Crusaders

This article was originally published on BasketballNews on July 20, 2022.
Impact Basketball's facility sits inside an unassuming section of an unassuming plaza on Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas.
The gym contains two light-colored hardwood basketball courts with a small scoreboard, a weightlifting area, a makeshift stretching room, a kitchenette for meals and snacks and a small office. It's no place for vanities. The only flexes are the dozens of white banners hanging on the right wall, listing names upon names of distinguished players who have come through during the gym's 25 years of existence.
Among those players: Kevin Garnett, Kawhi Leonard, Chauncey Billups, Kyle Lowry, Kelsey Plum, Tayshaun Prince, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Al Harrington, Kristaps Porzingis, Nassir Little, Saddiq Bey and Ziaire Williams.&nbsp;
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Kevin Garnett stopped by <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> and offered some advice to Blazers guard Keon Johnson, Mavericks wing Josh Green and 16-year-old prospect Dayan Nessah.<a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Abunassar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Joe_Abunassar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinGarnett5KG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinGarnett5KG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iamkeonjohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamkeonjohnson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/fwRjAM2WHJ">pic.twitter.com/fwRjAM2WHJ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1548046089877524482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Impact Basketball, founded by trainer Joe Abunassar in 1997, has a reputation for its star-studded, closed-door pickup games that take place during the NBA offseason. In the spring, it's also where some of the top NBA Draft hopefuls join Abunassar's pre-draft "boot camp" and commit themselves to an intricate world of sports training and nutrition.
The timeline is simple: arrive by April, revamp your training lifestyle and find your professional pathway &mdash; either via the NBA Draft, an undrafted free-agent deal or another contract &mdash; afterwards. The work is not flashy, isn't always fun and, if you want to stick as a pro, never ends.
But the results can change lives.
"It's not about W's or L's, it's about M's &mdash; M's being millions of dollars," said Isaac Mourier, Impact's Director of Performance Nutrition and Sport Science. "Once you say that to a guy like that, that's all they need in terms of motivation."
Mourier is a key cog in Impact's program. He's from the United Kingdom and played professional basketball in England and Germany before starting his own sports nutrition consulting business. Mourier has worked for the University of Georgia and Sacramento Kings as a nutritionist and consultant, and joined Impact in 2020 during the spring.
During his two-and-a-half years and three draft cycles with the company, Mourier has filled his laptop with infographics and progress charts for Impact athletes. They include individualized goals for each player; an example involves raising one prospect's weight by 20 pounds, lowering his body fat by 2%, increasing his bench press weight by 50 pounds and adding two inches to his vertical.
Mourier feels privileged to work with athletes at this stage of their careers. To him, the noise of team ecosystems and outside expectations all fade away. He can clearly define goals, and players know exactly what success will look like.
"This is the first time, maybe ever in their life, where they have a team of people that are only worried about them," he said. "Now, I'm just trying to get you to the NBA and keep you there. I don't care whether you win or lose games right now. This is you. All the focus is on you."
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Boot camp begins as soon as players are done with their respective prior seasons. They arrive at Impact and take part in comprehensive body testing to establish a full physical profile. The technology includes a bioelectrical impedence analysis that uses electrical currents to scan body composition. Sweat patches can read how much sodium athletes need in their system.
Variables such as blood work, stress hormone levels, nutrient deficienies, pre-workout hydration levels and post-workout hydration levels, body composition and body fat percentages all help establish a baseline of strengths and needs.
From there, each prospect receives an individualized growth roadmap. Skill development makes up one component. Players often train together in small groups, but they receive specific plans that prepare them for team pre-draft workouts and the NBA level.
"We're looking and analyzing and making assessments on the court; if guys are getting bumped off their cuts, if guys don't have enough lower-body power in their jump shot and guys seem like they need to get stronger, if guys aren't fast enough, [we'll consider], 'Okay, what do we need to do in the weight room or from a nutrition standpoint to correct that?'" Abunassar told Basketball News. "So, that's why every guy has his own program, because every guy has different goals."
Hydration and dieting are also central pieces. Mourier oversees the implementation of dietary plans through Impact's local chef connections, and says he outlines each meal, snack and supplement. Along the way are regular check-ins on body metrics, sleep schedules, mood and motivation among other factors. Mourier estimated that about 20-to-25 Impact staffers are involved with a player's development.&nbsp;
But Mourier repeatedly emphasized that the technology, food and workouts aren't what takes players to the Association. One of his most important jobs is reframing their habits and instilling discipline toward health.
"When an athlete gets to the elite level with bad habits, it's, 'Well, I'm already one of the best in the world at what I do, so why would I change?' So it's changing that mindset, and then when we've done that, it's about understanding that doing small things consistently is what gets us the results, as opposed to trying to do extreme things," Mourier said.
"The way that the structure of basketball [is] from AAU to college to the pros, a lot of the power is in the athlete's hands, where it's almost like, 'Who are you to tell me what to do?' So I think one of the main things that we have to do is cut through that barrier. And again, when our goals are the same as theirs, it becomes a little bit easier. But again, it's, 'Well, you've gotten to this level despite your bad habits. How good could you be if we instill some good habits?'"
Good habits, however, can be inconvenient and awkward. For NBA players to maintain their places in the league, they have to stick with those routines well past a pre-draft boot camp.
Dallas Mavericks wing Josh Green joined Impact's program ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft cycle. He's still entrenched with Impact today, and has been working out in Las Vegas this offseason. Part of his nutrition plan includes avoiding butter, which can be a particular hurdle when eating out at restaurants.
"I have to be the guy who requests light virgin oil, whatever it is," Green told Basketball News. "I think that's the hardest part about it. I'm about to go to Australia for three weeks, and all I'm gonna want to do is eat all the food, but I'm gonna have to stay disciplined. I want to have a big year, so my goal is focusing right now, but just taking it one day at a time."
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👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/pX0fkZzCBZ">pic.twitter.com/pX0fkZzCBZ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547655829431525383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Green said he started prioritizing nutrition after his second shoulder surgery in April 2019. Since joining Impact, Green has been floored by how much nourishment the human body loses during workouts. He has an app that lays out meal calories and hydration plans, and his goal this offseason is to skip carbohydrates, even from snacks like a simple bag of chips.
"When you're young, whatever you see in front of you is what you want," Green said. "I [was] able to start here early and realize, if I want to play ball for a while, it's important to put the right things in my body and stay healthy. It's the same thing as seeing your physical therapist and getting treatment, if not more important for your body."
Abunassar has a plethora of stories about players who embraced the importance of nutrition at the pro level. Garnett has talked about taping his meal-plan menus on the cabinets of his Minnesota home.&nbsp; Lowry, Haliburton and Serge Ibaka are examples of guys who transformed their bodies under Impact's guidance too.
Gym time and workouts are obviously valuable, but to Abunassar, nutrition is what sparks physical development.
"The nutrition is really the basis of body change &mdash; for anybody, not even just for a basketball player," Abunassar said. "You can go to the gym every day, but if you're eating cheeseburgers and fries, you're just not going to lose weight."
Mourier has his own trail of success stories. He's worked with dozens of players, including Haliburton and Green. Zeke Nnaji, another 2020 draftee, was an especially interesting case as the only plant-based-dieting prospect Mourier has guided at Impact.
Mourier does not advise athletes to follow a plant-based diet solely for performance. However, Nnaji had chosen to be a vegan for ethical reasons, which Mourier respected, and the two worked together to create a nutrition plan despite the constraints. One of Nnaji's pre-draft goals was to add muscle, and he succeeded with rigorous attention to detail.
"He gained 20 pounds and everyone was like, 'Who the hell is this?'" Mourier said. "So that was really good, just being tactful with the timing and quantities of that stuff. And [Nnaji] was really diligent with it. He nailed every single aspect of it down to the gram... He was a really easy one. I really can't take credit for all that stuff. I just put the blueprint down and he just rolled with it."
This year, Impact has worked with several 2022 draft prospects, including MarJon Beauchamp, Blake Wesley and Michael Foster Jr. among others.&nbsp;
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San Antonio Spurs rookie Blake Wesley (<a href="https://twitter.com/blakewesley0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@blakewesley0</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a>: <a href="https://t.co/9lfkFikWsP">pic.twitter.com/9lfkFikWsP</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547643918904217604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Wesley has been an Impact athlete since he was 17, meeting Abunassar for the first time as a junior in high school. Wesley would come in occasionally for workouts, staying on the far court and watching as NBA players like Leonard and Paul George would get their reps in. He returned in offseasons and locked in for his own pre-draft boot camp.
Mourier praised the Spurs rookie for his attention to detail regarding nutrition. Wesley frequently FaceTimed Mourier while at restaurants and stores, and asked questions about what he should eat. He's also a staunch advocate of Herbalife's CR7 Drive sports drink mix, and even has an endorsement deal with Herbalife.
As part of his pre-draft plan to put on weight, Welsey would cook three eggs, plus have oatmeal, milk and orange juice for breakfast.
"[Changing my nutrition] helped my body a lot," Wesley told Basketball News over the phone. "I kept doing this, so I kept getting better on the court and did everything good on the court. So yeah, my nutrition helped me a lot."
The result: Wesley turned himself from a relatively unheralded four-star recruit into Notre Dame's first one-and-done player &mdash; then bulked up to 190 pounds in the spring and became a first-round NBA draft pick.
"I met [Wesley] a year ago, before he went to Notre Dame, and his transformation from then to the start of the pre-draft [process] to now &mdash; it's phenomenal," Mourier said.
The next challenge is to maintain discipline once that contract gets signed.&nbsp;
"You gotta stay focused; the NBA is totally different from college," Wesley said. "I mean, you're getting paid, you got a high profile [and] a lot of people are watching you &mdash; &nbsp;watching how you move, who you hang out with, stuff like that. So it's a whole different lifestyle."
Abunassar, Mourier and the Impact staff are hands-on with their players during the offseason and pre-draft process. But what happens when those players head back to their respective NBA franchises?
"For the most part, from a strength-and-conditioning standpoint [and] from a player development standpoint, the NBA teams have stuff really dialed in," Mourier said. "From a nutrition standpoint, for the most part, they do not."
Mourier estimated that there are only six full-time nutritionists and dietitians in the entire NBA. The Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) lists <a href="https://sportsrd.org/career-development/full-time-sports-rds-working-with-usas-top-institutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine full-time registered dietitians.</a> Mourier said that teams often have physicians and trainers covering several responsibilites, including nutrition, due to budget restrictions and front-office priorities. This means some athletes, specifically reserve players, receive less health guidance.
"We're kind of the ones who are the last for the front office to see the value in it, so a lot of times we're really just a check-box," Mourier said. "So especially for those lower-order guys that are maybe No. 7, 8, 9, 10, all the way through to 15 on the roster, they're not really receiving any support at all. They're receiving provision. They're receiving meals and supplements. But in terms of education and behavior change, they're really not receiving it."
Over the last 25 years, Abunassar has seen sports nutrition dramatically change, with data and technology more interwoven into practice than ever. He thinks there are positives and pitfalls to the advancements.
"From a nutrition standpoint and strength-and-conditioning standpoint, it's clearly useful information to help prevent injury, to increase lean body mass, etc.," he said. "All of the technology that has come out has been very helpful for us, but you do have to watch that you don't get too reliant on it. Sometimes, you gotta watch the games and see how guys move and that kind of thing. But a combination of the two is very effective."
Impact Basketball is one progressive frontrunner in the field of sports science, but Mourier emphasized that, at this point, all basketball pros should be setting themselves up for success with some sort of offseason developmental map. Pre-draft prospects especially cannot afford to lose that critical period before team workouts to maximize their appeal.
"It's like doing the SAT without looking at the study guide," Mourier said "...I think it's definitely a standard. There's people doing this all over the country, really. Nobody does it like us, and nobody's been doing it for as long as us, but people are seeing the value."

A behind-the-scenes look at how Impact Basketball helps players realize their full potential by focusing on their training and nutrition.

How sports nutrition and biometrics are evolving NBA training

After months of scrolling through countless Damian Lillard trade rumors, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-shock-nba-world-by-acquiring-damian-lillard-in-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news finally broke</a> on Wednesday afternoon that the Portland Trail Blazers' long-time franchise cornerstone was headed to the Milwaukee Bucks. In one of the more surprising blockbuster trades in recent memory, the seven-time All-Star guard will pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo to form one of the best duos in the league.&nbsp;
Now, the new big fish in the trade market is none other than the player Lillard was dealt for: Jrue Holiday. The Blazers' return featured Holiday, former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns second-rounder Toumani Camara, an unprotected Bucks 2029 first-rounder, and 2028 and 2030 first-round pick swaps from Milwaukee. The circumstances of Lillard&rsquo;s trade request and his desire to be dealt specifically to the Miami Heat dampened his trade value, but the Blazers were able to come away with a &ldquo;palatable&rdquo; return.
 However, Holiday is unlikely to stay in Portland for long as he does not fit their rebuilding timeline around core players Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1707100851880259810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks</a> graded Portland&rsquo;s trade return as &ldquo;incomplete&rdquo; pending the potential assets the team receives for Holiday when they flip him.
Many contending teams are reportedly rushing to the phones to make moves in reaction to the Lillard blockbuster, with several expressing serious interest in Holiday. These possible suitors include the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Heat. Teams must factor in Holiday's potential free agency next summer and the possibility of signing him to a long-term extension, which he becomes eligible for on Feb. 22. Perhaps the Blazers will have some urgency to deal Holiday prior to Media Day on Oct. 2 in order to avoid questions and logistics about bringing him in for training camp.&nbsp;
For any team over the luxury-tax apron ($171,294,000) to trade for Holiday, they need to trade away at least $33,175,536 (90% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in salaries in order to legally execute a trade. The rest of the league will only need to send out $27,646,280 (75% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in order to make a deal.&nbsp;
Another important CBA note with any Holiday trade is that his $36,861,707 salary cannot be aggregated with other contracts for two months. While Holiday is still eligible to be immediately rerouted elsewhere, he cannot be traded with other players. For example, just a few months back, Chris Paul was traded to the Washington Wizards and then quickly rerouted in a separate deal to Golden State. Because Paul was the only salary going back to the Warriors, he was legally allowed to be traded. This must be taken into consideration when proposing potential trade ideas.
With Holiday potentially on the move in the coming days, let&rsquo;s take a look at some potential deals for the 33-year-old.
Realistic Trade Destinations
BOSTON CELTICS
Celtics receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Al Horford, Dalano Banton (salary guarantee increased to $1,009,853 to satisfy trade rules), 2024 GSW top-4 protected first-round pick, 2025 BOS first-round pick, 2026 BOS first-round pick swap, 2024 CHI/DAL/NO (most favorable) second-round pick, 2026 MIN/NO/NYK/POR (most favorable) second-round pick
By trading away Marcus Smart this summer, the Celtics lost the key cog to their juggernaut defense. Despite not having a Defensive Player of the Year award, Holiday would probably serve as an upgrade to Smart on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, helping the Celtics compete against the new-look Bucks in the East. If they wish to enter the Holiday sweepstakes, they would need to trade Malcolm Brogdon ($22,500,000), whom they were close to dealing to the Clippers in July. Along with Brogdon, they would have to sacrifice either Al Horford ($10,000,000) or Robert Williams III ($11,571,429) to make the salaries work. They have all of their own draft picks to trade as well as the Golden State Warriors' pick in 2024, which they got from the Smart trade.
MIAMI HEAT
Heat receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, 2027 MIA first-round pick, 2029 MIA top-14 protected first-round pick, 2028 MIA first-round pick swap, 2024 MIA top-50 protected second-round pick, 2026 LAL second-round pick, 2027 HOU/IND/MIA/OKC/SA (least favorable) second-round pick
Missing out once again in their pursuit of a star third option to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami could use an upgrade like Holiday to their seemingly incomplete roster. Holiday would provide a must-needed scoring punch and would fit seamlessly in Miami&rsquo;s hard-working culture. While their Lillard trade package was highlighted by Tyler Herro, they likely wouldn&rsquo;t use him in any trade for Holiday. Their salary going out in a deal would come from Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s expiring salary ($29,682,540) and some combination of younger players like Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($3,510,533), Nikola Jovic ($2,352,000) and Haywood Highsmith ($1,902,137). While they are somewhat restricted in terms of draft assets, they can offer up to three first-round picks if they amend their 2025 first-round pick they owe the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have three second-rounders to offer as well.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Knicks receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Khem Birch, 2024 DAL top-10 protected first-round pick, 2024 DET top-18 protected first-round pick, 2024 WAS top-12 protected first-round pick
Spurs receive: Evan Fournier, 2026 MEM top-42 protected second-round pick, 2027 NO/POR (less favorable) second-round pick
The Knicks may be holding out for when the next superstar &ndash; i.e. Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell or Giannis Antetokounmpo (although maybe not anymore?) &ndash; asks for a trade. While New York may be focused on further down the line, acquiring a player like Holiday could allow them to boost their roster right now without giving up enough capital to harm their future superstar pursuits. A Knicks trade that would not harm their trove of draft assets would have to send out RJ Barrett ($23,883,929), who potentially fits Portland&rsquo;s rebuilding timeline. Jrue could line up as the team&rsquo;s starting shooting guard alongside Jalen Brunson, while Josh Hart would play more minutes at small forward to mitigate the loss of Barrett. Evan Fournier&rsquo;s large salary ($18,857,143) would also have to be in any deal for the Knicks to take in Holiday. Portland wouldn&rsquo;t want to acquire both Fournier and Barrett as that would push them over the luxury tax, therefore they would likely route Fournier to another team (like San Antonio).
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Clippers receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2030 LAC first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
The Clippers may have been given an olive branch with a player like Jrue Holiday becoming available, as he's an impact player at a price they can afford. It also provides an alternative for the Clippers to land a third star while avoiding the potential drama/issues that could come with acquiring a player like James Harden. The Clippers have a lot of high-salary veterans they could use to get to Holiday&rsquo;s number like Norman Powell ($18,000,000), Marcus Morris Sr. ($17,116,279), Nicolas Batum ($11,710,818) and Robert Covington ($11,692,308). They would probably like to keep Terance Mann, who they seem to not want to include in a potential Harden trade, although his $10,576,923 could be useful. Portland could view their unprotected picks in 2028 and 2030 as some of the best draft assets they could receive due to their aging stars and lack of postseason success.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
76ers receive: Jrue Holiday
Clippers receive: James Harden, 2024 NYK second-round pick, 2029 PHI second-round pick, 2030 PHI second-round pick
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed to satisfy trade rules), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2029 PHI first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
Amidst the James Harden debacle, Daryl Morey has remained steadfast in getting a formidable return if they choose to trade the disgruntled All-Star. A reunion with Jrue Holiday, who played in Philadelphia from 2009 to 2013, certainly should get Morey and the Sixers' attention. Holiday would certainly upgrade their defense while being a good support and influence on Tyrese Maxey. The Trail Blazers would have little interest in taking a direct package from Philadelphia, which would almost certainly be headlined by Harden ($35,640,000). Harden's desired destination, the Clippers, should still be interested in acquiring him, but may be more interested in trading for Holiday directly. Portland would likely get a similar package to what they would receive if they traded directly with the Clippers, potentially leaving Philadelphia out to dry. The Sixers would have to incentivize the Clippers by trading some draft capital to take Harden instead of Holiday.
Honorable Mentions
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors are a logical Holiday destination in terms of fit and trade assets. A trade package would have to send the newly acquired Chris Paul back to Portland or a third team along with a young player like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski, plus a draft pick. Given that coach Steve Kerr has talked all summer about bringing Paul into the fold, it would be pretty surprising if the team pivoted from the future Hall-of-Famer just before training camp. If the Warriors do choose to jump in the Holiday waters, they could quickly move to the front of the line.&nbsp;
TORONTO RAPTORS
Toronto was considered the favorite to acquire Lillard at one point, with a package that was likely headlined by OG Anunoby and draft assets. In order to acquire Holiday, they would need to use a similar package, albeit with less draft capital involved. It seems as though the Raptors were being coy about potentially dealing Anunoby for Lillard, according to <a href="https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/options-for-raptors-with-damian-lillard-trade-dream-done" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun</a>. If Masai Ujiri was unwilling to include Anunoby in trade discussions before, it&rsquo;s unlikely he will do so for a player like Holiday.&nbsp;
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Holiday would be a near perfect fit alongside Anthony Edwards in the Wolves' backcourt and would greatly improve their defense. However, Minnesota simply doesn&rsquo;t have the right salaries or draft assets to realistically get to Holiday&rsquo;s number unless they are willing to part ways with Karl-Anthony Towns. Even if Tim Connelly was willing to deal Towns for Holiday, the trade may not be what Portland is looking for with the 2015 No. 1 overall pick&rsquo;s five-year supermax extension beginning next season. The idea of paying supermax money to Towns will likely be a turn off for Blazers GM Joe Cronin.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando is probably the most fun dark-horse destination for Jrue. While Markelle Fultz has been a suitable lead guard when healthy, Holiday would bring a championship-level veteran presence that could be useful for Orlando&rsquo;s young squad. The question with the Magic is whether they would actually pursue a deal that would accelerate their timeline with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as well as whether they would part with draft capital that they could potentially use down the line in future trades.

With the Blazers looking to flip Jrue Holiday, Blake Stern breaks down several teams that make sense as a trade suitor.

NBA trade rumors: Examining potential destinations for Jrue Holiday

Earlier this summer, the Golden State Warriors turned heads when they acquired Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, a 2023 first-round pick, 2027 second-round pick and cash considerations.&nbsp;
After averaging 13.9 points, 8.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds last season, the 38-year-old Paul is looking to add a championship to his resume and prove that he can still produce at a high level.&nbsp;
This might be the most unique role of Paul's 19-year career. Not only do the Warriors already have a Hall-of-Fame-caliber backcourt with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Draymond Green regularly handles floor-general duties. This means the Point God will have to adapt.
Given Golden State's personnel, many have considered the possibility of Paul coming off the bench, including Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Back in August, Kerr said Paul's role is something that would be decided during training camp.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;ll be a case where you get three weeks of training camp before that first game," Kerr said, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38136099/steve-kerr-warriors-adding-chris-paul-look-all-kinds-starter-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim Bontemps</a>. "We&rsquo;ll just look at all kinds of different combinations.&nbsp;The main thing is we know all those guys are going to play a lot of minutes. 
"But the luxury of having Chris Paul to add to this group that we've been lucky enough to have for a decade [is] pretty remarkable. He is one of the great competitors in the game. He's one of the great point guards of all-time. I think he's a great addition for us, because of his ability to control games, control tempo, take care of the ball."
When Paul was asked about potentially coming off the bench, he seemed irritated and asked the reporter his own question: &ldquo;You coaching?&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Chris Paul responds to potentially coming off the Warriors&rsquo; bench: <a href="https://t.co/FbDd0SGqLm">pic.twitter.com/FbDd0SGqLm</a>
&mdash; Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1678234187982327809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The 12-time All-Star has never been a reserve. Counting the regular season and playoffs, Paul has played in 1,363 NBA games and he's started every single one. Paul&rsquo;s hesitation may be enough to prevent the Warriors from bringing him off the bench to start the season. Regardless, inserting Paul into the starting lineup could prove beneficial if done correctly. 
Yes, Paul will have to adjust and learn how to play alongside Golden State's other starters. However, he has shown that he's willing to make sacrifices and give someone else the keys to the offense. During his stint with the Houston Rockets, Paul shared play-making duties with James Harden. While Paul and Harden were unsuccessful in their quest for a title (thanks in large part to the Warriors), Paul proved he could be effective in that role &ndash; splitting creation duties and playing off-ball at times.
However, Paul's best days are clearly behind him, and it's possible that the Warriors will ask him to accept a sixth-man role. Some legends have a difficult time transitioning to a lesser role as they get older, while others are fine with coming off the bench. Last season, there was a lot of discussion surrounding Russell Westbrook's role with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the future Hall-of-Famer ultimately came off the bench in 49 of his 52 games with the Lakers before getting traded in February.
Paul has a history of accelerating the development of his young teammates, and Golden State's second unit features a number of talented prospects who could benefit from his tutelage (including Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski). 
With all this in mind, it will be interesting to see how Kerr and his staff decide to utilize Paul entering opening night and whether he remains in that role for the entirety of the season.

Will Chris Paul start next to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson or will Paul have to come off the bench for the first time in his career?

Breaking down the new-look Warriors: Will Chris Paul start?

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Erik Spoelstra has preached about the value of adversity for months, not shying away from saying that it helped the Miami Heat get to these NBA Finals.
And now Denver is dealing with a little taste of it as well.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals is Wednesday night in Miami, the series between the eighth-seeded Heat and top-seeded Nuggets is knotted at a game apiece. It got that way after Miami <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-2023-heat-nuggets-jokic-382683d300ee31327a39bbb477b5981a">rallied to win Game 2 in Denver 111-108</a>&nbsp;on Sunday night, an outcome that prompted Nuggets coach Michael Malone to openly share frustrations &mdash; primarily over a lack of discipline on a lot of possessions.
&ldquo;We had a really good film session this morning,&rdquo; Malone said Tuesday. &ldquo;I gave an opportunity for everybody on our team to speak and talk about what they saw on the film. It was a very honest conversation. Guys owned what they needed to own. We have to learn from Game 2 to use it to our advantage.&rdquo;
In other words, Denver needs to do what Miami did coming out of Game 1.
The Heat faced significant deficits in both games in Denver &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-2023-heat-nuggets-jokic-278674ca5c096db5880b812c7cc348dc">24 points in Game 1</a>&nbsp;and 15 points in Game 2. And while there was a comeback try in the opener, getting within nine late, the Heat managed to erase the whole deficit and then some in Game 2.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re in the finals,&rdquo; said Spoelstra, seeking his third championship as coach of the Heat. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re going to be dealing with great players, great teams. You have to find a way to overcome it and make it difficult and do a lot of things that are tough.&rdquo;
Wednesday&rsquo;s winner obviously gets the upper hand with a 2-1 series lead, and history will tip in that team&rsquo;s favor as well. When a finals is tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner has gone on to eventually claim the title 80% of the time (32 times in 40 past instances). And 2-1 series leaders, regardless of whether they won Game 3 or not, have taken the title 79% of the time (49 times in 62 past instances).
The Heat are in the finals for the second time in four seasons, but are playing their first finals game actually at home since 2014 &mdash; the 2020 appearance was in the bubble, with no fans in the buildings for most of that experience and only a few family members for the finals.
&ldquo;No matter what, they are going to be behind you,&rdquo; Heat guard Kyle Lowry said. &ldquo;They are going to give you energy. You know, if the other team is on the run, they are going to give you a little boost. If you&rsquo;re on a run, there&rsquo;s going to be a crazy boost. The overall energy for your team and your group, it will give you a little bit of a lift &mdash; but it won&rsquo;t win you the game, because you&rsquo;ve still got to go out there and hoop.&rdquo;
Hooping at the end of games hasn&rsquo;t been an issue for Miami in this series. The Heat are outscoring Denver 66-45 in fourth quarters in this series, shooting 64% to the Nuggets&rsquo; 44% in the final period and holding a 33-9 edge in points off 3-pointers.
But the first three quarters, they&rsquo;ve trended big-time toward Denver. The Nuggets have outscored Miami 167-138 in those periods, outshooting the Heat 53% to 39%. Miami has outscored Denver 57-48 on 3s in those quarters, but that&rsquo;s nothing like the unmanageable margin the Nuggets have dealt with in final quarters.
&ldquo;Just don&rsquo;t get them wide-open looks,&rdquo; said Denver&rsquo;s Nikola Jokic, who is averaging 34 points, 10.5 rebounds and nine assists in his first two finals games. &ldquo;Yes, we know they&rsquo;re going to score. Yes, we know they have talented players. But we cannot give them open looks, and that was the main key.&rdquo;
There wasn&rsquo;t a lot of worry coming from either side Tuesday, when the teams had to go through the obligatory public workouts as part of the NBA media off-day slate. The Nuggets were loose, smiling a lot. The Heat were doing much of the same.
Moods will change by the end of Wednesday night. One of the teams &mdash; either the big pre-finals favorite Nuggets, or the eighth-seeded, nothing-to-lose Heat &mdash; is going to be two wins away from a title.
&ldquo;When we&rsquo;re working we still like to have fun and keep it loose,&rdquo; Heat forward Kevin Love said. &ldquo;It keeps us loose out there on the court starting the game and throughout 48 minutes. But it&rsquo;s not without intention and the willingness to do whatever it takes.&rdquo;

Game 3 of the NBA Finals is Wednesday in Miami, and the series between the eighth-seeded Heat and top-seeded Nuggets is tied 1-1.

Entering Game 3 of NBA Finals, Heat are loose and Nuggets facing adversity

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.
The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home.
Game 7 is Sunday.
Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shooting even as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason the Celtics couldn&rsquo;t hold a 16-point lead.
With a shot at their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVP form and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.
Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.
And that was it for Philly.
Tatum buried one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in firm control of Game 6.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.
76ers coach Doc Rivers has blown three 3-1 series leads over his playoff career. While the 76ers never got that far ahead, this is their second loss at home in the series and they seemingly had seized momentum in the fourth quarter.
Tatum instead stuck it to the 76ers with one final 3-point dagger for a 95-84 lead.
After Embiid&rsquo;s pull-up jumper tied the game 81-all, 76ers didn&rsquo;t make a bucket over the final 6:13 of the game
Tatum missed all 10 shots, including five 3-point attempts, in the first half half as the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has said he may need surgery on his left wrist in the offseason in the wake of a hard fall. Whatever the cause of his shooting ails, he found the cure in the final 12 minutes and the East champs still have life.
Tatum finished with 19 points on just 5-for-21 shooting but the final stat line mattered little after he keyed the 14-3 run that kept the Celtics&rsquo; conference repeat hopes alive under rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Just like Game 3 when the Sixers squandered the momentum off Embiid&rsquo;s MVP ceremony, the 76ers again failed to keep a packed house as rocking as they were at tipoff. The Celtics took a fast 15-3 lead and that silenced the crowd and discombobulated the Sixers.
The Celtics led 40-26 because -- in part because of three 3s from Malcolm Brogdon -- but an ineffective half from Embiid, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Embiid and Harris started 1 of 7 and Harden 2 of 8 and yet, the deficit could have been much worse.
The Sixers steadied themselves somewhat -- creaky Harden surprised everyone with a rare, thunderous dunk -- and the Sixers had life down only 50-43 at the break.
HE SAID IT
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m ready for war.&rdquo; -- Mazzulla, with a stern look, on his mood ahead of Game 6.
BIG FANS
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, Roots drummer Questlove, Eagles center Jason Kelce and his brother and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. attended the game.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Boston started 6-foot-10 Robert Williams instead of Derrick White. Williams started his first postseason game of the season. Mazzulla said he made the change because &ldquo;Rob gives us a lift.&rdquo;
76ers: Harden finished 4 for 16, 0 for 6 behind the arc.

The Celtics defeated the 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.

Tatum’s 4th quarter pushes Celtics past 76ers 95-86, forces Game 7

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; The Golden State Warriors set an NBA record by scoring 55 points in the first quarter on their way to a 157-101 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers in their regular-season finale on Sunday to secure the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve played really well the last couple of weeks,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve won eight of 10. Today guys were locked in right from the beginning. Guys knew what was at stake and controlled the game from the opening tap so hopefully that carries over to next week.&rdquo;
Klay Thompson, who scored 20 points, became the third player in NBA history to hit at least 300 3-pointers in a single season.
&ldquo;I pulled Klay aside two minutes before the game and said, &lsquo;Just let it happen,&rsquo;&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;He said &rsquo;no problem Coach&rdquo; and then he made five 3s in the first five minutes. That&rsquo;s Klay.&rdquo;
Teammate Stephen Curry, who did it four times, and James Harden are the other two players.
Thompson also had the most 3-pointers by a player this season, getting to 301 by making six in Sunday&rsquo;s finale.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s cool to lead the league in 3s made,&rdquo; Thompson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve never done before. It&rsquo;s a testament to my hard work over the last few years, some dark times that have turned into some beautiful moments.&rdquo;
Curry led the Warriors with 26 points and hit five three-pointers to go along with five rebounds. Moses Moody added 25 points off the bench, while Jordan Poole had 21 points and four rebounds for Golden State (44-38).
Skylar Mays led Portland (33-49) with 21 points along with 11 assists. Shaedon Sharpe had 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Jeenathan Williams added 17 points in the Blazers&rsquo; final game of the season with regular starters Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant all sidelined.
Golden State led 55-27 after the first quarter and 84-53 at the half.
TIP-INS
Warriors: The Warriors will face the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Trail Blazers: Before the game, Portland re-signed guard Skylar Mays for the rest of the season after his 10-day contract expired. &hellip; They also signed center Chance Comanche, who had previously played for the Stockton Kings of the G League. &hellip; Guard Shaquille Harrison&rsquo;s 10-day contract with the Blazers expired Saturday, and he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Clinched the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the Sacramento Kings in the first round.
Trail Blazers: Finished the season with the fifth-worst record in the NBA and a 10.5% chance at winning the No. 1 overall pick at the May 16 draft lottery in Chicago.

The Warriors set an NBA record by scoring 55 points in the first quarter on their way to a 157-101 rout of the Blazers on Sunday.

Warriors set NBA record with 55-point 1st quarter in rout

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Stephen Curry scored 34 points, Jordan Poole dazzled down the stretch to score 30 and the Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-125 on Tuesday night in their final regular-season home game to move into fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
For a day, that is. The winner of the Clippers-Lakers game Wednesday jumps to fifth and will drop Golden State to sixth.
On a night Klay Thompson was a late scratch with low back tightness, Poole and his backcourt mates came through. Poole raised his hands to make a 3 sign while celebrating his big make from deep with 3:17 to play that put the Warriors up 131-120. He added a 360-degree layup the next time down off Draymond Green&rsquo;s steal.
Green contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with a pair of blocked shots and steals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points, 21 in the first half, for the Thunder. Jalen Williams added 19 points but the Thunder lost their third in a row and fourth of five.
Moses Moody&rsquo;s dunk with 4:57 left in the third pulled the Warriors within 92-91 after they trailed by 10 at halftime. He finished with 13 points and five rebounds in his first game scoring in double figures since Jan. 13.
Donte DiVincenzo added 16 points and Kevon Looney grabbed 11 rebounds as the Warriors held a 54-38 advantage on the boards.
The defending champions got a nice lift before the game seeing Andrew Wiggins back with the team after he had been away since mid-February dealing with a family matter, though he won&rsquo;t be ready to play immediately as he works to get his conditioning back. Wiggins received a warm ovation when announced during the first quarter and he grinned ear to ear.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Warriors won their final three at home and finished the regular season 33-8 at Chase Center and with their 471st consecutive sellout.
WIGGINS RETURNS
Wiggins has rejoined the team after being away for six weeks dealing with a family matter and is working his way back to being able to play again. That won&rsquo;t be in the next few days, coach Steve Kerr said.
&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re in a certain situation and your family needs you, it requires your attention and your love, that&rsquo;s my first priority,&rdquo; Wiggins said. &ldquo;My career, everything, family&rsquo;s always first for me. It will always be that way. I felt like I was in a safe space to come back. We&rsquo;ve got everything settled, not fully settled, but in a safe place where I can come back.&rdquo;
Wiggins missed his 23rd straight game and hasn&rsquo;t played since Feb. 13 versus Washington. He has missed 43 games in all &mdash; three more with left foot soreness, 10 because of a strained adductor in his right thigh, and seven games with a non-COVID illness.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Oklahoma City shot 15 for 26 in the opening quarter and 59.6% in the first half. ... The Thunder lost the season series 3-0 last year and 3-1 this season.
Warriors: Golden State has won five straight against the Thunder at home and hasn&rsquo;t lost on its home floor in the series since a 100-97 defeat on Nov. 25, 2019, in Chase Center&rsquo;s initial season.
UP NEXT
Thunder: At Utah on Thursday night looking to snap a four-game skid on the Jazz&rsquo;s home floor and win the season series.
Warriors: At Sacramento on Friday night looking to win the season series against the playoff-bound Kings and former top assistant Mike Brown.

Golden State moved into fifth place in the Western Conference standings with the victory.

Curry, Poole combine for 64 as Warriors beat Thunder 136-125

Draymond Green was recently asked about his uncertain future with the Golden State Warriors, and in a very candid answer, he admitted that his days with the team are likely numbered.
"Quite frankly, the writing is on the wall," Green told <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1614057638714834944" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks</a>. "I understand the business. We tend to get into this mindset that someone owes us something because of what we've accomplished. You'd be an idiot to walk around feeling that way. Like, I feel like you're just setting yourself up for failure. You're setting yourself up for heartbreak. You're setting yourself up for disappointment as opposed to saying, 'No, let me learn this business.'&nbsp;
"If you don't get to know the business, then you can be blindsided and be like, 'Oh, man, [after] everything I've done there, I thought I'd be there forever.' I would love to be. I understand the luxury tax. I understand you got these young guys and contracts up, and they have to get paid. Like, I understand all of those things. And so, just for me, that's what I mean by the writing&rsquo;s on the wall."
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&ldquo;Quite frankly, the writing&rsquo;s on the wall." Draymond Green on the possibility of not being a Warrior 👀 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorRooks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TaylorRooks</a>) <a href="https://t.co/dzIOaq5e2I">pic.twitter.com/dzIOaq5e2I</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1614057638714834944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Green has a player option for the 2023-24 season (which is worth $27,586,224), meaning he can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Green will turn 33 years old next month, so he's expected to opt out and seek a multi-year deal.&nbsp;
In October, the Warriors opted to give lucrative extensions to Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins &mdash; with no new deal for Green. This was the first sign that the Warriors might be preparing to move on from Green, especially since it came shortly after Green punched Poole in practice and video of the incident leaked.&nbsp;
Next season, Stephen Curry ($51,915,615), Klay Thompson ($43,219,440), Poole ($28,705,357) and Wiggins ($24,330,357) will earn a combined $148,170,769. Current projections put the 2023-24 salary cap at $134 million and the luxury tax threshold at $162 million. In other words, Golden State will be significantly over the cap just from paying its Big 4 of Curry, Thompson, Poole and Wiggins.
Throw in Kevon Looney ($8,500,000), James Wiseman ($12,119,440), Jonathan Kuminga ($6,012,840), Moses Moody ($3,918,480), Patrick Baldwin Jr. ($2,337,720) and Ryan Rollins ($1,719,864) and the Warriors' payroll will be $182,779,113 &mdash; and that&rsquo;s before they make any free-agency additions or fill out their roster. Even if Green opts out and signs elsewhere, Golden State will have a huge luxury-tax bill.
Keep in mind that the Warriors' current $190,494,052 payroll is one of the highest in the NBA. They also had the highest payroll last season ($175,858,991) and the year before ($171,105,334). Last year, their luxury-tax bill cost an NBA-record $170,331,194, but it paid off since they won their fourth championship in eight years.
This season, they were hit with the repeater tax (since they have been a taxpayer in three of the last four years), so they are poised to break their own record with a luxury-tax bill of $176,532,601. That means this year's Warriors squad is costing ownership $367,026,653.
While Warriors owner Joe Lacob has <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryantoporek/2022/08/02/sorry-golden-state-warriors-but-the-nbas-luxury-tax-is-working-as-intended/?sh=538f96fd356a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoken out</a> about the &ldquo;very unfair&rdquo; luxury-tax system, it&rsquo;s not going anywhere. Golden State will also be hit with the repeater tax next season too, which significantly increases their luxury-tax bill.
Since the NBA implemented the luxury tax in 2001, the Warriors have been <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/markdeeks/2022/07/01/a-complete-history-of-nba-luxury-tax-payments-20012022/?sh=6a72ec40432f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taxed by far the most of any team</a> ($337,841,573). No other team has been taxed over $300 million, and only two other teams have been taxed over $200 million &mdash; the Brooklyn Nets ($297,855,872) and New York Knicks ($248,542,987).
The Warriors have shown that they are willing to break the bank, but given their cap sheet and the repeater tax, Green may be right. They may have no choice but to break up their dynastic core.

Draymond Green says "the writing is on the wall" regarding his exit from the Warriors. Alex Kennedy examines Golden State's payroll.

Is Draymond Green leaving the Warriors? 'The writing is on the wall’

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and Deni Avdija added 21 to lead the Washington Wizards to their fourth straight victory, 102-92 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.
The Wizards swept a weekend back-to-back against Utah and Memphis, two of the Western Conference's top teams in the early going this season. Washington did that without Bradley Beal, who is still getting back into playing shape after going through health and safety protocols.
Memphis was missing key players as well, with Ja Morant out because of left ankle soreness and Desmond Bane unavailable because of right toe soreness.
&ldquo;That was a point of emphasis for us, that even though they have a couple guys out, this is one of those games you have to be careful," Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. &ldquo;They're going to play free and easy, they're going to play physical. They're going to play hard &mdash; guys who get more opportunities.&rdquo;
Dillon Brooks scored 19 points for the Grizzlies. Steven Adams contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds.
&ldquo;I'm proud of the way the guys fought,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;Wizards always had an answer for everything we had tonight.&rdquo;
Kyle Kuzma had nine points and 11 rebounds for Washington, which went on an 11-2 run near the end of the third quarter to extend what had been a one-point lead. The Wizards led 85-78 in the fourth when Will Barton dunked to push the advantage to nine. That was the start of an 11-4 spurt.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
GOODY BLOCK. THRILL DUNK. THAT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL BASKETBALL. <a href="https://t.co/dDXnnpjSAc">pic.twitter.com/dDXnnpjSAc</a>
&mdash; Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1591959296602144770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Wizards and Grizzlies split two games a week apart. Memphis <a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-wizards-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-bradley-beal-e3422f2cd105216231c1fc8343de5c41" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won 103-97</a> at home the previous Sunday with Bane and Morant combining for 51 points. That was Washington's last game before the beginning of this winning streak.
FROM DEEP
Washington went 19 of 40 from 3-point range, with Porzingis making a team-high six. Jordan Goodwin went 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and finished with 10 points.
Memphis was just 9 of 28 from long range.
Porzingis made five of his 3s during a 19-point first half.
&ldquo;I think he likes the way we play. It kind of fits his style of game,&rdquo; Unseld said. &ldquo;When we space the floor correctly, and when we do move the ball, who wouldn't want to play that way?&rdquo;
BIG NIGHT
Avdija equaled his career high in scoring.
&ldquo;Just confidence,&rdquo; teammate Monte Morris said. &ldquo;When you've got confidence, and you've got, already, hoop game on you, it's just going to take your talent and your level to another level, and I think these last few games, he's stepping up now in shots. He's not second guessing it. He's shooting his shot, and he's also defending.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Memphis was also without Jaren Jackson Jr. (right foot), Ziaire Williams (right knee) and Danny Green (left knee). ... Tyus Jones scored 17 points and Santi Aldama added 15.
Wizards: Delon Wright (right hamstring) and Taj Gibson (cervical soreness) were not available. ... Corey Kispert scored 12 points and Monte Morris had 10.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At New Orleans on Tuesday night.
Wizards: Host Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and Deni Avdija added 21 to beat the Grizzlies 102-92 and give the Wizards their fourth-straight win.

Wizards earn fourth-straight victory, beat Grizzlies 102-92

This is not a declaration that James Wiseman is a bust, or some irredeemable player. He is not the only issue with the Golden State Warriors, or even the Warriors' bench unit.
Conversely, this won't be a Warriors slander piece. If you were looking for either of those conclusions, you can close the tab (and thank you for the click).
Now that we have that out of the way: Wiseman being with the Warriors doesn't appear to benefit either party right now. A center with enough face-up and shooting flashes to raise your brow probably shouldn't be relegated to only screen-and-roll duties.
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And a win-now team spearheaded by one of the greatest players of all-time in Stephen Curry, who's still playing at an all-time level, shouldn't be tasked with being superhuman because the team bleeds points every time he sits.
It's important to note that point isn't solely on Wiseman; we're all waiting on Jordan Poole to regain his form (53.5% True Shooting, 59.8% TS last season) and confidence, for example. Head coach Steve Kerr has recently alluded to leaning on more experienced role players like [check notes] Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome instead of the trio of Wiseman, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"The thought process is when you're struggling, you don't have a rhythm, you don't have consistency, veteran players are going to be able to provide that more than young players are." -Steve Kerr on playing Anthony Lamb &amp; Ty Jerome more than Warriors youngsters. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DubNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DubNation</a>
&mdash; Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) <a href="https://twitter.com/KylenMills/status/1590455066267615232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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But think about who the Warriors are at their best. Quick, versatile, shape-shifting. It's a buzzsaw of cuts, relocations, ball-movement and switchability, We've seen how Moody fits into that. We've seen how Kuminga can fit into that, especially when he's able to log minutes at the 4 (or 5).
Have we really seen that from Wiseman? Part of the appeal was that he&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;fit snugly into that; his vertical presence and overall athleticism was a stark difference to what the Warriors had in their frontcourt room. In theory, being able to mix in his dynamic would make the Warriors even more difficult to deal with.
We've seen flashes of that: the Warriors generated 1.03 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Curry-Wiseman ball screen during Wiseman's rookie season, per Second Spectrum. It's easy to see how Wiseman's downhill juice could vibe with the flamethrowing of Curry.
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But in order for him to carve out a more consistent role, there had to be growth in the more "Warrior-like" elements. That growth hasn't happened at an ideal rate, mostly because Wiseman hasn't been able to stay healthy.
They rarely use Wiseman as the hub for their patented post-split action, mostly because he has limitations as a passer. That would be okay if he had more juice as an off-ball screener, but he's still trying to master the details of timing and angles. His results are spotty right now.
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Defensively, Wiseman is even more of a mixed bag. Because of his size and length, he can act as a true deterrent at the rim. He has legtimately good reps in drop on film. But because of his footwork, drop seems to be the only coverage he's truly comfortable in.
Add in the process of figuring out the gap in drop &mdash; how far he should play back, when to step up to ball-handlers, and not giving away easy reads in the process &mdash; and you get more messiness than positivity. Pull-up shooters can find pockets to attack; drivers often have space to chew up.
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He'll often find himself slightly out of position, which alters the strength of his contests. For a guy with his gifts, it's kinda wild how often you'll see ball-handlers driving through his chest &mdash; or drawing fouls.
The numbers aren't great. Opponents are generating over 1.2 PPP on trips featuring a ball screen defended by Wiseman. Among players defending at least three shots at the rim per game, Wiseman's efficiency allowed (70.3% FG) is one of the worst marks in the league. On top of that, he's averaging 6.8 fouls per 36 minutes &mdash; a mark higher than his rookie campaign (5.2).
The Warriors would operate better with a veteran 5; it's part of why they brought JaMychal Green into the fray over the offseason. And frankly, I'd like to see Wiseman with a team that can really prioritize his development without championship pressure.
I'd make a call if I were the Oklahoma City Thunder, just by virtue of having 1.5 true centers on the roster. With Chet Holmgren done for the year, you can afford to give Wiseman a bit of a runway. And for the Warriors, there are vets (hello, Mike Muscala and Kenrich Williams) worth inquiring about. Heck, there are also younger players (hello, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins) who may be better equipped for what they want to do than Wiseman is right now.
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There could be similar appeal in San Antonio, who may be willing to take another young flier in the frontcourt in light of the Zach Collins injury news. They've already spun the tires on Charles Bassey; I'd at least see what the interest level would be. There are vets to inquire about (Josh Richardson, Doug McDermott, Gorgui Dieng), though it's worth noting that the Warriors might have to add something minor to the pot to pry Richardson or McDermott out of there.
(This is likely a no-go because of how the draft went, but Wiseman under the tutelage of Steve Clifford in Charlotte would also intrigue me.)
Again: none of Wiseman's issues are impossible to overcome. With continued health, I'd honestly bank on him overcoming most of them. There's a good player in there; even the archetype he's been kinda pigeonholed into thus far &mdash; a rim-running dunkaholic who can man the fort in drop &mdash; has value on good teams.&nbsp;
Considering the Warriors are getting blitzed in his minutes &mdash; a <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1630164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minus-22.4 net rating</a> with opponents converting nearly 59% of their twos &mdash; I'm just not sure if the Warriors can give him the time to work through those growing pains while also trying to compete. It would behoove both parties to look for an alternative.

Should the Golden State Warriors and James Wiseman go their separate ways? It may benefit both parties, writes Nekias Duncan.

A James Wiseman-Warriors split would be best for both parties

Nekias Duncan previews each of the Pacific division teams ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Paolo Banchero scored 17 points in the No. 1 pick's first home appearance, and the Orlando Magic beat the Memphis Grizzlies 109-105 on Tuesday night.
Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic with 18 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, Terrence Ross scored 17 points and Franz Wagner finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Wagner also had two steals, including a key one with 30 seconds left as the Grizzlies made a final run.
Desmond Bane, who struggled shooting early in the preseason, scored 33 points, converting 11 of 18 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Ja Morant scored 23, but had a rough night from the field, shooting 8 for 24 and missing all six from behind the arc.
Banchero helped the Magic to a quick lead with 13 points in the first half. Orlando led by as much as 18, but Memphis got within single digits in the fourth quarter. Unlike other preseason games, both teams came back with the bulk of their starters for the final six minutes. That made for an entertaining close to the game as the teams traded baskets until the Magic pulled away at the end.
Caleb Houston, a second-round pick out of Michigan, had 13 points for the Magic. Bol Bol finished with nine points and nine rebounds.
THUNDER 117, PISTONS 99
In Detroit, Jalen Williams, the 12th overall pick last summer from Santa Clara, had 16 points and seven rebounds as Oklahoma City beat a Pistons team that lost Marvin Bagley III to a right knee injury.
Lu Dort and Josh Giddey also had 16 points apiece, with Giddey adding nine assists.
Killian Hayes led the Pistons with 20 points and seven assists, while Saddiq Bey finished with 19 points. Cory Joseph and No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey had 11 points apiece.
Bagley left the game in the first minute with the right knee injury. Bagley seemed to slip in the lane defending a fast break and went down, immediately grabbing his knee. He was helped off the court, and Detroit soon announced Bagley, who signed a three-year contract with the Pistons this summer, would not return to the game.
WARRIORS 131, TRAIL BLAZERS 98
JaMychal Green and Moses Moody scored 20 points apiece as a team of Golden State reserves dominated visiting Portland.
James Wiseman, coming back after missing last season with a right knee injury, had 18 points and seven rebounds. Green was 8 of 10 from the field, including missing only one of his five shots from outside the arc. Wiseman, who played 18 minutes, made 6 of 8 from the field.
Shaedon Sharpe, the seventh overall pick from Kentucky, led Portland with 17 points, while Jusuf Nurkic finished with 16 points. Anfernee Simons had 12.
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins were among the key Warriors sitting out before Friday&rsquo;s preseason finale against Denver. Draymond Green remained away from the team after he punched Poole during practice last week.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game that Green would return to practice on Thursday and not be suspended. He expects the defensive mainstay to play in Friday&rsquo;s preseason finale, and on opening night.
Kerr said Green was fined an unspecified amount.
&ldquo;We feel like this is the best way, after assessing everything, for us to move forward,&rdquo; Kerr said, adding: &ldquo;This is the biggest crisis that we&rsquo;ve ever had since I&rsquo;ve been coach here. It&rsquo;s really serious stuff.&rdquo;
Donte DiVincenzo, who started with the stars sitting, had 10 assists.
BULLS 127, BUCKS 104
Patrick Williams scored 22 points, along with five rebounds and five assists as Chicago beat visiting Milwaukee, which sat a significant part of its main rotation.
Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, while Andre Drummond added 16 points, connecting on 7 of 9 from the field.
Jordan Nwora led the Bucks with 25 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Marques Bolden finished with 21 points.
The game featured two teams expected to play into the postseason in the Eastern Conference, but the active rosters only had shells of the full squads. The Bucks sat many of their players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Serge Ibaka and Grayson Allen, most of them on rest management.
Chicago played without key offensive players Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.
SPURS 111, JAZZ 104
Devin Vassell had 24 points, Keldon Johnson added 22 points to lead visiting San Antonio over Utah.
Vassell shot 10 for 15, including 3 of 5 from outside the arc. Johnson was 9 for 13 as San Antonio&rsquo;s starters combined to make 28 of 43 shots in the game.
Lauri Markkanen had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Utah. Jared Butler had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Jordan Clarkson and Walker Kessler added 12 points apiece.

Paolo Banchero scores 17 in his home pre-season debut as the Orlando Magic beat the Memphis Grizzlies.

Banchero scores 16 in home debut, Magic hold off Grizzlies

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

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

As we officially put the finishing touches on &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on BasketballNews.com, NBA over/under win total projections have been released for every team.
Which numbers stand out most to hammer one way or another from a betting perspective? In this piece, I unveil my over/under predictions for every team in the Western Conference. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Phoenix Suns: Over 52.5 (-110)
Even if the Suns don&rsquo;t acquire Kevin Durant, they remain in an advantageous position to finish near the top of the Western Conference standings. Phoenix still has a stacked rotation, with the biggest difference being Dario Saric&rsquo;s return to the backup big role in place of JaVale McGee. If Devin Booker and the Suns&rsquo; formidable young core continue taking steps forward, it&rsquo;s hard to envision much of a drop-off occurring in the win-loss column.
Phoenix&rsquo;s postseason exit was one of the ugliest we&rsquo;ve seen in recent memory, but a loss like that could rattle this group enough to come back similarly to the team's Finals experience in 2021. I&rsquo;m hammering the over here, as the Suns remain one of the most dangerous squads in the Association. If Durant comes, that&rsquo;ll be the ultimate cherry on top.
Los Angeles Clippers: Over 52.5 (-110)
A fully healthy Clippers squad with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will always stay in the conversation among the league's elite tier. Last season, we were all robbed of seeing this dynamic duo in action together, but all the time off leads me to believe we should see them play more than usual. If so, the over/under of 52.5 wins is one I&rsquo;m comfortable placing the over wager upon.
Los Angeles not only has a loaded rotation similar to Phoenix, but it has a historically potent wing tandem ready to go on a revenge tour. As one of my favorite bets in the West, lock in the Clippers&rsquo; over with the utmost confidence.
Golden State Warriors: Over 51.5 (-115)
The defending champions check in third in the West, which feels like an undersell of what they just accomplished. Stephen Curry is still playing at an all-time level, and Klay Thompson began to find his footing throughout the Warriors&rsquo; run to a championship.
Feeling confident in the over also has to do with the development of the team's younger, up-and-coming players. Though dependent upon how much more Golden State will go into the luxury tax long-term, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins look to be entrenched long-term pieces. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are the ultimate wildcards for Golden State. Even if only one takes off from a development perspective in 2022-23, 51.5 wins is a number to hit the over on.
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Denver Nuggets: Over 49.5 (-140)
Nikola Jokic enters this season as a trendy dark-horse selection for MVP as the back-to-back award winner, which is incredible to even think about. The Nuggets have stayed competitive amidst their countless injury issues because of Jokic&rsquo;s greatness.
Now, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. eventually expected back at 100%, Denver is a team many bettors are hammering the over on with -140 moneyline odds on 49.5 wins. Frankly, I&rsquo;m in lockstep with the sportsbooks because Denver was a team that sneakily improved on the margins this offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was an underrated acquisition from the Washington Wizards, and he&rsquo;s earned a new multi-year extension upon his arrival.
If Murray and Porter&rsquo;s health cooperate alongside the all-world talent that is Jokic, 50 wins for the Nuggets just feels right to say. Even above that mark is an appropriate projection, because Jokic elevates the floor that much on his own.
Memphis Grizzlies: Under 48.5 (+105)
Ja Morant qualified as our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-for-202223-nba-most-valuable-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under-the-radar MVP selection</a> during &ldquo;Bet Week,&rdquo; but the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. early on looms large for the Grizzlies. Although he flies under the radar a little bit too often, JJJ is an anchor to a defense that&rsquo;s done a complete 180 over the last year.
A lot will be on the plate of Morant, which he won&rsquo;t have a problem with, but what about the rest of the West? The Clippers and Nuggets are healthy now, plus the Suns and Warriors will remain in the title race as well. If Morant can carry the Grizzlies in similar territory without JJJ, his MVP argument could become very valid.
I&rsquo;m going to tread lightly on Memphis and select the under here with plus-money value. Morant will put up spectacular numbers once more, and Desmond Bane should continue to emerge in the backcourt. For my current projection, the Grizzlies will slot in as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
Dallas Mavericks: Under 48.5 (-105)
The argument against the Mavericks is almost identical to the one I just presented for Memphis. Luka Doncic enters as the heavy betting favorite for MVP, but will he alone be enough to lift Dallas into truly elite territory? That&rsquo;s one of my biggest questions entering 2022-23, because players like Doncic and Morant fit the billing of talents who can lift teams all on their own.
Months away from it now, it&rsquo;s still stunning to think back to the Mavs&rsquo; Game 7 shellacking of the Suns in the West semifinals. Once Doncic figured out Phoenix&rsquo;s defense, it was game over. Could Doncic do this to the rest of the league? There&rsquo;s no doubt he will put up monster numbers, but the Mavericks fit into the same tier as the Grizzlies right now around 47-48 wins.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 47.5 (-140)
I&rsquo;ll continue to bang the Minnesota drum until proven otherwise because I&rsquo;m all-in on the Timberwolves taking a huge step forward. Anthony Edwards checks every box for a young superstar, and their new addition in Rudy Gobert will augment a talented rotation. Karl-Anthony Towns being flanked by Gobert makes up one of the most unique frontcourt combinations we&rsquo;ve ever seen in the modern NBA, but this type of move is a risk an organization like Minnesota must take. Towns and Edwards are ready to win big soon, so adding an elite rim-protector like Gobert allows those gifted scorers to focus on that end.
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Bookmark this if you want, but here&rsquo;s perhaps my biggest hot take: Minnesota will win the Northwest Division and become a top-four seed. With how everything stacks together for Minnesota, this is a team well-positioned to take a leap similar to the one we&rsquo;ve seen from Phoenix and Memphis in recent years.
Los Angeles Lakers: Under 45.5 (-105)
Unless Kyrie Irving is walking through the door anytime soon, I&rsquo;m taking the money and running as quickly as possible on the Lakers' under here. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will do their usual damage, but this roster is nowhere close to being finished. Also, there&rsquo;s no way anyone can truly believe the Lakers are a Finals contender with their ongoing saga surrounding Russell Westbrook. From the very beginning, Westbrook&rsquo;s fit was super clunky alongside LeBron and AD. Now, the triple-double king continues to be the main target of trade rumors, many of which are linking him to the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs as a pure salary-dump option.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-would-be-foolish-not-to-accept-pacers-lifeline-to-extend-their-title-window" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offering the Lakers a lifeline to fix the Westbrook situation</a>. The Pacers are willing to take on the $47 million owed to Westbrook while also sending Los Angeles back two starters in Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The current hold-up in trade negotiations reportedly is draft pick compensation. Los Angeles refuses to offer its 2029 first-round pick on top of the 2027 selection, which the Pacers believe is more than a fair price to pay.
In the meantime, I&rsquo;m going to take the Lakers under 45.5 wins while it remains at plus value. Until any resolution is reached on the roster, I&rsquo;m betting against L.A.
New Orleans Pelicans: Over 44.5 (-140)
Compared to almost any other team in the NBA, New Orleans projects supremely well long-term if Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health cooperates. Williamson and Brandon Ingram have each shown on separate occasions they can be the No. 1 option for New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are ideal veteran pieces in the starting unit as well. Well-balanced on both ends of the court, the Pelicans have completely bought into what head coach Willie Green brought over from Monty Williams in Phoenix.
With Williamson, Ingram and McCollum, the Pelicans should be a team projected closer to 50 wins. I absolutely love the over here on 44.5 wins, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if New Orleans finishes as a playoff lock instead of a Play-In Tournament competitor.
Portland Trail Blazers: Under 40.5 (-110)
Kudos to Damian Lillard because he will not leave the Blazers hanging anytime soon. He&rsquo;s all-in on winning in Portland, which reminds me so much of Reggie Miller with the Pacers a few decades back. Portland re-signed Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons, but two notable splashes occurred this offseason. Jerami Grant is the Blazers&rsquo; first true wing threat in years, and the ultimate wildcard from the 2022 NBA Draft fell into their laps at No. 7 overall. What if Shaedon Sharpe hits his ceiling? That&rsquo;s something Portland has in their back pocket, because Sharpe&rsquo;s scoring prowess forecasts very well alongside Lillard. They'll just have to hope he can get healthy and stay healthy.
The West remains a tough customer though. So, with that being said, the Blazers fall into the category of a feisty team that&rsquo;s competitive most nights on their way to a sub-40-win campaign. It's certainly not the outcome Blazers fans hope for, but there&rsquo;s a large number of teams ahead of them at the moment.
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Sacramento Kings: Over 32.5 (-120)
The Kings actually had a good offseason. Yes, you&rsquo;re reading that right. Keegan Murray at No. 4 overall looks to be a lights-out scorer with an extremely high floor. Ideally, Murray can become the third piece to a long-term trio in Sacramento alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Also, don&rsquo;t forget about the Kings adding much-needed help on the perimeter with Kevin Huerter via trade and Malik Monk via free agency.
I had to double-take upon finding this fact, but the Kings have only exceeded 33 wins once over the last 14 years (2018-19 was that season).
Luckily for Sacramento, I&rsquo;m projecting them to finish with at least 33 wins for 2022-23. If the Kings underachieve once more, I wonder what the future looks like for an organization that stays in topsy-turvy mode.
Utah Jazz: Under 31.5 (-110)
Assuming Donovan Mitchell is eventually traded, this number will crumble down into the 20s. Utah is in the midst of a full-scale rebuild attempt for the first time in over a decade, and all signs point to Mitchell&rsquo;s exit soon enough from Salt Lake City. Gobert being dealt within the division to Minnesota for a historic amount of draft capital shook up the trade market for good, as it&rsquo;s holding up potential blockbusters revolving around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Mitchell.
Moving forward, there&rsquo;s no reason why you should feel confident about betting the Utah over unless Mitchell keeps them above water staying around until February. If not, you&rsquo;re putting an awful lot of faith into the hands of Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson to carry the roster. (If they're there.)
The smart route is to go with the under for the Jazz. Lock in with extreme confidence that Jazz executive Danny Ainge eventually tears it all down within a few months.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Under 26.5 (+100)
Until the Thunder stop their tanking ways, I can&rsquo;t willfully bet an over on them. Following their aggressive draft night &mdash; obtaining three lottery picks headlined by No. 2 overall selection Chet Holmgren, who many viewed as the best overall player &mdash; maybe that "tanking" buzzword is in their rearview mirror.
OKC&rsquo;s roster is young, but the talent screams out as a team that could propel itself forward in a huge manner. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey profile as a super fun long-term backcourt pairing. Luguentz Dort is a pitbull defender who continues to improve his outside shot, which earned him a lucrative five-year extension.
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The Thunder could easily make me look foolish selecting the under, but something along the lines of 25 or 26 wins feels spot on. Can Sam Presti resist the temptation of not tanking for Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in 2023?
Houston Rockets: Over 23.5 (-125)
The Rockets have one of the most interesting young cores to monitor heading into next season. Jalen Green began to turn the corner over the last month of the season, averaging 22.3 points on a 59.9% True Shooting percentage. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston&rsquo;s No. 3 overall selection from the 2022 draft, projects as a score-first wing/big hybrid who should excel alongside Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Alperen Sengun, a throwback Turkish big man, is an underrated prospect with an unlimited ceiling once the small aspects of his game are figured out.
Houston is nowhere close to being competitive, but that&rsquo;s totally okay. The team controls the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; draft for the next season years, so the Rockets are set up arguably as well as anyone right now with the chaos surrounding that whole situation. If the youth jells together and the organization obtains another top pick in next year&rsquo;s draft, be on the lookout for this core to ascend.
For the over/under, 23.5 wins feels a little low, in my opinion. I&rsquo;m projecting the Rockets with 25 victories, so give me the over at -125 odds on DraftKings.
San Antonio Spurs: Under 22.5 (-110)
Once Dejounte Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, it sounded the alarm that the Spurs are finally waiving the white flag on competing for wins effective immediately. San Antonio obtained three future first-round picks for Murray, a haul for a team pressing the reset button at the perfect time.
Las Vegas projects the Spurs with the worst over/under for next season, and there&rsquo;s no real reason to go against them there. Keldon Johnson will put up numbers following his long-term extension, but inexperience is the main theme for San Antonio. The Spurs should be on their way to 20 wins or less, so hammer the under.

Evan Sidery goes over win totals for the Western Conference. Who stands out?

Best Bets: NBA Western Conference over/under projections

Different players deserve different standards of "outstanding" success at NBA Summer League based on their experiences in professional basketball.
For rookies, the first summer is about showcasing your strengths and flashing tools that we may not have seen in their respective prior systems. The bar gets raised for sophomores and veterans, particularly those who have already unveiled their talents in an NBA regular season.&nbsp;
In my opinion, simply repeating what we know about a player's game doesn't signal they're ready for the next step up at the NBA level. I want to see a leap somewhere. Maybe that's a strength become impossibly dominant within the confines of Las Vegas, or maybe it's a new skill showing up that we haven't seen in past seasons.&nbsp;
The point is that it takes more for a guy like Cam Thomas to wow me. Thomas dropped 29 points on Tuesday, going 9-for-19 from the floor and 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. His effort was very similar to his inefficient, free-throw-driven outing on Sunday. Thomas showcasing his knack for getting to the line and scoring in bunches is great, but for a second-year, first-round pick, I want to see something else that I can visualize him carrying to the Nets' full roster.
Thomas did not make my Studs list today even though he logged a strong game. Here are the guys who did:
STUDS
Carlik Jones, Chicago Bulls
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Box Score Stats: 17 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 7/7 FG, 2/2 3PT
The Bulls opened Tuesday's slate against the Raptors, and Jones delivered an effortless performance. Everything felt anticipatory, but not forced, with how he played on offense. Jones capitalized on the space he found, pinning defenders on his hip twice to convert floaters. He had David Johnson skating on the in the above play before finishing at the rim, and later even beat a recover attempt from Christian Koloko.&nbsp;
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I'm giving Jones a double-clip because this pass was so sweet. He knows Jeff Dowtin has to try and cover two passing lanes at once, so as Jones drives, he looks Dowtin off toward the wing shooter and then dimes a no-look pass to Malcolm Hill for three. Just gorgeous.
Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Santi Aldama masterclass in Vegas tonight for the <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> 😤 - 31 PTS - 9 REBS - 3 BLKS - 12/14 FG <a href="https://t.co/eKtRQc1CD7">pic.twitter.com/eKtRQc1CD7</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1547019100274118656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
Box Score Stats: 31 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 12/14 FG, 4/5 FG
Aldama needs chill out before I dangerously overreact to his last two Summer League outings. The second-year forward frequently shared the court with Xavier Tillman, who typically drew the opposing center as a matchup. This left Aldama to feast on smaller players. He's much stronger than most people realized, and easily sealed off defenders for interior buckets. We also saw several instances of Aldama as a cutter. His long-range shot finally started to fall as well.&nbsp;
Then on defense, we saw Aldama work as a drop defender and help on ice and trap possessions. He sent back three separate driving attempts from three guards and wings. When Aldama puts things all together, he's a pretty terrifying two-way presence. We'll see if it translates past Summer League.
Ziaire Williams, Memphis Grizzlies
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Box Score Stats: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 6/11 FG, 2/3 3PT
Other Grizzlies might have better box scores, but I was floored by Ziaire Williams as a playmaker as I watched this game in person. We didn't get to see much of Williams on the ball during his rookie season, for obvious reasons. But he was the lead faciliator for most of the Grizzlies' dominant win. These two dimes stuck out, and Williams threw several other impressive passes that did not turn into assists.&nbsp;
Then as a scorer, Williams methodically sought out his spot. He didn't shy away from contact and also hit a pair of pull-up threes. This is what Summer League is all about: giving players the freedom to experiment and seeing new aspects of their games flourish.&nbsp;
Tyrese Martin, Atlanta Hawks
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Tyrese Martin hit the "too small" after the finish 🤣 Martin has 21 to lead all scorers 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/Z0TBq4Yk5M">pic.twitter.com/Z0TBq4Yk5M</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1547021506999267328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 9/14 FG, 2/5 3PT
Man, Martin is such a physical, tough player. He consistently powered through contact and shot contests from a tough Miami Heat defense and finished around the basket. Martin doesn't have the flashiest handles or quickest first step, but he can change speeds when he wants to and use his functional strength to ward off defenders. Martin was picked No. 51 overall by Atlanta in this year's draft, and they should feel good about the choice after this performance.
Mfiondu Kabengele, Boston Celtics
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Put it up and Mfiondu Kabengele will go get it! <a href="https://t.co/1J3PXvoD7Q">pic.twitter.com/1J3PXvoD7Q</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1547037100503080970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats:&nbsp;20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 6/11 FG, 1/4 3PT
Kabengele has been a miniature revelation as a massive interior presence so far. On Tuesday, he battled inside against James Wiseman and owned the glass. Kabengele starred as a lob threat and roller for Boston and displayed an easy chemistry with second-round pick JD Davison.
He also picked up four assists, and while they weren't highlight-reel passes, Kabengele clearly has a solid foundation as a connector within an offense. He's a former first-round pick from 2019, and I think Kabengele has shown enough in Summer League to at least warrant a reserve roster spot with the Celtics.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
James Wiseman nice find to Jonathan Kuminga who jump stops and dunks it for the Warriors. <a href="https://t.co/pc0aZzyuiX">pic.twitter.com/pc0aZzyuiX</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1547027600723304450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 29 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 11/22 FG, 2/7 3PT
This hasn't been the easiest Summer League stint for Kuminga since Golden State has thrust more on-ball responsibilities onto him. He struggled again to open Tuesday's matchup against the Celtics but started to find a rhythm as the game wore on. On successful scores, Kuminga could almost probe into the middle of the paint as defenders backed into the restricted area to contain his drives. Then Kuminga could face up, post up or just shoot a short jumper.
Of course, he threw down a couple of monster dunks off of short rolls or cuts, like the one above. Kuminga is still best used off the ball, but I do think we saw noteworthy progress from the No. 7 pick as a self-creator.
Other notable performers: Dalano Banton (Raptors), Jeff Dowtin (Raptors), David Roddy (Grizzlies), Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Grizzlies), Cam Thomas (Nets) Chaundee Brown (Hawks), Justin Jackson (Celtics), Brodric Thomas (Celtics), Moses Moody (Warriors), Gui Santos (Warriors), Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers), Buddy Boeheim (Pistons), Jerrick Harding (Suns), Olivier Sarr (Suns), Mason Jones (Lakers)
DUDS
James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
Box Score Stats: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3/9 FG, 0/1 3PT
There's already so much noise around Wiseman and his career to date, so I hope people aren't seriously weighing his first games back &mdash;&nbsp;which also happen to be inconsequential Summer League games. Wiseman did not play extremely well, but he was not horrendous, and did block three shots while serving as a rim deterrent on several possessions. So while I am critiquing other areas, there's no need to pile onto this guy.
Wiseman did not pressure Boston on offense. He barely received chances to create, though it should be noted this Warriors roster seriously lacks quality passers. When he did, it was often a quick face-up jumper. He weirdly short-rimmed two easy baseline attempts, and his three-point shots were well off. This is not an ideal setting for Wiseman to make an impression, and unfortunately, he hasn't yet.
Max Christie, Los Angeles Lakers
Box Score Stats: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3/12 FG, 2/6 3PT
Not to be all annoying about Summer League rotations, but I'm moderately surprised Christie is starting over Mason Jones. Jones has rocked off the bench and probably needs the mintues for the sake of his next career move. Christie is entrenched with the Lakers and has not played nearly as well.
The second-round rookie shot 1-for-6 inside the arc. He failed to create separation on any of his driving attempts, and tried this runner that was not falling. Christie's offensive game is going to be a development project for the Lakers, and he seems pretty far away right now.
Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks
Box Score Stats: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 4/15 FG, 2/5 3PT
Since Hardy scored 28 points in his Summer League debut, the second-round pick has gone 4-for-15 in back-to-back contests. He reached his pull-up spots with relative ease, but just didn't have the touch against the Suns. Hardy had a more difficult time creating for himself at the rim; Phoenix swarmed him, and he was not a threat to kick out. The pre-draft concerns about Hardy's streaky scoring, and how he counterbalances that on offense, felt apparent aftet this game.
Jason Preston, Los Angeles Clippers
Box Score Stats: 7 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2/7 FG, 0/1 3PT
Preston was one of my favorite players coming out of the 2021 NBA Draft. His processing as a facilitator, court vision and two-way effort still make him someone on my watch list from the second round. But Preston will have to overcome some limited athletic tools to be successful, particularly after missing all of last season due to foot surgery. He struggles to create separation for himself. This means he can't open up windows to score or collapse defenses and manifest passing lanes. It puts a ton of pressure on Preston as a shotmaker and passer.

Santi Aldama, Jonathan Kuminga, Ziaire Williams and Tyrese Martin headlined Tuesday's standouts in Las Vegas.

10 studs and duds from Day 6 of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

Santi Aldama scored 31 points, David Roddy added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies tied the Las Vegas Summer League record for points in a game in a 120-84 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
The Grizzlies (2-1), who never trailed and led by double figures for more than 33 minutes, hit 12 3-pointers, shot 59% from the field and had 31 assists. Their 120 points matched the record set by the Denver Nuggets in 2007.
Summer League games are 40 minutes, eight fewer than an NBA regular-season game.
The 6-foot-11 Aldama, a first-round draft pick in 2021, made 12 of 14 from the field, hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots. Ziaire Williams, the No. 10 pick in the 2021 draft, had 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Roddy, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound forward who was picked No. 23 overall in June&rsquo;s draft, was 7-of-11 shooting. Kenneth Lofton Jr. added 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Cam Thomas made 11 of 13 free throws and finished with 29 points for Brooklyn (1-2). The No. 27 pick overall in the 2021 draft, Thomas has scored at least 26 points in each of his three games in Las Vegas and is averaging 28.7 per game. Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe added 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, and David Duke Jr. scored 12 points.
BULLS 93, RAPTORS 83
Carlik Jones scored 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting with five assists, and Dalen Terry scored all of his 14 points in the first half to help Chicago beat Toronto.
Malcolm Hill added 11 points for Chicago (2-1). Ethan Thompson and Makur Maker scored 10 points apiece.
Toronto scored 12 fourth-quarter points, nine that came as Ryan Hawkins hit three 3-pointers in the final 64 seconds.
Dalano Banton scored 18 points for Toronto (1-1). Jeff Dowtin added 16 points and D.J. Wilson scored 10. Christian Koloko, a 7-foot center out of Arizona, finished with five points, four rebounds and three blocks. The Raptors' only pick (No. 33 overall) in June&rsquo;s draft, Koloko shot 2 of 8 from the field and 0 for 3 from the free throw line but made his lone 3-point attempt.
The Bulls, who trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter, shot 55% (33 of 60) from the field, had 20 assists and scored 36 points off 18 Toronto turnovers.
HAWKS 95, HEAT 88
Tyrese Martin scored 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Chaundee Brown Jr. was 8 of 11 from the field and finished with 18 points to help Atlanta beat Miami.
Chris Clemons, who averaged 30.1 points as a senior at Campbell in 2018-19, scored 15 for the Hawks.
Atlanta (1-2) made 37 of 69 (53.6%) from the field and shot 44.4% (8 of 18) from 3-point range.
Javonte Smart led Miami with 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Kyle Allman Jr. scored 14 points and Bryson Williams 11.
CELTICS 103, WARRIORS 92
Mfiondu Kabengele had 20 points and 13 rebounds, 19-year-old Juhann Begarin scored 21 points and Boston beat Golden State despite big games by Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Kuminga scored 22 points on 11-of-22 shooting. Moody added 21 but made just 6 of 19 from the field and 2 of 9 from 3-point range.
James Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, had six points, seven rebounds and three blocks in his second game back from a knee injury that sidelined him for most of the last year-plus.
Justin Jackson scored 24 points, including five 3-pointers, for Boston. Brodric Thomas hit 4 of 7 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points.
PACERS 101, PISTONS 87
Bennedict Mathurin shot 5 of 9 from the field, 9 of 10 from the free throw line and finished with 20 points to help Indiana beat Jaden Ivey-less Detroit.
The No. 6 pick in last month's draft, Mathurin added five rebounds, three assists and three steals with no turnovers. Terry Taylor had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Isaiah Jackson also scored 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith added 12 points.
Ivey, taken by the Pistons with the No. 5 pick in the draft, as well as Saben Lee, Isaiah Stewart and Isaiah Livers did not play for Detroit.
Buddy Boeheim led the Pistons with 18 points. Stanley Umude scored 14, Charlie Moore added 13 and Jalen Duren &mdash; picked 13th overall in June's draft &mdash; had 12 points.
SUNS 105, MAVERICKS 78
Louis King and Olivier Sarr each had a double-double to lead Phoenix in its rout of Dallas.
King finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Sarr added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. also scored 12 points, McKinley Wright IV had 11 and Leonardo Meindl 10 for the Suns.
Jerrick Harding led the Mavericks with 20 points and A.J. Lawson scored 10. Jaden Hardy had 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Hardy, the No. 37 overall pick is last month&rsquo;s draft, was a consensus 5-star recruit out of high school in 2021 and spent last season with the NBA G League Unite.
LAKERS 83, CLIPPERS 72
Mason Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Javante McCoy scored 14 points to help the Lakers beat the Clippers.
Sacha Killeya-Jones added 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the Lakers. Nate Pierre-Louis scored 10 points.
Jay Scrubb and Brandon Boston Jr. scored 15 points apiece for the Clippers. Boston made just 3 of 12 from the field but hit 9-of-12 free throws and grabbed nine rebounds.

Santi Aldama scored 31 points, David Roddy added 20 and the Grizzlies tied the NBA Summer League record for points in a game.

Grizzlies tie NBA Summer League scoring record, beat Nets 120-84

At 14 years old, Moussa Diabat&eacute; moved to the United States to take the next step in his basketball journey. This meant leaving his family and friends in France as he chased his NBA dream.
&ldquo;Man, there were a whole lot of sacrifices," Diabat&eacute; told Basketball News. "I had to leave my country and my family pretty much when I was 14. That was a huge sacrifice that I believe not many people would make. And the friends that I had back home, all of those relationships that I made when I was younger, they pretty much disappeared because you aren&rsquo;t on the same time as them no more. You&rsquo;re playing basketball and trying to [chase your dream] and they&rsquo;re living a regular life, so you don&rsquo;t match anymore in what they like to do. That&rsquo;s how you lose contact with people and stuff like that.
"Also, you can&rsquo;t have distractions. When you&rsquo;re a regular kid, you have more opportunities to do that, but as an athlete who&rsquo;s trying to make something good out of it, you have to cut out all distractions. There have definitely been a whole lot of sacrifices, and all of the sacrifices come at home."
Diabat&eacute;&rsquo;s sacrifices would ultimately pay off, as he became a five-star recruit and received offers from nearly every major program in the nation. He committed to Michigan over Kentucky, Memphis and Arizona among others.
As a freshman with the Wolverines, Diabat&eacute; averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 54.2% from the field. After earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Diabat&eacute; decided to enter the 2022 NBA Draft. The Los Angeles Clippers selected him with the No. 43 overall pick.
Basketball News caught up with Diabat&eacute; to discuss his draft-night experience, his skill set, his fit with the Clippers, which players he&rsquo;s modeled his game after and much more.
How was your draft-night experience? Were there any surprises or did things go as you expected?
Moussa Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Obviously, like every player, you probably kind of thought that you&rsquo;d get picked a little bit higher. But at the end of the day, I kinda knew which teams were pretty much interested in me. Even though I didn&rsquo;t know who was going to pick me, I still kinda knew who was pretty interested, so when you don&rsquo;t get picked by one team, you&rsquo;re like, &lsquo;Okay, now this next team might pick me.&rsquo; But no, it was a great experience overall and I&rsquo;m really excited and really happy about the Clippers picking me.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s been a few days since the draft. At what point did it sink in that you&rsquo;re an NBA player? Has it sunk in yet?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t going to lie, I don&rsquo;t even think it has sunk in yet. I don&rsquo;t know what it is or when in my head I&rsquo;m gonna go, &lsquo;Okay, you&rsquo;re an NBA player now.&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t know! (laughs) I&rsquo;m just gonna keep going through whatever, but nah [it hasn&rsquo;t sunk in yet]. I was actually just thinking about that. But I just gotta keep working and keep getting better.&rdquo;
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How do you feel you fit with this Clippers team, and how excited are you to learn from guys like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and John Wall among others?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Man, I&rsquo;m really excited. Super excited. I was able to work out there and see how they are; I didn&rsquo;t see all of them, but some of my teammates have been coming in. It&rsquo;s a blessing and I&rsquo;m excited. At the end of the day, I&rsquo;m a player that they don&rsquo;t have on that team. I&rsquo;m just excited to be here, really. And I just gotta keep going, keep working, and obviously learn from the greats.&rdquo;&nbsp;
I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/thunder-rookie-jaylin-williams-qa-im-willing-to-do-the-dirty-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently interviewed</a> Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Jaylin Williams, who&rsquo;s joining a team where almost all of his teammates are age-23 or younger. On the Clippers, you have a lot of veteran teammates and the franchise is focused on winning now. What&rsquo;s it like joining an older team, and what are you hoping to learn from those veterans?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I think overall, it&rsquo;s just learning how to win really. It sounds simple and everybody says it, but when you have players who have actually won and experienced that, I think you get to really find out what it takes. Especially the L.A.Clippers, they are really trying to build something and really make something happen, so it&rsquo;s definitely a different type of environment &ndash; whereas a team like OKC, as you just said, maybe is not the same environment. Even though they obviously want to win too, it&rsquo;s a different type of mood and environment all around. On the Clippers, with the players that I have around me, I just want to learn everything from them and take in little details.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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What is your message to Clippers fans, who may not be super familiar with your game yet?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to say too much, but just know: God willing, you&rsquo;re going to reap the fruits of this [pick]. I&rsquo;m going to give everything I have and put my all into that. So, hopefully, they&rsquo;re gonna get something good out of this (laughs).&rdquo;
A lot of players seem to want to play in Los Angeles &mdash; we see it all the time in free agency or when guys get bought out. That must be exciting, getting to play in L.A.
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;It is, for sure. I actually didn&rsquo;t have a [preferred city]; for me, it&rsquo;s not like a really big deal because I&rsquo;ve never really been into that. I don&rsquo;t really care; it could&rsquo;ve been Minnesota, Cleveland or Sacramento &ndash; it don&rsquo;t really matter. For me, it was just about being able to get on a team and really try to get better from that point on. But obviously L.A. is amazing and the weather is great. And compared to Michigan, it&rsquo;s definitely better (laughs).&rdquo;
Who are some players that you&rsquo;ve studied or modeled your game after over the years?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Over the years, I&rsquo;ll say a lot of Bam Adebayo, Pascal Siakam, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Kevin Garnett. Those are four players that I&rsquo;ve really looked up to. I watch a little bit of everyone. Tim Thomas, I don&rsquo;t know if you know him, but I watch a little bit of him. Serge Ibaka, I watch him from back when he was in OKC; that&rsquo;s another big one. Just players like that &ndash; all-around big 4s and centers who are able to move their feet, guard on the perimeter, be versatile and make a two-way impact.&rdquo;
I love the Tim Thomas shout-out. I feel like most 20-year-olds don&rsquo;t know Tim Thomas, so props for that. I&rsquo;m curious: How much has your game developed over the last few years?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Oh man, I think my game has grown so much. If you talk to the people around me who have seen me play over the years, I think they&rsquo;d tell you, &lsquo;Moussa has changed a lot.&rsquo; From my freshman year of high school to my senior year in high school, and then from my senior year of high school to my first year at Michigan, it&rsquo;s just been me getting better each and every day. And as time goes on, it&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;Oh ok, Moussa is different from how he was last year!&rsquo; But yeah man, hopefully I will be able to keep up at that pace!&rdquo;
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Making the NBA is obviously your dream come true, but it&rsquo;s also your family&rsquo;s dream. They&rsquo;ve seen your journey and they&rsquo;ve made sacrifices of their own too. How are they reacting to you joining the Clippers?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;My friends and family are super happy for me, man. It&rsquo;s special for my family because they&rsquo;ve never had any athletes in the family, I&rsquo;m pretty much the first one, so it&rsquo;s definitely been a big-time celebration. Also, my friends are so happy. Let&rsquo;s just say: the path I took is one that nobody has taken before, so the fact that I&rsquo;ve been able to make it to this point is just huge. It sets an example and not just for basketball. I think people are going to be able to look at me and go, &lsquo;Okay, you don&rsquo;t have to take the regular path to make it.&rsquo; When most players go through the system and take the regular route, you kinda know what&rsquo;s going on. For me, there was this sense of [uncertainty], not knowing what was going to happen. Let&rsquo;s just say that it was really, really&hellip; interesting. At the end of the day, I&rsquo;ve learned a lot and hopefully that will keep helping me out.&rdquo;
You mentioned the sacrifices you had to make. Do you think you had to grow up quicker than most kids your age?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I definitely think so. Just being mature and knowing that there are certain things you can&rsquo;t do, that&rsquo;s a huge thing. I think that a lot of players have to grow up [fast] and, especially when you&rsquo;re a five-star, it comes with responsibility. You just gotta make sure that you always &lsquo;look good,&rsquo; kinda, in a way.&rdquo;

Moussa Diabaté discusses sacrifices he's made, his draft-night experience, his fit with the Clippers, players he’s studied and more.

Clippers' Moussa Diabaté Q&A: 'There were a whole lot of sacrifices'

The Memphis Grizzlies have nailed the NBA Draft since Zach Kleiman took over the front office. In recent years, he and his staff have clearly identified their kind of prospects and honed in on these players.&nbsp;
Several months after Kleiman was promoted to Memphis' executive vice president of basketball operations on April 2019, he selected Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick.
Later that draft night, the Grizzlies traded up to draft Brandon Clarke with the No. 21 pick. Clarke was a fringe top-10 player on many big boards, but continued to slip on draft night due to his age (23) and limited wingspan (6-foot-8, which is the same as his height). Many of Memphis' picks fit this description; by unsubscribing from groupthink, the Grizzlies have managed to find sleepers that other front offices overlooked due to perceived issues.
Clarke went on to deliver the most efficient season from the field in NBA history for a rookie (61.8% field-goal percentage), and he was the Grizzlies' biggest impact player during their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2021-22 NBA Playoffs.
The Grizzlies did not have a first-round pick in 2020, but sent two second-round picks to the Boston Celtics in exchange for the No. 30 pick. Kleiman then selected Desmond Bane, who was still on the board because of his age (22) and wingspan (6-foot-4, despite standing at 6-foot-6).
Bane had the highest college PER of any Grizzlies draft pick in franchise history. All Bane did was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-cementing-himself-as-essential-part-of-nextgen-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become a Most Improved Player candidate</a> in his sophomore season, and he is currently emerging as one of the most lethal shooters in the league.
In the second round, following the Bane selection, Kleiman moved up again to get Xavier Tillman Sr. out of Michigan State; Tillman was another 22-year-old with first-round talent who slid because of age. He hasn't had the same impact as Clarke or Bane, but he's had his moments over the last two seasons.&nbsp;
The 2021 NBA Draft is yet another prime example of Kleiman doing things his way. The Grizzlies moved up from No. 17 to No. 10, with players such as James Bouknight, Moses Moody and Chris Duarte on the board. Most assumed that Moody was the no-brainer pick for the Grizzlies, but Kleiman and Co. had a different plan; Memphis selected Ziaire Williams out of Stanford. Most mock drafts had Williams as a mid-to-late first-round pick, but the Grizzlies were not going to take any chances and risk missing out on their guy.
Then, in back-to-back years of the draft, Memphis bought back into the first round by acquiring the No. 30 pick to gain a cheaper, controlled contract. The Grizzlies dealt the No. 40 pick and two future second-round picks in exchange for the No. 30 selection, where Santi Aldama was the choice. Most teams didn't have Aldama atop their draft board at that spot, as a number of prospects with late-first grades had slipped, including JT Thor, Ayo Dosunmu and Joe Wieskamp. However, the Grizzlies were determined to add the 6-foot-11 forward who can dribble, pass and shoot &mdash; providing versatility and spacing.&nbsp;
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Leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft, multiple outlets reported that Memphis was interested in moving up again. The Grizzlies were rumored to be after the Sacramento Kings' No. 4 pick and the New York Knicks' No. 11 pick (and they likely inquired about some selections in between).&nbsp;
Here's what we know: the Grizzlies have a type, and they'll do whatever it takes to get their guys &mdash; even if that means trading up. Outside of Morant, every draft pick from Kleiman and Co. has been the result of Memphis moving up in the draft to snag its target.
Should a team go after the best player available or prioritize the best fit for its roster? This is one of the main debates that surfaces every year around the NBA Draft. For the Grizzlies, the best player available is the guy who is the best fit. For Memphis, best fit doesn't just refer to someone who fills a positional need. They are looking for the player who best fits the current mix of players as a person and a player. And unlike other teams, the Grizzlies aren't focused on a player's age and wingspan.
&ldquo;What we really care about is: Who is the person and are they good at basketball?&rdquo; Kleiman said.
Armed with picks No. 22 and No. 29 in this year's first round, it felt inevitable that the Grizzlies were going to trade up and snag their guy. Was it going to be Tari Eason from LSU? AJ Griffin seemed like a perfect fit. Even Jalen Duren made sense. But when it comes to Memphis, identifying the team's targets without inside knowledge is a crapshoot.
Then, it happened: Memphis packaged their two first-rounders to move up to No. 19. Malaki Branham was there, slipping out of the teens. Christian Braun and MarJon Beauchamp were also on the board. However, the Grizzlies opted for Jake LaRavia out of Wake Forest. This was their guy. With the San Antonio Spurs rumored to like LaRavia at No. 20, they made sure to go get him.
Now, would Memphis once again try to trade up into the end of the first round for the third year in a row?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> today announced the team acquired the draft rights to David Roddy (the No. 23 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft) and Danny Green from the Philadelphia 76ers for De'Anthony Melton. <a href="https://t.co/M5zHBVvjtR">pic.twitter.com/M5zHBVvjtR</a>
&mdash; Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzliesPR/status/1540450306126819328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Grizzlies didn't wait for the last pick of the first round this time, jumping back in four selections after LaRavia's to surprise everyone once again. Jaden Hardy, Andrew Nembhard and Patrick Baldwin Jr. had all been linked to Memphis during the pre-draft process. Instead, it was David Roddy, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-prospect-david-roddy-aims-to-be-ultimate-glue-guy-after-colorado-state-breakout-minneapolis-minnesota-breck-school-phil-beckner-niko-medved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6-foot-6 defensive lineman&nbsp;forward from Colorado State</a>.&nbsp;
As the second round progressed, a few players began to fall. EJ Liddell, Bryce McGowens and Kennedy Chandler were sliding despite having first-round grades. Then, Memphis struck again, acquiring the No. 38 pick for a future second-rounder and cash. Here, the Grizzlies selected Chandler.
"We were shocked that Kennedy slipped to where he was,&rdquo; Kleiman said after the draft. "That wasn't the first team that we called trying to get in using a second, trading in and trying to get a point guard who fits what we're about.&rdquo;
Kleiman still had No. 47 even after trading up twice. Memphis selected Vince Williams Jr. out of VCU, a 6-foot-5 wing with a 7-foot wingspan.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Only three college players reached these thresholds: Shot Selection: eFG% &gt; 57% Value Beyond Scoring: D-REB% and AST% &gt; 14% Defensive Playmaking: BLK% and STL% &gt; 2% The Grizzlies drafted all three: Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, and Vince Williams 🔥🔥<a href="https://t.co/o4aJDNy1lL">https://t.co/o4aJDNy1lL</a>
&mdash; Bryan Kalbrosky (@BryanKalbrosky) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1541478576201113602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After their second-round exit against the world champion Golden State Warriors, it was clear Memphis needed shooters and guys who could defend and play in the half-court. All four of the organization's draft picks shot better than 38% from deep last season and averaged over 2.0 stocks (steals and blocks) per game.
While they vary in size and position, the Grizzlies selected four players who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend. And though shooting was the priority in this draft, they stuck to their plan, searching for good people who are also good at basketball.
After an eventful draft night, they ended up with four players who can contribute in a multitude of ways early in their careers.
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The Grizzlies have been aggressive in recent NBA Drafts, trading up every year since 2019 to go get their guys.

The Grizzlies’ unique NBA Draft approach has yielded multiple steals

Winning a championship is the ultimate and absolute goal for NBA teams. There is &mdash; obviously &mdash; only one champion crowned each year, and 11 of the 30 NBA teams are still without a title.
But as is the case across all professional sports, the work to win is never-ending, continuing even immediately after securing a championship. And that&rsquo;s because there&rsquo;s always another season coming down the pike.
Since the 2000 NBA Finals, the following 10 teams have won all 22 championships: Los Angeles Lakers (6), San Antonio Spurs (4), Golden State Warriors (3), Miami Heat (3), Boston Celtics (1), Cleveland Cavaliers (1), Dallas Mavericks (1), Detroit Pistons (1), Milwaukee Bucks (1) and Toronto Raptors (1).
With a few exceptions, teams that won multiple championships across the 20+ years since 2000 had slightly different cores for each championship team. So, instead of celebrating championships, continued success requires front offices to almost immediately begin considering tweaks to their roster in order to remain competitive enough to potentially repeat. Front offices know this. And still, it&rsquo;s difficult to execute.
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Will either Boston or Golden State be able to defend their title after these NBA Finals? Objectively, Boston is well-positioned to do so. They have Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Robert Williams III all signed through at least 2023-24, all of whom are young enough to continue playing at their current level.
Golden State is also well-positioned, at least in terms of their contracts. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are signed through at least 2023-24. Draymond Green has a player option, for 2023-24 and Jordan Poole has a team option for 2023-24. Andrew Wiggins is the lone player in limbo, with a contract that runs through only next season. Further, the Warriors have a number of young pieces that they can either keep around for the foreseeable future or package in a deal to land another star, as Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody are still on rookie deals.
But Curry is 34 and Thompson is 32. Green is also 32 and already exhibiting signs of decline in the 2022 NBA Finals. One more successful season is certainly within the realm of possibilities, but next season could just as easily be the campaign that the wheels begin to fall off.
Either way, a look back at how recent defending champions have fared the following season reveals some key findings. First, let&rsquo;s review how each team performed in the season following a championship:
Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22: 51-31, lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals (4-3) to Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers in 2020-21: 42-30, lost in Western Conference first round (4-2) to Phoenix Suns
Toronto Raptors in 2019-20: 53-19, lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals (4-3) to Boston Celtics
Golden State Warriors in 2018-19: 57-25, lost in NBA Finals (4-2) to Toronto Raptors
Golden State Warriors in 2017-18: 58-24, won NBA championship (4-0) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016-17: 51-31, lost in NBA Finals (4-1) to Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors In 2015-16: 73-9, lost in NBA Finals (4-3) to Cleveland Cavaliers
San Antonio Spurs in 2014-15: 55-27, lost in Western Conference first round (4-3) to Los Angeles Clippers
Miami Heat in 2013-14: 54-28, lost in NBA Finals (4-1) to San Antonio Spurs
Miami Heat in 2012-13: 66-16, won NBA championship (4-3) vs. San Antonio Spurs
Dallas Mavericks in 2011-12: 36-30, lost in Western Conference first round (4-0) to OKC Thunder
Los Angeles Lakers in 2010-11: 57-25, lost in Western Conference Semifinals (4-0) to Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Lakers in 2009-10: 57-25, won NBA championship (4-3) vs. Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics in 2008-09: 62-20, lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals (4-3) to Orlando Magic
San Antonio Spurs in 2007-08: 56-26, lost in Western Conference Finals (4-1) to Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat in 2006-07: 44-38, lost in Eastern Conference first round (4-0) to Chicago Bulls
San Antonio Spurs in 2005-06: 63-19, lost in Western Conference Semifinals (4-3) to Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons in 2004-05: 54-28, lost in NBA Finals (4-3) to San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs in 2003-04: 57-25, lost in Western Conference Semifinals (4-2) to Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers in 2002-03: 50-32, lost in Western Conference Semifinals (4-2) to San Antonio Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers in 2001-02: 58-24, won NBA championship (4-0) vs. New Jersey Nets
Los Angeles Lakers in 2000-01: 56-26, won NBA championship (4-1) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Whoever wins this year's NBA championship is most likely to suffer a loss in the Conference Semifinals next season, if recent NBA history is any indication. Seven of the past 22 defending champions were eliminated in playoffs in the following season&rsquo;s second round.
There is also a decent chance that the 2022 NBA Champions will qualify for the 2023 NBA Finals. Since 2000, 10 champions have made it to the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons &mdash; with five teams repeating (including three times by the Lakers) and five teams proceeding to lose in the Finals.
One thing is fairly certain: It's very rare for a championship team to follow up their title with a poor showing the next season. Only four teams were eliminated in the first round in the season following a championship: the 2020-21 Lakers, 2014-15 Spurs, 2011-12 Mavericks and 2006-07 Heat. Since 2000, every NBA champion has made the playoffs the following season. This trend should continue, as both Boston and Golden State will bring back the majority of their roster and be competitive next year.
Maybe you think reviewing the performances of recent defending champs is irrelevant, as each team has its own idiosyncrasies. Still, history is important and it's interesting to look back at how teams have responded after achieving their ultimate goal.
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Drew Maresca looks back at how NBA champions since 2000 have fared in the following season.

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Nekias Duncan breaks down the 2022 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Warriors from a multitude of angles.