&rsquo;s defense, it was game over. Could Doncic do this to the rest of the league? There&rsquo;s no doubt he will put up monster numbers, but the Mavericks fit into the same tier as the Grizzlies right now around 47-48 wins.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 47.5 (-140)
I&rsquo;ll continue to bang the Minnesota drum until proven otherwise because I&rsquo;m all-in on the Timberwolves taking a huge step forward. Anthony Edwards checks every box for a young superstar, and their new addition in Rudy Gobert will augment a talented rotation. Karl-Anthony Towns being flanked by Gobert makes up one of the most unique frontcourt combinations we&rsquo;ve ever seen in the modern NBA, but this type of move is a risk an organization like Minnesota must take. Towns and Edwards are ready to win big soon, so adding an elite rim-protector like Gobert allows those gifted scorers to focus on that end.
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Bookmark this if you want, but here&rsquo;s perhaps my biggest hot take: Minnesota will win the Northwest Division and become a top-four seed. With how everything stacks together for Minnesota, this is a team well-positioned to take a leap similar to the one we&rsquo;ve seen from Phoenix and Memphis in recent years.
Los Angeles Lakers: Under 45.5 (-105)
Unless Kyrie Irving is walking through the door anytime soon, I&rsquo;m taking the money and running as quickly as possible on the Lakers' under here. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will do their usual damage, but this roster is nowhere close to being finished. Also, there&rsquo;s no way anyone can truly believe the Lakers are a Finals contender with their ongoing saga surrounding Russell Westbrook. From the very beginning, Westbrook&rsquo;s fit was super clunky alongside LeBron and AD. Now, the triple-double king continues to be the main target of trade rumors, many of which are linking him to the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs as a pure salary-dump option.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-would-be-foolish-not-to-accept-pacers-lifeline-to-extend-their-title-window" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offering the Lakers a lifeline to fix the Westbrook situation</a>. The Pacers are willing to take on the $47 million owed to Westbrook while also sending Los Angeles back two starters in Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The current hold-up in trade negotiations reportedly is draft pick compensation. Los Angeles refuses to offer its 2029 first-round pick on top of the 2027 selection, which the Pacers believe is more than a fair price to pay.
In the meantime, I&rsquo;m going to take the Lakers under 45.5 wins while it remains at plus value. Until any resolution is reached on the roster, I&rsquo;m betting against L.A.
New Orleans Pelicans: Over 44.5 (-140)
Compared to almost any other team in the NBA, New Orleans projects supremely well long-term if Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health cooperates. Williamson and Brandon Ingram have each shown on separate occasions they can be the No. 1 option for New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are ideal veteran pieces in the starting unit as well. Well-balanced on both ends of the court, the Pelicans have completely bought into what head coach Willie Green brought over from Monty Williams in Phoenix.
With Williamson, Ingram and McCollum, the Pelicans should be a team projected closer to 50 wins. I absolutely love the over here on 44.5 wins, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if New Orleans finishes as a playoff lock instead of a Play-In Tournament competitor.
Portland Trail Blazers: Under 40.5 (-110)
Kudos to Damian Lillard because he will not leave the Blazers hanging anytime soon. He&rsquo;s all-in on winning in Portland, which reminds me so much of Reggie Miller with the Pacers a few decades back. Portland re-signed Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons, but two notable splashes occurred this offseason. Jerami Grant is the Blazers&rsquo; first true wing threat in years, and the ultimate wildcard from the 2022 NBA Draft fell into their laps at No. 7 overall. What if Shaedon Sharpe hits his ceiling? That&rsquo;s something Portland has in their back pocket, because Sharpe&rsquo;s scoring prowess forecasts very well alongside Lillard. They'll just have to hope he can get healthy and stay healthy.
The West remains a tough customer though. So, with that being said, the Blazers fall into the category of a feisty team that&rsquo;s competitive most nights on their way to a sub-40-win campaign. It's certainly not the outcome Blazers fans hope for, but there&rsquo;s a large number of teams ahead of them at the moment.
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Sacramento Kings: Over 32.5 (-120)
The Kings actually had a good offseason. Yes, you&rsquo;re reading that right. Keegan Murray at No. 4 overall looks to be a lights-out scorer with an extremely high floor. Ideally, Murray can become the third piece to a long-term trio in Sacramento alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Also, don&rsquo;t forget about the Kings adding much-needed help on the perimeter with Kevin Huerter via trade and Malik Monk via free agency.
I had to double-take upon finding this fact, but the Kings have only exceeded 33 wins once over the last 14 years (2018-19 was that season).
Luckily for Sacramento, I&rsquo;m projecting them to finish with at least 33 wins for 2022-23. If the Kings underachieve once more, I wonder what the future looks like for an organization that stays in topsy-turvy mode.
Utah Jazz: Under 31.5 (-110)
Assuming Donovan Mitchell is eventually traded, this number will crumble down into the 20s. Utah is in the midst of a full-scale rebuild attempt for the first time in over a decade, and all signs point to Mitchell&rsquo;s exit soon enough from Salt Lake City. Gobert being dealt within the division to Minnesota for a historic amount of draft capital shook up the trade market for good, as it&rsquo;s holding up potential blockbusters revolving around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Mitchell.
Moving forward, there&rsquo;s no reason why you should feel confident about betting the Utah over unless Mitchell keeps them above water staying around until February. If not, you&rsquo;re putting an awful lot of faith into the hands of Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson to carry the roster. (If they're there.)
The smart route is to go with the under for the Jazz. Lock in with extreme confidence that Jazz executive Danny Ainge eventually tears it all down within a few months.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Under 26.5 (+100)
Until the Thunder stop their tanking ways, I can&rsquo;t willfully bet an over on them. Following their aggressive draft night &mdash; obtaining three lottery picks headlined by No. 2 overall selection Chet Holmgren, who many viewed as the best overall player &mdash; maybe that "tanking" buzzword is in their rearview mirror.
OKC&rsquo;s roster is young, but the talent screams out as a team that could propel itself forward in a huge manner. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey profile as a super fun long-term backcourt pairing. Luguentz Dort is a pitbull defender who continues to improve his outside shot, which earned him a lucrative five-year extension.
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The Thunder could easily make me look foolish selecting the under, but something along the lines of 25 or 26 wins feels spot on. Can Sam Presti resist the temptation of not tanking for Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in 2023?
Houston Rockets: Over 23.5 (-125)
The Rockets have one of the most interesting young cores to monitor heading into next season. Jalen Green began to turn the corner over the last month of the season, averaging 22.3 points on a 59.9% True Shooting percentage. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston&rsquo;s No. 3 overall selection from the 2022 draft, projects as a score-first wing/big hybrid who should excel alongside Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Alperen Sengun, a throwback Turkish big man, is an underrated prospect with an unlimited ceiling once the small aspects of his game are figured out.
Houston is nowhere close to being competitive, but that&rsquo;s totally okay. The team controls the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; draft for the next season years, so the Rockets are set up arguably as well as anyone right now with the chaos surrounding that whole situation. If the youth jells together and the organization obtains another top pick in next year&rsquo;s draft, be on the lookout for this core to ascend.
For the over/under, 23.5 wins feels a little low, in my opinion. I&rsquo;m projecting the Rockets with 25 victories, so give me the over at -125 odds on DraftKings.
San Antonio Spurs: Under 22.5 (-110)
Once Dejounte Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, it sounded the alarm that the Spurs are finally waiving the white flag on competing for wins effective immediately. San Antonio obtained three future first-round picks for Murray, a haul for a team pressing the reset button at the perfect time.
Las Vegas projects the Spurs with the worst over/under for next season, and there&rsquo;s no real reason to go against them there. Keldon Johnson will put up numbers following his long-term extension, but inexperience is the main theme for San Antonio. The Spurs should be on their way to 20 wins or less, so hammer the under.

Evan Sidery goes over win totals for the Western Conference. Who stands out?

Best Bets: NBA Western Conference over/under projections

As we begin to officially put the finishing touches on &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on BasketballNews.com, NBA over/under win total projections have been released for every team.
Which numbers stand out most to hammer one way or another from a betting perspective? In this piece, I unveil my over/under predictions for every team in the Eastern Conference. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Boston Celtics: Over 54.5 (-130)
The defending Eastern Conference champions headline the best win total of any team in the league on DraftKings, checking in at an impressive 54.5 projected wins. Boston not only improved its roster following a Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, but the team added some real contributors who will hold immense value with Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari. Also, Robert Williams staying healthy all season long would be a huge boost for an already elite defensive unit.
We&rsquo;re hammering the over here because the Celtics have all the necessary ingredients in place to finish with 55 or more wins. Not only can their rotation easily go 10 players deep, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are two dynamic stars at the most important position on the court. Even if the Celtics were to swing a jaw-dropping trade sending out Brown for Kevin Durant, this team should be in a magnificent spot to hit this projected mark with ease.
Milwaukee Bucks: Over 52.5 (-115)
It&rsquo;s never wise to bet against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. More often than not, they always hit their overs when the roster is fully cooperating from a health perspective. Giannis is a player I&rsquo;ve highlighted over the last week who is in prime position to make a serious push for multiple awards like Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. If that indeed comes to fruition and Giannis sets a rampage throughout the NBA, Milwaukee will be one of the most dangerous teams entering postseason play.
The Bucks&rsquo; team-building job is a lot easier with Giannis onboard, but Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are bona fide sub-stars who showed their true value during the team's 2020-21 title run. Also, re-signing Bobby Portis to a long-term deal was huge for the Bucks because he fits so well alongside Giannis as their complimentary stretch big.
Once more, I love the over to hit here at -115 odds on DraftKings. If Giannis stays healthy, the Bucks should cruise to 50-plus wins while posing a real threat to upend Boston atop the East standings.
Philadelphia 76ers: Over 49.5 (-140)
Joel Embiid and James Harden joining forces was always Daryl Morey&rsquo;s dream vision in Philadelphia. Following a rough and quick postseason exit, it feels like the light finally turned on for good with Harden. All offseason long, Harden has reportedly stayed in shape while re-signing a team-friendly, one-plus-one contract, and two of his former teammates in Houston have joined the fray.
The Sixers signing PJ Tucker, albeit at age-37, is a massive move to bring aboard much-needed physical toughness to a roster sorely lacking it. Danuel House Jr. will also provide some two-way versatility off Philadelphia&rsquo;s bench. Also, the draft night trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for De&rsquo;Anthony Melton continues to be overlooked. Arguably the perfect complementary third guard to place alongside Harden and Tyrese Maxey, Melton should thrive within this role, as he mastered it next to Ja Morant.
Health is a huge question mark when examining the long-term gains of this over/under of 49.5. Will Embiid play most of the season? If so, this is another simple nod to the over. However, with an already deep history of injuries, tread lightly here on Philadelphia. Rolling the dice, I&rsquo;m taking the over while praying Embiid puts together another fully dominant campaign.
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Miami Heat: Over 48.5 (-125)
As always, the Heat are flying under the radar entering another season. It was an offseason filled with little to no activity for Miami outside of re-signing Victor Oladipo and Caleb Martin. Plus, they seem like massive long shots to ever enter the potential trade race for Durant after originally being a preferred destination alongside the Phoenix Suns.
Miami is returning a loaded rotation, although losing Tucker to a conference rival will sting a little bit. This is an over/under bet where you simply trust the system in place. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are top-30 players in the Association. Tyler Herro is an emerging young star who is the betting favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year in consecutive seasons. Erik Spoelstra remains one of the game&rsquo;s elite-tier tacticians too.
Add it all together, and Miami should flirt with a 50-win season in 2022-23. Trust the process and &ldquo;Heat Culture&rdquo; for the team to slide its way into a top-three seed in the East.
Atlanta Hawks: Under 46.5 (-105)
What a splashy offseason it was for Atlanta following its embarrassing postseason exit at the hands of Miami. The Heat exposed the Hawks&rsquo; lack of ball-handling help to take pressure off superstar point guard Trae Young. Now, with an all-in move for Dejounte Murray, Atlanta wants to surge up the East ladder. Can the Hawks recapture the 2020-21 magic with an All-Star backcourt pairing? Paying the heavy price the team did for Murray, Atlanta better hope this meshes as well as it looks on-paper.
For our projection, though, we&rsquo;re going with the under at a slight underdog value at -105. Similarly to the Western Conference, the East is setting up to be a war, so the top eight could all be mixed together by season&rsquo;s end. Teams such as Atlanta could be the prime example here, because 46.5 wins truly feels right on the money. In the end, a 45 or 46-win season for the Hawks would be a success, while also cashing plus money for those who bet the under.
Brooklyn Nets: Under 45.5 (-105)
I truly have no clue how this team should be viewed right now. With Kevin Durant still holding firm on his trade request, the 45.5 number here just feels like too much. If Durant is off the Nets anytime soon, Kyrie Irving would probably soon follow him out. It&rsquo;s a ticking time bomb right now, so avoiding this bet entirely is the smartest play possible.
Brooklyn did a fantastic job outside of the Durant and Irving fiasco to add more depth to a team ready to push for a title. However, because of all the uncertainty, getting the under on 45.5 wins at plus money odds is simply too good to pass up.
Toronto Raptors: Over 45.5 (-110)
One of my favorite teams projected to take a massive leap forward in 2022-23, the Raptors finished the regular season off strong before their postseason exit against Philadelphia. Scottie Barnes established himself as a true building block. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are entrenched core pieces. With OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. as the team's fourth and fifth-best players, it goes to show how loaded Toronto can become. The Raptors added more depth and remain a top contender to secure Durant&rsquo;s services, if the Nets indeed decide to trade him.
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Whether Durant comes to Canada or not, I absolutely love the Raptors as a team who should be pushing closer to 50 wins compared to 40. Hammer the Raptors over here to oblivion as they establish themselves as a real Finals threat this season.
Chicago Bulls: Under 43.5 (+100)
As I wrote earlier this offseason, Rudy Gobert felt like the missing piece to the puzzle for the Bulls to become a real threat in the East long-term. Now, with Gobert on the Minnesota Timberwolves, where does Chicago realistically go to pivot? It&rsquo;s hard to see a clear answer right now, which is concerning over an extended window. The Bulls backed up the Brink&rsquo;s truck for Zach LaVine, who definitely deserved the lucrative payday. LaVine and DeMar DeRozan form a dynamic scoring combination, but who else can help take this team into another tier?
Patrick Williams is a potential name to watch develop, but the real questions loom in the backcourt, for me. Goran Dragic signing in Chicago was very interesting, because the team already has a glut of guards on its roster: Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu and Dalen Terry. With Ball&rsquo;s shoulder sidelining him last season, how concerning is that moving forward? For those wanting to monitor the betting lines for Chicago, Ball is an underrated piece to its early-season success as a connective two-way presence.
With the East even tougher, plus some looming concerns in the short and long-term view, I&rsquo;m hammering +100 value on the Bulls to finish as a Play-In Tournament team vs. being a playoff lock.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 42.5 (-135)
Similarly to Toronto, this is another squad I'll love to slam the over on. The 42.5-win number here is too small for Cleveland, especially with its young core jelling together even further. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen make up one of my favorite young trios in the Association, and I&rsquo;m betting big on the three taking another huge step forward.
Don&rsquo;t forget, the Cavaliers were rolling before injuries to countless rotation members begin to be too much to overcome. Caris LeVert, a midseason acquisition, should look much more comfortable in J.B. Bickerstaff&rsquo;s system. Collin Sexton&rsquo;s status remains unclear, but he&rsquo;s a spark-plug scorer who would take immediate pressure off Garland.
Las Vegas is leaning towards projecting the Cavs as a playoff team, and I&rsquo;m siding with them as well.
New York Knicks: Over 39.5 (-110)
Just like their cross-town rivals in the Nets, betting on a Knicks over/under win total right now isn&rsquo;t smart. Wait to see how the dust settles for Donovan Mitchell in Utah first before deciding upon any Knicks-related props.
However, for my projection on Aug. 8, I&rsquo;m betting on Mitchell to eventually land in New York before the regular season begins. With Mitchell, New York feels like a real playoff contender. However, even after signing Jalen Brunson, this Knicks team feels rather incomplete compared to other squads.
This one is simple: If Mitchell arrives, it&rsquo;s a yes on the over. If not, stay away and hit the under instead.
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Charlotte Hornets: Under 36.5 (-105)
Here's another organization that feels incomplete at the moment, especially with the ongoing legal situation surrounding Miles Bridges. As currently constructed, the up-and-coming Hornets feel further away than they did last season. Although Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier are solid veterans for Charlotte, I don&rsquo;t put them on the same tier as the Cavaliers or Knicks. LaMelo Ball is approaching full-blown superstardom, but who else around him will be able to help consistently? This may be a hot take, but it might be in the Hornets&rsquo; best interest to bottom out for a year hoping to land a top pick for a stacked 2023 NBA Draft.
If there&rsquo;s one team poised to regress from Play-In contender to lottery team, Charlotte certainly stands out, and I&rsquo;ll take the under at plus value.
Washington Wizards: Under 35.5 (-115)
Are the Wizards in win-now mode? It certainly seems that way after Bradley Beal signed the dotted line on a supermax deal. The time to put together a winner in D.C. is throughout Beal&rsquo;s hefty contract, but this team still isn&rsquo;t close to being a real threat. In my opinion, Washington continues to stand out as the premiere &ldquo;blow it up&rdquo; squad because of Beal&rsquo;s uncertain status. Now, with a no-trade clause, Beal pretty much runs the entire show now.
Washington added a starting point guard in Monte Morris, but that&rsquo;s not enough to really make a sizable improvement unless Beal bounces-back with authority. The team's young players also need to take much-needed steps forward. At this moment, I&rsquo;m betting against all of that occurring next season. As a slight favorite, feel comfortable selecting the under on the Wizards.
Detroit Pistons: Under 28.5 (-105)
It&rsquo;s hard to argue against the Pistons possessing one of the most promising young cores in the East. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are ideal pieces to put alongside former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, who began to flash superstar potential during the second half of his rookie season.
While the Pistons added foundational pillars this offseason, the team is still ripe with inexperience. The rebuild remains ongoing in Detroit, but the exit signs are approaching. In the meantime, the young core is prioritized over wins this upcoming season.
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Although a 30-win campaign sounds fun, another top selection in 2023 could really take this team to heights it hasn't experienced in decades. Bet on the under here, especially as the tank race hits overdrive post-All-Star break.
Orlando Magic: Over 26.5 (-120)
Paolo Banchero brings an alpha mentality that&rsquo;s been missing forever in Orlando. The No. 1 pick has the ultimate runway to produce immediately, which is why he&rsquo;s the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-on-202223-nba-rookie-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">betting favorite to win Rookie of the Year</a>. Banchero could be a 20-plus point scorer right away, but don&rsquo;t forget about some other enticing young talent in Orlando. Franz Wagner established himself as a core piece, producing excellent all-around numbers. Wendell Carter Jr. is a double-double machine with playmaking chops for a big man. Jalen Suggs hit the rookie wall, but if he can round into form it'll add another aggressive scorer to the equation. Plus, there's the returning Markelle Fultz as well.
Orlando owns one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, but it consistently showed heart by keeping a lot of games close. If Banchero&rsquo;s adjustment is smooth, I actually like betting the favorite option here on the over. Something along the lines of a 27-55 season feels spot-on for Orlando.
Indiana Pacers: Under 24.5 (-115)
Rounding out the East&rsquo;s over/unders list is the Pacers, who are now creating a noticeable difference at the bottom. With two games separating Indiana from Orlando, it shows how little faith Vegas has in this team winning a lot of games next season.
Tyrese Haliburton is the face of the franchise in Indiana now, as the team begins a rebuild over 30 years in the making. Bennedict Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, brings a score-first approach that should mesh seamlessly in the backcourt next to Haliburton. Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith are two young bigs who have flashed two-way potential in addition.
Outside of that, trade rumors are the main subject ongoing in Indiana. According to The Athletic&rsquo;s Bob Kravitz, Indiana would prefer to trade Myles Turner and Buddy Hield this offseason. Neither player fits the organization&rsquo;s new timeline, and the Pacers should be able to fetch some real value in return.
Indiana is a team that really stands out as a prime contender to enter a full-on tank. For an organization that has never drafted No. 1, it would change everything for the Pacers to have some good fortune. Finally embracing a rebuild, maybe lady luck is finally on their side for good.
With that being said, my most confident play is the Pacers under 24.5 wins cashing.

Evan Sidery goes over win totals for the Eastern Conference. Who stands out?

Best Bets: NBA Eastern Conference over/under projections

Depending on your mood, the 2022-23 campaign might feel like another ho-hum year for the Washington Wizards.
Last season, Washington faded to a 35-47 record after starting 10-3, and finished under .500 for the fourth season in a row. The Wizards have ultimately returned to a state of mediocrity, which defines a franchise that has surpassed 45 wins just twice since 1978-79.
So far, the team has not made a serious move to launch itself out of the Eastern Conference's bottom rungs. In the 2022 NBA Draft, the Wizards selected Wisconsin's Johnny Davis at No. 10 overall to provide a long-term solution in the backcourt. They also made one minor trade <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-reaction-4-player-denver-nuggets-washington-wizards-swap-monte-morris-kentavious-caldwell-pope-will-barton-ish-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I liked</a> that added Monte Morris and Will Barton to the mix, and they're reportedly in on the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes at some level according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Unless a Mitchell trade materializes, though, we've likely seen the major moves from Washington already. This means the franchise is relying on second-year head coach Wes Unseld Jr. and a young core to keep pace in the constantly improving East.
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Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija didn't light the world on fire in 2021-22. That said, the former No. 9 draft picks are two of the leaders in Washington's prospect group, and, despite rocky seasons, they showcased the small jumps that fans should be hoping for.
Hachimura played just 42 games last season and didn't make his season debut until Jan. 9 after a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/01/14/rui-hachimura-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mysterious off-court absence</a>. While we can piece together that it was due to personal reasons, Hachimura never detailed the issues and the Wizards respected his privacy. Ultimately, the fact that he felt comfortable enough to return to play is a victory for Hachimura, and we can hope he's in a better, happier place in his life.
That absence places Hachimura's abbreviated season into some context. He logged a career-low 22.5 minutes per game and started just 13 contests, with Washington going 16-26 in his appearances. As winter turned to spring (and the Wizards fell out of contention), his playing time increased to 30.5 minutes per game in six April matchups.
In his short season, Hachimura gave us a revelation in the form of a scorching 44.7% clip from three-point range &mdash; nearly a 12% leap from 2020-21.
Those shots, quite frankly, were not difficult. Hachimura was often left alone in transition to spot up, and rarely faced hard closeouts from defenders. They dared him to make threes, and Hachimura did. Nearly all of his long-range came from a standstill; 117 of his 123 attempts did not require a dribble. But Hachimura also looked confident shooting it. He didn't need to gather himself or fake a jab step.
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Hachimura was able to knock down some off-balance shots where he had to rush. He was also featured in rare two-man actions with guys like Avdija (see the third clip).
It's absolutely fair to question if Hachimura's efficiency is repeatable. Free-throw percentage can be another indicator of shooting potential, and he shot just 69.7% from the charity stripe in 2021-22. I wouldn't expect another mid-40s year from distance, but if Hachimura is even hovering around the upper 30s, that's significant for his offensive impact.
When he attacks a closeout, Hachimura likes to pull up for the long two-pointer. It's an undesirable shot in general that he didn't perform well with last season (35%, per Cleaning the Glass), and it's a poor way to use his power as a driver.
Hachimura finished 75% of his at-rim attempts last season, in the 98th percentile among forwards. A solid chunk of those makes was off of cuts and transition finishes, but approximately 46% were unassisted.
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Hachimura isn't a speedster or leaper; he makes up for it with a stoic frame and impressive balance. Hachimura can accelerate to the rim and simply shrug off opposing defenders, and has even shown the ability to finish high, as exemplified in the above drive against Christian Wood. He can beat the slow-footed switching or drop bigs of the league and bully the smaller mismatches.&nbsp;
This should be the roadmap for Hachimura right now. If he can reach a consistent, threatening perimeter presence and pair that with an imposing driving game, he'll be a weapon as a complementary scorer who can bend defenses. Hachimura offers little as a passer, but, fortunately, he has a prospect partner who can make up the gap.
Avdija played all 82 games in his second season, and though he only started eight times, he had more of an entrenched role in the Wizards' rotation. His fit is almost a polar opposite from his fellow ninth pick in Hachimura.
Avdija's box score numbers and assist rates don't jump off the page, but he graded out extremely well in BBall Index's Passing Versatility (99th percentile) and Passing Creation Quality (92nd percentile) metrics. I'd like to focus on the first one, which aims to diagnose NBA players who have different levels of passes in their arsenal.
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Here's a highlight clip chock-full of Avdija's different passing reads this season. He's perusing in the pick-and-roll, whipping passes to the weak side, curling around screens and kicking out, or driving and dumping off. The vision, creativity and dexterity are apparent. Avdija sometimes gets too ambitious, leading to turnovers, but for a young player, that's not a problem as he continues to acclimate to the league.
And the playmaking potential isn't even the signature skill with Avdija right now. As Stephen Cagan (a.k.a. NBA University) says, Avdija is a K.B.I.F. king:
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Watching 21yo Deni Avdija&hellip;he is absolute clamps. In these clips he locks down KD, Harden, Giannis, and Ja. Incredible versatility, physicality (fouls too much), and anticipatory lateral movement. He&rsquo;s a K.B.I.F.&mdash;keep ball in front&mdash;king! Interested to see his upward trajectory. <a href="https://t.co/ww9OtkM7xd">pic.twitter.com/ww9OtkM7xd</a>
&mdash; NBA University (@NBA_University) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_University/status/1550118209272946689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Avdija is 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds with a strong base and quick feet and hips. He spent over 20% of the time guarding players in BBall Index's top tier of usage. Avdija graded out in the 88th percentile for the database's Matchup Difficulty metric, 98th percentile in Positional Versatility and 94th percentile in Role Versatility. Washington placed a ton of responsibility on the shoulders of a second-year forward, and for the most part, Avdija lived up to the task. He's also one of the better defensive rebounders in the league at his position.
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It's easy to look at Avdija and Hachimura and wonder how they fit long-term in a wing/forward group that includes Kyle Kuzma, Will Barton and 2021 No. 15 pick Corey Kispert. The two young guns still need to turn the flashes into substantive production. Avdija has to find a niche as a scorer, and Hachimura needs to exhibit some connective passing and defensive chops.&nbsp;
But both players seem to be flying under the radar in the general discourse around prospects. Hachimura is further along in the timeline at age-24, but gets somewhat of a fresh start after his challenging third season. Avdija will still be just 21 years old on opening night.&nbsp;
These two young forwards are worthy pieces to build with in their unique ways, and should make the Wizards one of the underrated fun teams to watch next season.&nbsp;

Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija both took steps forward as key pieces to the Wizards' young core.

Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija are quietly giving the Wizards hope

Among this offseason's crop of free agents, some players are flying under the radar. Coming off a torn meniscus, Cleveland Cavaliers combo guard Collin Sexton enters restricted free agency with an uncertain long-term future with the organization.
With Darius Garland&rsquo;s massive jump last season, alongside the midseason addition of Caris LeVert (who is extension-eligible), does Sexton still fit into Cleveland&rsquo;s vision? At the moment, Sexton feels slotted into a sixth man role for the Cavaliers or as a secondary piece behind Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Throughout his career in Cleveland, Sexton has shown a true knack for scoring the basketball at an efficient clip, averaging 20.0 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game on 55.0% True Shooting.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Cavaliers extended a qualifying offer to Sexton, which means they can match any offer sheet he receives the open market. However, how many teams will seriously pursue Sexton? After the draft, the landscape looks much clearer for potential destinations outside of Cleveland.
A return to the Cavaliers is certainly possible. But let&rsquo;s dive into the three best landing spots for Sexton around the league if he doesn't stick around in Northeast Ohio.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS 
It&rsquo;s no secret at this point that the Wizards covet a point-guard upgrade to pair alongside Bradley Beal. Whether it be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dejounte Murray, Malcolm Brogdon or Tyus Jones, Washington seems to be making calls everywhere at the moment.
Could we be underrating the Wizards as a potential fit for Sexton in the process? Next to Beal, Sexton would consistently see open looks, but his playmaking chops would have to improve to a more consistent level, as Washington needs a smooth operator to run head coach Wes Unseld Jr.&rsquo;s system.
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The offensive fit for Sexton with Beal is super fun, but the defense is also super questionable. However, there&rsquo;s no denying Sexton would be the best point guard Beal has played with in D.C. since John Wall. And that&rsquo;s not hyperbole either. The Wizards need to have something click for them in their backcourt, and the clock is now restarting once Beal inks his new lucrative deal.
It's highly unlikely that Sexton would come to D.C. with a mid-level exception offer &mdash; regardless of whether it's the $10.3 million non-taxpayer annually or the $6.3 million taxpayer annually &mdash; so the team would have to get creative to get him there, likely via a sign-and-trade. We know that Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be available, but would that entice Cleveland? How about Deni Avdija or Rui Hachimura, both of whom have flashed upside albeit inconsistently?
Sexton would solve a lot of scoring woes for Washington, but is the price of admission worth it for a team seemingly trying to simultaneously retool and make win-now moves?
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
A week ago, this option would&rsquo;ve never seriously been considered. Now, it seems San Antonio is seriously considering a pivot to a full-scale rebuild, which would mean trading away their All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray. The Atlanta Hawks have been consistently rumored as a potential landing spot for Murray, and it makes a lot of sense <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dejounte-murray-trade-rumors-nba-atlanta-hawks-san-antonio-spurs-john-collins-deal-atl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as I covered earlier this week</a>.
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From the perspective of Sexton and the Spurs, it could become a realistic marriage that makes sense for both sides. The Spurs' hole at point guard would be serious, but trading Murray could easily signal their intentions to tank the season for generational prospect Victor Wembanyama. Would Sexton fit the Spurs&rsquo; new timeline around their young core? Absolutely. Remember, Sexton is only 23 years old, so he actually makes sense as a long-term piece to their puzzle alongside Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and others.
While the market for Sexton away from Cleveland is thinner than expected, San Antonio truly makes sense as a logical landing spot.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
With Dallas now expected to lose Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks in free agency, could Sexton all of a sudden become a realistic fallback option? If the Mavericks are able to secure a large trade exception in a deal with New York for Brunson, they could become an interesting trade candidate for guards such as Malcolm Brogdon or Sexton. (However, it's looking like the Knicks will be able to sign Brunson outright.)
Alongside Luka Doncic, Sexton would excel in a score-first role. For the Mavericks, Sexton represents a player with upside on the same timeline as Doncic.
The big question becomes: What exactly would the Mavericks be willing to pay for his services if they create that aforementioned traded-player exception? If it&rsquo;s on a similar tier as Brunson, around $20 million, it actually could be a very plausible reality for Sexton to be a strong backcourt partner with Doncic in Dallas. (If Dallas doesn't get a traded-player exception, they would only have the mid-level exception, so sign-and-trade would be the only realistic route to land Sexton.)
However, thinking out loud, it should be noted that Tim Hardaway Jr. will be returning in basically the same role, and his contract is designed to descend year-by-year &mdash; an advantageous structure given that Doncic is starting his rookie max extension next season. (Dorian Finney-Smith also begins his new deal.) Spencer Dinwiddie joined the Mavs' fray at the trade deadline to boot, and proved to be a key contributor in multiple moments after he was acquired as well.
It will be very interesting to see where exactly Sexton lands within the next few weeks. If he ends up staying in Cleveland, will it be beyond the 2022-23 campaign?
These looming questions will soon be answered for Sexton, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No. 9 ranked free agent on BasketballNews</a>, but he&rsquo;s one of the more interesting names to follow as we close in on the official start of the new league year.
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If Collin Sexton moves on from the Cavs, which teams make sense as a landing spot? Evan Sidery breaks down potential destinations.

Examining potential free-agency destinations for Collin Sexton

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

The 2022 NBA Draft is only 10 days away. How will it all play out for teams hoping to change their long-term fortunes? Not only will the draft selections bring intrigue, but so will the endless amounts of trade rumors.
Buzz is already picking back up, but who are some players that are flying a little too far under the radar from a potential trade standpoint? Let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into five names who make a lot of sense as potential movers on draft night.
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Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield was a revelation within Rick Carlisle&rsquo;s system in Indiana, posting a career-high 4.8 assists per game for the Pacers. Hield was already known as one of the NBA&rsquo;s most dangerous sharpshooters, but added offensive equity makes him even more of an attractive trade chip for the rebuilding Pacers to consider moving.
Every contender needs additional three-point shooting, and there&rsquo;s not a better potential option out there this offseason than Hield. With $39 million remaining over the final two years of his contract, it could be tough trying to find the ideal trade partner. However, some teams can get creative to fit the veteran into their salary sheet.
A potential fit for Hield that makes way too much sense is Philadelphia. Armed with the No. 23 overall pick they didn&rsquo;t plan on using, alongside Danny Green&rsquo;s expiring non-guaranteed $10 million contract, the Sixers could be an under-the-radar team to monitor over the next few weeks. Getting involved for someone like Hield, who adds even more gravity with Joel Embiid and James Harden, checks a lot of Daryl Morey-related boxes.
Hield doesn&rsquo;t fit the Pacers&rsquo; timeline, so don&rsquo;t be stunned if he&rsquo;s on the move after building back up his value for a few months in Indianapolis.
Pacers receive: Danny Green, Furkan Korkmaz, Shake Milton, No. 23
76ers receive: Buddy Hield, No. 58
Gary Trent Jr.
Toronto has been sniffing around on the top prospects in this year&rsquo;s draft, including names such as Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin and G League Ignite playmaker Dyson Daniels. Both are projected to go within the first 10 picks, but the Raptors won&rsquo;t be on the clock until No. 33 overall. Whether it be OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr., Toronto has its trade chip available to move up the board.
It&rsquo;s been reported that it would take a hefty offer in order for the Raptors to even consider dealing Anunoby. Operating under that assumption, Trent feels like the more realistic bargaining chip on draft night. GTJ is a certified bucket-getter who is nowhere even close to his prime years. In a top-heavy class, Toronto could move into the late lottery by parlaying the former Duke Blue Devil as the price.
How about a hypothetical scenario involving the Washington Wizards? Washington is in win-now mode, especially with the future of Bradley Beal seemingly always up in the air. How would D.C. feel about Trent and Beal as a scoring combination paired with the inside duo of Kristaps Porzingis and Daniel Gafford? It&rsquo;s at least a start, and the board could be rather thin for Washington by the time No. 10 rolls around.
Raptors receive: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, No. 10 overall
Wizards receive: Gary Trent Jr., No. 33 overall
Bogdan Bogdanovic
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After reporting Landry Fields' promotion to general manager, ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski relayed on Monday that the Atlanta Hawks are expected to be <a href="https://twitter.com/KLChouinard/status/1536466951832317959?s=20&amp;t=h-2FroyKYxbsEcKv3zAKfg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most active teams in trade talks</a> between now and free agency. Rumors of potential draft-night deals involving John Collins are out there, but there&rsquo;s also some smoke billowing around the future of Bogdan Bogdanovic in Atlanta. Having already paid Kevin Huerter, and with De&rsquo;Andre Hunter soon due a lucrative extension, could now be the right time to let go of Bogdanovic?
If the Hawks indeed plan on being aggressive, Bogdanovic and the No. 16 overall pick could get them a strong return package. The Athletic&rsquo;s James Edwards III shared that he&rsquo;s heard the Hawks have shown recent interest in Jerami Grant, which includes Bogdanovic and their first-round pick going to Detroit. Honestly, that&rsquo;s a fair, win-win trade for both the Hawks and Pistons.
Expect a lot of changes for the Hawks&rsquo; roster as they retool around Trae Young. Collins feels like he could soon be out the door, but watch out for Bogdanovic as well.
Hawks receive: Jerami Grant
Pistons receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, No. 16 overall
Bojan Bogdanovic
Everyone around the NBA is waiting to see what domino falls next in Salt Lake City as the Jazz enter a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/an-awkward-offseason-looms-for-the-jazz-as-they-try-to-avoid-rebuild" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tumultuous offseason</a>. Uncertain futures of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert cloud what has been an impressive run over the last few years. Now, it seems to be reaching a decision point one way or another between Mitchell and Gobert. Going off multiple reports, if Mitchell gets his way, New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant will be the new lead voice in Utah while Gobert is shipped off elsewhere.
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Outside of the star angles in Utah, the team's roster has a lot of talent that could net value for executive Danny Ainge. Bojan Bogdanovic immediately stands out as one of those premier assets to flip on a $19.2 million expiring contract. Entering his age-33 season, Bogdanovic could be the main piece utilized by the Jazz to bring in more all-around versatility and/or youth.
In this scenario, Utah and Atlanta strike a deal involving Bogdanovic for Danilo Gallinari&rsquo;s barely-guaranteed $21 million salary and Atlanta's first-round pick at No. 16 overall. The Jazz net a top-20 pick while Atlanta gets a win-now piece to surround its superstar point guard.
Jazz receive: Danilo Gallinari, No. 16 overall
Hawks receive: Bojan Bogdanovic
Luguentz Dort
Oklahoma City is already making moves before draft night arrives a little over a week from now. The Thunder acquired veteran forward JaMychal Green from the Denver Nuggets in a salary dump. OKC sent the Nuggets the No. 30 overall pick in exchange for a 2027 protected first-rounder and Green. With so many future draft picks at their disposal as they embark on this historic rebuild attempt, the Thunder need to consolidate some of them due to current roster construction. With so much young talent already on the roster, it was going to be impossible to fit in more than a few extra rookies.
Rumors have been picking up steam around Shaedon Sharpe, which easily could be a smokescreen because of OKC&rsquo;s history. Sharpe&rsquo;s fit with the Thunder actually makes a lot of sense, though, plus ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony said the interest is mutual. Operating under the assumption that Chet Holmgren is selected by them at No. 2, imagine if the Thunder could also snag Sharpe as well in a trade-up? Instantly, OKC would be a major draft-night winner.
Sharpe&rsquo;s arrival would probably mean Lu Dort could be sent out in the same deal, especially to make Portland move back five spots in this scenario. Dort is entering the final year of his deal and is extension-eligible. Although losing Dort would be a major blow, getting Holmgren and Sharpe to go with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey would bring immense hope to Oklahoma City.
Thunder receive: No. 7 overall, Keon Johnson
Trail Blazers receive: No. 12 overall, Luguentz Dort
Trade speculation is only beginning with the offseason cycle now picking up full steam. Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com as we&rsquo;ll have you covered all offseason.
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With the NBA Draft less than two weeks away and buzz picking up, are there any names who could be trade candidates?

Analyzing 5 players who could be traded during the 2022 NBA Draft

Many college students &mdash; even Division I basketball players &mdash; have a window of time around Christmas to travel home, see their families and press pause on the motion and stress of life at school.
Baylor freshman Jeremy Sochan did not have that luxury.&nbsp;
Sochan's mother, stepfather and brother live in Milton Keynes, a medium-sized city in the United Kingdom. Between the short break (Baylor men's basketball played on Dec. 20 and Dec. 28), the long flight and the surging COVID-19 pandemic, a homecoming simply was not feasible.
Instead, the highly-touted prospect bought a ticket to finally see his first NBA regular-season game, tagging along with Baylor assistant coach Bill Peterson and a couple of Peterson's friends to watch the Dallas Mavericks host the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 23.
The freshman was enthralled. He lingered in the American Airlines Center well after the game ended, soaking up the atmosphere.
"Afterwards he just kept saying, 'Coach, I can't thank you enough,'" Peterson told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. "He just had a different appreciation for it. Because he was from another country, going to an NBA game wasn't something he did all the time."
Soon, Sochan will live those moments almost every day. The 6-foot-9-inch forward is headed to the 2022 NBA Draft as a sure-fire first-round pick and a possible lottery selection. Sochan's journey to June 23 includes crisscrossing the globe for basketball, and in his NBA Draft Combine interview, he aptly proclaimed himself a "citizen of the world."
"My family's from all over the place &mdash; Poland, America, and I lived in England most of my life &mdash;&nbsp;and it's hard to answer the question when someone says: Where are you from?" Sochan told BasketballNews.com over the phone. "Because you don't really have one specific place. So I try and explain it that way."
In the past five years alone, Sochan has suited up for five different elite basketball programs, beginning from his home in England and traversing through Poland, the United States (twice) and Germany. But the takeoff started in his hometown of Milton Keynes, where Sochan grew up after being born in Oklahoma and living briefly in Southampton.
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Where it all started 💙 <a href="https://twitter.com/ItchenBball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ItchenBball</a> <a href="https://t.co/MIZHcS6llo">pic.twitter.com/MIZHcS6llo</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Sochan (@SochanJeremy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SochanJeremy/status/1455881532934086658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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After playing for his local club, the Milton Keynes Trojans, Sochan spent one season at Itchen College in Southampton as a high-school-age freshman. (Sixth-form colleges in the UK are somewhat like private high schools in the U.S.). Sochan adamantly states that basketball is on a serious rise at the youth level in England, and he might be right.
According to an article from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/author/vithushan-ehantharajah">Vithushan Ehantharajah</a><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/us-sport/nba/british-basketball-teams-players-b1825787.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;of The Independent</a>,&nbsp;basketball ranked as the second-most popular sport at the recreational level behind only soccer, and over 1.3 million people said they hooped at least once a week in a study between 2018 and 2019. Per the same 2021 article, the United Kingdom is ninth in the world and first in Europe for NBA League Pass subscriptions.
In Sochan's estimation, the problem is a lack of funding that limits the ceiling of player development. It's part of the reason he moved on from UK programs.
"Unfortunately, I feel like it's not funded well enough, and there's not a lot of exposure or resources for basketball," Sochan said. "So at times, it's difficult. It's difficult to rent a court. It's expensive, and you'd have to have a massive group of people... But there's a lot of potential, and it's a country with a lot of immigrants [and] a lot of people around the world. So if they put money in it, and resources, it's gonna be a great place for basketball, for sure."
As Sochan made waves in England, his mother, Aneta Sochan, was leveraging her connections abroad. Aneta is Polish and played Division II basketball at Oklahoma Panhandle State University before her own professional stint with Polonia Warszawa in Poland. She moved to England with Sochan's late biological father, Ryan Williams, as Williams pursued a professional career, and later settled in Milton Keynes with her current partner, Wiktor Lipiecki. Sochan's holidays were typically spent with Aneta's extended family in their home country.
Aneta sent emails and film to the Polish Basketball Association, looking for inroads for her son. Eventually, they came in the form of development camps in Poland and Spain, and persuading Dawid Mazur to allow him to compete for a spot on the Poland U16 National Team.
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Sochan exploded in his second year with the program. He put up 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 3.0 assists per game in the summer of 2019, leading Poland to the European Class B title and winning MVP honors in his tour de force through the continent.
Sochan had proven himself on one of the largest European stages. But as his name reached scouting circles in the United States, Sochan transferred to La Lumiere High School, a national powerhouse program in Indiana. It featured a loaded roster that fielded some of the country's top prospects, including draft classmate Jaden Ivey and Louisville commit Kamari Lands. Sochan's third high-level team in three years &mdash; and three countries &mdash; tested his resolve as a young talent.
"It was interesting because I feel like there's differences, of course, between European basketball and American basketball," Sochan said. "In America, I feel like the players are a lot more confident... just more confident and free, and at first, it was a little bit difficult for me to understand that. But I feel like as time went on, [me] building confidence and my teammates believing in me, it got a lot easier."
A barrier to entry exists whenever an athlete joins a new team. For international players like Sochan, that barrier can feel thicker and taller, particularly with the stereotypes that persist surrounding European hoops.
Later on at Baylor, Peterson wanted Sochan to challenge the narrative.
"I would joke with him a lot about [how] one of the monikers in the NBA is that European guys are soft, or they're wusses. That goes around the NBA," Peterson said.
"So he would say to me, 'I do not want to be a wuss. I'm not a wuss,' he would always say, and I said, 'I know.' Sometimes when guys hit you, you gotta hit 'em back. You gotta stick 'em on an offensive or defensive boxout. You gotta hammer 'em on a screen. It sends a message."&nbsp;
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Time and again, Sochan demonstrated his physical toughness and determination. He did it by solidifying himself as a four-star high school recruit at La Lumiere in 2019-20, becoming the youngest player in Poland men's senior national team history in 2021 and smothering opponents with the Bears in 2021-22. Sochan also charted his own course when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his basketball plans.
Sochan returned home for school vacation in the spring of 2020 as a high school junior at La Lumiere. Then, the school told Sochan to stay in Milton Keynes for an extra week as activities paused. One week became two weeks, then a month. Sochan ultimately never returned. As the United States reeled from the impact of the virus, Sochan pivoted back to Europe and settled on Orange Academy, a development program under German pro team Ratiopharm Ulm.
"Germany was pretty good with the COVID situation, and also, they were one of the only clubs to offer me no contract, so I could be eligible for college," he said. "So it was a great opportunity."
Sochan verbally committed to Baylor in the summer of 2020 before he headed to Germany. But the pandemic and travel hurdles kept him from visiting campus after he committed; all of his conversations with coaches came via phone and Zoom. And after never seeing his family while at La Lumiere, Sochan had to leave them again for another year when he took off for Orange Academy.
"Of course it's difficult; you can be a little homesick," Sochan said. "But I think, as of an early age, I always used to go to camps in Spain and Poland on my own. It was an easy adjustment for me. Personally, I am confident, just knowing the reason I'm leaving home. [It] helped me stay on course and keep on working every day. I'm doing this for my family, of course, and myself &mdash; to get better. I feel like that motivated me to keep on going,"
Peterson recalls receiving a video from Sochan while the then-17-year-old was at Orange Academy. It was 30 seconds of Sochan alone on an outdoor court in Germany, laughing and smiling while drilling himself on ball-handling exercises that Peterson had recommended.&nbsp;
"Coach, I'm working on this. How do I look?" Sochan would ask him. "Am I getting better?"
The grind has powered Sochan through those lonely nights away from home. He celebrated his 19th birthday on May 20 with dinner at an Italian restaurant &mdash; and by working out in front of teams on the final day of the Combine. Though he may be surrounded by new teammates, new coaches, new audiences and new cultures, he knows he has two constants: family and basketball.
"I feel like it's just understanding where you came from &mdash; your family &mdash; and just being able to stay present," Sochan said. "Just being able to get better every day is what I feel like grounds me. And I think it's important for me to just get better every day and just keep on learning &mdash; whether it's through basketball on the court, off the court, mentally, physically."
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Many Polish goods, are things that I will be missing on the 24th for the 3rd time in the row. More importantly I will be missing the physical presence of my family, I&rsquo;ve had it far from perfect but nobody has so I&rsquo;m just like you. We all sacrifice something for the greater good. <a href="https://t.co/KmlRBIVmG7">pic.twitter.com/KmlRBIVmG7</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Sochan (@SochanJeremy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SochanJeremy/status/1474444438042783744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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At Baylor, Sochan and Peterson developed a bond over their travels. The 65-year-old Peterson made several stops at the college and NBA level before arriving at Baylor in 2017. He served as a player development coach and scout for the Dallas Mavericks from 1999-2000, coached six seasons as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2007-13 and spent three seasons at the helm of the Erie Bayhawks in the G League (formerly known as the D-League). With those positions, plus other coaching roles in the collegiate ranks, Peterson collected experiences and stories from his trips across Europe and China.
The two met frequently for lunch around the Baylor campus. They'd chat about Premier League soccer (Sochan is a noted Arsenal fan) and EuroLeague basketball. Peterson learned that Sochan's grandmother lived about an hour from a clinic he once hosted in Poland.&nbsp;
"It was fun because he could relax and realize, 'Hey, Coach Peterson has been over there and kind of knows where I'm from [and] some of my background anyway, because he's traveled there a lot more than maybe some of the other coaches on the staff,'" Peterson said.
As Sochan acclimated to his fifth elite program, his confidence started to shine. He formed close friendships on the Baylor team, specifically with fellow draft prospect Kendall Brown and promising injured freshman Langston Love. Fans saw Sochan's energy radiate from his colorful hairstyles and powerful slam dunks. Meanwhile, in practice, he wowed Peterson with his quick and willing inclination to move the ball around, displaying the court awareness of someone who had played with and against veterans &mdash; which Sochan had, of course, in Poland.
"He has a great understanding of how to play for a kid [who's] 18 years old &mdash; like, really understands offense, how to move the ball and make the next pass, and do it in limited dribbles," Peterson said.
"He plays like a pro. I mean, he plays like a guy that's 10 years older than his age."
If a teammate withheld a pass, Sochan wasn't afraid to call him out or ask the coaches about the play afterward.&nbsp;
"Occasionally he'd go, 'Hey, come on, man. Let's move the ball.' You would expect a senior to be saying that, not a freshman," Peterson said. "He has that instinct about him to feel that and help that happen on the floor."
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Along with his quick processing on offense, Sochan's defensive toughness and versatility have not just pushed back on his European stereotypes &mdash; they've become hallmarks of his game and a sales pitch as a prospect. BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock remembers watching Sochan on Jan. 29 against Alabama, when the forward posted 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals for the Bears.&nbsp;
"During that game, Sochan displayed his defensive versatility and potential," Babcock said. "He also showed flashes as a player that could stretch the floor and be an effective slasher."
Sochan has steadily risen on draft boards throughout the spring; Babcock most recently slotted him in at No. 15 overall to the Charlotte Hornets in his latest <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com NBA Mock Draft.</a>&nbsp;Babcock said that the lottery is definitely within reach for Sochan, and that he likely won't stick around past the teens of the draft order. He noted that, in addition to wielding an archetype built for today's NBA, Sochan carries a journey that should favorably position him for the professional lifestyle.
"Similar to the advantages that experiences on the court create, off-the-court experiences also provide learning opportunities. It's all a part of growing up, and from the sounds of it, Sochan has seen and done a lot, which I think will help him transition to the NBA," Babcock said.
Peterson believes that playing for five programs in five years doesn't just help Sochan on the court; it also teaches him how different team cultures can each be uniquely successful.
"If you work at IBM, and everybody in IBM wears a suit and coat and a tie, and then you move and you go work for a grocery store chain [like] Kroger, H-E-B or whatever, and everybody there just wears a polo shirt and nice slacks, you're not going to keep wearing suits when you go work at Kroger or you're gonna look like an idiot," Peterson said. "That's not the culture they have. You have to adjust somewhat to what their culture is and what their program's about. And he's had to do that five different times."
The NBA has a small but noteworthy history of English and Polish talent. James Donaldson, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Michael Olowokandi and OG Anunoby are players with English ties who have played over 300 games in the league. Marcin Gortat is the lone Poland native with over 100 appearances.
Sochan aims to be a beacon for both countries.
"I think it's really exciting," he said. "I think it's a great opportunity for me, personally, to connect these communities to the NBA again."
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Jeremy Sochan speaks with Ethan Fuller about his twisting, turning, worldwide basketball journey heading into the 2022 NBA Draft.

Jeremy Sochan, a 'citizen of the world,' sets course for the NBA

OG Anunoby has been flying under the radar among common NBA fans for years now, but everyone around the league knows how valuable his player archetype is nowadays. With the ability to play elite defense, fit into multiple positions, create his own scoring chances and hit catch-and-shoot opportunities, Anunoby is the ideal modern wing teams are looking for to upgrade their roster.
It's no wonder why Anunoby recently popped up in trade rumors, because his skill set would attract a robust market canvassing the entire league. The question is, would Toronto actually entertain moving Anunoby? According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, this <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-og-anunoby-may-want-out-of-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">situation is worth monitoring</a> this offseason.
Two years remain on Anunoby&rsquo;s deal with a player option attached as well, so an extension is soon on the horizon for the former Indiana Hoosier. With the quick emergence of Scottie Barnes, which culminated in a Rookie of the Year campaign, the wing rotation is a little more crowded for the Raptors.
However, for a team like the Raptors, it&rsquo;s in their identity to fit and develop players like Anunoby and Barnes. All-Star Pascal Siakam is the shiniest example of how transformative the franchise&rsquo;s player-development program truly is.
What&rsquo;s interesting about this situation is the fact that the Raptors have been poking around on some of the top prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft. Remember, the earliest Toronto picks in this year&rsquo;s draft is No. 33 overall atop the second round.
Arizona&rsquo;s Bennedict Mathurin, a likely top-10 selection, met with Toronto at the NBA Draft Combine. G League Ignite standout Dyson Daniels, currently slotted No. 6 overall to the Indiana Pacers in BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest mock draft</a>, also has been in contact with the Raptors&rsquo; front office.
Where there&rsquo;s smoke, there's usually fire. If the Raptors are seriously considering an aggressive move up the draft board, moving Anunoby would easily get them there. Even outside of the draft, Anunoby could be the key piece in a superstar-type trade for Toronto &mdash; this offseason or beyond.
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Let&rsquo;s go ahead and further explore Anunoby&rsquo;s potential destinations if the Raptors decide to shop him.
Portland Trail Blazers
Raptors receive: Josh Hart, Nassir Little, No. 7 pick, No. 36
Trail Blazers receive: OG Anunoby
Portland continues to be involved in countless trade rumors leading up to the draft, mainly because the urgency surrounding their timeline with superstar point guard Damian Lillard. The time to win is right now for the Blazers, and Lillard has already shown on multiple occasions that he&rsquo;s frustrated by the lack of postseason progression.
If the Blazers want to swing for the fences this summer to appease Lillard, it&rsquo;s actually possible with two big moves. They have the cap space to make a trade for OG Anunoby and then sign Zach LaVine in free agency. Portland could put themselves back into the playoff picture by adding LaVine and Anunoby, and they'd be able to keep Anfernee Simons (who is a restricted free agent) and Keon Johnson.&nbsp;
Jerami Grant has been the main name focused around Portland-related trade discussions, but Anunoby is actually a better overall fit next to Lillard. Thanks to his versatility and still untapped scoring potential, Anunoby could truly flourish in his next stop.
Utah Jazz
Raptors receive: Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gay
Jazz receive: OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., Malachi Flynn, No. 33 pick, 2024 first-round pick (unprotected), 2026 first-round pick (lottery-protected)
Huge changes are on the horizon in Utah, especially after two bombshells dropped on Sunday revolving around Quin Snyder and Donovan Michell. First, Snyder resigned as the Jazz&rsquo;s head coach after eight seasons. Only a few hours later, ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Mitchell is &ldquo;unnerved&rdquo; with Utah&rsquo;s direction now.
For multiple years now, there&rsquo;s been smoke percolating around the discontent between Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. It feels destined one or both is off Utah&rsquo;s roster this offseason. And honestly, Toronto is a strong trading partner for either Mitchell or Gobert. In this scenario, we&rsquo;re rolling with Mitchell thanks to Sunday&rsquo;s latest news.
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Toronto officially moves all-in around a championship core consisting of Mitchell, Siakam, Fred VanVleet and 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. The Raptors would have a fearsome lineup with a lot of potential, vaulting themselves into the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s elite tier.
The Jazz still end up with a solid haul, which includes two immediate starters in Anunoby and Trent. Who knows, Anunoby and Trent could both thrive in a new system like Utah&rsquo;s &mdash; especially if Gobert is still around.
Phoenix Suns
Raptors receive: Deandre Ayton, Torrey Craig
Suns receive: OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn
Trail Blazers receive: Khem Birch, future second-round picks via Toronto and Phoenix
Base-year compensation is the new buzz word being thrown around in Phoenix. How the Suns <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/positional-value-leans-suns-would-be-wise-to-not-pay-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handle Deandre Ayton&rsquo;s upcoming restricted free agency</a> will tell us how exactly they plan to fix or dissolve their relationship. After an ugly ending in the postseason, will Phoenix feel inclined to run it back with Ayton while also handing over a max contract in the process?
Serious questions loom around Ayton&rsquo;s long-term future in Phoenix, and the Raptors&rsquo; need for a center seems to be obvious. Would a Suns-Raptors trade involving Ayton turn into a win-win scenario? Personally, I think so because of how both teams would look after an Ayton-Anunoby swap. For salary purposes, Toronto sends Birch to Portland, who receives two future second-round picks for playing its part in the deal.
Anunoby in the Suns&rsquo; system is such an intriguing thought. He would slide right into Jae Crowder's starting power forward spot and be an upgrade. Mikal Bridges alongside Anunoby is an incredible defensive combination to envision for Phoenix too.
If the Suns and Ayton are indeed heading for a divorce, Toronto could become the ideal trade partner.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Raptors receive: Darius Bazley, No. 12 pick, No. 30 pick, 2023 first-round pick via Denver, 2024 first-round pick (top-five protected)
Thunder receive: OG Anunoby
At some point, the Thunder need to consolidate their endless amounts of future first-round picks. Projected to have three first-round picks each year from 2022-2026, the rebuild attempt ongoing in Oklahoma City is bordering on historic. Thunder general manager Sam Presti has taken an incredibly forward-thinking approach with this core, and the progress is beginning to show along the way.
Adding a piece like Anunoby into the Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild would be an excellent transaction, especially when you consider his fit alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Able to play any role in the Thunder&rsquo;s frontcourt, Anunoby could be utilized as a two-way chess piece.
It&rsquo;s going to take a lot for the Raptors to trade Anunoby, and that's if they are even interested at this early stage of their offseason. The Thunder are one of the rare teams who could provide Toronto with ample amounts of return on an Anunoby deal. Sending out four (!!) first-round picks in this deal, it still doesn&rsquo;t impact Oklahoma City&rsquo;s war chests of assets that much.
For the Raptors, they would now be projected to have multiple first-round picks over the next three years. Instantly, Toronto becomes a top team to watch out trading for a disgruntled superstar down the line, potenially with Utah for Mitchell or Gobert. Giving away a player like Anunoby would be tough, but OKC at least offers significant draft capital in return for the underrated two-way wing.
Who knows if the Raptors actually decide to pull the trigger on trading him, but expect to see plenty of teams calling over the next few months to inquire.
Whether it be using Anunoby to bring back future flexibility and draft capital or a star-level player, the possibilities become endless for a splashy trade involving Toronto.
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If the Raptors decide to trade OG Anunoby, expect a robust market to form for the versatile two-way wing quickly. Evan Sidery explores.

Examining potential trade destinations for OG Anunoby

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Monday's slate.
Philadelphia 76ers (-3) vs. Denver Nuggets
Who&rsquo;s ready for this clash of titans on Monday night when Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic square off in Philadelphia? These are the two leaders in the razor-thin MVP race at the moment. Which player will lead his team to victory? Expect both Embiid and Jokic to go off, but James Harden feels like the trump card here. If Harden gets going alongside Embiid, it&rsquo;s going to be hard for Denver to keep up without giving Jokic some reinforcements. Betting big on Embiid and Harden, we feel confident locking in the Sixers to cover the 3-point spread.
Pick: Sixers -3
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 30.5 points, Nikola Jokic over 26.5 points, Will Barton over 14.5 points, James Harden over 9.5 assists
San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (-3)
Minnesota continues to fly under the radar with its improvements as of late. Not only are the Timberwolves an elite offense when firing on all cylinders, but head coach Chris Finch has this group locked in defensively as well. San Antonio is a feisty team from a betting perspective, but we feel very confident wagering on the red-hot Timberwolves to keep up their momentum. Lock in Minnesota and don&rsquo;t think twice about it as a best bet of the day.
Pick: Timberwolves -3
PrizePicks Power Play: Karl-Anthony Towns over 23.5 points, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell over 18.5 points, Jakob Poeltl over 9.5 rebounds, Dejounte Murray over 9 assists
Utah Jazz (-2) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
How will the Bucks rebound after an embarrassing blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors? They'll make the trek to Salt Lake City to square off with a well-oiled machine in the Jazz. This game could go either way, but we&rsquo;re forecasting a monster outing from Giannis Antetokounmpo. If Giannis is able to get Rudy Gobert in early foul trouble, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine Utah keeping up here. Bet big on the Bucks&rsquo; bounce-back win because it&rsquo;s rare to see Milwaukee fall into the same hole two games in a row.
Pick: Bucks +2
PrizePicks Power Play: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 25.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 12.5 rebounds, Jrue Holiday over 6 assists
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily fantasy? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/14/22

A little over six weeks ago, the Utah Jazz were humming at full speed with no bumps in the road with a 28-10 record. Then, a dip happened, and they seemingly went off of radars everywhere for a little bit. Thanks to countless injuries, which included Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert both missing multiple games, Utah had a 2-11 stretch.
Utah was right there alongside the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors atop the Western Conference standings before that pile of losses, but they may have reset the calculus for the team.
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In February, the Jazz are 8-1, with their lone loss being a road defeat at the hands of LeBron James&rsquo; Los Angeles Lakers. Impressive wins over the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Warriors and Suns all stand out, as the Jazz have finally turned it back on recently.
If not for the bad luck in January with injuries, the national conversation around Utah would feel very different right now.
&ldquo;I think the biggest thing for us is that it feels different, it looks different,&rdquo; Mitchell said after Utah&rsquo;s 118-114 win over the Suns. "Like I&rsquo;m excited because you walk off the floor and you feel gassed, like everything was just let out by everybody. Everybody on our bench was a plus in the plus/minus, like contributed something well and did something positive and found ways to win every way possible.
"Like it just feels different. I don&rsquo;t have a word for it, but just finding effort and competing, that&rsquo;s the biggest thing, whether it was one shot or two stops to knowing a play through the nine, someone hustling back on defense, we dealt with the ball three different times in one possession, like that&rsquo;s what its going to take, to get a win like tonight. It&rsquo;s pretty solid and I think we can continue to build on that as well.&rdquo;
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Donovan Mitchell is on a HEATER late in the fourth! 🔥 (📽️: <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@utahjazz</a>)<a href="https://t.co/gJytmXbCOO">pic.twitter.com/gJytmXbCOO</a>
&mdash; theScore (@theScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1498069366721548297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Mitchell is not the only one in Salt Lake City breathing a huge sigh of relief with the Jazz&rsquo;s latest turnaround effort.
Before losing 11 of those 13 games last month, Utah ranked top five in both offensive (117.0 ORTG) and defensive efficiency (107.2 DRTG). Outscoring teams by 9.8 points per 100 possessions, the Jazz were a well-oiled machine at one point that made it so hard for any opponent to crack their code. With Mitchell&rsquo;s scoring barrages alongside Gobert&rsquo;s special rim protection on the other end, Utah already is one of the Association&rsquo;s toughest outs on a nightly basis.
Recently, those marks have bounced back up to best in the NBA levels. Once that maintains, Utah is well on its way to securing home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. In the meantime, it&rsquo;s all about taking care of business prior to the postseason, where the Jazz can finally prove of being more than a regular-season juggernaut at times.
&ldquo;I think in some ways, its affirming, you know its not discounting that [Chris Paul] didn&rsquo;t play, but regardless the way that we played, the way we played the other night, that&rsquo;s the important thing,&rdquo; Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said of the team bouncing back strong. &ldquo;The fact that you won, reinforces that, which I think is important.
"To come off, like I said, I mentioned this in earlier of the year, even though you have a roster that looks very similar, that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean your team is going to be successful playing the same way and some of the adjustments and some of the injuries, it&rsquo;s taken us a while to evolve and sculpt a different identity with different players and to have games like this, tough games, close games against teams that are really good and really disciplined and play defense, something that can help us and I thought our execution down the stretch in particular was solid.&rdquo;
With the Jazz recapturing their momentum, there&rsquo;s a quick way to glance the advanced metrics to confirm this turnaround is legitimate. The early-season Jazz are back and better than ever as of late:
28-10 start: 117.0 OffRtg (1st), 107.2 DefRtg (5th), +9.8 NetRtg (1st)
2-11 stretch: 110.2 OffRtg (22nd), 116.5 DefRtg (25th), -6.3 NetRtg (25th)
8-1 surge: 121.2 OffRtg (1st), 108.7 DefRtg (4th), +12.5 NetRtg (2nd)
This is no surprise, but the impact Gobert has on the Jazz&rsquo;s defense and overall system is incredible. Gobert&rsquo;s game-changing defense in drop coverage helps deter drives to the rim, making it a tough task trying to weave around his lanky 7-foot frame along the way. As you can see above, Gobert&rsquo;s absence was felt in a huge manner while he sat out last month. Now, with him and Mitchell back, plus the Jazz improving their overall depth during this past offseason, this team feels ready to roll for a deep postseason push.
&ldquo;I think more than the wins, just on Wednesday, the way we compete defensively and the way we played together offensively, is one thing we can take away and we know that when we play that way, we&rsquo;re going to be in a good shape every night,&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;The goal is to keep getting better and better.&rdquo;
If this keeps up, not only will the Jazz get better and better, but they will have a compelling argument to play spoiler atop the Western Conference hierarchy in a few months.
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After a tough stretch, the Jazz have recaptured their early-season momentum. Utah is making its push for elite status once more.

Jazz recapturing momentum to push into Western Conference's elite tier

Once again, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest was a complete failure &mdash; an utter disaster for the viewing audience, which ended with Obi Toppin nabbing the award. How can the Association save what was once its most hyped event of All-Star weekend? Long gone are the days where Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon would have epic face-offs, or when Dwight Howard would bring out all the props. Or of course when Nate Robinson was sky walking at his size.
In 2022, the dunk contest became arguably the least memorable event from All-Star Saturday. It was fun seeing the new rules for the Skills Challenge, keeping viewers engaged and making the event more tiered. Nowadays, the Three-Point Contest is becoming the biggest draw. Karl-Anthony Towns put on a show, as the Minnesota Timberwolves&rsquo; big man scored 29 points in the final round.
Exiting Cleveland, how exactly will the dunk contest be saved? It has reached discouraging new (low) levels, and this just felt like rock bottom.
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Next year&rsquo;s All-Star Game is being held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Want an easy fix to bring more entertaining dunks? Let&rsquo;s finally get Donovan Mitchell to defend his championship won back in 2018. This whole weekend could be a showcase for Mitchell, who does continue to fly under the radar a little bit as a well-known star-level player.
It can&rsquo;t just end there, though. What&rsquo;s the long-term, permanent solution to reviving the event? That&rsquo;s where this all gets discombobulating. The bar has been raised so high in previous years that even some jaw-dropping athletic dunks no longer bring the same pizazz. That&rsquo;s simply an impossible standard&nbsp;to reach on a consistent basis.
In a, let's say, unrealistic reality, every year superstars would line up trying to be in the dunk contest. Let&rsquo;s say next season for example featured Mitchell, Ja Morant, LaVine, Gordon, Toppin and 2022-23 rookie Jaden Ivey from Purdue. That lineup alone is bringing in all the attention. The thing is, that&rsquo;s not a regular occurrence. The main showcase is supposed to be the All-Star Game, where all the game&rsquo;s superstars put on their show each Sunday night in mid-February.
But this is turning out to be a true eye sore from the weekend in Cleveland. Missed dunks galore led NBA legend Dwyane Wade to rate the festivities a &lsquo;6&rsquo; after it ended.
&ldquo;We always have an off year,&rdquo; Kenny Smith said during the TNT broadcast. &ldquo;Even LeBron James has off games.&rdquo;
At this point, it might take a LeBron-like player to make this even feel anywhere close to where it was a decade ago. Mitchell, Morant, LaVine, are you listening? Whatever Adam Silver needs to do in order to convince these top-tier players to participate, those steps should be happening in short order.
It&rsquo;s sad to say, but the longstanding NBA Saturday night showstopper is fading off into the distance. There&rsquo;s no quick fix to this event. Sure, maybe we get a heart-pounding event next year in Salt Lake City featuring Mitchell, but what about the year after in Indianapolis? There&rsquo;s a lot of scenarios that could go down, but it&rsquo;s weird to even be writing out how far it has fallen, as far as thrilling moments.
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For the NBA to make sure the dunk contest doesn&rsquo;t continue to sink to lower levels, my best guess is to bring the host city&rsquo;s superstar as a headliner. Mitchell with the Jazz in 2023 &mdash; then the Pacers&rsquo; top draft pick from the 2022 NBA Draft (ex: Ivey or Paolo Banchero). That&rsquo;s one way to bring more eyes to the event locally, but also make it a showcase for the player in his own arena. The only other one that makes sense is to bring stars to the table however you can. Coax Morant in somehow, a player who continues to make highlight reels each game for the Grizzlies.
There&rsquo;s not a quick fix. It&rsquo;s going to need to be a shared idea and common goal between the NBA and its players to put on a star-studded lineup each year.
After this weekend in Cleveland, I&rsquo;m walking away with more questions than answers now when it comes to a potential dunk contest extreme makeover.

After another uninspiring NBA Slam Dunk contest, how can the once proud event be saved? There's no quick fix, but here are some ideas.

Is there a quick fix to reviving the NBA Slam Dunk Contest?

Nekias Duncan thoroughly grades every NBA trade from 2022 Deadline Week.

Grading every move from 2022 NBA trade deadline week

With one week to go before the 2022 NBA trade deadline, talks are heating up around the league. In a year that seems very wide open, many teams could be enticed to make a win-now move and push some chips to the middle of the table. According to the rumor mill, we could see deadline deals involving a number of significant contributors who can swing potential playoff series.
So, which teams and players make the most sense together? Let&rsquo;s go dive into the moves that could swing the Western Conference standings despite Phoenix already creating noticeable distance up top.
Phoenix Suns: Eric Gordon
Will the rich get even richer? Phoenix may try to make a bold move and remove all debate over who's the West's No. 1 seed. As I mentioned previously, it&rsquo;s no secret that the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-suns-are-an-underrated-team-to-watch-at-the-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suns have inquired about Eric Gordon and Thaddeus Young</a> as midseason upgrades. Gordon would be via trade, while Young could be scooped up via the buyout market if no trade happens in San Antonio.
If the Suns were to accomplish this, their rotation would be absurd heading into a postseason as title favorites:
Starting Lineup: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton
Second Unit: Cameron Payne, Eric Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Thaddeus Young, JaVale McGee
That right there is a dominant playoff rotation with no holes presented. On top of that, it&rsquo;s the type of trade teams make when they know how close they are to the ultimate goal. Phoenix checks all the boxes, and so do the fits of Gordon and Young in the Valley.
Gordon would immediately step in as a reliable third guard, with way less volatility than what Payne and Landry Shamet have presented this season. Gordon&rsquo;s versatility and sharpshooting would bring another boost to an already elite offense for the Suns.
Phoenix would have to send out Dario Saric, Jalen Smith and a cheap expiring contract (i.e. Elfrid Payton, Abdel Nader, Frank Kaminsky). The Houston Rockets have also let it be known they want a future first-round pick in any Gordon deal. Phoenix shouldn&rsquo;t feel concerned about relinquishing a protected 2024 first-round pick, especially with its championship window being right now.
Keep an eye on Phoenix, folks. They are positioned well to make a few notable splashes through different avenues.
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Dallas Mavericks: Myles Turner
Does Dallas really want to lock in this core around Luka Doncic? The answer should be "No," although Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith have provided strong chemistry alongside the Mavs&rsquo; young superstar point forward. Maybe the Mavs decide to keep Brunson around, but it&rsquo;s going to be a tough pill to swallow paying both him and Finney-Smith this summer.
With that being the case, now is the perfect time to strike on one of those assets to bring aboard a game-changing piece. Enter Myles Turner, who instantly jolts an already-recharged Dallas defense.
Turner instantly provides an elite rim-protector to take pressure off Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. The Mavs might take a small step back in rebounding with this move, but Doncic should be more than capable of taking on those duties.
The Indiana Pacers would receive Dwight Powell&rsquo;s salary, Finney-Smith as a looming restricted free agent and a first-round pick. With Turner&rsquo;s value down due to a foot injury &mdash; which could have him back on the court next month &mdash; this might be the best offer available for the Pacers.
With the sudden emergence of Isaiah Jackson and Terry Taylor, Indiana would be wise to move off Turner immediately. The Pacers are in a rare position to focus on the internal player development of their young core and simultaneously lose their way into a top draft pick. Focus on the young guys and take a flier on how Finney-Smith could fit next to Domantas Sabonis long-term.
Memphis Grizzlies: Kenrich Williams
One of the most underrated wings on the trade market resides in Oklahoma City. Kenrich Williams is a key glue guy for the Thunder, but imagine how much more valuable his presence would be on a real championship contender this postseason.
Williams is a name that checks a lot of boxes for wing-hungry contenders. I thought about sending Williams to Phoenix for this exercise, but settled upon how brilliant his fit would be in Memphis. The Grizzlies need another versatile wing to keep up in the West. Williams helps bring their strong start even more stability.
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Oklahoma City reportedly is looking for a future first-round pick in exchange for Williams. Memphis can provide that, plus an intriguing flier on a former lottery pick who hasn&rsquo;t panned out yet in Jarrett Culver.
It&rsquo;s not a star-type move, but Williams is one of those under-the-radar pieces that could thrive in the postseason.
Utah Jazz: Harrison Barnes
It&rsquo;s time for the Jazz to push those chips all-in, especially with their slump as of late with multiple core pieces out due to injury. Utah has fallen off its earlier pace trying to keep up with the Suns and Golden State Warriors. Now, they&rsquo;ve been leapfrogged by the Grizzlies, and multiple teams loom over the Jazz slipping even further in the standings.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert can&rsquo;t do everything by himself in Utah. The Jazz have been exposed on multiple occasions for not having more versatile defenders surrounding Gobert to make his job a little bit easier.
Now, with Joe Ingles out for the season with a torn ACL, Utah needs to find an immediate contributor on the wing who can help bring the team much-needed, two-way versatility. Harrison Barnes makes so much sense as what the Jazz need to make the jump. Barnes and Jerami Grant have both been linked to the Jazz, so this has some serious smoke behind it.
Barnes is an excellent floor-spacing option who wouldn&rsquo;t take touches away from Donovan Mitchell. Also, the veteran forward is versatile enough to handle tough assignments on the wing, especially envisioning how it would look against Phoenix and Golden State.
Swapping out Ingles&rsquo; contract, Royce O&rsquo;Neale and a first-round pick for Barnes would be an instant upgrade for the Jazz. It brings them back into the conversation as real Finals threats atop the West with the Suns and Warriors.
How would you grade this rotation for the Jazz if it actually came to fruition?
Starting Lineup: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gobert
Second Unit: Trent Forrest, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, Hassan Whiteside
That bench is a little thin for Utah, but the potency of the starting five completely outweighs that. Utah needs to make a big move, and the time is now.
Welcome to the Wild West, folks. This trade deadline is going to be a very interesting one for the Western Conference's true title contenders.
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The Western Conference feels wide open. How could the trade deadline have an impact? Here are four potentially massive moves.

4 potential NBA trade-deadline deals that would shake up the West

The San Antonio Spurs have not housed an All-Star since the <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/all_star.html">2018-19 season</a> when LaMarcus Aldridge earned his seventh and final nomination. In fact, entering this season, the Spurs were the only NBA team in the league without a single former All-Star on their roster.&nbsp;
This three-year drought could finally be coming to a close, however, thanks to the spectacular play of one Dejounte Murray. While other breakout star guards like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/at-a-certain-point-well-have-to-mention-ja-morant-in-the-mvp-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ja Morant</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-all-star-case-fred-vanvleet-toronto-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fred VanVleet</a>, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/darius-garland-is-making-the-allstar-leap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Darius Garland</a> have all become social media darlings (rightfully so), Murray&rsquo;s career year seems to be slipping under the radar. But I&rsquo;m here to tell you: Dejounte Murray deserves your attention, and the case for his first-ever All-Star nomination may be stronger than you think.
Playmaking
To be clear, I&rsquo;m talking about Murray's knack for <a href="https://premiumhoops.org/2021/04/06/evaluating-nba-perimeter-defense-establishing-and-using-a-rubric/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event creation</a> on both sides of the ball.&nbsp;
On offense, I&rsquo;ll be the first to tell you he&rsquo;s a clear notch below the elite shot-composers. He doesn&rsquo;t get many layup assists (<a href="https://backpicks.com/2022-players/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">-1 relative layup assist percentage</a>). He&rsquo;s late on, or outright misses, some lay-down passes. And during my entire film study (roughly 750 possessions), I&rsquo;ve yet to witness him attempt a single skip pass.
However, the beauty of Murray&rsquo;s game is that he&rsquo;s well aware of his shortfalls as an offensive playmaker, and to compensate, he&rsquo;s mastered two very important passes.
The pocket pass.
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And the kick-out to a three-point shooter.&nbsp;
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As is the case with all great offensive initiators, Murray&rsquo;s facilitation abilities augment the rest of his teammates. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Spurs as a team experience a 4% increase in <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/2630/onoff#tab-team_shooting_fg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Effective Field Goal percentage</a> (93rd percentile) when Murray&rsquo;s on the floor, despite he himself being a below-average shooter efficiency-wise.
Additionally, his discipline as a passer beams out in his sub-10% turnover rate (84th percentile), which is a major reason why the Spurs rank&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No. 1 in the league</a> in that category (one of Dean Oliver&rsquo;s famous <a href="https://squared2020.com/2017/09/05/introduction-to-olivers-four-factors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four Factors</a>).
Normally, I&rsquo;m partial to high-turnover passers who take risks to bend defenses. But in this case, I think Murray&rsquo;s ability to provide a steadying presence to a young team has been crucial to San Antonio's offense not folding in itself this season.
Defense
Defensively, Murray&rsquo;s creation is more of the chaos-inducing variety. He&rsquo;s in the 89th percentile in steal percentage (fourth year in a row that he&rsquo;s in the 80th percentile or higher), and it&rsquo;s because he does a great job of deploying his pterodactyl-like wingspan to nuke possessions &mdash; both on and off the ball.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Daniel Bratulić (great Twitter follow, by the way) charted &ldquo;On-ball steals per Game&rdquo; and &ldquo;Passes Intercepted Per Game&rdquo; for the best thieves in basketball, and what do you know? Murray excels in both manners of hardwood robbery.&nbsp;
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Here is a breakdown of how top stealers in the game get their steals. Some are better at pickpocketing the ball handlers (Thybulle, CP3), some are better while playing off the ball (OG, Haliburton) and some excel at both (Murray, Ball, Caruso, Smart, Butler) <a href="https://t.co/J4Bx58nxWY">pic.twitter.com/J4Bx58nxWY</a>
&mdash; Daniel Bratulić (@daniel_bratulic) <a href="https://twitter.com/daniel_bratulic/status/1484245391742844932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Other than the diversity of his pickpocketing portfolio (admit it, that&rsquo;s fun to say), one thing you probably noticed is that many of his pilfers result in &ldquo;pick-sixes,&rdquo; which... transitions.... us perfectly into the next portion of his All-Star argument.
Transition
The reason Murray's playmaking on defense is so valuable isn&rsquo;t solely because it helps end the opposing team&rsquo;s offensive possessions prematurely. It also ignites the most efficient form of offense in the game: the fastbreak.&nbsp;
This season, Murray is averaging 1.27 points per possession (79th percentile) on nearly three transition possessions per game. (For some context, that efficiency is on-par with one of the game&rsquo;s most explosive players in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-high-can-anthony-edwards-fly-examining-the-20yearolds-ceiling">Anthony Edwards</a>.)
Murray&rsquo;s fastbreak ferocity isn&rsquo;t limited to plays off of steals. He&rsquo;s prone to hit turbo after defensive possessions that result in him corralling a rebound (7.5 defensive boards per 75 possessions).
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The Spurs as a team are scoring nearly three more points in transition per 100 possessions with Murray on the floor (94th percentile). Overall, San Antonio ranks in the top-10 in the league in points per possession on transition plays &mdash; in large part thanks to Murray&rsquo;s stewardship in this department.
Mid-Range Game
While the <a href="https://youtu.be/59epmjId_z0">Mid-Range King</a> left the Lone Star State this past offseason, it appears a worthy heir has risen to take his place on the throne. So far this year, Murray is shooting more mid-range shots per game than he ever has, all while maintaining efficiency similar to his previous seasons:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 324px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
Year
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
Attempts Per Game*
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
Shooting Percentage*
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2017-18
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
1.2
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
42%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2018-19
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
3.5
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
36%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2019-20
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
4.7
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
44%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2020-21
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
8.1
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
44%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 27.1441%; height: 54px;">
2021-22
</td>
<td style="width: 34.0474%;">
9.4
</td>
<td style="width: 50.4666%; height: 54px;">
42%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Data provided by Cleaning the Glass
As last year&rsquo;s playoffs taught us, in a world where everyone is trying to stop threes and layups, having someone who can burn defenses with the middie is a useful trump card to have in your back pocket.&nbsp;
Murray&rsquo;s proficiency from no man&rsquo;s land also opens up driving lanes for him. As someone who runs a ton of pick and rolls (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/ball-handler/#!?sort=POSS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of seven players who runs at least 10 per game</a>), big men could theoretically sink into a drop against him because of his poor three-point shooting. However, because of his gravity in the mid-range, defenders often have to come up on the level of the screen, which gives him a chance to maneuver himself right past them.
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Murray is currently averaging a career-high 65% on shots at the rim (<a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/2630#tab-shooting_accuracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">82nd percentile</a>) while also averaging more drives per game than he has for his entire career. The massive attacking volume (No. 6 in the NBA in drives per game) that his mid-range shooting enables him to carry makes him the kind of offensive player a team can lean on in the postseason (see Donovan Mitchell). Those types of players generally warrant serious All-Star consideration.
Conclusion
The other day, Andy Bailey put out a tweet ranking NBA players based on their average rankings in 10 catch-all metrics:&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
If you sort every NBA player with 400+ minutes by the AVERAGE OF THEIR RANKS in 10 catch-alls (Box Plus/Minus, RAPTOR, Estimated Plus-Minus, LEBRON and Game Score per 36 minutes, as well as the cumulative versions of each), this is the top 30... <a href="https://t.co/Og4CguGtk3">pic.twitter.com/Og4CguGtk3</a>
&mdash; Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDBailey/status/1485349610516213761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Murray had the 16th-highest average score in the league, which by that measure would not only make him an All-Star caliber player, but a solid contender for an All-NBA spot this season.&nbsp;
Now, I&rsquo;m by no means saying that Murray definitely deserves to be an All-Star (nor that he should be in the discussion for All-NBA); Murray certainly has his flaws as a candidate &mdash; poor foul-drawing rates, below-average efficiency and questionable rebounding value (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defensive-rebounding/?CF=GP*GE*25&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;sort=DREB_CONTEST_PCT&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poor contested defensive rebounding rates</a>). Plus, there has just been too much great guard play this season to the point where somebody has to be left on the outside looking in.
All I&rsquo;m saying is, when you factor in his high placement in widely-cited, catch-all metrics with the arguments I&rsquo;ve laid out for you here, Dejounte Murray&rsquo;s got a case for All-Star consideration.
And you know what, it&rsquo;s a pretty darn good one.
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Mat Issa lays out his reasoning as to why Dejounte Murray should legitimately be considered to play in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

Dino