Los Angeles Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds, a slow-starting LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday night.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell hit five 3-pointers while scoring 21 points for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who remained unbeaten at home in the postseason with a strong defensive effort against the reigning NBA champions.
James didn&rsquo;t take a shot in the first quarter for the first time in his NBA-record 275 playoff appearances, but he warmed up in time to lead several runs in the second and third quarters while Los Angeles pulled away.
Stephen Curry scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins had 16 in a collective stinker for the Warriors, who committed 19 turnovers and never mounted a response to the Lakers on either end in the second half. Golden State went 13 for 44 on 3-pointers &mdash; making just 10 while the game was still competitive &mdash; after hitting 21 in each of the series&rsquo; first two games in San Francisco.
Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.
Davis had an impressive bounce-back game under both baskets after contributing minimally in Game 2, blocking four shots and leading the Lakers&rsquo; latest strong defensive effort. Los Angeles has built its 16-5 run since March 17 on defense, and the Warriors couldn&rsquo;t hit enough shots from the perimeter to counteract their disadvantages in size and athleticism.
Klay Thompson had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors, but the rest of the roster beyond their top three scorers struggled mightily, combining for just 18 points before coach Steve Kerr pulled his starters with 9:11 to play. Draymond Green had two points in 23 minutes while playing with foul trouble.
The Warriors were held under 100 points for only the fifth time in 92 games this season.
The rivals split two games in San Francisco to open the series, with the Warriors earning a 27-point blowout victory in Game 2 after dropping the opener.
But this much-anticipated playoff rematch between generational superstars James and Curry has featured more garbage time than memorable thrills in the past two games. After Lakers coach Darvin Ham sat down his stars before the fourth quarter of Game 2, Kerr pulled the plug while facing a 26-point deficit early in the fourth quarter of Game 3.
James began Game 3 making a clear effort to be a playmaker, but he didn&rsquo;t even take his first shot until 8:02 remained in the first half. He hit a free throw for his first point with 6:32 left, and he subsequently led a rally that pushed the Lakers in front to stay.
JaMychal Green stayed in the Warriors&rsquo; starting lineup even with Kevon Looney available to play in Game 3. Looney missed Game 2 with an illness.
FIGHT ON
James&rsquo; son, Bronny, announced his decision&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/bronny-james-lebron-usc-cad1708433f0af166e241e2001426363">to play at the University of Southern California</a>&nbsp;about two hours before tipoff. The 18-year-old was among the top uncommitted recruits in the nation, and he chose to stay close to home with a loaded Trojans team coming off its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Bronny James, USC hoops coach Andy Enfield and Trojans football coach Lincoln Riley all attended Game 3.
TIP-INS
Warriors: The Los Angeles-born Thompson grew up a Lakers fan in Orange County, and this series is his first chance to play against the 17-time NBA champion franchise in the postseason. His father, Mychal, is the Lakers&rsquo; radio color commentator, and his brother, Trayce, plays for the Dodgers. ... Andre Iguodala has increased his workload and should return to practice next week, Kerr said. The veteran has been out since March 13 after having surgery on his left wrist. He isn&rsquo;t likely to play in this series, but could return later in the postseason. ... Moses Moody got a flagrant foul in the second quarter for tripping Davis while lying on the ground after Davis blocked his shot.
Lakers: James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for fifth place on the NBA&rsquo;s career playoff rebounding list. ... Backup center Mo Bamba missed his third straight game with a left ankle injury. ... Another celebrity-laden sellout crowd gathered for the Lakers&rsquo; longest playoff run in their home arena since 2012. Fans near courtside included Michael B. Jordan, Kim Kardashian, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle, Dustin Hoffman, Nia Long, Adele, Andy Garcia, Kevin Hart and quarterback Bryce Young, the Pasadena native and No. 1 overall pick by Carolina in last month&rsquo;s NFL draft.

The Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 victory over the Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday night.

LeBron James, Lakers rout Warriors 127-97, take 2-1 series lead

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Damian Lillard had 33 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied past the Golden State Warriors 125-122 on Wednesday night.
It was just the second triple-double of Lillard&rsquo;s career, and first this season.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t shoot the ball very well. But I think I approached the game with the same mentality, just to be aggressive, be in attack mode,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;Just tried to put pressure on the defense and when they react to just make the right play.&rdquo;
Jordan Poole scored 38 for the Warriors, who played without injured guard Stephen Curry. Klay Thompson added 31 points on his 33rd birthday, including seven 3-pointers.
The game was tied at 95 going into the final quarter and it was back and forth the rest of the way. After Poole&rsquo;s 3-pointer got Golden State within 108-107, Andrew Wiggins scored to put the Warriors in front.
Trendon Watford&rsquo;s layup for the Blazers evened the game again at 114 with 4:56 left before Jerami Grant&rsquo;s three-point play gave Portland back the lead. Grant added another layup with 1:54 left to make it 119-114 while the Warriors struggled from the field.
Lillard added a pair of free throws and Golden State couldn&rsquo;t catch up. Grant finished with 22 points.
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Portland made 31 of 32 foul shots, while the Warriors were 9 for 10 at the line.
&ldquo;When it&rsquo;s 31-9 from the foul line, that&rsquo;s a lot to overcome. You&rsquo;ve got to make a ton of 3s, which we did, and you&rsquo;ve got to win the turnover battle, which we did,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s close. But to get over the hump you&rsquo;ve got to make every shot it seems like. So we got out-boarded and they beat us up at the foul line and I thought that was the difference in the game.&rdquo;
The Warriors were minus Curry for the second consecutive game because of a left leg injury he sustained late in the third quarter of a victory over Dallas on Saturday. Thompson stepped up in Curry&rsquo;s absence with 42 points and a season-high 12 3-pointers in Golden State&rsquo;s 141-114 win over Oklahoma City on Monday night.
Blazers forward Josh Hart was in the starting lineup but suddenly left the floor during warmups and was replaced by Gary Payton II as reports surfaced that Hart was traded to the New York Knicks for Cam Reddish and a protected first-round draft pick.
&ldquo;That was kind of weird. We were warming up and he just shook my hand and walked off the court,&rdquo; Lillard said.
The Blazers had dropped two straight, including a 127-108 loss to Milwaukee on Monday night.
Portland led by 11 in the first half but the Warriors were up 67-63 at the break after Poole made a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Golden State went on to lead most of the third quarter before Nassir Little&rsquo;s 3 gave the Blazers a 93-91 lead late.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State is 9-8 without Curry, who was previously sidelined from Dec. 16 to Jan. 7 with a shoulder injury. ... Thompson grew up in Lake Oswego outside Portland and his dad, Mychal, played for the Blazers.
Trail Blazers: It was the second game of a five-game homestand. ... Shortly after he was traded, Hart posted two hearts &mdash; one orange, one blue, for the Knicks&rsquo; colors &mdash; on Twitter.
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GP2&prime;s IMPACT
Payton made a defensive difference off the bench last season for the Warriors when they won the NBA championship. Now he&rsquo;s with the Blazers, lending those same skills.
&ldquo;We know what he&rsquo;s capable of at both ends,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;Defensively he&rsquo;s one of the best in the league and then offensively, he&rsquo;s a great finisher and he can step out and make the 3 as well. So he&rsquo;s an excellent player who helped us win a title last year. So we will always be thankful for Gary.&rdquo;
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Damian Lillard had 33 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers got past the Golden State Warriors 125-122.

Lillard has triple-double, Blazers beat Warriors 125-122

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown scored 37 points, completing a tying three-point play with 4.1 seconds left in regulation and adding 11 more in overtime as the NBA-leading Boston Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the archrival Los Angeles Lakers 125-121 on Saturday night.
Brown added nine rebounds, Jayson Tatum had 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Malcom Brogdon scored 15 of his 26 points in the second half of a see-saw game that had 19 lead changes &mdash; six in the fourth quarter &mdash; and 15 ties.
LeBron James had 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Los Angeles. Anthony Davis scored 16 points with 10 rebounds, coming off the bench for the second game in a row after missing 20 with a foot injury.
Patrick Beverley had 15 points, twice giving the Lakers the lead in the final minute of the fourth. But he also missed a foul shot that might have clinched it and was called for a technical foul on the contentious last play of regulation. Tatum made the free throw, and Boston never trailed in the extra period.
With Celtics Hall of Famer Paul Pierce cheering his former team on from the sideline and the team&rsquo;s broadcasters &mdash; Boston&rsquo;s Cedric Maxwell and L.A.&rsquo;s Mychal Thompson &mdash; talking trash on press row, the Celtics swept their longtime rivals in the two-game season series.
Beverley hit a 3-pointer to give the Lakers the lead with 52 seconds left and then, after Boston tied it, scored on a putback dunk that made it 104-102 with 19 seconds to play. But after Brown missed a 3, Beverley missed one of two free throws; Al Horford missed a 3, and Brown scored on the putback and picked up a delayed foul call.
One game after missing a pair of free throws in the final seconds of a one-point game, Brown hit this one to tie it 105-all with 4.1 seconds to play.
The Lakers had a chance to win it in regulation, and James drove to the basket. He missed the layup &ndash; and the referees missed Tatum swiping his arm on the shot. An enraged James gesticulated wildly, and Beverley picked up a technical foul in the ensuing hubbub.
The Celtics (36-15) have the NBA&rsquo;s best record despite losing their previous three games, including an overtime loss to the Knicks on Thursday night when Brown missed two free throws trailing by one with 8 seconds left.
There was a vocal contingent of Lakers fans making noise when the visitors opened an 11-point lead in the third quarter. But they were out-shouted by the locals when Tatum, who scored 15 in the third, including three 3-pointers, helped erase an 11-point deficit.
TIP-INS
Pierce was wearing what appeared to be shamrock pajama pants. &hellip; Westbrook missed his first six shots, as the crowd taunted him to shoot, before finishing with 12 points on 4 of 14 shooting. &hellip; Brown picked up his fifth foul on the first possession of the fourth quarter. &hellip; The Celtics beat the Lakers 122-118 in L.A. on Dec. 13. Tatum scored 44 points. Davis had 37 points and 12 rebounds. James scored 33 with nine boards and nine assists. &hellip; The Celtics were without point guard Marcus Smart and big man Robert Williams III, who both have sprained ankles.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Brooklyn on Monday night.
Celtics: At Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

The NBA-leading Boston Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the archrival Los Angeles Lakers 125-121 on Saturday.

Jaylen Brown forces OT, Celtics snap skid by beating Lakers 125-121

Giannis Antetokounmpo set a career high <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-philadelphia-76ers-washington-wizards-indiana-pacers-sports-82805995222618cd69855bdb39934d90">with 55 points</a> last Tuesday in Milwaukee's victory over Washington &mdash; and it wasn't even the week's top scoring performance in the NBA's Central Division.
That belonged to Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell, with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kobe-bryant-chicago-bulls-cleveland-cavaliers-sports-nba-basketball-4000f884c911930cd172baa93ca42650">a staggering 71</a> the previous night.
The NBA these past few weeks has featured an almost nightly display of one-upmanship among the game's greatest scorers. Whether it was <a href="https://apnews.com/ef2ccddb44dd42fa14ebed5f8344c5a2">Mitchell's extraordinary effort</a> for the Cavaliers or Dallas' Luka Doncic reaching 50 points three times in a nine-day span, everywhere you turn, it seems like another player is putting up a huge total.
&ldquo;I think there are a lot of layers to it. You just see night after night, guys are having enormous offensive games,&rdquo; Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to watch as a fan, of course. Frustrating when you&rsquo;re trying to game plan to stop some of these guys because they&rsquo;re scoring at all levels &mdash; the paint, the 3s, getting to the line.&rdquo;
Ten different players have already scored 50 points in a game this season: Antetokounmpo, Mitchell, Doncic, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Pascal Siakam, Darius Garland and Stephen Curry.
Before 2016-17, no more than eight different players had ever had a 50-point game in one season, according to Sportradar. Since then, at least 10 have done it every season, including a record 14 in 2021-22. Some of this is to be expected in what has become a very high-scoring era. NBA teams were averaging 113.8 points per game entering Monday night, which if it continues would be the highest mark for the league since 1969-70. But the overall scoring environment tells only part of the story.
In that 1969-70 season, teams averaged 116.7 points, but only two players had a 50-point game. In 1984-85, the highest-scoring season of the 1980s, teams averaged 110.8 points. But only five players &mdash; Bernard King, Larry Bird, Purvis Short, Kevin McHale and Moses Malone &mdash; produced a 50-point game that season.
So what's happening lately is not just higher scoring league-wide. The top players are also producing huge games with remarkable frequency. Expansion may play a role. The number of teams is 30% higher than it was in 1985. More teams means more games, so it makes sense that there are more examples of a player scoring 50.
But the sport has changed in other ways, too.
&ldquo;Guys come into this league, and the most impressive thing is the skill set &mdash; the handle and the shooting," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. "What&rsquo;s lacking, I think, is the foundation, the institutional knowledge that players used to have when they came into the league after a few years of college. Sometimes the defense isn&rsquo;t great. Transition defense is at an all-time low in this league.&rdquo;
Nowadays, basically every top scorer has some degree of proficiency from 3-point range, whereas back in the '80s, some stars largely ignored the shot and nobody attempted all that many.
&ldquo;Guys are taking 15 or 16 3s in some games,&rdquo; Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "Teams are encouraging guys to take those shots, and if you take so many shots, and if you get hot and make some, you can score a lot of points.&rdquo;
So current players have a variety of ways they can accumulate points in a hurry, and the 3-point shot affects the game even beyond that. With so many players capable of making open 3s, teams can space the floor in a way that punishes defenses for double teams.
&ldquo;You have to pick and choose the guys you try and double team and get the ball out of their hands because they are not great passers, but there are some guys who can score, but can also pick you apart with their passing,&rdquo; Lue said. &ldquo;So, when you have guys like that, you want to let those guys try and get theirs and take everyone else out, but sometimes it can backfire on you as well.&rdquo;
When King scored 60 points on Christmas in 1984, he didn't attempt a single 3. Even this year, Antetokounmpo didn't make any when he scored 55. But Mitchell attempted 15 and made seven in his 71-point game.
&ldquo;I think that 3-point line, as we&rsquo;ve seen over the years, has definitely changed the game,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;Now you&rsquo;re getting more guys to embrace that. The volume of attempts creates those opportunities. It&rsquo;s pretty rare that guys are shooting 2 repeatedly to get to that 50-point mark. It&rsquo;s definitely the evolution of our game to see more of that. I would expect that trend to continue.&rdquo;
___
AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed to this report.

Ten different players have already scored 50 points in a game this season. Before 2016-17, no more than eight had done it in one year.

Three-point shooting leads to more NBA scoring binges

The calendar is about to flip to September, which means NBA training camps will get underway in a few weeks. It's now been two months since the 2022 NBA free-agency period tipped off, but there are still a number of notable players who remain unsigned.
Editor's Note: Collin Sexton agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract in a sign-and-trade that sent him to Utah, so he is no longer on this list.
Here's a look at nine players who are still available:
MILES BRIDGES, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Miles Bridges is coming off a breakout season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 threes and 0.9 steals. The forward seemed due for a massive payday, and Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak even said that the team would re-sign him. Then, Bridges was arrested for domestic violence on the eve of free agency. Bridges' wife, Mychelle Johnson, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1542723880619581440/photo/4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke out</a> about Bridges' alleged abuse and documented her serious injuries. Not only has this situation understandably scared teams away, but it's also very possible that the NBA will suspend Bridges.
MONTREZL HARRELL, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Montrezl Harrell just delivered another productive and efficient season as a reserve, averaging 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.1 minutes per game, while shooting 64.5% from the field. Harrell started the season with the Washington Wizards and then got traded to the Hornets before the deadline. However, it's worth noting that the 28-year-old is facing felony drug charges after officers claimed to find three pounds of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop back in May. That's likely why the former Sixth Man of the Year is still available.
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DENNIS SCHRODER, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last offseason, Dennis Schroder signed with the Boston Celtics at a significant discount. After struggling during the first half of the season, he was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Daniel Theis. He finished last season averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 threes per game, while shooting 43.1% from the field, 34.4% from three-point range and 85.3% from the free-throw line. The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly considered signing Schroder again.
HASSAN WHITESIDE, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Hassan Whiteside is a solid center who can come off the bench and protect the rim. Last season, while backing up Rudy Gobert on the Utah Jazz, he averaged 8.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game. In eight starts, the 33-year-old averaged 11.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 63.5% from the field.
CARMELO ANTHONY, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, a 37-year-old Melo put up 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 threes, 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals in 26.0 minutes per game with the Lakers. In recent years, he has shot the ball much better from three-point range, knocking down 37.5% of his three-point attempts last year and 40.9% from deep the year before. Earlier this offseason, Anthony was working out with his son, Kiyan, at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas while preparing for next season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Carmelo Anthony (<a href="https://twitter.com/carmeloanthony?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carmeloanthony</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> in Las Vegas: <a href="https://t.co/Rnz8Bam7EO">pic.twitter.com/Rnz8Bam7EO</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547693404414365702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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DEMARCUS COUSINS, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Cousins became a key contributor after joining the Denver Nuggets in February, averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per contest. He looked great at times during the playoffs, scoring an efficient 19 points in 15 minutes during Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the postseason. The 31-year-old can still help a team.
&ldquo;I belong in this league,&rdquo; Cousins said after Denver was eliminated. &ldquo;I was given the opportunity; I'm thankful for Mike Malone. I spoke with him before. A lot of doors closed for me. Mike looked out, gave me an opportunity. I just tried to take the best advantage of it as I could. That's what I did.&rdquo;
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JEREMY LAMB, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, the Indiana Pacers traded Lamb to the Sacramento Kings as a part of the Domantas Sabonis deal. In 56 games, Lamb averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 three in 16.7 minutes a night. The 30-year-old struggled with his shot, knocking down just 38.3% of his attempts from the field and 32.4% of his threes (after shooting 45.1% from the field and 40.6% from three the previous year).&nbsp;
TRISTAN THOMPSON, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, Thompson suited up for the Kings, Pacers and Chicago Bulls, averaging 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game. At this stage of his career, the 31-year-old is a solid backup big man who can provide frontcourt depth.
ANDRE IGUODALA, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, Iguodala rejoined the Golden State Warriors, averaging 4.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in 19.5 minutes across 31 games. Entering his 19th season in the league, the 38-year-old is mainly a veteran leader and strong locker-room presence, but he can still produce in limited reserve minutes. Don't be surprised if he re-signs with Golden State.

NBA training camps will get underway in a few weeks, but there are still a number of notable free agents who are unsigned.

Remaining NBA free agents: Players who are still unsigned

Welcome to Basketball News' 10-part mini-series, Blazing the Trail, where Mat Issa breaks down the most revolutionary players of the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout this series, we'll examine how these players changed basketball and pioneered their respective skills.
In this fourth installment, Mat goes in-depth on one of the greatest shooters of all-time: Reggie Miller. He explains what made him different from the marksmen who came before him, with insights from his former coaches in Indiana &mdash; Dan Burke and Bob Ociepka &mdash; his former teammate Rik Smits and basketball analyst Mike Prada.
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In his critically acclaimed, historical rendition of the NBA, "The Book of Basketball," The Ringer's Bill Simmons ranked NBA and Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller outside of the top 60 all-time:
&ldquo;Reggie Miller was the most overrated &lsquo;superstar&rsquo; of the past thirty years,&rdquo; Simmons opined.
To Simmons' credit, however, he later retracted this statement in the sequel podcast, "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-of-basketball-2-0/id1483525141?i=1000462435000">The Book of Basketball 2.0.</a>" Revising his previous comments, Simmons suggested that in today's game, Miller would indeed constitute superstar status.
But what if Miller would have been a superstar in any era? What if he was an elite scorer and playmaker in ways that we couldn&rsquo;t comprehend during his time? And what if he served as an inspiration to the most prolific dynasty of the NBA's pace-and-space era?
Let's find out.
WHAT MADE MILLER SPECIAL
As a child, Miller would regularly participate in 1-on-1 matchups against his older sister, Cheryl, who turned out to be one of the greatest women's basketball players of all-time prior to untimely injuries. (She's enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.)
Because of Cheryl's superior size and strength, Reggie going inside was a moot point.
&ldquo;One of the reasons I practiced shooting from the outside was that Cheryl used to block my shots when I drove to the hoop,&rdquo; Miller recalled in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Being-Enemy-Reggie-Miller/dp/0684870398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his autobiography</a>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a bad feeling when your sister is knocking your best stuff into the rosebushes.&rdquo;
To defeat his sibling, Miller needed to hone in on his perimeter game.&nbsp;
That's exactly what he did.
Miller endured his sister&rsquo;s challenges and triumphed to become one of the premier shooters the NBA had ever seen. According to Cerebro Sports' Three-Point Efficiency metric (a shooting metric that combines three-point volume and efficiency to show the most lethal shooters), Miller finished in the 97th percentile or higher in all but one year from 1988 to 2004.
(The 2002-03 campaign was the exception, where he finished in the 94th percentile).
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Visual provided by Cerebro Sports
Even more impressive is how he earned his standing in this data set. Unlike many of the great shooters of his time &mdash; who made their mark primarily off standstill catch-and-shoot opportunities &mdash; a majority of Miller&rsquo;s triples came while he was circling the half-court at top speed.
And again, much like his pickup contests growing up, this strategy was rooted in necessity.
&ldquo;The chances for spot-up [threes] weren&rsquo;t really there,&rdquo; said Dan Burke, Miller&rsquo;s former coach in Indiana and now an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers. &ldquo;You have to have a real big, key player [you&rsquo;re playing off of] to get spot-ups.&rdquo;
To back Burke's words, think of one of the other notable three-point shooters of that time: Dan Majerle. Throughout his time in Phoenix and Miami, Majerle was gifted with potent penetrators like Kevin Johnson and Tim Hardaway, who could both consistently <a href="https://streamable.com/wd17v5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">break down a defense and get two feet in the paint</a>.
Meanwhile, Miller&rsquo;s most accomplished backcourt mate, Mark Jackson, was more of a post facilitator than a downhill threat.
Instead, Miller achieved sage status in the art of movement shooting. And for those following along at home, his technique can be divided into <a href="https://youtu.be/tv3EyzBuRb4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three keys</a>.
Key 1: Set up the Defender
Miller was an avid participant in basketball grappling &mdash; the practice of using physicality to manipulate and gain separation from your defender.
&ldquo;[Miller] embraced contact and sometimes got the feel of a guy so [he] could push off him and get open,&rdquo; Burke said.
The cunning sharpshooter also deployed harsh cuts and abrupt changes in speed to further decrease the likelihood that his opponent could shadow his movements.
&ldquo;When you watch him, it wasn&rsquo;t always the same speed,&rdquo; Burke continued. &ldquo;He changed speeds. He&rsquo;d stop and go.&rdquo;
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Key 2: Read the Screen
Once he gained a step, Miller could interpret his optimal route-running path based on the direction his defender was chasing him. If his defender trailed outside the screen, Miller would juke inwards. If his defender rushed from the inside, Miller would retreat outside.
Miller's astute ability in this regard was largely based upon the continuity he achieved with his screen-setting bigs &mdash; Antonio Davis, Dale Davis and Rik Smits.
&ldquo;We would run through our sets almost every practice,&rdquo; Smits recalled to Basketball News. &ldquo;[A lot] of dummy offenses. Just run, run, run. We really concentrated on getting good screens set just to take full advantage of everything [Miller brought to the table].&rdquo;
"Reggie would talk to those bigs too," Burke added. "'Just stand there, I&rsquo;ll use you.'&rdquo;
Key 3: Footwork
Miller boasted balletic footwork, akin to that of a peak-<a href="https://youtu.be/Ye7xMqYqAbA">Torture Chamber Kevin McHale</a>, able to stop and pop effortlessly regardless of his travel velocity and angle.
&ldquo;[Typically], if you are right-handed, you want to come off [a pindown screen] going to your left so that your shoulder is closer to the rim,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t matter with Reggie. He could come with his right hand or with his left hand.&rdquo;
Miller's ambidexterity is a testament to his impeccable footwork. The direction didn't matter because his stride was sound both ways. And his ability to maintain balance during these sequences is even more impressive when you consider the defensive physicality that was accepted during his era.
&ldquo;Every time a guy like Reggie cut through the lane, the goal was to smack him. We used to say, &lsquo;Pinball him,&rsquo;" Burke recalled.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The league allows no &lsquo;impeding&rsquo; cutters now. There was much more holding then. But Reggie would stay locked and still get a rhythm jumper.&rdquo;
Here are all three of those keys in action:
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ON-COURT PRODUCTION
Miller&rsquo;s shooting served as a double-edged sword for his reputation. On one end, he was revered as one of the game&rsquo;s top snipers. On the other, he&rsquo;d been pigeonholed into a singular role on the floor.
However, Miller was more than a marksman. He was a three-level scorer who utilized the <a href="https://streamable.com/ykdkx5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">triple-threat</a> position to score from the mid-range and at the rim.
&ldquo;One thing Reggie worked on, we used to call it &lsquo;Pete Newell,&rsquo;" Burke explained. &ldquo;Pete Newell was an old coach who used to have a big-man camp. His whole thing was: Jab, catch, create space. If the guy doesn&rsquo;t honor your jab, you go by him. If he backs up, you raise up and shoot it.
&ldquo;It was a series. And [Reggie] really worked on it.&rdquo;
This combination of three-level scoring and high conversion rates from the most efficient spots on the floor made Miller arguably the best backcourt scorer of the 1990s not named Michael Jordan.
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To compare the two, from 1989 to 1999, Miller tallied nine seasons where he ranked in the 90th percentile in both scoring volume and efficiency, while Jordan only touted two such seasons.&nbsp;
Additionally, Miller&rsquo;s unpredictable tendencies coming off screens and counter-laden arsenal made him one of the few stars to rarely improve his volume and efficiency during postseason play.
For instance, in 1994-95, Miller averaged 23.9 points per 75 possessions on 62.0% True Shooting. In the playoffs, those averages ballooned to 28.0 points and 63.2% True Shooting, respectively.&nbsp;
To show how rare that is, there was an inverse trend of that with John Stockton and Mitch Richmond &mdash; two guards who were (<a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1556676428426612738?s=20&amp;t=haKXS_VAVIAeIw7hLdSqkQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrongfully?</a>) regularly awarded All-NBA selections over Miller.&nbsp;
WEAVING THE THREAD
The first guard to function as an off-ball superstar was John Havlicek. When "Hondo" wasn&rsquo;t ripping and running in transition, he was usually <a href="https://streamable.com/uzgwhw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">curling off screens</a> for leaning mid-range jumpers.
A post-three-point line precursor to Miller was Joe Dumars (who coincidentally probably also took some of his All-NBA accolades). Another one of Miller&rsquo;s coaches in Indiana, Dick Versace, spent time as an assistant on the Detroit Pistons before becoming the head coach of the Pacers in 1988.
&ldquo;Joe Dumars had that knack for getting free off screens,&rdquo; said Bob Ociepka, an assistant on Versace's staff in Indiana and a 23-year NBA coach. &ldquo;Coach Versace, coming from [Detroit], ran a lot of the things Chuck Daly did &mdash; [like Dumars] coming off those staggered screens from the baseline.&rdquo;
Miller expressed a great admiration toward Dumars, even going as far as to call him the "unsung MVP of Dream Team II" in his book.
Dale Ellis was another <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1555600444763869186?s=20&amp;t=EBeojEhLms-WUc2csgmNdA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sniper</a> from that generation who cratered defenses using floppy action &mdash; a play in which a player, positioned under the basket, can choose whether to cut off a single screen to one side or a double screen to the other, per Basketball Dictionary.
However, because of the typical constraints placed on 2-guards at the time, neither Dumars nor Ellis could fully leverage their shooting prowess to their advantage.
&ldquo;[In that era], the shooting guard was supposed to be Jordan-esque,&rdquo; said Mike Prada, editor at The Athletic and "Spaced Out" <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spaced-Out-Three-Point-Revolution-Everything/dp/1629378860/ref=asc_df_1629378860/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=564700905732&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=6603785140486578978&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9016969&amp;hvtargid=pla-1645726366795&amp;psc=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">author</a>. &ldquo;You were an all-around player, you got a lot of rebounds and assists, you went 1-on-1 a lot, you were explosive, you could dunk on people &mdash; sort of that Platonic Ideal.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Miller was different from those guards; he didn&rsquo;t possess the same ball-handling or rebounding acumen. He was an outlier who weaponized his extraordinary gift to buoy an offense almost entirely through his off-ball presence.
Notably, the Pacer legend pioneered a term deeply entrenched in today&rsquo;s basketball jargon: gravity.
Dangerous from deep, Miller made <a href="https://en.mimi.hu/basketball/double_down.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doubling down</a> on his big-men teammates in the post a conversation killer. Teams would rather face guard him at the three-point line than send reinforcements to the interior, which opened up room for his low-post executioners to make decisions.
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Smits expressed a great deal of gratitude for the space Miller provided him to operate.
&ldquo;I was glad he was on my team. I could tell you that,&rdquo; Smits laughed.&nbsp;
Miller&rsquo;s landscape-altering effect is felt when you look through the lens of historian Ben Taylor&rsquo;s passing and playmaking statistics.
For example, in 1993-94, Gary Payton finished in the 80th percentile in Taylor&rsquo;s Box Creation stat &mdash; a metric that estimates playmaking (per <a href="https://backpicks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Backpicks.com</a>). Payton did this while simultaneously scoring in the 94th percentile in Passer Rating.
In the same season, despite only scoring in the 37th percentile in passing, Miller finished in the 77th percentile in playmaking.
Miller wasn&rsquo;t the on-ball initiator that Payton was, but this conveys that the former was still able to operate as a high-end creator thanks to the attention he garnered from his opponents.
&ldquo;The thing that Reggie Miller had that we didn&rsquo;t know how to identify back when he played &mdash; but now it&rsquo;s a no-brainer concept &mdash; is this idea of gravity,&rdquo; Prada said.
IMPACT ON TODAY'S GAME
In many circles, Ray Allen is often cited as the disciple who bears the most resemblance to Miller. Along with Allen, Richard Hamilton, JJ Redick and Kyle Korver have all played the part of "<a href="https://grantland.com/features/kyle-korver-nba-atlanta-hawks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offense unto themselves</a>" by utilizing their off-ball gravitational pull.
In the current NBA landscape, Miller&rsquo;s most obvious descendants share the same squad.
&ldquo;Two guys on the same team,&rdquo; Burke pointed out. "Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson."
The dynastic Golden State Warriors have become famous for pushing the boundaries of time and space by exploiting the shooting gravity their dynamic duo wields.&nbsp;
And, as fate would have it, Miller also once teamed up with a fellow gravity co-founder, Chris Mullin.&nbsp;
Mullin was arguably the closest comparison to Miller at the time, and together, the tandem caused wide-scale chaos and confusion &mdash; the likes of which the league would not see again until the Splash Brothers coalesced in the Bay Area nearly two decades later.
Tell me if these sequences look familiar:
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In both plays, the two pairs create a defensive breakdown simply by running past each other in the opposite direction.
Even more poetic, take a look at the Pacers&rsquo; opponent in the first clip. Who was a reserve on that team? None other than Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
&ldquo;All of the stuff that the Warriors did in the early days with the Steph/Klay combo &mdash; the crazy, figure-eight-type stuff &mdash; was very much ripped right from the Pacers,&rdquo; Prada explained.
Golden State expanded on Miller&rsquo;s semi-contained havoc, turning half-court offensive sets into absolute anarchy.
Miller&rsquo;s movement authored a great deal of mayhem, more than anyone of his time, but he was still forced to rein it in a bit to accommodate the structure of his offense. Nowadays, engines like Curry and Thompson have the discretion to graze the terrain as they see fit.
&ldquo;[For Miller], his was set plays, so it was easier for teams to really dial in,&rdquo; Burke explained. &ldquo;Curry is more of a constant, built into a random system.&rdquo;
But it was still the audacious Miller who paved the way. He crawled so that the Golden State empire could walk.
&ldquo;He was this type of player that, in an era that did not have a blueprint for this style of play, he provided it,&rdquo; Prada concluded.&nbsp;
He's the player responsible for the outline that triggered a dynasty.
Are we sure Reggie Miller was overrated?
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Tune in next week for Part V of Blazing the Trail, which focuses on Andrei Kirilenko &mdash; the five-tool defender.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-shane-battier-the-databall-defender-memphis-grizzlies-houston-rockets-miami-heat-daryl-morey-david-fizdale-detroit-pistons-draymond-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part III: "Shane Battier, the data-ball defender."</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-rashard-lewis-all-star-stretch-four-orlando-magic-stan-van-gundy-dwight-howard-hedo-turkoglu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part II: "Rashard Lewis, the All-Star stretch 4."</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part I: "Steve Nash, the magician who danced in the paint."</a>

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes all-time shooting great Reggie Miller and what separated him from the rest.

Blazing the Trail: Reggie Miller, the moving target

It's been nearly one month since the NBA's free-agency period got underway, and most of the notable players have already been signed. However, there are still a handful of available players.
Here's a look at the remaining free agents:&nbsp;
COLLIN SEXTON, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Collin Sexton injured his left knee last November, and an MRI revealed a torn meniscus that required season-ending surgery. The market has dried up for Sexton, and his best bet may be re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers on the qualifying offer (worth $7.2 million) and then hitting unrestricted free agency next summer. During the 2020-21 season, Sexton averaged 24.3 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 37.5% from downtown and 81.5% from the free-throw line. However, he struggled defensively, and the Cavs registered a league-worst 60-159 record over the first three years of his career. With Sexton out of action last season, Darius Garland emerged as an All-Star and the 44-38 Cavs made the Play-In Tournament.
MILES BRIDGES, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Miles Bridges is coming off a breakout season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 threes and 0.9 steals. It seemed like the forward was due for a massive pay raise and Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak even said that the team was going to re-sign him. However, that was before Bridges was arrested for domestic violence on the eve of free agency. Bridges' wife, Mychelle Johnson, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1542723880619581440/photo/4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently spoke out</a> about Bridges' alleged abuse and documented her serious injuries. Not only has this situation understandably scared teams away, it's also very possible that the NBA will suspend Bridges.
MONTREZL HARRELL, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Montrezl Harrell just delivered another productive and efficient season as a reserve, averaging 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.1 minutes, while shooting 64.5% from the field. Harrell started the season with the Washington Wizards and then got traded to the Charlotte Hornets prior to the deadline. However, it's worth noting that the 28-year-old is facing felony drug charges after officers claimed to find three pounds of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop back in May. That's likely why the former Sixth Man of the Year is still available.
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DENNIS SCHRODER, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last offseason, Dennis Schroder signed with the Boston Celtics at a significant discount. After struggling during the first half of the season, he was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Daniel Theis. He finished last season averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 threes per game, while shooting 43.1% from the field, 34.4% from three-point range and 85.3% from the free-throw line.
HASSAN WHITESIDE, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Hassan Whiteside is a solid backup center who protects the rim. Last season, while backing up Rudy Gobert on the Utah Jazz, he averaged 8.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game. In eight starts, the 33-year-old averaged 11.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 63.5% from the field.
CARMELO ANTHONY, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, 37-year-old put up 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 threes, 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals in 26.0 minutes per game with the Los Angeles Lakers. In recent years, he has shot the ball much better from three-point range, knocking down 37.5% of his three-point attempts last year and 40.9% from deep the year before. Anthony has been working out with his son, Kiyan, at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas as he prepares for next season.
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Carmelo Anthony (<a href="https://twitter.com/carmeloanthony?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carmeloanthony</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> in Las Vegas: <a href="https://t.co/Rnz8Bam7EO">pic.twitter.com/Rnz8Bam7EO</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547693404414365702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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DEMARCUS COUSINS, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Cousins became a key contributor after joining the Denver Nuggets in February, averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per contest. He looked great at times during the playoffs too, scoring an efficient 19 points in 15 minutes during Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors. The 31-year-old can still help a team.
&ldquo;I belong in this league,&rdquo; Cousins said after Denver was eliminated. &ldquo;I was given the opportunity; I'm thankful for Mike Malone. I spoke with him before. A lot of doors closed for me. Mike looked out, gave me an opportunity. I just tried to take the best advantage of it as I could. That's what I did.&rdquo;
JEREMY LAMB, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, the Indiana Pacers traded Lamb to the Sacramento Kings as part of the Domantas Sabonis deal. In 56 games, Lamb averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 three in 16.7 minutes a night. The 30-year-old struggled with his shot, knocking down just 38.3% of his attempts from the field and 32.4% of his threes (after shooting 45.1% from the field and 40.6% from three the previous year).&nbsp;
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TRISTAN THOMPSON, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, Thompson suited up for the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls, averaging 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game. At this stage of his career, the 31-year-old is a solid backup big man who can provide frontcourt depth.
ANDRE IGUODALA, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, Iguodala rejoined the Golden State Warriors, averaging 4.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in 19.5 minutes across 31 games. At this stage of his career, the 38-year-old is mainly a veteran leader and strong locker-room presence, but he can still produce in limited reserve minutes. Don't be surprised if he re-signs with Golden State.
HONORABLE MENTION: LaMarcus Aldridge (UFA), Wayne Ellington (UFA), Blake Griffin (UFA), Markieff Morris (UFA), Isaiah Thomas (UFA), DJ Augustin (UFA), Sharife Cooper (UFA), Dwight Howard (UFA), Rajon Rondo (UFA), Jordan Nwora (RFA), Lou Williams (UFA), Eric Bledsoe (UFA), Juan Hernangomez (UFA), Josh Jackson (UFA), Duane Washington Jr. (UFA), Paul Millsap (UFA), Eric Paschall (UFA), Moses Brown (UFA), Jarrett Culver (UFA), Rodney Hood (UFA), Avery Bradley (UFA), Kent Bazemore (UFA), Michael Carter-Williams (UFA), Brandon Goodwin (UFA), Tony Snell (UFA), Ben McLemore (UFA), Langston Galloway (UFA), Elfrid Payton (UFA)

Nearly one month into the NBA's free-agency period, which players are still available?

2022 NBA Free Agency: Which players are still available?

Josh Giddey and Evan Mobley were named Rookie of the Month for the months of October and November.
Giddey started off his rookie season doing a little bit of everything as projected, with 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. In just his third NBA game, the 19 year-old had 19 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals.
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Josh Giddey continues to wow me with these passes. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/okcthunder?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@okcthunder</a>) <a href="https://t.co/E3zNsrWxFe">pic.twitter.com/E3zNsrWxFe</a>
&mdash; SLAM (@SLAMonline) <a href="https://twitter.com/SLAMonline/status/1464413422267744258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Mobley began his rookie of the year campaign with a stellar start to the season with 14.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Mobley filled up the stat sheet against the Knicks on November 7th with a career-high 26 points, along with 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
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In his first 17 career games, <a href="https://twitter.com/evanmobley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EvanMobley</a> totaled 244 PTS, 136 REB, 42 AST, 16 STL and 30 BLK. He&rsquo;s only the 4th rookie in NBA history to reach those figures joining Bill Walton, Mychal Thompson and Chris Webber. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetEmKnow</a> <a href="https://t.co/86JSeXMFxj">pic.twitter.com/86JSeXMFxj</a>
&mdash; Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1466492363493281796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Other nominees:
West: Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun (HOU), Davion Mitchell (SAC) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (OKC). East: Scottie Barnes (TOR), Cade Cunningham (DET), Chris Duarte (IND) and Franz Wagner (ORL).

Josh Giddey and Evan Mobley were named Rookie of the Month for the months of October and November.

Giddey, Mobley earn NBA Rookie of the Month honors for Oct./Nov.

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/i-hate-unwritten-rules-mychal-thompson-on-westbrooks-ejection/" 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>:
Unwritten rules exist in any sport. They are not found officially in any rule book but observed based on common understanding between players and coaches. However, in this day and age, are unwritten rules still relevant? Former Los Angeles Lakers big man Mychal Thompson shared his strong opinion on the matter.&nbsp;
Russell Westbrook ejection in a loss against the Thunder&nbsp;
With the game already settled, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Darius Bazley stole the ball and dunked it on the other end. That did not sit well with Russell Westbrook, who confronted Bazley and got himself an ejection with only seconds remaining in the game. The final score was 123-115 in favor of OKC, but the bizarre ending stirred up discussion about unwritten rules.&nbsp;
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Russell Westbrook on his ejection &amp; Bazley's dunk: &ldquo;Just how I play the game. I&rsquo;m more old-school &amp; when sh*t like that happens, I don&rsquo;t just let it slide...In the game of basketball, there's certain things you just don't do." <a href="https://t.co/Pzt5WWTfiZ">pic.twitter.com/Pzt5WWTfiZ</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1453696954467246087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
Westbrook, as a veteran, disliked the move by the younger player. To him, it was a sign of disrespect to still attempt to score with the victory already secured for Thunder. It adds salt to the wound of the opposing team. Bazley did not commit any violation, but context matters in this situation.
In some cases, bench players who rarely get playing time would likely score last-minute baskets to add to their stats or prove they are deserving of more playing time. But should the opposing teams have a problem with that?
Mychal Thompson, who retired in 1992 after playing 12 seasons in the league, shared his opinion on the matter via his Twitter account.
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I HATE &ldquo;unritten rules&rdquo; in sports&hellip;
&mdash; Mychal Thompson (@champagnennuts) <a href="https://twitter.com/champagnennuts/status/1453574770868555776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>

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He added in a separate Tweet that the Lakers should have won the game to stop potential last-minute dunk attempts.&nbsp;
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Yeah wen I played that kinda thing nevr bothered me&hellip;We shudda won if u dont wanna see THAT happen
&mdash; Mychal Thompson (@champagnennuts) <a href="https://twitter.com/champagnennuts/status/1453575807578918915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Are unwritten rules still relevant?&nbsp;
Unwritten rules are basically an ethics code for any sport. It&rsquo;s like a gentleman&rsquo;s agreement between players and coaches. It&rsquo;s a "violation" if a player decides to break such rules. And they come in many different forms.
Aside from disrespecting the losing team with attempting to score when the game&rsquo;s already decided, there&rsquo;s also the &ldquo;don&rsquo;t deliberately miss shots to record a triple-double&rdquo; unwritten rule.&nbsp;
Ricky Davis attempted it in 2003 with the Cleveland Cavaliers leading by 25 over the Utah Jazz. Davis intentionally missed a layup in a game so he could add a rebound to reach a triple-double. As you would have guessed, he got shoved by a Jazz player immediately. Not only was the move unsportsmanlike, but it also looked awkward.
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With that said, you control what you can control on the basketball court. If other players decide to increase offensive output or do a windmill at the end of the game, they have every right to do so. Unwritten rules are a thing of the past, and a generational thing that players use to excuse behaving in a sour way.
So if players don&rsquo;t want to feel disrespected, they should win the ball game or keep the scores close.
It&rsquo;s as simple as that.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Former 12-year veteran Mychal Thompson chimed in on the mix-up between Russell Westbrook and Darius Bazley.

Mychal Thompson on end of Lakers-Thunder: 'I hate unwritten rules'

The GOAT argument has heated up in recent years, with a growing contingent claiming LeBron James over the incumbent greatest of all-time, Michael Jordan. But no matter if it&rsquo;s Jordan, James, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, championships are a prerequisite.
Of course, team success is predicated on talent, and in basketball, one player impacts outcomes more so than in football or baseball. Still, the idea that the best player ever should inevitably be a decorated champion is oversimplified.&nbsp;
Ultimately, I posit that great players can achieve only so much on their own. A great supporting cast is also necessary. And if you examine the GOAT list, it becomes clear that great supporting casts are also a prerequisite. And with that being said, let&rsquo;s identify the best supporting casts of all time.
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5. Boston Celtics, 1980-1988
Key role players: Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Cedric Maxwell, M.L. Carr, Danny Ainge, Nate &ldquo;Tiny&rdquo; Archibald, Dennis Johnson
Championships: 3 (1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86)
These teams saw some turnover, but the core remained mostly intact throughout the '80s &ndash; Bird, McHale, Parish and Archibald or Johnson. The 1983-84 and 1985-86 iterations had five players average 30 or more minutes per game, and all three championship teams featured five players averaging double figures in points per game. They were incredibly role-oriented and players were intimately familiar with those roles. But ultimately, the main case for the Celtics is that they boasted three of the 50 greatest players ever for their entire run in the '80s.
Side note: Despite having a reputation for being banged up, Bird missed very few games in his prime, making it incredibly difficult to examine how the Celtics fared in his absence. In fact, between the 1980-81 and 1985-86 seasons, Bird missed only five regular-season games. While that&rsquo;s clearly a ridiculously small sample size, the Celtics were 5-0 in those games without Bird. It&rsquo;s not enough to make the case that the Celtics&rsquo; supporting cast achieved anything significant in his absence, but it&rsquo;s something.
4. Miami Heat, 2012-2016
Key role players: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller
Championships: 2 (2011-12, 2012-13)
The Heat were a surprisingly deep team. All we really remember is the Big Three and Ray Allen&rsquo;s clutch three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. But there was far more depth in Miami than we care to remember. Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers, Chris Anderson and Norris Cole all played big roles for the Heat. While there was a high degree of turnover in Miami in the 2010s, the key contributors were mostly the same. And they utilized lots of players; the 2011-12 team played 12 guys for 13 or more minutes per game, and the 2012-13 squad did so with 11 players.&nbsp;
But clearly nothing was more important for Miami than the Big Three. James was obviously the team&rsquo;s engine, but Wade and Bosh were crucial to Miami&rsquo;s success. Wade averaged more than 21 points per game in both championship seasons, whereas Bosh averaged slightly less than 20 points per game while taking on significantly more defensive responsibilities than in Toronto. Wade and Bosh combined to make the best one-two punch of any of the supporting casts on this list, making their inclusion here obvious.&nbsp;
3. Golden State Warriors, 2014-2018
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Key-role players: Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Ande Iguodala, Shaun Livingston
Championships: 3 (2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18)
This team is the hardest to write about, mainly because calling Durant a role player feels like it's backwards. Durant has half as many MVP awards as Curry and more scoring championships. But the premise of the article is that the great teams have supporting casts and that great supporting casts support starts &ndash; and Curry is that star. He was in Golden State for their first championship without Durant, and he remains there following Durant&rsquo;s departure. In total, Golden State won three championships in a relatively short amount of time, and in the one year which they did not win the championship, they set a new single-season NBA win record (73).&nbsp;
But however you view this team, it accomplished a great deal &ndash; and it was not predicated on one star. On the contrary, the Warriors spread the wealth. The 2017-18 Warriors, for example, averaged 113.5 points per game, 73 of which came from Curry, Durant and Thompson. And everyone on this team felt like part of the supporting cast at times. Further, 14 players averaged 13 or more minutes per game &ndash; which is more than any other team on this list.&nbsp;
2. Chicago Bulls, 1995-1998
Key role players: Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley
Championships: 3 (1995-1996, 1996-1997, 1997-1998 &mdash; six in total, but the teams and supporting casts are distinctly different, separated by Jordan&rsquo;s retirement)
Eras make a difference. And the 1990s Bulls, featuring Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, were just flat-out better than every other team in the NBA in the 1990s. Want proof? The Bulls were one of only five teams with two starters in the All-Star games in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Oh, and their second All-Star, Pippen, was second runner-up for MVP in 1993-94, leading the Bulls to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference in 1993-94 without Jordan. Ironically, Pippen was probably the most equipped to go head-to-head with Jordan.
Jordan, Pippen and Rodman brought unmatched defensive versatility, and Jordan and Pippen were unstoppable, thanks to an unprecedented combination of size and skill. Add in a 6-foot-6 point guard (Harper), a big, ultra-skilled wing (Kukoc) and a dead-eye shooter (Kerr), and it was just too much for teams in the 90s to handle. Bottom line: Jordan was obviously unstoppable. But one player can&rsquo;t do everything on his own, and the fact that this team is still arguably the best team ever more than 30 years since they were dismantled speaks to just how great their supporting cast really was.
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1) Los Angeles Lakers 1979-1988
Key role players: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Mychal Cooper, A.C. Green and Mychal Thompson.
Championships: 5 (1979-80, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88)
The Showtime Lakers are about as unique a team as you&rsquo;ll come across in basketball history. Their most important player was unquestionably their point guard, Magic Johnson, evidenced by his leading the Lakers to a championship as a rookie while filling in as center in a decisive game. Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA&rsquo;s all-time leading scorer and arguably, at his peak, the best player ever. James Worthy is also an all-time great, having been named a member of the NBA at 50&rsquo;s top 50 players of all time.&nbsp;
But nothing speaks to the team&rsquo;s versatility more than this &ndash; Byron Scott led the Lakers in scoring in 1987-88 (21.7 points per game) despite the presence and health of Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar and Worthy.&nbsp;
Great players are clearly the building blocks on which great teams are built. But great supporting casts are a necessary part of all dynasties, too. Without them, teams run out of gas and get out-maneuvered by complicated defensive schemes. At the end of the day, you need both &ndash; and sometimes more &ndash; to win championships in the NBA.

Drew Maresca takes a look at some of the best supporting casts around NBA GOAT candidates.

Which NBA teams had the best supporting casts of all time?

The NBA&rsquo;s trade season usually ramps up on draft night and intensifies on the first day of free agency. So far this offseason, we&rsquo;ve seen Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan traded to the Chicago Bulls, Spencer Dinwiddie dealt to the Washington Wizards and Russell Westbrook moved to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Teams are always discussing possible trades and doing their due diligence &ndash; seeing who&rsquo;s available around the league and gauging interest in their own players. Every now and then, these talks lead to a major trade that shakes up the power structure of the NBA. Other times however, for various reasons, the talks fizzle out, leaving fans to dream about what could have been.
So with that being said, let&rsquo;s examine five of the biggest trades in NBA history that almost happened.
HONORABLE MENTION
Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire to the Golden State Warriors &ndash; This one is really more of a Steph Curry trade, but Curry hadn&rsquo;t yet played a game as of the rumors, so we&rsquo;ll file it away as a Stoudemire trade. The deal would have sent Stoudemire and the 14th pick in the 2009 draft to Golden State in exchange for the rights to Curry. Had this deal happened, Curry and then-Suns general manager Steve Kerr would have found themselves working together far sooner, but it would have undone the Warriors&rsquo; dynasty. This one would have rocked the league.
Scottie Pippen to the Toronto Raptors for Tracy McGrady &ndash; The Chicago Bulls have received a lot of bad press since &ldquo;The Last Dance&rdquo; aired in 2020, and it became public knowledge that they tried to trade Pippen, and rightfully so. The less explosive of the two deals was this one, a 1997 draft-day deal that would have sent Pippen to Toronto in exchange for McGrady. According to McGrady, Michael Jordan ultimately nixed the deal. In a vacuum, this one wouldn&rsquo;t have been that bad for Chicago, but in reality it could have led to Jordan retiring or leaving Chicago sooner and, thus, leaving a championship on the table.
Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors &ndash; This one is another Curry near-trade, and it was allegedly instigated by Golden State. In 2011, the Warriors tried to package Curry and Klay Thompson in exchange for Paul. The Warriors planned to also add Tyson Chandler to create a quasi-super-team. Imagine that? Some people close to the Warriors still deny this rumor, as they should. Either Curry trade happening probably wouldn't have resulted in Golden State winning a championship, but it also probably would've pushed Kevin Durant to either remain in Oklahoma City or sign elsewhere. Who knows how far the butterfly effect reaches?
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5. Charles Barkley to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers to receive: Charles Barkley and Ron Anderson
Philadelphia 76ers to receive: James Worthy and Elden Campbell
This one is interesting because of the immediate impact it had on Barkley once it was clear it wasn&rsquo;t going through. According to Barkley in a conversation with Zach Lowe on <a href="http://www.espn.com/espnradio/podcast/archive/_/id/10528553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lowe Post</a>, Barkley responded to a call from his agent alerting him of the deal by celebrating over drinks with friends. Later that day, Barkley received another call from his agent, letting him know that the deal wasn&rsquo;t going through. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;m drunk as [expletive] and we got a game that night,&rdquo; Barkley said.
Ultimately, Barkley was dealt to the Phoenix Suns later that season. He led the Suns to the NBA Finals the following year. Comparatively, the Lakers&rsquo; roster was relatively barren by 1992, so it probably worked out better for Barkley that he wasn&rsquo;t dealt to Los Angeles. Still, it resulted in one of the weirder trade-related stories in NBA history. And just imagine Barkley in Los Angeles&hellip;
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4. Scottie Pippen to Seattle for Shawn Kemp
Seattle SuperSonics to receive: Scottie Pippen
Chicago Bulls to receive: Shawn Kemp and Ricky Pierce
The Pippen-for-McGrady rumor was in 1997. Pippen-for-Kemp was a rumored draft-day deal in 1994, shortly after Pippen refused to go back into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks &mdash; and long before Pippen, Jordan, and the Bulls reconnected for the second three-peat. It&rsquo;s a good thing that this never went through. According to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/halloffame10/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&amp;page=100812-pippen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s J.A. Adande</a>, when asked if he would have returned to the Bulls with Kemp, Jordan said, &ldquo;Probably not. I could have played with Shawn, but I wouldn't have been as comfortable as I was with Scottie."
Had this deal been approved, does Jordan return to the NBA? If he doesn&rsquo;t, is he still widely regarded as the best ever (with just three championships)? Or does he stick with baseball? Thankfully, we&rsquo;ll never know.
3. Kevin Garnett to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers to receive: Kevin Garnett
Minnesota Timberwolves to receive: Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum
This one&rsquo;s pretty straight forward. Garnett wanted out of Minnesota, and the Timberwolves subsequently began accepting bids for Garnett&rsquo;s services. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Lakers owner Jerry Buss that he&rsquo;d like to make the swap with the Lakers, but he needed Minnesota's general manager at the time, Kevin McHale, to sign off.
According to an <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2445357-kg-the-oral-history-part-2-glory-in-boston-quirky-traits-and-returning-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oral history of Garnett&rsquo;s career</a> from Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Howard Beck, Taylor &ldquo;&hellip;didn&rsquo;t know if I wanted [KG] in the West&rdquo; &ndash; so who knows how close this was to going down. On <a href="https://twitter.com/alexkennedynba/status/1305612441796120577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Posecast</a>, Ray Allen said that Garnett to Los Angeles was looking likely, and that KG was leaning toward joining the Lakers, but he ultimately changed his mind once Boston acquired Allen. Had this trade happened, the impact could have been tremendous, robbing Boston of the 2008 championship and probably gifting at least one more title to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
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2. Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers to receive: Chris Paul
New Orleans Pelicans to receive: Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic
Houston Rockets to receive: Pau Gasol
While Paul was nearly dealt to the Warriors for Curry and Thompson, this deal is higher profile because of the drama surrounding it. This deal was done. Paul was set to join Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. Instead, NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade on behalf of the Hornets because the deal didn&rsquo;t return adequate value to New Orleans, a franchise that was being run by the league due to former owner George Shinn&rsquo;s unprecedented move to sell the team to the NBA. If you weren&rsquo;t an NBA fan in 2011, you missed a hell of a situation.
Ultimately, this one may have robbed a championship from the Lakers, too. The deal would have enabled Los Angeles to keep Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum while adding Paul. The team lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round (4-1), but would the addition of Paul have given the Lakers enough firepower to overcome the Thunder (and LeBron James and the Miami Heat)? We&rsquo;ll never know.
1. Kobe Bryant to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls to receive: Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers to receive: Luol Deng, Tyus Thomas, Ben Gordon Joakim Noah
In 2007, Kobe Bryant was nearly traded to the Chicago Bulls. Why? Bryant was incredibly frustrated with the inactivity of the Lakers&rsquo; management. It escalated to the point where, according to Bryant, he and his family were looking at houses and schools in the Windy City. When some fans asked Bryant if he was staying in Los Angeles, he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/sports/basketball/29kobe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told them</a> to &ldquo;buy a Bulls uniform.&rdquo;
Back in 2018, BasketballNews.com&rsquo;s Alex Kennedy spoke with Bryant <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2018/06/12/free-agents-lebron-john-williams-oscar-shaq-chicago-bulls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on The HoopsHype Podcast</a> about how the trade would have impacted his career.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Ah, yeah, it would&rsquo;ve changed things a lot,&rdquo; Bryant said. &ldquo;I believe we still would&rsquo;ve won championships in Chicago. That&rsquo;s what I think, but I do feel like everything happens for a reason. Honestly, the biggest shock to me was that Shaq didn&rsquo;t know that [I wanted to be traded]. That was the biggest surprise to me, that he was unaware of that! I think had he known how serious I was about going someplace else, he never would&rsquo;ve demanded a trade [from the Lakers]. But when he got traded, that stopped me from going anywhere else, because there was no way that Jerry Buss was going to lose Shaq and me in the same summer. So if he had known how serious I was about leaving, I don&rsquo;t think he ever would&rsquo;ve demanded a trade.&rdquo;
Ultimately, the timing worked out in Bryant&rsquo;s favor. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, which led to Bryant working things out with management. And things worked out just fine for Bryant professionally, as he went on to win two more championships in Los Angeles and he remained with the Lakers for the rest of his career.
***
Trade rumors captivate sports fans more than anything. Most don&rsquo;t come to fruition, and that&rsquo;s fine. They captivate us, distract us and allow us to imagine ideal outcomes for our favorite teams, even if they were never really that close to happening.
Each of the deals mentioned above would have shaken up the league, leading to far different outcomes for a number of franchises.

Drew Maresca examines five blockbuster trades that almost happened, and how they would've altered NBA history.

5 blockbuster trades that almost changed NBA history

Seth Curry has never lacked confidence.&nbsp;
In fact, to this day, he truly believes that he&rsquo;s the best shooter in his family (even though Stephen Curry is widely regarded as the greatest shooter in NBA history and on track to break every shooting record imaginable).
"Seth had the mentality, 'If Stephen's gonna do it, I know I can do it&hellip; I used to kill him in the backyard!' That is Seth Curry's mentality right now,&rdquo; Dell Curry said recently on <a href="https://youtu.be/GaoGYLVodhg">The Rex Chapman Show</a> when asked about his sons. &ldquo;He'll tell you, 'I'm a better shooter than Steph, he just gets more shots than I do. He has free reign, he touches the ball more. But I&rsquo;m a better shooter than him right now.' That&rsquo;s been his mentality the entire time."
On Wednesday night, Curry helped his argument by dropping 36 points, 7 rebounds, 7 threes and 2 steals (while shooting 68.4% from the field and 58.3% from deep), although it wasn&rsquo;t enough for the Philadelphia 76ers to beat the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of their series.
This self-assuredness is what allowed Curry to overcome plenty of obstacles early in his career. While he is now a key contributor and starter for the top-seeded 76ers, he spent years getting cut and bouncing around as a fringe NBA player.
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In 2013, Curry went undrafted despite playing well at Liberty and Duke. His first pro stint was with the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. With Steph and Klay Thompson emerging as one of the NBA&rsquo;s top backcourts and garnering a ton of attention as the &ldquo;Splash Brothers,&rdquo; the Santa Cruz Warriors had an idea. They decided to sign Seth and Mychel Thompson (Klay&rsquo;s brother), so they could have the Splash Brothers&rsquo; brothers. It was essentially a marketing stunt to attract fans, but Curry used the opportunity to show what he could do, averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 38 games.
From there, Curry showcased his talents during NBA Summer League, which led to an opportunity with the Orlando Magic's G League affiliate (the Erie BayHawks). Once again, Curry shined in the G League, averaging 23.8 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals.&nbsp;
Around this time, Curry signed 10-day contracts with the Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns. However, following the 10 days, none of the teams offered him a second deal. Year after year, Curry was showing the league what he could do at Summer League and in the G League, but NBA teams refused to take a chance on him.&nbsp;
Finally, in 2015, the Sacramento Kings inked Curry to a two-year deal that was fully guaranteed, which changed the trajectory of his career. Even though he played a minor role (averaging 6.8 points and 1.1 threes on 45.0% from three), he showed that he could help a team with his shooting. And in nine games as a starter, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 2.6 threes and a steal, while shooting 46.9% from deep. Curry&rsquo;s G League days were over.
Rather than opting into the second year of his deal with the Kings and taking the guaranteed money, Curry decided to opt-out and bet on himself. Shortly after, he signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. In Dallas, Curry started 42 games and averaged 12.8 points, 2.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 threes and 1.1 steals on 48.1/42.5/85.0 shooting splits.
Last offseason, the Sixers acquired him in exchange for Josh Richardson, and Curry became an every-night starter for the first time in his career and had one of his best seasons.&nbsp;
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Now, he has elevated his game to another level in the playoffs; he&rsquo;s averaging 18.6 points, 3.2 threes, 2.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 0.8 turnovers, while shooting 57.7% from the field, 47.8% from three-point range and 80.0% from the free-throw line.
Curry has been arguably the best catch-and-shoot threat of this postseason, averaging a league-high 8.2 points per game off of catch-and-shoot attempts. He&rsquo;s shooting a ridiculous 53.1% on catch-and-shoot threes. He has also been knocking down pull-up jumpers, averaging 6.2 points per game off of pull-ups and shooting 57.1% on these attempts.
&ldquo;I just try to be aggressive,&rdquo; Curry told reporters recently. &ldquo;Obviously, I'm not the No. 1 option out there; we've gotta run plays for Tobias [Harris] and Joel [Embiid] the majority of the time. But when I get the ball, especially late in the [shot] clock, I've gotta be aggressive and put the ball on the floor and make plays and just be ready at all times.&rdquo;
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Stephen Curry is proud of his brother, and he admits that it still blows his mind that they were both able to beat the odds and make it to the NBA.
&ldquo;It's crazy; it's surreal still, to this day,&rdquo; Steph said on <a href="https://youtu.be/hcxEbnrhwOM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rex Chapman Show</a>. &ldquo;There are only 450 jobs at this level, and to know that we took different paths to get here -- Seth going to Liberty for a year and playing amazing, then transferring to Duke, going the G League route, [signing] 10-days and getting training-camp roster invites to now signing a four-year, nice deal -- it's nuts. I appreciate every opportunity that we get to play against each other and compete, and it brings out the love of the game to a whole 'nother level.&nbsp;
&ldquo;As kids, we were out in the backyard and we were acting like we were NBA players and shooting fake game-winners and wearing our Pop's jersey! And now we've got our own [jerseys], so it's special, for sure.&rdquo;
Growing up, Steph says that he and Seth got into &ldquo;at least 15&rdquo; fights when their backyard games got a little too competitive.
&ldquo;You can ask Seth about this&hellip; We would play one-on-one -- and obviously I'm the big brother, so I'm supposed to win (but he'd get me every once in a while) -- but Seth had this thing where he&rsquo;d call a foul and I would be like, &lsquo;No, it&rsquo;s not a foul, I literally didn&rsquo;t touch you,&rsquo; and I wouldn't give him the foul. He would literally take the ball and just walk off the court,&rdquo; Steph said with a laugh. &ldquo;And he knew all I wanted was to play and he knew I wasn't going to just let him walk off, so he'd play that card every single time. He&rsquo;d be like, 'Nah, I'm done, I'm done,' and he&rsquo;d walk off with the ball in his hand. So I'm like, 'You're really gonna&hellip;&rsquo; (rolls eyes) He'd keep the ball and walk off. It was a trump card every single time. He knew I just wanted to hoop, and he wanted to hoop too, [but he knew I&rsquo;d give him the foul]. It&rsquo;s the game within the game and that still exists, even [when we play now]. I love it.&rdquo;
Entering the playoffs, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers sat down with each of his players to discuss their role, how they&rsquo;d be utilized in the postseason and what he wanted to see from them. Curry recalls their conversation, which ended up being a turning point for him.
&ldquo;For me, personally, he was just trying to tell me to be a weapon and be a little bit more aggressive -- moving around and trying to find my shots,&rdquo; Curry told reporters. &ldquo;And just be more of a playmaker, putting the ball in my hands, and just play with a little bit more energy, which has been up and down throughout this year.&rdquo;
Curry has delivered, and he&rsquo;s come a long way from the player who went undrafted and was signed as part of a marketing gimmick. Now, with the 76ers trailing the Hawks 3-2 and facing elimination on the road, he&rsquo;ll have another opportunity to showcase his talents on a big stage.

Seth Curry went undrafted, played in the G League and bounced around as a fringe NBA player. Now, he's thriving in the playoffs.

How Seth Curry's persistence led him to the NBA's biggest stage

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; All along, Stephen Curry just wanted to play for something at the end after everybody counted out his Golden State Warriors from the beginning.
He could only be proud when this group fell just short of the goal, appreciating how sick and saddened his teammates felt when they didn't get it done.
The Warriors were eliminated from playoff contention with a 117-112 overtime loss to Memphis on Friday night in the second play-in game. That after losing a 103-100 heartbreaker to LeBron James and the Lakers two days earlier in Los Angeles.
&ldquo;I would love a playoff experience and seven-game series and see how we respond to that challenge. We have two &mdash; I call it three playoff games, the last game of the season and these last two play-in situations,&rdquo; Curry said. "But it&rsquo;s not how it&rsquo;s drawn up in terms of the format, and now we have three months to rejuvenate, retool, come back next season, whatever that means.
&ldquo;These last three games, including the homestand, I call it nine games, or eight games, have been pretty awesome in terms of the sense of urgency and us understanding who we are.&rdquo;
The Warriors wound up 39-33, playing much of the last stretch with an eight-man rotation because of injuries.
All those months ago, the doubters never figured Golden State would be competing for a playoff berth at all &mdash; not after Klay Thompson went down with a second season-ending injury in as many years.
Curry called the ending &ldquo;weird&rdquo; given how the Warriors dominated during a recent five-year stretch.
&ldquo;I'm proud of every single person in an Oakland uniform tonight and all season,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;From 15 wins last year, injuries and all that to what we made out of this year, pretty damn impressive. It's a very tough way to go out and we would love to be playing on Sunday, but we can't lose sight of the big picture in terms of where people had us at the beginning of the season, what we were dealt with injuries, youth, inexperience, lineup changes all year."
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Here are some things to take from Golden State's season:
CURRY &amp; GREEN
Everybody wanted to see Curry on the big playoff stage after he, at 33, became the oldest scoring champion since Michael Jordan at 35 in 1998.
Curry, Green and Kevon Looney are accustomed to long postesason runs, like the five straight NBA Finals trips that ended with a six-game loss to Toronto two years ago.
So there's a hollow feeling with this finish, to be sure.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a lot more hell to cause, a lot. Looking forward to it," Green said of teaming with two-time MVP Curry.
POOLE'S EMERGENCE
Second-year pro Jordan Poole spent a stint in the G League bubble, then delivered time and again down the stretch once promoted to the Warriors.
He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:50 left in OT for Golden State, only to see Xavier Tillman answer with a baseline 3 moments later. Poole lost the ball out of bounds leading to Ja Morant&rsquo;s basket with four seconds left, then Poole made another improbable 3 with two seconds remaining.
Coach Steve Kerr has called Poole a possible sixth man going forward, once Thompson returns to the starting lineup.
&ldquo;Just really fun to see how far Jordan has come since his rookie year. A season ago, he was lost. He was lost in the woods like most rookies are, and it&rsquo;s just confirmation that hard work and perseverance pays off,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;Jordan was in the gym more than any other player during the pandemic, and he&rsquo;s earned this. So thrilled for him. I think he&rsquo;s got a really bright future, and obviously will play a big role for us going forward.&rdquo;
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NICE NEW DEAL
Juan Toscano-Anderson's new multiyear contract last week is a bright spot and success story everybody could cheer. The former two-way forward grew up in East Oakland cheering for the Warriors and kept believing he could stay in the NBA.
The Warriors needed his energy off the bench along with all the reserves.
&ldquo;We just wanted to attack every night,&rdquo; Kent Bazemore said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the culprit of it, you have those kind of guys in the locker room, back against the wall, you know, Juan Toscano-Anderson, just a dog, Jordan Poole. I mean, the young guys really stepped up, Mychal Mulder here late.&rdquo;
MISSING KLAY
Thompson could only watch with desperation, wishing he could help. Curry's Splash Brother missed a second straight season because of a season-ending injury, this time a torn right Achilles tendon that required surgery.
He sat out the 2019-20 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee in Game 6 of the finals against the Raptors and needing surgery.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to do everything in his power to get back to 100%, knowing what he&rsquo;s been through the last two years,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s going to be a lot of support around to help him get there but whatever version of him comes back is definitely a boost. We&rsquo;ll patiently wait for what that looks like.&rdquo;
SHORT BENCH
Golden State regularly played with an eight-man rotation down the stretch, given Damion Lee was sidelined by COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, and Kelly Oubre Jr.'s wrist injury kept him out for the final 12 games.
&ldquo;We kept fighting,&rdquo; Andrew Wiggins said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t give up, we stayed competitive and playing hard and we only got better.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Warriors were eliminated from playoff contention with a 117-112 OT loss to Memphis on Friday night in the second play-in game.

Curry, Warriors look forward to another chance next season

LeBron James is arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time, and his son, LeBron James Jr., has some big shoes to fill.
But should he?
Commonly referred to as &ldquo;Bronny,&rdquo; the younger James seems next in line to join a special fraternity of second-generation NBA players that includes the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Domantas Sabonis and Jerami Grant.
Those players have mostly managed to live up to the expectations that come with being the son of an NBA player, but there are many others who weren&rsquo;t able (or never even attempted) to fill those size-20 shoes.
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Basketball Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton recently joined former No. 1 overall pick and NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin on his podcast (&ldquo;Neat &amp; Unfiltered&rdquo;) to discuss his son, Gary Payton II.
Payton and Martin, aside from being each enjoying fruitful careers in the NBA, are both NBA dads. After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, Gary Payton II <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-g-league-raptors-905-gary-payton-ii-on-growing-up-in-fathers-shadow-we-have-two-different-paths" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had to take the long road to the NBA</a> &mdash; he started out in the summer league before taking his talents to the G League. He is currently on his second 10-day contract with the Golden State Warriors.
Martin&rsquo;s son, Kenyon Martin Jr. (who goes by KJ), was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 52 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and is currently playing under a two-way contract for the Houston Rockets.
As one might imagine, just as being the son of an NBA player has its challenges, so does being the father of a youngster who attempts to follow in your footsteps.
&ldquo;With you having a son, too, and you going to the games and being very involved in games, you want your son to be just like you,&rdquo; Payton admitted to Martin after acknowledging that Martin&rsquo;s son is also trying to find his way as a pro.
&ldquo;But sometimes, you have to step back and say, &lsquo;He&rsquo;s not me.&rsquo; This is a different generation and things like that, but as you see this and you get to feel this and then say, &lsquo;He got it a little bit, he been hanging around me, man!' it makes you feel real good because you know how these kids make you feel sometimes.&rdquo;
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More so than many others, Martin went public with his feelings for his son realizing his dream of playing in the NBA. Prior to the 2020 NBA Draft, Martin <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-2020-kenyon-martin-letter-son-kj-martin-img-academy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penned an open letter</a> to KJ. Perhaps by design, Martin&rsquo;s message was simple: it&rsquo;s your time, son, now go do your thing.
To this point, the younger Martin has been able to heed his father&rsquo;s advice, garnering attention for a few standout performances in both the G League and NBA.
Like Payton II, the younger Martin&rsquo;s road to this point wasn&rsquo;t easy.
&ldquo;They get tired of you,&rdquo; Payton admitted when discussing his son, but being the only point guard in NBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year, Payton couldn&rsquo;t deny the fact that he took special pride in seeing his son win the G League Defensive Player of the Year Award on March 19.
&ldquo;You think they don&rsquo;t really be listening to you sometimes because they&rsquo;re in their era, but me seeing my son win this recently and [him] understanding that the defense was there and that&rsquo;s what he watched as a young kid growing up with me, it makes you feel real good,&rdquo; Payton said.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re like, &lsquo;Yo, he was listening a little bit and he does have a little talent!' And, &lsquo;He does have something to get down with like that,&rsquo; and that&rsquo;s what it is about it. I felt great about my son and I just hope he keeps continuing to get better and better, so he can get on that next level and try to do that same thing for a basketball team.&rdquo;
Payton II spoke with BasketballNews.com in March about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-g-league-raptors-905-gary-payton-ii-on-growing-up-in-fathers-shadow-we-have-two-different-paths" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the road he&rsquo;s traveled</a>. And it seems that, long ago, he came to terms with the fact that he&rsquo;d be somewhat the shadow of his father. But his solution was rather simple.
Stop caring. Do you.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re probably going to be compared throughout your life,&rdquo; Payton II <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-g-league-raptors-905-gary-payton-ii-on-growing-up-in-fathers-shadow-we-have-two-different-paths" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said to BasketballNews.com&rsquo;s Kelsea O&rsquo;Brien</a>. &ldquo;Growing up, it was a problem for me, I just didn&rsquo;t know how to deal with it, but as I got older and wiser, I matured and I realized that he had his route and I have mine. And don&rsquo;t worry about what people are going to try to compare you to, because we have two different routes in two different eras. So I stopped caring about that some time ago.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s a lot to be said when it comes to second-generation NBA players. Although we tend to look at pro athletes as somehow being superhuman, every so often, we get reminders that they&rsquo;re people, just like us.
Basketball dads like Dell Curry, Mychal Thompson, Arvydas Sabonis and Harvey Grant are among the fortunate dads who have seen their sons reach higher heights than they were able to accomplish.
Without question, Kenyon Martin Sr. and Gary Payton are pulling for their sons to continue to chart their own courses. Legacy is great, but building one's own, obviously, is even better.

Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton opens up about his son's playing career with Kenyon Martin, a fellow "NBA dad" pulling for his own.

Legacy: Gary Payton discusses being an 'NBA Dad' with Kenyon Martin

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for March 19, 2021.
Understand the Grind
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Norm's argument for starting earlier this season <a href="https://t.co/Hf2essjMMX">pic.twitter.com/Hf2essjMMX</a>
&mdash; Joseph Whalen (@JoeWhalen19) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeWhalen19/status/1372558585847283713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Norman Powell is in The Good Place. The real Good Place.
Shut Up Marquis
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Shut up Marquis you haven&rsquo;t played in either <a href="https://t.co/LfHzQNSJMg">https://t.co/LfHzQNSJMg</a>
&mdash; Josh Hart (@joshhart) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshhart/status/1372594449360904195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It&rsquo;s always people who have never sniffed a basketball trying to diminish professional basketball players and their accomplishments.
Whose Man Is This
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??? What is wrong with these accounts lol <a href="https://t.co/BZ7bAidmSf">pic.twitter.com/BZ7bAidmSf</a>
&mdash; Becca Winkert (@BeccaMVP) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeccaMVP/status/1372529786392883206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Who in their right mind could hate Davis Bertans? I&rsquo;ve never heard of anyone saying Solomon Hill or Robert Covington is their most hated player. Gary Harris???? RUDY GAY????
I Would Die 4 U
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Prince just hitting a quick jumper mid concert 😂 <a href="https://t.co/iyvAdgj4XM">pic.twitter.com/iyvAdgj4XM</a>
&mdash; 🍥 (@freezep0p) <a href="https://twitter.com/freezep0p/status/1372605938646061059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The best thing that ever happened to the Minnesota Timberwolves is Prince being from there. Sorry, Kevin Garnett.
Toddlers and Tiaras and Turnaround Jumpers
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NBA Dads Pageant Moms 🤝 Living vicariously through their kids
&mdash; i. (@_nopename) <a href="https://twitter.com/_nopename/status/1372769342316634119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Honestly let&rsquo;s just have a reality show where LaVar Ball has to transform children into pageant winners.
Shots Fired
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Alright, Lavar on ESPN 710 LA. Mychal Thompson: &ldquo;why didn&rsquo;t you want melo to play with GSW.&rdquo; Lavar: &ldquo;I called Steve Kerr the MILLI VANILLI of coaching. He called me the kardashian of basketball. Steve Kerr does nothing but stand there.&rdquo;
&mdash; Under the Buss (@TheUndertheBuss) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheUndertheBuss/status/1372666368995168260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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I mean. Steve Kerr isn&rsquo;t wrong. I&rsquo;ve been calling LaVar the Kris Jenner of the NBA for years. But is LaVar wrong? Hmm&hellip;.
See a tweet that should be featured in our next Tweets of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our Kelsea O'Brien scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for March 19, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: Dad Stop, You're Embarrassing Me...

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for March 2, 2021.
People Don&rsquo;t Forget
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3 years later and I STILL cant beleev the Rockets MISSED 27 3s in A ROW against the Warriors in game 7...How is that POSSIBLE?
&mdash; Mychal Thompson (@champagnennuts) <a href="https://twitter.com/champagnennuts/status/1366565240440119297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Especially when you&rsquo;re Mychal Thompson, and the 27 missed threes were against your son.
Like Clockwork
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Every year Myles Turner gets some buzz for defensive improvement early in the season and I get excited for the Sixers to play Indy and then Embiid sends him to the deepest circle of hell
&mdash; Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleNeubeck/status/1366563733980512256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Embiid scored 24 points to go along with his 13 rebounds in a 130-114 win over the Pacers last night. Meanwhile, Turner totaled a whopping 11 points and 3 rebounds...
And He Knows It
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Joel Embiid on matching up with Myles Turner: &ldquo;I say this respectfully, but that&rsquo;s a matchup I&rsquo;ve dominated since I got to the league.&rdquo;
&mdash; Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenMRosen/status/1366577054007853062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Joel Embiid is fully aware of the impact he has against the Pacers, and Turner in particular. Nothing like a little healthy competition between two extremely large men vying for a second-round exit.
#ResterMelo
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LaMelo is French for the Melo
&mdash; Blazers Legend Ashtyn Butuso (@lil_buts) <a href="https://twitter.com/lil_buts/status/1366562321796001796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Petit Melo et Grande Melo. Le avenir est Melo!
Way of Wade
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With this, Dean will have started more games in his career for the Cavs than Dwyane <a href="https://t.co/msEiVBWD4T">https://t.co/msEiVBWD4T</a>
&mdash; 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣 𝙍𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙣 🇨🇦 (@Cavsanada) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cavsanada/status/1366551051374059521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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D. Wade&rsquo;s four games in the starting lineup are actually one more than the other D-Wade started for the Cavaliers. That was a weird era of Cleveland basketball, wasn&rsquo;t it Spencer?
Show Of Hands
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Who miss hooping
&mdash; Baron Davis (@BaronDavis) <a href="https://twitter.com/BaronDavis/status/1366410523986649091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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And who could use a 6-foot-3 point guard, two-time All-Star and third overall pick? The only catch is that he is almost 42.
See a tweet that should be featured in tomorrow's Tweet of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our Kelsea O'Brien scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for March 2, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: With All Due Respect

Even at 39 years old, Joe Johnson can still get buckets and embarrass defenders one-on-one.
Johnson is currently playing for Team USA in the FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers, in part to show professional teams that he still has something left in the tank. While he'd obviously love to suit up for an NBA team one last time, he's open to the idea of playing overseas as well.&nbsp;
The U.S. team is off to a 2-0 start, with wins over Mexico and the Bahamas.
Against Mexico, Johnson contributed 11 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks while shooting 55.6% from the field and 50% from three-point range. 
In the win over the Bahamas, he chipped in 11 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 0 turnovers while shooting 44.4% from the field and 33.3% from three. Also, Johnson was a team-high plus-25 in 27 minutes.
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Johnson isn&rsquo;t the only former NBA player on Team USA&rsquo;s roster; Isaiah Thomas, Brandon Bass, James Nunnally, Josh Boone and Treveon Graham are on the squad as well. (Thomas has played well too, finishing with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 21 minutes in the win over the Bahamas).
There are some former NBA players on the other national teams too: Shabazz Napier (Puerto Rico), JJ Barea (Puerto Rico), Anthony Bennett (Canada), Gustavo Ayon (Mexico), Gian Clavell (Puerto Rico), Angel Delgado (Domincan Republic), Mychel Thompson (Bahamas), etc.
Johnson's last NBA stint was in October of 2019, when the Detroit Pistons signed him. He appeared in four preseason games, but the Pistons ultimately cut him before the start of the regular season. (They were reportedly choosing between Johnson and Christian Wood for the final roster spot, and they went with Wood because of his upside).
That opportunity with the Pistons came as a result of Johnson&rsquo;s dominant play in the BIG3 -- the three-on-three league that Ice Cube started. After torching defenders all season and leading the BIG3 in scoring, Johnson was named the league&rsquo;s MVP and won the championship on September 1. Several weeks later, the Pistons signed him.&nbsp;
We'll see if his play with Team USA generates some interest from teams.
Over the course of his 17-year NBA career, Johnson averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 threes while shooting 44.1% from the field and 37.1% from three. He has earned $217,316,875 from his various NBA contracts.

Joe Johnson is playing for Team USA in the FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers in part to show NBA teams what he has left in the tank.

Joe Johnson proving he can still get buckets in FIBA Americup Qualifers

For the Golden State Warriors, the magic number is 20.&nbsp;
Steve Kerr thinks 20 games is the barometer for solidifying lineups and for this season&rsquo;s squad to formulate an identity. Now, with a quarter of the season played and an 11-10 record, the Warriors are still without either a solidified lineup or an identity.
Granted, the Warriors as constructed do not have the roster to contend for a title. They lost Klay Thompson to an Achilles injury on draft night, and have new faces such as Kelly Oubre Jr. and James Wiseman to implement into their system, so Kerr's emphasis on development seems to be a reasonable move. However, development doesn&rsquo;t mean that the Warriors should not prioritize winning, especially when they also have a two-time MVP in Stephen Curry and a former Defensive Player of the Year in Draymond Green -- two competitors who want to win -- on that roster, as well.&nbsp;
This is a team with an identity crisis. On some nights, the Warriors look like a scrappy dark-horse playoff team. On others, it looks like their ceiling is (at best) a berth in the play-in game. While there&rsquo;s not much to do regarding the roster -- unless Golden State makes some significant trades -- it is Kerr&rsquo;s responsibility to not only prioritize development, but also prioritize winning at the same time.
In some instances, Kerr has done a solid job of developing players. He&rsquo;s helped turn Andrew Wiggins into a solid rotational piece, and Eric Paschall has grown into a key cog with the second unit. However, the Warriors have had opportunities to beat the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and, most recently, the Phoenix Suns, but they lost those winnable games. The question is: Has Kerr put this team in the best positions possible to win games? Unfortunately, it&rsquo;s fair to say that he hasn&rsquo;t.&nbsp;
The Warriors as constructed are mediocre, but they have shown glimpses of what they could be, and some of the struggles are on Kerr. Here are some examples of his missteps and why the Warriors aren&rsquo;t consistently playing the kind of basketball that they have envisioned.
Inability To Adjust
In the past, Kerr&rsquo;s motion read-and-react offense worked because he surrounded Curry and Thompson with high-IQ vets who understood the purpose behind every cut and every screen. It also succeeded because those role players were capable scorers. Shaun Livingston and David West, for example, had reliable mid-range jumpers, while Andre Iguodala was a capable slasher in the paint. &nbsp;
Now, with Thompson out of the lineup, Curry is the only player who can consistently shoot and score. Oubre and Wiggins have never been in offenses as complex and as predicated on ball movement as this one. Oubre is the type of player who thrives in transition and slashing, and Wiggins is similar to a degree. But instead of tailoring the system to the strengths of his current players, Kerr runs the same system as if Klay was in the lineup and Kevin Durant, Livingston and Iguodala were still on the roster. Knowing that Curry is the only threat offensively, defenses sell out on him seamlessly with box-and-ones and other variations of a modified zone.
To counter defenses, Kerr has some options such as running high screen-and-rolls and elevators to take advantage of Curry&rsquo;s efficiency as the pick-and-roll ball-handler. On the season, Curry is averaging 1.12 points per possession in the pick-and-roll, which is even better than his 2016 MVP season (1.11 PPP).
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For whatever reason, the Warriors have stopped running elevator doors. Having two bigs setting a high screen would take out both the defender and the helper, which would give Curry the necessary room to take a three or even dribble into the occasional mid-range shot. Not to mention, it frees up space in the paint to cut.
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To better incorporate Oubre, for as long as he&rsquo;s a Warrior, Kerr could also run a two-man stagger to get him some backdoor cuts.
In the first clip, notice where Green is. The defense was a little off guard. Now, the defense would concede that shot and sag off. Instead, imagine Curry in that slot instead. The trap would come, and Oubre cuts backdoor for an easy dunk.
Granted, motion works. However, Kerr should not be so rigid in sticking to it verbatim, especially when he has a different set of players who don't fit as well within the system. Introducing diversity in schemes and adapting to the strengths of the roster isn't abandoning what works; it&rsquo;s simply evolving.
Lineups
Before Kerr moved rookie center James Wiseman to the bench, his lineup of Curry, Wiggins, Oubre, Green and Wiseman had the worst net rating in the league (-20.3) among lineups that played at least 100 minutes or more during the season. This is the reason why the Warriors would dig themselves into 17-to-20-point deficits in the first quarter before the bench would scrap and claw back into the game.
These questionable lineups are arguably at the heart of the Warriors&rsquo; identity crisis. Why? Because the lineup sans Curry isn&rsquo;t a lineup that will go out and win games. This is a lineup that's focused on development, which is fine... if Curry, Green and Thompson were about 10 years younger. The best approach is to maximize Curry&rsquo;s and Green&rsquo;s prime while developing the prospects simultaneously. For one, the Warriors owe it to the core to put them in positions to compete and win. Secondly, the developing guys want to be rewarded for their hard work and buy into what the team is selling.
Kerr was set on this lineup for development and defensive purposes. However, the Warriors&rsquo; defensive rating was 110.2 during the first 12 games. So what was the point of rolling out the lineup other than internal development and racking up losses?
While the decision didn&rsquo;t significantly move the needle, it helped matters somewhat in terms of familiarity and experience with the offense.
Still, there's one other substitution that needs to be made that hasn&rsquo;t happened yet. Oubre isn&rsquo;t a fit at all (and may be traded), but in the meantime, Kerr hasn't sent him to the bench or reduced his minutes -- even with Damion Lee and Mychal Mulder looking like better options as shooters and scorers. The reasoning is defense; but again, the Warriors still have lapses defensively with that particular unit.&nbsp;
In addition to the starting lineup issues, Curry's minutes are a problem. Usually, Kerr puts Curry in around the six-minute mark of the second and fourth quarters. It&rsquo;s a problem because, at times, Kerr subs Curry out when he and the team have just gotten some momentum.&nbsp;
Overall, the Warriors are where they were expected to be in the preseason: faltering between the sixth and the ninth seed. They have the potential to make a push. Again, they owe it to Curry and Green to compete and win. Now, it&rsquo;s up for Kerr to decide: does he want to sacrifice games that he can&rsquo;t afford to lose for the sake of development, or does he want to win what&rsquo;s possible while developing?
We'll see which option he chooses.&nbsp;

Jannelle Moore dives into Golden State's lack of an identity and how Steve Kerr's rotations and philosophy haven't helped.

How Steve Kerr’s missteps factor into the state of the Warriors

This year, there were 107 international players from 41 countries on opening-night rosters for the 2020-21 NBA season.