Toppers

Bostonians need to breathe before reading this.
Things look bleaker than the ending of the Last Of Us II for some, but in totality, it&rsquo;s not really that bad.
The Boston Celtics are 21-21 halfway through the season and tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference with 40 games left. Even so, they&rsquo;re just three games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 5 seed. In this league currently, a two-week run could have you anywhere from eye-emojiing that conference championship or deciding to blow it up altogether. Just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.
That brings us to the Celtics, who have two All-Star caliber wings in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
With the same tandem many anointed as next in line, the Celtics lost in Game 7 to the LeBron James-led Cavs in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. (IBoston missing a sidelined Kyrie Irving didn't help either.)
Since then, the Celtics have imploded in the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals with Irving healthy, fallen to the Miami Heat in the East Finals in Kemba Walker&rsquo;s last All-Star season, and needed the Play-In Tournament to solidify their standing in the 2021 playoffs, where they were nearly swept by the Brooklyn Nets in the opening round.
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If you combine Boston's records following its 2020 East Finals run, the team is 57-57. So as a result, y&rsquo;all are trying to break up Tatum and Brown, who are still just 23 and 25, respectively.
Does that need to happen for the Celtics figure this out? Let&rsquo;s talk about it.
The Case To Keep&nbsp;
The case to keep is getting tougher to construct by the day because of public opinion and underwhelming results. Still, it&rsquo;s hard to have two All-Stars on your roster at 25 years or younger and to want to split them up, even if they could be offensively redundant. But let&rsquo;s compare this to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum&rsquo;s situation out in Portland, as a guide.
Lillard and McCollum are both 6-foot-3, score-first guards who are on the other side of 30 years old. Each rely heavily on creating with the ball in isolation or high screen-and-roll situations to generate offense, and generally occupy the same real estate on that side of the ball. Neither are defensive stoppers... at all... and both are on huge contracts through at least 2024. Lillard will make $39 to $49 million annually between now and 2024-25, whereas McCollum will bank $31 million, $33 and $36 million between now and 2023-24. Each deal will take them into their mid-30s.
Tatum and Brown are both on rookie extensions. Tatum could opt out of the fifth year of his, but even so, it&rsquo;s $37 million in 2025-26 &mdash; less than Lillard makes this year. Brown&rsquo;s number is $24.8 million this season, and he&rsquo;s only signed through 2023-24 &mdash; same as McCollum &mdash; where he&rsquo;ll see $28.6 million. Tatum and Brown are also wings between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-8, and have shown more defensive upside, while Lillard and McCollum are smaller guards who have dealt with more injuries in recent seasons than they had previously, for whatever that&rsquo;s worth.
A Tatum-Brown tandem is so damn hard to find and develop that it almost never happens, and &mdash; given where the projections stood after a quick turnaround from sending Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn &mdash; it&rsquo;s why people poke fun at the Celtics for being where they are. That's how Tatum and Brown got there in the first place.
But if you go the "keep both and make it work" route as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/celtics-have-no-interest-in-trading-jayson-tatum-or-jaylen-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston will reportedly choose</a>, you have to build it differently. If you want to keep the Jays together, a legitimate point guard should be there to run the show, not a dude who just plays the position; that would help Robert Williams significantly too. The problem is, the way guys are being encouraged to run the 1-spot now isn&rsquo;t conducive to that, so it&rsquo;s challenging. But hell, all of this is. Only four teams make a conference finals, and the Celtics have been to two in the last four seasons, so you could definitely talk yourself into keeping this going.
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The Case to Split
We don&rsquo;t definitively know what they are, but we&rsquo;ve heard rumors about friction and supposed off-the-court issues seemingly since these two became teammates. Not necessarily between them, but around them. This season alone, there was that time Brown and Al Horford didn&rsquo;t agree about whether or not the team <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-jaylen-brown-al-horford-werent-same-page-after-timberwolves-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">needed to look in the mirror</a> following a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Less than two months earlier, Marcus Smart called out Tatum and Brown <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDwk3qbgsxA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regarding their apparent selfishness offensively</a>. We could go on, but you get the point.
On the surface, you&rsquo;d just figure you&rsquo;d get more wins. It's easier said than done, especially knowing how much the league &mdash; the East, in particular &mdash; has improved since 2017. While Tatum and Brown have also become All-Stars in that time, we still have questions. &nbsp;
This also ties back into the redundancy on the court, which is discernable. There&rsquo;s something to be said for choosing one and dealing the other for a point guard with actual floor-general tendencies &mdash; or just better parts to fit around whoever&rsquo;s left &mdash; but given the level of whichever player is dealt, you&rsquo;d rather have the the former.
There&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/33034686/2022-nba-trade-deadline-watch-potential-deals-all-30-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Simmons smoke</a>, and he&rsquo;d make sense with either on the court. Off? Who the hell knows. Everyone&rsquo;s a wildcard in this hypothetical.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be fascinating, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-case-against-and-for-trading-shai-gilgeous-alexander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">though I think Oklahoma City should keep him</a>.
John Collins is interesting, particularly because he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hawks-emerging-as-a-potential-landing-spot-for-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may be available</a> and could conceivably play next to Time Lord down low; however, there&rsquo;s a world where that&rsquo;s clunkier than what Collins is already dealing with by sharing the floor with Clint Capela in Atlanta.
And there&rsquo;s Dejounte Murray, who would be the most appealing fit next to either if you&rsquo;re point guard hunting. A Brown for Murray framework, for example, works for both the Celtics and San Antonio Spurs on paper, at least. But, if I&rsquo;m the Spurs, it&rsquo;s a no from me dawg. For now, at least.
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The Verdict
Honestly, the East is too good for Boston this year, barring something more improbable than you out-trash-talking Dillon Brooks. There&rsquo;s something to be said for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/should-these-now-trade-eligible-candidates-be-dealt-this-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making a minor move to improve the roster a bit</a>. Still, this appears to be a one-and-done playoff team on the surface, with a deep evaluation of its future coming in a few months.
A trade wouldn&rsquo;t change your fortune a good deal either, so thugging it out until the summer is probably best for now, unless the locker room morale is worse than we know. In that case, it would be time for a meaningful shake-up.

Bryan Fonseca wrestles with the idea of what the Celtics should do with the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown duo.

The case against, and for, Boston splitting Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown

The 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner, with training camps tipping off on September 28.&nbsp;
While the majority of free agents have already signed, there are a number of players who are still weighing their options. Some are working out for NBA teams to show that they still have something left in the tank, while others are taking their time to make a decision so they can find the perfect situation.
Of the remaining free agents, which players could step in and become a significant contributor for a team this season? Here are several names to keep an eye on in the coming weeks:
JAMES ENNIS
Ennis began his professional career overseas, becoming an NBL champion and All-NBL-First-Team selection with the Perth Wildcats during the 2013-14 season. Since entering the NBA, he has suited up for seven teams in as many seasons: the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic. With that said, the 31-year-old has produced when given an opportunity.&nbsp;
Last season with the Magic, he averaged 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 threes and 0.8 steals in 24.0 minutes while shooting 47.3% from the field, 43.3% from three and 80.5% from the free-throw line. Ennis started 37 of 41 games with the Magic last year, and he has 22 games of playoff experience on his resume as well. Over his career, he's averaged 6.7 points and shot 36.0% from three-point range.&nbsp;
Ennis has received interest from the Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers, according to <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-2021-roster-battles-michael-scotto-yossi-gozlan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto</a>. Considering he&rsquo;s coming off of a season in which he shot 43.3% from three while providing hustle plays and solid defense (often when guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best wing), it&rsquo;s somewhat surprising that Ennis is still available.
ISAIAH THOMAS
Thomas had a brief, three-game stint with the Pelicans last season, averaging 7.7 points and 1.7 assists in 16.0 minutes. However, he&rsquo;s just one year removed from averaging 12.2 points, 3.7 assists and 2.0 threes (while shooting 41.3% from deep) in 23.1 minutes with the Washington Wizards.
After being limited by hip pain during his recent stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Wizards, Thomas underwent a resurfacing procedure on his right hip last May. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/isaiah-thomas-ready-to-help-pelicans-i-still-have-a-lot-of-basketball-left-in-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the difference is &ldquo;night and day,&rdquo; and that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s no more pain.&rdquo; Given the right opportunity, the 32-year-old could bolster a second unit's offense. He would also provide leadership and mentor his younger teammates, as he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/isaiah-thomas-ready-to-help-pelicans-i-still-have-a-lot-of-basketball-left-in-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> last year.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a leader, first and foremost,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;I won the NBA&rsquo;s Community Assist award so, off the court, I help in the community. On the court, I think it&rsquo;s self-explanatory what I bring to a team when given an opportunity. I also bring my wisdom; I don&rsquo;t think anybody has been through the things that I&rsquo;ve gone through in this league.&rdquo;
Thomas recently worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors in an effort to show that he&rsquo;s healthy and still capable of producing at a high level.
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DARREN COLLISON&nbsp;
In 2019, Collison stunned the basketball world (including his Indiana Pacers teammates and executives) when he decided to retire in order to focus on his faith. At the time, he was expected to be a highly coveted free agent who was <a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nba/2019/06/29/darren-collison-sudden-retirement-stuns-pacers-teammates/39638581/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> on the verge of receiving offers worth $10-12 million annually.&nbsp;
Now, two years later, the 34-year-old is attempting to make an NBA comeback. The last time we saw Collison on an NBA court, he averaged 11.2 points, 6.0 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 three while shooting 46.7% from the field, 40.7% from three-point range and 83.2% from the free-throw line. He was terrific during his final two seasons, posting career-highs in win shares (7.6), box plus/minus (+2.7), value over replacement player (2.4), steal percentage (2.5%) and player efficiency rating (18.8) with the Pacers.
Before signing Collison, teams want to see whether he's in shape. (Oftentimes, the top priority in a free-agent workout is <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2019/07/18/nba-free-agent-workout-rumors-agency-training-behind-scenes-players-coaches-toppert-nurse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testing the player's conditioning</a>). So far, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are among the teams that have worked out Collison. Even if he&rsquo;s 70% or 80% of the player who shined during the 2018-19 season, he should be able to provide some backcourt depth.
AVERY BRADLEY&nbsp;
Bradley began last season with the Miami Heat, but he was ultimately traded to the Houston Rockets as part of the Victor Oladipo trade prior to the deadline. In 27 games with the Heat and Rockets last year, Bradley averaged 6.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 threes and 0.8 steals in 22.3 minutes.&nbsp;
During the 2019-20 regular season, he was a key contributor for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bradley started in 44 games and averaged 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 threes while shooting 44.4% from the field, 36.4% from three and 83.3% from the free-throw line. However, Bradley ultimately decided to opt-out of the Orlando Bubble due to his son's health concerns, and the Lakers went on to win the championship without him.&nbsp;
Now, like Thomas and Collison, the 30-year-old has recently worked out for the Golden State Warriors. Golden State <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears/status/1439996348909064195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> plans to add two guards and a big man to its training-camp roster, so it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see who the team decides to sign.&nbsp;
[UPDATE: The Warriors signed Avery Bradley, Langston Galloway and Jordan Bell to training-camp deals, so they'll be competing for Golden State's final roster spot.]
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DEMARCUS COUSINS
Cousins hasn't been the same player since suffering three serious injuries in the same leg (a ruptured Achilles, torn quad and torn ACL) over the course of 18 months. While he&rsquo;ll never return to his All-Star form, he can still help a team&rsquo;s frontcourt.
Last season with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, Cousins averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 threes, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 42.6% from the field, 34.8% from three and 72.8% from the free-throw line. 
Once he joined the Clippers, he was much more efficient, shooting 53.7% from the field and 42.1% from three. During Los Angeles' playoff run, Cousins contributed 7.6 points on 45.2% from the field and 40.0% from three. Another year removed from his injuries, perhaps Cousins could be even more effective during the upcoming campaign.
Recently, Cousins has had fans speculating that a return to the Sacramento Kings is a possibility based on his new <a href="https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/1440437057931808769" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile picture</a>.
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LANGSTON GALLOWAY
Teams can never have enough shooters, so someone like Galloway shouldn't have trouble finding a new home at some point during the season. Last year with the Phoenix Suns, the 29-year-old played in 40 games, averaging 4.8 points while shooting 42.4% from deep.&nbsp;
For his career, he has averaged 8.2 points while shooting 37.0% from three-point range (on 3.9 attempts per game). He's just one year removed from averaging 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 threes (while shooting 39.9% from three) in 66 games with the Detroit Pistons.&nbsp;
Galloway also has a reputation as a great teammate and strong veteran presence in the locker room, with Suns head coach Monty Williams and teammates <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/08/02/langston-galloway-seeking-opportunity-after-one-season-phoenix-suns/5458842001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising</a> &ldquo;his positive attitude and professionalism&rdquo; throughout last season.
[UPDATE: Galloway signed a training-camp deal with the Golden State Warriors and he'll be competing for their final roster spot.]

Of the remaining free agents, which players could step in and become a significant contributor for an NBA team this season?

6 remaining free agents who can still help an NBA team

With the team facing elimination, the Los Angeles Lakers' team doctors cleared Anthony Davis last night to return for their critical Game 6 matchup with the Phoenix Suns.
After five-and-a-half minutes of grimacing, limping and straining up and down the court, he fell to the ground writhing in pain. As soon as he stepped on the court, anybody with eyes could see that he wasn&rsquo;t healthy.
During that stretch, Turner Sports journalist and broadcaster Taylor Rooks tweeted, "Y&rsquo;all gotta take AD out." To which <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1400659703957438465?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I responded</a>, "They should&rsquo;ve never put AD in."
NBA fans across the world witnessed what would have been a story of triumph. One for the archives of NBA history. It's easy to imagine the storyline that could've been.
Facing elimination in the NBA playoffs and down 3-2 in the series to Chris Paul, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns, Anthony Davis had the dedication and passion, summoning his inner Mamba Mentality to exhibit superhuman perseverance -- and in heroic fashion, Davis saved the Los Angeles Lakers' season, propelling them to victory and solidifying this as one of the greatest displays of resilience in the history of the NBA on the way to another championship. 
Graphic designers for the media companies probably would&rsquo;ve drawn a picture of AD with a Superman emblem on his chest and a cape under his Lakers uniform.
People love stories of heroics. Isiah Thomas hobbling around on one foot in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Lakers and scoring 25 points in the third quarter, or Willis Reed walking out of the tunnel for the New York Knicks on his bum ankle in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals.
Everything was set up for Kevin Durant to be added to that list in 2019... until it didn't happen.
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High school, college and professional coaches across the country were just salivating to be able to use this as an example to their players, to enforce the philosophy that &ldquo;pain is weakness leaving your body." They would&rsquo;ve used AD as an example to young athletes that the game, not your health, is what matters most. And a real &ldquo;team player&rdquo; would sacrifice a &ldquo;little discomfort&rdquo; for the good of the team.
(Editor's Note: Etan, David West, Chamique Holdsclaw, James Posey, Rushia Brown, Mo Evans, Jahidi White, Cody Toppert and the BBN staff approached the subject of injuries, team doctors, getting a second opinion and more in a roundtable discussion. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-veterans-discuss-injuries-team-doctors-second-opinion-etan-thomas-james-posey-maurice-evans-chamique-holdsclaw-kevin-durant-greg-oden-danny-granger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read that conversation in its entirety</a>.)
I have seen this all before.
During my tenure with the Washington Wizards, I witnessed team trainer Eric Waters misdiagnose player after player, because what was best for the Wizards organization was for those players to play.
I saw the team tell Jarvis Hayes that he simply had a case of tendinitis in his knee, and had him playing through the pain; it turned out he had a broken knee cap, which ruined his entire career.
I saw him tell Kwame Brown that Kwame was just experiencing a &ldquo;little discomfort&rdquo; in his leg, and that he needed to play through the pain to show everyone that he was worthy of being the No. 1 pick; later, it turned out that Kwame actually had a torn hamstring.
I saw Eric Waters tell Gilbert Arenas that nothing was &ldquo;structurally wrong&rdquo; with his knee and he needed to show toughness and be a leader; it turned out Gilbert needed surgery and injured his knee worse by playing on it.
I saw him tell DeShawn Stevenson there was nothing seriously wrong with his back, and had him getting ice and stim and playing through the pain. After the season, upon further review by an outside doctor, it was discovered that DeShawn actually had an Inflamed L5 Nerve that was stuck underneath a disc that required not one, but two back surgeries to repair.
My point in saying all of this is not to simply blast Eric Waters, but to show that this happens all the time in professional sports. With team doctors and trainers, there is a conflict of interest, and the sworn medical oath becomes blurred and affects their diagnoses. They are hired by the teams, and are in essence employees of the organization -- not employees of the players. So they don&rsquo;t have the players' best interests in mind, typically; they only have the organizations'.
The Los Angeles Lakers medical staff basically RG3&rsquo;d Anthony Davis. They &ldquo;Any Given Sunday'd" him. They Eric Waters&rsquo;d him.
He shouldn&rsquo;t have been playing, period.
The risks outweighed the rewards. Even from a team standpoint, this is one of your franchise players. This is a player who has the capability of single-handedly turning an entire NBA Finals series around en route to a championship. This is a player that you should do everything in your power to convince him how important he is long term.
However, what the Lakers showed was the exact opposite. I don&rsquo;t care if Davis insisted on playing; they should&rsquo;ve have the medical integrity to tell him no. On Inside The NBA on TNT, Charles Barkley said, &ldquo;The doctors cleared him to play? They&rsquo;re gonna need some better doctors."
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But the Lakers aren&rsquo;t the only ones. This happens all the time. I hope all young players see this and learn that no matter what the circumstance is or how big the game is, your health always comes first, and you ALWAYS get a second opinion from your own doctors that have nothing to do with the organization, as Kawhi Leonard wisely did in San Antonio in the 2017-18 season.
Interestingly enough, a few nights ago on the same platform, the same Charles Barkley <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVobMhM0nSk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made fun of Anthony Davis for frequently being injured</a> and coined the phrase, "Anthony 'Street Clothes' Davis.&rdquo; Kendrick Perkins, a former player-turned-media member at ESPN, tweeted that Charles needs to "pick a damn side" regarding the situation.
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Somebody tell Charles Barkley to pick a damn side. He&rsquo;s &ldquo;Street Clothes&rdquo; Davis when he sits out and he&rsquo;s ridiculing the medical team for letting him play when he tries to play through it! Damn if you do, damn if you don&rsquo;t!
&mdash; Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1400664393910784002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Interesting that the media will ridicule a player for being injured, and then act surprised when he succumbs to the pressure of playing in a key game and risking injuring himself worse.
I remember watching Grant Hill. He was about to literally take over the league.
People were calling him out for not playing hurt. Said he was soft, etc. etc., just like they were saying about AD in this playoff series. The Orlando medical staff derailed Grant&rsquo;s entire career.
Another example is the young Isaiah Thomas. He shouldn&rsquo;t have been playing in Boston in the 2017 playoffs, but he played, ended up hurting himself more, ended up needing surgery, cost himself $100 million, came back and played after losing his sister in a tragic accident. What did the Celtics do after all of that? They traded him that summer because they knew about his injury and knew that he needed surgery.
Kyrie Irving, while playing for Boston, went and got a second opinion and said he needed surgery on his left knee just one year after the Thomas situation; the Celtics' doctors didn&rsquo;t tell Kyrie that he needed surgery, so he had surgery on his own and came back the next year strong.
There is a reccurring theme here.
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I saw many responses on social media of people (usually non-athletes) saying that Anthony Davis made the decision himself to go into the game, so anything that happens is his fault and not the organization&rsquo;s -- but it&rsquo;s not that simple.&nbsp;The onus shouldn&rsquo;t be placed on the athlete&rsquo;s shoulders. Of course athletes are going to want to play, but it shouldn&rsquo;t be up to them.
A solution to this league-wide issue was suggested to me by a lawyer by the name of Marlon Amprey. He explained that the Players Association should assemble a group of outside doctors/specialists (or specific doctors/specialists the player suggests) that have no connection to the team whatsoever, and will provide second &amp; third opinions and give players detailed reports on their health and risk of injury. All doctors&rsquo; reports given by teams that drastically differ should go under review, and there should be repercussions for team doctors and trainers who medically clear players who shouldn&rsquo;t be medically cleared to play.
The bottom line is, if you're injured, any organization will throw you out there in a heartbeat if they feel it is best for the organization. They will publicly criticize you if you don&rsquo;t play, and if you play and re-injure yourself worse -- or just don&rsquo;t play up to their expectations (as if they don&rsquo;t know your playing injured) -- they will get rid of you in a New York minute.
Just like The Washington Football team did with Robert Griffin III and just like the Washington Wizards did with Jarvis Hayes.

Etan Thomas goes in-depth on the Lakers' reckless decision to clear Anthony Davis to play in Game 6 and utilizes firsthand examples to show why.

Irresponsible Lakers medical team could have RG3'd Anthony Davis

With the season set to start in less than a month, the NBA fan community was treated to an accelerated offseason. The NBA Draft was on Wednesday, and free agency kicked off two days later. We got a whirlwind of signings and trades -- boy, were there trades -- on the opening night, and that activity extended throughout the weekend.&nbsp;
Rosters are still being filled, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean we can&rsquo;t evaluate early winners and losers. If we can do it <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-2020-winners-losers-philadelphia-76ers-new-york-knicks-pelicans-new-orleans-lonzo-ball-obi-toppin-patrick-williams-chicago-bulls-tyrese-haliburton-sacramento-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for the draft</a> and none of those guys have played yet, surely we can do so for more proven commodities.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s hand out some awards and slander, shall we?
Winner: Centers
If we learned anything from the bubble, particularly from the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets, it&rsquo;s that size still matters in this league. The Lakers bludgeoned teams with their size all season long, led by the ultimate unicorn in Anthony Davis. With the NBA being a copycat league, there seemed to be a real emphasis on teams adding big men early on in the free agency process.
I mean sure, the Pistons tried to sign literally all of them -- I&rsquo;m still shaking my head at the Mason Plumlee 3-year, $25 million deal -- but other bigs saw a heightened market. Derrick Favors (3/$30M) went back to his stomping grounds in Utah after looking half-dead athletically in the bubble. Meyers Leonard saw a massive drop in playing time in the bubble and playoffs, and he still was able to return to Miami for nearly $10 million. Robin Lopez shockingly opted out of a $5 million player option with the Bucks, and even more shockingly got a raise from the Washington Wizards.&nbsp;
You can&rsquo;t build the boat out of centers like you could in yesteryear, but it appears that teams have swung back the other way on their utility in general. Skilled size is king, but size in general still matters quite a bit.
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
Whew, buddy, have the rich gotten richer.
After trading Danny Green to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a package for Dennis Schroder, the Lakers were able to find his replacement by adding Wes Matthews with their bi-annual exception. They then were able to add last year&rsquo;s Sixth Man of the Year, Montrezl Harrell, for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Harrell has his flaws defensively, but there may not be a better big in the league than Davis to cover for those warts.
Speaking of bigs, the Lakers were also able to pry Marc Gasol away from the Toronto Raptors. Gasol has slipped quite a bit in terms of mobility, but still possesses the shooting, passing and defensive aptitude to juice the Lakers&rsquo; frontcourt. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also returns on a reasonable deal (3/$40M) after the cap space market mostly dried up on him.
The Lakers&rsquo; potential playoff rotation now consists of LeBron James, Caldwell-Pope, Matthews, Davis, Gasol, Schroder, Harrell and Alex Caruso. I think it&rsquo;s safe to say, barring injury, that they are the clear favorites to win the title this year.&nbsp;
Winner: Trae Young
Have you ever played NBA 2K&rsquo;s MyCareer mode on Hall-of-Fame difficulty? It can be a frustrating experience. It&rsquo;s less about your individual skill level. if you&rsquo;re good, you should still be able to bake CPUs; if you&rsquo;re not that good, but you&rsquo;re smart, there are some pretty simple exploits (slip those PnRs!) that can get you easy buckets. It&rsquo;s more about what the talent around you does. They just perform in a way that makes you shake your head. At a certain point, you have to assume virtually all creation responsibility if you want to score enough against the CPU to win games, assuming you don&rsquo;t stash your player on the Lakers or something. The stats you put up and the skill/badge points you earn alleviate some of the frustration, but it&rsquo;s still a pain to deal with.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_14021300-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
This is what I imagine Trae Young felt like last year.
His skill level is obviously high; he&rsquo;s one of the NBA&rsquo;s best passers and is a pull-up threat the second he crosses half-court. But between not having an NBA-caliber backup point guard until the Jeff Teague addition, injury woes from second-in-command Kevin Huerter and John Collins (more on him later) getting himself suspended for 25 games, it felt like Young was the only player on the Hawks that could generate offense for himself or others.
Within that lens, this offseason has been huge for him. Signing Danilo Gallinari gives the Hawks (and Young) a bonafide three-level scorer that can hold his own weight. The merits of Rajon Rondo&rsquo;s (regular season) value can be debated, but he is a high IQ guy and a tremendous passer that can create for others in the half-court. There may be more reinforcements on the way, with Kings restricted free agent and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-trade-grade-milwaukee-bucks-jrue-holiday-bogdan-bogdanovic-giannis-antetokounmpo-nekias-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">honorary Bucks legend</a> Bogdan Bogdanovic signing a hefty offer sheet (4/$72M) over the weekend. If the Kings don&rsquo;t match, Bogdanovic will give the Hawks another shot creator that also offers some passing chops in pick-and-roll.
The Hawks still have some, uh, roster balancing to do, but they&rsquo;ve undoubtedly taken some of the burden off of Young&rsquo;s plate. That feels like a win for the young lad.&nbsp;
Winner: Portland Trail Blazers
I&rsquo;m not sure if &ldquo;quietly&rdquo; is the right way to describe it, but the Blazers have had themselves one heck of an offseason. It started with their pre-draft trade for Robert Covington, a ridiculous help defender that should allow the Blazers to ramp up their defensive aggression if they so choose. Of course, that doesn&rsquo;t count as a free-agency move, but the Blazers have plenty of ammo in that department as well.
Bringing back Rodney Hood was a smart move. Hood was in the midst of his most efficient season by far (with a career-high 62.5% True Shooting percentage) before injuries derailed his campaign. His off-the-bounce shooting is a wonderful counterpunch to teams that overreact to the Damian Lillard/CJ McCollum backcourt and scramble after getting the ball out of their hands.&nbsp;
The Blazers also added Derrick Jones Jr. on a sorta-rich-but-mostly-fine 1+1 deal at the mid-level. He gives Portland a level of athleticism that they haven&rsquo;t had since, well... when have they had a guy who can jump like he can? Jones is a versatile defender in terms of his individual skill set, but also brings with him a diversity of scheme deployment after playing just about any defense you can think of under Erik Spoelstra in Miami last year.
Circling back to the &ldquo;Centers Matter!&rdquo; point, the Blazers also made sure to bolster their frontcourt. Enes Kanter is back to provide interior scoring and rebounding against specific matchups. Harry Giles is a mystery box; a tremendous passer with plus-athleticism that also has no idea what he&rsquo;s doing on defense. Carmelo Anthony isn&rsquo;t a center, but does provide some semblance of frontcourt depth as a spacer and occasional end-of-shot-clock option.
Health is the big caveat for the Blazers (when hasn&rsquo;t it been?), but they&rsquo;re set up to push for a top-four seed this season.
Loser: Denver Nuggets
I have two issues with the Nuggets&rsquo; opening weekend -- enough that I&rsquo;d consider them a loser versus a team I&rsquo;m just concerned with.
First, losing Jerami Grant hurts, even if that was mostly out of their control. Grant reportedly chose a larger role in Detroit over sticking with the Nuggets, despite a willingness from Denver&rsquo;s side to offer a similar deal. It&rsquo;s hard to blame a young dude for wanting to expand his game. And as we know in today&rsquo;s NBA, good, young-ish players on bad NBA teams can always be flipped to good teams for draft compensation. I&rsquo;d be surprised if Grant finishes his deal as a member of the Pistons.
Regardless, the athleticism, shooting, cutting and defensive versatility that Grant brings will be missed in Denver. Bringing back Paul Millsap and signing JaMychal Green are solid counters, but they didn't replace Grant&rsquo;s skillset (or youth).&nbsp;
Second, even if they were able to retain Grant, the Nuggets would still be in need of an actual-factual wing defender. They&rsquo;ve done absolutely nothing to fill that void. The closest version of that player on the roster was Torrey Craig and they pulled his qualifying offer, leading to Craig signing with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Craig is a flawed player, particularly offensively. This isn&rsquo;t a &ldquo;wow, the Nuggets really dropped the ball&rdquo; type of complaint, but he was at least a facsimile of what they needed. Who is the guy on the roster that can match up -- forget defend, just match up -- with the LeBrons, Kawhis and Paul Georges of the conference? That is a lot of pressure on Will Barton or Gary Harris or PJ Dozier -- and all of those guys are undersized against 3s or 3/4 hybrids.
Loser: Charlotte Hornets
Four years, $120 million for Gordon Hayward. Even with the theoretical small-market/bad-team tax that has to be paid to land second-tier free agents, that is a steep price for a guy who:
1) Hasn&rsquo;t made an All-Star team in three seasons.
2) Has played in 125 games over the past three seasons due to lower-body injuries.
3) May still be dealing with a <a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2020/07/gordon-hayards-takeover-ability-foot-pain-and-absence-3-big-questions-as-the-boston-celtics-restart-their-season.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nerve issue in his foot</a> from his catastrophic injury in 2017.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_9765789-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
On top of that, the Hornets elected to waive-and-stretch Nicolas Batum -- their last big-money-gone-bad-due-to-injury wing signing -- to free up the money to bring in Hayward. Let&rsquo;s say Hayward is reasonably healthy (60 of 72 games?) and slaps up, like, 19-5-5 on solid efficiency. Is that enough to get these Hornets into the play-in tournament? Maybe?&nbsp;
I don&rsquo;t love it. I can also quibble about the Bismack Biyombo signing because there were (and are) better center options on the market, but there is familiarity there and he&rsquo;s a genuine locker-room presence.&nbsp;
Loser: John Collins
As mentioned earlier, the signing of Gallinari takes quite a bit of pressure off of Young in terms of shot creation. Gallinari is also pretty firmly a 4, which happens to be the same position that Collins plays.&nbsp;
You may say, &ldquo;Just slide Collins over to the 5!&rdquo; and sure. But the Hawks traded for Clint Capela to operate as a rim runner and rim protector. They also just drafted Onyeka Okongwu at No. 6 overall. He may be mobile enough to survive at the 4, but he does not have the shooting or ball skills (yet) to play it offensively. He should also get burn at the 5.&nbsp;
If the Hawks are serious about making the playoffs (which they seem to be based on the money they&rsquo;ve shelled out so far), then improving the defense should be priority number one. Capela, Okongwu and the recently-signed Kris Dunn all fit that billing. Capela and Okongwu are better options at holding down the fort defensively than Collins is.
These moves conveniently come during an offseason in which Collins is extension-eligible and fresh off a season where Collins missed 25 games due to stupi-, er, suspension.
I&rsquo;m not the best at math, but 2 + 2 has always come out to 4 in my experience. It&rsquo;s starting to feel like Collins is going to end up being the odd man out.&nbsp;
Collins is very talented, a legit stretch option at this point while also being a violent rim-runner and offensive rebounder; but the lack of positional versatility due to his &ldquo;meh&rdquo; length and defensive aptitude cap his ceiling in terms of playoff value. And it&rsquo;s hard to argue giving max money to a guy like that, especially when your franchise player is one of the worst defenders in the sport. If building around Young is the priority, you&rsquo;re going to need a team full of wing defenders and interior stoppers. Collins, as good as he is, doesn&rsquo;t qualify as either.
Loser: JaVale McGee
Opting into your contract, only to be shipped to Cleveland to make room for your replacement has to sting. Assuming he stays, he&rsquo;s also not any closer to consistent playing time. And even if he does carve out a 14-16-minute role as the back-up 5, he&rsquo;ll be going from LeBron to&hellip; Collin Sexton and Darius Garland as pick-and-roll passers?&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_13781902-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
Quite a drop, I&rsquo;d say.
Stray Thoughts
- Maybe not a loser, but the Brooklyn Nets are loser-adjacent right now. Bringing back Joe Harris is smart, even if that price (4/$75M) seems a smidge steep for my liking. But they&rsquo;re still a couple of perimeter defenders short, and they need a 4. Badly. Go flip some stuff for Aaron Gordon, please.
- Very nerdy thing, but I love the DeAndre&rsquo; Bembry signing for Toronto. He can&rsquo;t shoot, which stinks, but he can defend multiple positions, plays at 150 MPH all the time and can make some funky passes from time-to-time. He&rsquo;s going to be fun (and sometimes infuriating) for their bench unit.
- The Bogdanovic flop was funny to watch for non-Bucks fans, but I think the consensus around the Bucks&rsquo; offseason has become overly negative because of it. They still improved their team, highlighted by the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-trade-grade-milwaukee-bucks-jrue-holiday-bogdan-bogdanovic-giannis-antetokounmpo-nekias-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jrue Holiday trade</a>. They&rsquo;ve also made some solid bargain signings. Bryn Forbes can shoot, as can D.J. Augustin. Bobby Portis can score, though that&rsquo;s probably all he can do. None of those guys are plus-defenders, but if you&rsquo;re of the belief that they&rsquo;ll be flanked by at least one of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Brook Lopez at all times, you have the interior infrastructure in place to protect them from being abused. Of course, none of this matters if head coach Mike Budenholzer doesn't evolve a bit. Which, well, I guess we&rsquo;ll see.
- Seriously, is there a single Knicks player on the roster that isn&rsquo;t repped by CAA? Somebody has to intervene, right? Right? Bueller?&nbsp;
- Shout-out to the Suns for drafting Jalen Smith at 10, then proceeding to sign or bring back three frontcourt players in less than a week. Bringing him along slowly isn&rsquo;t a bad idea, but it does make the pick look more questionable in the short-term.
- It&rsquo;s at least a little odd we&rsquo;ve heard next to nothing on the extension talks of Giannis Antetokounmpo (and by proxy, Bam Adebayo) or Brandon Ingram. I would expect the Ingram shoe to drop first, but the silence on the other end is... odd, to say the least. Teams like the Heat, Raptors and Mavericks might smell blood in the water.
- Honestly would&rsquo;ve liked to see the Hawks take the $12-or-so-million per year they spent on the Rondo/Dunn combo and use it for a De&rsquo;Anthony Melton offer sheet, but good on the Grizzlies for locking him up for cheap. That deal is going to age well, methinks.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the teams and players that were affected the most after the first three days of NBA free agency.

Early winners and losers of NBA free-agency weekend

When the New York Knicks gave up five first-round picks to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, the move was met with shock, skepticism, and scrutiny. Five first-round picks. For a player whose offensive role had diminished, whose stats were down, and whose place in a new system seemed more complementary than central.
It was one of the most bizarre returns for a player in recent NBA history, which is borderline unprecedented. Bridges was no superstar scorer, nor a perennial All-NBA selection. He had gone from being Brooklyn's first option to, arguably, New York's fourth. Questions swirled: Was this a reach and an overpay?
But New York seemingly knew what they were doing. They were reuniting Bridges with former college teammates at Villanova, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. All three won an NCAA national championship playing together, and the Knicks were hoping this could translate into a good winning culture in the NBA and eventually a title.
Then, as the Knicks stunned the defending champion Boston Celtics in back-to-back games to start their 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinal series, those questions disappeared. Because Mikal Bridges answered every single one of them.
People often forget that the Knicks didn&rsquo;t bring in Bridges to average 25 points a game. They brought him in to defend the NBA&rsquo;s biggest, strongest wings. They brought him in for this very moment.
The Celtics, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the charge on the way to their title last season, are the blueprint every other contender is trying to crack. Long, physical wings who can score from anywhere, who can switch everything, and who have been to the NBA Finals twice in the past three seasons. To compete with them, you don&rsquo;t just need offense. You need answers.
New York&rsquo;s answer? Stack the deck with perimeter stoppers. Bridges. OG Anunoby. Josh Hart. Two-way warriors with toughness and length. And in a matchup where margins are razor-thin, where late-game execution determines the outcome, the Knicks&rsquo; investment has already paid dividends.
With the game tied in overtime and the final seconds ticking down, the Celtics had the ball in Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s hands. But as Brown caught the ball on the left wing, Bridges was there to read the play and anticipate the move.
He ripped the ball from Brown&rsquo;s hands in one swift motion, wrestled it away as Brown scrambled to recover, and held on as the buzzer sounded. Ball game in Game 1, Knicks steal Game 1 in the Boston Garden.
Bridges didn&rsquo;t just make a great play &ndash; he made the play. The one that changes the conversation, and the one that likely swings a series.
Two nights later, the stakes rose again. Boston had a huge 20-point lead late in the third quarter, and New York was running on fumes. That&rsquo;s when Bridges flipped the switch, not just defensively, but offensively too.
He scored all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter alone, rallying the Knicks back into the game. It was the highest-scoring playoff quarter of his career. The energy inside the Boston Garden shifted, as if life were sucked out of the arena.
And with the Knicks clinging to a slim lead and seconds left, Jayson Tatum had the ball on the left wing. As he tried to make his move toward the baseline, he found himself trapped, smothered by both Bridges and Anunoby. There was nowhere to go.
Tatum tried to make the right play and pass out of the double. But Bridges read it. He stuck out his arm, deflected the ball, and threw the ball to the backcourt to a streaking Jalen Brunson, and it sealed the victory. Game over, Knicks 2, Celtics 0. The seemingly invincible defending champion Celtics looked every bit of human that they could be, dropping two straight at home on both comeback occasions.
Bridges&rsquo; role and the Knicks&rsquo; vision
Bridges&rsquo; offensive dip since arriving in New York has been noticeable. He&rsquo;s no longer the guy who averaged 26.1 points per game in Brooklyn post-KD and Kyrie. With Jalen Brunson scoring and orchestrating, Karl-Anthony Towns spacing, and OG Anunoby slashing, Bridges has often been the third option, sometimes fourth.
But that&rsquo;s not the full picture. Basketball is bigger than the box score. And Bridges, even in a quieter offensive role, is impacting winning at the highest level.
The Knicks gambled on a vision: a roster designed to slow down elite wing scorers in high-stakes games. And with just two playoff games against Boston, that vision has materialized.
They didn&rsquo;t need Bridges to carry the offense. They needed him to carry the moment, to guard the other team&rsquo;s best guy, and to make the winning play. And he did.
Bridges didn&rsquo;t ask to be traded. He didn&rsquo;t lobby for five first-round picks to be attached to his name. But he embraced the responsibility. He leaned into the expectations. And now, he&rsquo;s delivering on the biggest stage against the defending champions. He&rsquo;s defending like a star and playing like a closer, all while doing it without the spotlight demanding he score 30.
There&rsquo;s something poetic about a player making his greatest impact on the defensive end in a league that so often celebrates offense. In a series where Boston's stars were expected to take over, Bridges is writing a different script &ndash; one that says defense still wins games, and that the &ldquo;other guy&rdquo; can become the hero.
The job isn&rsquo;t finished, and Boston definitely isn&rsquo;t going away. They&rsquo;re too good and battle-tested. But with the Knicks up 2-0, the tone has been set for the rest of the series.
And if this series is the war New York built their roster for, then Mikal Bridges is one of their weapons to go to war with. Game 3 awaits. But you better believe the Celtics will be seeing No. 25 in their nightmares.

Mikal Bridges' two game-winning defensive plays vs. Boston proved his worth in the Knicks' stunning 2-0 series lead over the Celtics.

Mikal Bridges proves his worth with clutch defense late against Boston

As the 2025 NBA Playoffs begin, the Western Conference presents no shortage of compelling narratives and unanswered questions. Each team comes in with a storyline that could define their entire postseason. From young squads making their playoff debut to experienced rosters led by superstars, here's the biggest question facing each Western Conference playoff team.
Oklahoma City Thunder &mdash; Can their historic defense carry over to the playoffs?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have fielded the league&rsquo;s best defense this season, boasting a 106.6 defensive rating &mdash; the lowest mark in the NBA and one of the best over the past decade. Anchored by a core of versatile perimeter defenders like Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with interior enforcer Isaiah Hartenstein and shot blocker Chet Holmgren, the Thunder built a defensive identity predicated on length, switchability, and relentless pressure.
But as history has shown, regular-season defense doesn&rsquo;t always translate to playoff dominance. Matchups become more intentional, rotations tighten, and elite scorers are given room to manipulate even the best schemes. For a team like OKC that leans heavily on team defense rather than individual stoppers, their system will be tested in a postseason series where adjustments are key. Moreover, the Thunder&rsquo;s youth &ndash; despite being a strength in the regular season &ndash; may also be a vulnerability when the game slows down and every possession is magnified.
This Thunder squad has the makings of a historically great defense, but now comes the true test: whether that same system can hold up when a superstar like Luka Doncic or Steph Curry start hunting matchups in isolation. If OKC can sustain their defensive intensity in a seven-game series, their path to a deep run remains wide open.
Houston Rockets &mdash; Will their inexperience hinder them from going too far?
After years of rebuilding, the Houston Rockets are finally back in the playoffs &mdash; and this time, with a young core brimming with talent. Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson are all making their playoff debuts, and they&rsquo;ve formed a competitive group that finished with the fifth-best defense in the league (110.3 DRtg) and earned the second seed. Their turnaround under head coach Ime Udoka has been remarkable, fueled by a defense-first identity and the emergence of Sengun as one of the best passing bigs in the league.
However, playoff basketball is a different beast. It&rsquo;s about adjustments, discipline, and poise under pressure &ndash; things young teams usually need time to learn. In their first-round matchup, the Rockets face the battle-tested Golden State Warriors, a team that features championship experience across the board. Houston&rsquo;s youth could be exposed if the moment becomes too big, especially with Golden State&rsquo;s ability to dissect inexperience through smart off-ball actions and defensive schemes.
Players like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, the Rockets&rsquo; veterans, will be counted on to provide leadership and stabilize the team when things go sideways. But this postseason will ultimately serve as a litmus test for how ready the Rockets&rsquo; young stars are to take the leap. Even if they fall short, the experience could be invaluable moving forward.
Los Angeles Lakers &mdash; How viable is their roster construction?
The Lakers shocked the league by acquiring Luka Doncic midseason, pairing him with LeBron James and Austin Reaves to form a high-powered offensive trio. Since then, they&rsquo;ve leaned heavily into small-ball, often starting lineups with Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith alongside the core trio, while Jaxson Hayes remains their only true center. First-year head coach JJ Redick has installed a modern, five-out system that prioritizes spacing and switchable defense &mdash; a style tailor-made for the postseason.
But viability is still a concern. While the offense has thrived, their defense has some slippages, particularly when LeBron and Luka are on the floor together. Their lack of rim protection and size could be exploited by teams that boast elite drivers to the rim. Additionally, the wear-and-tear of postseason play could take a toll on their aging core, especially LeBron, who is playing his 22nd season and logging heavy minutes in the postseason
Ultimately, the Lakers&rsquo; playoff ceiling hinges on whether their current roster configuration &ndash; heavy on wings, light on bigs &ndash; can hold up when the game slows down and physicality ramps up. If it works, Redick could be hailed as a tactical genius. If it doesn&rsquo;t, questions about roster balance and long-term direction will resurface.
Denver Nuggets &mdash; Do they have enough help around Nikola Jokic?
Nikola Jokic is once again doing everything for the Denver Nuggets &mdash; and doing it at an MVP level. He finished the regular season averaging a triple-double and top 3 in every major statistical category. His ability to control the game as both scorer and facilitator remains unmatched, and he remains the engine of everything Denver does offensively. But after a sluggish finish to the season, the biggest concern for the Nuggets is whether Jokic has enough help to mount another deep playoff run.
Jamal Murray has battled through injuries and hasn&rsquo;t quite looked like the same dynamic scorer from their 2023 championship run. Michael Porter Jr. has been inconsistent, while Aaron Gordon&rsquo;s offensive impact has waned due to multiple injuries. Denver&rsquo;s bench has also taken a step back this year, with limited contributions outside of Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson.
If Murray can elevate his game and Porter Jr. can knock down shots consistently, Denver remains a title threat. But the margin for error is much slimmer than last year. Jokic can only carry so much weight &ndash; the Nuggets need their supporting cast to deliver, or another early exit could be looming.
Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Can we see James Harden and Kawhi Leonard lead this team to playoff glory?
After losing Paul George to free agency last summer, many assumed the Clippers&rsquo; title window had slammed shut. But the resurgence of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard has breathed life back into their playoff hopes. Harden has embraced the role of primary playmaker, averaging 22.8 points and 8.7 assists per game, while Leonard has quietly had one of the most efficient scoring seasons of his career in recent years, shooting 49.8% from the field and 41.1% from deep.
The Clippers finished the season strong with their offense clicking and defense holding steady. Yet the question remains &ndash; can their two stars carry them through the gauntlet of the Western Conference? Leonard&rsquo;s health has always been a question mark, and Harden&rsquo;s playoff track record has been a mixed bag at best.&nbsp;
This postseason may be one of the last chances for this iteration of the Clippers to make a real push. If Harden and Kawhi can replicate their regular-season success and stay healthy, they could make noise. Along with steady role players like Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac, the Clippers are darkhorse contenders and will be dangerous out in the West.
Minnesota Timberwolves &mdash; How will Julius Randle perform in the playoffs?
Minnesota shocked many by acquiring Julius Randle at the trade deadline, moving on from Karl-Anthony Towns in the process. The Wolves hoped that Randle, a more physical and downhill-oriented forward, would provide a better playoff fit alongside Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. However, Randle&rsquo;s postseason history raises concerns &mdash; in 15 career playoff games, he&rsquo;s averaged just 15.6 points on 34.4% shooting from the field.
Minnesota will need more than that if they hope to build on last year&rsquo;s conference finals run. Randle must adapt his game to playoff basketball, where defenses are better prepared and isolation-heavy play often becomes less efficient. His ability to stretch the floor, make quick decisions, and play through contact will be tested, especially against elite defenses like OKC.
If Randle rises to the occasion, Minnesota could have one of the most balanced starting fives in the conference. But if he reverts to his inefficient playoff habits, the Wolves could find themselves stalling in critical moments &ndash; a risk that looms large in what could be a defining postseason for the franchise.
Golden State Warriors &mdash; How far can Jimmy Butler take them?
The Warriors made arguably the boldest trade of the deadline by acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami, forming a star duo with Stephen Curry. Since the move, Golden State has looked rejuvenated, going on a tear to close the regular season and boasting the third-best net rating in the league during that span (+7.2). Butler&rsquo;s leadership, defense, and shot creation have given the Warriors a legitimate second option and re-energized their playoff outlook.
Butler has a proven playoff track record &ndash; he led the Heat to two Finals appearances in four years &ndash; and is widely regarded as one of the most clutch postseason performers. His fit with Golden State has been seamless, and the team&rsquo;s defense has improved significantly, ranking 6th in opponent points per game since the trade. The question is how far Butler can carry this version of the Warriors, who still lean heavily on their aging core.
If Butler can replicate his past postseason heroics and stay healthy, the Warriors have a real shot to upset higher-seeded teams and return to the Finals.
Memphis Grizzlies &mdash; Can they survive this tough season?
No team has faced more adversity this year than the Memphis Grizzlies. Between Ja Morant&rsquo;s on-court antics, injuries to key players, and coaching instability and firing, Memphis stumbled to a slump at the end of the regular season but managed to squeak into the playoffs as the 8-seed. Despite the chaos, the team has shown remarkable resilience, with Jaren Jackson Jr. and rookie Zach Edey emerging as bright spots with their improved play.
Now they face the top-seeded Thunder in a first-round matchup that few give them a chance to win. But if there&rsquo;s one thing the Grizzlies have shown, it&rsquo;s that they won&rsquo;t go down without a fight. Their defense could keep them competitive, and their physical style of play may pose problems for the Thunder.
Ultimately, the playoffs may serve more as a building block than a real title push. But if Memphis can steal a game or two &mdash; or even push OKC to the brink &mdash; it would be a testament to the team&rsquo;s grit and foundation heading into next season.

Breaking down the biggest question each Western Conference team faces heading into the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

2025 NBA Western Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question in the playoffs

We need a bit of context to truly grasp the remarkable nature of RJ Barrett's development in the NBA.
Barrett just wrapped up his third professional season and turned 22 years old in June. He is younger than several incoming rookies, including No. 14 overall pick Ochai Agbaji and No. 31 pick Andrew Nembhard. He recently signed a four-year contract extension worth $120 million &mdash; a lot of money for sure, but nowhere near the rookie maximum.
Yet, despite these indicators that Barrett is still a very young basketball player with ample room to grow, he is already taking on some of the heaviest two-way physical demands we've seen from someone his age.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The third overall pick from 2019 averaged 13.7 adjusted drives per 75 possessions in 2021-22. Barrett attacked relentlessly, and far more than his New York Knicks teammates. Driving with the basketball is one of the most taxing moves a player can make on offense. It requires the wherewithal to handle the ball and assess the court's shifting spaces, the lower-body strength to explode by defenders and the core and upper-body strength to fend off contact and, then, shoot or pass. These bursts of energy, physicality and processing are not easy to successfully replicate over and over.
And that's just one side of the game. Barrett also graded out as a defender who faced some of the toughest opponents. The BBall Index has created a <a href="https://www.bball-index.com/glossary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matchup Difficulty metric</a> to try and quantify this. Barrett earned a plus-1.66 score, meaning his defensive assignments were more challenging than 95% of the NBA &mdash; requiring an elite combination of physical tools, focus and understanding of concepts to be successful.
With a few charts (sourced from BBall Index), we can place Barrett's responsibilities in the wider frame of the league. Here's a plot of every NBA player who logged at least 1,000 minutes and their numbers in those two categories. I additionally colorized the dots with BBall Index's Defensive Role estimator to add some clarity about what might be changing on defense.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/scatterplot-4.png" alt="" width="675" height="390" />
Several of the league's most frequent drivers &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, for example &mdash; had very low matchup difficulty scores on defense, and their roles were even estimated as "Low Activity." Then, you have the elite defensive stoppers in the top-left corner who barely drive the ball. Barrett, who is labeled in yellow, kind of balances in the middle.
Zooming in gives more of an appreciation for his company. The below chart cuts off at 8.0 drives per 75 possessions; it's an arbitrary choice, but a fair one, I think, that encompasses just under 100 players. It also begins vertically at a matchup difficulty rating of zero. I won't break out the ol' AP Stats textbook, but these scores are based on Z-Scores that relate to each other, meaning a "zero" is average among the NBA. With these boundaries, we get down to 55 players:
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Barrett stands out more clearly here as a player who drives frequently before turning around and staring down tough defensive assignments. He's in the company of household names like Jrue Holiday, Jimmy Butler and Fred VanVleet, and he's one of 10 players in this chart who was under 22 years old last season. This isn't to say he matches the impact, of course, but Barrett has a general reputation as a quality defender for his experience level.
This could be restricted even further to players who only take on very difficult matchups. If we cut the chart at 1.0 (about the 84th percentile for Matchup Difficulty), Barrett would be one of only 15 players to stay on the board &mdash; and one of only three players 21 or younger, along with Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Suggs.
This type of two-way role is exceptionally unusual for someone of Barrett's age and position. Take a look at the 21-and-under players sinced 2014 who have averaged at least 8 drives per 75 possessions with a Matchup Difficulty score over 1.0:
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Sixteen seasons make the cut. Fourteen of those seasons were from young point guards, who often got thrown into the fire with bad teams. Second-year Andrew Wiggins is the only other wing, and he barely cleared the thresholds (and wasn't nearly as good a player).&nbsp;
Barrett is one of the youngest two-way catalysts in the NBA, and he's taken on the responsibility with relative success. Oh yeah &mdash; and he's playing on the biggest stage in the country.
Obviously, though, he can be better, as he referenced on Monday's live stream interview discussing his new contract.
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"I'm always working on my finishing, and just being able to shoot [and] shoot off the dribble," Barrett told Monica McNutt. "Many things. Free throws &mdash; holy, we've been shooting a lot of free throws, things of that nature."
Barrett averaged 16.2 drives per game after Jan. 1, which ranked eighth across the entire league, per Second Spectrum. But he made just 41.1% of his shots off of drives, ranking third-worst among 64 players who drove to the basket at least 8 times per game. His overall at-rim clip of 55% ranked in the 15th percentile among wings, according to Cleaning the Glass.
The finishing, despite Barrett's superb and improving aggression, remains perhaps the biggest target for critics. It's an area several leading basketball minds have dissected, and a place that can turn him from a volume-based scorer into a dominant, efficient spark.&nbsp;
<a href="https://theathletic.com/3548723/2022/08/31/rj-barrett-knicks-polarizing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Vecenie of&nbsp;The Athletic</a>&nbsp;noted how important it is for Barrett to develop a right-hand finish. To piggyback, according to InStat Scouting, Barrett made just 36% of his at-rim attempts with his right hand vs. a still-rough-but-better 40% (on over 280 more attempts) with his left.
<a href="Mark%20Schindler%20de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler detailed for UPROXX</a> how improving pull-up and foul-grifting games could help Barrett keep defenders on their toes against his drives. Barrett is drawing more fouls; per Cleaning the Glass, 14.7% of his shots came with a whistle, placing in the 92nd percentile among wings.
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As Schindler wrote, Barrett has enticing potential as someone who can capitalize on second-side swings and kick-outs by continuing to apply pressure as a driver. He's strong and fast with a much-improved handle and court vision that is approaching refinement. But New York rarely surrounded its rising star with the right blend of spacing and complementary aggression.
This year, those pieces might come together, starting with new acquisition Jalen Brunson.
"Jalen's great. He's really smart. He's a hard worker; he works on his game a lot," Barrett said. "He has natural leadership ability too. Just being around him, guys gravitate towards him as well, so I think him and I will work together very well &mdash; especially us being lefties, that'll be very good."
Brunson is one of the elite driving threats in the NBA. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-jalen-brunson-is-in-the-drivers-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote about this specifically</a> back when he was popping off for the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. Brunson has proven himself as both a secondary pressure-cooker and a lead initiator, and it's easy to see how he can ease some of the load on Barrett.
The Knicks also have Immanuel Quickley, who continues to be one of my favorite young players to watch in the league &mdash; full stop. Quickley has picked up his pace as an attacker; he averaged 6.6 drives per game before the All-Star break and 10.3 afterwards. Like Brunson, he's another point guard who doubles as a quality catch-and-shoot option, and deserves to start next season.&nbsp;
Julius Randle can hit the gas pedal, and he's due for a happy medium between his 2020-21 breakout and last season's struggles. Obi Toppin and Jericho Sims keep defensive help in check as lob threats. Evan Fournier can still shoot it (and is still only 29?). New York has enough support for Barrett to find those extra spaces to dribble, shoot or pass when he puts the ball on the floor.
Driving and guarding tough matchups is not the only example of a demanding two-way role. But it certainly is a big one. Barrett ran the ninth-most miles (2.63) per NBA game last season, and his average speed (4.30 mph) ranked 21st of 124 players who averaged two-plus miles per game. He played 70 games after completing a full 72-game season in 2020-21; the durability in his role is impressive.
Barrett is gaining more experience, and succeeding more frequently, in a context few players receive at his age. Yes, he can markedly improve in several areas. But the man has tons of time and is surrounded by teammates who can help him be successful.
The growing pains of a 22-year-old franchise centerpiece should not overshadow the unique trajectory of his stardom.

RJ Barrett is a rare young NBA player who takes on major offensive and defensive responsibilities.

Understanding RJ Barrett's uniquely heavy burden with the Knicks

In basketball, physicality is often akin to tug of war. Both sides are putting forth all their might, but one side has to topple the other into exhaustion &mdash; that&rsquo;s the nature of things. It doesn&rsquo;t mean one party didn&rsquo;t try as hard as the other. Sometimes, previous battles leave a deeper impact for one more than the other, and the next game is swiftly decided.
Amid these NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors are engaged in a tug of war of physicality.
Game 1 went to Boston, who stymied Golden State&rsquo;s off-ball attack and applied its size to generate paint touches or open looks offensively.&nbsp;
Game 2 went to Golden State, who pressured Boston on the catch, extended its offense far away from the rim and sprung open shooters with hard-nosed picks.&nbsp;
Game 3 went to Boston, who chiseled itself into a 116-100 victory and snagged a 2-1 series lead, halfway from its first title in 14 seasons.&nbsp;
Physicality is a broad term, one that&rsquo;s been present through each of the first three Finals games. When teams say the opponent was more physical, that may sound cliche and coy, but there are nuances behind the ambiguity that provide a road map toward finer details. They reveal themselves through trends, statistics and on-court results.&nbsp;
Among those concepts for the Celtics in Game 3 was a revival of consistent driving and interior scoring. In their Game 2 loss, per NBA.com, they registered just 6 attempts in the restricted area (7.5% frequency), talled 47 drives and shot 15-of-43 (34.9%) on twos. On Wednesday, they tallied 26 attempts at the rim (29.2% frequency), recorded 61 drives and shot 30-of-54 (55.6%) on twos.
The leading proponents behind those contrasts were Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, who combined for 48 of the 61 drives, three days after logging just 27.&nbsp;
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Boston wields a notable strength advantage on the perimeter over the Warriors, whose point-of-attack defense is susceptible to breakdowns. Limiting dribble penetration stems from Golden State's synergistic help and active rotations, not a cast of staunch isolation stoppers. The Celtics exploited that on Wednesday, with Andrew Wiggins, Stephen Curry and Otto Porter Jr. regularly the targets of this approach.&nbsp;
Whether the edge stemmed from speed, strength or a marriage of the two, Boston ball-handlers dependably fashioned successful downhill forays. Improved spacing compared to Game 2 aided their efforts; multiple teammates were no longer parked in the lane or cutting inside on drives. Robert Williams III also camped a bit farther from the hoop rather than directly in the dunker spot, and floated around to occupy help defenders.
The Celtics did well to move both Kevon Looney and/or Draymond Green away from the hoop during their stints, which left Golden State incapable of properly enforcing the paint. While Klay Thompson had some noteworthy moments of weak-side rim-protection in Game 2, those two bigs are the lone rotation players who reliably protect the basket for the Warriors. They were often not in position to do so during Game 3.
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Contributing to Boston&rsquo;s massively-heightened rim frequency was Williams III playing 26 minutes, his most of the series, and nearly double his 14 minutes in Game 2. Aside from a few riveting moments in the second half of Game 1, Williams&rsquo; inaugural Finals have been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-robert-williams-find-a-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headlined by troubles</a>: poor pick-and-roll coverage, erratic decision-making as a helper and a struggle to discern his optimal defensive assignment.&nbsp;
Game 3 was easily his finest of the three thus far, notching 7 total steals/blocks, collecting 10 boards and scoring 8 points on 5 shots. His presence is indispensable for the Celtics. They need to play him and surf through the waves of frustration. That&rsquo;s why him being good feels imperative. Nobody else on the roster provides vertical spacing as a lob threat or inhabits the offensive glass like him.&nbsp;
When he survives defensively, as he did Wednesday, he poses grand issues for Golden State as an interior release valve and putback option. His length and explosiveness can overwhelm the Warriors&rsquo; undersized front line. Boston producing paint touches with Williams in the dunker spot has left Golden State in conflicting situations, unsure of whether to help on the drive and leave him open or stay back and risk an easy finish. The dimensions of his skill set are novel and critical.
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In the first half, the Celtics scored 68 of their 116 points and posted a sterling 136.0 Offensive Rating. Renewed driving profits were the headlining component, but they also functioned at a quicker pace. During the first two games, they averaged 95.5 possessions per night, while Thursday&rsquo;s first half saw the pace rise to 100.&nbsp;
Pushing the tempo to force cross-matches, typically with Al Horford against smaller defenders, seemed to be an emphasis &mdash; even if it was mostly confined to the opening 24 minutes. Horford&rsquo;s post-ups in the half-court throughout Game 2 were pretty fruitless. So, quick duck-ins prior to the defense organizing itself became the counter, and it yielded some welcomed possessions.&nbsp;
Clearly, Boston wants to deploy Horford&rsquo;s size in the paint. It merely needed a shrewder tactic. Empty-corner sets initiated early in the clock to highlight the size discrepancy between these clubs were also periodically featured.&nbsp;
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Boston winning the dance of physicality commenced almost immediately. Smart&rsquo;s screening was a weapon much of the night, beginning with a gnarly pick on Wiggins during its first offensive possession. The pick allowed Tatum to feed him and induced a shoddy stunt from Thompson, enabling Brown to knock down an open triple.&nbsp;
All night, the Celtics seemed to shrug off Golden State&rsquo;s potentially imposing pressure and spur defensive rotations. Smart&rsquo;s first crunching screen would not be his last, either. Boston spun its knack for dishing out and handling physicality into offensive advantages.&nbsp;
Physicality on its own is not inherently valuable. It has to do something and mean something; it needs purpose. The Celtics&rsquo; physicality very much had purpose in Game 3.
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(Side note: The last Tatum bucket in that montage is filthy stuff. Looney tries to disrupt his handle multiple times and funnel him to Jordan Poole&rsquo;s help on the left wing. But Tatum spins away from all of it, keeps the 6-foot-9, 220-pounder on his hip and converts a contested layup. The way he's navigated physicality this season has taken a vital jump and really stands out over the past three series.)
Much like Golden State&rsquo;s Game 2 offensive flurry, a combination of adjustments and uncharacteristic breakdowns from a stingy defense was responsible for the Celtics&rsquo; 116 points. On both occasions, the former was more salient, though the latter remained relevant.&nbsp;
Defense is a wildly fickle undertaking. One slight step in the wrong direction or incorrect shift of body weight can radicalize everything. A slightly improper angle around a screen or to cut off a drive reorients the possession. The same goes for how physicality manifests itself.
The best defenses minimize those events, but these Finals are underscoring that even elite units are susceptible to such ebbs and flows. Both teams embrace physicality. One isn&rsquo;t running away with the mantle of &ldquo;more physical.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s been a fluid title.&nbsp;
For now, thanks to refined driving, spacing and screening, Boston&rsquo;s the current keeper of that fluid title.
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Jackson Frank breaks down how the Celtics were able to win the battle of physicality with smarts in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Celtics' physicality revitalized their offense in NBA Finals Game 3

The stoppers are suffocating the scorers.
And as Boston was finishing another shutdown effort against Kevin Durant and the Nets, a loud &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s Go Celtics! Let&rsquo;s Go Celtics!&rdquo; chant broke out from the many fans in green who had seats in Barclays Center.
There wasn&rsquo;t much for the home fans to cheer about as the Nets face a team that just won&rsquo;t let them get anything going.
&ldquo;More of the same,&rdquo; Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re making it tough.&rdquo;
Jayson Tatum scored 39 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston took a 3-0 lead over Brooklyn with a 109-103 victory Saturday night.
Again making things difficult on Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Celtics put themselves in position to sweep their way into the second round with a victory Monday night in Brooklyn.
The Celtics forced 21 turnovers that led to 37 points. Tatum had six of their 13 steals.
&ldquo;My message is, nobody plays harder than we do,&rdquo; Tatum said.
Durant took only 11 shots, finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Irving was 6-for-17, missing all seven 3-pointers, and also had 16 points for the Nets, who have to decide if they will give Ben Simmons his debut Monday in an elimination game.
Boston&rsquo;s defense against the Nets&rsquo; firepower was supposed to make this a can&rsquo;t-miss series, even though it matches a No. 2 seed against a No. 7.
But it&rsquo;s been mostly all Celtics since Tatum&rsquo;s basket at the buzzer gave them a victory in Game 1. Durant and Irving combined for just one basket in the second half of Game 2, never had much impact in this one and might get only one more chance.
&ldquo;We know what it is,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think no speech or anything will do at this part of the year. You know what it is. We&rsquo;re down 3-0. We got another game on Monday. Just come out and play.&rdquo;
Boston led most of the way before the Nets cut it to three with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. But Marcus Smart scored on a follow shot, made a jumper in transition before Brown got a steal and dunk to make it 81-72 going to the fourth.
Brown kept the Nets at bay from there, repeatedly finding a 1-on-1 matchup and driving to the basket. He set up Tatum for a 3-pointer in the corner after the Nets had gotten back within four, then made a jumper before Tatum converted a three-point play that made it 96-84 with 6:25 to play.
The Celtics got center Robert Williams back after missing nearly a month with torn cartilage in his left knee, making their defense even stronger.
Bruce Brown was the Nets player who could really solve it, scoring a career playoff-high 26 points.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not being forceful in our actions. We&rsquo;re second-guessing ourselves a little bit. Throwing a lot of passes that are second thoughts. They&rsquo;re too good a team for us to do that,&rdquo; Nets coach Steve Nash said.
Durant was only 13-for-41 (31.7%) in the two games in Boston with 12 turnovers, and the Nets&rsquo; only real hope was if he could regain his form back home.
He made a 3-pointer on his first shot attempt after going 0-for-10 in the second half in Game 2, but he could never consistently find room to shoot while committing five more turnovers and looking far off the player who came in third all-time in the playoffs with 29.4 points per game.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a a hard time getting it going,&rdquo; Jaylen Brown said. &ldquo;We want to keep it that way because we know what he can do.&rdquo;
The Celtics limited Durant to just two shots and led 30-25 after one quarter, then got seven straight points by reserve guard Payton Pritchard to open the second and push the lead to 37-25. Boston was still ahead by eight with under 1 1/2 minutes left in the half, but the Nets scored seven straight and it was 53-50 at the break.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Smart scored 14 points. &hellip; Williams had two points and two rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench in his first game since March 27 after missing final seven games of the regular season.
Nets: Patty Mills was honored before the start for being voted the winner of the NBA&rsquo;s Sportsmanship Award on Friday. ... Blake Griffin played for the first time in the series, scoring eight points. ... Director Spike Lee, a longtime Knicks fan, was at the game wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey and hat.
SIMMONS STATUS
Nash said Simmons scrimmaged 3-on-3 Saturday morning and had no setbacks. He said it&rsquo;s possible Simmons plays in Game 4 but cautioned that given his long layoff, with his herniated disk at the end of it, that there was more to consider than if Simmons felt good after his workouts.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of bigger picture, bigger context to how he&rsquo;s feeling, how able he would be to adapt to the environment,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little different than playing a game that&rsquo;s stashed away in the middle of the regular season, so I think that there&rsquo;s a few factors at play here to evaluate when he&rsquo;s ready to play.&rdquo;

The Boston Celtics stymied Brooklyn's Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on defense and took a 3-0 series lead over the Nets.

Tatum, Brown lead Celtics to 109-103 win, 3-0 lead over Nets

Midway through the third quarter of a February duel between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers, with the score knotted at 62, Deandre Ayton surveys his options from the top of the key.&nbsp;
His two primary ball-handlers, Chris Paul and Devin Booker, are stationed on opposite wings with their defenders close by. Feeding one of them the ball would require Ayton to enter the orbit of the Clippers' pesky, handsy forwards and risk a turnover.&nbsp;
Instead, Ayton turns his attention toward Mikal Bridges, who has the smaller, less defensively-inclined Reggie Jackson on him. The two connect for a dribble handoff. Bridges bounces two determined dribbles into the paint, pirouettes and buries a jumper over the 6-foot-3 Jackson.&nbsp;
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It was one of Bridges&rsquo; 8 field goals on the evening en route to 19 points. A day later, he scored 17 in a win against the Houston Rockets.&nbsp;
Over his past 11 games, the fourth-year wing is logging 19.4 points on 70.6% True Shooting while averaging 12.5 field goal attempts per night. All of those marks are significant increases from the 12.3 points on 59.6% TS and 9.5 shots he averaged across his first 47 games this season. His free-throw rate has also skyrocketed from .126 to .268, which is an apt proxy for the difference in his amended scoring process.
Bridges is enjoying the most prolific offensive stretch of his career, both because he&rsquo;s emerging more aggressive in seeking his shots and because that newfound aggression is paralleled by white-hot efficiency.&nbsp;
During this flurry, he&rsquo;s shooting 94.1% at the rim (32 of 34) and 66.7% from mid-range (34 of 51), according to Cleaning The Glass. Neither of those clips is sustainable, but Phoenix doesn&rsquo;t need him to be this good for his scoring development to be a difference-maker. Seizing three more shots per game and the manner in which he&rsquo;s doing so are the most salient long-term storylines of this breakout.&nbsp;
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He&rsquo;s beginning to fully realize just how potent he can be in exploiting pockets of space on the floor. His mid-range touch, creativity as a finisher and 7-1 wingspan enable him to comfortably discover shots within a well-oiled offense that&rsquo;s constantly forcing defenders to play catch up.
Recently, he&rsquo;s been forcefully attacking off the catch and pressing the issue as a scorer more often. When he finds himself in a beneficial matchup, he&rsquo;s not surrendering that advantage if an initial move doesn&rsquo;t work.&nbsp;
Opponents have to devote their best perimeter stoppers to Paul and Booker, which leaves Bridges with favorable assignments regularly. Now, he&rsquo;s operating as though he knows why they&rsquo;re favorable assignments for him rather than being told they are, or others merely assuming they are.&nbsp;
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Not only has Bridges earned a greater slice of the pie, but Phoenix is also putting him in more spots to thrive. Through 47 games this year, he's averaged 35 total touches, 2.4 paint touches and 1.5 elbow touches per game, according to NBA.com.&nbsp;
Over the past 11 outings, those numbers are up to 40.5, 3.7, and 2.5, respectively. Primarily through handoffs, Horns actions or pindowns, the Suns are emphasizing chances to send Bridges downhill, and he&rsquo;s validating their credence.
Anecdotally, it also feels like they&rsquo;re utilizing him more as an on-ball screener in half-court sets. He&rsquo;s long linked up with Paul in early offense to slip screens and finish before the defense is organized. Lately, though, that action appears less confined to early offense environments.&nbsp;
Bridges is more loudly asserting himself, and doesn&rsquo;t require a vacant runway to convert in the paint as much as he used to in these instances. Whether he&rsquo;s expertly sealing off a switch as he rolls inside or further showcasing bubbling confidence as a scorer, his screening capabilities have certainly factored into the three-week heater.
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Two of Bridges&rsquo; highest-scoring games amid this streak have included him getting busy in the post. He repeatedly torched Trae Young when he dropped 24 against the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 3. Two days earlier, when he scored 27, targeting the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; slew of limited defenders on the block was prominently featured.&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s got a slick turnaround on lock, and Phoenix&rsquo;s willingness to up the tempo this year (seventh in pace, 24th last season) sparks cross-matches in transition. And, again, he benefits from Paul and Booker drawing the stiffest of perimeter defenders, leaving him to punish ill-equipped options.&nbsp;
Against switch-heavy schemes &mdash; which seem more common than last season &mdash; Bridges&rsquo; post scoring could be an intermittent, reliable release valve moving forward, especially given his heightened confidence.
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Bridges maintaining this retooled approach throughout Phoenix's presumably deep playoff run (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chris-pauls-absence-could-actually-benefit-suns-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get well soon, CP</a>) is critical. During their four Finals losses last season, the Suns' Offensive Rating was 108.2 (114.3 in 18 postseason games before that), and they couldn&rsquo;t keep up on either end.
The Milwaukee Bucks&rsquo; stellar defense and Giannis Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s greatness played roles in that demise. But Phoenix&rsquo;s inability to consistently manufacture quality looks outside of Booker&rsquo;s creation skills once Paul&rsquo;s pick-and-roll prowess was neutralized proved costly.&nbsp;
Bridges participated in that inability. Mercurial offensive production helped define his first playoff appearance. In 22 total postseason games, he scored 13 or more points nine times, and 7 or fewer seven times. Steadiness is a hallmark of his services, but that wasn&rsquo;t the case last postseason.&nbsp;
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As the Bucks rattled off four straight wins to secure the title, Bridges averaged just 7.8 points on 5.3 shots. Record-scratches and diminished conviction plagued him, so much so that his minutes were cut at times too.&nbsp;
Bridges being someone whose 15-point games are the norm, not the outlier, can help amplify both the Chris Paul Era and post-Chris Paul Era in Phoenix. He, Booker and Ayton are all 25 or younger. Prosperity in The Valley will exist with and without Paul around.&nbsp;
How much prosperity depends, to some degree, on whether Bridges&rsquo; recent flashes of something more offensively are merely flashes or the start of a sustained rise.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s absolutely reason to believe it&rsquo;s the latter. The process and the results are better. When those two coalesce, hope gives way to tangible evidence. And tangible evidence is central to Bridges&rsquo; February game film.
The rise is real. These next several months are his chance to confirm that.
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Jackson Frank analyzes Mikal Bridges' growth on the offensive end of the floor as of late and how it's benefited Phoenix.

Mikal Bridges' leap offensively is vital for the Phoenix Suns

I have a particular affinity for whiteboards. My thoughts are pretty unorganized and the most random thoughts about Jalen Duren's potential as a short-roller or Chimezie Metu's face-up game will come to me at any odd hour of the day. Expo markers and whiteboards all around me are an absolute must and godsend. I have three in my room, one dedicated strictly to future story ideas and league wide trends I'm curious about. One constant on that board since mid-November; Why are the Oklahoma City Thunder good at defense?
The defense has been above league average for the majority of the season, they have length and athleticism, and a few defenders who routinely stand out in watching. Yet, I couldn't really point my finger as to&nbsp;why.
Due to the public plea from Alex Speers (listen to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/down-to-dunk-okc-thunder-podcast/id599740073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Down to Dunk</a>), I finally made it a mission to really get into the thick of it and get a better view of what makes the Thunder such an effective defensive team.
Per Cleaning the Glass, OKC is 12th in defensive efficiency on the season: Not bad, above average, but nothing crazy. Ultimately, better than I'd expect (They finished in 26th last season, but were above average prior to Al Horford sitting the remainder of the season).
Fine tune it a bit more; they're 10th in defense in 2022. Ok, we've got something here.
Flip through a few more lenses, choose between one and two, and cycle to the halfcourt: The Thunder have allowed 90.7 points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt since the turn of the year, the third best mark in the league. That's not just good, that's bordering on elite. For perspective, the Utah Jazz were first in halfcourt defensive efficiency last season and allowed 91.3 pp/100.&nbsp;
Ok man, what is going on here?! Where has this come from?
Oddly enough, the Thunder told us themselves early in the season in a 56 second video (Sidenote: How does this video only have ~300 views? It has great production value, a sick beat and what more could you want frankly?)
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As Darius Bazley tells us "If a guy's going for a layup or a dunk, that's a moment of truth, whether you're gonna take the charge or you're gonna go up to attempt to block it or verticality."
This is the first piece of the puzzle. The Thunder contest everything at the rim. While not necessarily an indicator of defense one way or another, the Thunder lead the NBA in contests per game according to Second Spectrum (partially because of something we'll hit on in a bit).
They don't generate steals or blocks at an above average rate, they lack a true defensive anchor at the five spot, and yet, they make it work. However, that's part of the charm in OKC's defense.&nbsp;
Legendary (and somehow underrated) rap duo, Gang Starr, had an incredible album called Moment of Truth, including a track of the same name. First of all, this is one of the few 20 track double-sided albums that's worth it. Secondly, I'd like to think Mark Daigneault is just a massive fan of Gang Starr and built this mantra with Guru's lyrics in mind, and Premo's beat as the foundation.
"Peep the language. It's universal, you play with fire it may hurt you."
The Oklahoma City Thunder simply do NOT play with fire. Everything about their defense is solid. Their whole identity is crafted around managing firepower. Gum up what the offense wants and force them into really difficult looks without gambling.
They allow the 2nd fewest attempts at the rim in 2022 (4th on the season), while holding opponents to 62.6% shooting at the rim over the same span (5th). They squeeze offenses to only 27.1% of all shots coming within four feet of the basket.&nbsp;
OKC's mission every possession is to shrink the floor, slow drives, take away the open lanes, and chew the clock.
This is the defense before the first action.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/start-of-set_lg.png" alt="" />
This is the defense after the first action hits.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/after-screen_lg.png" alt="" />
All five Thunder defenders shrink the floor; Aaron Wiggins cheats off Nikola Vucevic in help for Lu Dort if LaVine chooses to drive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander high tags off of Ayo Dosunmu to speed bumpo a Vucevic roll (below average above the break shooter), and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl pre-rotates as the low-man, another added line of defense.
They almost operate like a slinky, capable of consistently compressing and stretching to adapt to the action presented to them.
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Preventing quick rolls and neutralizing pick-and-rolls before they can fully develop puts out those fires before they can spread. The Thunder are willing to just stay solid and concede a contested pull-up two (2nd most allowed in 2022 per Cleaning the Glass), where they get torched in all fairness as opponents shoot an undgodly 53.3%, but part of that is shot luck/variance, and that's still a more difficult shot than anything at the rim.
"Nobody's invincible, no plan is foolproof."
You'd think a team that routinely plays without a true defensive five would switch a great deal, but that's not the Thunder's motive!&nbsp;
They can and do switch fairly often, but they're adept at late-switching with backend rotations in tandem to stem the tide. The communication and team trust is apparent.
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Dort gets stonewalled by an immaculate Bruce Brown screen. Wiggins is normally going to show high and recover to Brown on his slowed roll as JRE high tags with SGA pre-rotating backline.
However, Wiggins switches with Dort out of the picture, Dort recovers to take Day'Ron Sharpe under the rim as SGA closes back out to Kessler Edwards. A fantastic defensive possession all-around.
Opposing teams will mix-in different screening angles to try and force switches, and the Thunder again are adept at switching actively, but also under control.&nbsp;
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They time their switches well, they don't bite too hard, and they know their length, making it hard for opposition to take any sort of advantage out of the ballscreen.
So yes, no plan is foolproof, but the Thunder almost revel in that. Dort is an exceptional man to man defender, but their money is made working as one, holding a sort of defensive battle line in what they are and aren't willing to concede, and utilizing their strengths (length and communication) to ward off drives.&nbsp;
They rarely close-out hard to the perimeter, choosing instead to instill choppin feet out to shooters. There's no right or wrong way to close-out in my opinion, but the Thunder choose this seemingly to further embody their ethos of staying solid without allowing drives to the heart of the court. Some shooting luck has benefitted them from above the break misses (2nd in non-corner 3-point percentage allowed in 2022), but the plan is executed well.
"Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge."
One of the other aspects I love about the Thunder defense is their willingness to differentiate looks based on personnel.&nbsp;
They'll often play back-up five Mike Muscala in a short drop, but call quick blitzes based on the shot clock and ball-handler.&nbsp;
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They're selective with pressure, but when they do it, they're 100% committed.
If an offense starts to throw in Spain actions (pick and roll with a backscreen and replacement to the arc) or similar differentiations to throw off the regular defense, that's fine! The Thunder call out their screens incredibly well. They normally stick Dort on star players and fight to not give up the match-up, but they won't do it at the expense of jeopardizing a deep drive
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It seems simple, but that's part of the point. OKC makes the small things a point of emphasis. Consistent communication and five players all engaged, they can combat more complex actions that could throw off a less together group.
"Sometimes you gotta dig deep when problems come near. Don't fear, things get severe for everybody everywhere."
The Thunder are long, they're athletic, and man they seem irritating to play against. Again, they don't go out of their way to turn the ball over, but their length and ability to bother anything on the interior is hard to deny.
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SGA has some draw-backs and shortcomings as an on-ball defender, but he has really sharp hands in passing lanes and many unsuspecting ball-handlers have had their pocket picked or shot tipped by him.
The Thunder in general lack true lockdown ball-stoppers outside of Dort and Kenrich Williams.
Navigating screens isn't the strength of the Thunder, but they're tremendous at defending screens. It sounds like a paradoxical equation, but it comes back to communication.
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Dort is caught getting back still and the Hornets flow into some early offense. But, here comes JRE, calling out the play at first for Dort, but also operating as a middle linebacker, filling the gap and blowing it up before damage can be caused. Dort reconnects, and it's all settled down. It seems minute in the moment, but I can't speak highly enough of what JRE has done for Oklahoma City's defense.
His positioning and court-mapping as a defender are impressive. He knows how to get the most out of his length (or lack thereof) and size. He directs the defense with guile. If I'd never watched him or the Thunder, you could easily convince me he was already a 2nd or 3rd contract player.
That is such an easy bucket for the Hornets if the communication isn't there.
The Thunder actively have all players involved playing both sides of the screen. So often, defenders are strictly doing their sole purpose, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but the Thunder FIGHT those screens like a ship fighting an ocean storm. Some defenses will let screens happen and react, OKC attacks them.
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Dort and JRE are absolutely swarming that screen on the first possession, almost like an Oklahoma drill in football with two players actively defending Harden. They actively prevent the chance to roll from Griffin by interchangeably attacking the screen, while also negating Harden a chance to drive.
Consequently, they can be susceptible to screen slips, particularly from bouncy screeners. Playing this aggressively on screening action leaves you open to trickery.
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It is tough to stop a slipping Miles Bridges in open space without a top-notch rim protector.
"You got no hand skills, there's no security to save ya."
No defense is perfect, and OKC is no exception, with two vices that are extremely hard to understate.
Part of the difficulty in routinely not playing a traditional five: their rebounding is atrocious. It's not always for lack of trying, but they're not great at boxing out, often are just outmatched on the interior, and they give up a decent amount of long rebounds because of how willing they are to shrink the floor.
They're 18th in defensive rebounding percentage on the season, but a paltry 28th in 2022, and it is painstakingly obvious when watching. They sometimes make 3 or 4 stops in a row, but more possessions means more opportunities for the offense.&nbsp;
To say that the Thunder have a "bad" offense would be unkind to the other teams that are below average. They're 30th on the season in offensive efficiency, scoring 14.4 points per 100 possessions less than the league leading Utah Jazz. You've likely seen the Lakers play a few times this year and how rough their offense can be. They score 6.8 points per 100 possessions more than OKC, <a href="https://youtu.be/MpUWrl3-mc8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yeah it's that rough!</a>&nbsp;
They turn the ball over a great deal, miss a lot (30th in rim shooting percentage), and thus give up a ton of transition opportunities.
That makes the growing defense all the more impressive.
This team isn't good, but they're growing. There have been real flashes of potential. The roster is bought in and committed to the scheme, and while it doesn't gloss over the offensive shortcomings, it's something to hang their hat on.
There's a defensive backbone that could form the foundation of the next great era of Thunder basketball, not unlike the early Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka squads that sported numerous top 10 defenses.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on track for another top five pick during a clear tanking year, but don't be fooled by the record, a real identity is growing in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are top-10 in defense since the start of 2022. What makes the Thunder defense so effective?

The Oklahoma City Thunder's emerging defensive identity

Since the dawn of modern draft philosophy, NBA front offices have generally prioritized the untapped potential of younger prospects over the more apparent ceiling of an upperclassmen.
However, for every theory, there exists exceptions, and the league has fielded its fair share of outliers since the rise of the one-and-done era. Guys like Draymond Green, CJ McCollum, Jimmy Butler and &mdash; most recently, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-cementing-himself-as-essential-part-of-nextgen-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Desmond Bane</a> &mdash; have massively outperformed their respective expectations and helped shed the stigma that comes with being an &ldquo;older&rdquo; draftee.
Enter Chris Duarte. The 24-year-old rookie has had an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ncaa-basketball-chris-duarte-oregon-ducks-dominican-republic-continues-climb-nba-draft-2021-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unconventional journey into the NBA</a>, but now that he has arrived, he has proven to be one of the better players in a stacked 2021 class.
So is he the next link in the chain of draft anomalies?
To find out, let&rsquo;s take a deep dive into the film to see what gives the Former Pac-12 Player of the Year a chance to be a high-level pro for a very long time.
Offense
Upon being selected with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Duarte was dubbed by ESPN's <a href="https://fieldhousefiles.substack.com/p/chris-duarte-then-isaiah-jackson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jay Bilas</a> as &ldquo;a poor man&rsquo;s Klay Thompson.&rdquo; And while he&rsquo;s right to some degree &mdash; Duarte&rsquo;s 35.5% from beyond the arc is mincemeat to one of the greatest shooters that ever lived &mdash; he's mostly missing the mark on offense because Duarte's versatility as a scorer is an entirely different tax bracket.
This season, Duarte has been unassisted on 51.7% of his twos and 22.1% of his threes, a healthy margin above Thompon&rsquo;s highest marks (44.4% and 9.2% respectively, per Basketball-Reference). Duarte&rsquo;s volume on unassisted shots is in part due to the injuries of lead guards like Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. McConnell, but it also speaks volumes about his juice as an on-ball scorer.
Not a supreme athlete or ball-handling maestro, much of Duarte&rsquo;s chops off-the-dribble can be attributed to his advanced footwork, which Indy Cornrows writer Caitlin Cooper (great <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> follow) raved about during her December appearance on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a>:
<blockquote>
&ldquo;I love his footwork. It&rsquo;s so good. Like, the Pacers don&rsquo;t have other guys that can shoot off of a hedge or off of a switch [to] that type of degree.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
And she&rsquo;s one-hundred percent on the money. Duarte&rsquo;s gracefulness adds another dimension to his game and the Indiana offense. Just look at this clip from a film thread Cooper did on a Duarte game in January, where he buries a nasty mid-range jumper with none other than Klay staring at him from under the basket:
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2) Reverse pivoting out of a probe dribble without losing any balance or control on his jump shot. <a href="https://t.co/h4tRTzYUFF">pic.twitter.com/h4tRTzYUFF</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1484606298322833412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Overall, his ability to act as an on-ball/off-ball hybrid offensively enables him to handle a relatively high scoring load (fourth in usage and sixth in points per possession among rookies) while also maintaining solid efficiency (No. 6 in <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022_advanced.html#advanced_stats::ts_pct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">efficiency</a> among rookies).
One development many of us didn&rsquo;t see coming (myself included) is Duarte&rsquo;s effectiveness as a part-time playmaker. He&rsquo;s in the 55th percentile among pick and roll ball-handlers primarily because of his ability to navigate the floor and pinpoint the optimal play available.
In the next trio of clips, Duarte identifies two weak-side corner skips and one laydown dump-off at the rim (passes even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-the-allstar-case-for-dejounte-murray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dejounte Murray</a> himself struggles consistently making):
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Now granted, he still has plenty of hiccups when saddled into the head creator role (evidenced by his 31st percentile turnover percentage). But the flashes he shows are exciting, particularly when factored in with his promising profile as a scorer.
Defense
When scouting perimeter players on defense, you normally want to ask yourself three questions:
1) Are they staunch at the point of attack?
2) Can they guard multiple positions?
3) Do they create <a href="https://premiumhoops.org/2021/04/06/evaluating-nba-perimeter-defense-establishing-and-using-a-rubric/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">events</a> on defense?
For the first two questions, I&rsquo;d probably lean towards "No." Duarte is solid at the point of attack, but he can&rsquo;t really keep up with intense speed or overwhelming strength. And his versatility on that end of the floor grades second-last out of the 43 &ldquo;wing stoppers&rdquo; with at least 600 minutes (per BBall Index).&nbsp;
Where he does shine, though, is in his penchant for taking the ball away from the opposition. So far this year, his nearly 2% steal rate places him in the 72nd percentile at his position (per Cleaning the Glass).&nbsp;
His playmaking as a defender also exemplifies arguably the most important part of his long-term defensive value: team defense.
This is highly anecdotal, but when I went back and dove into the tape on Duarte, it seemed like every game, there was at least one instance where he&rsquo;d make a play that compelled the opposing team&rsquo;s broadcast to say something like &ldquo;right place, right time, Chris Duarte.&rdquo;&nbsp;
(Side note: Always watch the opposing team&rsquo;s broadcast of the player you&rsquo;re studying, unless you&rsquo;re scouting a Charlotte Hornets player.)
What these commentators are trying to convey when they use that overworked sports cliche is Duarte&rsquo;s knack for providing help at the nail, executing the one-pass closeout, zoning up two defenders on the weak side and intercepting passes for an electrifying pick-six.
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The Pacers' defense is abysmal, but it improves by 4.5 points per 100 possessions when Duarte&rsquo;s on the court (81st percentile) because of his <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2022/1/26/22900955/on-the-instinctual-play-of-chris-duarte">instinctual</a> play on that end of the floor. (Seriously, follow Caitlin!)&nbsp;
Conclusion
I realize that, up to this point, I haven&rsquo;t focused too heavily on Duarte&rsquo;s shortcomings as a player, and it&rsquo;s not due to a lack thereof. His playmaking is fun, but spotty. He lacks the necessary burst/verticality to be an elite rim finisher (34th percentile), and his defense will always be solid &mdash; just never mega-impactful for the reasons highlighted earlier.
With that said, I&rsquo;ve strayed away from harping on his limitations because those aren&rsquo;t the reasons you draft a player like Duarte in the first place. In fact, a lower-potential ceiling comes with the territory. You select prospects like him for the certainty they provide. The certainty of having someone who can enhance high-usage offensive stars by effectively playing off them while also never compromising the defense thanks to a propensity for schematic punctuality.&nbsp;
Players like that start meaningful games on championship teams. And if Duarte can manage that, he makes one hell of an argument for why you should draft older players.
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Mat Issa believes that Pacers rookie Chris Duarte is making a strong argument for NBA front offices to rethink potential vs. certainty.

Chris Duarte and the case for drafting older players

Almost every franchise has cleared the halfway point of its schedule. At this mark, I'm listing the most aggravating, season-defining gripe for every squad on this week's list. Some are out of teams' control, like injuries and COVID absences. Others could on-court tendencies, front office decisions or underachieving players.
Teams stuck in the NBA Sour Rankings are all there for the same reason: they're disappointing. But how teams arrive there, and what really gets a fan base on edge, can vary wildly.&nbsp;
<div>
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
</div>
<div>
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
</div>
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;No one! It looks like we've found a sweet spot. Every team stays.
10. Houston Rockets (13-32)
The Rockets are trudging through a rebuild, and most of their young talent has at least flashed promise at some point in the season. Mark Schindler and Mat Issa just wrote a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rocket-revival-evaluating-houston-rockets-young-core-part-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fantastic two-part breakdown</a> on the prospect core. But Houston's best player has also been one of its biggest concerns so far.
Christian Wood is, on paper, the leader of the team. But he's been ranging from inconsistent to uninterested this season. That includes a team-imposed one-game suspension for refusing to sub into a game (on top of being benched for showing up late to practice) and fluctuating effort on defense, as Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. referenced on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-73-first-team,-all-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a>. Wood sets the tone for Houston's culture and intensity in many ways, and you never know if he'll bring it on any given night.
(Last week: 9)
9. Los Angeles Clippers (21-23)
The Clippers have soldiered on through brutal circumstances with significant injuries to their two stars. Now, according to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/clippers-reportedly-willing-to-discuss-majority-of-veterans-in-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer</a>, they're willing to listen to offers on the majority of their veterans and potentially viewing this season as a Warriors-esque mini-tank.&nbsp;
That's probably the right idea at this point, given they are reportedly moving forward as if George will be out for the season. Those injuries have been the worst part of the season, and unfortunately puts a pause button on any attempt at a title.
(Last week: 8)
8. Washington Wizards (22-21)
Bradley Beal is hitting just 29.8% of his three-pointers. Davis Bertans is posting a 33.8% clip. Raul Neto is at 23.1%. Each of those are career-lows. Spencer Dinwiddie (32.6%), Kyle Kuzma (32.2%), Corey Kispert (32.1%) and Deni Avdija (29.8%) have also experienced ups and downs. The Wizards are 26th in team three-point percentage and have two rotation players &mdash; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Holiday &mdash; hitting above 34% from long range.&nbsp;
I mean... that's pretty ice-cold. And with a defense that was expectedly mediocre, something has to settle in for Washington to get back on track in the playoff race.
(Last week: 6)
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7. Los Angeles Lakers (21-22)
We're not going to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-russell-westbrook-experiment-has-been-a-huge-failure-for-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discuss Russell Westbrook here</a>, because as polarizing as he is, the Lakers have bigger things to solve. Hollywood boasts the second-best offensive rating in the NBA over the past two weeks. But the team is 2-3 in that span because it wields the second-worst defensive rating, part of a consistent collapse from recent years.
The Lakers get destroyed by opponents on the offensive glass. They give up the second-highest frequency of at-rim attempts out of any team in the league. Anthony Davis' injury has once again exposed a complete lack of rim-protection, and with less effective perimeter stoppers, opponents can attack whenever they want.
(Last week: 10)
6. New York Knicks (22-21)
The Knicks have a nice little three-game winning streak and swung a trade for Cam Reddish that has been given a consensus "good for you" by the public sphere. They accordingly get a positive bump in the Sour Rankings with RJ Barrett coming to life over the recent stretch.&nbsp;
Julius Randle's regression has been the most frustrating development over the course of the season. His three-point rate has plummeted ten percentage points and made 2020-21 look like a serious outlier. He's had a difficult time making the right play consistently on offense, while his defense on the perimeter has been lacking. Six months ago, Randle was the face of the franchise. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/as-a-franchise-player-julius-randle-has-left-a-lot-to-be-desired" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Now he's inspiring pessimism</a>.
(Last week: 3)
5. Sacramento Kings (18-28)
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Tyrese Haliburton is delightfully good, his development is staggeringly impressive <a href="https://t.co/8TahmI2tVA">pic.twitter.com/8TahmI2tVA</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1481075155145302016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The clock appears to be ticking on De'Aaron Fox's development as a cornerstone for the Kings. <a href="https://theathletic.com/3066096/2022/01/12/nba-trade-deadline-looms-but-ben-simmons-remains-a-sixer-what-do-we-know-and-which-teams-could-deal-for-him/?article_source=search&amp;search_query=sam%20amick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Amick of The Athletic reports</a> that Fox and Tyrese Haliburton are up for discussion in trade conversations. Fox in particular has been the prized piece in Sacramento's rebuild attempt, but the point guard has hit a road block in his growth.&nbsp;
This season, Fox has seen his scoring and passing numbers go down in the box score. Per Cleaning the Glass, he actually has the worst assist-to-usage rate of any player at his position. His defensive energy still waxes and wanes, and he's shooting 25.3% from long range. If Fox does get traded, it signals another failed era and a rollover for the Kings.&nbsp;
(Last week: 5)
4. Indiana Pacers (15-28)
The most annoying part of the season to date is that Indiana hasn't made a move yet. The Pacers are 15-28 and clearly out of the playoff race, and yet they still roll with a largely similar rotation as the trade deadline nears. Of course, there's no real rush to make a move between now and February, but fans anticipating a teardown can get antsy.
<a href="https://theathletic.com/3060724/2022/01/10/update-on-ben-simmons-trade-talks-frustrated-hawks-star-john-collins-a-possible-match-nba-news-and-notes/?article_source=search&amp;search_query=shams%20charania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Shams Charania last week</a>, things are moving with regard to potential Myles Turner and Caris LeVert deals. A Domantas Sabonis trade seems less likely, which makes sense given his tier of stardom. Either way, the next month is a critical juncture for the Pacers to maximize their future path, and should leave no trade-talk stone unturned by the All-Star break.
(Last week: 7) 
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3. Boston Celtics (22-22)
Celtics fans yell about all sorts of problems with this team, but I think the real dagger has been the second-half woes, because there simply isn't an easy answer. Boston is 2.5 wins below their expected count (26th in the NBA), per Cleaning the Glass, in large part due to some epic meltdowns.
The Celtics are shooting 31.4% from three-point range in the fourth-quarter, which is the fifth-lowest mark. They average 4.8 assists per game as a team in the fourth quarter &mdash; second-lowest. They are 9-16 in clutch games &mdash; the fourth-worst winning percentage. The breakdowns have been spectacular.
(Last week: 4)
2. Portland Trail Blazers (17-25)
So changing to a first-year head coach and making some minor rotation tweaks didn't flip around a flawed roster with years of bad defense on record? Interesting.
Portland gives up the highest opposing effective field goal percentage of any team in the NBA. They give up top-10 shooting percentages from every area on the court except the least valuable spot &mdash; the long two. The Blazers are working extremely hard to pass Houston for the worst defensive rating, which would be quite the... achievement. There's way too much to fix in Portland.
(Last week: 2)
1. Atlanta Hawks (17-25)
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-has-john-collins-role-with-the-hawks-really-changed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote recently</a> about how John Collins' frustrations regarding his role have at least some stats-related ground to stand on. The conclusions spawn plenty of questions on his fit with Clint Capela, Nate McMillan's strategy and where the Hawks even plan to go next.
That's been the most distressing development: this young team, with a young superstar in Trae Young, has gotten markedly worse when it should be trending up. Now Collins could be a trade asset when he has been the No. 2 cornerstone for the franchise since he was drafted in 2017. The pieces should be here &mdash; why isn't it equating to winning when it did last season?
(Last week: 1)

Ethan Fuller ranks what facets of teams' slow starts have been the most concerning through the halfway point.

NBA Sour Rankings: The frustrating parts of the most frustrating teams

The New Orleans Pelicans spent the first third of their season languishing at the bottom of the NBA ladder. They opened the schedule 1-13, and hit Thanksgiving at 4-17 with some of the worst leaguewide efficiency ratings on both ends of the floor.
Then, a switch flipped. The Pelicans are 11-9 since Nov. 24 before the mini-break and have grinded out victories against some of the NBA's top teams without their top player in Zion Williamson. It's no coincidence that in those 20 games, they reinserted one Herb Jones into the starting lineup.
Jones has been nothing short of a revelation as a rookie second-round pick. He'd be a lock for All-Rookie First Team honors if this 2021 class wasn't so dang stacked. Let's move beyond rookie talk though. The 23-year-old has already cemented himself as New Orleans' go-to defender, and three months into his pro career, he's been one of the better wing-stoppers in the entire NBA.
In this 20-game stretch, Jones is tied for fourth in the league (min. 10 games played) with 1.8 steals per game and fifth with 3.3 deflections per game. He has a seven-foot wingspan that he uses to its full potential, jumping passing lanes with his head on a swivel.&nbsp;
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It isn't just about his length; plenty of today's NBA players have that. Jones also possesses a relentless motor and quick processing of the opposing offense. Watch this one play in particular, where he sees a Rockets play designed for Garrison Mathews. Jones recognizes it and can switch from his own assignment in time to get the steal:
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Per Cleaning the Glass, Jones is one of six players with steal and block rates of at least 2.0% in at least 500 minutes of action. The others are: Draymond Green, Robert Covington, Matisse Thybulle, Andre Drummond and fellow rookie Alperen Sengun. He's also averaging 3.1 fouls per game, which is a completely reasonable number for such an active and valuable defender.
He gets those blocks partially from being a fantastic help defender. Jones has a quick first step on defense and can jump in front of a driver or shooter, but also has the body control to contest without fouling. If he gets beat or pinned on a screen, Jones can use his length and long strides to make some amazing recoveries. Look at these blocks:
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Perhaps the biggest sign of his importance, though, comes with his on-ball matchups. Jones is asked to guard some of the best scorers on the planet &mdash; on any given night, across all positions. He's recently been the primary defender for Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins, while switching onto both guards and bigs.&nbsp;
It's been mostly great. Jones can mirror the opponent's movements well and force them into a tough look. If we're nitpicking, maybe he could improve his lateral movement; Mitchell was able to shake-and-bake him for a couple of buckets recently. But if we're nitpicking a 23-year-old, No. 35 overall pick for not locking down an All-World scorer? That's a great sign.
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The BBall Index has created <a href="https://www.bball-index.com/glossary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">metrics to track defenders' positional versatility and matchup difficulty</a>. Among players who have logged at least 500 minutes, Jones is one of 27 players in the 90th percentile of both categories. He is third among those players in the site's defensive impact estimator, D-LEBRON.&nbsp;
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We're back on that Herb Jones propaganda train. Here's him getting good positioning and a steal on two of the toughest matchups in the NBA: <a href="https://t.co/nHhSxEN2Gw">pic.twitter.com/nHhSxEN2Gw</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1478751641562226688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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By all accounts, the rookie's defensive impact is undeniable. He's also improving in his small, specialized role on offense as a spot-up shooter, cutter and ball-mover. Since Nov. 24, Jones is making a solid 65% of his at-rim attempts and 35% of his three-pointers, per Cleaning the Glass. He's a complementary option who is still ironing out the long-range shot (though it has come a long way since college at Alabama), but Jones is a tough finisher and a trustworthy offensive piece.
On the season, New Orleans is 11.4 points per 100 possessions better with Jones on the floor, which ranks in the 90th percentile at his position. He's a notable net positive on both offense and defense.&nbsp;
If I had a vote, I'd stick Jones on an All-Defensive team right now. He's been that good and that impactful for the Pelicans. Either way, New Orleans has found a gem in the second round and an ideal long-term fit next to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
Get Herb Jones on your radar now before he make your favorite scorer's life a living nightmare.

Herb Jones has not only emerged as a rookie standout this season, but also has taken on some tough defensive matchups.

Herb Jones is already one of the NBA's elite wing defenders

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/matt-barnes-shared-what-led-to-his-infamous-ball-fake-at-kobe-bryant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
When talking about some of the most competitive and fearless players in the history of the NBA, Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s name is at the top of the list. Notorious for his &ldquo;Mamba Mentality,&rdquo; which means working hard and going above and beyond to accomplish your goals, Kobe built his illustrious Hall-of-Fame career and left a deep influence on countless other basketball players and fans.
Kobe made his career with his immaculate talent and skill as one of the best scorers the league has ever seen. But what really put him over the top and among the best players in history was that competitive spirit and will to get dirty, just like his idol Michael Jordan. Of course, that mentality placed him in some serious battles with various &ldquo;Kobe stoppers," especially in the playoffs. From Ruben Patterson, Doug Christie and Bruce Bowen, to Raja Bell, Ron Artest and Tony Allen, Kobe had to face and battle some of the toughest defenders the league has ever seen.
But in March 2010, there was a regular-season game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. These were two teams that had just played each other in the Finals the previous postseason, so tensions got high as Kobe got into it with Matt Barnes, another player known for his gritty style of play. That would give us an iconic moment: On an inbound play on the baseline, Barnes faked throwing ball in Kobe&rsquo;s face. The Black Mamba didn't budge, and instead, stared back at him cold-bloodedly.
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"I knew he wasn't going to do s**t. Why should I flinch for?" - KOBE 11 years ago today, Matt Barnes found out Kobe Bryant doesn&rsquo;t flinch. <a href="https://t.co/aoxzj0NGio">pic.twitter.com/aoxzj0NGio</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1368548940568612866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Stories about that moment have been told numerous times by Barnes and Kobe himself, and the two eventually teamed up in L.A. and became good friends. But recently, Barnes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU1VbZxBcJE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined Gilbert Arenas on his podcast, "No Chill,"</a> and shared what provoked him to do the ball fake:
&ldquo;In the Orlando situation, I mean, anyone that plays Kobe knows he&rsquo;s dirty. Grabs you, elbows you, says sh**, does whatever. But they&rsquo;ll never call a foul on him," Barnes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU1VbZxBcJE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "[He was] known for elbowing you in the sternum, known for just doing all kinds of crazy sh**, but that was part of that mental warfare that he liked to put on you. This motherf***er elbowed me in my sternum, hit me in the nuts, elbowed me in the chin. Like, I&rsquo;mma fight this dude because these punk-a** refs aren&rsquo;t calling nothing. So when the ball-fake sh** happened, it wasn&rsquo;t like I&rsquo;m gonna fake the ball in his face. Literally, my arms just did it by themselves. I wanted to slam that shi** in his face. So I faked it, and then it kind of became what it did.&rdquo;
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Kobe may have been a superstar, but he played like he was any other player on the team. He gave it his all on both sides of the floor and didn't shy away from locking up the other team&rsquo;s best players, all while frustrating them mentally and psychologically with his sneaky moves. The will to do the dirty stuff and use his superstar status to get away with extra physicality and sneaky plays made Kobe an absolute menace on the court. Knowing every trick in the book, mixed with his unbelievable skillset, allowed Bryant to be so successful and great.
And that is why his name will be forever remembered.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Matt Barnes joined Gilbert Arenas on his "No Chill" podcast to discuss one of the most memorable moments of Kobe's legacy.

Matt Barnes reveals what led to his infamous ball fake at Kobe Bryant

When James Wiseman looks back on his rookie season, the 20-year-old describes it as "weird.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We were in the pandemic, we didn't have fans and I got thrown right into the fire,&rdquo; Wiseman said at the Golden State Warriors' Media Day. &ldquo;This year is going to be way better because I learned a lot. And then, having a young core is going to be way better too, in terms of our development. I can't wait for that.&rdquo;
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft played 39 games as a rookie, averaging 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 51.9% from the field, 31.6% from three and 62.8% from the free-throw line. Then, in a game against the Houston Rockets on April 10, he tore the meniscus in his right knee and needed season-ending surgery to repair it.
&ldquo;It was a crazy moment, that game,&rdquo; Wiseman said of the injury. &ldquo;I was down in tears, and I was out of it because I wanted to be out there playing. That's life, and that's part of the game. Sometimes you get thrown a lot of curveballs, but you have to keep going with the flow and keep moving forward.&rdquo;
Nearly six months later, Wiseman says that his knee is &ldquo;great&rdquo; and he&rsquo;s &ldquo;taking it day-by-day,&rdquo; but there's currently no timetable for his return.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We don't have a timeline,&rdquo; Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;He's doing great with his rehab. We are going to be very careful. Obviously, he's a young player, incredibly talented. We have a great training staff that is going to be cautious and really walk him through every step of the rehab process, so we'll just see how it goes. But [we&rsquo;re] very comfortable with the development process that we have in place. Our development staff is really doing a great job of already employing a lot of the structure that's going to happen in between games. All of our young players will be getting a healthy amount of playing time; even if they are not playing in games for us, they are going to be playing a lot of basketball.&rdquo;
Even though he missed a significant portion of the 2020-21 season, Wiseman has remained in good spirits.
&ldquo;I'm proud of still going and not giving up; I'm proud of that,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;I learned a lot from last year. Even though the injury sucks, it happens &mdash; but none of that gets me down because I'm strong. I can withstand anything... Without adversity, you can't grow. I just took that [injury], ran with it and made a positive out of it. And I'm going to be way better this year because I learned all that last year.&rdquo;
When asked what he learned from his rookie campaign and how he will apply it during this upcoming season, Wiseman rattled off some specific areas where he can improve.
&ldquo;Just reading the pattern on defense, making sure I call out the patterns on defense earlier and just staying out of foul trouble. So just defending [without] fouling and just using my verticality more because I can be a threat at the rim if I use that correctly,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;I'm just pounding it every day, just watching film and doing stuff like that so I can improve.
&ldquo;Nobody on this earth is perfect. So really, I just go day-by-day and just want to work hard. I have a courageous mind and I ask all the questions, and that's going to help out a lot too... I want to be better, I want to learn and I want to be the best I can be as a player. I just ask as many questions as possible.&rdquo;
Wiseman was inconsistent throughout his rookie season, which isn't surprising since young centers often have a harder time getting acclimated to the NBA and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take longer to develop</a>. Still, the big man received quite a bit of criticism from fans and media &mdash; particularly on social media. In April, Coach Kerr noticed that the social-media negativity was getting to Wiseman, so the two made a pact to stay off of Twitter and Instagram for the near future.
&ldquo;[My Twitter hiatus] actually started as an agreement with James Wiseman,&rdquo; Kerr <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/warriors-steve-kerr-twitter-hiatus-no-plans-return" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;We were on a road trip somewhere, and I asked James how he was doing. It&rsquo;s obviously a long season, and he had his ups and downs. We were in a conversation about life in general, and I asked him about social media. We started talking about it. I said, &lsquo;What do you say we take a break, we both take a break for a few weeks? Get off Twitter and anything else we&rsquo;re on.&rsquo; He said, &lsquo;Yes, let&rsquo;s do it.&rsquo;&rdquo;
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This break from social media seems to have helped Wiseman.
&ldquo;Negativity sells in today's society, so I don't associate myself with that,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;I look at a lot of inspirational videos to keep myself uplifted, so I can go out there and play my best... You can't go through life trying to impress other people, so make sure you impress yourself and stay uplifted and stay confident. And make sure you don't let nobody tell you what you can and cannot do because you can do anything that you put your mind to; that's a fact.&rdquo;
Now, he&rsquo;s excited to take the next step in his development during his sophomore season. While his injury has limited what he&rsquo;s been able to do on the court, he has still been working hard behind the scenes.&nbsp;
Wiseman said he&rsquo;s been watching a lot of film, working on his footwork and lateral movements, and improving his upper- and lower-body strength. He has also been meditating and finding ways to "keep his mental sharp." He has spent a lot of time putting up shots and working on his form too.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve focused on my technique in terms of my form [when] shooting, and I've been working on that every day for the past three or four months,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;It's come a long way.&rdquo;
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The big man has been working with Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, who was hired this offseason mainly to help with Wiseman&rsquo;s development. Prior to becoming a coach, Milojevic was a three-time Adriatic League MVP who had a 15-year career overseas. He previously coached Nikola Jokic in Serbia from 2012-2015, and he "has been credited with some of Jokic&rsquo;s foundational basketball grooming," <a href="https://theathletic.com/2653190/2021/06/15/the-warriors-hiring-of-dejan-milojevic-signals-increased-focus-on-james-wisemans-development/?source=emp_shared_article&amp;redirected=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> Anthony Slater of The Athletic.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He's great,&rdquo; Wiseman said of Milojevic. &ldquo;I love everybody on the staff, but really [Milojevic] is teaching me the basic fundamentals of the game and details of the game. [He&rsquo;s] telling me things that I need to work on, and then we work on them in the gym. We&rsquo;re just working every day.&rdquo;
Wiseman knows that he still has plenty of room for improvement and a lot of work to do in order to realize his full potential. When asked him if he feels like a veteran now that he&rsquo;s no longer a rookie, he gave an honest response.
&ldquo;I'm not a veteran yet; I have to earn my stripes,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;It's my second year and I just turned 20, so I'm still learning as well. But I [did] get the body of information from what I had to go through last year, so I get a lot of advice and just keep getting a lot of encouragement.&rdquo;
One teammate who has been providing advice and encouragement is Klay Thompson. Since they were both sidelined toward the end of last season, the two spent a lot of time together and ended up watching a number of NBA playoff games together.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I've been bonding with Klay a lot,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just been going through a lot of games &mdash; especially when the playoffs were on &mdash; we were watching it together and he was telling me stuff that I can do to be a better center in terms of my role. Yeah, we were talking a lot.&rdquo;
The teammates have been hanging out away from basketball too. Recently, Thompson took Wiseman out <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1410730832361308160" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on his boat</a>, which the big man enjoyed.
&ldquo;That was fun,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;He was teaching me the waves, so one day if I get my boat, I&rsquo;ll [know] how to drive it. He taught me a lot of stuff like that. We were talking and vibing and having a great time. I actually enjoyed myself. I was also his deckhand, so I was doing all that stuff. Man, it was crazy!&rdquo;
While watching the playoffs, Wiseman was studying Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, who is only three years older than him. While Wiseman was with the Memphis Tigers, one of his coaches was Cody Toppert, who had coached Ayton the year prior as a Suns assistant. Wiseman took some lessons away from Ayton&rsquo;s success during Phoenix&rsquo;s postseason run.
&ldquo;[He was] really just simplifying his game,&rdquo; Wiseman said of Ayton. &ldquo;I say simplify his game in terms of like the usage rate and really just him being able to read the floor and being able to call out patterns early."
Wiseman is entering this season with a similar approach to his game and role.
"Just like, simplifying my game and just playing my role &mdash; keeping it simple, not putting too much pressure on myself and just going out there and doing what I do best," Wiseman said. "Basically, just not forcing everything. Just going with the flow of the game, going within the flow of the system and just staying confident within myself and just playing my goal and just simplifying &mdash; keeping it simple for myself.&rdquo;
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Ayton, like Wiseman, took some time to become the two-way threat that he is today. Toppert recently spoke to Basketball News about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">why young big men tend to take longer to develop</a>.
&ldquo;They can almost impose their will on the game [at a young age], as opposed to reading the game &mdash; two entirely separate schools of thought,&rdquo; Toppert <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;And so essentially, the bottom line is when you get to a level where you can no longer do those things, now you're gonna be forced to actually learn the game... James is pretty well built. Deandre was pretty well-built. But the game is so much more physical at the NBA level, and legal physicality, especially big man on big man &mdash; you can get away with a lot more in the NBA than you can in college without getting called for a foul. Getting used to that everyday physicality, pounding, beating, is not easy.&rdquo;
Wiseman seems to be doing all of the right things to become a significant contributor for Golden State &mdash; such as getting stronger, watching film and expanding his game. Now, he just needs to get as many reps as possible. Typically, a sophomore has been through two NBA Summer Leagues and two training camps by now; Wiseman has missed both in back-to-back years.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's not ideal, obviously,&rdquo; Kerr said of Wiseman missing training camp again. &ldquo;But he's in good spirits, and our coaching staff is doing a great job of working with him every day on the things that he's able to work on. DeJan, in particular, has been with him every single day and, in some ways, it's been healthy. It would be nice if James were out there playing, but because he's not playing, he's focusing on little details. As a young player with so little experience, he needs to work on those details. So, he's getting some good work in now that I think will pay off as he gets healthy and gets back on the floor.&rdquo;
It remains to be seen when Wiseman will take the floor for the Warriors, but he's doing everything he can to prepare for the upcoming season, and all signs point to him making huge strides when he returns.
&ldquo;Wiseman had such an interesting year last year, not having a Summer League last summer [or] this summer, missed most of training camp, dealing with injuries, and then a season-ending one,&rdquo; Stephen Curry said. &ldquo;He never really got a full run of games where he could put some momentum together in the right direction, so he was always kind of chasing and feeling like he had to prove himself. Hopefully this year &mdash; I know it's not an ideal start again &mdash; but hopefully he can kind of simplify the game and understand how he's going to help us win and that will hopefully get him in the right position where he can develop his skill set even more.&rdquo;

After a "weird" rookie year that ended due to a torn meniscus, James Wiseman is determined to have a much better sophomore season.

James Wiseman ready to make big strides: 'I'm going to be way better'

16-year NBA veteran Rasheed Wallace &ndash; a 2004 champion and four-time All-Star &ndash; has agreed to a deal to become a new assistant coach at University of Memphis under Penny Hardaway, sources tell The Athletic and Stadium.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1428002334974517261" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: The former Detroit Piston will join Penny Hardaway's stacked coaching staff at the University of Memphis that already includes assistants such as former NBA head coach Larry Brown and former Phoenix Suns assistant coach Cody Toppert.
Memphis, who just landed five-star recruit Jalen Duren, is hoping to also successfully recruit five-star prospect Emoni Bates to Memphis as he is visiting Memphis this afternoon for his official in-person visit.

According to Shams Charania, NBA veteran Rasheed Wallace will join Penny Hardaway's staff at the University of Memphis.

Rasheed Wallace to join Penny Hardaway's staff at Memphis

Somewhere along the way, we collectively lost the plot with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It may have been his postseason outings in 2019 and 2020. He performed well statistically -- 26-12-5 with a 57% True Shooting percentage in 2019, 27-14-6 with an increated TS% (61)&nbsp; in 2020 -- but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/battle-tested-milwaukee-bucks-find-redemption-from-past-with-nba-championship-gold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faltered when things got tight</a>.&nbsp;
The free-throw shooting wasn't where it needed to be. A consistent presence of a wall -- from the Raptors and their plethora of elite defenders, then the Heat with their trio of stoppers -- forced Giannis out of his comfort zone. Counters became necessary, and they simply weren't present enough to bring things home.
It may have been James Harden's infamous comments a year ago that started all of this.&nbsp;
"I wish I could be 7-feet, run and just dunk, like, that takes no skill at all," <a href="https://youtu.be/tUCf4p-MxvA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harden said</a> in a sit-down with ESPN's Rachel Nichols.
"I gotta actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill. I&rsquo;ll take that any day."
It snowballed into a larger theme. Suddenly, people, fans and players truly did not respect what Giannis brought to the table as an offensive engine.
The broad strokes of his artistry were known. It's hard to miss his unique mix of size, length, speed, strength, explosiveness and flexibility.
There's also a level of coordination needed to blend those attributes together.
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I understand that the "If it's so easy, everyone could do it" point is incredibly basic, but consider that Giannis (6-foot-11, 242 pounds), Justin Patton (6-foot-11, 241 pounds), and Jarrett Allen (6-foot-11, 243 pounds) are all within <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/bio/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;CF=PLAYER_HEIGHT_INCHES*GE*83&amp;sort=PLAYER_WEIGHT&amp;dir=-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one pound of each other</a>. The latter two play nothing like Giannis, and couldn't if they wanted to.
Giannis' physical attributes are absurd in their own right; add in a functional handle that allows him to grab-and-go in transition or pull off spins and Eurosteps in the half-court, and you have one of the most dominant rim threats the NBA has ever seen.
To that point: Giannis has converted 70% or more of his shots inside of three feet in each of the past five seasons, per Basketball-Reference. Roughly 56% of those shots were self-created during that span.
We know Giannis is a rim terror, but the subtleties of his attacking have also been a bit undersold. He may have a limited palette, but there's been enough nuance within that palette to make him virtually unguardable inside.
I keep thinking about this possession in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
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My first thought: Why on earth is Deandre Ayton leaving his feet on a Giannis pump fake from three? Even a cursory glance at the scouting report ... ah, well, nevertheless.
But seriously, it's good stuff from Giannis. The pump fake works, not only getting Ayton in the air, but also putting his right foot forward after he lands. Giannis attacks that foot with two hard dribbles.
As Ayton flips his hips to stay in front of the lefty drive, Giannis spins to his right. But he doesn't just spin to his right. Peep the brief pause after the spin before raising and extending for the layup. Ayton leaves his feet to contest the layup, and is back on the ground by the time Giannis actually releases the ball.
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With the Eurostep, Giannis will change his stride length. He'll switch up his cadence. The move may be the same, but it'll be different enough to throw defenders off balance.
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Even with the I'm-stronger-than-you drives, the difficulty of knocking a large human off his spot while maintaining balance and altering your release angle on the fly seems to be undersold. Like, this ain't easy to do.
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Ayton's in a flat stance, and Giannis is still able to gain inside leverage with two dribbles. He dislodges Ayton on the gather, gets Deandre and Mikal Bridges in the air with an up-fake, then uses the rim as a shield with an extended finish with his right. And look at where the defenders are once Giannis puts it on the glass; Ayton is back on the ground, while Bridges is on the way down.
Giannis isn't just a powerful driver. He's a skilled driver with a keen understanding of angles, pace and body positioning. That is his bag, if you will.
What made Giannis terrifying during this postseason run, particularly the Finals, was the number of counters he added to complement the driving.&nbsp;
Attacking Ayton's front foot to set up a spin is cool. He used that same tactic to set up jump hooks, and even had a possession where he went with a half-spin before flowing into a fallaway jumper.&nbsp;
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There was newfound comfort operating away from the rim. His volume on shots outside of the restricted area increased; his efficiency on non-rim paint shots in particular <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shooting/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Playoffs&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;TeamID=1610612749&amp;sort=In%20The%20Paint%20(Non-RA)%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saw a sizable boost</a>. Turnarounds, jump hooks and push shots were all showcased throughout the postseason run.
Make no mistake, these are still areas in which Giannis has to improve. He was graded as an "average" isolation scorer during the postseason, per Synergy. He didn't hit off-the-dribble jumpers at a Durantuan clip.
But he showcased enough. He made enough. And once you combine those half-court counters with his transition brilliance, you have a worthy top dog.
Add in the context of his role versatility -- as Zach Lowe and others have noted, Giannis hasn't been used this much as a screener in his basketball life -- and you have ... well, this year's Finals MVP.
The scary part in all of this: Giannis is going to get better. The work ethic -- and the track record of that work ethic -- speaks for itself.
Don't be surprised if this is the beginning of a serious reign of terror.

Nekias Duncan gives his flowers to Giannis Antetokounmpo's offensive growth in the playoffs and NBA Finals.

Enough 'no bag' talk: Giannis Antetokounmpo put the NBA on notice

Giannis Antetokounmpo has one of the greatest resumes of any 26-year-old in NBA history: a champion, Finals MVP, two-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, and five-time All-Star. Antetokounmpo joins Michael Jordan as the only players to ever win NBA MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and DPOY. The stratosphere that Antetokounmpo has vaulted himself into at this stage of his career is rare territory.
Throughout the 2021 NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, Giannis was unstoppable. And he didn&rsquo;t miss any Finals games after it was originally feared that a season-ending knee injury would derail his incredible postseason run. What Antetokounmpo accomplished during this legacy-cementing run is truly &ldquo;Greek Freak&rdquo; stuff.
When glancing over Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s Finals barrage, it&rsquo;s truly absurd how he ran roughshod over Phoenix&rsquo;s roster. Nobody stood a chance against Giannis on his way to averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals on an elite 65.8 True Shooting percentage.
After Giannis claimed his first championship in historic fashion &ndash; a 50-point performance in the Bucks&rsquo; series-clinching Game 6 win at Fiserv Forum &ndash; what parallels can we draw for the 26-year-old superstar who&rsquo;s just now beginning to reach his prime years? Not many players come close to the athletic marvel that Antetokounmpo is, but former No. 1 overall pick and <a href="http://BasketballNews.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com</a>'s own Kenyon Martin made a comparison that holds up well.
&ldquo;This is the 2021 version of Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal,&rdquo; Martin said on <a href="https://youtu.be/LJ0zVJXkiro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the latest episode of Neat &amp; Unfiltered</a>. &ldquo;The domination that he plays with, the determination, and just the sheer force.&rdquo;
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When diving into the numbers from Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s 2021 Finals compared to O&rsquo;Neal&rsquo;s dominance against the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 Finals, the production is eerily similar:
2021 Giannis (age 26): 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 blocks, 1.2 steals, 39.8 minutes, 14.2 free throw attempts; 61.8 FG%, 65.8 TS%, 31.4 USG%; 53-of-63 (84.1%) inside the restricted area
2000 Shaq (age 28) = 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.7 blocks, 1.0 steal, 45.7 minutes, 15.5 free throw attempts; 61.1 FG%, 57.6 TS%, 34.0 USG%; 52-of-64 (81.3%) inside the restricted area
How Antetokounmpo and O&rsquo;Neal both dominated their Finals matchups in otherworldly fashion, especially in the restricted area, shows that it&rsquo;s fair to say the new-and-improved Superman has arrived.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s only one Superman now and that&rsquo;s you,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Neal said <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRk46KDsHk4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Instagram</a> after the Bucks&rsquo; clinched their first NBA championship in 50 years. &ldquo;Thanks for bringing old-school bully basketball back.&rdquo;
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What Giannis can do within his 6-foot-11, 240-pound frame is jaw-dropping. He can glide down the length of the floor with a few dribbles. The explosion around the basket is second to none. Instinctually, his two-way game continues to improve each season. When Giannis is in rhythm, nobody in the league can guard him. It was proven on the Association&rsquo;s biggest stage, as the Suns&rsquo; best version of potential Giannis stoppers in Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder were victimized relentlessly.
The way Giannis handles his business within the restricted area is very Shaq-like. During O&rsquo;Neal&rsquo;s prime, he would post up defenders and knock them through the basket with ferocity. Two decades later, Giannis is doing the same thing but with even more athleticism, soaring above the cylinder for gravity-defying alley-oops or chase-down blocks.
Having Antetokounmpo on their roster opens up endless possibilities for the Bucks and how they can build a potential dynasty around him. Giannis can play three positions on the floor, maybe even running point guard sometimes as a primary facilitator. However, the long-term outlook could be to have Giannis ease into a full-time center role.
In small-ball lineups with Antetokounmpo at center, the Bucks torched the Suns in the Finals with optimum floor-spacing surrounding their freak of nature inside. Brook Lopez is still under contract for two more seasons, but it&rsquo;s fair to wonder whether Milwaukee should eventually explore moving his $13 million salary for even more perimeter shooting.
Giannis keeps so many roster-construction options open, though. There&rsquo;s no need to break up a championship core, especially a piece like Lopez at this stage, but, post-Lopez, Giannis seems poised to become the modern version of Shaq. The Giannis-Shaq comparison is spot-on.
Milwaukee has one of the greatest players in the world on their roster, and there&rsquo;s no denying that now. Once Antetokounmpo signed the super-max extension, officially closing the book on leaving Milwaukee anytime soon, he proved he can win a ring the homegrown way. He knew it would be harder this way, but that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/title-rewards-antetokounmpos-decision-to-commit-to-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the reward would feel even sweeter at the end</a>.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy to go somewhere and go win a championship with somebody else,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said postgame while clutching the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy and Finals MVP award. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy. I could go to a super-team and just do my part and win a championship, but this is the hard way to do it, and we did it. We f***ing did it.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo is on the fast-track to a Hall-of-Fame career. Just as O&rsquo;Neal did for years in places like Orlando and Los Angeles, Antetokounmpo is ready to become a sheriff in the paint as the Bucks&rsquo; global two-way superstar for many years to come.

Evan Sidery compares Giannis Antetokounmpo's dominance in the 2021 Finals to Shaquille O'Neal's performance in the 2000 Finals.

Superman 2.0: Giannis Antetokounmpo is the modern Shaquille O’Neal

Deandre Ayton is rapidly becoming the player the Phoenix Suns imagined when the ping-pong balls bounced their way for the 2018 NBA draft.
The third-year center was in top form Saturday in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-suns-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-0a3ebb2306c67e80ec48fc9ad68fee5b">hard-fought 84-80 Game 4 win</a> over the Los Angeles Clippers. He scored 19 points, grabbed a playoff career-high 22 rebounds, blocked four shots, and was generally the only person on the floor who could put the ball in the basket with any kind of consistency.
Now the Suns have a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals and are one win from a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.
Game 5 is on Monday in Phoenix.
&ldquo;I thought Deandre&rsquo;s presence, his effort, the rebounding, shot blocking, his communication on defense, switching out on smaller guys and being able to guard them, he was the catalyst on the defensive end,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;I thought it was an unreal performance from him. Our guys rallied around him.&rdquo;
Williams added of Ayton: &ldquo;Every possession he's playing like his life depends on it.&rdquo;
There have certainly been some growing pains for the No. 1 overall pick out of Arizona. His rookie year was decent, though his effort on the defensive end was sometimes inconsistent. His second year was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/5bff9ec75f884ad09bd5a016bb7ce536">marred by a 25-game suspension</a> for violating the league's Anti-Drug policy after testing positive for a diuretic.
It was easy to wonder if the Suns had made the right choice.
Now there's not much concern. The 22-year-old has already had one of the iconic moments in Suns playoff basketball history when he dunked an alley-oop pass from Jae Crowder with 0.7 seconds left to win Game 2 last week.
It was another example of Ayton's newfound confidence and tenacity.
&ldquo;I learned I could keep going,&rdquo; Ayton said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s another level &mdash; I learned that. I think I reached the next level that I really need to be at, at this level when it comes to competing.&rdquo;
(Editor's Note: Former Suns director of player development and current Memphis University assistant coach Cody Toppert <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up on Ayton's growth in a piece on developing NBA bigs by Spencer Davies</a>.)
NO KAWHI
There's little doubt that the Clippers have missed the presence of Kawhi Leonard. The All-Star forward has missed six straight games due to a sprained right knee after he averaged 30.4 points in the postseason.
He'll miss a seventh straight game on Monday.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard would remain in Los Angeles while Game 5 is played in Phoenix. Lue hasn't given much clue as to when &mdash; or if &mdash; Leonard might return during the postseason.
UNFORGIVING RIMS
Chris Paul's return after missing two games in the league's COVID-19 protocol was supposed to be a big boost for the Suns' offense.
So far that hasn't been the case. The Suns scored just 92 points in Game 3 and 84 in Game 4.
Devin Booker hasn't been as productive since his broken nose suffered on a head-to-head collision with LA's Patrick Beverley in Game 2. Booker wore a plastic mask over his face in Game 3 and part of Game 4 before ditching it after he missed a layup.
&ldquo;I didn't think the shots were bad yesterday," Williams said. &ldquo;We just had so many shots go in and out, in and out. I don't know if I've ever seen that many in a game. I think both those guys &mdash; they've got multiple defenders on them, they're being blitzed at times, they're being switched onto. It's the playoffs.&rdquo;
Williams said the Suns' intense defense has allowed them to take a 3-1 lead. But he knows a few shots need to drop, too.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping we see an offensive explosion soon,&rdquo; Williams said.
PAUL'S PROBLEMS
Without Leonard in the lineup, Clippers forward Paul George has had a huge role in the offense. He's averaging 27.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists through four games in the Western Conference finals.
The problem is George is needing a lot of shots to get to those numbers. He's shooting just 36% from the field, 28% from 3-point range and 70% from the free throw line, including a few late-game misses that have been crucial.
George was just 5 of 20 from the field in Game 4, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/az-state-wire-los-angeles-clippers-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-00517ad783132bf24c639ae43d1d38a7">Fatigue could be a problem</a>: George is playing more than 41 minutes per game in this series.
&ldquo;You know, it&rsquo;s just what it is. I feel good," George said. "Not going to let that be an excuse or have something to fall back on. I feel good. When I&rsquo;m out there, I feel good.&rdquo;

Deandre Ayton is rapidly becoming the player the Suns imagined when the ping-pong balls bounced their way for the 2018 NBA Draft.

Deandre Ayton's emergence has Suns a win from the NBA Finals

It wasn't long ago that Ja Morant was the talk of the town, and rightfully so. The Memphis Grizzlies guard commanded the basketball world&rsquo;s attention in his playoff debut with his jaw-dropping athleticism, indellible fearlessness and flawless float game, as well as an affinity for the bright lights in crunch time.
On the other hand, that same Grizzlies team also features Jaren Jackson Jr., a highly-talented, versatile gunner and lengthy defensive threat who just couldn&rsquo;t seem to get his feet wet in his first postseason series. Now, it&rsquo;s important to note that Jackson missed all but 11 games in the regular season; still, he never truly regained his form in the first-round series against the Utah Jazz. He couldn't find much of a rhythm on either end, making just 28.6% of his threes and recording at least four fouls in every contest. In fact, Jackson committed five fouls in seven of his last 17 games.
So in the short time he spent on the court in 2021, there seemed to be a regression for Jackson as a shooter and defender. However, we have to remember that this is a 21-year-old with plenty of potential and swagger who can absolutely bounce back in the future, especially with a normal offseason ahead.&nbsp;
But isn&rsquo;t it interesting that Morant snatched the eyes of everybody watching, while Jackson, who has an additional year of experience under his belt, floundered throughout the first round? Such an incredible contrast between these two young players within the walls of the same franchise begs a question in a broader respect: Do guards and wings develop quicker than bigs?
The rising talents who have burst onto the scene in the playoffs are Morant, Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. Glance at the top picks in those drafts from the last four years and pick out the power forwards and centers who are even remotely close to their level. It&rsquo;s tough to do, isn&rsquo;t it?&nbsp;
That doesn&rsquo;t mean that the big men can&rsquo;t get to that point. Hell, look at what Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are doing in their fifth and sixth years. It just took them a little longer to get there -- particularly Jokic, the 2021 NBA MVP. And if we&rsquo;re going to talk about Jokic, we&rsquo;ve got to bring up Deandre Ayton&rsquo;s impact on the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; playoff run to this point, and the job he&rsquo;s done in stifling the Serbian jack-of-all-trades in their series thus far.
Ayton was the No. 1 pick in 2018, constantly compared to Doncic because of where he was selected, and he always will be due to the magnetism of Luka&rsquo;s presence and the incredible skill set that comes with it. Yet as Ayton carries this burden throughout his career, it is his team that's left standing among seven others, and it is his progression in Year 3 that has been the perfect ingredient to add to the Suns&rsquo; impeccable mixture.
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Cody Toppert, who's currently on Penny Hardaway's coaching staff with the Memphis Tigers, was previously the director of player development and an assistant coach with the Suns. Toppert worked hands-on with Ayton during his rookie season, and he was instrumental in the growth of Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges.
As Ayton continues to thrive in his role to the tune of over 16 points and 10 rebounds per game on 75.3% shooting from the field, Toppert shared his thoughts on the Bahamian big man&rsquo;s maturation.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think a couple things that we're seeing with Deandre is him understanding that defense is consecutive effort and offense is consecutive action,&rdquo; Toppert told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. &ldquo;He's doing a great job of getting much more aware of the go-straight-to-the-ball-screen, go-straight-to-the-ball-screen. Whereas maybe his rookie year, Book would have to wait on him to get in the action and kinda direct him. He's now naturally flowing towards the action.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And then on the defensive side of the ball, it's multiple efforts. What you're seeing is him understand when he's a weakside defender, he's rotating to protect the rim; but on a secondary kick-out, he's getting there also for a secondary rim-protection opportunity and closing with a defensive rebound. Or [when] he's in pick-and-roll coverage and then on a kick-out, he's rotating to protect the rim with verticality and then cleaning up with the defensive rebound. So that consecutive-effort mentality on defense is something that can be a separator.&rdquo;
On offense, Toppert sees Ayton gearing towards the rim after screens, showing great concentration on the catch off the roll with two hands and finishing with either dunks or a soft touch. He refers to Game 1 of the series vs. Denver, when Ayton hustled for two offensive rebounds on the same possession and got a hook shot to go down in a game that the Suns trailed by five with less than two minutes until halftime.
In that same game, Toppert observed two more things from Ayton. The first was him staying out of foul trouble, which is instrumental to the 22-year-old keeping a rhythm. The second was his ability to match Denver&rsquo;s physicality without being emotionally or physically reactionary (i.e. committing a frustration foul).
"To me, the talent has always been there,&rdquo; Toppert said. &ldquo;Deandre's always been a sponge, he's always been a great kid and he's always wanted to do right and do well. And so now what he's seeing is a little bit of success, and his confidence is just soaring... The sky's the limit."
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&ldquo;He's getting better every year. He's a very talented player,&rdquo; Jazz center and 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert told BasketballNews.com when asked about Ayton. &ldquo;He has a very good mid-range [game] and he's a very good finisher around the rim, so you have to try to be as physical as you can and make him earn it. That&rsquo;s the best thing to do -- make him earn it and try to make him take the toughest shot possible. But he&rsquo;s having a really good year, and he&rsquo;s gotten better every single year. He&rsquo;s definitely exciting to watch.&rdquo;
Perhaps another example of &ldquo;it takes time&rdquo; is Golden State Warriors center and the NBA&rsquo;s most recent No. 2 overall pick, James Wiseman. The rookie big man had an injury-plagued season, appearing in just 39 games in which his playing time fluctuated, as did his role on the floor.&nbsp;
As he did with Ayton in the pros, Toppert spent a lot of time with Wiseman at Memphis prior to the NCAA&rsquo;s questionable ruling of the young man&rsquo;s ineligibility. Toppert says this offseason will be big for Wiseman because he hasn&rsquo;t had the amount of reps necessary to consistently succeed yet.
&ldquo;There's a reason why -- and this goes for all players -- people tend to say, 'The best part about a rookie is he becomes a second-year player or third-year player.' You [use] that term, 'The game slows down for them,&rsquo;&rdquo; Toppert said. &ldquo;But we know that the game isn't slowing down; what's happening is they're becoming familiar with the million scenarios that they're gonna see... A lot of times it's being successful, or being unsuccessful in those moments. It's actually what helps in development.&rdquo;
What decision has to be made? Is it a pop or a roll? Is it switching the angle of a screen? Is it the right time to make a dribble handoff? Is the defender going under the pick? Is there any opportunity to dive to the rim or catch in the short roll? Is the weak side open for a kick-out? Those answers come with time and experience.
In order to illustrate the importance of game repetition, he referred to seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady.
&ldquo;He's so precise,&rdquo; Toppert said of Brady. &ldquo;He's seen all of the scenarios so many times that, despite maybe losing a step, he's still able to compete because he can make the right reads. And in the game of basketball, it's all about reading the situation, and then making the right decision.
&ldquo;A player who's been involved in 500 pick-and-rolls is probably not gonna be as good as a player who's been involved in 5,000... The more you do these things, the better you get at 'em... So, [James] will be able to get up to speed, but unfortunately that [rookie year] is kind of a little bit of a speed bump, just a little hurdle that he's gonna have to overcome."
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It&rsquo;s fitting that Toppert brought up Brady because he likens developing bigs in basketball to quarterbacks in football.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The big guys are the trigger guys; they've gotta trigger the action. So they're really like the playmaking initiators,&rdquo; Toppert said. &ldquo;The best big men in the drag screens, they're not waiting for the guard to call for the ball screen; they're just going to the ball screen. They're initiating that action...
&ldquo;The majority of NBA big men are designated screeners, or they're like delayed playmakers. Those are really like the two big-man roles. So either they're playmaking through the trail, where you hit 'em in the trail and they're gonna go dribble-handoff to the weak side, or they're screener, roller, divers, lob catchers, etc.&rdquo;
Utilizing Rudy Gobert and Clint Capela as primary examples, Toppert looks at how screens and screen assists lead to offensive results stemming from their execution; Gobert leads the NBA in both categories in total thus far in the playoffs. Whatever amount of screens they set is the number of plays they are involved in, whereas a guard or main ball-handler might not even use all of those.
&ldquo;What you see at the college level is the guards dribble the ball, and you see them having to wave for the big guys, 'Come up! Come set this! Come get me!' In the NBA, it's like the opposite. In college, you've gotta call [the bigs] up; in the NBA, you've gotta send 'em away like, 'Oh, we got the switch we want, don't screen now.'&rdquo;
There is an inherent advantage if you&rsquo;re a guard transitioning to the pros versus being a big early in your career. Guards always have the ball in their hands, and a smaller guard such as Trae Young, for instance, has relied on his skills to beat taller, longer, faster defenders his whole life. Some backcourt players actually see their role even simplified; you could have high usage in college and be the go-to guy who&rsquo;s making all the plays for your team, then get to the NBA and have your main responsibility trimmed down to being a slasher, a spot-up guy in a corner and/or guarding your position.&nbsp;
On the opposite end of the spectrum, big men are used to their size and stature doing the work in their early years and through college. Taller and stronger than most, their body does the work almost effortlessly at the amateur stages; if they make a mistake at that level, they can recover because of their power and force on both ends... until they meet their physical-profile equals in the pros.
&ldquo;They can almost impose their will on the game, as opposed to reading the game -- two entirely separate schools of thought,&rdquo; Toppert said. &ldquo;And so essentially, the bottom line is when you get to a level where you can no longer do those things, now you're gonna be forced to actually learn the game...
"James is pretty well built. Deandre was pretty well-built. But the game is so much more physical at the NBA level, and legal physicality, especially big man on big man, you can get away with a lot more in the NBA than you can in college without getting called for a foul. Getting used to that everyday physicality, pounding, beating, is not easy.&rdquo;
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Picking up nuances of the game takes time for most players making the NBA leap. Even the ball-dominant first-, second- and third-year guards have shown their fair share of lumps and bruises along the way because of that physical discrepancy, not because of their skill sets. For bigs, it&rsquo;s almost like both are working against them.
&ldquo;I think everyone's journey is different. Obviously, the physical aspect of the game is really important and when you're a big man, you need to be able to box guys out and [so on],&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;And then you have some guys who are stretch-5s -- everyone&rsquo;s game is different.&nbsp;
&ldquo;For me, in my first year when I first got here, I remember being in practice against Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, and I knew I was going to have to get stronger because those guys were pushing me around. I was fighting back because I had some heart, but I needed more than that! (laughs) I really spent a lot of extra time in the weight room every single year, and my body became an emphasis; every year, I tried to get stronger. And it not only helped me increase my impact on the court, but also to stay healthy. The stronger you are -- if you work the right way -- you're able to lower the chances of getting hurt.&rdquo;
It goes back, again, to the grassroots level. These types of players are getting fed in the post and on the block against clear mismatches, and coming out of possessions with a bucket every time down the floor, so why wouldn&rsquo;t they stick to what they know?&nbsp;
According to an anonymous NCAA head coach, bigs aren&rsquo;t properly being developed in college, including at the highly regarded schools. The majority of offenses, per the coach, are motion-based and teaching patterns in lieu of read-based actions. They&rsquo;re not playing in pro-style offenses in college. They don&rsquo;t learn how to set screens at different angles, how to react to different coverages as a roller, how to make plays on dribble-handoffs, how to find baseline cutters with the ball in their hands, etc. It&rsquo;s learning a pattern over reading and reacting.
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Development in general takes patience to see through. The big man, more versatile and less strung in the post, is slowly coming back in basketball. Jokic and Embiid being the top-two candidates for MVP this season is indicative of that trend.&nbsp;
Looking at the lottery-pick bigs from the 2017 class and on, there&rsquo;s plenty of potential lying within.&nbsp;
Despite the Miami Heat&rsquo;s disappointing first-round playoff exit, Bam Adebayo is a Swiss Army knife-type who is one of the best dribble-handoff big men in the league. Marvin Bagley III showed an improved stroke from distance and an ability to put the ball on the floor. We still don&rsquo;t know what Wendell Carter Jr. is, and he&rsquo;s going to be on his fifth head coach in four seasons in Orlando next season. Mo Bamba looked as good as he ever has in the second half of the season. Jaxson Hayes looked like a completely different player in the month of May than he did prior. Onyeka Okongwu was a reserve for most of the season, but when he got more playing time late in the year, he made a solid impact as a modern big.&nbsp;
"People have to understand how to develop big men. Or, I usually say, people have to understand how to develop a basketball player -- I don't care what their size is," Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach and development guru Phil Handy told BasketballNews.com. "Can you teach footwork? Can you teach balance? Can you teach the elements of the game for players to get better? &nbsp;Forget about big or small, I always try to challenge coaches into developing basketball players. Period.
"To me, the game has kind of gone to this area of everything is based around the three-point line and bigs don't post up anymore. Most teams just wants to guys to set pick-and-rolls and set screens and roll. They don't really want to teach 'em how to play on the block or give them any footwork, so it's one of those things where the game has moved away from bigs being able to post up and take advantage of their size to everybody needs to be able to shoot threes now. So that's a whole area of the game where bigs kind of lose out on getting a chance to be developed because not all seven-footers can dribble [and shoot]. Not everybody is like Kevin Durant where they can handle the ball [or like] Porzingis where they're a seven-footer who can really stretch the floor. You gotta remember that the game is played in all areas of the court -- not just at the three-point line and not just at the rim. So, having the ability to post up and having bigs who understand what their game should look like is something that we have to continue to do. We have to continue developing basketball players; that's important to me."
The aforementioned Jackson and Wiseman will figure it out. They have too much talent not to. Even though their playing styles might not compare, maybe Ayton can be their model for success. There&rsquo;s no shortcutting a process like this; it takes time, determination, persistence and adaptation.
And until basketball addresses the lack of modern development at their particular position, that will continue to be the case for big men.

Spencer Davies digs into why centers and power forwards typically take longer to adjust to the NBA than guards and wings.

Why NBA bigs take more time to develop: 'They're used to imposing their will'

Nekias Duncan looks ahead to how the five teams in the Northwest Division will fare in the upcoming NBA season.

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Nekias Duncan looks ahead to how the five teams in the Atlantic Division will fare in the upcoming NBA season.

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

During BasketballNews.com's recent <a href="https://www.pscp.tv/w/1nAKEALdYZAKL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virtual Watch Party</a> for the NBA Finals, our staff was joined by a number of former NBA and WNBA players for a wide-ranging three-hour conversation.
At one point, the former players talked about the moment that they realized it was time to retire (as well as their transition to retirement). Here is a transcript of that discussion:
Etan Thomas, 11-year NBA veteran: "For me, it was just realizing that I can't do what I used to do. It's just different. So where before I would turn and face, two dribbles hard to the middle, spin back, come up and dunk, now I would turn, do my same spin back and then I just wouldn't lift like I used to, you know what I mean? There was no explosion. I was like, 'Wait, that's supposed to be a dunk...' When you wake up and your body's hurting all the time, and then you start having kids, I'm like, 'Alright, maybe it's time for me to just transition and bow out gracefully. I think my time has passed.' I don't want to be up there trying to run around and hurting everything. And you're seeing young cats -- like young cats, 19 years old -- coming in just flying past you. Sometimes you've just gotta be real with yourself."
Chamique Holdsclaw, 11-year WNBA veteran: "For me, I was playing for the San Antonio Stars and I was guarding Candace Parker, my fellow University of Tennessee alumni. She had an iso and she was posting up. And she did some type of move and scored on me. It was so fast, and I was just stuck there (laughs). I remember jogging back down the court and I was like, 'Damn, the game has changed.' Like, I'm done."
David West, 15-year NBA veteran: "Well, I always sorta looked toward the end [of my career]. Even when I was young, I always kind looked toward the end. But for me, it was after those [playoff] runs in Indy. I just couldn't recover fast enough. You play into basically June, and then it's like you've got to spend a month-and-a-half just getting healthy, calming the body down. I had a crazy back injury in New Orleans where they were recommending back surgery, but I got away from it; I found a really good spinal manipulator, if you will, that really saved me. [When I was considering retirement], I was thinking about my back, thinking about having the health to run around with my son and my kids.&nbsp;So, I made the decision. I was like, 'Look man, I've got a throttled back.'
"My year in San Antonio was really a year where I was able to get my legs and my body back under me and adjust and lose some weight. But then, my last couple years in Golden State, a lot like Etan and Chamique said, you feel the difference. One night we were playing in Philly and it was cold, and Steve [Kerr] was like, 'Yo, you've gotta guard [Joel] Embiid tonight, big dawg.' I'm 37. I'm like, 'Oooooh... okay.' I get out there -- and you know, when you're young, you've gotta feel guys, you've got to bump them. [Trying to do that at 37], I'm like, 'Oh no. Nah, nah.' Even during that game, I'm like, 'If I get tangled up with this dude the wrong way, this dude could rip my whole back outta whack...'
"So there was that game, and then there was another game my last year [where I felt that way]. We played the Lakers and it was cold. When you're over 6-foot-6 and in cold weather, getting warm is just a struggle. I couldn't get warm the whole day -- shootaround, massage after shootaround, my body wouldn't loosen up. During the game, I tried to post up Josh Hart a couple times because he got me early. He jumped right up under me, he got up under me early and I couldn't post him up. Literally during the game, I'm like [telling myself], 'Yo, if you can't move this cat, you gotta go. It took all day just trying to get your body [warm] and it wouldn't do it. It's time.'&nbsp; So there were instances like that. We went in and played against Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and I'm like, 'Yo, you have no business being out here [with Giannis]. It's time, D-West. It's time.' That was really it for me."
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James Posey, 12-year NBA veteran: "For me, shit, it was the year of the [2011] lockout. I was in Indy just working out and everything. And so, when they started back, they wanted to bring me on some 10-day [contract] stuff. I'm like, 'Listen, y'all already know what you're gonna get outta me at this point right now. You ain't about to bring me in there on a 10-day and then cut me on the 10th day.' So I was like, 'You got me all the way messed up.' At that point, I realized I ain't about to play this game with them, and I was happy with everything, [with my career]. So, I was like, 'I'm cool.' That's when I just said you know what, I'mma chill out for a year. I got my little party in before I went to coach in the D-League, and I was cool after that. So that's what it was for me, I wasn't about to play that 10-day game with nobody."
Rushia Brown, 17-year veteran: "For me, and I guess my journey is a little bit different because I played overseas as well. So I played in the WNBA for seven years and played overseas for 10, and it was year-round. So my last few years, I tore my plantar fascia in my right foot, came back, then tore it in my left foot. Then I was like, 'Man, forget this... I quit.' Like, it was just too much. I couldn't get my body to get right again, and my whole career was about athleticism, quickness, jumping. And then, I didn't have none of that, so I was like, 'Yep, I'm gonna go sit down over here somewhere. Let me find somebody's front office and figure out what else I'm gonna do.' My body wasn't doing it anymore." [Editor's Note: Rushia is now part of the Los Angeles Sparks' organization].
What was your first year of retirement - your first year away from basketball - like?
Etan Thomas: "I mean, you've gotta have something else that you're passionate about. If you don't have something else that you're passionate about or nothing else going on, then I'm sure it's torture. But if you can reinvent yourself and have something that you're just as passionate about, then you're usually fine. You see some guys retire and transition relatively smoothly, and then you see other guys who are like, 'What the hell am I gonna do now? I have nothing,' and they're unhappy, they don't like being home and so on. It's just different. So once you find something that you're passionate about, it's an easy transition."
Ryan Hollins, 10-year NBA veteran: "I'll say for me, the timing was tough because I had to reinvent myself and really get on my grind because I was never supposed to be the dude to play in the NBA at all, let alone play 10 years. I thought broadcasting jobs were just gonna be there when I finished playing, but they weren't, so I had to get on my grizzy and I had to be good and earn my keep. Nobody wants to hear from a 10-year role player/bench player, so I had to really learn my craft to be able to do this. I would say that the toughest thing for me was reinventing myself. I wasn't the guy where there was any type of job or opportunities when I finished. It was like, 'Yo, you're two feet in or two feet out of basketball.'
"[After my last NBA season], I played a year overseas. I was like, 'Dawg, this overseas ain't for me. I better learn how to do this broadcasting.' But I really, really had to grind because talking on TV, doing radio, doing games, none of that was natural for me. I played 10 years as a company man. [They tell you], 'Don't say nothing that's gonna get you in the media or get you in trouble.' Then, you refocus all those efforts on the way you talk and go to ESPN or FOX or whatever, so this whole deal is completely brand new to me."
Cody Toppert, former player and current coach: "Man, Ryan, you broke my heart when I was the head coach of the Northern Arizona Suns in the G League. I remember I talked to you on the phone and I was like, 'Come back [out of retirement], we're gonna get you back to the league!' (laughs)"
Ryan Hollins: "Ay man, that was like, 'How am I gonna explain to my wife I'm about to be playing for $1,000 a month?' (laughs) And I had [been making] $30,000 overseas!"
You all had long, successful careers in the pros. What was the key to that longevity?&nbsp;
David West: "I would say just wanting to do it. You've gotta want to do it. The guys and the ladies [on this call] who played, they know you've gotta want to do this. You've gotta commit to it. Every day, you've gotta give up other stuff -- give up family, give up other things that might divert your attention -- and you've really gotta lock in and do this. You know what I'm saying? And that's how you can make it through -- not just get there [to the NBA], but keep it going... Man, take care of your body and commit. You've gotta commit to it. [I took up boxing] because I didn't like to run, so I had to find other ways to condition. I hated running in the offseason, so that was another way to really condition."

Former NBA/WNBA players (like David West, James Posey and Chamique Holdsclaw) share the moment they realized it was time to retire.

Former NBA players discuss how they knew it was time to retire

Several former NBA players such as David West, Ryan Hollins and Etan Thomas recently appeared on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.pscp.tv/w/1nAKEALdYZAKL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virtual Watch Party for the NBA Finals</a>. Among other topics, they discussed how today's NBA rules affect big men and how the Toronto Raptors' frontcourt of Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh was ahead of its time.
Ryan Hollins: "What do you guys think about this -- it's something that Ice Cube introduced with the Big 3. We played three-on-three and the big would get the ball against the guard, and they would literally put two hands on you, beat you up and take you out of bounds. You couldn't do nothing, so the big man was irrelevant in the Big 3. Cube actually changed the rules where you had to guard the big guys legitimately [and couldn't put both arms against them], or you could take advantage of the guards.&nbsp;
"I feel like the NBA, from a rules standpoint, penalizes the big man to where you got Jimmy Butler taking Dwight [Howard] out of bounds with two hands. That's a foul, and if we (big men) gotta guard on the perimeter, we [can't] put our hands on 'em -- we can't use any type of hands. So I think to bring the post game back, you have to call fouls. Because you can't touch James Harden, LeBron James and these guys on the perimeter; that's why they're so prolific. So you've got to give [Joel] Embiid and AD (Anthony Davis) and all those guys love, and they're gonna get back on the block. Because right now, it's a bad play."
Alex Kennedy (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-alex-kennedy-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Alex Kennedy Podcast</a>): "It worked in the Big 3, too. You could see there were so many guys that became great post-up scorers and teams would go through the bigs way more often. And I agree that this is a problem in the NBA. When I covered Dwight Howard earlier in his career in Orlando, he would be covered in cuts and bruises after the game. He would just get beat up."
Cody Toppert (Memphis Tigers assistant coach): "The standard is completely different when they went to the freedom of movement rules. I think it definitely helps negate the big man's advantage."
David West: "I thought about this the other day. When [Andrea] Bargnani and [Chris] Bosh were in Toronto, the reason why that sh** didn't work is 'cause the NBA let us beat them up! We beat up Bargnani, they let us body Bosh. Like, Bosh and Bargnani right now, they would blow this NBA out of the water. They were damn near impossible to guard. I'm serious. The only reason Bargnani didn't have a (successful) career was 'cause the referees let people like me beat him up!"
"In today's game, he would be killin' because he would be protected. Ryan, you know, you remember -- he would try that sweep at the three-point line; they wasn't giving him that sh**, that rip-through. We could grab both arms."
Ryan Hollins: "Yo, he was one of my toughest covers because he shot a set shot, and as quick as he would shoot that set-shot three, he'll go and dunk on ya head. And if you could put your hands on him, [you could defend him]. The problem was we didn't switch everything, D-West. We didn't switch everything, so you had to guard Bosh on the roll and both of them out on the pop."
David West: "They were tough, man. But it was a different NBA then."
Imman Adan (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/dishes-dimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dishes and Dimes</a>): "I mean, I agree that having a seven-footer who could shoot threes and having Bosh, who was one of the best mid-range-shooting big men ever, [sounds good]. But you really think that Bargnani would've killed it in today's NBA?"
David West: "He would've gotten fouled because, again, you can't put your hands on people. So we literally were jamming him on the perimeter, [putting] forearms in his stomach. They weren't calling that stuff. [The Raptors] were like five, six, seven years too early."

David West and Ryan Hollins discuss how today's NBA rules affect bigs and how Toronto's Bargnani/Bosh backcourt would fare now.

West: Bargnani, Bosh would 'blow this NBA out of the water'

David West, James Posey, Etan Thomas, Mo Evans, Jahidi White and more discuss injuries in the NBA, team doctors and second opinions.

Blue Mountain Toppers