Privateers

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN&rsquo;s Seaport District Studios in New York. This will be the first time in NBA history that the draft will be separated into two days, with the first round being at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
Here are all the first-round selections courtesy of the NBA: (article to be updated with the second-round picks)
<ol>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zaccharie-risacher">Zaccharie Risacher</a> (JL Bourg-en-Bresse) to the Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/alexandre-sarr">Alex Sarr</a> (Perth) to the Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/reed-sheppard">Reed Sheppard</a> (Kentucky) to the Houston Rockets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/stephon-castle">Stephon Castle</a> (Connecticut) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ron-holland">Ron Holland II</a> (G League Ignite) to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tidjane-salaun">Tidjane Salaun</a> (Cholet Basket) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/donovan-clingan">Donovan Clingan</a> (Connecticut) to the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/rob-dillingham">Rob Dillingham</a> (Kentucky) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zach-edey">Zach Edey</a> (Purdue) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cody-williams">Cody Williams</a> (Colorado) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/matas-buzelis">Matas Buzelis</a> (G League Ignite) to the Chicago Bulls</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-topic">Nikola Topic</a> (KK Crvena Zvezda) to the Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/devin-carter">Devin Carter</a> (Providence) to the Sacramento Kings</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/carlton-carrington">Bub Carrington</a> (Pittsburgh) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kelel-ware">Kel&rsquo;el Ware</a> (Indiana) to the Miami Heat</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jared-mccain">Jared McCain</a> (Duke) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dalton-knecht">Dalton Knecht</a> (Tennessee) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristan-da-silva">Tristan da Silva</a> (Colorado) to the Orlando Magic</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jakobe-walter">Ja&rsquo;Kobe Walter</a> (Baylor) to the Toronto Raptors&nbsp;</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylon-tyson">Jaylon Tyson</a> (Cal) to the Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/yves-missi">Yves Missi</a> (Baylor) to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/daron-holmes-ii">DaRon Holmes II</a> (Dayton) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the Denver Nuggets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/aj-johnson">AJ Johnson</a> (Illawarra) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyshawn-george">Kyshawn George</a> (Miami) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pacome-dadiet">Pacome Dadiet</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dillon-jones">Dillon Jones</a> (Weber State) to the Washington Wizards &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/terrence-shannon-jr">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> (Illinois) to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ryan-dunn">Ryan Dunn</a> (Virginia) to the Denver Nuggets &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/isaiah-collier">Isaiah Collier</a> (USC) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/baylor-scheierman-2">Baylor Scheierman</a> (Creighton) to the Boston Celtics</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
<ol start="31">
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jonathan-mogbo">Jonathan Mogbo</a> (San Francisco) to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyle-filipowski">Kyle Filipowski</a> (Duke) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-smith">Tyler Smith</a> (G League Ignite) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-kolek">Tyler Kolek</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/johnny-furphy">Johnny Furphy</a> (Kansas) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/juan-nunez">Juan Nunez</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the Indiana Pacers &mdash; traded to San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bobi-klintman">Bobi Klintman</a> (Cairns) to the Minnesota Timberwolves &mdash; traded to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ajay-mitchell">Ajay Mitchell</a> (UC Santa Barbara) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylen-wells">Jaylen Wells</a> (Washington State) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/oso-ighodaro">Oso Ighodaro</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/adem-bona">Adem Bona</a> (UCLA) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kj-simpson">KJ Simpson</a> (Colorado) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-djurisic">Nikola Djurisic</a> (KK Mega Basket) to the Miami Heat &mdash; traded to the Atlanta Hawks (via Heat)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pelle-larsson">Pelle Larsson</a> (Arizona) to the Houston Rockets &mdash; traded to the Miami Heat (via Rockets)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jamal-shead">Jamal Shead</a> (Houston) to the Sacramento Kings &mdash; traded to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-christie">Cam Christie</a> (Minnesota) to the Los Angeles Clippers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/antonio-reeves">Antonio Reeves</a> (Kentucky) to the Orlando Magic &mdash; traded to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/harrison-ingram">Harrison Ingram</a> (North Carolina) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristen-newton">Tristen Newton</a> (Connecticut) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/enrique-freeman">Enrique Freeman</a> (Akron) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/melvin-ajinca">Melvin Ajinca</a> (Saint-Quentin Basketball) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to the Dallas Mavericks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/quinten-post">Quinten Post</a> (Boston College) to the Golden State Warriors &mdash; traded to Thunder, then to Blazers, then to Warriors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-spencer">Cam Spencer</a> (Connecticut) to the Detroit Pistons &mdash; traded to the Memphis Grizzlies (via Timberwolves)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/anton-watson">Anton Watson</a> (Gonzaga) to the Boston Celtics</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bronny-james">Bronny James</a> (USC) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kevin-mccullar-jr">Kevin McCullar Jr.</a> (Kansas) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.

2024 NBA Draft: Full results

This article is part of a two-part series preview for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs.
With the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs starting, all eyes will be on all teams competing for the championship as fans and players look on for a taste of postseason action. As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges. In this article, we take a closer look at the biggest question facing each Western Conference team heading into the playoffs, from injuries and roster changes to key matchups and strategic decisions.
<h3>Oklahoma City Thunder - How far can their youth and inexperience take them in the playoffs?</h3>
The Thunder got away through the regular season with historic from MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous Alexander, an impressive rookie season by Chet Holmgren, a star sophomore leap by Jalen Williams, and a coaching masterclass in a genius coach Mark Daigneault.
However, the playoffs as we know it is a different beast &ndash; will Mark Daigneault be able to sustain the good coaching he has done with his team throughout this regular season?
How much of this youth and inexperience be a factor for them to advance deeper in the playoffs; will they be able to use it to their advantage? Or will it be a hindrance against other experienced teams when they face each other in these tight situations? Most of the time, these situations require patience and discipline &ndash; teams with playoff experience have shown over time and have done it time and time again on their way to a deep playoff run.
<h3>Denver Nuggets - Can they go back to back?</h3>
There&rsquo;s really no other question for a team like the Nuggets at the peak of their powers: Can they win back-to-back titles? There has not been a back-to-back champion in the NBA for the past 5 years, with the last one coming in 2017 and 2018 when the Warriors won it all.
Like Boston, it is a title or bust status with Denver as of now. They have been fairly healthy throughout the regular season, have a mostly intact roster that won it all last year, and have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic in his absolute prime. Denver this year has again all the necessary pieces to win &ndash; the right amount of shooters, defensive guys, scoring in the paint &ndash; which are all the makings of a championship team.
A couple of questionable factors though would be how much of an impact the loss of Bruce Brown would have in these playoffs. Brown was arguably the 5th, or 4th best player in their championship run last year &ndash; maybe even the 3rd in some games. He was essential on offense and defense, guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best perimeter threats while providing off-ball scoring and cuts that fit perfectly with Jokic.
Second, they&rsquo;ll be facing championship-caliber teams with hunger and drive to defeat them, and all have been competitive with the Nuggets this season. The Lakers, although the Nuggets swept them last year in the Western Conference Finals, still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and they won&rsquo;t take that lightly &ndash; likely coming back with a vengeance.
The Suns have won the season series with the Nuggets 2-1 and they pose a threat to the Nuggets with their formula of having three elite shotmakers that can explode anytime &ndash; which the Nuggets may not cover all at the same time.&nbsp; The Wolves, who perhaps have the best lineup suited to defeat them, are lurking in the same bracket waiting to pounce on them at sight.&nbsp;
These are all challenges a defending champion must go through to achieve a rare feat because the playoffs are supposed to be hard.
<h3>Minnesota Timberwolves -&nbsp; Will they finally break through after years of heartbreak?</h3>
This has already been a win of a season for the Timberwolves, achieving their second most wins in franchise history (56) since 2004 when they won 58 wins and reached the conference finals.
However, this has not stopped them from wanting more, and the wolfpack is not satisfied nor contented with just this achievement &ndash; they want more.
Minnesota wanting to go win that first playoff series like a hungry pack of wolves has been evident since trading for 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Although they fell short last season due to untimely injuries to key players, the Wolves ran it back and have proven their little experiment with two bigs in star Karl Anthony Towns and Gobert would work.&nbsp;
Led by their resurgent young superstar Anthony Edwards equipped with the best defense in the league, Minnesota certainly hopes this team would be the one &ndash; the one to end the longest playoff series win droughts in the league for quite some time now.
<h3>Los Angeles Clippers - Will they be able to meet the expectations this time around?</h3>
The Clippers trading for James Harden signaled one thing for the franchise: They are going all in with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and surrounding them with all the help they can get. They are far from a perfect team, but the Clippers want to have the best possible results this season before transferring to their new arena next year.
The Clippers have only appeared in the conference finals once in the Leonard-George era after being plagued by several injuries during their different playoff runs. Due to that, people haven&rsquo;t been able to see what the team is capable of when their two stars are fully healthy in a playoff run.
However, this year might just be their year. Their core of Harden, George, and Leonard have been mostly healthy all season long. The front office has also surrounded them with complementary pieces to help them win. LA now has usable bigs in Zubac, Plumlee, and Theis; they have Terrance Mann as their designated stopper; Norman Powell being the sixth man off the bench microwave scorer; a 3-and-D wing in Amir Coffe; and Russell Westbrook as the spark plug that gives them the boost and the energy off the bench.
After being just the &lsquo;second team in LA&rsquo; and &lsquo;that other team in LA&rsquo; for years, the Clippers aim to prove the doubters wrong and change the perception that surrounds the team as they pivot into a new era of Clippers basketball.&nbsp;
<h3>Dallas Mavericks - Will Luka finally fulfill the promise he has been showing so far in his career?</h3>
Throughout his young NBA career, Luka Doncic has had one of the best starts since LeBron James statistically. He has been in constant range of breaking or matching LeBron&rsquo;s records in points scored, triple-doubles, assists, and rebounds. However, this has not always translated into wins with Doncic just appearing in just one conference finals in the first six years of his career. But that might change this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This year, the Mavericks have put up arguably the best roster on paper that Luka has had in his career &ndash; arguably even better than the 2022 team that made the conference finals.
Alongside Doncic&rsquo;s MVP act is a true partner in crime in Kyrie Irving; shot-blocking and rim-rolling vertical threats in Daniel Gafford and Lively; rugged forwards that can shoot in PJ Washington, Dante Exum, Josh Green, and Derrick Jones; a microwave off-the-bench scorer in Tim Hardaway Jr; and veteran bigs that have been in Dallas for quite some time now and you can count on in always with Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell.
Can Luka finally overcome the Clippers? This season was one for the books with an MVP caliber and worthy year by averaging close to 34 points a game with 9 rebounds and 9 assists per game. Doncic has taken his game to another level in the regular season &ndash; this time, can he take his playoff game to another level as well?
All great young players have to go through someone as the stepping stone to reach newer heights &ndash; and Luka has lost to this Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led Clippers team twice already in his career in the playoffs.
LeBron had to go through the Celtics, Jordan had to go through the Pistons. Could it be Luka&rsquo;s turn to get through this Clippers team that has tormented him for two playoff series?
<h3>Phoenix Suns - Will this new formula take them over the top?</h3>
The Suns have experienced substantial playoff success over the past three years by having a Finals appearance and reaching the conference semifinals twice. However, those groups fell short, with the feeling of something lacking or something missing that could take them over the top.
So lo and behold, Phoenix scrapped it and took a different approach this season &ndash; ditching the point guard spot and getting a rugged and physical big that could set screens and not demand the ball much on offense.
In its place came through as the Suns traded for Bradley Beal &ndash; going with a new formula by having three shot creators and shotmakers on the floor at the same time &ndash; pairing him with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. They also traded away former no.1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic, a wide-bodied center whose job is to set screens, rebound, and get their three creators open in the lane or for jump shots.
They added an elite shooter in Grayson Allen to space the floor alongside those three, or sometimes Royce O&rsquo;Neale comes in for more defense against the opposing perimeter threats.
The Suns&rsquo; new approach and formula to the game make it incredibly hard to defend because you have to have three elite defenders to contain those three shot-creators, who can explode and get buckets at any point in the game. Although their defense is still suspect at times, the main point of this lineup is not to outscore &ndash; but to out-create teams and have a variety of options to dissect and defeat defenses.
If this new strategy works and could take the Suns to the promised land in these playoffs remains to be seen.
<h3>Los Angeles Lakers - Will they have enough this time around?</h3>
Despite a strong run to the Western Conference Finals as a 7th seed, the Lakers fell short last year vs the Nuggets after being swept 4-0. Throughout the season, the Nuggets&rsquo; dominance of the purple and gold continued, and now they have lost eight straight games against this Denver team.&nbsp;
However, there is optimism that the Lakers will turn it around and have a different result vs the Nuggets. Superstar LeBron James, even at 39 years old, looks to prove that he still has something left in the tank. Although they got outplayed and outcoached last in that series by the Nuggets, James can make those adjustments being the cerebral and high IQ player that he is.
James is perhaps one of the best if not the best tactically sound players of all time, so it would make sense &ndash; if they were to defeat Denver, he needs to be able to outsmart Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets this time around. Superstar tandem Anthony Davis will also be vital to the series having to defend the &lsquo;Joker&rsquo; and producing buckets himself.
The Lakers will also feature some new bench pieces this year that could be difference makers in the series Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Gabe Vincent, all of whom could defend and hit those spot-up threes if needed.
Then there&rsquo;s a hungry D&rsquo;Angelo Russell who had a bad series vs Denver last year raring to bounce back along with an always-solid Austin Reaves to be the stabilizer.
<h3>Pelicans - How will they fare without Zion Williamson?</h3>
The New Orleans Pelicans start and end with their young star Zion Williamson. After going out with what is to be believed a left hamstring strain, everything now hinges on his health.&nbsp;
The Pelicans obviously need him no matter what and whether or not he&rsquo;s healthy for their first-round series vs the Thunder will likely be the answer if they win it or not.
We&rsquo;ve seen what Williamson is capable of doing, scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in his first taste of postseason action in their play-in game vs the Lakers. The burly forward bullied the Lakers&rsquo; defense and he showed his once generational type of body and scoring prowess come together after finally being healthy for a full season in his five years in the NBA.
New Orleans has fallen short a lot of times in the playoffs, either failing to make it or to win a series, and it is clear that Zion is the difference that separates them from winning or losing a playoff series.

s eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges.

2024 Western Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question heading into the playoffs

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)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/embiid332.jpg" alt="" width="672" height="440" />
<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

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Tobias Harris had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-88 on Saturday, completing a sweep that made them the first team to reach the second round of the playoffs.
James Harden added 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the third-seeded 76ers, who will wait for the winner of the series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. The defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics have a 2-1 lead.
The 76ers hope Embiid will be recover from his sprained right knee in time for the start of the next series; the MVP finalist and two-time NBA scoring champion was ruled out Friday night and the 76ers struggled to score without him.
So they turned to their defense, and ended up outscoring the Nets 21-4 during a stretch of more than eight minutes in the third quarter.
Tyrese Maxey finished a strong series with 16 points and Paul Reed added 10 points and 15 rebounds after replacing Embiid in the starting lineup.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 20 points and Nic Claxton had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who were swept for the second straight year and have lost 10 straight postseason games. They went 0-8 this season against the 76ers.
Embiid went to the locker room early in Game 3 and was limping a couple times later in the game, but had a blocked shot to preserve a two-point lead with 8.8 seconds left and said afterward he was OK. But coach Doc Rivers said Embiid was complaining of soreness behind his knee and already had swelling shortly after the game. An MRI exam revealed the sprain.
Dorian Finney-Smith&rsquo;s 3-pointer two minutes into the third quarter made it 53-42, matching the Nets&rsquo; largest lead of the game. But Harden and P.J. Tucker hit consecutive 3s to get the Sixers started on what became a 14-0 run that made it 56-53 on Reed&rsquo;s basket.
Maxey&rsquo;s 3-pointer extended it to 63-57 with 1:49 remaining in the period, capping the Nets&rsquo; lengthy drought that would have seemed unimaginable when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were in Brooklyn.
They were both dealt at midseason, and this team went down just as quickly as the one they led last season, when Brooklyn was also the first team eliminated after getting swept by Boston.
Embiid averaged only 20 points in the series, 13 below his NBA-leading average of 33.1, as the Nets heavily double-teamed him.
But those double-teams were leaving open looks for their guards that weren&rsquo;t available Saturday, and the Sixers were just 2 for 11 from 3-point range in the first half as the Nets led 48-40.
But the 76ers limited them to 40 points in the second half and eventually pulled away to a 14-point lead as the cheers of the Sixers fans in the building grew louder.
TIP-INS
76ers: Philadelphia&rsquo;s eight-game winning streak against Brooklyn in the playoffs is its second-longest ever against an opponent. The 76ers beat the New York Knicks 10 straight times in the early 1980s.
Nets: The Nets fell to 0-7 all-time at home against the 76ers in the postseason. ... Patty Mills played for the first time in the series, going scoreless in five minutes. ... Brooklyn&rsquo;s last playoff win remains Game 5 against Milwaukee in the 2021 East semifinals.
DREADED LETTERS
Rivers said he doesn&rsquo;t worry when he sees Embiid appear to be hurting, as he was at times during Game 3. His concerns begin when he is told the medical staff wants to do an MRI exam.
&ldquo;As a coach I hate that word, I hate those three letters. I mean, because it never comes out well,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;It just feels like that whenever they tell a coach, &lsquo;Hey, we&rsquo;re going to get an MRI,&rsquo; it doesn&rsquo;t turn out well most of the time and this one did not.&rdquo;

The 76ers beat the Nets 96-88 on Saturday, completing a sweep that made them the first team to reach the second round of the playoffs.

76ers finish sweep of Nets without Embiid in 96-88 win

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Laboring throughout the game and perhaps lucky to not have been ejected for&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/embiid-76ers-nets-flagrant-foul-groin-kick-b103c45dda7867c40a6dcd161fc3a0e2">kicking a Nets player in the groin area,</a>&nbsp;Joel Embiid told himself he had to stay on the floor.
Even if the Nets kept hitting him or trying to make him lose his cool, he needed to be there for his Philadelphia 76ers.
&ldquo;You could see what the game plan was. Got to hit him, try to make me frustrated so I could get ejected,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;So, I&rsquo;m too mature to put myself in a position where I&rsquo;m going to be ejected, so I just went about my business and we got the win.&rdquo;
Thanks in part to his huge block at the end.
Embiid blocked a potential tying basket with 8.8 seconds left and the 76ers beat Brooklyn 102-97 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
Tyrese Maxey made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 44 seconds left for the 76ers, who can sweep their way into the second round with a victory Saturday in Brooklyn.
With James Harden having been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1649222268445249537?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ejected in the third quarter for another groin shot</a>&nbsp;and Embiid not looking like his usual dominant self, Maxey took over the offense and scored eight straight points, turning a five-point deficit into a 99-96 lead on his 3-pointer.
&ldquo;Tonight, when our ballhandler, our leader went out, take that role in the fourth quarter and help us get into our stuff, help us win the game,&rdquo; Maxey said.
Spencer Dinwiddie made one free throw, then appeared to have a path to the basket for a tying layup before Embiid rose up and swatted it. P.J. Tucker made a free throw to make it 100-97, and the Nets turned it over on their next possession.
Maxey scored 25 points and Harden had 21 for the 76ers. Embiid shot just 5 for 13 but had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Mikal Bridges scored 26 points and Dinwiddie had 20 for the Nets, who have lost nine straight playoff games and are on the verge of being swept for the second straight year. Cam Johnson scored 17 points.
&ldquo;I told the group they didn&rsquo;t give up, they grew up tonight,&rdquo; Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said.
Embiid went to the locker room for treatment after checking out in the first quarter, then was limping multiple times later.
The 76ers might&rsquo;ve been lucky he was still in the game at that point.
Nets fans loudly booed the decision not to eject him for kicking his leg up toward Nic Claxton&rsquo;s groin in the first quarter, after the Nets center stepped over him after he dunked and Embiid fouled him and fell to the court. Those not in the arena took to social media to ask why he wasn&rsquo;t tossed, as Golden State&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/warriors-draymond-suspended-nba-playoffs-a08adc073a205bc39043109e9a19a8a9">Draymond Green was for stepping on Sacramento&rsquo;s Domantas Sabonis</a>&nbsp;in Game 2 of their series. Green was then suspended by the NBA for Game 3.
Claxton ended up called for a technical foul &mdash; and was ejected in the fourth quarter when he picked up a second one.
But the ruling went against the 76ers in the third quarter when Harden, while closely guarded by Royce O&rsquo;Neale, swung out his arm and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1649222268445249537?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">struck the swingman, who fell to the court in pain</a>.
Crew chief Tony Brothers said Harden&rsquo;s direct contact to the groin made his penalty a flagrant 2, while Embiid&rsquo;s wasn&rsquo;t because of his area of contact.
The Nets raced to a 19-11, riding an emotional boost after Embiid&rsquo;s flagrant foul. But Philadelphia would recover to lead 32-28 after one, extended the lead to 51-40 on Maxey&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 3:52 left in the half and the lead remained 11 at the break.
But Bridges got the Nets off to a quick start in the third and Johnson scored 13 points, helping the Nets outscore the 76ers 35-18 in the third to bring an 82-76 edge to the fourth.
TIP-INS
76ers: Tobias Harris scored 15 points.
Nets: Brooklyn&rsquo;s last playoff victory was Game 5 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, before Milwaukee rallied to win that series and eventually the NBA title. ... The Nets fell to 0-6 vs. the 76ers at home in the playoffs. They are 4-5 on the road, with one win in 2019 and three in 1984, when they stunned the defending NBA champions 3-2 in the first round.
SECRET STAT?
76ers coach Doc Rivers was answering a question about how the Nets were defending Harden when he revealed something that created some puzzled looks in the room.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to sound like I&rsquo;m campaigning, but I am,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;James and Joel do lead the league in missed calls, as far as fouls. They got fouled the most, and that&rsquo;s not a Sixers stat by the way. I&rsquo;m just saying.&rdquo;
Asked for more details about this stat, Rivers would only reply: &ldquo;I will just say that it&rsquo;s a stat that we know that it&rsquo;s there.&rdquo;

The 76ers beat the Nets 102-97 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.

Embiid gets late block as Maxey, 76ers take 3-0 lead on Nets

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; The Charlotte Hornets aren&rsquo;t expected to be big spenders in free agency this summer even if Michael Jordan sells the team.
The Hornets are a projected $39 million under the NBA salary cap for next season &mdash; which ranks in the top 10 in the league in terms of available spending money &mdash; but the team plans to focus on re-signing their own players and adding others through the draft and &ldquo;savvy trades,&rdquo; according to general manager Mitch Kupchak.
&ldquo;Although we have a lot of financial flexibility, we don&rsquo;t typically go big-game hunting with our free agent money,&rdquo; Kupchak said Tuesday.
He then added, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to use that to sign back players.&rdquo;
The Hornets (27-55) finished with the fourth-worst record in the league, so they&rsquo;re guaranteed to pick somewhere between 1 and 8 depending on the outcome of the May 16 draft lottery. Charlotte has five draft picks in all, including two in the first round, although Kupchak indicated it&rsquo;s unlikely the team will use them all.
The Hornets haven&rsquo;t won a playoff series in more than two decades, and Jordan has been criticized at times by fans for not spending enough money to get big-name free agents.
Last month, Jordan&rsquo;s family office released a statement saying the six-time NBA champion is considering selling another portion of the team to Hornets minority owner Gabe Plotkin. While it&rsquo;s unclear if Jordan will give up his majority stake in the team, Kupchak indicated it is largely irrelevant in terms of the Hornets building process.
&ldquo;Typically, the basketball operations (such as) players, contracts, who you draft and all that stuff doesn&rsquo;t really get affected by that,&rdquo; Kupchak said of a potential change in ownership.
Kupchak&rsquo;s first priority will be re-signing restricted free agent P.J. Washington, who appears to have nailed down the starting 4 spot after averaging 15.7 points per game.
Whether or not the team makes a move to bring back restricted free agent Miles Bridges remains to be seen.
Bridges was charged with three counts of domestic violence last summer, and although the case has since been settled the league is still looking into the matter and he could face disciplinary action. Kupchak said until the team hears from the league it&rsquo;s not going to act on Bridges, the team&rsquo;s leading scorer and rebounder in the 2021-22 season.
&ldquo;Even when (the NBA) completes its investigation, there are going to be steps that need to be taken, whether it&rsquo;s from us or other teams,&rdquo; Kupchak said. &ldquo;It looks like, for certain, that this is going to go over to July first. There was maybe some thought that us or somebody would sign him during the season, well, that&rsquo;s not possible.&rdquo;
The Hornets are coming off a 27-55 season, missing the playoffs for the seventh straight season &mdash; the longest such streak in the league.
Bridges&rsquo; absence and a rash of injuries to key players such as LaMelo Ball, who was limited to 36 games due to ankle issues, was a big reason why the team didn&rsquo;t build on its 43-win season from a year ago. Charlotte finished the season with none of its opening night starters in the lineup.
But Kupchak said the injuries could serve as a &ldquo;silver lining&rdquo; because it allowed some of the team&rsquo;s younger players, including rookie center Mark Williams, to gain experience. Williams is expected to start again next season, Kupchak said.
The hope is players like Williams, Nick Richards, Bryce McGowens, JT Thor and James Bouknight develop into starters, and the Hornets begin to build a winning franchise.
It may not be the fastest way to success, but Kuchak is confident it&rsquo;s the best way &mdash; for now.
&ldquo;Maybe one day we will get to the point where a marquee free agent would look at our team and we&rsquo;re winning a bunch of games and he&rsquo;ll say, &rsquo;Hey, that&rsquo;s a place I really want to go,&rdquo; Kupchak said. &ldquo;But right now, I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s realistic. We&rsquo;ve got to do it through the draft primarily.&rdquo;

Charlotte plans to focus on re-signing its own players and adding others through the draft and “savvy trades," per Mitch Kupchak.

Hornets won’t go ‘big-game hunting’ even if Jordan sells

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; The Brooklyn Nets made sure a season that started turbulently will end in the playoffs.
Not only that, they did it with a better record and seeding than last season, even after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
&ldquo;This group just endured,&rdquo; coach Jacque Vaughn said. &ldquo;I mean, we chose to be courageous over comfort many times and that&rsquo;s hard to do in this league.&rdquo;
Mikal Bridges scored 22 points and the Nets, shortly after clinching the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, beat the Orlando Magic 101-84 on Friday night.
The Nets no longer needed the victory by the time the game was over, having wrapped up a playoff spot when Miami lost at Washington while their game was in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn earned the final guaranteed spot in the East and will face the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
First, those teams meet on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn for what is now a meaningless regular-season finale.
The Nets lost their star power when they dealt Durant and Irving in February. But the players they brought back have recent postseason success, with Bridges and Cam Johnson playing for Phoenix in the 2021 NBA Finals, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith helping Dallas reach the West finals last year.
&ldquo;Now again, we have to come together, new system, new city, all of the other stuff, so it&rsquo;s not going to be an easy task by any stretch and they have the probable MVP (Joel Embiid),&rdquo; Dinwiddie said of the 76ers. &rdquo;So again, like I said, there&rsquo;s an appropriate respect, give Philly their credit, but at the same time we do feel like we belong in that arena.&rdquo;
Bridges was 1 for 12 from 3-point range and fellow starting guard Dinwiddie was 0 for 6 on a night both teams were miserable behind the arc. But Johnson scored 18 points, Nic Claxton finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Dinwiddie had 14 assists and seven rebounds.
The Nets replaced coach Steve Nash with Vaughn after starting 1-5, traded Durant and Irving within days of each other and got a disappointing, injury-shortened season out of Ben Simmons.
Despite all that, Brooklyn fared better than last season. The Nets improved to 45-36 after going 44-38 in 2021-22, when they had to win a play-in game to get the No. 7 seed before being swept by Boston in the first round.
Cole Anthony had 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Magic. Goga Bitadze added 12 points and 15 rebounds.
After being eliminated from contention for a play-in spot Tuesday with a loss to Cleveland in the opener of a two-game series, the Magic sat all of their starters while losing the second game Thursday. They kept No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero out again Friday but started regulars Franz Wagner and Markelle Fultz.
The Nets blew it open in the second quarter, with an 11-0 spurt to open the period pushing a four-point lead to 38-23. It grew to 46-28 when Seth Curry made his second four-point play of the period &mdash; giving him eight points on just two field goals &mdash; and would reach 24 before the Nets took a 58-39 lead to the break.
&ldquo;When they broke that lead open, it was a lot of turnovers and a lot of fouls,&rdquo; coach Jamahl Mosley said. &ldquo;So I think the more we can focus on being able to take care of the basketball and defend without fouling, those will continue to be our keys.&rdquo;
It was 78-62 entering the fourth, matching the fewest points the Nets allowed through three quarters this season.
Brooklyn was 9 for 42 (21.4%) on 3s and Orlando finished 7 for 38 (18.4%).
TIP-INS
Magic: Wagner scored 12 points. ... Orlando has lost 15 of its last 19 games in Brooklyn.
Nets: Curry scored 13 points. ... The Nets converted the deal for guard David Duke Jr. into a standard NBA contract. Terms were not released. He has appeared in 22 games off the bench for Brooklyn this season . ... The Nets finished 16-2 against the Southeast Division.
GOOD FRIDAY
The Nets finished 12-2 on Friday, the best record in the NBA on that day.
UP NEXT
Magic: At Miami on Sunday.
Nets: Host Philadelphia on Sunday.

Mikal Bridges scored 22 points and the Nets, shortly after clinching the No. 6 seed, beat the Orlando Magic 101-84 on Friday night.

Nets beat Magic 101-84, will be No. 6 seed in East playoffs

The Washington Wizards have engaged in "serious discussions [on] a new deal" for Kristaps Porzingis, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/4360583/2023/03/29/the-bounce-kristaps-porzingis-wizards-extension-shams/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic.</a>
Porzingis has a player option worth $36,016,200 for next season. However, if the sides can agree to this extension, he would opt out and sign a new long-term deal with Washington.
Charania notes that the maximum offer the Wizards can make to Porzingis is four years, $180 million. The two sides have until late June to reach an agreement.
This season, Porzingis is averaging a career-high 23.2 points to go along with 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 blocks, 2.1 threes and 0.9 steals, while shooting 49.8% from the field, 38.5% from three-point range and 85.1% from the free-throw line.
Porzingis landed in Washington prior to the 2022 trade deadline after the Dallas Mavericks dealt him for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.&nbsp;
While extending Porzingis seems to be a priority, the Wizards also have to make a decision on Kyle Kuzma's future with the organization.
Kuzma has a player option for next season (worth $13,000,000), but he intends to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent. With that said, Charania notes that "there is mutual interest in a new deal."
This season, Kuzma has averaged career-highs in points (21.2), assists (3.7), three-pointers (2.5) and steals (0.6), while also averaging 7.2 rebounds and 0.5 blocks on .448/.333/.730 shooting splits.
The Wizards acquired Kuzma from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021 as part of the Russell Westbrook blockbuster trade.
Porzingis and Kuzma are both 27 years old and playing arguably their best basketball.

The Wizards started serious discussions on a contract extension for Kristaps Porzingis, while Kyle Kuzma is also up for a new deal.

Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis discussing contract extension

Isaac Mourier is the director of performance nutrition and sports science at Impact Basketball, one of the most prestigious independent training organizations for elite pro basketball players. He's spent time as a consultant for the Sacramento Kings and as a nutritionist for Georgia athletics, and he played pro basketball in Germany.
So while Mourier cannot speak for everyone in the NBA, his next statement carries weight:
"I've never met a player that doesn't want to play," Mourier told Basketball News. "Never, in my career as a player, as a practitioner, have I ever met a player that does not want to play. So that's a myth."
The NBA's perceived "load management crisis" has only sparked louder outrage this season from fans, some media and even former players. Charles Barkley has <a href="https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/charles-barkley-load-management-steel-mill-first-take.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the trend</a> "disrespectful to the game."&nbsp;Kendrick Perkins has <a href="https://fadeawayworld.net/kendrick-perkins-rips-load-management-its-starting-to-get-beyond-disrespectful" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labeled the mental toughness of today's players</a> as "softer than funeral music." While these two are certainly controversial voices at the very least, they are significant influences in the sport's discourse.
Barkley and Perkins, among many others, are also warping the true hows and whys of load management.&nbsp;
Today's NBA game is more physically taxing than ever, and among those in the league, it's barely a debate.&nbsp;
"I was part of the physical era, where you could hand-check and grind, post up and all that," Mike Conley told <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/load-management-draymond-green-warriors-kevon-looney-technology-mike-conley-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Sports in January.</a> "We were a physical team. It&rsquo;s who we were. That was taxing in a whole other way. You played through injuries, but it was more bumps and bruises because you were being physically assaulted.
"Now it&rsquo;s like, imagine running as fast as you can for 48 minutes and having to do that every night. There are more possessions, more opportunities to get these non-contact injuries. Guys are having more calf strains, more hamstrings and stuff like that. We weren&rsquo;t getting those as much (before)."
Kevon Looney backs Conley up in <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/load-management-draymond-green-warriors-kevon-looney-technology-mike-conley-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that article</a>, and Mourier supports them both. He says that the "physicality" of the old-school, post-centric game is much different from today's fast pace that wears out the body with more muscle contractions.
"What may look less physically taxing to the eye, in terms of less bumps and bruises and people getting knocked over &mdash; I think you're actually having the opposite effect on the body, where these distances covered, the speed at which they're covered and the changes of directions are far more taxing on the body," Mourier said.
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Today, teams can quantify those stresses. Mourier explains that players often jump on force plates and see how their power generated will change with fatigue throughout a season. Hormones and proteins found in blood testing can signal muscle damage or inflammation. Teams use GPS tracking and camera systems to monitor players' wear and tear even in practices. The data paints a collective picture of an athlete's overall load during the season.
Importantly, this data isn't hidden by doctors &mdash; it typically is part of an ongoing conversation throughout the year. Building trust between players and medical staffers is crucial to injury management. That way, players can trust the data and doctors can respect the athlete's motivations.
"There's a number of data points that you will track until it gets to the point where we have to stop," Mourier said. "It's not like, 'Hey, we've just noticed something and you're not gonna play tonight.' It will be something that's been in the works &mdash; overall wellness scores, looking at that force plate data &mdash; it will be a trend, which is happening over time, and it's got to a point where it's like, 'Okay, we really have to do this.'
"It's not taken lightly because, ultimately, everybody's job there is to make sure that people can play every night."
Fans often want to ask: Who's in control? And the difficult answer is that the power dynamics change in different organizations.
Mourier says that superstars' voices will naturally have more influence, but that college staffs have more control over player rest than NBA teams. Others in the NBA have observed that teams do hold serious decision-making power.
"I do know on occasion that it&rsquo;s not the player&rsquo;s choice [to rest]," New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. told Basketball News.
"On the whole, I think people are on the same page, especially when it comes to our [Impact Basketball] guys on [NBA] teams," Mourier said. "I've never come across someone saying, 'They made me sit down; I wanted to play and I couldn't.'"
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_20114521.jpg" alt="" width="575" height="444" />
Seth Partnow works for StatsBomb and writes for The Athletic, and was formerly the Milwaukee Bucks' director of basketball research, working adjacent to the sports scientists within the organization. He said in his general experience, trust in both data and relationships is a huge part of reaching decisions to rest.&nbsp;
"I think that the impetus for resting overwhelmingly comes from the medical and front-office side," Partnow told Basketball News. "I think that part of the increased comfort players have with revealing that information is maybe an increased willingness to take that advice."
Partnow explained that teams often boil down decision-making for rest to a "risk versus reward" scale. Does Player X need to play this specific game for the sake of the team, and is it worth the risk of a potential injury that could threaten playoff availability?&nbsp;
"We're going to be judged on how well we do in the playoffs," Partnow said. "And more of a bigger factor than a regular-season win or two is, 'Are my good players able to play?'"
That balance does not include the weight of the fan experience &mdash; a valid criticism within the conversation. Mourier, originally from England, remembers attending his first NBA game in person between the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards and being disappointed when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade didn't suit up. NBA tickets can be a significant investment for fans and families; understandably, they would be bummed when a star rests.
But "risk vs. reward" applies to the league's approach too, as evidenced by its lack of action on anything surrounding load management. Others, including <a href="https://theathletic.com/4272209/2023/03/03/load-management-nba-injuries/?source=user_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a recent conversation between The Athletic's staff members</a>, have clamored for more transparency around injuries as at least a starting point.
&ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t a new issue. There&rsquo;s nothing particularly happening this season that we haven&rsquo;t seen happening over the last several seasons," Adam Silver <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/25/sports/sunday-basketball-notes/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in February</a>. "I understand it from a fan standpoint that if you are particularly buying tickets to a particular game and that player isn&rsquo;t playing. I don&rsquo;t have a good answer for that other than this is a deep league with incredible competition."
One motivator gaining traction is the idea of minimum-games-played requirements for season awards. Shams Charania has reported that <a href="https://theathletic.com/4302514/2023/03/13/the-bounce-lakers-cba-games-played-minimum-shams/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">both the league and the National Basketball Players Association like the idea</a>. But many do not, including Mourier.
"I think that opens up a pretty dangerous can of worms, because if you have somebody that's really not in a position where they're ready to play &mdash; we have to start looking at them as humans as opposed to just athletes," Mourier said. "If they're in a position where they are really not ready to play, they're feeling sore or there's an injury, and they're creeping up on that cut-off for games and they're about to play, and it's gonna mean that they're not going to get home, they can't put food on the table for their family or can't support the the different needs that they have, then we have a human issue."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr explains his position of protecting his players on the second night of a back-to-back, empathizes with the fans who are affected by load management and shares how a 72-game NBA season would be equally as rewarding as it&rsquo;d be safe. <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/osTyhqxNyd">pic.twitter.com/osTyhqxNyd</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1616581456658108416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Another common suggestion is to simply shorten the schedule, be it to 70 games, 65 games or whatever makes sense. It would lighten the workload for players and possibly address some of the concerns about the value of the regular season along the way. But Silver didn't seem excited.
&ldquo;If we thought it made sense to reduce the number of games, we would. But there&rsquo;s no data right now that suggests, as I said, based on some prior experiments or even as we look at the data over the course of the season and when players get injured, it isn&rsquo;t... You would think that it would be the case that injuries would increase as the season goes on, and that&rsquo;s not necessarily it either," Silver said.
Partnow echoes Silver's stance as a reason for the league shrugging its shoulders. There just isn't hard proof that the change wouldn't lead to an obvious loss of revenue from dropping 200-plus contests.
"Measuring how that sort of loss of &mdash; I don't know, if you want to call it loss of trust &mdash; might longer-term affect the per-game revenue, that's tough math to do, but I think that's the concern," Partnow added.
And even if the league did shrink the schedule, games are not the only way athletes are physically taxed during the year.
&ldquo;I think the biggest thing [fans don't notice] would just be trying to manage injuries and inflammation while traveling via airplane," Nance Jr. said. "That always seems to exacerbate most problems.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Fans can&rsquo;t imagine playing 82 games in different cities all across the country and the physical toll it takes on your body, even without injuries," added NBA veteran Etan Thomas. "It&rsquo;s difficult for most fans to really understand.&rdquo;
Mourier says that pros need at least 48-to-72 hours between high-level competition for their bodies to replenish with proper nutrients. That's not consistently happening under the current schedule, and travel doesn't help.
"All of the factors which are not directly related to after the ball is thrown up at the tip-off &mdash; so sleep, travel, all of that other stuff &mdash; how can we influence those things to put the players in a more favorable spot to be able to go and perform every night? I think that's where we start," Mourier suggested.
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Load management is the best strategy NBA teams have to contain injuries, but it isn't stopping them from happening. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0263354" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Studies are showing</a> that NBA players get hurt more than ever. Partnow warns not to assume rest every time a star is out briefly; many of the smaller cases are still legitimate injuries.&nbsp;
The findings hint at a scarier truth: What if the NBA can't do anything about it? As <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27125793/these-kids-ticking-bombs-threat-youth-basketball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Baxter Holmes uncovered</a>, AAU and youth sports are taking major tolls on players' bodies before they even reach the pro level. Current pros are torn on if the grind of year-round youth basketball was worth it.
"I agree that kids are being overworked at a young age,&rdquo; <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2019/11/08/does-aau-lead-to-load-management-in-nba-kids-are-being-overworked/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic told HoopsHype in 2019</a>. &ldquo;Parents push kids too hard to succeed and hire all these fake basketball coaches who don&rsquo;t teach them how to play the game the right way. Kids have to have fun first while they play, and not [have someone] make it a business for them right away."
The NBA doesn't supervise the entirety of American youth hoops, which means it can't stop one of the root problems.
"Yes, absolutely [it's worrisome]," Partnow said. "I mean, on some level, it's not just that youth sports are out of our control. Youth sports are out of control."
So, NBA teams and players have more data than ever to manage a sport that is more physcially demanding than ever. But the league doesn't have the data to comfortably make a big change, and the frustration only grows.
At what point does the NBA stop waiting for numeric proof to force change, and take the risk for the sake of its players and fans?
"That's a political question. I don't know," Partnow said. "The longer [load management] becomes front and center of the conversation, the shorter that timespan is. But if something intervening happens that takes the focus off, and now we're talking about this other thing, then it loses salience and it kind of subsides...
"It seems like this [conversation] has been pretty continuous for the last couple months, which is probably the longest I can remember it being sort of a constant."

Ethan Fuller talks to figures around basketball to understand why load management happens and what can be done about it.

Here's the reality of the NBA's perceived 'load management crisis'

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; UCLA came in way too cocky, according to coach Mick Cronin, and it nearly cost the Bruins.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 26 points and fourth-ranked UCLA rallied in the second half to beat Stanford 73-64 on Thursday night, improving to 14-0 at home this season.
&ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t ready for the fight,&rdquo; Cronin said, adding: &ldquo;They dug it out tonight.&rdquo;
The Bruins got outplayed in the first half, then built a lead in the second half only to fall behind again before closing out their 22nd consecutive home victory dating to last season &mdash; the nation&rsquo;s longest current streak.
&ldquo;We did come in a little overconfident. Sometimes that happens,&rdquo; Jaquez said. &ldquo;It was also good to get checked by Stanford in the first half and realize we&rsquo;ve got to stay humble and composed. This is the time of year anything can happen. I said in the huddle, &lsquo;We got an opportunity and let&rsquo;s not mess this up.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Jaylen Clark added 16 points for the first-place Bruins (22-4, 13-2 Pac-12), who have won five in a row overall.
Michael Jones scored 15 points to lead Stanford (11-15, 5-10), and Harrison Ingram added 13. Maxime Raynaud had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Spencer Jones, the Cardinal&rsquo;s leading scorer at 13.7 points per game, was held to six.
The Bruins burst out to start the second half, outscoring the Cardinal 16-4 to take a 43-36 lead. Clark stole the ball from Michael O&rsquo;Connell and dunked, then he hit a 3-pointer before Jaquez completed a three-point play to cap the spurt.
&ldquo;This is my last year and I realized I&rsquo;ve only got so many games left, so I&rsquo;m going down swinging,&rdquo; said Jaquez, who made 9 of 11 free throws and had nine rebounds and three assists.
Stanford responded with a 14-2 run, including 12 in a row, to go back in front, 50-45. Michael Jones scored seven straight points and Spencer Jones dunked.
The Cardinal had five players in foul trouble in the second half: O&rsquo;Connell, Michael Jones, Spencer Jones, Ingram and Raynaud. O&rsquo;Connell fouled out in the closing seconds.
Four times the Bruins clawed within one. Clark grabbed a defensive rebound and streaked down the court to dunk and put UCLA ahead, 58-57.
After Ingram&rsquo;s jumper cut the Bruins&rsquo; lead to one, Will McClendon hit a high-arcing 3-pointer in front of UCLA&rsquo;s bench that extended their lead to 63-59. UCLA made all eight of its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Stanford controlled the first half and led 31-27. The Cardinal were better than the Bruins in shooting (48%), rebounding (22-15), bench points (10-5) and paint points (22-12). Stanford was in front for 17 1/2 minutes of the half, and its largest lead was eight points.
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: The Cardinal came into Pauley Pavilion full of confidence, having beaten then-No. 4 Arizona last week for their first win over a top-four team since 2007. But they couldn&rsquo;t make shots in the closing minutes against the Bruins&rsquo; defense.
UCLA: The Bruins have four games remaining until facing their last ranked opponent of the regular season, No. 8 Arizona at home on March 4. They figure to have no problem against last-place California before going on their final road trip.
SITTING TYGER
Cronin kept Tyger Campbell and Amari Bailey on the bench to start the second half.
&ldquo;It would have been bad coaching to start them,&rdquo; Cronin said. &ldquo;They didn&rsquo;t have a basket, deflection or rebound (in the first half).&rdquo;
Campbell re-entered with 16 1/2 minutes remaining. He hit a big 3-pointer that cut the Bruins&rsquo; deficit to one and also fed McClendon for his critical 3 when UCLA led 60-59. Dylan Andrews also got 13 minutes of playing time and scored three points.
&ldquo;It was amazing to see Will and Dylan coming off the bench to make plays for us,&rdquo; David Singleton said. &ldquo;For those guys to step up big in games like this, we really showed the depth of our team.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Stanford: Visits Southern California on Saturday.
UCLA: Hosts California on Saturday.

“We weren’t ready for the fight,” Bruins head coach Mick Cronin said, adding: “They dug it out tonight.”

No. 4 UCLA rallies to beat Stanford 73-64 behind Jaquez

Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman is typically one of the NBA's busiest executives when the trade deadline comes around. In fact, since taking over for David Griffin as the Cavs' general manager in July 2017, there hadn&rsquo;t been a single deadline where he stood pat.
On Thursday, that changed, as the Cavaliers decided not to make a trade.
&ldquo;My guys over there, they said, 'Koby I'm proud of you,' for not [making a move],&rdquo; Altman said with a grin at Cleveland Clinic Courts in his first media appearance this season. &ldquo;Because you could make deals. You can. There's things you can land the plane on. Don't just do something to do something. Let's be very, very intentional with what we're doing. It's different when you're in asset collection mode. It's different when you're trying to accumulate picks. That becomes a different motivation. I think where we are now is being very, very intentional [with] how you're going to help this young core grow and set them up for success. And if the move wasn't there to do it, don't do it. I guess we sat this one out.
&ldquo;I think there's value in continuity. I think there's value in giving this group a runway. And sometimes as a GM, you just say to yourself, 'Don't mess this up.' And I think that was a big key for us this deadline. [That's] not easy for me; you guys know I'm volume-heavy. But to take a step back and realize the growth we've seen already, mixed with the results... I didn't see anything that was appreciably gonna make us better and put us over the top. And so, I'm really happy with where we are and where we're going.&rdquo;
We all know the NBA community abides by a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately code, but remember Donovan Mitchell? The 26-year-old first-time All-Star starter who&rsquo;s already stamped his name in the Cavs history books and helped lead Cleveland to a torrid start? One of the best shooting guards in the league who&rsquo;s already won two Player of the Week awards and has brought 39 games worth of playoff experience with him to the team? The dude who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-breaking-news-donovan-mitchell-scores-nbaseasonhigh-cavs-franchisebest-71-in-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped 71 freaking points in one night</a>?
Lest we forget that Altman already launched his full-court heave on the first day of September, prior to the frenzy that was this past week.
&ldquo;I'm really glad we did what we did in the summer, to bring in a Donovan Mitchell, because it's so competitive &mdash; hyper-competitive in the trade market, hyper-competitive in the standings. And so, that was our big move to really lift our ceiling,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;I knew that we weren't going to top that move come trade deadline (laughs). I think it's been a seamless fit. I think it's been some really exciting basketball... I think we had a great future without Donovan, and I can't imagine not having him right now.
&ldquo;We don't need to take swings. We don't need to take these &lsquo;find this incredible talent that you have to build around&rsquo; (approaches). I think we've found that, which is the hardest part. And now, does it work within the group and does it make the team better?&rdquo;
Altman&rsquo;s reasoning behind this approach is logical in short-term and long-term lenses. First and foremost, he brought up the delicate nature of a rare, connected locker room. That&rsquo;s why, though he&rsquo;ll leave open the idea of scouring the buyout market with an open roster spot available, everything will be about fit and skill set when it comes to any addition.
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The Cavs are in a position that they haven&rsquo;t been in during his tenure. They boast the fifth-best record in the NBA while employing the second-youngest starting five (average age of 23.2 years old) in the league, and a majority of that core still has yet to experience postseason basketball.
&ldquo;There's no trade I could've accomplished that was going to account for Darius Garland playing in his first playoff series, Evan Mobley playing in his first playoff series, Isaac Okoro playing in his first playoff series. We have to go through that as a team,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;We're gonna have to go down the stretch here and battle for our position. We're gonna have to go in, hopefully, knock on wood, to a playoff series and see what that feels like, and I'm excited about that.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And that's the growth, that's the maturation that I wanna see from this group down the stretch, and really take a step back and let them experience this kinda basketball that's very, very new for us, and give them the runway to achieve, have setbacks and grow from those experiences. But it's a really, really exciting place to be... Give this group what they deserve [with] what they've already accomplished.&rdquo;
Given his expiring contract situation, there were a lot of questions surrounding Caris LeVert, a hot name on the trade front. Multiple teams inquired about his status with the Cavs and what it&rsquo;d take for the franchise to part ways with him. Altman instead revealed that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s a lot of interest to keep him here,&rdquo; and explained his rationale behind sticking with LeVert.
&ldquo;We acquired Caris last year in vastly different circumstances. If you remember, we had Darius Garland and no other ball-handlers; Ricky [Rubio] was out for the year, we had lost Collin [Sexton] for the year. And so, we brought Caris in under vastly different pretenses. I think what he's done this year is try to adapt his game to two ball-dominant, all-world guards," Altman said. "He's gotten better at his spot-up shooting; he's at a career-high this year at 37% in terms of shooting, and that's not even his real piece. He's just a really good basketball player, and I think he's embraced the challenge of being a defensive stopper.
&ldquo;The thing that really speaks to me too is, and I'm a softy for this, but guys that really want to be here. Guys that show up every day to work, that have a great attitude, that whatever their role is &mdash; and he had to take a substantial step back, be a sixth-man type when he could be starting in the NBA on a lot of different teams &mdash; and being like, 'I want to make this work. I want to be here.' That's meaningful to me, that's meaningful to this organization and it's a big reason why he's here. The other thing too is, let's be honest, we're not playing guys 82 games a year anymore. And to be able to spot start Caris at times is an absolute luxury. We learned that last year we can't have enough ball-handlers. We'll see in the playoffs. I know it's been a few years now, [but] to break your man off the dribble when everything else breaks down and your set play is not working, you're gonna need guys to go get some stuff for you and manufacture some runs. He remains a very important part of what we're doing. He's just a really good basketball player. I know he's thrilled to still be here, and we're happy that he's here as well.&rdquo;
As per usual, Kevin Love&rsquo;s name surfaced in rumblings for another year. This time around, it made sense because he&rsquo;s recorded five straight DNP-CDs and missed action in the three previous games due to a bothersome thumb injury. Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stated Wednesday night that the veteran big man is healthy and available, but wants to see what this new, healthy iteration of the team can do.&nbsp;
Asked about Love, Altman responded by saying that he&rsquo;s never had conversations with him or his representation about a buyout and doesn&rsquo;t anticipate it happening. He did however share that he and the 35-year-old have talked about making a sacrifice and staying ready when his chance to play comes again. Altman feels he&rsquo;ll have that opportunity at some point this season.
After striking a rhythm over the last week, Altman is pleased with what he&rsquo;s seen from this current Cavs rotation that&rsquo;s added some bodies off the injured list. Ricky Rubio &mdash; whom he considers midseason acquisition-like &mdash; came back in the fold less than a month ago and is rounding into form with the bench bunch, and Dean Wade has been getting his legs back under him since returning on Jan. 21, providing meaningful spacing and defensive chops.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Are the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> finding stability? J.B. Bickerstaff, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade weigh in (with hand signals and all 🎢). <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/oTD1TBWkyl">pic.twitter.com/oTD1TBWkyl</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1623719182910070786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

When the franchise pulled the trigger on the Mitchell blockbuster, it created a significant void left by now-Utah-Jazz-All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen. For much of the season, the wing has been anything but consistent and a point of contention around town. A whopping 18 different starting lineups is an obvious indication of that, which has included starts at small forward from LeVert, Okoro, Wade and Lamar Stevens. (That&rsquo;s due to injury and mixing and matching.)
However, to Altman&rsquo;s point of internal additions, Cleveland has seen a fresh version of Okoro emerge since the turn of the new year. From Jan. 4 and on &mdash; when &ldquo;Ice&rdquo; reentered the starting five &mdash; the burly third-year swingman over 19 games has averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest on 58.5% from the field, including a scorching 49.0% clip beyond the arc.&nbsp;
Coupling his already-stout defense with the threat of knocking down triples in the corner &mdash; and playmaking for teammates off the catch when closed out on &mdash; has helped Okoro earn the Cavs&rsquo; trust.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy for Isaac, who puts the most work in that now he deserves that sorta 3-and-D position that we drafted him as, that can guard 1-through-4, that really puts pressure on the defense,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;I think what you're seeing from us and from Isaac specifically is a dude that, right away, you feel that defense as soon as you get across half-court, or you want to take a shooter out and he's making you catch 40 feet out. That sets the tone for your defense, and he does that remarkably well. And now, he's hitting the three-ball and giving space to our guards, which we really need.&rdquo;
It also played a factor in Altman avoiding a potential disruption in Okoro&rsquo;s rhythm.
&ldquo;Obviously, everybody wants more shooting. It's something I looked at. But I also know... where are those minutes gonna go to?&rdquo; Altman argued. &ldquo;And that starting five, which has been really good with Isaac Okoro, who are you taking off the floor there when that group as a starting five is a plus-7.3 net rating with a substantial size now? Who are you taking off the floor there, right?
&ldquo;Between him, Dean, Cedi [Osman], we always wanted to hopefully have that be internal and not use more assets to go outside and hope it works. That's the other part too is, at the deadline, you're making these deals and hoping that it fits. You're ingratiating a new person into this system, everybody has to adapt around this person, you have to change the way you play a little bit to accentuate their positives. Keeping the continuity and letting the internal growth happen, I think, was a big part of (standing pat). And seeing those signs certainly gave us pause to... Isaac's only 22 years old, and he's getting better every single day. Let's let that play out.&rdquo;
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Flexibility is still present in Cleveland&rsquo;s books despite being over the salary cap. Altman noted how Mobley still being on his rookie-scale deal will allow the Cavs to re-sign LeVert and Love and use their mid-level exception if they choose. There are also second-round picks at their disposal, and if Thursday taught us anything, it&rsquo;s that they can be quite valuable.
Mitchell and Garland are meshing well with one another as the games pass, Mobley and Jarrett Allen have not shown signs of slowing down and Okoro is coming into his own. Rubio, LeVert, Wade and Osman have had their moments individually and are looking to put it all together to bolster the bench production. As long as the team can stay away from the injury bug, with a softer schedule in the second half of the season, there&rsquo;s no reason to expect any kind of decline. &nbsp; The overlying theme of the Cavs' strategy at this point? If it ain&rsquo;t broke, don&rsquo;t fix it.

Spencer Davies summarizes Cavaliers president Koby Altman's first press conference of the season after a quiet trade deadline.

Koby Altman counting on Cavaliers' continuity, growth from within

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving hadn&rsquo;t arrived yet and Luka Doncic was out, so it was time for the Dallas youngsters to shine.
Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career highs of 29 points and the short-handed Mavericks stunned the Utah Jazz 124-111 on Monday night after completing a trade for Irving.
&ldquo;Luka (and Irving) are going to have their amazing nights, but if we want to be a championship team it&rsquo;s about the rest of us being able to step up,&rdquo; Green said.
The Mavericks acquired the eight-time All-Star along with Markieff Morris from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
Irving and Morris arrived in Dallas on Monday to undergo physicals and were not available for the game. But their new team rallied behind Green, who averages 8.1 points, and Hardy, who scores 5.6 per game.
&ldquo;We believed we could win this from before the game even started,&rdquo; Hardy said. &ldquo;The Jazz didn&rsquo;t seem like they were taking it seriously. They came out late before the game to warm up, all nonchalant.&rdquo;
When Green was on the court, the Mavericks outscored the Jazz by an astonishing 39 points and won their first game in eight tries without Doncic, their leading scorer with 33.4 points a game.
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&ldquo;The guys believed and Josh set the tone,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;He understands how to play and he&rsquo;s not afraid of the moment.&rdquo;
Doncic (heel bruise) missed his third game in 10 days. The Jazz beat the Mavs 108-100 on Jan. 28, when the Slovenian star was out with a sprained ankle. This time the Mavericks bested the Jazz in nearly hustle category, including a 49-37 advantage on the boards.
&ldquo;It was exemplified when (5-foot-11) McKinley Wright was boxing out (Utah&rsquo;s 7-foot-1 Walker) Kessler. The physicality for us tonight was high, no matter how small we were out there,&rdquo; Kidd said.
After scoring 12 total points over six games, Hardy broke out for his career night and Dwight Powell added 12 points and a career-best 16 rebounds.
&ldquo;It was super fun,&rdquo; Hardy said twice with a smile that didn&rsquo;t leave his face for a long while.
Jordan Clarkson paced Utah with 26 points on 7-for-19 shooting and Lauri Markkanen added 19 &mdash; the first time he has failed to reach 20 points in the last 21 games.
&ldquo;They played better than us. They played harder than us. Give credit to them, but I don&rsquo;t think we were ready to play,&rdquo; Markkanen said.
The Jazz are now 7-5 on a stretch where they&rsquo;re playing 11 of 13 games at home, when they hoped to gain ground on teams like Dallas, but are now two games behind the Mavs.
The Jazz struggle when their 3s aren&rsquo;t falling and they often fail to get back on defense. The upstart Mavs led the Jazz 27-4 on fast break points.
&ldquo;This is the first game all season where I just feel disappointed in our focus,&rdquo; Utah coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;We just did not have the necessary focus and attention to the little things. They had 27 points in transition and 24 second-chance points and that&rsquo;s how we lost the game.&rdquo;
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As could be expected with different rotations and the end of the bench getting significant minutes, the Mavericks looked out of sync at times. But they started running at every opportunity and went on a 23-6 run bridging the second and third quarters to take a 75-66 lead.
The Jazz trimmed the lead to a single possession in the fourth quarter but could never catch the Mavs.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Wright finished his first start with a career-high 10 points. &hellip; Davis Bertans (left calf strain) and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) were out. &hellip; Dallas outscored Utah on second-chance points, 24-12
Jazz: Jarred Vanderbilt, the subject of persistent trade rumors, missed his second game with back spasms. &hellip; Mike Conley, who had a game-high 11 assists, turned his ankle in the fourth quarter but continued to play after a timeout. &hellip; Utah went 6 of 31 from 3-point range but had a 62-42 edge in the paint.
</div>
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</div>

Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career-highs of 29 points and the short-handed Mavericks stunned the Utah Jazz 124-111.

Green, Hardy help Mavs surprise Jazz 124-111 without Doncic

Thursday night&rsquo;s matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies was a showcase of the brightest young talents the NBA has to offer.
Both teams were trading runs, as Ja Morant and Darius Garland took turns getting into the paint and finishing or finding their guys for great looks. Evan Mobley would not be denied on the offensive glass, and his aggressive ascent continued. Desmond Bane was firing on all cylinders from distance.
Then, the game abruptly came to a halt when Mobley blocked Dillon Brooks on a fastbreak opportunity. As Donovan Mitchell came up with the loose-ball rebound near the baseline, a grounded Brooks rolled into his ankle and, with his left hand, struck Mitchell in the groin.&nbsp;
Mitchell tossed the ball back at Brooks in disgust and promptly shoved him. Chaos ensued.
As both sides tried to de-escalate the situation, the two were separated. After a review of the play, Mitchell was ejected for a &ldquo;hostile act&rdquo; while Brooks was handed a Flagrant 2 penalty and also tossed.
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Spida and Dillon Brooks get CHIPPY 😳 <a href="https://t.co/jGhYHa8VAS">pic.twitter.com/jGhYHa8VAS</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1621333727543721984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote>

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With a five-point advantage at that point in the third quarter, the Cavs ended up going on a 23-11 run that bled over into the opening part of the fourth quarter. Cleveland did not relinquish the lead, and ended up victorious over Memphis by a final of 128-113.
After the contest, unplanned and knowing the financial ramifications to come, Mitchell requested to speak on the matter. When asked if he felt it was a cheap shot, the All-Star guard did not hold back his feelings about Brooks, whom he&rsquo;s encountered plenty of times.
&ldquo;Yeah. For sure. That&rsquo;s just who he is. We have seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I&rsquo;ve been busting his ass for years &mdash; playoffs, regular season. And the one game he does an alright job on me today, he decides to do something like that. No place for that in the game,&rdquo; Mitchell said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve gotta protect yourself at the end of the day. This has been brewing for years&mdash; with me, with other guys in the league. You all see it. This isn&rsquo;t new. Tonight was just the end of it. It&rsquo;s tough when you can&rsquo;t guard somebody and you can&rsquo;t do something with somebody, you&rsquo;ve got to resort to that. And that is what he has done to a lot of players. Off the top of my head, I think it&rsquo;s like Dame [Lillard] and Steph [Curry]. It&rsquo;s just one of those things you resort to and that&rsquo;s cool, but I&rsquo;m glad my guys held it down tonight and had my back throughout the whole thing.&rdquo;
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Mitchell continued to address the matter with Brooks.
&ldquo;We have been talking nonstop, but I wouldn&rsquo;t say [it's ever gotten] to this extent. There&rsquo;s always been talk. You can go back. I think it was like two years ago, regular season, 30 points a game (against him), it&rsquo;s nonstop talking back and forth. That was cool when we were just talking. But that right there, a line has to be drawn," Mitchell said. "The NBA has to do something about it. I&rsquo;m not the only person this has happened to, and there&rsquo;s no place for that in this game. I took matters into my own hands. But at the end of the day, that ain&rsquo;t it.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think it would be like that. Maybe the jawing back and forth, which is part of the game and it&rsquo;s cool or whatever, but when you have a cheap shot like that &ndash; there was no need to do that. I wasn&rsquo;t expecting that and then, that&rsquo;s just how I reacted. If you just can&rsquo;t guard somebody then just say that or just get a switch. You know what I mean? That&rsquo;s what it is. It is what it is.&rdquo;
In the Grizzlies&rsquo; locker room, with Morant coming to his teammate&rsquo;s defense and telling reporters to only ask his teammate about the game itself, Brooks didn&rsquo;t have much to say other than that his Flagrant 2 saved him a couple of technical fouls.
&ldquo;I just think people don&rsquo;t like me,&rdquo; Brooks said.
Morant denied any kind of previous tension or history regarding his team and Mitchell, and shared his opinion on the matter in a broader context of NBA teams.
&ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t gonna speak on the play. I&rsquo;mma just speak on pretty much everything. Anything when it comes to negative with the Grizzlies, we normally get the punishments. It ain&rsquo;t the same. They hate us... We don&rsquo;t like them. I&rsquo;m standing on that. That&rsquo;s how it is though. It&rsquo;s a little situation going on now, I ain&rsquo;t gonna speak on it yet, but if some sh** don&rsquo;t change, y&rsquo;all will gonna hear me speak on it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t got no history with nobody. We don&rsquo;t beef with nobody. They don&rsquo;t like us. We speak our mind, we put pressure on &lsquo;em, we talk to &lsquo;em. Some people ain&rsquo;t built for it. They don&rsquo;t like it, and I feel like that&rsquo;s why teams always get in that match with us. But every time, we&rsquo;re gonna stand on all 10, ride for our guys, gonna step. Whatever comes together... We&rsquo;re brothers. We put in the work each and every day together. So anytime we&rsquo;re out on that floor, we&rsquo;re out there battling together. Anything else comes, we&rsquo;re gonna do it together.&rdquo;
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While Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins was mum on the subject and praised the referees for how they handled the altercation, he said &ldquo;it was competitive and we try to stand for our teammates.&rdquo; Jenkins had a conversation with Brooks and kept the details private.&nbsp;
On the Cavs end, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn&rsquo;t appreciate what went down and didn&rsquo;t think Mitchell deserved to get tossed from the game.
&ldquo;If somebody makes a play like that, you should have the right to stand up for yourself. That was a cheap shot in multiple ways," Bickerstaff said. "You roll a guy's ankle and then obviously whatever was next out of there, a guy should have the right to stand up for himself. I thought Donovan did that. That's one thing, I'm proud of our guys; we don't have those guys that start sh**, but we got guys that don't run from sh**. You have to in this league, you have to stand up for yourself. That's what he did and that's why his teammates had his back."
&ldquo;I mean, it was a dirty play from the other dude over there. Tried to hit him in his groin area,&rdquo; Garland added. &ldquo;So, [Donovan] just had to project himself. Guys protect themselves. We just rallied behind him and protected our team. That&rsquo;s all it was. We&rsquo;re no sissies over here. We&rsquo;re not going for all the little cheap shots and stuff like that. Everybody's happy that Don did protect himself and everybody rallied behind him as well. So it was good team camaraderie right there.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not no sissies. We not just gonna back down.&rdquo; Darius Garland offers his perspective on the Donovan Mitchell/Dillon Brooks (&ldquo;the other dude over there&rdquo;) tussle. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/93ssUP6RDz">pic.twitter.com/93ssUP6RDz</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1621378544306720770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote>

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When asked to discuss Bickerstaff&rsquo;s comments about opponents mistaking Cleveland&rsquo;s kindness for weakness, Garland described the Cavs&rsquo; attitude in his eyes.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re some nice young men until you try to do some weird stuff like the dude did over there. We&rsquo;re still tough, though. We&rsquo;re a tough group. We&rsquo;ve got some guys that get after you and we&rsquo;re going to fight back if you try to push us first,&rdquo; Garland said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not soft or anything. We&rsquo;re still some dogs, as I always say, and we&rsquo;ll never back down from nobody, never lay down for nobody, especially those guys over there. We&rsquo;re two of the top young teams in this league, so whenever we battle out, it&rsquo;s going to be a tough one. And that goes for everybody else in this league, as well. We&rsquo;re not going to lay down for nobody.&rdquo;
Citing previous examples with others, Mitchell believes there should be some kind of punishment for Brooks&rsquo; actions.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, I think my reaction was honestly just for me was reacting to a cheap shot. You know what I mean? This has been a habit for years and this isn't new to anybody in this room. And if punishment doesn't come from that, he&rsquo;s just going to keep doing that. It&rsquo;s just dumb, to be honest with you. Just dumb. It's just dumb and I'm going to appeal (the ejection) because I don't think I should've gotten ejected for defending myself, to be honest.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to say like, &lsquo;Oh it should be this, it should be that.&rsquo; But it should be something. Like I said, this isn't just a Donovan thing. This has happened to other players throughout this league. And it's bullshit. If we're being honest with you, it's complete bullsh**. There's one thing, you&rsquo;ve got Ja, you&rsquo;ve got Bane, Jaren Jackson, those guys &mdash; they talk shit and that's fine. That's all part of basketball. We all grew up playing that way. But when you start doing little cheap sh** like that, that ain't it. That's honestly where my frustration lies. It's not about talking back and forth with us, that's whatever; the extra bumps, whatever, that's cool. But when you start doing little stuff like that, what are we really doing?&rdquo;
The Cavs and Grizzlies ended up splitting the season series with two highly intense meetings. Both teams are fighting in their respective conferences and making plenty of noise. After Thursday, it&rsquo;s clear that these squads are holding their ground.

Spencer Davies goes behind the scenes of Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks' altercation in the Cavs-Grizzlies game.

Donovan Mitchell, Dillon Brooks get into scuffle; Cavs, Grizzlies react

Few people probably expected the NBA at large to be focused on a Reddit conspiracy theory for most of Saturday, but here we are.
Reddit user u/AdMassive6666 posted <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/10nbau4/memphis_grizzlies_scorekeeper_posting_fraudulent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an elaborate investigation</a>&nbsp;into the validity of Jaren Jackson Jr.'s block totals at home so far this season. The SparkNotes: This poster essentially accused the Memphis Grizzlies' scorekeeper of artificially inflating Jackson's block counts at home, leading to a massive chasm between his home and away stats. They cited examples they believed backed up the claim and then tossed out accusations of personal bias or financial motive.
The conspiracy spread like wildfire Saturday morning and the post had over 44,000 upvotes by the afternoon. Meanwhile, NBA media members across Twitter were fact-checking the claim, which looks more and more like a&nbsp;theory&nbsp;than an actual conspiracy under further scrutiny.
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I watched every block by Jaren Jackson Jr. in slow motion from alternate angles to investigate the NBA Reddit thread claiming the Grizzlies scorekeeper is "posting fraudulent numbers." But only 3 of his 66 home blocks are incorrectly labeled, a completely insignificant amount. <a href="https://t.co/84ZiE1rPVD">pic.twitter.com/84ZiE1rPVD</a>
&mdash; Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1619400282953359360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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There are already a&nbsp;lot&nbsp;of videos and threads like Kevin O'Connor's breakdown, including this one from <a href="&lt;blockquote%20class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;%20data-theme=&quot;dark&quot;&gt;&lt;p%20lang=&quot;en&quot;%20dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;THEY%20ARE%20LYING%20ABOUT%20JAREN%20JACKSON%20JR.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The%20Hoop%20ReView%20presents%20a%20full%20stat%20audit%20on%20Jaren%20Jackson%20Jr&amp;#39;s%20home%20block%20numbers&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;spoiler%20alert:%20HIS%20BLOCKS%20ARE%20VERY%20REAL&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I%20went%20through%20every%20block,%20at%20most%20there%20were%204%20questionable%20or%20lacking%20video%20evidence.&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://t.co/w12jBHI8w6&quot;&gt;https://t.co/w12jBHI8w6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash;%20A:A%20(@Swarlayzers)%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Swarlayzers/status/1619379441364533250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;January%2028,%202023&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;%20&lt;script%20async%20src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot;%20charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@swarlayzers</a>, this one from <a href="&lt;blockquote%20class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;%20data-theme=&quot;dark&quot;&gt;&lt;p%20lang=&quot;en&quot;%20dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Did%20some%20&amp;#39;investigative%20journalism&amp;#39;%20this%20morning%20into%20the%20Jaren%20Jackson%20Jr.%20scorekeeper%20saga%20(from%20this%20Reddit%20thread%20alleging%20his%20stats%20are%20padded%20at%20home:%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://t.co/XH6X5muYkP&quot;&gt;https://t.co/XH6X5muYkP&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Here%20are%20some%20of%20the%20more%20questionable%20blocks/%20steals%20JJJ%20is%20credited%20for%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://t.co/oeVKSJoImt&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/oeVKSJoImt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash;%20The%20Box%20and%20One%20(@TheBoxAndOne_)%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https://twitter.com/TheBoxAndOne_/status/1619351079371829249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;January%2028,%202023&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;%20&lt;script%20async%20src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot;%20charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Spinella</a>, this response from former stat-checker&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/findingneema23/status/1619365149902798848?s=20&amp;t=dHOSgXZXmSBeIIoZGaqgqw">Neema Djavadzadeh</a>.&nbsp;Most of the follow-ups reach the same conclusion: The initial poster either cherry-picked some narrative-suiting examples or was just plain wrong about their claims.&nbsp;
Furthermore, the post painted a picture that some corrupt mastermind is at the center of Jackson's absurd defensive season when that simply is not how NBA statskeeping works.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This post is making its way around the league now, not just the internet. For what it's worth, I checked in, and the Grizzlies use the same official scorer this season as they used last season. <a href="https://t.co/DViGP4JMxO">https://t.co/DViGP4JMxO</a>
&mdash; Fred Katz (@FredKatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1619369038202953729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Fred Katz of&nbsp;The Athletic&nbsp;gets the ball rolling with this thread, explaining that recording stats is not a one-person job anymore. In 2018, <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/2018/04/how-nba-scorekeepers-track-player-stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Lund of </a><a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/2018/04/how-nba-scorekeepers-track-player-stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Complex</a>&nbsp;took a peek at the life of an NBA statistician and the evolution of the process. This segment offers a brief explanation of gameday protocols:
"The four-man statistics crews is divided into primary and secondary inputters and callers. The primary caller does just that: calls out each play using numbers instead of names. The primary inputter marks 'a touch screen of a basketball court,' the Brooklyn statistician says. That screen is connected to the screen of the secondary inputter, who edits mistakes and double checks iffy plays. The secondary caller works the DVR, and they&rsquo;re connected to NBA headquarters in Secaucus, NJ. That connection to Secaucus during the game is new this year, as is the mandate that every arena have four statisticians for a game.
Despite that connection, it&rsquo;s still up to the discretion of the statisticians to decide an assist. The primary inputter makes the first read, but if the stat is unclear 'it&rsquo;s kind of a consensus, majority rule,' the Nets&rsquo; statistician explains. The NBA says that they audit every stat, and they&rsquo;ve always done it that way since they went digital in the late ​&rsquo;80s; this season they&rsquo;re just connected during the game."
The NBA backed this up in its own counter to the Reddit post:
&ldquo;In order to ensure the integrity of our game statistics, auditors, independent of the statisticians on-site, review all plays and stats decisions in real-time during NBA games,&rdquo; <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2023/01/28/nba-refutes-viral-reddit-post-claiming-conspiracy-to-pad-jaren-jackson-jr-s-stats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">league spokesman Tim Frank told NBC Sports.</a> &ldquo;If changes are necessary, they are made at that time or following a postgame review. All of the plays questioned in the post on Memphis games were scored consistently within the rules set forth by the NBA statisticians manual.&rdquo;
Today's technology also puts the NBA light-years ahead of the human error from a single set of eyeballs. "Using cameras installed in the catwalks of every NBA arena, Second Spectrum software tracks the movements of every player on the court and the basketball 25 times per second," <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/help/faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the league's statistics database says on its tracking data.</a>&nbsp;
Still, some categories will involve judgement calls by nature. Even if some of Jackson's blocks are debatable, this isn't the first time the NBA fandom has questioned the integrity of the numbers. Matthew van Bommel and Luke Bornn <a href="http://www.lukebornn.com/papers/vanbommel_dmkd_2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conducted a massive study about scorekeeper bias in 2016</a>.&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Seth Partnow has pointed out repeatedly how the frequency of shot attempts at the rim are unusually low at Golden Warriors home games, while the volume just outside the restricted area is much higher, for both teams competing. It's not a result of some ulterior motive; there just appears a tendency by the Warriors' record-keepers to judge shot locations differently.
Assists are notoriously subjective. Folks often wonder if John Stockton really&nbsp;racked up his all-time record of 15,806 assists, and <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2019/05/17/its-an-nba-urban-legend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Larsen looked into the total</a> for the Salt Lake Tribune in 2019.&nbsp;Larsen's work supports Stockton, but at the same time, he noted that the very definition of an assist leaves gray areas. <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/1/21/21074724/nba-home-court-assist-advantage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zach Kram wrote for The Ringer&nbsp;in 2020</a> about how even generous assist-crediting has changed in recent years.
So why is this suddenly captivating the league again? Three words: legalized sports betting.
Most basic NBA counting stats are now linked to video via the league's official database, with help from Second Spectrum. That opens up record-keeping to public eyes, including Redditors and people with money on the line.
Professional sports leagues, in marrying themselves to sports gambling, will face barrages of criticism about judgement calls because the stakes are higher than ever for viewers. The accuracy of block counts shouldn't be that big of a deal, nor should it factor so heavily into awards consideration as it is implied with Jackson. But it does now because millions of dollars can swing sides.
Maybe technological innovation renders human statskeeping obselete one day, and computers can track literal touches of a basketball with perfect precision. We're not there yet, though (and doesn't that get kind of creepy at a certain point?).
Defining assists and steals more clearly is one obvious pathway for improved transparency. For example, I firmly believe basketball should credit assists almost like hockey. Remove any subjective time measure or scoring difficulty component and automatically give an assist to the last passer of the score, provided the pass landed in the frontcourt. That's straightforward, and "good" assists are already up for debate anyway, so what would really change?
In general, today should really challenge the NBA fan base and betting base to understand the rulebook. At most, the major league analysts settled on 3-5 Jackson home blocks that were categorized questionably. The league itself backed up every swat. Amplifying a conspiracy theory like this one not only wastes a ton of time, but it means more ears will ignore future complaints, even if they do end up having merit.
It's great to hold pro sports leagues accountable, but you better be right when you do.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>For the record, <a href="https://twitter.com/SethPartnow/status/1619447671407738882?s=20&amp;t=V5yQjofyh8QAY1bsYGNRTQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaren Jackson Jr. is as good a defender as any and all numbers say.</a></li>
<li>Another data point for this season's ridiculous NBA scoring:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The number of players with a 30-point game in each NBA season. <a href="https://t.co/ur04gbctPu">pic.twitter.com/ur04gbctPu</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1617260889497047040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Caitlin Clark is one of the most mind-boggling scorers in the world:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The longest range shooters in women's college hoops: <a href="https://t.co/b5x7zc4FVV">pic.twitter.com/b5x7zc4FVV</a>
&mdash; Synergy Basketball (@SynergySST) <a href="https://twitter.com/SynergySST/status/1617691933945782278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>This is just over a week old now, but a really interesting graphic from SIS Hoops. Lauri Markkanen stands out to me:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A player's shot diet can shift meaningfully from year to year. Here's a look at the players who have experienced the largest changes in median shot distance this year compared to last: <a href="https://t.co/OK8BLRqwt0">pic.twitter.com/OK8BLRqwt0</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1616461874622513153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a>
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</blockquote>

Ethan Fuller breaks down the realities of the Jaren Jackson Jr. stats conspiracy theory and its implications.

NBA Stats Notebook: What happens if you don't believe the stats?

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points and made one of two free throws to break a tie with 4.2 seconds remaining, lifting the Washington Wizards to a 127-126 victory over Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Luka Doncic had 41 points and 15 rebounds for the Mavericks. Doncic still had on the jersey he ripped when he missed a free throw that would have put Dallas in front with 12.5 seconds to go when he bumped Kumza on a drive along the sideline.
The Mavericks challenged, but the call was confirmed. Kuzma missed the first free throw but swished the second.
&ldquo;I think there was some debate about whether he stepped out, whether he (was) fouled,&rdquo; Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. &ldquo;Thankfully, fouled. Those types of situations happen fast. You&rsquo;ve got to make a split-second decision.&rdquo;
Doncic tried twice to pass to Spencer Dinwiddie out of a double team on the final possession. The Wizards knocked the first out of bounds, and former Maverick Delon Wright stole the second to seal the victory.
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&ldquo;Luka had the right intention, was making the right play,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said. &ldquo;Delon just made a good play with his hands, something he&rsquo;s known for.&rdquo;
Kristaps Porzingis was out with an ankle injury in his first trip to Dallas since the Mavericks traded him to the Wizards last February for Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
The 7-foot-3 Latvian, whose pairing with Doncic never worked the way Dallas envisioned, received light applause after a video tribute during the break between the first and second quarters.
It was Washington&rsquo;s first game since sending Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and draft picks. Nunn was available but didn&rsquo;t play.
The Wizards opened a five-game trip with a third consecutive victory while Dallas finished a 1-3 homestand with its eighth loss in 11 games.
Washington swept the two-game series for the second consecutive season after going 14 years without a sweep of Dallas.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy to get excited about one performance. We&rsquo;ve got along road trip ahead,&rdquo; Unseld said. &ldquo;It could be a catalyst for something, to be a little short-handed, able to compete on the road, an area which we&rsquo;ve struggled at times.&rdquo;
Bradley Beal scored 22 points with a 3-pointer that was one of three lead changes in the final three minutes. Deni Avdija had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Dwight Powell scored a season-high 22 points with nine rebounds for Dallas. Dinwiddie had 20 points and eight assists.
Josh Green made his first seven shots and finished with 16 points, the most for the Dallas guard in four games since returning from a 20-game absence with a right elbow sprain.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Daniel Gafford played 19 minutes before fouling out with 6:32 remaining, getting nine points with seven rebounds. ... Corey Kispert scored 14 points, Monte Morris had 13 and Wright had 10 points, six assists and three steals.
Mavericks: F Christian Wood missed his third game since breaking his left thumb in a loss to Atlanta. The team has said he would be re-evaluated this week. ... Dorian Finney-Smith scored 12 points.
MISSED &rsquo;EM BOTH
Porzingis also missed the first meeting against his former team in Washington, won by the Wizards 113-105. He was out with a left groin strain for that November game. He&rsquo;s listed as week-to-week after spraining his left ankle Saturday against Orlando.
UP NEXT
Wizards: All three Texas cities are part of the five-game trip, with Houston next to finish a back-to-back Wednesday. The Rockets swept the two-game set with Wizards last season. The San Antonio stop is after a trip to New Orleans.
Mavericks: A two-game trip starts Thursday in Phoenix, where Dallas blew a 22-point lead in the second half of a 107-105 loss in the season opener.
</div>

Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points, lifting the Washington Wizards to a 127-126 victory over Dallas Mavericks.

Kuzma FT lifts Wizards over Mavs 127-126 despite Doncic’s 41

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Antoine Davis&rsquo; journey into the NCAA record book took a fortunate turn when his father lost a job.
The Detroit Mercy guard moved in middle school from Alabama to Houston, where former NBA coach John Lucas put him through grueling daily workouts, and it changed the trajectory of his basketball career.
&ldquo;His name wouldn&rsquo;t be in the record books if I didn&rsquo;t get fired from UAB,&rdquo; Titans coach Mike Davis said. &ldquo;Moving to Houston and working out three times a day with John Lucas made him a different player.&rdquo;
Davis is the nation&rsquo;s leading scorer but that doesn&rsquo;t capture it all. Last week, he broke the Division I record for career 3-pointers with a spectacular performance. He made a personal-best 11 3-pointers in a win over Robert Morris, giving him 513 in a career few saw coming when the 142-pound son of the coach stepped on campus in the Motor City.
And after Detroit Mercy plays this Saturday in Indianapolis against IUPUI, there is a good chance that only the late Basketball Hall of Famer Pete Maravich will be ahead of Davis on the NCAA all-time scoring list.
Maravich scored 3,667 points, an astonishing total over three seasons during an era of college basketball without freshmen, shot clocks or 3-point lines. Davis is just 18 points from passing former Portland State star Freeman Williams, who scored 3,249 points in 106 games from 1974-78.
Davis set the 3-pointer mark in his 130th game, four fewer than the previous record-holder, Fletcher Magee, who played at Wofford from 2014-19. He likely will break the all-division NCAA record for 3-pointers set by John Grotberg, who made his 526th career 3-pointer in 2009 for Division III Grinnell.
He is averaging an NCAA-best 26.2 points, the first Titan to lead the nation in scoring since Spencer Haywood in 1968-69, and has scored in double figures in 130 straight games, an NCAA record.
&ldquo;Those numbers are surreal at the end of the day,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;I still probably won&rsquo;t feel this until after my college career is over, probably later on down the line, but that&rsquo;s a lot of points and a lot of 3&rsquo;s made.&rdquo;
He passes, too, as evidenced by him joining Keydren Clark of St. Peter&rsquo;s as the two players in NCAA history with at least 3,000 points and 500 assists.
The Titans (7-12, 3-5 Horizon League) are ninth in their 11-team conference, though Davis is clinging to his dream of getting the program into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
Davis took advantage of an opportunity to play a fifth season, an option for all athletes who were enrolled when the pandemic hit during the 2019-20 season.
Davis entered the transfer portal last spring and was tempted to leave an overlooked basketball program for a major one. Maryland, Georgetown, Kansas State and BYU all offered Davis a chance to play at a higher level.
He had the green light to go, but chose stay despite a lack of fan support at games and financial backing for the basketball program that forces his father to pay a strength coach out of his own pocket to train the slender shooter.
When Detroit Mercy celebrated Davis joining the 3,000-point club by presenting him with a ball on the court before a recent game, there were maybe 200 fans in the stands.
&ldquo;I just said to my mother, `Where are the students?&rsquo;&rdquo; Tamilya Davis said at halftime of a home game against Youngstown State, sitting on a couch in her husband&rsquo;s office under photos of former Detroit coaches such as Dick Vitale. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand it. ... There&rsquo;s no school spirit.&rdquo;
Maybe bigger crowds are in the future for Davis. The 6-foot-1 guard is generously listed as 165 pounds and his slight frame may give NBA teams pause.
His father is trying to do something about that by hiring a strength coach to personally train him.
&ldquo;To do the things he&rsquo;s done at that size and not being wiry strong, but being weak, it tells you about how skilled he is,&rdquo; Mike Davis said. &ldquo;And, how much he&rsquo;s put time into his skill set.&rdquo;
The 24-year-old Davis was born in Bloomington, Indiana, where his father led the Hoosiers to the 2002 national championship game, and became a skilled basketball player when his father was forced to find a new job a decade ago and landed at Texas Southern.
He began getting homeschooled by his mother in Houston as part of the family&rsquo;s plan to free up his day for Lucas to train him along his other clients in the league and college basketball.
The extended court time also allowed Lucas to change his shot.
Davis holds the basketball in his right hand and steadies it with his left, like many players, and yet when his right wrist flicks on a shot his left palm rotates in to face the basket in a style that&rsquo;s all his own.
Lucas groomed Davis with those long workouts while requiring him to make at least 500 shots a day while coaxing him to become more competitive.
Davis has shot up to 10,000 times in a day, according to his father, and once hoisted up 60,000 shots in a 10-day period. Against NBA players and college standouts as a teenager, Davis did full court, one-on-one drills and had 100-possession games to test his mental and physical stamina.
&ldquo;Nobody was too big in the gym to go against the younger kids, so &rsquo;Toine was going against guys like Damon Stoudamire, Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley,&rdquo; Lucas recalled. &ldquo;His gift was, and is, scoring.
&ldquo;The only equalizer for size is a shot,&rdquo; Lucas said. &ldquo;If you can make shots, no matter how big or little you are, you will find your way onto the court and there&rsquo;s not too many people who can shoot like him.&rdquo;

Antoine Davis is the nation’s leading scorer, but that doesn’t capture it all

Antoine Davis on scoring binge at unheralded Detroit Mercy

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Damian Lillard had 36 points and 10 assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 136-119 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
Jusuf Nurkic added 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers, who face the Mavericks again on Sunday night.
Spencer Dinwiddie led Dallas with 25 points. Luka Doncic was held to a season-low 15 points before Mavericks coach Jason Kidd pulled him with seven minutes to go.
&ldquo;It feels great. When you&rsquo;re trying to fight for a win and you get in that type of funk, it seems like it&rsquo;s never going to end. But you&rsquo;ve just got to keep pushing,&rdquo; Lillard said about the end of the losing streak. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been saying, when your mind is right and you&rsquo;re pushing, everybody&rsquo;s pulling the rope in the same direction, you find your way to where you need to get to. And a lot of times all it takes is one.&rdquo;
Portland led by as many as 20 points early in the second half and went into the fourth quarter up 106-90. Nurkic dunked to give the Blazers a 116-94 lead with 9:59 left.
Doncic and Lillard had a heated exchange before Lillard scored to give the Blazers a 122-102 lead. Tim Hardaway Jr. left the court a short time earlier and limped to the locker room with what appeared to be a left ankle injury.
The Mavs have already been beset by injuries, with Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith all out.
&ldquo;Hopefully we do get healthy soon, but until then we have to play with the guys who are in uniform,&rdquo; Mavs coach Jason Kidd said.
Lillard started, but had been listed as questionable going into the game after he rolled his ankle early in Portland's 119-113 loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday. Lillard came out and scored 11 points in the first quarter against the Mavs.
Dallas was coming off a 119-115 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The win snapped a two-game losing skid.
Christian Wood was ruled out before the game with a sore right ankle. Wood played 48 minutes against the Lakers, with 24 points and 14 rebounds.
Portland had a 31-30 edge after the first period. The Mavericks kept it close by making eight of 13 3-point attempts.
Taking advantage while Doncic rested in the second quarter, Shaedon Sharpe's 3-pointer and Nurkic's layup and free throw put Portland up 47-36.
Lillard's 3-pointer put the Blazers ahead 65-49 and they went on to lead 71-56 at halftime. Lillard finished the half with 24 points, while Doncic had five.
&ldquo;We broke through,&rdquo; Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;We played so much better. We were really, really aggressive defensively and it just kind of fueled us.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Kidd was asked about whether he would have skipped playing college ball given the G League, like Mavs guard Jaden Hardy. He joked: &ldquo;I would&rsquo;ve left in the 8th grade.&rdquo; ... Dwight Powell got in foul trouble early, collecting his fourth with 2:48 left in the first half.
Trail Blazers: Portland lost the first two games of the series against the Mavericks this season, both in Dallas. Doncic averaged 37.5 points against the Blazers. ... With his fifth assist of the night, Lillard moved to second on the Blazers' career list ahead of Clyde Drexler. Lillard is already the team's most prolific scorer.
&nbsp;

Damian Lillard had 36 points, and the Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 136-119 victory over the Mavericks.

Lillard has 32 and Blazers beat Mavs 136-119 to end skid

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 9, meaning trade season is rapidly approaching. Will it be an active deadline with a ton of wheeling-and-dealing or a relatively quiet one? That remains to be seen.
With so much parity around the league, there should be plenty of buyers. But which teams will emerge as sellers? That's what NBA executives are waiting to find out between now and the deadline.
Basketball News recently asked our staff the following question: Which trade do you want to see before the deadline? Here's what our writers had to say:&nbsp;
Ethan Fuller: "I don&rsquo;t know if the Toronto Raptors even should sell, but if they do, teams should be jostling to land Gary Trent Jr. Dallas could certainly use Trent&rsquo;s microwave scoring and active defensive hands, even if they stick with Tim Hardaway Jr. and their current guards. Luka Doncic is an offensive juggernaut, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean he should sustain his workload. Trent can help ease the burden."
Alex Kennedy: "I'm a sucker for a blockbuster. The most interesting trade deadlines typically feature a star player changing teams. As this year's deadline approaches, there aren't too many rumblings about a star asking out. The closest is rival executives wondering whether <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/whats-going-wrong-with-the-atlanta-hawks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trae Young may ask the Atlanta Hawks for a trade</a> since the team is struggling and dealing with some drama behind the scenes, but that just seems like speculation at this point.
"Assuming a star doesn't become available over the next month, I'll settle for Bojan Bogdanovic getting traded to a contender. He has been terrific this season, averaging a career-high 21.2 points along with 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 threes (while shooting 48.7% from the field, 41.5% from three and 88.5% from the free-throw line). Bogdanovic is 33 years old, so it'd be great to see him join a playoff team (such as the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat or Phoenix Suns) rather than simply putting up great numbers on a bottom-feeder. The Detroit Pistons are rebuilding and would likely move Bogdanovic for the right offer, so I'm hoping we get to see him join a win-now squad."
Nekias Duncan: "I want the Denver Nuggets to trade Jeff Green, Davon Reed and a 2026 second-rounder to the New York Knicks for Isaiah Hartenstein. Frankly, it has pained me to watch Hartenstein &mdash; an underrated but effective passing hub &mdash; rarely get that usage. (To be fair, I&rsquo;m sure Thibs has been equally dismayed by Hartenstein&rsquo;s defense and rebounding presence. Fair play, Mr. Head Coach.) If he isn&rsquo;t going to be maximized on offense (and cause wincing on defense), a move may be best for both parties.
"The Nuggets are familiar with using their bigs as high post or Delay hubs; they have the best one in the league in Nikola Jokic. They&rsquo;ve attempted to use DeAndre Jordan as an elbow connector at times with the second unit; I&rsquo;ll go out on a limb and say Hartenstein would give them more juice in that regard. Green would give the Knicks some veteran depth in the frontcourt whenever he recovers from his hand injury. Reed is a nice flier on multi-positional defense. A light bit of draft capital wouldn&rsquo;t hurt either."
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Spencer Davies: "For the love of all that is sacred, get Luka Doncic another ball-handler and/or a better shooter. It is clear and obvious that Jalen Brunson's departure has made things twice as difficult on the Slovenian sensation, yet he's still delivering &mdash; with no examples better than Thursday's game-tying stepback threes and a ridiculous comeback effort against the New York Knicks around the holidays.
"The Mavericks have contracts to float around, none more obvious than Tim Hardaway Jr.'s &nbsp;deal. They could also fetch a valuable player with Dorian Finney-Smith's four-year, $55 million extension that is in Year 1 this season. In addition, Reggie Bullock is mired in a shooting slump that's lasted for the first half of the campaign. And if you need a filler for a bigger contract coming back, Davis Bertans is making a boatload on money ($16 million, then $17 million and an ETO in 2024-25).
"With the Chicago Bulls going in the wrong direction, DeMar DeRozan makes a ton of sense. The Charlotte Hornets have Terry Rozier, who's quietly averaging 21 points a night (albeit on over 19 shots per game); he's been very hot in January. D'Angelo Russell seems like he could be an odd-man out in Minnesota, no? Fred VanVleet feels like a popular name around the trade mill too.
"As for shooters, your first thought is obviously Bojan Bogdanovic in Detroit. If you want to take it a step further, Kyle Kuzma is a little streakier, but he can also put it on the floor and be a secondary creator, as he's showing with the Washington Wizards. Dallas could also call its rival in the Southwest Division and ask the San Antonio Spurs for one of (if not both of) Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson? (The problem there is the Spurs will want draft picks, and because of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, Dallas will convey its first-round selection to New York if it falls between 11-30; it's like that for the next three years too). However, the Mavs do have first-round picks from 2026-2029 to offer.) As you can see, there are options out there to explore for Dallas. At least try, or else Luka will be gassed by early March!"
Brian Fritz: "I would love to see the Minnesota Timberwolves send Naz Reid to the Memphis Grizzlies for a lottery-protected 2024 first-round pick. While the Grizzlies could use some shooting from the wing (as could every team in the NBA), they also need a backup big. Reid is averaging 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds since early December and would be a regular part of the rotation as well as insurance for Jaren Jackson Jr. and his foul issues.
"The Timberwolves may not even make it into the Play-In Tournament and could be best served moving Reid while his value is high and start recouping draft picks after giving up so many in the Rudy Gobert trade."
Is there a certain trade that you would like to see? If so, <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet it to us! We'll share our favorites!</a>

Basketball News recently asked our staff: Which deal do you want to see before the NBA trade deadline?

NBA Roundtable: Which trade do you want to see before the deadline?

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant scored 30 points, Kyrie Irving had 24 and the well-rested Brooklyn Nets methodically pulled away for a 112-100 win against the overmatched Washington Wizards on Monday night.
The Nets, who won at Indiana on Saturday night with their top seven scorers sitting out, matched a season best with their fourth straight victory. All those players were back in action Monday except Royce O&rsquo;Neale, who missed a second consecutive game for personal reasons.
Will Barton had a season-high 22 points for the Wizards, who lost their season-worst seventh game in a row. Washington was missing leading scorer Bradley Beal (right hamstring strain) for the fourth straight game.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 points for the Wizards, but departed with 3:37 left in the third quarter and didn&rsquo;t return. Porzingis rode an exercise bike with a pad strapped to his back while on the bench in the first half.
CLIPPERS 113, CELTICS 93
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Paul George scored 26 points, Kawhi Leonard had season highs of 25 points and nine rebounds, and Los Angeles beat NBA-leading Boston.
Leonard also had six assists in one of his best all-around games of a young season that has been interrupted at times while he eases his way back from ACL surgery that cost him all of last season.
Jaylen Brown scored 21 points to lead the Celtics, who dropped two in a row for just the second time this season. They had won eight of 10, including a loss at Golden State on Saturday. Jayson Tatum added 20 &mdash; well below his 30-point average &mdash; and 11 rebounds.
MAVERICKS 121, THUNDER 114
DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic had 38 points and 11 rebounds in his return from a one-game absence, and Spencer Dinwiddie added 20 points and 10 assists as Dallas defeated Oklahoma City.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 for the Mavericks, who ended a two-game skid.
Doncic sat out a 29-point loss at Chicago on Saturday night with a strained right quadriceps. The Mavericks were completing a back-to-back, having played at home Friday in a 9 p.m. start.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched his season high with 42 points for the Thunder, who lost their third straight in the finale of a five-game road trip.
HEAT 87, PACERS 82
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 17 rebounds, and Jimmy Butler scored seven straight points late in the fourth quarter to help Miami hold off Indiana.
Butler finished with 20 points. The Heat had lost three of their previous four but evened the season series with Indiana by pulling away late.
Buddy Hield led the Pacers with 19 points and Andrew Nembhard scored 18. Indiana has lost two straight and six of eight.
GRIZZLIES 128, HAWKS 103
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Tyus Jones had 22 points and 11 assists, Dillon Brooks added 18 points and streaking Memphis beat shorthanded Atlanta with both teams minus key starters.
Santi Aldama scored 16 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 15 points and a career-best eight blocks for the Grizzlies, who won their sixth straight and moved within a half-game of Western Conference-leading New Orleans.
De&rsquo;Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 19 points, and Jalen Johnson added 14 points and nine rebounds. Atlanta lost for the fourth time in five games.
Both teams were missing their leading scorers. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant sat out with right thigh soreness, while counterpart Trae Young was dealing with lower back tightness.
Young&rsquo;s absence meant Atlanta was down five of its top six scorers, including Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
SPURS 112, CAVALIERS 111
SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Keldon Johnson scored 21 points and blocked a late shot by Donovan Mitchell as San Antonio held off Cleveland.
Josh Richardson had 24 points to help the Spurs win their third straight after an 11-game losing streak.
Mitchell scored 28 to keep Cleveland close. The Cavaliers trailed by 19 in the third quarter and rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 4 1/2 minutes for a chance to win.
Mitchell&rsquo;s runner was blocked by Johnson with 6.1 seconds remaining. Following an offensive rebound by Caris LeVert, Darius Garland missed a 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds remaining.
LeVert finished with 23 points, and Evan Mobley had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavs.
TRAIL BLAZERS 133, TIMBERWOLVES 112
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Damian Lillard tied his own franchise record by making 11 3-pointers and finished with 38 points, leading Portland past Minnesota.
Lillard shot 11 for 17 from long range and didn&rsquo;t play in the fourth quarter. The Trail Blazers never trailed and led by as many as 27.
Jerami Grant had 24 points for Portland, and Jusuf Nurkic added 14 points and 16 rebounds.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell scored 23 for the Timberwolves. Rudy Gobert grabbed 20 rebounds to go with 16 points.

A recap of Monday night's NBA action includes a pair of dominant performances from the Nets' duo of KD and Kyrie.

Durant, Irving propel rested Nets past skidding Wizards

A reporter who typically despises hot takes actually has one begging to be written: Jarrett Allen is the straw that stirs the Cleveland Cavaliers' drink, and he is their most important player.
Somewhat buried beneath Tuesday's nationally-televised marquee showdown between Donovan Mitchell and a returning LeBron James was Allen&rsquo;s comeback to the Cavs. He&rsquo;d been missing for the last five games with a bothered back. In his first game since Nov. 25, the talented center made his first 10 shots, recording a 24-point, 11-rebound, 3-steal stat line in over 38 minutes of action.
Although Evan Mobley gets valuable reps as a ball-handling, jump-shooting, screen-slipping 5-man during his absences &mdash; and what a whale of a job he&rsquo;s done showing off his toolkit &mdash; Allen has a certain presence about him that makes him just as important on the offensive end of the floor as the defensive end.
Prior to Cleveland&rsquo;s road trip that started in Milwaukee, Basketball News <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1595651027667124225?s=20&amp;t=O06c1WaqkEdZPiNWTGSLGw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff about Allen&rsquo;s smarts and knowing opponents&rsquo; tendencies</a> on both sides of the floor. Revisiting that concept before Jarrett&rsquo;s eventual return to the court, Bickerstaff added to his previous response to illustrate what he does to open things up for his teammates.
&ldquo;He plays with the vertical spacing that changes the game for everybody. Teams have to make decisions on who's going to stop him at the rim,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said before the Cavs' 116-102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. &ldquo;Typically the only guy who's out there that can do that is the big, so now, that clears a lane for your guards who are penetrating, who are attacking. And if you want to bring in a third guy and try to stop him early, that creates room for shooters on the perimeter. So teams have to make adjustments and they have to make decisions when Jarrett is on the floor, because that's going to create opportunities for the other guys that are around him.&rdquo;
Vertical spacing. You don&rsquo;t hear that term too often. So many people look for big men to spread the floor in the modern NBA, expanding their shooting range and forcing defenders to have to pay attention on the outside to free-up space to attack. That isn&rsquo;t Allen&rsquo;s version. His is quite the opposite, in fact, as he draws defenders in, leaving Cleveland&rsquo;s perimeter players with good looks or blow-bys for better ones.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a thing just in terms in lobs if my man steps up, then he can throw the lob to me and finish it,&rdquo; Allen said after the victory over L.A. &ldquo;A lot of guys can jump in the league but being down there, ready for the lob, I don&rsquo;t even know how to explain it honestly, I&rsquo;m trying to make something up (laughs). Just a thing in the league with lobs and being able to be there whenever your man helps off you."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Keeping this going, I finally got around to asking Jarrett Allen himself about this concept. Of course in typical JA fashion, it ended with a laugh: "I'm trying to make something up." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/vbfglkayGm">https://t.co/vbfglkayGm</a> <a href="https://t.co/EW45xj6uSo">pic.twitter.com/EW45xj6uSo</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1600354444851322880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

&ldquo;Just try to find the open area," Allen followed up regarding his offensive approach. "D.G. (Darius Garland) has the amazing floater and Donovan has his pull-up game. My man is going to help and try to contest it. I&rsquo;m just trying to get into the open window where they can find me and dish it to me at the last second.&rdquo;
What Allen is known for is his screen-setting abilities, spearheading a pick-and-roll dynamite duo with both Mitchell and Garland. So when opposing teams send doubles at whichever ball-handler is operating the offense, it leaves just Allen and the basket. Again, an opportunity to cram it or spray it to the corners.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really know where to start. I think the biggest thing is he can do it all,&rdquo; Mitchell said after a win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 23. &ldquo;He can set hard screens. He can slip out of screens. You can hit him on a half-roll and a lob. You can pass to him and he&rsquo;s able to make a post move and finish. There&rsquo;s just so much to his game that adds onto mine&hellip; There&rsquo;s so much we can do &ndash; him and I together.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I mean, he's huge. He's a big guy. I mean, when he makes contact, he's making real contact,&rdquo; Garland stated at a preseason shootaround on Oct. 12. &ldquo;So I have a lot of room coming downhill and can get to any of my spots. And then he's just right on the rim. A lot of bigs don&rsquo;t want to have their man score, so a lot of bigs like going back to JA on the roll, so that leaves a lot of wide-open layups. When they do help, it leaves the easy lob, it&rsquo;s two points for sure.&rdquo;
Considering both of the Cavs guards are in the NBA&rsquo;s top-15 in getting doubled, it&rsquo;s always helpful to have that kind of option in the middle of the floor to make something happen. And sometimes, you&rsquo;ll see Allen and Mobley execute a high-low to bend the floor.
&ldquo;It goes both ways. Sometimes he's passing it to me, and sometimes I'm passing it to him. We just look out for each other,&rdquo; Mobley said after the Portland win. &ldquo;I feel like we're building that chemistry as well and getting better at it in on a game-to-game basis.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s super cool to see, been saying it for years now,&rdquo; Garland said following a Nov. 18 victory against the Charlotte Hornets. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s super cool that they have that connection on the floor. The lobs from the 5-man to the 4-man is kind of crazy and it&rsquo;s super cool to see. A lot of teams don&rsquo;t really do that. We feel comfortable when they have the ball in their hands. When our backcourt is getting trapped, we know we can hit them and they can make the right play.&rdquo;
Mitchell has the &ldquo;ultimate confidence&rdquo; in those scenarios.
&ldquo;Teams might resort to blitzing us in certain situations and when you have an outlet, not only just have the outlet, but be able to make plays for himself, for others in pass and certain things. It's kind of like pick your poison, you know?&rdquo; Mitchell added recently. &ldquo;You have us two, then you have those two on top of that who are able to get in there and make plays for everybody."
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There just seems to be a more natural feel to Cleveland&rsquo;s half-court offense when Allen is there &mdash; just going by the eye test. Referring to advanced stats, the Cavs&rsquo; effective field goal percentage and free-throw rate <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4337/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drops by 3.8% and 2.1% respectively</a>. That ranks in the 89th and 69th percentiles among his peers, per Cleaning the Glass.
Lineup data via PBP Stats helps show his effect on those around him. In the 176 minutes that Garland, Mitchell and Mobley have shared without Allen on the floor, their <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612739&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1628386,1628378,1629636,1630596" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Offensive Rating as a trio dips by nearly 6 points per 100 possessions</a>. (Ironically, their Net Rating is better &mdash; Mobley is an incredibly versatile defender, and Lamar Stevens has done an admirable job as the team&rsquo;s starting 3).&nbsp;
According to <a href="https://nbacourtoptix.nba.com/en/metrics/ball-screens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com&rsquo;s Optix figures</a>, the Cavs are scoring a whopping 1.47 points per possession when Allen sets a screen for Mitchell (9.7 times per game) and 1.13 PPP when he does it for Garland (11.0).&nbsp;
&ldquo;I mean, it, by the numbers, is elite pairings. It's not just as easy as it may look. It's more scientific than we give it credit for,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said Tuesday. &ldquo;Understanding angles, understanding timing, understanding defenses and rotations &mdash; it's calculated. I think from both standpoints, Jarrett has the calculations down, the guards have the calculations down. It's just more so about them playing more together and the more they play together, the more lethal it's gonna be.&rdquo;
&ldquo;With Donovan, I like to flip the screens more,&rdquo; Allen said a couple of weeks ago at a morning practice. &ldquo;He likes getting downhill. I&rsquo;m not going to give away all the secrets, but he likes getting downhill and going a certain way. So instead of setting it how I would for Darius, I might flip the screen for Donovan.&rdquo;
Allen is cerebral, physical and, most impressively, a presence that elevates his Cavs teammates to the incredible performances we&rsquo;ve seen on a nightly basis.
&ldquo;I mean, he's in the right place the majority of the time. It's a simple concept, but he always goes where the defense isn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said after the Cavs' win over Portland. &ldquo;And a lot of guys have a hard time figuring that out. But it's one of the things that he does, like for a big guy who's not a three-point threat, how do you create space for your teammates, in small spaces? And I think Jarrett does a great job of just finding those gaps and where to position himself where he creates enough space where big guys have to make tough decisions. Do you stop the ball, or do you give up a dunk? A lot of times you look out there and big guys are just in the way and it ruins the spacing for everybody else. But he does a great job of creating room for those guys to operate.&rdquo;
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At this point, we all know about his abilities as an anchor on defense, and his coach and teammates continue to demand recognition as a DPOY candidate. It's not just about the blocked and altered shots, but more significantly, the freedom it gives his teammates to put more pressure on the ball and roam around.
&ldquo;When he's in there, he usually protects rim and I just help him. So I have a lot of more freelance ability to really move around and help where I see fit, and I feel like I play that role really well,&rdquo; Mobley said last month after the Charlotte game.
Mitchell and Garland have highlighted this time and time again throughout the season.
&ldquo;You know, when you've got guards who are dynamic like Trae [Young], Dejounte [Murray] getting downhill, all you've gotta do as a guard is kinda just stay in space and kinda funnel them down there to both Ev and JA. But you noticed it when JA was out, things weren't too great, and it's tough just to be down there when it's Ev and say, a Lamar. Lamar is not... we know we're not 7 feet,&rdquo; Mitchell said on Nov. 21 after beating the Atlanta Hawks. &ldquo;So being able to have two of those guys down there [is] the foundations of our defense. But definitely with JA back blocking shots, deterring shots and even forcing guys to travel because they don't wanna go up there for a shot &mdash; I think that's something that, you don't notice it on the stat sheet, but you see it when you're watching the game, and they bring it every night.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Everybody says that he's the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year-caliber player and our team thinks the same of him. Just having like an agility 7-footer like that, it helps a lot,&rdquo; Garland said after defeating the Blazers. &ldquo;I mean, JA is super smart. He sees everything early, he just knows everything, like really early. So, he sees it and just reacts really quickly so it's good to see.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
It amazes me how Jarrett Allen knows what teams are going to do before they do it on both ends of the floor. I wanted Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell to provide their perspective. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/87FN2jSN2e">pic.twitter.com/87FN2jSN2e</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1595626743691644928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Allen keeps defenders from getting second chances too, which is a part of defense that might not be appreciated as much. But the defensive metrics in general match what his teammates say about him.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Cleveland allows 7.8 points more per 100 possessions when he&rsquo;s not on the floor. And when he is on the court, the Cavs&rsquo; Defensive Rating as a team is just 104.4. That puts him in <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4337/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 98th percentile in the NBA</a>, and it shows what leading by example truly means.
&ldquo;That's what Jarrett does. We go through our expectations of guys, like, that's his way of leading is a willing to do all the things that most people aren't willing to do. And that forces everybody else around him to do the same,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said following an Oct. 23 win over the Washington Wizards. &ldquo;But it's, I mean, what he's capable of and the impact that he can have on that end of the floor, at that size, the versatility. I mean, like he's a Defensive Player of the Year candidate every single year. And I think it's time that we acknowledge that.&rdquo;
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Go back to last season when Allen broke his finger. Cleveland&rsquo;s defense suffered, which made its offense suffer, which made the team suffer. The Cavs were 35-21 in the games that Allen played in. They went 7-11 after that point, and were 9-17 overall without Jarrett. Even in the previous season when he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets, this kind of impact was obvious to the naked eye.
With the roster turnover since then, it could be interpeted as foolish to compare that to the present day. Not in this writer&rsquo;s eyes, as the Cavs are 2-4 in games without Allen this season, and the trend continues. (Mobley has gotten better and the team has started to learn how to operate on defense with Allen the middle, to be fair. However, it just doesn't seem the same.)
On a nightly basis, we&rsquo;ve marveled over a number of sensational performances. With Mitchell, Garland and Mobley, you&rsquo;re going to see that more often than not.
While that may be the case, Allen is the ingredient that blends the Cavs together and makes that group's individual talent thrive alongside one another in a team setting. He cannot be viewed as an unsung hero any longer.
Jarrett Allen is literally an All-Star in his role &mdash; one that appears to be the most crucial for Cleveland to succeed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Two things: 1) I love watching Marcus Smart compete. Dude is built and knows how to use his muscle. 2) At some point, Jarrett Allen needs recognition from everybody as more than an unsung hero for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>. He shows up every night and consistently is one of the best at his job.
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1587995991852154881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Spencer Davies dives into Jarrett Allen's meaning to the Cavs, and why he is crucial to their success.