Waves

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and another man have been indicted by a grand jury on capital murder charges for the January shooting death of a 23-year-old woman near campus, defense lawyers confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday.
Miles was charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Jamea Harris, his defense lawyer Mary Turner told the AP. Michael Davis, who police investigators said was the triggerman, was also indicted, his lawyer, John Charles Robbins, said.
Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2023/03/former-ua-basketball-player-darius-miles-friend-michael-davis-indicted-in-the-strip-shooting-death-of-jamea-jonae-harris.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told AL.com that the indictments against Miles and Davis, who&rsquo;ve been held without bond since their arrest, were issued on Wednesday</a>.
Harris was sitting in a car when she was struck by a bullet. A police investigator testified last month that Miles provided the handgun Davis allegedly used in the shooting.
During a court hearing last month, Turner suggested Miles was in a defensive posture when he told Davis where the gun was located.
But prosecutors maintained there was ample evidence to pursue charges in the shooting, which happened early Jan. 15 on &ldquo;The Strip,&rdquo; a district of bars and restaurants near the Tuscaloosa campus. Testimony at the hearing last month indicated there had been some type of verbal altercation before the shooting.
The Turner Law Group, which is representing Miles, issued a statement Friday, saying they were disappointed by the decision to pursue capital murder charges &ldquo;considering the evidence uncovered during our investigation and the obvious weaknesses in the government&rsquo;s case brought to light during the preliminary hearing.&rdquo;
Davis maintains he is innocent, Robbins, his attorney, said. &ldquo;I look forward to the opportunity to vigorously defend Michael at trial and to defend his right to protect himself when somebody points a gun at him and shoots him,&rdquo; Robbins said.
Miles was a reserve on the Crimson Tide, but an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-crime-alabama-crimson-tide-top-25-college-basketball-today-b7fb03d271a2fb7a99076f34e2565b08" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After he was charged in January, Alabama said he was &ldquo;removed from campus&rdquo; and the team.</a>
During the February court hearing, Tuscaloosa Police investigator Brandon Culpepper testified that Miles texted Tide freshman basketball star Brandon Miller to bring him his gun. Police have said another player, guard Jaden Bradley, also was at the scene.
Neither Miller nor Bradley have been charged with anything.
&ldquo;This whole situation is just really heartbreaking, but respectfully that&rsquo;s all I&rsquo;m going to be able to say on that,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-brandon-miller-8180ff86600e1204bcb80a222d2144ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miller told reporters</a>&nbsp;Wednesday in his first public comments about the case.
Both Miller and Bradley have continued to play as the No. 4-ranked team in the country makes its way through the Southeastern Conference Tournament ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Miller scored 18 points and had nine rebounds in Friday&rsquo;s SEC quarterfinal win over Mississippi State.
In the postgame news conference, Miller was asked his thoughts on the indictment. He said, &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t &mdash; I&rsquo;m not going to be able to say on that.&rdquo;
Coach Nate Oats was asked whether he has a weapons policy for his team, and said that &ldquo;our players are required to follow the university policy on guns, which essentially bans them on campus.&rdquo;
He also was asked who was involved in deciding whether Miller and Bradley could continue to play.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a difficult situation, as you understand. I mean, we&rsquo;re dealing with a criminal matter,&rdquo; Oats said, adding that as the school received &ldquo;facts from law enforcement as they do their investigation,&rdquo; &ldquo;this was a decision made, based on all the facts we had, with, obviously, my boss, (Director of Athletics) Greg Byrne; his boss, (President) Dr. (Stuart) Bell; and the Board of Trustees.
&ldquo;And everybody was comfortable, and based on the information we had, Brandon didn&rsquo;t break any school policy or team policy, so ... I was comfortable with the decision that was made.&rdquo;
Harris&rsquo; mother told reporters last month that she is frustrated by the focus on basketball instead of her daughter&rsquo;s death. She said her daughter was a beautiful person who was trying to have a night out with friends when she was killed.
&ldquo;She has a 5-year-old son that is still waiting for his mother to come home,&rdquo; DeCarla Heard told reporters. &ldquo;I want justice for my grandson.&rdquo;
Oats was asked Friday whether he has spoken to Harris&rsquo; family.
&ldquo;Listen, this whole situation has been, obviously, as you know, hard to deal with, tragic, to have any involvement in a young woman losing her life. What you ask is a private matter. I&rsquo;m not going to discuss publicly with everybody,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A lot of this is just hard to deal with, to be honest with you. But it&rsquo;s a private matter.&rdquo;

Former Alabama player Darius Miles was indicted by a grand jury on capital murder charges after shooting a 23-year-old lady in January.

Ex-Alabama player Darius Miles indicted on capital murder charges

Rui Hachimura had one of his best games of the season in the Washington Wizards' win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday. The 24-year-old finished with 30 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks while shooting an efficient 59.1% from the field and 60.0% from three.
However, it was Hachimura's postgame press conference that turned heads last night.
Several days after The Athletic's Josh Robbins <a href="https://theathletic.com/4103918/2023/01/18/wizards-rui-hachimura-trade-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Wizards have talked with multiple teams about a potential Hachimura trade, the fourth-year forward was asked about his uncertain future in Washington.
When asked whether he wants to be traded, Hachimura smiled, raised his eyebrows and said, "I don't know."
Does he think he'll get traded? "I guess," Hachimura responded. "I mean, I don't know."
Finally, when asked if he requested a trade, Hachimura smiled and said, "No comment."
&ldquo;I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player," Hachimura <a href="https://twitter.com/hoop_district/status/1617002959606349824?s=46&amp;t=EiWak6pGE0tExZU35SYlPg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>. "I want to be somewhere that likes my game. I just got to play my game. I know what I can do and I can help the team to wins. It's either here or other teams.&rdquo;
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Rui Hachimura on if he wants a trade: [Raises eyebrows], &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; [laughs]. On if he thinks he will be traded: &ldquo;I guess, I mean I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo; On if he asked for a trade: &ldquo;No comment [smiles].&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/q8PDffLcrv">pic.twitter.com/q8PDffLcrv</a>
&mdash; Hoop District (@Hoop_District) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hoop_District/status/1617004002335416322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Hachimura is certainly a name to watch as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches.
The Wizards have also reportedly had trade conversations centered around Kyle Kuzma (and our Nekias Duncan <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-rumors-examining-destinations-for-kyle-kuzma-washington-wizards-phoenix-suns-los-angeles-clippers-milwaukee-bucks-cavaliers-heat-hawks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently broke down some possible destinations for him</a>).
This season, Hachimura is averaging 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game, while shooting 48.8% from the field, 33.7% from three and 75.9% from the free-throw line. He is set to hit restricted free agency this offseason.
The Wizards are currently 20-26, which is the 11th-best record in the Eastern Conference. Washington has the NBA's 16th-ranked defense (allowing 111.3 points per 100 possessions) and 21st-ranked offense (scoring 110.7 points per 100 possessions).

When asked whether he wants to be traded, Wizards forward Rui Hachimura smiled, raised his eyebrows and said, "I don't know."

Wizards' Rui Hachimura dances around whether he wants trade

The Washington Wizards have spoken with multiple teams centered around forward Rui Hachimura, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/4103918/2023/01/18/wizards-rui-hachimura-trade-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic</a>.
Their sources say that the 24-year-old, who will become a restricted free agent in July, has drawn interest from "several Western Conference teams in need of scoring".&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the Wizards continue to get plenty of interest in Kyle Kuzma around the league but the team still hopes to keep him long-term. If the Wizards trade Hachimura, it would help their rotation at the forward spots and also put the team in a better position financially going forward, especially with trying to re-sign Kuzma.
Hachimura has dealt with injuries in each of his four seasons in the league, including 16 games this season. However, he has played well when healthy, averaging 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds. He's making $6.26M this season and will eligible for a qualifying offer of nearly $8M for next season.
&nbsp;

The Washington Wizards are reportedly exploring trade options for forward Rui Hachimura ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Wizards considering possible Rui Hachimura trades

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic lobbied Jason Kidd to stay in the game at the start of the fourth quarter with Dallas well on its way to a blowout in the first of consecutive meetings with shorthanded Denver.
Neither the Mavericks' superstar nor his coach was aware Doncic needed one rebound to get to 50 career triple-doubles one game faster than Magic Johnson. Kidd obliged for other reasons.
After the milestone was reached in a 127-99 victory over the Nuggets on Friday night, a member of the Dallas public relations staff told Doncic what he had done.
&ldquo;I told him that was great,&rdquo; said Doncic, typically understated and never really one to pay much attention to such numbers in the first place.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone is just hoping for a little help against the three-time All-Star in the rematch Sunday night.
The Nuggets were without two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and two more starters in Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
Murray joined Jokic, who missed a second straight game, in health and safety protocols. Gordon was out for a second game with a non-COVID-19 illness.
All three weren&rsquo;t on the trip for the first of two games in Dallas. Malone said Gordon was the only one who might be available Sunday.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to go home and pray the rosary tonight that we can get some help,&rdquo; Malone said.
Christian Wood had 28 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, and Spencer Dinwiddie scored 15.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown scored 18 points apiece for the Nuggets, who had little chance without their stars as Doncic rolled up 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
The NBA&rsquo;s scoring leader went 11 of 22 from the field with his usual array of creative buckets in and around the lane and was 9 of 11 on free throws.
Even though rest was already an issue, with Doncic coming off a missed game and Dallas losing to lowly Houston without him, Kidd let Doncic start the fourth after playing all of the third.
The coach said he's considering some rotation options to try to ease the load on his 23-year-old star, and would like one of those to be rest in the third with starting the fourth.
They're still working on the part about rest in the third.
Doncic's 10th rebound came 65 seconds into the fourth quarter of his 278th game. Johnson had been the second-fastest to 50 triple-doubles at 279 games.
Oscar Robertson, who needed 111 games, and Doncic are the only 23-year-olds with 50 triple-doubles. Robertson was 221 days younger than the Dallas superstar.
&ldquo;I don't look at the stat sheet, so I don't know if he has a triple-double or if he has 35 points,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We've been playing him to start the fourth, so this is something we could be looking at going forward.&rdquo;
Dinwiddie's 3-pointer started a 29-14 run to finish a 44-point second quarter, the biggest of any period this season for Dallas. An 18-point halftime lead never got below 12 after the break.
&ldquo;That second quarter is when it all unfolded,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;The first quarter was a pretty good quarter for us being as undermanned as we are. That was all the separation they needed.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Vlatko Cancar hit a running, pull-up 3 at the first-quarter buzzer to cut the Dallas lead to 29-27. He finished with eight points. ... Bones Hyland scored 17 points.
Mavericks: Dallas led 73-55 at halftime, tying its season high for points in either half. ... The double-digit margin was just the second in 15 games this season for Dallas. The other was a 41-point rout of Memphis.
UP NEXT
This is the second time the Nuggets have played the same team in consecutive games this season. They swept San Antonio earlier this month, winning in Denver, then in Texas two nights later. Dallas did it six times last season, getting swept once and splitting the other five.

Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to a 127-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

Luka Doncic gets 50th triple-double, Mavs top short-handed Nuggets

If this month has given us any indication, the 2023 NBA Draft could be special.
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson went head-to-head in two thrilling showcases to start October, exemplifying the potential greatness that could headline this prospect group.
Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has Wembanyama atop <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his initial 2023 Big Board</a>, with Scoot Henderson at No. 2. But they're just the headliners. Amen and Ausar Thompson, twin uber-athletes, are carving up the court with Overtime Elite. Then you get to the collegiate standouts, led by Villanova's Cam Whitmore and Arkansas' Nick Smith Jr.
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New on <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a>: this season's first 2023 NBA Draft Big Board.👇 Link: <a href="https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2">https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2</a> <a href="https://t.co/d6UEUTsjip">pic.twitter.com/d6UEUTsjip</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1584921955357990912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Babcock broke down the top names to monitor as the scouting season gets rolling. He also dove into his own scouting process and the challenges that come with criss-crossing the globe to watch basketball's best young talents.&nbsp;
How much did Victor Wembanyama's dominance in Las Vegas change his reputation as a generational prospect compared to before the exhibitions?
In my role as an NBA Draft Analyst, I do my best not to go too high or too low on guys based on individual performances. But to be in Las Vegas in person, sitting courtside to see Victor Wembanyama, an 18-year-old that's 7-foot-4 and has an 8-foot wingspan do the things that he did &mdash; it was remarkable. The combination of his length, coordination, and skill level is unbelievable. I don't know if we'll ever see a prospect quite like Victor Wembanyama again. He's so incredibly unique and has about as much upside as possibly imaginable.
What do you want to see from Wembanyama over this next season before making the likely leap to the NBA?
Although this may seem obvious, I'd like to see Victor stay healthy and out on the court this season. Considering that he has such a unique body type, I think that is very important. He's such an incredible prospect, but he needs to get stronger and take care of his body to maximize his potential.
How does Scoot Henderson compare to some of the dynamic guard prospects we've seen over the past decade?
Suppose we look at the top-tier guard prospects from recent years' drafts. In that case, we'd be talking about guys like LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, Darius Garland, Trae Young &mdash; and I guess you could put Luka Doncic in that group, too, since he's essentially a big point guard.&nbsp;
Well, I'm comfortable saying I'm just as excited about Scoot Henderson as I was about all those guys at the same stage. But, of course, Scoot needs to take care of his business to get to those players' levels. However, my point is I do think he has that type of talent and potential.
What makes Amen and Ausar Thompson special, and could the twins also be franchise-altering talents?
Although the Thompson brothers are identical twins, I do see differences in their games. For example, Amen seems to have better ball skills and a feel for the game, and Ausar is wired more as a scorer. However, they're both incredible athletes with so much versatility on both sides of the ball. Outside shooting is their swing skill, and their development in that area will likely determine how much career success they'll find. It seems as if both guys are about all of the right things and are serious about their craft, which tells me they'll continue to improve. I think they're both big-time prospects and worthy of being high lottery picks.
Wembanyama, Henderson and the Thompson twins come from unconventional pathways. How does that change your scouting process?
Well, first of all, I take a compartmentalized approach to evaluating prospects regardless of whether they take an unconventional pathway or not. Each evaluation presents unique challenges, so I don't think it changes things for me too much.&nbsp;
Players taking unconventional pathways sometimes allow me more direct access to them. For example, with these players, as mentioned earlier, it's been more advantageous for me because I have unique connections to them. Victor Wembanyama's agent, Bouna N'Diaye, is a good friend, and I collaborated with him and his agency, Comsport, for years when I was an agent.&nbsp;
Scoot's mentor in Atlanta, Desmond Eastman, aka "The General," has been my guy since I played high school ball in Atlanta. The General, Scoot, and his family invited me out to their family's gym, Next Play 360, a couple of years ago to watch Scoot work out, and I got a chance to spend some time with all of them. And I've kept in touch with them since then.&nbsp;
I've also had opportunities to spend some time with the Thompson Twins. Before Overtime Elite was publicly launched, I spent about six months as an advisor for them; I assisted in setting up their scouting operations. So naturally, I'm close with all of the folks out there. A little while back, Overtime Elite invited me to come to Atlanta to speak to their players about scouting, intel, and the business of the NBA. Of course, I'm not always connected to top prospects like I am with those guys, but my background and experience in hoops does tend to serve me well regarding access, which I certainly don't take for granted.
Which other 2023 draft-eligible players do you think have a chance at putting themselves in that Tier 1 prospect conversation?
I'm not sure if any other players will be able to crack that first tier. Still, I am excited to track some college freshmen like Cam Whitmore at Villanova, Nick Smith at Arkansas, Dariq Whitehead at Duke, Dillon Mitchell at Texas, and Keyonte George at Baylor, to name a few. I could list off a handful or so more, too, as I think the freshman class this year has a bunch of talented prospects.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
We hit the Main Line for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BIGEASThoops?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BIGEASThoops</a> Preseason Freshman of the Year, <a href="https://twitter.com/NovaMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NovaMBB</a>'s Cam Whitmore! Cam was the Most Outstanding Player on <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usabasketball</a>'s FIBA U18 Americas Championship squad this past summer &amp; was the Gatorade Maryland POTY at Archbishop Spalding! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoNova?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoNova</a> <a href="https://t.co/s0JUUeqIPn">pic.twitter.com/s0JUUeqIPn</a>
&mdash; BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGEASTMBB/status/1582344744449019904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As a scout, how do you make sure you're being fairly critical of top prospects without overanalyzing their flaws?
My process for evaluating prospects is to ask questions constantly, whether by asking myself questions internally or blowing up my right-hand man, Derek Murray's phone, to ask him questions. A comprehensive evaluation or conclusion of the evaluation of a prospect before their draft ultimately comes down to the concept of the sum of all its parts.&nbsp;
Experienced scouts can gather comparable information on prospects, evaluating the players' on-court talent and gathering intel on their background, character, and personality. Generally, we all know a prospect's strengths, weaknesses, and questions that need to be raised at a certain point in the process. The most challenging part is how one weighs out all the different variables within the evaluation.&nbsp;
For example, maybe a player lacks physical strength, has character flaws, or is an inconsistent shooter. How big of a problem are specific players' "issues" compared to how much talent and upside they have, and how much could their issues limit their ability to maximize their potential? It's all about balancing out the risk versus the reward. It's certainly a juggling act, but you know what? I love it. I live for it. I wake up as a scout everyday seeking more information on prospects in hopes of figuring out the big puzzle, which is the NBA Draft.
Which top returning college players are you most excited to see make improvements in their games?
There are many returners I'm hoping will make a big jump in their development. Some players that come to mind first are Terquavion Smith from NC State, Marcus Sasser from Houston, Kris Murray from Iowa, Harrison Ingram from Stanford, Oscar Tshiebwe and Daimion Collins from Kentucky, Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton, Terrence Shannon and Coleman Hawkins from Illinois, and Caleb Love from North Carolina. 
Honestly, I could list off a bunch of guys. I love to see guys return to school and keep grinding. Having a front-row seat to watch young players' stories unfold as they chase their dreams is perhaps the best part of my job. I love it!
Beyond Wembanyama, what does this year's international prospect landscape look like?
Of course, Wembanyama is the big name this year. Some other internationally-born prospects that are playing overseas that I'm excited to track are Rayan Rupert with the New Zealand Breakers, Nikola Djurisic with Mega in Serbia, and James Nnaji and Ousmane NDiaye with Barcelona and Baskonia in Spain, respectively.
How do you set a roadmap for the early scouting season &mdash; do you prioritize geography, teams or specific players at first?
I first get my initial player rankings and priority watch list together, which helps me prepare and organize who I need to see. Secondly, I identify "must-see" games and events. For example, early this college season, I plan to attend the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis, including Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Then I plan to attend the Phil Knight Invitational and Legacy events in Portland, which include many talented teams. There are some other double-headers and unique matchups in neutral locations I have penciled in too.&nbsp;
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From there, I look at "low-hanging fruit" games. This would include games and events with NBA prospects that I can travel to cheaply and easily. I live in Denver, Colorado, so the drivable spots for me are mainly the University of Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force, and I drive to Wyoming here and there too. I also pencil in high-priority high school events into my schedule, like the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, City of Palms in Fort Myers, Florida. My tentative schedule is planned through March already. I still need to squeeze in a couple of trips overseas, and I will likely make some adjustments as we go, but I like to prepare ahead of time.
What are some of the challenges when it comes to planning scouting trips for a draft class that could have several special players at the top?
Having "special players" doesn't change scheduling much, or at all, honestly. However, I will say this; I generally go extremely hard in November and December to get my bases covered regarding scouting the higher-rated prospects. This is because I like to get a head start so that I can pick and choose my spots later.&nbsp;
Injuries can be a significant disruptor. It's impossible to predict who will be healthy throughout the season. Fortunately, my processes have served me well at times. For example, I went to see Vanderbilt play USC in LA a few years back for their season opener, and I'm sure glad I did because I got to see Darius Garland, who was terrific. Unfortunately, he got hurt shortly after and only played five games that entire season before becoming a high lottery pick.&nbsp;
Similarly, I watched Patrick Baldwin Jr. several times before him missing the bulk of the season with a foot injury. He only played in 11 games the entire season. Anyway, I don't underestimate seeing a top prospect while I can; you never know how things will unfold.
What under-the-radar college teams should NBA Draft enthusiasts make sure to watch?
Although they're ranked high, we don't usually see Houston and Creighton mixing it up with the blue bloods and top programs. However, I think both teams have a chance of doing big things this season.
Coach Kelvin Sampson has done a terrific job building up that program in Houston. I was a bit surprised that their stud guard, Marcus Sasser, decided to return to school after doing so well at the NBA Draft Combine, but I'm happy he did. I think he's poised for a breakout year. They have a lot of other talented players too. Most specifically, I'm excited to see five-star recruit Jarace Walker. I have had the chance to watch Walker many times at various high school events. His physical tools, toughness, and versatility are interesting.
I usually head out to Omaha, Nebraska, once or twice yearly to see Creighton games. It's an easy flight to Omaha for me coming from Denver, there is a fantastic Marriott hotel right across from Creighton's arena, and they take great care of the media, as they have always given me a seat courtside. I've seen some terrific games there in the last few years. I remember watching teams like Villanova, including Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Eric Paschall, and then a stacked Gonzaga team featuring Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke.&nbsp;
I will likely try to see Villanova play Creighton this season because they have highly touted freshman Cam Whitmore, who is projected as a lottery pick. Still, I will also focus on Creighton's prospects this year, as Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Baylor Scheierman have been generating some buzz.
Has the success of some of last year's rookies changed your scouting philosophies at all?
The biggest thing for me recently is not necessarily adjusting to how individual players have performed but just keeping the pulse on the trends and how the game continues to evolve. For example, the idea that the NBA is moving towards a positionless game is becoming more apparent each year. Subsequently, players with decent size, well-rounded skill sets, and versatility on both ends of the ball have never held so much value.&nbsp;
On the flip side, undersized guards and traditional big men are not carrying as much value across the board as they once did. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules, but it has certainly changed how I look at specific prospects.
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What is the most enjoyable part of this first month of college scouting for you?
I will be a little cliche here, but I just love getting back in the arena.&nbsp;
I'm a member of the staff for Damian Lillard's Formula Zero, a group of top high school and college prospects. One exercise we do as a group is having everyone take a turn to share one thing they have been doing well and one thing they have been struggling with or would like to improve on. It got me thinking about that recently regarding myself; I've gotten to a point in my career where I've developed to become very organized, detail-oriented, and prepared, which hasn't always been the case. Over time, I've turned these areas from my weaknesses into strengths. And I'm proud to be able to say that.&nbsp;
Alright, now my weakness. Of course, the offseason is a great opportunity to spend time with my family, which I do, and I love having that time! But the fact is, I don't have any real hobbies, and I essentially am obsessed with the game and what I do. So I get impatient and uneasy when I don't have a lot of basketball in my life &mdash; it happens every year. So naturally, when the season starts, it puts me at ease. There is so much great basketball to see in November and December, and I'm just ecstatic to get back out there and start chipping away, trying to figure out this year's NBA Draft.

Ethan Fuller previews the 2023 scouting season with BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock.

2023 NBA Draft: Previewing top prospects to watch with Matt Babcock

Over Alex Caruso's six seasons as a professional basketball player, he has navigated through a shifting landscape of teams, roles and expectations.
His career began as an undrafted rookie with the Oklahoma City Blue. Then, he burst into the Hollywood spotlight with the Los Angeles Lakers and played a significant role while winning his first NBA championship. And after earning a lucrative contract from the Chicago Bulls, Caruso has now taken on the responsibility of major minutes on a retooled playoff contender in the Windy City.&nbsp;
Injuries, plus the physical and mental toll of playing in the league, can jostle a player out of a rhythm. When Caruso needs to recalibrate, he often hones in on a different type of shot.
"Golf is the great analogy for anything in life to be honest," Caruso told Basketball News. "[Because of] how much stress there is on that and how much mental fortitude you have to have &mdash; patience, [and] the ability to take in a bunch of information and create or formulate a game plan and try and act on it. But the thing for golf, for me, is just really to get away. It's kind of one of my only hobbies."
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Caruso's second sport is well-documented. He's&nbsp;<a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/alex-caruso-bulls-interview-fashion-style-golf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played with his father at Pebble Beach</a>, and he competed in the American Century Championship this summer. Caruso says that, like developing a swing in golf, basketball is all about muscle memory and disciplined repetition. When your shot is off &mdash; just like in golf &mdash; sometimes you just have to lean on what works for you.
"Something that I realized, through golf swings sometimes, is if I'm poking the ball or I'm slicing it too much, getting back to the basics and just having more of a feel sometimes [works]. I apply that to my basketball games," Caruso said. "If I feel like I'm forcing something too much or things aren't going my way, I just try to get back to the basics [and] get back to what feels right. My natural abilities got me to a really good spot in life and with this game, so that's something I always kind of fall back on."
Like with his golf game, Caruso believes the Bulls have to rediscover what "feels right."
Chicago is running back a largely similar roster from their first season of an overhaul in 2021-22. Given their late-year fade, sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and quiet first-round exit from the playoffs, the Bulls may appear to be sitting on their hands on the surface. However, Caruso emphasized that when Chicago was healthy and locked in, as they were in the first stages of last season, the roster had palpable success.
The Bulls were on top of the East standings for 47 days, second only to the Miami Heat, and held the first seed as late as Feb. 25. They had the NBA's 10th-ranked defense through the end of the 2021 calendar year; that fell to 22nd by the end of the regular season. To Caruso, a return to the top means reemphasizing the details of what had the Bulls clicking last winter.
"Obviously, we had a little bit of bad luck with injuries last year. That doesn't help," Caruso said. "I think in the beginning of the year, we were first in the East, we had a great Defensive Rating [and the] offense was doing everything they needed to do as far as moving the ball, creating open shots. And then, through a little bit of adversity in the year, we dropped a little bit of discipline in certain areas of the game.
"I think that's something that, if you're trying to win &mdash; and win in the postseason &mdash; those are things that you got to be consistent at."
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Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. are back, Patrick Williams has a full summer after an injury-riddled second season, and Andre Drummond is joining the fold to back up Nikola Vucevic. Caruso says those guys all make a defensive difference, and even leading scorers DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine represent an athletic presence. But when everyone's healthy, the first line of defense comes from two ex-Laker teammates in Caruso and Lonzo Ball.&nbsp;
Caruso averaged a career-high 1.7 steals per game in his first year as a Bull. Had he played enough games, he likely would have warranted All-Defensive consideration. He deflected the ball 3.4 times per game in 2021-22, tied for fourth-most among all NBA players. Chicago was 8.5 points stingier per 100 defensive possessions with Caruso on the floor too &mdash; a differential in the 96th percentile of all players, per Cleaning the Glass.
The now-veteran guard has this remarkable, innate ability to visualize a tree of outcomes on any defensive possession. He describes his defense like he's accounting for a multiverse, then whittling down the possibilities until he reaches the branch he wants. The <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/bulls-alex-caruso-details-how-defense-fuels-his-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pacing of the shot clock</a>, the rhythm of an opponent's dribble and the locations of his teammates (as he alluded to in the below video) all help Caruso wade through uncertainty.
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"[In the] professional game, the more information you can have and understand before a play takes place, the better chance you have of a successful stop, or offensive possession, whatever it is," Caruso explained. "The court is so big and the three-point line's so far away. And, nowadays, everybody's playing pace-and-space offense where they're trying to spread everybody out and take advantage of 1-on-1 matchups.
"For me, it's just about creating advantages for myself. These guys are already so good; if I try to play them 1-on-1, just head-up, I could play the best defense of my life and they still might score. So for me, it's just trying to create advantages as much as I can. The best advantage you have on defense is your teammates, so I try to use them as much as possible, whether they're even aware of it or not."
Pesky screen navigation had become a tool for defenses to gunk up today's pick-and-roll-happy attacks. Caruso excels as a screen irritant, using patience and precision to read a ball-handler's choices. He revels in the finer points of defending screens and, after six seasons as a pro, has built up an encyclopedia of tricks and tendencies.
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"[It takes] a little bit of anticipation [and] being able to control the ball-handler," Caruso said. "If he has a chance to reject you, and you try to get skinny and get over the top of the screen, then it's just going to increase that 2-on-1 advantage that they're trying to get with the pick-and-roll. It's just about anticipating, but then, trying to be like a defensive back in the NFL. I'm trying to mirror what they're doing. I'm not trying to necessarily beat them to the spot. I just want to make sure that I'm in their hip pocket, moving as they're moving.
"Then, once we get to the point of the screen, I just connect to their body &mdash; hip-to-hip, chest-to-chest &mdash; and just try to get skinny and get through the screen. So, it comes with a lot of practice too. For years, I've been fighting over ball-screens trying to get better at it, and it's been useful for me."
Of course, the second challenge is literally getting through that screen, set by some of the league's most imposing physical obstacles. Caruso quickly lists Steven Adams and Jonas Valanciunas, two notorious bruisers, among the league's toughest screen-setters.
His third choice &mdash; after some thought &mdash; is Draymond Green.
"Just because he sets illegal screens and they let him get away with it," said a smirking Caruso, who concedes that he, too, tries to push referees' tolerance.
"On defense, I probably foul a little more than I should, but the refs can't call a foul every single time," Caruso added. "So it's like &mdash; Draymond's gonna get Steph [Curry] open eventually. He's gonna run into you and the refs aren't going to call it. So just his ability to be physical and get guys open is pretty good."
Caruso reunited with Ball last season, and the two immediately clicked. Ball was similarly effective when healthy and placed just behind Caruso with 3.2 deflections per game. In the 460 minutes the duo played together, it outscored opponents by 9.5 points per 100 possessions.&nbsp;
Ball is currently recovering from a torn meniscus and his return date <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bulls-optimistic-on-lonzo-balls-injured-knee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is still up in the air.</a>&nbsp;But Caruso can't wait to have him back on the floor, saying that they "see a lot of the same stuff on the court." After two years apart, Caruso believes Ball has rediscovered his own strengths and seems more comfortable as a pro.
"I think he started playing his game a little more, and I think he might have tried to fit into a role a little bit in L.A . &mdash; and you kind of have to when you have superstar players around you for that last year like he did," Caruso said. "I think he got the chance in New Orleans to play his game the same way he's played from high school, to college, to get into the pros.
"There's a reason he was the No. 2 overall pick and got to where he was. He's an elite player at the stuff that he does, and I think he's doing things that he does best. He's able to do those with us and the Bulls. I'm excited for him to come back and have a good year."
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While Caruso and Ball battled injuries, Ayo Dosunmu stepped into the fray as a rookie second-round pick and flashed defensive promise. The Bulls hope to further bolster the backcourt stoppage with Dalen Terry, their No. 18 overall selection from this year's draft. Caruso recognizes that learning defense in a trial-by-fire environment can be challenging, and he was impressed with how Dosunmu handled the burden.
"Ayo was, basically all last year, just playing off the feel," Caruso said of his young teammate. "Your first year in the league, you don't understand concepts really. You don't understand coverages. You're seeing guys play, and you're playing against guys for the first time. You're seeing their best moves for the first time; they're probably going to beat you most of the time. So for him to be able to compete the way he did last year on defense is a great sign for a guy in his first year."
That's the lesson Caruso is learning, and teaching, as he grapples with the pro lifestyle. There's no textbook answer to playing defense in the NBA, winning at the highest level or even maintaining a consistent golf game. Sometimes it all comes down to building a knowledge base and feeling out the right path.
Learning what "feels right" can also be an experimental process. Caruso's mastery of the on-court intricacies has already set him apart as a defender. Those nitty-gritty details are also helping him learn how to evolve his nutrition habits and stay best attuned to the wear-and-tear of the NBA schedule.
Caruso is currently teaming up with ZENB, a plant-based food brand centered in Chicago, and is competing in a cooking competition against former LA Sparks guard Te'a Cooper. The pair will make four dishes out of plant-based alternative foods, and Caruso has been taking careful notes from chef Monti Carlo.
"It's just a fun experience to learn from Chef Monti, who's been in cooking shows herself and has experience, and to just learn some, tricks and trades and figure out some stuff to help myself to be a better cook in the future," Caruso said.&nbsp;
The 28-year-old averaged 28.0 minutes per game last season, by far a career-high. Caruso's hard-nosed aggression is a signature strength; he's also in the thick of action that can (and did) result in injuries. In 2021-22, he fractured his wrist and missed six weeks, and also missed games due to a foot sprain, concussion and minor hamstring and back issues.
Caruso says he currently feels fine physically, and has gotten in some productive workouts this offseason. But his minute uptick has also forced him to reflect on his habits &mdash; be it an increased focus on recovery with massages, cold tubs and lift sessions or altering his diet. Caruso has looked at shifting toward more plant-based foods with inspiration from ZENB. He's also staying regimented with his four meals per day, and, over time, has learned to carefully monitor his hydration.
"Hydration, I think, is one of the things that I overlooked a lot as a young professional," Caruso said. "It's something now that I've realized, when I get the right sugars and salts back into my body through sports drinks [and] electrolyte packets, as well as water, I just have better sleep, [and] I have better workouts the next day... I'm already a slim guy as it is, so for me to be able to maintain weight through an 82-game-plus season, it's something that I've really tried to hone in on and perfect for myself."
In the grand scheme of the NBA, these minute details might seem insignificant. But they've helped Caruso blossom from an undrafted rookie into a defensive fulcrum, and they'll help him and Chicago reach the next tier of contention.
"It's just little things... that I've had to tweak," Caruso said. "Experience is the best teacher, so it's stuff that I've learned from and can hopefully take and put into my regimen moving forward."

Ethan Fuller chats with Alex Caruso about his strategy behind defending NBA players, his thoughts on the Bulls, nutrition and more.

Alex Caruso is nailing down the details with the Chicago Bulls

Compared to a grind-it-away offseason last summer that helped earn him a huge payday, Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen has been traveling and spending much more time with family this go-round.
Allen's latest adventure? Canberra, Australia, where the 24-year-old is participating in the Basketball Without Borders Asia program as a coach for the first time in his career.
"I've been trying to come here to BWB for a while, but things just never lined up,&rdquo; Allen told Basketball News over the phone. &ldquo;I just liked the idea of the world-life travel, the connecting basketball globally, expanding the NBA globally. I just think it's a great opportunity to share the game.&rdquo;
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Working alongside Chicago Bulls guard Coby White, Dallas Mavericks swingman Josh Green and Phoenix Suns forward Cam Johnson, Allen&rsquo;s been appreciative to get to know the guys he competes against. Together, the four NBA players are providing their best knowledge and advice to the next generation of hoopers to ensure the game of basketball continues to thrive.
&ldquo;That's who's coming after us. That's literally the future of the game, both globally and in the States,&rdquo; Allen explained. &ldquo;We have to share our knowledge to the people coming after to just make things better for the future."
Part of the reason Allen feels so strongly about this is that he had the proper guidance when he was in these campers&rsquo; shoes.
&ldquo;I don't remember the names well. But just growing up, [during] my summer workouts when I was their age [at Texas], I used to practice against some college and NBA players,&rdquo; Allen said. &ldquo;They would always take the time to help me, to show me little tips about how they played the game, how they played their position, and just helped me get my game to the next level. So that's what I'm trying to do with these kids.&rdquo;
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With BWB Asia Camp wrapping up on Aug. 10, Basketball News spoke with Allen about his involvement, his offseason, the Cavs&rsquo; upcoming year and more.
I'm sure Matthew Dellavedova told you good things about Australia. Have you been there before?
Allen: "This is my first time, but so far so good (laughs)."
Did you get any good coaching tips from J.B. Bickerstaff?
Allen: "Ah, no! Actually, I could've asked him (laughs). Honestly, I've been meeting great coaches out here, great people. It's been an amazing experience."
Have you gotten any kinds of unique questions from the campers?
Allen: "The kids didn't really ask me questions. They were kinda shy. But one of the kids just asked about leadership and how to become a better leader, which is surprising. I bet you none of us would've asked that growing up. But it goes to show the kids are trying to be the best they can."
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How&rsquo;s the offseason gone for you?
Allen: "Offseason's going pretty well. It's been kinda just a normal offseason, honestly."
Is your finger feeling alright?
Allen: "The finger's completely healed, not even like I broke it anymore."
Are you eager to start back up again at your own training camp in Cleveland?
Allen: "Aw yeah. I mean, it feels like the season's been done for eight months. Around this time of the year, I get itching to play, I get ready to get back on the court. But the good thing [is] it's about two months away."
You and Darius Garland are going into your second-and-a-half season together basically. Why do you think you guys have meshed so well as a tandem, and how would you like to build on that this coming year?
Allen: "Things really clicked for us as soon as I got to Cleveland. Obviously, we all know he's an amazing point guard. But the thing that I don't think people realize is just how willing he is to learn the game, how willing he is to work with myself to try to figure out the best position for me to catch the ball and to just finish a lob. And I see it expanding even further.
"Just every single year, especially with him and I, we've improved our games together, improved our chemistry, improved how we play the game together. And I think we still have a long way to go."
What did you think of the team bringing in Robin Lopez? 
Allen: "I'm happy with the Robin [addition]. I know him from just playing against him on the court. He's a great dude. The Lopez brothers altogether, just the things beyond social media battles, great guys. Especially defending [Robin], [he's a] great player &mdash; Captain Hook (laughs). He has the best hook shot in the league."
Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s back in the fold too. The locker room&rsquo;s gotta be thrilled about that.
Allen: "It's so good to have Ricky back. Off the court, great guy. He was a glue guy for us, to be able to keep us together. [He] came in with a positive attitude every day, willing to work. And even especially on the court, he ran the offense, he got us to where we needed to be."
Are we going to see more of that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WVdTvfC2ik" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-low action</a> with Evan Mobley?
Allen: "Oh absolutely, that's not going anywhere (laughs). I mean hey, we've got Lauri [Markkanen] too. We've got all three levels of scoring."
Is anybody coming into the paint after what you two did last year?
Allen: "(Laughs) You know, if they do, they're gonna know what happens."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kevin Love: 22 PTS, 6 REB, 6 3PM Jarrett Allen: 19 PTS, 11 REB, 5 BLK Evan Mobley: 17 PTS, 11 REB, 4 BLK The <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cavs</a> big men put in work in their win 💪 <a href="https://t.co/jSdNxx5rAl">pic.twitter.com/jSdNxx5rAl</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1466414382519398417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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You were right there in the thick of it before the injuries hit. Do you feel you guys would&rsquo;ve gotten further/made more of a run had everybody been healthy?
Allen: "You know, with that, you never can say for sure. I don't like saying if we could've made it or not because what happened, happened. But the possibility is definitely there, and the question is there, of just how far could we have made it."
Being sidelined had to sting, especially with the timing. You guys were surging before the All-Star break.
Allen: "Yeah, we were. It was the whole timing of the injury, right? When we were rolling and then, things started to not go where we wanted to go toward the end of the season. So this year, coming out, I think we're all full-steam ahead."
What&rsquo;s the vibe been with the guys?
Allen: "We have our own little group chat. We share memes, check in on each other every now and then. We're all [ready] to play again."
I'm sure the pictures from Kevin Love and Cedi Osman's weddings made it in there.
Allen: "(Laughs) I'm super excited for them."
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Here&rsquo;s something I always wanted to ask you &ndash; how did you get so invested in anime? Those likes pop up on the Twitter feed quite a bit! 
Allen: "(Laughs) I just think it's a fun thing to do. People have things that they like, have different types of hobbies, different things. That's just who I am. It's the things I like to do, things I don't mind sharing that I like."
Have you ever gotten fan art before?
Allen: "Some. Normally, me as <a href="https://www.funimation.com/shows/afro-samurai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afro Samurai</a> (laughs). But other than that, nothing too crazy."
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Background on Basketball Without Borders
<ul>
<li>Basketball Without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program that has been conducted annually since 2001.</li>
<li>The first-ever BWB camp took place in Europe in July 2001: Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Toni Kukoc (Croatia), together with former teammates from the Yugoslavia national team, reunited in Treviso, Italy to work with 50 children from the former Yugoslavia.</li>
<li>Since then the NBA and FIBA have staged 65 BWB camps in 42 cities in 30 countries on six continents with more than 3,700 participants from 133 countries and territories.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The NBA typically hosts four regional BWB camps over the summer (Africa, Europe, Asia, Americas), and in 2015 created the BWB Global camp, which is held annually at NBA All-Star for the top prospects from the previous summer&rsquo;s camps.</li>
<li>More than 310 current and former NBA/WNBA players have joined more than 240 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to share their expertise and knowledge with participants.</li>
<li>More than 100 former BWB campers have made it to the NBA or WNBA, including Marc Gasol, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Nicolas Batum, Jonas Valanciunas, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Danilo Gallinari</li>
<li>A record 41 former BWB campers were on opening-night rosters for the 2021-22 season.</li>
<li>The highest-drafted former BWB campers are:
<ul>
<li>No. 1 overall: Deandre Ayton (Bahamas; 2018), Andrea Bargnani (Italy; 2006)</li>
<li>No. 3 overall: RJ Barrett (Canada; 2019), Joel Embiid (Cameroon; 2014), Enes Kanter Freedom (Turkey; 2011)</li>
<li>No. 4 overall: Dragan Bender (Croatia; 2016)</li>
<li>No. 5 overall: Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania; 2011)</li>
<li>No. 6 overall: Josh Giddey (Australia; 2021); Danilo Gallinari (Italy; 2008); Bennedict Mathurin (Canada; 2022)</li>
<li>No. 7 overall: Killian Hayes (France; 2020), Lauri Markkanen (Finland; 2017), Jamal Murray (Canada; 2016)</li>
<li>No. 8 overall: Frank Ntilikina (France; 2017)</li>
<li>No. 9 overall: Deni Avdija (Israel; 2020) and Rui Hachimura (Japan; 2019)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies chats with Jarrett Allen about his involvement with BWB Asia, his offseason, the Cavs’ upcoming year and more.

Jarrett Allen Q&A: Cavaliers' offseason, Basketball Without Borders

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

We&rsquo;ve reached the final and most important NBA award out there as &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; wraps up on BasketballNews.com. Over the last few years, the MVP race has been fantastic, with Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic nabbing the award twice.
Who will emerge this time around in what should be another classic campaign? Without further ado, let&rsquo;s examine the best bets for the 2022-23 NBA MVP award as well as an enticing dark-horse option. As always, all odds projections are provided by DraftKings.
Best Bet: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks (+400)
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Let&rsquo;s take a quick moment to appreciate greatness in Luka Doncic <a href="https://t.co/cGCKcrG6In">pic.twitter.com/cGCKcrG6In</a>
&mdash; 𝕷𝕭𝕵 ⁶👑 (@TheLBJBurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheLBJBurner/status/1554542386998611968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
Luka Doncic's MVP hype is reaching a fever pitch. Although Doncic faded in the second half of last season's MVP race, he&rsquo;s still the Ferrari engine that makes the Dallas Mavericks a formidable postseason threat. Will this finally be the year that Doncic breaks through to win MVP?
Everything is setting up well for Doncic to produce a career-best season, and, dare I say, potentially flirt with a 30-point triple-double average. Since 2019-20, Doncic&rsquo;s regular-season numbers are simply absurd: 28.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game on a 58.1% True Shooting.
With Jalen Brunson exiting this offseason to the New York Knicks, even more scoring opportunities will be presented to the Slovenian phenom. I feel pretty comfortable saying Doncic will be an MVP finalist if he exceeds his current numbers even slightly. Dallas didn&rsquo;t have a splashy offseason, but maybe the most important development for the Mavs is Doncic&rsquo;s conditioning. Playing for the Slovenian national team this offseason, Doncic looks to be in the best shape of his NBA career, which has to make Mavericks personnel giddy at the possible outcomes.
Consistently putting the Mavericks on his back since his debut, Doncic being the heavy betting favorite for MVP should come as no surprise. Maybe Las Vegas was a year early on the MVP projection, but 2022-23 is shaping up to be Doncic's true crescendo. Buckle up, because we&rsquo;re about to see the best version of Doncic yet.
Best Bet: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (+650)
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If Joel Embiid is at the rim, watch out 😤 Catch his best dunks from the 2021-22 season! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADunkWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADunkWeek</a> <a href="https://t.co/aIGjl7paYD">pic.twitter.com/aIGjl7paYD</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1556007204301312000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Joel Embiid checks in behind Doncic with the second-best MVP odds. Will the Philadelphia 76ers' superstar finally get his due? It&rsquo;s fair to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/robbed-joel-embiid-shouldve-at-least-been-the-nbas-comvp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argue that Embiid should have won last year's MVP award over Jokic</a> in what was a historic MVP race.
Looking ahead to Philadelphia&rsquo;s make-or-break 2022-23, a lot is on the line for those within the organization. James Harden just inked a new extension that helped the Sixers bring aboard former Houston Rockets teammates PJ Tucker, Danuel House and Trevelin Queen. Sixers executive Daryl Morey is all-in on the duo of Embiid and Harden winning a championship, and the clock is ticking when thinking about the generational big man&rsquo;s own window of prime production.
Already encountering knee and foot issues throughout his career, Embiid must capitalize on his sheer dominance as of late. Averaging 29.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game since 2020-21, Embiid has rounded into form as a bonafide two-way monster. When Embiid's health cooperates, nobody on the planet can stop him from getting to the basket relentlessly.
If the Sixers can capitalize on an improved roster and their seven-footer can stay healthy all season, the narrative is in place for an MVP breakthrough. Embiid will put up the numbers, but it all comes down to health and team success. Even at +650 odds, there&rsquo;s real value presented on Embiid for MVP.
Dark Horse: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (+1200)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"Oh! A JA-BREAKER" Check out the TOP 10 dunks by <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JaMorant</a> from the 2021-22 season! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADunkWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADunkWeek</a> *Drop the number of your favorite dunk in the replies* <a href="https://t.co/aqszYy40qi">pic.twitter.com/aqszYy40qi</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1554244333771149313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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We all just witnessed the Grizzlies' breakout thanks in large part to Morant taking the leap to superstar. Memphis has a core that fits so well together and everyone is on the same timeline moving forward.
However, at the start of next season, Memphis will be without its defensive anchor and unicorn big man in Jaren Jackson Jr. Morant will face more pressure to be Superman. Don't be surprised if Morant shines in these circumstances, which makes a +1200 dart throw on DraftKings easily worth the long-term investment.
Memphis is betting that its young core will continue to take steps forward, and they've added two more first-round prospects to the mix (Jake LaRavia and David Roddy). Morant is the Grizzlies' leader, and keeping them competitive in the reloaded Western Conference will help his potential MVP case.
Last season, Morant averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds while Memphis finished as the West&rsquo;s No. 2 seed. Would it be out of the question for Morant to increase his scoring and assist totals to near 30 and 9? If so, Morant will help Memphis win a lot of games, and he could parlay that success into a strong MVP case that's reminiscent of Derrick Rose&rsquo;s explosive 2010-11 season, in which he became the Association&rsquo;s youngest-ever MVP.

Which players are poised to emerge as top NBA MVP candidates? Evan Sidery finds the best value from a betting perspective.

Best bets for 2022-23 NBA Most Valuable Player award

Welcome to Basketball News' 10-part mini-series, Blazing the Trail, where Mat Issa breaks down the most revolutionary players of the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout this series, we'll examine how these players changed basketball and pioneered their respective skills. 
In this second installment, Mat goes in-depth on two-time All-Star power forward Rashard Lewis and his lasting impact as a stretch 4 with insight from Bob Beyer and Ahmad Ajami, two former Orlando Magic assistants who worked closely with Lewis. 
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Like many things in basketball, the concept of the "stretch 4" was not invented in the 2000s.&nbsp;
However, before the turn of the century, the archetype was almost exclusively viewed as a matchup-based tool. Using a baseball analogy, it was like having a lefty reliever in the bullpen reserved for specific circumstances rather than an ace at the head of your rotation.
But that all changed when a combination of untimely injuries and coaching ingenuity led to Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy starting Rashard Lewis at the power forward position. Lewis became a true All-Star while playing the stretch 4 and helped influence this revolution.
What Made Lewis Special&nbsp;
Like his stretch-4 predecessors, Lewis was lethal from the perimeter. In the 2008-09 season, he shot nearly 40% from downtown while leading the NBA in total three-point makes and attempts.
Despite his prowess, Lewis was far more than just a stationary sniper. During his formative years, he underwent what I call "the Anthony Davis growth trajectory" &mdash; a phenomenon where a basketball player grows up playing as a guard, hits an unforeseen massive growth spurt and then matures into a big with guard skills. And, because that happened, Lewis was able to combine a 6-foot-10 stature with his bucket-getting chops, which earned him the moniker: &ldquo;Sweet Lew.&rdquo;
Sweet Lew quickly became a defense's worst nightmare.&nbsp;
&ldquo;At that time, length and athleticism at the 4 wasn&rsquo;t as prevalent as it is now,&rdquo; said Ahmad Ajami, a former Magic assistant coach under Van Gundy for five seasons between 2007 and 2012.
&ldquo;He could play both inside and out,&rdquo; Van Gundy&rsquo;s longtime right-hand man Bob Beyer stated about Lewis.
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Too big for smalls, too fast for bigs. This was a recurring storyline throughout Lewis&rsquo; career.&nbsp;
That narrative reached its climax during Orlando&rsquo;s iconic 2009 Eastern Conference Finals bout with the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. During that series, Lewis burned slow-footed big men Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varej&atilde;o with his superior quickness, and alpha'd the smaller Delonte West by elegantly lofting jumpers over top of him.
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&ldquo;The guy who probably [doesn&rsquo;t get] the credit that he deserves is Rashard... It [all] goes back to Rashard,&rdquo; Beyer recalled when describing Orlando&rsquo;s success against Cleveland. &ldquo;Rashard could exploit their two bigs out there.&rdquo;
In the six-game series, Lewis eviscerated Cleveland, averaging 18.3 points on 64.0% True Shooting, all while hitting some <a href="https://youtu.be/KXy51IiFwlU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">critical</a> shots en route to Orlando&rsquo;s only title appearance of the aughts.
On-Court Production&nbsp;
Throughout his career, Lewis&rsquo; impact derived primarily from his value as a scorer and spacer. During his All-Star campaign in 2008-09, he was second on the Magic in both scoring volume and efficiency (among players who played at least 50 games). He also ranked in the 93rd percentile in spacing league-wide, according to BackPicks.com.
The impact metrics available at the time seem to agree with his nomination, painting Lewis as a <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1552312398425505799?s=20&amp;t=NTXuTyPlBNy_vSgSTYRC4Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fringe All-Star contributor</a>.
However, what he accomplished by working in unison with Magic frontcourt mates Dwight Howard and Hedo T&uuml;rkoğlu was much more important than his individual success. In isolation, each member of the trio was a solid offensive player. But in the aggregate, the three coalesced to form a multi-faceted machine.&nbsp;
On the surface, this particular Magic team greatly resembled the infrastructure of the two-time world-champion Houston Rockets from the 1990s. Under the guidance of Rudy Tomjanovich, those Rockets deployed a progressive 4-out, 1-in offensive scheme with the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon flanked by four shooters on the perimeter.
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However, those Houston teams were founded on Olajuwon&rsquo;s reputation in the post that allowed him to regularly commandeer the attention of a second defender (<a href="https://streamable.com/g76o6v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like this</a>). Meanwhile, Howard was more of a play-finisher than a pure isolationist on the low block.
&ldquo;Dwight could really excel when he was on the move. He was a good runner in transition. He was a good roller in pick-and-rolls,&rdquo; Beyer said. &ldquo;Runner, roller and the other thing &mdash; we would get a lot of spin-out lobs.&rdquo;
Pair Howard's finishing with T&uuml;rkoğlu&rsquo;s size, ball-handling and pull-up shooting, and add Lewis&rsquo; expansive scoring repertoire, and you had a recipe for offensive brilliance.
The Magic (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like the D&rsquo;Antoni-led Suns</a>) were a pick-and-roll-centric team, with their pet play being a three-man action involving their frontcourt triumvirate.
Beyer said that Orlando called it a &ldquo;Thumb Down Spread,&rdquo; basically a middle pick-and-roll featuring T&uuml;rkoğlu as the ball-handler and Howard as the screener, with Lewis lurking one pass away.
Here&rsquo;s a demonstration of the play in theory and in practice (with a <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/roll-replace-a8ff659fb5d9#:~:text=Definition%3A%20A%20pick%2Dand%2D,the%20paint%20to%20the%20perimeter." target="_blank" rel="noopener">roll-and-replace</a> wrinkle from Lewis):
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Visual diagram presented by Luceo Sports
&ldquo;That was our go-to play,&rdquo; Beyer said. &ldquo;It forced the defense to protect the basket... because Dwight [was] such a dynamic roller. If you consistently dropped your big back to take the roll away, Hedo was more than capable of making that three-point shot or pull-up two. We would run the roll-and-replace action where we would come and lift Rashard up, and then, there&rsquo;s another deadly three-point shooter.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re talking about scoring options at all three of those positions on the floor."
(Beyer also mentioned another variation of the play that utilized Lewis as the screener called the &ldquo;Thumb Up Spread,&rdquo; <a href="https://streamable.com/vqacfu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">literally signaled by a thumb up</a>.)
Typically, the major drawback that comes with playing these offensively-slanted lineups comes at the defensive end, as more offense usually means less defense. But this iteration of the Magic defied the laws of statistics, touting the No. 1 defense in the NBA in 2009.
The keystone to this formidable front was, of course, Howard.
&ldquo;[You&rsquo;d] be hard-pressed to find a rim-protector and [overall] defender &mdash; on-ball and off-ball &mdash; like Dwight,&rdquo; Ajami stated.
And despite his slender frame causing some issues against "classical" power forwards (see: 2009 Finals), Lewis compensated for his deficiencies by leveraging his great length and sound hands (87th percentile steal rate in 2009, per Cleaning the Glass) to create chaos on and off the ball.
&ldquo;Both Rashard and Hedo T&uuml;rkoğlu were so long,&rdquo; Beyer said. &ldquo;They were very intelligent [and used] their length to defend guys. They were active with their hands. Their closeouts were appropriate &mdash; based on who they were guarding. And, if they were to get beat, they still had confidence that the next play could be made by Dwight to clean it up.&rdquo;
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While some view their magical run as an anomaly, the threesome operated at the level of a true contender. According to PBP stats, in the 1,268 minutes Lewis, Howard and T&uuml;rkoğlu shared in 2008-09, the Magic posted a Net Rating of plus-12.68 (the equivalent of a 71-win pace in an 82-game season).&nbsp;
For reference, that is a higher <a href="http://www.pbpstats.com/lineup-subunits/nba?LineupId=200782-201572-201950-203114-203507&amp;TeamId=1610612749&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;SubUnitSize=3">NET</a> number than what the trio of Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo posted during their championship season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
&ldquo;Nobody would have ever guessed that we would have been as successful as we were,&rdquo; Ajami smiled. &ldquo;But we were right there.
&ldquo;That group of guys was extremely special.&rdquo;
Weaving the Thread &nbsp; In a <a href="https://theathletic.com/1504385/2020/01/07/orlando-magic-forgotten-3-point-innovators/">feature article</a> from 2020, The Athletic's Josh Robbins credited two factors for Van Gundy&rsquo;s decision to start Lewis at the 4: &ldquo;Necessity and smart thinking.&rdquo;&nbsp;
For some context, the Magic initially planned to start traditional power forward Tony Battie. But when he was ruled out for the entirety of the 2007-08 campaign, Van Gundy decided to experiment with Lewis playing the stretch 4 full-time.
However, dig into the weeds a little further, and one could posit that this innovation was more than happenstance, and that Van Gundy and Lewis had seen this before.
In 2008-09, Orlando&rsquo;s three-point attempt rate (3PAr) had a frequency 11.1% higher than the league average. Let&rsquo;s look at teams that posted a similar relative 3PAr that came before them:
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An interesting cast of characters indeed (man, Pitino's teams loved to let it fly).
Now, let&rsquo;s narrow our focus to three specific instances:
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First are the 1996-97 Miami Heat, led by "The Godfather" Pat Riley. Who was his lead assistant during that time? None other than Stanley Alan Van Gundy.
Secondly, the 2003-04 Seattle SuperSonics. Before he landed in Orlando, Lewis had some practice slotting in at power forward under Sonics head coach Nate McMillan &mdash; spending 20% of his minutes that season at the 4 spot, per Basketball-Reference. Although, it is worth noting that Vladimir Radmanović was Seattle's primary stretch 4 (playing 80% of his minutes at power forward).
And lastly, the 2006-07 Houston Rockets. It was the last pit stop for the legendary Jeff Van Gundy, Stan&rsquo;s younger brother. Also featured on that team was Tracy McGrady &mdash; a player whom Lewis has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc1snSMtaSU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly acknowledged he studied and modeled his game after</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I would specify it that cleanly," Beyer said with a chuckle. "But I do know this: I know how much Stan values shooting, and I know how much Stan is always trying to come up with lineups where the best players are on the floor together. So, your theory makes a lot of sense to me.&rdquo;
The point is that, whether it was an intentional decision, a freak coincidence, or a case of cryptomnesia, you can see that past experiences in Lewis and Van Gundy&rsquo;s professional lives had them trending in this direction the entire time. And together, they made sweet music.
Impact on Today&rsquo;s Game
Unlike Steve Nash, finding direct descendants for Lewis is more of an arduous endeavor because, nowadays, seemingly everyone employs a stretch 4 to some degree. In this past season alone, 15 players listed as power forwards on Basketball-Reference surpassed 4.4 three-point attempts per game (Lewis&rsquo; career average).
Ajami stated that, because of the absence of positional constructs in modern-day basketball, he only thinks about positions as who you guard on defense.
&ldquo;Basketball has almost become positionless,&rdquo; Ajami said. &ldquo;To me, you playing the 4 or 5 really just means who on the other team you're defending because, for us, our 4 and our 5... have got to be able to do the same things we ask our 2 and our 3 to do.&rdquo;
With that said, more direct comparisons still exist.
In 2020-21, the Utah Jazz led the league with a relative 3PAr of plus-9.6. One could find a lot of parallels between their frontcourt of Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanović and Rudy Gobert and the one the Magic rode to the NBA Finals. (Bogdanović plays the role of Lewis in this analogy.)
Coming into the 2018 NBA Draft, <a href="https://theathletic.com/266715/2018/03/09/potential-knicks-lottery-pick-profile-michael-porter-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some scouts</a> viewed Michael Porter Jr. as a new-age version of Lewis. And when his back was right, Michael Malone would frequently run jumbo frontcourt lineups featuring MPJ, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic. (Coincidentally, Malone&rsquo;s father Brendan was an assistant coach on those Magic teams).
You can even see some influence from the Magic on this current iteration of the Cavaliers &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/in-the-nba-length-matters-unedited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three seven-footers in the frontcourt</a> with Lauri Markkanen operating as their de facto Lewis.
Ironically enough, Lewis&rsquo; legacy has made his offensive archetype less unique than it was when he was playing (something we will see a lot in this series). None of the heirs to Lewis we listed have achieved All-Star status because the stretch 4 has become a staple feature on every team.
Nonetheless, Lewis and those Magic teams pushed the limits of what was once thought possible for the position &mdash; the hallmark feature of any basketball pioneer.
And for his overarching impact on the game, Lewis deserves his respect, his All-Star nominations and, most of all, his own chapter in the history of the NBA.
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Tune in next week for Part III of Blazing the Trail, which focuses on Shane Battier &mdash; the data-ball defender.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part I: "Steve Nash, the magician who danced in the paint."</a>

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa focuses on two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis and his lasting impact as a stretch 4.

Blazing the Trail: Rashard Lewis, the All-Star stretch 4

Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals will be played on Thursday, June 2. Remarkably, that date is the exact one-year anniversary of the Boston Celtics' announcing Brad Stevens had stepped away from head coaching duties to assume the role of president of basketball operations in place of the departing Danny Ainge.
Let's have a look back at what has been an extraordinary and almost unimaginable 12 months&hellip;
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During his eight seasons on the sidelines in Boston, Stevens was viewed as one of the league's better head coaches. He was regarded as an elite tactician and considered an important part of the Celtics' sustained success. Under his stewardship, Boston advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals three times in four years.
So when the club announced that its long-time top executive in Ainge was retiring and that Stevens would be promoted to team president last June, it came as a shock to most. Would Stevens be able to replicate the regular-season success he enjoyed as head coach? Could Boston get over the hump and advance all the way to the NBA Finals?
Although Ainge left a roster stocked with a budding superstar in Jayson Tatum, his All-Star caliber sidekick in Jaylen Brown, veteran stalwart Marcus Smart and a few promising youngsters, Stevens took control at a precarious juncture. Boston entered last summer capped out (with a directive from ownership not to incur a costly luxury tax bill) and lacking excess draft capital.&nbsp;
Stevens' first order of business was parting ways with Kemba Walker and his cumbersome contract. With two years and $73 million remaining on his deal, Walker was the team's highest-paid player. When healthy, the four-time All-Star Walker was highly productive on the offensive end for the C's, but his balky left knee had robbed him of his quickness. Some suggested the Celtics sit tight, hoping that an entire offseason of rest would allow Kemba to re-establish himself as a quality starter. If Boston wanted to trade Walker, Stevens would have to get creative.
The week before the 2021 NBA Draft, Stevens dealt Boston's first-round pick (16th overall) and a 2025 second-round draft pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford and a 2023 second-rounder.&nbsp;
At the time, Stevens' first significant move as team president was considered highly questionable.&nbsp;
Following the 2019-20 season, when Horford posted career-worst numbers for the Philadelphia 76ers after signing a monstrous four-year, $109 million pact, the veteran big man's contract was viewed as one of the worst in the league. In December 2020, the Sixers were forced to attach a future first-round pick and the draft rights to Vasilije Micic (who just won his second EuroLeague Final Four MVP) in a trade with OKC just to get out from under Horford's contract.
During his lone season in Oklahoma City, Horford appeared in just 28 games for the Thunder. After the trade deadline passed in February 2021, the Thunder shut him down for the rest of the season. At the time, it felt like Stevens was trading for a potentially washed-up 35-year-old center with two years and $53.5 million left on his contract ($41 million of it guaranteed).
But after struggling at times to find his groove in the regular season, Horford has been a crucial cog in the Celtics' run to the Finals. During these playoffs, he is averaging 11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 three-pointers,1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals per game, all while shooting 50.0% from the floor, a scorching 43.2% from downtown, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
Per Basketball-Reference, Horford is just the third player in NBA history (joining Draymond Green and Rasheed Wallace) to average more than 1.5 blocks and more than 1.5 made treys in a postseason (minimum 15 games played). Horford is also the first player ever over the age of 35 to tally more than 25 blocks and more than 25 three-pointers in a single postseason.
To say the Walker/Horford trade has worked out well for Boston would be a dramatic understatement.&nbsp;
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After acquiring Horford, Stevens' next critical decision would be choosing a new head coach. After interviewing several candidates, Stevens zeroed in on Ime Udoka and officially hired him in late June. Udoka was a bit of a gamble, as he had never been a head coach, having spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant with San Antonio (2012-13 to 2018-19), Philadelphia (2019-20) and Brooklyn (2020-21).&nbsp;
Udoka's job was made that much more difficult when the C's stumbled out of the gates this season. By the turn of the new year, there was some finger-pointing in the locker room with the Celtics losing too many winnable games. Three weeks into January, Boston was still below .500 with a 23-24 record.
However, Udoka remained stoically stern, providing a calm and reassuring presence in the locker room and on the sideline. His ability to outcoach opponents and his command of the X's and O's gained him the trust of his team. Over the second half of the season, Boston ranked in the top three in Defensive Efficiency, and led the league in Offensive Efficiency (122.6) and Net Rating (plus-12.7) by a wide margin.
Udoka earned Coach of the Month honors on multiple occasions, and would go on to finish fourth in the NBA Coach of the Year voting. The league-wide respect he's garnered has only increased as he's helped guide his team to the championship series.&nbsp;
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When the free agency frenzy commenced in July 2021, Stevens had to decide what to do with shooting guard Evan Fournier. Ultimately, Boston opted to let Fournier leave for New York.
The Celtics' only free-agent addition of note last summer was inking Dennis Schroder to a team-friendly, one-year deal for $5.9 million. However, Stevens signed Marcus Smart (four years, $76.5 million) and Robert Williams III (four years, $48 million) to lengthy extensions.
The Smart signing, in particular, looks genius in retrospect.&nbsp;
It had been rumored that Ainge was seriously considering trading away Smart in different deals in years past. However, Stevens made it clear that he was committing to Smart for the long term. Just as importantly, Stevens let it be known he would entrust Smart with the team's primary point guard duties. This may seem like an easy decision with the benefit of hindsight, but it's important to point out that entering this season, Smart had started in just 228 of the 449 games he had appeared in. And a large percentage of those starts were alongside point guards such as Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas.&nbsp;
The C's flourished with Smart installed as the floor general, especially on the defensive end. Smart, as we know, would be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996.
Starting in each of the 71 regular-season games he played, Smart finished the season ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.68), ranked fifth among all guards with a Defensive Rating of 105.2, and led the NBA with 1.1 loose balls recovered per contest. He was also near the top of the league in deflections, charges drawn and defensive rebounds. On the offensive end, he averaged a career-high 5.9 assists per game and posted an Effective Field Goal percentage above 50% for the first time.
Had Stevens not locked up Smart last summer, he would undoubtedly have been one of the most highly sought-after players on the free-agent market next month.&nbsp;
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Before being sidelined by a knee injury late in the season, Williams had also been enjoying a breakout 2021-22 campaign, averaging career-highs in points (10.0), rebounds (9.6), blocks (2.2), steals (0.9), field-goal percentage (73.6%) and free-throw percentage (72.2%). Like Smart, Williams' value now exceeds his salary.&nbsp;
In February, Stevens recognized Boston's backcourt needed an upgrade. Hence, he sent Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford and a top-four-protected 2022 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Derrick White at the trade deadline. Udoka, who was familiar with White having spent time as an assistant in San Antonio, asked him to sacrifice some of his offense. White would serve as a reserve, which meant fewer field goal attempts and fewer minutes. White embraced the role, supplied solid defense on the perimeter and knocked down a handful of big buckets during Boston's run to the Finals.
Ironically, of all the trades and signing Stevens has made over the past 12 months, arguably the most important and impactful are the ones he did NOT agree to. It sounds outlandish now because the C's are four wins away from the franchise's 18th championship, but plenty of pundits and fans in New England had been calling for the Celtics to break up the duo of Brown and Tatum.
While there was no denying their collective talent, many argued the roster was unbalanced, and that the skill sets Tatum and Brown brought to the table were a bit duplicitous. Thus, some folks contended that the best path forward was trading Brown (possibly in a package with Smart) for a pure point guard (such as Damian Lillard).
Pressure and the corresponding rumors reached a fever pitch in the dark days of December and January.&nbsp;
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Damnit I&rsquo;m holding everybody in Boston accountable, from the front office, to the coaching staff and down to Jaylen and Tatum. It&rsquo;s time to break them up! Carry on&hellip; <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FirstTake</a> <a href="https://t.co/2fNHMFavfd">pic.twitter.com/2fNHMFavfd</a>
&mdash; Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1479494503765524483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As noted above, Boston was below .500 for much of the season. On Jan. 15, the Celtics had a worse record than both the Knicks and Washington Wizards. Boston was 11th in the East, on the outside of the Play-in Tournament looking in.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But Stevens never budged, trusting in the roster he helped construct. And the results speak for themselves. Twelve months after he was hired, Stevens's squad is preparing for the NBA Finals.&nbsp;
Earlier this month, the NBA announced Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 Basketball Executive of the Year Award. Stevens came in sixth, receiving only one first-place vote. However, that award is based on regular-season accomplishments.
Given how well Boston has performed in the playoffs, there is little doubt about which executive's moves have looked best in the postseason.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer reviews Brad Stevens' first season as Celtics president with his one-year anniversary coinciding with NBA Finals Game 1.

Brad Stevens deserves massive credit for the Celtics' success

The Oklahoma City Thunder came out of last Tuesday&rsquo;s NBA Draft Lottery as the night&rsquo;s runner-up, taking home the No. 2 overall pick.&nbsp;
The Thunder have never received the first-overall pick in their franchise history, which technically goes back to 1967 when they were still the Seattle Supersonics. They have selected second on two occasions though, and both worked out really well (Kevin Durant in 2007 and Gary Payton in 1990).
The Thunder have a war-chest of draft picks in the coming years, but those picks are meaningless if they don&rsquo;t select a franchise-altering talent. Fortunately, the No. 2 pick should provide an opportunity to do so. The 2022 draft class features a few &ldquo;can&rsquo;t-miss&rdquo; prospects, including Auburn&rsquo;s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga&rsquo;s Chet Holmgren and Duke&rsquo;s Paolo Banchero. All three have their pros and cons, but adding any of them to the existing core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey should work out beautifully.
In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder made six selections, but they traded three of those players. They added Giddey (who was named to the 2021-22 All-Rookie Second Team), Tre Mann and Aaron Wiggins &ndash; none of whom are bigs. The Thunder did trade for a seven-footer in the 2020 draft (Aleksej Pokusevski), but he&rsquo;s still extremely raw and is not the same caliber of player as the top-three prospects.
Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done through the scouting process to effectively evaluate all three of this draft's most-coveted prospects, but a look back at the last 10 NBA drafts reveals a murkier history than one might assume. After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-the-success-of-teams-selecting-first-in-the-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examining the success of teams selecting No. 1 in the NBA Draft</a> last week, let's look at how recent No. 2 overall picks have fared.&nbsp;
2012 NBA Draft: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets
The Hornets bombed with the second pick in 2012. Kidd-Gilchrist had a fine career, averaging 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game across eight seasons in the NBA. The thing is, Bradley Beal was selected third and Damian Lillard was selected fifth, and both of those guys are All-NBA-caliber players annually. Comparatively, that&rsquo;s a huge miss for Charlotte.
Verdict: Failure.
2013 NBA Draft: Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
The Cavaliers certainly surprised many of us by picking Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick, but the Magic stuck to the script. Oladipo was universally seen as a top-three player in this draft, and he became the second-best player in the class before knee and quad injuries derailed his career.
As much as injuries have robbed much of what Oladipo was, he is still an intriguing player, and he&rsquo;ll probably command some decent free-agent offers this offseason. Obiously, CJ McCollumn (selected 10th) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (selected 15th) are better players, but neither was being considered by the Magic. Considering that Oladipo is a two-time All-Star, an All-Defensive selection and a one-time All-NBA selection, I&rsquo;d say the Magic did a fine job in picking Oladipo.
Verdict: Success
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2014 NBA Draft: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
The 2014 draft was a weird one. Neither the first nor the second pick ended up being the best player from this draft class. Andrew Wiggins found a good role, even if he is far less successful than most thought he&rsquo;d be, but Jabari Parker really underwhelmed. Granted, Parker stuck around in the league for eight seasons, including some of the current one, but his career simply never materialized even if it&rsquo;s not his (nor Milwaukee&rsquo;s) fault.
Parker tore his ACL twice. He looked like he was becoming a pretty darn good player (even if he was a defensive liability) before the second ACL injury, averaging 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2016-17. However good Parker could have been, the fact of the matter is that Joel Embiid was intriguing enough as of draft night to be taken one pick later, and that stings.
Verdict: Failure
2015 NBA Draft: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
Here&rsquo;s an instance where a player actually was worth a top-three pick. The problem is that the Lakers had the second pick, and there&rsquo;s a big difference between Karl-Anthony Towns or Devin Booker and Russell. Making matters worse, the Lakers sent Russell to Brooklyn before he matured. His immaturity was part of the reason he was traded, but that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact that the Lakers picked him and moved on very quickly. Russell may or may not end up being a franchise-altering talent, but he hasn&rsquo;t realized his full potential yet, and he clearly won&rsquo;t do so for the Lakers.
Verdict: Failure
2016 NBA Draft: Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Ingram is one of the best No. 2 picks in the last 10 drafts. He&rsquo;s a true number one option on a playoff team, a career 18.5 points-per-game scorer and a one-time All-Star. It&rsquo;s debatable that Jaylen Brown (selected third) and/or Jamal Murray (selected seventh) are as good or better players, but both have played alongside more talented teammates throughout their careers.
Ingram has been the best player on the New Orleans Pelicans for a few years now, and we shouldn&rsquo;t take for granted the fact that Ingram led a playoff team this season. Sure, the Lakers didn&rsquo;t cash in on him specifically, but he was part of the package that led to Anthony Davis landing in Los Angeles. So, it worked out for them too.
Verdict: Success
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2017 NBA Draft: Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers picked second overall again in 2017. They weren&rsquo;t as successful this time around. First, there&rsquo;s Jayson Tatum to consider. Tatum was selected third and is the best player in the 2017 draft class. Being selected by the Lakers wouldn&rsquo;t have changed that, and that should be enough. But there&rsquo;s also Ball&rsquo;s rough shooting mechanics to consider. Sure, he&rsquo;s grown into a good shooter, but the Lakers didn&rsquo;t benefit from that. It&rsquo;s hard to categorize Ball&rsquo;s selection as an outright failure because like Ingram, he helped facilitate Davis to the Lakers. Still, it's tough to classify his selection a success.
Verdict: Push
2018 NBA Draft: Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings
Bagley might be the worst second pick in the last 10 years. The 2018 NBA Draft will forever be remembered as the Luka Doncic class. The Kings could have drafted Doncic, as he was still on the board, but they chose to go with Bagley instead. Bagley isn&rsquo;t even on the Kings any longer, and his time in Sacramento was not memorable.
Bagley is a sub-par defender and three-point shooter. He&rsquo;s scored the ball at a decent pace, averaging 19.5 points per-36 minutes, but he&rsquo;s never earned a big enough role to demonstrate what he can really do, and he&rsquo;s exclusively been on losing teams. Comparatively, Doncic and Trae Young (selected No. 5 in 2018) have turned their franchises around.
Verdict: Failure
2019 NBA Draft: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Ingram was the best second pick in the last 10 years, until 2019. Morant stole that made-up accolade almost immediately in his rookie season. The thing is, the 2019 NBA Draft was supposed to be all about Zion Williamson. However, unlike Williamson, Morant has backed up all the hype and then some. So, while Williamson has dealt with injuries for much of his young career, Morant has brazenly become the face of his draft class.
Morant is drawing comparisons to numerous superstars, and he was named to the 2021-22 All-NBA Second Team. No one selected after him comes close to making the Grizzlies think twice about their decision.
Verdict: HUGE success
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2020 NBA Draft: James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
Unlike his brother Lonzo, LaMelo Ball was deserving of the second pick in 2020. Instead, the Golden State Warriors went with James Wiseman, though the logic behind the pick is clear, even in retrospect. The Warriors already had two All-NBA guards. The thing is, Jordan Poole looks pretty good alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, doesn&rsquo;t he? So, it&rsquo;s feasible to assume that Ball would have fit too.
After two seasons, Ball is a significantly better player, but he&rsquo;s also had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate that fact. Wiseman has had terrible health-related luck. He played in 39 of the Warriors' first 53 games in 2020-21, but he tore his meniscus in Golden State&rsquo;s 53rd&nbsp;game of the season and hasn&rsquo;t been seen since. Wiseman could still be a serious contributor, as his per-36 numbers were impressive for a rookie (19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 assists on .542/.316/.628 shooting). This is one we&rsquo;ll have to continue monitoring.
Verdict: Unclear
2021 NBA Draft: Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
Basing the success of a pick on only a rookie season is tough. Green posted an impressive rookie campaign, but his defensive deficiencies were clear. That&rsquo;s an understandable flaw for a rookie. Green was the assumed second-best player in the class. Having the luxury of hindsight, we now know that Scottie Barnes (selected fourth) and Evan Mobley (selected third) translated to the NBA incredibly well. But wing scorers have a tougher time making the jump, as they must shoot deeper three-pointers and compete against far more athletic competition. Green&rsquo;s floor may be lower than that of Barnes and Mobley, but I'd argue that his ceiling is still higher. Let&rsquo;s give him a little more time.
Verdict: Unclear&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
In the last 10 drafts, the second overall pick has clearly been one of the best players in the draft class just three times (2013, 2016 and 2019).&nbsp;
A deeper examination of No. 2 overall picks reveals a limited number of franchise-altering talents. For every Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Earl Monroe and Bill Russell, there are a number of players who didn't live up to expectations. Sometimes, there isn't a generational player on the board; other times, the team picking No. 2 overall just overthinks it or goes in the wrong direction. Either way, No. 2 hasn&rsquo;t produced as many all-time greats as you might expect, but there have been quite a few significant contributors.
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Oklahoma City will pick No. 2 in the 2022 draft. A look back at the last 10 drafts reveals that there are no guarantees for No. 2 picks.

Examining the success of teams selecting No. 2 in the NBA Draft

We're nearing the end of the NBA regular season, which means award ballots will be due pretty soon. And because award ballots will be due pretty soon, the conversation around who deserves what award or team selection will ramp up.
We've seen recent pushes for Devin Booker (and to a lesser extent, Jayson Tatum) to get MVP love; Pascal Siakam is making a compelling case for an All-NBA forward slot, while his rookie companion Scottie Barnes is, at worst, making a serious push for Rookie of the Year. The Defensive Player of the Year award competition seems very much in the air right now.
These conversations fluctuate between fun, informative, nauseating and flat-out toxic &mdash; please check any and all xenophobia at the door, for example &mdash; but the conversations happen for a reason. We're watching (and hopefully enjoying!) the best men-ballers in the world, and want them to be rewarded for their excellence. It's a status thing, as well as a legacy thing, once you zoom out to Hall-of-Fame or GOAT talks.
As someone who doesn't have a ballot (email me whenever you're ready, NBA), I generally love digging into the awards. On the flip side, my level of care for it leads to frustration. While it would be unrealistic and unwise for everyone to follow the exact same rubric, the lack of consensus from the league and/or voters on key factors can get bothersome.&nbsp;
Heading into the final two weeks of the season, I have a few questions that I think the voting pool should come to a general understanding on, even if the selections themselves differ.
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HOW AVAILABLE DO PLAYERS NEED TO BE?
Before digging into specific award questions, I don't think there's a more pressing issue than this one. The combination of injuries and COVID absences have ravaged the NBA over the past couple of seasons. It's hard to blame&nbsp;a player for missing games due to either, but you have to split hairs once award time comes.
I think the voting choices could be made a little easier if there was a baseline expectation in terms of games played or minutes played. For my personal, fictitious ballot, I filtered for 70% of games played last season. I dropped that threshold to 60% this year in light of how wild the absences were at the beginning of the season.
Whatever the marker is &mdash; 50 games, 2,000 minutes &mdash; having something objective in place to limit the pool off rip could be beneficial.&nbsp;
"Voter X" doesn't hate your team and shouldn't get death threats in their DMs; your favorite player simply missed half the season. Sorry!
WHAT TO DO ABOUT NIKOLA JOKIC AND JOEL EMBIID?
The MVP conversation is exhausting enough; they're both worthy candidates for different reasons. It would not &mdash; NOT &mdash; be a "robbery" if Embiid beats out Jokic, or if Jokic beats Embiid. You can disagree, but they've been two of the top three players in the league all year long.&nbsp;
The more pressing concern comes with All-NBA voting. As mentioned, Jokic and Embiid have been two of the top three players in the league this season. They also play the same position (center); more importantly, that is the&nbsp;only&nbsp;position those two have played.
I don't love Basketball-Reference's position estimates because they seem to be height-based more than role-based, but it's telling that Embiid and Jokic have played 100% of their minutes at the 5 by their tally. That number was at 99% for Jokic last season, but reasonable folks are not giving Jokic the forward/center designation because he played 37 seconds with Bol Bol.
But yet, here we are, with Jokic and Embiid being eligible at forward for All-NBA voting.&nbsp;
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Small note: I&rsquo;m told that both Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid will be eligible at both forward and center on the All-NBA vote. So both players can make first-team.
&mdash; Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1507771123806601216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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On the surface, it's a welcome loophole to give both players the First Team selection they deserve. Zoom in even a small percentage, and you'll see that it's a level of fudging that royally screws a forward on the third team. The debate then becomes: Has the NBA's fourth-best center (Rudy Gobert?) been better than the NBA's sixth-best forward (Siakam? Jimmy Butler?). And... probably not? But that shouldn't be the discussion to begin with.
I know, you know, we know that Jokic and Embiid are not forwards in the slightest. If you want to get into the role-played discussion, why is Jokic more of a forward than a guard? Explain it to me like I'm 5.
If you have Jokic over Embiid for MVP, you're admitting Embiid has been the second-best center in the NBA. The inverse is true if you're voting for Embiid. There are some positional gray areas to sort through this year (hi DeMar DeRozan and Luka Doncic); there is no debate about what position Jokic and Embiid play.
The&nbsp;real&nbsp;solution here is for the NBA to change the ballot, either going completely positionless or using the All-Star game format (two backcourt, three frontcourt). I've seen a middle ground mentioned &mdash; two backcourt, two frontcourt, one wild card &mdash; and I'd be cool with that.&nbsp;
Until then, my take is to make the tough choice. One of Embiid or Jokic should be the Second Team center &mdash; because they're centers.
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HOW MUCH SHOULD DEFENSE MATTER FOR ROOKIE AWARDS?
This has been heavily debated due to the outlier (at least until recently) production of Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley.&nbsp;
In years past, Rookie of the Year has mostly been the "who has the best per-game stats" award. Naturally, guards (or wings) have the leg up because they have the ball in their hands; Blake Griffin (2011) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016) are the only bigs to win the award in the last 15 years.
Mobley has a good enough case with numbers &mdash; roughly 15 points and 8 rebounds with 2.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) is nothing to sneeze at &mdash; but the foundation of his case has been what he's been able to do on the non-glamour end.&nbsp;
He hasn't just been rookie-good; he's made a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legit All-Defense case</a> for his work this season. There's been slippage as of late, a natural byproduct of the team falling apart around him (bye Jarrett Allen), but his unique skill set unlocks a lot of what the Cavs have done from a scheme perspective.&nbsp;
While acknowledging that Mobley gets fair usage as an elbow or handoff hub, it's still fair to dub him as a play-finisher. That's in contrast to Barnes, who's had to wear a multitude of hats offensively, and the show-running that Cade Cunningham has assumed in Detroit (with the worst roster context among the serious ROY candidates).&nbsp;
It's become a sort of fundamental debate: Do you value the on-ball responsibility or the defensive aptitude more?
I don't like that question &mdash; too broad for my taste &mdash; but I'd like to get to a point where the defense is factored in, period, before getting to where it's valued in relation to that.
(As an aside: On March 14, I tweeted that I <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1503403710579359749?s=20&amp;t=ewDkbXyUS_MbRcFjhASW_g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn't see a real case</a> for a non-Mobley guy to win the award to that point. Barnes has thoroughly shut me up in that time frame; 16-7-5-1-1 while taking on a multitude of tough defensive assignments is pretty darn impressive. Toronto's 6-2 record helps too. I'll take my L.)
WHY CAN'T JA MORANT WIN THE MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD?
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This was a question born from a <a href="https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1YpKkZnAlRPxj?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter Space held by the Basketball News staff </a>on Friday. There seems to be a pretty common sentiment that a player of Ja Morant's stature &mdash; an All-Star, easy All-NBA candidate and fringe MVP candidate &mdash; has been too good&nbsp;to win Most Improved, especially within the context of his draft selection.
I'm not saying Morant would be my choice; to be transaparent, I had Miles Bridges as my front-runner when discussing this on The Dunker Spot (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscribe</a>!), and I want to take the next week or so to solidify my selections.&nbsp;
But the logic doesn't track for me. If the award is "Most Improved", the criteria should be "who improved the most." If the answer if Morant, who has taken substantial statistical leaps and has improved in virtually every area of his game, why should he be disqualified off rip?
If the spirit of the award is "who made the most unexpected leap", then I'd like for that to be agreed upon and carried out moving forward.&nbsp;
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Nekias Duncan poses key questions to voters ahead of NBA award season.

Laying out 4 questions that need to be answered before NBA award time

When the Golden State Warriors won the right to the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the prevailing sentiment was that the rich were getting richer.
And as he nears his 2021-22 season debut, Wiseman may end up being instrumental in determining whether the Warriors can truly hit the jackpot.
According to Dieter Kurtenbach of the Bay Area News Group, Wiseman <a href="https://twitter.com/LockedOnDubs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will return to the lineup</a> for the Warriors on March 1 when the team opens up a four-game road trip in Minnesota. For Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, the second-year big man will probably be a sight for sore eyes.
During his rookie campaign, Wiseman had some flashes of brilliance, but his first stint was cut short after he suffered a torn meniscus last April. Now, about 10 months later, Wiseman will be joining a club that has since seen Steph Curry return to being an MVP-caliber contributor and Klay Thompson return to its lineup looking as strong as ever.
Andrew Wiggins has become an All-Star, while Jordan Poole has become one of the league&rsquo;s most effective reserves. From Jonathan Kuminga to Gary Payton II to Otto Porter Jr., the Warriors have gotten consistent, high-level production across the board.
But what&rsquo;s even better for Wiseman is this: He represents what is perhaps the only glaring need on the club &mdash; depth up front.
For the sophomore, opportunity knocks.
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With Draymond Green still on the shelf due to a nagging back injury, Kerr has gone to smaller lineups, with Kevon Looney remaining the only true 5-man pivoting the paint for the club.&nbsp;
But as serviceable as Looney has been as the team&rsquo;s starting center, his lack of a scoring punch on the offensive end has been one of the few weaknesses that the team has had. Despite being one of the league&rsquo;s top defensive teams, the Warriors' relative mediocrity on offense has been apparent in some of the close contests they&rsquo;ve lost this season.
Fortunately for Golden State, that&rsquo;s the area where Wiseman has shown the most upside.
And fortunately for him &mdash; unlike during his rookie season &mdash; he will have the luxury of playing off of the likes of both Curry and Thompson. Wiseman won&rsquo;t be the focus of any opposing team&rsquo;s scouting report, and that is what will help him quickly become a difference-maker for the Warriors.
As a rookie, in just 21.4 minutes per game, Wiseman managed to score 11.5 points and grab 5.8 rebounds per contest. More impressive, though, was the fact that he connected on just under 39% of his shots that came from beyond 16 feet of the basket.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s hard to imagine him not being the beneficiary of more open looks playing with a relatively healthy club. With his size and athleticism, he will give Kerr a type of big-man weapon that hasn&rsquo;t been at his disposal during the Warriors&rsquo; dynasty run, and that&rsquo;s with all due respect to Andrew Bogut.
Looney is the only player on the team&rsquo;s roster to appear in all 59 Warriors games this season, and he&rsquo;s started each and every one of them. He himself admitted to being a little beat up and he, more than anyone else, was looking forward to the break.
In comes the 20-year-old savior.
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Some quick hitters from James Wiseman's presser Wednesday morning: -The 5on5 scrimmage -The procedure in December -Frustration of rehab -Weight room work -Value of patience -Staying off Social Media -Hobbies outside of hoops <a href="https://t.co/lpYJGagOnz">pic.twitter.com/lpYJGagOnz</a>
&mdash; Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDumasReports/status/1494031835369594883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As always, the Western Conference playoffs will be incredibly competitive. But the Warriors will enter play on Feb. 24 with the league&rsquo;s top Defensive Rating (104.8) and third-best Net Rating (plus-7.0). With only 23 games remaining on their regular-season schedule, they trail the Phoenix Suns by 6.5 games for the conference&rsquo;s top seed. It would take a relative collapse on the part of the Suns for them to yield the position to the Warriors, but with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chris-pauls-absence-could-actually-benefit-suns-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Paul set to miss the next 6-to-8 weeks</a>, the possibility can&rsquo;t be completely dismissed.
In most instances, the most highly-touted young players don&rsquo;t get drafted into situations where they&rsquo;ll be flanking future Hall-of-Famers still in their prime or joining rotations with championship aspirations. And when they have in the past, those players haven&rsquo;t usually been afforded the opportunity to play meaningful minutes during the chase.
Wiseman is original in that sense.
As a prospect, it&rsquo;s difficult to not be excited by his size and potential, and for the Warriors in particular, he fills one of the few needs on the team&rsquo;s roster.
Usually, teams that are 42-17 don&rsquo;t end up adding difference-making pieces with fresh legs this late in the season. Golden State, though, will soon receive that infusion.
Already considered the cream of the West, the rich will indeed get richer.
To the tune of a 7-foot big man with an impressive offensive repertoire, Steph Curry, Steve Kerr and the rest of organization remain hopeful that Wiseman can help them cash in.&nbsp;
After being selected with the No. 2 overall pick less than two years ago, the timing seems just right; he&rsquo;ll now have every opportunity to make good.
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Moke Hamilton writes on James Wiseman's impending return to the Warriors and how unique his opportunity will be.

Long-awaited return of James Wiseman will fill Warriors’ only void

The Wizards are listing Davis Bertans (foot sprain), Rui Hachimura (return to competition conditioning) and Montrezl Harrell (health and safety protocols) as questionable to play Sunday in Orlando. Thomas Bryant (knee recovery) and Anthony Gill (protocols) are listed as out.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaBRobbins/status/1479951725922508800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Robbins/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Hachimura could be getting closer to a season debut based on this designation. The third-year forward has not played all season after a somewhat mysterious absence. Hachimura averaged 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for Washington last season and was the No. 9 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

The third-year forward has not played all season after a somewhat mysterious absence.

Wizards list Rui Hachimura as questionable for Sunday vs. Magic

When the Phoenix Suns acquired Mikal Bridges from the Philadelphia 76ers on draft night in 2018, the immediate expectations for the No. 10 overall pick were immense. Alongside their first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history, Deandre Ayton, this duo was expected to help turn around a consistently dysfunctional organization. Devin Booker was the only mainstay who could be considered a primary building block. Now, Ayton and Bridges joined him to form a promising trio.
Three-and-a-half years later, this trio has completely altered the long-term fortunes of a franchise that was in desperate need of change. Booker has become a full-blown superstar. Ayton is still developing into a dominant two-way big, but the flashes of brilliance are jaw-dropping. In Year 4, Bridges is now taking his own leap &mdash; one that could further elevate the Suns' long-term ceiling.
Bridges is averaging 14.1 points and 1.6 combined steals and blocks per game. As always, his efficiency is off the charts, registering a 64.4% True Shooting percentage in the Suns&rsquo; first 15 games. Those numbers won&rsquo;t exactly jump off the page to the casual fan, but, for those who have paid attention to this team over the last four years, it's clear that Bridges' confidence level is currently at an all-time high. The former Villanova Wildcat is embracing a bigger scoring load and it&rsquo;s not hampering his incredible defense in any way, as he continues to lock down players one-on-one and thrive within the team's system.
Against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, Bridges delivered another brilliant performance, scoring 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting. According to Suns PR, Bridges joined 7-Seconds-or-Less-era staple Leandro Barbosa as the only players in franchise history to shoot 100% in a game on seven or more attempts, including three or more from three-point range. During the two-game home stint against the Luka Doncic-less Mavericks, Bridges put on a two-way clinic and showcased his talents in front of the national audience.
Offensively, Bridges&rsquo; role is simple, but his unworldly efficiency makes it look effortless. Within the Suns&rsquo; offense, his job is to find the open cutting lanes and swish three-pointers at an above-average clip.
Defensively, Bridges can do literally anything for Phoenix. Against Dallas, there were possessions where he locked down 6-foot-1 Jalen Brunson, then pivoted over to put the clamps on 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis. It was a master-class showing from Bridges, cementing his status among the NBA&rsquo;s best defenders.
An incredible two-way stat puts into perspective just how dominant Bridges has been on the defensive end so far this season. Only two players are posting a +60% True Shooting percentage while limiting their one-on-one matchups to a sub-40% field goal percentage (min. 30 minutes per game; min. 10+ FGA defended): three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and Bridges.
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If anyone is making an early-season case to challenge Gobert&rsquo;s DPOY crown, it&rsquo;s the 25-year-old wing in Phoenix.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care if Mikal plays another game, he better be on that All-Defensive team this year,&rdquo; Chris Paul said after the Suns&rsquo; 112-104 win over Dallas. &ldquo;Every night, every night, man, Mikal does everything. Everything.&rdquo;
Quite honestly, Bridges should have been on an All-Defensive team last season, but he was robbed based off of name recognition. Although he put up better all-around numbers on that end of the floor than Kawhi Leonard, he was left off of the list because of the latter&rsquo;s status within the Association. This year, it feels like Bridges is definitely out to make an emphatic statement.
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Defensive field goal percentage tracks what opposing players shoot when a defender is within three feet of them. Here is Bridges' defensive field goal percentage year-by-year; notice the difference in 2021-22:
2018-19: 47.9 DFG%
2019-20: 45.8 DFG%
2020-21: 48.4 DFG%
2021-22: 39.2 DFG%
Every game since he's become a pro, Bridges&rsquo; assignment on defense has been to guard the opposing team&rsquo;s best player. It&rsquo;s a tough role, but one that Bridges enjoys and thrives in.
&ldquo;I get so excited about it because I know what that&rsquo;s like &mdash; for so many years, guarding [the other team's best player]," Paul said. "Chasing around Steph [Curry], guarding James [Harden], guarding Kyrie [Irving], Russ [Westbrook], all that. It&rsquo;s a different type of approach coming into the game. A lot of guys come into the game just having to think about making their shots and getting to their spots. When you have to think about, 'How am I going to make the game tough on this guy?' it&rsquo;s a whole different approach to the game. And he&rsquo;s one of the best, obviously, to do it.&rdquo;
Over the last decade, only three non-centers have won Defensive Player of the Year: Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20), Draymond Green (2016-17) and Kawhi Leonard (2014-15, 2015-16). Of those names mentioned, Leonard feels like the only true &ldquo;wing&rdquo; to win the award since Antetokounmpo and Green each played more than 20% of their minutes at center in their DPOY seasons. If we narrow down the list of DPOY winners to those who played the same role as Bridges since 2000, Ron Artest (2003-04) and Leonard are the only ones who brought home the illustrious hardware.
If Bridges can maintain this current pace all season long, not only is he a lock to make the All-Defensive First-Team, he&rsquo;s going to challenge a Defensive-Player-of-the-Year mainstay like Gobert at the top of ballots.
Looking back on that draft-night trade, Phoenix acquired Bridges by sending Philadelphia the rights to Zhaire Smith and an unprotected 2021 first-round pick from the Miami Heat (which became Tre Mann). Considering just how good Bridges has become and the fact that Smith is now out of the NBA after appearing in just 13 games, that deal may go down as one of the biggest heists in recent memory.
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<div class="p-rich_text_section">After the Suns&rsquo; miraculous Finals run last season, everyone has heard of Mikal Bridges and seen what he can do on both ends of the floor. Now, as he elevates his game to new levels and locks down opponents on a nightly basis, the legend of "The Warden" will only continue to grow.</div>
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Mikal Bridges' dominant defense has put him on the radar as a dark-horse Defensive-Player-of-the-Year candidate early in the season.

Suns' Mikal Bridges making early case for dark-horse DPOY candidacy

Hi, hello, and welcome to another edition of "Roaming The Baseline"! This will be a weekly endeavor where I point out some things that caught my eye: a hot or cold streak from a player, a developmental flash, a well-run play, a funny tweet, who knows? There will be film &mdash; it&rsquo;s me, so of course there will be film &mdash; but this will also be a bit looser. It&rsquo;s an extension of my Twitter feed, if you will.&nbsp;
With that said, let&rsquo;s roam the baseline.
IT TAKES TWO (TO THE BALL)
The Golden State Warriors are humming to start the year, shaky performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder not withstanding. They're 4-0, sporting the NBA's 6th best net rating (plus-7.3) and offense (111.4).&nbsp;
It's not a shock that the Warriors are playing well, but the&nbsp;way&nbsp;they're getting it done is both fun and encouraging when projecting forward.
The Dubs have trended smaller; their nominal starting center, Kevon Looney, is averaging a shade over 16 minutes a night. That has allowed them to play with more pace and, with Looney off the floor, more space.&nbsp;
As a defense, the last thing you want to do is give Stephen freakin' Curry more space to operate in. You can't afford to single-cover him; any slip from his primary defender causes mass hysteria elsewhere.
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Nobody bends the game quite like Curry. So surrounding him with space and quick-processors make the Warriors virtually impossible to defend when they're rolling &mdash; figuratively and literally.
Curry's leading the NBA with 1.8 secondary assists, a mundane-looking number before you consider he averaged 0.9 during his 2015-16 campaign, and peaked at 1.4 during the 2017-18 season.
You've seen the song and dance before. Curry shakes free &mdash; either darting around in transition, or running a defender off of an on or off-ball screen; a second defender jumps up to help; a pass is slipped to a rolling teammate, and that teammate slings the pill to an even more open teammate.
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Unless you have the personnel for a switch-literally-everything scheme, I'm not sure what you can do. And even if you do, Curry can still dance on you, create an advantage on the drive, and start the chain all over again.
EARLY RETURNS ON RUSS
The Russell Westbrook Experience has been a wild one through four games. He's filling the stat sheet (17-8-9), missing a lot of shots (44.3 eFG%), and trying to find his spots in between. The season opener was awful (8-5-4, 31% FG); his performance against the Spurs on Tuesday night (33-10-8-3, 56% FG) was masterful.
It's been fun to track his usage on the floor, particularly in ball screens. It was clear that traditional pick-and-rolls wouldn't do the trick; <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Jones Jr</a>, my co-host at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a>, noted how teams were <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1453036197417086987?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">simply ducking under screens</a> against Westbrook pick-and-rolls, and that creativity would be needed.
We've seen some alterations on both sides. With Westbrook handling the ball, the Lakers have dug into their bag with "ghost" and "flat" screens.
Using a (movement) shooting threat to run up to, then abruptly dart away from Westbrook has generated some fruitful stuff.
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Going with flat screens &mdash; setting the pick directly on a defenders back, as opposed to their side &mdash; makes it difficult, at best, to duck under the action.
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It's also nice to see Westbrook actually setting screens. Inverted ball screens with him and LeBron should lead to small-on-LeBron switches that defenses don't want, or short-roll opportunities for Westbrook.
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More of this, please.
HASSAN WHITESIDE: DOING THE LITTLE THINGS (FOR NOW, AT LEAST)
The Utah Jazz are also off to an undefeated start (3-0). While I'm here for Rudy Gobert owning the interior on both ends, and Donovan Mitchell making magic in pick-and-roll (he'll hit shots soon), you know who I've enjoyed watching?
Hassan Whiteside.
That's right, 8 points and 8 rebounds in 16 minutes per game off the bench is doing it for me right now.&nbsp;
In all seriousness, as someone that covered his entire stint in Miami, one thing that frustrated me was how much he left on the table. His physical gifts and (before knee issues sapped it) rare nimbleness for a guy his size were incredible. He also had a tendency to break scheme to chase blocks, and just. would. not. set. solid. screens.
Both things are happening so far.
Whiteside has been a legit deterrent in Utah's drop scheme. Though he's averaging a little over a block per game, it's been fun to see him go with vertical contests instead of looking to swat the ball out of bounds.&nbsp;
Offensively, he's setting screens. Holding before releasing. Flipping the angle when necessary. It's simple stuff, but so important to getting teammates open.
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Utah runs a "Veer" set &mdash; the screener faking a ball screen before darting away to pry a shooter loose &mdash; and I mean, look at Big Fella work! Stonewalls Monte Morris, waits for Jordan Clarkson to survey the floor, then flips the pick to disrupt Morris' path as Clarkson attacks.
This version of Whiteside, if he commits to this moving forward, is worth a lot more than the vet's minimum.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM"
<ul>
<li>Cam Reddish is averaging nearly 19 points but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. He's lighting it up from 3 (56.3% on 5.3 attempts), but he's converting roughly 42% of his shots inside of three feet. The jumper will cool off and the rim shots should normalize, but I don't know what that's going to look like.</li>
<li>On Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pick-and-rolls, his teammates are shooting 8-of-40 (20%) following his passes (Synergy). The screeners have converted two (2) of 18 shot attempts. I just-</li>
<li>Quick shoutout to Seth Curry who, after his 0-of-4 night against the Knicks on Tuesday, is shooting (checks notes) 13-of-21 (61.9%) from three on the year.</li>
<li>It's too early for lineup data. I know this, because the net rating leaders among starting lineups are Memphis (plus-41.0), Atlanta (plus-29.9), Toronto (plus-22.9), Orlando (plus-22.3) and New Orleans (plus-17.8).</li>
<li>Much has been made about the new rule changes and their effect on foul-drawing. The league is averaging 19.9 free throw attempts, its lowest mark in history. You know who's leading the NBA in free throw attempts right now? Rudy freakin' Gobert at 10.7. Of course.</li>
</ul>
PLAYS I LIKED
Trapped in the Elevator
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If you're able to bet in your state, and you can find a site for it, you should hammer whatever the number is on Duncan Robinson scoring the Heat's first basket. Virtually every game begins with choreography designed to spring him free for a triple.
Two things stand out to me, here. Using Chicago action &mdash; a pindown into a dribble handoff &mdash; as decoy action is pretty cool, though I wish Jimmy Butler would've sold it a little more.
Beyond that, Robinson electing to push put his defender into the elevator instead of using it for himself? Chef's kiss. Three points on the board.
Give Me a Lift
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Brief aside: we have to tinker the "alley-oop attempts aren't actually shooting fouls" rule at some point. There's no reason Dwight Powell shouldn't get free throws for that.
Anyway, we get not one, but two (2) lifts to stress out Toronto's defense. As Powell trots up the floor to set a screen for Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. sets up shop above the break at the same time. While Luka and Powell get busy, Kristaps Porzingis lifts from the dunker spot (subscribe!) to the left elbow area.&nbsp;
Luka is trapped, setting up a 3-on-2. With Hardaway Jr. being spaced where he is, the 3-on-2 is really a 2-on-1 with Dallas' frontcourt setting up a high-low read against Toronto's shortest guy. No wonder this ends in a foul.
Simplicity Sells
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Terrence Ross had himself a night on Sunday, scoring all 22 of his points in the 4th quarter during a surprising Magic win. What tripped me out about the explosion, aside from its ridiculousness, was how easily it happened.&nbsp;
The Magic legit spammed this double stagger look for Ross throughtout the 4th, generating open look after open look after open look. Thibs had to be losing his mind watching his squad get torched by it.&nbsp;
THE READING LIST
There is plenty of high-level basketball content out here if you know where to look. I wouldn&rsquo;t be where I am as a writer without reading a ton of <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zach Lowe</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/Herring_NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Herring</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1452614316553867269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caitlin Cooper</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/MirinFader">Mirin Fader</a>&nbsp;or, well, you get the point.&nbsp;
Anyway, here are some &mdash; not all, but some! &mdash; of the stories I&rsquo;ve read this week that I think you should check out. Their Twitter handles will be linked under their names, so click and follow if you don&rsquo;t already.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MirinFader">Mirin</a> came through with the goods <a href="https://twitter.com/MirinFader/status/1453001746373136387?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Immanuel Quickley</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/Herring_NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris</a> wrote about the <a href="https://twitter.com/Herring_NBA/status/1450815448228970498?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intrigue of this year's Chicago Bulls</a>. They're off to a great start so far.
<a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1452614316553867269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caitlin</a> with some early goodness on the <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1452614316553867269?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacers' starting frontcourt</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/CoupNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Couper Moorhead</a> on giving <a href="https://twitter.com/CoupNBA/status/1453084258877194240?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tyler Herro room to grow</a>.
Not a traditional basketball piece, but this from <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaBRobbins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Robbins</a> is well <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaBRobbins/status/1453392882472206342?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worth your time</a>. Best of luck on the Wizards beat!

In Nekias Duncan's weekly notebook, he shares things that have caught his eye. He breaks down players, teams, plays and stats.

Roaming the Baseline: Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, Hassan Whiteside

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Nikola Vucevic may finally get credit he deserves with new-look Bulls

Now that the NBA offseason is winding down and the start of the 2021-22 regular season is right around the corner, it's time to make some predictions. But rather than playing it safe, we asked our writers:
What is your bold prediction for the 2021-22 NBA season?&nbsp;
Alex Kennedy: In October of 2019, Bradley Beal signed a two-year, $72 million extension with the Washington Wizards &mdash; much to the chagrin of many executives and fans around the NBA. While people seem to be anxiously awaiting the day that Beal requests a trade from the Wizards, I believe Beal is going to extend in Washington once again. He is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wizards-retooling-led-to-a-competent-roster-surrounding-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eligible to sign an extension</a> this offseason (worth roughly $181.5 million over four years), or he can opt to wait until next summer to re-sign for roughly $235 million over five years. During a recent appearance on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-offseason-preview-jake-fischer-alex-kennedy-on/id1528900732?i=1000530625591" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my podcast</a>, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report predicted that Beal will stay in Washington long-term. Beal is close with Spencer Dinwiddie, whom he recruited to Washington, and the Wizards have a solid roster that could exceed expectations this year. This will be Beal&rsquo;s 10th season in Washington, and don&rsquo;t be surprised if he sticks around for more.
Ethan Fuller: I think there's a very real possibility Michael Porter Jr. eclipses 25 points per game and leads the Denver Nuggets in scoring. He seriously ratcheted up the volume last season while maintaining elite shooting efficiency. Per Basketball Reference, Porter Jr. made 83.1% of his at-rim attempts last season and 44.5% of his threes. Those are unreal rates, especially for a second-year forward. With Nikola Jokic warping defenses with his passing and a healthy Jamal Murray returning, the Nuggets will have plenty to throw at defenses, potentially creating even easier looks for Porter Jr.
Spencer Davies: It might not be considered &ldquo;bold,&rdquo; but with so much love being shown to the Chicago Bulls&rsquo; offseason, I&rsquo;ll be that guy to throw a wet blanket on things by saying the team won&rsquo;t get out of the first round of the playoffs. Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley certainly did a number both at last year&rsquo;s trade deadline and in this summer&rsquo;s free-agency period to prove to Zach LaVine how serious they are about winning... but will the pieces fit together? Chicago shelled out a lot of dough for DeMar DeRozan, an aggressive scorer and one of the most underrated improved playmakers in the league; however, how will he play when LaVine is commanding the basketball more often than not? Lonzo Ball is essentially going to be the point-man in transition and a spot-up marksman in the corners. More importantly, though, he&rsquo;s likely to be the team&rsquo;s best perimeter defender (next to Patrick Williams, who will have all eyes on him). But who else is going to step up guarding the opposition? Will Alex Caruso get more minutes than Coby White? On paper, the Bulls&rsquo; rim protection isn&rsquo;t great, nor is the defense on the outside. It&rsquo;ll be interesting to see how that all balances out.
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Drew Maresca: One or both of these will happen: Dame Lillard gets moved or Zion Williamson trade chatter heats up. Why? Because both the Trail Blazers and Pelicans will not make the playoffs, and both franchises can&rsquo;t wait much longer to show their stars significant improvement. The Western Conference is deep and, if we&rsquo;re being honest with ourselves, there is only one available playoff spot between the Trail Blazers, Grizzlies and Pelicans. The team(s) that misses the postseason will see rumors fly, and maybe more.
Jesse Blancarte: My bold prediction is that Russell Westbrook will adapt his game significantly in an effort to help the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2022 NBA championship. Westbrook always gives his best effort and, of course, has always worked hard. But now that he&rsquo;s at this stage of his career and surrounded by generational talent, I believe he will lower his usage rate, shoot less frequently and focus on playmaking and creating easy scoring opportunities for his teammates. There will be nights when teammates are injured or struggling where we will see vintage Westbrook, but I think that he will make a true effort to plug himself into this roster.
Evan Sidery: We&rsquo;ll have league-wide parody for every single playoff spot. Sure, that may not seem bold, but when was the last time potentially 25-30 teams in the NBA felt like they had a realistic shot at the playoffs? It&rsquo;s a great time to follow the NBA with so many teams making a run for it.
Moke Hamilton: I think Lonzo Ball makes the All-Star team. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine him not thriving in Chicago. He is surrounded by plenty of talented players, his specific skill set is needed, he has something to prove and Chicago is probably going to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. To this point in his career, Lonzo has not really lived up to the expectations that followed him from UCLA to the NBA. He&rsquo;s still a really good player though, and I wouldn&rsquo;t be surprised to see him make the leap to All-Star-caliber player. He will be facing some stiff competition &mdash; Kyle Lowry will probably find himself back in the conversation for one of the reserve spots, as could Kemba Walker &mdash; but I guess that&rsquo;s why we call it a bold prediction.&nbsp;
Chris Sheridan: The Miami Heat are going to do what they did two seasons ago and be sneaky good, primarily because they have added a hungry Kyle Lowry but also because they shouldn&rsquo;t have to deal with the same types of interruptions that robbed them of the chance to build chemistry over the course of the 2020-21 regular season. The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signing of P.J. Tucker</a> gives them another lockdown defender alongside Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, so they should be a strong defensive unit. Erik Spoelstra's team will not make waves early, but they will be a steady contender.&nbsp;

Since the 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner, we asked our writers to share a bold prediction about the upcoming campaign.

Roundtable: 8 bold predictions for the 2021-22 NBA season

The Golden State Warriors are back.
After two years outside of the playoffs, the sleeping giant is about to wake up. And watch out, because this team in the Bay has scary potential, even though their three stars (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green) are all on the wrong side of 30 at this point. After signing Curry to a four-year, $215 extension this offseason, the Warriors' championship window remains wide open.
Let's not forget how potent the Warriors are at full strength. They made five-straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015-2019, resulting in three championships. Golden State's spaced-out offense changed the NBA forever, as teams tried their best to copy them following their historic success. However, no team has come close to the Warriors&rsquo; greatness.
Unfortunately, basketball fans have been robbed of Golden State&rsquo;s continued run of excellence with Klay Thompson missing the last two seasons in their entirety due to an ACL tear suffered in the 2019 Finals, then a torn Achilles in November of 2020. Two years of Thompson&rsquo;s prime were taken away, but with his return now imminent, his two-way brilliance will give the Warriors a much-needed boost as they attempt to return to the Western Conference&rsquo;s upper echelon.
Golden State will once again be led by the "Splash Brothers" and, assuming Thompson returns to form, the Warriors should have one of the best backcourts in the league. Last season, Curry averaged a career-high 32.0 points as the Warriors failed to reach the playoffs for a second-straight season largely due to Thompson missing time. Now, Curry&rsquo;s three-level scoring dominance should continue and defenses won't be able to zero in on him quite as easily. Last season, Curry attempted a career-high 21.7 field goals and 12.7 three-pointers per game since he didn't have much help offensively.
Golden State is trying to walk a tightrope between going all-in on pursuing a championship (potentially for the last time) and setting themselves up for future success with the high picks they've had at their disposal recently. The trio of Curry, Thompson and Green isn&rsquo;t going anywhere, but the arrival of four first-round prospects adds even more intrigue entering the 2021-22 season.
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James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Jordan Poole will all play a crucial role for the Warriors down the road, but also in the immediate future if they want to make a deep playoff run. Playing in the Warriors&rsquo; system and learning from the veterans should only help their long-term development.
Poole is the most experienced of the quartet, and he has already made a huge leap developmentally. In only 19.4 minutes per game last season, Poole averaged 12.0 points on a 58.1 True Shooting percentage. Extrapolate those numbers on a per-36-minute basis (22.3 points) and the former 28th-overall pick already looks the part of a microwave scorer who's capable of creating buckets with ease.
Wiseman had an up-and-down rookie season after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Wiseman began to create synergy with Curry as head coach Steve Kerr opened up the playbook to run more simple pick-and-roll concepts. However, Wiseman suffered a torn meniscus in the middle of Golden State&rsquo;s playoff push.
With two lottery picks in this year&rsquo;s draft (No. 7 and No. 14 overall), Golden State added two extremely high-upside prospects into their system: Kuminga and Moody. After forgoing college for the G League Ignite route, Kuminga flashes tantalizing two-way potential as a modern wing who can create for himself while holding his own on the other end. In NBA Summer League action, Kuminga is showing why he was talked about as a potential No. 1 overall pick entering the 2020-21 campaign, averaging 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 threes.
Meanwhile, Moody&rsquo;s 7-foot-1 wingspan (at just under 6-foot-5) and sharpshooting equity will allow him to immediately step into a 15-20-minute-per-game role in Golden State&rsquo;s rotation.
With an interesting blend of young prospects and battled-tested veterans, where do the Warriors stack up in the loaded Western Conference? Assessing their current rotation, it&rsquo;s going to be interesting how Coach Kerr distributes the minutes.
Starters: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, James Wiseman
Bench: Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Damion Lee, Jonathan Kuminga, Otto Porter Jr., Andre Iguodala, Nemanja Bjelica, Kevon Looney
With 13 players potentially deserving of minutes on opening night, it&rsquo;s going to be a true juggling act for Kerr early on. Should he sit some of these veterans who have contributed over the last few years or move slowly with rookies like Kuminga and Moody?
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Golden State&rsquo;s roster didn&rsquo;t lose much at all. Honestly, they improved all-around even when adding two rookies to the equation. Porter Jr. and Iguodala are instant contributors off their bench. Kelly Oubre Jr. didn&rsquo;t fit the Warriors&rsquo; system, but these two wings certainly do. Porter Jr. can provide excellent spacing as a three-point marksman, while Iguodala&rsquo;s previous experience in Golden State will matter in playoff situations. Also, having Iguodala as a mentor for Kuminga and Moody is excellent.
It&rsquo;s fair to peg the Warriors into the Western Conference's top tier. The Los Angeles Lakers brought in Russell Westbrook and plenty of floor-spacers to make his transition easier. The Phoenix Suns aren't going anywhere, running it back with their core while acquiring win-now role players for their second unit in Landry Shamet and JaVale McGee. The Utah Jazz will also continue to be a powerhouse, not losing any key pieces while adding Rudy Gay and second-round pick Jared Butler as scoring punches off their bench. Health-permitting, Golden State belongs alongside those three teams.
Once you get past the Lakers, Suns, Jazz and Warriors, there could be a drop-off in terms of staying power atop the conference. Don&rsquo;t rule out another leap from Luka Doncic, but do the Dallas Mavericks have enough around him to contend? Injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray have dampened expectations early on for the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
As we&rsquo;ve learned throughout the Warriors&rsquo; dominant run, you can never count out Curry. With him leading the way once again, now finally flanked by a healthy Thompson, Golden State&rsquo;s strong rotation should allow them to stay within striking distance among the Western Conference&rsquo;s elite. If all goes well for the Warriors, returning to the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight seasons is a possibility.
In the meantime, keep an eye on how exactly these pieces all fit together. With Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; bloated contract still on their books, plus intriguing young assets, Golden State could attempt to add another star. Imagine how scary the Warriors would be if they added a Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard or Pascal Siakam to their already-deep rotation?
Golden State has all the firepower to make another run in 2021-22. The question is: Will they return to juggernaut status or be stuck in the middle of the pack?

The Warriors have an interesting blend of young prospects and battle-tested veterans. Will they be a juggernaut again in 2021-22?

Robbie