Brooklyn Nets

It&rsquo;s 2024, and teams led by Stephen Curry and LeBron James are once again near the top of the Western Conference. The Warriors have surged to a 6-1 record, placing them tied for 2nd, while the Lakers aren&rsquo;t far behind, holding the 5th spot in a jam-packed situation with several other teams with a 4-3 start. These strong beginnings reflect the impact of both veteran leadership and tactical innovation from new coaching staff.&nbsp;
At the center of it all are James and Curry. The two will always be intertwined after all those years of squaring off in the Finals, even more so now after being the de facto faces of the league. Despite some rocky performances, both Steph and LeBron remain the league's gold standard for sustained excellence.
The Warriors have been on fire to start the season, and they&rsquo;re doing it through defense. They are first in the league in deflections through 7 games played, disrupting opposing teams&rsquo; schemes. More than their high-octane offense, it's their defense that&rsquo;s had a noticeable jump from last year and it&rsquo;s showing up early in the standings.&nbsp;
At the heart of the Warriors&rsquo; offense though is the generational talent in Steph. Curry's impact on the game remains unmatched &ndash; his consistent scoring and playmaking are invaluable and he commands the respect of defenses while creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Draymond Green&rsquo;s defensive influence has anchored Golden State&rsquo;s early success. Even without Curry for three games, the Warriors have continued their winning streak and Draymond was leading the pack with their leader sidelined. His energy and presence bring stability to the defensive end, setting the tone for the entire team. Green&rsquo;s communication and hustle provide a roadmap for the younger Warriors, exemplifying what&rsquo;s expected in terms of effort and awareness on defense.&nbsp;
Younger players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have brought depth and energy. Kuminga&rsquo;s athleticism and refined shot selection have given the Warriors a scoring boost, while Moody&rsquo;s steady hand and court vision have added depth.&nbsp;
Under head coach Steve Kerr and his new assistants Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse, the Warriors&rsquo; dynamic rotations leverage both the experience of seasoned stars and the energy of rising talent.&nbsp; With a more reliable bench this season, head coach Steve Kerr has even more flexibility in his rotations. The team signed free agents Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, and DeAnthony Melton &ndash; all solid role players that have contributed to their cause.&nbsp;
Along with second year players Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Warriors&rsquo; depth is crucial as it allows the team to maintain intensity and momentum when the starters rest. Each player is clear on their role, which keeps the Warriors competitive in all game situations and allows Kerr to implement strategic adjustments without compromising the team&rsquo;s flow.
The Lakers are also enjoying a strong start to the season despite recent disappointing losses. With new head coach JJ Redick bringing a fresh perspective and strategic shift to the team, the Lakers look an entirely different team from a year ago. Redick&rsquo;s emphasis on ball movement and three-point efficiency has provided the Lakers with an offensive boost, allowing their shooters to maximize space and versatility. His experience as a former player gives him a strong rapport with the team, allowing him to instill a confident and cohesive approach.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain crucial, with LeBron&rsquo;s court vision and leadership guiding the Lakers&rsquo; offense while Davis continues to dominate defensively and in the paint. Their veteran presence is balanced by young players like Austin Reaves, who has stepped up as a consistent scoring and playmaking option, enhancing the Lakers' depth.
Why LeBron and Steph, Lakers and Warriors, being good is great for the NBA
With James and Curry&rsquo;s teams on top, the NBA benefits from a renewed excitement to their teams. Both the Lakers and Warriors lead in national TV appearances this year &ndash; with 39 and 36 respectively &ndash; underscoring the pull of their megastar leaders.&nbsp;
These two franchises add a level of intrigue that fans and the league can&rsquo;t get enough of. In a landscape with younger stars emerging, LeBron and Steph&rsquo;s presence at the top underscores their lasting impact and broad appeal&mdash;creating a formula for success and driving fan engagement everywhere.
The simultaneous resurgence of both the Warriors and Lakers is not only exciting for their fans but also beneficial for the NBA. These two franchises, with storied rivalries and legacies, bring added viewership and energy to the league.&nbsp;
Their renewed competitiveness boosts the Western Conference&rsquo;s intrigue and sets up the potential for classic matchups in the playoffs, reigniting a rivalry that has captivated fans for years.&nbsp;
As the season unfolds, the Warriors and Lakers are proving that their presence at the top is essential for keeping the NBA as thrilling as ever.

It’s 2024, and teams led by Stephen Curry and LeBron James are once again near the top of the West --- it’s great for the game.

The Warriors and Lakers could be back, and it’s great for the NBA

The 2024 NBA Free Agency underway. Here's everything you need to know about the makings and the moves around the NBA.

2024 NBA Free Agency Tracker: All the signings and deals in the offseason

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Tyrin Lawrence knocked down a 3-pointer from the right corner at the buzzer as the Vanderbilt Commodores snapped an 11-game skid against its in-state rival by upsetting sixth-ranked Tennessee 66-65 on Wednesday night.
Students rushed the court and joined the Commodores (12-12, 5-6) in celebrating easily the biggest win in coach Jerry Stackhouse&rsquo;s fourth season.
Tennessee (19-5, 8-2) had a chance to finish off the win after Olivier Nkamhoua knocked down a 15-foot jumper with 50 seconds left for a 65-63 lead. Liam Robbins missed a turnaround jumper with 27 seconds for Vanderbilt, and Zakai Zeigler grabbed the rebound.
Lawrence finished with a team-high 19 points. Robbins added 14 and nine rebounds, and Jordan Wright had 12.
Santiago Vescovi and Tyreke Key each had 14 to lead Tennessee. Nkamhoua and Julian Phillips added 10 apiece.
NO. 2 HOUSTON 80, TULSA 42
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored 25 points and had five 3-pointers, Emanuel Sharp added 13 points and Houston earned its fifth straight win.
Sasser scored 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting in the first half as the Cougars (23-2, 11-1 American Athletic Conference) built a 46-18 halftime lead. The senior guard had the first 12 points in a 24-2 run that gave Houston a 31-12 lead with six minutes remaining in the first half.
Tim Dalger scored 13 points, and Sam Griffin added 11 points for Tulsa (5-18, 1-11).
NO. 3 ALABAMA 97, FLORIDA 69
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Miller scored 24 points and made 4 of 8 3-pointers to lead No. 3 Alabama over Florida.
The Crimson Tide (21-3, 11-0 Southeastern Conference) raced to a 29-point halftime lead against the Gators (13-11, 6-5), who had knocked off then-No. 2 Tennessee a week earlier.
Miller added nine rebounds and three assists for the Tide. Mark Sears made 4 of 6 3s and scored 19 for Alabama, which buried 15 shots from long range. Jahvon Quinerly had 11 points.
Colin Castleton led Florida with 29 points and 10 rebounds. He accounted for 13 of his team&rsquo;s 23 in the first half and made 11 of 14 free throws. Riley Kugel added 15 points and Will Richard scored 11.
WEST VIRGINIA 76, NO. 11 IOWA STATE 71
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) &mdash; Kedrian Johnson tied a career high with 22 points, and West Virginia held off Iowa State.
Emmitt Mathews added a season-high 20 points for the Mountaineers (15-9, 4-7 Big 12), who have won five of seven to get their season moving in the right direction after they dropped five in a row during one stretch.
Jaren Holmes led the Cyclones (16-7, 7-4) with 18 points. Freshman Tamin Lipsey had a season-high 16 points and Caleb Grill added 13.
NO. 14 BAYLOR 82, OKLAHOMA 72
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Keyonte George had 23 points, Adam Flagler scored 20 and big man Johnathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua made a couple of key 3-pointers as Baylor held on to beat Oklahoma.
Langston Love added 19 points for Baylor (18-6, 7-4 Big 12), which has won eight of nine overall since losing its first three league games.
The Sooners (12-12, 2-9) lost their sixth consecutive conference game, the last three since a still-hard-to-explain 93-69 win over then-No. 2 Alabama in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Grant Sherfield had 15 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Sooners, and Milos Uzan added 11 points. Otega Oweh and Joe Bamisile both scored 10.
NO. 20 PROVIDENCE 74, GEORGETOWN 62
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Bryce Hopkins scored 17 points and Providence won for the fourth time in five games.
Devin Carter and Ed Croswell had 12 points apiece as the Friars (18-6, 10-3 Big East). Noah Locke added 11 points, shooting 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Bradley Ezewiro paced last-place Georgetown (6-19, 1-13) with 19 points and Primo Spears added 18. Brandon Murray scored 16 as the Hoyas dropped their fourth straight.
NO. 23 CREIGHTON 75, SETON HALL 62
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Baylor Scheierman had 19 points and nine rebounds, Ryan Nembhard added 15 on 6-of-7 shooting and dished out four assists, and Creighton fended off a feisty Seton Hall.
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 13 points and Arthur Kaluma had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bluejays (16-8, 10-3 Big East).
Seton Hall (15-10, 8-6) opened up the second half with an Al-Amir Dawes 3-pointer to take the lead before Kalkbrenner quickly tied things up at 42. Tyrese Samuel drilled a 3-pointer in the corner to give Seton Hall a 49-43 lead &ndash; its largest of the game &ndash; with 16:49 left.
Dawes had 19 points, Samuel had 11 points and Kadary Richmond added 10 points for Seton Hall.
NO. 25 SAN DIEGO STATE 63, UTAH STATE 61
LOGAN, Utah (AP) &mdash; Matt Bradley scored 18 points and San Diego State held on to beat Utah State.
Bradley made his first seven shots and went 7 of 9 from the field overall to help keep the Aztecs (19-5, 10-2 Mountain West Conference) atop the conference standings. Jaedon LeDee had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Micah Parrish added 12 points for San Diego State. The Aztecs&rsquo; top three scorers grabbed a combined 22 rebounds.
Steven Ashworth had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds for Utah State (19-6, 8-4). Taylor Funk added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Aggies, who lost at home for just the second time this season.&nbsp;

A recap of Wednesday night's action in men's college hoops includes two top-15 upsets, most notably the Commodores downing the Vols.

Vanderbilt’s late three-pointer stuns No. 6 Tennessee 66-65

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Freshman Brandon Miller scored 30 points as fourth-ranked Alabama beat Vanderbilt 78-66 Tuesday night for their seventh straight victory two days after a teammate was charged with capital murder.
Reserve junior forward Darius Miles was charged Sunday, a day after Alabama already had announced he would miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Coach Nate Oats said Monday that the Tide was going through a &ldquo;kind of grieving process.&rdquo;
The Crimson Tide (16-2, 6-0 SEC) rebounded well against a team that beat them in the conference tournament last March. All six SEC wins have come by double digits, though Vandy threatened late with a 13-2 run.
Jordan Wright missed a 3 with 36 seconds to go with Vandy down 70-62. The Crimson Tide finished off the win at the free throw line knocking down all eight attempts, and Miller had six of those.
Jaden Bradley and Noah Gurley each added 12 points as eight Alabama players scored. Gurley capped the win with a dunk in the final seconds.
Vanderbilt (9-9, 2-3) now has lost three of its last four &mdash; all against ranked opponents. The Commodores now are 3-15 against Top 25 teams overall in coach Jerry Stackhouse&rsquo;s fourth season.
Tyrin Lawrence led Vanderbilt with 20 points, Wright added 15 and Ezra Manjon had 11.&nbsp;
Alabama opened the game scoring the first six points and went up 13-3 on a free throw by Noah Gurley. Vanderbilt answered back and took its lone lead at 22-21 on a 3-pointer by Malik Dia. Then the Crimson Tide took control, finishing the half on a 15-4 run for a 36-26 lead at the half.
The Tide just kept scoring. Miller capped a 32-8 run with a 3-pointer with 12:44 remaining for Alabama&rsquo;s biggest lead at 53-30. Vanderbilt couldn&rsquo;t have been much colder, missing 10 of its first 11 shots for the half. Wright&rsquo;s 3 with 12:28 to go was the Commodores&rsquo; second made bucket of the second half.
BIG PICTURE
Alabama showed off its speed and shooting to remain undefeated in league play. This is just the Tide&rsquo;s second 6-0 start in the SEC under Oats in his fourth season. Alabama had not opened SEC play undefeated this far into league play since a 5-0 start in the 1986-87 season.
Vanderbilt wasn&rsquo;t helped by not having fifth-year forward Liam Robbins out with an injured ankle. He had 18 points in last weekend&rsquo;s win over then-No. 15 Arkansas. Robbins will miss four to six weeks. The 7-footer ranks fifth nationally blocking an average of 2.94 shots per game and was eighth with 50 total blocks. He saved a pair of victories blocking potential game-winners at the buzzer against Temple and Pittsburgh and is a big reason the Commodores rank 19th averaging 5.3 blocked shots a game.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Crimson Tide positioned themselves to potentially gain more votes winning their first game since Miles&rsquo; arrest.
UP NEXT
Alabama continues a two-game road swing Saturday at Missouri.
Vanderbilt visits Georgia on Saturday.&nbsp;

Freshman Brandon Miller scored 30 points as fourth-ranked Alabama beat Vanderbilt 78-66 Tuesday night for their seventh straight victory.

Miller scores 30 points as No. 4 Alabama beats Vandy 78-66

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; The Vanderbilt Commodores leaned on their experience and trust in coach Jerry Stackhouse after an emotional end to a very chippy first half that led to an ejection of a teammate.
The result? A very big comeback.
Tyrin Lawrence scored 22 points as Vanderbilt rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half and beat No. 15 Arkansas 97-84 on Saturday to snap a two-game skid. The Commodores outscored Arkansas 63-42 after halftime.
&ldquo;In that second half, they did exactly what we&rsquo;ve been talking about,&rdquo; Stackhouse said. &ldquo;They led by example. No rah rah. Nothing but going out there and executing and being the veteran team that we are and playing like the veteran players that they did. I mean, it was on them. They they just competed.&rdquo;
Vanderbilt (9-8, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) trailed 50-40 before the 3s started falling, and Jordan Wright&rsquo;s 3 put Vandy ahead to stay up 59-56 with 12:40 left.
The Commodores kept scoring for a 33-9 run and a 73-59 lead with 7:43 left on a pair of free throws by Liam Robbins. The fifth-year forward scored all 14 of his points in the second half after playing only a minute in the first half with two fouls.
Arkansas (12-5, 1-4) lost its third straight and never got closer than seven down the stretch as the Commodores knocked down all 12 free throws in the final 1:57.
&ldquo;I just think we got a lot of guys still trying to figure out how to win on the road, how to win in conference,&rdquo; Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said. &ldquo;I mean, I&rsquo;ve coached a lot of games and I can&rsquo;t remember a defensive team giving up 63 points in a half.&rdquo;
Wright finished with 17 points for Vanderbilt. The senior also helped limit Arkansas freshman Anthony Black to three of his 18 points in the second half.
&ldquo;We put him on the best guy all the time,&rdquo; Robbins said of Wright. &ldquo;We trust him with everything on defense when he&rsquo;s guarding their guy, they get flustered, they get out of sorts. And we&rsquo;re able to go out in transition run. It all starts with him. He&rsquo;s our leader. He&rsquo;s our catalyst and we won because of him.&rdquo;
Myles Stute had 15, and Trey Thomas added 13 in a chippy game that featured three reviews with a Flagrant 1 for Arkansas and Vanderbilt guard Ezra Manjon ejected before halftime.
Ricky Council IV led the Razorbacks with 24 points. Davonte Davis had 17 and Makhi Mitchell finished with 11.
BIG PICTURE
Arkansas is used to slow starts in league play starting 1-3 each of the past two years only to finish in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. But the Razorbacks needed this win badly. This is their third of four road games to start the SEC slate, and they finish with two of their final three on the road at Alabama and Tennessee.
Vanderbilt had come close, losing by three at then-No. 20 Missouri and by nine at No. 5 Tennessee on Wednesday night. The Commodores showed just how dangerous they can be when their 3-point shot falls. ... The Commodores beat Arkansas in back-to-back games for the first time since March 2013 after losing 11 of the previous 13 in this series.
The Commodores now are 1-2 against ranked teams this season. Stackhouse now is 3-16 against Top 25 teams in his fourth season, and this was Vanderbilt&rsquo;s first win over a Top 15 opponent since Feb. 4, 2016, against No. 8 Texas A&amp;M.
EJECTION AND TECHNICALS
Manjon was immediately ejected by official Doug Shows with 49.8 seconds left for pushing Black as he tried to step over Quentin Millora-Brown. A review upheld the Flagrant 2 for Manjon. Stackhouse drew a technical before tossing his clipboard and later said he didn&rsquo;t think Manjon deserved to be ejected.
Black hit his free throw for his three-point play, then Council hit four of six free throws off the Vandy technicals to pad a 42-34 halftime lead.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
This loss coming on the heels of back-to-back losses by double digits definitely will drop the Razorbacks.
UP NEXT
Arkansas: Visits Missouri on Wednesday night.
Vanderbilt: Hosts No. 4 Alabama on Tuesday night.

The Commodores outscored Arkansas 63-42 after halftime.

Vanderbilt rallies from 10 down, beats No. 15 Arkansas 97-84

The NBA went into Christmas with a night like none other.
For the first time in NBA history, five players scored at least 43 points on the same day. It happened Friday, with Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic leading the way with 50 points against Houston.
The others: Philadelphia&rsquo;s Joel Embiid scored 44 against the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a career-high 44 against New Orleans, New York&rsquo;s RJ Barrett had 44 against Chicago and Indiana&rsquo;s Tyrese Haliburton scored a career-best 43 against Miami.
&ldquo;Luka is Luka," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the best player in the world and he showed that tonight, carrying the load offensively again."
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THAT'S A 50-PIECE FOR THE DON 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BallySportsSW</a> 📺 <a href="https://t.co/1deZTcSzwv">pic.twitter.com/1deZTcSzwv</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW/status/1606492306965659650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As he usually does, Doncic deferred the credit.
&ldquo;My teammates trusted me," he said after his 17-for-30 night that also included 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The biggest shot of the night in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/doncic-scores-50-mavericks-edge-rockets-112106" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dallas' 112-106 win over Houston</a> might have been Doncic hitting a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left to give the Mavericks a five-point lead.
And that wasn't even the most dramatic 3 that the night's big scorers had.
That honor went to Haliburton, who made 10 3-pointers &mdash; the last of them with 4.3 seconds left to give the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/haliburton-hits-winning-3-scores-43-as-pacers-beat-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacers a 111-108 win over the Heat</a>.
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Haliburton seals the deal with a clutch game-winner from downtown 🔥. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pacers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pacers</a> TV: Bally Sports Indiana Stream: <a href="https://t.co/dJ7DfL7kr9">https://t.co/dJ7DfL7kr9</a> <a href="https://t.co/1hfDgmDm20">pic.twitter.com/1hfDgmDm20</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Indiana (@BallySportsIN) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsIN/status/1606492549950197760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;Tyrese Haliburton is an artist," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said when asked about Haliburton's different-than-most shooting stroke. &ldquo;And you know, some people that have unconventional ways to be successful in this game, you have to just leave them alone and allow them to do what they do. His artistry is the way he gets the ball in the basket, the way he sees the game, the way he connects teammates and the special person that he is."
Embiid's big night came in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/embiid-harden-help-76ers-beat-clippers-for-homestand-sweep" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia's seventh consecutive win</a>. Barrett and the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/derozans-jumper-gives-bulls-118117-victory-over-knicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knicks wound up falling to the Bulls</a>, and Gilgeous-Alexander's 44&nbsp;came in an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/murphy-scores-23-pelicans-beat-thunder-in-ot-without-zion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overtime loss to New Orleans</a> &mdash; which he nearly extended into double overtime, with a 40-foot desperation shot at the end hitting the front rim at the buzzer of a 128-125 final.
&ldquo;It was close. Not close enough," said Gilgeous-Alexander, whose great start to this season has cemented himself as an early front-runner for NBA's Most Improved Player honors &mdash; not to mention other postseason accolades, and likely a trip to the All-Star Game as well.
There now have been just over 4,400 instances of a player scoring 40 or more points in a regular-season game. Friday was only the fifth time that five of those happened on the same day &mdash; and the second time it happened in 2022.
On April 10, the final day of the 2021-22 regular season, Obi Toppin had 42 for New York, Jalen Green had 41 for Houston, Malik Monk scored 41 for the Los Angeles Lakers, Klay Thompson had 41 for Golden State and Victor Oladipo scored 40 for Miami.
The other three instances of five 40-point scorers:
&mdash; Feb. 21, 2003:&nbsp;Tracy McGrady scored 52 for Orlando, Jamal Mashburn 50 for the New Orleans Hornets, Michael Jordan 43 for Washington, Allen Iverson 41 for Philadelphia and Kobe Bryant 40 for the Lakers.
&mdash; Feb. 2, 2001:&nbsp;Allen Iverson scored 47 for Philadelphia, Bryant 44 for the Lakers, Chris Webber 41 for Sacramento, Paul Pierce 40 for Boston and Jerry Stackhouse 40 for Detroit.
&mdash; Dec. 25, 1961:&nbsp;Wilt Chamberlain scored 59 for the Philadelphia Warriors, Tom Heinsohn 45 for Boston, Elgin Baylor 40 for the Lakers, Richie Guerin 40 for New York and Oscar Robertson 40 for Cincinnati.

The NBA went into Christmas with a night like none other. For the first time ever, five players scored at least 43 points on the same day.

A record NBA outburst: 5 players score 43 or more points on same day

It's admittedly fun to ride the small-sample-sized wave of early NBA seasons.
We've already witnessed 58 individual 30-plus-point performances in eight days of action from dozens of different players. The Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies atop the Western Conference standings. And early breakout games have dotted the league's landscape, making fans of all 30 teams (well...) hopeful for what could be on the horizon.
But while it's encouraged to enjoy success in the moment, as analysts, how do we temper expectations and forecast the future? Some players are bound to return to earth, while for others, this first week might truly be the start of something special.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Here are five players who have caught fire so far, and whose environments make sustaining these heat waves a plausible reality:
LAURI MARKKANEN, UTAH JAZZ
We start with everyone's favorite "What the heck is happening right now?" team in the Jazz, who are 4-1 despite being a projected basement-dweller/Victor Wembanyama suitor/whatever you'd like to tactfully call a bad basketball team.
Markkanen is leading the charge in the box score with his 22.0-point, 8.8-rebound, 3.0-assist per-game averages. Two of those would be career highs (he averaged 9.0 rebounds per game in 2018-19), and his 64.2% two-point clip would be a career best by far. That's also despite him canning just 24.2% of his threes.
Markkanen turned heads at the end of the summer with his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/6-players-who-stood-out-from-eurobasket-2022-lauri-markkanen-alperen-sengun-lorenzo-brown-sasha-vezenkov-dzanan-musa-simone-fontecchio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EuroBasket onslaught for Finland</a>. We saw the 25-year-old in a primary scoring role during the tournament, and that's sort of translated to Utah. Markkanen's usage rate (22.6%) and drives per game (6.0) are his highest figures since 2018-19. He's making a stunning 68.4% of his shots when he drives to the basket &mdash; bound to recede, but definitely a positive sign when you look at the above footage.
And yet! He's also been used creatively without having to be individually creative, as highlighted by Mat Issa:
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Reason #1: Lauri Markkanen (cont.) And while he has made some strides as a self-generated scorer, he's doing a lot of his damage playing off of his teammates as a shooter, roller, and cutter. 71 of his 86 shot attempts (82.6%) have come off 2 dribbles or less. <a href="https://t.co/xrAUBCbGGm">pic.twitter.com/xrAUBCbGGm</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1585651902473068544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Regardless of how the Jazz progress as a team, Markkanen is going to be a featured player barring any sort of trade. He's also an easy bet to return to form as a perimeter shooter. Markkanen currently sports a 29.2% clip on catch-and-shoot threes; he typically hovers around 35%.
There's no one standing in the way of Markkanen leading the Jazz in shot attempts, and he's shown signs that he can take on such a responsibility.
TREY MURPHY III, NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
A literally perfect, 22-point, 8-for-8 shooting effort from Murphy helped the Pelicans win a game against the Dallas Mavericks without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones. The second-year forward is shooting a lights-out 68.4% from long range and re-establishing himself as a premier young shooting talent in the league.&nbsp;
However, it's been his aggression attacking closeouts that has really helped Murphy propel his offensive game forward.
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We all know Trey Murphy is an amazing shooter. But him attacking closeouts like this is going to make him incredibly deadly <a href="https://t.co/AmJd9RiGfw">pic.twitter.com/AmJd9RiGfw</a>
&mdash; Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/FearTheBrown/status/1585139430259855360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/trey-murphy-iii-wants-to-announce-presence-new-orleans-pelicans-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Murphy explained to me this summer</a> that he's really worked on anticipating and absorbing contact. That showed up in NBA Summer League, and it's manifesting so far as you can see in the above clips. Murphy is only 3-for-8 on driving attempts so far, but that's already better than his abysmal 21.4% rate as a rookie. He's also been one of the most frequent transition finishers in the NBA, and is even averaging a league-best 1.92 points per possession in transition.
New Orleans hasn't gotten out and running too much, but they project as a team that can capitalize on fast breaks. Murphy is an improved at-rim finisher and can always leak out for threes. It makes him yet another unique weapon for the Pelicans' offense.
JAYLEN NOWELL, MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Want to talk about a dark-horse candidate for Sixth Man of the Year? Nowell is putting up 16.2 points in just 21.8 minutes per game for the Timberwolves and has effectively filled Malik Beasley's spot in the rotation. The 23-year-old is knocking down just 32.1% of his threes, but he's a proven threat from distance who I expect to improve.
Mark Schindler has been all over the Jaylen Nowell breakout for practically the entire calendar year, so both deserve their flowers:
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Jaylen Nowell Hooper <a href="https://t.co/kIKFnyToFn">pic.twitter.com/kIKFnyToFn</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1584985123782811648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The third-year guard is prolific in the short-mid-range areas like above; this year, he's made a ridiculous (and unsustainable) 62% of his total mid-range looks. But he's been trading some of those shots in and getting even closer to the basket. Per Cleaning the Glass, Nowell's short-mid-range shot frequency has dropped by 12%, while his at-rim rate has climbed by 13%. That's a great sign since he's a capable scorer in both zones.
Nowell's per-game scoring average is fourth among NBA players with multiple games off the bench. The three in front? Christian Wood (a probably eventual starter), Bennedict Mathurin (a rookie and probable eventual starter) and Keegan Murray (same boat as Mathurin). It's entirely plausible that by the end of the year, this three-level bucket-getter emerges as a leading contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
NICK RICHARDS, CHARLOTTE HORNETS
A third-year center and former second-round pick, Richards has grinded away as a reserve for a Hornets team desperately in need of stopgaps in the frontcourt. Through four contests, he's averaging 13.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game on a crisp 71.4% field goal clip (all twos).
According to Second Spectrum, Richards has either grabbed an offensive board or tipped one to a teammate on two-thirds of his offensive rebound chances &mdash; tied for fourth-best in the NBA among high-volume rebounders.
Within that pristine field goal percentage, Richards is 8-for-9 in scoring chances as a roll man. Now, we're really digging into some small samples here. But he's shooting 78% at the rim in total, which lines up with 75% from last year, and some of the plays look promising. Nothing too crazy, but Richards has finished with soft touch and some power over two of the better interior defenders in the league in Clint Capela and Jakob Poeltl:
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Richards' success is the most extreme small-sample-size bet in this notebook. He just has barely seen an NBA floor, so even looking at past seasons gets sketchy. I'm optimistic for two reasons: Charlotte has an obvious hole he is filling at center, and the team has some elite guard playmakers in LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier who he can work off of.
DEVIN VASSELL, SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Like Markkanen and the Jazz, Vassell and the Spurs are unburdened by expectations, which hopefully gives them the freedom to experiement throughout the season. Fans of the 2020 No. 11 pick have waited for Vassell's glimpses of pull-up prowess and overall scoring to coalesce, and 2022-23 might be the year.
Vassell is putting up 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while firing threes at a career-high volume (8.3 per game) and efficiency (39.4%). The long-range marksmanship has come and gone in waves, and yes, it's probably too early to assume Vassell has fully arrived as a pull-up powerhouse.
However, there's still a lot to love about his start &mdash; especially that assist number.
Vassell's 19.6% assist rate more than doubles either of his prior two seasons, while his 5.2% turnover rate is actually a career-low. There are 72 NBA players averaging more than 8 drives per game this season; Vassell's 15.9% assist rate on drives ranks ninth.
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He's not some highlight-reel passer, but Vassell displays some really impressive floor vision. He can enter a drive in attack mode and still have the wherewithal to monitor how the defense shifts and how his own teammates get open.
Vassell is off to a shaky start as a driving scorer &mdash; he's made just 28.6% of said shots &mdash; but he has a past history with better efficiency. I bank on that returning, and, coupled with his improving vision and enticing perimeter scoring, Vassell could really terrify opposing defenses as a young playmaking engine.
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THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Bennedict Mathurin has been electric as a rookie for the Indiana Pacers, and if you're wondering why his start feels unusually great, that's because it is:</li>
</ul>
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Bennedict Mathurin is only the fifth NBA player since 1980 to score at least 72 points in his first three career games&mdash;and the first since 1995: Isiah Thomas Dominique Wilkins Michael Jordan Jerry Stackhouse Bennedict Mathurin
&mdash; Zach Kram (@zachkram) <a href="https://twitter.com/zachkram/status/1583998848946827265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Synergy's Todd Whitehead has posted a ton of these starting lineup visualizations on his Twitter, and this one in particular caught my eye:</li>
</ul>
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17 teams in the league had 2 or 3 "homegrown" starters in their opening game last week. 6 teams had 4. 3 teams had 0. There are 8 players who made their NBA debut with the Lakers who are starting for somebody else this year, more than any other team. <a href="https://t.co/Kl9Qg0Oa0j">pic.twitter.com/Kl9Qg0Oa0j</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1584621844522729472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>This week's check-in on the Los Angeles Lakers (technically missing one game, but they shot 26.7% as a team, so I doubt this visual changes much):</li>
</ul>
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Dorktown: Los Angeles Lakers! <a href="https://t.co/c3JvICgyJm">pic.twitter.com/c3JvICgyJm</a>
&mdash; Secret Base (@secretbase) <a href="https://twitter.com/secretbase/status/1584584367283654662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Lauri Markkanen, Devin Vassell and Nick Richards are among the players Ethan Fuller believes can sustain their early success.

NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who can sustain their early breakouts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Vanderbilt has signed Jerry Stackhouse to an extension as he enters his fourth season as the Commodores&rsquo; head coach.
Athletic director Candice Lee announced the extension Tuesday, crediting how the program has gone in the right direction in Stackhouse&rsquo;s first three seasons. The Southeastern Conference&rsquo;s only private university did not announce any specifics of the extension.
&ldquo;Committing to and investing in him as the leader is an important part of building the championship caliber program that we all want and expect here at Vanderbilt,&rdquo; Lee said in a statement. &ldquo;I value the contributions Jerry and his program have made to our community and campus, and I am excited about our future.&rdquo;
The two-time NBA All-Star and 18-year NBA veteran took over a program in 2019 that had just gone went winless in the SEC. Stackhouse had been an assistant coach with the NBA&rsquo;s Memphis Grizzlies and spent two years coaching the Toronto Raptors&rsquo; G League team, winning the 2016 championship.
Now his Commodores posted a 19-17 record in his third season with a trip to the NIT quarterfinals. Stackhouse thanked the Board of Trust, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Lee, his staff, players, family and fans.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Stability and commitment are concepts in college athletics that are hard to come by these days,&rdquo; Stackhouse said. &ldquo;I feel very fortunate to be at Vanderbilt, where stability and commitment are part of our culture from Chancellor Diermeier to Dr. Lee on down.&rdquo;
Stackhouse has had three Vanderbilt players go to the NBA led by Aaron Nesmith, Saben Lee and most recently Scotty Pippen Jr., who led the SEC in scoring last season. His latest recruiting class for the upcoming season ranked 18th nationally by Rivals and 24th by 247Sports.&nbsp;

Vanderbilt has signed Jerry Stackhouse to an extension as he enters his fourth season as the Commodores’ head coach.

Vanderbilt extends men’s coach Jerry Stackhouse’s contract

CHICAGO &ndash; The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) and Intersport announced details for the inaugural Legends of Basketball Showcase, a college basketball quadruple header set for Dec. 17 at the United Center in Chicago.
As part of the four-game set, Northern Iowa will face Towson and Tulane will take on George Mason, while Dayton matches up against Wyoming and NC State will battle Vanderbilt. In the afternoon session, Northern Iowa will face Towson at Noon CT and Tulane will take on George Mason at 2:30 p.m., while the evening session will feature Dayton matching up against Wyoming at 7 p.m. and NC State battling Vanderbilt at 9:30 p.m. Television designations will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for the Legends of Basketball Showcase, a college basketball quadruple header set for Dec. 17 at the United Center in Chicago, will go on sale Wednesday at 11 a.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the United Center box office. &nbsp; Tickets, which start at $29, will be sold by session, and one ticket will be good for both games of a session.&nbsp;
Founded in 1992, the NBRPA serves former professional basketball players in their transition into life after basketball. &nbsp;The NBRPA is the only alumni association of its kind supported directly by the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
&ldquo;The NBRPA is thrilled to partner with Intersport to present the Legends of Basketball Showcase for the upcoming college basketball season,&rdquo; said Scott Rochelle, President &amp; CEO NBRPA. &ldquo;With NBRPA membership, including several executive board directors having deep ties to the participating college basketball programs, this event is a natural fit for us to bring to fruition. We look forward, to what promises to be an extraordinary day and night of top-notch college hoops entertainment.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Intersport is excited to partner with the NBRPA and help them extend their already well-established presence in the basketball community,&rdquo; said Mark Starsiak, vice president of basketball at Intersport, which will manage the event. &ldquo;As we continue to grow our robust portfolio of successful basketball events around the country, we are eager to create a major annual showcase event alongside another Chicago-based organization right here in our hometown.&rdquo;
The eight programs competing in the Legends of Basketball Showcase have produced a combined 204 NBA Draft selections, while several coaches participating in the event have connections to the NBRPA, and vice versa.
At the helm of Vanderbilt is 18-year NBA veteran Jerry Stackhouse, the former No. 3 overall draft pick and two-time All-Star who appeared in 970 games for eight teams. Wyoming assistant coach Shaun Vandiver is a former first-round pick (25th overall) by the Golden State Warriors in the 1991 NBA Draft. George Mason head coach Kim English was drafted in the 2nd Round (44th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and Northern Iowa assistant coach Seth Tuttle played for the Miami Heat&rsquo;s Summer League team in 2015.
NBRPA Board Chairman Johnny Davis is a Dayton alum, leading the Flyers in scoring for three consecutive seasons (1973-76) before spending nearly four decades with the NBA as a player, front office executive, assistant and head coach. Additionally, two NBRPA Board Members are NC State alums. Thurl Bailey, who led the Wolfpack in both scoring and rebounding during the team&rsquo;s miracle 1983 NCAA Championship season before embarking on a 13-season NBA career, and Chucky Brown, who led NC State in scoring in 1988 (16.6 ppg) and rebounding in 1989 season (8.8 rpg).
It will be the first matchup between Northern Iowa and Towson and the third between Tulane and George Mason, with the teams splitting the prior two contests. Dayton and Wyoming have also met twice previously, with Dayton winning in December 2004 and Wyoming winning in January 2004. The contest between NC State and Vanderbilt will be the sixth all time, with the Commodores owning a 3-2 edge in the series. Each of the previous three matchups have been neutral site contests, with NC State winning the last matchup in 2018.

The inaugural Legends of Basketball Showcase will be a college basketball quadruple header set for Dec. 17 at the United Center.

Inaugural Legends of Basketball Showcase set for Dec. 17 in Chicago

Potential is a strange thing. It&rsquo;s not something tangible that you can hold in your hand, like a lightsaber or a McRib. Yet we tend to obsess over it. Sometimes, we even lend it more weight than observable talent.
The NBA and all those associated are not immune from this tendency. We circumnavigate the <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-rosters-feature-109-international-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">globe</a> in search of the game&rsquo;s most fascinating prospects in the hopes that their unique skillsets will help deliver our favorite franchise to the promised land. However, all too often, we fail to stop and ask ourselves, "What are the limits of our imagination?"
Arguably no player exemplifies this pattern in human nature better than Anthony Edwards. On one hand, once you see the flashy, second-year guard showcase his frenetic athleticism and effortless charm, it&rsquo;s easy to come away convinced that he could be the one to pry the Minnesota Timberwolves out of the depths of playoff irrelevancy. On the other hand, it&rsquo;s hard to chalk up his funky shooting mechanics, questionable shot selection and tendency to lose focus on defense to mere growing pains.&nbsp;
This polarity leaves us in a state of basketball limbo. Anthony Edwards: Savior or bust? Which label (if either) is more appropriate? To frame it more pointedly: Just how high can Anthony Edwards fly?
In an attempt to examine Edwards' ceiling, I scoured NBA history to find players with a similar skillset and explored whether Edwards could follow a similar trajectory. I decided to look at five possible developmental outcomes for the young guard. For each player comparison, I've included that player&rsquo;s peak season in terms of Box Plus/Minus (using the <a href="https://backpicks.com/page/2/#RS%20BPM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BackPicks</a> version of the stat) and an explanation of what Edwards would need to add to his game to reach that level (except for the &ldquo;Pessimist Floor&rdquo; tier). Lastly, I offer my thoughts on which tier I think Edwards is most likely to reach.
Tier 1: Pessimist Floor - Andrew Wiggins (Starter)
Peak BPM (2020-21): 1.0 (T-150th that season)
Yep, I didn&rsquo;t wait long to start pissing people off. To avoid Timberwolves fans going into a state of existential dread, I won&rsquo;t spend too much time on this comparison. But you have to admit, these numbers (and the situations surrounding these two players) look pretty gosh darn similar.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 54px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 10px;">
<td style="width: 5.40354%; height: 10px; text-align: center;">Name</td>
<td style="width: 6.41956%; height: 10px; text-align: center;">Season</td>
<td style="width: 6.37182%; height: 10px; text-align: center;">Age</td>
<td style="width: 6.37155%; height: 10px; text-align: center;">USG%*</td>
<td style="width: 6.76034%; height: 10px; text-align: center;">PTS/75*</td>
<td style="width: 9.09119%; height: 10px; text-align: center;">rTS%**</td>
<td style="width: 11.4932%; height: 10px; text-align: center;">Passer Rating**</td>
<td style="width: 8.37598%; height: 10px; text-align: center;">BPM**</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 5.40354%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Edwards</td>
<td style="width: 6.41956%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">'21-22</td>
<td style="width: 6.37182%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">20</td>
<td style="width: 6.37155%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">27.5%</td>
<td style="width: 6.76034%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">22.1</td>
<td style="width: 9.09119%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">-1.6%</td>
<td style="width: 11.4932%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">3.5</td>
<td style="width: 8.37598%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1.0</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 5.40354%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Wiggins</td>
<td style="width: 6.41956%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">'16-17</td>
<td style="width: 6.37182%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">21</td>
<td style="width: 6.37155%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">29.0%</td>
<td style="width: 6.76034%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">24.1</td>
<td style="width: 9.09119%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">-1.9%</td>
<td style="width: 11.4932%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">3.4</td>
<td style="width: 8.37598%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">0.3</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Data provided by <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball Reference</a>
**Data provided by <a href="https://backpicks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Backpicks</a>
In all seriousness, though, you would need to have a major case of the Rust Cohle <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8x73UW8Hjk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;I&rsquo;m bad at parties&rdquo;</a> to believe that Anthony Edwards, barely a full calendar year into his career, won&rsquo;t get any better than he is right now at age-20.
Tier 2: Optimist Floor -&nbsp;Jerry Stackhouse (Fringe All-Star)
Peak BPM (2001-02): 2.1 (T-52nd that season)
The more optimistic among us will point to Edwards&rsquo; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZnOGXzUyi4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violent athleticism</a> and penchant for invading the interior (79th percentile rim frequency, per Cleaning the Glass) to say that at the very least, he will match the production of the post-Jordan wave of athletic two-guards from the early 2000s &mdash; particularly Jerry Stackhouse.
In Stackhouse&rsquo;s two All-Star campaigns, he averaged <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/stackje01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">23.2 and 28.1 points per 75 possessions</a>, respectively, and he did so on <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/stackje01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">above-average efficiency</a> in part because of his ability to get easy points at the free-throw line (<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/stackje01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">averaging 9.5 attempts per 75 possessions during that span</a>).
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With all his shots at the rim, you would think Edwards would produce more than the <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/edwaran01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3.3 free-throw attempts per 75 possessions</a> that he&rsquo;s currently averaging. Yet watching him reveals that he struggles identifying when to slow down and deploy his strength on his drives. For instance, on this play, he should have utilized his size advantage on De'Aaron Fox by taking a power dribble and forcing Fox to foul him, rather than trying to zoom past Fox, pick up his dribble and give Fox an opportunity to rip the ball out of his hands.
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Edwards is already handling high-volume usage at near league-average efficiency. But to increase both those outputs further, he&rsquo;s going to need to use his physical tools to earn some more freebies at the line.
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Tier 3: Median Outcome -&nbsp;Donovan Mitchell (Solid All-Star/Weak All-NBA)
Peak BPM (2020-21): 3.9 (T-19th that season)
One player whom Edwards garnered comparison to during the pre-draft process was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l46pqSeeA34" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donovan Mitchell</a>. Though I&rsquo;m not sure how similar their physical parameters are these days, the Spida trajectory is still instructive as it features an aspect critical in transforming an inefficient volume scorer to an offensive focal point: the pull-up jumper.
In 16 playoff games, from 2017 to 2019, Mitchell shot 29% on 75 pull-up jumpers. In the last two postseasons, he shot 47% on 117 pull-up jumpers over the course of 17 games (per NBA.com). This improvement helped catapult his True Shooting Percentage from an abysmal sub-50%, in the 2018 and 2019 playoffs, to a stellar 64% over the past two postseasons.&nbsp;
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Conversely, in his young career, Edwards has shot 32.6% on his 248 pull-up jumper attempts, per NBA.com. While we&rsquo;ve yet to witness him in a playoff setting, his learning curve in that environment would likely be significantly less steep (and his ascension to All-Star status would likely come far more quickly) if he could start knocking down those types of shots at a mid-40% clip.&nbsp;
Tier 4: Reasonable Ceiling - Vince Carter (Solid All-NBA)
Peak BPM (2000-01): 4.7 (T-7th that season)
While Mitchell is one of the better shooters in today&rsquo;s game, peak Vince Carter had a case as the best in the league during his heyday. As <a href="https://premiumhoops.org/2020/12/17/how-good-was-vince-carter-in-his-prime-the-definitive-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cody Houdek</a> pointed out in an article for Premium Hoops, Carter shot 34% of his team's threes in 2000-01 (<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cartevi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">converting nearly 41% of his attempts</a>), which matches Steph Curry&rsquo;s share in his famous 2015-16 unanimous-MVP season.
In the string of clips below, you'll get a glimpse of Carter&rsquo;s expansive shooting vocabulary. Like Mitchell, he had the pull-up jumper down pat, but he could also knock down shots off the catch-and-shoot, from the triple-threat position, while falling away and following a nasty stepback.
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For Edwards to reach All-NBA status without being a high-end contributor on defense (more on this in a bit), he will need to sport a similar cache of weapons to reach peak Carter-levels of volume and efficiency (<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cartevi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly 27.5 points per 75 possessions on +3.3% Relative True Shooting Percentage</a>). Luckily for him, he&rsquo;s got the bag in his hands; he just needs to deploy it more efficiently.
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Another thing that Edwards needs to take from Carter is his self-awareness. Even before his mature years in Memphis and Atlanta, Carter was wise enough to recognize his limitations as a primary ball-handler, so he made it a point to get the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible. That wisdom led to some nice feeds, like this one right here:
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Too often, Edwards falls prey to the &ldquo;let&rsquo;s-see-how-quickly-I-can-deflate-the-basketball-by-dribbling-it-excessively&rdquo; school of thought, and it leads to pointless sequences like this one here:
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Fortunately, he has moments of passing clarity where he analyzes the floor and quickly identifies the right play too:
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If Edwards can learn to get the ball out of his hands quicker, it will make it easier for the Wolves to insert a stronger ball-handler next to him (*cough* Ben Simmons *cough*), which increases the team&rsquo;s potential for building a high-level offense around him. Couple that with the outside shot-making mentioned earlier, and you have a recipe for how Edwards can develop into an All-NBA player.
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Tier 5: Best-Case Scenario Ceiling - Dwyane Wade (MVP Candidate)
Peak BPM (2008-09): 6.5 (3rd that season)
You knew this was coming. Wade, for my money &mdash; the third greatest two-guard ever &mdash; is the apex of the Edwards&rsquo; archetype (because Michael Jordan isn&rsquo;t <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S9W9xZikkA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">actually human</a>, and the level of technical soundness required to match Kobe Bryant isn't a reasonable expectation for someone who didn't commit to basketball full-time until high school).
With that said, Edwards even reaching Wade-level is a shot in the dark, in part because of Wade&rsquo;s status as one of the premier perimeter defenders of all-time. What distinguished him from others in this regard was his affinity for racking up &ldquo;stocks.&rdquo; He finished in the 86th percentile or higher in both block and steal percentage for his position every year from 2005-2013, per Cleaning the Glass. The Ant-man currently sits in the 80th and 79th percentile in those stats, which does bode well for his defensive impact moving forward.
Wade was also a strong man defender who used his strength, speed and savvy to keep other guards in front of him. Look here as Wade defangs the Mamba himself:
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Edwards has shown flashes of similar shutdown artistry (as in the first two clips below), but he&rsquo;s also had his fair share of &ldquo;ol&eacute;&rdquo; moments mixed in there as well (as in the last two clips below):
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On offense, Wade surpasses Stackhouse&rsquo;s free-throw drawing rates, Mitchell&rsquo;s playoff-scoring potency and Carter&rsquo;s best volume and efficiency outputs while somehow managing to blend that with strong playmaking.
Wade shares Carter&rsquo;s knack for making quick-time decisions as a secondary/tertiary playmaker, but when necessary, he&rsquo;s also able to flip the switch and operate as a high-level offense's lead initiator. For example, the 2005-06 Miami Heat finished seventh in the league in offensive rating with Wade as the team&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIA/2006.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leading assist man</a>.
Here are some clips that demonstrate Wade&rsquo;s playmaking abilities:
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His status as a passer is further solidified by Ben Taylor&rsquo;s <a href="https://backpicks.com/2018/07/15/nba-passer-ratings-since-1978/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Passer Rating</a> stat, where he scores over a 6 (which is a good score for guards) in 13 of his 16 seasons, including peaking at a rating of 8 in the 2008-09 season, per Backpicks.&nbsp;
To become an MVP-level impact player (which Flash was at his peak), Edwards will need to significantly improve his playmaking (his Passer Rating is 3.5 this season), become an All-Defensive-caliber contributor and increase his volume and efficiency to the numbers we discussed previously. A tall task indeed.
So can he ever reach that MVP level?
The Verdict: Tier 4
As of right now, I would have to say no.&nbsp;
I have a difficult time seeing him developing into the lead initiator that Wade was, which historically is a requirement for any on-ball/off-ball hybrid perimeter player to reach MVP-caliber production.
Watching Edwards play, you witness too many lost shot-creation opportunities because he&rsquo;s either missing open guys (as in the first clip) or delivering his passes inaccurately (as in the second clip):
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He&rsquo;s young and still has plenty of time to improvehis playmaking, but as I hinted at earlier, he started his full-time basketball journey a little later than most, and that means it will be difficult for him to develop the <a href="https://ezhoops.co/2021/01/04/feel-and-feel-accessories/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feel</a> necessary to make the higher-level reads that someone like Wade was capable of executing.
Still, I think Edwards eventually masters the art of changing speeds to help increase his free-throw rates, becomes an efficient and versatile outside shooter, and creates enough havoc on defense to someday develop into an All-NBA-caliber player. And this means that the Timberwolves might have finally found the centerpiece they need to build a winner in Minnesota.

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