Rams

Two of the best and most popular rookies in recent WNBA memory provided basketball fans the most expensive game in WNBA&rsquo;s history &ndash; and it did not disappoint.&nbsp;
Rookie sensation Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever bested rookie rebounding machine Angel Reese and her Chicago Sky 100-71 Friday night in Chicago.
Clark, this year&rsquo;s top overall pick, stuffed the stat sheet yet again as she poured in a career-high 31 points on 8-14 FG, 5-9 3PT, 12 assists, and 4 rebounds. This is Clark&rsquo;s 5th game this year with 20+ points and 10+ assists, which would be the most of such games in a single season in WNBA history. Clark also passed Ticha Penicheiro for the most 10+ assist games by a Rookie in WNBA history. But more importantly, the win pulled the Fever to a .500 record at 16-16 and currently the 6th seed in the tight race to the playoffs.
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Caitlin Clark tonight: 🟥 31 PTS (career-high) 🟥 8-14 FG 🟥 5-9 3PT 🟥 12 AST 🟥 4 REB ROTY debate over 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/x49rJaZT4P">pic.twitter.com/x49rJaZT4P</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1829701500941271345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2024</a>
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Reese on the other hand continued making history on her own by setting a new rookie record with 23 double-doubles, surpassing Tina Charles' previous record of 22 set in 2010. The 7th overall pick of this year&rsquo;s draft had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.&nbsp;
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A historic performance by Angel Reese, even in defeat: ⬛ 10 PTS ⬛ 11 REB Angel Reese sets a new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBA</a> rookie record with 23 double-doubles, surpassing Tina Charles' previous record of 22 set in 2010 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/leKcULTDBB">pic.twitter.com/leKcULTDBB</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1829704082006925614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2024</a>
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The game featured in what has been the highest get-in ticket game in the WNBA&rsquo;s history &ndash; a whopping $863 average price.&nbsp;
The game also may have effectively ended the Rookie of the Year race with how it has been pushed by the media considering each rookie&rsquo;s stellar performances. Clark has been the all-around superstar Indiana has asked for as they have turned to a playoff team this year following a cellar-dwelling finish just a season ago. Reese on the other hand, has been putting up rebounding numbers never before seen from a rookie and even leads the league in rebounds overall, even grabbing more than reigning MVP and 6-foot-4 A&rsquo;Ja Wilson herself.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBA</a> regular season head-to-head matchup between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has officially wrapped up 👀 Caitlin Clark's performance tonight: 📈 31 PTS | 8-14 FG | 5-9 3PT | 12 AST | 4 REB Angel Reese's performance tonight: 📉 10 PTS | 4-9 FG | 0-1 3PT | 2 AST | 11 REB&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/8AvUlVnNXD">pic.twitter.com/8AvUlVnNXD</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1829758181599572164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2024</a>
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Indiana&rsquo;s win also assured the Fever won the season series against the Sky, 3-1, after four such blockbuster matchups this season.
However, it wasn&rsquo;t just the rookies who made history in today&rsquo;s slate of games &ndash; the best of the best did too. New York Liberty&rsquo;s Breanna Stewart surpassed Lauren Jackson (27) for 3rd most 30+ point games in WNBA history with her 28th 30-point game. Stewart had 32 points on an efficient 10-16 shooting with 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the Liberty&rsquo;s 98-85 win against the Seattle Storm.&nbsp;
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Breanna Stewart tonight: ⬜ 32 PTS ⬜ 10-16 FG ⬜ 6 AST ⬜ 5 REB Passed Lauren Jackson (27) for 3rd most 30+ point games in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBA</a> history 👏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/8A7xSCMpza">pic.twitter.com/8A7xSCMpza</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1829752813456650751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2024</a>
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Best player in the world A&rsquo;Ja Wilson also had herself a night with a dominant 26-point, 16-rebound, 5-assist, and 5-block showing in the Las Vegas Aces&rsquo; win over the Atlanta Dream as they clinched their playoff spot.&nbsp;
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A'ja Wilson with another dominant night: ⬛ 26 PTS ⬛ 16 REB ⬛ 5 AST ⬛ 5 BLK ⬛ W vs. Dream Aces have clinched their spot in the 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBA</a> Playoffs 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/PwvVp88KPk">pic.twitter.com/PwvVp88KPk</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1829752705314930808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2024</a>
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New York sits comfortably at the top of the standings at 27-6, while defending champions Las Vegas is currently at 4th with a 19-12 record.

Two of the best and most popular rookies in recent WNBA memory provided basketball fans the most expensive game in the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark, Fever best Angel Reese, Sky in most expensive WNBA game ever

After a long four-month offseason, the 2023-24 NBA season officially kicks off on October 24. Preseason action is currently underway, with teams evaluating their roster and getting ready for the start of the regular season.
There were a few roster rule changes of note this offseason that were introduced as part of the new CBA. Now, each team can sign up to three two-way players (up from two) who are able to play up to 50 games with their NBA team and spend the rest of their season in the G League. Also, offseason rosters were originally limited to 20 players but have since increased to 21.&nbsp;
Each team needs to be at 15 standard contracts prior to the start of the season, which means a few players on guaranteed deals will have to be cut prior to the season. While some teams have a pretty set roster, others (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) will be forced to part ways with talented players to reach their roster limit.&nbsp;
Looking at the Atlantic Division, let's see how each team&rsquo;s lineup is shaping up and what questions they may need to answer before the start of the season.
(This is part one of a six-part series, with more divisional previews coming soon).
<h1>BOSTON CELTICS</h1>
Outside of the top-six players, who will be the most reliable depth option?
After acquiring Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics may have the best top-six of any team in the league. While we can add the Holiday trade to their list of aggressive offseason transactions, their depth has taken somewhat of a step back.&nbsp;
They will have to replace four rotation players from last year&rsquo;s Conference Finals team with a few players who don&rsquo;t have much experience in playoff situations. Three players who should definitely see more minutes are Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet. Pritchard has played well on both ends of the floor when given an opportunity, notably shooting 40% from three-point range over his first three seasons. The Celtics rewarded him with a team-friendly extension that should see him take up about 5% of the salary cap over the next four years. Hauser has also been a stellar three-point shooter, knocking down 42% since coming into the league.&nbsp;
The frontcourt is probably the most notable weakness on the team&rsquo;s depth chart. Joe Mazzulla has expressed confidence that <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/10/7/23907608/boston-celtics-depth-sam-hauser-luke-kornet-payton-pritchard-joe-mazzulla-blake-griffin-bus-one-boys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kornet should be successful on both ends of the floor and will be their go-to backup center to start the season.</a> The preseason will be important in determining who else (i.e. Oshae Brissett, Jordan Walsh, Svi Mykhailiuk, etc.) may stand out for Mazzulla and get an opportunity for playing time behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Celtics have the least amount of players on guaranteed contracts in the league (10). However, their roster for opening night is likely set unless they want to open up flexibility to sign other veteran players or buyout candidates later this season. If they choose to cut someone, it would very likely be a player on a non-guaranteed deal. Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton each have a partial $200,000 guarantee that increases to over $1,000,000 if they make the roster. Kornet, Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens all have non-guaranteed contracts.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 19 players (10 guaranteed, 2 partially guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 1 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jrue Holiday, G/F Jaylen Brown, F Jayson Tatum, F/C Al Horford, F/C Kristaps Porzingis
Projected Rotation Players: G Derrick White, G Payton Pritchard, C Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed), F Sam Hauser, F Oshae Brissett
Projected Reserves: F Jordan Walsh, G/F Svi Mykhailiuk ($200K guaranteed), F Wenyen Gabriel (non-guaranteed), G Dalano Banton ($200K guaranteed), F Lamar Stevens (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-Way Players: C Neemias Queta, G JD Davison, G Jay Scrubb (Injured)
Projected Roster Cuts: G DJ Steward (Exhibit-10)
<h1>BROOKLYN NETS</h1>
What is Ben Simmons' role?
Ben Simmons has only played 42 games since being acquired by the Nets in February 2022, dealing with physical and psychological hurdles that have made him somewhat of an afterthought. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has expressed confidence that Simmons is now 100% healthy and ready to contribute again at a high level.&nbsp;
He seems to be penciled in as the team&rsquo;s starting point guard, starting in the Nets&rsquo; first preseason game. Though it was just a small 14-minute sample size, Simmons looked a lot like his former All-Star self. Having not played since February 15, he looked athletic, aggressive and confident before sitting out the second half.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He attacked the rim, I think he played with pace, looked pretty natural out there getting up and down the floor, communicating with guys into the flow of the game,&rdquo; Vaughn said, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/ben-simmons-passes-eye-test-in-nets-preseason-opener/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising his $38-million man</a>. &ldquo;Really good to see.&rdquo;
Vaughn has some options when it comes to starting lineups where he could go smaller, with a backcourt of Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie, or decide to start Dorian Finney-Smith and use Mikal Bridges as a big two-guard.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
Darius Bazley, Harry Giles and Trendon Watford are all on non-guaranteed deals and are vying for the final two roster spots. The Nets also have an open two-way spot, which I believe they could potentially use on a player like <a href="https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/mens-basketball/kennedy-chandler-starring-in-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League standout</a> and former Memphis Grizzlies second-rounder Kennedy Chandler.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 18 players (13 guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 2 two-way)
Projected Starters: G/F Ben Simmons, G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Mikal Bridges, F Cameron Johnson, C Nicolas Claxton
Projected Rotation Players: F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Royce O&rsquo;Neale, G Cameron Thomas, G Dennis Smith Jr., C Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe
Projected Reserves: G/F Lonnie Walker IV, C Noah Clowney, F Dariq Whitehead, F Darius Bazley (Non-Guaranteed), C Harry Giles (Non-Guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: G Armoni Brooks, F Jalen Wilson, G Kennedy Chandler* (Projected Signing)
Projected Roster Cuts: F Trendon Watford (Non-Guaranteed)
<h1>NEW YORK KNICKS</h1>
Who will be the first option off the bench?
New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has his fair share of options to headline his second unit. In his third year, Immanuel Quickley had his best season to date, finishing as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award behind Malcolm Brogdon. Quickley was the primary scorer for the second unit, but he shouldn&rsquo;t have to carry the entire load on offense with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo.&nbsp;
DiVincenzo impressed last season with the Golden State Warriors as a reliable bench shooter and should spot minutes for Quentin Grimes and R.J. Barrett when offensive pushes are needed. Josh Hart could also be the team&rsquo;s sixth man, just like he was during the Knicks&rsquo; playoff run. After being traded from Portland, Hart averaged 30 minutes per game despite coming off the bench most of the time. It is worth noting the Knicks-Villanova connection between Hart, DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson, who should fit seamlessly together on the floor thanks to their pre-existing chemistry. While unlikely to be the first off the bench, Isaiah Hartenstein also deserves mention since he has been one of the league&rsquo;s better backup centers and could see more time if Mitchell Robinson gets in foul trouble. In terms of rotation issues, Thibodeau should see this as a good problem to have regardless of who he brings off the bench first.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Knicks have three spots up for grabs between Ryan Arcidiacono, DaQuan Jeffries, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr. All are on non-guaranteed deals that won&rsquo;t be fully guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date on January 10.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (12 guaranteed, 4 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jalen Brunson, G Quentin Grimes, G/F R.J. Barrett, F Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson
Projected Rotation Players: G Josh Hart, G Immanuel Quickley, G Donte DiVincenzo, C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Miles McBride
Projected Reserves: G Evan Fournier, C Jericho Sims, F Isaiah Roby (non-guaranteed), G Ryan Arcidiacono (non-guaranteed), G/F DaQuan Jeffries (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: F/C Nathan Knight, G/F Dylan Windler, F Jaylen Martin
Projected Roster Cuts: G Duane Washington Jr. (non-guaranteed), G Charlie Brown Jr. (Exhibit-10), F Jacob Toppin (Exhibit-10)
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<h1>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h1>
Will Tyrese Maxey become more of a creator and how can that adjust the rotation?
The Sixers&rsquo; ceiling is contingent on how much Tyrese Maxey can improve this season. Maxey hasn&rsquo;t needed to be the team&rsquo;s primary distributor since James Harden joined the team, allowing him to blossom into a reliable 20-PPG scorer. Regardless of whether Harden&rsquo;s trade situation is resolved, Maxey will need to become a better creator and distributor if he wants to take his game to the next level. Prior to Harden&rsquo;s arrival, Maxey had an impressive 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio despite his small frame and risk-averse tendencies.&nbsp;
Interestingly, team president Daryl Morey has held off on giving Maxey an extension this offseason, electing to wait until next summer to pay his budding young guard. Maxey will likely demand near max-level money that could harm Philly&rsquo;s flexibility to go after star players next offseason. If he can improve his ball-handling and distribution tendencies, the Sixers&rsquo; offense should benefit tremendously, helping the offensive output of players like P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed and easing the reliance on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Patrick Beverley.
Roster Decisions
Two players will likely be fighting for the Sixers&rsquo; final roster spot. The team re-signed veteran Danny Green, who played for the team from 2020 to 2022, to a non-guaranteed deal. They also brought over young big Filip Petrusev, who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2021. Petrusev signed a multi-year deal that was partially guaranteed for $559,782 this season and non-guaranteed next year. Although unlikely, the 76ers could also elect to waive Montrezl Harrell despite his deal being fully guaranteed, as he should miss this season with a torn ACL.
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (14 guaranteed, 1 partially Guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Tyrese Maxey, G James Harden, F P.J. Tucker, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Projected Rotation Players: G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, G Patrick Beverley, F/C Paul Reed, F/G Kelly Oubre Jr., F Danuel House
Projected Reserves: C Mo Bamba, F Furkan Korkmaz, G Jaden Springer, G/F Danny Green (non-guaranteed), C Montrezl Harrell (injured)
Projected Two-way Players: G Terquavion Smith, G Ricky Council IV, F Azuolas Tubelis
Projected Roster Cuts: F/C Filip Petrusev ($559,782 guaranteed), G David Duke Jr. (Exhibit-10), G Javonte Smart (Exhibit-10)
<h1>TORONTO RAPTORS</h1>
What style does Darko Rajakovic bring to Toronto and who will benefit the most?
New coach Darko Rajakovic inherits an interesting Raptors team with plenty of talent, but they may be facing a crossroads in terms of how successful they can be as a group. Rajakovic is in his first NBA head coaching gig after three seasons as an assistant with the Grizzlies and is known around the league as a pick-and-roll guru.&nbsp;
The idea of the Raptors being a primary pick-and-roll team became less appealing when they were unable to retain Fred VanVleet in free agency, replacing him with a less reliable shooter in Dennis Schr&ouml;der. Instead, Rajakovic will likely rely on Schr&ouml;der and his newly paid center Jakob Poeltl for more ball movement and playmaking. Rajakovic compared Poeltl to Domantas Sabonis before the Raptors&rsquo; preseason win over the Sacramento Kings on October 9 and could use him in a similar role. If Poeltl can be 70% of what Sabonis was last season, it can be a huge boost to an inconsistent offense.
Roster Decisions
The Raptors have 15 players on guaranteed deals going into the season, but also carry Jeff Dowtin Jr. on a non-guaranteed deal. Dowtin played on a two-way contract with Toronto last season, appearing in 25 games. With the roster full, Dowtin is unlikely to make the regular-season roster but he has still <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-praise-jeff-dowtin-jr-as-roster-decisions-await" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressed the coaching staff this preseason</a>. If any player is in danger of losing their roster spot to Dowtin, it would likely be former first-round pick Malachi Flynn. Dowtin&rsquo;s deal becomes guaranteed for $900,000 on October 21, four days before the team&rsquo;s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I would expect the Raptors to make a decision on Dowtin before then.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (15 guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Dennis Schr&ouml;der, F/G Scottie Barnes, F OG Anunoby, F Pascal Siakam, C Jakob Poeltl
Projected Rotation Players: G Gary Trent Jr., F Precious Achiuwa, F/C Chris Boucher, F Jalen McDaniels, G/F Gradey Dick
Projected Reserves: F Thaddeus Young, G Malachi Flynn, F Otto Porter Jr., C Christian Koloko, G/F Garrett Temple
Projected Two-way Players: G/F Ron Harper Jr., G Markquis Nowell, G Javon Freeman-Liberty
Projected Roster Cuts: G Jeff Dowtin (non-guaranteed), F Mouhamadou Gueye (Exhibit-10), C Makur Maker (Exhibit-10)
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Blake Stern previews the Atlantic Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and a burning question entering the season.

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

On Saturday, the Enemies and Triplets will battle for the BIG3 championship at The O2 Arena in London.
The Enemies feature Nick Young (the team's captain), Isaiah Austin (co-captain), Elijah Stewart (co-captain), Quincy Miller and Jordan Crawford, with Gilbert Arenas serving as the team's coach.
The Triplets have many familar faces, including Joe Johnson (the team's captain), Jeremy Pargo (co-captain), Larry Sanders, Jamario Moon, Damien Wilkins and Mo Charlo, with Lisa Leslie as their coach.
The Enemies earned a spot in the championship game by defeating three-time champions Trilogy, 50-37. All-Star standout Jordan Crawford led the way with 27 points. This is the Enemies' first-ever championship appearance.
The Triplets won the BIG3 championship back in 2019 and hope to earn their second title this weekend. They advanced to the title game after beating the Ghost Ballers, 50-45. The driving force behind their deep postseason run is back-to-back MVP Joe Johnson (who has a shot at winning a third-straight MVP award).
Prior to the championship matchup, the BIG3 All-Star game will also take place this weekend at The O2 Arena. The game will feature the following All-Stars: Michael Beasley, Jodie Meeks, Jordan Crawford, Mike Taylor, Donte Green, Glen Rice, Earl Clark, Ryan Carter, Joe Johnson, Jeremy Pargo, Leandro Barbosa, Gerald Green, Elijah Stewart, Royce White, Frank Nitty and Jason Richardson.
Both the All-Star game and championship game will be broadcast live on CBS. The All-Star game tips off at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the championship game at 2 p.m. ET.&nbsp;
This is the sixth season of Ice Cube's three-on-three league, and the BIG3 has experienced significant growth in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/big3-basketball-viewership-keeps-growing-as-sixth-season-continues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viewership</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/big3-sees-surge-in-tv-ratings-attendance-to-start-sixth-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attendance</a> numbers this year.

On Saturday at The O2 Arena in London, the Enemies will battle the Triplets for the BIG3 title.

Enemies to face Triplets in BIG3 championship at London's O2 Arena

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 27 points and Terry Rozier had 21 points and nine assists as the Charlotte Hornets beat Detroit 113-103 on Thursday night and extended the Pistons&rsquo; losing streak to 10 games.
&ldquo;I thought we did a good job of following the game plan and staying disciplined,&rdquo; said Oubre, who is averaging 20.8 points in eight games since returning from a hand injury. &ldquo;I stayed around the team 24/7 when I was hurt so I would be ready to go when I came back.&rdquo;
P.J. Washington added 20 points and Nick Richards had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets, who won their second straight game and for the seventh time in 10 games.
&ldquo;Our guys are working hard and they are finally getting some results,&rdquo; Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. &ldquo;We were really active tonight and we had great rim protection.&rdquo;
Cory Joseph scored 17 points and James Wiseman had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s super tough to be playing from behind every night,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;We need to find a way to come out with better energy to get over this hump.&rdquo;
Detroit played without four of the five starters from its season-opening win over the Orlando Magic. Cade Cunningham (leg), Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) and Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) are injured, while Saddiq Bey was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Rookie Jaden Ivey is the only player to start both games.
&ldquo;I thought our approach was disappointing tonight,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if it is just all the games we&rsquo;ve played in a short time, but I didn&rsquo;t feel like we came out with the kind of energy we needed.&rdquo;
The Hornets finished the first half with an 8-0 run and held a 59-50 lead. Charlotte used a 13-5 run at the start of the third quarter and increased the margin to 17 points.
Joseph scored 14 points in the quarter, helping Detroit close within 93-83 heading to the fourth. But the Hornets extended their lead to as many as 18 points in the sloppy closing period.
&ldquo;I thought that was the key stretch of the game,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;They had it down to 10, but we got it to 18 early in the fourth and took away their momentum.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Charlotte beat the Pistons 117-106 at home on Feb. 27, and split the season series 2-2. The Hornets have won eight of their last 11 games against Detroit.
Pistons: Detroit announced before the game that Stewart is suffering from a right shoulder impingement and will be evaluated again in three to four weeks. Stewart is second on the team in blocks and rebounds.
INJURY UPDATE
Charlotte center Mark Williams didn&rsquo;t play in the second half due to a thumb injury.
&ldquo;He went back to the locker room after he did it, but he came back to try to play,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;He just wasn&rsquo;t able to catch the ball. Hopefully, it won&rsquo;t be anything serious.&rdquo;
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
The Pistons honored the 2003 WNBA champion Detroit Shock at halftime. The Shock, who also won titles in 2006 and 2008, moved to Tulsa after the 2009 season and are now the Dallas Wings.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect this to happen, because the franchise has been gone for a while now,&rdquo; said Shock forward Swin Cash-Canal, who was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. &ldquo;But they called and said they wanted to do it for Women&rsquo;s History Month, and we appreciate it. They have done a top-notch job of this.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
Pistons: Host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday and on Monday.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 27 points as the Hornets beat Detroit 113-103 on Thursday night, extending the Pistons’ losing streak to 10 games.

Oubre, Rozier help Hornets deal Pistons 10th straight loss

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; The Detroit Pistons had a rare easy win.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 of his 31 points in the second half, Alec Burks added 18 and the Pistons ran away in the final two quarters to beat the Miami Heat 116-96 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;Second half, we wanted to play faster and move the ball a little bit," Bogdanovic said. &ldquo;I hit a couple 3s and everything opened up."
Saddiq Bey scored 14, Isaiah Stewart had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Cory Joseph also finished with 11 points for the Pistons, who trailed 50-47 at halftime &mdash; then outscored Miami 69-46 in the final two quarters.
It was Detroit&rsquo;s biggest margin of victory this season. The Pistons had won only one game by more than seven points, that being a 128-114 triumph over Golden State on Oct. 30.
&ldquo;It's a huge team win," Bogdanovic said. &ldquo;We held a great offensive team under 100 points."
Tyler Herro led all scorers with a season high-tying 34 points for Miami, which has dropped three of its last four games. The Heat are off to an 11-14 start for the third time in the last five seasons.
&ldquo;We simply just didn&rsquo;t play well," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;I thought we were pretty stable defensively through three quarters, and then the floodgates just opened."
Miami played without Jimmy Butler (right knee injury management), Dewayne Dedmon (left foot plantar fasciitis) and Gabe Vincent (left knee). But the Heat had Victor Oladipo for the first time all season; Oladipo, who had been sidelined with a knee issue since the preseason, had nine points in 18 minutes.
It was only the 80th appearance for Oladipo out of a possible 317 games since he suffered a severe knee injury while with the Indiana Pacers in 2019.
Herro made his first eight shots, seven of those in the first half, staking Miami to its slim early lead.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a dynamic player. ... He&rsquo;s going to score on everybody,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said.
Herro averages 27.8 points in five career games against Detroit, his most against any team. He and Bam Adebayo combined for 55 points but the other eight Heat players who played Tuesday combined for only 41.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Casey has coached against Spoelstra 44 times. Of the 102 coaches he&rsquo;s faced in the NBA, he&rsquo;s gone up against nobody more often than he has Spoelstra. ... Detroit is now 4-3 when holding opponents to 109 points or less. The Pistons are 3-16 when allowing 110 or more. ... The Pistons outscored Miami 57-30 from 3-point range. ... Cade Cunningham (left shin soreness) didn't play.
Heat: Adebayo also had 15 rebounds. ... Miami led by 11 in the first quarter and wound up losing for the second consecutive night. The Heat led 28-17 in Memphis on Monday in a 101-93 defeat; they led 17-6 on Tuesday. &ldquo;Two games not to our standard," Spoelstra said. ... Oladipo has appeared in more playoff games with Miami (15) than regular-season games (13). ... The Heat trailed for the final 18:49.
USMNT VISITOR
Weston McKennie, a midfielder for the U.S. men&rsquo;s national soccer team, was at the game and seated at a courtside table. McKennie played in all four games with the U.S. in the World Cup at Qatar; the Americans were eliminated with a round-of-16 loss to the Netherlands on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Visit New Orleans on Wednesday.
Heat: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 of his 31 points in the second half, Alec Burks added 18 and the Pistons ran away in the final two quarters.

Pistons run away in second half, embarrass Heat 116-96

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis had 38 points and 16 rebounds, Lonnie Walker added 17 points and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Detroit Pistons 128-121 on Friday night to win consecutive games for only the second time this season.
LeBron James missed his third straight game with a left groin strain for the Lakers, unable to return even after his struggling team had the previous four days off. His teammates still earned Los Angeles' fourth victory of a rough season with a second-half surge catalyzed by Austin Reaves, who scored 11 of his 16 points after halftime, and finished off by Davis' 16 points in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;I'd be glad if I had zero points and we won,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;We've got to put a string of wins together to get back in this thing, but take it one game at a time.&rdquo;
After dropping 37 on the Nets, Davis had his second consecutive prolific game in James' absence, even going 18 of 21 from the free throw line. Davis has back-to-back 30-point games for the first time since last Feb. 2-3.
&ldquo;He's been a monster this whole season, but definitely the last three games or so,&rdquo; Reaves said. &ldquo;That's what he does, and everybody knows it.&rdquo;
Russell Westbrook had 10 points and 12 assists for the Lakers, who had lost five straight before back-to-back victories over Brooklyn and Detroit.
Alec Burks scored 23 points and Bojan Bogdanovic added 20 for the Pistons, who have lost six straight. Killian Hayes had 18 before fouling out as Detroit dropped back-to-back games in Los Angeles to open a six-game road trip.
The Pistons, who have lost 14 of 16, played their fourth straight game without former No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham, who has a sore left shin.
&ldquo;We're struggling, trying to find a win,&rdquo; coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;Everybody is going to have their opportunity, so don't count your minutes, make your minutes count.&rdquo;
The Lakers' injury problems lessened with the season debuts of Dennis Schr&ouml;der and big man Thomas Bryant, who both rejoined Los Angeles in the offseason. Both then missed the first 13 games with similar thumb injuries that required surgery.
Bryant had eight points and five rebounds against the Pistons, while Schr&ouml;der had two assists and played strong defense. Bryant re-signed with LA in July, four years after the Lakers waived him, while Schr&ouml;der re-signed in September after the German point guard spent the past year away with Boston and Houston.
&ldquo;It was great just playing in front of the fans,&rdquo; Schr&ouml;der said. &ldquo;My first time (with the Lakers) was after COVID, so I didn't get to experience our fans.&rdquo;
Los Angeles trailed by 14 in the second quarter, but took a 68-64 halftime lead on Walker's buzzer-beating 3-pointer off a beautiful inbounds pass from far down the sideline by Westbrook, who had 10 assists in the first half alone.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Saddiq Bey injured his ankle in the fourth quarter. Casey didn't immediately know the injury's seriousness. ... C Isaiah Stewart missed his second straight game with a sprained big toe. ... G Cory Joseph was available, but didn't play after missing two games with hip soreness.
Lakers: Coach Darvin Ham is a Michigan native who rooted for the Pistons growing up before he won a title with Detroit as a player in 2004. He said he's still in close contact with Larry Brown, his coach on that championship team. ... Juan Toscano-Anderson missed the game with back soreness. ... Rookie G Max Christie missed the game in the NBA's health and safety protocols.
UP NEXT
Pistons: At Sacramento on Sunday.
Lakers: Host San Antonio on Sunday.

Anthony Davis had 38 points and 16 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Detroit Pistons 128-121 on Friday night.

Anthony Davis leads Lakers past Pistons 128-121 for 2nd straight win

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; The <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/detroit-pistons">Detroit Pistons</a> seem to be on their way up from rock bottom, assembling a dynamic backcourt, acquiring a veteran scorer and keeping a nucleus of promising young players.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the most talent we&rsquo;ve had since I&rsquo;ve been here,&rdquo; said coach Dwane Casey, entering his fifth season in Detroit. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s also the youngest talent that we&rsquo;ve had.&rdquo;
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-detroit-pistons-dwane-casey-magic-johnson-608255d40d7a0f542679757b93841507">Cade Cunningham</a>, who validated Detroit's decision to draft him No. 1 overall in 2021, and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-detroit-pistons-jerami-grant-cade-cunningham-c88eb385b3d4c4c9a6d6ab94c1603bab">speedy guard Jaden Ivey</a>, the fifth pick in June, may provide a needed dose of hope for the franchise's future.
And when Detroit general manager Troy Weaver traded last year's leading scorer Jerami Grant because he didn't want to give him a long-term contract, it led to the draft-night acquisition of center Jalen Duren, the 13th pick in the draft.
Then Weaver made a savvy trade last month to acquire <a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-jazz-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-ce920207bbadf33ba3b3e1904c82ed48">Bojan Bogdanovic</a> from Utah in exchange for spare parts, and kicked the team's plans into another gear.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in another stage of our restore and rebuild by adding Bojan," Weaver said of Bogdanovic, who averaged 18.1 points last season with the Jazz.
The Pistons were 23-59 last season, finishing ahead of just Houston and Orlando at the bottom of the league standings.
They have been struggling to gain traction for more than a decade, slipping so much during a series of rebuilding efforts that they had one of the NBA&rsquo;s worst teams the previous three years.
Detroit has failed to win a playoff series since 2008, when it advanced to the conference finals for the sixth straight year during a remarkably successful stretch that included its third NBA championship.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think you can just wake up one day and become a contender,&rdquo; said Weaver, who is in his third season of retooling the roster. &ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s different phases you have to go through.&rdquo;
BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS HIM
Veteran NBA players are used to the speed of the game, but even they have been impressed with how fast Ivey has been on the court.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a bullet out there,&rdquo; guard Cory Joseph said. &ldquo;He brings another dynamic as far as pushing the pace, getting into the open court, which we need to do more. I can see flashes of (Russell) Westbrook.&rdquo;
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Ivey, who can play point or shooting guard, averaged 17.3 points last season at Purdue.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;ll make it a lot easier for everybody because he has a great feel for the game," Cunningham said. &ldquo;He brings a different dynamic with his skill set."
Ivey&rsquo;s mother, Niele, played for three WNBA teams (including the Detroit Shock) and coaches Notre Dame's women's basketball team. His father, Javin Hunter, was a standout receiver at Notre Dame. And his late grandfather, James Hunter, started 77 games at defensive back for the Detroit Lions from 1976 to 1982.
DIAMOND IN ROUGH
Duren, the youngest player in the draft, will be an NBA player for about a month before he turns 19.
&ldquo;He's going to be a jewel for this city for a long time," Casey said.
The athletic 6-11, 250-pound center averaged 12 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 25.3 minutes per game last season as a freshman at Memphis.
SUPPORTING CAST
Saddiq Bey, the No. 19 pick in 2020, broke the team&rsquo;s single-season franchise record for 3-pointers last season and averaged 16 points. Center Isaiah Stewart, the No. 16 pick two years ago, averaged eight-plus points and rebounds. Marvin Bagley, the No. 2 pick overall in 2018, averaged 14 points after he was acquired last year and re-signed as a restricted free agent for $37 million over three years.
&ldquo;I think the sky&rsquo;s the limit for us,&rdquo; Bey said.
PIVOTAL PLAYER
Killian Hayes has averaged fewer than seven points a game in each of his two seasons, falling short of projections for a player drafted by Detroit at No. 7 overall in 2020.
NEWCOMERS
The Pistons made two offseason deals with the New York Knicks, including a move that added veterans Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to the front court. Burks averaged 11.7 points last season, starting a career-high 44 games. The 6-11 Noel averaged a career-best 2.2 blocks two seasons ago.

“It’s the most talent we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Pistons coach Dwane Casey. "It’s also the youngest talent that we’ve had.”

Pistons loaded with talent from Ivey to Bogdanovic to Duren

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

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

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

Following the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; shocking postseason exit, all eyes are now on Deandre Ayton's free agency.
After the Suns declined to sign Ayton to a five-year, rookie-scale max extension before the 2021-22 season, restricted free agency is now on the horizon for the athletic big man. During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Ayton&rsquo;s agent Bill Duffy discussed Ayton's future on SiriusXM&rsquo;s NBA show.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re disappointed. We wanted a max contract,&rdquo; Duffy <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1527772160923619328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;He went out and was a solider the whole year, played well, improved his statistics. So, we&rsquo;re proud of him. A lot of guys handle things differently, but he was very mature about it. Things will work out for Deandre. He&rsquo;s a valuable player. There&rsquo;s other teams in the league as well. He&rsquo;s a restricted free agent, so we&rsquo;ll see how this process unfolds.&rdquo;
Ayton averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks on a career-high 65.6% True Shooting percentage during the 2021-22 campaign. Ayton was a key asset for the Suns on both ends of the court, especially around the basket as an easy lob threat and defensive anchor. Ayton has been a key piece for the Suns, but is he worth a max contract? Based on Duffy&rsquo;s comments earlier this week, it sounds like Ayton&rsquo;s camp won&rsquo;t settle for anything less than the max entering free agency.
From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, they saw improvement from the 2018 No. 1 overall pick this season before the team's disappointing postseason showing.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense,&rdquo; Suns owner Robert Sarver told <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> recently about Ayton. &ldquo;I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Taking all of this into consideration, what if Ayton's days in Phoenix are numbered? Here's a look at the most realistic sign-and-trade destinations for Ayton this summer.
Note: It's important to remember that sign-and-trade deals rarely return the same value as a traditional trade. The Suns have let it be known that they won't simply let an asset like Ayton walk for nothing. If Ayton&rsquo;s time in Phoenix is indeed over, the Suns won&rsquo;t be leaving the relationship empty-handed.
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones
San Antonio is one of the few teams this offseason with secured max-level cap space. All that needs to be done in order to chase Ayton is renounce the restricted rights to Lonnie Walker.
Being at the bottom of the NBA standings is new for the Spurs. After being one of the league's model organizations for over two decades, they have officially hit a playoff drought. San Antonio was hoping for some lottery luck, but now they have to try another plan to bring in a star.
San Antonio&rsquo;s dynamic young duo of Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson is so fun to watch, but the they need a third game-changer to take this rebuild back into playoff mode. Ayton would be an ideal solution, mainly because of his excellent two-way fit in the Spurs&rsquo; system. Dropping Ayton into the Spurs&rsquo; player-development program could make some in Phoenix worry about the long-term consequences of this deal.
For Phoenix, cooperating with a long-time rival would hurt. However, if the relationship between team and player becomes fractured, the Suns won&rsquo;t have much of a choice if he finds a max offer on the open market.
The Suns won&rsquo;t let Ayton leave Phoenix unless they receive strong assets in return. The Spurs can actually provide a solid package that helps in the short and long-term.
In this deal, Phoenix could land one of the most underrated big men in the Association as well as two young players who have shown flashes. The Jalen Smith experiment was a disaster for the Suns after taking him No. 10 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Vassell went one pick later. Phoenix can right that wrong while also obtaining an intriguing point guard to develop in Jones.
This feels like a win-win for both sides. San Antonio would have a new Big 3 in Ayton, Murray and Johnson, while the Suns could acquire their new starting center and two pieces to bolster the bench unit.
Charlotte Hornets
Hornets receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington and draft compensation
There might not be a team with a more dire offseason need than the Hornets and their hole at center. Charlotte was one of my NBA League Pass teams this season due to their fun offensive pace, but the defense often bordered on disastrous. Montrezl Harrell and Mason Plumlee aren&rsquo;t going to cut it, so it&rsquo;s time for Charlotte to get aggressive.
Given Charlotte&rsquo;s roster, they would have to move some salaries around to make an Ayton chase realistic. Offloading Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s contract is going to be a tough task and they may even have to relinquish one of their top-15 picks to do so, but it would have to happen in order for them to pursue Ayton. Hayward is due $61.6 million over the next two seasons, and Charlotte simply can&rsquo;t afford to keep biting that bullet with restricted free agent Miles Bridges due for a payday and LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s own rookie-scale extension on the horizon. Trading away Hayward and Mason Plumlee would give the Hornets max space.
Landing Ayton is Charlotte's dream scenario. Not only would Ayton continue to get spoon-fed easy looks from an elite point guard, he would help stabilize the Hornets' defense to respectable levels. Thanks to his freakish athleticism, Ayton would be able to cover up a lot of holes around him defensively.
Phoenix would love to pull off a double sign-and-trade to nab Bridges, but that seems unlikely. Instead, this deal allows them to find their long-term answer at point guard post-Chris Paul. While Terry Rozier is a shot-chucker, he has improved as a playmaker in Charlotte. In the short-term, Rozier could step in as the Suns&rsquo; sixth man and provide the exact boost that they need in offensive guard creation. PJ Washington is an interesting add because he could slide right into the small-ball 5 role played previously by Dario Saric.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/aytonturn.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="377" />
Indiana Pacers
Pacers receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Myles Turner, Chris Duarte, TJ McConnell
What&rsquo;s the next step for Indiana? Long gone are Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert. Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield could be the next Pacers veterans to be shipped out via trade as Indiana fully embraces a rebuild attempt. It&rsquo;s been long overdue for the Pacers to pull the plug on the core that continued to stagnate once the postseason arrived.
A year later, Indiana&rsquo;s future looks much brighter with a talented, new-look core of Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson and whoever is selected at No. 6 overall.
Ayton couldn't ask for a better pick-and-roll partner than Haliburton. Already making magic happen with CP3, Ayton&rsquo;s rolling ability would help accentuate Haliburton&rsquo;s biggest strengths. Also, Ayton&rsquo;s defensive versatility would be a welcome arrival for a team that nosedived in that category last season.
For Indiana, the price would be hefty. Not only would this trade require a four-year max contract for Ayton, but the Pacers would likely need to ship out a key piece of their young core via sign-and-trade (such as Duarte).
This trade would be a huge win for Phoenix, but it also looks great for the Pacers. The Suns would have a starting center who adds floor-spacing equity and elite rim protection, a capable veteran backup point guard who can spell Paul at times, plus one of the most impactful rookie wings in the Association. Having to include Duarte could leave the Pacers apprehensive, but they are reportedly enamored with adding another explosive piece via the draft, as Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky) and Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) have all been linked to Indiana early in the pre-draft process.&nbsp;
Detroit Pistons
Pistons receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart, Cory Joseph and draft compensation
Another team that has considered making a run at Ayton this offseason is the Pistons, and they can create max space very easily: trading away Kelly Olynyk&rsquo;s contract.
The Pistons struck gold with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey and they are helping usher in a new era in Detroit. Ayton&rsquo;s arrival would be the final piece to the puzzle for a team seemingly pushing their chips in on postseason play as early as 2023.
It would be best for Ayton to land with a capable lead guard who can feed him regularly. Already capable of tallying 20 and 10 most nights, Ayton would be set up for long-term success alongside Cunningham and Bey.
The question is, what would the Pistons need to send Phoenix&rsquo;s way in order for this sign-and-trade to go through? It&rsquo;s going to be a lot, and it would be a blockbuster-type transaction.
Blockbuster indeed, because Grant is now heading back to the Valley in this scenario. If the Suns and Pistons want to cooperate on a Ayton deal, I have to imagine one of Grant or Bey would have to be involved. Stewart is another enticing trade chip because he&rsquo;s shown the versatility to space the floor from three-point range. While he doesn't have the same touch as Ayton, Stewart brings nastiness and a tenacity on both ends of the court that Phoenix would absolutely love.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ayton1.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="373" />
Atlanta Hawks
Hawks receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic
No ifs, ands or buts about it, Trae Young would make Ayton an All-Star next season. What a fun inside-out duo this is to envision. While Atlanta is nowhere close to reaching the necessary cap space to absorb a massive Ayton deal on their own, a sign-and-trade becomes feasible with all of the talent that could fit into the Phoenix roster.
For the Hawks, Ayton represents another foundational building block to place alongside Young for the long-term. John Collins could be the guy, but he&rsquo;s been in trade rumors for the past year with no signs of those slowing down. Onyeka Okongwu could also grow into that role, but the Hawks signing Clint Capela to a long-term extension perhaps signals that they see him more as a piece to the puzzle rather than a true building block.
Ayton would arrive in Atlanta and instantly average around 23 points and 12 rebounds per game. On box-score fit alone, this would be the best landing spot for Ayton thanks to the greatness of Young.
If Phoenix had drafted Luka Doncic rather than Ayton at No. 1 overall in 2018, Phoenix may have considered adding Clint Capela to their frontcourt. Four years later, Capela being re-routed to Phoenix in an Ayton sign-and-trade is a plausible scenario to imagine. Capela would provide similar numbers to Ayton while requiring less of an offensive workload. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic might vault to the top the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year leaderboards in the near future. Bogdanovic and Cameron Johnson leading the Suns&rsquo; second unit? That&rsquo;s a filthy thought.
***
None of these trades are perfect, but they do illustrate how challenging it will be for Phoenix to find a home for Ayton while also returning the value they'd love to get back for him. Ultimately, it may be in the Suns' best interest to re-sign Ayton this offseason and trade him at some point down the road when his value isn't so depressed.
Whatever happens, Ayton&rsquo;s name will continue to pop up in rumors throughout the spring and summer until the Suns and Ayton's camp find common ground at the negotiation table. This situation could become awkward and dragged out, which would surely kick the trade rumors into high gear. This isn't the last we'll hear about Ayton and the possibility of him changing teams.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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With Deandre Ayton's future in Phoenix becoming murky, it's time to examine potential destinations for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Examining potential sign-and-trade destinations for Deandre Ayton

You know who has the NBA's <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/advanced/?sort=OFF_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=01%2F01%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best offense in 2022</a>?
Not the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors (111.6 Offensive Rating, 15th), who are winners of nine straight and generally the beacon of ball-and-body movement.
You're on the right track if you guessed the Trae Young-led Atlanta Hawks (115.5, 4th) &mdash; the man's been on fire (28.4 points and 9.2 assists per game, 61.8% True Shooting) by the way &mdash; but they're trailing the leader by more than three points per 100 possessions.
The #BeautifulGame Phoenix Suns? You're getting warmer (117.4, 3rd), pun intended. Nikola Jokic (26-13-9 with .608/.416/.875 splits) and the Denver Nuggets (117.8, 2nd) get you closer, but still misses the mark by over a point.&nbsp;
Your answer? The Minnesota Timberwolves, scorching the nets (and the Nets, hanging 136 points on Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago) to the tune of a 118.9 ORTG. Even if you shrink it down to half-court possessions, they still edge out the Suns (102.9) for the league's most efficient unit (103.6) per Cleaning The Glass.
After spending the 2021 portion of the season being a borderline-elite defense (108.2 Defensive Rating, 11th) and struggling offense (107.3, 23rd), the script has officially flipped in 2022. The Wolves' method of madness seems in line with their personnel now: We're going to blitz you with buckets, then garner enough stops (111.6 DRTG, 17th) to rack up Ws.
As such, Minnesota is 13-6 in the new year (No. 5 in the West, No. 8 in the NBA) while boasting the fourth-best Net Rating (plus-7.3) in the league.
Everything has perked up for the Wolves, particularly in half-court situations. Just look at the shift statistically, per Cleaning The Glass:
<ul>
<li>Through Dec. 31: 59.0% at the rim (26th), 36.3% from mid range (27th), 33.6% from three (22nd)</li>
<li>Since Jan. 1: 65.1% at the rim (16th), 43.9% from mid range (8th), 38.1% from three (3rd)</li>
</ul>
Generally, this is the point where the "truth is somewhere in the middle" mantra kicks in. But then, you remember the Wolves had a 105.7 ORTG up until the Chris Finch hire last year, and boosted that figure to 111.9 to finish out the season. There was goodness hiding in plain sight.
If there's one thing to highlight with this recent surge from the Wolves, I'd choose their post play. There's been a better flow from it. The spacing makes (more) sense. The off-ball movement is more threatening than chaotic.
In other words: They've learned how to play off one another.
It starts with Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the sport. The Wolves do a great job of mixing in high and low post looks for him.
Having one of their best shooters make the entry pass provides an easy outlet for Towns if a double team comes. If a non-shooter makes the entry, he's likely to cut through and clear to the opposite side.
The least threatening shooters on the floor (hi Jarred Vanderbilt, specifically) aren't just heady cutters, they're also willing pin-in screeners. Their combination of movement and screening occupies potential help defenders.
Those options &mdash; built-in or free-flowing &mdash; make double-teaming Towns less appealing. Towns becoming a smarter ball-mover of late (less hook passes, por favor!) has led to more efficient offense.
There are set plays they use to get Towns going. This is one of my favorite quick hitters, a Towns-for-D'Angelo Russell screen that flows into a middle-post. Notice the (lack of) help on this possession.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/f9v3ox" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That's Russell making the entry pass. Anthony Edwards and Malik Beasley occupy each corner. Help could only come from the left wing, but Towns is decisive on the catch, making his move towards the strong-side corner with Beasley. The general rule is to avoid providing help from the strong side in that way, which essentially gives Towns a 1-on-1.
Because of Towns' otherworldly shooting ability, the Wolves are able to leverage him as a movement threat. Centers aren't used to chasing guys around screens, which leads to some uncomfortable switching.&nbsp;
Related: Towns has been crushing switches. Since the turn of the new year, the Wolves are generating nearly 1.2 points per possession when Towns bullies a guard or forward, per Second Spectrum.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ob5hld" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The exit screen for Towns forces Cory Joseph on him. The Pistons send extra attention &mdash; because why the heck wouldn't they &mdash; which leads to this alignment.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_02_09_19_56_11_lg.png" alt="" width="673" height="379" />
Not great!
As the clip plays out, Towns actually skips a step by hitting Patrick Beverley instead of Russell. The swing goes to Edwards, who attacks the scrambling defense. Russell floats to the corner, receives a kickout, then finishes things off with a floater.&nbsp;
Towns doesn't get the shot, an assist or even a hockey assist, but that bucket doesn't happen without him.
How about this nifty left-side clear-out with an inverted screen from Beverley to force a mismatch?
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/jrttus" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Look at the strain that places on the Pistons. Isaiah Stewart is in an unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) help position. He can't double off of Beverley without risking an open three. And with Stewart on the perimeter, the largest player on the back line for the Pistons is Jerami Grant.
Tough sleddin'.&nbsp;
If you do want to double Towns, the timing has to be excellent. Show your hand too early, and he'll shift into QB mode. That's where the cutters get to shine.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/bplevr" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Come too late, and Towns will either have a favorable opportunity for himself, or he'll take advantage of your defense trying to correct itself on the fly with a pass.
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(That's some good stuff from McDaniels, who goes from setting a pin-in screen for Jordan McLaughlin &mdash; and being in position to do so for Taurean Prince &mdash; to cutting in front of Mike Conley since he's tasked with "splitting the difference" after Bojan Bogdanovic rotates to help.)
The outline of this kind of pick-your-poison attack has been here all season, but the execution simply wasn't. You can blame that on chemistry-building or injury woes &mdash; heck, those go hand-in-hand when you think about it.
What's undeniable is that they're executing on a new level. Through the 2021 portion of the schedule, the Wolves were generating 0.84 points per possession on trips featuring a Towns post-up. Since the turn of the year, that's shot up to 1.02, per Second Spectrum.
The Wolves are starting to figure stuff out, which bodes poorly for the rest of the Play-In hopefuls. Minnesota has a vice grip on the seventh seed (three-game lead on the Clippers), and now finds itself just a game behind the Nuggets for the sixth seed.
Best to keep an eye out on these guys.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the Wolves' surging post offense attack, led by All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

On the block: Wolves surging behind Karl-Anthony Towns-led post attack

An 82-game season is equally maddening and incredible simultaneously. On one hand, it's just way too many games, and it's overly demanding with respect to travel, time and fatigue. On the other hand, it's a remarkable sample size and tool for evaluation and understanding. My friends who don't love basketball don't understand my desire to watch a conference powerhouse beat down on a lottery team on Tuesday nights, and ya know what? Sometimes I don't either!
When watching Cade Cunningham drag the Pistons to a closely-contested loss to the Denver Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic on Sunday night, I had this thought ring out in the back of my head.
Yeah, this is why man.
Watching Cunningham this year has been a treat like no other. While many rookies have flashed their potential and made strides (some even impacting winning at a high level early), I'm not sure we've seen someone this season adapt to the NBA and assert himself as quickly as the No. 1 overall pick.&nbsp;
Many have a case, but given team context and environment along with what's asked of him, it's gotta be Cade.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">Month</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">Games</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">TS%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">3P%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%;">Rim%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">Oct.</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">16</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">46.2%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">27.4%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%;">50%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">Dec.</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">9</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">51.9%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">40.4%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%;">49%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">Jan.</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">13</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">55.1%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%;">38.2%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%;">69%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Watching him evolve and adapt his game in real time over the past few months has been semi-akin to watching a superhero transformation. The questions pre-draft about Cunningham's relative lack of burst given primary ball-handling duties were fair, but undersold his problem-solving. Growing, adapting, evolving; <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r2JJPZ_O6tzW8fFKuTlD3P0e7RPH2Os9GIU4lQLAxeE/edit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it's what Cade Cunningham does</a>. (Shoutout to PD Web for this scout.)
Late in his prep career, Cunningham was an elite prospect, but significant questions were posed about his shooting prowess and capabilities beyond the arc. He eviscerated defenses from the perimeter during his solo season in Stillwater, hitting 40.0% of his 5.7 threes per game with a high volume of self-created shots off the dribble. Yet another part of his <a href="https://theathletic.com/2875146/2021/10/08/inside-cade-cunninghams-training-to-become-the-face-of-the-pistons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">development plan and preparation</a>.
In spite of his struggles from deep early, Cunningham consistently kept getting his shots up without hesitation, an important part of keeping the defense honest. The rookie was tested in the NBA early, as defenses openly challenged him to shoot, choosing to go under on ball-screens he operated from. After adjusting to pro spacing, length and contests, Cade made it known; you just can't go under.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Cade is already making it known that you indeed cannot go under on ballscreens against him <a href="https://t.co/42oQeFbwBW">pic.twitter.com/42oQeFbwBW</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1460685340646248452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
After finding his range and the defense willfully bending to his ability, Cunningham has moved into his next stage, probing the defense and pressuring the paint.
While I would be careful to not extrapolate his ridiculous leap of efficiency at the rim over the past month, it stands that his process has shifted, and he's finding new ways to capitalize in the paint. As he's gotten more accustomed to his surroundings, his pacing and guile with the ball in his hands have led to this jump as a finisher on the interior.
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Cunningham's awareness of the court, mapping of defenders and understanding of angles make him an elite manipulator. However, it's his self-awareness that continually stands out the most. He is flourishing because he knows what he's best at, what he needs to get to and how to make it happen.
Given how well he's shooting (currently 57.7% on pull-up threes in January... yes, you read that right), defenses have started to adjust their pressure on ball-screens, often playing bigs involved in the screen close to the level while his man-defender goes over top of the screen. He's not hitting at an elite percentage on pull-up twos (38.7% per InStat), but he's shooting well enough and with confidence in a way that forces the defense to still pay attention to his actions.
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But, it's less about the jumper-hitting and more about the threat of it for Cunningham.&nbsp;
His bread and butter as a driver and handler is his flexibility. He's incredibly shifty despite elite burst, phenomenal at utilizing shoulder and head fakes, and using hesitation dribbles and stutters in his drives to force defenders to play at his pace.&nbsp;
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Cunningham has a knack for using his screener to set up the big, almost rocking the defense to sleep in a sense. He flows into his hesitations and hang dribbles to lull the big and his defender into thinking he's going to do the opposite of what he actually will.&nbsp;
The second a big starts to rotate back to the screener, Cade will flash baseline.&nbsp;
If he has the big on a drive, he'll tango with them and create the impression that he's going to rise for a jumper rather than challenge a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, in this case with Rudy Gobert.
Nope, guessed wrong! There goes Cunningham probing baseline, finding a quick reverse after using the rim as an obstacle to avoid a late contest.
However, he can get into some issues right now considering how heavily his game is based on deception and craft. If the defender doesn't bite, or if Cade sees extra help from the corner or at the nail, it can congest his handle and make it difficult for him to set things up the way he likes to.
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Given that he's not a great leaper and still needs to develop as a contact-finisher, this is one of the larger hurdles Cunningham faces as an at-rim finisher.
However, he's already showing flashes of how he's going to adapt to that, because that's just what he does! He's showing real intrigue as a self-creator even when guarded well 1-on-1.
Cunningham's off-arm craft is incredible and very advanced for his age. (If it looks like something Chris Paul would do to toe the line of league legality, you're doing special stuff as an offensive player.)
Tapping into the footwork he flashes along with his timing and that understanding of angles we mentioned earlier, poor Rudy Gay found out about Cunningham the hard way. Deandre Ayton was contesting in <a href="https://youtu.be/zGDG58b-5wI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six different directions</a> as Cade whipped out his version of the Ali Shuffle.
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These aren't the shots a player can live off of, but they're the kind of shots that make a player a star. If anything has become abundantly clear from this Pistons season, it's of the impending emergence of Cunningham's stardom.
While this season has assuredly been a slog for Detroit, do yourself a favor; make time for Cade Cunningham once a week, and soak in the rays of exceptional development and problem-solving in real time.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!&nbsp;

After a rough start to his rookie year efficiency-wise, Cade Cunningham has started to adjust to NBA length and defense.

Cade Cunningham is problem-solving in real time for the Pistons

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has been suspended for one game and Detroit's Isaiah Stewart was suspended two games for their roles in an ugly incident during Sunday's Lakers-Pistons game.
The NBA announced the suspensions Monday, and both will affect games on Tuesday. James will not play when the Lakers visit Madison Square Garden to play the New York Knicks. Stewart will miss the Pistons' home game against Miami on Tuesday and their game Wednesday at Milwaukee.
James will forfeit about $284,000 in salary, while Stewart will lose about $45,000. It is the first suspension in the 19-year career of James, who has won four NBA titles with three teams.
The Lakers and Pistons meet again Sunday in Los Angeles, and James and Stewart will both be eligible to play.
Stewart, the NBA said, was disciplined for &ldquo;escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing ... James in an unsportsmanlike manner.&rdquo; James merited the suspension &ldquo;for recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation," the NBA said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
What a surreal scene. Isaiah Stewart not only wanted to take on LeBron James and everyone on the Lakers but he calmly did the &ldquo;it&rsquo;s over, I&rsquo;m done&rdquo; walk off multiple times before sprinting back to get his revenge. The back door attempt at the end is crazy. <a href="https://t.co/5W0wmhtOUZ">pic.twitter.com/5W0wmhtOUZ</a>
&mdash; Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/1462589048669683718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The incident happened in the third quarter, starting when James and Stewart were jostling for position during a free throw. Their arms appeared to get intertwined and James swung his elbow, making contact with Stewart, who quickly had blood streaming from above his eye. James, it appeared, attempted to defuse the situation after realizing he'd made contact with Stewart and drawn blood.
It didn't take long for most of the players from both teams &mdash; along with the referees, coaches and security personnel &mdash; to join the fray and try to keep James and Stewart separated. Within 25 seconds of the contact being made by James, there were at least 25 people on the floor. Referee Phenizee Ransom attached himself to James.
Cooler heads seemed to prevail, for a moment. Stewart was guided away from the spot where the contact occurred by teammates and coaches, though he appeared to become more incensed along the way. He then tried to double back &mdash; on multiple occasions &mdash; and run toward James. A number of people again blocked his path and made sure the incident didn't get uglier.
Pistons coach Dwane Casey said Stewart needed eight stitches to close the wound, adding that he did not think what Stewart did in reaction to the play merited a suspension.
&ldquo;His eye got cracked all the way open. He was upset for a reason,&rdquo; Casey said.
Stewart eventually left the floor, seeming to sprint again as he did so, and there was concern that he would try to head back toward the floor through another entry tunnel. Pistons guard Cory Joseph even headed toward that tunnel, just in case &mdash; and with the blessing of referee Scott Foster, the game's crew chief.
&ldquo;After Isaiah Stewart left the court, Cory was anticipating he may come around the back of (the) house and enter the Laker bench from the opposite side," Foster told a pool reporter after the game. &ldquo;So, he was going to intercept him. I actually told Cory that would be good."
Stewart was assessed two technical fouls, James was assessed a Flagrant Foul Penalty 2, and both players were ejected.
James has been sanctioned multiple times by the league in the past, receiving fines for everything from flopping, skipping news conferences and kicking a water bottle. But the suspension is his first, and means he will miss the Lakers' lone game this season at Madison Square Garden &mdash; one of his favorite arenas.

Stewart will be suspended two games, while James receives a one-game suspension.

NBA suspends LeBron James, Isaiah Stewart for on-court altercation

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

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

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

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

The Detroit Pistons desperately hope Cade Cunningham is the superstar they have been searching for in their long climb back to being a contender.
Detroit took the Oklahoma State star with the first pick and Cunningham looked into the history of No. 1 overall picks in the NBA draft, saying it was fun to do as he entered his rookie season.
The group includes many all-time greats such as LeBron James and some players who haven&rsquo;t panned out, including Markelle Fultz, who has averaged about 10 points a game since being selected first in 2017.
Cunningham, though, is not motivated or discouraged about the disparate paths of players taken No. 1 overall.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m writing my own story,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not any of those guys.&rdquo;
Coach Dwane Casey agreed.
&ldquo;Cade won&rsquo;t be a bust,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s one thing you can guarantee, but there will be growing pains. We have to be supportive. He&rsquo;s going to have a target on his back each and every night. There's going to be nights he scores seven. There's going to be nights he scores 25."
The 6-foot-8 guard, who turned 20 last month, will get a chance to lead a potentially promising young team right from the jump when Detroit hosts Chicago in the season opener Oct. 20.
His surrounding cast includes 27-year-old forward Jerami Grant, who averaged a team-high 22.3 points last season, and and a pair of 2021 All-Rookie selections, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart.
Cunningham and Co. will have a quest to turn around a franchise that has won just 20 games each of the previous two years and hasn&rsquo;t had a winning record the past five seasons.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not going to cut it anywhere whether you&rsquo;re rebooting, rebuilding, or in our case, restoring,&rdquo; general manager Troy Weaver said. &ldquo;We want to win more games than we lose."
The Pistons have earned a spot in the playoffs just twice since 2009, when they ended an eight-year playoff run that included their third NBA championship, two Eastern Conference titles and six trips to the conference finals.
&ldquo;We definitely want to come in and restore what&rsquo;s been here,&rdquo; Weaver said.
CONFIDENT CASEY
While Detroit's roster is young, Casey has 12 seasons of experience as an NBA head coach and believes his team can surpass low expectations.
&ldquo;Why not us?" he said. &ldquo;Everybody's counting us out."
TURNED OVER
The Pistons gave <a href="https://apnews.com/article/b456fedc3d1c77bf48963dc066b1d588">Weaver </a> his first NBA general manager job in June 2020, and there is not one player on the roster who was on the team when he was hired.
FAMILY TIES
Josh Jackson averaged a career-high 13.4 points last season for his hometown team, showing some of the promise the Phoenix Suns saw in him when they drafted him No. 4 overall in 2017 out of Kansas.
The 24-year-old Jackson seems to fit in well with this team with some very young players and 30-year-old veterans Kelly Olynyk and Cory Joseph.
&ldquo;I'm known as the middle child on the team," Jackson said.
GET A STOP
The Pistons ranked 10th defensively with Stewart and Grant leading a scrappy, high-energy team. To take a step forward this season, Weaver said Detroit has to get even better without the ball.
&ldquo;We have to hang our hat on defense," Weaver said. &ldquo;The strength of our team will be our effort, our energy and our depth."
A LAYUP
The Pistons are not not sharing the vaccination rate of their players, but one of them said he didn't have to think long and hard about it.
&ldquo;My own personal reasons made it easy for me to take the vaccine,&rdquo; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart told about 20 journalists in room at Little Caesars Arena. &ldquo;It was just so I can do things like this and being comfortable and being around my parents, who are older in age, without feeling like I was going to be a threat to them.&rdquo;

The Pistons desperately hope Cade Cunningham is the superstar they have been searching for in their long climb back to being a contender.

Pistons hope Cade Cunningham is star they desperately need

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

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

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

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

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

Before we look ahead to Lakers-Warriors (the most epic game of the week, one would think), the play-in tournament and all of the first-round playoff series that will begin next weekend, we need to take a closer look at the 10 teams that failed to make the expanded postseason and what to expect from them this offseason.
This will be play-in week for the eight NBA teams that qualified for the expanded postseason but did not finish top-six in their respective conferences. Two of them (the losers of the 9/10 games) will be finished with their seasons by Wednesday night, and two more by Friday, moving them into exit interviews and draft-prep mode.
But let&rsquo;s start with a bottom-up look at the teams conducting exit interviews with their players today.
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HOUSTON ROCKETS: The Rockets finished with the NBA&rsquo;s worst overall record (17-55) and worst home record (9-27), and lost their season finale to Atlanta by 29. Since March 29, they lost 23 of 27 games. And let&rsquo;s just say it wasn&rsquo;t supposed to be this way when they opened the season with James Harden, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins on their roster and immediately started getting huge production from Christian Wood. Not yielding to Harden&rsquo;s trade demand in the preseason cost them; the deal that brought them Victor Oladipo actually didn&rsquo;t turn out all that bad for them when they flipped Oladipo for a very productive Kelly Olynyk, but now there is talk of a buyout for Wall, who is owed $91.6 million over the next two years if he exercises his player option, as a long rebuild ensues. Olynyk will be an unrestricted free agent and will likely leave, which means the core they are building around includes Wood, Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate, KJ Martin, Kevin Porter Jr. and whatever they can get for Eric Gordon, who injured his groin in early March and did not return. The next big date on their calendar is the June 22 draft lottery, and because they finished with one of the three worst records, they have an equal chance (with Detroit and Orlando) of winning the No. 1 overall pick, which is projected to be Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State.
DETROIT PISTONS: A season that began with Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin on the roster ended with a 13-point loss to a Miami Heat team that rested most of its regulars, and Troy Weaver heads into the offseason with decisions to make on Cory Joseph (non-guaranteed $12.6 million), Rodney McGruder (non-guaranteed $5 million) and Dennis Smith Jr. (eligible for a $7.7 million qualifying offer). Assuming all of those are declined, but Hamidou Diallo&rsquo;s $2.07 million qualifying offer is extended, the Pistons will have somewhere in the area of $20 million in cap room, depending on where the salary cap comes in following a season of vastly reduced revenues. Jerami Grant was a nice signing a year ago, and now the Pistons need to find some offense from the wing positions and hope Killian Hayes can have a full healthy season. Detroit had the league&rsquo;s fourth-worst offense in terms of points per game. With Isaiah Stewart finishing the season so strongly, is there a market for the underrated Mason Plumlee?
ORLANDO MAGIC: A bottom-three finish seemed unlikely after they started 4-0 and had Nikola Vucevic playing at an All-Star level, and it never quite made sense that they offloaded Vucevic at the same time they got rid of Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier. All-Stars do not grow on trees, and Wendell Carter Jr. (acquired from Chicago) was being outplayed by other bigs on the Bulls and now the same thing is happening on the Magic. They will have Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac back next season, Otto Porter and his expiring $28 million contract now comes off their books, and the only contract decision they have to make soon is whether to pick up Dwayne Bacon&rsquo;s $1.8 million non-guarantee. R.J. Hampton <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-orlando-magic-rj-hampton-q-and-a-i-dont-think-you-can-put-a-cap-on-our-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just won Rookie of the Month for May</a> and Cole Anthony has shown plenty of promise as well. John Hammond, Jeff Weltman and Steve Clifford have roughly $28 million of cap space to work with, and the Magic have their own pick along with Chicago&rsquo;s (top-4 protected). Choosing three of the top-33 draft picks will keep the scouting staff busy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
One of the most exciting rookies in the NBA! HBD <a href="https://twitter.com/The_ColeAnthony?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_ColeAnthony</a> <a href="https://t.co/KW0Y04sOUY">pic.twitter.com/KW0Y04sOUY</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1393623077238493184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: The only NBA team that never opened its arena to fans, the Thunder made the questionable decision to shelve Al Horford immediately after the trade deadline, after which they lost 26 of their final 29 games, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's injury was handled with extreme caution. Their victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on the final night of the season actually hurt them because it prevented a tiebreak situation with the Magic, who finished with a 21-51 record to OKC&rsquo;s 22-50 record. Sam Presti is going to do what Sam Presti wants to do, and it will be interesting to see whether NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the unprecedented move that was made with Horford &ndash; something his predecessor, David Stern, never would have allowed. If the veteran big man and Gilgeous-Alexander had finished the season, we probably would not have the Spurs in the No. 10 spot. OKC was just five games under .500 in late March.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Cleveland's trophy acquisition is Jarrett Allen, who was a superb pickup by Koby Altman. Still, they were unable to turn Andre Drummond into anything, and the loss of Darius Garland for most of the final three weeks of the season kept him from further developing chemistry with fellow backcourt speedster Collin Sexton. The Cavs still owe Kevin Love $60 million, and they must pay Taurean Prince $13 million next season unless they can find a taker on the trade market. He averaged only 10.1 points and 3.7 rebounds after coming over from Brooklyn, but Altman had to take him for salary-matching purposes. The Anderson Varejao re-signing was pretty cool, so we will give them that. Otherwise, the rebuild figures to be slow unless Love and Prince can be moved, which seems unlikely.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: The A-Rod era will begin next season, and keeping Karl-Anthony Towns happy will be Project A, B and C. One of the league&rsquo;s best people and best players, he has been in the NBA for six years after being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 draft, and he has a nice running mate now in Anthony Edwards along with his buddy, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell. Ricky Rubio, entering the final season of a contract that will pay him $17.8 million, seems superfluous and could be moved if a pick was coming back in return. The Wolves&rsquo; pick in this year's draft will go to Golden State unless it is top-3, in which case Minnesota's 2022 pick becomes unprotected and will go to the Warriors. Chris Finch will have a training camp for the first time to work with whatever the roster looks like, and help will not come through free agency, as the Wolves are projected to be over the cap.
TORONTO RAPTORS: The future of team president Masai Ujiri seems very much up in the air. He is the director of Basketball Without Borders, and ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski has suggested Ujiri <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CODxcX6haii/?igshid=1nsv2bsewml2h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will look elsewhere for his next job</a> and hand the reins over to general manager Bobby Webster. The Raptors get a pass for their failure of a season because they had to relocate to Tampa, Fla., which meant that they basically played 72 road games when not working on their tans and fighting off mosquitoes and alligators. Webster/Ujiri will likely look at all possible sign-and-trade scenarios for Kyle Lowry, who may feel it is time to move on. Decisions must be made on the non-guaranteed contracts of Rodney Hood, Aron Baynes, Chris Boucher, DeAndre' Bembry, Paul Watson Jr., Yuta Watanabe and Freddie Gillespie. If all are declined, the Raps would have about $30 million in cap space to play with.
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2020-21 Closing thoughts: Coach Nurse <a href="https://t.co/ffAsqLN1zv">pic.twitter.com/ffAsqLN1zv</a>
&mdash; Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1394319579237736449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2021</a></blockquote>

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SACRAMENTO KINGS: It would not be surprising to see the Kings lose Richaun Holmes, who has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-richaun-holmes-qa-interview-free-agency-all-defensive-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turned into a terrific NBA player</a> and may want to play in a bigger market for a franchise that has not grown as accustomed to bad seasons as the Kings have. They have not won a playoff series since 2003-04 and have not played a playoff game since 2005-06. Does Vivek Ranadive keep head coach Luke Walton around? De'Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield account for more than $70 million of next season&rsquo;s payroll, and Marvin Bagley III adds an additional $11.3 million. General manager Monte McNair came up under Daryl Morey in Houston, so he has seen proactive roster turnovers when the situation called for it. What is in question is whether Bagley or Hield could bring anything of value in return on the trade market because both have not lived up to expectations. They seem likely to appear in a similar column approximately one year from now.
CHICAGO BULLS: The Bulls made so many deals at the deadline and did not have enough acclimation time following March 25. Getting Nikola Vucevic at such a small cost was a coup for executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas in his first season. Now he must decide on non-guarantees for Thaddeus Young ($14.1 million) and Tomas Satoransky ($10 million), and the franchise should expect to see Al-Farouq Aminu exercise his player option and thereby remain on the roster with a salary of $10.1 million. Lauri Markkanen should receive his qualifying offer of $9.026 million, and perhaps the biggest question is whether this team will stick with Coby White as the point guard of the future or try to find a way to get a player such as Kyle Lowry to be their primary playmaker.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: All in all, it was not a good season for David Griffin, Stan Van Gundy, Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram after the previous campaign ended with so much promise. The JJ Redick episode did not make anyone happy. The season ended with four-consecutive losses and Ls in six of the final eight games, a $50,000 fine for Griffin for complaining that Williamson&rsquo;s broken finger was the result of rough treatment of the former overall No. 1 pick that was being overlooked by the referees. Not one single player appeared in all 72 games &ndash; although Eric Bledsoe came up closest with 71. James Johnson and Willy Hernangomez are the only unrestricted free agents of note, and Lonzo Ball will be a restricted free agent who could solve some roster problems through a sign-and-trade. Griffin will have three extra second-round picks, and next year he gets the Lakers&rsquo; pick unprotected.

Chris Sheridan checks in with the organizations whose respective seasons ended Sunday and areas they'll need to address.

Closing the door on the NBA's 10 non-playoff teams

Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 16 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls kept their play-in chances alive with an 108-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.
Zach LaVine scored 30 points as the Bulls (29-39) moved within 2 1/2 games of the Indiana Pacers (31-36) for the last Eastern Conference play-in spot.
&ldquo;We know the challenge right now, and we came in with a lot of energy,&rdquo; LaVine said. &ldquo;We've got to keep playing like this if we want a chance to keep our season alive.&rdquo;
Chicago, which also got 21 points from Coby White, had lost five of six.
&ldquo;Those three really work well together, especially the way Coby and (Vucevic) have learned how to play off each other,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;I'd still rather have games where we have seven guys in double figures than relying just on those three, but they got it done tonight.&rdquo;
Detroit, which lost for the ninth time in 11 games, played without leading scorer Jerami Grant (knee) and point guard Cory Joseph (ankle). Rookies Killian Hayes (21 points), Saddiq Bey (20) and Isaiah Stewart (19) combined for 60 points and 21 rebounds.
&ldquo;This is a step forward in the development of this team,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;It's still a loss, and we need to get to a point where we are turning these games into wins, but we had a lot of young players do nice things tonight.&rdquo;
Hayes and fellow rookie point guard Saben Lee both played more than 30 minutes, with Hayes spending time at shooting guard.
&ldquo;I love being out there with Saben and being off the ball,&rdquo; said Hayes, who finished with a career high in points along with eight assists, seven rebounds and seven turnovers. &ldquo;It's a different way to let me attack defenses and we work well together.&rdquo;
Chicago outshot the Pistons 54.5% to 37.5% while building a comfortable 57-39 halftime lead. LaVine had 16 points while Vucevic added 14 points and nine rebounds.
&ldquo;I thought our defense was really good in the first half,&rdquo; Donovan said. &ldquo;We are definitely a better team than we were at the start of the year. I wish it hadn't taken this long.&rdquo;
The Pistons were within 15 at 83-68 at the end of the third quarter, but never seriously threatened in the final 12 minutes.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Swept the three-game season series with Detroit and have now won seven straight against the Pistons.
Pistons: G Frank Jackson did not return after leaving the game in the first quarter with a right ankle injury.
YOUNG OFFENSE
Detroit got 85 of its 96 points from rookies, with Lee (13) and Tyler Cook (12) also reaching double figures. Jahlil Okafor was the only player older than 23 to score for Detroit.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night as the Bulls try to earn a play-in spot.
Pistons: Host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night in a game with draft lottery implications for both teams.
&mdash;
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

With the win, Chicago moved within two-and-a-half games of the Pacers.

Vucevic's double-double, LaVine's 30 lead Bulls over Pistons

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball returned from a 21-game absence with 11 points, leading the Charlotte Hornets to a 107-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. 
A leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, Ball had surgery to repair a broken wrist sustained on March 20. The point guard played 28 minutes and added eight rebounds and seven assists, including a <a href="https://twitter.com/hornets/status/1388636661882445824?s=20">nifty underhand pass</a> from his own backcourt to Miles Bridges.
“You have to have top-notch confidence to pull something like that off,” Bridges said. “He threw it right to my pocket. It’s good to have him back.”
Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 29 points, including a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock to help stave off Detroit’s final rally late in the fourth quarter. 
Bridges added 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting and PJ. Washington had 16. Malik Monk, who returned after a 15-game absence (ankle), joined Ball with 11 points.
“I felt the game coming back to me,” Ball said. “Every day I woke up and the wrist was feeling better.”
Charlotte blocked 15 shots, a season high for any team and the fifth time the Hornets have had 15 or more blocks in a game in franchise history. They beat the Pistons for the 12th straight time.
Frank Jackson scored 25 points for Detroit, which has lost five of six. Saddiq Bey added 22, Tyler Cook 12, and Killian Hayes 10 for the Pistons, who cut the lead to single digits twice in the second half but couldn’t draw any closer.
Bridges left in the third period after appearing to injure his right shoulder blocking a shot. He had the shoulder on ice until late in the period and returned. 
The Hornets, who entered the day eighth in the Eastern Conference, snapped a two-game skid. They’ll play in Detroit on Tuesday.
“I expect it to only get better from here, but it was a breath of fresh air just to have that jolt back in the gym for us,” Hornets coach James Borrego said of Ball's return. “We found our way playing with pace even before this, but Melo really takes it to the next level.”
RISING ROOKIE
Borrego feels like Ball will prove he’s the Rookie of the Year in his final 10 games.
“We were climbing the standings with him in the lineup and Malik in the lineup,” Borrego said. “LaMelo has had a major impact on our winning this season. For a young guy to put up those numbers, but to do it with that sort of winning impact, is significant for us.”
Ball averaged 15.9 points and Monk 13.1 before their injuries.
COACH'S COMPLIMENT
Frank Jackson, a former Hornets draft pick, has filled a sixth-man need in Detroit. His coach identifies with his style.
“I’m happy for him,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said of Jackson, averaging a career-best 9.1 points. “He’s my kind of guy. He’s worked, scratched, and earned everything.”
TIP-INS
Hornets: Charlotte missed its first 10 3-point attempts and finished 14 of 37. … Forward Gordon Hayward (right foot sprain) did not play. … Guard Devonte’ Graham (right knee contusion) also missed the game.
Pistons: Detroit started three rookies — Bey, Hayes, and Isaiah Stewart. Josh Jackson, with three years of service, was the most senior starter. … Detroit had seven players unavailable for the game Saturday. Ruled out: Hamidou Diallo, Wayne Ellington, Jerami Grant, Cory Joseph, Jahlil Okafor, Mason Plumlee, and Dennis Smith Jr.
UP NEXT:
Hornets: Host Miami on Sunday.
Pistons: Host Orlando on Monday.

LaMelo Ball returned from a 21-game absence with 11 points, leading the Hornets to a 107-94 win over the Pistons on Saturday.

LaMelo Ball returns, helps Hornets beat Pistons 107-94

Before we know it, the 2021 NBA Draft will be upon us, and it&rsquo;ll be even more of a crapshoot than the last one because NBA scouts have been unable to attend most college games or travel overseas to look at international prospects.
Veteran scouts used to working in packed gyms and arenas are instead poring over grainy game film from overseas and DVR&rsquo;d recordings of college games in order to get the best info they can on the players who will be available on July 29 &ndash; exactly three months from today.
With the 2020-21 NBA season winding down, this is a good time to look back at the 2020 draft and see how each of the first-round picks have panned out.
<ol>
<li>Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves: Either Edwards or LaMelo Ball will win Rookie of the Year, and Edwards probably wouldn&rsquo;t even be in the conversation if Ball had not gone down with an injury. The 19-year-old has increased his field goal percentage and three-point percentages over the course of the month of April, but his scoring has dipped from 24.2 points per game in March to 21.3 in April. His team has won five of seven, including two against the league-leading Jazz. He leads all rookies with 142 threes. (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/revisiting-the-2020-nba-draft-how-are-firstround-picks-doing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our Spencer Davies believes Edwards deserves ROY</a>). </li>
<li>James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors: He is out for the season after he had surgery to fix a meniscus injury in his right knee. The recovery time will be months rather than weeks. Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds and showed flashes during his first season. The Dubs will be able to pair him with another top young prospect if Minnesota&rsquo;s pick falls outside of the top three. Golden State acquired it in the D&rsquo;Angelo Russell-Andrew Wiggins trade. It is unprotected the following season. </li>
<li>LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets: He has not played in five weeks, but he is expected back any day after recovering from a broken wrist. He will have only a few days to re-acclimate himself with his teammates, including Malik Monk, whose return from a sprained ankle will coincide with Ball&rsquo;s. The rookie is averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds in just 28.6 minutes per game. </li>
<li>Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls: He has started all 61 games he has appeared in, but he&rsquo;s averaging only 9.1 points and 4.6 rebounds and has eclipsed the 20-point mark only twice all season. He has reached double figures in points in only one of the Bulls&rsquo; last 11 games, but let&rsquo;s not forget he is only 19 years old &ndash; same as Edwards and Ball. Some 19-year-olds adapt quicker than others. </li>
<li>Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers: He has started all 57 games he has played in, but the 20-year-old&rsquo;s numbers are quite pedestrian: 8.5 points, 42.2% from the field, 28.9% from three-point range, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He had a season-high 20 points against Toronto on Monday, but went 1-for-8 on threes. He leads all rookies in minutes (31.8). </li>
<li>Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks: He was never going to get a ton of run on a roster that already included Clint Capela and John Collins, and he is logging only 11.3 minutes per game. He has reached double figures in points three times and in rebounds once in 41 games. </li>
<li>Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons: The French-American teenager has been getting consistent minutes this month after recovering from a hip injury (torn labrum) that sidelined him for three months. He has shown a knack for getting steals, but needs to learn how to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. He is 7-for-7 from the line in 10 games this month. </li>
<li>Obi Toppin, New York Knicks: He has appeared in 53 games without a single start and has scored in double figures only three times. But he plays for a coach, Tom Thibodeau, who brings rookies along slowly, and he has shot below 50% in only four of 15 games this month. </li>
<li>Deni Avdija, Washington Wizards: The rookie from Israel is out for the season with a hairline fracture in his ankle after starting 32 of his 54 games. He had been unspectacular, averaging only 6.3 points and making 53 three-pointers. </li>
<li>Jalen Smith, Phoenix Suns: He was sent down to the G-League in February, and he has seen mostly garbage time minutes in his 22 appearances. He&rsquo;s averaging 1.1 points, and he has attempted only three free throws all season (making one). </li>
<li>Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs: He has made two starts in 51 appearances and has shown some flashes, but he needs to become more consistent. He has seven double-figure scoring nights, two of which have come in the Spurs&rsquo; past six games. </li>
<li>Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings: Right now, he has to go down as the steal of the lottery and he&rsquo;s almost certain to finish third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Ball and Edwards. He&rsquo;s averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 assists with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.44, ninth-best in the NBA. In 18 games as a starter, he's averaging 14.6 points, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals. </li>
<li>Kira Lewis, Jr., New Orleans Pelicans: The 20-year-old backs up Lonzo Ball and plays 16.5 minutes per night. He is steady but has had limited opportunities, having gone for 20 points one time. He ranks 12th among rookies in assists with 2.3 per game. </li>
<li>Aaron Nesmith, Boston Celtics: He had his best game of the season on Wednesday in a victory over Charlotte with 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks. It was only his fourth double-figure scoring game of the season. He became <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-aaron-nesmith-is-first-boston-celtics-rookie-with-15-points-3-steals-and-blocks-since-paul-pierce">the first Celtics rookie to record a 15-3-3 game since Paul Pierce</a> did it in 1998-99. </li>
<li>Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic: He&rsquo;s experiencing trial by fire after the early-season injury to Markelle Fultz, and has improved every month. He is currently on a run of 10 consecutive double-figure scoring games and ranks fourth among rookies in scoring (12.0), third in assists (4.4) and fourth in free throw percentage (81.3%). </li>
<li>Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons: He leads all rookies in rebounds (6.6), field goal percentage (57.4) and blocks (1.15) despite playing only 20.4 minutes per game. A very solid building block for Troy Weaver. </li>
<li>Aleksej Pokusevski, Oklahoma City Thunder: The 19-year-old is second among rookies in blocks per game (1.1) and is getting a lot of run on Sam Presti&rsquo;s rebuilding project, logging 25-plus minutes in 20 of the past 22 games. He&rsquo;s sixth among rookies in rebounding (4.6). </li>
<li>Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks: The Aussie shooting guard gets a little bit of run here and there, but his season-high is 8 points. He&rsquo;s only playing 10.3 minutes per game, but he has started in five games. </li>
<li>Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons: He&rsquo;s second among rookies in made three-pointers (139), seventh in scoring (11.3), seventh in three-point percentage (37.7%), second in free throw percentage (87.1%), 12th in rebounding (4.2) and ninth in minutes played (25.8). He might be Detroit&rsquo;s best rookie. </li>
<li>Precious Achiuwa, Miami Heat: He has appeared in 55 games and does not appear among the rookie league leaders in any category except rebounding, where he is 16th with 3.6 boards per game. He&rsquo;s only playing 12.4 minutes per game. </li>
<li>Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers: Maxey is a very solid player who caught everyone&rsquo;s attention on Jan. 9 when he dropped 39 points on Denver, which got Rafael Stone of Houston quite interested and may have kept James Harden from becoming a member of the Sixers. He has made 10 of his last 11 shots in the past two games. He&rsquo;s eighth among rookies in field goal percentage (46.1%). </li>
<li>Zeke Nnaji, Denver Nuggets: He cracked the rotation in February and March, but he hasn&rsquo;t played as much recently on a veteran-laden Nuggets team. He has scored just five points this month. In February, he averaged 5.9 points and 1.3 threes while shooting 46.7% from three. </li>
<li>Leandro Bolmaro, Minnesota Timberwolves: He&rsquo;s having a strong season in the ACB for FC Barcelona, where he is teammates with Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic. His coach is Sarunas Jasikevicius. Heck of a draft-and-stash. </li>
<li>R.J. Hampton, Denver Nuggets: He was dealt to Orlando as part of the Aaron Gordon trade, and let&rsquo;s just say he was winning a lot more in Denver. He is playing 23 minutes per night with the Magic and has made one start. With the Magic, he's averaging 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 23.0 minutes. </li>
<li>Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks: He has captured the imagination of Knicks fans, is fifth among rookies in scoring (11.7) and leads all rookies in free throw percentage (89.5%). He is also fifth among rookies in three-point percentage (38.7%). </li>
<li>Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics: He has been much more productive than Nesmith. He has appeared in 57 of 63 games, is second among rookies in three-point percentage (41.6%, trailing only Desmond Bane) and he has only missed four free throws all season (in 41 attempts). </li>
<li>Udoka Azubuike, Utah Jazz: He has appeared in only 12 games and has a season-high of 4 points. Rudy Gobert is sort of in his way. </li>
<li>Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves: One of the few people who can say &ldquo;I beat the Jazz twice this season,&rdquo; McDaniels is 20th in scoring (6.8), 15th in rebounding (3.7), third in blocks (0.96) and 10th in three-point percentage (36.6%) among rookies. </li>
<li>Malachi Flynn, Toronto Raptors: One of the league&rsquo;s older rooks (22), he has been tutored by Kyle Lowry and has seen his role increase significantly this month as the team from Tampa plays out the string. He&rsquo;s shooting over 40 percent on threes in April, while taking a bunch of them. </li>
<li>Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies: He leads all rookies in three-point percentage (45.5%), and he is 10th in scoring (9.1) and sixth in field goal percentage (47.1%). He averages 22 minutes for a team that has eight players averaging in double figures.</li>
</ol>
With the condensed schedule, limited practice time and COVID protocols, this season has not been easy for these rookies. Let&rsquo;s hope their sophomore campaign isn&rsquo;t as strange or difficult.

As the 2020 NBA Playoffs approach, some rookies are separating themselves from the pack, writes Chris Sheridan.

Rory