Griffins

As the NBA pre-draft process chugs along, the NBA Draft Combine marks the next milestone in prospects' journey to draft day.&nbsp;
The league announced that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-76-prospects-who-will-attend-2022-nba-draft-combine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">76 players have been invited to this year's combine</a>, which runs from May 16-22 in Chicago. Scouts and teams will receive an up-close look as prospects undergo physical testing and compete in five-on-five scrimmages. The NBA Draft Lottery takes place on May 17, adding more clarity to the draft board.
Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock answered some questions about the combine process, prospects to monitor in the events and more as the pace picks up in this scouting season.&nbsp;
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1. How do you approach scouting the NBA Draft Combine, and what events are most valuable to your scouting process?
The NBA Draft Combine is an excellent opportunity to see a large bulk of the draftable prospects all at once. Unfortunately, most top players don't participate in competitive play. Still, it allows us to evaluate players looking to move the needle or establish their draft standing. The NBA Draft Combine is also critical for prospects who are weighing out whether to stay in the draft or return to school.
2. Which prospects do you think could stand out in the athletic testing portions of the combine?
A few of the better athletes in this draft would be Jaden Ivey from Purdue, Shaedon Sharpe from Kentucky, Bennedict Mathurin from Arizona and Kendall Brown from Baylor. I'm looking forward to seeing their test results, as that group of players is about as athletic as they come.
3. Which prospects do you think could shine in the 5-on-5 scrimmages?
Well, let's see who decides to play. I've been talking to some agents who are in the proccess of deciding whether to have their clients participate in the live-play or not. Last year, Bones Hyland was the big winner of the live play. He was terrific. His play at the combine led to him becoming a first-round pick. So to me, Bones Hyland is a perfect example of why it makes sense for a player to bet on himself and play in front of the entire NBA. 
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4. Who do you think has the most to gain or lose in the combine process?
I think some of the younger players that possess significant upside but might not have had the opportunity to fully show their stuff throughout the year have the most to lose. A few guys that come to mind are Peyton Watson from UCLA, Josh Minott from Memphis, JD Davison from Alabama and Leonard Miller from Canada. I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these players go in the first round due to their raw talent despite not being overly productive this past season.
5. Are there any draft entrants you could see surprising people by returning to school or overseas? 
Everything has been changing so dramatically recently with the emergence of NIL deals, and I think there could be some good players who elect to return to school partially as a result of that. For example, I heard some rumblings that one player is likely to return to school if he doesn't get a guarantee that he'll be selected in the first round. I also heard another player is interested in returning to school if his NIL income gets to a certain level. I worked as an agent for more than ten years, and I think a lot of the dialogue between agents, players, parents and coaches is changing quite a bit. The pros and cons for players deciding to go pro or stay in school are very different. However, I think it's all for the better in the long term.
6. How do players prepare for the NBA Draft Combine? Do they specifically train for certain events?
Every trainer has their own strategy, but generally, players are doing workouts comparable to what they'll do at the NBA Draft Combine and at workouts when they visit teams.
7. Is it possible for prospects' stock to rise or fall between the end of the college season and now? If so, why?
Between the college season and now, there hasn't been much action on the court, so you might be asking what would cause a player's stock to rise or fall during that time. Well, I'll tell you: intel. NBA scouts, executives and people like myself spend a lot of time talking to folks on the phone, trying to learn more about draft prospects. We're trying to learn more about players' character, work ethic, habits on and off the court and things like that on these calls. I think some teams value intel and certain traits differently than others, but overall, intel certainly plays a part, and sometimes a significant part, in players' draft value and stock.
8. Aside from the combine, what other important procedures are involved in the pre-draft process during the month of May?
My process is a little different from a team's, as I don't have to follow NBA rules or guidelines. During May and June, I typically travel all around the country to watch prospects work out and get a chance to sit down and talk with them. It's an essential part of my evaluation process, but it's also my favorite part. I spend years watching most of these guys develop. So it's just neat to get an up-close look at the players and get a chance to speak to them right before their dreams of being drafted come to fruition. It's something I don't take for granted. It's certainly a fun part of my job.
Be sure to check out BasketballNews.com's full <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>, with profiles for each prospect selected.
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Matt Babcock sets the stage for the NBA Draft Combine, which begins Monday.

2022 NBA Draft: Q&A with Matt Babcock on the NBA Draft Combine

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for May 18-20 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
The 2022 NBA Draft Combine is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.&nbsp;
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting drills and strength-and-agility drills from May 18-20. Coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. ET. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-field-of-44-draft-prospects-for-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 16-17 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.
Here is the complete list of expected attendees for this year's NBA Draft Combine (and check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> to see where each player is projected to go):&nbsp;
<table style="font-weight: 400;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="832">
Player (College/Club)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Marjon Beauchamp (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matthew Mayer (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Malaki Branham (Ohio State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Leonard Miller (Fort Erie Intl. Academy [Canada] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Braun (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Josh Minott (Memphis)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kendall Brown (Baylor)
</td>
<td width="442">
Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
John Butler Jr. (Florida State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Max Christie (Michigan State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
</td>
<td width="442">
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
</td>
<td width="442">
Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
JD Davison (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
</td>
<td width="442">
David Roddy (Colorado State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria [Spain] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Dereon Seabron (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jalen Duren (Memphis)
</td>
<td width="442">
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Tari Eason (LSU)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Keon Ellis (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matteo Spagnolo (Cremona [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
AJ Griffin (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
</td>
<td width="442">
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
</td>
<td width="442">
Peyton Watson (UCLA)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td width="442">
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Nikola Jovic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ismael Kamagate (Paris [France] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trevor Keels (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Mark Williams (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
</td>
<td width="442">
Trevion Williams (Purdue)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Koloko (Arizona)
</td>
<td width="442">
Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 18-20 in Chicago.

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

Desmond Bane scored 23 points, including nine straight as Memphis rebuilt its lead in the fourth quarter, and the Grizzlies beat Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets 132-120 on Wednesday night.
Irving scored 43 points and Kevin Durant had 35 points and 11 rebounds. Still banned from playing home games because of a New York City vaccine mandate, Irving was on the court for the first time since scoring 60 points at Orlando eight days earlier.
But that arrangement for Irving, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, is coming to an end. New York City Mayor Eric Adams <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-mlb-covid-nba-business-d13930f38dde431930f6cbf648ddd1d7">is set to lift the mandate</a> for athletes and performers.
Memphis was the short-handed home team this time with leading scorer Ja Morant sidelined because of right knee soreness. But they got enough offense anyway thanks to reserve De'Anthony Melton, who matched Bane's 23 points, and Dillon Brooks, who finished with 21. The Grizzlies have won six of seven and are second in the Western Conference.
Memphis squandered a double-digit lead in the second half but pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 29-16.
The Grizzlies lead 76-62 at halftime and by 15 points early in the third quarter, but Brooklyn relied on Durant and Irving to chip away. Brooklyn made 16 of 22 shots in the period and led 104-103 entering the fourth.
TIP-INS
Nets: Have lost five straight in the series. The Grizzlies are the only team the Nets haven't beaten this season.
Grizzlies: Are 15-2 without Morant. As for Morant&rsquo;s status, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s dealing with some soreness that crept up in the last couple of days, just offloading that.&rdquo; ... The win was Memphis&rsquo; 50th of the season, the fourth time Memphis has won that many and the first since 2014-15. ... Bane made six 3-pointers, moving him past Mike Miller for the most 3s by a Grizzlies player in a season.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Irving turned 30 on Wednesday, but it was his coach who got a gift when news emerged that the star could soon play home games.
&ldquo;I would welcome that,&rdquo; coach Steve Nash said to laughter.
UP NEXT
Nets: At Miami on Saturday.
Grizzlies: Host Indiana on Thursday.

Desmond Bane scored 23 points, including 9 straight as Memphis rebuilt its lead in the fourth quarter.

Bane leads Grizzlies past Nets as Irving scores 43 points

March Madness is underway!
Across the country, teams are competing in conference tournaments and trying to punch their ticket for the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is almost here, and then the tourney starts next Tuesday.
If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down on Thursday.
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Games of the Day
Indiana def. Michigan 74-69 &mdash; B1G Second Round
With 11:03 remaining, Michigan led 60-43 and appeared to be in complete control. The Hoosiers would go on a 20-2 run and took the life right out of the Wolverines, completing the comeback by winning 74-69. Trayce Jackson-Davis led all players with 24 points and 4 blocks in a stunner. Indiana faces No. 1 Illinois next.
Texas A&amp;M def. Florida 83-80 in OT &mdash; SEC Second Round
This one was wild. The Aggies dominated all afternoon and held a 9-point lead with 1:07 to play, but the Gators went on a 12-3 run of the next 50 seconds to tie it at 70-70, forcing the game into overtime. They stayed deadlocked at 78-78 with 1:10 left in overtime when Hassan Diarra hit a triple with one second on the clock to win 83-80. A huge win for a true Bubble Team in A&amp;M.
Arizona def. Stanford 84-80 &mdash; Pac-12 Quarterfinals
The largest lead either way today was 7 points &mdash; in a game where Stanford was given a whopping 5% chance of victory. The Cardinal took a 75-74 lead with just over three minutes to go, but the Wildcats had answers. Kerr Kriisa exiting with injury is important to monitor, but Christian Koloko led the team with 24 points as Arizona survives and advances.
Miami (FL) def. Boston College 71-69 in OT &mdash; ACC Quarterfinals
Kam McGusty led the Canes with 16 points in the nail-biter, as they avoided the upset in overtime. Only one basket was scored in the final 2:30 of the contest &mdash; a Jordan Miller layup that sealed the deal. A big save by Miami.&nbsp;
Villanova def. St. John&rsquo;s 66-65 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
The Red Storm let a 17-point second half lead slip away to end their season. Villanova was carried by its starting five, with only 7 points coming from the bench unit. Caleb Daniels led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Justin Moore added 15 points of his own.&nbsp;
Toledo def. Central Michigan 72-71 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
In a game where the largest lead was 7 points for each team, Toledo held on for the 1-point win. Harrison Henderson scored with 20 seconds remaining to make it 71-70 Central Michigan, but a RayJ Dennis layup with 10 seconds left would seal the deal. Setric Milner Jr. led the way with 22 points for the Rockets. It's a big win for Toledo who currently projects a No. 13 seed.
Providence def. Butler 65-61 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
This one was back-and-forth from the tip, as the teams traded leads the entire contest. Tied at 55 with 3:06 remaining, Simas Lukosius hit a big pair of free throws for Butler to take the lead, but Al Durham hit a huge triple with 43 seconds to go for the Friars to take a 61-59 lead. Durham would follow with a dunk at the end of the game to seal the deal at 65-61. Despite the loss, it was a hard-fought game by the Bulldogs.&nbsp;
Wyoming def. UNLV 59-56 &mdash; Mountain West Quarterfinals
The Cowboys held a 9-point lead in the second half, but allowed the Rebels to fight their way back into it. Xavier DuSell hit a huge three with 30 seconds, and then, Brendan Wenzel iced the game with a pair of free throws. A great game from UNLV&rsquo;s Bryce Hamilton comes up just short.&nbsp;
Akron def. Buffalo 70-68 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
This was a fight from start to finish. Led by Ali Ali&rsquo;s 19-point effort and a pair of Greg Tribble free throws with four seconds remaining, the Zips survive and advance. They will face No. 1 seed Toledo on Friday afternoon in the MAC semis.
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The Upsets, the Madness
Oklahoma def. Baylor 72-67 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Sooners took the lead with 11:51 to play and never gave it back. With a balanced offensive attack of five players in double-digits, Oklahoma shocked the Bears. Jacob Groves led the way with 15 points, while Marvin Johnson provided 12 off the bench.&nbsp;
Vanderbilt def. Alabama 82-76 &mdash; SEC Second Round
Bama led by 10 points at the break but Scotty Pippen Jr. and Co. had other plans. Vandy roared back to take a 68-67 lead with 4:26 to play, and was able to hold the Crimson Tide off the rest of the way. Jordan Wright hit a pair of free throws late to ice the game, and the Commodores advance. Pippen Jr. ended with 26 points and 7 assists.
TCU def. Texas 65-60 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Horned Frogs had a win probability of 29.3% entering this one, and that&rsquo;s all they needed. After being down 40-20 in the first half, TCU did a complete 180 and outscored the Longhorns 45-20 the rest of the way. Mike Miles and Co. are setting themselves up well, and will take on the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 semis.
Penn State def. Ohio State 71-68 &mdash; Big Ten Second Round
The Nittany Lions were given a 24.2% chance of winning today, and they did just that behind Sam Sessoms' 18 points off the bench. Jalen Pickett also had a huge game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Penn State moves on to play No. 3 Purdue.&nbsp;
Grambling def. Southern 60-58 &mdash; SWAC Quarterfinals
Led by Tra&rsquo;Michael Moton&rsquo;s 12 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, Grambling took the lead with 10 minutes left in the game and never gave it back. The Tigers will face Texas Southern next.&nbsp;
Tulsa def. Wichita State 73-67 &mdash; American First Round
The Golden Hurricane had four players with 10 or more points, including two with at least 20. After an 11-19 season, this was a nice win for Tulsa as it tries to make a late push in the conference. Tulsa will move on to face No. 2 SMU.&nbsp;
Portland State def. Southern Utah 77-65 &mdash; Big Sky Quarterfinals
The Vikings entered this game under .500 on the season, but put up 77 points on 51.9% shooting from the floor. They held Southern Utah to a lowly 36.8% from the floor and are able to advance.
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Standout Performers
Noah Fernandes (UMass): 29 points, 7 assists
Spencer Jones (Stanford): 28 points, 8 rebounds
Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse): 28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Grant Sherfield (Nevada): 25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
Joel Murray (Long Beach State): 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana): 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 10-17 FG
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
Nate Watson (Providence): 26 points, 7 rebounds, 9-14 FG
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt): 26 points, 7 assists
Tristen Newton (East Carolina): 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists
Jordan Walker (UAB): 26 points, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Dillon Jones (Weber State): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Prentiss Hubb (Notre Dame): 23 points, 5 assists
Zyon Pullin (UC Riverside):&nbsp;23 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
Amadou Sow (UC Santa Barbara): 21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Bryce Hamilton (UNLV): 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Mahki Morris (Abilene Christian): 22 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Chuba Ohams (Fordham): 20 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals
Darien Jackson (Tulsa): 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Brady Manek (UNC): 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Malique Jacobs (Kent State): 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Kowacie Reeves (Florida): 21 points, 6 rebounds
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17866936_lg.jpg" alt="" width="381" height="272" />
2022 NBA Draft: Prospect Watch&nbsp;
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Tari Eason (LSU): 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Justin Lewis (Marquette): 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas): 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Trevor Keels (Duke): 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Jabari Walker (Colorado): 18 points, 16 rebounds
Iverson Molinar (Miss. State): 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Collin Gillespie (Villanova): 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
David Roddy (Colorado State): 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
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March Madness is underway! If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down during Thursday's games.

March Madness: Conference tournament Thursday recap

Coaching in the NBA has an infinite number of aspects.
From scheduling practice to maintaining travel routines to managing numerous personality types throughout the staff and team to drawing up defensive schemes, team-specific game plans and a plethora of offensive sets, a lot goes into it.
On top of all that, there's also deciding on rotations that work for everybody.
Rotations are an ideal. If everything goes right in this game, this is how I want to sub and play this team. They are trying to balance minutes and rest; it is just a plan. But plans can change depending on each particular game, such as flow and the magnitude of the deficit or lead at any certain point.&nbsp;
That brings us to the biggest rotation killer: Fouls.
Fouls present a conundrum for each and every coach. Do you sit the player who's in "foul trouble" to protect him/her from picking up another foul too soon? Or do you allow the player to remain on the court and hope that he/she can defend without fouling to preserve your set rotation?
The theory of protecting players is this:&nbsp;If I leave this player in, he/she may foul out and be unavailable for the end of the game when I need him/her most. Therefore, I will pull the player out of the game to protect him/her from another foul, so they are available down the stretch.
(On this episode of "Mythbusters" ...)
The theory is valid... until it's not.
Here are three scenarios where this strategy has bitten NBA coaches in the behind, all of which have played out since the beginning of 2022.
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Case Study No. 1 
LaMelo Ball vs. Memphis (2/12/22)
LaMelo Ball is easily the most important player for the Charlotte Hornets on offense. His defensive shortcomings are excused by his ability to lead a team on the other side of the ball. Not having him in the game would most likely be a disaster for Hornets head coach James Borrego.
Charlotte was getting run out of the gym against the Memphis Grizzlies in this specific contest when Ball picked up his fourth foul with 10:32 remaining in the third quarter. Memphis was up 78-45, and Borrego opted to leave LaMelo in the game.
The Hornets ended up cutting into that 33-point lead, bringing the game within 24, when Ball picked up his fifth foul with 7:18 remaining in the third quarter. He remained in the game, hitting two free throws, for another 23 seconds of game play. His team was +11 since picking up his fourth foul.
The theory of protection would dictate that Ball should return anywhere from four-to-six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Coach Borrego decided to start Ball in the fourth quarter. He played every minute, did not foul out and the Hornets were +25 since his fourth foul, cutting a 33-point deficit down to a seven-point loss.&nbsp;
Granted the massive point differential probably made this an easier decision, but the point remains. He played more than 12 minutes without fouling out, and his floor time was not in garbage minutes, as his Hornets were fighting their way back.&nbsp;
Case Study No. 2 
Pascal Siakam v. Brooklyn (3/1/22)
Pascal Siakam has been on an absolute tear during the second half of the season for the Toronto Raptors. He is another player of extreme value for his team, and arguably Toronto's best player alongside Fred VanVleet. He is a two-way player who maintains a positive defensive plus-minus despite a large usage rate north of 25%.&nbsp;
With his team down 89-81 at the 10:51 mark in the fourth quarter, Siakam picked up his fifth foul; a pivotal decision was coming for Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. Could Toronto survive a six-minute stretch without one of their stars? Or was it time to roll the dice and get as much out of Siakam as possible?
The Nets were in the middle of a 10-4 run, so Nurse determined that having Siakam in the game right then was more important than saving him for the final four minutes. After all, had the run continued, the final four minutes would not have mattered, and protecting Pascal would not be protecting the team.&nbsp;
With 2:40 remaining in the game, Siakam fouled out, but his team had a four-point lead (100-96). In those eight minutes, Siakam contributed 2 points, 2 rebounds and an assist &mdash; but more importantly, his defense helped his team go on a 19-7 run. Although he fouled out in clutch time, the decision to leave Siakam on the floor had a direct impact to Toronto's eventual one-point victory over the Nets.&nbsp;
Case Study No. 3 
Jaren Jackson Jr. vs. Houston (3/6/22)
The NBA leader in stocks (steals and blocks) is Jaren Jackson Jr., and he's currently the defensive anchor of the team with the third-best record in the NBA. His presence on the back-end blocking shots &mdash; as well as his ability to switch and guard on the perimeter &mdash; has made him the most important defensive player for the Grizzlies.
Jackson's season has truly been an outbreak defensively, as he is well on his way to an All-Defensive Team honor; part of that has been his ability to stay on the floor due to cutting down on fouls. Yes, he is second in the NBA in total fouls, but his improvement compared to his past seasons should scream how maddeningly frustrating his defense was at the start of his young career.
He has blossomed. Jackson has described the timing of his block attempt, which takes an insane hyperfocus, as the biggest factor in his improvement. However, he is still prone to cluster-fouling at times. When he fouls, he fouls in bunches.
In Sunday's game, JJJ picked up his second foul at the 10:21 mark in the second quarter with the Grizzlies up, 36-31. Just over a minute later, he picked up his third foul and was subsequently subbed out with Memphis still up five, 41-36.
Memphis played well against the lowly Houston Rockets the remainder of the second quarter, taking a 10-point lead into the locker room at halftime. When the Grizzlies returned to the floor, Jackson was on the court for a brief two minutes before picking up his fourth foul and being yanked out again.&nbsp;
When he was put back into the game with three-tenths of a second remaining in the third, Memphis had surrendered its lead, trailing 92-90. He remained in the lineup upon the start of the fourth quarter only to be pulled at the 9:39 mark, as Memphis was still down 96-99.&nbsp;
Jackson, carrying five fouls, never saw the floor again. The Rockets would score 24 points in the final nine minutes of the contest, including 14 in the paint.
The Grizzlies held the second-best record in the NBA heading into this game, only to lose to the worst team in the Western Conference. Defensively, they could not get a stop, and Jackson's absence had a direct impact on that. Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins opted to protect JJJ from a sixth foul, so that when the game mattered in the end, he could have him.&nbsp;
This result has deemed Coach Jenkins' decision quite the foolish one. Sometimes, the game matters before the final four minutes. Sometimes, you have to roll the dice and either let the player foul out or hope the player defends without fouling. Either way, this crucial decision within a game is one of the many chess moves that a coach is responsible for.&nbsp;
In the end, I would argue that "protecting players" is a passive chess move that often leads to defeat. Sure, JJJ could have picked up his sixth foul within the next minute or two... or, he could have remained on the floor as an impact player and altered the course of the game.
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Justin Lewis argues against keeping players out when they're in foul trouble and why it can be costly.

Why protecting players from foul trouble is a mythical strategy

In 2012, Tom Ziller wrote an article for SB Nation on the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/2/2/2766177/lebron-james-volatility-scorers-hook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring volatility</a> of the NBA&rsquo;s top scorers. Since then, the subject has remained largely untouched (although Ben Taylor does discuss it briefly in his <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Basketball-Ben-Taylor/dp/1532968175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">book</a>, "Thinking Basketball").
So, since the NBA is on a hiatus until Thursday, I figured now was as good of a time to delve a little deeper into the topic.
To help me do so, I called upon the aid of software engineer/data scientist <a href="https://twitter.com/daniel_bratulic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Bratulić</a>.
First and foremost, for those unaware, scoring volatility is basically the degree of variance present in a player&rsquo;s game-to-game scoring outputs (e.g. low variance = low volatility). Understanding which players are more consistent and which ones are more of a wildcard is important in a game that is often defined as a &ldquo;make or miss league.&rdquo;&nbsp;
As Taylor notes in his aforementioned book: &ldquo;Teams are significantly more likely to win games when (at least) one player has an explosive night.&rdquo;
This sentiment is especially true this season, where the championship landscape is as deep as it has been in quite some time, and a single heater could reroute the entire course of history (I&rsquo;m looking at you, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SPjJ197oKE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Klay Thompson</a>).
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To identify the most volatile players among volume scorers, we charted the variance levels of the top-30 scorers based on their game-to-game True Shooting percentages. Here's what we found.
Shooting Consistency: 2021-22
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-22-at-11-31-52-am_lg.png" alt="" width="474" height="448" />
(Chart created by Daniel Bratulić)
For the sake of this exercise, we can shelve Damian Lillard&rsquo;s variance right now since it&rsquo;s doubtful he returns to the court this season. Steph Curry&rsquo;s standing on this list is likely due to the unprecedented (by his standards) shooting slump he endured for a large chunk of December and January.
What is the most interesting here is the six-man cluster on the top-left corner, consisting of Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards. These six are noteworthy because their overall True Shooting averages are right around the league average. So this means that their good games are well-above league average, while their off-nights are probably well-below.
To assess the nature of these players&rsquo; volatility, I charted their True Shooting numbers on a month-by-month basis:
True Shooting Percentage By Month
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-20-at-9-12-19-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="585" height="355" />
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 378px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Player
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
Oct.
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
Nov.
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
Dec.
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
Jan.
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
Feb.
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Mitchell
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
52.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
54.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
63.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
52.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
66.2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Siakam
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
N/A
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
54.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
53.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
55.2%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
62.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Ingram
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
53.6%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
50.6%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
58.1%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
51.7%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
54.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
McCollum
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
57.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
50.9%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
46.6%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
60.2%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
54.4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Tatum
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
48.8%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
50.8%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
58.5%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
59.1%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
57.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 18.8919%; height: 54px;">
Edwards
</td>
<td style="width: 15.7321%;">
49.6%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
54.4%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
59.0%
</td>
<td style="width: 17.134%;">
60.2%
</td>
<td style="width: 13.8206%; height: 54px;">
49.0%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
(Mobile users scroll right for full table)
Apologies for the slight cluster in the graph, but from analyzing that and the table, you will probably notice two different styles of shooting trends. For Siakam, Ingram and Tatum, you see one or two outlier months that are more indicative of an extended stretch of hot/cold shooting than erratic changes in game-to-game shooting efficiency. For instance, Tatum experienced a well-documented slow start to the season before returning to True Shooting percentages more in-line with his <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tatumja01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">career averages</a> during December, January and February.&nbsp;&nbsp;
On the other hand, Mitchell, McCollum and Edwards have two months of True Shooting well-above the league average, one month right around league average and two months well below it.&nbsp;
To use Edwards as an example, his October and February shooting percentages were abysmal (sub-50%), his November finish isn&rsquo;t too far from the <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/league-average-true-shooting-percentage-2022">league average</a> of 56%, and his December and January efficiency hovered right at that golden 60% threshold.
Mitchell, specifically, is no stranger to volatile scoring seasons. From 2018-21, Mitchell has consistently been an inconsistent scorer (I know, the irony), finishing with a standard deviation right around &ldquo;14&rdquo; in the three seasons prior to this campaign (charts from 2018-21 included after the conclusion of this article for anyone interested).
We&rsquo;ve also already gotten a glimpse of the postseason highs and lows that come with his streaky shooting. In 2018-19, Mitchell posted a dreadful 42.3% True Shooting, and the Utah Jazz were handedly discarded by the Houston Rockets in five games. On the flip side, in 2020-21, Mitchell eviscerated defenses with a 60.2% True Shooting clip. And if not for injuries to him and Mike Conley (and an aberration of a shooting performance by Terance Mann), the Jazz very well could have competed for a Western Conference championship.
In McCollum&rsquo;s case, the Portland Trail Blazers&rsquo; best season in the Lillard era coincided with one of his most volatile. In 2018-19, McCollum led all volume scorers in volatility with a standard deviation of &ldquo;17&rdquo; (again, reference charts below). During the playoffs, McCollum shot five True Shooting percentage points higher in their eight wins than he did in their eight losses, which signals the highest positive differential of any Blazer that played at least 300 minutes that postseason (per NBA.com).
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Overall, Mitchell, Edwards and McCollum appear to be the most volatile volume scorers of the 2021-22 season thus far. This matters because all three of these players are rostered by teams currently in the thick of the playoff picture. An electric shooting night from one of these guys could swing a Play-in game, a Game 7 or maybe even an entire postseason series. Such seismic capacity demands our attention, and further time should be allocated towards identifying these players and ascertaining the extent of their impact on winning.
For now, one would be wise to keep tabs on these players because &mdash; for better or worse &mdash; they may just go nuclear and tip the scales, and rewrite the story of the NBA in the process.
Shooting Consistency: 2018-19
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-22-at-11-34-19-am_lg.png" alt="" width="474" height="462" />
(Chart created by Daniel Bratulić)
Shooting Consistency: 2019-20
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-22-at-11-35-29-am_lg.png" alt="" width="475" height="456" />
(Chart created by Daniel Bratulić)
Shooting Consistency: 2020-21
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-22-at-11-36-31-am_lg.png" alt="" width="475" height="468" />
(Chart created by Daniel Bratulić)
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Mat Issa breaks down the variance of the NBA's most notable scorers and how it affects their respective teams.

Charting the most volatile scorers in the NBA right now

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the NBA as a league. As such, the NBA has, over the course of the week, revealed a list of its 75 &mdash; really 76 due to a tie in voting (???) &mdash; greatest players of all time.
These legends represent every era of the league. You'll see names your parents might not have been alive for. Paul Arizin, for example, averaged 23-9-2 and made the All-Star team in each of his 10 seasons spanning from 1951 to 1962. He missed two full seasons &mdash; 1952-53 and 1953-54 &mdash; due to his service in the US Military.
The next decade or so gave us more familiar legends: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, to name just a few.&nbsp;
On and on, more names pop up. Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the artist formerly known as Lew Alcindor in the 1970s &mdash; though Kareem spanned a couple of decades. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 1980s. Michael Jordan in the 1990s. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal and others represent the 2000s.&nbsp;
There are current players, too. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry represent the older new school, if you will. Newcomers, headlined by Giannis Antetokounmpo, have earned their legendary stripes.
76 names, all representing different parts of the league's rich history. 76 names with varying levels of impact, ranging from consistent All-Stars to the pantheon guys like MJ, Kareem, LeBron and others.&nbsp;
Somehow, 76 names made a list of 75, and Dwight freakin' Howard still wasn't one of them.
I do not want to outright disrespect anyone that made the list. I certainly don't want to undersell <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/there-were-major-snubs-from-nba-75-just-like-we-knew-there-would-be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how difficult it must've been for a voting panel</a> to wittle down thousands of NBA players &mdash; nearly 200 Hall-of-Famers &mdash; to a list of 75. Well, 76. Whatever.
But how in the name of God do you come up with 76 names &mdash; 11 of which are still in the league &mdash; and not have Howard?
It can't be a numbers case. Howard has career averages of 16.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks over his 18-year career. He holds these averages despite not being a full-time starter in four years. If you look at his starter stretch (14 seasons), those numbers rise to 17.4 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.&nbsp;
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You don't even have to make an argument for Howard to replace someone from the 1950s. His numbers are better than Robert Parish's (16 &amp; 10 from 1977-1994), and that's a lot more modern.
To be clear, Parish should absolutely be on the list as well; his blend of productivity and longevity &mdash; and his role scalability depending on what the Boston Celtics needed from him, across multiple title teams &mdash; is why he's a worthy Hall-of-Famer. I'm just saying the production is there for both.
It certainly can't be an accolades case. Howard's resume reads:
<ul>
<li>8x All-Star</li>
<li>8x All-NBA (5x 1st, 1x 2nd, 2x 3rd)</li>
<li>5x All-Defense (4x 1st, 1x 2nd)</li>
<li>3x Defensive Player of the Year</li>
<li>1x Olympic Gold Medal (2008)</li>
<li>1x NBA Champion (2020)</li>
</ul>
You're telling me that doesn't get him in the top 75? Heck, for comparison, here's the resume of Anthony Davis &mdash; one of the 11 current players to make the list:
<ul>
<li>8x All-Star</li>
<li>4x All-NBA (4x 1st)</li>
<li>4x All-Defense (2x 1st, 2x 2nd)</li>
<li>1x Olympic Gold Medal (2012)</li>
<li>1x NBA Champion (2020)</li>
</ul>
I love The Brow. He's definitely one of the 75 most talented players to lace them up. If we're projecting forward, he's going to easily have one of the heftiest resumes among big men in NBA history. That said, he has not accomplished more than Howard has at this stage, and it's wild to me that AD got the nod over him.
The individual numbers are one thing. The individual accomplishments are another thing. Are we also forgetting that Howard&nbsp;led a team to the NBA Finals&nbsp;during his peak? Compare that to Brow, who won a singular playoff round as the best player on a team (New Orleans Pelicans before being traded to the Lakers.)
That's not to say he was a failure in New Orleans or anything of the sort. He was freaking phenomenal in the postseason once he finally made it there. But, like... Howard averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds to go with nearly three blocks per contest during a Finals run &mdash; including a 26/13 stretch against the LeBron-led Cavaliers before that to advance to the 2008-09 Finals.
Aside from Howard, there are 33 players to make at least eight All-NBA teams. Every single one of them made the list. This is when I point out that there are a few players that may be near and dear to your heart &mdash; hi Patrick Ewing (7), Steve Nash (7), Paul Pierce (4) and Reggie Miller (3) &mdash; that made the list with fewer.&nbsp;
Among those four examples &mdash; because there are more, buddy &mdash; Ewing is the only one that affected both ends of the floor like peak Howard did.&nbsp;
Howard was, for nearly a decade, the league's most dangerous lob threat and interior defender at the same time. For all the cracks about his limited post game, he had a four-year stretch (2008-2011) where he ranked in the 63rd, 64th, 64th and 71st percentile as a post scorer via Synergy.
I just... come on, y'all. If Howard is annoying or childish to you, who am I to disagree with that? If his exit from Orlando (or Washington, or Atlanta, or Charlotte) rubbed you the wrong way, I absolutely get that.
He can be annoying while also being one of the 60 or so greatest players to lace them up. The numbers back that up. The accolades back that up. His peak years &mdash; 19.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 2.4 blocks from 2008-2014 &mdash; put him up there.
We have to stop disrespecting Dwight, the basketball player, at some point.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan discusses Dwight Howard's absence from the NBA's top-75 list.

Put some respect on Dwight Howard's name

The NBA released the remaining 25 players of the league's 75th anniversary team Thursday night on TNT.
Here is the official release from the NBA, which lists all 75 players that made the team and the people that voted on the NBA's top 75 players of all-time team:
"A total of 158 NBA championships and 730 NBA All-Star selections. &nbsp;A combined 110 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Awards and Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Awards. &nbsp;More than 1.5 million points scored.
Those are just some of the collective accomplishments of the players who comprise the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which was announced across TNT and ESPN from Oct. 19-21 as the league tipped off its landmark 75th Anniversary Season.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers and team and league executives, WNBA legends and sportswriters and broadcasters. &nbsp;Voters were asked to select the 75 Greatest Players in NBA History without regard to position. &nbsp;Panelists did not rank their selections. &nbsp;Current and former players were not allowed to vote for themselves.
As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th Anniversary Team features 76 players. &nbsp;Team highlights include:
&bull; Eleven active players have been named to the 75th Anniversary Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
&bull; All 50 members of the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, which was named in 1996, have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team.
&bull; The 75th Anniversary Team includes four players who played in the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951 (Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan and Dolph Schayes), the first winner of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Bob Pettit for the 1955-56 season) and the first winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award (Jerry West for the 1969 NBA Finals).
&bull; Bill Russell joins Cousy, Mikan and Pettit as the only four players who have been named to all four NBA Anniversary Teams: the 25th Anniversary Team (10 players named), 35th Anniversary Team (11 players named), 50th Anniversary Team and 75th Anniversary Team. (The 25th Anniversary Team was the only one of the four teams that did not allow for the inclusion of active players at the time.)
&bull; Six international players from six countries and territories have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Patrick Ewing (Jamaica), Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).
&bull; The five NBA legends who are serving as ambassadors for the 75th Anniversary Season are part of the 75th Anniversary Team: Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Nowitzki, Pettit and Oscar Robertson. Representing different eras of the league&rsquo;s history, the ambassadors will make appearances throughout the 2021-22 season and have a significant presence at NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team is listed below in alphabetical order, followed by the list of voters. &nbsp;The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young LLP. &nbsp;For player profiles on each member of the 75th Anniversary Team, click here and visit NBA.com/75."
<table style="width: 95.7926%; height: 464px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 27px;">
<td style="text-align: center; width: 149.879%; height: 27px;" colspan="4" width="691">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Damian Lillard</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Scottie Pippen</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Ray Allen</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Willis Reed</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Durant</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Karl Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Oscar Robertson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Carmelo Anthony</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Moses Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Archibald</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Pete Maravich</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dennis Rodman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Arizin</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob McAdoo</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Garnett</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin McHale</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dolph Schayes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Mikan</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Sharman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elgin Baylor</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hal Greer</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Reggie Miller</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Larry Bird</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Havlicek</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Thurmond</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kobe Bryant</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wes Unseld</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wilt Chamberlain</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Allen Iverson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hakeem Olajuwon</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dwyane Wade</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Cousy</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">LeBron James</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Russell Westbrook</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Gary Payton</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Anthony Davis</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jason Kidd</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dominique Wilkins</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave DeBusschere</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kawhi Leonard</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Pierce</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 97.1703%; height: 798px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 170.677%;" colspan="4" width="719">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM VOTING PANEL</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jack McCallum</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Marv Albert</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">David DuPree</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Brian McIntyre</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">David Aldridge</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Wayne Embry</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ann Meyers</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bob Ryan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sam Amick</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Yoko Miyaji</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Simmons</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sam Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Aschburner</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Stephen A. Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rachel Nichols</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Marc Spears</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Russ Granik</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Erik Spoelstra</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Howard Beck</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Becky Hammon</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Hannah Storm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sue Bird</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Ernie Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Candace Parker</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sheryl Swoopes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Carol Blazejowski</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Mike Breen</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rod Thorn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doris Burke</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Scottie Pippen</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rudy Tomjanovich</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jerry Colangelo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Steve Kerr</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Gregg Popovich</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Peter Vecsey</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doug Collins</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Bob Lanier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaun Powell</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Cynthia Cooper</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Kara Lawson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ahmad Rashad</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rick Welts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Costas</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Lisa Leslie</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Willis Reed</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Nancy Lieberman</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Tim Reynolds</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Michael Wilbon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Zach Lowe</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bill Rhoden</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Pat Riley</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jackie MacMullan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Oscar Robertson</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jeff Zillgitt</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Some notable snubs include Tracy McGrady, Bernard King, Alex English, Vince Carter, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Bob McAdoo, and Pau Gasol to just name a few. This list was part of the NBA's marketing campaign for the league's historic 75th season and will surely spark a conversation/debate amongst NBA fans all over the world.

The NBA released the final 25 players of the 75th anniversary team Thursday on TNT.

Final 25 members of NBA's 75th Anniversary Team announced

As the face of the franchise for the NBA's most frequent loser, Karl-Anthony Towns has endured a lot more downs than ups over six-plus tumultuous years with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Emerging from the fog of their most recent setbacks on and off the court, the two-time All-Star center Towns and the Timberwolves have some fresh reasons for optimism in 2021-22 after two abnormal NBA seasons due to the pandemic.
Anthony Edwards is at the top of that list.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m ready for whatever, man. It&rsquo;s just my second year. I&rsquo;m still learning. I don&rsquo;t know a lot. I don&rsquo;t know anything, really,&rdquo; Edwards said at the beginning of training camp, as boyishly confident and cheerfully unconcerned as ever. "All I do is go out there, grab a ball and play and have fun. So whatever there is for me to learn, I&rsquo;m ready.&rdquo;
Edwards was speaking in response to a question about the Timberwolves taking a more systematic approach to a defense that has long been one of the NBA&rsquo;s most vulnerable. Whatever the skill or task on whichever end of the floor, the first overall pick in the 2020 draft is oozing with the energy and talent to take his game to the next level.
One of only 11 players in the league to participate in all 72 regular season games last season, Edwards came off the bench to start and frequently deferred to Towns and D'Angelo Russell on offense. Down the stretch, with both Towns and Russell back from extended absences, he didn't.
&ldquo;But they&rsquo;re still killers,&rdquo; Edwards said. "They&rsquo;re still the best at what they do, so us three together, it&rsquo;s going to be really, really good.&rdquo;
That's what the Timberwolves, whose all-time winning percentage (.394) is the worst among the NBA's 30 active franchises, are banking on.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to continue to put this organization first every step of the way, and hopefully along the way I can find a lot more wins and a lot more chances in the Western Conference to win a Finals,&rdquo; Towns said. "Or even just give me a chance to be in the playoffs and let me rock.&rdquo;
LEADERSHIP SHUFFLE
The roster stayed largely intact over the summer, but the Timberwolves initiated yet another shakeup last month with the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-minnesota-minnesota-timberwolves-glen-taylor-86f0e1ca1cf212c3d1292acd881e9227" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firing of president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas</a>. Owner Glen Taylor is also in the process of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-minnesota-minnesota-timberwolves-82a42a23375a522884db154a39bfcc2c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">selling the team to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez</a>.
Then there's head coach Chris Finch, who was hired by Rosas eight months ago to replace the fired Ryan Saunders and has only 41 games on his resume.
&ldquo;I love that guy already. I usually don&rsquo;t judge coaches that soon because I&rsquo;ve had a lot of them in a short period of time,&rdquo; Russell said. &ldquo;But from everything I&rsquo;ve seen, everything that I&rsquo;ve heard, his supporting cast, the staff around him, it&rsquo;s been great. The comfortability is there. I can feel it.&rdquo;
BEVERLEY ARRIVES
The most significant offseason acquisition the Timberwolves made was the trade for Patrick Beverley, one of the NBA's most intense defenders who will be the primary backup point guard to Russell. Beverley, as the only player on the roster older than 27 at age 33, will also supply a badly needed dose of leadership as a veteran with plenty of playoff game experience.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re preaching accountability," guard Malik Beasley said. "That&rsquo;s the main thing we need.&rdquo;
BEASLEY RESETS
Beasley has given Minnesota a reliable 3-point shooter since being fetched in a February 2020 deal with Denver, but he has only played in 51 games so far due to the coronavirus and other factors.
Last season, Beasley served a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-minnesota-minneapolis-minnesota-timberwolves-malik-beasley-abd8f9a46d101b3862e42ba43ea4a6a1">12-game suspension</a> from the NBA due to a felony gun charge that required him to spend four months in jail during the offseason. Between those punishments, he injured his hamstring and missed the final six weeks of last season. Healthy again, Beasley will complement Edwards as another viable off-the-ball option for Russell to distribute to.
&ldquo;I feel like my level of compete will be higher. I&rsquo;m ready to continue my journey," Beasley said. "The biggest part for me was mentally and off-the-court issues. Now I&rsquo;m stronger in my head, and it helps me get through different things.&rdquo;
4 ON THE FLOOR
The power forward spot has been in flux for several years, but the production from Jaden McDaniels as a rookie was one of the few bright spots from last season. Jarred Vanderbilt and newcomer Taurean Prince will also be in the mix at the position.
McDaniels has a slender frame &mdash; listed at 6-foot-9, 185 pounds &mdash; that frequently puts him in strength mismatches on defense, but his reach can go a long way.
&ldquo;Sometimes they try to bully me or things like that,&rdquo; McDaniels said. &ldquo;I just feel like using my length is a big part of that.&rdquo;

KAT and the Timberwolves have some fresh reasons for optimism in 2021-22 after two abnormal NBA seasons due to the pandemic.

Emerging Edwards gives Towns, T-wolves infusion of optimism

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/sam-cassell-shares-why-hakeem-never-took-preseason-games-seriously-son-preseason-dont-count-the-popcorn-is-popping-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t a point guard. I was a killer.&rdquo;
Allen Iverson spoke those words on the day he was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame over five years ago. Now, we don&rsquo;t usually acknowledge those who self-assign a certain title to their name. After all, as said by Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones: "Any man who must say, 'I am the king' is no true king."
But this is "The Answer" we're talking about. AI wasn&rsquo;t just a point guard. He was, in fact, the ultimate killer.
Come to think of it... is he the last of his kind? Because other than the late, great Kobe Bryant, between Iverson&rsquo;s contemporaries, as well as his successors, there isn&rsquo;t an obvious standout worthy of carrying that title.
According to the Hall-of-Famer himself, however, there&rsquo;s nothing to worry about. On the contrary, with everyone complaining about the lack of true killers in today&rsquo;s NBA, Iverson believes there are many to choose from. And during <a href="https://youtu.be/C5-2LQwwJ38" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his interview with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks</a>, he listed his top five.
"Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Bradley Beal," Iverson told B/R.
After naming the first four, Iverson seemingly had trouble coming up with one last name to put on the list. Then, he smiled and remembered the guy most people would agree should top that list. And it seems AI feels the same way.
"Dame! Certified! He&rsquo;s a monster with it," Iverson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5-2LQwwJ38" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "Steph is bad as hell, but Dame is just a rude motherf****r. He&rsquo;s just rude, he&rsquo;s just disrespectful. He does anything. He passes half-court and let it fly, buzzer-beaters. No fear."
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C5-2LQwwJ38" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
That&rsquo;s what it means to be a killer &mdash; having a fearless mentality on the basketball court and always being locked in on doing whatever it takes to come out victorious. And there&rsquo;s no doubt Lillard is one guy from today&rsquo;s NBA who best epitomizes all of that. But the rest of the guys from Iverson&rsquo;s list have had their fair share of "killer" moments as well.
There&rsquo;s a reason <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/curryst01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of Curry&rsquo;s nicknames</a> is Baby-Faced Assassin. KD and Harden are some of the greatest offensive weapons in the history of the game. And Beal, as great and clutch as he is individually, still hasn&rsquo;t requested a trade from the Wizards. (It doesn&rsquo;t get more fearless than that, right?)
But more importantly, they are all recognized by the ultimate killer. That&rsquo;s all the validation every basketball player striving to become a killer on the court needs.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

With some complaining about the lack of true killers in today’s NBA, Allen Iverson believes there are many to choose from.

Allen Iverson names his top-5 killers in today's NBA

For 15 consecutive seasons, the Sacramento Kings have missed the playoffs. The last time Sacramento was a postseason squad, Mike Bibby, Ron Artest and Brad Miller were their primary contributors.
Far and away the longest streak in the NBA, Sacramento has become the proverbial cellar-dweller. Stuck in a rudderless cycle of mediocrity, how can the Kings finally escape this position? With how loaded the Western Conference currently is, it&rsquo;s going to be a massive task to break through as a top-eight team in the 2021-22 season.
However, the cupboard isn&rsquo;t totally bare in Sacramento. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox&rsquo;s five-year rookie max extension officially kicked in this offseason. Tyrese Haliburton immediately proved to be an integral piece to their core as a rookie, averaging 13.0 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals while converting 40.9% on three-pointers. Richaun Holmes, who proved to be a legit starting center in the Association, is now locked in on a new four-year, $55 million deal. Davion Mitchell, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft from Baylor who was lauded as one of the most pro-ready prospects, will slot in as the Kings&rsquo; third guard.
Outside of those four pieces, there are questions about the rest of Sacramento&rsquo;s rotation and whether they are actually in the team's long-term plans.
Buddy Hield was almost traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell, proving he&rsquo;s more than available in discussions this offseason. Marvin Bagley III, who was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, has not fared well in his first three seasons due to injuries and inefficient play. Rumors have also circulated around Bagley III being floated in trade talks entering into the final year of his rookie-scale contract. Harrison Barnes is a very solid, reliable two-way wing who has revamped his career in the purple and white, but will he be in Sacramento once his contract expires after the 2022-23 season? The rest of Sacramento&rsquo;s roster is filled with unproven young players yet to make a dent in their rotation.
So, the Kings are truly in an interesting spot. What direction should they go in? Do they make an aggressive push in an attempt to reach the seemingly impossible playoff threshold or continue playing the waiting game for years to come?
The Kings should try to find the best fits to surround their backcourt duo of Fox and Haliburton. If that&rsquo;s a win-now move or continuing to add young prospects, it&rsquo;s the best bet to make this longstanding postseason drought rewarding once it ends.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Bringing back Holmes on a long-term deal was a great start, because he was the only player in three-man lineup combinations to carry a positive net rating (+5.8 NetRtg) alongside the budding young backcourt throughout last season. In a career-best season for Holmes, the 27-year-old big man averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in only 29.2 minutes per game. When Fox, Halliburton and Holmes shared the floor in 43 games, Sacramento&rsquo;s record was close to .500 at 20-23.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, swapping out Holmes for Bagley III alongside Fox and Haliburton caused their lineup metrics to plummet. Sacramento was outscored by 20 points per 100 possessions when this trio shared the floor, over a 25-point swing in the wrong direction compared to Holmes. Sacramento would be wise to move off Bagley III to open up more minutes elsewhere, but his value is at an all-time low. Simply salary dumping Bagley III is a possibility, but there&rsquo;s a better way to maneuver this tumultuous situation.
Hield and Bagley III&rsquo;s 2021-22 salaries combine to be $33.7 million. With both players in trade talks, Sacramento can slyly become a sleeper team in the Western Conference by making one big swing for the fences: Ben Simmons.
Sacramento is missing more defensive versatility and playmaking to help anchor an already promising foundation led by Fox and Haliburton. Insert Simmons into the mix and Sacramento is cooking with gas on, immediately taking a huge leap forward. Simmons and Haliburton would become one of the most entertaining one-two playmaking punches in the NBA, while Fox takes on a primary scoring role with the easiest buckets he&rsquo;s been fed throughout his career. Barnes would be a terrific floor-spacer, while Holmes&rsquo; efficient rim-rolling will excel while being tossed picture-perfect lobs.
Sacramento becomes a playoff contender, potentially even a lock to make the big dance, if they were to land Simmons. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2016 draft has needed a situation where he can run the show with optimum spacing around him, similar to the ecosystem Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is thriving within. The Kings present an intriguing situation to make those dreams a reality. Fox and Haliburton can play off the ball with no issue, which we saw throughout last season as they shared playmaking duties.
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NBA insider Marc Stein reported last month that Sacramento is one of five teams to have expressed interest in acquiring Simmons from Philadelphia. The Sixers' asking price for Simmons is quite simply outrageous &mdash; four first-round picks and an All-Star player. Nobody is going to send Sixers GM Daryl Morey that much in return for the 25-year-old point-forward, but Sacramento does stand out as the one team desperate enough to cobble together an enticing package to make it happen.
In the organization&rsquo;s current state, no star-caliber free agent will ever consider making their next long-term home in Sacramento. Making an aggressive trade is the only way to make it happen. Rolling the dice is tough, because it could all blow up in their face down the road, but risks need to be made in order to break the curse in Sacramento.
If the Kings refuse to go all-in, they will continue to stay in neutral. Eventually, the button needs to be pushed in order to become a well-respected playoff threat.

The Kings have missed the playoffs since 2005-06. What can Sacramento do to break their longstanding postseason drought?

How will the Kings successfully escape the abyss?

Perhaps the biggest frenzy of the NBA Draft cycle comes after the draft is completed.&nbsp;
Mere minutes after pick No. 60 is revealed, newsbreakers are reporting out fully-guaranteed deals, two-way contracts and Summer-League additions around the NBA. We've created a place for you to keep track of these moves.
Below are the notable reported agreements, listed by team.
Atlanta Hawks
Ibi Watson (G), Dayton --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JShawNBA/status/1421137851316592641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Shaw/HoopsRumors</a>
Boston Celtics
Sam Hauser (F), Virginia&nbsp;-- two-way contract agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420983228396101637" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Brooklyn Nets
David Duke (G), Providence --&nbsp;agreed to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/John_Fanta/status/1420974779868266496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fanta/Fox Sports</a>
Brandon Rachal (F), Tulsa --&nbsp;agreed to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/TUMBasketball/status/1421125766197047296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulsa Athletics</a>
Charlotte Hornets
DJ Carton (G), Marquette --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420986452947648515" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Chicago Bulls
Ethan Thompson (G), Oregon State --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1420978552816738304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
Cleveland Cavaliers
Chandler Vaudrin (F), Winthrop --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/Winthrop_MBB/status/1421089611539955715" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Winthrop Athletics</a>
Dallas Mavericks
Carlik Jones (G), Louisville --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420991380395073537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Eugene Omoruyi (F), Oregon --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420979430927777792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
E.J. Onu (F), Shawnee State --&nbsp;agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyWoo/status/1420979723069427713" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy Woo/Sports Illustrated</a>
Feron Hunt (F), SMU --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantAfseth/status/1420993320994721799" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grant Afseth/Sports Illustrated</a>
LJ Figueroa (G), Oregon --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1421280618210603009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Zagoria</a>
Denver Nuggets
Giorgi Bezhanishvili (F), Illinois -- Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1421113026917412871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Zagoria</a>
Detroit Pistons
Chris Smith (F), UCLA&nbsp;-- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420979150559535104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
John Petty (G), Alabama --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/status/1421109144896032776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Rodak/AL.com</a>
Anthony Tarke (F), Coppin St. --&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyTarke/status/1420988333094801412" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrees to unspecified deal</a>
Spencer Littleson (G), Toledo --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1420998599605985284" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
Golden State Warriors
Jaquori McLaughlin (G), UCSB&nbsp;-- agrees to unspecified deal, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1421072913881567233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Jordan Schakel (F), San Diego State -- Summer League agreement, <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1420999272997261313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today</a>
Colbey Ross (G), Pepperdine --&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/cdot_ross/status/1421145317387366410" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League agreement</a>
Houston Rockets
Matthew Hurt (F), Duke -- <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1421275019322306560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrees to two-way contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Indiana Pacers
Terry Taylor (G), Austin Peay -- agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420984014735872000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Duane Washington Jr. (G), Ohio State --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420969644601614337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Los Angeles Clippers
-- None reported so far --
Los Angeles Lakers
Mac McClung (G), Texas Tech --&nbsp;agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420976989918441472" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Joel Ayayi (G), Gonzaga --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420969546995933186" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Austin Reaves (G), Oklahoma --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1420972297150779394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today</a>
Chaundee Brown (G), Michigan --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1420984245250674693" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Givony/ESPN</a>
Alan Griffin (G), Syracuse --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1421204946226143232" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Zagoria</a>
Memphis Grizzlies
Romeo Weems (F), DePaul -- agrees to Exhibit 10 deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420969722217209856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Yves Pons (F), Tennessee&nbsp;-- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420972279698231296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Keaton Wallace (G), UTSA --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1421143975965175811" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy/BasketballNews.com</a>
Miami Heat
RJ Nembhard (G), TCU --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420989119702970369" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
AJ Lawson (G), South Carolina --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420987461744959489" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Javonte Smart (G), LSU -- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420981941042622464" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
D.J. Stewart (F), Mississippi St. -- Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1420974202774040576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy/BasketballNews.com</a>
Marcus Garrett (G), Kansas --&nbsp;agres to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1421138197623492618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ira Winderman/South Florida Sun Sentinel</a>
Dejon Jarreau (G), Houston&nbsp;-- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1421138197623492618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ira Winderman/South Florida Sun Sentinel</a>
Micah Potter (C), Wisconsin -- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1421138197623492618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ira Winderman/South Florida Sun Sentinel</a>
Dru Smith (G), Missouri --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1421127877521707011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today</a>
Milwaukee Bucks
Mike Smith (G), Michigan -- Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1420974489488314371" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
Jalen Crutcher (G), Dayton --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JonChep/status/1421174764979298307" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jon Chepkevich/Rookie Scale</a>
Minnesota Timberwolves
McKinley Wright IV (G), Colorado -- agrees on two-way contract, per<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420970500071858176" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Isaiah Miller (G), UNC Greensboro --&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Nike_Beast23/status/1420982966201749506" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrees to unspecified deal</a>
Matt Lewis (G), James Madison --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, as announced on Instagram
New Orleans Pelicans
Jose Alvarado (G), Georgia Tech --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ksugiuraajc/status/1420975067232718850" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Suguira/Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>
New York Knicks
Aamir Simms (F), Clemson -- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1421068449963548676" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Oklahoma City Thunder
-- None reported so far --
Orlando Magic
Asbjorn Midtgaard (C), Grand Canyon -- Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420993281954045954" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Jeremiah Tilmon (F), Missouri --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1420977542056534017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy/BasketballNews.com</a>
Philadelphia 76ers
Aaron Henry (G), Michigan State --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420968768130404353" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Daishen Nix (G), G League Ignite --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1421183526666481668" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Zagoria</a>
Phoenix Suns
-- None reported so far --
Portland Trail Blazers
Trendon Watford (F), LSU --&nbsp;plans to sign two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420972774269628423" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Mark Vital (F), Baylor --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1421126065183985671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Givony/ESPN</a>
Sacramento Kings
D.J. Steward (G), Duke --&nbsp;agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420981965608693760" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Matt Coleman (G), Texas --&nbsp;agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyWoo/status/1420979002383142914" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy Woo/Sports Illustrated</a>
Damien Jefferson (F), Creighton --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1421098072759799810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Givony/ESPN</a>
San Antonio Spurs
Justin Turner (G), Bowling Green --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420986657222897667" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Matt Mitchell (F), San Diego Sate --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1420996575120314368" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today</a>
Biram Faye (F), Gran Canaria --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1421100846201417733" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Givony/ESPN</a>
Toronto Raptors
Justin Champagnie (F), Pittsburgh --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420978690935169027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Moses Wright (F), Georgia Tech --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-tech/moses-wright-going-to-summer-league-with-raptors/DUKAEVIODRFQ7BUBD56U6VUDO4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Suguira/Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>
Utah Jazz
MaCio Teague (G), Baylor --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1420974669235200005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
D.J. Funderbunk (F), NC State --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JShawNBA/status/1421212803151671312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Shaw/HoopsRumors</a>
Washington Wizards
Jay Huff (C), Virginia -- agrees to Exhibit 10 contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1420983981667983361" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fred Katz/The Athletic</a>
Jordan Goodwin (G), St. Louis --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1420983666877075457" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fred Katz/The Athletic</a>

BasketballNews.com tracks every report of Summer League signings and pending contracts.

Undrafted Free Agent Tracker: Reported contracts and Summer League deals

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">In some ways, Tyrone Hill paved the way for us Xavier players, so it was fitting that I was wearing one of his old, olive-green suits while I was waiting for my name to be called on draft night.&nbsp;</div>
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June 30, 1999&hellip; "With the first pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Elton Brand!"&nbsp;
There are some things you just never forget, and for anyone who&rsquo;s fortunate enough to be drafted by an NBA team, the memories last a lifetime. I definitely have my share.
So yeah, Tyrone Hill and I had a couple connections, but none stronger than our alma mater.
He played four years at Xavier from 1986-1990, and during my three years there (1996-1999), he&rsquo;d come back and play with us over the summer. He was truly a big brother to the program. At some point before the draft, after some of us had put our name in the hat, he came through with a bunch of dress suits he wanted to donate to us. I picked the olive-green one.
Back then, my swag wasn&rsquo;t that refined, so I never thought about getting a tailor-made suit or having that one altered or anything like that. I rocked it just like that. When I tried it on, it seemed like it fit good enough, so that was that.
Again, some details you just never forget.
I appreciated the gesture from T-Hill, especially because &mdash; aside from the Xavier connection &mdash; we had two other things in common: we shared an agent, and we were both from Ohio. I was born in Cleveland, he's from Cincinnati.
And then, on that night in 1999, we had another thing in common: we were both NBA players.
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With the 2021 NBA Draft coming up &mdash; even though it&rsquo;s about a month later than it would be under normal circumstances &mdash; I find myself being excited for the group of incoming players while reflecting on my own experience. For me personally, I wasn&rsquo;t really one of the top guys coming out in my year &mdash; I was selected 18th by the Denver Nuggets &mdash; but I remember the months and weeks leading up to the draft.
I remember hearing things here and there about me being projected as a mid-first round pick and about guys like Shawn Marion, Ron Artest and Wally Szczerbiak being better than me, etc.
I remember my attitude was basically like, &ldquo;Let them prove it!&rdquo;
So any time I heard one of those guys&rsquo; names or about workouts where they would be, I wanted to be there. I thought I was better than them, and if a team was going to pick them over me, I at least wanted to have the opportunity to compete directly against them so I could understand why.
That&rsquo;s what I enjoyed most about the process: the opportunity to compete with my draftmates.
At the end of the day, I pretty much landed where we thought I would: mid-first round. But I still appreciated the process and the fact that other people got to watch me and meet me, because I think it makes a difference. You can watch film, but meeting with a player is the best way to get a good feel for him and what he may bring to the table. And that&rsquo;s what was missing for the guys who came out last year. Most of the opinions formulated about them were from watching film and talking over Zoom. There weren't the face-to-face interactions that we&rsquo;ve traditionally had during the pre-draft process. As a result, in many ways, they didn't have the same opportunity to help themselves and their stock.
It wasn&rsquo;t something I took for granted back when it was my time, and since I&rsquo;ve gotten into coaching, I&rsquo;ve developed a newfound appreciation for being able to watch games in-person. How guys communicate with their teammates, their body language and their ability to read plays and defenses are more difficult to scout when you&rsquo;re not seeing the game from the player&rsquo;s perspective.
I&rsquo;d like to think that those little details are what ultimately led Denver to draft me, because the truth of the matter is that I didn&rsquo;t really know exactly how things were going to pan out for me back in &rsquo;99.
Like most kids coming out, I was holding out hope that one team in particular would draft me. For me, it was my hometown Cavs.
Eventually &mdash; thanks to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving &mdash; I was a part of bringing Cleveland its first-ever NBA Championship in 2016 (as an assistant coach). But about 20 years earlier, I&rsquo;d dreamed of doing it as a player. It obviously didn&rsquo;t turn out that way, though. Cleveland predictably picked Andre Miller at No. 8, and everyone saw that coming because they needed a point guard. But then, at No. 11...
"With the 11th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Trajan Langdon!"
Nobody expected them to do that. No hard feelings, obviously, but that&rsquo;s not something I&rsquo;ll forget, especially because of the brief conversation I had with my mom right afterward.
Once Langdon was picked, I was a little disappointed. So was my mom, who was clearly getting concerned when all these other kids&rsquo; names were being called before mine.
&ldquo;What&rsquo;s going on?&rdquo; I specifically remember her asking me that when Cleveland passed on me for the second time. I just shrugged it off. I wasn&rsquo;t tripping.
&ldquo;Ma, listen, we weren&rsquo;t banking on this, anyway,&rdquo; I said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be alright, regardless. I got my degree, and I&rsquo;ll just get a job. We were never banking on this, anyway, so it won&rsquo;t be a huge letdown. We&rsquo;ll figure it out, I&rsquo;ll figure it out, and we might as well enjoy this, anyway.&rdquo;
I was really prepared to not get drafted at all. But fortunately, seven picks later, my name was called.
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"With the 18th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets select James Posey!"
I was relieved and excited, but I was truly at peace with whatever the outcome would&rsquo;ve been. It&rsquo;s probably because I&rsquo;d heard so many stories about highly-touted guys who didn't make it. I never assumed that my name was going to be called. With only 29 selections in the first round, there are simply no guarantees for anybody.
More than 20 years later, I&rsquo;m so proud of what I&rsquo;ve been able to accomplish in the game of basketball and I can&rsquo;t help but to think of the night when it all began. Between then and now, I played with some great players, made some big shots and helped my teams win at the highest level.
Now, even better than that, through coaching, I&rsquo;ve been blessed to have some opportunities to help instill my values and share my experiences with future generations.
Especially since my playing days ended, I&rsquo;ve been enjoying the late spring and early summer months a lot. Between March Madness, the NBA Playoffs and the NBA Draft, we get to witness the coming of age of collegiate players and get to see many of them &mdash; like Kyle Lowry, Kyle Kuzma and Jrue Holiday, for example &mdash; become champions.
It all starts somewhere, though. For most of us, it happens to be with some sweaty palms, short breaths and us eagerly waiting to hear our name called by the Commissioner.
For me, it also started with a hand-me-down, olive-green suit that I was fortunate enough to get my hands on.
It was a night I&rsquo;ll never forget, and I&rsquo;m happy for the 2021 draftees who will get their own once-in-a-lifetime experience.

With the 2021 NBA Draft upon us, James Posey reflects on his own draft process and being selected by the Denver Nuggets in 1999.

The night my life changed: Reflecting on my 1999 NBA Draft selection

Matt Babcock recently spent time in the gym with 2021 NBA Draft prospect James Bouknight and shares his thoughts.

Behind the scenes with projected lottery pick James Bouknight

Pardon the jurisdictional bias, but the best thing to see over the first weekend of the NBA playoffs was the crowd at the raucous Madison Square Garden (the &ldquo;World&rsquo;s Most Famous Arena&rdquo;) -- even if the final result was not exactly what the New York Knicks had in mind.
Anyone who has been to New York over the past 14.5 months can understand, but for those who haven&rsquo;t, here is the deal: New York City has struggled to return to normal since shutting down in March 2020. For example, 110,000 restaurants went out of business during the pandemic. NBA teams who have come into Manhattan and Brooklyn likened it to the post-apocalyptic scenes in the Will Smith movie &ldquo;I Am Legend&rdquo; as they wondered why there were no people on the streets.
The trains that run beneath MSG are still largely empty, although the subways are much more crowded than they were just a month ago. And seeing so many Knicks fans suddenly congregating together, led by Spike Lee and Tracy Morgan, was truly a sight to behold after keeping to ourselves for more than a year.
The TNT broadcast duo of Spero Dedes and Greg Anthony could've captured this moment even better had they been in the building and felt the energy, but they were broadcasting this game remotely. Let&rsquo;s hope the networks get the broadcasters back into the arenas sooner rather than later.
The crowd of 15,047 made it the largest indoor event to be held in New York since the pandemic began.
"Having fans, I think, is great," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But we've got to play better."
Especially Julius Randle, whose regular-season success against the Atlanta Hawks was expected to continue in the postseason. But the likely Most-Improved-Player-award winner went 6-for-23 from the field, and the Hawks eked out the Game 1 win on Trae Young&rsquo;s game-winner with 0.9 seconds left after he singlehandedly broke down New York&rsquo;s defense. Young is a good villain to have around as the series waits to resume Wednesday night. If ever a guy was channeling Reggie Miller, it was Young last night. He crossed over Frank Ntilikina four times on the game-winning drive.
The most surprising result of the weekend came in the last of the eight games when the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the top-seeded Utah Jazz, 112-109, for the first win by a No. 8 seed since the Orlando Magic defeated the Milwaukee Bucks last season in Game 1 in the Bubble. That one eventually turned into a 4-1 series win for the Bucks, so we shall see where this leads the Grizzlies.
But give Taylor Jenkins&rsquo; crew their props. In the past week, they have ended the seasons of Gregg Popovich and Steph Curry and now hold a 1-0 lead over the best three-point-shooting team we have seen in quite some time. They&rsquo;ve only won one game, but every year, there is at least one series that&rsquo;s won or lost in Game 1; maybe this is that series. Donovan Mitchell was reportedly upset about being a last-minute scratch, but the Jazz already announced that he will return in Game 2.
What else was striking about the weekend&rsquo;s eight games? Let&rsquo;s go series by series:
Lakers-Suns: Sunday provided a lesson of how time can stand still when emotions and the referees get involved. Early in the fourth quarter, there was a sequence in which Chris Paul got under LeBron James on a box-out and sent him to the floor, Cam Payne and Alex Caruso got into a dustup (Payne picked up two technicals upon review and was ejected) and Kyle Kuzma&rsquo;s three-shot foul against Devin Booker was overturned upon review. In real time, it took more than 10 minutes to play just 30 seconds, and the Lakers were not able to use the extra time to their advantage. They are going to have to take another look at how they are defending the center position after Deandre Ayton outplayed Anthony Davis while Andre Drummond spent just 19 minutes on the court. James and Davis combined to miss five of 11 free throws, which is a pattern we saw to varying degrees from game to game.
Heat-Bucks: The award for the weekend&rsquo;s best finish goes to the game that was the first one played on Saturday afternoon, when Khris Middleton&rsquo;s jumper with 0.5 seconds broke a tie for the game-winner. A couple of other observations: Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s lower back is taking a beating that makes you remember Mike Tyson&rsquo;s famous line: &ldquo;Everybody has a plan until they get punched.&rdquo; With Butler shooting 4-for-22, the Heat really had no business being in the game this long but were helped by Giannis Antetokounmpo going 6-for-13 from the foul line. The winners went 5-for-31 from three-point range.
Blazers-Nuggets: The award for most deceiving crowd shot goes to this game, which had the largest attendance of the season in Denver &ndash; 7,732, almost none of whom were sitting within the frame of the broadcast shot from high above center court. Denver could be in trouble here, folks, as Jamal Murray&rsquo;s scoring is not being replaced by Michael Porter Jr. (1-for-10 from three-point range) or Aaron Gordon (16 points). I would not be surprised to see Markus Howard, last season&rsquo;s NCAA scoring leader at Marquette, get an even longer look tonight after he played 20 minutes in Game 1. It&rsquo;s no surprise that Nikola Jokic had only one assist after his teammates missed 25 of 36 three-point attempts.
Mavericks-Clippers: Los Angeles led 98-95 with just over six minutes left but then had just one bucket (and two missed free throws, both by Marcus Morris) in the next nine possessions to fall behind by seven before Paul George dunked with 1:15 left. A game-closing 16-5 run has the Mavs up 1-0 against the team that tanked its way into the non-Lakers bracket, and we shall see if the karma police continue to make them pay.
Celtics-Nets: Another thing that is lost on folks not located in the New York metropolitan region: Almost nobody is talking about the Nets. It is all Knicks, all the time. And this series appears as though it is going to be a walkover, which should keep the current dynamic in place at least through Wednesday, when Game 2 of Hawks-Knicks is played at Madison Square Garden. Despite Kevin Durant going 1-for-8 on three-pointers, the Nets outscored the Celtics by 17 in the second half in what appeared to be a return to the cruise-control mode they displayed shortly after James Harden was acquired from Houston. No free throw villain in this one just yet.
Wizards-Sixers: Russell Westbrook stepping out of bounds off two missed free throws by Ben Simmons with 38 seconds left (Simmons was 0-for-6 from the line) was a huge mistake, and another empty Sixers possession followed by a missed three by Westbrook with 17.8 seconds left ended Washington&rsquo;s final chance. Tobias Harris (37 points) showed once again that he does not get enough credit for Philadelphia&rsquo;s success. Washington had 38 points of bench scoring, something they will continue to need if they are going to be competitive in this series.

After the first weekend of playoff basketball, Chris Sheridan reacts to Game 1 of each series.

Sheridan: Reacting to the NBA playoffs' opening weekend

Transformative new sports league OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that it has selected Atlanta as its home. OTE selected the city of Atlanta after a year-long search, during which league officials visited and studied eight cities across the United States. OTE, which offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, begins playing in Atlanta this September.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
&ldquo;If we could construct a city that would be the perfect home for Overtime Elite, it would look just like Atlanta,&rdquo; said Overtime Elite Commissioner and President Aaron Ryan. &ldquo;The city&rsquo;s storied basketball history, diverse population, vibrant business community and rich culture make Atlanta a special place. OTE is looking forward to being an active contributor to the community.&rdquo;
OTE is committed to building an inclusive, diverse and equitable workforce, with a focus on hiring among communities of color and on employing people who live within Atlanta&rsquo;s city limits. The league is actively recruiting and hiring a staff of more than 100 people in the city, including basketball staff, educators, residential staff, food service, and additional support staff. OTE has already begun building its senior leadership team in Atlanta; the league&rsquo;s Head of Basketball Operations, Brandon Williams, and its Head of Talent and Recruiting, Kali Franklin, both live in the metro area. Individuals interested in career opportunities with OTE should visit LinkedIn for additional information.
&ldquo;This exciting announcement underscores that Atlanta is still a great place to do business. Overtime Elite will bring several well-paying jobs to our city, generate millions of dollars in economic impact and expand mentorship and programming opportunities for our young people,&rdquo; said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. &ldquo;We are pleased that Overtime Elite has chosen Atlanta to be its permanent home, and we look forward to welcoming the next generation of basketball stars to our city.&rdquo;
Planning is underway on construction of a brand-new 103,000-square-foot facility in the city&rsquo;s Atlantic Station neighborhood, where OTE&rsquo;s players will train, study and compete. This project will create up to 400 construction jobs in metro Atlanta, at least 30% of which will be diverse and people of color.
To maximize efficiency and reduce waste, the structure will be built using recycled and reused components, with an energy-efficient HVAC system and green-compliant LED lighting system and outer covering. The facility will be completed in time for the league&rsquo;s September debut. Larry Serota, Clark Dean and Clark Seydel of Transwestern led market exploration, site selection, and transaction-structuring for OTE.
&ldquo;Overtime Elite is a welcome addition to Atlanta&rsquo;s rich sports tradition, elevating the city as a global center for basketball development and a cultural hub for people of all backgrounds,&rdquo; said Atlanta Hawks player and Overtime investor Trae Young.
OTE leadership has long standing personal and professional relationships within the Atlanta Hawks organization, with a deep respect for the team&rsquo;s long history in the city and the role they have played to create positive change in the community. Similarly, OTE has been inspired by the impact that the Atlanta Dream and its players have had over the past year in using their voices to increase voter participation in the 2020 election.
&ldquo;Overtime Elite is a project that will bring long-time benefits to the city of Atlanta, not only economically, but it will teach our young people about empowerment and competing from a position of strength,&rdquo; said Michael Render, aka Killer Mike, Atlanta-based rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, actor, and activist.
Overtime Elite provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers, preparing them for the next level in a way not possible in an ordinary high school environment. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.
The league directly addresses one of the biggest issues in global sports: compensation of amateur athletes. Every single OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of more than $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.
Players will participate in a robust, accredited academic program that&rsquo;s highly tailored to their individual needs, with a special emphasis on developing the life skills necessary to manage and sustain a successful pro sports career. OTE will offer a direct-instruction model led by individual instructors who teach both one-on-one and in small group sessions featuring a 4:1 student-teacher ratio. OTE will supplement a traditional course offering with a focus on skills like financial literacy, media training and social justice advocacy, all of which help athletes better prepare for the pressures that come with stardom and the opportunities that come with being a role model.
About Overtime Elite
OTE is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

OTE, which offers the world’s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, begins playing in Atlanta this September.

Overtime Elite selects Atlanta as its home, will begin play in September

Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez and tech entrepreneur Marc Lore have reached agreement to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves from Glen Taylor for $1.5 billion.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1392897348297179136" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Charania also adds that Lore and Rodriguez are reportedly 50-50 partners as new owners. Yesterday, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/alex-rodriguezs-negotiating-window-to-purchase-timberwolves-expires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein reported</a> that the exclusivity window to negotiate an agreement had expired, but the two sides still managed to work out a purchase. Lore and Rodriguez have been the expected buyers of the team for the past month.
Here are more details via The Associated Press:
Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has reached agreement on his $1.5 billion sale of the club to e-commerce mogul Marc Lore and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez, a person with knowledge of the negotiation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because league approval was still pending and neither side had publicly announced an agreement.
The deal, which Taylor previously said was contingent on Lore and Rodriguez keeping the team in Minnesota, was first reported by The Athletic. The two sides entered an exclusive negotiating window on April 10. Lore and Rodriguez are 50-50 partners. They tried to buy the New York Mets last year but were beaten out for the Major League Baseball club by hedge fund manager Steve Cohen.
Any sale of an NBA club must ultimately approved by the league&rsquo;s Board of Governors, which could come later Thursday. The Timberwolves would then become the second NBA franchise sold this season. Gail Miller and her family struck an agreement in October to sell the Utah Jazz to Ryan Smith, a deal that was finalized after Board of Governors' approval in December.
The 80-year-old Taylor, a lifelong Minnesotan who bought the Wolves in 1994 for $88 million to save them from moving to New Orleans, has said he will continue to run the club for two more seasons until a handover in 2023. The Minnesota Lynx WNBA team is included in the sale.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve asked that I would be there for any decisions that would need to be made. I would enjoy that. I love teaching people. These are a couple of very bright guys, and I think it could be helpful to the club and I think I could be helpful to them so that they feel confident once they take over 100%,&rdquo; Taylor said an interview last month.
Lore became Walmart&rsquo;s e-commerce chief in 2016, when the retail giant bought his Jet.com startup in an attempt to boost online business. Lore notified Walmart on Jan. 31 of his intent to leave the company. The 49-year-old Lore will continue to serve in a consulting role as a strategic adviser through September.
The 45-year-old Rodriguez hit 696 home runs over 22 major league seasons, with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. His last season on the field was 2016, marking the end of marvelous career that was tainted by performance-enhancing drug use he later admitted to. Rodriguez was suspended for the entire 2014 season for violating MLB policy.

Lore and Rodriguez reached a deal with Glen Taylor despite their 30-day exclusivity window expiring.

Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore reach agreement to buy Wolves for $1.5 billion

There is no judgement when you enter Haseeb Fasihi&rsquo;s gym, but there are rules.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When you work with me, probably for the first two weeks, I don't want [any] footage,&rdquo; Fasihi explained. &ldquo;I don't want any cameras.&rdquo;
For Fasihi, this rule is rooted in passion and in the desire to see athletes improve their game, not to stroke their egos.&nbsp;
&ldquo;My [philosophy] is like, &lsquo;Hey, when I break you down and you're at your worst, how do you adjust?&rsquo;&rdquo;
The numbers, the success stories, and the accolades that he has accumulated over the last decade are evidence enough that the 30-year-old&rsquo;s approach to coaching and developing professional basketball players works. He&rsquo;s been in their position before, and he knows firsthand what is necessary to ensure a long career.&nbsp;
Not highly recruited out of high school, Haseeb&rsquo;s venture into the world of professional basketball began, like many others&rsquo;, at just 18 years old.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I went to this camp in Atlanta and I was just dropping dimes to everybody. They saw that I was not a scorer, but I had this one game where I had like 16 assists and 12 rebounds, but only scored 8 points. But I didn't feel like I needed to score. So a lot of the scouts were like, &lsquo;Hey you remind us of what Steve Nash does. He doesn't need to shoot.&rsquo; So they used that as a way of recruiting me,&rdquo; he says of the London Leopards (now the Essex Leopards) of the British Basketball League.&nbsp;
And while his own professional career was cut short due to knee and ankle injuries, a promise to his father would prove to be a blessing in disguise, giving him a different opportunity to pursue a career in professional basketball.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I wanted to get into school because I didn't have my Bachelor&rsquo;s yet," Fasihi said. "So as a favor to my father, I came back to America and got my Bachelor's from UCF (University of Central Florida) in Exercise Physiology.&rdquo;&nbsp;
His degree helped him understand the intricate workings of a professional athlete&rsquo;s body, and his personal experiences helped him turn it into an art form.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/hf2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="649" height="332" />
While injuries and promises led him to pursue a new career, the NBA lockout of 2011 &mdash; in another butterfly-effect moment that has become the norm in his life &mdash; helped him get his foot in the door.&nbsp;
Two years into working independently as a conditioning coach, Fasihi joined the famed IMG Academy. His first client was none other than Tyrus Thomas, the fourth overall pick of the 2006 NBA draft. The young coach was unmistakably talented, but like the NBA, talent and opportunity are often two independent parts of the equation.
&ldquo;What got me into the NBA was one of my mentors, Bill Burgos, who's currently the head strength-and-conditioning coach for the Timberwolves," Fasihi said. "During the lockout, coaches and players were not working. So he decided to become a professor at UCF for one semester in Strength and Conditioning. So, I was so lucky and blessed to take that one Strength and Conditioning class.&rdquo;&nbsp;
As fate would have it, Professor Burgos was also the strength-and-conditioning coach for the Orlando Magic at the time.
&ldquo;I actually got to know him really well and we built a personal relationship," Fasihi said. "And then, he saw that in the offseason, I was training so many players.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Fasihi and Burgos kept in touch. When Haseeb was featured by ESPN for his work with Los Angeles Lakers signee Vander Blue, he sent the article to his longtime mentor. Burgos picked up the phone and called Fasihi with as little hesitation as Steph Curry has from behind the arc.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He told me, &lsquo;Hey, we're starting a new G League program and I want you to be my assistant strength coach in Orlando.&rsquo; And at that time, I was actually with Jae Crowder in Cleveland after he got traded," Fasihi said. "So I got the call when I was at his house. He said &lsquo;Hey, we want you to come to the Orlando Magic,&rsquo; and this was in 2017. I was like, &lsquo;Oh, wow. Alright. I'm ready. Let's do it.&rsquo;&rdquo;&nbsp;
Only 27 at the time, Fasihi jumped at the opportunity, and hasn&rsquo;t looked back since.&nbsp;
Haseeb wears many hats &mdash; he is the head of player development for the Lakeland Magic (the current G League champions), a strength-and-conditioning coach for the Orlando Magic, the creator of M.A.D.E Performance, and the personal development coach to basketball players at every level. His client list spans the length of every roster in the NBA, and he can name every one of them.&nbsp;
Since joining the Lakeland Magic in 2017, he has seen many players come and go; some head overseas, and some make it to the NBA. Other players go to his hometown of Miami to train with him individually.
&ldquo;If a player comes [to Miami] temporarily, they just work out with me short-term and then they leave. But guys like Jae Crowder or Bruno Fernando from Atlanta, these guys want me to be with them full-time," Fasihi said. "It usually depends on the demand at the moment. There have been times that Jae Crowder wants me to be with him in Phoenix, and I'll be like, &lsquo;Hey, I can't, I'm still in the season with Lakeland.&rsquo; Or if he's somewhere else, and he needs me there, I can't be there, just because the demand I have down here is pretty high, especially with a lot of college players transitioning to the NBA."&nbsp;
He has perfected the careful balancing act that is being in multiple places at the same time, and thanks the Lakeland Magic for their flexibility that allows him to do so.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Luckily, my two general managers, Anthony Parker &mdash; who is Candace Parker&rsquo;s brother, he's my head GM in the Lakeland &mdash; and my assistant general manager, Adetunji Adedipe, these two are pretty much my mentors in the organization, [along with] our assistant GM Matt Lloyd with Orlando," Fasihi said. "So they kind of understand that I have a lot of clientele in the offseason [and allow me to] go back to the offseason demand of the players contacting me."
Orlando completed several deals at this year&rsquo;s trade deadline, and no one is more excited than Fasihi.&nbsp;
&ldquo;They're going to have a lot of young guys that they&rsquo;re going to start drafting,&rdquo; he says, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. &ldquo;For the past three-to-five years, I've been working the NBA Draft Combine, so I do all the testing. We as strength-and-conditioning coaches, we do the testing like the vertical jump and all that stuff. So they'll assign me a certain spot at the combine to do it. And that's a very honorable thing to do because it&rsquo;s very rare to have the opportunity.&rdquo;
With a keen eye for detail, Fasihi&rsquo;s personal methods for player development have helped many draft prospects go from merely dreaming of playing in the NBA to living that reality.
Improving a player&rsquo;s mobility and confidence are areas that Fasihi is an expert in, with one often interchangeable with the other.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been taught that if you feel like the player is confident shooting at a high percentage, it&rsquo;s hard to change that," he said. "I'll give you an example: when I was growing up, people would say that Reggie Miller had a terrible shooting form, but he was so confident. He was just one of the best three-point shooters in the league, so nobody said anything! But now, we're in an era where guys have to shoot quicker, you know, all those little things are diagnosed. So for me, I would have to see where the percentages are at and how the body moves when they&rsquo;re shooting. If I feel like I can improve a player&rsquo;s shot by 2% or 3%, I'll break that down to a T and then see how the body responds when I do change the form.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/hf3_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="331" />
When he speaks of his client list, Fasihi doesn&rsquo;t start with the most famous. He starts with the players he sees the most potential in &mdash; the ones with the desire to improve a little bit every day.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Christian Vital from UConn; he's been with me for, like, the past four or five years," Fasihi said. "So he's like my little brother. He comes to me in the offseason. I know his agent really well, and he was actually picked up by Memphis on their G League roster. He's gonna be a great addition to [any] situation he's in. Jalen Adams, another kid from UConn, he&rsquo;s with the Pelicans and their G League team. I think he will have another great opportunity. 
"Miles Bridges, but we already see where he's at now; he's catching lobs and just dunking it. That's no surprise. There's just so many players. I mean, I could go down the list. Even one of my kids, MaCio Teague from Baylor, who just won [the national championship]. Seeing him win [after] having him come work with me in the offseason was fun.&rdquo;
He speaks highly of Princeton&rsquo;s Devin Cannady, the G League MVP in his second professional season: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great kid and he&rsquo;s got a great career ahead of him.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The day after Fasihi mentioned Cannady, the Magic signed him to a two-way contract.&nbsp;
Although the coach feels a sense of pride with every success story, he will never take the credit.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Growing up in Miami, I was a Heat fan, but now I&rsquo;m a Magic fan because obviously, it&rsquo;s political,&rdquo; Fasihi jokes. &ldquo;But seeing [Jae] make it to the Finals, I felt like I was part of Heat Nation.&rdquo;
He doesn&rsquo;t take credit for Crowder&rsquo;s Finals performance with the Heat, as he recognizes the amount of people involved in ensuring longevity in a player&rsquo;s career.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I did what I could to help him with the short period of time I had with him," he said. "It's what he does with what I&rsquo;ve taught him that makes him go to the next level.&rdquo;
Along with the players he&rsquo;s helped developed over the years, Fasihi is continuing to make his mark and have a positive impact behind the scenes.
And he&rsquo;s far from done.

Haseeb Fasihi's name might not be familiar to NBA fans, but behind the scenes, his teachings are pushing many young pros forward.

From NCAA to the NBA, Haseeb Fasihi continues to make his mark

Paul Pierce, Jalen Rose, Jay Williams, Adrian Wojnarowski and Maria Taylor gave Alex Kennedy an inside look at ESPN's "NBA Countdown."

Behind the scenes of NBA Countdown: Chemistry and striking a balance

Etan Thomas, Dave Zirin, Drew Gooden and Tony Massenburg discuss what John Wall meant to D.C. and Russell Westbrook's fit on the Wizards.