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

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

The 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner. One month from now, training camps will get underway. This season, BasketballNews.com will be covering the NBA from every possible angle, including ramped-up sports-betting content.
After providing some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/5-best-bets-on-future-nba-awardwinners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interesting future bets on the NBA award races</a>, let's take a look at the 2021-22 playoff odds. Many teams went all-in this offseason, determined to make the playoffs and go on a run.
After examining the 2021-22 playoff odds, seven teams stand out as worthy fliers. Let&rsquo;s dive into which organizations have intriguing odds that you can capitalize on before it&rsquo;s too late.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: +575 odds to make playoffs
Realistically, the team that could make you a lot of money by the end of the regular season resides in Minnesota. Although the Western Conference is still loaded &ndash; with as many as 12 teams having realistic playoff aspirations &ndash; don&rsquo;t sleep on the Timberwolves finally making a push.
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most gifted scorers in the Association and a consistent 40% three-point shooter. Last year's No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-will-anthony-edwards-surge-lead-to-nba-rookie-of-the-year-award-minnesota-timberwolves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a leap in the second half</a> of his rookie season, averaging 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.9 threes and 1.4 steals in 36 games after the All-Star break. He should build off of that during his sophomore campaign, and he could crack 25.0 points per game. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell has struggled with injuries during his year-plus stint in Minnesota, but he&rsquo;s another offensive weapon that Minnesota can utilize. The Timberwolves&rsquo; roster features a lot of youth and a lot of subpar defenders, but a whole lot of points will be scored. Minnesota is hoping to out-race teams in "track-meet" style matchups where reaching 130-plus points each night is the primary objective.
Here's another underrated reason why you should take a flier on Minnesota at +575 playoff odds: the Ben Simmons rumors. Minnesota is reportedly the one team who has continually kept a dialogue going with Philadelphia. Now, after acquiring big expiring contracts in Taurean Prince and Patrick Beverley this offseason, the Wolves can make a deal work cap-wise while also throwing in a sweetener like up-and-coming prospect Jaden McDaniels. Philadelphia&rsquo;s asking price is absurd, but Minnesota can offer picks plus Prince, Beverley, McDaniels and Josh Okogie to make the salaries work. The Sixers will likely want a third team to get involved to create a more appealing package, but don&rsquo;t rule out Minnesota as Simmons&rsquo; eventual destination. If that happens, you&rsquo;ll be lucky to have chased these +575 odds before they might break even within a few months time.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: +500 odds to make playoffs
The 2021-22 season may be the Wizards&rsquo; last chance to impress Bradley Beal. Entering the final year of his contract, Beal could become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. The Wizards will <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-will-be-eligible-extension-wizards-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> offer him to a max extension this summer, but it remains to be seen if he's interested in signing it.
Regardless, give Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard some credit. Once Russell Westbrook asked out, he retooled Washington&rsquo;s roster on the fly and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wizards-retooling-led-to-a-competent-roster-surrounding-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">built a competent rotation</a> best suited to fit Beal&rsquo;s special skillset. Spencer Dinwiddie is the perfect backcourt partner alongside Beal. Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope add more scoring punch. Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert are talented prospects who provide versatility. Davis Bertans should have a bounce-back season beyond the arc and provide elite shooting. Daniel Gafford, Montrezl Harrell and Thomas Bryant is an intriguing trio of big men. Overall, Washington now has a deeper rotation that should fit together better than last year's group.
If everything clicks for the Wizards, they should push for a playoff spot (perhaps with a second-straight appearance in the play-in tournament). Although Westbrook is gone, Beal should be able to lead a more well-rounded roster to a record above .500. If that&rsquo;s the case, betting on Washington right now at +500 odds seems like a smart investment.
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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: +200 odds to miss playoffs
Damian Lillard seems to have one foot out the door in Portland. Fed up with the Blazers&rsquo; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack of urgency to build a contender around him</a>, nothing has really changed since he vented about how additional changes were needed. GM Neil Olshey re-signed Norman Powell (who fits well alongside Lillard) on a five-year deal and added Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore to improve Portland's second unit. The Blazers also traded Derrick Jones Jr. and a future lottery-protected first-round pick to bring in Larry Nance Jr., who is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-larry-nance-jr-brings-to-the-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a perfect complementary piece that should help on both ends</a> of the floor.
Aside from Nance, the additions are pretty underwhelming, and the team lost Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter and Zach Collins. Considering what's at stake, it's surprising that the Blazers didn't make more moves to show Lillard that the organization is committed to winning. Olshey and Co. are playing a very dangerous game here, especially if the Blazers stagnate in the standings next season.
If teams like Minnesota, New Orleans and Memphis see a big leap from their young cores, Portland could find themselves outside of the playoff picture. And if that&rsquo;s the case, Lillard will be gone next offseason.
At +200 odds to miss the playoffs, it&rsquo;s a worthy gamble when you realize the Lillard situation hangs over the organization. If the Blazers get off to a slow start, could Lillard ask out mid-season? At the moment,&nbsp; it's hard to feel comfortable about Portland&rsquo;s playoff hopes.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: +175 odds to make playoffs
Charlotte <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-ready-to-fly-up-standings-following-strong-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quietly had one of the best offseasons</a> in the Association. Not only did they re-sign Terry Rozier on a four-year deal, they also brought in Kelly Oubre Jr. to add some more scoring potency off their bench. Mason Plumlee, who has been a steady starting center over the years, was acquired pretty much for free. Add in the draft picks of James Bouknight and Kai Jones, and Charlotte will be one of the most fun teams to monitor throughout the 2021-22 season.
LaMelo Ball is poised to take another leap in his sophomore campaign, which should help bolster Charlotte&rsquo;s playoff probabilities even further. The Hornets&rsquo; rotation is now 10-11 players deep, which hasn&rsquo;t been the case in years. With a nice blend of win-now veterans alongside promising high-upside prospects, Charlotte could be one of the best bets to make off this list.&nbsp;
Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s health will also play a factor here. The Hornets were above .500 before Hayward went down with a season-ending injury. Despite Hayward's injury and Ball being sidelined for a significant stretch, the Hornets still earned a spot in the East's play-in tournament last year. If Hayward can stay healthy throughout the regular season and their offseason additions fit in, Charlotte could comfortably finish in the East's top-eight for the first time since 2015-16.&nbsp;
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: +170 odds to make playoffs
It's always fun to bet on Zion Williamson, who has already reached superstardom. After averaging 27.0 points during his sophomore season, Williamson could realistically average 30.0 or more now that the new-look Pelicans will have better floor-spacing. A smart head-coaching hire (Willie Green) and roster upgrades around the margins should lead to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/by-making-zion-williamsons-job-easier-the-pelicans-should-finally-have-real-playoff-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a boost in performance from New Orleans</a>.
Brandon Ingram is flying under the radar as well. If Ingram continues to be one of the most promising two-way wings in the Association, New Orleans is cooking with gas in 2021-22.
It will be tough to break through in a loaded Western Conference, but Williamson is a generational talent. If the Pelicans find success early in the regular season, they could ride that wave of momentum toward a play-in appearance. With Williiamson in a win-or-go-home situation for a playoff spot, I&rsquo;m betting on New Orleans.&nbsp;
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INDIANA PACERS: +145 odds to miss the playoffs
Everything went wrong for the Pacers last season. Nate Bjorkgren was an awful head coach who failed to relate to players and whose scheme didn&rsquo;t match the roster. Rick Carlisle&rsquo;s return to Indiana is a huge deal for an organization that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-face-makeorbreak-202122-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">needs to succeed in a make-or-break 2021-22 season</a>. If the Pacers fail to make significant headway, big changes are in store for this roster.
Again, the Eastern Conference looks to be very much improved. Chicago may have leapfrogged Indiana in their division. Charlotte and Washington might be doing the same thing with solid rosters that could immediately fit together well. Meanwhile, Indiana has questions. Will Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">find success with their jumbo-sized frontcourt</a>? Will T.J. Warren <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stay healthy in a contract year</a>? What can we expect from the backcourt of Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, which barely played together last season due to separate injuries?
On paper, the Pacers have a solid squad. However, if they get off to a slow start, they could be one of the teams ready to sell-high around the trade deadline. They have a number of attractive pieces and rival executives have been circling like vultures for a while (just look at how often Turner has surfaced in trade rumors). At +145 odds, this seems like a flier worth taking.
NEW YORK KNICKS: +125 odds to miss the playoffs
After a really solid offseason, it's clear that the Knicks are banking on continuity. Also, bringing aboard Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker should help bolster a rotation that was already impressively deep. However, could the Knicks be the team that regresses the most in 2021-22? It&rsquo;s a realistic possibility, especially with how many young squads in the Eastern Conference are on the rise.
What if Julius Randle stagnates and doesn&rsquo;t improve? They'll need him to continue playing at a high level, while R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and their 2021 rookie class must hit the ground running early in the regular season too.
New York finished as the No. 4 seed last season, but for the first time in years, there will be real drama surrounding the East's playoff picture.
Tom Thibodeau helped the Knicks overachieve last season. The question is, can this team do it again? It's possible they take a step forward and once again earn homecourt advantage in the playoffs. But it truly could go either way for the Knicks, making this a worthy bet at +125.

Which NBA teams could win you some money come playoff time? Evan Sidery looks at 7 teams whose postseason odds stand out.

2021-22 NBA playoff odds: 7 teams worth betting on

Ethan Fuller analyzes the NBA landscape amid a period of astounding parity.

NBA Sour Rankings: When do we panic?

Ethan Fuller takes a look at how the James Harden trade and other weekly events have affected the NBA landscape.

NBA Sour Rankings: Life After a Blockbuster

With the 2020 NBA Draft just two weeks away, our Matt Babcock updated his mock draft and provided his thoughts on each player. Some of the risers include Kira Lewis Jr. (Alabama) and Zeke Nnaji (Arizona), while some of the fallers include Aleksej Pokusevski (Olympiacos) and Leandro Bolmaro (FC Barcelona):
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
At 6'5" and a strong 225 pounds, Anthony Edwards has perhaps the most upside in this year's draft. Edwards' raw talent was on full display at the Maui Invitational in November when he scored 33 points in one half versus Michigan State. Although he has significant room for growth in regards to his overall maturity as a player, his uncanny ability to hit tough shots from all over the court gives him the potential to be a special player.
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
Although James Wiseman is 7'1" and 240 pounds with an impressive 7'6" wingspan, he should not be considered a throwback, big-bodied center (which is somewhat of a dying breed). Instead, Wiseman is extremely athletic for a player his size. He also has an underrated skill level, and he can be a major contributor for a team right off the bat. That&rsquo;s why he is the first big man off the board.
3. Charlotte Hornets: Onyeka Okongwu, C/PF, USC
Commonly referred to as the "Big O," Onyeka Okongwu had a terrific freshman campaign for the USC Trojans, averaging 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. He's an undersized center that can serve as a defensive anchor for a team. He's also a legitimate scoring threat who's capable of displaying fancy footwork and a soft touch with both hands around the rim. He's extremely strong and explosive, which allows him to be an effective rim protector and powerful finisher. Comparisons to the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo have been drawn regularly for good reason.
4. Chicago Bulls: LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks
The youngest brother of the Ball family, LaMelo comes to the NBA with lofty expectations. At 6'7", Ball has terrific size for a point guard. He has the ball on a string and a knack to make spectacular plays. Despite concerns of immaturity, Ball's talent is undeniable -- look for him to be the first point guard taken in the 2020 NBA Draft.
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5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton
After not receiving an invite to the NBA Draft Combine following his freshman season, Obi Toppin returned to Dayton for his sophomore year and he put on a show from start to finish, subsequently being named the National College Player of the Year. At 6'9", Toppin is a high-flyer who throws down jaw-dropping dunks reminiscent of former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire. He's also a capable outside shooter, as he shot a stellar 39% from three-point range. Already 22 years old, Toppin is probably the most NBA-ready player in the draft and could be considered an early favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
6. Atlanta Hawks: Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
A product of the famed Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, Deni Avdija has already gained valuable professional experience in the Euroleague (the best league in the world outside of the NBA). At 6'9", Avdija is extremely versatile as a hybrid forward and he's also a capable ballhandler and playmaker who is deceptively athletic. In a draft with significant international talent, Avdija is certainly the cream of the crop.
7. Detroit Pistons: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
After entering his freshman season at Alabama as the second-youngest Division-I player in the country (at 17 years old), he returned for his sophomore season and did not disappoint. Perhaps the fastest player in the draft, Lewis Jr. averaged 18.5 points and 5.2 assists per game this past season for the Crimson Tide. Comparisons have been drawn to former NBA player Darren Collison.
8. New York Knicks: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn
Perhaps the best overall athlete in the entire NBA draft, Isaac Okoro steps into the NBA from Auburn with a reputation of being an exceptional defender that's capable of defending multiple positions effectively. Although he possesses a relatively simple game on the offensive end, he does have a good feel for how to play. If he is able to improve his outside shooting, watch out; Okoro could end up being a big-time player.
9. Washington Wizards: Devin Vassell, SG/SF, Florida State
Devin Vassell is a long wing that is capable of playing the shooting guard or small forward positions, effectively. On the offensive end, he reminds me of Jeremy Lamb of the Indiana Pacers. He's a capable shooter from outside, has a good mid-range game, and can finish around the rim as well.&nbsp; On the defensive end, he uses his length and instincts to be a high level defender. Overall, Vassell is a solid, well-rounded player, that does not make many mistakes. He would be easy to plug into just about any team's roster.
10. Phoenix Suns: Killian Hayes, PG/SG, Ratiopharm Ulm
After playing in France for years, Killian Hayes decided to move to Germany this last year to play for Ratiopharm Ulm - a decision that certainly paid off, as Hayes took a major step in his development, progressing as a playmaker and scorer. With good size for a point guard at 6'5", whichever team lands the left-handed Hayes should be able to pencil him in as their point guard of the future. If he's able to continue to develop his outside shooting, the future could be extremely bright for Hayes.
11. San Antonio Spurs: Patrick Williams, PF/SF, Florida State
Patrick Williams had somewhat of an up-and-down freshman year for the Florida State Seminoles, but the hybrid forward oozes talent and upside. He's a capable shooter from outside, a strong finisher at the rim and a versatile defender. Williams fits the modern style of basketball, as he's able to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions. It remains to be seen if he will be able to contribute at a high level early on in his NBA career, but if he develops properly, he could be one of the better players in this year's draft in a few years.
12. Sacramento Kings: Aaron Nesmith, SF/SG, Vanderbilt
Aaron Nesmith is likely the best shooter in this year's draft. Prior to a season-ending foot injury in January, Nesmith dazzled with his shooting performances, averaging 23 points per game while shooting 52.2% from three-point range in 14 games for the Vanderbilt Commodores. He's from the same high school as NBA All-Star Khris Middleton in Charleston, South Carolina.
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13. New Orleans Pelicans: Tyrese Haliburton, PG/SG, Iowa State
After averaging 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game for the Iowa State Cyclones this past season, Tyrese Haliburton will look to contribute right away in the NBA. At 6'5", Haliburton is capable of playing on or off the ball effectively. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and simply does not make many mistakes. Although he shoots the ball with extremely unorthodox mechanics, he knocks them down from deep at a high rate, shooting 41.9% from three-point range last year. He certainly needs to get stronger, as he is only a thin 175 pounds. But he should be a solid NBA player, at the very least.
14. Boston Celtics: Isaiah Stewart II, C/PF, Washington
At 6'9" and 250 pounds of muscle with a 7'4" wingspan, Isaiah Stewart II is a physical specimen and a brute. He would (and could) run through a brick wall, if needed. In his lone season at Washington, he averaged 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Despite being utilized purely as a low-post scorer this past season, he has shown signs of having the potential to shoot the ball well from outside - a much desired attribute in today's NBA. One example: He shot 77.4% from the free-throw line.
15. Orlando Magic: RJ Hampton, SG/PG, New Zealand Breakers
After skipping college to play for the New Zealand Breakers, R.J. Hampton enters this year's draft as one of the players with the most upside. Although not a finished product, Hampton has the burst and athleticism that's seen in many star players. If he is able to develop his point guard skills, outside shooting and overall feel for the game, he could end up being a steal for whichever team selects him.
16. Portland Trail Blazers: Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
Jay Wright's list of Villanova alumni who have had productive NBA careers continues to grow and Saddiq Bey seems to be the next in line. He's a 6'8" forward that is well-rounded, dependable and, most importantly, a high-level shooter, which was on display during his sophomore season when he scored 16.1 points per game while shooting 45.1% from three-point range. He also defended the opposing team's best player on a regular basis.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Zeke Nnaji, PF/C, Arizona
In his lone season for the Arizona Wildcats, Zeke Nnaji posted an impressive 16.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-Pac-12 and Freshman of the Year honors. At the Combine, Nnaji measured in at 6'10" without shoes and 247.8 pounds, with a 7'2" wingspan and a 38" max vertical. Nnaji <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-prospect-zeke-nnaji-arizona-wildcats-q-and-a-pac-12-basketball?fbclid=IwAR3LerQY7oOuFEQ0ZLYNmkus_sSxCYphs2l0TzJqc69ymtcZmrdWKZDpOPo">recently spoke with BasketballNews.com</a> about his game, his regimented lifestyle, why teams should pick him, his off-court interests and more.
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18. Dallas Mavericks: Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis
Initially, Precious Achiuwa was expected to play the majority of his minutes at power forward alongside big man James Wiseman. However, when Wiseman left the team, Achiuwa took over the big man duties and delivered. The chiseled Achiuwa averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, earning him AAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.
19.&nbsp;Brooklyn Nets: Jaden McDaniels, SF, Washington
Possessing terrific length for a wing at 6'9", Jaden McDaniels' versatility and playmaking abilities on both ends of the court are extremely intriguing. If he is able to get stronger and mature properly, he could be well-worth the risk, as his upside is nearly as high as any other player in the draft.
20. Miami Heat: Malachi Flynn, PG, San Diego State
After transferring from Washington State to San Diego State, point guard Malachi Flynn led the Aztecs to a spectacular 30-2 record. After averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game, Flynn was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, as well as Defensive Player of the Year. Flynn <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-2020-draft-malachi-flynn-san-diego-state-aztecs-matt-babcock-analysis-interview-chris-paul">recently spoke with BasketballNews.com</a> about his game, his collegiate career, his goals, the NBA players whom he&rsquo;s modeled his game after and more.
21. Philadelphia 76ers: Cole Anthony, PG/SG, North Carolina
The son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, Cole entered North Carolina for his freshman season with lofty expectations after being touted as one of the top players in his high-school class. Despite an up-and-down season, Anthony is an aggressive and dynamic scorer, which he displayed by averaging 18.5 points per game in 22 contests for the Tar Heels.&nbsp;
22. Denver Nuggets: Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland
At 6'10" with a 7'2" wingspan, Jalen "Stix" Smith does two things very well: he blocks shots and shoots the ball from outside -- certainly a unique combination, which has NBA teams intrigued. After returning to Maryland for his sophomore season, he averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 36.8% from three-point range.
23. Utah Jazz: Elijah Hughes, SF/SG, Syracuse
An unheralded recruit out of high school and a subsequent East Carolina transfer, Elijah Hughes emerged as a star player for the Syracuse Orange during his junior season. Possessing solid size for a wing and the ability to make shots from all over the court as well as put the ball on the floor, Hughes should make a smooth transition to the NBA.
24. Milwaukee Bucks: Cassius Stanley, SG/SF, Duke
After playing as a combo guard in high school, Cassius Stanley was asked by Coach K to fill a more limited role during his freshman season at Duke, utilizing his electric athleticism in transition and focusing on spreading the floor as a spot-up shooter. His combination of elite athleticism and the ability to make shots off catch-and-shoot opportunities make him an intriguing option as a role player in the NBA (at the very least). If he develops when it comes to creating off the dribble, his value could increase dramatically.
25.&nbsp;Oklahoma City Thunder: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF/C, Olympiacos
Having displayed an incredibly high skill level this past season with the junior team of Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, Aleksej Pokusevski has caused quite a stir among NBA scouts. Standing 7-feet tall and a frail 200 pounds, "Poku" is the youngest prospect in this year's draft (and younger than many high-school seniors) at just 18 years old. He is certainly a player who falls into the category of "high-risk, high-reward," which is why he's somewhat of a polarizing prospect in terms of his draft value.
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26. Boston Celtics: Tyrese Maxey, SG/PG, Kentucky
A top-10 RSCI prospect, Tyrese Maxey was Kentucky's second-leading scorer with 14.0 points per game. At 6'3" and 200 pounds, he has a well-developed frame, although he's a bit undersized for a shooting guard. Still, he was solid at getting to the rim. He struggled from three-point range (relative to expectations) at 29 percent.
27. New York Knicks: Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
After being ranked 88th in his high-school class, Tyrell Terry surprised everyone by posting an impressive freshman campaign at Stanford and subsequently declaring for the NBA draft. Considered to be one of the best shooters in this year's draft, Terry converted 41% from three-point range this past season. His high skill level and ability to shoot the ball has generated quite a buzz among scouts; however, due to his thin frame and lack of physicality, some concerns and questions have been raised as well.
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Josh Green, SG/SF, Arizona
A top recruit coming out of high school, Green is a plus athlete and defensive stopper with good size for a wing. In his freshman year at Arizona, he averaged 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
29. Toronto Raptors: Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
Although a bit of a throwback as a big-bodied center at 6'10" and 270 pounds, Vernon Carey Jr. had an effective freshman season for the Duke Blue Devils, as he averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Some questions have been raised about his inconsistent motor. However, his talent remains intriguing.
30. Boston Celtics: Leandro Bolmaro, SG/PG, FC Barcelona
After logging legitimate Euroleague and ACB minutes this past season with FC Barcelona in Spain, the 6'7" Argentinian guard has slowly but surely moved up draft boards. Although it is unlikely that he will be coming to the NBA right away due to him extending his contract with his current club, Bolmaro could still get consideration from teams selecting in the first round.
Matt Babcock is the owner and founder of <a href="babcockhoops.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Babcock Hoops</a>, which features in-depth scouting reports, prospect interviews and more. He is also a contributor for BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/matt-babcock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out more of his 2020 NBA Draft coverage here</a>.
Also, tune in to BasketballNews.com's Virtual Watch Party on the night of the 2020 NBA Draft (Nov. 18). Our live-stream will feature top analysts, NBA players and more special guests!

With the 2020 NBA Draft just two weeks away, Matt Babcock shares his updated mock draft. Find out who's rising and who's falling!

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All-Star Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California delivered a packed slate of fan-favorite events Friday night before Sunday&rsquo;s All-Star Game, blending sharpshooting, team precision and high-flying athleticism in front of a roaring crowd &ndash; and setting the tone for an electric All-Star Weekend.
<h3>Damian Lillard shines in 3-Point Contest</h3>
The night kicked off with arguably the most anticipated event &ndash; the 3-Point Contest &ndash; as Damian Lillard captured his third career All-Star 3-Point crown. Despite being sidelined all season rehabbing a torn Achilles, Lillard poured in the deep balls, edging out Phoenix Suns&rsquo; Devin Booker in the final round to tie NBA legends Larry Bird and Craig Hodges with three titles in the event&rsquo;s history. His performance provided one of the biggest feel-good moments of the weekend so far.
<h3>Team Knicks dominates Shooting Stars Challenge</h3>
Next up was the revived Shooting Stars Challenge &ndash; a timed team shooting event that returned to Saturday night for the first time in years. The trio of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Knicks legend Allan Houston represented Team Knicks and delivered a composed, clutch performance, finishing with 47 points to defeat Team Cameron in the final round and capture the title.
<h3>Keshad Johnson claims first Slam Dunk Contest title</h3>
The night closed with the AT&amp;T Slam Dunk Contest, featuring four high-flyers battling for creative supremacy. Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson electrified the crowd with a series of inventive slams &ndash; including a windmill and between-the-legs finishes &ndash; ultimately outdueling Spurs rookie Carter Bryant in the finals to take home the trophy. Bryant, who had earlier posted a perfect score in the final, came up just short after Johnson&rsquo;s final round showing.
While some people voiced criticism online about the overall dunk lineup and absence of perennial favorites &ndash; notably three-time dunk champ Mac McClung &ndash; Johnson&rsquo;s performance still brought excitement late into the evening and gave the contest a memorable finish.
<h3>Celebrity Game continues to entertain</h3>
Earlier in the weekend on Friday, the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game drew stars from music, film and sports, with Rome Flynn repeating as MVP and Team Giannis topping Team Anthony 65-58 in a lively celebrity showcase. The event featured performances from names from different celebrities, underscoring the community and entertainment blend that All-Star Weekend champions.
<h3>Saturday sets stage for All-Star Game</h3>
Between Lillard&rsquo;s sharpshooting legacy moment, Team Knicks&rsquo; precision in Shooting Stars and Johnson&rsquo;s dunk coronation, All-Star Saturday offered something for every type of fan &ndash; from competitive spirit to pure showmanship. With momentum building, attention now shifts to Sunday&rsquo;s All-Star Game, where superstar rosters assembled earlier in the week will take the court in a unique USA vs. World format designed to crown the weekend&rsquo;s culminating highlight.

Damian Lillard wins the 3-Point Contest, Team Knicks triumphs in Shooting Stars, and Keshad Johnson claims the Slam Dunk Contest.

2026 All-Star Saturday night: Dame wins 3rd 3pt crown; Knicks top shooting stars; Johnson claim dunk contest

The NBA has officially unveiled the full participant lists for the 2026 All-Star Weekend, giving fans a complete look at the stars headed to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, from Feb. 13-15. This year&rsquo;s festivities &ndash; highlighted by a unique USA vs. World round-robin All-Star Game format &ndash; will feature perennial All-Stars, breakout performers and standout event competitors in a celebration of the league&rsquo;s top talent.&nbsp;
Leading the headlines, Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been named as a replacement for Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry on the USA Stripes roster after Curry was ruled out due to a lingering right knee injury. The absence of the two-time All-Star Game MVP &ndash; who had been selected for his 12th All-Star appearance &ndash; opens the door for Ingram&rsquo;s second career selection, his first since 2020.&nbsp;
On the international side, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun will take the place of Oklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Team World after Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined with an abdominal injury. Sengun&rsquo;s addition marks his second consecutive All-Star nod and adds another high-octane playmaker to the World lineup.&nbsp;
Under this season&rsquo;s format, the All-Star Game breaks from the traditional East vs. West matchup and instead will feature three teams &ndash; two representing the United States and one made up of international talent &ndash; competing in a round-robin slate of four 12-minute games before the two best teams square off in a championship matchup.&nbsp;
The USA squads are anchored by the league&rsquo;s brightest names. Veterans such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown headline the USA rosters alongside rising stars including Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Maxey. Meanwhile, the World team showcases global stars like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama &ndash; with Sengun now joining that group.&nbsp;
All-Star Saturday will also feature the State Farm Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest and additional skills competitions &ndash; giving a diverse cast of sharpshooters, high-flyers and playmakers multiple stages to shine before the main event kicks off.&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s roster announcements arrive at a pivotal point in the NBA season. With teams locked in tight playoff races and narratives building around emerging stars, All-Star Weekend doubles as both a celebration and a barometer. For Ingram, logging All-Star minutes after stepping in for Curry could be a springboard into wider MVP conversations. And for Sengun, joining the World team again &ndash; especially in place of an MVP calibre guard &ndash; reinforces his rising status on the global stage.&nbsp;
Injuries to marquee players rarely dampen excitement in All-Star festivities, but they add an undercurrent of unpredictability &ndash; a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in a 2-plus-month sprint to the playoffs.
As rosters are finalized and events approach, All-Star Weekend promises to flare into one of the most compelling showcases of the season &ndash; both in terms of star power and emerging momentum headed into the home stretch.

This year’s festivities will feature perennial All-Stars, breakout performers and standout event competitors.

NBA sets complete 2026 All-Star Weekend roster; Ingram and Sengun named as replacements

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; The Big 5 is no more.
Well, at least not the incarnation most fans of the famed Philly basketball series remember from its heyday, when the Palestra was packed, fans hurled colorful crepe streamers on the court after the first basket and student signs known as rollouts poked fun at the other schools.
And when the Palestra, the basketball cathedral on Penn&rsquo;s campus, was sold out, someone would always say, &ldquo;corners,&rdquo; meaning even the cheap, angled seats in the corners were filled. As college hoops evolved, the Big 5 was dying on the vine in Philly, so after years of traditionalists squawking &mdash; and attendance and interest waned and teams outside of the Main Line saw their programs sink &mdash; the time was ripe for a change.
Oh, it&rsquo;s still the Big 5 by name. The brand still means something in college basketball.
Only Penn, La Salle, Temple, Saint Joseph&rsquo;s and Villanova will be joined by Philly&rsquo;s sixth Division I program, Drexel. Gone is round-robin play. Schools instead will be split into three-team pods with games played at on-campus arenas, with the teams then seeded for a Dec. 2 tripleheader at the Wells Fargo Center that will crown the Big 5 champion.
&ldquo;We all have to promote Philadelphia basketball more than we do,&rdquo; La Salle coach Fran Dunphy said Tuesday at the arena.
The Big 5 &mdash; the name was coined by Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer Herb Good &mdash; was officially formed in 1954, and the schools started round-robin play for &ldquo;City Series&rdquo; bragging rights in 1955. The first game was 68 years ago when Saint Joseph&rsquo;s beat Villanova 83-70 on Dec. 14, 1955, in front of 2,636 fans at the Palestra.
Nationally televised conference games, destination-site November tournaments, March Madness and a brief abolition of round-robin play in the 1990s chipped away at the Big 5&rsquo;s national importance.
On a local level, the schools did little to keep the rivalries alive. Students lost interest and fewer star players on each team were from the Philadelphia area. For all its charm and history, the Palestra isn&rsquo;t equipped with modern amenities such as suites, convenient parking, a variety of concessions and other revenue-generating staples found at a modern arena such as the Wells Fargo Center, home to the 76ers and Flyers.
Villanova&rsquo;s rise as a national power under Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright &mdash; who championed the changes to the Big 5 &mdash; came at the expense of its city rivals. The Wildcats won a series-record 25 straight games from 2012 to 2018, and most of them weren&rsquo;t close.
The other programs slumped and when Villanova did this year, too, under first-year coach Kyle Neptune, Philadelphia failed to place a team in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977.
The Big 5 tried to reignite interest in November with a doubleheader at the 8,700-seat Palestra and it was a disaster. The games were played with almost no student sections and only about 3,000 fans total. While not necessarily the catalyst for change, schools knew at that point there was little risk in throwing out the staid format and starting fresh.
Without a gamble that the revitalization attempts will work, the Big 5 was at risk of fading away.
&ldquo;We were kind of at an inflection point with Big 5 basketball, with the national landscape of NCAA sports, what can we do to perhaps infuse some energy, some life and protect our brand of basketball,&rdquo; Drexel athletic director Maisha Kelly said.
And no, Kelly said, Drexel didn&rsquo;t want a series name change like some had suggested to the City Six.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the brand. It&rsquo;s Philadelphia. It&rsquo;s the Big 5,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s part of our story and history. So 100 years from now, when people say, why is it Big 5 when there are six institutions, we get to tell the first 68 years of the story of what it was and in 2023 it was Drexel arriving.&rdquo;
In the new format, Temple, La Salle and Drexel are in one pod; Villanova, Saint Joseph&rsquo;s and Penn are the second pod. Those games will be played in November.
There are still some kinks to work out, such as which teams get home games, and how a tiebreaker would be settled. The women will join the field &mdash; though those games will not be played at the Wells Fargo Center &mdash; in 2023-24. TV rights are still to be decided. And the tripleheader is not expected to be included in a team&rsquo;s season-ticket package.

Penn, La Salle, Temple, Saint Joseph’s and Villanova will be joined by Philly’s sixth Division I program, Drexel in the Big 5 city tourney.

Say goodbye to tradition: Philadelphia’s Big 5 gets facelift

Since the Portland Trail Blazers waved the white flag and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/blazers-guard-damian-lillard-ruled-out-for-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shut down Damian Lillard for the remainder of the season</a>, they have shifted their focus to developing rookie Shaedon Sharpe and the rest of the young players on their roster.
Lately, Sharpe has been playing significantly more minutes and handling way more responsibilities than at any other point this season. The 19-year-old still has a lot to learn, but he's making the most of this opportunity.
On Wednesday, the Blazers had just seven players available as they faced the Sacramento Kings, and Sharpe responded with his best game of the season. With a chance to carry the scoring load, Sharpe finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 threes while shooting 46.2% from three-point range in the losing effort.
"We take it personal," Sharpe said. "Us young dudes don't really get the playing time that we want, so when we get an opportunity, we go take it."
Over the last five games, Sharpe is averaging 23.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 threes, 3.2 assists and a steal, while shooting 45.7% from the field, 45.0% from three and 81.0% from the free-throw line. This stretch is huge for Sharpe's confidence, and it gives him something to build off of entering next season.&nbsp;
"Just getting more comfortable (in the NBA) and getting used to the play style and how dudes like to play,&rdquo; Sharpe said. &ldquo;But I feel like it all comes down to film. We do a lot of film (study) behind the scenes, so I feel like it comes down to the film and knowing what guys like to do and how they like to play.&rdquo;
On the season, Sharpe has appeared in 75 games and has averaged 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 threes and 0.9 assists on .474/.369/.707 shooting splits.
"He's seeing so many new things every single night,&rdquo; Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;He's going to be fine. He learns things so quickly. We'll go over (things) and watch film and talk about what we need and, boom, right away he knows how to do it. He's doing good."
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Billups pointed out that Sharpe needs to get better at passing and making reads, but he also acknowledged that those struggles are to be expected for a raw rookie who's still a teenager.
This hands-on experience is important for Sharpe, who attended the University of Kentucky but never suited up for the Wildcats. Sharpe was the No. 3 high-school recruit in the nation and the fact that he didn't play college basketball didn't scare off NBA teams, as the Blazers selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Shae has come in and it&rsquo;s been a tough game for him to learn, you know? He never really even had a chance to learn the college game and then all of a sudden, boom, he&rsquo;s thrust into learning the NBA game,&rdquo; Billups told BasketballNews earlier this month. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot. It&rsquo;s a lot of things to study, a lot of things to watch, but he has taken that task very seriously. Now, he&rsquo;s starting to understand what we want as a team and what his role is and what we need from him every single night.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s always going to have those &lsquo;wow&rsquo; moments because that&rsquo;s just the type of beautiful athlete that he is. But it&rsquo;s the simple things that he&rsquo;s really starting to pick up, and guys can start to gain more and more trust in having a young guy out there.&rdquo;
As Billups alluded to, Sharpe has had plenty of ridiculous dunks throughout his rookie season. That&rsquo;s one area where his lack of experience hasn&rsquo;t limited him, as he&rsquo;s already one of the NBA's best high-flyers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Shaedon Sharpe is different. Here are ALL of his dunks so far this season: <a href="https://t.co/txcCyaYgHs">pic.twitter.com/txcCyaYgHs</a>
&mdash; Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/UsherNBA/status/1638979007369842688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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While Sharpe is still a "blank canvas," as Billups puts it, this stretch has allowed him to showcase different aspects of his skill set. Given his upside and athleticism, it&rsquo;s easy to see why the Blazers fell in love with him during the pre-draft process. He could be a special player if he realizes his full potential.
&ldquo;He is up and down like a teenager usually is,&rdquo; Billups <a href="https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/2023/03/07/trail-blazers-shaedon-sharpe-chauncey-billups-growth/">added</a> earlier this month. &ldquo;He plays good sometimes, but sometimes he struggles with our coverages, our concepts and just staying locked in long enough. &hellip; That is something, if you&rsquo;re a coach playing young players, that I have to live with. But for the most part, overall, I think Shaedon is coming along very nicely.&rdquo;

Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe has a lot to learn, but he's showing why Portland fell in love with him during the pre-draft process.

The sky is the limit: Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe making strides

A list of 12 of the top talents in modern NBA history to have never appeared in an All-Star Game.

The 12 best modern-history players to never make an NBA All-Star team

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; To Ja Morant, the answer was a slam dunk. His ferocious jam Saturday night was his best one yet.
&ldquo;Yeah, easy,&rdquo; he said, because of its difficulty, when asked if it topped his rapidly expanding collection of sensational slams. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s what everybody has been waiting for. I finally made it.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
EVERY ANGLE OF JA MORANT'S UNBELIEVABLE DUNK OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE 😱📽️ <a href="https://t.co/8u1j6ZNH3F">pic.twitter.com/8u1j6ZNH3F</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1614446093181358080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Morant's dunk came in the third quarter of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-indiana-pacers-nba-sports-desmond-bane-4aa8484c4ee0401ae087331e18dd4a8e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis Grizzlies' 130-112 victory</a> over the Indiana Pacers. He drove left into the middle of the lane, put the ball in his right hand and pulled his arm far back to easily throw it down over leaping Pacers big man Jalen Smith.
Teammates jumped off the bench in excitement and reaction followed quickly on social media, with Morant admiring his work with his own tweet &mdash; and warning to fellow players &mdash; following the game.
&ldquo;Jump with me if you want to go viral,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1614471648983535618?s=20&amp;t=53EfwHHZqyb-TxbyOiLbCw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he wrote</a> over a tweet from the NBA's account showing multiple angles of the dunk.
The No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft quickly emerged as one of the NBA's highest flyers and has gone on to become one of its best players. The 2020 Rookie of the Year was a first-time All-Star last season and was voted the winner of the Most Improved Player player.
He would seem a shoe-in to win another award, the trophy for the slam dunk contest, if he ever entered the event at the NBA's All-Star weekend.
Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell, the 2018 winner, called on Morant to show his skills in Salt Lake City with a response to Morant's tweet.
&ldquo;Bruh just do the ... <a href="https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell/status/1614473365670043653?s=20&amp;t=53EfwHHZqyb-TxbyOiLbCw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dunk contest</a>,&rdquo; he wrote.

Ja Morant says that Saturday's monster dunk against the Indiana Pacers was his best yet.

Ja Morant says sensational slam in Indy was his best dunk yet

Multiple teams have had interest in Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins, including the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3992371/2022/12/12/bojan-bogdanovic-jae-crowder-shams-charania-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
"Meanwhile, the Hawks have had several teams in the Collins market, such as Utah, Washington, Brooklyn&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="ath_autolink" href="https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/">Dallas</a>, sources said. Atlanta has not shown interest so far in a potential framework that would contain Brooklyn&rsquo;s&nbsp;Joe Harris, those sources said. Phoenix has a desire for Collins but does not appear inclined to take on the forward, who is in the second season of a five-year, $125 million pact," Charania said.
ANALYSIS: It seems Collins is being phased out from the Hawks between the improved play of Clint Capela and continued ascension of Onyeka Okongwu. While Collins is definitely good enough to take a flyer on, his expensive contract may turn off interested teams from giving up anything of value. If the Hawks are serious about winning now as well as trading Collins, their focus should be on getting players who fit better around Trae Young and Dejounte Murray above all else.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, multiple teams are interested in John Collins, including the Nets and Mavericks.

Shams: Nets, Mavericks among teams interested in John Collins

The Lakers are looking into acquiring more shooting, so they have discussed acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic, among others, on the trade market, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3992371/2022/12/12/bojan-bogdanovic-jae-crowder-shams-charania-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
"The Lakers are prioritizing shooting in their conversations with teams, and have discussed packages including salaries and a protected first-round pick for Detroit&rsquo;s&nbsp;Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources, who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, tell&nbsp;The Athletic. They&rsquo;ve also discussed concepts involving New York&rsquo;s Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier," Charania said.
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Lakers have managed to elevate themselves past being the trainwreck they were last season, but not much else. They currently rank 28th in three-point shooting percentage, so getting a sharpshooter like Bogdanovic or taking flyers on Fournier and Reddish could pay dividends for them. It would all depend on what they could send back since Russell Westbrook has found himself.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Lakers have discussed acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic, among others, via trade.

Shams: Lakers eyeing Bojan Bogdanovic, others in trade market

Virginia hasn&rsquo;t won an NCAA Tournament game since its 2019 national title and failed to even make the field last season.
The return of five starters should enable the Cavaliers to change that trend.
&ldquo;This probably is the oldest team maybe that I&rsquo;ve had,&rdquo; coach Tony Bennett said as he enters his 14th season at Virginia.
Virginia is 18th in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, making the Cavaliers the highest-ranked team that isn&rsquo;t coming off an NCAA Tournament berth.
The Cavaliers went 21-14 and reached the NIT quarterfinals last season. That followed a 2020-21 season in which Virginia earned a No. 4 seed in its region but lost to Ohio in the opening round of the tournament.
Virginia has the pieces in place to make a deeper run this season.
The Cavaliers return three double-digit scorers from last season in preseason second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection Jayden Gardner (15.3), Armaan Franklin (11.1) and Kihei Clark (10.0). Clark and Gardner are graduate students, while Franklin is a senior.
Virginia also brought in Ohio transfer Ben Vander Plas, who had 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds for his former school last season. Vander Plas scored 17 points in Ohio&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament upset of Virginia two seasons ago.
&ldquo;Last year our depth wasn&rsquo;t great and we probably didn&rsquo;t shoot the ball at the level we needed to, so we tried to improve in those areas,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;But experience is golden, I think, in college basketball. And we have that.&rdquo;
Some other programs that have reason to believe they can get back into the NCAA Tournament in March after failing to make it last season:
No. 24 DAYTON
2021-22 record: 24-11 (14-4 Atlantic 10); NIT second round
Notes: Dayton is ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 for just the third time in program history. The Flyers return all five starters, including 2022 Atlantic 10 rookie of the year DaRon Holmes II. Dayton failed to reach the NCAA Tournament despite beating eventual national champion Kansas during the year.
FLORIDA STATE
2021-22 record: 17-14 (10-10 ACC)
Florida State had advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in three straight NCAA Tournaments before struggling through a disappointing 2021-22 season. The Seminoles return their top two scorers from last season in Caleb Mills (12.7) and Matthew Cleveland (11.5). They also brought in three top-100 recruits, though 6-11 freshman center Baba Miller will miss the first 16 games of the season for a travel payment that was ruled an NCAA violation.
No. 21 OREGON
2021-22 record: 20-15 (11-9 Pac-12); NIT second round
Notes: Will Richardson is back after scoring 14.7 points per game and earning second-team all-Pac-12 honors last season. Other returning starters include Quincy Guerrier and N&rsquo;Faly Dante. The Ducks are hoping that experience helps them avoid a repeat of their late slide from last year, when they dropped eight of their final 12 games.
SAINT LOUIS
2021-22 record: 23-12 (12-6 Atlantic 10); NIT first round
Notes: Yuri Collins led all Division I players with 7.9 assists per game and can distribute to a couple of talented scorers. Gibson Jimerson ranked third in the Atlantic 10 with 16.3 points per game last season. Saint Louis also welcomes back Javonte Perkins, who had 17.1 points per game in 2020-21 before missing last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
TEXAS A&amp;M
2021-22 record: 27-13 (9-9 SEC); NIT runner-up
Notes: Texas A&amp;M coach Buzz Williams criticized the selection committee last season after his team got left out of the field. The Aggies won&rsquo;t have to sweat out Selection Sunday if they can build on the momentum they established late last season, when they won 11 of their final 13 games. They return two double-figure scorers from the 2021-22 team in Henry Coleman (11.0) and Tyrece Radford (10.9).
XAVIER
2021-22 record: 23-13 (8-11 Big East): NIT champion
Notes: Xavier played its way out of NCAA Tournament consideration last year by dropping six of its last seven games before the bracket announcement. The Musketeers then bounced back by winning five straight to claim the NIT title. Colby Jones was named the NIT&rsquo;s most outstanding player last season. Jones and teammate Jack Nunge received preseason first-team all-Big East honors from the league&rsquo;s coaches.

Virginia is 18th in the AP preseason Top 25, making the Cavaliers the highest-ranked team not coming off an NCAA Tournament berth.

7 teams who are seeking NCAA bids they didn’t get last year

The Syracuse men&rsquo;s basketball team kicks off the 2022-23 season Tuesday with an exhibition game against Indiana (PA) at the Carrier Dome. (I know it&rsquo;s technically now called the JMA Wireless Dome, but I&rsquo;m not ready to call it that yet, and not sure if I ever will be.)
Orange center Jesse Edwards made the tough decision against going pro and making the early jump to the NBA to return for his senior season. Before his junior year abruptly came to an end due to a wrist injury on Feb. 8 vs. Boston College, Edwards was averaging an impressive 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and ranked second in the ACC in blocks with 3.07 rejections per contest. He also was 12th in the nation in field goal percentage (69.5%).
I asked an NBA scout for his thoughts on Jesse Edwards:
"He&rsquo;s long, athletic, (a) shot-blocker, can run the floor, (has) great mobility for a 7-footer, (has the) ability to roll quickly out of the high pick and roll and finish or make the right play to avoid getting the charge," the scout said. "(He) has great touch around the basket and really good footwork. (He) needs to get stronger and improve (his) rebounding. His draft comparison would be a more offensively-skilled Rudy Gobert. (He) could definitely be a pro with longevity in the league."
The 6-11, 230-pounder from the Netherlands is poised for a dominant senior season for the Orange and has the potential to be one of the most offensively skilled centers in not only the ACC, but the entire NCAA.&nbsp;
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I caught up with Edwards to discuss his perseverance through his difficult early years under head coach Jim Boeheim, his progression, the upcoming season, the talented freshman class and much more.&nbsp;
Etan Thomas: How was your experience playing for the Dutch National Team?
Jesse Edwards: "It was a great learning experience because I got the opportunity to play with and against pros. I saw how they approached the game. It&rsquo;s different than teenagers in college; they approach it as their livelihood. It&rsquo;s all businesses. It was really a great experience."
Etan: This season, we have some young guns, we also have returning vets. Joe Girard, Symir Torrence, yourself, of course. What can 'Cuse fans expect this season?&nbsp;
Edwards: "Our practices have really been a lot of fun. We have six freshmen and a transfer. That&rsquo;s seven new people. And everyone is hungry. We really go at it in practice. Not to say we didn&rsquo;t do that before, but now, it&rsquo;s just different. It&rsquo;s a feeling that things are not as set in stone as they were last year. This season, it feels like playing time is really up for grabs, so the tenacity in practice is just really competitive. It&rsquo;s great."
Etan: A lot of fans are discussing how the team is going to look very different as far as style of play compared to last year. Do you think that as well?&nbsp;
Edwards: "For sure. Last year, we had fantastic scorers, top-tier three-point shooters. This season, we still have Joe, but we added a lot of athleticism to our roster. And Benny [Williams] will be playing a lot more, and he&rsquo;s as athletic as they come. So yeah, it will be a much faster pace this year. (It) will be fun to watch."
Etan: Now, you&rsquo;re coming into this season as one of the top big-men prospects in the country. People are really high on you now. People are complimenting your scoring ability, and Coach Boeheim even said something to that effect. How does that feel coming into the season for your confidence? It seems like people are finally recognizing what you can do on the basketball court.
Edwards: "It definitely feels good to get that recognition, for people to see what you&rsquo;ve been working on for the last few years. But for myself, I try to not put too much into what people say. I know how quickly what they say can change. I&rsquo;m just trying to continue working hard, getting better and doing the things that can help this team win. It&rsquo;s great to hear, don&rsquo;t get me wrong, but none of that is going to my head, trust me."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/img_2998.JPG" alt="" width="515" height="644" />
Etan: That&rsquo;s a great mentality to have. So, I wanna go back now because it wasn&rsquo;t always like this &mdash; how you&rsquo;re regarded and people recognizing and acknowledging what you can do. You know, myself and Roosevelt Bouie, we&rsquo;ve been the founders of the Free Jesse Fan Club and the Feed Jesse Club, lobbying for you to get the ball more.
But explain the mental toughness and perseverance that it took for you to weather the storm during those tough years where you weren&rsquo;t getting to play, or you would get put in for a few minutes, then get taken right out. Or you would play really well one game, then wouldn&rsquo;t play for two games after. What did it take to mentally get through those tough periods?
Edwards: "Well, first of all, I know I&rsquo;ve said this to you and Rosie privately, but I want to say it publicly &mdash; I really want to say thank you for keeping my head up during those tough times you mentioned. The texts, the DM&rsquo;s, coming up to me after the game; that really helped me a lot, especially coming from you. And you always used yourself as an example saying, 'Yeah it was tough for me at first too, but it got better. Just hang in there.'
"I can&rsquo;t tell you how much that helped. That kept me on the right track, motivated, and you didn&rsquo;t let me get down. It was like you knew the perfect time where I needed some encouragement. I remember one time in particular, you listed all of the positive things I did one game, and it was a game I felt like I did nothing right."
Etan: Well, it's because I&rsquo;ve been there. And like I told you before, Roosevelt came to me while I was going through my tough times and did that same thing for me. He saw the potential in me just like I saw it in you. But I know what it feels like to not feel like you can do anything right in Coach Boeheim&rsquo;s eyes.
To have the entire halftime speech or postgame speech be focused on what you did wrong, and you&rsquo;re looking around like, "I only played 5 minutes, I couldn&rsquo;t have done all that in 5 minutes." I remember all that, and I know what it can do to a player&rsquo;s confidence, and I didn&rsquo;t want that to happen to you. So how was you able to weather that storm? Because it&rsquo;s not easy.
Edwards: "No, it&rsquo;s definitely not easy. I don&rsquo;t know. I just tried to occupy my mind by working hard. Going to the gym by myself or just getting someone to rebound for me and just workout and take my frustrations to the court. When you&rsquo;re in that situation, it&rsquo;s hard not to start doubting if it will ever change. But I didn&rsquo;t want to give up, or have my love for the game to be taken away, and that&rsquo;s one of the things you kept saying: 'Don&rsquo;t give him a reason to point to because if you start sulking, or not cheering on the bench, or not working hard in practice, or not coming in early and staying late, or not interacting with your teammates, they are going to use that as reasons to justify not playing you.' So I made sure I didn&rsquo;t do any of that. But to be honest, there were times I thought, 'Did I make the right decision coming here?'"
Etan: I&rsquo;m sure there were. I remember after my freshman year, I was this close to transferring. I doubled back to some of the colleges that recruited me.
Edwards: "Yeah, and that was back when it wasn&rsquo;t easy to transfer. Y'all had to sit out right?"
Etan: Yeah, you had to sit out a year. Let me tell you how frustrated I was, though. The rules were if you transferred in conference, you had to sit out two years. And I was still considering it! (Laughing)&nbsp;
Edwards: (Laughing) "Dang! That&rsquo;s crazy."
Etan: Man, listen, so when I would tell you I feel you, I meant it. But you battled through it, and every year, you added something to your game and it was great to see the development. And to hear the announcers start speaking highly of you and giving you the praise you deserved, it was great to see that. Specifically, your sophomore year, because there was a stretch where the media kept asking Coach Boeheim why you weren&rsquo;t playing more. Do you remember that?&nbsp;
Edwards: "Well, I remember you writing about it and tweeting it and then, more of the Syracuse media almost quoting you to Coach."
Etan: Okay, semantics (laughing), but Coach Boeheim would keep telling them, "He&rsquo;s not strong enough. He&rsquo;s too thin. He doesn&rsquo;t rebound well enough. I play the guys who play the best at practice," and his most consistent response: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not ready.&rdquo; And yes, I wrote about when you was put in a few crucial games &mdash; after not playing for a few games and really getting inconsistent minutes even before that &mdash; and you shined against Georgia Tech. Then, you came back the next game against North Carolina and shined again. And I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/syracuse-center-jesse-edwards-answers-critics-with-his-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about it</a>.
But people don&rsquo;t understand how difficult it is to just &ldquo;stay ready." People use that phrase as a cliche, but they don&rsquo;t really understand how it feels if you haven&rsquo;t played in a few games, then you&rsquo;re thrown into an important game. Then, you know that if you don&rsquo;t play well, Coach Boeheim is going to say, &ldquo;See, that&rsquo;s why I can&rsquo;t play him because he&rsquo;s not ready.&rdquo; So all that is in the back of your mind, but you came in both times and played great. How were you able to do that?
Edwards: "Yes, exactly the way you described. It&rsquo;s so crazy. You check in, you&rsquo;re thinking, 'Okay, don&rsquo;t mess up, don&rsquo;t mess up' because you know (you make) one mistake and you are going to get snatched out the game. And people don&rsquo;t understand that feeling unless they have experienced it. There&rsquo;s no way they could understand.
"But I always come back to what you and Rosie kept telling me. Whether it&rsquo;s three minutes or 23 minutes, when you go out there, make something happen and get yourself going. Don&rsquo;t have the deer-in-headlights look. Understand what coach wants. Don&rsquo;t freeze up at any yelling from the bench. Like, shake it off immediately and keep playing. All that stuff helped. I don&rsquo;t want to keep thanking you throughout this entire interview, but I wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to do it without that advice. I was prepared, mentally prepared, which is really a large percentage of what you need."
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Etan: Definitely, and you really did a great job with that. So let&rsquo;s talk about last season. You&rsquo;re playing great. Everything was going well. Things were really turning the corner for you and the entire team. And then, you hurt your wrist and was out for the season. Talk about how devastating it was for that to happen right at that time when you were rolling.
Edwards: "Aw man, it was so devastating. The team was rolling like you said. We were all finally clicking. So to have it happen then, it really sucked. That&rsquo;s all I could say. But to watch the team almost pull off a crazy upset against Duke and how Buddy [Boeheim] was playing, I was really happy for him. But yeah, it was tough. I can&rsquo;t lie. But like you told me, injuries are part of the game. You get knocked down, you pick yourself back up and you work harder, and that&rsquo;s what I did this summer."
Etan: So coming into this season, all that&rsquo;s behind you. You&rsquo;ve weathered all the Syracuse storms, and now you&rsquo;re a senior, you&rsquo;re established. People recognize what you mean to this team. Your inside presence, scoring ability. You can even step out and hit the jumper. You can really score in a variety of ways. I love the drag screen in transition and how you attack the rim; you gotta stay outta foul trouble though because we need you on the floor, so don&rsquo;t go over any one&rsquo;s back fighting for rebounds and getting cheap fouls &mdash; but also, keep fighting for rebounds (laughing). I ain&rsquo;t telling you not to rebound now
Edwards: (Laughing) "Yeah, I hear you."
Etan: But you&rsquo;re one of the leaders on the team, and really, the sky&rsquo;s the limit for yourself and this super talented team.
Edwards: "I can&rsquo;t wait. This is really going to be an exciting team to watch. We have high-flyers, scorers. The defense is going to be better, we still have three-point specialists; (we have) young players who are all hungry and excited to play. We&rsquo;re really going to be fun to watch. I can&rsquo;t wait."
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Etan Thomas chats with Syracuse senior Jesse Edwards to discuss past criticisms, how he's grown mentally and this coming season.

Syracuse big man Jesse Edwards excited for upcoming season with Orange

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

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

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

As we continue on through &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; on BasketballNews.com, we&rsquo;re combining two awards into one breakdown, as NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Coach of the Year go under the microscope next.
Which names stand out as the best bets? And what are some potential underdog fliers that could pay huge dividends at the end of the season? Let&rsquo;s dive into it with odds provided by DraftKings.
Sixth Man of the Year Best Bet: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat (+500)
Tied atop the odds leaderboard alongside Golden State Warriors breakout star Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro put together a very strong case to repeat in this category. Not only is Herro a key cog to the Heat&rsquo;s well-oiled machine, but he fits within his role off the bench so well.
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On his way to winning 6MOY last season, Herro averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists on a 56.1% True Shooting percentage. Herro not only took the needed steps forward in his own career trajectory, but he once again is a swing element to Miami&rsquo;s formula for success in 2022-23. With the Heat looking likely to run it back with the majority of their rotation, plenty of offensive burden remains on Herro&rsquo;s shoulders.
If the Heat finish near the top of the Eastern Conference standings as expected, Herro&rsquo;s opportunity to repeat is right there for the taking with maintained statistics.
Sixth Man of the Year Dark-Horse Bet: Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns (+2500)
Cameron Johnson was a finalist last season for this award, but it still seems like his impressive third-year campaign fell a little too far under the radar. Off the bench spelling Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder as Phoenix&rsquo;s third wing, Johnson averaged 12.5 points while shooting 42.5% from three-point range. A valuable marksman within the Suns&rsquo; formidable rotation, Johnson enters a contract year where a lot of potential scoring possessions will be available to the most aggressive player.
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Devin Booker and Chris Paul still control the offense in Phoenix, but who will step as the consistent third option? Deandre Ayton should be that focal point following a max contract, but Johnson has continuously shown he can pour in points when given the ultimate green light. Suns head coach Monty Williams values Johnson&rsquo;s underrated two-way game, so expect him to hover around starter-like minutes anyways.
Kevin Durant&rsquo;s looming trade saga plays a massive role here too. If Durant comes to the Valley, this is all for naught with Johnson likely off to the Brooklyn Nets. However, the longer this drags out, it feels inevitable that Phoenix runs it all back and sees what happens. If so, keep an eye on Johnson taking another step forward.
Coach of the Year Best Bet: Ime Udoka, Boston Celtics (+700)
Following a rough start, there&rsquo;s no denying Ime Udoka rallied this group together for a magical NBA Finals run. Now, with an even stronger roster, Boston is poised to stay atop the East standings. For Udoka, he already has support to be an easy, shoo-in COY favorite. If the Celtics can repeat their success while avoiding any costly injuries, Udoka&rsquo;s chances should be high.
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And a special kudos to former Celtics head-coach-turned-executive Brad Stevens, because he made Udoka&rsquo;s job so much easier with this projected rotation:
Starting Lineup: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams
Second Unit: Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, Danilo Gallinari, Grant Williams
Health-permitting, Udoka and the Celtics own a realistic pathway to nabbing multiple season-ending awards.
Coach of the Year Dark-Horse Bet = Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat (+1400)
Similar to the argument presented for the favorite in Udoka, don&rsquo;t sleep on the Heat staying in the East&rsquo;s elite tier. Even without a potential Durant acquisition, Miami&rsquo;s roster is still fortified enough where 50-plus wins should be attainable.
Already known as one of the league&rsquo;s best tacticians, Erik Spoelstra leading Miami to the peak of the East standings would put him in a great spot to secure yet another COY honor. Miami is always a team that can sneak up on people, especially from a betting perspective. Don&rsquo;t let that happen with an underrated offseason wrapping up for the Heat, which, as shown, can propel them to multiple pole positions on awards.
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For all the latest NBA betting trends, spreads, props and more, check out Basketball News' betting podcast "Nothing But Bets."</a>
Also, check out: "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-on-202223-nba-rookie-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best bets to win the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year award</a>" and "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-to-win-the-202223-nba-most-improved-player-award-anthony-edwards-tyrese-haliburton-evan-mobley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best bets to win the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player award.</a>"

Which names stand out most for award races involving NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Coach of the Year? Evan Sidery breaks it down.

Best bets: 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year awards

The Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday announced plans to take the first steps toward building a privately-funded $1.3 billion sports and entertainment arena.
The team's managing partners, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, unveiled the creation of a new development company led by business leader David Adelman to create its future home in the city's Fashion District. They said the new arena, 76 Place, is anticipated to cost approximately $1.3 billion.
The location is a busy downtown area with lots of shopping and entertainment and it is near popular Philadelphia destinations such as the Reading Terminal Market.
&ldquo;The Philadelphia 76ers are a storied Philadelphia institution with a proven track record of investing in their community. That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re committed to building a world-class home in the heart of the city and creating a privately funded arena that strengthens ties within the local community through investments that prioritize equity, inclusivity and accessibility,&rdquo; Harris said in a news release.
The site was selected primarily due to its access to transit, the release said. The team also cited the &ldquo;ability to redevelop an existing commercial space.&rdquo;
Groundbreaking is not expected for several years and the project is expected to be finished in time for the 2031-2032 NBA season.
The Sixers have called the Wells Fargo Center home since it opened in 1996. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had a terrific partnership with the Sixers for decades and look forward to hosting the team in this world-class facility until at least 2031,&rdquo; the arena's owner, Comcast Spectacor said in a statement Thursday.
The venue is also home to the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, and hosts concerts.
Despite an ongoing $350 million project to renovate the arena inside and out, the Sixers are looking to go their own way.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re dedicated to making sure this development is a win for our fans and Philadelphia at large,&rdquo; said Adelman.

The 76ers announced plans to take the first steps toward building a privately-funded $1.3 billion sports and entertainment arena.

Philadelphia 76ers look to build new $1.3 billion arena

The Brooklyn Nets have made a move concerning a three-level scorer who can play either forward spot.
It isn't Kevin Durant, much to the chagrin of slop merchants waiting on a seismic shift in the NBA. Instead, former Indiana Pacers wing T.J. Warren is taking his talents to Brooklyn, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Nets, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tj-warren-signs-with-brooklyn-nets-on-oneyear-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
We haven't seen much of Warren lately. He logged just four games during the 2020-21 season with the Pacers before being shut down with a stress fracture in his foot. That recovery also held him out of the 2021-22 campaign.
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The last time we saw Warren fully healthy was in 2019-20 &mdash; a breakout campaign that saw him average a career-best 19.8 points while converting 57.5% of his twos and 40.3% of his threes. Since 2010, only six other players have averaged over 19 points while hitting those efficiency marks from two and three with that volume: Stephen Curry, LeBron James, current teammate Durant, Karl-Anthony Towns, John Collins and Michael Porter Jr. (Zion Williamson's 2019-20 campaign could've made the list, but he didn't even average a full attempt from three [0.6].)
That type of three-level scoring is hard to find. Warren has long been a tremendous finisher &mdash; a career 71.1% conversion rate inside of three feet &mdash; and an able bucket-getter in the mid-range. His combination of strength, touch and footwork have made him difficult to deal with.&nbsp;
It helps that Warren can be used in a multitude of ways. He ranked in the 60th percentile or better in eight different categories on Synergy during that 2019-20 season: spot up, transition, pick-and-roll ball handler, off screen, cut, hand off, offensive rebounds (putbacks) and miscellaneous.
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That ain't bad. The film ain't either.
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The three-point shooting is what's relatively new in Warren's arsenal. After taking 279 threes in his first four seasons, he took 406 in the following two seasons &mdash; knocking those down at a 41.4% clip. It stinks that he had a two-year heater from deep, then had his career halted by injury.
While it would be irresponsible to expect the 2019-20 version of Warren off of this prolonged layoff, his physical style of play should be a welcome addition in Brooklyn. The Nets ranked 29th in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/drives/?sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drives per game</a> (37.8) and 23rd in rim rate. Having someone like Warren who can attack closeouts and bully his way inside should help.&nbsp;
For the Nets, this is an interesting flier regardless of what happens with the Durant situation. Warren can either serve as depth behind the MVP candidate, or someone who can play off him due to his improved shooting and closeout-attacking ability. If Durant is flipped, there should be plenty of usage for Warren to eat in order to work himself back.

Nekias Duncan reacts to the Nets' signing of T.J. Warren and how he fits in Brooklyn.

Why the Nets taking a flyer on T.J. Warren is intriguing

Bennedict Mathurin bet on himself entering his sophomore season at the University of Arizona.
As an end result, he&rsquo;s reaped huge benefits, with his stock now exploding going into the 2022 NBA Draft.
Mathurin helped lead the Wildcats to a resurgent season, as he averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game on a 57.6% True Shooting percentage. Mathurin&rsquo;s rise helped him earn Pac-12 Player of the Year honors, and along the way he displayed why he&rsquo;s such a perfect fit within today&rsquo;s modern pace-and-space game.
Offering endless versatility on both ends of the court with explosive athleticism, Mathurin&rsquo;s name is one of the hotter ones in the draft class right now. Mathurin met with the Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors at the NBA Draft Combine.
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Also, during Mathurin&rsquo;s Pro Day in Santa Barbara, California on Wednesday, all 32 teams were well represented. Amongst the flock of scouts, a number of names stood out with notable attendance: Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. and president Tommy Sheppard, New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau and Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley and vice president of player personnel Pat Connelly.
Mathurin&rsquo;s immense upside as a three-level scorer and lockdown defender has him slotted at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/bennedict-mathurin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No. 7 overall to the Blazers</a> in BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest mock draft</a> via our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, Matt Babcock:
<blockquote>
There is a lot to like about Bennedict Mathurin. At 6-foot-5 or so, he has a valuable combination of attributes. He has a sweet outside stroke, is a high flyer and is an alpha dog. He would have had a chance to be a first-round pick if he had declared to enter last year&rsquo;s draft. Instead, however, he chose to bet on himself and return to Arizona for his sophomore season. I expect Mathurin to be selected in the lottery on draft night, so it&rsquo;s looking like his decision to return to school is about to pay off big time.
</blockquote>
That alpha-dog mentality from Mathurin is what makes him stand out most, because those are the traits you want to bet on most in prospects. Taking developmental leaps in his game every season, Mathurin believes his shooting and defense are his true calling-card attributes.
&ldquo;I think my shooting is the biggest part of my game,&rdquo; Mathurin said. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m a two-way player. I think I&rsquo;m able to showcase to get a stop defensively. I give them 30 seconds and we get the (win) because I get a stop or offensively, because I&rsquo;m able to shoot the ball and just have an impact in both ways.&rdquo;
Another promising part of Mathurin&rsquo;s offensive development is being able to take pressure off the offense as a secondary playmaker. It wasn&rsquo;t displayed much throughout Mathurin&rsquo;s collegiate career, but he&rsquo;s eager to prove that it can quickly become a fortified tool in his arsenal.
&ldquo;Often, teams have been asking me what are things I wanted to showcase, and (playmaking) was definitely one thing," Mathurin said. "I feel the USC game (6 assists with only a single turnover) I think a lot of people started noticing I was able to pass the ball. We played in a different kind of system where we have guards &mdash; already one of my biggest strengths is to score the ball, so I just did what the team needed me to do in order for us to win.&rdquo;
There aren't many holes to poke in the game of Mathurin, which is why this late buzz around him is well-deserved.
Offering a tantalizing two-way package with much more room to grow physically, don&rsquo;t be surprised if Mathurin is a pick we look back on a few years from now as a home-run hit wherever he lands next month.
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One of the late risers in the 2022 NBA Draft process, Bennedict Mathurin's upside is immense thanks to his two-way profile.

2022 NBA Draft: Bennedict Mathurin offers unique two-way ceiling

Cade Cunningham was one of the only players on the court more than an hour before a recent game, dribbling at different paces to practice moves to his right and left while pulling up for jumpers at varying distances.
Even though Cunningham's future with the Detroit Pistons is secure as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-basketball-nba-draft-detroit-pistons-bd83dcc8efc44bfa6a40a46683ed5f85">the No. 1 pick from the 2021 draft and as a leading candidate to win NBA Rookie of the Year, </a> he was breaking a sweat as if he was trying to keep his job.
Clearly, the 6-foot-6 guard knows he has a lot of work to do.
The three-time championship franchise does, too.
Detroit was 23-59 this season, finishing ahead of just Houston and Orlando at the bottom of the league standings. While the Pistons are mired in a rebuilding project that has lasted longer than a decade, picking Cunningham was a choice that has panned out and provided at least one reason for hope.
He overcame an ankle injury that stunted the start of his career to average 17.4 points to lead all rookies, ranked second in his class with 5.6 assists a game and fifth with 5.5 rebounds over 64 games.
The 20-year-old Cunningham became the sixth NBA player to have at least 1,114 points, 356 assists and 354 rebounds through 64 games, joining a short list that includes LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Luka Doncic, Oscar Robertson and Alvan Adams.
Cunningham's coach, Dwane Casey, vowed that the former Oklahoma State star <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-detroit-pistons-cade-cunningham-dwane-casey-c1ae51c2e42cf73af4a9bfe1dec3882f">would not be a bust</a> before the season started. The savvy first-year player proved his coach was right &mdash; and surprised him, too.
&ldquo;I knew he was a basketball junkie, but I didn&rsquo;t know he had the knowledge of what everybody was supposed to do on the court," Casey said.
Cunningham had a simple explanation when asked about the compliment, saying it was a relatively easy accomplishment compared to playing football.
&ldquo;As a quarterback, you have to know what 10 guys are doing," he said.
A GOOD SOURCE
Dallas Mavericks coach and former NBA point guard Jason Kidd marveled at the season Cunningham had in Detroit.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s done an incredible job in his first year,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s probably the favorite to win Rookie of the Year. To be a point guard and do what he does on a nightly basis is impressive.&rdquo;
PIVOTAL PISTON
Jerami Grant scored 19.2 points per game, leading the team in scoring for a second straight season. The 28-year-old forward, though, was limited by injuries to just 47 games.
Grant is eligible for a contract extension, entering the last season of his three-year, $60 million deal. If the Pistons don't give Grant a new deal, they may want to trade him.
MAKING A MARK
Saddiq Bey, in his second year, broke a single-season franchise record with 211 3-pointers. The 6-8 forward made 20 more shots beyond the arc than Allan Houston did during the 1995-96 season. Bey was also the only player on the team to play in all 82 games, 11 more than center Isaiah Stewart.
TAKING A FLYER
The Pistons were pleased with Marvin Bagley III in the 18 games he played after acquiring him from Sacramento in a four-team trade two months ago. The former Duke star averaged 14.6 points with the Pistons, falling just short of his career high from his rookie year three years ago, along with 6.8 rebounds.
Detroit can make Bagley a restricted free agent by giving him a qualifying offer, and Casey sounds as if he would like the 6-11 forward to stay.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a talent," Casey said &ldquo;He was drafted No. 2 (overall) for a reason and he showed all of that for us. His ability to score in the low post is uncanny."
BABY STEPS
The Pistons won just 28% of their games, barely improving upon last year&rsquo;s clip, but they were better over the last two months of the season. After starting 12-45, Detroit was 11-14 and that included a season-ending, three-game losing skid.

While the Pistons are mired in a rebuild that has lasted longer than a decade, picking Cade Cunningham was a wise choice.

Cunningham gives Pistons a building block in rebuilding plan

Time heals all wounds.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve been told, anyway.
Unfortunately, it would appear that Zion Willamson is testing the theory.
His massive stature is only surpassed by his incredible talent, but sadly &mdash; more than halfway through what should have been his third season &mdash; it&rsquo;s looking more and more like Zion is the second coming of Yao Ming.
On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_3452b938-8dd9-11ec-85bd-576e3c354632.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Clark of the&nbsp;New Orleans Times-Picayune</a> reported that Williamson may end up requiring a second surgery to repair a broken right foot that has derailed his third season. And at this point, we can&rsquo;t help but to point out the obvious as it relates to the young superstar &mdash; his body simply may not be able to stand up to the rigors of competing at the NBA level.
It certainly is a harsh consideration but, at this point, Zion has appeared in only 42% of the games that New Orleans has played since he was selected with the first overall pick in 2019.&nbsp;
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In fact, Zion has played in so few games, that it might be considered disrespectful of Yao Ming&rsquo;s career to mention the two in the same breath.
If you want to make anyone who&rsquo;s covered the game feel old, just tell them that Yao was drafted with the first overall pick by the Houston Rockets 20 years ago.&nbsp;
Indeed, way back in 2002, the Chinese phenom became the first international player who didn&rsquo;t play collegiately in the United States to be drafted with the first overall pick. He was the only man who ever made Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal look relatively miniature.
Those that knew Yao well and saw him up close often marveled at the power he seemed to have hidden in his legs. Despite his svelte frame, Yao&rsquo;s legs were like tree trunks. Although far from a high-flyer, at 7-foot-6 and playing between 305 and 310 pounds, he put significant stress on his lower extremeties and ultimately fell victim to it.
We may be witnessing the same thing happening to Zion.
With Yao, we found out the hard way that his body simply couldn&rsquo;t hold up. Most people&rsquo;s bodies simply aren't made to play 80-plus basketball games in the span of six months, which is exactly why so many players have only been able to do so with varying degrees of success (and availability).&nbsp;
After missing only two games his first three seasons in the league, things began to unravel for Yao in his fourth &mdash; he missed 25 games after undergoing surgery on his left big toe, and that was just the beginning.
He would miss 62 games over the span of his fifth and sixth seasons, before managing to play 77 games in his seventh. That seventh season ended prematurely, however, as he suffered a hairline fracture in his left ankle during Game 3 of the Rockets&rsquo; second-round playoff series against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Yao would miss the entirety of the enusing season in 2009-10. It should have been his eighth. He returned for the 2010-11 season, but five games in &mdash; despite being put on a 24-minute restriction &mdash; he developed another stress fracture in his left ankle.
He missed the remainder of the season before announcing his retirement the following July.&nbsp;
In the end, he played just 472 of a possible 738 games over his nine-year career.&nbsp;
Believe it or not, and despite all of that, in the three seasons spanning 2005-08, Yao&rsquo;s appearance rate of 65% was still much, much higher than Zion&rsquo;s (42%). And with Yao, it was particularly sad because he and the uber-talented Tracy McGrady were joined in Houston. A duo that had championship-caliber potential simply didn't have the health needed to get a real shot.
In his latter years, we spent more time wondering what Yao would look like with more development and at or near 100% effectiveness. Sadly, we never got to see.
We may never with Zion.
If the Rockets could do it all over again, they probably would&rsquo;ve tried to sell high (or, at least, sell at all) once Yao began spending more time in street clothes than in uniform. Players don't typically get healthier as they age.
Without a doubt, there would&rsquo;ve been at least one or two teams out there that would have been willing to roll the dice on Yao, just as there were teams willing to take chances on oft-injured players such as Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire, Tyreke Evans and even Kristaps Porzingis.
As constituted, the Pelicans are a talented team, especially after having acquired CJ McCollum at the trade deadline. With Brandon Ingram and a few other capable players on the right side of 30 years old, the thought of cutting bait with Zion and taking advantage of another team&rsquo;s willingness to make him their problem wouldn&rsquo;t be absurd.
His value isn&rsquo;t nearly as high as it was one year ago but, if the Wizards were able to find a taker for John Wall, it's easy to imagine that there would be a market for Zion.
Sadly, at this point, he can only be fairly regarded as a big if, whether we like it or not. And continuing to count on him in New Orleans is a proposition that&rsquo;s looking less prudent with each passing day.
Truth is, we&rsquo;d be hard-pressed to find a player of his size and stature who overcame such a turbulent injury history so early in a career.
Perhaps Zion can be the first.
At this point, though &mdash; especially through the lens of the great Yao Ming &mdash; it's probably safe to say that history isn't on his side.
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Moke Hamilton discusses the career parallels of Yao Ming and Zion Williamson, with an eye on their unfortunate injury woes.

Is Zion Williamson the next Yao Ming?

Dayton, OH&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp; In a game that came down to the final minute, the Flyers held on after a late surge by Rhode Island to win 53-51.&nbsp;
Toumani Camara led all players with 18 points and also added 10 rebounds. Makhi Mitchell led Rhode Island with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Flyers (14-7, 6-2 A10) are led in scoring by their two standout freshmen. DaRon Holmes II (6-10, 220) is ninth in the country in Box Plus-Minus among qualified true freshmen and has been impressive thus far, scoring 11.6 points to go along with 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. Malachi Smith is scoring 10.3 points and adding 4.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists.
The Rams (12-7, 3-4 A10) are led by senior guard Jeremy Sheppard, who is averaging 10.9 points and 3.1 assists per game. The Mitchell twins, Makhel and Makhi, are a force on the inside. They combine to average 21.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks.&nbsp;
Dayton took a 29-25 lead into halftime behind Camara. The Georgia transfer had 14 points on 5 of 7 from the floor, leading all scorers. Makhi Mitchell led the Rams with 6 points.&nbsp;
Freshman Kobe Elvis started the second half with a bang for the Flyers by hitting three triples in the first six minutes, as they held a 45-40 lead at the under-12 minute TV timeout. The team would maintain a small lead until roughly the two minute mark.
Jalen Carey hit a triple to make it 49-45, Sebastian Thomas followed with a layup to cut it to 49-47. Malachi Smith and Mustapha Amzil finished the job with clutch free throws to ice it for Dayton. Final score, 53-51.
Holmes II played well again, posting 12 points on 5 of 6 from the floor. Elvis finished with 11 points. Carey played well off the bench for the Rams and finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.&nbsp;
Dayton keeps its eyes on No. 25 Davidson as the Wildcats sit atop the conference standings.
UPCOMING
Rhode Island visits Fordham on Wednesday
Dayton travels to VCU on Tuesday night.
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In a game that came down to the final minute, the Flyers held on after a late surge by Rhode Island to win.

Dayton defeats Rhode Island in a close one, 53-51

When looking through the NBA standings, one team continues to show no signs of slowing down as a team officially taking the leap forward to sustainable playoff contender. The Memphis Grizzlies are breaking through their ceiling ahead of schedule, thanks in large part to point guard Ja Morant taking the leap to superstardom in his third season.
Thankfully, basketball fans weren&rsquo;t robbed of what could&rsquo;ve been a special season from Morant early on in the 2021-22 season with what looked to be a more serious knee injury.
Six weeks ago, Morant landed awkwardly on his left knee resulting in a sprain. In real-time, it looked way worse when remembering catastrophic injuries in the past with lower extremities. Morant stutter-stepped on a drive to the rim, which caused a non-contact buckling of his knee. In his absence, Memphis stayed afloat in the Western Conference as their young core carried the burden, spearheaded by late first-round steal Desmond Bane, who continues to look the part of a perfect backcourt complement alongside Morant.
Memphis is 25-14, comfortably sitting as the No. 4 seed in the West. As Morant&rsquo;s ascension continues full steam ahead, it&rsquo;s time to realize how strong this Grizzlies team is positioned both now and long-term.
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Morant is the straw that stirs the drink on Beale Street in Memphis, but the Grizzlies are a team littered with enticing pieces fitting together seamlessly on the fly. Bane is averaging 17.4 points per game while carrying an above-average 58.5% True Shooting percentage, boosted by his three-point marksmanship.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is taking strides forward in Year 4 after losing a full season to his own knee injury suffered in the 2020 Orlando Bubble. He's averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
After a short stint with the Phoenix Suns, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton has found a home in Memphis as an energizer third guard who brings endless amounts of two-way versatility. Dillon Brooks still remains as a key cog in the Grizzlies&rsquo; machine when he&rsquo;s been on the court this season, averaging 19.3 points per game himself.
The Grizzlies&rsquo; front office has consistently taken flyers on productive, high-upside college prospects and maximized on signing castoffs. Case in point with former Minnesota Timberwolves lottery pick Jarrett Culver. Memphis has continuously hit on second-round picks as well, with Xavier Tillman and Killian Tillie carving out roles. Last summer's No. 10 overall pick Ziaire Williams is working his way into the mix and could be a future asset to the Grizzlies&rsquo; successful rise in the West.
Add it all together and the Grizzlies are nowhere close to a mirage. If anything, they are just now beginning their climb in the Western Conference for years to come. Aided by a superstar in Morant, a valuable collection of successful young role-players who can fill multiple avenues of on-court value, stabilizing veteran presences like center Steven Adams, Memphis has hit the jackpot.
Morant has been everything the Grizzlies hoped for when they found their own lottery luck and jumped up to the second spot in the 2019 NBA Draft. Morant was a fast-paced, jaw-dropping offensive engine who provided endless highlight reel moments during his two collegiate seasons at Murray State. A meteoric rise in his sophomore season led to some even debating him alongside surefire No. 1 pick Zion Williamson.
Morant immediately showed during his rookie season how special of a player he was. Fast-forward to now, though, he&rsquo;s beginning to really take hold of being one of the best young lead guards in the Association.
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Morant is averaging 25.1 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals while taking a superstar-esque jump from the perimeter, shooting 40.0% on three-pointers. It&rsquo;s resulted in Morant&rsquo;s True Shooting percentage skyrocketing to a career-best 57.7% this season. When Morant has been on the court, Memphis is 15-12. He&rsquo;s not only carrying this Grizzlies squad, but taking the leap in the process.
As a true three-level scorer with rare explosive burst to the basket, Morant is a gem in the backcourt. When comparing him around the Association, his unique scoring blend makes him a nearly unstoppable weapon to contain. After an adjustment period returning from his sprained left knee, Morant is averaging an eye-popping 33.2 points over his last five games.
The Grizzlies are winning with a superstar buoying their offense, but the defense is there in more consistent spurts as well. Memphis ranks No. 7 in offensive rating (111.7) while being smack dab in the middle of the league in defensive rating (108.7). It&rsquo;s a sustainable formula head coach Taylor Jenkins is firing off on a nightly basis, which makes Memphis a real threat to nab a top-five seed this season.
When the Grizzlies snuck into the playoffs last season after defeating Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, it provided much-needed playoff experience despite a quick first-round exit against the top-seeded Utah Jazz. Memphis not only came back stronger with internal development success stories across the board, but they found their weaknesses and turned them into passable grades.
It will be very interesting to see what the Grizzlies now do with a month left before February&rsquo;s trade deadline. Will they make a win-now move to further bolster their chances of securing homecourt advantage in April? It&rsquo;s a serious discussion to be had and could continue during the upcoming offseason.
Everything is falling into place for Memphis after a few down years following the successful Grit &rsquo;N Grind era. Now, a new era of Grizzlies basketball is thriving, with a completely different identity built around fast-paced play and relentless offensive firepower. They have a full-blown budding superstar in Morant alongside multiple young players who are taking leaps to serious starting quality as well.
Welcome back to playoff basketball, Memphis. You won't be leaving anytime soon.

After a few down years, a new era of Memphis Grizzlies basketball is taking the NBA world by storm with no signs of slowing down.

The Grizzlies are the NBA's latest rebuild success story

Free agent guard Isaiah Thomas plans to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, sources tell&nbsp;The Athletic.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1476261811427102730" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS: The Lakers recently elected not to sign Thomas to a second ten-day contract, but he still played well enough for the Mavericks to take a flyer on him.
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1r5su4o">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1awozwy r-18u37iz r-1wtj0ep">Thomas scored 32 points in his first two games with the Lakers, though just 5 points in the following two games.</div>
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1awozwy r-18u37iz r-1wtj0ep">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1awozwy r-18u37iz r-1wtj0ep">The 5'9" point guard dropped 42 points in a G League game before signing with the Lakers.</div>
</div>

Isaiah Thomas plans to sign with the Dallas Mavericks and is expected to join the team in Sacramento tonight.

Isaiah Thomas signs with Dallas Mavericks

I can only speak for myself, but it's a little difficult to&nbsp;feel&nbsp;basketball right now.&nbsp;
The game itself has seemingly improved &mdash; there's somehow more physicality&nbsp;and a better game flow &mdash; but that progress has been derailed by absences. The injury bug has affected a multitude of stars this year. COVID has run roughshod through the league, with rosters looking like they've been through fantasy drafts.
With these circumstances, you have to find joy where you can. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a consistent source of that, with their 19-12 start being one of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/from-lovable-underdog-to-unforgiving-bully-how-the-cavs-got-here" target="_blank" rel="noopener">great surprises of the early season</a>.&nbsp;
They've zigged while the rest of the league has zagged, notably starting a trio of bigs to help spearhead an elite defense. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have been the linchpins, with their combination of length and lateral quickness allowing them to execute multiple schemes and cover an incredible amount of ground.&nbsp;
But if there's a player on the roster that exudes joy &mdash; heck, exudes&nbsp;fun &mdash; it's Darius Garland. The third-year guard has taken full control of the offense. That's partly due to the absence of backcourt mate Collin Sexton, but it's mostly due to Garland taking a leap in his own right. He's turned himself into one of the most dynamic guards in the sport, one worthy of strong All-Star consideration.
RUTHLESS AGGRESSION
Saying that Garland has been much more aggressive seems curious on the surface. His shot attempts have marginally improved from last year (14.9 to 15.1); his attempts per 100 possessions have actually decreased (22.1 to 21.7).&nbsp;
But you watch him, and there seems to be less indecision. Less fruitless probing. "Take what the defense gives you" is a boring cliche, but it applies to Garland. That evolution has been more apparent in his pull-up shooting.&nbsp;
Nearly half of Garland's shots came from outside of 10 feet last season; that number has risen to 67%, mostly off the strength (and willingness) of his pull-up trigger.
And consider this stat: among 78 players that have taken at least 100 pull-up jumpers this season, Garland ranks No. 7 in Effective Field Goal percentage (52.4%). That puts him right below Chris Paul (53.0%) and slightly ahead of Kevin Durant (52.1%).
Seems like pretty good company, IMO.
Garland's three-point volume has skyrockted (4.9 to 6.7) while roughly maintaining his efficiency from last season (39.5% to 39.2%). On <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1629636/shots-dash/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pull-ups specifically</a>, Garland has nearly doubled his volume (2.4 to 4.1) while knocking those attempts down at a higher clip (35.7% to 37.8%).
In years past, teams could get away with ducking under the occasional screen against Garland in pick-and-roll &mdash; not because he couldn't shoot, but because he'd be hesitant to do so.&nbsp;
That's no longer the case. Give Garland a sliver of space, and he'll light you up from deep.
Drop coverage is untenable against him at this point. Bigs have to play at the level of the screen or higher, and even then they run the risk of Garland stringing out the play before flowing into a pull-up. Switches have to be quick and physical; leaving a gap is daring Garland to pull.
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Though Garland isn't getting to the rim as often as he did last season, he's been much more successful when he gets downhill. He's converting a career-best 64.8% from inside of three feet, an improvement of 6.2 percentage points.&nbsp;
He's not a Ja Morant-like high flyer; more craft is needed for Garland to win inside. Luckily, he's able to combine an ever-shifting gear with sublime touch and impeccable footwork. He has Nash-ian scoops in his bag to go along with arrhythmic gathers. Despite the height disadvantage Garland often operates with, defenders can't get a read on what Garland's doing until it's too late.
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What's been fun to track is Garland's aggression off the ball. Chilling off the ball when the action doesn't involve you is an easy trap for young guards to fall into. Not only does head coach J.B. Bickerstaff discourage that sort of malaise, Garland himself recognizes the importance of reading the floor and staying active.
"The best point guards in our game are valuable in all three phases of the [shot] clock," Bickerstaff told <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1470485876354555906?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our own Spencer Davies</a>.&nbsp;
"We talk about [Garland's] walk-up threes early in the clock, and the pressure it puts on defenses to get back, to pick him up higher, and open up gaps for other people. There's the middle-of-the-clock pick-and-rolls that we run, where he's isolated with Jarrett [Allen] or Evan [Mobley] and he's making the lob, the floater, or the kick-out. And then there's the late clock &mdash; our "butter" situations &mdash; where his ability to get the ball and just beat his guy and get a shot [is important]. All those point guards have the ability to do that, but you just have to have the aggressiveness. Obviously, Darius has taken that step to be aggressive in that mold."
Who are the point guards that Garland has studied?
"I've watched Steph [Curry] a lot," Garland says. Because of course he has.
"Steph, Dame [Lillard], CP [Chris Paul]. I think those are the guys that are really good at relocating and getting their shots or getting their teammates involved."
He notes that his personnel allows him to flourish off the ball. Ricky Rubio is a phenomenal passer; Allen, Mobley and Kevin Love are all plus-passers in the frontcourt. Garland has the awareness to find spaces to flash into; his teammates have the vision to thread the needle.&nbsp;
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SHARING IS CARING
Because Garland has become a more willing scorer, his passing ability has been enhanced. Bigs are a little more antsy; the help has to pull in a step further, a beat earlier.&nbsp;
If you want to talk about joy, watching Garland use that level of fear to his advantage is pretty high on my list. The yo-yo handle combined with the footwork, combined with the shooting prowess, combined with his actual passing bag, culminates into an absolutely filthy lead guard.
And that bag runs&nbsp;deep.&nbsp;Corner skips. Lay-downs. Wrap-arounds. Off-hand shovel passes. Lobs disguised as floaters, a rising tool in the bag of young initiators (hi, Tyrese Haliburton).
Garland's been able to build solid downhill chemistry with Allen and Mobley. Love and Lauri Markkanen have been able to pick-and-pop their way into success playing off of Garland. The Cavs smartly spam actions with two screeners &mdash; either out of HORNS or with double drag looks in early offense. The Cavs are generating nearly 1.09 points per possession when two of Allen/Mobley/Markkanen/Love screen for Garland, per Second Spectrum.
The Garland-Mobley combo in particular has been darn-near impossible for defenses to figure out. On top of Garland being as dynamic as he is, Mobley brings his own diverse skill set. He's a mix of his other frontcourt parters: the vertical terror of Allen combined with Love's quick processing and passing ability. The shooting isn't as lethal as Markkanen's, but it's reaching "the defense has to account for it" levels.
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The Garland-Mobley dance isn't just effective among young duos &mdash; it's an elite two-man action, period. Per Second Spectrum, the Cavs are generating north of 1.17 points per possession when those two are involved in ball screens. Only Trae Young and John Collins have been more effective among high-volume pairings.
Put the scoring and passing together, and you have a young guard averaging 21 points and 7 assists since Sexton went down. The Cavs are outscoring teams by <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/vs/advanced/#!?TeamID=1610612739&amp;VsPlayerID=1629636" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over 10 points per 100 possessions</a> with Garland on the floor this season; since Sexton has been unavailable, that number has <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/vs/advanced/#!?TeamID=1610612739&amp;VsPlayerID=1629636&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=11%2F10%2F2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">actually improved to 12.7</a>.
Garland has the ball on a string, and the offense in his hands right now. He's thriving, the Cavs are thriving. With this sort of leap and team success to complement it, it's hard not to view Garland as an All-Star this season.

Nekias Duncan analyzes Darius Garland's breakout season with the Cavs and why he has a real case as an All-Star.

Darius Garland exudes fun, and is making the All-Star leap

Three weeks ago, the hottest basketball team in the NBA was 1-16, its head coach was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/whats-wrong-with-the-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly on the hot seat</a>, and its best guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/john-wall-will-continue-to-sit-games-after-meeting-with-rockets-front-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was asking why he couldn't play</a>.
Now, the Houston Rockets are steamrolling through their schedule (albeit an easy one) and have won seven contests in a row &mdash; the longest active streak in the entire league.
According to Cleaning the Glass, since Nov. 24 (when the streak began), Houston has the third-best offensive rating in the NBA; the team ranks 27th on the season. Further, parts of the streak have come without No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green, top scorer Christian Wood and lead ball-handler Kevin Porter Jr. due to injuries.
... How on Earth?
The Rockets have done it with a true ragtag bunch of players I thoroughly enjoy, ranging from unproven rookies to undrafted fliers to castoff veterans. In their most recent win against the Brooklyn Nets, Houston was without Porter Jr. and Green, but had six players reach double-digit points. Only 32-year-old Eric Gordon and 2021 No. 24 pick Josh Christopher were drafted.
Garrison Mathews was cut by the Boston Celtics in training camp after two seasons in Washington. The 25-year-old forward has now latched on with Houston &mdash; and is leading all NBA wings in points per shot attempt (1.37). His shot diet, per NBA Stats:
<ul>
<li>32-for-80 (40%) on jump shots, all of which have been threes, with 71 as catch-and-shoot</li>
<li>5-for-5 on dunks</li>
<li>7-for-8 on layups</li>
<li>Of his 93 total shot attempts, 85 had him holding the ball for less than two seconds</li>
</ul>
That's the whole thing. Mathews, like Stephen Silas and the Rockets, is an efficiency extremist.&nbsp;
Undrafted guard Armoni Brooks has taken on a rotation role since Houston's last loss to the Boston Celtics. He's another volume three-point shooter who lives to fire away from above the break; per Cleaning the Glass, a whopping 76% of his shots have come from that one zone. Brooks has canned 42% of those shots since he joined the full rotation, which ranks in the 81st percentile at his position.
The 23-year-old is also a solid ball-mover. Brooks has handed out 15 assists against just 6 turnovers in those eight games, five of which involved zero turnovers at all. I'm a major fan of his game dating back to summer league, and the opportunity is well-deserved.&nbsp;
Of course, there's also second-year standout Jae'Sean Tate, who is building on his breakout season as an undrafted rookie in 2020-21. Tate is averaging a healthy 15.3 points, 5.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game on the winning streak. He's bullied his way to the basket; 62% of Tate's shots have come at the rim on this run, and he's finishing at a high-level 69% clip. His 1.6% block rate is in the 90th percentile among forwards.
Houston obviously has Christian Wood and Eric Gordon as well, who are both making over 46% of their respective threes during this run. The rookie Christopher cashed in with 18 points on 7-for-7 shooting on Wednesday night. Journeyman D.J. Augustin may not be the engine, but he's drilled 50% of his threes while averaging 3.2 assists in 14.6 minutes per game off the bench during this stretch.
The team's shot chart reads like a "Basketball Analytics for Dummies" manual. The Rockets lead the entire league in rim frequency and are fifth in three-point frequency. That trend hasn't changed with the winning &mdash; Houston is actually up to second overall in three-point frequency since the streak began.&nbsp;
What's different is that the shots are going in. Since Nov. 24, the Rockets have the eighth-best percentage at the rim (66.4%) and are fifth-best beyond the arc (40.7%). A remarkable 67.2% of their made field goals have been assisted by a teammate, which is second among all teams over their past seven games.
Is this just some giant collective hot streak bolstered by a lull in the schedule? Or have the young Rockets finally clicked? Either way, it's been fun watching players capitalize on their opportunities &mdash; despite their record, this is a team worth tuning in to watch.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I find in the void):
<ul>
<li>Speaking of hot shooters, we have to give Mike Conley more love. Among NBA players with at least 75 pull-up attempts this season, he leads with a 61.5% Effective Field Goal percentage. That's over six percentage points higher than second-place Stephen Curry, who's a decent shooter in his own right.</li>
<li>Marvin Bagley III has played in 6 of the Kings' last 8 games since Alvin Gentry took over as interim head coach. He appeared in just four games under Luke Walton this season. Bagley is averaging 9.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in 20.5 minutes under Gentry, while making 11 of 13 at-rim shot attempts and 5 of 12 three-point attempts. It's nothing wild, but I'll have Bagley in the back of my mind going forward.</li>
<li>We're back to grumbling about the Mavericks' shot distribution. They're 3-11 since Nov. 17 and, rank 29th in at-rim frequency during that span. This is a team with arguably the best driving threat in the league in Luka Doncic and a cast of good pick-and-roll bigs. WHY??</li>
</ul>

Garrison Mathews and Armoni Brooks have helped complement a red-hot Houston Rockets team.

Stats Notebook: Rockets winning with an unlikely band of heroes

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Mustapha Amzil hit a running jumper in the lane at the buzzer, and Dayton beat No. 4 Kansas 74-73 on Friday.
Kansas&rsquo; David McCormack blocked Malachi Smith&rsquo;s layup with 3 seconds left. Amzil picked up the loose ball, and his shot went off the rim and backboard before going in.
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DAYTON STUNS No. 4 KANSAS AT THE BUZZER 😱 First top-5 win for the Flyers since 1984. <a href="https://t.co/IWgGZfpzQh">pic.twitter.com/IWgGZfpzQh</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1464333637168545802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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After Smith cut the deficit to 73-72 on a layup, McCormack was called for an offensive foul with 9 seconds to play.
Ochai Agbaji scored four of his 21 points during a late 6-0 run, helping Kansas take a 73-70 advantage with just over a minute remaining.
Dayton (3-3) had five players score in double figures. DaRon Holmes II had 16 points, and Toumani Camara and Elijah Weaver both added 14.
Christian Braun had 17 points for Kansas (4-1)
Weaver hit a pair of 3-pointers and Holmes ended a 16-1 surge with consecutive dunks to put Dayton up 53-50 five minutes into the second half.
After Kansas pulled within one, Holmes was left alone for a dunk that made it 70-67 with four minutes remaining.
Kansas went on a 17-8 run to go up 44-29 late in the first half. Braun ended the stretch with a slam off a floating pass from Dajuan Harris Jr.
BIG-TIME WELCOME
ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale received a standing ovation as he walked across the court to his broadcast position before the game. Vitale announced last month that he has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time this year, undergoing tests that show he has lymphoma. Vitale said in August that he underwent multiple surgeries to remove melanoma.
THE TAKEAWAY
Dayton: Has 12 freshmen on the roster and continue to improve as the season progresses.
Kansas: Will be interesting to see if the Jayhawks will fall out of the top 10.
REMATCH
The teams met in the 2019 Maui Invitational championship, with Kansas prevailing 90-84 in overtime.
UP NEXT
Dayton: Will play either Iona or Belmont on Sunday
Kansas: Plays Sunday against the loser of Iona-Belmont.

Mustapha Amzil hit a running jumper in the lane at the buzzer, and Dayton beat No. 4 Kansas 74-73 on Friday.

Amzil hits jumper at buzzer, Dayton beats No. 4 Kansas 74-73

Nearly one month into the 2021-22 NBA season, fantasy managers are already looking back at their drafts &mdash; celebrating certain steals and kicking themselves over their biggest busts.
It&rsquo;s always fun to track which players are overachieving from a fantasy standpoint. This list features a wide variety of surprise breakouts &mdash; from rising stars who have made a significant leap forward, to prospects who are making the most of an increased role, to veterans who find themselves in the right place at the right time following a change of scenery.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s break down the NBA players who have exceeded expectations out of the gate and helped fantasy managers get off to a strong start. (This article uses fantasy scoring from Yahoo's points leagues and all stats are up-to-date to reflect games played through Nov. 11).&nbsp;
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs | 46.18 FPPG, 9th in NBA
Entering this season, Dejounte Murray was a popular breakout candidate among fantasy analysts and managers, which is why he was being drafted in the third or fourth round of most fantasy drafts. However, nobody saw this kind of leap coming, as he&rsquo;s been a top-10 fantasy option through 11 games. The 25-year-old has become the focal point of the Spurs&rsquo; attack, averaging 18.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 1.4 threes, 0.5 blocks and just 2.1 turnovers in 34.3 minutes. Murray is filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis, like when he posted a monster 21-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound, 2-steal, 2-block performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 26. San Antonio has shifted its focus to rebuilding and developing their young talent, so Murray's role isn't changing anytime soon.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies | 46.29 FPPG, 8th in NBA
Like Murray, Ja Morant was being selected as a third- or fourth-rounder in fantasy drafts, but he has dominated out of the gate, and his 46.29 fantasy points per game rank eighth-best among all NBA players. Morant is averaging a career-high 26.5 points (up from 19.1 PPG last year) to go along with 7.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 threes and 1.7 steals. Also, this has been his most efficient campaign, as he&rsquo;s shooting 48.5% from the field, 34.5% from three-point range and 77.9% from the free-throw line (all of which are career-highs). He needs to limit his turnovers, as he's averaging 4.4 per game (which is eighth-most in the league). But otherwise, he's been an absolute steal for managers who bet on the high-upside guard.
Jonas Valanciunas, New Orleans Pelicans | 43.65 FPPG, 13th in NBA
Jonas Valanciunas has been a solid fantasy option in recent years, totaling the 30th-most fantasy points in the league last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. However, after changing teams over the offseason, the fantasy community wasn&rsquo;t sure what to expect from the 29-year-old. Fantasy Pros&rsquo; preseason Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) had Valanciunas projected as the <a href="https://www.fantasypros.com/nba/rankings/overall-points-yahoo.php?filters=34c251ed83" target="_blank" rel="noopener">69th-best player</a>, and his Average Draft Position (ADP) was <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/average-draft-position/basketball?league=h2h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">74.09</a>. Well, through 12 games, he's been a top-15 fantasy weapon, averaging a career-high in points (20.0), rebounds (14.0), assists (2.7), threes (1.0) and steals (0.8). With Zion Williamson recovering from offseason foot surgery and Brandon Ingram sidelined due to a hip contusion, Valanciunas has taken on a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-made-right-decision-by-extending-jonas-valanciunas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much bigger role than initially anticipated</a>, and he&rsquo;s made the most of the opportunity in New Orleans. He&rsquo;ll likely come back down to earth at some point, but he absolutely deserves praise for his impressive start.
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Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets | 41.35 FPPG, 23rd in NBA
One week before the season tipped off, Miles Bridges had an ADP of <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/average-draft-position/basketball?league=h2h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">103.70</a>. That means he was typically being picked in the same range as Klay Thompson (who remains sidelined) and Delon Wright (who&rsquo;s averaging 9.18 FPPG). Now, the 23-year-old is suddenly a top-25 option, averaging 21.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 threes, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and just 2.5 turnovers in 36.2 minutes per game. Bridges is one of the biggest surprises of this fantasy season because nobody outside of Miles&rsquo; family could've seen this kind of breakout campaign coming. With Morant and Murray, there was plenty of talk about how this could be their year, but Bridges wasn&rsquo;t receiving that kind of hype. The high-flyer has always been a ton of fun to watch, and it&rsquo;s been a pleasure seeing him round out his game and realize his full potential. Bridges has been incredibly consistent so far this season, finishing with 36.0 or more fantasy points in 10 of 12 games.
Al Horford, Boston Celtics | 37.23 FPPG, 42nd in NBA
It&rsquo;s easy to see why fantasy analysts and managers didn&rsquo;t feel like they could trust Al Horford entering this season. While a reunion with the Celtics was nice, he turned 35 years old in June and played in just 28 games last season for the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder (who were trying to showcase him and increase his trade value). Horford understandably slipped to the 11th or 12th round in drafts (and even went undrafted in some leagues), but he&rsquo;s been outstanding for Boston. Through nine games, he&rsquo;s averaging 13.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.4 blocks, 0.9 steals, 1.1 threes and just 1.1 turnovers in 28.9 minutes per game. Prior to this season, Horford had never averaged over 1.5 blocks per game, so his 2.4 rejections have been a surprise. And the last time he averaged this many rebounds was back in 2012-13, when he was on the Atlanta Hawks. Horford has turned back the clock, and it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see just how much of this production is sustainable going forward.
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Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic | 37.29 FPPG, 41st in NBA
As of Oct. 17, Cole Anthony&rsquo;s ADP was <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/nba_player_news/Cole_Anthony/adp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">146.68</a>, which means he went undrafted in some leagues and some lucky managers landed a stud off of waivers. This season, Anthony has emerged as Orlando&rsquo;s leading scorer, averaging 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.0 threes, 1.3 steals and 2.8 turnovers in 33.9 minutes per game, while shooting 44.0% from the field, 39.1% from three and 85.0% from the free-throw line. The 21-year-old has become a fan favorite thanks to his aggressiveness, swagger and <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1457528011700547588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amazing interviews</a>. The Magic have assembled an impressive young core that is a lot of fun to watch.
Mo Bamba, Orlando Magic | 32.56 FPPG, 59th in NBA
Speaking of Orlando's young core, Mo Bamba also deserves a mention on this list. His ADP was even lower than Anthony&rsquo;s at <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/nba_player_news/Mo_Bamba/adp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">151.47</a>, but he&rsquo;s been playing at a high level on both ends. Shortly after he became the sixth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, his trainer Drew Hanlen <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2018/07/29/nba-offseason-training-joel-embiid-gordon-hayward-jayson-tatum-markelle-fultz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> that he was a very raw project; it would likely take three-to-five years before he could become a real low-post threat on offense since he needed to bulk up, improve his lower-body strength and learn to make the right reads. Bamba put in work behind the scenes, following the same developmental plan that Joel Embiid used under Hanlen earlier in his career. Well, here we are four years later, and Bamba looks like the real deal. The 23-year-old is averaging 11.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.8 assists, 1.6 threes and 0.9 steals on 49.5/40.4/70.8 shooting splits, and it's clear his best basketball is still ahead of him.
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings | 37.52 FPPG, 40th in NBA&nbsp;
Barnes has been a serviceable role player for fantasy teams throughout his 10 years in the NBA, but he's been much more impactful this season now that he's playing the best basketball of his career. Barnes, who had an ADP of <a href="https://www.fantasysp.com/nba_player_news/Harrison_Barnes/adp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">99.1</a>, is averaging the 40th-most fantasy points in the league (37.52) thanks to his 21.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.6 threes, 1.2 steals and 2.0 turnovers (plus his efficient 49.0/42.5/86.7 shooting splits). While he has certainly helped many managers in point leagues, he has been even better in category leagues (where he's a top-15 option).
Ricky Rubio, Cleveland Cavaliers | 30.41 FPPG, 73rd in NBA
Following a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ricky-rubio-will-demand-the-best-out-of-young-cleveland-cavaliers-himself" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terrific Olympic showing with the Spanish national team</a> &mdash; during which he averaged 25.5 points, 6.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 threes on 47.8% shooting from deep &mdash; Ricky Rubio has picked up right where he left off. The 31-year-old is putting up a career-high 14.3 points as well as 6.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 threes, 1.3 steals and 3.0 turnovers while shooting a personal-best 41.0% from three-point range. Now, with Collin Sexton <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-collin-sexton-sidelined-whos-next-man-up-for-cavs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sidelined indefinitely due to a torn meniscus</a>, Rubio will take on a larger role and workload, and become an even bigger steal. Though Isaac Okoro appears to be the team's new starting guard, in the four games that Rubio's played over 30 minutes for Cleveland this season, he&rsquo;s averaged 19.5 points, 7.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 threes and 1.5 steals on insane 50.0/50.0/100.0 shooting splits.
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Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers | 30.21 FPPG, 74th in NBA
Once it became clear that Ben Simmons wouldn't be suiting up for the start of the season, Tyrese Maxey became an interesting sleeper to keep an eye on at the end of drafts. But instead of emerging as a quality role player, the sophomore guard has looked like a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-centered-on-getting-1-better-every-day-for-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising star for the 76ers</a>. Two nights ago, Maxey had 31 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 0 turnovers against the Milwaukee Bucks, and then he followed that up with a 33-point, 5-assist, 4-rebound, 2-block, 1-steal, 2-turnover performance against the Toronto Raptors. The 21-year-old doesn't lack confidence. On the season, he's now averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 threes, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.5 turnovers in 35.8 minutes, while shooting 50.6% from the field, 38.1% from three and 87.2% from the free-throw line.
Honorable Mention: The 2021 Rookie Class&nbsp;
Fantasy managers who put their faith in the 2021 NBA Draft class have largely been rewarded, especially if they bet on Scottie Barnes (33.70 FPPG, 56th-ranked), Evan Mobley (33.33, 57th) or Josh Giddey (30.44, 72nd) &mdash; all of whom are averaging at least 30.0 FPPG and currently top-75 options.
Franz Wagner (25.86, 106th) and Chris Duarte (25.01, 114th) have been the biggest surprises among rookies, as they each got off to a hot start after stepping up amidst injuries. (The Orlando Magic started the season without Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz and Chuma Okeke, while the Indiana Pacers have dealt with injuries to Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb).
Other rookies such as Cade Cunningham (23.48, 134th), Jalen Green (23.31, 135th), Alperen Sengun (21.98, 153rd), Jalen Suggs (21.06, 160th) and Davion Mitchell (20.74, 164th) have shown flashes early on as well.

One month into the NBA season, which players have been fantasy-basketball steals? Alex Kennedy breaks down 10 overachievers.

Fantasy basketball steals: 10 players exceeding expectations

Matt Babcock breaks down the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects from the SEC.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the SEC

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/paul-george-compares-ja-morant-to-prime-derrick-rose/" 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>:
Following the Los Angeles Clippers&rsquo; loss against the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday night, Paul George had only words of praise for Memphis Grizzlies budding superstar Ja Morant. PG&rsquo;s 41-point monster performance wasn&rsquo;t enough to secure a win against a young and potent Grizzlies squad.
During the postgame press conference, George went as far as to compare Morant to prime Derrick Rose. PG talked about Morant&rsquo;s ability to adjust in mid-air and the freakish athleticism that reminds him of Rose.
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&ldquo;He&rsquo;s explosive. He wants to go left, we knew that, but he&rsquo;s just so good and so fast. He&rsquo;s just explosive, electrifying. I&rsquo;d compare him to like D-Rose. I guarded him my rookie year, the Indy-Chicago, and guarding Ja is very similar to how D-Rose was.&rdquo; Paul George on Ja Morant <a href="https://t.co/JP9Gal7NZy">pic.twitter.com/JP9Gal7NZy</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1452158682087649290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Prime Derrick Rose was a freak of nature; he was arguably pound-for-pound the best athlete ever to dribble a basketball. His sheer explosiveness and aggressiveness were unmatched. Unfortunately, that kind of playing style is usually troublesome for the joints, to say the least. And as we all know, his body didn&rsquo;t hold up. However, D-Rose managed to bounce-back from several major knee injuries, and has transformed into an instrumental veteran role player for the New York Knicks.
While the Rose-Morant comparison is interesting, was D-Rose slightly more athletic than Morant? Remember that dunk on Gordan Dragic? Albeit an amazing high-flyer in his own eight, we might not have seen Morant pull off anything comparable to that. Ja is a bit more skilled with the rock and slightly edges Rose with his ability to facilitate and find teammates. Memphis is 2-0, and Morant is currently averaging 32.5 points per game; two games are too small of a sample size, but the kid is on a great trajectory to become a legend of the game if he keeps doing what he&rsquo;s doing.
George has been quite supportive toward the "young bloods" coming into the league. In the past, he&rsquo;s given props to Luka Doncic, Lonzo Ball, Zion Williamson, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton among others. It&rsquo;s always great to see a player of his caliber respect the games of the younger generations coming in; Game will always recognize game.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Paul George talked about Ja Morant’s ability to adjust in mid-air and the freakish athleticism that reminds him of D-Rose.

Paul George compares Ja Morant to prime Derrick Rose

With the 2021-22 basketball season upon us, we will be highlighting prospects currently included in our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a> over the course of the next few weeks.
Earlier this week, we dove into the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-top-prospects-in-the-big-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big 12</a>. Last week, we looked at the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-top-prospects-in-the-big-ten" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Ten</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-top-prospects-in-the-acc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the ACC</a>. Today, we'll break down the top NBA prospects from the Pac 12:
Peyton Watson 
Guard/Forward | UCLA
Height: 6-8&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Class: Freshman Weight: 200&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.8 Wingspan: 7-0&nbsp; &nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Point Forward, Defender, High-Flyer
Bottom Line: At 6-foot-8, and possessing a 7-foot wingspan and guard skills, Peyton Watson enters his freshman season at UCLA as a highly anticipated prospect. Even though he still has room to develop, Watson brings great versatility on both sides of the floor. He's also comfortable with the ball in his hands and initiating the offense. On defense, he's shown real promise as a shot-blocker with his length and athleticism. All in all, he has great potential. If he's able to tap into that potential, he'll likely be drafted high in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Bennedict Mathurin 
Guard/Forward | Arizona
Height: 6-6&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Sophomore Weight: 210&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 20.0 Wingspan: 6-9 &nbsp; Nationality: Canada
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Roles: Three-Level Scorer, Defender, High-Flyer
Bottom Line: After a strong freshman campaign for the Arizona Wildcats, Bennedict Mathurin is expected to make a big jump in his second year in Tucson. Mathurin's size, athleticism defense and shot-making ability make him an intriguing NBA prospect. Standing at 6-foot-7 and 195 pounds, he is an explosive athlete who is capable as a slasher and finisher. Mathurin will have the opportunity this season to solidy himself as one of the best wings in the 2022 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
Marcus Bagley 
Forward | Arizona State
Height: 6-8&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Class: Sophomore Weight: 215&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 20.7 Wingspan: 6-11 &nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Stretch-4, Defender, Rebounder
Bottom Line: The younger brother of NBA forward Marvin Bagley III, Marcus Bagley projects to be a stretch-4 due to his physicality as well as his outside shooting and rebounding abilities. After testing the waters and attending the 2021 NBA Draft Combine, Bagley decided to return to Arizona State for his sophomore season. If he's able to continue to lean on his strengths, while also showing improvement as a playmaker and passer, he could become a viable option for teams selecting in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Forward | UCLA
Height: 6-7&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Junior Weight: 225&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 21.3 Wingspan: 6-9&nbsp; &nbsp; Nationality: Mexico, USA
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Roles: Shooter, Wing-Initiator, Glue Guy
Bottom Line: Jaime Jaquez Jr. is incredibly intelligent and crafty, using defensive manipulation and footwork to create for both himself and others. He excels in the post against smaller defenders, and can stretch the floor as was shown last season when he shot 39% from three-point range. Jaquez is a hard-nosed competitor, and is an adequate defender and rebounder. If he's able to build off of the momentum that he established last March during UCLA's impressive tournament run, he could find himself becoming a potential first round pick.
Johnny Juzang 
Guard/Forward | UCLA
Height: 6-7&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Class: Junior Weight: 215&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 21.3 Wingspan: 6-11 &nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Shooter, Scorer, Wing-Initiator
Bottom Line: After a stellar NCAA Tournament run, Johnny Juzang tested NBA Draft waters, but ultimately decided to return to UCLA for his junior season. At 6-foot-7 he is an exceptional outside shooter, especially off the dribble in the half-court. Last season, Juzang averaged 16 points per game while shooting 35.3% from three-point range. If he continues to improve, he could be in consideration as a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Jabari Walker 
Forward | Colorado
Height: 6-9&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Class: Sophomore Weight: 215&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.1 Wingspan: 7-0&nbsp; &nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Stretch-4, Defender
Bottom Line: At 6-foot-9, Jabari Walker connected on 53.2% of his shots from three-point range last year, although on low volume (23-of-44). He excels as a shooter &mdash; both on the move and standstill. Walker is also a solid rebounder and adequate defender with a high basketball IQ. If he shoots the way he is capable of and makes the next steps in his development, he could be a highly coveted prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft. Also worth noting, Jabari is the son of former NBA player, Samaki Walker.
Isaiah Mobley 
Forward | USC
Height: 6-10&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Junior Weight: 240&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 22.7 Wingspan: 7-3&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Nationality: USA
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Roles: Stretch Big, Rebounder, Point-Forward
Bottom Line: A highly intelligent player, Isaiah Mobley is a strong rebounder at 6-foot-10, and has shown the ability to score the ball effectively &mdash; both inside and out. He has tremendous touch at the rim, and he flashed the ability to stretch the floor last season by hitting 43.6% of his shots from three-point range on low volume (17-of-39). Mobley lacks elite athleticism and will be close to 23 years old on draft night, but his promise as a passer and floor-spacer make him an intriguing prospect, nonetheless.&nbsp;

Matt Babcock breaks down the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects from the Pac-12.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the Pac-12

With the 2021-22 basketball season upon us, we will be highlighting prospects currently included in our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a> over the course of the next few weeks.
Last week, we looked at the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-top-prospects-in-the-big-ten" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Ten</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-top-prospects-in-the-acc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the ACC</a>. Today, we'll break down the top NBA prospects from the Big 12:
Kendall Brown 
Forward | Baylor
Height: 6-8&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Class: Freshman Weight: 205&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.1 Wingspan: 6-10 &nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Slasher, High-Flyer, Defender
Bottom Line: A big, strong and explosive wing with a high motor, Kendall Brown has the tools to provide an impact right off the bat at Baylor this season. As a slasher, Brown can finish with both athleticism and finesse, and when necessary, has shown the ability to produce as a secondary creator. He is also a terrific defender, using his length and quickness to disrupt the opposition both on and off the ball. It is worth monitoring what type of role he&rsquo;ll fill for the Bears this season; however, Brown does possess the talent to be a potential one-and-done prospect.
Matthew Mayer 
Forward | Baylor
Height: 6-9&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Senior Weight: 225&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 22.6 Wingspan: 6-10 &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Wing-Initiator, Scorer, Shooter
Bottom Line: At 6-foot-9, Mayer is a fluid ball-handler and scorer who averaged 8.1 points per game last season in only 15.7 minutes per contest. He was effective from deep, as he hit 39.5% of his three-point attempts, but shot a lowly 59.2% from the free-throw line &mdash; a number that is a bit worrisome. This season, he could see a large jump in usage with Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler, the Bears' previous primary handlers, now in the NBA. Mayer has good positional size and a knack for scoring, so with a strong senior season, he could make a case for himself in the 2022 draft.
Terrence Shannon Jr.
Guard/Forward | Texas Tech
Height: 6-6&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Junior Weight: 215&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 22.1 Wingspan: 6-8 &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Defender, Slasher, High-Flyer
Bottom Line: Terrence Shannon Jr. is an energetic, athletic wing who hangs his hat on defense. Possessing an impressive frame and mobility, he is a strong on-ball defender who provides versatility. He has made just a career 32.8% of his three-point attempts, and will need to be more consistent as a shooter and rim-finisher. Shannon&rsquo;s physical tools alone make him a viable option in the 2022 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
Ochai Agbaji 
Guard/Forward | Kansas
Height: 6-5&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Senior Weight: 215&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 22.2 Wingspan: 6-10 &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Defender, Slasher
Bottom Line: Ochai Agbaji is a versatile wing who has shown promise as a defender, slasher and shooter. Early on in his career, he was known for his athleticism and defense, but his lack of outside shooting was concerning. He has shown substantial improvement since then, and connected on 37.7% of his three-point attempts last year while shooting 6.9 triples per game. With continued shooting consistency and strong on-ball defense, Agbaji could solidify himself as a viable 3-and-D option at the NBA level.
Jalen Wilson 
Forward | Kansas
Height: 6-8&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Class: Junior Weight: 225&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 21.6 Wingspan: 6-8 &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Stretch-4, Rebounder
Bottom Line: After an injury-ridden freshman year, Jalen Wilson returned to action for the Jayhawks last season, averaging 11.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest. He showed the ability to score and space the floor as an offensive weapon. He lacks elite explosiveness, but is crafty and can create mismatches on the offensive end due to his size and perimeter skills. Additionally, Wilson hit 33.3% of his three-pointers last season. If he can raise both the volume and efficiency from deep, Wilson has a chance to be a versatile scoring option at the next level.

Matt Babcock breaks down the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects from the Big 12.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the Big 12

With the 2021-22 basketball season upon us, we will be highlighting prospects currently included in our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a> over the course of the next few weeks.
Earlier this week, we <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-top-prospects-in-the-acc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looked at the ACC</a>. Today, we'll break down the top NBA prospects from the Big Ten:
Caleb Houstan
Forward | Michigan
Height: 6-8&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Class: Freshman Weight: 205&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.5 Wingspan: N/A &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: Canada
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Roles: Shooter, Scorer, Defender
Bottom Line: Caleb Houstan, a five-star recruit for head coach Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines, is a high-level outside shooter, potentially a marksman, that possesses positional size at 6-foot-8. Considering Houstan's size, shooting mechanics, shot-making ability and versatility &mdash; to go along with solid defensive intelligence &mdash; many expect him to step in and produce at a high-level right off the bat during his freshman season this year in Ann Arbor. Houstan is widely projected at this point to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Jaden Ivey 
Guard | Purdue
Height: 6-4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Sophomore Weight: 200 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 20.4 Wingspan: 6-9 &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Slasher, Defender, High-Flyer
Bottom Line: After being named to the 2020-21 All-Big Ten Freshman Team, Jaden Ivey led the United States to the U19 FIBA World Cup Gold Medal. Ivey is a great athlete and relentless defender who has flashed elite potential on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, Ivey had an inefficient freshman season, shooting just 39% from the field and 25% from deep. Even so, he showed the ability to create space for himself and score on multiple levels, and seems to be poised for a breakout year with the Purdue Boilermakers.
Keegan Murray 
Forward | Iowa
Height: 6-8&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Class: Sophomore Weight: 200&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 21.8 Wingspan: 6-11 &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: USA
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Roles: Defender, Rebounder, Glue Guy
Bottom Line: Keegan Murray has the potential to be a terrific glue guy, and has the tools to be a legitimate NBA prospect. At 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Murray has a high motor and does a lot of the &ldquo;little things'' that contribute to winning, and he is a terrific defender. Despite shooting an inefficient 29.6% from deep last season, Murray shows promise as a shooter. In addition, his ability to attack close-outs and score from multiple levels lend hope to a greater offensive load. Murray&rsquo;s development is certainly something to keep a close eye on.
Andr&eacute; Curbelo
Guard | Illinois
Height: 6-1 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Sophomore Weight: 175 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 20.7 Wingspan: 6-4&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Nationality: Puerto Rico
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Roles: Floor General
Bottom Line: Curbelo enters his sophomore season with a chance to be one of the best point guards in the Big Ten. With his creativity and flashiness as a facilitator, he averaged 9 points and 4 assists per game last season in 21 minutes per game. The biggest concern for him going into this year is his three-point shooting. He hit only 5 of 31 attempts last year, a lowly 16%. If he is able to improve as a shooter, and continue to provide on-ball value on both ends of the floor, he could have a breakout season.
E.J. Liddell 
Forward | Ohio State
Height: 6-7 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Junior Weight: 240 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 21.5 Wingspan: 7-0&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Nationality: USA
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Roles: Mid-Range Game, Rebounder
Bottom Line: Although he is a bit undersized for the position, the Buckeyes often use Liddell as a 4/5 in their lineups. He is physical and versatile on both ends of the floor, scoring both inside and out. He appears more comfortable in the mid-range and paint which works well for his college system, but raises questions in regards to his translatability to the NBA. Last year, Liddell scored 16.2 points and gathered 6.7 rebounds per game. He plays with great effort and toughness, and with increased scoring prowess as a junior, Liddell could carve out a spot for himself in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Matt Babcock breaks down the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects from the Big Ten.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the Big Ten

Nekias Duncan previews the Pacific Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Divison

Shaedon Sharpe, the top-ranked prospect in the class of 2022, has committed to the Kentucky Wildcats. He announced the news via his Twitter on Tuesday evening.
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And I rock Kentucky Blue 😼🔵⚪️ COMMITTED! <a href="https://twitter.com/KentuckyMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KentuckyMBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bbn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bbn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mytoolbox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mytoolbox</a> <a href="https://t.co/YedAGBFyhq">pic.twitter.com/YedAGBFyhq</a>
&mdash; Shaedon Sharpe (@ShaedonSharpe) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaedonSharpe/status/1435377545940111364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Our NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock had this to say about Sharpe:
"The first time I really took notice of Shaedon Sharpe was last May at an event in Indianapolis called Midwest Mania, which was put on by MADE Hoops. At the time, Sharpe was not garnering all that much attention nor was he very highly ranked. But right away, his elite athleticism caught my eye and I thought that he could be a player on the rise.
"In a short amount of time since then, he has come into his own, proven to be more than just a high flyer and turned himself into arguably the top prospect in his high school class. I&rsquo;m certainly looking forward to seeing Sharpe play in Lexington next season, but I wouldn&rsquo;t get too comfortable with him in Kentucky blue because, like most of Coach Cal&rsquo;s top recruits, I don&rsquo;t expect him to be there long."

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The top-ranked prospect in the class of 2022 has committed to the University of Kentucky.

Top-ranked 2022 prospect Shaedon Sharpe commits to Kentucky Wildcats

The next NBA season is drawing nearer, and 95% of the offseason business is complete. We still await news on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-freeagency-destinations-for-lauri-markkanen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what team Lauri Markannen will play for</a>, and at a certain point, Sam Presti has to reduce his stockpile of draft picks over the next several years.
(The bet here is that he packages as many of them as possible to the team/teams most likely to be in the lottery next year, so that he can increase his chances of landing Gonzaga recruit Chet Holmgren with the No. 1 pick.)
With sports gambling now legal in roughly half of the United States, and coming soon to a bunch of remaining states, it is time for a look at what types of odds are out there on a bunch of different NBA wagers.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re going to take this team-by-team on this particular Monday, because summer is a time for hope, and hoping for the best is what gets us through all 30 in the NBA. So let's begin.
ATLANTA HAWKS: After the Hawks took a bow at Madison Square Garden following their takedown of the Knicks, we can only wonder what is next for Trae Young. His scoring average actually dropped last season by 4.3 points to 25.3 points per game, but we know he is capable of being a 30-point scorer. If he were to do that, and the Hawks were to improve significantly on last season&rsquo;s 41-31 record, the kid will be in the MVP discussion. Right now his odds range from (+1800) at DraftKings Sportsbook to (+2100) at FanDuel. Also, Nate McMillan is (+1500) to (+1600) to win Coach of the Year.
BOSTON CELTICS: With Brad Stevens now running the front office, Al Horford manning the middle again and Dennis Schroder coming in as a capable backup point guard &mdash; Marcus Smart reportedly is <a href="https://nesn.com/2021/08/celtics-reportedly-plan-to-start-marcus-smart-at-point-guard-and-they-should/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected to be the starter</a> &mdash; this is a transitional year for the Celtics, who are listed at 40-1 to win the championship after their .500 (36-36) finish last season. Ime Udoka has been named the 18th coach in the franchise&rsquo;s 75-year history, and coincidentally, he is 18-1 to win Coach of the Year. Jayson Tatum is among the MVP favorites, with the best odds (+3300) available at PointsBet.com.
BROOKLYN NETS: These guys are favored for just about everything, and with good reason. Kyrie Irving and James Harden are expected back healthy, Kevin Durant just won his third Olympic gold medal and Patty Mills has been brought aboard from the San Antonio Spurs. Steve Nash is the co-favorite along with Erik Spolestra for Coach of the Year, and Harden is favored to lead the league in assists. Cam Thomas, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/did-the-nets-get-a-steal-in-no-27-overall-pick-cam-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the co-MVP of Summer League</a>, has been added to the Rookie of the Year wagering slate with odds all over the board; 60-1 at FanDuel is quite enticing.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: The team with the reigning Rookie of the Year, LaMelo Ball, had somewhat of a quiet offseason, but made a deal on draft night to acquire Mason Plumlee. The 31-year-old slots in as Charlotte's new starting center. Plumlee was under the radar last season playing in Detroit, but was ranked 64th in VORP (Value Over Replacement Player), just behind Kelly Olynyk and ahead of Jarrett Allen. The Duke grad averaged 10.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Plumlee is 200-1 at PointsBet to lead the NBA in rebounding, and despite the addition of Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington can be found at 100-1 odds for Most Improved Player.
CHICAGO BULLS: We told you Saturday that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/over-chicago-bulls-win-total-getting-most-action-at-draftkings-sportsbook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bettors are pounding the Bulls on the season win total Over/Under</a> like no other NBA team, because big things are expected from the team that acquired Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. There are two enticing wagers here. Patrick Williams, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entering his second season</a> after averaging 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a rookie, is 100-1 for Most Improved Player at PointsBet.com. And Billy Donovan, about to enter his second season at the helm, is 10-1 for Coach of the Year at DraftKings, putting him just behind Steve Nash and Erik Spoelstra (both 9-1).
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Jarrett Allen ranked 13th in defensive rebounds and 10th in blocks last season. His defensive win share stats are low, but he will be playing a full season with the Cavs after signing long-term in the offseason, and a bump in rebounds from the 9.9 boards he averaged in 51 games for the Cavs last season could get him into the Defensive Player of the Year debate. He is 40-1 at PointsBet for Defensive Player of the Year and 30-1 to lead the league in rebounds.
DALLAS MAVERICKS: Perhaps Jason Kidd can find a way for Luka Doncic (the consensus MVP favorite) and Kristaps Porzingis to thrive together in a loaded Western Conference. Kidd is 15-1 to win Coach of the Year, but the most intriguing wager here is Moses Brown &mdash; who played with Oklahoma City last season before being traded this offseason to Boston and rerouted to Dallas &mdash; to lead the league in rebounding. Yes, Luka Doncic normally leads the Mavs in boards, so this is like the ultimate flyer bet. But if it hits, those who took Moses at (+7000) could name their new boat &ldquo;Mark Cuban bought me this yacht.&rdquo;&nbsp; (Clint Capela of Atlanta is the rebounding favorite, by the way). Doncic is second behind Bradley Beal to lead the NBA in scoring, and fourth behind James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Trae Young to lead the league in assists (+600).
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DENVER NUGGETS: Nikola Jokic is the defending MVP, but is not the favorite (Doncic is) to win Most Valuable Player this season. Michael Porter Jr. is the favorite for Most Improved Player; in my opinion, Porter should have received stronger consideration last year. If you like players with the same first and last name, Bol Bol is almost dead last on the futures page for Most Improved Player at PointsBet with odds of (+100000). Only Andrew Wiggins (+250000) has longer odds.
DETROIT PISTONS: For obvious reasons, Cade Cunningham is the top choice for Rookie of the Year. But that race is up for grabs, as a good young player on a terrible team can break out over the course of the regular season and outperform someone who was taken quite a few spots higher. This is one of the few awards where a team&rsquo;s final record plays little role in who wins the award. It is purely stat-driven. For that reason, look for players whose time on the floor is high. Signed by Detroit this summer, Kelly Olynyk was a beast for the Houston Rockets after they acquired him from Miami, and he should get lots of burn behind Isaiah Stewart at center and Jerami Grant at power forward. That makes him an enticing pick for Sixth Man of the Year at odds of 66-1 at PointsBet.com.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Before the NBA rechristened it Most Improved Player, the award was known as Comeback Player of the Year. And if that was still the case, all we would be discussing in this category would be Klay Thompson, who is two seasons removed from playing competitive hoops. None of the major U.S sportsbooks even list him in that category, but FanDuel has him at (+150000) for Most Valuable player. Nobody is listing odds on James Wiseman for Most Improved, and in Rookie of the Year odds, Jonathan Kuminga is listed highest at Fan Duel at (+3400). Moses Moody is (+6600) at PointsBet.com.
HOUSTON ROCKETS: Jalen Suggs is second behind Cunningham for Rookie of the Year, and Kevin Porter Jr. is on the board for Most Improved Player at various odds, the best of which are (+1400) at FanDuel and PointsBet. Christian Wood is (+9000) to lead the league in rebounding.
INDIANA PACERS: Rick Carlisle is the new head coach after the Nate Bjorkgren fiasco, and we shall see what he can do with one of the most underachieving teams in the NBA last season. He is (+1600) to win Coach of the Year, Domantas Sabonis is (+700) to lead the league in rebounding, Myles Turner is (+700) to win Defensive Player of the Year and Malcolm Brogdon is 130-1 for Most Improved Player at FanDuel. The best Rookie of the Year odds on Chris Duarte are (+4600) at FanDuel.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: LeBron James did not receive any votes from his peers for best NBA player, so that may just fuel him. He is not a favorite anymore for MVP, and the best odds you can find on him in that category are (+1500) at DraftKings, where Anthony Davis is also listed at (+2500). Kendrick Nunn is (+2000) on the board for Sixth Man of the Year, and Frank Vogel is (+1400) for Coach of the Year at BetMGM. One of the biggest line disparities involves Davis for Defensive Player of the Year. He is the (+350) favorite at FanDuel and the fourth choice (+1000) at BetMGM.com.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: With Kawhi Leonard likely out for most of the season with an ACL injury, there is just not a lot of buzz around the secondary tenants at Staples Center. Paul George is going to have to be the leader of this team, and his MVP odds are alluring. He is (+4000) at Caesars/William Hill and lower everywhere else. Keon Johnson is (+6600) at PointsBet.com for Rookie of the Year, but much lower elsewhere.
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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Theoretically, Memphis could do what Phoenix did last year and sneak up on everybody, and the Grizzlies are 50-1 to win the West. Individually, this very young team has one decent sleeper pick in Jaren Jackson Jr. for Most Improved after he played only 11 games last season. He is listed between 14-1 and 16-1 at various books. Ja Morant is in the 45-1 range for MVP.
MIAMI HEAT: We have already mentioned that Spoelstra is one of the heavy favorites for Coach of the Year, so if you really want an interesting flyer wager, you could do a lot worse than Jimmy Butler at 55-1 for MVP and Kyle Lowry at 300-1 &mdash; not a misprint &mdash; for the same award. The only player with somewhat of a chalk line is Duncan Robinson at 11-1 to lead the league in three-pointers made per game. (Steph Curry is a nutso favorite with a line of (-165)).
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: It is safe to say that Giannis Antetokounmpo is in the mix for a third MVP award if he can stay healthy and make free throws without setting the knee-knocking record, and he is on the board at odds of 8-1 pretty much everywhere. Defensive Player of the Year awards do not usually go to on-ball defenders, but we all got a close look at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jrue-holiday-is-the-final-piece-to-any-teams-puzzle-nba-finals-2020-tokyo-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how good Jrue Holiday is in that category</a> during the NBA Finals and the Olympics. Holiday is (+2700) in that category at FanDuel, and (+3000) everywhere else. Pat Connaughton, who had a nice postseason, is 100-1 for Sixth Man of the Year at PointsBet.com. Nobody has him listed for Most Improved.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: OK, we scrape the back of the brain for something nice to say. They did not have a first- or second-round draft pick, so Rookie of the Year is sort of out of the question. Karl-Anthony-Towns is (+9000) to win MVP, and that probably isn't happening unless he gets traded. And with that, we have run out of nice things to say.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: This revamped roster includes Devonte&rsquo; Graham as the team's new point guard, and if he gets extremely good at lobbing he ball to Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas &mdash; and finding Brandon Ingram &mdash; he might just lead the NBA in assists. If you think that is a realistic possibility, you seem to be alone. No sportsbook lists Graham among the contenders to lead the league in assists. The best you can do is (+6000) on him at PointsBet for Most Improved. Zion Williamson&rsquo;s MVP odds are 40-1 pretty much everywhere.
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NEW YORK KNICKS: Obi Toppin is coming off a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/new-york-knicks-youngsters-exceed-expectations-in-nba-summer-league-las-vegas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heck of a Summer League</a>, so he has to be in consideration for Most Improved Player if Tom Thibodeau believes in him. He was Player of the Year two years ago in college, so the talent is there. Problem is, the best MIP odds on him are nowhere to be found. He is not listed at any of the major U.S. sportsbooks. For true believers in the orange and blue, Kemba Walker is 400-1 for MVP at DraftKings.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may as well play 48 minutes per game and average 59 points per game until Sam Presti realizes he is damaging his tanking chances, he is a nifty flyer bet at 100-1 (DraftKings) to lead the NBA in scoring.
ORLANDO MAGIC: Do not bet on the Orlando Magic in the futures market, okay? Well, alright, we will give you one thing to consider. Markelle Fultz, back after missing all of last season, is (+8000) for Most Improved Player at DraftKings &mdash; though we'll see <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-6-nba-players-whose-roles-may-be-diminished-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what his role looks like</a> in a crowded backcourt.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers: A mystery team until we find out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what they plan to do with Ben Simmons</a>. Joel Embiid was a worthy runner-up for MVP last season, and he is again atop the list of favorites. Curiously, Embiid is 25-1 to lead the league in rebounds while his backup, Andre Drummond, is 20-1. Seth Curry is 80-1 for Most Improved Player, but is not on the board for most three-pointers made per game.
PHOENIX SUNS: The second-place finishers in the NBA Finals are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-poised-to-be-one-of-the-nbas-best-teams-in-early-portion-of-202122-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returning pretty much the same cast</a>, with Devin Booker (20-1) listed way ahead of Chris Paul (100-1) in MVP odds. One intriguing possibility is Deandre Ayton for Most Improved, because he did not receive enough of the credit last season for this team&rsquo;s success despite shooting 62.2% in his third NBA season. It's hard to see him improving on that percentage, but should Ayton get into the 70% territory (only Wilt Chamberlain, DeAndre Jordan and Mitchell Robinson have done so), Most Improved could be within his sights. The best odds on that are (+4500) at DraftKings.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Chauncey Billups has the same odds (30-1) as Willie Green of the Pelicans to win Coach of the Year. Both are being put in charge of taking their teams to the next level, and Billups has the better team, in my opinion. Damian Lillard is a top-six choice for MVP everywhere except PointsBet, where he is eighth at (+1600). Robert Covington, the Patrick Beverley of forwards, is 100-1 to win Defensive Player of the Year.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS: Nobody places odds on the first coach to be fired. Richaun Holmes has the longest odds of anybody on the board at DraftKings for Most Improved Player at 150-1.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Gregg Popovich is 50-1 to win Coach of the Year. New Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (45-1) and 22 other coaches have better odds. Thaddeus Young is a sneaky Sixth Man pick at 55-1 (provided he gets traded elsewhere).
TORONTO RAPTORS: Our staff loved <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/something-to-prove-og-anunoby-shot-creation-toronto-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OG Anunoby</a> for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-is-poised-to-break-out-next-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">player most likely to have a breakout season</a>, and he is on the board at just 25-1 at PointsBet but 66-1 at BetMGM. Following the offseason moves that left them a long way from looking like the team that went to the NBA Finals in 2019, it is difficult to find any other members of the Raptors on the boards anywhere.
UTAH JAZZ: If they do what they did last year, Donovan Mitchell is going to get a lot more MVP consideration than he did last season, when these guys snuck up on a lot of people. He is 30-1 for MVP pretty much everywhere, and Jordan Clarkson is the favorite to repeat as Sixth Man of the Year; the same goes for Rudy Gobert with Defensive Player of the Year. Also, Quin Snyder is right up there with the favorites for Coach of the Year. With pretty much the same roster, is it a little surprising to see them listed behind the Lakers, Warriors and Suns to win the West.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: The Wizards are another off-the-radar team following the trade of Russell Westbrook, but Bradley Beal is the favorite to lead the NBA in scoring and Kyle Kuzma is 40-1 for Most Improved. Curiously, PointsBet.com is the only book listing Montrezl Harrell for Sixth Man of the Year, where he is 20-1. He won the award two years ago and was sixth last season.

Chris Sheridan checks into the NBA's preseason odds and goes through the top wagers to make for all 30 teams.

Best bets: NBA team-by-team odds choices as 2021-22 season approaches

After a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/for-a-change-a-successful-free-agency-period-propels-knicks-forward-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">successful free-agency period</a>, the Knicks contingent headed out West with the players they selected in the 2021 NBA Draft, as well as a few familiar faces from last season. And now that Las Vegas Summer League has wrapped up, let's take a look back at how each of the newest Knicks handled themselves under the glare of the Nevada heat.&nbsp;
Quentin Grimes
After entering last month's draft with the No. 19 and No. 21 overall selections, New York had added only Grimes, the 25th overall pick, by the time the first round concluded. This drew the ire of some fans, as Grimes was projected to land somewhere in the second round, according to most mocks. However, one thing has become clear about the Knicks approach to draft day under Leon Rose and company &mdash; New York locks in on specific targets even if they are not necessarily regarded as elite prospects by pundits and prognosticators. Remember, the Knicks were heavily criticized after "reaching" for Immanuel Quickley with the same number pick last year.
Grimes didn't do much to quell concerns early, as he stumbled out of the gate. Over the Knicks' first three games, Grimes shot a combined 8-of-30 (26.6%) from the floor. However, Grimes located his stroke in Game 4, when he scored 15 points on 10 field goal attempts, and he closed out the summer session by showcasing the skills that earned him AAC Player of the Year honors as a junior at the University of Houston. Over New York's final two contests, Grimes averaged 27.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 6.0 made three-pointers.&nbsp;
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No. 25 pick Quentin Grimes (<a href="https://twitter.com/qdotgrimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@qdotgrimes</a>) cooks up 28 PTS and 6 triples in the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyknicks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> win 👌 <a href="https://t.co/29yYRzfcEL">pic.twitter.com/29yYRzfcEL</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1426727845032873986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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And even in the early games in which his shot wasn't falling, Grimes didn't let his offensive struggles negatively impact his effort on the other end of the floor. He showed impressive defensive versatility, checking both shifty point guards and stocky small forwards. Grimes also finished second on the team in total rebounds, behind only Obi Toppin, and led all players in Vegas with a total of 22 made three-pointers (NY played a league-high six games). In a league that values 3-and-D wings, it appears Grimes can establish himself as a contributor sooner rather than later. &nbsp;
Miles McBride
In his two years under Bob Huggins at West Virginia, Deuce McBride, whom the Knicks scooped him up with the No. 36 overall pick, earned a reputation as a feared perimeter defender. Those defensive instincts &mdash; along with his quick-twitch athleticism &mdash; were indeed on display in Vegas, where he hounded opposing guards all over the floor. McBride's relentless 94-feet-of-pressure defense undoubtedly brought a smile to even the typically-grumpy Tom Thibodeau, who was said to have fallen in love with Deuce during the pre-draft process and pushed hard for the Knicks to select the youngster out of WVU. &nbsp;
And, like Grimes, McBride was surprisingly impactful on both ends of the court. After two solid games to start, he caught fire in the second half of New York's third contest, when he poured in 20 points and was a perfect 6-of-6 from three-point range. Through three full games, McBride shot 62.5% from the floor, 61.5% from downtown and 87.5% from the FT line. In the Knicks' final contest, a blowout victory over Atlanta, not only did he put the clamps on highly-touted Hawks rookie Sharife Cooper (who had just six points on 3-of-11 shooting), McBride scored 19 points of his own on 7-of-10 shooting, including five made treys. &nbsp;
Over the six games New York played in Vegas, Deuce averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 made triples. He disrupted opponents' flow with his defensive intensity while also scoring efficiently on the other end.&nbsp;
"That's how I get my offense going," McBride said of his defense after Monday's victory. "It's really coming in, stopping guys and giving energy to the team and that gives me offensive opportunities." 
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Still thinking about this defensive possession. <a href="https://t.co/zUOOh58LI0">pic.twitter.com/zUOOh58LI0</a>
&mdash; NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1425878558065315847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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When asked if he was satisfied with his performance in Vegas, McBride replied, "I thought I played well, but [I'm] never satisfied because that's when your opponents catch up. I had a pretty solid summer league, coming in to learn a whole new system. I did well in that, but there are a lot of things to improve on."
Yes, the Knicks suddenly have impressive depth in their backcourt, but if McBride can knock down long-range shots at a consistent clip, it will be very difficult for Thibs to keep him off the floor. Consider this: Of the 78 players who attempted at least 18 three-pointers at the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League, only three shot 50% or better from deep: No.1 pick Cade Cunningham, No. 2 pick Jalen Green and No. 36 pick Miles McBride.&nbsp;
Looking at the big picture, it's clear the Knicks' summer league coaching staff instructed their players to hunt three-point shots in Las Vegas. Among all the 30 teams in Vegas, New York ranked first in average three-point makes per game (14.2), first in three-point percentage (38%), and third in three-point attempts per game (37.2).
Obi Toppin
After playing limited minutes and struggling through most of his rookie campaign, Toppin encouragingly closed the 2020-21 season on a high note, providing New York with a much-needed spark in the team's first-round matchup with the Hawks. He built on that momentum in Vegas, excelling as a focal point of the Knicks' offensive attack.&nbsp;
Toppin was a force right from the start of their Vegas trip, scoring a game-high 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting to go along with 8 rebounds in his first contest. As a rookie last season, Obi was often relegated to standing in the corner or dunker's spot. However, in Las Vegas, Toppin had plenty of transition opportunities and was actively involved in pick-and-rolls, alley-oops, pick-and-pops, dribble hand-offs, etc. This was similar to how the Dayton Flyers deployed Obi during his sophomore season, when he led the country in dunks, averaged 20 points per game while shooting over 63% from the floor and was named the National Player of the Year.
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Obi Toppin, stoppin' &amp; poppin', <a href="https://t.co/rjX7ifxCna">pic.twitter.com/rjX7ifxCna</a>
&mdash; NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1425647930271145985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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In Vegas, Toppin led all summer league participants in minutes played, logging over 35 minutes per game, while averaging 21.0 points (on 44.5% shooting), 8.3 boards, 1.3 assists, 2.0 made treys and 1.3 steals. The only player in Vegas to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">average more than 20 points and more than 8 rebounds was Chicago's Patrick Williams</a>, last year's No. 4 overall pick. Toppin became the first Knick to ever average 21-plus points in summer league action.&nbsp;
The question for Obi moving forward is how much playing time he'll see next season. Will Thibs look to reduce Julius Randle's workload after Randle led the NBA minutes played a season ago, or will Toppin get some time as a stretch 5 alongside Randle?&nbsp;
Immanuel Quickley
After a solid showing (15 points and 8 dimes) in his first contest, Quickley put on a show in Game 2, racking up a game-high 32 points (11-of-21 shooting) and dishing out a game-high 8 assists (vs. just one turnover). IQ scored 25 more points in the third game and averaged 24 points through New York's first three contests.
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Immanuel Quickley was balling today 👀 <a href="https://t.co/szpTZvRHZ1">pic.twitter.com/szpTZvRHZ1</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1424829362789040133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Yet, Quickley missed the Knicks' fifth game due to a sore groin and was woefully inefficient offensively over his final two appearances, shooting 7-of-36 from the floor. All told, IQ averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.4 three-pointers in Vegas. Although the shooting numbers were disappointing (33.7% from the floor and 24% from downtown), Quickley showed he might very well possess the patience and skills necessary to develop into an NBA point guard, which was a pleasant surprise. Time and time again, IQ successfully read ball screens, facilitated the offense and found open shooters, all while taking care of the basketball (averaging less than 2.5 turnovers per game).&nbsp;
It had been over a decade since a player averaged more than 20 points and 7 assists in the Las Vegas Summer League. (That player was John Wall for the Wizards in 2010.)&nbsp;
Jericho Sims
When the Knicks selected Sims with the third-last pick in July's draft, it was assumed the 6-foot-10 Texas product would spend the vast majority of the 2021-22 campaign toiling in the G League. Yet, after watching him in Vegas and getting an up-close look at his mind-boggling combination of size and athleticism, it seems possible Sims may earn some time with the big club in 2021-22.
His two best games came in his first and final summer league contests. In the opener, Sims was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor (including this incredible alley-oop) for 12 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. In the finale, he ripped down 13 boards.&nbsp;
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Go up and get it, Jericho Sims! ✈️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> on NBA TV <a href="https://t.co/XrySfm1yXM">pic.twitter.com/XrySfm1yXM</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1427407237799157762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Over his five appearances, Sims converted 81% of his FG attempts while averaging 8.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 28.0 minutes. (The last rookie to attempt more than 20 total shots and shoot over 70% from the floor in Las Vegas was Rudy Gobert for the Jazz.)
Sims also exhibited an impressive basketball IQ and solid feel for the game, continually setting solid screens and staying on his feet defensively, smartly refusing to chase blocks.&nbsp;
If New York's center triumvirate of Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson all remain healthy, it will be difficult for Sims to find minutes. Still, he's an excellent insurance policy. And one with some tantalizing upside.&nbsp;
Rokas Jokubaitis
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Really nice two-way sequence from Rokas Jokubaitis. Rokas relocates to the corner and hits the 3, then snags the steal from behind following some good D, and then takes it the other way for the lay in transition. <a href="https://t.co/SoAm5MftEU">pic.twitter.com/SoAm5MftEU</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1425649402706862083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Jokubaitis, the lefty from Lithuania whom the Knicks nabbed with the 34th overall pick, appeared in only three games. He played sloppily in his Knicks debut, understandably looking a bit overwhelmed, but seemed far more comfortable in his final two appearances.
He warped up his Vegas experience scoring 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, to go along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 treys and 4 steals in 29 minutes. Jokubaitis will spend next season getting extra seasoning overseas, suiting up for Barcelona in the ultra-competitive Spanish ACB League.&nbsp;
Luca Vildoza
After struggling for Argentina in the Tokyo Olympics, Vildoza looked outclassed in Vegas. He went scoreless, missing all four of his FG attempts in his first two games before sitting out the rest of summer league with a sore foot.&nbsp;
Leon Rose signed Vildoza to a four-year, $13.6 million contract back in May, but the pact is non-guaranteed. The Knicks have until October 21, the day after the season opener, to release Vildoza, which would open up a roster spot and clear his $3.3 million salary off their cap sheet. Considering their backcourt depth, New York may opt to part ways with Vildoza and bring in a wing.
It was reported last week that the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/08/09/knicks-dwayne-bacon-agree-to-terms-in-guard-depth-addition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knicks had agreed to terms on Dwayne Bacon</a> after the Magic had waived him.

Tommy Beer goes in-depth on the Knicks' impressive summer league performance as a team and highlights who stood out.

New York Knicks' youngsters exceed expectations in Las Vegas

The Los Angeles Clippers have selected with the No. 21 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Los Angeles moved up from No. 25 with the New York Knicks sending a 2024 second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons.
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ANALYSIS: Possessing incredible athleticism and a nose for the ball, Keon Johnson has the tools to be an elite defender and high-flyer at the next level. Although there are some concerns about his limitations on the offensive end, his aggressiveness, instincts, and versatility on the defensive end suggest that he can become a high-level role player while possessing upside considering his elite athleticism.

The Los Angeles Clippers selected Keon Johnson with the No. 21 pick in the NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Clippers pick Keon Johnson No. 21

The Houston Rockets have selected Jalen Green with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
ANALYSIS: Although known mostly as a high-flyer, Jalen Green showed a more versatile offensive repertoire this past season for the G League Ignite. His explosiveness and ability to create space off the dribble, along with his improved outside shooting, have made him one of the most coveted prospects this year. Green is perhaps the most athletic and dynamic prospect in the entire draft.
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The Houston Rockets have selected Jalen Green with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Houston Rockets pick Jalen Green No. 2

<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Green</a> could make history on Thursday night.
The projected top-3 pick in this year's NBA Draft is on track to be the first (and highest) draft pick out of the G League Ignite program. After making a name for himself as a dynamic scorer in the G League, Green thinks he can translate quickly to the top level.
"I just feel like G League is one step ahead of college," Green said to reporters on Monday. "You learn how to become a pro on and off the court early, so that's how I think it can prepare you."
With the Ignite, Green averaged 17.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game across 15 starts, dazzling viewers with a deluxe scoring package that seemed well beyond his years. For Green, the season gave him a chance to learn the ins and outs of NBA-caliber systems.
"[I was] learning terminologies, learning offenses, learning the pace and the speed of the game... I think that was the biggest thing, is picking up on it early, because it's hard to learn the terms coming in," he said.
Green has the reputation of being one of the purest scorers and highest leapers in the 2021 class. It's what has catapulted him up draft boards, as he's currently projected to go No. 2 overall pick to the Houston Rockets in BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest mock draft</a>.
"Although known mostly as a high-flyer, Jalen Green showed a more versatile offensive repertoire this past season for the G League Ignite," our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a>. "His explosiveness and ability to create space off the dribble, along with his improved outside shooting, have made him one of the most-coveted prospects this year. Green is perhaps the most athletic and dynamic prospect in the entire draft."
Green says he has studied some of the Association's legendary scorers: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade. But the G League also gave him an opportunity to learn off-ball responsibilities. He feels much more well-rounded as an offensive player compared to high school.
"I wasn't really as ball-dominant, [not] as much as I was in high school," Green said. "So, it gave me a chance to really learn how to play off the ball and play from the corners."
Green has only worked out with two franchises: the Rockets and Detroit Pistons, who own the draft's top pick.&nbsp;
"[The top two] is where I'm trying to go... I feel like I'm one of the best players in the draft, or the&nbsp;best player in the draft, so with that being said, I feel like I should work out for the highest teams," Green said.
Whichever squad lands Green is adding a day-one bucket-getter. As he did in the G League, the young guard hopes to hit the ground running with his on-court impact.
"I'm trying to be Rookie of the Year," Green said. "So I think that speaks for itself as far as what type of impact I'm trying to have."

Jalen Green is a projected top-five pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Jalen Green already setting sights on NBA Rookie of the Year

With the 2021 NBA Draft just days away, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has put together a list of the top available prospects by position. He recently listed the draft's top&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-point-guards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-small-forwards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small forwards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-power-forwards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power forwards</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-centers-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">centers</a>.
Here are the best shooting guards in this year's class:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Green, G League Ignite</a> 
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Although known mostly as a high-flyer, Jalen Green showed a more versatile offensive repertoire this past season for the G League Ignite. His explosiveness and ability to create space off the dribble, along with his improved outside shooting, have made him one of the most coveted prospects this year. Green is perhaps the most athletic and dynamic prospect in the entire draft, and he has subsequently established himself as a near lock to be a top-five pick.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/james-bouknight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Bouknight, UConn</a> 
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An explosive vertical athlete, crafty finisher around the rim, and assertive scorer, James Bouknight is capable of filling up a box score with points in the blink of an eye. Although he still needs to improve as an outside shooter, he has the potential to become a primary offensive option in the NBA and should have a solid career.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/moses-moody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moses Moody, Arkansas</a> 
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Standing 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan, Moses Moody is one of the best shot-makers in this year&rsquo;s draft. Although he is lacking quickness and overall burst, he is a disciplined and reliable team defender with plus length. He has the ability to impact both ends of the floor, making him a viable option in the first round for teams that want a 3-and-D type of player.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/chris-duarte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Duarte, Oregon</a> 
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Chris Duarte is 24 years of age, making him one of the oldest players in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, he's mature, disciplined, and one of the best shooters in this class. His offensive impact, adequate on-ball defense, and toughness will likely allow him to be an immediate plug-and-play wing at the NBA level. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if Duarte provides a spark to an NBA team as early as next season.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/keon-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keon Johnson, Tennessee</a> 
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Possessing incredible athleticism and a nose for the ball, Keon Johnson has the tools to be an elite defender and high-flyer at the next level. Although there are some concerns about his limitations on the offensive end, his aggressiveness, instincts, and versatility on the defensive end suggest that he can become a high-level role player while possessing upside considering his elite athleticism.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jaden-springer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Springer, Tennessee</a> 
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A disciplined and physical guard who can score on all three levels, Jaden Springer uses his physical strength to attack the rim and create space to score in the midrange while also being a reliable outside shooter. He is a tremendous defender both on and off the ball, and his physicality and toughness allow him to defend multiple positions. His ability to play point guard regularly is highly questionable, but he is an effective passer. Springer&rsquo;s ceiling might not be quite as high as some of the other one-and-done prospects this year; however, his floor is high, making him a safe bet.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/cam-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cam Thomas, LSU</a>
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Cam Thomas is a microwave scorer and tough shot-maker who has the ability to get hot at any moment. He has great shot creation tools and has shown a combination of easy NBA range as well as craftiness at the rim to finish inside. He's also able to get to the free-throw line at a high rate, making him one of the best scorers in the class.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/josh-christopher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Christopher, Arizona State</a> 
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An athletic, playmaking guard, Josh Christopher was inefficient at Arizona State this past season. However, he did show an ability to score off the dribble and hit tough shots. He excels attacking in transition and when he gets downhill, he is a powerful athlete who is capable of finishing plays with craft and touch. He needs to become more focused on defense and improve as a decision-maker, especially in regard to his shot selection. But he is one of those guys where if it clicks, watch out.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joshua-primo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Primo, Alabama</a> 
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Despite being a little ways from making a real impact on an NBA floor, Josh Primo has tremendous long-term potential. He progressed well during his freshman season at Alabama, averaging 9.0 points per game while shooting 41.4% from three and 89.3% from the free-throw line in conference play. With good positional size, Primo will need to continue to build on his basketball IQ and versatility as he moves on to the next level, but he shouldn't be on the board too long as his upside is undeniable.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/brandon-boston-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Boston Jr., Kentucky</a> 
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After being a highly touted recruit entering his freshman year at Kentucky, Brandon Boston Jr. had a disappointing season. His draft stock is somewhat unstable at the moment due to his thin build and inconsistent play. But at 6-foot-7, Boston&rsquo;s combination of length, shot-making, and ball-handling give him the potential to be an effective scorer in the NBA. Despite some of the public concerns, don&rsquo;t expect Boston to slip too far in the draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/ayo-dosunmu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois</a> 
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Averaging 20.1 points per game this season, Ayo Dosunmu solidified himself as one of the best guards in college basketball last season. He's a terrific athlete who excels in open space as well as attacking the rim. He is a combo guard who's effective in the pick-and-roll. He has also continually improved as an outside shooter. Dosunmu's competitive nature makes him a viable option for teams looking for depth at guard.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/quentin-grimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quentin Grimes, Houston</a> 
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The former McDonald's All-American came into his own last season with the Cougars, scoring over 17 points per game while solidifying himself as one of the best shooters in the country. With good athleticism and playmaking, Grimes has a real chance to carve out a role for himself in the NBA. He struggled with inconsistency at times, but the sharpshooting makes him a viable option in this month's Draft.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joel-ayayi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga</a>
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A key piece in Gonzaga's incredible season, Ayayi played well both on and off the ball for the Bulldogs. He isn't the flashiest player on the floor, but the Frenchman is consistent, reliable, and a strong decision-maker. Ayayi shot 38.9% from deep this season on the way to 12.0 points per contest, and regularly added great reads off the dribble as a facilitator, playmaking, and disciplined defense on the other end. With his positional size and intelligence, he has a great chance to carve out a role in the NBA.
To see BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft">click here</a>. Also, check out the list of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-point-guards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top point guards in this class</a>.

Matt Babcock lists his best shooting guard prospects in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Top shooting guards in this class

ATLANTA (July 20, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that Tudor Somacescu has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
The 6-foot-2-inch point guard from Romania is one of the top European prospects, ranked the #3 overall international prospect for 2005 born players by Eurohopes.com. He spent last season in the United States at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, CA. Prior to coming to the US, he played for U-BT Cluj Napoca in Romania&rsquo;s top division. At just 14 years old, he participated with the Romanian National Team in the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B, averaging 10 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.7 steals per game.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re incredibly excited to have Tudor join OTE as we continue to assemble a group of talented and driven athletes committed to chasing excellence,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE&rsquo;s EVP and Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Tudor is a special basketball player who has demonstrated a boldness and courage to journey from Eastern Europe to explore other styles of basketball, compete against top talent, and further hone his skills. He demonstrates high level court vision, a joy for the game and passion for making others better. He will elevate his teammates and we&rsquo;re thrilled to work with him to continue to help him reach his dreams.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Tudor has an advanced basketball IQ, a terrific feel for the game and the ability to share the ball with his teammates, getting everyone involved. They will love playing with him,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;I look forward to sharing my knowledge as a former point guard to help him develop as a team leader on and off the court.&rdquo;
Somacescu is the twelfth player to join OTE. The league has signed top prospects Jalen Lewis from California, Amen and Ausar Thompson from Florida, Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida, and Jai Smith from North Carolina.
OTE has signed international prospects Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic, Alexandre Sarr from France, Nathan Missia-Dio from Belgium, Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico and Francis Lopez from the Philippines. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.
Lopez's press release:
ATLANTA (July 13, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that wing Francis &ldquo;Lebron&rdquo; Lopez from the Philippines has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.&nbsp;
Lopez is a 6-foot-5 inch guard who most recently attended Ateneo de Manila High School, playing in the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) Season 82 after transferring from La Salle Greenhills. He averaged 16 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3 blocks per game.&nbsp;
Lopez was the youngest member of the Philippines National Team to participate in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. In his one appearance, Lopez had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in 10 minutes of action in a win over Indonesia on June 18th. He was the final cut from the 12-man roster for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re delighted to have Lebron join the OTE family as we expand our international reach, bringing in top talent from across the globe,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE EVP, Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Francis is a young man who has impressed us with both the combination of pure passion for the game and self-improvement, physical athleticism, work ethic, as well as many leadership intangibles. He&rsquo;s the kind of player we want and expect to thrive at OTE.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Francis is a high flyer with his ability to play above the rim,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a young man with a ton of potential and we&rsquo;re building a program for him that will develop his game more completely, so that he can achieve his dream of a professional career and as a leader on the Philippines national team for years to come.&rdquo;
Lopez is the eleventh player to join OTE. Last week, OTE signed top prospect Jalen Lewis from California. In the past few weeks, the league announced the signings of top-rated guards Amen and Ausar Thompson and forwards Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida.&nbsp;
OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey.&nbsp;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

Romanian guard Tudor Somacescu and Filipino wing Francis "LeBron" Lopez are the 11th and 12 prospects to join OTE.

Overtime Elite signs Tudor Somacescu, Francis 'LeBron' Lopez

The 2021 NBA Draft will be held on July 29, 2021, which means it's just 15 days away. Our NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock went through a number of picks with the highest upside and the most potential.
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With the 2021 NBA Draft just weeks away, most of our scouting work has already been completed. After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently updating our 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>, I&rsquo;d like to highlight some of the prospects that we think possess the most potential and upside in the entire draft this year:
2. Houston Rockets: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/evan-mobley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evan Mobley, USC</a>
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Bottom Line: Standing 7-feet tall with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, while also being a fluid athlete, Evan Mobley utilizes his unique combination of length and mobility to be an elite rim protector. He has also shown flashes of being an effective passer and outside shooter. Overall, it&rsquo;s rare to find players with his size, skill and athleticism, making him a special prospect. Depending on what the Detroit Pistons value, he could be in contention for the No. 1 pick.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Green, G League Ignite</a>
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Bottom Line: Although known mostly as a high-flyer, Jalen Green showed a more versatile offensive repertoire this past season for the G League Ignite. His explosiveness and ability to create space off the dribble, along with his improved outside shooting, have made him one of the most coveted prospects this year. Green is perhaps the most athletic and dynamic prospect in the entire draft, and he has subsequently established himself as a near lock to be a top-five pick.
11. Charlotte Hornets: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/kai-jones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kai Jones, Texas</a>
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Bottom Line: At 6-foot-11, Jones teased with his athleticism and offensive tools this past season at Texas. He will need to develop his physical strength and add polish to become a high-level NBA player; however, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ncaa-basketball-kai-jones-the-beginning-bahamas-deandre-ayton-texas-longhorns-nba-draft-prospects-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his long-term ceiling is extremely high</a>. At this point in the draft, he might be worth the risk.
18. Oklahoma City Thunder: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/ziaire-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ziaire Williams, Stanford</a>
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Bottom Line: Having struggled with his consistency at Stanford, Ziaire Williams has become a somewhat polarizing prospect. Overall, his freshman season was underwhelming. Although his slim build and ability to finish at the rim have drawn concerns, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ziaire-williams-eager-to-take-his-next-developmental-steps-in-the-nba-2021-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his upside is worth noting</a>. A 6-foot-8 wing who is capable of creating space and hitting tough, contested shots, Williams has the potential to be a versatile scoring wing at the next level.
30. Utah Jazz: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jt-thor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JT Thor, Auburn</a> 
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Bottom Line: Thor is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing prospects in this class. He's long, rangy and fluid for his size. These, paired with his ability to shoot the deep ball and protect the rim, give promise to great impact at the next level if it clicks. He likely won't be ready to contribute early in his career, but the physical tools and skill set are worth betting on.
34. Oklahoma City Thunder: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joshua-primo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Primo, Alabama</a> 
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Bottom Line: Despite being a little ways from making a real impact on an NBA floor, Josh Primo has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-combine-recap-7-players-who-stood-out-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tremendous long-term potential</a>. He progressed well during his freshman season at Alabama, averaging 9.0 points per game while shooting 41.4% from three and 89.3% from the free-throw line in conference play. With good positional size, Primo will need to continue to build on his basketball IQ and versatility as he moves on to the next level, but he shouldn't be on the board too long, as his upside is undeniable.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Be sure to check out Matt's latest 2021 Mock Draft (and click on each player's name for in-depth analysis, stats, measurements and more).</a>

NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock highlights some of the prospects that he feels have the most potential and upside in the 2021 class.

2021 NBA Mock Draft: Matt Babcock highlights prospects with the most upside

History is not on the side of the Milwaukee Bucks. Of the 35 teams that have lost the first two games of the NBA Finals, only four came back to win the championship. That is a mere 13.4% success rate.
But it is not a 0% success rate, and we have already seen Milwaukee come back from an 0-2 deficit in the second round against the Brooklyn Nets. So it can be done, which was the operating principle behind taking a drive across the New York-New Jersey border on Friday evening to drop $40 into the sinkhole known as the legalized U.S. sports gambling industry.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the Bucks&rsquo; one and only star during the first two games of the series, but there are &ndash; at least in theory &ndash; five games left. That means there is an opportunity for other Milwaukee players to rise to the occasion and be the catalyst for four victories over the remainder of the series, and the time to wager on them for NBA Finals MVP is when their odds are highest.
With that thought in mind, $20 went on Khris Middleton at odds of +6000 (60-1) and another $20 went on Jrue Holiday at +10000 (100-1). Only three games will be played over the next seven days, and that gives Giannis Antetokounmpo more healing time for his hyperextended knee. He has been fantastic in Milwaukee&rsquo;s first two games, but those games were losses. And if a different player steps up and becomes the difference-maker in four Bucks wins, that will be a determining factor in whether someone other than the Greek Freak (currently +400) becomes the Finals MVP.
As Saturday begins, the favorites are Chris Paul (-143) and Devin Booker (+200). Friday was a travel day, so we will get an update on everyone&rsquo;s status at some point today. The guy whose comments will be interpreted most closely is Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, who reportedly was a dead man walking back when the Bucks were down 0-2 vs. Brooklyn.
Will he shake up his starting lineup and go big by inserting Bobby Portis as he did in Games 5 and 6 against the Atlanta Hawks? And if he is planning to do so, will he show his cards prior to tipoff?
And most importantly, will he change some of his offensive schemes to provide more shot opportunities for his secondary stars, Middleton and Holiday?
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Middleton shot 12-for-26 in Game 1 for 29 points, but just 5-for-16 in Game 2. Holiday was 7-for-22 in Game 2 after going 4-for-14 in Game 1. One of them has to become a consistent second scorer while also adding something on the defensive end, and since Holiday was an All-Defensive-First-Team selection, his 100-1 odds were most enticing.
Let&rsquo;s not forget that he was the player who defended Kevin Durant at the end of the epic Game 7 of the Nets-Bucks series when Durant airballed a three-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining in overtime and the Nets trailing by two. Somebody needs to do something better against Paul, who was brilliant in Game 1 &mdash; with 32 points and nine assists &mdash; and nearly as efficient in Game 2 &mdash; with 23 points and eight assists (along with six turnovers, tying his season-high).
And even if Budenholzer gets Holiday to force Paul into a sub-par game, the next concern is finding a way to defend Booker, who has scored 27 and 31 in the first two games, knocking down seven three-pointers in Game 2 after going only 1-for-8 in Game 1.
It is very much a &ldquo;pick-your-poison&rdquo; type of situation for Budenholzer when figuring out how to defend Phoenix&rsquo;s guards. And then there is the matter of defending Deandre Ayton, who went 8-for-10 and had 22 points and 18 rebounds in Game 1 and then came back to earth with 10 points and 11 rebounds in Game 2. Also, Mikal Bridges has been the unsung hero for the Suns over the first two games: 14 points in Game 1 and then 27 points in Game 2. He has not missed a single one of his 10 free throws.
Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s knee remains a question mark, and there may come points when the Bucks are going to have to get things done without him. That is all the more reason to take a couple of $20 flyers on Middleton and Holiday when their odds are so high, as unlikely as it seems that the Bucks can come back from 0-2 without their best player having a significant role.
The last team to come back from an 0-2 deficit to win the finals was the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, who were down 0-2 to Golden State but won the series in seven games. Previously, the 2006 Miami Heat did it against the Dallas Mavericks, winning four straight. (The others were the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers and the 1969 Boston Celtics).
And if you think things look bleak for the Bucks, a history lesson is in order. In the 2016 Finals, the 73-win Warriors jumped to a 2&ndash;0 lead in the series and recorded the largest combined margin of victory (48) through two games in NBA Finals history in the process. Cleveland won Game 3 at home, 120&ndash;90, but Golden State bounced back to take Game 4. The rest is history. The Cavaliers won the next three games, becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to overcome a 3-1 deficit.
The 2006 Heat lost the first two games on the road and were down 13 points with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter of Game 3 but rallied against Dallas. They then won Game 5 in overtime, as Dwyane Wade shot 25 free throws, making 21. And the series ended in Dallas when Wade scored 36 points and Miami rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to win Game 6.
The Lesson: Even when things look hopelessly bleak, things can change. And so while the Bucks look dead in the water, this series will not be over until somebody wins four games.
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In the sports gambling universe, the way to get paid is to latch onto a key player at a ridiculous set of odds and hope for the best. Chances are that if the Bucks win, Giannis will get all the credit. He remains the third choice on the board at DraftKings sportsbook at +400, followed by Ayton at +1600.
But Middleton had superb outings in Games 3, 4 and 6 against the Hawks and in Game 1 against the Suns, starting to change the narrative regarding whether he is a better regular-season player than postseason player. And Holiday, who cost a king&rsquo;s ransom for the Bucks to acquire from the Pelicans, is not going to continue to shoot 31.6% from the field and 16.7% from the three-point line. He had four fantastic games against the Hawks, and one must figure that his chamber is not empty.
If the Bucks lose Sunday, stick a fork in them because they will be done.
No NBA team has ever come all the way back from an 0-3 deficit. But if the Bucks win at home, we are not going to see these types of prices on Milwaukee players (Brook Lopez is currently +30000, as is P.J. Tucker). Bobby Portis, who can be inserted into the starting lineup if Budenholzer wants to put a pair of big men on the court together as he did in Games 5 and 6 against Atlanta and try to force the Suns to match up, is +50000.
We are two games in. There could be five games left. And while it looks as though the Suns are unstoppable, the Warriors looked that way five years ago; and the Mavs a decade before that.
It ain&rsquo;t over yet.

Of the 35 teams that have lost the first two games of the NBA Finals, only four came back to win the title. Can the Bucks become the fifth?

Taking a long shot at Bucks coming back behind Holiday, Middleton

Rex Chapman and Josh Hopkins get into which high-flyer had the better poster this season.

Better dunk: Miles Bridges or Anthony Edwards?

No Eastern Conference team has had a worse year than the Toronto Raptors when it comes to living up to preseason expectations, which is understandable when you consider the fact that the entire organization relocated to Tampa, Fla. because of cross-border travel coronavirus concerns.
Yes, they beat the Golden State Warriors by 53 points Friday night, but that came after losses in 13 of their previous 14 games. They are currently 11th in the Eastern Conference, two games behind the Chicago Bulls for the No. 10 spot that would ensure them at least one play-in game.
But they have taken a deep drop since winning the NBA championship two years ago, and their fans back in Ontario are entering a month-long government-ordered lockdown today. It is going to be a long April in Toronto, but the thing about the NBA is&hellip; You just never know.
The Raptors were 5.5-point favorites against the Warriors on Friday night, so they covered by a mere 47.5 points on a night when the oddsmakers set the over/unders so high that eight of 10 games finished under. The game between the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks was under by 28 points, although the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder went 22.5 points over the number the oddsmakers had set for total points.
This all goes to show that gambling lines can be way off in this most uncertain of seasons, and that brings us back to the Raptors and, specifically, big man Chris Boucher.
Boucher grew up in Quebec and three years ago, he was playing part-time for the Raptors' G League affiliate. (Neat factoid: As a rookie with Golden State in 2017-18, he played one minute of one game and missed his only shot, a three-point attempt).
The fourth-year veteran has improved his scoring from 6.6 points per game to 13.2, and his shooting percentage has gone from 48.2% to 52.7%.
Much improved, eh?
But Most Improved?
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That is debatable, but if there has been one constant throughout this strangest of NBA seasons, it has been the debate over who will win a bunch of the postseason awards. Those awards are selected by a panel of about 120 writers and broadcasters who cover the league on the regular basis (the fans also get a vote for Most Valuable Player).
One writer has gone 12-for-12 with his votes, picking all of the correct award winners over the last two seasons: Zach Harper of The Athletic. On Thursday, he made the case that &ndash; at this point of the season &ndash; he sees Boucher as <a href="https://theathletic.com/2485012/">most qualified to get his vote</a>. According to him, Boucher beats out Detroit&rsquo;s Jerami Grant and Houston&rsquo;s Christian Wood.
From <a href="https://theathletic.com/2485012/">Harper&rsquo;s column</a>:
&ldquo;I do think Chris Boucher has been the Most Improved Player, and not entirely just because he&rsquo;s played 48 games to the 24 of Christian Wood. The Toronto Raptors have been slowly bringing Boucher along for a couple of seasons now, and we&rsquo;ve seen a vast improvement in everything he&rsquo;s doing. He&rsquo;s a legitimate Sixth Man for the Raptors. He&rsquo;s a defensive presence, especially around the rim. He&rsquo;s turned himself into a real threat around the rim, a real 3-point shooter, and someone who has a good in-between game, as well. Boucher has been great for the Raptors, even though their season has been less than. His improvement from last year is tops for me at the moment.&rdquo;
Boucher is 80-1 to win the award at DraftKings and PointsBet, and 100-1 at FanDuel and BetMGM. Every sportsbook that has a line posted on Most Improved has Julius Randle of the New York Knicks as the heavy favorite. Randle has gone from averaging 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season to 22.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists this season. Although they fell below the .500 mark with Friday night&rsquo;s loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks currently sit poised to make the postseason after a seven-year drought. If they do, that may give Randle an edge. But nothing&rsquo;s promised.
At DraftKings, just 1% of the total money bet on Most Improved Player has been on Boucher and he has 6% of the Sixth Man of the Year handle,&nbsp;spokesman Parker Winslow said.
At PointsBet, Boucher has taken just 0.85% of the handle, which is 12th among all players. Meanwhile, Grant has taken 27.5%, Wood is at 26% and Randle is at 14%, according to spokesman Wyatt Yearout.
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We still have one-third of the season left, and as veteran NBA writer Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press noted in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-sheridan-show-brian-mahoney-on-mvp-odds-who-will-play-for-team-usa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my most recent podcast</a>, there has been an above-average amount of debate over postseason awards this season. So we shall see where Most Improved goes the rest of the way.
With so many new faces populating NBA rosters, along with so many teams resting superstars regularly and so many MVP candidates injured, the actual Most Improved Player may come out of nowhere as the season rolls toward its conclusion.
There are a couple Porter, Jrs. out there &ndash; Kevin in Houston and Michael in Denver &ndash; who are sitting at 150-1. Perhaps they&rsquo;re worth some consideration, as well.
The field is obviously open, but as of right now, Boucher &ndash; for several reasons &ndash; is an interesting flyer opportunity for people who have wagering legalized in their states.

Similar to MVP, the race for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award appears to be wide open. Chris Sheridan checks in on the field.

Is Raptors' Chris Boucher worth a flyer For Most Improved Player?

After six and a half seasons, and one five-game playoff berth in between, Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon has finally had enough of his environment. The Athletic&rsquo;s Jared Weiss and Sam Amick reported that Gordon <a href="https://theathletic.com/2468679/2021/03/22/will-the-celtics-trade-for-aaron-gordon-sources-say-a-deal-has-been-discussed/">formally requested a trade</a> on Monday. On Tuesday night, The Athletic&rsquo;s Josh Robbins <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/aaron-gordon-speaks-on-trade-request-orlando-magic">asked</a> Gordon for his reasoning.
&ldquo;I mean, there&rsquo;s been times where I just expressed my frustration to management,&rdquo; Gordon says. &ldquo;Frustration with the losses, injuries, the way we&rsquo;ve been playing, how we&rsquo;ve been playing and how many losses have accumulated over the years. It&rsquo;s just my frustration kind of boiling over, I would say. And I think a lot of people share that sentiment with me, of frustration.&rdquo;
Gordon wants a winning situation, a big &ldquo;duh&rdquo; for anyone who has endured as many losses as he has. He reportedly also wants the marketability that comes with being in a better situation, which is also a fair desire for a 25-year-old high flyer.
WHAT GORDON PROVIDES
The basic scouting report on Gordon is that he&rsquo;s an athletic marvel on both ends of the floor. That, of course, undersells what he can do.
Very quietly, Gordon is one of the most versatile defenders in the sport, able to credibly defend 2-through-4.&nbsp;
Though he&rsquo;s at his best using his strength to body power wings like Jimmy Butler, he also has the lateral chops to mirror a guard for a few slides:
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Gordon possesses pretty wild recovery speed for a guy his size. Getting a step doesn&rsquo;t always mean getting an advantage:
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Because of his rare blend of strength, lateral quickness, leaping ability, and feel, Gordon can fit in just about any defensive scheme. He has the chops to switch a bunch of actions, and has the off-ball awareness to operate as a cleanup man on the weak side.&nbsp;
Offensively, we&rsquo;ve never seen Gordon consistently optimized. There are passing chops hidden in plain sight, especially when flowing out of short-roll situations. This season, the Magic have given him career-high pick-and-roll usage.
It&rsquo;s mostly been a disaster, ranking in the 18th percentile in overall pick-and-roll play, per Synergy. Dig a little deeper, and you&rsquo;ll see he ranks in the 50th percentile in points per possession generated with passes. And that ranking is watered down by his screener converting a ghastly 44 percent of their shots.
Look at the film, and you&rsquo;ll see Gordon attempting to manipulate help defenders and alternating speeds with his passes. Nobody would confuse him with Luka Doncic, but there&rsquo;s generally a pass or two per game that make you go &ldquo;hmmm.&rdquo;
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/gordon-live-dribble-feed.gif" alt="" width="522" height="293" />
Double-hi set for the Magic here, and Gordon waits out the switch. PJ Washington stumbles and frees Nikola Vucevic in the process, but Gordon made that live-dribble feed look a lot easier than it was. The cross back to his right shifted Bismack Biyombo just enough to open the window for the Vucevic pass.
While the lead initiator reps are intriguing, Gordon remains at his best as a play-finisher. He&rsquo;s becoming a better shooter, draining a career-high 39.3% of his triples. The same athleticism that nearly won him a pair of dunk contests is able to shine through when paired with a solid guard. The issue is that he hasn&rsquo;t consistently been paired with one. Shift Gordon&rsquo;s usage from initiator to play-finisher more often, and you&rsquo;re bound to see his efficiency numbers skyrocket on a new team.
WHERE HE FITS
The Boston Celtics appear to be the frontrunners for Gordon at this juncture. They&rsquo;re equipped with a massive Traded Player Exception, rookie-deal prospects that just won&rsquo;t get meaningful reps for a team trying to compete now, and <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Celtics.htm">all of their first-rounders</a> moving forward.&nbsp;
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Gordon would certainly fit in Boston&rsquo;s switch-a-ton style. The prospect of Gordon, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart -- if he isn&rsquo;t included in the deal -- closing out games together would be a nightmare for opposing offenses. Teams have had success trapping Tatum, Brown, and even the good-but-recovering Kemba Walker in high-ball screens. It would be a lot harder to do that with Gordon operating as a short-roll playmaker.
Another team that has been linked to Gordon is the Denver Nuggets. Mike Singer of the Denver Post reported that <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/03/23/nuggets-harrison-barnes-kings-forward-harrison-barnes-trade-deadline/">there is interes</a>t in the versatile forward, and it&rsquo;s easy to see why. While the Celtics opt to switch, the Nuggets show their centers high in pick-and-roll. That puts strain on the backline of the defense to rotate and rim protect. Gordon can do that.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/f.gif" alt="" width="519" height="291" />
Offensively, he&rsquo;d almost never be tasked with initiating offense. Nikola Jokic controls the offense; Jamal Murray is a pull-up artist who can draw two to the ball when he gets going. All Gordon would have to do is fill open space, either as a screener or cutter, and he would be able to feast.&nbsp;
Like the Celtics, the Nuggets have young prospects (RJ Hampton, Zeke Nnaji, Bol Bol) who aren&rsquo;t ready to contribute to playoff basketball. The Nuggets have control of all but one of their <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Nuggets.htm">future first-round picks</a>. Sending one of Will Barton or Gary Harris, a prospect and a first should be enough to at least get the conversation going.&nbsp;
How about the Portland Trail Blazers as a fit? They could use another versatile defender at forward, and Gordon&rsquo;s playmaking would vibe well with the attention Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum warrant. The Blazers would have to be willing to move their 2023 first and likely another, but they do have middling salaries (Rodney Hood + Zach Collins gets you there) and young pieces (Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little) to cobble together something intriguing.&nbsp;
Ditto could be said for the Dallas Mavericks, though they&rsquo;d have an easier time matching salaries than they would coming up with assets the Magic would want.&nbsp;
Their pick situation is <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Mavericks.htm">murky in the short-term</a> because of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. As far as rookie-scale prospects, would they be willing to part with two of the Jalen Brunson/Josh Green/Tyrell Terry trio? Would that even be enough for Orlando? Still, it&rsquo;s fun to imagine what Gordon would look like playing off of the strengths of Doncic and Porzingis.

After requesting a trade from the Magic, Aaron Gordon may be on the move. Nekias Duncan examines possible destinations for the forward.

Examining possible landing spots for Aaron Gordon

My name is Matt Babcock and I was recently hired to be the lead NBA Draft analyst for BasketballNews.com. In this role, I will be responsible for managing the day-to-day efforts of covering the NBA Draft, in addition to evaluating prospects at various levels.&nbsp;
Prior to joining BasketballNews.com, it&rsquo;s possible that you may have seen me or my work at Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports HQ or Babcock Hoops. It&rsquo;s also possible that you might have seen or heard me as a guest on your favorite podcast or publication, as I have been heavily involved in the sports media world over the last few years. Here&rsquo;s the funny thing: it was never my intention to become a media member, so I&rsquo;d like to tell you about my unorthodox path that has led me to this point of my career.
From a broader scope, my story really began before I was even born because, essentially, I am just an extension of my family. The fact of the matter is that I would be remiss if I failed to mention my family&rsquo;s basketball story before I shared my own.
In 1962, my grandfather retired from the Air Force and moved his family to Phoenix, Arizona. It was there that my uncles (Pete and Rob) and my dad, Dave, all became standout players at Maryvale High School, played at colleges in the Phoenix area and ultimately became coaches at nearby high schools and universities -- none of which is all that atypical. However, much credit can be attributed to my oldest uncle, Pete, as he was the one that took my family&rsquo;s involvement in basketball to an entirely different level.
In the mid-to-late 1970s, my uncle Pete was a high school basketball coach in Phoenix. Although he enjoyed coaching at the high school level, he had lofty dreams of one day working in the NBA, as he detailed in an article that he wrote for Babcock Hoops:
&ldquo;I loved coaching high school basketball, but I knew that I wanted to work in the NBA somehow. I had no idea how to get there and I had no contacts in the league to ask for help. I decided to study the NBA on my own by recording as many games as I could. I broke down the tapes by charting offensive sets and out of bounds plays. I wrote evaluation reports on players and built files on each team. At the end of the season, I decided that the teams would know best if my reports and files were worthwhile. I sent a report to each team with a cover letter that simply stated I was a high school coach in Phoenix, Arizona, and if they thought there was any merit to my reports, I would like to volunteer to scout for them. Some never responded to my letter, some wrote back and said &lsquo;Thanks, but no thanks&hellip;&rsquo; and then I received my break. The New Orleans Jazz responded that they would allow me to work for them without compensation. Former NBA player and Hall-of-Famer Elgin Baylor was the head coach, and veteran NBA executive Bill Bertka was the general manager. I was elated and eager to prove myself.&rdquo;
My uncle Pete turned that opportunity with the Jazz into a 42-year NBA career. He went on to work for the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, San Diego Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a general manager for more than 20 years, was the director of the NBA Draft Combine, served on a number of high-profile committees and won a championship ring. I could keep listing off his accomplishments, but I think you get the point -- his dreams became a reality.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/pete45-1_lg.jpg" alt="Pete Babcock and Jerry Krause" width="594" height="AUTO" />Pete Babcock with Jerry Krause
My uncle Pete&rsquo;s success opened the door for my uncle Rob and my dad to follow in his footsteps, with me and my cousins after them.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/gettyimages-50951320-1_lg.jpg" alt="Rob Babcock" width="594" height="AUTO" />Rob Babcock
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/456700_10101538049563242_655866478_o-1_lg.jpg" alt="Nate Babcock (left), Matt Babcock (center) and Chris Babcock (right)" width="594" height="AUTO" />Nate Babcock (left), Matt Babcock (middle) and Chris Babcock (right)
Unfortunately, my uncle Rob passed away almost two years ago after a courageous battle with cancer. However, that was not before he had a 28-year career in the NBA that saw him serve in various front-office positions with the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors, where he was the general manager. His two sons (my cousins, Chris and Nate) currently serve in coaching positions with the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, respectively.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/dave_babcock-1-1_lg.jpg" alt="Dave Babcock with Zaza Pachulia and Ersan Ilyasova" width="594" height="AUTO" />Dave Babcock with Zaza Pachulia and Ersan Ilyasova
After 15 years of being a college coach, the youngest Babcock brother, my dad, Dave Babcock, is about to wrap up his 24th year working in the NBA, and 23rd year working with the Milwaukee Bucks. He is currently the Director of Player Personnel for the Bucks, and yes, he played an integral role in the team drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Well, that&rsquo;s my family&rsquo;s story, but what about me? My personal story within basketball is not nearly as linear as my dad&rsquo;s, uncle&rsquo;s or cousins&rsquo; journeys. Let me explain.
I became obsessed with the game of basketball from the time I could remember, and made a lifelong commitment to the game internally at a young age. My entire life has subsequently been consumed with chasing short and long-term goals that I have set for myself, all within basketball. My self-identity has always revolved around whatever my current role was at the time. I went from being a coach&rsquo;s son and an NBA kid to a player, and then, a coach. However, in 2007, my career trajectory of following in my family&rsquo;s footsteps went awry, and my new identity would be something no one -- including myself -- ever expected. I became a sports agent. &nbsp;
I was only 23 years old, but I was working as an assistant coach for Virtus Bologna, a top professional basketball team in Bologna, Italy. After only a short while overseas, I became homesick. I decided to leave the team prematurely to accept a position with Excel Sports Management, a sports agency in Los Angeles, California (now in New York). The job was an entry-level position that would set me on a completely new path, a path to become a sports agent.
The next thing I knew, I woke up one day and 10 years had passed. Memories flashed in front of my eyes of my career in the agency business. I thought of being a young junior agent sharing a condo with Marreese&nbsp;Speights in Las Vegas, managing Ron Artest (a.k.a. Metta World Peace) and Andrew Bogut&rsquo;s marketing, getting certified by the NBPA and FIBA, signing my first NBA player in Jodie Meeks, starting a basketball division of a prominent hockey agency, negotiating Jordan Mickey&rsquo;s second-round contract with the Boston Celtics (the most lucrative contract for a second-round pick in NBA history, at the time) and starting my own agency, Babcock Sports. I also thought of many of the other friends and memories that I made along the way.&nbsp;
Although I had many great times, I also thought about many of the hard ones as well. A business notorious for being cut-throat and crooked, the stress of being an agent wore me down. After 10 years, I looked in the mirror and questioned my place in the world.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m not one to usually have regrets, as I generally look at every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow; however, at that moment, I regret ever leaving Italy and dramatically changing the course of my career. I asked myself, &ldquo;Is it too late for me to get back on track?&rdquo;&nbsp;
At some point or another in my life, I have been exposed to just about every angle of basketball. However, in large part due to the vantage point I was given to see my dad&rsquo;s job on a day-to-day basis, I have always had a particular affinity for the NBA Draft. It was clear to me that I wanted to carve out a career that would have me evaluating NBA Draft prospects.&nbsp;
While I was still an agent, I verbally agreed to leave the agency business to become a college scout for an NBA team. Although the opportunity would have required me to take a bit of a step back financially, I looked at it as an opportunity to recreate myself and get back on track to follow in my family&rsquo;s footsteps.&nbsp;
The assistant general manager of the organization said his boss was on vacation, and that when he returned, the team would call me to get my contract finalized. Two weeks or so had passed, and the assistant general manager called. He said, &ldquo;Matt, I have bad news: I have been demoted, and I might be getting fired. Unfortunately, we will not be hiring you.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Well, it was back to the drawing board for me.&nbsp;
Not too long after that call, Lawrence Frank of the Los Angeles Clippers called me for an informal interview for a scouting position they were looking to fill. The call didn&rsquo;t go well. He questioned my experience, how well I knew the upcoming prospects and pretty much told me he wasn&rsquo;t interested. He did me a favor, though, as it was a wake up call. I came to the realization that perhaps the basketball community did not view me as an &ldquo;NBA lifer&rdquo; and &ldquo;true basketball guy&rdquo; quite like I viewed myself. I became fearful that I was only looked at as an &ldquo;agent&rdquo; -- and that didn&rsquo;t sit well with me.&nbsp;
That was my trigger point. I knew I had to make a drastic move. After speaking to my wife and family, I decided to relinquish my certifications as an agent, dissolve my agency and help all of my clients find new representation.
I was out.&nbsp;
But what would be next?
Well, the truth is I didn&rsquo;t really have a sophisticated plan in place, but I knew I needed to gather as much pertinent information on prospects as I could and gain exposure simultaneously. I was prepared to do whatever I needed to do to learn the players and create value for myself.&nbsp;
I called my friend, Ryan Blake, the owner of Marty Blake &amp; Associates, a scouting service that his dad Marty had started for the NBA years ago. I asked him if I could scout for him for the season; I told him that I didn&rsquo;t need any compensation, but if he could provide me media credentials to games, I would send him reports. He agreed.&nbsp;
I spent the following months driving to as many games as I could and using whatever frequent flyer points I had saved from my time as an agent to see as many NBA prospects as I possibly could. I loved it, but I must admit that I had some tough days and nights during that time, where I questioned if I had made a mistake leaving the agent business. I was working for free with no clear end in sight. I had several NBA teams call me that were interested in hiring me (some even showed significant interest), but nothing ever came to fruition -- so I kept grinding.
Following that college season, I received a call from an old friend, Jake Fischer, a journalist with Sports Illustrated at the time. To my surprise, he and his editor were interested in having me write a series of articles about the NBA pre-draft process from an agent&rsquo;s perspective. l had pretty much zero experience with formal writing, but I agreed to their offer. Although I had received some media credentials via Marty Blake &amp; Associates, Sports Illustrated was my real entry point into the media. I wrote a handful of articles for Sports Illustrated and really enjoyed it. The feedback was surprisingly great, too. To be published in Sports Illustrated, a magazine whose covers could be found all over my bedroom walls as a kid, was just incredible!
But while the experience with Sports Illustrated was great, I still needed to figure out my long-term plan.&nbsp;
After getting a decent lay of the land in the scouting and media world, I decided to launch Babcock Hoops, a basketball website with an emphasis on the NBA Draft. I&rsquo;m pretty sure that my family thought I was nuts, but I went for it anyway. I got some of my friends involved, including Luca Desta, Jeff Feld, Jason Fillippi and Matt McKay Jr., all of whom had NBA scouting experience and were figuring out the next steps in their careers. The concept that I put together was for my guys to use the platform to get access to players and games, so that they could stay informed and also get exposure, all while they searched for their next landing spot. In return, they provided me information and content.&nbsp;
Well, the plan worked. Luca Desta was snagged up by the Lakers within months as a college scout, Jeff Feld was tabbed as general manager of the Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix&rsquo;s G League affiliate) and Matt McKay Jr. successfully launched Pro Insight, a high school scouting database and service.&nbsp;
Before I knew it, I started to get a lot of attention. Interview requests came left and right, and our group started to get credentialed to all different types of exclusive games and events. I gradually stopped thinking about working for an NBA team so much, and instead, began focusing on building my career as an NBA Draft Analyst.
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Over the last few years, I had been a guest on Alex Kennedy&rsquo;s podcast on HoopsHype several times, and he requested quotes from me for articles he wrote on various NBA topics, somewhat regularly. He and I became friends during that span. Prior to the 2020 NBA Draft, Alex called me and told me that he was leaving HoopsHype to become the Chief Content Officer for a new startup basketball website called BasketballNews.com. He asked if I would have interest in running their NBA Draft coverage. I agreed to contribute to the site on a temporary basis while we figured out if doing something more involved made sense.
During that time, Scott Hale, the CEO of BasketballNews.com, and I had a chance to get to know each other. A basketball junkie, like myself, Scott and I have bonded over some epic conversations about hoops, business and life. It became apparent to me that Scott is an ambitious visionary and my kind of guy.
When discussing our potential partnership, Scott intently asked me, &ldquo;What do you want out of this?&rdquo; I told him, &ldquo;I want to be the best.&rdquo; From there, it was clear we were on the same page.
The rest is history.

BasketballNews.com's Matt Babcock shares his family's history in basketball and his journey from NBA agent to NBA Draft analyst.

Matt Babcock: Let me introduce myself

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Blake Griffin is joining the collection of stars in Brooklyn.
The six-time All-Star agreed to sign with the Nets, a person with knowledge of the details said Sunday.
Griffin became a free agent Friday when he completed a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons. He cleared waivers Sunday and was eligible to sign with any team.
The often-injured forward decided to join All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in Brooklyn, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no announcement.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure he wants to win. If he passed up more money (from) Detroit, he wants to win, and he wants to have an opportunity to play meaningful minutes. I&rsquo;m assuming that&rsquo;s one of the reasons why he came.&rdquo; Harden said.
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&ldquo;Obviously, we know the athletic and high-jumping Blake. But I think as of these last couple years, he&rsquo;s knocking down the 3-ball a little bit better, ballhandling is a lot better and he can be a great contribution to this team."
ESPN first reported Griffin's plans.
The 31-year-old Griffin is a six-time All-Star who has averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds since being the No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft.
Griffin is no longer the high flyer he was during his best years with the Los Angeles Clippers and averaged only 12.3 points in 20 games this season. But the 6-foot-9 forward fills a need for the Nets, who are small in the frontcourt.
And they don't need a ton of scoring, leading the NBA with 121.1 points per game. Brooklyn is a half-game behind Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference lead.

After the All-Star Game, James Harden was asked about the Brooklyn Nets' addition of Blake Griffin.

James Harden on Nets signing Blake Griffin: 'He wants to win'

It's the NBA All-Star Game almost no one seemed to want.
Certainly not the players, who scoffed at the notion of playing an exhibition game in the midst of a pandemic.
The city of Atlanta, picked as a replacement for original host Indianapolis, didn't seem so thrilled with the idea, either.
<a href="https://twitter.com/KeishaBottoms/status/1361792881493688324" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The mayor urged fans to stay away</a> from an event renowned for wild parties and packed streets. Police scheduled 12-hour shifts and canceled off days in an attempt to <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/entertainment-news/atlanta-concern-nba-all-star-weekend-parties-covid-violence/85-4cf1545f-7532-4e2c-9dce-f92840ab8057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crack down on any events</a> that could lead to a surge of COVID-19 cases.
But the league pressed forward, eager to improve its bottom line and its brand by televising the popular midseason showcase around the world.
The NBA's best will take the court Sunday in a one-night-only, hastily arranged event at a mostly empty State Farm Arena, where only a limited number of invited guests will be allowed to watch in person.
&ldquo;All-Star is part of our league. It's no different than all the other games we play,&rdquo; Commissioner Adam Silver said. "It begins and ends with the fans. This is an event the fans love to see. They love to see the players come together.
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; he quickly added, &ldquo;nothing comes without controversy in a pandemic.&rdquo;
The league's biggest stars, led by LeBron James, would have preferred getting some much-needed time off during the six-day break.
<a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-02-04/lebron-james-criticizes-plan-to-hold-nba-all-star-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James even went so far</a> as to call it &ldquo;a slap in the face&rdquo; to players who had little time to recover from last year's interrupted season, which was completed in a central Florida bubble, and are still dealing with burdensome protocols intended to stifle the coronavirus as much as possible (but still weren't enough to prevent the postponement of 31 games in the first half).
Now that it's game on, James is trying to make the best of the situation, using the All-Star platform to carry on with his efforts to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-georgia-los-angeles-lakers-lebron-james-nba-all-star-game-5418024f78cfa17acd3aa175fceda916" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expand voting rights &mdash;</a> a fitting gesture with the game being held in a state that was one of the focal points of the 2020 election.
&ldquo;Look what we made happen, what our voices made possible,&rdquo; the Los Angeles Lakers star says in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUW4-WiHUB4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 51-second ad</a> that was set to air for the first time during the game. &ldquo;And now, look what they&rsquo;re trying to do to silence us, using every trick in the book and attacking democracy itself. Because they saw what we&rsquo;re capable of, and they fear it.&rdquo;
Some things to watch for in Sunday's All-Star Game:
TEAM LEBRON VS. TEAM DURANT
This will be the fourth straight year to feature a format where the two top vote-getters served as captains and drafted their teams from the All-Star selections.
James has handled the duties all four times, going 3-0 in his previous stints &mdash; including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/f795a785b30cc9708ba0cca0d063f452" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last year's 157-155 thriller</a> in Chicago. Brooklyn's Kevin Durant got the nod for the first time, though he won't be able to play in the game because of an ailing hamstring.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-joel-embiid-los-angeles-lakers-giannis-antetokounmpo-jayson-tatum-78738d16628d75e212e4356ec687d93a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James used the top draft pick</a> on two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who captained the squad that went against Team LeBron the last two years. They are joined in the starting lineup by Stephen Curry of Golden State, Luka Doncic of Dallas and Nikola Jokic of Denver.
Durant selected Nets teammate Kyrie Irving with his first choice, rounding out the starting lineup with Joel Embiid of the 76ers (now ruled out due to COVID contact tracing), 2020 All-Star MVP Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Bradley Beal of Washington and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics.
&ldquo;I just try to pick players that can complement one another,&rdquo; James said. "It&rsquo;s the All-Star Game, so there&rsquo;s going to be some shenanigans out there. But for the majority of the game, we&rsquo;re going to try to play the right way and come out with a win.&rdquo;
MAD SKILLZ
With only one night to get in all the events, two competitions will be held shortly before the All-Star Game tipoff.
The Skills Challenge, a test of ball-handling, passing and shooting ability, will feature Doncic, Portland's Robert Covington, Chris Paul of the Suns, Julius Randle of the Knicks, Indiana's Domantas Sabonis, and Nikola Vucevic of the Magic.
Taking part in the 3-point shooting contest are Curry, Tatum, Boston's Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine of the Bulls, and a pair of Utah guards, Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley.
Conley was a replacement for Phoenix star Devin Booker, who can't participate because of an injury.
HIGH FLYERS
The Slam Dunk showdown will take place at halftime between Portland's Anfernee Simons and a pair of rookies: New York's Obi Toppin and Indiana's Cassius Stanley.
"I've been watching a lot of dunks the past couple of days," Toppin said. &ldquo;I'm going to try to do some stuff that hasn't been done yet in the dunk contest.&rdquo;
He got a few tips from his father, who was a well-known streetball player in Brooklyn.
&ldquo;I talked to him about some of the dunks," Toppin said. &ldquo;He's basically telling me which ones are a little crazy.&rdquo;
GOOD CAUSE
The NBA and the players union are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-race-and-ethnicity-nba-all-star-game-6193a11b376d1b2a700079d35dc07260" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donating more than $3 million</a> to aid historically Black colleges and universities, much of it decided by the outcome of the game.
Team LeBron will play on behalf of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant represents the United Negro College Fund.
Both organizations will receive $500,000 to start. Another $450,000 will divvied up based on the winners of the first, second and third quarters. Finally, the team that reaches the target score to win the game will ensure $300,000 for its cause.
LEFT OUT
The Atlanta Hawks, who are hosting the game for the third time and first since 2003, were shut out of festivities in their home arena.
Trae Young, a starter in 2020, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-atlanta-hawks-guard-trae-young-biggest-2021-all-star-snub-coach-votes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was snubbed this season</a> despite averaging 26.4 points &mdash; the most of any player not selected for the All-Star Game.
The Hawks also were left out of the skills, 3-point and dunking competitions. Their only All-Star selection was DeAndre Hunter to the Rising Stars, but that was merely symbolic since the game won't be played and Hunter is recovering from knee surgery.
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The NBA's best will take the court Sunday in a one-night-only, hastily arranged event at a mostly empty State Farm Arena

NBA All-Star 2021: The game no one seemed to want

It wasn&rsquo;t supposed to go like this, man.
That was seemingly the primary takeaway when Blake Griffin, fresh off receiving a five-year, $173 million deal from the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017, was sent to the Detroit Pistons for a package headlined by Tobias Harris. Griffin was near the peak of his powers at that point, a wrecking ball with playmaking chops and a budding jumpshot. He helped bring the Clippers to prominence and was rewarded for such, though that partnership ended roughly seven months after the contract was signed.
We&rsquo;ve arrived at the same conclusion -- it wasn&rsquo;t supposed to go like this, man -- four years later, yet for a more somber reason. Griffin is now an oft-injured shell of himself, testing the free-agency waters a year and a half earlier than anticipated.&nbsp;
It wasn&rsquo;t that long ago that Griffin and the Pistons came to a we&rsquo;ll-sit-at-home agreement with the expectation of finding Griffin a new home. With no trade on the horizon, the two sides agreed to a buyout, per ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s worth emphasizing that Griffin is a shell of himself. After an All-NBA-caliber campaign in 2018-19, Griffin has played in 38 games since then, averaging 14-5-4 with a 36/28/75 shooting split. That&rsquo;s, uh, pretty bad! He&rsquo;s somehow even worse defensively; the rim protection was never there because of the lack of length, and the injuries have sapped quite a bit of his lateral mobility.
The bet for teams -- Woj and others have reported that plenty of playoff contenders are interested -- is that a rejuvenated, less-relied-on Griffin can make an impact as a role player. Even at this stage of his career, he remains intriguing as a playmaking hub in Elbow sets or short-roll situations. If the jumper rebounds at all, you&rsquo;re looking at a half-court connector that could take a ton of pressure off a primary initiator.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s examine some of the best landing spots for Griffin.
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MAKES SENSE, BUT&hellip;
Team: Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers
Financial reasons rule out the Bucks right now. Per ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks, the hard cap currently prevents them from making an offer. A trade would be needed to clear some room.
If that were to happen, the Bucks would certainly move up the power rankings. The 4 rotation behind Giannis Antetokounmpo has been&hellip; an adventure, to be kind. The frenetic Thanasis Antetokounpo gets burn; DJ Wilson is perpetually in and out of the rotation. Torrey Craig has gotten some run. It&rsquo;s fair to wonder what Griffin would look like in that spot, potentially playing the 4 in Giannis-at-5 lineups.
There&rsquo;s always a &ldquo;man, the Lakers want/get everyone&rdquo; angle to play, particularly online. It&rsquo;s mostly a meme, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be a total shock to see Griffin in a Laker uniform. Purely from a we-need-firepower perspective, a Griffin flyer could be worth a shot. He&rsquo;d fit in as a high-IQ passer who could execute plenty of the high-post sets that the Lakers like to run.
There are financial factors at play that make this pairing unlikely. The Lakers aren&rsquo;t hard-capped, but they also don&rsquo;t have mid-sized exceptions to fit Griffin into (like the other teams pursuing him do). Beyond that, the frontcourt is a bit crowded. Once Anthony Davis is back, Griffin would be fighting with Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Markieff Morris for closing minutes. Even that is working under the assumption that LeBron James would slide up to the 3 in such an alignment.
So, nah.
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SURE, I COULD SEE IT
Teams: Toronto Raptors
Don&rsquo;t believe in the Freaky Friday that the Raptors are pulling right now. The advanced stats page on NBA.com may tell you that their offense (113.4 offensive rating, 10th) is better than their defense (112.0, 18th), but their defense remains the foundation of their success.
The Raptors rank eighth in half-court defense and fifth in transition efficiency, per Cleaning The Glass. They get stops, force turnovers, and run all over teams. Get them in a half-court setting and things bog down a bit (13th). Adding Griffin to provide a similar element to what Gasol brought in years prior -- high-post passing, pick-and-pop shooting -- could help juice the offense.
Worth noting: Kyle Lowry would be, by far, the best point guard Griffin has played with since his Clipper days. Higher quality of looks could see the efficiency jump a bit.
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IN THE HUNT&nbsp;
Teams: Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics
Similar to the Raptors, the Warriors&rsquo; half-court defense is driving their success. Getting out after misses or turnovers allows the Warriors to tap into Steph Curry&rsquo;s unpredictability. The Warriors are slightly ahead of the Raptors in half-court efficiency (11th), though they could use a bump in playmaking.&nbsp;
Outside of Curry and Draymond Green, who consistently capitalizes on advantages via passing? At the very least, having Griffin on the second unit could improve some of the flow there.&nbsp;
The Celtics have missed Gordon Hayward a little more than expected. To be fair, they&rsquo;ve missed just about everyone at some point during this woebegone season. Still, having Hayward as a third (sometimes fourth) playmaker helped take pressure off of Boston&rsquo;s star wing duo. For a team that ranks toward the bottom of just about every passing stat that matters, and has seen an increase in double teams against their star wings, adding Griffin as a short-roll threat could be helpful.&nbsp;
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THE FAVORITES
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets
Please get Damian Lillard some help.
His second- and third-best players are hurt. Even when healthy, the Blazers could use a little more playmaking help. With Lillard consistently having two bodies tossed at him near half-court, having Griffin as a release valve would take some of the creation burden off of Lillard.&nbsp;
The Heat desperately need help at the 4. After capturing lightning in a bottle with Jae Crowder during the second half of last season, the Heat have flat-out failed to find a reasonable replacement. Mo Harkless has been a dud; youngster KZ Okpala has gotten an inconsistent leash, and has mostly looked out of sorts when trusted with major playing time. Kelly Olynyk and Andre Iguodala have filled in admirably, but have glaring limitations on opposite ends of the floor.
Griffin would help sort the frontcourt hierarchy there. He or Olynyk would start, the other flanked by rookie Precious Achiuwa while Iguodala would fill the backup minutes at the 3.&nbsp;
In the end, Griffin may just opt to play with the team that makes life the easiest on him. That would be the Brooklyn Nets, home of three of the 15 or so most talented scorers the NBA has ever seen.&nbsp;
The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania has reported that the Nets are the frontrunners to land Griffin; the title aspirations, personal relationships, and the ease in which he could get open looks serve as valid reasons for the choice. The thought of closing games with Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Joe Harris, Griffin, and Kevin Durant is a daunting one for opposing defenses.
As the adage goes, giving up 130 doesn&rsquo;t mean much if you&rsquo;re scoring 140.
Or something like that.

Nekias Duncan takes a look at the best fits for Blake Griffin and which teams could possibly add the veteran.

Examining potential destinations for Blake Griffin following buyout

Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown and Miles Bridges all reportedly declined to participate in this year's Slam Dunk Contest.&nbsp;
Source: <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/how-zion-williamson-can-provided-a-necessary-jolt-leading-up-to-sundays-all-star-game-174843965.html?ncid=twitter_yahoosport_dw14wrbb51g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Haynes/Yahoo Sports</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The NBA continues to struggle attracting marquee names to the Slam Dunk Contest. But they have secured bids from three notable high fliers in Knicks rookie Obi Toppin, Blazers guard Anfernee Simons and Pacers rookie Cassius Stanley. Zion Williamson, who would be a major addition to the lineup, has not made a decision yet. The Dunk Contest will take place at halftime of the All-Star game on March 7.
Stephen Curry is also expected to enter the league's three-point shooting contest, while top rookie LaMelo Ball has reportedly declined to participate in the Skills Challenge.

Obi Toppin, Anfernee Simons and Cassius Stanley are the current entrants.